Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Rise of the Guardians or Fairy Tail
Jack knew Lucy had left the guild for a moment, but he was having too much fun to really care. This place was where he belonged, a place where he could finally have friends and people that treated him like family. The snowball fight ended not long after the iron dragon slayer had joined in, taking things way too far and transforming it into an actual battle of wizards. Jack really didn't know many people here yet, but they already accepted him as a part of their family. It was amazing, something he never expected to happen after everything he had gone through.
Jack sat down at a table with Wendy after the snowball fight, watching the girl glance over at the white haired bartender and blush slightly, turning back to Jack. The winter spirit really had no idea what it was about, but there was something going on between those two girls right now. "So, what do you think of Fairy Tail so far?" Wendy asked him, looking interested in his day. She was smiling up at him, the red fading from her cheeks as she spoke.
Jack grinned at her widely, not afraid to tell her how much fun he was having here. "It is awesome! These people know how to have some real fun. It seems like it gets out of hand sometimes, but everyone is so easy going and ready to forgive even after they fight each other to the point of exhaustion." Jack stated, glancing around at the people laughing in the guild. Natsu was hanging out with Gray, surprising Jack since he thought those two acted like rivals most of the time.
Wendy laughed slightly, glancing around with amusement in her eyes. "Well, it might get a bit crazy, but you get used to it. No one will care more for you than your friends in the guild, I've learned that very quickly. Even before I joined Fairy Tail, everyone was so kind to me, helping me smile when I thought I was about to lose everything." Wendy stated, while Jack nodded in response. He really didn't know what to say about that, about her past. Wendy must have gone through a lot of pain, yet she was so good at staying happy and kind to others. She didn't seem like she held grudges against anyone and she welcomed Jack with open arms into the guild.
"I think I am already used to it. This craziness is fun, isn't it? I get that it is a bit intimidating at first, all of these older kids starting fights and everything, but it still doesn't change the fact that it is all just to prove how strong they are. Just take a look at Gray, he keeps insisting everyone has to be able to fight, even though it's better to just relax and have fun. ." Jack commented, remembering his training with the ice-make wizard. Jack still didn't feel comfortable using his magic in that manner, but if necessary, he knew he would use it against Pitch. Even if he failed, that man had to be stopped at all costs.
Wendy glanced over at Charle, who was talking with Happy and Pantherlily in the guild. She smiled slightly, nodding in agreement. "Well, I thought you'd fit in pretty well. You're a lot like them, but you seem gentler in a way. You know when to stop and step back from the fight, rather than continue on. It's part of why I knew I could trust you right away, you seemed to be trying so hard to keep everyone else happy." Wendy stated, keeping her head turned away from him as her cheeks turned pink slightly. Jack could hear Mira giggling behind him, watching their conversation from where she stood.
Jack wasn't really used to receiving compliments like this, in any way. It meant a lot to him, more than he could say. This girl, the girl that had so much kindness in her, thought that he was trustworthy, that he fit in well with the people she considered her family. Staring at her, Jack began to feel a strange sense of warmth towards her. Wendy was just the one person here he couldn't stand to see sad, the one person he knew he had to help. "Wendy, thank you. You have no idea how much hearing that means to me." Jack stated, unsure of what she wanted. Wendy nodded, looking back up at him with a smile.
The winter spirit smiled back at her, feeling like the tension was slowly fading. He realized why Wendy was blushing now, that it reminded him of Lucy when he asked her about Natsu. He must have been a bit blind before, not to see that this kid was starting to have a bit of a crush on him. Jack knew he should probably discourage it, that he was still in danger from the Bureau, but he just couldn't. The idea of being liked by someone, of actually having someone care for him, it meant so much to Jack. He wasn't willing to let it go, even if it was just a kid's first crush and nothing more.
She wasn't really that much younger than he was, when Jack thought about it. She was probably about twelve, maybe thirteen based on what he could tell. Jack already felt connected to her in a way, and he could feel that he was caring for her more. Maybe, he might return her affection one day. Right now, he had other issues to focus on though. "So, what do you want to do while Lucy tries to find out about the Bureau for us? Wanna try going on a job together?" Wendy suggested, pulling the subject away from where it had been going.
Jack was about to refuse, jobs were far too much focus and hard work for him, when the door to the guild burst open, a strange creature on the other side. It was dark and black, horse-like in appearance with golden yellow eyes. Standing behind it, was Pitch Black and another young boy, one Jack had never expected to see again. When he was experimented on, Jack was not the only child there. He had met a few others, ones that were being trained and tested on as well. The boy here now, the one with the golden spiky hair and short stature was one Jack would never forget. "Sandy?" Jack breathed out, shocked to see him.
"So, I see you failed to listen to my warning. Here we are, the very heart of Fairy Tail, protecting one little boy that does not belong here in the first place. His fear is strong, and since I have been unable to bring him back home, I've brought along some help. He is such an obedient child, listening to our every word since he knows that only we can bring him home to his family." Pitch stated, patting Sandy on the back as the boy stepped forward. Jack knew exactly what Sandy was feeling, remembering the day that the experiments took away the kid's voice. Sandy had felt so lost, so alone in the silence of the night when he snuck into Jack's room to talk.
Jack was the one who gave him hope, pointing out that with his sand magic he could just tell his stories using images. Without Jack, Sandy would never have figured out how to communicate with others again. Now, Sandy gave Jack a sad smile, an image of two adults playing with a young boy over his head to explain what he was thinking about. "I know, I understand. I'd never hold this against you, Sandy, I would have done the same thing." Jack told his old friend, watching Sandy nod and create sand whips in his hands.
