AN: LONGER SUMMARY!
Jack had just been walked through in the year 1712, and he made his way back to the pond when he sees a woman standing on it looking up at the moon. Turns out, she's Mother Nature and she offers him a place to stay in her domain, and after being walked through so many times, he accepts. What will he find in the domain? What kind of family will he gain? Who will he meet? What kind of destinies are connected? What did Manny tell her? How will their relationship develop? What do her spirit children have to do with all of this? What kind of mischief will Jack get up to? And after a little over three centuries, what will he do when Aster gets injured fighting a spirit he's fought with himself while staying at the domain? What will become of said spirit? Will Aster be okay? What does Jack know that he doesn't? Just how many secrets are there? READ AND FIND OUT! (Oh and please Review! They make my day! AND HOLY MOLY CANOLI GUACAMOLE AND FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY!!! IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE THIS LONG LOL BUT HERE IT IS. Please enjoy! This is the companion piece to A Connection Through Time, but can be read as a stand alone! Thank you!)
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'I-I was walked through...' I thought as I made it back to the pond I came out of. 'Why was I walked through? How could they not see me? I was right there!' As I approached the pond I noticed that there was someone else there, but I couldn't quite tell who the person was, so I walked a bit closer, and I was stopped in my tracks at the sight before me. On the pond was a woman with hair black as night that shimmered in the moonlight, a dress that was colored a deep forest green and stopped just at her feet. Her skin practically glowed underneath the moon's beams. Then, when she turned to me, I tried not to let out a gasp, but her eyes were so beautiful. They were storm gray mixed in with the silvery light of the night sky. 'Even if she doesn't actually...' I turned behind me and noticed that no one else was here that she would be looking at. '...she...she sees me?' I turned to face her and walked out onto the pond with my staff clutched tightly. I took in her appearance and thought she looked like royalty and for a moment, I wondered how I would know that, but I didn't ponder on it for more than three seconds. Once I was in front of her and a respectable distance I bowed with my right hand over my chest. "Hello, my name is Jack Frost. The moon told me my name. M-May I ask for yours?" I questioned as I brought myself back up.
Her eyes went wide at me, and she looked back up at the moon, then at me again. "Of course you may. I am known as Mother Nature. Have you figured out what type of spirit you are?"
"Spirit?" I asked as I rose an eyebrow at her.
"Yes, a spirit...a being of magic and power. It's what the Man in the Moon made you into."
"Oh...well...I can do this..." I told her as I tapped a nearby tree with my staff.
She quickly rushed over, her dress flowing like a river behind her. She held an intrigued hand up to the frost pattern I created, and when she smiled, I became slightly breathless. "This is beautiful." She told me as she looked back at me. "You're a winter spirit. I don't have a winter spirit. I only have ice and snow spirits, but they only do one or the other...not enough to actually call them winter spirits."
"What do you mean? Ice and Snow seem pretty wintery to me."
"Well, there's a slight difference. You see...there's Elementals and Seasonals. An Elemental is what the Snow and Ice spirits are. A seasonal...is what you are. You should be able to do all kinds of winter magic."
My eyes widened as I looked at my frost pattern. "How can you tell just from what I did?"
"Because, it's frost. Frost isn't ice nor is it snow...it's somewhat of a combination. Tell me...what else can you do?"
"Uh...does this count?" I held out my staff and I felt the wind pick me up, but then I could hear a voice in my head.
'I am Wind or Wendy, and I am a part of you as you are a part of me. We will work together for a very long time.'
"You have Wendy at your side! Oh, that is excellent!" She told me with an excited expression on her face. "Tell me...where do you live?"
"Uh...no where? I woke up at the pond and then I saw this staff...it frosted over and with it I was able to make frost patterns. I went to village that's not to far from here, but..."
"They walked through you didn't they?"
"I...yes...they did." I sighed out as I looked down at the ice below me and shook my head. "I was right there...why didn't they see me?" I questioned as I looked back up at her face and noticed a look of sympathy.
"It's because they do not believe in you. You see...though we may not need it to survive and use our powers...if we want to be seen we have to be believed in."
