Chapter One: Loosing Faith.
Jack's Point of View:
It was happening again. Children stopped believing in me. They mentioned my name but didn't believe. Only Jamie and Sophie were left. Jamie was now eighteen, while his little sister Sophie was fifteen. I visited them both every night, just to make sure they didn't stop believing. Very few things scare me, but one of them is to go back to how things used to be. For three hundred years, I was invisible. No one, not even children believed. I brought so much joy and happiness…yet no one believed. That night I went over to their house again. Sophie saw me and fetched Jamie…but he wouldn't come out. "I'm sorry Jack…he's trying to flirt with my friend from school, Crystal. You'd probably like her…" I sighed. "Shame she probably doesn't believe in me…" Sophie looked at me with empathic eyes. Then she lit up like a Christmas tree. "Do me a huge favour, take these carrots to Bunny, without doing anything to them. Then the pair of you come back and you come up to my room, we're staying in there tonight…unless Jamie by some miracle entices poor unsuspecting Crystal." Sophie could be so cruel about her brother sometimes but it was always joking. She loved him almost as much as she loved the Easter Kangaroo. As long as Sophie was around, Bunnymund will always have a believer, bless his little cotton tail.
After Sophie went back inside, I leaned against my staff, thinking about everything. Jamie would soon stop believing in me…in all of us. I knew for a fact I will always be the first to be forgotten as all the others have constant reminders. Tooth gets remembered every time a child looses one. North gets remembered every December. Bunny has Easter. And Sandy…he gives children good dreams. What do I do? I create fun and control ice and snow. What would a child want remembering the cold for? Sighing to myself again, I pushed off of my staff and summoned a light wind. "Wind…take me home.." And with that, I flew to the North Pole where everyone was preparing for our little party. As the wind took me over distant lands and cities, I couldn't help but wonder what this Crystal person would be like. She was friends with Sophie so she had to be a good person. Sophie was always a good judge of character.
Setting foot on the ever fluffy snow of the North Pole, I couldn't help relaxing. This was my home now. North was like the father I never knew but in a way, I'm glad. The Guardian of Wonder was, in many ways, like a child but when needed, he was the wisest of us all. I smiled as I thought of the big jolly man. I blew open the door, much to the annoyance of Phil, the disgruntled yeti must have yet again been told to paint something a different colour, as always. I think North kept telling the poor yeti to paint something a different colour because he finds his reaction hilarious. Sophie adored Phil out of all the yetis. You have to love Phil. The yeti lead me to the globe room while painting an Easter egg. Bunny always does start early.
Tooth and little Baby Tooth were flitting around making sure everything was perfect. When they saw me however, Tooth shoved her hands in my mouth. After extracting the fairy, Baby Tooth gave me a hug, to apologise for her elder as well as to greet me. Sandy greeted me with a picture made from dream sand. Bunny just glared at me. "Well if you don't want these, I can always tell Sophie the reindeer got them." With that, the 6ft pooka gave me a sickly sweet smile as if we were the best of friends. North was always the funniest at greeting people. I was about to turn around, looking for the big man, but then I was picked up and spun round. "Jack! Great to see you. How's Jamie?" I sighed. "He doesn't believe anymore." With that, everyone looked at me in shock horror. "…What about the lil ankle bitter mate?" I laughed.
