Greetings my lovelies! This one is inspired by the crazy wind we get around where I live. (Took the roof off the chalet one year :P)

Disclaimer: IDORoTG

...

Windy Season

Jack was rudely awoken from his sleep by a strong gust of wind shoving him off the tree branch he'd been reclining on and into a snow bank below. Springing up into a sitting position, he frantically scanned the surrounding area for signs of potential danger. When nothing presented itself, he slumped his shoulders, groaning as he ran a tired hand down his face.

"That time of year already, huh?" he asked rhetorically. Another gust, stronger this time, threw him up into the air and he cried out in shock.

Jack hated this time of year.

"Wind, please? It's not even sunrise yet. Can't you let me sleep for a few more hours?" he whined.

The only response he got was a sudden lack of air current beneath him and he plummeted, only to be caught again mere inches from the ground and thrown into the side of a tree. A small breeze gently ruffled his hair.

"It's alright," Jack told it. "I know it's not completely your fault. But man, didn't even get any warning this year."

Normally when windy season (as he called it) started, Jack would quickly do as much of his duties as a winter spirit as he could so that when the season got in full swing he wouldn't have to do nearly as much travelling on it. He may have been the Guardian of Fun, but that didn't mean he liked being tossed through the air like a rag doll. He wondered if Lleu had to deal with crazy wind, too.

"Looks like we'll be staying in Burgess for a while," he shrugged, placing his staff on the ground next to him so he could enjoy what was left of the night without getting blown away. He'd never seen any wolves or anything in the woods, so he was pretty sure it was safe to sleep on the ground. If a day turned up where the wind wasn't quite so rowdy he would move on to some of the places he hadn't visited much that season. But until then, he would have to put up with being grounded.

...

...

Half the class, Jamie included, jumped when something banged loudly into the window. Their gazes shot towards the pane in question but there was nothing to show for the sudden interruption of their math lesson.

"I'm sure it was just a bird," their teacher assured them, returning his gaze to the board where he was writing up an equation that, to Jamie, may as well have been another language.

But Jamie knew it was too loud to have been a bird. It would've had to have been something bigger. And there was only one thing he could think of. But when Jack turned up at his school, it was usually during the breaks. And on the few rare occasions that he joined him in class, the winter spirit was always careful when sneaking in. He'd never slammed into the window like that.

Jamie shared a look with his friends, their faces confirming that they were on the same line of thinking as him. He just hoped Jack would still be around when they were finally allowed to go outside.

...

...

Jack didn't bother raising his head when the sound of several pairs of feet began getting closer to him. In fact, he hadn't moved at all since he'd fallen into the pile of snow beneath the classroom window. His staff was mere centimetres from his outstretched fingers – within easy reach if he needed it – but not touching them so as not to get violently assaulted by buildings again.

"Jack! Are you okay?!"

Jack cracked open one eye to see Jamie standing over him, looking worried. His friends were likewise crowded around him, wearing matching expressions.

"I'm fine," he said, sitting up to prove it. He'd been lying there for a good forty-five minutes; more than enough time for the dizziness to pass.

"Not your finest entrance," the kid smirked.

"Wasn't even supposed to be an entrance," Jack replied, letting Jamie pull him to his feet. Pippa held his staff out to him and he quickly stuffed his hands into his hoodie pocket. The kids looked at him in confusion. "The wind, ah, gets a little carried away this time of year."

"Is that why you crashed into the window?" Caleb asked.

"Yeah; I was actually trying to head over to the park," he grimaced. "Do me a favour?" he asked Pippa. "Hang onto my staff for me?"

"Um sure," she replied.

"Thanks," Jack smiled. Another strong gust of wind rocked the trees, billowing their hair and clothes around. "As soon as I touch it I'll be blasted off again and there's only so many times you can be thrown into a building before it gets old."

He ended up spending their break with them, starting a snowball fight that eventually included most of the kids, even the ones that couldn't see him (which was most of them, but he didn't mind). Pippa had been forced to leave his staff leaning against a tree so she could properly involve herself in the commotion and Jack had had to make do without it to form ammo for both himself and the kids, but it had been a good half hour and by the end of it he'd mostly forgotten about his flight problems.

