Author's Note: Hello everyone! =D Welcome to an extra special story written by yours truly. ^u^ I decided to post the start of this new story since I missed an update on Sunday. I've been looking forward to this one-shot collection for quite some time now. X) I came up with this idea sometime in 2021, but I had to wait till I was feeling confident enough to write it since I knew that wouldn't be able to write this story out at the level of writing I was at earlier. XD A cover is in the works (I'm still trying to figure out my digital art software, Krita. X) I'm hoping to get a cover out in about a month or two! =)).

And why is this story so special you may ask? =D Well for one...IT'S MAH FIRST EVER AUUUU (AU stands for the alternate universe by the way ^u^)! *Cheers* I absolutely love AU fanfics because it allows you to see how your characters will behave in a different setting or time. =D I actually used to not like AUs very much, but after giving them a read, I'm an AU addict. So, I'm super glad that I finally get to make one of my own. =3

This ROTG fanfiction is a fantasy AU (since I'm a super, duper, whooper big fantasy fan XD), so a lot of things are going to be different from the movie. Heck, this doesn't even follow the movie plot line at all. XD It's an entirely different universe that I came up with in my head and decided to lay it out in the form of a one-shot collection. =) I say one-shot collection since there isn't a set plotline, though there is a tad bit of a story that will be revealed in the future. =D

But to briefly sum it up: this fanfiction is just meant to be a fluffy, wholesome, sweet familial collection that just really brings out the familialness (not a word, but it should be XD) of the Guardians of Childhood. =) This one-shot collection mainly revolves around North and Jack's father/son relationship, but do not fret! The other Guardians will appear as well. =D

Now, I don't want to explain too much for fear of spoiling the story...So right down below is the first chapter (one-shot? Oh my gosh not this again- TwT). I hope you guys enjoy it! ^u^

~ I ~

The Winter Child

Where the wind is just a whisper

And the light of the moon pale

Tucked in the roots down below

There's a child in the snow

...

He rode through the snow on his bright red sleigh. The reindeer upfront galloped through the snow at a potent pace. The smooth runners slid through the snow, the satisfying shhhh as they skidded through, bringing an odd but reassuring comfort to North as he steered the imposing vehicle through the trees. A faded path lay before them; the moonlight was soft and dim. The night was quiet except for the low grunts of the reindeer and the singing of the owls; their melody eerie, but soft

Riding at night was something that North enjoyed very much. It was the only time of day when the world was still, and he could take a break from the constant hustle and bustle of the day. This was strange for North to ponder since he always looked forward to adventure. He loved the feeling of adrenaline pumping through his veins as a new journey or challenge unfolded before him. He had been a thief in his younger years. A wild, untamed soul who stole from many. Those days were behind North now. Ever since he stumbled upon the village of Santoff Claussen, his life changed forever. Now, he was an inventor and toymaker for those in the village and those outside the region of Norsurberian.

North was riding his way back from a village called Ardelean in the land of Olsolurstia, located northeast of Norsurberian. North didn't mind delivering his inventions outside his village. He took great pleasure in it, in fact. Riding outside Santoff Claussen's borders made him feel like he was off to another thrilling escapade in his youth.

North loved to invent, a passion that he didn't know he possessed until he entered Santoff Claussen. He didn't only make tools that could help with everyday tasks, but he also created toys for the children, who were always looking forward to seeing what he created that day. Often they would stop by North's Workshop; his many creations and models were on display for all to see. North allowed the children to test out his inventions; they were so bright and pure. Smart and full of light. They spent their days studying and creating. Exploring and imagining. Santoff Claussen was a wonderful place where the most brilliant-minded people lived, and it's been North's home ever since he came across it. North always put a unique touch on everything he created. Something that the villagers, children, and his friends all admired about him.

Toothiana, Aster, and Sanderson were North's closest friends. They all shared a love for children, and they tried to make life as happy for them as possible. They had interesting backgrounds, another similarity they shared. North cared deeply about his friends, and he frequently invited them to his place to spend time together when they could.

E. Aster Bunnymund was born and raised in Monrilethel, a lush land known to be full of warmth and greenery year-round. The coldest it got was the same temperature one would experience on a regular autumn's day. Monrilethians didn't experience winter, which explained why Aster wasn't fond of the frigid temperatures its season brought.

All sorts of people and creatures lived in the land of Monrilethel. But there was one race that was well-known above the rest. And it just so happened that Aster was one of them. Pookas were beings who were skilled in botany and health. They possed a deep connection to the Earth and its elements. They had come from a time called the Golden Age, and when the glorious age collapsed, they had escaped to the beginnings of what was now known as Lunslruna, where magic and mystery were prominent.

Aster had lived in a small village called Gladsteryern, where he lived with his family and the rest of the Pookan clan. They kept to themselves and didn't venture far. But Aster was forced to flee his home when a sudden attack destroyed his village, leaving him the only survivor of his home and tribe.

