This is my first story in a while, I think what little skill I had before has left me ;-; I might've accidentally butchered the characters as well Dx But I really hope you guys enjoy this little piece. I might write more, but it depends. Please read and review and let me know of any mistakes :D

FanFiction should explain itself.

Jack Frost had never liked the thought of New Years. At least, as far as his immortal life was concerned, as far as his life as the Spirit of Winter was concerned. The North Wind curled around the youthful boy in a protective embrace, reassuring him that everything would be fine. Even when he could sense Mother Nature approaching the lake he laid upon. Only a minutes wait and the black haired woman appeared in a swirl of leaves, pale green dress fluttering wildly before calming around her. She closed the distance between them and lowered down onto her knees to sit upon her ankles. North Wind settled between them, trying to guard the frost child it so eagerly played with everyday. Silence reigned between the spirits until Jack sat up and turned towards Mother Nature, not meeting her eyes. Instead his cerulean irises settled on the simple satchel of white cloth she held in her lap,

"Jackson, congratulations on your guardianship. The Man in the Moon must be proud of you." the woman gave a gentle smile,

"Thanks..." Jack turned his eyes upward to meet hers, "I'll leave for the South Pole soon."

"You're not performing the ritual at North's?"

"Nah, Rapunzel's always the main act. Don't want to steal the spotlight from her." he let out a hollow chuckle,

"She requested me to allow you to perform with her. Even Eugene is hoping you'll accept." Jack merely looked back down at the bag, "The other guardians might even enjoy it." she tilted her head to look into Jack's eyes, but the boy shook his head,

"No." Jack said firmly, opening his mouth to say more but a sudden vibration from the ground stopped him. It grew more intense until the ground caved into a hole on the shore of the lake. A pair of long ears poked out before Bunny hopped up onto solid ground,

"Dang it Frostbite! Why you gotta make it so bloody cold!" the Pooka turned, his forest green eyes spotting the pair sitting on the frozen lake staring at him. Bunny immediately recognized Mother Nature, "What'd ya do now?!"

"What makes you think I did anything, ya stupid kangaroo?!" Jack waved his staff around but remained seated,

"Bunnymund, Jackson." the female's piercing voice cut the two off and she turned towards the winter spirit, "Do whatever you feel most comfortable with, but there is no shame in these rituals Jackson. They keep the world balanced." Mother Nature continued in Gaelic, lifting the bag towards the white haired boy who, with some hesitance, accepted it,

"I don't want them to see this side of Winter. I don't want anyone to see this side of me..." Jack's Gaelic wasn't as smooth as Mother Nature's but still served the purpose of keeping the conversation private,

"They care about you, as does the Man in the Moon." she stood and waited for Jack to join her, "It is time to heal, Jackson." a hand reached forward but stopped when Jack flinched away. Once her hand was by her side, a whirlwind of leaves descended and Mother Nature disappeared from sight. Jack shrugged the bag over his head to hang on his shoulder like a messenger bag. The winter spirit twirled his staff and walked towards an uncertain Bunny with one big foot testing the ice. A confident smirk in place and a mischievous glint in his eyes to mask the tense conversation of before,

"So, Cotton Tail, what brings you to my humble abode?" Jack tapped his staff against the frozen lake. Frost began to creep silently towards Bunny's foot and the large rabbit stumbled back,

"North sent me," Bunny glared at the boy, "He wants me ta drag ya back to the pole since ya didn' show for the Christmas party, mate." Bunny's eyes turned towards the bag, "What'd Mother want?"

"He sent you just to lecture me for missing a little get together." Jack turned and began to glide across the ice absently, "That seems a bit much, even for North." he chuckled,

"Nah, mate. He wants me ta tie ya down so you don' skip out on the New Year's Bash. Tooth spent months plan'n and prep'n. And ya never answered my question, Frostbite." Bunny cursed slightly as he slipped on the ice and nearly did a split, not noticing how Jack paused in his track around the lake,

"New Year's Bash...?" Jack pointedly ignored Bunny's last question, "Sorry, no invite." He continued to skate farther from dry land and Bunny,

"Yer a guardian now, kid! Shouldn' it be obvious or are ya that much of a drongo?" Bunny finally managed to set both feet on the slick ice without toppling over, "Now get yer skinny arse over here!"

"Haha, sorry Kangaroo! Got plans already! I'm a popular guy, places to be, people to see." Jack chuckled,

"Oh don't give me tha' bull-" before Bunny could finish, Jack was swept into the sky by the North Wind, and the Pooka's feet slipped out from under him with a yelp. The boy let out a joyous laugh as Bunny hit the ice hard on his back,

"Don't worry Kangaroo, I'll be back soon. Try not to miss me!"

