Both Dia and Jack gasped harshly as the memories ended. The were back at the artic, still stuck in a crevice. The cold hit them both like a brick. Dia was shivering violently, body unused to such low temperatures. It felt like the fire inside him was weakening. The destruction of two of his scarves had been a blow to his powers. Dia was finding it really hard to concentrate on the feeling that gave him power. His blasted 'centre' that North was always going on about. If only his centre was something else. Then maybe Dia wouldn't be so weak now.

"Did you see that?" Jack's face was wide and open, joy spilling from him. Dia smiled weakly and nodded.

Jack snatched up the other spirit's hands and squeezed them in his own. A grin showing his white teeth. "I had a family! A little sister!" His face faltered as he recalled his death. "I saved her", he muttered. Then he bounced back. "You were right! I am a guardian! There is a reason for my existence".

"I'm so happy for you", Dia choked, a sad smile on his lips. He raised himself shakily to his knees and pressed a kiss to the other boy's forehead. Jack froze, a purple tinged blush filling his cheeks at the contact. It was only a second of contact before Dia was pulling away and leaning back against the wall.

Jack opened his eyes, not realising he had closed them, and beamed. "Wait here", he muttered softly. Breaking away from Dia's hold, he walked across the snow to retrieve the broken ends of his staff. He returned and knelt in the snow. Dia watched as he placed the two pieces together and concentrated. They splintered and broke apart again. Jack grunted in frustration and tired again. He closed his eyes and furrowed his brow. Dia didn't know what he was thinking but it appeared to be working. A blue light emitted form the broken ends and frost patterns danced along the wood as the two ends refused themselves.

"You did it!" Dia exclaimed. Jack opened his eyes and looked at his staff in shock. He looked better. His powers having returned. Already there was more colour to his skin and his bruises from the fall were fading.

"I did it", jack yelled in triumph, bouncing on his toes in excitement. He turned to Dia, a grin on his face, and swept him up in a hug.

It was then that Jack realised that Dia's condition had worsened. His skin was paler than before and there was a blue tinge to his lips. Jack could feel him trembling in his arms. Deep body wrecking shivers. Jack's face fell into one of panic and concern. "Why aren't you warming up?" Jack asked in panic. He tugged the scarf round Dia's shoulder closer to him. "You have more scarves. Why are you getting colder?"

"Jack", Dia's voice was soft. Jack pulled him fiercely to his chest, even though he knew it wouldn't help.

"No! You need to stay warm. You're normally blazing. I need to get you out of here". Jack had seen people freeze to death before. He knew the signs. His mind was whirling with panic and adrenaline.

"Jack"- Dia said louder. Jack stopped his ramblings.

Dia smiled. It was small but his green eyes glittered. "It's okay. Pitch did something to me and it's messing with my head". Dia winced as memories of that cold soul-sucking darkness flashed across his mind. There had been nothing but fear and sadness there. Maddening and empty. He groaned and rested his head on Jack's shoulder. "I'll be fine in a bit. Give me time".

"We don't have time", Jack cried. "You're freezing!" He clutched Dia closer and looked around for anything that would help. His eyes fell on the tooth container lying in the snow next to them. Dia's childhood face smiling at them from where Dia had dropped it. Jack picked it up and offered it to the boy.

Dia blinked at it, faced shutting down. "No".

"Dia!" Jack pleaded. "Mine helped. Yours might too".

"I've seen them once before. I don't want to again", Dia snarled. Jack didn't know why he was so angry.

"I'll be there with you. Please. You said pitch did something to your head. This could help", Jack pressed. "You told me that memories make you who you are. Just try".

"But it hurts Jack", Dia's voice was choked and so quiet that Jack could barely hear it. "It hurts so much".

"Why?" Jack breathed back.

"North's centre is wonder. He makes toys and brings wonder to the world", Dia explained quietly. He balled his hands in Jack's hoodie, twisting the material anxiously. "Sandy is imagination. Dreams and creativity. Bunny has hope, new life. While tooth has memories and joy. But me Jack". Dia's green eyes were sad. "I am the day of the dead. Death, grief and mourning. Do you why we mourn Jack?"

"We mourn when someone we love dies", Jack answered, the realisation clicking into place. "Love. That's your centre. That's why you're scared. You loved people too. You're grieving".

Dia crumpled. Tears filled his eyes as he nodded. Jack hugged him tightly and Dia buried his face into his blue hoodie. "I was happy having forgotten it all", Dia choked between harsh sobs. "I wanted to forget it all. Then tooth gave me my memories. It all hurt too much".

"Oh Dia", Jack sighed as he pressed a kiss into Dia's hair. "You need to grieve properly. Just ignoring it is not going to help. You need to mourn them properly. I'll be there with you. It will be okay".

"Jack, I'm scared", Dia whispered.

Jack gently lifted Dia's face up so that he could meet his green eyes. Jack's expression was reassuring and gentle. "It will be okay Dia. You just need to let go".

Slowly, Dia reached out. Jack caught his hand and together they picked up the golden case. The two boys cradled it between them. Dia's childhood face smiling at them widely. There was a happiness in that face that Jack had never seen on the Dia before him. The Dia whose green eyes were heavy and sharp. "Please stay", Dia muttered, hands shaking. Jack wrapped his spare arm around Dia's waist, enveloping him in his magic. The blue frost sparks protective despite their chill.

"I'm right here".

Dia tapped the lid of the box of memories.

——

Soft glow of candlelight lighting up young faces. The church was full of people. A group of young boys dressed in white stood at the alter singing in a choir. One boy, with wavy dark hair and brown eyes, smiled at the audience. A woman in a floral dress in third row smiling back. A man with curly black hair next to her.

—

"Dia!" Little children chorused. About six or seven of them came running down the dusty street. They ranged from ages two to eleven. Three girls and three boys. One of the boys was carrying a baby girl on his back. "Brother!" They all chorused as Dia laughed.

He ruffled the tallest boy's hair and picked up a lantern, dusk was falling over the desert town. "Come on, lets go home. Let me take her". He picked the baby off the boy's back and balanced her on his hip. She appeared to be about one or two.

"Love yoo", the toddler lisped.

—

Dia stood in a graveyard surrounded by all his siblings. They were crying. The sight was lit with candles and they all wore a purple piece of clothing. Scarves draped around their shoulders. Their parent's favourite colours. Dia's older sister stood at his side, a hand on his shoulder. The gravestones were clean and draped with flowers.

Dia smiled as his younger siblings placed little offerings on the graves. They all wore their best and had paint decorating their faces. Flowers and bright patterns. Around them, other families also offered food to the graves. The sight bright and colourful.

—

"Dia! I'm going out!" The older sister called. She was a young woman now off to work to feed all her siblings. It was late in the night. The small wooden house lit only with candles. The door slammed and one of the children jumped.

"Will she be okay?" They asked. Dia smiled and pulled them into a warm hug.

"The lantern on the door will lead her home. It always does, so don't you worry".

—

Children laughing as Dia told them all a bed time story. All six squeezed into a double bed. Dia sitting on the floor surrounded by candles. They dissolved into giggles as Dia took a dried dead rose from a nearby vase. It had probably been red once but it was long dead. He plucked off the petals and blew them at their faces. The children all squealing in delight.

—

"Where's Sissy?" A girl asked through her sobs. Dia knelt down and draped a purple scarf over her shoulder, bundling her comfortingly in the soft fabric.

"Shes busy at the minute. But you have me and I love you so much". He squeezed her in a big hug and she smiled.

"I love you too".

—

Dia was sitting on the street looking down into town. The house was some distance away, shrouded in darkness. His face was lit slightly by the weak lamp hanging in a hook by the front door. His older sister was late. Stars glittered isn't he sky above him and Dia shivered. He was clothed only in his choir shirt and trousers, white on white. Not yet ready for bed.

Suddenly there was a scream from inside. Dia jumped to his feet and raced inside. One of the girls was standing at the bottom of the stairs. One of the lanterns on the table had been knocked over by a draft. Glass had broken and the oil had sprayed all over the floor by the door. The wood was old and dry. Fire had caught on the floor and was rapidly growing. "Get out!" Dia called. He grabbed his sister by the shoulders and pushed her outside. Then he turned back and ran up the stairs to where the rest of his siblings were sleeping.

"Wake up! There's a fire!" The oldest boy woke first. Falling out of bed in a tangle of bed clothes. Dia scooped up the baby and pressed her into his arms. "Get out while you can. It's growing too fast!" Dia ordered.

"But", the boy protested.

"Go", Dia yelled as he pulled another sibling to their feet. The eleven year old took the screaming toddler and ran out of the door. There was only a eight year old girl and a four year old boy left. Dia picked the boy up and clutched him to his chest. Together, they all raced towards the stairs.

The fire had grown massively in the short time it had taken for Dia to wake the rest of his siblings. It was starting to eat at the bottom off the stairs. The oldest boy was hesitating on the top step. Face full of fear as the baby girl cried. "Give her to me", Dia ordered fiercely. He caught her with his spare arm, grunting under his youngest sibling's weights.

"Children!" A voice was calling. Dia sagged in relief at the sound of their older sister's voice. Her face appeared in the downstairs window for a brief second before darting back to avoid the flames. There was a creak as part of the staircase fell apart. The heat was intense and the smoke was making it hard to breathe.

"To mama's and papa's room!" Dia ordered. There was a window in there. The children all burst through the door. The floor was warm underfoot from the fire below. All their ground floor exits cut off. Dia heaved the window open and a gust of night air blew into the room. The flames roared  and they made their way up the stairs. Smoke filling the room with its black darkness.

"Sissy!" Dia called, coughing. All of them were coughing.

The woman ran round the house in a flurry of skirts, followed by the sister Dia had saved earlier. "Dia!" She called.

"I'm going to throw you and sissy's going to catch you", Dia said to his five year old brother. He passed the toddler back to his other brother's arms then helped the little boy out of the window.

"Darling", their older sister  was smiling reassuringly, arms wide. "Look at me. I'm going to catch you".

"Don't be scared, your big brother loves you. Such a brave boy", Dia pressed a kiss to the boy's little chubby cheek then threw him. The child seemed to fly for a moment before the woman caught him. Suspended in the air for a brief second. She staggered for a minute under his sudden weight but regained her balance. She placed him on the ground safely.

"Come on princess", Dia smiled through his coughs as he picked up the toddler. She had stopped crying but was letting out little choking hiccups. Dia ran a hand over her dark curls and she whimpered. He then reached out and gently dropped her into their sister's waiting arms. The woman caught her and pressed a kiss to her head and passed her to the girl.

"You next darling", Dia said as he picked up his eight year old sister. She cried out, clutching at him as he placed her on the windowsill. The fire was flickering at the door and the floor was burning under foot. Dia gritted his teeth and bore it. Down below, something crashed as the house began to collapse.

"No! I don't want to leave you". She grasped desperately at his sleeves.

"It will be okay", he reassured her as he shoved her out into the open air. She screamed as she fell. The woman caught her but the impact made her fall heavily backwards. They lay their in a tangle of skirts. Dia gasped in panic for a moment before their sister was getting up. She seemed okay, much to his relief.

He turned to his eleven year old brother resolutely. "Just your turn now".

"Wait", the boy yelped, coughing as Dia heaved him up. "What about you? How are you going to get out?"

"I'll jump after you", Dia promised. "Otherwise who will be there to lead you home?"

The boy sniffed, tear tracks trailing through the soot stains on his cheeks. Dia wiped them away with a soft expression. "Just wait for me okay. I'll be there to lead you home okay. Just like I do at the Los Meurtos every year".

"Love you brother", the boy whispered as he pulled Dia into a hug. Something else crashed. Part of the floor falling in their bedroom.

"Love you too". The boy let out a choked gasp as Dia shoved him out of the window. Their older sister caught him heavily and staggered back a few feet, luckily retaining her balance. She held out her arms one last time. All of Dia's siblings waving at him safely from the ground.

"Dia!" His older sister called. Her face was pleading. "Come one! Jump!"

Dia just had time to smile at them before the floor under him caved in. He dropped out of sight into the flames below. The parts of the small rickety wooden house collapsing all around him.

Outside, his siblings screamed.

Unedited