After ten long years, he was allowed to leave Antarctica. He somewhat didn't want to - he can't fly, so why bother - so when he hadn't anything to do, as a shunned natural not a difficult state to reach, he continued to spend his time in that place. He used the time to practice his powers. His logic is, if he can subdue a storm in Earth's cold hell, so he can outside of it.

He probably would have continued like that, if it wasn't for the North Wind. The wind is, like its siblings of the east, the west and the south, the authority of the season. Well, each wind is choosing the spirit to lead the season. The queens and kings rarely are the leading heralds of a season. Their job is just to keep the spirit societies in check. If anything, they would be overworked to be the heralds as well.

It was quite surprising when the wind choose Jack as the new herald. The winter elementals sure were annoyed. They couldn't understand why the shunned spirit got chosen. The one who can't even fly! The same thoughts had the other elementals. While Nature's word is law for them, the winds couldn't care less. So Jack was chosen as the winter herald. Which meant he could travel the skies again, albeit in a more dependent manner. The wind carries him.

And the winter spirits had to assist him if he asked them to. But unlike the other heralds, Jack tried to avoid calling upon them. One day while doing his job, a century in his spirit-hood, he flew into Sanderson Mansnoozie, also known as the Guardian of Childhood, Sandy. Well, Jack flew into one of Sandy's dream sand clouds and was stuck in it.

After Jack managed to get out of the cloud, he said 'I am sorry that I flew into your cloud... and got stuck.'

To Jack's surprise, the little golden guy replied in a similar way, just that his sand made signs were more fluid in their shape shifts. 'It is okay. I am more surprised that the cloud is physical to you.', he replied. Normally spirits can't touch the clouds. Well, most. Bunny, Katherine and Emily can. And Pitch could. Sandy introduced himself to Jack, before asking, 'And who are you?'

'I am Jack Frost, the herald of Winter.', said Jack. 'It is nice to meet you.'

'Wait, aren't you the spirit shunned by Mother Nature? The one who lost his wings?', asked Sandy.

'Yes...', he replied annoyed and sad. Is this all he will be known for?

'Mind telling me how you managed that?'

Jack reported from his first meeting. From meeting Katherine, her dragging him there and Mother Nature staring into his face. Sandy was surprised he is familiar with Mother Goose. They have a common friend it seems. Not that common friends is unheard of under spirits.

'I doubt Katherine and I are still friends. I haven't seen her in decades.', admitted Jack. 'After my exile was over, I never bothered to reconnect with her or anyone for that matter. After the other winters shunned me, I think Katherine does, too. She's close friends with Mother Nature after all.'

'I doubt that, Jack.', said Sandy. 'Like I said, Katherine told me about you. And asked me to drag you to her if I find you. She wants to reconnect. Gunther, too.'

While they were flying on a cloud to Katherine, the two continued to talk. Sandy decided to take Jack under his wing. Jack knows his language! He has to enjoy this! Being around Jack feels as if he would interact with his late nephew. His company is fun. Just pure, innocent fun. Fun he hadn't had in a long while.

It was Easter 1986. Jack just did his job. Or he tried to. Annoyingly enough, he was attacked by spirits, who like most hate him for being shunned by Emily Jane. Not by any spirits, but other winter spirits. These spirits try to change the North Wind's mind. Instead they just caused the blizzard of the century. One rivaling the storms from Antarctica, they left Jack to handle the blizzard like the cowards they are.

Jack was working on calming down the blizzard, weakening it enough to be just a nasty storm, when he heard a voice yelling, "Oi! What are you doing! Why are you making this blizzard on my holiday!"

Oh, snow balls, he pissed off the Easter Bunny. According to Sandy, he has quite the temper. Jack send him his signs.

"Oh? Like Sandy's signs? Oi, you have no ice wings!", muttered the Easter Bunny. "Oh, your the mute spirit whose shunned by Mother Nature!"

'Is this the only thing I am known for?'

Jack flew down. The storm was in a state that it would become weaker on its own.

'Yes, that's me...'

The Easter Bunny then attacked Jack, leaping into the air. Jack was dodging. 'Looks like talking doesn't work on that cotton tail.'

When Bunny started to throw his boomerang, Jack conjured a bow and arrows from ice. He learned this trick in Antarctica. It came natural to him, as if he had done it in a past life. Maybe he had. How could he know, he doesn't remember it.

The first arrow splintered the boomerang, the second pushed Bunny away from Jack, who used the distance created between them to leave. The storm will fizzle out on his own.

Unbeknownst to both of them, they were watched by a tall dark figure. Albeit he mainly had his eyes on Jack.

"Archery? An interesting choice."

Jack was talking to Katherine, like many days after Sandy reintroduced Jack to her. Katherine was shocked to learn he lost his wings and got exiled to Antarctica, but excited that he got chosen by the North Wind. But that hadn't been a topic of their talks for a while. Right now, sitting at Jack's lake, they talked about Mother Nature.

"Listen, Jack. We need to figure out what Emily's problem is with you. It makes no sense that she dislikes you after barely meeting you.", said Katherine. "I know she favors her spring spirits, but not so much to automatically hate you winter seasonals."

'Katherine, this is a terrible idea.', argued Jack, 'You don't have to risk your friendship with Mother Nature for me. Don't jeopardize this.'

"Oh, Jack! I actually don't care that much about my friendship to Emily.", admitted Katherine. "Especially when she acts like a capital B with an itch."

'Did you just call her a-'

He was interrupted by Katherine, "Sandy comes!" She pointed into the sky. The north lights up and glowing, barely hiding Sandy's own shine. When Sandy's sand air plane was on the ground, Katherine asked, "The North Lights. Aren't you supposed to be at the North Pole?"

