บท 33: Frost and Fire
Tragedy reached the end of the mist and held her breath. "I can do this," she whispered as she glided into the light. Everything was white with a light frost. Jack sat facing away from her stirring the frost with his staff. The same staff that he used to save her from the icy death that he suffered. She watched him silently, warmth filling her. Her back burned; she winced and fell forward slightly her foot smashed the ice and Jack jumped up spinning around.
Jack couldn't see anything that could have made the noise but he felt unusual warmth. The ice started to melt around Tragedy's feet showing her little foot prints in the snow. Jack saw this and jumped back on a low branch and watched with his staff in front of him.
"Jack," Tragedy said softly.
"Jeannie?" Jack said stepping down cautiously. He started imagining the little girl from his memory, "Why can't I see you?"
"When I became a spirit, the cloak I was wearing turned invisible so I could do my work while hiding from spirits and believers," she grimaced, "I am pretty gruesome looking. My belirvers need to hear me before seeing me sometimes."
"Being born in darkness must have darkened your appearance," Jack scowled remembering that she was evil and tightening his grip on his staff.
"I died saving a slave girl from these horrible men. They stabbed me, cut my hair, and threw me on a fire pit. A thin layer of frost kept me alive long enough to die in my bed with my husband and our mother near me," Tragedy sighed.
"I thought in order for Pitch to turn you into a spirit you had to die in a horrible way?" Jack said confused almost relaxing then tensing back up.
"I would call being humiliated, stabbed twice, and burned alive a horrible way to die Jack," Jeannie frowned sitting on a log still covered in her cloak, "Pitch couldn't create spirits anyway. I ran away from my husband and stumbled upon the girl. When I was dying I saw you and the moon glowed brighter. The moon created me burning his mark into my back," She grabbed her hood revealing her blood splattered skin, burnt hair, and branded ankle. Jack's eyes fell on the brand, "My husband, your best friend in life had to brand me in order to marry me because I didn't have a dowry. I fainted after they did it," she pulled the cloak off completely to show Jack the burned moon and stars dotting her spine fresh blood dripping down her back as it glowed red. "Funny how I had to be marked to be claimed," she turned to see Jack deep in thought.
"The frost that saved you long enough to make it home was mine?" Jack asked not waiting for an answer, "You were created by Moon because you died a hero? Then why did you work for Pitch?" Now he looked at her pleading for her to say he was wrong.
"I stayed with Pitch because he was kind to me," she sighed. She couldn't reassure him. "He treated me with respect and didn't make me do anything. I could leave at any time. I could have chose not to go through with my death. I didn't work for him, he made the Nightmares from me, but I felt like the pain I relived was deserved. My life may have happened with Pitch but I became an angel of mercy, tragedy, and death on my own. A sad job I took on because I felt that my life was meant to follow that course."
Jack thought for a moment. He watched his little sister in a bright red dress, dusted in what looked like red glitter with an ankle tattoo and short brown hair with black tips. She didn't look scary to him at all, although, she was now older than him, she would forever be his baby sister. He thought about the night she died, so much was going on!
"Jack?" Tragedy spoke softly but Jack still jumped. "I am your sister, I have changed, a lot happened when you died. I was so scared, so alone. Pitch was the only one who stayed. You were gone. You left when you thought no one could see you. I could see you but I didn't see you again until the day I died. I couldn't speak then, I couldn't call out to you," Tears ran down her face
Jack remembered the terror in her face when he fell through the ice, she looked the same. "Jeannie, I am so sorry that I thought you were evil. I am sorry I wasn't there for you. I didn't remember anything from my life, I still don't remember it all. I didn't mean to leave you alone. You have become a beautiful woman with good friends, except Pitch, and you have shown such kindness," Jack looked at her with sadness for the years lost. "I remember saving you. I remember thinking you were the bravest woman I had ever seen. I dropped a heavy branch on your attackers. They lived but could stand trial. I even attended your funeral," Jack's eyes shot to Manny, "He knew that if I remembered you I would have stayed with you and protected you. I wouldn't have done the job he gave me."
She ran to him and wrapped her arms around him, "I wish I had searched you out, I thought you had left me because you died because of me skating on thin ice. I didn't know you couldn't remember me. I am so glad to have you back though!"
Jack hugged her back, he had expected to find her in Pitch's layer, long haired, white faced, crawling on the walls and just evil. He thought they would fight and she would have to be killed. A shutter washed over him, he was glad for the silent hug and the beautiful red cupid like girl. They stood there freezing and melting the ice on the ground for a long time just holding each other to make up for the 300 years of separation and crying for the loss of their mother and Colin both long dead but new memories made the wounds fresh.
Tragedy told Jack about how Jamie was Colin's descendant and how his little friends Caleb and Claude were Ivory's. They talked about their adventures in death, sharing laughs and tears. When the sun set they were still talking, unaware of the mist forming around them.
Just then Daydream and Bad Dream sprung from the mist ready for a fight. When they saw Tragedy and Jack siting on the ground smiling they were confused to say the least.
Daydream being the level headed spirit she was spoke first, "How dare you run off to face someone who wanted to kill you and leave only a note?!" she took a breath, "So, what is going on here? Did you fight? Are we good now?" Her finger wagged between the two.
Tragedy smiled and nodded, "We are good, no fight, we talked and we understood each other," She cringed as her spine burned a new, "Speaking of notes, how are you doing knowing that you found each other?"
Daydream and Bad Dream looked at each other and blushed. They were so worried about Tragedy they hadn't had a chance to really accept they were with the one they had looked for. Bad Dream responded first this time, "I think in my heart I knew. I think we came close to figuring it out but something always happened."
Daydream thought about that, "That's true, like your nightmares, the moon's missions, and the Nightmares excaping. It was like fate was against us."
Tragedy frowned, "Not fate as much as Moon."
They all looked up as a group of clouds covered the moon as if saying, "I am not here."
"I still don't understand why Moon would keep us apart?" Bad Dream asked.
"So that you and Daydream would do the jobs you were meant to and not be caught up 'living' the life that was stolen from you with your death," Tragedy frowned looking at the cloudy sky and wondering how much better things would be had Moon stayed out of the way. "It is the same reason that Jack was brought back without his memories. He wanted us to be forced to follow the path he had laid out for us."
Jack frowned and looked at the group before him, he couldn't believe that Moon was evil but he could believe that he would do anything to make sure that evil didn't win. Making Tragedy go with Pitch ensured that the Nightmares would love her and protect her, in the end destroying the evil. The moon peaked out and shined light over the group.
A soft calm voice filled their ears, "I apologize my children, I give you each what you need to be happy again. Please forgive an old soul, I was just trying to do what was right for the world and I failed you."
Jack blinked he remembered his full life. Tragedy remembered the feeling of love and happiness that she had forgotten. Daydream and Bad Dream remembered their lives and saw the vision of Tragedy getting Kathrine's father's blessing. They celebrated and had a little more time together ignoring responsibilities and making up for lost time. Moon stayed silent, knowing if he interfered again he would lose them all forever. They spent a full two days talking and remembering.
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Poetsoul61521
Poetsoul61521 So, I am sorry to say there probably won't be more than 2 more chapters to wrap up the story. I would like to say it ended up a little longer than the original. I hope you have enjoyed the story so far.
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