Story Title: Surpassing Absolute Zero

Series Title: Through the Ice We Grow

Author: Mathais

Rating: T

Fandom: Rise of the Guardians, Persona

Warnings: None

Pairings: None

Summary: Faced with the culmination of his journey, Jamie hangs on the precipice between victory and defeat as he reflects on their campaign against the ice.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters and elements of either Rise of the Guardians or the Persona series.

OoOoO

Jamie's back slammed against the ground with an ominous crack. Though he kept the presence of mind to hold firmly onto his staff, that same resolve didn't grant him the power to stand back up.

His body ached in spite of the healing spells soaked bone deep. His head hurt from the strain of keeping track of the battle. His soul felt parched, drained dry. His will was spent.

This enemy was too strong. They reached too far above them this time.

They roused the divine, and now they were paying the price.

When the battle started, Monty warned them about their foe's power. They had no other choice though, not if they wanted to end the ice permanently.

Bolstered by Sophie's attentive healing and Monty's unwavering support, he, Cupcake, Pippa, Claude, and Caleb focused on dishing out as much damage as they could in the safest manner possible. With someone this strong, they had to take it even slower than usual, careful of the tricks and traps he would and did employ.

Jamie figured they had the battle well in hand. Monty kept a close eye on their enemy, and with his running commentary, Jamie held a tight rein on the ebb and flow of the action. This was their toughest battle ever, but they were also far more experienced than those first, fumbling attempts. Time forged bonds which bred unity into their actions. Fighting through their injuries and exhaustion, they managed to knock him down to the tiniest slither of health, and then Jamie launched his last spell to end it.

Except it wasn't enough. Even after his health hit zero, even after Monty exclaimed that there shouldn't be anything left, their enemy did not fall.

Instead, he proceeded to slaughter them, as if their entire battle had been a joke.

So here Jamie was now, after a year of fighting and surviving, surrounded by the scattered bodies of his friends and family and unable to move. Flat on his back, he could do nothing but watch as their enemy slowly walked up to him, each step shaking the earth with his weight and power.

"I guess this is the best the denizens of Midgard can offer," said the voice which echoed even in this open void. "An admirable effort, but all stories must come to an end eventually. You have encroached upon my domain, and for that you must pay recompense. Be engulfed by the elemental poison and disappear."

"Élivágar."

As icy rivers rose, as they swallowed Sophie and Cupcake and Claude and Caleb and Pippa and Monty and finally he himself, Jamie closed his eyes and let go.

OoOoO

Bruised and battered but content with the progress made, Jamie returned home with Sophie at his side.

"Remember to shake out your cap," Jamie said. "Last time, mom nearly caught us 'cause of the wet spot we left on the carpet."

"Are you sure it wasn't your boots?" Sophie shot back. "You like to leave them in a pile and forget the newspaper!"

"Shh," Jamie warned and looked toward the stairs to the second floor.

"You know no one's awake right now," Sophie scoffed, though she did lower her voice. "It's way too late."

"I know that, but it doesn't hurt to be careful." Jamie glanced around and quickly shoved their jackets into the closet, praying that they'd finish drying out before morning. What he would give for a low-level Agi spell right now... Jamie stripped down his pajamas, followed quickly by Sophie.

"Remember that time that mom woke up to go to the bathroom?"

Jamie grimaced. Oh, that had not been fun. "I got grounded for a week after that."

"Only because you couldn't come up with something better than, 'I wanted to see the snow.' The look on mom's face," Sophie giggled.

"You're only laughing because it wasn't aimed at you." After that event, they started wearing our pajamas underneath their clothes before they left and wore them through the trip back. Jamie stripped off his outer layer of clothing and bundled it up tightly. He'd shove them into his closet corner later and slip them into the laundry pile afterward.

It was only because of Jamie's insistence at being quiet that they heard the quiet shifting in the kitchen. He froze, eyes meeting Sophie's panicked ones. Without speaking, he threw his clothing at her and jerked his thumb toward the stairs. With all the stealth gained from their exploration of dangerous dungeons, Sophie had the clothing in hand and was up the stairs without a sound.

Jamie pretended to yawn as he padded into the kitchen. He didn't need to feign his exhaustion though, and he was careful to make sure that his sleeves remained at full extension, but he otherwise remained loose.

"Mom?" he mumbled out, rubbing fake sleepiness out of his eye. "What're you doing up?"

"Jamie!" his mom said, perking up for a just moment. It didn't last though, and soon she slumped back down to inhale the steam rising from her mug. "I couldn't sleep."

"You know that caffeine is bad for you this late at night," Jamie said as he slipped through and poured himself a glass of ice cold water.

"I know very well, young man. I'm the one who gave you that speech, remember? It's decaffeinated." Still, she didn't move from the table, not even to give him a hug like she usually did. Jamie took the seat opposite of her and let the condensation forming across the edge of his glass wet his aching palms.

"Is everything all right?" he asked.

"Everything fine, just fine." She eyed the cup in his hands warily. "How can you drink that?"

"You know I like cold drinks," Jamie said, suppressing a bristle at an old argument come back to life.

"I don't understand. Everything's..." His mom trailed off. "Everything's been so cold lately," she finally said, and Jamie blinked, taken aback.

No one spoke of the ice and snow that blanketed Burgess. Past the initial bit of fear, everyone tended to ignore it. Even if they all huddled in their homes at night, the never-ending blizzard was referenced only obliquely. Hell, when his mom had caught them sneaking back in after a dungeon run, she'd only scolded them about the dangers of being out at night.

"Everyone's acting very listless, and the hospital's been so busy with people falling sick and raving about seeing demons," his mom continued as if Jamie himself wasn't there. "We're overloaded, but there's no way to change staff in the middle of the night, and the nightmares never stop. After this long, some people just stop and don't wake up, Japan still hasn't gotten back to us about Apathy Syndrome, and it doesn't look like it will ever end..."

"Mom..." Jamie said softly. His heart twisted in his chest. He'd known that all of this was happening, and the ever-worsening situation spurred their progress through the dungeons.

She suddenly looked up, her eyes widening in panic. "Oh, no, no! You don't have to worry about it, Jamie! It's just adult problems."

"Mom..." Jamie whispered again.

He didn't know what he could say. That they were doing their best to take care of the problem? That they were storming a reflection of Niflheim to take out the ice at its source? That if she could just hang on for a couple more days, everything would be fixed, a week before Christmas even?

Jamie couldn't say it, so instead he finished his water, hoping that his presence would help drive the nightmares away at least.

And when his team recovered, Jamie would make sure to end it.

OoOoO

"And this is why I think that, ultimately, this story is a happy one. They found hope at the end, didn't they? Hope and a future."

