Hey everybody! I know, all of my previous readers must be pissed at me for not finishing my other story. But the thing is, my computer was stolen, and by the time I got a new one for Christmas, I had lost my inspiration. :( But then I saw Rise of the Guardians and then BAM! I had new story all nice and worked out! And ta-da! My mind produced this! I am very awesome, I know. But I've been watching too much Glee and then my mind said, "Let them sing!" ._.
Please don't hate me.
I own nothing.
Jack Frost peeked through Jamie's window. The young boy seemed to be asleep, but Jack knew better. As soon as September was over, Jack would make each day in Jamie's town a snow day, and visit him every night to take him on epic sled rides.
He cautiously knocked at his window with his staff. Jamie immediately bolted up and turned his head to the window. His face split into a toothy grin that looked a lot better now that the front tooth that had been knocked out their first time together had grown back. "Jack!"
He grinned back. "Hey, there, kid! Ready for tonight?" he asked as the boy hurried over to open the window.
Jamie's face fell. "I'm sorry, but I can't tonight, Jack."
Jack frowned. "Why not?"
"Well, I have to get up REALLY early in the morning because my mom and Sophie and I are going to California for a few days."
"Really? Wow, Jamie that's great!" Jack exclaimed, sitting down on the windowsill, trying to ignore the feelings of disappointment. "Where to? I might be able to visit you there."
Jamie shook his head. "I thought about that, and asked my mom if snowed in San Francisco and she said it never snows there. Like, ever. I'm sorry, Jack," he said miserably.
He waved it off carelessly. "Don't worry about it. I'll be fine. Hey, just remember to have fun in California. Remember to watch out for the Monterey monster," he teased, poking him in the belly with his staff.
The little boy's eyes widened. "There's a monster in the bay of Monterey?" he gasped.
"Actually, I think she prefers to be called a plesiosaurus or something weird like that. And her name is Kelpie," he corrected. "And I don't think she'll appreciate you not knowing what she is when you know about her sister, Nessie," he added. Jack decided to leave out the part where she would sometimes stalk non-believers out into the ocean where she would sink their boat or knock the sailors into the water and proceed to eat them.
"Wait, her sister's the Loch Ness monster?" he asked, his eyes widening.
"Yep. And she hates it when little boys who don't know her name go into her bay," he teased. He leaned down to him and whispered in his ear, "I even heard that she has a taste for them, too. Especially when they haven't gotten enough sleep." He leaned back and smiled as Jamie scurried back into his bed and pulled the covers tightly over his head.
He laughed. "Good night, Jamie." He grabbed his staff and swung himself out of his room and on to the freshly fallen snow gently on the balls of his feet.
"Well now, what to do, what to do," he mused as he swung his staff over his shoulder and began to walk down the street. Just then, he felt something tug at his pants' leg. Surprised, he looked down.
Sandy looked back up at him with his golden eyes, and waved cheerfully. Jack laughed. "Hey, there, Sandy," he chuckled. "Didn't see you there."
The sandman flashed a golden North above his head. "North wants to see me? Why?" A picture of a microphone appeared above his head. Jack groaned. "He wants me for karaoke night? Again?" The little man nodded.
On the first Friday of every month, North would host a Karaoke Night at the North Pole for his Guardian friends. So far, Jack had been able to worm his way out of five.
"Well, tell him I'm not coming," he told Sandy. "In fact, tell him I'm not coming ever. When is he going to realize that?" Jack exclaimed, kicking at the snow.
His friend shrugged, then flashed a question mark above his head, clearly directed at Jack. "Because I don't want to stand up on a stage and make a complete idiot of myself in front of everybody by showing them I can't sing," he explained. "It would just give Bunny another thing to laugh at me about," he grumbled, sitting on a mailbox.
Sandy showed a picture of two yetis and a bag in between them, and shrugged. "No, I don't want that again," Jack agreed, hopping down. He sighed, then looked at him. "Fine, I'll go." Sandy clapped his hands in delight, and shot off into the sky, a trail of gold dust falling after him.
Jack sighed, then flew up into the air with him. "Hey, so how long is this thing?" he asked when he caught up to the sandman.
Sandy shrugged, then flashed up a clock that kept on running. Jack groaned. "Wait, so I'm supposed to be at this thing for days?" he demanded as they dove into the fog.
He shook his head, then showed an alarm clock that was began at nine o'clock P.M. and rang its alarm at twelve o'clock A.M. "Ah, 3 hours," he corrected himself. "But still, that's a long time. I mean, don't you have dreams to give and Tooth has teeth to take and stuff?" he asked as they passed over the Atlantic Ocean.
Sandy pursed his lips, then showed a picture of him playing something on a table(cards?)while strands of gold dust sprinkled themselves over children in beds, then with Tooth's little fairies flying around them. Jack sighed. "I guess you're right."
