Guardians for a Family Chapter 28

I do not own Rise of the Guardians or any of its characters or The Guardians of Childhood or any of its characters.

HEY GUYS! Sorry it's been so long since my last update, I hope you enjoy the latest chapter!

A Funny Feeling

Jack laid sleepily in his cradle as his magical mobile hovered above him. In his hands was his favorite stuffed kangaroo toy. Both mother and baby were tasked with comforting him from the night's terrors. At least, that's what North had assured him when he first gifted the toy to him. And even now, the Cossack would reassure him of that fact time and time again.

Even though he was still so young, Jack understood the importance of comforts. It took him some time to realize what that meant and what it looked like, but his family instilled that knowledge into him through their actions. Whenever he cried, they were always quick to provide security to him. They would hold him, coo at him and caress his hair whenever he needed to be reminded that someone was there for him.

And they weren't the only ones who did so. There had been that one lady… the one from so long ago. Jack could only remember little details about her such as she had brown colored hair and warm brown eyes… and her tears. He especially recalled the tears. He remembered them hitting his face as she took him into her loving arms for the first time.

She had cried a lot… and she made sounds that sounded a lot like his own when he cried. And that had made him sad, but then as soon as they began, they ended. That was only because she had been forced to leave him alone, he recalled being surrounded by the cold as it threatened to overtake him.

He had been alone.

He didn't remember that at first, but as time passed the moments started to come back to him. And he found himself remembering that.

Even though it had only been for a little while, those minutes had left their impact on him. As time passed, Jack found himself fearing being alone. He found that to be strange since before he hadn't really minded that. But lately he didn't like it when his caretakers left him to his own devices.

He found himself yearning for company… because lately he found himself feeling more and more scared. And the worst part was that he didn't know why.

There was a tension in the air, something dark that Jack just couldn't see but he could feel. And needless to say that it scared him to no end. Which is why he appreciated the toy he currently held in his arms, and North's presence. The Guardian of Wonder slept in a bed right in front of his cradle. The Cossack's snoring could be heard as he laid on his back, content with the day's work he had put in. While the noise might bother some people, they didn't bother Jack. Because they symbolized that someone was there with him.

He was staying at North's for the time being, the New Year would soon be approaching and the Guardians wanted Jack with them for that time. They decided that moments like that would be spent together, just them and Jack. While they appreciated the other spirits' interest in the young Guardian, occasions such as that would belong to them.

Besides, Jack's birthday was in the same month as the New Year, so the spirits would see the child soon.

Thankfully, they didn't mind the arrangements. They all knew that despite being one of them, Jack's primary and first caretakers would always be the Guardians. They had been there from day one for the little boy, they were his first family outside of the human realm.

Either way, Jack was just happy to have someone there with him. He cuddled his toy as he paid attention to the wandering mobile above him. He watched as the shapes danced and turned, lulling him into a sense of security and comfort. The little Guardian felt his eyes grow heavier and heavier as the shapes kept dancing to their silent lullaby. Jack could've sworn that he heard the familiar sounds of his favorite music box as he finally closed his eyes.

Jack was surrounded by darkness, nothing but black as far as the eye could see. He stood in the center of it all, or what he thought was the center. Honestly, it was hard to tell when every single angle looked the same. The future Guardian found it strange that he was here. Hadn't he just been at North's workshop? Hadn't he been in his cradle?

This didn't make any sense. But then he recalled an important teaching the Sandman had passed down to him. He wasn't called the Guardian of Dreams for nothing. The golden Guardian was tasked with providing pleasures of another world, the dream world to be precise. A talent that required the gifted to be asleep in order to experience.

Sandy had shown him his power time and time again, often when it was Jack's nap times and bed time. Needless to say Jack had many pleasant memories of his dreams. They were often of the Guardians and the other spirits he had come to know. He also dreamed of sweets, toys and winter. Overall, they were good ones.

But this didn't feel like one of those. This felt… cold.

Which was ironic considering that he never had a problem with the cold. He had embraced the winter season with open arms and always looked forward to interacting with the snowy scenery. However, this time felt like a different type of cold. One that he could feel stabbing him, and yet there were no signs of any injuries on his person.

Out of simple curiosity, he chose to take several steps forward. He turned his head in every direction, hoping to find some sort of normality or familiarity. He walked and he walked, but the room didn't seem to move. He felt like he was getting nowhere.

Each second that passed felt like an eternity as he walked, until he finally just decided to quit. He looked around some more, but nothing had changed. The little boy whimpered at the realization that he really was all alone.

He fell to the ground and hugged himself tightly as tears began to poor down his face. Small whimpers and sobs echoed all around him, only adding to the fear he felt at the moment. He felt so tiny… so afraid… so sad… so alone. He didn't like these feelings… they made him feel funny.

He wanted North… he wanted Bunnymund… he wanted Tooth… he wanted Sandy.

More tears escaped his winter blue eyes as he refused to look around him anymore. It was quite clear to him that there was no one there to comfort him. The cold seemed to embrace him in a threatening manner since he shivered and trembled. He rubbed his eyes and let out more sobs of anguish, getting louder and louder by each minute… a fragile attempt to get someone's attention.

After a few more minutes and more crying, Jack didn't expect anything to change.

That is until he heard it. It started off low, and then grew more prominent. The distinct sound of laughter.

He lifted his head and let out a small gasp. Standing before him was a white covered figure. It had no features of any kind, nothing that would make him think it was a person. However, he could tell that it was a male since his outline looked more masculine than feminine. Overall, it was just a white shape, a trait that made him stand out from the dark scenery.

Jack let out another gasp as the figure kneeled down to his height. He was greeted by the sight of a blank face, this scared the young boy as he fell backwards on the ground. But that didn't seem to deter the figure as he leaned forward, Jack seemed to have lost his voice as the only thing he could do was silently cry.

He closed his eyes and waited for whatever the figure's intent was. But much to his surprise, delicate fingers traced his face almost like a caress. With that sudden action, Jack allowed himself to open his eyes. The figure's fingers continued to trace his face, right up to his eyes. That was when the fingers started to wipe away the tears that stained Jack's soft cheeks. He repeated the same action on the opposite side of Jack's face.

The young boy just sat there, surprised. Whoever this person was, it didn't feel as scary as before. Instead, it felt welcoming... and almost familiar to an extent. But before he could say anything, the figure stood back up and turned away from him. Then he started to walk away, not paying him any mind.

That was when Jack started to get afraid again. The only semblance of normality was going away and he couldn't bare the idea of being alone again. And so, he stood back up and started to follow the figure, hoping that doing so would help him escape this dark prison. Even if it didn't, it would still be better than being alone.

The figure didn't seem to mind Jack following him, he just kept looking straight ahead. And Jack was right on his tail. After minutes of what seemed like endless walking, the figure came to a stop, causing Jack to stop as well.

He stared at the figure, waiting for something to happen. But instead of speaking, he simply turned to face him with the same blankness as before. However, much to Jack's surprise a black line slowly spread across the figure's face, mimicking a smile. And the smile seemed to be directed towards him. But Jack didn't find himself afraid, instead it felt a little relieved to see some form of emotion from the strange being.

That's when the laughter Jack had heard earlier had returned, and the figure seemed to be the source of that laughter. That's when the figure moved his hands around, his movements mimicking the wind. And before Jack's eyes, familiar symbols started to appear before him.

Shapes of snowflakes danced all around them as ice particles and wind mixed together to form a gust. Jack's eyes widen over how marvelous the scene was, it was all so familiar. There was nothing more Jack loved than to see the winter element in action. He took such great comfort in it all, almost as if it was his calling.

And to an extent it was. He was a winter spirit, someone that embodied it much like the other elementals do. Soon one day, he would be able to wield such power too. But Jack didn't really understand what that meant, it was something he would just have to wait and see it for himself.

That's when he came to the realization that this figure must be a winter elemental of some sort. And with that, he smiled and started to laugh. The figure seem to share his sentiment as he continued to create more and more works of art. North would be proud it he could see all of this, so would Bunny. The two of them were capable of admiring the handcrafted work of another.

Jack mimicked the being's movements, despite knowing that nothing would happen and he continued to laugh as the snow danced all around him. The two seemed to be enjoying the other's company, and it was almost enough to make Jack believe that everything was okay. Perhaps this dream was one of Sandy's works after all.

But that was when everything changed.

Suddenly the figure's smile shifted into a frown. And the fun stopped.

The small boy shared the figure's expression as fear once again overwhelmed his spirit. Had he done something wrong? Was the figure upset with him? Now he felt bad, and that funny feeling returned once again.

The figure staggered backward and suddenly the wonderful creations he had made started to transform. They became rigid and distorted, their beautiful white colors faded into the darkest blacks, the same color as the background. And that's not all, they weren't even winter shapes anymore, instead they looked like the material nightmares came from. The most hideous of designs were now scattered all around them, their white eyes pierced through his very soul. And he wasn't the only one they directed their attention to, the being seemed just as frightened as Jack.

