Night's Fury

The atmosphere was solemn throughout the workshop, with no one willing to break the heavy silence.

Sandman’s death had hit them all hard, but Jade’s behavior was even more worrying, especially for Jack.

It was like she just…shut down.

Her eyes were blank, like a wall, and no amount of prodding could so much as get a twitch out of the doll-like girl.

Even when Jack purposely pulled on her tail, desperate for any reaction at all, she had only blinked at him.

But Jack was not going to lose her.

Not like this.

The remaining Guardians had been unnerved by the steely determination in the boy’s suddenly icy eyes, though they still followed him to the infirmary where Jade was sitting, having been patched up hours before.

Her ear horn twitched at their arrival, but there was no other sign the girl had registered the presence of others.

Clutched in her hands was the quill that had been removed from her flesh, green eyes locked on the sharp weapon as if trying to untangle the mysteries of the universe.

“Jade.”

Her grip tightened, but she made no move to respond.

Refusing to give up, Jack stormed into the room, oblivious to the jagged ice that crept into the woodwork at his feet.

“Jade.”

That was the tone he had used when the dragon-girl had first transformed, angry at Bunny for hurting his feelings, and it caused her pupils to instinctively widen.

When she did not move to look at him, Jack pinched one of her ear horns.

Pain snapped Jade out of her trance, and she winced, green eyes meeting blue.

“I don’t know why you’re closing me out, but you’re going to stop right now.” Jack stated, firm. “I…”

His voice softened, a flash of the lonely boy shining through his eyes.

“I miss you…”

For a moment, the Night Fury was still as a statue, pupils vibrating…

And then the floodgates opened.

The winter spirit faltered as her eyes suddenly filled with tears, and panic was soon to follow as she began to openly cry.

Releasing her ear horn as if burned, Jack scrambled for a way to calm the girl down.

“I didn’t-But I-I mean-!”

Without a word, she grabbed the frost-boy and buried her face in his hoodie, arms locking around his back as sobs wracked through the girl’s chest.

Slowly wrapping his own arms around her shaking shoulders, Jack thought she was mumbling something, and rested his forehead on her hair with a sigh.

“Let it out, fluffy…Come on…”

Words slowly took form from her mumbling, and it tore at everyone’s hearts.

“I’m so sorry so sorry couldn’t make it should’ve been faster so sorry not strong enough not good enough please don’t leave me please don’t leave me alone I can’t take being alone I‘ll try harder I promise I‘ll do better-”

She was on an endless loop, sobs punctuating her more earnest statements, and Jack tightened his hold, rubbing circles between Jade’s limp, twitching wings.

“Sh, sh…It’s okay, fluffy…I‘m right here…”

Tooth was the first to approach, hovering carefully before doing her best to enclose the two teenagers in her arms, humming an ancient lullaby to soothe Jade’s tears.

North did not hesitate to join her, pulling all three into a bear hug, though he was careful not to crush anyone.

Bunny, however, hesitated.

Hugging really was not his thing…

Just one look at her heartbroken face, even half-hidden in Jack’s chest, was enough to make him hop over anyway.

After all, he reasoned, Jade was still a child, and it was their job to protect them.

She flinched violently at the slight touch of his paw, trembling, and it reminded Bunny of her defensive reaction during their first meeting.

“I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry-”

It was a punch to the gut to realize that she was terrified of him.

“Relax, sheila…” He muttered, patting her hair down. “Everything’s gonna be a’right…”

Slowly, slowly, Jade relaxed, and her sobs turned into sniffles as the sadness took the last of her energy.

For what seemed like the first time, the assembled Guardians took in the scars and wondered where they had gone wrong.

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The funeral was a quiet affair, and neither teenager attended.

After her emotional breakdown, all Jade wanted to do was hide up in a corner and try to forget everything that had happened.

To keep her from shutting down a second time, Jack coaxed the fragile girl into an embrace, humming a soft tune that neither recognized, but was soothing all the same.

Curled up on the frost-boy’s lap, Jade played with the strings of his hoodie, pupils big and watery as she watched him make designs on the windows with his powers.

When one created an image of Sandman, she nudged Jack’s chin with a low purr, her tail wrapping around the boy’s thigh.

A smile began to form, and Jack rested his forehead on her hair, taking comfort from the dragon-girl’s heartbeat.

Relieved, Jade began to play with the hem of the baggy white t-shirt she wore, claws fraying the fabric slightly.

Her other clothes had been drenched in blood, so Jack had offered the shirt he wore underneath his hoodie while a yeti dug up a pair of shorts for her.

Jack felt a strange sort of pride, seeing her in his shirt…

“Jack?”

Blinking away the confusing thoughts, the winter spirit lifted his head to see the uncertainty fill Jade’s eyes despite her closed expression.

“What if…” She trailed off, a fang pricking her lip nervously. “What if we…?”

There was no need for the girl to finish the question; it shone through her eyes, a need for reassurance and a gnawing worry that maybe…

Maybe she would end up alone again.

“Come on, fluffy.” Jack teased, butting their noses in a sign of affection usually reserved for her dragon form. “After three hundred years, you still have to ask?”

Jade growled softly, but there was no heat to it; truthfully, she was a bit comforted by the reply.

Smiling at the adorably upset expression on her face, Jack shifted positions to free both hands.

“But if you insist…”

Ear horns perking at the concentration of magic between the frost-boy’s clasped palms, Jade watched with bated breath as ice condensed and molded itself into a new shape.

Once done, he only smiled and offered the innocuous object for the dragon-girl to take.

Jade could only stare at the ring, awestruck.

The band was a twisting spiral, smooth on the inside, and what looked like a glass rose showed it’s delicate petals.

But it was the words carved on the inside that made her spark flutter.

‘Jack & Jade-Never Alone’

“This has some of my magic inside.” Jack explained, depositing the frozen jewelry into her hands. “So we can find each other if we ever get separated.”

Jade fiddled with the seemingly-delicate ring, a blush rising on her cheeks as her instincts whispered fiercely.

Dragons, unlike most species of animal, only took one mate in their considerable lifetime.

Unlike those animals, dragons are fairly intelligent-though the Gronckle was still up for debate among the majority-and took precautions to keep their mates from being taken.

Certain species, like Monstrous Nightmares, scarred their mates in unique ways, or, like Terrible Terrors, used strong hormones as a signal to keep away unmated males.

Most, however, took a more…human approach.

Precious gems and metals are common in the magically-protected areas dragons reside in, so dragons tended to mark their mates with things like necklaces, bracelets and earrings.

They were also a way to proposition an unmated female.

Though she knew Jack could not possibly know that, Jade was also aware of the human tradition to use rings as a way to mark someone as a significant other.

How often had they rested in a tree overlooking the park and watched a nervous man propose to the love of his life?

And while Jack had poked fun at their anxiety, he seemed to have caught on to the significance of it, if this gesture was any indication…

Jade doubted he understood what he was asking.

Chuckling at her wonderfully embarrassed face, Jack rested his head against a twitching ear horn, watching her fingertips run over the smooth ice over and over again.

“Do you like it?”

Pausing in her actions, Jade smiled.

“More than anything in the world.”

The sound of footsteps caught their attention, and her fingers curled over the ring protectively before Jade realized it was North.

More subdued than usual, he studied the teenagers with surprisingly intense eyes before speaking.

“How are you two feeling?”

Jade could only shrug, curling into Jack’s embrace as if that would keep the dark memories away.

“Alright, I guess…” The winter spirit answered for both of them, a frown tugging at his mouth as his gaze turned to the window. “I just wish I could have done something…”

The statement was echoed in the girl’s eyes, and North moved to sit on the ledge with a low chuckle.

“Do something? You two stood up to Pitch. You saved us.”

“But…Sandy…” Jade started, voice cracking on the fallen Guardian’s name.

“Would be proud of what you two did.” The Russian insisted, firm.

Neither would admit it, but his words gave them some comfort.

After all, North had known Sandman for much longer than they had.

Placing one hand on Jade’s head and the other on Jack’s shoulder, the Guardian of Wonder pinned them with a serious look that conveyed his utter belief in the next words he spoke.

“And no matter who you were before, you are both Guardians now.”

Those words strike something deeper than anyone could have realized, and thoughts race through Jade’s mind in an attempt to piece together this new feeling.

The Guardians were, in a very familiar way, a family.

A pack.

North was saying they were Guardians.

They were part of the pack.

And no one messes with Jade’s pack.

Jack knew that look, that stubborn determination and protectiveness, like it was his own.

It was the look that came whenever someone tried to hurt him, taunt him, throw him away without a second glance.

It was a look that promised retribution.

Pitch wanted a war?

Well, Jack thought to himself as a similar feeling filled his chest, a war was what he was going to get.