Just like I promised here's a whole new adventure! Oh and I just have to say a quick shout out to a few people who reviewed on the last chapter, you guys were so close! Your ideas were very close to what I already had planned for this segment. Congrats to you! So as a reward I give you this… An adventure! It'll take a little while to get set up but it will get there very soon! Enjoy!
Jack and the spirit of summer never ever got along. To Jack, it seemed as if Summer Breeze had made it her absolute life goal to make Jack's life a living hell when it came to the transition from winter to spring. That was also another problem; Summer Breeze is NOT the spirit of spring. So what was she doing there all the time?
That was the question that racked Jack's brain every time she chased him out of whatever city or town he happened to be spreading the last snowfall to. Jack found the answer to that question approximately one-hundred-and-fifty-eight years ago in a mountain range forest somewhere in North America.
Jack had been spreading winter as per usual as he twirled through the air, his brown cloak flowing in the wind behind him as he went. He was pretty sure he had at least another day or two before Summer was going to hunt him down again so he figured he might as well make the best of it. He landed in a mountain range forest as the snow fell lightly all around him and he wandered around covering trees with frost as he went. He had walked for quite some time with his staff resting against one shoulder while his opposite hand brushed against low hanging branches, spreading frost at his touch. It was at one of these moments when Jack heard a faint sound, he shrugged it off at first thinking it was probably just a forest animal. He was mistaken when he heard another sound except this one slightly louder than the last as Jack began wandering closer to where he thought he heard it.
It sounded like someone was sniffling, understandable for a human in cold winter weather such as this but then again what would a human be doing this far up in the mountains on their own? His curiosity piqued, Jack listened closely for the sound again and sure enough a few moments later he heard the sniffling again followed by a stuttering intake of breath and quiet sobbing. Jack was now very close to the source of the sound as he came to a cluster of shrubs and the sound seemed to be coming from just beyond it. Jack reached out his free hand and as quietly as possible pushed aside the shrubs and his breath was caught at the sight.
A young girl sat curled on the ground against a tree trunk and she was crying into her hands. The girl looked to be in her teens, maybe even physically the same or close to Jack's age. The girl had long brown hair and was done up in a single braid that now hung over her shoulder, her pale fair skin suggested that she had not been out in the sun very much in her life. She wore a luscious green dress that on the ground covered her legs but her open toed brown sandals could be seen and the sleeves of the dress reached just before her elbows. Wrapped loosely around her shoulders was a florally designed shawl with various flowers and vines decorating it and Jack automatically assumed that it would not work well to keep her warm in this weather.
Jack was utterly baffled, what would a girl like her be doing out here? He studied the girl for a moment longer before suddenly realizing something strange. All of the snow around the girl was gone within a two feet distance of her and instead of snow, there was growing green grass and maybe even a few small budding forest flowers if one were to look really close. Jack was then surprised as the girl wiped her eyes with her hands briefly before reaching out with one hand to the ground, gently cupping one of the tiny flower buds against her palm. The flower twitched and then attempted to bloom but it seemed to be struggling and it was very close to blooming but then it stopped. The flower suddenly twitched again and then shriveled as it sank back into the ground. The girl retracted her hand and tears welled up in her eyes once more as she covered her face with her hands and cried.
Now it all made sense! This girl was a spirit of some sort. Jack debated on whether to let the girl be or reveal himself but what would he do if he did? Should he console her? What would he say? He considered the thoughts back and forth in his mind, his feet fidgeting in attempt to come to a solution. He did not notice that as he fidgeted, his foot brushed against a loose twig and it ruffled a corner of the shrub catching the girl's attention as her head snapped up. Jack had just enough time to take a step back from the shrub concealing him from view but unfortunately the girl had already suspected she was being watched.
"W-whose there?" the girl called out in a shaky voice, "Anybody?"
Jack took a quiet deep breath, it was now or never. He moved to step around the shrub but his foot caught on a root causing him to at first stumble forward and then completely tumble to the ground as he attempted and failed to catch himself. The girl shrieked and jumped to her feet as Jack crashed to the ground with a yelp, flat on his face. Real smooth, Jack, really smooth!
"Ow…" Jack muttered as he pushed himself up and staggered back onto his feet, rubbing his head with his hand for a moment. He looked up and spotted the girl also on her feet and her back pressed against the trunk of the tree, her eyes wide as she stared slightly fearfully at Jack. Now was probably a good time to say something.
"Um… Hi?" Jack said yet the girl still stared at him.
"W-who are you?" The girl asked, "What do you want?"
"Nothing! I really didn't mean to spy on you, I heard crying is all. Are you alright?"
"I-I'm fine… In fact it's none of your business. I ask again, who are you?"
"Oh, sorry… I'm Jack Frost. What's your name?"
"Y-you're..." The girl dashed behind the tree, her voice filled with fear as she grabbed a nearby tree branch and held it flimsily in her hands. "S-stay back! Don't… don't come any closer!"
