Second chapter today... Only cause I feel like I haven't updated in a really long time :)

Read, relax, review!

Rapunzel looked over at Jack, trying to read his expression.

"Smile Jack!" she said, walking over to the boy. "This is exciting!" she urged, her face shining with eager anticipation. Jack glanced up at her, startled out of his thoughts.

"Hey," she said, nudging his shoulder, "you ok?"

He relaxed and gave her a confident smile, " 'Course!" he assured her.

Rapunzel crossed her arms, "I may not be Hiccup, Jack, but I know a case of nerves when I see one."

Jack gave a guilty smile. "Well... maybe just a little nervous?" And full of dread, he added silently to himself.

Rapunzel hooked her arm through his. "You'll be just fine. It's really very easy. I promise."

They had explained to Jack how the ceremony would go. All he really had to do was stand, repeat what North said, and stand some more. Usually there'd be some sort of festivities in the new Guardian's kingdom of origin following the ceremony, but... well dark times changed things. They'd go to Burgess to make the formal announcement of Jack's Guardianship, but after that, Jack would be put right to work.

Rapunzel bit her lip as they waited behind closed doors. The four Guardians were in an antechamber of the meeting room at Council. As part of the ceremony, they'd have to process in, while formally introduced. It was kind of silly and extravagant, she thought, considering that the only people who would be witnessing the ceremony were the rulers, who all knew the Guardians very well already as they were all family members. Still, tradition was tradition.

The doors opened.

"Here we go," Rapunzel whispered to Jack, squeezing his shoulder and moving to stand in front of him. Jack would enter the room last.

Hiccup was announced first, then Merida and Rapunzel. Then Jack heard his own name called by the booming voice of his uncle. Randomly, Jack thought about how this was the first time he'd seen North since he found out he'd been chosen. As he slowly walked into the council room, he made a mental note to have a 'nice' conversation with North soon.

As he made his way further into the room, the voices of the other Guardian's echoed in his head as he remembered the advice they'd given him.

Remember to keep your head up. Be confident, Rapunzel's voice said. Jack lifted his chin and tried to walk comfortably, casually, as if the whole thing was no big deal.

Don't overdo it though, was Hiccup's voice. You already don't have their favor- the last thing you want to do is appear foolish or arrogant.

Jack stole a glance at the table of rulers. The two Queens smiled at him kindly, but the men looked less enthused, as if they were waiting for him to do something stupid. And then there was Bunny...

Jack quickly looked away before the mere sight of the man made him make some sort of comment or jibe that would set the entire court of rulers and probably his new, dare he say 'friends', against him. To put it short: He and Bunny= did not get along.

He looked up toward the dais of thrones. He'd known the layout of the room thanks to Hiccup's explanation, but this was his first time actually seeing it. Hiccup, Merida, and Rapunzel had taken their places at their thrones, and Jack quickly noted the empty space between Hiccup and Rapunzel. Then he looked down at the floor and walked to the room's center, where the Guardian crest lay inside of the Warren crest. Here too, Jack noted the blank diamond.

For me, he thought as he approached. As he walked, he saw North walking towards the crest as well, and headed towards the older man.

"Hello Jack," North greeted with a proud smile when they reached each other.

"You and I are going to have a serious chat when this is all done," Jack half glared at his uncle.

North grinned, "Ha- serious eh? Since when has that been in your nature m'boy?"

Jack rolled his eyes. Unlike Pitch, North was the uncle Jack had seen often growing up, even during North's reign. North had always made sure to remember little Jack and Emma, no matter what. North was probably the only person of Jack's 'other family' that he didn't hate. How do you hate a loving, jolly old man who would always bring presents and toys every time he came to see you? Jack shook his head at the thought. "Are we doing this initiation thing or what?"

"Yes," North nodded, still grinning. "Stand there- right at the center" he said, motioning to the center of the crest. Jack did as he was told, suddenly becoming nervous. He made a conscious effort not to shove his hands in his pockets. Then the older man turned to address the rulers.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Court of Rulers. By your nominations and my own, and by the power of the Moon Magic, Jack Frost has been chosen to fill the role of Warren's fourth Guardian, the Guardian of Burgess." North turned to face Jack.

"Will you, Jack Frost, vow to watch over the Kingdoms of Warren,

To protect them with your life, their hopes, their wishes, and their dreams?"

"I will," Jack said, in what he hoped was a confident voice.

"Will you protect the land,

and be one of the four pillars on which the peace of the land rests?"

"I will," Jack answered, projecting his voice loud and clear.

"And will you," North said, "respect your fellow Guardians,

work with them and for them, to put the needs of Warren before yourself?"

Jack nodded, "I will."

