Ice Cubes
Summary: They had cast him off, deemed him something dangerous for the children. Naughty children deserved to be punished, and even though North wasn't comfortable with how he dealt with things, jolly old Saint Nick was only in charge of the good kids… and the naughty ones? They are dispensed at Krampus' capable claws.
Hisokauzumaki (100th reviewer): 'So, anyways I was thinking, for ch.10 I'd use an original prompt. Okay, this was inspired by Sandy's thoughts in chapter 6 'Sleeping beneath the Ice. "what if Jack had been kidnapped without their knowledge?"
Basically, I'm a sucker for Damsel-in-distress Jack stories. How about Krampus (the anti-Santa) kidnaps Jack in order to ruin Christmas?'
Krampus
All was quiet. It was a month before Christmas and Santoff Claussen was as dark as it could be. Yetis were asleep, gathering up energy for the oncoming and busy month of December and even the elves have crashed for the night, although that was probably because of the sugar high brought about by a dozen hundreds of cookies and eggnog.
Even Santa was asleep, head in his arms, sitting behind his desk in his private office. A loud snore emanated from his hunched up form as he dreamed up of more toys than the most imaginative child could ever dream of, golden sand dancing above his head. Two weeks of writing down his new designs had left him with barely enough time for rest and now he was reaping up his rest.
Their guard was down, Santa's workshop was at its weakest state, and it was really no surprise that a dark shadow managed to latch onto the window and open it with ease, no yeti interrupting his breaking and entering.
Hooves landed on the maple wood flooring, and a hunched figure wearing a dark hood that covered half of his face but not the horns on his head and a sack on his hand, entered. He looked about the place with annoyance but also with smugness as he made his way familiarly through the hallways, going to one particular room.
Two very thick scrolls laid on the table, light shining down on them as the bright words of Naughty and Nice glinted, inviting the intruder to take a look upon them.
The strange creature of the night smirked as he walked towards one scroll in particular, lifting it up with care as he unrolled the parchment gently to view the first name on the list.
The unknown, mysterious creature smiled a wide, cruel smile that showed his rotten teeth. If the toothfairy had been there, she would've fainted not only from the sight but also from the smell his decayed molars emanated.
Closing the scroll, the strange hooded figure closed the scroll and pocketed it into the black sack he was carrying. He took out something from his pocket and deposited it in the place where the scroll used to be. Coal spread across the mahogany desk messily.
"Hohoho…" A rough voice rang out through the room as the intruder made his way to the window and threw it open. A layer of frost and a flurry of snow told him where he should go as he slipped out of the workshop and into the night, unnoticed.
Jack Frost was sitting atop a certain last light's house gazing up at the moon, basking in the warm glow when he heard a strange sound of someone landing behind him. Blue eyes snapped around, staff at the ready as the winter sprite prepared for anyone about to attack him-
But no one was there.
Blinking, Jack turned back to stare at the moon with curiosity, one dark brow raised. "Did you hear that?"
The moon shone brighter and Jack shook his head. Manny was somewhere in outer space, of course he wouldn't have heard anything. But Jack seemed to have misinterpreted the moon beam sent to him, not noticing the alarm behind the glowing light shining down on him. The winter spirit looked down on the roof.
"Huh?" Jack asked when he saw a strange shadow forming from the light the lumpy rock exhibited. A silhouette of a person with horns and a strangely bent nose met blue eyes. Jack's eyebrows furrowed. "Wha-?"
"'Ey now, it's not nice to ask for help from the moon himself." A voice rang out and Jack turned abruptly just as a dark sack suddenly suffocated him making him yelp in shock. "That's cheatin' but then again, yew are on top of the Naughty list…" A dark unfamiliar cackle made Jack squirm in panic as he tried to freeze the sack and break out, but the person who had him, pulled Jack's staff away as though he was taking candy from a baby.
"Tsk, tsk… Can't have yowr little trinket ruinin' mah job now can we?" The person huffed as he threw the squirming sack over his shoulder while throwing Jack's staff unto the ground below. He grunted. "Light as a snowflake, who 'em rumors kiddin'?"
And with that final say, the stranger took a borrowed snow globe from his pocket and threw it into the ground below him. A dark portal formed and he took one step forward, allowing himself and his new charge to be transported into a darker realm.
Meanwhile, Jack's staff laid forgotten in the middle of the Bennett's backyard, slowly being buried by the flurries of panicked snow coming from the sky.
Two weeks before Christmas and the whole place was a buzz. Apparently a year of preparation was not enough for the yetis of Santoff Claussen. Everyday a nice child went to the naughty list or a naughty doer would end up doing something that got him into the nice list. Children were changing everyday, their preferences shifting as fast as the evolution of technology, and the yetis and Santa (and to some extent, the elves) were trying their best to keep up with demands all over the world.
