~JACK~
I was given direct orders to give the viking village of Berk and the royal kingdom of Arendelle two heavy blizzards. Now you see, Berk endures my winter weather more than any other place Queen Tara (or Mother Nature as you may know her as) has ever given me. I feel bad, especially since they already have to deal with dragons, so of course I make their blizzards as mild as I can make them. Oh yeah, there's also the fact that they're the only place that I'm aware of that actually has legends of me. How awesome is that? The only problem is that despite the fact that they have stories about me, no one believes me. And trust me, I would know. Besides the North Pole, I spend most of my time on the viking island, tricking villagers and playing with the dragons that see me. They're actually really sweet creatures. They're definitely misunderstood too. Anyway, despite all my time there, not once has anyone on that island ever seen me before. That's the downside of my life.
Yeah, it's great being the Bringer of Winter, and immortal, and all that other jazz, but what's not great is that no mortal can see me. It sucks even more now that I'm a Guardian, which I have been for a while. Let's see, I was awakened in 1712. The year is now 1839. So that's...127 years, I believe. I was recruited to be a Guardian 10 years ago. So yeah, it's been a while. The downside of being a Guardian-it was a downside even before being a Guardian-was that no one has ever been able to see me. The reason why it sucks even more now that I'm a Guardian is because I've seen the way children would react when they would see the other Guardians. The looks they give them are the looks I always wish for them to give me. But in order to see me, a mortal has to believe in me. And of course, since I'm complaining about it...they don't. No one ever has. The upside of being a Guardian is that I did end up being part of a family. I may not have any believers like my co-workers do, but I'm glad I have them at least.
There's North (Santa Clause), Bunny (Easter Bunny), Tooth (Tooth Fairy), Sandy (Sandman), Tara (Mother Nature), and La Muerte (Holy Death). North is the fun grandfather of the group, Bunny is the annoying older brother that's a pain in my ass, Tooth is the hyper sister, Sandy is the chill uncle, Tara is the caring mother, and Muerte is the fiery aunt. North is the Guardian of Wonder, Bunny is the Guardian of Hope, Tooth is the Guardian of Memories, Sandy is the Guardian of Dreams, Tara is the Guardian of Life, and Muerte is the Guardian of Death. North, Bunny, and La Muerte are the only ones who are also holiday spirits. Christmas, Easter, and Hallowmas respectively. Why do I say Hallowmas and not Halloween? Because La Muerte's holiday lasts for three days: October 31st to November 2nd. The three day celebration is called Hallowmas or Allhallowtide. Hallowmas is easier to say, so of course I go with the easy choice.
And me? I am Jack Frost. Guardian of Fun, Bringer of Winter, and King of Mischief.
Anyway, as I was saying, Mother Nature gave me direct orders to give Berk and Arendelle some hardcore blizzards. Because of my favortism and pity towards Berk, I gave them a mild storm, while Arendelle is the one that will suffer my "ordered wrath". Once the storm passes they'll have snow for days. I'm sure the children will be thrilled.
The only problem is that as soon as I arrived, the first thing that caught my attention was the sound of a woman screaming in the castle. I know Tara gets mad when I don't follow her tight schedule, but Arendelle's storm could wait. I doubt she would want me to ignore the screams of a woman that sounds like she's being brutality murdered.
When I found the room in the castle where the screams were coming from, my already pale face went even paler. It never occured to me that the woman I heard screaming would be the queen about to give birth.
"Yep," I say out loud, knowing no one else would hear. "I'm out of here."
"Jack?"
I was going to turn around anyway, but hearing my name being called from behind me made me whirl around faster than intended. I nearly got whiplash because of it, and was not at all expecting to see La Maurte.
"Death?" I say, calling her by the nickname I gave her.
At the same time, we both said: "What are you doing here?"
I went ahead and answered first. "I heard a woman screaming and came to help her. I didn't know she was giving birth." I felt my face heat up, but continued. "You?"
She looked at me with sad eyes. "Jack...you know what I do." She said as she looked away. "I guide the souls of those who pass to their desired afterlife."
My eyes went wide at what she was implying. "Are you saying that the queen is dying? I knew birth hurt like hell, but I didn't think it could actually be deadly."
La Muerte rolled her eyes at me. "Really? Aye dios mio. You didn't think that a small human being coming out of another human being through a small hole, which enlarges as it comes out, isn't deadly? Ugh. You males are so typical."
I didn't know if she was teasing or not-because it's always difficult to tell with her-so I merely chuckled, nervously, as I rubbed my neck and avoided eye contact. "Yeah, that's true, but cut me some slack. I'm an immortal 18 year old boy. Plus, I always here about that birth is great and beautiful and whatnot. It just never occurred to me that in some cases, in order to bring life, there must be death."
La Muerte nods in understanding. "Si. The thing that...that troubles me the most is that...well..." She trails off, and sighs.
"Well what?" I urged her, curious.
She looks me dead in the eyes and says a sentence that gives me, the Bringer of Winter, chills. "Her baby is dying too."
"What?!" I exclaimed. "That's...that's not fair. That's not right. That woman has worked hard these last 9 months on making that baby, she's killing herself on bringing that baby into the world, and you mean to tell me all of it is for nothing? That the child is going to die anyway? Seriously?"
La Muerte sighs. "That's just how the cycle works. I don't control on who lives or dies. I just help the souls."
"There's gotta be something we can do," I pleaded. In all my years, I've never been in a situation like this, and I seriously don't like it. If there is going to be death, I don't want to be around it, but now that I'm here, and now that I know a child's life is at stake, I have to do something.
La Muerte shook her head. "There's nothing we can do, Jack. Things need to play out on their own."
