Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Rise of the Guardians or Frozen
Thank you to Xzaria592 and nyanchan113 for following/favoriting this story! Also, thank you for the reviews! One small request though, if you are going to leave a negative review please at least be constructive about it. I understand that no one is perfect and that not everyone will enjoy reading this, but simply stating that you dislike it isn't really helpful for me to grow as a writer. Guest reviews that are simply venting negative thoughts and not constructive will be removed for this reason. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this new chapter!
Jack Frost was alone, but that was exactly how he thought it should be. The snow was blowing hard around him as the blizzard grew, harming no one in this isolated wasteland. He had flown as far south as he could, landing on the icy ground below and staring at the place that was made for him. He was meant to live in a place like this, a place where no on could be hurt by his actions. This was why Manny had made him invisible, to keep everyone safe from his thoughtless actions. Jack thought back to Bunny, to how hopeless the Guardian of Hope had looked earlier. Pitch was going to win and it was all his fault. Jack had made a mess of everything, just like he always did. Snow wasn't meant to be fun, it was dangerous. It led to injuries, car accidents, and cold weather that forced people to stay inside. He had been trying to turn it into something else, something that only led to more harm.
Jack landed on the snow below him, his hand shoved into the pocket of his hoodie as he stared into the cloudy sky. While it wasn't quite as windy anymore, now that he was on the ground, the snow continued to fall on his face. All he could see was white, forming various hills and valleys in the space in front of him. A winter home for a winter spirit, something like Bunny's warren or North's workshop. It was fitting, considering how he hated his isolation. Now he was choosing it over contact, deciding people were better off without him. Jack allowed himself a small, pained smile at the thought, sliding down the hill he was on and stopping again as he reached the bottom. At least he could entertain himself around here without harming anyone.
"I see what has happened. They never really believed in you, did they? But I understand." a voice called out from behind him, only bringing Jack's anger back. He was blaming himself for most of this, but there was one other person at fault. Pitch was the one who destroyed the eggs, the one who put Anna in that nightmare world. If he had never been there, everything would have been fine. Jack would have been able to stay with the Guardians, maybe even join them after this mess was over. Jack turned around, his staff out to blast him with ice immediately. Pitch countered with a wall of black sand, blocking the attack. "You don't understand anything!" Jack yelled out, continuing to try and fight Pitch as Pitch tried to reason with the winter spirit.
"No? I do know what it's like to be cast out!" he shouted, managing to hide as their powers clashed and created a fog that hid him briefly. "To not be believed in!" Pitch added, realizing that Jack could see him once more and that he was preparing for another attack. "To long for…a family." he added, finally getting through to Jack. The winter spirit understood just what Pitch was saying, that this man had also gone through the same isolation as Jack. Maybe they were alike, just taking different ways of fixing that problem. Pitch had embraced his harmful nature, while Jack was trying to escape it.
"We don't have to be alone, Jack. I believe in you, and I know children will too!" Pitch said eagerly, while Jack was growing doubtful. Anna had believed in him, but it hadn't helped her at all. His believers were only attacked, harmed instead of helped by their belief. They were better off not seeing Jack, not knowing he even existed. "What makes you think I even want that?" Jack countered, glaring at Pitch. The Nightmare King backed away slightly, startled by the anger in Jack's voice. This was not what Pitch had expected, but he could still work with this version of Jack.
"Now I see. You agree with the Guardians, that you can't help anyone and that you can't be trusted. I don't think I've ever met a spirit who failed to believe in themselves." Pitch mused, while Jack stared at the ground, bringing his hood over his head. He wanted to be alone, but Pitch was refusing to leave. At least Jack knew this interruption would be short. The man had to get back to fighting the Guardians soon enough, after all. "I know what you're afraid of Jack, but I can still help you. Separate, we are not strong enough to create the world we want, but look at what we do when we are together." Pitch said, gesturing to the frozen tower of sand that had been created in their fight. Jack's gaze flickered over to it, feeling dread from the very sight of the spiky creation. It didn't look natural, and the darkness made it seem ominous to Jack.
"We can make them believe, Jack. You can be useful, helpful even. We'll create a world where everything, everything is—" he continued, growing even more passionate in his speech. Jack could see that this man was confident in his mission, in the idea that he would win Jack over. "Enough! They'll fear both of us and that is not what I want. Leave me alone, Pitch." Jack told him, turning around to try and get away again. He was done with this conversation, done dealing with the man that claimed to understand but clearly did not. This would only make things worse, if he worked with Pitch. He would destroy so many more people, so many more children who wanted to believe in the Guardians.
"Very well. You want to be left alone? Done. But first…" Pitch said, catching Jack's attention once more. He turned around, wincing slightly as Pitch let out a loud whistle, calling forth a Nightmare from the sky. It landed by his side, riled up as Pitch stroked its muzzle. "There, there. Calm down, no one's going to harm you here." Pitch said, a grin on his face. Jack frowned, not understanding why this was important in any way. He stared at the horse closer, stopping when he saw what Pitch was pulling off of it. Anna was there, limp in his arms at first until the movement woke her up. Jack watched her eyes open, blinking a few times as she yawned groggily at them. "Wha—, can't I just sleep…few more minutes." she mumbled, before stumbling around as Pitch dragged her in front of Jack.
