It was only natural for Yusa to assume that, out of the five Guardians of Childhood, Jack was the best at training his apprentice.

Of course, many would argue that this was because she was under his wing. After all, each Protector favored their Guardian over the rest; Cassidy preferred Sandy, Zahid respected Bunny, Emily admired Tooth, and Andrew worshiped the ground under North's feet. Every Protector was partial to their teacher, and as much as Yusa hated to admit it, she was not an exception.

She guessed that this was primarily because of how each Guardian's personality matched their Apprentice's. Much like Sandy, Cassidy said very little, and Bunny's tenacious character matched Zahid's dormant strength. Tooth and Emily were just as bubbly as each other, North's love for inventing paralleled Andrew's, and Jack's (obsessive) thirst for adventure was just as strong as hers.

Much like her teacher, Yusa was virtually unable to confine herself in an enclosed area. Unlike her fellow Protectors, during her sessions with Jack, she wasn't locked away in a hideout. Instead, she and Jack made it a priority for them to initiate every session in a different part of the world.

During their first few sessions, Jack had taken Yusa on a tour of the Guardians' hideouts. He had taken her through North's Workshop, the Tooth Palace, Sandy's Airship (…sandship), and he had surprised Yusa with a trip to Bunny's Warren. (That was a memorable trip. Jack had amused her by freezing all of Zahid's training equipment, and had encouraged Bunny to kick their sorry butts out of his sanctuary.)

The next few sessions were slightly more adventurous. Jack ensured that his apprentice had seen all the magic that the world had to offer. For instance, he had flown her through the Northern Lights, led her inside of the Leaning Tour of Pisa, and had taken her through the catacombs that lay beneath the city of Rome.

Not only was Yusa exposed to the visible wonders of the world, but Jack had also introduced her to the mythological realm. He took her to the Saharan desert, through Father Time's fortified walls, and into the room where he guarded the Sands of Time. He flew her into Cupid's castle in the clouds, Mother Nature's hidden refuge in the Garden of Eden, and into the residence of the April Fool (which was cleverly disguised as a joke shop in New Orleans).

That was only half of it. With the help of several amiable spirits, Jack had also led his apprentice where few had ventured before. The Leprechaun had guided them through El Dorado, the mythological city of gold. The Lady of the Lake had given them air-masks (which were basically giant bubbles the shape of their heads) for them to navigate through the city of Atlantis, and the Groundhog had revealed an ancient passageway that led them safely through the Centre of the Earth.

Jack's lessons were fun beyond relief, and he had succeeded in giving his apprentice the time of her life. However, it wasn't long until Yusa realised that her field trips with Jack weren't just "snowballs and fun times" – they had served a higher purpose. Each trip served to provide Yusa with inspiration, and this was not something that could be gained by imprisoning her in a hideout. Jack had known exactly how to train his apprentice, and had ensured that she was able to fulfill her role as "The Storyteller".

On the day that they became Protectors of Childhood, the Guardians had informed their apprentices that they would be assigned one of five roles; the Teacher, the Inventor, the Caregiver, the Warrior, and the Storyteller. Having received the role of "The Storyteller", it was Yusa's job to use her stories to sustain a child's faith in the Guardians, and in the magic in the world around them.

But the real question was – how was she going to do that?

'Where are we going?' asked Yusa, as Jack navigated through a layer of clouds.

Yusa clung on to his back, and watched as a mass of snow-capped buildings came into view.

'You'll see,' replied Jack. Attempting to stay out of sight, Jack plunged into a forest of trees, and descended towards the ground.

Yusa pulled her arms from Jack's neck as he settled on the undergrowth. He shot her an impudent grin as he realised that she was trying not to hurl.

Jack almost chuckled; of all the apprentices that he could have been given, he had been paired with a girl who was airsick. There was one thing he was sure of – it was only a matter of time until she puked all over him in mid-flight.

'Wipe that grin off your face, Frost,' said Yusa, controlling her gag reflex, 'or I'll kick your frozen butt.'

'That's a dangerous way to talk,' smirked Jack, twirling his staff with one deft gesture, 'especially since I have the power to turn you into a human icicle.'

