A/N: Hello, all! This is just a quick little story…I started it a couple days ago, and am glad to be done with it. I just saw "Rise of the Guardians" the other day, and honestly loved it! I thought up this idea right before I saw the movie, and it only exploded after I saw the film. Quick note-I know that ROTG is also a comic book series (or something to that extent), and that the seasonals are probably already named. I've never read them, though, so I created my own names and things for them. I also chose my own order for their age (Sage is youngest, then Jack, then Flora, then Sahara). If this annoys you, I'm sorry….but I don't know anything besides what's in the movie, so… ;)

DISCLAIMER I DON'T OWN RISE OF THE GUARDIANS AND NEVER WILL I JUST REALLY LOVE JACK! ;)

Please enjoy "Sage and the Seasonals"!

Jack was on a mission.

And for once, it wasn't a mission to spread winter. He had already finished that part of his job, and was fresh from visiting with Jamie and his other believers. No, this was a different sort of mission. He was flying out to a forest in the United States (specifically, in the state of Oregon) to find his younger sister-Sage, the fall seasonal. Normally, he would stay in Burgess for a while longer with Jamie, but this time was different. He had run into his other sisters-Sahara (the summer seasonal) and Flora (the spring seasonal)-who were going on and on about some person that they just found so stupid and idiotic that they couldn't help making fun of them. Jack had heard that they had been teasing someone for a while, so he asked who they were joking about.

"Oh, that menace of a sister of ours. I honestly can't believe that she hasn't done herself in by now, she's so stupid and unnecessary…"

Jack didn't find their jokes so funny after that. As he quickly walked away, he was stopped by one of the nature sprites (who helped Sage and Flora transform the world into fall and spring), who told him that Sage had basically holed herself up in her house, and was having a really hard time. It only took a few moments for the older Guardian to decide to go out and talk to his younger sister-she was his favorite little sister, after all, and he couldn't stand the fact that people were saying those things about her. Hence, why he was landing in front of a large acorn in a dark forest.

Jack quietly knocked on her door. "Sage? Are you in there?" There was no outward response, but Jack could hear a quiet noise coming from the room…a noise that sounded like crying. The Guardian of Fun sighed, not really wanting to disturb his friend if she truly wanted to be alone, but he pushed the door open anyways. Sage's house was rather small-one room built out of an acorn-but was rather cozy. It was a little warm for Jack's taste, but he decided to ignore it when he saw the shape the younger sprite was in. Sage was leaning against her bed, her head resting on her crossed arms (which were resting on her knees). Her long brown hair, which was normally in a single braid, was draped over her face, preventing the older Guardian from seeing her face. She was clearly shaking, however, and Jack could hear soft sobbing sounds coming from her direction. That seemed to make up his mind, as he quietly closed the door and moved to kneel next to his younger sister. "Sage. Are you all right?" he murmured, gently resting a hand on her shoulder. The younger girl finally looked up, wiping away her tears with the heels of her hands as she did so. "Yeah…I'm fine." she muttered. "Just…just never mind. I'm fine." Jack scoffed, holding down her hands in one of his while resting his other hand on her cheek. "That may work on the others, Sage, but it doesn't work on me. I know you, and I know that you're not all right." The younger spirit didn't respond, so Jack tried again, gently tilting her face towards his. "I know what the others said about you." That got a reaction out of Sage…she started crying even harder, turning her face away as if to hide her tears from her older brother's steady gaze. "Well, go on then…what are you waiting for?"

"Sage…what are you talking about?"

"Go ahead. Say how terrible fall is, and how it shouldn't even be a season. I'm honestly surprised that it's taken you this long." Jack stared at the fall seasonal in confusion.

"How terrible fall…wait a second, Sage-you don't think I agree with them, do you?"

"Why wouldn't you?" Sage's olive-green eyes flickered shut, but she couldn't hide the pain and shame reflected in them from Jack. "Everyone hates fall, Jack. Everyone. Children hate it-in most of the world-because it means they have to go back to school, people in general hate it because it means that it gets dark sooner and that everything decays and dies, and there's only a couple 'holidays' in the season, over which I have no input or control. Sahara hates me because it means that summer is over and everything has to start growing cold again and I basically 'ruin her season', Flora hates me because I'm not as peppy and energetic as she is and because she 'brings life while all you do is bring decay, death, and destruction into the world'…and you probably hate me because it takes so long to get to winter…" Jack couldn't believe what he was hearing-his younger sister believed that he hated her?

