Chapter Text
The Man in the Moon said Jack Frost was to be one of them. A Guardian.
“I take it back. The groundhog’s fine.” The Easter Bunny said, horrified.
North opened his mouth, then shook his head. “Hang on—he’s not done. Two in one night, Manny? It’s been a long time since there was one.”
The Man in the Moon did not answer North. The Man in the Moon rarely explained himself to anyone. But the second figure formed beside the first—obscenely tall with a skeleton grin.
“I take it back.” Bunny said, sounding faint. “Jack Frost is—no, I can’t make myself say it. He’s not fine. But this is worse. Are we sure Pitch isn’t in control of this right now?”
North didn’t look thrilled either. “Yes. Quite sure.”
Tooth was frowning, flitting between her companions—only Sandy seemed pleased. He was giggling soundlessly. “What’s wrong with these two? They… help protect the children, right?”
“Jack Frost is more about broken water pipes and sudden snowball fights than helping protect anyone. And Skellington is—”
North spoke, reluctantly. “He is not so bad.”
“Not so bad? He kidnapped me!”
“Da, me too. You are not special. You did not almost get eaten by bug-man.”
“Eaten?!” Tooth dropped to the earth when her wings forgot to beat.
“He’s reckless, likes to scare people almost as much as Pitch, and sure he has managed a major holiday—people really do believe in him—but he’s not about protecting anyone. He’s all for taking over other holidays too—”
“No, not anymore. We had a talk about that.” North said, staring into the figures before him. Looked up into the blazing moonlight. “You are sure, old friend?”
Neither image wavered.
“He’s dangerous, and he’s—”
“A Guardian.” North said, taking a deep breath. “They both are.”
***
The Northern Lights, green and red and purple, danced. Far away, in Halloween Town, Jack paused in his nightly pursuits to watch the distant glow. He decided, after a moment, that it was a light he quite liked, though perhaps not one that he could have explained to the other townsfolk. He smiled. He’d made that mistake once. Just once.
He let whoever was coming up “sneak” up on him—because it encouraged the little ghosts and ghouls, to “surprise” the pumpkin king. He was genuinely surprised when, instead of announcing themselves, they threw him in a bag.
Well. This was kind of interesting. No one had actually dared to do this to him before-- he could burn his way free—but no. Let’s just see where this is going…
And so help him, if they opened the sack up and there was anything present that rhymed with “noogie” there would be him to pay.