/My new arc! Mwahaha this one has angst. Next update is Friday./
'Click'
They all should have expected it really.
'Click'
After all, three hundred years is along time to be alone with no one to talk to you.
'Click'
Yet, he somehow managed to stay happy.
'Click'
Jack's staff hit the hard wooden floors again. They all pretended not to hear it and pushed away the guilt.
"Belief has gone up 35%!" North said.
Jack looked down. After all, none of those were for him.
'Click'
'I'm being selfish. I have Jamie, Sophie, Claude, Caleb, Cupcake, Monty, Pippa, and the Guardians. I'm not alone. It's okay everyone can't see me.' Jack tried to comfort himself, he almost felt better, but a strange contorted version of his voice said, 'No, it's really not. The Guardians seem to have all the believers. But do you? No, you only have seven out of their seven billion. Have they even offered to help you gather any believers, ever?'
'Click'
There it was again. The clicking noise. That was a testament of Jack's past loneliness. Bunny couldn't handle it anymore.
"Would ya stop it?" Bunny turned to glare at Jack.
'Click'
"Stop what?" Jack looked at Bunny, puzzled before tensing. No one noticed the dark circles under Jack's eyes.
'Prepare yourself, they don't want you anymore. You knew this day would come, now here it is. Take it like a man. You can't cry.'
'Click'
"Tha'!" Bunny pointed to his staff.
'Click'
"My staff?" Jack looked at his staff then back at Bunny. His face was contorted in confusion.
'He wants to break it. Don't put it down. They'll turn on you and break it.' The strange voice talked in his head again.
"Yes!" Bunny exclaimed, exasperated.
"Oh." That one sound, two letters, one syllable, sounded heart broken. It almost made Bunny wish he hadn't said anything. Jack put his staff down. His eyes never left the wooden object.
'You shouldn't have put it down Jack. Just keep a close eye on it so no one can take it from you. You're powerless without it, worthless, useless, and unwanted. If you want to stay in the group, you must keep your power.'
North coughed awkwardly. "We have regained all believers in the United Kingdom."
Jack looked down and twiddled his thumbs, his gaze never leaving the staff.
"Tooth how are fairies doing?" North asked.
Tooth glanced at Jack before answering. "They're fine. All the teeth are put away, the palace is fixed, and all the fairies are healed."
"Good. Sandy, any nightmares?" North asked.
'You've been having nightmares recently. But does the only person that can fix it even care? No. Keep the nightmares to yourself. If Sandy cares, he'd already know 'cuz you haven't been sleeping since last Saturday.'
Sandy shook his head.
"Bunny?"
"Nothin' ta raport." Bunny stretched out on his chair.
"Jack?" North looked over at Jack.
Jack didn't seem to notice. His attention was focused solely on his staff.
'Don't answer. The moment you do, they'll tell you what they really think about you. They'll tell you how worthless you know you are. The world would be better without winter, without Jack Frost. You know that.'
Winter kills. Winter is feared. Winter is merciless. Winter is never changing. You kill. You are feared. You are merciless. You will never change. You are ice: cold, hard, and emotionless.'
"Jack?" North asked a little louder now.
"What?" Jack looked up at North. His eyes were distant, as if he was remembering something.
'Prepare yourself. They'll kick you out like those stupid elementals did. No one wants you. No one. You are destined to be alone. No one will ever except you.'
"Do you have anything to report?" North asked gently.
"No." Jack said before mumbling so quietly only Bunny could hear. "Not that you'd care."
"Whadda ya mean no' tha we'd care?" Bunny looked at Jack in shock.
Jack looked taken a back before glaring at the floor.
'He's going to agree with you. Of all the Guardians, he hates you the most. Remember how he still holds a grudge about the blizzard in '68 that you made because you were forced to. If you hadn't released that power, you would have died a very painful death. They didn't listen to your side of the story during the Easter fiasco. They had wanted to kick you out and found their chance. When they find out that you know the truth about how much they hate you, you'll be gone. Jamie will forget you. After all, if your own sister can forget you, why can't the Burgess' kids?'
Jack's eyes darkened and he glared at Bunny. "What do you-"
'That's it, Jack. Tell them what you think! Besides, they don't need you.'
Jack stopped mid-sentence and looked down his eye color lightened.
'They've never needed you. They don't need or want you. You've been lying to yourself the whole time, now you'll pay for that.
Sandy tugged on his sleeve. Jack looked away.
'You never helped Sandy. You could have, but you didn't. You weren't fast enough and Sandy had to suffer for your stupidness.'
Sandy wrapped his small arms around Jack's even smaller waist. Jack stiffened before hugging Sandy back.
'Keep this memory. This will probably be your last hug.'
Sandy felt a single frozen tear land on his shoulder and Jack hugged him tighter.
"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." Jack whispered. "I should have saved you. It's my fault you died."
Jack briefly felt Sandy shake his head before the all-true voice spoke again.
'Leave now before you show to much weakness.'
Jack did as the voice told him. He let go of Sandy and flew out the window at breakneck speeds.