Hiya all! Here is chapter 11 for all you wonderful readers! I hope you like it!
Review if you can please! And thank you to everyone who's read/favorited/followed/reviewed already!
Happy Saturday! - iceprincess
Disclaimer: Jack Frost & Jaime Bennett belong to DreamWorks
(General POV)
"What's this about North? I know it's not Easter but that doesn't mean I'm not busy," a very large rabbit with an Australian accent spoke as he jumped up from one of his tunnels.
"Sandy and I saw the lights," a beautiful creature- a cross between a hummingbird and a fairy- exclaimed, as she and her tiny golden companion floated into the meeting room.
"I have very important message from Man in Moon," the large red man, North, said gravely.
And so gathered the Guardians of Childhood. North- Santa Claus, Bunnymund- the Easter Bunny, Toothiana- the Tooth Fairy, and Sanderson- the Sandman. Guardians of Wonder, Hope, Memories, and Dreams. The only one missing was-
"Where's Jack?" Tooth asked, looking around North's workshop, "He should be here by now, shouldn't he?"
Bunny snorted from the corner. He looked like he was about to say something, but was silenced by a warning look from North.
"We must wait for Jack," North insisted.
"Why? What's going on?" Bunny asked impatiently.
"Manny has given me message-"
"Yeah, got that part, but what kind of message, mate? Good message, bad message-"
"A warning." North glared at the rabbit from across the room.
"A warning, North?" Tooth asked worried, her wings fluttering nervously behind her.
"A prophesy," he said, before taking a plate from a nearby elf. "And we wait for Jack, end of discussion. Now, anybody care for cookies?"
...
(Lyra)
It was near evening in Burgess. Almost a whole day had passed now since I saw Jack. He said I would see him again, and I couldn't help but wonder when. I admit I hoped it would have been sooner, but I suppose he has other more important things to do and other kids to hang out with rather than spending time with someone like me. By now I probably would've thought that my whole encounter with the winter spirit had been a dream, if not for the second snow angel I found in my front yard this morning, as well as the front door still open.
I sighed as I watched Michael run up the steps of Jaime's house. The two were having a sleepover tonight. When Jamie's mom opened the door, he turned and waved goodbye to me.
"You sure you have everything?" I called to him.
"Yup! See you!" he replied as he ran into the house to find his friend.
"Be good!" I called after him, but he probably hadn't heard. Jamie's mother chuckled and waved to me.
"Thanks Mrs. Bennett!" I smiled, waving to her as I began the walk back home.
Back in my room, I stripped off my snow-soaked clothing, throwing on instead a pair of black sweatpants and a comfortable long-sleeved light purple top. I pulled my hair up into a ponytail, letting the curls hang loose, before heading back downstairs and into the kitchen.
Suddenly I heard a noise coming from the other room, causing me to almost drop my cup of hot chocolate. I carefully put the cup down on the counter, and slowly walked into the living room, feeling both curious and cautious.
In the window above the couch, I saw a boy's face. A face brimming with mischief and excitement, his ice-blue eyes shining. His staff was pressed against the glass- the source of the noise.
"Jack!" I exclaimed, running to door. Once outside, I practically threw my arms around him in a warm hug, only to pull back right away when his lack of body heat once again surprised me.
Smiling, I looked into his childish face, and saw his cheeks had turned... blue? Is that a blush? I thought, before realizing that my actions had probably not been the most tactful, which in turn caused my own cheeks to heat up. Why did I do that!
"Sorry," I muttered looking anywhere but at Jack. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed he was doing the same.
"So... um hey," Jack said, the first to recover from the silence.
"Hi," I said, grinning sheepishly, finally daring to look at him again.
"Are you um... busy?" he asked hopefully, the playfulness coming back into his features, "Or..?"
I shook my head.
"Good. I want to show you something. Get your coat!"
I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but I didn't care. That was the thing about Jack, I realized as I pulled on boots and a jacket, just being around him made me feel excited and alive. I ran back outside eagerly.
"Ready?"
"Ready!"
At once Jack's arm was wrapped around my waist and I gasped as he launched to two of us into the slowly darkening night sky. We rose up higher and higher, until my town was just a tiny speck in a world of white snow. I could hear Jack laughing with glee in the wind. I was too awestruck to even speak. Spreading my arms out wide, I felt the wind rush through my fingers and whip the stray pieces of my hair against my face. It was such an incredible feeling; I mean I was flying, actually flying, with none other than Jack Frost.
"Jack!" I shouted over the wind, "This is amazing!"
"You just wait!" he yelled back.
