Jack awoke blearily, head pounding. He felt sore and cold. Cold? He never felt cold. Such a strange and hollow sensation. It tugged at his chest and made him want to curl up in a ball. It took a while for his eyes to focus on his surroundings. Snow under him. Frozen walls of sharp ice towering over him. Ah, that's why everything hurt. Pitch.

Jack's eyes flew open and he sat up harshly. "Dia!" He turned and spotted the other boy. Dia was lying sprawled in the snow a few feet away. Jack crawled over, ignoring his protesting bruises. Shakily, he turned Dia over and pulled the boy's head into his lap.

Dia wasn't looking so good. His normally blazing warm skin was dull and cold. There was a blue tinge to his lips and frost dusted his hair. The thick black tresses messy and bedraggled. Dia's thin white shirt was not doing him any favours, arms and neck exposed to the frigid temperatures. Jack untied one of the many purples scarves from Dia's waist and wrapped it around the boy's shoulders in an effort to keep him warm. Dia blinked slightly at the movement. He peered at Jack sleepily. The green of his eyes dull.

"Jack?"

"Hey, hey", Jack hushed as Dia tried to sit up. "I'm here. Be careful. Pitch beat you pretty badly". He helped Dia ease himself back on to his chest. The two of them shuffling to the crevice wall. Jack tucked Dia to his side protectively, wrapping him in his arms for comfort. His comfort, or Dia's, he didn't know.

Dia shivered and Jack sighed. "Sorry. All I can do is keep you cold. Pitch was right. I make a mess of everything".

"That's not true", Dia muttered softly. His voice was slightly horse and he coughed a few times before continuing. "You are so much more. Don't listen to Pitch".

Jack gave a dry laugh. "You didn't see the guardian's faces when I turned up and found that eater was ruined and you were gone. If they didn't hate me before, I'm sure they do now. I don't blame them, it's not like I'm anything good".

"No", Dia pushed himself up, struggling as he turned to face the winter spirit. He brought his hands up and cupped Jack's cheeks in his palms, forcing their eyes to meet. "You are amazing and funny and charming. Yeah you're mischievous and annoying but you're not bad, Jack. Pitch tricked you. He tricked us. You can't blame yourself for that".

Jack's face softened and he placed his hands on top of Dia's. "But Pitch took you and I wasn't there to help. Now we're both powerless and stranded".

"I don't blame you for that", Dia smiled slightly. "That was my own fault. Pitch has been growing more powerful. I underestimated him. But I thank you for giving up your staff for me all the same".

"It's not like it worked". Jack huffed, sadness taking over his features. Dia sighed deeply and leaned forwards, pressing his forehead to Jack's. Both of them closed their eyes, basking in each other's presence. A small warmth in the cold.

"Jack", a girl's voice called. Both of them jumped at the sudden noise. Jack looked around, helping as he noticed a gold glow coming from his pocket. He reached inside and pulled out his tooth case. The box was glowing faintly.

"Pitch gave you back your memories?" Dia asked, eyes wide. He deflated slightly, and reached inside his own pocket. He held up a case just like the one Jack was holding. The only difference was that the picture on the end was of a smiling Dia. Jack noticed that Dia had brown eyes in the picture.

"You had brown eyes and hair", Dia remarked with a small smile as he studied Jack's box. His face hardened, regarding his own with anger and annoyance.

"Do you think I should open it?" Jack asked nervously. "What if they're bad?"

Dia sighed deeply before meeting Jack's eyes. "Good or bad, they're yours", he said with a soft smile. "They will give you the answers you've been searching for".

"Can you do it with me?" Jack asked, blue eyes wide. Dia smiled and linked their hands together.

"Together on three?"

"One".

"Two".

"Three". With their linked hands, they pressed their fingers to the case.

——

Flashing images. Children laughing. A mother's voice as a boy and a girl ran through a spring field. "Come on Jack. You don't need to run all the time". Her voice was fond as she watched her son chase his sister round in circles in the grass.

—

The boy swinging upside down from a tree branch during the night of summer. Bare feet against bark and his victorious laughter echoing through the forest. Below a brown haired girl and two of her friends watched, giggling. "Jack! Get down from there!" She called.

—

A fire on autumn nights. Children perched on logs as the boy danced round the flames. He was excitedly acting out some story, using deer antlers to create the shadow of a monster. The children were laughing. Flushed warm faces open and innocent. "You're funny Jack", one exclaimed.

—

"Jack come on", the sister called as she jogged out of the front door. Jack chuckled as he followed, ice skates hanging from his back.

"Be careful", the mother called as the girl began tugging her brother away. Jack turned, brown eyes warm and russet hair messy.

"We will", he replied with a wave as they disappeared into the forest.

—

Jack's little sister staring at him with wide scared eyes as she stood on the ice. There were crack snaking out under her feet. Thin spidery lines. A few feet away Jack was kneeling on the ice. He had taken his skates off and was barefoot. His toes white from cold. He smiled reassuringly, reaching out a hand.

"It's okay. Look at me. Don't look down. Look at me".

"Jack", the girl whispered as more cracking sounds broke the air. "I'm scared".

"I know, I know". Jack replied as he took a step closer. Beneath his feet, the ice creaked warningly. "But you're going to be alright", he smiled reassuringly. "You're not going to fall in. We're going to have a little fun instead".

"No, we're not", the girl sobbed.

"Would I trick you?" Jack grinned.

"Yes! You always play tricks!"

"Alright", Jack chuckled as he edged steadily closer to her. "Well not this time. I promise, I promise. You're going to be fine. You have to believe in me". She smiled slightly and Jack grinned widely back.

"Do you want to play a game?" He asked, spotting a broken branch lying on the ice a few feet away. It was shaped like a Shepard's crook, hooked at one end. "We're going to play hopscotch! Like we play every day!" Jack declared. "It's as easy as one".

He took a slow step, the ice groaning under his bare feet. Thin spider webs dancing out. He leaned out, pretending to loose his balance. The girl laughed at his antics. "Two", another step. "Three", and he hopped onto the thicker patch of ice. Safe ground.

"Alright. Now it's your turn", Jack smiled as he picked up the branch. "One". The girl inched closed, ice creaking. She gasped loudly. "Two. Three!" Jack caught her round the waist with the branch and threw her across the ice to safety.

For a minute, the siblings both looked at each other. Faces bright with relief as they laughed. Jack stood up, not realising that he had strayed onto the weaker ice. Too busy making sure that his sister was safe. The ice cracked and he gave a gasp before being enveloped with water.

"Jack!"

—

The boy floated dreamily down to the bottom of the lake. The cold infusing his being as the moon shone brightly above. He was no longer breathing. No longer living.

Slowly, his hair turned white.

When his eyes opened, they were blue.

Unedited
Jack's death is so freaking tragic. I had to analyse the scene in detail to write this and almost cried. Who else cried?