The pond was perfectly frozen over. Smooth and clear to see the blue waters beneath, but thick enough to walk upon. A little extra dusting of snow about the area transformed the place into the ideal winters skating grounds. Jack smiled as he surveyed his work. Roxie was sure to like his extra touches.
"Jack!" He turned to find the blonde girl racing towards him. He smiled.
"Bout time you showed up," he called out. "I was starting to get bored."
"I had to drop Jamie off. You had to wait, what? Another–" She looked at her watch. "–ten minutes? Hardly long, Mr. Frost."
"Yeah, but, I'm still gonna have to give you a penalty for being late."
Roxy smirked, her hands moving to her hips. "Since when do you have rules?"
"I don't. Well, at least I didn't until I got assigned to be a teacher. No offense, but that in itself makes you indebted to me."
"Oh really? Are you saying I am a poor student? And here I thought I was doing pretty well."
"Sorry Roxy." Jack chucked. "But teaching isn't really any fun, and you know I only like to have fun."
"Well, you can't blame the student if the teacher can't handle her."
Jack broke into a smirk. "Is that a challenge?"
Roxy laughed and changed into her Guardian form. She fluttered her wings teasingly, meeting Jack's smirk. "Why don't you come over and find out?"
With that, the game was on. Jack dove at Roxy first. He missed when she stepped to the side, causing him to spin around. He came at her again only to have her block with a winter breeze.
"You think the cold will stop me?" he taunted, deflecting her attack with one of his own.
"No but it does distract you." She pulled out her sword and readied another attack. Jack was hoping she'd do that. He braced his staff with each of her blows, laughing when she tried disarming him. He turned his staff as she came at him again, hooking the end near the middle if the blade. The slight slack from her shock allowed him to toss her weapon to the other side of the pond.
"Point for me."
"Oh, you think so?" Roxy jumped, landing an inch away from the winter spirit's face. She placed her hands in his biceps, pressing them just slightly to keep his arms at an angle. She moved closer to his face.
Jack stared, unsure what she would do. However, he wasn't expecting her to blow a raspberry in his face.
"Hey!" He jumped back. "Since when is that legal?"
"No rules, Jack. Remember?" Roxy giggled.
"In that case…" Jack lowered his his staff, angling his wrist. He lowered his voice to where Roxy swore only the wind could hear him. Suddenly, there was a soft rustling. He watched in delight as Roxy looked around, confused to what trick he would pull next. The winds picked up and leaves fluttered around them. Roxy took a defensive position. Jack only smiled.
Roxy tried to keep an eye on her surroundings, trying to figure out Jack's plan. However, her current thoughts were distracting her from the fight. She needed to wrap this up so she and Jack could talk, but this new tactic of his had her second guessing herself. She knew he could control winds but she had never seen Jack use leaves in an attack. She quickly formed an ice weapon and took a defensive stance. Whatever he was going to throw at her, she would be ready.
Jack was impressed, noting how she used her powers to form a scimitar. The last time they practiced, she had bee thinking of new ways to form weapons from ice. Though clearly she favored the sword, especially a rapier.
She held the blade of black ice close to her body. Finally, she seemed to have waited long enough and lunged at him. He smirked. Just like with Pitch…
Roxy struck, only to be deflected by Jack's staff. She came at him again, but Jack held off each blow, finally knocking the blade from her hand. She watched as Jack began to summon an ice blast and she smirked. This was a smilier to an attack from Pitch. She deadlocked with Jack's staff before he could attack.
"Had enough?" she taunted, using more strength to push him back.
"You wish, Snow Sprite." Jack leaned closer and blew into her face.
Roxy screamed and jumped back, brushing the frost from her eyes. When she opened them, she saw Jack laughing from atop his staff.
"What just …" Roxy turned to see Jack laughing. "How did you know about that?"
"Let's just say some little friends told me you learned a new trick." Roxy looked at him perplexed. Jack held out a hand and the leaves seemed to dance about him. "I may have taught you some things, but I haven't shown you all my moves," he said, chuckling.
Roxy's laughed but then her face fell. Jack was surprised with the sudden change. He watched as she walked to the shore of the pond and sat down on a log. She didn't move, save for resting her chin on her hand. He didn't understand. Was it something he said?
"Okay, what's the problem?" Jack teased. "You love snow fights."
Roxy sighed, not looking up at him. "I swear I had this all planned out how to tell you, and now…" She groaned. "I have a problem and it kinda takes the fun out of playing in the snow."
