A/N: So just want to say sorry for taking forever to write the darn thing, I just kept reading and reading and reading instead of writing.
THIS PART IS IMPORTANT!
The time skips are from the time they met not the previous time skip.
5 years later
Jack's POV
It was winter again. I used to love winter and even though it is still my favorite season I've come to love spring and autumn more, though this probably had less to do with the seasons themselves than it did with what, or who, had become associated with them. Spring and Autumn used to mark lonely days with absolutely nothing to do, but now? Now my free seasons were her free seasons too meaning for three months we were practically inseparable except for the occasional day when we were called upon to spread our seasonal know-how in some of the more remote regions of the globe although, the other usually accompanied on these trips for the company or to watch the show.
But today it wasn't spring or fall or even late winter. No, today it was the middle of winter meaning there was still a good month-and-a-half before we could see each other again.
I sigh and the snow picks up around me, my powers mirroring my foul mood and almost drowning out the voice yelling through the storm.
Almost.
"Jack!" the voice yells out and even though I can just barely hear it I can still tell exactly who it is.
"Julianne!" I yell back, spinning around in the air until I spot her perched on a tree branch and waving furiously at me to get my attention.
I fly over, a smile upon my face as I go, and I don't notice as the storm around me calms until it's only a few flakes drifting lazily through the air to the ground below. I perch on the branch next to her and receive a brilliant smile, a smile that was almost brighter than the sun for which she was named.
"Hey Jul' what are you doing here? Why aren't you spreading your warm goodness?"
She frowns a little and inside I cringe a inside, just now realizing how cruel my words sounded.
"Aw Jack; are you not happy to see me?"
"NO! It's good to see you, I was just… wondering… I guess," I mutter turning violet and she laughs, smile out in all its glory again.
"Jack I was just joking with you jeezums. Anyways I was getting lonely with no one to talk to so I decided to come visit you when I had I second."
"Oh, well it's good to see you Jul' glad you came to visit, maybe we could do it again before our seasons end."
"THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT IDEA! We may not be able to do it very often, or for very long but we should totally meet up every now and then when we have to work, that sounds waaaay better than the three month silence we've been keeping up until now."
"It does so, what would you like to do until you have to go back?"
7 years later
Jack's P.O.V.
"We need somewhere to meet up," I say from behind Julianne startling her and causing her to spin around, away from whatever she had been doing.
"Huh?"
"I said we need to find somewhere to meet up instead of just having Wind find where we are and taking us there," I tell her attempting to peak over her shoulder to see what she was working on but she moves slightly and blocks it from my view.
"That's a secret, tell ya later promise, but for now I agree with you we should find a place to meet up," we stand in silence for a moment before her eyes widen and her face lights up with a giant smile, "I know the perfect place! Remember that island we flew into each other on?"
I nod and she continues, "Why don't we meet up there? It's out of the way enough that the humans wouldn't notice if there was winter there in the middle of summer."
I think about it for a moment before I nod, "Yeah, sounds great, let's go I bet Wind remembers where it is."
"Great! Just give me a second to grab my project and then we'll be off and NO PEAKING!"
I laugh but turn around even though I really want to find out what it is she promised to show me and I trust her so I wait until she tells me it's alright to turn around and I see her standing there with a bulging bag thrown over her body that looks like it's made of leave and vines and things.
"Whoa, when'd you get that?"
"What?" she asks confused looking at the bag, "Oh, you mean the bag I made it one summer when I got bored, I thought I showed you."
"No."
"Oh, sorry, it's pretty cool though right?"
"Yup, let's go."
One Month Later
Jack's P.O.V.
Wind had remembered the island, quite well in fact and she had dropped us off on the beach which we immediately started to explore.
The island was amazing, there was one ginormous tree in the center and one part of it had mountains and a lake which I immediately decided was my favorite part while she favored another corner of the little island which had a river running through it which seemed to originate from beneath the center tree's roots.
The island seemed to be divided into four parts with the tree in the center. We decided that this would definitely be our meeting place and that we would both claim a small quarter of this island, something told us that this was meant to be our island and that we would eventually have more. I claimed the mountains and lake while she chose the river.
Currently I was sitting on the top of the highest mountain, which admittedly wasn't very high but still, and saw Julianne flying towards me with a big smile on her face and something in her hands.
