Inspired by Snowstorm of Secrets by Greeks vs Geeks.
Disclaimer: noun. a statement that denies something, especially responsibility; (in law) an act of repudiating another's claim or renouncing one's own
Jack Frost lay at the top of a lamp post, watching children run around, playing fruits basket.
"Hi!" One waved at him with the excitement you'd expect to find in a sugar-filled ten-year-old.
Jack felt a warmth he'd been getting used to over the last three years take him over; the feeling of being believed in and knowing you could touch someone, play with them, have fun! He waved back just as enthusiastically, despite the fact he was actually seventeen, physically (three-hundred-three, mentally) and definitely not sugar-high.
However, being the Guardian of Fun and Joy gave him more than enough energy to run around the world and play with the new believers he continued to gain. The energy left over was spent making it snow, wherever and whenever he felt like it.
Or, was it the other way around?
Jack forgot about the faint -almost silent- question and flew off his post to provide the children with snowballs. This would sadly be Japan's last snowfall of the year.
After this, he could only be expected to mess around with the Groundhog (because how else are you going to make sure his shadow remains invisible or not, depending on your mood?) before taking his well-deserved break. That is to say, it would no longer be winter on this side of the hemisphere and both spring and fall would take over.
"Damn it! It's autumn, you dolts!"
Jack stopped his scampering around the shores of Australia, pausing to look around for the voice he'd heard in a relatively not-Australian accent. A platypus nearby moved away.
Jack stared at the creature before shaking his head. What had he been thinking about again?
He would have sought after more answers if he hadn't spotted a rather furry, fluffy looking kangaroo looking through bushes. Oh, wait. It was a bunny! What had he been thinking?
"Bunny," Jack made his way to the pooka, twirling on his crook to add on to his entrance.
Said extraterrestrial being turned around, and scowled in feigned annoyance.
"What are you doin' here?"
"I'm hurt. It's still winter and my favorite pooka didn't know? I see you don't actually care after all."
That was a very big, very obvious lie. Saying any of the Guardians didn't care about him (North, Tooth, Sandy, as well as Bunny) was like saying he hadn't been avoiding them for three years since he became a Guardian.
That being said, it was probably Jack who seemed to not care, but in all actuality he did. Very much. Three-hundred years had been spent searching for a family, but once he'd found one...
He pushed them away.
That didn't mean they weren't still trying, of course. Strange how Jack thought he'd be the guy who practically pushed the Guardians together to spend "family time" together, yet he was the one running away every chance he had.
He could still remember the first time it'd happened:
Cozy, warm, sitting on a very comfy chair with the Guardians surrounding him. Only three days ago had he left the children of Burgess back home - with assurances from Phil and company that they'd made it back home safe and happy - and North had already taken to calling them a family.
He practically harassed them into attending a dinner at the Pole, glad to provide the eggnog and cookies.
Jack spent his time learning about the Guardians, as well as tasting a few delicacies the Yetis had made. He chose not to touch too many of the ones the elves baked.
His chair had been the furthest from the fire, Bunny's being the closest. Jack didn't complain, knowing Bunny would if he were kept away from any warmth possible.
He could ask questions, drink, and eat as much as he wished!
Then came the question.
"What about you, Jack?" Asked Toothiana, her kind voice matching her beautiful appearance.
It wasn't a bad question. Not particularly personal either. Open to any answer. He could have given them answers from what he did in the evening to how his sleep schedule worked. Heck, he could have just said he was seventeen and left it at that!
But something in Jack panicked. Terror made him recoil internally, but to the Guardians it couldn't have been more than a three-second moment of hesitation.
Jack excused himself and left with a polite "thank you" and "See ya when I see ya!"
Avoiding them became standard. Sandy was easiest; he could pretend he couldn't understand any of the questions the Sandman was trying to give him, though they became more obvious by the second.
Tooth was always busy, but distracting her with a smile always worked when she wasn't.
North liked to give hints. Instead of directly asking Jack about his family, past, and hobbies, he'd tell him his before pausing to let Jack join in on the storytelling, or put in a comment here and there. Jack pretended not to notice and left without having given a single piece of information to the former bandit.
And then there was Bunnymund.
Bunnymund was a case he'd rather not discuss with anyone. Ever. Space pookas were scary, and the feelings Jack held for his heroes tended to make him bad company. It was especially bad for Bunny, as he had many points to make fun of such as his accent, appearance, and holiday.
But, Jack would rather point those out rather than the fact that, well, Bunnymund was a giant space bunny, and Jack was a living human corpse! Not exactly a good relationship starter; but if he recalled correctly, a leaf and a flame didn't actually make a good combo, yet-
"Jack! I said 'hey' ya drongo!"
What had he been thinking of? Oh, that's right! Bunny!
"Bunny! What are you doing here!? Isn't Easter in like..erm..."
"A month, exactly."
"That. What are you doing out, 'roo? Lost an egg?" Jack began walking around, sweeping bushes with his crook and pretending to look for the presumed egg.
"No. I was actually looking for a certain platypus. It somehow manages to sneak into my warren an-"
Jack leapt with glee and laughed. "A platypus!? You mean that one?" He pointed at the same platypus he'd seen when he landed on Australia after...why'd he stopped? It was supposed to be a one-stop trip to the south pole and play with penguins. They were lovable if you could take the cold just as Jack did.
"Bloody- Oi! Come here ya hoon!"
The fairly innocent platypus began to move away, and Jack took the chance to float off to Antarctica. Unfortunately, Bunny decided to catch a glance of the sudden wave of light that probably didn't belong above Australia.
"'ey! That North."
Jack was fairly aware of the lights being North's. North had become more lenient when using the Aurora to communicate with the Guardians. Now, he used it every other month to invite them to dinner parties and such.
Of course, Jack avoided all of them after the first six times, only passing by North's window to check if Bunny's scowl was serious or annoyed.
Bunny clicked his tongue. "At least he remembered to schedule it long before Easter," he said, still disapproving but slightly less than he would have had Easter been closer than a month away. Say, three days and one villain away.
"Well, I've gotta-"
"Oh no, you don't," Aster grabbed the forever-seventeen-year old's ankle and dragged him through the air. Jack bit his lip but didn't kick. "You've been avoiding us for a while now, mate, and I'm not standing for it. It won't hurt to lob in for a minute, now will it?"
