Chapter Three

Jackson sat holding the hand of his dead friend, Nightlight, and prayed. Prayed for Nightlight's soul to find peace, for the guidance to do what was right now. He couldn't carry them both back to the village, so he knew he'd have to return with men that could help. His father and uncle perhaps, his older cousins even. "i'm sorry, nightlight," he whispered, tears slipping from his eyes. "i'm so sorry i couldn't help you in time…" He knew he had to move soon, but losing a friend was hard. He didn't want to leave either of them behind, but somehow the idea of taking one but not the other, of having to choose between his friend and a stranger that might've meant the world to Nightlight, was a horrible thought. It sickened him to think of separating them in death. He reached for the old man's hand, turning it over and around Nightlight's, holding them together so that in death they knew the other was there. "i am so, so sorry."

He reached to pet the hair from Nightlight's cold face, when his arm was ensnared by the black tentacle from before. Jackson screamed out in fear, and tried to pull away, but this time the Fearling relinquished it's hold on the dead Nightlight and emerged from his stomach like an oozing pile of pus. Jackson screamed again and fought harder to get away but it was no use, and this time he didn't have Nightlight to save him. The boy knew he was going to be devoured by this black oozing mass, and there was nothing he could do about it. He reached widely for anything he could use as a weapon and his hand found the shaft of his shepard's crook. Frantically Jackson swung at the Fearling, screaming in terror and with a flash of light the mass disintegrated before Jackson's very eyes.

A sinister laugh began to fill the previously silent air then, and he was reminded all at once of Nightlight's last warning, to run away before he was found. The boy got to his feet and ran, from what he didn't know. The woods seemed darker then before, more wicked in the growing night, and Jackson ran and ran and ran and ran. He didn't stop until he saw the lights of his village, and still he ran through the town, heedless of the peculiar looks he received from the few still out at this time, tending to last minute chores. He ran until he reached his house, slamming himself to a halt against the front door. He could hear his mother gasp from the other side and with shaking hands he reached to open the door, only to have it thrown open for him. "Papa!" he yelled, seeing the face of his kindly but stern looking father. "You have to come quick, there are-"

"Young man, what do you think you are doing out in this cold without a shirt or shoes on?!" his mother yelled over him as she registered who was at the door.

"Jack, you were supposed to be back half an hour ago," his father was saying, stepping aside to let his wife out to fuss over their eldest son. "We were starting to worry. Where're the basket of traps?"

"Papa, Mama, please listen-"

"You'll catch your death in this cold if you don't get inside this minute," his mother told him and ushered him into the warmth of their house. "My god, you're as cold as ice, boy," she fretted and Jack hadn't even realized how cold he was until he was set before their fireplace to warm up. "Where is your shirt?"

"Mama, Mama, there are-there are people in the woods, they-they-" Jack could feel his eyes tearing up, remembering his dear dead friend Nightlight, "They're-they're, oh god something terrible happened, and I-I-I couldn't help them, and there was-there was this black mass, and-"

"Good heaves, what are you babbling about, Jackson?" his mother asked.

"Martha, step aside," his father said. "Kids, go to bed," he ordered Jack's siblings. "Now slow down and tell us what happened, Jack."

Jackson took a deep and steadying breath. "I was out-out walking, looking for-looking for traps," he said, still not free of his nervous stutter even as he tried to suppress it. "I saw a light in the sky, something-something fell. Then-then-then I found Nightlight dy-dying."

"Hold on boy," his father said, "You found a what now?"

"Nightlight, my-my-my-" But he couldn't get the words out, the memory of that cold body lying lifeless haunting him. "Nightlight, Nightlight, he's gone."

"What's a nightlight, dear?" his mother asked. "Jack, you're not making any sense."

"Bah!" his father finally said. "The boy is telling stories again."

"This isn't a story!" Jackson cried, nearly frantic. "It's real! There are-are...dead people in the woods and we have to-have to go get them!"

"Dead people, where?" his mother asked.

"Jack, you're not crying wolf again, are you?" his father asked. "It wasn't funny when you tried that prank last spring and it's not funny now to be making up stories about some dead people in the woods when no one but us went out this night."

