Ice Cubes

Summary: Four times Jack comforted the guardians and one time they comforted him.

Notes: My ideas this time :D Got this one while I was studying. Apparently my creative juices are flowing when I'm forcing myself not to write DX

Cold Comforts

Sanderson Mansnoozie

It was alarming, the fact there were quite a number of people who preferred sleeping to waking up.

Despite being the guardian of Dreams, Sanderson Mansnoozie never liked the fact that people slept more than their shared hours in a day. Even though people found dreams tempting, reality was there for a reason. You had to wake up and live through life to make these dreams come true.

Because that was what dreams were for. To be your motivation, to keep you going, to give you reason to live through everyday with a smile on your face, hope heavy in your heart.

But like how dreams can keep you living, nightmares can tear you apart and actually kill you.

Granted, Pitch was temporarily weak and they won't be seeing him any time soon, nightmares were still potent and needed in the world for a balance. But sometimes they would tip the scales and-

Sandy covered his worn-out face with tired hands.

He had come too late again.

He was kneeling down on a bedside of an unmoving child. The sandman let his hands drop, reaching out to take hold of smaller hands than his as he looked at the features of such a young human. His golden eyes were filled with tears, a few escaping to roll down his face as he apologized wordlessly, his mouth forming the words but not the words.

She had died in her sleep. Nightmares had eaten up her dreams, caused her heart to stop, and her soul to be taken to the afterlife.

He knew it wasn't his fault, all over the world people suffered from nightmares. Some strong enough to wake up on their own or lucky enough to have others watch them sleep, while others too weak that the fight for their life had barely lasted a few seconds.

But either way, Sandy had always done his best to rush towards any hints of strong nightmares. Sometimes he was lucky enough to apply his sand before things got too worse but other times, times like this, he would be too late.

He mourned them. Every little child and adult that died from sleep. Every person whose lives were stolen by dreams good or bad. He'd sprinkle a little sand on them when it's too late, even if it's just to ease the suffering by a little, to change their expression to a peaceful one.

Then he'd kneel by their bedsides in a silent vigil, because they at least deserved to have someone beside them as they go through this. And when everything is silent again, when breaths slow to a stop, and the twisting and struggling lessen until they completely stop- Sandy offers a small prayer as he cries.

And then he leaves to mourn by himself.

It's happened at least a thousand times now, but it doesn't make things easier on him, doesn't stop the throbbing of his heart as he watched people pass away from dreams he so cherished even if they were nightmare.

Sometimes the old wishing star would wish, as he sits by himself beside a lake hidden in a forest or in a pond far from human eyes, that Pitch was here again. Even though he was the Nightmare King, he was like Sandy in a way and he did not like it when people passed away from dreams or nightmares.

True, Pitch did not mourn them like Sandy did, but his obvious distaste towards the Nightmares that would kill and the way he would reign them in afterwards always made the guardian of Dreams feel better.

But now, Sandy was alone. He was mourning alone again.

"Hey, Sandy!" A voice disrupts his mourning and the Sandman blinks his teary eyes as he sees a white contrast against the dark night. He raised a hand in greeting a weak smile on his face.

Bright blue eyes dimmed at the unenthusiastic greeting, narrowing as Jack Frost gracefully landed in front of the other, eyebrows crinkling. "Something wrong?"

Sandy blinks and waves his hands in a way that mean, 'What do you mean?'

Jack sat himself beside the other, blue eyes looking at Sandy trying to drag the answer out of him. "You're not using your sand to communicate."

At those words, Sandy dropped his hands and nodded, his sand feebly forming his sorrow and despair and Jack stayed silent for several seconds.

"I take it, something happened?" The Frost spirit said and Sandy just nodded mutely, eyes training to look at the frozen lake. At the back of his mind he realized he was in Jack's lake, he had come to the nearest lake which was actually in Burgess.

"Okay." Jack said simply as he leaned against the other, the guardian of Dream's eyebrows rising in surprise. Usually Jack didn't initiate contact, still a bit wary and unused to it. "I'll keep you company."

Golden eyes widened, Sandy using his sand to ask, 'You're not going to ask me what happened?'

Jack smiled before pouting in mock hurt, "Hey I'm not that insensitive. You can tell me when you feel like it. I'm not going to force you."