"Time for the big reveal?" I ask her when she arrives and she nods before handing me what looks to be several hollowed out bamboo tubes tied together with vines.
"…What is it?"
She smiles before taking it from my hands and blowing into it and as I watch a beautiful melody flows out, I look around and see the trees around us growing into full summer perfection.
"It's called a pan-flute," she tells me when she finishes before handing me a similar item, "I made you one to, I can show you how to use it if you want."
I nod excitedly and the last two months of spring/ fall are split between my music lessons and exploring the island.
23 years later
Jack's P.O.V.
"Jack!" I hear and barely have time to turn around before Julianne flies into me, crying her eyes out.
I stop working on the snowstorm I'd been brewing and hold her while Wind slowly lowers us into a tree, softly wrapping her arms around us in comfort while Julianne cries.
"Shh, Julianne, shh, what's the matter?" I whisper softly, rubbing circles on her back as her tears slow down and she looks up at me.
"My Orchard… it's gone, there was some sort of storm while I was working and it's not there anymore," she whispers and after a moment of shock I wrap my arms around her again and we sit there for a while until she's okay.
"Thanks for the help Jack, sorry if I interrupted something."
"Julianne, it's fine, you needed help, you'd just lost your home, I'm glad you came besides, they didn't really need a blizzard anyways, it'll be spring soon I should give them a break."
"…Wanna call it an early spring and autumn?" she asks quietly and I smile before responding.
"That's the best idea I've heard in almost three months," I'm rewarded with a small smile before we fly to our island. I'm not sure when it had stopped being the island and become ours but it had and I couldn't bring myself to regret it.
Later that month she planted several fruit trees on the island and we spent several afternoons resting against their trunks talking while she painted fruit or wove things out of vines and I made small swirls of snowflakes to flurry around the air.
30 years later
Jack's P.O.V.
"JACK! JACK! JACK! HEY JACK!" I spin around and see Julianne speeding towards me, our seasons had just ended and I was floating above the middle of our island that had been our meeting place for the last several years.
"Hey Julianne!" I smile as she flies up to me and we head down to rest on the upper branches of our island's trees.
We talk all through the day and well into the night until the full moon floats overhead and the stars twinkle merrily in the inky blackness. After a while we lapse into silence, leaning on each other and just reveling in the friendly company.
"Hey Jack," she speaks after a moment, head tilting lifting from its place on my shoulder to look at me.
"Yeah?"
"Have you ever gone dancing?" she asks and I look at her in confusion before she continues, "it's just, I've seen the humans doing it and it looks like fun so I was just wondering."
"Oh, no, I've never danced before," I tell her and we sit in silence for half a second before I mentally steel myself and ask, "would you like to?"
"What?" she looks confused and I speak again.
"Dance, would you like to dance with me. You said it looks like fun."
She smiles before grabbing my hand and pulling me into the wind and the sky above the forest, "of course."
"Umm… I don't actually know how to dance," I tell her and she laughs, that beautiful perfect laugh of hers that makes you want to laugh along with her and never stop.
"That's okay, I don't either I've just seen the humans do it, but that's what trial and error is for right?"
"…I guess," she laughs again before showing me what she had learned from watching the humans and we danced. We floated through the night sky, the winter wind and summer breeze twisting and twirling and curling around each other as we danced through the twirling and whirling in our own rights. I looked over at my partner and watched as the moonlight glinted off of her hair giving her an ethereal glow that made her more beautiful, if that was even possible.
As we danced we heard the sound of the wind whistling through the trees filling the night with its music and then we stopped and the night held its breath as if it were waiting for something and we looked at each other. I looked down and saw her, beautiful, brave, intelligent, funny, loyal, amazing Julianne. The Summer Spirit who for some incomprehensible reason was my friend. I saw her and smiled and she smiled back before I leaned forward and kissed her.
Julianne's P.O.V.
"JACK! JACK! JACK! HEY JACK!" I yell and watch as he spins around to look at me.
"Hey Julianne!" he says as I fly towards him and we float down to the upper branches of the trees on our island.
We talk all through the day and well into the night until the full moon floats overhead and the stars twinkle merrily in the inky blackness. After a while we lapse into silence, leaning on each other and just reveling in the friendly company.
"Hey Jack," I speak after a moment, head tilting lifting from its place on his shoulder to look at him.
