Hey there! Turns out that I didn't forget about this :P. Even with my lack of updates, I still received some epic guest reviews! Let's respond to them, shall we?
sparkehannah (ch 1): Hey there, it's been a while lmao. Thanks for enjoying this, I really loved the idea of Jack being a bibliophile, but I couldn't find any perfect fanfics!
sparklehannah (ch 2): Heh, what can I say? I could honestly be the Queen of Angst. I hope you've gotten the chance to finally read Restoring Balance like I've recommend you too :P. It's a one of a kind WinterCrystal angst!
MOMOtheDOMO: Aww, thank you so much! I try to write the best of my ability ;P
Summerstorm: Shoozy, you are a Goddess of Reading! I could NEVER imagine reading TKaM within an hour lmao. Honestly, I'd say his WPM is 500-700, I know mine is like 350 or smth xD.
Ahh, I love responding to you guys! Although, I do need to get along with the update lol.
One final thing, I did NOT read the final book when I started writing this. I did read Jack's book now, but I was already at 3.5k words, so I didn't want to trash this. Still, hope y'all enjoy!
Recently released from the North Pole, with North's approval and all that, Jack zipped across the icy tundra, whooping in joy as the cold wind whipped his white hair. Along with him, sharp gusts of cold wind sent bright snow into the sky, the particles of ice catching the glowing rays of sunlight. A trail of snowflakes followed the boy as he played around with his powers, causing a tempest to brew in the typically calm site.
Once his bottled up energy from staying in the Infirmary for a week depleted, Jack began to slow down his speed. Laughing, he promptly jumped out of the Wind's hold and plopped into a large, fluffy snowbank, sending a cloud of snow into the chilly air.
The teen sighed as he made a Snow Angel underneath him, sprinkling his dark blue hoodie and his tattered, twine pants with little dots of white. "Now that, that was fun!"
Leaping up, Jack bellowed out, "Hey Wind, take me home!"
Instead of complying, Wind knocked down her charge in a scolding manner, earning a snicker from him.
"Alright, I'll go back to North if you're that worried I'm still hurt." Jack allowed his friend to lift him up, traveling back to where he was earlier.
As he flew, two blurs of black and blue caught his attention. "Wind, slow down!"
Landing on the snow, Jack squinted as he looked for what he saw earlier. Something went past him, sending him onto his bottom. A second later, a blob of black passed through his vision, the boy instantly recognizing it as a nightmare.
Immediately, he sprinted after the creature, trying to free whatever was being pursued by it. Managing to catch it off guard, Jack shot a bolt of ice, freezing the nightmare. A flat piece of ice, sparkling with grains of black sand, was the remains of the creature.
"Are you alright?" Jack called out, hoping to see what he saved.
A bluejay, clearly not native to the freezing tundra, peeked out from under an ice formation, tweeting. Seeing Jack, the bird flew up to him, the boy gasping when he saw who was riding it.
It was a young Nod.
Outstretching his hand for the bird to land on, Jack frowned in worry once the fairy was rolled onto his palm, the small, blonde boy shivering as he wore nothing but a thin, green shirt and a pair of jeans.
"Gosh, what are you doing here?" Jack asked the youngster, bringing him near his ear, "Typically the adults are the ones who get me."
The boy chirped a response, Jack using his nature magic to interpret him, jumping up once he understood. "Pitch attacked the Oak of Sorrows?!"
With a sad nod from the fairy, Jack beckoned the wind, safely tucking away the youngster in his hoodie pocket before flying away, the bird crawling in beside its mount when it couldn't go any faster.
Rushing through the Burgess forest, Jack had such a horrible control of his powers that clouds began to roll in as he went past the sea of red and orange, snow starting to fall gently to the ground. All Jack contemplated about this slightly early snowfall was that he was lucky it was November, as people would panic even more if it had occurred during the summer. However, the thought was fleeting as his full attention was set on getting to the Oak of Sorrows.
What stopped him was when he stumbled upon his pond.
All around the frozen body of water, a battle unfolded. Horses made of inky, black sand, nightmares as they were called, rushed in from the west, where Jack assumed where Pitch's lair was, and arrows promptly smashed them. Along with the Nods were a group of four that were split between the two shores. On one side, North, in his black trimmed, red battle coat, slashed away with his pair of swords as Bunny's boomerangs flew from his paws, grey fur slightly glistening from sweat. On the other side was Sandy, the short man made of golden sand flicking his dreamsand whips while Tooth flashed through the battlefield in a streak of blue and green as her dragonfly like wings and feathers cut through the black sand.
