King of Winter?!

Final Preparations

Evening and morning blurred together in a swirl of darkness and snow. The only indicator that night had transitioned to morning was that the black sky turned a cool gray. No one had gotten much sleep; they were either too busy or too worried to bother trying to.

The only one who seemed to be at his normal level of energy was Jack Frost, but today all of his attention was focused solely on preparations for the arrival of Mother Nature and the Solstice Ceremony. He was once again dressed in his hoodie and slacks, since it was more of a "workday" for him than just delegating the other sprites.

The teen royal rarely had both feet on the ground, always flying from one direction to the next. Several times the other guests saw him fly out into the middle of the storm and reappear a few hours later. It was Bunny who finally stopped him to ask why he kept going back and forth.

"I still have a lot of snow to spread " he panted, eyes not entirely focused on the Easter spirit, "Not to mention I have to keep the glaciers on track, and, of course, the blizzards choose today of all days to be obstinate. Their worse than mules, goats, and rams combined, I swear!"

Even though his staff was the shape of shepherd's crook, Bunny sometimes forgot that Jack had been a shepherd in his life before he was a spirit. The kid never went into the details about how he got chosen, only that he lived in colonial times and helped in his father's occupation. It certainly explained the large number of ice sheep and other herd animals not typically associated with winter.

Jack rubbed a hand through his bangs, "Sorry, I shouldn't unload all of that on you, Roo. I'm just really busy right now."

"No worries, mate. Just remember to take a breather every now and then. It's a marathon, not a sprint."

Jack smiled with weary eyes, "I will. Thanks, Bunny. I gotta go now, so I'll see you around."

Aster waved as the winter king flitted off down another hall, barking orders as he went. He had really judged the kid wrong. All of this time he thought the boy was nothing more than a sprite wanting to cause trouble, but now he could see that Frost had a lot of weight on his shoulders. Controlling a season as volatile as winter was no laughing matter, and Jack was still an infant as far as his age was concerned.

What was Manny thinking when he added Guardianship to Frostbite's list? Bunny thought as he went to find some way to help.

"Jackie, slow down. Yer flurrying ag'in," Merida piped up as her little brother flew past, a small cloud of steadily falling snow hovering over him.

Jack groaned and waved his hands frantically above his head, dispersing it, only to notice his hands covered in a thin layer of frost. His powers always grew and became harder to control as the Winter Solstice approached.

"Thanks for telling me. Can't stick around though. Bye!" he chirped and rocketed back outside into the ever growing snowstorm. More snow was needed in quadrants five, thirty, and two hundred seventeen. Mother certainly wanted it to be a long winter this year.

His body was fueled with energy, like his instincts knew that a change was close, and it was agonizing having to wait on pins and needles to get it over with. At least he had his job to keep his attention occupied and the Wind for company.

But even though he felt hyperactive, his mind felt heavy, as though all of the built-up energy was just a buzz of adrenaline after not getting enough sleep. He knew that once the high fell, he would crash and crash hard.

For once in his immortal life, Jack payed the other spirits and humans no mind as he focused solely on his job. He couldn't help but be thankful for the guardians and his siblings. Even though they couldn't help much when it came to the technical side, their support alone gave him a much needed boost.

And he needed all of the support he could get with Mother Nature coming to the Winter Palace tomorrow morning. Anything less than perfection would be met with a steely, evaluating gaze that would bare down on the unlucky soul, which would be him if he didn't get everything right.

   Jack Frost lightly touched down in a snow-covered forest somewhere in Germany. Puffs of icy breath escaped his lips and as he leaned against a tree, its bark immediately covered in a blanket of ice. He was so tired. Too tired, now that he thought it. He should never be this exhausted in the middle of his season, but he felt as though he could have gone to sleep right then and there. Knowing that he very well could, he pushed himself up and aware from the tree, gripping his staff for support.

   "Come on, Frost," he chided himself, "don't be such a pansy. Finish strong."

   The Wind curled around him comfortingly, ready to help in any way. A smile that would make tooth fairies everywhere faint grew across his face as he closed his eyes and welcomed the embrace of his oldest and dearest friend.

    Jack created a small dusting of frost out into the open air, and the Wind took it, allowing it to take the form of an elf girl with large, almost feathery wings. This was the image Wind always took whenever he wanted to see her. She couldn't speak, but she could still get her point across.

   The manifestation hugged Jack around his middle and curled her wings around them both, secretly wishing she could protect him from all of the troubles that plagued her favorite spirit and only rider.

   Wind pulled away and cupped a hand to his cheek, pupil-less eyes stared into winter blues, and a soft smile graced her features. But little by little the frost that made up her body faded out into the open air.

   "Thank you, Wind," Jack whispered, "Let's head back to the palace. I think we're done for the day."

     He could feel her joy as she whipped around him and lifted into the air with practiced ease. But she did pretend to drop him once or twice, because where was the fun in a smooth ride?

   When Jack arrived in Antarctica, he found everyone waiting for him at his usual drop-zone. The Guardians and Seasonals gathered around him as bare feet touched solid ice.

   "Think you got everything covered?" Hiccup asked, noticing the way his "little brother" was leaning on his staff more heavily than usual.

   "Yeah, I think we're all set. Just have to make it through tonight...and tomorrow. But then I'll be all set!"

   "Good news!" North bellowed and patted his belly, "Then now ve celebrate! A feast for a job vell done!"

   Jack rolled his eyes fondly as he tracked behind the the Guardian of Wonder. A comfortable night with friends sounded like the perfect brain break, but he knew he wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight.

   Because if he did, he might not wake up.