They flew on a bit more, then Jack asked curiously, "Is it fun?"
Sandy looked at him in surprise, then a rather sheepish smile crept on to his face, and his face became dreamy. An image of what looked like Toothiana appeared over his head.
"Wait, what does Tooth have to do with this?" he demanded, his voice coming out a lot harsher than he had expected.
He looked up at Jack in surprise. Suddenly, his face brightened started clapping his hands. Confused, he looked up, then saw North's Toy Palace rise up out of the snowy mist, like he had seen European castles do in scary movies that he had sneaked into a theater to watch. Except, of course, this place gave out the presence of cheerfulness and wonder instead of fear.
Fear. The dark word caressed him in the same manner that Pitch had used. Jack shivered, and his friend looked up at him with a questioning look in his eyes. "It's nothing," he assured him, though he wasn't so sure about it himself.
They flew past the patrolling yeti, and after a couple stern words with Phil about writing his name in Jamie's journal again, they reached the part of the hideout that Jack had carefully avoided on his visits to see North when they were planning how Jack's snow days and North's Christmas, which was coming in over two months, would coincide: the auditorium. On his first visit to the North Pole since they had defeated Pitch, the jolly man would try to get him into the room to do little songs for him or to get him upstage. Since then, he had avoided the spot.
Until now.
He felt jitters in his stomach as the wind settled him down on the cool marble floor. It had rows of seats, set up as if they were at a concert. Hundreds of yetis already filled over half of them, looking eager for the show to start.
"Hey, Sandy," he began, as a thought occurred to him, "since you can't talk, what do you do?" he asked, leaned against his staff.
The sandman conjured up a sand piano and pretended to play it before it melted away into the ground. "Ah, piano. You know, I actually can play the piano," he added. Sandy looked at him in disbelief and shook his head. "No lie!" he exclaimed.
"Ah! Jack! Sandy! There you are, my friends!" North appeared out of nowhere and scooped up the two in a rib-crushing hug. "I was glad you came, Jack! I thought I would have to send yetis out for you like first time, eh?" He laughed as he set them down.
"Jack, you made it!" Tooth flittered in front of him, her violet eyes wide open with excitement.
"Hey, Tooth," he grinned. He opened his arms out. "Don't I get a hug?"
She laughed and flew into his open arms and wrapped her own around him tightly. Suddenly, she frowned, and hovered a bit out of his arms, though they were still wrapped around each other. "Have you been eating? You're so skinny." She flew around him a couple times, taking in his thin frame.
"Uh, Tooth? I'm a spirit. I don't eat," he reminded her, swinging his staff on to his shoulder, trying to ignore the butterflies in his stomach that fluttered every time her small hands came in contact with his skin.
"You can, you just choose not to," she corrected him, but then she smiled and threw her arms around his neck. He gently hugged her from around the waist. "But I'm glad you came," she whispered.
"Yeah, we thought we have to send her to go and drag you out here," Bunny's Australian accent rang through the room as he hopped towards the four. "Probably would have taken shorter to get you here if ya know what I mean." He winked mischievously at him.
"Ah, Bunny," Jack greeted, a smirk on his face as he and Tooth parted from their embrace. "There you are. I thought you would be cuddled up with that new rabbit, what's her name? Cassie? Carla?"
"Cassandra," he snarled. "And we've been going steady for three months, now."
"Wow, practically married. And you actually remembered her name this time," he congratulated. "Then again, I think's kind of hard to, seeing as she has it tattooed on her—"
"Why don't we get started with show?" North interrupted hastily, clapping his hands together. "Tooth! You're up!"
"What?" she squeaked.
"What is wrong?" he asked.
"Do I have to go?" she whined uncharacteristically. Jack raised an eyebrow, confused by this sudden change of behavior.
"But Tooth, you love going first," Bunnymund interjected, a puzzled look on his furry face. Sandy nodded his head in agreement.
"I know, but I think I might have a-um, uh, a sore throat!" she proceeded to make a cough that sounded weak even to Jack.
"Wait, is it because Jack's here?" Bunnymund demanded. "I promise, I will chop off his lily-livers if he dares say a word against ya singing. No offense, mate," he added to Jack.
He shrugged against his staff. "None taken."
"Ah, I see what troubles you. Jack will appreciate your music as we all do," he said soothingly, shooting a glance at Jack. "Won't you, Jack?"
He looked at Tooth, his frosty-blue eyes meeting her limpid violet ones. He tried to hide the warm, tingling feeling in him when their eyes met. "I promise," he said softly, "I won't laugh."
