Life couldn't be better.

Jack Frost felt great about the defeat of Pitch Black, the Boogie man from ten years ago. He knew that there had been tensions that he would return, but fortunately, there had been no signs of him and The Guardians felt confident that they could handle him even if he did come back. Jack floated absently in the park. This wasn't a special park, it was just recreational for Jack to rest when he didn't feel like starting snowball fights or pulling pranks. Jack liked to consider himself well-behaved, although he just couldn't resist an occasional prank on people who he felt deserved a good gob-smacking. He formed a snowball in his hand, while holding his staff in the other. Lost in his musings, he didn't notice a little girl in bright red pigtails come running over to the bench he was currently occupying.

"Santa? Is that you?" The little girl asked eagerly. Frost blinked. He rolled his eyes.

"I'm not Santa...I'm Jack Frost, sorry," he smiled, "How you get a guy as big as him mixed up with a guy as well- not- is beyond me..."

The little girl didn't have the chance to reply because her anxious mother suddenly grabbed her by the hand and tugged her over to the path leading away from the bench. "Honey, you can talk to your imaginary friend while we go for a walk," her mother was saying tiredly. Jack Frost sighed, watching the two walk away. The little girl turned back and gave Frost a quick wave and it was returned, though Jack's hand fell to his side watching the little girl leave. He didn't know why, but there were rare times when he wished time would stand still. Adults couldn't see The Guardians or anything magical really. It seemed logic replaced imagination. Or rather, that's what Growing Up was all about. Jack felt sad, thinking about if he too, would have one day just put the wonder of The Guardians behind him had he remained human. Looking to his pale hands, Jack still felt a mixture of amazement that the "man" in the moon had done this to him. He had never met this man, however it was definitely on Jack's To Do List. However, Jack felt sad all the same.

Jack had always found adults to be strange. He didn't know why someone had to stop believing once they hit adult-hood. Funnily enough, compared to the other Guardians, Jack knew he was the youngest. He looked to his pale hands. His eyes glossed over for that rare brief moment of wondering how his life would have been different...

"Jack! Jack!" His little sister looked tearful, shaking in her skates, as the ice cracked around her. Jack knew he had to convince her that it was alright, that everything was ok. Even if it cost him his life -and it did- he was determined to save his little precious sister. He had to treat the ice like a game. That's all. Don't fear it. Don't conceal it.

"Treat ice...like a game..." Jack murmured quietly to himself. He looked up at the cloudy sky. It looked like it was going to snow without Jack's influence, although Jack knew that without his staff, he was powerless. He had been lucky that Pitch Black had been foolish enough to throw the remains of the staff down with Jack back during their scrabble in Jack's home, Antarctica. Otherwise trying to climb that slippery ice would have been a real pain in the-

"OW!" Jack yelped, feeling something like a sting in his rear. Jumping up, he noticed, "Baby Tooth?!" The little fairy squeaked indignantly, and Jack realized that he was no longer alone. The Tooth Fairy giggled, as she flitted in front of Jack in the air, flapping her -as usual- beautiful wings.

"You were totally spaced out, Jack," she said sheepishly.

"Yeah, you got a Flurry up there for brains?" Jack heard a familiar gruff Australian accented disgruntled tone remark from behind. Swirling, he floated in air to see that the Easter Bunny had also graced him with his furry cotton-tailed presence.

"Nice to see you too, fuzzball," Jack retorted, quirking a brow.

"I am NOT fuzzy," the Easter Bunny huffed.

"Boys, BOYS!" The Tooth Fairy laughed. "Come Jack, you've been summoned."

Jack blinked in surprise. "Summoned? By who?"

"By the Tooth Fairy," The ruffled rabbit responded snarkily. The Tooth Fairy glared. The Easter Bunny quickly coughed. "That's just an expression," he quickly ammended. Jack smirked though. It was funny when the rabbit tried to fix his snarkiness.

"It would appear that the man in the moon has asked for you," The Tooth Fairy explained. Jack blinked back blankly.

"I don't know why we even bother, he still won't even wear the snow shoes," the Easter Bunny huffed.

"You of all people should understand that being barefoot is enjoyable," Jack teased.

"Oi Mate, you'll get frost bite," the Easter Bunny retorted lamely.

"Rather cold than furry," Jack poked fun. The Easter Bunny looked grumpy as hell. Jack didn't understand why the rabbit was being so moody. Hadn't they made their peace? Unless... "...Are you jealous?" Jack asked curious. He saw the visible twitch in the rabbit's ears. That was a yes. However, the Easter Bunny twitched his nose haughtily and crossed his front paws.

