Chapter 1
Permafrost

The yeti made some sort of grumbling-shout-noise that could be roughly translated into anger. Jack Frost rolled his eyes and shrugged, batting away the hand of the beast, "Yeah, yeah, I get it. I'm not coming back." He said, as he locked eye contact with the furry creature and ripped his staff from the yeti's grip. He could hear the beast shout from behind him as he walked away but none of it made any sense to him so there was no point in staying to listen.

Jack was now alone with the whipping wind and crunch of snow under his bare feet. He glanced around and hunched his shoulders, not liking the silence one bit. He then lifted his chin to the sky and opened his arms, letting the wind lift him off his feet with surprising speed. He sped past several snow-covered mountains and a little cottage on the side of some boulders. He continued on, the longer he flew, the quieter it seemed to get and Jack couldn't stand it. He urged the wind to carry him faster and faster. He closed his eyes and concentrated on moving as quickly as possible. And in the air, flying at incredible speeds, he lost track of time. When there's no ground underfoot, the rest of the world always seems to slip away. So when Jack finally opened his eyes, he was surprised to see bright skies and fields of grass. He slowed and drifted downward through the thickness of trees, carefully landed on a soft dirt path surrounded by forest.

Glancing around, Jack spotted a wooden sign to his left that read "Snuggly Duckling". He peered around the sign and spotted what looked to be a little tavern. A smirk grew upon his face as he tapped the sign gently, ice creeping it's way across the wood.

But once Jack was inside, it was clear that the tavern wasn't very "snuggly" at all. He stepped inside to the sight of many large men with various wounds, scars, and missing limbs. He frowned slightly and made his way through the crowd and out to the back, putting out the flame in the fireplace on his way. Once out back, he spotted a small group of children running around in the brush of trees. Jack instantly grinned, hurrying his step and floating up to the treetops above them. He plucked a leaf and crushed it between his fingers. By the time he let it sprinkle down onto them, it had turned into delicate white snow.

One of them, a little girl froze mid-laugh as a snowflake landed on her nose and melted onto her warm skin. All the other stopped with her. The little girl slowly looked up at the slight snowfall.

Jack's grin grew as he conjured more of the snow, letting it fall on them.

The kids were laughing, enjoying themselves. They were all having fun. Then one of the boys turned to the little girl and smirked, a single snowflake on his finger, "Nice try, but these aren't even real."

Jack's heart dropped and his fist clenched around his staff, "What?"

The little girl looked up at the boy, "Huh?" She asked, confused and looking around at all of them, "You think I did this?"

The boy rolled his eyes, "It doesn't snow here. Someone had to."

"And someone did." Jack growled, narrowing his eyes upon them.

The girl swallowed, "Well it wasn't me."

The boy shook his head, "Right. We're going back inside. Have fun with your 'snow'."

Jack jumped down from the treetop, "Can't you kids just say, 'thank you' every once in a while?"

"Guys, please!" The girl cried out to them as they turned around.

Jack stepped towards the kids who were heading inside the tavern, "Can you just-"

"Drew! It wasn't me, honest!"

Jack turned on the girl and screamed, "LISTEN TO ME!" But she ran right through him and followed her friends. Jack swallowed, eyes wide as her figure passed through him with a chill. He was used to the feeling, of course, but it always seemed to come as a surprise. And this time, it was just heartbreaking.

Jack turned a heavy head to watch the kids go and the door close with a slam. He stood there for a while, just listening to the noise of the pub and the crickets chirping. He must have been standing there for a while, because once he looked up, the night had fallen upon the woods.

Frost turned and walked up the dirt path and past the sign. The frost he'd settled onto the wood had melted and in a puddle in the dirt. Jack continued walking, his staff clutched loosely in his hand, his arms hanging low.

He soon spotted a tall wall of boulders and floated up to a ridge not far from the ground. Once landed, he turned to the moon, "Are you ever going to tell me what I'm supposed to do here?"

There was nothing but silence.

Jack gulped and looked down momentarily, "I mean, did- did I do something wrong?" He asked, his voice beginning to quiver, "Did I not chose the life you wanted me to?"

Silence.

"I..." Jask trailed off, glancing around at the forest, "I don't know how I can keep doing this."

