DISCLAIMER: Dreamworks, William Joyce, and Guillermo Del Toro own Rise of the Guardians, The Guardians of Childhood, Trollhunters, 3Below, and Wizards respectively. Any references to Tangled and Frozen are also owned only by Disney. I do not own the characters, settings, or themes involved save for one original character, but the lore and background behind that character does not belong to me either. This story was written solely for the purposes of recreational reading and writing purposes only. No profit is being made from this story.

REPEAT: I DO NOT OWN RISE OF THE GUARDIANS, TROLLHUNTERS, 3BELOW, OR WIZARDS, TANGLED, OR FROZEN. NO PROFIT IS BEING MADE FROM THIS STORY.

"Good mooorning, Arcadia Oaks! You're listenin' to TOA 122.3, playin' the hottest hits out there today! We've got some new songs coming up to start your morning, and..."

He had vaguely tuned out the radio broadcast, a little girl's voice starting to hum along to the next chart-topping hit the station was going to play as the car was pulling up to the school now, giving him an actual look at it since he'd heard about it weeks prior.

It looked like something out of a 70's-based concept art, boxy, but bright in large part due to the glass reflecting from the large building on the right, which he assumed was the gym, and the other one to its left, which was small but wide enough to be a cafeteria. Even so, the red and white paint job, even the sign displaying the name of the school, didn't deceive him to the fact that Arcadia Oaks High was just another high school with a similar layout to other high schools in California.

"We're here, Jamie," an older woman's voice announced, turning his attention away from the school back to the driver beside him.

Glancing to the driver's seat, the young boy, Jamie, could see the driver, dressed in her blue blazer and slacks, her brown hair the same color as his own tied back into a ponytail, looking right at him with bright green eyes behind her spectacles. The look she was giving him was a encouraging one, but unbeknownst to him at that time, it was one hiding underlying concern and worry. One whose focus was elsewhere and distant.

"You ready?" she asked, smiling despite whatever she was feeling.

Jamie returned the smile, one that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Yep." He twisted his head to look over his shoulder, reaching out to the little six-year-old sitting in the back to ruffle her hair as she was about to sing the next chorus to the song playing on the radio. "Have a good day, yeah?"

His little sister shook her head to get his hand off, giggling as she tried and failed to give him her best pout.

His mom returned a similar gesture, leaning over to him the same time he did, both briefly pecking each other on the cheek. "You have a good day, too, mister. It's your first day of school."

"I know," he assured, stepping out of the sedan as he tugged his backpack with him. "I will. Be safe at work."

Jamie's mother rolled the window down, smiling one last time as she cried, "I'll be here to pick you up after school!" With that, she waved at her son one last time before she safely drove off, paying heed to the rules of the road as more cars started to stop by the school's front yard.

Jamie kept his smile up as he waved at them, keeping his eyes on the departing vehicle until it finally turned a corner and left his sight. It was then that the teen let the anxiety and trepidation take some semblance of expression on his face, looking at his new school with unease, internally realizing how intimidating it looked now that he was standing before it fully.

It would have been one thing because this was high school. But this wasn't just any high school. It was a high school from a town he wasn't from. A kid from Burgess, Virginia now found himself among the high school class in Arcadia Oaks, California. That was a twofer in that it was a new school, and he was the new kid.

Taking in a deep breath, fourteen-year-old Jamieson Bennett - 'Jamie,' to his friends - began trudging along, letting an exhale of breath as his eyes fell on his black jeans and red sneakers, before glancing back up to face the new day head on.

As he walked through the entrance corridor, Jamie spotted his reflection on the glass of two handle-less doors. Looking back at him was a mirror image of him with the same brown short-length hair and brown eyes that belonged to his father, the BRB Brand jacket he was wearing over his white t-shirt, the sleeves rolled up before his elbows, hands on the pockets of said jacket. The brand was called BRB, but often he would joke with himself that it was called that because the jacket was colored from the shoulders a dark shade of blue, cut off by a line of red in the middle, and the rest of it was a lighter shade of blue. Similar to that winter jacket he'd worn all those years ago, back when...

The jacket was kind of loose, he realized, prompting Jamie to readjust it before going back to what he was doing.

In short order, he managed to walk around the school, memorizing what he could of the layout. The oldest Bennett boy was also making extra sure to know where his classes would be, coming up with multiple paths and scenarios he was going to use to get to them. After all, there was only 6 minutes between classes, barring lunch. Jamie was able to do all of that, but saved finding his first class of the day, Geometry, for last in favor of finding his own locker.

It was when he wrote down the locker number, mentally familiarizing himself with its position and any other landmarks, that the first bell to get to class rang throughout the campus, causing his eyes to go wide with surprise and dread. Yanking his smartphone out of his pocket, Bennett's face turned pale upon noticing that there were six minutes left until class started.

