At this rate, I'll be able to finish doing the celebratory updates by tomorrow (the updates I'm doing because the 9th of March is one year of me being on FF!)
I'm really upset, because I've realised there's only two to three chapters worth of this left! But I guess it will lighten my update load. For about a day. Because I've got another fanfic idea! Moon, I'm just awful... Oh well!
Guest Reviews:
SuperSequin99: Well...if you insist...:)
Picasso Penguin: You're not too late! In fact your just in time to see Jamie's showdown with Jack! Moon that sound so weird, doesn't it!?
Layla206: Answering your questions in order. One: it was his powers and strength, which, by taking it, means Jack weakens his soul, just like he did with the seasonals and the rest of the Guardians (minus Sandy of course.) Two: He can forgive him, but the Fearlings mess with his brain, (it's actually shown a bit in this chapter.) so under their influence, Jack isn't open to reason.
Random Reader: it's a mixture of both. They ignored him (for the most part) for 300 years. So the fact that one day they ignore him and the next day they want him to join their ranks makes him angry that they only talked to him because MiM told them to. When they all started to trust eachother and Jack was tricked by Pitch, obviously the Guardians thought he betrayed him, so that was kind of his breaking point. Sorry I can't explain any better, but there's only so well you can type something to describe it. Anyway, thanks for the review!
R&R!
Jack watched his reflection in the ice sculpture gleefully. A sixth black streak replaced some of his original white hair. He had obtained the powers of three out of the four guardians, the other seasonals and the Boogeyman. It was too bad Pitch had already dealt with Sandy. The Dreamweaver's power could of been a great asset towards him. Oh well. He could live without.
He turned away from the lifeless body of the Easter Bunny, flying in the direction he had last saw Jamie go. He quickly found the brunette in the vast white landscape. The spirit had never felt so confident of his victory. He dove and landed a few feet away from Jamie, smiling when he saw the utter fear replace his former expression. He breathed it in, feeling the Nightmares trailing close behind, dying to finish the boy. However, he wanted to test the Guardians powers, gain a bit more fear and power from the eldest Bennett child before anything else. Jamie started to walk towards him.
"Well, well, well." Grinned Jack horribly. "If it isn't the Last Light. Tell me, do you still believe in the Guardians?"
Jamie kept walking until he was about two feet away from the corrupted Winter Spirit. "Yes." He answered. "I believe in Santa and the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy and the Sandman. But now I believe in Jack Frost as well."
Jack walked up and circled the human child. "Don't lie to me. No one has ever believed in Jack Frost. He's no one. Just an expression. Ask your dear mother, I'm sure she'll agree!"
"These aren't yours." Jamie told him, gesturing to the many nightmares that Jack had summoned. "Let me help you."
"No one can help me now." Jack created a snowball in his hand and tossed it into the air. He caught it again and asked himself. "I wonder... If I can steal the powers of spirits directly, can I steal it from the source as well?" Without warning, he threw the snowball at Jamie who leaped to the side, and for a good reason. The snowball exploded like a grenade when it made contact with the ground. Jamie covered his face as shards of ice flew toward his face.
"Listen, Jack. This isn't you! You have to stop."
"Why should I?!" Bellowed Jack furiously. He sent a blast of poison ivy at Jamie, who quickly jumped to the side. "No one knows what Jack Frost is! All anyone thinks of me is wrong! People say I nip people's nose! I can't help it if my powers are the powers to control everything in the name of Winter!" Jack sent some Nightmares galloping towards Jamie. Jamie grabbed some handful of snow and threw them at the demon horses. It worked to distract them long enough for him to get away. Jack continued his rant furiously. "Spirits say I kill humans with snowstorms or other things of the sort! Half of them are natural! Any I made, was me trying to work out my powers because no one was there to tell me what they are! Or what I am! Everyone is wrong, but not for long! Soon their ideas will be right. Unfortunately for them, no one will be left to say they were right."
"Well," Muttered Jamie to himself as he barely managed to dodge a scorching blast of summer heat. "That didn't work out. Time for plan B." He dived towards Jack who stomped on the ground and disappeared down a rabbit hole. Jamie landed headfirst in the snow. He got up and turned around slowly, looking for any sign of Jack. He kept one hand in his pocket, were he had placed his special 'weapons'. He heard a rumbling, just behind him.
