The Spirit of Autumn // Jack Frost

Chapter 1

500 years earlier

North was humming to himself, something mixed between 'We wish you a merry Christmas' and 'Jingle Bells'. He was walking calmly through the huge Globe room where the yetis and the elves were attempting to set up for the Christmas annual ball. Every century North held a ball where each of the four guardians and all other spirits would get together for a long night of fun, joy and smiles.

"Phil!" North called. "Where are the Christmas lights!?"

The lead yeti let out a loud string of gibberish before hurrying off to find the Christmas lights. North went back to organizing garland when he felt a soft breeze behind him. He didn't even have to turn around to know who had snuck up on him.

Feather light footsteps that barely made a sound announced the arrival of North's favorite little visitor. He glanced at the windowsill and caught a quick glimpse of the silhouette of the petite figure crouched on the sill ready to pounce like a panther. The next second, the person was off the sill and had disappeared into the rafters of the room like a monkey in a jungle.

"Getting ready early again North?" the person asked in the soft, angelic voice.

"Don't give me that," North remarked in his loud booming voice. "Just promise me that you'll dance with someone other than Tooth and Bunny this year! You're wasting your childhood by avoiding kids your age."

The person snorted as they did a somersault into the air and landed on the ground about ten feet from North, making not a noise as their booted feet touched the ground, "In case you had forgotten, I am permanently stuck in my childhood so there's no wasting it. Besides, Tooth and Bunny are the only ones besides you and Sandy I can dance with without getting an invitation to flirt."

"And what is wrong with that?" North insisted. "You're young.... forgive me... frozen in your youth and you are determined to stay single."
"I'm not determined... I just haven't found the right person yet," the person replied.

"Well do me a favor and at least enjoy yourself at the ball?"

There was a long pause before the person slowly came out of the shadows. All North could see of the familiar person was her hands and legs. The girl was petite even though she was frozen at the age of sixteen. She had long, slender legs, slender arms and perfectly feminine fingers but nothing about her screamed GIRL! In many respects, she looked feminine to the backbone... but once you took a good look at her penetrating amber eyes and the way she held herself, you could tell that she was tough.

Other than the long dark brown cloak that she wore with the hood up, concealing most of her body, North could plainly see the thigh high leather boots that she wore that were laced up the front. Her slender, delicate but strong hands were visible beneath the cloak, both hands garbed in black leather gloves who's fingertips had been cut off on purpose to give her more freedom. On her back rested a huge crossbow and at her hip, a quiver full of arrows, each feathered with a different color feather.

"That's actually what I came to talk to you about," the girl whispered.

North cocked his head to the side, "Don't tell me you're going to crash the party again."

The girl shook her head, "I... I can't attend the ball North..."

North stopped in his work and turned to consider the cloaked figure, "That is unlike you Scarlett. What happened?"

The girl shifted on her feet nervously and sighed. "I'm.... I'm leaving the gang North."

If North had been shocked before, he was horrified now. He dropped an armful of garland he had been putting up, only for it to fall on top of three elves who were practically squashed between the greenery.

"Yo...You're kidding right?" North insisted, turning to look at the girl in shock. "You cannot leave the gang! Sandy and Bunny will have my head! Tooth will go frantic too!"
The girl slowly shook her head, "I have to leave North. It's for the best of the team if I do now."
"What has that got to do with it?" North insisted. "You're the core of the big five! Do you realize that the only reason Bunny smiles nowadays is because you are here? You are the only one who understands Sandy 100%. You're practically Tooth's little sister and the elves and the yetis will die if you leave! Why would you even think of leaving?"

"Because I'm suffering North!" Scarlett snapped, bringing silence to the room.

North sighed heavily and placed his huge hands on Scarlett's cloaked shoulders, dwarfing the girl with his size, "Is this because no one can see you?"

Scarlett shook her head, "I couldn't care less if no one saw me... just as long as you guys did, and people are happy with my work... but that's not it."

North paused before he felt tears prick his big eyes. He knew the answer now just by how Scarlett's shoulders slumped. "It's because of Adrian isn't it?"

Scarlett didn't reply but when she turned her head to the side to avoid North's eyes, North knew that was the case.

"I understand," North whispered. "But where will you go?"

Scarlett sighed. "Somewhere where I don't have to see them at the beginning of my rounds."

North sighed heavily and slumped, "What will I tell the others?"

Scarlett smiled and held out a thick envelope, "Give this to them. In it I explain why I'm doing this and my own personal farewell to them."

North looked at the girl a long time before reaching over and engulfing the petite girl in a massive hug. He felt tears prick his eyes, but he didn't know if Scarlett had any but from the way her shoulders slightly shook, he suspected she did.

"When will you return?" he whispered.

Scarlett shook her head as he released her, "Who knows. A few decades... maybe a few centuries who knows... I just need to make sure that when I come back, I can return to my work as a guardian and a spirit without getting distracted by my one-sided feelings."

North wiped the tears from his eyes with his large hand as he sniffled. "Take care of yourself Scarlett."

The girl smiled and gave him a quick hug before heading to the window. As she passed the elves, she jingled their bells as they gave her long mournful looks. She gave each of the yetis a large hug before jumping lightly to the high windowsill. North never forgot the sight of the girl's cloaked silhouette in the windowsill. For 800 long years that image was imprinted in his mind, alongside all the memories he held of the sweet little girl that had once been the most important guardian.

"Goodbye North," the girl whispered before jumping out the window... disappearing.

North finally let the tears flow and Phil walked over to envelope the man in a hug. "Goodbye... Scarlett Autumn."