Chapter Text
“Don’t you dare, Jack.”
Jamie stood frozen, shoulders hunched up against his ears, bracing himself against the inevitable impact, as he stared at the young teen before him. The wind giggled in glee as it flurried around Jack , lifting flakes of snow into a joyful dance in spiralling circles and ruffling the ice white hair, revealing the mischievous glint in the startling blue eyes that in the end put Jamie in no doubt that there was no way he could talk his way out of this one.
Cautiously he glanced upwards, as though even the smallest of movement would send the large pile of snow that hung precariously among the pine branches above his head to come crashing down in an avalanche of icy coldness. Gentle flakes occasionally somersaulted around him, dancing with a grace and design too intricate to be a simple natural occurrence. As his chocolate eyes returned to the cerulean orbs of his friend- for indeed he was friends, best friends he would say, with this unusual older boy- he came to consider his predicament in its entirety.
It was still unbelievable to his own open-minded self. For, as many would have imaginary friends or submerge themselves in stories of their own making, he was currently facing a very real living legend himself, a legend which had been mistakenly told for too long a time.
It hardly seemed like yesterday, let alone months ago- last Easter to be precise- when his soon to be hero and most trusted friend had appeared in his bedroom in the middle of the night, amongst a flurry of snow that had burst from a living, moving ice sculpture that had come into existence from a crude drawing in the frost that coated the window pane. Not only that but then the real madness had come.
A loud crash outside as an exuberant sleigh had hurtled to a collision with the road outside his house, heralded the arrival of even more heroes. Heroes of children everywhere - no matter of age or nationality - but not as the fairytale-like, innocent characters in storybooks but larger than life warriors intent on protecting all the children of the Earth. The battle which had ensued against none other than the King of Nightmares himself had been indescribable with the two forces and the children literally defeating their own nightmares and the darkness.
Jamie resurfaced to the present, a mix of awe and wonder at the teenager before him who was now casually tossing a freshly formed snowball up and down in his left hand as he leaned against his aged hooked staff, looking for all the world like a normal boy in the snow (apart from the fact he was barefoot, of course, and his unnaturally ice white hair), ever-present smirk still in place. Jamie once again tried to process how he was currently face to face with Jack Frost, The Spirit of Winter, bringer of snow and Guardian of Fun, calmly playing in the snow by the old permanently frozen lake, warning the powerful spirit to not dump the large- and definitely cold- tower of snow from the pine branches on top of him. A problem that only had one outcome which would undoubtedly leave him as frozen as the snow beneath his thick winter boots.
That cocky smirk twisted upwards even more, warning that time was almost up as his eyes glinted mischievously. Jamie only braced himself again, shoulders hunched, awe-struck look replaced with a cringe but a smile still spread over his face as he waited for the inevitable.
The hard impact, however, was not what he expected as something larger than the snow pile but just as cold, slammed into him from the front, taking him completely by surprise and carrying him several steps backwards.. Slowly, he opened his eyes, unaware he had scrunched them closed in the first place, to be met with the blue fabric of Jack’s shoulder. The winter spirit had apparently collided with him, his arm still wrapped tensely around Jamie’s chest.
Raising his head ever so slightly, he was met with a very perturbed Jack Frost, glowering at something in the direction of the lake but it was blocked from Jamie’s view. A bit unnerved, Jamie gently tried to pull away and was relieved that Jack allowed him to, shifting instead to shield him from whatever had caught his attention on the lake. Instead, his eyes caught the spot he had been standing a few seconds before, or more the tree he had been in front of. A fearsome blast pattern of ice marred the trunk of the tree, contrasting violently with the dark wood. Realisation widened his eyes. That impact would have killed him…but where…?
As Jack pushed Jamie to stand behind him, he finally caught a glimpse of the source of the winter spirit’s ire. Standing- no, hovering- above the centre of the frozen surface of the lake, was a man glaring at Jack with pure venom in storm blue eyes. The wind buffeting him rippled his dark clothing and pale blonde hair. Jack’s eyes never left the man even as he pushed Jamie even further behind him who now obliged under the protection of his winter spirit. The man touched down on the ice, eyes glinting dangerously and a content smile flickering on pale thin lips in a way that sent fear rippling into Jamie’s usually stoic heart.
“Well, well, well,” his voice was as cold as the landscape around him, slow and even, a smug hatred aimed at Jack, “if it isn’t the little winter brat?”
