"Echo, how many times have I told you? You must feel it from the heart to use your powers! Not your mind!" North told the young Guardian in training. She groaned softly and rested her head on her crossed arms.
"It's no use. I'll never be able to use my powers offensively. I'm never going to get this right. . ." She muttered bitterly, closing her pale green eyes. She jumped, startled, when North banged his fist on the wooden table.
"Have more confidence in yourself! You will get this right if you believe in yourself!" The jolly old man declared. Echo shook her head and sighed.
"I thought others were supposed to believe in me first?" She mumbled to herself, sliding off the stool. She paced down the length of the table and turned to see North right behind her.
"Hey! Give me some space at least!" Echo cried, stepping back. She gestured to the potted seed on the table, where there was no flower.
"I'm trying my hardest and I can't even make a simple seed grow! How can I be a Guardian of Spring if I can't even have a single flower bloom?" She asked, looking at North expectantly. North let out a loud sigh, repeating his lecture for the thousandth time.
"A seed is complicated. It's a lifeform. You can't control things like this so easily. You need to know the seed, feel it's energy and life. You need. . ."
"I know, I know! You need to encourage it and nurse it or else it will never work. Can't we just take a break? It's almost lunch, and I need to get cooking. . ." Echo grumbled, walking past North and heading to do one of her chores. She sighed softly, brushing a strand of her Bluebell-coloured hair away from her face. She treaded into the kitchen grabbing her apron and tying it around her waist. She grabbed a bunch of carrots for Bunnymund, and then ingrediants for stew for Toothiana, North, and Sandy. She sat down at a table, another clay pot sat in front of her. She narrowed her eyes in concentration, trying in vain to have a flower burst from the seed in front of her.
"You know, staring at a pot of soil is a sign of craziness." Echo whirled around in surprise. She blinked and looked at the smirking boy before her, dressed in a blue sweatshirt with frost on it and brown pants.
"Who. . . You. . . Jack Frost? Nobody told me you would be coming here. . ." She stuttered. The pictures of him were right, including the bright icy blue eyes, the spiked white hair. The drawings in North's Guardian book even captured his smug grin! It was kind of amazing. She had seen the drawings and heard rumours about him and how he was an addition to the guardians.
"Well, of course nobody told you. I decided to come and check out the trainee. Since it is fall, I have the time to spare." The boy told her, crossing his legs. He floated in midair, looking at the girl. He examined her as she examined him, taking in her slim build and bright hair and eyes.
"What are you supposed to be? The Guardian of clowns?" Jack asked, resting his cheek on his fist. Echo's face flushed, her green eyes narrowing.
"No. I'm Echo, training to be the Guardian of Spring for your information." She replied angrily, turning and walking to the stove. She stirred the stew, grumbling under her breath.
"Hey, that smells good. Mind if I have a try?" Jack asked, leaning over her shoulder.
"Gah! Stop doing that!" Echo said, turning around in surprise and finding him only a few inches away from her.
"Okay. Clearly you need a lesson in personal space, mister. First of all, keep an arms length distance at all times. Second, don't sneak up on people like that. Capiche?" She told him, pushing him away from her. Jack rolled his eyes and nodded.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." He muttered. Echo nodded in satisfaction.
"Good. Now go float over there or something. I need to serve this stew." She said, shooing him away and walking to the cupboard. She opened it and found the bowls on the top shelf. She groaned in agony, having no special flying powers or amazing jumping skills.
"Stupid elves. . . Why do they love doing this to me?" She muttered, jumping up and down repeatedly, stretching her arm to try and get the bowls.
"Here. Let me." Jack said, taking the bowls and drifting down to hand the bowls over, giving her another smug grin of his.
". . . Thanks, Frostbite." She mumbled, taking the bowls gratefully and placing them on the counter next to the large pot. She ladled the stew in the bowls, making sure that she included an extra serving for Jack.
"You're welcome, Flowerbud." The teen boy replied, laughing and flying off in search of the Guardians. Echo huffed and placed the bowls and carrots on a silver serving plate with spoons. She walked down the hallways to the dining room. She found Jack already there, sitting down in a deep conversation with North. She placed the bowls in front of the Guardians, leaving the tray for Bunnymund. She smiled briefly at Toothiana, who grinned back at her. She walked back to the kitchen to clean up the mess she had left behind.
"So, have you met Echo yet?" North asked, looking at Jack while eating his stew. Jack grinned and nodded.
