Christmas Memory
All characters belong to DreamsWorks
Red and green lights streamed over the contortion of branches. A faint chill swept along the pines that sheltered a small graveyard; a slender figure trudged somberly through the fresh layers of December snow. Jack Frost the newest Guardian and keeper of childhood dreams had reached an impasse between memory and guilt.
He was alone on Christmas Eve, listening to the bells of North's sleigh echo through the frigid air as the shadow cross over the full moon.
"Right on time, North."
He leaned against the tree, keeping his hood on, as his obscured pale blue eyes wandered over clusters of marble stones, fading names of people whom he had watched grew from childhood.
The young Guardian had spent his days and nights observing humanity-wartime children from the first and second era of world war. During every century he'd been a ghostly observer with disjointed memories of someone's' life.
He saw flashes of faces, sounds of laughter and warmth of a hug. It was everything that made him feel human, but when he placed his hands on the glass panes of windows, he knew that he was a part of winter. A figure of illusion that was reborn in the icy waters, his hair turned into color of pure white, and eyes sparkled with shades of azure. For years, he roamed the world, searching for his true existence, but when he finally received the box of his stored memories-he discovered his past and kept that locked deep inside his heart.
Tonight, Jack was on a new mission. He wanted to find his baby sister again. It had been a dozen lifetimes since he walked through the graveyard, but now he had a reason to enter forgotten part of the city, it was on the north side of the frozen lake where he had fallen and drowned under the thick ice.
Cautiously, he lowered his staff and crouched down in front of small marker. His blue eyes looked over the name etched in the stone. His fingers gently brushed off the remnants of ice with a tender caress of his hand. He blinked, trepidation pounding his throbbing skull, as tears welled in his eyes and rolled down his sharp cheekbones as they turned into flecks of ice.
He whispered out her name, "Emily," he trailed off and felt the edges of his lips twitch into a frown, and his fingers rubbed over her name. "Hey," he said, almost choking up his words. "I don't know if can hear me...I was your brother from a really long time ago. We used to skate together..." He paused for a moment, narrowing his teary eyes as he felt a dull ache in his chest. "I used to protect you and we always had fun..."
Suddenly he listened to a disruption in the air, whipping his head around; he stared at the small and colorful shape of a humming bird fluttering in the cascades of light snow. "Baby Tooth," he smiled through his tears, waving at the tiny fairy as she pushed herself closer to him, with bright purple eyes shimmering with excitement. "What are you doing here?"
She flew directly at him, nudging her pointy beak against his cheek, and he laughed, "Yeah, I missed you too," he caught her in his hands.
Sneezing, Baby Tooth snuggled against his palm, and curled into a shivering ball of rainbow feathers.
Jack enclosed his other hand over her, protecting his little friend as he stared intently at the grave. "I had to see her one last time." he said with a despondent tone, "I know her name now...It was Emily. She had long brown hair and warm brown eyes. That's all I can remember about her." he sighed, and lifted his hand, moving his fingers around as mist of snow formed into an ice rose, and then he placed it next the grave "Sometimes I wish I could just hold her in my arms again...After all I was her big brother."
The little fairy flew out of his hand, and settled next to the rose, placing her tiny hand over the gift.
Jack sniffled a little, and then he smiled. "I know where I always find her." He placed a hand over his heart.
"Jack," Tooth called out for him, flying closer to him, breathless. "There you are, Jack Frost. I've been looking for you."
He instantly stood up, "You've been looking for me?" he asked, sheepishly.
"Well of course I have, silly," she replied, her lavender colored eyes sparkled against the gleams of moonlight. She held out a small rectangular box. "I've wanted to give this to you, but with me working back in the field and collecting teeth...Things have gotten busy. I finally found it and because it's Christmas Eve, and since you haven't received any gifts in a long time I thought it would be the right time."
Jack shook his head, "I don't want anything, Tooth. I've got my memories back...That's all I need."
"These aren't your memories, Jack." Tooth said, watching his expression veil with confusion. She moved an inch neared to him, placing her hand on his shoulder. "You deserve to have these, after all you have done for the children world and the Guardians, and this is the least I can give you."
"Tooth..."
She handed him the box, "Merry Christmas, Jack Frost." she whispered, and pressed her lips over his cheek, giving him a warm kiss.
Jack closed his eyes, and then pressed a finger over the center green diamond, he took a deep breath, reopened his eyes as golden light consumed the air.
His blue eyes glazed with fresh tears as he watched the memory of his sister and him embracing into hug emerge out of the box.
"This is...I mean...That's Emily..." He cried, holding that memory close to his heart. "Did she have a good life?"
Tooth nodded, " She did, Jack." she assured him, looking down at the grave. "After you fell into the ice, she never forgot about you, especially when it snowed."
Jack smiled, and allowed his tears to land in the snow. "Thank you," he managed to say to her. "This means a lot..."
"You're welcome Jack," Tooth said, and rested her hand over his cheek. " Merry Christmas."
He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a hug, and then whispered back, "Merry Christmas to you, Tooth."
He closed his eyes, and started a new memory.
