Hello, everyone! I'm back, with another update of Frosted Ferns because my birthday's tomorrow! I thought I'd give you amazing people a present for this special day. :) Cuz when isn't 82 follows, 59 favorites, and 55 reviews a reason to make a girl celebrate? (And also, I actually found some free time hiding in the corner!)
Thank you to Emylound, TheMadnessWithin13, bribri16, Drake Azure Saber, Introverted-Verses, Pamelasilos, mysticzephyra, becky199756, Lucy's Echos, 1827alouette6927, Emo Dragon 7, TheGlobalFlower, libby . brinkmann . 7 (sorry for expanding your pen name, but FanFiction just doesn't seem to like names with dots in them), JellOtaku, catsrulegirl, Naomi Pictogreen, and SelasVictoria for the favorites!
For following: Arsenal18, BATMANMELTSI, CookieMonster9780, Emylound, TheMadnessWithin13, alwaysstaygray, bribri16, imjusttesting123, silver-eyedLadyofDarkness, BionicVampireDragonGuardian1, Introverted-Verses, Pamelasilos, calicat197, mysticzephyra, becky199756, kitty . 0, Lucy's Echos, Ms . Big. Artiste ., 1827alouette6927, Emo Dragon 7, Shadowkiller50, TheGlobalFlower, libby . brinkmann . 7, JellOtaku, Naomi Pictogreen, SelasVictoria, and Leikaru!
And to my lovely reviewers: Ern Estine 13624, guardianofdragonlore, Dreamer558750, RandomReader, Guest, White Hunter, kitty . 0, shaneEgirlo, and SelasVictoria!
Reader Responses:
guardianofdragonlore: I'm making Bunny seem like such a buttnugget in this, aren't I? In reality, I really love the big kangaroo (no matter how many feelings of hate may arise in this fanfic).
RandomReader: I'm glad you thought they were wonderful! Every positive review to this story means the world to me. And yup - life can be extremely busy, right? I can't believe it's been almost a month since I last updated . . .
White Hunter: Thank you for your continuous support during this whole story! If I'm counting right, you've been steadily reviewing every single chapter. xXxMystical-DreamerxXx, happily singing your name to everyone and the spirits! (See what I did there?)
kitty . 0: I know, it's hilarious, isn't it?
shaneEgirlo: I was wondering where you went. :) There's definitely going to be some tension between Bunny and Jackie after the Easter incident. The ways that it could happen are twisting around in my head.
SelasVictoria: Thank you so much! I hope you'll enjoy this next chapter as well.
WARNINGS:
This chapter's a bit shorter compared to my other ones, and there's a switch to present tense somewhere in the italics, but read on!
"Winter is a season of recovery and preparation."
– Paul Theroux
Chapter Six: Who I Am
"Jackie . . . what have you done?"
Tooth still remembered the words she said to the winter spirit, and – she shuddered just thinking about it – the shattered look that became present in Jackie's eyes when she was accused of betraying the Guardians.
Tooth should've known. She should've said something! Tears welled in her eyes at the regret she felt at sending Jackie away. Emotions were running high, Easter had just been ruined, and the Guardians were just looking for someone to blame.
The few moments that Tooth had spent with her proved that Jackie was unswervingly loyal. Under that mischievous smirk, Jackie was unbelievably kind and warm for a winter seasonal. The cold wind blowing around her feathers reminded Tooth of the ever-present breeze that seemed to cling around the girl, and it made Tooth's heart ache even more. Jackie trusted them to take care of her, and they had broken that trust. What kind of people were they?
They had abandoned one of their own.
"We didn't even give her a chance to explain!" Tooth lamented, wringing her hands. "We just assumed the worst of her . . ."
"I know, Toothy, but we can't worry about Jack now," North said, putting extra emphasis on Jackie's alias. "We can still stop Pitch, with or without him."
"Ah say 'without,'" Bunny grumbled from behind the two. "The bloody traitor's the one who ruined Easter, remember?"
"But –" Then Tooth stopped. Bunny still didn't know about Jackie. Tooth bit her lip and thought, I'll make it up to you, Sweet Tooth. Don't you worry. She would keep the winter spirit's secret for as long as she needed.
