Jack sat against the window watching Aster gazed at the pictures over the mantle. It was the first time in months that he had looked at anything that himself of the winter spirit other than the snowflake pendant he wore around his neck. He watched as Aster began to tear up. It wasn't the first time he had seen Aster so close to shedding tears for him since his passing. It was hard to watch knowing he was the cause and knowing there was no way for him to comfort him. Hell he wouldn't be here now if he hadn't had the fore sight to prepare his snowflake for this. He didn't how ever explain to Aster what was so important about it which he was kicking himself for now. Sure he had asked about it from time to time but never had he actually told Aster of its power.
It had been just after they had heard what Pitch had done to one of the summer spirits. So how Jack had known Pitch would eventually target him. He knew if that were to happen he wouldn't survive at least without any help. So he went to Manny and to his surprise Manny had helped him. Together Manny helped to seal a portion of Jack's being into the snowflake. He explained to Jack that so long as it remained intact then he would have the power to rive him. He had went a little more in depth about how it all work, but the bottom line was that Aster now held the power to bring Jack back from this unseen prison and he didn't even know it. For which Jack couldn't be anger with his Bunny for after all he had never been given the chance to explain about the pendant and how to use it.
For now how every Jack was tethered to it like a leash. He could never go anywhere the pendant wasn't which by extension meant he couldn't go any where unless Aster did. This little fact drove Jack up a wall for the first month after he 'died' because the only thing Aster did was stay in bed. Sometimes he would go and get some thing to eat or drink, but for the most part he stay in bed. It hurt Jack to watch his Aster so broken but what choice did he have. Jack was trapped in a plain in between the spirit world Aster and the other Guardians live and the afterlife. After the first month much too Jack's relief Aster finally started to work toward his Easter preparations. He had been afraid that Aster would simple ignore his duties as the Easter Bunny in hopes that he could join him.
It was halfway through the second month that Aster finally left the Warren. It was only for the usually Guardian meeting that was meant to keep everyone informed as to how thing were going with the others work. Like Aster the other three seem to be only going through the motions of their work. They all look tired and wore down. The meeting didn't last any longer than it had to before they departed to fulfill their respective roles. Once again it was back to the Warren for another month of solitude before Easter.
The third month passed in a similar fashion to second with Aster burring himself in work to forget the pain in his heart. Then Easter was there at last and as he did every year Aster delivered the eggs, but again all Jack saw was Aster going through the motion not feeling the joy he should be feeling. When all the eggs were delivered Aster returned to the Warren with the still unseen, unfelt spirit of winter in tow. The seen that unfolded when they returned was more than enough to break Jack's heart a dozen times over. For the first time since he had pasted Aster broke down and cried. It took Jack a moment to realize why. It was because for the first time in 130 year he wasn't there to greet him. Jack had always been there waiting for Aster when he had came after a long night of delivering eggs. They would then proceed to spend the next week in the others company for the simple fact that neither of them had any work that required their immediate attention. Another thing that reminded Aster of Jack's absents.
The months followed in a similar fashion to the first only this time Aster didn't spend so much of it in their room. It in fact became another place Aster avoided if at all possible. When he wasn't moping Aster busied himself with his usually in between season work. Every so often he would leave the Warren to attend the Guardian meetings aside form that he stayed in his Warren.
It was at the November meeting that Jack was starting to get frustrated. He was get tired of seeing his family still so depressed, but the last straw was when North suggested that he cancel the Christmas party that year.
"No," Bunny said before North could even finish what he was saying "we will not nor ever cancel that party. It was Jack's favorite and I'll be damned before I loose one more piece of him," it was clear that there was a little bit of anger in his words but beyond that there were a large amount of grief. It was after Asters out burst that the other agreed. The meeting continued on afterwards but Jack paid it no mind in stead he look up to the moon and to Manny.
"Manny what am I going to do the others are so broken without me here. I'm not sure that they will be able to go on for much longer."
Jack this will not last much longer. I have almost completed the way for you return. Have faith that they can last a little longer.
