A/N: Hey there everyone! Here's another chapter and I need everyone's feedback on this one. I told a version of a character's past that contains some of the book's aspects and I want to know how I did and what you guys think. Also is Tooth too OC? Does it seem like there's shipping themes in this chapter, because those things are unintentionally! Honestly! Anyway, Thank You to all that read, favorite, and follow. To those who reviewed:
Davan33- I know, sorry!
PlaidOtaku -I know right! I try to tell him that and then he goes the other way.
AyameKitsune- I tried to tell Jack that but he just doesn't listen. He's such an ice head!
Thank you guys so much! And like I said please, please REVIEW and read. But most of all have a blessed day and ENJOY!
Bunny-
I've never liked winter. When I was kit, all I remember of my first winter was the biting cold and screaming wind. Ever since then my reasons for hating winter grew. It was cold, desolate, and empty. There was no color, no life, no hope. The worst moments of my life happened in winter. Then it brought the stupid holiday Christmas and its bringer, North. Those things were helpful sometimes but Easter and Spring were always better. After that, there was Jack Frost. He was annoying and he always bothered me. As far as I could tell, I would always dislike winter and its bringer. Then I actually met Jack. He showed me the fun in winter. He showed me the joy and hope it could bring. Seeing everyone play with beaming smiles, I almost forgot how devastating it could be. Now, as I watch Tooth tremble slightly underneath Jack's sharp gaze, I remember why I didn't like winter. I feared it. I feared its icy fingertips that could take away color, hope, and life. I feared and hated the smell of death that followed it. I feared Jack.
"Jack," Tooth whispered in concern. At times like this, where her caring heart shined, I'm reminded of the warrior she is. The horrors she has seen. "Jack, you are not a killer." Tooth's voice was confident and her stance straighten. Something in Jack's eyes wavered but they quickly froze over again and gave a dark chuckle.
"Is that what you call someone whose magic killed-"
"You didn't kill-" She really does have a death wish.
"YES I DID!" Jack yelled and a gust of ice blew. I covered my face from the stinging snow. "Stop lying." Jack sneered. It was harder to see and hear them even though I was only a few feet away.
"I'm not lying." Tooth yelled, trying to project her voice above the piercing snow. The snow slowed down a bit and Tooth visibly relaxed. "You are not a murder." When he stepped closer to Tooth I couldn't help but step closer to her too. Jack was unpredictable, and now he was unstable as well.
"You expect me to believe that. He doesn't even think that." Jack nodded his head towards me and Tooth's big violet eyes looked at me, hoping I would back her up. "He knows what I am. What I'm capable of." Jack's icy eyes glared at me. "To him I'm winter itself. The season of death." I didn't know who to focus on. If I focused on Jack, his hard demeanor put me on edge. If I focused on Tooth I would be compelled to lie to her. Either way, I couldn't disagree with Jack. I tried to say something, anything, but I couldn't. The moment Tooth realized this anger and hurt flashed through her. It hurt to disappoint her, but not as much as it hurt to see the hope drain out of Jack. I was scared of his power so much, I forgot about the child he really is. Jack's body was rigid and his eyes hard, but the sudden stop of the storm portrayed his defeat. He turned around from both of us and began walking away.
"Jack," Tooth called out. He didn't stop. He just kept walking away. "Jack." Tooth began to follow him but it was useless. I knew it was. He was a teenager in a very convincing guilt trip. Only a brick wall could stop him.
"Jackie." Or maybe a bigger idiot like me. Jack froze when I called him. I walked closer to him. I ignored the pain that the cold brought as I got closer to him. Somehow I managed to get an arm's length away from him. "We got to go back to North's." I didn't think it was possible for Jack to get even more rigid but he did. "We won't tell him what happen," I waited for the anger to come but it didn't. That worried me even more. "He just needs to see you." The silence was deafening and the cold bit my ears, but I waited for him to do something, anything, but he did nothing. In fact he was totally still.
