A/N: Ok, so this chapter here explains this story's rules. I came up with it and some does not make sense but please bear with me. If some concepts are the same with other stories, I apologize. I honestly didn't copy anything I read. Also sorry for the updating this late. I wish I could finish this sooner but I had a writer's block but if this keeps up, the story would be finished sooner. I think.

I don't think I'll write another story, I only want to finish this and we'll see what happens.

And I just read Random's comment, I really really apologize. I never understand what trigger warnings meant. I might have been insensitive without being aware of it. I'm sorry. I don't think I can edit the other chapters to put it. But I will put it on the summary and upcoming chapters. And I wish I'm doing this correctly. And forgive me because I really don't know how this things work.

TRIGGER WARNING: I'm not so sure. I've been reading a lot of things (especially being on Loki's army). It might have something. No bloodshed but mentions of it. No suicidal thought. I think. I'm very very sorry I don't think this chapter has any but I, with my twisted mind, seem to think that. I don't think I can trust myself. Just please thread carefully.

Disclaimer: I do not own Rise of the Guardians

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Jack saw a quill that he used a very long time ago and grabbed it.

"Let's see about that"

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Chapter 16

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She didn't make the rules.

She didn't even know all the rules. Nature did.

She might be the Mother Nature but she is not the nature.

Just like Jack isn't the snow, Pitch isn't the fear, North isn't wonder or Bunny isn't hope.

They just guide their respective centers or seasons as they call it. They can't stop it from happening. Nature does what it wants and the spirits are the one that tells it when it's enough.

But even though...

Everyone thought she made the rules. Everyone thought she IS nature. The guardians thought she is.

Except she isn't.

Only immortals who represent their own seasons know this.

Since they, too, are the same.

Lower rank immortals didn't know this.

It's not because of greed that they neglect correcting them. It's not because they wanted leverage to keep others from messing with them. It's because if everyone knew, they'll be scared.

Since immortals are scared of the unknown. They're scared of thing they can't see, hear or touch.

Of something they can't control.

And they fear it.

She would gladly be the nature if she could.

Because if she is nature, she would've been able to be everywhere at same time everytime. She wouldn't have created the rules. She wouldn't have created that rule.

The rule where there can't be two winter spirits or two summer spirits at the same time. Eventually, one of the two would perish or the mortals would.

It seems logical since they were both extremes. There must be balance.

And nature dictates it.

Nature decides when one spirit should be born.

And when one should die.

Everyone hates it. And everyone hates her for creating such rule.

But she didn't do it.

It usually ended with them getting hurt physically and/or emotionally. For the first part, it became survival of the fittest. New spirits usually fall prey since old spirits just kill them on site.

It took them years to realize that there were more rules concerning this.

Years of bloodshed, pain and sufferings that others learned to avoid their conflicts and stop interacting with seasonals altogether.

And usually the older gets to win the battle of the fittest.

But nature just kept creating and creating new spirits.

And sooner, they realized.

That when nature creates a new spirit, the old one must die. Seems easy enough but then they found out that it wasn't going to be that easy.

That the old spirit must teach the new one, must guide them to know the rules that they know, for them to pass on their knowledge.

That the two must have contact within the first twenty years of the new spirit's birth or calamities will occur.

Such specific rules from someone they can't see or hear.

Well, it took them hundreds of years to know it.

MN planned to persuade Old Man Winter to teach Jack but she knew if would be dangerous to just let them meet.

After all, the old man killed a lot of spirits. And she didn't think that Jack's ready yet since she isn't finished teaching him.

She swore that she'll arrange for them to meet in Jack's twentieth birthday.

But then the accident happened.

Old Man Winter simply neglected telling Jack this fact, she realized out of mercy.

Because no one can do anything about it. The old man probably thought that Jack can't live knowing he can't do anything about it.

But somehow Mother Nature thinks that Jack always knew this.

That Jack knew that the old man was not at fault. That somehow Jack does have a hand at the situation.

It would've been easier to know nothing of your predecesor. Nothing to lessen the guilt of knowing that someone died because you live.

MN loathes the nature for it.

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Bunny is lost again. Jack seems to be very good at making Bunny feel this way.

After MN breakdown, Bunny decided that he can't leave Jack.

He can't let Jack alone again.

Even if Easter's just around the corner.

Bunny pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. That will have to wait.

Bunny hopped to Jack's room. Jack didn't really smell any different now that he's mortal. Scent of freshly fallen snow, pine trees and blood-

Blood?!

Bunny barged into the room.

"Jack!" Bunny shouted.

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What was I thinking?

Jack stared at the ceiling gripping his quill until his hand bleed. The pain made him looked at his hand.

Dad would be sad if he sees me like this.

Jack rubbed his face with his uninjured hand, wiping the tears he didn't know he shed.

Told you so. The voice chuckled.

Jack shuddered.

I..

The door slammed open startling Jack. Jack quickly hide his injured hands in his pockets and composed himself before turning at the door smiling.

But there was no one there.

Jack frowned and stepped closer to it.

"Hello?" he called.

Bunny gasped. Jack just walked through him. It was like a dozen of kids walked through him. It hurts like no other.

But he can't do anything about it.

So instead, Bunny decided to simply watch Jack. He could still smell the blood but he can't see the injury. He also smells salt which probably meant Jack was crying.

Jack is definitely hiding it. Bunny wrinkled his nose.

"Is that you, Wind?" Jack asked again, rubbing his head. There's no one there and the wind is the only one he knew that could be invisible like this.

Deeming that his correct, Jack sighed.

"I'm sorry. It won't happen again." he rubbed the back of his head looking sheepish.

Years and years of having only the wind by his side, Jack quickly learned that the wind has a personality. That he was not entirely alone and sooner he learned its language and therefore learned to communicate to it. Others assumed his crazy since the wind is invisible and for quite a long time, he too, has been questioning his sanity but he felt something akin to empathy when he understood that the wind has been trying to communicate with the others, too.

But they just can't understand it.

"I can't feel you or understand you. I'm sorry" he said sadly. He felt angry at himself for losing his staff, his connection to the wind. He concluded that the staff is also the reason why he could communicate with the wind. Without it, he can't hear the wind's voice and he missed his old friend. He frowned.

"But don't worry, I will." Jack promised closing the door and leaning into it.

This is a mess.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and stared at the ceiling contemplating.

Bunny stared at Jack, not knowing what to do. Is it only watching that he is capable of doing? Bunny asked himself.

How was it that the only kid that he wanted, no-needed so badly to see him is here completely oblivious to the fact he's here?

Is this his punishment?

A/N: I'm really ashamed that I forgot and don't know that I should put trigger warnings. I deeply apologize to the readers.

Tenses are incorrect, I know. Grammar, probably. I seriously apologize. I don't think I had it in me to write a story. Write a plot, fine. I can do that but writing all in all? Maybe not xD Sorry for my negativity. I apologize.

And I think it's weird how I practically begging people to tell me how this story ends and no one even suggest something akin to an ending… Nonetheless, I know now how this story ends, just not how, yet.

Thank you for reading! : )

PS: Should this story be rated M?