"See?" North exclaimed. "There is nothing to be afraid of! Now, go up there and make good music!" With a hearty shove, he pushed Tooth all the way on to stage. She stumbled on to the platform with a squeak. "Sandy! Piano!" he roared. The little man immediately flew over to the glossy black piano in front of the stage and bounced in the seat eagerly. "Dim the lights!" he called as he, Bunny, and Jack took their seats in the front row.
Jack, being the rebel that he was, turned his chair backwards and sat in it.
"North, please!" Tooth begged as the room became dark except for the single beam shining on her. Jack almost wanted to shake North and show him that she clearly didn't want to sing.
"Sandy! Cue music!" he roared. "And you'll be fine, Tooth!"
She groaned, but stepped up to the microphone. Sandy cracked his fingers, then laid his hands on the piano keys, and began to play. Jack could faintly hear a band playing. Tooth took a deep breath, her fists clenched at her sides, then began to sing:
"Heaven bend to take my hand
And lead me through the fire.
Be the long-awaited answer
To a long and painful fight.
Truth be told I tried my best
But somewhere along the way,
I got caught up in all there was to offer.
But the cost was so much more than I could bear…."
Jack stared up at the fairy, whose face had become relaxed. It was almost hard to believe that the beautiful sound that he could hear was her. "She was afraid of me laughing at this?" he hissed to Bunny, his face one of wonder and amazement.
"I know right, mate?" he whispered back.
"Though I've tried,
I've fallen!
I have sunk so low.
I messed up,
Better I should know.
So don't come 'round here and
Tell me I told you so…."
She paused for a couple seconds before continuing,
"We all begin with good intent
When love was raw and young.
We believe that we can change ourselves,
The past can be undone.
But we carry on our back the burdens
Time always reveals.
In the lonely light of morning,
In the wound that would not heal!
It's the bitter taste of losing everything
I've held so dear….."
"I've tried,
I've fallen!
I have sunk so low.
I messed up,
Better I should know.
So don't come 'round here and
Tell me I told you so…."
Jack felt himself rest his chin on the back of the chair, and continued to watch her, unable to take his eyes off of her. She let the music play on for a while, humming to the song, then went on,
"Heaven bend to take my hand.
I've nowhere left to turn.
I'm lost to those I thought were friends,
To everyone I know.
Oh, they turn their heads, embarrassed,
Pretend that they don't see
That it's one miss step, one slip, before you know it.
And there doesn't seem a way to be redeemed…."
Bunny turned his head from the singing fairy, about to make a snide comment to Jack, when he froze when he saw his face. His eyes were wide and full of wonder and amazement as he stared up at Tooth, a little dreamy look on his face, eyes that never wanting to part from her face. It reminded him of the little baby doll that North loved to shove in people's face, except put on a teenage boy. He suddenly realized why, then snickered, and elbowed North lightly. The big man turned to look down at the rabbit. He pointed at Jack, who was still star struck as she continued to sing on. North looked confused for a second, then chuckled softly. "I think, when Tooth reveals her feelings to Jack, she will not be disappointed," he murmured to Bunny as she finished the song.
"I've messed up
Better I should know
Don't come 'round here and
Tell me I told you so…."
Sandy ended the song with a flourish on the piano, and the two of them bowed as the yetis and elves began to clap and cheer. "Thank you, thank you," said a flustered Tooth, before flying over to the other Guardians. "Well, how did I do?" she asked breathlessly, smoothing back the feathers on top of her head.
"Great, as always," North complimented warmly.
"Bloody terrific," Bunny agreed. "Jack, what did you think, mate?"
It took a second for the words to get through to him. He blinked, then sat up straight, running his fingers through his hair as he searched desperately for words. "You, uh, sing, um, really well," he said finally, laying his staff on his lap.
"Really well?" Bunny snorted. "You staring at her as if she was the—" Ice frost shut his lips together. The rabbit's eyes widened in alarm as he realized what Jack had done, and he clawed frantically at the ice.
Jack smirked as he laid his staff back on his lap, then turned back to the tooth fairy. "But you do sing really well," he said softly. She blushed, her cheeks tinged with pink, though her eyes shone with gratitude.
Sandy gave the thumbs up. "Okay, Sandy is ready to do new song. Jack—" North pointed a big finger at the ice spirit—"it is your turn."
"What?" he exclaimed. "Uh, no, sorry big guy. I don't sing."
"Of course you do! You are Guardian!"
"Yeah, but singing up on stage in front of a bunch of yeti and elves wasn't in the résumé!" he cried, exasperated.
"Come on, Jack, I'm sure you'll do great," Tooth said warmly, resting her hand on his shoulder.
"Yeah, as well as a jackrabbit in Kentucky," Bunny snorted.
"Jack, in order to really be part of Karaoke Night, and therefore a Guardian, you must sing," he told him. He rolled his eyes. "Perhaps this will change your mind?" North said slyly as he pulled out something from behind his back.
