Mean Seasons 47 Day of Reckoning

The day was here.

The day of reconing.

As Jack Frost put on his iceblue robe over his ceremonial white noble vest and sash, his brown pants replaced with matching trousers, and the crystal crown of ice atop his head, he couldn't help but shudder. Today was possibly the last day he was going to exist in peace.

Today, he lamented as he tacked up Snowdrift, was the day the New Summer would be revealed...and his days of torture would begin anew.

ROTG

The hall was bustling with activity, but all stopped when Winter and Mother Nature entered the room.

"My seasons." She greeted warmly as her Winter took his seat, "You know of the former Summer's betrayal, and the Winds have no doubt informed you that I have been training her replacement. The wait is over, my children. Meet your new brother! Hiccup Summer!"

All the seasons turned their attention to the scrawny boy astride the giant, black dragon. Spring gasped, Pippa squealed in joy at seeing the beast, and Jack...yelped and hid under the table.

Hiccup was blushing, not used to this kind of attention, and hopped off Toothless, who immediately went and fished out the whining, whimpering Winter Spirit from under the table and held him gently by the top of his vest, gurgle-purring in dragonish chuckles. Pippa at once clamped onto the beast's leg, and he responded by letting go of Jack(who dove right back under the table) and licking the little Autumn all over, coocoogurgling in playful mirth. He then retrieved Jack again, and pushed the boy into his rider.

Hiccup drew in a breath, the sudden cold suprising after training in the hot sun for what seemed an eternity. He smiled kindly though and held out a hand

"You must be Winter. Believe it or not, I think I know you well. Berk has hhad its share of frigid weather, especially during Snoggletog. Hey, what's wrong?"

Mother Nature chuckled softly as her Winter cowered away from the offered hand "Winter cannot shake hands with you, my Summer. It causes him pain."

"oh." Hiccup said sheepishly "Sorry..about that. Guess it makes sense, we are opposing seasons." The boy did not press the issue, but he did see that it wasn't the handshake that had spooked the other youth. It was the motion of his hand coming towards him. Hiccup had seen that look in dragons on Outcast Island...dragons who had been abused to a certain point. Hiccup's mind began working overtime.

"But..hey that doesn't mean we can't be friends right?" he asked cheerfully, hopefully.

Jack was wary. This other boy, a bit younger than him, was the next Summer. He couldn't trust him. Not yet. Not until they met out in the field, where Mother wouldn't be there to referee. Yet something about this new season reminded him of himself. He was scrawny, yes, and skillful..but he was new. A new spirit who probably only had himself and his dragon for company. Jack as many things, but he knew he could never shun another who was in the same position he had been 300 years ago.

"As long as you aren't mad about me freezing Berk for half the year...then yeah., I could try being friends." He said timidly, the always-present sparkle in his iceblue eyes.

Hiccup threw back his head with a snort "ANGRY? Why would I be angry? Heck so many good things came out of the storms you caused that I'd be lying if I said you were a nuisance, let alone a bad guy for doing us a favor!"

Jack was instantly more at ease. He doesn't hate me...he honestly doesn't hate me..."Favor? my storms? Even the Barnstat storm of 21?"

"Yeah! And that one storm you raised where we had to have the Dragons and animals work together to survive? Yeah you saved our butts! If your storm hadn't forced them together, we would have starved!"

"Well..I'd like to say that was on purpose but I—"

"—Was just doing your job. And it helped more than you can imagine."

As the two got better acquainted and began to relax around each other, Mother Nature smiled. She had made the right choice by enlisting the young Viking, and now, she hoped that the young man would heal the wounds Winter had sustained over the many years.

Toothless was on top of Jack in a dragon equivalent of a cuddle, and the winter sprite was laughing as the tongue of the Night Fury washed his face and chest. Her Winter laughed lightly, and asked Hiccup about the beast, in wich the Viking told him many a story.

Mother smiled.

Yes, this was going to work out. She had a very good grip on that fact. Jack Frost deserved a friend like this, and she was excited for him. To think it came from the very opposite of his element, two elements who had been bitter enemies, now had the chance to start anew.

The Balance was restored indeed.