Jack raised his hands up in a form of surrender, "Whoa okay, okay! Calm down, I'm not going to hurt you."
"My sister warned me about you! She says you destroy spring and you'll chase me out of my own territory… Is that what you're going to do to me?"
"What? No! Why would I do that? I would never hurt anybody."
"I-I'm not afraid of y-you!" The girl was unmistakeably terrified yet she tried to put on a fearful approach yet it wasn't working in her favor. "So… so y-you'd better go away… r-right now!"
"Alright, just calm down," Jack made sure to keep his voice steady and calm as he slowly crouched down and placed his staff on the ground. He kept his hands raised as he straightened back up and kept his gaze focused on the frightened girl before him. "Look, my hands are empty. I'm not going to hurt you." The girl hesitated as she kept the branch in her hands raised and stared at Jack for a few moments before taking a deep breath and lowering the branch by a little bit. To Jack, that was progress. Jack himself took a deep breath before trying to speak to the girl again. "Okay, let's just get one thing clear; I have never chased anyone out of anywhere and I would never do that in the first place. You said your sister told you about me?"
"Y-yes." The girl replied, "S-she said you're dangerous and you'll kill the flowers."
"Your sister is wrong, I wouldn't do that. Maybe if you lower the branch we could sort this out a little?"
The girl paused as she considered the thought, "You promise you won't chase me out or anything?"
"I promise."
"… Okay."
The girl lowered the branch but still kept hold of it as Jack let out a quiet breath and lowered his arms back down which had begun to get sore from holding them up for that long. The girl took a few cautious steps forward yet she still kept her distance, unsure of the situation.
Jack bent to pick up his staff and he began to speak as he straightened, "Look, I really am sorry if I scared you before. I heard crying a little ways back and was worried someone might've wandered through here lost or something."
"I'm not lost if that's what you were wondering, I just wanted to get away for a while. My powers are not that great so I thought if I snuck away for a while to practice, maybe I would do better," The girl sighed as she hung her head slightly, "Except all I can do is make the plants shrivel, I'm not very good at all. I don't get out much; my sister doesn't like me being on my own sometimes. It worries her."
"Seems to me you can take care of yourself just fine, you were pretty dead set on beating me with that branch of yours. If anything, I'm the one who should be scared."
That earned a small laugh out of the girl and Jack laughed with her as well, glad that they seemed to be getting along. "I, um…" the girl began as she fiddled with the branch, "I'm sorry about all of that, I panicked."
"It's okay, I'm glad we settled everything."
The girl was quiet for a short moment before glancing back up at Jack and taking the few steps forward to close the gaping distance between them, holding out her hand, "Why don't we start over? I'm April Showers."
Jack smiled as he took her hand in a gentle hand shake, "Jack Frost, pleased to meet you."
From then on, Jack Frost and April Showers were and still are the best of friends. Jack learned that it was always April's sister, Summer Breeze, which took over the season of spring due to her being overprotective of April. Summer always returned with stories of how horrible the transition from winter to spring was because of a so called evil winter spirit. April told Jack all about her difficulties at home with her sister, how she was forced to stay home during the first appearances and preparations of spring because Summer believed that April's weak powers could not handle the transition of the seasons. At least that's what Summer claimed to be the fault of. Thus April never had much of a chance to practice her powers except for the very few times she was allowed out when Summer gave her the clear or April managed to sneak off for a day or two. But it was never for very long since Summer would come looking for her if she thought April was gone for far too long, dragging the spring spirit back home where it was deemed safe.
April was shocked to discover that it was Summer who had chased Jack every year and not the other way around. Jack explained that sometimes he would already be on his way yet Summer would chase him further out anyways as if for entertainment purposes. At least now it was understandable why the spring season was becoming warmer each year hence the global warming phenomenon.
The two decided that despite their differences and Summer's hatred for Jack, they remained friends and got together in secret whenever they could every couple of years or so. In those meetings, April practiced her powers, surprisingly with Jack's help and the spring spirit improved greatly each time. They didn't just practice powers either, the two spent their time exploring their surroundings, playing games, and creating all sorts of fun. For the first time in a very, very long time, both Jack and April had someone to talk to and confide in. Summer did not count in April's opinion. Nevertheless, they were both there for each other.
Now many years later, Jack was now a Guardian and living at the North Pole. Jack had gotten out of bed that morning, quickly getting dressed and rushing out of his room to the kitchen with Pippa following behind him. In the kitchen, North sat at the table along with all the other Guardians drinking hot chocolate and having a quiet morning of visiting with each other as Jack came in. "Morning everyone." Jack said as he began to prepare himself a bowl of cereal.
"Good morning, Jack." Everyone said and Sandy formed a rising sun above his head as Jack sat down at the table with his cereal.
