Copyright; not mine, but OC and story are.

I really want to keep it T, so I shall make strides to keep it that way. Maybe a second story for M material will be put up, but for now, T.

Things get a little dark towards the end, but that's just how the story has to go. Jack's just going a bit insane, nothing to worry about.

Also, I do read reviews and appreciate them very much. I just fear answering them and giving away too much. Who likes reading stories for the first time when you already know what happens?

"How? What?" If I wasn't lying on the ground, I would have been floored that something like this could happen.

"We don't want to believe it, but it could just be a small shift. That must have been why Bear was so worked up about it but didn't attack outright; it's really the only possibility." Ombric sighed during the last part; he must have not wanted to believe it himself.

"Did, did I do this?" I wondered softly, not wanting to believe it as well. Katherine and Ombric exchanged looks and Katherine nodded.

"We won't lie to you," Ombric started. "It was partially your fault."

"But not all of it," Katherine quickly continued. "Destiny played its part, and no one controls that."

"How can someone's heart just change? I asked, already knowing part of the answer.

"It takes a very powerful force," Ombric explained. "For Pitch, the fearlings took him over completely. For Jack, I suspect that anger and vengeance are the cause. Unfortunately, they're most likely directed at you."

"What can I do to help him? I didn't want it to end up like this."

"Eventually you should try talking to him, but give him time and space for now." Katherine advised.

"I've already notified the other Guardians, they've agreed to talk to Jack when they can. But I fear they'll be less than helpful. He's mad at you, Heart, so you may be the only one to change his heart back." Ombric tried comforting me, but it didn't matter. I turned on my side towards the fire, making sure to keep my still semi-frozen wing draped over myself to thaw more.

"I cast the spell, it was no issue. I just ask you bring me a bit of white wormwood when you can; I'm running a bit low. I do recommend you stay the night, take the couch," With a wave of his hand, the couch became wider and fluffier, "so you'll be near the fire." At this time, Ombric, Mr. Qwerty, and Katherine all went into a separate room, probably discussing Jack and me. It didn't bother me that they were talking about the encounter, all I could think about is 'Where did I go wrong?'

That thought process kept my attention for most of the night until I finally went to sleep. The few times I sleep, I generally have dreams of finding love and the adventure that goes along with it. This time it felt like a memory, one I never had. Black sand covered a beach with the moon in full glow. It's reflection bright on the still ocean. Jack was there in the dim light, but so was Pitch. They were discussing something, but I couldn't make out what it was. I started moving closer and closer, but they began fighting. Their moves were a dance, neither giving up too much, nor taking any space. It wasn't long before Jack lost, losing his staff in the process. Pitch picked up the staff, and I awoke.

The sleep didn't do me much good, my body was as good as new, but my mind raced with doubt and worry. All I knew is that I had to get back to work. I'd wait a month and then confront Jack, what more could I do?

It wasn't even day time by the time I flew off. I knew where white wormwood was, and quickly harvested a small satchel full of the pungent shrub and delivered it on the front doorstep of Big Root. I also left a note:

Thank you for healing me and for your insight. I'll talk to Jack in due time, I hope this will be solved quickly.

3

And then I left. I needed to go back to my job, many people are unsure about their choice to meet that one person. So I left. I wasn't as fast as I wanted to be, but that what happens when you get a wing frozen and thawed. I dodged the trees easily, staying just far away from the bottom of the canopy to not catch any branches that may not be that high.

It wasn't long before I exited again. Flying lower than normal, below the clouds as my wing wasn't strong enough for faster currents, I decided it was time for a new look. It had been a few decades since the last change, pinstripe suits are no longer 'in' as much as they were. It was a simple thing for spirits to do. I unbuttoned my suit jacket and the dress shirt, revealing a plain white T-shirt underneath. I discarded the two and as they floated down they disappeared in half a minute. I pulled down my pants, revealing pink boxers to any that would be able to see me flying around. As soon as those were discarded, they disappeared in a similar fashion. I flew for a moment, decided on just what I should wear. I remembered what the people who look my age wear and grimaced. The quality of fashion has really gone down.