"But how much longer will that be,"
Only a month my dear boy. When the time comes how ever you must be ready to return to the world. Jack took a moment to think about what Manny had told him. If it would be only a month then that would make it Christmas day.
"Very well then I will be patient."
And that is what lead Jack and Aster here. In the sitting room on Christmas day looking a picture of what had been. The clock striking noon is what brought Jack from his thoughts.
"Not much longer now Aster," Jack whispered.
The four Guardians sat around a large table picking at their plates of food. Neither of them had spoken since that had sat down to eat. Aster looked around to his friends as the stared into space. He knew what they were thinking. It was the same thing they though about every time the found themselves in a room together. Aster let out a heavy sigh which was enough to get everyone's attention.
"What are we doing," Aster asked looking at each of the other three guardians.
"What do you mean," Too asked not sure she understood.
"Like this what are we doing like this," the large pooka motioned to the way they were all acting "Easter I could understand but its Christmas and we are still acting like Jack die yesterday." There was a little hint of sadness in his voice as he spoke. The other look at Aster in shock.
"Bunny we...," Tooth started but soon trailed off.
"We can't go on like this guys. Jack wouldn't want us to. He would want us to move on with our live." As Aster spoke he began to gain a new sense of clarity that he had not had in almost a year. What surprised him more was that the words were coming from him.
Jack sat in what was his chair and listened to Aster's word, and as he listen a smile spread across his face. He saw the moonlight as began to filter through the sky light.
"It took them long enough," Jack said with a laugh. It surprised not only himself but the other four Guardians when they actually heard it.
They all jump and fell out of their chair as the heard the sound of Jack's laughter echo through the halls.
"What the bloody hell was that," Aster asked not sure he believed what he was hearing. The others looked just as confused as he did. As Jack got over his own shock he formed a mischievous idea. If it work he was sure be paying for it later in some form.
"Well it sounded like laughing," Jack said after a few moments of silence had past. Again they all jumped by the sound of the winter spirits voice. At first Aster was confused, then he was hopeful, then he was anger.
"Whoever in the bloody hell is doin' this it ain't funny," Aster was furious as he shouted after a moment of silence "this ain't a joke show yourself," Aster shouted again half wanting to tear the head off of who ever it was sounding like Jack.
"No joke cottontail," Jack said in a more serious yet playful voice. It was that voice that started to give Aster hope that it was Jack he was talking to.
"Jackie," Aster whispered after a moment not sure he was ready to believe.
"The one and only," the playful tone was back and that is what sent Aster over the edge. Tears of joy seem to start to well up the pooka's eyes.
"Jackie is it really you," Aster asked once more his voice still low.
"Who else would it be Aster," Jack's gentle tone was gone replace with a far more gentle and loving tone that Aster only ever heard when they were alone with one another. What ever sceptic thoughts that had still remained in Aster's heart were gone. No one would have known that to use that tone of voice because Aster had been the only one Jack used it for.
"Where are you," Aster asked still not quite sure where the voice of his lost mate was coming from. Still he looked around hoping with all his heart that he would see his mate.
"Right here," and if by magic Jack's voice finally had a direction. As Aster and the other Guardian's turn to the direction from where it came they saw before them Jack Frost. The winter spirit they had lost almost a year ago was now standing before them. Before anymore words could spoken Aster rushed to scoop Jack into his arms. It was to everyones dismay when instead of making contact with the Guardian of Fun he went through him instead.
Aster sat on the ground dumbfounded for a moment before tears of sorrow replaced the ones of joy. He felt his heart once more began to break. Aster had been so close to holding his mate in his arms where he belonged.
Seeing the dismay in and heart break in Aster's eyes Jack move to kneel down by the pooka's side.
"Aster," Jack said after a moment, but Aster didn't raise his eyes to meet the his "Aster look at me," Jack voice commanded softly. After a few moments of hesitation Aster finally lifted his eyes to me Jack's.
"Why can't I touch you," Aster asked fighting the emotions that were wanting to take him over once more. He wanted so desperately to feel coolness of Jack as it met the warmth of his own body. He wanted to feel the chill that went down spine in the briefest of moment until they adjusted to one another's body temperature. Above all he just wanted to hold him.
