Chapter 7: Who's Jack Frost?
It was the first time she had been home since her mother's funeral. Everything had changed. The town had towering buildings like in every other town she had seen but this being her home she wasn't ready for the change. She hadn't expected them to leave it as she had left it, she didn't know what she expected really, but the town she found was not it. If her town's people could see this they would die of shock. The shops were nice but they had things like dresses in even shorter than the one she wore and they were tight! Tragedy reverted back to a little girl looking at the new things she saw. She wondered if she would even be able to find the lake path, if the lake was even there. She heard a yell, "Snow day!" and felt an icy breeze run over her but she thought nothing of it and why would she Jack had been her reason for changing but after she saw him she was who she was for Pitch.
Tragedy found where Collin had lived. A cute little brown-haired boy had just walked into the yard followed by two other little boys. Tragedy didn't even land Kōri when she saw them she just jumped off and ran to the boys. The brunette looked so much like Collin! He looks like me as well! She wondered if he was what would have happened if Colin and she had a son. Tragedy just looked at him smiling. She couldn't stop staring, he was her family but he wasn't. Her family had died over two hundred years ago but this boy was her family's family.
She about pulled her cloak down but instead tightened her grip on the cloak when she saw him. He was here? In front of her? Watching her? No watching the boys. Did he know how important the one was to his past? Colin had been his best friend when he was alive; he would be any child of Colin's uncle even without them being hers. Jack was his same old self. He was walking on a fence and answering the children when they spoke of things he knew.
Tragedy then saw a little girl hop and fall in the yard and a woman came outside as the boys were leaving. The little girl's name was Sophie, she had golden hair, and Colin was a brunette so she assumed the blonde came in later. The woman looked like the children so she must have been the mom, she asked if Sophie was okay then told the boy, Jamie, he needed a hat, "you don't want Jack Frost nipping at your nose!"
"Who's Jack Frost?" the boy asked like children do.
"No one, honey, it is just an expression," she answered in a mom tone like Anna used to use on Jack when he would ask questions like that.
Jack spoke up to no avail, "Hey!" he looked annoyed and Tragedy had to suppress a giggle, the cloak kept her from being seen but not from being heard. "Who's Jack Frost?" Jack said picking up a snowball and blowing on it. Tragedy watched him throw it at the Jamie and the fight started! Tragedy watched in amazement at the way Jack played. He was a lot rougher on the kids than he ever was when he was alive. He then made Jamie the coolest sledding track ever right through town. Tragedy couldn't watch what happened to the boy on the sleigh; she instead went in search of the lake.
She ran to find Kōri first; Kōri was visible to other spirits so she had to hide. Tragedy found her munching on a shadow. "Kōri, I am sorry I was so excited to see Jamie I couldn't help it! Then guess who else I saw! Jack! He is Jack Frost! I had heard that name but I never would have thought it was him. I cannot believe I had forgotten him! He looks so young, he was fifteen when he died, almost a man. Now he looks like a boy! I am older than my big brother!" Tragedy paced as she spoke quickly, Kōri just watching and chewing. Tragedy then looked at Kōri, "sorry again. Let's go find our lake, huh?" She then jumped on Kōri's back and they rode down the forest path behind Jamie's house to the ice lake.
Tragedy lay where she had when she watched Jack die and caressed the ice with her fingertips. "This is where Pitch found me," she breathed slowly pushing her lips to the ice, "this is where Jack died." She pushed off of the ice and saw her belly turned red and her blood splatter turned blue/black. Her dress had even faded to a cool looking blue/red color. "I guess I am cold," she looked at Kōri and smiled as the horse kicked and stomped.
When she heard a voice she turned and listened hard, it was soft but it was his, Pitch. Tragedy followed the sounds as they got louder a broken bed frame came into view and a strong chill, not like Jack's cold, but like the fear she had felt at her death. She looked at the spot where she had been stabbed. The hole under the bed sat where the fire pit had been. This was her bed. Her true nightmare. Kōri nickered at the taste of fear, she jumped on her hind legs with joy and started nudging Tragedy to move closer to the hole and feed her more. Tragedy came out of her trance and jumped under the bed into the hole. The hole led her to the tunnels Pitch used to get around and she found the lair close to the hole. Pitch had put their home under her old home and the entrance where she had died. Tragedy walked in looking at the area with new eyes. She saw a lighted globe and a bunch of cages with little shelves along the sides.
