Author's Note: Hi, everyone! I'm finally back with the next chapter of "Autumn Magic." This is more or less the final chapter of this story, although I do want to write a sort of epilogue for Jack and Hiccup, catching up with their relationship a few months in the future. But this can be taken as the conclusion of the fanfiction—a fresh start, if you will. I have to say it's been pretty interesting to come back and finish a fanfiction I left abandoned for so long. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this!
The cheerful chirping of birds filled the air as Jack overlooked the serene lake. The gentle breeze played with his white hair as he enjoyed the peaceful scene. Slowly, the sound of Hiccup's voice calling his name began to fade into earshot. Turning with a hint of confusion, Jack's face lit up with a smile upon seeing the familiar brunette standing beside him.
"Hiccup!" Jack greeted, his eyes reflecting warmth and fondness.
Hiccup, however, wore a frown. "I've been trying to get your attention. You're not even listening."
Jack chuckled, unable to resist teasing him. "You're cute when you're angry."
Blushing but attempting to play it off, Hiccup picked up where he left off. "Anyway, I was explaining how you can tell which tree a leaf came from by its leaves." He gestured to a handful of leaves laid out on the boulder they were both sitting on.
Hiccup enthusiastically gave Jack an example, pointing out two different leaves and explaining the distinctive features of each. Jack listened with a half-hearted interest, more focused on the joy that lit up Hiccup's face as he delved into the topic. Jack's smile and nod were genuine, appreciating the sight of Hiccup so animated, even if the intricacies of leaf identification weren't exactly capturing his attention.
As Hiccup continued his leaf discourse, Jack couldn't help but marvel at Hiccup's passion. While Jack might not be genuinely interested in the subject matter, he listened with half an ear, just in case the autumn spirit decided to test if Jack had been paying attention with a few questions later on.
Despite his best efforts, Jack found his attention waning again, his gaze shifting from the leaves to Hiccup's face. His eyes trailed, stopping at his fellow spirit's lips. He stared for a second, then two, feeling a growing urgency. Jack knew he had to do it. Leaning in, he whispered to Hiccup, his voice almost pleading, asking if it was okay to kiss him.
As Jack spoke, his hand accidentally crushed one of the leaves left on the boulder, a subtle sign of the nervous energy coursing through him. His other hand gently rested on top of Hiccup's, the touch seeking reassurance.
Taken aback for a moment, Hiccup's surprise melted into a soft smile. He looked into Jack's eyes and agreed, "Yeah, Jack. It's okay."
Jack leaned in, his anticipation heightening as he kissed Hiccup. However, the experience was far from what he expected. Instead of the warmth of flesh on flesh, the surge of his heart, and the desire to hold Hiccup close for as long as possible, there was an emptiness. It felt like there was nothing there, a void where a kiss should have ignited a spark.
As he pulled away, Hiccup looked at him, confusion etched across his face. "Jack, is something wrong? Didn't you like the kiss?"
The memory slowly drifted back to Jack—the anger, the recitation of Nightlight's incantation. With a heavy sigh, Jack apologized, confessing, "Hiccup, none of this is real. You're not real. I love you, but I want to kiss the real you, not some dreamed-up impersonation."
With those words, it was as if the world froze in time. The fake Hiccup began to fade away, dissolving as if he had never been standing there in the first place. The dream crumbled, leaving Jack alone with the echo of his own words and a yearning for the reality he so desperately sought.
Standing alone in the void, Jack strained to hear the faint, laboured voices of Toothiana, North, and Bunnymund. Each sound echoed with pain, as if calling out Jack's name took every ounce of energy they possessed. A sharp pain stabbed at Jack's head, and he recoiled, watching as a portal materialized in front of him.
Initially unsure of what he was witnessing, Jack soon realized he was looking through Nightlight's eyes—his own eyes. The scene unfolded before him, Toothiana crawling toward him with outstretched arms. His real body beat into Pitch, the villain's face now unrecognizable. The cry of anger that escaped Jack's lips in the real world echoed in his mind within the dream world. He couldn't help but wonder if such a cursed sound had truly come from his own mouth.
Only when he saw Hiccup's crumpled form lying on the ground, not moving, did it seem as if time itself stopped. The realization hit Jack like a tidal wave—he had caused this. By not acknowledging the darkness in his heart, the suppressed anger and frustration from centuries as both a spirit and guardian, the void of watching his sister grow up without him, the loneliness of being invisible to children for centuries, and the struggle to fully express his feelings for Hiccup—all these bottled-up emotions had spilled over, giving rise to Nightlight.
