The New Family, a sequel of one-shots for The New Tribe

Summary of The New Tribe: Jack, his sister, and some of his friends were turned into Pooka kits.

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Disclaimer: I do not own Rise of Guardians

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Author's Note: Kinda based off of my siblings and I when we go to a library. My brother immediately heads for the DVD section(s), my sisters to the young reader sections or computers and myself... wherever my current interest was. We get really excited...

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Title: The Library

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"Jack! Jack! Look what we found!" Willow was unusually giddy as she pulled Jack along by his hand,

"Come on!" Emma was equally excited, pulling Jack by his other paw. Jack had to nearly run to keep up with the two girls.

"Surprise, surprise!" Tyke chanted as he scampered in front of the trio.

Thaddeus was apparently anticipating their appearance, because as soon as the four kits rounded the corner, he pushed and pulled open a door, "You're here!" Thaddeus panted as he shoved the door open another inch.

Jack's ever present staff nearly dropped in astonishment.

Timely Tyke presented, yelling, "Ta Da!" as he ran inside.

"So many books...!" Jack was pulled inside the library by the invisible force of a reader's delight. Jack had been one of a limited number in Burgess that had known how to read. Having so much time to themselves before the first ten children to become Pooka kits when they were held basically prisoner in Mr. Spoot's 'orphanage', Jack taught the other kids the English alphabet by twisting ratty blankets into letters. Basic sentences were made with rocks, buttons and twigs. Learning this higher skill (compared to raw labor), was the 'secret' game that they played while Spoot was away from the orphanage.

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"Thaddeus? Willow? Jack? Where did everybody go?" Mathew asked his cousin, who shrugged.

"Don't know," Noah replied, "I was wiped out by trying to race Bunny."

"At least you got farther for a few seconds." Mathew sympathized, hiding his laughs in a serious sneeze.

"He's got some serious energy." Noah pouted,

"He has too. There's what? Twenty of us now? That's a lot of kids for one adult to look over."

"But the other Guardians help out." Noah pointed out

"You know what I mean. Bunny is the only adult who lives here and takes care of us twenty-four seven."

"Most of the time Bunny does seem so happy, but also sad too..." Noah's ears twitched first, "Hey I hear someone."

"Is that Willow... giggling?" Mathew asked, rather bewildered. Willow was shy, sometimes to the point of stoicism. While the two cousins had heard her laugh, they had never heard her giggle before.

"Not just Willow..." Noah's ears twitched to hear better, "It sounds like... I don't know..."

Finally the two kits found a door ajar and, hearing the voices of several other kits, darted through the open entrance.

"What are you doing?" Mathew was the first to blurt out.

"Reading." Thaddeus responded with a distracted wave, not looking up from a scroll,

"Jack taught us how to read English with games." The twins said at the same time, pointing to a corner with a couple of newly made alphabet blocks and other toys courtesy of the Yeti.

Sitting in that corner with the younger kits around, Emma was handing the blocks with gentle care. Emma waved the cousins over, "Come on, you can join. It's easy. All you have to do is remember what letter is the right one."

Interested, Mathew and Noah wandered over and crouched down, "How did Jack learn?" Noah asked.

"My mother was a school teacher at some point before she married." Emma stated proudly.

"Hush." Josh shushed them, "Did you know North was a pirate?"

"A bandit actually." Willow corrected, "But not sea faring."

"Oh... so the books hold stories." Mathew realized

"Yeah, but most of them aren't in English." Jack flipped a page with a ruler, "Even so, the pictures are amazing."

"Can you read one aloud?" Dad was a cleric I think. He read to me at bedtime." Mathew asked, wistful.

"Oh I will!" Josh volunteered, mock clearing his throat, "...I met the most annoying bloke today..."

"Did Bunny keep a journal?" Jack blinked, "In English?"

"Shh!" Josh scowled at Jack, "I'm reading." Jack huffed in amusement, and folded the book of pictures in the unknown language and set it aside, listening to Josh read out loud. Willow didn't set her book aside, instead both of her ears were perked up, listening to Josh while she fingered the pages of her book.

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Later they figured out that Josh had a magical gift from becoming a Pooka for interpreting languages. And that Bunny had kept a journal... in Pookan.