At least with Easter you only had to hand out chocolate eggs. In Christmas you had to think up of a dozen of different designs that changed everyday because of television and internet and outside peer influences. Bunny thought that North had it easy because of the 'one year preparation thing'.
The Easter Kangaroo was clearly deluded.
"Yes. Yes. No. No. Yes! Wait- no! Paint it pink! Girls like pink!" North said as he went over the different toys made by the yetis after the blueprints and designs he drew and thought up of himself. "Phil get me list! Now!"
The big lump of fur grunted as he turned and avoided a couple of elves trying to electrocute themselves with the Christmas lights again. North sighed when he saw this. Do the little troublemakers ever learn?
However, just as North was about to tell them off a sudden thumping sound made him turn and meet the green eyes of a very familiar old friend.
"G'day, mate." Kangaroo- Bunny said with a tilt of his head as North frowned at him.
"Bunny, I have no time for the usual arguments." North said impatiently as he pushed passed the Easter Rabbit to get to a yeti who was having trouble with one of his toy designs. "No! It is all wrong! You have to use the wood! Wood! Violin is better when made from wood!"
The yeti argued, grunting something about the ice prototype North made and North threw his arms in the air, saying that it was a prototype, just an example-
"North! Calm down ya' drongo!" Bunny said as he pulled back the distressed man from berating the too tired yeti. "Can't you see they're trying their best? Ya' always make fun of me when I'm too uppity but have ya' looked in the mirror lately?" When the old man didn't say anything, Bunny led him to the quiet hallways, away from the noise of the yetis and mischief of the elves. "Now tell ol' Bunny what's got you beard in a twist."
The old Santa sighed, running a hand through his white hair, eyebrows crinkling. "It is just…" Blue eyes looked down at his hands helplessly. "I am determined to give kids wonderful Christmas this year. So many kids wanting so many things… but most just want to be with their families." North turned to look at the guardian of Hope. "I cannot give them that, humans make their own decisions. Fathers have to work, mothers have to say goodbye, they do this all for family. And it does not matter if half a million children write in their letters that they wish for family because I cannot give them that. I can only give gifts and toys that'll ease their loneliness even for a moment."
Bunny's ears flopped at the tired tone in the usually jolly man's voice. "North, you're doin' a good job mate. Don't let helplessness get ya' down. I'm sure the little ankle-biters'll appreciate everythin'. Get yer Wonder arse back up and do yer job like the happy dill ya' are. Stress ain't suitin' ya' well mate. Ya' even look like you lost a few pounds!"
North let out a booming laugh as he patted his belly. "Yes, yes! You are right my friend! I will leave stressing to you and Easter."
"Hey!"
"And speaking of family, it has been awhile since I last saw the guardians gather! How is Tooth and Sandy?" North said as he began to walk down the hallways and towards the globe room, Bunny hopping beside him.
"As busy as ever. But they're downright worried about ya'. Sent me to check and everythin'." Bunny huffed as he crossed his arms. Even if he had a few months to spare, he was not a messenger bunny.
"Aw, you do care!" North laughed, using the infamous line Jack said when he pretended to fall out of the sleigh. Bunny glared at him in annoyance. "And? What about new guardian? How is Jack doing?"
Bunny's ear twitched at the mention of the winter sprite as he scrunched up his face. "Haven't seen Frostbite for a few weeks now actually. Thought you might have a clue on where he is."
North who had been in front of Bunny, stumbled as he turned to stare at Bunny wide-eyed. "What? Jack is missing?"
"I never said-"
"Jack is missing! Bunny! Why did you not come earlier? What if Pitch came back or worse-!"
"I-!"
"We have to get others at once!" The old man rushed to the switch and flipped it down. A brilliant array of colors exploded through the sky. "Jack, may have been kidnapped or tortured or-!"
"NORTH!" Bunny bellowed loudly. The Cossack jumped in surprise as he turned at the guardian off Hope. "Calm down mate, I haven't even said anythin' yet! Ya' know that this ain't the first time Frostbite's gone off by himself, yeah?"
North's eyebrows furrowed but he nodded nonetheless. "Even so Bunny, Jack is-"
Bunny sighed, "I know yer worried about him, mate. But Jack's a free spirit. He's also very busy like ya around this time of the year and draggin' him back from wherever he's at, just 'cause ya haven't seen him for a few weeks, can overwhelm the kid. We gotta give him some space."
North frowned and shook his head, not seeing Bunny's point. "But we've given him nothing but space for the past three hundred years, old friend."