Bunny only cared about little Sophie. She was always asking how he were and sending him carrots. I couldn't help but envy Bunny. He was always believed in. Whereas I, Jackson Overland Frost, would fade into memories. The silence scares me the most. But with the silence, comes the darkness. And together, they can bring any Guardian to their knees. The others never felt this before as they never died, nor did they have to fight to be believed in. None of them understood what it was like. Only Pitch knew. And he was the bad guy. We had to banish him almost a year ago, it was the closest the others came to being not believed. Bunny looked at me, pulling me out of my revere. "Frosty we got places to be mate. Sophie's waiting for me. And with that, Bunny grabbed me, thumped his foot on the ground and a hole opened up in the ground. He gestured a goodbye then jumped down the hole, dragging me with it. I caught a glimpse of the other's faces before the hole sealed up and Bunny was sprinting through the tunnel, his legs bounding as he went. It was all I could do to keep hold of my staff. "How ya feelin' mate?" I never before hated that kangaroo more than I did right then. He knew I hated the dark. He also knew I hated being inside, I'm as claustrophobic as hell. This all came from how I became a winter spirit. I lost everything, started with nothing and now it's starting to repeat it's self. Bunny slowed to a stop and popped his head out of the hole. I heard people talking so we followed the sound through the house, silently opening and closing the doors. We got into Sophie's room and just as I was closing the door, Sophie launches herself at Bunny. I sighed as I went and sat on the windowsill by Sophie's bed. "Crystal! Come on! I want to go to bed!" I had my hood up, my forehead rested against the window, my breath frosting the glass. The door quietly opened and the sound of Jamie's voice was all to be heard. I looked to the room and saw Jamie sitting down beside a girl I had never seen before. She was rather short for a sixteen year old. Her skin was pale, the exact same shade as the fresh powdery snow I'd created before I came here. Because of her complexion, she seemed to be glowing…but it seemed to come from within. The only thing I could see was her face, she had an overlarge hoodie on that came down to her knees with the hood up. The girl had a small, soft nose yet some how it reminded me of women in vampire movies. She somehow pulled it off though. Her lips were full and a natural rosy pink I knew any girl would kill for. I couldn't help but notice the small holes around her lips. Even though these features were dainty and doll like, it was the eyes that drew you in. They were large and doe like, like a doll they were too large for her face, but that some how made her even more beautiful. I took an intake of breath when I saw what colour they were…pure white…just like the rest of her. For some reason, this made them pop and stand out more than other peoples.
Bunny looked at the girl as though he'd seen her before…but though a forgotten memory. Sophie snuggled into his fur. They'd make a good couple if it wasn't taboo for a guardian and a human. The Easter Kangaroo adores her. When they first met, when Sophie was only four, Bunny loved her like he would a daughter or sister. But as she grew older, more so when she hit fifteen, he discovered that the feelings had changed as Sophie changed. He now loved her as though she were his missing half. And I could see why. She was beautiful, kind and loving…plus she loved Easter. Even North wished they could be together. Jamie was still trying to flirt with the girl and making a poor job at it. I know I'm three hundred and eighteen years old but even I knew how to flirt. Sophie kept telling her brother to leave the girl alone and Bunny just shook his head at him, knowing that Jamie could no longer see him. I resumed resting my head against the glass and drew on the pane closest to me. "Hey Crystal…do you believe in fairytales?" I listened to the conversation, already knowing the answer. She couldn't see us so obviously not.
When the girl spoke, I couldn't help but relax. Her voice sounded like wind chimes, such a beautiful sound. "Depends on what fairytales you speak of." I knew Bunny was watching me. He knew I hated not being seen due to the whole three hundred years of not being believed. Sophie smiled, you could hear it in her voice. "Such as Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, Sandman, Tooth fairy and Jack Frost." I turned in time to see Jamie roll his eyes. "They don't exist Sophie…" Sophie looked hurt. "You used to believe…" Her brother cut her off. "Then I grew up. I suggest you do the same!" Poor little Sophie ran out of the room crying. Jamie had a pissed off pooka looking murderous. The girl I presume is Crystal stood up. White eyes ablaze. "How dare you say that to your sister! If she wants to believe then so what?! Why should everyone have to grow up when the best times of our lives were when we were children?! When we believed in the impossible! Some people have nothing left but their beliefs so why should they be told by some jumped up snotty teenage boy that they should stop believing?! Sophie said that you can only see them if you believe, but some people are too damaged to see their beliefs. I for one believe in fairytales and if you ever dared to try changing my mind, you'd be hanging out that window by your underpants, or should I say adult diapers as you'd probably have a nasty accident while hanging in mid air!" and with that, Crystal stormed out, slamming the door which Bunny stopped as he ran after Sophie.
