Title: Ice Prince

Settings: Somewhere in the coldest part of the South Pole, a castle made of ice and snow hidden by blizzards and snow storms.

Summary: Yes, the guardians have heard of him. With hair as white as snow, skin as pale as the moon, eyes as blue as the sky: he was the legendary Ice Prince put to sleep by Old Man Winter 300 years ago. And now MiM wants the guardians to simply go and wake him up? Wait… why?

Ice Prince

"Have you ever lost someone you love and wanted one more conversation, one more chance to make up for the time when you thought they would be here forever? If so, then you know you can go your whole life collecting days, and none will outweigh the one you wish you had back."
― Mitch Albom, For One More Day

Chapter 6 "I was at my happiest with you"

Bunny flipped over a stray dark horse headed his way. He turned and aimed a boomerang, eyebrows rising when it came back to him cover in dark sand. He looked at Sandy who had captured a shadow, looking at the part darkness and part sand creature in horror.

"What are you doing?" Tooth called out to them, "The shadow that took Jack went this way!"

Shaking off the questions for later, Bunny and Sandy followed after Tooth who turned to the next hallway. They pulled to a stop when they saw North in front of a shadow nightmare, swords held at a ready. Behind the nightmare, Pitch was laughing holding a certain unconscious prince by the neck.

King Winter was in front of Pitch, weary hands shaking on his old shepherd's staff. His eyes were wide and focused on his son.

"Ah yes, I see the appeal… of this whole family business" Pitch said, passing a hand through Jack's snowy white hair. "Of having a… son." The guardians' held their breath when the snowy white locks darkened into gray at the contact. "So much potential," He ran a finger down Jack's face, snow white lashes turning dark, "Oh, how you can shape such a young spirit, turn him into whatever you want. Someone who can carry on your work, yes, he will do nicely."

Pitch gave them a sinister smile, all sharp teeth. "My very own Fearling Prince."

Old man Winter's eyes widened and he yelled, "NO!" Sparks of white ice shot from his staff to Pitch. The Nightmare King merely smiled and shadows shot out from Winter's feet and grabbed him by the legs and arms.

His shepherd's crook fell to the ground, losing its power.

Tooth gasped and Bunny threw a boomerang right at Pitch. The boogeyman merely waved a hand, the handmade weapon being easily swallowed by darkness.

"PITCH! YOU LET BOY GO NOW!" North yelled as he destroyed a nightmare.

"It's funny how you actually think I'd do what you say." Pitch said as Sandy, Tooth, and Bunny tried to advance towards him only to be blocked by nightmares.

North cursed in Russian, stabbing his swords into the nightmares surrounding him, "This is not working."

"We need back-up." Bunny nodded towards Tooth, "And for that, we need permission."

Sandy nodded and gestured at Old Man Winter's staff and then at Tooth. He tilted his head urgently towards the oldest winter spirit while Pitch's attention was busy with Jack.

The Tooth fairy nodded and Sandy took a deep breath as he slowly raised his hands.

Golden sand began to seep from the ground, raising Sandy in the air and forming an impressive wall of sleep dust. The tall shadow of the golden sand wall made Pitch turn just in time for Sandy to sink the nightmares and shadows in waves and waves of golden sand.

To Sandy's astonishment, the nightmares collapsed into golden sand. The guardian of dreams whipped the nearest untouched nightmare to his side and reached out to find dark sand running down its side.

"Look familiar, sandman?" A voice behind Sandy made him turn to see Pitch. The boogeyman smiled at him with sharp teeth, "Took me awhile to perfect this little trick." And just as he said that, the shadows in his feet turned the golden sand dark and Pitch raised a dark sandy scythe from the ground and swung it towards the surprised guardian of Dreams.

"Winter!" Tooth yelled. Pitch turned his head just in time to see the man get his shepherd's crook back and slam it into the ground.

"I-I give permission!" The ice palace shook at Old Man Winter's command. North yelled, smashing snow globes into the floor, yetis popping out of the portals.

