Jack was lying in bed after waking up with a splitting headache and a sore throat that felt like he had swallowed nails in the middle of the night. He had a hand on his head and felt that it was about the temperature of a normal human. That mean a high fever in Jack's terms. He heard a soft knock on his door but the slightest sound made Jack's head pound. He groaned in response to whoever was at his door. North walked in and looked at the boy with worried eyes.
"Jack? Jack, are you alright?" He asked as he walked up to the boy. Jack pulled his hand away from his head and looked at North with tired, half closed, glossy eyes. He shook his head before he started to let out strained coughs. North put a hand on the boy's head and felt that it was much warmer than it usually was. "You're burning up, Jack." He said clearly worried. Jack sniffed before rubbing his eyes.
"I don't feel good, North." He groaned. North pet Jack's head lightly.
"I know, my boy. I will call the others." He said before walking back to the door.
"No. Don't call them. It's not important." Jack tried to protest but North was already gone. Jack let out a sigh before closing his eyes and trying to relax.
North summoned the other Guardians to the workshop one at a time with Tooth being the first one since he knew she would want to be the first to know if something happened to Jack. Tooth flew in at top speed and stopped inches away from North.
"North! What happened? Is everything alright?" She asked in a rush.
"Jack is sick. I wanted everyone to know so when they didn't see any snow falling today to not worry." Tooth quickly flew off to Jack's room with her mini fairies in tow. Tooth flew into Jack's room and sat beside him on the edge of the bed.
Jack felt a weight change on the bed and opened his eyes to be met with magenta eyes very close to him. Jack jumped a little in shock. Tooth back away a little but stayed staring at the boy.
"Hi Tooth. What are you doing here?" Jack strained to speak. Tooth grew a sad look on her face.
"Oh Jack. You're sick." She placed a hand on his forehead and her eyes went wide. "Really sick. Don't worry, Jack. I'll take care of you today. The others are coming soon." she said with a soft smile. Jack groaned.
"I told North not to bother you guys." Jack rasped out. Bunny then hopped into the room. He came up to Jack and looked him up and down.
"Jack are you alright?" He asked somewhat frightened.
"Oh, come on." Jack groaned. Sandy was the next to come in and formed a few concerned images above his head. North then followed. "I told you not to call them, North." Jack rasped out.
"They need to know Jack. We are a family." North defended. Jack just turned his head with an annoyed groan and closed his eyes. Tooth felt his head again and felt that it was getting warmer. His skin was even becoming a normal humans colour.
"North, he's getting warmer." Tooth said, clearly worried.
"Bunny, do you know anything that we can do?" North asked.
"I may have something at my Warren. I'll go see what I can find." Bunny said before he hopped out of the room. Jack started to roll his head side to side uncomfortably.
"North, open the window." Jack moaned. North looked at the other two guardians with a look of worry.
"Jack, the window is open."
"I'm too warm." He whined. North called for a yeti and immediately three yeties rushed to the room.
"You three, go outside and get as much snow and ice as you can and bring it back here." North said before the three yeties ran off. A few minutes later the three returned with nine large baskets of snow and ice. North took each basket and dumped it over Jack. Jack sighed feeling a little more comfortable. Tooth grabbed a small ice block and placed it on Jack's forehead. A small smile formed over his lips as a satisfied moan escaped his lips. Tooth smiled warmly as she slid the ice over his head and cheeks.
About a half an hour later, Bunny returned with several leaves and plants. He hopped to the boys bed and held the Erbs to him.
"Ew, gross. I'm not eating grass." Jack said in disgust.
"It's not grass mate. It's Erbs. They'll make you feel better faster." Bunny explained a little irritated. Bunny pushed the Erb to the boy's mouth and Jack opened his mouth to let it in. He chewed it with a look of disgust on his face. "Swallow it, Jack. You'll feel better." Bunny said getting annoyed. Jack swallowed it as he was told.
"This better not poison me, rabbit." Jack groaned. Bunny chuckled.
"Believe me. If I had poison in my Warren, you would have been gone long ago." Bunny teased.
