Author's Notes: Hello readers!
First, I wanted to thank you all for reading my work and keeping track of it! The amount of follows and favorites, few as they might be, are incredibly encouraging.
Second, I would like to inform you all that the updates for this may be few and far between (I mean, they've been a little sporadic as it is). I'm getting ready for college and have had to move to a different state for my schooling. Everything's been a bit hectic and I do apologize. But I hope it doesn't discourage you any from reading.
Jack explores more of the mansion and, after a while, finds himself lost. He wanders down a few empty corridors looking for someone free of a classroom. He would hate to interrupt an entire class because he doesn't know which direction he's just come from.
Jack peeks around the window frames in the doors, but only finds room after room filled with students in discussion or with their heads bowed over their notebooks, working. At the very end of the hallway he's in, Jack finds a classroom with only one occupant, Sandy, sitting at his desk, appearing- for all the world- to be asleep and snoring in his chair.
Jack opens the door to the room as quietly as he can manage, hoping not to startle the man.
Sandy's snores are soundless and he seems to be in deep sleep when Jack approaches him. Reaching out a pale hand, he nudges the man's shoulder gently.
Sandy wakes up without reaction, just opens his eyes, blinks and smiles up at Jack. It's possibly the most neutral reaction to being roused in the middle of the day he's ever seen.
Sandy waves cheerily at him, sits up in his chair and then begins to sign something to Jack who hasn't the foggiest idea what any of the gestures mean.
"I'm sorry, Sandy, I don't know sign language."
Sandy makes a flippant gesture with his hand, his lips quirking up and pressing into his cheeks at the corners in a smile that is almost teasing.
"That's all right, Jack. I have other ways of communicating."
Sandy throws his head back in silent laughter when Jack startles and nearly trips over his own feet.
"Holy- jeez- what- are you telepathic?"
"I can neither control nor read minds. I can only speak to them."
Jack laughs a surprised laugh that tapers off, "I was just wondering if you could point me back toward my room? I kind of… got lost."
"Of course. I'll walk with you, even. I've nothing better to do."
They venture from Sandy's room together, walking side by side down the hall. A few comfortable seconds pass when Jack turns and asks, "So, do you normally talk directly into people's heads?"
He winces when he realizes how poorly he phrased that but Sandy only smiles at him.
"Not normally, no. I feel like it's too intrusive, but in some cases it can't be helped. I actually teach the sign language course at the school. Which I will be seeing you enrolled in, no doubt?"
Jack smiles, "Yeah. I guess I have to enroll soon, don't I?"
Even as he says it, he has his doubts. It's only his first full day of residing in the school and he doesn't know if he will truly be able to stay. He changes the subject.
"You said you can't read or control minds. Does that mean your telepathy isn't strong? Is it like a secondary mutation?"
"I like that, 'secondary mutation'. And yes, it is. I'm a dream walker, first and foremost. At night I traverse students' dreams. I know that sounds bad, but I can tell when someone's dream isn't a good dream. I help the younger students with their nightmares, mostly. Overall, I aid in encouraging students by delivering good dreams."
"That's really cool! I wish I had something as helpful as that."
"Why? What is your mutation, Jack?"
"I have the ability to create a spontaneous, instant snow day." Jack jokes and Sandy's laughter resounds in his head this time. The sound is light and tinkling and one would be hard-pressed to have a bad day in Sandy's presence.
They continue down the hallway, Jack following Sandy's lead, conversing all the while about their mutations.
Jack explains that he can control the weather to an extent- if it's cold, wet or gloomy, he's your guy- and he tiptoes around the story of how he came to be at the school. They reach the door to his room in no time and just as Sandy bids Jack farewell, the bell rings.
The expanse of pines covering the grounds around the school is eerily still and muted compared to the bustling innards of the building itself.
The trees condense, growing closer together the farther away from campus you get. Snow pads the dirt, unmarred by anything but the frequent scattering of fallen pine needles. In the deepest parts of the forest, barely any sun reaches the earth and the snow is even thicker there.