He glanced over to the thrones. Rapunzel smiled encouragingly and excitedly. Merida rolled her eyes. Hiccup nodded his head the slightest fraction of an inch in approval.

North took a step back. Jack was about to ask what he was supposed to do next when a silvery blue light suddenly engulfed the room. It shone like a spotlight on the crest, lighting up around him.

The Moon Magic, Jack thought, remembering Merida's description.

'At the end of the ceremony, once you make your vow, the Moon Magic will gift you with your powers' Rapunzel had said.

Suddenly a breeze seemed to drift in through the tall windows and stream towards him. He could feel it circling around him in a harsh wind, making his brown hair stand up and fly about. The wind spun faster and faster, and the silver light became brighter and brighter, and Jack was forced to shut his eyes tight. He felt the room decrease in temperature, suddenly becoming colder... but then Jack realized he didn't actually mind the chill. The colder it got, the more Jack realized how uncomfortably hot it had been in the first place. Then the wind died down and dispersed throughout the room, and the light faded away.

Jack looked down at his hands curiously. Then he looked at his feet, feeling a strange urge to take his shoes off. Other than that, he didn't feel any different. Was he supposed to feel a change? Then a surge of panic spread through his chest- had something gone wrong?

He turned around to look at Hiccup, Merida, and Rapunzel in confusion. But their stares hardly reassured him. All three gazed at him with wide eyes, Merida especially. The redhead stood up, gathering up her long green skirt in her hands and she raced down the dais steps and ran toward him. No one else moved, and no one spoke.

Merida reached Jack and looked up into his face- the same searching expression she'd worn when they'd first met.

Jack returned the expression, now worried and afraid. "What is it?" he asked her softly. "What's... what's wrong?" He switched his gaze to Rapunzel, who had also stood up but hadn't moved, and then to Hiccup, who seemed to have easily recovered from his shock... but shock over what?

What had happened?

Merida had yet to answer him, but continued to stare into his eyes with a hard expression. "It's him," she finally said. "Ah doan know what it means, but its him."

"Well," Hiccup said, finally standing up, and walking down from the dais in a casual manner, "that's that mystery solved."

"Mystery?" Jack questioned as Hiccup walked over.

"One of her visions... something about blue eyes," he shrugged, appearing unconcerned. But Jack wondered if Hiccup was just as good as hiding his true feelings as he was at sensing other's.

"But... I have brown eyes," he reminded the Guardian, glancing from him to Merida.

Hiccup shook his head, pulling a long knife from the folds of his suit and looking sideways at Jack. "Well..."

Jack gulped. "What are you doing?"

Hiccup stood up straight. "Here," he said, handing it to Jack, handle first.

The new Guardian took it and looked around quizzically. "What do I-"

"A mirror Jack," came Rapunzel's voice as she too walked towards them.

The polished metal of the knife was indeed very clear, and Jack could easily see his reflection in the blade. Only his reflection wasn't his own. At least, not the one Jack remembered.

His hair, once brown, had changed to snowy white- almost silver. And his eyes- the brunette irises had somehow morphed into a clear icy blue.

Jack looked up at them, shocked. "Is this... real?" he asked.

Rapunzel nodded. "Sometimes the Moon Magic... in gifting powers, changes one's physical appearance."

Jack grinned. "Do I have magic hair like you now?" he joked.

Rapunzel grinned and shrugged. "Maybe... who knows. But... you're ok with it?"

Before Jack could respond, North began to clap from the side of the room. The other rulers politely began to join in. Jack turned to face them, trying for a confident smile.

"Look," Merida said, pointing to the crest on the floor. The blank tile had been filled.

A single, intricate, pale blue snowflake.

"Snow?" Jack asked. "What does that mean?"

"I have a feeling we'll find out," Hiccup answered, taking his knife back from the now-white haired boy and sliding it into its secret compartment in his suit.

"Come on," Rapunzel motioned to Jack, taking him by the arm. "There's still one more thing we have to do."

Together, the four Guardians turned and walked up the dais to the thrones. Three took their seats, but Jack remained standing in front of the empty space.

Then, the wind reappeared, winding around Jack playfully, ruffling his snowy white hair. Jack laughed. Blue ice sprouted from the stone floor, curving and twisting in intricate patterns until a chair had been formed, glittering in the silver light that still shifted through the room.

Jack laughed even harder, something clicking in his head. "A snowflake?" he said, gazing at his throne. "... white hair, blue eyes... Jack Frost... a throne made from ice?" He turned around with a smirk and smugly collapsed in his throne, suddenly feeling completely comfortable and at ease.

"Just call me the King of Winter."

It's official now! Jack's a Guardian... Pitch isn't going to be happy...

See you all soon!