However, any reaction to this on his part, be it verbal or physical, was cut off as another voice right next to him cheered out, "Told you we'd make it in time, Tobes!"

Yanking the locker next to him open, Jamie watched as another boy around his age proceeded to shove the locker next to him open. He had blue eyes and short dark hair almost the same length as his own. With a slim build, he wore a blue zip-up jacket, the sleeves also rolled up to his elbows, with a white shirt underneath like his own. Unlike Jamie, however, this boy had a pair of blue jeans, and a pair of blue and white sneakers.

As he practically threw some books, journals, and supplies into the locker, another boy, shorter and more chubbier, hustled right next to him, out of breath, shakily reaching out open his own locker as his green eyes found it, his other hand resting his on his left knee. He had ginger hair with a hairstyle that had his bangs swept to the side, the ends of his hair curling in the end. It honestly looked like something out of the 70's, which explained the rest of his attire, consisting of a red diamond-patterned sweater vest over a yellow and orange button-up shirt, the brown pants, and white pair of shoes being the closest thing that could be considered 'modern' about the outfit.

Wheezing, allowing Jamie to glance the braces on the other lad's teeth, 'Tobes' whimpered, "Yeah... But maybe... Maybe next time we can just go through the... the canal when we're really late, Jimbo?"

'Jimbo' merely laughed it off. "C'mon, Toby, where's your sense of adventure? Besides, we made it in time, right?"

"Yeah. In time for the Geo teacher to chew us to pieces for being in late on the first day! Only thing we don't know if it's gonna be in rectangles, or squares, Jim!"

"Yeah, you're right," the other boy, Jim, agreed. "Let's hurry up. Class is this way, if I remember Orientation right!"

It was true, there had been an event prior to the new school year for freshmen to familiarize themselves with Arcadia Oaks High. Unfortunately, Jamie and his family had been unable to attend due to... personal problems. Hence why he was trying to quickly get the lay of the land right before classes started.

Still, if those guys' comments about 'Geo' and shape puns were anything to go by...

"H-hey, Geo? As in Geometry?! Hey, can you wait for me?!" he cried, running after them as they had already sped off.

Fortunately, the Geometry class they were running to beat the bell for was indeed the same one that was the first period in Jamie's class schedule. Mostly just finding someplace to sit down, the rest of the session was just the teacher introducing themselves, as well as going over the syllabus for the class' curriculum.

This went on for the rest of the school day, all of the teachers introducing their course, and going over a rough outline of what subjects they would be going over for each quarter. Jamie vaguely paid attention to most of those explanations, simply trying to survive the day and get home in short order.

Bennett did, however, keep a close eye on most of his classmates, however, wondering who, if any, were going to be sharing classes with him. And sure enough, there were several, including those two kids from this morning, Jimbo and Tobes.

Another one that had caught his attention, albeit he mostly kept this to himself, was a girl who happened to have all his classes. She was an Asian-American teenage girl, and was very pretty, with long black hair, and pink eyeshadow over eyelids. She was wearing a striped blue shirt, and had a pair of khakis and black flats.

Other than them, though, he didn't bother to pay attention to the other students in his class, figuring he'd get to know them as the year went on.

Jamie was secretly glad that they weren't really doing any assignments for the first day. In truth, he was eager to get home as soon as possible.

That where he felt he was more needed, after all.

"So nothing really happened, then?" his mom asked as they walked in through the door, Sophie, his little sister, dashing through with her arms wide, her blonde pigtails trailing behind her in her school uniform.

"Just introductions, and all that. Just like in middle school," Jamie answered, hefting his bag over his right shoulder, taking an extra second to wipe the soles of his shoes on the welcome mat before walking in. "Nothing too exciting."

"Any new friends?"

"Nah. C'mon, Mom, it's the first day," he shrugged off.

"A lot of kids make friends on the first day. Just ask Sophie."

"I would if she could sit still for a second," he snarked.

"Hey, Jam-Jam!" a new older voice called from the kitchen, garnering his and his mother's attention.

Looking up, the teenage boy grinned as he spotted a grinning, elderly dark-skinned man with grey hair, his graying bushy eyebrows high, and brown eyes alight with joy as he wore an apron over his dark grey shirt with light grey stripes and black trousers.

"Pop-Pop!" Jamie greeted with a genuine smile, rushing over to hug his Grandpa Phil Rockefeller, also relishing the scent of meats and fried veggies, making him eagerly start to look forward to dinner.

"Hey, Dad," Jamie's mom greeted, making her way to hug him next, and kiss him on the cheek. "Smells good! What're we having?"

"Medium rare steak with creamed green beans. Still got some time before they're ready though," he revealed, walking over to the stove to flip a steak over on the frying pan.

"Okay. Let me go get changed out of this monkey suit and I'll help out. And mind your hearing aid! We don't want you to drop it like last time!"

"Nah, nah, I got, Rachie! I know what I'm doin'!" Grandpa Phil waved off, before looking over his shoulders. "Say, where's Lil' Sophie? Didn't you pick them both up?"

"I did. Probably went to go see Mom first."

Jamie heard this as he ascended the stairs to second floor, chancing a glance of pictures from his mother's life, spotting a full family portrait consisting of his mom as a teen, Grandpa Phil, another girl next to his mom, this one dark-skinned, and another older woman, this one clear-skinned.

"...and they put is into groups, And then they had us draw a picture of what we wanted to do when we grow up, or if we wanted to draw anything we want. I drew a bunny, and the teacher said she really liked it! And...!"

Jamie made it to the top pf the stairway, taking a short turn to his left to lean on the doorway to his grandparents' room. There he saw his baby sister Sophie regaling his Grandma Hope with stories of how her first day of school went. The older woman smiled as she nodded, listening as best she could, not letting the oxygen machine's noise keep her from being the audience for her granddaughter's little show.

He, for his own part, could wait as long as he wanted to make his own story heard, regardless of how bleak and boring it was. Just as long as Grandma was okay, then he was okay.

Feeling pretty full from that dinner, Jamieson laid back on his bed with his arms behind his back, having discarded his sweater to the side in favor of listening to the music on his smartphone.

It had taken him a bit of a while, but now he finally felt that this room well and truly his, having added his own spin to it with posters of his favorite book series, some Gun Robot vintage posters, and other smaller collectibles he owned. A lot of it collectibles he had made by hand.

This was his home for the past two months and a half. Ever since his Aunt Priscilla passed away suddenly from an undisclosed organ failure. Her passing had been abrupt and sudden, catching everyone by surprise. It had certainly panicked his mother, especially since Aunt Priscilla had been the sole caretaker for his grandparents. His mother had opted to transfer to a curator job from Burgess to California, where his grandparents' had been living ever since he'd been born.

At first, Grandpa Phil waved it off, saying they could handle themselves just fine. Then, unfortunately... Grandma's health taken a downward spiral. And seeing that there was nobody else on his mother's side left, not to mention his father's...

It had been hard to say goodbye to everyone, and he'd been able to keep up with them on social media. But there was distance now, and they were far, far away from where he was. Now he was here in Arcadia, alone, none of his old friends in sight.

TAP-TAP. TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP.

Well... not all of them.

A wide grin growing on his face, Jamie removed his headphones, sitting up to look over at the window. Sure enough, there, sitting on the window sill, was a tall, slim teenager who, at first glance, looked to be only a few years older than him. Almost everything about him stood out, from the pale white hair the color of winter snow, to the striking, piercing blue eyes, and the unnatural pale hue of his otherwise clear skin. The young man was wearing a blue hooded sweater, but oddly - or at least odd to those who didn't know him - had frost lining around the ring of his collar, as well as the cuffs of his sleeves. On his legs were a pair of brown trousers bound with lighter wrappings around his feet, bare to the toes, frost lining the tattered cuffs on the pair.

Leaning over his shoulder, to add to the list of oddities about him, was a long, wooden staff with a G-shaped arch; a shepherd's crook, one would think. If one looked closely, however, they would see that where this boy made contact with the staff, the area where it touched would frost over, glowing slightly with something that could only be magic.

Hopping over to the window, Jamie lifted it open, prompting the youth on the other side turn his head over to him, giving him a relaxed smile whilst raising his right eyebrow.

"...Why the long face?" the older boy asked. "What, don't tell me your first day of school was that bad?"

Jamie's expression fell slightly. "You know why."

At that, the white-haired boy's expression fell to one of concern. "Wait, did something happen while I was gone?"

The brown-haired teen shook his head. "No, nothing new, thank heavens. Just... It's still hanging over our heads, you know?"

"Oh, I see." The taller teen stood up to his full height, gesturing for Jamie to move to the side. The younger boy did so, watching as the other boy swung himself through the opening, landing on his feet before snatching back his staff from the outside.

"Seems to me, then, that it's not just the ailing relative that's troubling you, kiddo," he observed as he plopped down on the youth's bed. "C'mon, Jamie, hit me with it. Tell Uncle Jackie what's botherin' ya."

Jamie gave him a skeptical smirk. "You're not my uncle. You're Jack Frost."

The older teen - the Spirit of Winter and Guardian of Fun, Jackson Overland Frost, or simply Jack Frost as he was more commonly known by - merely shrugged. "Po-ta-to, po-tah-to. I'm still your friend, aren't I? And friends hear each other out. Listen to their woes, and all that good sentimental jazz."

Keeping his eyebrow raised, Jamie prodded further. "Sure about that? Don't have anywhere else to be that needs a good snow day-"

He was cut off as a snowflake nipped his nose mid-question. Jack was giving him his own sassy expression, countering, "How many times I gotta tell ya, kid? I got nothing but time."

