Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Jack laughed as he swung his staff. Ice covered the ground and a man carrying books and papers slipped, scattering everything. The winter spirit took off into the sky, freezing everything in his path. He landed on a frozen lake. Jack swung his staff once more, covering the icy surface in swirls of frost.

"Jack!" Jamie called, waving his arms. Jack smiled and slid over to the edge of the pond, nodding in greeting.

"Hey Jamie, how have things been?" Jack asked.

"They've been great!" Jamie smiled. "Everyone and school has been great!"

"That's good to hear," Jack smiled. "And your belief in the Guardians?"

"Strong as ever!" Jamie proclaimed proudly. "Same with the others!"

"How's Sophie?" Jack asked him.

"She's not feeling well. She's sick," Jamie answered.

"Hey, I'm sure she'll be better soon," Jack assured him.

"Jack! There you are mate!" Bunny shouted, hopping over to the two. "Good day Jamie."

"Hi Bunny," Jamie smiled.

"What's wrong Bunny? I was just catching up with Jamie," Jack told him.

"North's called a meeting. We have to get to the North Pole quickly," Bunny informed him.

"Is it Pitch?" Jamie asked.

"Don't know, but North needs us now," Bunny answered.

"Sorry Jamie but I have to go," Jack apologized.

"Alright," Jamie sighed. "But come back soon alright. We're going to have a snowball fight in the park, and the guys and I want you on our team."

"I'll try Jamie," Jack told him.

"Come on mate," Bunny urged, tapping the ground. A hole opened up and the two dove down. When the hole closed up a pink flower was in its place, despite the frozen ground. Jamie sighed and plucked the flower, twirling it between his fingers.

------------------------------------------------------

"North! We're here!" Bunny shouted. He and Jack ran around the yetis, running up to Santa Claus.

"Good, now we just need Sandy," North nodded.

"What's going on?" Jack asked.

"I do not know," North muttered. "But Manny wanted me to call a meeting."

"The Man in the Moon told you to call a meeting?" Bunny asked in shock.

"I wore same expression," North chuckled, seeing Bunny's shocked face. Jack walked away from the two and looked up at the ceiling, seeing the full moon through the skylight.

"What are you up to?" Jack whispered.

"Hello Jack!" Tooth smiled, flittering around him. "Oh! You're teeth have only gotten brighter since the last time I saw them!" she gushed.

"Uh...thanks," Jack told her.

"Sandy!" North bellowed out upon seeing the sandman. Sandy smiled and a question mark formed above his head. "I do not know, but hopefully our questions shall be answered." North gestured to the moon and smile. "Man in Moon! What brings you here, old friend?" Moonlight streamed through the air, illuminating the decorative floor piece that depicted the five guardians.

"Wait…did you add me to this thing?" Jack asked, pointing at his triangle.

"Of course, you are Guardian now," North smiled. The stone 'G' sank into the wooden floor and opened. A giant blue crystal rose from the ground. Light reflected off of the crystal, illuminating the room.

"Uh guys, he's choosing a new Guardian," Tooth said.

"Wait, already?" Jack asked in disbelief. "I mean, he just chose me three years ago. And on top of that, he isn't even telling us why."

"Maybe it will be explained once we find out who it is," Tooth suggested.

"Please not the groundhog," Bunny pleaded quietly.

"Are you still happy I was chosen over him?" Jack smirked.

"How did you know about that?" Bunny demanded. Jack smiled and turned to look at Sandy. The sandman simply waved at the two with a big smile on his face.

"You just can't keep a secret, can ya mate?" Bunny huffed.

"Bunny," North said, pointing at the figure of light.

"What?" the rabbit snapped, looking up at the figure. His furry mouth twitched into a smile. "Thata girl!"

"Who is she?" Jack asked, looking at the figure.

"That is the Spirit of Spring," Bunny laughed.

"Bunny, would you care to fetch our newest Guardian?" North requested.

"I'll be right back mates," Bunny smiled. He tapped he ground with his back paw and back flipped into the hole, leaving a flower in his place.

"Ya know, I never got to tell him how adorable that flower thing is," Jack laughed, touching the petals. The pink flower froze at his touch.

-----------------------------------------------------------

"Sakura! Where are you?" Bunny shouted as he hopped through a forest. "Where are you?" he shouted once more. He dove into a clearing with a lake and saw a head of pink hair inside the water. "There you are!" he gasped. The head of hair turned around, revealing the face of a young girl. The girl had a heart shaped face and emerald green eyes. Her face became pink and she turned around.

"Usa-chan! You know this is the lake where I take my bath!" Sakura shouted at him.

"Sorry Sakura," Bunny chuckled, turning around.

"What is it that you need?" Sakura asked.

"Remember how you told me you wanted to meet the Guardians?" Bunny began.

"Of course I do," Sakura huffed. "I ask every time I see you."

"Well…how would you like to meet 'em?" Bunny asked. Sakura's eyes widened and she turned around in shock.

"Really?" She gasped, staring at the rabbit's back.

"Really," Bunny nodded. "Get dressed and we can go." Sakura jumped out of the lake and pulled on a white nagajuban. She ran over to the rabbit and hugged him tightly.

"Oh thank you thank you thank you!" Sakura laughed into his fur.

"It's nothing, Sakura, now get dressed so we can go," Bunny told her.

"Right!" Sakura nodded, pulling away from him, and searching for her clothes.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

"How long does it take to get one girl?" Jack sighed.

"Bunny is getting her as fast as he can, just be patient," North told him.

"Hey, I'm the Guardian of fun, not patience. And no offense, but your toyshop can be pretty boring," Jack told him.

"Sorry Jack, but I can't have you breaking my toys," North smiled. "The yetis wouldn't like you very much if you did."

"Alright, alright, I get it," Jack nodded. "But, I promised Jamie I would try to make it back in time for a snowball fight." Just as he said that a hole opened up in the ground and Bunnymund jumped out, a pink haired girl on his back. Bunny placed the girl down and hopped out of the way, allowing her to be seen. She wore a pink furisode kimono that reached her knees. Under the kimono skirt was a white petticoat that made the skirt puff out. The kimono was decorated with lighter pink flowers. She had a white sash around her waist that was tied in a large bow. She had on light pink Mary Jane platforms and white stockings. Bunny smiled, pushing the teen girl forward. "Go on, introduce yourself." The pinkette looked back at him with wide eyes before nodding and facing forward. She took a deep breath and bowed to the other three Guardians.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Sakura Haruno, the spirit of spring," the pinkette introduced.

"Pleasure to be meeting you!" North laughed. "I am Santa, but you may call me North!"

"Pleasure to meet you North," Sakura smiled, bowing her head.

"I'm the Tooth fairy, nice to meet you," the fairy smiled, flittering around her. "Oh! Your teeth are as white as daisies!"

"Um…thank you?" Sakura replied with an unsure smile. The sandman stepped up with a smile. "You must be the Sandman. You are utterly adorable!" The pinkette giggled, smiling at the little guy. Sandy smiled back at her. Sakura turned around to stare at the last member of the Guardians. "And, you are?" Jack blinked at her and smiled, holding out his hand.

"Jack Frost," he answered. "Spirit of winter, and Guardian of fun."

"Well, it is nice to meet you Jack Frost, spirit of winter, and Guardian of fun," Sakura laughed, shaking his hand. "But that title is so long. May I just call you Jack?"

"Sure," Jack nodded. "You sure are polite." He noted.

"Well it is in my best interest to be polite right now. I am standing in the presence of the Guardians after all, it's only natural to show some respect," Sakura told him.

