Jack's POV:
I sprawled out on a roof, laying on the soft snow like a pillow, and my staff was next to me. Ha, that staff. It made me who I am. I exhaled, my breath white in the cold, and stared up at the moon. The big, bright ball in the sky that chased the darkness away from me.
I rested my hand on my wooden staff gently. It was just nice to know I certainly had it, if you know what I mean. I've always had that fear of me holding it then it just disappearing. That staff is everything to me and I couldn't image Jack Frost without it.
I momentarily lay my hand on my stomach, leaving my staff from my grasp. Then, in a flash, it was gone. I sprung to my feet, my heart pounding, and frantically checked the roof for my staff. I briefly saw dark tendrils slink off the roof and the tip of my staff drop off the side.
"Aah!" I dove forward, but the tendrils were out of my reach. I slid off the roof after the tendrils, landing on the cold alleyway floor, and took off chasing the dark wisps. I could see my staff, its curved end bobbing up and down as the shadows carried it away.
I snatched at my staff, but it remained ahead of me. It floated down into a dark alleyway, where no moonlight could be seen. I was desperate for my staff, the very thing that gave me power, and it was literally slipping away from me.
Shadows towered above me, covering my face in darkness. My staff rose above me.
"Wind!" I ordered, and I rose up as well, reaching to grab it. It was yanked from my grip by the tendrils. I was so concentrated on my precious staff that I didn't notice the dark wisps curling around my ankles before it was too late.
The tendrils tightened around my bare ankles and I was jerked down from the air. I landed on the hard concrete floor beneath me, my ankle slamming down on it and twisting to the side with a sickly SNAP!
I let out a cry of pain as I clutched it. It was sticking out in a disturbing way. I felt nauseous. I had broken my foot. This wasn't good.
The pain burned me, spikes of pain shooting up my ankle and spreading across my leg. My staff clattered at my side. With my free hand, I drag it closer to me, releasing a relieved sigh. I had my most important possession back, but I was still confused on how I lost it. Maybe the wind was playing tricks with me? No, I saw those dark wisps. Was it maybe... no, it couldn't have been him.
I used my staff to hoist myself up, carefully making sure I didn't put any weight on my broken foot. I slowly hopped out of the alley, taking one fearful glance back at the darkness. I craved for the moon's light, its reassurance, its safety. As I hopped into the moon's light, I faintly heard a voice, a cold, evil voice, that made me tense up with fear.
"You are not safe, Jack Frost. Not now, not ever."
That voice sent a shiver down my spine. I gave a cry of fear and tried to limp away from the alleyway. I placed my staff on a slippery piece of ground and slipped, my staff sliding out of my reach. Pain spring up my leg, burning like fire. I clawed at the stone floor, dragging myself towards my staff.
"Aw, how cute," Pitch mocked. "Now listen Jack, you're going to stay away from the Guardians. There will be consequences if you ignore this."
In pure panic, I forced myself up, despite the pain, and hobbled away from that alley with my staff. It was him. Pitch Black. The Nightmare King. And I doubted that Pitch handed out empty threats.
Normally, I liked seeing people's reactions when I got on their bad sides, but Pitch's bad side was not a place I wanted to visit. The boogieman didn't have to worry about me disobeying him. I don't want any dangerous consequences and I want nothing to do with the Guardians.
I limped over to the town square where a well-kept park was and where the moon overhead bathed it in silver light. I lay on the soft grass where I had a clear view of the moon. I placed my ankle down gently, carefully to not jerk it too much.
I lifted my staff up and carefully tapped the curved end to my aching foot. Frost spread onto my bare foot and circled it in a fern-like pattern. The pain was relieved slightly, my magic healing my foot. At least I could have a peaceful night.
Bunny's POV:
I honestly can't believe that the Man in Moon chose Jack Frost as the new Guardian. He is a reckless, careless boy who couldn't care less about the importance of the work that we do. And, to make it worse, North sent me to fetch the little ankle biter.
The yetis that accompanied me were in place and all I needed to do was bring Jack to the location. Easy. If I knew Frost, which I wish I didn't, he was a very curious boy. It would be easy to lead him to the yetis. I saw him, the small figure in a blue frosted hoodie, brown pants and with snow-white hair. He was lying down in the town square, staring up at the moon.
Using my powerful legs, I sped across the grassy park, right in front of the boy. As I ran, I glanced sideways at him, seeing the surprised look on his face before I darted away. I disappeared into the shadowed alley, peeking out to see if Jack was following. I saw him pull himself to his feet with his icy stick. Was something wrong with him?