Well, that was going to change.

Right now.

"Sage-listen to me. I don't hate you. I could never hate you, and I wouldn't want to in the first place. You are one of the sweetest and kindest people that I have ever met, and you put everyone else's needs before your own. Sure, sometimes I wish fall didn't have to go on for so long, but I know that it's because you have to make sure that every single animal that hibernates is ready to sleep for the winter, and that the ones who don't can still find food. You have a lot to take care of during your season, and I'm amazed at how you keep track of it all. You're my favorite little sister, Sage, and I could never hate you-or your season."

"I'm your only little sister." Sage murmured, letting out an almost inaudible chuckle. She then sighed, however. "You have something that I never will, though. Children believe in you. I've never had anyone believe in me…and I don't think I ever will, with the way people think about fall. My powers are low enough as it is, and…I can't talk to the animals right now. Like, I physically can't talk to them. I don't know what's going to happen to them this fall and winter…and it's all my fault." As she ranted, Sage broke out of Jack's grip and began to pace, slowly walking back and forth inside the tiny room. As she moved, however, Jack began to notice signs that something was wrong with his sister. She swayed drastically as she walked, frequently swaying from side to side. Her head and eyes constantly drooped, but she somehow forced them to stay up and open. She also paused repeatedly to brace herself on pieces of furniture. Finally, Jack had had enough-both of her self-hatred and self-doubt, and of her wobbling and near-falling asleep-ness. As Sage came near him again in her pacing, he reached out and caught her around the wrist, gently pulling her to sit next to him on the bed. "Sage…of course people believe in you. I know fewer people do than in myself and the other Guardians, or even Sahara and Flora, but people do believe in you. You'll see it and feel it once your season gets nearer, since summer and winter just started. You'll get your powers back-I know you will. Also…when was the last time you slept?" Sage tried to break out of the winter spirit's grip, but he shook his head, holding her even tighter. "Tell me, Sage. When was the last time you slept?" Sage continued to try to get away from the older Guardian, but he gently touched her legs and a thin layer of ice spread across them, keeping her in one place. He then rested his hand under her chin and raised her eyes to meet his, just barely repressing a shudder from the exhausted and terrified expression in her eyes. "Twenty."

"Twenty what?"

"Twenty, uh…uh…years."

"Hang on-twenty years?" Jack couldn't believe what his sister had just said. How had she survived for the last twenty years without any sleep? Granted, Guardians needed less sleep than the mortals they protected, but…the seasonal spirits (discounting him) needed more sleep than the others, on account of them having to change the seasons in both hemispheres of the world every three months. "How on earth have you been surviving on no sleep for the past twenty years? You need more sleep than anyone I know, with all the things you have to take care of…why haven't you gotten any sleep?"

Sage looked down at the floor, a somewhat guilty expression flickering across her face. "I can't." she murmured. "Every time I try, I just…my brain won't shut down because I'm nervous about what will happen to fall with my powers as weak and nonexistent as they are. And on the very rare occasion I did actually manage to start falling asleep, well…Pitch." She was looking down, and so she missed the softening of her older brother's light blue eyes-and his face in general. Jack knew exactly what his sister was going through. He also now had a plan to help her once and for all. "That makes sense…but I am sorry you've had to go through that. You won't have to any more, though. You are going to get some sleep-a lot of sleep, and while you do, I am going to talk to Sahara and Flora and try and hammer some sense into them."

"But I can't sleep, Jack, how am I going to-"

"I'm a Guardian, remember? I know someone who might be able to help with that." Jack smirked. He bounced up onto Sage's bed before reaching out and opening the nearby window, sighing with relief as golden sand drifted past. "Hey, Sandy? You out there-I could really use your help!" Through the window and into the room drifted a bright glow, causing Sage to cover her eyes for a moment. When the light dimmed back down and she felt brave enough to look up, she looked up to see a golden glowing man standing in front of her, who looked to be completely constructed from sand. "Sandman." she murmured. Sandy smiled at her and bowed, before turning to Jack and forming a question mark over his head. "Sandy, meet my little sister Sage-the fall seasonal. She hasn't been able to sleep for twenty years, either because her brain won't stop running, or because of nightmares from Pitch." A gentle and understanding smile appeared on Sandy's face, and he directed a few more signs towards Jack, who nodded. "Yeah-as long as you can make it, since winter and summer just started. Hang on a second-let me get her relaxed first." Jack then moved back towards Sage, removing the ice binding her legs to the bed. "Come on, Sage-let's get you into bed."

