Chapter 1

"I never get tired of looking at those pearly whites, Jack!" I don't know, I guess it's in her but the Tooth Fairy and her little fairy friends still have it for my teeth. I'm still not sure how I should feel about it but it doesn't bother me either. Her right hand fairy, Baby Tooth, was just as mesmerized yet in a more mellow kind of way. I can almost forget who guided who with them sometimes. Tooth was so energetic most of the time, more so when teeth—especially my teeth-were concerned. I like her company but that's something I still find myself getting used to. Why do I have to get used to it? Well, because I'm now officially a Guardian. 'The Big Four' became 'The Big Five' just recently and so all fun and games are over for me. Not really but the others are trying very hard to instill that in me. Come on, guys, it's my center right? I gotta have some fun. Of course now isn't one of those times I can though.

You see, there's another one of those 'Guardians Meetings' at Santa's place and that meant mingling with the other Guardians and what not. With Pitch no longer an initial threat we're now just cleaning up the mess and deciding on future actions and such. Now, I gotten used to the idea but I can't help but want some 'me time' sometimes too. I'm a fun guy but I've been a loner for over three hundred years now so this five's company stuff isn't going to happen overnight. All of a sudden I'm one of the gang and I guess that took some getting used to. No, I'm still getting used to it but I'll manage. I mean, what else was I supposed to do when my time was up for the year. At least, it was over and done where I loved having the most fun which was at my lake. As they say "Home sweet home," right?

Anyway, that's why I'm here now and that's kind why I have Tooth all in my mouth again gazing lovingly at my teeth. She loved them so much it tickled her to joy. I wonder what that's like. You know, loving something so much with such earnest and enthusiasm. Sure, we all have the kids but Tooth just has a thing for teeth like a mother to children. She even calls them cute sometimes. I think it's just in her like fun is in me. Yeah, I like to think of it like that. We just can't help ourselves. We have something in common and I like that.

"So I heard." I liked joking with Tooth. The grin she returned was pretty magical and contagious. This made her swoon a bit but only because it was a better look at my teeth. She was left and right, up and down and all about to get a better look at my teeth. If I didn't need them I'd give them to her. . .I think. I remember when we got back from beating Pitch back to where he belonged and she complimented me with a gentle smile. "Your teeth are as white as the snow, Jack Frost." she said. I swear, I think I blushed that one time. Sure, it was pretty much impossible for someone, like me, who was so cold to blush but I felt like I did. She said something similar to me when we met but the second time was different somehow. I guess because we were friends. She had a different magic and it was beyond just her teeth bearing. Sandy was there too and though he wasn't much for words when he laughed the sand glistened like glitter. He apparently was amused by Tooth's excited zipping and zagging through Santa's HQ like that. The usual bustle of his place had calmed from the winter seasons ending but there was still work to be done. Those weird elves were occasionally running fruitless errands and the yetis were cleaning and prepping for next year. Despite it all Tooth's wings were the loudest and the sound was almost like a tickle to the ears. I think that's always what has Sandy in a good mood.

"So, what's keeping the man in red and the Rabbit? I could be doing other things." Which was true. Now, if those things were important or Guardian related wasn't the matter of interest. The sand formed question mark over Sandy's golden-grained hair told me for the most part he was confused at what I had to do that was more important than this. I honestly couldn't answer him and I didn't try. I just smirked at him and he flatly stared back. I think he got the idea. He wasn't only a guy who spoke with his face well but could read them well too. I was practically an open book to him with that smile. Our exchange of expressions was halted by Tooth's response to my question.

"Aww, Jack, you know how it is. Santa's finishing up his Christmas clean up with the yetis and Bunny. . .well," she trailed off letting her head roll away from me in emphasis, "He's...busy." A little nervous giggle followed as she looked back at me timidly. She was vague but I knew. I knew what she was talking about. That time I didn't do my part and Easter was shut down. I still get on myself about that but Bunny made it clear that it was alright. Well, he didn't say it in those words or with the best tone but I had the feeling even if we were cool-no pun intended-that I still annoyed him. I wouldn't have it any other way if you had to ask me personally. If either of us were getting along with one another it was like summer and winter being best friends. It just didn't work out as well.

"I get it. Guess I don't have much of a choice." I grinned at her and treated it like a pat on the back. I know she felt a little awkward bringing that up. My smile was just as contagious as hers because Tooth and Sandy appreciated mine with one of their own. I won't lie, the memories, though not so far off, did linger and the guilt was strong.

"I'll be right back." With a soft whip of cold wind guiding my step I was on my feet. I was always light on my toes after all. It was a relief to get off the table I was sitting on. It was well-crafted but hard on the butt.

