"For what I've done Frost? What about you? Don't deny it... you ENJOYED every bloody minute of it..." Shadow cackled and Jack snarled, his eyes aflame with a promised vengeance and he struggled harder to get free; though the force of his desire to see her dead scared even Jakul.
"Uh, Shadow... I think we pushed him too far." Jakul managed but Shadow only raised an eyebrow.
"Eh, he'll get over it or he'll end up like his "darling" Mysterie..." She smirked at that, eyeing Jack with an evil, sickeningly sweet smile.
"I don't know why you bother Jackie... You could even save your beloved from a mere memory. Why did you think you could save your first believer's innocence? Besides... it happens to all mortals sooner or later... I just got there sooner." She smirked before Sandy put her to sleep before the little Guardian turned to Jack, sending the same sand into him so that the Guardians can haul them back to the pole. Bunny and Sandy stayed behind with Jamie to try and fix the mess that had just occurred, though both know that even with the comfort they offer the boy that he will never again be the same. That they cannot truly fix what has been taken from the boy. When Jack awoke again he found himself on a cozy warm bed that wasn't so unfamiliar, nor was the faint din of toys being built or the smell of good things cooking... mostly cookies. Getting up, he cried out when he stubbed his toe against a nightstand.
"Ouch!" He looked around and thought about what had happened the night before, it seemed a little fuzzy and all he could remember clearly at the moment was asking Jamie if he wanted to play. A yeti garbled something at the doorway as Jack yawned and soon the other Guardians were in the room, each looking at him with concern. None of them were easy around him, he might not remember, but they did... and he was alone in the room otherwise as they watched him. Sandy furiously flipping through symbols as usual and the others seemed mildly relieved as he reassured them. Jack looks at them, completely confused.
"Hey guys, what's up?" He walked around, looking for his staff, but it's nowhere to be seen.
"Hey, you seen my staff?" Jack asked as he checked behind a cupboard, finding nothing but an endless supply of ice cubes as well as other treasures and keepsakes. Tooth fluttered nearby nervously as the others glanced to her; she nodded and then turned back to Jack with a smile.
"Jack... don't you remember?" The other Guardians leave, except Bunny who crossed his arms as he watched Jack suspiciously. Jack turned after grabbing one of his treasures, a music box.
"Remember what Tooth?" His eyes spoke of honest, innocent confusion.
"What's going on guys?" Tooth and Bunny glanced at one another and she nodded a little.
"Maybe it's best if you don't Jack... That was... pretty bad for us all. You took it the hardest, you should stay here and rest for the day." Tooth glanced back over at Bunny who nodded and she walked off down the hall, which is unusual but the room was enchanted to prevent anyone inside from using any form of magic to affect anything around them, which of course meant Tooth could only hover for so long under her own power. Bunny closed the door behind her, he seemed to be watching Jack warily.
"Wha' do ya remember most recently mate?" He asked carefully.
Jack sat on the edge of his bed.
"Not much really, just remembering that Jamie asked me to come out and play and..." Jack faltered suddenly, seeing an image flash before him as he clutched his chest, slamming back against the wall. Bunny watched, concern flickering over his features.
"Jack? You alright there mate?" Bunny wondered if North wasn't too off by adding the protective wards to this room, it was unnerving to be unable to reach one's magic, but Bunny relied on it the least and so he could stand it the longest out of all the others. Jack was trembling, after a couple minutes he was able to bring his breathing back to normal only to think to himself. Who... and what... was that?
"I'm fine Bunny, j-just got sacred for a second... uh, though I saw a spider." He thought that had to be the worst lie in the history of lies. Shakily he got to his feet and resumed his search for his staff.
"Uh, Bunny? Do you know where my staff is?"
"Nah, only Sandy knows that." Jack could only think that all of the Guardians were acting really weird.
"Welp, I'll go ask him." Jack opened the door and walked out, searching for Sandy. He finds him several feet away seeming to be nibbling his fingers in fright as North was speaking in hushed whispers and Jack surmised that it was about him as he noticed he became immediately uncomfortable when he walked over, they smiled a little.
