Disclaimer~ I do not own Rise of the Guardians
I haven't updated in ages upon ages. Those of you who have read what I've written up until now, I appreciate you greatly and I apologize for a number of reasons. The first being that I haven't updated in like a year and with terrible chapters to boot! The second apology is for how awful the writing was. I didn't realize how ridiculous parts of it were. Not to say my revisions will be any better...but I couldn't leave it how it was. A lot changes in four years and I felt like I needed my story to reflect who I am now and how I write. The overall plot scheme is staying roughly the same, but I'm changing some situations around, because they don't feel right to me now. I'm hoping that it will be more organic and serious and less cheesy. Jack kind of came off as a whiny teenager and I wanted to remedy this. He's much more complex than that. So without further ado! Here is the first chapter of revisions for What Does it Mean?
It was all my fault. Maybe if I had been more careful, or responsible (Bunny's word, not mine), then maybe she would still be here. I guess I understand it better now, why he puts it in such high standard. We're supposed to protect children, above everything else. Fun might be my center, but it doesn't really agree with responsibility. Guardians are supposed to be responsible. She probably would have appreciated some responsibility on my part. I can't speak for her, but I can't see her asking for what happened.
I just wanted to put a little fun into her life. There's that word again, Fun. She needed to know, despite her age, that life doesn't have to always be hard work and deadlines. I mean she was trying to make something for herself. Who am I to butt into the affairs of mortals? But she was so sad, so unbelievably sad. She didn't have time to spend it with friends or read one of those books she loved so much or see her family. All she did was study and work, but she was going to be something.
She would have been fine if I hadn't stepped in, but (I think it's important) she wasn't sad when her head met the concrete. That doesn't mean I shouldn't have been responsible. I could have been more careful. I was stupid. Too damn worried about having fun to remember that humans are easily broken.
"Oi! Snap out of it Frostbite!" Bunny yells, before a golden boomerang crashes into the back of my head.
Ow. One of my hands reaches up to touch the base of my skull. My mouth opens and my eyes squint in confusion when I realize the two red dots on my palm is blood. I snap my head to the giant rabbit. Bunny salutes me with a golden weapon and I raise my staff.
We, The Guardians of Childhood, arranged to have regular meetings after the Pitch incident to discuss anything peculiar or exciting that's happened during the three months since the last meeting. This particular meeting is at North's place in the gigantic room that displays the Globe. The next meeting is in Burgess, I'm hosting, when spring will be well under way. I really hate spring. Bunny, supported by North, has made it immensely clear that any freak snowstorms out of season "Will NOT Be Tolerated."
"Did you have to do that?"
"Didn't know how else to get your attention, Mate."
"Somehow I think Tooth," I gesture, palm upturned, to the turquoise fairy. "Would have figured out a less…violent way." North's workshop is quiet. Even the elves in their stupid suits, are silent. When did it get so quiet? Tooth looks back and forth between us, like she's afraid one of us will spontaneously combust.
"She tried, ya Gumby, you was lost in Lala Land."
"Is that so, Kangaroo?"
"So that's how it's going to be, eh?" Bunny raises both of his paws and leans forward with his ears back, like he's in pain. But I know better.
"You got it."
I'm about to zap Bunny's foot with a good blast, when North steps between me and my target. I exhale sharp and fast through my nose. Why does he have to be so damn holy? He glares at each of us, each hand resting on the pommel of either of his swords. The three of us don't move. I see a flickering of yellow sand in my peripheral vision, to the left. Sandy must be yelling, in his special way.
Tooth's hovering off to the right, above North. I can't ignore her, not the way I can Sandy. I can see her, all of her, like one of those dark spots you get after looking at the sun for too long. Her rainbowed feathers are too bright, reflecting the afternoon sun that streams through one of the high factory windows. Her expression is pained. Her small hands are fisted, one pressed into the "V" below her neck and the other floats just in front of the other one. None of the baby teeth can be seen. I can see Tooth's throat convulse as she swallows over and over. Dark purple eyes flitting back and forth, not unlike her wings. A tear tracks off her nose and falls fifteen feet to the ground.
I blink and look to my right like there's someone there. My shoulders move into a shrug. Air enters my lungs slowly and I lower my staff. North meets my gaze.
"Fine." I say, letting myself drift to the floor.
North nods once. I exhale again in a big gust. The floor is patterned with jewels and rock swirled to look like ocean waves. Guess I never had the occasion to notice before.
"Now. Back to Business." Says a Russian accent. "How you doing, Toothy?"
"W…w…w…well." She's still nervous. I look up. I nod when our eyes meet. She takes a deep breath. "I'm doing ok. Not as good as I could," she looks at Bunny and I warily.
"Anything in particular?"
"Besides…" She gestures vaguely in front of her, small fingers twiddling. "Recent events?" North nods.
"I seem to have more believers than usual. More than I think I should." She's looking at the floor. Does she see the waves too?
A golden question mark floats above Sandy's head. I have to agree. How could more believers be a bad thing?
"You too hard on yourself." North's right hand, the one with the "Nice" list, makes a no-big-deal motion.
"I don't know. It feels like something's changing with the children. I have more believers than I've ever had, but I haven't stored any more teeth. I think some parents have taken it upon themselves to…to…to be me."
