Sorry for the long wait, but here is chapter 3! BTW, thank you all for the lovely reviews:) I own nothing, and please enjoy.

"JACK, MOVE!"

Hearing his name called, Jack snapped out of his trance and dodged Pitch's oncoming throttle at the last minute. As he jumped, Jack sent a bolt of ice right towards the boogeyman, but Pitch had already disappeared back into the shadows. North had tried slashing his swords, but they had only cut through air. Tooth flew to a halt when Pitch had disappeared and Sandy's whips had been deflected off the wall Pitch had faded into before dissipating in Sandy's grasp. Bunny let out a growl and chucked a boomerang at the wall with frustration. However, instead of simply bouncing off the wall, the boomerang flew right into a black void and vanished.

Bunny jumped as his precious boomerang was nowhere to be found as it slipped into the dark void.

Everyone let out a sudden cry when Bunny let out a yelp of pain as his boomerang appeared out of nowhere and spiraled directly into the back of Bunny's head. Bunny scrabbled for his boomerang and snatched it off the ground, retreating back to the other Guardians in a poised battle stance.

The Guardians clumped together in a circle, it would be easier to fight Pitch off if they stood as a single body. They shuffled together nervously. Previously, Pitch was able to control Nightmares and corrupt dream sand, but now, Pitch seemed to have an unlimited reign over the shadows and darkness. Something that could easily swamp the Guardians if they weren't careful enough.

Jack, however, had other plans. He needed to stay isolated to be able to confront Pitch one-to-one.

It was terribly silent.

Weapons drawn out, the Guardians listened with intense ears. There was the occasional creek of a chained cage up above and Tooth's constant fluttering with her wings. Otherwise, no one dared to even breath. Everyone's heartbeat was racing, their own blood rushing through their ears.

Suddenly, without warning, shadows leaped from the walls and attacked the Guardians from all angles. Everyone jumped out of the way and avoided the onslaught of the darkness. But the shadows didn't stop. They continued to spring from the walls and wreak havoc across the lair. They tore themselves relentlessly from the chamber stone walls and flung themselves at dangerous speeds at the Guardians. Who knew what would happen if one of them touched you? The Guardians didn't want to find out. They constantly ran from the shadows and darkness as the shadows seemed to screech with fury as they blasted through walls and columns, their mission to destroy the Guardians.

The Guardians could see Pitch controlling the shadows from time to time but they couldn't get anywhere near him with the shadows on their tails. It didn't help that whenever the Guardians tried to attack the darkness and shadows, their weapons would merely phase through them.

Eventually, the routine began to get tedious and Pitch-being the greedy and hasty bastard he was-began to grow genuinely tiresome of the one-handed battle and decided to join in for himself. Bringing his shadows to retreat, Pitch used them as his shield.

Seeing this opportunity, Bunny began throwing egg bombs and Sandy unleashed his whips. Both spirits attacked Pitch with all their might but the shadows jumped in and protected their master in a vortex of black sand. Jack then fired a shot of ice at the torpedo of sand which instantly began to freeze, but the sand fought through the frozen barrier as dozens of ice shards flew out and littered the ground. However, giving a moment to expose Pitch. Thinking quickly, Jack swished his staff, picking up all the ice shards and shot them all at Pitch in a flurry. Pitch swiftly dodged by diving back into the ground and popping back up in a different spot.

Bunny moved his feet as quickly as he could and chucked both of his boomerangs at Pitch. The boomerangs spiked Pitch in the chest as the man was thrown backwards, but Pitch attacked with his nightmare sand twice as hard and Bunny was mercilessly thrown backwards across the room, his arm guards unable to absorb the hit and vulnerable without his boomerangs in hand. On his rapid decent, Bunny's head flew into a column and he was knocked unconscious almost instantly.

North jumped in and furiously slashed his swords at the boogeyman. North was able to slice Pitch right in the middle, but in that split moment, Pitch's body became transparent like a shadow and the blades went right through him without any damage. North doubled back in shock, it just blew his mind how powerful had suddenly become and that the Guardians might not win this fight. Taking this chance, Pitch sent a similar attack from Bunny at North as the large man was also sent flying back and immediately knocked unconscious once he came in contact with a wall. Jack tried to stop North's hit but in the process, he too had taken the hit and was flung backwards, but not with the full blunt of the force.