"Hey Sandy, have you seen my staff? Holland's not gonna ice itself you know." Sandy made signs that clearly said Jack can't have it back even as the sound of a choked sob and dark laughter came from a room nearby with a yeti standing guard in front of the door. Jack glanced around suddenly, searching for the source of the dark laughter before his confusion at all of this turns to frustration.
"Why not?" Jack looked at Sandy and wondering why while Jakul goaded his frustration, trying to get Jack to return to being feral creature like.
"Sandy, it's not your choice who can and can't keep my staff. It's mine and I'd like it back please."
"Not until we're sure you're okay mate. You gave us a right scare and I wager Ja-" Bunny clammed up instantly before saying anything more when Sandy caught his eye with a warning look. Tooth emerged wearily from the room the yeti was guarding. Jack looked at the Guardians in frustration then confusion. What was their problem? What was Bunny going to say?
"Bunny, what was it you were gonna say?" Bunny winced a little and North shifted a bit, uneasy. Tooth just looked sympathetic and Sandy, well he wasn't showing anything.
"What was he talking about North? What's with that dark laughter behind that door? What the hell happened?!" Jack was growing more towards being feral again by the second as his canine teeth became fangs and his eyes began to darken towards black. Tooth gasps and Bunny yanked Jack back into the room, shutting the door again.
"Not until you get control of that ruddy dark one." Jack blinked several times, shaking his head as he regained control. What was that?! Jack looked at Bunny in fear and horror.
"W-what's w-wrong w-w-with me?!"
"Donno mate." Jack felt unsure as another memory flashed before his mind's eye and he collapsed to the floor, unmoving as he felt like he was inside the memory, feeling the torture of it as he was forced to watch Jamie being raped. Bunny's eyes widened.
"Jack! Jack! Speak ta me mate!" Even as he stared at his comrade, faint sobbing could be heard from two doors away from them. Jack doesn't move, stuck i the torture, his eyes tearing up as he just stares unblinking. He gasped harshly when finally he came back to the world and it all made sense now.
"J-Jamie I-" Jack sobbed harsly, the sob cutting him off and he felt hatred for himself and for what he'd done... for everything he'd done rise in his chest.
"B-bunny... i-i-is Jamie o-okay?" Jack looked at him with a plea, hoping beyond hope that what he'd just seen wasn't real, that it had been some horrible nightmare instead of a memory. Bunny swallowed hard, seeing the look in Jack's eyes; he wished he really could tell the winter spirit it had just been one of Pitch's nightmares... that they hadn't busted down Jamie's door to rescue the youth from...
"Yeah... I don't think he'll be the same... His faith in us was pretty shaken... but North is with him now." Bunny crouched down near Jack, a little wary but there was genuine worry in his eyes.
"We don't blame you mate... That... that wasn't you." There's a thump it the background and Bunny wonders what the heck is going on in that room now, but ignores it in favor of Jack. Jack clutched at his head, wanting to be shoved in some dark hole and never come out again.
"I can't be a Guardian... I harmed an innocent child!" Jack cried out, the pain searing through him... how could he have let that happen to Jamie? To his best believer and friend? How could he have ever... He wailed out in his sorrow, this was beyond his screw ups before because there was no way to mend the trust he was sure to have been broken.
The door swung open, North was standing there.
"Um... i-is this a bad time?" It wasn't North who had spoken though, the voice was far too young and timid. Peering uncertainly around the large Guardian was Jamie. He felt his heart cry out when he saw Jack who look so stricken and they'd heard the winter spirit's wail only moments before. Jack reached out and hugged Bunny like he was a life line.
"No... what the fuck is wrong with me..." Jack groaned into the fur, gripping it like he expected the Pooka would just up and disappear if he didn't hold him tight. Bunny starts, looking down at Jack then over at North who nods.
"You couldn't have picked perfect time." North assures the boy with a pat on his back.
"Now, much as I like ya frostbite... this ain't my place ta interfere." Bunny carefully peeled himself away from Jack as Jamie slowly stepped forward into the room. North and Bunny both slipped out as Jamie stared at Jack with quiet concern on his face. The door closes but it is the quiet sob from several doors down that makes the youth jump a little. He glances about before turning back to Jack. Jack didn't look at Jamie, pulling his hood up to hide his face as he turned towards one corner, the sob that came from him was quieter and he clenched his fists in regret until they began bleeding. Jamie hesitated only a moment before he closed the distance and threw his arms around his best friend.
