The Pain of Summer

"Wakey Wakey Frost!"

The first thing Jack noticed when he opened his eyes was that his staff was gone, and his legs were bound with burning rope that no matter how thick he frosted them, they melted the ice. The second thing he noticed was the leering face of the woman only known as Summer. Her red eyes danced as she kicked him hard, then stomped on his wrist, breaking it and causing him pain.

"You are mine Jackie-boy, and I am going to play with you for a long time before the sun has his way with you!"

She smiled and burned a handprint on the winter spirit's back, leg and neck, relishing the shreaks of agony that ripped from his throat. Bending down, she whispered in his ear "I have waited 200 years for this, Winter King. Now, writhe for me Jackie. WRITHE!"

Jack's screams echoed across the desert emptiness, his skin torched by the female spirit as she literally set him on fire.

ROTG

The Guardians were holding a meeting. They descided to hold one once a month. Every one of them knew that soon it would be twice a month, then whenever North felt like calling them together.

All arrived on schedule.

All but Jack Frost.

"Where is that bloody showpony?" Bunny snarled, tired of waiting for their youngest to arrive.

"I'm worried North." Tooth said, her voice shaking "Something doesn't feel right. It isn't like Jack to be an hour late for a meeting, let alone two hours. Not in the summertime."

"Mmmm. We could look for Jack on Globe. New invention I make for special occasions." North said, turning towards the large globe and searching for a blue dot. "Jack in...Sahara Desert."

Tooth gasped "Jack hates the desert. He won't go there. Jack can't go to the desert! ANY Desert! We have to find him! We...we have to rescue Sweet Tooth from the heat it's the middle of SUMMER!"

Sandy nodded and made images of Jack, the sun, and a melted icicle.

"Sandy is right." North said solemly "Jack will get very sick in heat that strong. Maybe even fatally."

"Sick?! No mate...Jack could easily and literally melt. We have to go now. There's no question." He tapped his foot, and a tunnel opened up. "Take the sleigh, I'll handle any baddies on ground level when I get there."

ROTG

Bunny huffed as his ears rang with tormented screams as soon as his head was out of the hole. Following the racket, he soon found what he was looking for, and it made his blood boil. Not wanting to rush in without backup, the pooka was forced to watch as the redhaired, sandled sheila surrounded Jack with fire, then to Bunny's horror, she yanked the kid up by his hair and forced hot coals down his throat.

Bunny had enough. It was time to move in. Now.

He was beaten by a green and blue blur that slammed into the summery clad lady with the force of a small train.

Summer stood and faced the rest of the Guardians, her face furious. The fairy slammed into her again with a roar of motherly rage, and the men sat and watched while Summer and Tooth wrestled each other on the sand. Tooth was angry, and protective, and a force to be reconed with, and the summer spirit stood no chance, especially when Baby Tooth also flittered in and gave a jab or three for good measure. Summer shoved off the angry Fairy, and laughed scornfully, holding Jack's staff high above her head.

"Very well, you may take Frost. He is practically done for anyway. I don't really feel like fighting the lot of you." She turned a nasty, vengeful eye on the dying winter spirit now being cuddled by Tooth, and her eyes glinted. "However, I would like to give the king back his scepter."

Grinning in contentment and hatred, she snapped the staff over her knee. Jack gasped and shreaked, his throat raw and hoarse due to the coal and dry heat, and she smiled and snapped it again. Again the roar of pain from her hated rival and Jack curled in on himself, holding his stomach weakly. She snapped it again, but this time the Winter spirit just seizured, the shock and effect of his staff breaking having taken his consciousness. She would have done it again had Bunny not ended the torture by slamming her with his powerful back legs and sending her tumbling away.

Gathering the staff and their wounded and broken comrade, the Guardians headed for home.

Tooth held the boy close to her, and sobbed for him.

"My poor Sweet Tooth...hang in there, ok? We'll fix you up, don't give up Jack."

Jack looked drawn, his poor thin frame bloodied, burned, and barely alive. He was completely miserable and overheated, not to mention dehydrated. The Tooth Fairy swore that she would need an entire bag of quarters when she paid his tormenter a visit. For Tooth was planning on paying Summer a visit as soon as Jack was stable.

Until then, the Tooth Fairy was not going to leave his side. She would give quarters to any yeti who dared try to remove her.

We aren't done yet! This is a two, maybe three part arc! Enjoy!