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A Darker Path

Summary:

After losing Easter and the other Guardians lose faith in him, Jack tries to deal with everything that has happened but struggles to come to terms with it. He loses hope himself until he gets an unexpected visitor that seems to be able to claw it all back.

Chapter 1: A Change In Heart

Chapter Text

Somehow there was comfort in pacing, keeping everything moving around him just helped to vent his rage. It was all his fault, first it was the teeth, then it was Sandy, oh Sandy. Jack rubbed the heels of his hands into his eyes and raked his fingers into his hair, trying in vain to pull out handfuls as he gave a muffled scream into his forearms. That still hurt the most, if he hadn’t have set off that alarm in Jamie’s room, the other guardians would still have been awake and they could have helped Sandy sooner, they could have reached him in time before the arrow hit. They could have captured Pitch and all of this would be over already. Jack shook his head and pulled harder against his hair, cursing himself, his thoughts, everything!

His hands dropped suddenly and hit at his belly, his knuckles wrapping against something solid, he winced and cursed at the sting of the impact. A frown creased his forehead and his hands slipped into his hoodie pocket as he felt the capsule for his baby teeth. No. This was the reason they lost Easter, this was why he wasn’t there to help, why they were losing believers by the minute. He pulled the capsule out and looked over it, its ruby case glistening eerily. His hand tightened around it and slowly frost patters started spreading over the cold case while his hand shook and his eyes stung with the prick of tears. He couldn’t hold it back any longer and all the twisted anger at himself and everything that had happened came bulging to the surface like an explosion of fire. Jack pulled his arm back and threw the capsule full force into the ocean, watching it spin until it crashed into the waves and was gone.

It was only in that moment, that cool down from absolute rage that Jack had that terrible sinking feeling, that was his past, his history it might have been the clue to his centre and now it was sinking to the depth of the ocean, never to be seen again! He jumped from the iceberg, guiding the chilled wind to help him to that very spot he saw the capsule land. There was no sign of it, the ripples from its impact were already swallowed by the currents. He made to dive after it, to get it back and try to fix it, fix himself, anything that would be better than alone, without memories and in his own hatred and sorrow. He hit the surface of the water and felt the ice crystals trying to form around him, a cold finger that stretched down towards the ocean floor, far, far below. Naturalists might have called it a brinicle, but to Jack it was his rage and his last hope. He couldn’t follow it though, the ice tried to freeze to his hoodie as it always did but the air trapped within it made it harder and harder to swim down. He tried hard to spot just a glimmer of red, of anything but all Jack could see were more and more brinicles forming and stretching down towards the sea bed. It was useless.

Hours passed of desperately scrambling to find it, a hint of it and the more he searched the more fearful he became, that he would never find out about his past, never work out his centre. Jack eventually had to surrender when the sun set and his light was lost, apparently not even the Man in the Moon wanted to see him that night. Jack was plunged into total darkness and his search ended. He swam back to the surface and let the wind carry him back to the iceberg, looking for a wall to curl up against and cry out what was left of his energy. He landed on the ice and practically dragged his feet to an icy wall before throwing himself against it and curling into a ball, his hand tugging at his hair as he began to weep, how terrible things had gone, it would have been better if he had never been chosen in the first place. Then that was it though, wasn’t it? It wasn’t him that had started all of this.

Jack peered out from his arm, looking to the stars that glittered far above, but the moon was still nowhere in sight. He knew he would be able to hear him though, and the words that hissed from his mouth held a venom to them. “This is all your fault. It was you that chose me then left me.” His hand tightened in his hair, the tug against his scalp stinging him. “None of this would have happened. It’s your fault.”

“You can whisper at him all you want, Frost.” Came a cool voice near his feet, Jack uncurled quickly and leapt to his feet, staff at the ready. “He won’t change anything for you.” Said Pitch Black himself, leaning against the wall Jack had curled against and looking to him calmly, not even acknowledging his staff. “Believe me, others have tried.” He huffed and glanced over to the horizon with a shake of his head, “It’s the children he cares about, not his staff.”

Jack snarled at him and thrust his staff towards him, aiming to send an icy blast at Pitch. The Nightmare King just shifted into the black shadow and vanished, but his voice remained, surrounding Jack and ringing in his ears. “I’m not here to fight you.” Declared that terrifying voice, Jack sent another icy blast, this time in a circle around him but he didn’t seem to have made any impact. Nothing could have quite prepared him for the words that followed. “I’m here to help you.” Jack’s staff lowered in that moment, just drooped while he took in those words. “I didn’t get the chance before, the Guardians would never have let us speak one on one like this, by the time you arrived in my home, I couldn’t tell which side you were on.” Explained the voice, though now it had a source, Pitch once again emerged from the shadows and into the starlight, his hands raised as something of a surrender, but Jack knew he would be a fool to think it was anything of the sort.

“Why would you want to help me?” Jack hissed and raised his staff again, but sent no ice at the Nightmare King, willing to hear him out, after all there was nothing left for him to lose. “We’re not on the same side.” He hissed at him, yet did nothing to stop him when Pitch took an unusually large step towards him.

“Because you and I want the same thing.” Offered Pitch, brow raised and hands still shown in relative surrender. “To be believed in? That’s why you joined with the other four, right? To gain believers?” Jack shook his head, not entirely, he had actually joined them when he found out Tooth had his memories in a box but he didn’t correct him. “You thought if you could join them and keep doing what you have always been doing, you would be believed in?” Pitch shook his own head and gently brought his hand forward just enough to touch the end of Jack’s staff and lower it with gentle fingers. “They held you back from your true potential, what you were doing before, didn’t work. But I can get you what you want. I can get you believers, you and I together. Cold and dark.” Those grey fingers moved again to come to rest on Jack’s shoulder this time, the winter sprite not having the strength or mind to think to step away. “Let me help you. Work with me and together, we can both get what we want.”

Jack’s eyes fell to the floor, looking at the moving shadows around Pitch’s feet that curled in the snow. He swallowed. Could it be true? Could he have simply been doing it wrong this whole time? He had tried so hard to be good, to bring joy to children in his snow and bring comfort in the patterns of his frost. Maybe he wasn’t meant to bring joy, perhaps he and Pitch were alike and meant to be allied, after all he was right, cold and dark did go together so very well. His eyes ventured back up Pitch’s shadowy form back to his eyes. He could see that he was waiting and for all the terror he had inflicted, Jack could see in his eyes an infinite patience, maybe he had been wrong about him too. There was more to him than what the others had told him and with that in mind, with that need to get away from rock bottom and the offer of a patient hand, Jack’s head gave the smallest of nods. Then he watched as a grin spread across Pitch’s features, revealing slightly pointed teeth and what looked like a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

Pitch’s hand reached over Jack’s shoulders and turned him ever so slightly so they were standing the same way. “I won’t let you down, Jack.” He promised just before the shadows snapped up around them and pulled them both away from the iceberg and the glittering stars into the Pitch’s dark lair. Jack had felt a kind of excitement at arriving at Pitch’s lair, but the promise of redemption faded away far quicker than he could have ever imagined. The moment his feet hit the floor again, he could hear the tweets and flapping of all the caged fairies. The chatter came as a joy at first to see him, but he could hear each and every gasp and quiet cry of pain when they saw that he was stood beside Pitch, willingly.

“Pipe down or I’ll turn you into the world’s largest feather duster!” Yelled Pitch, a pointed finger directed at no faire in particular and yet they all fell silent, only a few muffled weeps could be heard in the cavern that was the hall of Pitch’s lair. “I have no idea how she could have coped with so much noise all of the time.” Muttered Pitch under his breath as he moved to push Jack gently towards an arch way. “I’m so glad you agreed to join me Jack, working together we can both get what we want, I’ll take care of you so long as you return the favour. Like a family, right? This is as much your home as it is mine.” He offered and gestured around at the shadowy walls, ignoring a nightmare as it trotted passed, nostrils flaring at Jack and giving it pause to observe him. “Keep moving.” He instructed but it wasn’t at all clear if Pitch meant Jack or the nightmare, yet they both continued on their way regardless.

“I don’t-“ Jack began and frowned as he looked around at the grand hall way, there were no paintings or any real decorations to be seen and yet the hall seemed to scream elegance and grace even when wrapped in shadow. “I don’t think I have ever had a home before.” The words were almost painful to say but yes, he could get used to that word, after three hundred years, just the thought of it brought a smile to his face, finally. Things were already starting to feel better with Pitch and Jack let the guilt of failing to rescue all those faeries slip away from his mind and he let Pitch lead him around this new shadowy home.

“Well, consider it improvement number one, then.” Hummed Pitch while he guided Jack in towards another room where there were black couches, arm chairs and a wealth of books stacked neatly on shelves that lined each and every wall. “We’ll consider number two gaining you believers.” He gave Jack a grin and gestured around the room. “This is the library.” Jack looked up to see the walls of books, smiling to himself a little more at a time as he took it all in. Something caught his eye though, a shadow shifting over some of the books and Jack squinted, gripping his staff a little tighter until he saw it was a small and ghostly looking creature that just slinked away and under a door on the other side of the room. Jack blinked after it and turned to Pitch after a moment. “Don’t worry about that, that’s a fearling.” Explained Pitch with a casual shrug as if it was nothing. Jack didn’t quite know what that meant but since Pitch seemed relaxed about it, he thought it something similar to North and his elves perhaps.

“You have been very kind to me so far.” Jack began as he moved to one of the couches, directed by Pitch who perched himself in one of the arm chairs, blending into it so well that only his steepled hands and grey face were visible. “But you haven’t explained to me what it is, exactly, that you want me to do?” Asked Jack gently but it seemed like a fair question to him, after all this was a lot of kindness from someone who was supposedly evil.

Pitch’s grin emerged again, his teeth looking even more pointed in the dark. “I was wondering when it was you were going to ask me that, straight to business it seems, I thought I would have to wait until the end of the tour.” That almost felt like a tease, “Fear is easy to spread through my dear friends.” A long finger pointed to the hall way where a nightmare stood, peering in at them, nostrils still flaring and just watching Jack, which seemed to please Pitch all the more. “However, when they wake up- that fear can melt away into nothing again. Which is where you come in. You see, I need that fear to last passed sleep. I want them to wake up and feel the cold of winter at their backs.” A toothy grin again lit up in the shadows. “I want them to feel Jack Frost nipping at their nose.”

That actually got a little huff of a laugh from Jack, after hearing that phrase so often and for so long it would be glorious to give it some meaning. To make it not ‘just an expression’. “So how big are we talking here?”

Pitch’s head tilted a little to the side, “As big as you can go.” His cool voice holding something of a question to it there too, just a single note at the end which set Jack on edge, was he missing something? Was Pitch asking for a demonstration? Surely not. Maybe he had some doubt about how capable he actually was in helping him gain believers and Jack seriously considered it, how big could he go, nay would he go to gain believers for himself and for Pitch?

“I’ll have to give it a try, let loose and see what I can do.” Jack shrugged with a little smile. He had failed to impress the guardians, but maybe he could impress Pitch, he didn’t seem to want him to hold back either. He could let out his true potential, give a snow day like no other and maybe get his own holiday.

“Then what are you waiting for?” Pitch asked, though again there was a note in that question that didn’t quite sit right, as if it was less a question and more of an accusation. Pitch wanted results and he wanted them as soon as possible, regardless of how tired Jack actually was apparently. Pitch sighed after a moment and rubbed a hand over his left eye, flicking something away a moment later. “Go with the nightmares as they do their work tonight, unleash your biggest blizzard after the nightmares have done their work. Wake them up with a storm and freeze them inside if you have to.” Pitch nodded towards the door they had come through and Jack, hesitantly turned to see three nightmares passing the one that just stood staring at him from the door. Each seemingly stalking him with flared nostrils and tossing heads. “They’re ready to go.” Pitch warned and as Jack looked back to him he saw his eyebrow hike and knew that he meant for him to leave and get to work at that very moment.

He had tried to be clear with the guardians that he was not ‘hard work and deadlines’ and they didn’t seem to understand that, nor did Pitch apparently but then he supposed he had yet to prove himself and earn the right to kick back and relax. Even though he felt like he had just sat down, Jack forced himself back up to his feet, staff in hand and with a hint of nervousness, nodded to Pitch and then the nightmares. They charged towards him, causing him to cover himself with his arms before they darted through the smallest glimmer of starlight in the far ceiling, he didn’t look twice to Pitch, didn’t pay attention to the fourth mare that whinnied after him as he kicked off the floor and up into the air after the nightmares.

Chapter 2: Team Work

Summary:

Pitch starts to crack the whip hard, nightmares are going out every night and he expects Jack to do the same, to cause discomfort and chaos on a scale that Jack is still only learning about and is yet not ready to do. Pitch in turn demonstrates that there can be no room for disobedience.

Chapter Text

Following the nightmares on their patrol, trying hard to keep up with the impossibly agile sand figures as they hurtled across land and sea with ease, slipping into the shadows of the clouds and vanishing from sight every now and again. Jack kept on their tails with the wind, steering wildly as he did so, dragging the colder air with him as they neared a small village on a coast in a country the frost sprite hadn’t even thought to check. The waves crashing against the rocks of the cliffs below, crashing harder against them as Jack arrived with that wind, unsettling boats in the bay and flooding the beach with a surge of cold water.

The nightmares spread out at lightning speed through the village, not bothering to stick to the shadows any longer. Of course, there was no competition any more, no more of the Sandman’s dreamsand to battle them off. They galloped through the houses, appearing in windows, vanishing into the shadow filled corners of the rooms and appearing in another house entirely, sweeping black sand across the sleeping children. Jack didn’t need to be a guardian of sleep to see that they were being disturbed by the nightmares. Children woke in cries and gasps, sitting bolt up right in their beds, cowering under their blankets or wiping away at tears. He felt his heart sink, sure he had been up for creating the biggest and best snow day ever, but he didn’t want children crying.

Landing on a single roof top while the nightmare slipped inside the open window, Jack looked around at the children stirred from their sleep, too scared to tempt it again, there were no more good dreams to be had, there were no more peaceful sleeps. Perhaps he could help though, maybe he could put a smile on their tired faces again? He pulled the cold air in and watched as it clashed with the clouds above, sure enough it started to snow. Delicate and gentle, dozens of flakes falling and settling on the ground and on windowsills, the salty sea air melting away most at first, but Jack just called down more and more snow, and soon there was too much to melt as the air grew colder.
He laughed to himself when he saw a young boy pressing himself against the window, staring out at the snow around him in some awe and Jack knew he was wishing for the snow to stick, that there might be some reprieve from the sleepless nights, that he could find some comfort or strength in the promise of winter’s wonders.

A snort interrupted him and Jack leaped in fright at the sight of Pitch beside him. “Come on now, Frost, is this really your full potential? Is there only a nip and no bite?” It was said with a cool calm but the sideways look the Nightmare king gave just screamed with threat. Pitch wanted more. Jack had not impressed him yet and he couldn’t let that happen, he couldn’t disappoint again. The frost sprite raised a challenging eyebrow, took his staff in both hands and pointed it to the skies above before pulling it down in a quick plunge. The snow mirrored the movements of his staff and fell heavier, harder, the cold air with it and nearly in an instant, the crashing waves started to freeze on the cliff face. All around icicles formed on wires, roof ends, car wing mirrors, anywhere that could hold them.

Pitch’s gleeful and malicious smile, even if it was just the twitch of one told Jack he had done enough, or so he thought as he looked around. Of course he found it quite beautiful, all the clear ice and the pure white snow. He looked to the windows to see how the children were reacting to his display, only they were nowhere to be seen, their windows fogged over with the chill of the air. Bedroom windows slamming closed all around and causing miniature avalanches on roof tops, snow falling in front of their doors. He had frozen them inside, how could they enjoy the snow from inside? Jack frowned to himself, how would this help him gain believers? He glanced to Pitch and was startled to see he was already being watched. Pitch’s unimpressed expression resurrected with a raised brow and shifted jaw as he nodded in the direction behind Jack. Turing, he could make out the three nightmares already in the far distance, heading on to the next settlement at break neck speed. “There’s more than one village, Frost, or are you only a localised phenomenon?” That tone still didn’t feel right, Jack still couldn’t tell if it was mocking, malice or something else entirely. Pitch wanted him to spread the snow further, then so be it. Jack once again didn’t look back to him before kicking off from the roof and following the nightmares, dragging the cold air and clouds with him.

Pitch stood with his hands behind his back, watching Jack fade into the distance, leaving a path of snow in his wake. Silvered eyes shifted towards the window where the boy had been staring out of in amazement, it was empty now but the Nightmare King had felt that small glimmer of hopefulness towards a happier tomorrow. Jack still had some convincing to do it seemed, there was no room for jobs half done. Pitch himself saw to it that the little glimmer from the child was snuffed out completely with a terrible nightmare of himself and Jack Frost, a promise that tomorrow was going to be dark, dreadful and scary.

Jack was sure he had managed to cover quarter of a continent in snow that night, flying back to Pitch’s lair, the nightmares even slow on their hooves as they trotted back into the shadows. There was no flurry of happy wings to greet him this time though, only the worried and sad faces of the countless fairies trapped in their cages. He was exhausted and just put it upon himself to ignore the quiet murmur of pleas from them as he walked back towards the only room he had been shown and near threw himself at the couch to rest. He didn’t think he had ever covered so much ground in one night before, it was a lot of work and he was sure he was going to need to wait a few nights before he tried that again. He curled on the couch and closed his eyes, sheltering his face with his hand and settling in to the sound of his breathing.

He could hear the quiet sound of sand shifting and the smallest of breathy noises coming from flared nostrils. A nightmare, he should have suspected as much after all there was nothing else protecting sleep and dreams. Daring a glance between his fingers, he saw how close the nightmare was, though she didn’t seem to be spreading her sand, just stood watching him. Frowning, he sat himself up a fraction and looked back to her. “What do you want?” He asked, wondering if it was the same mare as before, they all looked the same to him after all. The mare did nothing but look at him, softly rumbling at him as her ears pricked forward. Jack’s frown only deepened and after a moment, he moved the end of his staff to gently shift her further back. “Whatever it is, leave me alone, I just want to rest.”

“Rest?” Pitch’s voice called at him from the shadowed archway, his tall figure looming towards him slowly and seemed so much more menacing in doing so. “Did that prove too much for you?” Said without any sort of mask it was no question, no invite to express his discomfort. The mare backed off gently and walked out, Pitch didn’t seem to pay her any mind as she did, his focus was dedicated to Jack. “You cover part of a coast in snow and you’re tired? Have I overestimated your potential Frost or were you holding yourself back?”

Jack sat himself up properly, clutching his staff that bit tighter but he couldn’t yet bring himself to look Pitch in the eyes again, he had promised him so much and given him a home, or as much of one he had ever had. It was night one but he sensed he had not met the mark Pitch expected of him. “There is such a thing as too much snow.” He answered, disappointed that Pitch did not seem to understand how important it was to keep a line that should not be crossed, that went from winter to ice age.

“Is that what the guardians told you?” He sighed and then placed himself down on the couch next to Jack, looking over him in an almost convincingly caring sort of way, long grey fingers reaching out to rest on Jack’s shoulder and squeezing him ever so slightly. “All your life you have been unseen, not believed in, just an expression. Whatever it is that’s holding you back, Jack, is the reason you can’t be seen, the reason you are not believed in.” Jack didn’t move nor could he think how to respond to that save heave at his heavy chest. Centuries he had been wandering the earth to no avail. Forever toeing the line between just enough and too much. “Just try it my way, listen to what I suggest and together we can get what we both want. I called you family, Jack and I meant it, I am just looking out for you.” Jack could have sworn he saw the faintest hint of a smile in that expression too and he couldn’t help but mirror it. For once in his life he did have someone who believed in him, and it came in the form of Pitch Black and Jack felt himself compelled to do him proud.

The following night, Pitch sent Jack out with the nightmares again, asking for bigger, stronger and more impressive storms and each night Jack nearly outdid himself. Bringing with him such a cold chill that by the end of the fortnight, the entire continent was covered in a thick and troubling blanket of snow. Steadily, like it was with anything else when it came to practice, Jack could feel himself growing stronger, that he could push himself that little bit further each and every time. The snows fell harder, the icicles grew larger, the frost started to enter homes, woke adults from their slumber sometimes only moments after the nightmares were done with their bidding on the children. If he could affect adults, then surely he was gaining believers somewhere, right?

Despite his enthusiasm and determination, Jack returned to Pitch’s lair each night, landing on the couch in the library and near passing out with exhaustion. Even the scuttling of fearlings or the ever watchful nightmare didn’t disturb his slumber, working with Pitch seemed to bring with it the sort of slumber that he thought only Sandy could have delivered. Though inevitably, each of his sleeps were eventually dictated by reminders of his failure with the guardians, reliving the moment of Sandy’s demise over and over again and shuddering each twilight that he was now working with the very man that had killed him.

When he did rise to get ready for work, Pitch’s orders came in their entirety, the same words repeated each time Jack and the ever-growing band of nightmares were stood ready to go. “Bigger. Colder. More.” The nights became repetitive, his snow storms growing in size for sure but never enough to cause harm, never enough to entrap people in their homes, just enough to feed the uncertainties and worries of adults just the right amount for children to be wary, to carry the fear with them that he had promised to keep in the waking hours. He could see his methods were working, Pitch was growing stronger, though he still dodged the daylight he held no qualms about being out in the full moon, in full view of the oldest guardian, unafraid.

Pitch joined him on the latest trip, revelling in the fear that drowned the community he and Jack visited. As the snows fell, even covering Pitch in a dusting of white, the Nightmare King beckoned him over to an open window and slipped inside. Pulling more of the snow from the heavens in one fell swoop, Jack abandoned his work to follow Pitch, landing on the white dresser of a little girl’s room, Pitch already observing her from the side of her bed.

“I’ve been meaning to show you that all this is being done in equal measure.” He whispered quietly, apparently not wanting to disturb the child just yet. “While you’re out there frosting, my nightmares and I are on the ground repaying you.” It began with enough of a warm tease that Jack’s smile appeared, ‘frosting’ he rather liked that. Slowly Pitch gathered up nightmare sand, enough to form shapes as he let them slip from his fingers. One was clearly the tall menacing figure of Pitch, the other was Jack and a black snowflake. Somewhat amazed by the nightmare sand version of himself, he moved in closer, stepping off the dresser and towards the bed.

Steadily, the figures seemed to laugh and rush about, chasing something though the tiny figures of he and Pitch seemed to be enjoying themselves and Jack couldn’t help but huff out a small laugh, which seemed to please the King all too much as he nearly beamed back at him. He watched them chase and laugh quite happily until he heard the smallest noise of complaint from the girl whose nightmare he was watching. Her face all scrunched up in worry, her hands twitching and legs rustling, she was running. Jack’s smile slid from his face and his heart ached in his chest, she was being chased by Pitch and Jack in her nightmare. Looking back to Pitch who seemed all too happy leaning against the girl’s pillow on his elbows and lightly tapping the figures to make them grow or morph into scarier shapes of themselves, sharpened teeth, claws and the like.

“How will this help them believe in me?” It sounded selfish, he was sure it sounded accusatory too but it was not something he had agreed to. For Pitch to be putting his face next to the horror of his nightmares just seemed so wrong to him. Pitch gave off another of his sighs and his gaze shifted to him once again, that beaming smile already wiped from his features.

“Team work.” He whispered again. “I give them an image just like Sanderson would do for the guardians. I show them how we work, how the world is without their guardians, that there are only two beings left to believe in. Pitch Black-“ He pointed to him, “And Jack Frost. They know your name, they know you’re responsible for the snowdays. Soon, I am sure, they’ll even be able to see you.” Pitch gave the smallest of proud shrugs as he looked on at the sleeping girl. “You are feeling stronger lately, why do you think that is? Do you think it might be because I’m explaining what’s going on? What they’re seeing when they wake each night?”

Jack shook his head, leaning against his staff and thinking that over. It was all he ever wanted, but something in him told him it was the wrong way to go about it. Whatever moment it was that granted him that small expression of doubt, it was sensed by the King and without warning, Pitch stretched across the bed and grabbed Jack by the collar, waking the girl in the meantime and sending her into a screaming panic as she caught sight of what was in her room. Jack barely had time to acknowledge it before he was engulfed in shadows, his staff falling away from him and out of reach.

Darkness. Jack’s eyes took far too long to adjust, his hand feeling out for a sense of where he was. “Pitch?” He called out to his supposed partner, searching desperately for a sense of where he had been taken. His fingers brushed against a cool metal and Jack jumped in surprise, touching it again carefully and wrapping his hand around it. It was roughly the same width as his staff but when he tried to pull it, it stayed solid, stuck to the ground. “Pitch?” He called out again desperately but he had no answer save for the echo of his own voice. His other hand reaching out beyond the pole that he held came into contact with another. Startled, Jack ran his hands along the edges, feeling out as his fingers brushed against bar after bar. He had been caged. Panicked, Jack pulled and tugged at the bars to no avail, calling out into the darkness for Pitch, for help and when hours passed with no promise of escape, when he lost all sense of time. Jack eventually lay himself down and slept.

Chapter 3: Enforcement

Summary:

Jack is forced to confront his failures again as he must decide if he was meant to be a guardian or if he was always meant to side with Pitch.

Chapter Text

Darkness should have been easier to sleep in that most thought it was. Jack was constantly aware of nightmares prowling around unseen in the shadows around him. That familiar flare of nostrils telling him that he was being watched. As he drifted off to sleep, he was very aware that they would keep their distance, waiting for the right time to do their work, waiting for him to be deep enough in a sleep that he would take a long time to wake from their terrors.

It was impossible not to sleep, the silence, the darkness the enormous burden of all that had happened weighing heavily on his shoulders not to mention the sheer exhaustion that came from all of his storms and attempts at pulling down the bars that held him. Inevitably, Jack fell victim to endless nightmares in that darkness. So often reliving being powerless to save the Baby Teeth, the anger of Bunnymund when he had failed to help them in the tunnels, losing Easter and seeing the disappointment and upset in North’s eyes not to mention the sight of the black sand swallowing Sandy, the last wisps of gold vanishing into the cloud. It was like the images were on repeat and even Jack wasn’t sure if it was the nightmares or his own mind that plagued him whenever he rested. Regardless, he was still glad of the chance to rest, his reactions to the painful memories slowly turning from hurt to anger and eventually a numbness an apathy that lingered when one saw something far too often and learned when to look away from the worst parts.

He was sat against the bars, his head tucked into his arms, willing away the sounds and unease that haunted him. A distant shout practically knocked his heart into his throat, Jack’s head nearly smacking against the bars as he looked up. There, high above him was the jingling of bells and the familiar triumphant cheers of North himself! “North!” Jack cried out to him, springing to his feet and unbelievably overjoyed as he made out the shape of that magnificent sleigh. The large man battling away nightmare men by the dozen, fluttering from under him came Toothiana, flying effortlessly between challengers and fighting them with a ferocity Jack could only sigh an admiration for. He didn’t cheer them on though, if they were here they were certainly there to stop Pitch and him from doing their work. He looked around his shadowy surroundings, searching for any means of an escape, he could play peace maker if he had to but he couldn’t just sit in a cage and let them attack each other.

“Looking for another way out?” The accent rang out as its own identification, Bunnymund had arrived and found him. “Isn’t that what you always do? Run away?” The muscular shape appeared just on the other side of the bars, about the only thing Jack could actually see around him but even in the little light provided, it was enough to confirm it was indeed the Easter Bunny.

