Hello everyone! Welcome back :)
Hope you all had a great last few months! Thank you all for coming back and reading. As you should know by now I have no schedule with this story, but I appreciate you all for sticking around and for all the support on this and my other stories, your kind words warm my heart very much. :)
Now I hope you enjoy this chapter! 3/6 Halfway done! (this is personally my favorite chapter)
~MixitupQueen
"Jackson…Jackson my boy wake up." A voice was calling to Jack from the darkness. It was familiar and for a moment Jack wondered if it was his family. But no that wasn't right, It wasn't his mothers loving voice or his sisters playful taunting call.
Slowly Jack forced his eyes open only to be met by a blinding light.
Groaning Jack immediately shut his eyes. It was too bright for this. Not to mention hot.
It was so hot, and why was he wet? Opening his eyes once more Jack saw North, Tooth and Bunny standing over him, concerned and scared.
"What…why am I wet?" Jack finally managed to rasp as he squinted in the sunlight.
"Sorry about zat my boy, we tried to wake you up by dunking you in ze pond." North admitted sheepishly beckoning to Tooths pond which now had small little cubes of ice in it.
"Rude.." Jack muttered. He still wasn't comfortable around water, after learning he had…well drowned. But that was a topic for another day, one that the guardians
Sitting up Jack shook his head. A few strand grains of black sand fell out of his hair and melted into the ground.
"Where's the kid?" Jack asked, looking around. Winter was nowhere to be seen and Jack felt a shiver go down his back. Had Pitch succeeded?
"We had Sandy take her back to Santoff Claussen." Tooth explained softly placing a hand on Jack's shoulder. "You were asleep for a few hours, and due to the nightmares it wasn't very…pleasing to see. We didn't want her to see it."
Jack nodded and forced himself to his knees.
"Okay.." He hoped he didn't say anything terribly embarrassing in his sleep. With the help of North, Jack was hauled to his feet.
Bunny quickly passed Jack his staff and Jack was relieved to see that the enchanted wood was still intact.
"Can..can we go back to Santoff Claussen…please." Jack muttered as Tooth fluttered next to him.
"Of course mate." Bunny said and kicked the ground a few times. Beneath him and North a magical hole appeared, dropping the two of them into the ground with a surprisingly smoothness, and a quick burst of russian cursing.
Sitting down on a rock Jack twirled his staff in his hands. Tooth fluttered next to him and then sat down, her feathers spreading around her.
As the silence stretched on Jack ran a hand down his face. Pitch was back and now had a child to target.
Before Jack or Tooth could speak though the sound of sleigh bells filled the air and North's sleigh raced towards them. With the gruff noises and huffs of the reindeer the sleigh came to a halt and landed in front of them.
Climbing in with the help of Tooth, Jack sprawled across the backseat as the other Guardians sat in the front.
Listening to the wind whistle past them Jack lazily filled the time back to Santoff Claussen by rethinking the nightmare he had been subjected to. Dreams of him stuck underwater, of a girl calling to him only to be replaced by the soul breaking sound of ice shattering and a muffled scream.
Snapping back into reality Jack shook his head. No need to think about what had, or hadn't happened.
As the trio landed in Santoff Claussen Jack could hear the village bundling with activity. Children ran around armed with Ombrics inventions down below as adults shopped for food and goods in the small marketplace. Occasionally Jack could make out the small burst of magic.
As Jack made his way into big root he mused over the idea he had formed on the way over here.
His job was to protect the children of the earth, and he would. Walking upstairs Jack swung his staff over his shoulder before marching into Ombrics quarters. The wizard was deep in thought and sat positioned in the middle of a large globe.
Below the wizard Winter laid sprawled across a plump cushion. Kneeling down Jack shook her shoulder, waking her. Slowly Winter opened her eyes, a small smile forming on her face as she saw Jack.
"Come with me, and be quiet." Jack whispered, placing a finger to his lips. Turning Jack heard the toddler follow after him as he left the wizards room and made his way downstairs. The sun was beginning to set now as they left big root, Winter happily skipping ahead.
Making his way to the outer woods Jack paused as they stood on the outer edge of Santoff Claussen's borders. Heading farther into the deep trees Jack only stopped at a small creek.
Watching as Winter dipped her feet into the water Jack gripped his staff.
"Winter, show me how you did your magic." The girl turned to him in surprise.
"I don't know how.." Winter whispered. Jack nodded slowly, this was going to be a long afternoon if they couldn't even figure out how she did it.
Stepping towards the water Jack tapped the edge of his staff into the water. Upon contact the water froze in place for a few moments before the force of the creek shattered it like glass.
"Try, like that." Jack urged casting a hand to the water. Winter slowly inched forward and squatted down. Dipping her fingertips in the water small bursts of ice appeared but merely were washed away.
Letting out a giddy laugh, Winter turned to Jack in joy. Jack couldn't help but allow a small smile cross his face. It was a start.
"Who was that man earlier at the fairy's house?" Winter asked after a few minutes. Jack froze and hesitated.
"He was scary." Winter said softly under her breath as Jack didn't answer. A slow nod from Jack.
"He is.." Jack agreed. He could clearly remember the fear he'd felt when Pitch had taunted him with his memories. The way he'd had total control over his emotions, his mind.
Jack couldn't imagine what it was like for a child.
"If you see him..don't…" Jack trailed off, he was unsure of what to tell this girl. What could help her if Pitch came back. "Just. Just get away." he finally said.
"How?"
