Note1: Hey, here it is, enjoy!

Summary: The only thing is left to come to get the two along and hoping in the best...


It was hopeless, he didn't want to give up. Jack was walking up and down on the branch, holding crossed his staff on his shoulders, thinking about a solution – if there was any. There had to be. He knew who Pitch was, he knew what was his secret and he knew his center was fear in deed – but not as they had earlier thought.

He could now connect the dots. Pitch would be forever trapped inside that hold, and without him the fear would be uncontrollable. And fear was already slipping out from that black mass, people started to worry about things that weren't real (something connected to an unfinished calendar, and the ending of the world, if Jack could recall the latest foolish idea) and... Pitch also played a significant part of the world, he was a Guardian too, not as they were, but definitely a guardian too. Jack gazed to the Moon; he was sure MiM knew about the whole. And right now, albeit he wasn't speaking right to him (or ever), Jack could understand the Man in Moon helped him on his way to succeed.

The only problem was Jack couldn't tell how to get the two together. Bunny had said she was everywhere and nowhere at the same time. So, she could have been next to him and away too. Jack for a moment wondered if she existed at all. But then as he nearly slipped from the branch, he realised: he could form by his every step ice on the tree but soon it melted by the warm weather. It was summer after all and he was a winter spirit, naturally he should have been away already and working on a much colder place. Especially counting with that he had now again his staff, and also he managed to get along with the Wind again after he had blamed her for missing his staff. (It had seemed a much easier lie telling the Guardians that the Wind had grabbed it from him avoiding to go back forTooth's missing box than telling the truth that he had stolen the Nightmare King's Tooth Box and had gave it to the man and inside the Lair he had lost his staff under the nose of their so-called enemy).

Naturally he should have been already away from Burgess, but something was holding him back, and he exactly knew what was it: he still had a one-guardian mission to finish, every other obligation now had to wait. Naturally… was he thinking, but then it clogged together. He suddenly jumped up and flew between the clouds.

"Hey, Wind, wanna have some fun?"

And the next morning Jack determined to make Burgess wake up to the biggest snowfall in its history. (And after all, he missed his magic so much, he had to test he had all his powers back again…)


As Jack was waiting patiently and admiring his work, which covered both the ground and roofs in at least two feet snow, just as it was supposed to be in winter, he smiled at a memory with Bunny. If the furry Guardian had seen it now, he surely would have got a heart attack, recalling again the blizzard in '68. That assumption made a smile on his face, just as that technically Jack could thank this idea to his furry friend. Oh, he would definitely love it!

"Mother Nature?" Bunny had stopped when Jack had asked him about the yet unknown spirit a few days ago. "Jack, she is even worse than Pitch. Why do you want to know about her?" Jack had wanted to talk about it but he hadn't had much time to reveal his plan. Bunny thoughtfully had scratched his ears with his back foot. Jack had really tried not to think about the flash of the dream that Sandy had shown him. If Bunny had known about it...

"You know, spirit of winter, spirit of nature… have some business discussion." Bunny had seemed as Jack hadn't managed to get him with the explanation, instead the tall spirit had pointed to the winter spirit's hand.

"I see you got your staff back. Then don't you have some things to do in Antarctica? Your furry friends must miss you there…"

"I have just one furry friend." Jack had tried to get Bunny on his weak spot, playing with the other guardian's kind heart, resting his chin on his staff, doing the 'cow-eyes' with a mischievous grin "Come on, Bunny. Or you want to say I should ask North about it?" it had been a cheap move, but it had always worked. Bunny had unwillingly sighed.

"Right." he had come along then, bitterly, messaging his nose in annoyance, knowing Jack wouldn't give up soon the case, and he had been right.

"Where can I find her?"

"Right into the middle, eh, mate?" Bunny had chuckled, if he had known why it was so important…

"Where?"

"Everywhere and nowhere." had the other guardian give the detailed information.

"Well, it really narrows the options, thanks..."

"Jack, she is cruel and unpredictable, and…"

"Even worse than Pitch, I know, I know, but nature has beauty you know." and yet… Jack was ruining that beauty right now forcefully with creating winter in a supposed-to-be summer season, just to get one's attention, tell me about unpredictability, Jack smiled at the thought.