"But, Jack-"

"Just trust me, okay? You'll be more comfortable on the bed than sitting on the floor-it's much softer." As he spoke, Jack slowly moved his sister so that she was lying comfortably in her bed, and began to gently run his hand through her hair, smiling as the 212-year-old leaned into his touch. At the same time, soft gold sands began to move throughout the room, finally beginning to flow up Sage's body. As they did so, Sage's eyes flickered back open. "I don't know why or how…but I'm actually tired for once." Jack chuckled, smoothing the hair off of her forehead. "Well, then-why don't you just close your eyes and go to sleep? It will feel good, and will help you regain your powers."

"But…Pitch…" By now, the golden sand was softly floating around the young sprite's head, soothing her brain and (of course) putting her to sleep. It was clear, however, that Sandy was holding back, allowing Jack to have this brief conversation with Sage before she slept for a long time. "Pitch won't get to you now. I promise. We beat him back, and he won't be coming after anyone for a long time-which means he won't be messing with your dreams any time soon."

"You promise?" Sage was just barely hanging onto consciousness, but she managed to whisper this last comment and throw a weak glare Jack's way. Jack grinned and nodded, ruffling her hair a bit. "I promise, kiddo-Pitch isn't getting anywhere near you. Now just close your eyes and let go. Your dreams will be peaceful for a long time." With that, he gently stroked a long and slender hand down her face until it rested over her eyes, pressing just enough to make sure that her eyes wouldn't open again. A few seconds later, Sage's breathing evened out, and Jack let out a sigh of relief.

His sister was finally asleep.

Now, he had to give his seasonal siblings a talking to. He had thought that they were just teasing her, but it had gone on long enough if Sage had begun to hate herself and think that everyone else hated her as well. He wouldn't let her think that again, and he wouldn't let anyone think it either. "Thanks, Sandy. She's been dealing with a lot of stuff lately…I'm just embarrassed it's taken me this long to notice it, or notice how my other sisters were treating her. She thinks…she thinks everyone hates her." Sandy nodded, gently resting a hand on Jack's shoulder. "Thanks, Sandy. I'm going to go talk to Sahara and Flora, and get them to understand what they're doing to her. If North calls a meeting, can you let him know?" The Sandman nodded, slowly exiting the room. Jack sighed, gently ruffling Sage's hair one more time, before quietly exiting the house. He then flew over the northern hemisphere, searching for his siblings. He knew that Sahara usually finished spreading summer fairly quickly, and that she and Flora usually met up after she was done. He finally found them hovering over England as they laughed at something. "Did you see that idiot's face? I can't believe that she thinks her season is in any way important."

"I know-she's got to be kidding me if she thinks that anyone needs her."

"Are you two kidding me?" The spring and summer sprites turned around to see Jack glaring directly at them. They both smiled brightly at him, before noticing the cold look in his eyes, and his staff, which was beginning to ice over. Sahara recovered first, forcing a smile on her face and patting the space next to her. "Hey, Jack! Why don't you sit with us?"

"Why would I want to sit with the people who make my younger sister hate herself?" Sahara and Flora shared a look, before the latter cleared her throat. "Come on, Jack-you know as well as we do that our younger sister and her season have no real use in the world. She doesn't really have a purpose-"

"Oh shut up, you two." Jack growled. "Sage is more useful than either of you at the moment. Yes, there are things that we don't like about fall, but there are things we don't like about each of the seasons. Without her and everything she does in fall, most animals wouldn't survive the winters. She works incredibly hard without recognition in her season so that ours will succeed with hardly any effort. She never gets any credit for what she does, and she has probably the smallest belief base out of all of us. She already doesn't think very highly about herself, and with what you guys said, she currently hates herself and everything that she does, and she hasn't slept in twenty years because she's so terrified of her powers failing and thousands of animals dying because she can't talk to them and tell them to hibernate. At first I thought that it was just teasing, so I left you three alone. However, knowing what I do now, I won't let you two near her until you stop treating her so poorly."

"And what authority do you have to tell us what to do, Jack? Both of us are older than you, and therefore are not under any control of yours."

