A/N: O.o Wow, another crossover, Writerly. Can I just say I really love these? Is that weird? So, I found that so long as I can do it well, I can crossover pretty much anything with anything. So why not do Young Justice and Rise of the Guardians?! Ah, Young Justice. *SQUEEE!* Season Three! *ahem* uh... umm... I don't know what just came over me.
Hilarious things: I was babysitting some kids and they had a giant dog named Abby. I was trying so hard not to die. Too bad it wasn't a greyhound...
Totally random, but does the Easter Bunny always... feel the Aster? XD AH HA HA HA hee hee heh heh whoo... I'm good now.
As I'm writing this, Santa's powers are kaput. RoTG is totally Christmas-y!
Technical: This takes place like right after the first season. Rocket and Zatanna are still the only new members. I like Blue Beetle and Impulse and all the other new people so much, but I really wanted to deal with a young Dick. Also, I wasn't sure if the rest of them know Robin's real name yet so they call him Robin while I'll go in and out of using superhero and real names for the rest. Also, yes, I looked up Rocket's history. If I got something wrong, blame Google.
One last thing: I dedicate this story to all those who still believe. No matter what. I don't care how old I am, I will still believe in Santa... and still ride in the shopping cart.
I also dedicate this story to those who have stopped believing. I know some people have their reasons, but to you people who tell three year olds that there is no Santa? What right do you have to crush their wonder?!
And to my friends who gave me weird looks when I said I still believe in Santa? "Oh, you don't know the truth"? Your wide-eyed, "You still believe?" I'm sorry you guys had to give up a piece of your childhood.
For all those who believe! Merry Christmas!
Enjoy!
"What are you doing?!" Artemis pulled Robin out from the chimney.
Robin sank to his knees, coughing from the smoke and ash.
Wally ran in and rolled his eyes, "He does this every year. Booby-trapped the chimney this time?"
Robin shook his head, "Spy camera." He managed to choke out.
Conner and Megan pulled away from the party to see what was going on. Conner took in the soot-covered Robin, "Do I even want to know?"
Robin pursed his lips, "Fine, Wally, go ahead. Say it."
Wally grinned, "He still believes in Santa Claus."
Artemis snorted, "No, seriously, why were you in the chimney?"
Robin crossed his arms, "How else was I supposed to put the spy cam in?"
Conner looked confused, "Who's Santa?"
Megan squealed, "It's an Earth legend. This guy watches you to see if you're naughty or nice and if you're nice you get a present!"
Conner frowned, "Sounds creepy."
Artemis stared at Robin, "You still believe in Santa?"
Robin glared at her through his sunglasses, "Who else puts the presents there?"
"The parents, duh."
Robin shook his head, "Nuh uh, it's not them."
Artemis raised an eyebrow, "Why are you so sure?"
Robin shrugged, "I've always gotten a present and unless Batman decided to play Santa..."
Wally snorted, "Oh my gosh, yes. That makes so much sense! Batman must be Santa. World's greatest detective and all."
Robin frowned, "I think Batman believes in Santa too," he mumbled.
Conner scoffed, "Oh sure he does."
"He does!" Robin insisted, "He never stays up past midnight on Christmas Eve. Ever."
"That's hardly proof."
"I watched him, a whole Christmas Eve night."
Artemis raised an eyebrow, "That's a little weird."
Robin's face was set with determination, "I don't care if you think I'm crazy. Santa does exist."
"Have you ever seen him?" Megan was curious.
Robin bit his lip, "Well, umm... no."
Wally scoffed, "'Cause he doesn't exist!"
Robin held out a feather. It was green and pink and shone in the light. "Last year, whatever owned this distracted me."
Wally grabbed it, "It's just a feather."
Robin shook his head, "I've cross-referenced everything, looked up every type of feather." He pointed at it, "Whatever that is... it's never been discovered."
Artemis looked closely at the feather, "How'd you get that?"
"I was staying up late-"
"Waiting for Santa," Wally coughed.
Robin glared at Wally, "I was. Anyways, it was almost midnight and I heard a sound on the roof."
"Rudolph." Wally coughed.
"Will you just let me tell the story?!"
Wally held up his hands, "Fine, fine."
"I heard a sound and was on alert. Suddenly, this colorful little thing flew in front of me."
"Flew?" Artemis held the feather to where it caught the light. It was a pretty little thing.
"Yeah, it flew in front of me and scared me half to death. I chased after it, but all I got was the feather."