North was the one who helped Aster get to Santoff Claussen without drawing any attention. Aster preferred to keep to himself, especially when it came to people. No one except those he trusted knew his true identity. He'd spend long, unhealthy hours inside his home painting without stepping outside. Aster had been heartbroken when the destruction of his family and home occurred, so he turned his back on the world and locked himself up in grief. It had taken some coaxing, but North and his friends managed to help him open up a little. Though he never said so out loud, North knew that deep down, Aster was grateful for their company.

Toothiana was from the region of Kalithrai. It was a jungle environment, but civilization still flourished there. Toothiana (or just Tooth), was half human and half Sister of Flight. They were immortal sisterhood of bird women who defended the jungles of Punjam Hy Loo. Tooth's father, Haroom, was human. Her mother, Rashmi, was a Sister of Flight

Due to her magical heritage, the people of Tooth's village didn't view her normally. They thought that she was an anomaly. An outsider who didn't belong amongst them. They wanted to capture the young fairy and force her to work for them. With the help of her parents, Tooth was able to escape. But her beloved mother and father died in the effort. She left her home in Punjam Hy Loo, stricken with grief until she began to collect teeth from the children she encountered.

Peculiar indeed, but children's teeth hold a most remarkable secret—every childhood memory is stored every tooth they lose. In Tooth's culture, teeth were saved so children could access these memories when they were older and needed to recall the joys of childhood. Tooth did this for many years until she stumbled upon the village of Santoff Claussen, where she found her first friends and permanent home. She worked as a dentist and even had her own postal service. Tooth could make miniature copies of herself, and these mini fairies would help her deliver mail across the region or collect teeth across Lunslruna. The mini fairies were also excellent company. And just like Tooth, they adored perfectly white teeth.

Tooth had suffered through a lot during her younger years, but she was the happiest, most cheerful person North had ever known. But he made sure not to take her kindness for granted—Tooth had the heart of a warrior, just like her ancestors. She could wield two swords expertly, and she was fierce when she needed to be. North sometimes viewed her as a better sword person than him.

Out of everyone in this odd circle of friends, Sanderson Mansnoozie was the one who had the most interesting background of them all. He wasn't from Earth; he had been around long before Tooth, North, and Bunny had even been born. Sandy, as he was referred to by his friends, had crashed on a comet near the end of the Golden Age. He landed in the ocean, where an island of the most sumptuous sand blossomed. Sandy dwelled on this floating mass of sand for years until he washed up on a coast in Olsolurstia. He explored the lands until he decided to reside permanently in Santoff Claussen.

But there were pieces of the Sandman's story that were left unanswered. How had he found his way to shore? Some villagers believed that none other than Tsar Lunar, the ruler of this exceptional Tsardom, had brought him there. North had asked Sandy about this,

but the golden little man had only given him a mysterious grin as he sipped his cup of eggnog.

Sandy was associated with Tsar Lunar, but not closely. He had once been a Star Captain who sailed across the cosmos, eradicating Fearlings and Dream Pirates that had plundered and pillaged Constellations and planets. Though Dream Pirates were long gone, Sandy still circled over the Tsardom on a blimp crafted from golden dreamsand, sending his good dreams to children across the land. He kept a golden eye out for any curling shadow or twisted figures of Fearlings. Ancient, harmful beings who couldn't be destroyed. Fearlings fed off of fear, especially the fear from children. They were driven by this lust to attack and terrorize the children across the land. They sucked them dry of their pleasant dreams and left terrible nightmares in their place. Their commander and leader, however, coveted these dreams more than them, and he was the threat that Sandy, Tsar Lunar, and everyone in the land of Lunslruna looked out for.

Pitch Black, the Nightmare King, had been a threat to the quaint little village of Santoff Claussen for years. The children there had never known fear or terror, so Pitch sought them out. How he took pleasure in the screams and wails that came from the children suffering from his nightmares. He watched them from the shadows—either under the bed or in their closets—taking diabolical glee in their suffering. Their fear was what fueled him and his Fearling army. Pitch gained more power the more children feared him. He could even make adults quiver in his presence.

Some dismissed him as just a bad dream. The children called him the "Boogeyman," a name he despised. North and his friends, however, knew that Pitch was indeed a dangerous threat, and he hoped that the Man of Darkness wouldn't attack the village—or anywhere for that matter—ever again. It was poignant, watching the children cry about endless nightmares when Pitch had last attacked. North, Bunny, Tooth, and Sandy had done their best to keep the children in high spirits as everyone recovered.