Pitch's distraction was enough for Bunny to throw a boomerang and put him off his aim, saving Sandy. Holes opened near the boogeyman and stone sentinels came from the ground and tackled him to the ground.

The boogeyman hissed and sank back into the shadows, reemerging several feet away. Sandy thanked Bunny with a nod, the Pooka giving him a salute before he opened more tunnels to send his sentinels against the dark nightmares still trying to form.

"No," Pitch said looking around as Tooth's fairies, North's yetis, and Bunny's sentinels were granted permission in Winter's territory. He looked at the broke ice walls, where moonlight shone through, "Curse you, Man in the Moon."

But then Pitch was shaken out of his thoughts when a nightmare nudged him with its nose. He turned and to his immense pleasure, saw, that the nightmare carried the unconscious ice prince on his back. It seemed like, not all was lost after all.

"He will be the one to turn the tide." Pitch said and he smirked when the guardians and Winter turned to find that although they had turned the tide of the battle, they have yet to win the war.

The guardians and old man Winter, though he struggled to stand, turned towards Pitch. The boogey man merely turned to them with a dangerous smile, "You know what I love most about the darkness and fear?"

The dark sand shifted underneath his feet. The guardians' minions were too busy with their own battles, old man Winter was nothing more but a incapacitated old man, and the power it took to bring in their army was taking its toll on the guardians who were obviously trying their best to fight against the dark sand and shadows towards him.

"Everyone has them, that darkness and fear in their hearts. It's so easy for people to be afraid, for them to fall into darkness. Being bad is easier than being good. Takes less effort." Pitch said as the nightmare turned into coiling dark holding up Jack's prone and unconscious form. He held up his hand, dark sand forming between his long fingers, forming a spear.

Tooth let out a gasp just as dark sand formed into jail bars in front of them, holding the guardians back towards the fight against the shadows and nightmares. Bunny let fly another boomerang which was blocked by a pillar of sand, Sandy tried to fight the dark sand but shadows held him back. North was tackled by a Nightmare, he struggled under its weight while Tooth avoided the shadows who were trying to pierce through her wings.

Old man Winter lay panting on the ground, barely conscious, his eyes blurring in front of him.

"Everyone has a darkness in them," Pitch hummed, "All I have to do, to make him my Nightmare Princeis to just… pull his darkness out."

Tooth covered her face with a heartbroken wail as the spear of shadows and darkness came down. A strong wind of darkness slammed outwards. Sandy threw a block of sand towards the sand bars keeping them trapped, but the dark sand absorbed it.

North and Bunny let out loud cries and they tried to hack the sand into pieces.

"No!" North yelled, "NO! HE IS A CHILD!"

But just as the guardians were to exude one more great effort to break free, a cold blast of wind threw them back and broke their prison into pieces. They all looked up, surprised as a cool wind blew the dark debris and smoke away to show them what had happened.

Old Man Winter stood in front of Pitch's spear, the tip going through him. His old, withered hands twitched as he grasped his staff, blue eyes wide.

Even Pitch seemed surprised, stepping back, "What…?"

Old Man Winter coughed and spat out shadows. He fell to his knees, staff clutched tightly. Behind him, the dark sand finally lost hold of Jack, and the sprite fell to the ground with a dull 'thud'.

Tooth gasped, covering her mouth with her hands when Winter looked up, the blue veins on his face turning dark, blue eyes turning black.

Pitch looked at his old friend and then began to laugh, "My, that was a stupid move, even for you, Winter." He laughed, "Oh, what irony! In the end, you would have gone back to my side eventually, I guess, this is destiny."

Winter growled, hand extended as ice froze the dark sand under Pitch's feet. "Don't… touch… my son!"

"Hm, well, you may have prevented me from turning your son into my little Fearling Prince." Pitch tutted, "But you have merely delayed me, you know…" He looked down gleefully at the ice now merged with darkness at his feet, "With you by my side, nothing will stand in my way of me corrupting your pure, little, ice prince-"

Pitch was cut off when a loud crack echoed throughout the chamber. The Nightmare King stepped back and yelped when ice thorns formed at his feet, pushing him back towards the bars of dark sand.