Tooth glanced at Jack, "Oh sweet tooth, that cereal is full of sugar. It'll rot those shiny teeth of yours."
"I'll brush after I'm done," Jack said, he then spotted a plate of muffins in the middle of the table, "Carrot muffins I'm guessing. Right, Bunny?"
"I'm pretty good at baking if I do say so myself," Bunny said as he himself was munching on a carrot muffin, "Try one, mate."
Jack took a muffin and broke a piece off, sneaking it to Pippa who took it happily.
"Don't feed her too much from the table," North said, catching Jack in the act, "She has her own food in her dish."
Jack snickered as Sandy then snuck a piece of a muffin under the table for Pippa, putting a finger to his lips signaling Jack to keep quiet about it. "Hey North," Jack began, "Can I borrow a snow globe today?"
North looked at Jack with a questioning look, "Now why would you need a snow globe?"
"I'm meeting a friend today and Pippa's getting too big to carry. So can I?"
North pulled a snow globe out of his pocket but didn't hand it over to Jack just yet, "Who exactly are you meeting?"
"Just a friend."
Bunny's ears perked up, "A friend you say. Is it a girl?"
Tooth's wings fluttered, "Oh are her teeth well taken care of?"
Sandy clapped his hands as he formed a heart with an arrow shooting through it.
Jack groaned, "We're just friends!"
"Ah so it is a girl!" Bunny teased.
North chuckled, "Alright now, that's enough," North lightly tossed the snow globe to Jack who thankfully caught it in both hands, "Just be back in time for dinner, yes?"
"No problem," Jack pocketed the snow globe as he stood and put his dirty dishes in the sink, "Thanks North!"
Jack was about to take off for the door when Bunny stopped him, "Oy, Frostbite!"
"Yeah?"
Bunny handed Jack a bundled green kerchief, "Take a few muffins for you and your girlfriend."
"She's not my girlfriend!" Jack said but he reached out and took the bundled up muffins from the smirking Bunny and pocketed them, "Thanks though."
"Don't mention it; now get going before you're late for your date."
"Bunny!"
Bunny laughed as the others waved goodbye and Jack and Pippa were out the door. Jack pulled the snow globe out of his pocket as he spoke his destination and threw the snow globe, opening the portal and stepping through with Pippa following close behind.
Almost immediately Jack and Pippa landed in a small clearing in a forest. The forest was in its first stages of turning from winter to spring with patches of grass poking out of the remaining snow. The very first buds of spring were pushing their way out from the ground, small critters explored nearby trees and few robins and other small birds were arriving back home to their nests. Somewhere in the not too far distance, the sound of running water could be heard from a creek.
Pippa pranced around Jack as if begging to go explore making Jack chuckle as he scooped up a handful of snow from the ground, forming a snowball and icing it over making a perfect ball for Pippa to chase. Pippa yipped happily, crouching down in a playful stance as Jack pulled back his arm and tossed the ball, Pippa immediately chasing after it. Jack placed his staff against his shoulder as he began idly walking in the direction Pippa had gone. It wasn't long before Pippa raced back with the iced snowball in her jaws and dropped it at Jack's feet. Jack picked up the ball and tossed it again and Pippa raced after it, bringing it back once it was caught.
As Pippa made her way back to her master, Jack did not consider the slight breeze that drifted near him until it was too late. A snowball smacked the back of Jack's head earning a startled yelp from the winter spirit as he stumble forward slightly. His hand went to the back of his head as he whipped around for the source of the snowball. Jack's questions were answered as a girl's laughter was heard and Jack looked up at a nearby tree where standing on a tree branch bracing her hand against the tree trunk and her other hand holding her stomach, April Showers was laughing.
"I actually got you!" April said in between laughs, "I can't believe I actually got you this time!"
Jack laughed, "I taught you well since last time."
Over the years just as Jack had changed from his old brown cloak to his blue hoodie, April had changed as well. These days she now wore a long green short sleeved blouse and black leggings but still the same sandals. Her hair was still done up in a long braid and on one side of her head an orchid barrette was tucked into her hair. Around her waist was a brown belt with a knife and sheath on her hip, the knife's handle was wooden with light carvings of vines and leaves.
April laughed as she leaped down from the branch she was standing on, using her hands to grab onto the branches as she flung herself down and landed on her feet on the ground. Jack stepped forward pulling April into a hug and the spring spirit happily returned it for a few long moments before the two released each other with a smile. Pippa dashed up to April, wagging her tail as she dropped the iced snowball at her feet.
"Who is this sweet thing?" April asked as she scratched Pippa's head, "I didn't know you had a wolf."
"This is Pippa," Jack answered, "I found her about 6 months ago. She's gotten big since then."
"I can see that… So," April straightened as she placed her hands on her hips and smiled, "What are we going to do today?"
Wahoo! That was fun! Hope you guys had fun too! Keep your eyes out for the next chapter! Things will happen I promise!