Pitch stood in the entrance laughing his back to her, "They better be ready because I make my first strike tonight!" He jumped a little rubbing his hands together. His joy seemed to leave as he spoke solemnly, turning to face her, "You stabbed me in the back today." At her confused look he continued, "I asked you to stay away from the Guardians. Easter is close and anywhere you find children is a dangerous place. You also went back to your home with Colin," He tried to hide the hurt in his voice. "I thought you were over him, him and Jack both. What did you think of his great-great-whatever? You wish he was yours?" he even shocked himself with the bite in his tone and quickly changed his anger, "You even put Kōri in danger. Maybe you aren't ready for a Nightmare." With every word he cut into Tragedy like a knife. "I know you are young so I will forgive you but hear me, if I think Jack will get in the way of my plans I will finish him off. You got that young lady?!" the last sentence he yelled in her face. Pitch had never yelled at her and she was hurt, why would her talking to Jack interfere with his plans? She fell to her knees and tears hit the floor like drops of rain. Pitch saw and he walked over to her, he placed his hand on her head and patted her, "maybe it would be best if you stayed here until I finish my plans, hum?" She shook her head yes not knowing what else to do and as Pitch sank into the shadows she sank down covering herself with the cloak. She stayed there out of the way thinking about what she did wrong and how her anger at his tricks was overcome by her sorrow at upsetting him.
She stayed there until the next morning. She did not even notice Kōri had left with Pitch until a group of Nightmares ran into the room running through the cages leaving little humming birds in them. She saw a couple with the birds still in their bellies. "What is happening?" She then saw little gold boxes piled on the floor, "What are these?" She looked at them and found a box on top with her picture on it; she touched it and saw Jack. When she moved her hand she realized the boxes were like her Nightmares. The Nightmares told fears and the boxes told joys. She knew that because the only time she ever felt Joy as a child was when she was with Jack.
She didn't see Kōri, she had stayed to bring Pitch home since she was the biggest and the strongest of all the Nightmares. When Kōri came rushing in with Pitch on her back he yelled, "I am home! Things went well! Until, I saw your little Jack. He was with the Guardians," a look of disgust crossed his face. "He was weak, I will not need him now," he looked into her hurt and confused eyes, "I think my Nightmares are finished so I am done with you, for now. Why don't you find a lost spirit we can turn to our side and have them help you with the Nightmares, hum? How 'bout it Tragedy?" Pitch hurt her more using the name she had given herself; he called her Jeannie out of love. She stood and walked to Kōri defeated. Pitch jumped off and Tragedy went to jump on but Kōri whinnied and jumped away. Pitch smiled a little, a small smile that if looked at close enough could be seen as sad but Tragedy had tears in her own eyes and only saw that it was a smile, "She will be staying with me; you are just not ready for her yet."
Tragedy cried as she ran from the lair into the tunnels but just before she climbed out one of the holes she swore she heard Pitch sob but then again it could have been her own. She climbed out and fell into the snow. Her dress had turned back to its blood red color in the warmth of the lair but now it turned to purple color in the snow. "Who would help me? I am a grown woman but yet I act like a child. I am worse than childish Jack Frost!" she cried making herself feel even worse. She stood when her eyes were frozen by her tears, "No more crying," she warned herself, "I must find a spirit strong and dark enough to handle a heard of Nightmares, then I will be back on Pitch's good side." She put her face in her hands to melt the tears and to her surprise a little fire burned at her fingertips. She did not think she had powers, not like Jack or Pitch. Her powers came from those around her, she could give people what they needed or wanted. A path to a kind hearted stranger, a feeling to look at the job listings one more time, a hand out of the darkness. She was not fire, she was desire. Still, she could not explain the little flames that melted the snow around her feet. She took a step then melted into the shadows, a blood splatter dissolved in the spot where she had stood.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Poetsoul61521
Poetsoul61521 I know the story is demented but I do not think that all would end up alright after watching someone die because of you. Tragedy is the "anti-guardian" (she works for Pitch instead of Manny) of inner desires (to fall in love, have a child/find a family, move on from pain and find peace in the afterlife, etc). This is because that is what she died doing. As she helps people her dress turns red and she slowly becomes good, though she was never really evil.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone