Deep in the forest, where wild animals roam and rivers run swift and free, there is but a single arrow piercing the heart of a tree. The head of the arrow somehow shaped like a heart.
As a Guardian, Jack knows that there's more to the immortal life than just messing around. But as a Guardian of Fun, that's exactly what he does every day of winter. Right now, he flies above cities and towns, big and small, bringing icy windows and snowy streets to children. Laughing and freezing everything without a care. Children wake up from their restful dreams to see delicate snowflakes falling. Some children know more than others about the mysterious creator of the winter wonderland.
Suddenly, something black and cold rushes past him, stopping him in his tracks. His face twists into an expression of confusion. Then he flies after it, seeing flashes of darkness in the corners of his eyes. After flying for a few minutes, he finds himself back at the forest, where Pitch's lair was. There's no bed over an entrance anymore, but something is off about the place.
"Pitch?" Jack asks out loud to nobody, looking around quickly. The dark tendrils continue to dance in the edges of his vision. When he would turn to see it clearly, it would retreat again. He couldn't see it clearly. Then it spoke, a raspy soft voice coming from nowhere and yet everywhere.
"Why yes, Jack. But I am not the Pitch you remember. Go home, little snow man, and tell the other Guardians about the danger you shall face. All of you," the raspy voice tells him. Jack backs up a few steps, but smiles cockily.
"In danger? What, of you? Don't make me laugh. You aren't even real enough to show yourself," Jack laughs at the bare trees. " I'm not scared of you."
The raspy voice laughs coldly, the trees scratching at the sky. "Well, yes, it is me you should be afraid of. But Jack, beware. I will strike when you least expect it. And soon, all your precious children will stop believing again."
Jack laughs loudly at the voice, making the darkness retreat a little farther back. He turns and jumps into the air, catching a breeze and flying away. The dark tendrils stay in the forest, Jack leaving them behind. As he flies back to the city, he shakes his head, smiling.
Pitch was defeated 5 years ago. He wasn't coming back anytime soon.
Still smiling and getting back into his element, Jack lands in front of a school, where the snow hadn't been quite deep enough and it had still been open. The bell was sure to ring in only a few minutes, but a girl was sitting on the steps already. Jack looks up at the school's sign.
"Middle school?" Jack asks quietly to himself, taking a closer look at the girl. She looks about the same age as Jack looks, 14 or 15 at the most. Her ashy blonde hair flows down past her waist, spreading out over the concrete steps. She leans against the side of the rails on the sides of the steps, reading a book. Jack takes a step closer, and the girl's head snaps up.
Her eyes dart around, seeming to take in every inch of Jack's face. He recoils, the girls sea blue eyes giving him a scary feeling. The girl shows a small smile and goes back to her book. Jack feels an eternity pass before the school bell rings, bringing him out of his trance and making the girl stand up. She snaps her book closes and walks over to a nearby tree. Jack notices as she walks that her feet don't sink into the snow, but instead slide over it like ice.
Just then the school doors burst open with happy kids, jumping and yelling with joy about the snow and anything else that had gone on during the school day. The girl stands to the side, watching the scenes unfold. She doesn't seem to actually want to talk to anyone around there. She seemed content with watching. Jack, against his will and his better judgement, he approaches the girl, half-expecting her to walk through him. When he gets within about 5 feet of her, she suddenly disappears, flitting out of his sight. Jack spins around, searching feverishly for her.
"Looking for me, Jack Frost?" a soft, calming, slightly British and proper voice asks from behind. Jack spins again to come face to face with the mysterious girl. He blinks a couple of times, making sure she isn't a dream or a vision. Her sea blue eyes seem to actually be a portal to the ocean, waves crashing against the shore. Jack feels himself slipping into a trance again, but her voice brings him out of it.
"You are Jack Frost, right?" the girl asks, brushing a strand of hair from her face. Jack just nods his head, unable to speak clearly. Her eyes stare straight into his soul. But then they shift away from him, just slightly and he feels like something lifts, like a curse was raised from him. "Sorry, Jack, I didn't mean to," the girl says, looking down at the ground.
"N-no problem," Jack stutters, "um... what's your name?" Jack starts to walk backwards but the girl looks up again, freezing him in place again.
"Jack? Jack, is that you?" A familiar voice calls out from the steps of the school. The girl flies out of Jack's vision again, perching in a tree. Jack spins around once more to see a very familiar brown-haired boy running up to him, followed by a redheaded girl. Jack forgets all about the mysterious girl for a moment, running towards the two.
"Jamie?" Jack calls out, bursting with joy. Jamie stops a few feet from Jack, Pippa stopping right behind him. Jamie looks closely at Jack's face, his smile growing with every second.
"It is you, Jack!" Jamie cries, jumping and clapping his hands. Pippa comes towards him also, walking around him, laughing. "I can't believe it Jack, what are you doing here?" Jamie asks the winter spirit. Jack laughs and floats up, making the wind pick up.
"What do you think I'm doing? I'm just doing what I do!" Jack cries happily, watching as the school kids start a snowball fight on the other side of the school yard. Landing, Jamie gives him a quick hug, surprising Jack.
"Jamie, be careful. We're going to get looks," Pippa whispers loudly, pulling Jamie back. Jack gets a hurt look, but recovers quickly. "Jamie, we have to go. Sophie's going to get worried if we don't get her," Pippa says.
Jamie looks down, crestfallen. Jack looks up at the tree, seeing the girl watching the scene with wide eyes. Jack looks back at Jamie, putting a hand on his shoulder. He looks up at the cold spirit with wide eyes.
"I have to go too, Jamie, but I have a feeling we'll be meeting again soon," Jack calls out, jumping up on a breeze and flying over to the tree where the girl had been perched.
But the girl was gone.