A Hypnic Jerk is when body muscles twitch just as the effects of sleep begin to take over. A psychological phenomenon that some say that it's a hidden battle between the consciousness and subconscious over control of the brain. The feeling of falling in a dream that's so lifelike that "hitting the bed" feels like reality. After the floor had left Jack's feet, he plummeted through darkness, almost immediately feeling his back slam into a large mattress. A heavy blanket weighed down on his chest. The force of the knee-jerk reaction had momentarily knocked the wind out of him. Jack sat up suddenly, breathing heavily with a hand on his chest. His heart was racing.
His eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness. At first, he couldn't recognize the room. Logs of wood, and rounded stones built the walls. An iron furnace in the corner kept the room warm and enhanced the smell of dried sage and lavender. Edison fairy-bulbs wrapped around the beams that crisscrossed the ceiling, giving the room an evening glow. The bed Jack had been sleeping in was covered in assorted blankets and furs. There was a fogged up window on the far wall.
Jack tossed the mountain of blankets off of himself to go look outside. That's when he realized two things. The first being that he was only wearing a pair of shorts that didn't belong to him. And second, his body was almost completely covered in bandages. White strips of gauze wrapped up his arms and legs, there were large bandage patches on his chest and abdomen, and he could feel more on his back. He raised his hand to his face, and felt another strip above the left side of his jaw.
'I guess I fell pretty hard…' He thought to himself. On a stand beside the bed, his pants and hoodie were folded neatly. He switched back into his regular clothes, noticing that his hoodie had been mended, and that everything smelled like cotton flower-scented laundry detergent. He steadily made his way over to the window, each step feeling like he was carrying extra weight. Finally he reached the window and wiped away the fog. The world outside was blanketed in white. Jack didn't remember hailing a blizzard anywhere within the past few days, and yet, there was definitely a dog running through large caps of snow. Through the flurries he could make out cliffs, and a hazy, blue sea. He was at Ambrose's cottage.
Suddenly, Jack felt his heart drop. Where on earth was his crook?! He knew it hadn't been in his hand when he blacked out but… He felt himself begin to panic. He looked frantically around the room. Maybe someone had picked it up, North or maybe one of the seasons.
'No no no no!' He thought to himself. He crouched on his knees and peered under the bed. Peaked around the chair in the corner and even crossed the idea of checking in the oven of the stove. Of course he knew it was way too big to fit, but it was worth a check. He was fumbling around with the stove's door when a laugh from outside of the room made him stop. Not just one laugh. Multiple voices were laughing. Jack stood back on his feet and slowly crept to the door. As he got closer, the voices grew louder. He peered around the door frame.
"I can't believe we've never been here before!" He heard Tooth exclaim.
"It is beautiful here." Bunny agreed.
To Jack's surprise, all of the guardians sat around Ambrose's fireplace among the pelts and wool. Norse sat in a massive brown armchair, seemingly the only actual piece of furniture besides the tables. Tooth and Bunny lounged next to each other in a bundle of sheep's wool, and sandy sat crisscrossed on the floor. Jack giggled to himself at the small man. Sometimes it was hard to remember that he was a thousands-years-old spirit and not a little kid.
There was a large wooden slab covered in crackers, fruit, cookies, and cheeses beside a large bowl of Halloween candy on the table. North was happily munching away. Jack felt a small growl lurch from his belly. He realized that he was starving. How long had it been since he had last eaten anything?
He realized it had grown quiet and he looked up from the food. Everyone was staring at him. No one's face was the same as another's. Tooth's hands covered her mouth and her eyes practically welled with tears. North was smiling warmly. Ambrose stared at him wide-eyed, jaw clenched. Bunny's jaw had dropped, and Sandman munched happily away on cashews. It didn't seem like anyone was willing to make the first attempt at breaking the silence so Jack did.
"Uh…Hi." He said sheepishly.
"See?" Norse gestured to him. "I tell you he will wake up."
"Thank God. " Tooth exhaled.
"How're you feelin', mate?" Bunny gestured for him to sit.
"Hungry." Jack said, wading through the blankets and pillows. He lowered himself across from Sandy.
Ambrose stood and pushed the tray of food closer to him.
"I'll get you something to warm you up." She walked past the fireplace and towards the kitchen. Jack tried to hold himself back as he chomped on mini cheese-and-cracker sandwiches, and raspberries. For a while, the only noise besides the crackle of burning wood was the sound of Jack munching. At a certain point, Tooth managed to get a few words out.
"So… how are you?" She peeped.