His blue eyes widened as he took in the sight, and swallowed hard. "Is-Is-Is that a—" he stammered.
"A vintage 1965 Fender Duo-Sonic electric guitar? Why yes, it is."
"How did you know?" Jack asked, his eyes fixed on the guitar with rockin' flames on it.
"The one time you tried to stay good all year was the first time you ever sent in a Christmas wish-list. And this was on it." He waved it teasingly in front of him. "I assume you know how to play it?" North asked.
"Of course, why else would I ask for it?" He hopped to his feet and tentatively touched it. "Wow….." he whispered.
"You may have it, Jack," he said, as he handed it to him. His face lit up as he reached to grab it. "But only if you sing," he said, snatching it out his hand.
He nodded eagerly, his hands still reaching for the guitar. "Okay, then. Here you go." He gave him the instrument, and he eagerly slid the strap over his head. "Wow." He marveled at the glossy guitar that laid in his hands. Jack cautiously strung a few strings, checking the tune.
When everything seemed to be in order, he sighed and looked up at North. "Do I really have to sing?
"Look, we all had to get up there and sing, mate," Bunny put in, having finally gotten the frost off of his lips. "And you are no exception."
He sighed, then decided to get it over with. He flew over to the top of the stage. "You know what song?" he asked Sandy, who was playing with the keys. The little man sat up straight and nodded, his bright face suddenly eager.
Jack glanced back at the other Guardians, who were sitting in their chairs, looking expectantly at him. "You guys have been waiting for a long time for this, haven't you?" he realized.
"Only for about five months," Bunny called out, laughing. He could almost feel the rabbit's desire for him to mess up.
He sighed, then pulled up a stool and gently laid his staff at his feet and leaned into the microphone. He tapped it a few times with his index finger before speaking into it. "Uh, hi, everybody? Um, I'm here, uh, to play a song for you guys. This goes out to my fellow Guardians, Tooth, North, Bunny, and Sandy. So, enjoy." He leaned back and started strumming the first few notes.
He played the few guitar for a while before the band joined in. Apparently, Bunny could find no fault with his playing, because all he did was scowl at him.
Jack looked at Tooth; she nodded at him, her face full of encouragement. He took a deep breath, then began:
"Here I am. This is me.
There's nowhere else on Earth I'd rather be.
Here I am. It's just me and you.
And tonight we make our dreams come true."
Bunny rolled his eyes as Jack winked at Tooth, who blushed a deep red. This seemed to spur him on, as he started to playing a bit louder.
"It's a new world! It's a new start!
It's alive with the beating of young hearts!
It's a new day! It's a new plan!
I've been waiting for you…"
He smiled to himself.
"Here I am."
Jack paused, though his fingers continued to play for a while before jumping back in.
"Here we are. We've just begun.
And after all this time our time has come.
Yeah, here we are. Still goin' strong!
Right here in the place where we belong!"
"See? The boy can sing!" North exclaimed, clapping Bunny on the shoulder. The Easter Bunny rolled his eyes.
"It's a new world! It's a new start!
It's alive with the beating of young hearts!
It's a new day! It's a new plan!
I've been waiting for you…"
Jack gazed around the room. "Here I am," he said softly. He stared down his guitar, conscious of everybody watching him.
"Yeah, here I am."
He could practically feel Bunny's eyes boring into him, just waiting for him to mess up on the super long stretch of just guitar playing.
"Here I am."
Jack became nervous. What if he did mess up? What would everybody think? What would Tooth think?
"Here I am."
A sudden anger filled him. They wanted a show? He'll give them a show.
Jack jumped down from his seat, and started play the guitar solo, his grin even wider before. He flew down off of the stage, playing the guitar with a sudden burst of passion, laughing and doing a little dance with his feet. He slid down to the end of the row where Tooth was sitting.
"I've been waiting for you."
She blushed as he stopped in front of her, smiling as he softly sang the next verse to her.
"Here I am. This is me.
There's nowhere else on Earth I'd rather be."
He strummed his guitar a few more times before continuing.
"Here we are."
Jack grabbed Tooth's hand and pulled her to her feet, and cupped her chin in one hand and tilted her head up so that they were eye-to-eye, still managing to strum his guitar with his remaining hand. Singing softly, trying to ignore all the stares on him and Tooth, he continued,
"It's just me and you.
Tonight we make our dreams….
Jack took one of her hands in his free one and kissed the back of her hand as if she was a queen.
"Come true."
He grinned slightly as he released her hand, and she stumbled backwards back into her chair, her face a mixture of surprise yet delight. He laughed and back-flipped back on to the stage.
"Oh, it's a new world! It's a new start!
It's alive with the beating of young hearts!
It's a new day! It's a new plan!