“I’m going to give you a warning,” Jack replied calmly, a serious edge to his voice which Jamie found out of place on the usual cheerful and laughing Guardian, “just leave now, back off. This isn’t going to achieve anything and I frankly don’t have the time for it.”
To Jamie’s surprise, the stranger merely scoffed at the threat. “Oh, the, oh, so mighty Spirit of Winter scared of a little confrontation?” He wrinkled his nose in disgust, “You’re a joke, an embarrassment to the winter spirits. You don’t deserve that title, never taking anything seriously, messing with the other seasons, neglecting your duties and preventing other spirits from doing theirs. You don’t deserve any of it. And then what happens? Those stupid ignorant Guardians decide to make you one of them! As if you haven’t insulted your own kind enough!”
“In no way have I intentionally insulted my own kind,” Jack retorted, defensiveness springing into his voice but still that underlying calm which only hinted at danger, “I’m not the one who has done wrong to my own kind. I do believe it was you and the other winter spirits who decided to shun me in the first place after I only tried to find my place. It wasn’t me who requested to be made The Spirit of Winter in the first place- that you would have to take up with Mother Nature- and as I recall the Guardians offered me a place which the rest of you never did, which was only under the Man in the Moon’s order so I guess if it’s anyone you want to pick a fight with, it should be him.”
This only elicited a scowl and deeper glare of hatred from the opposing winter spirit.
“You didn’t deserve any of it,” he spat, “they were ignorant enough to believe your innocent act and accept you in their moment of need. And as for insulting your own kind? Your mere existence is enough for that.”
“You know what? Fine!” Jack threw his arms out wide, simultaneously blocking Jamie even more from this spirit, “Fine. If you insist on fighting this out as usual, fine…but not here, not now.”
“Scared, brat?” the spirit mocked, a malicious grin twisting his features, “Too much of a coward to stand up and fight? I always expected that. If you weren’t unworthy before, I think that’s definitely been proven now.”
“No,” Jack said calmly, “I just know who it’s in my best interest to protect.” He placed a hand on Jamie’s shoulder without turning around so he could feel the boy’s presence, and tightening his grip should they need to move. The other spirit did not seem to notice the human boy; a feat that Jamie wasn’t sure was good or bad.
“I could always come back another time,” he sighed exaggeratedly, tone implying that this was just another simple errand on his to-do list, “When you’re less busy. Spring? Summer? Any of those months, say, I don’t know, April, June, May? ” The glint in his eyes spoke intentional evil upon Jack, smug pride and malevolence clear in that one look.
Jack’s reaction was almost instantaneous. He grew rigid like a sudden electric shock had stunned him, his knuckles turned white on his staff and the hand on Jamie’s shoulder gripped tighter. It was a good job that Jack still had his back turned to Jamie for the look on his face was nearly murderous, a mixture of anger and deep pain that a child should never witness on their hero’s face.
“Jack,” Jamie’s voice was barely above a whisper as he laid a hand on top of Jack’s wrist in a comforting gesture and the hold on his shoulder immediately lessened, the tenseness slowly slipping from the young spirit’s body, shoulders shaking with the deep calming breaths Jack was taking. When Jack had himself back under control, he gave a reassuring squeeze with the hand that was still on Jamie’s shoulder and the smaller boy removed his hand from his wrist. Subtly, Jack began to shift Jamie closer to the path that led back out of the woods, and reluctantly Jamie allowed himself to be forced away, still stunned at his best friend’s reaction and the unease he felt increasing the longer he was in this spirit’s presence.
“You…you have no right to even mention that to me,” to Jamie’s surprise, Jack’s voice was shaking, the smallest of wavers but he could still hear it in his tone as they slowly edged further away, “If anyone’s a coward, it will be you. That’s all you are, all you ever were, victimising the weaker so that you may stand a little taller from the dark hole you were born in.” Okay, so maybe he hadn’t been completely successful in calming down his friend but at least they were getting away, Jamie cringed at Jack’s words, already anticipating the building anger of the opposing winter spirit.
“ What did you say? ” His voice was barely above a whisper, more of a threatening hiss, hatred distorting into anger and deep set loathing.
“You heard me,” Jack continued, seemingly oblivious to the rising tempest that he was eliciting from his, now apparent, enemy, too caught up in his venting vehemence to stop now, built up hatred on his own part pouring out like an unstoppable storm.
“Jack,” he whispered his friend’s name before he said something that there was no coming back from, tugging on the cuff of his hoodie. Jack sagged slightly, the fight draining from him once more at the boy’s frightened tone, his last resolve crumbling like sand in the breeze. “Please, can we just go?”