"Where are you going, Jack?" Tooth was concerned and she almost went to hold at my hand that was preoccupied with my staff but she quickly withdrew as though avoiding being burned from fire. I kind of gripped at my heart strings. Sandy was equally interested folding his arms and his usual docile face morphing to a scolding pout.

"Hey, it's fine. I'll be right back. I promise. Don't worry, alright? I'm just gonna have a little fun to kill time." I felt like I was lying. Okay, I was lying. I didn't feel much like having fun right now but the way they were looking at me I didn't want to say I needed a little time to myself.

Tooth's fragile smile and Sandy less than amused expression that was vivid enough to give a stern voice of discontent was more or less a reason to make it quick. That's what I told myself anyway, I was used to that.

"Alright, but don't go far." Tooth advised with Baby Tooth nodding with vigor beside her. The babysitting role was over because Tooth was back to guiding her little humming bird tooth troopers skillfully. She named out coordinates as though reading from paper and though quick with words she was always precise. Sandy hadn't given my dismissal another thought and not too far off he decided to catch a snooze. His closed eyes, light breathing and icon over his head said as much. I tell ya it doesn't take much to get these guys distracted.

With a slight nod in agreement I left them behind but I wasn't going far. I knew where I was going; the workshop. I think I needed a place to just think a little bit. It's the only place I can think of-within reason-that I can get some peace. Besides, whether I left or not everyone else had their own agendas. I somehow just don't fit that neatly in the bill yet. That's. . .what I keep telling myself anyway.

There's just the magic of the cold and bright snow that's soothing to me. I mean, hey, I'm Jack Frost right? Why wouldn't it be magical to me? I couldn't help but think this as I sat upon the window sill in the big man's workshop. It seemed to be personalized just for Santa himself with hand crafted trinkets and toys were about—from ice or toy material—that were moving about or hanging from the walls. It was a mini palace for a king and that's how Santa was. He was the big guy in charge and had an eye for creativity and detail. Anyone could envy the Russian-accented tyrant build of a man but he's such an eccentric, caring, jolly fellow it was better to just stand by his side. It was his center and it was funny that my comfort zone here was here. The place where it was the first time I learned about a center and that I had one as a Guardian. It's also a place I feel like I can reflect. Santa was something like me and this cold suited him. We had layers and no matter their number in the center we were what we were chosen for. Even if that's all we have in common it's still something. I feel like all this is sometimes much more than I deserve. It's supposed to be about the kids, right? But can I do this? Could I really be a Guardian? I mean I know the moon choose this for me but was he right? Mistakes were possible and he never really says much but somehow I'm always fitting into his plans and following his will. Is that really all Jack Frost is?

Even with kids believing in me now would that change one day? It scared me. . .the thought of being forgotten; of being unseen and ignored again. I leaned my head down against my staff and he hands gripped at it like a life line. The thought made me feel empty and those dark feeling began to submerge from deep within me. A moment of this I looked outside. The cold touch of the window was nothing to me really. It felt like home. The icy winds of my touch iced the surface like morning frost. Watching my frosty touch travel amongst the surface of glass was comforting. I felt a two second smile on my face and sighed. My thoughts grew as dark as those days.

I have danced with darkness before. No one knows it like I do but centuries alone can get to a guy. No one thinks about this kind of stuff because I'm the fun guy. I can make you smile, laugh and forget everything in that instant you're having fun. It's weird but I can spread so much joy but back then it was by anonymous delivery. Imagine being there but not being known by anyone or even being acknowledged. It's worse than not existing at all. Nothing in this world I did could make people believe in me because at some point I stopped believing in myself. Jack Frost, heh, what does that mean for me? It's a given name whispered by the moon but if he can't speak it to people and if people can't acknowledge it then how can they learn? I didn't know anything about myself back then and I wondered if it was worth knowing. I was starting to give up. You know what picked me up though? It was the kids. Yeah, it was the kids with their smiles that had missing teeth and that chime of innocent laughter.

When I needed that I always had a blizzard. Not any average ones either but big storms kids could enjoy and have fun in and I could have fun in too. Speaking of, Bunny still hasn't exactly forgiven me for the Easter of '68 yet but I needed that. He'll never know but it was something for me more than the kids. Snow days are nice and playing in the snow is fun but getting caught in the moment was something entirely. Can someone with such selfish occasional tendencies really be a fit Guardian? And you know through all that the moon just watched me with nothing to say. No form of condolences to my grief or words of guidance for when I was lost. Did he know my center before I did? I think that's what saved me because it was dark. Way too dark for anyone, too dark for me. It was darker than any night I ever explored and darker than the depth of the lake that night. I'll never forget it but I'll never forget that darkness. That cold, deep darkness I was born in.