Sandy stepped in and flung his whips around Pitch in a mad dance. Pitch gladly joined in as he sent his shadows back at Sandy in an equally challenged dual. However, before Sandy was able to get a decent hit on Pitch, the shadows had caught up to him and latched onto his tiny limbs. Sandy struggled but the shadows yanked with full might towards the ground, swallowing the Sandman down with them. And just like that, the Sandman had disappeared into the ground and sent to another part of Pitch's vast lair, far away from the fight.

It was down to Tooth and Jack. Jack was just recovering from the previous hit and the only thing keeping him going was the sheer will that he needed to know if his Destiny was real. It didn't help that during the fight, everyone had been reckless and many walls and columns had been broken, the lair was beginning to crumble and shake, seemingly ready to fully collapse any minute now. He needed to get the Guardians out and talk to Pitch alone... somehow.

Tooth went in for the charge, she had an extremely rough time with the shadows. Surprisingly, flying didn't make it any easier. In fact, she had gotten quite lost in the maze of corridors and only recently found a way back. All she saw was her fallen comrades and that was enough to get her blood boiling. Reaching speeds that would easily rival Jack's and Bunny's combined, Tooth cut past Pitch at sonic speeds, her wings trying to get a decent slice at the boogeyman.

Tooth was doing a good job until Pitch simply found the right timing between her attacks and countered back with his own shadows. Tooth was sent spiraling towards the ceiling, her body slamming into the roof, causing the ceiling to crack and give out before she fell to the ground in a weak and lifeless heap.

As fate would have it though, the knock to the ceiling Tooth delivered was enough to trigger Pitch's lair to collapse. The ceiling began to cave in, the columns began to crumble and the walls began to collapse.

"V'e must get out off here!" North's voice echoed throughout the cavern, he himself just arriving to consciousness.

Sandy had just arrived on the scene and sent his golden dreamsand throughout the entire lair, desperately seeking out a quick exit.

Bunny eventually came to and began to sprint out, "Where's Tooth!?" He shouted, noticing the female of the gang was nowhere to be seen.

Meanwhile, Jack had been trying to catch up, but hearing Bunny's statement forced him to stop. He did so just in time, Jack turned around to see Tooth splayed on the ground caught as one of her wings were crushed under a boulder. The roof began to fall around her as she let out a horrific scream as rocks were going to fall on top of her and crush the rest of her.

Jack didn't think twice. His feet soared and flew towards Tooth as he swung his staff with as much power as he could, trying to call the wind to make him get to Tooth faster. However, the place had begun to give out and Jack found himself trying to not get squashed as well. He just kept his eyes locked on Tooth and prayed that he could make it in time. But as luck would have it, the cracked ceiling above Tooth finally gave out and tons of rocks and stones began to plummet down to the earth, racing towards the fairy. Jack tried to use his ice magic to create a shield around Tooth, but his ice could never make it that far without pieces of the building falling in the way.

Jack trembled as the reality sunk in that he wouldn't make it in time. His heart screamed for Tooth as he pushed himself one last time to save her, even though Tooth's death would be upon them in less than a second. At this rate, Tooth wasn't going to make it. No, Jack begged, it can't end like this... not again. Please, this can't happen.

A tear flew out of Jack's eyes as he reached out for the fairy and let out a gut-wrenching cry, "STOP!"

A force shoved Jack to the floor as an explosion rippled throughout the cavern. Jack's staff was flung out of his hand as he slammed his hands to his ears and clamped his eyes shut as he curled into himself, not even daring to move. Jack felt rubble and rocks fly at him as he was too afraid to budge from his spot, his arms folded tightly over his face to protect himself and he stayed in that position even though it felt safe. Warm tears slowly leaked from his eyes and trickled down his face as he didn't ever want to look up. He didn't want to wake up to find Tooth dead and himself trapped within Pitch's lair with no escape.

But he did open his eyes...

And what he saw was nothing that he could have ever imagined.

