Secret of Frost and Moon

To Believe, To See

Alaia Skyhawk: Well if I was going to have any particular chapter to put up today (Other than Part 2 of Kindness of Strangers in my Merlin fic, which I'll put up later on), it had to be this one. Cuteness, joy, and sibling fluffiness.

And if any of you have the soundtrack for the film, I wrote this while listening to "Jamie Believes". I highliy suggest you have it playing while you read this :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Rise of the Guardians, the Guardians of Childhood, or any related characters etc. This story is written purely for entertainment purposes.

~(-)~

Chapter 5: To Believe, To See

It was several weeks later, in the dead of night, that Jack felt the pull of winter's impending arrival. He smiled as he rose up from the banks of the pond and into the winds, knowing that what will seem a short journey to him will in fact take him around the entire north of the world. Past China, Russia, Europe, and then home to America.

He wasn't going to linger in each region like the other Seasonal Spirits did, his plan was all about speed. He need only shepherd winter into place, then let it settle in each region at the pace suited to them. He could then spend the nights as Emily slept, flying to deal with whatever avalanches the winds told him he needed to go sort out. The rest of his time, would be his.

With a laugh he swept up into the sky, blasting westwards seeding the first snowclouds in his wake while winter trailed his passage like a great cloak of cool air which would lace the edges of everything with a thin layer of frost. The lands he passed were just a blur to his eyes, and he cared little if his fellow Spirits thought he was being reckless or foolish. He didn't care what they thought of him, not in the slightest in fact. He was himself, and no-one could say he had to have the same stuck-in-a-rut attitude as they did. Spring may have gossiped with Summer after discovering the trace of his power, Autumn may have been told by Summer, but Oisin's almost casual dismissal of clinging to any kind of human concern chilled Jack in a way that ice never would. Something in him refused to become like that, and he would never let that part of him be broken.

Jack grinned, revelling in the speed of the wind and the first snows he was leaving upon the higher slopes and plateaus as he passed over them. Soon he was catching up with the dawn, passed it, and then was racing ahead of it as he swept across the Atlantic Ocean... And then he was back where he belonged, drifting down to land upon a pond which became covered with it's first thin film of winter ice the moment he touched it. Around him, a trace of dusty snow lay scattered upon ground and tree, and his smile softened.

The time had come for him to approach his sister.

He flew to the village, and watched as Emily, a year older and bigger than that day on the ice, came out of his family's cabin to collect wood from the pile out back. He changed position on the roof so that he could watch her, wary of the closeness of other children and adults who were coming out of homes to start the new day.

Jack bided his time, knowing he had to wait until she'd finished her chores and would be allowed to go play. Luring her away from the village before then, would only get her into trouble. So he remained on the roof, patiently watching. But then, before he could make any move, one of Emily's friends, Claire, rushed up to the cabin shouting.

"Emily! Emily, can you come play yet? Me and Albert have finished our chores!"

Emily came to the door of the cabin, smiling.

"I just have to finish sweeping."

Jack felt like he'd been punched in the gut, as hope shattered into disappointment and frustration. He then watched as his sister came out of the cabin a few minutes later, and followed her friend to where several other children were taking turns to use the rope-swings hanging from one of the big trees at the village's edge.