A/N: Yay! Chapter 2! I have had a bunch of people read the last chapter and favorite it, but sadly no reviews. If i get some reviews I promise to try to update faster. Writing prompts are also welcome, I could use a few new ideas. I think this chapter turned out really fun, and why not? Jack is the Gaurdian of Fun after all, even if he doesn't know it yet. Read and review!
Chapter 2, Practicing His Powers
The sun rose over Jack's lake, illuminating his sleeping form curled upon the ice. The winter spirit stirred and rolled onto his back. He turned his head to the east and gazed at the collage of colors painted across the morning sky. The sky had turned into a pale yellow and the thin wisps of winter clouds shone in a rosy pink. His frost from the previous night reflected back the light making the whole lake glitter in the rising sunlight.
Jack rose to his feet. A new day, his first day. He leaned on his staff, taking in the beauty of it all. The sun rose over the trees and bathed the lake in its light. The sun was so different from the moon. The moon was gentle, but the sun was awe-inspiring.
With the light from the sun lighting up the forest, the children came.
They came in groups. Some carrying sleds and heading for the hill nearby. Others had skates slung over their shoulders and the youngest ones came so bundled up that they could hardly move. Jack couldn't help but laugh at the sight of the kids waddling through the snow.
As they neared the shoreline, Jack edged away from them. He didn't want them to pass through him again.
The kids with the sleds were the first to start playing, and Jack found himself drawn to their laughter. He watched as they piled on two to three on a sled and slide down the hill, only to be thrown from the sled headfirst into a snowdrift. The snow was too soft, but they still thought it was fun. Jack helped them out by freezing over the hill, like he had done to the lake last night. The cheers and joyous shouts he received as the slid down the perfect ramp were encouraging.
Jack crouched near the top of the hill and was gently helping to push the sleds down the hill with his staff. A boy suddenly dashed to the top of the hill with his sled and ran for the ramp, all the other children cheered him on. The boy jumped onto his sled on his belly and slid down the hill faster than any of the others. Jack leaped into the air and whooped with delight. As he waved his staff, Jack noticed a breeze. He stared at his staff and wondered what else it could do.
Soon more of the kids were following the boy's lead and getting running starts down the hill; each one trying to out-race the last. Jack felt a mischievous grin spread across his face as he got an idea. As the kids ran for the ramp, Jack started sending little gusts of wind after them; pushing them faster and faster. Sometimes he followed the sleds down, sliding along on his own feet, pretending that he was in on the race too.
All too soon the kids were leaning their sleds against the trees and stopping for a quick break. Jack, however, could keep doing this all day.
The kids with the skates were doing circles around his lake. Jack smiled at them, but he felt his heart clench in fear. What if they fell through? He didn't want anyone else to feel that cold darkness underneath the ice.
Jack slid out onto the lake, dragging his staff along behind him. He focused, not on sending frost patterns across the ice, but on thickening it. He weaved in and out between the kids, never touching them, on the ice as he slid smoothly along, his clumsiness from last night was just a memory. The wind followed his passage as he went faster, snatching scarves and picking up small flurries of snow. Jack stopped when he noticed that the ice was thick enough to hold a horse. Now the kids could skate without fear.
A rogue snowball suddenly hit Jack in the back of the head. He raised his hand to his head confused at where it had come from, and surprised that it hadn't passed right through him. Then he saw that the remaining kids had built small walls out of snow and were throwing the snow at each other. Jack watched fascinated as the kids scooped up snow and squeezed it between their hands before throwing it at someone. Jack copied their actions until he had a perfect snowball. He blew on it to get rid of the extra snow on top and the snowball started to glow blue, similar to his staff. Curious, but why waste a perfect snowball, he threw it at an unsuspecting kid. With uncanny aim, the snowball smacked the boy in the head and sent him face first into the snow. The kids around him laughed and Jack laughed with them.
The kid that had been knocked over was back on his feet in no time, laughing as hard as all his friends. Jack noticed then that the blue glow was around the boy's eyes. The boy then turned into the fiercest snowball thrower in the group. His laughter was contagious and soon all the kids had joined in, including Jack.
Inevitably, it started to get dark and the kids started to head back to their warm homes, leaving Jack behind on the lake shore. Jack didn't mind it too much, they would be back. And while they couldn't see or hear him, he could still play with them.