A whip of golden sand grabbed Pitch's wrist and pinned him back. The dark sand dissolved and was replaced by a wall of golden sand. Pitch tried to move but twin swords hooked themselves around his neck.

"Do not move." North said in an angry tone.

Bunny covered for the other guardians while Tooth flew towards Old Man Winter, eyes teary. "Winter! Are you-?"

"Do not come near me!" Another blast of cold air and Tooth shielded herself with her arms.

"Oi!" Bunny turned to the scene, another boomerang in hand, "We're just trying to 'elp, ya galah!"

Old Man Winter collapsed even more to the floor and Pitch smirked, "Well, it's not exactly his fault." Pitch said, "The darkness is in his system now, he's just trying to protect you. He doesn't know what he would do once the transformation's complete."

"Transformation-" Bunny turned towards Winter and noticed for the first time the darkness on his chest spreading out like dark veins across his skin. "Crikey!"

"I can't…" Winter let out a breath, running a shaking hand down his face, "I do not- not have much t-time… left."

"What- But- what are you saying?" Tooth asked, slowly approaching. "What are you planning?"

"I am… I am not long for this world Toothiana, guardian of Memories." Winter said, looking up at the tooth fairy. His face was sad and tired, half of his skin, grey and his eyes black from the darkness. "I am merely… speeding up the inevitable." As he said that, ice crackled by his feet and seemed to grow, but no one noticed.

"You- Don't say that!" Tooth said, fluttering closer, "What about your son? You're supposed to take care of him!"

"Dah, Tooth is right, old friend." North said, stepping up from behind Pitch, his expression was surprised and disbelieving but very determined. "If you are saying this only because of the darkness, bah! It will be an easy fix, yes?" He gestured at Sandy, "We have Sandy and books to help."

Pitch scoffed, "Don't kid yourself into believing that. A little golden sand can't delay the inevitable." A hungry expression was on his face, "Once a fearling, always a fearling. I'm sure, you all know that, seeing as I'm still as I am after all these centuries."

Regret passed the guardians faces at his words.

"No," Bunny shook his head, "We can save him." He turned to Winter, "We can save you."

Pitch scoffed again and Bunny shot the Nightmare King a glare.

"No…" Winter said, and he sighed, shoulders dropping, "No, I am afraid, guardian of Hope, that this is one of those things we can do nothing about." He smiled, tiredly. "I am afraid, my death is inevitable."

This time, Pitch's eyes widened. He thought Winter had been talking about turning into a fearling but he was actually talking about something else? His eyes narrowed, "What are you saying Winter Frost?"

Winter ignored him, "I was... already fading, long before Pitch came to try and take Jack away again. My powers have diminished greatly and my existence… Well, I was already dying, before you came."

The guardians watched as Winter shakily stood up and turned to limp towards the fallen body of the still sleeping Prince. He kneeled beside the pale sprite and gently pulled him into his arms.

"There is no way to reverse the process of being a fearling." Winter admitted, arms shaking as he held Jack close. "I have… merely stalled it by freezing my own blood flow, but well, as you know, I can't stop my heart for so long." He said with a small smile, "So, of course, there is only one way to ensure that I will not side with the Dark King once more… There is only a single solution, so as the Dark Ages will not come back."

"NO!" Pitch roared, struggling against his golden bonds. His eyes were narrowed into angry slits. His neck was scratched by the swords and North took them away quickly. "NO! DON'T YOU DARE DO THIS, WINTER!"

Ice crackled one again and the guardians watched in horror as it climbed Winter's feet, up his body.

He was freezing himself.

"The spell on my son is to wear off now." Winter said, and for a moment, black eyes flickered blue. "I wish to talk to him one more time."

Moonlight slide through the cracks of the ice walls and towards Jack.