That's when the nightmares became more distorted and lunged toward Jack's new friend. The little boy watched in horror as they consumed the figure. And to make matters worse, and even more terrifying, were the sounds of his cries. They sounded so familiar, they seemed to match two people. His and the lady from before.

The cries became screams of terror and Jack couldn't help but tremble at the scene before him. Once again his eyes were filled with tears as his friend's radiant light vanished into the darkness, leaving no trace of him behind. The young Guardian could feel his heart break with sorrow over such a horrific act.

Why had this happened? What had the beautiful being done to warrant such wrath? He was innocent!

But a terrible realization struck Jack once he saw that the white eyes were now focused on him! He was at the center of attention! His body shook as the tears continued to trail down his face. No one was there with him now. Nothing but darkness, and it was coming to get him!

He was alone.

All alone.

Alone.

Jack let that sink in as he fell to the floor, that simple movement was enough to cause the nightmare creatures to react! They jumped him and his lungs let out the most powerful of screams!

North was awaken to the sound of the loudest scream he had ever heard in his entire life. He jumped out of his bed, knocking over his sheets and a night stand in doing so. He let out a small groan as he rubbed his eyes to see what was causing such a ruckus at this hour.

And much to his horror, he saw that the cause was none other than Jack. The poor boy was kicking around and flailing his body like a fish searching for air. His screams and cries tore the Guardian of Wonder's heart into pieces. They sounded painful.

Nothing else needed to be said as the Cossack immediately reacted. He sprint towards Jack's cradle and quickly took the crying boy into his arms. However, the sudden movement didn't seem to be enough as the boy kept flailing and screaming. If anything it seemed to cause him to panic even more. He thrashed around in North's grip, all the while North tried to keep him from falling.

The Guardian of Wonder did his best to bring the boy back to reality.

"Jack!" North cried. "Jack! Jack!"

Much to his disappointment, that didn't work either. But he refused to give up. He caressed the child's snowy white hair and gently rubbed his back as he placed Jack on his shoulder. He started to pace back and forth with the boy in his hands. All the while, he whispered sweet and comforting words.

"There, there Jack," he said. "There, there. It okay, it okay."

North continued his ministrations, hoping to reach the young boy. As a fellow winter spirit, he naturally had a bond with the child. It's what separated them from the other Guardians, even if they all shared the same purpose. North prayed that their bond would be enough to sooth jack. The poor boy was literally crying in his slumber, and that was never a healthy thing for one so little as him.

"Jack, please calm down small one. Everything okay, you're here with your favorite Santa Claus."

That's when North decided to stop his pacing and take a sit on his bed, he ignored the mess he had made and kept his focus on Jack. And speaking of the boy, he carefully rearranged him so that he was cradled into his arms, his body cuddled close to his. He then began to rock the small winter spirit back and forth, in a calming manner he was sure a parent would do for their child.

North didn't know what the cause for Jack's crying episode was, but it most likely stemmed from his dreams. After all, the future Guardian had been sleeping peacefully until now. But North found this to be strange, Jack rarely woke up from his slumber. Normally Sandy would send some dreamsand their way and allow Jack to enter into a deep sleep. It didn't happen all the time, but enough to where Jack could get a goodnight's rest. Plus, Jack rarely had nightmares in general.

But this was the first time he reacted to a nightmare in such a way. It was honestly terrifying to witness.

"Everything alright little snowflake," North whispered. "You are safe here with good ol' North. As long as I here, nothing will ever hurt you. All Guardians feel same way."

By some miracle, that seemed to calm Jack down as his ear piercing sobs slowly turned into sniffles. But he still hadn't opened his eyes yet.

"That's it Jack, listen to voice... it will guide you back home. Right where you belong, with Guardians and spirits, you belong here Jack," he said. "And we will always be here, just like how we will always respond to your call."

Jack's sniffles softened and his eyes became to flutter open. North smiled as he began to wipe away the tear stains and mucus using his shirt, he didn't pay any attention to the mess it left behind. There were far more important matters at hand.

"Come back to us little snowflake, come back home."

Finally, Jack's eyes opened and he was more than happy with the sight he saw. Before him sat North, the Guardian of Wonder and one of his first caretakers. Immediately, Jack started to cry once again, only this time they were much softer and they weren't out of sadness. Rather, they were tears of joy and relief. He was happy to be back and to see someone, who he knew, would never leave him alone.