"Now that you are acquainted with everyone we can go forward with the ceremony!" North cheered. "Music!" Trumpets started playing as the yetis and elves filed into the room. Two yetis twirled torches that were lit on both end. Confetti rained down from the ceiling and the tiny tooth fairies flew over to her, placing a necklace of paper flowers around her neck. She looked down and saw an elf glaring at her. He pointed to a pair of light pink pointed slippers with an elegant 'G' on them. Sakura looked up and saw North opening a large book.

"STOP!" the pinkette screamed, causing the music to come to a screeching halt. An elf that was holding a trumpet glared at her and slammed his instrument onto the ground, storming off. "What is going on here?"

"Didn't Bunny tell you?" Tooth asked.

"Tell me what?" Sakura demanded, glaring at the rabbit. Bunnymund cleared his throat and approached her, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Look, you aren't here just to meet the Guardians," Bunny confessed. "You're here to become one."

"Become a Guardian?" Sakura asked in disbelief. "No offense, but are you fucking nuts, Usa-chan?" Sakura growled, crossing her arms. The Guardians stared in shock at her attitude change. Jack quickly covered his mouth, trying to stifle his laughter and joy. "I will never be a Guardian, nor do I want to be one."

"Look, the Man in the Moon chose you to be a Guardian," Bunny told her.

"I don't care who the fuck says I'm going to be a Guardian, I'm not doing it! There is no way in fucking hell that I am going to join you guys!" She declared. The pinkette turned on her heel and stormed out of the room.

"I don't know about you guys, but I like her," Jack laughed.

Chapter Text

"I don't know where I went wrong!" Bunny groaned, shaking his head. "I found her shortly after she became a spirit. I raised her and helped her through the transition. I made sure she was always around children, I had her help me with my egg hunts. And now…she just storms off like that! I don't even know where she learned those bloody words!"

"It is not that bad Bunny," North soothed him, patting his back.

"You don't get it mate! She hates me now!" Bunny shouted. "Oh, she's never gonna speak to me again. Do you remember the last time she was mad at me? She didn't speak to me for five years! Five years! It was a bloody nightmare! She didn't even come to help with Pitch because she was so mad."

"Okay, so she doesn't want to be a Guardian, big deal," Jack told him. "I didn't want to either, and now look at me. Here I am. I'm one of you guys. She'll turn around."

"Jack has good point," North smiled. "Jack, can you find her and convince her to become Guardian?"

"Well, I don't know," Jack shrugged. "I mean, I could try, but I don't know if I could actually accomplish something."

"Frostbite, you gotta get her to change her mind," Bunnymund told him.

"Alright alright, I'll try," Jack agreed. "But there's just one problem. Where do I even find her?"

-------------------------------------------------------------

Sakura leaned against the wood of the tree. She was in a cherry blossom tree, surrounded by little pink buds and small leaves.

"Looks like Bunny was right," Jack spoke from under the tree. Sakura jumped in shock and looked down at him before glaring. She looked back up and crossed her arms, not giving in. "Alright, so I guess we're gonna do this the hard way," Jack sighed. He gripped one of the lower branches and pulled himself up, climbing the tree until he was on a branch close to her. He was a few inches above the pinkette, but was otherwise level with her.

"Go away, I'm not going to join the Guardians, and I'm not going to change my mind," Sakura told him, turning her head away from him.

"Alright, I can respect that," Jack nodded, swinging his legs. "But what I want to know is why. Why don't you want to become a Guardian?"

"Because I'd be a horrible addition," Sakura answered.

"Hey, I thought so too," Jack told her. "The 'big four', I thought they were just some stuffy people that were all about working and deadlines. I'm nothing but snowballs and fun time. I didn't think I was meant to be a Guardian. But then, I helped saved a bunch of kids from Pitch. And I realized that my true place was with the Guardians, protecting children."

"You're different than me," Sakura told him.

"How so?" Jack asked, cocking his head to the side. "From where I stand, we're the same."

"We are not the same," Sakura hissed, finally looking at him.

"And why is that?" Jack asked.

"Do you know what it feels like to not be seen by children?" Sakura growled.

"Yes, I do," Jack answered, a frown forming on his face. "For the longest time no one could see me. I was nothing more than some myth. Finally being seen and believed in was the best thing that ever happened to me."

"Well being seen isn't for me," Sakura declared.

"Why? Why is it so bad to be seen?" Jack asked.

"Because it just is alright!" Sakura shouted. "Can you please just leave me alone? You're freezing my flowers." Jack looked around and noticed that he had decorated a few of the flowers with frost. The winter spirit steeled his gaze and looked back at her.

"Fine, I'll leave," Jack agreed. "Once you tell me why it's bad to be seen." Sakura said nothing, choosing to look at the ground. "Alright fine, go ahead and be quiet. But I'm not leaving, not until you tell me why you don't want to be seen." Jack adjusted his position so his feet were on the branch and his back was leaning on the tree bark behind him. They stayed there for about ten minutes before there was any noise. Jack looked up at Sakura, only to find her gone. He looked around the tree and in the fields, not finding her anywhere.

"Great…Bunny's gonna kill me."

------------------------------------------------------------------

Jack flew over Burgess looking down at the people below. He quickly spotted the Bennett house and flew in, using Sophie's open window as his entrance. He looked at the young blond toddler. Sophie was covered in blankets from her chin down. There was a cloth on her forehead and a bowl of water on the nightstand. Bottles of medicine also littered the nightstand. Jack skimmed his finger over the water, cooling it down significantly. He placed the back of his hand on Sophie's cheek, quickly retracting it when he felt how hot she was.

"Jack…" she whispered, her green eyes barely opening.

"Hey there Sophie, how're you feeling?" He whispered, kneeling next to her bed.

"Not well," she said, smiling slightly.

"I'm sorry about that," Jack muttered, gently tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Where's Bunny?" She asked softly.

"Don't worry, I told him that you weren't feeling well," Jack assured her. "I don't know when he'll be free to visit, but he'll try."

"…yay…" Sophie cheered weakly. She moaned and closed her eyes, falling back asleep. Jack sighed and stood up, exiting her room through the open door. He walked down the hall, passing through Jamie's mother with ease. He noticed that Jamie's door was cracked open, not fully closed. The winter spirit slowly pushed the door open, peering inside. Jamie was lying on the bed, his nose in a supernatural book.

"Whatcha readin about this time, kiddo?" Jack asked, sitting next to the preteen. Jamie looked up at him before turning back to the book in his hand, this time glaring. "Great, now I've got two people mad at me."

"You missed the snowball fight," Jamie muttered. "Pippa and I got slaughtered by Cupcake, Claude, and Caleb."

"I'm sorry Jamie, I really didn't mean to miss the fight," Jack apologized. "I know I've been busy lately and I'm sorry. Is there something I can do to make it up to you?"

"Well…can you tell me what the meeting was about?" Jamie asked, glancing up at the spirit. Jack hummed and stroked his chin, thinking it over.

"Well…North didn't say anything against it," he told him with a smirk. Jamie gasped and pushed his book aside, sitting upright.

"What happened? What happened?" Jamie asked excitedly.

"The Man in the Moon chose a new Guardian," Jack told him.

"There's a new Guardian? When can I meet him?" Jamie asked.

"Hold on there kid, first off, it's a girl, not a guy." Jamie rolled his eyes and urged his friend to continue. "And secondly, she didn't agree. She's not a Guardian."

"She isn't? Why not?" Jamie asked.

"Doesn't want to be one," Jack shrugged. "And you should have seen her when she found out what she was there for."

"What did she do?" Jamie asked, bouncing in place in anticipation.

"At first she was acting really polite, and then when she found out she started yelling and cursing," Jack answered. "It was hilarious. Then they made me go after her to try and convince her to join. It didn't go over well."

"So that's why you were late," Jamie realized.

"Yep, but the strangest thing also happened," Jack told him. "She said that she didn't want to be seen. She doesn't want a child to believe in her."

