Chapter 39: Winter Temple

Jack stared at the shepherd staff in his hand. So if he was understanding this right, the staff was just a way to help him control his powers. It was something to help him focus. But the staff was also something that tied him to the Wind, for now. According to Autumn, it would take, at least, three to four centuries before he could use his powers or even fly without his conduct.

This made Jack wonder just how old his siblings were. They clearly didn't have a conduct from what he could see. And they could summon plants, change the colors of the leaves, or cause a fire without even trying.

It would be so nice to have that amount of control over his powers, especially if it prevented him from…well…accidentally freezing his brother into the wall of the training room. Jack couldn't help but wince as Flora and several Sprites attempted to melt the ice from the very annoyed Summer Spirit.

"Βιαστείτε και με ελευθερώστε πριν πάγωμα μέχρι θανάτου!"

They had been going at it for forty-five minutes now and have only managed to melt his hands, head, a little bit of his upper chest. Jack shifted from foot to foot nervously as Blaze continued to snap at the Sprites that were snickering at his expense. This, of course, resulted in Blaze saying something in Greek.

"Don't worry, Jack. He's not mad at you." Jack bit his bottom lower lip as he held his staff close to him. He was unaware of Autumn's soften gaze, nor was he aware of how young he must have looked, holding his staff like a small frightened child.

"You sure?" Jack asked as he gazed at his sister. They had wanted to see if he was capable of summoning his magic without his staff and if he had any control. "He seems pretty mad to me." That didn't turn out too well. Jack had zero control over it and had ended up freezing his brother to the wall. Blaze had been a block of ice before. Now he was partly free of his prison. However, he was now annoyed and mad if him snapping and glaring at the Sprites and Flora was anything to go by.

"Blaze, will you stop yelling?" Flora asked with a frown. "You are not making this any easier."

Blaze only glared at her but did his best to stay somewhat calm. However, the snickering of the Sprites did not help with his current mood very much.

"If you four don't stop laughing at me, I promise you, you will be spending the night in the Arctic with vicious wolves and penguins that will tear you limb from limb!" Blaze's voice was low and dangerous as he glared at his four Sprites. His normally calm fiery red and orange hair was blazing like someone had turned up the furnace all the way up. Jack really felt bad for the four Sprites that had paled at the threat. The threat stopped them from laughing at their Head of Summer, which made Blaze very pleased. However, this wasn't their fault, it was his. Blaze wouldn't be stuck if it wasn't for him. So why wasn't his brother made at him?

"Ignore him, Jack," Autumn said with an exasperated sigh. "He's just being a drama queen."

At this Blaze turned his gaze to them and gave them an offended look. "I am the best damn drama queen there is and don't you forget it!" While Autumn shook her head at her brother comment and while Flora and the Sprites laughed behind their smiles, Jack found himself being dragged away by another memory.

"All hail the Nightmare King!"

Jack's eyes became unfocused as he heard a male voice, followed by the same female voice. The female voice like that little girl, the one that he saw in his dream. Who was she anyway and who was that male voice? "Run, oh, brave knight! The Flower King is after you!"

Jack was unaware of Autumn trying to gain his attention as he stared blankly over her shoulder. He was unaware of her calling out his name (gaining the attention of his other siblings) as he fell unsteady to his knees, his face turning pale as if he was burning with a start of a fever, his staff falling out of his hand and landing on the ground in front of him. Jack was unaware of anything around him. Autumn's concerned voice barely registered in his mind as he focused on the voices that seemed so familiar, yet he had no idea why.

"Flower King?!"

Jack turned his attention to the voices, realizing that he was in some kind of flower field. There was a river not far from them. The water flowed gently along the rocks that got in its way, swirling and shifting ever so slightly. Jack could smell the scent of different flowers. Possibly carnations, daisies, and marigolds, but he wasn't sure how he knew that, considering he wasn't a Spring or Fall Spirit. Jack turned his gaze in the direction of the three laughing females, who were sitting on the ground near a patch of flowers.

Jack frowned as he tried to focus on their faces. But the more he tried to focus, the more their feature blurred and blended together. He couldn't help but sigh in frustration. All he could really make out was that the two younger girls were either between the ages of 10 and 17, while the grown adult was possibly in her twenties or thirties. It was hard to say.

The three females continue to laugh as a grown male chased a young boy on a horse. Jack turned to the other two, hoping to get some sense of what he was seeing. Jack, not sure why he felt a sense of dread in the pit of his stomach as he gazed at the happy scene.

"Oh, yes, great and power Flower King! What is to fear when he is so pretty and powerful!" Jack felt like he was looking through a fog. The beautiful scenery was very vivid and clear to him. He could make out the river, the sun, the way the trees were moving from side to side. He could even smell the flowers and the burning of wood in the distance. But when he tried to look at the people, Jack could not make out a single detail.

