The scene slowly faded to where they were all gathered around for Sandy's sudden funeral and then it slowly shifted once more to Jack sitting on one of the window sills at the pole. He tapped his pinky finger against the glass focusing on the image of Sandy, and a frost version of him appeared on the window pane. 'I miss you Sandy...'
"Are you alright?" North asked, his voice riddled with genuine concern.
"I just...I wish I could've done something!" Jack scolded himself.
"Done something?" North questioned with disbelief. "Jack, you stood up to Pitch. You saved us!"
"But Sandy..."
"Would be proud of what you did." Jack looked up at him and pulled back the hood of his jacket with a heavy heart. "I don't who you were in your past life, but in this life, you are guardian."
"But...How can I know who I am...until I find out who I was?"
"You will." North reassured him. "I feel it. In my belly."
'Right and that's never wrong?' Jack thought to himself as he found himself a bit amused at the idea of North listening to his belly.
The sound of the lights going out got everyone's attention, and Tooth gasped. "Look how fast they're going out!"
"It's fear." Jack stated as he flew up towards the globe. "He's tipped the balance."
"Hey, buck up you sad sacks! We can still turn this around! Easter is tomorrow, and I need your help!" Jack's face lit up with delight and excitement. 'I get to actually help with Easter! He doesn't mind me helping!?' Jack nearly laughed out his joy, but pushed it down to hear Bunny continue. "I say we pull out all the stops and we get those lights flickering again!"
The scene quickly changed to North and the rest in the elevator about to leave. "Bunny is right! As much as it pains me to say, old friend, this time, Easter is more important than Christmas."
Current Jack was laughing as Sandy held up two images above his head. One of a question mark and then a band-aid. "Good question, Sandy! So, North...how bad did it hurt for you to say that?"
"More than I will ever admit." North groaned out, bringing a hand to rub at his brow. "Can we see rest of memory?"
Jack nodded with a laugh. "Let's continue."
"Hey did everyone hear that?" Bunny asked, stunned at North's words.
"We must hurry to Warren! Everyone to sleigh!"
"Oh, no, mate. My Warren, my rules. Buckle up."
"Shostakovich!" North whispered out as the ground beneath all of them disappeared into lengthy tunnels. They all spun around and rolled around in the tunnel, but the only ones to not have an issue with the tunnels were Bunny, who knew them well, and Jack, who seemed to be expertly riding in the tunnel until they were all out. "Ha, Buckle up...is very funny."
'Wow, this place is amazing!' Jack thought to himself as he looked around the beginning area of the warren. "Welcome to the Warren!" Bunny greeted, but then something caught his attention. His googies were running away from something and it sounded like screaming. "Something's up."
As the screaming got closer, they all began to charge after the noise, thinking it was Pitch, only to find it was a little girl with blonde hair. "Sophie?" Jack asked, and they all quickly put away their weapons.
"What is SHE doing HERE!?" Bunny asked as he tried to see the little girl who was chasing one of North's elves.
"Uh oh...Snow globe..."
"Crikey, somebody do something!" Bunny exclaimed, not used to children in his warren.
"Hey, don't look at me. I'm invisible, remember?"
"Don't worry Bunny." Tooth started as she flew a little higher towards Sophie. "I bet she's a fairy fan. It's okay little one."
Sophie smiled and her eyes lit up with wonder. "Pretty!"
"Awe...you know what? I have something for you! Here it is..." She held out her hand towards the small child, holding teeth in her palm. "...Look at all the pretty teeth with little blood and gum on them."
Sophie ran away screaming and began to chase the eggs again. "Blood and gums? When was the last time you guys actually hung out with kids?"
Sophie chased the eggs into a stone head, laughing with pure joy in her heart. "Peek-a-boo!" She shouted and the eggs began running away again.
"We are very busy bringing joy to children! We don't have time...for children..." Even Bunny straightened up at the mere thought of it.
"Well..." Jack made a singular snowflake appear as joy, hope, wonder, and fun bubbled through his powers, and he released the snowflake towards Bunny. "...if one little kid can ruin Easter, than we're in more trouble than I thought."
