Chapter Text
Jack landed hard, breath rushing out of him as Mali drummed her little fists on his head. "Gotcha, gotcha gotcha!" she chanted happily, laughing with all the warmth of her season. "Bewy, I gots Fwosty!"
Belinda chuckled and plucked a crisp red leaf from her crown, twirling it once before letting the wind carry it over to distract the youngest Seasonal. "Brian's wrapping up in the British Isles." she said with a wry smile, helping Jack to his feet. "What kept you?"
The winter sprite beamed and pulled down on the collar of his hoodie, displaying the tattoo North had given him not two days previously. Belinda gasped, and Jack's grin widened. "I know, right?"
"Jack, that's amazing!" she grinned, grabbing his hands. "Mom is gonna be so happy. Well, you might not wanna show her the tattoo but you know what I mean."
Jack glanced around the clearing, looking for the familiar stormy black hair and shimmery grey gown their mother-spirit always wore. "Yeah, where is mom anyways?"
"Momma said she hadda get Gwanpa." Mali chirped, toddling over with a bewildered look. "Bewy, who's Gwanpa?"
Jack and Belinda exchanged looks, and the older Italian spirit scooped up their baby sister. "Mali, we're gonna go get Brian and then come right back, okay?"
The tiny black-haired girl nodded, grinning wide. "Fwy?"
Jack and Belinda both laughed, each one summoning their favoured wind. "Mali, do we ever not?" Jack grinned, bopping his sister on the nose.
The child laughed and clapped her hands. "Up! Up!" she squealed, and her own wind joined theirs to create a braid of hot, cold, and pleasantly cool.
It wasn't far to the forest their elder brother liked to call home, but the flight was tense and the only conversation was Mali's chatter to herself. They landed when Jack saw their brother's trademark interlocking rings of flowers, and the first thing they heard was screaming.