"I'm NOT making it up!" Jackson yelled. "You gotta believe me!, Please, Papa...believe me."

"Okay, say that I do," his father relented. "It's too late to do anything about it now. So, we'll go in the morning, when dawn breaks."

"You're just gunna leave them out there overnight?"

"Yes, because the dead don't just get up and walk away, Jack. If what you said is true, then they'll be there in the morning. Now, try to calm down and go to bed. We'll see about your shirt and cloak in the morning."

With a pout, Jackson got up and stormed to the only other room in the cabin, a bedroom where the family slept. He found his siblings all huddled in their beds, looking expectantly at him as he walked into the room. "Jack," his youngest sister was the first to break the silence, "What happened to Nightlight?"

He nearly broke down in tears once more, unable to bring himself to describe to his siblings what horrible scene he'd come across that night, and the tragedy that had befallen a dear friend of theirs. He didn't want them to know, because as soon as they knew, it all became real, and Nightlight really was dead. "I-I saw Nightlight while I was out in the woods," he told them instead. "He's fine, just played a little prank on me, gave me a scare is all." He walked over to his sister's bed, their younger brother and middle sister coming closer to hear his story. "He gave me a bit of a fright, he did-he did," Jack told them." I'll-I'll tell you all about it-about it."

Then he lied, and lied, and lied.


Jack flew as fast as he could over land and sea, looking for any sign of a Guardian. It wasn't long before he finally spotted one of his new co-workers, but when he saw who it was he almost considered keeping up his search. But then, considering the dire nature of what he'd seen, Jack didn't think the news could wait until he found Tooth or Sandy, or even North. With a huff of frustrated hope, he landed with a gentle and cold breeze, calling out, "Bunny!"

The six foot rabbit looked up, but lacked the surprise Jack thought he'd have. "Whacha doing out here, ya gumby?" Bunnymund asked. "I was told you'd be near Burgess back north."

"Something came up," Jack said, clutching his crook nervously. "I saw Pitch."

"You Saw Pitch?! Where?!"

Jack was about to tell Bunny exactly where when he hesitated, then chose instead to say, "Near Burgess, just outside of the town." Something inside didn't want the Guardians anywhere near the place he'd actually seen Pitch, just...It meant too much to him. And he thought if Bunny and the others were there then the magic of that place would be broken. "Listen, there was a child with him but-"

"He stole a kid?!"

"No, she-she disappeared, but I don't think that was Pitch's doing. Bunny, I don't think she was human, I think she was like us."

"What did the sheila look like?"

Jack recalled what he could of the little girl he saw, trying to remember clearly so he could describe her. "Little girl, about four or five, long black hair, green dress, and…" he stalled out, trying to remember the color of her eyes. Had they been green or brown? Weren't they a golden color? "Her eyes changed colors, I think."

"Did she have flowers and feathers in her hair?"

"Yeah!" Jack said, excitedly. "You know her?"

Bunnymund swore, some word Jack didn't understand. "She bloody well not have decided to change her mind about nothing, fuck me."

Yeah right, Jack reflexively thought, but kept his mouth shut on that note. "Bunny, who is she?"

With a sigh the Guardian of Hope looked back at the frozen boy. "Mother Nature, Jack. She's bloody Mother Nature."

"Is…..that a good thing?"

"Depends on the time of day, how the stars are aligned and whether or not she's on the rag."

"Sooo….nooo?"

"Maybe. Jack, whatever you do, stay out of her way and her crosshairs. She's not someone we need to be rootin' around with, okay?"

"How come?"

"She's powerful, Jack. A lot stronger than you can imagine and she has no loyalties to anyone but herself. That stunt you pulled in '68? She does things like that whenever she pleases and there's no talking her out of it."

Jack gave a weak and nervous smile and leaned on his staff. He never really liked to be reminded of the Blizzard of '68, but all the same he asked, "you're not still mad at me for that, are you?"

"Yes, I am," Bunny replied. "I'll be mad at you until the day I die, Jack. But I'm also willing to look past that and work with you, so you can stop worrying about it. Look, the others need to know about this, I'm gunna call a meeting back at the warren."

