Jack opened his eyes, and he saw the entire room covered in ice and snow. It looked like a violent blizzard hit. A light fog covered the ground of the icy ballroom. Some of the windows were broken. Jack noticed he was holding a scythe made of ice, and in shock, he dropped it. He noted Henry standing a few feet in front of him, struggling for air. Henry's bleeding shoulder and leg said it all. 

"You're you again." Henry looked Jack over. "Your chest okay?"

"I-I think so." Jack nodded

Henry smiled and sighed as he fell on the floor. He stayed silent for a moment, letting Jack look around the room. Jack took in a bit more of what happened from the broken ice, a barrier on his left, the fallen chandelier thrown to the other side of the room, the broken staircase, the corpses of the guards scattered throughout the room, Bunnymund at the base of the stairs, and the two shattered windows on the second floor. Henry covered his shoulder and looked at Jack. "You really hated mom, didn't you?"

"What?" Jack looked at Henry with furrowed brows. "No. I just really hated the way she treated me."

Henry looked at the broken ice barrier, understanding that the barrier covered the sight of his mother's corpse. "She's in there."

Jack's jaw dropped as he realized what Henry said. He noted the silence of death as he turned his gaze to the barrier again. This time, he noted a lifeless arm and fire red hair. He felt his breath leave him as he turned to Henry. "I'm... sorry..."

Henry looked away. "Cupid told me it wasn't really you... It was a darkness she planted, and it grew more. That's why Pitch Black was here."

"Pitch Black?" Jack paused, remembering the stories he heard of the king of darkness and fear. "My hatred grew..."

Henry nodded. "Cupid could only fight him back so much."

"Cupid?"

Jack turned to see a concerned Kasper.

"Where is she," Kasper asked.

Henry shrugged while he looked to the second level of the ballroom. "Pitch threw her out the window, and she threw him back in the second one. He lost his balance while trying to land on his feet from the throw, but Cupid's arrow got him in the arm. Then she came in right after the arrow, and she kicked him back out the building again."

"Why didn't you help her," Jack asked.

"I was fighting you and protecting him." Henry turned to the unconscious Bunnymund on the base of the stairs. 

Kasper paused, noting all the damage around her. "We have to help Bunnymund and find Cupid."

"Bunnymund should be fine. Just asleep," Henry said.

Kasper flew to Bunnymund, and she checked his wrist for a pulse. "Good..."

"We should probably find Cupid though." Henry stood up. "I want to at least know if she's still alive."

Jack nodded. "I'm sure she is. If we find Pitch, we find her."

Kasper nodded. She looked out the multiple, giant windows to the rising sun. "I hope she's fine."

"Me too," Bunnymund said under his breath. "She helped me. The least I can do is thank her."

Kasper smiled and hugged Bunnymund. "You're alive!"

Bunnymund laughed. "Of course. I'll join you guys when I can. For now, I'll rest."

Jack nodded and turned to Kasper. "Come on. The sun's rising."

Kasper and Jack ran out of the first floor patios and follow the path of broken branches and disturbed flowerbeds. Kasper was quiet almost the entire way. Her blue eyes were on Jack because she could feel some sort stress was upon him. It felt as if there was nothing else for Jack but to find Cupid.

"Jack..." Kasper said.

Jack stilled with his back to Kasper.

Kasper's  breath stilled as the intensity of their silence fell upon her. "Why... Why is it so important to you that we find Cupid?"

Jack turned to Kasper. "Because she's your best friend. And she helped me find you, so I owe it to her to at least make sure she's okay."

Kasper nodded. "Why do you seem so stressed?"

Jack lowered his eyes to the ground. "I just woke up... And there was nothing but disaster around me. My stepmother died... I did that."

"You didn't--"

"I did... Or at least my negativity did." Jack took a deep breath. "I killed people. Your guards, a few innocent people, my stepmom. And it's all because I got angry. For I good moment, I hated my mother, and I just wanted everything to end. That's what fed the darkness. That's what caused all the destruction. For a moment, it felt good. And then I realized, I didn't want what was happening. But the darkness in my head had defeated me and taken over. At first I saw what I was doing, and then I just had no control. I'm hoping, given Cupid's reputation, that she can take this darkness out of my heart."

