Jack was still five years old. He was playing in a small field of flowers with Lily. She showed him a dandelion and rubbed it under her chin.
"Why are you doing that?" Little Jack asked, eager to know. Lily giggled and held it out to him.
"My mama told me that if you rub a dandelion under your chin and the yellow rubs on ya then you are in love!" Jack looked at the flower curiously.
"Why would a flower do that?"
"I don't know...maybe flowers get lonely too." Jack just stared making Lily blush. "What? It could happen!"
A few chuckles escaped the Guardians as they watched the huff from Lily.
"She was always so defensive when she felt like people were judging her. It followed her to our teens." Jack mused, a sad sort of smile running over his face as he memorized her eyes, everything about her all over again.
The times have changed. Jack looked to be about seven. He was with Cody, Lily and Katie. It was he first snow fall of the season. Jack was trying to catch snowflakes on his tongue while Lily was face first in a snowdrift.
"Lily, what are you doing, you silly girl!" Cody chuckled at her, picking her onto her feet. Lily giggled up at him and gave a small shove, making the older boy fall into the snow. Jack easily jumped onto his brother with a wide smile and Katie sat down with Lily in her lap.
"Your getting weaker Cody." Katie teased. Cody glared at the older girl and dumped snow on her head. Lily shrieked as the snow hit her as well.
"Snowball fight?" Jack suddenly said, a mischievous grin on his face. Lily's eyes widened before she enthusiastically jumped up and pulled Jack away from the older kids.
"Sneak attack?"
"Sneak attack!"
The small children started making big snowballs and soon started throwing them. What they didn't expect was a retaliation. Or the dozens of other kids that started to join as well. Soon a huge snowball fight, consisting of all kids in the village, enhanced while laughter and giggles exploded around.
"Jackie!" Lily suddenly shouted to him. Jack turned while ducking from an offending ball of frozen water. "You are fun." She stated firmly. Jack blinked at her in confusion.
"You are fun." She repeated. "It is your center."
The older Guardians gasped at Lily's declaration.
"How is it that little girl know so much?!" North boomed. Jack chuckled and shook his head.
"Lily always had a sort of...how should I put this...old eyes?" All he got was blank stares. "Ya know, like, she has seen things she shouldn't have but in her body as well or more like her mind. It's like she knew and she always knew. I used to think it was blab at the time." Jack shook his head. "It would have been bloody useful later on."
"Oi, I see ya got some Aussie, eh mate?" Bunnymund teased him.
"Well I've been hanging around you lot!" Jack mumbled. Bunny just ruffled his hair making Jack whine. A soft coo made them turn to Tooth who was staring in admiration at the memories.
Jack and Lily were asleep yet Cody and Katie were up talking. Jack wasn't really asleep, but he also knew he would know anything if they saw him awake.
"Wait, Cody. I don't understand..." Katie mumbled, eyes wide with worry.
"My dad is getting drafted soon. I heard mum and dad talk about it a while ago. Apparently a war is going on and they need the men to fight."
"But..But what about Jack? He would be heartbroken if his dad left! Lily was so sad when mum died and," Katie paused, running her hands through her sisters hair, "Our dad cant leave...he's all we have left!"
"Until you come of age, he is going to have to go. This is war, Katie. You cant stop him from defending his country."
"Lily is just a child. She wouldn't understand."
"I think she might understand better then you." The silence was tense. Jack felt the small warm tears gather at the corner of his eyes. He knew what happened at war. A lot of people in their village have fought in war before. Some never make it back. Suddenly Lily shifted and turned to him with sad green eyes. She knew. All she did was cuddle closer to Jack, letting him know he was there.
The Guardians stood there quietly. They all knew the meaning of war, they have all faced the consequences of war and the horrible outcome of it. To see Jack so young yet apart of it was heartbreaking. Children have died in war before and it never seemed to get easier with dealing with.
"He did go," A soft whisper said. Jack was staring at the rough glare on his brother and Katie's hurt eyes and sighed. "My dad eventually did go to war but not now.
The scene changed, it didn't seem sad anymore. Instead it showed the warm feeling of spring in the air. A door flew open and two blurs rushed past, running as fast as they could. Back at the door was and old man with an apron yelling about rotten kids. The Guardians soon find out that it is Lily and Jack, both cheering and running to the center of the village. The two panted for a second as more kids surrounded them.
"Ok, Lily," Jack's slightly older face grinned a charming smile, "you got the paint, right?"
"Check!" Lilly turned, her hair grew longer, her eyes brighter, a beautiful young girl.
"Danny, do you have the feathers?"
"Nicked them right out of the hen house." A boy with black hair and blue eyes grinned, holding up a bag.
"Charlie did you get the brushes?" Lily asked, eyes glinting mischievously. The boy had sandy blonde hair and brown eyes.
"Yes ma'am! All 28 of 'em!"
Jack looked around at the small group, a proud look in his eyes. "Ok guys, this is it! This is when us boys turn into men!"
"Uhem." Jack cringed and turned to Lily who raised an eyebrow at him.
"And uh, Lily, you are our honorary man. So...yeah," Lily rolled her eyes and nodded.
"Let's do this," Danny cheered. The group dispersed, Danny running to one of the houses, Lily taking the paint into the forest, Jack taking the feathers while Charlie stood out on look out. First, Lily climbed a tree, rope wrapped around herself as she tied the paint bucket to one of the branches. She gave a thumbs up to Jack who immediately started working on his part.
"Seem's like eh prank's in order, aye?" Bunny asked. Jack giggled with a nod.
"I admit, it wasn't a good one but it was the best we could do with little supplies."
A bird call echoed from the forest and Lily, hid behind the branches but kept an eye on the narrow path. Danny ran through with Charlie and the two older siblings from the missing quartet.
"I don't see them anywhere," Cody sighed, looking around the forest.
"There here, we saw them," Charlie assured him, looking around nervously. When Katie and Cody were under Lily's branch she tipped over the bucket of paint, showering the older kids with bright pink paint. Jack jumped from where he was and let lose all the soaked feathers, dripping with a sticky honey. The Quartet stared at their master piece with a frown.
"Something's missing," Jack mumbled. "Lilly," Said girl, skipped up and placed two flower crowns on the shocked siblings heads.
"Perfecto!" Jack cheered until they heard a shuddering breath from Cody.
"Yes Jack. This is perfect. Now, why don't you give your big brother a hug?" Cody launched himself at the younger children, making them shriek. Cody grabbed Jack and hugged him, before flipping him upside down and tickling his tummy. Jack laughed really hard, trying to push his older brother off him. In the background, he could hear Katie attack his other friends and her sister.
"Cody! Stahahahap! Im sooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyy!" Jack squealed when he felt a small raspberry, making him squirm harder. "CODY!"
Cody paused his attack, looking at Jack's flushed face, covered with paint and feathers sticking to his hair. Katie brought the other three trouble makers with her, all covered as well. Cody shifted Jack so he was thrown over his shoulder and walked back to the village.
"H-Hey! Put me down!" Jacks yells were ignored.
Jack flushed a soft blue hue when Tooth fluttered around him saying how cute he was. Bunny just reach over and poked the younger boys waist making Jack squeal and jump away before pouting.
"No," He stated firmly. Bunny just chuckled, shaking his head.
"Too cute, Frostbite," Jack stuck his tongue out and shook himself.
"Yeah yeah, leave me alone," North patted Jack on the shoulder with wonder filled eyes and Jack flushed harder.