Rise of the Guardians One-Shots

Promises Change

I apologize for posting late, today's been crazy. Grab the tissues because this is going to be a good one. I gave three people a hint in the comments, quote below, it probably didn't make sense but it will at the end of the chapter. 

"Two roads diverged into a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both"- Robert Frost

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Jack had been taking laps around the Earth for hours to hide his scent from Aster and confuse the Nightmares. The crystal tears that froze on his face fell as he remembered what he almost did just because of his staff. Jack took to the sky to go where no one really thought of anymore, to hide from what he did. It was the one place his ice couldn't hurt anyone.

The crevice where Pitch threw him in during the battle was a long forgotten memory, something he actually laughed at now because of how he looked like a rag doll being thrown in the memories. He landed roughly on the ice, slipping down and throwing his staff down further away from him. Jack leaned against the wall of the crevice trying to calm down. His ice spread from his fingers even without the staff without his permission. He had never been this strong before and it scared him. 

The power seemed to calm down slightly as he focused on his breathing. The ice stayed as he stared at it. It had a dark color to it from his normal ice, more of a dark blue. Did he have changes too? He tapped his foot on the wall across from him to form a mirror like image that made him gasp. His hair was a brighter white, somehow, his eyes were glowing brighter than before, and his skin seemed to glow like the moon. Jack didn't recognize this version of himself. Had he looked like this the past two weeks? 

Everyone had said he was glowing but not this bad. What had changed? What was happening? The wind began to blow harder as he got worked up again so he started breathing deeply again to calm down. He didn't understand what was happening but he knew he had to think straight to try to understand. He was so stuck in his head he didn't notice the person next to him. 

"Jackieeee?" He jumped at the image infront of him. He choked on air at the person standing in front of him. 

"N-Nick?" His childhood bestfriend smiled at him as he sat infront of him. He looked aged though, like he was now 16 like him instead of the age of when he died. His blonde hair was still shaggy while his eyes still were a dark brown like his used to be. The colonial clothes still on him. The smile was still the same. What the hell was happening? 

"What- How- What's happening?" Jack was officially freaking out. He wasn't dead. The wind howled as his ice started spreading rapidly. A hand, he felt it, touched his ankle and it made him focus back on the boy infront of him. 

"Easy, Jackie. You gotta be able to hear me for me to be able to explain." Jack nodded. He didn't understand what exactly was happening but it didn't matter because this was Nick. He was the one that was the most responsible out of the three of them back then. He could trust Nick, he did trust him. The boy saved his life. 

He watched Nick look him over with a big smile. There was a proud look in his eyes that made a ball of emotions collect inside of Jack. He didn't realize how much he missed his old bestfriend until now. Finally, Nick looked him in the eyes for the real first time. 

"I'm glad to see you have grown out of the super lanky stage, now you're more of a sturdy tree limb instead of a twig." Jack kicked at Nick not expecting to be able to feel him but was able to. As if Nick were actually there. The boy laughed as he was kicked making Jack feel calmer. He still didn't know what was happening but was going with it. 

"What are you doing here, Nick? How is this happening?" The boy sighed as he leaned against the wall. Jack watched as Nick seemed to think on his answer which made him wonder if he was wondering the same thing. There wasn't time to ask before a new voice entered that made Jack really question himself.