"Yeah?"
"Have you ever gone dancing?" I ask and inwardly chuckle at his confusion before continuing, "it's just, I've seen the humans doing it and it looks like fun so I was just wondering."
"Oh, no, I've never danced before," he tells me and we sit in silence for half a second before he asks, "would you like to?"
"What?" I ask and my confusion must show on my face as he clarifies.
"Dance, would you like to dance with me? You said it looks like fun."
I smile and grab his hand before dragging him into the sky, "of course."
"Umm… I don't actually know how to dance," he tells me and I laugh, happy that he's willing to try something new with me.
"That's okay, I don't either I've just seen the humans do it, but that's what trial and error is for right?"
"…I guess," I laugh again before showing him what I had learned about dancing from the humans and we dance, floating through the night sky the winter winds and summer breezes swirling around us as we twirl through the air. I look over at him and secretly admire the way the moonlight shimmers over his hair turning his snow white hair a brilliant silver as we dance.
As we dance we listen to the wind flowing through the trees turning into the beautiful melody of nature, from the warm rustle of leaves together to the cool whisper of snow as it falls. After a moment we stop and the world holds its breath, waiting for something to happen and I look up at him and marvel in the happiness radiating from his eyes, clever, funny, handsome, brilliant, fun-loving, loyal, amazing Jack who decided to befriend a lonely summer spirit. I look at him and he smiles and I smile back before he leans forward and I meet him in the middle and we kiss.
Narrator's P.O.V.
They kissed and around them their magics collided, Winter and Summer swirling around each other and changing the lands over which they floated, guided by the moon. On their island the lands changed, the mountains growing higher and becoming snow covered, the lake freezing and the trees changing to snow covered evergreens while the animals grew winter coats. On another part the trees vanished leaving rolling hill after rolling hill of bare dirt with a small pond where a dormant weeping willow lay, waiting for something. The animals lay in their nests and burrows waiting for something as well. On Julianne's river something changed. The small hills it had run over previously changed and grew until it fell off a large cliff before landing in a small lake by a happy orchard and continuing on until it reached the sea. The plants changed, growing until their full summer glory while the fruit trees spread and grew until there was a forest and an orchard. The animals changed, becoming suited to their new environment and frolicked in the new grass and lack of worries. The final area changed as well, the trees changing and growing before falling as dormant as the field and the animals that inhabited them. A usually babbling creek flowed silently by, sleeping and waiting until such time as its master arrived.
The largest change was the tree, the tree in the center of the forest, the largest tree which sat on the four corners of the different areas of the island. Its branches grew and stretched until there was a wide platform in the center surrounded and covered by large branches. On the platform grew five thrones and five tables next to them, four of them facing inward from their places towards the fifth throne which rested in the exact middle, facing towards the throne in the east and towards the empty fields. Meanwhile its roots became larger and more gnarled and its trunk hollowed out forming different levels and rooms on the inside with a staircase connecting them. Overhead and oblivious and two seasonal spirits broke apart as the last change occurred and the Moon pulsed happily, glad that his lonely spirits had found each other.
Meanwhile, hidden on the topmost branch by its leaves and flowers, a pair of brown eyes flecked with gold and green sparkled as their owner smiled at the spirits the moon had gifted her, her children, as they floated above their island.
"Only two more to go, I wonder who they'll be," she whispered to herself as her winter and summer spirits examined their island from above, shocked at the changes she had made while they kissed, "be happy my children, you deserve it."
Jack's P.O.V.
We slowly broke apart and stared at each other for a moment before she smiled and said, "well, I guess we're a bit more than friends now huh?"
"I guess so," was my intelligent response and she blushed red before looking down to examine our island.
Her eyes widened and she grabbed my sleeve, "Jack, look!"
I look down and see our island looking very, incredibly different. My mountains had grown and were covered in snow and winter foliage while the lake was frozen over. A small pond we had never noticed before sat alone in a field with what looked like a dead weeping willow on its banks. There was a small group of dead looking plants scattered occasionally but otherwise it was just a field of empty dirt quite contrary to the next part of the island. I saw Julianne's river but the small hills it cut through had vanished, instead the river fell over a ten foot drop before falling into a deep pool while the surrounding cliff except for five feet on either side gently sloped downward. At the top and on the downward slope there was a forest, full of life and in all of its summer glory with an occasional glade breaking the monotony. In one of them I could see a resting herd of deer which was odd as there hadn't been any deer on the island before, it was rather tropical. At the end of the forest it looked like an orchard had grown there from Julianne's few trees before returning to a tropical paradise about ten feet from the beach which I could see were surrounded by beautiful coral reefs. The last part of the island looked to be as dead as the field with dead trees over the entire land, glades breaking it up occasionally and a silently flowing brook cutting through the land.