Well, that was not exactly true. Jack could make out someone.

"Just you wait, you conniving little brat!" Jack could not make out any details on the grown adult. But his words told him a different story. "When I get my hands on you, you won't be sleeping peacefully for a good week! I will torment you night and day!" His words might have sounded threatening and angry and odd, but Jack had a feeling this guy was not being very serious. He was being playful in his own way, he guessed anyway, if the full-blown laugh the young boy was doing was anything to go by.

"Oh, I'm so scared…" The young boy's sarcasm and laughter brought a strong sense of déjà vu that made him feel very nauseous. Jack wasn't sure how it was possible, but he knew this boy. Jack gazed at the boy and was surprised at how clear his features were. The boy had brown hair, instead of white. He had brown eyes, instead of blue. He wore a familiar outfit that he used to wear before they got ruined. He wore brown shoes, unlike him who was bare. And to top it off, he had fair skin, compared to his pale skin tone. Despite the difference, the boy generally looked like; he could be his twin. It also didn't help that the boy sounded like him, but that wasn't possible. The boy was a Human, while he was a spirit. Maybe he saw the boy at one point before emerging from the ice. But, that didn't make any sense either. He had no memories of his life before that.

What could this all mean? Jack silently wondered before he felt a warm hand on his cheek. Jack had only a minute to blink in confusion at the odd sensation before his vision blurred, followed by the familiar voices and scenery becoming less clear and distant. Jack wasn't sure when he closed his eyes, but when he reopened them he found himself staring into concerned blue eyes.

"Jack, are you with me?" she asked softly as she wiped away the tears that had been slowly falling down his cheeks.

Jack took in a shaky breath as he tried to calm the raw, raging emotions that flooded him. Jack had no idea why he was hurting to the point of crying. But the memory felt so familiar and so raw, creating a deep wound in the very center of his chest. "I-I…" Jack's voice shuttered as he tried to speak, but he found it to be increasingly difficult. His lungs were burning from his rapid breathing, but nothing seemed to sooth it.

He felt like he was suffocating.

He couldn't breathe.

"Jack?!" Jack was unaware when his sister placed her arm on the square of his back, followed by the grabbing his staff, pulling him close to her cool body as the huge windows in the training room slammed open as his sister called her wind to her. "Wind!"

The fierce strength of the West Wind as she entered the room, engulfing them in loving, protective embrace.

"Autumn?!"

Autumn glanced at her sister as she held Jack in her arms. She wasn't sure what was going on, but she had a horrible feeling that one of Jack's memories were trying to force its way to the surface.

Technically, that should be a good thing. Jack didn't deserve to not remember his family. But the fact that he had been crying and going into a panic attack was not okay.

"Flora, continue to free Blaze from the ice," Autumn told her sister as the Wind began to lift them into the air. "I'll wait for you at the temple." Flora and Blaze looked at her with concern but gave her a small nod before the Wind carried them away.

Autumn held onto her brother as the Wind carried them out of Mother Nature's Palace and towards the snowy grounds of winter. Autumn shivered slightly as snow nipped at her arms, but ignored it. This was Jack's element. Only he could be in almost sub-zero temperatures, or in a middle of a freezing blizzard, and not be affected by it. However, being a Spirit of Fall, she had a high tolerance to the freezing temperatures of winter. Though, she would eventually need a light jacket, gloves, and maybe a hat to keep her from freezing like a popsicle.

Autumn silently sighed as she flew past several snowy covered. Blue orbs gazed at it for a moment. The trees looked very pretty as it was coated with snow and frost. As they flew past the tree, took notice of the Winter Sprites feeding the animals lived there. Many of the animals that lived on the island had long been extinct on earth. It was nice to know that Mother loved caring for those that were old and exotic.

It wasn't long before the Winter Temple came into view. The Winter Temple was almost a direct replica of Roman temple, Maison Carrée. The temple was made of pure white marble. It had thirty-two columns (six for the front and back and ten for the two long sides) resting on a podium that was at least 2.85 meters high. The columns held up a hexastyle roof that was also made of pure white marble. Decorating roof and walls where carvings of snowflakes and swirls.

The temple emanated a soft bluish glow as she landed on the podium, right in front of the bluish white door that had a huge bluish tinge snowflake on it. Autumn adjusted Jack in her arms as he seemed to calm a bit, knowing that the raw magic from the temple was helping him. Each of the Head Seasonals had their own temple. Resting within the temple was a magical crystal ball, the true source of the season. The magic crystal held the raw powers of the season, allowing them to tap into it whenever they wanted when they were spreading the season. The crystal itself had many properties as well. Not only was it the source of their magic, but it had healing properties. If one of them were badly injured and were unable to heal themselves naturally, they would go to their temple. It would heal them since they would be surrounded by their element.

