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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.

Chapter Text

Jack tried to ignore the pain that pulsed relentlessly all over his body, attempting to appear stronger than he felt before the other spirit. Under the masquerade however, he was trembling inside, his beaten body too weak to go through another fight and mindless fear and dread had been awoken in him that he had not felt in years at the sight of that glowing blue orb. He never thought he would ever witness that again, at least he had hoped.

Jamie’s hand holding tightly to his own was the only thing grounding him in this reality, preventing slipping into darkness unknown, and he offered a reassuring squeeze in return, anything to comfort the young boy he should have been protecting. 

He didn’t need to look down to see his face to know the boy was terrified and he internally cursed himself. This was all his fault. He should have gotten Jamie away. He shouldn’t have let his rage control him. The spirit had known exactly how to play to his anger, to slowly unwind his emotions so that Jack was being pulled along like a puppet on a string to the spirit’s intentions. How had he allowed himself to be manipulated like that? Worst of all, now Jamie was by his side instead of safe at home where he should be. This was all wrong. So wrong. As far as he was concerned, he had failed in his duties as a Guardian. If the others ever found out about this...

Taking a deep breath to gather his tumultuous thoughts and try to suppress the continuous throbbing pain in his limbs, he tightened his grip on Jamie’s hand, prepared to move him out of the way of danger when the next inevitable strike came. His focus once again turned to the other winter spirit who was yet to move from his statue-like stance. He tensed, ready to jump into action against the protests of his body but the spirit still didn’t move. It was making him anxious: the waiting. 

Maybe they could slip away now? It seemed so easy to just run, grab Jamie and disappear as fast as he could…but there was the chance that would spark the action that he was waiting for, endanger Jamie, and that was something he could never risk. No matter what happened next, he had to keep him safe.

That was when he noticed the expression on the other spirit's face. He seemed mildly stunned, unmoving in his stiff stance, dark eyes fixed in wonder, not on him, but on Jamie. 

Jack was taken aback at the sudden interest and a protective wave took over him which he had to fight back down so as not to do something irrational. He had been in too many fights to know that rushing in without thinking only ended badly. A fact he had unfortunately overlooked at the start of all this. Instead of the malice that had been aimed at him, it was replaced with blatant shock. He tried to follow the other’s look and found it resting on their entwined hands. Did this have something to do with the change that had come over the other spirit?

His grip tightened, instinctively pulling the small boy closer to him. The other spirit watched the movement and, to Jack’s surprise, some of the fight seemed to visibly drain from him, shoulders slumping slightly, some of the tenseness falling from them. Maybe, just maybe… 

“Jamie,” he whispered under his breath, hating how small his voice sounded, “we’re going to get out of this, just…don’t do anything stupid.”

“That’s your job,” Jamie shot back faintly. Despite the way his voice shook Jack couldn’t help the amused smile that flickered across his lips at the comeback, comforted by the familiarity of the teasing. 

“Damn right it is,” he whispered, offering one of his customary smirks and managing to get a small smile in return and a hopeful glint in warm brown eyes. He had at least successfully convinced Jamie that he had some wondrous trick up his sleeve and as long as he believed that they would be okay, that was all Jack could hope for. He never wanted to lose that belief from Jamie. 

Swallowing his trepidation, Jack cleared his throat to address their attacker.

“Look,” he began slowly, raising the hand that held his staff in a calming gesture, trying not to spook the other spirit, “you’ve made your point, okay? I get it…but he’s innocent in all this,” he gestured to Jamie, holding out the hand that still held his for symbolism. “I know you won’t attack mortals and he’s just a child so I’ll make a deal, okay? Just let him go home. He shouldn’t have seen any of this and I just want him to be safe. That’s all I ask, let him leave safely, go home. We can battle it out until your heart’s content but not in front of him.”

Instantly, Jamie began to protest but he ignored him for once, intent to finally do his duty and protect him no matter the cost. 

Silence fell over the lake, pressing down on them uncomfortably as they waited for the reply. The winter spirit hadn’t moved through Jack’s speech, surveying them calculatingly. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to the impatient Jack, he tilted his head and answered. 

“That boy,” the winter spirit motioned to Jamie still by Jack’s side, “he can see us?” Jack gave a confirming nod as though the attention Jamie was giving both of them wasn’t proof enough. “He…he pushed me away…he saved you?” The spirit seemed to have trouble getting his head around the fact but Jack smiled proudly.

“Yeah, he seems to do that a lot,” Jack admitted with a proud glance at his first believer who seemed to stand a bit taller at the compliment. 

“And I’ll keep doing whatever it takes to keep him safe,” Jamie said confidently, the scared tone vanishing from his voice as he spoke boldly out to the other spirit for the first time.

 “Likewise,” Jack promised.

Realisation dawned on Jack. This winter spirit had been just like him with no contact from anyone but other spirits. The fact that a child could see him now, could even touch him, must be overwhelming and possibly enough for him to let them go.

“He shows such loyalty to you. Why does he protect you like that, a mere spirit, when he could have gotten injured himself? What are you to him?” 

“Jack’s my big brother,” Jamie beamed, eyes glowing even in the cold air, warmth seeming to radiate from him, but not the uncomfortable warmth that Jack normally couldn’t tolerate, but a warmth filled with so much love that settled deep within his heart.

Jack was taken aback by this sudden statement. Jamie saw him as a brother? Sure they had met up many times since the whole Easter fiasco and played many games and had a few exciting adventures (which the other Guardians would kill him for if they found out), but he hadn’t believed that they had grown so close. Only now hearing it from Jamie, did he realise the change in their bond over their time together, the determination to keep the other safe, the ease at which they played around and interacted. He couldn’t help the smile that covered his face as he thought about it. Could he possibly be a big brother again?

A disbelieving snort of amusement broke Jack from his thoughts.

“Oh, how sweet, Frost,” the spirit seemed to have recovered from his initial surprise, “you’ve finally found someone else willing to die for you. Let’s hope you don’t make them live up to the promise this time.” Although the spirit had intentionally hit hard with his comment, there didn’t seem to be as much venom in his words as there had been, almost as if he didn’t want to be here anymore.

“Leave him alone,” Jack growled, pulling Jamie behind him, then paused. They were so close to getting the other to back down. He couldn’t let something as trivial as hatred set him back. Jamie needed him. So taking a deep breath he continued, “look at him.” Every instinct was going against what he had just said, he should be keeping attention away from Jamie so he could escape not willingly pointing him out, but this may finally break the resolve. “Seriously, look at him, and tell me you want to continue this…”

 His heart thumped heavily in his chest, begging for this to work.  

“I suppose…” the other spirit said slowly creating the aura of consideration but Jack could see through it now. To harm a human child would be unforgivable. This was over. “I’ve already done what I came here for…” He fixed his gaze on Jamie, frowning slightly. For a moment Jack thought he saw something akin to sadness and remorse flicker across the spirit’s features but in the next second the spirit launched himself upwards with a powerful gust of wind, high into the darkening sky and disappeared into the clouds. 

As soon as the winter spirit was out of sight, Jack’s knees buckled with relief. Then he began to laugh, perhaps a touch hysterical but it felt so good he couldn’t help it. Jamie joined in shakily until they were both giggling together, looking quite a sight, the pair of them, Jack bruised and bleeding, sat amidst the debris of battle, laughing as though it was the punchline to the greatest joke. 

Finally, Jack managed to control himself, his expression growing serious and sombre as he glanced up under the locks of white hair at his first believer. 

“Thank you Jamie,” he told him steadily.

“You did what you always do,” Jamie replied as though stating such an obvious fact, “You saved me.”

“No, I think this time you saved me.” Jack admitted seriously and brightened at the way the boy’s eyes lit up at his words and he beamed with pride. “Now, come on.” He laboriously pulled himself back to his feet, giving himself a moment for the world to stop spinning, before offering one of his lopsided smirks that he had grown used to handing out, though this time there was some honesty behind it. “Let’s get you home.”

***

The walk back through the forest had been mostly silent, both boys too absorbed in processing what had just happened to put up much of a conversation. Jack stumbled every other step, an arm wrapped tightly around his side and leaning heavily on his staff. He could feel Jamie’s concerned glances every now and then and tried his best to present a stronger appearance than how he felt. Jamie had worried enough about him today. It wasn’t right for him to still be scared. 

Inevitably, it was Jack who broke the silence, albeit sheepishly. “Is there any chance you can keep quiet to the other Guardians about this?”

Jamie’s chestnut eyes widened in surprise at this and of course the sensible protests burst from his mouth before Jack could explain himself. “But why? What if this happens again and you’re on your own? They won’t even know that you’re in danger. What if no one comes to save you this time? What if-” 

“Jamie, Jamie,” Jack interrupted the flowing train of frantic worries that were being thrown at him, ignoring the throbbing in his head and throat. “I’ve survived on my own for three hundred years, remember? I think I can still handle myself now.” Jamie seemed to open his mouth to object but conceded at the truth behind his words. “Just leave the Guardians to me. I don’t want them to fret over nothing and you know how they can be: they worry too much as it is. If they find out about this they’ll fuss over me and probably confine me to the North Pole to keep me safe and by then, I’d probably die of boredom. Not to mention I wouldn’t be able to come down here and see you, and if I did, it would probably be with an entourage because they still can’t get into their thick skull that I can look after myself. That would mean we couldn’t have half the fun that we would normally have.”

Jamie considered his argument, debating over Jack’s safety and abilities and, of course, the opportunity for more adventures that were being promised if he kept his mouth shut. In the end it wasn’t that hard a decision. Jack was living proof that he was indeed capable of looking after himself. 

“Okay,” Jamie replied slowly, pretending to still be wavering on his decision, “I guess you have a point…” Jack grinned broadly at him. At least he could always count to have Jamie on his side.  “But aren’t they going to realise that themselves when they see you?” 

“Ah, hopefully it will be a while before I see any of them which will give me a chance to heal the worst of these up or at least cover them up,” Jack waved off. He had no idea how he looked but he could imagine it was pretty bad. Really, he just needed to find a stream or something to clean himself up with. “Just leave it to me. I might end up telling them if they need to know but we don’t need to worry about it now. Right now, we need to get you home.”

By now, they had come to the edge of the forest and the sky was rapidly darkening, washing deep indigoes across the horizon and spattering freckles of stars throughout the dark canopy. 

“How about we take the quick route?” Jack suggested with a smirk, indicating to his staff. For once, Jamie hesitated at the offer.

“Are you sure?” He shifted nervously. “I mean, are you sure you can manage it?”

“Hey, I much prefer flying to walking,” Jack countered, “I think it would be better and not to mention quicker.”

It didn’t take long for the boy’s resolve to crumble. After all, it wasn’t everyday that you were offered the chance to go flying. Well, unless you were friends with Jack Frost.

Jack crouched down to allow the boy to clamber onto his back. Maybe not the best idea as he felt his bruised ribs and exhausted and wounded back flare in protest but he definitely wasn’t liking the idea of walking when each step jolted his injuries more. On the wind, he was weightless, the currents cushioning him, the freedom of the air returning the confidence to his beaten body.  

Once his passenger was securely settled on his back, Jack straightened slowly, shifted the weight so it was more evenly distributed and launched effortlessly into the air. He cringed against the pain as Jamie’s small hands tightened instinctively around his neck at the sudden burst of speed. The night air was icy, only a thin layer of clouds trying to trap the little heat that had come during the day. This wasn’t the first time that Jamie had flown with Jack but he was always amazed at the effortlessness at which Jack controlled the wind and was struck by awe at the view from the air, not to mention the fact that he was flying

When they touched down on the path before Jamie’s house, both boys were almost disappointed. As Jamie reluctantly made his way to his front door, Jack managed a strong smile despite the exhaustion beginning to seize him. A long rest in a snow drift somewhere was definitely next. 

He had backed up, ready to fly off on the wind once more but he faltered when he saw Jamie hesitate with his hand on the handle before turning back to him.  

“Can you…” Jamie hesitated, hand falling loose on its place on the door handle to fiddle with the cuff of his coat. “Is there any chance…could you not leave yet?”

“Of course, Jamie,” Jack spluttered, confused at the hesitancy of his believer. It was understandable that he was still a bit shaken and Jack would never have refused his request. 

Jamie visibly relaxed at his response, “My window should be open still. I’ll meet you up there, you know, once I’ve dealt with my parents.” 

Jack cringed again. This time not with the pain but in shame at being the reason he had kept the boy out so late and probably made his parents worried sick, causing the lecture that was sure to follow.

“Good luck,” Jack muttered before flying around the side of the house to climb inside through Jamie’s window, which, as he had been promised, was open a crack.

That was when he first caught sight of his appearance in the reflection of the window pane, wincing at the sight. No wonder Jamie had been concerned.

The left side of his face was caked in dried blood from a gash on his head, framed with a purpling bruise. Another stormy bruise was already forming around his neck, not to mention the countless ones that would lie across the rest of his torso, the largest of which he could feel grudgingly taking its place on his right shoulder from when he had smashed into the rocks. 

Glancing quickly towards the door to make sure that he wouldn’t be disturbed- he could already hear the raised reprimanding voices from downstairs- he decided this would be the best time to assess his injuries and maybe clean up a bit before poor Jamie came back.  

Gingerly, he gripped the bottom of his hoodie, afraid for what he would find, and pulled it carefully up, flinching at the pain even this simple movement caused. He glanced down at the main problem, the source of the burning pain in his side. Deep black swept over his side, across the ribs that were definitely fractured, if not broken. The sight caused him to wince, his eyes unable to leave the spot, biting his lip to keep from crying out and in worry. This wasn’t good. He could handle it- he had dealt with worse before- but healing would take longer. Just as carefully, he lowered the material once again to cover the damage. Out of sight, out of mind, a familiar voice chanted in his head.

He briefly considered taking the time to also check on his shoulder but after barely twisting to reach the fabric, agony blazed from his ribs and he abandoned the idea. Instead he summoned a handful of snow and scrubbed it over the side of his face to get the blood off, gritting his teeth as he antagonised the bruises on his face.

 The now scarlet stained snow was tossed out the window as he settled himself down on the windowsill to wait for Jamie. By the sounds of the angry tones that still pierced the calm night, he was in for a long wait.

By the time Jamie skulked in through the doorway, guilty and ashamed, his head hung low, Jack had almost dozed off.  He offered a sheepish half smile at his friend who had startled back into awareness at the sound of the door snapping shut.

“So,” Jack asked slowly, customary smirk in place, “How’d it go?”

“I’m grounded,” Jamie replied glumly, making his way to his bed and grabbing the neatly folded pyjamas on his pillow, “Until I can ‘act like a grown-up’ and not disappear without telling them where I’m going. They were more worried than anything else.” 

“Act like a grown-up?” Jack wrinkled his nose. “You don’t want to do that.”

Jamie offered him a smile then his eyes flickered over Jack’s face. “You look better now,” noting the lack of dried blood on his friend’s face.

“Wish I could say the same to you,” Jack shot back with a grin, eager to take the attention away from his condition again. He had hidden the worst of it and had no intention of admitting it to Jamie.

Jamie rolled his eyes at the goad and nodded to the clothes in his arms, “I’m just going to get changed.” He disappeared down the hallway to the bathroom and Jack pushed himself onto the ground. 

Jamie returned minutes later and clambered beneath the covers of his bed, sinking deeply into the pillow, eyes immediately growing heavy.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” He mumbled, fighting sleep until he was sure.  

“I’m fine,” Jack assured, smiling down from where he stood beside the bed. “And I’m sorry. That shouldn’t have happened, not when you were there. I should have just gotten you home as soon as he showed up.” 

“S’not your fault,” Jamie mumbled tiredly, eyes fluttering, “Who was he anyway?”

“No one of your concern,” Jack told him firmly, unconsciously pulling the covers further around the boy’s shoulders.

“Don’t leave.” The request was more muttered through sleep as Jack pulled his hands away.

“I’m not going anywhere.” A sad smile crossed his haggard features that no one was there to see. He watched over him, feeling his heart swell and for once feeling so very lucky in his long life. Gold sand swirled above the chocolate hair, twirling into a small scene of snowball fights and snow days. For once Jack felt content. 

It was a while before he began to quietly pull the window back open for his departure, the window pane glowing in the dull night. Jack groaned. No, the window wasn’t glowing, the sky was. Vibrant green and a faint purple flickered back and forth, deeply contrasting the darkness of the night sky, overshadowing the faint wisps of stars. The Northern Lights. The Guardians were calling for him. 

Rubbing the back of his hand over his eyes, he cursed his luck, suddenly feeling drained. Perching on the window ledge, he cast a forlorn look at the lights, dreading facing the rest of the Guardians so soon. He threw his strangely exhausted body into the air…but the Wind didn’t catch him. 

He felt Wind whip past him as he plummeted back down; crying out to catch its winter spirit but Jack’s eyes had grown so very heavy. He was unconscious before he’d even hit the snowy ground. 

Chapter Text

Mist and cloud clung heavily to the dawn air, darkness hanging to the land like a reluctant child to its leaving mother of night. Pale light was barely colouring the sky, a toneless white peeking over the horizon, scoping the cool air before creeping any further. The crescent moon had retreated to other lands, withdrawing silver rays to spread upon the sleeping children somewhere where night still quilted the earth.

Jack sat hunched, knees drawn up to his chest, arms wrapped around them, with a vice like grip on the aged wood of his hooked staff. The ice beneath him on the small lake frosted over where he sat, swirling patterns of hazy frost spreading out over the immaculate surface, gradually adding layer upon layer, thickening the before frail sheet of ice. Winter was just setting in, the telltale sign of the changing season- the few chestnut leaves that remained stubbornly on the otherwise barren limbs of trees, the wilting flowers that had survived this long into the cold, the carpet mosaic of colourful leaves that had submitted to their time and curled against the trunks of their used-to-be homes- the signs abundant in the environment that winter could take its place. As the creatures of the night settled down to be replaced with the creatures of the day, silence fell, still and encompassing.

Jack rested his head on his knees, eyes fixed straight ahead but sight trapped deep in his mind. The calm reassurance of being back home was slowly settling into his heart, the familiar surroundings the closest thing to welcome he knew he would receive. Though it did not have much to call a home and he did not know why he felt the yearning to return, this place always brought an empty comfort and without fail, as soon as the first hints of winter coming back to this place appeared, he raced back, if just to sit in silence, alone. Although he may not have been as alone as he first thought.

A faint rustle in the leaves disturbed the silent air. At first it could have been mistaken for a breeze but after it repeated again as though gentle taps of footfall that were anxious to be overheard, Jack was jolted into awareness to listen intently for the sound once more. Crunch . The definite sound of a brittle autumn leaf succumbing to the weight of some being, echoed through the trees. He cautiously raised himself to stand, staff clenched defensively in pale hands. No movement disturbed the trees but that didn't lower Jack's guard at all. Much like an animal stalking its prey, he carefully padded away from the lake and into the trees, one bare foot in front of the other, silently, with long perfected skill.

He was only a short distance in when he stopped again, listening for any noise. There was another faint rustle and he spun around in alarm, staff raised, just in time to see another figure burst through the bushes, oblivious to his presence. In the brief moment that the figure was unaware of him- a feeling he was much accustomed to from his invisibility over the centuries- he took in the appearance.

It was a young girl, obviously a spirit from the way her feet lightly brushed the ground and hovered in the air longer than would be possible for a human, as she twisted in delight of her surroundings, a large grin enlightening her young face, mahogany eyes gleaming in joy. She was young, her small frame carrying her a few inches smaller than Jack, skin pale but still holding more colour than the young winter spirit's, and long flowing hair caught between light brown and burnt orange, a perfect capture of the colour of the leaves when they near the end of their time and change. This, Jack therefore concluded, was an autumn spirit.

Said spirit then turned and caught sight of her watcher. The reaction was almost comical. She froze mid-turn, body facing one way, head whipped around in Jack's direction. Her eyes were wide in surprise, mouth parted in a near perfect oval, perfectly frozen like an image caught in a photograph. Slowly, she turned fully to face him, movements wary and eyes fixed on the ground, gradually drawing in on herself as if she had been caught in a shameful act. Jack didn't understand how she could have done anything wrong. By the looks of it, she had been having fun, something he would never take as a bad thing. He would have reassured her immediately except for the fact that this could be his only chance to get a close look at another spirit without them running off or trying to kill him.

Either side of her face, a strand of hair was pulled back in a braid which joined together at the back of her head, circling her head like a wreath. She appeared to be about his age, maybe a few years younger, though in spirit years she could be centuries ahead of him. That didn't alter her submissive, guilty behaviour before him. She wore a thin red jacket, hood spread out on her shoulders, reminding him of his own favoured blue hoodie apart from the colour and of course the inconvenient affronted (as Jack thought them) zip running down the middle. She wore trousers of deep brown as the old bark of oak trees and her feet, he was comforted, much like his, were bare.

When he felt like he had studied her as long as would be appropriate without it being awkward or unacceptable, he cleared his throat quietly to get her attention. Her wide eyes shot up to meet his icy blue ones and she fidgeted distractedly with the cuff of her jacket.

"Look," she began, eyes flicking away, avoiding meeting his again, "I know I'm late. I'm not meant to still be here. I lost track of time and I didn't mean to disrespect or overstep the season boundaries. It was an accident, I swear. Please don't be mad. I'm sorry."

Jack was shocked. He had been insulted, taunted, sneered at, threatened, cursed, yelled at, accused, and any other hurtful thing that could be thrown at him by other spirits, but never had he been apologised to or feared. He decided he didn't like it, didn't like the way another could look so small, could feel the way he did in front of any other spirit, because of him.

"It's okay," he reassured, flipping his staff around and holding his palms out in a peaceful gesture, "no harm done. I just didn't expect anyone to be around."

"Oh," the spirit frowned, not expecting to be let off so easily, "so you're not going to punish me or anything for 'disturbing the balance' or something like that?" At the alarmed shake of his head, she visibly relaxed, stiff posture sagging.

"I really thought I'd done it this time," she muttered, more to herself, running a hand over her face. She then fixed him with a calculating stare, "you're not like the other spirits."

"And proud of it," Jack smirked, mind flashing to the run ins with the other spirits he had met and the rather painful outcome on his part and unreasoned bullying nature of them.

"I'm Jack Frost," he stepped forward, swapping the staff to his other hand, now spare arm outstretched. She approached, shaking his hand, smile gracing her features, sparking her eyes as they had when she was enjoying herself moments before, making her features rather pretty, if he admitted it, not beautiful, but pretty. He was more amazed at the first friendly contact he had made since he had first come into existence. Her hand was cool but still warm to his icy skin, much like the cool breeze on a September night.

"Nice to meet you Jack Frost," she said, stepping away. The way she said his name, with lack of contempt was liberating to his years of solitude. "I'm May."

Unable to contain his instinctual humour, he grinned widely, "May?" he questioned but she merely nodded, confused at his problem so he had to explain, "an autumn spirit…called May. Talk about irony."

She grinned back at him.

"Well, Jack Frost, at least my name's not stereotypical. I could have been called October if I wanted but unlike some, I have imagination."

Jack couldn't help his grin grow wider. Out of all his years he hadn't had a proper conversation with anyone and this was just what he wanted. She studied him and a frown once again crossed her brow as she took in his own appearance. He shifted uncomfortably under her look.

"Hey, I've heard of you," she said slowly, as though slowly pulling a thread of memory from her mind, and Jack's heart seemed to plummet, "You're The Spirit of Winter." Her eyes widened on what could have been awe and Jack's last glimmer of hope dropped.

Oh great, he thought to himself, sure that another spirit was about to reject him for being who he was. It had been a nice few minutes while it lasted, but then again everything had to end didn't it? It just was always too fleeting when it came to him. He braced himself for her insults, for her to turn her back, for his spirit to be crushed once more by someone he barely knew. At least she had the decency to introduce herself unlike the others.

"You're not what I expected," she commented.

Here it comes, he felt like scrunching his eyes closed to avoid her words like a physical blow.

"I'm sure glad I ran into you and not another of those winter spirits."

