Elsa, Bunnymund, and Kozmotis were led to the grove where the Moon had sent the other guardians. But it was not each other they were expecting to see; their primary person of interest was nowhere to be found.
"Kozmotis Pitchiner." North guessed upon looking at him for the first time.
The man, still in the form of Pitch Black, grinned, "Never have I been in the presence of such pleasant company, but I don't understand how our meeting here could possibly benefit your master."
Tooth's wings were still flapping rapidly, "He told us we'd find Jack here!"
Elsa shuddered, "What? We were told we'd find Amelia here."
Sandman sensed something and the group all turned towards the forest path. Stepping out from the shadows, Amelia found the seven characters waiting for her. She returned each of their hostile glances... but then she stopped and her eyes filled with the wonder only a child could have. To see such emotion in her was more disturbing than when she was angry.
"Father." She whispered as if he'd restored whatever was left of her shriveled, dead heart. Yes, to her, it was Pitch Black, but in his eyes was the familiar dismissiveness of a man who sneered at his old beliefs once he deserted them. The eyes who begged for a better life for his daughter whom he still loved despite it all. The eyes of one who'd died for her to his own abhorrent abominations.
None but Kozmotis moved towards Amelia, who still carried her test subject. Now the guardians knew why they'd been called here... but if Amelia had the baby now and not Jack, then—
"The child." Kozmotis held his arms expectantly to his daughter. Amelia didn't know why it was his first concern, but she handed her over. He turned and handed the baby to North, who accepted. Of course; he was a guardian, and innocents were what he protected. Tooth, Bunny, and Sandy hovered around to check if she was all right. Sandman used his magic to ease her to sleep.
Elsa's thoughts were in a frenzy as she thought of what awful things she must have put that child through! Looking back at the two dark figures, she watched as Amelia began to blurt out, "I've learned so much from your old journals and lessons. Even you'll be impressed by what I can do now. Finally, this world will know what an age of dark is. We won't be shadows anymore!" These were just the hopes and wants of a madwoman—they held no weight.
Bunny caught something out of the corner of his eye. "Princess, your ring!" She looked down and saw the band and crystal, which had been tenderly made with her in mind, beginning to dissolve into tiny snowflakes. Her expression broke as she realized what was happening.
"Your Royal Highness." Kozmotis called as if sensing her distress. With heavy, shallow breaths, Elsa stepped closer, unable to hide all the loathing she had for the witch. "Amelia, I'll be needing that dagger. It can be used for much more than blood magic."
Not even the centuries-old necromancer would think not to trust her father; she handed the blade to him and he observed it, even playfully poking his finger to the tip. "It's been used to capture souls, hasn't it?" He asked—he already knew, but this was meant to clue Elsa into what must be done. "I've taught you well." He disguised his voice with pride.
That was all she wanted to hear! She wanted the world to hear it! For Pitch Black had lived through her, and at last, he was marveling at her work. "Yes." His spirit filled her, made her whole. "Father, the night of the full moon is a most ripe time for a blood ritual. It was fate you return to me on this night. We'll be Lords of Darkness. Our names will be told for years—"
"No." Elsa interrupted. Kozmotis handed her the dagger, fear completely absent from his face. She began to freeze the weapon solid in her hands. All the glee drained from Amelia's face. For the first time in her life, she was afraid. "No one will remember you." With the might of her heartbreak, Elsa shattered the blade into hundreds of pieces. Such a seemingly mundane act caused the shriek of Amelia's soul to spread into the sky and then her body to crumble into dust. With satisfaction, Kozmotis Pitchiner went with her; perhaps, after all this time, he'd truly redeemed himself. Now they could rule the underworld for all time, just as she wanted.
Peace returned to the forest.
...
The guardians and Elsa didn't know what they'd find by following the path out of the woods, but they were dreading the sight. It wasn't snowing anymore and the clouds in the sky were starting to clear. What the five were more afraid of was being right about what they might come across... and they were. The guardians all stopped in their tracks, but Elsa couldn't tell whom it was lying there on the pond, not right away.
She took a few more steps closer, and then her entire world came collapsing when it became clear: it was Jack. He was unrecognizable to her; his eyes were fawn, his hair was losing the snow-white hue she loved so much and reverting back to its natural brown in large patches. He was shivering, which Elsa had never seen him do before; his visible breath should have been the first clue that something was wrong. Frost and snow seemed to be evaporating off of him. He was so pale that Elsa could see his veins. The most fucked up thing of all, all the blood.
Elsa lowered to her knees and squeezed his hand. Jack didn't have the strength to turn his head to her; his opaque, fading eyes stared at the blood dripping from his hand onto the ice. His own breath sounded like thunder in his ears as he clung onto his last moments to remember his loved ones and tried to imagine their faces.
Mom, you're the strongest woman in the world. I love you. Sophie, I'm so sorry... But you're going to be okay. I love you. Elsa, you're my heart... I hope you find happiness. Dad... I'll see you soon.