Wind carried us down to the largest tree and even it had changed. As we flew through the branches we caught glimpses of some sort of room but it wasn't until we had been placed on the platform that we saw how drastic the changes were. The center had smoothed out until it resembled a floor with five thrones, one towards the north and my snow covered mountains, one towards the east and the empty field, one towards the south and Julianne's orchard and waterfall, one towards the west and the dead forest and all facing inwards to the final throne. The fifth throne sat in the center on a raised circle of wood and faced towards the east, as if whoever would sit there was speaking towards the eastern-most throne. Each of the thrones had a table directly to their right with something on them but I couldn't tell what. I made my way towards the northern-most throne and was vaguely aware of Julianne heading in the opposite direction but I didn't pay her any attention as it felt like I needed to go there, I needed to see what was on the table for it was incredibly important. When I arrived in front of the throne I noticed a notch in the ground in front of the left arm and placed my staff there before turning my attention to the table. Resting on top were two things a book, and a circlet made of wood. I gently brush my fingers over the blue leather, noting the snowflake burned into it before picking up the circlet and watching in shock as the wood slowly turns to ice and forms a band about an inch thick with frost patterns covering it.
"Jack," Julianne says from behind me and I spin to see her holding a book of her own, "touch the arm of the throne."
"Why?"
"You'll see, trust me."
I shrug and do as she says and brush my fingers over the left arm of the throne and watch as it freezes over before it spreads, stopping at some invisible barrier, before climbing the branches that form the wall of the hall and freezing the ceiling. I look around in wonder noting what had happened from the icicles hanging from the ceiling, to the ice covered floor, and light snowfall which didn't seem to be making the snowbanks any bigger.
"Whoa."
"That's what I said too," she says also examining the changes before grabbing my hand and dragging me to see what had happened to her quarter of the room.
Julianne's P.O.V.
Wind placed us on the tree branch and I looked around the room, it was beautiful with the tree branches arching high above the thrones giving it a beautiful ceiling of branches and leaves. I examined the center throne's raised platform while Jack looked around and realized that it looked like it could spin to face each throne.
'I wonder why it's facing east,' I thought as I turned and saw the southern-most throne. The branches behind it had openings between them through which the night sky could just be seen and I made my way over to it, following the draw while Jack walked towards the northern-most throne.
When I stood in front of it I saw a notch in front of the left arm and stood my staff in it while I turned to examine the objects on the table. Absentmindedly running my fingers over the arm of the throne as I passed I froze as the wood changed and became warm, intricate carvings curling over its surface while lush green summer grass grew on the ground. The gaps in the branches widened giving the observer an uninterrupted view of the night sky and the forest while overhead flowers bloomed before shedding their petals and swelling, turning into the unripe fruit that I plucked so frequently to ripen with my painted sunshine.
"Whoa," I breathed as I dug my toes into the warm grass for a moment before turning my attention to the table. On it sat a book and a circlet made of plain wood which I ignored for a moment to flip through the book. The first pages were blank but once I got to the back the pages were filled with beautifully illustrated pictures and words written in almost calligraphy. I read through the first few pages before nearly dropping the book in shock.
'This is what happened when I woke up!' I think in my head before flipping through and skimming the rest of them. They are indeed the stories of what I've done from the twenty years of solitude to the meeting with Jack and all of our adventures over the past thirty years to the events of tonight. I run my fingers over the image of our kiss as winds swirl around us and watch in shock when the picture floats off the pages to show us slowly spinning in the air over the island as a sort of magic overtakes the island changing it in the few seconds we kissed. When the scene finishes the images float back onto the page and I close the book before making my way to Jack.
When I get there I find him examining a circlet of ice in his hands, his staff standing in a notch similar to the one my own staff occupies in front of the throne.
