Chapter 27: Jack Frost

Emily stared at the solid ice that encased her uncle with a sad smile. It had been seven days since she been at that small lake that took Jackson's life. She had been angry when it happened and terribly heartbroken and sad at the same time. She was not able to do anything. She could have told her father and she regretted not remembering in time to do exactly that.

There was no excuse for forgetting to tell him. She admits that she had been hysterical (okay, maybe a little more than that) when her father came to see her on Jackson's birthday a week before Christmas. Things just came out of her mouth as she cried from her breakdown. Though, she was surprised herself that Jackson's resurrection and other important details never slipped from her lips when she wasn't aware of what she was saying.

When she realized that she had completely forgotten to tell her father about Jackson's possible resurrection, she couldn't reach him. Her father had been so busy watching the children and going off to create more and more Nightmares for his army. When her father was free, she was not. With winter coming to the peak of its season, she had to direct it and make sure it didn't cause too much damage to the humans, in addition to her other duties she had to attend to around the world. By the end of the day, she had completely forgotten to tell her father and was unable to warn him to not leave Jackson alone before it was too late.

Emily felt incredibly guilty about not telling her father everything she knew. But then again, she didn't want to give him false hope. Father Time had told her many times that visions were never reliable. He had described it as a gentle river. If it was left alone, it would forever flow in one direction. But visions and river were not like that. There are always actions or obstacles that would change the flow of the river, making it change completely or divide into multiple streams and rivers.

The vision of Jackson's death was one of those multiple, ever-changing rivers. The only thing that was clear was that Jackson would die somewhere around snow and ice, her father wanting revenge, and that it was somehow the Guardian's fault. The vision was so vague and constantly changing that there was the question that Jackson would never be resurrected. Father Time saw her and MiM resurrecting Jackson in one and in another saw MiM doing it alone. But that was not guaranteed if it kept changing and there was also the outcome of his death and resurrection to think about.

Emily sighed. All this vision stuff was giving her a major headache. There were reasons why she preferred weather control and plants. Keeping track of time and futures were not her thing.

Emily gently touched the ice as she poured her magic into it. She was happy that MiM wanted her help to resurrect Jackson. Jackson would be alive again. Emily looked at the sky and saw that the sky was almost completely dark. It was almost time for MiM to do his part.

Emily still found it surprising that he wanted to resurrect Jackson and his reasoning was just as surprising.

Seven Day Earlier

Emily was taken aback by the moonbeam that engulfed her. She hadn't been expecting the MiM of all spirits to want to talk to her. Although, she would have scoffed and frozen him where he stood if he was in front of her in person.

Emily tilted her face to the moon and glared at it heatedly. "What do you want from my life, Tsar Lunar XII?"

"Mother Nature." Tsar's voice echoed around her in a soft voice. Emily did notice the guilt and sadness hidden within the voice as he spoke. "I am truly sorry for everything I have caused you and your father. I know you have every right to curse me out and not hear me, but I beg you...do heed my plea."

Emily frowned. Her first instinct was to curse him out and leave, but there was the tone in his voice that stopped her. It sounded sincere and truly sorry. What could he want to say that could fix this? And then the vision popped into her head and she ended up sighing in defeat. "You have five minutes, Lunar."

"Thank you," he said in relief. "I have spoken to your father briefly and apologized to him. I know I don't deserve forgiveness, but I had to express how sorry and wrong I was for thinking fear needed to be destroyed." Emily blinked in surprise. Well, she wasn't expecting that. "I have tried to tell the Guardians to not attack, that I was wrong, but they didn't understand my message or take the time to understand Sanderson's."

"I am well aware of that. Sanderson apologized to my father before shadowing away."

"Yes, I have seen it as well. I had also seen that the young Overlands were Pitch's family and believers. It wasn't until I heard him scream that I realized that they were brothers. And I am sorry for the death of such a bright soul." Emily looked down and didn't say anything. "I understand that you needed a Spirit of Winter and that Jackson Overland was to be your spirit."

"That is correct."

"I do not have the power to make him a Seasonal Spirit, but I can resurrect him. It is your choice, but I would like your help in making him so."

Emily blinked in surprise. It was as Father Time said. MiM wanted her to help him resurrect her uncle. "I accept the offer Lunar, but resurrection is a tricky business."

