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Chapter 15: rebirth.

The first thing he noticed was the empty void of darkness swirling all around him. He couldn't move, he couldn't breathe… that should have worried him, but it didn't. He could hear voices coming from the dark abyss, but he couldn't tell who it was or what was happening to them. Somehow, the voices sounded so heartbreakingly familiar but he had no idea why… were they someone he know? He couldn't remember… why was his head hurting so much from just trying to remember?

He was beyond confused and he wanted answers but every time he opened his mouth to speak, the cold darkness he was surrounded in entered his lungs. It was then he noticed a bright light coming from above, tearing through the darkness. He felt the light's gently touch, slowly pulling him towards it. He hit a cold, hard but smooth surface… only to have it part at his mere presence… that was odd! He didn't know why, but he knew that it shouldn't have.

He looked around, taking in his surroundings. He was standing on what appeared to be a pond, covered in ice and surrounded by a thick layer of snow, which seemed to be covering what appeared to be a garden. He spotted some oddly familiar rocks… "Wait rocks? Why do they feel so familiar" Everything felt so familiar, yet so foreign at the same time. He closed his eyes, sight seeming so foreign to him while the scents and sounds were so familiar it was breaking his heart…

"Why? Why does everything seem so familiar? Have I been here before?" he let out a sigh as his mind tried to make sense of this. He then heard a voice, no louder than I faint whisper… yet its words loud and clear. It came from nowhere, yet seemed to come from everywhere at the same time. It made no sense to him at all "your name is Jack frost, the spirit of winter".

Realizing the voice came from the moon, he frowned in confusion and disbelief. He took a step forward and was just about to ask what the moon had meant, when he felt his foot hit something on the ice. He looked to see what looked like a shepherd's crook… wait… Why did seeing feel so odd? He shoved the thought from his mind and reached to pick up the staff, when he noticed frost forming on it at his touch he couldn't help but smile in wonder at the beautiful pattern.

He stood up still holding the strange staff in hand. The moment he let, the staff touch the ice a beautiful pattern began to spread on the icy surface. It was then he suddenly felt the wind brushing gently against his skin. He heard a very familiar whisper "the staff is yours. It's a gift from the moon and it will help you on your journey."

Before Jack had the chance to question this new, familiar voice… a sudden movement in the corner of his eyes caught his attention. A teenage girl carrying a bouquet of flowers was walking towards the pond, coming from nearby house. Jack raised an eyebrow at that. Finding it odd that the girl would be walking alone at this late hour. He walked towards her, but stopped dead in his track when he noticed the tear stained face, ruining her beautiful face. He couldn't stand seeing that awfully sad and broken expression on her face. He ran up to her, putting on a kind and reassuring smile as he said "miss, please don't cry. Everything is going to be fine."

However, the girl kept walking towards the pond as if she hadn't even noticed his presence. He looked at her, confused at girl's lack of reaction. Before he had a chance to react, she walked straight through him as if he wasn't even there. He let out a sharp gasp and stumbled away from the girl. He fell to his knees, eyes wide in disbelief and horror. The girl sat down by the edge of the pond, laying the bouquet down on the ice before breaking down in tears, sobbing, repeating the name "Jack".

That caused Jack's eyes to widen even further. Not only did she say his name, but her voice… It caused something and everything came back to him at once. He remembered his life as a BLIND kid. Growing up in that nearby house, with his parents and little sister. He remembered all about his friendship with the wind, his CURSED power that forced him from beloved Tooth in order to keep her safe.

He stumbled back on his feet and took a few steps back, taking it all in. He clutched his head in confusion and despair. He died! Is that why she couldn't see him? Why she walked through him? Was he a ghost? He shook his head, realizing what he was. The wind told him the day his cursed powers awoke, that he would eventually become the winter spirit. He let out a sigh "guess the wind kept its promise" he mused sadly to himself already aware it was impossible to return to who he used to be. Not that he would have done it even if he could… after all, he didn't regret his decision to save Emma. The fact that she was still alive was enough.

He turned his gaze to the shaking, crying form of the grieving teen, calling out to the wind, "Hey wind! Is she… is that girl really who I think she is? Can I really see her?" his expression saddening more and more as he spoke, almost on the verge of tears. The wind didn't say anything it just swirled him in a silent comfort, silently conveying its words of confirmation. He could no longer hold his tears back.

His deepest wish had become a reality, yet he couldn't be happy about it. His beloved Tooth was right in front of him, the person he wanted to see more than anything! Yet he couldn't be happy… the price was too high… he got sight in return of his family's happiness. If only she could see him, she wouldn't be forced to feel that kind pain.