"Oh...so I have to get them to believe...how do I do that?"
"It's difficult to say, but...I'm sure you'll be believed in someday. Now...since you don't have a home, and frankly that's unacceptable even by Manny's standards..."
"Manny?"
"A nickname for the Man in the Moon...anyway...would you like to come with me and live with me?"
"L-Live with you?"
"Don't worry, it's a big place. You'll have your own room and everything...just like my other spirits."
"Your...OTHER spirits? How many are there where you're taking me?"
"Too many to count if I'm to be perfectly honest. So, will you accept my offer?"
I looked around the pond and at the trees, thinking that it wouldn't be very comfortable to sleep in one, and then I looked back at her, and noticed how patient she was being. She was also being incredibly nice, and explained things I hadn't known before. 'If I'm going to learn anything of who I am...it might as well be with the person who is offering me a home.' I noticed a small smile play at her lips and I knew my answer. "Yes, I'll accept your offer."
"Okay, good. Now, I don't mind if you consider the pond your home. It's where you were basically born, but where I take you...one of it's gates actually lies here. Let me see your staff, don't worry, I'll give it back."
I nodded my head and handed it to her. She tapped the top of my staff and it briefly glowed a brilliant green, and in the glow, I could've sworn I saw leaves, but it disappeared too quickly for me to look further. "What did you do?"
She gave me my staff back with a patient smile and she pointed at it as I took it. "Tap the staff to the ground three times and it will open a portal to your new home. Truth be told...your new home is on a separate plane of existence, so you actually need a portal or my permission to get there, and this..." She pointed at my staff again. "...is my permission."
"Oh..." I took the crook of my staff and tapped it three times against the ice and to my surprise, a few feet in front of me, a swirling glowing circle appeared. "Is this...a portal?"
"Yes, it is. Now...since you opened it, you have to be the last to go through, but don't worry, I will meet you on the other side." She walked through and disappeared.
"A-Alright..." I said to myself as I walked through after her. Once I was through, I heard what I could only describe as a glittering sound behind me, but that didn't matter to me, because in front of me was lush green grass with many different types of flowers. Some that I somehow knew of, despite never seeing them before, and some that glowed underneath the starry sky. There was also a large black castle that wasn't frightening as much as it was magnificent. Surrounding the castle was a large and dense forest filled with many different types of trees. "I-I'll be living here!?"
"Yes...is there something wrong?"
"No! It's just...it's all incredibly beautiful..."
"Thank you." She then looked at me and seemed to catch my expression of shock and awe. "It's a bit much for you isn't it?"
I looked at her, and took notice of her slightly worried expression and I sighed out through my nose. "Well, yes and no...it's just...it's surprising. It's magnificent, and I almost can't believe that I'm going to live here, but I'm standing right in front of it, and we're still talking about it so...it has to be true."
"Mother!" I heard a deep voice call out, and coming towards me was a tall man with chocolate colored skin, and once I again, I didn't know how I knew what chocolate looked like, but I did...and he had no hair, and his clothes were...interesting. It seemed to be a robe, but not a robe at the same time. It had intricate shapes and swirls on it of different colors. Mainly of the green, red, orange, and brown variety. His eyes were a deep forest green, and as he walked towards us, it was almost as if he did so with pride. "Good to see you are back." He gave her a tight hug, and I was extremely confused. He seemed older than her, but he called her Mother. "And who is this?"
"This is Jack Frost." She said as she placed a hand on my shoulder. "He's a seasonal spirit, and he will be staying with us. I will train him and help him."
He looked at me and let out a deep chuckle. "I am Abungu. A forest spirit. Salutations, friend, and welcome to our home." He held his hand out to me and I quickly took it, shaking it in a sort of confused state which he seemed to catch onto, because as soon as I let go, he brought his hand up to his chin and gave me a skeptical look. "What is wrong?"
"I...well, for one, it is a lot to take in. I will admit that. First, I wake up at a pond, given a name, got to a village, get walked through, go back to the pond...and when I get there, I see a beautiful woman standing in the middle of it, she tells me what I am, why I got walked through, offers me a home, and then...you look physically older than her, but you called her Mother..."
