Chapter Text
After Pitch Black’s defeat at the hands of Jack Frost and the other Guardians, he didn’t quite disappear, but he wasn’t near as much of a threat. Though he did recover the strength to travel occasionally, feeding on fears and causing some of his own, he seemed to do his best to avoid another serious defeat by the Guardians.
Any time one of them did notice him at work, he would find a shadow to jump into and then vanish, teleporting far away. Sometimes he would linger and give a few choice insults, provoking his target into attacking him only to flee through the shadows, laughing as he went. On rare occasions he would even trade blows with the Guardian he had come across, teasing them and dropping underhanded compliments, before again taking off before he could be stopped or captured.
It was frustrating but the Guardians were far too busy to spend much time trying to stop him. Compared to his previous behavior, Pitch came across mostly as a nuisance. He wasn’t causing any serious harm. None of the children were being manipulated into not believing, they simply had nightmares more often or were spooked by strange noises or shadows while outside at night. Nothing harmful, just a little startling.
So, while Pitch was discussed often when the Guardians met up, they didn’t make any big plans to go after him. They figured he was just trying to agitate and distract them. Unless he started something big, they just didn’t have time for him.
Though Jack wouldn’t admit it, he kind of liked when he was the one who came across Pitch. They had fallen into a habit of greeting each other quite politely and Pitch almost always wanted to spar with him. So Jack would use his frost lightning and Pitch would use his shadows, the two racing and almost dancing around each other as they fought, trying to get the upper hand.
They would bicker while they fought, insulting whatever they could think of about each other, and both usually laughed as the remarks became increasingly ridiculous. Jack would always win in the end. Having more believers now while Pitch had none meant he was much stronger, though Pitch was also slowly gaining strength.
Another fight ended and Pitch said, “Alright, I’ve been bested! But you haven’t seen the last of me!”
“Same time next week?” Jack replied.
Pitch laughed at that. “I believe that’s Bunny’s turn to try and stop me from accomplishing my plans.”
“Yeah but he’s always trying to get me to cover for him. So maybe this time I’ll actually say yes, so I can keep my eye on you instead.”
“And why would you prefer to see me rather than let one of your friends deal with me? They all like to beat on me as much as you do so it’s not like you’re special in that regard.”
“I just like fighting you,” Jack admitted. “It’s exciting and I get to really let loose with my powers.”
“Is that so? Well then. I like fighting you too. Far more than the others. It almost feels like we’re playing a game.”
“Yeah,” Jack agreed. “It’s fun.”
“It is! I’m so glad you understand.” Then Pitch offered him a smile, one he’s made several times before and it always tugged at Jack’s heart. It was an unsure but genuine look, his eyes seeming to say that he wanted to keep spending time with Jack.
Jack knew how lonely he was. His fights with the Guardians, while partly a way to inconvenience them, was also his only way to be seen and acknowledged by others. Even if the other Guardians treated him with hostility, they still gave him attention and that was what he craved.
Not for the first time, Jack considered inviting Pitch to stay and hang out. He naturally wanted to get close to someone who has been as lonely as him. But then he told himself he couldn’t. Pitch was the enemy. If he got close to him only for Pitch to use that and manipulate him, he would be undoing everything that he and the Guardians fought for.
So he looked away from that sincere expression that asked so plainly for friendship, and said, “Yeah. See you next week.”
“Jack-” Pitch started to say, then stopped himself. Jack looked over and saw a strange, dark sort of look cross Pitch’s face for a brief moment. It was unsettling. Then Pitch’s expression was calm, other than how he showed his teeth in a slight snarl as he said, “You all are only delaying the inevitable, I will regain the power I had before and I will plunge this world into darkness!”
Jack responded by hitting him in the chest with a bolt of frost lightning. Pitch gasped and reeled back, rubbing his chest and lashing out with a blade made of shadows in return. Jack dodged backward and shadows surrounded Pitch, the other slipping into them and disappearing.
Jack sighed once he was gone, resting his staff against his shoulder as he paced. He wished it didn’t have to be like this. That he could find a way for Pitch to be believed in without Pitch using his resulting power for evil.
He thought about the hopeful way Pitch had looked at him. It was obvious he wanted a friend. Jack thought back to their meeting in Antarctica. The raw sincerity in the other’s voice when he said that he believed in him. That he knew what it was like to be alone. How he longed for a family and thought Jack would understand.
