Chapter 5
Loss and addition

The way back to the North Pole was deadly silent. North prepared a guestroom for the young winter spirit to take some rest, while the three remaining Guardians and Hiccup made a ceremony for Sandman. In the workshop, they went on the balcony used for the Big Four meetings. On the floor was a tile usually used to transmit messages from Lord Søl, reflecting his light. It was decorated with carvings of the four Guardians. They gathered around Sandy's picture, where they placed several candles.

Yetis and elves joined in, all of them took a break from their work and came to present their respects and bid the fallen Guardian farewell. It was the first time in the spirit world they had to suffer such a loss. Vested with immortality by Lord Søl, no spirit could be murdered. The only possible death for them was by being forgotten.

This death was painfully slow, the magic of the spirit vanishing little by little, until values died too. That was only then the body started to dissipate too, and after that the spirit was lost forever. But never before had a spirit been destroyed like this by another one. It was raising a question about Pitch : what would be the punishment for such a crime ?

The different spirits gathered around the Sandman's carving, lit up in golden light by the candles, and they remained there to mourn, silence only interrupted by a soft jingle melody coming from the elves and their bells. This was a beautiful ceremony, simple, humble, silent, the three Guardians and Hiccup had no doubts Sandy would have loved it.

By the end of the gathering, North decided to go check on their guest. He panicked a bit when he saw the empty bed, but he breathed again as he found the boy by the window. He was sitting on the windowsill, huddled up like a lost child, the hood pulled up on his head, silent. North looked at him from the door, and felt a wave of sadness as a pale finger touched the window. Frosted patterns started to form and drew a familiar silhouette, a short chubby one with open arms and long spikes of hair. Sandy.

Visibly, even if this young spirit had not known Sandy, he was saddened by his death, too. It comforted North in the idea Hiccup shared with them, that this accomplice was not evil and must have been manipulated by Pitch. The big bearded man cleared his throat and stepped in.

''Arre you alrright ?''

The boy didn't look at him and lowered his head. When he replied, his voice was hoarse and barely a whisper. His throat seemed tight as if he was holding back sobs.

''I didn't know Pitch was planning to kill him. If I had known, I would have never helped him. I… I wish I could've done something for Sandman.''

''Done something forr him ?''

North couldn't believe what he had heard and came closer to sit next to the boy, but not too close.

''You stood up to Pitch. You saved us !''

''But Sandman-''

''Sandy would have been prroud of what you did.''

The boy hesitantly looked up to him, but he lowered his head back down, averting his eyes with uneasiness. He seemed tensed.

''By the way, have not been prresented.'' North said, trying to cheer him up. ''I'm Santa Claus, but you can call me Norrth. And you, what's yourr name ?''

''… Jack Frost.''

''Well, Jack Frrost, nice to meet you. Now you'rre feeling betterr, how about you officially meet the otherrs ?''

Jack hesitated a bit, then he pulled down his hood and nodded, the ghost of a smile playing on his thin lips.

He silently followed North back to where the others were. The spirits had not moved even if the yetis and elves had gone back to work. The candles were still flickering on Sandy's file. Aster was close to the fireplace, trying to warm himself up. Tooth was floating in front of the window, glazed eyes lost on the snow-covered landscape. Hiccup was crouching in front of the fireplace, mindlessly paying with some ambers. The three of them looked up as they heard North's heavy steps, and their eyes landed on the shorter and way much thinner silhouette next to him, almost hiding behind him.

''My frriends, zis iz Jack Frrost.''

''Jack ?'' Hiccup hesitated.

The viking tried to keep his composure despite what this name was doing to him, and all the memories it was bringing back. He could even hear a laugh emerging from the past, but he tried his might not to listen to it. North introduced each of them to the younger spirit, who nodded shyly and couldn't seem to hold their gaze. The other noticed this and dimmed this to guilt and fear, so they tried to make him more at ease.

''Listen mate,'' Aster assured. ''we don't blame ya fur helpin' Pitch, okay ? We know he's a manipulator, I bet ya didn' even know what ya were gettin' yarself in.''