A grateful feeling swelled in the guardian of Dream's heart as he smiled sadly, leaning back against Jack. The pain and hurt in his heart, though, still was not dispelled as he looked at the Man in the Moon, wondering if the little girl was okay now, wondering if her parents had found her yet, if they were already crying and calling relatives and hospitals even though it was too late-

Something yellow was shoved in Sandy's line of sight, the scent of something fragrant but not overpowering curled against his senses as he held out a hand and took the flowers Jack Frost gave him. He gave the other a look, blue eyes weren't looking at him. The teen was abashed but determined in a childlike manner.

"They're called Casablanca Lilies, they only bloom at night." Jack explained in a quiet voice. "I saw them growing nearby and their color sort of reminded me of you. It's a gift for all of your good work."

But I didn't save that girl. Sandy thought to himself sadly as he nodded his head in thanks. I didn't do such a good job tonight.

As though sensing his self-depreciating thoughts, Jack went on, "These flowers are like the light in the darkness in a way. They bloom in the dark and make people happy when they see them. They're fragrant, elegant, and delicate."

Sandy nodded. Jack sighed.

"But they don't always do a good job though." Sandy's head snapped up in surprise. The winter spirit smiled at him. "I mean, look, they didn't even cheer you up."

Sand opened his mouth to protest but Jack held up a pale hand, stopping him.

"Sandy, life is a complicated thing. Things always don't go the way we want them to. But that's what makes life precious, they're filled with troubles and challenges that makes them worth living, makes it worth fighting for." He said in a soft tone, looking at the moon. "People make mistakes, even immortals like us, and sometimes we're too late to do anything-"

Sandy's breath caught in his throat as he looked at blue eyes twinkling in understanding.

"-but that shouldn't get us down though. Rather, we should be more determined to do better next time. Do you know what I mean?" Jack said with a wide grin full of mischief but not unkind.

Sandy nodded numbly as he looked at the flowers.

"You can't save everyone…" Jack said his voice becoming a whisper. "Just like how those flowers can't always make someone happy."

Sandy's lips trembled as he nodded and before he knew it, his sands were already forming the story, telling a tale of hundreds- all dying from dreams, telling of how heartbreaking and frustrating it was that sometimes he would be too late to do anything-

Instead of being judgmental or disappointed, Jack looked at him with bright and kind blue eyes, nodding along as he patted the older guardian on the head.

By the time Sandy finally finished his story of sands, he was exhausted. Jack remained quiet, knowing how the sandman appreciated silence more than words in situations like this. The silence is comforting though and eventually, the sandman falls into a sense of relief and content.

But too soon, he already had to go.

Jack said nothing and only smiled and waved when Sandy explained that he had to get going. The silence wasn't the type where Jack was hurt by his sudden departure, rather it was one filled with understanding. And as Sandy climbed on top of clouds made of golden sand, his arms filled with yellow lilies, he turned and watched as Jack flew off into the night, shoulders hunched as though reminiscent.

And when he is nothing more than a dot in the cloudless sky, Sandy remembered that Jack is a being of snow and ice, the maker of blizzards and he wondered…

…How many times had Jack mourned the death of people who died because of his own creation?

A few weeks later, Sandy heard that the girl had finally been buried in her town's cemetery, her soul finally put to rest by her mourning parents. He takes a break from his rounds to go to the cemetery, stopping at a nearby flower garden to pick up lilies the color of the guardian of Fun's hair, before he flies towards her grave.

He floats to a stop however when he sees familiar looking flowers, lying gently in front of the head stone.

The sandman kneels, golden eyes wide as sun-colored Casablanca lilies covered at least a feet of the cement, dew drops glittering under the sun. On top of the flowers, delicately placed, was a small ice sculpture of the Sandman carrying flowers, a gentle smile on his face.

A small slip of paper was under the sculpture which Sandy takes with careful hands to unfold.

"Hold fast to dreams,
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird,
That cannot fly."

Sandy smiled a small smile as he bowed his head in respect to the little girl's grave.

To the dreamer that we will hold close to our heart and never ever forget. Were the words his golden sands formed as he prayed.

Toothiana

Jack knew from the light buzzing of the wings, to the soft droop of Tooth's feathers as she glanced around the remains of her palace, quarters scattered about, a few tooth boxes strewn in random places and the rotted image of the portrait by her sacred lake, that there was a lot of work to do time, time to be given to get everything back to normal again.

Time Tooth didn't have if she wanted to get the kids believing again.

"It is a lot of work." North commented. "But we will getting everything fixed as soon as we can. Yetis who are not busy will help and I'm sure Bunny will be happy to paint you new mural-"

"Bunny's too busy!" Tooth said with a soft shake of her head. Sandy and Bunny had departed towards the Warren immediately, after the confrontation with Pitch. They had to clean up the broken eggs from the tunnels and set up a last minute Easter Egg Hunt for the rest of the world who were still experiencing Easter Sunday. "And I know you have your own mess to clean up back at the North Pole, North. So thank you but the girls and I-" The tooh fairy looked around before sighing. "We'll handle this."

