Title: Frostrauma [The Below Freezing Prelude]

Short Summary: Adapting isn't easy. But as far as Jack was concerned, he was fine. A bit apprehensive? Yes. Excessively cautious? Maybe. Traumatized? NO. But the Guardians think otherwise…

Rating: T FOR… Some bad language, morbid descriptions, violence, slight chance of character death, self-harm, blood, angst, and depression :)

Author's Note: I was originally going to post this as a one shot in my collection, It Snows When It's Dark Out, Too, but after seeing how many things I could do with it, I'm gonna make it it's own story. Sort of like a prelude for my upcoming Below Freezing Series. :) Seems like a pretty decent story line, I guess, might as well give it a shot.

ATTENTION: NOT GETTING REVIEWS MAKES IT FEEL LIKE SOMEONE CURBSTOMPED MY SOUL. PLEASE DON'T CURBSTOMP MY SOUL AND LEAVE AT LEAST A SMILEY FACE TO SHOW IT'S WORTH PURSUING OR THIS STORY WILL DIE.

That'll be all. :D

When Jack heard that the Guardians were talking about him, and not the Nightmare Sand residue left that they said they'd be talking about, he was preoccupied with playing with the elves in the hallways of the workshop. Jack brushed the tip of his crook against the wooden floor of the hallway, coating it with a thin layer of ice before gently nudging the elves onto the slick surface and sending them spiraling down the hallways. He often had fun with the elves (sometimes even managing to get Phil in on the games they played) when North invited him over only to have to sit outside and wait for the rest of the Guardians to arrive. At times like this, he felt reckless and had to release some of the fun that built up inside of him, after not being able to channel it through to the fun-deprived children of the world, seeing that the winter season was dying down now. He couldn't fly to Burgess to play with his handful of believers whenever he felt like spreading his magic (besides, Jamie and his friends had become busy with school since Easter break was over), and in Jack's mind, it wasn't really fair to the others that this one group of kids had more fun. And no, he couldn't necessarily waltz up to one of the Guardians and ask, "Hey, as soon as you're done with whatever you're doing, you wanna have a snowball fight? Maybe make a snowman?"

In his mind, he would be judged, careless Guardian, ignorant Guardian…

And he wasn't in the mood to be judged so.

He'd considered just dispersing the enchanting spell of fun amongst a gloomy looking bunch of kids loitering on their school's grounds in Nevada; but that's when North's yetis "invited" him back to the North Pole. So he never really got the chance to let it out. Instead, he decided to share it with the elves, asking them if they'd like to play a game with an innocent, albeit a tad bit mischievous, glint in his ice-blue eyes. They most certainly seemed to appreciate it. The yetis, not so much. But then again, Jack wouldn't like slipping on a random ice path in the hallway and falling on his rump either. Oops.

Still, Jack played with the elves, smirking at the brown bulky yeti's glare as he struggled to his feet and resumed his errand. So he didn't like it when Jack's fun got in the way of his job. Tough.

Hey, North said to play with the elves to keep them occupied, he never said he had to play nice.

He expelled his glistening blue snowflakes (he refused to call them sparkles or anything of the sort) upon the yeti, just to see if he could be bribed into joining their quirky band of ice skaters. And in an instant, there was a new amateur skater on the team. The yeti had a shocked but clearly joyous expression, nearly falling flat on his face as he twirled like a disoriented ballerina just sent through a room made up of mirrors. Seeing this reminded him of something, but he shook it off and followed his ice path back to the door it began, all the while smiling and flying above the elves as to urge them to hurry after him. In the midst of his floating, though, he'd grown dizzy; dizzy to the point where his stomach churned sickly. So he carefully landed on his toes and walked the rest of the way instead, each step frosting over the ice path he'd made.

Dizzy spells had become frequent, but Jack never thought much of it and ignored it, as he did with the nausea and the panic attacks. No doubt they were just normal side effects of becoming a new Guardian. They would go away in a matter of days.

Speaking of Guardians, he thought to himself as he made his way to the door. His thought process shifted to North. It was strange, how he reacted to seeing Jack after arriving (in the sack) through the snowglobe portal.

He didn't notice how North was staring at him until after he finally managed to pick himself off the ground. Seeing that he hadn't been sleeping well lately, his energy and strength was faltering, something that Jack tried his best to conceal. He was fine.

"So whenever you send for me," Jack sardonically began as he knelt down to grab his staff, something he almost forgot to do.

North's mind was reeling. Jack almost forgot to pick up his staff.

He never forgot about his staff.

"Are you the one that tells them to use the sack, or do the yetis take that upon themselves?" But the jolly old man gave no response. He was staring at him peculiarly, his face bearing the look of surprise, that "Well, whaddaya know?" look he wore after being proven wrong, or having been told of something and finally seeing it but expecting it to be completely different.

"Well," Jack continued nonchalantly, pretending to be unaware of his (somewhat awkward) staring. "Would it kill you to, I dunno, at least wash the thing? Maybe just spray it down with some air freshener or something? 'Cuz it's starting to smell funny…" North, after coming to grips, chortled heartily at his joke and placed a hand on Jack's shoulder.

"I remember hearing you say you love the sack. But with all seriousness," North walked Jack to the door as he explained himself. "There is important Guardian meeting-"

"Sooo why not use the Northern Lights?"

