A spirit was born. Called into existence by the moon. But this spirit was different. She had been alive, then died, alike to only one other spirit. Her last moments flared like into a beacon into the dark, bringing her into the moon's attention. The moon found a mind full of imagination, a soul joyous and carefree, a heart caring and ready for adventure. Fanning the flames that lit those fragments, a summer spirit was created. She burned stronger than any before her, bringing the soul of the sun with her.
The land touched by her would prove difficult for the winter spirits to control. Her areas always smelled the freshest, the sun glowing brightest.
Aine danced on the rooftops, twirling in the light of the summer sun. She was drunk on the balmy rays, the lazy breeze tousling her long auburn hair. Her knee-length skirt swirled around her. She spun around and collapsed in a giggling heap, the many flowers surrounding her floating down and settling beside her. Aine was happy.
The spirit of Summer picked one up and stared into its centre, the tiny specks of pollen gently swaying to and fro. She stroked one of the lilac petals, feeling the soft edges of her creation, her luminous green eyes peering deep into the heart of the blossom. The auburn haired girl carefully rested it in her hair, a make-shift barrette.
The wind picked up, the temperature decreasing rapidly. The spirit sat up, confused. She had not made this change. This was summer. So why did it feel like winter all of a sudden?
The girl pulled herself to her feet, her joyous energy dissipating with the last remaining rays of sunlight.
She jumped from rooftop to rooftop, following the source of the sudden cold. Soon the spirit came to the edge of the town, where the forest began. The girl leapt on to the first tree, landing deftly. She continued on in this way.
A nagging thought entered her mind, she should turn back. Danger. She dismissed it. She was curious and no reasoned thought could stop her now.
Frost began to appear on the branches of the trees as Aine travelled deeper into the forest. The auburn haired girl gently tapped it, letting the frost melt spreading out in a spiral pattern. The branch was cleansed. She smiled. Instantaneously, more frost covered the branch, this time even thicker than before. The girl's expression soured.
Those were her trees, her flowers, her summer. Winter should not be touching her precious season. Summer was when she could be free, no constraints, no worries, no memories. Just her and the soft gazes of the sun and the moon.
Her fist clenched around a frozen leaf, the crisp surface of the leaf breaking up underneath her fingers. Whoever it was that was disrupting the course of summer was not on her good side.
She continued her journey, pausing only to rescue an animal trapped in the ice. Soon she came to a clearing, which she swore had not been there the day before. The frost was stronger here, the feeling of danger swarmed her mind. The auburn haired girl shivered. She forced herself onwards to the centre of the ice, a snowdrift the size of a small hill.
The snowdrift shook slightly. The girl pulled back slightly on the branch, her brash confidence at gaining justice now replaced by fear.
A pale hand appeared out of the top of the snowdrift. A shockingly white head of hair followed suit. Soon, a teenaged boy had pulled himself out of the snow.
The boy stared around at the ice-covered clearing and stuffed his hands in his frost-covered blue hoodie.
Aine had instantly recognised him. The boy was Jack Frost, the spirit of Winter, the Guardian of Fun. He shouldn't be here, not in summer. It was too dangerous for the both of them.
But he was a Guardian. The other summer spirits would be so jealous if they knew she had met a Guardian. Aine pondered leaving the frost spirit alone but decided against it. She had always wanted to meet a Guardian and she'd always wanted to meet Jack Frost.
She'd felt some subtle connection to him when the spring spirits had raged over the incident of '68. Aine had yearned to meet him since.
The summer spirit realised something was missing from Jack's ensemble. His hands seemed empty compared to the image in her mind. Then she understood, his staff was missing.
Aine leapt to a taller tree, one that had a branch that hung directly above Jack's head. The leaves did not even quiver as she landed. The trees helped protect the spirit from the great deluge of frost and ice, minimising the contact with the cold.
The girl stared downwards, inspecting the boy below. He had stopped looking around and was now searching for his staff amongst the numerous snow drifts. Aine leant forward on the branch, resting her face on her hands. She watched Jack in his search.
The spirit of Summer soon grew bored just watching him. She decided to make her presence known. With one flick of the wrist, a bird landed on a nearby tree and cawed loudly. Jack spun around, relaxed when he saw it was only a bird, then froze again when he saw Aine.
Aine raised one hand in a half-wave, hoping to show she came in peace, no matter what Jack had done to her season. Jack then spoke his first words since Aine found him.
"Hi?"
Aine couldn't help but laugh at his sheepish greeting. He was kinda cute, for a winter spirit.
"You're Summer, right?" Jack asked. He was inquisitive, but Aine could tell he already knew exactly who she was.
"You're Jack Frost," Aine replied, her answer more of a statement than a question.
Jack's semi-smile disappeared, replaced with a look of worry.
"I shouldn't be here. It's supposed to be summer here," Jack caught Aine's eye. "That would make sense considering you're here..." He added abashedly.
