I'm way too tired to edit properly, so sorry if this is full of typos, repeated words and poorly constructed sentences (I don't think it's that bad, but I apologize if it is).
The first time Jack Frost saw a winter sprite, he had no idea what the being was at first. He had been flying over the countryside far to the north, bored and lonely, looking for something to do, when he spotted a scrawny child below, wearing a worn-out tunic, walking barefooted in the snow. The child had hair as white as his and did not shiver in the cold winter air. When he stopped to observe, Jack saw him touch a tree branch, encasing it in a sheath of ice. Jack landed in the snow next to him, wide-eyed and excited to meet this spirit who looked so much like a younger version of himself. With bluer skin. And pointed ears. It had to be a spirit. There was no way this being was a human child.
"Hi! Hello? Huh, I'm Jack Frost. Do you hear me? Hey!"
His excitement turned to dismay as the childlike being failed to acknowledge his presence. This couldn't be happening. That he was invisible to humans, he had come to accept, but surely he couldn't be invisibles even to other spirits? He had spoken with one before. That giant rabbit, the Easter Bunny. He had even talked to him. He told him he must be some kind of winter sprite. Was that a winter sprite? Then why could he hear him? Was the bunny special? And he couldn't even talk to someone so much like himself?
"You... please answer me. You have to hear me! You can't... I can't..."
In desperation, Jack tried to grab the sprite's shoulder, fully expecting his hand to go right through it. It didn't. Jack gasped. This was the first time he ever touched anyone. The sprite slowly turned around, looking straight at him, his frosty blue eyes cold and hard. He spoke to Jack in a language that sounded more like breaking ice; harsh, frozen and cruel. Jack couldn't make out any specific words, but he still understood. Leave me alone.
He stood there, staring in shock, as the sprite turned his back on him and left.
The second time Jack Frost saw a winter sprite, he was much more hesitant. Summer was nearing it's end and he contemplated trying to break in a second time into Santa's workshop before heading back south, when he saw the sprite on an ice floe. The small figure waved its arms and spikes slowly bloomed from the ice around it. Jack landed several feet away. This sprite looked even more ragged than the last one he met, with matted hair and wearing little more than strips of white cloth hanging loosely on his bony frame.
"Hello. I'm Jack Fro—ah!"
With a scream of pure insanity, the sprite broke off a spike of ice and charged him. Jack gaped, too dumbfounded to move out of the way. The sprite swung his spike like a club, smashing its thick base against Jack's arm. The taller spirit was caught between bewilderment and happiness that he was interacting with someone.
"Ow! Why did you do that? Ow!" The sprite didn't stop after the first blow, continuing to swing wildly at him, shrieking. Jack did his best to block the ice club with his staff, but he couldn't keep up with the sprite's erratic movements. He took a step back. "S-stop! Please. I don't want to hurt you, you don't have to do that. Ah! That's gonna leave a bruise. All right, all right! I'm leaving. Stop it!"
Jack flew off. The sprite kept screaming at him until he was out of sight. Jack was sore everywhere, but at the same time he was thrilled. He had met someone! Someone who very loudly acknowledged his presence. Breaking into the workshop could wait, he had a sprite to befriend.
He returned to the ice floe the next day, hoping he could hide somewhere until he found the best moment to approach the sprite. But there was nowhere to hide, only featureless ice on every sides. There could be no sneaking up on the sprite. He was noticed as soon as he got close and the screaming started again. Jack sighed. He remained airborne, thinking through his options. He did not have much time to think.
The sprite flew at him, a new ice club in hands. Jack should have figured out that they could do that. He could, so there was no reason they shouldn't be able to. He flew out of the other spirit's path, but the sprite pursued. The small being was a more experienced flyer and Jack soon had to turn around to block the flurry of blow coming his way. He tried to retreat, but the sprite wouldn't let him.
"Why are you doing that? I didn't do anything to you. Alright, I get it; you don't like company. I just want to—ow! Enough!"