Jack turned his head to glance over his shoulder, offering that reassuring smirk that Jamie had become so accustomed to seeing and as a result calmed his nerves immensely, cerulean eyes promising that everything would be alright, “Okay, Jamie. We’ll get out of here. Come on.”
Unfortunately they only made it a few steps. The next part happened too fast.
In a second, Jamie was aware that the comforting pressure of Jack’s hand on his shoulder had vanished. He wasn’t given time to question it before a bright blue-white flash blinded him as Jack brought his staff around to block the icy energy that had been launched at them. As he was blinking his eyes, to clear his vision from the blurred scene, a strong gust of wind forced him backwards, sending him stumbling. The world stopped spinning and his sight fixed on Jack, only a few metres in front of him, staff gripped defensively in hands, half crouched, ready to spring into action at any moment.
Finally Jamie tore his eyes away from his winter spirit to the other whose eyes flashed with anger at both what Jack had said to him moments before and having missed his target as Jack deflected the ice. His rage was now matched by Jack who had lost all restraint that Jamie had managed to regain over him. That man had just tried to harm a child, had just tried to harm Jamie , and there was no way he was going to get away with it. Jack had no hesitation in making him aware of it.
A flash of light burst from his staff as he launched a blast of ice in retaliation that sent the other spirit reeling. Jack took the fleeting distraction to call over his shoulder to Jamie. “Jamie, go! Go home. I’ll meet you there later.”
“Don’t worry, I can handle this,” he added to Jamie’s reluctant expression. Jamie was about to shout something back in reply, a stubborn refusal or hopeful persuasion to come with him, when another blast was fired directly at Jack who only just managed to deflect it to the side where it slammed into a tree, freezing the base with jagged icicles and shaking loose snow from the branches. A small pile fell onto Jamie with a small thump but right now, a bit of snow was the least of his worries. He hastily brushed the flakes from his shoulders and ran forward to get a clearer view as Jack had leapt forward onto the ice to fight the spirit.
Jamie had never seen a fight like it before. It wasn’t like the epic battle against Pitch at Easter. This was two seasonal spirits and they fought with deadly grace that he would have taken time to admire had his closest friend not been in the middle of it. They darted around each other, the wind buffeting them in unexpected pivots and bursts of speed like a deadly dance, the blows falling too fast to catch with the naked eye and occasional blasts of icy white or blue light that caused brief pauses to the scene before it was renewed again with more vigour.
The boy struggled to pull out of his mesmerised state, trying to keep track of the blue form that was Jack. Without realising it, he had brought himself right up to the edge of the lake on the end of the bank, staring up in wonderment and dread at the two blurs of motion.
Another large flash sent both spirit cart-wheeling back through the air away from each other. The opposing spirit spun madly into the forest, colliding with the branches and disappearing into the canopy. Jack, on the other hand, had been sent flying the other way, slamming into the hard cliff face that bordered one side of the lake, the wind not breaking his fall as he tumbled over rock ledges before crumpling to the icy surface
“Jack!” Jamie cried, racing out onto the ice to get to his friend. He had only made it a few paces, though, when he saw Jack move, slowly and carefully pulling himself up onto his knees in obvious pain. His steps quickened, slipping madly on the lake surface, desperation overtaking reason for a moment. “Jack!”
The Guardian’s head turned at his voice and he met the blue gaze before a blast of energy collided with the rock just to the right of Jack who was sent flying sideways by the force, sliding across the frozen surface on his front.
“Jack!” Jamie shouted again, skidding to a stop in the middle of the lake, still too far to reach his friend.
The sinister form of the other spirit emerged from the forest, striding ominously towards the downed winter spirit. Jamie made to advance once more, to attempt to reach his friend but stopped as Jack suddenly leapt to his feet, firing ice from his staff directly at the other spirits chest. The strike was deflected but only just, unbalancing the spirit for a moment.
“Jack,” Jamie breathed in relief. He made to step towards him but Jack held out his hand to stop him, a gust of wind following it, pushing the young boy away, hindering him from getting too close to the danger. By now their brief second of rest was over as the other spirit had recovered and charged towards Jack, crying out in rage.
Jamie opened his mouth to shout out again when, with a quick aim of his staff, ice erupted from the surface of the frozen lake, rising up unevenly until a high thick wall of ice blocked him from the two fighting figures. The explosions of ice and energy echoed distressingly on the other side of the barrier, each flash tearing terror through Jamie’s heart.
