Disclaimer: I don't own Rise of the Guardians in any way shape or form.

Chapter 1 - A spirit is born!

It was the night of the full moon and he was shining down brighter than he had done in years. The boy, Jackson Overland, had died. It was a sad fact and it was long, long before his time. The moon saw him, saw potential in him and had been watching him throughout his whole life. He chose this Jackson Overland to be an immortal spirit and gifted him with the power to make snow and bring winter everywhere he went. He brought him up from the frozen lake and the ice reformed under him. He watched as the boy stared at him, his hair had turned from brown to white in the water. He saw the boy pick up a shepherds crook that was lying on the nearby ice. 'This boy' he thought to himself. 'This boy will be a guardian.'

The moon spoke to the boy, it was the only time the moon would speak to the boy for centuries to come. "Jack Frost" He said. That was all he said. That simple name. He didn't tell the boy why he had chosen him and he didn't tell the boy his purpose.

The boy, Jack, found that with this shepherds crook he could make ice and frost. He proceeded to layer the pond with a thin layer of beautiful frost that took a pattern, similar to a ferns leaves. He smiled and laughed. He then put a thin layer of frost on two of the trees surrounding him. Then he jumped. He was caught in the wind, something he wasn't expecting. He soon righted himself though and landed in a tree. He saw lights of a village and jumped to them he and found that he could control the wind, to a certain degree. He landed in the village of Burgess. This, although he didn't know it, was the village he had lived in. He attempted to talk to a passing stranger but was ignored. He bent on the ground to talk to a small child but to his astonishment he ran right through him. That was not a feeling he liked. And then he was walked through by a few of the adults in the village.

"It's because they don't believe in you" A voice said from the shadows.
"What? Who said that?" Jack asked. The man who spoke showed himself. He had grey skin and hair as black as the night. "Who are you?" Jack asked, clutching the staff.
"I am Pitch Black." The man said. He waited for a response from the boy in front of him but when he got none he prompted him, "and you are..?"
"Jack Frost." Jack told him. "So, these people can't see me because they don't believe in me?"
"Exactly." Pitch said, watching the boy's expression become confused. "Right. Do you know who the Easter Bunny is?" Pitch asked, trying to explain it to Jack as best as he could.
"The Easter Bunny isn't real" Jack said. "Nor is Santa Clause or the Boogeyman" he said, guessing that Pitch would ask him about them next.
"Oh, now that hurt!" Pitch said. Jack looked at him confused. "I'm the Boogeyman"
"You don't look very... scary." Jack said.
"I'm in a good mood." Pitch responded flatly. Trying not to get angry at the boy. His plan wouldn't work if the boy ran away.
"Okay, so you want me to believe that you're the Boogeyman?" Jack asked. Pitch looked at him. He didn't have an expression and Jack found that a little creepy. "Prove it!" Jack said. Pitch smiled and gestured for Jack to follow him. He did.

They stopped outside a house and Pitch tried the door. It was unlocked. He walked through and Jack followed. He went up the stairs and opened a door. The room belonged to a little girl. She was asleep in her bed and Jack noticed the golden shapes hovering above her head.
"What are they?" Jack asked, pointing at the shapes.
"A dream" Pitch said. "Now watch."

He touched the golden dream and the sand darkened to brown and then again to a colour that was almost black. It changed in shape to a horse, a mare to be precise. She had glowing orange eyes. Pitch cursed as he realized that she wasn't black, explaining that he hadn't yet perfected it. Jack watched as the child writhed in fear from the nightmare.
"Do you believe me now?" Pitch asked.
"Yeah, I believe you." Jack said. The pair of them left the house again and started walking.

"So, do they believe in you?" Jack asked Pitch.
"No." Pitch said. "I get walked through too." He managed to keep his face blank and his voice constant.
"Oh"
"But, if we work together they will believe in both of us!" He exclaimed.
"What do you mean?"
"Think about it Jack. What goes together better than cold and dark?" Pitch was really hoping that Jack would join him. He watched Jack carefully as the two of them walked.
"So what?" Jack asked. "You want me to join you?" He was confused but didn't see why he shouldn't join the man.
"Yes." Pitch said. They had reached the lake now and continued walking beyond it, further into the woods. "But" Pitch said, suddenly stopping. Jack turned to look at him, his expression silently asking Pitch to continue. "If you do join me, you'll have to go by my rules."
"Which are...?" Jack asked. He leaned on his staff.

Pitch started walking again as he explained them. "No going out when the moon is out and no socialising with any other spirits. Especially the Guardians." He practically spat the last word. Then he realized that Jack didn't know who the Guardians were. "The Guardians are Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and the Sandman." He looked at Jack. "So, what do you say?" Jack thought about it for a moment.
"Okay." He said. "I'll join you Pitch Black."

They arrived at the broken bed frame a few minutes later. Jack looked at it and then noticed the hole that was under it. Pitch jumped down. Jack jumped after him. He walked through the tunnel and emerged in a room with a globe in it. The globe was adorned by lights that would occasionally die only for a new one to take it's place somewhere else.
"Where are we?" Jack asked.
"Under Venice." Pitch told him. "Welcome to my Palace!"
"How are we? How is it even possible for us to be in Italy? We were just in America right? And what do you mean Palace?"
"I am the Nightmare King" Pitch told him with a smile on his face, ignoring the other questions. "And you will be the Ice Prince."
"Hey!" Jack protested. "Why am I a prince while you get to be a king?"
"Because," Pitch said. "I make the rules." He found the expression of annoyance on the teenagers face amusing.

Jack walked over to the globe and looked at the lights while Pitch watched him. Jack figured out that the lights symbolised people but he wasn't sure which people he symbolised. He was pondering this when Pitch showed up behind him.
"Each of those lights is a child who believes in the Guardians." He explained. He looked at them with disgust. Jack nodded, he made a mental note to himself that lights were bad.

Pitch showed him to one of the many spare rooms in his palace, the largest one and the one that was closest to Pitch's own room. "This will be your room." He told the teenager. He left Jack in the room and went to his own quarters. Jack looked at the monochromatic room. It had a simple enough bed, a closet and a bedside table. Other than these small pieces of furniture it was bare.

Jack used his staff to make it snowy and icy. He crafted the room until it was a winter wonderland, with everything smothered in cold snow. It looked somewhat out of place in the black palace. He smiled. It was nearly perfect. He made a small igloo in the space that wasn't taken up by the bed. He ignored the bed all together. He would sleep in the igloo, the cool snow was comforting. He would ask Pitch to dispose of the bed when he saw him again. He crawled into the igloo that had just the right diameter for him to lay down in. He smiled and closed his eyes. Sleep came to him quickly but he didn't dream. The Sandman's golden sand wouldn't find him in this place.

Thanks for reading!

I really hope people like this story... If not then oh well, I'll probably keep updating it anyway.

Speaking of updating this one, I don't know when I'll next be able to but it will be soon! I promise!