Yep. This was the Bunny-way. Jack had to actually play hide-and-seek with the pooka every now and then.
Never. Play hide-and-seek. With the expert.
Bunny never found him. It was still annoying to avoid places when he had to make it snow. Well, he didn't have to, but Wind ushered him there and he started to itch when the ground wasn't covered with snow or the car windows with frost.
At least Baby Tooth wasn't strong enough to actually drag him to the Tooth Palace.
And Phil simply didn't like playing hide-and-seek.
"Aw! Come on Bunny! It's probably just another party or something!"
"How would you know that? You've missed out on every meeting we've had since year one! You're coming with me, mate. Like it, or not."
Without the slightest hesitation, Bunny thumped his foot on the ground and jumped in through the tunnel.
Left behind was an aster and a snowdrop. Neither meant to be there, nor together, but both entangled and at full bloom.
North's place was somehow anti-Bunnymund. It deflected any sort of tunnel Bunny made and kept it at "arm's length". For that reason, Bunny and Jack appeared about two kilometers away from North's, with a weak breeze blowing air at them.
Never one to mask Jack's emotions, the Wind made it clear the teenager was upset by blowing a stronger breeze directly at the extraterrestrial.
Jack could have called it off if he wanted to, but that wouldn't have felt as satisfying as watching Bunny wriggle and shiver, complaining about his cold feet.
No mercy!
"Jack! You're here!" Tooth greeted them as they entered the front door - he still felt shivers of excitement whenever he realized he could finally come through the front door. Jack recoiled as she closed in for a hug, but accepted it graciously.
Strange. A few weeks ago he would have shrugged it off discreetly, but suddenly he found himself leaning in towards her touch.
"Ahem," Bunny had a raised a brow in annoyance. Jack stepped away awkwardly, giving them both a sheepish smile. Some of the mini-tooth fairies took the moment to fawn over Jack's teeth as Tooth and Bunny exchanged their hellos.
Sandy came not a second too late to save Jack the humiliation of getting his mouth violated by tooth fairies, waving his hand in greetings and letting dust flow around the three. Jack touched one of the strands, and watched, amused, as a crab hopped out to play with his fingers.
The crab's big claw nibbled on his hand, before changing form; he watched in amazement as the crab became eight figures, all distinct and strangers. None familiar yet-
"JACK! YOU CAME!" North's loud voice snapped Jack out of his train of thought. The figures on his hand disappeared, giving him one last glance and flying of in different directions before dissipating into thin air. "WELCOME FRIENDS!"
"North. This better be good." Bunny glared at the Russian.
"Ah, yes. Right right. We have...VISITOR!"
Silence. North stood in front of them, his arms wide open as if saying 'ta-da!'
"That's it," Bunny pulled up his imaginary sleeves and stepped forward. "North, I swear, if it's just your 'Mum' again, I will-"
"I am not his mother."
The female voice came from behind North. He stepped aside to reveal a small Japanese woman in a white yukata. Her feet were not touching the floor and her black hair almost reached her knees.
"I am Yuki-Onna," she introduced herself, flowing with the wind towards them. Her hair strayed behind like a cape made of silk. "I have come for Jack Frost."
Jack stared at her.
They all stared at her, but the four older Guardians had confusion written in their faces. Jack's expression could have only been described as earnest nostalgia and longing.
Longing? Longing for what?
"Jack, do you know her?" Tooth asked.
Jack shook his head. "Never met her in my life."
"Right," Bunny drawled, stepping forward. "So who are ya?"
Yuki-Onna glared at the pooka. "I don't take to repeating myself, Bunnymund. My name is Yuki-Onna."
"I don't know any Yukis, sorry," Jack said, taking a step back. "But you seem to know me. So, what's up?" His voice was slack, but he maintained his stance straight and ready to fly. Not obvious to many; his posture was usually as such.
"There is no need to run from me, Jack," she said, closing in slowly. A small twitch informed him she was quite ready for whatever escape plan he had planned.
Jack leaned on his staff, narrowing his eyes. This lady...was he seeing through her? Across the room there was a table with a vase and an elf munching cookies, which he could translucently see through her torso.
"Jack?" North broke the small silence Jack had become accustomed to.
Jack, whose mind had suddenly gone blank, jumped and almost dropped his staff. He caught it and grinned sheepishly, twirling it around to show he had complete control of the situation.
The Guardians didn't seem to think he did.
Yuki-Onna's lips twitched in amusement.
"Well," Jack finally took the initiative to break the silence, "Forgive me ma'am but I can't help you with...whatever it is you want with me." He paused to revise his sentence. Since when was he so polite? Why, he'd made sure to get rid of those nasty things called manners a little less than a century ago!
Yuki-Onna's lips twitched into what might have been her biggest smile yet, which still wasn't very big.
The Guardians looked between the two, both curious and worried.
Yuki-Onna looked out one of the workshop's windows. A breeze passed and snow began to form small tornadoes that could barely compare to the fun storms Jack loved; like leaves in a breeze...or cherry blossoms...sparks of a roaring fire...
"It's time, Jack."
Jack was snapped out of his thoughts. "Huh?"
"Only an hour left. Forgive me, but it's time to...time to leave..."
A wave of nostalgia seemed to pass over her, but she recovered from her hesitation as expected from a ghost. Wait...ghost? That made sense, but-
"Wait! WhooooaaaAAAAAaaaaaaaa!"
The window burst open and the snowstorm that had formed outside came in to temporarily blind the Guardians. By the time it cleared, Jack had been kidnapped with only the open window to use as a clue.
All of three seconds passed before North began shouting orders and requesting the sleigh.
"What are we waiting for!? We have to save Jack!"
Immediately, the Guardians rushed to the sleigh. For once, Bunny didn't complain.
Much.
"WHOA! Whoa whoa whoa whoa! Where are you taking me lady!?"
"I'm not doing anything. The Wind is-"
"No! Don't blame this on her! Him. I don't know! This is all you! What are you going to do to me?" He clutched his staff, ready to wield it in a fight, if necessary.
"It's true, Jack," she said. "It was your request, if I recall correctly. Wind is allowed to drag you. I am allowed to 'pull your hair out' if you don't come willingly. Of course, I hope it doesn't have to come to that."
"What!? Why would I ever request a ghost to kidnap me? If I had Stockholm syndrome, I'm sure Pitch would have had more fun than he did!"