The girl opposite of Jamie tapped her pencil on the desk. "I still think that that's rather naive. This will happen again, wouldn't it? Given that all who remained was the result of their will to fight, I find myself gravitating toward the Hotsuin faction's views. A definitive end to cycle is a good thing."

"But Makoto, how many more could've been saved with some help?" Monty countered. "The Kuriki faction managed to find a stable equilibrium by dispersing supplies and decentralizing command. They managed to cover for their refugees by working together."

"And when their teams failed because of overwhelming opposition, it took the Hotsuin faction's hierarchical structure to bring order," Makoto replied.

"The Hotsuin faction needed Hibiki's team to act on their own," Jamie reminded them. "Even the Shijima faction had to rally around Hibiki and take orders from him too."

"I don't think that saving as many people as possible is wrong," Monty said.

"How long would they last? By best allocating resources, you can insure the survival of more people," retorted Makoto. "It was the end of the world!"

"In desperate situations, people can find a way. No one life should take precedence over another," Monty argued.

"And the very conversation we're having proves my point. Add a week of fighting for your life in a constantly shrinking, resourced-starved world and you're not going to be very rational," Jamie said.

"There's no guarantee that they'd be able to do anything the next round. The Shijima faction is just a return to the past," Makoto said.

Monty agreed. "You can't count on them even reaching that far again. It was pretty much a miracle that they made it that far once."

"There's always a risk, but if there's a better future, I can't see why they shouldn't try for it." Jamie said. "Besides, it's also implied that the other factions might face the same problems in the future as well. Why not give a new iteration a chance? If they can't come up with a better solution..."

"You can argue that until they make an infinite loop of resets," Monty retorted.

"...but I can see your point," Makoto conceded slowly. With an eye toward the clock, she said, "Class's almost done. I'm not going say that you're completely right, but I see where you're coming from."

"And I can see where you are too," Jamie agreed.

"...you're good at this," Makoto said. "We should get assigned the same group next time too."

"Looking forward to it!" Jamie said cheerily.

Monty agreed. "Me too!"

The bell rang for the end of class, leading to the three of them gathered their things. Makoto was the first to bow out, while Monty and Jamie visited each of their lockers in turn.

"I think I did a total about face at the end of there," Monty said casually as Jamie shifted through his books. "Totally persuasive there."

"Can't hurt that you're used to listening to me," Jamie said off-handedly.

Monty chuckled a bit and closed his eyes. "Y'know, if you'd been the heart of the Shijima faction... I might've defected."

"Hmmm?" Jamie asked, distracted.

"You're really good at inspiring hope," he said softly before straightening. "Nothing, nothing. You have PE next, right?"

"Yep."

"Take it easy. We heal fast, but don't strain yourself too much."

"Not this close to the end of it, no," Jamie agreed as he shoved his books into his locker and grabbed his duffel bag. "No meeting today; just rest up and be prepared to touch base tomorrow. Pass it along, will you?"

"Got it. See ya, Jamie!" Monty waved as they parted ways.

"Later," Jamie said. "Oh, and Monty?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm only as good as my friends."

A small smile split Monty's lips as he turned and walked away. Jamie himself headed down to the gym. He said hello to several of his schoolmates as he went and got similar acknowledgments in return. He slipped into the locker room, where he greeted Claude, changing off to the side. Jamie sidled over to him and began to change as well.

"Bruises healed up?" Claude asked casually.

The corner of Jamie's mouth rose slightly. "Yeah, you?"

"More or less," he said. "I can take hits better than most of us though."

"True enough," Jamie said. He reached into his bag and cursed. "Oh fuck, I left my shirt at home, and I need my other for track."

"I have a spare," Claude offered. "It might be a bit big on you..."

Jamie shoved him, laughing. "I'm not that much smaller than you."

"Of course you aren't," Claude laughed. His shirt hit Jamie in the face, whose nose crinkled.

"Ugh, when was the last time you washed this thing?"

Claude shoved Jamie again. "It's washed, it's washed!"

Jamie stuck his tongue out as he donned the shirt. It wasn't a t-shirt with sleeves down to his elbows, like Jamie usually preferred, but a sleeveless tank. Jamie shrugged it on anyway.

Claude gave a slow whistle. "Damn, Jamie..."

"What? We've changed in front of each other before," Jamie said, annoyed.

"Nothing, nothing. Just, dude, when was the last time you've worn anything sleeveless?"

"Beginning of summer probably, why?"

A small smirk graced the edge of Claude's mouth. "No reason, none at all."

Jamie shot Claude a look, the leader look that served him so well over the past year, but Claude smiled his best shit-eating grin and dashed off.

"Oi, get back here!" Jamie ran after him and for a moment, just a moment, imagined the wind at his back. The instant Jamie set foot in the gym, he leapt into the air and caught Claude around the neck with his arm, digging his knuckles across Claude's head.

"Get off, get off!" Claude shouted, but Jamie refused to give up, even when Claude lifted him straight off his feet.

"Not until you say uncle!"

"Dude!"

"I think he's got you there, bro."

Jamie only briefly stopped his assault at Caleb's words. "Hey, Caleb!" he called before resuming his epic noogie.

"Bro, help!" Claude yelped.

"No, I think I'm good, actually," Caleb said with easy amusement. "You've got like fifty pounds of muscle on Jamie. This should be easy for you."

"And the last time I—ow, Jamie—tried throwing him, he landed on his feet! Quit it! And you aren't as light as you were last year!"

Jamie had difficulty continuing his noogie of Claude as laughter rumbled in his chest. He admirably continued in the face of such overwhelming odds, up until Claude actually did manage to shake him off.

He landed on his feet, impact jarring his feet, but that was more luck than skill. Not that he would admit it though; keeping his team on their toes was fun.

"Dude, Jamie, how'd you do that?" Claude asked, slack-jawed.

Jamie merely crossed his arms and smiled mysteriously.

Caleb started laughing hard enough that he began clutching his stomach, while Claude gave him a long stare.

"What're the three of you doing?"

Their tableau was interrupted by their gym teacher calling from the entrance.

"Everyone up! Stretches and then five laps, all of you!"

Claude elbowed Caleb as they got into their assigned spots for roll call, while Jamie went to his. Stretches went by quickly, and it turned out he wasn't so stiff as to be suppressing pain the entire time. The laps weren't bad either, even if he did egg the twins on a little as they jogged.

The game of the day turned out to be dodgeball. Jamie cracked his knuckles in preparation. Their class wasn't very big, so they sounded off in fours for placement. Claude gave a little cheer when he ended up on Jamie's team and ended up wrapping one of his large arms around Jamie's shoulders and shaking him in glee. Caleb huffed a laugh and slinked off toward another team, but his movements were razor sharp. Claude gathered their team around him, and for a moment, a brief moment, Jamie's envy at Claude's natural charisma flared. But this was something he'd dealt with before, so he let the emotion run its course before focusing on Claude again. Jamie took his role as a floater at Claude's insistence, for once glad not to be at the head of the battle and content to just enjoy the game.