Wait, what? That didn't sound like an insult, did it? Was it? No, she actually sounded pleased.

"Yeah, they can be real jerks sometimes," he gave a nervous laugh. That was putting it lightly, but he didn't really want to openly insult any spirits and risk upsetting her. 

"Tell me about it, huh? Season's are family though," she said with a shrug, like there was nothing they could do about it.

"I suppose," he agreed half-heartedly, rubbing the back of his neck with his palm.

"Well, I, er, better go," she told him, shuffling her feet nervously, "before any of the other spirits come."

"Oh, yeah, sure, okay," Jack muttered dejectedly, backing away.

"Maybe I'll see you around?"

"Yeah, I'd like that," he replied quietly, quite certain this would be the last he would see of her now she knew who he was.

"It really was nice meeting you," she told him and her voice sounded so sincere that he couldn't help but look back up at her. She was smiling warmly at him, eyes shining in the growing light. He was so happy to see a face not filled with disgust or hatred towards him he couldn't help smiling back, a smile which for once was not a mask, not a disguise for his tormented life but genuine to have someone there who actually tolerated him and didn't turn away because of what other spirits said.

She turned away before shooting into the air, with much grace and dappled leaves spinning behind her, twisting in the air with practised ease, pivoting in the first rays of sun and darting away. His gaze remained fixed on the pale sky where she had disappeared for a while longer before he ruefully turned his back on the trees, resting his staff on his shoulder and strolling back to the frozen lake, wondering if that had really happened or if it was just desperation dreamed up from his lonely mind.

"Jack?"

Darkness clouded everything as he felt the pleasant world from long ago fade away as it had so many years ago.

"Jack?"

His face contorted in pain as he felt all his injuries flare to life at once, all screaming for his attention, more intense than they had before. Slowly, hazily, he clambered back into consciousness, bringing the pain further into awareness.

"Jack!"

He wrenched his eyes open, cerulean orbs becoming visible to the world, staring helplessly up at the stretch of grey sky that swam high above him. Dimly, he was aware of a shaking on his shoulder- luckily the uninjured one- and his sight fell on the distressed face of Jamie leaning over him. The chestnut eyes broke with relief when he noticed the coherence of the winter spirit, sitting back on his heels to give him some space to sit up.

"What happened? Are you okay? Are you hurt? Did that spirit come back? Do you want me to get anything? Anyone? What was wrong?" Jamie's questions tumbled over each other, shooting pains across the throbbing headache that he could feel resonating from the back of his head.

"I don't really know," Jack groaned, painstakingly pulling himself to sit up. "I think I just fell asleep…I was dreaming about…" his voice drifted off when he realised what he had almost said. Instead he tried to recollect his memories of last night. "I was just leaving when I saw…the lights!" Ignoring all the aches of his protesting body, he leapt to his feet, glancing around in a panic for his staff. "I've got to get to the Pole!"

Jamie straightened up, presenting the long shepherd's crook. Jack sighed in relief. For the first time he noticed Jamie's attire. He had a thick winter coat wrapped around his pyjamas and his winter boots. It was still early then. Maybe he wasn't in as much trouble for being late as he thought if it had only been a few hours.

"You're going to see the other Guardians?" Jamie questioned sceptically, "I think they're going to find out about that fight." He swept a critical look over the spirit who still sported the visible bruises on his face and the deep cut on his forehead.

"It'll probably be nothing," Jack offered a shrug and tugged his hood over his head, throwing his face in shadow.

"Master of disguise," Jamie rolled his eyes, offering the staff to the spirit.

Jack accepted with a smile, the wood instantly frosting over under his touch. "Next time I stop by I promise I'll take you somewhere good. We could go to a mountain somewhere and try out skiing. I've always wanted to try that. You should see the view from the peaks though, not to mention the snow. Some of my finest work, if I say so myself."

"Modest as ever," Jamie commented with a smirk, nevertheless eyes shining with excitement at the offer, "And you owe me a snow day."

"I suppose I do," Jack conceded, "Whenever you want."

"Well," Jamie thought slowly, a devious look crossing his innocent features, "There is an English test in two weeks time."

"You got it," Jack backed up holding his staff out, not before giving a smirk and adding, "I think I'm beginning to have a negative effect on you." With that he turned on the spot, launching himself into the air, offering a wave to his first believer before darting as fast as the wind could carry him towards the North Pole.

The icy wasteland spread out, vast and cold before him, endless fields of white that rose and fell, swirling hazy mist of snow across the land and, rising up against an icy outcrop of jagged cliff, tall and impressive, a large building towered against the blank canvas around it. A glowing warm golden light burst from the windows, dancing patterns of light against the snow and tall towers casting a faint shadow against the pale sky.

Jack sped across the arctic tundra, a spec against the infinite scene of white. The wind whirled around him, trying to offer him comfort to the agony he could still feel deep within him, softening the journey but understanding the haste the winter spirit was in need of.

The great building loomed up to him sooner than he had wanted and he briefly paused to examine his appearance in the window, ensuring his hood hid the sight of his face in shadow and there was no other visual evidence to his injuries. Deeming it acceptable, he braced himself with a calming breath before shooting in through the window.

The icy blast of wind that funnelled around the large globe room alerted the inhabitants to his presence including some very disgruntled and worried Guardians.

"Where the bloody hell have you been?" An angry voice bellowed at him, graced with a thick Australian accent.

Jack perched on the top of the large globe that took up one side of the room, shining with dots of glowing lights that represented the believing children all around the world. He watched nervously down at the towering form of an oversized rabbit that was glaring at him.

"Jack! Are you alright? You had us worried when you didn't show up." A frantic voice trilled out as a green blur shot towards him. He ducked to avoid the collision that came from the over energetic fairy-woman hybrid who backed up with a blush.

"I know, I'm sorry," Jack apologised, relaxing his posture under their curious stares. "I was just with Jamie-"

"You were with Jamie? Oh because that makes everything better," The Easter Bunny raged, "We had to sit and wait for ya to drag yourself down here in yer own time. We had to 'ave the bloody meeting without ya and have probably delayed more than we should 'ave to wait for ya. You have no respect for yer status. You can't just pick and choose when to answer the lights."

"Yes I know but-"

"Enough," The loud Russian voice of a tall burly man bellowed, silence falling at once, "we have no time for this. We have already been delayed long enough." Jack hung his head at that but North either didn't notice or didn't comment on it. "We have much need to hurry. To the Sleigh!" he declared, marching out the room with the rest of the Guardians on his heels. "Jack, we will explain on the way."

Jack hovered down from his place on the globe and followed a short distance behind them, tugging his hood further down over his head and trying to numb the pain in his side to a more manageable ache. He was inwardly relieved that none of the Guardians had commented on his hood being up although Sandy had silently quirked an eyebrow at his appearance. So far so good. Now hopefully there was nothing serious and he could go his separate way soon. Of course his luck was never that good.

"So," North's loud voice shouted over his shoulder and Jack jumped in surprise before wincing at the sudden movement, "Disturbing patterns on globe. Number of lights have been seen to flicker. At first me and yeti's thought it was fault but no. We believe it may be Pitch's work."

"Pitch?" Jack was startled. It had barely been a year since they had defeated him, he should still be hiding away in his hole under the ground licking his wounds.

"Yeah, mate," Bunny grumbled, "We're going ta check it out. We think we've found which area should be next. They're moving across the globe steadily and we're going ta intercept 'em and find out what's going on."

"And hopefully put a stop to it," The tooth fairy added, wings fluttering madly as she sped after North.

"Now," North declared, "All caught up. Is good. Now time for sleigh."

"Don't understand why I can't just use me tunnels," Jack heard Bunny grumble under his breath as North threw a pair of large doors open wide to reveal an open cavern that was taken up with a large rickety wooden crimson sleigh attached to impatient oversized reindeer that leapt in place, raring to take to the air.

"Nonsense," North called having heard Bunny as well, throwing a large arm around the rabbit and practically throwing him into the sleigh.

Jack hid a laugh at the sight before jumping up and taking his precarious perch on the very back of the sleigh, anxious to get going. The shimmering golden form of the Sandman eagerly took a seat along with Tooth who seemed to struggle to keep still, wings fluttering constantly. North took the front of the sleigh, seizing the reins and with a loud cry launched the reindeer into action, pounding into the air.

Jack welcomed the cool breeze, jolting his still weary senses back to attentiveness. His mind flickered back to the dream that he had been having. A time that he hadn't wanted to think about in so many years and now was conflicted as to whether he wanted to remember or not. Things were better now, the Guardians surrounding him now were proof enough of that, but he still couldn't process it.

A well timed twinge of pain distracted him from his thoughts and he suppressed a groan, tugging the hood again to make sure it hadn't come loose in the powerful wind that blasted around the sleigh.

Up ahead he watched North raise a small snow globe and hurl it before them where it burst into a swirling portal of energy and light that hung suspended in their path. Jack had a moment to brace himself against the twisting disorientated sensation that would come and the pain it would elicit from his wounds, before they disappeared into thin air. The colour blurred around him and he clung to the edge for the sleigh to prevent being thrown off. For a second he felt an unusual feeling swell in his heart.

For the first time since becoming Jack Frost, he felt cold.

Chapter Text

After bursting through a portal of spiralling kaleidoscopic colour, the scene that greeted them was oddly anticlimactic to their entrance. It had spat them out into an abandoned street lined with darkened grey houses only lit by the gloomy glow of street lamps that barely offered any reprieve to the dull black and grey that shrouded the night.

Jack involuntarily let out a gasp as the strange cold feeling vanished as suddenly as it had come over him and his ribs were jolted painfully as the sleigh burst into the streets and, as usual, half crashed to the hard concrete, jostling the passengers in the sleigh. He saw Sandy’s concerned glance and hopped off the sleigh before it could be followed up.

Hidden momentarily behind the back of the sleigh he took a few deep breaths of the clean night air to clear his head and calm his nerves, hand curling around his side. It was probably nothing, he probably imagined it. His body was under a lot of stress and pain right now that was all it was, he attempted to convince himself. He shook his head as though to dislodge the pessimistic thoughts that were forcing their way to the front of his mind. The sight of the glowing blue orb in the other spirits hand flashed across his memories that stirred the fear he was trying to tame, twisting his heart painfully at the memory, tears momentarily blossoming in the corner of his hazy eyes. 

“We must hurry!” North’s loud voice broke him from his trance which he was grateful for, and he hurried around the side of the sleigh to catch up with the others who had already begun to make their way down the street, Sandy and Tooth gliding over the tops of the buildings to search the area whilst Bunny and North stormed down the road, completely oblivious to their missing member. Jack raced after them, launching himself into the air to quickly follow, a strange pit forming in his stomach that he had almost been left behind, scanning the skies and the streets for who knows what, he didn’t know.

Taking more comfort from being with his old friend, Jack called for the Wind to carry him higher upwards, soothed by the soft caress as he was raised above the buildings. The Wind whistled in understanding around him, encouraging him and providing strength where he had none, helping him reign back control and take the weight from his aching side. He followed a short distance behind the glowing form of Sandy, far enough so that the bright glow of the small man wouldn’t illuminate his injuries but close so as not to be left behind again or draw suspicion to himself, scanning the road and houses for anything out of place and keeping an eye on his fellow Guardians. The night was silent as they drifted through, unaware of their presence and distilled with a gentle calmness. 

His attention had just begun to drift when a shadow shifted down below near a window. By the time he had looked back, everything was still once more, nothing out of place to expose anything wrong. He scanned the rest of the Guardians but they didn’t seem to have noticed anything. Maybe his mind was playing tricks on him, he couldn’t exactly be thinking straight after everything that had happened. Just as he was about to dismiss it, putting it down to pure paranoia, he caught movement from the corner of his eye but as he spun around to catch sight of it again there was nothing there.

“Did any of you see that?” he frowned but was met by the blank stares of Tooth and Sandy and shook it off, “Never mind, must have been my imagination.”

Tooth gave him a concerned look but could not garner what could be troubling Jack as his hood was still pulled low over his face. He quickly turned away and searched more closely for a sign of what he had seen. 

There! 

A shadow was flitting between the small beams of lights from the streetlamps, barely susceptible in the blend of the darkness. Whatever it was must have somehow realised it had been spotted for it paused suddenly and Jack could feel eyes on him. Then, without warning, it was shooting into the air, charging straight at Sandy’s turned back, eyes gleaming a blood red, hooves thundering on open air.

“Sandy!” Jack yelled out, twirling his staff around and shooting a large blast of ice towards the nightmare which froze an inch from the small glowing man, hanging for a moment for them all to witness before gravity took hold and it fell back through the air and shattered onto the hard ground, spreading out shards of frozen black sand. The others all spun around to face him in shock whilst Sandy casually floated down to examine the remains as though he hadn’t almost been trampled by a horse made out of nightmare sand.

Jack self consciously tugged at his hood again under their stunned looks and decided to join Sandy back on the ground. He touched down lightly, watching as the Sandman examined a small handful of black sand. The soft fluttering of wings alerted them to Tooth’s presence and loud footfall marching steadily nearer was brought by North trying to keep up with Bunny inevitably leading the way. All paused when they came up to Sandy.

“Nightmare?” North breathed and Sandy nodded slowly, twitching his fingers that held the sand so it transformed back into glittering golden sand. He floated back up and an angry expression crossed his face. “He is back then.”

Golden sand burst above the Sandman’s head forming a small fist that slammed into a palm of another hand.

“You are right my friend,” North nodded in agreement, a scowl etched on his face, running a hand through his long white beard, “We must stop him and make him pay. This time make sure he will not be getting up again so soon. We shall head to next village and see if we can find more traces of Nightmares. To sleigh!” Wasting no time, they raced back to the partially crashed sleigh and large reindeers that were stomping hooves impatiently. They clambered back in- Bunny making it very clear how much he protested- and North launched them into the air once more. It was a half hour trip by air to the next village which unfortunately gave them a lot of time to mull over the possibility of the Nightmare King being back. 

Jack unconsciously massaged his chest from his precarious perch, mind lost in thought. So Pitch was back. Out of everything that was happening, he had to come back and make a reappearance. Had they not humiliated him enough last time? Did he really want another beating so soon? That man just didn’t know when to give up.

He suddenly felt exhausted and jumped down into the sleigh, taking a seat in the back corner. It was probably from the adrenalin leaving him. That’s what it was. He would just sit and relax for a few minutes while they flew back to the Pole to form a plan of what to do with Pitch. No big deal. Without processing what was happening, his eyes began to slip closed, missing the shadowy figure of a nightmare following them in the distance.

His feet had barely touched down on the frozen surface of his lake when he knew something was wrong. It was early morning; the sky paled an overcast grey, dulling the land that was still holding the final throes of autumn. The forest was silent, not a whisper disturbing the shadowy forms of the dead trees and piles of aged stained leaves curled around the bases.

Cautiously he stepped out, casting wary eyes around at his surroundings, getting a strange feeling of déjà vu. Everything was still and quiet which only placed him more at unease. He looked longingly over his shoulder at the glinting surface of the lake that he usually rested on before turning his back and creeping further into the trees. The sooner he found out what was wrong- for he was certain that the feeling was true- he could get back to his lake.

Suddenly there was a strange whirl of motion around him and the world fell into darkness. He screwed his eyes shut against the expected hard impact but instead felt many light gentle forms trickle around him. He opened his eyes to be met with the same darkness but it wasn’t as suffocating as he had expected it. By simply shifting his arms whatever that was surrounding him shifted easily, falling away with a faint rustle. Frowning at the poor attack he shook his head and spread his arms out to escape from the pitiful prison. He was used to more violent surprise attacks from the other spirits, not whatever this was. Not that he wasn’t grateful for the inexperienced spirit. 

“Leaves?” he exclaimed in surprise when the objects finally cleared from his vision and he saw the pale orange shapes shift away. He was buried up to his neck now in them, in the middle of the barren forest. Giggling floated around him and he spun his head around wildly to catch sight of the source from where his head was poking out from the autumn pile.

A small figure leapt down from the tree opposite him, long red-brown hair swirling around her, shimmering in the light causing a mirage between the two colours as she landed lightly on bare feet at the base of the tree. 

“Your face,” she gasped between giggles and his guard fell immediately, deflating at the sight of her.

“May?” He questioned, hardly believing his eyes at the sight. It had been a whole year since he had first seen her, and in that time he had taken her to have been the basis of some desperate dream or hallucination from his damaged mind caused by the centuries of solitude.

“Who else? The tooth fairy?” rolling mahogany eyes, she strolled casually up to him, eyes gleaming at her prank- for that was what Jack took it for. “You haven’t forgotten me already?”

“How could I forget you? You’re the only one to actually talk to me in hundreds of years,” Jack pointed out, pausing in his attempt to escape the hold of the leaves.

The glow in her eyes faded and she looked downcast, pulling at the cuffs of her jacket. A strange feeling pulled at his heart and he decided he didn’t like it when she looked like that, lost the happy spark in her nature.  

“I know.” She sighed, refusing to meet his eyes, “It’s wrong. I’m sorry for the others, I know some of my own fellow seasonals are to blame.” She shrugged half-heartedly, “Seasons are family, though it's not like I  can do anything. Only the head of the season has control of the other spirits…well usually…” 

Jack couldn’t help but snort at that statement. He had no control over the winter spirits. In fact, they seemed to despise him more than the rest, they wouldn’t listen to him if their lives depended on it. May only shrank in on herself at the sound.

Not being able to stand the appearance of his only possible friend- no that wasn’t right, he barely knew the girl, he couldn’t afford friends and he wouldn’t be able to stand it when they turned on him, as they inevitably would, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to stand his heart breaking when he was finally betrayed and abandoned- he shook his free hand that didn’t hold his staff and a perfect round snowball formed in his palm. Unable to keep the mischievous smirk from gracing his lips he launched it with perfect aim.

May let out a gasp, stumbling backwards as the compact snow hit her squarely in the side of the head. Her chestnut eyes flashed as her gaze met his again and before he could react, the leaves swirled up around him, burying him anew in the large pile of fallen leaves. Jack clapped his hands together over his staff and a great burst of wind exploded around him, scattering the leaves all around the before clear woodland. He turned to give her an arrogant grin at the ease at which he had escaped but when he caught her eyes she burst out laughing, clutching her stomach and eyes shining with amusement.

Jack frowned blankly at her as her ringing melodic laugh echoed in the air, filling him with warmth that he hadn’t felt before. He grinned back at her, finding the sound of her laugh liberating and filling him with such pride at having been the cause. For a moment a flash of memory of a younger girl laughing in the same way at something he had done or said filled his vision, chestnut eyes squeezed shut and straggly brown hair falling across her face, someone close that had meant so much to him…but he dismissed the thought. He hadn’t known anyone in all his years, let alone made them laugh. He came to the decision that he would make it his job to make May laugh more, to lighten at least somebody’s life.

The sound of her laugh, free and harmonious in the hollow forest, unbound and inviting filled his senses as he was slowly dragged back to consciousness, the glint of glee in her deep mahogany eyes lingered in his mind a moment longer.

“Jack? Come on, wake up ya bludger. What’s wrong?”

Jack jolted awake at the pressure on his bruised shoulder sending waves of stabbing pain through him, desperately shoving away the assailant attacking him.

“Whoa, stop it. It’s just me.”

Jack’s mind resurfaced to the present, eyes flying open to reveal the wild cerulean orbs that flickered madly from each Guardian’s concerned faces, excluding North who was still flying the sleigh. His heart was thudding wildly in his chest and he didn’t realise he had his staff aimed defensively in front of him. Taking a deep breath, he relaxed his tense muscles, lowering his staff and turned to face the voice that had pulled him from his dream.

It slowly registered that he had fallen asleep in the back of the sleigh. No wonder the Guardians were so alert. It was unlike their young animated winter spirit to sit still let alone fall asleep around them. Jack was just as surprised himself - after all, it had not been that long since he had woken in Jamie’s back garden. He shouldn’t be as tired as he feels. 

“What’s wrong Jack? Why’re ya so jumpy?” Bunny questioned, face creased into a deep frown, “Are you okay?”

Was he okay ? Jack almost laughed at the stupidity of the question. Was he okay? Of course he wasn’t okay. To start with he was in constant pain from all the injuries he had, yet he was still being dragged around on a mad hunt for nightmares, Pitch had returned despite their best efforts to send him back to the dark hole in which he had hatched from. Then, of course, there was his fragile mental state now from the assault of memories that he had desperately tried to suppress. He felt physically drained and had no idea why and the throbbing headache had refused to dissipate. Was he okay? There was no way he should be okay.

“Yeah, fine,” Jack replied blithely. Under the sceptical look that answered, he cringed and tugged on the hood once more to ensure that it was still successfully hiding his face. Maybe it would be a good idea to just come clean. At least then he may get some peace and alleviate the strain they were unknowingly putting him under. He wasn’t being lazy; he was just getting so tired.

He was about to open his mouth and admit defeat when he caught sight of something shifting against the inky blackness of the night. 

“Nightmare,” he exclaimed pointing in the direction of the shadow darting at great speed along the skyline.

“Wha-” Bunny spun in surprise, squinting into the darkness until emerald eyes focused on the nightmare.

“We follow,” North declared, whipping the reins to urge the burly reindeer onwards and towards the flitting shadow, steadily narrowing the distance between them. Bunny let out an involuntary yell as he was thrown backwards and paws clutched tightly to the side of the sleigh to keep his balance and not get thrown off. Jack managed a chuckle at his friend’s discomfort before focusing back on the chase. The Wind steadied him as the sleigh sped after the speeding shadow, jerking dangerously as it was buffeted by the strong wind and sudden turns as the nightmare pivoted and raced in a seemingly random direction and the sleigh dived after it.

Then the nightmare was flying over deserted fields, shrouded in darkness and vanished. The sleigh didn’t slow for a moment, as they searched the blank sky for a sign of the dark horse.

“Where is it? Where’d it go?” Bunny called fiercely.

“It was right in front of us,” Tooth replied from the opposite side of the sleigh.

A burst of sand sparked the darkness of the night as Sandy added his input but Jack was too distracted to pay much attention to it. 

“Look out!” He shouted, pointing to the blur of shadow that was shooting directly for the sleigh, not braking pace for a second, resolutely set on a collision course with them.

North let out a yell as he yanked the reins upwards and the reindeer shrieked in surprise, pulling wildly on their harnesses, fleeing in different directions before finally forcing their way upwards. The sleigh tipped suddenly, throwing the front upwards and sending it vertically into the air, not a problem for those of the Guardian’s gifted with flight but the other two…

North managed to latch onto the front of the sleigh, reins still tightly held in one hand, his knuckles turning white, his legs slipping from the floor of the sleigh.

A strangled cry tore through the wind and Jack caught sight of grey fur tumbling past him, falling over the edge into nothingness and flailing for something to grab onto which was not there. 

“Bunny!”

Jack froze in horror at the grey form that was tumbling ever further downwards, still trying to find something to stop his fall, yell ripped away by the wind before it could reach them, as the cascading shadow of land rose up to engulf him.

Chapter Text

Bunny was falling.

Jack was paralysed at the horror of the thought as he saw his friend tumble further out of reach. Time slowed, wrapping him in a stationary second, watching in slow motion as he stood helplessly watching. Bunny, who had teased him relentlessly and annoyed him to no ends but Jack didn’t care because he never took anything to heart like that. He didn’t have much of a heart left to get hurt by it. Bunny who had slowly grown closer and under his harsh, grumpy exterior, deep, deep down, he truly cared for Jack and had a soft spot where the winter spirit was concerned. Jack had found himself growing closer to the oversized rabbit despite their past disputes.

His eyes fixed on Bunny’s distant form, still falling, and then the ground was coming closer to him. Without even processing it, he had leapt over the edge of the sleigh and was shooting head first, arms tucked tightly into his side to reduce the air resistance and increase his speed, after the falling form.