The snowflake fell against Bunny's nose and his eyes lit up with a fond look, and he started paying more attention to Sophie as he commanded the eggs to paint themselves throughout his Warren. He actually started to have fun, and the stress of Easter melted off him as he now had fun with the eggs getting painted and carrying Sophie on his back as he ran through the painting paths. As the rest of the eggs were making their ways to the different continents Bunny pointed at a stray egg for Sophie to find. "Oh, what's that over there?" Sophie ran over to get it and danced it back to Bunny as she giggled freely. "Oh, that's a beauty!" Bunny exclaimed as he carefully grabbed Sophie's hand and led her to where the other eggs were running towards their tunnels. "Now, all we got to do is get him and his little mates through the tunnels to the top, and we'll have ourselves Easter." Bunny sighed as Sophie began to quickly get tired. He picked her up carefully in his arms and she was asleep almost instantly in his arms.
Jack walked over and crouched next to Bunny with pure wonder, hope, and joy as he watched the little eggs run towards the tunnels. "Not bad." He told Bunny with a wide smile.
"Not bad yourself."
"Look, I'm sorry about the whole...kangaroo thing."
"It's the accent isn't it?" They both gave a soft chuckle. "Oh, poor little ankle biter. Look at her, all tuckered out."
"I love her." Tooth said as she lightly flew over her. She landed next to Bunny and held out her hands to take the child from Bunny. "I think it's time to get her home."
"How about I take her home?" Jack asked.
"Jack, no. Pitch is..." Tooth started.
"...No match for this." He finished as he held out his staff.
"Which is why we need you here with us." Bunny stated.
"Trust me. I'll be quick as a bunny."
"Jack...this is where you left us..." Tooth said sadly.
"I never meant to leave any of you like that." Jack said quickly with a saddened heart. He felt a steady hand resting on his shoulder and looked to see it was Sandy giving his support. He nodded at him and gave a small sigh as he looked back at the scene. "Let's continue."
They watched as the scene shifted to Jack struggling to get the small child from around his neck and onto the bed. As he turned around he heard a thump and winced as he noticed that Sophie had rolled off the bed, still sound asleep. "Sophie? Is that you?" Jamie's mother asked from downstairs. Jack threw a blanket over her and tossed her a stuffed animal just before leaving the room and carefully closing the window. He looked at baby tooth with a small amused smile and said, "We should get back."
"Jack!" A young girls voice called out and Current Jack heard Tooth audibly gasp from behind him, but decided to ignore it for now.
"That voice..." He narrowed his eyes trying to remember where he's heard it from. "I know that voice."
"Jack!" It called out once more, and almost as if he was in some sort of trance, he flew off towards the sound of the voice, his eyes searching for where it could've come from. "Jack!" It called out again and he landed on someone's roof, again searching the area for the familiar voice. "Jack!" It said again. 'It's coming from the forest!' He flew off towards the forest, intent on finding the source of the voice. Once he made it to the middle of the woods and landed he walked closer to where he assumed the voice was coming from and found an old wooden bed frame that seemed to be broken in some places. "Jack?"
Baby tooth tried to pull on his hoodie, but Jack waved at her with almost a hypnotized trance look in his eyes as he continued forward. "Don't worry...there's still time."
"Mate...what's wrong with you?" Bunny asked, growing concerned for their new guardian.
"The teeth!" Tooth exclaimed with a look of regret beginning to cross her features.
"What about the teeth, Tooth?" Bunny questioned as he still kept his eye on Jack.
"His teeth were activated!"
"Meaning?" North asked.
"Meaning...when his memories called out to him...he couldn't resist. It's different here though...it was only activated half way, which is why he can't help but be drawn towards his teeth. They have to be activated all the way, otherwise the child will try at anything to remember and find out what was forgotten. It usually ends badly if a canister is only activated half way which is why all of my fairies know to activate them as much as possible. However, in Jack's case, since his wasn't fully activated..." She trailed off.
"...He didn't come back in time when we needed him." Bunny finished with a look of guilt starting to a appear in his eyes.
Jack only nodded his head and looked back at the scene with Sandy's hand still resting on his shoulder reassuringly. "Let's continue."