As Jack pressed himself off the ground, he noticed the cold and smooth texture of the floor and realized it was covered in ice. Jack stood up and gawked as everything had been frosted over in ice. However, it wasn't like an icy and snowy wasteland, it was more like the ice had frozen things in place. Ice tainted objects stood stock still, even those objects that were hovering in midair, such as falling debris. Nothing budged or made a sound. Jack noticed the Guardians (minus Tooth) in a far corner where it was as if someone had pushed a pause button while they were running. But they were oblivious to their current state.

It was cold, quiet and still.

It was as if time had stopped.

It was as if Jack had actually frozen time itself.

"How did I-?" Jack wondered out loud as he stood up entirely and meekly called out, "Hello?"

"Hello, Jack."

Jack let out a cry and whipped around to see the owner of the voice none other than Pitch Black. Time itself can't even stop him!? Jack stumbled backwards and scrambled on his fours, hiding behind stilled rocks. Unbeknownst to either of them, Jack's staff laying lifelessly behind the rock Jack was pressed up against.

Jack looked up at Pitch, if it were possible, he looked even scarier and more threatening than before. And placed on the boogeyman's forehead was the S symbol that Jack saw in his nightmare. That certainly didn't bode well. It glowed menacingly at Jack, laughing, punishing him as it burned itself into his memory.

"I knew I was in the right to choose you as my vessel." Pitch drawled in a sickly sweet voice as he began to slowly approach the Winter Spirit. "It's quite impressive, such raw power." Pitch continued to taunt Jack as the dark spirit managed to corner the white haired teen.

"It may be your birthday, but an infinite amount of candles cannot wish away your fate now." Pitch leaned down towards Jack, his face only a mere inch away from Jack's, which made the teen turn away in a wince and shudder, "No matter what you do, where you go, how much you fight, how much you beg... you cannot escape. Nothing can save you now."

Jack peeked open one eye just a tad; he couldn't bare to look at the man leaning down before him. He was a fool, he had put the Guardians in danger by coming. Jack finally understood that now. The Guardians shouldn't have gotten involved, this was all his fault. He should have stopped them from interfering. He didn't deserve their care, they barely even knew him. Now they were in danger, everyone was in danger, all because of him. And Jack didn't know what to do.

But right now, Jack had to save the Guardians. He had to try. Jack cracked his eye opened a little more and gasped when he saw his staff lying within arm's reach. His fingers gracefully trailed over to where his staff was ever-so carefully.

"Well, Frost?" Pitch spoke, vying for a response.

Jack finally faced Pitch with cruel, stern eyes, "I can sure as hell try!"

Without warning, Jack swung his staff at Pitch and sent out a shock-wave of ice hurling at the man. Pitch, not predicting the sudden attack, was blown back by the blast and was forced to retreat into the shadows to recuperate.

Jack took this chance to search for Tooth in hopes that he had saved her and stopped the rocks from crushing her. Jack bounded over a few rocks and rubble and found Tooth to his much relief. Apparently, Jack had saved her in the nick of time as well, the stones that were going to kill the fairy had stopped just above Tooth's arm that was protecting her head. Jack didn't have time to think about Tooth's frozen state, as he effortlessly lifted up the boulder that had crushed Tooth's wing. The boulder stopped in midair once Jack released it. Jack blasted a hole in the ceiling and scooped Tooth into his arms and flew out from the ground, not worrying to much about her frozen state or the other Guardians, he just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.

Jack raced out of the thicket of woods and towards the closest place that he was fond of, his lake. As Jack flew over the forest and eventually into the city, he gaped with horror as it seemed that the entire land had been touched by his curse. Everything and everyone had been frozen in a sheer layer of ice. Nothing moved or breathed, the world had become nothing but a still life of death and nothingness. Jack forced himself to look away and focus on the task at him, he would figure out a way to reverse this.

Jack dropped to his lake and placed Tooth onto the frozen pond. To his shock, Tooth had been thawed from time and was now just moving and breathing, acting if she had just been rescued from drowning. She scrambled to her feet in a panic, but grimacing as her crushed wing twitched with pain. Tooth looked like she was about to have a panic attack, Jack had to place his hands on her shoulders to stop her from running rampant.

