300 years later ...

The Guardians congradulated Jack Frost on becoming a Guardian - Tooth with a breath-taking hug, Sandy with sand images going so fast that Jack couldn't follow, Bunny by annoying him by messing up his hair, and North by a big clap on the back that almost knocked Jack off his feet. He smiled, feeling like he finally belonged somewhere after 300 years alone. And he knew where he came from, which was the icing on the cake. But something still didn't feel right.

I don't know why you are important to Manny.

Jack jumped at the sound of North's voice in his head. Looking for North, he found him on the other side of the room, agruing with Bunny (again) that Christmas was once again more important than Easter. Sandy had fallen asleep again and Tooth was shouting commands to her fairies. Jack leaned against the doorway, closing his eyes and taking in the normality of everything here.

I don't know why you are important to Manny.

Jack's eyes shot open once more. He looked down to see his Tooth Box glowing in his hoodie pocket. He quickly looked to make sure none of the other Guardians were watching him before sneaking off to another room, settling on a window ledge and opening up the memories. It went through all of those events, and even more. It showed the two Pitches plotting to make sure Jack Frost never rose; it showed Manny and Nightlight watching over Jack as a human until his death; it even showed Manny telling the Guardians a winter spirit would come to help defeat Pitch.

Jack's eyes were watering by the time the memories were done. Manny told them. He told them himself that a winter spirit was coming (they had even protected Jack as a human) yet they ignored him once he was resurrected. A blizzard began outside, corresponding with Jack's mixed emotions. The wind rattled against the windows, trying to get inside to comfort its friend to no avail. Jack curled up into a ball and let the tears fall.

The Guardians watched the blizzard enrage outside, wondering what was going on.

"Don't you recognize me?" Jack's cracked voice spoke from behind them.

They turned to see the frost child's face covered in frozen tear stains, with bloodshot eyes and a mixed expression.

"Of course, mate," Bunny replied, confused. "You're Jack Frost."

"No!" Jack shook his head. "I look exactly the same! I just have different hair and eye color!"

Tooth gasped, realizing it first.

"Jackson Overland." Her voice shook.

The others' eyes widened, finally realizing it. Bunny's face turned even more infuriated than Jack's, and he turned to look up at the Man in the Moon.

"You had us protect him from Pitch just so he could die?" he shouted at Manny. "What kind of sick, twisted plan is that, Manny?"

"Bunny," North tried to calm him, but Bunny didn't listen.

"No, North!" Bunny snapped. "He knew that Jack was going to die, and he didn't do a thing about it! He couldn't have made the kid immortal some other way than that?"

"You must calm down, Bunnymund." Everyone turned to see two unnoticed moonbeams turn into Nightlight and one of his sisters, Stargaze. "We will explain."

"Nightlight," Bunny grumbled under his breath.

"Jackson Overland was meant to become Jack Frost from the moment he was born," Stargaze explained. "He was to become the spirit of winter, which meant he had to die during winter. All elementals have to die in their element to become who they are."

"Pitch tampered with destiny and fate," Nightlight continued. "Around this time, he traveled back in time to 300 years ago, the summer before Jack was to die. He knew that if Jack didn't die in that lake, he wouldn't become Jack Frost and be able to stop him 300 years later."

"You were saving a future Guardian by making sure his fate was carried out," Stargaze added. "If he had lived past that winter, Jack Frost wouldn't be here right now, and Pitch might have won."

The Guardians all looked at each other in understanding. The two siblings smiled at their accomplishment and disappeared before any more words could be said.

The silence following was broken when a window opened and a head popped in.

"Jack Frost," Chris Summers, the summer spirit, scowled. "Did you create a blizzard in Africa?" Jack shook his hand. "Mother Nature's up to her pranks again. Darn it. Okay, see ya!"

The Guardians laughed as the spirit rushed off to scold the pranking girl. Jack smiled, finally feeling like everything was finally right.