Ice Cold

Chapter 1

"J-Jack? Are you ok?" Jamie slowly approached the winter spirit. No one had ever hit Jack Frost in a snowball fight before. The children following Jamie were terrified: what if hitting the person who makes the snow with his own snow kills him?!

"J..Jack?" Jamie knelt down beside Jack, who was unmoving in the snow, his frosted staff laid next to him at an angle. Next thing Jamie knew, he was looking down at the snow in a headlock while Jack have him a knuckle sandwich, "Hey!"

Jack laughed, "You all thought I was dead!" He released Jamie and collapsed in the snow, laughing hysterically.

"Hey! That's not funny!" Jamie glared at the Guardian of fun while rubbing his head. But he couldn't resist: It was pretty funny...

Soon, all of the children were rolling in the snow, laughing so hard they could breathe. Suddenly, northern lights appeared across the sky- clearly visible even in midday.

Jack sucked in a deep breath of the winter air and exhaled, "Ok, I have to go..." Jack finally stopped laughing, but the wide grin never left his face.

Jamie immediately stopped laughing at Jack's words and sat up, "B-but you can't go! W-we're having so much f-fun!"

Jack chuckled, "I know. But look at you guys! You're freezing!" The children looked at one another, each of them slowly realizing they were shaking violently. "And besides, I can't ignore the others. North wouldn't call us for a meeting unless it was important." Jack picked up his staff and smiled as his old friend, The Wind, already knew what he wanted to do. Wind carried him away from the park where he was playing.

The children smiled and ran back inside, ready for hot chocolate.

***************************

"Why is that Popsicle always late? Why I outta knock some sense in ta him!" Bunnymund paced the room, his paw never leaving his boomerang he carried with him.

"Now, bunny, don't get upset. It vinter, and Jack has job to do. Give the lad some time!" North smiled, jolly as ever. "He be here soon. I feel it in belly!" North pat his stomach and settled down in a chair at the head of a table.

As if on cue, a loud bang startled the guardians.

"What was that?!" Tooth glanced around, her violet eyes scanning everything.

Bunnymund pointed at the window and began to snicker, "North, you should leave the window closed more often!"

North, now very confused, turned to the window and chuckled. Tooth and sand man looked too, and soon, the whole room had burst into laughter. Yetis, elves, and that guardians were rolling on the floor.

Jack, who was flying so fast, hadn't realized that the window (which was normally open for Jack) was closed, and therefore he ran into it like a bug in a windshield.

North finally calmed down enough to walk over to the window and open it, "Sorry, Jack! I make mistake...but it vas funny mistake!" North erupted into laughter once more.

Jack scowled, "Haha, very funny." He let Wind carry him to a chair and he plopped into it, his arms crossed.

"S-sorry, Jack. Are y-you ok?" Tooth held her stomach, and suppressed the laughter that was threatening to come out.

"I'm fine. Let's get on with it..." Jack glared at the rest of the guardians. Finally settled down, North, Tooth, Sandy, and Bunnymund made their way to the dark oak table and sat in delicately carved chairs.

"Alright, North. Why ya call us 'ere?" Bunny was irritated that he was interrupted in the middle of finishing a batch of Easter eggs, and had to come all the way to the pole where he froze to death.

"Vell, as you all know, Christmas is fast approaching." The guardians nodded, "And, on Christmas, you know that I and the children love snow on Christmas Day." North glanced at Jack, "But, I am vondering, Jack, vhere is de snow?"

Everyone's attention turned to Jack, "What are you talking about? I spread snow everywhere. I even made up for the lost snow days in America by giving them a small blizzard!"

North stood up, "But Jack, there is no snow. It has melted."

Jack jumped out of his chair, "But that's impossible! The blizzard is still going! And according to my schedule, the last snow round I did should last for three days after Christmas!"

Tooth flew out of her seat and tapped America on the globe. A scene appeared: snow was melted everywhere, and disappointed children were sulking inside their homes, wondering why there was no snow.

Jack watched the scene in utter confusion; he had just finished making it snow before he came here!

Tooth turned the video off and flew towards Jack, "Are you sure you didn't just forget to do it?"

Jack, who was now furious, began yelling, "I KNOW I DID IT! I JUST PLAYED WITH THEM IN MY BLIZZARD! Somethings not right... Guys, you have to believe me!"

The laughter that had filled the room just minutes ago felt like it had never happened. The atmosphere turned dark.

The guardians turned away.
"You guys don't believe me?"

Everyone at the pole suddenly felt a tingle of cold on their backs.

Bunnymund stood up, "Look mate, we would believe ya, it's just...well, how do we know you actually did it? You play pranks and have fun instead of doin your job..." The temperate suddenly dropped. The guardians looked at Jack, who raw anger behind his bright blue eyes.

"Fine. Don't believe me. But you all know very well how seriously I take my job." And it was true. Whenever winter came, it was like a switch turned on in Jack. He was always tired after a long day of issuing his powers to make snow. But the guardians just didn't realize it.

Jack flew out of the room, the window slamming shut behind him, making everyone wince. They then realized how upset he was when a blizzard, based off of his emotions, began brewing outside.

***

"Guys, I think he was being honest..." Tooth landed and her wings drooped behind her.

Bunnymund slapped his forehead, suddenly feeling like an idiot. He knew the young boy took his job seriously. "Something isn't right, mates. He's telling the truth. Something must be causing his snow to melt. "

Sandy nodded in agreement, and a sand picture of Pitch Bakck appeared of his head, followed by a question mark.

"But that's impossible...we defeated Pitch..." Tooth muttered.

"He's immortal. Just like us," Bunnymund reminded them.

"Pitch is back." North confirmed.