End of chapter 3:

He soared past the houses and over his own cave without looking back, and picked up speed with the wind. He didn't have to worry about running into anything- he flew right through birds and trees and people, laughing as the gusts of cold and wind left everything in a daze.

And so, as Jack Frost flew away from Burgess and away from his cave, he upset a certain large rabbit who would be waiting in the cold for him all night long.

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From under a thick blanket in the North Pole, Bunnymund stared up at Nicholas with a carrot in his hand and wide eyes, looking more than a little peeved. They were sitting at a table full of snacks, discussing the important matter of Jack Frost.

"He evaded me," said the rabbit. "He knew I was there, so he didn't come back to his cave."

North chewed anxiously on a cookie doused in milk. "Impossible."

Bunnymund shook his head. "No, he definitely was there yesterday morning. But he didn't come back."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I could smell his scent," he answered.

"Vas it human?"

"I haven't ever smelt anything like it, North."

The old man took in a deep breath and put down the cookie, rubbing his forehead in confusion. "I do not understand," he mumbled. "You are vun 'undred percent sure?"

"Absolutely."

Bunnymund took no pleasure in the stress it caused, but he couldn't help but smile at the way North was worrying. Their rivalry was strong, but their friendship was, if possible, stronger. He stared at North for a long time, neither one sure of what to do next. If Jack Frost was really an evil presence, the Guardians were the only ones who could stop him before Christmas.

"Perhaps the Tooth Fairy could-"

"I do not think necessary," said North. "You vill find him, Bunny. You vill?"

"But Toothiana- she's got a million little... minions! You've got to give me a break, mate, I've been searching nonstop for days!"

North frowned and twisted small hairs on his beard. "I sink it might be time for all to search. I need to prepare Christmas, but Sandman can take break and let ze children dream by zemselves if zey vill. Tooth Fairy send small search party. Ve vill all search, but I send Yetis. I need to... vell, you understand, da?"

The Easter Bunny bowed his head and slipped out of the downy blanket; he hadn't remembered Santa's workshop to be so warm. How was it heated? He hopped on each foot and let out a sigh. It was cold last night. He couldn't wait for spring in America, which was where he was spending a lot of time nowadays.

"I'll tell her," Bunnymund offered. "And I'll also tell Sandy."

"Sank you," North said, and held out a cookie. The rabbit politely declined and nibbled on his carrot. "I hope ve find him before it's too late."

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Jack had never gone sledding before. He remembered watching other children going down a gentle hill, and one girl in particular stood out to him. She wore a woolen hat and had short brown hair, and didn't laugh as much as the others. Jack could say she was almost mourning, as if she'd lost a friend. He didn't know how to relate. He'd never had any friends to lose.

Jack grinned and tapped a large slice of bark with his staff. It was instantly layered with a swirl of ice that he felt would keep it together for the purpose of this—this, an extreme of what he'd witnessed only a week ago. Jack placed the "sled" right on top of the almost mountainous hill and grinned for the fun he was surely to have.

The wind had been quiet today. "It's too warm," Jack muttered, despite the fact that it was just below freezing. He took some snow in one hand and sprinkled it onto his head to cool off. "Alright!" Jack shouted to the sky, where he knew the Moon hid in the sun's bright light. He remembered his first morning, which had been terrifying. The only light he knew was replaced by something a thousand times brighter, something that heated his back when he bent down to pick up snow. The sun felt to Jack like an enemy, but he didn't know what to call the Moon. It had breathed life into him, told him his name, but—nothing. Nothing else. Jack spent hours begging the Moon, pleading with every ounce of his soul. He flew up and up and up and up until he could hardly breathe anymore, just to get closer, to sound a little more significant. He shouted until he could shout no more. But he gave up easily. Fell back into his cave. Tried to forget by having fun—

Fun! Aha. Jack loved to have fun. He examined his little sled and nodded in approval. The lake below was frozen and he looked forward to the finale it was sure to give. He floated up and landed on the bark gently. It curled under his weight, which was not very much—he couldn't be sure, though, not really. The other people in Burgess were similarly skinny.

Jack took a deep breath and dug his hands into the snow. Here he was. Ready to go. He tucked his staff between his leg and the bark, and pushed off with nothing to lose.

"Yaaaaahoooooooooooooo!"

Down, down, down! It was the most exhilarating thing Jack had ever done, more fun than flying through the air creating clouds and snow as he pleased. Down the steep slope at a pace he couldn't even account for! Jack could feel every fiber of his being scream with excitement and joy, because this was what he'd been missing in Burgess! He couldn't imagine the smalltown folk sledding like this. It was more dangerous than provoking a polar bear- but so much fun!

"How ya like me now, wooooo- ahh!" Jack laughed as best he could, but at this speed he could hardly even speak. It was all screaming and cackles.

Jack braced himself for when the bark would hit the frozen lake. He shut his eyes tight, ready to slide across it faster than light.

But instead, it landed with a loud crack and he could feel the ice vibrate and break into giant heaps of slate. He tried to grab onto something but nothing reached his fingers.

His poorly constructed sled was engulfed by the depths and didn't return. Jack's eyes popped open and he felt for himself the pellets of ice raining down on his head from the breaking top layer. His heartbeat accelerated and he held his breath instinctively, helpless against a humongous triangular block of ice that sped toward him.

Jack couldn't find his staff. He couldn't control the water or heat.

For the first time since his first day of life, Jack felt afraid. He was in the water and he was swallowing it like a starving cow, and it was doing the same to him.

He reached up and coughed out- it was cold, but he could survive that, he thrived on that. The only problem was, Jack did not know how to swim. He'd never even thought about it. Why swim when you can cut through the skies as easily as a raindrop? He grabbed onto the massive ice block and held it for dear life.

"No," Jack said, spluttering and scampering. He couldn't get around the ice to find solid ground. "Help! Someone- help!"

No one can see me.

"P-please!"

No one can hear me.

"Somebody! Anybody!"

I don't even exist.

He could feel the fear and shock take over like a boulder dropping on his head. It was so deep and so dangerous, and he wondered if the fun had been worth it. He decided it was, because no one would really care if he died right here. It'd been fun.

"Please..."

His fingers slipped off of the ice and he sunk down a good deal. At six feet under, Jack heard something in the water with him. He opened his eyes and flinched at the water surrounding them. It didn't feel natural. It was suffocating, literally and like a vacuum.

He wanted to call out, but couldn't find his voice. "Hello," he wanted to say, "who's there?"

My staff, he thought, where is it?

Just when he needed it the most, the long wooden staff tickled his fingers, an angel amongst monsters. Jack found his grip and held on tight. He summoned the power to freeze water below his feet. With the staff, he created thin stairs and worked his way up, up, up. It was slow. He couldn't feel any of his limbs, yet his brain told him they were all creaking and sore and entirely useless.

Jack's head emerged from the water and the oxygen was heaven-sent. It filled his lungs and sent a judder through his blood. When he pulled himself out of the water, he crawled onto the non-broken ice and lay there, happy that the water had at least been cold. It was beautifully freezing and Jack knew that a normal human would be dead already.

"Thank you," he whispered to the staff. "Thank you..."

Jack Frost promptly fainted.