The spirit paused, before approaching Jack. Her expression seemed worried, though not much had changed. Not a single crease of the brow or wrinkle to imply she cared. Her lips had barely twinged.
"Pitch Black? What does he have to do with you?" Even her voice was even.
"Aw, you care," he drawled sarcastically, still struggling to figure out a way out of Wind's "arms".
This time, she did seem to frown a little. "Of course I do. We're…" The breeze changed directions and swept her hair. "…Forty-five minutes away, Jack. Soon."
Jack gulped.
"Do you see them!?" Bunnymund yelled, clutching the seat with tooth and claw.
Sandy pulled out a golden telescope, searching the skies. He began "sounding" an alarm as soon as he spotted a struggling figure followed by a calmer one.
"He found them," Tooth announced. She pointed in the same direction as Sandy did.
"Full speed ahead! On Dasher, on Comet, on...er...all you reindeer!"
How had this escalated so quickly?
"What are ya on about! Just get going- oh!" The poor pooka continued to cling to the seat as North shot off toward the small dots heading South to a hidden place where both clouds and earth touched and seasons blended.
(Not that they'd know that)
Or not. First, a pit stop. "We must change your clothes," Yuki-Onna said, clear distaste showing as she eyed his outfit.
"I resent that! This was popular when I found it."
"Stolen? You never were one to do so, Jack."
"No! It...It came in a box. It said 'Frost' and was abandoned in the middle of Burgess' woods. I...assumed it was mine..." He cringed at the implication of thievery. He had no trouble with it, but the box he had gotten had obviously been a gift. He had wondered if he had been stealing a small joy from someone at the time, but the "Frost" clearly displayed on the box had made him feel a little joy himself.
"It was," she assured him.
"That was you?"
Yuki-Onna shook her head. Before he could speak again, she pointed to something underneath them.
Some place underneath them.
No, wrong again. Some palace underneath them!
They closing in on what seemed to be an ice palace made of, well, ice! Jack's eyes widened in awe at the sight in front of him.
"Are we going in there!?"
Yuki-Onna nodded, a clear (not) smirk on her lips. Jack had a feeling she was actually more puckish than she let on. Just as deadly, but more mischievous...
The thought made him smile.
"Are you ready to put on your crown, Prince?"
Wait. "What!?"
They'd lost him and Yuki-Onna. A thick fog had ominously rolled over the second they reached a certain barrier, making it impossible to follow. North had been forced to pull over after avoiding a large stack of ice by the skin of their teeth.
"What now!?" Aster growled, shaking his boomerang as he carped. "Your sleigh's a death trap in this place, not that it's any different from the regular, Jack has been kidnapped, and I can't seem to get a tunnel open!" He thumped his foot on the ground twice to make a point, not doing much, but shake some of the snow.
His feet were cold!
"I think we should worry more about the fact we can't see, Bunny. What if someone attacks?" Said Tooth.
"Then we'll be ready," North barked. Nobody could see much other than Sandy, but the sharp sound his swords made as he drew them out was enough.
Jack continued to stare at his reflection, even as Yuki-Onna entered "his bedroom" and stood at the door, waiting patiently.
The second the strange maids had stopped harassing him into clothes, they pushed him in front of the mirror and left with a smile on their faces.
One had actually said, "Welcome," and bowed!
"Prince," he said, looking for any resemblance his reflection had to Jack Frost. The snow white hair was there, and so were the clear eyes with snowflakes in them. His hair was neat and sturdy under the crown they'd forced him in.
Crown...
He also had a cape, violet; the color of royalty. His suit was blue, no tie and no frills. It belonged to another age entirely, but seemed rather well-kept. Unused, almost.
Standing straight, Jack avoided flying and took a few steps back. Prince, indeed.
Jack Frost was no prince.
He frowned. "I don't like it," he scowled.
"You don't," Yuki-Onna agreed. There was no question about it, and she'd already known he wouldn't like it.
"Why do I have to wear it, then?" He wanted to take off the suit and crown - maybe keep the cape, because children loved a superhero - but retained himself.
She glanced outside. "Twenty-eight minutes. We must be leaving."
"What if I don't want to," he said, backing up. How exactly had he gotten himself in this situation? Where had his fight gone? Wind had...picked him up! He fought!
Then he didn't.
"Why should I be listening to anything you have to say? I don't know you, and I'm afraid I don't want to eith-AHH! Wind, put me down!"
He continued to struggle, but he was, yet again, dragged away.
"You don't mean that," Yuki-Onna caught up to him. He gave up, knowing the Wind wouldn't let go.
"Of course I mean that!" Mostly. Kind of.
"Twenty-five minutes, Jack. The moment the timer strikes zero, you'll beg for my forgiveness," she (kind of) smirked.
"Why are you so happy about that?" He glared at her, completely forgetting he was being kidnapped.
At some point, following her became his own choice, whether he knew it or not.
Behind them, the Guardians rushed to the sleigh. Sandy had suddenly spotted the two spirits and jumped. It took a while, but he was finally noticed when he threw a snowball at North.
"Finally," Bunny muttered, "My feet were getting cold."
The chase was on yet again.
Twenty minutes left, and counting.
"What is that?" Jack asked, amazed. A single piece of land that seemed to extend forever. Yet it was well hidden away from...everyone. It was but an island full of trees and a - pretty large - house.
Not very amazing, except for the fact that many of the trees and plants surrounding the house weren't indigenous to the region, nor were they meant to be grown in the same climate. There were cherry blossoms at full bloom with neighboring trees that had yellow leaves falling off! Cacti surrounded tropical trees and vice versa.
It was snowing in a clear meadow surrounded by lilacs and apple trees...
"This is not possible," he informed Yuki-Onna, shaking his head at the audacity of the island. How dare it have every season intermingle and still look beautiful? It was comfortable and almost saddened him.
He supposes it should have been disturbing...
"Mother Nature rather favors the conditions she lives in," Yuki-Onna responded.
"Mother- What!? I thought Mother Nature wasn't real!"
Yuki-Onna looked on ahead, not bothered by his lack of knowledge. "Most use her as a metaphor, just as they use Father Time, Old Man Winter and...you."
Jack flinched. Yeah, he was being a jerk. He, most of all, should have known that being real was not based on simple belief.
Hey! He was the one getting kidnapped!
A dull ache that he'd noticed as Yuki-Onna's lackeys had attacked his head with the crown became conspicuously more pronounced.