The other Guardians were here.
Jack was slightly baffled at how the Nods and his new colleagues were working together that he didn't even care about them not calling him for help. Sure, it was nothing compared to how he, Vanish, and sometimes Shadowbent and even Mother Nature fought alongside with the faeries, but they all knew each other for centuries.
The Nods probably have never worked with the Guardians before! Still, they all managed to get the nightmares to flee into the forest in a matter of moments.
He was shaken out of his thoughtful gaze when a colossal billow of nightmares came back at the clearing.
Instantly, the wintry teen set down the two passengers in his pocket and rushed to the incoming wave of black sand, staff in front of him in a vice grip. He ignored the surprised shouts from the Guardians as he prepared himself to unleash a torrent of winter magic. However, just before he could attack, a flash of light vaporized the frontal nightmares.
Once the light cleared away, Jack could see a teenaged girl with the same ruffled feathers as Tooth standing between the two armies, her purplish feathers at the top of her head forming what resembled a crown. Two porcupine quills were in her blue gloved grasp, a brown, sack like bandolier slung across her waist. Adorning her legs were a pair of knee high, brown pants that resembled harem pants, two green boots fitting right under the ends of the banded pant legs.
Huh, so Vanish must've gotten a messenger too.
As the intruder fought against the nightmares, Jack slipped in beside her and fired shots of frost into the wave. His involvement got the others into action, the group successfully slashing away the remnants of the nightmare army.
Finally vanquishing the creatures, Jack smiled as he faced Vanish, a weird tingly feeling traveling over his body when her green eyes met his blue.
"Never seen you in a while, Frosty boy," Vanish greeted, elbowing him gently as she placed her weapons back into her bag.
Jack snickered as his nervousness went away slightly. "Well, what can I say? Being a Guardian sure is time consuming."
Before the girl could say anything else, Tooth rushed up to her and hugged her, skimming through the other's feathers for signs of injuries. Vanish merely shrugged off her worrying, older sister. "C'mon Toothiana, I'm perfectly fine!"
"Last time you said that, you had major burns all over your body," Tooth scolded, "I have a right as your older sibling to worry about you!"
"Geez," Jack whistled as he stepped away from the duo, "I didn't think Vanish made Tooth panic that much!"
However, the wintry teen accidentally bumped into a tall man leaning against his oak wood cane as he basked in the shade. Yelping, Jack fell to the ground on his bottom, the person solely responsible sniggering as he held out a hand.
When Jack glanced up, he met the black eyes of his one and only Werewolf friend, Shreeklavic Shadowbent. The man still looked like he did long ago, his red collar of his dark velvet pantsuit covering his long and thin neck, his hair shooting up like black, spindly tree branches.
Scowling, Jack slapped away his friend's hand and rose up on his own. "Shadowbent."
"Aw Frost, still mad about last time?" Shadowbent teased in his thick, Hungarian accent.
"Yes," Jack barked back as he walked off, past the stunned Guardians.
Bunny blinked before saying, "What was that about?"
"That idiot," Jack exclaimed, gesturing to Shreeklavic with his staff, "tried to bite me last year and scared the heck out of me!"
Vanish rolled her eyes at the dark man's antics, already escaping from being pampered to death. "Why did you bite the poor boy? You know his blood is frozen."
"Do not blame me for upholding werewolf tales," Shadowbent replied, arms crossed over his torso as his eyes lit up in amusement.
"Why didn't my silver infused snowballs in the 1950s work then?" Jack shot back.
The amusement in his black eyes grew even more. "Some tales are mere myths, young lad."
"Y'know what? I give up!" Jack raised his arms up in mock surrender before dropping them down. "Why are you here anyway?"
"Can I not come just for pleasure?" When Jack gave him a pointed glare, the werewolf continued, "Alright, a flock of nightmares had attacked my troops in the Carpathian Mountains as well, so I had been held back when the messenger came for me."
"Was messenger a Nod riding blue bird?" North asked.
"Of course," Shadowbent answered, "The Nods always send the bluejays when in danger. Did you not get one yourself?"
"One was found at Pole." North shrugged. "Don't know why they called us, we do not interact much."
Jack commented, "Probably for me. I mean, they must've realized you were treating my injuries I got from that attack."
"What attack?!" Jack grimaced when both Vanish and Shadowbent turned to the winter immortal in shock. Although, it was Vanish who questioned him further, drawing out her quill from her bag again, "Who got you this time?"
