My father cast a spell that did not alter my appearance, just made it so that when looked at, no one would recognize me except my father. I would go by the name Amber Fireheart and say that I had no memory of who I was before I was chosen. To my disgust my father made me wear a dress so the Guardians wouldn't recognize my clothes. The dress was mainly orange, with layers of orange and yellow.
My father and I had worked out most of the plan last night. My father would have one of his nightmares steal a box of teeth from the Tooth Palace, therefore making Toothiana believe that my teeth had somehow been lost, so they would think I wouldn't ever know my memories. Once the Guardians completely trusted me, I would contact my father and he would start a false battle with a few nightmares in Burgess, Jack's beloved home. The nightmares there would turn Jack's precious lake to nightmare quick sand, and give Jack's friend Jamie a vision to see who Jack really was. My father would then come meet me at the Guardian's castle, bringing an army of nightmares and fearlings. My father said he would take it from there.
I gave my father one last hug, and said goodbye to my two best friends, Eric and Sasha, fearlings who worked with my father. With one last wave I turned and headed to Burgess.
I spotted Jack the moment I set eyes on the lake. He was making a snowman with Jamie's little sister, Sofie. My father had told me that once Jamie had moved away to college, Jack had started playing with the girl more often. Jamie no longer lived in Burgess, but still came to visit Jack from time to time. Sofie was now thirteen years old, if I recalled correctly, and very tall and uncoordinated from the looks of it. I hid in a nearby tree until Jack left with Sofie to put her to bed. I then waited until Jack was almost in sight, and quickly curled up in a snow drift next to the lake.
As Jack's footsteps neared, I slowly opened my eyes, glancing around in fake confusion. Jack saw me and started running over to see if I was alright. He must have thought I was human, because he regarded me with interest, but didn't say anything. "Wh-who are you?" I asked, shivering in the cold.
He looked startled, then, pointed at himself questionably said, "You-you can see me?"
I pretended to look confused, pushing all the hate down, "What do you mean?" I asked, "Of course I can see you." Jack shook his head and then held a hand out to help me up. I took it, using all of my self control not to burn it off.
"How did you get here? What's your name? Oh, I'm Jack Frost by the way." he seemed to brace himself for a human reaction, and was surprised when I faked a blank stare. "I-I think my name is Amber Fireheart...at least that's what I heard. I-I know it sounds kind of stupid, but I think the moon told me." I tried my best to sound innocent and truthful.
Jack seemed to realize what this meant and looked at me with curiosity. "Do you have any memory of your former life?" he asked
"Former life?" I asked in return, "No, I just remember waking up here and seeing you." I gave him a quick glance from underneath my eyelashes. He had to buy this, or my father's plan was never going to work.
He seemed to buy it because he said, "I think there's some people you need to meet. They're my friends, and most people call them the Guardians." he said, smiling and spinning his staff. I glanced at it, and noticed that my blood must have been scrubbed at until nothing was visible anymore. Jack didn't even seem like the same person he was when he tortured me. Rage boiled up inside me. I couldn't wait to take him down. I smiled back at him, excitement mixing with the rage as I realized that our plan was going to be even easier than anticipated. Jack was leading me right to the Guardians front door.
"The Guardians? Who are they? I don't think I've ever heard of them before." I tried to plaster an innocent look on my face.
"You wouldn't have. We protect the children of the world, for example, I'm the Guardian of fun." Jack explained. I tried my best to look like I cared, "I think North will want to see you and explain some things so you'll be able to learn more about this new world you're going to be living in." I thought of how badly Jack was explaining this. If I really were a new spirit, I would be extremely confused.
"What do you mean new world?" I asked.
"Well, the spirit world or course. You were once human, but you died and the Man in the Moon choose you to become a spirit. A long time ago I was in the same boat as you. That was about three hundred ten years ago." he looked distant, "So I guess this is day one for you." he said, looking at me happily. I almost laughed. If only he knew. I had seen the Guardians bring my father down as a spirit child, had seen even before that when my father hadn't even know of the Guardians. I had been born before those retches had even been reborn. My father had fallen in love with my mom during the Dark Ages, and they had lived in all their glory. The Man in the Moon had created the Guardians then, when I was only three years old. They had brought my father down and separated my parents, taking my mother away from us forever. Many years later my father had almost completed my training. I was around three hundred at the time, when he had broken us out of the hell hole prison we had been banished to. It took dad a few years to perfect his black sand trick, and once he had he tried to attack the Guardians again. The Man in the Moon had made Jack a Guardian and he had destroyed my father again. I had taken care of my father once his nightmares turned against him, allowing the Guardians to banish him once again under the enchanted bed frame. Jack had been told of me about that time, and decided to kidnap and torture me. I came so close to laughing at Jack's saying three hundred years had been a long time.
"I died?" I asked, wishing I could rip off his face
"You probably died and were reborn as a spirit." Jack tried to explain
"I-I don't think I understand."
"That's why you need to meet the Guardians." Jack responded excitedly, "They can explain everything."
"Ok. I'm ready." I said, faking a nervous smile. It was time.