And again, no response.

Jack let out a heavy breath, drifted off the boulder and sat on the soft grass, setting his staff beside him and leaning forward to bury his head in his arms and legs. He then leaned back, against the boulder, but to his surprise, fell right through the vines that padded the rock.

Jack was now laying on his back. His head was in complete darkness and he could not see. But he could feel vines dripped from the opening to his stomach and he could feel the wind of the open air against his toes.

Frost sat up quickly, grabbing his staff and lunging through the vines, looking around at the cave he was now standing in. It wasn't very hard to spot the opening on the other side, so he quickly made his way towards it. Once on the other side, he was surrounded by the sound of a waterfall, and when he looked up, he saw one right behind a giant tower. His eyes widened as he stood there, mouth agape. He began walking with light feet until his light feet were lifted into the air once more. He was soon at the window, looking into the peculiar place. The floor seemed to be a made of a reddish-pink marble and various brightly colored items lay strewn about the place. But the most interesting part, must have been the walls. They were absolutely covered in the most intricate paintings.

Jack reached out an arm and pushed the window open gently, floating in. Once inside, he quickly made his way up to the painted walls. There were elegant green birds, and strong purple oxen. There was an expanse of lush, green trees above dull brown vines that blended with the wood of the structuring. There was even a simple representation of the tower itself surrounded by constellations and phases of the all too familiar moon. Jack was amazed by all of this and couldn't help but wonder who was responsible for all of this.

As if on queue, there was a creek of wooden floorboards as a silhouette descended down the staircase. Jack looked down on this figure in the dim light, squinting his eyes to make out the shape. As this stranger made their way to the ground floor, Jack's gaze rested upon what seemed to be the very, verylong bottom to a clock the person was wearing, except that even when the figure was halfway across the room and heading towards the window, there was still more trailing from the small entryway at the top of the stairs.

"What the-" Jack muttered to himself, rubbing his eyes then narrowing them upon the trail of "cloak". He shook his head slowly, giving up on understanding this individual's fashion sense, and turned his gaze to watch the person reach the window, resting their two frail hands on the ledge. Then, as if the world had just collapsed, this person fell to their knees. Jack lifted his eyebrows, all attention focused on the figure as he settled down on a rafter.

Then, the person spoke, "Someday..." It whispered to seemingly nothing, "Someday I'll watch it all up close." The voice was weak and trembling, and sniffled after speaking as if holding back tears.

Jack slid off of the rafter and floated down to the ground behind her. He quietly walked towards the window and followed her gaze to the night sky. Lights. Hundreds, if not thousands, of lights lit up the sky, seeming to float higher and high like a cloud of stars.

Jack frowned, "They're just a bunch of lanterns."

And as Jack uttered those six simple words, the person turned around, their face clearly terrified as they looked into his eyes. A shriek, a scrambling or legs and skirts and a tumble to the ground.

Jack jumped back a step, pressing his back against the wall in surprise, "You... you can see me?"

"Yeah, I can see you! I'm not blind, you know?" Now that the figure was facing him, Jack could see exactly who they were. A girl, no older than 17, wearing a light purple dress and simple brown loafers. But the thing that most caught Jack's attention, was her eyes. Jack found himself mesmerized by the variants of greens and brown and the large pupils. A smile crept onto Jack's lips. That is, until he noticed her "cloak", "That's your hair?!" he exclaimed.

The girl glanced the the side for an instant before scrambling over to the other side of the room which seemed to be the kitchen and snatching the first thing she saw; a frying pan. She held it out in front of her, "Why's it matter anyways?"

Jack glancing at the frying pan in her hands and grinned, "Are you defending yourself with a saucepan?"

The girl glanced at the pan before furrowing her eyebrows with anger, "Asks the one holding a stick."

Jack's grin faded at her glanced to the branch in his hand, "It's called a staff."

"And this is a frying pan." She said matter-of-factly, tightening her grip.

Jack watched her thin fingers hold tightly to the metal pan and the corners of his mouth slowly and subtly creep into a slight smile. He lifted his icy gaze to meet her emerald-green one. The was a pause before he said, "And what's your name, Blondie?"

The green-eyed one stiffened, "What's it matter?"

