Keep the Lights On

They were at the Pole when it happened. No one noticed it at first.

North had called a meeting of the Guardians. The other four, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, Sand Man, and Jack Frost had all followed the summons at once and arrived together. They had looked around anxiously, wondering why the fifth Guardian had called for them. Their question was answered when North appeared in the doorway carrying a platter of drinks.

He had wanted to celebrate such a successful and happy year for all of them. The globe at the center of his workshop was shining as bright as ever, new lights popping up everywhere everyday. The guardians celebrated and talked together for a long time.

It was Jack who noticed it. An empty spot where a light used to shine. A different kind of light than the others. This one had the power to light up the whole globe alone. But it wasn't there. His face fell into a frown of confusion, and Tooth saw it.

"Jack? What is it?" She asked. Jack didn't answer her. He gripped his staff tightly and sprang up into the air. He flew over to the top of the globe and hovered at the empty space. He stared at it as his heart rate spiked through the roof.

How long had that space been empty?

"Jack? What is it, Mate?" Bunny asked. The rest of the Guardians noticed him now, and they all looked at him in confusion. Jack shook his head. The light couldn't be out. There was no way. No possible way!

"Jack? What is it?" North asked in an incredibly serious voice.

When Jack looked up at them, each of the other four Guardians felt their hearts drop simultaneously. Jack's face held a dark expression of pure terror. Breathlessly, he only managed to speak one word, his voice hardly above a whisper.

"Jamie."

Nobody had a chance to even react before Jack was gone. He disappeared in a swirl of snow as he shot out of the roof of the Pole.

"Jack, wait!!" North bellowed, but the winter sprite was long gone.

"Bugger! Come on, then! Hurry!" Bunnymund said. He tapped the ground with his large foot and a hole opened up next to him. He jumped inside and was quickly followed by North, Sandy, and Tooth Fairy, each of them forgetting that the tunnels were their least favorite mode of transportation in their fear.

Meanwhile, Jack was rocketing across the sky faster than he'd ever flown before. His mind raced almost as fast as he was flying with different possibilities. Why would Jamie's light be out? How could Jamie's light be out?

It had only been four short years since the human boy had helped the Guardians fight Pitch in a battle against dark and light. Just four short years since he'd acknowledged Jack, spoken his name, and seen him. Jack's heart pounded faster and faster the closer he got.

"Hold on, Jamie. Just hold on." He whispered to himself desperately, hoping that by some miracle Jamie could hear him. He tried to fly faster. He shot out a burst of ice behind him, trying to propel himself on.

The house was dark when he got there. It was bare of decorations despite how close it was to Christmas. Jack landed in the backyard and looked around. A few toys were strewn about the yard, but not nearly as many as he remembered. He jumped up onto part of the roof and rushed over to Jamie's window, but the curtains were drawn. Jack frowned. Jamie never closed his curtains. He rarely ever even closed his window.

Jack felt his insides run frozen. Something was seriously wrong.

"Hold on. There's gotta be an explanation for all this. Maybe he moved." He told himself, trying to steady his breathing.