Just Him and the Wind Part II
...
"Мои дети!" North was the first to break the silence with his Russian curse.
None of them had been expecting that. They were all still staring at the open patch of sand the winter spirit had occupied not moments before, as if expecting him to suddenly reappear before them.
"Did you know?" North asked, turning to Tooth; she was the guardian of memories, after all.
"No," she replied, her voice no more than a whisper. "We protect the memories, but we never pry into them; it's not our place to intrude on something so personal."
"We should go get 'im," Bunny declared, recovering from the shock of it all. "He's been alone long enough."
...
...
In the end, after much dispute, they had taken the sleigh. There was no arguing on where to look, however; there was one place Jack was sure to come back to time and again. Although, considering what he'd revealed to them, Bunny couldn't help but wonder why.
As they had predicted, they found Jack sitting on his staff (Bunny could never get over how easily the boy balanced on that stick) in the centre of the frozen lake, his hood drawn up over his head. Looking around, the clearing showed signs of spring everywhere. It was fair to assume, then, that the frozen water was Jack's doing.
They approached cautiously – there was every chance they could spook the kid off – but their efforts were wasted, as Jack didn't even seem to notice they were there.
"We should not scare him," North whispered, glancing up at the solitary figure. "Sandy, send out dream sand to get his attention."
Sandy nodded, gathering his sand into his hands and moulding it into a stream which lazily made its way across the frozen surface, circling around Jack.
Jack looked up at the delicate trail with wide eyes, but his expression softened when dolphins jumped up and danced around him. Slowly, he turned towards the bank and lowered his hood.
"Hey, Sweet Tooth," Tooth called softly. She hesitated on the edge for a minute before flying over to him.
Jack effortlessly slid down from his staff, landing silently on the solid surface of the lake. "Hey."
"We're sorry. We were just worried about you… you never told us, so we didn't even think about the possibility…"
"It's okay," Jack cut her off. "It wasn't your fault."
"No," Bunny stepped out to meet them. "I shouldn't have forced you like that. You were excited about the idea back at the pole, so I didn't see any harm in it. I'm sorry."
"Jack," North and Sandy were the last to join the group. "We did not die when we became Guardians. But that is minor detail; you are still a Guardian, and you are still a part of our family. Look at us," he waved a hand around in gesture. "We are all very different – but that doesn't mean we do not belong. Could you imagine if there was more than one Bunny?"
"Hey!"
Jack looked away, a small smile on his face. North took that as a win and slapped a friendly hand on the winter spirit's back, nearly sending him stumbling.
"We won't make you do anything you don't want to," Bunny added, apparently having recovered from North's slight. "But if you ever need help with anything, or if you want to overcome your fear, then we're here for you."
"Thanks, you guys," Jack met their gazes – his family.
Yes, he had been alone. Yes, he was now rather good at it. But, like the wind and the seasons, times change. He wasn't alone anymore. It wasn't just him and the wind, it was him, the wind and his family. And, judging from the way the wind blew gently around them, scattering petals and frost, he felt it safe to assume that it, like him, wouldn't have it any other way.
"I think this holiday was a bust," Tooth said lightly.
"Come, we go back to pole for hot chocolate," he glanced at Jack, "Or cold chocolate, in your case, and cookies. Then we can decide on better idea for next holiday." With an arm around the winter spirit's shoulders, North and the other Guardians began leading him back to where they had left the sleigh.
"I, uh, think I'll meet you there," Bunny announced, looking warily at the sleigh.
"What's wrong, Kangaroo?" Jack smirked. "You scared?"