"Jealous? No. Why would I be jealous of you? I mean, it's not like I haven't been doing my job for oh say, over 400 years, and you've only been in yours for what, 10? It's not at all like I'd wonder why I've never been asked to see the man of the moon, himself. It's not like I totally didn't plan to be turned into your neighborhood friendly Peter Rabbit, " The rabbit thumped his giant furry hind-foot, and a hole was created.

"...Wait, whoa, I get...I get to meet him...the man of the moon?" Jack Frost slowly let the information sink in like fresh snowflakes melting on his nose.

"That's right!" The Tooth Fairy smiled. "Of course, it's...not him, him that we meet...more like...it's through a stone..."

Jack Frost blinked in confusion. "A...stone?" he repeated.

"Specifically a moonstone, mate," The Rabbit replied sullenly, "Unless of course, you want to talk to the woman in the sun, I'm sure she's real hot with juicy details on the man in the moon."

Jack rubbed his cold hands together. "I'm all for it! Maybe that stone is my link to the man himself!"

"Only one way to find out," the Easter Bunny stepped aside from the hole.

Jack cast him a suspicious glance.

"What are you waiting for Jack?" The Tooth Fairy asked curiously. Jack crossed his arms.

"I haven't forgotten that one time when you stuck me in a hole that went to China, literally." He floated over to the hole to see if he coudn't see the end, though he didn't have much luck.

"Oh that? Ah Crikey, I didn't mean to do that, mate," The Easter Bunny smirked, "I just love that saying, "Dig a hole to China", must've just messed up directions or something."

The Tooth Fairy sighed. "Boys, Boys!" She tittered. The other fairies with her began to make a heart again around Jack and she blinked and tittered, shooing them from Jack. "Shoo! Shoo! Girls! Keep our uniform in good name! Don't lose yourselves!" She flitted over but got distracted by the perfect snowy white coloring of Jack's teeth. She was barely aware that she was in kissing distance when she felt a tug on the collar of her dress, and The Easter Bunny growling.

"You, don't get distracted either!" He hopped down the hall. The Tooth Fairy blinked. Jack whistled.

"Wonder what's got his fur in a knot," Jack mused.

"...Who knows..." the Tooth-Fairy furrowed her brow, but suddenly her eyes flickered sadly. Jack frowned.

"You know something." He wasn't asking a question.

The Tooth Fairy however was already down the hole and Jack let out an exhasperated sigh, and followed. He had more pressing matters, he mused. For instance, he wanted to know what this new summoning was about! Arriving in the familiar bustling North Pole, Frost was pleased he no longer had to get past the Yetti security in order to explore. They came to the familiar room of Santa Clause's and Jack whistled as he hadn't seen the stone previously. It stood in its pedestal, radiant, the full moon shining on it. It glowed, like fresh snow, and Jack felt drawn to it. He hadn't realized he was extending his hand out to touch it, until he felt his hand get slapped away by Santa.

"Ah! Ah! No touchy of the pretty rock!" Santa boomed. "Now Frost, it has ...come to our understanding, our as in all us other guardians that ...there are many benefits as you know to being a guardian..."

Jack nodded. It'd been 10 years. He was pretty sure he knew the ropes by now. "Mhm, yep." He nodded.

"...As well you know it is our duty to protect the innocence and fostering of the imagination of the children..." Santa continued.

"Check that," Jack said, nodding in agreement. He wasn't sure where this was going.

"...And you also know that when we hit a certain age we need to find a potential mate in order to keep our powers or else we become human and get replaced by someone else," Santa finished quickly.

Jack nodded. "Mhmm yep, I kno-" The gears turned. Jack gaped, open mouthed at the four other guardians. "Escuse me?"

The others wouldn't make eye-contact. Jack's mouth remained open. It slowly registered. "You heard the Big Red Man, you have'ta get married!" The Easter Bunny repeated, enjoying the look of utter horror crossing Jack's face. Jack thought the rabbit had been jealous. Oh no, he realized now that he was mistaken. The damn rabbit had been twitching from trying not to laugh.

"W-Whoa wait!" Jack held up his hands, spluttering. "What about you guys? I'm- I'm only 310 years old! I'm too young!"

Jack knew that actually sounded ridiculous but in comparison, wasn't he the youngest one of the group? As far as he knew, he was. Santa cleared his throat. "The man in the moon notifies us...Jack...of when our ...mate will appear. It would appear...it has picked one for you."

Jack shook his head. This couldn't be happening. Him? Getting married? Of all the stuff to pull on him, the man in the moon really outdid himself. He stubbornly slammed his staff onto the ground by the end of it, and ice encased the floor, making it slippery for Santa, the little jingly elves, and the Easter Bunny who lost balance quickly, falling on his face. "I refuse!" His eyes were a stormy grey. "If this is what it means to be a Guardian...then I quit."