"Uhhhh." Jack honestly didn't want to reveal it to the Guardians, but Vanish was very persuasive when she wanted to know something. "Sid Squad."
Vanish sighed in relief, placing her quill back. "Good, it's those idiotic imbeciles. For a second I was afraid it was the Firestorm."
"Oh, so you tell the Sheila but not us, Frostbite?" Bunny crossed his arms in annoyance. "Also, who the bloody hell is the Firestorm?"
"A band of fire spirits that also pester Frost," Shadowbent eloquently pitched in, earning a whine from Jack, "The group of five are able to overpower him, considering his winter magic is already weak against fire and summer magic."
"Hey! I have Twinetender!" Jack indignantly shouted.
Vanish raised a pencil thin eyebrow at the boy. "How's your staff's soul going to help you? It's wood!"
Jack winced when the Guardians' stares were starting to get suspicious, the teen regretting his two groups of friends meeting. "Better than nothing? Anyway, I think the Nods knocked the Sid Squad out of commission for some decades."
"Changing the subject now, are we Frost?" Shadowbent softly snorted when he saw Jack's glare.
"Shut up, Shadowbent. Now that I think about it, we need to look out for Pitch," the wintry teen suggested, stepping away to follow the direction where the nightmares went.
However, before Jack could leave the clearing, a British accented voice rang through the air, "At least one person remembers why they are here."
Jack jumped back in surprise when Pitch came out of the shadow of a tree in front of him, his black robe covering most of his greyish skin. He then sneered at the sight of the teen, flashing his dangerously sharp teeth, silver tinted golden eyes shining with malevolence.
"Why, I must thank Frost for allowing me to enlighten you with my presence. After all, the cloud coverage does make the land all the less bright."
"I can also dispel them too, Pitch," Jack responded, outstretching his staff as he prepared a battle stance, walking back beside Vanish, "Plus, you just got yourself even more outnumbered by including Vanish, Shadowbent and the Nods."
"Really now?" Pitch laughed, "If I were outnumbered, then how was I able to infiltrate the Oak of Sorrows?"
The mention of their home sent the Nods into a panicked tizzy, all zipping around in their birds as they rushed home. Jack almost ran off as well, but Shadowbent stopped the boy with his cane. "Don't. He is trying to split us."
The white haired teen closed his eyes, sighing. "Alright, but I want to know what's you ulterior motive by doing this, Pitch. All you're doing is roping in more people together."
"Am I not allowed to torment the one who is the bane of my existence?" Pitch smirked as he teased, reaching out to touch the boy's pale skin, "If Tsar Lunar had not thrown in his wild card, I would have been feared by all." The man gently patted his enemy's cheek before returning to his old posture, Jack rubbing where the man touched him. "I am simply returning the favor."
"As if that's the only reason why." Jack snorted as he crossed his arms. "My most logical guess is that you want to use their enchantments, but the Pole's library has many more spellbooks."
"I know." Pitch's face darkened considerably before switching back to a neutral grin. "However, I have seen them before."
"Bah!" North cut into their conversation. "Are you counting the fakes? You know yourself they were worthless!"
"They were merely slightly altered, North," Pitch responded coolly before slipping into the inky shadows, the Guardians still being able to hear him, "Although, I admit I have many more motives than that I share. For one, what intrigues me the most is dear Jack's fear. It is simply intoxicating."
The shadows suddenly became more grotesque and larger, curling up closer and closer to the group. In return, they all loosely circled together with Jack in the center. The winter spirit fidgeted in his stance, rocking slightly on his spread out feet, hands changing grip on his wooden staff as it was held in front of him.
Jack's eyes grew in surprise when he felt a cool sensation wrap around his ankle, yanking it away when he realized a shadow had grabbed him. Promptly, he tapped his staff on the ground and froze the black matter.
"What game are you playing at, Pitch?"
He didn't expect Pitch's gray hand to cradle his chin, nor did he expect his back to touch Pitch's robed chest. "Oh Frost, ever the inpatient one. If you know beforehand, then what is the point of playing?"
Jack gasped when the shadows on the ground below began to swirl around them. He barely could even hear North shouting "Leave Jack alone!" before his world collapsed into darkness.
Transporting out of the shadows, Jack tumbled into a heap, body banging against a tree. He scowled at Pitch as the man slinked out of the shadows calmly, hands clasped behind his back. While he rose, the boy was taking stock of where he was transported to, from the towering trees to the snow dusted, leaf covered flooring.