"Okay? What's up?"
"I just… I just don't know how to explain it, okay?"
Jack quirked an eyebrow and moved to stand beside her. He set one hand on her shoulder, trying to look at her. "Hey Roxy, you know you can tell me anything, right?"
She turned around, her eyes telling him everything he needed to know. "We have a problem. A big problem."
"Uh-oh, that doesn't sound fun." Jack laughed, leaning more on his staff.
"I know it's not your favorite thing, but this is serious," Roxy said. "My mom overheard me talking to you in my room, and now she knows about you."
"What?"
Roxy started pacing as she explained the situation. Jack thought the part of him being a backpacking college student was funny, but he tried not to laugh while she talked. Roxy was upset as it was. Laughing would only make it worse. When she got to the end, she had sat back on the log in an exhausted heap.
"So now my mom says I have to bring you over for dinner so she can meet you, but I can't tell her why you can't or she'll think I'm nuts!"
"Hey, calm down." Jack walked up to her and placed his arm around her. "No worries. This is an easy fix," he said. "We'll just call in a favor from Sandy and see if he can make her forget about the whole thing."
"It's not that simple, Jack," Roxy stated. "You realize my mom is a single woman raising three kids. She marks things down in her planner, and leaves herself reminders so she doesn't forget a thing. There's no way I could pull it off trying to make her forget a scheduled event, and it's not like you can show up to dinner like Pitch did."
"Wait, dinner?" Roxy went on to explain, describing the affair with Pitch and the Clydes in detail. Jack was a little shocked that Bonnie's parents were made into believers. Once a child grows up, they tend to forget the magic and pass it onto their children. He's have to talk to North about this.
"I don't know what to do!" Roxy continued. "My mom isn't like Bonnie's parents. To her, all this talk about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, you. It's just make believe."
"So then, why not make up an excuse? Say I got food poisoning and can't come, or something."
"Ha! Mom would just make us come to you. Face it, Jack. Unless we can figure out how to make you visible or turn my mom an incredible believer within the next forty-eight hours, I don't know what will happen!" Roxy sat down back on a log, feeling defeated. "I wish I knew what to do…"
"Hey, no sad faces," Jack said, kneeling beside her. "We'll figure something out. Hey! I know something that'll cheer you up."
"A way to go back in time?"
"No. This." Jack created snowflake and blew to her. It landed on Roxy's cheek. Her face lightened and she even laughed. "There's that smile."
"Hey, no fair using fun magic!" She brushed her cheek, still grinning. "I'm trying to be mad."
"Too bad. Fun is my thing, remember?" Jack came up bedside her, another snowflake dancing about his fingers. "Say, I just thought of something."
"Should I be concerned?"
Jack playfully shook his head. "You said Bonnie's mom saw you and Pitch, right?"
"Yeah but Pitch didn't have an explanation for it," Roxy clarified. "He thought I might've unlocked some hidden talent. He was going to look into it, but then there was the thing with the Clydes. I haven't spoken with him since. I mentioned it to Bonnie this morning, and she had a couple ideas, but you know her theories. Why are you asking?"
"Pitch thought it might be a new power, right?" Jack asked. "I hate to say this, but he could be right."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm not sure but this reminds me of something North told me," he said, thinking hard. "He told me to be a Guardian I had to find my center. It took a while but I found mine. Maybe this could be yours!"
"Easier said than done," Roxy said. "You found yours when you helped Jamie believe and then by defeating Pitch. Bonnie told me she figured hers by talking with the moon, but I don't have any clues to what mine could be. I can't even tell what I'm supposed to do."
"Maybe this making people see is part of your center," he said, getting excited. "Have you tried to do it again, see if anything happens?"
"Sure." She got up and made a snowball. "I tested it when Jamie brought his friends over, but nothing unusual happened. Though I got comments on the wings."
"Well, that was dumb. You tested with kids who already believe. Think maybe you should've tried it on an adult instead?" Jack couldn't help the snicker at the sight of her blush.
"That… That may have slipped my mind…"
"Come on," he said, taking her hand and walking towards town. "Let's go have a little fun."
XXX
Town Square…
"Okay, here comes someone. Get ready!"
"Jack, I don't know about this?"
"Come on, you got this." Jack gave her a thumbs up. "Besides, you've already done it five time now."
"Okay…" Roxy waited behind a shrub. She watched the intended target come around the corner. It was an older man. She waited until he was in range before throwing the snowball. It hit the man on the arm, startling him.