"B-Beautiful?" I heard Mother Nature gasp in shock.
I looked over to her and noticed a slight blush on her cheeks as her eyes had widened at my words. I felt something warm in my heart and I smiled at her. "Yes...very beautiful..." Quickly realizing what I just said, I shook my head and looked back at Abungu who seemed to be holding back a knowing smile of some sort.
"Hmm...well...Yes, I am physically older, but Mother is Mother. I had a human life once...before being a spirit. Not all spirits have this...but I, among most of my siblings...did. Even though she was not my birth Mother, she is my Mother now."
"Is that because you're a forest spirit and she's Mother Nature?"
"Very good! You are intelligent! However, that is only a portion of the reason. She is also my Mother, because she acts like one. She cares for me and my siblings, and treats us as her children. That is why she is my Mother."
"Huh...makes sense I suppose."
"Good. So...what season are you?"
"Uh...she says I'm a winter spirit."
"A winter spirit?" He questioned with a thoughtful but surprised expression. He then turned his gaze to Mother Nature and smiled lightly. "I assume he will be the final General."
"I hadn't thought about it, but I suppose you're right."
"General?" I tilted my head in confusion, and then looked at Mother Nature. "What does he mean by General?"
"Oh, well...I so far have three Generals. They are for the specific seasons. I have Spring, and her name is Flora, Summer...and that's really his name, and Autumn...which is also truly her name. I don't have a winter General, but I suppose, if you don't mind..."
"Sure! It gives me something to do, and at the moment, I don't even know what I'm meant to do."
"Perhaps this is answer." Abungu chimed in. "I will leave you to it, Mother. Farewell, Jack Frost. We will meet again, I have no doubt." The man walked away and summoned a portal by tapping a tree, and then he walked through it, seemingly taking the portal with him.
"Uh...okay?"
"Well, that's the most I've ever heard him talk to a new spirit." She let out a sigh and started walking towards the castle. "Follow me, I will show you where your room will be." I nodded my head and followed her into the castle.
Once we were inside I was blown away. The floor was seemingly made of marble, the pillars seemed to be made of a material that shined a brilliant dark green color with thin strands of golden swirls that went up and down and sometimes swirled around each other. The stairs were at least twenty feet wide and went up quite a ways, and they matched the floor perfectly. I set my hand down on one of the railings as we climbed the right side of the stairs, and I could feel the smooth metal beneath my hands. I then quickly noticed that when I touched it, it didn't frost. "Um...Mother Nature?"
"What is it Jack?"
"I frosted my staff as soon as I touched it...why are the railings not frosting?"
"They're nature resistant. You have nothing to worry about here."
"Huh...well...can you explain to me how I know what some things are, despite never seeing them before?"
"Instinct I suppose. It could also have been Manny's doing. He could've filled your head with some basic knowledge. He did that for one of the ocean spirits. He gave them the basic knowledge of land. I helped, but I know he can do it."
"Oh, okay then." I shrugged my shoulders, and accepted that as my answer as we continued to climb the stairs. "So, how far up are we going?"
"To my level. Abungu had a good point. I don't have a Winter General and it would be good to have one, and you agreed...so you will be on the same level I live on, which is the upper level of the castle. It's the seventh story. I'm sorry if you're getting tired..."
"No, it's not that. I was just curious."
"Not a bad quality to have, curiosity, but make sure it doesn't get the better of you."
"What do you mean?"
"Curiosity can lead you into dangerous places. Sometimes, the things we are most curious about are the things we shouldn't go near. Take a mouse and a piece of cheese on a trap for example...the mouse is curious about the cheese and wants it, but due to it's curiosity it gets snapped."
"Hmm...I don't think that's entirely right." I told her honestly, which then caused her to stop on the stairs and turn around to face me with a furrowed brow and a confused expression. "Let me explain..." I told her before she could have the chance to tell me I was wrong. "So, the mouse is curious about the cheese, and wants it...but when he takes it...gets snapped, yeah?"
