Gathering the Big Four

Chapter 1 The Mission

The children were running around and tried to dodge the snow balls that they were throwing at each other. Their happy laughter filled the air and on a tree in the center of their playground sat a boy who watched them with a gentle smile.

It was a highly unusual boy.

He had white - silvery hair and a very pale skin. He wore a dark-blue hoodie along with brown pants. Unlike the other children he didn't wear hats, scarfs or gloves. He didn't even wear shoes. The reason was very simple. That boy wasn't really a boy. He was an over 300 year old spirit and the newly appointed guardian of fun. His name was Jack Frost. He watched the children closely and with a little move with his wooden stick he made a snowball avoid the face of a brown-haired boy. Instead it hit the back of of an old lady who was busy to tell her grand-daughter that they had to leave.

The young boy turned around and looked up to Jack. He smiled and said loud:

"Thank you, Jack Frost!"

Jack laughed and replied happily:

"Anytime, Jamie!"

A fair-haired girl about Jamie's age asked him:

"Who are you talking to?"

She looked up as well but all she could see were the empty branches. Jamie answered:

"I was talking to Jack Frost. He is the one who makes it snow."

The girl looked at him skeptical.

"That sounds more like a fairytale my mom used to tell me."

Jamie looked up to the tree but Jack had left its branches. Now he was helping some kids so that their snowman wouldn't fall down.

"Trust me, Anne. If you believe, you'll know it's true."

The children had a great day and Jack was with them the whole afternoon. Even though Jamie was the only one among children who could clearly see him some of the other kids saw glimpses of Jack when he was jumping and flying around. When the sun started to go down one child after another left and went home. In the dark of the night Jack wandered around a looked at the traces of the fun they all had. Now he had twice the fun because there was someone who could see him and talked to him. It was so unlike it was before he met the other guardians. Back then he had thought that it was impossible that other children could see him.

Lost in his thoughts he looked up to the big full moon when someone tapped his shoulder.

Surprised he turned around and came face to face with two giant yetis. Jack's blue eyes quickly traveled to the paws of those creatures and saw that one of them was holding a big bag.

"You gotta be kidding me."

Was the only thing he could say before the yetis threw the bag over him and everything turned black.

He was only for a few moments in the bag before he was thrown onto the ground. He banged his head on the hard ground and rubbing his head he looked up.

The first thing he saw were a pair of black boots and bright-red trousers. He stood up and was immediately in one of North's famous back-breaking hugs.

"Jack, my boy! How are you?"

His russian accent was clear as ever.

"North, if you want to see me, why can't you just send me a message? There is no need to kidnap me every time."

But North just laughed and let go of him. Jack saw now that North wasn't the only one waiting for him.

In the corner stood the Easter Bunny with his legs crossed and playing with his boomerang.

Jack waved at him.

"Hey, Easter-Kangoroo! Shouldn't you be at home and take care pf your eggs."

Bunnymund threw his boomerang at him but Jack simply jumped so that the boomerang missed its target.

Bunnymund growled at the boy.

"You little … I swear someday I'm gonna take that staff of yours and I'll give you a such beating with it that you'll never forget that I'm the Easter BUNNNY!"

Suddenly a piece symbol appeared between those two brawler. Jack looked around and quickly found the source. Sandy, the sandman, was standing next to North and smiled brightly at Jack. Jack waved at him and smiled back.

North put a hand on Jack's shoulder and said with his warm voice:

"Jack the Man in the Moon gives you a very special mission."

Jack looked up to the old man and asked confused:

"A mission?"

"Oh yes! You are the only one who can find the new potentials."

Now Jack was even more confused.

"New potentials? What are those?"

North smiled warmly at him.

"They are like you. Or maybe kind of like you. They are humans who have the potential to become Guardians just like us. You have to find and gather them. After that they'll start their training so they can be excellent Guardians."

Jack interrupted him.

"Training? What training I never had any training! "

Bunnymund laughed and looked smugly at the boy.

"Why do you think you are the one who should look for them? So you can train right along with them."

Jack gripped his stick thightly and took one step closer to Bunnymund but North stepped between them.

"The reason why you were chosen is simply because as the Guardian of Fun you are not bound to a place. Bunnymund and I have to take care of the presents and the eggs. Tooth is so busy collecting teeth that she can't even be here. And Sandy has to give the children nice dreams every night. But you can spread fun anywhere you go."

Jack nodded understanding the reasoning.

"But how can I find them? I doubt that they already know that they were chosen."

After Jack finished he felt a tug at his shirt. He looked down and saw Sandy who held up a necklace with one simple white stone one it.

Jack took it and looked at it. Before he could ask North already answered his question.

"That is a Moonstone. It'll start to glow when you get close to one of them. The Man in the Moon told us that you have to find three people. An inventor, an archer and a girl whose hair glows."

"That one gotta be easy to find. I mean, how many people have glowy hair?"

Jack laughed when he put on the necklace.

"Well then, I'm off."

With those words Jack flew up and vanished in the blink of an eye.

Bunnymund stepped to North.

"Do you think that kid is gonna be alright? Perhaps this is too much for him alone."

But North shook his head and answered.

"He'll be alright. Beside he is not alone."

Bunnymund looked at him confused.

Sandy wrote something in the air.

Don't worry! Be happy!

Okay, this is chapter one. English is not my native language so I'll appreciate it if you could tell me should you spot any mistakes. Thank you. Which one should Jack find first? Inventor, archer or glowy hair? Send me a message and tell me which one you want!