Chapter 7
There were quite few places Jack liked to be when he was up set. But since one of them was partway through Summer and anger him a bit more, he went for his fall back choice.
Antarctica.
He had only been here once a few weeks earlier when he was asked by Pitch to join him instead of him sticking with the Guardians.
Spotting what he wanted, Jack touched down at the base of the blackened spiked ice sculpture he and Pitch had created together.
Looking up at it again, Jack rethought, the offer. But in each try was glad he said no.
He was about to see if he could do something to the sculpture to make it less frightening, when he heard a small sneeze coming from his pocket.
"What the?" he asked slowly putting his hand into his pocket and bringing out "Baby Tooth? What are you doing here?" he asked.
All she did in reply was squeak a little and hugged his cheek her little arms wide and her face rubbing against it.
"Came to see if I was alright did ya?" Jack said shielding her from the cold winds as much as he could. "Well to be honest, I'm not sure." He said looking up again. "You were here when we made this and in his lair, do... Do you think..." Jack tried to ask but couldn't get the words out.
Suddenly there was a lot of high pitched and really fast squeaking from a finger wagging Baby Tooth, before she went back into his pocket and shoved his tooth box out.
Tooth had let him keep it as a reminder on who he was, and how he came to be. And at the moment that was what Baby Tooth was hoping he would remember. Going back to her squeaks almost as is saying 'Emma would be ashamed if she found out her big brother was thinking this.
"But..." Jack said but was cut off again, this time by Emily Jane.
"But nothing Jack Frost," she said behind him making him turn around. "They might not be around anymore, but your family would be ashamed to learn what it is you're thinking of. You gave your life to save your sister from that pond. If that makes you think you should or should have joined Pitch..."
"I didn't know I did that until after we made this and he broke my staff Em." Jack retorted. "I was alone in the dark, by myself, for 300 years. Never being seen, or heard or able to reach out to anyone!" he said once again quoting what Pitch had told him neither girl noticing the fact that Jack's hair was suddenly getting darker. "And just as I thought that was over and done with, I'm still shut out of stuff like this."
"You were Notalone Jack Frost," Emily said slowly stepping forward. "You had me, Evie and Sandy you were never alone, you..."
"I had no memory of who I was. Every night I would ask Manny that question, and you know what he did? Nothing! He did nothing, but sit there in the sky, with that stupid look on his face saying NOTHING!" he said clenching his eyes to hold back the tears, tightening his grip on his now blue with anger staff.
"Nightlight didn't know who he was either, remember." Emily called out trying to get to him through the storm he was making. "He was in the dark since he saved Manny from Pitch. He was locked away in Pitch's heart that story Jamie was telling his friends said."
At hearing Jamie's name, Jack calmed down a bit opened his eyes and looked at her curiously.
"You know Jamie and his friends?" he asked.
"That's where I was before I came to the Pole." Emily said a shivering and scared Baby Tooth in her hands. "They're trying to work all this out as well." she explained.
"I'm sorry Em," Jack said after awhile, "It's just... Well, I don't really know what it is... One minute I feel like myself, the next I get really annoyed." he said sighing.
"How long have you been like that?" Emily asked slightly scared.
"Since the night we found Nightlight and the Shadow Wolves." Jack answered thinking. "Why?"
"Did... Did one come into contact with you in someway?" she continued not answering his question.
"Yeah..."
"We need to get you back to the Pole." Emily said bringing out one of North's snow-globes shaking it and opening the portal up.
"What? Why?" Jack asked.
"I'll say more when were there, now go!" she said, looking past him at the sculpture that suddenly looked less black than it did when she arrived.
-
*Pole*
In the Globe Room, Sandy, Nightlight, Tooth, Bunny, and North - who was pacing around speaking Russian to himself, were all waiting for Emily Jane to come back with Jack.
Suddenly a portal opened up and through it came Jack, Baby Tooth, and Emily Jane.
"We have a problem," Emily said before anyone could say anything. "I think the Darkness may have already gotten to Jack a bit." she said scared. She had already lost one person to the Darkness, and she did not want anymore.
"What are you talking about Em?" Jack asked.
"Hey Jack, is it me or is your hair darker?" Bunny asked answering for Emily.