"Yes..." She trailed off as she crossed her arms.
"Well...I think the reason the mouse got snapped...is because it wasn't careful. It didn't practice precaution, it didn't plan how to get the cheese without getting hurt, it only focused on its own want. I think...if you're curious about something...and you want it or want to learn about it...say...a question for example...if you want to ask a question for something you're curious about...you should think about how to phrase the question so that it doesn't 'snap' at you. I think curiosity is fine as well, but I think that if you are curious, but not careful...then you are simply foolish and you will get hurt. Curiosity and caution should go together like stars and night or like a leaf to a tree. It should always be there."
"M-My...word..."
"Mother Nature?" I questioned as I held out a worried hand to her, but it never touched anything. "Are you alright? I didn't mean to upset you."
"N-No...you didn't upset me."
I noticed her cheeks were tinted a light pink, and I tilted my head as I climbed up to the step she stood on and I stood next to her, turning to face her. "Are you sure you're alright?"
"Y-Yes..." Then, without warning, her eyes widened and she started shaking her head. "Don't worry about it. You just caught me of guard that's all...with your explanation."
"Oh, I apologize." I told her honestly but she gave a simple smile and shook her head again.
"Don't be. It was a very good and accurate explanation. It is a very true explanation about curiosity and caution, it's just that usually I'm the one that tells the new spirits the warning of curiosity."
"Ah..." I chuckled out and stepped a slight bit closer to her. "...I apologize for stealing your thunder then."
"I-Is that supposed to be a joke?" She snickered, and for some reason, it made my heart feel warm for a brief second. "...because I'm Mother Nature."
"And if it is?" I asked curiously as her smile grew.
"Well, then it was actually a very good joke." She started chuckling.
"Oh my God!" I heard an amused male voice say above me, but was really just a little further up the stairs. "You got Mother to snicker...to CHUCKLE! She never does that!" The man walked closer and I noticed his hair seemed a bit disheveled, but somehow it worked for him. It was such a dark gray it was almost blue, and his eyes were a storm gray, but they were a darker kind of shade than Mother Nature's, and his clothes somehow fit him well too. He wore decorative robes that layered over each other, and there was a steel gray sash that seemed to wrap around his waist and back, holding the robes together.
"Nimbus!" She scolded, and the pink tint on her face increased slightly.
"Oh..." He looked at her with a surprised, but amused expression before looking back at me. "...are you one of Cupid's? You have somehow caused Mother to blush as well!" He laughed out and dodged a swiping hand from Mother Nature. "Alright, alright!" He chuckled. "My name is Nimbus." He held out his hand to me. "What's your's?" He asked once I took it and shook it.
I let go of his hand and looked to Mother Nature briefly and she nodded her head towards Nimbus, telling me to tell him my name. "My name is Jack Frost, and I'm going to be Mother Nature's Winter General."
"Are you now?" The amusement died from his eyes and gave Mother Nature a questioning and shocked gaze.
"Yes..." I grinned at him and more than anything I wanted that grin to turn back into an amused smile. A serious expression didn't fit the man in front of me. 'He needs...he needs some snow.' I looked just above his head, and I don't know what possessed me to know how to do it, but I focused on making him smile and the area above his head, and it started snowing on the stair case, but only where he stood. "...I am." I finished and lowered my hand as he noticed the steady snowfall. I looked at the stairs and noticed that there seemed to be a barrier that the snow would melt through, but it wouldn't turn into water either. It was almost nonexistent as it felt to the invisible barrier. 'Huh...must be the nature proof thing.'
"Snow? H-How?"
"I'm a winter spirit. At least...that's what Mother Nature has told me."
"No...you don't understand." Nimbus seemed to swallow a lump in his throat as he continued to look at the snow. "You're not supposed to be able to use your powers at all in here. It's so that we don't fight and destroy the castle. So...how are you able to...?"
"That is a good question, actually..." Mother Nature stated as she narrowed her eyes curiously. "...I'm curious, Jack..."
