Hey all, thank you for your patience with this story. I promise I have a plan for it's ending. Feel free to leave a comment and let me know how you like it!
The light, which Jack had been following for the last hour, had disappeared in the trees and he was pretty sure he had lost it. He had thought that it had fallen, but once he had landed, he wasn't so sure. The trees were dark, crowding thickly around him and the snow was thick, but there was nothing else to be seen.
He stood on the ground, turning this way and that, his staff in his hand. Had he gone too far or not far enough? He looked up at the sky, searching for the light, but the sky was shrouded in the dark blue blanket of the night, speckled with sparkling stars. The moon was bright, shining down to surround him in a silver light. Squinting, Jack stared up at the moon, wondering if Manny had led him astray. Had he been meaning to take him somewhere else? It had felt so clear that Chaya was at the end of the light, but now he was lost.
Jack frowned, dropping his gaze as he continued walking through the snow. Chaya had to be here somewhere, he wasn't going to give up. Besides, he knew this place. This place was familiar to him. The ground may have been covered in snow and the trees darkened by the night, but Jack could never forget. The slopes, the patterns and clumps of trees. He even knew that there was a pond not far off.
This had been his home.
The little cabin he had grown up in had been here, standing up against every winter storm. His father, his mother and his siblings, they had all lived there with him. This was his home.
Had Manny been trying to show him the past? All the old emotions he had felt back when Manny had discovered him came back to him. Jack had wanted nothing more than to find out what had happened to him and to his family. Everything had depended on it and his duties as a guardian had been forgotten. Just as it had happened and was with Chaya. Jack had seen it coming and now… with all these old memories resurfacing, he realized he could not have stopped Chaya even if he had wanted to. She had been determined, not backing down to find out who she was and why she had been chosen. Manny had picked her for a purpose and she had to know what it was.
Didn't they all?
Jack still didn't know why she had been chosen. Yes, she was immortal and she would live forever. But what could she offer? Pitch was darkness, the Nightmare King, surely Manny would not want that advertised. So what was it? Chaya had been convinced it had something to do with her mother. But her mother was dead. How was she supposed to ask her?
Pitch would now. That was where Chaya was; with Pitch.
Jack picked up his pace. He had to find her! Manny had led him to here; he must have! She was here, he could feel it! The trees were crisscrossing his path and soon Jack took to the sky, looking down into the snowy valleys for whatever he could see. He didn't know why Manny had brought him to such a remote location, had Pitch taken her somewhere? As far as Jack knew, Pitch stuck to the underground, making his home in the darkness of the underworld. Why would he take his daughter up into the world? To Jack's old haunts no less?
The wind was picking up and Jack held up his staff to it, squinting his eyes against swirling snow. The chill of a deep winter was growing, but Jack pushed on. He had to find Chaya!
Presently, Jack came upon the pond. The pond he had fallen into, seen the moon and become Jack Frost. The pond of his birth. Jack shook his head, shaking away the memories. He passed over it, slowly, staring down at the sparkling sheet of ice, his own reflection sweeping over it. It looked so innocent, so friendly, but Jack knew better. He shook his head once again and pushed on. The snow was picking up, biting at his frozen skin. He was not cold, but he knew Chaya would be.
There! There!
Down, between the trees. There was a figure, a shape, strikingly dark against the white of the snow. Jack ducked down, alighting on the snow with a small flurry. He ran forward, skimming over the snow. As he got closer, he made out the shape of the small figure. It was definitely Chaya. She was laying on her side, her arms curled up around her head. In front of her was a tombstone. A dark, crumbling tombstone.
Her mothers. What had happened to her?
Jack knelt in the snow before Chaya, leaning over to catch a glimpse of her face; it was covered by her hair. Setting down his staff, Jack pushed Chaya's hair out of the way. Her face, although pale normally, was deathly white. Her unconscious body was shaking, the chill had not escaped her.
"Chaya, oh Chaya, what happened?"
Jack picked Chaya up in his arms, unwilling to admit that his own cold would only make her shivering worse. Pressing her close, Jack held Chaya to his chest, looking around in the snow in search of anything to indicate how and why Chaya was her. He couldn't see Pitch, nor could he see any hole in which he could have escaped. Had he left her here? Left her to die?
