Disclaimer: I don't own Rise of the Guardians

So, despite the fact that I have two other stories going, plus school/homework loading me down, I decided to write a Rise of the Guardian fic. Why? Because I'm obsessed. That's the easiest way to say it. Really, I've probably seen the movie ten or more times, and I still can't get enough. Then there's fanfiction: I've only found a few that I like, and so I decided to make my own contribution. ;) I'm a little dork like that.

I hope you like the story. It's my first ever RotG fanfic, and I already have more ideas forming in my mind. :P

Enjoy!

Chapter 1: Only the Beginning

The wind blasted through Jack's hair as he sped through the snowfall in Burgess. The grin on his face grew as he spotted Jamie's house, and he let the wind slow him down enough to allow him to land on the boy's fence with barely a sound. His staff, clutched in his right hand, brushed against the fence, creating a crystalline pattern down the wood as Jack stood to his full height.

"Jack!"

Jamie bounded down his front steps, backpack strapped to his back, with Abby at his heels and Sophie behind her.

"There you are!" Jack laughed, flying down from the post. Abby ran at him, and the winter sprite laughed as the greyhound rubbed against him. "Hey, girl," he cooed. "Miss me?"

"Jack, Jack, Jack, Jack!" Sophie giggled.

The young man called a chipper greeting, his deep timbre giving way his amusement. "Hey, Soph!"

"Are you going anywhere today?" Jamie asked.

"I was thinking of Russia. They haven't had a good snowfall in a while."

"Great! I'll look it up when I get to school." Just then, the long yellow vehicle rounded the corner, coming to a stop at the corner before honking its horn. The boy groaned. "Already?"

"Go on, Jamie," Jack encouraged. "I'll see you when you get home."

The boy flashed him a smile, the gap from his missing tooth showing prominently as he turned towards the corner. "Bye, Jack. Bye, Soph."

"Bye!" Sophie yelled, her golden hair flowing into her face as she turned.

Jack chuckled before Mrs. Bennett came outside, smirking. The woman's red-framed glasses glinted in the sunlight while she narrowed her eyes against the snow. "Sophie, come in the house, you're going to catch a cold."

"But, Mom," the young girl whined, "I wanna play with Jack!"

"Jack who?"

Sophie jumped with excitement. "Jack Frost! Frost, frost, frost!"

Her mother quirked her eyebrow in amusement and brushed a strand of red hair behind her ear. "Well, by this snow, you can play with Jack later. Come inside, and let's make some hot cocoa."

Jack put a hand on the small of her back and gave her a small push. "Go ahead, Soph, I'll be back later."

"Promise?" she whispered, turning towards him.

Chuckling, the winter sprite nodded, crouching down to her level. "I promise."

She smiled broadly at him before turning back 'round and hopping up the stairs, taking her mother's hand and allowing her to guide her. Abby followed at their heels, and Mrs. Bennett shut the door behind them.

"Oi! Frostbite!"

Jack whirled around, instinctively jumping up and floating a few inches off the ground with his staff clutched defensively in his hand. He only relaxed once he recognized the seven foot tall rabbit with two boomerangs strapped to his back and distinctive, dark-grey markings on his ashen fur. "Bunny! Geez, don't sneak up on me like that."

"I didn't sneak up on ya," Bunny challenged.

"Oh?" he smirked. "And what would you call it?"

"I'd call it waiting for you to notice me."

Jack brushed it off. "Same difference. What's up, anyhow?"

Snow gathered on the rabbit's fur, and he said, "Nothin'. Just... bored. It's been too quiet since we defeated Pitch."

"Ah. I see." He leaned against his staff, a teasing gleam in his eye. "You're lonely."

"Am not!"

"Yeah, okay. Up for a race then, Kangaroo?"

"Bunny. Anytime, Icicle."

"How about to the lake?"

Bunnymund wiggled his nose, smirking deviously as Jack floated over to him. "You're on."

"No portals, though. Got it?"

"Mate, you think I'd cheat?" He shook his head teasingly. "Ye of little faith."

Shoving his hand in his ice decorated hoodie, Jack laughed and repositioned his staff. "On your mark."

"Get set."

"Go!"