"Jack, what happened!?" Tooth cried out, "Why is Pitch so strong? How is he back?" Tooth looked behind and her features saddened as she gazed upon the lifeless land, "Did he do this, whatever this is?" She returned her stare back to the Winter Spirit.

Jack's hands dropped off Tooth's shoulders. "No, it was me. I froze time..." Jack admitted, trying not to choke on his own words.

Tooth swallowed the information and nodded, "We'll fix this." She said firmly, balling her hands into tight fists.

Jack flinched, she was just trying to be brave and positive for his sake. There was no hope in the end.

"But why is Pitch attacking you? Why so soon, why now?" Tooth scowled, unable to answer the multitude of questions that were filling up her brain.

Jack bit his tongue, you have to protect her, he thought. Tooth couldn't know the truth. "I- I'm not sure," Jack flat-out lied, stuttering slightly, "I just want it to stop!" Jack screamed, his hands running through his hair in stress.

Before Tooth was able to reply, the whinny of a Nightmare echoed off from the edge of the woods. The two Guardians stood together and turned towards the noise to find a small group of Nightmares surrounding their king.

"Jack, go." Tooth ordered, sliding herself in front of Jack.

"What-!? Tooth, no-" Jack responded, utterly baffled by the fairy's decision.

"I will not let Pitch get to you, just go!"

Jack didn't even know why he took to the skies and flew off. He didn't want to leave Tooth there by herself. Why would he flee just like that? All Jack could feel was a sickening pit in his stomach and his heart beating through his chest. When Tooth gave the cue, Jack's body had willingly escaped and gave into the fear that he was trying so desperately to fight off. But he couldn't just leave Tooth with Pitch! Sure, she could get by those Nightmares, but no way would she be able to actually battle Pitch with any hope of winning, and without a wing, she couldn't fly, and that meant...

Jack stopped in midair and looked back. What had he done?

A part of Jack screamed at him to stop and take the chance to run while he still had it, but another part of him just couldn't leave Tooth to potentially die. Jack wouldn't be able to live with himself if that happened. There was no question about it, Jack had to rescue Tooth and face Pitch.

Jack landed on the ground just a little ways beyond his lake, he ran on foot towards the battle that he could barely even hear when suddenly, a screech was thrown into the vacant air and echoed off of all the trees, making Jack's hair stand up on end. Jack made a mad dash towards his lake, only to find Tooth no where in sight and his home a wasteland with nightmare sand littering the environment.

Jack slowly approached the scene, a worried expression written over his face.

Suddenly, from the ice beneath Jack, Pitch sprung up in front of the boy from the shadows and firmly grasped onto Jack's wrists.

Jack let out a yell of surprise as his staff was once again tossed out of his hands. Pitch flexed his grip as Jack whimpered, his attempt to escape pitiful and futile.

"Oh Jack, how many times must I tell you?" Pitch hissed, snaking his clutched hands underneath the fabric of Jack's sweatshirt cuffs.

Pitch then began to sink his nails into Jack skin as spirit began to slightly squirm and writhe with pain. Then, a shadowy shaded ink started to seep out of Pitch's nails and into then under Jack's skin, traveling through Jack's bloodstream in his arms. The substance within Jack's body began to take the form of an S on Jack's wrists and upper arms, creating two of the tattoo-like symbols on each arm. The sleeves of Jack's sweatshirt deteriorated and disintegrated where the trail of shadow ink on his skin came into contact of the clothing, leaving a decayed style, allowing the symbols on Jack's skin to show. Jack choked and growled through the pain before a cry tore through his throat as Pitch finally released him, sending him to collapse on the icy floor.

Jack looked down at his arms and slapped his cupped hands over the symbols, not wanting to look at them and to try to ease away the uncomfortable, burning sensation that still coursed throughout his veins.

"The sky will become an eternal darkness, flesh will be turned ice cold, the world shall become a frozen wasteland, the moon shall fall and the Guardians along with it... I shall rise again!" Pitch said as he loomed over Jack's body.