I drifted towards my hiding place and I waited until he landed. When he did, he scanned his surroundings, his staff aimed where his blue eyes searched.
"Hello, mate," I said, leaning against the alleyway wall, still concealed in the darkness. From the light across the alley, I knew he could see my figure. I twirled my boomerang in my paws as I continued, "Bin' a long time. Blizzard of '68, I believe." I walked into the light. "Easter Sunday, wasn't it?"
"Bunny!" He said, his voice a courageous tone. He leaned against his staff innocently, but the look in his eyes spoke a different story. "You're not still mad about that, are you?"
Of course I'm still mad at him! He almost destroyed my holiday with that stupid blizzard that he caused. It took me forever to repaint all of the eggs that he had broken. Easter was almost ruined that year because of that brat. How dare he ask me if I was still mad about that.
"Yes," I pointed my boomerang at him before observing it carefully. "But this is about something different. Fellas?"
The two yetis that I had brought with me rushed into the light and snatched up Jack by his hoodie. He shouted in protest, kicking and squirming as they stuffed him into a sack. Jack yelled in pain as he landed. His staff, sadly for him, didn't join him in the sack and he was defenceless. Then he yelled something strange.
"No! No! I can't go with you! Don't make me go with you! He'll hurt me! Let me out!" Jack's voice was full of fear and had lost its usual arrogance. He was never like this. He struggled against the sack like his life depended on it. The yetis seemed surprised at his reaction too and looked at me for orders.
"Take him to the pole, mates." I said, and one of the yetis pulled out a magic snow globe, shook it and threw it. The yeti tossed the screaming sack into it, gesturing for me.
"Nah, mates. I'll see ya at the pole." I tapped my foot twice and a hole appeared in front of me. I dropped inside, my shortcut to the pole.
Jack's POV:
Bunny was bringing me straight to the people who I wanted to avoid. And what did the Guardians want with me? After decades of ignoring me?
The yetis that shoved me into the sack had probably rebroken my ankle and, to make matters worse, I didn't have my staff to heal myself. I wouldn't be surprised if Bunny had left my staff back in that alley. He hated me enough to do it.
I considered telling them about Pitch and his threat. Maybe I could get their protection? No, then the Guardians would see me as weak, helpless... pitiful. I couldn't even stand the thought of it. I'll just be my usual arrogant, confident, troublemaking self and they won't suspect anything.
I was suddenly thrown, perhaps out of the portal, and rolled onto stone. I let out a yell as I landed, biting my lip before I cried out in pain from my ankle. Instead, I panted hard as the and was knocked from my lungs. I heard the chatter of fairies, North's strong Russian accent and the tinkling of bells. Great, the pole.
"He's here! Quiet!" North's voice said. I lifted up the sack's lip with my hand.. Two elves stood in the mouth and when they saw me, darted away. I was left with the view of North, an excited Sandman and Tooth, who was chattering to her fairies before she turned to me. I pulled myself out as North opened his arms in a welcoming gesture.
"Hey, there he is! Jack Frost!"
I pushed the sack off my head as glanced around the pole. North had a huge smile on his face and it might have been... welcoming? Sandman looked pleased to me, not something I got often from the Guardians. Tooth looked beside herself with excitement as she hovered next to North with a beaming smile.
"Whoa..." I whispered, "You've got to be kidding me."
I felt two sets of hairy hands clasp around my shoulders and lifted me up.
"Hey, hey! Put me down." They dropped me, and I hopped slightly on my not broken foot. To my relief, my staff was lying on the ground next to the sack. I kicked it up to my hand and tapped my ankle gently with the tip, and the pain subsided. I tested it out and there was nothing. It was healed.
"I hope the yetis treated you well." North said. I gave a laugh as I leaned my staff on my shoulder. As I walked towards them, one of the yetis brushed my back so I flicked his hand away with my arm.
"Oh yeah, I love being shoved in a sack and tossed through a magic portal." My voiced dripped with obvious sarcasm. But North just smiled like I was serious.
"Oh good. That was my idea."
Then he introduced the others to me. Bunny, Tooth then Sandy.
Bunny, to absolutely nobody's surprise, ignored me, Tooth took a close interest to my teeth and Sandy gave me a friendly nod.
"I must have done really bad to get you four together," I mused aloud as I turned my head to face them. "Am I on the naughty list?"