The oldest Bennett sibling kept his wary expression for a few seconds more before it fell into a smile. Then he hopped onto the bed, laying on his back as Jack joined him a second later, arms crossed behind his head.

"Alright, then. Well..."

.

.

.

.

.

.

"Is that what it felt like for you all those years?"

Jack kept his eyes on the ceiling, but still found himself confused by Jamie's question, asking further, "What do you mean?"

"Like... Like you were just a space just standing there. And it felt like you were just separate and absent from everyone?"

"...Sometimes I did, yeah."

"See? That's what it feels like now. Like there's this space where she's meant to be, but now... it's empty. That's what it feels like."

"I see..."

Jack and Jamie were both laying side to side on Jamie's bed, just like they had back during Jamie's first day of school. It was about to be summer soon, and normally kids Jamie's age would be out getting ready to enjoy summer break.

But it was kind of hard for him to do so now, seeing as only two days before, his grandmother had passed away.

"How's your mom holding up? Sophie?"

"About as good as you'd expect for a kid her age. I was there when Mom broke the news." Jamie sniffled, wiping his nose roughly with his sleeve. "It took her a whole two seconds to process it before she ran off to her room. Mom went after her." He shrugged. "She was okay after Mom spoke to her. As good as she could be."

"Mom... She's really hurting, but... She's very strong. I didn't fully realize that until now," he admitted, and Jack reached out to rub the boy's shoulder reassuringly, noticing tears beginning to well up in the boys eyes. "It didn't hit me until the first night. When they told Sophie, I was trying to hold it in, keep a straight face. But when it was just me alone, with my thoughts... I understood. She's gone. And now I have no more grandmas. And it really, really, really sucks. So I went to my mom to try and make sense of it... and..."

Jamie closed his eyes, his face scrunching as tears began to roll down the sides of his face. Frost quickly took this as a cue to sit up, ushering Jamie along with him, where he gave him a reassuring one m-armed hug, his face dipping in sorrow for his friend.

"Mom... Mom told me that it was sad that Grandma was gone. That it's okay for us to be sad..." he whispered. "She told me to feel what I feel today, but the next, she wanted me to be strong. To be strong for Sophie, for Pop-Pop... And for her. Cuz' she said that when I'm strong, that makes her strong."

Jack nodded. "Makes sense."

Both of them remained silent, staring out the window. It was actually quite a beautiful day out, despite the rightfully dour atmosphere of the Rockefeller household. Even so, it was still and quiet. And sometimes it was what was needed in a time of mourning.

Jamieson sniffled again, rubbing his eyes with his sleeves before speaking up once more. "It was a nice funeral, though. Grandma's friends came. Some of Mom's workers, even Sophie's friends."

"Any of your friends show up?"

It was here where the young brunette scoffed, bitterly remarking. "What friends?"

Jack Frost's face fell into confusion, underlined with concern as he alarmedly asked, "Wait, you still haven't made any new friends?"

"Nope. Don't really feel like it right now, either."

"Okay, wait up," the winter spirit cut off. "What about that one girl you're seeing? What was her name-"

"She broke it off with me, actually..." Jamie let out a sardonic chuckle, shaking his head.

"Hold up, you guys broke up?! Since when?!"

The teen gave him a look, before glancing back over his head.

In the direction of his grandmother's old room.

"...Oh, you've gotta be kidding me! She broke up with you on the day she...?!"

Jamie nodded. "Wouldn't you know it..."

"That's...!" Jack sputtered, shaking his head, trying to make since of this, and failing. "That's messed up!"

"To be fair, she didn't know when she broke it off. She found out a minute after."

"Still, that's...!"

"Yeah..."

Frost was now fuming, jaw setting as he angrily paced by the window, furious at just how badly his friend had been treated, having his feelings bashed. Like kicking a dog while he was down. Letting out a harsh exhale of hot air - as hot as it could be for a being that emitted subzero temperatures - through his nostrils, Jack shook his head, regaining his footing, and recalling why he was there, and what he was supposed to be doing.

"Okay, look, forget about her. Forget about all that nonsense. Bottom line is you don't have any friends? Not even close acquaintance that you can bump up to friend level?"

"I didn't think we were staying here forever!" Jamie blurted out, running a hand down his roughly.

"Dude, you guys sold your old house!"

"We could've rented an apartment!"

"Oh, c'mon...!"

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK.

Both boys froze up as they turned their attention to the door to the room.

"Jamie, is everything okay? I can hear you screaming from the living room downstairs!" Mrs. Bennett questioned from outside the door.

Jack and Jamie shared a glance, before the younger teen answered his mother. "Uh, sorry! Just on a phone call with my friend Jack! Kinda getting heated, talking about politics. But nothing too bad! S'all good!"

