Dead || Jack Frost

Eleven

Dia had missed Sandy's funeral. They had held the small ceremony while he was unconscious. In someways he was quite glad. He wasn't sure that the still bubbling feelings of disappointment and failure would be contained if he had attended. But he was also sad. He and Sandy had always gotten along better than with the other guardians. Maybe it was because their cores had been similar, or maybe it was because Sandy had been the oldest of all of them. The first guardian.

So when Dia stepped out in to Norths's office overlooking the globe and faced the other guardians, it was with rising feelings of panic and anxiety. Jack, who was standing next to him, squeezed his hand. It was unfounded though. Immediately upon seeing him Tooth let out a little gasp. She flew over and embraced him in a hug. Dia relaxed into her soft feathers with a sigh.

"I'm so happy you're okay", Tooth grinned as she released him. Dia smiled back at her unguarded. Her hands ran through his damp hair, dislodging a few unmelted snowflakes. She eyed them, then the red and yellow petals still frozen to Jack's hair and clothes. (They did try to remove them but apparently they had missed a few). Jack and Dia averted their eyes sheepishly as Tooth winked conspiratorially.

"Dia!" North boomed, strolling over. He ruffled Dia's hair with enough force to almost send the boy toppling over. "It's good to see you back on your feet".

"Thanks", Dia groaned as North pulled him into a enthusiastic rib cracking bare hug. Jack chuckled as North released him. Dia breathing heavily to try and regain some oxygen.

"Great. You're just in time to help us plan our next move", Bunny commented from where he was leaning against the wall. He eyed Dia with a firm glare but there was a softer edge too it and his voice wasn't as harsh as before. Obviously the rabbit cared more than showed.

"So", Jack clapped his hands together and leant on his staff. "What's our next plan?"

"The lights are going out so fast now", Tooth moaned. She was hovering nervously, pervious happiness upon seeing that Dia was okay, gone in the face of nerves. Dia looked up at the massive globe. There were far less lights than there had been the first time he had seen it. The world almost looked faded, dull.

"It's fear", Jack muttered, frowning anxiously. He skipped up into the air, soaring over to have a closer look at the tiny flickering lights. "Pitch is making them scared".

Dia shivered, memories of the dark ages flashing behind his eyes. He groaned loudly and ran his hands down his cheeks. "Please can we do something. If Pitch wins then I'm going to have a shit ton of paperwork. Deaths will go through the roof and I'm going to have to deal with transports, housing, tracking, ceremonies. It will be a nightmare!" He threw his hands up in frustration. "I don't need all that work!"

The guardians and Jack all looked at him with stunned faces. "Wait", Jack said slowly. "The guardians actually lower your amount of workload? You do less when they're around?" He yelled as Tooth flicked him on the forehead.

"He is the spirit of the dead Jack", she reminded him. "If pitch retains power, deaths will go up. We don't just bring joy, we bring life".

Dia tired not to roll his eyes. Again with all this 'we are good and pure crap'. "Actually I'm not the spirit of the dead. I'm the spirit of The day of the dead. Dia de Los Muertos. The guardian of the land of the dead. The ruler of the ghosts, the ghouls and the lost spirits". He gestured widely and around him the room grew dark as the candles faded. A deep golden glow lit up his chest as the skull make up reformed on his face. A slight breeze made his scarfs flutter and a few stray petals float around his feet. In the shadows, glowing shapes began to appear.

They were all different colours of the rainbow, each luminescent like toxic waste. Flowers and serpents. Fire and spiders. Skulls with coloured designs and markings, grinning with vicious glee. Some wore hats, some had bodies forming beneath them ad they crept forwards. Heads popping out of the wall as glowing hands pushed them forwards. Baby tooth shrieked in fear and dove to hide behind Tooth. That seemed to break Dia's concentration.

He sighed, letting it all go and relaxing.  As sudden as it all came, Dia let his arms fall and it all faded. Light returned to the room and the breeze disappeared. He ran a hand through this hair and down across his face. The makeup lifting like a mask and once more exposing tanned skin. He smiled at them apologetically. "The day of the dead was once a time for mourning. Now it is a time for celebrating the lives of those who have passed on. I would much rather is stay a celebration, not a time for misery".

Everyone nodded, seeming to surprised by Dia's outburst to answer. After a minute of awkward silence, Bunny coughed and hopped onto a table. "Hey buck up you sad sacks. We can still turn this around. Easter is tomorrow and I need all your help. Let's say we pull out all the stops and get those lights flickering again".

Bunny's speech seemed to give them all new hope. "Yes!" North agreed, throwing a fist into the air. "Everyone gear up. We've got a Easter to plan". He pulled on his thick coat with a flourish and strapped his swords to his belt. Tooth ruffled her feathers and took a few warm up loops around the room.

Jack spun his staff in a few complicated motions, easing out his arms and wrists while Dia watched. The snow spirit smiled at him, winking flirtatiously. Dia dragged a hand up his face and through his hair, the intricate designs of his make up following along his skin like a wave. Twirling thorn vines and roses mixing with black spirals and white shapes. The black around his eyes made them glitter dangerously. Like this, it was not hard to picture the powerful, beautiful guardian that Dia could be. Dangerous and glowing passionately bright.

For the first time, Dia was the one who made Jack blush. The snow spirit turned a violet purple (the red of his blush mixing with the blue tint in his skin) from his cheeks to his ears. Dia couldn't help but laugh at Jack's adorably flustered expression. It felt good to be the confident one, if only for a second.

"Bunny is right", North stated as he led the group to the elevator. Dia and Jack jolting out of their moment to jog after them.

"As much as it pains me to say this my friend. For once, Easter is more important than Christmas".

"Hey did everyone hear that?"

"We must hurry to the Warren", North continued. "Everyone. To the sleigh!"

Bunny hopped in front of him, stopping North in his tracks. "Oh no mate. My warren, my rules. Buckle up". He tapped a large paw twice on the ground.

North barely had time to swear something colourful in Russian before the ground fell away beneath them and they disappeared. Bunny jumping in right after them.

Unedited