Mean Seasons 24 Broken Spirit 4

"How could you do this to him?!" Pippa Overland Autumn shrieked to her two sisters, her small voice high and full of tears. "How?! WHY would you do this?!"

She slapped both of them, then growled out

"I'm telling Mother!"

They both grabbed for her but missed, and she rode the wind to where their mother had decided to stay for the season.

Summer snarled "That little brat! How did she even find out?!"

Spring sighed "I don't know."

ROTG

The little Spirit burst into the eating hall, where Mother Nature was currently dining. The woman looked at her youngest with fond eyes before noticing the tearmarks on her face.

"Autumn my child, come here. What is the matter?" she asked gently, inviting the brown haired season to sit in her lap. Pippa crawled up and nestled into the woman's embrace, her face downcast and wet from crying so hard.

"Wind was howling today. Howling because Jack...Jack didn't come to play. Wind tugged at him, but he didn't move. Then...Wind saw his face. His eyes were dead."

Mother Nature stood up, her eyes hardening in anger.

"My Winter...is broken?" she whispered. "Who would DARE mess with him that way? It is his season. If Jack cannot perform his duties, then the balance is thrown out of wack." She glanced down at Pippa.

"Who has done this?"

With a great deal of satisfaction, for she loved her brother so very much, the little girl said simply. "Spring and Summer."

Mother Nature grit her teeth, but as always, kept her temper.

"Go to him." She instructed "He may need you, Autumn. Go to Jack, and stay by his side until he becomes himself again."

Pippa smiled and hugged her "Yes Mother!"

As soon as she left, Mother Nature sent the other winds to summon her other two daughters.

There was going to be a reckoning. A harsh one.

ROTG

"Come on Sweet Tooth, eat something." Tooth said softly, holding the spoon to Jack's lips. The boy simply stared at her with his lifeless eyes, and the Tooth Fairy was about to force feed him again,when a small, young voice said tearily

"You have to touch his upper lip with the spoon first. Otherwise he won't eat it."

The Guardians looked and saw Autumn, or Pippa, Jack's sister and the spirit of Fall. The little girl took the spoon and lay it on the upper lip of the boy, and his mouth opened enough so she could pour it in.

"Let him sleep. My brother, broken as he is, should be happier when he sleeps."

Her brave voice fooled no one, and Tooth hugged her tightly. The little season threw her arms around the fairy and unleashed a sob so gutwrenching that it hurt not to join in.

After two hours, it was Bunny's turn to try to get Jack to eat. The Easter Bunny succeeded for three bites, then put down the spoon as Jack lay his head down on the pillow and closed his eyes.

"Look mate." The Pooka whispered "I know you've got the spark in there somewhere. If you are at all interested in finding it again...could ya give us a sign? Anything?"

Jack remained locked away, the grey clouds and limp body looking no more alive than they had been since he was found.

He moved away, beginning to talk with the others, his back towards the winter Spirit.

The form on the bed twitched, and then, ever so slowly, a hand reached for the spoon discarded on the table. No one noticed until the spoon clanked noisily on the floor, the hand falling limply to the side of the bed.

Autumn gave Bunny a giant grin, and said happily,

"He wants to eat!"

At the Guardians' puzzled looks, she huffed and explained like only a child could, complete with the lecture tone in her voice.

"Whenever Jackie got really sick, he would refuse to eat anything. A few bites here and there, but that was it. Once, he was very very sick, so sick that he slept for days. The doctor said that if he wanted to live, he better eat. The next moring, Jack was still asleep, but the bowl of soup by his bed was empty. The next day, he did it again. The fifth day, he woke up and was better than ever. Don't you see? He wants to eat!"

"He wants ta live.." Bunny whispered "It's the sign...the sign that he's willin' to try. Maybe he isn't as broke as he seems."

North sighed as he looked at the figure in the bed, who was shifting to get comfortable.

"I hope so, Bunny...I hope so."