"You are trespassing on my season, and I would very much like you to leave, but don't you need your staff?" Aine replied before biting her tongue. She wanted Jack, no, a Guardian, to stay, but she could already feel her season draining away the longer she stayed.
"Do you know where it is?" Jack questioned.
"No, but I know who can find it." Aine put her fingers in her mouth and whistled. The sound echoed through the forest, reverberating off the leaves. The noise carried the pure spirit of summer, in a way Aine could never be, more eternal, ever present, than Aine ever was. The woods seemed to gain life with this noise, the blossom's scents just that bit more intense. Time seemed to freeze for the moment of everliving summer to pass through.
The moment passed. The effect it had, did not.
A fleet of squirrels arrived at the clearing, clambering in the trees, peeking through branches. One sprung onto the branch beside Aine. The spirit whispered into the squirrel's ear.
Jack stood watching this display, in awe but also slightly scared of pure numbers of squirrels. He never got on with them, not after accidentally freezing several of them after recently becoming a spirit.
The squirrel that had been listening to Aine jumped down onto the frosty ground, ready for its task. It raised one tiny paw and brought it down on the ice. The surrounding squirrels moved as one into the clearing, then scattered around it, searching the snow banks.
"Are you sure they-"
"Trust them," Aine interrupted.
Very soon, a dozen squirrels scurried over to Aine, staff resting on their back.
"Hey! Give it here!" Jack called.
The squirrels just chittered amongst themselves. Jack was sure they were laughing at him. Why did it have to be squirrels? Then again, why did it have to be summer?
Aine took the staff from the animal's backs. She slid one finger down its rough surface. The spirit could feel the raw power inside, cold deeper than anything Aine had felt before. It was locked to its master, the power still striving to be let out.
The staff flashed a brilliant white and let out a wave of frost. Aine yelped and dropped it. She looked at hands. The normally tanned skin now looked as if it had only seen the sun for five minutes. She clenched her hands and let warmth run through them, healing her frozen flesh.
Jack had caught the staff in its descent. The instant he touched its callous surface, Jack felt whole again. He let a whoop of joy but caught himself when he remembered he had accidentally hurt the other spirit.
"Sorry," He called, worried.
"It's fine," Aine replied. She healed quickly, as all spirits did. Then Aine remembered why she had come her in the first place. "Why are you here? You never said."
Jack rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I um… fell. The wind dropped me. As a joke. Mid-air. 800 feet up," He let out.
Aine laughed. His pitiful explanation sounded so innocent, it was hilarious.
"I'd better be going. Winter spirit and all, I should go make some storms. Have some fun. Clear up all this." Jack gestured at the ice-covered clearing.
"Probably a good idea to let summer take it back before Mother Nature comes," Aine commented. It was not only that but the spirit could feel summer yearning to be let free in this, shiver, winter wonderland. It was taking most of her self-control not to let it run wild, in the knowledge that Jack might not fare so well.
Aine stuck out her hand, still dangling from the treetops. Jack raised one eyebrow but lifted his hand to grasp hers. The moment they touched, light burst out from their hands, encircling their arms. Aine couldn't let go, it was like their hands were locked to each other, permanently grafted together. Time was frozen for them in that moment.
Aine looked to Jack and let out a silent gasp. His hair was darkening, his skin was losing its pale quality. From the look on his face, Aine was doing the same, except opposite. Her hand was turning paler and paler every second, her tan diminishing. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see her shining auburn locks turning meek and muddy.
A voice echoing in her head called out.
Jack. Let go. Gotta let go.
But Aine could not. She wanted to let go, yet his touch was bringing memories back, from before. All of her life mapped out, but more memories kept coming. She was lost in a sea of emotions, terror insurmountable yet happiness more than anything she could ever feel in one moment. Aine was drowning under a wave of her own thoughts, being washed away by the debris of her mind.
LET GO.
Aine jerked back, her hand breaking free of the death-like grip that had ensnared them. The instant she let go, their supernatural features returned to both spirits. Aine breathed out heavily, trying to calm herself down.
"You… should probably… go," Aine mustered. Jack just nodded weakly, in as much shock as Aine, and shot up into the sky.
The winter spirit now gone, Aine lost control of her grip on the branch. She fell clumsily to the ground. The frost melted around her. Summer returned.
Aine didn't notice. She was clutching her head and coughing, trying to regain her breath. Those memories weren't hers. They were from another life, another world. Warmth, the feeling of home. Not hers. Not anymore.
The spirit drew her knees up to her chest and stared down at the soil, stoic, and thought to herself. Jack was not as affected as her. Why? Could he have had a stream of memories before? Aine was not going to tell any of the spirits about this. It was too… personal, too private. No way would she tell them. They would never understand her anyway.
Aine was still sitting in the clearing when the moon rose overhead that night.
This was just an idea that popped into my head which culminated into this! Hope you enjoyed it and that I didn't make Aine too Mary Sue-ish. I will continue this. Please review, fav and follow!