“I’m not running away. I want to get out to help.” Jack protested before he could stop himself, hands balling into fists and jaw knotting as he looked the oversized rabbit up and down. But all the rabbit did was laugh, hard enough that even his nose and whiskers twitched. He pulled his boomerang from behind his back and held it in both hands, glancing to Jack threateningly.

“But who is it you’re going to help? Pitch Black? Us?” The rabbit leaned in closer, so close that Jack could feel the heat of his breath. “Yourself?” He gave a pause but Jack couldn’t summon up an answer to him, all of them, he wanted to help all of them so that they could work things out, to co-exist. “Easter is lost because of you. The fairies are trapped because of you. Sandy is dead because. Of. You. How much more damage are you going to do before you realise you’re no help to anyone?” Tears stung at Jack’s eyes, Bunny never believed in him, never trusted him and even when Jack was at his weakest and lowest, he didn’t even seek to help him. Jack couldn’t help himself as the feelings bubbled up inside him, a hatred towards the bunny.

Before he could open his mouth to retaliate with all his might, he was interrupted by a loud crashing noise behind him, whatever it was knocking him off his feet and into the bars where Bunny’s arms wrapped around his shoulders and held him tight against them. Jack managed to crane his neck enough to see that North’s sleigh had crashed into the floor of his cage, the lights just enough to illuminate what it was that had happened. The wreck creaked and shifted before the large form of North struggled free, leaning on his sword and looking to Jack not with exhaustion but with anger, something that didn’t at all suit the man.

“You!” He accused and pointed his other hand to Jack. “This was your fault. All of this. We have lost believers, we are losing our powers now because of you. You couldn’t be like us, so you made us like you, no believers, nobody to see us.” Jack struggled against Bunny’s hold and kicked out desperately.

“No, it’s not what I wanted, I didn’t want any of this.” He protested, “Let go of me!” But the hold did not relinquish and North approached ever closer. The fluttering of wings called him to look up as Tooth dived down towards them, anger in her eyes and the same intent he was sure that she had shown the nightmare men above him, her feathers falling out endlessly as she got closer, covering the floor with colourless forms that just seemed to vanish into the shadows.

“This mess, all of this is your doing. Our plans are ruined, now Pitch will be able to rule the world. Are you happy?” She yelled at him, her hands swiping for him but Jack managed to dodge just enough that she caught Bunny instead, earning a crisp swear from the rabbit but nothing else.

Jack felt heat building from deep inside him, an unusual feeling for him but one he could not contain as he yelled, “I don’t know what I want! You never saw any hope for me, you complained about me, called me a nuisance, I was no more in a cage with you than I am now, following you around and staying away from my true potential.” Jack’s outburst was not met with any sort of reaction from the guardians, none that he could pick out anyway, still approaching him, holding him or swiping at him angrily. It was in that panicked chaos that something bright and gold caught Jack’s eye, looking passed the bars and the guardians, he could make out the smallest trail of dreamsand but that was impossible.

Jack jumped awake at the base of his cage, startled and sat bolt upright only to come face to face with a staring mare. That’s all it had been, a nightmare, a horrible, cruel nightmare that he was sure was tailored to him. He waved his hands angrily at the mare’s face. “Shoo, or I’ll turn you into an ice sculpture when I see you next.” He warned, but the mare’s ears only pricked forward and she rumbled at him softly. “Shoo!” He yelled and waved his hands at her again, sure enough, she turned and trotted away back into the darkness. Glad to be alone for once, Jack rubbed over his face and managed to wipe away the tears before they escaped, flicking away the little ball of sand that had gathered in the corner of his left. That had been a terrible nightmare, to see his friends hurt, to hear them blame him for everything, some odd sense of pride slipped in though, in that he had somehow managed to remain as neutral as he believed he could, convinced that if the fight ever were to arise, he could do the same in reality.

Taking his hand from his face and glancing around at the darkness that surrounded him once more, becoming accustomed to not being able to see more than two feet ahead of him and leaning his head back against the bars. With so much darkness, it made other things stand out so much more vividly and as he stared out into the near abyss, there sat within reach was the smallest ball of yellow he thought he might ever see. He frowned and creeped forward to investigate it, plucking it from the floor and bringing it as close to him as he could. Was this the sleepy grit he had just flicked from his eye? Why was it yellow? He remembered seeing the dreamsand in the nightmare, it had been the tell-tale sign to him that what was happening was not real, for how could there be dreamsand if Sanderson was dead? Yet there he was staring at a grain of it. Was he still dreaming maybe? It was impossible to tell in the cage.

He pondered the grain for long hours, slipping it and his hands into his hoodie pocket and trying to keep it as safe as he could given the circumstances. Perhaps it was all that was left of Sandy’s dreamsand, a single grain that just happened to land on Jack in his nightmare. Tears came again, being trapped alone with his thoughts had never been a worry for him until this occasion, the blame and the guilt falling on him so much that he could feel its crushing weight in his chest. Days passed with much the same feeling, nightmare after nightmare chasing him down further away from his belief that he would ever do anything right.

Waking from his latest endurance, Jack gasped but settled himself down again quickly, perhaps this was simply to be the punishment for his failures, he had disappointed the guardians and angered Pitch, his single believer, maybe this fate was fitting. As had become the norm for his comfort and pondering, Jack rubbed the grain of dreamsand between his finger and thumb. It was an odd feeling, without even having to look at it, he felt like it was a part of the Sandman and that in itself was something Jack was sure he would protect and carry with him forever, no matter what happened. That feeling of closeness to the one being that had brought him some comfort over his life, acknowledged his existence and encouraged him when others doubted him. Sandy had been a special being and Jack both hated and understood the reasons why Pitch decided that he had to die rather than just stifle belief in him.

The faint sound of the shifting sand of the nightmares brought his mind back to the situation, no longer bothering to look over his shoulder, nor trying to scare them off. They would come no matter what he tried and over the days that had passed, he had learned to accept them as a presence he would have to get used to. He didn’t even need to look to know that one of the mares was staring at him again, rumbling to him softly. It felt eerie, unreal that such a beast could make such a soft noise between the flaring of nostrils and the high-pitched neighs that came from them normally. “I’m still awake. Go away and come back when you can actually do your job.” He said into the darkness bitterly.

“My, my, you think you can dictate how it is my nightmares can do their jobs now?” Pitch’s silky voice slipped from the shadows of Jack’s cage and in an instant he was on his feet, hands out of his hoodie and fingers spread, thinking hard on how he might defend himself from an attack, the nightmare that had been preying on him trotting away once again. “They know what it is I expect them to do.” He sneered, still hidden in the darkness around him. How many times might the king have been there, watching him without Jack knowing? “You on the other hand, needed a little more convincing.” His tone held notes of disappointment and despite himself, Jack felt a pang of guilt that he had failed Pitch.

“I was working for you, I was doing as you asked.” Jack replied but his own voice held no resentment, no bite nor accusation. “I just didn’t like the idea of my image causing children to be—” He couldn’t say fearful, that was the whole point was it not? “Waking from sleep and picturing me as part of the blame.”

Pitch sighed softly and finally his tall grey form materialised out of one of the dark corners. “How to make you understand, Jack.” Long fingers rubbed at the king’s temple, “You can create storms and snow flurries to your heart’s content but can you create sweltering summer days? I wouldn’t think so.” What was his point? Jack frowned in thought but made no effort to interrupt, wanting to hear Pitch out. “The same applies to me, I can no more create happy dreams and peaceful nights than Sanderson would create nightmares.” The sentence flew from him with such ease that Jack was convinced that he had likely used it before on someone else. “I am the Nightmare King, Jack, I specialise in nightmares and terrors. My centre is fear and that’s what my work is based upon. In putting your image in my work, explaining what the snow is and who brought it, I am doing all I can to gain you believers.”

Jack watched him for a moment after that, thoughts flying through his head as he considered that sentence. It had to be true, Pitch couldn’t exactly send good dreams of Jack playing with children in the snow. It made sense and Jack felt foolish for ever doubting Pitch, he had called him family and while he had never intended to cause him insult in his moment of uncertainty, he could understand why he had lashed out as he had. It didn’t explain the nightmares being set on him though and Jack remembered that with some considerable discomfort that Pitch had sought to punish him in ways no other would even know how to. Was he his partner or another of his minions? “You sent me nightmares.” He said quietly, his blue eyes settled on Pitch and the hurt feelings he had once held around the guardians now surfaced around Pitch.

“Ah, yes.” Pitch agreed, taking a small swoop forwards and not giving Jack the option to back away from him before putting his hand on his shoulder, “I had to make you understand what it was I could see and you couldn’t. You proved to already knew though, that the guardians were maybe even purposefully standing in your way. Locking you in their own version of a cage without you even being aware of it at the time. They were not your friends Jack, and while it seems cruel to you now, in my attempts of showing you what it was they were really like, it was meant to and will free you from your reserves and feeling that you might under any circumstances be betraying them by siding with who it was you were always meant to stand with.” He smiled and put his hand to his own chest while his eyes read him seriously.

“Sandy-“ There was a moment where Jack wished to ask about the reasons for including the reminder of Sandy in the nightmares, why it was he thought to include something that would teach him nothing but how guilty he should have felt in his own failure, but he stopped himself, what was the point in arguing about it now anyway? It was nothing he could change after all.

Still, Pitch sneered at the mention of the Sandman and glared at Jack, “Sanderson could have sent happy dreams of you to the countless children just as easily as I can send nightmares and yet he didn’t. He was no angel, he might have seemed like a puffy marshmallow to you, but I saw him do some unspeakable things in his time, cruel, merciless.” Pitch snarled, his teeth bared and his breathing that fraction heavier as his hands balled into fists. It was clear that Pitch did not like Sandy and his fair points that Sandy could have sent dreams of him to children centuries ago made him think that perhaps he did not know the little guardian as well as he thought he did, who was he to argue with what Pitch seemed to know about him? Jack stayed silent and bowed his head in sadness and shame. Pitch had truly been the only one to look out for him and try to help him gain believers.

“I’m sorry.” He said quietly, looking back up to the tall figure. “I’m sorry for ever doubting you, for disappointing you. I should have trusted you like you trust me and I will from now on.” Jack panted as tears stung at his eyes once again, looking to Pitch to show his sincerity as the king peered down at him, a sceptical brow raised and hands once again tucked neatly behind his back. “I’ll prove my worth to you. I’ll bring in a blizzard so strong that the fear of it lasts for months and the fear of it happening again lasts for decades.” It blurted out before he could stop it, but there it was and Jack got what he was looking for, Pitch smiled, pleased at that promise.

In an instant, the bars fell away to nothing and Jack found himself in the library once again, breathing in what felt like freedom from the claustrophobic cage and so very relieved to be out of there. Pitch approached him with his staff and held it out for him to take respectfully, “That’s all I could have hoped for, Jack. I’ve been busy in your absence.” He nodded to the heard of nearly fifty strong nightmares behind Jack. “Enjoy it out there.” He told him and with a little click of his tongue, the heard galloped passed them and up to the hole in the roof, Jack kicking from the ground and following them.

Chapter 4: The Perfect Storm

Summary:

Jack creates his biggest and most daring snowstorm yet, verging on creating atmospheric chaos when he is confronted with yet another dilemma.

Chapter Text

The flight felt incredibly freeing, Jack was so glad to be out of the cage and the darkness that he near danced with his staff as he flew on the wind, laughing and smiling as the element seemed to rejoice in his return too, resembling much of his former self in that moment. The black cloud of nightmares below him shifted and followed him wherever it was they were going, trying this time to use the wind to carry them with him so that they could get to work sooner. Jack knew that he really had to pull it out of the bag with this storm, that he really had to impress Pitch and while he was many miles away from any civilisation, from any territory once protected by the guardians, he started to gather up the air, the clouds and their rain, dragging it all with him and the nightmares towards their next target, a midland city.

Eventually, Jack’s gathering of air was so large that it was slowing him down, he released the nightmares, knowing his work began after theirs was finished. They hit the ground galloping and tossing their heads ferociously, their hooves silent on the ground but their screeching whinnies filling the wind with a terrifying promise, creating a howl unlike anything Jack had heard before. Above him, Jack could see the smallest glimmer of a new moon being covered by the mass of cloud he was dragging behind him, he smiled to himself, wondering if the Man in the Moon was learning what it was like to be ignored and without answers for so long.

The more air he gathered, the colder the breeze became and by the time he reached the city, the very breath of winter was carried with him with a sharp icy chill that even the frost sprite could feel scratching in his lungs. He thrust his staff forward and the clouds overtook him, all the air he had gathered hurtling passed him at merciless speeds. Far above clashes of lightning illuminated his miles high masterpiece and snow fell, carried at break neck speed on the freezing air. It hit the trees first, the force of its arrival knocking branches from their seats, uprooting even the biggest looking tree and burying it in minutes. This was to be his finest work yet, he could tell Pitch had continued to send his image in his nightmares, that despite what had happened, Pitch had upheld his part of the bargain and Jack was stronger than he thought he may ever have been. He could only smile to himself for it as he watched the polar worthy chaos descend on the city.

Landing in a field not so far out, Jack leaned on his staff to watch as the lights of the houses and tower blocks went out, building by building, street by street as the cold took away all light and warmth, plunging the entire area into the darkness he had become so accustomed to. The blizzard so cruel and biting that even the most robust looking building took a battering so fierce that its walls and windows seemed to be cracking and creaking under the additional weight of the relentless snow. The nightmares scuttling on ahead and the mass of seemingly endless cloud trailed behind them.

Looking at what he could do, what he had created and that it had all come from Pitch believing in him he grew angry at himself and the others, how dare he hold himself back from what he was truly capable of. The sort of power that he held dictated so much of the other’s work, what tooth fairy could fly in this? What sleigh could withstand this storm without falling apart? What eggs could find hiding places under such a blanket without being lost for months? What dreams could find their way through the streams of white? They hadn’t wanted him to reach his true strength, he could get in the way of each of their duties, they would be at his mercy. Jack wiped away a frozen tear with his sleeve, sniffing to himself. They had their chance for his mercy.

The snow kept falling and the wind kept howling, Jack stood watching the chaos unfold, his hoodie flapping in the wind, nearly white for the ice that plastered itself to him. Admiring his own work and wondering about what his true centre might actually be, it couldn’t be fear, that belonged to Pitch, what else might it be? Struggle? No, he didn’t much like that. Could his centre not simply be cold?

“Hey!” Cried a voice on the wind. Jack frowned and looked around carefully, who could be out in his biggest storm yet? “Hey!” It came again, still muffled by the wind but enough that Jack could sense it was coming from his left. There, he could see a couple of people one of them young, pre-teen maybe and wrapped in several layers that perhaps made them seem bigger than they truly were. Beside them was an adult, tugging at their hand and trying to lead them towards the city. “We need help!” The voice cried again, their free hand cupping around their mouth to help protect their words form the wind. Funny. He was sure they were looking at him. Jack turned his head to see if there were more people behind him that they could have been calling out to, but he saw no one. “Please!” They begged to the back of his head, Jack turned again and decided to check it out for himself, hopping on the wind to carry him closer. The child seemingly watched him as he went and startling enough to fall backwards into the snow when Jack landed in front of her.

He leaned over her to examine why she might have fallen, perhaps the wind he had used to carry himself was stronger than he thought? Mind, the gales around them should have been strong enough to knock her off her feet anyway. He looked to her face and leapt back himself when he saw her looking to him in return. He landed sat in the snow and stared at her as the adult pulled her back up to her feet, her free arm pointing back to Jack as she was dragged along. “It’s not far now, we’ll be there in no time, they’ll have a fire going and warm food. We’ll be fine.” Came a muffled assurance from the girl’s father.

After a moment to process all that had just happened, Jack got up from his snowy seat and chased after them carefully, the girl screaming when she caught sight of him doing so. “Jack Frost is coming!” She yelled and in an instant, as if it was a command. Jack stopped in his tracks. She could see him! She knew who he was! He gasped out a noise of surprise, after centuries of trying to be seen, after trying all he could to be loved, it took fear and desperation to finally have someone see him, perhaps it meant that the little girl could see him for what he truly was. The father pulled at the girl’s arm again and lead her on through the blizzard. Meanwhile, Jack leapt into the air, hollering up his excitement and hurtling towards the cloud to tare through it in the hopes of causing more snow to fall, smiling and laughing to himself. At last! Someone could see him! He was believed in and now he had proof.

He wanted to know the girl’s name, to remember her as his first human believer, the first ever human to see him and recognise him! He angled his body again and let himself dive back towards the ground, bringing more snow with him as he searched for his first believer. He spotted her but something was wrong, her father had vanished. Concerned and more than a bit confused, Jack landed beside her and shrugged off her startled gasp as she fell back into the snow once again, he moved to pull her from the ground before she was buried in snow, grabbing her arm and standing her up on her feet again. “What’s your-“

He didn’t get a chance to ask her before he felt a pair of little hands shove hard against his stomach. Jack, a little winded by this sudden attack looked to the girl accusingly. Her face was streaked with white, her eyelashes heavy and her face bright red. She had been crying, they were frozen tears on her little face. The reality hit Jack harder than any nightmare that had come for him in his sleep and he raised a hand in an attempt to show that he meant her no harm.

“It’s okay. I’m a friend.” He explained, part in a yell so that she could hear him over the wind. “Where’s your father?” Asked carefully as he looked around to see if he could see the adult. He couldn’t leave the child out in the cold all alone, the situation was much more serious than just fear. The girl cried even more, further tears sticking to her cheeks, frozen in place before they could fall from her chin. “It’s okay.” Jack repeated and held out his hand for her to take, mindful that she was still somewhat afraid of him. “I’m going to help you find him. I promise, everything is going to be alright.” He gave her a little smile and after a moment of looking at his hand, at the endless white around her and then to Jack’s smiling face, the girl eventually took his hand and held him tight. He gasped at the touch, so used to people going through him that to have a physical form strong enough to hold just the girl’s hand earned its own smile and amazement.

Jack gave her another smile and her hand a small squeeze, glad that she had trusted him, he was suddenly feeling rather protective of his first believer and he pulled her in closer to him as he scanned the area for her father. His own storm so relentless that he was struggling to even make out the city any more. He squinted through what he could see, walking with her a few paces at a time to see if there was any sign of tracks, listening out for calls on the wind of where he might be and realising that his storm could very well have hurt the girl’s father, or worse. He swallowed, this had been something he was not at all prepared for, not at all willing to do and he cursed himself as he fought with his promises to Pitch and his morals regarding the lives of children and indeed any other human.

Reluctantly, Jack raised his staff and banged it to the snowy floor. In an instant, everything stopped! The snow barely falling around them, the howling wind fading out to nothing. Complete stillness descended and the black cloud above halted and began breaking up under its own unnatural weight, the little moonlight there was managing to break through enough to light up the snow-covered land. Ignoring the moon’s glare, Jack held the girl in a little closer and tried once again to scan the surroundings for the adult, feeling her hugging at his waist, her warm hold completely foreign to him, his own reaction completely unsure but it felt nice! So this had been what he was missing out on for so long? He looked down to her but she did not look to him, knowing that she was too busy looking on to a white canvas with no sign of anyone else anywhere nearby.

As if summoned by the silence, a large arm popped out of the snow a few meters away, the girl released Jack’s waist and clambered through the deep snow to get to the flailing arm, which landed itself to the side as a head and torso appeared, frosted goggles peering out just in time to see the child running towards him and catch her in his arms as he cried his relief and upset, holding her in close and cuddling her tight. Jack watched on, realising how close he might have come to being put on that ‘merciless’ list of beings. He too breathed out a sigh of relief, that was not how he wanted his first ever human believer to have remembered him, at least now it seemed it would be a happier memory than what could have been.

He didn’t wait around, he didn’t want to face the accusations of the girl that he had nearly killed her father, he wanted such a memory to have a happy ending. Anyway, it was not his job to interfere further, the girl and her father would have to deal with the snow on their own, though it had sounded like her father had a plan. Jack took off with the wind and made to follow the path of his snowstorm, looking for the nightmares as the wind carried him. Through all that fear in thinking he had caused the death of someone, Jack remembered that the little girl had seen him, had held onto him and was now thoroughly convinced that cold and dark truly were meant to work together, that he and Pitch would make the perfect team. Jack could always stop him from going too far and he was sure Pitch could do the same to him.

He caught up with the nightmares and the remnants of his storm, many miles away, giving an extra gust of wind to make it seem like he had simply been bringing up the tail end of the clouds rather than dispersing the storm altogether. Dawn was approaching quickly and Jack got close enough to the nightmaresand to point it out to the lead mare, who turned the herd just enough so they could head back along a different path and get home faster, Jack flying beside them and still grinning to himself, he couldn’t wait to tell Pitch of his first believer, but he wondered what parts he should tell in full and which he should keep to himself. He was sure Pitch didn’t want to take lives, if he did then he would be losing a source of fear, right? Maybe he would appreciate that Jack had saved the father and the girl, they would certainly be much more scared of the snow now, maybe even scared of the dark. They were considerations he knew he would have to decide upon before he got back home. Perhaps his large storm was impressive enough to earn him somewhere nicer to rest than the library or the cage. With a hopeful heart and still baring that excitement, Jack and the nightmares continued down into the dark lair of the Nightmare King and that of Jack Frost too.

Chapter 5: Honesty

Summary:

Jack returns to tell Pitch about his believer and what happened in the storm, but he begins to understand the true gravity of the situation he has got himself into.

Chapter Text

Used to the quiet murmurs and upset sniffling of the caged fairies by now, Jack just marched passed them and towards the library with the nightmares whose gallops had slowed to a tired walk as they headed into the shadows of the liar, Jack wandered if it was to rest or to just turn into piles of sand, something of a mini mystery he was far too preoccupied to try and find out in that instant, instead heading into the library and that couch he had so dearly missed in the cage.

When he walked under the arch way, he saw Pitch conversing with himself in the shadow filled room. He had never seen the library shrouded in such darkness before, but there were little white lights everywhere too, though there didn’t seem to be a uniform, Jack only smiled to himself, the whole room looked like space, as if the stars were surrounding Pitch. The Nightmare King sensed his presence and turned to face him, beaming at him as he gestured to him happily, “There’s the man of the hour!” He nearly cheered, though the silkiness of his voice allowed only for a slightly more jubilant tone to that of his usual glacial sharpness.

Jack rubbed at the back of his neck and smiled as he looked to the shadow filled floor, admiring two of the smaller white lights and going a little coy as Pitch approached him smiling. His long grey fingers landing on his shoulders and his back a little bent to lean in close, just smiling to him and for once, Jack saw no malice, no discontent for him in that look and couldn’t help but mirror the smile. Pitch was happy! He had done well! He pulled Jack in a little further into the starry room and lead him towards the seat of his couch, the darkness shifting enough for him to see where it was he was to sit.

“I don’t know how much you can feel, but every drop of fear feels ten times more luxurious after tonight. That was quite the storm you managed to gather.” Pitch made no effort to sit down himself, standing in front of Jack with his hands behind his back and yes, still beaming at him. “Adults and children, animals even, Jack! It’s incredible, I haven’t felt this strong in so long, long enough that even you weren’t around to see it.”

Jack let out a pleased little huff, hearing praise like that felt like such a rare thing and he was only annoyed at himself when he felt water gathering against his eyelids. He wiped his face with the edge of his sleeve and smiled to Pitch all the more. “It’s a good night for both of us then.” He said happily, watching as Pitch’s head titled to the side slightly but was so glad and encouraged when that smile remained. “I was seen!” Jack exclaimed, his hands waving out a little into the shadow around him, still in some disbelief himself.

Pitch’s smile only grew and his hand gestured towards him, unmistakable pride on his features as he himself exclaimed, “I told you it wouldn’t be long! I told you! I doubt there will be a single child on this planet that won’t believe in Jack Frost by the end of the month.” Pitch shifted in the darkness, a few of the stars drifting away from him softly as he walked deeper into the room, his finger on his chin and a smile over his shoulder. “Tell me about it? What happened?”

Oh, Jack had been waiting for that invite and he leaned forward in his seat as he began his tale. “I dragged up as much snow and cold air as I could, enough that by the time the nightmares had arrived, the ground was already freezing, windows already frosting, the works.” Pitch’s interest earned Jack a pair of folded arms and several nods for him to continue. “I threw it at the city and landed in a field to watch it all take effect, I swear that even I have never seen so much snow flying nearly horizontally the wind was so strong, knocking down trees, cracking glass, the works.” Jack shrugged as if it was nothing but he was rather proud of himself. “While I was stood watching, I heard someone crying out for attention. I looked and there was a girl and her father trying to make it through my storm, walking out in the middle of nowhere in everything I was throwing at the land around them. At first I didn’t think she was talking to me and I tried to see if there were others behind me but as it turns out, she could make me out in the blizzard and thought I was a human.” Jack laughed and he was sure he heard one of Pitch’s low chuckles. “So I go over there, land beside her and she falls over in fright, her father picking her out of the snow as she yells at him that Jack Frost is coming!” He smiled and chuckled to himself, rubbing at the back of his neck again, he was sorry he had startled her but he was glad he had managed to help her in the end, in his own way he didn’t get the chance to elaborate though, Pitch must have thought it was the end of the story.

“Brilliant!” Grey hands clapped together, but there wasn’t the usual echo filling the room that such a noise might have made, Jack looked around a little but didn’t think much of it, vaguely aware that the stars seemed to twinkle or flash every now and again, thinking it a nice and simple touch, there was beauty in darkness, he had come to understand that. It was easier to spot the brightest of things in the dark after all. Then he remembered the grain of dreamsand and slipped his hand into his hoodie pocket to search for it with little hope, he had used a great deal of wind, his hoodie had been flapping about for hours. He felt around the lining, across the frosty texture that lingered about him always but found no grain. Jack let out a soft sigh, it was no matter, it was of the past, of the old guardians and of one he had barely known, so what if it was lost? He had known it would eventually vanish as all dreamsand tended to do.

Pitch regarded him at his rummaging, brow raised but smile still on his face, “Lose something?” He checked with what seemed like some real concern mixed in there. Finally. Jack thought to himself, someone actually cared about him, that Pitch could sense that he had lost something from just looking at him. Jack let out a light laugh and shook his head, “Nothing important, old and useless now I suppose and likely long gone in that storm.” He saw Pitch’s gaze stick on him and offered up the answer he wanted. “It was a grain of dreamsand.” He shrugged and looked to Pitch as his smile faded. Jack became aware of a murmur in the room, as if dozens of people were whispering all at once, no sense to be made of their words but enough that proved he and Pitch were not the only beings in the room. “I—I didn’t think it was important, it’s gone now though, probably swallowed by either the ice or one of the nightmares, right?”

Pitch’s smile did not return, his hand pressing against his forehead and a frown creasing around his palm, clearly disturbed by it as Jack looked on. “Gone now, scattered to the wind. A single grain.” Silvered eyes glanced at Jack, but there was no anger in them, not fully understanding what had happened, Jack could only look puzzled, was he supposed to have given it to Pitch? The king must have recognised the look and he let out a soft sigh too. “Sanderson’s dreamsand was a relic of the Golden Age, falling into the wrong hands and in the right combination, it could help to do a great deal of damage to everything we have been working towards.” Pitch let out a small laugh, “I’ve been trying to find the Island of Sleepy Sands, but we’ve had no luck yet. I’m not sure if it would have disintegrated with Sanderson or not, hence my concern for the grain, it might have been carried by the wind by accident.” Pitch gave his own shrug but his was of a less happier nature. “It’s no matter though, soon I’ll be strong enough to eliminate all chances of the relics being united.”