Robin looked down at the ground, "When I gave up and came back... the presents were under the tree."
"Are you sure someone else didn't put them there?"
Robin frowned and crossed his arms, "I know it's Santa, okay? It's the only thing that makes sense!"
Wally rolled his eyes for probably the millioneth time, "Oh yeah sure, and I'm sure the Easter Bunny's real too."
Robin just stared silently at the floor.
Wally looked at his friend in disbelief, "Wait. Don't tell me you believe in the Easter Bunny too."
"And what if I do?" Robin said defiantly.
"I think it's kinda sweet," Megan piped in, "Didn't you believe in the Easter Bunny and Santa too?"
"I did. But it's just not real!" Wally protested.
Robin crossed his arms, "It is real."
"Can you prove it?"
Robin threw his arms in the air, "What's wrong with just believing it?! Why do you always have to have proof?"
Conner furrowed his eyebrows, "But, didn't you say you did have proof?"
Wally snorted, "Like a feather is enough proof. Santa doesn't even have feathers!"
"But the Tooth Fairy does," Robin mumbled.
That one made them all blink.
"You've seen the Tooth Fairy," Artemis raised an eyebrow.
"Well, not exactly," Robin admitted.
"And here we go again..."
Robin scowled at Wally again, "Haven't you heard of the odd things going on in Burgess?"
"So some kids and adults panic about a blackout? So what?"
"I interviewed that kid, Jamie," Robin pulled out his phone, scrolling through some pictures, "He drew these really elaborate pictures of Santa, the Tooth Fairy, Sandman, and the Easter Bunny. Not to mention Jack Frost."
Wally was seriously beginning to doubt his friend's sanity, "Oh come on, really? A ten year old boy's pictures are hardly 'proof'."
Robin frowned, "All the other kids tell the same story, childhood legends helped them defeat Pitch."
Megan tilted her head, "Pitch? Who's that?"
Robin's face flushed, "The umm..." He bit his lip and muttered, "boogeyman."
Artemis threw her hands in the air, "Alright, I could deal with you believing the Tooth Fairy and stuff, but the boogeyman?" She crossed her arms, "You've fought way too many villains to believe in a guy who supposedly hides under beds."
Robin hung his head, "I don't care."
"Didn't your parents ever tell you the truth?" She said the words without really processing them.
Robin winced, but shot back, "Just because your parents never told you about Santa or the Tooth Fairy doesn't mean you have to ruin it for everyone else."
"Guys, stop," Wally stepped between the two. An awkward, glared-full silence settled over.
At this point, pretty much everyone had heard what was going on.
Zatanna bit her lip and looked sheepishly at her feet, "For what it's worth, I believe in the Easter Bunny."
All the heads shot to her.
She looked up, blushing, "It was a hard Easter. My father was... still upset over my mother's death." She shuffled her feet, "I was sure there was no hope left in the world. That Easter or any other holiday would ever be the same." She swallowed, "I was trying to find some flowers to brighten the table when I saw the eggs." Her eyes shined with tears, "They were the most beautiful things I ever saw. I- I showed them to my father and he remembered how my mother used to love to paint. He smiled and said she would've loved these." She rubbed her arms, "It was odd, I thought I caught a glimpse of grey ears disappearing into the ground as I left the park." She looked Robin in the eye, "But those eggs gave me the first rays of hope. That we could start over again."
"Umm... If we're talkin' about things that are super odd and unexplainable then I gotta story," Rocket set down her punch. She took a deep breath, "Ya see, I grew up in a tough neighborhood. Not only that, but I got into fights. A lot of fights." She chuckled, "I was only seven, but I got into a fight that knocked several of my teeth out." She picked up the punch again, fingering the rim, "To tell the truth, I was tryin' to get my teeth knocked out... so I could get money from the Tooth Fairy." She took a drink of punch then continued, "My sister was really sick and we had no money. I was so mad though," She laughed, "I only got 3 teeth knocked out and I was so sure I needed seven at least. In my seven-year-old mind you could pay for medicine in quarters." She sighed, "I still put the teeth under my pillow even though I was certain that it was gonna fail." She held her punch cup tightly, "I woke up in the morning and... well, in place of my teeth was the medicine my sister needed."
"Ugh..." All their heads spun around as Roy walked into the room. He looked slightly better than when they had last saw him. Less sleep-deprived. He frowned, crossing his arms over his chest, "You ever tell anybody else about this and I promise that your punishment will not only be creative, but humiliating and painful and definitely not short."