"That is strange," Jamie agreed. "So, who is she?"

"Sakura Haruno, the spirit of spring," Jack answered. Jamie nodded and adopted a thinking look before shaking his head.

"Never heard of her," Jamie told him. "Just like I never heard of you until shortly before I saw you." The two sat in silence. "Do you think she'll agree?"

"I don't know," Jack shrugged. "I mean, kids don't believe in her."

"I do," Jamie smiled. "Just like all the others, I believe in her." Jack smiled and wrapped an arm around Jamie, pulling him into a hug.

"You're a good kid Jamie," he told him.

Chapter Text

"Hello there Sakura," Jack greeted the pinkette. Sakura turned around quickly, seeing the winter spirit. She narrowed her eyes and turned around, continuing to walk down the city streets. Jack sighed and picked up his staff, flying after her. "Are we really doing the silent thing again? This time, you're not going to be able to disappear on me!" To prove his point, Jack hooked his staff around her waist. Sakura froze and glared at him.

"Let me go." She ordered.

"I will, if you tell me why you don't want to be a Guardian," Jack answered. "Is it because of the responsibilities?"

"No! Jack, now just leave me alone," Sakura told him.

"Why don't you want children to see you?" Jack asked.

"Because I don't, now can you leave me alone," Sakura huffed, ripping the staff off of her waist.

"Hey, why don't you come with me to Burgess?" Jack suggested. "I'm going to be playing with a bunch of kids there. Maybe you can see that it's not bad to be believed in."

"It is bad to be believed in," Sakura huffed, facing him. Her eyes softened and she looked at the ground. "At least…it is for me."

"Come on, why don't you just try," Jack urged. "See what it's like to interact with kids."

"I won't interact with the kids," Sakura declared, crossing her arm.

"Okay, you don't have to. But why don't you watch, see how it is," Jack suggested.

"I really can't. I have somewhere I need to be," Sakura protested weakly.

"Come on, I'm sure it can wait," Jack smiled. Sakura looked up at him and sighed.

"One hour," she agreed.

----------------------------------------------------------------

"And this is Burgess," Jack said, sweeping his arm around the town. Sakura looked around unimpressed. "What's wrong? You don't like it?"

"See one town, you've seen 'em all," Sakura muttered.

"Jack!" A group of kids cried, approaching the two. Sakura took a few steps back as the kids swarmed around Jack.

"Hey guys, sorry I missed the snowball fight yesterday," he apologized.

"Its fine, Jamie said you had important Guardian stuff," Caleb accepted.

"Alright, now what do you guys want to do today?" Jack asked.

"Ice skate!" the kids chorused.

"We've already got our skates," Pippa smiled. They each held up a small bag, and Jack could see the glint of metal and colorful material.

"Ice skating it is," Jack agreed.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

The kids were gathered around the pond as Jack flew above it, tapping it with his staff. Sakura watched as some of the ice started to darken, yet become whiter at the same time. Jack slid over to the kids and nodded.

"And that takes care of that," Jack told them. "The lake is now ready for skating." The kids cheered and began to strap on their skates.

"Who wants to race around the pond?" Pippa asked.

"I'll race," Monty smiled.

"Monty are you insane?" Claude asked incredulously.

"What's wrong?" Sakura asked the winter spirit.

"Pippa is a figure skater; do you really want to accept her challenge to a race?" Caleb asked.

"Will you be doing tricks?" Cupcake asked.

"I might, it all depends," Pippa shrugged, finishing off lacing her boots. She stood up and glided across the ice with ease. "Come on Monty!"

"Just a second," Monty called, trying to untangle his laces. Cupcake was next on the ice, wobbling slightly as she got started. Jamie smiled and pushed himself up.

"Jack, a little help?" he asked. Jack smirked flew around the boy. He let out a breath of air and Jamie was pushed forward, sliding across the ice. He let out a cheer of excitement as he got going. He turned slowly but fell on his behind with a laugh.

"You really stink at this Jamie," Pippa noted, sliding to a stop next to him.

"Not all of us can be professionals," the boy laughed, pushing his hat back. Pippa held out a hand to help him up but was stopped when Monty ran into her, causing them both to fall. The three of them looked at each other before laughing in joy. Sakura sat on one of the boulders and watched the kids slip and fall on the ice, the smile never leaving their faces. Jack stealthily departed from the kids and went over to her, setting himself on top of his shepherd's stick.

"They're having so much fun," Sakura noted.

"I bet you would be having fun too if you were out there," Jack told her. Sakura shook her head.

"I can't ice skate," she told him. "And even if I could, I would melt the ice." Jack nodded in understanding and looked down at the pinkette.

"For being the spirit of spring, you sure are a depressing girl," Jack muttered.

"Sorry, I can't be cheerful all the time," Sakura smirked. "Not when I am who I am."

"And that would be?" Jack pressed.

"Me," Sakura answered with a smirk. "I'm not telling you."

"Jack come on! Skate with us!" Jamie smiled.

"Yeah, I brought my older brother's skates for you to use," Monty shouted.

"Come on stop talking to your girlfriend and get over here!" Claude shouted. Everyone on the lake froze.

"Claude," Caleb hissed, hitting his brother on the head.

"You told them about me?" Sakura hissed glaring at Jack.

"Hey, I wanted you to see that being seen by children isn't a bad thing!" Jack told her.

"Well it is!" Sakura shouted. "I can't believe you would tell them about me and make them believe in me! More importantly I can't believe you brought me here knowing that they would be able to see me!"

"What is so wrong with being seen?" Jack asked in anger.

"Jack!" Jamie cried. Jack looked over at his friend, and saw that the kids were huddled together, frozen in fear. The snow along the banks had melted and the icy surface of the lake began to crack. The water spirit quickly tapped his staff against the ice, trying to freeze it but it wouldn't work.

"What's going on?" Jack asked, looking at the pinkette. His eyes widened when he saw that horror was spread over her face.

"Jack…what have you done…?" Sakura whispered with panic in her voice. She took a step back before turning around and running away.

"Jack help us!" Pippa cried.

"I'm coming! Just stand still alright!" Jack ordered. He pressed his palms against the ice, trying to make it thicker but it wasn't working. "Damnit!" he growled, hitting the ice. He grabbed his staff and flew towards them. He quickly hooked his staff around Jamie's waist and swung him away. Jamie scrambled to the edge of the lake, collapsing on the grass. Jack hooked it around Pippa next and she skated over to Jamie, collapsing as well. Jack moved to grab Monty next, guiding him back to safety. When he reached his cane out, Caleb and Claude grabbed onto it. Jack swung the cane, sending them flying to the bank. Cupcake cried as the ice gave away under her feet.

"No!" Jack shouted. He dove into the water and quickly swam to the husky girl He grabbed her arm and pulled her to the surface of the water. Jack dragged her across the ice and pulled her onto the bank of the lake.

"What happened?" Jamie asked as Cupcake coughed up water.

"I don't know," Jack breathed, relieved that they were all safe.

"You couldn't freeze the water," Monty noted, adjusting his observation.

"What happened to your powers?" Claude questioned.

"And what made the lake crack in the first place?" Caleb added. "It's the beginning of January! The ice should have been fine."

"And you double checked it and made it thicker before we went on," Pippa nodded.

"I don't know," Jack sighed, falling onto his back. "But how about we never go ice skating again." The children murmured their agreements.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sakura sighed as she flew over the skies of the small city of Konoha. She spotted a large square of color amongst the dull browns of house rooftops and grey slosh that was once snow. She dove for the square of color and landed behind a tree. Sakura peeked out from the tree and saw a young girl sitting on a bench in the garden.

