Chapter One

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed! Here is Chapter 1 of many to come(:

North stood tall, staring at the large globe in front of him. It had small white lights littered around the entire surface, showing just how many children believed in him.

A bright light spilled in through the open window and blinded the large man for a second, before he was able to shield his eyes.

"Vhat is it, old friend?" North asked, his words thick with a Russian accent.

'It is Jack Frost, he is in need of help. Gather the Guardians.'

"Vhere vill ve find him?" North asked, eyes wide.

'In Burgess. I shall lead the way once you get there.'

Before North could reply, the light seemed to shut off and the voice of Man in Moon disappeared.

A sigh escaped his lips before he mumbled to himself.

"Jack Frost, such a trouble maker."

But nonetheless North pulled the leaver that sent out the auroras to alert the other Guardians that there was trouble and to come to the North Pole.

Bunnymund saw the lights from his warren and a sense of dread washed through him at the thought of what might be wrong. Easter was just two weeks earlier, so he was able to drop what he was doing. He quickly thumped his large paw on the ground twice before leaping into his trusty tunnels.

–

Sandy saw the flashing northern lights as he stood atop his dream sand cloud as he brought dreams to the children below him. He knew from years of experience that something had to be seriously wrong for North to send out the auroras. Sandy turned his cloud into a plane and made his way toward the North Pole.

–

Tooth was in her palace in Asia, directing her fairies as they collected teeth and dished out coins. She was so caught up in her directing she didn't even notice the dancing lights outside. It was one of her fairies that alerted her by pulling on her feathers.
Tooth gasped and scrambled to get to the North Pole, but was slowed down by a swarm of worried fairies.

–

North stood, waiting, in his globe room as the first of the Guardians arrived. North smiled politely and greeted the Pooka as he emerged from the ground.
"Hello Bunnymund."
"Ay, mate." Bunnymund greeted, looking around for any sign of danger.

"Mind telling me what's goin' on?" He asked the larger man.

"Ve vait for other Guardians." North said.

Sandy pulled up to the window in his dream sand plane and waved at the both Guardians inside. He opened the window with a tendril of his golden sand and hopped into the room, his sand following.

"Hello Sandy." North greeted.

Sandy merely nodded before forming a question mark over his head.

"All in due time friend."

Sandy nodded, understanding that they were waiting for Tooth.

And like always she arrived late, and with a swarm of fairies around her.

"Now ve are all here, I explain vhat is going on." North started, looking at each Guardian to make sure he had their attention.

"Man in Moon spoke to me. He said that ve must go to Burgess and find Jack Frost, he is in trouble."

"Whoa! Ya dragged me 'ere to tell me we have ta find that Frostbite!" Bunnymund exploded.

"Ve do not question Man in Moon Bunnymund!" North chided the Pooka.

"Do we know what is wrong?" Tooth asked, her hands balled up into fists over her heart.

She looked over at North with large worry filled purple eyes.

Tooth knew who Jack Frost was; all the Guardians did.

"No. But ve must be off!" North commanded.

"Wait a minute now mate. How are we suppose to find Frostbite in Burgess?" The Pooka asked the question they we all thinking.

"Man in Moon vill direct us. Now, everyone must be off."

Everyone nodded and left using their preferred method of transportation.

North sighed once more before rushing off to his sleigh.

–

The moon was shining brightly and not one cloud dared to litter the night sky. Only a handful of stars dotted the sky tonight. All of the Guardians, minus Bunnymund, could see how worried MiM was as they looked up at the moon. His lights shone in one direction and that direction only.

He bathed Jack in his white light, hoping to comfort the unconscious boy but failing.

MiM poured his magic into the light beams and filled Jack up with new life. He couldn't let the boy die. But he was only allowing Jack to live by pouring life into him; by keeping him alive he was allowing the wounds to continue to bleed out.
There was no longer two separate puddles of blood under the teen, no the blood now formed one giant pool of ice cold blood. It tainted the snow, staining it forever with it's crimson color.

MiM became less frantic when he saw that the Guardians were close. He created a path of light for them to follow to the tree.

North was the first to find the tree. He stood a good twenty feet away from it as he swept his eyes over the area for Jack.

Bunnymund's tunnel appeared next to North, and the large gray Pooka popped out. When he saw the rabbit's nose twitch an idea hit him.

"Bunnymund, can you smell Jack around here?" North asked, still searching with his eyes.

"Everything smells of snow...but..." The rabbit's nose crinkled up and twitched unpleasantly.

"I smell blood, lots of it." He whispered, ears going flat against his skull.

Bunny didn't hear what North said after that, he was too focused on following the scent trail of blood.

He stopped at the base of the tree and couldn't help but gasp at the large amount of blood soaking into the snow and Jack's abandoned staff laying in the middle of the liquid. Blood was still dripping from the tree and some had landed on the Pooka. He was confused to find that the blood was cold as the snow below his feet.

Slowly and hesitantly the Pooka lifted his large head to find the source of the dripping blood.

He was met with the sight of what looked like a dead Jack Frost.

His stomach lurched and he stumbled backward.

North noticed the Pooka's reaction and rushed over to see for himself what kind of state Jack was in.

As he got closer he couldn't help but notice a strong iron odor and his heart stopped when he saw the large pool of blood under the tree.

There was no way Jack was alive after loosing that much blood, it was impossible.

North didn't want to look up, he knew he had to, but he didn't want to see it.

He decided to do it quickly, like ripping off a bandage, and looked up at the branches above him.

His mouth hung open, inaudible words seeping out.

Jack was leaned against the trunk of the tree, his arms dangling by his sides and blood dripped off of them. The teen was even more pale then he usually was and his blue tint was stronger.