This was all a little over Jack’s head. Golden Age? Relics? What on earth was he talking about? All he thought he should do was nod and smile when Pitch seemed to overcome his concern and upset at the loss of the dreamsand grain. “If I find any more, I’ll keep it and note where I have been pulling the winds from, just in case.” It was a sensible offer and Pitch seemed to approve, though Jack was being careful, trying to spot where that murmuring had come from before.

“Thank you, Jack, it will be important if there is more floating about somewhere.” It wasn’t a demand or an order, but a seemingly genuine comment from a peer, Jack felt himself relax, he could get used to that. “You must be exhausted from that storm though, I would imagine that your back will thank you if you slept in a proper bed for once.” It almost sounded like a tease, but Pitch beckoned for him to follow him. Jack stood up and made to do so, stealing one last look around the starry room to try and figure out who else was in there.

“Hey, Pitch?” He asked and caught the other man looking over his shoulder curiously, “What’s with the stars?” It was said cheerily but he hoped in either disbanding them or explaining, it might reveal the other visitor. Pitch frown at him in response but again it was not anger or upset more confusion.

“Stars?” He asked in return and glanced around the room himself, his brow rising again as he did so and a small crack of another type of smile appeared on his face, “No, there are no stars here, Jack. No place for starlight in my home. Maybe you should take a look again.”

That filled him with a sense of unease but he did as Pitch suggested, looking to the stars in the room, seeing them twinkle and flash--- no. They weren’t flashing, they were blinking! Jack jumped where he stood, all of the white orbs were in pairs, all of them were set staring at him. The room was filled with nightmare men, there must have been over a hundred of them just stood there listening to them talking. He had never seen so many of them, not even in the nightmares had he considered that there could ever be so many of them in one place all at once that they actually were the shadows of a room. He shuddered, he had been sat between them, had even seen them move to make a space for him on the couch. His stomach twisted and bubbled, his heart pounding in his chest. Pitch had an army of them, he had nightmares, himself and Jack as well. Just how unbalanced had he made this fight? He looked back up to Pitch who gave him another of his smiles and laid a hand on his shoulder.

“I’m sure they would be flattered that you thought of them as stars though.” He said, loud enough to cause several more bouts of murmuring from the room and Jack shifted in the direction Pitch had originally indicated they were going, wanting out of that room as soon as possible, he had been surrounded and he had no idea. Pitch followed him, not relinquishing his shoulder as he did, patting at it lightly but Jack knew he was likely drinking in his fear and discomfort as he did to everyone and everything else. “Don’t worry, they’re nightmare men, more intelligent than the nightmares, they tend to do their own bidding but they won’t bother you, I promise you that.” That almost sounded as if he was trying to comfort him. As they rounded through another archway and down into a shadowy corridor, Jack heaved a sigh of relief.

Pitch only chuckled a little more and patted at his shoulder just the once before letting him go, “I assumed you had seen them, had I known you didn’t know they were there, I would have informed you, it won’t happen again, you’ll be aware of them in the future too.” He promised Jack and began to lead him down the corridor and towards a room with a door. “It’s about time you had your own room, I’ve been working on it for a few days, I hope you like it.” With a small breath to himself, Pitch opened the door and allowed Jack to enter first.

Almost as if he had been doing so instinctively for decades, Jack checked around for any sign of white eyes in the shadows but luckily came across none and he allowed his eyes to move around the room with a little less focused searching. In it was a bed with faux fur blankets, black, naturally. A spiked but infinitely elegant chandelier that had a few mismatched candles stuck on spires, lit already for his convenience. A small rounded window into the world beyond which touched him the most. He knew Pitch didn’t like any sort of sunlight in his lair, so to have put in a window, even a small one was a genuine gesture to make him comfortable beyond the regular black decor. There was a solid looking dressing table, a faux fur rug and a bookshelf filled with books Jack was sure were about winter storms and other icy topics that he would appreciate.

“Do you like it?” Pitch for the first time ever, sounded unsure of himself and Jack wiped at his face again, the fear and sickness he felt about the nightmare men slipping away from him in that moment so he could look to Pitch properly. Welling up before he strode forward and went to hug him in thanks, of course rather new to the whole hugging thing, Jack wasn’t paying all that much attention when Pitch tensed and tried to back out of his reach but turned out to be too slow and caught his arms to his side in that hug. Letting off a stiff noise of discomfort and wriggling in that hold until he accepted that it was fruitless and just went half limp instead and ended up waiting for Jack to let him go.

“Thank you.” Jack said against Pitch’s side. “It’s perfect. Really. Thank you.” He said again and then finally released him, Pitch gasping for air as if he had been prevented from breathing even though Jack knew he had been fine in the hug, just not used to it himself.

“Yeah, you’re welcome.” Pitch said and began brushing small patches of frost form his cloak, glancing to him after a moment. “Don’t -eh, don’t do that again though.” He warned, but Jack was sure that it wasn’t a real request, still he nodded and wiped at his face again to brush away the tears in his eyes. “I’ll leave you to settle in then.” He said and eyed him for another long moment before striding from the door and closing it behind him, leaving Jack in the room by himself.

He settled on the bed and shuffled around with the warm blankets until they were across the floor, much preferring the cold and tapping the end of his staff against the walls to add frost patterns as his own form of decoration. He loved the room, he loved having his own space a home and a room just for him. However, he couldn’t escape the sinking feeling in his stomach that Pitch had been gathering nightmare men, were the nightmares themselves not enough? Why did he need so many nightmare men? He huffed at himself and rubbed a hand over his eyes, he was there to gain believers, to work with Pitch but he was starting to think that he had not been told the full conditions of doing so, as if there might have been a figurative small print that he was foolish enough to ignore before. The new room, perhaps a bribe to keep him sweet rather than a recognition of his efforts and achievements. He smacked his palm against his forehead as punishment and frowned at himself, Pitch was giving him everything he ever wanted, he had to trust him, he was thinking too much like a guardian and he certainly wasn’t one of them!

Chapter 6: Reinforcement

Summary:

Jack has earned some considerable rest as he sleeps off his latest storm, he hardly expects to have to face a truth that will bring his loyalties into question.

Chapter Text

His room was apparently not sealed against nightmares. That night, Jack woke to find a nightmare staring at him every few hours, sniffing as they did, ears pricked and hooves silently counting on the floor as if it would help usher him off to sleep again so they could continue their work. While the nightmares were not particularly scary, playing on his own experiences rather than anything new, Jack understood that Pitch was not sending them to him and since he had been in the cage, nightmares were simply the norm.

Each time he fell back to sleep, he saw visions of Tooth’s feathers falling out, losing the fairies, North trying to keep the group together, that disappointment on his face when he turned away from Jack at the Egg Hunt, Bunny’s anger and loss of his own hope, the way his ears dropped, Pitch’s disappointment in his first storm and his anger at his doubt, the sea of nightmare men and of course, as always, Sandy’s death. The cycle repeated again and again, endless reminders of his failures and how he felt at each of them, the worry, the guilt, the fear, the rage, the upset. All of them coaxing out those feelings each time he relieved those same memories.

He tried to block them out, to trap them down deep within himself, but they kept repeating, he had thought he had grown numb to them in the cage but since his triumph, they only seemed to have doubled in power, perhaps having good feelings of achievement to feed off and devalue. He went through the cycle again as a nightmare watched over him. The feathers, the fairies, North, Bunnymund, Pitch and Sandy. Failure, guilt, disappointment, hopelessness, inadequacy and loss. The latest cycle landed him where it always did, him leaping up to catch Baby Tooth before she was snatched by the nightmare. The sight of Tooth’s feathers falling, North’s worry, Bunny’s fear and Sandy’s silent gasp. He walked through the passageway with all the caged fairies, each of them crying out and in tears for their capture. In that Egg Hunt, watching Bunnymund trying to physically hand the children the eggs. North, shaking his head, Tooth’s gaze drop away and Sandy watching him, then back to angry Bunny.

Wait. Jack’s frown came upon his sleeping face as he forced himself to turn around and look again in his sleep. Sure enough, Sandy was stood there, a look of concern on his face, his feet on the floor and his sleepy eyes looking so much more exhausted than Jack had ever seen them. He didn’t have that gentle glow about him, nor did he carry that weightlessness that he gave off so naturally. What sort of image was this? Sandy hadn’t been at the Egg Hunt, Jack had never seen him look so worn as he did. Where was it coming from? Sandy seemed to stand there and watch him for a long moment before that sleepy smile returned to his exhausted features and he gave perhaps the most uncertain wave Jack had ever seen.

“S—Sandy?” He called out to him in his sleep, unsure what this was, “You weren’t there for this, you were already gone.” Jack scolded as if he was in anyway trying to protect the painful memories of his mistakes, but he nearly leaped back in freight when Sandy raised a brow in response to him.

More startling was the calm and soft voice that filled his head, as gentle as a soothing thought but certainly not his own. “I was not present, but I have witnessed it through you countless times.” Jack heaved in a heavy breath, he was dreaming, this much he knew but this was some sort of twisted nonsense. He was aware of being conscious even in his dream and it gave the most unnatural feeling to his surroundings, despite the calm presence of that voice. “I have witnessed a greater many things through you.” Explained the voice, Sandy smiling to him softly and despite the fact Jack was sure it was the Sandman’s foreign thoughts in this head, Sandy still gestured as he spoke, old habits die hard apparently, even in nightmares.

“What is this?” A reasonable question for a startled sprite, how often was one’s dream interrupted with a sense of consciousness—within said dream and by a deceased friend no less? The whole situation seemed so very unreal, in his deepest heart he knew the being before him was dead. Was this a test from Pitch? Jack shook his head and pulled at his hair, trying hard to wake himself but he had dreamed himself too deep to do so, desperate to be away from the judgement the little man surely had to bestow upon him, Jack turned his back on him to try and keep the memory going, so that he could move on to the next endurance of Pitch being disappointed in his storm. He closed his eyes, balled his fists and drew in heavy breaths. Jack dared a glance back at the Sandman, still there.

No harm will come to you, Jack Frost, I do not mean to cause you worry nor upset. However, I have been trying to talk to you for many nights and have not gained the strength to do so properly until now.” He smiled that bit wider and gestured around the dreamscape, Jack stealing his own look around and noticing that the park was empty, no North, Bunny nor Tooth, just he and Sandy. It was about the most peaceful thing Jack had experienced in weeks! “Will you speak with me?” Came the voice again and Jack looked back to the Sandman who had placed himself down to sit in the grass and propped his back against a tree.

Hesitant and so sure that Pitch would either find out or already know of this exchange, that this test was surely already – “This is no test by Pitch.” Came the interruption, “Though I am sure he would love to learn how to preform a deep mind conversation with someone, I am afraid I am a few millennia of practice ahead of him.” It was almost a joke, but Jack felt trapped, once again in an inescapable cage and having to face something he truly wished he didn’t.

Reluctantly, Jack let out a deep sigh and moved to sit opposite Sandy in the grass, the former guardian smiling when he did so but Jack’s returned expression was that of accusation. How dare he be there, how dare he talk to him after all he thought he had let happen? All his mind-numbing sense of guilt over what had happened, his deep upset at losing him, faded with a bitter taste in his mouth. “What do you want, Sandy?” He asked coldly and watched as the guardian’s smile faded and his tired gaze dropped to the grass between them.

To talk.” The Sandman gave a shrug but paused, what glow remained fading that little more in a faint flicker which seemed to hurt him, wincing as if it stung and ached, yet that voice remained soothing as he looked up to Jack again. “To tell you that what happened to me was not your fault.” Jack felt his chest tighten and his heart pound against his ribs, his breath falling short as Sandy continued. “Pitch has always been a master strategist, I knew that he was looking to end our ancient war once and for all that night when I saw how many nightmares he had brought with him, it is why I threw you from the dreamsand, you still had your choice to make.” Sandy’s smile returned and he regarded Jack as if waiting for an answer or a reaction but Jack could give him none, his words still sinking in and the shock of them ironically freezing his senses enough that he missed his chance to offer out that returned comfort before the Sandman’s gaze dropped again, sadly.

Jack watching him, his mouth opening to say something but words failing him, what was there to say? He couldn’t look to the dulled man any longer himself and he too turned his attention to the grass between them, which he noted looked considerably greyer than it had been in his memory. Sitting in silence wouldn’t do him any good but as he played back on Sandy’s words, seven in particular grated against him cruelly. “You think I still had a choice?” He felt rather forced into siding with the guardians, a bargain made for the sake of finding his teeth, which he had since thrown into the Ocean. He rubbed at his face, feeling as if this weren’t a dream at all.

Yes, you were and still are free to choose whichever side you think is right. When North and Aster arranged to bring you to the Pole, when you first arrived and were offered the position, you were not convinced that all we did was correct, that we were trying to bribe children-“

“They all bribed, except you.” Jack interrupted and sniffed before glancing to Sandy, spotting that soft and warm smile on his face and unable to stop himself from giving back a small one of his own, glad that he at least had the chance to say such a thing. It was short lived as Sandy’s eyes shut and his brow furrowed, his arms wrapping around himself gently and Jack could have sworn he saw him shivering. “Are you alright?” Despite his mixed feelings for him, he couldn’t bare to watch Sandy suffering, it was enough that he had seen his death so many times that he could practically recount each and every nightmare that he had seen surround him in the first place. Sandy gave another of his smiles and opened his eyes again before giving a silent nod, though his arms remained wrapped around himself and Jack was entirely unconvinced.

You tried to help me in all the ways you could have, that ice blast with the nightmaresand was an incredible storm. I do not think any of us saw that coming.” Sandy looked that little bit impressed or even proud as he mentioned it but he did not give Jack opportunity to interrupt him, Jack began to wonder if he simply couldn’t afford to stall. “However, you remained by the sides of the other guardians, you helped them prepare for Easter and while there were complications, I understand that your initial reason for joining us was to obtain your baby teeth. Your priorities became jumbled up but you did not miss defending the tunnels on purpose, you were not to know what would happen. Pitch is a very clever man, he knew he would have to have you out of the way of the tunnels for his plan to have any chance in working. And we have all fallen foul of Pitch in the past, each of us have fallen for his tricks at one point or another. The Pooka has always been a proud fellow, but his anger was likely not at you not being in the tunnels, but at his own loss of Easter.”

Jack struggled to believe that last part and his face scrunched up. “Are you trying to persuade me to go back to them? Trying to justify how they reacted and treated me for mistakes, you are telling me, they have already made themselves?” He asked accusingly, his voice raising a little but he stopped when he saw that it seemed to make Sandy grimace. All he did in answer was shake his head at first, his eyes closed once again and another shiver running over his form before he could offer up more.

No. It remains to be your choice, Jack. I cannot decide for you, nor would I ever think that I had any right to. I cannot speak for the actions of the others, it is their responsibility to explain their reactions and reasons.” Dulled golden eyes looked up to him again, but there was no smile as he continued, “You have to decide for yourself which side you think is right, which it is that you feel most comfortable working for and only you will know that.” Jack could do nothing but stare at him while he thought about what he was saying, which Sandy took as permission to continue. “What I do know is, you have always been a free spirit, Jack, rules have never applied to you and you were good at what you did. The number of children you brought happiness to is countless, the games you would play, the joy you would inspire are what I would consider your bragging rights, your achievements.” That gave Jack some pause, he was worried about Pitch and the Nightmare Men he had gathered, that he was not fully aware of his true plans, however, his old methods of fun brought him no believers, no one had even seen him in centuries of joy, only in fear had he earned that right. Sandy wasn’t done yet though, “No one, not Pitch, Manny, North, Tooth, Bunny nor even I have any right to ask you to change who you are. You should always be true to yourself, regardless of what your friends want you to be. However, I am not sure how much longer neutrality will be an option for you.” Jack saw Sandy’s eyes roll over him sadly, wondering what he might have known or been aware of. “Just know, that whatever side you do chose, you will not be alone.”

He still had a choice? Was his loyalty not so dependent on believers that he would blindly follow Pitch’s orders without question? Did he really feel comfortable with what had happened and what he was being asked to do? He remembered the fear that he had killed the father of the young girl in that storm, he remembered his own fear at the nightmare men, that Pitch had locked him in a cage and sent him terrible nightmares just for looking doubtful. But the guardians had cast him out, thrown him aside because he had made an apparently common mistake, parted with hurtful words that still pained him. Jack’s eyes were stinging again, he was sure he had done more crying over the past few weeks than he had in all his life. He wiped away at his face with his sleeve, unsure if he had ever actually cried properly in a dream before. “You’re telling me that I can’t be neutral, but you were always on neither side, always forming the mini barrier between me and the others.”

Sandy’s expression softened and he even chuckled silently, his face half hidden in his elbows as he curled tighter in on himself, shaking his head softly. “If you truly believe that I am in any way neutral in the grander scheme, you have not been paying much attention at all. I took an oath, centuries ago, to protect the Children of Earth and I will defend them, against anything and anyone by any means necessary. I chose my side so very long ago and through it, I have only become stronger, achieved my own dreams.” He looked around them, Jack doing the same and seeing a shadow growing around them, as if the pair of them were in a bubble of what remained of the grassy park. Jack looked back to him and raised his own eyebrow as an attempt at a tease, the look felt unnatural, he hadn’t done it in so long that it struggled to hold as the guardian looked back to him. “Sometimes you have to fall to see what it is that is truly most important to you.” Sandy smiled a mischievous grin before adding, “I should know, I have done it before.”

Jack laughed as Sandy chuckled silently again, though he wasn’t sure what it was he was referring to, learning that he had a verbal mischief about him shouldn’t have come as so much of a surprise, but the fact that he looked so exhausted and even weak but was still inspired to try and joke just touched Jack in a way he had not been expecting and the crack in his usually brooding look was hard to tame again as that smile remained on his face. This was nice. It had felt like so long since something felt pleasant. “It’s good to see you Sandy.” The guardian just smiled in response, then glanced around into the darkness around them.

Likewise, and we will undoubtedly meet again.” He promised but Jack knew he meant either as companion or challenger and he gave a little nod, part of him just glad that Sandy was alive at all, even if it did seem to only be in dreams and in the deepest of nightmares. It was just a moment or two later before Sandy faded into the shadows himself.

Jack felt his body stir and wake, his eyes opened and he was face to face with a nightmare again, her ears pricked and nose twitching softly. Jack studied her for a moment between sleepy blinks, perhaps this was a unique nightmare, he had seen ears prick and heard soft rumbles before but he was never sure if it was the same horse. Sleepy hands found a way to prop himself up and hesitantly he put his hand to the flat of her head and rubbed across it softly, smiling a little at the rush of sand between his fingers, the faintest of frost patterns trying to form on her face almost like a blaze. Then he saw it, the smallest hair of dreamand gold just under her forelock. This nightmare held the last of the Sandman and that was how he was able to speak with him in his own dreams. He wanted to make her distinct, wanted some way to identify her in case he ever needed to find Sandy for himself, but as the frost patterns formed, as ever, they faded within minutes as the mare enjoyed her fuss. He supposed that was for the better.

Jack felt the tightness at the corners of his eyes and gently pulled at the sleep that had gathered there, plucking it free and looking to it as if it might confirm his suspicions. The mare looked on too and Jack felt Sandy’s gaze on him in those glowing eyes. He had promised to bring any dreamsand he found to Pitch after all. Jack’s eyes flicked to the mare and he considered himself, dreamsand was apparently something that could help stop he and Pitch eventually, combining it with something else would make what sounded to him like a weapon. Perhaps it would be best to have a fail safe, should he become so consumed with his hunt for believers that he was blinded to the devastation he was causing, someone, somewhere should have a means to stop him. It was foolish to have a weakness within his grasp, to be able to destroy it or hide it so that he might be unstoppable. He bit his lip, he didn’t want to be unstoppable though, it was not his ambition to be all powerful, his ambition was to simply be believed in, to be seen.

With plenty of uncertainty, Jack offered out the dreamsand grains to the nightmare and after a moment, she seemed to have managed to pick them up and they were lost in the sea of black sand that made her form. He let out a breath he was not aware he had even been holding in and let his gaze drop to the floor as the nightmare shifted and flew under the door and out of sight. Jack had not needed that reminder, he did not want that offer of a choice he would have rather known he had sealed his fate and would forever be paired with Pitch. Cold hands rubbed over his eyes, the heel of his palm rubbing harder against them as he tried to brush away his uncertainty. Eventually, he pushed himself from his bed, collected his staff and walked from his room, ready for another night of work.

Chapter 7: The Winter King

Summary:

Jack and Pitch work on their biggest idea yet, but honesty proves too much in the end and Jack is hit with the reality of his need to decide which side he should stand with.

Chapter Text

With Sandy stuck at the forefront of his mind, Jack made his way back into the library, walking into that sea of eyes once again and shuddering as he felt each and every glowing orb upon him while he strode up to Pitch. The Nightmare King smiled and gestured to him warmly in greeting, calling out unnaturally gleefully “There’s our King of Winter!” He greeted as a soft murmur spread through the Nightmare Men, too many whispers for anything to be distinct. Though Jack couldn’t help but huff a small laugh for the title presented, King of Winter? Wasn’t that really reserved for North? “We’ve been waiting for you, we’re planning a special event tonight and you-“ He pointed to Jack with a long grey finger, “You are our main man! My general to help us win this fight once and for all.”

That, all seemed rather serious and Jack leaned against his staff of course, he remembered that he should not show any sign of doubt, that he had to show Pitch that he trusted him so completely even though that suggestion, especially after his talk with Sandy just minutes earlier unnerved him. “No pressure then.” Jack shrugged off with his usual air of playfulness, though he straightened up a little when Pitch seemed to squint at him after he had said it. The room deathly silent while it seemed every consciousness in the room was waiting to see what it was Pitch would do, even the sobs of the faeries seemed to have stopped.

There was the crack of a chuckle from the bogeyman and then he erupted into what sounded like completely unfamiliar laughter. Even the sea of Nightmare Men didn’t seem to be at ease with the sound. Jack could see nightmares trotting in the corridors beyond, apparently not wanting to hear that shrill sound themselves as they sank into the shadows and vanished. Pitch regained his control enough to just maintain a spine shudderingly gleeful smile as he rocked his finger at Jack and shook his head. “That’s what I want to see, Jack. That was the Frost I have been told about.” He moved swiftly and before Jack could react, his grey hand was resting gently on his left shoulder and the pointed teeth grinned down at him again.

“We have one more mission that will mean the difference between success and failure for us. Tonight, you need to pull up a storm as you have never done before, I want bigger than the last one, show the world what it is we are truly capable of and have every living being believing in us.” Pitch’s excitement was seemingly new to him, his smile was not easily tampered and the way his fingers curled around Jack’s arm seemed to be that lapse in control of new emotions. Jack could only smile his own half smile back at him, but he was troubled, there were a lot of Nightmare Men around and he assumed that in his storm, they would be put to work. “Imagine, this could be the day of the Jack Frost Holiday! Snow Day but one everyone has off to remember this very night.”

Jack huffed out a little laugh, Pitch really did seem to believe that tonight would be their night and if he was right, then surely there would be no going back, Jack would forever be remembered, the well known spirit of winter itself… The King of Winter. He rather liked the sound of that, and with the energy from the other infectious to him, Jack gestured excitedly with his free hand, “I will need to head to the South Pole, and I will pull with me the best snow there is.” He beamed and had to catch a breath when Pitch slapped a hand at his back, with another unnatural laugh to his usual grace and control.

You have to decide for yourself which side you think is right.” The voice of the Sandman intruded on his happiness for a moment, it was from the memory of the dream he was sure, but Jack did a mindful check around the room for any nightmare standing too close by with her ears pricked and flaring nostrils. None were there, thankfully, put off he assumed by the overcrowded room. It did not make the words any easier to shake off though, Jack struggled with himself for a moment, he knew he was not on the right side in the eyes of the Guardians and even his past self, scaring children was not at all something he had really ever enjoyed doing, he much preferred to play with them in the snow and to enjoy hearing them laughing instead of crying.

No. It was Pitch that was his family now, his one friend and supporter who was gaining him all that he had ever wanted, Jack had been seen just a few nights ago, Jack Frost was now a name already being muttered in school yard conversations. This was what was right for him! It made him stronger and better. “I’ll bring with me blizzards, winds so strong to pull down… even the biggest of trees, I’ll—”

“No.” Pitch warned suddenly and seriously, “Not the trees.” Jack stared at him for a moment, confused, how could he bring with him the biggest storm he ever had if he was not allowed to use his strongest winds to do so? “Just trust me on this one, don’t bring down the trees. Maybe a few of the human’s poles for telephones or the like instead?”

Jack felt himself frowning and quickly forced it away. So, Pitch liked nature? Trees apparently were exempt from any sort of winter devastation Jack might bring to them. “Alright, not the trees then, but everything will be covered white, frozen over with frost patters so vivid they’ll practically burn into their settings… just not to the trees.” He gave instead as his promises he was sure he could keep, he felt like he was stronger than ever before with believers all over the globe, but then Pitch also had to have a hand in the coming night. “Will the nightmares be coming?”

Pleased at least with the confirmation the trees would not be harmed, Pitch only smiled a pointed smile once more at the question on Jack’s company. “Nightmares and nightmare men will be joining us this time. We want this to be a night to remember.” Jack cast his eyes around the shadows again as the murmuring of hissed and hushed voices rose again. “Bring your snow and wind, Jack, I will bring my nightmares and together we will earn you a day of your very own. You have more than earned it now, partner.”

It was all Jack needed, some reassurance that they were truly in it together, so what if a few people ended up scared for one night? If that was all it took to keep up the belief in him then good, the rest of the month could all be recovery from it, fun in the snow and just spending time together which people seemed to so rarely do as it was. Perhaps it was good in the long run, Pitch still had his fear and Jack still had his fun. The more he thought about it the more he considered it a beautiful contrast, not really thinking of course that the fear of his early winters would last far longer than he perhaps really understood.

“We both have, partner.” Jack eventually gave back with a sly and playful smile, this would not be so bad, one bad night before some great days. “I should go and gather my storm, where is it we will be working tonight?”

Without a word, Pitch conjured up some nightmaresand almost as fluidly as the Sandman had done with his own, with it he formed a map of the globe and pointed to a city close to the Arctic circle. Jack thought he would be best bringing his snow from the North then, only that meant coming close to Nicholas St North and his yetis. “I’ll meet you there after the sun has set.” He promised with a smile once more before he kicked off the ground from Pitch’s light grasp and was through the hole in the roof before he had time to check if he was being followed.

Off he flew with the wind, bringing himself as far North as he could, as high as he could go as he flashed over lands he had visited before and towards the snowy haven he had known for centuries. The cold and crisp air a welcoming and missed embrace that only Jack Frost could truly enjoy so happily. He could not resist but swirl and dance with the snow that fell around him, with that already on the ground, with the cold and ferocious winds that ruled the Arctic. It was perfect.

He had not forgotten his mission though and began to spin his staff around, moving it across himself masterfully, stirring as if mixing the contents of a giant’s cauldron to muster up enough of the snow with the wind to force a cloud to start to build, tiny and white at first as he stirred, keeping an ever watchful eye out for the sun and indeed anyone that might be lurking in the unforgiving lands within the Arctic circle. None disturbed him though as the cloud grew and grew above him, the wind turning more and more ferocious with every twist and gesture of his staff. The clouds above him formed into an unnaturally large and dark abyss, filled with so much snow, the strength of the wind alone was actually keeping it from falling straight away.