"My, my, my, what do we have here? A boy lost in the night?" I jumped to my feet, staff drawn in front of me and eyes wide. It was a new moon tonight and it was darker than most nights I had seen which weren't many yet. The grip on my staff strengthened to a point I felt I could break it. A dry swallow-that only managed to let me know just how dry my mouth was-echoed loud in my ears. It rivaled my pacing heart. Who was this?

Following that disturbing mysteriously accented silk tongue voice was a jarring, dark chuckle that was mocking me more than its words, "How dreadful. It's scary in the night."

"Who's there?!" I could almost feel eyes leering around me I couldn't escape. The powdered frost of the snowy night was getting darker as though tainted from dirt. It seeped slowly like a snake in the grass. I held my ground and glared as I looked from every direction. Whoever, or whatever, it was I wasn't going to go down without a fight.

"Boo." Suddenly before my eyes were charred eyes that began to glow a haunting golden radiance. I involuntarily let out a yell and fell back with a heavy thud that was barely cushioned by the softness of the snow. The very snow that was black only seconds ago had begun to glisten with its usual hues of light blue and hints of white. It was my only beacon on this dark night and it was what I needed that very moment to stand strong. Well, not stand but you get the idea. On this dark night I considered the snow to glow and for me it was my only comfort from this person that appeared. From my fright I had dropped my staff. Still looking this figure in his eyes with what I could muster up to be a glare as I felt around for my staff only for a dark shoe from this figure to step down on it burying it deeper into the few inches of snow. A jagged smile greeted me when this mysterious man in black knelt in front of me closing in to meet my eyes.

"What's the matter, Jack? You don't believe in the Boogie Man?"

"WH-who are you and how do you know my name?" This apparent 'boogie man' was nothing but smiles that stretched his greyish skin to new bounds. His movement causes the dark strange of his black hair-that resembled branches pulled back—to bounce subtlety. I felt like I was watching a show from how much his smile morphed his face.

"Why Jack, I'm hurt. I see word takes a few hundred years to spread. Then again I can't blame you. With times changing and those glory hogs stealing my spotlight I suppose you don't know who I am. No, I suppose no one knows much of who I am now." His last sentence was almost spit out of his mouth like the very thought disgusted him. Hundreds of years? Spotlight? Who was he? What was he talking about? My confusion hadn't halted his goal because this strange man continued his onslaught of information to me as though he was casually talking about the weather.

As he spoke this weird, dark man put on a show with wisps of darkness amongst the snow between us showing silhouette forms of these 'Guardians' and giving stories of their purpose and accomplishment. As he continued on with these tales his voice held deeply etched malice which twisted his face into ways I've never seen. His eyes were cold and calculating as though he was evaluating what he was saying himself. After his show of darkness he looked at me still knelt before me as though a knight looking over a comrade.

"Don't worry, Jack Frost, I'm no enemy to you. I thought I'd show you the ropes. After all, no one else seems to care to introduce you. Your 'Man in the Moon' doesn't seem to really talk much, am I right?" This dark man stood from his position and looked down at me with a smirk. A smirk that told me 'yeah, I know everything' kind of smirk. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. This man knows the moon? Does he know about me? I haven't been around long and just learning my powers yet it was like he was waiting for me. Why? I was hesitant to speak but my brows furrowed from thought. I had to start processing what he was saying to me. Even with my mind in deep in thought my eyes gave tell to my fast beating heart. I had finally realized he had relieved his foot from my staff and with it I was back in my position after I stood up awkwardly holding out my staff in a defensive position. My grip was tight enough to make my knuckled paler than usual and I had my lips pursed closed. I didn't know why but I was nervous. I didn't know what to expect from the dark man even if he is dangling answers in front of my face like teasing a hungry animal. My nose flared from how hard I was breathing as though adrenaline was beginning to stir within me. I was preparing for a fight-my body was anyway- by the way he was looking at me I could tell he was nowhere near threatened. He stared back at me as though I just told a joke. Thing is, I wasn't laughing.

"Oh Jack; don't give me that look of fear. It makes me hungry. . .for nightly lurking and such. But you know in these changing times people have forgotten the darkness. They have forgotten what is the night and what lives in it. It's very sad, isn't it, Jack?" He asked me as though he was awaiting a response. He glanced over at me to see he wasn't getting one or he just didn't wait for me to give one. I felt as much when the glance was short lived and he turned his back to me with a faint shrug with his sharp shoulders. It was like looking at a two stick candle stand hold up dark, black drapes.

"Not like you and me, Jack. We were born from the darkness thanks to that Man in the Moon, yes? Destined to be in the darkness, know the darkness and dwell in the darkness and never again to be known as nothing more than that. Only to be in the shadow of those who do not believe and in the wretched back drop of the Guardians. I hope that we can more or less learn from one another. That is, if you're willing." A smirk with a glint of amber shined in this man's eyes when he looked back at me and in that was an ulterior motive. This caused my faulting defensive to once again become rigid and ready. I don't know why but my gut was telling me that this 'boogie man' could not be trusted. My hands were starting to tremble around my staff but not by the night's cold-of course not I was the cold- but what else could it be? I didn't admit it was fear to myself because Jack Frost didn't fear the dark. I can't afford to.