I've been waiting for you!"
"Oh! It's a new world! It's a new start!
It's alive with the beating of young hearts!
It's a new day! It's a new plan!
I've been waiting for you!"
Jack paused for a second, looking at everybody in the crowd. "Here I am," he finished softly with a final light strum on the guitar. "This is me."
There was silence for a second, then everybody jumped to their feet, Toothiana and North among the first, applauding as hard as they could with the yetis and elves. Even Sandy floated off of his seat at the piano and began clapping. Bunny was the only one who stayed in his seat, scowling at the ground.
"Thank you! Thank you very much! Thanks everybody!" he said into the microphone, grinning. "Goodnight!" He threw up the peace-sign as the lights dimmed, and flew down from the stage and strode up to North. "Happy?" he demanded, though he couldn't erase the huge grin on his face.
"Happy? Happy?" He grabbed him by the shoulders and began to shake him hard enough to make his teeth rattle. "That was фантастический!" North exclaimed, dropping him. Jack rubbed his shoulders, wincing. "You should have done this long time ago!"
"Jack, you were fantastic!" Tooth cried flying in between them. "You sing..." she struggled to find the right word. "Pulchre!" she finally said.
He squinted at her. "Is that Latin?" he asked suspiciously.
"Yeah, I switch to Latin when I can't find the right word in English," she explained, embarrassed, as she smoothed back her head feathers. He smirked as he tucked a stray feather back behind her ear.
"Okay, enough with the cuddly-muddy stuff, mate," Bunny put in, jumping in between them, ignoring the glare from Jack. "Can we move on to the next song? I was hoping that I would be able to sing tonight. I've been practicing," he added.
"Actually, I was hoping that I would get these two—" North grabbed Tooth's hand and pulled her over to where Jack was standing—"to do duet together. Wouldn't that be great?"
"Uh, actually, no, that would not be great," Jack said. Noticing Tooth's crestfallen face, he added quickly, "No offense.
"No, it's okay," she said hastily.
"I'll sing a duet with you if this show-pony won't, mate," Bunny offered.
"No! I want these two to sing duet!" North insisted. He grabbed the back of Jack's sweater and Tooth's wings and lifted them up into the air.
"Hey! Let me go!" Jack flailed around and kicked his feet, but North had an iron grip. He marched up on to the stage, where a second stool seemed to have magically appeared. He slammed them down on each one, and swung another microphone out of nowhere in front of Jack.
Jack glared up at the jolly man. "Come on, you're not serious?" he cried. "I mean, you just forced me to sing a song already and—"
"Ah! But you chose to do that!" he reminded him. He bent down in front of them and whispered, "Now, you are singing Do Not Let Go by Bryan Adams and Sarah McLaughlin. Understand?"
"Do we have a choice?" Jack grumbled as he removed his guitar and handed it to him.
"Aw, come on, Jack. It'll be fun!" Tooth said excitedly, bouncing in her seat.
He turned his head to glare at the bouncing fairy, but his gaze softened when he met her bright eyes, filled with an almost childish light. He felt the frown on his face become a light smile.
"'Kay. Now, you two sing good music, kapeesh?" North said.
"Okay, North," Tooth said.
"Yeah, sure," Jack heard himself say, still busy staring at Tooth.
"Okay. Mazel tov, you two." He winked at Jack, then clapped them both on the shoulder and hurried back to his seat.
"Hey," Jack said to Tooth. "Remember, the story is that we were forced to do this," he grinned.
A confused look came on to her face, then she smiled and laughed when she got it. "Don't worry, we'll do great," she assured him, helping sooth his nervousness, rubbing his shoulder. He tried to ignore the shivers running up and down his back.
"I hope," he muttered, though he couldn't help the grin growing on his face.
"Oh, the music's starting!" she whispered excitedly, clapping as the lights began to dim, leaving twin beams on them. Sandy began to play on the piano as the band that Jack still couldn't manage to locate joined in. "Get ready," she hissed to him. He nodded, and leaned into the microphone and began,
"I can't believe this moment's come.
It's so incredible that we're alone.
There's so much to be said and done.
It's impossible not to be overcome."
Jack tried to keep a bored, unwilling look on his face as he sang, to make sure North realized that he didn't want to do this.
Will you forgive me if I feel this way?
'Cause we've just met - tell me that's OK."
He gave her a playful shove at the last line. She giggled, then they sang together,
So take this feeling, make it grow
Never let it - never let it—"
Just then, Tooth started to sing her part. Jack froze, his mask of indifference slipping away, staring at her. "Go," he whispered, barely audible under Tooth's amazing voice.
"Don't…..let….go—"
"You give me something that I can believe in,"he interjected.
"No, don't…..let—"
"Go of this moment in time," Tooth and Jack sang together.