Jack began to pull the storm south, towards the agreed destination, his own compass too trustworthy to ever fail him as he started the next part of his heavy work. The weight of the storm he had created above him keeping his focus strictly on the task at hand, to pull all that weight to Pitch. There was just one distraction in the white oblivion so far North, just a flash of red that crossed his vision and nothing more. Jack anxiously checked his surroundings, his cloud and the direction he aimed for to no avail. Paranoia perhaps for what he feared he was to encounter, North and his sleigh crashing into the cage…

He shook his head as if physically forcing the memory of his nightmare from his mind, he had to focus on what he as doing, it took more than just some fancy moves and wishing his plan would work. He had expected some encounter from North though, or that Toothina would turn up angrily or Bunnymund knock him from his floating stance with his boomerang, but nothing happened, perhaps his bold and sudden arrival and general unpredictability had paid off after all.

For miles, Jack dragged the storm with him, picking up more clouds along the way, the wind eventually even finding itself driven by the pressure of the cloud above as Jack continued to steer it at startling speeds towards his destination. He thought he might have been attuned to the presence of nightmares, so much so that he could already sense that he was close to the right city, not from his own internal compass but from the sense of dark and dread that came from one particular concentrated spot ahead of him. Without much of a hesitation, Jack thrust his staff in front of him and with it, the cloud above moved over him and on towards where his staff was pointing, the wind still carrying the sprite as the city came into view. The usual patchwork of geometric shapes and structures that promised a large population of people.

Confirmation of having the right city came from below as he saw a warped shadow under him, a monstrous march of nightmaremen and nightmares approaching the city with none other than Pitch Black himself atop a nightmaresand crow at its head.

Above him, the clouds broke into a clap of thunder and a flash of bright and unforgiving lighting, the spark that promised the worst of snow storms while the wind carried the cloud just far enough to nearly throw the city into a deep and dark night with the sun only just set. Below the mass of shadow charged forwards too, lead by the crow as it swooped and dodged its way to the shelter of the buildings. Jack, springing to action stirred with his staff once again to force the cloud to stop and loom over the city, the wind turning in unnatural circles to keep it engulfed just where he and Pitch needed it to be. With a push of his feet, the winter sprite hurtled himself gleefully into the cloud, ignoring the ice and wet that clung to him as it so often did while he guessed the centre of his creation. Not all too aware of what was happening below and really quite excited to see what it was his storm could do, Jack clapped his hands against his staff forcefully, cold snapping from his fingertips and from the ends of his staff, out into the freezing air around him. All of the pressure build up from the North suddenly started to slip away like sand in a timer, it was snowing below and it was doing so harder than Jack had ever commanded before. This was his night, this was his chance to become known as Jack Frost, Winter King!

Eager to see his success, Jack clapped in the same manner several more times, enough that he had not thought to count passed the fifth before he threw himself down into a dive to see what he was unleashing for what would surely be a whole month of snow days ahead. He laughed and giggled as he left himself to the mercy of the harnessed wind, spinning with it dizzyingly as he dived.

A flash of red crossed his path once more, but this time it was a clearly defined shape! Grand and polished wood and gold metal gleamed in contrast to Jack’s dark cloud. Reindeer desperately tried to fight against the unforgiving winds, already there were four missing, one from the right and three from the left. A large man sat at its front, shouting to no avail against the force of the wind, its passenger, a mix of green and blue hues clung desperately to something in the back seat. Jack was already out of the blur of darkness before he could turn back to look again! The guardians had returned! They were there and Jack suddenly realised with a deep coldness even he had never experienced, that he had brought them with him! How then to warn Pitch far below?.

Jack looked to the streets before him, trying to spot the crow and its rider in the maze of roads and pathways that were rapidly filling with an unforgiving white, the darkness of the nightmares and nightmare men in clear contrast to it as they chased through the streets and buildings. Even over the wind, in his new position out of the cloud, Jack could hear the screams of terror from those below. He squinted through his own beloved snow and saw something that made his heart drop with more weight than he could ever had mustered up for a storm. It was not his intended target for attention but something perhaps much worse.

Below him, struggling through a snow covered pathway between two buildings was a young boy all on his own, rushing desperately through the deepening snow in little more than rags, shivering with the bitter cold and clinging hopelessly to his torn coat that flapped about him like a cruel whip from the savage wind. Some small relief came when it appeared he was at least not completely alone as another figure hurried after him through the alleyway. Chasing him and much flightier on their feet as they rushed through his snow and tried to catch up to him. It was the loud and shrill scream that brought Jack into reality, beyond creating incredible storms and playing with the wind. The second figure was a nightmare man and he had grasped the arm of the boy with such a force that in a blink of an eye both the nightmare man and the boy disappeared from the street.

Choose.” That same infinitely both familiar and unfamiliar voice echoed in his head once again. That had not been part of the deal, to actually take children. That had not at all been what Jack had ever even thought up let alone agreed to. For the first time since seeing Sandy in the dream, Jack once more felt a heated and bubbling rage in his chest, this was a betrayal! It was not at all what he was willing to allow, not from Pitch nor his damned nightmare men!

In an instant, Jack spread his arms apart and with it, the snow seemed to relent, the wind died down and for a brief moment, the stars looked down between a thinning of his mighty cloud. Through it though, came that flash of red once more, no longer hindered by the wind nor blinded by the snow the remaining four reindeer and their driver plunged into the fight, right on top of Jack Frost!

“TRAITOR!” Bellowed the accented voice, familiar and terrifyingly angry as Jack was struck in the shoulders.

The impact was hard enough to knock what little air Jack needed from him and with it, his staff flew from his grasp and the sprite started his horrifying fall back towards the earth below. His storm breaking apart and with it, all chance at making that night one that he could be remembered for. Helplessly, Jack’s arms flapped and grasped at the air as he blindly and critically tried to grab at anything solid to hold on to and break his fall!

Above him, in the remerging stars, he could see the sleigh with its driver stood on his seat, slashing at nightmares that flew by and to the left a winged creature battled a way through the mass of nightmare men that had risen to meet their challenge.

The wind flapped about him, pulling his hoodie and limbs any which way as the tops of the tallest buildings came into view as he drew level to them, then he was surrounded in darkness. He assumed for a moment that he had hit the ground, only there was no pain and he heard the distinct rustle of falling sand around him, he coughed and coked on it for the briefest of moments before he was forced back to the surface as he had been so very long ago and found himself next to Pitch on the back of his enormous nightmaresand crow. Jack forced in a breath and coughed out with considerable exasperation for someone who for a moment thought he might be dead, “The Guardians are here.” He warned his partner just as he pointed up to the dispersing cloud to the chaos above.

“Then it is truly a night to prove yourself.” The Nightmare King bellowed angrily as he guided the crow between two buildings, in the windows nightmare men and nightmares ran rampant around the rooms of any that were tying to sleep, startled screams filling the air as they made their way through.

“It’s North and Tooth!” Jack tried as he looked back up to the guardians far above, “One of your Nightmare men took a child!” He yelled against the rush of the crow, “Give the boy back and they might ease—”

“No one is giving anyone back! We do not bow to their whims anymore, Jack! Nicholas just knocked you out of the sky, he wants you gone, so defend yourself first and worry about the rest later.” Shouted Pitch angrily.

Jack started at the continuing fight above him, the way in which Tooth darted practically through the shadows of nightmares and nightmare men alike, the swing of North’s swords holding a mass of nightmaresand at bay… what chance did he have? What little chance did he have still without his staff?

Chapter 8: War

Summary:

Jack, Pitch and the Guardians face off as Jack has to come to a serious decision about who he truly is and what he truly wants.

Chapter Text

Pitch kept the crow swooping at a frightening speed through the snow covered city, Jack might have enjoyed the thrill of the ride if he was not aware that there was a big fight coming. The Nightmare King barked orders at those around him, commanding them in all different directions, keeping the remaining nightmares to continue his bidding on the ground.

Jack kept his eyes on a shadow of nightmare men that had merged into a rolling mass as they gathered together, scrambling on top of one another to reach out to the sky and towards the sleigh and the fighting fairy. There were only two reindeer left and once the sleigh fell behind the closest thing to a cloud Pitch could create, a smoke screen to hide where they were too no doubt.

“My staff!” Jack bellowed against the speed of the nightmare crow. “I can’t fight without my staff!” The sands around him swirled and Jack found himself sat right beside Pitch, practically on the neck of the bird.

“You can do nothing with out it?” Pitch demanded as a grey face turned to face him for just a moment before moving again to focus on steering the bird. “For horror’s sake, Frost!” The King cursed and suddenly the crow changed direction around the edge of a building and back the way they had come. “Find it!” He demanded before a grey hand moved to shove Jack, sending him sliding off the nightmaresand and into a pile of his own snow. A soft landing if ever there was one, but a shock nonetheless before Pitch and his bird ascended towards the sky. Once more Jack found himself watching as someone he cared for so deeply, hurried away from him and into a fight in the sky.

“Not this time.” He whispered to himself, his hands balling into fists before he pushed himself hard from the ground to leap into the air in search of his staff. Frosted eyes scanned the white snow in front of him, trying hard to catch sight of what he was looking for, it would have to be on the surface somewhere, wouldn’t it? It had stopped snowing when he had been knocked from the sky and away from his staff. He dared not look up to see the fight above him, not until he could do something to help. He hated the thought that Pitch could be hurt by North’s or Thooth’s blades… he found himself hating the thought that North or Tooth would meet the same end of an arrow to their backs as Sandy had too. Just who’s side was he truly on anyway?

He whipped his sleeve across his face, trying hard to ignore the freezing tears that were forming in his eyes. He didn’t want to see any of them harmed, but they would never not be fighting, they were in each other’s way, opposite sides of the board. He thought he could be the mediator the sort of barrier that Sandy had been between himself and the other Guardians, a semblance of neutrality, but the dream had told him that he would have to choose and Jack still did not know who he wanted to stand with. He disliked the way in which the Guardians had treated him and tried to force him into a life he did not want, but he was not happy in creating fear and he worried for the boy that had been taken by the nightmare man and the way in which Pitch was so dismissive of it… then again, they were about to enter a fight.

Jack felt something hit the side of his hip with a horrid and sharp force, enough to once more knock him out of the air and sending him crashing into a snow drift at the edge of a car. He hissed and checked his hip for injury only to catch sight of something brown bolting in a curve to his right. He squinted through the tears that had clung to his eyelashes without him truly noticing, snatching them away with another brush of his sleeve to see a rabbit glaring at him a little down the road, too light to sink into his snow but there was something not quite natural about it, something ominous in it’s own right. His hip stopped hurting as quickly as it had started, Jack put that down to his ever grown strength.

“What’s tha matter Frost, did ya think I would miss this party?” Shouted the tiny rabbit from his spot down the road. Jack pushed himself back up to a sitting position to get a better look at the vicious rabbit.

“…Bunny? Is that you?” Jack asked a little helplessly for a moment before he at least had an explanation as to why he had not seen him in the sleigh with the others, loosing Easter had clearly had a huge impact on the other and Jack wondered if it would get worse still for him. Still, of the Guardians to have his ego knocked, Jack believed it was Bunny that had needed it most. “I thought it might have been a lost slipper.” The sprite laughed, he could hardly help it, to see Bunny so small and almost cute looking after he had been the face that haunted his nightmares the most for so long, he could hardly be afraid of what was before him now.

“A slipper can still pack a punch, put ‘em up and I’ll prove it!” The rabbit threatened as a pink nose and whiskers twitched and small fluffy paws lifted aggressively. Jack tried again to stop himself from laughing.

“I don’t have time for this, cotton socks.” Jack dismissed and pushed himself back to his feet again to look for his staff. Ignoring the agitated and insulted twitch and curse from the tiny rabbit, which perhaps he should not have done as once more there was a striking pain at the small of his back which caused him to stumble forward but this time not to the floor. He gritted his teeth and turned with a snowball freshly formed in his hand, ready to throw it at the rabbit as the boomerang swung back around to its owner who slipped it back into a harness on his tiny back.

“Too busy helping Pitch Black ta kidnap children, I see.” Came the response from the rabbit, pointing a fluffy paw at several child sized holes in the snow, tunnels creeping into shadowy places, under storm drains and into hidden cellar windows. Jack stopped in his attack to look to them, there had been more? Just how many children had been taken? What for? “Yah’ve always been reckless and uncontrollable, but this, even this is something I thought ya were better than.”

This needed fixing, Jack knew it but he could do nothing while he felt so defenceless without his staff. “I’ll fix this, I promise.” He yelled before he turned on his heel and once more sprinted, this time around a corner in search of his staff, trying to avoid another hit from a boomerang.

“Ya part of tha problem, Frost!” The rabbit’s voice shouted back at him, “Since when did ya want ta hurt them?”

Jack forced his voice to the back of his mind just as he came face to face with a flash of green and blue, one that charged into him at full force and sent him back around the corner he had just run from. A rush of feathers and a flutter of struggling wings followed him seconds later as he crashed into the snow covered road once more. A cheer from the bunny a few feet away confirmed that Jack was facing two Guardians at once, even if one was about a tenth of his usual size.

“You,” a strike at his shoulder pinned him down, “betrayed,” another fist fell to his chest, “Us all.” And the right hand came around again to catch him just beside his ear where he tried to dodge a bull’s eye on his face. Tooth’s rage filled face pink with anger and upset as she went again to strike him. Jack had to escape, he had to get out of her hold and find his staff, he did not want this, he did not like this or anything of it. He gathered up the snow from under him and with a wave of his arms above him, the ice swirled around them both and separated him from Tooth’s vengeful grasp and seemed to just have been enough to knock the tiny rabbit away from him. Enough time to escape as he threw himself into he air again and sheltered his injured chest with a choppy breath. His ear was ringing from the hit and his head hurt but he had to keep up his search. Pitch was right, it was him against them and he had to have some way of defending himself, they were not there to listen to him.

As he aimed to land on another building, he heard the fluttering of wings behind him and felt two hands against his back in a strong and harsh shove back towards the ground below! Jack saw the snow covered ground getting closer and closer with just enough time to break his fall with a large puff of air from his chest, sending snow in all directions around him before he crashed and rolled just a few feet from where Tooth surely aimed for him to land, softening his crash as much as he could as he bowled through the snow a few meters more down a pathway.

His landing forced him to look above him, the stars were blacked out with nightmare men, there was no sign of the sleigh, of North or of Pitch but he could only think that they were fighting inside the cloud, at least he prayed for it to be the case as he hissed and ached from his punches and falls. Fate seemed to be on his side though as he finally caught sight of a twisted piece of wood just a little down a grassy slope next to a children’s park.

He hurried to his feet as he heard the fluttering of wings coming again and the whirling of a boomerang just skimming his hood. Within mere seconds, Jack found his hand wrapped around his familiar staff once again and then he was shooting off with it ahead of him towards the dark cloud above him, bringing the wind with him and a chill in the air that formed ice and frost on the tower of nightmare men, causing groans and growls as it started to falter. Good! Jack thought, he wanted nothing to do with them.

Out of the cloud flew a single reindeer, galloping off towards the ground in a hurry, free from the harness and apparently free of North’s command. Moment’s later the sleigh, without any reindeer followed uncontrollably with North clinging to its handles as it spiralled in the wind, just one sword in his hand and an exhausted yet terrified expression on his face as he made eye contact with Jack and then looked to the floor below as if accepting a terrible fate. Behind him was Pitch on the colossal crow as they dived with the sleigh, a gleeful and spine creasing laugh echoing around in the night sky.

Jack felt the rush of air from the sleigh and the swaying of the tower of nightmare men that began to fall back down to the ground too. Pitch either not noticing or caring as he just watched North and his sleigh plummet towards the floor. Instinct seemed to take over and Jack looped around to follow after the sleigh, taking the wind too as he moved to fly under it and even it out for what he hoped would be an easier, if still very rough landing. He flew under the shiny red paint, quick as a flash himself as frost patterns formed at its base, the wind following him at high speed and just enough to push the sleigh into an upright position, its angle surely more capable of landing in the snow. Jack was then quick to build up as much snow as possible, all around where it looked like he would land, pulling and twisting its form to bring his friend down as carefully as he could.

Below was a scream of desperation from Tooth and he was sure he could hear Bunny cursing too as the sleigh landed against the snow and bounced gracelessly once, twice and then turned on its side and slid along a frozen river, Jack had not even noticed had been there.

“What are you doing, Frost?” Asked a cold and judging voice beside him, dripping with disappointment and anger as Jack turned his head to look to Pitch atop his crow, the birds wings not even flapping as the sand swirled and twisted at break neck speed to keep the King hovering beside the sprite, looking to him accusingly.

“Not like that.” Jack said back angrily, that Pitch would ever have thought to make North crash back down to Earth like that, left to gravity to do his dirty work. Jack did not want any of the Guardians harmed and he would do his best to keep them safe but he wondered at what cost to himself, Pitch would surely be unforgiving if he showed more doubt or even seemed to be betraying him in any way. “They were my friends once too.” He reminded his supposed partner.

To his amazement, Pitch actually nodded his understanding and then guided his nightmaresand cloud down to where the three remaining Guardians were gathered. Tooth helping North out of the sleigh, supporting him as best she could as the large man clung to edge of the wreck of his beloved and recognisable vehicle. Jack’s heart gave a few beats of relief to see him stood, if looking much more worse for wear than he had ever seen him before. Though once they had spotted their approach, North pulled his sword from behind him and held it at the ready to attack, releasing Tooth to support himself on the sleigh, Tooth herself drawing out both of her blades and moving to protect North and Jack could just about make out Bunny at North’s feet with his boomerang at the ready.

“Ah, the Guardians.” Greeted Pitch in a hummed arrogance that even Jack could feel shivering down his spine. “Reunited here once more.” He laughed, “Well, what’s left of you anyway.” An insinuation that hurt Jack too and he wondered if the other realised it or not as the sprite put himself down just a little behind and to the left of Pitch, who loomed over the other three menacingly and eerily cheerfully. “Do you remember Jack Frost?” He asked as he gestured behind him to Jack, the sprite straightening up a fraction but his expression still creased with worry as he made eye contact once more with North’s large blue eyes.

“That is not Jack Frost.” Said North as he caught his breath and scowled at Pitch, seemingly not paying any attention to Jack at all. “That is shadow of the real Jack Frost, who would never let this happen.”

Pitch only laughed at that and took an unnaturally large step backwards to stand beside Jack and put his hand on his shoulder, “Oh, but you’re wrong, this is the real Jack Frost, the one with believers, the one who was seen for the first time in centuries just last week, the strongest version of himself there has been so far, just look at what he can do with just a few thousand believers… and we’re only just getting started.”

“Just started are ya? Well,” The rabbit bobbed and loosened his shoulders in a way that was far more cute than it was scary, “We’re only just getting started too, we’ll keep turning up and knocking ya plans right out of tha sky, repeatedly until ya learn ta stay down when yah’re told.”

Jack could sense the hike in Pitch’s eyebrow, the arched smugness that screamed a sarcastic challenge. “Look at you, look how far you have fallen and in just a few weeks,” He laughed again, “Pun intended of course.”

Tooth growled and held onto her blades tighter, Jack could see her knuckles turning white as more of her feathers covered the snow at her feet. “Fear never lasts! It is not eternal, it is temporary.” She reminded them through perfect gritted teeth.

“Nor does hope, wonder, memories and quite clearly sweet dreams.” Pitch retorted and then he squeezed at Jack’s shoulder and gestured his length, “But recall the tales that complained of how long winter could be, of how endless nights exist and in the shadows of the cold grows nightmares.” Jack paused as he was, his eyes darting from one Guardian to another as he thought on those words.

In the shadows of cold grows nightmares

Was it he in his last storm, on the night he had been seen, had he given opportunity for Pitch to create and summon nightmare men? He had not spotted them around the layer before that night, was it really his work that had opened the gates to that army of monsters Pitch was using to take children? Jack’s eyes settled on North’s. His was sad and weary, tired and perhaps that little bit afraid.

“What is your centre, Jack?” He asked, it was calm and quiet, a plea if nothing else because in his deepest hearts, even Jack knew this had nothing to do with who he truly was, what it was he was truly there to do. His breath grew choppy again, his heart practically in his throat as he tried hard to swallow the feeling back down again to maintain his composure while Pitch’s hand stayed on his shoulder between his slow notes of careful laughter behind him.

“You see how they still try to control you, Jack? You will only really ever be free with me.” Pitch laughed and patted him on the shoulder just the once before smiling down at him, Jack feeling his heart settle again for Pitch’s approval, his solidarity with him even in the face of those Jack had once called friends.

“Can you not see how he is twisting our words, twisting your perception, Jack? You are trapped at his side, a puppet in his plans and nothing more.” Warned Tooth, the growl in her voice still present as she still stood defensively in front of her friends, protecting them and Jack thought it likely it was because she was the strongest of them now.

“He’s my partner in all of this you fluttering fool.” Hissed Pitch, “You are only alive because he asked it of me.” The comment surely directed at North but Jack really hoped Pitch knew he had meant it to apply to all of them. “I want nothing more than to just snuff you right our of existence, to turn your images into that of mournful reminiscence of a time long lost, but it looks like you can do that all on your own, doesn’t it?”

Jack cast his eyes around where grey fingers then gestured, to the windows of the frosted houses all around where the remaining children and even a few adults were peering out from behind curtains at the scene in front of them. Pitch laughed again, a cackle that shook icicles loose from near by buildings and lamp posts. “See who they are looking at?” He invited the Guardians to check, “Because I doubt it is you… It won’t be long until no child will be able to see you and you will learn what it was like when you kept passing by Jack for all those centuries.”

The sprite kept his eyes on one small girl peering out from the bottom of her window, she looked directly at Jack, stared at him but it was not with any sort of happiness to see him, no greeting or gesture of excitement or relief, instead she held a glimmer in her eye, just a shine of quivering fear and perhaps even some deeper and yet to be understood loathing. It brought Jack no comfort, no happiness nor any sort of achievement, what was the point in believers if they hated him?

“Pitch is a very clever man, he knew he would have to have you out of the way.” Came another echo of that voice from his dream, the reminder of his conversation as more and more of what the Sandman had said started to make sense and fall into place. Jack had to choose. He looked to the Guardians again, watching as North turned to lean more heavily onto his sleigh to protect hurt bones, Tooth’s relentless snarl towards Pitch but the distinct watery shine of tear filled eyes betraying her ferocity, Bunny at their feet, still stood straight with a pride and defiance that Jack knew came from what might have been blind hope. He could not fight at their side, not without ending up like them and too weak to do anything, but nor could he face Pitch by himself, he would have to find another ally.

“My place is here, this is what has brought be believers. I only tried to help you before.” He thought for a long moment and took a small step away from Pitch and towards his old friends, pointing his staff at them but not forcefully as he tried to think of the right words to get his message across, that he was choosing a side. “Sometimes you have to fall to see what it is that is truly most important to you.” He attempted, echoing Sandy’s words to them in the hope that it would show them that he had a plan, that he was going to do something to stop what he had started and correct what he had done wrong.

He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end again as Pitch took that step towards him too, a breath against his hair promised some questions later. Jack closed his eyes tight, thinking he had said the wrong thing, that Pitch might have picked up on his hint but he was quick to stifle it, very aware of how it was the other would feed off any fear. “Be gone now.” Jack commanded the Guardians, trying to convince Pitch that it was his nervousness of issuing that command that had been his fear. “You can’t win this fight.”

Tooth’s shoulders dropped and North’s sad look caught again at Jack’s heartstrings, but he had to send them away to safety, out of the way for now or he could not protect them and certainly not if there was to be a next time. “You heard him, go and cower away.” Pitch whispered and then started to slink back behind Jack, the mummering of nightmare men growing loud enough to show their approaching menace, the rush of sand announcing the arrival of the nightmares too, done with their work for the night and ready to chase out their enemies at a command.

“I’ll make ya fall so far that ya won’t know what’s up or down if ever I catch ya again!” Bunny yelled and pulled out his boomerang again, but Tooth was quick to swoop down and pick him up, holding him even in his wriggling and struggles to bring the fight even at their weakest. Beside them, North pulled out a globe from his coat and threw it at their feet, the three of them falling through it and vanishing in an instant, only then did Jack let out a breath of relief and clutched once more to his side where Tooth had hit him, that of all the blows would surely have left its mark.

“Never interfere in my work again, Jack.” Pitch’s voice coolly warned from beside him, “I let you save them this one time, but the next time…” He moved to stand in front of him, the dark of his nightmares and army swarming with him, “I’ll destroy them.”

Jack looked up to Pitch and gave an understanding nod, submitting to what Pitch surely wanted him to take as his authority. He knew and accepted that he would be in for a rough few nights, but part of him was sure that it was what was needed if he was to have any chance in changing things. “What of the children that were taken?” Jack asked worriedly.

“They’ll be fine, a scare tactic and nothing more.” Promised silver eyes as they raked over Jack’s form, questioningly but not really with any harshness or animosity for a change. “Back to the lair now though, you’re hurt.”  

Chapter 9: Responsibility

Summary:

Jack struggles to decide which side he truly should be on and finds himself hatching a plan that might just give the edge to a fight he is so sure he won't win on either side.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Back inside the shadows of the lair, Jack did not take long to make his way to his room, hissing in complaint at his chest and wondering just how Tooth had been able to hit so hard that he could not shake off the feel of her fist. He rubbed at it with a cold palm and felt no freedom from it. He supposed rest would be what was best for him now, but he knew it would be anything but peaceful as he closed his eyes and dared himself to at least try.

His mind busy whirring with what he needed to do, if he had any chance of stopping Pitch… if he could even bring himself to do that in the first place? Pitch had brought him everything he had ever wanted, but Jack could not shake the feeling that he was being lied to and used and not just because of what the Guardians had suggested, more for what Pitch himself had said, dismissing his worries over the kidnapped child and then the thought that Jack himself had been the catalyst to allow the nightmare men to appear as they had done. He could barely manage a few tosses and uncomfortable turns before he heard the familiar flare of nostrils just over his head and the quiet chomping of sand lips trying to send him off to sleep. Sandy. He was the answer.

Jack steadied his breath and tried to ease his thoughts, thinking instead of the different snowflakes, their shapes and intricacies that only he truly knew. The way in which frost patterns grew so uniquely on the right surfaces, the crunch of frozen leaves and the satisfying rumble and creak of snow at just the right depth under foot. The sound of children laughing and playing in it brought just the smallest of long lost smiles to his face as his mind freed itself to the darkness of sleep.

He knew what would greet him, the same nightmares as before, Baby Tooth, Tooth’s feathers falling out, Sandy’s death, Bunny’s rage, North’s sadness and Pitch’s disappointment. The cycle of nightmares repeating again and again as Jack tried to search for Sandy where he should not have been, in what memory he certainly was not present for. It was only on the fifth cycle did Sandy appear, already curled up against himself in the shadows of Pitch’s lair, looking dull even in the dark as Jack saw the memory fade away to leave only Jack and Sandy in dark halls that shrunk so quickly.

Still the Guardian of Dreams greeted Jack with a smile, but his exhaustion was clear as he stayed still otherwise and kept his little arms wrapped tightly around himself. “Hello, Jack.” He announced in what sounded more like a whisper than it had done before.

“Sandy, I hoped you would find me.” Jack smiled too as he tried to hide his shock at the other’s appearance, even in a dream as they were, the other surrounded by the total opposite of himself, Jack could not quite bring himself to imagine it was doing Sandy any sort of good. “I need to talk to you, I need your help.” The little man blinked heavily and let out a silent sigh into his sandy sleeves.

