Hidden [Jack Frost]

Chapter 11

        Jack groaned pushing himself up and trying to breath properly. "Baby Tooth..." he managed out, scrambling towards the injured fairy. Realizing she was still alive he sighed in relief, scooping the tiny creature into his hands. "You're all right." Baby Tooth sneezed from the cold, causing him to chuckle, but without humor. "Sorry, I'm used to being cold." His eyes glanced away with guilt. "Pitch was right. I make a mess of everything."

        As the silence passed the fairy crawled inside the young man's pouch and he sat back against a wall feeling weak. "Jack... Jack!"

        He jumped in surprise at the sudden voice, yelping at the sight of his hoodie glowing. Reaching inside the young man pulled free the canister holding his teeth. It was speaking to him again. Glancing over at Baby Tooth, whom had reemerged, she patted the top in encouragement. Taking a deep breath his finger pressed against the button in the center and everything came rushing in.

        Jack could see himself as a human. Playful, happy, and a jokester. So in his past life his personality was the same, which in a way was a relief for him. And he had a family. A mother. A father. And a sister. One he was obviously fond of by the way they would always play with each other and his tricks would always be focused on in good nature.

        And everything came to a head as the two were leaving their home to go ice skating, the blades already attached to his sister's feet. And he was about to put on his own when the ice began to crack underneath them. "It's okay," he quickly reassured, trying to take control of the situation. She was terrified. "Don't look down. Just look at me."

        "Jack, I'm scared," she whimpered.

        The cracking noise only grew louder if either of them shifted in the slightest. "I know. But you're going to be all right. You're not going to fall in. We're going to have a little fun."

        "No we're not!" she cried. Now was not a time for one of his games that he liked to play.

        "Hey, have I ever tricked you?"

        "Yes, you have all the time!"

        "Well not this time," he reassured. "You're going to be all right. I promise. You have to believe in me." His eyes landed on a thick branch only a few steps away. It was hooked at the end as the young man came up with an idea and quickly turned to look at his sister once more. "We're going to play hopscotch, like we do everyday! It's as easy as one..." He stepped, the ice cracking in a new spot and to add to the effect he pretended to be loosing his balance on one foot, "Whoa!" causing the girl to giggle at the sight. It was a start getting her mind off of the danger and he took another step. "Two..." This time the ice didn't crack, making him relieved they had found a thick spot that was safe. "Three!" His hand gripped at the branch slowly reaching towards the girl. "Now it's your turn. One..." She stumbled forward, instantly panicking when the fractures expanded. "Two... Three!" Jack managed to scoop her up the momentum throwing her away from the thin ice, but in turn pushing him towards it. Laughing that the game had actually worked the two grinned at each other before the ice below him suddenly gave out from under him.

        "Jack!"

        And he drowned in the freezing, dark waters.

        Jack found himself gasping for breath coming out of his memories and wildly glancing about before looking at Baby Tooth, sitting patiently waiting. "Did you see that?" Her head shook, but that didn't matter seeing as he continued. "It was me! I had a family! I had a sister! I saved her!" And realization hit him, staring up at the moon overhead. "That's why you chose me... I'm a Guardian!" Determined now, the spirit stood, picking up the fairy and rushing towards his broken staff. "We have to get out of here." It needed to be fixed. Had to if he was going to be able to help the other Guardians. Help the children that were in danger of Pitch. Pressing the shattered ends together nothing happened, falling apart once more. But he didn't stop, holding them tighter against each other and starring down the splintered wood. Finally there was a reaction as the wood began glowing blue, ice forming to fuse the two pieces together making it whole once more. Shouting in joy the spirit took off into the air leaving Antarctica behind.

        His first stop was Pitch's lair breaking in easily with the Boogieman not at home. Racing towards the cages he threw open the doors, the fairies chattering excitedly at the sight of him, but he couldn't understand why they weren't racing out. "Come on! Let's go!" he shouted. But when none moved, Baby Tooth tugged on his hood. "What's wrong?" Fluttering her own wings nothing happened as it dawned at him that they were all in a similar state. "You can't fly?" Suddenly the fairies began pointing at the globe on the far side of the room and realizing it was growing darker and darker with each passing second. "The lights!"

        One by one they were going out.

----------

        At the North Pole the yeti were gathered around the globe worriedly as the lights flickered out. Their leader was nowhere to be found and they were worried as Pitch's laugh echoed in the air

        "You can all go home now," he stated, materializing on top of the globe. "You're no longer needed! Because there won't be a Christmas next year!" His eyes honed in on the few remaining. "And, ah, there they go."

----------

        "They're all going out!" Jack shouted. This could not be happening. If there was nothing left then the Guardians would be no more. They would disappear and he didn't know what he would do.

----------

        "Six..." Pitch sang. "Five..." With every one that went out, a foot stomped on them with glee. "Four..." Oh he was going to relish in the fact that the Guardians would be no more. "Three..."

----------

        And it stopped there, Jack staring at the two dots left on the globe touching realizing both were in the same town. "There are still two lights," Jack's brows rose.

---------

        Pitch glared, wondering why two were left and he sneered at the sight. "Two," the man growled.

---------

        It hit him suddenly; realizing whom the lights belonged to. "Jamie and Ally!" he exclaimed. There was no time to loose.