Jack nodded and waited for Bunny to thump on the ground, opening a tunnel he quickly hopped into. The frost spirit turned away but fell backwards onto the hole, catching a wind and flying after the rabbit. Of course they were the first to the magical place Bunny called home, with giant moss covered stone egg warriors swiveling their heads to take note of who had swiveled to happier faces when they saw Jack, but Bunny swiftly told them to prepare for company. "Stay here, Jack," Bunny bid the frosted youth. "I'll be right back."

"You're gunna leave me unattended? In the warren?" Jack teased but withered under the Look Bunny leveled on him.

"If you so much as throw one snowball in my warren," Bunnymund started to threaten, but let up as Jack laughed and put his hands up.

"I know, I know. No snow days here." The frosted boy was bold enough to shuffle away, even turn his back on the seething six foot rabbit. This wasn't his first time in the warren, as they'd all agreed they needed to have monthly meetings to check in with one another now. These meetings took place in either Tooth's palace, North's workshop or Bunny's warren since neither Jack nor Sandy had a permanent home. They'd tried meeting up at Jack's pond a few times, but the children of Burgess always found them and it became impossible to keep Jack's attention focused on what they needed to discuss when there were kids having fun just off the pond's edge. Not to mention that the pond couldn't remain frozen year round, so one day during one of those meetings the pond was removed from their meetup spots. Bunny refused to ever come visit Antarctica, muttering something about regretting ever making the damn continent, but Jack had been too disappointed that he had no other place to bring the Guardians. Sure, he had the abandoned village, and even Jack had to admit that it seemed like the perfect place to go, but he never could bring himself to offer it up as a meeting place.

The place was too….sacred. The first and, until recently, only person who had believed in him in nearly 300 years had lived there, and he didn't want the Guardians to disturb her resting place now. He wanted to keep that place to himself, a place of reflection and a reminder of a friendship he cherished above all else. Tears wet his eyes as he realized he hadn't gotten to finish his talk with Miss Katherine the Very Brave that day, the emergency with Pitch taking precedence. He hoped she would understand, he had talked to her many times about Pitch, after all.

"You should leave him if he's hurting you," she had once told him. "Life is too short to stay where you're unhappy."

Jack preoccupied his mind instead with looking around the warren and taking in the beauty of it, from the lush grass and flowers that always bloomed, to the colorful streams of dye Bunny used to paint his eggs. A giant cherry blossom tree stood in the middle of a clearing, as if the space around it was designed for it to bloom there in all it's pink petaled glory. Jack couldn't help reaching out and tapping his cold fingers against a few of the flowers, freezing them in a soft and delicate lace pattern of ice. He smiled at how much more beautiful they looked now, a perfect marriage of winter kissing spring, but his mirth was quickly stolen as he saw something come swinging at his head from the corner of his eye. He ducked and narrowly missed getting slapped by a massive tree branch. Vines whipped over him and eventually ensnared him like tangling whips. Jack yelled as they lifted him into the air, flailing about in a panic as he didn't understand what was happening, but then Bunny's voice called out, "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Put 'em down mate! He's on our side!" Unceremoniously, Jack was dropped from the vines, into a stream of thankfully just water. Around him it began to turn to slush as he scrambled to get out of it before he got stuck.

"What the hell was that?" Jack asked

"Better question was what the hell did you do?" Bunnymund countered. "Crickey, I can't leave you alone for two minutes before you go and get into a row with the Whomping Willow, can I?"

Jack brushed the extra frost off his hoodie and frowned at Bunny. "I wasn't doing anything, your tree just came at me outta nowhere."

"Whomping Willows don't attack out of nowhere, Jack," Bunny countered. "You did something."

"Fine, I frosted a few of your flowers."

"Damnit Jack, can you go even two seconds without needing to mess with me and my things or get on my nerves?"

"One," Jack counted. "Two." He shrugged as if proving Bunny wrong wasn't hard.

"You're still working my last nerve," Bunnymund countered. The rabbit grabbed Jack by the scruff of his hoodie and pulled him along. "Alright, if you can't behave on your own, I'll babysit you myself."