"Stiff." Jack managed in between bites. "I didn't think I had gotten that hurt. But then, I don't remember much after fighting Gunza."
"Of course you don't. I'm actually surprised you remember anything at all." Ambrose said, setting down a steaming bowl of soup and a mug in front of the winter spirit. His mouth watered at the smell of chicken and rice.
"What do you mean?" He asked, a few bites in. "Why is it so obvious?"
"Well, to put it lightly, you basically died."
Jack froze, the spoon sticking out from his mouth. He swallowed heavily and put the spoon down.
"I… what?!"
The autumn spirit sighed and lowered herself to the floor. She crossed her legs, sitting in front of the fireplace. The room grew quiet again as she began to speak.
Ambrose swung her crook and sent a strong gust of wind behind Jack. She watched as he shot through the air like a bullet and pierced through the wall of the storm's eye. For a moment, nothing happened, and the storm actually seemed to calm down. Suddenly, the eye of the storm vanished. A muffled boom popped Ambrose's ears as she was slammed with a wall of force so powerful she was sure some of her ribs had broken. The hurricane exploded. She was thrown from the sky, unable to control the wind around her. The clouds had been blown away and she could see the roof of the castle clearly as she fell. The shadows had collapsed and one by one burst into purple flames.
Ambrose crashed, luckily into the arms of a waiting team of yetis. She sat up, dazed, and blew a hair out of her face.
"Ambrose!" North made his way over, swords still unsheathed. "Are you alright?"
"Where's Jack?!" She asked hurriedly, climbing down from the Yetis arms. She hadn't seen the spirit or Gunza when the hurricane exploded.
"We will search for him." The big man replied, assuringly.
"He was thrown pretty deep into the Winter Roam." Cassius was on his feet again, no longer being held up by his guards. "Him and Gunza. If they're together then we need to move quickly. Jack could be in serious danger."
"You think she survived that?" Ambrose wondered aloud. Cassius shrugged.
"By the looks of it, no." He noted the fading purple haze. "But she's extremely powerful. It wouldn't surprise me if even after all of this she still is."
"No matter." North said firmly. "Even if she still walks, we will continue to fight."
"Cassius!" A voice called from behind. The three turned to see Edri in his young form run up to them. Cassius knelt to meet his eye.
"The Scales of Ma'at. They've just passed judgement."
"What?" Cassius frowned. "Alone? Can they even operate without you?"
"Apparently so. But Cassius, judgement was passed over two very powerful souls. I'm not sure who just yet but…" Edri trailed off. There was a heavy silence that hung over everyone. Not just the four but everyone close enough to hear. They were all thinking the same thing. Gunza and Jack were dead. Cassius frowned.
"Wait a minute," he said. "Who guided them?"
"What do you mean?" Ambrose asked him.
"Souls that pass on need to be guided by a reaper. They couldn't have done that unless Thana was somehow alive."
"Not necessarily." Edri cut in. "Jack was wielding Thana's scythe during the battle."
"Stop, stop!" North said loudly, waving his hounds around. "You speak and bicker like old ladies! Meanwhile, Jack is out there somewhere and we do not know if he is alive or dead. Forget the Hela. Forget the souls. We must go now!"
North stormed off, not bothering to wait for the three. Around them, several others followed the big man's lead, out of the Warden's Keep. Cassius, Edri, and Ambrose regained their awareness, still shocked at North's sudden outburst.
"Does that mean that Jack could still be alive?" Ambrose asked.
"It's possible." Cassius said "But the chances are slim."
Ambrose nodded. "Then we should go.
The masses had gone from fighting war to the largest search party Ambrose had ever seen. There were eyes everywhere. In the sky, giant butterflies and dragonflies, boys with wings, and bats flew. Ambrose's sheep, Cassius' feline army, North's yetis, and the rest of those who'd come to fight were scattered about the frozen fields. Hours had gone by. They searched to no end, turning up empty.
"Mon Dieu!" Nymph screamed, hugging her arms viciously. "Il fait si froid!"
"You said it." Helios agreed, shaking the snow off his shoulders. "It is so unnaturally cold."
"All the more reason to find him." Ambrose said through chattering teeth.
"Ambrose, we've been searching for hours." Nymph pleaded with her. "Any longer and we will start facing irreversible consequences."
"He could still be alive, Nymph!"
"Or he could not be!" She insisted. "There are nearly a thousand others that are split between searching for him and a Goddess of death. These lands are infinite! And besides, if isn't alive there's no telling if anything will be left of him. The laws in the realm of the the dead are dif-"
"SHUT UP!" Ambrose screamed. Her voice carried out, echoing across a kilometer of snow covered plains. Her fists and jaw were clenched. She was seething.
