Jack laid the girl down in her bed. While she was fast asleep, Jack still sprinkled some of the sand onto her face. The sand was multiplying as soon as it hit her face. It formed a sand figure, the family dog playing with her and her brother. What a sweet dream. No wonder Sandy likes his job so much. Baby Tooth agreed with this sitting on his shoulder.
He left the house and got ready to fly off. Tooth Fairy was already air born. Two centuries and he still hesitates some times. He hadn't had his wings for long, he had lost them for longer than they were on his back, yet he misses them, to fly independently from the North Wind. It could be worse. He could be an earth bound spirit. An empty existence.
Jack was feeling it again. The shadow when Pitch – and to a weaker extent when his nightmares – are here. He decided to be observant and be on the ground. Walking though the empty, wet and cold streets of Burgess, he weirdly felt at home and at the same time not. Probably because this isn't his home, not if he considers what Toothiana told him.
He 'woke up' at the lake in Burgess. Since then he watched the village became a town and then a city. He felt connected to the lake and by proxy to Burgess itself. He knows other spirits feel attached to locations. But all these spirits had a past life. Moisoi told him about his, so did Katherine, some of the Deathlings and even Sandy to an extend.
But Jack has no past life – not one he remembers – so it makes no sense why he feels attached to this area. At most, because he woke up here. Unless Toothiana is right, he has a life. But why can't he remember it? Maybe for why he is mute.
He wants to talk, he wants to yell at Bunny and Mother Nature, but he can't. He just can't force a tone out of himself. Every time he does it, he hits a mental blockade. If he had a past life, maybe it could act as an explanation to why he always keeps silent. This would be great. Maybe then he knows why Burgess is somewhat important to him.
Only somewhat. If he stays too long in Burgess, he starts to feel Wanderlust, a nice word the Germans invented. Burgess feels homey, but not like home, if that makes sense. It probably doesn't. He tried to talk with Sandy about this once, but the guardian couldn't relate. Katherine claimed she could, but with her Jack never knows if she just acts to make him feel better. Either way, he feels weird about Burgess. But not as weird as without his wings.
More than his memories or the ability to speak, are his wings. He wants his wings back. He adores the wind, but independence is nice. Especially when so many spirits hate you.
Sure. He has friends, but all of them are busy.
Moisoi and the Deathlings bring death – Moisoi by proxy but still - they are always working. Katherine has always stories to tell. Everyone has dreams, someone is always dreaming somewhere. And the handful winters he does get along with, it is more that they tolerate each other than actually liking each other. Sometimes he feels alone. Call it paranoia but he worries the wind abandons him at one point.
The wind decide who is the herald, and when they switch the herald. For all Jack knows, Northern Winds may want to replace him by next week with someone stronger, someone with wings. Not only is Wind's guidance a dependent method of flight, but also very rough. Jack has barely any control where he goes. He just has to hope that the wind agrees with his idea and doesn't decide to drop him or fly elsewhere.
Not to mention he needs to carry that shepherd's staff around. If he doesn't touch it, the winds are unavailable. And he looses control of his powers... he sometimes hates his existence as a spirit.
Walking though the city, he was sure he sensed a Nightmare. He was wrong, he sensed Pitch, the king of nightmares himself, when he walked into an alley.
"I've been waiting for you, Jack.", spoke the king.
'Why?', asked Jack, 'Seriously, why?'
But Pitch ignored his questioning. Instead he threw a tooth box to Jack who caught it. It was empty. "You are an odd case. I've never met a spirit without a past life. The fact none of the containers we stole could be connected to you – I know for a fact we got all – is confusing. Looks like you lack memories like you lack wings. Yet you remind me of someone... Anyway."
Pitch conjured his scythe. The weapon extended to Jack, before turning into a shadow tentacle. It grabbed Baby Tooth. With her in Pitch's hands, the Nightmare King left though the shadows.
Jack looked at the container. He doesn't get it. What does Pitch want from him? Why did he give him the box if it doesn't belong to him? Was it really worth to take Baby Tooth? He stored the meaningless box into his hoodies pouch.
"Happy Easter, Frost.", he heard Pitch whisper. "Before it is over."
Jack's eyes widen. Easter! He needs to return to the warren!
Jack never trusted the North Wind so much. He needed to arrive as soon as he could, as fast as the winds could carry him. Descending from the sky, he was met with silence at the warren. Then he sensed it. Nightmares.
They rushed out of the tunnels, before vanishing again. Looking into them, he saw dozen eggs destroyed. Was this a trap? Was the box a red herring? He should start to ignore Nightmares when he senses them.
"Frost!", he heard Bunny yell, very angrily at that. He had a stare in his eyes, the iris small as if he was wild, ready to rip into Jack. Sandy did tell him Pooka's were fierce – and rather aggressive – warriors. "This is your fault!"
'How is that my fault?'
"As soon as you left, the Nightmares appeared! The nightmares you can sense! You noted them when we were at the Bennett house, you followed it to a t!", stated Bunny, while reaching for his boomerang. "You had been gone for an odd amount of time after you volunteered to bring her back. Again, the Nightmares appeared soon after."
'I ran into Pitch Black-'
"Really? Or did you discuss your trap?"
'You're insane, Bunnymund.', signed Jack. 'I am not working with Pitch. I am helping you against him.'