"Ow," he flinched, but never stopped following the spirit. What gives? I thought spirits didn't get headaches. Tooth was living proof of that.
By the time they landed in the colorful garden of Mother Nature's home, the pain had...become painful.
Jack let Yuki-Onna lead him to a side of the door with no plant-life to sit. He collapsed before reaching it. The pounding increased in rhythm and potency.
At some point, the world disappeared. Then, the dreams began.
First came a familiar face. Yuki-Onna- no. Just Yuki. The small details he noticed and the good moments they'd shared. Not today.
Next, came a familiar face. A boy, younger than him by a year, but taller by five inches. The outfit he wore either hid his body entirely or revealed more than polite company would dictate, but it was always perfect for travel. A paint brush in his hand made it clear what he loved to do most. Mason.
Two girls. Both familiar faces.
The blonde girl covered in flowers was the youngest. She was petite and loved gardening. Of course she did. She was obedient and a princess...May.
The other girl was native to what used to be a Tupi tribe's land, but was now Brazil. She was by far the oldest, mentally, though two years younger than Jack, physically. A fierce warrior, and a seductress that would make anyone want her if she cared enough. Jaci.
More familiar faces. An elf, a garden gnome, the most annoying firefly- no, faerie! Pritt, Bob, Serene!
Looking at himself in the mirror two-hundred years ago. Prince- no, Shepard. Both.
Meeting his brother and sisters.
A stone with a snowflake and an oath.
"The Battle of Languages!"
Campfires.
Pranks.
Snowdrops.
His family!
He had to find Mother! He had to find her and give her a hug! He was back! He was Jack Frost again! Prince of- why is it so dark?
The comfortable heat of a faraway-fire touched him. His eyes were closed, but his ears were open to an ongoing fight. When…
Jaci was fighting! His eyes opened and he was by her side in less than a second, just in time to freeze a boomerang headed her way.
"Since when's your hair blonde, Jace?" He asked, picking up the now harmless weapon.
"Jack!" Glee in her voice, despite the fact she was supposed to be in combat. Who was she fighting anyway, and why had they dared to throw a weapon at Jaci? They must be an idiot, because no one could take her on, and if they could, neither Jack nor the other Seasons would let them off easy.
He turned around with a scowl on his face, ready to run his mouth against the enemy threatening his sister.
The scowl dropped right off his face and he gaped. It was a giant kangaroo, a bird-lady, the golden Sandman, and a broad guy with swords.
The next instant, he recognized them as the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, Sandman and Santa Clause.
The next, he renamed them Bunny, Tooth, Sandy and North.
Jack recoiled, dropping his staff and Bunny's boomerang. They landed on the ground, and he followed soon after, landing lightly on his feet.
He'd been about to attack the Guardians. His family- But they weren't his family! His family was behind him, waiting for his return after one-hundred long years!
The Guardians were just...he was a Guardian. Holy- He was a Guardian!
The last instant was spent remembering the past one-hundred-three years, including his adventures one Easter season, along with the memories of when he was alive and human.
Oh boy. He had to sit down.
Jack did just that, and immediately, thirteen voices closed in to check on him. Jack wished he could faint.
But he couldn't.
Behind him was his family; Mother, Mason, May, Jaci, Serene, Bob, Pritt, and Yuki-Onna.
In front of him was…his family? Bunny, North, Sandy, and Tooth.
MiM was not here,and turning to him was not going to be a possibility. What did he use to do when he was confronted by a problem? Before he had forgotten, that is.
It struck him so hard, it was strange to think he'd ever forgotten! "Mother," he almost whimpered. He sounded so stupidly childish and weak, but right now, he was a child compared to them all, and he was weak. He was also scared for the first time in a few years. Or had it been a few decades? No wait, that had been before the Guardians, but... What year was it again?
"Jack," Mother Nature's sweet calm voice reached his ears and he bit his lip to avoid crying. One hundred goddamn years. He thought he'd been alone for one-hundred- no, three-hundred years when he could have had this all along. His family...
"Jack," Bunny said, breaking the peaceful moment. Jack almost felt like yelling at him. His voice was so profound, deep and definitely not calming. His brother and sisters knew he'd want peace, so they'd speak like Mother if at all.
Bunny didn't know what he was going through, though. He shouldn't blame the pooka.
"Hey Bunny," Jack grinned weakly, slumping slightly.
"Jack, are you okay?" Tooth flew forward with a worried look on her face. She looked ready to battle, but willing to stay down to check on the winter seasonal.
Seasonal...
Prince, Shepard, Guardian.
"Mother," he ignored the Guardians because , gods, he had every right after what he'd gone through! This was his first time! "Can we go inside?" But because he wasn't a total jerk, he also said, "with them too," referring to the group of four intruders.
He didn't look, but he knew she'd nodded. The seasonals walked inside, surrounding Jack protectively. He heard Mother's faint voice invite the Guardians in before collapsing again in his chair, laying his head down, and going to sleep. This was exhausting.
The Guardians saw the island before they re-found the two spirits. To say they were astounded was an understatement.
"This is not possible," North muttered, loud enough for the rest to hear him. He was always loud enough.
"No, it's not," Bunnymund agreed, scowling. Where was Jack anyway?
It took them a moment, but they finally spotted the two figures. Jack fell over.
Maybe it happened just as fast as it seemed to, or maybe they had skipped the crash-landing entirely because one second they'd been close to the island, the next they were on it with their weapons raised to Yuki-Onna.
Obviously, they hadn't been stealthy enough. Maybe not at all. Yuki-Onna didn't hesitate to throw a flurry of violent snow at them, freezing Bunny to the core with her glare.
Silently, she'd been counting down to the last second for the inevitable.
Jack screamed.
It was a blood-curling scream that Bunny would forever remember. It chilled his blood to the bone and then more, overlapping the pain it caused his ears.
"Jack!"
Swords, a whip, fluttering wings and Bunny's infuriated growl resounded above the snowstorm.
The door behind Yuki-Onna - from the house behind her - slammed open loudly. Out came a blonde sheila with furious passion. She searched the garden for a second -it was now covered in snow - but stopped once she noticed the stand-off between the Guardians and Yuki-Onna.
"What are you doing here," she hissed, flaming mad. Jack's scream had subsided long ago, but the blood going to Aster's head made sure to not let him forget what it sounded like.