Jack swallowed thickly and sniffed, gripping his staff tightly which was laid out in front of him, "I don't... CARE!" Jack screamed, thrusting his staff in Pitch's direction as the ice upon the lake leaped into action and trapped Pitch in a crystallized tomb.

Jack sprung to his feet to the best of his ability and jogged around his lake, searching for Tooth.

"Tooth!" Jack cried out as he swished his staff back and forth, causing the wind to send debris away from where he was looking.

A groan was heard underneath a fallen tree.

Jack rushed over to the fallen tree and rolled it over to reveal Tooth who was clutching her wounded ribs which were undoubtedly broken. Jack forced himself to not look away as he bit back tears and gently raised Tooth into his arms as he carried her off into the sky to find a safe haven. Using the Southern Winds, Jack made it to the South Pole in record time. Jack slowed down and gracefully landed into the snow as he entered in a cave which was a suitable temperature for the fairy. Jack softly placed Tooth down against a snow bank and lied down next to her and shamelessly placed his head on her shoulder.

Jack let out a sigh as a tear finally escaped his eyes, "I shouldn't have dragged you guys into this," he croaked, "and now you're involved... I guess you deserve to know what happened," Jack glanced over to Tooth who was seemingly unconscious, but he decided to continue, he had a feeling she could still hear him.

"Pitch had come to me yesterday, saying that today on my birthday, something bad was going to happen very soon. Some sort of destiny that I needed to fulfill." Jack paused and admitted the truth, "I'm scared, Tooth. That's why I didn't celebrate my birthday with you. I'm sorry, I never might be able to either because Pitch will-"

Jack was unable to explain any further as a loud explosion sounded from the entrance of the cave. Jack snatched his staff and inched his way out of the cave, leaving Tooth behind him. Jack managed to crouch out of the cave to find a trail of Nightmares bounding towards him, forcing Jack to jump to the side. Luckily, the Nightmares weren't able to make it inside the cave as the cave's roof by the entrance collapsed and sealed the entrance. But it did indeed lock Tooth inside to Jack's horror. Jack was just about to start removing the snow and ice when Pitch's shadow popped up out of nowhere and blocked Jack's access to the cave.

"It's just you and me, Frost." Pitch cackled, his clawed hands reaching out for the frost child.

Jack ducked and bolted the other way, gathering enough speed before leaping into the air in hopes of leaving Pitch behind. Or maybe draw him away from the cave so he could loop around and rescue Tooth. Jack looked back, and to his utter horror, Pitch was following right behind him. Flying on a pit of nightmare sand, Pitch flew after Jack at rapid speeds.

"You're making this much harder than this needs to be, Jack!" Pitch called out from behind Jack.

Jack shook his head and shot forward faster, he turned tight corners and dipped and weaved through and behind glaciers, trying to loose the tail Pitch was following, but with no success. Clawed hands made of shadows reached out and attempted to snatch Jack midair, Jack just barely out of their reach. Jack countered by sending an avalanche towards Pitch, but the boogeyman just avoided it. Jack huffed as he dished out another attack in a final attempt to stop Pitch. Jack came to a halt as he slashed his staff across his side, causing two ginormous glaciers to crash together in midair, hopefully squishing Pitch who should have been caught.

When the dust, snow, and ice had settled from the collision, not a trace of Pitch was to be found. Relieved, Jack let out a sigh and slowly descended to the ground.

He wasn't prepared for when Pitch burst from the glaciers and plowed right into Jack, effectively catching him off guard and catapulting him onto an icy cliff side which overlooked the icy waters of Antarctica.

Jack stumbled to his feet as he tried to get away, but the blow had seriously rattled him and he didn't make it far at all before Pitch had caught onto him and grabbed a hold of his sweatshirt's hood.

"You have no other choice!" Pitch screeched as he yanked back on Jack's hood, making it tear off and reveal more S markings that had been engraved on Jack's neck and back. "Your Destiny shall be fulfilled!"

"NO!" Jack used the last bit of his strength to try and strike Pitch, but Pitch simply caught his wrist as Jack's staff was cast out of his hand the third time. Jack tried to throw a punch with his other fist but Pitch caught that one too in an iron grasp.