Jack’s heart ached. He did understand. He understood plenty. While he considered the Guardians friends, their relationship felt somewhat professional. They liked him because he was a fellow Guardian. But he didn’t feel that same sort of spark with them that he felt toward Pitch.
He called the wind over just so he could leap up into a nearby pine tree. He hopped up through the branches and settled on one, gazing at the sky. It was night, which was usually when Pitch liked to strike. Tonight was also a new moon, so Jack couldn’t see Manny. Which was fine by him. Though Manny was the one who gave him his powers, he still had a sore spot from the other going hundreds of years never speaking to him and letting him be alone.
And as hard as it was for him, he knew it must have been harder for Pitch. How long was he alone? Thousands of years? Nothing but people’s fears to keep him company as he slowly built his strength from within his lair? It sounded like a dark existence. At least Jack could spend his time flying from town to town, traveling the world and seeing new people, using his powers to help them have fun throughout the otherwise bleak winter.
It still didn’t measure up to actually talking to people but at least he could see others. Pitch had just been alone.
Jack considered going to talk to Pitch. He knew the way into his lair. But going there would be making himself vulnerable. There were no winds down there to ride on. It was cool but the air was dry, unsuitable for making much snow out of. Jack could make snow entirely himself but it would take more power, and Pitch could take advantage of him being weakened. Plus, it was Pitch’s domain. His home field, so to speak. He knew the layout far better than Jack did. He could quickly move through its shadows and give himself an advantage. Jack was pretty confident in his strength but that was the one place where he was sure Pitch could strike him down.
Even so, he wanted to go find him. He wanted to talk to him. The two of them weren’t so different and if Jack was in Pitch’s place, he would want a true friend. It would make the days just a little more bearable.
Jack decided he would go talk to him in the morning. For now, he would rest and recover his strength from the battle.
He got comfortable against the trunk of the tree and relaxed, closing his eyes and drifting off.
The sound of birds chirping woke Jack up. He sighed as he stretched, checking the sky. It was sunrise. It felt like it was going to be a warm day. Summer was in full swing in this part of the world but the nights were still occasionally chilly thanks to him. But he was looking forward to fall.
He grabbed his staff from the branch he had hung it on and jumped from the tree, flying high into the air. He did a few spins for fun, darting around alongside some birds and almost managing to touch the tail feathers of one before it flew out of the way.
He laughed and turned to head toward the entrance to Pitch’s lair. There were multiple but he used the one he was most familiar with, the one next to the pond he had drowned in hundreds of years ago.
His mind went to the memories of when he first emerged from the ice. How he was confused and uncertain of his place in the world, knowing only that his name was Jack Frost and the Moon had told him so. He had tried to interact with the people of the nearby village, which he now knew was the very village he had lived in as a human. But no one could see him. They had walked through him. It had been a gut-wrenching sensation.
And just like that, he was thinking about how Pitch had looked when he was defeated months ago. The stricken expression when a child passed through him like he wasn’t there. His eyes had widened with such pain that Jack had sympathized with him. Despite everything, he had wanted to reach out and tell him it was okay, he knew he was there, and if he was willing to change, maybe he could be believed in again…
But Pitch had run, and his fears had been so strong that his own creations, the Nightmares, had dragged him away.
Jack dove feet first into the tunnel next to the pond. He knew the other Guardians wouldn’t approve of this. But it felt like the right thing to do. He was going to follow his heart.
For a while, darkness surrounded him and he heard a rush of air as he fell. Then he could feel the air change and knew the tunnel was about to widen. He prepared for it and used what little wind had come down with him to jump up onto one of the stone walkways that crossed the immense cavern he was in. There were large, dark towers all around him and above were empty cages. He had to wonder what Pitch used those for. Considering their size… humans?
He swallowed and walked around, staff up and ready. Then he reconsidered and held it more loosely. He wanted to talk, after all. Maybe he shouldn’t show aggression.
Even though the cavern was huge, he still began to feel like it was too small. He couldn’t feel the wind. He couldn’t see the sky. It was too enclosed, too unnerving, there was so much ground above him blocking his way to the surface…
His heart sped up and he began breathing more quickly as fear crowded around the edges of his mind. He told himself to get a grip. He was okay. He knew the way out of here. The wind would be able to get him and pull him back up through that tunnel once he asked it to.