They were just high-schoolers after all. They weren't expected to do squad tactics or anything like that. Hell, making sure that they didn't trip over their own feet was sometimes too much to ask.

But the feeling of getting physical, of dancing around shots whose consequences would only be light bruises at worst as opposed to possible impalement, or being able to move without worrying about the fate of the world—Jamie craved that. That flash of happiness next to the adrenaline singing in his veins, hope and freedom on his lips.

Claude was grinning wildly next to him too, and the two of them were unstoppable compared to their mediocre team. Claude's arm was far stronger than his, corded thick with muscle, but Jamie was faster and couldn't be hit, as he took a page from Pippa and moved like her faerie dancing. The first opposing team fell to their onslaught. The second put up some effort at least, but with Jamie providing covering fire to Claude's desperado charges, there wasn't much they could do.

The last team, of course, was their most challenging, if only because Caleb was on it and wise to all of their tricks and weaknesses. Claude got taken out early covering for Jamie, and from Caleb's smirk, it was all according to plan.

Well then, if that was how Caleb wanted to play it...

Jamie's answering grin lit up his face as he hefted a ball in each hand and threw them. Without stopping for pause, he lunged forward for a third, ducking beneath retaliation and answering with a cheap shot to the leg that took out one member. As Jamie's sneakers squeaked against the court floor in a show of imbalance, Caleb took the bait, and Jamie spun around a rocket shot. He took the opportunity to run forward and grab another ball, blocking a throw before nailing Caleb's last teammate in the shoulder.

It was only him and Caleb left. The two friends' eyes met across the invisible divide as they each sized each other up. Caleb had the advantage in number of projectiles, but Jamie was better at straight out, unassisted dodging than he was.

Sweat poured into his eyes, yet Jamie didn't dare take his eyes off of Caleb. Caleb was loose, bouncing on his heels to keep momentum in his legs, and eyes with intensity that belied his laid back nature. Jamie could almost hear Monty's voice whisper his analysis. Caleb's left hand was twitching, but Caleb himself was ambidextrous, though he favored his right. He was most likely going to grab with his left and transfer to his right, and in that moment, Jamie could...

Jamie twitched first, even though he knew Caleb was better reactive than proactive, but the other teen was also reading him as much as he was, and Caleb with a plan was scary. He faked for the dodgeball at his left and then spun for the one at his right, scooping it up in one arm. Jamie abruptly twisted to dodge the rocket heading his way, and then he bounced the ball he had on the ground. In those precious seconds, Jamie grabbed the other ball he'd maneuvered himself next to and threw it. Resetting his momentum with a quick check against the ground, he snatched the first one and threw it forward with all his strength.

It was only then that he realized what Caleb's trap was when he stood, off balance, as Caleb's next strike barreled toward him.

There wasn't enough time, no way, but still he had to try because he was Jamie fucking Bennett and there was no way he was losing to Caleb like this. He sucked in a breath because he wasn't just ice but the wind too and he pushed and stretched and arched his back like the world depended on it. It felt like the wind caressing his limbs as the ball passed behind his back and, as he tumbled backward, Jamie slammed a palm into the ground to right himself in a bastardized cartwheel.

Because Caleb was a filthy opportunist, he threw his last ball at this final moment as well, but Jamie used the last of his breath to turn, and the ball hit his chest dead center.

Right into his waiting arms.

Ball clasped securely, Jamie greedily sucked in desperate breaths to soothe his aching lungs and the ringing in his ears. Fading adrenaline took his legs from beneath him and sent him sprawling on his ass, but the accomplishment singing through him was too sweet to not savor. When he finally got his breathing under control, Jamie looked up to see Claude smiling down at him, hand outstretched and grin wide. Jamie took it and rose to his feet, not protesting when Claude pulled him into a shoulder hug again. "Holy shit, dude, never thought I'd see that without," and he made the sound of crashing glass at the back of his throat.

"I don't know where that came from," Jamie laughed, lifting his shirt up to wipe away the sweat matting his hair down across his forehead. Claude was looking around, shit-eating grin growing ever wider for some reason Jamie couldn't fathom, as Caleb approached.

"You got me fair and square, dude," Caleb said with a chuckle. They bumped fists to officially end the match and then returned to their teams.

Jamie continued to play hard even if he never redid the same stunts as that one match against Caleb. By the end of it, Jamie thought he felt there were a lot more eyes on him, but he was too exhausted to care. Coach was going to kill him, bleh.

And that shit-eating grin never left Claude's face the entire time, only now it was matched by Caleb's smirk as they did that freaky twin telepathy thing to say something about him. Neither spoke to him, of course, so he slugged them both in the shoulder and went to change.

OoOoO

"You're the center of gossip today," Cupcake teased.

"People keep staring and whispering," Jamie whined and dumped some water on his head.

The two of them were taking a time out from track practice, waiting for their turn to run. Even after all the months since he joined up, Jamie still felt more comfortable hanging out with Cupcake as opposed to the rest of the team, and when they had breaks, he tended to gravitate to her.

Cupcake merely chucked and drank another sip of water. "I think it might have to do with your display earlier."

"Bah, don't remind me," Jamie said with a groan. "Coach ripped me a new one for my times already."

"You played full tilt for a whole gym class," Cupcake retorted. "You were supposed to take it easy."

"I had so much fun though."

Cupcake idly poked Jamie with her toe and elicited a pained whimper. "You were pretty battered yesterday. You sure you healed up fine? Dodgeball shouldn't take that much out of you."

"As our tank, I should be asking you that," he said. "...but yes, I swear I'm fine, just sore. You?"

"A little bit stiff, but nothing as bad as after Surt."

Jamie frowned. "I couldn't wear a t-shirt for almost a week because of the burns from that battle."

"Well, it wasn't like we weren't warned, considering we were in Muspelheim," Cupcake said. "That entire dungeon was a mess of fire demons."

"I had Red Wall up almost constantly. You know how it turns my weakness to fire into a resistance, right? I even made sure to take that Eye of Flame with me! It's just, that spell he used—Ragnarok..."

"That thing burned hotter than Sophie's best fire spell," Cupcake agreed.

"I'm so glad that that thing had so little range," Jamie admitted. "He could only target one of us at a time. Besides, that Vorpal Blade you pulled off at the end was a thing of beauty."

Cupcake flashed a small grin. "I love that skill," she said without an ounce of shame.

A skill that basically annihilated everything in her surroundings in a flurry slashes? Yeah, Jamie understood, given how much he loved his own Mabufudyne and its explosive ice, even if he rarely found a situation dire enough to use it. On the other hand, actually using it came easier now compared to how much it took out of him when he'd used it against his Shadow.