"What are you doing to Jack?!" North, spokesperson as always, replied. Jolly was just as angry as Aster, maybe more.
Probably not more.
Jack's figure had long gone still. He didn't seem to be breathing, which scared Aster more than it should have. Jack looked so weak, limp and pale. Of course, he was always pale, but now he looked like death.
Aster growled. "Answer the question sheila!"
The blonde teenager narrowed her eyes dangerously. It struck Aster that he may have made a mistake by speaking to her so impetuously.
But dammit, they'd made a mistake by kidnapping Jack!
"I don't know who you think you are," she said, slowly and threatening. The words almost burned, "But I know you don't stand a chance against us. If you leave now, I may go easy on you."
The spear by her side pointed to him. Him specifically, Aster.
She didn't know who she was dealing with.
(He didn't know who he was dealing with.)
Aster jumped forward just as the girl lifted her spear.
"Jaci, don't!"
"Jace!"
"There's Jack!"
Ignoring the voices calling out to the sheila and Jack, they pounced each other. Blow after blow was traded, all at full force but none enough to take the other one down.
"Bunny!" Vines lifted off the ground before North and Tooth could approach the fight. They were trapped.
Sandy made to move as well, but was stopped in advanced by a boy who held the Guardian with the most apologetic look he could muster. "Sorry little dude, I can't let you do that." Of course, Sandy tried to throw sand, but the wind (or rather, the Wind) carried it away.
It was just the girl and Aster now.
She managed a cut. It burned into his skin like oil on a flame. He grit his teeth and growled. Quickening his own moves, he managed a hit on her back.
A fire erupted around them, tearing through grass and bushes, forming a barrier around them.
Aster pushed away from her, keeping well away from the dangerous flames. He threw his boomerang.
It froze in midair.
Bunny's step stuttered.
Bunny stuttered.
Even the sheila stuttered, which was worrying.
"Since when's your hair blonde, Jace?" Jack, fully recovered from whatever they'd done to him flew between them.
To protect her.
The boy didn't look at him, instead choosing to pick up the frozen boomerang.
"Jack!" Sheila seemed happy.
Jack was scowling when he turned to face the now released Guardians.
Then he was surprised.
Confused.
Distraught.
Finally, he dropped the items and fell to the ground, buckling his knees and collapsing into a sitting position.
To Aster's surprise, it wasn't only the Guardians who stepped forward to offer their help. The other spirits, along with the smaller ones, yelped and moved forward. Or, at least Sandy moved along with the boy. Tooth and North struggled awhile to rip the vines away, but eventually came as well.
Aster glared at the other group. They'd done this to him! What gave them the right to worry!? As a matter of fact, why were they worried?
"Mother," Jack whimpered. Bunny recoiled. Jack looked, sounded, so meek. It tugged at his heart.
"Jack," answered a woman with long black hair, shorter than Yuki-Onna's. Her tone was soft and...loving. Invisible tears pricked Jack's eyes, probably only visible to Aster's eyes. (They weren't)
"Jack," Aster said. Even if no one else could see the invisible tears, he was obviously upset. Terrified.
"Hey Bunny," Jack managed a weak grimace, which Bunny assumed was supposed to have been a smile.
"Jack," Tooth flew forward, "Are you okay?"
Jack paused. He was not.
"Mother," he said instead, "Can we go inside?…them too?"
The woman he called "Mother" nodded and the other spirits led him inside. The Guardians looked on as their youngest member let himself be accompanied by complete strangers. Or, what they assumed were strangers.
"Do come in," "Mother" offered politely. "We have answers to the questions you're most likely asking yourselves now."
Asking questions? Aster supposes he had a few.
Why was Jack kidnapped?
Why did Jack call her "mother"?
Who were these people to Jack?
Who was Jack?
Bunny doubted they could answer the last one. No one could. Jack never let people know enough to answer that question accurately.
North accepted the invitation and the Guardians were led to a long meeting room, where Jack Frost had taken a seat and begun to sleep.
Jack woke up like he always did. He took a deep breath and held still, continuing the process of breathing automatically from there on. Did he stop breathing when he slept? Maybe. It felt like he'd just recovered from drowning every time he awoke, and he'd rather be safe than sorry.
Maybe it was because he knew what that felt like. Sure, the first time he'd woken up to view the world under a full moon, he'd had a whole levitation act and an encore where he discovered flying and frost, but he woke up just like that. Taking in a breath of much-needed air.
He missed his little sister...
Speak of the devil, he thought, listening to May and Jaci's hushed tones chastising Mason for...being too friendly with the Easter Bunny? Bunnymund? His Bunny?
Oh, right.
Seasons had a foreplay in death, just as they had in life. Death, a being Jack hated with a passion, but respected just as much, didn't actually appear before everyone that died. Neither was he always the reason they died - of course, that was obvious, but we're speaking of supernatural causes here.
Sometimes, many times too often, Death needed help. Only responsible beings, absolutely trustworthy and compassionate spirits could be allowed to hold such power. The power to kill.
There was a quota, a limit and then the spirit was free of the terrible act.
Jack's not ashamed of it. He's got death upon death on his hands, or at least some of his "minions" - as he enjoys calling his Winter community - do. He, personally, has only ever killed a dog and two adults. He cried with the dog...
But of course, it's not enforced upon the poor spirit to kill. It's not kill or be killed. There is, however, a punishment. Befitting of such an important being but terrible enough to teach a lesson. There's no actual lesson, but the punishment is still something no one looks forward to.
A century of loss. Loss of what? It always depended. It depended on on what the seasonal treasured most, his most precious.
Jack should have realized that what he would lose would be more than his staff. It had been his family. The seasonals, along with any memories he held of them.
Getting kicked out of the Seasonal Council for a century and losing all contact with the world he loved so much. It was a special and old spell that few spirits knew.
He'd asked for it, yeah, but it hurt so much. Being alone for three centuries and then suffering due to his lack of contact with people. He hadn't known how to act, had become shy, had run away from any affection he'd thought to be alien.
Then he remembered and he was Jack again. Just like that.
He was a seasonal again, or would be once he re-took his initiation oath. The bonus was: he was also a Guardian now.
The devil appeared again, in the form of Bunny's voice. "So you're the bloke who wants to challenge my art? I think our styles may be a little too different, mate." And, obviously, Aster thought himself to be more superior.