He walked hesitantly towards her, sitting down next to her. He wore a sad smile as he took in her features. He reached out to touch her cheek. He gently stroked her cheek… Yet never actually touching it and spoil the illusion that he could actually give her some comfort. With a shaking voice, he said, "I can't believe how beautiful you are"

Tooth let out a sigh, and stood up to go back inside. Jack followed her back inside, expecting to see his family but to his surprise, Tooth was there alone. Jack followed her as she walked around, taking in the sights of his home for the first time while she gently stroked the familiar furniture before ending her tour in front door of his room. She hesitated, her hand shaking as she touched the handle. Jack noticed her eye glazing over before she walked into the room. She took a shirt, which he assumed to be one of his… hard to tell, as he had never actually seen his own cloth before. She hugged the shirt tightly to her chest as she laid down on his bed… curling into a ball before bursting into tears… it was a truly pitiful sight. Jack couldn't look at her, he close his eyes and avoid his gaze from her crying form.

Jack stayed by her side every day, tending to his new winter duties at night… flying around the globe, riding the wind as it acted as his guide and teacher. Whenever he was at Tooth side, he constantly tried to comfort her or at least crack a smile, but with him being invisible made it became near impossible. Every time, Tooth visited his family either at the hospital or later at the hotel room they had rented as a temporary home, until they could find a new home, it became harder and harder for him to leave them… especially after seeing her in that kind of state.

School wasn't much better either. Now that he was gone, he could tell Bunny was trying to take advance of her now fragile mind. Manipulating her into liking him, to make him into Jack's replacement. Jack couldn't let him do that so every time Bunny got within a certain range of her, he would send a really cold chill down his spine. The chill causing Bunny to stiffen, his eyes to widen to their absolute limit before rushing of in horror, much to Jack's endless delight.

However as spring came and the weather becoming warmer. He felt himself weaken and knew he couldn't stay by her side until winter was about to return to the northern hemisphere. Besides he had winter duties to tend to in the south, though it was pretty much just Antarctica he actually needed to deal with. The month he spend on Antarctica was very lonely even with the wind keeping him company. He had met a few other spirits but none of them not as much as spared him a single glance, so he spent all his time to either tend to the weather or practice his abilities. Which he, much to his relief, had found to be both far stronger and far easier to control than it had been while he was still alive.

Jack stood on the top of a glacier on the edge of Antarctica, enjoying the view, when he suddenly felt the tug of the wind "it's time to leave Jack" Jack sighed "yeah… I know, I'm just slightly nervous that's all. It's been nearly 5 months since I last saw her after all." He took a few steps closer to the edge and dropped to sit on it. "I'm kind of scared by the thought that she might have forgotten all about me. After all she doesn't know I've become the spirit of winter… it's only natural for her to forget about me." He reluctantly left his spot on the glacier at the insistence of the wind and took to the air heading towards his hometown.

He quickly reassumed his previous arrangement, with watching over Tooth during the day, tending to his duties at night. Jack had been quite worried about Bunny making further moves on Tooth in his absent. However, that worry was calmed fairly quick… he found out that those 3 months he had spent sending chills down the Australian's spine had caused Bunny's own mind to send 'phantom' chills in Jack's absence, causing the teen to keep his distance.

The days just kept passing in a blur and before he knew it, it was the 1-year anniversary of his death and rebirth. He stood by her side as she went to visit his 'grave' at the cemetery, feeling somewhat awkward listening to her words, even though they were meant for him. He signed, as he watched her leave… wondering why he stayed by her side when it was only causing him more pain and loneliness. He still loved her just as much as before, maybe even more.

However, having been invisible to her for a year now, it was just too much. He watched her walk away, head bowing down. She walked on out to cross the road just as speeding car made a sudden turn. The car went unnoticed by Tooth, but Jack did. He took to the air, went to her with the speed of a bullet. Yelling as loudly as he possible could "TOOTH! LOOK OUT!" He reached her just as she turned to face the oncoming car. He smiled in relief, he could do this… he could save Tooth just like he had saved Emma… only to pass right through her.

He turned just in time to see the car hit her. Jack dropped to his knees, eyes wide in disbelief as he looked down on the bloody and broken form of his beloved Tooth, "Tooth… no". He just sat there staring at her in a state of shock and disbelief… not even noticing the offending car had come to a sudden stop. The driver came running out of the car… already calling for help on his cellphone. It wasn't until he kneeled down next to Tooth body that Jack noticed him. Jack could feel his anger boiling over... Cause, right in front of him… was none other than Bunny.

A/N: Sorry to leave such a cliffhanger... be honest with me guys, how many of you had expected bunny to be the driver?

Anyways... i'm sorry but it might take a few days before can upload the next chapter. won't be long, so don't worry