"Jack." Tooth said warily, nothing happened. I looked back at Tooth and the worry in her eyes reflected mine. So I went closer to him, reaching out to touch his shoulder. All of the sudden he turned around, almost hitting me with his staff.
"Whoa! Watch it cottontail. I won't apologize if your ears get frozen because they're in my way." This time I froze in shock. Jack was all smiles and fun again. "Speaking of frozen, I'm surprised you and Tooth are still here. I thought you would be mumbling and complaining about your little kangaroo, sorry I meant rabbit feet." He smirked at me and I almost thought I pictured the wreck he was before, almost. The ice in his eyes didn't melt away, and I smelled blood. I observed him again and now I saw that his sweatshirt was a bit torn and dark traces of red could be seen on the sleeves and middle of the sweater. I sniffed again and I realized that some of it was the little boy from the accident and some of it was Jack's. I also smelled burnt flesh. All of the sudden, a blue frost went over the red on his sweatshirt. "Eyes up here kangaroo." There was an edge to Jack's voice that made me shiver, yet when I looked at his face, he was wearing his usual smirk. "Well are we going?" I looked back at Tooth and she looked confused and worried as well, but she nodded.
"Okay." I said with reluctance. I tapped a tunnel to North's workshop. The hole appeared and I jumped in not bothering to see if they followed me. I jumped out and into the meeting room. Sandy and North were already there. North barreled towards me and grabbed my shoulders.
"Bunny did you find," North looked behind me when Tooth and Jack tumbled out. "Jack!" North went forward and hugged Jack tightly. "You gave quite a scare." I didn't have to see Jack wince to know he was in pain. I smelled fresh blood, Jack's blood. I almost threw up right there. Sandy saw me and sanded to ask if I'm alright. I just nodded remembering my word to Jack.
"Sorry about that North. Just got a little restless." Jack flipped his staff off the ground and into his left hand in one fluid motion. I almost questioned if he was really hurt, if everything before was just a horrible dream. But I saw Tooth's grim look as she ordered a few of her fairies to certain places, always looking back to Jack. "I'm just going to go get some rest. Sorry for the scare." Jack turned around and began walking back to his room.
"I don't know-" North started but Jack didn't let him finished.
"North," My ears perked at the weariness of Jack's tone. "I'm tired and I just want to go to sleep. I promise I won't do anything or leave again. Just give me some space, please. Please." Jack was still looking away from us, his body looked worn down and defeat radiated from him. My jaw fell a little. Jack was begging. Somehow I never pictured Jack as the type to beg. North nodded but Jack wasn't looking back for confirmation. He just began to walk away. We stood in silence as we watched Jack walk away. I closed my eyes focusing on Jack. His steps were heavy and his breaths were a little shallow. He wasn't moving fast and he only used his left hand. What was wrong with him?
"Bunnymund!" North's loud call brought me out of my observations.
"What?" I opened my eyes to see everyone else look at me in concern but I saw understanding accompany Tooth's concern.
"What happened?" North asked, Sandy nodded, signing frantically behind him in worry. Tooth opened her mouth to say something but I put my paw in front of her mouth. She glared at me and I stared back. I remembered my word I told Jack. I knew she saw the memory too when she nodded lightly.
"He'll tell you." I said simply. North gaped and Sandy's eyes widen. I began to walk away in the same direction Jack headed.
"No, no, no!" North stomped towards me. "You tell us now!" He said each word loudly with each step.
"North! Be quiet. Jack needs to rest." Tooth scolded. I smiled up at Tooth, grateful for her intervention, and she winked back at me. She didn't involve herself in our fights but when she did, it was always with a hidden sarcasm that was as sharp as a whip.
"He is hurt and I need to know vhat is wrong with him!" North boomed. I heard Sandy flashing signs in anger, sand blowing out of his ears. I was about to yell back at both of them when I heard a faint thunk come from the direction Jack had went. No one else seem to have heard it but Tooth noticed my lack of reaction. She came in front of me, worry shining in her eyes. I mouthed to her to go to Jack.