I will always help you. All of you, as I always have.” He promised with a wince and nodded as an invitation for Jack to continue, the winter sprite approaching so to sit opposite him in a black hall that had quickly lost its shape or semblance to anything in particular. Jack was reminded of the cage and once again forced it to the back of his mind, too distracted with his own mission to allow his mind to drift onto anything else, missing something Sandy must have wanted him to catch as the little man closed his eyes and put his head sideways as if resting.

“Hey, don’t fall asleep now little man, I need your help remember?” Jack encouraged gently, but had little in the way of a physical response from Sandy, who just heaved in a breath and curled in tighter around himself. “I’ve… I’ve chosen my side but I can’t bring the Guardians into this, they are not as strong as they were and Pitch has been kind to me and I did not think it would be so bad, just one bad night followed by a month’s worth of fun filled snow days like I used to do? then Pitch had nightmare men come with us this time and North and Bunny and Tooth showed up, I saw a nightmare man take a child! They just grabbed him right off the street and pulled him away, Pitch said it was—”

Jack, please!” Sandy interrupted, a frown forming on his face, even turned away from Jack, he could see the shift in his hairline and the curl of his fists, in an instant Jack stopped himself and worried over the other. “I cannot keep up. I cannot…” Sandy seemed to lose another shade of gold to a more dull colour. “You said you have chosen a side, so act upon it.” There was an impatience to Sandy’s words but not to his voice, his voice just seemed far too tired.

“That’s what I am planning on doing.” Jack smiled and reached out to try and put a hand on Sandy’s shoulder but he just could not seem to reach him, even with how close they were he could not touch him, it was as if Sandy was constantly just out of his reach, just passed the end of his fingertips. Sandy did not even react to the attempts.

Then find a way to contact the others, work with them to fix this.” A bleak suggestion given what Jack knew, of course he had forgotten that Sandy had learned of all the events after his apparent death from Jack’s haunting nightmares and his ramble to try and explain to the other had not been heard. Jack’s hesitation seemed to bring out another sigh from Sandy, “More has happened tonight?”

“We fought. North, Bunny and Tooth turned up and fought us. North nearly died with his sleigh crashing to the floor. I asked Pitch to spare them… well, I reminded him that they were my friends once.”

Pitch understands the bonds a history between people can hold and their importance, I would think by now he knows that there are some bonds that are not his to break.” Whatever that meant went right over Jack’s head again and he could not find himself able to question it, Sandy did not look well, or rather he did not look as he had in the last dream from the previous night, he looked much weaker and Jack worried it was because he was fading out completely. “He will try to have you break them yourself, because it is only the involved parties that truly have the power to do so.” Jack supposed that could be true of Pitch trying to big him up in front of the Guardians, it would explain why he had done so, but he had promised to end them if ever they interfered again too, so he was not leaving it all to just Jack and his unique ability to break all of the chances of friendships he was given.

“He’s too strong, Sandy. I’ve helped him gain too much power and too many nightmares.” Jack took a breath himself and eyed the reluctant little man in front of him. “He used nightmare men tonight, they took children off the streets.”

At last, Sandy lifted his head, little flecks of dreamsand falling from his hair as faded golden eyes looked directly at Jack. Spurred on he was sure by whatever it was he knew would happen to the children that were taken. “He has only taken children once before and it was in an age long before you could imagine. The first of the children he took he turned into fearlings, if he is creating them, then this is far more serious than you could understand.” He grimaced and flickered again, curling tighter in on himself, but he was quick to look back to Jack.

“I have seen a fearling, like a strange and small shadowy thing looks like a morphed carrot with arms? It just ran away when it saw me.” Jack remembered that odd encounter and he had thought nothing of it, Pitch told him not to worry about it. Only for the look on the Sandman’s face, Jack thought he should have very much been worrying about it the whole time. “What are they?”

They are part of what I and others spent millennia capturing and imprisoning for the protection of all. Fearlings, nightmare men and dream pirates, Jack these things are dangerous, not just in dreams. You must find those children and save them. For their sake and certainly for everyone else’s.” There was just a hint of fear and dread in Sandy’s expression, a little waver in his voice that was not just exhaustion but genuine terror at the very thought of fearlings. If they were made from captured children then Jack could certainly understand, but it sounded too like there was a history there he would have to one day ask about. “Pitch is possessed by a horde of Dream Pirates, he is an entity of the darkest and the worst of existence, host to tens of thousands of them…” Sandy frowned again and rubbed a little hand over his face slowly. “It is too long a story for me to try and explain to you now, you must stop him.”

He had never seen Sandy afraid, the calm and sleepy man seemed unflappable, even in Pitch shooting him in the back, the brave little man had refused to cave into fear but there was clearly much more to Pitch’s plan than Jack knew and he could feel his chest tightening, cold breath leaving him as he nearly panted with the sense that it was only going to get worse. He had helped Pitch take control from the Guardians, to bring about fear and Jack wondered what else he had helped unleash to have the Dream Weaver so startled. He was just one sprite who had only just gained a few believers, one spirit that had managed to isolate himself from all those that might have helped him, weak to Pitch’s authority. One barely recognised frost sprite against tens of thousands of the worst of existence? What chance did he have alone? “I can’t beat him. I’m not as strong as him. I—I—I’m not strong enough, not in control enough to beat him.” Jack panicked and found himself tucking up as Sandy was too, trying to breathe in all of his thoughts, he had gone too far, he had ruined everything like he always did.

You must. Protect the children and weaken his hold over them. You are stronger now, in using you, Pitch has made you so purposefully or not. You must stand up to him.” Sandy insisted, faded golden eyes glaring as if looking straight through him. “They need you, you are all they have.” His words brought Jack no comfort as he felt himself needing to pace, needing to move and try to let out his worried energy. He sprang to his feet and started to walk from left to right in the darkness around them, his mind trying hard to work out what it was he could do, how on earth he could weaken fear itself when he did not even know what his centre was. Hands once more found their way into his hair as he tugged and pulled at it as if it might help. True, Jack was stronger than he had ever been but he had meant that he did not have the strength in him to betray Pitch, after all he had been kind to him… mostly. He had brought him everything he wanted, Jack even had a home now.

He stole a look to the golden man who had uncurled himself and was leaning against the floor of the darkness on his hands as if trying to stand. He was right of course, he still had to do something, he did not agree with what Pitch was seemingly doing. “You said you and others fought to imprison these dream pirates? Pitch? So how did you do it, tell me how?” Jack begged as Sandy’s left arm shook under the weight of himself.

Head on, but that will not work when you are outnumbered. Pitch is a master strategist.” Sandy surrendered his left arm and put himself on his side instead, curled once again and looking as if he was about to fall asleep. Jack reached out to try to help sit him up again, to keep him awake, but as he had before, he seemed to be constantly and tantalisingly just out of his reach, which did not stop him from repeatedly trying regardless. “But that is his weakness as well as his strength, for who better to weave between his confidence and plans than the unpredictable Jack Frost himself?” He managed a smile up to Jack and it caused him to freeze in his attempts to reach him as if Sandy had just struck him in the chest. Could he outsmart Pitch? Was that even possible? Jack swallowed and a dread set in like a cruel damp.

“I can’t do this, Sandy. He’s too clever, I don’t know how to weaken him and part of me, deep down might not want to, I owe him and respect him too much.” A confession that seemed to break Sandy’s heart, his smile falling from his face and his gaze turning away from Jack once again to curl in so tightly that his face was barely visible save for his right ear and the unruly hair. “Sandy?” Jack tried to get his attention again, “I want to help, I want to be on the other side of this, but I can’t face him alone.” He couldn’t, but maybe Sandy could? If Sandy could gain enough strength maybe he could fight him head on as he had said. “The nightmare that carries you, she has a hair in her mane that is your dreamsand, does that not mean you can come back?”

Sandy sighed once again as Jack looked over him and waited for an answer, he was not sure if he had upset the other so much that his nightmares would simply continue or if Sandy might have actually been asleep even in a dream. “I do not know. I have not had to ‘come back’ before.” Jack had to think about that one for a moment, Sandy had not actually been resurrected before? Did that mean he had been alive that whole time? Was that the same for Pitch? Sandy seemed to pick up on his thoughts as he added on quite reluctantly, “You can try it, take the nightmare out with you, take it somewhere where I can try to send a dream.”

“And if you send a dream, what then?” Jack prompted, worried that whatever plan they were going to try might not have an ending just yet, not for the way Sandy seemed to be slipping into a sleep.

I can send instructions, I have one idea that might work. However, that will have to remain between myself and whomever it is that I can reach. I do not do this to keep you in the dark, but for the nature of the task, secrecy is an important aspect.” Whatever it was he was talking about, Sandy was not sharing and for a moment Jack was reminded of the issues he was having with Pitch not sharing information with him, his brow furrowed but he gave a nod regardless, he owed it to Sandy to trust him.

“I’ll take the nightmare with me specifically when we try again tomorrow. I’ll come up with something to have Pitch let me do it.” Jack surrendered, he would have to trust the weakening dream weaver, even if it did not seem like he even knew if his plan would work either. What would happen if it failed completely and Sandy vanished altogether? What would Jack do then? Would it matter if there was nothing to counter his fear anyway? “If this gains you strength, what will you do then?”

We will have to see what it is that it does first. Each bridge as it comes, Jack, one at a time.” Excused the other in a soft and sleep filled manner as he kept himself curled. Looking at the little ball of golden sand, Jack’s heart just kept sinking further into his chest. Even if Sandy did manage to somehow manifest again, he would be nowhere near as strong as Pitch. “Courage is the opposite of fear, Jack. If you are serious about this, you are going to have to draw on your own to make a difference.”

“I’ll do my best for you, Sandy… I’m—” He paused as something didn’t seem quite right, the halls of Pitch’s lair were emerging from the darkness again, the grand pillars and shadowed doorways coming into familiar being. Jack looked back to Sandy but he had vanished again as he had done before, gone from the dream as if plucked right out of his head.

“Jack!” A smooth voice called from the shadows, “Wake up, Jack.”

In an instant, his heart leapt and hammered at his chest, Jack’s eyes sprang open and he sat up straight, coming face to face with Pitch grinning down at him, the tail of the nightmare just sliding by the door frame as she walked out of the room. It was clear the Nightmare King was feeding off his fright but he seemed to be trying not to show it as long fingers landed on his shoulders and gently pushed him back down against the bed.

“I was just coming to check you were alright, your side must still be hurting.” Pitch gestured to his ribs and produced from his robes a small pot of some sort of cream. “You were stabbed after all.” He laughed as if it was something to laugh about and Jack instantly went to check his side. There was no wound there to suggest he had been stabbed, nor did he remember a stabbing pain. He was sure it had just been Tooth’s fist that hit him and not a blade… but it might have explained why it hurt so much.

“This is something I forcefully borrowed off of a healing spirit.” Pitch elaborated as he handed Jack the wooden pot. “It should take away any pain you have.” The Nightmare King promised before standing to his full height again and moving for the door. “Put it on and get some rest, I’ll make sure the nightmares don’t bother you.”

Hardly a comfort, if nothing else Jack still had more he wanted to discuss with Sandy. As his mind worked away at the idea that Tooth had stabbed him, Jack looked over the contents of the wooden pot and let the words ‘it should take away any pain you have’ ring about in his head for a few beats. “Thank you, I will… and thank you for going to forcefully borrow it too.” Jack cracked a smile at him and shivered a little as Pitch cackled quietly to himself before leaving again.

No way in the Moon was Jack going to apply that cream, Pitch had said he would be honest with him, Jack knew only if it came to asking the right questions and he was starting to see that Pitch’s sliver tongue was more than just a physical description of it. The cream could well stop him feeling any pain but pain came in all sorts of ways and he was certain that it would numb him to the effect that Sandy was so scared of in his dream, to whatever it was Pitch would do with the fearlings and the nightmare men, even maybe to stop him pining over the friendships he once had with the Guardians. Jack would have to be smart, he would have to be unpredictable.

Notes:

Not usually something I would do in posting chapters here, but I have to say that this chapter brought some struggles because I very nearly took this whole thing in a completely different direction. However, I decided to stick to my original plan for this story that was written up two years ago and stay true to what worked as the plot of the time.

With that confession in mind, I have then come up with a plot for another fic regarding just our Nightmare King and Starling. I am determined to finish 'A Darker Path' before I start anything else though, so be relieved that I am not abandoning the project, merely allowing space for more to come in the future. As a small glimpse if anyone is interested, the new fic would be titled 'A Fate Worse Than Death' because by now you all should know I am dramatic as heck.

I really hope the rest of 'A Darker Path' lives up to your patient expectations and I do hope when the time comes for 'A Fate Worse Than Death' to be published, you might see just how much of a 'Darker Path' I nearly took you on here.

All the best and always with many thanks,

-Snoozie

Chapter 10: No Rest For The Wicked

Summary:

Jack does his best to do as Sandy suggested

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Jack sat up and wiped down his face, rubbing his eyes and trying to wake up properly, Sandy still had the magic touch it seemed. He pulled off his hoodie with some strife for the pain in his side and he searched his ribs and under his arm for a wound but could not find one. Had he simply healed or had Pitch lied about Tooth’s blade? Having never been struck by them, were they perhaps magical and did not cause open wounds? Maybe she really did just have a considerably vicious punch. Jack managed just the smallest huff of a laugh to himself at the thought. Oh, how he missed laughing, he missed hearing and seeing it too. It was such a short-lived moment as his mind’s eye flashed the faces of the children in the windows looking out at him, scared as the remaining Guardians escaped… he was glad Sandy had not seen that.

He had to make things right, Sandy had said it was up to him and while he could not or still maybe would not fight Pitch, the dreamweaver certainly would if only he could. There was work to be done then, Jack pulled his hoodie back on and picked up his staff to lean on it, unsteady at first but not so injured that he could not walk. He swallowed his fear and walked out of the room, through the halls of Nightmare Men, their glowing eyes unsettling him despite his best efforts in search of Pitch. Would he ever be able to look up at the night sky again and not feel a twinge of unease for the glow of the stars? He would hate that reality!

“What are you doing up, Jack?” Called Pitch’s smooth voice, the Boogieman evidently hidden in the horde of shadowed figures all around them. “You should be resting, I need you strong if we are to finish what we started. By the end of this, Jack, there will not be a living thing on this planet that does not know who you are, even the trees will shake their leaves at your approach.” He bragged almost cheerily and Jack wondered just how much of an act Pitch might have been putting on for him or if it all truly was genuine.

“I want to work, I want to make up for… for interfering.” Jack tried as his excuse and decided to put on his own act, guilt would maybe work as he took a very strange and twisted moment to imagine he was saying those exact words to North. The image didn’t sit and quickly faded away as he tried to give no room for protest or interruption. “I need to be out, I feel like I need to interact with the wind somehow, I will take out some of the nightmares on a job, maybe to two or three places to build up their strength too, please Pitch.”

Pitch’s tall form straightened right out until he was towering over Jack, a brow raised as he was clearly putting his mind to work on something. Nightmare Men blinked and murmured around them but Jack held his ground, trying so very hard not to let his nerves show. “You can choose where we go, please, Pitch I just want a simple outing.”

He seemed to like the idea of being able to chose where Jack would go, not that Jack imagined he would have been given that freedom anyway, “And what if the Guardians show up?”

Ah. What if they did? Jack slipped into a silence for a moment before a frown appeared, he had to try to get Sandy back, no matter what, he was the only one that could influence belief enough to regain his own strength, maybe even in a single night if Jack was careful enough. He had to trust Sandy and hope that his plan, though a risk, would work. “I will cook up a storm so big they will have no choice but to abandon whatever they’re doing.” He promised and gripped his staff that bit tighter, Pitch’s eyes drifting to the whites of his knuckles and believing him with a slow and careful nod.

“Very well, Jack if you insist.” Pitch allowed and put his fingers to his mouth to whistle loud and sharp, a summons of his nightmares. Jack heard the hooves, was he really giving him all of them? “From here, get to Orhei then to Port Macquarie and finally… Burgess before home.” Pitch grinned knowingly at him, Jack not realising that he had given away that there was someone in the final town that he had been really quite fond of.

“I will get it done.” Jack forced out with a serious nod, moved towards the heard of nightmares, ignoring the shadow men as he raised his staff as if it might grant them his attention, he hoped it would do something though or he would really look rather foolish. He was not expecting one of the mares to approach him and offer up her side for him to climb onto. Jack did not stop to check if it was the mare, it had to be, right? And as long as he had the whole herd, what did it matter? Sandy was in there somewhere and that was all the little golden man said he had wanted. Pitch seemed both surprised and pleased at the scene though and clapped his hands together with a crack of a laugh and applause. Jack didn’t wait for any more than that, feeling that little bit of a high for the approval in Pitch’s face, despite everything. He breathed in and let out a cold and strong breath that pulled the wind with him, cue enough to send the herd out into the skies as he made for his first target. All he had to do now was play his part.

When he and the nightmares crossed into Moldova, Jack dismounted and just let the wind carry him as he apparently escorted the nightmares on their rounds. Orhei was manageable enough to be trampled through without too much of a hinderance, children woke from disturbed sleep as the nightmares raced through the settlement mercilessly. Lights turned on in nearly every bedroom window as children and adults were startled awake from their worst of dreams. It had barely been a half hour and the herd was on the move again, Jack trying desperately to see just any hint of the dreamsand in a mane somewhere but there were too many for him to be able to spot the one he so desperately wanted to check. What if the attempt had pulled Sandy from the nightmaresand never to be seen again?

He kept up with the herd still, fretting silently as he went, the black mass under him twisting and swirling ferociously even as they passed by villages and towns along their long route across the globe. It seemed that most would be granted a peaceful sleep that night, dreamless, no doubt but also free from nightmares and his own ice storms. A blessing in disguise perhaps? After a few hours of galloping to stay in the perfect hours of night across the globe and they reached Port Macquarie. Some lights in the city were not turned off, some people no longer bothered to try to sleep as the nightmares raced through the streets and into the rooms of as many sleeping individuals as there were. There were more people there, Jack could hear some of the screams that time, children wailing for their terror, the mares flaring and rearing excitedly as they hurtled through the population. It took longer that time, bordering on an hour before the herd gathered in a swarm on the edge of the waves, ready to cross the Pacific and get back to Burgess. With a heavy heart, Jack lead the way, not daring to try to mount one of the mares now they were riled up. “I hope this works, Sandy.” Jack whispered to himself as they took off over the ocean.

Hours passed as they chased that same nightmare hour over the Ocean, a few of the mares had drifted off on the long haul, no doubt sensing opportunity elsewhere and Burgess was simply not big enough for all of them to rampage through. He had promised he would go there though and he stuck to his word, he told himself it was for appearances sake but really he did not want to betray Pitch any more than he already had. Cold, sad eyes landed on the familiar sight, covered in the heaviest of snow as the nightmares landed and scattered about through the small town. Jack went and landed on one of the rooftops, looking around and seeing no snowmen, no sledge tracks, nothing to suggest any fun. Only wobbling footprints and skids. He turned his gaze to a familiar window and hesitated before he decided that he simply had to know. He effortlessly jumped to the pane and peered inside.

Jamie was sound asleep, frowning but still and seemingly undisturbed. There was a nightmare in there already of course, she was breathing over him with determination and Jack winced apologetically at the sight. Just one more bad dream, he hoped, and it would all stop. Not wanting to watch the nightmare do her work, Jack stole a look around Jamie’s room. There were no longer images drawn up of the times he had with his friends in the snow, the soft rabbit toy was nowhere to be seen and even the photographs of Christmas and of Jamie holding up his lost tooth proudly were all gone. Jack sighed and lowered himself to the snow below, he had failed not only the guardians but Jamie and all the other children that depended on him for their winter fun days. He did not wait to see the light turn on, rushing away to chase after another mare who seemed to have finished her work and was heading to the rendezvous point.

Screams echoed again through the little town, lights turned on in every house and the cloud of nightmares once again gathered around him, ready to return home for now. Jack climbed onto the back of one of the mares and off they all hurtled back to Pitch’s lair. Part of Jack had hoped that he might have encountered one of the guardians, just so he might have the chance to explain his plan to them, that they should trust him and that he truly was so very sorry, another much more sensible part of himself knew it had been for the best that his journey had not been interrupted. He clutched a hand to his aching side again as he thought about his once friends, the touch yielded no pain though and Jack felt a wash of relief that just maybe he had been right about the fresh air and his own recovery. Sure, there was still a dull ache but it was much better than before, a positive distraction if ever he had one.

Just a few minutes later and the horde were back and gathering in the gloomy halls. Jack dismounted again and even spared an absent pat at the neck of the mare that carried him, his hand slipping through the black sand the moment he tried, he was not to be granted that permission of praise.

“Frost!” His name thundered through the shadows and the mares whinnied and huddled together away from Jack as Pitch made his approach, something pinched in his fingers. Jack’s heart raced and in his own startled stance he forgot that he should not have shown any fear, the mares behind him flared their nostrils at him hungrily and even Pitch seemed to embrace that wash of panic. “What in shadow’s name is this?” He demanded as he showed what was held in his long fingers, pinched between them was the smallest golden grain, sleep from his eye, it had to have been!

“I-“ Jack began but Pitch loomed over him, pointed teeth on show in a wicked and wrathful snarl as shadows seemed to engulf him. Oh, please not the cage again he begged silently as he slammed his eyes shut in denial.

“It is dreamsand. A grain of dreamsand in your room. Do you have any idea what this means?” He demanded furiously. Jack could feel him leaning right in, the shudder of discomfort all over his body evidence enough of that. “You stupid boy!” Pitch hissed, “You have had a dream haven’t you?!” Wait. Jack opened his eyes and looked to Pitch carefully, forgetting his own mask, there was no point in it now but the nostrils that flared behind him were also flaring at Pitch too… he was scared. Maybe the plan would work after all.

Long fingers went to get a hold in Jack’s white hair, tugging at him angrily and painfully to try and keep his attention as he once again showed him the grain of dreamsand. “There should be no more of this, Frost! Not unless you have found his island! Not unless any of you-“ He directed his anger at the herd of mares, most of them startling back in fright and darting around each other to not face the blame, “have found the island yet!” He roared at them all, “Useless beasts!” His fingers did not relent in Jack’s hair as he pulled him to show him the startled nightmaresand creatures. “You’re about as oblivious as them, do you have any idea what you have done?!”

Jack’s eyes watered for the pain in his head and side, he had not noticed his hand had landed on Pitch’s wrist to try and free himself. His surroundings blurred for his tears and his expectation to once again land in the merciless cage in total darkness. The black sand blending with the gloom of the halls around him, dull, colourless and cruel… save for a patch of light, something glowing gold. He blinked away his tears at Pitch’s gasp to see that stood there before them was a mare who’s face, neck, mane, chest and right shoulder were unmistakably turning back into dreamsand. She tossed her head and reared up angrily waving her front hooves as her other shoulder rapidly started to turn gold too.

No!” Bellowed Pitch as he threw Jack aside with such little effort that he found himself hurtled across the room into the sea of Nightmare Men. His head hit the floor with a hollow ‘clunk’ and then he was greeted by total darkness and for the first time in a long time, total peace took over. No nightmares, no dreams, no thoughts, just nothingness, out like a light.

Notes:

Another probable one shot popped out from this chapter as I was writing it, I am not finished with that one yet but I will probably post it after A Darker Path is finished. Again, sorry for the long wait but... well, I don't need to tell you what's been going on. This one is a shorter one but there is a big one on the way very soon!

I hope you are all doing well and keeping safe.

More chapters are on the way

-Snoozie

Chapter 11: A Sight for Sore Eyes

Summary:

Pitch and Sandy face off once again and Jack finally thinks he has chosen a side

Chapter Text

Ringing and rumbling noises were perhaps the most annoying sounds Jack knew in that moment. Why couldn’t everyone and everything just be silent? He furrowed his brow and pushed a hand to his aching head. A hiss of pain escaped him as he touched on a bruise, that had been quite the throw it seemed. Someone was shouting, hollering madly actually, he supposed he should really check what was going on, that way he could at least see who it was he was going to throw a snowball at. His eyes opened slowly, showing… more darkness? He groaned and rubbed at his aching head again, just managing to muster the sense to turn himself onto his back and try again. He peeked between barely open eyelashes and caught a flash of gold above him. Too bright! He complained to himself and shielded his eyes with his other arm. The ringing in his ear faded away all the more as the rumbles became clearer. The steps of hundreds of footsteps vibrating through the floor and making his head burn in pain.

He took a breath and tried to focus himself, to ground himself so he could move and get away from those loud people and bright things. Selfish. There was a distinct voice in the shouting, a commanding voice that ordered “Stop him! Climb and pull it apart!” That was Pitch, wasn’t it? Pitch Black. PITCH! Jack forced his eyes open, reluctant as they were for the ache in his head, he still managed to squint enough to see Pitch flying around on a nightmaresand crow, chasing after a golden manta ray? Sandy. The ray was much bigger than the nightmare had been, though still significantly smaller than the crow, it appeared much more nimble and Jack was not sure if his eyes were simply not able to keep up or if the dreamsand was genuinely much faster than the nightmaresand.

Shadows started to climb up the pillars of the hall, thousands of grabbing hands reaching up to climb ever higher in a mass of relentless shadow on the walls, each gaining a form only because of the blinding glow from the ray as it sped and swooped expertly through the halls, gathering up nightmares as they galloped away and turning them back into gold. There was more noise, much higher pitched than the low growls of the Nightmare Men and Pitch’s barked orders. The fairies were going wild in the other room, cheering and Jack was certain he could hear a few vigorous chants coming from them too. The ray swooped low over him, dragging with it a long tail of dreamsand, the Ray was getting brighter, whatever it was that Sandy had done, it was clearly working.

Pitch swooped in low on his crow not a heartbeat later, the wind from the wings even managing to knock Jack’s hand away from his head. Right, yes he was supposed to help. He went to sit up, pulling his sore head from the frost patterned floor with no such luck, the pain surging through his skull and demanding that he just stay where he was for a little while longer. All he could do was watch. The ray flew about for what felt like forever, Nightmare Men towers were knocked over and then rebuilt, the crow screeched, and Pitch yelled several disgruntled swears at the room in general. He shot arrow after arrow at the dreamsand beast with no such luck, it had clearly learned from the last attack. A few more laps of the same sequence saw the ray stop with no warning whatsoever, the ray disintegrated into a whirlwind of bright and glowing dreamsand in mid-air, sucking in some of the remaining nightmares and even some of the feathers from the crow in a bright gold vortex.

Pitch pulled away with what was left of his colossal beast and pulled out his scythe, ready to battle whatever would come from that dreamsand. Inside the golden whirlwind a gentle white light appeared, akin to a star at night that started to get closer and brighter until a familiar shape formed in the light and sand. The little golden man was back, unruly hair and all! Jack felt the smile on his face well after it had formed, there was hope again at last, Sandy would be able to bring back a balance and Jack could redeem himself to everyone, he could protect Pitch while also helping the Guardians in their duties.

The little man hovered in the air for a moment, golden eyes stealing a look around the room as Pitch cursed and started to swing his weapon over his head with an almighty roar. It had not been needed though, Sandy seemed to fall from the air, not fast enough to cause himself any damage but it was not as controlled as his former graceful agility usually boasted. His little feet landed on the dark floor and he stumbled forwards a few steps to regain his balance. Pitch did not bring his scythe down, instead it stayed up above his head as he watched the other in front of him. A moment of stillness and silence passed, no Nightmare Man murmured, no fairy cheered, not even Jack could muster a noise of complaint at his aching head. Then, Pitch began a deep and gleefully dark laugh that tore into the quiet, bouncing off the tall halls and echoed in the uncertain hums of laughter from the Nightmare Men.

