"Aura!"
"Jack!" a voice laughed mockingly back.
"Aura, cut it out!"
Jack's own laughter spilled out as he was tickled, trying to move out of reach which was significantly difficult when he couldn't see the perpetrator.
"I said stop it."
"Fine."
Jack breathed heavily as his ribs ached, the trace of a smile left on his face, and he looked around but there was still no sign of Aura.
"Aura, what are you doing?"
"Hide and seek. Come find me~" came a singing voice from somewhere between the trees ahead.
Jack shook his head in exasperation but jogged after the voice anyway, motivated when he caught a glimpse of red hair. He kept running until he reached a cliff.
"Jump!" called her voice.
"Are you crazy?" Jack yelled back as he peered down to the base of the cliff far below.
"Definitely! Do you trust me?"
Jack felt a slow grin take over his face. "Of course I do."
"Then jump!"
Jack didn't hesitate any longer, even taking the time to back up before running full speed for the edge of the cliff. Once at the edge, he took a leaping jump and entered empty air, his stomach plummeting as he let out an exhilarated yell. The ground rushed up to meet him
A split second after he closed his eyes, he felt arms wrap around his middle, wind rushing in his face as he was swept from his descent and instead sped through the sky.
When he opened his eyes again, Aura was next to him, grinning back at him as the sky stretched out endless and beautiful around them.
"Hi," he said stupidly.
Aura laughed, the sound seeming to echo around them. "Hi to you too."
"Aura?"
"So now the brat remembers us."
"W-hat?" Jack glanced around when he heard the newcomer's voice but she didn't open her mouth at all. This time, the one standing over him lunged forward to grab his hand and keep him upright as another figure appeared next to the first one with another strong blast of wind. He stared into pale yellow eyes that glittered at him before he was shoved unceremoniously away. "Wha- Okay, I'm so confused right now. I thought you were Aura but you- you are also Aura? Why- why are there two of you?"
"Oh this is fun," the first one said with a too-sharp grin. "Technically we are Aura but at the same time, I'm not Aura. They aren't either."
Jack shared a look with Baby Tooth who shrugged although didn't seem alarmed at the newcomer at all. He had been quick to rescue the fairy from both blasts of wind.
"Yeah, that makes no sense."
They just shrugged. "I'm Eurus. West Wind, at your service."
As Eurus gave a mock bow, Jack started to notice the differences between the two before him, as well as the differences from the Aura of his memories.
It was strange because he remembered. He remembered the auburn hair, the death-like skin pallor that made freckles stand out stark all over face, shoulders, arms. He remembered the curly auburn hair, frazzled and wild. He remembered the pale eyes, sharp and cutting in all that they gazed at.
Eurus was an exact copy but their hair curled around their ears rather than trailed down their back. The ragged dress was instead a ragged grey skirt as bronze wrapped around their torso in some kind of intricate and ancient-looking armour. Their feet were bare in the snow yet they showed no sign of feeling cold.
"Reas, c'mon, it's your turn," Eurus hissed out of the corner of her mouth as they nudged their identical copy beside them. Said copy simply rolled their eyes and violently shoved Eurus back hard enough that the West Wind fell in a squawk.
"Boreas," they announced curtly. "North Wind."
Boreas seemed the complete opposite of Eurus. Everything about them was… significantly colder, which made sense considering they were the North Wind, he supposed. From the aura they exuded as they looked down at him like he had personally offended them, to the silvery blue armour that wrapped around their neck and extended down their shoulders with thin spikes. Their skirt reached their ankles and it was at this point that Jack realised that it was more of a robe thing than a skirt really. Boreas's hair was the same fiery colour but hung spiky around their shoulders.
"Don't mind them, Frosty, my guy," Eurus spoke up as they pulled themself from the ground. "Boreas's got a perpetual stick up their butt, but it's not their fault so don't take anything they say too seriously- ow, ow, ow."
Boreas showed the first sign of cracking a smile as Eurus's face twisted into a pout. The West Wind was quick to escape ear-pinching range after that.