"What the devil?! Who threw that?" He looked around but didn't spot anyone. "Darn kids." He continued walking along, right passed Roxy and Jack.
"Another failure," Roxy stated. "I'm beginning to think the other day was a fluke."
"Come on, there's gotta be something we're missing," Jack said. "Are you sure there isn't anything you did that day you might've missed?"
"I told you. I picked up a snowball, like this." She made another ball wand held it up. "Blew on it and then threw it, missing Pitch, and knocking Bonnie's mom to the ground. When she woke up, she could see us. I've thrown snowballs at six people now, and not one of them has seen us."
"I really thought this would work. What are we missing?" Jack sat down and thought over everything. He really thought they were on to something. Yet each adult Roxy hit with her snowball still could not see them. There had to be something crucial they were missing. But what was it?
"It's okay," Roxy said, flicking the snowball. "Maybe I should just have Sandy dust Mom. I can always have Jamie and Sophie help me hide any evidence."
"Hey, since when do you give up?"
"But…"
"No way! We'll figure this out," he argued. "Look, someone else is coming. Just give it one more try, okay?"
"Jack."
"Trust me."
Roxy rolled her eyes and got into position. She readied the snowball as the next person walked around the corner. Her arm halted.
"What's the problem?" Jack asked.
"I can't hit her. That's Mrs. Swaisbrick," Roxy said, her arm lowering. "She lives across the street. She's a total tyrant and she can't stand anyone under thirty. She will have a fit if I throw a snowball at her."
"Only if you get caught," he pointed out.
"No way! I'd sooner hit Bonnie with a snowball than hit that woman. She's crazy!"
"Oh brother." Jack stood up and crossed his arms, his characteristic smirk challenging her. "Haven't I said there's no fun without a little risk? Come on, she won't even know it's you."
"I thought we were trying to get someone to see me?" Roxy argued, hoping to stall for time.
"True but she won't recognize you like that." He pointed to her wintery angel-like appearance. "You'll be fine. Just throw it."
Roxy sighed in defeat. She knew it was the only chance, but she really didn't want to give Mrs. Swaisbrick another reason to blame the younger population. Still, Jack was right. They had to find out if it was her power that allowed others to see the Guardians. She quickly shut her eyes and threw. When she looked, she saw the snowball missed and hit the wall, startling the older woman. "Shoot!"
"Pft! Nice." Jack chuckled. "Looks like I'll have to show you how to throw. That was a mile off."
"Oh haha, very funny," Roxy said. She wrinkled her nose. "I've been doing pretty good. That was the only miss I made all day."
"Snow Sprite, haven't I taught you anything?" Jack reached down and picked up some snow, forming it into a ball. "The key to a good surprise hit is to aim for the head. Like this!" He chucked the snowball, hitting the elder woman in the back of the neck. She shrieked in shock as she tried to get the snow out of her coat.
"You hoodlums!" the elder woman barked. "When I get my hands on you!"
"See? Easy."
"Great… Now she's mad," Roxy said, turning to Jack with a smirk. "You just have a talent for getting into trouble, don't you?"
"Just natural talent. Self taught too."
"Of course, cause what you do is so hard." Roxy held up her hand a formed a snowflake, letting dance along her fingers as Jack had done earlier.
Jack clapped his hands, leaning on his staff. "Nicely done," he said. "I was starting to believe you wouldn't get it. Nice to be proven wrong."
"Well, seeing isn't always believing. However…" Roxy blew on the snowflake, watching it swirl until in landed on the snowball held in her other hand. "The best things in life are ones you don't see coming," she said, grinning wickedly.
"Huh– Oof!" The snowball hit him right in the face. The force knocked him into the shrub, causing him to trip and tumble backwards.
Roxy laughed. "You should've seen the look on your face," she cackled. "Priceless!"
"Haha, very funny," Jack said. He picked himself up and dusted the snow off his shirt. He looked up to see Roxy still bent over laughing. "I'd like to see you try that again."
"You there!"
Jack and Roxy turned to see Mrs. Swaisbrick glaring in their direction. She pointing towards them, but when they looked around, nobody was in the square.
Jack leaned over to Roxy, and whispered, "Do you think?…"
"Don't ignore me, young man. I see you clear as day!" Mrs. Swaisbrick shouted.
Jack turned back to her. He looked around again before he pointed to himself. "Me?"
