Thank you to menzgus for following and favouriting.

Here we go, last chapter, more thoughts on it at the end.

We discussed things on the way, ultimately decided to not do anything. It was only two people with a personal vendetta. They may have been leaders, but the rest of them were unlikely to do the same. As long as kept my exact involvement quiet. Nigel volunteered to talk to the Heads about it, which I had to give him credit for.

Once we got to the lake I winced at the amount of snow there was. I hadn't intended it to get this bad.

Even worse, Jack was there, examining the area.

He turned around when he heard and came straight over, ignoring David's stuttering and began glaring at me. That surprised and almost scared me. I'd never seen Jack angry, I almost didn't think he could get angry.

"What were you thinking?!" He cried, gesturing angrily with his free hand and staff. "I told you twice not to try and make a snowstorm, and you went and did it anyway! Do you realise what could have happened?! Do you have any idea what kind of damage you could have done?!"

It was so tempting to give a smart arse answer, but Jack was my friend, I wasn't going to do that. So I swallowed my pride.

"I'm sorry."

Jack blinked, as if he had been expecting me to become defensive instead of apologising.

"I didn't go out intending to make a snowstorm, but I shouldn't have and it got me in
trouble. I'm sorry."

Jack relaxed and looked around at everyone who was here, putting together that something had happened.

"At least you're okay." He said, his shoulders slumping. "Controlling a snowstorm is pretty tiring."

"I noticed." I said a little sarcastically.

"Do we want to know what happened Jackie?" Asked Tina.

"No, you really don't."

Nigel sighed. "Alright, now that we're all here. I'm going to report to the Heads, make sure Jackie gets home before something else happens."

"Hey! I can handle myself."

"After what happened today, I don't want to take that risk. You're injured and the Descendants of Pitch and Lupine are not going to be happy. Not to mention you appear to have a knack for attracting trouble."

Taboo growled at the idea, but surprisingly didn't put up a fight.

I sighed and folded my arms in annoyance. Billy laughed and ruffled my hair.

"Aw stop sulking Icicle. We're just worried about ya."

"Stuff you Skippy." I said a little sulkily, but Billy knew that I was just messing around.

Billy snorted with laughter and gave me a gentle shove into my good shoulder. I shoved back as we began walking and he retaliated, quickly turning it into a friendly shoving match.

Jack and Sally were sniggering as Tina rolled her eyes.

"Honestly you two. Cut it out!"

Taboo let out a rumbling laugh and Billy and I looked at each, struggling not to laugh.

This became so much harder when Jack dumped a bunch of snow on Tina's head.

Tina froze in place and let out a long suffering sigh.

"Jackie, if you wouldn't mind."

I made to remove the snow as Billy commented.

"Actually, I think the frozen look suits you."

"THAT'S IT OSBOURNE!"

Tina turned around and charged at Billy, who was still cracking up. Sally put a wall up between the pair and a piece of tape made from Dream Sand on Billy's mouth.

"Happen often?" Asked Jack innocently, also struggling not to laugh as Tina bounced off the wall.

"You have no idea." I said dryly as I removed the snow from Tina. She calmed down and as the wall came down she fixed Billy with a glare.

"Let's get back to Jackie's before something else happens. Okay?" She said through gritted teeth.

"That is tempting fate Tina." Said Sally, glancing at Billy's innocent 'who, me?' face.

"Never mind."

We managed to get back to mine without Billy and Tina strangling each other. We didn't mention the reputation of the Descendants of Jack Frost, partially because I doubted that Jack knew. I'd forgiven them by this point anyway, so it wasn't an issue in my mind anymore.

I spent the next week wrestling with myself. The nightmares had made a return, and I couldn't get their dead bodies out of my mind. I was partially responsible for their deaths, and I just couldn't get over that, not with my track record.

Finally, without telling anyone, even Taboo, I went back to the cave.

We forgot to close the Tunnel leading back to the cave, and I skated down it, my stomach feeling heavy and full of snakes break dancing.

I exited to a sticky cave, I hadn't really noticed how hot it was down here last time, but I found myself tugging at the collar of my shirt as I walked through it. It was so hot down here that I was amazed that the ice tables/coffins hadn't melted, but they were still there.

The bodies were still encased, and not much had changed. However, in front of each of the tables were wreaths. The one in front of Samuel's was made of black sand, while the one in front of Pete was made of actual plants, with twigs and wild flowers. How long that would last I have no idea.

I felt an ache in my chest and burning in my throat. I hadn't cared about these people, but I felt horribly guilty, and in a way touched at how the other Descendants had reacted. It made the guilt worse though.

I walked closer and felt my eyes prick as I saw how far they'd gone. The ice had had
images carved into them, presumably of their high points in life.

"I know you were trying to kill me, but I never wanted to end like this." Finding myself talking to the dead was something I did too often, but it was something I felt I had to do. I needed some kind of closure.

"I'm sorry."

I folded my arms as a solitary tear froze itself to my cheek. "I am so, sorry."

I don't know how long I stood there, but after a while I mechanically turned around and went back up the Tunnel, where Taboo was probably waiting.

And, Howling Shadows comes to close. It's been an interesting one. The routine will be the same as last time, I'll be posting a few one shots on HOG Files for the next week or so, I'll try and keep it in chronological order, if it isn't there'll be a note saying when it takes place.

Finally, as some of you might know, I've been working on a collab project with MimitationBalance where we've crossed over our two ROTG stories.

So, Mimic, Spirit of Emotion and Guardian of Balance, meets Jackie, Descendant of Jack Frost.

There will be references to the third arc and a couple of spoilers, nothing too big I think, it doesn't reveal the plot of the third arc. MimitationBalance will be posting the story here on FF, and the link is... not working, so you may have go the long way around and look in my favourite stories to find it.

I'll be posting it on DeviantArt in a couple of week time, so yeah.

This is TheShapeshifter100, signing out.