Pitch dug his nails into Jack's wrists and the torturous process repeated all over again, except this time, the markings didn't stop coming and showing. They continued throughout Jack's arms, back, chest, stomach, legs, and even on his forehead. It felt like he was being electrocuted from the inside out. The rest of Jack's clothes began to shred and crumble away. As Jack cried and whimpered, the weather began to change drastically as a blizzard began to pick up and rain a harsh winter upon the land. The skies turned a smoky black and the sea became a murky darkness. Time had passed and even Jack's cropped white hair began to grow a great length, even beyond his shoulders. By the time Pitch had stopped the process, Jack was only left with a tattered set of jeans and a new haircut. Weak from the pain, Jack buckled to his knees as his arms wrapped tightly around his body, more or less aware of his bareness.

When Jack opened his eyes, the sight to behold horrified him. It sent a drill of fear straight through his stomach. Pitch looked quite amused, on the other hand. It was exactly like his nightmare! But wasn't this real?

"No..." Jack wailed, letting out a breath of defeat.

"Yes," Pitch hummed, "Drink it in. This is the world you are destined to create."

Jack clutched the side of his head, this had to be another nightmare, "No! This can't be real! Not now!"

"Oh, but it is very real. This is the future... your future."

"I won't do it," Jack sobbed weakly, suddenly starting to feel dizzy and lightheaded.

Pitch leaned onto the boy as he placed his spindly hands on the boy's scrawny shoulders, ash skin meeting pale white, "There's nothing you can do to stop it. You will destroy the world, Jack. And it will be all you fault..."

Jack frowned deeply as he clenched his eyes shut, gritting his teeth. An intense pounding alarming at the front of his forehead, increasing his dizziness. He felt like passing out...

"Pitch..." The word just passed Jack's lips right before he blacked out.

Pitch only smirked as he began to lift his fingers off the Winter Spirit's shoulders, "Well, on that note, I'll be seeing you later."

With that said, Pitch let go of Jack, making the boy teeter right off the edge of the cliff and plunge right into the freezing, murky depths of the Antarctic sea.

Just as Jack's limped body crashed into the waves, Pitch said one final goodbye comment, "Oh, and by the way, happy birthday." With that, the boogeyman took his leave.

~o.O.o~

I'm damaged now, and I'm breaking down, Unraveled and can't breathe

The truth I seek never felt so bleak, I feel it drop degrees

Freeze

~o.O.o~

"Jack!"

"Wake up, mate!"

"Come on, Frostbite!"

"JACK!"

Light assaulted Jack's blurry vision. His eyes stung and burned. His body was cold and drained. He couldn't breathe.

"Oi, easy there. That's it, mate. Just breathe, you'll be fine."

Jack violently coughed and vomited out water as he flipped over on his side and groaned. Everything ached. Jack rolled back over to find a large pooka kneeling next to him, a reasonably wet and shivering pooka.

"B-Bunny?" Jack rasped, slightly confused.

"Thank Manny, you're ah'right." Bunny let out a sigh of relief, a small smile written across his furry face, "As we were runnin' outta Pitch's lair, we noticed you an' Tooth were missin'-"

Jack inhaled sharply, remembering the trapped tooth fairy, "Tooth-!" He remarked as he tried to get up, but had another coughing and hacking fit instead.

"Don' worry, mate. We've got 'er." Bunny responded as he coaxed Jack back down. "We followed yer trail and I rescued ya in the nick of time, just saw ya go in the water and jumped in." At that moment, Bunny sneezed as another shiver racked his body.

"Y-you saved m-me?" Jack managed to say, slightly surprised by the rabbit's actions.

"O' course, ya gumby." Bunny said as he lovingly stroked Jack's long hair with a wet paw. "Come on, now. Let's get back to North's place, the others are waitin'." Jack nodded with content as Bunny scooped Jack up in one swoosh and hopped off towards the sleigh that was waiting for them beyond the cliff.

Jack felt the tug of sleep drag him back into it's clutches and gave into it, nodding off as his eyelids slowly drooped down and his breathing steadied.

"Nice haircut by the way, Frostbite."

Jack hummed and smiled softly, "Shut up... Kangaroo..."