The girl had long dark blue, almost black hair that was in a hime cut. She was wearing a white dress and had a blanket across her shoulders. A book was in her hand and her fingers were running across the pages, but she was looking up. Her light lilac, almost pure white eyes were focused on nothing.

"Hinata?" Sakura called, stepping forward. The girl smiled at the pinkette.

"I was wondering when you would come," Hinata said. Her voice was small and tiny.

"I'm sorry for being late," Sakura apologized, kneeling next to her.

"It's alright," Hinata assured her. She reached a hand out and Sakura smiled, taking it in her own. "What were you doing?" she asked as Sakura pulled her up. Hinata placed the book down and followed her.

"I was with Jack Frost," Sakura answered.

"That Guardian boy?" Hinata questioned.

"Yes, he wanted to watch me play with some kids," Sakura told her. "But it was a trick, he told the kids about me and now they can see me."

"I'm sure it's not that bad, Sakura," Hinata told her.

"Hinata, they were ice skating!" Sakura told her. "They were skating and as soon as they acknowledged me the ice began to crack!" Hinata gasped and a hand flew up to her mouth.

"Did anyone fall in?" she asked.

"I don't know," Sakura confessed. "I ran away before they were off the ice. I didn't want to see one of them get hurt."

"Hey, it's alright," Hinata whispered. She turned to face Sakura and gently reached up, touching the pinkette's cheek. Hinata wiped away the tears and smiled. "It's not your fault."

"Yes it is," Sakura cried, feeling more tears fall. "Just like how it's my fault you're like this."

"Sakura, this isn't your fault," Hinata told her. "It was an accident! It could have happened to anybody."

"But it didn't!" Sakura shouted. "It happened to you because you could see me!"

"Lady Hinata!" A voice called. Hinata turned towards the entrance to the garden and smiled at the boy standing there. "What are you doing?" he asked, walking over to them. He had long brown hair and wore a cream colored jacket and plain jeans. He had light gray, almost silver, eyes that were focused on Hinata.

"Neji-nii-san, I was just reading in the garden," Hinata told him. Neji took her free hand and led her away from Sakura.

"We must get you inside," Neji told her. "A snowstorm is supposed to be coming soon."

"Oh but Neji-nii-san, you know that snow can't touch here," Hinata scolded him. "Sakura looks after this place."

"There you go again," Neji sighed. "She doesn't exist. Now come on, we have to get you inside. And you know you aren't supposed to go anywhere without me."

"Oh Neji-nii-san, I was just in the garden," Hinata sighed.

"Orders are orders," Neji told her, taking her hand gently.

"Neji-nii-san, I'm not incapable," Hinata teased, giggling lightly.

"I know that, but your father still worries and it's my job to look after you," Neji reminded her. Their voices faded as they left the garden and entered the house. Sakura sighed and hung her head in disappointment. She looked at the garden and waved her hands. The plants grew brighter and more vibrant, despite the snow on the ground. They became stronger and stood proudly.

"Come on, you can brave this storm, I know it," Sakura whispered. "Good luck." With that she shot into the sky.

Chapter Text

"Sakura…" Bunny called, hopping into Sakura's secret garden. The place was decorated in several flowers from all across the globe. There was a waterfall that pooled into a crystal clear and pristine lake. Creatures ran around playfully, lost in their peaceful world. "Sakura!" Bunny called once more. He walked on the cool bright green grass. He heard sniffing coming from under a giant weeping willow tree. He pushed the low branches back and saw Sakura sitting in front of the tree. Her back was to Bunny but the rabbit didn't need to see her to know that she was crying. Bunny quietly hopped over to her, sitting next to her. "You visited Hinata didn't you?" Sakura took in a shuddery breath and nodded. She flung herself onto her furry guardian, crying her eyes out. "It'll be alright, it'll be alright," Bunny whispered. He stroked the pinkette's hair, trying to soothe her.

"Bunny you know why I can't be a Guardian…" Sakura gasped, feeling a new round of tears begin.

"Come on Sakura, it's just a bunch of coincidences," Bunny told her.

"No they aren't!" Sakura shouted, looking up at him. "Because of me…fifteen…fifteen children have…" she began crying once more, digging her face into Bunny's fur. "And now…Jack's made a bunch of kids believe in me."

"Oh come on, I know Frostbite's annoying and irresponsible, but he wouldn't do anything unless he knew the kids would be safe," Bunny chuckled.

"Bunny, there were six kids on an icy lake," Sakura told him. "As soon as they revealed that they could see me…the ice cracked."

"I know, I know…and the little ankle-biters are all safe," Bunny assured her.

"Yeah now, but Bunny…you know what's going to happen," Sakura whispered.

"Don't worry, I'm sure they'll be fine," Bunny sighed quietly, holding the young girl closer.

------------------------------------------------------------

"Well, how is she?" Jamie asked.

"Is Cupcake going to be okay?" Pippa questioned, her hands clasped together.

"She'll be fine, just a fever," the doctor assured them. "You kids are very lucky that she only has a fever. I don't want you going near that lake again got it. Not without adult supervision anyway."

"But we-!" Jack lightly elbowed Monty, making the boy close his mouth. "Yes sir."

"Good now I'm going to go call…uh…Cupcake's parents," the doctor told them. "You should call yours as well." The man walked away leaving the kids alone in the waiting room.

"Guys I'm really sorry," Jack whispered.

"It's not your fault Jack," Jamie told him quickly.

"Yeah, I mean, not even you knew that the ice was going to crack," Claude agreed.

"But I wonder how it cracked in the first place," Monty commented.

"What do you mean?" Caleb asked.

"Jack froze it several feet down, and then he couldn't freeze it again once it had cracked, something must have happened," Monty answered.

"Pitch…do you think he could have been behind it?" Jamie gasped.

"Hey, don't go assuming things, Pitch is gone, he disappeared with the rest of his Nightmares," Jack told them.

"That's what the other Guardians thought when they beat him in the Dark Ages," Pippa reminded him.

"Well he stayed quiet until three years ago, I think he needs a bit more time to recover," Jack told them. "But Monty might be onto something. My powers don't just stop. Not even during the summer."

"You can make it snow in the summer?" Claude asked in shock.

"Well, not really. I grow weaker the hotter it gets. I have to stay in places like the North Pole when summer comes around," Jack told them. The kids fell into silence, listening to the hospital noises around them.

"Do you think…it could have been Sakura's fault?" Jamie asked nervously.

"Why would you think that?" Pippa questioned, looking at the boy sitting next to him.

"Well, she freaked out when she knew we saw her, do you think she could have warmed the ice up when she got angry?" Jamie asked.

"Jamie, she wouldn't…" Jack trailed off, looking at a potted flower in deep thought.

"Jack?" Jamie asked. Jack stood up and picked up his staff.

"I gotta go," he told them. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Wait," Jamie hissed. He and Pippa raced to the window, opening it for the winter spirit.

"Thanks guys," Jack nodded, flying out the window, giving the room a cold chill.

"What are you doing? Close that window right now," a nurse ordered, coming up behind them and closing it.

"Sorry," the two apologized.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Sakura rubbed her eyes as she watered the flowers that had survived the snowfall.

"It's beautiful," Hinata smiled.

"Its covered in snow," Sakura commented with a smirk. "The snow destroys everything."

"Not exactly," Hinata told her. "I adore winter. Everything is so quiet. And I love to watch the snow sparkle. This garden is turned into a winter wonderland when the snow comes."

"Snow isn't going to touch this garden," Sakura hissed, waving her arms. "By tonight the snow should be gone, and the garden will truly be beautiful."

"I wish you would give the garden a break," Hinata sighed.

"Why? Don't you like it?" Sakura asked, sitting on the bench.

"I do, but won't being in constant bloom ruin the flowers?" Hinata asked.