"We don't even know why Jack had his memories," Tooth argued instead, turning around in the sleigh to face Bunny. "Pitch could've –" She stopped speaking and stared at her friend. "Um, Bunny? You take a look at yourself recently?"
"Whaddya mean?"
Tooth held one of Bunny's paws gently. "You're – uh, a bit smaller than what you're used to."
Bunny's cry of outrage was lost when they were sucked into North's snowglobe portals to the Pole.
She dances around the yard, smiling and waving at her mother and sister.
There Jackie was, brown-haired, brown-eyed, and . . . definitely human. She was wearing the same clothes that she had on when she rose from the pond that night. Her hair was longer than it was now, but she knew that the dancing girl was her – Jacqueline Frost.
Then Jackie frowned. No. Human Jackie's last name was Overland. As she continued watching the scenes play out like a movie (she had snuck into a couple theaters over the years), little snippets of additional memories began to pop into her head.
"You can't have fun all the time, Jacqueline," her mother calls out disapprovingly, but the little girl next to her giggles.
Jackie takes the girl's hand and twirls her around, pretending that she was a beautiful princess in the warm spring air.
Emeline was her mother's name. A bit strict, a bit stern, a bit uptight, but she was Jackie's mother. The same woman who tucked her in at night, sang lullabies with a sweet voice when she was sick, and who loved her unconditionally . . .
Mama.
And that little girl – Jackie's eyes widened as both sets of memories, human and immortal clashed. Both of her selves knew that girl.
Immortal Jackie knew her as Emma, the daily visitor to the pond. The one who cried. The one who gave her the snowflake pendant that was resting around her neck.
But Human Jackie knew her as Emma, her little sister. The person that Jackie swore to protect with her life. Emma, who Jackie named after their mother. Emma, who was all smiles, and never failed to brighten up everyone's day.
Emma, who Jackie missed even now . . .
The scene changed.
Jackie hangs from a tree with her legs. Her arms are dangling freely, and she smiles and waves at the three kids below, swinging slightly to amuse them. It's taken her a while to be able to climb a tree with her skinny arms, and a bit longer to work up the courage to trust herself not to fall.
But if something was fun, there was no doubt that she learn how to do it – no matter how long it took.
"Jackie, get down from there!" Emma laughs.
Jackie's always wanted to teach Emma how to climb trees. That's mainly the reason she stopped wearing dresses. She couldn't do anything fun with an annoying skirt hanging around her ankles. Some of her friends (mainly, Emma's friends) and the village kids have taken to calling her "Jack" when she showed up one day with pants and shorter hair.
Now, it was night, and Human Jackie was performing a show for the children.
Everyone had finished eating about an hour ago, and the village children asked Jackie to tell them a story. So she chooses one of Emma's favorites – The Story of Cupid and Psyche. Jackie puts a set of moose antlers on her head to introduce the character of what Psyche thought Cupid looked like. Smiling, she calls Emma up to the stage to play the part of Psyche.
Jackie's told her this story so many times that she can recite it in her sleep.
Jackie's vision blurred again, but this time she was in a dress instead of her brown pants and tunic. It was pretty and blue, but it felt strange and foreign. Then she remembered – she didn't exactly enjoy wearing dresses that much.
She slips off her shoes and socks. If she had to wear a dress today, then she sure wasn't going to wear shoes. She tucks them into a hollow tree and runs deeper into the woods. This year she was going to find him.
So Human Jackie was running through the woods, searching for . . . for someone. Immortal Jackie couldn't recall who exactly, but she knew that this memory was important, so she lingered a bit longer on this one.
Then she laughed aloud as her memory-self punched a very familiar-looking "person," with fluffy gray fur and intense green eyes.
"Who – what are you?" Jackie demands, glaring from her rather embarrassing position on the floor.
The rabbit chuckles. "Name's E. Aster Bunnymund. Ah'm the –"
"Wait, your name's Easter?" she laughs, her fear beginning to fade.
"Easter" looks affronted. "No – it's Aster Bunnymund, but you can call me Bunny, or Bunnymund. Ah'm the Easter Bunny."
Jackie stared at the scene in shock. Her past self was friends with the Easter Kangaroo?
The scene seemed to skip a few hours, as the sky was now an inky black.
