Fire and Ice

A Life for a Life

"Why didn't you tell me you were back?" Star asked.

"Because I didn't have time to."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Were you too busy having fun and partying without me?"

"What the hell are you talking about Star?"

"Tom told me about what you've been doing for the PAST 5 MONTHS!!!"

"I've only been back for about a week."

"Oh sure Jack. Let me just overlook the videos that Tom's spies took. THE VIDEOS THAT HE SHOWED ME!!!!"

"What videos?"

"THE ONES OF YOU PARTYING AND GETTING DRUNK!!! OF YU HAVING FUN WITH OTHER GIRLS THAT AREN'T ME!!! HOW MANY GIRLS HAVE YOU SCREWED SINCE YOU GOT BACK JACK!?!?!? HOW MANY!?!?!?!?"

"None Star. I've said it once when we were you and I'll say it again. You are the only girl that I'll ever love."

"WELL THAT IS NOT WHAT THE VIDEOS SAY!!!"

"Those were faked Star. The reason I didn't make contact with you is because Tom threatened the Earth and I had to save it."

"That's not what he said! He said that he sent his troops to stop you from harming the Earth and then you killed them all. Every single man. THEY HAD FAMLIES!! KIDS AND WIVES WHO WILL NEVER SEE THEIR FATHER OR HUSBAND AGAIN!!!"

"I KNOW!! I know. I know that they had families and I regret having to kill them. But it had to be done. The lives of a few thousand for the lives of billions."

"STOP LYING!!! If that was true then where have you been the past few days!?!? Why take a three-day break then attack the Underworld?"

"Because I was unconscious after I destroyed the ship. When I woke up I was on the biggest volcano in the Earth dimension. I used its eruption to get me to the Underworld."

"Bullshit Jack. Tom showed me footage of you abusing girls. Torturing them, raping them and then leaving them broken and bloody wherever the hell you wanted to. He edited out the bad bits so I wouldn't be scared like he had been."

"It's nice to know that you trust the man who abused you more than the man who loves you."

"WELL AT LEAST HE DIDN'T GO OFF WITH SOME OTHER GIRL!!!" Jack finally broke.

"SHOW ME YOUR WINGS STAR!!! OH WAIT, YOU DON'T HAVE ANY BECAUSE HE BURNED THEM OFF!!!"

"T...that's not relevant to the topic Jack. Don't change the topic."

"IT'S PERFECTLY RELEVANT AND YOU KNOW IT!! I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH SCARS NOW, AM I!?!?!?"

"WHO CARES!?!? HE'S THE CLOSET THING I EVER HAD TO A PROPER RELATIONSHIP!!! YOU ON THE OTHER HAND LEFT ME IN THE DUST!!!"

"I know what I did Star. Just tell me one thing. Do you still love me? Be honest."

"No I don't. Just leave. Marcos dead because of you."

"Ok then. Goodbye Star." Jack pulled a letter out of his pocket and placed it on her bed. He then walked out of the room. A minute later Stars parents came running in.

"Star honey, what's wrong?" Moon said as she embraced her daughter.

"It was Jack. He was here."

"We know, we saw him walk by us. What were you talking about?"

"How do you know we were talking about anything?"

"Because he was starting to cry Star. Whatever you said really hurt him."

"I said that I don't love him anymore so he put a letter on my bed and left."

"Have you read the letter yet?"

"Of course not. It's probably some stupid apology."

"I'll read it then." River said. He picked up the letter and unfolded it. A minute later his eyes went wide and he dropped the letter before running out of the door.

"What the hell?" Star said. "What did it say that made him run off like that." She walked over and picked up the letter.

Dear Star.

If you are reading this then my suspicions have been confirmed. You no longer love me. From the second I got back I thought that this would be the case. In the past nine years you've only seen me for just over a week and then I left you. Why would you still love me? You are a beautiful and amazing girl and I'm the sad loner who hurt you. There are some things that I want you to know about me before I'm gone. First of all, I wasn't as happy as you think I was when we were young. I was constantly bullied and made fun of by just about everyone because my name is Jack Frost. I hid it from you because it was my problem and I didn't want you being sad as well. That is also where my magic comes from. As you already know magicians have an emotion that their magic is based on. An emotion that when felt makes their magic stronger. Everybody thought that my magic comes from my love of you or happiness, it doesn't. The emotion my magic is based off of is the same one as Toms. Anger. Anger at the people who lashed out at a child and made him feel alone in the world. As a child I had the blood of one of those people on my hands. The lashed out at me and I retaliated. Now I'll get to the real point of this letter. Right now I can sense that Marco is about to die and by the time you read this he has probably already passed away. I know a spell that can bring back the dead, the cost of it is my own. Because you don't love me anymore I want to make sure that Marco and Ambrosia can love each other. Just remember Star, no matter what I'll always love you. Forever and for always.

P.S-This letter was so long because I wanted to stop you from stopping me. Goodbye Star.

"Oh god. What have I done?" Star said

"What is it Star? What does it say?"

"He's going to use a spell to save Marco. It's going to kill him." Star ran past her mother and out of the door. When she finally got to the infirmary everyone was outside and the door was shut. "What's happening?"

"Jacks in there with Marco and he's doing some sort of spell." Ambrosia said.

"Can we get in?"

"No. the doors jammed shut, courtesy of Jack breaking it."

"So what can we do?" before anyone could answer Stars question there was a flash of light and the door burst off of its hinges. Star instantly ran inside and saw Jack standing next to the bed Marcos was on. Everything around them had gone flying across the room leaving just the one bed there. There was a white light that moved a bit like water flowing out of Jacks body and into Marcos. Whatever it was Star knew that it signalled his death. It finished flowing and Jack collapsed to the ground. Star instantly ran to his side and put his head in her lap.

"Come on Jack, stay with me." She said. She could tell that he was struggling to keep his eyes open.

"I...Is M...Marco okay?" he managed to say. Star looked up and saw that Marcos chest was beginning to move again.

"Yes Jack, he's fine. But you have to stay with me. I'm sorry about what I said before."

"I...it's okay S...Star." She felt something being placed in her free hand and saw it was Jacks staff. He took a deep, raspy breath and said. "Live for me." After saying that his arm fell to the ground and his eyes closed. One last breath escaping his body before he became still for good.

"Jack? Please don't die. JACK!!!' Star screamed before breaking into tears. "NO!!" Everything else was just background noise to her. She didn't notice that Marco sat up. That he was alive. Moon and River tried to help her but she didn't even acknowledge that they were there. She didn't acknowledge anyone's presence. All that went through her head was that Jack was dead. And it was all her fault.