Chapter 6

Valentina's PoV:

I woke up with a throbbing headache. So Pitch had been waiting for me...to think I was so blind I didn't see that letter for what it was. A trap!

"So our little princess is finally awake. Welcome back Valentina."

I could hear a voice coming from somewhere in front of me, but I couldn't tell if it was Pitch or someone else. I tried to get up, but quickly discovered that my hands and feet had been tied up. "Who's there?" "Oh, you don't remember me, my precious?" Okay, that was weird. Pitch never called me that...argh, good grief my head was really hurting again! It felt as if my brain was overloading with information or some little midget inside my head was hammering on the inside of my skull.

I presume this is what it feels like to have a hangover. I wouldn't remember if I ever got drunk and got a hangover the next day. Still I think this would beat a hangover by miles!

Then out of no-where it stopped hurting. Instead I found myself in a place that I knew so well and yet I never could remember why. Though I did recognize it as the pond near the Burgess. I heard some voices...5...no...3...nope...2 voices were coming my way. I immediately flew up and placed myself on a branch opposite of where I could hear the voices coming from. As they got closer to my position I suddenly recognized my own voice!

I had known the whole time who the other voice belonged to, but it surprised me to hear my own voice! What in the world was going on here?!

Well, I decided to watch and see. Okay, so sure enough my other self came running towards the pond, which was frozen solid, did I forget to mention the whole place was covered in snow? I apparently did. *snicker*

Any way back to watching: My other self had, what seemed to be, a pair of ice skates tossed over her shoulder and she was wearing...well...something that looked like what I was wearing and yet our clothes didn't look alike at all. She had wings, just like me, though they looked more like Tooth's wings. She didn't have any shoes on her feet, I was wearing purple/turquoise ballerinas. I could feel my memories slowly coming back to me now...this was about 100 years after I became a spirit and I had gotten to know...JACK! O_o (wait what?!)

Oh no, this is a week before he died! And a week before he became Jack Frost. During that week I had something really important I had to take care of...something that was so important that it depended solely on me or had it?

"You're very close to remembering now I see. Yes, that was an important week, wasn't it? Now why did you have to go spoil all the fun by protecting this boy and sealing me away?"

That voice! Now I remember why that week had been so important! Pashmena! She had gotten out of her 100 year prison and wanted to make the world an empty thing floating in space! The Guardians had failed to hold her off and she was coming for me. She had gotten this crazy idea that my powers would allow her to accomplish her goal.

I was saying goodbye to Jack that day and had asked him to wait for me as I had to go away for a few days. I then kissed him, for a long while, and the last thing I said/asked was for him to watch my skates while I was gone. I told him his sister could use them as much as she wanted to. I loved those skates and I had gone skating on the ice every winter since the day he gave them to me.

When I flew away he said something to me which I couldn't hear that well, but I thought it sounded like this: "I love you too and when you come back I have something to tell you!" I had turned around and looked puzzled at him to make him verify what he had just said, back then I wasn't sure if I had heard right, but he had just smiled that smile that had made me fall for him in the first place and waved at me.

I flew on to find Pashmena...that took me almost that whole week and when I found her or she found me, that's beside the point, it was mind fighting mind and powers fighting powers.

She was powerful and I was about to give up when Man in Moon told that there were a way to seal her up almost permanently. I was resting after another tiring battle. I had managed to hide both physically and mentally from Pashmena. But it would only last for a day or so, but it would be enough for me to gather some strength for one last battle.

He sounded so sad when he told me that in order to seal her I'd have to use the most precious memories I had. His voice got even sadder when he told me that not only did I have to use my most precious memories, but also those of the person I loved more dearly than my own life. One thing was to use my own memories, but to use Jack's too was more than my heart could bear. I don't know how to explain in words how I felt. I cried bitter tears and my heart felt like it had been frozen over and crushed into millions of little pieces. Nothing would be fine without Jack and neither of us would remember each other. I don't know how much time had passed, but when I finished crying I felt nothing at all. All the joy, color and positiveness I had had were gone. I felt like an empty shell...a cold, empty shell.

I tried to ask him if there were no other way, but the only answer I got was the most heart breaking silence I had ever known. I somehow knew he had probably looked at every option he could think of or find and this one was the best one he had found along with it being the the most effective option at the time.

I had no other choice but to trust him. The other choice was death and worse. He helped me get the things ready for the ritual. In my heart I swore that I would never forget Jack completely and that I hoped that when he got these memories back that he would forgive me. If he or I ever got them back.

The next day, the day that Jack died, I met with Pashmena for one last battle, but this time I would win and she would be sealed away for a good while. I didn't know for how long, but it didn't matter as long as she didn't get the chance to lay waste to the world.

Before she even got the chance to even speak or act I spoke those fateful words, but something went wrong. I didn't know how wrong it had gone or how powerful the spell had been till now. I had single handedly wiped my memories about who I was and Jack's too. I don't think MiM had known how powerful the spell had been. Parts of the Guardians memories got wiped as well. Not that they had known about me in the first place, but those about Pashmena were gone after this.

I guess you're all wondering how I came to meet Jack in the first place and how he could see me. Well, the thing is I had forgotten that every Valentine's Day I would be visible to all around me, well, if they were male that is. Thought they would forget ever meeting me the next day I was fine with that for years. To have a whole day where most people could see me was enough...until I met Jack. Not only could he see me, but he could also remember meeting me the day after! He couldn't have been more than 8 or 9 at the time, but he would always wait for me to show up every spring. I have no clue to what I did during the winter...that one's a bit hazy, but every spring I'd go to his house and spend all spring, summer and fall with him. A

year or so after I had met him the first time his little sister was born. She was the cutest little baby girl you'd ever lay your eyes on and that didn't fade as she got older. I would often help Jack look after her...no matter how hard he tried he couldn't be two places at the same time. I would be the one to tell him if she had wondered off (this was after she had learned to walk).