She appeared just on time before anyone could have woken up, even before a slight sunrise could have appeared on the horizon. She silently was working with a wave of her hand. By the motion the snow melted and the water dried making the grass beneath lively and shiny again. Maybe she was furious under her tranquil figures – after all what serious spirit had thought it would be a great idea creating winter in the middle of summer?

It was known season-spirits had debates constantly, arguing over and over again when one season ended and an other started, but it was this time way more than just a little prank. This time she had to step in. Jack was watching her from the distance. From his tree he could see her moving and working in the town. She was beautiful. He had just seen her in Pitch's memories as a child. But yet, he could see the little girl inside her and a bit Pitch too.

Then suddenly she turned towards him. Jack doubted she could spot him from that distance, yet, he bent down a bit, like catching on stalking someone. Before Jack could have said anything, she stroked her cloak and with a small wind all the snow liquified and slipped inside the ground. There was nothing then that could have reminded anyone of the snow. All his whole night work was gone in a mere second. It was just a slight lazy movement and she turned everything back as it had been before – or as if it should have been naturally.

Jack realised if it took her like a minute, it had been pointless, just a child's tantrum in her eyes. He almost slapped himself by the thought he had been thinking with it he could have got her attention. After all, what a little blizzard could have meant against nature's unpredictable history? And she also all at once disappeared from his vision. So, he was right, it was pointless, just a na?ve thought. A little wind blew him down from the tree and landed Jack on the ground, he felt as if it was comforting him for the failed try.

"I know, I know." he agreed with the Wind, but instead of the Wind, as his feet touched the ground and looked up, he was facing her.

"Hello, Jack Frost."

For a long moment he was just gazing at her blankly, gasping for air from the surprise. He suddenly couldn't know what to say. She was ancient, and after all Mother Nature itself.

"I…" he tried, but then as he was looking her up to down: her long dark hair, tall slim features and bright skin – it reminded him that not just Mother Nature was standing in front of him, marking him with a kind smile, but also Pitch's daughter.

"You are Emily Jane, right?" it slipped out out of blue without a second thought.

The spirit was looking at him like he would have talked in another language, blinking a few, but then she slowly realised what Jack had said. Probably she hadn't heard that name for a long, long time.

"I was. Once." she said nostalgically. The tone was sad just as Sandy's when the small man had been talking about her. The hidden emotion reminded Jack of the issue, why she was here and for what reason he had called her here.

"You are Pitch's daughter." Jack pointed; her figures turned to anger in a flash.

"I have nothing to do with him." she stated snapping the words and immediately turned away, but Jack grabbed her hand before she could have disappeared to nothing. He tried to get over the fact that he was holding her back, the ruler of all nature, and after all the Boogeyman's daughter. He couldn't know which one was scarier, but he rather tried to focus on the mission. One step away from reaching the aim nothing could have scared him.

"Right, but you don't know how he became Pitch, right? And what did he do that he became Pitch Black?" it got her attention, her wide eyes looked to him confused. "Come with me." he insisted.

It was silent, walking there. Sometimes Jack wondered why both he and Pitch were so near to each other, placing in the same town, but rather he didn't take that question, in part he already knew the answer. She was quiet during the way, Jack suspected she was recalling some memories – if she even remembered those old times at all. But then, as they arrived, she didn't ask about the place, that it was haunted and dark and echoing and… lonely .

Jack just led her through the black corridor with the whispers. He had already gotten used to it. It was frightening the first few times, hearing the disturbing voices enlightening the fear of the present ones, mirroring the fear and trying to catch the weakest point. Jack had thought it had been his scared feelings connecting to this place but soon he had realised those had been the fearlings, slipping out from the cage. And those had been consumed on Pitch and reflecting the man's fear. As he had got back his staff, he had noticed it. He had snapped back to those thoughts with reasonable explanations and then he had found out he had heard them even if he had determined to help no matter what.

She was moving her head, trying to catch the source of the sounds. Without voicing the question, Jack answered it. "It's hard to explain, the more you can close out, the less you hear. Believe me, ignoring them is the best. I know it's hard, but try to focus. Those are not your fears, just the fearlings."