The two of them lapsed back into comfortable silence. Jamie focused on his breaths and the simple feeling over being next to Cupcake and... Yeah, this was good. He didn't even mind when their coach called for the two of them to get back to running.

Ugh, suicides. He swore his coach was punishing him for expending so much energy earlier. He ran them without (much) complaint though. If nothing else, they were good at building his stamina, and gods knew he needed it even with the abnormal recovery rate the group had.

His legs burned afterward, and he was again sweating pretty fierce. He wiped his face with his shirt again and lined up for his next charge.

Jamie heard Cupcake laugh next to him, and he sent her a glare. "What's so funny?"

"You really don't know...?"

"Really," Jamie confirmed sternly.

Cupcake's lips twitched into a subdued yet taunting grin. "Figure it out yourself."

"Aw, come on!"

Cupcake laughed at him again and then ran for her own suicides, leaving Jamie in the dust. When practice ended, Cupcake still refused to elaborate. She held her silence even as they left the school and trudged their way back home.

"I'm heading downtown to look at some books. Want to come with?" Jamie asked.

"Nah, I need to get a head start on math homework."

"Later then!" They parted ways easily, as Cupcake headed home and Jamie to the shops. Burgess's business district wasn't as well off as it could have been—though the unrelenting snow didn't start until around ten, even now, people as a whole didn't like to be out after dusk. Coupled with the increased hospitalization of people who'd succumb to the despair the ice brought, smaller shops and restaurants had already shuttered due to either staff or revenue problems.

Jamie's favorite book store was still open though, and pockets heavy with his recent allowance that for once wasn't going to be converted into macca for Puck or Trish, he entered it.

"Hello, Jamie," the proprietor, Old Man Silverman called.

"How are you doing, Mr. Silverman?"

"Doing as well as I can be," he chuckled. "I have some of the new releases up here. You like the Flatworld series, right?"

"I forgot that the new one was out!"

"Well, I have a copy saved up here after you finish looking around."

"Thanks, Mr. Silverman!"

Jamie grinned as he began to browse. There were tons of books that he hadn't had a chance to get and weren't available in the library. He could afford one alongside the Flatworld book and still have enough to save for a snowy day. Jamie was reaching for a book on Cthulhu when he bumped into Pippa, nose deep into her own book.

The corners of her eyes crinkled. "Hey, Jamie."

"Hey Pippa, interesting read?"

"Yeah, did you know that in some places, they throw their lower teeth into the air and their upper teeth to the ground? In some cases, it's to ask that they be replaced with the teeth of mice, while for others it's to the insure that the teeth grow in strong."

"That's kind of cool," Jamie said.

"I think I'm going to get this one." She closed her book and then nodded toward his outstretched arm. "What're you getting?"

"Lovecraft mythos," he said.

Pippa shuddered. "Never again. One round of Call of Cthulhu was enough."

"...Monty is a scary DM," Jamie allowed.

"Anyway, I thought you were too busy keeping your epic workout regime for that buff body for things like this."

"The day after a dungeon run is always a rest day unless we're really, really pressed for time, and weights are never a good idea after the kind of punishment..." The words were out of his mouth before his brain processed Pippa's and derailed his train of thought. "...wait, what?"

Pippa tapped her chin in thought before smiling. "Buy me a latte and I'll spill."

"You're the one with a higher allowance," Jamie grumbled.

Pippa's teeth flashed white as her smile widened. "And I intend to be every bit as frugal with it as I can."

Jamie rolled his eyes and went for the counter to purchase his books. Old Man Silverman's eyes laughed at him the entire time, and Jamie mentally stuck his tongue out at him before leaving.

Not too far from the bookstore was Pippa's favorite café. Jamie thumbed through his wallet and paid for Pippa's latte as well as his own frozen slush.

Pippa glanced at his drink almost sympathetically but didn't comment. Jamie followed her example and took his cup between his palms and let the chill remind him of before.

"So, spill," Jamie said with a frown.

Pippa flicked him in the forehead. "Don't look so annoyed. It's mostly your fault anyway. You know how people were talking about your dodgeball game, right?"

Jamie nodded.

"Well, people also noticed you. Everyone's been talking about how buff Bennett is, how he pulled some crazy moves, and if only you'd dress a little better, you'd be way hotter."

Jamie blinked. Processed. Opened and closed his mouth a couple of times.

And then Jamie blushed the blush to end all blushes. Red burned up to the very tips of his ears. He could feel it snake its way down his chest and spread until it felt like his whole body was on fire.

"W-w-what?" he sputtered, incoherent.

"'W-w-w-what?'" Pippa gently mocked. "I don't know if you've looked in a mirror lately, but you've got muscles."

"W-well, you too! A-and, wasn't Caleb complaining earlier about having to go up a shirt size?"

"Except neither of us flashed our gym class recently," she said flatly.

"When was this?" Jamie almost shouted. "I, I would never..." Jamie froze. Oh, oh, oh. Wearing Claude's shirt. Wiping his face on it to get the sweat out. Shit, he actually did flash his entire gym class. Quickly, he buried his face in his drink and took a couple desperate gulps.

Fuck, brain freeze.

To the tune of Pippa's laughter, Jamie whimpered and fought off the pain.

"I needed that, thanks," Pippa said when she calmed down.

"No problem," Jamie grumbled.

After sipping their drinks, Pippa eventually said without looking up, "Do you miss them?"

"I do." Jamie didn't even need to think.

"I think I was on the verge of convincing myself to move on," Pippa said. "I was jealous and I thought they were all childish stories."

"They're not."

"Definitely, no." Pippa's hand clutched her mug tightly.

"I think they expect that though. Almost everyone forgets."

"Almost," Pippa stressed.

Jamie's fingers trailed over his chest, where ice had touched him at the end of his first meeting with one of the people closest to his heart. Jamie didn't think he could ever forget that feeling. He looked up to see Pippa repeat the same motion, understanding in her eyes.

"Yeah, it's like that," Jamie said softly, and Pippa nodded.

They finished their drinks in pensive silence and left. Parting ways on their way home, Jamie entered his house, spied Sophie's shoes by the door, and let himself sigh a little.

What felt like his first empty afternoon and night in weeks stretched before him. He checked his texts and saw that his mom would be out until the next day, as she was on an emergency call at the hospital with shifts late enough that the snow would start before she could leave.

Well, that meant that he was responsible for dinner. Jamie hummed a bit before calling out, "Sophie!"

"I'm here!" A blonde head appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Mom isn't going to be home tonight!"

"Are we heading out then?"

"No, we're resting! Catch up on any assignments and get to bed earlier! You nearly drained yourself dry yesterday!"