I made my decision and as soon as I started lifting my shirt, a dark red, almost maroon dress shirt appeared, the bottom of which is draped over my boxers and unbuttoned at the top with a another white undershirt underneath. As I started removing my boxers, black jeans, a white belt, and a simple pair of black shoes took its place. I also took the time to have my hair grow a bit so it was a few inches longer. I checked everything one last time, and decided to roll the sleeves up to my elbows. It may not be all that classy, but I don't think I'll be doing classy work for a little bit.

With my new look all done, I resumed work. I was especially checking on missed last chances. So far there were only two, and I had to rush to the next one right away. I veered off towards the Americas as fast as I could, hoping that I'd make it in time.

It was a little less than a week by the time I was contacted by any of the Guardians. I expected them to come and complain or yell at me since Ombric informed them of what happened and not wait until I was ready to get back onto my normal rounds of the Earth. But I didn't just work. I thought about Jack and what to do and say. I was hoping for more time to figure out what to do, but what I hope doesn't always matter.

This time it wasn't Bunnymund who came and got me, nor was it any amount of enjoyable on how I got to the North Pole. I was about to spread some love on a couple in India when a felt a cold snap behind me and then I was pulled through a swirling vortex up to the North Pole.

"Hey, what's going on?" I demanded.

"Nothing little spirit, just a bit of worry." North responded. We were next to The Globe of Belief, but there seemed to be fewer lights than normal.

"Why does the globe seem so dim?" I noted the lack of production in the factory, Christmas was coming up and production has slowed down in his most productive area.

"Jack. Ever since your talk with him, children have been playing mean jokes on each other." His Russian accent was entertaining as always, but his deep tone portrayed the severity of the situation.

"Have all of you tried talking to him?"

"Yes, but I was the only one he'd say anything to. Even then he asked me to fight you, which I won't do." He explained. "I don't like you still, but I can't hate you until one of us is gone."

"Then why did you knock me out earlier?" I was skeptical, to say the least.

"Seeing you for the first time after you broke Marion and me up, a rage took hold of me. I'm sorry; you were just doing what you had to." He looked ashamed of what he did, and I had to believe him.

"I forgive you, and I guess I have to figure out where Jack is?"

"Oh no, he's outside the barrier around Burgess. He's trying to break through. I want you to take a snow globe," he continued "It'll be faster, and time is important."

"Thank you, North." I suspect it was really more for the children and the other Guardians than for me, but it is still something for him to give me a treasured globe. I soon broke it and thought about the town of Burgess. More specifically, I thought about being about 5 miles out of Burgess.

Being whisked through a vortex is not an experience I'd recommend to anyone. There's swirling and disorientation all wrapped up with the feeling of being stretched too thin. It really isn't pleasurable.

The journey was short, thank goodness, and soon I was standing on a mound of snow, very unseasonable this early in autumn. I walked the rest of the way, trying to buy more time. I had to confront him; I couldn't buy any more time. Enough children are starting to not believe and that is a terrible thing. No running away now, no chance to.

That's when I saw him. He was throwing blast upon blast of ice and snow at the thin air. However, they were bouncing and reflecting off of something that I couldn't even see it. I wonder if Jack could even see it. MiM must have really done some work to make the barrier only affect him and his powers. But I couldn't sit around watching him try to get something he wasn't going to get through. I had to talk to him.

"Jack!" I yelled, barely able to hear myself over the screaming winds. He turned his head, and quickly went back to berating the barrier. "Jack you have to stop this!" I screamed while trying to look like I'm pleading. "Please! Some children have stopped believing in the Guardians!"