The headache was long gone. The fear quenched. He was fine. He's Jack freakin' Frost, of course he was fine.
And Mother, who can actually respond, is right there, in case something goes wrong. Yuki is there, in case something goes terribly.
Oh, he still had to beg for her forgiveness.
The time-lines in his head were still confusing him a bit, but he was safe and he was Jack. Before remembering, he had been...that Jack. Now he was Jack. "Snowdrop". Prince of Mischief and Shepard of Winter. Now, Guardian of Fun.
He peeked out of his arms, hiding his eyes behind his hair. Mason was sitting right in front of him, his usual seat. Beside him was May, and in front of her - in the seat next to Jack - was Jaci. Jaci usually sat two seats away, but it shouldn't surprise him that she'd want to be closer to him.
The surprising part was that May and Mason were on the other side of the table.
Bunny was next to May, at the edge of the table. Beside Jaci was probably Tooth. Sandy was on the other side of Mason, and North was next to him. On the last seat of that side of the table was Pritt. He was standing on the seat, lollygagging as always.
Serene was flying around in a frenzy, but her chair was probably the one at the very edge, parallel to Mother Nature's. Next to Jack was - obviously - Yuki-Onna. Next to her was Bob. A bad combination on a good day, but Jack couldn't care less.
Unless Yuki tried to kill Bob again. After all, there were only two chairs separating them.
Okay, time to wake up, he thought, because it was honestly getting very boring. Serene's frenzy had gotten old fast, and as much as he wanted to see Bunny and Mason go at it, he had some explaining to do.
He was always up to tell a good story anyway, and his story was pretty interesting if he did say so himself.
Before he could give himself away, Sandy did. The Sandman pointed at him exuberantly, and sand touched his fingers to turn into a shark. Said shark was enough to make Jack laugh.
"Okay, I'm awake," he chuckled, petting his personal miniature Megalodon. Oh, what he wouldn't give for one of those.
"Jack!" Eight voices!
"That's my name," he grinned.
"What going on?" Bunny demanded. Straight to the point then. Was the word "preamble" still use-worthy in this century? Jack's time-lines weren't sorting themselves out anytime soon. He felt really old all of a sudden.
Jack took a deep breath. What could he say? Most seasonal business wasn't exactly a secret. Just...private. Old news that no one bothered with. But, the Guardians weren't supposed to be here in the first place.
"You trespassed private property," he finally answered. True, safe and Bunny's irritated expression was worth it.
"We know that," Bunny said with clenched teeth. "What we want to know is why we had to in the first place."
"You didn't have to."
"You were kidnapped by a random ghost who you claimed not to know. You were screaming for her to let you go!" Bunny growled. Jack cringed.
"I wouldn't say screaming, as much as yelling. Manly, ya know."
"You were screaming." The teenagers giggled.
"Bunny," Tooth exclaimed before Jack could say something stupid. "Maybe we should let Jack explain." She turned to said boy expectantly.
"Then tell him to stop being cryptic!"
Jack huffed. "I'm a seasonal spirit!"
Silence.
"What does that mean?" Tooth asked.
"That I can control weather and its outcomes. Well, I control more than that, but being a seasonal spirit is usually more specific...what you guys want to know is why I was kidnapped. Well, I'm...wow this is awkward. It's like one of those moments where you find out your friend has actually been a prince this whole time and you just found out. You know-"
"You're rambling, Jack."
"I'm the Shepard of Winter. The Spirit of Winter, all that."
"We know you're winter spirit," North said.
"No! I'm not just a winter spirit. I'm the WINTER SPIRIT, with capital letters, bold and underlined."
Tooth began to stutter. "Th-then that means..."
"We are in Mother Nature's house," Yuki-Onna finished helpfully, "And you are in the presence of five of the most powerful beings on this planet."
This was going to be a very long week if the Guardians didn't start talking already, was what Serene decided after ten full seconds of silence. It was only a sixth of a minute, but ten seconds was very long when you counted them.
Two seconds after that, the Easter Bunny finally spoke. "You can't be serious."
Oh, no, Jack could be very serious when he wanted to. It was very annoying when he proved to be mature (more so than her). That wasn't fair. Fire was unpredictable and snow was just slow. It wasn't her fault she was eccentric.
Jack answered in a calm mature voice, signifying he was having one of his serious moments. He was going to be boring for about a minute, tops. Hopefully. Long moments of boring Jack was boring and long.
(No, she hadn't missed Jack this entire century! Of course not! She will deny it to the very end.)
"So," Jack began, "I have some explaining to do. I can't explain every single detail because...I'm still a bit disoriented, but the seasonals are here. They should know just as much if not more than me..."
Boring boring boring...
She knew how to explain this, geez! All he's gotta say is, "I became a seasonal and starting hanging out with the awesome summer spirits, cool Mother Nature and pretty okay autumn and spring spirits. I also became besties with the crazy psycho I call Yuki. Sadly, I decided killing a few humans was cruel, especially 'cause one of 'em was sweet widdle George. So I got grounded from this awesome job and ended ties with the cool guys temporarily. So now, here you are, trespassing Mother Nature's property."
Seemed simple enough to her! But, no! Instead, Jack had to be nice, mature and kind enough to break it down for the stupid Guardians...good for them she like Christmas and the Tooth Fairy...
Serene grumbled quietly on Jaci's shoulder, listening carefully to Jack even as she complained about his tendency to be too nice...
"Shh," Jaci shushed her. Betrayed, Serene pouted and crossed her arms, flying to her seat in a tantrum. Of course, she was ignored, but it was the thought that counted!
"You were alone for three-hundred years," the Tooth Fairy began.
"Not exactly. I wasn't lying at the moment because I did believe I'd been alone for 300 years. I had no memories of not being alone for 300 years, so...yeah..."
"I don't understand," St. Nick spoke slowly, "Why you not remember?"
"He remembers now," May said quickly, supported by Jack's nod. Serene, at that point, decided to take a nap. Hopefully, her snores would bother the Guardians for forcing this reunion to get boring. Look, Pritt was asleep already! She snuggled into a hidden valley in his hat and closed her eyes.
Stupid Guardians…
"Okay," Bunny moved his hands in front of him to clear the air, "Stop. Start from the beginning, because I'm not catching your drift. What's you being a 'seasonal' gotta do with your amnesia and how- What is going on, Jack? Who are these kids?"
