Hey guys! I thought I might as well post another chapter, seeing as Easter was... (Wait. YESTERDAY!? Oops...) XD I would have posted yesterday, but not only was I busy with church, family and egg hunting with my little sister, but I was also getting over being HORRIBLY sick. Seriously, I was throwing up three times every hour, ON THE HOUR. =_= I didn't really have a good weekend... Anyway, ignore me and enjoy the last part of North Wind's introduction!


Part 2: Alone Together

I'm going to spare you the embarrassing details (for both me and Jack) of the ride to Burgess, simply because you don't need to know. Let's just say it took about an hour, and there were many accidental drops, unwanted spins, and plenty of adrenaline filled laughter. One of us even threw up, though I'm not at liberty to say who...

However, we did in fact make it. Sure, it was a rough landing, but it was better than the previous few... Jack, for one, didn't seem disoriented in the slightest. Me, however... well, let's just say I had to lie down. That was the hardest thing I'd done in a millennium.

As I laid there, sprawled out in the snow, I watched Jack walk into the village. He was hyped up, and had enthusiasm written all over his face. He reminded me of a child that wanted to show it's parent something "really, really cool" that they had found. That's when it struck me. 'He doesn't know...'

I watched silently as Jack attempted to get a woman's attention. Had I had a physical form, I would have stopped him. Told him why it wouldn't work. Alas, I was just wind, and was destined to watch as he continued to call out. I saw a young boy chasing a dog the same moment Jack did. He bent down to get the boy's attention, only for the boy to pass through him like a ghost.

It's the worst feeling ever. I know that better than most. It's not so much the physical part that hurts the most, but the mental pain you're suddenly put through. Physically, it's like both a cold and hot breeze suddenly passed through your very core. It makes you feel tingly in your stomach, and for a quick second, your mind goes numb.

The mental pain is the worst part of the ordeal. However, it's different for everyone. Personally, it makes me think about a past I barely remember. It reminds me that no one can see me. It gives me a headache, because I'm reminded of just how alone I am. I've lost everything most important to me, and there's no shoulders for me to cry on at the end of the day.

As I watch Jack, as he goes through this horrible pain, I see something familiar in his eyes. I can't help thinking that he sort of reminds me, of me. It's as if he's suffering the same pain that I suffer when someone walks through me. But that can't be true. At least, not for long. At least he still has all the other spirits he's yet to meet. Sure, I have the other three winds, but we rarely talk and prefer to stay away from one another. Especially South; she hates me. I'll be alone forever, while Jack will gain friends. Probably within the next year or two.

I stand up when I see Jack is walking away, back into the woods. It perturbs me that he didn't know that he'd be invisible to humans. Manny normally tells spirits that, before making them spirits. Then again, I didn't know either, so I guess there are special cases...

I follow Jack into the woods. He's upset and confused and no longer has that glint of happiness in his eyes. I've only known him for an hour, but it doesn't look right. I feel like he should always be happy. I understand that what just happened is painful, but that doesn't mean he should be sad about it. Live and learn. He'll meet other spirits, and he'll forget all about this.

I decide that he needs some cheering up, so I call some of my wind currents to me. They fly through his hair, making it messier than it already was, and play with his clothes. Knowing that I can actually move him around, I also join in. I push and prod, and I even lift him up an inch or two before setting him back down so he can continue walking.

I hear a small chuckle hidden behind a sigh, and smile to myself. I lift him a few more inches than before, then place him back down. He moves his arms as if he's trying to push me away, but I see the smile. My antics are getting to him, and he's starting to have fun again. I swirl around him quickly ruffling his hair and clothes, and he starts to float up. Within seconds he starts to spin around too, and then he's laughing.

"W-Wind, Wind! Put me down!" he says in a not very convincing tone. In fact, it sounds more like he wants me to go faster. Which I do. As I spin faster, so does he, but I must have done something wrong, because he's upside down again... Though he doesn't seem to notice or he just doesn't care, because he's still laughing.

"Wind, I'm getting dizzy!" he says through hysterical laughter. I finally decide to comply, seeing as I don't want to make him sick. I plop him down on his back, and he's too busy trying to catch his breathe to stand back up. I sit next to him, and I realize that I was laughing too. It was a childish game, but it was fun nonetheless. I think I could learn to like this kid. He reminds me of my cousin, in a way.

With that thought, and with Jack still trying to get air into his lungs, I come to a decision. Jack was obviously oblivious to this new world, much like I was. But where I had no one to help me, I've decided to help Jack as best I can. I'll watch his back, and keep him safe. I'll be the friend that cheers him up when he needs me, even if he can't see or touch me. I won't leave his side, no matter what.

I'll even be his family, if he'll let me.

From that night on, I did exactly that. I cared for Jack, and we worked together to bring the world a fun filled winter. With each passing day, I realized just how alike the two of us were. We were invisible to pretty much everyone, and for some reason, the other spirits barely gave him the time of day.

No one seemed to care for him, and no one seemed to understand that he was alone. I would have taken him to Ather, but Old Man Winter was keeping me out and keeping Ather in, with his wards. Even if I took Jack within three feet of the palace, he wouldn't have seen it, because of the cloaking spell. Jack would see nothing but Antarctica in all of its frozen glory, and he'd wonder why I brought him when there was nothing there. I can't speak to Jack like the other Winds can. I can't tell him that the two spirits he'd get along best with, were just a quick flight away.

I figured out what his center was within the first few hours of the second day. It was simple really, especially when you're one of the first spirits ever created, figuring out centers was easy. He was childish right off the bat, and everywhere he went other kids seemed to light up. It made sense. He must have lived in Burgess before becoming a winter spirit, and like I've already said: Burgess loves the winter. The happiness that I get when looking at one of the villagers is the same as the pure glee the children get when Jack gives them a snow day. It's as if he's spreading the happiness of Burgess to the rest of the world. It actually makes me proud to foretell the signs of winter with my cold winds.

There were days, however, when I couldn't cheer him up. Days when a spirit or ghoul did or said something particularly cruel. There were other times when all it took was for a spirit to completely ignore him. For example: Blaze, the Autumn Spirit, wasn't a mean girl, but she often had her hands busy. She never had time to spare Jack a glance. Jack was understanding, and often would simply watch from a distance. They never spoke to one another, and Blaze rarely ever noticed he was even there. It was times like these that left Jack near tears, though the tears never fell.

I understand how he feels. Being alone and ignored, even hated is a horrible life. If it weren't for me, and the fact that he was immortal, I'm sure he would have ended it within a hundred years. Hell, who am I kidding? I would have too, if I had the chance. In fact, I still would if it weren't for immortality and Jack.

I like to think that we help keep each other sane. We're not as lonely as we could be, even though we can't really interact normally. We're friends, but if he saw me, he'd think I was a stranger. In the end, we're both still alone. But that's okay. We can be alone together.

Life was relatively simple for us. My currents flew ahead of us, telling the rest of the world that we were coming. I never left his side, afraid of losing the one thing that had made me truly happy again. We flew, we laughed, and we played. Some think being a spirit is nothing but work, work, work. But honestly, me and Jack never worked a day in our lives, because we were too busy having fun.


As you can see, North Wind's kind of lonely... Next chapter Jack FINALLY meets Bunny. He also meets a villainous character, who will haunt him and everyone else throughout the story. See you later! :D