Wally grinned, "Well, I'm interested now."
Roy shot him a glare, "Well, then. Shut your mouth." Wally promptly shut his mouth and Roy began, "I was searching for the real Roy..." Wally opened his mouth to retort that Roy was still real, but then remembered the previous "shut your mouth" order and closed it.
"And I was having no luck... still having no luck actually," he admitted. "I had been searching for days, weeks? I don't know. I hadn't slept in a while, that's for sure." He shook his head, "I- I've been having nightmares for weeks." He glared at them, trying to maintain his tough-guy look, "So I didn't sleep. Well, I got knocked out- Don't ask me how! And I was having a really vivid nightmare." He shivered unconciously, but they all let it slip. "I woke up in cold sweat and I saw this black sand horse right in front of me. Of course I tried to shoot the darn thing, but it wouldn't die." He frowned, "That nightmare just wouldn't die. I was about to give up, just let it have me when it shrieked like it was in pain and *poof* it was gone." He looked dramatically at the wall, "I looked, like really looked to see what had made that nightmare go away. I was ready to believe anything at that point, but... A golden sand tendril?" He shook his head again, "It was where the nightmare had been, but it looked like the complete opposite of the black sand. I slept peacefully for the rest of the night." He crossed his arms tighter across his chest, "I- I believe in the Sandman."
They were all silent after that. Now that Wally thought about it, there were a few times that things seemed like magic, but there must be an explanation, right?
Artemis was biting her lip. Her parents had never told her about Santa or the Tooth Fairy or any of them. Her sister had scoffed at her when she asked about them after hearing about them in school. "Santa, sis? You're way too naughty for him." Yet the next Christmas, there was a present for her. She had always assumed it was her sister, but now?
Robin tried to blink back his tears. His parents had always said Santa existed. Along with Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy and Sandman. They'd always laugh when he stayed up late to see Santa. In fact, a few times they had waited up with him. It was his way of remembering them.
Conner glanced over at the clock, "Hey, it's almost midnight. Don't you have to be asleep for this guy to come?"
Megan nodded, "Yeah!"
A mischievous grin spread on Robin's face, "Unless... You're trying to see him."
"Doesn't he have some kind of way to tell if you're sleeping?" Conner looked puzzled.
Robin shrugged, "Hey, I get presents when I'm obviously not sleeping."
Wally grinned, "Well we can pretend to sleep."
Artemis rolled her eyes, "Why don't we just shoot Santa with knock-out gas?"
Robin looked horrified and Artemis snorted, "I was kidding!"
Perimeter Alert!
Robin's eyes grew wide as he looked at this wrist. Wally groaned, "You set up motion sensors? I thought you tried that last year!"
Robin shook his head, "Nuh uh, this year it was heat sensors." His eyebrows furrowed, "That's odd." He tapped at his watch, "It's saying the temperature dropped."
They froze when they heard a voice, "Sandy! They are still awake!" And, "North, I think I see a cam."
Before they could even reach for any weapons, golden sand knocked them out.
Jack came down the chimney first with a frozen camera in hand. He looked around, "They're asleep!" He looked at the camera, "Woah, this is super fancy."
North grinned, "This kid always goes all out trying to see me."
He turned to Sandy, "Can I have bag of extra dreamsand next year, Sandy? The little tooth fairies were exhausted last year and I don't want to trouble Tooth again."
Sandy gave him a thumbs up.
Jack jumped over Robin's sleeping body and leaned in to look at him, "This kid?" He turned around and glanced at all the sleeping young heroes, "Aren't they too old?"
North shook his head, "There is no age limit on belief." He sighed sadly, "Though too many think that there is."
Sandy nodded sadly too.
North pointed at Artemis, "That girl has had hard life. She never really had chance to believe."
He pointed at Wally, "Boy there, Wallace, stopped believing too. In his mind, if there is no proof then there it must not exist."
Jack looked affronted, "Pfft... it's not like he stops believing in the moon when the sun comes up." He rolled his eyes.
North pointed at Robin, "But that boy has clung to belief like life preserver."
Jack grinned, "I hope Jamie's like that."
North opened up his sack and brought out presents.
Jack tilted his head, confused, "Wait, I thought they didn't believe?"
North smiled, "Ah, but they deserve it. They are Guardians in their own way."
