Rise of the Guardians 2 - After the End

Heat Wave

It's been a couple months since I was given a room at the North Pole, 'and putting it to such good use' I think to myself, given I haven't been there since. I'd been traveling the world. Turns out I really am believed in now. I've flown through towns where children have looked up and pointed at me, I've even gotten to say 'hi' to a few of them.

Being believed in is even better than I imagined. I meet friendly faces wherever I go and I just feel better than I ever have before. I feel more powerful, I feel invincible.

I twist and turn though the Northern air on my way back to the Pole. The swirling snowflakes graze my face like a thousand tiny kisses, whereas others would complain of the flakes' icy edges.

I glide around to the side of the workshop, towards where my window looks out onto the barren tundra. I grip the ledge and push open the window thanks to Tooth's thoughtful thinking. I swing my legs over the sill and am immediately met with an uncomfortable rush of burning air. I collapse as I gasp in the thick, sultry air, almost suffocating. I'm normally okay with a little bit of heat now and then, but this sudden and concentrated swelter is almost too much for me to handle. The ice coating that everything in my room once had is now melted and evaporated into the air, making the room insufferable.

I prop myself up on my staff and crawl back to the window for fresh air. I whip open the whole wall of windows and fling myself outside where I am cradled by a rush of arctic air that sweeps me away from my own personal torture chamber of a room.

After a few deep breaths outside I float my way down to the main entrance of the Workshop in search of an explanation. I open the grand doors and I am met with a gentle push of a warm front, what most others find comfortable and that I've grown used to, nowhere near the magnitude of what I had just experienced.

The Yetis grunt their hellos as I make my way across the floor to North's office upstairs. I knock on the door and receive no answer. I pull on the handle to find it unlocked so I let myself in. His latest ice sculpture is presented on the center table. It is an ornate tree house surrounded by pine trees so delicate I swear they swayed as I passed them as if in a summer breeze.

"You like?" A deep voice sounds from the doorway. I look up into the kind face of North, cheeks rosy as ever. "Welcome back, Jack; I knew you would return. Bunny didn't think so though," he laughs deeply, "I win the bet! Remind me to rub it in his face next time he visits". North moves past me and starts bushing away stray ice chips strewn across the table. "How is every-ting?" he inquires.

I move out of his way as he circles his creation, "Everything? Most everything is great, I love being believed in, I feel great; well, until I came in the window of my room to find it was turned into a sauna." I say casually.

"What?" North raises his head and looks at me straight on. "A 'sauna'? What do you mean?"

I sit on one of the unused workbenches, shrugging, "I climbed in my window just now and I swear it was a thousand degrees in there."

He seems to contemplate this, "No...that shouldn't be, come!" he tosses the ice aside and gestures for me to follow him as he grabs his twin swords by the door.

He leads me back up to our hallway and takes the lead for opening my bedroom door. "Stay back, Jack!" he warns. I stay about 10 feet behind but keep my staff up and ready in case of trouble. North swings open the door with such force that the floor shakes beneath my feet. He rushes inside and walks slowly forward. "It is safe!" he calls out.

I lower my staff and poke my head in the door before fully entering; it looked just as it had when I first saw it, devoid of ice. As I step through the threshold; even with all the windows wide open, I find it to be about the same temperature as the rest of the workshop, but still much better than it was.

"I see no sign of break in," North comments as he examines the windows and the door. He turns to the bed and sees that the sheets are ever so slightly toasted on the edges, "But some-ting definitely was wrong."

Then I remember, "Did Bunny do this?"

"Why would you say that, Jack?" he questions as he sheaths his swords.

I shrug, "We kinda had a spat when I was last here; I froze his door so maybe he superheated my room in revenge." I explain.

He shakes his head, "No, I believe this is too far outside Bunny's power. And by your description, this is far from petty revenge." He sits down on the bed which creaks under his weight, "Elves!" he calls and almost immediately 3 show up in the door, "Go check maintenance, see if there are any heating problems around here." He orders and they start to jingle off down the hall. "Don't worry, we'll get to the bottom of this, it just may have been a technical error on my end."

"I really hope so," I say to myself.

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