Chapter One

One early November morning Jack Frost, the Spirit of Winter, was flying over southern tip of New England bringing in a cool breeze from the north.

"Hey Wind, do you think I should give these kids an early snow day?" Jack asked mischievously with a small smirk.

Before she could reply they both saw the Aurora Borealis flood the skies.

"I guess we'll have to decide that later." Jack said before doing a quick loop in the air and they both sped off towards the North Pole.

Arriving at the Workshop Jack entered through an unlocked skylight and landed lightly on top of the Globe of Belief. He looked around spotted the rest of the Guardians chatting in front of the fireplace on couches.

"Hey guys. What's the emergency? Is Pitch back? Did the elves get a hold of sugar again? Are reindeers get lose again? " Jack asked in rapid succession, gliding down to join them.

"Ah, Jack! You are here!", North exclaimed "No it is not emergency. We just didn't know how to reach you so we activated lights."

"Oh, good. I was worried. As for reaching me, you can just call my name outside. Wind will always let me know when you give a shout." Jack replied as he greeted various yetis and elves. He snatched a cookie from a plate passing by and began to nibble the frozen treat.

"What do you mean, 'Wind will tell you', Jack?" Tooth questioned.

"Well, Wind always tells me what's going on in the world. She been my best friend, my only friend really, since I was reborn." he said casually as he observed the general chaos around the Workshop.

"Frostbite, you do know that Wind ain't alive, right?" Bunny said cautiously. A breeze started to whip up around the Guardians but no one noticed except Jack and Sandy.

Jack turned sharply towards Bunny. "What?"

"Yes, Bunny is right." North said. "Wind is just a part of nature."

"Like winter is?" Jack asked a bit amused polishing off the last crumbs of his cookie.

"Yeah mate, exactly." Bunny replied.

"Guys if winter is just another part of nature then what am I here for?" Jack questioned. They stared in silence at him before Jack noticed Sandy raising his hand. Jack nodded to him. Sandy signed somethings with his golden dreamsand that Jack understood and answered immediately.

Jack nodded, "Yeah guys, Sandy's right. I'm not winter's creator, I don't make it. I can create it but really my main job is to be winter's guide and shepherd." he explained lifting his staff and wiggling it a bit for emphasis.

A look of realization came over the other three Guardians. But then North asked with a confused expression, "But who controlled winter before you were Jack Frost?"

"Well Mother Nature of course.", responded Jack while he perched on the back of the empty armchair furthest from the burning fire.

"Mother Nature? What do you mean, Jack?" Tooth inquired.

"You guys seriously don't know who Mother Nature is? She's been around since Earth was created. Well, duh."

North was the one who replied. "We know who she is but the rumors from other immortals have said that she is very cruel."

Sandy shook his head in a bewildered manner at the threesome before Jack began to speak again. "Why do you guys believe the rumors? That's all they are, rumors. True she can be a bit harsh at times but nature has to be to keep the balance. The other spirits probably said that because they met her when they wanted to complain about bad weather, which is stupid, and after severe weather is when she shows her worse side. If they met her at a different time she probably would have been nicer. Her true nature is like her title. A mother. She is a mother to all nature including me and my siblings."

"Mate, what do you mean by siblings?" Bunny asked.

"You seriously don't know what siblings are Kangaroo? Just kidding. Mine are the other Spirits of the Seasons. Lily Blossom- the Spirit of Spring, Isabella Meadow- the Spirit of Summer, and Daniel Wood- the Spirit of Autumn. They along with Mother Nature make up my family."

"But I thought we were your family Jack." said Tooth a little hurt.

Jack replied hurriedly, "You guys are! But before the Nightmare Battle, when I hadn't truly met you guys yet, they were my family."

North then realized something, "But you said that you were alone for 300 years. How could you be alone with them as your family?"

"Well, because we are elementals we can't be close to one another for long periods of time without hurting each other. So as a result we can only be together on solstices and equinoxes."

"You only talked to people four days of a year for 300 years?" exclaimed Tooth.

"Well, no. Sometimes I saw Mom for weather emergencies like in '68 and other times other immortals would cross my path. Like Sandy and occasionally the tooth fairies. And of course I always had Wind to talk to. Also I listened to a lot of people and animals so I learned to speak over a hundred languages including Sign Language once I realized Sandy didn't talk."

North, Bunny, and Tooth sat for a few moments absorbing the things they had just learned.

Then Jack, who had settled back down along with the breeze, began to speak again, "So anyways, now that that's over and done with, what did you guys what me for?"

"We are making invitations for annual Christmas party and wondered if there was anyone you would like to invite." North said.

"What, what party?" Jack questioned.

"Every year North throws a huge Christmas party and invites all of the immortals." Bunny explained.

"Wait how come I was never invited?" Jack asked somewhat hurt.

"Well we, uh. We heard rumors that you made a mess everywhere you go so..." North trailed off awkwardly.

"Oh okay. Um, random question. Do you guys ever think that rumors aren't true?" Jack asked a bit sarcastically.

"We're sorry Jack. It's just that we never had time to check up on you so we just assumed that you were a troublemaker who we needed to stay away from. From now on we'll check all rumors ourselves." assured Tooth.

"That's good because there are probably spirits like me who are alone and have been for a long time." Jack replied. "Who do you guys usually invite anyways?"

"The Groundhog..."

"Cupid..."

A sand four leaf clover.

"Spirits like that." Tooth explained.

"Do you invite elementals too?" Jack asked.

"Yes. Usually the whole Workshop is filled to the brim with immortals." North answered.

"Wait, when is this party going to be?"

"North always plans it for the 21st of December." Bunny says.

Jack rubbed the back of his neck looking a little uncomfortable, "Coincidentally that is one of the days in the next few months that I have something planned so I actually will not be able to come."

"But Jack this is your first one! You have to come. We're going to introduce you as a Guardian for the first time." Tooth exclaimed flying up to him.

Jack leaned back and said, "I'm sorry but I just can't. That's the Winter Solstice. One of the four days out of the year that I can spend with my family."

"But surely you can skip one!" North said.

"I really can't." Jack said getting slightly annoyed and frustrated.

Bunny hopped over to him and, not seeing Sandy's caution sign, asked, "Well why not? Surely you can miss one stupid little meeting. After all shouldn't your Guardianship mean more to you then some meeting with a few elementals? Think about the children mate!"

Jack's expression turned thunderous, "A few elementals? Those few elementals mean more to me than almost anything else in the world, Kangaroo. Even though we see each other rarely, I still consider them as my family much more then you will ever be to me!" he practically yelled, "And think about the children!? What about you!?"

"What about me?" Bunny screamed right back at him.

"Where were you for the children? When did you ever spend time with the children, huh? I spend as much time as I can with them! Every second that I am not doing my winter duties I'm playing with them, spending time with them. Even when they couldn't see me I tried to make sure they were having a good time. When was the last time you were with kids before Easter?" Jack paused and turned away, putting his hood up, "What about me?" he almost whispered, "I was a kid. I was alone for three-hundred years. I had to grow up on my own! When were you guys there for me?...Never!"

And then he was gone, a faraway blur in the sky.