Jack shook his head. He didn't have to debate, Chaya was the only one who could tell him. And at the moment, she needed him more than he needed an explanation. Carefully, Jack picked her up in his arms, her head lulling over his arm. Her dark hair spilled down, nearly touching the snow. Chaya's white face shone in the light of the moon, sparkling of her face as if it was wet. Jack looked closer and realized Chaya's face was stained with tears.
Something had happened, something had changed. Jack turned his head this way and that, wondering what he could do. He couldn't fly with Chaya in his arms and she could not stay out in the cold much longer. Squinting his eyes, Jack looked into the swirling snow. This place… this spot, it was familiar to him. He had been here before and more importantly, he knew why. Stepping forward, Jack picked up his staff and walked forward. He was searching for something, something he knew.
Through the trees, past a small hill, he saw the familiar broken stump, the marker for a small trail he knew well. Gritting his teeth with determination, Jack hefted Chaya up into his arms, holding her head close to his heart. Steadily, he began to trudge through the snow, protecting Chaya from as much wind as he could. He knew that he was not keeping her warm, but if he could just make it to the pathway, there would be shelter not far beyond. Past the stump, down the twisted pathway, was a small shed-like cabin, too small to house any more than one person. It had stood there for years, all the time he had lived in these woods. No one had lived there, not permanently anyway. It had been build purely as a shelter. For a lonely traveller who needed a respite from a storm. Even before he had known about magic, Jack had wondered if some sort of mystical creature had built it. No storm had destroyed, no wind could move it and it had stood for centuries. The last time Jack had seen it was when he had become a Guardian. It had to be there!
Jack stumbled down the pathway, the narrow strip in the snow was hardly a path, but it wrapped around the trees and Jack could keep his footing easily without fear of tree roots. Chaya felt heavy and cold in his arms and Jack willed himself to go faster, past more and more familiar landmarks. A small berry bush, a thin tree with a hollow trunk at the bottom and the tiny pine tree struggling by its side. It was all the same and Jack looked ahead, relief flooding through him.
The cabin stood, as sturdy as ever.
A small light stood in the window, a sign of hope for the weary traveller. The cabin looked poorly constructed, with rotting boards and tilted window shutters, but it was all an illusion. It had stood the test of time and no amount of wind force would destroy it.
Jack picked up his pace and approached the cabin, thanking Manny for his cunningness. It was possible that the man in the moon had had a hand in this place's creation; Jack wouldn't doubt it. Swiftly, Jack unlocked the door with his free hand and burst into the cabin, an instant warmth hitting him in the face. The place, as it always was, filled him with a sense of welcome, as if it had waited for him. Jack shut the door behind him, making sure it was shut against the wind. Adjusting Chaya in his arms, Jack stepped into the tiny space and walked to the back, resting Chaya into the small bunk on the far wall. It was one of three pieces of furniture in the minuscule shack; a small chair and a crude table stood not far off from the bed. After he made sure Chaya was comfortable, even covering her with a thick red blanket laying on the bed, Jack pulled the chair toward the bed. He sat down, suddenly feeling very weary. Chaya was safe, for the moment and he could only wait for her to wake up to hear all that had happened. There was nothing else he could do. Taking a deep breath, Jack leaned back in the chair, resting his head on the wall behind him. He closed his eyes, the warmth of the familiar little cabin making him feel safe, protected and guarded against the world outside. Content, Jack fell asleep, not to stir until Chaya opened her eyes.
The first thing Chaya noticed when she finally came to was the warmth.
It was surprising, yet not unwelcome. The chill of winter had burrowed into her bones and she could not help but shiver. A soft, yellow light met her eyes as she opened them and she blinked, the brightness a little off-putting. Something fuzzy and red tipped the fringes of her vision. Chaya squinted and turned her head to the side. She was inside a small, wooden… shack? She could not quite place the name of the structure, but it was warm and well lit. Sitting up so as to rest on her elbows, Chaya took in the small size of the place; a badly made table off to the side and… and Jack Frost sitting in a chair in front of her! His eyes were closed and he was leaning back against the wall, appearing to be asleep. Chaya blinked again and sat up straight. A red wooden blanket fell off her shoulders and she shivered again.