"Ah'll be seein' ya next year, anyway, Jackie," Bunny says offhandedly, twirling his boomerang around.
"You – you mean, you'll be coming back?" She holds her breath.
Bunny grins. "Of course, Jackie. Ah'll need to check up on ya after you're married, and 'ave little ankle-bitahs of your own."
Jackie was confused for a moment by this. How old was she when she met Bunnymund? She thought for a moment.
Oh, right. She was seventeen.
The same physical age that she was now . . .
"The words 'best friends' do sound nice," Bunny admits, smiling. "It's been a while since I actually talked to someone about stuff."
She smiles back. "Yup," she says. "Best friends." Then she tiptoes and presses a light kiss to his cheek as a thank you. To her, it kind of feels like when she would kiss Emma's hair. Then she turns away and runs home, waving.
I want him to come back, she finds herself thinking as she runs. Because when they talked, it felt like that she'd known him forever. Having someone besides Emma (not that she didn't love the little girl to death) to talk to was amazing. Bunny was amazing.
Jackie pushed on with the rest of her memories, feeling conflicted about her memory self's feelings about the Easter Bunny. What did that kiss mean?
"Be careful," her mother says worriedly, looking out the door of the house. Last Easter, when Jackie met Bunny, her mother agreed that she and Emma could go skating as soon as the ice freezes. But now Jackie could tell that she's regretting her decision.
Jackie balances her pair of ice-skates on her shoulder and chuckles as Emma eagerly pulls her along.
"We will!" she promises, giving their mother a confident smile. There is no way she would let Emma get hurt.
Jackie watched with building trepidation during the next scene. She had a bad feeling about this . . .
Jackie and Emma are on the ice. Emma's proudly using the skates that Santa (er, North, according to the Easter Kangaroo) had given her for Christmas, but Jackie had removed her own skates earlier. She found it more fun to try and balance on the slippery ice without a firm grip. Jackie laughs and spins on her toes, but then an ear-splitting BOOM echoes across the sky.
Jackie freezes. Emma, she thinks.
She looks over at her sister, who is frozen to her spot in fear. The ice is cracking.
Jackie crouches down slowly, and sets down her staff, meeting Emma's frightened brown eyes. "It's okay, it's okay. Don't look down," she says, inadvertently glancing down at the fractured ice under Emma's feet, "j-just look at me."
There are no words to describe the fear she has right now.
"Jackie, I'm scared," Emma whispers, trembling.
"I know, I know," she replies, taking a nervous step forward. How could Jackie think about her own fear when her little sister was absolutely terrified? "I need to get to Emma" is the next thought that runs through her head. The ice creaks under her feet, but still holds.
"But you're gonna be all right, you're not going to fall in," Jackie says reassuringly, holding out her hands in a placating gesture. She wasn't sure whether she was speaking to herself or to her sister. "Um . . . we're gonna have a little fun instead!"
Jackie can clearly see that her human self is trying to keep Emma's mind off of the fear. Anything but. Emma needed to be distracted.
But instead, she cries out, "No, we're not!"
"Would I trick you?" Human Jackie asks playfully, hiding her terror under her smile. She prays to whoever's watching them right now, be it God, gods, anything.
Please keep Emma safe.
"Yes, you always play tricks!" she pronounces, staring at her with conviction in her eyes.
Jackie laughs, seeing Emma's point. She did play tricks every once in a while. "Yeah, well, all right," she says, carefully inching closer. "Well, ah, n-not this time. I promise, I promise – you're gonna be okay. You're going to be fine," she says soothingly. "You have to believe in me."
At these words, Emma looks up, the fear replaced with determination. That's my girl, Jackie thinks proudly.
Jackie glances subtly around, searching for something that would help her save Emma. Then she spots it – the shepherd's crook that Papa gave her when she was younger.
"You wanna play a game?" Jackie asks brightly. "We're gonna play hopscotch – like we play every day." She straightens up and attempts to move closer to the staff. A small plan is beginning to form in her head. "It's as easy as uh, one . . ." Jackie cringes as the ice cracks under her toes, but she pretends to lose her balance with an over-exaggerated "Whoooaa!" to entertain Emma.
And it works. She laughs.