“Ah Sandman, you bring me a great gift.” Pitch hummed and lowered his weapon again, letting it fade back into his robes as he stepped towards Sandy, “Look at you, timid and dull looking, little man. You came back just to let me kill you all over again.” He laughed and straightened out to his full height, exaggerating himself with the shadows around him. Sandy stood stubbornly before him, his hands in fists and an expression so vicious, Jack found himself wondering if perhaps it was not truly the benevolent little dreamweaver after all. “You tried to tamper with my head didn’t you? I remember. Little wisps of your lies all over again.” He pointed to his own temple, had Sandy spoken to Pitch in dreams too? “When it didn’t work on me, you had to pick someone else, someone less able and easy to guilt into doing your bidding.” Pitch pointed in Jack’s general direction. “Oh, you got into his head alright. You can’t have him at his full potential now can you, no one gets sweet dreams in the cold now do they?”

Jack felt his chest freeze for a moment, was that true? Sandy had been the one to put doubt into his mind, make him question his loyalty to Pitch. Well, no that was not true, he had told him he had to make a choice and pick a side. It seemed as if he was still yet to do that. In all fairness, he had said he was bad at deadlines. His eyes landed on the dreamweaver again, he looked even worse than he had in his dreams, exhausted even. Maybe this had not been such a good idea, maybe it was not the right time, they should have found Sleepy Sands first, just somewhere safe until Sandy was strong enough. Hindsight truly was so very clear.

Sandy did not speak, his voice preserved only for dreams, Pitch seemed to be waiting for a response but Sandy did nothing, he did not move to throw the first strike, nor did he change his stance at all in preparation for an attack. Jack felt his stomach churning with worry as he looked at the pair, though when he studied Pitch, it was obvious that he was taken aback by the lack of an attack, or a defence, in fact, Sandy did not seem all that interested in him, yes he held his gaze but he was doing something else? Jack figured it was perhaps a cue for him to do something and the sprite again tried to push himself up right, managing to prop himself up on his elbows but no higher as his head ached. He hissed and managed to lean himself against a piece of furniture to keep watch. Then he heard it, just the faintest of whimpers, a cry of sadness and fear of a child somewhere in the lair.

That seemed to have been the battle cry Sandy had been waiting for, in a flash, his whips had formed and stirred up what sand lay around him and within reach, pulling it in at his feet while his whips lashed out without pause, cracking at Nightmare Men and banishing them back into the shadows. Pitch roared and charged towards Sandy, swinging his scythe and causing him to leap backwards, a cloud of dreamsand still gathering at his feet as he dodged the blade. His whip snapped around the middle of the scythe and Pitch dropped it to form another one on his other side to swing at him instead. The duel continued as such, Pitch swinging and Sandy snapping him away where he could not dodge. Nightmare Men gathered around the fighting pair, their hands reaching out to snatch at the Guardian, either getting whipped away or having to retract to avoid the blade of their master. Jack found his view of the battle obscured, he could not allow that, he had to move and stop this! Stop them both before they destroyed each other. He pushed himself forward and for the reluctance of his head, crawled his way to the edge of the circle to peer between translucent legs.

Sandy’s fierce expression remained and Pitch’s determination to end him once and for all was clear enough, “Stop!” Jack tried but his voice was easily drowned out by Pitch’s roar and the cheers of the Nightmare Men or fairies. “Stop!” He tried again, his voice straining for his attempts but to no avail, he was either going unheard or ignored by the night-time spirits. How ironic could it have been that he had finally gained believers that could see and hear him only to find himself ignored by his fellow spirits? He huffed to himself and rubbed his head again in frustration before banging his fist to the floor, sending a burst of frost across the stone, knocking over several Nightmare Men around him.

Pitch stole a glance to see what had happened, grey eyes landed on Jack and a disbelieving glare started to form before Sandy cracked one of his whips around his ankle and pulled him to the floor. “NO!” Jack shouted again as Pitch was dragged towards Sandy! Oh, what had he done?! The Nightmare Men surged forward to free Pitch, while others grabbed at Sandy and pulled him to the floor too, trying to grab at handfuls of sand to pull the Guardian apart. The dreamsand cloud that had formed rushed over itself and through the Nightmare Men as little rays of light appeared between them in short bursts. Pitch was untangled in a matter of moments and he was back up on his feet, scrambling wildly towards the crowd of Nightmare Men gathered over Sandy. “This is it for you, I will see to it that there is nothing left! Not a grain of dust! I will destroy you!”

Jack could not wait any longer, he forced himself to his feet and charged to the crowd too, he could not lose Sandy again and certainly not forever. “Get back!” He bellowed and pulled at the shoulders of the Nightmare Men, his hand passing through them time and time again, but he could then just force his way through! It was like passing through dark water, blinkered and gloomy, only the bursts of white or gold were his clues for direction as he waded through the mass. His mind reeled with images of breaking through the ice in the lake to be greeted by the Man in the Moon that long time ago. Diving to try and get his teeth back from the ocean waves to no avail. He felt something solid hit him in the shoulder and found he had reached the centre of the circle, knocked by Pitch’s elbow as he tried to reach the Guardian on the floor.

“Stop!” Jack yelled again, moving to catch Pitch’s elbow as his arms came down with the scythe. Once again, he came face to face with Pitch’s wrath as shadows wrapped around him and tried to pull at his clothes and hair. No, he had enough of that, he was not going to be punished for having his say! In a rage, Jack formed ice all over himself, it crackled and spiked with a cold mercilessness until he could not contain it any longer and he unleashed it like an explosion! Ice shards flew in all directions. His ice seemed to have an effect on the Nightmare Men, several of them closest to him vanished as they did after being struck by Sandy’s whips, forming a clearing of shadows with Pitch, Sandy and Jack in the middle, illuminated by Sandy’s glow. For a long moment Jack could only look at his frosted fingers in some disbelief, he did not have his staff, did he even need it anymore? He looked up to check on the others, both nightspirits eyeing him warily for his display.

The shards had landed in Pitch, who furiously hit them away from his arm and leg when he came to his senses. Sandy also had to pick a few out from his side while sand swirled around him that bit faster now he had opportunity. It was abundantly clear that Sandy could not face Pitch alone, he was not strong enough for that yet, but the Guardian did not move to strike Jack nor Pitch while Jack seemed to have control of the moment. His head pounded and demanded that he lie down again and just rest a while but he refused, though he had not thought out his move at all, now he had the moment he felt it slipping away as quickly and unexpectedly as it had come. That was the secret though, wasn’t it? Unpredictability. He stared at Pitch, just able to tell that the cogs in his head were turning with strategy and anger.

Jack formed a snowball and threw it at Pitch’s shoulder, not to harm him but to stagger his thought processing. He had to ignore the scoff of surprise that came from him, “Listen.” Jack demanded. “I need you to back off. I don’t want to hurt you but I have to protect him.” His words caused Pitch to snarl and gather the shadows around him until there was nothing left of the hall to see, the remaining nightmares stalked in closer and the Nightmare Men crept forward to close the circle in on them.

Sandy was back on his feet beside him, the cloud of dreamsand swirling around Jack’s feet too as his whips reformed, ready to strike. Jack could have sworn he saw him wobble on his feet beside him but in that moment he could do nothing to ensure Sandy’s protection from just falling over. All he thought he could do was stand with him and not allow him to throw him from the fight as he did before.

“He lied to you, Jack.” Pitch complained irritably, “We have been through this, remember, he could have made dreams about you, given you believers like I have done in the only way I can. I’m not a dreamweaver, Jack, I’m the Nightmare King.” Pitch hissed and glared at Jack accusingly, “After everything I have done for you, you would interfere all over again? Just when I thought you were starting to get interesting.” Jack paused, remembering their conversations and the slow disillusionment with Sandy after he had been able to think about what the other was fully capable of. “He helps his friends, Jack. Our enemies so they can maintain control. He’s an imbalance, an unfair advantage that he could have used to help you at any time in the past.” Jack glanced down at Sandy, Pitch was right. The little man could have woven dreams about him at any point in his life but had never seemed to bother. No child saw him. “He does not even belong here, he was never supposed to be here.”

Sandy’s fierce expression shifted quite blatantly to more of an annoyed and accusing look at Pitch, his hands landing on his hips and his toe tapping on the floor moodily. Sand symbols then erupted over his head, transitioning frighteningly fast from one thing to another. Jack made out a shooting star, a sailing ship, harpoons but the sand only moved faster, and Sandy began to furiously point as he silently accused Pitch of something Jack could only guess. He wished he had taken the time to learn what the other said through his symbols, then he would not have felt so excluded from the conversation. He would have tried harder to understand but his head still pounded, and he could not concentrate on what was being suggested.

Pitch scoffed at whatever Sandy had argued, a cruel snarl curling at his lips. “Maybe you simply were not as good a pilot as you thought you were. And now we have proof that you are not as good a friend as others think.” Sandy puffed sand out of his ears in anger at the accusation and Jack sighed heavily that he was once again being left in the dark about whatever they were arguing about. Surely he was the one Sandy should have been trying to talk to, to apologise for never making an effort, just something while he had taken his side in that fight.

“Enough.” Jack sighed and saw the sand symbols melt away over the dreamweaver’s hair. “I don’t know why you never sent dreams out about me to help me gain believers, it hurts that it never occurred to you that I needed that leg up.” Sandy seemed to be responding but Jack ignored him and looked to Pitch next to get his own argument in against the Bogeyman. “But you’re wrong, he’s the key to balance and that is what we need to happen again. There is not point in trying to scare people all the time because then they will become braver and you will have to become scarier.” He did not think he had it in him to keep mustering up devastating snowstorms over the world again and again, he did not want to be hated, that simply was not his centre. Jack looked back to Sandy again and sand symbols began to shift over his head again, a set of ‘Z’s was all he saw before they were gone in a flash and Sandy’s whips were out again, clashing with Pitch’s scythe again.

Jack leapt back to avoid being struck by either shadow or whip as Pitch raised his other arm out in front of him and let out a deafening and terrifying roar. With it the Nightmare Men charged forward all at once, surrounding Sandy and Jack with ease, climbing on top of one another to tower over them as translucent hands snatched at Jack’s hoodie, pulled at his hair and tugged handfuls of it out mercilessly. Pitch’s blade appeared mercilessly persistent in trying to strike either one of them, Sandy using his sand to keep Nightmare hands from him while he tried to strike away Pitch’s relentless attack on himself and Jack. Sandy was struggling though, even while Jack was being rushed by thousands of shadowed hands, he could nearly feel the exhaustion of Sandy beside him.

Refusing to be pulled apart while Sandy could not help, Jack reached out in whatever direction he could and called the wind to his aid. It did not take long before the Nightmare Men were blown off of him, Jack even saw a few of them disintegrating as loose grains of dreamsand passed through them on the wind. Sandy seemed to notice it too as he whipped away another of the nightmare men with one hand, Pitch’s scythe with another whip before he threw his hand towards Jack and conjured nearly a wisp of dreamsand to be caught by the wind Jack was guiding. He did not think he needed clearer communication from the dreamweaver as Jack directed the wind and the dreamsand around the room, wiping out Nightmare Men as it circled them.

NO!” Cried Pitch as he formed from the shadows beside them, bringing his scythe down furiously onto the pair. In a panic, Jack hurled ice at his master not realising that in the exact same moment, Sandy had pushed a wave of dreamsand at his enemy too. The ice and the sand met against the Bogeyman in a crackle of gold and turquoise. It rumbled and creaked as it solidified, capturing Pitch in a sparkling wall. His arms were stuck over his head and his legs were impossible to make out in the strange combination, his head however was free as he looked around his restraint in confusion and shock.

It was enough of a pause for the Sandman who wasted no time in turning on the Nightmare Men now his main attacker was immobile. Jack found himself flinching for the way in which Sandy struck at the shadows, his whips cracking against numerous figures only to cause them to vanish into shadow, no white eyes left to show they held any form. It was clear Sandy was furious, Jack could not blame him, but he seemed to have lost all semblance of the benevolent, sleepy man Jack thought he was. “I chose my side so very long ago.” Echoed in his head from their talks in his dreams, Jack thought it was quite blatantly shown in his attacks.

“Stop him!” Pitch ordered Jack from his new prison, Jack tuned his head to look at Pitch, not at all sure what he should do. Pitch’s silver eyes tried to follow Sandy as his whips grabbed at fleeing Nightmare Men even in retreat. “Jack you must stop him! He’s killing them!” Pitch exclaimed, clearly trying to wiggle his shoulders to free himself. It was such a strange crack in his voice, that note of upset and desperation. These Nightmare Men mattered a great deal to Pitch and he was being forced to witness their slaughter. “Please, Jack.” Pitch begged, silver eyes landing on the sprite in a panic.

Jack looked back to Sandy as he cracked his whips again and again, reaching further into the shadows each time. Maybe Pitch had been right, Sandy was proving himself to be an imbalance for things Jack felt he knew too little about. “Sandy?” Jack called to the dreamweaver. “Sandy, that’s enough, they’re running, let them go.” Jack tried for Pitch’s sake.

Dulled golden eyes landed on him from across the room though as the whips curled at his little feet, still quite solidly on the floor. It was only a few seconds of distraction but what little remained of the white eyes of the Nightmare Men faded into the far shadows of the room and were gone, fleeing the massacre. Sandy glared at Jack when he realised the pause had allowed their escape but somehow Jack was not intimidated, the little dreamweaver had clearly outdone himself in his fit of anger and a heartbeat later, his whips were gone and he had fallen to his hands and knees, exhausted and as Jack stole the chance to look at him properly, squinting for his aching head, he could still see that he was flickering.

“Thank you.” Pitch whispered from beside him, a quick glance his way and Jack saw another exhausted and defeated face. His eyes were closed and what movement he could manage had allowed him to bow his head to avoid having to look at Jack or the Sandman. Truthfully, he doubted it would be a peace that would last too long, Pitch had grown incredibly powerful since he had defeated Sandy all those months ago. Jack figured once the gloom of the lair faded into the darkness of the night brought with it, Pitch would be free from his strange prison and on the loose again, just without his army of nightmares or Nightmare Men.

“I’m sorry you had to see that, Pitch, I really am.” He had been awful to him but he had also tried to be good to him, providing him with his own room, bringing him believers and showing him what he could truly do. Jack had not expected Sandy to jump straight into the fight as he had but that was what they had discussed in his dreams, he was just sorry that he had to involve himself at all. It would have been far easier if he had managed to step away from the fight, maybe he should have stayed on the floor where Pitch had thrown him. “But I could not carry on like we were, it wasn’t right. It wasn’t who I am.” Jack turned to check on the Sandman who seemed to have curled into a ball and looked to be fighting off sleep.

“And just who exactly are you, Jack? Who’s side are you on?” Pitch quizzed irritably; his voice hurt with betrayal.

“I’m Jack Frost, I’m not on anyone’s side.” He decided and then with one last look over his master, who he thought was his first true friend and mentor, Pitch Black and his bowed head, he stepped away from him and towards the Sandman to see that he was alright.

 

Chapter 12: Redirection

Summary:

Jack has to come to terms with the consequences of his choices and learns to channel his energy in another direction

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“Sandy?” Jack called gently to the guardian. While he knew that they had managed to trap Pitch together, what he understood from their previous talks was that Sandy might have been open to the idea of Jack being on the opposite side to the Guardians and therefore an enemy, he did not want to be on the other end of Sandy’s wrath. The little man lifted his head enough to look at Jack, there was a moment of what seemed like quiet thanks, which brought great comfort, before a frown appeared. Sand lazily and slowly shifted over his head but Jack could not work out what shapes they even were let alone what he was trying to say. “I’m sorry, Sandy, I don’t-“

The Sandman’s hand shot out behind him, pointing a small finger into the shadows of the next room where hundreds of gloomy cages hung, chittering with the tooth fairies. Jack drew in a breath, of course, he should free the fairies! He gave a quiet nod to who he hoped was his friend before he hurried into the other room to start making amends. As he approached the first cage, in all of the chittering he suddenly became aware of how long a journey that was going to be. The fairies hovered in front of him, some had their arms folded and some very purposely turned their back on him, even as he pulled the lock from the door to let them out. “I know, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Jack tried, cold tears pricking at his eyes. How foolish he had been, in only seeing the fairies caged he should have known that he should not have sided with Pitch. His friends had been caged just as he had been but he had done nothing to help them, brought them no peace and had gone as far as to ignore them in their despair and suffering as he sought to appease Pitch.

His head ached and his heart beat heavily in his chest, its pulse thumping right the way down to his stomach, making him feel sick as he moved between the cages to open the doors. His hands shook as he understood the depth of his betrayal that they must have been feeling. He was greeted with much the same from each cage as the doors opened, even the European Mice barely acknowledged him as they hopped out and to the floor, purposefully away from him as they went to check on their flying friends all the same. The chattering increased, relief and reunions bringing with it a happier tone, like a summer’s afternoon at a bird bath. The sound was so contrast to what had filled the halls in recent months, out of place but so very welcome.

Jack came to the last cage near the top of the cavern, there were only a few fairies left inside, stragglers and over spill from the other cages. Jack opened the door as the few inside fluttered out but one remained. She was kneeling at the base of the cage, her hands folded neatly on her lap as she looked up at Jack. Baby Tooth. Her lilac eyes studied him, his face, his hoodie, his eyes. Of all the thousands of fairies in that cavern, it was her gaze that Jack found himself creasing from. Of course she would have been one of the last caught, he had thought she had escaped but so much had happened since Pitch had picked him up.

He had to say something, let her know that he had never meant for things to get so out of control, that he didn’t know Pitch’s plan. That he would have done anything to set her and her siblings free if he had the chance. Jack felt his mouth going dry as he opened it to say something, only to let it clack shut, she deserved more than excuses. He had helped Pitch in his mission to cause such horror and chaos, he was in on at least some of Pitch’s plans and he had multiple opportunities to free the fairies in the past and had just not done so, even going so far as to push all thought of them to the back of his mind as his focus turned only onto what he was to do and his struggle with Pitch. He had failed her. His eyes dropped away and he made sure to keep the door clear for her to leave. “I’m sorry.” He managed, those ice cold tears finally breaking free of the pool that had gathered on his bottom eyelid. He looked into the other room and saw that Sandy was communicating with some of the fairies that had gone over to him and at least they seemed to understand him.

He felt the soft brush of something small against his wrist, a gentle touch from a particularly tiny hand. Jack turned back to see that Baby Tooth was gently touching his arm and looking up to him. Her expression was sad and serious, the complete opposite to the adoration he had received when they had first met. She had been disillusioned with him but still at least seemed to care. Her hand patted at him just twice and she gave the smallest of smiles his way, a quiet understanding but nowhere near forgiveness. Jack wiped away the tears with his sleeve and sniffed in an attempt to steady himself and his thoughts. Baby Tooth looked over to Sandy, gave Jack one more pat and then gracefully flew from the cage and towards the Guardian.

Jack waited, clinging to that cage for a little while longer, his head still pounding and begging him to sleep, not sure if he had any right to join them all below anyway, he just lingered out of the way for now and rubbed his free hand at his head. It seemed as if Sandy had given the fairies orders though as a good few thousand flew or ran out of the lair, no doubt off to do their jobs to help the children where they could. Another thousand or so still remained, watching the Sandman as he shifted sand symbols over his head, they looked worried, but Jack supposed that like him, they were just pleased he was back. His gaze drifted over to Pitch, still trapped in the glittering wall. The Nightmare King’s head was drooped in defeat and his scythe was long gone and he was… asleep? It made sense; Jack imagined it was much easier for Sandy to keep Pitch detained if he was stepping into the reality which Sandy controlled. He just hoped the Sandman was kind in his dreams, Jack was not so sure that benevolence would ever extend to Pitch Black.

There was a shift in the fairies again, many of them had turned their heads to look at Jack, even Sandy was pushing himself up to a sitting position again, with some help from willing fairies. He was needed? Jack carefully made his way back down to the gathering, the fairies clearing a path for him much like the Nightmare Men had done before. Jack shuddered at the thought and indeed the similarities. It seemed as if it all really was two sides of the same coin, the armies just looked different but the power dynamics were still the same. Armies, purposes, ‘centres’. Sandy looked up at him for a moment, sand shifting very carefully and very clearly over his head. An image of Pitch pulling a child’s hand and a question mark. It took Jack a moment before he realised what he was being asked. Where were the stolen children? Jack’s head started shaking before he even realised he was doing so, “I had nothing to do with that, I don’t know where they are. I have not seen the rest of this place, only these two rooms and my own room.” His room. Gone now too he supposed.

Sandy let out a breath, tired but stubborn as he started moving to push himself up to his feet, Jack was quick to offer his hand, holding it out to help him up. For a gut-wrenching moment of panic, Sandy hesitated and let his eyes land on Jack again, the fairies fell silent around them as they just watched the pair. Jack’s arm still shook for his upset and worry that he had burned all the bridges around him. Slowly though, Sandy accepted his offer, his little hand landing in Jack’s as he closed his fingers around him and carefully pulled him to his feet. Jack instantly felt a sense of calm in his touch, a soothing reassurance that everything was going to be okay.

Sandy was heavy though, more so than Jack could ever have expected, and he was not too sure if it was because the weight of his own guilt that Sandy only felt heavy in his head or if the Sandman was actually very heavy in his physical form and it was simply his self-control that made him seem so light and graceful. It took both hands for Jack to get Sandy to stand but the Guardian did not take back his hand, clinging to Jack for the time being, further responsibility, further opportunity to make up for his decisions. Sand shifted over Sandy’s head but it was clearly aimed at the fairies, instructions in the form of a division symbol, a magnifying glass and a child. Jack thought that maybe he was just about starting to understand the little man.

If he was right in his guessing, Sandy had told the others to split up and find the children, this was only confirmed when the fairies either fluttered or ran away in different directions, groups of around ten each splitting off into the shadows, leaving Sandy and Jack alone once again. Jack was suddenly aware of how very like his dreams it all felt, everyone else having faded into shadow, even the gloomy room appearing in monochrome with just the gentle glow from the Sandman as a contrast to the dull and darkness. Jack stood and waited for Sandy to decide what he was going to do, his sad heart settling for the hold of the man’s hand in his, a comfort even if it did not feel deserved. Sandy closed his eyes again as he had done at the start of the fight with Pitch. Listening for the children, sand gracefully swirled from his fingers and made its way through the air, he was sending a dream to someone he must have connected with.

The sand morphed as more was added until the shape of a sea turtle emerged as if flying through the air in slow and controlled beats of its flippers, gliding onwards to find the intended dreamer. Sandy did not move from his position, nor did his eyes open again. Jack wondered if he had already found the children and was talking to them in their sleep as he had done with him. He dared not risk interrupting by asking and once again used his free hand to rub at his head to try and soothe away the ache. He had so much to consider, he did not want to be on any side that used armies to achieve what they wanted but he also wanted both sides to survive whatever would come for them in the future. Was it possible that he could take a neutral stance as he imagined Sandy had done while with the Guardians? He disliked Pitch of course that was a nemesis thing, but that was not Jack’s fight. He peered down at the golden man again, his mind racing with thoughts on just what he should do.

He felt Sandy’s hand squeeze in his, “Sorry.” Jack said aloud, apologising for… well now it was apologising for everything rather than just distracting the Sandman from whatever it was he was doing. “I didn’t mean for this to happen. I want to make it right.”

Sandy opened his eyes to look to Jack at that, patient in his stare but there was expectation there too. The sea turtle disappeared through a vale of shadow and there was a chattering from fairies near by that were no doubt meant to follow the dream. With that, the Sandman took a step forward, pulling on Jack for balance as he went but there was a confidence to his strides, he had just needed a rest after fighting. Jack tightened his grip on Sandy’s hand for just a moment, a little sought out comfort but another check to make sure that this was indeed actually happening and was not some nightmare he was sleeping through. It sounded like the usual struggle, the betrayed faces, the fear, anger and sadness. Sandy squeezed back again and was noticeably that bit lighter as they passed through the vale into a dark corridor beyond, Sandy’s glow illuminating the damp uneven walls that lined the way to a set of stairs beyond. The sea turtle was already making its way down, the fairies close behind it as Jack and Sandy followed on.

“Pitch brought me believers, he gave them dreams about me so they would believe in me, I was even seen after so long, I was finally noticed and it was all for the wrong reasons. I never wanted to be feared, I only wish you had sent dreams about me before.” Jack burst out as they continued down the stairway, the glow of the turtle fading for the thick shadow around them, the dream itself seemingly lost as it circled in the air a few times, confusing its followers. Whatever that room was, it was possibly the darkest place Jack had ever known, even beyond his experience in his own cage, anything could get lost in there, even dreams it seemed. Sandy freed more dreamsand but it gave no direction, just a few butterflies circling above him. “But I never imagined he would be taking children, Sandy, I didn’t know things would go this far, I was not part of that plan. Please believe me?”

Sandy sighed silently and rubbed a hand at his face before stopping a few steps behind Jack and turning him around to look at him square in the eye. It was a stern glare, one that demanded that he listen even if the Sandman did not actually speak. Golden eyes searched his face for a moment, assessing both eyes for something. Jack stared back nervously; breaking eye contact a moment later as he could feel Sandy’s frustration dripping off him. He felt two fingers push against his forehead, little trails of dreamsand landing on his face and against his eyes. Jack suddenly felt sleepy, not the kind that demanded instant rest but the sort of drowsy where everything felt warm, things were slower and even the hardest of surfaces could become the most comfortable places in the world. It was a feeling most welcomed by his aching head and he even felt the corners of his mouth twist up into a soft smile for the feeling of it all, he had missed such gentle invitations of sleep.

Pitch did not bring you believers, you did that.” Came the familiar foreign but not unwelcome thought, ah, that explained it, Sandy was putting him into such a state to talk with him in a way he knew was clear. It did not mean his words were any easier to take. “You were seen not because of Pitch but because you applied yourself and listened to a child in a time of need. Now, personally I do not agree with the way in which you did so, but you have never needed myself nor did you need Pitch to conjure up dreams about you. Everyone knows of Jack Frost, your name is whispered on the lips of others at the sight of your patterns, in winter songs and has been for centuries. You already had believers, you just did not listen to them until that night with the girl and her father in the blizzard.” Jack struggled for a moment to understand what Sandy meant, but then he remembered Jamie’s mother “You don’t want Jack Frost nipping at your nose.” He could feel Sandy’s frustration and perhaps it was a little bit of anger that was layered under it too.

I know you were not party to the plans of taking the children, Pitch Black has a long history of such atrocities that he does not need help in doing it. What I cannot forgive is the idea that I have ever stood in the way of your opportunities. You make out as if it is I that controls the level of belief in the other Guardians, as if their hard work and efforts are nulled because I can weave a dream about them as if I can give hope, wonder or reawaken memories. That is not my purpose, Jack. I am the Guardian of Dreams just as much as Aster is the Guardian of Hope. We each have our responsibilities, and it is our duty to do just that, guard them. We do not need to be seen doing what is right, we simply do it because it is right.” Jack was so sure that Sandy likely had sand steaming out of his ears, while his voice was not angry the weight of his words carried a warning with them, almost a disappointment. “I have a lot of work to do in order to counter the damage that you helped create, but I know you want to redeem yourself and that is a start. So, let us start right now. I am not strong enough to find these children alone, my dreams will only work while a child is asleep and they have been plagued by nightmares, they don not sleep for long. They are awake and they cannot hear me.”