Just before the darkness consumed Jack, Jack opened his eyes one last time to find that the markings on his body had disappeared.

Jack woke up to find himself resting on a rather comfortable bed and feeling quite refreshed. The room he was in was an infirmary of some sorts. His staff lay beside his bed and Jack found himself wearing an insanely large white T-shirt (undoubtedly North's). Jack swung himself out of bed and stretched, he rubbed his neck to find that his hand touched hair instead of skin, how ridiculous he must look. On the nightstand, there sat a note and a razor for cutting hair.

The note read, Meet us in North's Office~

Jack took his staff and the razor and marched off to the nearest bathroom. He took one look at himself in the mirror and couldn't help but chortle, he did look ridiculous with long hair. Jack began to slowly trim his hair to make it look like normal again.

As he slowly chopped away at his hair, Jack couldn't help but let his mind wander.

This is really happening, isn't it? There is nothing he could do to stop it, is there? He didn't really tell Tooth the truth, did he? Tooth really didn't even hear him, didn't she? This was all his fault, wasn't it? Everyone and everything was going to pay because of him, right?

Tears prickled the corners of Jack's eyes before Jack quickly wiped them away. This was happening, all he had to do was accept it and try to figure out if there was some sort of alternative. He would still try to the bitter end of it all. But for now, all he wanted to do was for this day to end and see the Guardians. For starters, what he was wearing wasn't going to cut it. Not that Jack cared about his looks too much, but he'd prefer his original style. Anything that reminded him of normal helped...

With a simple swish of his staff, North's getup was being swapped with Jack's normal attire. Crafted from Jack's own ice and snow powers, Jack's jeans and sweatshirt frosted over the plain T-shirt before settling into place.

Leaving the bathroom and all depressing thoughts behind, Jack made his way to the office, not entirely sure what to expect. Once he made it to the room, he cautiously creaked open the door...

"Um, surprise?"

A 'Happy Birthday' banner was taped against the back window and a simple cake had been made. In the middle of the room, each of the Guardians stood together with party hats placed on their heads.

"Jack," North spoke in his deep, thick accent, "we know you didn't want a birthday, but after today, we hope you might... reconsider."

"We know you don't like your birthdays," Tooth said as she hobbled slightly over to Jack, one of her wings were in a bandaged cast and she used a crutch and a strip was wrapped around her chest, "but we are glad you are here with us." She said warmly as she placed a caring hand on Jack's shoulder and the other to strap a baby blue part hat on top of Jack's head.

"Guys..." Jack said and paused.

The Guardians held their breath and listened keenly.

"We're going to need ice cream." Jack finished with a deadpan.

The Guardian's faces lit up.

"You got it, Frostbite!" Bunny cheered.

"I'll cut the cake!" North boomed.

Sandy clapped silently, his yellow party hat bobbing up and down on his shaggy hair. He glided off to go fetch the eggnog and hot chocolate.

Before leaving, Tooth said a few words to Jack, "You sure you're okay with this?"

"I think I will be." Jack responded flatly.

"Look," Tooth said solemnly, "I heard you, when you spoke to me. You said you had some sort of destiny to fulfill, and something bad was supposed to happen... I guess something bad did happen, and I'm sorry that I- we as Guardians weren't there to protect you."

Jack looked down and hid his disappointment at himself, Tooth had it wrong. "No," He said, "Nothing can- could prevent it."

"I bet Pitch just wants to get back at you for what you did to him the other day, we believe that's why he's targeting you. Don't worry, we'll find him and put an end to this," Tooth promised firmly, "But for now, you're safe with us. It's over."

Tooth walked away, leaving Jack standing by himself.

Suddenly, a burning sensation overtook the palms of Jack's hands. Jack folded them over and sulked with fear as he saw the S engraved on them, as if it were a reminder that this indeed was not over...

"No," Jack whispered to himself, "this was only the beginning."

~o.O.o~

So breakable, unbreakable

So shakable, unshakable

Was shaken up when I found you

~o.O.o~

Thanks for reading! Hope you liked it, make sure to leave a review! Please check out my other stories:) Peace!

-SkatingDJ