"Do enjoy my little friend's gift, this will not end until Jack is in our grasp once more." Pitch told them, vanishing into the shadows and fading from sight. The horse creature left with him, while the guild members were standing up and wondering just how one kid could be expected to defeat so many wizards at once. Jack knew exactly how, he had seen Sandy's magic with his own eyes. One of their stupid tests had been to see which of them was stronger, putting Jack into a room with Sandy to face off against each other. With how unwilling they were to participate, they didn't learn much from the event. Jack had created a whiteout blizzard in the room, blocking them from sight while Sandy grinned and simply let his golden sand whirl around in the wind, giving only an illusion of a fight. Sandy had complete mastery over his sand, something Jack admired whenever he saw the guy.
As Jack stared at him now, he knew this fight was going to be serious unlike last time. Sandy's magic was a lot like Gray's, taking form of something created within the mind. The difference was that Sandy was capable of doing so much more with his sand, just like Jack could do with his power over winter. "So, you wanna take on all of Fairy Tail, huh? Well, I'm getting fired up!" Natsu declared, standing up and getting ready for a fight.
"Wait, stay back, Natsu. Sandy….did they promise to return you home if you brought me back?" Jack asked, turning towards his old friend. He was not going to let anyone suffer if he could stop it. Regardless of how badly he wanted to stay here, he was not going to let Sandy lose his one chance to go home. Sandy nodded sadly, glancing up at Jack who turned towards the new friends he had just made. "Well, this sucks. I really thought I was going to get to have some fun here for a bit first. Looks like we've got one last show to put on for the Bureau, though. Are you up for it, Sandy?" Jack asked, feeling someone grab his hand as he moved closer to Sandy.
Jack glanced down, seeing Wendy looking up at him with her wide brown eyes. "Jack, please don't. You're part of our family….part of Fairy Tail. We won't let them take you away!" she pleaded, tears in her eyes. Jack felt pain in his heart, seeing those tears. He never wanted her to be sad, yet he could see similar expressions on the faces of all members of this guild. He hadn't been here for long, yet he already was a part of their guild. This place was somewhere he had planned on calling home, people he planned on being friends with. They all were willing to accept him, and they were so thrilled to have him here, Jack really was sad to leave.
"I know, Wendy, and I won't forget you guys. There's no way they could do that, I promise. Please, try to have some fun while I'm gone. I'd like to imagine you smiling and laughing while I'm back in that place." Jack told her, before he felt her arms wrap around his waist, trying desperately to keep him here. Sandy watched silently, letting him have this moment since his friend realized what was going on. Jack could see that the sand wizard looked conflicted now, not wanting to tear Jack away from this place even for his own family. Sandy even created the image in for Jack, the same image of a family playing together, before forming a question mark for Jack. "Yeah, I did find a family. It is time for you to find yours, though." Jack told Sandy, watching the wizard glance down with a frown. They both wished there was a better solution, but either way one of them would lose today. Jack just wasn't willing to let it be Sandy that lost, not when he knew what that suffering was like.
"I'll miss you, Jack. I promise, we'll find you again and make sure you stay free. You're a part of Fairy Tail and you always will be." Wendy insisted, stepping back with a look of determination on her face. Natsu put a hand on her shoulder, nodding in agreement with a serious expression on his face. Even Gray looked determined, ready to go out and fight for Jack if necessary. With one last smile at them, Jack turned towards Sandy.
"Alright, just like last time?" Jack suggested, watching Sandy nod sadly, his whips vanishing from sight. Jack focused slightly, before snow began to fall one last time within Fairy Tail. Slowly, it picked up, falling harder and faster around him. Guild members shivered in the cold, glaring at Jack for his spell, but that was before it got even worse. Wind blew around the guild hall, and before long no one could see anything in front of them. The winter spirit was careful not to let the temperature fall too much, knowing that he was capable of freezing them where they stood if he wanted to. Jack stepped closer to Sandy, taking his hand with a nod. The sand wizard smiled, letting his golden sand release into the wind, mixing with Jack's snow.
It really was a magnificent sight for those outside of the guild to see. White and gold mixed into one, falling to the ground and scattering in the wind. Jack had loved the sight when they first did it back at the Bureau, and he still loved it now. "Alright, we've got the illusion going. Looks like I've got to lose, though." Jack stated, remembering that last time the overseers of their experiment had stepped in to stop the fight. "Can you still do that other thing with your sand? Knock me out, like you did the guards that came to keep you out of my room?" Jack suggested, remembering how many times Sandy had snuck in. He didn't always avoid getting caught, but he never got in trouble because he had the power to force anyone into a deep sleep. With one last nod, Sandy blew golden sand into Jack's eyes. Immediately, the winter spirit began to feel drowsy, slipping away from reality. He gave Sandy once last smile as he collapsed on the ground, sound asleep with pleasant dreams of fairies and friends.
There we are, we finally have another member of the Guardians coming into play. So, what do you think? I have to admit, I always struggle writing Sandy, simply due to the fact that it is hard to write for a character that can't talk. I will do my best to keep the Guardians as close to cannon as possible, but this is still an AU so there will be some slight differences. I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
Another announcement concerning updates: I have a lot of stories in progress right now, so updates are going to work a bit differently for my stories. The two of them with the most reviews will be updated weekly, while all others receive monthly updates. As of right now, this story has the most reviews (yay!), so updates will be weekly for now. Keep reviewing if you want to continue with weekly updates.