Nymph and Helios stood shocked. Nymph caught in the middle of her words, her mouth left hanging open. Ambrose exhaled a slow, shaky breath.
"Jack," she said calmly. "Has suffered endlessly through all of this. From the beginning. I know I haven't really been there for him in the past. He's faced too many atrocities alone. But," Ambrose picked up her gaze from her feet. Her voice wavered and her eyes were wet with threatening tears. "He saved all of us. The least we can do is find him…Alive or not."
The three spirits hung their heads, each one with conflicting emotions battling inside them. Nymph watched Ambrose and opened her mouth to speak.
Suddenly, the squeaky sound of a blowing horn cried faintly around them. It stopped for a moment, and then came another. Ambrose's eyes ran over the hills looking for the source of the noise. It came again and again. Nymph caught her eyes, a look of curiosity on her face. However as Ambrose's eyes connected with hers, she knew Nymph was thinking the same thing she was. They found him. Ambrose jumped to the sky, willing the wind to carry her up high. The sound of the horn grew softer, until she had to strain to hear it against the wind.
Finally, she spotted it. A few kilometers east of where they had been standing. Ambrose could see the silhouettes of a man and a large animal beside him. He must have seen her because he blew his horn louder and frantically waved his other hand. Ambrose dove towards him. Her vision of the man grew larger until she could clearly make out a brilliant suit of green armor, and a massive bullfrog beside him. She reached out her hand as she drew close. He nodded, understanding her intent, and tossed the horn as high as he could. Ambrose looped around, snatching it. As she flew back up, she inhaled as deeply as she could, even daring to summon the winds into her lungs. She raised the horn to her lips and blew.
The horn blasted across the winter roam. Eyes turned to the sky, following the sound up to where the autumn spirit hovered. The horn rang out like a siren. Farther north, it touched Cassius' ears. His eyes widened when he heard it, and almost instinctively, a pair of bat-like wings burst from his back.
"Lord Hades!" One of the feline guards called after him, but the king was long gone. He tore through the air, pumping his wings as hard as he could. His mind raced. Two powerful souls, Edri had said. Maybe it was just the timing. It's possible they were both still alive. Maybe a different soul had passed. He tried to convince himself that everything was okay, as he shot downward to the ground. He landed heavily, shifting the ice and snow around him. Ambrose and the man in the green armor stood side by side. The man had a hand on her back, the other gesturing as if explaining. Ambrose was crying. He didn't need to see her face to know. Looking past them, Cassius felt his heart stop and he quickly realized why Ambrose was so distraught.
Jack lay sprawled on his back, eyes closed. His hair and clothes were stained with splotches of dark-purple blood. Cassius' eyes trailed up the winter spirit's body, resting on his ribs. Protruding from his torso, glinting like excalibur, was Thana's scythe. The massive, black blade had run him through. The handle stuck out straight, almost as if someone had swung it down on him like an axe through wood. Cassius' eyes went wide.
"It must have happened during the fall." A voice said. The suit of green armor had spoken to him with an alto, Irish accent. Cassius frowned and turned to him.
"It looks intentional." He answered.
"Aye." The man said. "But no one could have done this. The boy was unconscious during the fall. The blade must have fallen on him." He shook his head. "What an unfortunate stroke of luck."
Cassius looked back towards Jack. His face looked so peaceful, he could have easily mistaken him for being asleep. Suddenly, a thought popped in the king's head. He knelt beside the spirit, watching him. He found himself reaching for the hilt of the scythe, his fingers gently wrapping around it.
"Lord Hades," the Irishman said cautiously. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"This has to be right." Cassius said quietly. He squeezed the hilt, and in a clean motion, swiftly removed the scythe. An intense flash of bright light forced him to look away. The light shone strongly, lighting up the darkness of the winter roam. Ambrose opened her eyes, after having squeezed them shut since finding Jack's body. From above, Helios and Nymph appeared on the tall peak of snow. They watched in awe.
Hovering a meter above Jack's body was a large, glowing blue rabbit. It hopped around, a ripple of blue expanding from where it stood. The spirits stared at the rabbit with wonder and fear. They'd never seen anything like it. Rather than a normal rabbit, this one had a pair of bird's wings folded neatly along its back.
"Skvader." The Irishman said. They all stared at him, confused.
"A myth," he continued. "In Swedish lore. The head and body of a hare, and the wings of a grouse."
"I see…" Cassius muttered. "This is what his soul takes the form of."
"Are we all like that?" Helios asked, earning him a slap on the neck from the spring spirit.