Everyone held their breaths as pale eyelashes fluttered and opened, electric blue eyes looking around in confusion and slight fear.

It was loud and then it was silent again.

…And for the first time in a long time, he was awake.

Awake and confused.

"Jack…" A familiar, worn voice called to him and immediately, the young winter sprite's head snapped to the source because it's been a while since he last heard that voice.

"Old man?" Jack choked when he saw his father's face.

Because- because this was not- this wasn't how it was supposed to be. This wasn't what he was expecting after falling asleep! It wasn't-

This wasn't how it was supposed to go!

Winter Frost's face was lined with dark veins, his skin grey instead of the usual pale, and his blue eyes turned black.

"What-"

"Jack." Winter said again and for a moment, a young man shone through the old, tired one in his features. For a moment, he looked like himself again, as he smiled softly and hugged the child sprite against him, "Oh Jack… I'm sorry."

Jack felt his stomach drop as he grasped Winter's worn cloak, "I don't-" His eyes were burning, a strange sensation that made him tremble. "Why're you-"

"You will grow up to be an amazing and powerful winter elemental." Old Man Winter said.

Jack swallowed, confused and scared and what the hell is happening, I don't understand, "What are you talking about? Why are you telling me this?" He pleaded. "What's happening?"

"I'm dying." Winter said quietly, the soft admission sending fear in everyone in the room. "I won't be here to see you grow up now."

The silence around them was deafening and in that terrifying moment, all Jack could hear was his heart trying to drown out everything, the words, the inevitable…

"You said-" Jack gasped, flailing, trying to understand. There was a faint crackle and his eyes were drawn to the ice slowly creeping up Winter's body. He gasped and shook, shaking Winter, "You said we're family- you said-" Jack sobbed, "D-Don't do this to me."

"I'm sorry," The ice climbed up to the King's chest.

"You promised you won't leave me." Jack said, voice hoarse. His eyes were blurry, cold tears running down his eyes and freezing on his cheeks, "You said we were- we were family."

A pained look came over Winter's face, "And what sort of family am I…?" He closed his eyes, "Putting my own son to sleep for three hundred years…"

As Jack continued to cry, Tooth hovered closer, "You were trying to protect him."

"I could have protected him better." The older man said, and for the first time since Jack woke up, he turned to the guardians. "But... that's not my job anymore."

"Mate," Bunny said, hopping closer, "We can find another way, we should-"

"Thank you, Bunnymund, but this time Pitch was right and you know more than anyone," Winter said, eyes narrowed and dark. "Once a fearling, always a fearling."

Bunny's paws curled into a fist at the memory. A breath later his shoulders slumped, ears lowered. "'M sorry, mate." He said, not able to meet the old man's eyes anymore. "I'm so sorry."

Pitch growled where he was, eyes flashing. The shadows were flickering to his reaction, trying to set him free, but the battle had winded down and he'd used a lot of his powers. Sandy had him bound.

"You did what you could and I am eternally grateful." He said, "But you can do something for me that I would appreciate even more." With a heavy heart, Winter turned, with Jack still in his arms, "Protect him." His eyes flashed blue for a moment, firm and serious. "Take care of him."

The guardians were stunned. The moonlight seeping through the cracks seem to grow brighter, North was the one who took a step forward, taking Jack from the old man.

"O-Of course." North choked as he took hold of the trembling, crying boy. "Of course we will."

"No!" Jack struggled, clawing to keep hold of old man Winter's robes. "NO! Don't! I won't let you- Father! FATHER!"

Winter could almost feel his heart break in two as he gently pried Jack's finger off him. The betrayed look the young winter sprite shot him, made him flinch. The ice crackled as it traveled up his arms, then to his neck.

The dark veins on his face pulsed and he wished for the thousandth time that this wouldn't the first and last glimpse of him Jack had.

But not everyone could chose the way they die, not really.

Tooth was crying in the background as she tried to help North in pulling Jack back. Pitch was snarling and growling, struggling even harder.