Jack broke through the already mostly broken wood, then the voice called out to him. After that, he dove down into the dark hole without a second thought with baby tooth rushing after him. Once he landed, Baby tooth found him and began tugging at his hoodie once more. "Come on, Jack. Let's leave!" Baby tooth squeaked out.
"Baby Tooth! Baby T...C'mon! I have to find out what that is!" He looked up and saw all of the fairies that were captured earlier, in cages. All of the fairies started crying for Jack's help. He flew up to a cage and saw so many fairies inside. "Shhhh keep it down! I'm gonna get you out as soon as I..."
"Jack?" The voice called again and the trance like stare appeared on his face once again. "Jack!"
"...I can..." He practically threw himself into the pile of teeth canisters and frantically looked for a face that resembled his but found none.
"Looking for something?" Pitch called out from the shadows. 'Pitch!' Jack turned around and shot ice towards the shadow, and as it disappeared he began to chase it. "Don't be afraid, Jack. I'm not gonna hurt YOU."
"Wait..." Jack started as something dawned on him at that moment. "Tooth...could Pitch have activated my teeth halfway and still been able to see a bit of my memories?"
"It's possible." She answered. "Your picture is also on the canister...why?"
"Because...I met Pitch in the past remember? And his tone just then...I didn't realize it at the time...but it sounded as if he was telling me I should've know he wasn't going to hurt me, or that he didn't want to...he eventually changed his mind later obviously but..."
"You're right, mate...that is what it sounded like. He must've figured out who you really were in your past life."
"That's what I'm thinking...Let's continue."
Jack jumped around the darkened corridor until he found Pitch walking across a bridge. He flew towards him and started following him with his staff ready to strike. "Afraid? I'm not afraid of you."
"Maybe not, but you are afraid of something."
"You think so, huh?"
"I know so! It's the one thing I always know. People's greatest fears. Yours is that no one will ever believe in you." Fear began to settle into Jack's heart as Pitch's shadow grew more at his own words. Then suddenly, he was pulled down a dark tunnel and pushed out somewhere else in the cavern as he chuckled darkly. "And worst of all..." Pitch continued. "You're afraid you'll never know why! Why you? Why were you chosen?" Jack ran away from the voice all while trying to find where it came from. His heart was pounding and he was getting more frightened the more Pitch talked, because to an extent, he was right. Jack backed up against the wall as he noticed Pitch's shadow coming towards him, becoming more solid. "...To be like this. Well, fear not. For the answer to that is right here." Pitch held out the canister to Jack and looked at them both with a soft yet twisted reminiscent smile on his face as he asked, "Do you want them, Jack? Your memories?" Jack reached out to them, but drew his hand back as he scoffed out a breath of disbelief at himself. 'I have to get back to the others...' Jack thought to himself as Pitch disappeared again, and he soon found himself chasing him again through the dark cavern of cages. "Everything you wanted to know..." Pitch's shadow spoke. "...in this little box." His shadow disappeared and Jack rushed after it with determination in his eyes. "Why did you end up like this?" Pitch's voice seemed to come from everywhere at this point, and Jack could feel his heart hammering in his chest as fear quickly started to run rampant through his entire body. He started to find himself breathing hard, in fear of what else Pitch might say. "...unseen..." He continued. "...unable to reach out to anyone. You want the answers so badly. You want to grab them and fly off with them, but you're afraid of what the guardians will think. You're afraid...of disappointing them. Well let me ease your mind about one thing. They'll never accept you...not really."
Pitch's voice echoed around him and in his head. 'They'll never accept me...No! Stop...!' Jack started to grab his ear as he attempted to push out the fear from his heart and make his ears not listen to Pitch's cruelty. "Ngh! Stop it! Stop it!" He shouted. 'Get out of my head!'
"After all..." Pitch appeared in front of Jack who was now standing next Pitch's version of the globe. "You'll never be one of them." He smiled darkly as he approached closer.
Jack held his staff once again, ready to attack Pitch at any moment as he tried to will the fear out of his body. "You don't know what I am!" He growled out.
"Of course I do! You're Jack Frost! You make a mess where ever you go. Why...you're doing it right now." He tossed the teeth canister towards Jack, and Jack caught it, and looked at it skeptically.
"What did you do?"
"More to the point, Jack? What did you do?" Pitch chuckled out darkly as he and his glowing eyes started fading away into darkness.
