Miles To Go Before I Sleep

Of Wayward Kings And Striking Resemblances

Of Wayward Kings and Striking Resemblances

...

Jack laughed joyously as he soared above the town, the wind easily carrying his light form, whistling in his ears all the while. It was evening here, but still he set about settling snow all over. He would guarantee a snow day for the kids the following morning. After all, why would anyone want to be in school when they could be having fun in the snow?

Winter was finally in full-swing and Jack intended to make every second count.

Jack landed nimbly on the powerlines, only to freeze the cables as he ran along before jumping the distance to a nearby rooftop. Snow had started to fall steadily from the sky, dark clouds blocking out most of the stars. But it was worth it. And the kids would have a great start of the season.

"Do my eyes deceive me or is that Jack Frost?"

Jack paused on the edge of the roof, half-way through preparing to volt to a large tree. The voice was familiar, but not one he'd heard in a while. He spun around, searching through the lamp-lit night for the source.

"Up here!"

Jack followed the voice to a small tree, easily spotting two figures perched casually on a thin branch. The taller of the two, a pixie with windswept dark green hair, was watching him with sparkling green eyes and a smug smile that didn't quite mask the obvious delight he was feeling. Nestled closely beside him, a tiny hand clutching the first pixie's shirt, was a smaller, feminine pixie with her red hair, stereotypically, in a pixie cut.

Jack broke into a beaming grin as he recognised him.

"Story?" he gaped, barely able to believe what he was seeing.

"The one and only," Story mock-bowed. "It's been a while."

'A while' was a huge understatement. It had been years since Jack had seen the Pixie King.

"Where have you been?" Jack asked, allowing the wind to scoop him up and move him closer.

"I only know bits and pieces," Story shrugged, his smile slipping and his eyes going cold. "But I do know Pitch is behind it."

Jack frowned. Pitch hadn't been a problem for a while now – to the Guardians, at least – the thought that he'd still been a threat and they hadn't known about it was unsettling.

"He manipulated me," Story continued. "Tricked me into using my powers to spread fear. I managed to get away, and mostly managed to suppress the Fearlings, but they're still on me. I can feel them, but I don't know where they are. As I am now, I can't use my powers."

Jack's frown turned into an angry glare which he directed at the ground. Pitch had no sense of boundaries. The next time he saw him, Jack swore to make him regret his actions. In the meantime, though…

"The Fearlings are suppressing your powers, right?"

A nod.

"So, then, if we can find a way to get rid of them, you should be able to go back to normal?"

"It's not that easy," Story sighed. "Believe me, I've tried. It takes a lot more than will power and hope to remove Fearlings."