Mean Seasons 20 Broken Spirit

"I don't like this, Summer." Spring said as she helped her sister with the trap they had been laying in Jack's tree in Burgess. "What if Pitch finds out? He said he needed Frost unbroken. If we win, the boy will surely and inevitably break."

Summer snarled "I'm counting on it! Besides, Pitch is old news. No one is afraid of him anymore."

"What about the Guardians?"

Summer smiled wickedly.

"If everything goes according to plan, they will soon hate him as much as we do. I'm hoping that after he breaks his other instincts will kick in and lo, the Winter King shall rule again!"

ROTG

Jack frolicked by his lake for a while, then raced the wind until he grew tired. He visited Pitch and was pleased to see two more dark purple lights appear on the Boogeyman's globe. He then decided that it would be a good time to get a nap before going to see Jamie, and clambered into his tree to sleep for three hours.

When he woke up, he found that he was weak and more tired than he had been when he went down. Puzzled, the winter spirit called Wind, thinking that a short flight would help shake off the drowsiness. Wind picked him up...but he was yanked back down by his neck. Curiosity turned to panic as Jack felt a collar on his throat.

He had been chained to his tree like a dog to a post!

"What the?" the frustrated spirit tugged on the collar, then froze it, hoping to shatter the thing. When no delightful tinkling pops were heard, he looked around for the chain, but to his annoyance and growing fear, he found that the thing was invisible.

So someone wanted him to never leave his tree...Or they wanted to deprive him of his freedom. Or both.

Jack glared at the offending chain and collar, a look of contempt gracing his features.

"Well this sucks."

ROTG

Five days later, Jamie was worried. Jack hadn't shown up in days, and it was only a quarter into winter! So the child gathered the handful of his friends who could see Jack Frost and mounted a search party.

Jamie would have liked to say that he found the Guardian of Fun that fateful day. But he was looking elsewhere, and it was Cupcake who made the discovery.

"Jamie! Everyone come quickly!"

The others found her by Jack's Lake, pointing desperate fingers towards the winter spirit's sleeping tree, a look of horror and worry on her face. "I found him." She paused and added solemnly "What's left of him anyway."

Jamie ran to the lump on the ground under the tree, and his heart went up his throat. The winter spirit looked awful to put it mildly. His eyes were closed, his breathing shallow, and his heart barely registered a steady beating. Icicle drool tinged red was frozen to his mouth, and his fingers were torn up, as if he had been clawing at the bark of his tree. His skin was paler than Jamie had ever seen it, and his hair hung limply, some of it frozen with sweat.

As the boy shook him to hopefully wake him up, his eyes slowly opened, and all the children gasped in horror at what they saw.

"Oh Jack...what happened to you?" Jamie gasped, tears lacing his tone.

The eyes of Jack Frost were empty. There was no spark, no light, they weren't even the right color. Dull, cloud-grey orbs devoid of life stared at the boy, not fully registering that he was even there. As soon as he revealed the horrible truth, he went limp, seemingly not caring if the person holding him was an enemy, an ally, whether he was going to do him harm or not.

Jamie cried hard, clutching his friend, his 'older brother' and cursing the person who dared rob him of the spark he was always happy to share.

Jack Frost was completely broken.

"We...we have to get help!" Cupcake said hurridly

"Yeah!" Claude agreed, "But we can't contact the Guardians! We don't know how!"

Jamie was desperate. Jack needed help. He might even be dying. Nighttime was still far off, so Sandy wouldn't be in Burgess yet, and neither would Tooth. North and Bunny only came out on their holidays. That left only one other option, and it was a gamble. But time was running out for the winter spirit. Desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Everyone!" he said "Are you afraid for Jack?"

He received affirmative looks, and grimaced Raising his own fear, he instructed the others to do the same. Soon, there were copious amounts of fear coming from their area, and the boy hoped with his whole heart that his idea would work.

The shadows cumulated into the Boogeyman in due time, as the boy hoped, and he looked around, only to be greeted with frightened stares. The children were not afraid of him, but rather, they feared loss. He took one look at Jamie and knew that the reason he had been summoned had something to do with Jack Frost. Jamie cleared his throat, and Pitch looked down.

"I don't know what happened, but he needs help." The boy said desperately, "Look, I know you and the Guardians don't get along, but...Please Pitch take him to the pole! Please! You don't even have to go inside just-"

The Boogeyman held up a hand. Without a word, he picked up Jack and yanked him forcefully. The children heard and saw several branches break, and something snapped off and clinkered to the ground. The man then wrapped Jack in shadow, and left, his voice remaining to reassure the children.

"Although I relish them, your fears are unnecessary. Jack will be fine. Now go home, and pleasant nightmares!"