Rumors about the forest surface from time to time amongst the students and the upperclassmen have taken to calling it "The Forbidden Forest" in lieu of Harry Potter. Some say that the trees were planted in such a way as to add security around the school- others even say that it was all Bunny's doing. The man is famous for his green thumb (another rumor circulating is that Bunny's mutation is botanical at its source. But everyone knows what his mutation really is).
It is at the very front of the tree line, closest to the school, that a black mare- sighted all across New England, now- paws at the snow and snorts a heavy, steaming breath. Its wild mane thrashes violently in the gentlest winter zephyr and its eyes are fixed unblinkingly at the building.
Abruptly, the mare charges into the forest at top speed, heading straight for the recesses of the wood where its master stands, waiting in the shadows between the lowest branches of a pine.
"What can you tell me, dear one?"
A tall, regal man steps from the shadows into a weak beam of sunlight. His stance is militant; spine straight, shoulders firmly aligned, chin up- a very striking figure, indeed.
His eyes, nearly colorless, fix on the mare as if listening intently. His face breaks into an oily grin, his crooked, discolored teeth mismatched when compared to his posture.
"They won't suspect a thing. Once we bring down the Guardians, the rest of the plan will be free to set into motion," he runs a flat hand over the mare's nose, "go tell the others we're ready. The wait is over."
North comes to talk with Jack after the day's classes are over.
Jack is lying on his stomach on his bed, reading the book he snatched from the globe room. He jumps at the sound of the knock, nearly tossing the book to the floor.
"Come in!" He calls.
North opens the door a bit to allow himself room enough to slip through and then closes it, "Hello, Jack. How has your first day treated you?"
"Pretty well, I'd say!"
"That is good! I wanted to sit and talk with you about your staying here." North replies, making to sit at the foot of the bed. Jack marks his page fumblingly with gauze wrapped hands, then sits up, crossing his legs to give North space.
"First, I must be asking if you would like to attend the school."
Jack gives it some thought before saying, "Yeah, I'd love to. I mean I know it's only my first day, but I really like it here. There is one thing though- what would I do about my family back home? How do I let my mom know I've gone off and enrolled and am living in a whole new school?"
North puts on a contemplative face and then says, "We can call her. I will talk with her and explain everything, if you like."
"I would like that very much. I- I don't want to worry her more than I already have." Jack admits, sheepishly, scraping his fingers through the hair at the back of his head.
North nods and then stands, slapping his hands on his knees, "Let's get you enrolled, Jack Frost."
Jack is enrolled in his classes by dinner time and is able to join the general populous of the school to eat.
He sits at a table with a handful of other kids his age who are intrigued but not offended by his white hair and his icy cold skin. One girl, Janet, even makes a joke about him being a paler version of Edward Cullen. He gets his revenge by freezing her bottom lip to the edge of her milk carton.
When he goes to bed that night, he goes with a feeling of contentment, more comfortable than he has ever been when surrounded by a large number of people. Though, he's still got his worries weighing on him, his fear for his family and what may be going on in the aftermath of his sudden disappearance. It takes him a while to get to sleep, despite feeling happier with his surroundings.
He lies on his back in bed, arms crossed behind his head and he sighs, thinking that yeah, this place could work.
Jack is awakened by the sound of thunder. At least, he's sure it's thunder, but after listening to it for a few moments, it sounds too discordant to be a storm- not that storms in general are harmonious in the least. But there is a consonance to the chaos of a torrential downpour that the sound Jack hears is lacking. It actually sounds more like the rumbling of a stampede or something.
He stands from the cool, coziness of his bed to pull the curtains aside and scrutinize the grounds. It's dark as pitch outside but it looks like something out there is moving. Whatever it is, it's blending into the nighttime, moving seamlessly against the darkness. Clouds in the sky lend to the impression of an impending storm, they block out the moon, cover the land and keep the starkness of the snow from reflecting any light that might be helpful.
