North smiled knowingly at Bunny, Tooth, and Sandy. Walking onto the ice, North in the lead and the others on either side and behind him, they made their way to where Jack stood looking at the moon.

"Are you ready Jack?" North asked, causing the winter spirit to turn and face them. "To make it official?"

As Jack's mischievous smile returned, North took it as a yes. Phil the yeti, who always kept Jack out of North's workshop, gave North a large leather bound book with an intricately scripted capital G on the cover.

"Then it's time you take oath." The Guardian of wonder thumbed his way through to the page he wanted. "Do you, Jack Frost, promise to watch over the children of the world? To protect their hopes and dreams, for they are all that we have, all that we are, and all that we ever shall be."

While North read, everyone had joined them on the ice. Looking over his shoulder Jack saw Jamie and Shanook standing next to each other. Both gave a smile and nodded in encouragement. Turning back the winter spirit said, "I will!"

"Then congratulations, Jack Frost. For you are now and forever more a Guardian!" Everyone cheered.

North lifted Jack by the shoulders, shouted "Kristoff!", and planted a kiss on both of his cheeks.

Tooth's fairies formed a heart in the air. "Keep it together girls." Tooth playfully scolded. Unable to hold back anymore, a fairy fainted in adoration.

Bunny gave him a manly pat on the back while Sandy shot him two big thumbs up.

The wind came in and swirled around him, it carried with it the echoes of a howl. Jack could hear all of the pack's voices singing him a message. "Congratulations Jack Frost! Shepherd of winter, Guardian of fun, and honored member of the wolf spirit pack. We knew you could do it."

"How did they know?" he wondered aloud. The wind played with his hair, "You carried everything strait to their ears. Like you did with my howl in Antarctica, thanks wind!" With a playful nudge of welcome the wind brought another sound to his attention, bells.

"Look!" Jamie said as North's reindeer, magically re-harnessed, brought the sleigh in for a landing. While the kids all admired it Bunny whispered, "Everyone loves the sleigh." Chuckling North and the others walked over to join them.

Jack hung back taking everything in. For the first time Jack had the chance to really realize all that had happened. He'd befriended and saved old enemies, helped restore the Guardians to their strength, fought against the Boogieman's armies and Pitch himself, became the official Guardian of fun, now had seven believers, and a domain of his own. Jack closed his eyes and leaned against his staff, "A domain!" He thought. "I actually calmed a domain, a place I call my own. Just like the pack's den or any of the Guardians homes, a place I'm sworn to protect…. Wait…but that…that…means!"

Jack's mind took in the implications of what his new status meant. Having a place to protect meant he couldn't live and travel with the wolfs anymore. Sure he could visit but…. The thought of not always having a warm cuddle, loving lick, or comforting paw close at hand brought a hollow feeling to his heart. No more playing with the pups or singing with everyone at night. No more hunts or riding the wind with Shanook at his side. Shanook! He'd miss them all, but losing his close bond with his brother was almost too much.

Kozmotis stood a ways back and watched as everyone socialized. He felt it best to let everyone celebrate together before he walked in. Most everyone was admiring the sleigh, which North was proudly showing off along with the reindeer. Sandy was with the boy with glasses, Monty, and both were rapidly signing back and forth. Bunny had found Sophie "playing" with the elves and, with some colorful egglets, lured her away. Now the two were chasing eggs around the pond.

Everything was going well, or so he thought. Though he was trapped, Kozmotis was able to feel what Pitch felt during his time as the Fearlings puppet. He knew what it felt like to sense fear from another, and he now felt something very similar. The fear was off, mixed with something else. At first he was going to it until he felt who it was coming from. The strange mix came off the winter spirit Jack Frost.

But he felt the "something" that was mixed in the fear, by itself, coming from the group near the sleigh. Maybe it was the fact that the mix had fear, which he was familiar with, or maybe it was because Jack was on his own, but Kozmotis walked over to the boy. "What's wrong?" he asked kindly.

Jack looked like he was trying to collect himself before he turned to face Kozmotis. "Nothing! Why would anything be wrong?"

"You're by yourself."

"So were you. Dose something have to be wrong to want some space?"

"No!"

"Then there's nothing wrong, like I said." Jack's tone while humorous seemed forced or strained as if he was forcing a smile into his voice.

"You're talking to someone who use to feed on fear jack. I felt it coming from you." The, newly reinstated, general continued.

His posture and smile deflated, Jack sleigh. "Your right."

"I may not know you to well, but if there's one thing I do know its fear. If you want to talk…." Kozmotis let the offer hang. For a while they watched the three groups silently, together.

Then Jack started to talk. "It just hit me, I have a domain now. A place I am bound to protect. It's not that I don't want to do so. I already, kind of, did that before all this started. But now I can't stay with the wolfs." A tear rolled down his cheek. "I know there territory includes my domain but, they have to travel all over, they can't stay with me here. I'm…going to have to leave them."

Now it made sense, the "something" mixed in the fear was sadness. Specifically the sadness of losing a close family bond, when one had to leave. Kozmotis looked over at the sleigh group again. He stretched his senses, picking out each individual till he confirmed his suspicions. Only then did he speak. "I know what it's like to lose your family. Mine were killed by the Fearlings and its struck with me. You however will be able to still see yours, and now you have an even bigger one."

He gave Jack several moments to let that sink in. "And." He continued. "You now have a whole town of people who you protect. With the seven over there you should soon have plenty of believers to help you spread your own story. You're no longer alone."

"I know." Jack smiled then became somber again. "But the kids have to go home at night, which leaves me by myself. I know…I'm being selfish but…I can't help it. I don't like being alone, especially at night." He didn't have to explain why, Kozmotis remembered Magmas' and Bloom's anger and jealousy, the night they were taken, both aimed at Jack. The story fell together pretty quickly after that.

"Sure I would spend a few days away but I could always return on the drop of a hat and most of the time I was with them." Jack continued.

"Do you have to be alone?"

"I don't…."

Kozmotis raised his voice so he could be over heard. "Others live in the Guardians domains." He said it matter of fatally, all heads turned towards them. Jack took in not only the Guardians but there allies.

With a knowing smile North picked up on Kozmotis' train of thought. "Of course! Yetis and elves live at Pole"

"My fairies all live at Tooth Palace." Tooth continued.

"I've got my stone golems and my googies!" Bunny, pausing in his game with Sophie, said.

Sandy pointed at the many dream sand creatures that still mulled about.

"So what's stopping you from having others to help you and keep you company?" Kozmotis concluded.

Jack felt better but not all the way. "Who would want to stay with me? I'm a winter spirit; my domain is a town full of people not hidden away in an isolated area. Not really a prime location or set of circumstances most spirits would jump at."

"Maybe not most! But I know of at least one!" Kozmotis looked back over at the group by the sleigh.

North was back at his boasting and had the full attention of everyone there. But one member stood out and this time Jack followed his initial urge and face palmed.