The glowing blue frost spread through the air itself and struck the winter sprite in the chest before Jack realized what he had done. The insane spirit shrieked even louder as he fell to the ground with a crack. Jack stared in horror, shaking. He had never before used is powers as a weapon. He couldn't move, couldn't breath, until the sprite twitched. He had feared he had killed the diminutive spirit. He floated back down to the ice and took a tentative step toward the sprite as he was trying to lift himself on his elbows.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that. I didn't want to hurt you. Please, let me help—"
The sprite screeched and wriggled away from him. Jack froze, not daring to come closer. The little spirit looked at him in pure terror. He scrambled to his feet, backed a few steps away, and turned around and ran. He flew in short bursts, but could not keep himself in the air.
"Wait! Come back. I'm sorry! So sorry... I won't do it again, please don't go! You can keep hitting me, I won't stop you. Come back!"
The sprite didn't even turn.
The third time Jack Frost saw a winter sprite, he was in high spirits. Phil had just thrown him out of the workshop and he couldn't keep the grin off his face. It was the fifth time he tried to bust in and, while he didn't have any better luck than the first four times, he had fun and that was what mattered. Even if his ribs still hurt when he laughed after Phil tackled him in the hallway. He laughed anyway. Today was a good day and Russia was about to get some snow.
He didn't make it far south before a strange swirl of snowflakes caught his attention. Jack was familiar with snow; he was something of an expert on the subject. Snow wasn't supposed to move like that on its own. He veered off his path to investigate.
The sprite was young. New. He kneeled in the snow in a pristine white tunic, hands outstretched, staring at the snowflakes swirling around him with his mouth open and eyes wide, fascinated. Jack didn't know how spirits were born. didn't even understand his own birth, but for this child, it was a very recent thing. Jack landed a safe distance away, not wanting to spook him. The child noticed the movement and turned his head to look at Jack, the child-like fascination not leaving his face. Jack smiled. The sprite reminded him so much of himself in the first instants of his life.
He took a few slow, careful steps. The sprite didn't shied away. A wide smile appeared in his thin blue lips, mirrored on Jack's own. When he was close enough, the sprite raised a small hand toward him. Jack kneeled in front of him, raised his own hand until their finger brushed. His smile shook a little as they pressed their palms together. Today couldn't get any better.
"Hi. I'm Jack Frost."
The child's smile widened and he laughed. Jack laughed with him, partly in relief, partly in sheer joy. He took the young sprite by the hand and brought him flying with him. The child didn't question it and went along. Jack kept him from crashing in trees and suddenly dropping out of the air. They flew over northern lands, called some snow, froze some trees. More than anything, they laughed. Jack was happier than he ever remembered being in his short life and this young spirit had never known anything but wonder. He would take care of him, Jack decided. He would make this little sprite happy. Life wouldn't be so lonely, from now on.
As they went farther south, they eventually reached a small village hidden away in a thick boreal forest. Jack hesitated to go near it, but the sprite was curious about the small figures they could see moving around from up here. He let go of Jack's hand, tumbled through the air and crash-landed on the village's square.
"Wait, don't—"
His warning came too late. Even as the sprite stood back on still unsteady feet, a man walked briskly in his direction, a bundle of firewood in his arms. Jack felt his heart clench when he saw the smile leave the child's face, replaced by panic, confusion and shock when the man walked through him like he didn't even exist. The sprite ran to another figure, tried to grab a woman's arm as she walked by, only for his hand to go right through. He looked at his fingers like they had betrayed him.
"Hey, it's alright. Just come back here, it's going to be fine—wait!"
With tears filling his eyes, the young sprite took to the air again, but not to join Jack. He flew in the forest, disappearing under the trees. Jack sped after him, but the sprite must not have been going in a straight line and he couldn't find him again.
"Come back! It'll be alright, I'm here, I'll help you! Please come back..."
Jack stayed in the area several days hoping the young sprite would show up again, without luck. After calling the worst blizzard the village had seen in it's existence, he left, defeated.
So, anyone paying attention? You should be able to know one of the sprites here.
In other news, I meant to do a directory on my profile with the chapters in chronological order for a while now. I could even include links to the actual chapters, so you could click the title and get to the chapter. And it would have the advantage of being searchable, unlike the increasingly long drop-down list (just do ctrl+F in Windows, command+F for Mac, while on my profile, enter title and taa-daa!). Since I keep referring you guys to previous chapters and never give a chapter number. Would anyone actually use this if I make it? I don't want to waste my time.