Silence.
Bunny opened his mouth to say something but then closed it. As much as he hated to admit it, the old Russian had a point.
After three hundred years of leaving the winter spirit alone, the guardians should be suffocating him with affection and love to make up for their past mistakes! They should be beside him always, spending more time with him, showing him that they do and will always care…
But Jack- Jack just wouldn't let them.
When they became too affectionate, or else come too close for comfort, he'd take a step back and give them a defensive smile. He always pulled away from them and before they knew it, the guardian of Fun would disappear for several days, avoiding them, before coming back like nothing happened.
These actions worried North, but for Bunny, it didn't matter.
Jack always, always came back home anyway.
And that's what was important.
"WE SAW THE LIGHTS!" A fast travelling, rainbow colored projectile suddenly entered the room as it shouted followed by the familiar golden airplane ridden by none other than the Sandman. "Is there something wrong? Is it North? Oh North, I told you not to work too hard! Now we have to cancel Christmas and-!"
"Whoah! Who said anything about canceling Christmas!" North said waving his arms as the fairy queen flitted around him in nervous panic. "Toothiana I am fine! No need to do something as serious as cancelling Christmas!"
Those words got the guardian of Memories to stop in hesitation. "B-But I don't understand, t-the lights?" They all looked at Sandy who made a question mark in their direction.
"North was just panickin' for no reason again, sheila." Bunny was the one who answered.
"Panicking?" Tooth looked at the old Santa in confusion. "Panicking for what? Do you need help with your gifts? I'm sure Sandy and I can-"
"No, no… It is not gifts… I was merely worried… About Jack…" North answered with a sigh.
"Oh Jack!" Tooth said flitting around again. "It's been such a long time since I saw him! Where is he? Is he here? Does he still floss?"
Sandy made some sand figures that said that he too hadn't seen Jack for awhile. This troubling statement made some animal instincts in Bunny twinge in discomfort. North too, looked shocked that even amongst his fellow guardians, not even one had even seen the harbinger of winter.
"What? You have not seen Jack as well? Has no one seen Jack at all for the past month?" North asked at the three before him.
"I was keepin' track of him just a few weeks ago." Bunny murmured as he ran a paw through his long ears. "He was somewhere in Burgess last I checked."
Meanwhile Tooth and Sandy shook their heads.
"We've been as busy as you North." Tooth stated with a sigh as she patted her feathers on her head. "Something's been happening lately you see. A lot of children around the world are getting kidnapped and my fairies are trying to ease the other children's panic with the teeth."
Sandy nodded vigorously as he made sand illustrations of bringing sweet dreams to the sad and worried children of the world.
"And they are such sweet children too! One even left me a note under her pillow!" Tooth said her violet eyes looking watery. "She said to bring her older brother back, even though he was a naughty kid, she still missed him."
"Children going missing? Why have I not been told of this!" Santa said in exclamation.
"You've been too busy with Christmas, mate. I've tried to help Tooth a few times, bring hope and everythin' ya know, which was why I haven't been able to keep track of our Frosbite for awhile." Bunny stated.
"Even so! I-"
BANG!
"Guwalo! Lufawogo!" A sudden yeti screaming interrupted the conversation as Phil entered the room in panic waving around a thick fat scroll.
"Phil! What have I told you about knocking!" North stated as he turned to the big brown yeti. However before he could say anything more, Phil trusted the scroll into the guardian's hands making several attempts of delaying his frustration in garbled tones.
"What?" North said in confusion as he unrolled the thick scroll a bit. "But this is only the nice list! Where is naughty list?"
The yeti made more distressing sounds and actions and blue eyes widened.
"Naughty list is missing? But it can't be! Who would steal naughty list? Why?" Santa said as he looked at the scroll in his hand.
Phil made more grunting sounds and he held up one furred hand to show the guardians. The paw was black with some sort of soot.
North's eyebrows furrowed. "Coal? Coal was in the room?"
The three guardians behind him exchanged looks.
"Uh, North?" Bunny placed a paw on the Cossack's shoulder and blue eyes suddenly widened as he rewinded the conversation that had been going on so far.
Jack, the children going missing, the naughty list being stolen…
And most importantly, the coal.
He turned abruptly to his fellow guardians, his form tensed in panic as placed his hands on Tooth's shoulders. The fairy queen squeaked.
"Quick! Tell me some of the names of the children who had been kidnapped! Tell me now!" North said in obvious panic and worry.
"U-Uhm, there was Jason and Peter and Sasha and Mike…" Tooth began and Bunny picked up for her as he hopped forward.