The crystals were very powerful and had properties that she wasn't even aware. The crystals were as old as time itself. They were that kept the balance between the four seasons from clashing and ripping the earth in two. It was for this reason that only a select few knew of its existence. Because in the wrong hands, it could mean the end of the world.

The Fall Seasonal shivered slightly at the strong winter magic that washed over her and Jack as she opened the door to the temple. Now she kinda wished she had a jacket or something. She felt like she was in the Arctic. Autumn let out a small sigh as she closed the door behind and began walking down the long hall. Frost coated the walls and ceiling, creating different swirls and patterns. Small icicles floated innocently on the walls, glowing faintly, giving light to the otherwise dimly lit room.

As the elder Seasonal made her way to the end of the hall, where another set of doors resided. As she opened the door, she sucked in an awed breath as the hallway opened to a spacious room. Like her own temple, Jack's was meant to represent his element. Beautiful trials of frost coated the walls and ceilings, creating intricate designs. Huge ice sculptures of dragons, penguins, wolves, and polar bears were resting on pedestals near the walls. On the ceiling, Autumn stared in awe at the huge crystal chandler that gave off natural light to the room. And finally resting in the middle of the room, resting on a marble roman style pedestal was a white crystal ball.

Jack shifted in her arms, his breath hitching slightly as he struggled with his panic attack. Autumn silently stood in front of the Winter Crystal, taking note of the innocent look blue snowflake that floated within. Autumn knew it was more than innocent though. She could feel the winter magic pulsing through it, washing over them as if sensing the distress of it's seasonal.

As the crystal twinkled and glowed with power, the sculptures began to glow as well. The Fall Seasonal was only slightly aware of this though. She was too busy gazing at her younger brother, smiling softly as he began to glow in a soft blue light. It wasn't long before Jack's breathing returned to normal, followed by the glowing ceasing and everything returning to normal.

It was another moment before Jack opened his eyes and took a deep, calming breath. But when he did, he looked absolutely confused as he stared at his sister, who was still holding him in her arms. "A-Autumn?"

Autumn let out a relieved sigh. "Thank goods. You gave us quite a scare, you know that?"

"Sorry." A faint violet began to dust Jack's cheeks. Autumn smiled reassuringly as she placed him on his feet and handed him his staff. "Thanks," he mumbled as he took notice of the room that they were in.

When curious blue eyes returned to her, he asked with a frown, "Autumn, what's going on? What is this place?"

"This is the Winter Temple," Autumn said with a smile. "This is the true source of the season."

Jack blinked in surprise as he gazed at the room in awe. "Wow. Really?"

She nodded. "We all have a temple," she explained as she gestured to the crystals ball. "These crystals balls are the source of our power. Not only does it heal us or give us more power to tap into when we need it, but they are also what keeps the four seasons balanced. If these crystals balls were to ever go into the wrong hands, it would mean the end of the world."

Jack blinked in surprise as he returned his attention to her. He looked slightly nervous. "Can anyone enter these temples?"

She shook her head. "Only a Head Seasonal can enter the temples, not even Mother Nature can enter."

"She used to." Autumn and Jack turned towards the open door to see Blaze and Flora walking in. Autumn wasn't really surprised when she saw them wear heavy winter coats, hats, and gloves. Though, she was grateful when Flora handed her a brown jacket decorated with colorful leaves and patterns. Autumn smiled at her sister as she put it on, grateful for the warmth it offered from the bitter cold of winter. "Though, that was when she ruled summer, fall, and spring by herself."

Blaze nodded, continuing from where Flora left off. "When Mother made us the head of the seasons, she lost the ability to enter the temples."

"Why is that?" Jack asked.

"You can only have one Seasonal per season," Autumn told him, smiling faintly. "How are you feeling?" It wasn't just Jack she was referring her question too.

"I've been better," Blaze said as he raised the temperature around himself to keep himself from freezing. "Man, it's cold in here."

"I'm okay," Jack mumbled, unsure.

"Are you sure?" Flora asked with a concerned smile. "You just suddenly stared into space before going into a panic attack."

Jack frowned at his sibling as he held his staff close to his chest. Jack looked so confused and so unsure. It was moments like this that it reminded them of how young Jack truly was.

"You don't have to tell us, Jack," Autumn said as she placed a hand on his shoulder, reassuringly. She didn't want to pressure him. She was sure he would tell them when he was ready.

Jack smiled slightly at the words but shook his head nonetheless. "I think I saw a memory," he said hesitantly. This caused the three elder Seasonals to blink in surprise.

"Really?" Blaze was the first one to shake his shock. "That's great! What did you see?"