I was loosing my temper with Jamie. First he stops believing in me. Then the others. Now he tries making Sophie stop believing in us too. He sighed and went to his room, leaving the door wide open. After his door was closed, Sophie came out of the bathroom with a tear stained face, Crystal's arm around her while Bunny rubbed her back. Sophie was led to the bed where she sat cross-legged, Bunny cuddled her and soon the tears stopped. "Thank you…for what you said to Jamie. He used to believe in them all…but then he got to junior year and his faith started fading…its only recently he's stopped believing completely…but to tell me to stop…I could never…I couldn't do that to Bunnymund." Crystal stroked Sophie's hair while the girl sniffled and dried her eyes. "And to say all the when he knew Jack and Bunny were in the room…Jack used to be his best friend…" Crystal's eyes widened. "As in…Jack Frost?!" Sophie nodded not sure what to say at her friend and I couldn't help but watch her. She knew my name…but that may have been from Sophie earlier. "Where is he?" Sophie looked at her confused. "If you believe then you would be able to see him…" Crystal sighed. "It doesn't always work like that…Sometimes…people become too broken to see what they believe…they become blind and unseeing." again the girl sighed…as though she didn't want to say it. As though saying would mean it was concrete. "I wish I could see them, I really do but the closest I'll ever come is my drawings. Remember when I told you how winter was my favourite season?" I couldn't help but smile. No one loves winter anymore. Sophie nodded. "That's because not only is it a beautiful season, it's the only time good things ever seem to happen to me." I wanted her to see me, so badly. Everyone always says summer or spring. But she said Winter. "Where is he?" Crystal shyly asked. Bunny looked over at me, a glint in his eye. "This one's yours mate." Sophie took her hands and led her over to me, sitting Crystal opposite on the window seat. "why don't you two talk and get to know each other. I think you'll be best friends." she was planning something. "But she can't hear me…" I trailed off sighing. I've been doing that a lot recently. Sophie rolled her eyes. "use frost. Your near a window ice brain." Sophie when back to her bed and started talking to Bunny.
"Hey"
I wrote on the window. "Hey…" she seemed rather shy when she wasn't standing up for people. "I, as you probably know, am Jack Frost, pleased to meet you." She smiled, revealing pearly white, straight teeth. Tooth and her fairies would be going nuts. "The pleasure is all mine Mr Frost. I am Crystal, Crystal Night. The pleasure is all mine." I laughed. Her tone was so formal yet sarcastic. We were going to get along just fine. "Well Miss Night, would you be polite enough as to tell me about yourself?" She giggled…it was just like a bell tinkling. "Mr Frost, it would be my pleasure…" She looked like she was thinking what to tell me about herself. "I just turned sixteen yesterday…I love….wolves? And horses…most big cats…um I guess to sum me up, I guess I would be called an outcast…" Before she even finished the word Outcast, I was writing on the window. People treat her as an outcast?! "Why would they do that? Your amazing! You stand up for people's beliefs, stand up for yourself and you don't care that people try changing you, you stay as you are. Why would you be an outcast?" She giggled again. "I'm not like everyone else. I don't like the same music, or dress the same way. They don't like it. But I don't care. Sophie is my best friend. One true friend in a sea of fakes is all I need." I wanted to hug her but I knew I'd go straight through. Instead, I let my hand hover over hers. She smiled slightly when she felt the cold. "Thank you Jack." I smiled. I wish I could touch her.
We spoke (well she spoke while I wrote in frost on the window…but you get my point) for hours, learning as much as we could about each other. Besides what she told me, I noticed little things about her…like how she'd bite her lip whenever she was nervous or in deep thought or how her knee would bounce whenever she felt something was awkward. Jamie came in and Crystal sent him a glare as she was taking off her oversized hoodie. I actually fell off the window seat while Jamie's jaw dropped open and he was openly checking her out. "What do You want Jamie."