A/N: Well some of you may think that Jack will tell Aster or vice versa, but no. the other guardians won't mention how Jack saved them and the only one who suspects is Sandy of course.

Warning! Eye for an eye
When revenge comes charging
Warning! Eye for an eye
You won't see it coming
... You won't see it coming...

Chapter 31 – To be Ready

3rd POV

Sandy watched as Jack paced, his hands clenched around one of Bunny's boomerangs as he muttered. Sandy himself had been around a long time, he was there when the golden aged ended and when the war with the Pooka's started. He was on the front lines as Pitch tore apart the constellations in his rage and yet this was something he hadn't seen before.

Jack Frost with a mighty scowl on his face and muttering up a storm in a language only them and a few others understood.

"Sandy, you understand what I said to you right?" Jack asked once he caught sight of the floating man of sand. He was glad that Sandy was alive, one of his true friends but yet he couldn't stop and fully allow himself to be glad about it.

Sandy nodded before placing his hand on the boy's face once more; 'You are Hellebores Jack Frost of the Winter Clan. You are the prince of Winter, yet I do not understand why you look like this? Are you Pooka or are you a reincarnation with the memories of said Pooka? But if it is the first then old friend many things of the past 300 years have been explained but the why.' He spoke causing Jack to nod.

"Yes, according to Man in Moon it was for my own protection, to mask me as a human and taking my form from me." Jack finished with an angry scowl to the moon that now shone brightly down upon them. "They made me think I was the only one for the nine years I was out of hibernation, they let me suffer alone." He explained angrily causing Sandy to look up at his old friend with disappointment.

Not just for Jack but for Aster as well, especially when Aster felt Jack die. But like Sandy said everything of the past made sense. The way Aster collapsed in pain when he felt his mate die, the same night Jack was rebirthed as a spirit of winter. At the mark on Aster's chest how he said it was a shade darker on the night he met Jack for the first time and the way Jack's hair shone with tints of grey. Jack's dreams of Rabbits playing together and the way he spoke sometimes, how he zoned out. It all made sense.

"Ve will get them back, Jack." North stated as he clapped the winter spirit on the back once he finished telling his Yeti what was happening.

"Jack, Joy said to come back unharmed or she will make sure no more carrots for winter spirit." Phil grumbled causing Jack to laugh; now he knew the reason why he loved carrots so much and why he was a vegetarian. North just shook his head, still in awe that Jack could understand the creatures like him; when all is over he was sure to ask the boy on how he learnt to understand them.

"Jack!" Tooth yelled as she buzzed around objects with her hand clutched to her chest. "I have it here, it took me a while but I found it." She told him before reluctantly handing over the small square of chocolate.

"Thanks Tooth; I know how much this must be killing you to give someone a non-sugar free candy." He chuckled before looking at everyone else. "We need to go to my lake, it's safer that way."

North grabbed a snow globe from his pocket and whispered Jack's Pond before throwing the globe to open a portal. Jack shook his head before leaping to the air as the others began to go through, he preferred flying than the sudden yank and throw feeling the portal creates.

His feet touched surface of the frozen lake just as the last yeti made its way through the portal, a smirk on his face as he leaned against his staff. Some of the yeti, mainly Phil looked awed by the beauty of it all and the Jack specialty frost glinting off the bare trees in the moonlight.

"Okay, we're all here. I need you all to never mention what you see. Ever. It is important and I'm only doing this to save Aster and Jamie from the dark clutches of Pitch." Jack explained seriously before sighing and looking at them all with haunted eyes. He knew that they will always see him differently but he needed to save Aster and Jamie.

"Jack what iz making you wary boy?" North asked concerned while taking a step towards Jack, only stoping with a shake of his head. If he was to say he wasn't curious he would be lying, he was but he didn't want to find out what Jack had meant by having an odd reaction to chocolate but not at the boys expense.

Jack sighed before looking up at the moon, "I know why I am here and I know that seeing me the way you will and what I will do might change your view on me. North, I mean it, none of you are to mention to anyone even Aster about what you will see."

The others nodded and remained silent as they watched Jack place his staff in North's hands before removing his hoodie and shirt. His muscles rippling as he rolled his shoulders as he made his way back into the middle of his lake.

Jack took deep breaths as he closed his eyes and began to centre himself and let his magic surface. He didn't know if it would work like when he was a Pooka, the only time he did this when he was a human hurt just a bit and his body couldn't hold the power for long. But now he has his memories back he could prepare it for the body shift and growth.

Popping the chocolate in his mouth he quickly bit it and swallowed, missing the way it used to melt on his tongue. When the muscles began to quiver he dropped to one knee and braced his hands on the ground for the next phase of the body breaking and shifting, growing more bones than normal. He let out a grunt as his back arched and the first crack started letting the dam break as the rest followed.

