Frozen Winter Child

A Rise of the Guardians story

by Maven Alysse

inspired by the RoTG story and death is frozen in my heart by baichan

Frozen Winter Child

When Jack told the others that fateful day at the Tooth Palace that he didn't remember anything before he was Jack Frost, he had not been lying, just not telling the entire truth. Until he got hold of his tooth box, he'd had no memories of his mortal life which was true, but he had always distinctly remembered the eternal-instant that heralded his transition into an immortal life as a spirit. Now with all his memories back in place, he could fill in the missing pieces that had always niggled at him.

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Matthew Jackson Overland felt a moment of pride as he tossed his sister to safety. A brief laugh of relief and joy escaped before the ice collapsed beneath him, plunging him into the freezing water.

Lungs already bereft of air screamed at him as he thrashed wildly, trying to reach a surface that drew farther away with each second.

He could feel his limbs slow as the cold seeped into his muscles, feeling leaden. His heart strained and skipped beats as it tried to pump oxygen that didn't exist. Lungs burned for even the smallest sip of air as he kept his mouth clamped tight, knowing to give in would mean death.

Moonlight streamed in through the hole in the ice, brightening the water in an aura around him, even as his eyesight began to dim.

Time slowed.

It was dark, it was cold, and he was scared.

In the darkness of the water, Matthew thought he saw a shape glide toward him. Cloaked head to toe in black, a scythe in hand, Death approached where he bobbed in the heart of the pond. The imposing figure pause just on the outskirts of the moonlight and Matthew got the impression that both he and the light were being studied and evaluated.

Death reached out his hand and Matthew felt himself pass through the cloak of infinity; forever changed on the other side.

In that instant, all physical discomforts ceased. Lungs quieted, his heart lay still in his chest, and the icy water no longer pricked upon his skin like so many tiny daggers. Strands of hair, once brown but now white, floated in front of eyes that suddenly could see so much better than before. With a feeling of awe, Matthew noted that even through the murky waters he could make out the weave of Death's robes; tiny infinity symbols interlocked with others that represented the end of things.

Death examined him minutely, head tilted the slightest bit, satisfaction apparent in the set of his shoulders.

The tall figure shot a glance upwards and appeared to frown in disapproval before nodding in sharp agitation. With a sense of reluctance and apology, one thin finger brushed the temple of the newly made spirit, clouding memories.

Death retreated into a darkness that even the spirit's eyes couldn't penetrate and he felt a tug on his body as he rose toward the surface.

He didn't notice the wisp of darkness that attached itself to him, where it would dog his heels till the end of days. More importantly, neither did the Moon.

The spirit broke through the ice with an unneeded gasp of breath and he saw the Moon. It was so big, and it was so bright. It seemed to chase the darkness away. And when it did... he wasn't scared anymore. Still rising, 'Jack Frost' echoed through his mind as he stared upward.

He settled down upon the newly repaired ice and wondered why he was there and what he was meant to do.

A touch of frost had him reveling in newly discovered powers. The encounter at the village made him wary of mortals; their passage through him leaving him to gasp for air, feeling like drowning.

And so time passed.

Word count:634

began 12/9/2014

unbetaed