They took off at the same time, Bunny bounding over the snowdrifts and dodging parked cars while the winter sprite flew gracefully above him. His alabaster hair fluttered wildly as the wind pulled at clothing and Bunnymund's fur.

"C'mon, Cottontail! You gotta be faster than that!"

"Says the incarnate of ice," he shot back.

Jack chortled and quickly spun around an SUV, narrowing his startling blue eyes against the pelting snow. He could see the lake in the distance. The heavy, snow laden pine branches hung close to its frozen surface, and snow banks gathered at its edges. Its eggshell blue surface glinted in the light, and the freshly fallen snow gathered in its uneven crevices.

And that was when it happened.

The picture-perfect scene began to blue and refocus, and Jack blinked several times to clear his vision. He, distantly, realized that the pelting snow wasn't snow anymore. It was wetter. Like slush.

"Mate, you feelin' alright?"

Bunnymund's voice was far off and barely registered in the winter sprite's mind. Sudden nausea coursed through him, and his flight pattern wavered as he dipped closer towards the ground.

"Jack!"

The lake was getting closer still, but Jack was hardly aware of anything. His mind felt stuffed, his head suddenly throbbed, and something wet traced his cheekbone. He felt himself falter again, and his bare foot brushed against a snowbank as his staff bounced against the ground.

"Stop flying!"

He couldn't though. He couldn't do anything.

The slush continued, becoming more and more liquid as the seconds went by, and soon the young man's clothing was soaked. For the first time in three hundred years, Jack felt cold. So cold.

He shivered violently and felt his eyelids droop. He dipped again, but this time, he went down. Hard. He crashed into the high snowbank on the threshold of the pond, and the gathered snow went flying, coating Jack as he, still propelled by his speed, continued onto the jagged ice. It tore at his clothing and his flesh, and when he finally came to a stop, he felt aching pain running through him. Blood ebbed from his cheek, and he could taste the metallic tang of it in his mouth from where he'd bitten down on his tongue.

"Jack!" Bunny came to a skidding stop beside him, leaning down towards the winter sprite as the clear concern in his eyes grew. "Kid, what happened? You alright?"

His eyelids fluttered rapidly as he tried to stay conscious, but another bout of nausea rushed through him. He wrapped his arm around his abdomen as he tried to get to his feet. Jack stumbled and fell back against the cold ice, breathing heavy as he flopped over onto his back. Bunny set his large paw on Jack's shoulder comfortingly.

"Settle down, mate. Don't try to get up."

The winter sprite flexed his fingers, only to find that his staff wasn't there. It was always there. Where...? "Sta-"

"You're staff? It's over there. Just a second." He hopped away and returned a moment later, the long shepherd's crook in his paw. He handed it off to Jack, who was visibly shivering, and the boy wrapped his long fingers around it... But it did nothing.

Usually, he found comfort in the staff. It had always been there. He had grown up using it, teasing his sister with it, saving his sister with it. It had always been a source of comfort, and it was what he channeled his powers through. But it felt... cold and foreign. And, when he touched it, only the faintest traces of frost crawled over it, so unlike the vibrant, sparkling patterns of before.

"Jack? Frostbite, what's wrong?" His paw came forward and brushed his cheek, wiping some of the crimson off.

"Bun... Bunny," Jack murmured, pain and weariness lining his voice.

"I'm here, mate."

"Wha-what's g-going on?" He coughed harshly, clenching his eyes shut as he rolled to his side, facing his friend. "W-why am I s-so cold? I-I'm never c-cold."

"I don't know," he replied, the concern clear in his voice. "I'm gonna get help, 'right?"

But the tall bunny was gone before Jack could, weakly, protest. Struggling to keep his eyes open, the boy saw his friend run towards solid ground, tap his foot twice, and jump through the hole, leaving a colorful flower, so out of place against the snowy landscape, in his place.

Exhaustion and nausea coursed through him again, and Jack couldn't fight it anymore. He coughed gratingly and curled in on himself, pulling his knees up, as the cold rain fell and his eyelids finally closed.

And yes, as you may have guessed, this is going to be chock full of bromance. No doubt about it. After seeing the movie so many times and analyzing the little things, the Jack-Bunny bromance just hits you full on. Seriously. It does. I'm not even kidding. :D Also, if there's a specific idea/scene that you want to see, feel free to suggest it. ;)

Please review. :D