He blindly jumped forward, throwing the item that was in his pocket, out towards Jack. Jamie lay in the snow, awaiting the attack. But it never came. He opened one eye slightly, grimacing at the scorch mark on his coat. He looked towards Jack.
The Winter Spirit stared down at the object in his hands, mesmerised. "My memories." He whispered, unable to believe it. His answers were in his hand.
What if Jamie was right?
What if he wasn't meant to extinguish the believers?
What if he was meant to light them up?
He didn't need to question his existence anymore. The answers were all here. But he just kept staring at the picture on the end, fighting against the Fearlings who were trying to erase these ideas.
"What if it's a lie?"
"How would Tooth know if you had memories before you became Jack Frost. It's impossible."
"They used you. Lied to you. Promised you memories that don't exist."
The Fearlings continued to whisper venomously in his head, trying to get control over Jack again. Jack, though, couldn't help but stare down at the little box in his hand, unmoving.
Jamie didn't waste another second. He yanked the staff away from Jack, noticing how he didn't react.
He held the icy looking, old wood in his hand, not wanting to continue with the plan. "I'm sorry." He said quietly, sounding every bit the child he was.
Jack's blood red eyes flashed blue as he looked up to Jamie. Jamie brought the staff down to his leg, hard. The snap reverberated around them, louder than the screaming Wind. Jack stared at him for moment, wide eyed. Then he roared, doubling over, trying to sooth the pain that cascaded his body.
Jamie bit his lip, kneeling next to Jack, who was curled up on himself, as if it would stop his hurting, aching body. The young boy picked up the Tooth Box and gave it to Jack once the pain subsided enough for him to sit up. Again, Jack stared at it, as if hypnotised.
"Are they real?" Jack asked in a hushed voice, his voice returned to normal.
"The memories?" Jamie replied, confused. When Jack nodded slightly, he said. "Of course they are." There was a pause. "Do you want to see them?"
Jack stared long and hard at the Box, his red eyes taking in every detail.
"Yes."
Jamie stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out someone familiar. Baby Tooth. The mini-fairy was placed on Jack's knee. The corrupted Winter Spirit looked between the little fairy and the box. Baby Tooth placed a small hand on the lid of the Tooth Box. Jack placed a finger on it, acknowledging what he was about to do. The screams of the Fearlings filled his head.
"Don't do it, you fool!"
"It's a trap!"
He ignored them and let the rest of his fingers settle on the lid. It started to shimmer, making him recoil slowly. His vision blurred and he found himself in his memories.
Jack jumped around with his basket, spinning around excitedly. His sister struggled to keep up. He found another Easter Egg and placed it in his basket, not pausing his wacky stride for a second.
"Hurry up, sis! I'm two eggs ahead!" Jack teased as he frolicked on.
"Come on, Jack." Sighed his mother, long used to his ridiculous antics. "You can't have fun all the time!"
Jack flashed her a cheeky smile. "Yes, I can." He answered confidently, chasing after his sister who had spotted another egg.
Jack shimmied up the tree and chucked the ball back down to his sister and her friends. Hooking his lanky legs around the branch he was currently sat on, he swung down so he was upside down. He swung back and forth, making the kids laugh.
"Jack! Get down from there!" His sister told him, slightly worried, but trying to hide it.
Still upside down, he wrapped his arms around himself and announced, "Look! I'm a bat!" The statement evoked more laughter, even from his sister.
"Jack!" Laughed his sister, watching him stomp around, holding sticks by his head, pretending they were antlers.
"Then, the moose saw the legendary Forest Dolphin."
"Jack, you're funny." One of the kids told him.
"Be careful." His mother told them.
Jack looked between his mother, who was leaning in the doorway, and his sister who was pulling him with both of her hands. He chuckled at his mother's worry. "We will." He told her, letting his sister drag him to the lake.
Jack set his skates aside, the cold ice burning against his feet. "It's okay, it's okay!" Jack told his sister, who kept looking between him and the cracking ice. "Don't look down, just look at me."
His sister whimpered in fear, gazing up at her big brother. "Jack," she said, the situation sinking in. "I'm scared."