His small form easily carried him closer to the still flailing Bunny and angled himself directly into his path. They collided hard, spinning wildly before Jack could manipulate the wind to slow both of them through the rushing air that now roared in his ears. Bunny’s paws scrabbled for a hold madly, fear momentarily overtaking his movements as the panic set in and he seized onto Jack tightly causing Jack to hiss in pain as his bruised ribs were now put under pressure. The Wind hastily brought them down to the ground as gently as she could, sensing her winter spirit’s pain.

With firm ground beneath his feet, Bunny collapsed gratefully, hugging the field of grass, arms spread wide with relief.

“Never ever, ever getting above the ground again,” Bunny mumbled into the thick grass, “Stick to tunnels. Sleigh’s are death traps.”

Jack, meanwhile, was half hunched, gasping desperately for breath with his arm wrapped tightly around his side. Each breath sent shooting pains along his ribs, flaring all his injuries into sharp resistance, leaving him more breathless than before. Screwing his eyes shut, he begged for the agony to abate, to stop its ruthless attack, slowly regaining the control he had stubbornly held on to.

A loud thud and a rush of air disturbed the long grass as the heavy sleigh and reindeer landed alongside them, three anxious Guardians toppling out in their haste to ensure their safety. 

“Bunny,” Tooth’s shrill mothering tone pierced the silent air as she flitted over to his side, trying to pull him to his feet whilst scanning him critically for any injuries. Jack shuffled away and tried to straighten without causing too much protest from his ribs, gulping a few more mouthfuls of air to his parched lungs. Bunny was the main concern here. He was the one that almost fell to his death. There was no point letting them fuss over him for something that happened hours ago when there were more serious matters at hand. He caught another enquiring glance from Sandy out of the corner of his eyes and immediately raised his shields, blocking the pain and damage, hiding behind the fragile outer appearance he had perfected over the years.

“I’m okay Tooth,” Bunny assured, waving Tooth away unsuccessfully, “Really. Thanks to Jack.” He grinned brightly at Jack who smiled weakly in return. Bunny of course noticed this and the slightly hunched and pained way he was holding himself, the dull spark in captivating cerulean eyes and tense shoulders. 

“Jack, are you okay?” Bunny’s ears lowered, twitching at the imperceptible hitch in the frost teen’s breath.

“F-fine.” His word came out in a brief gasp and Bunny saw his resolve harden as he cleared his throat. “I’m fine.” Jack tugged his hood again, pulling it low once more so the small details that had been visible were once again covered. He was hiding something- the fact so obvious Bunny pitied his efforts and continued stubbornness.

“Jack? Are you okay?” Tooth flew over promptly, reaching out a hand to give a reassuring squeeze to his shoulder. To all their surprise, Jack quickly backed away, and if they had been able to see his face they would have seen him visibly wince. Tooth hesitated, withdrawing her outstretched hand. “Jack?” Her voice was heavy with concern.

Jack bit his lip. It was all he could do not to try to shrink away from all their intense watches. Why couldn’t they just leave anything be? They were always prying into where they didn’t belong. Jack internally rebuked himself. No, they were only concerned for him. It was their problem too if he ended up being a hindrance due to his injuries. He was just being overly defensive now. 

“Okay, okay,” Jack conceded, raising his hands for them to stop crowding him. He was beginning to feel claustrophobic which was not helping his condition at all. Reluctantly the others backed up with a mix of concern and accusation. He opened his mouth to admit the truth but the words never made it out. 

“What’s this? Deception in the ranks?” A silky voice permeated the night air, “I see there are still a few trust issues among the group. Oh, dear.”

“Pitch!” Bunny yelled, spinning around wildly to catch sight of the source of the voice.

The other Guardians were immediately on guard, Jack’s confession completely forgotten once more. They turned into a tight circle facing outwards, trying to get a glimpse of the shadows.

“Oh Jack’s not still keeping secrets?” Pitch’s voice floated with mock concern making Jack’s stomach churn.

“Shut up Pitch!” Jack yelled into the darkness.

“That’s not a very nice thing to say to an old friend, is it Jack? I think some little spirits need to be taught some manners, hmm?”

“I am not your friend,” Jack growled, pointing his staff randomly, infuriated at the disembodied voice that refused to show itself.

“Come now, Jack. After all our little chats?”

“Chats?” Bunny frowned, worry touching his voice. “What does he mean Jack?” 

“It’s nothing,” Jack muttered under his breath, not taking his eyes away from the shadows that now seemed to be writhing.

“More secrets Jack?” Pitch asked softly, “You haven’t told them about our talks? Oh, Jack, I am very disappointed. Imagine keeping something so important a secret from your supposed new friends. I see, none of you trust each other as much as you pretend to. It’s such a shame really.”

“Shut up Pitch” Jack shouted again, shoulders heaving with rage that sent sparks of pain across his shoulder and side but it only fuelled his anger more.

“Again with the manners,” Pitch replied steadily, “I think maybe it is about time that we taught you the value of them.”

Without warning, the shadows exploded, several nightmares launching directly towards Jack. He managed to send out a few blasts of his staff, freezing two solid where the momentum of their charge sent them shattering against the ground, but he had to dive suddenly to the side to prevent the rest ploughing straight into him. 

The rest of the Guardians scattered in the wake of the nightmare stampede. There was a glint in the dark night as North drew his two large sabres and began wielding them with deadly precision. The faint sound of something slicing through the air was greeted by a nightmare disintegrating as it was hit with Bunny’s boomerangs. The vibrant golden glow and flashes punctuated the shadows as Sandy’s golden sand whips lashed out at their attackers. Tooth was a blur of bright green as she whizzed around the black sand forms.

The main group of the stampede had circled back around and were now taking another attempt at Jack who darted between the horse-creations with the help of the wind to give him a burst of speed that otherwise would have left him a trampled snow angel on the grassy hill. All the movement and sudden twisting and turning was damaging his already abused ribs and he could feel the steady drumbeat in the back of his head build to a throbbing agony that felt more like someone was hammering against the inside of his skull.

Why, Jack thought as he froze the hooves of a nightmare who proceeded to crash straight into two more who had been coming back around for another attempt, do, he froze another, I always, a burst of blue light flashed briefly as more fell, make the , a nightmare crashed into his shoulder and he cried out in pain, worst impressions , he successfully froze the nightmare who had hit him, on bad people? A blaze of blue-white light engulfed the darkened hillside, obliterating the nightmares around him in a fit of pain and rage and frustration.

The other Guardians spun around to face the surprisingly powerful display, nightmares pausing in their tracks in horror. Bunny used the distraction to punch one of the nightmares which had paused right behind him, the faint crumble of black sand the only break in the silence.

Jack stood breathing heavily, arms wrapped around his abdomen, knuckles turning white on his staff. The Guardians watched in worry until the winter spirit slowly relaxed his tense shoulder, removing one arm from around his staff, and the Guardians collectively breathed a sigh of relief.

The moment gone, the nightmares bolted into action once more pushing the Guardians back and began circling the small group, building speed until they were just a blur of black like a hurricane, forcing the Guardians closer together into the eye of the storm.

Jack was still a short distance from the other and tried to step back towards the rest of the group but wasn’t allowed to make it far when Pitch’s voice spoke up once more.

“Poor Guardians,” he chuckled, that laugh alone was enough to send shivers down their spines. It was so out of place, so wrong and cold. “You have no idea how powerful your little winter pest is, do you? You haven’t even touched the surface, and Jack’s not even in peak condition yet easily wipes out a large portion of my nightmares.” Rather than appear angry at having Jack destroy most of his army yet again, he seemed to almost be praising his actions which only put Jack more on edge.

North, Tooth, Sandy and Bunny had once again formed a tight circle but were less vigilant this time, their eyes continually flicking towards the Guardians of fun and back again.

“You shouldn’t hide things from your friends Jack,” Pitch scolded softly, “What was the word you used last time, ‘a family’?” Jack squirmed uncomfortably at his words whilst the Guardians were facing a mixture of confusion at the fact that Pitch had somehow talked to Jack, shock and affection that Jack had referred to them as family, and fear at the attention that Pitch was giving him.

“I can taste your fear Jack,” Pitch’s voice changed as quickly as the wind, menacing and disturbing from the mock concern that it had held earlier, “You are so afraid Jack. So much fear and terror, it’s no wonder you drew me out here.”

“I’m not afraid of you,” Jack stated boldly, stepping forwards defiantly, signs of pain vanishing from his lean frame as he stood straight before the wall of churning nightmares that were still blurring in a tight ring around them.

“Oh, not of me Jack,” Pitch assured slowly, “Shall I tell them what you are afraid of?”

“Pitch,” Jack warned, stepping forwards less certainly now, scared that Pitch was about to reveal what he didn’t want to talk about, what he didn’t even want to remember yet.

Light laughter drifted around the Guardians. “You’re not afraid Jack? I think you have just proved yourself wrong. What is it that you don’t want me to tell them? Hmm? I thought you were past the trust issues. Or have you not completely forgiven those three hundred years that they ignored you?” The Guardians lowered their heads in shame; Tooth’s wings ceased their fluttering for a moment, lowering her heavily to the ground.

Jack’s years of solitude was a difficult topic that they had tried not to think about since he had joined them, trying to ignore the fact that they had played a part in Jack’s suffering and loneliness. Jack had claimed he was fine, but as they got to know him more they had learned that there was a lot that Jack kept unsaid.

“Poor Jack, never trusting anyone, might never trust anyone again, always alone. Mayhem forever falling in his wake.”

Jack bristled. That was the second time in as many days that someone had mentioned his past against him. That was too often for Jack to bear.

“Shut up, just shut up!” Jack roared, firing recklessly into the whirling nightmares, hoping to hit something but relishing the release of his powers and the dangerous blue light that crackled out of the end of his staff.

“Now, now, Jack, mind that temper of yours. Someone could get hurt, and we all know what happens then. Are you really so afraid of the past, Jack?” Pitch’s voice floated everywhere, penetrating his mind and disturbing him every time Pitch said his name. “You need to stop hiding things, don’t you Jack?” Jack spun slowly, trying to catch sight of the Nightmare King. “Poor, little Jack Frost…” The voice seemed to grow fainter into the night.

Had Jack not already experienced first hand how deceptive the King of Nightmares could be, he may have relaxed or lowered his guard, believing the enemy to be gone. But with the continued frantic swirl of nightmares around them and the knowledge he now held, Jack remained on guard.

Despite his preparation, he was completely taken unawares by the nightmare that suddenly launched from the swirling storm; too busy scanning the darkness for Pitch. The small burst of air from the speeding creature was the only warning he received, as he pivoted to face the attacker, blocking out the warning and alarmed shouts from the other Guardians, bringing his staff around. However, instead of pummelling him into the grass as he expected, the nightmare changed course last second, skirting around him, catching the tip of Jack’s hood in sharp jagged teeth, dragging him back a few paces before releasing him. Jack stumbled backwards, icy eyes open wide in shock, a strangled cry escaping him as the bruising on his neck was pulled, only to widen further when he realised what the nightmare had done.

His hood had come down. Leaving his face and more importantly the visible injuries there, exposed and visible to the vigilant eyes of the Guardians. Squeezing his eyes closed, he sighed internally. When they opened again, he turned to face the shocked and appalled face of his companions. 

“Jack…” Tooth breathed, hands flying to her mouth and lilac eyes glistening in the faint light from the stars.

North lowered his twin swords slowly until their tips brushed the grass. Sandy seemed to think better than to try to communicate right now but fixed him with a concerned frown. Great, just what he needed right now.

“Jack,” Bunny questioned tentatively, “What happened? Your face…”

If he hadn’t worried that it would elicit more concern from them, Jack would have groaned. They wanted to do this now? While they were completely surrounded by nightmares, Pitch Black was still out there watching them, probably relishing in their concern and fear, waiting for the right moment, in their distraction, to strike. This is why he didn’t want to tell them. They always worried more than was needed, over dramatising the whole situation when there were more important things to be fretting about. He wasn’t important. They needn’t waste their time on him. He was fine. He was always fine.

“It’s nothing,” Jack replied, the answer sounding weak even to his own ears. It was true though, he had been through worse, so much worse. This was barely worth recognition.

“It’s not nothing, mate,” Bunny said softly, ears lowering against his head as he examined the boy’s face. He suddenly appeared so young and fragile. The side of his head was marred with a dominant purpling bruise bordering a deep scarlet cut that had scabbed over now but was still a raw red around the edge. On the other side of his face, resting on his temple, was another grey-black bruise that stood out vividly on his pale skin. “Why didn’t you say anything?” Bunny shook his head; almost denying what his eyes were showing him.

A faint cold chuckle broke the silence and all of the Guardians flared back into life, anger burning towards Pitch for different reasons.

“What did you do Pitch?” Bunny demanded of the shadows, raising a boomerang threateningly, although he had no idea where Pitch was.

“Me?” the Nightmare King chuckled again, a sound barren of amusement or joy but arrogant in the fact that he was aware of something the other Guardians were not. “Oh, how I wish it was me who was responsible…”

“It wasn’t Pitch,” Jack spoke quietly, his comment almost lost in the rush of wind from the still swirling nightmares. Shamefully he lowered his head, refusing to meet any of their eyes.

“If not Pitch, then who?” Bunny frowned. Who else was there that would harm Jack? There was no one dangerous that he was aware of that had a vendetta against the winter spirit.

“Yes, tell them, Jack,” Pitch called.

“Can we not talk about this later,” Jack shot back at Bunny, ignoring Pitch.

“I dunno, will we?” Bunny growled. His usual short fuse had officially been pulled up shorter and he was ready to explode at the slightest spark. Not only had he moments ago fallen from a great height, then proceeded to have to listen to the insufferable monologues that Pitch must have prepared, now one of their own members was keeping secrets from them. Jack, who he had thought had put all of this distrust behind him- especially after the Easter fiasco- still had misgivings about the Guardians even after they had accepted him and ended his long years of solitude. Sure, it had taken a while before they had noticed him, but at least they were here now. He thought Jack had forgiven all that. Apparently he hadn’t: he was just as mistrustful as he always had been.

“Will you for once get some perspective here?” stormed Jack, throwing his arms exasperatedly into the air, quickly followed by a wince that was now visible to all the Guardians, and he let his arms fall back down by his side, “We are surrounded by a whole army of nightmare sand, completely trapped, Pitch is trying to turn us against each other, meanwhile our only escape is on the other side of this stupid sand!”

“So you’re saying we should fight our way back to the sleigh?” Bunny raised one furry eyebrow, keeping his tone neutral.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” Jack said in the same exasperated tone.

Bunny gave him a small nod that almost went unnoticed had the winter spirit not been looking out for it. Without warning, Jack and Bunny leapt into action, launching into a fresh battle as they tried to force their way through the barrier of circling nightmares with brute force. The rest of the Guardians were right behind them, joining with a loud cry.  

At first, the nightmares, taken by surprise, did not put up much of a fight against the sudden attack. The first row was easily blasted away, a fair portion transforming back into the glittering dream sand. It gave the Guardians a chance to quickly regroup. 

The rest of the army faltered, turning with vehemence at the ones who had destroyed their brethren. Dark puffs of smoke rose from their snouts as they sized up their prey with glinting scarlet eyes.  

“To sleigh?” North hissed under his breath, cautiously backing away.

“Never thought I’d say this again,” Bunny sighed, “But I’m right behind ya.”

“Um…guys?” Jack ventured, not taking his eyes from where a nightmare was now pawing the ground in anticipation, “No hurry or anything, but…yeah, y’know what? There is a hurry. Can we get out of here before they take us as dream bait?”

“Yes, we go,” North’s voice was barely above a whisper. “On three, all run. One…” the nightmares began to snort louder, searing smoke rising steadily into the air, hooves beginning to wear scars into the land.

“North,” Jack hissed over his shoulder.

“Three!” North yelled.

Without hesitation, the Guardians scampered away across the short distance over the grassy hill to where the sleigh was patiently waiting as though nothing had happened. North leapt in first, seizing the reins, calling for the rest to hurry. Bunny hopped ahead of the others and dived head first, Tooth and Sandy right behind him. Frantically, Jack fired a blast of ice energy over his shoulder, not checking if he had managed to hit a target, and flew into the sleigh that was already pounding along grassy slopes to launch into the air. 

Risking a peek over the side, Jack was taken by surprise to see the lack of pursuers as the nightmares remained on the ground, stamping in rage at having let their prey escape, Pitch nowhere in sight. Darkness swallowed up the sight far below within seconds and Sandy and Tooth joined them in the back.

“So…” Jack broke the silence, “Pitch is back.”

The others gave him irksome glances and he shifted uncomfortably. What was it with everyone looking at him today?

“Don’t think we’ve finished with you,” Bunny warned, waving a paw at Jack’s face from where he clung to the sleigh as though his life depended on it, which after recent events, it turned out it did.

Jack cringed and slid down to sit in the corner, curling up tightly and avoiding looking at any of them. No, it was far from over. They had that right. This was only just the beginning and they still had no idea.

The hazy swirls of the dots of stars were pulled above them as they hurtled through the sky, the moon concealed behind a faint wispy trail of clouds. The fields of grass soon disappeared and murky forms of towns swept past like wreckage in the sea on the breaking of the storm. There was silence from the occupants in the sleigh, too wrapped up in harassing thoughts of past events. A faint jingle disturbed the night as the reindeer jerked and pounded through the sky, leading them back to safety. Jack shivered.

Chapter Text

No matter how his paws were beginning to ache, he refused to relinquish or loosen his hold on the side of the sleigh. His heart still thundered in terror as the stars streaked past him in a blurry haze that was all too similar to the way the sky had looked as he tumbled downwards into the oblivion not too long ago. Despite the fact that his feet were still firmly on the floor of the sleigh, he couldn’t quite convince his frayed nerves that he was still safe, still alive, still lucky enough to have escaped a fatal end once again. Besides, a death like that would be embarrassing . He was a Pooka, a warrior, and to meet a demise against an enemy as trivial as gravity was just plain insulting.

North seemed blissfully unaware of the breakneck speed that he was urging the reindeer on at. They continued to hurtle hundreds of miles an hour over quiet land that had been shrouded in darkness of the night, chasing the moon across the sky.

Slowly - terrified that if he moved too quickly he may somehow tumble from the safety of the sleigh once more - he twisted to look at their resident winter spirit who was still sat huddled in the corner of the sleigh, the picture of defeat with his head hung low and arms wrapped around his knees.  Even during their whole war with Pitch, Bunny had never seen him look the way he did now. The bruising seemed to scream out at him even more now that there was no immediate threat to focus on, accusing him of failing to protect one of their own, a hurtful reminder of the lack of trust that still lay over them. 

This time his churning stomach had little to do with the sleigh. What had they done? How had they let it come to this? Did they really become so blind that they were ignorant to the fact Jack was in pain? They could have helped! 

Anger flared in the place of shame. Whether it was directed at the Guardians themselves for overlooking the obvious pain their winter spirit was in, or at Jack for not trusting them enough to admit he was injured, Bunny was unsure. In hindsight, there had been so many obvious signs that something was wrong: the way the winter spirit wasn’t energetic as usual, the stiffness in his posture, the way he hadn’t lowered that damn hood. 

No matter how much Bunny scrutinised him from his position in the sleigh, the actual extent of his injuries were still unknown. It appeared the winter spirit was surprisingly adept at keeping things hidden. That worried him more than anything and slowly he began to realise a bit more about their youngest member. 

Jack had been on his own for hundreds of years. Who was to say he hadn’t been hurt before and had no one to comfort him about it? Who was to say he hadn’t had to act strong before and grow up too fast in order to survive the spirit world? Bunny had known that the kid’s isolation had been hard but only now was he beginning to consider how hard it had really been.

The sleigh lurched violently and Bunny had to return his attention to his vice-like grip on the side of the sleigh, squeezing his eyes shut to prevent the contents of his stomach decorating the inside of North’s seats. The large man would not be happy about that.

As the countryside melted into wastelands of pure white as they neared the Pole, Bunny breathed a sigh of relief that they drew closer to the end of the ride so he could finally get out of this death trap. He cast another eye around the sleigh. For once not a hint of conversation disturbed the occupants. North was too focused on driving the sleigh though he was noticeably less enthused about it, Tooth was sitting unnaturally still, lavender eyes heavy as they stared unseeingly ahead, casting an occasional troubled glance towards Jack. Sandy, on the other hand, was not being discreet about observing the young Guardian, openly staring with a pensive frown on his golden features. Said winter spirit had not moved from his position since they had left the nightmare army and Pitch far away into the night, curled up in the corner, eyes hidden by snowy white hair, arms wrapped around his knees and staff clutched tightly in pale hands.

As usual, the landing was far from smooth as the sleigh bounced down the ramp and skidded to a stop barely an inch from the jagged wall of the cavern, but the customary jubilant cry from North was absent, leaving a noticeable gap in the echoing quiet. 

Immediately, Bunny stumbled back onto solid ground, arms wrapped around his stomach, awaiting the anticipated teasing from Jack. It didn’t come. Instead, the winter spirit slumped past him, head low, expression dark. Instantly, Bunny sobered up. If Jack wasn’t even teasing him anymore, then something had to be seriously wrong. For as long as he had known him, Jack had never ignored an opportunity to antagonise the Easter Guardian. 

Silence suffocated them on the short walk to the globe room. Once they entered, Jack kept walking only coming short at the bannister that overlooked the workshop and the humongous globe that stood in the centre of the room. Perhaps contemplating whether to launch himself from it and escape through the window that was always left conveniently open for him. Well, if he thought that this was a conversation he could run away from, he had another thing coming. Bunny stepped forwards, mouth open, but Jack beat him to it. 

“Look,” he said firmly, not turning around. His shoulders were set in determination but his hand clenched too tightly around his staff betrayed his underlying emotions. “I know what you are going to say.” ( Oh, do you? Bunny thought snidely to himself.) “I should have told you, I shouldn’t have gone out when I wasn’t 100%, but I swear to you,” he finally turned, something flaring in his cerulean eyes, “this was never going to impede my Guardian duties, I would never let you down or hinder the group. I can work through this, I can still fight, I can still help.”

Bunny furrowed his brow, slowly registering the winter spirit’s words. 

“Jack, that’s not what this is about,” Bunny frowned down at the winter spirit, “We…we, uh, care about you. We don’t want ya getting hurt if we can help it.” This was met with one of Jack’s own frowns which only confused Bunny more. Did the kid think they only cared about defeating Pitch? That they were just using him? Did he think they were only concerned that he would become a burden? Did he even think, Man in Moon forgive, that they didn’t care about him and would turn him away like they had the previous 300 years if he wasn’t useful? Damn the kid for believing that. And damn the rest of them for allowing him to. 300 years. It was a lot to make up for but hell if Bunny wasn’t going to try. 

“So you’re not going to tell me to sit this one out?” Jack asked sceptically. “You’re not going to reprimand me for being a risk?”

“Oh, Jack, we aren’t angry with you, we’re worried,” Tooth said gently, “We want to know what happened, how it happened, how hurt you are. We want to help you .” 

Part of Bunny wanted to disagree. Yes, he was angry, just not for the reason the kid was thinking.  Instead he added, “Why don’ ya let us take a look at ya? Sort ya out a bit?” 

“It’s fine. I can take care of myself.” Jack retorted firmly, shuffling his feet. Exhaustion clung to his slim shoulders, the shadows under his eyes leaving his face gaunt. There was nothing about him that looked ‘fine’. 

“Then just tell us what happened?” North’s booming voice for once was softened to a normal speaking volume. 

Jack looked away again, heaving a breath before answering. 

“It’s really not as bad as it looks. I was just visiting Jamie when I got into a little trouble.” Then his eyes widened at the implication, snapping back up to them as he hastily added, “Jamie’s absolutely fine. I took him home safe and sound.” He seemed to search each of their gazes in turn as though to assure himself that they believed him before finishing lamely. “I was just leaving Jamie’s when the northern lights went off so I came here and you know the rest.”

“That’s just it, Jack,” Bunny grumbled, “We don’t. We don’t know the rest, or the beginning, or anything at all, because you ‘aven’t told us. We just want ta help, mate, and we won’t be able to if we don’t know what happened. This is serious if someone hurt ya. You’re part of the group now and we don’t want you injured in any way.”