Jack remembered his time in the cage and despite the ease at which Sandy had put him into his drowsy state, he did feel his breathing turning shallow at the thought that not only were more suffering such a terrible fate but that there were children suffering it right under his nose and he had done nothing. Jack tried to voice another apology but he found his words would not form, not even in his head. Reminiscent of his ordeal under Pitch, everything out of his control while he was forced to just bare whatever it was that was expected of him. Sandy would not harm him though, Jack understood that. The words were not ones that he had particularly wanted to hear but Sandy was obviously trying to help him, just in a different way than what Jack was used to.

However, you do not need them to be asleep in order to find them. Apply yourself, Jack. Reach out to these trapped children in the dark, what do they need from you? Give it to them. Help them.” With that, Jack felt Sandy’s fingers leave his forehead and he felt himself waking up again, quickly he brushed off the remaining sand at his cheeks and found himself still face to face with the Sandman.

How was he supposed to ‘reach out’ exactly? That had never worked in the past. Then again, Sandy had just explained that it was not about what he wanted in a situation but rather his responsibility to listen to what his believers wanted or needed from him. That little girl had needed help in the blizzard, she had seen him that night because she needed him. “Okay.” He said out loud to himself and drew in a deep breath before closing his eyes, not that it made all that much difference in the darkness around them, it at least blocked out Sandy’s glow.

Jack listened to the silence, even the fluttering of the wings had died down, maybe they had all landed somewhere to watch. Did they know? Focus! He drew in another deep breath, ignoring his own aching heart and just trying to connect with anyone else that might have been down there. Could it be that they had all been down there together? Focus!

“I want to go home.” It was the smallest of pleas, barely a whisper but it struck at Jack’s very soul like the fingers of a musician. Every syllable pranging and resonating with him as it came. Jack’s eyes flew open wide and he stared at the Sandman before following what he felt was the right way. Further down into the darkness, winding down along a damp wall, passed numerous corridors and doorways, right the way down to the bottom! The fairies were hot on his heels, keeping up with him with ease, Sandy was less so but for the glow that lit the way, Jack knew he was behind them.

At the bottom, the ground was hard and uneven rock, no natural light seemed to be present at all but Sandy’s glow revealed that there was a small jail cell tucked up against the far wall. As they got closer it was clear there were children there from all over the world, there must have been ten of them in there. Pitch had been busy. They retreated when they laid eyes on Jack, hurrying away from the cell door and huddling together in fear of him. The fairies kept their distance, not wanting to scare them further but it was Sandy who appeared next and gently put a hand against the small of Jack’s back. Gentle and as ever silent praise from the little man as he positioned himself at the front of the group.

Jack could not see his face nor what it was he was gesturing from where he was but whatever he did, one of the children, a young boy broke free of the huddle to walk towards him. Even the child was taller than Sandy but he reached out a hand to the Guardian who thoughtfully and carefully took it and closed it between both of his, Jack did not doubt that he was giving comfort as he had done to him only minutes before hand, at least they would be spared the scolding. That same boy turned to look at Jack, his eyes raking him up and down with uncertainty and distrust. “You have come to help us too?” He asked seriously and sceptically. Jack nodded quietly and looked over the boy again, he was in torn clothes, his coat had a sleeve missing and he simply looked cold stood in front of him. Jack recognised him as the boy he had witnessed been taken! Part of him was relieved that he still seemed to be well, if a little cold and no doubt scared.

“We are here to get you out and to take you home.” Jack was sure to explain, “I didn’t know this would happen.” He added on afterwards as he went to investigate the lock on the door, a simple key hole that he could very easily manipulate, really he thought it likely that the children could have done so themselves but he knew the fear of stepping out of line in Pitch’s lair and that sometimes a cell or cage was safer than roaming his halls without permission. “This is the Sandman.” Jack was sure to introduce the Guardian, “And these are tooth fairies.” He felt the handful that had gathered together flutter and wave in greeting to the children before they made their way through the bars to reassure those still huddled away from the door.

"And you are Jack Frost." The boy said clearly and just that little bit accusingly, maybe he had seen him witness him being taken, whatever anger the boy felt, Jack thought it was probably justified but there was nothing quite like being recognised! Despite all of the guilt he was carrying on his shoulders and the worry over what would happen to Pitch, his heart did skip a beat for actually hearing and listening to his name in someone else's voice. Not a moment more to lose, Jack put his hand against the key hole and let a burst of ice ring through its mechanism, cogs and springs shattering under the cold he put against them and a moment later, with a quiet and unceremonious ‘click’, the door opened. Sandy let go of the young boy’s hand and pulled the door open more for them all to walk free. The fairies gently fluttering beside them as they walked out hesitantly into the darkness again. The dreamweaver let a stream of sand free from his fingertips, a school of sea horses appeared and hopped their way towards the stairs to lead the way, a few jelly fish came next and drifted up to light the way ahead like lanterns, stopping every few meters to stay in place and wait for the party to catch up. Once the last child was out, Jack went to close the door but Sandy stopped him, peering inside at something that was moving in the darkness.

An odd shape, a carrot with arms skulked away from Sandy and his glow. “A fearling?” Jack checked, only to catch Sandy nodding sadly in answer. “We were too late? Is there nothing we can do?” Sandy took in a deep breath and shook his head, nothing to be done. Jack was not quite sure he believed that but he could not question what he did not understand. “What do we do?”

Sandy formed an image of Pitch above his head followed by a love heart. Pitch would care for them, it was not ideal but Jack thought that after the destruction of the Nightmare Men, it was likely the King would find anything Sandy had left for him to care for irreplaceably precious. It clearly was not what Sandy wanted and it was not what Jack wanted either, he knew that life under Pitch was not exactly enjoyable nor was it in any way safe. The way the fearling tried to escape Sandy’s light was proof enough that it would not do well if they took it with them. It was not born of the darkness, it had been a child once but there was nothing left of that child anymore, Pitch had turned them into something else.

Sandy gently reached up and pulled at Jack’s sleeve to leave the door open and begin making their own way back up the stairs again. Reluctantly, Jack followed, glancing back at the little shadowy creature sadly every now and again as it curiously watched them leave, seemingly glad to see the back of them and jumping back into the shadows each time it caught Jack looking back to it. On the third time, it did not reappear and Jack assumed they were either too high or it had gone off to do whatever it was fearlings actually did.

Their ascent was naturally very quiet with the Sandman’s presence, but there was a renewed energy of hope as the children made their way back up the stairs and to the gloom of the main room, where Pitch still slept in his new prison. Once they were all gathered, Sandy let the jelly fish and seahorses play with the children, circling them happily and Jack noticed, sprinkling them with dreamsand as they went. Under a minute later, all of the children were asleep with little smiles on their faces as smaller seahorses and jellyfish danced around their head. The fairies that had been sent off were slowly gathering again as the chittering returned to call them all back.

Sandy spoke with a few of them, Jack spotted Baby Tooth among the group, eagerly listening and nodding before flying off towards a large black curtain that decorated the hall. Of course they would need to bring the children home again now. Sandy turned to Jack next and gave him another of his sleepy smiles, pointing at Jack’s heart and silently clapping his applause for him finding the children. He found himself laughing, just a few breaths but more than he had truly done in his waking moments in a long time. “I am sorry if you felt I was blaming you back there, Sandy. I didn’t mean it like that.” Jack explained but the Sandman raised his hand to stop him, patient and polite. He did not need the sand symbols to tell him that Sandy meant he should not apologise to him anymore.

The Guardian stuck out his hand for Jack to shake and the sprite met it eagerly, giving one firm shake before letting go again. Beside them, the fairies lay out the curtain, a large black velvety mass but solid at the very least. Sandy turned his attention to the beach worth of dreamsand, formerly nightmaresand, and swirled it up enough to lift the children from the floor. It was only by a few inches and Jack suspected that he still was not strong enough to manage all that much more as the fairies ran the curtain under the group of children. As the rest of the fairies gathered, they lined the edges of the curtain and each took up their own handful, there were so many that there were still a few hundred spare, fluttering beside their friends in offer of support. Jack moved with the intention to pick up a clump too, wanting to help but Sandy gently pulled him back by the bottom of his hoodie.

His hand pointed at Jack, to his own eye and then off to the imprisoned Pitch. He needed him to stay and watch over him? Jack looked back at his old master and once what he thought was his friend. In truth he did not want to be anywhere near him for fear of what he might say or accuse him of. Surely it would be better if Sandy remained behind instead? Jack looked over the dreamweaver but the little man’s smile was so tired, so exhausted that Jack thought it was unlikely he could do anything if Pitch escaped again. With a sigh, Jack nodded and stepped away from the curtain again.

Sandy smiled to him kindly that time before making his own way to the curtain too, mustering up some dreamsand under the children before he pointed to the hole that lead to the surface. Baby Tooth let out a loud squeak of her call to action and with ease and comfortable control, the curtain lifted off the ground and up into the air, slowly and dreamily as the dreamsand swirled under it to keep the children supported and Jack assumed warm.

He watched them leave and kept looking up at the hole for a long while after they were gone. He wished he had gone with them, escaped the lair he had been calling home for so many months, out of Pitch’s reach but he had to remain, a sentinel and a different kind of guardian for the time being. A soft defeated sigh rattled through the darkness and came as the only warning Jack needed. Pitch Black was awake.

Notes:

This chapter did not turn out as I had expected it to, while it does not change the plot it has let me tie off a few loose ends. Yes, this tale is winding down to its end after four years! If things continue as planned, there will be three more chapters and one of them is an epilogue. I am hoping that I will finish them by the end of this year, you have all been kindly and patiently following for so long that I am determined to give you your ending and I hope that I will not disappoint.

I was thinking about the end fight scene in the film, where Jack realises what his centre is meant to do to fight off fear. He has to stop and think what Jamie needs from him rather than what he wants to do and I wanted to work that into this chapter, bouncing off what happened in Chapter 7 with the girl in the storm. I hope that comes across right here.

I also wanted to address the fact that while Sandy helps to influence just how children see the Guardians, he does not actually fuel belief in them, he can help but they have to work for it too just the same. (I think he was fed up of my accusations otherwise in this chapter).

One more thing, I want to thank you all again, as ever for your patience with this very slow churning out of chapters, it is appreciated and I do hope that you are still enjoying what comes out. I hope you are all safe, well and know just how much I appreciate every single hit these fics get, it warms my heart that someone has even looked at them <3

Stay safe

- Snoozie

Chapter 13: Allegiance

Summary:

Jack tries to help Pitch in what way he can without just freeing him

Chapter Text

 

There was a moment that passed where Jack just stood and felt his heart in his chest, its beat felt chilling in its own right, while he stalled any attempt to turn and look at Pitch Black, The Nightmare King in the face. Jack let out a breath, reminding himself what he had learned that night, Pitch had used him and had not let him in on the full extent of his plans. Sandy had shown him that gaining believers was not up to anyone else but him. Jack also felt that he was suddenly aware that the fight that was going on between Pitch and the Guardians was not in fact a spat but an ancient war that he was not sure he wanted any part in.

“I can smell your fear, Frost.” Pitch hissed from behind him, his voice was a little strained and Jack assumed he was or had been trying to escape the strange prison he had found himself in.

“I am not scared, I don’t know what you can smell, maybe it’s just you or maybe your nose is not working so well.” Jack suggested, his former playful side creeping back in for just a moment, he had missed the taste of sarcasm and smiled to himself. This was good, this was progress and if he were to get any further then he needed to cut what was tethering him to the last few months and the person he did not want to be anymore. Finally, he turned around to look at Pitch, seeing him settle as if he had not just been wriggling to try and free himself.

Silver eyes landed on him in an instant and the threat of a snarl crossed the Nightmare King’s face. “I cannot get scared, Jack, I am fear.” Pitch snapped, his hands balling into fists. “I can be disappointed though; I gave you everything you wanted, and you spat in my face.” There was an edge to his voice that Jack did not think he had heard before, it was not fear nor was it disappointment. He could not quite put his finger on it but he knew it should not have been so surprising to hear some ethereal note of malice from Pitch, perhaps he just had not picked up on it before now.

“Did I?” Jack questioned, kicking up his feet and perhaps subconsciously emphasising how free he was compared to Pitch. “I did not want to fight you, but I couldn’t let you-“

“Kill Sandy.” Pitch mocked, huffing a breath of out of his nose a moment later and lifting his chin enough so that he could look down on Jack, something he did seem to enjoy doing come to think of it. “Please, spare me the theatrics. You let him cut down the others until I told you to stop him, who do you think he would have turned on next? How easy a target you made me. I promise you, Jack, if he was at his full strength, he would have cut through me and then he would cut you down too, for even associating with me. He and I have very little in common aside from our history, but we both have very long and vivid memories. You would not have been the first he has taken from me.”

It was obvious to Jack that there was a lot about Sandy and Pitch he did not know but he was in two minds whether or not he even wanted to learn by that point. The pair of them obviously had their reasons for apparently hating each other and Jack was quickly accepting that it had nothing to do with him either way, they operated in the dark, in sleep and Jack could do very little with that. “I don’t know about your past with him, all I have is what I know and what decisions I can make out for myself, Pitch.” Jack shrugged and dared to move a little closer, it was not like Pitch could do anything in that moment anyway. “Sure, I don’t know him like you seem to, but I am sure he would not have cut me down and I would not have let him cut you down either. Even when we spoke in the dreams, he remained neutral towards me. He said I would have to pick a side eventually, but I don’t think I have to, not really.”

Pitch scoffed and rolled his eyes at him, letting his hands go awkwardly limp beside him as it was about the only way he could express how ridiculous he thought Jack was being. “This is not about The Sandman, this is about you and your choices. Look at what you have done to me! You stood by and let him slaughter the men that had worked alongside you, gaining you believers, even the nightmares that you flew with have been destroyed, why would you allow that? Tell me honestly, have I not tried to make this a home for you? A place for a chance of family?”

Jack’s mouth twisted in frustration and thought, while he did not like the Nightmare men, they gave him the creeps, the thought that they had been ‘slaughtered’ did not sit right, clearly they meant a lot to Pitch and clearly he felt their loss. Things were not always bad either, Pitch had given him a home, his own room and bed with a window even in the gloom. “I think you tired as best as you knew how to. You gave me a room of my own and somewhere I could return to as home and no one else has ever even thought of giving me something like that.” Jack even managed a polite smile at him, despite the wretched grimace of anger he was getting back from Pitch. “But, you also sent me nightmares, locked me away in complete darkness and solitude for I don’t even know how long whenever I disagreed with you and once only because I had expressed just a hint of doubt. That’s not a home, Pitch, it certainly isn’t a friendship.”

“I did that to keep you on track for our plan. Dark and Cold together, remember? I only meant to push you in the right direction for your own good. You were seen, Jack. You have not been seen for hundreds of years and that was through me and my efforts.” Pitch countered though it was softer than he had spoken to him preciously, Jack didn’t think it was a trick either, maybe he was realising that he was losing the company of the one person that had given him a chance.

“Actually, I think it was more that I needed to be seen that night, they called to me not the other way around. Even if you were the one sending nightmares about me to children, it would only ever be your version of me and your version was cruel, scary and extreme and that’s just not who I am. I’m snowballs and fun times.” He echoed his own words he had given to the Guardians months ago. “Look, Pitch, I’m sorry that I’ve hurt you and for your losses tonight, but if I had to do tonight all over again, I would’ve done it all the same. Except maybe the knocking me out part,” He rubbed the back of his head, “That hurt.”

Pitch only glared at him, there was more that Jack knew would inevitably come out but whatever was preventing the Nightmare King from just spitting out the hateful words proved to be stronger. Jack was so sure there was the glittering of a tear in Pitch’s left eye but he could not be sure. It was clear he was upset but Jack was not sure if it was because of the Nightmare men being destroyed, the Sandman returning or Jack choosing to stand against him that was causing it but he did feel a surge of pity for him. Suddenly he remembered the cream Pitch had made him when he had last faced the Guardians, the one he had dared not apply at the time.

“There’s something else,” Jack began as he took a few steps away and towards the passage way that would take him to his room, well, his former room now he supposed. “I will tell you when I get back and I promise you will want to hear it.” He could see Pitch trying to crane his neck to watch him but Jack turned his back and walked through the passageway, hoping that Pitch’s prison would hold him there and he would not be returning to an empty hall.

The corridor seemed much lighter than it had done before, he guessed it was because there was no more nightmare sand or nightmare men about, or maybe it was something else? He felt more like himself than he had done in a long time and better still, he actually thought he understood what it was he could and wanted to do. He got to his room and pushed open the door, inside was still welcoming and familiar to him, he found himself running his hand along the damp wall as he walked in, frost patterns growing from the tips of his fingers and curling up the wall and across the celling. He would miss that room. He spotted the little pot of cream on a shelf and pulled it free, just daring one more look around before he backed out of the room and closed the door again. He wondered if in many years time he could return in better and more peaceful times.

He made his way back to the main hall and held his breath as he turned the corner, hoping that Pitch was still contained. Luck seemed to be on his side or at least he had managed to keep Pitch curious enough to stay to hear what he had left to say. Silver eyes looked over the little tub in his hands and Jack could see the Nightmare King recoil as much as he could in his prison.

“That isn’t necessary, Jack. I don’t need that.” He insisted as he watched him come closer with the pot, now Jack could see fear in his features, but he made sure to keep approaching. He knew in that moment at least that he definitely did not enjoy fear, he did not like the feeling of causing even Pitch to be afraid of something.

“You told me this would take away any pain I had.” Jack opened the top and looked inside at the cream. It was typically an unappealing grey colour, but it looked to be consistent and did not smell all that bad. “I never put it on,” He touched his ribs where Tooth was supposed to have stabbed him but the pain from it had long gone. Jack wondered if it was more because his loyalty had shifted or if she had just hit him after all and there was no wound he had to recover from. “I worried it would stop me from feeling anything at all, and that I would be numb to whatever it was we ended up doing at the end of your plans.” Jack looked up to Pitch again and he could see that he was leaning back as far as he could, it was only his head doing so and Jack suspected that his theory had been correct. “I want to help take away your pain.”

Pitch did his best to shrink back into the strange prison, but it did not allow him to hide, “Don’t put that on me Jack, it is not meant for me.” He warned as he shimmied around to no avail. Jack did not get any closer to him, seeing how much he was afraid. “I don’t want it.”

With a short lick at his lip, Jack nodded and put the lid back on the pot, placing it carefully and purposefully in view of Pitch just a few meters away. “I won’t make you do anything; I am not like you.” He said patiently, thinking that Sandy might have been proud of him in that moment. Well, likely not as the gesture was directed at Pitch Black of all people. “There is a fearling downstairs in the darkness. Sandy said you would care for it.” Pitch stopped struggling and watched him at his words, clearly contemplating what he had been told. “I am going to leave this here,” Jack pointed to the pot on the floor, “I suspect you will have a use for it in the end.”

Pitch did not say another word at that, his eyes darted between Jack and the pot and while it was a nervous look, Jack did not think it was because Pitch thought that Jack was going to smear the cream on him at any moment but more that he would do it to himself if he really had the chance at it.

A shadow crossed over the light of the hole above and Jack was quick to jump and check for danger, perhaps it was a stray nightmare? A Shadow Man? The fearling? The sound of fluttering echoed around the hall and barely a heartbeat later Tooth emerged from the shadows, stopping barely an inch away from Jack’s face, causing him to flinch. Her expression was furious, her arms were out and ready to fight as her wings fluttered angrily behind her to keep her hovering before him. She didn’t say anything at first, lilac eyes staring right through Jack as she projected silent accusation, fury and outrage towards him. She was almost as natural at silence as Sandy was. Jack gulped and slowly raised his hands to show he meant her no harm. “I know, I have a lot to apologise for and I want to make it up to you, all of you but for now I’ll start with, I’m sorry, Tooth.”

Her eyes searched his and her anger did not drop away as Jack hoped it would, but after what felt like an eternity, her gaze shifted to Pitch Black and his prison. “I should finish what Sandy started.” She declared to them both just before she fluttered away from Jack and towards Pitch to examine him. “Say a word,” she began, a finger catching the tip of the King’s chin to lift it, the nail no doubt digging into his skin underneath “And nothing will stop me from destroying every last bit of what’s left of you.” Whether Pitch considered it a real threat or not, he made no indication of his thoughts nor did he open his mouth to speak. He was not the party in power now and his silence was probably more threatening than anything he could say while he was frozen in such a place. Besides, it seemed like Jack had given him plenty to think about for the time being.

“Frost,” She turned to the sprite, “Get your staff, you are to come with me to the Pole.” That did not sound at all welcoming to Jack and he dreaded the idea of coming face to face with all of the Guardians again. He had crossed them, even fought against them despite his best efforts not to, it was only to be expected that he would have to have something akin to a trial. After a moment he nodded and looked around for his staff. With the dreamsand gone and the moonlight breaking through the entrance to the hole, Jack found it on the floor near one of the large pillars of shadow.

Behind him, he could hear Tooth threatening Pitch in a low tone, low enough that Jack could not make out what she was saying but he didn’t doubt it was scary. He collected his staff from the floor, frost patterns spreading along its length like it was greeting him in return, the real Jack Frost was back at last. The wind even swirled down to blow gently through his hair, ticking his head. He still had to prove himself though and make up for what he had done, that much was clear for even as he turned around, he could feel Tooth’s scrutinising glare from across the room.

“Moonbeams will watch over him until a more permanent solution can be found.” Tooth explained and looked over Pitch again with nothing but loathing in her glare. “For now he can be left to his own misery. But you,” She pointed towards Jack, “have explaining to do and you are lucky that my fairies told me what you did tonight. Get ready to go.” She ordered of him before she fluttered in front of Pitch, looking him over furiously for a long moment before she suddenly and mercilessly punched him square in the nose. “That is for my fairies.” She said with a little air of triumph as she shook her knuckles.

Jack winced at Pitch’s face, there was no blood, he was not even sure Pitch had blood in all truth, but he still knew that had to have hurt and he did not want any further harm to come to him if he could avoid it. “I’m ready to leave.” He told Tooth, hoping it would bring her away from the Bogeyman and let the King wallow in the events of that night in peace. It appeared to work as Tooth fluttered over to him and for a moment, he was afraid she was about to do the same to him but instead she just pointed to the hole in the roof and took off, glancing back to make sure he would follow. Jack knew he had to do so as quickly as possible, but he was still sure to look back to Pitch, locking eyes with him once more and he thought maybe for the very last time. The wind curled around him and just as quickly as Tooth had taken off, he did too, hurtling towards the hole and to what he hoped would be freedom.

Tooth kept pace with him easily, using the wind herself to propel Northward but never too far ahead nor behind, though she seemed to make a point of not flying by his side, he had yet to earn that right. Some of her fairies joined her in flight, fluttering about her excitedly as they no doubt took the opportunity to greet her again, some even proudly showing her teeth they had collected already before flying back off to the palace.

Tooth did not speak to him for the entire journey, save for a few instructions to avoid a cloud, to go higher or lower so they would get there sooner. It was a surprisingly short time before the Pole came into view. Below four of the reindeer were being carefully lead back through the snow with fairies resting on their backs having likely gone out of their way to track them down for North, there were yetis clearing snow near North’s ramp and it appeared as if the workshop was back in action.

“Through the open window to the West of the tower.” Commanded Tooth and with that she slowed to make sure he did as he was told. Jack did not want to face the gruelling that was no doubt waiting for him, he knew they had every right to be angry even he was angry at himself but he had already lost one friend that night and while it would be justified that he lost four more for his actions, he really just wanted to find somewhere soft to sleep and rest his still aching head. He took a breath, straightened himself out so he could easily fit through the large window and guided himself inside to land in the balcony above the workshop.

Chapter 14: Balance

Chapter Text

The familiar jingle of scattering elves and their bell hats rang out as they scrambled to get out of his way. Jack might have been amused in the past but this time he could see that some of them had scurried to hide behind table legs and peak out to stare at him, scared. One had been so desperate to hide, he had struck himself into a bizarre pose on one leg and Jack… was not too sure what it was he was supposed to be. He ignored him anyway, not wanting to cause more distress than he already had.

The workshop seemed to have survived the worst of Pitch’s missions, but it was obvious that some of the glass was missing from the windows, there was snow covering the workshop, buried tables and half-finished toys swept up in snow drifts on one side. That had not been Pitch, that had all been Jack. He winced more to the fact that he had done such damage without even realising and just how angry North must have been.

Tooth fluttered in behind him a moment later and landed on the wooden floor, wrapping her arms around herself and rubbing at her shoulders to keep warm. Of course, Jack could not feel the cold but he had never thought that North would allow the Pole to actually be cold, he followed Tooth as she lead the way towards North’s globe. Little golden lights were flickering in the twilight, Sandy and the fairies had obviously managed to do some good but there were still so few lights left.

“There you are! You two-faced treacherous gumby!” Yelled the unmistakable voice of Bunny, Jack took a short step back to prepare himself for an attack, his staff shifting into both hands just out of instinct. He looked around but he could not see him, he did catch sight of North stepping into view from the other side of the globe, leaning on a crutch and gently putting a hand on Tooth’s shoulder as Sandy emerged too, his hands together worriedly as he looked on at Jack. Something hit his barefoot and for a moment, Jack thought the elves had come out of hiding or had tripped over him but when he looked down, he saw Bunny in his smallest form yet. He had forgotten that he had shrunk since losing Easter. He was boxing his front paws against Jack’s ankle, furiously hitting him to little avail and rapidly running out of stamina as he went, huffing and puffing for the work out. Jack thought it was better he let his rage out in that form rather than his true shape.

“Lower your staff, Jack.” North suggested as he positioned himself between Jack and the dark looking globe, Sandy at his right and Tooth at his left. He looked about as tired as Sandy did, hurt and weak for all that had happened. Jack did as he was told and put his staff firmly on the floor but held onto it with his left hand still, he had also suffered great pain under Pitch and he was not about to suffer more needlessly. He even spared a moment to gently knock Bunny back enough to give himself some room and to show he would not stand for that ‘beating’ much longer. “Thank you.” North said as his deep blue eyes studied him, North had never looked so old!

Bunny did not like the fact he had been pushed aside by Jack’s foot but at least seemed to have understood the message as he hopped back to sit in front of North’s boots, his chest out and sat up right with his ears pricked defiantly.

“You have much explaining to do. Sandy told us what you said in dream, what you did tonight. You stood up to Pitch and helped bring Sandy back, freed the fairies and saved captured children.” There was a flash of what seemed to be almost pride in North’s features and Jack felt a spring of hope that North understood that Jack had been tricked, lured in and used. Bunny turned his head to glare up at North, a little paw shooting out to hit at the other’s boot in protest, North looked down to him but gave a small shrug, “What? Is true.” He excused to his friend and Jack’s sense of relief only grew.

“You fought against us, Jack. You saw children being taken by Pitch and yet you still stayed by his side. You did not protect them and you must know that it is something we cannot stand for.” Tooth interjected angrily. “My fairies told me what had happened, that you passed by them, barely acknowledging them, pretending they weren’t there and bragging to Pitch about your storms.” It was all true of course and Jack’s gaze dropped to the wooden floor at his feet as a silence fell. “You knew what you were doing was harming children, you saw it with your own eyes and yet you continued.”