Jack glanced between the two of them. "So neither of you are Aura. Then why... do you look so much like her? Why are you here? Why now?"
Unfortunately for him, neither of the two seemed much inclined to answer him as Eurus's eyes lit up.
"Wow, he's really talking to us. This is a lot, I think I might cry." Eurus mock fanned their nonexistent tears only for Boreas to roll their eyes and send the other wind stumbling with a swift kick to the back of the legs. The West Wind didn't stay down long, however, and popped back up almost instantly. "This is so weird, his eyes are following me and everything. Watch me go this way… and this way… ha…hya..."
Jack watched in confusion as the west wind darted this way and that in a series of increasingly bizarre poses.
"Are you sure he's not just concussed?" Boreas remarked before turning on Jack with a suspicious squint. "You really remember Aura?"
It took Jack a moment to drag his attention away from the other wind whose movements had degraded into a series of impressively flexible feats of body manipulation.
"Y-Yeah, I do."
He still had to dig deeper into his new memories to truly regain everything but it was like opening the box had removed a veil at the back of his mind and suddenly he had new information to fill in the blanks he had always hated.
Aura. The name had jumped out of his mouth at the sight of Eurus before he had even been aware of it. Aura, not Aeolus. Not only someone the Guardians knew, but someone he had known. He didn't understand it yet, but she filled so many of his memories. Somehow he knew her grin, dangerous and hinting at trouble. He knew her fearlessness, pushing him to act purely on his trust in her. He knew how much she loved to dance, free and wild in the middle of a storm. He knew her as human and immortal, someone he had missed and… loved.
Suddenly, her heartbroken expression flashed in his mind's eye and his heart ached. Looking up, he held a gaze so like hers yet tinted with a disdain that maybe he deserved.
Boreas didn't look away, arms crossed over their chest as Eurus 'oohed' from behind Jack, making him turn around.
"Are you-"
"Ah, so you got all your memories back!"
"Hey, give that back!"
Eurus danced out of his reach easily as they floated above him juggling his memory box while he was stuck on the ground, no longer able to fly with his powers lost.
"And you remember Aura. As for us- just think of us as Aura's sidekicks. Her minions, if you will. Like Pitch's nightmares and Tooth's fairies and North's yetis. Only, smarter than all of those combined."
The West Wind tossed the box back to Jack to catch by reflex just as Baby Tooth, who had been quiet on his shoulder up until then, chirped in annoyance.
Eurus only seemed delighted as their attention turned to the small fairy and they easily beckoned her over. Jack was surprised when Baby Tooth didn't hesitate to nod at him and so hesitantly, he held out the fairy in his gently cupped hands. He watched as Eurus carefully took the fairy and gently blew, the air around Baby Tooth turning a shimmering golden as she was enveloped in a small whirlwind that faded quickly. It seemed to have a positive effect as the emerald fairy was soon stretching her wings once more and after giving one last shiver, fluttered up to nuzzle the West Wind's neck fondly.
"At least someone seems to recognise me," Eurus grinned. "What a smart fairy."
Baby Tooth twittered happily as a finger gently stroked her crest.
"Thank you," Jack said hesitantly, startled when he found himself once more under the intense yellow eyes. "She… knows you. I guess you can't be with Pitch if she trusts you."
Eurus frowned at him. "We're on your side here, Jack. We've always been, just like the Aura you knew."
"The Aura I knew? Clearly I don't know her very well if I didn't know about her other name, or that she was known by both the Guardians and Pitch. What… am I supposed to just trust you?"
Something glinted in Eurus's eyes. "Don't you think you owe her that much? Your trust."
"Yeah, no offence, but you haven't exactly been grateful for anything we've done for you, brat," Boreas finally spoke up, eyes cold.
Jack opened his mouth and closed it several times, trying to wrap his head around all the information he'd been forced to swallow in the past hour, trying to pick his words. "I just- this is all a lot to process. Let me get this straight: Aura, who I thought was my friend, is also Aeolus, the unofficial Guardian who not only betrayed the Guardians in the past but is currently with Pitch now. You work with her yet Baby Tooth trusts you which means you somehow don't work for Pitch even though that's who Aura just left here with?"