"Yes, they are ruined," Sakura sighed. "But, I replace them quickly with something just as vibrant and beautiful, just for you."

"Oh, thank you Sakura," Hinata smiled, reaching out for Sakura's hand. The pinkette smiled and took her hand. The two sat in silence as Sakura admired the garden. "Sakura…why do you keep coming back?"

"What do you mean?" the pinkette, tilting her head in confusion.

"I mean, you feel that it's your fault I'm like this, and yet you keep coming back. Why is that?" Hinata questioned.

"I don't know," Sakura sighed.

"Sakura!" Jack called, landing in the garden.

"What do you want?" Sakura hissed.

"Sakura…is someone else here?" Hinata asked. Jack flinched at the question but sighed.

"Jack frost, he's just a pest," Sakura answered, standing up. "What do you want?"

"I just want to tell you that Cupcake's going to be okay. She only has a fever," Jack told her.

"That's good, see you didn't harm one of the kids," Hinata smiled.

"Lady Hinata!" Neji cried.

"Oops," Hinata smiled. "I have to go." She stood up and rushed inside. Sakura glared at Jack and flew into the sky. Jack flew after her.

"I just want to talk to you," Jack told her.

"About what?" Sakura asked.

"Well, for starters, you don't want children to believe in you but you'll let that girl," Jack asked in disbelief.

"I don't have to explain myself to you," Sakura snapped. Jack flew in front of her and stopped the pinkette in her tracks.

"You don't need to," Jack told her. "I know."

"Know what?" Sakura asked as she landed in front of a mountain. Vines were climbing up the sides of the mountain. The pinkette touched the vines and flowers sprung up. The vines dug into the stone walls, pulling them back. Sakura stepped through the stones and Jack chased after her, entering the secret garden.

"For starters, I know that you don't like kids to see you because you're afraid," Jack answered.

"What would I be afraid of?" Sakura scoffed, storming away from them.

"Harming them," Jack answered. Sakura froze and turned to look at him. "That's why you're afraid…isn't it." Sakura glared at him and traveled deeper into garden. Jack followed behind her, never losing sight of her. Sakura climbed up a hill and they came to another wall of vines, this one already decorated with flowers. The petals of the flowers curled up, and they slowly sunk back into the vines. The vines pulled themselves apart Sakura walked through the opening in the stone wall, barely leaving time for Jack to go through.

Jack stood in awe over the place. They were in a small cavern with the walls rising up high above their heads. Streams of water fell from the tip of the rocky cliffs. The water formed a circular river around a small hill. On the small hill was a cherry blossom tree that had red blossoms and no leaves. To the side was a small field decorated with wildflowers.

Jack silently followed Sakura to the field; Sakura sat down at the edge, looking at it. Jack noticed that there were small stones in random places of the field. He looked at Sakura who gestured to the stones.

Jack took a step forward, careful not to step on any of the wildflowers. He came up to the first stone and crouched down. There was moss and tiny flowers on the stone. Jack carefully peeled away the moss, staring at words carved into the stone. Japanese characters that he couldn't identify were carved in the stone. Underneath the words was a set of years: 1604-1610. His icy blue eyes widened and he quickly flew over to the other stones, not caring if he ruined the flowers. He ripped the moss off of each one, looking at the characters and dates.

1607-1611

1609-1612

1610-1617

1617-1625

1620-1625

1701-1710

1701-1710

1709-1714

1746-1752

1832-1838

1835-1838

1858-1863

1872-1881

1909-1919

"Fifteen…" Sakura said after Jack had looked at the last one. "I've killed fifteen children. All of them died shortly after they met me. No one wants to believe in me. Everyone here is afraid of seeing me. There's a legend that if you see the ghost of poor Sakura Haruno, you'll die." She wrapped her arms around her torso and leaned forward, crying silently. "And now they're going to die as well…those kids that were on the lake. They're all going to die."

"What about Hinata?" Jack asked angrily, turning towards her. "You don't want these kids to see her but you'll let her?"

"She's blind!" Sakura shouted at him. "She can't see me. She can't see at all…and it's all my fault!"

"Hey, I'm sure it's not your fault," Jack told her, rushing over to her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and pulled her up.

"Yes it is. She was perfectly fine until she met me. She had her whole life ahead of her," Sakura whispered, tears sliding down her face. "She loved to read and she adored writing and painting. The only thing she loved more was swimming. And that's how it happened. How she lost her sight.

"There was a swimming day for her PE class last year. She was the star of the swim team, so the teacher thought that she should do laps first, show everyone how it's 'supposed' to be done. She did four laps before she started to feel dizzy. The teacher pulled her out of the water and Hinata's skin was completely red and her eyes were burning. Turns out there were harmful chemicals in the pool. They burned her body and burned her eyes, taking away her sight.

"I tried to leave to protect her, I really did…but she wouldn't let go. She refused to let go of me. When she fell asleep I took my chance and left. I went back a week later to see if she was still alive. She knew I was there so I couldn't leave. She told me that if I left her again…she didn't know what she would do. She said that I was her only friend. I couldn't have left even if I wanted to."

"Sakura…I'm so sorry," Jack whispered, pulling her into a hug.

"Don't be…it's my fault…not yours," Sakura told him. She didn't move to accept or reject his embrace.

Chapter Text

Sakura perched in a tree watching as the kids of Burgess had a snowball fight. Jack had joined in a while ago, giving ammo to anyone that needed it, and throwing snowballs left and right. The pinkette sighed and hesitantly jumped down, approaching the fighting kids. She leaned down and scooped some snow into her hands. She stood up and threw the snowball with all her might. The projectile hit Monty in the back of his head, making him fall over.

"Nice one!" Jack cheered. The kids laughed and started throwing snowballs at the pinkette who ran behind a tree to dodge them. Jack laughed and blew some wind at the branches causing piles of snow to rain down on Sakura. The pinkette screeched in shock as the cold snow covered her. She pushed herself out of the snow and shivered.

"I hate snow…"she muttered.

"How could you possibly hate snow?" Jamie asked, running over to her.

"Because, when it's supposed to be gone, it comes back and ruins my flowers!" Sakura hissed, standing up. "Plus it's freezing!"

"Oh come on, it can't be that bad," Jack teased.

"Shush it," Sakura hissed, trudging out of the snow pile.

"You have to admit, Jack got you good," Claude laughed.

"Yeah, but why turn on me?" Sakura huffed, brushing snow off of her clothes.

"Because you finally joined in after a week of watching," Jack answered.

"Jamie! Come on! Time to go to the doctor's!" Jamie's mother shouted. Sakura flinched and took a step back.

"I'll be right there!" Jamie shouted. He turned back to his friends. "Don't worry, I'm not hurt. It's just a routine check-up. And we also want to check on my little sister, Sophie." Sakura nodded but didn't look any less nervous.

"How's…Cupcake?" the pinkette asked softly.

"She should be able to come out and play tomorrow," Caleb told her.

"That's good," Sakura nodded, gripping her arm. "I-I'm going to go!" She quickly shot into the sky, flying off.

"Why'd she leave?" Pippa asked.

"She may have just needed to see Hinata," Jack shrugged. "Or she may even be visiting the Easter Bunny."

"That reminds me, has she said 'yes' yet?" Jamie asked.

"Jamie! Hurry up!" the boy's mother shouted.

"Not yet, but she'll crack soon enough, now go," Jack told him, pushing him towards his mom.

"Coming!" Jamie shouted as he ran to the car.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Sakura crouched down, looking at the potted flower in sadness. Its stem was dropping and the flower was about to die.

"It's so sad to see you trapped like this," Sakura whispered to the flower. The door opened and the bell above it jingled, causing the newcomer to wince at the sound. She was blonde with her hair in a ponytail.

"Ino!" a woman screeched. The teen groaned and slammed the store door closed.