Traces of doubt crossed his mind. But seeing her so scared, he knew he had to calm her down before he could get her off the ice. He took a small step forward, wincing when the ice under himself began to crack as well. "I- I know, I know, but you're gonna be alright - you're not gonna fall in." When he spoke, he couldn't tell if he was reassuring himself or this sister or both of them. Regardless, he needed a solution. "Uh... We're gonna have a little fun instead!" He told her, placing a smile on his face.
"No, we're not!" She yelled at him, the cracks increasing alongside her fear.
"Would I trick you?" Obviously, he should have thought that question through a bit more before he asked because in a shrill voice she answered. "Yes! You always play tricks!"
He couldn't help but chuckle at how quickly she pointed it out. However, he was quickly silenced by more cracking beneath them. Of all the times for his brain not to come up with ideas, it had to be now. "Well, alright, well not- not- not this time." He told her, an idea forming in his mind when he saw an old stick. It was quite long, and was curved, like a shepherds crook. "I promise, I promise you're gonna be- you're gonna be fine. Ya haft to believe in me."
She gave a small gasp, as she tried to calm down. It was obvious she believed in him and trusted him.
Knowing this, Jack asked, "You wanna play a game?"
She didn't answer, only because she was afraid if she spoke, it would be the end.
Jack stood up. "We're gonna play hopscotch!" He informed, picking out her favourite game purposely. "Like we play every day!" Continued the boy, as if they played hopscotch on cracking ice everyday. "I- It's as easy as, uh, one -" Taking the risk, he stepped forward and pretended to flail as the ice cracked under his foot. "- woah!" A small giggle came from his sister, making him a bit more confident. "Two!" He took a larger step than before so his distance from the stick would be covered, easier. "Three!" He jumped slightly, landing on safe ice and right next to the stick. This was perfect.
"Alright." He reached for the stick but didn't take his eyes of off her. "Now it's your turn." He told her, making her frown a little. "One-" Her step was small, only because she still wore her skates. "That's it, that's it." He added, coaxing her to take the next step. "Two." She looked up sharply when the step made the ice crack loudly. "Three!"
He didn't let her take the last step. Acting on the spur of the moment, he hooked the stick around her waist and pulled her across the ice, where the ice was thicker. The propulsion made him fall back, where his sister had been moments before. He pushed himself up, laughing at the sudden thrill. His sister sat up and smiled, feeling much better than before.
The next few seconds changed everything. One moment, he stood up, ready to go up to his sister and hug her. The next second, the ice gave way and he was plunged in the subzero waters.
"Jack!"
He tried to swim back up, but it was futile.
For a while, he floated there, amongst the chips of ice that had come down with him. His eyes were closed and his breathing was nonexistent.
There was a bright light, making his hair white, and when his eyes snapped open, they were blue.
Jack blinked, gasping as if he had resurfaced all over again. Everything was sinking in. He looked at his staff, horrified at the fact it seemed like ice. In its reflection, his red eyes glowed against his pale skin and the black streaks in his hair stuck out like a sore thumb. He grabbed the two halves of the staff quickly and looked at them, before piecing them together. He needed to give the other spirits powers back now, before it was too late.
The first attempt didn't work. He stood and focused on the cracks melding, then vanishing. A bright light attacked his sight. He looked in awe as the staff glowed a brilliant blue. It was one piece again. He didn't hesitate in stabbing the butt of the staff on the ground, watching as the icy look appeared to melt off. Several coloured lights emerged from his chest. The powers he had stolen. They flew off to find their rightful wielders, leaving Jack crying in pain. When the last light left Jack, he slumped against his staff. He looked down at a patch of ice that was on the ground. His hair and eyes were back to normal.
Then he remembered, Jamie was with him. And could see him. He peered at the young boy and felt his heart break. Jamie's face had several cuts from the ice grenade he had thrown earlier. The shoulder of his jacket was singed and the boy was breathing heavily from all the dodging he had been doing. As a little bit of blood fell from the boy's face, Jack realised something. Jamie was looking at him, in Fear.
Jack backed up, dropping his staff. He had injured a child. He had injured his first believer. His first believer feared him.
Foolishness possessed him, and he fled, leaving his staff on the ground and feeling his soul shatter as he reminisced the terrified expression on his first believers face.