"Indeed it is," he agreed. "I will be able to resurrect him on the full moon in seven days. On that day, you would need to pour Winter Magic into him before I can resurrect him. But I must warn you, this will take a lot of magic since he would be dead for seven days. There will be a possibly that he will have little to no memories when he is reborn."

Emily's heart sank at that. But it was a risk she had to take and there was no way around it. "Alright. I'll see you in seven days."

Emily sighed as she swirled her magic around. She might be directing her Winter Magic to Jackson, but it was not to give it to him. No, she had a different plan in mind.

The beautiful blue magic swirled around as it was directed to Jackson's hand. She smiled as her magic surrounded Jackson's hand and slowly began opening the clear vial of the magic potion that her father had given him. She had her magic open the vial and enter it in order to pull the black liquid out. Her magic then surrounded the black liquid, keeping it from dividing and mixing with the surrounding water, and had it travel to Jackson's chest. Emily then closed her eyes and broke down the liquid into the same essence as her magic, so it could be absorbed into his body. When that was done, she had the Winter and Shadow Magic enter Jackson's body.

She smiled softly when MiM's moonbeam shined over the lake and poured his magic into Jackson. Jackson's body glowed a soft blue as Emily's and MiM's magic reacted together. Jackson's deadly pale skin glowed softly into a healthier tone that showed that he was not dead anymore, and his lips returned to its natural pink color. Jackson's brown hair lightened and turned as white as freshly fallen snow. Emily knew that Jackson's brown eyes would change into a soft blue, the remnant of ice. But what really surprised her was the snowflake pattern that glowed once again on Jackson's arm.

Emily stood up and started backing away from the lake when MiM began to pull Jackson up from the water. She watched in anticipation but was startled by a familiar sound. Alarmed by this, Emily turned around and walked towards the sound.

She entered the forest and walked several feet within before she came face to face with a Nightmare Horse. She blinked as the horse neighed in distress and excitement. Emily usually didn't understand Nightmare Sand, sadly; at least, not without her father enchanting them with old magic for her to understand his messages anyway. Her father had so many Nightmares that she couldn't remember all their names. But something was telling her that this one was not her father's. And there was only one that wasn't his.

"Night?"

Darkness.

That was the first thing he remembered when he woke up. He knew that he shouldn't be afraid of the darkness. For some reason, it felt like an old friend. It felt safe. So he was not afraid. It reminded him of someone, but he could not remember the name or what that person looked like for that matter.

The water was cold around him, and yet not cold at all. That confused him, but not as much as being underwater. He was slightly worried about being underwater. He couldn't remember how he got there to begin with, or who he was for that matter. And that's what scared him to his very core.

He tried to move, but he found out that he couldn't. He felt his body drift towards the surface as something bright pulling him forward. He was startled when the ice above him began to crack. Something in him stirred as he heard the cracks. It reminded him of something. Fear, maybe?

As the cracks spread across the ice, he found himself feeling afraid of it. In the back of his mind, he heard screaming from three unknown voices. They were just screaming, though. He could not see or hear what they were screaming about (all he could tell was that two were female and one was male). But the very though made his heart ache painfully. But why?

A big crack was heard above him as the smaller cracks connected together on the ice and created a hole right above him. He gasped as he was pulled out of the water. Cold air filled his lungs and his blue eyes shot open. He hung in the air and stared in awe at the moon as he was bathed in its moonlight. The screams that echoed in his head were pushed away until it faded completely.

He stared at the moon in awe. It was so big and so bright and so warm. The moment of fear just seemed to disappear. And then he heard a soft voice of a man.

"Jack Frost." Jack Frost? Was that his name? He blinked in confusion. For some reason, that name didn't feel right to him. Then again, he had no other name anyway.

"Who are you?" Jack asked the moon. Though, he felt a bit silly doing it.

"I am Tsar Lunar XII, but you may call me MiM or Manny if you like."

"I think I like the name Manny. It's easier to remember."

The voice called Manny laugh softly. "Very well, Jack Frost." Jack soon found himself being settled down on the ice. He looked at Manny in confusion when the light began to dim.

"Where are you going, Manny? Don't leave me alone!" Why was he leaving him? Why was he here at all? What was he supposed to do? He was so confused.

"Child, I have used a lot of magic bringing you back to life. I would need to rest for a while," he said tiredly. "Do not fear, Jack Frost, you are not alone. I may not be able to talk to you for some time, but you will have the aid of Mother Nature and the North Wind. Until we meet again." And then the beam of light dimmed and vanished as it returned to the moon.