". . . three!" she says triumphantly, feeling the thicker ice under her bare feet. Jackie bends down to pick up the staff. "All right. Now it's your turn. One . . ."
She holds out the curve of the staff to Emma, who is tentatively making her way closer, shaking with each unsteady move. With each step, she gasps with fear as the ice cracks even more.
"That's it, that's it," Jackie says encouragingly, reaching out farther. "Two . . . three!" Emma is now close enough for her to grab. She hooks the staff around her sister's waist, switching their positions. Now, Emma is on the thicker ice and safe. That's all that matters.
They're both sprawled out on the cold surface, but they're fine. When Jackie stands up, she smiles at Emma, and she smiles back. This would be a fun story to tell their children one day.
But then the ice breaks, and Jackie falls – down, down, down into the water.
"Jackie!" Emma screams, her voice muffled by the water pressing on Jackie's ears.
Jackie stared at her human self. Though her eyes were closed, Jackie knew that they were slowly turning blue. As short brunette strands bleached white, Jackie knew that this was when her memories vanished. This was when she forgot her previous time, her friendship with the Guardian of Hope, and Emma, the little girl she swore to protect with her life.
And then, her memory self's ice-blue eyes shot open, and Real Jackie was hurled out of her memories.
Jackie breathed heavily, staring wildly into the air. She glanced back down at her golden memory box, her fingers curling protectively around it. Jackie couldn't believe that she had almost thrown it away.
"Did you see – did you see that?" she asked Baby Tooth, who was now sitting on the icy floor.
The little fairy shook her head, chirping a negative. But Jackie rushed over and cupped Baby Tooth into her hands, saying excitedly, "It was me! I had a family – I had a sister! I saved her!" Baby Tooth squeaked happily, and Jackie laughed.
And then the euphoria filtered out of her body as solemnity took over. "That's why you chose me," she said, looking up at the sky. And sure enough, the moon was there.
"I – I'm a Guardian," Jackie realized slowly. She had sacrificed herself for a child, and children were who the Guardians protected. Then, she remembered what North had told her yesterday (was it even yesterday? It seemed so much longer) –
"If Man in Moon chose you to be a Guardian, then you must have something very special inside."
Though Jackie still wasn't sure what her "center" was, she knew that it was her duty to protect the children. She could still help.
"We need to get out of here," Jackie said determinedly, tucking Baby Tooth into her hood. She looked at the cliff walls, searching for any possible handholds. Then, something caught her eye.
Her staff.
She rushed over to it and skidded on her knees. She picked up the two broken pieces and pressed them together, hoping that it would mend. But she pushed too hard, and the wood snapped again. Jackie grunted in annoyance, but she stood up and closed her eyes, channeling her energy into the broken staff. Hope wasn't all that was needed. It was belief.
And she chanted in her mind, I believe, I believe, I believe.
As she thought those words, the most powerful magic of all, warmth began to spread from her heart and down her arms. Jackie's grin was huge as familiar frosted ferns began to explode from the break in the staff.
I BELIEVE, I BELIEVE, I BELIEVE!
The energy coursing through her hands sent a tingle throughout her being as she instinctively knew that her staff was once again whole. Blue magic glowed where wood and flesh met, and Jackie shot up into the air when she met the familiar embrace of Wind swirling around her.
"Come on, Baby Tooth, I owe ya one!" Jackie yelled as she swooped joyfully through the icy air.
Jacqueline Frost was back, and there was no one who could stop her.
Jackie flew across the ocean as fast as she could. Her destination? Burgess, or more particularly, Pitch's lair.
She dove down the hole and ripped open the cage doors, shouting to the mini-teeth, "Come on, let's go!" The helpers of the Tooth Fairy hopped up and down on their perches, but stayed firmly planted to the ground. "W-what's wrong?" Jackie looked around the hopefully abandoned cavern, and at all the open cages. "None of you can fly?"
Then she saw the Globe. It wasn't glowing anymore, save for a few flickering lights spread around the continents. "The lights . . ." she whispered, her hand dropping.
Nightmare sand swirled around the Globe, sending the yetis into a frenzied state. The wind that the sand whipped up sent the finished toys flying.
