Chapter 3: Jack Frost

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After the meeting, it was concluded that all would gather at night while Bunny with two Yetis would go to kidnap their latest members. Thanatos was the first to leave once dismissed, quickly going back to her job.

Around noon, she found herself in Burgess, Pennsylvania, escorting a new soul. This one was a child, no older than 6 and her heart ached when she witnessed his death. Covered by the hood again, she was thankful for it hiding her face.

Unlike what many had her for, she didn't like the job and she didn't hate children. The opposite, she adored them, but she had a job to do and rules to follow; no matter how much it pained her. She didn't mind taking the souls of elderly people, but children were always the hardest part.

The child with small steady steps followed the cloaked figure across the room of a house. Thanatos was careful, taking small steps while holding the child's hand gently. Once it witnessed the pregnant mother in a bathtub, he clung on her hand tighter.

The woman was soon to give birth in a more old-fashioned way, two wet nurses by her side talking and encouraging her. The child was not sure what was going on or why the woman was in the bathtub while wearing a loose white dress.

"I am scared," he said, trying to be closer to the figure.

Thanatos knelt by the kid's height and let the hood move slightly back, allowing her face and a batch of her white hair to be seen. Her red eyes stared into the green ones of the child and she gave it a smile.

"It is okay to be scared. Everyone is" she pushed a strand of black hair out of his face. "This woman is as well" the child turned and looked at the ready-to-be-mother who was trying hard to keep herself calm but was failing. The Reaper placed her hands on the kid's shoulders. "However, with your help, she won't be anymore and neither will you"

The child's lips parted slightly, observing as the woman gripped the bathtub and closed her eyes. A single tear escaped her left eye. It seemed to awaken something in the child which slowly walked towards her.

As he approached, his sole body started to glow before being turned into a ball of light. It floated above the woman who started to grip the bathtub tighter while the nursemaids were telling her to push.

The light descended into the blown belly, taking its place in the body of the child that was inside and soon to be welcomed in the world. Thanatos smiled and quickly became one with the shadows, having no need to see the birth.

She appeared next to a tree, at the outskirts of the small forest around the town. She had some time to spare and decided to take a walk inside. Unlike popular opinions, alive things didn't die by her touch...her right touch and she found some peace observing them thriving.

After all, she was the Guardian of Life even though no one would ever suspect it. To all, she just took lives but in return, she simply guided them to the next. Keeping the souls alive, giving them a new purpose and small guidance as they took a new body.

Because of her, no soul was ever alone of what would come next or left roaming the world without a purpose or memory. Because of her, those who had died unfairly were given a second chance and those who had done bad things had the ability to change and become better.

Unfortunately, they didn't remember once they were reborn, but some kept it subconsciously and indeed changed while others continued the same path. The laughter of kids grabbed her attention and she turned her body, looking at the direction it came from.

A small group of kids which she knew all by name were having a snowball fight. To her surprise, Jack Frost was also participating. She had witnessed him causing havoc or creating unusual weather but not playing.

She knew, though, that he was invisible and not believed in. She was there when he was created after all. She found herself observing and faintly smiling as the kids enjoyed their time. She wished she could participate but who would want to play with the Angel of Death?

She was about to leave when she heard a gasp and a name being called.

"Jamie!" the kids shouted, and she noticed that their friend was on a sleigh and was sliding away from them.

He had somehow tripped and would have crashed on the street if it wasn't for Jack to fly by his side and use his staff to create a path made of ice while leading the sleigh away from the cars and the street.

She found herself following, wondering what he would do. She knew that Jamie and his friends would be alright, their time far from coming after all. She came to a halt to a square and stayed hidden behind a tree.

The sleigh was now on the air, Jamie holding on it for real life. Then, it started to descend, and Thanatos subconsciously found herself sending some of her shadows into the pile of snow. They were covered and could not be seen but increased the pile and allowed Jamie to land...safer than he would have without her interference.

His head was now in the sand and her shadow retreated it, returning to her as the child struggled to free himself. Once free, he held one hand on the air victorious and in his hand, he held his freshly fallen tooth.

His friend who had arrived cheered for him and they all quickly started to talk about the Tooth Fairy and how she would visit him and give him a quarter. Jack quickly tried to gain their attention since he was the centre a mere minute ago.

However, the kids ignored him, and Jamie passed right through him. His shoulders and head dropped, being reminded that he was invisible and not believed in.