“I already told you,” Jack’s hand tightened on his staff, “I’m not going to be a hindrance. I won’t let this get in the way of my Guardian duties. I won’t let you down.” 

Bunny wanted to scream but, given the circumstances, doubted that would be the best help. This kid clearly wasn’t taking in what they were all trying to say. 

“We aren’t saying that,” Tooth soothed. 

“You are not hindrance,” North corrected at the same time that Sandy weaved some shapes out of dreamland but Jack was not looking at him to be able to read them. His head lowered once more, shoulders sinking. 

“Just let us help ya,” Bunny reasoned, “Like you would help us if we were injured.” 

“I don’t need any help,” Jack said but he had lost some of the bite in his tone.

“Fine, you don’ need ta do anythin’ or even show us,” Bunny reasoned, “For now, how abou’ ya just tell us where you’re hurt?” 

Jack heaved a sigh, accepting that they were never going to let this go unless he gave them something. “I think I have a few bruised ribs and a bruised shoulder.”

Bunny couldn’t help but gape, not expecting much beyond what he could currently see. “How did you get all tha’?” 

“It’s a long story.”

“It’s a long night,” Bunny countered. 

Jack scowled. That was when, by chance, Jack’s hoodie shifted ever so slightly, the blue material innocently dropping a fraction around his neck but opening it up to the view of the dark purple bruises that coated his neck, oddly resembling a hand.

“Jack…your neck….” Bunny whispered in horror, paw rising sympathetically to his own, eyes widening in shock.

“Oh, yeah, and some bruises on my neck,” Jack added to his list of injuries with a shrug of one shoulder, the other Bunny guessed was too painful to move so easily, as Jack reached up unconsciously to touch the bruises before thinking better of it and tugging the blue material so that it lay properly on him and helped cover the storm that tarnished the pale skin.

“Blimey mate,” Bunny almost forgot himself, his rage betrayed in his biting tone, “Is there any more you haven’t told us about?”

“I’ll let you know if I find out,” Jack replied calmly, too calmly for Bunny’s liking.

“Good,” he said simply.

Jack shrunk in on himself, looking uncomfortable once more and Bunny came to the conclusion that maybe he had pushed the boy enough for now, although something was still tugging on his mind, a faint nagging worry that would not release him until it was settled.

Taking a deep breath, Bunny hesitantly asked as though afraid of what the answer would be. 

“Jack, Pitch said something back there…something that I’ve been thinking about…he said…he said he could sense your fear, that it was strong and you were very afraid of somethin’. I-it’s not us…I mean, you’re not afraid of us or anything like that.”

Jack scoffed, the frailty masked once more by the amused glint in his eye and the smirk quirking his lip, pulling at the bruises and making them look less grave.

“Afraid of you guys?” Jack raised his eyebrows disbelievingly, “Why on earth would I be afraid of a fluffy kangaroo?”

“For the last time I’m not a bloody kangaroo!” Bunny fumed though there was a small smile tugging at his lips that gave away his annoyed appearance, secretly glad that a bit of the old Jack was returning…though he began to ponder if he really knew who the real Jack was, and that scared him more than anything.

“Jack, you sure you do not want any of yeti’s to see to injuries?” North pressed through the silence, “Infirmary just down hall.”

Jack shook his head, avoiding his gaze but not curling into himself anymore. 

“I’m fine. I can take care of it. Besides, I’ve had worse.” 

Bunny’s brow creased at the passive answer and put this aside as another thing to question the allusive winter spirit about later when he was more up to it. There was too much wrong about all this. Just how long had Jack been coping with attacks on his own? For that matter, why was Jack being attacked? For how long? The thoughts made his head spin as a wave of guilt and worry knotted his stomach and he had to force the notions away. Instead, he turned back to the initial pressing issue of the night.

“So, what are we going to do about Pitch?” Bunny asked, backing away towards the fire. Jack shot him a grateful look at the change in topic, relief relaxing his stiff stance as the attention was finally drawn away from him. Bunny gave him a short nod but the hardness in his eyes told him that the conversation was only paused for now and he would definitely have more to say later. Luckily the other Guardians seemed to catch on and followed him reluctantly to the seats around the fire. After a moment, Jack traipsed after them, slowly sinking into the seat furthest from the flames.  

That in itself was unusual. Usually Jack stood, even if the other Guardians had taken seats, or if he were to sit it would be away from them, near the open window where he could be close to the icy chill of the arctic air and, Bunny now considered, able to make a quick escape if he felt he had to. Only now could Bunny see the boy’s insecurities and precautions, now that he understood a bit more. It appeared Jack was a lot more damaged after three hundred years on his own than they had initially considered.

“Pitch shouldn’t even be back yet,” Bunny continued, turning to stare unseeingly into the fire. “Let alone have the nightmare army that he has. How could this happen?”

“We stop him regardless,” North boomed needlessly.

“North’s right,” Tooth added softly, “It doesn’t matter how he’s back: all that matters is stopping him.” Her wings shuddered in irritation at the thought of their enemy being out there.

“As great as tha’ sounds,” Bunny commented, “it’s still not much of a plan. He almost took us out last time and I think we need to be a little more prepared this time.”

Sandy flashed some pictures in golden sand, the delicate form of a snowflake accompanied by some other symbols.

“Yes,” North agreed, “Now we have Jack as part of team, we’re stronger, more unified than last time. Pitch will not take us so easily.” 

Jack offered a weak smile at the praise, leaning deeply into the cushions behind his back, the deep rumbles of their voices and calm conversation soothing, wrapping him warmly in the safety of their presence like a deep melody.

From the corner of his eye, Bunny watched the young winter spirit relax into the seat, eyes half lidded. For once, he didn’t mind that Jack wasn’t paying attention. Let him rest, let him sleep. The Guardians will watch over him, as they should, as they should have been doing all along.

Chapter Text

 Endless plains of pure dazzling white stretched out before him, meeting the grey horizon, untarnished, calling him onwards with comforting promises of fun that urged him to hasten his speed on the wind. An icy chill tore through him, unbearable for most but soothing against the frost spirit’s already cold skin. Anticipation tingled down his spine as his thoughts drifted to his destination.

It had been many years now since he had first started this personal mission but no matter how many times he failed, how many times he was thrown back and torn down, he would eventually get into Santa’s workshop.

If only the yetis weren’t so vigilant.

This time he didn’t have much of a plan so much as boredom that he wanted to eradicate and what better way than by antagonising yetis to alleviate that need. The wind whizzed past him, for once not carrying the heavy snowfall that wouldn’t be uncommon in this area, not warning of his coming. He couldn’t wait. 

He closed his eyes, relishing the icy air and the freedom that took over, letting him forget his troubles and the voices and angry faces of the other seasonals, subconsciously rubbing his forearm gingerly.

There had not been too much work recently. Yes, he was still Head of Winter and therefore had to oversee its cover and spread most of it himself, but he had been holding back for almost a year now. Something was happening in the mortal world. A darkness was spreading, creeping out across the land, fear growing like a skulking vine snaking along in the shadows, gradually braving the light only to pull it too into the dark. Whatever was going on, Jack wasn’t entirely sure yet. War, there had been whispers of, but what scale, the sheer magnitude of fear that was spreading made Jack wonder what sort of war this was going to be. He still spread his season, soft snow that brought joy to children’s eyes where it was most needed, so that they could grin and laugh and play and forget the morbid atmosphere that was descending across the globe. As a result though, he had been holding back any blizzards, not willing to cause something to increase the large death toll when lives were already being taken so savagely. Although holding back that much power made him restless, so here he was. 

“Jack!” The call ripped him from his thoughts and made him jump at the fact there was another person here, let alone a spirit- which it must have been to be able to see him. He twisted to look beside him and was surprised to see the beaming face and bright brown eyes of an autumn spirit speeding along beside him.

“May,” he exclaimed in surprise, almost stopping mid air to face her but at the speed they were both going opted to slow his pace slightly. She laughed at his expression- apparently he was more than surprised to see her. Who could blame him, though? He had rarely seen her since they had first met, so many years ago it seemed now, each interval between her appearances felt longer and more torturous, so desperate for some contact that for once did not involve harsh words and clenched fists.

That was strange. Since when had he begun to anticipate her visits? Expect them? Was he already putting faith in this stranger?

“What are you doing?” she asked, the gleam in her eyes already anticipating the fun that always followed Jack like the blizzard follows the wind, and snapping Jack out of his confusing thoughts

“What am I doing?” Jack asked flabbergasted, staring at May as though she was a ghost, which in some cases she was. “What are you doing here?”

“I can go wherever I want in my off-season,” She scoffed with a roll of her mahogany eyes, “I thought I could catch up to you for a visit.” There was no way she had just ‘stopped by’ all the way out in the tundra. Her gaze turned wary and he narrowed his eyes as she hesitated.

“And I wanted to make sure you were alright,” she admitted, biting her lip.

“Why wouldn’t I be alright?” Jack asked lightly, trying to not make his tone defensive.

“I happened to overhear that some spirits had run into you and I know how friendly they can be when it concerns you,” she said plainly, “I wanted to make sure you were okay after the encounter.” She obviously avoided stating exactly how the other spirits really treated him but he was grateful for it. He didn’t need reminding or want anyone pitying him.

“So, are you?” She pressed.

“I’m fine,” he answered truthfully. It honestly hadn’t been that bad this time. He had managed to escape with only a minor burn on his arm. Maybe the dark atmosphere had slowed them down too. She raised a sceptical eyebrow but made no further comment and again he was grateful for her understanding.

“Anyway, where are we going?” she asked, voice turning light again.

He frowned at her, “ We?”

She rolled her eyes again, as though it was ridiculous to think that she wasn’t tagging along. The temperature was gradually dropping the further they travelled, icy wind buffeting around them, not hindering their racing speed. It only made concern spawn as he noticed the frigid air.

“May,” he said slowly and deep brown eyes fixed on him, “You can’t come with me.” At her offended and hurt expression he hurriedly explained, “It’s too cold.” Already he was surprised that she had insisted on coming along this far. Why was she willing to tolerate this level of cold with him of all people when she could be with her own season, among the environment that she was comfortable in with her fellow autumn spirits, her family as Jack recalled her saying last time they had met. For some reason he felt that if anything were to happen to May, he would never be able to get over the guilt despite still barely knowing the girl. It was easier to keep distanced. Loss was hard but so was betrayal. This girl would get bored of him soon, like a child after Christmas, they may last a few weeks, months even, but eventually they grow uninterested and fix their sights on a newer model. Jack was already so obsolete he didn’t hold any value at all.

She grinned roguishly at him, a playful glint in her eyes.

“I love the cold!” She yelled into the wind, twirling like a corkscrew in the air beside him, grin growing wider, mood not dampened at all by the chill in the air. He couldn’t help but smile along with her. There was no getting rid of her so he consented to them both going together. He was growing used to the friendly company. Even if he knew it would end, that didn’t mean he could appreciate it while it was here, did it? 

Unable to contain the small laugh that bubbled from him, he was swept up with her joyful actions and couldn’t help himself joining in. Who was he to deny fun? Pressing his arms closer to his side, he increased his speed, rushing on and pulling ahead of May. She grinned and sped after him, keeping up. They raced beside each other, each drawing ahead by a few metres before the other would catch up once more.

“You never answered my question,” she shouted over the roaring of the wind and they slowed back to their steady pace, “Where are we going?”

Jack shrugged, growing a bit embarrassed to admit his plans. He didn’t know what she would think and was still cautious when dealing with his new- and only- friend. No, that still didn’t exactly feel right after so many solitary years. He had a friend? The thought was so absurd he almost laughed out loud if not for the fear that his unusual behaviour could scare her off.

“The North Pole,” he sighed resignedly. She had insisted on coming, she may as well find out where it actually was that they were heading. “We’re…well, I have been trying to enter there for a while but the yetis always seem to be one step ahead and I thought I may as well give it another go since I have a bit of free time.”

“So this is a break in?” she asked sceptically.

“I see it more as a mission,” he corrected, suddenly self-conscious of how it sounded. Was he just proving that he was exactly as the other spirits described him?

“A Heist,” May offered, and then smirked with that same glint in her eyes, “The North Pole heist.”

Jack smirked at the name, more elated at the fact she hadn’t mocked him or bullied him at the sound of his plans but that she was joining in, helping even. Was she just as crazy as he was?

“Come on then,” she grinned, “What are we waiting for?”

She sped up once more and he unleashed more of the wind around them, urging her to carry him faster. She laughed as he overtook her once more, the ringing sound echoing against the empty glaciers. 

As they flew, Jack turned his head to peek at her. She was smiling into the wind, mahogany eyes full and bright with the freedom flying, hair flying out behind her, glinting between a copper red and a light brown, oblivious to his watching eyes which is what made the look all the more real.

He couldn’t help but feel privileged and for once relaxed with another spirit, just two children - for that is all they really were when they were allowed to be themselves- causing mischief and having fun like they were supposed to.

“Jack,” she called his attention, the white sweeping past so far below them, nearly a blur of pure white that was not polluted yet by man and most untouched from unwelcome feet and prying eyes eager for exploits. They were so far from the first traces of humans that it, for once, did not matter that he was invisible to mortal eyes, there was no one there to see and that was so much better than being surrounded by people who didn’t know he was even there. Being invisible on your own is better than being invisible amongst people.

“Jack,” He shook out of his thoughts and finally turned to look at May, her expression curious.

“What’s that down there?” She asked over the rushing of the wind, pointing down to the snowy landscape below them to something that lay a short way out of their path.

It wasn’t hard for Jack to spot what she was indicating. A smudge of black obscured the before unblemished canvas like an ink stain on paper.

Jack shrugged, scanning the large mass with calculating cerulean eyes. Curiosity urged him onwards, enticing him to take a look and it was difficult to refuse.

“Let’s find out,” he said over his shoulder, sight never leaving the black form that had grabbed their attention. Without warning he spun chaotically into a dive, the wind buffeting him as he twisted downwards. Bubbling laughter filled his ears once more as May followed. The land grew towards them, rushing up to them menacingly in a way that promised to break bones at the swiftness of their descent.

At the last second before they collided with the threatening expanse of white, Jack pulled out of the dive, the Wind catching them lightly in a cool grip before dumping them both onto the ground, the soft crunch of snow breaking the silence around them. The Wind’s aim being as true as ever, they had been placed right in the centre of the black smudge that they had spotted from so high above.

“Penguins?” May frowned, squirming around at the numerous black and white animals that shuffled around them, squawking alarmingly at their sudden entrance. Small accusing eyes fixed on the two spirits as feathers were ruffled indignantly and a few irritated nips from sharp beaks greeted them. A few of the more curious, adventurous young edged closer to them, steadily growing in confidence the longer in their presence that they appeared to be no threat. Jack couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him from the characteristic animals that surrounded them.

“You know what this means?” she asked him, her voice turning serious even as a few of the youngest that still sprouted tufts of soft grey feathers began to clamber over them, screeching in their ears and pulling at their clothes.

“Um…”

“We’re in the South Pole,” she said exasperatedly, “Jack, you idiot, you directed us to the wrong Pole.” Jack ducked his head sheepishly. He had been called an idiot many times but this time it didn’t sound insulting and held no malice but a fond joking manner and he found it wasn’t as offending as it was from another spirit.

“Oh…” he bit his lip at the mistake. He had forgotten that he had been around the southern hemisphere when he had decided to retry his many break in attempts and when May had arrived he had been too caught up and entranced by the liberty as they were both together playing in the air to realise his mistake or change his course. In his defence, May hadn’t noticed either.

He leapt suddenly to his bare feet, displacing the few penguins that had ventured to his knees and been attempting to scale his shoulders. “North Pole Heist: take two!” he declared, not letting his mood be dampened when he knew he only had solitude once more when this was over.

“We can just see this as a detour..” May suggested conspiringly, mischief lighting her pale features as an idea formed, the light of the metaphorical light bulb almost visible  in the glow of her hair in the pale wisps of light from the rising sun. “…to pick up reinforcements.” She cast a thoughtful glance around their crowd and Jack’s face brightened as the cunning blue eyes narrowed and a smirk crossed his lips.

“Yes!” he whispered, looking down at the beady eyes of the young that were still watching him curiously since they had been displaced. This was going to be the best scheme to enter the workshop in a long time; even if it didn’t work the reactions would be far better than he had ever managed before.

The yetis never knew what hit them.

Jack’s eyes shot open as he sprung upright, sight met with grey fur that had him leaping back with a yelp of shock, kicking out instinctively.

“Calm down Jack,” Bunny’s voice reached him and he finally linked the voice to the grey fur that had moved back to form the large anthropomorphic rabbit, calming his racing heart that throbbed in time with his pounding head, and gasping shallowly as the adrenalin fuelled shock wore off. “Bloody hell, mate. Are you always this jumpy when you wake up?”

“I am when I wake up to people in my faces,” Jack quipped, relaxing his tense muscles that had prepared for action that was not needed, hiding the wince as his ribs shifted out of their stiff posture. His eyes flicked behind Bunny, taking note of the Guardians once more, watching with concern. He hated people looking at him like that, like he was weak. He was far from weak, how else would he have survived three hundred years? She never looked at him as though he were inferior, and with that thought he looked back down at his knees, not allowing the Guardians to see his eyes as though they would be able to see into his mind and read his emotions through them. Eyes are windows to the soul , she had quoted one day. He eagerly searched for a distraction. “Do you always wake people like this?”

Tooth and North had the decency to look a bit sheepish at the lack of privacy they were showing him and backed away a few steps. Sandy’s golden face was creased with worry still and Bunny seemed unperturbed at Jack’s words. Shuffling in his seat under the attention, Jack watched them warily, reading the tension in their stances and expressions for any indication as to what they were thinking or planning. A habit that he had long since developed in his first few decades when dealing with unfamiliar spirits.

“So?” Jack said loudly in an effort to shift the attention from himself, “Don’t we need to discuss about last night?”

“Yes, we do,” Bunny said testily, glaring down at Jack who squirmed uncomfortably under the look, “We need ta talk about bein’ honest with our friends an’ admitting when we are hurt, especially when going out into a battle when that could have disastrous effects, not only on that person but the rest of the group too.”

Jack flinched at the implication that he could have ended up hurting the rest of the Guardians had he not been able to fight back under the weight of his injuries. They were the closest he had to a family now and he couldn’t bear to lose any of them- not even Bunny- or have anything bad happen to them because of him. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself.

“That’s great and all,” Jack retorted with his usual cocky disarming smirk, “But I was more thinking about our Pitch problem.”

Bunny scowled at Jack’s apparent lack of care but North interrupted before he could start an argument which would inevitably turn into a shouting match.

“He is right,” North boomed in a voice that clearly told Bunny to leave it for now and warning Jack that he hadn’t avoided anything, “Back to work. We should find plan for Pitch and his nightmares and find out how he was able to come to power so quickly.”

“Yeah, especially how we made a right fool of ourselves last night,” The Pooka warrior grumbled. “Runnin’ away like cowards.”

“Bunny,” Tooth chided, “We should just be grateful that no one was hurt.”

“Yeah, any more hurt ya mean,” he corrected coolly with a glance at Jack.

“Bunny,” Tooth hissed with a nod towards the winter spirit who gave the decency of pretending he was unaware of their conversation. 

With muttered words under his breath that were too low for any of them to hear, Bunny turned away accepting the hints to drop the subject for now.

The Guardians shuffled around the room to stand in an informal circle around the fire. Jack stood from his seat but moved no further, not too comfortable with the heat of the flames, and watched the Guardians talking, adding an input where he had one.

“He could be back in his lair,” Jack suggested.

“No, he would not be stupid enough to remain there when he already knows that we are looking for him,” North brushed off immediately.

“Oh,” Jack’s face fell; disappointed with the dismissal.

“Hang on,” Bunny frowned, “How do you know about Pitch’s lair?”

“Oh,” Jack said again, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, wincing as he brushed the bruises around his throat. That didn’t go unnoticed by Tooth who gazed sympathetically at him. “Well, I…er…just assumed he must have one, you know. There’s always a lair.” 

He was yet to tell them about the Easter circumstance and everything that really happened on that day. For some reason, today didn’t seem like the right time, as he had told himself every other time that the conversation had led towards that. Bunny clearly didn’t believe him if the sceptical look he was receiving was anything to go by but Sandy came to the rescue once again.

A small globe appeared above the golden man’s head with crosses marked on numerous continents like the markings on a treasure map.

“Sandy’s right,” Tooth chimed in, “Pitch could have many lairs all over the world. There’s no telling where he could be and it would take too long to find them.”

Golden sand sparked the air once more as The Sandman again formed a globe in mid air but this time with glowing dots that covered nearly every land mass to represent the globe of belief. Then some of the light flickered noticeably.

“We can’t just wait for Pitch to strike again,” Bunny argued, “We don’t know how long we could be waitin’ or what he could manage in that time. I say we strike now an’ strike hard. That’ll take him by surprise.”

“Yes but we don’t know where he is,” Tooth pointed out patiently. And so the discussion had turned a complete circle and they were back at the beginning.

A numb feeling filled Jack’s mind as he watched, steadily soothing him into blissful serenity. He embraced it, taking comfort in the lack of pain and feeling, watching the Guardians around the glowing embers of the fire. 

Then he shivered and Jack knew that something was horribly wrong.

Like snake venom paralysing the prey, leaving them unaware and vulnerable to the inevitable attack, he had allowed himself to become numbed into a false sense of security. He shouldn’t feel cold: he was a winter spirit. They were immune to the cold. 

Focusing, Jack tried to identify where the cold feeling was emanating from. Instinctively, Jack’s hand flew to his chest, checking that he was still there, alive, breathing, but his movements felt sluggish, his left arm weighted down by something.

He hesitantly raised the limb, examining it with a raw sickening interest before the reality hit him with the blunt force of an avalanche. 

“Er…guys?” Jack called quietly, too engrossed in the sight of his left hand to look at any of them or see if they had heard him. Evidently they hadn’t.

“All I’m saying is we strike hard and take ‘im down for good this time,” Bunny fumed.

“That’s all well and good,” Tooth countered, trying to calm the raging Bunny with her soothing voice, “But sometimes the offence isn’t always the way forward.”

“I’ll offence him off his high horse,” Bunny muttered angrily under his breath, paws clenching into fists at his side.

“Guys?” Jack called again after realising that he had no response, only raising his voice a fraction above before. Sandy turned a concerned eye on the boy, frowning at the sight of him transfixed on his raised hand, a look of shock and terror in his innocent eyes.

“That doesn’t even make any sense,” Tooth groaned exasperatedly at Bunny, taking the violent Pooka’s words with an eye roll.

A loud bang knocked the Guardians out of their argument and they turned to Sandy who had bashed one of the mugs that had been left out from last night heavily onto the hard wooden table.

“Sandy be careful with that, da?” North scolded, eyeing the mug for any cracks that were visible from the strike. Sandy only fumed, golden sand erupting from his ears as he thrust an angry hand in Jack’s direction and the rest of the Guardians finally turned to their winter spirit who was still staring at his left hand before his face as though disbelieving what was attached to the end of his arm.

“Jack?” Tooth asked carefully, “Are you alright?”

The boy didn’t look up or acknowledge her words in any way which only worried the Guardians more. They slowly edged closer as though approaching a spooked animal, eyes flicking around him to try to find a sign for what was causing the winter spirit’s reaction.

Then Jack slowly held the hand he had been staring at out to them and they recoiled in shock.

His normally pale skin was almost ghostly white but that wasn’t the main problem. Encasing his skin from his fingertips to the base of his wrist was a thin layer of ice. From his wrist the ice melted into frost, the white crystals burning into his flesh, reaching out to the still untouched skin just beyond like a gaping white maw waiting to consume the rest of his flesh. Even as they watched, the white frost crept another inch up his arm, leaving his hand completely immobile in the ice. 