"Jack," I call out and he spins to look at me before I continue, "touch the arm of the throne."
"Why?" he asks, laying the circlet of ice back on the table.
"You'll see, trust me."
He shrugs before following my instructions and we watch in amazement as the throne freezes over in the intricate frost pattern I've begun to associate with him while the floor freezes over and icicles grow on the ceiling while a soft snow builds snowbanks on the ground. The wall of branches thins as well, the leaves becoming covered in frost as they retreat to form pillars between which you can see the mountains and lake.
"Whoa," he whispers looking at it and I smile.
"That's what I said too," I tell him before grabbing him and dragging him over to the other throne.
As we walk I notice that the foliage hiding the view of the dead fields and dead forest are thicker than the leaves hiding the view of the other lands were before they vanished, almost as if they're ashamed of what hides behind them. I shrug it off as we walk into the warm calf high grass before making our way to the table.
"You didn't touch the circlet," Jack says, gesturing to the small unassuming circle of wood on the table.
"Yeah, I opened the book first after I figured out the throne," I tell him absentmindedly as I flip to the page I'm looking for.
"Pick it up," I glance up to find him gesturing to it, "Pick it up."
I do as he says and pick up the circle of wood, finger holding my place in the empty pages of the book, I had a feeling you couldn't just start at the back. I watch as the wood grows and changes, becoming an intricately woven circle of wood before sprouting leaves and gaining an ethereal glow, almost like sunlight on a summer day.
"Cool," I say before returning it to the table and resuming my flipping through the pages of the book, "look at this."
I stop on a random page, smiling at the memory before brushing my fingers over it and watching as the images come to life and fly off the page.
I'm walking through a forest, the grass growing and air warming as I pass by.
"Hey Julianne," a voice yells out and I turn to see Jack.
"Hey Jack, long time no see, how goes Winter?"
"Cold, fun, and lonely, how goes Summer?"
"Warm, relaxing, and lonely," I reply and we smile sadly before I grab his arm and tug him back the way I came.
"Where are we going?"
I don't answer him, preferring to keep going until we reach a clearing in which rest a herd of deer I had seen earlier. Animals could see us, as shown by the glances sent in our direction, but we looked and smelled so much like nature that they trusted us not to run.
"Isn't it cool?" I ask as I make my way towards some of the younger of the herd, the ones born that spring, and run my fingers over their soft fur.
"Yeah," he says following me and he gently pets the same fawn which shies away from his cold touch.
"Hey now little one," I whisper in a calming tone, "it's alright, he won't hurt you."
I've never known whether animals can understand us or if they just get the general gist of what we say but whatever it is the deer listens and no longer shies away from Jack's cool fingers, causing him to smile a gentle happy smile so unlike the playful smirk that so often occupies his face, a smile that shows just how lonely he really is, we really are.
The pictures stop moving and float down to return to the pages of the book and we sit in silence for a moment before Jack speaks.
"I remember that, it was the first time I went to see you during Winter."
"I prefer to remember it being the first time you came to see me during Summer," I say smirking a little and he laughs, "anyways, it's got everything in here, all fifty years of my life and there's a bunch of blank pages like there was something before this life."
"Really?" he asks and I nod before holding out the book and he flips through, examining the pictures before flipping back to the blank pages, "Huh, maybe one day it'll fill in."
"Maybe, does your book look like this too?"
"… I don't know, I didn't get to look at it before you dragged me over here."
"Oh, well you should," I tell him and as we make our way over there again after I replace my book on the tabletop I find myself averting my gaze from the empty thrones and the glances of the dead land beyond it, I don't know why.
When we arrive he picks up his book, ice blue leather with a white snowflake burned into it in contrast with my forest green leather bound book with a yellow sun burned into the cover, and he flips through blank pages before arriving at a scene similar to my own of him waking up beneath the light of the full moon.
"I guess this means there was something before this life," he whispers half to himself and half to me.
"Yeah, I guess," I reply anyways, wrapping my arms around his waist and resting my head on his shoulder.
And there we stand watching as the moon sets and the sunlight bounces off the mountains from the east turning them a pale pink.
A/N: Thanks for reading review and tell me whatcha think about it luvs ya and I'll try to get the next chapter to ya quicker, it'll probably just be more explorations of the island and the tree that I was going to put in here but it got really long so next chappy yay :)