"Let her go." Jack said threateningly, crouching and holding his staff ready to fight. It would be dangerous, threatening to harm Pitch if he did anything too risky. "So sweet to see how much you care about one little liar. Perhaps we can still make a deal, if you are interested." Pitch said with a grin, while Jack simply stood ready to attack. Anna was still a bit sleepy, not quite registering the situation yet, but Jack was wide awake, ready to fight and not willing to bargain with her life. "You see, I know what you are looking for, what you've always been looking for. You want answers, don't you? Answers to why you are here, why you were chosen to be invisible to the world around you." Pitch began, while Jack stood his ground with a glare. He didn't care about that anymore, not if it meant harming Anna.
"So? Why would that matter to you?" Jack asked, feeling tense as Anna began mumbling again. "Elsa, stop…freezing the room. It's…cold." she whispered, shivering and shaking her head a bit. Her eyes opened again, blinking a few times as she stood a bit straighter. Pitch continued on, ignoring the girl's behavior. "There is a reason I took those teeth, Jack. You see, they contain the precious memories of childhood, giving the Guardians the ability to force them to recall all of their hope and wonder from years ago. With me, I have your teeth Jack, your memories." he offered, while Jack frowned in response.
"I have no need of my memories, I know exactly who I am!" Jack shouted, shooting ice at Pitch's feet to try and distract him. The Nightmare ran in front of its master, taking the blast and being destroyed in seconds from the attack. Pitch simply sighed, shaking his head at the winter spirit. "You really don't know anything, do you? You weren't always Jack Frost! None of us kept our old lives once we were chosen. The answers you've been so desperately searching for are right here, in this little box." Pitch offered, taking out a small golden object from his black robe. Jack watched the box longingly, tempted by the offer but worried over what would happen to Anna.
"I want an answer, Frost. Tell me how to regain Elsa's trust, if you want your memories." Pitch said, glaring at the winter spirit. Jack blinked in surprise, a bit startled by the request. It didn't make sense, not from him. He must have something in mind for the girl, if he was trying to keep her as his ally. "No! Stay away from my sister, you creep!" Anna yelled, finally awake and aware of what was happening. Jack watched as she squirmed in his grip, trying to break free with no success. "You think I know the answer to that?" Jack asked, not sure why Pitch thought he could do such a thing.
"Well, you do know her and you are quite motivated right now to help me, I think." Pitch said, clutching Anna closer with a vicious grin. Jack stood up taller, stepping forward to grab her as Pitch did so, only to stop as he realized how foolish his actions were. Pitch would kill her before he got too close, so he had to play this little game of his. "Elsa only cares about her sister. There is no way to regain her trust now that you've harmed Anna." Jack stated, watching Anna carefully. Pitch scowled in annoyance at Jack, not liking the answer. "Very well, I suppose you don't want your memories then. However, there is one thing I cannot allow from you, not anymore." Pitch stated, throwing the box far away from all of them. Jack watched it fade away, falling into the snow in the distance. It would be lost forever here, buried in seconds by the snowfall.
Pitch held his hand out this time, open to receive something instead. "The staff, Jack! You have a bad habit of interfering. Hand it over, and I'll let her go." Pitch requested. Anna gasped, glaring at Pitch from his request. "No! You can't do that! Jack, I'll be fine, just get out of here." Anna insisted, while Jack watched her closely. He knew she was trying to save him for some reason, but Jack was not going to let her. This was his fight, the battle he needed to wage. Staring at her face, he knew that he couldn't allow anyone else to get hurt because of his actions. This was bad enough with Easter gone, he couldn't lose Anna as well.
Glancing down at the staff in his hand, the one thing that connected him to his magic, Jack knew what he had to do. "I'm sorry, Anna. This is my fault, I have to make it right." he told her, handing Pitch his staff as he surrendered. "You have what you want, now let her go." Jack said stiffly, waiting for Anna to be released. Pitch smirked triumphantly, before frowning slightly at Jack's comment. "No. You said I needed to protect her to regain Elsa's trust, didn't you? Enjoy being alone!" Pitch yelled, turning around to leave. Anna began struggling again, while Jack rushed forward to help her in fury. Pitch had lied, tricking him into giving up his only weapon. He had to do something, before Anna was trapped with him just like Elsa had been.
