The sky above him was a strange black. There was the moon, nestled in the upper branches of the trees, which bathed the blackness in a blue glow. The snow was thick and white on the ground below, and on the rooftops. It glinted with the moonlight, and grinned luminescent. It lit up the blackness, shining like the fairy lights the people decorated their houses with this time of year.
And, of course, there was the golden sand that spun in the sky. In some places it moved lazily, but in others it twirled and danced with fervor. He reached out a hand and brushed it, the gold lighting up ruddy skin. His friend was never late, no matter the holiday.
When his fingers disturbed the stream, a tiny lizard burst forth and ran up his arm, stopping in the crook of his elbow. A cold wind blew, and its image shuddered. The tiny golden creature looked up at its host curiously, tilting its head questioningly. Then it darted a little further up, settling on his bicep beneath his cloak. A tiny snout poked out, lighting up the dark red fur. It was like the flame of a candle; gentle, alive, and warm.
Grinning at the creature's antics, the boy sat, knees tucked beneath him. He moved the cloak away from the lizard, who jumped slightly but did not scurry away. He peered down at it, almost nose to nose with the creature. The wind blew a little harder, and the boy's nose was red with the cold and smattered with freckles. He reached back his other arm, grasping the staff behind him. Slowly, so that he wouldn't startle the creature, he laid the straight end of the staff just above his elbow. The red berry branches tied to the end laid inviting, and the lizard climbed onto them. It stood on a thin, wavering branch, one claw resting like a hand on a single red berry.
He brought the staff up slowly, taking care not to shake it too much lest the lizard blow away. It glowed, reflected in the boy's brown eyes. For a moment, all was warm tones, the red cloak, the golden light, the brown eyes. But the moment shattered a second later when the lizard leapt forward, landing on the boy's nose and running up into his hair. He startled, then laughed.
Trying futilely to see, he set the staff down again, and reached up with both hands. One moved aside his evergreen crown while the other brushed through auburn hair. He did not find the lizard, but when he brought his hand back down, it was littered with golden flecks. He winced, but blew a great breath on his hand. The wind did the rest, and he watched silently in the not-so-dark night as they rejoined the river of gold he'd caught them from. It was one of the last in the sky, and he realized that he ought to be moving along too.
He grabbed his staff, and stood, righting the evergreen crown on his head. Calling on the wind, he flew like a cardinal in the sky, for he was a busy being. He was Jack Frost, guardian of wonder, and keeper of Christmas.
A/N: I'm awful at drawing, so instead here's a character study of Christmas!Jack. I've had this idea for a while (of course, I wait until May to debut it.) I've stuck solidly with Jack with my stories, but just so y'all know, I also have the idea of Easter!Tooth, which is very pretty (in my head at least). I might write that next, or maybe a slightly longer AU of Jack and his sister. Anyways, merry Christmas in May.
Also, May the Fourth be with you.
Love, hieroglyphsoup.