"Not the time!" She whispered harshly.
"So what does this mean?" Ambrose asked. "Is he dead?"
Cassius shook his head. "If it is as you say it is, Leprechaun," he said to the Irishman. "Then Jack accidentally released his own soul from his body. He's still alive."
Ambrose felt a wave of relief pass through her body. She almost began to cry again.
"What can we do?" Nymph asked. She and Helios stepped down from the peak of snow and now stood at their level.
"We'll bring him back to my realm. Edri and the summer spirit will work together to bring him back."
"Lord Hades," Helios interrupted. "I have healing properties, but this is far beyond my capabilities."
"I think you greatly underestimate yourself." The King said, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"What about the Hela?" Ambrose asked.
Cassius shook his head, beckoning them to help him lift the winter spirit's body.
"She's gone. That was the spirit Edri was talking about."
Ambrose and Nymph each took an arm, while Helios and Cassius held up his legs. The 4 trudged through the snow, with the armored leprechaun taking the lead.
"I thought the Anubis said there were two." Ambrose said to Cassius.
Cassius nodded, but didn't answer. It didn't take Ambrose too long to piece together who the second soul was. When she did, her eyes jumped to Thana's scythe resting in Cassius' free hand. That's when a thought occurred to her.
"His crook." She whispered.
"O'Malley's lookin' after it." The leprechaun said. "Found it stickin' out of the snow, not too far from the boy. Lead me right to him."
"Oh…" Ambrose trailed off. "Thank you, uh…"
"Éabha Dunleavy, at your expense." The leprechaun removed his helmet, revealing a long ponytail of brilliant red hair.
"You're a girl?" Helios asked, shocked. Éabha laughed.
"It'll always make me laugh whenever that happens. But just so you know, there are hundreds of us. The reigning leprechaun, the one who is symbolized on St. Patrick's day, is chosen every year. I was the lucky draw this year."
"Oh s'il vous plaît, Helios." Nymph pestered him. "Even I knew that."
"Well of course you would, St. Patrick's day is in the spring."
"Who's O'Malley?" Ambrose asked Èabha. The leprechaun smiled at her, gesturing ahead of them to the giant bullfrog she had spotted earlier. The bullfrog was fitted with a saddle, reins, and side bags.
"We'll gladly take him back to the keep. I imagine that's more comfortable than schlepping him there on your shoulders." Èahba said, climbing onto the frog. The spirits carefully hoisted Jack up, Èahba beginning to secure him to the saddle. Ambrose looked over at the saddle bags, seeing a familiar curved shape poke out from one. She reached inside, pulling out the top curve of Jack's crook. She felt her heart sink. The magical staff had shattered, and was now broken into 6 pieces.
Èahba looked back down at the spirits, all staring sadly at the broken crook. She smiled warmly.
"Don't you worry 'bout that." She said cheerfully. "I'll bring that to Keelan. He's an exquisite carver. Makes everything from the sturdiest of tables to the most intricate of details. He'll have it patched up and stronger than ever."
Ambrose nodded and placed the crook back into the saddle bag. Èahba made one last check and saddled herself in.
"Well, I'll be goin' now. I'll meet you all back at the keep. And don't worry," she reassured them. "I won't let anything happen to him." She snapped the reins. O' Malley's throat swelled up as he croaked, and the frog waddled away.
Cassius expanded his wings and took to the sky. The remaining season spirits watched him fly away after the leprechaun. An air of dread hung over the three.
"Well," Helios broke the silence. "Nymph, at least you can start spring on time this year."
She hit him again, cursing him in Frankish. Ambrose found herself smiling, even laughing a little.
"Stop hitting me! I was trying to lighten the mood!" Helios cried, raising his arms over his head.
"The only thing that needs lightening is the amount of air in that head of yours!" She huffed.
"What should we do now?" Ambrose asked them. Nymph took her hand gently.
"Ambrose," she said softly. "I apologize for what I said earlier. I did not mean to suggest that we leave Jack for dead. It was wrong of me."
Ambrose sighed. "I know you didn't, Nymphie. I guess, ever since the gathering, I've just been angry. I've realized how carelessly we've been pushing him aside, and I guess I felt guilty for it."
"We've all been neglectful, Rose." Helios said. "Sure, Jack Frost has been a pain in our necks. But we were wrong in judging him so harshly for it."
"You were right, Ambrose." Said Nymph. "He saved all of our lives, and in return he may be giving up his own. Never have I felt so ashamed." She squeezed Ambrose's hand. "But to feel shame does nothing. Now we know what must be done. And it starts now."