"On naughty list?" North asked with a laugh. "You hold the record. But, no matter. We are wiping clean the slate." He brushed his hand over his naughty tattoo.
"How come?" I asked, tilting my head in confusion.
"Ah, good question," Bunny said pointedly. North ignored him.
"How come? I tell you how come! Because now, you are Guardian!" North threw his hands up and two yetis join him by his sides, each holding up a wooden torch, the tops full of flames. Elves with instruments began playing a loud tune.
What? Me, a Guardian? After all I had done, after all the trouble I had caused, they chose me? No, I couldn't be a Guardian after what Pitch said to me. I wouldn't be a Guardian even if I didn't have a threat hanging over my head. They are always so uptight and serious.
North continued towards me, thrusting his hands into the air as frost styled banners rolled out from the walls and elves piled out with all kinds of instruments. I backed away from the commotion, only to realise that there were elves and yetis coming towards me from behind. They backed me onto a piece of stone beneath me had an elegant G carved into it.
I felt someone tugging at my pant legs. I looked down to see an elf pointing at my bare feet then at a pair of blue pointy-toed boots. Ha, no. No one can put me in boots. I looked up at North, who was now holding a large and heavy-looking book. Sandy gave me a friendly smile and Bunny rolled his eyes.
I refuse to become a Guardian, and no one will make me! I held my staff high above my head and slammed it into the ground, ice patterns spread across the stone, elves and yetis blasted away from me. The four Guardians stared at me with a very startled look on their faces.
"What makes you think I wanna be a Guardian?" I demanded, elbowing past the yetis. North laughed long and hard, looking around at his fellow Guardians like it was a clear joke.
"Of course you do."
"Look, this is all very flattering, but you don't want me," I said, using my staff to hoist myself onto the table near the controls, "You're all hard work and deadlines, while I'm snowballs and fun times. I'm not a Guardian." I walked along a table as I spoke, gesturing with my free hand.
Tooth came towards me, placing her hand on my shoulder gently. "Jack, I don't think you understand what it is we do." She flew over to the globe covered in tiny yellow lights and continued. "Each of those lights is a child."
North carried on for her. "And good or bad, naughty or nice, we protect them."
Great, they weren't convinced. Plan B then. "No, no. No offence." I threw them an apologetic look.
Bunny bounded towards me. "How-how-how is that not offence?" He stammered. "I mean, what does this clown know about bring joy to children."
A smirk played on my lips. "Ever heard of a snow day?" I turned to face the rabbit. "I know its no hard boiled egg but kids like what I do."
Bunny responded instantly. "But none of them believe in you, do they? You're invisible, mate. See, it's like you don't even exist."
Wow, uh, that was harsh. It showed on my face briefly before I wiped it off and replaced it with an innocent expression.
Tooth zipped over to Bunny, who was smiling in my defeat. "Bunny, enough!"
I stepped forward, a forgiving/understanding smile on my face. "No, no, the kangaroo's right."
I swear I could almost see the steam coming from his sensitive ears. "The what? What did you call me? I'm not a kangaroo, mate."
Bunny approached me, a dangerous expression on his face. I stood my ground, glaring up at him. "Oh, this whole time I thought you were. If you're not a kangaroo, what are you?"
His face was inches from mine, but I didn't back down. "I'm a bunny. The Easter Bunny. People believe in me."
"Bunny, if you don't want me here, then I'll leave. Like I said, I don't want to be a Guardian. Or, more specifically, I don't want to be like you."
If I had offended Bunny, he didn't show it. "You act like you're so brave, but you know you're not. Why don't you tell the others about it?"
The grin dropped from my face. "W-what do you mean?"
"When the yetis stuffed ya into the sack, you yelled that he would hurt you. Who's he, Jack?"
I forced a confused look on my face. "He? Did I say he?" I gave a weak, unconvincing chuckle. I couldn't say that he had misheard me. He had the ears of, well, a bunny.
"I distantly heard what ya said, mate." Bunny said. My knuckles turned white as I tightened the grip on my staff. Tooth flew over, worry on her face.
"Jack, just tell us! We can help you!"
"No, you can't!" I blurted out before slamming my hand over my mouth.
Worry grew on all of their faces, and I wouldn't blame them. Barely anything scared me and here I was, scared.
Bunny's face softened, and he placed a furry paw on my shoulder. "Look, I know you're scared, but as Tooth said, we can help but only if you tell us."
I looked up at him, mentally debating with myself on whether to open up or shut up.