Jack immediately went after him, his staff glowing with power, when he realized that Pitch wasn't there. He made to turn around but found himself facing a wall instead. "Baby Tooth!" He exclaimed as worry filled his heart.
"Happy Easter, Jack."
Jack turned around to see crushed eggs and his heart sank, and his soul ached. "No..." He said sadly as he made his way down the tunnel.
Current Jack heard audible gasps but chose to ignore them for now as the scene continued to shift to the Easter egg hunt. Memory Jack arrived at the egg hunt and immediately witnessed a child walking through Bunny. 'No...not Bunny...' He though guiltily. "They don't see me..." Bunny started. "They don't see me..." He said once more as he began to crouch in on himself with tears threatening his eyes.
"Jack! Where were you?" North asked, and Jack immediately turned around with guilt practically crushing his heart. "The nightmares...attacked the tunnels. They smashed every egg...crushed every basket. Nothing made it to the surface!"
"Jack!" Tooth immediately flew over towards them, then noticed the canister in his hand. She gasped aloud and looked at Jack. "Where did you get that?"
"I was...it's..."
"Where's Baby Tooth?" She asked frantically. Then, she noticed the little fairy was no longer in sight and began assuming the worst. "Oh, Jack...what have you done!?" She questioned as she backed away from him with a look of pure heartbreak and disbelief.
"That is why you weren't here? You were with PITCH!?"
'Oh God no...I...' Jack's thoughts started to run rampant with the fear from earlier as he realized he needed to say something. He needed to explain. "No! Listen listen..." He let out a heavy breath. "I'm sorry!" He stated desperately. "I didn't mean for this to happen!"
"He has to go." Bunny said from behind him.
"What?" Jack asked as worry filled his heart. 'Please, no...let me explain!'
"WE SHOULD NEVER HAVE TRUSTED YOU!" Bunny rose a paw at Jack in the form of a fist, seemingly ready to hit him, and Jack was extremely frightened that he might as he thought to himself, 'Bunny was gonna hit me! I never meant for this to happen! I'm sorry! Please! I didn't mean to disappoint all of you!' Bunny lowered his fist and let out a heavy sigh. "Easter is...New beginnings...new life. Easter is about Hope! And now it's gone." Bunny sighed once more as he walked away from Jack with a disappointed look. Jack turned around to North and Tooth silently begging, 'Please hear me out! Please don't abandon me! With Sandy gone, I have no one! Let me explain!' But North and Tooth looked away, not wanting to see Jack. Jack took out the small wooden doll that North had given him, and looked at it's eyes. 'There's nothing wonderful about him. I crushed the guardian of Hope...Hope is gone and I have none left...and with Sandy gone...I'll likely never dream again. I just want to forget everything about the guardians and runaway!' The thoughts formed almost over each other and faster than Jack's heart could keep up. He tossed the doll to the ground and flew away.
The next thing Jack heard was Bunny practically sobbing saying, "Oh dear Moon...no..." Which was followed by the sound of a whip snapping behind him. He turned around to see a pissed off Sandy. 'I have to do something...' He thought as Sandy continuously whipped at the guardians. 'I wonder what would happen if I said all of their names as fast I as I can!' Jack took in a deep breath and immediately began calling off their full names as fast as he could. "Elliston Aster Bunnymund! Sandy Edmond Thompson! Alannia Fair Toothiana! Nicholas Northward!"
A large light erupted from all of them and to his surprise they all began to change little by little. All except North who simply glowed a bit and returned to normal. Jack already knew what Bunny and Sandy looked like in human form but was stunned to see what Tooth looked like. She had short brown hair that had green and pink tips at the end, her skin was the same color it has always been. She wore a beautiful green shirt with a a long green skirt that fell to her ankles. The shirt was loose and it's long sleeves were baggy with slits cut into the sides showing her arms. The skirt had many colorful designs on them as well as some feathers sewn into the fabric. Drawn out of his amazement at how she looked, he noticed how she was backing away from Sandy. "Now, look...Sandy..." North began.
"Save it, North!" Sandy shouted with fierce eyes.