Jack's eyes adjust a bit to what he's seeing and he can differentiate golden specks in moving blackness, like fireflies in summer. It gives him the creeps but he has to go and see what it is.
On the ground floor of the mansion, there is a bank of windows in one of the main corridors, by a pair of doors that lead out to the forest. A few, small trees like the one Jamie got stuck in stand in front of the windows, widely and evenly spaced, allowing for enough room to see through the windows themselves.
It is at this bank of windows that Jack finds he isn't alone. He arrives to see dozens upon dozens of other kids with their faces pressed to the glass, eyes wide. Some of the younger ones are frightened and they cling to the hands, arms or torsos of the older students closest to them.
The rumbling is much louder down here, nearer to the source and it practically drowns out the sound of the students' murmurs and worried conversations. A girl in the queue says loudly, "Somebody, go get the Guardians!"
A little boy with tawny brown hair runs from the throng down a fork in the hallway at the girl's words. Jack joins the crowd in the boy's place, sifting through people and moving in close. The darkness moves with an unnatural fluidity and the hairs along the back of Jack's neck prick up and stand on end. A sick curdling feeling of dread twists inside of him. Something about this isn't right.
The Guardians turn out to be the people Jack has met systematically throughout his day at the mansion. Tooth zooms above the students and flattens her hands to the glass, eyes squinting out. North remains at the back of the crowd, as do Bunny and Sandy; they ask questions of the surrounding students. The little boy with tawny hair disappears among the other children once more.
Jack hears Bunny ask someone, "Does this… whatever this is, does it go all around the school?"
"I don't know," comes the reply, "I've been over here the whole time."
Almost immediately after it is said, there is the deafening sound of shattering glass, not only coming from right in front of them, but all around them, all over the school. Winter winds rush in, chilling young bodies to the bone.
Students' screams fill the air with more noise and panic sets in. Everyone is running around and it seems almost too hectic, but Jack realizes that they are all running away from the now empty, gaping window panes- everyone but Jack is running, to be precise.
Jack stands, frozen to the spot and it's like all else freezes too, when howls pierce the darkness. There's no telling when one howl ends and another begins, it's all a continuous, unbroken cry. A student runs toward the window, holding his hand out in front of himself and waving it through the air. At once, a line of fire ignites outside, melting the snow and burning the grass underneath. It separates them from what is out there and it gives light to the mysterious force for the first time.
Huge, black horses run non-stop, unperturbed by the fire, their hides like stained glass or oil, sheened and reflective, toxic looking, even. Closer to the flames stands a tall man with a face all but grey in complexion. His gaze is fixed inside the school, a dreadful smirk plastered on.
Somewhere above him, Tooth cries out in shock.
The man steps over the flames and behind him, from the trees, another, louder round of howls goes up.
"I must say," the man begins, and it's striking how audible he is over the din of beating hooves, haunting howls and panicking students, "I'm a little impressed. You've all managed to neglect your students. It's pretty… dim of you teachers, wouldn't you say?"
The man smiles and suddenly horses break off from the tide, leaping with terrifying grace and bounding straight into the school, through the broken windows. The horses begin to scoop up students with ease, carrying them right back out and throwing them into the blurred blackness of the stampede where they disappear with soft cries. This surprises the Guardians into action and they attempt to floor the mares before they make it back outside. The man stands laughing and gestures expansively for another flood of the nightmarish creatures to invade.
A little girl with bright pajamas and little fairy wings sticking through holes cut into the back of the shirt rockets by, being chased by a horse. Jack takes a run at it then stops in its path, moving his body to lower his center of gravity. As the thing nears at top speeds, Jack moves fluidly and bends back, driving the arch of his bare foot against the underside of its jaw. A flash of light bursts and the horse drops, body dissolving into sand.
"What the-?" He mumbles to himself, head quickly snapping around to find purchase among the bedlam. He sees the little girl with fairy wings cowering in a far corner, his big brother instincts kick in, and he rushes over to her.