"Don't….let…go—"
"I can't explain the things that I'm feeling," Jack mused, thinking about how they applied to himself.
"No, don't….let—"
"No, I won't let," he promised before they said together,
"Go."
Jack got an idea, and nudged Tooth. She turned to him, looking at him as he began to sing to her,
"Now would you mind if I bared my soul?"
"Bared my soul to you," she echoed.
"If I came right out and said you're beautiful?"
Her eyes widened as he gave her a quick smile before turning back to the crowd. She hastily did the same, though he could see the pink tinged in her cheeks.
"Cause there's something here I can't explain.
I feel I'm diving into driving rain."
"Diving in to the driving rain," she echoed, turned her head again to look at him.
"You get my senses running wild," he continued.
"I can't resist your sweet, sweet smile."
He stroked the right side of her cheek, earning one from her. He could faintly hear Bunny's snort over the sound of the roaring in his ears. They turned back to the audience, and continued together,
"So take this feeling. Make it grow.
Never let it - never let it—"
"Don't…..let….go—"
"You give me something that I can believe in."
"No, don't…..let—"
"Go of this moment in time."
"Don't….let…go—"
"I can't explain the things that I'm feeling."
"No, don't let—"
"No, I won't let—"
"Go."
"I've been waiting all my life—" Tooth cried,
"All my life," Jack echoed.
"To make this moment feel so right."
Jack slipped his hand into hers, and was pleased when she wrapped her little fingers around his own, and looked into Tooth's eyes as they sang together,
"The feel of you just fills the night.
So c'mon - just hold on tight."
Tooth smiled at him, while squeezing his hand encouragingly during the pause from the music.
"Don't…let…..go—"
"You gave me something that I can believe in," he said warmly as the music started back up. Snow began to fall from the ceiling, and Jack grinned sheepishly. Tooth only laughed and caught one on her finger as she continued,
Don't…..let—"
"Go of this moment in time." He swung her hand, smiling back.
"Don't….let…go—"
"I can't explain the things that I'm feeling."
"Don't….let—"
"No, I won't let—"
"Go….."
"Don't...let—"
"No, I won't let—"
"Go…."
"No, don't, don't…let go,"she whispered. "No, I won't…let go." Her hand slipped out of his. He looked at her, confused. She smirked, ruffling his hair as Sandy finished the song.
So this is what it feels like to be friend-zoned, Jack thought to himself as the crowd applauded loudly.
"Beautiful! Beautiful!" North called over the sound of his thunderous clapping.
"Thanks, North," Tooth replied as she flew down to him. "But I can't really take all of the credit. Jack was doing all the work," she said, gesturing the pale boy had just flown down beside her.
"Aw, thanks Tooth. You weren't too bad yourself," he complimented.
"'Too bad'? 'Too bad'? Is that all you have to bloody say about her?" Bunny demanded as he stood up from his seat. "She was bloody brilliant! Much better than that little show you put up on the stage," he sneered.
"What show?" Jack asked, genuinely confused.
"That little hand-thing that you two were doing. Don't think we didn't miss it, mate," Bunny snarled.
"Oh, that?" He gave the Easter Bunny his old crap-eating grin and leaned against his staff, which had just been returned to him by Sandy. "I thought you wouldn't mind, you having a girlfriend and all."
"It was just a show, that's all," Tooth interrupted hastily, as Bunny looked about ready to beat him over the head with his boomerang. "Also, what have you prepared for tonight?" she asked, changing the subject.
Bunny grinned, all of the annoyance on his face suddenly wiped clean. "I thought you'd never ask." He jumped on to the stage and tapped the spot next to him with his foot, and a hole opened up next to him. A bunch of miniature egg statues hopped out of the tunnel. "Okay, mates, just like we practiced," he murmured to them as they marched into formation. Then he turned to Sandy. "Sandy, hit it!"
The little man gave him the thumbs up, then grabbed two drumsticks and started to bang on the two huge drums that, again, magically appeared on stage behind the microphone.
"What is he gonna do?" Jack whispered to Tooth as they sat down next to North and laid his staff on his lap as Sandy continued banging on the drums.
"I don't know," she whispered back as the lights dimmed and the band dimmed in.
"And where's the band?" he asked.
"Hush!" North hissed. "Show is starting!"
He rolled his eyes, and rested his chin in the palm of his hand as he watched Bunny beginning to dance along with his egg statues.
"Keep rollin', rollin', rollin'.
Keep movin', movin', movin'.
Keep them doggies moving, rawhide!
Rain and wind and weather!
Hell-bent for leather!
Wishin' me girl was by me side!"
The eggs rolled in front of him, and began singing in a deeper, more American accent, though Jack had no clue where their voices were coming from. They chanted,
"Keep rollin', rollin', rollin'.