"Whose fears then?" Jack rather felt better ignoring the question, and led her right to Pitch's current place. She stopped right at the dark slowly moving wall. He wasn't sure if he should have answered everything to her and she would have believed him, it was much easier to show it.

"What is it?" was she touching the black mass curiously, a bit dark dust got stuck on her fingers. "Isn't it the Sandman's dream-sand? Then why is it black ?"

"Pitch infected the dream-sand with fear and created a horde of Nightmares..." Jack started the explanation, but stopped himself on telling the whole tale. "But that's an other story. He is trapped inside right now" consumed by his own fear – he added to himself, not voicing it rather to her aloud.

Jack was well aware she couldn't understand anything from this at all, maybe she had some theories, but those were certainly far away from the reality. By that the whirling dark wall Jack got her attention, he could now tell her everything from the beginning - or at least the parts that she deserved to know. And a significant part was easier to show her and see with her own eyes.

Jack got out his hand from his hoodie's pocket, holding carefully some dream-sand within his fingers. "Sandy told me about you, and… when I asked his help he gave me some sand. I saw Pitch's dreams. I mean… rather his nightmares . It showed me how he became Pitch Black and… I already saw you in one of his memories."

Jack looked for a moment to the less and less interested spirit, he knew from the dream-guardian that she had an issue about her father, so he rather felt summarizing the necessary information. "It was Sandy's idea, finding you. I'm not telling… well… " Jack sighed tiredly, he knew he was at the edge of her patience. "Listen, I understand, but just give it a try, just a chance, then you can go on your merry way and I won't bother you with it ever."

It seemed the last note took its impact, she relucantly nodded. "One try. And no other tricks any more, Jack Frost." Jack slightly smiled on the déja vu, it felt like he was hearing Pitch by that tone. But he promised her to let it go if it wouldn't work. (And he already knew it would.) Jack blew the sand to the slowly moving wall and took a step back as she was touching the golden parts.

He knew what she saw, and what the dream-sands mixed with the fear and the inside trapped one's memories showed her. Jack still got the shiver from the picture. The echoes within the dark walls, that prison capturing the Fearlings, the mimicked sound of a desperate little girl and then… those creatures… Pitch wasn't chosen, he had been used and by that he then had become Pitch Black and controlled the Fearlings within him.

After a very long minute, the golden parts disappeared from the wall and the whole turned back to complete blackness. She released the whirling mass. For a long moment there was nothing just dead silence. Jack wondered if he should have said anything, maybe a sorry for bringing up the memory? Or a well-hearted apology that paying no heed to her feelings about her father (that the man had left her alone and never came back…), counting with her hate towards her father Jack had forced her to watch Pitch's last memory? That technically she was the reason why he had become Pitch Black and after all he had been just stiffed by the Fearlings who had sensed his wish to see her daughter again and let him into a trap? Jack didn't know how to put those into words...

"You think, I could get him out of here." she said then. Jack gazed at her, he couldn't see her face, she was still marking the wall so close that her nose almost could have touched the wall. Jack looked to the darkness too like he could have seen through it.

"I believe." he whispered. It sounded like a promise, not for himself but to the man inside.

She slowly slipped her hand inside the darkness. Jack wasn't surprised she could do that, after all she was powerful enough to get through the fear and on the other hand she was that counted the most to Pitch, that she was alive, that she had escaped. that she hadn't been there with the Fearlings that time and that she was here now.

"Um…" Jack started, but the spirit was too mesmerised by getting through the wall, to catch him trying to say something. "I think I- I should go now." Jack said "He wouldn't like me here, or, you know, know that I helped."

At the last moment she turned back to him, but she didn't say a word. Jack looked at her. He really didn't want to be there, that was her and Pitch's personal matter. And it wasn't his business, it was enough that he had already stuck his nose into the private family business - Jack really hoped it would turn out just as both deserved. Before he could have flown away, she stopped him.