Jack grinned, relaxing and resting an elbow on the window ledge, "I usually like to know the names of the people I meet." This was a lie. Jack had never before actually met someone outside of the guardians, and when he met them, their names were well known.

She gulped and muttered, "Rapunzel."

"That's a mouthful." Jack chuckled to himself.

Rapunzel huffed, "You're not too good at making friends, are you?"

Jack rolled his eyes, "You're not so good yourself." With a nod of his head, he motioned to the frying pan till held out between them then met Rapunzel's gaze once more with a grin.

Rapunzel looked down at the frying pan, then caught his eye and lowered her weapon, still gripping it tightly with both hands, "What about you, huh? What's your name?"

"Jack Frost." He said, clearly proud.

Rapunzel frowned, "That's a weird name."

"Wha-" Jack's smile sunk, "You mean to tell me that you've never even heard of me?"

Rapunzel looked confused, "Should I have...?"

Jack's mouth was open with surprise, "Then... how can you see me?"

Rapunzel gave him a look like he had just suggested the two of them grow a tail and pretend to be squirrels.

Jack noticed her expression and the corners of his lips went up in a smile, but right when he was about to explain, a shrill shout came from the door above the staircase, "RAPUNZEL!"

Rapunzel jumped, eyes widened as she locked her gaze on the door, "Yes mother?" She called back. She then turned her gaze to Jack and hurriedly whispered, "Hide."

Jack nodded and frantically looked about but it was too late.

"Rapunzel, what's with all the talking down here? You don't have guests, do you?" The voice laughed uncertainly.

Rapunzel glanced at Jack, her eyes saying something like, "Hurry!" But Jack returned her look with one of his own that seemed to say, "Where?"

"...Rapunzel?" A shape made it's way down the stairs, looking through the darkness of the room with unadjusted eyes. It didn't take very long for the figure to stand before them. There was a pause of a disapproving stare then the woman muttered, "You shouldn't be staying up this late, you know it's bad for your health."

"M- Mother?" Rapunzel felt the women wrap her arms around her as she glanced to Jack.

Jack laughed, "Of course. I don't know why I was so worried."

Rapunzel shot Jack a confused looked.

"Your mother can't see me."

Rapunzel's eyes widened as she looked back at her mom who held Rapunzel's shoulders at arms length, looking her lovingly in the eyes, "Go to sleep, Dear."

Rapunzel glanced once more at Jack before nodding at her mother and making her way up the stairs and to her room, leaving her mother standing in the middle of the room, back turned to Jack, watching her daughter go.

The was a pause before Jack let out a sigh and slowly began walking to the windowsill.

"Oh..." The mother muttered, making Jack stop dead in his tracks to listen, "You're not leaving quite yet..." Jack froze, "Are you?" Her hand shot up, and with a single snap of the fingers, there was a slam from behind him.

Jack whirled around to look at the window violently closing then turned around to face the woman with terror.

She slowly turned around, eyes narrowed upon him and said, "Jack... You should know by now not to go sticking your nose in other people's business."

Jack gulped, hand clutched tightly to his staff, "Who are you?" He demanded.

The woman cracked a threatening smile as if his fear amused her, "Gothel. But you won't be needing to ever use that name, nor my daughters, because this will be the last time either of us hear from you. Do you understand?"

Jack narrowed his eyes, "No, I don't."

Gothel let out an annoyed sigh, "You see Jack... the girl's of no use to you. She'll wake up in the morning, and you'll be nothing but a dream"

"She saw me today without believing, how do you know it won't happen again?" Jack insisted.

"Because I know my daughter, and I know you." Gothel growled, "Now get out." The window slammed open.

Jack glanced at it, then back at Gothel. Jack always hated facing defeat but what choice did he have? He slowly turned around and hopped onto the windowsill, turning to look at Gothel once more.

Gothel nodded.

Jack blinked slowly, looking at the night sky before taking off into it.

"Mother?"

"Yes, Rapunzel?"

"About last night..."

"What about last night?"

"Well, I mean I didn't mean to upset you."

"Rapunzel what on earth are you talking about?"

"When you saw me up late last night?"

"You know that's bad for your health."

"Y-... yes, Mother."

"Well then it must have all been a bad dream."

"Yes, Mother."