"Jack?" Her teeth chattered gently.
The Guardian blinked his eyes, shifting in his chair so that his head fell to his the left. Opening his eyes fully, he met Chaya's gaze, a sudden recognition filling them. He jumped up, in a flurry of snowflakes, his pupils dilating in the light as he looked down at her.
"Chaya, you're awake!"
Chaya nodded, rubbing her forehead gently. She was… but when had she fallen asleep? The events of the past few days seemed fuzzy and Chaya squinted her eyes. What had happened? One moment, she had been with her new father in the Underworld and then she had been… ?
Out in the cold, at her mothers grave. Speaking to her mother.
Her mother!
Chaya jumped to her feet, suddenly frantic.
"Where am I?"
Jack approached her slowly, his hands up to his chest. He was aware of how fragile she was and chose to word his repose carefully.
"It's alright, you're safe. This cabin, it's been here for years and years. I know it's protected and you were cold, so I thought-,"
"But where am I? Where did you find me? How did I get here?"
Chaya knew she sounded desperate and frightened, but she couldn't help it. The last thing she remembered before everything had become dark and cold was her mother's soft embrace and her gentle voice telling her that she would see her again. Her mother had left her, in the cold, all alone.
Jack took another step forward. He remembered that his last encounter with Chaya had not ended well and he was cautious.
"You were outside, in the forest. I thought you were asleep, but I think the cold had something to do with it. I don't know how you got there or how long you were there. Manny sent me a falling star and lead me to you. I thought I had lost it, but I found you!" He sounded proud of himself. "I brought you back here, I think it's been an hour or so since I fell asleep. But you're safe, I promise. You're alright, aren't you?"
Chaya shook her head, trying to clear her mind.
"I think so… but it's… fuzzy,"
Jack smiled sympathetically and held out a hand to her.
"Are you sure you're alright?"
Chaya looked down at the offered hand. His fingers were slender and his skin shone like snow. He was holding it out to her. He wasn't lecturing, he wasn't arguing with her and he wasn't expecting her to understand anything. Jack was simply worried about her, wanting to help. Something not many had done for her in the last few days. The memories of her mother fading away from her flooded her mind and Chaya inhaled, sharply, a hitch in her voice.
"I don't know,"
Chaya squeezed her eyes shut, hid her face and burst into tears. Jack, letting his hand drop, reached out to her, wrapping his arms around her back. Forgetting herself, Chaya threw her arms around Jack and cried into his shoulder, clinging to him as hot tears spilled over her cheeks. Jack held her, not entirely sure what to do. He was not warm, so Chaya would move away soon enough, but for now, he did all he could. Gently, he lay a hand on Chaya's hair and let his chin rest on her head, rubbing her back with his other hand. They stood still for several moments. After a while, Chaya started to shiver and she pulled away. Jack let her go, dropping his eyes.
"I'm sorry, I can't keep you warm," His voice was apologetic and Chaya sniffed, taking a step away, wrapping her arms around her waist.
"It's okay. I haven't been overly 'warm' to you either," Her voice was quiet.
Jack looked up, his eyes wary. He was not sure if the subject was still too raw, but he had to know.
"What happened to you?" His voice was hoarse.
Chaya bowed her head, taking a deep breath to steady herself before she looked up to meet Jack's gaze, her golden eyes wavering.
"I met my grandfather, Shadow King, Ruler of the Underworld," Her voice was measured as if the news was nothing surprising. But Jack took a step back, shock hitting him like an arrow.
"You're what?" Incredulous.
Chaya rolled her eyes, slightly irked. Having had time to process all the new revelations, she was frustrated as now she would have to explain. She unfolded her arms and waved them at him.
"King of the Underworld. The Shadow King. You must have heard of him,"
Jack nodded, swallowing loudly.
"Sure, The Shadow King, the King of Death… ,"
Chaya nodded as if it was obvious. She continued, her emotions seemingly forgotten as she explained what all had happened to Jack.