Thanatos felt her heart dropping along with her gaze, understanding the pain he must be. She watched in silence as he flew away, his mood now ruined, and his smile gone. Leaving out a sigh, she looked where Jamie and his friends had gone and then back in the opposite direction where Jack had flown.

Knowing she could do nothing about it, she grabbed the hourglass from her waist and checked her next mission. She had time until she had to find the other guardians.

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By nightfall, everyone had gathered in the globe room as per usual. Only Bunny was missing with Two Yeti since he was tasked with kidnapping Jack. Thanatos leaned on the wall next to the fireplace, further away from everyone else.

Her hood was down and her hands folded in front of her chest. With one leg against the wall, she observed as Yetis worked and Elves were clumsy and silly as always. Not too far away stood Sandy with a goblet, filled with eggnog.

Tooth was further away, flying along with her fairies and exchanging orders and reports. North was instructing some free Yetis to get ready with the decorations for the event. Thanatos rolled her eyes when suddenly a portal opened in the middle of the room.

There it is, she thought as a red sack was dropped first and she winced slightly, knowing Jack was inside there. Yetis followed suit, getting away from the sack as the spirit slowly freed himself while Bunny came from one of his special holes.

Opening it partially, he looked around and then at everyone who was staring at him.

"Hey...! There he is! Jack Frost!" North exclaimed.

"Wow... You gotta be kidding me. *Yetis hoist him up to stand* Hey hey! Put me down!" he said and was released.

He moved his arms and lifted his stick with his leg before catching it in his arm.

"I hope the Yetis treated you well?"

"Oh yeah, I love being shoved in a sack and tossed through a magic portal"

Thanatos smirked slightly, amused by the sarcastic reply. She would agree though, the whole tossing into a bag and the form of kidnapping was not the best way to initiate someone.

"Oh. Good! That was my idea" North said, oblivious to the sarcasm and she facepalmed. "You know Bunny, obviously"

The said spirit mumbled words under his breath.

"Obviously"

"And the Tooth Fairy-"

"Hello, Jack! I've heard a lot about you, and your teeth!" the female spirit interrupted by flying way too close in Jack's personal space.

"My- my what?"

"Open up! *forces his mouth open and takes a look at his teeth* Are they really as white as they say? Yes- Oh! Oh, they really do sparkle like freshly fallen snow. *Tooth Fairies swoon again* Girls, pull yourself together. Let's not disgrace the uniform" she then flew back, giving him space.

"And Sandman. Sandy? Sandy? *Nudges him as he sleep-hovers* Wake up!" Sandman startled awake and descended to the floor. Last Jack's gaze fell on the person further away who had been silent all the time. "Oh, and this is Thanatos. I do not think you two have met"

Jack blinked looked at the girl who barely acknowledged him with a nod of her head. "Thanatos? As if... *he walks closer, holding his staff* Death? Grim Reaper?"

"Greetings," she said and gave a small salute, using her black and white hand which startled Jack.

"Wow...you are a Guardian?"

"Unfortunately" Bunny commented from the background and earned a glare from the girl.

Jack just stared, taken aback by well...everything. Death or Grim Reaper was like something so ancient and old. He only heard from people and some other spirits but all talked about a hooded, scary figure with a scythe that took the souls of others for sport.

Yet, Death was actually a girl his age with the most beautiful red eyes he had ever seen. Her face even seemed so innocent that you could never associate her with the monster everyone was talking about.

In those red eyes, he saw so much pain and sadness. HE felt the need to actually give a hug but only found to give a smile. She didn't return it though, instead, she kept scowling. Deciding that this wouldn't get him anywhere, he took a step back.

"Anyone wanna tell me why I'm here?" he looked around. Sandy took a step forward and started to create images made of sand above his head, but he did it too fast for Jack to even understand one of them. "Uh, eh- the- that's not really helping, but- but thanks little man" he tapped an elf with his staff to make it freeze. "I must've done something really bad to get you four together- Wha-? Am I on the Naughty List?"

"Hah! On Naughty List? *laughs* You hold the record. But! No matter, we overlook. Now we are wiping clean the slate" he passed his hand above the naughty tattoo a few times, literally erasing his name from the list.

"How come?"

"Hah, good question" Bunny commented.

"How come? I tell you how to come! Because now, you are a Guardian!"

Oh boy, Thanatos thought as chaos erupted.

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