"I don't blame you Jack. I swear I don't..." He whispered. "it wasn't you. I know it." Jack tried to squirm out of the hug, he didn't think he deserved it as guilt ate at him, but Jamie didn't let go of him.
"J-jamie please let go... I hurt you and I can't forgive myself for what I did.." Jack struggled, finding that the boy had a surprisingly strong grip which made Jack wonder if the boy was really that strong or if he was just really that weak. Jack was on the verge of tears again when he cried out.
"JAMIE PLEASE LET GO! I HURT YOU DAMN IT! DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND I ALMOST RAPED YOU?!" There was a hint of desperation in his voice as he managed to pull himself away from the boy. Anger bubbled up in Jamie as he was forced to let go, his hands clenched into fists; Jack was his FRIEND after all... this wasn't Jack's fault it was...
"This wasn't your fault... that wasn't you! It was HER! She's been nothing but trouble since she arrived! None of this would have happened if she had never come here!" Jamie glared at the wall in the direction of the other room, unknowingly glaring in the direction of the one his anger was directed at. There was a tense silence and the boy growled as frustration rose in him. He was not going to lose his friend because of her! He was not!
"I wish she'd just leave and never come back!"
"As you wish..." A soft voice seemed to say to the room, Jamie blinked in confused anger at the voice, what the heck?! Who had said that? Seconds later there was an uproar in the hallway as yetis and Guardians began yelling and searching the workshop for the missing spirit. The two could hear the whole thing and Jack turned back to Jamie.
"Jamie w-what did you say...?" Jamie wondered how in the world his words could have gotten any sort of response like this. Fear flashed over Jack's features as he spots what seemed to be a shadow out the window. He looked at Jamie, suddenly worried.
"Jamie, stay here." Jack's fear turned unusually to anger against Jamie when the boy walks over to him, wondering what is wrong.
"Back." Jack says and the boy looks at him confused.
"Wha-"
"I SAID BACK OFF! IT'S YOUR FAULT SHE'S GONE! DO YOU EVEN HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH I LOVED HER! DO YOU?!" Jamie looks shocked for a moment, but when he thought he might be losing his best friend tears began streaming down his face.
"Oh Jamie..." Jack groaned, he'd done it again... he'd hurt the boy... Instead of throwing his arms around Jack again he gathered some snow from the floor, as at some point it had started to snow in the room and it was now completely blanketed, he threw a snowball smack into Jack's face. Jack shook the snow off and Jamie then tackled the winter spirit into a hug, the two of them tumbling into the snow.
"Jack... she was no good for you. She was too far gone. North explained everything to me." Jack could only shake his head as tears fell from his eyes and he hugged the boy close. He didn't have the strength of will then to wonder why North would tell his best friend about all of that. It didn't matter, the boy hadn't given up on him and he didn't think he could stand it if the boy did so now. He vowed he would do whatever he could to make sure what had happened the night before never would again. For a moment, Mysterie hovered on the sand just outside Jack's room fighting the tug of magic within her and her eyes gleamed with tears for the longest moment as she watched Jamie embrace Jack again; so intent on holding on to his best friend. Finally she turned and fled from the pole. She didn't want to leave, but the boy had made his wish and the magic within her, magic that she didn't yet understand... With frightening devastation, she realized what her center was. She knew that Jamie was right... from the first moment that she had met Jack... things had just gone wrong. Wrong for her... and more importantly, wrong for him. She let the sand take her away from the pole, settling into Antarctica. After all, the wish had been general... not specific... but the force of it would likely limit her movements on the planet and she could only weep as she lay in the snow after landing.
"I'm sorry Jack... I... I just want this to all stop." Jamie said as he hugged Jack more tightly, he couldn't help the anger he felt at the other spirit... It had been her fault all of this was happening... He just wanted things to be the way they used to be... He wanted his friend back.