Cold.

Dry.

And snowy.

Earlier on in the morning, that's what it was like. Right now, that hadn't changed, except now the falling snow blanketed the landscape, or what little there was to see here. You could see buildings and streets, maybe some pedestrians, in the distance, but here? All there was to see was a run-down shrine. A shrine that looked so moldy, so broken apart, you'd think it hadn't been maintained in years.

And…you'd be right. Hardly anyone has touched it in years, save for maybe a few certain curious travellers. Otherwise, it was quiet. And quiet it was today.

Until an approaching voice from the sky broke the silence.

"SNOW DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!"

Falling from the sky yet managing to land squarely on his barefooted feet was a pale, white-haired boy, holding nothing but his staff. Taking off his hoodie, he glanced around furtively for a bit before any trace of a smile on his face collapsed into a frown.

It didn't take long for him to realize he was the only person there.

"Huh. There really isn't anyone at all."

For a brief moment, he felt disappointed. To him, his job was the best in the world – To travel around the entire Earth during Winter, spreading snow and frost with his powers everywhere, and of course, the awesome snowball fights he engaged with children, bringing joy, fun, and just plain excitement. Such was his task as the Guardian of Fun. And now here he arrives at a completely deserted area, hoping for something similar, despite the fact that he SHOULD have known it was as such.

Groan.

Yet not long after that disheartening train of thoughts, he proceeded to enter the shrine anyway. There was something about this area that, with a strange nagging feeling, told him that there was more that meets the eye here. Perhaps there were children after all, and this was all just a big joke. Hey, he'd never know until he tried, right?

So he approached the shrine, walking amongst the fallen wood planks (and freezing some of them with his staff out of pure boredom). The closer he got, the more suspicious he became of the place. Something about the air just tipped him off. Something about the atmosphere made him uneasy. Something about…

The high concentration of magic?

For a fleeting moment, the boy ignored it. Then he heard the blowing of the wind – the wind that carried an equally fleeting voice.

"Ufufufufu...My my, we don't get guests such as you lately, especially through here..."

Immediately, the boy lifted his staff towards…whatever spoke that. Now he was certain someone way spying on him.

"Wha- Who's there?!"

This better not be another of Pitch's schemes… The boy thought at the same time, cringing at the idea of his old enemy luring him into another trap. Then again, for as much suspicion he had at this voice, it didn't sound at all malicious…

"Oh, nobody...nobody of importance to you, at least..." was the reply. This mysterious voice seemed to be deliberately trying to be difficult to the young boy, for soon after its reply, it left him wandering around the shrine, still wary, still uncertain of who was calling him.

Bump.

The boy stopped in his tracks abruptly. The vast area of nothing he should've been able to walk through suddenly felt solid. Or was it watery? He couldn't tell. All he could muster was another annoyed sigh as he continued wrestling with this unseen figure again.

"What ARE you? Where ARE you? And why can't I walk through this…invisible thing?" He retorted.

"Who said you couldn't?"

Half confused and half exasperated at trying to argue with this…person, the boy put his hand forth at whatever was blocking him…only for it to disappear! Wait, it didn't disappear. It just felt like it was going through something.

"W-what is thi—WOAAAAH!"

A strong force immediately gripped his unseen arm and started pulling him through. Even his staff that he had dropped from the sudden grip was sucked in as well. Soon, his entire body had been dragged in by whatever used to stand in his way.

And the boy disappeared.

Disappeared from the Outside World, that is.

"Ugh…that's really gonna leave a mark…"

The boy groaned as he tried to stand up again. Whatever this force was, it threw him towards the solid rock ground, leaving a very unkind impression on his back. After grabbing his staff from the ground, the boy looked at his surroundings. Things seemed…different.

"Wasn't there a run-down shrine – if it could even be called that – around here?" He thought out loud. Indeed, there wasn't a shrine anymore, just a long forest of withered trees.

Or was there?

Walking further, he noticed a big oak tree that, while it had been stripped of its leaves, still stood tall, marking the area. And what a surprise – it was standing right behind a shrine!

This shrine looked very similar to the pile of wooden planks the boy was once at, except it was in a much better condition. No, it didn't look as sturdy as some of the buildings in the cities he had traversed, but it looked fine. There might even be someone staying in there.

And it reminded the boy he was completely, utterly lost.

"Wish I had one of North's snow globes right now…" he muttered to himself.

Shrugging, the boy called the wind and it brought him to the top of the small house, hoping it would give him a good view of the landscape. As he stood on that oriental roof, all he could see was a vast landscape that stretched for miles. Though there were several trees dotting its land, there in the distance, he could see a village, much like the one of his origin when he was still human, and not the winter spirit he is now…

Jack Frost had arrived in Gensokyo.