It's been too long. Sorry about that. I was busy being a productive member of society. I know, it's a stupid reason, but I really needed to get my grades up, especially in Math. With all the emphasis they're putting on algebra, apparently knowing how to graph quadratics is essential to survival. Anyway, you guys really should review. And PM me. Seriously! I LOVE hearing your opinion. Also, my life's great right now. School's awesome, I hang out with friends, I'm less shy around my crush-I really love my life!

Disclaimer: RotG is the coolest...can I plz has?

Dreamworks: Lol. Nope.

Me: ...

I'm melting. I'm melting! Oh, what a world, what a world!

Jack thought deliriously. His brain was a haze. The sandy dunes were nothing but a blur. He was just about ready to pass out. He'd long since taken off his coat, followed quickly by his vest. Now removing his shirt, Jack wondered vaguely if any humans were nearby.

He was drenched in sweat. He dragged his feet and tied the white cotton shirt around his waist. It was only then that he realized that he'd forgotten to take his vest and coat.

Ah, who need coats anyway?

He could feel his head pounding, stumbling as he lost his balance. He recalled something from a book he'd read once, about keeping dehydrated people awake. So he tried. Really, he did. He couldn't remember if he'd been in the desert for hours or minutes or days.

At one point, he saw water. An oasis was about 30 yards away, surrounded by green trees and animals. He headed towards it desperately, only to find that it was only a mirage.

And he couldn't help it. He passed out.

He woke up to a splash of gloriously cold water. Scrambling up, Jack sputtered and choked. There was the strangest sight. The sky was dark and cool. Must be night. A glowing yellow dude, about half Jack's size, was floating above him with a bucket made of the same thing he was. His wild hair stuck up oddly.

"Um...hi?" Jack said tentatively. He recent experience with Carter left him wary. He tried to move but grunted in pain and fell. The yellow man's eyes widened and he went to help. He sent more glow-y yellow-y stuff down to cushion Jack and pulled it to an oasis nearby.

There were dates growing in the trees, which the yellow guy pulled and gave to Jack. Jack still felt weak, but he was grateful. "What's your name?" he asked. The yellow guy grabbed sand from the desert floor.

"Your name is...sand?" Sand-or whatever his name was- shook his head. A sand image appeared above his head, the silhouette of a man. "Man? That's an interesting name? What, two? Two...gether? Man Sand? Sand man? Oh, Sandman!" Playing charades was interesting, but very confusing. Apparently, Sandman could not speak. Jack didn't mind, he was just thankful Sandman could see him.

They talked-er, so to speak-don't mind the pun- for a while before Sandman questioned why Jack was in a desert. He explained, with much less difficulty than Sandman would have, what had happened. Sandman was not happy. The sand cushion once again appeared under Jack and lifted him into a sand airplane.

"Where are we going?" asked Jack. Sandman just handed him another date. Jack shifted uncomfortably. He'd only met this guy about an hour ago. Did this count as stranger danger? Sandman seemed nice enough, but so did many other spirits who'd encounters ended badly. Jack winced as a particularly sore spot shifted. That seemed to drive Sandman to fly faster, sand goggles moving as his eyes narrowed.

Finally they got to...wherever it was they were going. It was a large castle, in a very light purple. It was shiny and smooth like glass, an elegant look over all of it. There was a garden in the front, divided into four sections. Each looked different, like the seasons. Actually, now that Jack thought about it, there was only one person like that...

"Sandy! It's been too long!" Mother Nature said, arms spread to embrace him. Her eyebrows raised in surprise when she saw Jack, in anger when she realized he was hurt. "Winter, what happened?" she asked kindly. Sandy blew sand from his ears, hands in fists as Jack told her a very oversimplified version of the events.

She looked furious. "Summer! How dare he! There are strict rules about this! Why, I oughta-"

"Whoa, it's fine. Don't be angry!" Jack attempted to placate Terra. "I'm not angry!" she said angrily. "Excuse me for a moment, I will, ah, retrieve your staff." She disappeared in a whirl of leaves, petals, and snowflakes.

Jack wasn't so much worried for her as he was for the poor summer spirit.

(Line break, line break, line break)

It was a little over an hour later that Terra came back, Jack's staff in hand. In the other was a sight to behold. Carter, the vicious Summer King, dragged in by his ear. "Owowowowowowowowowow OW!" he whimpered. "Summer, it is very rude to take other seasons' things and leave them to melt. Do you have something to say?" Terra said in a way only a mother could.

Carter mumbled something inaudible. Mother Nature raised an eyebrow. "Sorry." Carter said curtly. Mother Nature nodded. "Good, now give him a hug." She smiled evilly. "What?! I'm not hugging him, he's a brat!" Mother Nature glared at him. Carter looked a bit scared. "No, please! Your eyes, they're-they're-they BURN!"

"Moms tend to have that superpower." Jack said sagely.

Carter regarded Jack with an air of disgust before briefly and awkwardly hugging Jack, purposely singeing him in the process. Jack jumped back. "Um, ow!" Terra was unimpressed. "That's it, young man! Go to the corner! Place your nose in the notch!" Carter looked at the notch in the wall where she was pointing. It was high enough that he would have to stand on his toes.

Gaping at her, he looked from the corner to her and back. "I'm not a kid!" Terra, unaffected, continued to give him a motherly air of authority. "I suggest you do what I say and act your age if you wish not to be here again."

Jack wondered vaguely if Carter had a death wish. He'd heard what Mother Nature could do. He'd seen the hurricanes and heard the rumours. The last time she lost her temper-well, let's just say it was a bad day for Pompeii.

So while Jack enjoyed ice cream in an icy room, courtesy of Terra, Carter stood on his toes in the corner, blushing in embarrassment. Not a bad end to the day.

Whatcha think? Okay? Sorry for taking so long. I didn't have internet connection while at my cousins', so I couldn't upload, but I did type up two chapters. Don't worry, they'll be uploaded soon! REVIEW!;)