The sound of his laborious breathing began to fade into a soft, familiar voice; the lullaby he thought he'd forgotten, the one even Sophie forgot the words to but knew the melody. He could hear his mother singing him to sleep one last time.
Vyssan lull, mine kjære små.
På himmelen reiser mange stjerner.
Månens stråler danser
på den buede broen,
Og tåken flyter
på den fjærlette sølvskoen,
Og ønsketidsdrømmer kommer og går.
He felt his mother take him into his arms, make him warm and whole again as the world became dark.
Really, it was Elsa cradling his head and chest. She gazed upon him; he retained his familiar, kind face that she had fallen in love with years ago, and yet he looked like a stranger to her without his blue eyes and white hair. What finally made her break was when Elsa realized that Jack didn't even recognize her; that he believed he was completely alone, which he had confided in her so many times was his greatest fear. A fear that would have him crying in his sleep from dreams of being isolated from those he loved again. Those dreams would lead him to her comforting arms as she soothed him. But there was no solace here.
Elsa bent over the dying Jack and began to sob until his dark hair was wet with her tears.
The clouds parted and the crestfallen guardians all looked up as the reflection of the Moon filled the cracked ice beneath Elsa and Jack. The full Moon bathed the two with a blanket of silver. The light cooled his feverish skin and stroked her aching heart.
Such brilliant light.
Lifting her head, through thick tears, Elsa saw the glowing rays caress her and Jack as the red began to draw its way back inside his veins. Life began to make its way back to his eyes. The blood, though stained on his clothes, began to fill his body and his ripped flesh started to close as his breathing became more strong and steady. The snow that had been rising from his body began to fall, painting his hair white and his eyes blue once more. Even Elsa's ring began to reshape itself around her finger.
"Jack?" She cupped his face in her hands. "That's it! Breathe!" The Man in the Moon's light surrounding the young man's face revealed to him his center: Love. His love cut through the repugnant darkness, his love saved his closest companions and those too weak to fight from the demonic presence... his journey didn't deserve to come to an end here.
And Elsa, it was not the powers of winter she wielded that vanquished a great evil, but her belief in herself. Her inborn strength and resilience.
Jack's vision returned to him and he started to gasp for air. His limbs, that were so heavy with death before, suddenly weighed nothing. Gone was the pain and terror, there was not even scar tissue left behind. He looked up to see Elsa's smiling face, closely resembling an angel with the moon's bright light framing her. She was safe! With what little strength he'd regained, he reached for her face and kissed her; it was filled with relief, gratitude, and the promise he'd made to be by her side forever.
"I'm so proud of you." She tenderly took his beloved face.
"It's over." He whispered blithely, the cold having no power over him once more. "It's over..." A smile curled on his lips as he wiped her tears away for her. Their foreheads and noses touched.
The guardians were coming closer, and right as Jack saw North cradling the baby fondly, a voice commanded, "Arise, Jack Frost, and Elsa of Arendelle." Startled by the powerful words, they both did, trying to figure out which one of them had said it. Sandman directed them to look up at the glowing Moon and they then realized who was speaking to them. "You chose to sacrifice your own blood to protect an innocent," he said with a voice so soft, a voice neither of them had expected, "and together, vanquished a cruel mistress that threatened to harm more. That was the final task, and the most important one."
Right then, baby tooth fairies fluttered around them—all three of them, alive! They danced happily around Elsa and Jack. Tooth smiled widely, "And you chose well."
"Guardians, you look upon not only your faithful fifth, but also, your sixth... For once they are done with this life, they will take their rightful places as immortals... They will be welcomed home." They could hear a smile, oh so faintly, in his voice. A happiness known only by children on Christmas morning showered the group. Bunny bowed so low to the ground that his ears touched the ice, Tooth twirled and zoomed around the air, and Sandy threw golden sand all around them in euphoria. North handed Bunny the child and, lovingly, squished Jack and Elsa with a tight hug, which was gratefully accepted... But Jack still had one concern.
"The baby," he reminded, "we have to get her home." North looked back to see the child resting comfortably in Bunny's warm fur.
Elsa inquired, "Can you find her family?"
North smiled, "Don't worry, lass. She'll be all right. We're guardians; we know what to do." He was Santa Claus, wasn't he? Miracles on Christmas were common in his business. "She's not the only one you both saved tonight." Then North tossed something in the air which Jack caught; Sophie's teddy-bear. Both Elsa and Jack heard a humming and soon, all the sand, the guardians, and even the child, were gone.
"Now, brave guardians, return to your families." Said the Moon before falling silent again.
Now, they both thought, it was over. They had really, truly, done it. They were guardians.
There was one more long embrace between the two before they set to return home, arms still around each other. Their concern about getting to Arendelle quickly was so great that they didn't realize how dumbstruck everyone was going to be by the story of how Jack was nearly killed and then revived by the Moon, if they believed them at all. Of course, they had nothing to worry about... their families were overjoyed by their safe return.
(Artist: @Modern_Snowflakes on IG)