At first North didn't know what had caused the bleeding wounds on Jack's arms, but when he stared at the one he saw the long vertical cut going the length of his lanky forearm.

His heart stopped and his stomach dropped.

Jack had committed suicide.

"North? Bunny? Did you find him?!" The worried voice of Tooth brought both men from their trance.

"Tooth do not come closer. Stay there." North choked out, his voice braking in places.

"What's going on? Is he okay?!" She asked frantically, fluttering closer.

North weakly held up a hand in an attempt to stop her.

"Tooth, please stay there." He almost begged.

Tooth's wings stopped fluttering for a moment and her dainty hands came up to cover her mouth as she dropped to her knees. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.

Sandy flew over to North and Bunny, and looked up at the tree.

A silent gasp escaped his lips and he looked quickly to the silent men beside him.

"Sandy, could you...could you please bring him down? Ve cannot reach him." North asked in an almost pathetic tone.

He nodded and summoned his dream sand to gently grab a hold of Jack and bring him down to the waiting trio.

Jack was limp as he was picked up and that worried everyone greatly.

MiM shone brightly again, gaining everyone's attention and he spoke.

'Save him. Save him. Save him.'

North was confused at the words. How could he save the boy if he was already dead? He did not have the magic like MiM did. Unless...

North reached out to Jack and placed two fingers to his neck. Blue eyes widened when he felt a pulse, slow and faint, but he felt it.

"He is still alive. Ve must bring him to Pole."

Sandy and Bunny stared at North in mutual shock before turning to look at the teenager who fooled them all into thinking he was already gone.

"Ve put him in sleigh!" North spoke, already rushing to said vehicle.

"Nah mate, that's too rough. I'll take him in my tunnels." Bunnymund suggested.

"No, tunnels are worse."

Sandy caught their attention and formed a picture of his dream cloud.

"Yes, dream cloud would be best." North concluded.

"Tooth, meet up at the Pole!" North ordered before rushing off on his sleigh.

She nodded, and a new determination swept through her as she got up and flew off in the direction of the Pole.

Bunnymund looked back at the puddle of blood and saw Jack's staff still laying there. He reached down and picked up the giant stick and grimaced at the sticky feeling of the blood.

–

Sandy was worried. He was traveling as fast as he could on his dream sand, yet it was still too slow. Jack laid on his back, blood still pooling from his arms and staining the golden sand.

He had never met Jack, nor did he ever deliver a dream to him.

He was an immortal, a winter spirit, he didn't need to dream when he slept. He wasn't one of the children that he was sworn to protect. But one look at Jack's sleeping face made his stomach twist; he was so young. Too young to be burdened like he was.

Sandy used the grand front door this time, not wanting to bring Jack in through the window.

North welcomed him in and ushered him off to one of the spare rooms he had. Sandy looked in wonder at the medical room in front of him. He knew North didn't need all this, so why was it here?

As if sensing Sandy's question North answered him.

"Elves and Yetis still get sick."

Sandy nodded, and carefully laid Jack down on one of the gurneys. Something in Sandy told him to dust the boy with his dream sand so he could at least have a peaceful dream right now, and that's what he did.

"Send Bunnymund in here, and keep Tooth company. Do not let her in here." North ordered as he got to work on Jack.

Sandy mutely nodded and flew from the room.

Bunny was already on his way to the room, staff in hand, so that was easy enough to just motion for him to rush there. Tooth on the other hand was frantically flying back and forth in the living room. Sandy decided the best course of action would be to dust her.

He balled up some dream sand and threw it in her face, he barely caught her as she dropped from the air.

–

"He needs stitches." North spoke to Bunny as soon as he walked in the room.

"I can't do it mate." He retorted, raising his paws to show why.

North sighed and gathered a sterile needle and the thread.

"Clean the wound and apply pressure as I work on this arm." North ordered, already cleaning the gash.

Bunny placed the staff in the corner of the room before rushing back over to Jack's side. He took a piece of gauze and covered it with peroxide and cleaned the still bleeding wound in front of him. He grimaced when he saw just how deep the cut was.

"North I think that his tendons and muscles are damaged."

"They are. I can't do anything about it." North mumbled lowly.

Bunny went back to cleaning the cut and tried to ignore the shredded looking muscles from the canyon like gash.

When all the blood was cleaned from the snow white arm, Bunny had to stifle a gasp. Jack's entire arm was covered in criss-crossing scars, most were white but some were lavander or pink.

"How long as he been doin' this?" Bunny whispered to himself, holding the thin arm in his paws.

"Switch Bunny." North said, nearly pushing Bunny away from Jack's side.

Bunny looked down at this arm and saw that scars were covering this arm too. Slowly he raised the hoodie's blue sleeve further and saw that the scars went up his arm.

"We should take off his jacket."

North looked at the Pooka, surprised.

"Vhy?"

"Just do it." Bunny nearly demanded.

When North finished stitching Jack's right arm he complied to the Pooka's wishes and carefully removed the blue hoodie from Jack.

Both of them looked down at the tiny body in front of them.

The scars started at his wrists and traveled all the way up his stick thin arms and across his boney chest. From there they ran down his torso and around both sides of his sunken in stomach.

What caught their attention the most was the scars that formed hateful words; fat, ugly, useless, pathetic, not good enough, ect.

Bunny couldn't help but run his paw over the raised scars as if to see if they were real.
He felt the hard scar tissue and visibly cringed and snatched his paw back.

"How long has this been goin' on?" Bunny asked no one in particular again.

"Too long." North answered, staring at the scars.