"Crissy, Mark, and Michael…" Bunny stated and Sandy helpfully joined in as he made figures of bullies in elementary school being kidnapped as well.
North slumped back, letting go of Tooth as he shook his head in disbelief. "It can't be, he can't be back! I am in charge of both naughty and nice now! He is no longer needed!"
"North?" Tooth stated as she flew closer. "He?"
Bunny's green eyes observed his friend's distress sharply. "Do ya' know something we don't, mate? Do ya' know what happened to those children?" And Jack? He added to himself.
Blue eyes looked up tiredly at his old friend's face and even Sandy shifted towards the other, patting the very tired Santa on the shoulder.
"All the children you have mentioned are all in naughty list, last time I checked twice." He said holding up his fingers.
Tooth gasped, her feathers ruffling in worry as she looked at Bunny's panic-stricken face. "You mean all of the kidnapping had a connection? Oh North, why didn't you say sooner!"
"I just realized… I didn't think- didn't assume he'd come back!" North stated shaking his head.
"He?" Bunny said catching on and he placed both paws on the old Santa's shoulders. "There's something you're not telling us." Then Bunny's green eyes widened when Santa avoided his gaze. "You know who kidnapped the children."
North nodded his head solemnly.
"Then what are you waiting for, mate! Tell us so we can beat the snot out of him!"
Sandy nodded his head vigorously, punching his small fist in an open hand, trying to convey that whoever that 'he' was, was getting knocked out.
North looked up, blue eyes grave as he stared at each of his fellow guardians. "If it is who I think it is, then we are in very grave trouble my friends."
"What?" Tooth asked in confusion. They were the four brave guardians who took down Pitch! Why would they be in trouble? "Who is it?"
"An old…" North winced. "…acquaintance."
"What? Who is it?" Bunny urged as he felt his fur standing up in worry and his sixth sense called out to him to just get out of there and find whoever that he was.
"It's Krampus." North said with a hiss and deep anger as all three guardians jumped in surprise at the name. "Krampus is back…" And then grave blue eyes turned to the three frozen guardians.
"And I fear… Jack may be in danger."
"Aw, and ain't this nice?" A cold voice rang out through the cold atmosphere of a dark cave far far away.
A teenage boy with pale skin covered in scratches and bruises panted as he stared at the black hooded figure before him. He had his arms extended, his face set into a protective growl as he tried to keep the other away. Whimpers could be heard behind him, children crying and looking around in panic.
"Get away from them." There was malice in his voice. The tone was as cold as ice but too soft to be an actual threat.
"Yew are a strange boy." The hooded creature stated as he took one step forward and the teen picked up a rock in cases he got any closer. "Clearly them kids can't see ya…" And the teen flinched as an old wound in his heart made itself known. "But yew are protectin 'em anyways." A clawed hand reached out towards the pale teen and said teen tried to jump back- but the claws were sharp and got caught in his hoodie instead.
Another claw reached out and scraped itself onto the pale face, eliciting a pained scream from the one before him. "Is this what a guardian is bein' about? Givin' yewr lives to a bunch of ungrateful rugrats?"
"T-They…" The teen panted. "Aren't rugrats! They're children! And they're innocent! Let them go!"
"Oh I don't think so…" The rough voice crooned and the teen muffled his screams as the claw dug deeper into his skin. "Ya' see this is my job. I've been neglectin' them kids for so long… I think they deserve more than a few coals don't yew think?"
Blue eyes widened in panic. "What are you-?" But then a terrifying face suddenly neared his and the pale victim was barely able to swallow back the scream of panic building up in his throat as he saw the most terrifying face reveal itself.
"Now why don't we start with the one on top of the list, eh?" A dark cackle was followed by those words and the teen suppressed the urge to shiver. "I hope yewr ready, dear naughty Jack Frost."
A terrifying scream, like winds howling in the night, followed those words.
Notes: Finally! I'm sorry I had no time to check if everything is in place and alright! I have school and I'm in a hurry so yeah, sorry for any mistakes! There's still a part two to this which will be updated next. I was gonna update yesterday but I was celebrating my birthday (haha I'm old now and at least I don't have to feel guilty with all the 'Yes, I am at least 18 years old' thing in dreamwidth, safely arrived at the age of eighteen! Yey!) and exams are next week so I will try to squeeze the second part in soon!
So here it is, hisokauzumaki! I hope it is to your liking, it had too many details at the beginning, so sorry about that! And I also added a bonus of Jack protecting children while he himself was imprisoned since that would be so cute and everything! XD
I'll edit this when I have time! Thanks! Please read and review!
(I'll answer the reviews next chapter 'cause I really have to get going to school!)