“Did you do that, mate?” Bunny asked, trying to keep the panic out of his voice as he scanned the ice covering Jack’s  left hand, hoping that this was some sick joke of the winter prankster’s or at the very most something natural to seasonal spirits that could easily be fixed.

Jack just shook his head blankly, eyes never leaving the frozen appendage, face expressionless.

“Jack, sweetie,” Tooth asked worriedly, eyes sparkling with worry, “What is it? What’s happening?”

Jack spoke in a hoarse voice, so small that they unconsciously leaned in to hear him.

“I’m icing over.”

Chapter Text

Time felt as though it had frozen along with the winter spirit's hand. Bunny could not seem to tear his gaze away from it, only stare in horror at the ice glinting maliciously in the faint firelight. Hesitantly, he reached out to examine it, to feel for himself the truth of the innocent gleam of transparent ice as though his eyes were not giving him proof enough. In front of him, Jack was completely still, arm still presented to them, gaze fixed on his hand encased in the ice, cerulean eyes round with shock which was the only emotion to show in his worriedly blank face, and in that moment Bunny had never seen the boy look so young and frail.

His paw was still hovering near the frozen limb, too fearful to touch it, yet even from there he could feel the frigid cold that emanated from the ice. Usually the cool chill which encompassed Jack’s presence was refreshing, like a faint breeze in the winter sun, but this was different. It was the hard coldness of blizzards and avalanches, a coldness which only promised malice and death. He hesitated before recoiling away from the chill. At least it had stopped spreading, seemingly content to have only claimed the one hand for now. 

"Jack?" He asked quietly in a gentle voice he reserved for delicate moments such as these, but one he had never thought he would direct towards Jack. The boy had never before looked so fragile, so young . When Jack didn't answer but kept staring at his hand, Bunny continued in the hope that Jack was still listening, gently probing for any reaction or information when it had been proven how reluctant Jack was when it came to admitting his own problems or pain. “What’s happening?”

Jack didn’t even register that he had heard. His paralysed mind was only able to focus on one thing: his frozen hand, mind half processing what he was seeing, half trapped in a distressing past he did not want to see. 

The Guardians had gathered around him, studying their youngest member with frowns of concern at his unresponsiveness. They had never seen Jack like this before. Usually he was carefree and the first to make a joke or find the perfect way to break the tension, to bring a bit of light-heartedness to a serious situation, but now it seemed that Jack was finally beginning to crumble, breaking away his outer shell like the cracked ice of a glacier and his true damaged spirit of three hundred years of solitude was finally coming through. None of them liked seeing this side of him. They wanted more than anything to get their Jack back, that none of this had happened so they never would have seen this Jack. 

The only problem with that was that then they may never have witnessed the true Jack, the one who lay hidden under all the false smiles and joking laughter, the one who had seen too much for a child and been abused for too long by spirits that wanted nothing to do with him. Of course the Guardians never knew this, never thought to ask, too content to remain oblivious to the hardships or the dark parts of Jack's life so that they never would have to deal with it and could continue to live in blissful ignorance. They never even considered the consequences.

Jack was still hiding, still pretending, not trusting those who called themselves his friends, coping with his own hurts and damage as he must have for so long. Even after being commissioned a Guardian, he still was alone, and they had allowed that, turned blind eyes to his suffering and their part in it. Not once had they considered looking up the spirit themselves, to see if the vicious rumours of the wayward troublemaker were really true. They had buried themselves in their work and now here was Jack, the outcome of so many mistakes.

"Jack," Bunny tried again when it became apparent that no one else appeared to have the capability of speaking. "Tell us what's happening mate?" His voice was light and quiet as though speaking to a small child ( which technically he still is, Bunny considered morosely for the first time and gnawing guilt arose at the thought that only at Easter had they bullied and blackmailed a child into fighting their battles).

Jack didn’t acknowledge his voice, only remained in the same position, staring at the ice encasing his hand. Bunny huffed in annoyance, patience beginning to wear thin and empathy only taking him so far.

"Jack," he said more forcefully, snapping his paw in front of the winter spirit's face to grab his attention. The quiet click cracked like thunder in the silence of the room, causing everyone to jump and Jack to flinch and finally tear his gaze away from the frozen hand, blinking as though only just noticing that they were there. 

He shrank in shame. Never had he ever let anyone see this side of him, seen him weak and damaged but the shock of the sight of the clear ice spreading over his hand had taken more of his senses and mind away, bombarding him with painful memories that left him paralysed with terror. No one was meant to see him that way.

"Jack? Did ya hear me?" Bunny's voice broke him from his thoughts. “Are ya gonna tell us what’s happenin’ to ya?” Then of course, the boy's eyes only widened in alarm and he could already see the mental barriers going up, closing them off and refusing access to what was going on in the spirit's mind.

“Jack, you’ve got to tell us somethin’,” Bunny growled more forcefully, desperate to prevent Jack completely setting up defences once more. “Just tell us what's going on. How else are w' supposed to help ya?"

"You can't!" Jack snapped, glaring up defiantly at the Easter Bunny which was spoiled from its true effect by the sparkle of tears swimming in those vulnerable eyes that made Bunny's heart clench.

"What d'ya mean we can't?" Bunny asked carefully.

"I mean you can't," Jack sighed, releasing the pent up emotion and stress so he could hide it away once more.

"Jack you can't mean that," Tooth cut in, latching onto some hope that Jack may be wrong, that the hard acceptance and pain in his voice wasn't really there, that it was only their imagination that he was giving up so quickly, that this wasn't really their Jack speaking. "There has to be some way. There always is. Just at least tell us what it is that is happening. At least do that for us, Sweet tooth?"

Jack scrunched his eyes closed in reluctance. He owed them an explanation, at least that. They worried about him and he could see that clearly on all their faces but telling them would only make it worse and he didn't think he was ready for them to know, not all of it anyway. Jack forced his eyes back open.

"I'm icing over," Jack said again, voice heavy as though burdened with something that was beyond the knowledge of the surrounding Guardians.

"Yeah, we got that part," Bunny interrupted shortly, "But what exactly does that mean?"

"Well, it means this," Jack said irritably, waving the ice coated hand around in the air for them all to see clearly then sighed, his shoulders slumping as though all the energy had been drained from him, none left to keep the stubbornness in his answers and he continued to explain dejectedly, "It's powerful magic, magic borne from pure ice." He ran a non-iced hand through his messy white hair agitatedly as though this was something that he shouldn't be saying. "The magic infiltrates you, more accurately, it enters your heart. It's transported through the rest of your body as the blood carries the fragments of the spell with it, spreading it to each cell and efficiently infecting you with ice. Literally, my own body is working against me here." He gave a short dark laugh as though his apparent oncoming death was just the punch line to some bad joke. At this all the Guardians exchanged looks of terror as the distressed winter spirit continued.

"Soon this ice is going to take over," he looked back to his ice-coated hand and the other Guardians found their own gazes drawn to it as well, glinting so much more cruelly in the amber light of the fireplace now that they knew the truth. "I can't control it and soon it will make its way up my arm and across the rest of my body, slowly encasing me in ice until it covers my head, and my eyes and my nose and my mouth and after that…I don't know…" he broke off, mournful eyes growing misty for a moment before he seemed to wrench himself back to them forcefully, "but I'll be covered and even if there was some way that I can breathe through the ice, it can't be broken or melted, I will be dead, or might as well be." His voice was filled with a strange accepting finality and the Guardians could only stare at him blankly, uncomprehending until the words finally sank in.

"Well…th-there's got to be some way to reverse all this?" Bunny stuttered at the winter spirit's admission. He was the Guardian of Hope, it was impossible for there to be none; it always existed, even in the smallest spark, which was all that was needed to make anything possible, to light the fuse of the improbable and illuminate the oncoming darkness. Bunny knew that and stood for its every meaning. So the fact that here was a child- indeed an immortal child but a child nonetheless - that they were supposed to protect and care for who had lost all hope, it was only another failure Bunny could toll up this day. "If you say it's ice, you're a winter spirit, right? Can't you do anything?"

"Technically I already am," Jack admitted, running a finger over the impenetrable surface of the ice, "This should have happened ages ago and right now I should probably be in the final stages. My magic is slowing it down as much as it can, like antibodies reacting to the infection but it can't hold it off forever.”

"That still doesn't answer how we stop it," Bunny pointed out, "There has to be a way."

Jack laughed bitterly, a sound which took the Guardians by surprise at the emptiness of it.

"There can't be," he muttered so low that they almost missed. Bunny stiffened. It was almost as though Jack didn't want there to be any hope.

"What d'ya mean mate?" He asked cautiously, "How can't there be a way?"

Jack didn't answer but the hunch of his shoulders told them that they were never meant to have heard that. Bunny went for a change of tact.

"Who was it Jack? Who did this to ya?" If anyone was to know how to reverse this, it was the spirit who caused it. Jack didn't reply but shrugged his shoulders half-heartedly. "Come on, Jack. You have to have some idea. Obviously you saw him and attackers tend to leave an impression. Just tell us who it was, just a name."

"I don't know which one it was," Jack snapped, shooting the overbearing Pooka a furious glare. There was still a lot that Jack was yet to tell them and this was not how he had imagined enlightening them.

Bunny frowned for a moment then raised an eyebrow, "What do ya mean 'which one'?"

Jack's eyes widened in sudden shock, realising the mistake in his words, before his attention flicked back to the floor.

"Jack?" Bunny warned slowly but with a clearly troubled edge to his harsh voice. Jack refused to look up, avoiding making eye contact, all of a sudden becoming very interested in the wooden floorboards. Bunny almost didn't want to know the answer, "Jack, how many times has stuff like this happened? Do ya…do ya get attacked often?" 

The winter spirit only shrunk more into himself but that was answer enough. There was a sharp intake of breath from behind him and Bunny shot a look at the other assembled Guardian that clearly asked if they had any idea about this. Evidently they didn't.

"Who are they?" North suddenly boomed wrathfully, outraged that anyone would ever dare to harm their young Guardian, let alone a whole group of them to the extent that Jack could not even remember all of his attackers. There was an obvious flinch from the teen at the sudden loud and dangerous voice. Bunny sent the large man a warning glare to keep quiet as his usual bellowing voice was not doing anything to reassure the boy in his current sensitive exposed state.

"Jack, please…just give us something," Tooth spoke up instead. "We only want to help…even if you say we can't…just-just let us try…please."

There was a beat of silence in which the Guardians held their breath, scared that any sound may send the winter spirit scampering back into the confines of his mind. Then Jack heaved a sigh, shoulders slumping as he gave in once more to their persistent questioning.

"A winter spirit," Jack muttered reluctantly with his eyes firmly closed so that he wouldn't have to look at any of them. No one spoke for one long moment.

"A winter spirit?!" Bunny exclamation elicited another flinch from the boy who still had his eyes clenched closed, almost as though he expected a blow for his accusation, for snitching on his tormentors, "What d'ya mean a winter spirit? How could it be one of ya own?" Jack didn't answer, though his brow was creased as though holding in some outburst or reaction to his words. Bunny continued his rant. "Surely there's some sorta rule against it? You're supposed to work together aren't ya? Don't you all fall under the head seasonal? We should go talk to The Spirit of Winter, they should be able to sort this out and protect ya."

This finally got a response from the winter spirit, whose head shot up, fixing him with a hard glare and a fire in his eyes that the Guardian’s had never seen before. When he spoke his voice was low and dangerous, "I am The Spirit of Winter."

"Bu-bu-You're…how- no, you're a winter spirit," Bunny gaped. Sure, he hadn't been as informed about the seasonal spirits in a while but no doubt he should have known if there had been some massive event such as the changing of a head seasonal. How could he not know? He used to make sure that he was still kept up to date with the Spring seasonals at least as he half crossed their field in his deliverance of Easter. Maybe it had been longer than he realised.

"No," Jack said calmly as though forcing himself not to be angry at their ignorance, resigned to accept their lack of knowledge in any field that involved him. " I am the head seasonal."

"But you're-"

"The youngest- yes," Jack supplied for him, a bitter tone creeping into his voice, "Why do you think they all hate me so much? I’'m too young, inexperienced, can't take anything seriously if my life depended on it," he listed of each point as though well memorised from years of repetition with a horrible certainty that had been drilled into him to make him believe every word, "And I somehow end up with this great respectful job that I never wanted, nor asked for- hell, I didn't even know anything about it until the first spirits cornered me about it- when there were all these other spirits who were so much more worthy. How could they ever accept me? I was just some immature kid that was chosen by the moon, no ties to seasons to begin with. I didn't deserve the title but I had no choice."

"Oh, you don't mean that, Jack," Tooth almost begged, "You don't believe any of that stuff, do you? You're one of the most deserving spirits we have ever met. It was our own fault that it took us so long to see that."

"We really don't know anything about ya, do we, kid?" Bunny concluded softly. Jack didn't reply.

The bruises on his face and neck made him look hollowed out, as though there was not much left keeping him standing. Yet this boy, the one so young and so inexperienced, was The Spirit of Winter. This was the spirit who was blessed - or perhaps burdened - with the responsibilities of the head seasonal. It was impossible to imagine that the raw power of winter was embodied in this innocent kid. Their Jack. Their Jack who was trying valiantly to hide the trembling of his body. Taking pity, Bunny decided that he had learnt enough about their young Guardian today. Plus they had a lead to follow for now. 

“Why don’t ya sit down before ya fall down,” Bunny stated bluntly, gesturing to the seat Jack had vacated not long ago. With a sceptical frown at the change of tact, Jack slowly moved to sit down, the shaking of his non-iced hand giving away how unsteady he really was. “I really think ya should get yerself checked out.” Jack instantly opened his mouth, no doubt with another reflex ‘I’m fine’, but Bunny ploughed on before he could. “Ya don’ have ta get seen by anyone. Jus’ go along to tha infirmary whilst we’re gone. Then try ta get some rest.” 

“Gone?” Jack questioned, sitting upright, body tense and alert once more, and Bunny cursed at how easily he jumped to flight or flight. “Where are you going?”

"Ta get some answers," Bunny replied stiffly, turning to leave.

He paused at the door and looked back at him, his harsh demeanour softening into a look of utmost affection and faint –almost brotherly- fondness, "Take care Jack." He left before Jack could say anything else.

The rest of the Guardians began to file out of the room, offering him reassuring words and supporting glances. Jack was about to leap to his feet, not liking the idea of how they planned 'to get some answers' but Sandy lay a small golden hand on his shoulder with a stern glare and Jack sank back into the pillows, resigned to his fate.

"But North," he called worryingly after the large man who was last to leave, "What about Christmas? It's less than a month away. You can't just abandon preparations to chase after trivial little problems, especially since we have Pitch to deal with."

The Russian fixed pale blue eyes on him empathetically, holding a strange ounce of pity and fondness that made Jack shuffle uncomfortably, "Nothing is trivial matter where you are concerned, Jack. We will all do whatever it takes for family and I believe we have much work to do to make up to you. Christmas can wait, Jack. You come first."

The door closed with finality on a stunned and disbelieving Jack Frost whose eyes appeared suspiciously wet, and it shattered the already broken hearts of the Guardians after finally seeing beneath the cracked mask of their youngest member and it set them more resolute in what they were to do next. They would save Jack and then they would make sure he understood that he was loved and accepted and they were never going to leave him again. If only it were that easy.

"What are we doing?" Tooth asked determinedly, a hard fury in her lilac eyes.

"We," Bunny spoke steadily, "are going ta confront every winter spirit out there 'til we find the culprit who did this ta Jack…and we'll make him tell us tha' cure ta this."

The rest all agreed resolutely and this time, Tooth didn't say anything against his aggressive tactics.

Chapter Text

The bruise around his eye throbbed painfully in the rhythm of his heart and he could feel the almost unbearable burning from his ribs that were unrelenting in their effort to keep him aware of their grievance. His leg protesting at the curled position he had dragged it to as it steadily bled scarlet from his left calf, he struggled to remain silent through the pain and had one hand clamped over his mouth to quiet his heavy racing breaths, the other wrapped tightly around his side, gripping the material of his hoody in an attempt to relieve any pain. 

His body was becoming cramped as he remained huddled within the bushes around the base of a tall tree which he rested against. Yet he dared not move. 

Then voices began to drift from somewhere nearby as footsteps alerted him to the arrival of multiple spirits, and he stiffened, not doing any favours to his already protesting body and slowed his breathing. If they found him…if they somehow came too near…if he cried out…he didn't want to think about what would happen. This had been a lot worse than the previous attacks. He had no idea what it was that had caused the increased animosity but he had no intention to stick around to find out.

"We've got our work cut out here," a mature female voice reached him, they weren't too far away but if he was quiet they shouldn't find him. "Why do we always get the forests?"

"Don't complain," a male voice scolded, and Jack almost jumped. This spirit was closer to his hiding place than the other. "It just means we won't get bored anytime soon. Now," his tone was commanding and Jack guessed that he must be in charge of this small group, "we should start with the leaves lower down. The higher canopies can wait for now, they won't be noticed yet, and they can get enough light for now. We're near the centre so we can work our way out then go back over. All agreed?"

"Sounds good," the woman's voice replied.

"May?" the male voice snapped impatiently.

"Hmm? Yeah." A new voice agreed, younger sounding than the other two. 

Without realising it, Jack relaxed, the tension ebbing from his hunched shoulders. This was the reason he had come here, the hope he had held onto when he had fled to these forests. He didn't know why. Usually he would flee somewhere cold like Antarctica to recover and heal but for some reason after this new brutal attack he had found he needed a friendly face, someone that could at least tolerate his existence, and only one spirit fit that role: May.

"Okay, start spreading out," the man ordered.

Jack curled tighter into his hiding place as a few steps passed nearby. He needed to talk to May, needed to get her on her own. He risked a peek between the veil of leaves and branches that kept him hidden only to see a brown clad arm that was too tall and broad to be that of his friend…friend? That was still strange to him, he mused.

He resigned himself to wait for now. Maybe once they had moved further away, he could crawl out of his place and somehow find May without the other spirits she was with seeing him. He didn't know these spirits but he doubted they would be as amicable as May had been, most likely they were also in the group of Jack Frost despisers.

"Hey! What are you doing here?" A voice yelled in anger and Jack jumped, fearing he had been found before realising that the voice was a small distance away from his position, "Your time is over."

"Relax. We're not here to extend our season or anything," a deep voice growled. Jack's breath hitched and he pressed his hand firmer around his mouth to silence it. Summer spirit! It was one of the summer spirits who had attacked him in the first place. That meant they had followed him. Panic leapt in his chest, beating his heart manically. How had they found him? Why couldn't they just leave him be? If they were following him all the way here then they must have something planned out and Jack was not too eager to be a part of it. 

"We're tracking someone," the summer spirit continued, "Chased him here."

"And who might that be?" the male voice from earlier asked coldly.

"Jack Frost," the summer spirit replied apathetically, sounding as though he didn't have time to speak to these autumn spirits, nor did he care. "The little brat fled like the cowering nuisance he is."

There was a hiss of loathing from the male autumn spirit at that and Jack's suspicions were confirmed. "Frost came here? He dares interrupt the realm where autumn now lies?"

"It appears so," the summer spirit said, smugness dripping from his every word which had Jack holding back the urge to leap from his place and yell in his defence. He hadn't meant to disrupt autumn nor had he ever meant any wrong but for some reason he figured that his argument may not have much of an effect on these spirits- it hadn't earlier. Instead he resigned himself to listen to their insults. "So are you going to help us find him or let him get away with all this?" Get away with what? Jack thought, he had done nothing wrong.

"Of course, I'm not letting that brat get in the way of our jobs. Just like him to try and cause trouble in other seasons." His voice rose as he shouted to his other two autumn spirits, "We're going to have to put this on hold. Spread out and find Frost. May!" Jack's chest lurched at the mention of his friend, "Leave those alone, we've got other problems to deal with. That meddlesome freak of a spirit is out here somewhere so I need you to help search for Frost. You know what Jack Frost looks like don't you?" Jack didn't hear a reply but guessed that May must have nodded or given some positive sign that she did for the male autumn spirit said, "Good! Then we'll quickly deal with this so we can get back to work. Spread out and if you find him shout. Don't want to take all the fun from the rest of us." Jack shuddered at those words then forced himself to remain completely still as he heard the other spirits moving out.

He squeezed his eyes shut and hoped against anything that he may be allowed the tiniest glimmer of luck on his side. Today had been hard enough, he was exhausted and in agony, surely there was nothing else that the world could throw at him.

He pulled heavy eyes back open as the sound of footsteps grew fainter and one single pair grew louder as a spirit approached. The steps were soft and light which so far was a good sign. He peered through the leave once more, trying to catch a glimpse of who it was that was coming steadily closer. He held his breath as the steps drew right past his spot until the flash of a red jacket caught his attention and he had to refrain himself from leaping up and shouting in joy.

"Psst," he hissed and the footsteps faltered, "May!" There were a few crunches of sticks cracking as the spirit turned in confusion. "May." He didn't dare raise his voice anymore, praying that he was right and if he was that she heard him. He waited. The sound of other spirits’ footsteps were still too near for him to come out of hiding so he could only wait for the spirit right beside him to give some sign.

"Jack?" the voice was a hushed whisper but he recognised it instantly and almost cried with relief.

"May," he hissed back, blinking tears from his eyes, "Yeah it's me."

"Jack?" she whispered again and he heard more twigs snap underfoot as she searched for him, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"May!" A loud voice broke through their hushed voices, "What is it? Did you find something?"

"Er…no," she called back, voice falsely calm, "Nothing yet."

"Be careful," the voice called back that Jack recognised once more as the male autumn spirit, "He's a menace. Don't trust a word he says and call for us if you see anything."

"Don't worry, I will," her response was laced with a sweetly gratitude, then the falseness fell from her voice as she lowered it to a whisper once more, "Listen, Jack? Don't move. Wherever you are, stay hidden and whatever you do don't come out. I'm going to pretend to keep searching but I'll come back as soon as they've moved further off. Got that?" She didn't wait for a reply but hastened her steps away from him and kept searching.

Jack didn't reply. He remained, curled against the tree, both arms now wrapped tightly around himself, listening to the footsteps fade away until they died off, leaving him alone in the silence. Loneliness clouded his mind as he found himself once again alone and with no one with him to care, isolating him from the world that was so alive around him. The dead amongst the living.

He held back a whimper and more tears that had swelled in his cerulean eyes, holding back the weakness that he refused to show. Why did he have to be so stupid as to come here? Why didn't he get away when he had the chance? They were right: he was a useless idiot. Why did any of this happen to him?

Pain flared up along his side and he clenched his hands in the blue fabric of his hoodie, holding back a yell. His leg was beginning to stain the ground scarlet and before long it would be obvious he was here as the pool grew. He stared for a moment fascinated by the vivid colour, contrasting the rest of the natural green hues, adding a dangerous splash of colour.

"Jack?" He jumped at the sudden voice. "Jack, I'm here. Where are you?" May was back. She hadn't left him. Relief washed over him and hope, a hope that he may be able to get out of this and that maybe this friendship was more than a few brief passings.

"Here," his voice cracked, dry and harsh from the pain he was biting back. He raised an arm and rustled the branches.

Within moments the steps were right beside him and the branches were roughly tugged aside, bleeding in bright sunlight. There was a gasp but he was too blinded by the bright light to process much about it and he painstakingly pulled himself out of his hiding place, collapsing back against the ground, allowing his limbs to stretch out and gain what little relief he could.

"Jack?" May's voice was panicked and he wanted to reassure her, he really did, but the words would not come to him and he didn't have the energy to pretend. "What happened to you?" She moved closer and he heard her fall to her knees beside him, the shadow of her small frame helping to block the bright light from his aching eyes. She reached out to him then hesitated as she examined his state. "Jack, you're covered in burns and who knows what else. We have to get you out of here before the others come back. Where's your staff?" It took a moment for Jack's mind to catch up with the words he was hearing and find their meaning.

"Fell," he groaned, waving an arm uselessly around him, "Dropped it somewhere 'round here."

Without needing any prompting, she was up and he could hear her searching as bushes were pulled aside and twigs and branches snapped, no place left untouched in her search. The moments passed slowly and he spent the time trying to gain more control over himself.