Tooth watched behind North, her hands clenching in the fur collar as she stared at her Sweet Tooth. A gasp breaking past her lips as his body contorted with the sounds of snapping bones and tearing flesh. She could see from here as his body arched up, his chest facing the sky with arms wide open; his face twisted in pain before his eyes popped open revealing glowing ice blue and white.

"святой кекс!" North blurted out as he saw Jack let out a cry before slamming his now six arms on the ice causing it to fly up around him. Snow burst in the air, blinding them for a few seconds as it began to rain down blocking their view from Jack.

When the snow began to clear everyone's mouths dropped as a panting Jack stood tall, in four hands were blades of frosted ice while two remained free. His bare chest was covered with a vest made of ice with intricate designs of frosted blue snowflake patterns.

"Jack?" North asked shocked as he stared at the boy, causing the deep blue swirling eyes to lock onto him.

"There is no time to explain, I need my staff." He uttered his voice once soft like falling snow now cracked sharply like ice. "I don't have long until I lose my control over my instincts and powers. You will need to get Aster and everyone to safety at that time."

North quickly handed the staff back to Jack; laying it carefully in one arm and watched with wide eyes as ice crawled its way up the darkened wood and formed the crook into a large scythe.

"His lair is this way." Jack grunted before taking off into the darkened woods. His feet pounding the ground and letting the white haze tint his vision.

~XxX~

Jamie whimpered as he clutched onto the Easter Bunny as the cage they were in rattled again with each bump the nightmares caused.

"Show yer self ya bloody Mongrel!" Aster hissed angrily as he scanned the darkness for the face of the nightmare king.

Pitch let out a deep chuckle as he stepped into the only light of the room. His eyes glowing as he looked at the wounded Pooka, savouring the fear he created. The boy was just an appetizer but the fear of a Warrior and a Pooka well that was a delicacy. "You have no idea what your fear does for me Aster… It has been a long time since I was able to taste it." He cooed darkly causing Aster to tense.

"Wh-why did you take us?" Jamie whimpered, clutching tighter on Aster's fur.

"Well you see child, I took you because I want Jack Frost gone! The only way to break that pest is to hurt the two he cared for, Sandman was obviously one… then when the Easter Bunny got hurt… well let's say Jack's fear overshadowed all of yours. What better to break him then to take you both. The rabbit that never cared for him and his first believer?" He laughed causing Aster's ears to fall back.

Jack… Aster knew he needed to apologise for many things, being so cruel towards him was one of them. Especially now since he was going to suffer because of his foolishness, he had forgot his training and took his eyes off the foe.

Instead of letting the sadness and fear take him he let the anger burst forth. "Wait till I get my hands on you ya' mongrel!" He snarled viciously, hands rattling the sand cages.

"And then what? You're hurt." Pitch pointed out laughing.

"I will hurt you!" He spat back causing Pitch to laugh and wave his hand, letting the cage fall away sending the Pooka and child to the floor.

Pitch sneered down at him before sighing bored. "Very well."

Aster grunted and turned to the ankle biter next to him. "Stay here, it'll be alright."

Jamie nodded and let go of him, he watched as the Easter Bunny stood favouring his right leg then the other before grabbing the lone boomerang in one hand. In a blink of an eye they charged, Aster with his boomerang and Pitch with his scythe.

Aster jumped and spun over the gleaming black blade, his hind paw kicking out but missing its target as Pitch ducked.

"You taught Frost some moves, it's a shame that he already tried that. I was expecting it!" Pitch laughed as Aster shook his head after the blow to the face. He couldn't help but frown at that, he had never taught Frostbite to fight, and the move he did was Pookan.

"AH!" He screamed as he felt a slash of blade across his flank; his paws falling as he clutched the wound.

"You should know to never be distracted." Pitch laughed while raising his scythe for a killing blow. Aster looked up before closing his eyes, he couldn't win. He thought of his life on earth and then his life on his home world. Maybe now, maybe now he could be with his mate in the afterlife. He knew the others would keep hope alive for him, for the children. He breathed out slowly as he opened his eyes and glared at Pitch, he was ready.

A loud cry of rage filled the lair as the foundation shook, a burst of ice wind swirling around them just as Aster's vision begin to fade from blood loss. He turned his head as he saw Pitch's eyes widen and just before the darkness took him, he could have sworn he saw his mate in the doorway with six arms and battle blade of the Winter Clan; eyes the clearest of blue blazing with rage.

A/N: OH NO! What's this ANOTHER cliffy? *ducks*

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