"Here we go," Sakura whispered to the flower. The blonde teen had muttered the same thing under her breath as she crossed her arms.

A woman appeared from the back room, glaring at Ino. "I told you to be home two hours ago!"

"Sorry, but I was hanging out with my friends," Ino muttered, storming through the aisles. She passed right through Sakura, but the pinkette didn't flinch. Sakura turned around and followed the girl, who approached her mother.

"I needed you to look after the store and you refused to do it! What is wrong with you?" her mother asked with a huff.

"I'm here now aren't I?" Ino huffed, sitting on the stool behind the counter. She dropped her bag next to the stool and took out a fashion magazine.

"That is not the point," Ino's mother told her. "The point is I had an appointment and I needed you to look after the store so I could go and now I've missed it! I have to reschedule!" Ino rolled her eyes and flipped the page in her magazine, ignoring her mother. "What's happened to you, Ino?" her mother sighed, sitting on a stool. She reached out and touched one the flowers, looking at it wistfully.

"What are you talking about now?" Ino grumbled, not looking up from her magazine.

"You used to love working in the flower shop. It was your favorite thing to do," Ino's mother sighed. "What happened to that?"

"Mom, I was seven, now I'm seventeen, things change, get over it," Ino demanded.

"I will not! I refuse to be talked to in that way!" her mother shouted. "Just for that you can forget about all your plans for the next week! I will be picking you up from school and you will be spending all your time here helping out!"

"What! Mom that is so unfair!" Ino protested. "I have a date Saturday, and I was planning on going to the mall with my friends!"

"Well you're just going to have to cancel," her mother told her. She stood up and brushed some dirt off of her apron. "You will be working here for the next week and there will be no protesting. Now water the flowers." With that the older woman left, leaving Ino alone. The blonde growled loudly and roughly took the watering can. She tipped it, allowing water to sprinkle onto the flowers as she walked by quickly.

"They'll never grow if you only give them that much water!" Sakura scolded her.

"Whatever," Ino huffed under her breath. Sakura took a step back in shock. "I could care less about what she says. It's my life and if I want to go out with my friends I will. She can't tell me what to do and how to live my life." Sakura let go of a breath of relief and continued to follow the blonde as she watered the plants.

"Ino, this flower needs more water," Sakura told her, pointing to a wilting flower. Ino put the watering can down and slid back behind the counter. Sakura rolled her eyes and bent down next to the flower, raising her hand. A blue aura surrounded the flower, causing it to perk up. The color brightened and became more vibrant. The stem, leaves, and petals grew longer, making the flower more beautiful. Sakura smiled to herself and lowered her hands. She stood up and nodded in approval. Ino ran out from behind the counter and over to the flower, standing right beside Sakura.

"How the hell did that happen?" Ino gasped, looking at the blooming flower.

"I told you it needed more water!" Sakura huffed, placing her hands on her hips. "I simply gave it more water." Ino shook her head and crossed her arms.

"That's it, not even ten minutes in here and I'm already going crazy." Ino grabbed her bag and swung it over her shoulder. She swung open the door and ran outside, leaving the pinkette alone. Sakura sighed and walked over to the shop sign, switching it to 'close'.

"I sometimes wonder what happened to the old Ino too," Sakura sighed quietly. She exited the flower shop and took off into the sky.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey Kangaroo," Jack smiled, entering the Warren.

"What do you want frostbite?" Bunny huffed. He placed an egg down and it wobbled away. Another egg jumped into his paws and he began to paint it.

"Just wondering if Sakura is here," Jack told him. "It is my job to make sure she says 'yes' to being a Guardian, remember?" Jack smirked at the anger that flashed across Bunny's face.

"I remember," Bunny growled. "And no, she isn't here. Try her garden."

"Alright, thanks," Jack nodded, flying off.

Chapter Text

Jack entered Sakura’s garden and looked around.

“Sakura! Where are you?” He shouted, scaring some of the animals. “Sorry,” he apologized, looking around. He walked over to the lake and looked up, watching the waterfall pour down. He tapped the lake with his staff, causing a thin layer of ice to appear.

“Hey!” a voice shrieked. Jack jerked his staff away and looked up, seeing Sakura swim out from behind the waterfall.

“Sorry about that,” Jack apologized. As Sakura drifted closer to him, the ice gradually melted and the water heated up, returning to its normal temperature. Jack noticed that she was wearing a thin white robe.

“What do you want?” Sakura asked, before dunking her head back underwater. Jack waited for her to head the resurface before sitting down at the edge of the lake.

“Just wanted to know what was up,” Jack shrugged. “I mean, I still have a job to do right now.”

“Right, you’re supposed to convince me to join the Guardians,” Sakura nodded in remembrance. “And just how do you plan on doing that?”

“Doing what I do best,” Jack smiled.

“And that would be…” Sakura pressed, gently swimming back towards the waterfall.

“Having fun of course,” Jack smirked. “You’re going to have so much fun with those kids that you’ll be begging to be seen by more, and protect them.”

“Yeah right,” Sakura muttered.

“I’m serious,” Jack nodded. “We all want to be seen. Even if you say you don’t you do want to be seen.”

“Bad things happen when I’m seen,” Sakura growled. “Or did you forget about the graveyard in the back of my garden?”

“Of course I haven’t forgotten,” Jack told her. “But you do want to be seen, you’re just scared.” Sakura narrowed her eyes and Jack blinked in shock as the pinkette was in front of him in a matter of seconds. Sakura gripped his neck, her nails digging into his cold skin. Beads of water dripped from her hands and onto his neck, freezing as soon as they hit the white-haired boy. Sakura pushed him back and onto the ground, her eyes growing darker the longer she looked at him.

“Let’s get one thing straight right now, frostbite,” she growled in anger. “I am not scared. I’m not scared of anything or anyone. You protect kids your way, and I’ll protect them my way, got it?”

“You are scared,” Jack whispered, grabbing her hands. The water covering Sakura’s arms and sleeves became a thin layer of ice. “You’re scared of not being able to protect those kids. And with what’s happened, it’s understandable. But avoiding your role as Guardian is not the way to do it. You’ll protect kids a lot easier if they can see you. But that will only happen if you let go of that fear!”

“I’m not afraid of kids seeing me,” Sakura shouted at him. “I just don’t want them to get hurt because they can see me! Look at all those graves, look at Cupcake! They all got hurt, and they all died because they saw me and I couldn’t protect them! The only person I’ve ever helped was the man that murdered me!” Jack blinked as a drop of water fell onto his cheek. It took him a moment to realize that it was a tear, and not the water from the lake.

“You were murdered…?” Jack whispered in shock. He reached up and placed a finger under her eyes, catching a tear. It froze when it touched his skin. He pulled his hand back and looked up at her. Sakura glared at him and pushed his head back, making it hit the ground. She stood up quickly and walked off, her wet robe changing into her pink kimono. Jack stood up and quickly followed her, rubbing his neck as he did. Since he was a spirit, Sakura didn’t harm him very much, but she did managed to leave a few marks. If he had been human, he probably would have been dead from the grip she had on his throat. Sakura walked through the vines and walked towards the red cherry blossom tree. Jack followed her, stopping at the bottom of the hill.

“This is where it happened, this is where I was killed,” Sakura told him. “My family and I lived away from the village. We had run out of supplies so my mom sent me to get some more. On my way back, I saw an injured man under the dead tree. I couldn’t help myself, I just wanted to help. So that’s what I did. I created medicine for him from herbs and some of the supplies I had picked up. I put some medicine on his wounds and wrapped it up. Out of nowhere he pulled out a knife and stabbed me in the chest.” Sakura placed a hand over her chest, remembering what it felt like to have the metal go through her body and pierce her heart.