Santa gasped. "You can't! Jack, please! Be reasonable!"

The Tooth Fairy looked away sadly. "...Oh Jackie..." she sighed. Jack shook his head. It was like trying to breathe...it was cold...all over again... he felt powerless...speechless...confused...betrayed. Why had they kept this from him?

"No. Tell the man on the moon to get one of you guys to marry," Jack said stiffly.

The Easter Bunny snorted. "Oh right, I'm a great choice for a lover. Big and Furry."

"You're 6'1, a family man who hides pretty eggs for children, and you've got a big warm heart, women would go for that," Jack quirked a brow.

"...mate, the only kind of women I could even get are...nevermind." The Easter Bunny glowered.

"I'm afraid the moon chose you, Jack," The Tooth Fairy gently placed her hand tentatively on Jack's shoulder. Jack however shook it over angrily. He could see the hurt register in her pretty features, in those lavender eyes, but he couldn't bring himself to even apologize. It was like his feet were frozen, like he was feeling the cold as the enemy for the first time. He had finally accepted his gift, accepted his role, found an identity...and now this had to happen. Jack gripped his staff. Santa cleared his throat.

"Before you ...er...make any hasty decisions, please...at least...learn about who it is you need to meet," Santa began. Jack shook his head.

"I have no interest in manipulating a poor young woman in order to fill some status quo," Jack coldly replied. The air dropped to below zero and even Santa shivered. A bad mood Jack was never a fun Jack. Santa however, boldly walked over to Jack. Jack flew up in the air however. He wanted out. He wanted away. He wanted a place of solitude to think, to take this all in. Santa looked towards the Tooth Fairy for assistance. Jack was lost in thought.

"Jack, please..." the Tooth Fairy gently flitted up to him, and reached out to touch his shoulder but he visibly moved away. His eyes were cold and conflicted. It was apparent that he was also just plain confused. "If you don't do this...we'll lose the you we all know...you'll become a human..."

Jack's breath caught. Human. Hadn't he wished for that long ago...or maybe not so long ago? Since 10 years ago, he had finally found an identity...he no longer had wished for a home...to be noticed...for anything, just to be human. He had come to terms with who he was, Jack Frost. He gripped his staff tightly. Santa sighed. "It is up to you, after all... " he gestured to the stone. It began to glow again. Frost shook his head though.

"I made it clear...I'll...I'll become human..." the words sounded so easy to say, yet the reality of his statement hung heavy in Jack's heart. Why now? So soon...after 300 years of searching...would he have only had a decade of true freedom? Of finally finding his center? Santa cleared his throat, and the Easter Bunny was inspecting his boomerangs, apparently at a loss as to what to add to this obviously awkward turn of events. Frost looked to the glowing blue stone, and to the moon.

"Oh Jackie..." the Tooth Fairy looked like her eyes were misting with unshed tears. Jack's heart sank. He knew that they had all created bonds, yes, even the Easter Bunny had a bond with Jack. To give all that up because he didn't want to get married at 310...was Jack the one being selfish? Jack's stomach flopped. Had he even had a human crush? He closed his eyes, and tried hard to wrack his brains. He'd been allowed to keep his baby teeth, however, for some reason, Jack hadn't been able to tap into more of his memories. The reason for this had been explained to him that the memories shown are usually ones that are necessary in order for a goal to be accomplished. Jack had wanted to just remininsce, but he had been warned about the dangers of thinking too hard on the past. Jack wondered what kind of people the other guardians had been before becoming who they were. He hadn't known that becoming human would give his role over to someone else. Wasn't that a good thing though? Jack looked to his staff. His mouth was drawn into a thin line.

No, not at the expense of their life... how could I wish for this life of solitude upon anyone?

Jack gripped the staff so tightly, that his knuckles make snow blush with the shame of how white his became. Perhaps he could find a loophole...He didn't want to let children down...or The Guardians...Marriage was not ever in his To Do List, but if it meant he could talk to the man in the moon. Jack turned his gaze to Santa." ...I will agree..." he surprised them all by saying, "however, I get to speak to the man in the moon..."

Santa gestured to the stone.

Jack shook his head. "Not the stone. I want to talk to him in person."

Santa exchanged glances with the others. "Mate, I don't know how to put this, but...none of us have ever seen him in person," The Easter Bunny's nose twitched. Jack's jaw was set determinedly.

"Well, looks like there's a first time for everything," he replied, glaring at the moon.

"You hear 'im? Crikey," The Easter Bunny snorted.