As time passed and Jack grew older he and I became very good friends. I don't know when those feelings of friendship turned into something more, but it happened little by little until that fateful week.

We didn't do much more than often hold hands and some times cuddle. Embracing wasn't something strange either. It was comfortable and nice. I would sit on his lap from time to time and he would sleep with his head on mine. I enjoyed those times very much.

We hadn't kissed yet, but it had been close a few times. The first time was when I said goodbye to him. Never had I thought that his lips were so soft or that he would respond! I knew that time was of the essence then and I had to break the kiss...frankly I only wanted it to be a quick kiss and be done with it, it was just too painful, but I guess Jack had a different idea about that.

When I tried to pull away he grabbed my arm, pulled me back and then put his other arm around my waist to hold me in place. Well, since I couldn't get away I might as well enjoy it and go with the flow. As we kissed I could feel a few tears stream down my cheeks. I think he noticed and broke off the kiss, looked at me for a moment, reached up to my cheek with his hand and wiped one off. This time he kissed me. I have no idea where he learned to he kiss like that, I hadn't taught him, but either way I liked it too much to complain.

The more time we spent like this the more my heart started to ache. I really did wish that I could live without having to worry about the likes of Pashmena. And just be with Jack for however long that would be. But I just loved him too much to let him or anyone else get hurt by Pashmena. I had to foil her plans or else no one would ever see the light of day again.

I don't know why Pashmena were the way she were or why she wanted to destroy the world and everything on it, but I just knew I had to stop her. Tears were running down my cheeks again when we broke off the kiss for the I-don't-know-which time, but this time I really had to go.

"Jack, I really must go this time, though I'd rather stay with you, still everything depends on me to complete this task. I'm really torn by this...I..." He put a finger on my mouth, gave me a quick last kiss and the rest you know.

I came to feeling like the worst scum in the universe. What a trip down memory lane! I was still tied up...dang it! Now how do I...? I hardly finished the thought when a ray of ice shot past me and hit somewhere in the cave. I doubt it had hit its intended target.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Urgh, I hated that laugh. I wish this was just some bad dream and that I'd wake up any moment, but fat chance, hon. Reality is far too cruel for that to be true.

As nice as it was to spend time in my own little mind I had to get out of these things I was tied up with. It didn't feel like rope or plastic or metal...well, never mind what it was I had to get free! I was such an idiot for not noticing that Jack had been following me! There was no telling what would happen if he got a clean hit on Pashmena.

"Are you okay?" Jack was by my side faster than I could say 1 and 2. "Yeah, but how did...why?" He tried untying me, but the things wouldn't budge. "You like my special strings? They were made by nightmare sand, some jolly HoHoHo and a little dash of rainbow." Pitch/Pashmena stepped out just enough for us to catch an outline. "The others are on their way. Don't worry I got this one." I watched him get ready to fight. "Jack listen to me! You don't know who you're dealing with here!" "Sure I do! It's Pitch! I've defeated him before and I can do it again." No, he just didn't understand! "Jack! That isn't Pitch! Well, it is and yet it's not...it doesn't matter! What matters is that you don't..." Pashmena appeared again and Jack instinctively shot at her and got a clean hit. Pitch's body fell unconscious to the ground along with Jack. "NOOOOOOOO! JACK!" I flung up and hurried over to Jack. He was okay, but if something wasn't done fast he wouldn't be for very long. In fact he would be lost forever.

The thing about Pashmena is that is you hit her with an elemental force you open up for her to take over not just your body, but also you mind and everything you are. I was told by MiM that the only thing that could counter it would be lullabies. Why I don't know, but I'd be willing to do anything if it would save Jack.

"I told you not to throw a hit at her..him. Why didn't you listen?" I spoke quietly, even though he probably couldn't hear me even if I had yelled at him.

"You do realize that he will be mine soon, right?" I was getting real tired of her real fast! I stood up and I flung a string of colors around the room until it hit the intended target. She gave out a painful yell. Good, then she would get to feel the pain she was causing me. I was kinda surprised that I could hit her even if she wasn't in a psychical body, but right now I would go with anything. She seemed to be just as surprised as me. I couldn't see her, but I felt like she was giving me an evil stare. "You haven't seen the last of me, Valentina! Mark my words! That boy will be mine and so will you!" Not if I could help it.

I sat with Jack in my arms when the others came. It was then I noticed I had broken the strings.

Pitch was now coming to, but he shot one look at me and then he was gone. Good riddance! Then I wouldn't have to deal with him as well, but at the same time I wondered if it had really been Pitch all those years. What if it had been her possessing him all this time? I pushed the thought away and focused on what had to be done.

"What in the name of Easter is going on 'ere?!"

I looked up at him with tears in my eyes, while holding Jack. Before I could say a word they were all over me and him. I gave them a very short explanation, then urged them to get Jack back to his room as fast it was possible.

They didn't seem satisfied with what I had told them earlier, because when we had placed Jack on his bed, they pulled me into North's office and demanded to hear the truth.

No matter how many times I told them in my head the result always seemed to be the same. Would they really listen?

A short chapter again...well, that's what I get for writting during the early hours of the day.

I know that pashmena is fancy new york for sjal, but when I thought about her character then the name only fit her naturally.

I hope you like the story so far. I feel like I'm coming with a looooooooong story of some stuff that happended before the movie and after the movie, well, that part is just beginning. If you guys think that the chapter after this one is the last one you're sadly mistaken, because I'm just getting started!

This story just keep on getting better and better if ya'll ask me! :D

Hope you like it. Remember to RxR!