"FROSTBITE!" Bunny's yell echoed behind Jack as the wind tossed him higher into the sky, lifting him above the clouds and towards the upper atmosphere. Suddenly, Jack's task seemed just a bit heavier.

Jack spent the rest of the day in New Zealand, sitting under a waterfall and by sundown, was on his way towards Antarctica. The North Wind remained silent but continued to embrace the snowy haired boy, soothing him in ways only it could. Jack closed his eyes and simply let the wind pull him along through the starlit night. His mind listed what had to be done for the seemingly hundredth time that day: Meet with Mother Nature to inquire about any changes, if necessary. Receive the ceremonial robes from Mother Nature. Cleanse his body. Arrive at the ritual location of his choice. Cleanse the area. Meditate. Perform. Rest. This ceremony, performed only at the end of each year, was one of his lesser known duties as the Spirit of Winter, and he intended it to remain a secret, even to those who he hoped he would be able to call his friends in the near future. The North Wind whispered in his ear and Jack begrudgingly turned to face the icy mountains beneath him. A clearing of blue tinted ice came into view. Nestled within the protective barriers of miles of pure ice and snow. The plain was located directly in the center of Antarctica. It had taken Jack years to sculpt the land into his private studio, a stage to perform and walls to keep from prying eyes or other disturbances. He landed on the edge of his round stage, a perfect mile length in diameter. The North Wind circled around waiting for its ward to commence the ritual that was needed. Jack observed the circle, it was untouched by animals, humans, and spirits alike. The boy sighed, propping his staff against the glacier like wall and lifted his blue hoodie over his head, letting it drop to the snow as he began to strip the rest of his clothing. The cold barely sent a chill through his bare body, as only the Spirit of Winter himself could stand to be in such temperatures. From the satchel he produced a pair black leggings. Elegant silver stitching spiraled its way up the leggings, reminiscent of his own frost designs. They were low on his hips and left his feet bare, as he preferred. Next came a black robe-like tunic. A wide collar showed his ghostly pale collar bones and neck but a hood ending in a point at mid back hid most of his white hair save for a single, stubborn lock that stuck up. The full length sleeves clung to his upper arms then began to gently drape into cloth going past his knees. The body of the tunic stopped at mid thigh with a comfortable fitted style. Silver stitching made itself known again by winding around the edges of the sleeves and hood, going down the side of the tunic. Finally, full length black gloves that started with a silver ring on the middle finger of each hand. Jack stuffed his clothes into the satchel and set it aside to gently pick up his shepards hook, beginning to walk around the edge of the snow covered plain, his bare feet not making a sound nor leaving a print. His hand traced the wall, tracing the ancient runic carvings he had done so long ago and infusing some of his own magic to purify the area of any unwanted residue. Satisfied that nothing was amiss, the spirit boy started towards the middle of the circle where he perched upon his staff cross legged and closed his eyes. If he was to do the ritual properly then he had to clear his mind. The North Wind settled around him contently, the East Wind lazily spiraled in the sky above, the South Wind winding through the titanic mountains of ice, and the West Wind just arriving. An hour to midnight of New Years's Eve, was the official beginning of the ceremony. Jack couldn't help but wonder if his family, the one he barely remembered, had come through here. Had they recognized him in the midst of the ritual? Did they even notice him? They had passed so long ago, he couldn't remember if any particular souls had intentionally sought him out during his performance. It troubled him to no end, the thought of ferrying his own family to the afterlife. And with the Man in the Moon above him, shining bright, as his only audience and the four great winds as his assistants Jack Frost began his dance of death; the Ritual of Night.

Staff laid horizontally at his feet, facing north, Jack raised his left arm and turned his head to look westward,

"Hail, Guardian of the Watch Tower of the West. Elemental of Water. I call upon you to gather here with me, in perfect love and perfect trust." The West Wind quickly descended and wrapped around Jack in greeting.

The Spirit of Winter held both arms straight up with his gaze towards the sky, "Hail, Guardian of the Watch Tower of the South. Elemental of Fire. I call upon you to gather here with me, in perfect love and perfect trust." The South Wind also dove down to greet the boy and began to circle him with the West Wind.

Jack brought his gaze to the East with only his right arm raised, "Hail, Guardian of the Watch Tower of the East. Elemental of Air. I call upon you to gather here with me, in perfect love and perfect trust." The East Wind rushed forth and joined its brothers surrounding the boy.