Jack sat down and Winter came over leaning her head against his chest.
Jack had faint memories of him and his sister hiding under a bed during a storm, similar to what Jamie said Sohpie did when guests would come over.
"Hide." An idea formed in Jack's head around this word.
Winter looked up at Jack in surprise as he abruptly stood.
"Can you make snow?" he asked. Winter didn't move but small flurries of snow cascaded around them.
"Good." Winter beamed at Jack's encouragement and the snow grew thicker with the wind picking up.
"Now, make it bigger." Jack said, flinging his arms in the air. "As wild as you can make it, disappear in it." Winter giggled and the snow picked up. Minutes later the trees around them had been coated in a thin layer of snow and frost coated the grass.
Dancing around Winter fell into a giggling, panting mess on the ground.
Walking over Jack helped her to her feet, brushing snow off her clothes.
"Well done. Now just do that if he comes back." Winter nodded, still slightly delirious with laughter before the snow began to fall again.
0o0o0
It was dark and the moon hung above Santoff Claussen by the time they got back. It was just half past midnight and Jack sat in his room watching as the moon shined down. The other guardians had left hours ago and by now even the most persistent of children was in bed.
It was lovely and calm. Or it was until the sound of screaming. Jack out of his gaze. Falling backwards Jack cursed as his staff fell to the side and the temperature dropped. Next to the window a black shadow darted past.
In a frenzy Jack grabbed his staff and ran out of the room only to feel something small and shaking wrap around his legs.
Winter burrowed her face into him sobbing as snow fell around him.
"What happened, are you okay?" Jack asked brushing snow out of his face as he dragged Winter into his room.
Winter just continued to cry inconsolably though. Jack glanced over at the window only to see several more nightmares dart past.
Kneeling down Jack scooped Winter up before plopping her on his bed.
"Here, just stay here okay?" he ordered once the toddler was calm enough to look up at him. "You can make it snow, do whatever you'd like just don't move from here."
Winter hiccuped and nodded, the snow now decreasing in its strength.
Hurrying over to the window Jack threw it open before jumping out. Before he could plummet more than an inch though the wind caught him and shut the window behind him.
Following the nightmares Jack made his way towards Santoff Claussens border. Towards the creek he had been hours ago.
Waving his staff a bolt of ice shot at the nightmares hitting it in the back. The black horse let out a final whiny of anger before it fell to the ground. Looking around Jack couldn't see anymore of the annoying nightmare king's minions.
However someone else did catch his eye. Among the trees a tall woman stood. Her black hair cascading down her back. Her long face tilted upward with a sense of superiority.
Jack froze upon seeing her and the woman smiled at his discomfort. Jack watched as Emily-Jane, mother nature and daughter of Pitch Black stood and walked over to him.
"What are you doing here?" she asked softly. Her voice was sweet and charming, but Jack knew better than to trust her based on that.
"I could ask the same thing." Jack muttered gesturing with his staff to the fallen nightmare next to him.
Emily-Jane waved her hand and sighed. "I had to get your attention somehow, my father had plenty of nightmares to spare."
"What do you want Emily?" Jack tightened his grip on his staff, eyeing the spirit in front of him carefully.
"Be polite Jack, I merely came to tell you about my father." Jack raised an eyebrow at this but didn't interrupt. "Don't you want to know why he wants that little brat you found?"
Jack didn't answer.
"Honestly why you're even watching over her is a mystery to me, to be forced near a whining child who can't even think for itself." Emily muttered but sat down on a rock that seemingly appeared out of nowhere.
"However, I wanted to warn you of something." Her voice was as soft as ever and Jack slowly loosened his grip on is staff.
"Why." Jack muttered as he watched Emily shift in the darkness.
Emily sighed dramatically and waved her hand as if bored.
"I refused to help my father when you," Emily looked scourfully at Jack when she spoke, "became a guardian, he figured I could help him convince you but alas I didn't want to. Now I'm dead to him."
Jack could recall this vaguely. North had warned him about Emily-Jane, often it came down to preference on who she chose to help. She didn't have a sense of loyalty if it didn't benefit her.
"He wants someone on his side." Emily said carefully. "Wants someone to believe in him, even if it's through fear."
Jack didn't answer.
"And." Emily continued slowly. "Why not hurt you in the process. That brat of yours is a perfect choice."
"What." Jack said his voice was icy and barely audible.
He suddenly had the horrible feeling nestled into the pit of his stomach.
"Oh do calm down." Emily said, rolling her eyes. "I'm not here for that brat, I merely don't want my father to win. He will not merely replace me, at least not with ease."
Inching backwards up Jack felt his hoodie brush against a tree.
"Leave. Go back to that child, I'd recommend you do. My father has gotten quite creative in the last year." At this a swirl of mist blinded Jack.
Wiping at his eyes Jack turned in a frenzy scanning the trees but Emily-Jane was now gone.
0o0o0
As fast as the wind would allow him Jack hurried back to Big Root. Barging inside he ran upstairs and to his room. Slamming open the door he paused.
Winter was comfortably nestled in his bed fast asleep. In fact small images shifted danced above her head, a merry dream Sandy had given her.
Letting out a breath Jack didn't know he was holding Jack slowly closed the door behind him and made his way over to the window.
He hoped he could trust Emily tonight.
Emily-Jane is a character from the books and is canonically Pitch's daughter. I highly recommend reading the books if you haven't they're by William Joyce and offer so much for the characters that isn't shown in the movie!
Anyways thank you for reading and I'll see you in the next chapter!