"Introductions then!" Jack jumped out of his seat, grinning. "That's as good place to start as any." Maybe better, because he didn't want to start with the slightly sad memory, His very first. Or... Jack Frost's first memory... Jackson Overland's were his own. He wasn't sharing those with neither the Guardians nor most of the seasonals. Maybe Jaci, Mother, and Yuki. Okay, definitely Yuki.
"So," he continued cheerfully, "I'm sure you guys know the Guardians." Jack turned to the seasonals and gestured to said Guardians, who stood up politely.
"I am Santa Clause! Call me North," said the ecstatic Russian.
"I'm the Tooth Fairy, Toothiana, but you can call me Tooth," the Tooth Fairy gave the "teenagers" a courteous smile.
"And he's Sanderson, the Sandman, but he'll answer to Sandy too. He doesn't talk much..." Sandy rose in the air to show off his dust. It fell in entrancing waves, like a waterfall.
Bunny's introduction wasn't quite as amicable as the others. He scowled and stayed silent. It wasn't until Jack's nerves started to escalate that he spoke, reluctant.
"I'm the Easter Bunny."
"Just call him Bunny," Jack smiled nervously, aware of the fact that, if it could beat at all, his heart would be going at hyper speed.
The awkward silence that followed was interrupted by Mother Nature, who stood up with a smooth smile and introduced herself. "I'm Mother Nature, founder and overseer of the Seasonal Council."
Jack saw May bite her lip anxiously, feeling that he would too if he weren't trying to keep things cool. Mason's lips were tight, his eyes looking from Guardian to seasonal to Guardian to Jack and back again.
Jaci stood up, collected as Mother Nature, but a friendly smile never reached her face. Jack had expected this. This was okay. This was a terrible start, but okay. Breathe Jack, breathe.
"My name is Jaci, and I'm the Spirit of Summer, the Warrior of Sun. Also known as Seductress." The last name was sly, with a hint of enticement. There may have not been a single person in that room that hadn't imagined her lips against their ear. At least.
Except Bunny. Bunny's scowl deepened. Why did Bunny's scowl deepen!? Jack began to tap his fingers as the wave of earnest want and lust passed. Right, the initial attraction to Jaci was necessary if her "seduction" was to work.
There might actually be no hope for Bunny and Jaci after all. Crap.
"Ahem," the blonde fifteen-year-old, still covered in flowers, cleared her throat, standing up. "I'm May Flowers, nice to meet you. I'm the Spirit of Spring, but you may also know me as the Princess of Obedience, or Gardener."
Probably Gardener. The royalty thing was kind of a seasons thing - not secret, but private. A party idea for masquerades, and a title their communities referred to them as.
Bunny was less wary of May, Jack noticed. When Mason stood up, he didn't seem any less inclined to keep the peace than he had with her.
There was definitely no hope for Bunny and Jaci. Period.
"Leaves. Mason Leaves-"
"Leave then," the fire faerie snickered. Jack should not laugh. Jack will not laugh.
"-Stop laughing Jack, you look weird- and I'm the Spirit of Autumn. You may also know me as the Drawer." He stopped there, unwilling to tell the Guardians his "royal" alias.
So, Jack told them instead. "He's also the Artist of Fall," he grinned mischievously. Mason groaned.
"What's so bad about that?" Tooth asked.
"No don't ask," May whined, elbowing Mason before he could begin to answer.
"He has issues with nouns and verbs," Jaci answered for him. "The word fall is a verb, so he'll start ranting whenever someone says 'fall' instead of 'autumn'. It's stupid," she finalized, then added, "He's stupid."
Serene sat on Mason's head, screaming before he could defend himself, "I'm Jaci's advisor, and bestest friend in the world. Don't mess with me!" She jumped, still on Mason, and pretended to know karate. Jack knew she didn't know karate.
"You forgot the most important part, dolt," Mason tried to look at her dryly, "Your name."
Serene blinked. "Oh yeah! I'm-"
"I'm Bob." The group turned to look at the gnome who'd spoken. A classic grumpy garden gnome, with a pointy red had and a long white beard.
"That was rude!" Serene complained.
The gnome scoffed and remained still.
Serene took that as a welcome to start flying wildly around him, yelling insults like "grumpy" and "grouch".
May spoke sheepishly, "He's my advisor."
"What's an advisor?" North asked.
"They are...well, we change the name every few decades. Sometime names just stick, like "familiar" did. It's a chosen one," answered Mason. "Basically, they babysit us while we babysit the seasons of the world."
"So they are the ones in charge?" Bunny asked.
"No. We are. Just think about it as...a knight, I guess. They are loyal, and work hard to serve their kingdom, in this case their season, but they aren't in charge of the kingdom. They just protect it. We, as true 'queens and kings,'" he added quotation marks with his fingers, "lead the actual season. We just kind of lead them into leading us and vice versa."
"It's a pretty interactive relationship," May added.
"Pritt and I are pretty close," Mason said, lifting the elf out of his chair with the Wind, placing him next to his head. Pritt gulped before smiling wildly, showing off a missing incisor.
"And Bob's been my mentor since birth," May continued, "And no matter how clingy Serene seems compared to Jaci-"
"-grumpy, stupi- I'm not clingy! Bob, you're so rude and-"
"-Jaci is actually more so."
"Have you ever heard of soulmates?" Jaci asked Tooth.
"Lovers?" She asked, looking between the seasonals and their respective familiars.
"No- ew! Nonononono! There's a much deeper meaning to the word 'soulmate', and it practically binds us together. We can't be certain of it - Mason didn't even want Pritt at first - but we're very close. Platonic," she strained on emphasizing the word, "but close."
"Close...so, like my tooth fairies and me?"
"...Erm...different...very different."
"I can't really order Yuki around," Jack mentioned. "Heck, I've gotta beg for her forgiveness once the meeting's over."
"Beg for her-" Bunny mouthed before talking aloud, "So, Yuki-Onna's your advisor?"
"Well, it's not Mother Nature. Technically, we're her tooth fairies."
The least shocked of the bunch (the seasonals excluding Bob) giggled.
"It's good to have you back, Jack," Mason leaned against his seat - as if a century of torture were over for him.
"Good to be back. But..."
May, Jaci, and Mason's heads snapped to look at him. "But what?" May asked, worried.
"I still think this outfit makes me look stupid," the winter child grumbled, doing a "Batman" and covering anything he could .