"It was his daughter who Pitch married. Princess of the Underworld. Her name," Chaya choked and brought her hadn't up to her mouth for a moment before continuing. "Her name was Chaya; Pitch named me after her when she died. She died giving birth to me. Pitch took me to see my grandfather so I could know her. I was allowed to see her one last time, the last time anyone living could see her,"
Chaya spoke as if the information was common knowledge, but Jack was confused, his eyebrow arching at her.
"You… Did you see her? Isn't she dead?"
Chaya glared at him, her eyes like shiny glass from the tears.
"Even in death, the Shadow King allows one visitation before a soul is cut off entirely. Pitch allowed me to go… instead of him," Chaya, again, held her hand to her mouth, visibly shaking. Jack melted slightly, laying off his questions and took a step forward. Before he could touch her, Chaya shook off her emotions and continued her story.
"My mother explained to me that I have power. A power she got from her mother and her mother from her mother. She explained it to me, I couldn't have learned it from anyone else. I couldn't have read it in a stupid book!"
Jack smiled sheepishly, standing up straight to rub the back of his neck.
"I'm sorry Chaya,"
Chaya cut him off before he could say more.
"My mother was only given a set amount of time with me. My grandfather sent me to her from the Underworld. That wasn't a falling star you saw, that was me. He moved me by magic. Manny didn't call you,"
Jack frowned.
"Yes, he did. Maybe he didn't send the star, but he told me to follow it. He told me to follow you. You could've died without me!"
Chaya stared at him, not fully understanding.
"You could see the light from the Pole?"
Jack ducked his head, suddenly self-conscious.
"I wasn't at the Pole. I was… at your house,"
"My house?" Chaya sounded confused. Jack nodded, rubbing his neck again.
"Your house. I was looking for your brothers,"
Chaya's eyes widened and gasped. Stepping forward, she grasped at Jack's hands, leaning toward him. Her sudden intensity surprised Jack and he looked down into her hopeful, golden eyes.
"You saw Stoke and Joey? Are they okay? What about Da? Where was Da?"
Jack pulled his hands from hers and lifted them to his chest, staving her questions. She was so excited, the news of her adoptive family cheering her.
"I saw Stoke and Joey. Stoke has been looking for you Chaya, he's worried and so is Joey. I… I didn't see their father. I don't think… I mean… Stoke said it was just him looking, I didn't see your father. But Chaya, wait! That's all I saw, I could've been mistaken!"
Jack had changed his speech as he saw the light in Chaya's eyes die, the colour in her face drained. He reached for her hands again, which had slipped out of his own, desperate to bring the light back.
"They're looking for you Chaya, I know it! I left them a message. I left Stoke a message on his window. I let him know you were alright, that you were safe. He'll see it, I promise!"
Chaya's eyes were dull, her hands frozen before her. Jack's cold fingers wrapped around them. He pushed her back, gently, sitting her down once more on the bed. She didn't react as he sat beside her, leaning around to watch her face. Her mouth was open, her hands still out before her.
"My Da… wasn't looking for me?"
Jack cursed himself, why did he have to mention that? Stoke could've meant anything by that! Jack took her hands again.
"I don't know, Stoke only said he was looking. Maybe it was just for that day. I'm sure he is looking. He loves you, Chaya, you know that!"
Chaya nodded heavily, her face grey.
"Sure… ,"
Jack lay a hand on her shoulder, willing her to understand. She had been through so much in so little time. Her family had changed and her life had changed. She was immortal, she was powerful. She was to be a Guardian! It was a lot to take in; she was coping well with it all.
A new power. Chaya had learned her power!
Jack slipped off the bed, kneeling before her, his hands back on hers.
"Chaya, your power. You're mother told you your power. You can be a Guardian! You're going to be a Guardian!"
Chaya watched his face, her eyes slowly coming back to life. For a moment, she put aside her family problems. She smiled down at him, her face brightening from the gentle curve.
"Yes… I'm going to be a Guardian,"
"What was it, Chaya? What is the power?" Jack was eager, he was curious.
Chaya took his hands, suddenly coming alive again before him. She leaned down to him, excitement in her eyes. Jack smiled, he loved seeing her so happy, it was all he wanted for her.
"What is it, Chaya?"
Chaya smiled more.
"I can take the darkness away,"
Thank you for reading. Cheers