"Got it," she declared and a moment later the familiar shepherd's crook was waving victoriously in front of him. "Now, let's get you up and away from here."

He swallowed a yell as she grabbed his arm and yanked him from the forest floor, there was no time for being gentle and he respected that. It wasn't the biggest forest and the other spirits would not be too far away. Once he was standing, he kept his weight off the wounded leg and she pulled his arm around her shoulder, holding him securely until he wasn't swaying. She passed him his staff to his spare hand and he held tightly, frost dancing along the wood. With a grim nod they took a step forward, Jack using his staff as a crutch and leaning heavily on May. His grip tightened on her shoulder, hand tangling in the red fabric of her jacket but if it hurt her, she never said a word. Taking a deep breath, he took another step forward, stopping briefly again for the world to stop spinning, then continued determinedly, falling into a continuous pattern of step, pause, step, pause. The progress was slow and tedious but neither complained and they kept going.

The trees lurched past them and finally fell away to a clearing that was broken by a steep cliff wall of high yellowing stone. May brought them to a stop by the cliff face and shifted Jack from her shoulder so he could lean against the solid rock. Then she fixed him with serious mahogany eyes.

"You need to get out of here," she told him, her voice still quieter than her usual tones, nervously throwing glances over her shoulder as though the other spirits would leap out at any moment. "They won't stay away for long so you need to take your staff and get out of here while you can. I'll go back and join the search, try to direct them away from here.”

"What? Is that it?" Jack frowned, "You're just going to throw me out of here?"

"I'm not 'throwing' you out," she protested, "I'm trying to stop you from being killed by these guys. You should have seen their faces, Jack. They're deadly serious and I don't know what's going to happen if they find you."

"Oh, I saw their faces alright," Jack scoffed, "When they were holding me down and beating me like I was a punch bag."

Her face fell, heartbroken for a moment, the carefree youthful spirit he had seen before falling away and he wondered if she had an outer appearance as well, a fake shell she wrapped herself in to hide from the world and a false persona that she could pretend she belonged to…just like him.

"I know," She said, voice heavy, placing her hands on his shoulders, "That's why you need to get out of here."

"Can't you do anything?" He asked and the words came out a bit harsher than he meant it, "You're supposed to be my friend."

"I am your friend-"

"Well act like it," he interrupted, not entirely sure where this anger was coming from, blaming it on the stress and strain, "Don't just leave me and run back off."

"What do you want me to do, Jack?" she snapped, "What do you want me to do?"

Jack opened his mouth to reply but had to shut it again. What did he want? He realised he didn't know. He didn't know what he was expecting. It should be enough that someone was actually not going to kill him or hand him over to someone who would…but this was a friend- his only friend- and he didn't want to be turned away right now. He wanted help…he just wasn't sure what that was. The weight of the day finally crashed down on him and his shoulders slumped at the same time as her face lost the irritation and turned guilty.

"Help…" He turned pleading cerulean irises to her and her face hardened.

"Fine," she muttered heatedly, "You know what, fine." He frowned questioningly at her but all he received in reply was another, "fine." She pulled her hands from his shoulders, and took a step back, still facing him with a resolute stare. He found he missed the steadying hands on his shoulders, grounding him to reality and holding him from the waves of pain that were threatening to sweep him away.

Before he could ask her what she was doing, she called over her shoulder, eyes never leaving his, face blank and impassive. 

"Hey! Over here! Here!" She shouted and his face fell to shock.

"May, what are you doing?" he hissed at her, pressing his back against the jagged rock as though it would swallow him up. She didn't answer, nor did her eyes leave his, still with that blank stare.

"He's here! Over here! Found him!" She yelled.

Tears welled in his eyes at her betrayal. He could feel his heart tearing, more potent than his other injuries, outshining them by far, for this was an injury that would never heal.

He didn't know why- maybe it was the small shred of hope that he held tightly to or maybe his mind couldn't process what was happening- but he found himself asking "What are you doing?" again, the tears audible in his voice even if they had not yet fallen from his face.

The corner of her lip quirked and she spun on her heel but took no more steps away. She was only about a metre from him, close enough to reach out to but the sight of her back to him confirmed the pain in his heart at her dismissal and betrayal.

The sound of footsteps grew louder, leaves rustling as the spirits rushed towards them, growing nearer like the sound of thunder.

"May," his voice was nearly a whisper, the words repeating thoughtlessly as the only thing to hold onto as his world fell apart, "What are you doing?"

He didn't expect an answer, he waited for the other spirits, for her to join in their taunts when they arrived, to laugh at his pain and possibly- the thought was nearly too horrible to imagine- join in with their attack.

So when she didn't turn around, only focused her attention now on the noisily approaching spirits and said simply, "helping," he thought he must have imagined it.

He didn't have time to consider if she had indeed answered or not for then the three other spirits burst from the forest into the clearing. The summer spirit's eyes rested hungrily on him and he unconsciously cowered back against the cliff face. The male and female autumn spirits look nearly identical with chestnut brown hair and matching eyes in their plain clothes.

"Good, you found him, May," the male autumn spirit spoke proudly but in a slow voice as one may humour a child.

"Doesn't look too good does he?" the female commented to her partner and he grinned maliciously in agreement.

"That's what he gets for trespassing where he doesn't belong," he responded to her then looked curiously at May who was still standing before Jack, "Come away, May. You don't know what he's capable of. Let us handle him now."

"No," she said solidly.

"What?" the smooth voice fell from the autumn spirit as he frowned at May whilst Jack's heart leapt with the recently abandoned hope.

"I said no," She repeated calmly, "I know exactly what he's capable of and what you are."

"May," the woman spoke gently, face almost begging, "I don't know what he's told you but he's lying. Just come with us…please." She held out a hand and May's determined face broke for a moment and Jack thought she might surrender to it until she shook her head as though clearing a voice from her mind and hardened her face once more.

"I can't let you get Jack."

"Jack?" He sneered, glancing briefly at Jack before realisation shone in his eyes, "Frost? You're friends with Frost?"

Jack wanted her to agree, to shout to them that she was friends and wasn't embarrassed to admit it, to defend him and to argue with these spirits for him. That didn't happen. He didn't know what inspired these fantasies and put it down to the pain and blood loss that was beginning to addle his brain.

"I'm not going to let you get him," she told them forcefully instead, avoiding the question, "I'm not going to let anyone hurt him again."

The man exchanged a look with the summer spirit and growled, "Child's gone mad." Then he turned back to May, "This is your last chance, May. Come over here with us and away from…Jack…and we can forget about this."

The woman nodded encouragingly at her, still with outstretched hand begging her to take it.

"Leave him alone," May snapped, taking a threatening step towards them which was laughable at her small size compared to the other three adult spirits.

"She's had her chance," the deep rumbling voice of the summer spirit spoke, "Let's just get him." The man nodded whilst the woman hesitated briefly before convincing herself to agree.

They began to advance but May reacted quickly. As soon as they had refused to go she had accepted what she would have to do. A strong burst of wind whipped around them, ripping leaves from branches and hurling them towards the spirits who faltered and threw up their arms to shield themselves from the dense whirlwind of autumn leaves which engulfed them. Whilst they were distracted, she seized a large stick from the ground and jumped into the swirling leaves to attack.

Jack clung to the rock and his staff to keep himself steady against the wind. It wasn't his wind. This wasn't connected to him. His vision blurred slightly and he blinked away the darkness, focusing on remaining conscious and ignoring the fight that was happening right in front of him. It took most of his strength just to remain standing against the strong wind and his leg screamed in protest every time he lost his balance and accidentally put weight on it.

"Jack," May's frantic voice reached his ears before he processed her face spinning before his blurred vision. Her hair was windswept and a cut on her forehead dribbled blood into her eyes which she steadily blinked against. "We've got to go. Now. Can you fly?"

He only blinked sluggishly at her, not able to understand the meaning of her words. She didn't comment on his lack of an answer but grabbed his arm once more and pulled it over her shoulders. Jack submitted to the movements limply, keeping a hold of his staff by some miracle as she launched them both into the air. The cool breeze was refreshing on his face and brought back some coherence to his mind. The flight wasn't the smoothest with Jack as an added weight on the wind and they plummeted a few times only for a quick recovery as the wind caught them.

They hadn't gone too far but were away from the forest when May guided them back down to solid ground. She eased him to the ground, carefully leaning his back against a tree. He had managed to recover with the help of the cold air and muttered a tired "thanks." He blinked to clear the darkness clinging to the edge of his vision and breathed around the pain that their movements had caused, biting down the protests of his ribs which had been disturbed too much.

"Where are we?" he managed to ask, his words slightly slurred, more for some conversation to distract himself from the pain than genuine curiosity. He could feel the rough wood of the bark against his back and grass tickling his bare feet but now the faint sounds of traffic and human voices drifted on the breeze.

"Not too far away but they should fly over if they do come after us. This place is pretty hidden from above and they'll think  we will have fled further," May replied from where she sat cross legged in front of him.

He focused his gaze on her. She looked relatively unscathed apart from the gash on her head.

"You're injured," he waved a hand at her head.

She merely tucked her long hair over her shoulder and pulled her hood up, partially covering most of her face in shadow.

"Out of sight, out of mind," she chimed at him light-heartedly.

"That's not how it works," he scowled.

She shrugged, "Anyway you're more injured than me. Let's have a look at that first."

He consented to her care, not complaining apart from the occasional groan and she didn't comment or pry, only apologised when she disturbed an injury.

"Thanks," he said as she worked on mending his ribs and she paused to look up at him, "For what you did, fighting for me," he clarified, "I know it must've been hard against your own seasonals."

"Seasons are family," she sighed in agreement, "But hey, what are friends for."

She grinned at him and suddenly his wounds didn't seem as taxing and he felt the cracked pieces of his heart pull themselves together. He couldn't help but return the smile.

"I don't exactly know yet," he admitted, "But I guess we can find out." 

Jack’s vision blurred at the edges as he wrapped his ribs tight with bandages. Despite what the Guardians may think, he did have some self-preservation skills, and had headed to the infirmary, even if not straight away.  

Once he had been left alone, he had taken time to gather the ends of his frayed mind and pull back together his mask, pushing down all the wayward emotions and memories churning in the storm of his mind until the trembling in his body stopped. The shock of seeing that ice encasing his hand had shattered his resolve and allowed some of his brokenness to seep through. Shame filled the hollow space that the shock had left. The Guardians should not have seen him like that. 

Stupid determined Guardians. Why did they have to go and get involved like that? He didn't need anyone to stand up for him, he didn't need another reason for the other spirits to find him weak, snitching to his new friends about them. It would just make things worse…but then again, that wouldn't matter for much longer. Even if they somehow found the spirit, it wouldn't matter, there was no cure, there couldn't be.

It was only when he was sure that the Guardians had left the hallway outside that he had made his way quietly along to the infirmary. Like everything else in the North Pole, the infirmary was huge. Immaculate wooden floors and white walls stretched out a room the size of an auditorium, the back half of which was filled with a dozen beds, each half hidden away behind flimsy white curtains. The cupboards were stocked full of bandages and ointments and creams and gauze and every possible medical supply that could ever be needed. It was a shame that Jack had no idea what to do with half of it. 

Bandages. Bandages he can do, he thought determinedly, wrapping them once more around his torso to secure his ribs. He refused to ask the yeti’s for help. Though, trying to treat injuries with one hand was proving considerably difficult. 

Securing the end of the bandage, he leant against the edge of the bed, and raised his left hand once more. His movements were sluggish, weighed down by the ice coating his skin. Fortunately, it was yet to spread any further but he could feel the frost burning on the edges of the ice, throbbing with the steady beat of his heart. 

For a moment, he glared at it intensely, imagining it receding, willing it to shrink and fade, trying to harness his own powers to force the ice back. Nothing happened. The ice continued to glint quite contently in the bright lights of the room. He sighed, dropping his hand back down and pushing away from the edge of the bed, moving to collect his staff from where it was leaning against the wall. Frost danced up the aged wood as soon as his fingers brushed against it, and he felt strength returning to his aching limbs.

There was nothing to be done. No doubt the Guardians would return soon and confirm what he had already told them: that there was no curing this. Jack Frost could not be saved.

He had died once and he had been given a second chance. Now his time was ending as everyone's does. There was no such thing as third chances.

Chapter Text

Weapons at hand and determination at its peak, they were all ready to leave when a yeti rushed towards them grumbling frantically. North stiffened as he listened, his expression slowly falling into concern. He barked a reply to the yeti who rushed off once more, hastily following whatever order North had just given whilst the rest of the Guardians awaited a translation.

"He says flicker on globe," North explained, brow creased, "Could be Pitch but we can only find out by seeing ourselves."

Their eyes widened as the predicament became clear. There was the dilemma, so subtly phrased, but a decision nonetheless: confront Jack's attacker or prevent a madman threatening the innocent children of the world. Their priorities, their loyalties , were being tested. 

Glancing at each other in hopes that someone else would provide the answer, no one offered a solution. Bunny's ears fell flat against his head. His whole job revolved around these children he had a duty to protect and spreading hope through their childhood to fight off monsters like the boogieman but at the same time, Jack was a child who needed help even if he wouldn't admit it, and he had a duty to protect him to counter the three hundred years that he had abandoned him for. The three hundred years he had spent battling the demons and monsters on his own. Monsters that didn't appear as traditional monsters but hidden in the skin of spirits he should be able to trust. He knew what his Guardianship duties dictated what he should do but 'should do' and 'needed to' were two different things.

Sandy called all their attention, once more proving himself the oldest and wisest of the Guardians, indicating to him and Tooth and the distinct shape of a nightmare, then pointed at Bunny and North and created a snowflake above his head. The meaning was clear and Bunny was grateful for it. Me and Tooth will take Pitch, you and North help Jack.

"You sure?" Bunny asked, trying to convey his gratitude to the little man but also not force the plan. Sandy nodded and Tooth gave a curt nod of her head too.

"Just give that spirit a message from us too," she told him fiercely and Sandy pounded a small fist into his palm in agreement.

"Don't worry," Bunny grinned, "We got him, you go get Pitch and teach him a lesson from the rest of us- Jack especially." He wasn't sure what it was or why, but Pitch paid a bit too much attention to their youngest member for the Pooka's liking and it bristled his fur more than anything else the Nightmare King taunted them with, flaring a possessive streak in the warrior that he wasn't aware he still possessed.

With another agreement from the pair, Sandy and Tooth raced down the halls to find out their destination, fully prepared to take out their frustration and worry on anyone who dared to mess with them, hoping that it would be Pitch himself.

"Now, any ideas where we should start the search for this pathetic excuse of a winter spirit?" Bunny seethed, paws clenching unconsciously at his boomerangs at the thought of Jack's attacker. "This ain't going to be easy. They're damn near impossible to locate half the time and I don't have a clue where to start."

"Maybe we should ask Jamie," North suggested, "Jack said he was with boy when it happened and he may be able to offer more of description of this spirit. Or perhaps Jack said something to him about winter spirits."

"Good idea," Bunny said, trying to hide the astonishment at such a sane plan where the overbearing enthusiastic Russian was concerned.

"Come on," North boomed, a strange dangerous glint entering his eyes, "No time to waste, to the sleigh!"

"Oh, no! No way," Bunny growled before the other man could move, "Not after last time. This time we're takin' me tunnels."

Without warning so the large man could not complain or talk his way out of a taste of his own medicine, Bunny thumped his foot on the wooden floorboards and a large gaping hole opened beneath them, swallowing them both into the depths of the earth, Bunny with a stoic silence, concentrating on their destination, and North with an undignified yelp of surprise and indignation.

They re-emerged out into the open, the tunnel spitting them out in a familiar garden, the grass still frosted with white dust as December neared and the clouds were washed pale as though the colour of the sky had been drained away in the past months. North landed in an undignified heap with a yelp, throwing a scowl at the large Pooka who gracefully landed on his feet beside him.

He was about to throw an amused comment at the Russian when a young voice interrupted them, and they turned to find young Jamie Bennett standing on the bottom step of the porch, a coat hastily half zipped up and hat askew atop his chocolate hair, gaping with wonder at the two legends stood in his own garden, a large grin on his face. For a moment, Bunny was reminded of Jack and he shook himself from that thought.

"Hey, Jamie," Bunny greeted.

"What are you doing here?" Jamie asked incredulously, jumping down the final step and wrapping the scarf that was clutched in his hands snugly around his neck but faltered as he realised how his statement had sounded. "I mean, not that you're not welcome," he hastily amended, "It's just I thought you would be busy, especially this time of year." He threw an anxious look at North, pulling up the zip of his coat finally.

"There's still plenty of time," North assured in his large voice, "Yeti's are still working away and I think there may be some particularly good present for a special group of children this year, as thank you for help."

"Really?" Jamie exclaimed, eyes shining brightly.

"Of course, after all is least we can do, and-"

" Ahem ," Bunny interrupted before the man could launch into one of his endless enthusiastic rambles about his work. North shot an apologetic look towards him and Jamie turned to him, finally seeming to note the serious troubled expressions that they wore.

"What's wrong?" he asked warily, as though he feared the answer, "It's not Pitch again is it? Because then-"

"No," Bunny stepped in again. They were pressed for time as it was and every second they wasted, the more that despicable sadistic curse was slowly killing Jack. "Well, yes," he corrected and hurried on when Jamie's face fell, quick to keep onto the topic that they were here about, "That's not why we're here though. This is about Jack."

"Jack?" Instantly the boy's whole demeanour changed, eyes filling with worry and no longer distracted by two of his heroes standing before him. Neither of them were anything compared to Jack. "Is he alright?"

Bunny hesitated. From Jack’s brief uninformative recount, Jamie had witnessed the fight.  Therefore he must be aware of the injuries Jack had sustained. The fact that Jack trusted a child he had only known for months over the Guardians, enough to admit his injuries, to not hide behind the mask he so blatantly wore in front of the rest of them, sent a mix of anger and sorrow though the large rabbit. Had the Guardians really fostered such a lack of trust in Jack? 

Even if Jamie was aware of the initial injuries, was it right to burden a child with the knowledge that one of his heroes - one of his friends - was currently sitting back at the North Pole suffering under the powers of an apparent incurable curse, and the Guardians - the ones who had accepted him into their little group and sworn to protect each other - could do nothing about it.

"He told us abou' the fight," Bunny admitted plainly, deciding to get to the bottom of this. There wasn't time for delicacy at the moment. Jack didn't have time.

"Oh," Jamie said slowly, furrowing his brow, "He told you?"

"Eventually," Bunny grumbled, "It's unbelievable how much that kid can talk and joke and yet never really say anything." He heaved an irritable sigh and his two companions lowered their gazes in regretful empathy.

He shook his head, banishing those types of thoughts for the moment, drawing attention back to the reason they were here.

"Look, he told us you were there," he explained, "And since he apparently can't remember who it was, we were wondering if you could give us a better description of this winter spirit who attacked ya?"

"Why?" Jamie frowned sceptically.

"Aside from the fact that he just attacked Jack?" Bunny asked bitterly, though Jamie only raised his eyebrows in a way that told him that that wasn't a good enough reason to go hunting down this spirit, as much as he too cared for Jack.

"So is this a revenge thing?" Jamie asked disapprovingly, folding his arms. It was strange the way a child could make the ancient warrior feel uneasy. "You see? This is exactly why Jack didn't want to tell you anything in the first place. He doesn't want anyone fighting his battles and he said that you would overreact and he was completely right."

Bunny just stared. How had this kid become so loyal to Jack in so little time? 

"We're not overreacting," Bunny argued, "We're just looking out for our youngest member…"

"I hate to break it to you, but from what I saw the other day, Jack is perfectly capable of taking care of himself," Jamie wasn't lying exactly. Sure Jack had had it rough in that fight and almost lost, but he had fought with great experience and skill that the other Guardians probably weren't aware of and, as Jack had told him after the fight, he was living proof that he had managed to look after himself and survive for three hundred years on his own without the need for anyone else to fight his battles for him. Besides, he had promised Jack and he hated to break his promise, so the least he could do was to defend him. "He's dealt with this for three hundred years and he's okay, he wouldn't want you to fight for him instead."

"He's not exactly okay Jamie," Bunny grumbled, though the fact that this had been going on for three hundred years without his knowledge broke him partly inside. Jack shouldn't have had to deal with that for so long on his own. Being told off by a kid really wasn't helping his mood either.

"What do you mean he's not okay?" Jamie asked frantically, fear sparking in his innocent eyes, folded arms falling loosely by his side. "What's happened? What's wrong with Jack?"

"Nothing too serious," Bunny assured the panicking boy, persuading himself that it wasn't a lie. Not really. If they could find these elusive winter spirits and get them to reveal the cure then it wasn't anything serious at all. "He'll be alright but we really need to find the one who attacked him the other day."

Jamie nibbled his lip nervously, internally debating whether this was an appropriate exemption to his promise with Jack that he wouldn't tell the Guardian about the fight. Although, technically, Jack told the Guardians himself and he never promised to not say anything about any other winter spirit he may have encountered.

"Okay," Jamie conceded, shoulders slumping in defeat and sending a silent apology to Jack for giving in so easily. "If it will help Jack." He rubbed the back of his neck distractedly, trying to recall the terrifying battle that he had witnessed mere days ago. "Let me think…He looked like he was a bit older than Jack but not old old, y’know? But I know with spirits that means nothing because they don't age so I guess his real age will be much older. Dark clothing, really light blond hair, almost white- but not like Jack's- dark eyes, tall…" he listed all the features that he could remember and North and Bunny listened intently, memorising every significant detail.

"Any chance Jack mentioned a name?" Bunny pressed when Jamie had finished. Jack had told them that he didn't know but he wanted to make sure after discovering how reluctant the young Guardian was at revealing anything about his life.

"No," Jamie shook his head apologetically, "They didn't really talk much but Jack definitely knew that he wasn't friendly." He trailed off with a frown before adding, "I don't think he's on good terms with most spirits…"

Bunny's face fell at that. How many spirits did Jack suffer bullying and abuse from? They had always known that he was lonely but never so isolated and, man in the moon forbid, treated as awfully as he apparently was. How had Jamie, a child, managed to realise all this long before the Guardians? The immortal beings who were supposed to protect children, especially defenceless children like Jack. 

He heaved a sigh and turned to leave, scouring his mind for all the places that they would have to search to find these winter spirits. They would have to go to all the main countries which were currently amidst the very throws of winter and that would take so much time, time that Jack may not have. He pushed the negative thoughts from his mind. He was the Guardian of Hope after all and if he didn't have hope then how was he expected to spread it to the rest of the world.

"One more thing," Bunny turned back, not expecting any helpful answer but they needed all the help they could get and so far it seemed like Jamie knew far more about their winter spirit than they did. "Do you have any idea where we might find him or any other winter spirits? Did Jack ever mention anything during his visits or let anything slip about where these other winter spirits usually are?" It was worth a shot after all; it was already proven that Jack revealed more to Jamie than he ever had to the Guardians.

Jamie shook his head in defeat then paused, eyes widening as some thought or memory awakened in his mind.

"Wait, there was this place," he spoke slowly, unsure but as he continued his voice grew more confident in what he was saying, eager to help Jack if finding this winter spirit was what it would take, "that Jack said we weren't allowed to go…somewhere in North-west Russia , a mountain range, I think. Yeah, it was. The largest mountain along the range, he said we weren't to go there, that he wasn't supposed to. He said the winter spirits didn't take kindly to being interrupted when they went for frequent rest periods there."

"That's a start," Bunny said, relief washing through him, loosening the knot in his shoulders. He turned to North with a smirk, "That's your territory, mate. You wanna take the lead in this?"

"You betcha," North boomed, grinning broadly at the thought of returning to his once native land. "I think I can find just the place."

"Good then we better hurry," he stamped a large foot and a hole burst through the grass, disappearing into the darkness. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Jamie gaping in astonishment at the freshly formed tunnel. "Thanks for all your help Jamie. We really appreciate it. You're a good kid."

