Chapter 4: The Four Seasons

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

Grim having vanished without a trace, all eyes shifted from where he had been standing towards Nat. Though everyone had questions as to what Grim had meant by his message, the silence was too heavy to interrupt.

As their weapons were holstered and put away, Jack breaks the silence at last by asking, "Nat, what did Grim mean when he said he was creating a 'seasonal change'? I know I wasn't around the first time you guys fought him, but from what you've told me, it still doesn't make any sense."

Crossing her arms in defeat, Nat replies, "I don't know what he meant by it."

"Well, then we'd better hurry up and work it out. If what Grim says is true, we only have a few weeks to figure out what his plan actually is." Bunny points out as he toys with his boomerang.

Crossing his arms, North contradicts him by adding, "We will figure out Grim's plan long before anything happens to Nat. I feel it. In my belly."

Rubbing her chin in thought, Tooth suggests, "Grim made it clear that his message pertained entirely to Nat. So the change he was talking about must be a change that only Nat can control."

Her eyes widening in sudden realization, Nat facepalms herself in the forehead. "Tooth, you're a genius! It's so obvious what Grim meant by this. A 'seasonal change'. How could I have missed that?"

Swinging his staff over his shoulders, Jack moves closer to her and asks, "Nat, what are you talking about? What is Grim's plan?"

Turning to look at him, Nat explains, "He said 'seasonal change' you guys! His plan is in the words. Grim is planning on getting rid of the seasons."

Shrugging his shoulders, Jack inquires, "How bad can stopping the seasons be? I mean, most places in the world only go through one anyway. And what does that have to do with you?"

Wrapping her arms around herself, Nat clarifies, "As Mother Nature, it is my job to protect the plants and animals of the world. I bring balance and harmony across the earth to ensure that peace is maintained. The changing of the seasons helps stabilize that balance by offering time for both growth and decay. The fate of the seasons is not only an integral part of the earth but an integral part of me as well. If Grim has really managed to find a way to end the seasons, causing them to fade away, then I. . . will fade away as well."

If the Guardians hadn't been stunned yet, they all were now. A barrage of sand hieroglyphs flitted across Sandy's head as everyone else began to shout over the top of each other.

Taken aback by the information, Tooth frantically asks, "What do you mean you'll fade away?"

"How come you never told us this?" Bunny asks, his ears flattening in both remorse and hurt.

Stroking his beard, North points out, "Are you sure Grim can actually do such a thing? This wouldn't be the first time he's lied to us."

Beating his staff into the palm of his hand, Jack confidently remarks, "There's got to be a way to stop him. What can we do to fix this?"

Shaking her head, Nat takes in each of their concerns before morosely telling them, "I have no idea how he found out. It's a secret I haven't told anyone, not as a way to protect myself but because it did not seem important to ever bring up. But if Grim says he's figured out how to end the seasons, there's no reason to not believe him."

"So is there no way to stop him?" Bunny remarks, putting away the boomerang he had been absentmindedly picking at.

"I didn't say that," Nat begins with a small smile. "There is a way to restore each of the seasons, but the journey will be both incredibly perilous and dangerous. I should go alone."

Arching an eyebrow, North scoffs, "Was that supposed to deter any of us from going?"

"That was the idea," Nat admits with a sigh. Straightening up, she reminds them, "Grim is out for revenge. While I try to fix whatever he's doing to me, it would be in you lot's best interest to stay safe and try to figure out a way to stop him. Not to mention, protect yourselves from anything he may have planned for you."

Placing her hands on Nat's shoulders, Tooth arches an eyebrow of her own before saying, "You're a bigger idiot than I thought if you think for a single second that we're letting you go through with this on your own. You're going to need our help, especially if it's as dangerous as you say it will be."

"Fine, but if you want to come, you'll need to know exactly what it is you five will be getting into." After looking each of her friends in the eye, Nat pulls out a map before continuing, "Each season has a specific symbol for itself that generates its life located in a remote corner of the world. This map shows each symbol and its respective location. For spring, the symbol is an ancient cherry tree located in the center of a valley in Kanazawa, Japan. For summer, the symbol is a drop of fire located in the desert of Death Valley, California. For autumn, the symbol is a field of celosia located outside a temple in Douro Valley, Portugal. Lastly, the winter symbol is an eternally flowing waterfall in Siberia, Russia. Each of these symbols is in locations so remote, even I'm not entirely sure of their exact whereabouts. Not only will they be heavily fortified and guarded, but Grim will have undoubtedly taken up measures to prevent us from finding and revitalizing the four symbols. He will definitely have placed his Skeleton horses as guards, and he may have even recruited others to help him as well. After all, we aren't exactly the most popular group of people in the world."

When she finished, Nat had expected her friends to begin to make excuses as to why they could no longer help her. However, none of that happened.

Smirking, Bunny asks, "So when do we get started, Sheila?"

Shaking her head in disbelief, but touched by her friend's consistent want to help her, Nat crosses her arms before turning to North and asking, "How long before you can have the sleigh ready?"