"Sandy's been meaning to ask about that," Tooth said, "But we were doing introductions so..."
"We seasonals are awesome," Jack said, sitting on the back of his chair with his legs on the arm-rests, "But even we have lame-."
"It's not 'lame'," May exclaimed, "It's tradition!"
"It's old and stupid. At least Jace gets to be a knight- a warrior."
"Knighthood implies loyalty and protection," Jaci frowned.
"I know. And being a princess implies reasoning and diplomacy. Being an artist implies creativity and tactic. I know all of that. You're a warrior - I just stuttered a bit."
"Ruination and liberalness."
"Oh," Tooth paused.
"Then," North continued, "What is Jack?"
Jack scowled, slowly peeling the cape away from his (stupid stupid, lame, offensive) clothes. "Prince of Mischief."
He gave them a moment to gasp as they realized they were in the presence of royalty. No one did. Good, if not offensive.
"Ya know," he grinned, placing his elbows on his knees and cradling his head, "It offends me that you are not kneeling at my feet right now."
"We're not kneeling for you, Jack," Bunny deadpanned. Sandy crossed his hand to form an "x" and shook his head. Tooth looked uncomfortable at the idea of kneeling for Jack, and North... North was whispering with the usually loud faerie.
Jack rolled his eyes. "Whatever she's telling you, it's a lie, North. Firefly has a tendency to do that - at least when it comes to me." He quirked an eyebrow and smirked as the two looked to him quickly, smiling sheepishly.
"She was just telling me about the time you cheated at the language bat-"
"Battle of Languages!" Both the boy and faerie shouted, indignant.
May whined and hit the table with her head while Mason facepalmed. "Why?" Jaci looked to Mother Nature, who had an exasperated look on her face.
Immediately, the Guardians knew North had committed a grave mistake by mentioning the "Battle of Languages".
"And what do you mean I cheated? You were the one who learned the least languages-"
"Yeah, but I already knew the others, so that counted-"
"You're joking! If anyone cheated, it was you-"
"No, I don't cheat, Snowdrop! I won that fair an-"
"Fair and square my butt!-"
The shouting eventually became indistinct and before the shouting could escalate to the usual "ALL CAPS, I CAN ACTUALLY SEE YOU GUYS' SHOUTS" level, Bunny roared.
"SHUT UP!"
The pair was immediately silenced, and they slowly looked at Bunny, who was currently tending to his poor ears.
"Whoops," Jack said.
"...IblameJack-" Serene was cut off before she could continue, having been grabbed by Jaci. She struggled with absolutely no results.
"I take it we should never mention the lang- the Battle of Languages ever again?"
Mason grinned and shook his head. "It's fine if you want to actually hear the story of how we all got beat up by girls. It's just a touchy subject for these two..."
"Hey," Bunny suddenly spoke, "You said each title had a different meaning. Artist was tactic, knight was loyalty, princess diplomacy, all that?"
"Yeah," Mason shrugged.
"So, Jack's 'prince'," he added the quotation marks as heavily as he could.
"Yeah, and a pretty good one to be-"
"That is not a compliment, I don't care what you meant by it," Jack interrupted.
Mason frowned but didn't continue his line of thought. He had hoped Jack would grow to like the title eventually.
"What does being prince mean?" North asked.
Jack frowned. "Power and destruction."
A small pause followed.
Sandy signed a bit. "Yeah," Tooth agreed, "it does sound a bit more...dangerous than the others..."
"Of mischief, no less," Bunny added. Tooth, Jack was pretty sure, kicked his leg under the table. The thought of Tooth using legs gave Jack a sudden reminder of her wings which must have been folded pretty tightly because Tooth looked comfortable sitting in the chair.
"Warriors are fierce," Jack informed them glancing at Jaci, "But loyal to themselves and what they believe is right. Princes are just...selfish."
"Jack," Mother Nature spoke with a tone that implied she had tried to convince him otherwise more than once before. "Power, destruction, Mischief...these are the signs of a fighter with heart, and a great leader, not a destructive menace."
"Mother... I am a menace. I almost ruined Easter and lost one of Tooth's best fairies in one move."
The Guardians winced at the reminder, minus Sandy who hadn't been present for it. Said sandman tilted his head at North, who'd been in charge of briefing him of what had happened while he was "gone". North had happily taken the job of telling Sandy their great achievements.
North avoided his look, glancing sideways.
The seasonals, however, were more confrontational.
"You ruined what now?" -Jaci
"I- I'm sorry, you lost a tooth fairy!?" -May
"Whoa! Brother, slow down - what are you talking about!?" -Mason
"A tooth fairy?!" -Serene
Pritt laughed like he had heard the greatest joke ever, a clear contrast to Bob's ambiguous glare.
This time, North was forced to brief Sandman completely.
AN: This has been stuck in my folder for a year or two or three. Just like this. I have never changed it.
I eventually realized that maybe reviews will help my imagination (help me please)? Either that or I'm just no good at completing stories, ever. Anyway, I have held this hostage for long enough, and if reviews help, perhaps I'll load up a nice sequel. Technically, this is the main story, it's prequel being Twenty Year Later (which must go under heavy revision, now that I think about it).
I have planned to have the rest of the week sketched out, Sandy's reaction to Jack's misinterpreted acts in the movie, the Guardians reacting either jealously, or protectively, or both (considering what they believe the seasonals had Jack suffer through), etc.
There's this "Jaci plays with Death" thing, in which it's Jaci's turn to choose either killing people or losing her own precious thing for a century.
Bunny finds her beside a closed car with a grandmother waiting for her daughter (or something), ready to give the poor dear a heat stroke or suffocate her. Taking the old is a way to cope with murder (at least they didn't have much longer to live?). :S The hostility between Bunny and Jaci is tense. The complete opposite of Yuki-Onna and Jack's (something I also wanna make plans for - though at this point, I gotta wonder if I should also make stuff in FictionPress about Pritt and Mason, Bob and May, and Serene and Jaci.
Also, Jack is a shy guy, scared of interaction, etc. before remembering. Afterward, he's what he expected himself to be. This implies I need to also write more Guardian and Jack moments.
I didn't manage to put any BunnyxJack in this (as I'm a wretch with romance, and not generally a shipper), but we can hope for the future? Probably not, I don't want to put off my audiences, and the ship is not the center of this fic thing. The seasons are.
See ya, I guess~