“When I woke up, I saw the moon through the red blossoms. I became a legend amongst the villagers. The blood of a dead girl brought the tree back to life. But my blood tainted it, turning the blossoms red, and keeping any leaves from growing. After three kids died, the legend expanded, saying that if you saw the ghost of that dead girl, then you would die as well. And it was true,” Sakura sighed. “Out of sixteen kids, sixteen people that could see me, Hinata is the only one that lived. But even she paid a terrible price. The man in the moon told me who I was and that I was supposed to govern spring. What a joke. Spring is the time of rebirth, of renewal. Everything that I touch dies, the man in the moon is nothing but cruel!”

“It’s not your fault,” Jack told her.

“Yes it is!” The pinkette shouted. “Now get out! Get out of my garden and never return! I don’t want to see you ever again!”

“Fine I’ll leave,” Jack sighed. He jumped into the air and quickly flew out of the cavern. Sakura fell to her knees and her hands covered her face.

“Why…why does the man in the moon hate me?” She whispered.

----------------------------------------------------

Jack flew through the skies, his eyes narrowing in determination. He landed in Tooth’s palace and the tiny birds flew around.

“Hey guys, do you know where Tooth is?” Jack asked. Baby Tooth flew up to him and hugged his cheek quickly. “Hey Baby Tooth,” Jack greeted. Baby Tooth grabbed Jack’s hoodie and began pulling him. Jack followed her, meeting with Tooth, who was flying around frantically.

“Two molars, three bicuspids and a right incisor, sector 43!” She ordered. Several fairies flew off, following her direction.

“Hey Tooth!” Jack greeted.

“Jack!” The Guardian gasped. She flew down to her and hugged her.

“Hey, I need a favor,” Jack told her.

“What is it?” Tooth asked.

“I need the teeth of someone, Hinata Hyuuga,” Jack told her. “Something happened to her and I’m trying to figure out what exactly happened.”

“That’s so sweet Jack, but shouldn't you be focusing on Sakura?” Tooth questioned.

“I am,” Jack sighed. “Hinata is a friend of hers. Hinata could see her and then she became blind. Sakura’s convinced it’s all her fault, and I’m not. Can you please get them for me?”

“I can get them, but they’re practically useless to you,” Tooth told him. “Since they aren’t your teeth you can’t access the memories. Hinata would have to give you permission.”

“I’m sure I can get it,” Jack smirked.

“Alright, if you’re so sure,” Tooth agreed. “But first, right molar sector 3!” she shouted to a fairy. The tiny hummingbird saluted her and flew off.

Chapter Text

"Hinata?" Jack called, landing in the garden. He looked around at the frost covered flowers, seeing no one. He stepped onto the porch and looked around nervously. He glided through the hallways, a cold wind following him. Several servants shivered as he past completely unseen.

"Neji!" A voice shouted. Jack came to a stop outside a door. He gently pushed it opened and saw Hinata's cousin sitting in front of an older man. The man had long brown hair. He wore a set of winter robes. Neji had his head bowed and looking ashamed.

"I am sorry uncle," Neji apologized, leaning forward. He placed his hands on the floor and bowed his head completely.

"Sorry isn't going to bring my daughter back! I told you to never take your eyes off of her!" the man shouted.

"Please, do not worry, I will find her," Neji declared. "The guards have told me that she has not left, so she is still in this house, I am sure. I promise I will find her."

"You better," the man growled. "Now go find her!"

"Yes Lord Hiashi," Neji nodded. He stood up and raced out of the room.

"Hey, wait up!" Jack shouted, flying after him. Neji froze and turned around quickly. His eyes widened as they landed on Jack.

"Who are you?" he whispered. Jack came to a stop and landed quietly.

"You can see me?" He whispered, gripping his staff.

"Of course I can see you," Neji growled. "Now who are you? How did you get in here?"

"I flew in," Jack answered. To prove his point he reached a hand out and touched the wall. Frost spiraled from his fingertips, curling up the walls. At the same time he lifted his legs up, crossing them in midair, floating.

"I guess if you're a spirit then there's no harm in you being here," Neji muttered, before turning around.

"Wait up," Jack said, running after him. "You can see me." He repeated.

"Yes," Neji answered. "Why is that a big deal?"

"Not many people can see me," the winter spirit told him.

"I see," Neji hummed. He opened a door and looked inside before closing it and continuing on his search. "Look I really need to find someone so if you could just be on your way."

"I need to find someone too," Jack told him. "I need to find Hinata." Neji froze and turned towards Jack, glaring at him.

"And what do you want with Lady Hinata?" he growled.

"I have her teeth," Jack answered, pulling the container out of his sweatshirt pouch.

"Her teeth?" Neji repeated, taking the golden cylinder. He looked at the end which had a picture of Hinata on it.

"Yes," Jack nodded. "Those teeth hold her memories. I need her to access them so I can see the moment she went blind."

"Don't you think she's suffered enough?" Neji shouted, tossing the teeth canister aside. Jack leaped forward, catching the teeth. He turned back to Neji, finding him storming off.

"I do, but if she doesn't she may lose Sakura!" Jack shouted. Neji slowed to a stop and turned around to face him.

"Sakura? She's real?" he asked.

"Yeah," Jack nodded. "Sakura Haruno is the spirit of spring. I'm Jack Frost, the spirit of winter and Guardian of fun. I need to convince Sakura to become a Guardian, but she won't. She's convinced that if people see her then they'll die. Sixteen kids have seen her, and fifteen died."

"What happened to the sixteenth?" Neji asked nervously.

"She's your cousin. Hinata went blind, and Sakura is convinced it was her fault," Jack told him. "I need to prove that what happened to Hinata didn't happen just because Hinata could see her."

"And how are you going to do that exactly?" Neji questioned, crossing his arms.

"Hopefully if I go into Hinata's memories I can get some clue as to what really happened, and I can prove that it wasn't her fault," Jack answered.

"Why should I believe you?" Neji asked.

"You can see me, can't you?" Jack asked. "That means you believe in me."

---------------------------------------------------------------------

"Lady Hinata?" Neji called, opening a sliding door.

"Hello Neji," Hinata greeted.

"Neji," a younger girl nodded. Between the two girls was a small table with a plastic tea set. Dolls and stuffed animals were around the floor, each in a various state of dress. Hinata herself had a tiara on and a large bead necklace. The young girl, who Jack assumed to be ten, was wearing a white shirt and jeans. Over the pants was a dark purple tutu and she had a bright pink vest on, with the edges tucked into the tutu.

"Lady Hanabi, did you take your sister again?" Neji huffed.

"I wanted to play, and nobody would play with me," Hanabi huffed, crossing her arms.

"Sometimes it's hard to believe that you're really ten," Neji sighed. "You shouldn't have taken Lady Hinata without my knowing, you got me into a lot of trouble with your father."

"I know," Hanabi chuckled. She raced out of the room, running straight through Jack.

"I never liked it when kids did that," he huffed.

"Oh, Neji…you have a visitor," Hinata smiled.

"Actually, you do," Neji told her. He ushered Jack into the room and closed the doors. Jack walked over to the table and sat across from the blind girl. Neji began busying himself by cleaning up the table and putting Hanabi's toys away.

"Why can't she ever learn to pick up after herself?" He huffed.

"She's still a little kid," Hinata reminded him. "Oh, but where are my manners, what is that you need…?"

"I'm Jack Frost," the spirit started. "I don't think you'll remember me. We only met for like five seconds."

"You're the one that's trying to get Sakura to agree to become a Guardian!" Hinata gasped. "How is she? I haven't seen her for a while." Hinata then giggled. "Well, I haven't seen anything for a while, but you know what I mean."

"Yeah," Jack nodded. "She's fine. Still refuses to join, but she's fine."