"Well, if you all didn't need so much healing!"

"Hey, take that back!"

Sophie stuck her tongue out at him and scampered back to her room when Jamie made a mock-threatening fist. Jamie laughed and ascended the stairs to stash his stuff and change. The slam of Sophie's door greeted him, and Jamie shook his head.

Now dressed in something more comfortable, Jamie headed down to the kitchen to prep dinner. Tablet in hand and music blaring in the background, Jamie alternated between memorizing facts for history and chopping vegetables and meat. With an unconscious beat in his steps, he danced around the kitchen, stealing in bits and pieces of knowledge as he worked.

Eventually, his sister migrated down to the kitchen table, a book in hand, just as Jamie was heating up a pan.

"What's for dinner?"

"Stir-fry," Jamie responded as he flicked some water to test the heat.

Sophie's nose wrinkled. "You always overcook the beef."

"I'm making chicken this time. And you, young lady, will finish your plate, peppers and all," Jamie said with a brandished spatula.

"Ew."

"They're good for you. And if you eat everything, I'll make hot chocolate."

"Mom isn't going to like that," Sophie said, but she was unable to hide her widening grin. Sugar was always was a hit with her, but chocolate especially.

Jamie dismissed her objections with a wave of his spatula. "Bah, humbug. We worked hard yesterday. We deserve a treat!"

"I can't believe we're almost done," Sophie said as the sound of sizzling meat echoed through the air. "It's been a long year."

"Very long," Jamie agreed.

"Do you think they're worried about us?" Sophie asked quietly.

Jamie tipped his head forward, but one hand still crept up to his chest. "I don't doubt it. You can feel it, right? Every time."

"Yeah, I can." A soft smile played on her lips before she ducked her head into her book. "Mom's really worried though."

"There isn't much we can do about that. Once we finish Niflheim though..."

"Almost there, huh?"

"Yeah. There should only be one more shard of that mirror, and then we can take it into the Velvet Room and finish it."

One more shard until the end. One more step until they finish it. Once they conquered this last dungeon, they could seal away the mirror and end this relentless blizzard.

After all, that mirror was what summoned the blizzard, right?

Jamie's hands slowed from his stirring.

There was something wrong with that statement, wasn't there? If... If the mirror was what summoned the blizzard...

"You look like you just figured out something..." Sophie said slowly, setting down her book.

"...I don't know yet. I don't want to say anything before I finish sorting out my thoughts."

"It's not a bad thing though, right?"

Jamie sighed. "I can't say."

"We're here for you. There's a reason why we're a team, remember?"

Something that they'd never ceased reminding him of as soon as they returned from that first trip into Alfheim. Jamie's eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled so, so wide. Even though he etched those words in his heart, it never hurt being reminded of them. Like walking into a heated room after spending too long in the cold, he felt flushed and tingly from head to toe.

"The pan!"

Okay, maybe some of that heat was his burning dinner. Jamie yelped and attempted to save his poor, poor meal.

Thankfully, he was successful.

OoOoO

"Pippa, Monty, healing and buffs, focus on Cupcake! Sophie, we need fire support! Claude, throw debuffs when you can, but you and Caleb need to clear the shades! Cupcake, front and center, doing what you do best!"

Jamie threw out another Ice Break, tagging Bergelmir in the shoulder. That massive ice golem frame hid an impressive amount of speed, despite the debilitating spells Claude threw at him, including the agility-reducing Sukunda.

Bergelmir was strong, very strong. Every hit he landed felt like two flying couches, and that was with the buffs Pippa and Monty showered them in. Nonetheless, Jamie had confidence in his friends.

Sophie's latest Mediarahan faded as she switched tactics, the glow of Mind Charge flaring around her. Jamie dove in and called a storm of Mabufula mirrors to shield them when Bergelmir rained ice over the battlefield.

Cupcake was doing a wonderful job up in front, electrified sword herding the frost giant away from where Pippa and Monty were concentrating on keeping them strong. Claude and Caleb worked their magic on the rest of the room, preventing the frost demons that Bergelmir summoned from swarming them. The dark runes from Mamudoon sent so many to the underworld, and ever since Caleb learned a trick to add Almighty damage to his spells, they also blasted back those that avoided instant death. Claude followed it up by making sure what remained either stayed safely asleep or by lashing out with his whip charged with debilitating magic whenever prudent.

Jamie tossed Sophie a Chewing Soul which she consumed immediately. While she prepared, Jamie twisted around and spun into a Garudyne, green winds surrounding him briefly before he launched them forward in a swirling tornado twice his size.

"Ha, impudent child!" Bergelmir crowed. "Do you believe that—"

Jamie punched through the winds with several Bufudyne shards that exploded as soon as they impacted on Bergelmir's chest, left clear when Cupcake poured all her power into knocking his arms out of position. His boast cut off in a roar of pain, stumbling backwards from the force of the explosion.

"Almost there!" Monty called and rained the blessings of the moon down upon them.

"This will end now, Bergelmir!" Jamie shouted.

"For you, lowly mortals! By my father, Thrudgelmir—"

"—Sophie!"

Another one of Bergelmir's Uncountable Winters would lay them flat.

Thankfully, Sophie was on task, and she opened her eyes in unison with crashing glass. Above her, her rabbit Persona rose, standing tall and proud and oh so achingly familiar. As one, they pointed.

Maragidyne engulfed Bergelmir in flames hot enough that both Cupcake and Jamie were forced to retreat so that they weren't burned. Though prodigious practice, what were originally scattered blooms of fire now concentrated on a single target, riddling him with explosions. Enhanced by Mind Charge and focus, these flames came close to matching even Surt's Ragnarok. Red sprouted again and again until they consumed Bergelmir completely.

When the flames finally abated, Bergelmir fell to his knees.

"...well done, children of Midgard. Revel in your victory."

Jamie breathed in the scent of success as he stepped forward, flanked by his team. "Bergelmir, you have the last shard, do you not?"

"Yes, I do, human. As you are well aware, it will appear when my purchase on this world ends."

"And can we stop the ice once we complete the mirror?"

"You have fought even with that doubt? Ha, humans are truly amusing." Bergelmir tilted his massive head to the side. "Yes, if you choose wisely. The blizzard emerges from the mirror, so what happens to the mirror affects what happens to the ice."

"...why did you do this?" Jamie finally asked. He—they—needed to know.

"Honestly? I came through the mirror to see if you children of Midgard were worthy of inheriting this land. For eons as we waited for Ragnarok, we slept and dreamed and then grew curious."

Jamie nodded. "And so, what do you think?"

"You children are interesting, very interesting. We were disappointed in how so many fell to the blizzard, but then you children began work, and we watched as you conquered the ice." One shining eye beheld them all. "There may be hope for you after all. But remember," he said as his form began to dissolve, "the blizzard cannot work without what is already there. Remember this, and walk forward into the future as we await Ragnarok once more."