After a few more minutes or so, I noticed the trees on the ground growing bigger and bigger and realized we were descending. Jack touched down lightly, but I, caught somewhat unawares, stumbled and fell.
"Woah there, you'll get the hang of it," Jack said, reaching for my hands and helping me stand up.
"Thanks," I said, brushing the snow off myself before looking around. We were in the woods somewhere, in a large clearing. Although it was continuously getting darker, I could still see the snow-covered ground and the icicles that hung from the trees. "Where are we?"
Jack's back was to me, and he was crouched on the ground, apparently fiddling with his staff. "We're still in Burgess, if that's what you're asking," he said over his shoulder. "Do you skate?"
"What?" I asked, confused at the random question. He stood up then and turned towards me, a glittering pair of ice skates resting in his hands. I mean they were literally made of ice. Like Cinderella's glass slippers... only ice... and skates. "Whoa." I said.
"Try them on," Jack said with a smirk, handing them over to me.
"But... there's no ice," I reminded him, sitting on a fallen log to lace my new skates up.
"Well, not yet there isn't," he countered, smiling widely.
I rolled my eyes and continued to tie up my skates. I had been skeptical about taking my warm boots off, but the ice skates didn't even make my feet cold, and they fit perfectly. I looked back up to him and saw a glittering strip of ice on the forest floor, leading through the trees away from Jack and I. Is this a race track? I thought to myself, standing up to get a better look.
"So, do you skate?" Jack asked me again, nodding to the ice track he had made. He was standing on the edge of the ice, carefully freezing what looked to be a pair of ice-blades to his own bare feet. I made my way to join him where he stood, scoping out the trail he had set for us. Of course I could skate, I loved everything tied to winter, remember? But he doesn't need to know that...
"Um... not really, I mean, not in a while anyway," I lied, faking a worried glance at the ice below my feet.
"Hey, don't worry, I promise I'll go easy on you," Jack chuckled. "You'll do just fine," he added.
Oh I think I will, I thought, This is going to be fun.
"On the count of three then?" he asked and I nodded my head. "Ok ready? One, two-"
"Three!" I yelled, skating past him with a burst of speed. I glanced behind me and laughed at his confused grin. He began to skate himself, and I was amazed at how quickly he was gaining on me.
"Aren't you the trickster?" He called from behind me. I laughed and turned back front so I could see where I was going, pushing on even harder.
"Speak for yourself!" I called back to the spirit. We both laughed into the cold night air, racing faster than I could have ever thought possible through the snow-covered forest, the world becoming darker and darker around us, especially here under the cover of the trees as the sun went down.
...
(General POV)
The two teens raced through the dark woods, competing with each other and laughing in exhilaration. Neither had noticed the rainbow ribbons of light that earlier had been dancing through the sky- the Northern Lights.
But there was something else neither of the teens noticed as they sped happily along the boy's ice, or rather someone else.
A tall dark man picked his way through the trees, careful to stay amongst the refuge of darkness and shadows. It had taken him an awful amount of energy to venture out this far already, and he couldn't afford the light to weaken him any more than it already had. In fact, he would have returned to his gloomy lair long before now if he hadn't taken notice of the two teens' laughter echoing through the quiet air.
A flash of white hair and a blue sweatshirt was all the man needed to begin his investigation. What is Frost up to now? He thought bitterly to himself.
What the shadowy man saw shocked him. A teenage girl? Frost actually has a teenager who believes in him? Well, this is quite something. Something exciting indeed! A thin smile was forming on his lips. A child's belief was magical, it's what kept the Guardians alive and in power. A single child's belief was strong, but a teenager's? A teenager's belief was something extraordinary, as the teenage years were a time of uncertainty and doubt- practically none believed in "children's tales". It was such a rare thing. A single teenager's firm belief was stronger and more powerful than a thousand children's belief combined. And if I could harness that belief, that power... he thought to himself, his smiling widening wickedly.
This could be just the kind of opportunity he longed for- a way to return to full strength. Then, he thought, then I can defeat the Guardians once and for all, and perhaps get my revenge along the way. All I need, is a little... belief.
And the plot thickens! Dun Dun Dun...
Hope you liked it!
A/N: I do my best to respond to all my reviewers, but I got one for the last chapter from a guest, so I'll just respond here:
JODI BLU: thanks soooo much, I'm glad you love it! Don't worry, this is my first story, so I only write what I'm comfortable with. There will be romance, but it won't dominate the story as, you might be able to tell from this chapter, there will also be a substantial plot. Any romance I stick in this story will be in there solely for the purpose of adding an extra effect to make the story more dramatic and stuff.. but I can't give too much away so... Thanks for your support and I hope you continue to read!
-iceprincess :)