"Yes, you. Are you the degenerate throwing snowballs?" she demanded, her scowling eyes burning at him from behind her wire-rimmed glasses.
Jack was stunned. He couldn't believe it! A person—an adult, no less—was actually talking to him. "Uh…n-no, ma'am," he stuttered. "It wasn't…"
"A likely story!" she interrupted. "You should learn to respect your elders, young man. I should call your parents about this. Honestly, to show such disrespect."
"But…"
"Get out of my sight before I call the police!"
"Jack, come on!" Roxy grabbed his arm and took off. They ran down the street until Roxy ducked into an alley. She pushed Jack back and checked to make sure the cost was clear. Meanwhile, Jack was too busy to worry about anything.
"This is amazing! You did it! You made her see me!" Jack pulled Roxy from the opening and spun her around, delighted by her surprised squeal. "This'll solve everything!"
"Jack?"
"Oh man, just wait till we tell North and the others about this."
"Jack."
"I can't wait to see the look on Bunny's face."
"Jack!"
He stopped spinning around looked at her. "What's wrong? This is great, isn't it?"
"Jack, I didn't hit Mrs. Swaisbrick with a snowball, remember?" Roxy stated. She put her hands on his shoulder. "So how was she able to see you?"
Jack paused. Thinking back, she was right. It was his snowball that made contact with Mrs. Swaisbrick, not hers. "I-I don't know. Maybe, it was..." He thought it over but couldn't come up with an answer. "Shoot, but then how did she..." Jack paused when his eyes met Roxy's. He was a little puzzled by her expression. She seemed confused and also surprised. And why was Roxy staring at him like he had suddenly turned into a Fearling?
"Roxy, what's wrong?" he asked.
"Jack… You've-You've changed."
"What're you talking about, Snow Sprite?" He scoffed. "I never change."
"No, that's not what I mean." She dragged him out of the alley and stood him in front of the store window. "See! You look completely different."
Jack looked at his reflection. Nothing out of the ordinary. Tall, slim stature. Same blue hooded sweater, and same trousers bound at the knee, still tattered and frayed toward the bottom. Though, now that he looked closer, he noticed the frost that usually collected around the ring of his collar was gone. And thinking of it, was there something different about his hair? He touched his head, craning his neck to get a better look. Wasn't it lighter before, or was that the window making it appear that way. He did a double-take.
"What the…" Jack lowered his hand to his face. His hair wasn't the only thing that had become darker. His eyes were different too. He pulled his hand away and noticed his skin was fair, no longer the pale he had become familiar with over the centuries.
"I… I'm…"
"Jack, what happened to you?"
He turned around and found the same shocked expression looking back at him. "I…I-I don't know…" he stammered. "This-This never happened… What's going on?"
"How am I supposed to know?" Roxy asked, still unable to take her eyes away from him. "When Mrs. Swaisbrick saw you, I wasn't sure, but now seeing you like this? I can't, I mean, it just-just… This doesn't make any sense!"
"You're telling me." He drew back and looked at his reflection. "I look… I look like me, the old me."
"You mean, back when you were human?" Jack spotted Roxy's reflection in the window. Her eyes wide with curiosity. "Is this what you looked like?" she asked.
"Yeah." Jack stared at the boy in the window. He was still hang trouble wrapping his mind around it all. Okay, so what exactly happened? he thought. Roxy and I were testing out a theory but nothing happened. The old woman showed up, I hit her with a snowball, Roxy's snowballs me, I get seen and we run into– Wait! His eyes lit up and he turned around.
"That's it!"
"What? What's it?" Roxy asked.
"Your snowball, it worked!"
Roxy shook her head. "No it didn't. I missed."
"Not that one," Jack explained. "You hit me with a snowball, remember? And after I fell over, Mrs. Swaisbrick saw me but she didn't see you. You made me visible to someone!"
"Okay, so say that's true, then how does that explain this?" She pointed to his appearance.
"I don't know… but does it matter? Roxy, don't you know what this means?"
"You look like a regular boy?"
Jack groaned, laughing at how frustrating she could be. "Roxy, I can come to your house for dinner. I can meet your mom."
Roxy's whole body froze as the realization hit. "This… This may actually work."
XXX
AN: To anyone's who's curious about Bonnie's center, you'll have to talk to CosmicHorse. She has a story, Dark Winter's Night, that'll tell you all about it. Let her know you if you wanna read it. I've gotten a sneak peak and it's soooooo cute!