But then, of course, he'd been cruelly reminded.

"Hey, Jack," Jamie said, tugging on his sleeve.

Jack paused, about to pelt Monty in the back of the head with a snowball, and looked down at him. Jamie was pointing up at the sky and Jack followed his gaze. And groaned. Of course North would call for a meeting when he couldn't even fly in a straight line. He contemplated skipping out but, important or not, he knew it would be a bad idea.

"Is everything okay?" Claude asked, noticing what had distracted them.

"Yeah. North just likes to get us together every now and then," Jack smiled. "Just means I'm in for a rough journey." He trudged over to where his staff still stood on the sidelines. "I'll see you guys later."

...

...

It had been almost two hours and yet Jack had still not shown up at the Pole. It wasn't a serious meeting – just a progress report – but it was worrying nonetheless. There had only been a few times Jack had missed a meeting (he took his role as a Guardian very seriously) and most of them hadn't been good news for their youngest member. So it was perfectly natural for the others to be feeling a little worried.

Just as North opened his mouth to once again voice his concerns and suggest going out to look for their wayward winter spirit, a powerful gust burst through the open window (always left open for Jack's convenience and thereby termed 'Jack's Window'). The four Guardians watched blankly as Jack stumbled head-over-heels into the floor. Literally into it. A nice loud bang and all.

The dishevelled Guardian of Fun groaned as he pulled himself upright, releasing his grip on his staff and pushing it just out of reach with the sleeve of his hoodie. To say he was a mess would be an understatement. His clothes were covered in dirt and significantly more ice than usual, much like his hair which appeared to have been frozen in a flat windswept position. There were several scratches on his face, hands and feet and a slight discolouring on his cheek which was probably going to become a colourful bruise soon.

Jack wobbled unsteadily as he staggered over to the table, leaving his staff where it was on the floor, and plonked himself heavily into a chair where he promptly let his head fall on the table.

"I hope this is important," his muffled voice reached them.

"What on Earth happened to you?" Bunny asked, voicing all their thoughts.

Jack lifted his head just enough to look up at the Pooka. "I hit no less than ten trees, bounced off six buildings, fell out of the sky eight times – three of which ended with me in the ocean – and doubled back on myself so many times I forgot which way was north," he explained, earning wide-eyed gazes from everybody. "So please tell me Pitch's back or someone's dying," he begged, turning his focus to North.

North winced. "Sorry, Jack."

Jack whined in exasperated despair, letting his head fall back to the polished wood.

"What, were you drunk?" Bunny asked incredulously. Jack glared at him.

"No. It's windy season."

Bunny just stared blankly.

"Every year around this time the wind starts going a little crazy, so when I'm holding my staff and the wind blows I get knocked around like a leaf. Normally it's not a problem but I didn't have time to prepare this year."

Bunny's blank expression slowly morphed into a smirk. And then he burst into laughter. Jack reached over and froze his whiskers.

"But can't you just switch to a different current when you reach an area where the wind isn't blowing as strongly?" Tooth asked.

"It's not that simple," Jack said, ignoring Bunny's cries of protest and Sandy's silent snickering. "I tried that but the only wind that will carry me is this one. It's the same for the other seasonals, too."

"Well, Jack, you are welcome to stay here at Pole until wind calms down," North offered.

"Yeah; I don't think I'm going anywhere for a while. Thanks, North." He was probably going to go stir-crazy from being stuck in one place for so long – particularly since it was indoors – but it was better that than the alternative.

"Now how about we start meeting, ya?"

Guest Review Responses:

Guest: *nom nom nom* Thank you :3

Cag: I did too XD I can picture the confused horror on his face. Penguins are formidable and should not be underestimated. Yeah, my sister and I were like that too. But now that we don't live together it's so much better. Thank you for the snowcone (as long as it's not yellow) XD So many cookies :P