Jack redirected his staff. Not at me, but at the ground in between us. He made a shell of ice that surrounded him until it met up with the barrier. Seeing it was useless to even try yelling through the foot of ice, I summoned my bow, and started shooting at the ice. It was useless; it was too cold to even shave off a sliver. Then, I had an idea. Carefully tucking away my wings, I ran inside the barrier and aimed arrows at Jack.

"Jack, are you even listening?" I wondered if sound would get through the barrier. I fired a few shots, one to his left, one to his right, and one flying right by his shoulder. Each one struck the ice behind him and bounced off. I thought for a moment, but then shot an arrow directly above him. To my joy it did what I wanted it too, it bounced off and hit Jack right in the head!

I stepped through the barrier and into the frozen shield quickly. "Jack, it hurts like nothing you've ever felt, but please. Let's go somewhere and talk." I wanted, no, needed him to feel better about the situation.

"I won't be going anywhere, least of all with you. You're lucky North declined helping me as I'm sure we would have torn you apart."

"Are you saying you want to fight me?" I drew my bowstring back and was prepared for a fight.

"I'm not saying anything," He started, maneuvering his staff towards me. "We're fighting now." He melted the ice behind him, giving us open space to move about.

I was hoping it wouldn't end this way, but I can't say I'm surprised. He made the first move. He flew towards me while ice caked his staff. It was easy to dodge, but it left me vulnerable if I tried to counterattack. I sidestepped quickly and fired a few shots. They missed, but I did that on purpose.

"C'mon, you suck at this. Have you even fought in this century?" He chided, making sure to close the distance between us. Jack swung his staff at me and I was just able to block it with my bow. I forced the bottom end of the bow towards Jack's stomach. The blow hit him, but didn't seem to faze him at all. He came back hard and smashed in my bicep. The staff itself probably would have broken on the impact, but the ice made it harder than rock. I went with the blow, which made it a little less painful, but my arm would clearly bruise.

"Huh, chump. Try again." I egged him on. It wasn't the smartest decision, but I couldn't help it. Adrenaline has a weird way on the brain. The next blow came from me; we sparred for a while, mostly a lot of parrying and blocking. Eventually I was able to get it so that I blacked with the bow pointing towards Jack, and I fired an arrow into his arm.

"Wow, you did more than a bit of damage." He said, freezing the wound in place. "But now I'll show you something I've been working on since Pitch came around." Soon his whole body was shimmering, light dancing off of the newly formed ice.

"Hell…" I muttered, losing three arrows at him. They hit his chest, or where it would be, and bounced off. In a moment he was moving, a juggernaut of ice. I parried as many of his attacks as I could, not able to keep up with his speed. He must have been holding back before.

It was too much; he landed another blow on my shoulder, breaking the humerus. I cried out in pain and was just barely able to stop a blow to my head with my bow. The force of the hit made me drop it, however, and Jack soon started pummeling away at me. Each with each hit it became harder and harder to stand. Before I knew it, I was crouching and only able to stand there as he started towards me again.

"See, you can't even hold your own in a fight. You're pathetic." He punched me hard in the sternum with enough force to send me flying backwards. "Only hit me once, it's sad. But I'll take my victory now, destroying you in the process." He leapt in the air, swinging his staff above him as he was ready to strike me into oblivion.

Then a miracle happened. A miracle of lack of spatial awareness. Jack hit something and stopped in midair. The ice around him shattered as he hit the barrier, the shards flying in every direction away from the barrier. He slid down the barrier, stunned at his disbelief of forgetting about the barrier.

"AAAAAAAAGHHHH!" He screamed, he looked like he was charging his energy and soon he unleashed a large spike of ice towards me. I was worried, but MiM's magic is stronger than Jack's, and nothing got through. He soon flew away, hating every moment.

I laid there unable to move, hoping that MiM heard me.

Boy do I have plans for this story. So far I have three chapters (maybe more if they're super long) lined up. In fact, I have the ending of the second written. Especially since I like cliff hangers, I bet everyone else will hate it.

I thought about having Jack black out, but he's had too many concussions already. But things are in motion, there's a lot to come!