As his words faded like his body into mist, Jamie breathed in deep, deep, deep. The sparkle of the final shard was in front of him, but he only felt hollow as he reached out and took it in his hands. As the glow of Traesto swallowed them up, all Jamie could feel was the burn of ice against his fingers.

They emerged, triumphant, at the entrance of Niflheim. Wind and snow whipped around them as soon as they cleared the entrance hall, but things were usually not so bad after a boss was toppled—a bit of reprieve for them and for the town. They wouldn't be long out here though, as there was always a glowing blue door near the entrance.

The Velvet Room welcomed them into its warm embrace. Their aching bodies and souls eased a little in the music, and Jamie wished he could say he relaxed, but his hand was still clenched around the shard. The edges cut into his palm, almost but not quite drawing blood against calloused skin.

Igor's gaze locked onto them as soon as they appeared. "Welcome, my guests. I see that you've had some success in your latest venture."

There were smiles all around. Jamie tried to smile too, but it just wasn't in him.

"And your solution?"

Monty stepped forward. "Every place we've been to has been a vital point anchored by a giant. We can use that against them by converting these anchors into seals. With the power of the Nine Realms, we cut off the blizzard and end this for good."

...or for as long as the seal lasts.

Jamie bit his lip down on these words. It'd crossed their minds many times after they came up with this solution, but they were all tired. They didn't want to have this fate hanging over them. They didn't want to see that the increasing hospitalization rates. They just wanted it to end.

...but...

Igor smiled mysteriously. "I see you solution, and it is achievable. Well done. If you would place the final shard with the rest, we can begin the ritual."

Jamie's hand now clenched over the ice shard in his hand hard enough to draw blood. With the gazes of the entire room on him, he took an unconscious step back.

"Jamie?" Sophie asked softly.

It would be easy, oh so easy. He could step forward and place it there. He could go home to his carefree days like the weight of the world didn't rest on his shoulders.

He could go back to Jack.

But, as he took another step back, he had the bitter realization that it just wasn't in him. If nothing else stuck from this past year, it was that he couldn't take the easy way out.

"I... don't agree."

"Wait, what?" Monty stepped forward, glasses askew.

"We agreed on this!" Caleb shouted.

"We argued over and over, man," Claude said.

Pippa elbowed her way past him. "It's out chance to finally end this nightmare!"

"I don't think it's over yet!" Jamie fired back. "There's still so much we don't know! Where's the blizzard coming from? Who brought it here?"

"The giants—" Monty began.

"—are only the anchors; Bergelmir confirmed as much. It just doesn't feel right to leave it here."

"...and what do you want to do?" Cupcake asked. She challenged him, but he could hear the undercurrent of resignation in her voice.

"The answer... is through the mirror." Jamie finally unclenched his hand from the bloody shard. "The others came through, but they weren't the ones to break through first. To get here, something had to make or activate the portal, and there's only one way to find out." The last shard slotted neatly into place. The edges bled together until it was as if there was no crack in the first place. The culmination of their journey was in front of them—and Jamie pushed forward. His hand touched the smooth ice, only not. The surface rippled like water and then his hand sunk in. Power sang beneath fingers alongside the bitter cold. Silently, he pulled it back out, and it was with grim satisfaction that he gazed upon the naked shock on his friends' faces.

"It's not over yet, guys," Jamie said. "I want to be prepared for anything. We're definitely not going in tonight.

"But... Christmas..." Something crumpled in Sophie's face. It tugged at Jamie's heart, so he ruffled her hair despite her complaints. All of them had been looking forward to seeing North, after all.

"We're going to do this right. That's all there is to it."

One by one, his friends nodded. They followed him this long, and though there were doubts, Jamie knew that they felt it too. No one wanted to leave things half-finished.

Jamie turned back to Igor. "We'll tackle what's through the mirror another day."

Igor's smile did not fade. "Farewell then, my guests."

Jamie gave him a wan smile in response. A much less triumphant group exited the Velvet Room into the snow.

...he had money in his pockets, and the doorway was right there. In the cold, this would be perfect, especially for all their aches and pains. It was the least he could do.

"Hey guys? Want to stop by Trish's hot springs?"

It was far cheaper to drink from Trish's normal springs to heal their wounds, even with Trish's money gouging, but there was something about a long soak that seemed so very inviting. After all, they deserved it, and Jamie needed to give them something after moving the goalposts on their victory.

A beat of time passed before Sophie grinned. "Yeah!"

Claude and Caleb did a complicated set of silent looks before agreeing. Cupcake gave her quiet assent, while Pippa conceded only after Monty began setting out for Trish's door.

They spent the next hour in a lethargic haze of heat as bodies and souls healed. There was laughter and conversation in the curling steam and through the wooden divide that separated the sexes. They returned home whole but sleepy and woke to another dawn. A smattering of hope and comfort in the face of endless battle and ice.

OoOoO

Christmas came and passed with a haze of cheer that had long since been missing. Much like their hot springs trip, it was a splash of warmth in the cold.

The night after, they entered the mirror. They emerged into the Ginnungagap, a formless void where space itself twisted around then, Rocky paths helped them navigate across icy streams of water lit only by distant lights. The demons here were stronger than any they had ever come across in the past, with little theme save for their immense strength. Hitting checkpoints was a perpetual struggle, but Jamie trusted in his team. They were steady in the face of danger, and so on New Year's Eve, Monty finally stopped them.

The tiny man above his head faded, as did the glow of the moon around him. "There's something really powerful ahead. Stronger than anything I've ever sensed before."

Jamie lowered his staff from its ready position. His eyes swept across his friends with the ease of practice.

Cupcake drew her massive sword across her body. Strong and stalwart, she boldly took the front with him. She was their vanguard and a powerful friend, looking forward but without running from the behind. She gave a single nod when she noticed his gaze.

Sophie brushed the sweat out of her eyes with a careful hand while the other rested on her ever-present boomerang. She was their primary healer with an almost supernatural affinity for knowing who needed her the most, something she surpassed even Monty in despite her being the youngest of them all. She dispensed healing freely yet only as much as they needed. Even as she smiled at him, Jamie wondered just when his sister had grown so very strong.

Claude coiled his whip back into a ready position for his position at their back. The next strongest physically, Jamie depended on him to cover their asses, and he did with cheerful aplomb. Nothing managed to sneak up on them with his watchful gaze and steadfast loyalty. He smirked when Jamie's eye scanned over him.

Pippa's knives spun delicately but oh so threateningly over her hands. Once their most reluctant member, she now stood unwaveringly among them, her calm and rational mind a pier in the tempest of headstrong personalities around her. Now that she found her wings, she could soar, flashing over the battlefield as a deadly faerie. Pippa met his eyes steadily.

