Guardians of Winter

Prologue

It turns out that Jack did forget something, and it was something very important. He forgot he had a team now, and that his presence wouldn't go unnoticed.

Two Months Later

Bunny tapped his foot in agitation as everyone waited for Jack to arrive at the North Pole for their bi-monthly meeting. They were used to Jack being late. Sometimes he forgot about the meetings or was too busy with his winter duties to make it on time. But it was the middle of May and the start of Jack's downtime. In Bunny's opinion, the little sprite didn't have an excuse for making them all wait for five hours at the freezing North Pole.

"Maybe he's just busy in the Southern Hemisphere?" Tooth suggested, though her eyes and jittery flying betrayed her worry. "It gets cold down there too in certain areas."

"He's never been this late before, sheila," the Pooka replied, "Something doesn't feel right about this."

North rubbed his broad chest in thought. Normally, he could feel it when something wasn't right in his belly, and it had never led him wrong. Jack was okay, wherever he was. But he knew it would take more than a gut instinct for his anxious friend to see that.

"Then perhaps we can look for him, no? Would teach him punctuality. To the sleigh!"

"Ah, no way, mate. I don't do flyin—"

Bunny's refusal was interrupted by North grabbing him and pulling him along, not giving the air-sick warrior the chance to escape down one of his tunnels.

While the Guardians hurried to the stables, the other three failed to notice Sandy frantically signing them. As the oldest of the group, and perhaps the most amiable with other spirits outside the Guardians, he had interacted with the Seasonals and learned about the hibernation cycle. And since meeting Jack Frost, he had been sure to send extra sweet dreams to the lonely Winter King as he caught up on much needed rest.

"Where should we check first?" North asked.

"What about his lake?" Tooth suggested, "Or maybe Jamie's house?"

"It's too warm there. Spring is already set in the Northern Hemisphere and is extra warm this year."

"So then he's got to be somewhere South," Bunny reasoned and huffed with a sarcastic eye roll. "That narrows it down a bit."

Sandy waved his hands, frantically trying to get their attention. He stuck his fingers in his mouth and tried to whistle, but only a golden music note hovered above his head to replace the sound. The Giver of Dreams stomped his foot on empty air and decided to give up on the polite way of getting their attention.

"Ow!" North exclaimed as a sand-whip snapped by his ear, "Sandy! What is it, my friend?"

Sandy conjured the image of a castle with a snowflake floating above it before replacing the images with one of a Jack sleeping.

     Unfortunately, his friends only caught part of what he was trying to tell them.

"Of course!" Santa cheered, "He is at Winter Palace! Is cold year round! Thank you, Sandy!"

With North's back turned, he didn't see the puffs of sand reminiscent of smoke blowing out of his mute friend's ears. Sandy threw his hands in the air to signal that he gave up.

They wouldn't be able to wake Jack, anyways, and a part of him doubted that they'd be quite as welcomed as they were this past winter. A Seasonal's subjects often became very protective of their sleeping royal, and Winter already had a name for being fierce and harsh even before Jack Frost came along. This meeting could only end in disaster.

....
A/N: So, Sandy is the only Guardian with a brain cell.

Also, sorry this is so short, but I just wanted to let you know that I'm not dead lol. Hope you enjoyed this! Please let me know what you think in the comments. I appreciate you all for reading this and hope you have a happy New Year!