OOC: Jeez guys trying to beat me to the next part here. I wasn't going to reveal everything right away, but viola, for those wondering how Ember knew it was Jack- it's in there. Also, one of my amazing reviewers pointed out how she shouldn't be able to put the blame on Jack, and you're right she shouldn't… But her sister died, she blames herself, but when something like that happens, you always want someone else to blame, someone else to hurt to try and make it better. High fives to all you guys!

Chapter 14

Ember finally got herself composed and let the winter spirit breath. She stepped back and paced the room trying to calm herself down from the fit of rage. If she didn't take a deep breath, she was likely to just burn the white haired spirit until she got down to the bone. As it was, she looked back to see the spirit raggedly drawing a breath. She had let her anger get the best of her, but at least, she had backed off before doing permanent damage. After all, he couldn't very well suffer when he was dead.

"So you see," she continued once she felt composed enough to do so. "Your storm kept me from calling for help and kept those fire fighters from saving her. She was so scared, and I left her." She heard Jack mumble something against the gag, but she just ignored it choosing to stare into the corner that had the small fire. "I suffer every day for it… now I hope your guilt makes you suffer as I have."

She glanced over her shoulder to see Jack straining against his restraints, tears forming in his eyes. He was shaking his head like he didn't believe it, but Ember wasn't lying. This was the truth of her life and her death and her anger. Now Jack could share it with her, and she had a feeling it would affect the spirit of fun more than it did with her. She hated herself for what happened that night, but she knew she was angry, and she knew what her powers could do. Ember knew that Jack thought he was a good spirit that brought fun and joy to kids, and now, she had dropped the bomb that his actions had consequences. Her eyes focused in on the struggling winter spirit; she wondered if this would break him even.

"And to answer the question that's probably plaguing your mind," she said finally coming back over to the Guardian and kneeling next to him. "Pitch is the reason I woke up that night. His nightmare snapped me awake. I would have died in my sleep and my sister could have been dragged off… She was still lost to me, but that is partially why I'm helping him." The back of her hand trailed down his cheek. "That's why I've killed off all the hope in the world, all the dreams, and why I've gone after the memories." She placed her hands in her lap while still staring at Jack. "And besides me owing him, he told me if I helped him, I got you."

Jack looked ready to be sick; he pulled against the restraints before dropping his head in defeat. The more he thoughts about what Ember just told him, the more it ate him up on the inside. He had never thought of his powers as a bad thing; he loved watching the kids smile or Bunny glare from all the snow. Not once did he think it could have an adverse effect. He zoned out not wanting to listen anymore; he knew she was going on about how she found out it was him. She was explaining once she woke back up only to discover herself like this that she had planned to go isolate herself. But she had woken back up in her town, and she had the luck of running into another spirit. They were complaining about the infamous 'Jack Frost' and this storm… After that, Ember said she just went into her own version of solitary confinement as she didn't understand why she was back or anything like that…

Jack sat silently. An eternity alone was bad enough, but with this knowledge that his gift had led to a girl's death… Jack wished that Ember would just get angry enough with him and kill him. Then, it would be over. He had never thought the fire spirit in front of him was anything but an angry spirit. It never struck him once after she started to tear the Guardians apart how she came to be like this, that her death was just a tragic as his own. Hers more so as she didn't even get to live with the knowledge her little sister got to go on.

"Let's play a game," Ember was suddenly saying straddling Jack again. His entire body tensed up; he seriously doubted he'd like any game she dreamt of. "It's like 20 questions but with fire." He tried not to shake as her right hand turned a bright red and small flames licked off the skin. "If you answer them truthfully or right, I move my hand away. You lie, and I'll enjoy watching you squirm as…" she moved her hand close to his face, and he turned to the side trying to avoid the fire, his eyes clenched shut. "You only need your ears and mouth for this, don't you think?" And her sadistic smile was the last thing he saw before a dark sand band blocked out his vision again.

…

The three Guardians just sat in shock. There wasn't anything they could think of to say after seeing the memories contained in the two teeth; they had gotten lucky with what memories. They had seen what she had gone through at home, and they had seen her die.

"Well that explains why Manny chose her," Tooth whispered. "She died saving…" the Guardian couldn't finish her statement. They all knew not every child lived a perfect life, but they had never seen such bad circumstances.

"It don't explain her hatred for Jack," Bunny mumbled. "I mean I recognize the night she died… that storm he had caused four cities to be frozen."

"That was Easter night wasn't it?" Tooth asked to which Bunny barely nodded.

"He had come to try and talk to me," he answered, his ears lying back against his head. "And I blew him off."

"He was upset," North said thinking over what he had seen.

"What are we going to do?" Tooth said, glancing up at the Guardians through her feathers. "I'm not sure I can…"

"We have no choice," North said placing his large hand on her shoulder. "She must be stopped."

"Maybe Pitch is manipulating her," Bunny suggested; his mind was still stuck in the past. He remembered finishing up Easter when Jack had appeared to him trying to talk to him… and Bunny told him to get lost… told him that as the Easter Bunny he had far more important things to do… He even remembered after that storm how all the other spirits and creatures wouldn't stop talking about it for weeks.

