A/n: Thanks so much for all of the reviews, favorites, and follows. But, even though I could write more of Jack's human memories, I have nothing left in my imagination right now. So, this chapter is Jack's death. This chapter is also dedicated to my grandfather, who has recently passed (7/23). I'm also so very sorry to keep everyone waiting for such a long period of time. I was mourning and I also had online school to deal with and now I'm actually enrolled in an actual high school (9th grade! I'm so excited!) and I'll be going to school on Monday, the 19th, so updates might be going a bit slower. Don't worry, I'm not giving up on this story at all, I just have a shortage of words and imagination right now. I'm also considering doing a collection of one-shots as a sequel to this story. I'm thinking It'll be fun. Also, does anyone know what "drabbles" and "arcs" mean? I'm lost with those whenever I see it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Rise of The Guardians or any of the familiar occurrences that took place in both the book series and the movie. I only own my OC's and text. This is purely for my entertainment. I also don't own any book for movie preferences. The Movie References belong to DreamWorks Corp. and their creators/creations. The Book References of the Guardians of Childhood belong to William Joyce. No copyright infringement intended.
Warning(s): contains language, suggestive violent themes, mentions of starvation/malnourishment, and mentions of child abuse, and death. Read at your own risk.
Chapter Ten
"Jack is fourteen." Manny said, his voice unexpectedly soft and grave.
"I wonder what this memory is going to be about." Sophie squealed with excitement.
Jack knew what memory this was and he stayed absolutely silent.
"Jack! Jack! Wake up! Wake up!" Zinnia had grown. She was now nine years old and she was jumping on a sleeping Jack. "Wake up! Wake up! You promised we'd go skating today!"
Jack groaned before blinking lazily at his sister. "What…?"
Zinnia huffed with impatience. "Wake up, Jack! We're going ice skating today, remember?"
Jack blinked again before he nodded and grinned widely. "I'll be there soon. Go get your skates."
Zinnia squealed with excitement before racing out of their room, grabbing her skates. A few moments later, Jack appeared with his skates slung over his shoulder. Zinnia caught sight of her brother and grabbed his wrist, eagerly pulling him towards the door.
"Whoa, calm down there, little lady." Jack laughed. "I have to tell Mother we'll be leaving."
"I already know." Jack turned around to see his mother grinning softly at them. "Be back before sundown, please, okay?"
Jack nodded. He laughed again when Zinnia pulled him towards their door. He smiled at her softly. "Be careful!" His mother called from the doorway.
Jack laughed as he said, "We will!" he kept looking back a couple of times, as though he were subconsciously trying to remember his mothers' face.
"Cool!" Claude grinned. "I bet we'll see Jack's wicked skills on the ice."
North frowned. He wasn't sure why this memory was upsetting. But he could feel that something bad was about to happen. He could feel it in his belly.
The scene changed and instead of seeing Jack and Zinnia having fun on the ice, they were staring at Jack's brown orbs as he was putting his skates down.
"Hey, it's okay. It's okay." Jack soothed his trembling little sister. "D-Don't look down, just look at me."
"Jack," Zinnia cried. "I'm scared." Ice cracked underneath her from the pressure of her weight. Jack took a step but ice cracked underneath his foot as well and he winced. He knew panicking and being afraid would get him and Zinnia no where.
"It's okay. You're going…you're going to be fine." Jack promised. "And you're not going to fall in." Jack was frustrated. He was supposed to protect his little sister, not put her in danger! "We're…we're going to have a little fun instead!" he smiled crookedly, trying so hard to get his sister to believe in him.
Everyone's hearts were thumping wildly as they awaited for the memory to end. "You said that to me when I was nine, and we were fighting against Pitch." Jamie pointed out. Jack nodded.
"Oh, Jack!" Tooth cried before hugging him. "I'm so sorry about your sister!" Jack clenched his jaw but stayed silent.
"She lived a good life." Monty put in his own two cents and everyone nodded in agreement.
Zinnia sobbed, "No we're not!" She could see the hopelessness in her older brother's eyes and fear wrapped her into a hug as she stood there, a web of cracks echoing underneath her.
"Would I trick you?" Jack asked, trying to keep the fear away from showing on his face. He gave another tentative smile towards his sister.
"Yes! You always play tricks!" She sobbed again. Jack was determined to get his sister to safety, even if he didn't survive in the end.
He laughed nervously. "Well not…not this time." He was hesitant with his words as he tried to shuffle closer to his sister but the ice cracked again. He gulped. "I promise, I promise, you're going to be…you're gonna be fine."
Tooth squeezed Jack tighter.
"You have to believe in me."
Sobs broke out of everyone's mouth as they watched. Many times had they not believed in Jack.