'I was at the North Pole. Listen, you two. Pitch Black is back. To fight him, Man in the Moon choose a new Guardian of Childhood.', informed them Sandy. 'He choose you, Jack.', he signed while looking to Jack.

'Me? But why?', asked the herald.

'You control winter, you are powerful. At least I assume this is his reason. You may not think of yourself like that, but you are dutiful, you never fail your season despite everything. A good trait for a guardian.', replied Sandy. The guardian of dreams saw Katherine pouting. 'Katherine, are you seriously angry you weren't chosen?'

"I hang out so much with you guys, and help you, I am a bit surprised I am not chosen.", she argued. "I am literally called the unofficial Guardian of Imagination."

'Fair point.', agreed Sandy. 'Now, Jack. I know you aren't a fan of Bunny and the Man in the Moon, but-'

'Relax, I help. But only because of you.', agreed Jack. 'You helped me, now I help you.'

"Here I thought you actually care about humanity.", said Katherine mockingly.

Jack rolled his eyes, 'I do. Sandy, to be clear, I help you with Pitch, but I will not join the Guardians. In fact, I demand that you keep Bunny away from me.'

"Jack, think about it. Maybe Emily and the others stop to shun you when you're a guardian.", said Katherine.

'After centuries of this crap, I stopped caring if I am shunned or not.', said Jack. 'I have you two, Wind, Moisoi and the Deathlings. I am fine. Now let's go, Sandy.'

"I constantly forget you have befriended the Deathlings and Moisoi.", said Katherine. "But of course, considering Death's hate boner for Mother Nature and the prevalence of illnesses in winter. Well, while you handle Guardian stuff, I visit Father Time."

'Do that.', was said by Sandy and Jack in sync. Both decided to race to the North pole until reaching the pole. Upon arriving at the continent, Jack joined Sandy in his sand contraption. In case any hostile winter spirits see him, Sandy's presence will stop them from anything.

'You know, Jack, Bunny was pissed when man in Moon choose you.', informed him Sandy, 'Said he would prefer the Groundhog.'

'Oh my! Really? If he hates me that much that he would prefer a spirit who more than once hinted at wanting to eat him, should I be honored?', said Jack surprised. He then remembered something. 'Katherine said you and Mother Nature are related, is this true?'

'She's my niece.', revealed Sandy. 'Which is why I am surprised that she shuns you. Emily used to be such a warm person. I guess my brother's destiny shock her to her very core.'

'I didn't know spirits can have a family.'

'And I didn't knew spirits can exist without having a life before becoming one until I met you, Jack.', replied Sandy. 'You see... my brother is Pitch, so...'

'You fought your own brother? Holy snow! That's mental.', said Jack. Fighting your own family must be rough.

'Yeah, but what to do after he got corrupted by the darkness.', said Sandy. 'Jack, just because he is my brother and Emily's father, never hold back on Pitch. Unless he becomes Kozmotis again, but I lost my hope for that.'

'Not holding back! Got it!', agreed Jack.

After all that time he had known Sandy, he wasn't aware of it. And he understands why Sandy may chose not to tell him. This must be hard. When Mother Nature learns Jack fights Pitch, she sure will hate him even more if that is even possible. Like the other Guardian. It is no secret that Emily Jane dislikes the Guardians. But she is somewhat nice to Sandy. Like nature and weather, her feelings are rarely predictable, let alone accurately predictable.

She is, after all, a force of nature in so many ways.

Not that Jack cares. If he lasted centuries with the shunning, so he can spend eternity with it. He is too used to it to care. The same that he is too used to care that barely anyone understands him or that the humans can't see him.

Right now, he just cares to get this over with this, so that he can return to his duty as the winter herald. That reminds him...

Jack conjured an ice bird. He gave it a magical signature with his ice magic, that signature being a message. He sends the bird to Queen Aurore. He'll be busy for a while. Sandy saw this and added his own message.

'To make sure she isn't pissed at you.', added Sandy. 'I know too well Aurore likes to use you as her scapegoat.'

'Queen Aurore will find an excuse to be angry at me.'

The bird flew though the cold of the arctic. Its wings glided on the strong wings, unbothered by the cold. It started to flap its wings when it saw the exterior of Queen Aurore's ice palace. It flew though a window, until it landed on Queen Aurore's throne.

"Oh, a message bird from Jack. What does the brat want now?", she said annoyed.

Her advisor Aurelie said, "He massaged you only thrice, twice in the last century, once the one before that. Don't act as if he spams you, my queen."

"Aurelie!"

"Just read it, sister!"

"Fine!", said the queen. She touched the messenger, two balls of magic appeared. One ice, one golden sand.

"This is weird.", said Aurelie. "This looks like the sandman's sand."

Aurore touched the ice ball. 'I need to transfer my duty to someone else temporarily. I don't know for how long. A friend has an emergency. Are Aurelie, Aurora or Sapphire free? Whitaker if they can't?'

"Since when does he have friends?", asked Aurelie.

Aurore activated the second golden message. 'Sandman here. I need to borrow Jack.'

"Oh! He used friend because we wouldn't believe he's with the Sandman.", stated Aurelie.

"Aurelie, get Aurora and Sapphire. And Yue. I don't trust Whitaker, not after the Titanic incident.", demanded Queen Aurore. "You go with Aurora and Sapphire. Yue will substitute for you in court."

Aurelie left, "I don't get how Jack does it all alone. I need at least two helpers!"

Started: 14th June 2023

Edited: 2nd September 2023

Finished: 21st June 2023

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