"Let's see you get married at a moment's notice," Jack retorted.

"As explained, the stone picks our mate, and looks like you got the short straw mate," the Easter Bunny shrugged.

"Oh...if only Sandy were here..." The Tooth Fairy sighed.

"Where is he anyways?" Jack blinked.

"On his anniversary with his wife in Arabia," The Easter Bunny replied with a shrug. Jack's jaw dropped.

"H-He's MARRIED?!" He yelped, nearly dropping his staff, were his hands not gripping it so tightly from tension.

"Ah yes, he is. And happy as a clam," The Tooth Fairy said helpfully. Jack swallowed.

"... Married...wow..." Jack didn't bother wondering how a sandy love works. It was way beyond his field of comprehension.

"Marriage is destiny..." Santa sighed. " It's...a part of fate...most people struggle to find the right one...however...as The Guardians...they're specially picked for us...we don't know who your mate is...we only know that the stone has given an outline of her and has indicated that ...it's your turn..."

"How do you know she's my mate?" Jack asked, tense.

Santa Clause pointed to the ground. Jack looked down, and his eyes widened. For the first time, he noticed his name, Jack Frost & Elsa of Arendelle written clearly in the moonlight on the ground. " I don't need my glasses to see this...clearly."

"...Maybe that's another Jack Frost..." Jack weakly remarked.

The Easter Bunny threw up his hands. "I'd say don't get cold feet mate, but you were reborn with them."

Jack narrowed his eyes and a snowball hit the rabbit in the face. "Aren't rabbits to be seen and not heard?" he retorted, annoyed.

"I'm a BUNNY, a BUNNY." The Easter Bunny snapped.

"And that's more intimidating how?" Jack quipped.

Santa rubbed his temples. "Ho Ho Hold on you two!" He stepped between their glaring contest. The Tooth Fairy looked to the moon. She looks away.

"...How long do I have to think this over?" Jack looked wearily at the stone. The words shifted in response to his question before anyone could answer. Step closer and I'll tell you.

Jack blinked. "That's a first," The Easter Bunny's jaw dropped.

"...Can you hear me...Man on the moon?" Jack asked hesitantly, shocked to actually be getting...a response bathed in moonlight. I can. You are lost. You are questioning why. I will reveal myself to you, but only if you give this a chance. We are destined to meet, my dear Jack.

Jack blinked.

"What? What's it say?" The Tooth Fairy asked curiously. Jack blinked looking back at them. He looked to the ground and saw the writing. He looked back to them.

"You can't see it?" he asked surprised.

"No, if we could, we would be seeing it already," The Easter Bunny snorted.

Santa clapped his hands together. "Jack, you ah...talk...and uh...we'll give you some space...come along you two," and Santa ushered the other two out of the door. "I'll uh..go get...you some..fruitcake..." and he closed the door quickly. However, as soon as he did, he made a sushing noise to teh other two and they all hilariously piled up against the door to try to eavesdrop. Left alone for the first time in that big room, Jack felt a bit small. He rubbed his arms, and looked back from the moon to the stone and the words.

"...Reveal yourself now...or...or I don't go..." Jack tried to sound assertive.

Trust in me, Jack. I have answered your prayers of being lonely for 300 years.

Lonely? Lonely? Jack blushed. "I-I'm not lonely! I have The other Guardians...and...and snow...and..." Jack's voice trailed off. He fumbled with his staff. He sensed movement on his left and blinked in surprise as the shoes he had refused to wear for ten years floated in front of him. They were nice shoes, but the bells on the ends would have to go. They were blue and cozy like slippers. Jack hadn't felt a need for them, but they were floating in front of him now, bathed in moonlight. Jack furrowed his brow. He looked to the moon again.

Put them on Jack.

Jack gulped. There was something about that... something that seemed assertive. Jack wanted to protest but suddenly, the stone shot out a bright beam of light and Jack yelped in surprise. Santa and the others tumbled into the room upon hearing Jack's cry, but before they could do anything, they saw the shoes slip onto Jack's feet, and him dissapear in a bright flash of moonlight. Then the room when silent and the ice faded. Clouds covered the moon and the stone flickered and the shine gleamed and glossed, slowly dying out like embers. The other Guardians were open mouthed.

"Crikey...that's one way to meet a mate, no wonder he didn't like those shoes..." the Easter Bunny gulped.

Yelling.

Snow.

Cold.

Hitting trees. Pain.