"I don't need a baby sitter!"

"How old are you again?"

"Old enough to be your grandpa!"

"HA! I highly doubt that, Jack." The Pooka stopped before a giant globe, not unlike the one Jack had seen in North's workshop last Easter, only this one was egg shaped, much like everything else in Bunny's lair. Bunny hopped up onto a short and wide pedestal and began thumping out a pattern. Above the globe began to vibrate with the same pattern, and Jack felt a small vibration in the earth itself.

"How old are you?" Jack asked, curious to see if he could distract the rabbit from his duty, just for a moment.

"Almost older than time itself," Bunnymund replied without so much as missing a single beat of his paw. After a few more thumps they could hear North in the other room, calling for Bunny to come out and a moment later, Tooth joined him. "Alright, that should do it."

"How old is time?" Jack asked, following Bunny as he hopped back to the room they had just come from, the heart of the very warren itself.

"Not now, Jack," Bunnymund minded him as they gathered. He scanned the room to make sure everyone was there then called everyone to attention. "Everyone, Jack has some news he'd like to share."

As all eyes swiveled to Jack he felt a nervous feeling wash over him. Some kind of fear gripped at his heart and a lump formed in his throat. "I saw-I saw Pitch," he stuttered, unsure why he thought the Guardians wouldn't believe him.

"What?!" North's reaction was almost as sudden as Bunny's had been. "Where?!"

"Just-just outside of-outside of Burgess," Jack replied, clutching his staff nervously as he knew that was a boldfaced lie. "I saw him with-I saw him with a child and-"

"Oh no!" Toothiana cried. "That poor dear, we have to save her!"

"No, no, no, listen, listen uhh, Bunny said-Bunny said she was-was," but the unsureness in what he was saying stole his voice away. Jack's breath became shallow and quick. Sensing his unease Bunny stepped in to fill in the rest with, "Jack says he saw him with Mother Nature."

"What were they doing?!" North asked angrily, behind him Sandy and Tooth exchanged worried glances. Ice began to form on Jack's staff, his hands tightening around it as he tried to keep his cool inside him. But Bunny had already noticed the frost spirit's raising anxieties, and although he couldn't figure out why he didn't see a point in making the kid suffer unnecessarily. "North, calm down," he bid. "Believe me, I'm as upset as you are, but there's no need to get worked up just yet."

"Do Not Tell Me To Calm Down!" North roared, pulling a sword and pointing it at Bunnymund's face. "Not After What That Шлюха Did To Me!"

Jack looked nervously between Bunny and North, still unsure of what he needed to do. Then a bit of bravery came to him and he asked, "What did she do?" North's demeanor changed in an instant, his angry posture deflating, his eyes beginning to brim with tears. Jack regretted asking immediately, hurt but the pained expression North wore now.

"We don't need to talk about what she did Jack," Tooth spoke up, coming to North's defense. "What we need to do right now is work on finding out what Mother Nature was doing with Pitch. We need to stop them."

"From...playing?" Jack asked, growing more confused by the minute.

"Playing?" North said, "They were Playing?"

"Yeah, like-like you know how parents play with their kids sometimes, pretending to be a monster and chase them around? Like that."

"Pretending to be a monster," Bunnymund scoffed. "Where does Pitch get off pretending to be a monster?"

"What do you mean, playing like they are monsters?" North asked. "They are monsters!"

"Do you not know how kids and their parents play together?"

"Why would she be playing with Pitch tho, that's the better question," Tooth said to bring everyone's attention back to the task at hand. She looked at Sandy who merely conjured a question mark above his head. "Jack, are you sure that's what you saw?"

"Sure as I have eyes," Jack said. "I mean, she is a child after all. Mother Nature I mean."

"She's not a child mate," Bunny said. "That's just a form she takes sometimes, but she's a lot older than you."

"As old as time?"

"Not that old." Bunny shook his head. "Okay, so Pitch and Mother Nature were recently seen playing together. What do we do about that?"

"I don't think we should do anything," Tooth said, flitting about a bit nervously. "If what Jack said is true, then-"

"Then we stop her from joining Pitch's army at all costs," North interjected. "Even if that means we have to kill her."