"What?" Jack asked running a hand through his hair, then over to the mirror to see he was right also seeing there was a hint of yellow in his ice-blue eyes. Scared Jack looked at the others. "What's going on Em?" he asked slowly.
"That night with the wolves, you said one got in contact with you." Emily started. "And you just told me after that you've been having 'mood swings'..."
"I know that Em." Jack said "So what going on!" he asked cold winds going around the room.
"It corrupting you Jack!" Emily said. "It's corrupting you like it did Pitch. For some reason it's looking for a new host since Pitch failed it, I guess." she said.
"But Nightlight and I destroyed them," Jack said "So shouldn't I be fine?" he asked looking around at the Guardians, Nightlight and Emily.
"It doesn't if it got to you first." Emily said.
"And how... exactly do you know all this, and so much about Pitch?" Jack said after a moment feeling he was missing out on something again.
"I'm nearly as old as the world itself Jack," Emily answered trying to sound like herself. "I've learnt a few things."
"Getting back to Jack," North said bringing to two back. "What can we do?"
"I... I don't know," Emily said looking at them. "I only know how it gets to someone. I have no idea how to stop it..." she continued rubbing her arms "I... I wouldn't be alone if I did." she whispered so low only Bunny could hear.
"You must know something," Tooth said breaking the silence.
"Well, my parents use to tell me stories about something called the Moon-flower." Emily said looking up. "But they only grow in certain places and around for one night four weeks after Easter. But I don't know where those places are."
"Can't you grow them yourself?" Jack asked "You know being Mother Nature and all that..."
"These are magic flowers Frostbite," Bunny said "Used to have them where I was from. We had big festivals celebrating and thanking the Man in the Moon for a good year."
"Then we can just go there," Jack said pointing his staff at Bunny, a smile on his face.
"No we can't," Bunny said "Because after Pitch and the Darkness attacked it, they stopped growing."
"Do you remember the circumstances they need to grow?" Tooth asked.
"Cool places, earth all around, near water, with an opened up sky so the moon can shine down on them," Bunny said. "They start growing a week before they bloom into white almost circle like flowers that shine like the moon."
"So they can be growing around my pond in Burgess?" Jack asked.
"Possibly."
"Then lets go!"
"They wont be ready yet Frosty. There's still three more days."
A ringing sounded as Sandy shook an elf getting the others attention and pointed up to the Globe seeing Burgess once again flickering.
"Jamie..." Jack said flying up to see it better.
"That's probably what it's looking for," Tooth said going to the map and checking the places. "It's looking for the flowers so we can't get them to save Jack."
Now Jack was scared. Scared for the kids and himself. What if Tooth was wrong and the Darkness was giving the kids the nightmares? What would happen if when the day comes they can't find these flowers? What's going to happen to him between now and then?
"JACK!" North called bringing Jack back to the room where some snow was on the ground.
"Sorry," he said waving his staff clearing it away.
"It is alright," North said placing his hand on the boys shoulder like a father would. "You are scared, we all are. Right Bunny?" North cut off eying Bunny who was just complaining about the snow.
"Just make sure he doesn't do it again," he said going over to the fire.
Smiling a bit, Jack nodded then looked at the Globe again where the light were still flickering.
"Can... Can I go see how they're doing North?" he asked quietly. "You know, see if they're alright?"
North was about to say 'No' when he spotted Jack's eyes shine with tears.
"As long as you take snow-globe to get back in emergency, and someone with you." North said going to get a snow-globe.
Jack turned to the others all of whom, perhaps maybe even Bunny, smiling at him.
In his head, he went through who could come.
North: had to stay here to keep track of the Darkness.
Tooth: had to get back to her teeth collecting, though he might be able to get Baby Tooth, but he didn't think that was what North had meant.
Sandy or Nightlight: As much as he wanted the kids to meet his Brother, both he and Sandy needed to continue searching for nightmares.
Bunny: Nope.
And that left Emily Jane, who was smiling slightly, playing with her hair weaving bright flowers into it.
"Hey Em," Jack said making her jump slightly. "Want to come see the kids with me?"
Jumping at the sound of being called, and the request, Emily Jane just nodded smiling. "Ok."
After a time deal was set, back before sunset, and Jack had the snow-globe they used it to get to Burgess so they'd have more time there.
AN: Evie = Spirit of Halloween
Hope you'll all liking it so far and thanks to all who have favored it :)