There was a pause where nothing was heard, but then Mrs. Bennett spoke up again. "Alright, just making sure you're okay. Let me know if you need anything." They waited patiently for the resounding footsteps going down the stair way to go away before both letting out a sigh of relief.

"Alright... The last few days have been crazy, so I'll get off your back about that," Jack started.

Jamie let out a grateful nod. "Thank you."

"...But I will say one last thing."

Which turned into an eyeroll. "Of course."

"Oh, just listen will ya?" Jack cut off, placing his staff on the windowsill, before leaning against it. He crossed his arms, closing his eyes in thought, frowning pensively over how best to put what he wanted to say.

"Okay..." the Guardian began, "So, you know how I was alone for 300 years, right?"

"Right..."

"Yeah, well... That sucked. Like... a lot."

"I can imagine."

"Now the thing about that was, I didn't really have a choice. Or rather, I didn't really know what options I had at my disposal. Now, I'll admit that that's partially my fault, 'cuz I was too busy being bitter about it that I hadn't bother to ask what else I could do," he admitted.

"But, at the same time, I really would've liked for someone to have told me something, too, y'know? To tell me I wasn't alone, and that I had someone to rely on. A friend," he revealed, a pang of sorrow overcoming his gut as his brows dipped sadly. "And now that you're here, I don't want you to feel like I did, alright? You've got people that have your back, and can rely on."

"But I know that," Jamie groaned. "I got Mom, Sophie, Gramps. And as for friends, I've got you, don't I?"

"Of course you do. And trust me, you'll never have another friend like me," Jack chuckled, grinning as he pointed at himself with his thumb. "...But that being said... I'm not gonna always be around. Whether it's 'cuz I'm out being a Guardian, or... or just life in general for you, you shouldn't have to just depend on me. You should have more friends to be around you. And we know you can. You were friends with all the other kids back in Burgess."

"Look, all I'm trying to say is..." Jack closed his mouth, pursing his lips as he considered how to finish his lecture. "...No one deserves to be alone, nor should they be. So don't be alone."

Jamieson said nothing, merely watching his supernatural friend as he spoke. When he finished, the boy could only furrow his eyebrows, looking down on his feet from his seat at the side of his bed.

Seeing this, Jack let out a sigh before turning to approach the window. "Jeez, now I'm starting to sound like North, droning on and on and on... Anyway, I gonna head out. I'll be hanging around town for a few days. If you need me, call me. I'll be sure to say bye to Sophie 'fore I head out."

He raised the window pane to make an opening. But not before sharing one last glance to Jamie over his shoulder. "Just... Think about it, okay?"

The brunette made a noncommittal grunt, but gave him a small visible nod.

Jack smiled, before bidding farewell with a "See ya around!" He then hopped onto the roof, before Jamie heard the wind rattling against his window, signaling the winter sprite's departure.

For his part, Bennett fell back on his bed, twisting to his side as his mind spiraled in all directions.

It was the first Saturday after the funeral. He'd finished his homework the day before after school, giving him the rest of the weekend off. Truth be told, he caught on to the subjects quick. He'd always been a smart kid, and had often been praised for his ingenuity. Still, it felt a lot like preparation. And he heard from his councilors in middle school that the farther along in school he went, the more harder the work was going to become.

Regardless, that was a long ways away. For today, though, he opted to wear his white shirt and some gray sweatpants, and start the day off with a nice bowl of cornflakes.

It was the weekend, so they weren't expecting anybody. The mailman still worked that day, and could probably stop by to drop off a package for someone to sign. Probably a new chess board Grandpa Phil probably ordered. Or it could be something else entirely.

Just as he was finishing up washing and drying his bowl and spoon, having savored that last spoonful, Jamie's mom called out, "Jamie! When you get a chance, can you throw out the trash?! Thank you!"

"Sure thing, Mom!" he answered, heading for the trash bin under the sink after putting away his dishes. Hefting the garbage bag over his shoulder, he walked out of the kitchen, and into the central hallway, walking past the living room, where Sophie was currently watching her Saturday morning cartoons, Mom and Grandpa sitting on the sofa as they waited for the program to finish.

Opening the front door, Jamie closed it behind him, and was walking over to the trash bins-

The teen stopped when a frustrating sight graced his vision.

"Ugh! Raccoons!"

Once again, the racoons had gotten into the trash bins, and left all the trash scattered into a messy heap. This had been happening at least once a month ever since they'd arrived in Arcadia. It could also be argued this was probably the most exciting thing that ever happened here in Arcadia Oaks, seeing as nothing else happened around here.

"They get your trash too, huh?"

Blinking as he crouched down, Jamie's head shot up to see that one kid who's locker was next to his, along with his chubby friend, pulling up with their bikes, giving him a knowing smile.

"Well, that answer's that question. Still weird that your place is the only one I've heard of getting ransacked by those critters," the other kid remarked, taking a moment to catch his breath before adding "'Til today, that is."