Through the hazy ice sculpture he could pick out blurred forms of the two different spirits which was all that he could witness of the battle, both forms moving too fast for him to distinguish one from the other or have a sense on how the battle was playing out. They continually darted back and forth, light flashing to life like lightning against the plain white landscape. And through it all, Jamie could only stand there helplessly, ironically frozen in place with shock, oblivious to the fate of his friend.
A solid thud startled him out of his paralysis, making him jump. One of the spirits had collided with the barrier, a few thin fractures spiderwebbed through the ice from the impact- and at the familiar blue and brown Jamie could make out through the semi-transparent ice, his heart clenched with dread.
His legs were carrying him before he could even register it. He sped around the side, skidding around the end of the ice wall and stopping abruptly at the sight that met him on the other side.
It was indeed Jack who had met the painful collision with his own creation. The other spirit was stood before him, right hand wrapped firmly around Jack’s throat, pinning him against the hard ice, Jack’s bare feet barely brushing the floor as he struggled for breath, eyes wide, mouth feebly trying to draw breath as he uselessly struggled against the hold.
Once more Jamie found himself petrified, unable to move as he stared with horror-struck eyes at his friend’s struggle.
“Pathetic,” the other spirit muttered, disgust filling his remorseless expression at the struggling Jack. There was no pleasure at his victory, only distaste like he had trapped an irritating fly. “I really did expect more, Jack Frost. Now…I wonder if you’re as ice-proof on the inside…”
A small glowing orb of pale blue light burst into existence in the middle of the spirits left palm, beaming with false innocence. Jack tried to struggle, to free himself or delay the spirit, but his movements were getting weaker with the strong force around his throat, the lack of air, and his already beaten body. A small smirk that held no emotion but cold satisfied malevolence appeared on the other spirits face as he brought up the hand that bore the orb of light. He held it tauntingly within Jack’s sight, relishing in the way Jack’s eyes widened in recognition and panic. Then, agonisingly slowly, he brought it to Jack’s chest, hovering just over his heart. With another glance at Jack’s expression, savouring the terror, the spirit pressed the orb to Jack’s chest.
Jack’s eyes widened, mouth gaping open in a soundless scream, his renewed struggle futilely trying to knock away the strong arms that held him against the ice wall.
Jamie snapped out at the agonised-and another emotion that Jamie could not place- look on his best friend’s face and only one thing registered. This man was hurting Jack…and there was only one person around who could possibly help.
Swallowing his trepidation, Jamie sprinted forwards holding his arms before him and collided hard into the other spirit. The other spirit was caught off guard and flew backwards across the frozen lake, Jamie tumbling to his knees as Jack collapsed in a heap next to him.
“Jack,” Jamie choked, crawling towards the Guardian, tears sparkling in his chestnut eyes. He placed a small hand on Jack’s shoulder and a slightly wild looking winter spirit’s gaze shot up to meet his. His features quickly softened to the best reassuring smile he could manage at the sight of Jamie and he struggled to sit up from where he was slumped over on his side on the ice.
Jamie studied the winter spirit’s face distraughtly, hands still shaking with shock. Larger hands enclosed each of his own to still them and he brought his eyes to Jack’s comforting cerulean orbs trying to calm him. Jamie took a few deep breaths to calm his racing heart that thudded painfully in his chest, clutching like a lifeline to the cold hand of the winter spirit.
Then Jack’s look turned steely, taking Jamie by surprise, as he was dragged to the side. Jack tried to pull himself to his feet, blocking Jamie behind him. He made it halfway to stand when his legs buckled and he fell back to the ice.
Jamie was immediately back by his side trying to pull him up again but that same hard determined look now laced with anger shocked the boy until he realised that it was not aimed at him.
The other winter spirit was standing on the other side of the lake rigidly, arms by his side, expression unreadable. Jamie’s heart quickened back to its frantic pace at the sight and he desperately tried to simultaneously pull Jack to his feet and drag him away.
Jack gently pushed his shaking hands away; they weren’t helping him in his panic, and pulled himself more steadily to his feet, facing the other spirit. Neither promised well, Jack beaten and barely standing, still struggling to recover his breathing, and Jamie terrified and so small but defiant next to his friend. Jamie’s hand latched onto Jack’s and was met with a supportive squeeze.
Together, the two faced the other spirit waiting for the next move.