Monty relaxed his shoulders, working out the kinks in his neck. Their master of analysis who forever had his eye over them now stepped forward to do more than just guide. While he still did not fight directly, he could rain healing and blessings over them that, while not as strong as what Sophie could do, helped immensely on that threshold between life and death. Jamie didn't even need to look to know Monty; his voice was an ever-present boon in his mind.

At last came Caleb, deadly scythe not quite resting though his pose was languid. By biding his time when he could, Caleb supported his friends by knowing when was the best moment to strike. If Monty knew where everyone was by dint of his Persona, then it was Caleb's personal power to be in the right place at the right time to follow up on one of them, while at the same time being able to step to the front when necessary. Caleb only smirked at him.

And then there was Jamie himself. Specialist in slinging out spells of all types, able to fight in the front with Cupcake or in the back with Sophie, being where he needed to be. Their unquestioned leader with command over the battlefield and the lives of his friends and family. Jamie knew himself.

None of them were at their limits yet.

He passed out recovery items and once those did their work, he smiled. "Let's go."

With an unwavering faith, they pressed into the final room.

Like a whisper, the door vanished behind them. Jamie didn't notice, too focused on the space in front of him.

Nothing should be there. In this formless void, there shouldn't be anything. They couldn't see anything, hear anything.

And yet, undeniably, there was something.

A voice drifted out of the void. "So, you denizens of Midgard have come to me in my own domain. To push this far is... admirable."

Jamie stepped forward. "Can I assume, then, that you are the source of all this? The blizzard and the fear?"

"Ah, yes, those... Yes, I am. All flows forth from the spring, and when I was awoken from my slumber, I decided to test humanity's worthiness against fear. So many of you froze, but now you children stand before me. It is most interesting."

"Who are you, then?"

"I am Ymir, the progenitor."

"Odin killed you!" Pippa shouted.

"And in this age where his power wanes, that which he and his gods kept sealed can now awaken. Of course, this is not without help, but so be it." The voice then hardened. "You stand before me, triumphant over the fear, but you still know not your arrogance. Coming to me, defiling my home with your presence."

And suddenly, in front of them, space warped. Power bled into this icy void, pressing down on them with sheer presence. Jamie felt his knees buckle under the weight of the ages, but he refused to bow.

Not to this being, not to anyone.

He stared forward with clear eyes as Ymir manifested. He was large, larger than anything he had ever seen. He seemed to fill even this formless void. He looked like he could grab any one of them in his gigantic hand and crush them.

This... this was truly a giant.

"Denizens of Midgard. For this insult, there is only one repayment. Be swallowed by the fear until you freeze as well."

"We've come way too far to let this end here!" Cupcake shouted as she took a step forward to the front.

"For the sake of everything trapped by the ice, we will succeed!" The glimmer of defensive spells settled into them from Claude, whose grip tightened on his whip.

"You will fall and take the blizzard with you." Caleb's form began to blur and fade at the edges in preparation for his next move.

"You were killed once, Ymir, and we will do it again." Pippa edged over to the side, her steps light.

"We love our world too much to let your ice win." Sophie's boomerang sang with the glow of Mind Charge.

"There is only one path forward from here," Monty said the moon surrounded him once more, eyes seeing all.

"Ymir! For this past year, you have tormented our home. You have hurt us and our families. But this will go no farther!" Jamie's voice filled the area as shards of ice surrounded him.

"So be it, children of Man. Come!"

OoOoO

He didn't think dying would hurt so much. He thought he would be numb as ice engulfed him until he too stopped like everyone else who fell. He figured he could rest, just a little. If there was something that he held dear in his heart though, it was that he would always go forward. That left only one other option.

Jamie stood. It was easier than he thought, if still difficult. He was leaning heavier on his staff than he would like, but all his limbs were present there and his mind was clear.

Jamie looked around. All he could see was endless fog. Breath misting in the air, he tried to reach out with his mind, but there was no response from Monty. He should be worried, but... he still trusted in his team. If he was still here, wherever here was after facing and losing to Ymir, then they'd be here too. None of them would stop. So, if he just looked...

A spark lit in his heart and flooded his veins. In the distance, something shined. Even with the cold nipping at his heels, Jamie had a goal, and bolstered by the warmth inside of him, he set forth.

Jamie didn't know how long he walked, one foot in front of another, step by step. The atmosphere got colder; he wrapped his hoodie tighter around him and the armor beneath, but it only helped so much. The fog only grew thicker, but the light in the distance never faded, and as long as it was there, Jamie would continue on.

"Why do you continue?"

That wasn't his voice. Jamie didn't pause in his journey, but he still gathered the thoughts that that question sprung in his mind.

His back stiffed when he heard Sophie reply. "Because there's no reason to stop when there's so much to fight for." Sophie's voice was strong, mature, and a little part of Jamie went out to his brave little sister, always full of hope. He caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye, but the sight faded as quickly as it came, though the impression she left did not.

"Would it not be easier to stop?"

Jamie's ear twitched as he heard Cupcake's answering laughter. "Not when there's so much ahead of us to still learn and experience." That spark of wonder never really left her even as she ran forward, cutting her path through life as she did through the fog.

"Do you not fear what lies ahead?"

"Fear is caution enhanced by the shadows," Caleb said. He sounded so sure of himself, even as his answer came out slow and deliberate, and Jamie found his stride growing firmer to match. "While I'll factor it in, I will not be blinded by it." Every step he took was carefully weighed and carefully placed, but no doubt clouded him.

"What future is there, when all is covered by ice?"

"A bright and happy one, of course!" Shining brilliantly even through the fog, Claude's grin caused an answering one on Jamie's. "One where we can reach for our dreams together with all our strength!" No need to worry about him as he walked forward.

"What of the misfortune? When all can be lost in but an instant?"

Something warmed in Jamie's chest when he heard Pippa state unwaveringly, "Then let the wheel spin once more! We bring our pasts with us into our future, so nothing is ever truly lost." Gone was her hesitation; her voice rose triumphant and resolute.

"So you continue forward with such knowledge? None of it will stop you?"

Monty's voice was steel, making Jamie's back straighten in tune with it. "Does it really matter in the end? Even if things get hard, even if we stumble a little, there's always others who'll help us. They'll share what they know and help with the burden." The lesson that Jamie was forced to learn—it looked like maybe Monty needed to learn it too.

Jamie knew what was next. Even as he walked toward the light in front of him, a voice drifted out of the ether. It wasn't angry, and it wasn't antagonistic—simply questioning.

"So many have been lost to the ice already. What prevents you from being frozen by despair?"