North thought that he and his friends had done a good job at this. There hadn't been any sign of Pitch for ten years, but North kept his guard up. Pitch resided in the farthest, darkest region of Lunslruna: Darksulath. It was where the Boogeyman concocted all of his evil plans and built his Nightmare army. But Tsar Lunar had his top soldiers positioned at its border, and not a shadow or fleck of darkness had fled from the foreboding place. Santoff Claussen hadn't feared another attack from Pitch in a long time, and North hoped that life would stay that way. As simple as it was, he enjoyed it. And he wouldn't change it for anything.

As North continued to ride through the snow, still lost in his thoughts, a cry suddenly reached his ears. Puzzled, North stopped the sleigh and quieted his reindeer, listening carefully when…there it was again! The sound of something crying.

At first, North thought that it was a wounded animal. He had encountered many during his time as a thief. A part of North felt like he had to investigate the noise, but it was getting colder by the moment, and the sky seemed to be on the brink of a snowstorm. North didn't want to ride blindly through the snow, but whatever was out there could be in trouble. Or in desperate need of help.

With his curiosity gaining the best of him, North leaped out of the sleigh, grabbing his twin blades before departing from the snow vehicle. Formerly a Cossack, North had learned never to trek into the unknown without being armed. The woods were a perfect place for an ambush, especially when one was left alone.

North trudged off the path, his leather boots crunching in the snow as he followed the direction of the soft cries. The atmosphere became still. The wind whispered softly. Moonlight poured through the gathering clouds above.

North stopped at a tree and looked around; the cries had suddenly stopped. He didn't see an injured animal in sight. Just more snow and trees. North sighed and was just about to head back to the sleigh when he heard the sound again. A pleading cry. This time, much closer than it had been before.

Looking down, North spotted something moving under the snow. Tucked between two tree roots, a white pile squirmed around. North bent down to get a closer look, and he soon discovered that this wasn't a mound of snow…but a tousle of white hair. And upon further inspection, North realized that it belonged to none other than an infant. A baby boy.

What he had heard wasn't an animal at all, but a boy! North's heart went out to the child as he continued to cry. North looked around, trying to locate his parents, but he didn't spot anyone. Not a single soul. No one would dare to strike out in the freezing cold. North guessed that the baby was abandoned.

The poor boy, North thought as he gazed upon the crying child. Forsaken by his parents. Left alone to die in the freezing winter. North felt disgruntled toward the parents, who had carelessly left a child so young in those harsh elements.

The baby soon stopped crying, realizing that he had company. The little one opened his big, round eyes, and North's eyes met the child's. The baby had the bluest of blue eyes that North had ever seen. They glimmered like freshly polished pearls. They were bluer than any sapphire or diamond. They were so deep and ever so expressive…North could see hundreds of emotions and thoughts peering into the baby's gaze.

It began to snow. Gentle snowflakes rained down from the sky, softly landing on both North and the white-haired child. The baby's eyes gleamed with burning hope, and North felt more than compelled to help him.

North reached out his large hand, rough and strong from the hours he spent in the Workshop. But his touch was gentle as he rubbed it against the winter child's cheek to warm him up. The baby seemed surprised by the touch, but then he did the strangest thing. Despite his situation, despite the fact he could die from the cold (but North profoundly hoped that he wouldn't), he laughed. The child's laughter brought a smile to North's face, and the winter child clutched the ex-Cossack's finger with his small, pale hand. It was cold. Colder than the darkest night in the deepest winter.

North looked around the woods one last time, only finding a barren snowy landscape and no sign of the child's parents. North turned back to the white-haired boy, who was still looking at him pleadingly. At that moment, North decided to take the baby home with him. He feared that any longer the boy spent in the cold, he'd surely freeze to death. Once he got home, North decided that he'd warm the baby up, nourish him back to good health, and then he'd figure out what to do with him.

North sheathed his swords and gently scooped the baby boy out of the snow. He was pleased to find that the parents had at least wrapped him in a blanket. But it was old and worn, so it didn't retain heat very well. North tucked the baby under his coat, and he felt the small child snuggle against his chest. Then, he began to make his way back to the sleigh.

Once he arrived, North stepped inside the red contraption. He was careful not to jostle or disturb the baby in his arm, as he looked as feeble as paper. With his free hand, North took the reins and snapped them gingerly so that he wouldn't frighten the baby in his arm. The reindeer took off through the snow, continuing onward toward Santoff Claussen.

The winter child cooed and further snuggled himself into North's arm. North hoped that he'd be able to help him once he reached the village.

…

Upon returning to Santoff Claussen, North quickly parked his sleigh and headed into his house. He had designed and constructed the building on his own, making sure to make it the most comfortable dwelling possible. North's home split into two parts: one building served as the Workshop, where people came to order or purchase his inventions. The other part of the buildings was the dwelling area, where he lived. A door led into the Workshop and back into the home area. North's house had all the necessities: a kitchen, a living room, an upstairs, and a study. North's study was where he spent time tinkering with his tools or designing new creations and models. He spent time in there quite often, and he sometimes had to be dragged out of it by his friends when he spent too long inside it.

