The Elemental's Curse

Hiems

"Ebenezer Himesh, entitled Father Winter," Manny stood at the end of the room, looking hardly at the restrained spirit. He looked to the Guardians, Pitch, and the four main elementals, who stood at the side of the room, waiting patiently. On his right side, Seraphina stood with a stern look on her face, filled with anger and hate towards the questioned spirit. On his left side, Attai, Father Time, stood tall, his eyes filled with disappointment.

Manny turned back to Ebenezer and took a deep, quiet breath before continuing. "You have been charged with the murder of four elemental spirits of Mother Nature and the attempted murder of Jack Frost: a Guardian of Fun, a Winter Elemental of Mother Nature, and a Moon Child of mine. I hereby banish you to Pluto for the rest of eternity as your punishment."

Ebenezer rolled his eyes. "I'll find a way back. And once I do, Jack Frost is as good as dead."

Bunny growled, but Tooth slipped her hand into his big paw to calm him.

"You will be escorted to Pluto and guarded by two of my moonbeams," Manny added. "You will never see Earth again, Ebenezer. Murdering elementals is bad enough because it ruins the balance of nature, but trying to murder a Guardian? I should be sentencing you to final death."

He turned to two of Mother Nature's bear guards that stood tall on the other side of the room. "Please prepare him for his trip. My two moonbeams will come to retrieve him tonight." The bears nodded and took Ebenezer from the room, who finally went quietly.

Manny went over to the Guardians and looked at Jack. "How are you doing, my son?"

"I've had worse days," Jack smiled. "Thank you. For everything."

"Come," Manny said, motioning Jack to follow him. "There's something I wish to show you."

After Jack promised to come find the Guardians and his mother afterwards, he rushed after Manny, who led him through the palace and to the balcony, where Jack could overlook space and see the entirety of Earth.

"Wow," Jack smiled, setting his staff by the door and joining Manny by his side. "You can really see everything up here, can't you? Don't you get lonely?"

"No," Manny smiled. "Spirits of people who have died stay with me until they're ready to move on to what's next. And there's one spirit in particular who has refused to move on until she got to see you."

"Me?" Jack asked in confusion.

"Jack?"

Jack turned to see an elderly woman come out onto the balcony. Her long, grey hair was vibrant and her brown eyes, though faded with age, still shined with the energy Jack remembered from when he was alive.

"Emma?"

"How are you, brother?"

Jack rushed forward and took his sister into a hug. "Wow, you lived a long life, didn't you?"

"Thanks to you," Emma chuckled. "Do you remember Mrs. Johnson's boy, Henry?"

"Is that who you married?" Jack's eyes widened. "Oh, but he was so annoying!"

"His dad died the year after you did, so we grieved together," Emma shrugged. "He grew up after his dad died."

"Kids?" Jack asked.

"Two," Emma smiled. "Jackson and Anna."

Jack's face brightened. "You named your son after me?"

"Henry encouraged it," Emma smiled. "He felt you deserved to live on. And goodness, you would've thought Jackson grew up with you as an influence. He was just like you throughout his entire life."

Jack smiled wide. "It's so good to see you, Emma."

"I couldn't go on without seeing you one more time," Emma said, taking Jack's hands into her fragile ones. "I made Manny promise. And he kept it." She looked past Jack to the smiling moon spirit. "Thank you."

She turned to Jack. "But I won't be gone forever. In fact, I'll always be back on Earth with you." Jack's eyebrow raised in confusion. Emma chuckled. "Manny did something incredible, Jack."

"Yes," Manny spoke up, placing a hand on Jack's shoulder. "Part of her spirit will always remain in your favorite mini tooth fairy. What did you name her again?"

"Baby Tooth?" Jack asked in shock.

"Ah, yes," Manny continued. "It's the reason Baby Tooth has two different colored eyes and that little spot on her face. She'll always be there to remind you of your sister, even if she doesn't realize part of your sister is in her."

"Thank you," Jack smiled. He turned to his sister. "Tell Mom and Dad I love them, will you?"

"I can't wait to tell them what you've done, Jack," she promised. "They'll be so proud, I know it."

Jack smiled and held back tears as he hugged his sister one last time, tightly. They whispered "I love you"s for several minutes, before they finally broke apart and Manny led Jack back to the Guardians. He instantly pulled Baby Tooth into his arms and held her tightly. Though confused, Baby Tooth lathered herself in Jack's attention, to which the Guardians, Pitch, and Seraphina laughed.

XXX

"HEY, GRANDPA!"

Pitch groaned as his wintery grandchild zoomed into his lair, landing elegantly on one of the many bridges towering throughout the room. Pitch slowly turned to Jack with a completely unamused face.

"Aw, come on," Jack chuckled, skipping around the place as the nightmare horses watched him, very amused. "How did such a grumpy guy get such happy grandchildren?"

"I have no idea," Pitch groaned, rolling his eyes.

That made Jack laugh, leaping into the air and shooting out a ball out snow, which exploded to create a flurry of snow throughout the entire lair. Jack then shot through the entrance to the lair and shot off towards the North Pole.

"JACKSON!"

In the shadows, Seraphina revealed herself, giggling herself silly. Pitch turned to her with a very annoyed face as she stepped out, smiling wide.

"Did you tell him to do that?" Pitch questioned.

"Don't blame me," Seraphina chuckled, leaning against the wall. "He's just as rowdy as his father."

Pitch groaned once more, stalking from the room and ignoring his daughter's sweet laughter following behind.