Gale of Memories

Chapter 7: First Immortal

Chapter 7: First Immortal

"That's going to take some getting used to..." Bunny looked a little ill as he tried not to focus on the fact that they were rather high up off the ground.

"Look! What's that?" North pointed to an odd golden glow on the horizon.

Jack smiled as he recognized the memory. Sandy grinned, too.

"Hm? Wind, what'dya think that is?" Frost tilted his head as he listened to his friend. "You think we should go see? All right!" He laughed as the wind threw him around, towards the odd glow.

He saw a cloud of the golden sand, and atop it was a small golden man. "Woah! Who're you?!" He wondered aloud, not expecting any sort of answer. The Guardians could clearly see the shock written all over his face when the Sanderson's head turned in his direction and looked at him. Frost was so shocked that he lost his balance and crash landed into a snowdrift.

"Were you okay?!" Tooth fretted.

"Relax, Tooth. I was perfectly fine. It's not like that was my first crash-landing." Jack rolled his eyes.

Sanderson, however, was equally surprised by the winter spirit's call, and flew down to make sure he was okay.

"H-hello. Can... can you see me?" The Guardians winced at the question, the young girl from the previous memory echoed in their minds. Sanderson nodded.

"You can?! Really?!" Frost's smile was as bright as sunlight reflecting off the snow, and Tooth held up about as well as can be expected. "My name's Jack! Jack Frost! And I'm the Spirit of Winter! Who're you?"

Sanderson smiled as he spelled his name out in sand above his head. So this was the new spirit everybody was talking about. He was so young. He looked just like a child.

"Sandy? The sandman? Oh! I've heard of you! The kids talk about you all the time! So you give people dreams? That's so cool! Hey! Umm... Can you..." Frost fidgeted, as his earlier enthusiasm faded, worrying the Guardians. "Can you tell me what I am? Why people can't see me?"

"Guardians..." MiM's voice made them jump. "Jack is 35 in this memory."

"Wait, you were thirty-five, and you still didn't know what you were?" Bunny asked in disbelief.

"Well, it's not like there's a welcoming committee handing out brochures with an introduction to the Spirit World or anything." Jack crossed his arms.

Sanderson sighed and gestured for Frost to climb aboard his Dreamcloud.

He tilted his head, but did as told. "Can't you talk?" Sanderson shook his head, and held his finger up to his lips. "Oh, you're mute?" He nodded.

Sanderson spent the next hour explaining as best he could that they were immortal spirits and that they could only be seen by children who believed. He was pleasantly surprised that the winter spirit was adept at deciphering his symbols, and treated it like a game.

"So what do I have to do to be believed in?" Frost asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"You were so excited." North observed.

"Well, yeah. Aside from Wind, and a few dying people, this was my first conversation. Ever." Jack informed the horrified group. Sandy just smiled sadly. He'd expected as such.

Sanderson smiled sadly and shook his head. "You don't know?" He sighed, dejected. Sanderson frowned for a moment, before he waved to get Jack's attention. He then started explaining his idea to the boy. "Y-you'd really do that?! For me?" Frost grinned. "Do you think it'll work? Giving kids dreams about me? Do ya think that'll make them see me?!" He lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. It pained the Guardians, who knew it would be nearly three centuries before his wish would come true.