North closed the door behind him, locking the cold out, and he relished in the feeling of warmth that wrapped around him. Under his coat, the winter child stirred. North pulled him out; the baby boy blinked his eyes at North and examined his new surroundings. The house was cozy and warm, a major contrast to the frigid snow he had lay in for so long.

The winter child smiled, and North smiled as well. He hung up his coat while balancing the foundling in his arm. Once he had put his things away, North felt the child again. He was still cold, and the worn blanket that hugged his small body was tearing at the seams.

"Hm…Why don't we find something suitable for you to wear, da?" said North. The white-haired boy blinked in response, and North carried him upstairs and into his bedroom. North set the baby on his bed and rummaged through his closet, finding an old, light tunic and brown, comfortable bottoms. They were too big for the little one, so North had to cut and sew them to size. This didn't take him very long. Since he had worked in the Workshop for so long, North had developed an eye for measurements. North seemed to know the perfect toy for every child, the correct size, what was needed for something, and why. It's an amazing gift that very few people hold.

North cut and sewed the clothes until he had a small pair of pants and a shirt for the baby. He removed the blanket bundle that the winter child was wrapped up in, feeling a twinge of irritation toward the parents who had abandoned him in the cold with such poor clothing. North slipped the tunic over the child's head and put the pants on him. The baby didn't protest; he seemed to like the new clothes. The winter child giggled, and North smiled, proud of his handiwork. But the clothes did little to warm the baby up; he still shivered every few moments. So North picked him up and held him close, hoping his body heat would warm the child up.

The little boy leaned against North with a small sigh, taking in the warmth that he provided him. His contentment was interrupted, however, when his stomach grumbled loudly. The infant let out a small noise of surprise, and North chuckled.

"Let's get you something to eat," he said kindly.

North headed downstairs, carrying the winter child in his arm as he entered the kitchen. He rummaged through the cabinets, finding a baby bottle he didn't even know he had hidden in the back. North did make bottles for some of the younger children in the village, so he wasn't too surprised that he had uncovered an extra.

North prepared a pot and poured some milk into it. He placed the milk-filled pot on the stove, warming it up until it reached a reasonable temperature. The winter child watched curiously and hungrily, and North wondered how long he had been in the snow. The ex-Cossack was still surprised that he had found a baby in the snow; he didn't know what he was going to do with him. His parents had not yet been found, and North didn't know if the little one had any close relatives. There was always the option of raising him himself, but North didn't know if he was ready for that.

The winter child whined impatiently, reminding North that he was still hungry. North swiftly poured the heated milk into the bottle, then walked into the living room and sat on the couch. He shifted the child in his arm so he could drink from the bottle. North held it up to his mouth, but the baby jerked his head away. North was surprised.

"I thought you were hungry," he said as he pushed the bottle toward the child's mouth again. The winter child again turned his head away with a grunt, clearly untrusting of the concoction that lay in the bottle.

To show the child that there was nothing to fear, North tested the milk. He was pleased to find that it was at a good temperature. The baby boy watched, noticing no harm had come to North after he consumed the milk.

"See? Is all good," he said gently. North held the bottle up to the baby's mouth again. The winter child blinked, and he tentatively opened his mouth. Soon, he was sucking up all the milk he could from the bottle, eyes closed in bliss. North smiled, but he still wondered what he was to do with the boy. He had appeared so suddenly and probably had parents, but a part of North wanted to house him himself. Perhaps he could look after the boy for a while and see if he could track the parents, which would probably take some time.

A soft yawn came from the winter child, and North looked down, seeing the baby's eyes fluttering closed. North removed the empty bottle from his small hands, and the little one was soon fast asleep. The winter child snuggled into North, a small smile on his lips.

North smiled softly, and he held the child close.

Perhaps he could watch over him for the nonce.

Author's Note: I think I may have made babeh Jack a bit too cute throughout the first few one-shots but hey. I love mah Jackie babe. =3

And that was the first chapter! (one-shot? Aljafkldjsfklajsfljaslfjksdfa-) What did you guys think? =D I hope I explained the setting and other components well enough. ^u^ If you have any questions, feel free to ask them. =D This is my first AU, so I'm not one hundred percent confident in what I'm doing, but I'm trying. QwQ I'm planning on posting the next chapter (one-shot? Seriously. I'm crying at this point-) Friday since I want to get a little more writing in before diving into this fic. ^u^ So don't panic if I don't post anything the next two days, ahaha! X)

Anyway, thank you guys so much for reading, and I'll see you in the next...you know what. I'm not gonna even bother. =')

Until the next (insert adequate label here)!

~BeyondTheMoon1203