Snow. Soft Snow. So soft. More slipping and sliding. The worst part was, Jack couldn't get off the damn shoes. It was like they were tied to his feet. He squirmed and wriggled and face-planted into the snow. It was over. Finally. Sitting up and groaning, Jack rubbed his head, his platinum blonde hair, borderline silver, tussled. He fumbled in the snow for his staff. His eyes cracked open. His staff was gone. "My staff!" Jack gasped in horror. He suddenly felt his stomach growl. He clutched it, shivering.

Wait.

Shivering?

Cold?

Jack's eyes snapped open. Rushing to a nearby trickling stream, he looked at his face, stumbling in the snow clutzily. Brown eyes. Brown hair. He had brown hair. He touched his face, where his lips were starting to chatter already. "H-human." Jack whispered, horrified. He had imagined being humans plenty of times. However, stuck in a desolate snow forest with no sense of direction (or heavens, time period) was NOT what Jack had in mind.

His stomach growled. Food. Hunger. It'd been so long. Jack knew he had big concerns, but that desire to eat got to him first. What could he possibly eat? He looked up at the sky. The moon was shining, bright, big, but he didn't feel comforted by its blanket of light. Not tonight. His breath came out in cold gasps. "T-Th-Thanks for...f-for N-nothing!" he exclaimed angrily, shaking his fist at the moon. He made a snowball and threw it at the air but, it came back down, and hit him in the face because he forgot he couldn't magically chuck it like before. "What do I do huh!" He threw up his hands in exhasperation. "I don't even know where I am...oh man...what do I d-d-do?! You could've at least sent a Guardian WITH me!"

He kicked the snow. Now he knew why he needed shoes. The shoes. He tried to get them off. He tried to use a stick, and even a branch but to no avail. The shoes wouldn't come off. They were super-glued to his feet. "Fantastic, I'm the Dorothy without a yellow brick road!" he shook his fist at the moon.

"Why are you trying to get off your shoes, wouldn't that make you colder?" a voice came from behind Jack. Jack rolled his eyes, turning as he responded.

"Colder? I invented the Cold, I'm Jack Frost, and who are-" Jack stopped dead in his speech.

His new arrival blinked back at him with big dark brown doeful eyes. His small horns showed, and his reindeer ears twitched. Jack's mouth dropped. "Y-Y-Y-You're a de-deer."

His new arrival snorted. "I'm not just a deer. Reindeer."

"R-Rein..." Jack felt numb and cold. SO much was happening, so fast. He squinted though. It was getting harder to see with the fog. "Ah, I can't see with this fog!" He sounded exhasperated. The Reindeer blinked at him, as though in deep thought.

"You're...not ...afraid of me?" The Reindeer asked, tentatively.

Jack shook his head. "Talking Reindeer...borders on not normal, however, considering my line of work...and the fact I ended up here because of someone," he glared up at the clouds that covered the moon now. "... I guess you'll do. You wouldn't happen to know where Santa clause is, would you? Do you fly, perhaps?"

The Reindeer shook its head. "I'm not sure...I...I...I never knew other reindeer could actually fly...then again, I live by myself mostly...I...I..."

"Where's your family?" Jack found himself asking, rubbing his arms and trying to distract himself from the fact that it seemed everywhere except his feet were starting to get numb with legit frost bite.

"...My father...banished me..." The Reindeer suddenly sounded sad. Jack frowned. He squinted in the fog, trying to dictate a path. He however, felt a bit bad for the Reindeer.

"Was it because you speak our language?" Jack asked politely.

"...Oh no, I taught myself that after..." The Reindeer brightened up for a moment, though it's head drooped. Jack didn't know if it was a boy or a girl, and he didn't plan to check. "...Truth is...I thought if I could talk to humans...I'd be accepted...but...but that's not the case...now I hide...here...in the mountains..."

Jack nodded, rubbing his arms, losing interest in little else other than warmth, and food, and "How the heck am I supposed to see in this infernal fog!" Jack griped. The Reindeer trotted closer to him.

"Go on, you can get on my back," it stood patiently. "I'm Rudolph, by the way," Rudolph introduced himself politely.

"Rudolph?" Jack blinked. "...Jack..." He almost said Frost, but being human, all of a sudden, he felt so ...wierd. Was he actually...he was human...

"What were you looking for earlier?" Rudolph asked, as Jack ran a hand through his tussled brown hair.

"I was looking for my st-" Jack's eyes widened. "My STAFF!" He dashed back to where he knew he'd fallen and he began to dig desperately in the snow. The darkness though was difficult to see and he was squinting. "I wish I could see! Oh man!"

Suddenly, a bright red light was nuzzling over his shoulder, and Jack paused, mid snow-digging to turn and look at the end of Rudolph's snout. "...Your nose..." he dumbly stated.

"Pleased to meet you," Rudolph said shyly, "I'm Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer."