❅1st Snow Day❅

[frostyfuntimes]

So.

[A boy in a frosted blue hoody and white hair sits comfortably...on top of a roof. He has a staff perched against his shoulder and the stars are shining bright behind him. Hovering over his shoulder is a Komory Bat looking curious at the world around it and flitting around on and off screen. Eventually the bat settles onto the crook of the staff and hangs upside down. The boy glances up at the bat and looks like he's not sure if he should laugh or frown. Over all he just looks awkward and unsure of himself which is kind of a new feeling for him.]

I've never had a pet before, dreams or otherwise. It's kind of weird.

[He should probably say something else...but what? Jack looks thoughtful. Clearly, he hasn't done this before]

Everyone can see me though, right? [Frown.] There isn't going to be much point in me using this communicator watch if you can't. The Moogle looked at me like I was insulting him or something when I told him I didn't think it would work, but I guess if this is a dream things are different, right?

[He looks guarded, like he's not sure he wants to believe in that just yet. Too much prior disappointment]

Oh well. [Shrugs it off, let's just pretend everything is fine even if inside he's nearly freaking out.] I guess as long as the Moogles and the bat can see me it shouldn't be a big deal. I have to admit, the Nightmares you have around here are still a lot nicer looking than any of Pitch's.

[Jack swings his staff. Momentarily forgetting that the Komory Bat is hanging from him. The bat squeaks and flutters off. He looks up at it.] Maybe that's what all of this is about...maybe this is how I'm supposed to be a Guardian [Wait, that's admitting he WANTS to be a guardian, Jack backtracks and shakes his head.] or whatever. Although you'd think Sandy would be the one fighting in a dream world, not me.

[The bat lands on the staff again, testing it to see if Jack is done bouncing and twirling it. Jack looks sad for a moment but then brushes it aside. He's gotten bored of talking to himself. He stands up, kicking his staff up, once again disturbing the bat.]

Come on Snowball. Let's check out this town.

Comments

[raisethemoon]

Aye, ponies. And various other races as well, but no humans. We hath lived long and traveled wide; we would have met some by now.

[The ones she's met here, come to think of it, made no mention of other lunar guardians. They said their moon rose on its own. Maybe Jack is from a different world.] What were the duties of your Man in the Moon?

Yes. And the stars are strange to us.

[frostyfuntimes]

[He considers that. She must be from far away then. Duties of the Man in the Moon though, well, that was easy enough.]

He's the guy who brings together the various Guardians whenever kids are in danger. He watches out for them and their dreams. He's...also the one who told me who I was when I first woke up like this.

[He doesn't elaborate on that at first. Although he does look a little thoughtful about it. After all, he'd only just found out he wasn't always Jack Frost...he'd been human once.]

[raisethemoon]

Ah! We guard our subject's dreams as well, and aid them against their nightmares!

[Yes she sees the irony. But she's excited to have discovered a kindred spirit of sorts, even if only through word-of-mouth. Luna looks a little curious about that last part...but she of all ponies has no right to pry into others' pasts. He'll tell her if he likes.]

[frostyfuntimes]

[Well now that was just a weird coincidence]

You don't also happen to have Guardians you can summon to help with that do you?

[It would just complete the comparison if there was some weird version of the Guardians out there represented by ponies or other creatures.]

[raisethemoon]

Neigh...simply our royal Night Guard, and their main duty is to protect us. Some few unicorns can learn the art of dreamwalking, but we hath never conscripted them to our service.

[frostyfuntimes]

Guess that's where the similarities start to end then.

[Jack leans back on his heels. He doesn't sound disappointed or anything just...confused.]

[raisethemoon]

We suppose so...

[She thinks about it a second more as something occurs to her.]

...unless thy Guardians are also the bearers of certain magical artifacts? The Elements of Harmony?

[frostyfuntimes]

[The name gives him pause though he can't say he's heard of it before.]

I know the Guardians have magic and some even have special tools but...I don't know about specific artifacts or anything about Elements of Harmony.

[Granted, he also wasn't officially a guardian so there was that.]

What are they?

[raisethemoon]

Six gems, containing the most powerful magic in the land. They represent Generosity, Loyalty, Kindness, Laughter, Honesty, and Magic.

[She illustrates her point with different colored lights appearing in the air before her, the first five forming a pentagram with the last in the center, as in most depictions. The Elements are now so well-known, in Equestria at least, that she sees no reason not to share.]

They may only be wielded by those who are true friends and pure of heart, but once awoken they can banish any evil. We - I bore them long ago, with my sister, but they hath since passed to six mortal bearers. Those mares hath, we suppose, been like guardians to the realm.

[frostyfuntimes]

[Jack's impressed with the light show, a look of awe on his face. It does sound a little bit like what the Guardians were saying about their centers. He nods and finally finds his voice.]

The other Guardians...the mentioned something about their centers being what they protect in children. Wonder, Dreams, Hope...that sort of thing.

[Jack hesitated, looking down.]

North asked me once what mine was but...I haven't figured it out yet. I'm not sure if you can be a true Guardian without one. All the others seem to know what they're doing after all.

[He doesn't mention that, while he's here, he's not even sure if the other Guardians are even still around. He'd fallen asleep at one of the most terrible times he could have thought of and there was nothing he could do about it now.]

[raisethemoon]

[Luna lets the lights vanish, ears pricked forward and head tilted in interest.]

We did not even know what the Elements were ere they chose us. If thou hast been chosen for guardianship, thou must possess the requisite qualities, even if thou canst not yet see it. It is the way of old magic.

[Of course, she's thought since that the Elements made a mistake in choosing her. But that is not the most comforting of ideas.]

[frostyfuntimes]

I've heard something similar from the others actually so...hopefully it'll all make sense someday.

At least I sort of know why I'm a Guardian now...I just don't really know what my focus is...what I'm supposed to do about it.

[raisethemoon]

Hmmm...

[She thinks about that for a second. Though she has really no way of knowing either, she feels she at least ought to try to advise him.]

Hast thou no foes to fight? [That's primarily what the Elements are for, after all.]

[frostyfuntimes]

Well...there's Pitch.

[There's a lot of weight to that name based on the way Jack says it. He glances around almost as though looking for the Shadow Man. He frowns and shakes his head.]

I...we...[He shakes his head. After the way he left the other Guardians he felt a little wrong grouping himself with them. But it was something he planned on righting as soon as he awoke.] The Guardians were fighting him, trying to stop him from plunging the world into fear and darkness just before I found myself here. He's probably the biggest foe we have.

[raisethemoon]

Then thou must defeat him in valiant combat, and freeze him in stone for all eternity!

Or...whatever thou might do with him, we suppose.

[frostyfuntimes]

[Blink. Jack then grins, amused by Luna's proclamation.]

I dunno about stone, but I could try and freeze him.

Not sure if it would work, but I could try.

[raisethemoon]

'Tis best to make the effort, anyhow! Mayhaps the other Guardians can help thee find a way!

[frostyfuntimes]

I imagine they will. After all they've actually dealt with Pitch before.

[raisethemoon]

Well then! Thou shalt have little trouble with him, we are sure, with such experienced guides on hoof. [She's not really surprised that this isn't the first time this person has attacked; evil entities have a way of breaking out of even the worst prisons given enough time.]

[frostyfuntimes]

[He hopes so. He kinda left them in a bit of a pinch but maybe if this was all a dream he'd wake up and no time would have passed at all or maybe this was just part of saving the children.

He had to be here for a reason, after all he was a Guardian and he realized that now.]

Thanks for your help Luna. I'd like to explore this place a little but I'll see you around, okay?

[raisethemoon]

Very well. Keep watch for Nightmares!