"Eh, it will send wrong message to the other spirits, that there is danger. But, ah, there is no danger for to harm children. Is a strict Guardian matter only, to do with nightmare sand still all over the Tooth Palace. That, and Aurora Borealis should be reserved for dire emergencies."

"Oh. Well that makes sense, I guess… but where are the others?"

They stopped in front of the door that led to the hallway.

"Rest assured, they are on way, albeit very slowly, but ah, cannot complain. I have favor for to ask of you while we wait. The elves have been restless sense Pitch came to pole. Do you think you could help them to loosen up a little bit? Maybe, have some fun?"

Jack didn't hesitate. "No prob, North. Easy."

"Good! I will send for you when they've arrived. And Jack?" he caught the boy's attention before he could make it all the way out the door.

"Yeah?"

"Please don't break things."

Jack laughed.

Jack remembered North saying to him very clearly that he would send for him when the other Guardians arrived. This was why he was confused when he heard voices emitting from behind the door that he'd just flown up to. They sounded hushed, urgent…

Jack quietly shook his head. It must have just been him. He had been hearing things lately anyways, seeing things that weren't really there… Therefore he concluded that the voices were in his mind and reached for the door handle.

"Ah told ya he wasn't a'right, mate!" Bunny's raised voice emanated from inside the main floor of the workshop, followed by a slur of shushes, and Jack withdrew his hand. What the hell? Jack thought to himself. They started the meeting without me? And who are they talking about? Very carefully, he pressed his ear against the door, to better hear just what had to be kept a secret from Jack Frost.

"Yes, Bunny. I know, and am sorry for doubting you," North said sincerely. "I saw his condition today before sending him out with elves, took closer look at him,"

Jack's breath caught in his throat when he realized that they were talking about him, but couldn't help thinking to himself after North's comment, Um... That's not creepy.

"His eyes, bloodshot. Skin, sheet-white and-"

"But Jack's always been pale!" Tooth interjected a little too loud for their liking, earning a few more shushes from her own fairies before North continued.

"Well, yes, but not like this. No, he looks almost sickly, Tooth. Unwell,"

Bunny intervened, "Ah tell ya what, North, ah think the boy's ill. Ah was… on mah way ta Warren afta visitin' some anklebiters the otha day, an' the kid was retchin' in tha bushes-"

This comment caused Tooth to gasp and go on a rant on how that was bad for your oral health. This comment caused a very angry Jack Frost to chew on his lower lip, ignoring the approaching elves as they turned the corner and came towards him. But the Pooka didn't finish there.

"But I reckon tha' was jus' from all tha bawlin' tha poor boy did," Bunny concluded silently. Jack's grip on his staff tightened. So they think that they can just spy on me and then talk about me behind my back? He thought, only to return his attention to the conversation occurring on the other side of the door.

He heard the muffled sound of sand shifting, and assumed that it was Sandy's turn to speak… well, not speak per se, but to show them what he was thinking on the matter through gold sand pictures.

"So he has not been sleeping lately?" North implied, and Sandy continued.

When Sandman finished with whatever he was saying, Tooth let out a startled cry and North let out a "No… Rimsey Korsakov, what have we done?…"

Bunny remained silent.

What? What!? What did Sandy tell you I was doing!? Jack urged in his thoughts, taking a deep breath to steady him from collapsing then and there. No. There was no way. Why would they sit back and watch him all those years alone, and then bring it up now just because he was a Guardian!? Jack usually vomited when he cried too much. But he always cried before. Why was it such a big issue now? And what could've been causing all the sullen responses from the Guardians? Just what did Sandy say to them? Did Sandy know of-

"Aw, Ah told ya, ya gumby!" Bunny nearly shouted, snarling aggressively under his breath. "Ah told ya 'bout it before it was this bad, an' ya blew it off, so now it's gotten bloody worse an'-!"

"Bunny! Please calm down," Tooth said boldly at first, then a little more softer, "It's gonna be okay."

"Okay?! This is far from okay, Tooth, an' ya know it! Crikey! Why couldn't we 'ave been there for 'im when he -"

North interrupted Bunny. "I know, my friend. And I regret ever disregarding the matter. And as much as I'd like to just tell Jack of these secret meetings,"

So they've talked about me on more than one occasion, huh? Jack sneered silently.

"We have serious question to find answer to: Will it go away over time, or-"

"Oh yah, North, 'cuz that's jus' what tha kid needs. More time ta himself."

"Bunny!" Tooth said again, allowing North to continue.

"Or will his trauma grow worse?"

Jack's heart stopped. Trauma? What trauma? I don't have freakin' trauma! I mean, yeah, sure, I puke sometimes, and have trouble sleeping, but don't we all? Why bring it up now when it was okay in the pas-

Jack didn't see the elves until they collided with his legs and sent him crashing through the door.

Author's Note:

O.O Well. There's a bit of explaining to be done. XD

LIKE I SAID. I LOVE MY SOUL. PLEASE DON'T ABUSE IT AND LEAVE A REVIEW. Thank you :D

969~696

EDIT: Thank you guys so much for the reviews :D this story won't die, I promise! I'll upload as soon as the testing's over at the end of the week k? :D Thanks again!