It looked like Anna was the one who figured out what to do, biting down on the arm that was holding her. Pitch gasped, glaring at the girl who bit him before throwing her onto the ground in front of him. Jack rushed to her side, helping her up as she shivered in the cold. "Jack, we need to get out of here. It's freezing." she whispered, her lips turning blue from the weather. Pitch wasn't done yet, though. He held Jack's staff in his hands, breaking it over his leg. Jack felt a surge of pain burst through him as it shattered, groaning as he lost the vital connection he had to winter. Pitch then blasted both of them with his black sand, slamming them into the side of the frozen sand and forcing them to fall into a crevice on the ground. Jack could hear Pitch's laughter above them, just as he dropped the broken remains of Jack's staff into the hole with them.
Anna pressed closer into Jack's side, still shivering even though they were somewhat sheltered from the wind. Even without it, the South Pole was freezing for anyone. Her life was in danger here and Jack needed to find a way to get her out. "Y-y-you aren't w-w-warm." Anna whispered through her chattering teeth. Jack sighed, rubbing her back slightly as he stared into the sky above them. "Spirit of winter, remember? I'm supposed to be cold. I guess I really do make a mess of everything." Jack commented, while Anna sighed in response.
"You aren't that bad, Jack. Sure, you don't take anything seriously, but that doesn't mean you make a mess of things." she commented, shoving one of her hands into his hoodie. At least his shirt was somewhat warm, even if he was cold. "That's exactly why I make a mess of things. I go around, trying to have fun and make sure everyone else is having fun too, but look at what happens when I do that! Easter is gone, Sandy is destroyed, and now Pitch is on the loose again while I'm stuck here without my powers." Jack argued, still feeling weak now that his staff was broken. It must have been more connected to him than he had realized, if it was affecting him this much.
Anna shook her head at him, giving him a small smile. "That's what keeps us all going, though. If we didn't have something to smile or laugh about, we would be giving into our fear." she insisted, while Jack closed his eyes. He didn't know what to do anymore, not with everything that had happened. Maybe Anna was right, but that didn't mean he hadn't made a mistake. "There are other ways to fight fear." Jack suggested, while Anna shook her head again. "Not really, at least not that I found. I tried, when he came to me earlier. The things he said….I couldn't stop listening. I couldn't deny them and I couldn't escape my fear. It was that fear that led to me agreeing to come with him here, if you can believe it." she said sheepishly, her skin growing even paler as she focused on what Pitch had done.
Jack saw the change, the way she got quieter when she spoke of this meeting with Pitch. He must have manipulated her, just like he tried to do with Jack. The only difference was that it had worked on Anna. Just what fears had he played on with her? Jack wanted to know, but he wasn't willing to ask right now. "Don't believe a thing he says, Anna. Pitch twists the truth, using it to his advantage to gain your trust. Once he has that, he will use you until he is finished with you." Jack told her, wanting her smile to return. She had no reason to be upset right now, not when she had nothing to do with this fight. She shouldn't have been involved at all, but she insisted on helping out anyway.
Anna shivered again, her eyes closing slightly as she leaned against Jack's shoulder. "Hey, no sleeping right now. Come on, get up!" Jack insisted, pulling her up and ignoring the stiffness in his legs. He knew that hypothermia was bad and that she had to stay awake right now, but he didn't have many ideas on how to do that. She stumbled as she got up, gripping Jack's arms to keep her balance on the icy ground. "I wasn't going to sleep, Jack." she grumbled, looking down slightly as a light blush colored her cheeks. Jack held onto her carefully, until she pulled back as she grew more confident in her balance.
"Well, I'm not taking any chances, Anna. We're going to take some extra precautions to keep you awake." he insisted, while Anna rolled her eyes at him. She was squeezing her hands under her armpits, trying to conserve as much heat as possible. Jack knew that she had been comfortable before, but that was an issue. Sleep was bad if she was going to be out here in this weather. He needed to keep her active, keep her in motion if she was going to stay awake. "Uh, how about skating? The ground is icy enough." Jack suggested, while Anna blinked in surprise. "What, no snow ball fights?" she asked, taking a step forward carefully on the ground.
Jack grinned at her, feeling somewhat better as they continued. This was more like him, helping others by giving them something fun to think about. Maybe she was right about him. Having fun gave people something to smile about, something to look forward too that helped them ignore their fear. "Jack? Jack!" a voice called out, catching his attention as he began pulling Anna across the ground. "Huh? What was that?" Jack asked, stopping for a moment while Anna frowned at him in confusion. "Really? You force me to get up and play around with you and now you're just going to stop. That isn't how this game works, mister, we are going to keep—" Anna was complaining, but Jack shushed her, listening for that voice again. He knew that voice, but he couldn't seem to place it anywhere.
Jack began walking across the ground, leaving Anna behind as he followed the noise. "Jack!" it called out again, feminine and child-like. It definitely wasn't Jaimie's friend Pippa, or even Cupcake. He frowned as he searched for the source, kneeling on the ground as it grew louder over here. He stared into the snow, brushing some of it aside as he searched for the cause of the voice. Jack froze at what he saw when the snow was removed. Hidden on the ground was a small golden box, with a small image of a brown haired Jack Frost on the side.
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