"Yup. What's the deal with the clay pots of soil?" The boy asked, taking his first mouthful of stew. He let the flavours mix together in his mouth and swallowed. He took another large spoonful, surprised that the stew tasted so good. He didn't think that Flowerbud had it in her. Sure, she stared at clay pots like she wanted them to die, but she can cook a darn good meal.
"It's part of her training. She's the spirit of Spring, and this should be easy for her, but she just can't seem to use any of her powers." Norht explained.
"So she's basically like a human, then?" Jack reasoned, looking down at his empty bowl. He looked up at North, yawning. North sighed and nodded, looking at Bunnymund who had called his name. Jack stood up and strolled down the hallways and into the kitchen, nearly bursting in laughter when he saw Echo sitting and staring at the pot in front of her like she was trying to possess it.
"You look hilarious, you know that right?" He told her, grinning at her when she looked over her shoulder to face him. She huffed and stuck her tongue out at him childishly.
"Yeah, whatever. I need to get this right. . . But it's so hard. . . I keep trying, but nothing is happening." Echo sighed, looking down at the pot dejectedly. Jack blinked, surprised at her sudden change of attitude.
"Well. . . Maybe something is happening. Maybe there is a growing plant in there, but you just can't see it?" He suggested, leaving his bowl on the counter. He looked at the potted plant and crouched down, resting his forearms on the edge of the counter. He placed his chin on his crossed arms and stared at it quietly.
"Thanks, Jack. . . That made me feel a bit better, actually." She murmered, looking at the pot as well. She sighed and picked the pot up, placing it among the rows of other pots. She sat down on the counter and looked up at the ceiling. Jack stood up and flew in front of her, arms length away as she had told him before.
"Want to have a little bit of fun?" He asked, knowing that trying too hard would get her nowhere. Echo blinked and looked at the boy.
"Uh. . . What about chores?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. Jack grinned and grabbed her hand.
"Come on, don't worry. You can just say that you've been practicing. At least it's part of the truth, since you practiced for a little while." He winked at her. Echo smiled lightly and nodded.
"Well. . . I guess. . ." She laughed as he dragged her along the halls and out the front door.
"Where are we going?" Echo asked, letting Jack drag her along the snow. They were in the North Pole, after all. Jack just looked back at her and grinned.
"It's a surprise." He told her, walking for awhile more before he gave up and simply crouched down.
"Here. Get on." He said, waiting for her to climb onto his back. Echo did so gingerly, wrapping her arms and legs around him. Jack shot off into the sky, laughing happily. Echo shrieked in surprise, burying her face into his shoulder so she wouldn't be tempted to look down. She hugged him tighter as he suddenly dropped down, whirling around and around.
"Aw, c'mon, relax. . . I'm an expert at flying." Jack yelled, grinning. He was flying only a meter off the ground, his staff leaving trails of frost from the tip.
"We're almost there!" He told her, slowing down and stopping at the edge of a frozen patch of water. She climbed off of him and stood there, shaking.
"You are way worse than North's sleigh. . ." She muttered, sitting down in the snow. She looked up at him, annoyed as he laughed, grinning down at her.
"Come on. . . We're going to skate." He told her, holding out his hand.
"I have no skates here, smart one." Echo retorted, scoffing and rolling her eyes.
"I had some here. . . Somewhere. . . Oh! Found 'em!" Jack said, holding up a pair of skates. Echo sighed softly and put them on, tying them up tight. She stood at the edge of the large icy pond, her legs shaking. Jack gave her a slight push, trying to keep the laughter in when she skated a few meters then fell flat on her face.
"Not funny, okay! I haven't skated before!" Echo grumbled, sitting on the ice grumpily. Jack smiled and floated over, holding his hand out.
"Come on. Just take my hand. . . I'll help you." He told her, pulling her up. He took both of her hands and flew backwards, pulling her along with him. He flew circles around the pond, smiling at her.
"See? Easy as pie. . ." He told her, grinning cheekily.
"When you're dragging me along with you, it is. . ." She muttered, holding onto him tightly. She held onto his hands even tighter when she felt that he was going to let go.
"Don't you dare. . ." She warned seriously, gripping him harder.
"Ouch, don't squeeze so hard, Flowerbud. . ." He winced slightly, and she relaxed her grip slightly.
"Whatever, Frostbite. . . Just don't let go of me, okay?" Jack grinned and winked at her mischieviously.
"I promise, I will never let go of you."