Eyes to the North and both arms raised in front of him, "Hail, Guardian of the Watch Tower of the North. Elemental of Earth. I call upon you to gather here with me, in perfect love and perfect trust." Finally the North Wind joined and curled itself tightest around Jack, who couldn't help but to close his eyes for a moment and smile softly as the winds caressed him like a long lost friend. It was the East Wind who lifted his staff up so Jack could grab it and in one swift move he took one step forward and spun on his heel. The four winds flew upwards and out to form a barrier around the plain. Jack continued to move his limbs in graceful arcs. His feet glided across the ice, staff twirling in his hands, long legs spinning his lithe body and bounding across the surface. Spectral lights began to appear on the horizon, growing brighter as they sped towards the Spirit of Winter, his calling being heard around the world. The winds let the souls of the deceased pass through without harm and soon the night sky was alight with a ghostly pallet of colors. Jack danced, his eyes closed, concentrating on the movements he had performed for hundreds of years. A song of mourning and sorrow, of laughter and peace began. Jack's body began to move faster in response. His feet moving and stopping at precise angles, knees bending in accordance, hips swaying, arms stretching and curling with trained flexibility. Apparitions would flicker into being for a spare moment; musicians of various instruments playing in tune, voices of all ages joined in a chorus of the dead, harmonizing and swaying to a song only they knew. The winds began to circle faster into a cyclone, welcoming souls into their embraces but letting none escape. Jack leapt and spun, glided and swayed to the dead's song, summoning more onto his stage, each one adding their own part to the melody that grew louder. The pillar of lights ascended far into the sky and child's laughter was heard while their apparitions appeared on the surface of the ice, dancing with the one who summoned them for one last game. Jack balanced on one leg with his other bent close to his thigh. His hands spinning the staff straight above him when the wood began to glow an eerie pale blue. The inside of the hook began to ice over in thick layers, shooting outward into a frosted curved blade, a scythe befitting the Winter King. Another crescendo of music and Jack began his lethal dance anew, black cloth flowing with his movements. The souls stretched themselves into threads, the winds guiding them downwards towards the youth. The scythe of ice cut through the threads and they immediately faded away, their ties to the earth being severed, allowing them to move on in peace. The millions of threads waltzed with the winds, their burdens and shackles being cut free with every move the white haired boy made. The song began to fade with the threads, its composers thinning away. The winds lessened now that their prisoners were disappearing. The hood and sleeves of his tunic flowed with the Spirit of Winter, his scythe continuing to free the condemned, his feet continuing to move with an ethereal grace so few possessed. One last gliding spin across his stage brought Jack down onto one knee, his scythe held before him with crossed arms. He awoke from his trance, scanning the area for any renegade spirits. Seeing none, he fell to the ground panting heavily and the four winds rushed to his side,

"I'm fine." He smiled sincerely, raising his hand to caress the West Wind, "Rapunzel's ceremony will be starting soon. You guys don't want to be late." Jack fell back into the snow, blue eyes looking straight towards the sky that was now devoid of the once unearthly colors. Closing his eyes he began to recite the last words:

"I thank thee, Guardian of the Watch Tower of the West, for your protection. Go now in Peace." The West Wind nuzzled against his lax body before shooting towards the North Pole,

"I thank thee, Guardian of the Watch Tower of the South, for your protection. Go now in Peace." South Wind hesitated but followed its brother to the north,

"I thank thee, Guardian of the Watch Tower of the East, for your protection. Go now in Peace." East Wind ruffled his hair then took its leave of the boy,

"I thank thee, Guardian of the Watch Tower of the North, for your protection. Go now in Peace." North Wind remained curled around Jack protectively, "I'll be fine resting here by myself." snowy locks moved slightly when the North Wind merely curled tighter but soon it heard its own summons. Whispering promises to come back soon, the wind left him laying in the soft snow. It was time to rest and let the natural energy flowing in the ice surround him. With a soft sigh, Jack drifted into slumber, letting the frosted scythe crumble to pieces so only the wooden staff remained. The Ritual of Night was complete.

Notes:

To me, Life and Death just don't seem to fit into a persona, they feel more like concepts that automatically happen with no control what so ever.

I decided to make the seasonal spirits the four animated teens we all love:

Rapunzel & her assistants; Eugene, Maximus, and Pascal (Tangled): Spring, she also performs the Ritual of Day. It calls forth new life into the earth and she performs at the North Pole in front of all the attending spirits. Its often seen as the main event and happens at midnight on New Years Day.

Hiccup+Toothless & their assistants; Astrid and Stormfly (How to Train Your Dragon): Summer

Merida & her assistants; Elinor and Angus (Brave): Autumn

Jack Frost as winter, of course. He was created by MiM though, while the others were created by Mother Nature. That's why he doesn't have/need any assistants.

The entire time I was writing this, I was listening to Moonlight - Electric Cello by The Piano Guys. To really get a feel for the dance Jack does, I suggest listening to it. Also, internet cookies for anyone who knows what the Ritual of Night is based off of. I, myself, am a proud member of it :D