"I have to go take care of some things. Try not to do anything too rude while I'm gone." Tooth chided lightly before she flew off.
"Vhat about Jack?" I turned to North and went to as close to him as I could, till he began to lean back.
"Leave, him, alone." I poked his chest at each word. North was quiet for once. He nodded slowly, eyes wide. I backed away but still glaring at him. "Trust him enough that he'll come to you when he's ready. And if you can't trust him at least trust me." I was never one to willingly play the trust card. I had a hard time trusting people myself, but I was desperate. "I came to you the first time because it was something I couldn't deal with alone. This time, we need to give him some space. Trust me. Now go. You and Sandy have work to do." Sandy pulled on North's sleeve and flashed signs saying that they should go. Then he glared at me, his threat evident in his eyes. "I'll take care of Jack." We stared at each other a moment longer. I tried not to show how intimidated I was. Sandy was the most experienced one of us. He could kick by furry behind back to Australia in one second if he wanted. Thankfully he just nodded once in acknowledgement and turned to leave, pulling a still frozen North with him. I sighed in relief, which lasted a second. I remembered why Tooth left early and ran to where I heard the thunk. On my way I snuck into North's office and grabbed a snow globe, just in case.
I got to the room Jack went to. The door was slightly ajar and gave away easily. The smell of fresh blood hit my nostrils, yet there was only a few smudges of dark red on the floor. Baby Tooth, as Jack had called her, flittered to me, quickly chirping at me.
"She took him to Tooth Palace?" The little fairy nodded. Well, it looks like just in case came in handy. "How bad is he?" When fat tears ran down the fairy's cheeks I clenched my jaw. I didn't know all of the fairies personally but I knew they took after Tooth. She only cried when things were really bad. I remembered how North used the snow globe to get to Tooth palace. "Tooth palace." I told the globe, then I threw it on the ground. The portal manifested and showed the majestic palace. "Take me to him." I ordered. The fairy gave a strong nod before she flew into the portal. I jumped in right behind her.
Baby Tooth lead me through the colorful halls of the Tooth Palace. I would've loved to look at everything to get some ideas for my eggs but the growing smell of blood ruined that idea. I ran into a flurry of fairies buzzing around Jack, who was laid on a couch half naked, head in Tooth's lap. I cringed at how seeing Jack's damaged torso and arms were becoming normal. Tooth had her head bowed down and her eyes closed in concentration.
"Before you ask, I did borrow one of North's snow globes." I held in a scoff. She really could've just said she stole it. I watched as she held Jack's head, a purple light shining from her fingertips. It was pretty, but it didn't stop me from feeling restless. "I'm accessing his memories to see what happened. I need you to do the best you can to bandage him." Tooth ordered in a strained voice. My body relaxed a bit. I hated not working.
About an hour later I was done cleaning and bandaging Jack's injuries. His right hand was burned up to his wrist. The burn wrapped around his three middle fingers and the top of his wrist and hand. It was a bad burn to. The flesh it burned was still raw and a puffy red. Somehow he also got glass on his feet. It was harder than I expected to take out the glass. His body had automatically covered his feet in frost and I had to determine what was glass and what was frost. His arms had self-inflicted cuts. I could tell by the cuts. I counted three, on his right arm. They were clean, uneven in depth, but clean and purposeful. The one on his left arm was jagged and uneven. I'm guessing his burnt hand was in too much pain to cut himself. But that didn't worry me, his rosy face and slightly labored breathing did. They were most likely side effects from the burn. The fever with the blood loss could render anyone unconscious. I covered Jack in cold wet rags as best as I could, avoiding Tooth. I looked over at her. She hadn't moved an inch while I worked and I was too busy helping Jack to watch her. Now I see that she was shaking and tears flowed from her eyes.