"Yup! It's… complicated. In all honesty, we don't really know why Aeolus left us here. But our loyalties have always been the same."
Boreas butted in again. "Basically, we're here to protect you. Unfortunately. As always. What's new?"
Eurus elbowed Boreas and got a glare for her effort as she smiled sheepishly and dodged another hit.
"I don't know how we can prove that we aren't lying. But there really isn't much time, so you've got to decide now."
"I-"
Jack looked between the two - Eurus who was hovering restlessly and Boreas who was still as a stone. He thought back to his memories. He thought of the last he'd seen Aura's face, the first time in a century. If he had to say whether he trusted Aura or not, he'd have to say that he did. In the past, she'd never failed him. With these two, despite them basically being strangers, there was a similar familiarity that translated over to them. He couldn't find it in him to reject their help and crush the sincerely hopeful look in Eurus's eyes. Even Boreas seemed to have some kind of anticipation despite how much they pretended not to care. He felt like he'd only be proving the sour Wind right in rejecting them and the idea filled him with irritation. Plus, anyone Baby Tooth trusted he was willing to give a chance.
"I trust you." He smiled tentatively. "In all honesty, I don't want to do this alone any longer. It would be nice… not to be alone anymore."
He was rewarded with a beaming smile and a noncommittal grunt. Eurus darted forward to rest a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm glad. We're here for you. But now, we have to act quickly. You've got your memories and 'you're a Guardian, yay!'. What now?"
"Huh?"
The North Wind remained silent, their face the picture of boredom as Eurus essentially vibrated in the air, clearly doing all the talking for both of them.
"I mean what now?" Suddenly, the West Wind stopped moving, all trace of humour gone as they stared at him seriously. "Pitch has Aeolus and the kids are losing belief fast. The Guardians are only getting weaker and weaker. Not only that but you've currently lost your powers. What are you going to do about it?"
Jack took a deep breath and thought about it, unnerved by Eurus's flip in mood. They were right. He… he had ruined Easter, their last-ditch effort to stop Pitch which meant that they were losing believers fast. And his staff… Wait, his staff!
Jack whirled around and zeroed in on the broken pieces lying in the snow. Picking them up he looked between them as his mind raced. To do anything, he needed to be Jack Frost. The Guardians- no, the children were counting on him. Jack thought of the first time he'd ever used the stick. He'd been powerless then too yet he'd managed to make the most of the situation.
Acting on instinct, he stuck the two pieces together and thought about how it had felt to save his sister, her laugh as he'd flung her to the other side of the pond. The staff let off a spark and he laughed breathlessly, squeezing his eyes shut as he reached deeper into his memories. Giving his sister a hug when she was scared, climbing a tree to save a kid who had overestimated his own abilities, running through the snow chasing a figure flitting just out of sight. 'You're not scared of a little fun now are you, Jack? Shame. I thought you were braver than that.'
Jack heard a loud cheer and a muttered "no freaking way". When he opened his eyes, the staff was glowing and when the blue glow subsided, he was holding his staff once more, not just two broken sticks.
As he did, he felt a tentative spark in his chest and he looked down to see a silver threat flickering before it disappeared.
"Hmm, guess we can't have everything but this is a start!" Eurus piped up.
Jack wanted to ask about the silver thread but he had a feeling he already knew what it was.
"So, Frost boss. Where to?"
Jack looked up from the staff in his hands, feeling more confident and stable than he had in a while. "Let's start with Pitch's lair."
Eurus grinned and gave him a thumbs up. "A siege, I like it."
Beside them, Boreas grumbled. "About damn time, let's go."
Jack shot up out of the chasm, whooping along with Eurus as the two winds accompanied him on either side with a hand each on his shoulders. Boreas complained something about their ears but Eurus just ignored them so Jack did too, revelling in the feel of flying again. Something so simple he had taken for granted as Jack Frost suddenly felt like coming home again and he felt an ear-splitting grin spread across his face as the cold air stung his cheeks and Eurus ruffled his hair cheerfully. Baby Tooth only nestled deeper into his sweater.
