Forever a Child

Who Cares?

Bunny just stared at him. Tooth looked worried. Sandy had a ball of sand ready incase Jack freaked out. North was not worried or scared.
"You do not see us as threat, da?" North's voice calmed Jack's nerves, which Jack hadn't noticed were getting wired up.
"No. You are part of Winter so I trust you, North. Sandy protects the younger winter spirits sometimes, so he's not a threat either. Tooth's only a threat if she steals all my teeth, which are still in place. Bunny, well... He is a Guardian so I trust him not to kill me." Bunny felt ashamed that he was the least trusted but he was also wary of Winter itself. The boy had caused damage, intentionally or not. Tooth decided to answer the question.
"Nothing happened for the six months you have been hibernating. Well, there was that time that a few Winter spirits came to demand your return. They decided to leave you here though for some strange reason. The winter palace..." Tooth hesitated to tell him what had happened, even Aster felt grief for the loss of so many young spirits.
"It was attacked and the weaker and younger ones are dead, right?" Frostbite looked to the Kangaroo for the answer. E. Aster Bunnymund nodded as he saw the pain in the kid's eyes. Then it clicked for Bunnymund. Jack was literally a child, looking to be 13 at most. He had ignored the child when it was his duty to protect the children of the world.
"I... I need to go and help at the winter palace and start spreading my season. I'll come when you need me." Frost was almost out the window when Bunny blurted out that there were meetings twice a month. Jack nodded before he was gone with the wind. Bunny hurried to the globe room and didn't see Jack's light.
"North, if Jack is a child and he can see us, then why doesn't he have a light?"
"He doesn't believe we will protect him. He does not believe that we care." North's statement made the others hang their heads in shame. They had a lot to make up for.
❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️At Winter Palace❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️
He landed gently, hoping to go unnoticed by the vigilant guards but to no avail. The Ice Queen fell to her knees infront of the gate and wrapped him in a tight hug and wheeled into his shoulder, relieved that he came back to them. Jack felt her pick him up.
"Oh, we were so worried! You could have died fighting Pitch! You were already almost completely out of power in the final fight! We all watched in worry for your safety!" She passed him to other spirits and sprites as they showered him with more love than he had felt before. The curse seemed to be lifted. General Winter was running toward the group and held Jokul Frosti in an embrace so safe that Jack started to fall asleep. Some of the court gathered in the throne room as General Winter set Jack down. He allowed the boy to nap for an hour before he gently shook him awake.
"Hello, my King. It is time for you to call the full court, including the Holiday ones. I will continue to act in you stead but you must tell us what you wish for Elsa (ice Queen, second most important role in the court), Nemo (the fake prince who is supposed to be Jokul's body guard) and I (the third powerful spot in the court as Jack Frost was Winter himself) will say to them." General Winter sensed that Jack was not going to act grownup for a few weeks. He sighed as he gazed at the oldest spirit in existence and wondered how this soul was still so pure.
"Who cares anyways." Jacks voice was soft but hurt. It pierced every heart of the spirits of Winter everywhere on the globe. General Winter saw that there was about to be a meltdown and picked up the child, Elsa forming a special chair so the the two of them could cuddle him and allow other spirits to comfort the reason they existed. General Winter and Elsa sat together with a special blanket and curled around the distraught child. The older spirits started to prepare for the giant gathering and loud sobs broke through the palace and mixed with the Arctic winds. The younger spirits and sprites rushed to the throne room.
"We care. Every single one of us care." General Winter, also known as Ivan, whispered into the child's ear. The breakdown was worse than the first one but this time there was no burden holding the spirits back. Perhaps the Guardians of childhood could heal him mentally, if only they would step up and be useful.