"Tooth." I whispered. She didn't move but her feathers began to ruffle and her lips quivered. "Sheila." I called louder. For some reason she liked it when I called her Sheila. This time, she slowly set Jack's head on the couch. He mumbled and gave a little whimper. I heard Tooth hold in a sob, but my eyes were on Jack as I set another cold rag on his forehead. His face relaxed some. "Get some rest you little wanker." I ruffled his hair a bit before I turned to talk to Tooth. Except she wasn't there. "Tooth." I called quietly. Instead of her replying, one of her fairies began to pull at my fur. When I looked at it, she was pointing towards the room's door frame. Before I could even open my mouth the fairy went through the door. I gave one last look at Jack before I followed the fairy. His breathing was more normal and his skin was less rosy. I closed the door quietly and followed the impatient fairy.
As the fairy led me down the halls, I heard soft sobs ring in my ears. "Tooth!" I ran past the little fairy, following the soft cries. I found Tooth in a grand bedroom. There was a canopy bed with pink satin coverings and light purple lace draped down from the ceiling. The pillows formed a sort of circular nest in the middle of the bed. Tooth sat in the nest. Tears were falling from her eyes and soft cries were in between the orders she gave her fairies. I couldn't help but admire how diligent she was in herwork. "Tooth, you alright?" She finally looked back at me. I noticed how her bright eyes were more pink than the vibrant pink-violet they usually were. She opened and closed her mouth but nothing came out. Instead she looked at a fairy and gave her some city to go to. My eyes naturally rolled as I approached her bed. "Tooth." I called, crossing my arms. She hesitantly looked back at me. We stared at each other for a minute. She was trying to get me to back down. She even pleaded, her eyes getting more watery and slightly bigger. I just continued to stare at her and leaned against a nearby post. Finally she sighed in defeat.
"You're too stubborn, you know that." Her voice shook from the tears.
"It's come up from time to time." I say flippantly. Tooth gave a little smile at that and wiped her eyes as I sat down on her bed.
"I saw his memories on what happened." She was quiet and still, which worried me. Tooth always moved. The last time I remember her this still was four centuries ago. It was the night before Easter and I caught her watching a family in Southeast Asia. They were a little family with two daughters, a beautiful mother, and a father. I saw her standing by the window, silent tears running down her cheeks. She didn't look at me but when she started talking I knew she knew I was there. She told me how her family had memories like this before her parents were slaughtered. Ever since than I never ever wanted to see Tooth that still again, then things like this happen. "Jack just wanted to go out. He didn't expect to meet a kid that could see him. He was so excited he didn't see where the ice was going. The car slipped and the driver lost control. Jack stopped the car from going off the edge, but it still rolled across the road. Jack saved the parents first because the gas in the car started to leak in the front, but he couldn't avoid all the glass." Well that explains his feet. My ears turned away from Tooth for a second. Her voice brought them back. "It was too hard for him to carry both. By the time he looked back at the car, the fire started. He ran to get the boy, Brian. Brian was stuck in his car seat. Luckily Jack got him out of the burning car in the nick of time. He even burned his hand doing it."
"Idiot." How did he think he was going to survive in a burning car? He has been the embodiment of winter for the past three hundred years. "He has a fever from that stupid burn. He should've known that that much heat could hurt him worse than any cut."