But he was still afraid. Pitch may chat with him while battling but maybe he didn’t want Jack here. Maybe he’ll try to fight him, and in this atmosphere, Jack wasn’t too sure he would win.
Pitch could badly hurt him and the Guardians might not find out for days or weeks. Pitch could capture him. Torture him!
Jack’s throat felt tight and he tried to take some calming breaths as he twirled his staff in his hands. The motion helped settle him.
“Torture, huh?” a familiar voice said behind him.
Jack yelped and spun, his staff sparking with ice as he prepared to attack. But Pitch’s arms were behind his back and he was relaxed, showing no intent to attack him.
Pitch smirked. “As much as I enjoy tormenting people, I’m not especially fond of crude torture methods. I prefer to break minds. Not bodies. Although, if torture is what scares you…” He drew closer, a wicked grin on his face. “Perhaps I could scrounge up an old rack or some thumbscrews or something, hm?”
Jack shook his head, using his staff to push the other a safe distance back. “You’re sick.”
“Are you just now figuring that out?” Pitch laughed but then his expression grew serious and he prodded the staff aside. “Why are you here?”
For a moment, Jack worried that Pitch would find his motivation childish and laughable. But he pressed through the anxiety and said, “I want to talk.”
There was a barely noticeable change in Pitch’s expression. “About?”
“Anything. You’re all by yourself down here and I just… thought you’d like to hang out.”
Pitch’s eyes widened slightly. “You actually want to spend time with me?”
“Sure. I don’t like thinking about you being all alone except for when you leave to harass me and the others, so… I want to hang out and talk.”
“So you’re visiting out of pity?”
“What? No, it’s not pity, I mean… okay I do feel bad for you, but it’s because I understand. I spent so long wanting to be believed in. Now I am, but you’re not. I know it hurts being invisible. So I want to tell you that I see you, and I believe in you.”
Pitch stared at him for a bit and Jack watched him closely, prepared for him to lash out or simply leave. Then Pitch’s expression softened and he said, “You’re so compassionate compared to the others. You have a trusting heart. Despite you going through what I have, you haven’t become jaded and withdrawn. I will admit, I… admire it.” He moved to a nearby iron bench and sank onto it.
Jack sat next to him.
Pitch looked up at the cavern roof high above them for a bit, then said, “I’m surprised you’re just here to talk. I figured you’d be here to try and negotiate with me. To tell me to never spread fear again and you’ll let me into your little club or whatever.”
Jack laughed but his chest twisted a bit. He did want to help Pitch become a better person but he decided to wait a while before bringing that up. “Telling you not to spread fear is like telling me not to spread fun. It’s who we are.”
“Well I’m glad you understand. The others treat me like a monster but I’m a force of nature like they are. The world needs hope, wonder, dreams, memories, fun… and fear. Even if they don’t want to hear it.”
“If people were fearless, they would be reckless,” Jack said. “Fear is uncomfortable but it’s like that for a reason. It’s meant to tell you that you’re doing something dangerous. Something not fit for survival. The dark? Scary because you can’t see and a predator could be out there ready to eat you. Heights? Scary because if you fall you could die. So on. I don’t think fear should disappear at all. I just think fears… should be necessary ones.” He met Pitch’s eyes. “And not ones intentionally brought on with nightmares, making people afraid for no reason when they’re safe in bed.”
Pitch looked thoughtful. “There’s certainly more than enough natural fear out there for me to enjoy. But there’s just something about bringing it on myself that gives me such a rush. You like when it snows naturally, I’m sure? But you still cause storms yourself. It’s fun wielding that control. Shaping things to your liking. Makes the result more satisfying.”
“I can understand that. But it doesn’t feel right to intentionally hurt people.”
“No? Every time you use your power, I can guarantee that someone somewhere gets hurt. Whether it’s as simple as tripping into the snow or something far worse like fatally crashing their car. You hurt people just like I do. But the benefits of what you do are worth it, hm?”
“No, that’s…” Jack felt cold. And not a pleasant sort of cold. “I don’t want that to happen, I mean I know it does, and it always makes me feel bad, but… winter happens anyway, I just want people to have fun during it.”