Up close, Jack can see markings on her face that look remarkably similar to Tooth's feathers and her eyes are two different colors. He picks her up gently, asking, "You all right, Baby Tooth?"
She smiles hesitantly at the nickname and nods.
"Hold on, okay?" Jack tucks her over his shoulders and grimaces at Baby Tooth's tight grip on his hair.
Jack tries to help the Guardians and various other students to bring down the horses but there are just too many of them. Jack retreats, using the wind to lift him and Baby Tooth up into the rafters.
If there's one thing he can do, it's protect the girl.
He watches as Tooth brings down horse after horse with rapid-fire punches, as Bunny leaps at them, firing powerful kicks not unlike the one Jack used, as Sandy destroys them with singular blows from his whips (whips?) and as North attacks them with brute force.
Jack marvels as their attacks coordinate every so often and can't help but feel the name of "the Guardians" is well deserved.
A mare breaks off from the initial attack and runs from the center of the action down the hall right beneath Jack and Baby Tooth. Jack makes his split-second decision and goes after it, Baby Tooth's tiny fingers clenching against his scalp as he picks up speed.
His hands crackle with power beneath the gauze and he knows he won't be able to get the wrappings off without losing sight of the horse. Instead, he grabs what looks like a Shepard's crook from the hands of a wooden sculpture by a small, antique table. Jack's momentum causes the table to tip over and fall loudly to the hard, wood floor.
The mare he's chasing stops dead in its tracks and turns toward the sound. Without thinking, Jack raises the crook and focuses his power into it. What looks like a burst of white electricity shoots from the end just as the mare rears back on its hind legs.
The ice seals itself to the mare, freezing it to the woodwork. The pattern it creates is fantastical, black melding into a frosty white, and Jack pokes at it with the crook, sending a few sparks flying.
Baby Tooth tugs at Jack's hair and he nods, "We should head back. We'll show this to the Guardians…"
They make their way back to the bank of windows, everything eerily silent. There is no yelling or screaming, no thudding of monstrous hooves, no fighting, no crunching glass or panicking students. The silence is alarming and oppressive.
He creeps down the hallway, cautious, holding the crook aloft like a weapon, only to come upon it empty but for the Guardians.
Tooth is sitting on the floor, on her knees, her face in her hands. Sandy has his small arms wrapped around her shoulders as well as he can and Jack can hear her sobbing. North is standing with his arms crossed, an agitated look on his face, and then he begins pacing restlessly, back and forth. Bunny moves past North from the direction of the infirmary, holding medical supplies in his arms.
He coaxes Tooth's hands from her face and starts on patching the cuts on her face and the splits in her knuckles.
"They're all gone." Jack hears her say and it doesn't ring true to him. Everyone? Every single student? Gone?
Thinking on it, Jack knows that it's entirely possible. The sheer number of horses that charged in alone was enough to worry anyone.
He approaches carefully, stepping over broken glass while bare foot. He catches the eye of Sandy, whose face betrays his relief. He comes running to Jack, waving his hands frantically at him. He pulls at Jack's shirt, yanking him in the direction of Bunny and Tooth.
There are a million questions running through his head but Jack settles with, "Are you guys okay?"
The faces of the other Guardians turn in his direction, expressions of shock apparent.
"My God! Jack!" Tooth cries, flying out from under Bunny's caring hands and straight at Jack. She grips him in a tight embrace, twirling in a quick circle before pulling back and catching sight of the little one on his shoulders.
"Oh, thank goodness one of you is all right!" She makes grabby hands at the girl and holds onto her tight, cradling her protectively.
Bunny bounds over to them, "Are you hurt, Jack?"
"No, no I'm fine. What the hell just happened?"
North's mouth is drawn down, his brows close together and he looks anxious, troubled, when he says, "Pitch Black has taken the students. Every last one of them, everyone except for you, that is."