"He did." Tooth whispered fervently. "But he cared more about Brian." She said with admiration. "He was so scared for Brian that he didn't realize his hand was burned till, till," Tooth choked on her words but I knew what she was going to say. I nodded absentmindedly my fists clenching as the fresh red scars flashed before my eyes. Tooth took a deep breath, stopping her sobs. "When Brian was out of the car Jack saw how bruised and broken the boy had become. Brian's foot was twisted in a way that feet normally don't go. But the worst thing of all was the piece of glass that had somehow gotten in his stomach." Tooth's watery voice stopped and her eyes became distant as tears rolled down her cheeks. I didn't say anything and looked away in shame. I felt bad that they saw something so horrible, but honestly, I hoped to never see what either of them saw. "Brian was gasping for air." Tooth started quietly. Her voice almost breaking into sobs. "He cried in pain and begged for Jack to end the pain. He pleaded to Jack. Jack did the only thing he could. He made Brain so cold his whole body became numb. Jack told Brain of adventures he had in the snow and jokes that Brian smiled at. Jack stayed with Brian till the paramedics came. The last thing he saw was them putting a freezing little boy in a body bag." Tooth's sobs began again but all I saw was the hopelessness she saw in Jack. The sorrow they both felt at losing a child. I scooted closer to her and wrapped one arm around her small shoulders. She leaned into me, clutching my fur. I rubbed her small arm. "He, he stayed with him. Jack, Jack, tried to save him. He tried so hard, but couldn't. So, he, he stayed. I, I couldn't even do that for my family." I froze at Tooth's sobbed words. That's why she was so sad. Not only did she see what Jack saw, but his heroic act made her feel guilty. "Jack couldn't save him, but he stayed. I didn't even try. I ran. I ran from my parents, my sister," Tooth's sobs worsen and she dug her head into my side. I wrapped both of my arms around her as she cried. I automatically rocked her and began humming. When my siblings had nightmares I would hold them and rocked them as they cried. I was never good with words, but acting, moving, I was great at that. So I held Tooth as she cried. I knew she was finally mourning her family. Ever since we, and the sisters of flight, helped her escape the Monkey King she worked, always moving, never looking back unless it was needed. The first time I saw her, she was curled in herself just like she was curled now except the tears were not present, fear was. She looked so small and fragile. I was surprised when she attacked me with a speed that rivaled my own with a blazing fire in her eyes. She is a warrior that has fought to survive and won, but she's also a woman that lost the one thing she always hoped for, a family.
It was a while before the sobs stopped and her breathing evened out. She fell asleep in my arms. I gently laid her down on her bed. A few fairies came with a blanket and I draped it over her. It was interesting to see Tooth sleep. She was always moving, always talking. Now she was the picture of peace. I stared for a while, then I left to check on Jack.
It didn't take me long to find him, since he was sitting on the floor outside her room. His eyes were closed and his breathing was hard but what stuck out the most was the dried tears that were on his cheeks.
"It's rude to eavesdrop." I said mockingly. He just gave a snort.
"Then you should've told me to leave." He said in a pained voice.
"Couldn't." I responded bluntly. Jack hummed in acknowledgement. I sat down a few feet next to him. I tried to ignore the flinch he gave
"What happened to them?" he asked hesitantly. I realized how little he knew about us.
"From what I know, her father was advisor to this king. The king was like most kings, greedy and power hungry. Tooth's father wasn't. He was selfless and kind. The king used Tooth's father to find the Sisters of Flight, a group of magical beings, fairies, that protected memories. Well the greedy king found them and was going to kill one but Tooth's father stepped in front of the arrow. Because the king spilt blood in the Sisters' court they turned him into a monkey. They saved Tooth's father and he married the being he saved. They had two daughters, Tooth being the oldest. They were a happy family till the king, turned monkey, came back for revenge. He hunted Tooth's family. First Tooth's parents were slaughtered. Then when he captured Tooth and her sister, he killed her sister. We and the Sisters got there in time to save Tooth. The Sisters of Flight even died, because if one of them dies they all do. Tooth was alone." I finished sadly. "Well, until she made her fairies. Most of them are copies of her from her memories. Actually, the one you call Baby Tooth is the only one that looks different. Might be a replica of her sister." I observed. We sat in silence, listening to the flurry of wings that echoed in the palace. It was comfortable.
"Didn't know that." Jack said, breaking the silence. I didn't know why but his nonchalant response made me chuckle. He had a small, albeit sad, smile on his face.
"I forget what she's been through too." I sighed. I saw Jack nod in my peripheral vision. The hurt he had when this whole thing started flashed in my mind and I couldn't help but feel the need to apologize. "Did I ever tell you why I don't like winter?"