"That's odd, eh? Who do they think they are? Taking your teeth." Bunny taps his chin with one of those awful boomerangs. "What happens to the memories?"
"As far as I know they're still there…but if my girls can't access them, then they can't be remembered."
"So a bit of a problem." North pats his belly. "Ask your devochki to keep an eye on things. We will come up with up with something, if events progress. In the meantime…"
"Enjoy the flux." I interrupt the white bearded man. She smiles sadly at me. She knows what I mean. A Guardian may not always have believers. Why shouldn't she enjoy them, even if she wasn't necessarily responsible for them? Nothing will last forever. She mouths "Thank you." I blink slowly, letting myself smile slightly to let her know I got the message.
"So, Jack. How are things in your neck of the woods?" North turns to me. I shake my head slightly, to make myself focus.
"Eh, ya know. So, so," I say slowly, careful not to reveal too much about what's on my mind lately. "No sign of Pitch. My believers have been down recently, but no big deal. Um, let's see," I tick off each item by touching different sections of my staff. "Yesterday, I started a snowball fight in Greenland. Last week I started a blizzard in the Northern part of Canada. Fifteen days ago, I went sledding with penguins -or tried to—in the South Pole. And the day after our last meeting I decided to let Antarctica get a little soggy." I've always liked to mess with the tree huggers.
"Mmmmhhhh," Muses North. "Is there any particular reason you've been less active? Or why your believers have decreased?"
"Well it is spring in half of the United States. My fun is restricted to an unbearable level." I exaggerate, to egg on Bunny. Get it? Egg? I crack myself up. Get it? Crack? The giant rabbit raises a boomerang in warning. I lift my hands palms forward, shrugging, in a pose of innocence. Bunny, frowning, shakes his head once from side to side.
North looks torn for a moment between laughing and scolding. Spring's always been a bit of a sore spot for Bunny, and North knows it. I'd like to think North would let me cause the occasional spring flurry, if not for "Manny's rules." I smirk at his confused emotions and my eyes sparkle for a moment, but only for a moment.
"Fair enough. Anything to declare, Bunny?"
"Nope."
"And Sandy?" The golden figure conjures images of two people dancing the waltz and a firework of music notes and cloud castle, before giving a thumbs up with his own hands.
"If nothing is left to be said," North trails off and pauses for effect. "This meeting is adjourned." He stops his foot, for emphasis, like a gavel.
Bunny eyes me for a moment, before immediately stomping the ground and jumping into the resulting hole. Is he ever not in a rush? Sandy, after saluting each of us (tooth with an image of her palace, me with a snowflake, and north with a Christmas tree), disappears to give dreams to the children of China. North raises his swords dramatically in farewell, before he trudges into the labyrinth that is the factory. Tooth flits nearer to me, worry evident her pale pink eyes.
"What?" I ask.
"Are you ok?"
"Should I not be?" I flip my staff and perch atop its curve.
"You just seem…"
"Off?" I supply. She nods, then shakes her head and flies toward me.
"I don't know, Jack. One minute you're teasing Bunny," she lifts one hand. "But the next it's like you're not here." She lifts the other hand.
Angrily, she throws them to her sides. One of her tiny fingers is pointing at me. She's about to ramble in one of those outbursts only capable from Tooth Fairy. So, I head her off.
"So?"
She deflates, shrugging, as she drops a few feet in the air.
"I thought you were going to hurt Bunny, Jack."
"What?" I fly up to look her in the eye. I can see unshed tears circling the pink irises. "Why?"
"I….um…" She won't look at me.
"Tooth." I say gently, giving her arms a slight jostle. Then she meets my gaze, dark purple eyes once again, no trace of tears, with a fierce vehemence I often forget she possesses.
"You didn't see your face."
"What does that…"
"It looked like you wanted to kill him." She interrupts me, not yelling like I expected, but forceful. No room for argument.
I don't say anything, it's not like it didn't cross my mind. I turn my head to the left, not really looking anywhere in particular, and release her delicately feathered arms. I drift back and away. My feet touch down on the floor. I turn around, hefting my staff over my right shoulder.
"I'm going to get going." I tell the sparkling globe. "Need to decide where to bring a snow day. Catcha later, Tooth." I'm about to float up and out of one of the big windows in the ceiling, when I hear my name.
"Jack, If you need any…"
"Thanks but…"
"Jack!" I turn to look at her. Her bottom lip is quivering and her hands are twisting over each other. "Really. I'm here, if you need to talk….or whatever."
"Ok." My head is almost out the window. "Thanks." I don't check to see if she heard.
Thanks for reading! If you are new welcome aboard! If you are old, welcome again (and so very sorry)! For those of you who may be tragically pained let me inform you that I am keeping the old versions, so if anyone wants me to post them somewhere or if you think I should just leave this version alone and make a new story for revisions and continuation (yes I actually plan to finish this story! *confetti*) Unfortunately if you have already reviewed this chapter you won't be able to leave another review, but you can always PM me.
I didn't really know how else to let you all know what I was planning without giving my few followers a heart attack. (I totally might be giving myself too much credit, but hey I'm still learning). I had considered deleting the whole story and then uploading a new one under the same name, but I did this instead.
As always tell me if this is good, bad, or ugly (or needs help in some ways but not others or what else you think sucks ;)! I'm excited to be trying this again. Thanks again!
~Kataryanna