"Its still too soon," Jack said with just as much emotion "I'm still not fully back in your world. There is still more that needs to be done." His words started to bring questions to Aster's mind that he had not began to even think of until now.
"But Jack how are you even here? We saw you die. We saw you turn snow. Why now, why is it that we are only able to see you now after almost a year?..." Aster was asked not giving Jack any time to explain.
"Aster!" Jack said raising his voice putting an end to the pooka's questions "if you will give me a moment I will explain everything. To all of you," Jack said as he motioned for the others to approach. When they were all gathered around where Aster and him sat Jack took a moment to collect his thoughts.
"This all started when Pitch had killed that summer spirit last year. It didn't take me long to realize that he would eventually come after me. Killing a seasonal spirit it in many ways more difficult to do because we draw our energy from the earth. Meaning to kill a seasonal spirit you have to cut them away form the earth. Sever the bond so to speck. Thats how I knew he would come after me, and so I went to Manny to find away to protect myself from it. At first he told me their was no way to protect my self from it. If Pitch were to use this weapon on me then it would kill me," as Jack spoke those words he watch the mournful sadness return to Aster's eyes "but he did tell me that there were precautions I could take that should I fall victim to Pitch's weapon he could bring me back. He told my that by fussing a portion of myself to an object that contained a great deal of meaning to myself and passed it on before I died then the bond I have with the earth would never be broken." Aster's ears perked up at that last little bit.
"You mean the snowflake," Aster asked as a few of the pieces started to fall into place. Jack smiled at Aster's realization.
"Yes Aster, the snowflake."
"But why didn't you tell me about it sooner," the pooka asked still having with more questions than answers.
"I never got the chance. It had taken me months to infuse enough of my self into the snowflake to where it would work. It was only a few week after that we fought Pitch." Jack's mention of the battle that had taken him from them brought a few tears to their eyes.
"But that still doesn't explain how you are here," this time it was Tooth who had spoke up. Jack gave her a sad smile before looking back at Aster.
"I've always been here, it just that the veil of grief was too strong for you to see or hear me." It took a moment for the meaning of what Jack was saying to catch up to them, and when it did their eyes grew wide.
"That means you were their to watch us as we..." Tooth trailed off voicing the realization that they all had come to.
"Sorta of, I could only go where the snowflake went which mean I only could ever go were Bunny went," Jack said answering Tooth's question. Again something else that confirmed it was Jack they were talking to. Whenever Jack was talking about Aster to their friends or any other spirit he would ways refer to him as Bunny. Whenever it was to Aster he was talking to directly he would call him by name. In that moment Jack turned back to Aster with a look that he had been reminded of something Aster had done an would be hearing about later when they were alone. Though Aster didn't need to hear what Jack would have to say he knew. It would be about his behavior over the last year.
"'Tis good to know that you are not gone Jack, but how ees eet that ve turn back to your more solid form," North asked now that it had seem that all the other question had been answered. Everyone stopped at that question. It had been one that no one hadn't been asked yet still was on everyone's mind. Jack looked over to where North stood. He opened his mouth as if he were about to answer but closed it an looked towards the sky light to were he was looking up at Manny.
"Are you sure...but I though that it would take...ok...," Jack spoke as if he were having a conversation with someone and only hearing half of it. The other just gave each other side glances "alright then I'll tell them," Jack said as turned back to the others.
"Tell us what," Tooth asked.
"Manny say its time," was all Jack said.
"Time fer what," Aster ask.
"For me to return."
When Jack had said that it was time for him to return he hadn't said anymore on the subject other than the needed to go to his lake. So now here they all stood in snow at night in the dark. When they first arrived they could no longer see Jack. It took another moment for him to explain that they could only see him in the moonlight. It also said that they would have to wait for Manny to begin.
They waited for almost an hour before the clouds cleared enough for Manny's light to shine down. It was only moments after that the water of the lake began to glow. It was only then did Jack approach Aster. He reached up to him and grabbed hold of the snowflake pendant. Aster's eye grew wide with excitement when Jack's fingers did not go through it or him. Before he could say a word Jack gave him a look that told him to stay quite. His hand held it a moment longer before he allowed his fingers to trail up the chain that held the pendant. When both of his hands were on either side of Aster's neck he looked into the pooka's eyes.