This man had answers. . .is he asking for some sort of alliance with one another? Do I have a choice? How can I know what I am or what's going on without answers? I felt hesitant but at the same time intrigued.

"What do you want." I couldn't ask it as a question because then it would show how curious I am. I cleared my throat since my response sounded broken as though I hadn't spoken in a while. What was wrong with me? Either way, I'd be inviting this man into whatever it he was looking for if I showed any form of interest and I couldn't have that. All I could concentrate on was how dark it really was. I was thinking of all nights for new moon to be it would be this one although even if it wasn't what would the moon do exactly? He's told me nothing but my name and it would be foolish to think he'd do anything more. Once again the moon had abandoned me but at least this time it was because he wasn't here tonight. To call out to him and never get an answer was more painful than this. That's what I told myself.

"Why, I want to be friends, Jack, nothing more," he spoke as he held out his arms as thought inviting me in, "I see a lot of myself in you, you know. Don't you feel lonely? Walking by never to be seen, never to be believed in? Don't you know that is the very power humans hold? With all our own powers they mean nothing without a human touch of faith, yes? Trust me, Jack; you're better off knowing more than if you don't."

What was scarier than this man was that he was starting to make sense to me. . .What was I thinking? Then again, why hasn't the moon spoken anything but my name to me? Was I really meant to meet this. . .this. . .who was he?

"Who are you." Another question I couldn't ask as one. I can't get involved but I gotta know what I'm up against.

"Pitch. You know, Pitch Black, just like the darkness you seem to fear. That's who I am but don't fear the darkness, Jack. It's there for you even when others aren't. It'll embrace you and hold you, "he spoke as he motioned hugging himself I guess to emphasize what he was saying, "And with that darkness is the cold whispers of security." Pitch paused and his face became stoic from the smile it had from when he was hugging himself. With his mouth partially open I could see the chill of his breath from the mid-winter night air. Glimpses of his jagged teeth seemed to shine as bright as the snow in darkness and his half lidded eyes looked back at me. I didn't know I was holding my breath until I tried to breathe again. Was I really afraid of this man?

"People fear what they don't understand, Jack. Do you not understand?" I was speechless. I really was. I could feel my eyes averting to my comfort zone, the snow on the ground, as I contemplated what he was saying. What I was doing listening to what he was saying. My inner turmoil distracted me when Pitch had closed a lot of the distance between us and he was but mere inches from my face with a smirk that bared teeth that practically had smiles of their own. I backed up until my back ran up against a tree. Any thoughts of defense and fighting back had suddenly frozen at the back of my mind. Was this his power he mentioned? Pitch had seen what he wanted in me and backed away and began to walking into the darkness of the night that the deeper forest cradled like a child. Pitch began to speak as he disappeared into that darkness.

"I'll give you time to think over what I have said and offered but rest assured I will return. Just like the sun rises to greet the world it sleeps and I live another night. Even if I must wait another new moon I will be back. Be sure to think hard on this Jack, I'm not as patient as the Man in the Moon." I could hear a deep, maniacal laugh echoed from that darkness and when it faded my legs gave out and I fell to me knees. What was I getting into? What. . .what was I going to do?

After Thought by the Author:

That was the first chapter of a fanfic inspired by the movie only. I recently learned of the books but I have not read them so information concerning that my fanfic is limited to the movie alone.

I always found Jack's origin kind of interesting and what he was like and what he struggled with during those 300 yrs before the events of the movie. Who informed him of what's what? How did he learn? It wasn't the Moon since he only told him his name and it seems like the other learned of him after he mastered his powers and made himself known with mischief. The movie doesn't hint if Jack or Pitch had any past exchanges of conversation but it doesn't say it's impossible either. I found that to be very open and so I decided to play with this idea a little. I mean everyone, at that present time, knows each other so who's to say when they met? That and I want to play with the idea of Jack having leftover guilt from the movie events. He is a fun guy but like most fun guys I'm sure they aren't all fun all the time and have moments of reflection. Plus, in the movie he feels really bad so I'm sure it didn't just disappear and maybe he even has doubts. I don't know. . . Jack is a very interesting character to write about based on his actions in the movie and the mystery behind it all. Anyway, this is just practice so I hope you enjoy. I also hope the transition from present to past wasn't confusing. . .I hope the grammer is alright, wrote this at like 6 in the morning. . .

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or anything but the story itself is just a fun idea I had.