This time I shook my head. "No. I'm getting Mother Nature. She can help stop this. You may not be able to control who dies, but she can. She gives life. Maybe she can-"
"I'm already here and I already did my part." A familiar voice says from beside us at the end of the hall. There she stood, Queen Tara-Mother Nature-herself. "Only you can do the rest, Jack."
"What?" I blurted. "What do you mean? What are you even doing here?"
"Two reasons, actually," she said as she walked towards us. "Reason one is because I noticed on my globe that Arendelle's scheduled snow storm had not yet started. I was ready to give you a scolding before the Man in the Moon talked to me. That's where reason two comes in. He told me to take the blood of the King of Dragons, an Ice Dragon I should add, and have you add a bit of your snow magic to it."
"What?" La Muerte and I said together.
Tara's petal dress had pockets, and when she dug into one of them, she exposed a clear glass bottle filled with a thick, light gray liquid. "This is the blood of an ice dragon called the Bewilderbeast, which is the Alpha King of all dragons. As I had just said, Manny told me to take some of his blood, and have you add your magic to it."
"Okay..." I say, still confused. "I'm not even going to ask where you found the dragon. You pretty much know where every creature is at. Anyway what do I do after that? What is this supposed to do?"
"After you add your magic to the dragon's blood," Tara explained, "you are to give it to the Queen to drink. Manny told me that this will save both hers and her baby's life."
"Why me though?" I complained. I know I said I had to do something about it, or that something should at least be done, but I didn't think my wish would be granted at all. Especially this quickly.
Tara shook her head. "I know not. Manny instructed that it be you."
"And how do you suppose we get the Queen to drink it?" I asked. "She doesn't look like she's up for a drink."
"No one will see the liquid-" Tara began.
"So when the maids are distracted," La Muerte took over, "you gently pour it down her mouth. Simple. Now we need to hurry. I feel their heartbeats slowing."
Tara opened the lid to the bottle as I summoned three snowflakes. I dropped the snowflakes into the gray substance and as soon as they dissolved, the liquid went from gray to an ice blue color that even sparkled. Tara shook the bottle to mix it better then handed it to me. I hesitantly took it and led the three of us inside the Queen's chambers. While Muerte opened the windows, Tara estinguished the fire in the fireplace. The maids went into a panic and rushed around to fix everything, leaving the Queen panting in her bed. Her eyes were closed when I approached her, but her lips were parted enough for me to press the tip of the bottle to her lips. When I did this, I quickly poured it down. I'm not sure if she felt it or not because she didn't have any reaction to it whatsoever. If she didn't see it, then I doubt she felt it. It's there though, inside of her, and hopefully it saves hers and the child's life.
"Okay," I say after I did it. "What now?"
La Muerte said two words that I absolutely hate. "We wait."
()()()()()()()()
While we waited, Tara intructed me to continue on with my original task, which is the storm I was supposed to give Arendelle. I did as she said with no question. I needed to get out of that room and clear my head anyway. Clearing my head was the last thing I did though. I mean, how the hell does a liquid composed of ice-dragon blood and ice magic supposed to heal someone? Last I checked, anything involving ice isn't exactly an ideal healing property. Is there going to be some kind of side effect? Will it effect the Queen or her baby? Will it effect them both? Will there be no effect at all?Hopefully, I'll get my answers soon.
After I did my job, I returned to the Queen's chambers. I made it just in time too because as soon as I walked in I heard multiple maids saying: "It's a girl!" and "A princess is born!" and "A future queen is an heir to the throne!"
The midwife handed the screaming, bloody baby, wrapped in a towel, to her mother, and as soon as I saw the mother's tearful smile, I smiled too. The baby calmed down after a few seconds just as I suddenly felt someone walk through me, leaving me gasping at the sensation of being walked through. I hate it every time it happens. When I saw who it was, I found out it was the king. He must have been in a different room the entire time. I don't blame him. He knelt beside his wife and daughter, his eyes already spilling with tears.
"Oh Idun," he breathed out. "She's beautiful. What shall we call her?"
"I was thinking," Queen Idun said as she tried to catch her breath. "Elsa."
Everyone in the room smiled, including me. "That's perfect." The king said before he kissed his wife's sweaty forehead.
I agreed. A beautiful name for a beautiful girl. She's sure to grow up to be just as gorgeous as her mother.
La Muerte and Mother Nature came to my side then. "She's perfectly healthy," Queen Tara assured me. "Her white hair is a bit unusual though. Other than that, everything is fine with the both of them." I didn't even notice the princess's white hair until she mentioned it.
Huh, I thought as I stared at the baby's head, that is a bit unusual for a newborn mortal.
"Let's give the new family some privacy." Said La Muerte. "The maids are leaving as well. We best be on our way too."
"Yeah," I say, nodding. "This has been one hell of a night, and I would rather see the baby all cleaned up than stained with blood."
"Will you come back during Christmas?" Muerte asked.
I nodded. "I've been helping North out with Christmas for the last ten years. He's going to want to see her too once we tell him. I might even help him make a gift for her."
Tara giggles. "Help, he says." La Muerte laughs with her, while I roll my eyes.
"Very funny." I say, only slightly amused.
"Well, anyway, this is sure to be a tale that North will find interesting," Tara said. "Christmas may be in 4 days, but this is something I'm sure he'd stop everything for to listen to. The same goes for the other Guardians."
Christmas is in 4 days. That means it's currently the Winter Solstice. December 21st. The princess was born on the Winter Solstice. So not only did Arendelle gain a princess...
Winter did too.
AN: Sorry for typos. I will fix those later. Happy Holidays everyone!