Then like a ton of bricks it hit them, "Oh my! Where's Sandy?" Tooth was suddenly on her feet looking around the Warren. They had put him here to avoid any chance of destruction. All the Guardians looked around frantically, but they didn't see the statue.

"We lost Frostbite and Sandy," Bunny said already feeling his powers dwindling with the destruction of his home.

"We will fix this," North said trying to hide his frown behind his beard. "We find Sandy and rescue Jack." There was little doubt left in the Russian's mind that Jack had been captured; he couldn't be dead, North refused to think that.

From the ashes, golden sand started to sweep around the Warren, and each Guardian couldn't hide their smile as the sand moved into a vortex. They stepped towards it in time for Sandy to step out of the vortex and tip his strange bowler hat at them. Tooth squealed in excitement, and even Bunny got a smile on his face.

"Sandy!" North cried happily patting the other Guardian on his shoulder.

"But how?" Bunny asked, and as if someone heard their question, a single ray of light seemed to focus on the Guardians. They looked up to the sky to see the moon, and they couldn't help it, they smiled. Odds were against them, but they had Manny on their side.

…

"So Jack," Ember said, he could feel her breath on his cheek. "Have you ever thought your actions have consequences?"

"Of course I…" Jack started but stopped when he felt the heat of her hand move closer to her chest.

"What did I say about lying?" she hissed. "Try that answer again."

Jack audibly gulped before answer, "No I didn't." The heat didn't move close, but it didn't move away either. He squirmed slightly not liking how he couldn't see the fire, only feel it.

"Which would explain how you've almost killed kids in the past with your power…" she started to say but Jack interrupted.

"I have never hurt a child," he growled pulling against the restraints. Perhaps, his actions had led to her sister's death, but he had never purposefully done it.

"Six years ago, Jamie," she said. "You took him on a sled ride through traffic."

"I had him," Jack argued, and he felt the heat come closer.

"No you thought you did," she hissed. "He could have died, should have really." Jack didn't have an answer for that. Ember just continued with her questions a moment later. "Why did you create such a bad storm?"

"I…," he answered breathless, and this time, she didn't push for an answer right away. Jack had to think back all those years ago even though he knew exactly what storm she was talking about. "I had tried to get the Guardians' attention again. They… they were the only ones I thought I could get my answers from, but Bunny wouldn't have it. He told me to get lost." Jack let loose a choked laugh. "I was so angry, so upset… I didn't." Finally he admitted probably what Ember wanted the most. "I didn't think."

"No you didn't. Which makes me wonder why you make snow at all?" she asked.

"It lets them have fun," he replied thinking of the snowball fights he had with Jamie all those years ago. They hadn't had a good one since he reached his teenage years, and Jack couldn't help but worry about him again. She never said what she had done with him.

"You know," she sighed. "Once I found out it was Jack Frost's storm that night, I tried to look into you. Who you were, what you were, all that fun…" He heard her trail off, and he wondered what she was doing. "But I didn't come after you. Not until Pitch gave me the chance."

"Why not?" Jack couldn't help but ask.

"Truthfully," she sighed. "I didn't know where to start looking except in cold regions, and I had to be punished for my part in my sister's death hence self exile." He could hear the sadness in her voice, and he realized she probably was a good person before all of this.

"If you're a spirit," Jack said hoping to reason with the fiery girl, "then the Man in the Moon chose you for a reason. Just as he chose all of us to be something."

He felt the sting of heat against his skin, and he tried not to hiss at how close it was. "All I was chosen for was to suffer for my actions." He heard her growl before the heat disintegrated and felt her move away. Before Jack could ask where she was going, a band of sand slid back across his mouth. "And now you'll get to suffer in this silence and darkness for your part too." That was the last thing he heard before his hearing was cut off from the world, and he was shrouded in darkness.

The winter spirit sat silently trying to comprehend everything that had happened. His actions had led to this. He couldn't stop the choked sob that ripped from his chest; everything that had happened was linked to his actions. All of the trouble he had caused the Guardians was on him; Ember wasn't going to stop until there was nothing left of him. He almost wished she would just kill him and get it over with, but Jack knew he couldn't think like that. If he gave up like this, Pitch and she would win, and the world would be overrun with darkness. He hated himself for what happened, but he had to at least be sure the rest of the Guardians could stop her… Afterwards, he could send himself into self exile if necessary. But not a moment before. Jack refused to give into Pitch and Ember; he was a Guardian now. He couldn't just think about himself or his past mistakes, he had to think of the children. He had to protect the ones now; he was chosen for a reason, he had to believe that… which meant he had to get out of here.

Chapter 15: Jack hatches an insane escape plan while Pitch and Ember plan their last move without realizing the Sandman is back in the game. Will the Guardians see this through or will fire and dark truly win?

OOC: So I'm sure some of you will notice a contradiction in this chapter compared to the last (not saying what in case you didn't see it- no spoilers) but it is supposed to be like that. I did that on purpose, and you'll see why in another 2 or so chapters. Let me know what you think. There will be more Pitch in the coming chapters as he will now be working next to Ember instead of just sending her out to deal with the Guardians… So we're coming to the end of this story, hope you're still enjoying the ride. R&R