"Very funny." Jack rasped with a small smile. Bunny smoothed Jack's hair gently with a worried expression. "What's wrong, cottontail." Jack teased. Bunny's lower lips started to quiver before he turned away from Jack. Jack sat up a little with a look of concern on his now tan skin. "Bunny? What's wrong?" He asked more serious. Bunny shook his head before looking to the floor and bringing his paw to his face. A quick shrug of his shoulders informed Jack that Bunny was in fact crying. Jack sat up fully and pulled Bunny over to the bed to sit down before Jack wrapped his arms around the Pooka. Bunny hugged Jack tight as he buried his face in Jack's shoulder. He could feel just how warm the winter spirit was which only made him want to cry even more.
"Oh, Jack." He sobbed out. "I'm so worried about you." Jack was in a state of shock.
"Y-you are?" Jack asked stunned. Bunny pulled away and grabbed Jack's shoulders tight.
"Don't you get it?! You're like a brother to me, Jack! If something were to happen to you-" Bunny couldn't continue as he pulled Jack into another bone crushing hug. "Please let those Erbs work..." Bunny whispered out desperately.
"I'll be fine, Bunny. I just have a little cold." Jack said trying to reasure Bunny. Bunny pulled him away again and gave him a stern look.
"Little cold?! Jack, you're the temperature of a mortal boy. You're supposed to be the temperature of snow and ice! Below freezing! If you stay at this temperature for too long you'll die. For good!" Bunny said as a tear slipped from his eye. Jack's eyes went wide. Sandy then came into the room and placed a hand on Bunny's shoulder with a sad look on his face. Sandy looked at Jack and used his dream sand to put him to sleep. Bunny looked at him surprised. "What did you do that for, Sandy? He needs to stay awake for a while to let the Erbs work." Bunny said. Sandy formed a picture of North over his head. Bunny instantly hopped out of the room as fast as he could and ran to North in the Globe Room.
"North! What's going on?" He asked in a hurry. North looked at him with sad, heartbroken eyes. Bunny looked past North to see Tooth on her knees crying into her hands. "North..." Bunny was filled with fear at this point.
"I've talked to Man in Moon." North said. "Jack... Jack it dying." North said trying to hold back his tears. Bunny's ears went straight up in shock before they fell to the back of his head in heartbreak.
"No... No he can't die! He's immortal!" Bunny shouted.
"That's what I thought too. But Manny said Jack is very sick. He's been poisoned. There is only one cure but it's far too dangerous to get so he will soon die." North said. Bunny's ears perked in hope.
"Wait, there's a cure? Well what is it?! I can get it! I will get it!" Bunny shouted stepping toward North. North knew that if anyone could find this cure and get it to Jack fast enough it would be Bunny.
"It is a plant. A very rare plant that only grows in a certain part of the world. But you will need much to get it." North explained. Bunny listened intently. "First, you must find the leprechaun. Convince him to give you an inch of luck. After you succeed in that, you will come to a bridge. A bridge guard will stop you and make you complete three tasks to prove your mission is true. That is where the luck will help you greatly. Once you complete all three tasks and cross the bridge you will face an unknown mythical creäture. You must tame this monster and befriend it along with its human master. Then you will face an archer. She will face you with more tasks. She may try to trick you so be cautious. She will give you the task of fate. Next you will meet the healer. The healer is the one you need the most. She is the only one who knows where this plant is. Find her, get the plant and return here." North explained. Bunny took a moment to memorize the steps.
"Find the healer, get the plant, get back here. Got it. I'll be back before you know it." Bunny said. Just as he was about to hop off, North stopped him.
"Hold on. This is not as easy as it sounds, Bunny. With all these steps comes a time limit." Bunny looked at him expectantly. "You have a maximum of three days to complete this mission. There is also one more task." Bunny looked back at him. "The healer will give you a task of memory. A rhyme. If you can remember the rhyme you will be given the plant. If not, you will fail and Jack will die. Remember the rhyme she says or our Jack will be gone forever. His life is in your hand now, Bunny." North said. Bunny nodded in determination before bounding off. "Good luck, old friend." North whispered as he watched Bunny race off.

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