''… He didn't say we were going to kill someone. We just wanted to find some believers, I didn't want things to get down like this, I swear, I'm so sorry for what happened to Sandman and-''

''It's okay, Jack.'' North reassured him, patting the top of his mop of white hair.

But the boy blenched and stepped back, tightening his grip on his shepherd staff and pressing it against his chest. North withdrew his hand, worried he had hurt the boy, but the widdened icy blue eyes seemed more astounded than anything else.

''Did you…'' Jack gasped. ''Did you just touch me ?''

''Huh… Yes ? Sorry ?''

Without knowing it, Hiccup and Aster thought the same thing at the same time, the poor boy must have been really lonely to react like this to a simple touch. Jack tentatively poked North's arm, as if he couldn't believe this was real.

A huge smile bloomed on his pale face, he opened his mouth as if about to say something, but he got interrupted as Tooth let out a hysterical squeak and rushed to him, burrying her fingers in his mouth and pulling at his lips.

''Oh goodness, look at his teeth ! They're so white, they're so white ! Oh they sparkle like freshly fallen snow !''

''Tooth ! Fingerrs out the mouth !'' North protested, half shocked, half embarrassed.

''Oh, sorry !''

She hovered back and let go of Jack's mouth, who moved his lips with a confused face, but the fairy came back and put her hands on his shoulders, pink eyes sparkling in delight.

''They're beautiful !''

Jack eyed her hands on his shoulder. He still seemed unbelieving and uncomfortable, and the fairy noticed so she quickly let go. The boy's reaction brought back the other spirits to the previous topic. North was the first to talk.

''Jack, why arre you so surrprrised we can touch you ?''

''Nobody could before. Nobody could see nor hear me.''

''Ya ain't got believers, so no wonder.'' Aster shrugged.

The bunny was not meaning to be rude, but his words were nontheless. Jack lowered his head and burried his free hand in his front pocket.

''I know, I get it's normal with humans since there are other spirits they can't see but… but the spirits either couldn't see me.''

''What ?'' Hiccup started.

''Pitch is the first one who managed to hear me, but he couldn't see nor touch me. I saw you guys several time, mostly Sandman and the small fairies, but no matter what I did I couldn't be seen. I don't understand what has changed.''

North hesitantly put a large hand on the boy's skinny shoulder, he flinched by he didn't pushed away, just tilting his head up to look at the enormous man with curious and confused eyes.

''Jack, it iz not normal spirits can't see you. Lorrd Søl must have told you zat.''

''Lord Sol ? Who's Lord Sol ?''

This took aback the spirits even more than the rest. Every spirit knew who was the Sun, he constantly talked to them the first time he has created them, to greet them, explain them their pass from a world to another, so they knew they weren't alone and weren't too confused.

''The Sun.'' North explained. ''He didn't talk to you when he made you ?''

''But… It was night time the first time I woke up.''

''Night time ?''

Jack shyly nodded, he seemed even more lost, the other spirits would have lied saying they weren't too. While everyone was just enable to explain this, something unexeptable happened. A ray of light sipped through the ceiling window, usually used to let sunlight in and messages from Lord Søl. But it was not sunlight. This light was softer, colder, silver.

The five spirits looked up to the opening, and there in the blue sky, almost blending in it, there was the Moon. North's gaze followed the silver rays descending on them, and noticed they were lighting up Jack. The young spirit seemed magnified in the cold light, reflecting in his pale face, snowy locks and ice blue eyes. Even the frost on his clothes shone and sparkled. The boy squinted his eyes and smiled a bit as he used a hand to shield his eyes from the blinding light.

''Lady Máne…'' North breathed.

The others focused on him while the light subdued slowly, like a caress.

''Could it be… ?''

''What is it, North ?'' Tooth inquired.

The big man couldn't answer her. At this point, North was staring mouth-gaping at the winter spirit, which was seriously unsettling the younger one. His thin shoulders tensed, his knuckles turned whiter on his staff and he averted his eyes.