"I need this now," Jack said softly. It took the pooka to realize Jack was asking for his permission. Aster nods and bows so that Jack can easily remove the chain. Very gently Jack removes the necklace that has not left the pooka in almost a year. As Aster stands back to his full height he watches as his mate put the chain around his own neck be for slowly backs away form him and turns to the water. With all the grace that he possessed when he had been alive Jack makes his way out to the center of the still glowing water. As he stands there the water begins to glow brighter. Jack turns to look at his mate and their eyes meet for a brief moment before the light becomes to bright forcing him to look away.
When at last the light dimmed they all looked back to the center of the lake expecting to see Jack. However, what they saw instead was only the space he had been. North, Tooth, and Sandy all looked at one another before looking to Bunny. They couldn't see his face but chances were they didn't want to.
Aster closed his eye against the sight of where his Jack had stood a moment ago. He felt a part of his heart breaking once more. For the briefest of moments there had been the promise, the hope that he would soon have Jack back with him. He had hoped with all his hear that it would work that it would bring his mate back to him.
What the Guardian didn't seen to notice from being to focused on where Jack had been was that the water that had been liquid only moments ago was now ice. They hadn't stopped to think why Jack and Manny had brought them here. If they had they would have realize what was happening below the ice.
The time seemed to stop for Aster as he felt his world begin to fall apart again. That is until he heard the sound of cracking ice. He looked up and for the first time noticed the frozen lake. Manny's light was focused on the center where Jack had been. Aster and the other Guardian's watch before they were once again blinded by a column of light.
This time when they were finally able to retune their gaze back they saw Jack laying on the ice. Aster blinked once, then twice, then a third time but still image of Jack, his Jack laying on the ice did not vanish. When he made the realization that he wasn't going to Aster leaped out onto the ice and race towards Jack, his Jack, his mate. When he reached him Aster hesitated a moment afraid that he still might go through him. When he finally found the courage to reach down and touch the winter spirit there were no words to express the relief and joy he felt when his paw landed on Jack, not the ice but Jack. With that realization Aster wasted no time scooping his snowflake into his arms. He held him tightly to his chest not wanting to let go afraid that if he did he might once again.
The sudden movement jostled the sleeping spirit awake.
"Aster..." Jack said in a strained voice "can't...breath," Aster let out a soft chuckle as he loosened his grip. Their eyes meet as he did so and for the first in over a year Aster felt happy, he felt joy, most importantly he felt hope. He felt hope for his future with Jack by his side. Taking all that in Bunny leaned down to draw Jack into a deep passion filled kiss.
After that they had all went back to the Pole for a proper Christmas celebration. For the first time since they had lost Jack the halls were alive with Christmas spirit. Everyone was happy and filled with laughter. Bunny on more than one occasion pulled Jack under the mistletoe. Tooth and Sandy told him stories of things that had happen during the past year. Only the happy ones of course. As for North he sat in his chair by the fire watching his son back where he belonged with his family.
The festivities lasted well until the next morning when Aster and Jack finally took their leave back to their Warren. As Aster lead Jack down into one of his tunnels he couldn't help but think that the Warren would finally feel like home again.
It came as no surprise to the other Guardians that they did not hear from the couple for several weeks afterwards. In the mean time what they did notice was that the harsh winter weather that had dominated the world in the winter spirit's absents calmed. The world had righted it self to its natural balance. It was a balance that the Guardians would never let be messed with again.
Author's Note: Okay so this ends the trilogy. Sorry but I just couldn't leave Jack dead and gone. Something inside said it would destroyed the Guardian and I just couldn't let that happen. Beside my muse is being nice to me today. now maybe she will rest and let me read in piece. Leave reviews and she might find something else to talk to me about. But I have to say if it is about any of my grammar than it is better left unsaid cause I know its bad.
P.S. I told you the snowflake was important.