"Ah..." I grinned at her with what I knew to be a mischievous look. "...but we just got done talking about how curiosity can be dangerous if not exercised with caution." After I said the last word I silently and mentally cringed on the inside, because the tone of my voice sounded as if I was trying to flirt with her.
"Y-Yes we did..." She stated with wide eyes. I briefly glanced at Nimbus who stared back and forth at the two of us with wide eyes and a dropped jaw, but before I could ask about it, Mother Nature continued, gaining my full attention. "...but it is a good question none the less. Wh-what did you do to create the snow?"
"Well...he was getting too serious. I liked it better when he smiled, and I just wanted him to be happy again rather than as serious looking as he was. It was like someone blowing out a candle with how he became so serious. Then, I thought about snow and how it would make him happy...and I focused just above his head...I lifted my hand and I felt it rush through me. Then, it started snowing above him, but it didn't seem to make him happy."
"It made me happy." Nimbus stated with a shocked tone in his voice, and when I looked up at him he was still looking back and forth between me and Mother Nature, but this time he had a soft smile. "It did, honest. It was just...surprising, that's all. You see...the only person that is or...was...able to use their powers inside was Mother Nature."
"That's right..." Mother Nature breathed out in astonishment. "...you must be more powerful than we think."
"Well, to my understanding you'll be training me, right?"
"Yes." She answered with a smile.
"Then...I guess we'll find out together." I chuckled out, and quickly noticed out of the corner of my eye that Nimbus seemed to gain the same knowing smile that Abungu had earlier, but I chose to ignore it in favor of allowing myself to let out a tired yawn as I covered my mouth. "Oh...excuse me..." I told her, not meaning to so rudely yawn.
"No, you're tired that's all. Come one, I'll show you the rest of the way to your room."
I gave a short bow and held my arm and hand out, pointing to the top of the stairs. "After you."
"Thank you." She smiled and began walking.
"Oh!" I quickly turned around and looked at Nimbus who again, started staring at us in shock. "It was nice to meet you, Nimbus. I had already met someone named Abungu. I hope I get to meet the rest of you."
"It was...good to meet you too." He nearly whispered out with a slightly astonished smile. He nodded his head at me and made his way down the stairs the rest of the way.
I turned around and quickly caught up to Mother Nature. "So...they call you Mother?"
"Yes, it's like Abungu said...they are like my children."
"Hmm...your children are nice, but..."
"But?" She asked as we finally turned down a large corridor.
"I don't know...it's like they need something, but I can't name it. It's something I know, but don't know...but I want to...never mind...it's so stupid...I only just met them."
She stopped and let out a sigh and leaned close against a wall with her hands clasped in front of her. "What is it, Jack? You needn't be afraid of me judging you."
"Well...like I said...it's like they need something...but actually...it's a lot of somethings. Things I can't quite put a name to yet, but at the same time it's okay that I can't name it. It's almost like I don't need to name it, because...I want to be there for them. The stupid thing about that is...I just met them, and only two of them at that...and...I don't care that they're physically older than me. It's...It's like it doesn't matter that they're physically older than me. I still want to be there for them...but I don't know why, and I don't quite know how to explain it."
"My goodness..." She breathed out as she stood straight up, staring at me with a dumbfounded expression. "...that's quite the feeling to have for my children after you've only just met them." Her blush had deepened and it seemed her breathing had gotten heavier.
"Do you...um...do you happen to know the name for the feeling?"
"I...no...can't say that I do, but I can understand that feeling. It's...somewhat how I feel about them, but my feelings are that of a mother." She looked down to the floor and then towards the end of the hallway, and she continued to walk." Once we reached the end of the hall that seemed to only have five rooms, she pointed to the door at the very end of the hall. "This is my room. If my children need anything they come and knock if I cannot be found anywhere else. This room..." She pointed to the room directly to our right. "...will be your room. Go ahead, touch the doorknob."
"What...what will it do when I touch the doorknob?"
"It will create a space that matches your soul. It's different for everyone, but it makes them feel comfortable. Oh, and it will make itself resistant to your magic and powers."