Jack looked around, confused. What was he supposed to do? Who was Mother Nature and the North Wind? Jack carefully walked across the ice, looking at the snow covered trees in awe. Everything looked so new and yet familiar at the same time. He looked down when his foot hit something. On the ice was a wooden staff. He touched it with his toe and was surprised when white frost patterns coated it.

You don't see that every day, he thought as his curiosity got the better of him. He bent down and picked up the staff. The staff immediately began to glow a cold blue. Wha? He almost dropped the staff, startled, when the base of the staff shot out frost when it came in contact with the ice. He watched in amazement as the frost patterns swirled around across the ice. It was beautiful.

He looked at the staff, curiously, and walked towards a tree. Jack slowly touched the trunk of the tree with his staff. Beautiful patterns of frost swirled up and around the trunk. Jack touched a few more trees, watching in amazement.

What else can I do? With that one thought, Jack swung the staff around and ran across the frozen lake. Frost swirled around the ice as he slid across the ice like a pro. Jack vaguely wondered how he was able to slide on the ice like that. It felt like he had done it before.

"Play with me, Frost Child," a female voice said as a gust of wind swirled him up into the air. Jack was startled by the female voice. She sounded playful and kind. There was also the power the radiated from her — ancient. She was ancient.

"Who are you?" he asked curiously. He wasn't that afraid as he found himself hovering above the trees and staring down at the lake filled with his frost patterns.

"I am one of the Four Winds. I am the North Wind of Winter, Frost Child," the female voice said with a laugh in her voice. "I am your friend! Play with me!"

Jack laughed as the North Wind twirled him around in the air. She was gentle and very playful. North Wind was fun!

And then the North Wind lost her grip on him. Jack let out a surprised yelp as he fell back to the earth and into the trees. Jack grabbed hold of a tree branch and pulled himself up with North Wind's help. She gently twirled around him in apology. It looked like they needed to get into some practice before flying into the air again.

"It's okay, Wind. I'm fine," he said with a smile before something caught his eye. It was a small village. He blinked in surprise. If there was a village, maybe there was someone who knew him. "Wind?"

"Yes, Frost Child?"

"Can we go over there?" he asked as he pointed to the village. North Winds swirled around him in a comforting embrace.

"The village?" she asked.

"Yes, can we?"

"Okay," and then she picked him up and they flew to the village.

Night's ears flicked back and she neighed in confirmation. Emily smiled at the young horse. She might not understand Nightmare Sand like her father, but she could guess why Jackson's horse was here.

"You and Jackson have a connection, I'm assuming. You felt Jackson coming back to life, didn't you?"

Night neighed and stomped her hooves in reply. Emily guessed that was a yes. Emily assumed Night probably saw what was happening.

"MiM is able to resurrect Jackson," she told the horse gently and noticed the horse stomping her hooves in distaste for the Man in the Moon. She smiled at that. "But he needed my help since he has no control over Seasonal's. I used my magic to open the vial that my father gave Jackson for Christmas. His body has already changed into a Winter Spirit. MiM is breathing life back into him and is pulling him out of the lake as we speak."

Night's eyes widened at the news before she neighed happily. Her front legs were kicked in front of her as she stood on her back legs for a few seconds before she began galloping around her. Emily laughed softly as she watched the Night galloping around her. She seemed very, very happy to have her child back.

"Night? There is something I should warn you about." Night stopped and looked at her curiously. "Since Jackson's been dead for seven days there is a chance that he will not remember anything about his previous life. It would still be there in his head, but it could be some time before he gets a few of his memories back on his own. That's unless we snatch his tooth box from Toothiana." Night's ears flicked down, showing her obviousness sadness at the fact that Jackson will not remember her. But she nodded in understanding. They were getting Jackson back, that's all that mattered. Although, at the mention of one of the Guardians, she stomped her hooves angrily. Emily understood how she felt.

At the sound of a familiar child laughing and a branch breaking, Emily suddenly remembered that Jackson would have no idea that he was a spirit now and that no one could see him, except maybe the Indians. They believe in all spirits. Emily and Night ran out of the forest and towards the lake, only to see Jackson riding the North Wind to the village.

Emily looked at Night in worry. "Oh, dear. This could be bad."