He squinted in suspicion as he touched the trees, blue lettering revealing itself with a brush from his staff. They were also in the Nod's language, like the carving Jack used to summon them when he was attacked weeks ago, but the bluish color meant that they were near…
"The Oak of Sorrows!"
Temporarily forgetting his company, Jack immediately dashed into the foliage, going deeper in the forest, which left him more vulnerable under the multitude of shadows. Nevertheless, the boy didn't care as he jumped from branch to branch in a mad dash, trying to reach his home as soon as possible. His speed only grew faster when he saw the red letters that sprung out as he touched wood, a sign that only meant danger.
Right when he was so close, a tendril of shadow wrapped around his ankle and yanked him down to the ground.
"Oh Frost, did you expect me to let you protect them?"
Jack quickly rose, turning around to face the Bogeyman behind him. "Does it look like I care about what you think?"
"You should when I have all the straws of this game," Pitch remarked, back turned as he strolled towards the location of Jack's home, fingers clasped behind him.
The boy followed with a growl, the growl soon becoming a gasp when he saw the destruction before him.
The place was covered in both light and darkness, fire and shadows consuming the branches of the Oak of Sorrow. The Nods were zipping around in a mad dash, some tossing small buckets of water as others became subjected to the elements. Tears welled in his eyes as he heard screams and wails coming from him near lifelong friends, as he heard the tree groaning in pain.
"Why?" The whisper left his uncooperative mouth.
"Why not?" Pitch smirked, a sneaky hand clamping Jack's shoulder. "After all, this tortures you, does it not? Being tied by my side as you watch all that you love being destroyed, horrible isn't it?"
As if finally realizing they were there, a swarm of faeries flew to rescue Jack from Pitch's clutches, only to be swallowed by a running nightmare. Similar to the abduction of Tooth's fairies two years ago, the poor Nods were trapped within the nightmare's hollow ribcage, more nightmares coming out to do the same.
"No!" Jack cried as he tried to freeze the nightmare going past him, but Pitch took his staff. "Give my staff back!"
"Once again, do you think of me as a fool?" Pitch then pushed Jack against a tree, a shadow tying him to the base.
Jack attempted to freeze the bond without losing control of his powers, only to get hit by his staff.
"Do not attempt to escape if you care at all about your friends' lives."
He glared into silver eyes. "What do you want from me?"
His captor laughed bitterly, making Jack scowl more. "Nothing more than what I desired before: to be seen and noticed. I was not lying when I told you I longed for a family."
"How will this even help you?" Jack asked as his confusion grew more, "You're not going to get anyone to like you by destroying joy."
"Maybe not; although, I can coerce you with it," Pitch admitted as his hand raised Jack's chin, "I may hate you considerably, Frost; however, I have an overwhelming sense of admiration for you."
He continued when Jack just looked at him with a frown, "You are still so innocent and naïve Jack, even after centuries of enduring the worst of mankind. If only I were to be the same."
"But aren't you controlled by fearlings?" Jack blurted out, remembering what North told him about Kozmotis Pitchiner, "They don't long to be innocent."
Pitch sighed. "Oh Jack, the fearlings' grasp has weakened considerably after the millennia, especially from our scruffle. Why else do I not transform children into fearlings anymore?"
The winter spirit blinked in shock, he couldn't believe him. "Then why do you live off of fear and terrorize kids?"
"Again, I still haven't escaped their grasp," Pitch explained, "After all, how could I when nobody loves me? My own daughter, the light of my existence, shunned me!"
"How does this involve me, though?"
Pitch spun around, looking at the scene of destruction he caused. "Do you have to destroy whatever scraps of dignity I have? I long for a companion, Frost, someone to hold me when I fall. If I had any warmth from anyone, them perhaps the fearlings' influence would disappear."
He peered at Jack, and the boy could see the intense emotion within those silver orbs, emotion that he's ignored. "You are the only one who understands the harshness of isolation without it tainting you. Help me Jack, be my friend and ally."
Jack wanted to facepalm so badly, so he just deadpanned. "Pitch, if you wanted a friend, you could've asked! The only reason why I didn't join you two years ago was because you kept tipping the balance, and while fear is necessary, too much can harm you."
"Really?"
The wintry teen groaned. "Yes Pitch, you could've told me, and this whole mess wasn't necessary. All you've done is make people hate you more."
"Oh…"
"Aye, aye, aye." Jack rolled his eyes. "Are you able to reverse the damage? I dunno about the fire, but at least bring back my friends?"
