An old friend to bring me home.
Jack screwed up.
He knew he did. Pitch was trying to bring himself back, the dark shadow was whispering in his ear.
Jack knew at first that the other Guardians were trying to help but it got harder and they just didn't understand. Jack could no longer tell what thoughts were his and what thoughts were Pitch's.
If just one believes, Jack could hear Pitch's hiss in his ear, I'll still have hope. Even if it's you, Jack.
North told him everything would be fine. "You mustn't believe in the dark, Jack." North said with a smiled.
"He can't hurt you!" Tooth said happily while Babytooth hummed and squeaked on Jacks shoulder shaking her little fist in the air. "He's gone and he can stay that way." Tooth nodded and flew away. Babytooth nuzzled against Jack's cheek before following behind Tooth.
"It's all in your head, mate." Bunny said confidently, hopping off.
Sandy rested his soft sand hand on Jack shoulder. He watched Jack with concern. Sandy put his hands together, when he opened them a small gold sand figure of Pitch stood in his hand. Sand took a deep breath and blew it away and the sand turned into a bright snowflake. Jack had no idea what it meant but he smiled and thanked Sandy anyway.
Jack knew they were all just trying to help, for the most part. One of the Yeti's gave him a hug and one of the elf's tried to give him a half eaten cookie, Jack gave the elf back the cookie and he swallowed it in one gulp and almost choked.
What goes better than cold and dark? Pitch's voice enveloped his thoughts. Jack closed his eyes trying to get Pitch out of his head but the more he tried the more he could hear Pitch's voice becoming less of a whisper and more of a growl.
Think what we can create?
Jack took a deep breath, 'I can't hear anything.' Jack told himself putting his hands over his ears and dropping his staff to the ground.
You're only a Guardian as long as someone believes in you and you know as well as I, Jack, they'll stop believing in you. They'll forget all about you. You will be nothing again. Invisible and unwanted. You'll be just like me, Jack.
"No!" Jack yelled and grabbed his staff slamming the end of it into the ground. A ripple of ice shot across the ground for a few hundred feet. The tress froze so quickly their branches shattered into small pieces and covered the ground like sharp glass.
Jack fell to his knees leaning on his staff with tear sliding down his cheeks. He felt a cold breeze push his hair back. Jack looked up at two light blue eyes looking at him.
He jumped back. The women pulled her hand back from where she had ran he fingers through his hair. She stood up straight and smiled softly at him, her long white hair blew in a breeze that seemed to only touch her and her skin was as white as porcelain. Her dress was the same colour as her eyes.
She moved closer to Jack but she didn't walk she simply glided like a leaf in the wind.
"Who are you?" Jack asked raising his staff to her. She stopped and Jack felt himself be lifted in the air until he was upside-down. Jack struggled to right himself but the girl laugh lovingly at his failed attempt. She stood so close their noses were almost touching.
"I've come to bring you home." She said simply. Jack stared shaking his head. He squinted. His eyes watched her. She was familiar, his friend. The one who always, like she said, brings him home.
"Wind." Jack whispered. Wind smiled, cocked her head to the side and looked at her old friend. She flipped him once more before putting him back on his feet.
"You seemed like you needed a friend," She said. "You haven't asked me to bring you home for some time. I was worried about you, Jack." Her inspecting eyes made Jack turn away. "Come along Jack Frost." She said and he was lifted into the air again with a strong gust.
Jack tumbled and fell but was always caught by another gust. Wind stayed close spinning and laughing. Soon Jack began to laugh along and get his footing.
He took his staff and grabbed Winds wrist with the end and pulled her closer.
"I'll race you!" He said with a gleam in his eyes. Wind winked and was off ahead of Jack before he could say a word. He caught up and the two slid to a stop on the slippery lake top.
They sat across from each other in silence for a while.
Jack looked up as snow fell onto his face. Wind closed her eyes and made the snow swirl around them. It seemed so great, Jack thought but how long until Pitch's dark thoughts comeback.
A bitter cold surrounded them and Wind watched Jack waiting for him to say what he needed to say so she could do the same.
"The man on the moon chose you." Jack said.
"Yes." She answered. "Long before you came into the picture." She smirked playfully but Jack didn't take the light tone. He felt he was burden on her as well.
"Do you remember your other life?" He asked. Wind nodded.
"I remember that life, but it's over and now a have this life." She said. Jack stated drawing pictures in the snow. "The man on the moon told me you were special." Jack looked up at Wind.
"He did?" Jack asked. Wind nodded.
"He said you would be something unbelievable."
"I'm not anything." Jack said sadly. Wind touched his hand. Her touch was like the wind licking at his skin. It was so soft and gentle but warm. A warmth Jack hadn't felt it years.
"You are my friend, Jack Frost. And I will be there to bring you home every time. Pitch can't harm you." She said but he'd heard that before.
"Then why is he in my head?" Jack retorted pulling away from her. "How do I make him go away?"
"Believe in yourself."
"How do you know that's going to do anything? What if I'm meant to be just like him?"
"You're not."
"How do you know? How could you possible help me?"
"Because the Dark can't take away the light and you shine brighter than you know." She stated. "Because the cold belongs with the wind not with the dark, we are one Jack Frost and I will protect you until you can shine on your own again." Wind said.
Wind stood and reached her hand out to help him up. Jack stared at her white hand, clutching her staff a little tighter.
"What if I screw up again?" Jack asked. "What if I turn out just like Pitch."
"We all make mistakes. We're all broken but we mend. We learn and we grow. Pitch never learned but you are not him. Pitch is Pitch Black and you, you are Jack Frost." Jack smiled and grabbed her hand. When he was on his feet he hugged her. "I believe in you, Jack." She said.
Jack pulled away just enough to look at her. Her light blue eyes sparkled and she smiled happily.
"I believe in you too." Jack said kissing her forehead. "Thank you, Wind." Jack knew he had his light back, he knew Pitch couldn't do anything to him. "We're kind of a package deal, huh?" Wind nodded. "What happened with that hurricane in the tropical islands?" Jack asked in a teasing voice. Winds eyes got wide and she looked slyly at him.
"I got a little over zealous." Wind admitted her cheeks flushed with the lightest pick shade Jack had ever seen. Jack laughed.
"I guess others can make mistakes." Jack said.
"You're not the only one on the naughty list." Wind said throwing a snowball at Jack hitting him in the face. Jack made his own throwing it in Wind's direction but a flick of her wrist and it shot back at him hitting him again in the face.
"Not fair!" Jack exclaimed smiling. Wind smiled back.
Jack didn't hear Pitch's thoughts anymore. The next time North, Bunny, Sandy and Tooth saw him he was in such a good mood they all looked concerned.
"Looks like you got over your dark period." Bunny stated thumping his foot and jumping into his hole. Jack rolled his eyes.
"You do seem so much happier, Jack!" Tooth said and Babytooth nodded with a happy little squeak.
"I told you!" North said with a hard pat on Jacks back almost knocking him off his feet. "You mustn't believe in the dark." North said proudly.
"Yeah," Jack said rubbing his shoulder. "I guess I just needed help from a friend." Jack looked to Sandy who opened his hands and the same small Pitch from before was in his hand, he blew it away again and the little gold snowflake fell into Jacks hand.
"You were right." Jack smiled at Sandy. Jack let the snowflake go and jumped into the cold air. "Wind, take me home." The familiar gust picked him up and took him home again.
-End.