Jack gave another whoop, Eurus echoing him, even as they took an accidental plunge before the two Winds righted him in panic.
["Wait, how is this supposed to work exactly?" Jack asked.
"Well, usually Aeolus just-" Eurus mimicked wrapping their arms around Jack and Jack felt his ears go red. "And carries you. It's usually pretty simple."
Jack scratched the back of his neck. "That's a little… I mean, I have a feeling me and Aura have tried the same thing before but you guys aren't Aura so it's a little... I mean, no offense or anything but can we try something else?"
"Oh thank goodness, I could see that getting really weird, really quick."
"Stop fussing, you idiots, it doesn't have to be that complicated. Just grab his shoulders. I'll grab his legs."
"Uh…"]
["Careful, careful- ah!"
"Boreas, I thought you said right?"
"I did. You went left, smartass. Sorry for expecting you to be competent."
"Hey, that's mean-"
"Can we please focus? I kind of want to fly out of here without crashing face first into a cliff again."
"Why is this so hard? Aeolus always makes it look so easy but you're so heavy."
"Just copy what I do, Eurie and stop getting distracted."]
Aeolus didn't know how to feel as he looked at himself in a dirty pool of water in a rainy street in France. Around him, people hurried away from the light rain, unaware of what was to come. Distant traffic mingled with the rain and laughter spilled from a nearby bar.
Aeolus's dulled eyes stared back at him.
He had forgotten the weight of his old dark armour. The winged helmet, the spiked chest plate, the delicate chains draped around his waist - he'd never imagined that Pitch had actually kept it all these years. His only comfort was the worn grey fabric that remained hanging around his knees, ragged and soft.
But enough hesitating. Pitch wanted him to put on a show? He wanted him to strike fear? Fine. Aeolus would give him the full force of the wind.
As he slowly rose up into the sky, he could still hear Pitch's words, low and hoarse with excitement.
"You've been left forgotten for so long. Make it so that everyone will have no choice but to see you. Make it so that the Guardians regret ever thinking you weren't good enough for them. Show me some of that bravery. Make them feel fear."
Aeolus couldn't help the way his mouth twisted in anticipation. The higher he flew, the more power he felt within his grasp. The air up here, cold and wet, vibrated with movement, crackling in response to Aeolus's magic. Instead of suppressing it and fighting the urge, he went against everything he had protected for so long and let the crackling grow and grow, the air stirring as he shot above the french city below him in a strong blast of wind.
Even as the wind jumped into action and gusts were sent in all directions, spreading chaos and movement everywhere as Aeolus covered large stretches of land in mere seconds, the crackling didn't stop there. Instead, it continued to grow even more until the sky came alive with roaring cracks of pure, deafening sound and blinding light, raw and hungry.
As Aeolus let his powers explode in a way he hadn't truly in so long, his anger and pain-filled every gust of wind, every crack of thunder and lightning, every roar as Aeolus himself roared into the stormy sky.
It had certainly been a long time.
Feeling the time pass, Aeolus judged it the right moment. Pausing in his cries, he cupped his hands and breathed out- not his anemoi, despite their cries to be released and help, it wasn't their time yet - small wispy forms that whispered and flickered at him. They couldn't talk, these wisps, but they were made of the last breaths of fallen soldiers, the sharp intake before every hard decision, the sigh of relief after every challenge undertaken, the cries of the fearless. Aeolus hadn't had much opportunity to make use of them of late but now found that they fit the role.
'Go. Spread the storm.' Aeolus commanded and then the twenty or so he had counted out instantly shot in separate directions.
Then, surrounded by the chaos he had created, Aeolus looked up in the direction of the presence he had been ignoring since the beginning, the one who had been pressing at the edge of his consciousness, calling for attention. This time, when Aeolus shot upwards, he flew far, far above the storm where the air thinned and there was nothing but endless eternity stretched around him. Nothing, just him and the Moon that glowered at him.
"I'm ready to talk."