"Dadda North!" Jack cried as he reached for him.

North immediately understood what Jack was trying to do and he brought the child closer to him. The young boy grabbed onto North's neck, his arms barely wrapping around the area. Despite being so small, Jack's embrace was very strong at the moment. Fear could do that a person, North knew from personal experience. Whatever the case, he accepted the child's embrace and returned it.

"Dadda North!" Jack cried again. "Dadda North!"

"I'm here little snowflake, I'm right here," North cooed. "And I not going anywhere."

Those seemed to be the right words as the child slowly relaxed into his hold. North was glad he finally reached the young boy, he hated seeing him in such distress. But there were still so many questions that needed to be answered. He only hoped that Jack could explain it.

"Can my little snowflake tell Dadda North what wrong?" he asked.

Jack's sniffled, his body racked with hiccups as he leaned closer into North's embrace. He wanted to forget what he saw, but he just couldn't. He never wanted to experience that ever again. But still, he tried his best to say what he saw and experienced.

"Dark…" he sobbed. "Dark… lonely… Jack lonely… Jack scared… monsters hurt Jack friend."

That caught North's attention. A friend?

"Jack's friend?" he asked. "Who?"

But Jack couldn't really describe that part of his dream, but he knew for a fact that the being was a friend. The figure made out of light, the very same one who created such beautiful works of winter. It was everything he wanted to do… that he would someday be. Which is why he felt so connected to the strange being.

"Friend," he insisted. "Jack friend… dark hurt Jack friend… they hurt Jack too."

The Cossack felt his heart break at the sad tone of Jack's voice. The child sounded so hurt, and that hurt North. But, there was something that worried him too. The dark. There was only one being that word would ever be associated with. Be he needed to be sure about this.

"And the dark hurt friend Jack?" he questioned.

Jack nodded his head, avoiding North's gaze as he did so.

"Dark turn monsters… monsters hurt Jack friend… they want Jack too."

AT that North's grip on him tightened a little. North never wanted to experience, or even think, of such a thing. It would be too much for him, and for everyone else. Losing Jack would be like losing a piece of their hearts and lives.

"Oh don't you worry little snowflake," he stated. "Guardians would never allow that, we protect you. Never forget."

Jack seemed to calm down a little as he just nuzzled his head into North's neck, his beard tickling his face a little. So much so that he even let out a small yet tired giggle. Despite the situation, North couldn't help but smile at Jack and he laughed a little himself. The Guardian of Wonder patted the boy's back, he continued to rock the child until he was sure that he was calm.

"Try to rest Jack, you need sleep to grow big and strong."

The boy seemed to understand as he leaned into North's presence. The young boy soothed himself by suckling on his fingers, all the while North continued to rub his back and give his hair an occasional caress. Despite the relief of seeing Jack calm now, North couldn't help but be a little worried. It wasn't an everyday occurrence for Jack to experience nightmares of this magnitude.

And then there's what Jack had just described.

Darkness… monsters… Jack. Those three words should never be combined, especially when they could only mean one thing. North scanned the area of his room, and he could see nothing out of the ordinary other than the mess he made earlier. If Pitch did manage to somehow sneak into here, he would've made his presence known already.

No, North knew better than that. The rumors about the Boogeyman had only been increasing lately. The spirits and him had done everything in their power to shield Jack Frost from such rumors. They didn't want the boy to grow up too quickly, they wanted him to grow up like a normal child. And that meant, not worrying about adult matters… not yet anyway. But now it seems that Pitch had found a way to sneak into his sturdy walls.

North scanned the area again, but found nothing. He wasn't sure how Pitch did it but he knew that he had to be the culprit. And it angered North to know that he couldn't protect Jack when it came to dreams. That was Sandy's domain… and Pitch's. The Guardian of Wonder knew right then that he had to do something about that. He would have to bring this up to the other Guardians, and possibly come up with a solution. He refused to play Pitch's game, and he refused to have Jack become his pawn.

For now, North continued to do the only thing he could… he comforted him.

But despite that comforting, Jack couldn't get rid of the funny feeling swelling in his body.

And little did they know, it was because they were currently being watched at the moment. A pair of golden eyes emerged from the shadows outside of the workshop. And he wasn't alone either. Small gnat like fearlings that buzzed around in his palm. An evil smirk spread across his face over what he had just accomplished.

"Beware young Guardian, I only gave you a small dose of fear… there will be more to come," he promised. "And that time will be sooner than you think."

With that, he disappeared. And with him, the funny feeling.

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