"That's true, you are older…but I am a Guardian, which trumps the rest of you. And if you don't want to have to deal with the rest of the Guardians, then I suggest that you leave Sage alone." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Look…whatever you two think about her, the Man in the Moon chose her to be the fall guardian, and have the most responsibilities out of all four of us. She works just as hard as you do, Flora, or you, Sahara, and the fact that she is quiet and shy compared to the rest of us doesn't mean that she's a bad person, or that her season is bad. She's just different-which doesn't mean bad. The Man in the Moon and Mother Earth chose each of us for a specific reason. We each bring something different to the world and to our season, which means that each of us are different. So don't make Sage hate herself over being different, when that's not a bad thing." He glared at his sisters, who finally had the decency to look guiltily at the floor. "If you two want to go apologize, she's been put to sleep by the Sandman for a while, since she hasn't been sleeping at all, and I'm not sure when she's going to wake up. I will be visiting next month, however." With that, he walked off, unable to stand in his siblings' presence any longer.

Sage slowly stretched out, her eyes still closed. She had been having a great dream-for once-while she was sleeping, and she was actually slightly disappointed that she had woken up. She had to admit, though, Jack was right-sleeping had done her a world of good. As she became more alert, she recognized that her house felt a little colder than normal, and that a hand was gently running through her hair.

Speak of the devil…

"Hey, Sage. Have a nice nap?" The fall sprite slowly blinked her eyes open, finally focusing on the form of her older brother, who was sitting next to her. Jack smirked as his sister tried to smack his hand away-but couldn't manage it due to how strong he was and how currently weak she was, after sleeping for a month for the first time in twenty years. "Yeah…it felt really good." she murmured. Jack grinned down at her, his thumb softly stroking across her forehead. "See-I told you!" He chuckled at the weak glare she threw his way. "Now it'll be easier for you once fall comes around to keep track of everything. You're still kinda weak, though, kiddo, so…"

"…Not a kid." Sage murmured grumpily, snuggling a bit closer to her brother as she closed her eyes. Jack quietly snorted. "Come on, Sage-you're one hundred and six years younger than me. I think I'm well within my rights to call you a kid." Sage briefly opened her eyes, simply rolling them at Jack's response. "Don't you…have winter…to sort out?" she murmured a few seconds later.

"You know me-always rushing around and spreading snow as fast as I can. I've already finished, and so has Sahara. Our seasons don't take as long to spread." At the mention of the summer seasonal, Jack cleared his throat. "I talked with Sahara and Flora earlier this month." Sage didn't respond, but he could feel her steady gaze staring straight at him. "I don't know if they're going to stop, or if they do how long it'll take, but I lit into them for you…and they actually looked pretty guilty about it, to be honest. I'm hoping you don't have to deal with that again. If you do, though, I'm going to casually mention something to the other Guardians about it-probably Bunny. He'd have fun going after the two of them with his boomerangs." Sage let out a quiet chuckle, smiling up at him before hugging him tightly. "Thank you, Jack." she muttered. She could feel a laugh rumbling through her brother's chest as he hugged her back. "You're welcome. Don't ever try hating yourself again, all right? And if you do, just come find me, and I'll remind you why not to." Sage nodded, finally pulling away. "Now what?" she queried. She then regretted asking that decision when she saw the mischievous spark in Jack's eye. "Now, I think it's time you had a little fun!" Jack quickly (but gently) picked up his sister and dashed out of the house, before dropping her into a snowbank. "SNOW DAY!" he cried. As Sage sat up, she smirked. Jack had caused some snow to fall around her house-just enough to drop her in and to have a snowball fight, she noticed. "Oh, you'll pay for that!" she teased, quickly making a snowball and throwing it at the Guardian, only for him to completely dodge it.

They spent almost the entire day out in the snow, only heading back indoors when Sage became too cold. As they sat near a fire-Sage made sure to move the furniture far enough away that the heat wouldn't bother Jack, even if he was sitting behind her-she gently leaned over and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, smiling when he did the same, pulling her head to rest on his shoulder. No words were needed-Sage knew that her older brother would always be looking out for her…and to her, that meant everything in the world.

A/N 2: Well…I hope you guys enjoyed this story! I really enjoyed the movie, and I hope that this somewhat lives up to it! I'm sorry this authors note is so short…my family just had an eventful night, and so this is the one good thing (besides an excellent Honk performance) that is happening tonight. :l Hooray for fanfiction, am I right? ;)

I hope you enjoyed the story, and I'll see you soon!

God bless,

1monster2