In a moment of desperation, Jack began to pound on the portal. The surface felt like smooth, cold glass against his skin. At first, his efforts seemed futile, but the more desperate and harder he pounded, the more the portal began to crack. Small scratches formed, followed by larger cracks, until finally, Jack tumbled through the portal as it shattered into pieces.
The faint sound of bells jingling slowly faded in as Jack winced, gradually sitting up. He found himself back in North's office at the North Pole, the familiar surroundings washing over him. As he glanced around, he noticed North at his desk, absorbed in checking his list and seemingly unaware of Jack's awakening. Turning his attention to the fresh snowfall outside the window, he let out a small gasp as he caught sight of his reflection in the glass.
His reflection revealed a subtle but significant change – strands of raven hair were now interwoven with his signature white locks, and his eyes had transformed, one retaining its usual blue hue, while the other took on a dark brown shade, reminiscent of his appearance in his mortal life. Jack traced the outline of his face on the window, still processing the implications of this change when North called out his name, evidently having noticed Jack's reaction.
In response to North's call, Toothiana and Bunnymund, who had been resting on spare chairs in the office, stirred awake. Equally relieved to see Jack conscious, they rose to their feet. Without hesitation, Toothiana enveloped him in a warm hug as soon as her arms could reach him.
Toothiana, overcome with emotion, couldn't help but express her relief loudly, half-shouting and half-crying about how worried they had been for Jack as he slept. Bunnymund, on the other hand, took a different approach and remarked on the change in Jack's appearance, expressing his approval.
"Look at you, mate! I like the new Jack," Bunnymund exclaimed, pointing to Jack's eyes in reference to the transformation. "Seems fuller now."
As Jack absorbed the information about Pitch's retreat upon his collapse after embracing the Nightlight part of himself, followed by a few colourful words from Bunnymund about how Pitch had crawled back into whatever pit he had emerged from to begin with, his thoughts quickly turned to Hiccup. When he inquired about the young spirit's whereabouts, North, resting a supportive hand on Jack's shoulder, informed him that Hiccup had decided to step outside for some fresh air.
"He needed a moment, Jack. He's been through quite a bit," North said with a supportive wink.
Relieved to hear that Hiccup seemed to be physically unharmed, Jack's concern shifted to his well-being after the ordeal with Pitch. Toothiana reassured him, "He seems fine, Jack. Maybe a bit quiet, but I couldn't spot any long-lasting injuries."
Bunnymund, ever the playful one, couldn't resist teasing Jack about his feelings for Hiccup. Toothiana exchanged a glance with North, hinting at the history of love among spirits. Before she could finish her thought, North, with a twinkle in his eye, completed the sentence by acknowledging that the last time two spirits got together, it was him and his wife, Eleanor. Toothiana placed a supportive hand on North's shoulder, and he assured them with a silent "I'm okay" before turning his attention back to Jack.
Bending down to Jack's height, North encouraged him, "Go to Hiccup, Jack. He needs you." Jack, filled with gratitude, responded with a quick promise. With one swift movement, he leaped up from his resting place and hurried to the door.
Before stepping outside, he paused with one hand on the doorknob, turning to address the huddled group of guardians. They still had scratches and bruises from their capture by Pitch, but thankfully didn't have any more permanent injuries that Jack needed to concern himself about—no disfigurements to feel responsible for, he mentally told himself.
"Thank you, all of you," Jack expressed sincerely. "You're like family to me." As he swung the door open and rushed into the snowy air, the guardians shared smiles, with Sandy and Toothiana displaying the biggest grins.
Jack burst out of North's workshop, the crisp Arctic air stinging his cheeks as he ran through the snow. His heart raced with a mixture of anticipation and relief. He half-expected to find Hiccup waiting right outside the front door, but as he glanced down, he noticed fresh footsteps leading around the back of the workshop.
A mischievous grin spread across Jack's face, and a light laugh escaped him. He altered his course, swift and agile, as he followed the tracks. The snow crunched beneath his boots, and his frosty breath mingled with the winter air.
Rounding the corner, Jack spotted Hiccup, who looked up, wide-eyed, as if caught off guard. For a moment, they simply stared at each other, the gravity of recent events hanging in the air.
Jack couldn't contain his amusement any longer. "Let's try this again from the beginning," he said, his voice light but filled with sincerity. "My name's Jack Frost."