Chapter Text
It was only when he closed his eyes, that he was truly at peace. In his cave of ice, protected by mountains of snow and dagger-like icicles, he would lay and sleep, and dream.
They were dreams that weren't created by Sandy or Pitch, and were too perfect to be Jack's imagination. Each time he slept, they were different, but one thing stayed static; when he woke up he felt free, and weightless, and loved. It wasn't like the artificial feeling he got when he saw the other Guardians, this was raw and real and Jack knew that what he felt was true.
Every dream, though, he was in the same place. A black cave, cold and dark, pinned against a wall by black, rock-like bonds. But he was never scared. Something - someone's - voice was always there, breaking sometimes as if for rest. It wavered and faltered, but it was soft and calming and Jack adored it. He had never seen where the voice came from; lifting his head only allowed the view of a dark tower with a small soft light off-centre.
He never knew his name, who he was in this place. There was never anyone else to talk to, apart from the voice.
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As Jack settled down in his bed of snow, after a day with the Guardians planning their attack on Pitch, his dream was different. He was still in the cave, but the light in the dark tower was brighter. It illuminated the long, regal face of a man; his sharp teeth glinting with each word. His voice was stronger and Jack was scared. His fear in his dreaming state bubbled up inside of him, shaking his bonds until they poured silken black sand from their cracks, disintegrating entirely and releasing Jack to crumple to the floor. He lifted his head up, slowly from centuries of disuse and watched as the tower holding the man up shook. The man laughed as he floated down to the ground, a hideous noise that made Jack throw his hands to his ears to protect himself. The more he heard, the more he feared and he felt helpless.
"You tried to trap me for eternity, but your carelessness has broken the bonds that held both of us. You thought you had no other choice, and you told me everything. So it'll be you they blame, Nightlight, when I destroy Lunanoff and everything it ever stood for!"
The man raised his hand and wrenched the light from his chest, and threw it at Jack - at Nightlight - and watched as it impaled the younger boy. The Nightmare King's laughter downed out Nightlight's screams, and continued, as he lifted them out of their prison-like cave and flung the boy into the sky towards the Constellations.
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Jack awoke with a cry, a searing pain engulfing him as he clutched his chest and screamed - from fear, from pain, from despair.