"But how can you sense the Nightmares?", chimed Toothiana in. She zoomed closer to Jack. "Oh, what is that in your pocket?" Jack took the container out, showing her what it is. Tooth wanted to take it when she noted Baby Tooth is gone. "Jack, where is she?"
"Isn't in clear? He traded with Pitch! The fairy against his memories!" Bunny pulled out his boomerang, but Sandy's whip stopped him, wrapping around the boomerang.
'Jack! Flee! Bunny's crazed!', said Sandy, 'Hide!'
'You believe them?', asked Jack.
'Of course not! Now go!', answered Sandy, pulling so strongly on the weapon, that bunny fell to the ground.
Jack shot into the air, something metallic hit the ground. Northern Wind fully knowing what Sandy wants him to do.
"Wind, to the Antarctica.", he requested. Then he left.
Toothiana looked after him. She saw he dropped the container. While Bunny was lashing out on Sandy, she picked up the container.
"Weird, it is empty.", she stated, "Not connected to Jack. Why did he have it?"
Here he was again. The frozen hell of earth, so cold and unpredictable even winter spirits keep away from it.
Jack could freeze a whole forest. Besides about Sandy, he now understands the girls insults at the Guardians. Arrogant, stuck up, thinking they are better than all the other spirits. He would never work with Pitch! He would not betray Sandy. He is too afraid of Pitch. Maybe it would be better if he doesn't help with Pitch anymore. Even if it means he broke his promise to Sandy. He can't fight that nightmare. The stab was just an adrenaline induced idea. Taking a chance while Pitch was distracted.
Apropos Pitch, the King appeared in front of Jack. Jack was readying his staff to attack. Normally he is afraid of Pitch, but they are in the Antarctica, his turf. The storms and raw winter magic should give Pitch a hard time.
But Pitch wasn't in fighting stance. He just walked in front of Jack. He held another tooth box in one hand. What is with these containers?
"I am sorry, Jackson.", said Pitch to Jack, who was very confused about the words. Then, he felt Pitch's fist knocking him out. On the snowy floor, Jack barely registers what happens, pain paralyzing him. He sees Pitch picking up a tooth he lost and putting it into the box. The tooth box started to glow.
"I knew it! Oh my, Jackson!", said Pitch cheery. He whispered something Jack couldn't understand, as he blacked out. The last thing he felt was Pitch picking him up and being carried into the shadows.
Pitch reappeared with Jack in his arms close to his lair. A Nightmare took the boy from Pitch and carried him into a hole. Pitch looked around to check if someone saw him, then he followed the Nightmare and Jack.
He was, in deed, being watched. Aurelie, Aurora and Sapphire saw this. The girls couldn't believe what they saw. The Pitch Black captured their herald. One they knew was asked to fight the king. This can't be good.
"Aurora, Sapphire, you inform Mother Nature! She won't like that Pitch took one of ours.", said Aurelie. "Try not to mention it is Jack."
"And you?", asked Aurora.
"I tell Aurore.", replied Aurelie. With that, the girls split.
Aurelie closed on the Ice Palace. She was swooping into the entrance and zooming though the corridors. Neither stopping for others nor greeting the other spirits. She didn't stop before she swooped into the throne room, barely bothering to dodge the other winter spirits in the palace.
"Aurelie? Why are you back? Why so fast?", asked her sister. "And where are Sapphire and Aurora?"
"They are fine, Aurore. They are informing Mother Nature.", informed her Aurelie. "Albeit, something did happen!"
"You ditch the titles, when things get serious. What happened? Why alarming Mother Nature?", asked the queen worried. With Pitch active again, they have to be attentive, more than ever.
"We saw Pitch Black! He knocked out Jack Frost and carried him into his lair!", informed her Aurelie.
Queen Aurore was blinking. Frost taken by the Nightmare King? She may not like Frost, but this can't be good. "You do realize Mother Nature-"
"I know she hates him! I told Sapphire and Aurora to not mention it is Jack!", interrupted her Aurelie. "But what if Pitch Black won't take other spirits? Mother Nature needs to know!"
"Right. Wait, didn't he work with the guardians?", chimed Yue in.
"Yes, but I didn't see them... but Pitch looked around, as if he was checking that no one was following him.", said Aurelie.
"Whitaker!", yelled the queen.
"Yes, your highness?", replied Whitaker, appearing besides Yue. He had long, silver hair. His wings were roughen up. Whitaker loves to pick fights, physical fights, that is.
"You and Aurelie will inform the Guardians, in case they don't know. Don't split up. If Black snatches spirits, I don't want you to go alone.", demanded Queen Aurore. "After you informed them, find Aurora and Sapphire. Unless the Guardians need your help for something."
"I doubt these stuck ups accept help.", muttered Aurelie.
Yue chimed in, "Yet they asked Frost for some."
"Now go!", commanded Aurore. "Yue, bring me the twins, they have herald duty now, while they are busy."
"Yes, my queen."
Whitaker and Aurelie took off.
"Work Shop first! Then the Tooth Palace!", said Aurelie while the wind was whistling with her wings. "Then the Warren of the Easter Bunny."
"Where ever that is.", said Whitaker. "I am just happy to leave the Arctic for once in my life."
Started: 5th July 2023
Edited: 2nd September 2023
Finished: 7th July 2023
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