A/N:
Disclaimer: I don't own RotG
Jack still remembered Before.
Before, in his opinion, had been much better than After. Although Before had been lonely, and cold, and silent, and empty, at least he had been safe. Unwanted and unloved, yes, but safe. Unlike After. Not that After wasn't safe as well, of course, but...it wasn't safe in a "safe" way, if that made any sense, which it probably didn't.
He shivered.
Before had been better, that was sure. Before had been gray and dull and boring, but gray was better than red, and boring was better than fear. He hadn't been content with Before, though. Hence why he now had After, which was red and exciting and fiery and frightening and painful and paralyzing-
Breathe, Jack, breathe. What would Frostbite say if he could see you now?
He'd say I'm pathetic. A worm. Weak. Incompetent. And more, he'd be right.
Exactly. So what do we do now?
Keep calm. Stay emotionless. Emotions make you weak, and easy to break down.
Good. Very good. You've learned your lesson well, I see. Now, where was I?
Ah, yes. After.
After was a turbulent time, that was sure. With Frostbite now in the picture, Jack had to watch his every step, every word, and every breath. Each mistake he made, no matter how minor, was instantly punished.
That was alright though, wasn't it? It was what best friends did, after all: tell you where you went wrong so you could improve-
Now, Jack. What did Frostbite say about freezing windows?
...He said it's rude and...inconsiderate. I can't help it, though!
What do you mean, you can't help it? You certainly helped it before.
It's my powers...My new believers…I swear it's not on purpose!
Wrong answer, Jack. Powers must always be suppressed. Even if it hurts. We wouldn't want to accidentally injure or kill someone, now, would we?
...No.
Good boy. Now don't do it again. Where was I-
...What did you say, dear? No, not you, Jack, I'm talking to them. Did you say something? Come on, speak up, I promise I don't bite!
...Ah, you're wondering who this "Frostbite" is I keep mentioning, are you? Pardon me, darling, I have a bad habit of telling stories in the wrong order. It confuses people, you see.
Frostbite, to answer your question is...well, no one at all, really. At least, to anyone except Jack. To Jack, he's vividly, even painfully real.
He's...well, I suppose you could say he's belief gone wrong. Spirits and belief depends on one another, you see, so sometimes spirits foster belief, but other times it's the other way around. Like with Frostbite. Belief created him. A child's belief, to be a exact. Jack's belief, to be even more exact-
Jack. No. Stop distracting Tooth's fairies.
I can't help it if they faint every time I smile!
Have you considered simply not smiling? Really, Jack, is this how you repay your friends? By delaying their work? How will Queen Toothiana complete her rounds without her workers?
...You're right. I'll just apologize to Tooth-
Queen Toothiana, darling. Do stay polite. And no, that's not a good idea. You'll distract her as well, with your teeth. Better to leave now, before you cause more damage.
...Alright.
Good boy. Where was I? Ah, Frostbite.
You see, darling, Jack was so desperate for companionship. He couldn't be happy with how things were Before. It was so boring, you see. Not to mention depressing.
So, he decided to spice things up a little. With an imaginary friend. Except now, "imaginary" is a tad inaccurate, and "friend" isn't quite extreme enough...At least on, ahem, one side of the equation…Which isn't Jack's…
Don't look at me like that, Jack, darling. You've seen the way Frostbite looks at you, don't you deny it! Not that I know what he sees in you, of course, but whatever makes him happy, I suppose…You are making him happy, aren't you, dear? Completely, unutterably happy?
Hmm...I don't like that face. I'll have to ask Frostbite later. If you're lying to me, by any chance, I think you know what will happen, dearheart. And it won't be good for you.
...Dear me, but I am loosing track of myself, aren't I? I apologize unreservedly, sweetheart. I don't normally talk to many people, and certainly not two at once. You wanted to know more about Frostbite, yes?
Well, there's really not that much more to tell. Frostbite isn't really a spirit in his own right, you know, he's still partly imaginary. Hence why only Jack (and myself, I suppose) can see him. Which is good, especially with Jack's new coworkers. That boy is adorable, but he's clumsy as a new-born duckling when it comes to common courtesy, so it's good that Frostbite and I can keep him in line. I doubt his coworkers would approve of our methods if they could see them-
Jack, what do you think you're doing? It's close to Christmas, North does not need you stepping on his toes-
September is close to Christmas, you buffoon. For Moon's sake, stay away from the Pole already. You're sure to freeze something, or break something, or cause general chaos, and that would be a rude thing to do to someone as nice as North, wouldn't it?
Good, I knew you would see reason. Still, you were rebellious there for a little, weren't you? You should know better: after all, Frostbite and I are far more experienced than you are.
Well, if you promise never to do it again…
There, there. You know we love you, don't you Jack? We just want to help you. I'm not upset, I promise.
...Would you like to play a game, Jack?
Yes?
Very well, then. Sorry, love, it's been wonderful talking with you, but I'm afraid I have to go. Ta ta for now!
Yes, Jack, I'm coming!
A/N: Narrator is the Wind, BTW. She's got a bit of a thing for Frostbite, and she speaks like Rarity from MLP. I watched an episode from the show once, when I was younger [my friend forced me] and the one thing I still remember through the haze is Rarity's accent. I've trained myself to do a passable imitation. Emphasis on "passable".
Also, I have no idea why this story switched from third-person, to first-person, to...first-person omniscient? I dunno. Let's just leave it at "Wind sucks as a narrator".
Frostbite is an OC. He's like Jack's imaginary friend turned pseudo-real. Plus he's only visible to Jack. Meaning he gets to scratch, bite, and pinch Jack in public if Jack "screws up", and no one knows (as long as Jack controls his expressions well enough, which, believe me, he does).
I may or may not continue this, depending on how it's received.
...Review? Please?