"Fire?" Pitch frowned before his lips made an "o". "Is that what you see from the illusion?"
"Illusion?" Jack questioned, "How is it an illusion?"
"All I have done is imprison them," Pitch stated, "I set up an illusion spell that would make you see your worst fear. Nothing more."
"Ohhh. Well, could you return everyone and dissipate the spell?" Jack requested.
"Of course."
Within a heartbeat, a tide of nightmares with bellies full of captives trotted towards them, only to be disintegrated. All the freed Nods flew towards him, twittering in worry. He only smiled, saying he was alright, as his bonds dissipated as well.
Finally, the mirage of the Oak of Sorrows on fire slowly vanished, the tree standing as tall as ever. The only difference was its outstretched branches as it tried to shield the young from being taken. Said branches were sparkled in black sand, but the sand soon fell off in a swoop and gathered into the growing ball in front of Pitch.
"Remember our deal, Frost." With that, Pitch left, bringing along with him whatever corruption there was.
Jack hadn't even noticed the dark clouds until everything brightened up; though, he did notice the cloud of faeries around him. "Don't worry guys, I'm actually not screwed for once."
When he saw their disbelieving faces, he groaned. "Oh c'mon, why can't people believe me when I say I'm fine?"
"Maybe because you lie about it so much," tinkled the head Chief.
"Oh shush, I need to go back to the others anyway."
Without another word, Jack zipped off back to his pond, hoping his friends were still there.
Once he came back, he wasn't surprised to see all of them quarreling about him.
"He can handle himself!" Shadowbent shouted, raising his spindly hands, "We have to make sure no more fearlings or nightmares come!"
"Bloody hell, it's obvious none are gonna come! Frostbite is in danger right now, so don't cha think it's stupid that we're sitting idly waiting for him?" Jack was surprised Bunny said that.
Still, he couldn't help but tease, "Aww, does the Kangaroo actually care about me?"
The teen went backwards slightly when Tooth tackled him into a hug, Vanish floating beside her sister. "Sweet Tooth, you're okay!"
"See, told you so Toothiana!" Vanish's smug smile slipped off as soon as it appeared. "Although, why do I have the feeling something else happened?"
"Oh no, it's fine," Jack tried to reassure her, except his faerie friends betrayed him as they shared what transgressed, "Oh c'mon, it wasn't that bad!"
"Frosty boy, you do realize you're the only one who can understand them, right?" Vanish pointed out, "What happened over there?"
"It's nothing, Vanish, believe me."
Shadowbent crossed his arm as he gave Jack an unimpressed look. "Frost, really? Remember last time you didn't tell Vanish something?"
Ugh, he wish he didn't remember Vanish dressing him up as Jack Frost from Santa Clause 3 and sending a picture to everyone in the Spirit World. Last year was a horrible year.
He heard a few snickers coming from the others, his cheeks frosting up in his weird blush. "Okay fine, I'll tell you! Just don't bring that up ever again."
"No promises."
He rolled his cerulean blue orbs and gave them a cursory synopsis of what occurred between him and Pitch.
"So, Pitch wants to be friend?" North asked, thick eyebrows furrowing, "You sure is not trick?"
"Yes I'm sure, North."
Bunny's face still held a seed of disbelief. "I still say not to give an ear to what he says, Frostbite."
"I mean, he doesn't seem all that bad…"
"All that bad?" Shadowbent mocked, "Jack, he tried to annihilate my troops and destroy your home!"
"Maybe it was just a way to seek attention," Jack reasoned, "I mean, I did that with you."
"Yes, but you are not Nightmare King," North explained, arms crossed.
Jack deadpanned, hands gripping his staff in a deadly hold. "Guys, he used to be a good guy. Maybe his other side is finally showing."
Vanish pursed her lips. "I'm sorry, Jack, but he's not going to…"
"He can, and he will!" Jack shouted before floating in the air. "I know he will."
With that, Jack zoomed off, leaving behind his mystified friends.
Meh, I'm not too satisfied with the ending, but I had to have some closure! Before I sign off, I want to say that I OFFICIALLY have a tentative updating schedule on my profile. Go ahead and check it out! FYI, Vanish was supposed to be in the final RotG book, but Joyce cut her off in the end. That and the Nods :( Plus, Shadowbent and Jack were supposed to be frenemies, but I guess he changed that too.
Anyway, remember to Read & Review. Now, bye my fellow Guardians!