''You all saw what just happened.'' North finally said. ''I think Jack… has been made by the Moon.''

''What ?!'' Aster started, looking back to the newer spirit with wide eyes.

The boy shrunk on himself, embarrassed and slightly fearful blue eyes darting on each and every other spirit in front of him. All of them were staring back with nothing but bewilderment on their face. When North took a step towards him, the boy backed, but it was no wonder seeing how small and fragile he looked compared to the big man. North was the tallest of them, and Jack was the shorter. Maybe Tooth was shorter than him, but since she was constantly hovering above the ground, she didn't seem short at all.

''Did you see ze moon, zat night ? Did she talked to you ?''

''Huh… yeah ? She was so bright in the darkness, it was beautiful. She's the one who told me my name, but that's all she ever said to me.''

''But how is this possible ?'' Tooth wondered out loud. ''I thought only Lord Søl could create spirits ?''

''Looks like Lady Máne tried it up.'' Aster smirked, crossing his arms. ''And she didn' fail seeing how powerful he is.''

''She did fail.'' Hiccup growled.

All turned to him and found him frowning, clenching his fists. He seemed so angry they were expecting red flames to burst on his shoulders and his hands.

''Have you not listen to what Jack said ? The other spirits couldn't see him until last night.''

Silence fell around them, then the Guardians admitted he had a point. They felt bad for the younger spirit. Tooth flew hesitantly to him and put a hand on his shoulder. She waited to meet his eyes before she gave him a smile. It was faint and a bit faked, but she tried to be reassuring.

''And… how long has it been ? Since that night ?'' She asked with precautions.

Jack's eyes filled with sadness and he lowered his head.

''Three hundred years.''

It felt like a slap in the face for every spirit in front of him. Three hundred years was not much in a spirit's life, it made Jack a very young and unexperimented one, like a child, but still knowing he had spend three centuries all alone, invisible for everyone, including spirits… it was just too much. Once again, Hiccup and Aster thought the same thing, it was monstruous and nobody deserved this. One of them clenched his paws while the other's flames burst on his shoulders.

Jack jumped and backed seeing the flames, so Hiccup calmed down to put them out, quickly apologizing for the fright.

''And before that ?'' Aster asked the boy.

''Before what ?''

''Who were ya before Jack Frost ?''

The winter spirit's reaction puzzled them as he seemed even more lost, blue eyes widdening in confusion.

''I… But I wasn't anyone before I was Jack Frost… ?''

''Of course you were. We were all someone before we were chosen.'' Tooth said.

''What… ?''

North burst out in laugher and pointed to Aster next to him.

''You should have seen Bunny !''

''I told ya never ta mention that !'' The rabbit hissed lowly.

''That night at the pound, I just… I-I assumed that…''

Hiccup's throat tightened as he heard the word 'pound', his heart poundered faster, moved with a sudden burst of hope, but he didn't let it fool him. His thoughts died down as he heard the boy talk again, this time his voice was excited and he even started to bounce in front of the fairy.

''Are you saying… Are you saying I had a life before that ? With a… With a home ? And a family ?''

Tooth stared intently into his eyes, shocked to see the sincerity of his emotions.

''You really don't remember…'' She whispered.

This was not a question. This was constatation. Visibly, this was another problem Lady Máne had not managed to fix when she made him a spirit. But what shocked Tooth the most was this sudden feeling she had failed. She was the Guardian of Memories, it was her job to collect the memories within the baby teeth and remind the children of their most precious childhood memories. And for three hundred years, she had not noticed that a child – a spirit looking like a teen, but still a child – was amnesic and lost ?

''If only I had known…'' She gasped.

Jack's smile dropped and he gave her a quizzical look as he saw her amethyst eyes filling with unshed tears. She softly patted his shoulder, on the verge of tears.

''I'm so sorry Jack, if only I had known before, I could have helped you.''

''How ?''

''My fairies and I collect the teeth because of the memories inside them. The most important memories of childhood. We protect them, and when someone needs to remember what's important, we help them. We had everyone's at the Tooth Palace. Yours too.''