"Y-You can talk!? Really talk!" Bunny shouted in surprise as he continued to back away from a very human and very pissed off Sandy who still held onto his whips made of sand. Once his back hit a tree in the memory world his eyes widened.
"I wouldn't expect you to know since none of you had called my full name in any of our memories. Now, you all better have a good reason for breaking my kid's heart, not that I would believe they're good reasons anyway!" Sandy shouted as he whipped at them again.
"Sandy!" Jack shouted with stunned eyes. They had all found out that they saw each other like father and son, but neither of them said it so blatantly to the other guardians. He was also surprised, because this was the first time that Sandy said he WAS his son, not LIKE he was a son to him.
"All of you crushed his hopes, destroyed his wonder, smashed any dreams he may have had left, you made him want to forget everything that had happened between all of us together...and you broke not only his heart, but his soul!" With every accusation, the cracking of a whip was heard. Sandy never actually hit them, but he hit next to them and around them with pure fury in his eyes.
"Sandy! Please, stop!" Jack begged over the sound of the whips cracking, and he placed a gentle hand on Sandy's arm.
"J-Jack..." Sandy stuttered out as the whips receded back into him. Meanwhile, he looked at Jack who was giving him a patient and hopeful expression. Sandy nodded at him and stood up straight letting out a frustrated sigh as his arms dropped to his sides with Jack still holding on to one of them. "Explain!" He demanded with the same fury in his eyes, only now they were mixed in with patience. "What were you all thinking!? You gave him no time for an explanation nor did any of you care!"
"I...I'm still shocked that you're talking, mate...and with how much Jack felt...I..."
"Did none of you see him in a human form?" Jack asked quickly.
"No...I mean we saw him born, but that was as far as human we got with him...the next scene we saw...he was the Sandy we know now."
"Enough! I want an explanation, and I want it now! What reasons do you have for hurting him so much! I am giving you what you didn't give him. A chance to explain yourselves."
"W-We can't..." North stated as guilt filled his eyes.
"Then try!" Sandy growled. "You call yourselves guardians yet you went against everything you represent! You did all of that to a child all at once!"
"I thought...I thought..." Tooth began as she swallowed a lump in her throat while she looked at Jack's patient and desperate expression. "I thought he had bargained with Pitch..." She admitted, lowering her head as tears began to fall slowly from her eyes.
Sandy nodded his head angrily at her as he turned his gaze to North who looked completely guilt ridden. "And you, North? What's your excuse?"
"I...I thought Jack had left us...for Pitch...I also thought...he bargained with him. I thought he gave Pitch, Baby Tooth, for his memories."
Sandy gave another furious nod as he turned his gaze to Bunny who was still having trouble breathing due to the fact that he was the one to feel everything tenfold. "And you, Aster? I don't think I need to ask, as it was clear what your first intention was." Sandy glared him down as he held a hand up gently, allowing his Sand to take on life and form into a moving reenactment of Bunny forming a fist and almost hitting Jack. He let his hand fall and continued his steadfast glare.
"I...I was angry..." Bunny started as tears began to stain his fur. "I felt hopeless and I...My heart broken at no longer being believe in and I..."
"You broke his heart easily enough, Aster. Why should it matter that your heart broke when you were in the process of breaking a child's heart. No matter how long he's lived or your biased opinion of him, he is an immortal child! Not to mention Manny chose him, which meant you all were supposed to GUIDE him. Not CRUSH him!"
"Look, Sandy..." Aster began desperately, still feeling the raw emotion Jack felt in the memory. "There is no way we have a good reason for what we did. We shouldn't have done it. We know that now! We..."
"You should've known it THEN!"
"Sandy..." Jack started as his hand tightened around Sandy's arm. "Let him explain..."
Although, inwardly proud at Jack's patience, he found his was wavering as he let out a frustrated, "Fine...Finish, Aster."
"Right...look, what we did was wrong, and we all regret it. We should've treated him that way, but we all felt so defeated. Especially after you died..."
"Don't you dare use my death against me! None of you felt my death as deeply as Jack did and you all know it now!"
"Y-You're right, mate...but regardless that's what we felt at the time. We shouldn't have done it and we're sorry...can you forgive us, Sandy?"