The old Cossack looked around hesitantly, watching a few fairies limp in the air as they flew while others moved the memory boxes back to their places. Jack pursed his lips as he watched the old Santa nod his head in resignation.

The old workshop was also a casualty of Pitch's attack. The bogeyman had managed to destroy one half of the production and North was going to have to get busy for at least a few weeks before he would be able to get his production level back up again.

"But when I am done, after Bunny's hibernation and Sandy's rounds, we will come and help you Tooth. You can count on that." The old Santa said with conviction as the guardian of Memories gave him a smile.

"Thank you, I'll hold the fort while you're gone." She assured as the old Santa turned with a determined expression, willing to finish the work on his quarters.

"Let us go, Jack." North said as he took out his snow globe and threw it at the floor, creating a portal to the workshop. The winter spirit nodded, before he flew towards Tooth and nodded at her politely.

"We promise we'll be back." He said with a small smile that made Tooth and her fairies' breath hitched.

"I know, thank you Jack." Tooth said when she regained herself and smiled back. "We're all going to do the rounds today, only the injured will remain in the palace with Baby Tooth. Drop by if you can."

Blue eyes lightened as Jack's smiled widened. "Yeah, see you Tooth!" He said as he flew back to North who waited patiently by the portal.

The tooth fairy waved as North waved before going through the portal with Jack.

When the two were gone, the guardian of memories sighed and Baby Tooth hovered neared her mother's face, chirping in worry. Tooth gave her a sad smile before she said, "Well, let's get to work then!" She said injecting determination in her voice.

"It's been fifteen hours, I think we deserve break." North puffed out a breath as he wiped sweat from his brow. All around, yetis and elves were collapsed in a heap, tired from fixing and removing toys, rebuilding walls, beams, and parts of the workshop all over again. Pitch had destroyed the left wing in his rage after that one believer refused to be put out- and they were only half done with the repairs.

The old Santa turned to look at Jack who was leaning against an unbroken pillar, blue eyes dim with his exhaustion as he controlled his own panting. The sprite had been the most helpful of all, being the only one to be able to fly as he carried light and heavy objects wherever the yetis directed him, refreezing some of the icebergs that have started to melt to give North's place a sturdier foundation, helping the elves not be get stomped on, passing around snacks, rebuilding or fixing some of North's ice sculpture, and even helping one of yeti repaint an entire army of robots from blue to red.

The elves ran about, carrying cookies and eggnogs, some went to Jack offering him a seat and shoes but the winter spirit just shooed at them with a smirk.

"Jack, you should lie down and rest. I'm sure you are tired from ordeal with Pitch." North called out to the young guardian who just smiled.

"Thanks, North I actually have somewhere to be right now. Hey, can I borrow some paint? I promise I'll come back in a moment to help out after your break." The guardian of Fun said with a wink.

The stunned Santa nodded but before he could say anything to the other, the guardian of Fun was already out of reach, flying to get his needed materials.

It takes Toothiana a longer time than she likes to come back to her palace. She had delivered over thousands of coins to the little girls and boys in the world. It was only in her thousand and fifty-sixth time that her fairies intervened and told her to go back. They all clumped together, making a detour arrow sign to their queen.

The fairy queen huffed in annoyance at that, but she knew they only did that because they cared. After all, it's been four hundred years since she was out of the nest.

Flying through the windows of her nest, Tooth let out a yawn as she thought of checking on the destruction on the palace first and then on the injured, so that she could estimate the number of days needed-

Oh.

Pressing delicate hands onto her mouth, Tooth gasped softly as she truly looked around for the first time since she came back.

The pillars of her palace were mixed with bronze, gold, and silver coins, shining as though they never deteriorated from the lack of belief in the first place. The flooring and the tall building looked sturdier than ever before which was really surprising because- could a short time outside with her fairies cause so much belief and made her palace grander than before?

No, something must've triggered the sudden upsurge.

Flying speedily towards her globe, her amethyst eyes widened at the millions of delicate little lights reflecting on her eyes. A sob tore itself through her throat as her small shoulders shook with the cries of happiness that tore from within her tired, worn heart.