"Oh, but Neji can see you, why is that?" Hinata asked. "He's so firm and uptight; I didn't think he'd believe in any of you."

"I don't know, he wouldn't answer that," Jack smirked, looking at the teen.

"Don't you have something to do?" Neji growled, dropping Hanabi's toys into a chest. Jack nodded and took out the canister of teeth.

"Hinata, I need your help with something," Jack told her.

"What is it?" the blind girl asked.

"I know it's a lot to ask of you, but I need you to use your teeth to access your memories of the day you lost your sight," Jack told her.

"Use my teeth?" Hinata repeated hesitantly.

"Yeah," Jack nodded. "The Tooth Fairy collects the teeth of children because they hold the memories of childhood. Tooth and her fairies allow people to remember these things when they need to be reminded about happy times. Your baby teeth hold all your memories, even the ones you have now."

"Why do you want to see what happened that day?" Hinata asked.

"Sakura thinks that it's her fault that you became blind, but I don't think that's true. I want to see it for myself, see if there's something to prove that it wasn't her fault," Jack explained.

"Alright," Hinata smiled. "I'll do it."

"Thank you," Jack whispered. He gently took her hand and placed it on the canister of teeth. They both took it, gripping it tightly. "Now concentrate on that time, before you entered the pool." Hinata nodded and closed her eyes, Jack did the same. He felt the world around him twist and turn violently. Images of the day flashed through his brain at fast rates. He saw Hinata wake up and go about her daily routine before heading off to school, walking there. She walked Hanabi to her school before heading off to her own. The buzz of chatting teens filled Jack's ears as the periods passed. A loud bell rang out and Jack saw everything in the indoor pool. The class was stretching, wearing identical school swimsuits. The scene spun around him and he took everything in. As if in slow motion he made eye contact with a pale skinned man with dark golden eyes. A faint splash was heard and a few moments later the class was screaming.

Jack jerked up, jumping away from the table.

"What did you see?" Hinata asked, worry lacing her voice.

"I don't know…" Jack whispered. "I saw…a…man. I think he was a spirit." He took the teeth and bowed his head. "Thank you for showing me your memory. I have to go." With a burst of wind the doors to the room slammed open and Jack flew out quickly.

"Neji…do you think Sakura will be okay?" Hinata asked.

"I'm sure she'll be fine, Lady Hinata," Neji assured her.

"Still think I'm crazy for believing in her?" Hinata asked with a smirk.

"Not the least bit," Neji replied with a smirk of his own. "Now come, we must inform your father that I have found you. And get you a leash." Hinata let out a giggle and stood up, holding out her hand. Neji took it and gently led her out of the room.

Chapter Text

"North!" Jack shouted, entering the workshop. North looked up from an ice sculpture model and smiled at the frost spirit.

"Ah Jack! How is everything?" North asked. "Have you gotten Sakura to agree?"

"Not yet," Jack told him. "Look, I need to talk to you about something."

"Sure, what is it?" North smiled, chipping away at the ice.

"Okay, so Sakura is scared of kids seeing her, and you know, she kinda has a reason. Sixteen kids have seen her and fifteen of them have died while one became blind," Jack started. "Anyway, Tooth gave me Hinata's teeth and Hinata and I went through her memories of the day she lost her sight and I…I saw something," Jack told him.

"What did you see?" the jolly man asked, looking up from his work. The winter spirit began pacing, the image still fresh in his mind.

"I don't know, I think it was a spirit, like us," Jack told him. "He has long greasy black hair and when I saw his eyes they were gold and were slit, like a snake's. When I saw him, I felt fear. I was afraid of him. And I have no clue who he even is!" Jack looked back at North, who was frozen. His eyes were wide and his mouth was open slightly. "What?" Jack asked. North stood up and walked over to Jack, gripping his shoulders.

"Jack, are you sure that this is what you saw?" The normally carefree man asked seriously. Jack nodded his head nervously. "And this man, this spirit, was his skin white? With purple markings near his eyes?"

"Yeah, that's him," Jack nodded. North pushed Jack away and ran over to his desk.

"Jack, I need you to be absolutely sure about what you saw. Are you describing him to the last detail?" North asked.

"Yes! I am! I am positive," Jack shouted. "I wouldn't be making this up!" North nodded at him and grabbed a handle on his desk. He twisted it and shoved it down. Light poured out of the top of the workshop and Jack looked at North in confusion.

"North, what's going on?" he asked.

"If what you saw is true, then Sakura may be in danger," North told him.

"Danger how?" Jack asked.

"Never mind that, I need you to get Sakura and bring her back here, now," North ordered.

"Alright, I'm going," Jack nodded flying through the work shop.

Sakura sat on a high branch of a cherry blossom tree. She was curled into a loose ball with her head buried in her arms.

"Sakura!" Jack shouted, flying towards the tree. He grabbed one of the branches and came to a harsh stop, looking at the pinkette.

"What do you want?" Sakura huffed, glaring at him.

"I need you to come with me," Jack told her.

"Why would I do that?" Sakura stood up and jumped off the tree.

"Please, you could be in danger!" Jack shouted, flying after her. "Everything will be explained at North's workshop but you have to believe me."

"Why should I? You just want to cause pain to everyone!" Sakura shouted.

"No I don't, I'm trying to protect you," Jack told her.

"Protect me? From what?" Sakura scoffed, turning her head. She gasped, seeing the shimmering lights in the sky. "What's that?"

"North, he's calling the Guardians, and it's because you're in danger," Jack told her. "Please, you have to come to the toy factory."

"Why?" Sakura asked carefully.

"Because, it involves Hinata," Jack answered, holding out his hand. Sakura's eyes widened and she looked at him in shock. "If I'm right, then the Guardians may know who poured the chemicals in the pool and blinded her."

"Really?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah, but you have to come with me," Jack told her. Sakura nodded and took his hand. "Hold on tight." He pulled her close and wrapped an arm around her waist. Sakura wrapped her arms around his neck and nodded, letting him know that she was ready.

Jack flew through an open window and landed in North's workshop.

"Finally!" Bunny shouted, jumping over to them. "What took ya so long?"

"Hey, I'm not an expert at tracking her like you are, alright!" Jack said.

"Why are we here?" Tooth asked. "And where's North?" An image of a book appeared over Sandy's head.

"Why would he need a book?" Sakura asked. Sandy shrugged and the book was replaced with a question mark.

"I have found it!" North exclaimed. He rushed into the room and gave an opened book to Jack. "Is that who you saw in Hinata's memories?"

"Yeah, no doubt," Jack said. "Freaky guy. Hard to forget what he looks like."

"What who looks like?" Sakura shouted. "If this is about Hinata then I demand to know what's going on!"

"Hinata may have been attacked," North said. "Jack and Hinata went into her memories and Jack saw a man. His name is Orochimaru."

"Sakura, does that name ring any bells?" Bunny asked.

"No, none," Sakura answered. Sand swirled around the office and Sandy set to work creating a replica of the man.

"Orochimaru is the King of Fears. Unlike Pitch he can turn your nightmares into reality. And unlike us, you don't need to believe in him to see him. He can control who sees him and who doesn't. He has tormented children for centuries, even longer than Pitch has," North said.

The replica was finished, showing Orochimaru. Sakura stared at the sand replica.

"Is something wrong?" Jack asked. Without warning Sakura ripped Jack's staff out of his hand. With a battle cry she swung it, cutting the sand sculpture in half. She continued swinging at it, screaming in anger.

"Sakura!" Bunny leaped forward and tried to grab her. Sakura flipped out of his reach and landed, glaring at the pile of sand.

"You bastard! You'll pay for what you did to them! You'll pay for it!" Sakura shouted.

"I'm guessing she knows him." Jack stared at the enraged spirit in shock.