"It's not me you should be apologizing to, Aster. It's Jack. He's the one you need to ask forgiveness from." All of the guardians looked up at Jack, who's hand finally left Sandy's arm and returned their stunned gaze. Then suddenly they all looked away from him in shame. "Well?" Sandy asked with a harsh tone.
"We don't deserve it." North stated, his voice breaking at the end.
"That's not up to you." Sandy stated with a slightly softer tone. "That's up to Jack, and if you all are truly as sorry as you say, then you will ask it regardless if you deserve it or not."
The other guardians looked back up with guilt ridden eyes as they stared at Jack. All contemplating what he might say. "Mate..." Bunny started. "Now I know what Jamie's mother meant about the look in your eyes. I'm...look...I'm sorry I acted that way, and it will likely haunt me forever now, considering not only did I almost hit a child...but I almost hit my first true believer...I don't deserve it...I know that...but can you...I'm sorry for everything. Can you forgive me?"
"And can you forgive me? I'm so sorry I didn't let you explain. I should've, and I shouldn't have jumped to the conclusion that I did. I should've known better, Jack." Tooth stated with teary eyes.
"I know I don't deserve it, but can you forgive me as well, Jack? I am ashamed of my actions, and I should have never reacted that way without allowing you to explain. I think I can speak for all of us when I say, there is no amount of apologies that will make that..." North trailed off as he pointed a hand at the memory in front of them. "...okay." He finished.
Jack began to step back in complete and utter shock at everything he was hearing. As he stepped further back he felt Sandy quickly get behind him and his back ran into the front of Sandy. He felt his hands on his shoulders and looked up. "Jack..." Sandy said softly with a fond smile. "They deserve an answer."
Jack moved forward and out of Sandy's grasp as he looked at the other guardians who seemed as broken as they made him feel in the memory, if not...more broken. "You all really are sorry aren't you?" Jack asked as he narrowed his eyes at them.
"Yes..." Tooth began.
"...We are, Jack." Bunny finished, and North nodded his head.
"Well...If you're truly sorry then...I forgive you."
"You...would forgive us so easily?" North questioned, baffled by Jack's answer.
Sandy wore a proud grin as he looked down at Jack. "I think you'll find, North, that Jack is quite remarkable. He has never ceased to amaze me, and I suspect..." He looked up at the other guardians who were starting to stand up straight, still staring at Jack in astonishment. "...I suspect that you will see that he is always full of surprises. He is kind, intelligent, patient...most days, carefree, fun loving, and everything we represent."
"You knew I would forgive them...didn't you?" Jack asked with a smirk crossing his face.
"Honestly?" Sandy asked as he let in a large breath of air before sighing it out. "I wasn't sure, but I had a pretty good feeling you would. Especially when you stopped me from attacking them, and you asked me to allow Aster to explain himself. I'm proud of you, Jack."
"Thanks, Sandy." Jack replied with a wide smile.
"Thank you, Jack, for forgiving us. You didn't have to, and we're grateful you did." North stated with a proud and surprised smile.
Jack looked at him and let out a light chuckle. "Honestly...I really was afraid there for a while that none of you regretted or would regret any of that, and that I would never have a chance to explain myself. I was just going to live with the consequences...and I was expecting to be thrown out at any second...like I was that Easter."
"We promise, mate..." Aster started. "...once we're out of these memories of yours, you will never feel that way again."
"Thank you, Aster. Now...now that apologies are out of the way..." Jack silently questioned as he motioned towards the scene in front of them.
"Oh, yes, by all means. I'm curious to see what else happens, Jack." Sandy stated as he gave bantering glare at the other guardians. "You have to say our names again though."
"Wait, hold on, how did he even get all of us in our human forms anyway?" Aster questioned. "I thought he could only talk to us one at a time."
"Like I said..." Sandy started with a wide smile. "He never ceases to amaze."
"No, kidding!" Aster laughed out.
"Alright guys..." Jack began laughing. "Elliston Aster Bunnymund! Sandy Edmond Thompson! Alannia Fair Toothiana! Nicholas Northward!" Once they reversed back to their guardian forms everyone looked at each other with a new appreciative light. Jack nodded at Sandy a silent, 'Thank you', and looked back at the memory. "Let's continue."