The wind whistled through the cracks and ruffled Winter's hair in a silent, comforting whisper. The old man smiled and the ice traveled up the sides of his face.

"The wind will like you better than me now." Winter said sadly, towards Jack. The boy was gazing at him in wide terror, hand outstretched. Winter couldn't even move his arms anymore, "Having you as a son was the happiest time of my long life, don't ever forget that, Jack."

The ice traveled up Winter's head, just as he closed his eyes.

The moonlight grew brighter until it was almost blinding and Jack let out a loud cry as the iced form of Old Man Winter shattered into pieces, the ice scattering through the air.

I love you, son.

A last whisper.

My prince, Jack Frost.

"No…" Jack whispered, crumpling into himself. His teary blue eyes flashed and then he yelled, "NO!"

In reaction, the wind violently surrounded him, throwing back the guardians, and freeing Pitch.

The boogeyman slinked back to the shadows in a tactical retreat, golden eyes narrowed in anger, fury, and maybe even a tiny bit of grief.

No one noticed him leave.

The wind yelled in Jack's ears, sharing his grief and despair as Jack cried into his hands, shouting in despair, trying to let the pain and confusion out.

But then suddenly a warm paw landed on his shoulder, and in his brief confusion, whoever it was managed to turn Jack and whack him gently on the head.

The move was so sudden that Jack stopped crying, blinking his eyes in bewilderment when he looked at the giant rabbit in front of him.

"Yer not alone, ya gumby." The giant rabbit said and to Jack's surprise, the guardian gathered him into the warmest hug he'd ever experienced. "You have us now. We'll take care of you, we promise."

Jack's eyes widened before his expression crumpled and he buried his face into Bunny's shoulder.

The rest of the guardians gathered around the two when the wind finally calmed down enough for them to approach.

"Pitch?" North asked Sandy when he looked around and saw no nightmare or shadow remained in the broken palace.

Sandy shook his head regretfully.

"What do we do now?" Tooth asked, eyes sad as the young prince's sobs slowed into hiccups, until finally he fell asleep again from exhaustion. "What do we tell the others?" She said, referring to the other winter elementals nursing their injuries outside.

North sighed in exhaustion but then Manny's light filtered towards them, making them look up.

"Are you sure you will deal with them Manny?" Tooth asked, "What will you say?"

A soft tinkling answered her and the guardians nodded.

"Yes, you are right of course." North said, looking at the sleeping Jack in Bunny's arms, "We must take young prince home to rest."

"He's been through enough." Bunny said quietly. Sandy drifted next to the sleeping winter sprite and placed a hand on Jack's hair. He looked up at Bunny and the rabbit nodded, "Make sure he has good dreams."

The sandman waved his hand as golden sand fell on the prince's pale lashes. Two figures formed, laughing in the snow, and everyone knew that this was Jack and Old Man Winter before he fell into deep slumber.

North sighed once more, "Let us go, I believe sleigh was that way." He gestured to a certain direction. The guardians did as North said and headed towards the sleigh but not before Tooth picked up Old Man Winter's shepherd's crook. Santa turned to follow but paused, looking at the spot where Old Man Winter last hugged his son.

Snow fell from the cracks of the palace and North took off his ushanka, closing his eyes.

"We will take good care of him, old friend." He said before he opened his eyes and bowed his head in respect.

He put his ushanka back on and turned to follow after the guardians.

A large, solitary snowflake went through the crack and fluttered around before falling to the ground gently.

They left the broken remains of the ice palace behind them.

Author's notes: Hey guys, it's been awhile. disappeared on this fandom for quite awhile and I'm sorry about that. I already posted in 'Ice Cubes" (totally recommend you guys read that story) in chapter 30 what happened, and well, long story short, there was this huge storm two years ago in our country. It land fell on our city and provinces and thousands people died. My family lost our house, everything, and worse still, our mom died.

So, hey, thanks for reading. Sorry again for the delay and see you at the next chapter.