"We'll find her then." She took Jack's hand and began ascending above the tree. "I think we can find her faster if we look from the sky." Jack nodded and looked at the scenery.

Kasper's eyes followed the path more quickly. "Either she threw him around a lot or he threw her." 

Jack nodded. "The path seems to spiral at the end of the palace garden at that little house." He pointed.

"That's Cupid's house..." Kasper abruptly flew to Cupid's house, practically dragging Jack behind her. Her breath was absent as she examined a few drops of blood on the little path to the winged-girls home. She carefully, but quickly, walked into the house. It looked like Cupid stopped her bleeding with the bandages from an open box near her bookshelf. Kasper noted all the books were on the three of four walls of the house. Every vine of flowers that practically covered the ceiling and bookshelf walls were glossy and beautiful. The small oven where she baked cakes was cold. There was one book out of place.

The book was on Cupid's bed on top of a wooden chest. Kasper carefully grabbed the book and lifted the covering, finding an inscription from Cupid. 

Please don't be mad. Please don't blame yourself. I have to leave. As your best friend, I would stay here and live out my life by your side. I'd watch your children grow happily as you raised them. We'd having balls and celebrations for almost every occasion, and I would have loved to bake them cakes whenever they visited my home. But that cannot be... I am Cupid, and that's that. I have helped your troubled heart find calm and find the man you are to marry and be with forever. However, I am not sworn to you and you alone. I will be back but there is something I must do; and I hope you understand. You know the world is filled with darkness and light; much like hatred and love. The world is growing darker and I must play my part to help some others find a way true to themselves. I'm sorry it has to be this way, but I must do this. I miss you dearly already, but I hope you understand. I didn't defeat Pitch in this last battle. He's still alive, and as people lose hope, he always will be. The battle with Dark Jack sounds like it's over, and it sounds like Pitch came back. I have to go. This box is meant for you. You know what door it leads to.

-Love, Cupid.

Kasper skimmed through the pages of the rest of the book. There wasn't any more writing. She closed the book and placed it on the bed. She slowly grabbed the chest and opened it.

"What did she write?"

Kasper pulled out an old golden key. "There's somewhere we have to go." She took Jack's hand and started walking out of the house.

"Where are we going?"

Kasper took to the sky. "Somewhere only the three of us will know." She flew to the side of the castle, and she hovered over the hedge maze, taking Jack with her to the center of the maze.

Jack laughed. "I could have chased you and been romantic." He kissed Kasper's forehead.

Kasper smiled. "Maybe on our way out."

Their feet touched the ground, and they eyed a large black  vase behind a bench. The vase seemed to be made of a very dark marble and carried colorful and vibrant flowers. Kasper moved the vase out of its spot, and there was a dark circle made of the same marble. At the center was a small key hole.

Jack raised a brow. "How did no one know of this?"

Kasper shrugged. "My dad didn't bother moving the vase since the flowers gave a nice amount of shade to anyone sitting on the bench. I moved it one day and Cupid told me she knew where the key was. I kept bugging her to tell me for a month to tell me where the key was. She wouldn't budge. I figured this must be the key."

Jack nodded, and Kaspers placed the key into the keyhole. The key made a soft click as it turned and a small part of the grass lifted an inch off the ground, like a cellar door. Kasper lifted the door entirely open, and she saw stairs.

"Come on." Kasper held her hand out, making it glow blue. The two walked down the stairs, nothing the green glowing vines. They reached a small room with a black chest in the center. Kasper got on her knees and lifted the chest open.

Jack's brows furrowed. "Why would that not be locked? Shouldn't it need a key?"

"You would think so because there's a crown in here." Kasper held the slender, silver crown up to Jack.

"That's beautiful." Jack smiled at Kasper.

Kasper smiled. "It's mine, and according to this note, its 'for my happiness.'"

"Here," Jack said and took the crown. He gently placed the crown on Kasper's head, noting the perfect fit and her transformation into a glowing white dress. "Wow," Jack said in awe. "You're... beautiful. You're perfect."

Kasper blushed. "Thank you."

Jack held Kasper in his arms, stepped back, and kissed Kasper. "This might be early to say, but Cupid did guide me to you. I love you, Kasper."

Kasper smiled. "This is SO suddenly."

Jack smirked and kissed her again.