I nodded my head and grabbed the door knob carefully, and to my surprise the door changed from the very knob I held. Once it fully transformed, I stepped back and quickly took note of how much Mother Nature staggered back, and looked at me with many emotions crossing her eyes. Wonder, confusion, shock, astonishment, curiosity, and there seemed to be a questioning look there as well. "Did I...did I do something wrong?" I asked her as I looked back at the door. It seemed to be made of ice and stone, but in such a way that the two fit perfectly. There were snowflakes that ran along the arch of the door, but in the middle of the door in between the four carved in panels, there stood a flower that I somehow knew. "I...I know this flower...It's...It's a Snowdrop." I smiled as I traced the painted and carved in snowdrop. "It means...I believe it means...and I don't know how I know this...but two of it's meanings are Purity and Rebirth." I turned to face her again and she was still in a state of shock. "Really...did I do something wrong?" I asked as my smile faltered.
"No. It's just...I've seen this door before."
"How is that possible?"
"It's possible if you're kindred spirits, but the person this door belonged to...he's been gone for a very long time..."
"Huh...well...I'm sorry that it upsets you, and don't try and tell me that it doesn't upset you. I can tell it does." I gave her a side glance and she nodded her head at me.
"It...It bothers me a bit, but I'm not angry. It's just...the last time I saw this door...I was visiting a friend of my father's and this belonged to his friend's little brother."
"Oh...I'm sorry." I told her as I looked at my door, and allowed a fond smile to appear on my face. "I hope you don't look at my door and feel sad. I hope...I hope that at some point you can look at the door and think of me, Jack Frost."
"I..." She looked at the door and then at me. "I...think I can do that." She gave me a reassuring smile, and I was overjoyed that she no longer looked at me the way she had earlier.
"Good. Now, shall we take a look inside?"
"Yes, let's..."
"Oh...what if it's the same as it was for the person you knew a long time ago?"
"Then...I will have to admit that the two of you are indeed kindred spirits...in possibly more ways than one."
"What do you mean by that last part?"
"Nothing, just a thought I had. Don't worry about it, please."
"Alright, I won't." I told her with a nod of my head, and then I slowly opened my door.
"Well..." She said as she followed me into my room. "...looks like the two of you are Kindred spirits after all."
I looked in awe at the room before me. It was deceptively a lot larger on the inside than I had previously thought. The walls were made of the same strangely perfectly combined stone and ice, the ceiling was an open skylight that allowed the stars to be seen for the entirety of the ceiling, and the floor was made of lush green grass that held a beautiful tint of light blue at the edges. The bed off the to the left, placed in front of the middle of that wall was much larger than I needed. It looked as if it could fit four or five of me, and there were so many blankets on it I couldn't help but chuckle at it. I looked to my right, and there was a tall dresser that had silver snowflakes on it, accompanied by small paintings of snowdrops. In front of us, there was writing desk with a bookshelf on either side, but the bookshelves were empty. "It's beautiful!" I breathed out. "How is it possible that my room is this large though!?" I laughed out. "It's the size of four of the houses I saw in the village."
"I can't answer that, but I CAN agree with you that it's beautiful. Now, I will let you rest. Oh, and the dresser...it should be enchanted to have various different types of clothes for you. That way you're not always wearing the same thing."
"Wait...you mean I don't have to always wear this?"
"Of course not!"
"Oh...okay then. Thank you, Mother Nature. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Jack." She told me as she gave me a warm smile and left the room.
Once I heard the door click close, I walked over to my bed and couldn't help but chuckling at it again. "It's like a nest. A nest of blankets." I was too tired to change clothes for the moment so I just decided to get under the first two layers of blankets, and realized the the bed dipped ever so slightly. I quickly got up and tore at the blankets. "Not like a nest of blankets. It is a nest of blankets." I started laughing as I started counting just how many blankets there were in order for the bed to have dipped only slightly. "Huh...twenty...thick...blankets. And all of it is enough to hold me up, but dip just a little. Yeah...I like this bed." I chuckled out as I got back under the first two layers of blankets and looked up at the stars. "Hmm...I like this room too..." I yawned out just before dozing off to sleep.