Hi everyone! Guess who decided to update! That's right, ME! Sorry for making you wait so long and I could give you a ton of excuses but none of them make up for Niki's absence. So, now to thank people (you guys really do keep me going):

bookworm: No, nothing at all, though there WILL be a sequel for that story, trust me. I've started thinking about it, but will not post it until this one is finished.

AnnaNymose: Thank you! You are so encouraging to me and my imagination!

crystallica81: Why, thank you, I consider Niki to be pretty cool as well.

FunnelcakeIceblue: Ah, my old friend. No, her powers don't include time travel, though that would pretty awesome. I have a feeling though, that if they did, there would be some things Niki would like change, no matter what the rules of time travel state.

And my followers/favoriters:

crystallica81, AnnaNymose, Mystystar, and fantasyinfinity.

Alright, glad to have that off my chest, and sorry for the long A/N, however, now we can get to the point you have all been waiting for… CHAPTER 3!

Let me start off with some advice. If you ever lose your magic (though I'm not sure why you'd have magic in the first place), and your magic was your chief means of travel, then before doing anything else, obtain some other means of travel. Especially if you're directionally null.

I have been walking for three stinking hours, trying to find a Guardian (Yes, I listened to Day's advice. Tell her, and you're dead).

At first I was all ambitious, like "I'm gonna walk to the North Pole!"

Yeah, that one was over before it even started. So I tried something different: "I'm gonna walk to…" this is me, trying to think about a Guardian's home that I could actually reach, "um, the Tooth Palace." (Note that my tone is not quite so chipper anymore.)

This one, despite me having no idea where it was, took 27 minutes to die out, and by time my feet were starting to hurt.

"The Warren! I'll walk to the Warren." I still had no idea where that is, but I walked for 2 ½ hours before falling on my face and screaming : "Heck with it all! I'm not walking another step! Hey, MiM! Send one of your freaking Guardians out here. I'm not finding them! Let them find me!"

So that's where I am right now, laying on ground, in the middle of a (cold and snowy) forest, lost, and panting from my outburst.

"Feel better?"

"Yeah, actually- WHAT THE-" I jumped up and spun around, searching for him.

"As always, Niki, your dulcet tones are music to my ears."

It's Pitch Black. Just my luck.

"You better show yourself this instant, or I swear-" I threatened the darkness.

"You'll do what? Your magic is gone, isn't it?" He taunted me.

"Doesn't matter. I could probably find a stick and beat you over the head with it." To prove my point, I picked up a thick branch and waved it above my head, "Like this one here."

"Your ideas are constantly shocking me in their originality and elegance."

"You don't know half the brilliant ideas I've had."

"I doubt that."

"What do you want?" I said, fed up with this conversation. This was getting me nowhere.

"Just thought I'd drop in and let you know that Jack Frost is freezing a town not half a mile West of here."

"Right, and West would be…?" I questioned.

An irate sigh, then hands on my shoulders spun me towards around in a half circle to my left. "That way, Niki."

"Okay, well, just know that the next time I meet, I will kill you."

"Unless I get to you first." He references my regeneration.

"Don't even joke about that, Pitch Black."

He gives a small laugh.

"Good evening," he says before he disappears.

I look up at MiM, who seems a bit dimmer. "Well, if you didn't want me talking to him, then you should have helped me earlier. Now, I've got a Guardian to find, no thanks to you."

In a cave, somewhere**

"Did it work?" The scratchy voice questions.

"Yes, Niki is defenseless." A young, youthful voice answers him, sounding delighted.

"You are sure?" There is doubt in the voice.

"I saw her myself. She is on foot, and by now will have taken the bait we set for her."

"You know, I do believe you are the best partner I've ever had." The scratchy voice praises the other.

"Thank you, that means much to me."

"Now, prepare for stage 2. You won't need to take many with you. If Niki is truly defenseless, as you have said, then she will not be hard to beat."

"Of course, shall I meet you back here?"

"No, I think not. Meet me at camp with our guest when you have her and in the meanwhile, I will be preparing her accommodations."

Niki's POV**

"I thought he said it would be close. 'Not half a mile' he said. Well, he is a liar, says I, and the next time- Oh." I stumble out of the trees and see a village straight ahead of me, which is indeed covered with ice.

It would seem that I came out right on the edge, and the glow of the lanterns stopped just before my feet. It is small and very secluded, more of something you would imagine in the 1800s or around there.

A few people mull around, dressed warmly or chatting merrily. Watching them, I shiver.

I start as a voice from above me says, "Are you… Niki, by any chance?"

There is a boy, about 17 or 18, floating above me, at least ten feet off the ground. His hair is white, and he's wearing tan pants and a light blue sweat shirt that looks like the shoulders are covered in frost. His eyes are piercing blue, and his skin is deathly pale.

I look up. "Are you Jack Frost?"

"Yeah."

"Then yes, I am Niki." I concede.

"I've heard about you." He says.

"Most have." I shrug; half because this is unsurprising news, and half because of cold. The T-shirt, light jacket, and capris I'm wearing (all in different shades of purple, or black) are doing nothing against the cold Jack has brought with him.

"You live around here?" He asks me.

"I can't tell you." I state, matter-of-factly.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes, actually. I need to get a message to North." I answer.

"At your service," he says, mock-bowing as he floats down towards the ground.

"Tell North to meet me- Where are we?" I inquire, revealing to him that I'm lost.

"I think we're somewhere in Canada."

"Tell North to meet me 'somewhere in Canada' as soon as he can."

"Sure. You planning on just hanging around 'till he gets here?" he asks.

"Pretty much, I've got nothing better to do."

"Cool-" he stops and his eyes flicker behind me. "You may want to rethink that decision." His voice is nervous.

I groan. "What is it now?"

"Skeletons."

I start to threaten him, "Jack Frost, if you're pulling my leg-"

"No, seriously. They're standing right behind you, in the tree line. Can you take them?"

"I can't take anything right now." Normally, I would never reveal that I'm vulnerable to a stranger; however A) I'm in a very dangerous situation where I could possibly lose a limb or my life and B) he's a Guardian.

"What do you mean?" Great, I've confused him.

"That's why I need to talk to North. However, if you go get help, I can lead them away from the village."

"How?" Jack now looks concerned.

"My feet may be tired, but seeing as this is a life or death situation, I can run." Duh.

"For how long?"

"Long enough. Go!"

"Wait, wha-"

I took off running into the trees.