She thought it would take years…

Thank goodness. She thought as she covered her face as sudden chirping made her look up. She let out a choked gasp once more when she realized that the fairies flying towards her were the injured ones-

Only, they weren't limping anymore. They were glowing healthily, smiling at her with bright little white teeth. Baby Tooth flew somewhere at the far back, smiling herself at her sisters' recovery.

"What happened-?" Tooth asked as she cupped her hands and let her fairies chirped and talked to her at the same time. "Who-Who did this-?"

But the chirps were overriding one another, and in the end, it was Baby Tooth who showed her the answer, pulling at her wrist lightly before flying off to the holy spring, found far below their quarters.

The guardian of Memories followed, her eyes shining with curiosity as she flew down with the rest of her fairies.

It was cold.

But not in an unpleasant way, it was cold in a relaxing manner. It was like someone with the power of ice and snow had come, mixing his magic with patience and gentleness through the atmosphere, icing the tree just enough so that they may grow healthily with the melting ice, dew drops on the leaves. The grass was frosted, but not unpleasantly so, not killing but rather enhancing the sight of the hidden path in the Tooth palace- the place where Tooth revealed to Jack his hidden memories.

But apparently it wasn't the ice on the trees or the frost on the grass that Baby Tooth wanted to show- although the fairy queen could already grasp the idea on who was there- the small fairy flew towards the stone wall, the one that used to show the painting of her and the children and the importance of teeth and memories before it rotted with the lack of belief-

"Wha-?" Tooth whispered, her eyes watering as she flew closer for an inspection. "Jack- Jack did this?" Her voice trembled as the tears fell from her eyes as she laughed and wiped at them. "He came and did all of this?"

Baby Tooth chirped in affirmation as the guardian of memories placed her hands on the stone. In front of her was the old painting that was the center piece of the holy grounds. Only now, if it was possible, the painting was more exquisite, the details and the newly embossed paint enhanced the image. It still had the traditional style of painting but more realistic in a way.

And on the very bottom of that painting on top of a small rock, barely noticeable in the color-filled surroundings, was a delicate ice sculpture of a mini tooth fairy, her small hands clasped on a tooth as she smiled.

Tooth flew over and grabbed the small gift, a piece of parchment nearly flitting away before she managed to catch it.

Feel better soon. We'll make them all believe again, I swear.

It was written with left over blue paint and all Tooth could do was laugh as she flew to the grass and sank onto her knees, the same way she did, not-so long ago when she realized the children didn't believe anymore. Only now, she was weak on the knees at the overwhelming happiness that coursed through her as she hugged the sculpture to her heart.

Meanwhile…

Somewhere in Burgess, on a branch of a tree near one of his believer's houses, Jack Frost had his hood up, sleeping with a smile on his face as the sun came up, its light shining on the frosted window panes of every house.

Four figures of frost were delicately patterned in each glass- the guardians created by a frosted breath by a winter being with a warm and loving heart.

Believe.

Important Notes: The Casablanca Lily is a very expensive and fragrant flower used in perfumes and weddings. It is a part of Lilium Genus which has more than 110 species. The flower has 6 petals and the colors vary from white, yellow, orange and purple to pink. If all types are planted, the garden will look like a splash of colors from the color palette of a painter. The flower is elegant, delicate and has an excellent fragrance.

"Hold fast to dreams,
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird,
That cannot fly."
― Langston Hughes

Author's notes: Finally got this out of my system! I can't believe it's been so long! The next chapter will be brought to you sooner as an apology for not updating frequently! I was supposed to go to school today but I had to finish this up because you know- it's the least I can do at least!

Sandy's part was inspired by bangungot (which is usually the onset of a stroke or heart attack during sleep. One cause is sleep apnea. It is a serious disorder that causes your breathing to stop repeatedly while you sleep. These breathing pauses or "apneas" usually last 10 to 30 seconds and can happen many times throughout the night) a term for nightmares in my country, It's simply when people sleep, have a nightmare, and don't wake up anymore. There have been a few reports of it in our news a long time ago.

So, why have I only updated now? Well. COLLEGE. Curse it. And ACCOUNTANCY DAYS (it's a celebration for my course- why yes! I'm a business student XD) where I was chosen as one of the people who would run around trying to make sure the event was a success and people don't duck out (aka officers) and EXAMS and QUIZZES and PROJECTS.

You know. The usual LIFE.

So anyway, I apologize again! SORRY! SORRY! I'll update as soon as I can! And thanks for the wonderful reviews, like, and favorites! DX

PART TWO coming to you soon!

Also, sorry for any spelling or grammar mistakes, or missing words. I was in a hurry again O. O