Ambrose and Helios smiled at the spring spirit. Without another word, they took to the air, following the Hades' path.
Ambrose paused her story, realizing that she was getting off track. She looked up from her hands folded in her lap. The Guardians all watched her, engrossed by her story. Jack was staring at the floor. He slowly squeezed and flexed his hands over and over. Ambrose sighed.
"Èahba took you to the Warden's Keep, and from there Cassius brought you back to Elysium. It took 4 days for him, Edri, and Helios to piece your soul back into your body. Since then, we've all been taking turns watching over you, waiting for you to wake up."
Jack stopped, leaving his hands open. He chewed his bottom lip.
"What do you mean waiting?" He asked, picking his head up. "How long have I been asleep for?"
"Since the battle," Tooth spoke up. "It's been almost two months"
Jack's jaw dropped.
"TWO MONTHS?!" He shouted. "What month is it?!"
"It's almost May, mate." Bunny said with a smile. "Must have hit the snooze button a few times too many."
"But that doesn't make any sense! I was only in Limbo for a few hours."
"You were in Limbo?" Ambrose leaned forward.
"What is Limbo?" North asked.
Jack retold his experience in the beige room. Waking up with the fish in his hand, having to guide Angrboda's soul, and of course, about Thana. When he finished, everyone stared at him, blown away.
"I can't believe you found her again." Tooth said happily. "It must have brought you the closure you needed."
Jack smiled, remembering the weight-lifting hug Thana had given him before she passed. A feeling of warmth spread through his chest.
"So," he started again. "My crook is being fixed by leprechauns?" He asked whimsically. "Aren't they meant to be shoemakers?"
North and Sandy burst out laughing. Ambrose gaped at him.
"That's your takeaway?" She asked, baffled. "That leprechauns are fixing your magical tree branch"
"Right right, you're right." He motioned his hands in a 'calm-down' way. "My soul on the other hand, way more interesting. I mean who would have guessed that I'm a giant, flying bunny rabbit?"
"Jack!" Ambrose exclaimed.
"I certainly wouldn't have." Bunny grumbled.
Sandy jingled in agreement.
"Right!" North exclaimed loudly, standing to his feet. "Jack is awake now, and he is smiling! Now we must go."
Jack frowned.
"You're leaving?"
"We've all been coming to make sure that you were okay. And hopefully to see you wake up." Tooth explained. "Now that we see that you're awake and well, we know we can get back to work without worrying so much."
"You've been watching over me?"
"Of course!" North exclaimed. "We are family, Jack. Must I tell you every time?"
"We love you, Jack." Tooth assured him. "Despite all the mistakes we've made, we really do care for you."
They pulled the winter spirit into a hug, North practically lifting all of them off the ground.
Outside, Jack and Ambrose waved goodbye as each of the guardians departed. The two spirits stood outside, the soft bleating of sheep all around them.
"How's Cassius doing? Now that there's no Hela?"
"He's done well for himself." Ambrose crossed her arms. "After the war, it was almost like a switch clicked in his mind. He realized how selfish he had been. He's reconstructed the entire system of the afterlife." She turned away from the view of the ocean to the hill behind the cottage. Her flock of sheep appeared as white dots, grazing on the lush, green fields. Idyss sat in his dog form, watching the sheep and occasionally yawning heavily.
"You should go see him." Ambrose told him.
"You mean go to Elysium?"
Ambrose nodded.
"Cassius wanted to see you after you woke up. Something about getting back at you for showing him up."
"Oh boy." He sighed. "Guess I should have seen that one coming. But how am I supposed to get there? I can't really go anywhere without my crook."
"I'll grant you one last favor," she said. She cupped her hands around her mouth and took a deep breath.
"WHEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOP!"
A high pitch, whistle-like noise echoed loudly from her mouth. Jack was suddenly reminded of cowboys at a rodeo. A "yeehaw!" bounced around in his head. Suddenly, two sheep were standing directly before him. Idyss had joined them as well.
"You're giving me sheep?"
"Don't underestimate the flock, Jack. Idyss and I have trained them well. They'll guide you to wherever you need to go, and protect you if necessary."
"Do they have names?" Jack scratched one behind the ear.
"Of course they have names." Ambrose said as if it was the most obvious thing. "That one," she pointed to the one on his left. "Is Plato. This is Archimedes."
"A pleasure to meet you both." Jack said jokingly. "But seriously, Ambrose." He wrapped his arms around her. She froze, a face of surprise appearing.
"Thank you." Jack said to her. Ambrose smiled and hugged him back.
"You can call me Rose."
