A Trapped Winter Spirit - completed

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ꜱɪx: ɴɪɢʜᴛᴍᴀʀᴇꜱ

Jack's POV:

In a nightmare...

I was running alone in the darkness. No moon, no stars, no light of any kind to protect me. My hand was empty, but I couldn't even remember when I had my staff last. I called out.

"Bunny? North? Sandy? Tooth?"

But I got no reply. I kept running, the cold biting at my bare feet. Then I heard something. Faint, yes, but it was something. I sprinted towards it, the need of seeing someone familiar killing me. My footsteps echoed around me, bouncing off the walls.

"Hey! Hello? Anyone?" I hear my voice getting louder. Echoing around me like I was in a train tunnel. The floor beneath my bare feet changed from gravel to smooth concrete, but I didn't care. I had to find the source of that noise. Maybe it was one of the Guardians? Someone to lead me into the light?

I ran faster, blindly into the blackness. Then I saw it. Light.

Every part of my body ached for a rest, but I forced myself along. When I reached it, I saw Bunny with his back to me. Relief flooded over me.

"Bunny! I've never been so happy to –" I began, but he spun around.

"Happy?" He snarled. "You're happy that you ruined my holiday?! Of course, ya are. That's who ya are, Frost."

"W-what? What are you talking about?" I backed away from him. His furry face fumed worst then I had ever seen before.

"Don't ya play dumb with me. Ya ruined everythin'! I shouldn't be surprised. That's what Jack Frost does. Ruins everything he touches," he said coldly.

"B-but I-I..." I trail off, my voice breaking too much to answer. Bunny had never been this rough with me before. What have I done to make him so angry?

"And considerin' I trusted ya enough to help me, what do ya do? Mess it up! Like ya always do! Ya can't do anything right. Never 'ave, never will."

I drop to my knees with his words, like they weighed a ton. "I-I'm s-sorry..."

"Ya only sorry for yaself. If ya ask me, ya deserved losing ya staff. I can't bring it back, Frost. Even if I could, I wouldn't."

My hand closed around nothing. Bunny broke my staff... The only thing that meant something to me... was gone.

"They told me that ya deserved forgiveness. Ya deserve nothing. No friends, no family, no purpose, no belief," said Bunny. "Oh wait. Ya never had 'em in the first place."

His words hit me like a waterfall of pain. He reminded me of everything I didn't have, everything I wished I had, all in a few sentences. Even though I didn't know what I did to upset him, guilt flooded into me. It could have been anything. I've done a lot to anger him.

But he wasn't finished. "I can't believe ya almost became a Guardian. We'd be a joke if ya had! All the other spirits wouldn't take us seriously for years. I'm glad Manny came to his senses before we allowed ya in, Frost. Saved us mountains of embarrassment that ya were kicked out."

I stayed silent, allowing every word to hit me like a powerful blow. His words circled in my head. 'No friends, no family, no belief, no purpose..."

He was right. I didn't deserve anything. I was nothing but a troublemaker who cared for myself only. I caused trouble for everyone I met. Everything he said... that was all I deserved.