"North, no!" Tooth said, setting down and putting a hand on her friend's arm. "She took an oath, remember? She would never help nor hinder Pitch. I hardly think playing with him helps him in any way that's bad news for us. And Jack doesn't know anyway, he wouldn't understand-"

"What wouldn't I understand?" Jack asked.

"It is nothing to worry about, Jack," Tooth said, a bit of strain in her voice as she noted that people keep talking over her. "We'll keep an eye out for Pitch doing anything wrong, but I don't think this was an incident worth getting worked up over."

The frost spirit frowned at that, not liking that information was being kept from him. Let me ease your mind about one thing, they'll never accept you, not really, the thought was dark and ugly in Jack's mind but he couldn't help the recall of it. That's exactly what it felt like right then, that he wasn't accepted as one of the group, that he was made a Guardian because Manny, as North so affectionately called the Man in the Moon, had simply chosen him. Like they just had to accept that whether they liked it or not, whether he had wanted to be one or not. And granted, he'd come around on the idea, eventually deciding being a Guardian wouldn't be so bad, but now with all these meetings and secrets Jack was starting to feel anxious all over again.

But then again, could he really get mad at them for keeping a secret? Jack had told them a little fib to keep a secret to himself. Sure, it wasn't a big lie, but something inside him told him lying was wrong. Of course, logically he knew it was wrong, but his unease with doing it was worrisome to him. In nearly 300 years Jack hadn't told a single lie before. He might have skirted around giving a direct answer sometimes, but never a flat out lie such as the little white lie he'd told the Guardians regarding where he'd seen Pitch.

"Well," Tooth started up again, putting a smile on her face in an attempt to cheer everyone up, "No sense in dwelling on a sour note, right guys? I think as long as Pitch isn't seeming to plot anything against us we shouldn't worry so much about what to do just yet. After all, we just beat him back and I know we can do it again and again, and again...and again…" Her demeanor faltered a bit, but then she perked right back up again. "Can we adjourn the meeting now? Some of us have work we really should be getting back to, ya know."

"Just so we're clear, we're gunna let this sighting of Pitch slide?" Bunnymund asked. "I mean, at what point do we worry then?"

"When we know he's working on something," Tooth countered. "That could take years."

Sandy conjured a small bit of nightmare sand, turning it into a miniature Nightmare and holding it up for the others to see.

"Sandy is right," Tooth went on, "we have to worry more about those roaming Nightmares right now anyway. The more we snuff out the less Pitch has to work with when he tries to come after us again."

"Alright, then, we should get back to work," North said, putting on a jolly face. "We will worry about Pitch later, he is no threat to us right now."

Bunny didn't seem convinced, and Jack picked up on the way he rolled his eyes as North adjourned the meeting. A moment later, he threw down a snowglobe, bringing forth a swirling portal back to his workshop. Tooth and Sandy bid their farewells and left a moment later. Bunny then huffed, seemingly annoyed when Jack didn't leave as well. "Playing together?" he asked Jack.

"Yeah, I mean, I thought it was important at the time," Jack replied. "Seems like it wasn't a big deal now though. Hey, are you gunna tell me what all that tension was about just now?"

The giant rabbit shook his head and crossed his arms, looking away from Jack. "No, and you'd do well not to go sticking your nose into it if you don't want to end up on North's shit list, mate."

"I'm already on his naughty list, what's one more naughty behavior?"

"Jack, I said his shit list, not his naughty list. Do you even listen? Look, you don't want North mad at you, he can hold a grudge like no one I've ever seen before and you can't talk him out of anything either."

"Like Mother Nature?"

"She's more unstable than he is, mate. You wanna go back to feeling like you're invisible? Then go ahead and ask him about-" but Bunny sighed and shook his head. "Nevermind Jack. Look, all you need to know is that our history with Pitch is long and heavy and, well, painful in some ways, okay? We don't like to tell the story anymore." Jack could see Bunnymund's eyes welling with their own tears now, his lower lip trembling.

"It's too hard to tell the story without her."