“And they do! There’s so much fun to be had, especially during the holidays. But while some have fun, others get sick. They get depressed. Bad things happen, Jack. And you can’t stop that. So I imagine you don’t dwell on it, right?”
Jack didn’t like to think about it. At the back of his mind he was always aware of the negatives of winter. But he tried to keep the season as light and happy as he could for others. “Right. I can’t change that some people get hurt. I don’t intentionally do that to them. It’s just… a side effect.”
“But regardless, they are harmed. It’s the same with my power. The benefits of fear outweigh the downsides. Maybe, sometimes, people awake screaming from terrifying visions in their dreams. But then they find out they’re alive and well, that all of it was fake. No true harm done, right? But their fears will protect them as they go about their lives. And some even consider fear to be a friend. Thrill seekers. I’m sure you know them.”
Jack nodded. “Yeah. A lot of humans do scary stuff because it’s fun. They like being afraid. Horror movies are popular for a reason.”
“Oh yes. Horror movies, extreme sports, roller coasters, haunted houses. They intentionally go into situations that terrify them… for the thrill.” Pitch smiled at him. “Fear isn’t bad. You said so yourself. So really, is it such a big deal if I share it with the world?”
“The world you want is one where people are constantly afraid. Where they’ll have no room for fun or wonder or anything. Fear’s not helping them then. It’s just a weapon. So you can feed off them.”
“Hm, so you want me to find a balance, I take it? I can cause fear as long as I leave room for all that happiness you Guardians are obsessed with?”
“I still would prefer you not intentionally scare people at all, but since I’m not any better… yes. Cause fear if you want. But let people be hopeful afterward. Besides, if they were always being scared… they’d get used to it. It would just become normal for them. Probably not very fun for you.”
“No, it’s not,” Pitch admitted. He gazed across his lair for a bit. Then he began to smile. “Hm. The others will probably keep trying to fight me if I go about my work up there though, won’t they?”
“Probably. Even if you’re only messing with a few people, they’ll probably want to stop you.”
“Of course. So I have an idea. I don’t necessarily need human fears to grow stronger… any fear works. Including the fear of other spirits.” Pitch gave him a hungry look that made him grow tense. “If you keep spending time with me and you let yourself be afraid sometimes, I can feed off you.”
“Oh. That’s… hm.” Jack moved away slightly. “I’m not really afraid of you, though.”
“You don’t have to be afraid of me. Though you were certainly afraid earlier that I was going to ambush you, which ironically lured me right to you. You have a delightful fear. It’s cold and such a pretty blue. It tastes like sparkles. I would gladly feed on it as long as you let me.”
Jack was a little unnerved by that description. And even those mild feelings of worry and distress were enough to make the other smile more widely.
“There you are, already you’re becoming scared. Good, Jack. So kind of you to help me out. We could make a game out of this, seeing how much I can scare you before you flee. And if you let me do it, I’ll leave the humans alone. Any fear they feel will be their own. I’ll still take it, of course. But I won’t cause it. Nothing unnecessary, hm?”
Jack grew more interested at the mention of a game. “That’s a tempting offer. You leaving people alone and all I have to do is… is let you scare me? What’s the catch?”
“No catch.” Pitch moved closer and settled a hand on Jack’s knee. Jack’s breath caught as he stroked up and down. “Though if I’m not satisfied with the amount of fear I get from you, well… I will go make it up by taking it from a human. Perhaps even a child, one you like… Jamie seems like a good candidate.”
Jack knocked Pitch’s hand away and said, “Okay, fine. We’ll play your stupid game. Scare me all you want. I’ll put up with it.”
“Wonderful. I think I know just what I want to do to put you on edge.” Pitch stood and moved an arm behind Jack’s back. The other went under his knees and before Jack could prepare for what was about to happen, he was being lifted into Pitch’s arms and carried.
“What… hey, what are you doing? Put me down!”
“Relax. All part of the game.”
Jack sighed and relaxed, holding his staff to his chest and looking up as he was carried. It was sort of nice. Pitch was very warm. Jack met his eyes and received a mysterious look. He had no clue what the other was planning, but he intended to go along with it. He just hoped he came out unscathed.