"Jack." her thoughts were seemingly somewhere else, but she likely felt as she needed to say something. "Thank you, for showing me, and for everything." she smiled at him honestly. Jack nodded and wished the best, leaving her alone in that place in private. For once Jack understood why everything happened the way it had happened. If he wouldn't have been the lack of his memories for centuries, it hadn't led him there and… Jack flew out from the Lair, straight to his tree and as he landed on his beloved branch, he gazed to the sky. It was dawn and the Moon still was shining in the sky, looking down to them, guardians.

"You are a little persistent, aren't you, old friend?" Jack cracked a smile.


"Nosy, little brat." someone said and as Jack identified the tone, he immediately snapped his eyes open erasing every tiredness and dream from his eyes. From the realisation he all of sudden wanted to jump up, but the only thing he managed to achieve was to fall off again from the branch (he really should have found an other – safer – place now, lately the likelihood of falling seemed quite common).

As Jack was collecting himself, and as something pointy moved in the corner of his eyes, he noticed he dropped his staff during the fall and right now someone, a very particular someone, was holding it towards him. Jack froze for a slight moment. He could recall when was the last time when his staff was held the same way. But then, now it again moved a bit towards him.

"I-"

"Just take it, before I change my mind." the man said, Jack straightaway grabbed the staff by the permission and looked at the shadow-man. After all, it shouldn't have been weird, but his senses tensed. The Nightmare King grinned at him, but then turned away and started to walk slowly up and down.

"You know, I did meant seriously when I said we are similar." Pitch voiced then.

"I know." Jack breathed, thinking what he should have said or reacted to the man's presence. Somehow it felt much safer being near to the shadow-man while he had been incapable to do anything.

For a moment Pitch glimpsed to the sky, and clearly either the Nightmare King didn't know what to say. In Jack's mind millions of questions were swirling, he couldn't decide how he should have felt: should he have been relieved that Pitch was there and not trapped any more or should he have been counting it as a threat that the man was here now seemingly fine and back again and regained himself?

"He could be very nasty." the shadow-man noted then after the uncomfortable silence.

"I realised." Jack cracked up. "Should have sent us a manual about his plans." he couldn't tell how but suddenly he felt Pitch wasn't there to scare him and this meeting was just as weird for the man too as for him (and after all nothing could have scared him much any more...).

"Oh, yeah, Manny would definitely do that, what fun could he make out of it then!" Pitch laughed, it was now a slight laugh, less a harsh one, but a true one. But as the shadow-man realised it wasn't his used to method, he turned back to his natural behaviour.

Jack was still gazing to the Moon thoughtfully when Pitch was again reaching something toward him. "Anyway, I think I should give it back." was the Nightmare King holding a Tooth Box in his hand, Jack almost forgot he had given it away and how it had ended in Pitch's hand.

Pitch eftsoons explained it with a shrug. "I don't want them to worry about it right now, and we both know they could be very obsessed with me, we have a history, so… give it back to Tooth, and say you found it somewhere on your way that is not connected to me or the Lair."

Jack took it, and couldn't know what to say, but then the words just slipped out of him.

"I… I won't tell them if you won't either." Pitch raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know any slightest idea what you are talking about." the man said. "I think you hit your head."

"Yeah, really?" Jack smiled at the poor explanation. "Right, you might be true." he agreed then. It was nice and weird, sharing on the same secret, but he was happy knowing it turned out well for the man, and that he could-

"Frost," Pitch said suddenly, breaking off Jack's thoughts. The man was halfway on to blend into a shadow nearby and disappear "just a friendly note, if you nose into my business again or I got you meddling on anything again in the Lair, I won't give your staff back."

"Got it." Jack nodded, and barely could hear the faint 'thank you' as the man vanished, but he knew the last note wasn't real, he was just imagining it, after all that was the Boogeyman whom we were talking about.


(Note2: Thank you, guys, for commenting, kudoing/favouriting, following and reading! :) I really loved writing this. At first, it was just a slight idea, but look what it became! It surprised me the most, that I managed to finish something in fine (it's still a bit weird a bit, I'm in the skies right now, really, can't comprehend how it happened). Thank you again holding up with me. I love you all, it was a pleasant journey 3 For you all, I wish a really good next year!)