Keep movin', movin', movin'.
Keep them doggies moving, rawhide!
Rain and wind and weather!
Hell-bent for leather!
Wishin' me girl was by me side!"
Jack watched as they began to what looked like grab partners and dance around each other and even over as they leaped over one another when the chorus began.
"Move 'em on, head 'em up
Head 'em up, move 'em out
Move 'em on, head 'em up
Rawhide!
Bunny, somehow managing to get through all of the eggs without crushing a single one, made it to the front, and started singing over the rest of the chanting,
"Set 'em out, ride 'em in,
Ride 'em in, count 'em out,
Count 'em out, ride 'em in
Rawhide!"
The eggs rolled to a stop in front of his feet in the shape of a bunny on top of each other before the last few bongs. The audience clapped, though Jack noticed that he didn't receive a standing ovation.
"Well, mates?" he asked as he hopped back down on to the ground.
"That was amazing, Bunny!" the tooth fairy exclaimed. You didn't say pulchre, Jack thought to himself, grinning.
"Wow, Bunny, I never knew you were a fan of Happy Feet 2," Jack said, grinning as he propped himself against his staff.
"Wha-What did you say?" he demanded, standing dangerously over the young Guardian.
"What? I'm being completely serious!" he exclaimed defensively. "They played that song in Happy Feet 2 and you guys seemed to replicate their version really well," he added.
"Why thank you, mate, I—wait a second!"
"He means that as compliment!" North put in hurriedly. "Right, Jack?"
"Hey, how he takes it is on him," he replied, throwing up his hands.
North groaned and leaned back in his chair. Suddenly, they heard a loud jingling sound. Everyone turned to see Sandy shaking an elf by the tip of his pointy hat by the piano. He dropped it, looking fairly irritated, and pointed at the piano, then himself.
"Oh, I forgot, Sandy! Each night, before we close Karaoke Night, Sandy plays the most wonderful piano solo in the whole world!" North explained to Jack's confused look.
"Aye, he plays a darn good solo if I do say myself," Bunny said proudly.
"Go ahead, Sandy! Play for us!" North called as Bunny hopped over to the seat next to him.
The sandman grinned and floated back into his seat. He cracked his knuckles, then laid his fingers on the piano.
"What's he gonna play?" Jack whispered to Tooth.
"I don't know. He's played something different every night for the past four hundred years," she replied, shrugging.
He nodded, impressed, and leaned back in his chair as the other Guardian began to play. Jack listened, trying to figure out if he could name the song. He guessed had already guessed that theme of tonight was movie soundtracks, so he searched his head for all the movies he had secretly sneaked into the theater to see.
It was slow, and hesitant. Sandy only had to press one key with each hand at a time. Jack found himself humming along to it. "I'll be waiting here for you. Our love shall ever be….." he sang softly, matching the hesitant tone, without knowing it.
"You know the song?" Tooth whispered in surprise.
"I think so. I'm not sure," he whispered back.
"Keep on singing," she encouraged. "It goes really well with the song."
He nodded, and continued on, a bit louder,
"Ruthless winds, raging seas.
Who has stolen my true love?
Davy Jones of the Seven Seas.
Oh, bring him back to me..."
Bunny leaned over his seat to glare at Jack, but he ignored him.
"Every day and every night,
Locked in darkness, all alone,
Many tears, my love, I have shed
Hoping you would come….."
Sandy looked up in surprise at Jack, then grinned as the piano suddenly began to shift and mold into an organ. He began to play the organ with more ferocity, more passion. Jack could barely keep up when he started the melody back up. On a sudden whim, he stood up and began to stride towards the organ to the beat.
"Waves so high, hear them clash!
Thunderous as the lightning!
Calling me away from here,
And our love, shall I not bring?"
"All these years, oh, my sweet Goddess,
Bound to sail these wretched seas!
I have always thought of you,
Oh, my dear Calypso…."
Suddenly, the orchestra, though Jack couldn't find that, either, joined in, on a slightly higher pitch, sending shivers down the Guardians' back. Snow began to swirl around the room, roaring as if it was a blizzard, matching the passion of the instruments. Jack had to fight to keep his voice just above the music as he turned to face the crowd.
"Now, when I can step on land!
And feel the touch of the burning sand,
When my path to you is clear
I fear my end is near…"
"Calypso, cruel Goddess!
You shall pay for my suffering!
But when I see what I've done to you,
My heart does not dare to beat..."
For a couple moments, the drums pounded themselves, then the orchestra started to play their part, and Jack sat down on the seat, suddenly worn out, next to the sandman, listening to the beauty of it. He let it continue for about a couple minutes, then Sandy pulled out a sandy flute and began to play it, the sweet melody that sounded like the ones before whistling through the air. The orchestra began to play behind it after it played a verse, the violins and basses bringing out its sound. Jack closed his eyes.