"Wait!" Jamie shouted hurriedly when they made to leave and ran right up to them, looking up imploringly into their eyes. "Is Jack going to be okay?"

North kneeled down to be on level with him, fixing him with a solid glare that spoke only honesty. "We will look after him, Jamie. Do not worry."

"Okay," he mumbled. "Just don't let anything else happen to him, please." 

Without warning, Jamie suddenly launched himself into the man's arms, hugging him tightly and North opened his arms in surprise before returning it comfortingly.

"Everything will be okay, Jamie," he assured and the child finally pulled away with a sniff and a final nod, backing away to let them leave and stuffing his hands into his pockets.

Without grumbling this time, North jumped without hesitation, both too focused on how close they were to possibly having more answers.

"Hold on, hold on," Bunny faltered just as he was about to leave, "What do you mean ' we ' weren't allowed to go. When did Jack take you anywhere near Russia?"

"Um…" The boy's eyes widened comically as he realised what he had accidentally let slip.

"Never mind," With a shake of his head and a vow to have a serious lecture on the responsibilities of a Guardian to their youngest member, Bunny disappeared down the hole before it sealed, leaving nothing in its place except a small daisy.

Neither of the vigilant Guardians saw Jamie remove his hand from within his thick coat after they left and carefully examined the procured snow globe.

The intense cold hit first. Bunny cursed under his breath as he shivered, furry arms wrapped tightly around himself in an attempt to stay warm. North, on the other hand, seemed unfazed by the large drop in temperature, beaming around the forests  blanketed in thick snow like it was Christmas.

"Ah," the Russian exclaimed, embracing the chilling winds that swept over the land, "This is place. Just smell that fresh air. Welcome, my friend."

"Yeah, believe it or not, not my first time," Bunny grumbled as he shuffled through the thick snow towards his friend. 

As he stared out at the perfect white land that glittered like diamonds under the long rays of the low hanging sun, staining both land and sky a deep cascade of red and orange, he had to give it to Jack that winter could be breathtakingly beautiful. There was such detail and beauty in every scene which he knew that Jack took such care in including despite his insistence that he wasn't about hard work but 'snow days and fun times'. 

"Okay, where do we start?" He clapped his paws together and turned expectantly to North.

"Hmm," The large man pondered, "Well, North-West Russia, I can think of only one mountain range that it could be." He turned around, searching the horizon until he found a large shadow towering against the sky. "Ural mountains," he announced, sweeping a large arm at the mountain range, "Runs from North to South across Western Russia. Jamie said more North, da? That narrows down the search so think we should try there," He pointed high up at a shadow which towered above the other mountain peaks high in the misty clouds, "Mount Narodnaya- 'People's mountain'- also happens to be highest peak but is good place to start."

Bunny ran a large paw over his face as he craned his neck to look up at the gargantuan mountain. "The kid won't let us have it easy for once."

North's booming laugh echoed across the empty plains, startling the Pooka, "Lost your touch old friend? Not as young as used to be?" He chuckled at Bunny's sour glare. 

"I just don’ wanna show ya up, old man," Bunny grumbled under his breath, surveying the mountain and the snow that coated everything in sight. "If ya don' mind, I think we migh' take a shortcut."

Bunny tapped his foot once more and a large hole appeared that would take them near the peak of the mountain where they could start their search. Growing accustomed to the tunnels instead of his much preferred sleigh, North didn’t hesitate as he jumped through first with a yell and Bunny followed.

If he thought the base of the mountain was cold, it was nothing compared to the impenetrable icy chill that engulfed the mountainside. Freezing cold wind buffeted them carrying snow and hail that almost drove them off the side of the ledge they had found as a small pathway. North pulled his thick coat further around him and bowed his head against the wind as Bunny consented to just wrap his arms tighter around himself. Normally the Guardian of Hope wouldn't mind treks like this and would take enjoyment from the scenery and satisfaction from the climb but the cold was all-encompassing.

"Bunny," he thought he heard a voice call his name but the wind roared through his ears and screeched through the high rocks blocking any sound that could have reached him. He didn't bother to look up, the blizzard was too thick to be able to see far. He grumbled under his breath but didn't complain to his companion as he knew it was pointless. The wind would steal his voice before anyone could hear it.

"Bunny!" The deep Russian voice yelled at him and Bunny finally pulled his eyes away from the frozen ground, realising that he had indeed heard his name and it was no trick of the wind. He turned to face North who was staring back at him as though he had just missed something so obvious. He frowned for a moment, trying to figure out what it was that he had missed…then it hit him, or rather it didn't hit him anymore. 

North’s face was no longer obscured by sheets of snow and the wind was no longer blocking his ears. Cautiously he glanced over the side of the ledge they were making their way up and his stomach churned at the sight. Far below the land was laid out like a child's play set, so small that only the faint darker shades against the white distinguished the trees from the ice, the forest that they had previously jumped from was too far to make out. Behind them barely a few paces from where they stood, the rocky trails were obscured by sheets of snow and sleet that continued to assault the mountainside, but where they stood it was completely still. 

"What happened?" Bunny asked. It was as though there was an invisible barrier holding it back…or winter spirits.

"Bunny, up there," North whispered, or his equivalent of a whisper which was still too loud for Bunny's liking. Up above them, almost mistaken as a bird, a black form was swooping in for landing, lightly touching down on the rock as effortlessly as the wind itself. "I think we have found our winter spirits."

"Tha' wasn't so hard," Bunny commented in relief. "I think I have their location," he told North, fixing his eyes on the spot where the spirit had just landed, "I say we use me tunnels and surprise 'em."

"I agree, my friend," North placed a hand on the hilt of his sabre, glaring with a fury that should not be seen on the jolly man’s face.

Without hesitation, a hole was opened on the side of the mountain and the two jumped through, eager for their revenge and some answers.

Chapter Text

Hard laughter echoed against stone walls, mocking laughter full of arrogance, a sound so lacking in consideration, and scornful to any who they believed to be less than they were. It took only a minute to kindle the hatred towards these spirits from the Guardians of Hope and Wonder.

Bunny’s fur bristled at the raucous laughter so out of place against the memory of Jack. The look of fear and horror on the young boy's face from the sight of the ice encasing his hand- seeming so innocent yet so deadly- was still fresh in his mind. Whenever they had seen the winter spirit- no, The Spirit of Winter, Bunny couldn't exactly get his head around the fact that the young teen was actually head of the unrestrained season- Jack had always been smiling and joking, not able to take anything seriously, even during most of the battle against Pitch over Easter, but now he was seeing that exterior slip, the real Jack, the more fragile broken Jack revealed through the cracks in his act, the part that the boy tried to keep hidden- for their benefit or his own was unknown- and Bunny began to consider if they had known Jack at all in the few months that they had spent together as Guardians.

The mountain had been hollowed out over thousands of years into a grotto and it was here that the winter spirits dwelt. Snow swathed the ground, sparkling like a thousand diamonds, giving the impression of the dust of icing upon the hard chiselled rock. As another bark of laughter split through the icy air, Bunny growled and leapt forwards, sensing North just behind him, his boomerangs were clenched tightly in his fists, muscles tensed for a fight that didn't come.

The winter spirits froze at the sudden incursion, laughter dying on the air with their voices, heads all turned towards the intruders. Despite the shock at the two warriors launching themselves unannounced into their little den, none of the winter spirits moved, jumped up to defend themselves or ran, they merely stared back blankly at them, almost unimpressed or unconcerned.

Taking their silence to at least mean compliance, Bunny scanned the numerous faces, searching for a spirit that matched the description that Jamie had told them.

"We're here about Jack Frost," he announced, noticing the disgruntled mumbles that followed and the icy looks shot at the Guardians and each other. Again, none made any movement or made to reply so Bunny continued as North leered threateningly beside him. 

"We heard a winter spirit fought him the other day," he continued, "We want to know if it was any of you."

He held his breath despite the already breathlessness from the higher altitude, hoping against his own centre that they would be honest enough or remorseful enough to confess. The idea that they would hold so much hatred and violence towards Jack was still implausible to him. Looking around at them all now, he couldn't picture them harming another of their own, such diversity existing among them, a range of ages, appearances, styles, gender, ethnicities, and personalities. If they could all get along despite differences then why would they torment a child like Jack Frost?

It was incomprehensible and he almost convinced himself that maybe it wasn't them, maybe Jack had been wrong or mistaken or…or something. How could a spirit ever attack one of their own? Sure, there was Pitch but he couldn't lucidly compare these spirits to the embodiment of darkness and fear. He wanted to call to North that they should leave, find another way to help Jack, anything to escape the piercing stares.

Then it hit him: these spirits may not be as innocent as he currently believed. They were making him uncomfortable, him, with little effort and without the victim even realising it, they were affecting him, picking him out and excluding him, skilfully, effortlessly. 

It was a victimisation that Bunny hadn’t experienced before and shame settled deep in his gut at momentarily doubting Jack, especially when he had been so hesitant to trust them in the first place.

"Yeah, I got Frost," a low voice spoke through the crowd and Bunny almost jumped in surprise. The eyes of the winter spirits flicked to the one who had spoken as Bunny and North pinned their attention on him.

The spirit who stepped forwards matched Jamie's description of their attacker. A young man stood before them, his pale skin nearly rivalling Jack's, dark eyes clearly visible as he surveyed the two intruders with the interest of a predator searching a flock for the easiest prey. The thought made Bunny shift uncomfortably and he saw North tighten his hold on the hilt of his sabres should they be needed. The winter spirit's steps were slow and purposeful, soundless against the soft quilt of snow that left no footprints behind. His short hair was pale blonde, close to white but against the pureness of the snow it contrasted too much to be mistaken for the colour, tinted the faintest yellow like the stain of old teeth. His voice was calculated when he spoke, words placed in a way that made one feel inferior even if he was merely asking the time of day. Recognition flickered across his pale face. 

"You're the Guardians." He grinned and Bunny found it more malicious than friendly. "I am a fan of your work. It is such an honour to finally meet your acquaintance but, forgive me, I don't quite understand what has brought you to us today."

"We have come about Jack," North boomed, Russian accent matching the threat in the spirit's voice and Bunny was glad his friend had chosen to answer. He wasn't sure if he could speak, too entranced by the spirit who only nodded calmly.

"Yes, so you told us," the spirit raised his eyes to look at them and they seemed so bottomless and drained of light that Bunny braced himself to prevent backing away. "There really is no need to thank me."

"Th-thank you?" Bunny spluttered, infuriated at the spirit's tone and at his own incompetence to get his words out.

"Yes, you are most welcome," he nodded his head in respect even if none lay behind the gesture.

"I don't think you understand, mate," Bunny growled, "Jack's a Guardian now, he's one of us and there's no way we can allow you to attack one of our own."

The spirit chuckled softly, no humour in his dead eyes, "I believe that you have been spending too much time with Frost, though I am afraid I fail to see the humour in this joke."

"Is no joke," North rumbled, stepping forwards menacingly.

"We mean it," Bunny agreed, "Jack is one of us now and none of you are to touch him ever again."

"Oh, don't worry," the spirit assured, whether it was to his friends or the two Guardians, Bunny found debatable. "We won't have to deal with Frost ever again. I eliminated the problem for you, for all of us."

Bunny seethed in anger, fists tightening around the smooth wood of his weapon, begging to strike, only held back by the thought that they were outnumbered and Jack needed this information. Beside him, North wasn't as restrained, drawing his sabres half way, almost daring any spirit to try something.

"What did you do to Jack?" North asked dangerously, glaring daggers at the spirit.

"He just seemed a little stressed is all," the spirit replied casually as though he were commenting on the weather and not inflicting pain on another spirit, "I mean, who can blame him after all that happened with the nightmares and the boogieman." His eyes flashed scornfully at them as he added, "Nice work by the way." He smirked. "I just thought he may need to cool down."

There were a few open sniggers from the group of winter spirits around them who were listening intently to their conversation. So they all knew what had happened? All of them really hated Jack that much? Anger flared up in the Pooka that he could barely control as he focused back on the winter spirit who had harmed Jack, their Jack.

"Cool down?" he fumed which only made the spirit smirk once more, "You bloody iced him over!" He used Jack's word for it, the sentence odd in his mouth as though the taste was wrong as he chewed it over. "His hand is encased in ice and you're bloody pleased?"

"Just his hand, eh? The process is slower than last time," he commented, speaking to the winter spirits now. Bunny paused. 'Last time'? This had happened before? When? How hadn't he or any of the other Guardians heard about it? A winter spirit had frozen another. This was an outrage, a scandal of the spirit world, seasons were meant to live in harmony to balance the world but here they were apparently fighting mercilessly. How did it come to this?

The spirits seemed mildly interested in this fact, some impressed, some curious, some indifferent at the fact that Jack was suffering longer.

"How do we reverse it?" Bunny bit out. He hated that he was so reliant on these spirits for answers but right now he could throw his pride aside for once to save their youngest member.

"Reverse it?" the spirit chuckled again and Bunny found he really hated that sound now. "I am afraid, my dear Guardians, there is no way to 'reverse it.' No, you see, this effect is too rare for any of us to have developed a cure. I am afraid there is none- Frost will ice over."

The clattering of wood against stone rang out against the mountain walls as the boomerangs slipped from the Pooka warrior's grip.

No cure…no cure?

How could there be no cure? There had to be. They had come all this way, held onto so much hope, hope that Bunny endeavoured to protect. There couldn't be no hope. It was unacceptable…but the glee in the winter spirits' eyes were enough to confirm his fears.

They were on their own, in uncharted territory; they would have to find a cure for Jack by themselves, before it was too late for their young winter spirit. Another thought that was unfathomable to Bunny: losing Jack. Even though they had only technically known each other for a few months, he- and he was sure the rest of the Guardians would agree- couldn't imagine life without their mischievous, fun-loving, cheerful winter spirit. Time was steadily ticking further away, flowing on uselessly through their fingers, taking from them precious minutes that they did not have the luxury to waste as Jack continued to suffer.

"Bunny," North hissed worriedly at his friend's reaction and the fact he had dropped his weapons; the warrior never relinquished his boomerangs. Bunny shook himself out of his stupor and scooped up his weapons dazedly from where they had fallen.

"I am sorry that you'll be one servant short," the spirit said with mock sympathy, misinterpreting Bunny's distress for being concerned that they would be one fighter down rather than actual care for Jack. "But if it is any consolation, I can guarantee that any of us other winter spirits will be willing to step in and, not to mention, be more worthy of a title."

Rage flared in the Pooka and he was only held back from hitting the spirit by a large strong hand on his shoulder. He glanced at North who looked just as furious but still had enough sense to know that attacking would not be wise right now. They were severely outnumbered and out of their territory and the winter spirits knew it. 

"Jack is more worthy than any of ya," Bunny growled, shaking North's hand from his shoulder and staring solidly at the winter spirit. "He’s an innocent kid who you’ve victimised for who knows how long. Yet he’s overcome all of it, every hardship, every beating and stood up when he was needed despite never ever gettin’ anythin’ in return. He saved all of us on Easter and we owe him."

The winter spirit glared wrathfully at them at the mere implication that Jack Frost could ever deserve praise, stepping forward to match the Pooka's threat. 

"Frost's been telling you lies," he said dangerously low, "You've been taken in by him because that's all he does. He lies and deceives and somehow ends up with all the power and prestigious titles."

"If you think it's so prestigious then why are you so jealous," Bunny shot back.

"Jealous?" The spirit yelled angrily, displacing the snow that clung precariously on the side of their mountain before he lowered his voice once more to a snarl. "Tell you what, if he’s so innocent, why don’t you ask him what he did to become Spirit of Winter? Or what happened to the Autumn spirit he confounded into being a traitor? Ask him what happened to my brother!” 

Shoulders heaving, the winter spirit battled for control. There was a fury in the winter spirit's eyes that threatened to unleash tempests. 

“He's not worth your words or your time, I will give you that advice,” the winter spirit bit out, “And he is most definitely not worth your efforts to find a cure- not that there is one- so don't waste your precious time on something unimportant."

"Jack is not unimportant," Bunny spat.

"You're Guardians," The spirit pointed out, regaining his composure, "Stick to your own jobs. Let us deal with seasonal business; it's not an area of your concern.  You are overstepping your boundaries and I strongly suggest you remember your place. Hopefully one of us hardworking spirits will obtain the title of Head Seasonal."

Bunny fumed. How dare this insolent impenitent spirit tell them what to do. They did not control everything and certainly not the Guardian of Hope.

"Bunny," North's rumbling whisper broke him from his thoughts and he turned to see the soft blue eyes of the large man full of understanding. "We do not have time. Jack needs us now." Somehow the overbearing man had found the exact words that would snap Bunny out of his anger and he sighed at the Russian before tapping his large foot once on the ground, opening a tunnel just behind them that would lead them back to the Pole and to Jack, to their Guardian, to their winter spirit, to their friend, who needed them so much right now.

Begrudgingly, Bunny turned his back on the group of winter spirits who were all still watching them with interest, piercing stares boring into them and judging eyes impassive.

"Don't think this is over," he told them warningly over his shoulder.

"Oh but it is," the winter spirit replied evenly and it took all of Bunny's control to not turn around and hit that insolent spirit across the face for everything he had said. For what he had done, Bunny found himself wanting to do much worse than what fate he could even envisage on the Nightmare King himself.

Allowing North to jump into the tunnel first, he took a deep breath as he steeled himself to have to face the rest of the Guardians and Jack, to admit that they had been unsuccessful and, worst of all, not even have taught the vile spirit who had done this a lesson.

"Oh, please give our regards to dear Jack," the winter spirit called out smugly as Bunny jumped, “And tell him that now we’re even.”

There was no time to ponder that further as the ground closed over Bunny’s head and he felt himself racing through the earth back towards the North Pole. Ashamed as he was to admit it, he was very relieved to be leaving the winter spirits far behind.

Chapter Text

The snow surged into a mighty blizzard around the North Pole, battering the workshop with projectiles of ice as the wind howled around it, desperate to reach the winter spirit that was causing the storm. The pure white blanket grew thicker over the land, the sky so obscured by snow that the horizon was hazy and the ground could barely be made out.

Jack watched the environment thrash and evolve from the few flakes to the treacherous blizzard from where he sat by the window, blankly spreading tendrils of frost along the glass in swirling patterns, forehead pressed against the cool pane, numbing the bruises on his face. He sighed softly and a faint mist of cold air clouded the glass, hazing the view. 

There were so many memories that were swirling in his head and scrambling over each other for his attention, each bringing a surge of emotion and vulnerability that he couldn’t battle down. Jack was used to fighting by now, knew when enemies reared their heads that he couldn’t back down and just had to throw back as much as they threw at him, but when the war was within his own head, he was powerless. 

Of course, his life could never be easy, Jack thought bitterly.  If there was a path of life that had all sorts of twists and turns and dark corners for nasty surprises to ambush him out of, then that was heaven compared to the path Jack must be on. Even now, as he had the Guardians to break the solitude he had been forced into, life was finding another way of yanking him away from the happy ending, throwing sour lemons that surely would create the bitterest lemonade. Brightside? When was Jack ever allowed a brightside? 

When life gives you lemons, squeeze them in life’s eyes, her voice sang in his head and he forced it back down, squeezing his eyes closed against the pain that was building up from the disorder of his emotions.

He was glad the Guardians were still away, doing who knows what right now, it gave him time to gather his emotions and keep them far down so that they couldn’t see, couldn’t see how broken he was, couldn’t see the damage, couldn’t insist on fixing what was too far gone. He wasn’t just some damaged spirit, he was still Jack Frost and he didn’t want to be treated differently. The Guardians mollycoddled him and treated him like a child sometimes and it got on his nerves more than he could say. Why couldn’t they realise that he wasn’t their problem and he didn’t need to be smothered? He hadn’t needed them for three hundred years. Probably the only time he did need them, they were nowhere to be found.

Anger flared. They were hypocrites. They pretended they cared, tried to fix everything, even if it wasn’t broken to start with or would only fall apart again once they moved on, content that they had done their duty to calm their conscience but not too concerned with what that left who was left behind. They fussed about him now, only to make up for the three hundred years they had abandoned and ignored his existence. But where had they been before? Where had they been when other spirits needed help? Where had they been he needed help? When May needed help? 

Jack groaned and buried his head in his arms which rested on his knees. It was all too confusing, too exhausting, the thoughts clambering around in his head and pulling him in so many different directions that he sometimes wondered if he hadn’t already ripped apart.

Wearily, he stumbled to his feet and headed to the door, intent to do anything besides sit and wait. Surely they didn’t expect him to stay here indefinitely. He had a few trips to make, a few places to visit and goodbyes to make before he iced over completely and left all this behind. The thought made him shudder and he swallowed back the lump forming in his throat. He couldn’t think of that, not remember, no….

Jadedly he pulled open the large infirmary door and stumbled back in surprise.

“Jamie?!”

In the doorway, looking up with wide brown eyes that seemed just as surprised as he was, was the chocolate haired boy, mouth half open and tensed to flee before he recognised his friend. Immediately, his face broke into a wide beaming grin.

“Jack! You’re here!” he beamed. 

“Jamie?” His mouth gaped, trying to form words around his shock, “What are you doing here?” He faltered again, sweeping wary eyes up and down the abandoned hall and stepped back to usher the boy inside the room. “How are you here?”

Once the door was firmly closed he turned to Jamie and was glad the boy for once looked a bit sheepish but nonetheless proud of his next admission. “I sort of borrowed a snow globe from Santa.”

“You borrowed-?” Jack repeated, raising his eyebrows at that from the young boy who he had always known to be completely trustworthy in the time he had known him, “You stole a snow globe from North? To come here? Why?”

“Well, he and Bunny came to see me and-”

“Wait, they came to see you?” Jack questioned, trying to ignore the throbbing in the back of his head which he couldn’t work out whether it was due to the confused frenzied questions buzzing around his head or the concussion. He pinched the bridge of his nose, coming to the conclusion for himself. “They came to question you about that winter spirit the other day, didn’t they?”

The boy nodded frantically, eyes filling with concern as he hurried on, “They came to see if I could give a description of him but, Jack, they said there was something wrong with you and they wouldn’t tell me what. They said it was nothing but I know they were lying so I wanted to see for myself, so I sort of took a snow globe from North’s pocket and came straight here and- Jack are you okay?”

Jack shook his head, blinking blearily, suddenly dazed by the onslaught from the young boy. He stumbled towards the bed and sat gingerly on the edge.

“I’m fine Jamie,” he tried to reassure, bracing his hands against the mattress and trying to prevent the insecure protective hunch of his shoulders, “Just give me a minute, I’m just tired is all.” 

Jamie had followed him to the bed and was hovering anxiously before him, another look of concern and worry that Jack was really sick of seeing directed towards him now. The staff that leaned beside him on the bed slowly slipped sideways and his reactions were too slow to do much other than watch it go. Jamie lunged forwards, catching it before it could hit the ground and moved to place it back against the bed but froze as he caught sight of something. 

“Jack?” He asked in a slow, wary voice that made Jack tense, “What happened to your hand?”

“Nothing,” Jack hastily replied, only just withholding the curse that threatened to slip from his tongue and discreetly trying to pull the long blue sleeve to cover his frozen hand. It didn’t help that his arm felt as though it was pulsing with white-hot stabbing pain - so oxymoronic to the ice covering his hand -  that seemed to throb in time with the pounding in his head.  

“Nothing?” Jamie shot back accusingly, “It’s covered in ice!”

“A little bit of ice never hurt a winter spirit,” he shrugged, trying to hide his hand from view but Jamie was having none of it.

“Jack, don’t lie to me,” he accused, arms folded and a fire burning in his eyes that warned the winter spirit that he wouldn’t back down easily or accept any of the acts that Jack was so practised in handing out.

Jack’s shoulders slumped in defeat as he looked at the boy before him. In that moment he reminded him so much of his little sister in his mortal life, before he had fallen through the ice and been cursed with the existence of Jack Frost. She would scold him when he was teasing her or berate him when something was bothering him and he was being stubborn. He tried to chase those thoughts away; those memories hurt too.  