Zinnia had complete and utter trust in her eyes as she looked up at her brother. He would get her out of here, if anyone knew how to get out of situations like this, it was him. "Hey…you wanna play a game?" He asked with a playful, light tone. "We're gonna play hopscotch, like we play everyday." He smiled brightly with confidence when he observed his sisters' eyes lighting up.
"Um, it's as easy as one…" He started, taking a step but he flinched when the ice cracked. He took a peak at his sister and put on a comical, playful face as he flailed his arms around comically, faking losing his step, "Whoa!" and made his sister laugh.
"Two…" the ice didn't crack as much. "Three!" Jack hopped to the thicker part of the ice and exhaled as he grabbed his Shepard's crook. He held out the curved end towards Zinnia. "Now, it's your turn!"
"One…" Zinnia took a timid step forward and gasped loudly when the ice cracked dangerously. "That's it…that's it…two…" Panic was starting to build up in Jack's eyes as the ice kept cracking and Zinnia was taking her steps with gasps. She glanced up at her brother.
"Three!" Jack reached out before the ice could collapse and hooked his sister around the waist with the end of his staff and pulled her to safety as she skidded on the thicker part of the ice.
They all laughed and cheered gleefully but then stopped once they saw Jack's solemn expression.
Jack stumbled slightly and Zinnia looked up at Jack with a beaming smile but then both their smiles dropped and fear flooded in Jack's expression.
Crack.
"Jack!" Zinnia screamed right as the ice broke and Jack plunged into the freezing waters.
"No!" Tooth choked on a sob as she yelled. She was holding Jack in a death grip right now.
"You…you only died at…at fourteen!" Sophie exclaimed. "In two years, I'll be your age."
Everyone shuffled towards Jack, grabbing him in their arms for a comforting hug. "Can't…breathe…" Jack choked out. He was released by all the arms but they still stayed, surrounding him, giving him concerned gazes. The scene of the memory had shifted once again.
Darkness. That's the first thing I remembered. It was dark, it was cold, and I was scared. Jack was floating underneath the water, moonbeams shined. But then…then I saw the moon, and it was so big and so bright. Jack was lifted from the frozen water and was high in the air. He gasped out a breath, looking up at the moon, slightly tilting his head to the side as he observed the large luminescent moon in his view. And then, then I wasn't scared anymore. Jack blinked; surprised at the ice that froze immediately once he stepped on it. He took his first step as an immortal, stumbling. Why I was here and what I was meant to do, I'd never know. And maybe, I never will.
Jack's toe touched the staff he used to save his sister and he crouched down, picking it up in his hands as frost-fern-like designs spread. Jack flinched and dropped the staff in surprise. It hit the ice and created a beautiful, unique pattern of frost that webbed around the ice. Jack's eyes lit up as he observed the stick of wood and then walked towards some trees. He timidly touched one and smiled as the fern-like design blossomed onto the base of the tree. He turned and touched the other tree adjacent to him and pressed his fingers against it, jumping on the balls of his feet with his face lighting up with excitement and happiness as he ran around the pond, his staff touching the ground as he skated over the ice, creating frost-like patterns.
Wind blew and lifting him up, which made him gasp and shout in surprise. Wind released him playfully and he fell downwards, slamming into a tree. He clutched onto a branch and laughed, with a smile on his face.
"That was one fall." Pippa muttered.
He hopped onto his toes and something caught his attention. He looked over and saw a fire from a village.
Tooth gasped as she realized what was about to happen. "Oh, Jack." She wrapped the fourteen-year-old immortal in her arms once again.
"Wh-Whoa!" Jack was clumsy as he rode the wind and he collapsed into a snowdrift. He laughed as he wiped off snow from his cloak. He passed by villagers, saying polite greetings. "Hello." "Hello." "Hello, Ma'am…Ma'am?" a dog barked as it passed by Jack, he turned to see a little boy giggling and running after the dog. Jack knelt down to the child's height and said, "Excuse me, can you tell me where I—," Jack was cut off when the child had passed through him. He gasped as pain tingled over his entire body, he clutched the front of his shirt where his heart is and gasped.
"Hello?" He looked around wildly for anyone that could hear him. "Hello?" people passed through him as if he…wasn't truly there.
My name is Jack Frost. How do I know that? Jack slowly started to walk towards the forest. The Moon told me so. And that was a long, long time ago.
The memory faded to white and it was awfully silent in the room as everyone had tears in their eyes as they all understood that they had left Jack, the only immortal child, alone for three-hundred-years. Everyone, except Jack, shared a look with one another and they silently promised that they would protect Jack and give him the love of a family that he so desperately needed and wanted.