"Guardians."
The four Guardians opened their eyes to find themselves floating in an endless space of bright light.
"Crikey! Wh-What the-" Bunny looked around. "Where are we?!"
"I have called you all here to bring you on a journey."
"A journey?" North echoed. "What do you mean, Manny?"
"A journey into the past. To better understand your newest Guardian."
"Newest...you mean Jack?" Tooth realized that MiM was talking about their little winter spirit.
"Yes. I will bring you to the past to see what he once was."
"Whoa, wait a minute-!" But before Bunny could continue, they all went spiraling downwards as if Manny had suddenly decided to drop them. Screaming, they tumbled downwards until they finally hit solid ground.
"Ouch!" North rubbed his bottom and sat up. The light was gone, and they were all sitting in what appeared to be an old bedroom. A single window let sunshine into the crowded room.
"Where are we?" Bunny looked around. Sandy once again had a question mark floating over his head. But the Guardians were snapped out of their daze when they heard a loud click from behind. Taking out their weapons, they whirled around to face whatever enemy they were up against.
But to their surprise, a young boy around the age of seventeen was holding a rifle up at them.
"Who are you people?!"
Both the Guardians and the boy with the gun were shocked. The boy had unruly brown hair and brown eyes and a very familiar face. Soon, the Guardians gasped with realization.
"Jack?!" Tooth exclaimed with a flutter of her wings.
The boy's eyes lit with recognition. "How do you know my name?"
"Huh? What're you saying, mate?" Bunny hopped forward with his eyes narrowed. "And what's with all that get-up?"
The Jack they knew had white hair, pale skin, and eyes as blue as the frost he made. But the Jack before them had fairly normal skin, normal hair, and normal eyes. He wore a brown vest over a white shirt, and was sitting up in a rusty wooden bed.
"Who are you people?" The brown-haired Jack demanded again, bringing his rifle up.
"Whoa, whoa." Tooth held out her hands. "Don't worry. We aren't enemies."
"Says the flying girl with feathers and the talking bunny." Jack said suspiciously.
The Guardians did have to admit that the boy had a point there.
"Remember, guys." Tooth whispered. "Manny said that he sent us back in time. This must be Jack before he became Jack Frost." The Guardians nodded.
"Jack!"
A girl's voice shouted from behind the door. Panicking, the Guardians dove out the open window and onto the soft green grass outside with a thud. Jack had no choice but to ignore them as a small girl with brown hair and eyes similar to his burst into the room.
"Are you okay?" The girl rushed over worriedly. "I heard a loud noise!"
"Who's that?" Bunny whispered as the Guardians peered over the windowsill.
"I think it's his sister." Tooth observed.
Jack laughed warmly and ruffled the girl's hair. "I'm fine, Emma. Just thought I saw a rat."
"Don't tell me he's talkin about me?" Bunny wondered. "He isn't, Bunny." North assured him. "I think..."
"Do you want me to get Mrs. Johnson?" Emma asked. "She said to call her if you needed anything." "I said I'm fine, Em." Jack laughed. "But-"
"Hey, wanna go play outside?" Jack asked. "The weather's awesome outside!"
The girls eyes went wide. "Jack, no!" She exclaimed. "You can't push yourself! What if you get worse?"
"Get worse?" The Guardians wondered. "What's wrong with him?"
"Oh, c'mon, little sis, I cant stay cooped up in here forever." Jack assured her. "Remember all those fun times we had back when I was ok? It isn't that different."
"But-"
"I'll be fine." Jack said firmly. "I won't push myself too hard."
Emma lowered her head. Tears were filling her big eyes.
"But...what if...what if..." With a trembling voice, Emma looked up at her brother.
"What if you die like mom?"
It took a few excruciating moments for the Guardians to process those words. North's jolly face filled with horror, Tooth held her hands to her face, Sandy's eyes widened, and Bunny's ears perked up. Jack faltered, and for a moment sadness flashed on his face. But it was soon replaced with a gentle smile.
"I won't, Em. There's no way I'm gonna let some dumb illness take me."
"But you have the same illness as Mom!" Emma wailed. "She said the same thing before-!" The girl choked up and could no longer speak.
Tooth's eyes were brimming with tears. Bunny looked on sadly, and he could feel North and Sandy trembling besides him.
That frostbite...had this kind of past?
"I won't." Jack said again. "I promise."
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