Jamie merely shrugged, tossing the scraps of trash back into the bins as he snatched them. "Yeah, you heard it right. Raccoons are out to get me too. And boy, do they like to let us know it was them."

Kicking up the bicycle's kickstand, the boy in the blue sweater stepped off his bike, approaching the other boy, crouching down next to him. "You're Jamieson, right? Here, lemme help you out."

Jamie, shook his head, waving him off his hand. "No, no, it's fine. I got all this. Besides, I'm almost done, so you don't have to-"

"Wait, wait, wait, don't throw that away!" the other boy cried suddenly, startling Jamie mid-dismissal as he was reaching for a bag on the floor, unware that the newcomer had placed it there after taking it out of his backpack. "That bag's not... It's not trash. That's actually for you..."

Brow furrowing, Jamie took another moment to inspect the bag, stepping away from the trash bins as he opened it. "What is it?"

"Meatloaf!" the chubby kid revealed from behind him. "Trust me, you have not lived until you've tried Jimbo's cooking! He's pretty darned good, if I do say so myself."

Sure enough, inside the bag was a slice of meatloaf packed in a plastic container. Even sealed as to was, Jamie could smell the spice and feel the heat of it.

"You made... a slice of meatloaf for me?" he asked, bewildered at his gift. "But it's not even lunchtime."

"Yeah, well, I made some last night. There was leftovers. Figured I'd give some away before it goes to waste," the slim boy replied shrugged. "To be honest, though... Tobes is the one who suggested I give you some."

Jamie's eyes fell on the chubby kid as his friend pointed at him with his thumb, nodding along as he did, as if his friend already having told him it was his idea wasn't enough to get that point across.

"...And why did you guys suddenly feel the need to give me some meatloaf?" he inquired, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

Upon his question, the other two teens froze, glancing to each other, both trying to speak up to answer his question.

"Well..."

"Y'know..."

"Uh..."

"See..."

Jamie raised a skeptical eyebrow at the display, though some part of him was amused.

"Wait, first of all, you know who we are, right?" the ginger-haired one asked, pointing to himself and his friend. "Both of us? We go to school together? Have the same classes? Even have our lockers next to each other?"

"I know who you guys are," he replied, pointing to his friend and back to the one speaking. "Jimbo and Tobes."

"Yes!" Tobes cheered when Jamie pointed to him, but then winced upon realizing it was his nickname he called him by. "Well, no, that'swhat we call ourselves by, sometimes." He placed his hand over his heart. "I'm Toby. Toby Domzalski. I live down at the end of the cul-de-sac with my Nana. Around the corner from here."

"And I'm Jim. Jim Lake Jr. I live next door to him," the other boy, Jim, continued.

"'Kay, great, good to know. Still doesn't answer my question," Jamie remarked, lifting up the bag again and shaking to remind them about his pending inquiry.

"Yeah, that..." Jim acknowledged, rubbing the back of his hand uneasily. "So... my mom's a doctor at Arcadia Oaks Hospital. She's the one your grandma was seeing before she... y'know."

This caught Jamie's attention. He had not been there when his mom and grandfather had taken Grandma Hope for her medical check-ups, having been left behind to take care of his sister when they did. "I didn't know that."

"Yeah. And the other day, she was telling us about how hard you guys were taking it. And seeing how you were at school was kinda hard too. So, yesterday when Toby was over, he suggested I give some to you. I agreed and, well... Here we are."

Upon hearing Lake out, any amusement he'd felt before was gone. "So this is, what, pity meatloaf? In that case, you can have it back. I don't want it," he snapped, holding it out to Jim, shoving it roughly in his direction.

To both of their surprise, Toby was the one who intercepted it, shoving it right back at him, keeping up his friendly demeanor. "First of all, don't give it back. It's actually really, really good. Biggest mistake of your life if you throw it away." He rubbed his tummy for emphasis, nodding at Jamie as he spoke. "And second, yeah, it is pity. Not gonna lie. But it's more like a... 'we've been there,' kinda pity."

Jamie rolled his eyes. "Really."

"Yeah," he went on. "One second, you're thinking, hey, I can't wait to show Grandpa what I did at school today! And then all of a sudden... you find out he's not there."

At the boy's mention of his grandparent, followed by the seriousness and dip in his tone, Jamie's aloof demeanor quickly fell, turning his full attention on the shorter teen.

"And then you find out that... he's not coming back at all. And it feels... wrong, y'know? Like..."

"Like there's a space they're supposed to be in?" Jamie answered. "But they're not."

Toby nodded, smiling in relief, for some reason. "Yep."

It was then that Jamie knew was telling the truth. He understood.

"So... what, you just moved on? You got over it?"

"Eventually. But sometimes it takes a while, y'know. It doesn't happen overnight. And it's different for everyone, depending on how it happened. But... it gets better."

