Watch the Shadows

   Watch the shadows…don't look away, keep watching them…he's there, he's there! Don't look away! He'll get away, he'll-

    "Jack, look out!"

    The winter sprite was ripped out of his thoughts, turning around to face the shadow man just within seconds of the blade meeting its target. A boomerang flew out, swords swung forward…but they were too late. Black sand met blue fabric and pale skin, slowing time down for everyone in the alleyway. A ringing filled the boy's ears, drowning out the screams, the roars…the only thing he heard now was that awful, awful ringing…

    And the laughter of the Nightmare King.

. . .
o
. . .

    The almost silent swish of a figure shadow-traveling was the only noise that tipped me off. The shadows on the walls disappeared as the sound stopped, only to be followed by the rushing of sand taking shape. I spun around, ears up and alert only to face Pitch standing right behind Jack, scythe raised and already swinging down towards the smaller figure.

    My heart leapt into my chest, I raised an arm to throw a boomerang, my lips formed the words, yelling them out but I couldn't hear them. No, the only sound that reached my ears was the slicing of air as the black weapon was swung down, impaling the winter spirit before me with such viciousness that the boy stumbled back before falling to his knees. His lips were parted in a silent scream…

    Screams and yells escaped all of us, rushing forward towards Pitch as he laughed maniacally, pulling his scythe out of the boy and stepping back into the shadows.

    Then, a golden light. A golden wisp, trail, of beautiful sand that we never thought we'd see again shot out, entangling itself with the Nightmare King. It suddenly jerked, pulling the shadow man up and over the buses away from us. His laughter had stopped, filled now by shocked silence.

   Sandy.

    His name flashed in my mind as North rushed forward, trailing after the sand. Tooth did not follow, instead running straight to the boy on the ground, huddled over himself. She pulled him into her lap, running a hand through his hair and pulling him closer to her small frame. He leaned in to her touch, a sound close to a whimper escaping his huddled form.

    I stood frozen, looking back and forth from the golden light to the black sand and blood slowly spilling out to cover the ground. Tooth let out a strangled cry, waving out an arm and shouting to me. I hopped over instantly, already feeling numb. Her hand fell against my fur, brushing it down as if to ask me to come closer. I obeyed, crouching down on my paws. Her eyes fell back to the winter spirit, full of tears before she had to look away.

    I continued to look, however. No matter how much I wished to look away.

    His skin was paling, even more than it should've ever been possible. His hoodie was slowly becoming stained a dark, brownish red as blood escaped a hidden wound. The hole in the fabric showed a section of the injury, tainted black with nightmare sand that was already disappearing inside of his body. My gaze drifted up to his eyes, finding them flickering and clouded with darkness. His piercing blue eyes stared back at me, focusing solely on my own green eyes. His lips parted again, but no sound escaped them. Blood tinted black now dripped out, drying much too fast against his skin. He seemed to form the words I'm sorry with lips, reaching out slowly with one shaking hand. I took it into my paw, not caring about how cold his skin felt against my fur. Tooth took his other, pulling it up to her face as she tried to hold back tears. He smiled sadly, coughing out a final sentence,

    "T-Thanks g-guys…f-for e-everything…"

    Jack closed his eyes then, resting his head against Tooth's arm. His chest rose once, twice, and then stopped altogether. Tooth let out a choked sob, leaning over his still body just as the golden light became brighter, notifying us of Sandy's presence with North right behind him. I looked up at him, his smile vanishing as soon as he saw the winter spirit in Tooth's lap.

   Oh Sandy…you were only seconds too late…