''Really ?''

She nodded with a pained smile, guilt showing in every feature of hers, still the boy's smile brightened.

''You have to show me !'' He blurted out with joy.

A gust of wind slipped through the windows and lifted the boy as if he was a leaf, he swirled around the fairy – which amused her a bit – but she had to put an end to this.

''I can't. Pitch has them.''

The boy stopped and dropped back to the ground. His expressive face darkened but not with anger, it darkened with the weight of betrayal and having been fooled.

''He knew… He knew from the start and he had never told me.''

His grip tightened on his staff and he leaned against it.

''I'm so stupid…''

''Don' blame yarself, kid.'' Aster said. ''Pitch is a smooth-talker, ya ain't the first one he tricked with false promesses and ya certainly ain't the last one. What matters is that ya got outta his nets.''

Jack hesitated, then a small smile stretched his lips, a grateful smile and a nod for the rabbit, who smiled back. Hiccup couldn't help but smile too. Despite his inner troubles gnawing at him, seeing his rabbit friend open up and show kindness warmed up his heart.

This was a beautiful portrait of comradeship between the three remaining Guardians and this new ally. But the moment was ruined as Tooth noticed with horror something going on on the globe. She didn't waste time to tell the others.

''Look how fast they're going out.''

She was talking about the lights, about the children believing in them. It was way too fast and over-worrysome, but not that surprising. Sandy had always been the most powerful Guardian, the one bringing more joy to the children. It was thanks to his dreams the children managed to keep hope and wonder, and could keep in mind good memories. Without him, it felt like the other Guardians's work didn't matter at all, or not enough to reverse the current trend.

Jack took off with a gust of wind and flew up to the globe, getting a closer look to the lights.

''It's fear. He's using fear against them. He's tipped the balance, hasn't he ?''

''Yes.'' Tooth admitted.

Jack gave her an horrified look, then he glanced at the other Guardians. Hiccup did too. The fire spirit noticed Tooth's wings were beating slower than usual, and North looked pale. The effects were already visible on them.

''Without Sandy's dreams, the rest of us don't have any chance.'' The fairy added, looking hopeless and helpless.

''I don't understand…'' Jack hesitated as he floated back to land next to them.

''We're all connected by the kids' belief.'' Aster explained. ''Children believing in one o' us tend ta believe in all o' us. No Tooth Fairy means no Easter Bunny.''

At this point, Bunny's ears were flatten against the back of his skull.

''You see,'' North added, patting the boy's shoulder. ''Zis iz a verry sloperry slip.''

Jack nodded in understanding, before glancing back to the globe.

''Has the globe ever gone dark before ?''

''Yes, before the Guardians existed.'' Tooth answered. ''Before that, there were only nature spirits. Then, during Dark Ages, Pitch decided to start his reign of darkness. He kept the children afraid of the dark, of the shadows.''

''We all make choices.'' Hiccup added, talking for the first time in the conversation, which seemed to had weight to his words. ''The Big Four chose to be Guardians, Pitch chose a path of darkness.''

North nodded in approval, then gestured to the globe.

''And this is the result.''

Jack stared at the flickering and blinking out lights, knuckles turning white on his staff.

''I guess I really was wrong about him, then.''

North patted the top of his head in try to comfort him, but the general mood couldn't be somber. Well, until Aster spoke up.

''Hey, it ain't over yet. We can still turn this around !''

He stepped in front of the globe and jumped on the console so they could see his cheerful face. The spirits could feel him radiate with his center, hope, and knew he had a plan, so they listened carefully. Jack took a step forward and found himself between North and Tooth, silently telling them he was going to help, which the other spirits appreciated.

''Easter is tomorrow, and I'll need yer help. I say we pull out all at tops and we get these little lights flickering again !''

They looked back to the globe, each of them feeling hope spread within their core. Like it was said, ''as long as there's life, there is hope'' and the Guardians thanked their friend for reminding them that.