Jamie breathed in and held it deep. Everything swirled around it, everything he learned and everything felt, and the summation of all his knowledge. He took it all and drew it in. This was not a difficult question, and when he felt the answer reach his lips, the edge of his mouth drew up in a confident smirk he'd learned from the best.

"I'm having too much fun to quit, you know? I'm having way too much to let myself slow down. There's just so much out there to do. Even when I tried to leave the world behind, it's not because I wanted things to end." Talking about his suicide plans came easier now, with time, distance, and, most importantly, the support of his friends. In this place and in this time, when his soul was laid bare, Jamie would not shy away from himself. "I wanted to go onto the next thing in my journey. Now, I realize that I still have so much more here to experience."

"But there's something you have to realize too."

Even as he spoke, his feet never wavered, and so he stood in front of his destination.

"I've never stopped."

Never stopped going forward. Never stopped with things got tough. Never stopped believing in a better future.

Jamie reached forward and touched the light.

The world shattered.

When he came to, it was to cold soaking into his body. His back ached something fierce, but as he climbed to his feet, he could see his friends rise with him. Even though they were surrounded by primordial poison, a shining gold wall shielded them. He didn't even need to look to know where it came from.

"Even now, you're protecting us," Jamie said as he put a hand over his heart.

The reason why they'd been unable to take in the Velvet Room's blessings was because they already had been blessed, fivefold.

Memories to aid you when you need them the most.

Dreams to shield you until you can get back on your feet.

Wonder to find the spark in the darkness.

Hope to propel you forward come what may.

Fun to bring joy when all seems lost.

Five Guardians, five blessings, and an unwavering belief that can beat back the coldest and darkest of fears.

Sophie, Caleb, Claude, Cupcake, Pippa, Monty—his friends by his side. There was nothing they could not handle, and they all matched each other's eyes readily. As one, they stepped forward, past the protective shell and into the darkness. They should have been swallowed by Élivágar. They should have been frozen in the ice that existed before the world began.

But.

They did not, for the icy rivers parted before them. Their path was clear as they walked.

"What is this? How can you continue?"

Ymir sent another wave of primordial ice at them. The rivers rose once more and then diverted to their sides. Every step they took left light in the darkness.

"When faced with the origin of all, should you not stop like the rest?"

Ice rose and fell once more, stronger than ever, but they did not waver.

"How can you surpass the ice? How can you mere mortals stand up to the gods?"

And then, they stood in front of Ymir himself, who desperately threw rime and frost that only slid around them.

"Because, Ymir, we believe."

Believe in humanity. Believe in the future. Believe that no amount of ice could stop them.

What fear could hope to stand up against that?

With a resounding clash, they summoned their Personas. Jack Frost, Toothiana, North, Sandy, Bunnymund, the Man in the Moon, and even Pitch Black stood by them as they pointed as one. For an instant, just an instant, they were connected in a way that defied words, and they poured all of their belief into one spell. Their resolution sprang forth in an almighty flash that forced Jamie to close his eyes.

When he opened them, Ymir was kneeling. The edges of his frame were slowly being eaten by the light, sparkles of ice drifting off into the void.

"...to think that the mortals of Midgard have come this far, and mere children at that. I see that you have strength enough to overcome my ice where so many have failed. Maybe, you do have what it takes to make it through Ragnarok. So to the glorious victors, I can only say this: rejoice, and congratulations."

With those words, Ymir, the ancestor of the frost giants, the origin of their ordeal... faded. And as he faded, so too did the realm around them, until they were left in darkness. When the darkness parted as well, Jamie could barely breathe.

They were standing in downtown Burgess.

They were standing in downtown Burgess, and there was no blizzard.

There was still snow on the ground, sure, but it was clear skies all around them. He spun in a circle, taking in the world around him, and.

And.

It was beautiful.

OoOoO

Jamie carefully tucked Sophie in. He'd already stashed away their armor and weapons until they could be dropped off at their usual spot. She'd protested, of course, but for all that his sister was a magical powerhouse, she was still only an elementary school student, and there were simple bodily limits involved.

Jamie should be sleeping too, but he was still too wired. Even though he'd like nothing more than to pass out, his mind wouldn't shut down.

It seemed like, even at the end, he was still thinking.

Once Sophie was safely snoring away, he thought about heading to bed. Maybe he could snatch a few hours, but...

He took a look out the window, at the lightening sky. It'd been so long since he'd seen the dawn.

This was kind of stupid. He knew how tired he was too, and taking a header off the roof would be a horrible way to die. Still...

Jamie climbed out of the window and onto the roof. It was coated with untouched snow, and his butt would soon be complaining, but Jamie didn't care. He curled up into a ball and let himself breathe.

It'd been a very long year. It was an ordeal like nothing he'd ever been through before. Even facing Pitch was nothing like the endless slough through dungeons, pushing himself to the limits. He could look back on the Jamie who started the journey and the Jamie he was now and simply marvel at the differences. He was still himself, yes, but he felt so much stronger now.

Forged in ice, with power enough to fell that which it once took gods to do.

In the end though, Jamie was a teenager too, and all he wanted...

When he looked up as dawn's light heralded the new year, Jamie felt his breath catch once more. He sprung to his feet at a familiar voice in the air.

"Jamie!"

"J-Jack?"

"Jamie!"

With a whoosh, Jack slammed into Jamie and sent them both sprawling into the roof.

"Jack, you're here!"

"As soon as I got the all clear, I came as soon as I could. Hey, hey, man, why're you crying?"

"I'm not crying!" Jamie protested, in direct contrast to how he was burying his face into the oh so familiar hoodie in front of him. "It's just, it's been so long, and so much has happened, and I haven't seen you in forever..."

"I know, Jamie, I know. Lots of things were happening, but we could all hear you calling." Even though Jamie had his eyes closed, he knew Jack was wrapping him in a tight hug, a hug that he'd be wanting for the last year. "You were calling with all your strength, and so we answered when we could."

"Jack..."

"You've been so strong, Jamie. I'm so proud of you."

"I... I—"

"Jamie."

"I missed you so much. I missed all of you."

"And I'm here now, and the rest'll stop by when they can."

"I have so much to tell you."

"So then, tell me. I'm all ears."

And so Jamie did.

OoOoO

End Notes: I... don't know what to say. I've been working on this for the past year, and it's been a bit of a ride. To be honest, I just wanted to write a happy ending, but it just kind of grew and grew until it ate a lot of things, including my spare time. It's a little rough, because I'm still learning how to write endings to epic (if off-screen) journeys, as well as learning how to balance screen time of multiple characters. This is probably going to be the last, full-sized epic in this series, though I'm not discounting little ficlets here or there. I'm probably going to post the world-building notes that never quite made it into the story proper on my Tumblr, since I've been on a bit of a Persona streak lately. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this final installment, and Happy Holidays!