Just then, a burst of sound filled the auditorium. The wind began to pick up with the song. Jack's eyes flickered open, then widened. Golden strands of sand started to stray out of Sandy and floated across the room, making it almost eerie, in a strange, beautiful way. Jack watched the golden strands with wonder-filled eyes, watching the golden aurora borealis flicked across the air. He mourned the loss of it as the sandman brought them back into him. Sandy went back to playing the piano, playing the same hesitant melody as in the beginning. The snow swirled and spiraled to a stop. Jack almost whispered the last couple verses, knowing it would bounce across the virtually silent room.
"Though your heart belongs to the sea,
I will still be true….
I'm here waiting patiently
And still in love with you…."
"We sail, we sail through storm and flash.
We live in between night and death.
The night shows thee the face behind
A curse for endless time…."
Everybody practically leaped to their feet as soon as he finished the last word, roaring their approval and jumping up and down. Tooth shrieked and flew up on to stage, and practically tackled Jack in what could only be described as a fairy hug: the only thing more dangerous than a bear hug. He gasped for breath as she squeezed him like a boa constrictor.
"Jack! Superbus sum vobis!Tu canis pulchre!" she cried as she pulled back, though still holding him at an arm's length. Then she added to the sandman, "Sandy, vos psallebat pulchre! Vos tam magna erant!"
The sandman bowed, a huge grin on his face. "Thanks, Tooth," Jack said softly.
"Honestly, though, WHERE did you learn that song from?" Tooth asked, her eyes filled with wonder and admiration.
"It took me second," he admitted, "but I think I finally got it when I had to say 'Davy Jones of the Seven Seas'," he said wryly to his friend, then turned back to Tooth. "It's from Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and 3. Davy Jones's lullaby," he explained. "I think one of Hans Zimmer's best work," he stated proudly.
"What's Pirates of the Caribbean?" she asked, a confused look on her face.
He rolled his eyes. "It's a movie. I'll take you to go see it one day," he promised.
"Take us ALL to go see it, Jack!" North boomed. "With a movie with that much fantastic music, it must be fantastic itself!"
"Well done, mate! Well done!" Bunny exclaimed, clapping his furry paws together as he came up to the other Guardians. "I must say, though, Jack, was the indoor blizzard necessary? Some of us are freezing enough," he growled.
"Aw, come on, Bunny, enjoy the snow for once!" the boy laughed, elbowing him lightly.
He rolled his eyes. "Well, I have to get back to the Warren. See you next month!" He tapped the ground next to him, which opened up to the tunnels, and leaped in. The ground closed over him.
Sandy flashed a sandy sign of kids sleeping, then waved, and flew out of the room. "And then there were three," Jack muttered.
"You, too, should be getting rest, Jack," North said softly, laying a huge hand on his shoulder. "It is getting late."
"It's okay. I'll just find some tree to sleep in," he yawned, stretching.
Tooth and North glanced at each other. "Jack, how would you like to stay at the Tooth Palace for a while?" Tooth asked. "At least, until you can make a place of your own," she added hastily.
He couldn't believe his ears. Sleeping in the Tooth Palace? With Tooth? This was too good to be true. "Uh, yeah, sure," he stuttered. Realizing how stupid he sounded, he cleared his throat and added in a much more calm tone, "That would be nice."
"Great! I can't wait for you to try out the guest room! It hasn't been slept in in a long time," she confessed.
He raised an eyebrow. "How long is a long time?"
"About two hundred years."
"Ah." He wondered if it would look like fancy 1800s bedrooms or late colonial pioneer rooms.
North cleared his throat. "Well, you two better best be going! I must finish making my toys! Christmas is only few months away!"
"Okay, North!" Jack thought it was best not to mention that it was only October. He grabbed his staff and was about to make a dash for the door when he suddenly remembered his guitar. He ran back to his seat where it was laying, slung it over his back, then followed Tooth outside.
I suck at romantic writing. :P Anyway, here are the songs(for the Davy Jones Lullaby there's two videos you have to listen to fully understand what I was talking about)
Fallen- Sarah McLaughlin
Here I Am- Bryan Adams 3 (brought back a classic)
Don't Let Go- Bryan Adams & Sarah McLaughlin
Rawhide- Elephant seal Chorus (Happy Feet 2)
Davy Jones' Lullaby(Music Box Version + Organ/Orchestra) -Hans Zimmer
I also made up most of the lyrics, but a couple verses I got from a few others. You should check out their videos:
1. Davy Jones' Lullaby WITH LYRIC- Stephanie Pitcher
2. Davy Jones' Lullaby- Alex Mihai
Comments would be nice. :)