"...Is that right?"

"Yeah! I mean, I'm still here. You're still here!" he chuckled, gesturing at Jamieson with both arms. "And it's not like we're alone, either. I got my Nana, I got Jimbo and his mom. I'm sure it's the same for you. You got your family, and got your friends. As we got each other, we'll make it."

Jamie actually considered Domzalki's words. How they seemed to reflect the advice Jack had touted the day prior. Still, words were just words. It was easier said than done, and would definitely take some time.

But it's not like he didn't think he would get over it. A part of him deep down knew he would move on eventually. It would still hurt, but having his mom, Sophie and Pop-Pop with him certainly made it easier to bear.

It only took a few times to hear it for it to finally maybe start to sink in. But maybe Jack and Toby were right. And with that admission, maybe then he could hope now for better things to come. After all, he was still here. And Grandma, Aunt Priscilla, maybe even his father would want him to go forward knowing that.

For the first time since her passing, Jamie let himself smile softly. "...Yeah. I guess you're right."

"See?! There ya go!" Toby cheered. "You'll be okay, dude. Just gotta keep your head up, and keep moving forward."

Jim also nodded, smiling back at Jamie as he pointed back at his bike. "Anyway, we gotta get going. Give your folks our regard, yeah?"

The brunette nodded. "Sure. Will do."

Both teens began walking towards the bikes when Jim suddenly twisted back towards. "Actually, hey can you let me know how that tastes? I know it's alright, but I was playing with the recipe, and I feel like something's missing from it. You mind letting me know what you think later?"

Jamie blinked down at the bag, a slight feeling of trepidation now settling in his gut over Jim's request. "Uh, sure. I'll let you know if I vomit or not."

This caused Jim and Toby to both let out their won small guffaws before Toby waved back. "Alright, later, Jamieson. See ya at school!"

The brunette frowned. "Hey, wait up, school? Guys, you know it's Saturday, right?"

"Yeah, we know," Jim responded, nodding along.

"So where're you guys going with your backpacks?"

"Oh, just goin' into town, hanging by the park. Scopin' out some ladies, if ya know what I mean." Toby wiggled his eyebrows to add to his response.

"O-okay..."

"Anyway, talk to you later!" With that, Toby reached for his helmet, strapping it on as he stepped over his bike to seat himself on it, Jim having already done so.

In the brief second the chubby teen was doing that, another thought had come across the oldest Bennett sibling's mind. One inspired by his chat with his other friend the night before.

"Hey, um...!"

Both Arcadian teens looked back to Jamie, whose mouth was open, jaw shifting in thought before he spoke up again.

"So... I don't really... I haven't really gotten the chance to explore this town since I moved in. Some parts, yeah, but not all of it..." he explained, fingers drumming the paper bag anxiously. "...Do you guys... mind showing me around?"

Jim and Toby's eyes widened, both turning to look at each other, the chubby teen's mouth opening into a wide 'O,' the edges of his mouth curling up into an excited smile. Lake was the first to speak, making double sure to clarify what the new-not-new kid wanted.

"You want us to give you the grand tour of Arcadia?"

Jamie shrugged in response. "Yeah... If it's not too much of a bother."

"AWESOME-SAAAUUUCE!" Toby suddenly cheered, slightly startling Bennett. However, his cheer died down when the other boy's excited expression fell into a serious one. "Actually, wait up. Do you got a bike to ride with? Otherwise, one of us is gonna have to share with you. Full disclosure, I'm not exactly fit enough to ride for two."

Jamie shook his head. "Oh, no, I've got one! Don't worry." He jerked his thumb towards his grandpa's house. "Just, uh... Lemme get changed. Gimme a couple minutes!"

With that, the brunette teenager twisted around to dash right back into the household. Closing the door shut, Jamie walked over to the opening to the living room, his brown eyes landing on his mother.

"Mom, I'm gonna be heading out with some guys from school into town!" he told. "I'll be back later!"

At this, Rachel Bennett twisted around in her spot on the sofa, turning back to look at her son in surprise. "Going out? You never told me you were going out yesterday."

"Um, well, they kinda just invited me right now. Like, just right now. And I decided to take them up on it."

Raising her brow curiously, she prodded further, "And these 'guys from school...' They're your friends?"

Jamie made to respond, but found himself faltering and thinking about it. He knew them from school, so they were certainly acquaintances. Still, here they were offering their hands in friendship, reaching out to him. Maybe more that Toby kid, but he could tell that Jim was also earnest in his approach.

So if they weren't friends now, could they be?

"...Yeah... I think so," Jamie finally decided, nodding back with a smile.

Mrs. Bennett continued to stare at him for a few seconds more before shrugging and smiling. "Alright, then. Don't forget your phone, and keep me posted every other hour!"

"Got it!" he called back before he darted up to his rooms for a change of clothes.

