Hey my dudes. It's been a loooong time since I did anything here. I won't go into details cause I'm sure none of you are interested, but years later my muse is finally rising from the dead. This is just a little tester to see if I should move ahead with this idea, so if you want more be sure to let me know!

Long ago...

Pitch drew in a deep breath and grinned. Fear pervaded the air like a dense fog and he loved it. Never before had he held so much power. Pitch was almost starting to think... but no. Even he, at the height of his reign, wasn't strong enough to manifest in front of nonbelievers. But with no one to contend his control it was an enticing idea to ponder. What would it take to boost his abilities to that level? Only time would be able to tell him if such a thing existed.

Now

Tears gathered at the corners of Jack's eyes as he tumbled through the air in a freefall. The wind grabbed at his hair and clothes as he picked up speed, quickly closing the distance between him and the buildings of Burgess. Just when it seemed certain that he would crash his body into the cement roof of the local bank, Jack let out an enthusiastic howl and was suddenly sucked up by an updraft.

"Hats off to you, Wind!" Jack shrieked with a giggle. "If I was wearing one!"

The wind, ever silent, said nothing; but Jack felt an extra playful tussle in his silver locks that told him his companion was having just as much fun.

Flipping onto his back, Jack blew a quick kiss into the air before he somersaulted backwards and let the air push him around until he was facing forward again. "Take me to the lake!" He requested. "I think it's about time for Burgess to get frozen over in time for Christmas."

Jack was particularly excited to begin his work this year. During his first real year as a Guardian, Jack had, admittedly, gone a little overboard. He honestly hadn't meant to, but remember when everyone went crazy over the snowfall in Egypt during 2013? Yeah... Jack actually felt a little guilty over that one. After that, the other Guardians had asked him to take it easy for a few years.

Well, Jack had given them four, which he could tell surprised them. He'd used the time wisely of course. He spent the first year scoping out the entirety of the North and South poles to see which one better suited him for a permanent home. In the end, he and North decided it'd be best if he took over the south one. North claimed it was so that the Guardians could have better coverage of the globe in case of a crisis, but Jack was pretty sure he just couldn't handle the thought of living within shouting distance of the Winter Spirit. That was okay, though. The remaining time had been spent making literally the most amazing snow fort of all time. In fact, Jack was insulted by the term 'snow fort.' It was a bona fide ice fortress. Also, he had recruited every penguin he could find to participate in a month long snowball fight. As a reward, he'd brought them as many fish as he could catch, after which many of the birds had decided to take up permanent residence in his castle.

Now Jack hoped the world had had enough time off because he was out of things to distract him with and ready to bring on the best winter wonderland of his career, starting with the beloved town of Burgess.

Jack crested the last few trees and grinned as he saw the murky waves of Lake Burgess slopping onto the shore. He landed roughly on the finely ground sand and wiggled his toes in the already icy water that flooded over his feet. He hummed a surprisingly good version of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" as he swiped his staff along the water and got started.

Every spot he made contact with began to sprout a clear, silvery ice, whether it be his foot, staff, or the occasional finger. Jack spun and twirled as gracefully as any figure skater, humming happily and freezing the lake over with no discernable method to his madness. All too soon, Lake Burgess was coated in a layer of ice thick enough to support an entire army of children.

"That didn't take long at all," Jack huffed. "But I guess I could go for a trip down memory lane..." he smirked, remembering watching Tooth slap a molar right out of Pitch's mouth in this very spot.

Deciding that it was actually a very good idea, Jack gave himself a mental pat on the back and slid his staff over his shoulders, resting a hand over each end. He strolled through the trees away from the lake. In his head he replayed the scene where Pitch was dragged by his own merciless Nightmares into the deepest parts of the earth. Jack shuddered slightly. Even though he knew Pitch deserved it, that was a horrible thing to imagine.

Jack kicked a pine cone as the setting sun sent rays of light across the ground, creating long shadows. He thought back to the conversation he'd had with the Easter Kangaroo shortly after the entrance to Pitch's lair had collapsed over him. Bunny explained that because the portals were created with magic, they could only remain open as long as the creator fed them energy. So even though Pitch's underground hideout still existed, it would be decades at least before he was strong enough to even reopen the portal, let alone threaten-

All thought ground to a halt almost as quickly as his feet froze beneath him. Jack stood motionless, slackjawed. He forced himself out of his stupor meer seconds later; he no longer had any time to waste. He summoned the wind and shot straight into the air with no acrobatics as he headed directly to the North Pole. He needed to tell North to turn on the Northern Lights. He needed to tell the other Guardians about the familiar hole in the ground by the lake, boarded over with a couple broken wooden slats.

All criticisms are welcome!