Jack frowned at the question, puzzling the three spirits. "I'm not sure," he said slowly as if trying to put together a puzzle. And he probably was. "I was in some kind of flowery field near a river or lake." Autumn pondered that for a moment. Sounds like this memory took place in spring. I wonder if it was that day. "I saw a few people there. There was a boy and a girl, around my age, a young girl, a woman, and a man." Jack paused, his eyes narrowing slightly in thought. "I couldn't make out their features, but it looked like they were making flower crowns and they were saying something about a Flower King."

Autumn and Blaze immediately turned to gaze at Flora, whose eyes were wide in shock. Flora had told them when she visited Jackson and his sister Flee with a native American girl. They had been making clowns for their mother. Mother even said something about Jackson making a crown of flowers, placing it on top of Pitch's head and then galloping away with Night when Pitch began shadowing after them, threaten that he would give them nightmares.

"Flower King?" Blaze soon snorted with a stifled laugh. Blaze still teased Pitch about the name, much to the elder spirit's great annoyance. "I wish I had been there to seen that. It would have been hilarious to see him covered in innocent pretty flowers." Jack soon smiled at the comment, completely unaware they were talking about Pitch Black, Jackson's older brother, and it wasn't long before the two were fighting giggles of childish laughter.

Autumn shook her head at that, wondering how a peaceful training session turned into this. "Oh-my-god," Jack wheezed through bits of laughter as Blaze continued to make comments about what the guy would look like covered in flowers. "I wish I knew who that kid was. He's a genius!" As Blaze and Jack continued to laugh, Flora turned towards her, frowning slightly. Autumn knew what she was thinking; she was thinking the same thing.

Should we tell him about Pitch and his past life before he died? Autumn's frown deepened in worry. If they did tell Jack that Pitch Black was his brother and that Flee was his sister and that the Snow Queen was his mother, would he believe them? He had no memories of them. His mind was trying to help him remember, but without the Tooth Box to fill in the gaps, what more could they do? We would just confuse him even more, more than he already is and then what? Cause him pain? She remembered the tears and the pained look on his face. And it seems the memories alone are starting to cause him pain.

Autumn had to shake the thought, knowing that Flora had come to the same conclusion as well. She was frown sadly, but what more could they do in this situation without causing him pain.

"Flora, Autumn!" The two girls blinked, unaware that Blaze had managed to sober up from his laughing fit and had been trying to get their attention to more pressing matters.

"Yeah?" Flora asked.

"Sorry, what did you say?"

"I was asking if you wanted to return to the castle," Blaze said with a pout. "Sheesh, way to ignore a guy when he's freezing to death." Autumn snorted.

"You are not freezing to death, Blaze." Blaze was, in fact, pretty well bundled up and smiling cheekily at her, while Jack was next to him, snickering softly. Oh, no. She knew that look. What on earth was he planning on doing now?

"Blaze," Autumn said, her voice low in warning, "Don't. You. Dare."

Blaze smiled at her innocently, making Jack's shoulder shake in unsuppressed laughter. "Why sis, you wound me." Blaze placed his hand over his heart with a hurt expression on his face. "How could you possibly think that I would torture and cause mischief to the Sprites while Mother is not even here? I would never do such a thing."

"Not true. You've done it before," Flora deadpanned as Autumn narrowed her eyes slightly in disapproval.

"And besides, we all know what you are capable of. You would mess with the Sprites in a heartbeat." Seriously Blaze could not behave for one day.

"You're right," Blaze smiled and it was then when they realized that Blaze had called the South Wind. "That does sound like something I would do." A warm breeze (that smelled of sand and seawater) filled the room as it swirled around Blaze and Jack, attempting to pull them into the air. Jack shivered at the touch of warm air licking his cool skin, but it wasn't long before the North Wind entered the room, caressing him ever so gently with her cool air and gentle touch.

Blaze laughed as the smell of sand, sea water, pine trees and frost reached his nose. They were all together, all together at last. It was a wonderful feeling, especially since he never liked Old Man Winters. Blaze's grinned widened as he gazed at his sisters. "Meet you back at the castle!" he said before he and Jack were off.

Blaze made sure he held a gloved hand on Jack's arm, steadying him when it seemed he was about to lose balance while riding the North Wind. Looks like those two were going to need more practice, but Jack seemed to be getting the hang of it for the most part. That actually surprised him, considering it had taken him five months before he could even be lifted up by the South Wind. Jack was truly amazing.

"Blaze!"

"Let's hurry," Jack said through bursts of laughter as he felt the West and East Wind answering the calls of their charges. It wasn't long before their sisters were out in the open sky chasing after them.

Blaze could only laugh as he and Jack made their way back to the castle with hot cocoa and mischief planned in their minds.

AN: Blaze is saying, "Hurry up and free me before I freeze to death!"