"Alright, I'm here!"

"Sweet! Ready to go?"

"Yeah. So we're we going?"

"Well, Tobes and I were gonna head downtown. There's the comics store, the Vespa dealer."

"There's a Vespa dealer here?"

"Yep! Jimbo's always drooling over them. Speaking of drooling, we gotta stop by Tacos El Guerito! Maybe grab ourselves some El Diablo Maximus Breakfast Burritos?"

"Wait, didn't you guys just give me meatloaf?"

"Yeah, you're probably right. The Diablo Maximus Breakfast Burrito ain't for the faint of heart, dude. You gotta ease into it. There's levels to their hot sauce, so you should probably start at the bottom."

"Toby, you really oughta lay off those things."

"Well, he did ask us to show him around town. Might as well stop there while we're at it!"

"Oh boy... What do you think, Jamieson? Anywhere in particular that caught your eye in the way here?"

"Nah, surprise me. And seriously. Call me Jamie."

Jack Frost watched from atop the sidewalk light pole as Jamie and those two other kids rode their bikes off into town, grinning all the while as the kid under his watch went off to start his day. For the first time in a while, he felt relieved.

Though he shouldn't have been surprised. Jamie was the Last Light, after all. So long as he Believed, no darkness could beat him.

"Have fun, kiddo," he whispered, before standing perfectly atop the pole.

Waving his hooked staff, the Twinetender, over his head, the Guardian of Fun ushered the wind, his oldest, closest companion, to him. "Alright, Wind! Time to head out!"

And with a single harsh gust, Jack Frost was propelled into the air, flying farther beyond the clouds, onto new horizons. There was where he was needed now, children who needed to be reminded that, whether the were going through their normal day unbothered, or were getting through challenging times, there was always time for fun.

The average town of Arcadia Oaks didn't need him now. After all, nothing ever happened here, as far as he knew.

He'd learn how wrong he was about that claim soon enough. For every end was also a new beginning.

GUARDIANS: Tales of Arcadia

*-PROLOGUE END-*

AN: Hey all. So this is another project I've been wanting to do for while. This story is a Rise of the Guardians and Tales of Arcadia crossover, one that also takes place in the same continuity as my Jelsa fic, The Snowflake. Whereas that takes place in the past, this is the modern day story.

For this story, the major protagonists are both Jack and Jamie. Jamie moves to Arcadia Oaks due to real life, and befriends Jim and Toby, and is eventually gonna join Team Trollhunters, dragging Jack along with him.

Here some clarification beforehand. This story will go on from Trollhunters to the end of Rise of the Titans. As for Rise of the Titans' ending, well... I already have a plan to edit it so it doesn't leave a sour note on my mouth. Don't get me wrong, it was an ending, and it probably was the one they needed, but... all the character development went out the window, and I couldn't stomach that. So I tweaked it so that it made sense for the characters introduced, as well as can lead into the big crossover I'm planning for The Snowflake II. I hope you guys can stick with me until then. And hopefully I can get there.

Some more details about Jamie here. He's approximately the same age as Jim and the others, and this prologue takes place roughly a year before the events of Trollhunters. So by the time Trollhunters starts, Jamie will have already been there for a while.

You'll also notice some familiar names here aside from Jim and Toby, mainly Jamie's grandpa Phil. Yes, that is the same Phil that is friends with Vex in 3Below. He is Jamie's maternal grandpa, making Jamie's mom biracial. At least in this interpretation of these universes.

For a voice for teenage Jamie, imagine him being voiced by Dylan O'Brien.

And lastly, before anyone asks, NO. Jamie will NOT be the Trollhunter.

A little personal note about this prologue. A lot of what Jamie went through with his Grandma is pretty much a bit of a reflection on my own life's current events. For those who don't follow me and other stories, the pandemic hit my family hard, and we lost an aunt and uncle within the same week. I had lost one of my grandmothers before the pandemic, and only recently just lost my other grandmother. She did not die of Covid, but her loss was enormously felt by me and my family.

This prologue was a way to pay tribute to her, as well as my aunt and uncle, as well as a helpful reminder to all going through the loss of a loved one. We're still here, and we are not alone. As long we're strong for the people we love, the people who pass on will surely be happy, wherever it is they go once their time has passed.

I love you, Grandma, Tia, Tio. I miss you all. I miss you every day.

I can't promise updates will be frequent. Likely I will be working on this in the same capacity that I work on Th Snowflake. After all, both take place in the same universe. Again, the reason I rushed this prologue was to pay tribute to my family, even if I'm not brave enough to actually show it to them. Still, I suppose only time will tell.

Again, thank you so much for reading this, and I hope you guys look forward for what's in store.

Until then, stay awesom. And remember...

READ & REVIEW!

Next Chapter: Jamie and his friends find a curious object on the way to school, and debates whether to get Jack involved.