“You remember that winter spirit the other day?” he began reluctantly, “Do you remember that white magic, the energy, when he had me…well y’know…” He trailed off awkwardly. 

“He did this to you?” Jamie asked with trepidation, reaching out for his hand which Jack ruefully gave him to examine. 

When the boy’s hand met the ice, the raging pain began to dull, settling into a numb ache. Jack suppressed a sigh of relief, the tension he had not known he had been holding slipping away. 

“Can you not get rid of it?” Jamie asked as he ran his fingers along the surface of the ice. “Melt it or something?”

Jack shook his head numbly, hating that he was the one who had to break the truth to Jamie. “It’s not ordinary ice. It’s impervious to fire and force. It can’t be melted, chipped, or broken. It’s only spreading.”

“That’s why the Guardians came to see me,” Jamie concluded, releasing the hand, and Jack pulled it back to his side. “They wanted to find that winter spirit to see if he knows a cure. Will they find one?” 

“I don’t know, Jamie,” Jack sighed. He pushed himself back to his feet, snatching his staff once more. “But you shouldn’t be here and I can’t stand to be stuck here any longer. Come on.”  

He was at the door, pale un-iced hand on the handle when he paused, hearing voices in the hallway, voices that distinctly matched each of the Guardians. Shaking away guilt at eavesdropping, he pressed his ear to the door and tried to make out the murmur of voices that were muffled through the wood, silencing Jamie’s confusion with a wave of his hand.

“I just don’t know how we’re gonna tell him,” Bunny was saying, “They seemed pretty triumphant at the fact tha’ there was no cure, and I think I believe them about tha’.”

“I just don’t understand,” Tooth’s voice burst out and was quickly shushed by the others, “How could anyone do that? How could they be so callous? I mean, it’s Jack.”

There were murmurs of agreement and Jack held back a snigger at that. How were they so blind to the outside world? They called themselves Guardians, protectors from the darkness in the world, and they couldn’t fathom a few winter spirits bullying another. Okay, this went a bit beyond mere bullying, but still…

There were a few minutes of silence which Jack interpreted as Sandy making some input with his dream sand.

“Yeah, Sandy,” Bunny sighed, “I just never realised that spirits could be so…” he let the sentence hang, unable to find a word appropriate enough to describe them. Then he added thoughtfully, “Y’know, there’s something else that I think they let slip. Just when they were talking, it sounded like this isn’t the first time this has happened-”

“How could we have not heard about something like this happening?” Tooth squeaked and Jack could hear her wings fluttering madly in distress.

“I dunno,” Bunny continued, “But I think that maybe Jack’s not telling us-”

Jack decided that was enough, swinging open the door even as the panic rose inside him. He wasn’t ready for them to know, they couldn’t figure it out yet.

The Guardians fell silent at his entrance. Jack reigned in his panic and arranged his face into a more calm passive expression as though he hadn’t heard any of their conversation and most definitely was not falling apart from the inside.

“So?” he asked, leaning casually on his staff, “What have you all been up to without me?”

In the silence, he took in their appearances. Bunny and North looked deeply troubled, faces darkened and frowns heavily set on their brows. Sandy was a bit haggard, wild golden hair more windswept than usual and Tooth sported a faint scarlet cut on her forehead that had already begun to scab over. For a minute a different face flashed in his mind and he didn’t see Tooth but a smiling autumn spirit that had just saved him from his potential death, shrugging off the deep cut to attend to him, like he had actually mattered for the first time in over two hundred years. He blinked the image from his mind, ruefully forcing memories of May away.  

“What happened?” he finally managed to ask with concern, “It wasn’t those winter spirits was it?” Anger rose in him. How dare they try to harm his friends! 

“Relax, Jack,” Tooth soothed, flitting forwards, “It wasn’t them. We were just about to leave when there were lights flickering on the globe so we decided to split up. North and Bunny went to find the winter spirits whilst Sandy and I went to investigate but it was only some nightmares causing some trouble. We-”

“Wait,” Jack interrupted, “You went to deal with Pitch without me?” Tooth looked about to protest but he spoke over her, “Look, I know I’m not 100% but I can still fight. We’re supposed to be a team. You can’t leave me out when it concerns Pitch.”

“We are a team,” Tooth placated, “And we didn’t fight Pitch. It was just a few of his nightmares like I said.”

Jack huffed. Perhaps it hadn’t been Pitch this time but what if it was next time and they didn’t tell him? What if they needed his help? Did they not trust him anymore? He tried not to show the hurt in his eyes. They really did see him as just a kid sometimes.

It was at that moment that Jamie chose to sidle out of the room behind Jack, cringing sheepishly against the incredulous cries of the Guardians at his appearance and confusion as to how he had got there.  

“You really need to take better care with your snow globes, North,” Jack commented casually, leaning on his staff, “First Sophie, now Jamie, you may as well start handing them out in stockings for everyone to take.”

North began to protest in Russian, an embarrassed red creeping up his face as the rest of the Guardians turned to him.

“I’m sorry,” Jamie piped up, looking truly apologetic but not regretful of his action. “But it was the only way I’d be able to find out if Jack was okay.”

The Guardians turned sheepish, exchanging guilty looks. The boy was worried about Jack, as they all were, and they could not blame him for caring too much. Especially since Jack had few to care for him in the first place. 

Glad Jamie was no longer at any risk of being in trouble Jack continued hopefully, “I was just about to take him back home, y’know, before anyone realises he’s missing or his parents start to worry.”

“I told them I was going to Pippa’s,” Jamie defended with a scowl, “She won’t worry and besides, I want to help.” He turned round desperate eyes on Jack who only just managed to prevent himself squirming under the intensity of the look, fighting with all his might not to give in. He always had a weakness when those eyes were turned upon him (probably one of the reasons they had stumbled into trouble and countless adventures in places they never should have been).

“Jamie,” Tooth came to his rescue, fluttering forward to speak earnestly to the boy, “It’s too dangerous around here right now and none of us want to put you at any risk. Your mother may think you are okay for now but what’s going to happen when she realises you’re not at Pippa’s house?”

“But-”

“Jamie,” Jack interrupted his protests, kneeling down before the small boy and placing his non-frozen hand upon his shoulder, discarding his staff against the wall. “There’s nothing you can do right now. Go home and I promise if we need you we’ll come get you right away and if not then I’ll come see you later when this is all over.”

Jamie hesitated, debating the offer, but he could clearly read the honesty in those unsinkable glacial eyes. “You promise?”

“Cross my heart,” Jack made a crossing motion over his chest with a lopsided grin that seemed to win Jamie over.

“Come on,” Tooth beckoned, holding out a hand towards the child, “I think Jack’s needed here for now but I can take you home.” She lowered her voice conspiratorially, “Let's see if we can explore the workshop a bit first.”

Any doubt or trepidation that had remained was instantly forgotten at that proposal and he eagerly followed Tooth down the hall, looking around with wide eyes for anything he had overlooked when he had been hunting for Jack. The winter spirit chuckled as he watched the retreating boy until they both had disappeared around the corner and gone from sight.

“Ey, er, Jack,” Bunny began sheepishly once he was sure they were gone and out of earshot. “I’m afraid we have…well, we have…it’s bad news Jack…”

“They told you there was no way to reverse this.” Jack finished for him, taking pity on the usually prideful warrior struggling to get words out. It wasn’t a surprise anyway; he had always known that there was no cure. There couldn’t be.

“Yeah,” Bunny agreed apologetically then his green eyes fixed on Jack with renewed determination. “But don’t worry, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a way and I promise you that we’ll do all we can to find something.”

“Exactly,” North boomed happily, clapping a large hand on Bunny’s back that caused the Pooka to stumble and Jack to smirk at him. “We shall all go to library. There’s bound to be information that could help us there.” Without further ado, he marched down the hallway calling the rest of them to follow. Jack waited for them all to pass him before sweeping up his staff and following a few steps behind. To his disappointment, Bunny also tagged behind and walked beside him.

“How’s the hand, mate?” He murmured.

“Oh, fine,” he waved his right hand in front of Bunny’s face who scowled down at him, not appreciating the lightness in his persona.

“Y’know I mean the other one, kid.”

Jack heaved a sigh and managed not to roll his eyes as he presented his left hand for Bunny to scrutinise. The appendage looked just the same as it had when he had first shown it to him. The ice perfectly moulded around his skin, glinting from the overhead lights and seeming so innocent. It hadn’t spread much yet. It wouldn’t. It would only creep upon him, biding its time and his, then all at once it would engulf him. He exhaled sharply through his nose at the thought and pulled his hand back by his side. He couldn’t think of that now. 

“Just tingles a bit, like constant pins and needles.” It was partially true. If the pins and needles were razor sharp and had been heated over a flame first, that is. 

Up ahead, North had led them to a pair of large oak doors, intricately woven with deep designs and foreign words and symbols that Jack had no hope of making out. North pushed them open with both pairs of large hands, and, as they slowly swung open, Jack wondered if anyone else had the strength to open them.

The library was grander and bigger than any Jack had ever seen. Enormous bookshelves stretched far back, spread out like streets and all packed with an assortment of thousands and thousands of books. Tables and armchairs scattered across the front of the room, some with books half balanced on the arms of the chairs or papers spread across the tables. High windows bordered each side of the room bringing in the pale light and pattering of hail as the storm outside continued to surge. Small window seats were built into each one. A fire crackled merrily in a grand fireplace stood against the nearest wall, casting an amber glow over an intricately woven rug.  

North’s booming voice was giving out instructions but Jack found the noise of the present being drowned by the past as his mind stepped him backwards into memories. 

A thousand pinpricks of light broke through the darkness of the sky. Snowflakes danced from the edge of his staff, twirling around him before gliding down to the streets far below which were already carpeted beneath thick blankets of snow.  

Jack stepped nimbly along the roof, not hindered by the fine layer of ice that coated it, bare feet steady on the hazardous surface as he swung his shepherds crook lazily around him. His eyes remained rooted on the spirit walking a few steps ahead of him, prepared for any slip so that he could catch her or at least soften the fall if he had to. May seemed undisturbed by the danger of the ice, walking along the thin rooftop as easily as on solid ground, footsteps light.

Though neither of them dared mention it, she had been spending a lot more time with him since she had rescued him and inadvertently turned her back on her own seasonals. Guilt churned in his stomach whenever he considered that one act may have outcast her from her own kind forever.  Despite that, he couldn’t help enjoying her more frequent presence, being seen, being accepted.

“You should be more careful,” Jack called to her despite her apparent steadiness on the icy roof.

“You’re kidding right?” She chuckled over her shoulder, spreading her arms wide, “We’re spirits, Jack. As if a small slip on the roof can cause us much damage. The wind can catch us. Anyway, we’ve done way more dangerous things than walk on a couple of rooftops.”

Jack rolled his eyes even though she couldn’t see. He did worry too much, he conceded, but if he was a bit overprotective of his only friend then so be it. He wasn’t going to lose her to some stupid accident.  

The building they were currently atop was large and old, made of aged stone that had been chipped away over the centuries but was still standing strong. Parts of the building had been renovated from what Jack had seen when he had passed through the town earlier spreading snow, including the roof they were currently stepping on. Yet he was still surprised by what happened next.

One second May was in front of him, the next she had vanished, only a faint shout of alarm leaving any indication she had been there.

“May!” He cried, rushing forwards before he pulled up quickly, just before a large dark rectangle that had materialised on the roof. No. It was a hole. A hole in the roof? 

Jack crouched down for a closer look, cursing the lack of moonlight, catching a glint of starlight reflected on a window pane. Oh! It made sense now. It was a skylight. It must have been left unlocked and slipped open when May had stepped on it. It only opened into the darkness and panic welled up inside him. It had been a sudden fall, what if she hadn’t had time to call on the wind to catch her? What if she had gotten herself hurt?

Without hesitation, Jack jumped through the window, allowing the wind to carry him gently but swiftly to the ground far below. His heart thudded in relief at the sight of May sitting on the floor directly under the window, apparently unharmed. She glanced up at him as he landed and he couldn’t help the pure look of ‘I told you so’ that he shot at her.

“Don’t even say it,” she warned as she pushed herself to her feet and wiped her hands on her red jacket. “Where are we anyway?”

Jack shrugged, only taking in the room now that he was reassured the autumn spirit was alright. Darkness coated everything, pulling deep shadows into the corners and stretching them out where they didn’t belong, casting long angular shapes from the high windows that brought in light from the street outside. Illuminated by the window’s light, bookshelves rose in orderly lines around the edge of the room, desks and chairs neatly assorted for work and research.

“Oh my God! Jack!” She cried, seizing both his shoulders tightly and shaking him, a look of wild excitement overtaking her features and sparking her mahogany eyes, “Books! Books! We’re in a library!”

“Yes, I can see that,” Jack said calmly, a bemused smile quirking his lips, as he extracted himself from her tight hold. She spun around to take in the sight of the shelves stocked full of books of different sizes and colours, she turned slowly on the spot as though embracing a wonderland, then without warning, raced off down one of the aisles, running a pale hand along the books and regarding them all with a practised eye.

Jack watched her in amusement as she examined every shelf but didn’t follow her, he didn’t have a reason to. Instead he sank into one of the large armchairs, leaning his staff against one of the small tables. It wasn’t long until she came rushing back, a book clutched in her hands. 

“This is one of my favourites,” she exclaimed, holding the book out to him with a large grin. It meant nothing to Jack but he took it with a grateful smile. It was rather thick and the cover, faded with wear, depicted the pale silhouette of mountains. With a glance upwards, he caught her expectant expression and offered an unsure smile to which her face fell into a frown.

Way to go, Jack, he scolded himself, you just did something wrong, as usual, and now you’ve upset her.

“Well, I mean, it’s not for everyone,” she hastily said, reaching out to take the book back without meeting his eyes, “I don’t really know what people like and don’t like right now, I have no idea if it’s popular but I just thought…well I thought that it might be in your preference. Nevermind, I’ll put it back…” 

Finally Jack managed to place the look and tone in her voice, one of unease and self-consciousness as though being judged and he hurried to correct his friend. 

“Oh, no, May, it’s nothing like that, really,” he assured, handing the book back which she took half-heartedly and his stomach flipped. How could he say this? It was always something that he had been embarrassed about…but, May was his friend now and she had shown her loyalty when she had stood up for him. He fidgeted, trying to reach for his staff before remembering he had left it against one of the tables. “It’s just that…that…I can’t…exactly… read.” 

As soon as he said it he fixed his gaze on his bare feet. A faint dance of frost began to pattern the floor, latching onto his nerves and displaying it beneath his feet.

Silence fell so thick that Jack squirmed within it. He awaited the mockery, the laughter, the taunts. Nothing came. It lasted too long until Jack finally glanced up and May’s eyes were wide as she held the book loosely in her hand from when he had given it back. Slowly she refocused, and offered him a small smile.

“So you’ve been missing out all this time?” She asked and he nodded numbly. He was an idiot, an uneducated spirit who didn’t know anything, just like the other spirits had always told him. “Looks like we have a lot of catching up to do.”

He finally raised his head to be met with her bright grin once more. Before he could say anything else, she seized his arm and pulled him to his feet, tugging him in the direction of the bookcase. 

At his confusion, she laughed bright, the sound reverberating off the walls, leaving echoes of joy bouncing around the vast building. 

“Well, I’m going to have to teach you of course,” she told him matter-of-factly as though it had been obvious from the start that this was her appropriate answer.

“You’re going to teach me?” He spluttered, stumbling to a halt. Someone was actually taking the time to teach him something, help him learn.

“Yes, now come on,” she pulled on his arm and he followed her dazedly, “I have a lot to teach you, not just reading, but books!” 

A chuckle escaped him at her enthusiasm and he willingly allowed her to pull him to some easier beginners books and together they piled their arms high with a collection of books and spread them out on the table, vowing to replace everything exactly where they had found it when dawn arrived.

“It’s nothing to be ashamed about,” she told him softly some time deep into the night or perhaps early into the morning. “Everyone learns. It’s a matter of life. No one simply exists knowing all they need to know. We all start somewhere. Saffron,” she broke off hesitantly, “the autumn spirit I was with when…when I…in the woods,” she paused again, unsure of how to describe that event all those years ago when she had proven her loyalty and friendship to Jack. Steadying her voice, she continued. “She was the one who taught me. To read, to write, well, everything, from the everyday to seasonal responsibilities.” 

“I’m sorry,” Jack said softly, feeling the unbearable weight of everything he had taken from May by simply being friends. It was the first Jack had heard May speak of her own life since she had ostracised herself by defending him. Now that he thought about it, he didn’t think he knew anything about May’s life as a seasonal. He only knew her in the moments that she was there with him. Maybe those were the moments that mattered to him but she was made up of all the moments and he owed her to know her in her entirety. After all, he knew what it was like to only be known from one direction. The other seasonals only saw him as an annoying winter pest but he wasn’t and he was so much more than the Spirit of Winter. He was Jack Frost. May saw that. It was only fair that he saw all of May too. 

She shook him off with a watery smile. “Don’t be. It was my decision and I’d make it again. She…She’ll understand. Now,” she turned her attention back to the books in front of them, “why don’t we have a look at this one?”

Taking the hint, Jack followed her wishes and did not speak of it further. One day they may be able to expose their damaged souls but for now their wounds were too fresh, too recent, and it was far easier to distract themselves with simply being and wasn’t this a wonderful moment in which to be.

Chattering and the occasional giggle echoed through the large room, the darkness lit by the two children sprawled amongst their books and lost far away from the world into a place where only they existed, sitting in the library together, wrapped amongst the warmth of companionship and free from the real horror that the world had to bring and had already laden on their young minds which were finally beginning to escape.

Jack blinked back to the present to a large furry grey paw waving in front of his face and an irritated Bunny staring right into his face. Seeing Jack’s coherency return, the Guardian of Hope huffed and stopped waving his paw to rest it on his hip instead.

“Are ya gonna give us a hand or what?” Bunny grumbled. 

“Sorry,” Jack answered distractedly, still blinking the lingering memory from his mind, “I was just thinking.” 

“Yeah, well don’t strain yourself,” Bunny shot back and Jack could only roll his eyes. “Here, take this an’ see if there’s anythin’ useful.” 

Bunny held out a large book, the cover damaged and torn, the pages stained and wrinkled, but Jack made no move to take it. 

“What’s the matter?” Bunny asked, impatiently shaking the book for him to take. Then he paused, furrowing his brow. “You can read, can't ya?

Jack huffed indignantly and snatched the book from him. 

“Of course I can!” he snapped, turning on his heel and stalking away to one of the window seats without a backwards glance. Settling his back against the cool window pane, he began flicking angrily through the pages, not really looking at any of it at all. 

After a few minutes he breathed slowly and deeply, pulling himself back under the tightly wound control he had managed to contain himself in over the years. He wasn’t really angry, not at Bunny or any of the Guardians. It was just so overwhelming. There was too much going through his head, too many emotions that were threatening to break him, too great a strain on his careless nature to maintain the façade that always masked the pain. Because now there was too much pain, and too much loss, and too much grief, and too many problems that were weighing him down, dragging him into the depths, so deep that he can’t even cry out for the help that he would no doubt refuse to receive anyway. 

Giving up on the book he had been blindly flicking through, he stood up and began making his way along the bookshelves, feeling his way along the spines of the ancient books, skimming over the bold fonts. There was a large purple bound book with embossed silver letters proclaiming Of Moonlight and Stardust: A Guide to Magic of the Night, then a small red cover of Gnomes and Goblins: A Travelers Guide, and a dusty tarnished tomb that held a thick layer of dust which nearly concealed the title The History of Belief in faded gold.

Jack kept walking, tracing his finger along the shelves, trying not to think how much May would have liked it here, then came to pause. A beam of moonlight had broken through the storm outside and came to rest on an unassuming book with a faded green cover. The Balance of Nature. Almost without thinking, he reached out and tugged the book down, turning the pages which had been aged to yellow. It was rather awkward to do as he had to balance the heavy book on his useless frozen hand and fumble the pages with his right.

There were small illustrations - some ridiculous imagining of nature spirits with long pointy ears and almost gremlin like features, some of different seasonal scenes, many of different plants and trees - and every page was cramped with tight cursive font that made Jack’s vision blur after a while but he kept turning the pages. 

He flicked through the chapters and came to rest about a quarter of the way through on the sixth chapter: The Seasonal Balance. Two figures were depicted with an arm outstretched to the other which Jack presumed were meant to be a winter and a summer spirit if the flames and snowflake held in the outstretched palms were any indication. The next page showed a cyclical illustration of the seasons with summer and winter opposing the other and likewise autumn and spring on opposite sides.

A frown pulled down between Jack’s eyes as he examined the picture, something tugging at the back of his mind. The moonlight streaming through the window seemed to turn the images to silver. 

“Y’okay frostbite?”

Jack snapped the book shut with a start. Bunny was right in front of him, concern written in his expression which only grew when Jack fumbled with the book which had been precariously balanced on his arm and it slipped from his grip, thudding to the ground. Jack looked with wide eyes between Bunny and the book on the floor before finally spluttering out, “F-Fine.”

“Right,” Bunny said slowly, the scepticism blatant in his tone, but he let the matter slide for the time being. 

Jack’s non-iced hand twitched, yearning for the comforting grip of his staff but he had left it by the window so he could have a working hand free.  

“Look,” Bunny hesitated, “I just wanted to say I’m sorry.” Wow, that must have been hard to say, Jack mused, but before he could ask what it was precisely that the pooka was sorry for, Bunny rushed on, the words tumbling out his mouth as though trying to get the uncomfortable apology out of his system as quickly as possible.  “I shouldn’t have assumed you couldn’t read. I didn’t mean ta offend ya by it. And I’m sorry about those spirits and how they’ve treated ya and that you’ve had to live with tha’ for three hundred years. It’s not right. We should’ve known, we should’ve helped.”

Jack didn’t answer at first, nor did he make a move to retrieve the book at his feet. It was unclear who festered more in the uncomfortable silence as Bunny fidgeted as he waited for the winter spirit’s verdict.

“You didn’t know,” Jack said quietly, focussing on a spot to the left of Bunny’s head rather than look at him directly, “You can’t apologise for something that you didn’t even know about in the first place.” 

“But we should’ve,” Bunny protested, unable to allow them to get off so lightly. “We shouldn’t ‘ave just dismissed ya like all the rest. We should’ve dealt with those winter spirits and any of tha’ other ones that have been treatin’ ya like that. We should’ve-”

“Bunny,” Jack interrupted with a frown, finally meeting his eyes with such seriousness that aged him beyond his boyish appearance. “This isn’t about you.” 

“What?”

“This isn’t about you,” Jack repeated solidly. “You’re all running around with ‘if’s’ and ‘should haves’ but this has nothing to do with you. You weren’t there, you didn’t know, you couldn’t have done anything. So stop turning this into your problem, into your hardship, because it’s not.”

“But it is our problem. Because we messed up, we allowed this all to happen, we’ve failed at being Guardians if we can’t even look after one of our own.” Bunny tried to argue but Jack cut him off once more. 

“You didn’t ‘allow’ anything to happen.” Jack’s voice was losing its patience. “All this, all this guilt, all this anger, all this pain, it’s not yours. This is happening to me. This is my burden, this is my turmoil, this is all happening to me yet somehow, you are all still turning this around, sidelining me, making the focus your own guilt and your own trial. I don’t need you to pity me, I don’t need you to take the blame for me. I just…I just…” He exhaled deeply through his nose, his eyes losing their hard edge. “I just need some air.”

He brushed past Bunny, collecting his staff from the window seat as he went. 

“Jack,” Bunny called out. The boy paused, tilting his head to the side but didn’t turn around. “You’re right. These are your demons.” He took a few steps forward. “But there’s no way in hell we’re going to let you face them alone anymore.”

A sad smile pulled at Jack’s face, his words barely a whisper, but Bunny’s sharp ears heard it. “I wasn’t alone.” 

Before Bunny could even register the words, Jack was gone.