Then Pitch appeared from the darkness, announcing to the yetis, "You're all free to go! We won't be needing any Christmas toys this year, thank you," he said, bowing. "Or ever again," he added. He smirked at the Guardians. "Poor Jacqueline. I wish that she could be here to witness your downfall."
"What did you do to her?" North demanded, shakily pointing one of his swords. "If you hurt –"
Pitch laughed. "Me? Hurt the dear girl? No, North. It was you and the Guardians that hurt her."
Tooth gasped. "No!"
"Who are you talking about?" Bunny pressed. He was so confused after the Easter fiasco with Jack. His head was pounding, and he could feel himself getting weaker and weaker with each passing hour. He was already a few centimeters shorter ever since the incident.
Pitch's smile grew. "Oh, you mean she didn't tell you?"
"Start talking, Pitch," Bunnymund growled.
The Nightmare King walked across the top of the Globe. "I should probably start with the story of that Overland girl."
Jackie, Bunny thought, his fists clenching at the injustice of her death. Her joyful spirit was snuffed out way too soon.
"Her fear was so strong that day," Pitch sighed happily. "It was just enough for me to regain a sliver of consciousness. After Jacqueline died, poor, poor Emma was so lonely."
"Don't talk about them!" Bunny warned, raising his fists.
"Then what fun would be in that?" Pitch countered. "You see, dear Bunnymund, Jacqueline was reborn that night. With no memories, white hair, blue eyes . . . and a wooden shepherd's crook that she carried everywhere. Sound familiar?"
"Frost?" Bunny choked out. "He's a girl? Why didn't she tell us?"
Bunny was probably going into shock from the information that was suddenly presented before him. Jack Frost, the annoying little show pony that ruined Easter twice, was his best friend from three hundred years ago.
Jack . . . was Jackie.
Bunny knew that he saw a resemblance between the two. But he was so blinded by his dislike for "Jack" that he couldn't see the warm, beautiful soul of Jacqueline Overland in her blue eyes.
Bunny was the greatest idiot of all time.
A funny squeaking sound from Tooth made him look over. "She told me, but said not to tell anyone else. And she had no memories from before . . . probably because she died before becoming Jackie Frost."
"Naughty List," North muttered. "Had name on top every year."
Bunny suddenly became angry. Angry at Pitch and his smug look, the children for not believing, Jackie for not having memories of their friendship, but mostly . . . angry at himself.
He had struck his best friend. He had broken her already fragile heart with his cruel words, and any fragments of trust that might have formed. He, E. Aster Bunnymund, had failed as a Guardian . . . and as a friend.
And to add to his anxiety, he could feel himself becoming a little bit smaller.
Jackie stared in horror. "They're all going out!" She ran around the Globe, willing the few children who believed to keep believing.
"Only six left!" Pitch cackled to the yetis and the Guardians. "Six precious children who still believe in the Guardians with all their hearts."
Bunny stared with dread at the remaining Lights. The Globe seemed to be growing bigger as Pitch kept snuffing them out. Then he realized – he was tiny! He'd actually reverted back to a primitive little bunny! North and Tooth were both staring at him with shock as the Nightmare King whispered, "Make that . . . five."
North took a step back.
"Four!" Pitch sang, gliding over to North America to snuff out another light.
Then Pitch stepped on two of the three remaining orbs on the Globe. "Three . . . two . . ." He then snapped his fingers and stared at the last Light expectantly. When it didn't immediately go out, he growled, and Bunny began to feel a small fragment of hope.
He met the others' eyes, and Tooth and North were both looking determined. It's go time, Bunny thought.
"One," Pitch spat, looking at the Last Light with hate.
The Guardians bolted to the sleigh without saying a word. Their minds were in sync as they flew off into the night.
They needed to protect the Last Light.
Jackie crawled up to the last remaining light. It glowed faintly in a familiar place . . . the place she knew best, and where she was now. The Light . . . it was – it was –
"Jamie," she breathed.
Without a second thought, Jackie shot out of the cavern and flew off to the house, Baby Tooth riding in her hood.
So here's the end of this chapter. I'm not exactly sure when the next update will be, but I hope the reaction to this chapter will be as huge as the last one!
Your reviews will make my day. (hint hint)
See you real soon!