“You have to understand.” Jack began knowing there was nothing he could really say to justify what he had done, allowed Pitch to steal the dreams, hope, wonder and memories of everyone on Earth, there was no forgiving that. “I was never seen before. Not until that night with the girl in the snow, she was the first to ever actually lay eyes on me and talk to me.” He looked to Sandy who had lowered himself to a sitting position on the floor, still clearly exhausted from his work that night, but he still met his gaze patiently and with a short nod of what Jack hoped was encouragement. “I now know that it was nothing to do with Pitch that she saw me, it was because she needed my help and that I listened to what she wanted. But I was convinced it was because I was helping Pitch and I knew I was stronger because of it.”

“You have learned much in time you have been with Pitch.” North acknowledged though it was much colder than his apparent pride in him before. “You have become more powerful than any of us imagined but damage you have caused is enormous.” North spread his arms out to emphasise his point, his crutch reaching out behind Sandy as the dreamweaver looked over at it lazily. “You let yourself be blinded, yes?”

Jack nodded his answer quietly at first before he felt that all too familiar frown forming on his face. “I thought it was who I was meant to be, but my heart wasn’t ever in it. I didn’t like children being scared of me, I didn’t like fighting against you and I didn’t like knowing I was going out with Nightmares and letting them scare everyone out of sleep.” He didn’t think he needed to mention the nightmare men, that he felt was obvious. “Your fairies couldn’t have known, but I asked Pitch about the children he was taking, he just told me it was a scare tactic but I knew there was something going on.” He gestured his free hand towards Sandy, “We spoke in the dreams about what you needed from me after that. I couldn’t face him alone he had this weird… control over me.” It was coming out all wrong, Jack knew he had to explain himself to the Guardians but he also felt like it was unnecessary, he had proven that he was not on Pitch’s side any more even if that meant he was not with the Guardians it surely merited some respect. They had turned to Sandy for his confirmation and he gave a sure nod in answer.

“Pitch has ways of getting to us all.” North commented knowingly as he checked with Tooth and Bunny afterwards. Jack thought he might have been reminding them of something. “I think Jack meant well. He just got tangled in with wrong ideas. I can feel it.” With a little pat to his rounding belly, North smiled towards Jack. It was the same smile that Baby Tooth had given him when he freed her from the cage, understanding but not forgiveness. Jack should have expected that but it still hurt.

Bunny scoffed and tapped his back foot on the floor impatiently, his front paws landing on his hips and his ears dropping back angrily. He opened his mouth but Sandy reached down and gently put a hand on his back to get his attention. A rabbit ear appearing in dreamsand above his hair and Jack was so pleased that Sandy at least was on his side and he hoped that just maybe North was too. He watched as Sandy pushed himself back up to his feet and drifted forwards to stand between him and the Guardians. He formed the shape of a crescent moon, a snowflake and a question mark. Jack felt his heart drop with a cold dread, he knew exactly what that suggestion was. Man In the Moon.

“Yeah! Let Manny have his say.” Bunny agreed almost too excitedly which did not put Jack at any ease, “He wanted you ta protect the children and you went ahead and had a hand in letting them be captured.” His eyes landed on Jack accusingly, “He chose you.”

Sandy drifted over to Jack and held out his hands, a dreamsand image of his staff forming above his head and a question mark beside it. Sandy wanted his staff? What for? Sure, he had proven he could use his powers without it, but he would still rather keep it in case the Guardians turned on him like Pitch had done. He looked at the dulled golden eyes and it was harder than ever to read what his expression meant. Sandy picked up on his struggle and after a moment he gave a hint of a reassuring smile and a soft understanding nod. Jack sighed and looked over his staff, the frost patterns spiralling up to the crook and down towards the floor from his hand. He had to show he trusted them now if he were to have any hope of regaining their trust enough for them to leave him be. He bent down a little and put the staff safely into Sandy’s little hands. Sandy smiled at him and even stole a moment for a wink that Jack had no idea what to make of even if it did give him some confidence that he had his back somehow.

Sandy turned around and walked to the Guardian’s emblem on the floor, placing the staff upright beside him, he put his free hand to his heart and went down onto one knee before bowing his head towards the moon as if he were greeting a monarch. Jack did not quite understand the significance, but the gesture certainly got the Man in the Moon’s attention as moonbeams flooded into the room despite the red of the sun rise approaching. North, Tooth and Bunny moved to stand behind Sandy. The moonbeams danced around Sandy and even with his back turned to them, Jack was sure he could tell the little man was smiling and conversing with them in his own way. All good things Jack hoped. Sandy lifted his head after a moment and then lay Jack’s staff out flat before him, bowed his head once again before drifting backwards to stand with the other Guardians.

Jack watched on with them as slowly a shadow unlike any he had seen before started to form on the floor of Pitch behind bars. It was not threatening, there was nothing scary about its form and Jack found a strange kind of reassurance wash over him. Not for any verdict about to be passed by the guardian who was so far away, but more a natural calming presence, much like Sandy’s.

“Yes, Manny. Sandy and Jack managed to imprison Pitch in a mix of frost and dreamsand. I saw it for myself.” Tooth explained seriously. Jack looked to her in the hopes that she might give him an indication if that was going to be good by Manny’s standards or not but she kept her focus on the shadows on the floor. They all did and so Jack figured he should do the same.

They gracefully and slowly morphed into Jack, shifting between images of his moves. Manny had been watching him the whole time of course and Jack was a little shocked to see such silhouettes of himself, one of him striking out with his staff, another of him with his arms out calling the wind to him, gathering up the snow and directing it at the homes he came across. Jack turned his head away from the shadows, not wanting to see any more of the reminders of his crimes. He knew what he had done and he did not doubt that Manny had seen the consequences that he had turned a blind eye to. Not everyone would have been saved by him in the snow, not everyone would have been able to keep warm. Tears welled in his eyes again and his vision blurred, he was thankful for that, at least it meant he could not see the Guardians’ faces nor could he see Manny’s inevitable verdict. He felt his knees grow weak and he barely put up a fight with gravity before he let himself slump to the floor, his back against one of North’s desks while the moonbeams continued their display not too far away.

“I do not think he understood what he was up against, Manny.” North explained respectfully, “Pitch just got to him. He could not know his plans.”

“Woah now hold your reindeer there, Big Guy!” Bunny protested and Jack could make out through the watery blur that he had hopped in front of North again, “He knew full well that Pitch was obviously looking ta hurt the children. He joined for selfish reasons and ‘ya know it! Pitch promised him power and he took the deal.”

Sandy drifted into the moonbeams again but Jack could see there were sand symbols over his head that he could not make out, he wiped at his eyes so that he might have a chance to understand what he was saying but even then new tears only formed and collected in his eyelashes. He would just have to trust that Sandy was telling them what he knew and defending him. His little hand gesturing to the staff, dreamsand spiring out of his fingers.

“Even if you are right and it is to do with the relics, we can’t ignore what he has done. We’re all glad you’re back Sandy, and of course those children will be thankful that he broke them out of Pitch’s cell but Bunny is right, Jack should have known that he should not have sided with Pitch. Given all he learned from us and even what he witnessed, he should have known. He joined with Pitch even after he saw him kill you.” Tooth debated with Sandy, her voice sounded sad and Jack suspected she was still much weaker than she was letting on too. “We don’t even know what all the relics are and who has them. Pitch himself might be one and he just needs the others.”

There was a silence again and Jack assumed either Manny or Sandy were talking but at that point he was no longer sure if he cared, he hardly knew what they were referring to anyway. He assumed it was part of the weapon Pitch was warning him about before, but what did that matter now? Tooth and Bunny were right, he had joined Pitch while he knew full well that he was not the ‘right’ side to join. Jack closed his eyes and put his head back against the desk hoping for more silence but it did not last. North spoke up and started to argue with Bunny about redemption or punishment, Tooth weighing in a moment later with a comment on weighing up the consequences with the crimes. Yes, he wanted to make up for what he had done and he knew it would take an age before he had even an inkling of trust from the others and it would rightly have to be earned but all he really wanted was to be able to leave and be on his own for a while. Away from Pitch, away from Bunny, North and Tooth and even away from Sandy in his dreams. ‘I wish they would just let me at least try to fix this.’

Then speak up and tell them.” Sandy’s voice said in his head clear as day. Jack’s eyes sprang open and he searched for the dream weaver, the Sandman was hovering in the air a little, apparently sound asleep but clearly for the voice in his head, he was not. Jack had not been asleep, he knew that for a fact, even if Sandy had knocked him out with dreamsand he knew the lull of sleep and how long he had wanted a peaceful rest and that had not been it! So how was Sandy speaking with him now? “You made a worthy wish.” Sandy answered his thoughts. What did that matter? “Another story for another time, Jack. However if you are to start fixing all of this, now is the time to speak up and say so. Tsar Lunar will listen. I will listen.”

Sandy dropped back to the floor a moment later, eyes sleepily opening again to check on the other Guardians before his eyes landed on Jack with a short nod. So that’s what he was doing when he suddenly drifted off? Neat. He assumed ‘Tsar Lunar’ was Manny’s real name or at least to Sandy anyway, that certainly explained the bowing. He looked to the others still arguing and cleared his throat, pushing himself back onto his feet and taking in a deep breath to steady his already strained nerves.

“I want to make things right.” Jack spoke up as instructed and when he did, the others fell silent and looked to him, Jack could even feel the Man in the Moon’s gaze on him from so far away. “I know I screwed up, big time and that I hurt you all more than I can understand. But I want to make up for all of that, I want to undo the damage I have done to you and to the children, to everyone. I didn’t want this; I didn’t want to be your enemy, but I don’t want to be enemies with Pitch either.” He had to make that clear, he did not want a part in this war. “I want to protect children but I don’t want to-“ He sighed and thought on his words, he could not accuse them of bribing children, they worked very hard at what they did and he knew now how important that work was. “I don’t want to fight anymore. I just want to be snowballs and fun times, without fear and without expectation and deadlines.” He could play for three seasons of the year in any part of the world, he was not bound by children needing to be asleep nor did he need a specific holiday. “I know that I have to undo what I have done, I want to help you all get back to how you used to be, the children need you and I see that more than ever now. I will work with you, however you need me to. I will fix toys, collect teeth, scare off nightmares and paint eggs.” He ignored Bunny’s loud scoff, “But I do not want to be a Guardian.”

The Guardians were silent, just looking over at him as if expecting him to say more but Jack did not think he had more to say. He would help them back onto their feet, to restore balance and maybe if Pitch needed help now and again that same offer would stand for him. Pitch was right that there had been an imbalance before, not everything in life could be sweet and happy, sometimes it needed to be scary so that a person could be brave, such as in that very moment. Jack had helped put everything out of balance but he would work to correct that mistake and maybe keep an eye on it in the future, he was not sure how exactly but that would come to him as it always did when it was needed.

The moonbeams intensified and slowly, Jack’s staff lifted from the ground and was carried over to Jack, offered up once more. This time in a way that suggested responsibility, if he was to take the staff, he was going to be held to his promise of helping the Guardians back on their feet, of protecting the children without the title of a Guardian.

Jack looked over his old friend, the wind gently tickling through his hair as if it too was giving him encouragement to take the staff. He reached out his hands and held them under it to collect it with a nod towards the moon. “You have my word.” He said clearly and hoped that however it was Manny communicated, that he understood that.

“You can start by clearing snow out of workshop?” North suggested, clearly not too happy with the silence that had fallen. Bunny once again huffed and crossed his paws over his chest angrily but clearly had to accept Manny’s verdict. Tooth just watched him sadly but Sandy, well, he gave one of his solemn nods.

The moonbeams retreated away from Jack as North approached him, putting a huge hand on his shoulder and turning him around to face the rest of the workshop. “Yetis, they are tired of shovelling and shovelling. They are toy makers. Be careful when you fix snow out of here, some elves have burrowed into drifts in search of toys and biscuits.” He dropped his voice to a whisper, “I knew you would be back.” With that, he patted his shoulder in a surprisingly soft clap and stepped off to towards the lift where a scurry of elves rushed behind him to follow. “Okay, okay. Is time to fix holes in windows-“ he began as he issued out his instructions.

“Manny might have thought your word is your bond, but you have a long way ta proving it. Hope is fragile and it is going ta take me years ta get it back and really, I don’t think I want your help.” Bunny scolded as he hopped passed him, of all the Guardians, Jack knew that Bunny would be the one to hold out the longest on trusting him and he had accepted, but he was still working out if there was a way he could help restore hope and how he could do it without Bunny’s help if he needed to.

A flutter of wings passed by him next as Tooth made her way to follow North, “I am not sure I can trust you yet, Jack. You hurt me, all of us but I am willing to give you a chance. I have work for you to help me with but after you clear the snow out of the workshop, I think you should probably help Sandy get home. There are still nightmare men out there no doubt, scattered but they will attack if they see him. I would go but I think it is about the only way you will be able to help him.” She looked him up and down again before rubbing her arms again and fluttering off slowly, a handful of fairies behind her.

Jack turned to look to Sandy who seemed to be busy talking with Manny still, though there were no shapes over his head nor were there shadows on the floor it was clear enough they were both busy and maybe that Jack was not really the main concern. Perhaps Pitch had already escaped, the beauty of ice was indeed that it was not going to last forever and Pitch had been content enough to just let him leave. He pushed it to the back of his mind, he did not want to worry about that now, Pitch would still be strong even without his nightmares, but hopefully he would be sensible enough to keep his head low for a while.

He lifted his staff and called the wind to him, feeling it swirl around him excitedly as it always did before he pointed to the snow in the workshop. “Mind helping me with this?” He asked it politely and as soon as he had, it blew passed him and down to the floor, lifting the snow from the drifts as Jack moved to help guide it out of the windows, slowly as elves emerged from their tunnels, curiously looking on as the snow left. Several of them sticking out their tongues to catch snowflakes, or reaching up to grab at stray bits of sawdust that were being carried with the wind as if it might have been any help to North to keep them.

It did not take long at all before the workshop was clear, though it still looked haggard and in great need of repair. The Yetis gathered around below him and started to pick up their frozen work and put it back in order.

It was a start, but more than that it was the beginning of Jack’s new role which might have been much the same as before. Manny had chosen him for a reason but maybe that reason was not what either of them truly understood. He was not a Guardian, he was not an evil sprite, he was just Jack Frost and for all he had been through, that was good enough for him.

Chapter 15: Epilogue

Summary:

A few months later...

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Two months passed and Jack did as much as he could to help the Guardians. Quite often he wondered about Pitch and his fate. He heard from some of the fairies that Pitch had escaped, and it was not known where he had gone. Jack worried for him still, despite everything. Alone with no support and nothing but bitter hatred and a thirst for revenge to keep him busy would not bode well. Even with the remaining fearling and maybe a few remaining Nightmare Men that had escaped, it would not be the same. Pitch had won and Jack taken it all away by cheating in trying to balance everything out again. Pitch would not forgive him all too soon either and Jack had no idea what that would mean in the future. At least he had a distraction from such worries in his efforts to restore the Guardians.

He found himself working for Tooth two nights of the week, going with the fairies to the places he had caused the most damage, where the snow was still stuck on the ground or too much ice that made it hard for the fairies to get into the children’s bedrooms. Baby Tooth often flew with him and while she did keep herself what could be described as ‘professionally distant’, he did think that she was still looking out for him in some ways. He started to understand the beauty in milk teeth, what the different teeth were called and sometimes even shared in the delight of the fairies when there was a particularly healthy tooth that he was bringing back to the Palace. He learned the names of the children, he saw some of their memories that were held in their teeth and on several occasions, he was quite sure he had been a little too eager in putting a gift under a pillow, enough to stir a child from slumber as he darted back out of the window and once he swore he heard a whispered ‘thank you’.

Tooth let him stay in his own place at the palace, though it was notably further away from the fairies Jack thought it most likely because of the size difference. It was a convenient excuse regardless as many had clearly not forgiven him for the number of times he had passed them by. That was okay though, Jack understood and would just keep trying to earn back their trust.

He spent some of his days with North at his workshop. The yetis allowing him to help paint their creations or to help to carry large batches of things from the workshop to the shelves, ready for wrapping. Like the fairies, they were still somewhat weary of him, some would politely decline his offer of help with a wave of their paws, a short smile and nod of assurance that they did not need his help this time, nor it seemed ever in some cases. The elves seemed most ready to forgive, eagerly brining him cookies and eggnog or milk in little groups of three or four. Tapping him or bouncing to make their bell ring for attention before opening their mouth and sticking their tongue out in not so polite but obvious requests for a little flurry of snowflakes for them to play with. It amused Jack greatly and he couldn’t help but laugh or smile when they came around, he wondered if it was on purpose, but he was very grateful.

North had excitedly pulled him into his office a few times too, showing off a new toy or to consult with him on a design of something that would go fast. Once he pulled him to the globe to show him just how many lights had returned “in just few weeks”. He was always warm towards him and Jack did think he felt most settled at the Pole. It made sense that if he were to pick a home, it would of course be where there was the most snow. He even had his own room, while it was not quite as tailored as Pitch’s had been and was perhaps a little too warm for Jack’s tastes, he knew how much of an effort North was putting in to making him feel welcome again, to give him that chance of redemption. He had a whole new respect for the man.

Even Bunny had eventually allowed him into the Warren for help, only twice in the few months he had been working with them and both times it was for him to test out the effects of some chocolate. He could not deny that Bunny had the most creative of flavours and in truth he was very surprised that he had been allowed to help at all. The first visit had not gone so well as the third chocolate he had tried made him grow an elephant trunk on his face, which Bunny took great delight in. Jack suspected it had been on purpose but after a minute or so of panic and perhaps a little dash of anger, he found himself laughing too, more so when the noise escaped the end of the trunk in just the right elephant tone to have them both rolling on the grassy floor in laughter until their sides hurt and they had to roll away from each other to catch their breath. Of course, the trunk faded after a few minutes, which was a great relief.

The second visit had been much more serious, but Bunny had not been so standoffish with him and had allowed him to experiment a little with some of the chocolate designs, naturally Jack added a touch of a frost pattern which seemed to gain eventual approval. Bunny had returned to his true height by that point, Jack was not too sure what it was he had done to restore hope elsewhere, but it had clearly worked. He had told him how pleased he was to see him back and that he might never mistake him for a kangaroo again, which earned a good shove from Bunny and a few gritty comments in retort. Jack doubted things would ever be like they were the first Easter he had been with him, but at least they could get along and maybe one day he would be truly forgiven.

Sandy had been the most difficult to actually help, there was nothing Jack could do with dreams. He could not create them, nor did he think he would be any good at controlling them. What he did spend his time doing was escorting Sandy, just to help him with stray nightmares or to fight for him if any nightmare men turned up, but none had done so. Sandy was still recovering and he could not spend the same amount of time in the air as he had done before Pitch shot him, he needed much more rest and it seemed to be very easy to wear him out, so Jack stayed beside him and would do so until Sandy dropped him off.

Jack sat on Sandy’s cloud of dreamsand and mostly just watched him work, the silence and the peace of his presence had sent him to sleep more than once and of course he had enjoyed a truly restful nap with pleasant dreams of snow days, the beauty of snowflakes or playing with the wind. Sometimes Sandy even spoke to him in his sleep, deep conversations of his past and just what it was he had done. Sandy usually let him sleep and dropped him off either at Tooth’s Palace or at the Pole, wherever he was meant to be working next, comfortably left in a safe, soft and quiet place. Jack felt incredibly guilty for not being able to help him as he hoped he might, even falling asleep when he was supposed to be on guard. He was sure if there was danger, Sandy would wake him, but then again for what he had seen of the little man in action, he likely did not need his help.

One such night had him sitting on the dreamsand cloud with Sandy, Jack battling with the lull of another peaceful sleep that he had spent so long missing. He fought with his eye lids and cracked a little smile to himself, “You’re doing it again aren’t you?”

Sandy gracefully sent a manta ray from his hands and turned his head with a cheeky grin on his face. Jack felt the sleepiness slip away again and he sat up straight, staff across his lap as he stole a stretch of his arms and a short yawn to shake off the sleep. Sandy turned back to his work again, sending off streams of dreamsand this time with no shape. Hoping from one side of the cloud to another, occasionally stealing a glance down below between jumps. Jack could see he was tiring though, his hops often ended with an extra step, or the hand he was not working from would drop to his side while the other shaped another specific dream. He caught him rubbing at his eyes and it was clear enough that it was time to get him to stop.

“Come on, Sandy. You’ve done more than last night; you need your own rest if you’re going to do it again tomorrow.” It was more a suggestion than an instruction, Jack would stay with him for as long as he needed him to. That night however, it was clear he had pushed himself quite enough.

Sandy seemed to reluctantly agree as he moved to the centre of the cloud and let sand streams trickle down to the population below. Some would have to go without dreams again that night but Manny would look out for them in the meantime. A moment later and he sat himself down beside Jack, his cloud smaller but not dangerously so. He stole a glance up at the night sky and then turned his head to Jack, Sand symbols forming over his head, the shape of a house, a clear ‘Z’ and a hand at his own chest. It was time to go home and Jack nodded his agreement.

“You don’t have to drop me off this time, I can get to the Workshop myself.” Jack made sure to offer, Sandy looked tired enough without taking him to the Pole, he usually insisted but this time, Sandy held onto his sleeve and gave it a gentle tug, something Jack had learned meant to pay attention. This time Sandy gestured with his hand, the universal symbol for ‘come with me’. After a moment of uncertainty, Jack nodded and Sandy only smiled before he started to move the cloud at quite a speed off towards the coast.

It did not take long before they were out at sea, Jack spotted something on the surface, something large, a moment later and he figured out what it was, a large swirling golden island covered in sand and at its centre a large tower, a sandcastle. He laughed to himself as they approached, of course this was Sandy’s home, there was so much dreamsand everywhere, the tower, big and long swirling formations of just dreamsand. No wonder Pitch was looking for it, with that much sand, he could have made billions of nightmares.

Softly, the cloud landed on one of the swirled outcrops, melding back into the island to be used another night. The sea gently lapped against the edge of the sands, the glow from the dreamsand giving an other-worldly atmosphere in a comforting starlight glow. It was nearly the complete opposite to Pitch’s lair. Everything was in plain view, there were no shadows, only slightly darker patches of sand and everything just felt soft and naturally, quite dreamy. Jack caught sight of some starfish making their way over to them, a few shells appeared to check on them too, Sandy gently and warmly greeting them with a wave and a smile. It did not seem to deter them though as they continued to watch on, Jack thought it likely they were nervous of him as he did not think many were brought to The Sandman’s Island, at least nobody still awake anyway.

Sandy had turned to the sea and gently pulled on Jack’s sleeve to follow him again, leading him right to the edge of the water before letting go and dipping his hand in, some dreamsand falling from his fingers as a few shells moved to jump into the water as if instructed to do so, darting off at an impressive speed into the deep blue. The Guardian perched at the edge of the water, sat comfortably on his own sands and smiling to Jack as some reassurance.

“You’re supposed to be resting.” Jack pointed out with a playful scolding, but he was also that bit nervous. Since being with Pitch he had quickly learned that he was not all too fond of surprises. He did not know what was going on, whatever it was though it seemed to be making Sandy happy and he would have to trust in that for now. “This explains the dreamsand sea creature obsession.” He commented playfully and received a gentle elbow nudge in playful scolding from Sandy, who silently laughed and maybe even blushed behind his other hand.

A bubble of air burst at the surface in front of them just a moment later, puling both of their attention back to the water. A few of the shells reappeared and behind them, something much larger started to emerge out of the blue below. A humanoid figure, a human head of auburn hair appeared, a silver tail fin and a very beautiful face and smile broke through the surface to look at the pair of them. A mermaid. She surfaced just in front of them and gently reached out of the water to greet Sandy with a wave, which he promptly returned. Her bright green eyes shifted to look at Jack and she offered the same to him. Jack quickly did the same wave back and smiled a polite greeting too, totally unsure of what it was he should have been expecting, it certainly was not this in any case. The mermaid pulled up her other hand and offered something bright red to Sandy.

The Guardian’s face lit up and he took it from her politely, sure to offer his thanks in a sleepy, happy nod before she sank back below the water, lingering under the surface with a smile to watch whatever was about to happen. Suddenly Jack found himself very nervous as he waited for Sandy to reveal what was going on. Sandy turned around and looked up at Jack seriously before holding up the red item in both of his hands, offering it out to for him to take.

Jack only had to glance at his hands to work out just what Sandy was holding. His baby teeth! His heart was thundering away in his chest and ears again as he stared at the ruby box he had thrown away in such a rage, what he had ended up sacrificing Easter for and all of the events that unfolded afterwards. He stared for so long that Sandy was sure to check on him, lowering his hands in worry for a moment, before Jack’s own hands moved to take it, not wanting to see it retreat from him again. Sandy let him take it without protest and a patient smile.

Tears welled in Jack’s eyes again, he did not deserve this, losing access to his memories, his previous life had been something of his own personal punishment for his initial failure. He had regretted throwing it into the ocean and he had very nearly forgotten all about them until that point. His eyes shifted to Sandy, opening his mouth to say his thanks, but nothing more than a hard squeak escaped for the lump in his throat. The Guardian seemed to know what he meant though and kindly gestured to the mermaid who was still lingering, though she smiled all the brighter when Jack looked at her. “Th-Thank you.” He got out in the end, the mermaid excitedly swimming in a circle in response. Sandy extending his own thanks to her in another smile and a playful thumbs up from both hands, making her laugh behind her hand.

Jack turned his attention back to the dreamweaver and tried again to speak to him, his voice a little cracked for the swell of happiness in his chest. “Thank you too, Sandy. For everything.” He bent down and pulled him into a hug, a tight squeeze as he held onto his ruby box and buried his head in Sandy’s shoulder. The gentle squeeze and pat at his back was the last straw and Jack felt himself crack, sobbing into his captured shoulder.

He held the answers in his hand, unlocking his past, his centre his whole story of just who he truly was. After everything he had done, everything he had been put through the idea that there was some sense of reward, redemption and the chance to fill in the gaps of just who exactly was Jack Frost was overwhelming. He pulled out of the hug and sat on the dreamsand beach, checking with Sandy before he then opened the box and his time before he was chosen was finally revealed to him. His centre, his purpose the real reason he had been chosen.

Fun.

Relief of a terrible burden on his mind suddenly lifted and the emotional exhaustion (and likely some sneaky dreamweaving from Sandy) put Jack into a pleasant sleep, clutching his baby teeth and the answers he had been seeking for hundreds of years close to his chest.

For the first time since Easter, Jack felt genuine happiness and even while he slept, protected by the Guardian of Sleep and Dreams, he finally felt whole.

Notes:

It’s done! After four years I have finally finished this fic! Thank you so much for those of you who have patiently followed from the beginning. It genuinely means so much to me that you have been following along all these years despite my long absences. And to the readers who have joined us along the way and just recently with the last few chapters, I hope you have enjoyed the journey too. I hope that the main messages in here were clear, everyone makes mistakes, everyone can forge their own path, just make sure that your apology is genuine and that you don’t hurt people along the way.

I will not lie, the past few years since starting have been absolute hell for me personally, but this fic has been something of a support, a promise to continue, always there and ready for when I crawled out of whatever I was going through just enough to have a small sense of achievement in finishing another chapter. For that, I was actually genuinely very sorry to have finished the final chapter, so much so in fact that I have a series of one shots in mind that I want to put out around this and I hope for those of you who enjoy ‘satellite tales’ that what is to come will help explain what has happened away from Jack. They’ll be released under one title and I hope you will join me with them too.

Thank you once more for every hit, kudos, bookmark and comment on this old thing, every notification I received for them has always brought a smile to my face and in watching the hit count rise over the years. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for joining me on this alternate journey and I hope you have enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it.