'You wouldn't dare,' shrugged Yusa. She grinned, 'because you'd have to be responsible for finding a new Storyteller, and the Guardians would disown you.'

'Touché,' laughed Jack. 'Anyway, to answer your question, we're in a little town somewhere in North America – Burgess, Pennsylvania.'

'Burgess?' asked Yusa, wondering why the name sounded so familiar.

'Yep,' said Jack. 'There's someone that I want you to meet. I've already let him know that we're coming.'

'That's nice,' smiled Yusa, surprised that Jack had the courtesy to inform their host of their visit. 'So, which mythological friend of yours are we meeting this time?'

'Oh, he's a friend of mine, all right. We've known each other for quite some time. But he's not a mythological figure,' replied Jack, as he led her through the forest. 'He's an adult, and he's just as human as you are.'

Judging from the smile on Jack's face, Yusa assumed that she must've looked incredibly puzzled. Jack, being an extrovert in nature, had many friends. But the thing was, most of them were immortal; the children he befriended often stopped believing in him after they became teenagers, and few adults had managed to see him.

Few humans, much less adults, were on Jack's list of familiars. Hence, it was odd that he would have befriended someone that fell into both categories.

'Don't look so surprised,' smiled Jack, 'I get out more than you think I do. I make friends with all kinds of people.'

'Human people?' asked Yusa.

'Well – this one's an exception, really,' replied Jack.

Yusa stared as Jack turned towards a spot in the woods; it was a clearing in the middle of a cluster of trees. His eyes lingered on the area for several seconds, then he turned his gaze back to her.

'He was my first believer,' explained Jack, 'the one that helped me find my center.' Jack let out a soft chuckle, 'you'll like him, Yusa. You'll find that the two of you have a lot in common.'

'Really?' asked Yusa. 'Like what?'

'Well,' pondered Jack, 'like, for starters, both of you were chosen as my apprentice.'

'He was chosen to be a Storyteller?' asked Yusa, bewildered.

'Well, seeing as I haven't been a Guardian for as long as the others have, I haven't had many apprentices,' answered Jack. 'Therefore, there haven't been many Storytellers. The person we're about to meet is the first Storyteller to have ever been chosen by the man in the moon.'

Jack did the talking for the rest of the trip. Yusa listened, with unbridled fascination, as Jack recollected how his friend had helped the Guardians defeat the Boogeyman before Jack had officially become a Guardian. As Jack recollected his adventure, Yusa couldn't help but feel that everything he said seemed…oddly familiar.

As if she had already heard about such an adventure.

But she just couldn't determine how.

After wandering through several streets, and crossing a gold-plated statue of Thaddeus Burgess, Jack and Yusa had reached their destination.

'Here we are,' said Jack, gesturing towards a quaint, suburban home.

In all honesty, it wasn't any different from any other house in the neighbourhood. As a reminder that Christmas was right around the corner, a series of Christmas lights was strung around the house, and lawn gnomes with Santa hats rested next to the bushes that circled its exterior.

The lawn that sat in front of the house was caked with snow. A dysmorphic snowman sat in the centre of the area, and a pair of children stood in front of it. Yusa, assuming that they were fraternal twins, watched as they attached a pair of twigs to the snowman's torso.

With a smile, Jack formed two snowballs in his hands, and launched it at his newest victims.

'Look out!' exclaimed Jack, two seconds after the snowballs had hit their targets. The boy, who had fallen on top of his unfortunate playmate, pried himself from the ground, and stared at Jack.

'Jack Frost!' exclaimed the child, as he stumbled over the girl beneath him, and blundered over to Jack.

'Woah, hey, Marco – WOAH!' exclaimed Jack, as the boy tackled him in a hug. Yusa laughed as they spiraled towards the ground.

'We didn't know that you were coming!' exclaimed the child.

Just as Jack was about to help himself and the boy to their feet, another tiny body launched itself at them, and tackled them back onto the ground.

The little girl, who had hurled herself at her childhood hero, shot Jack a smile. He noticed that she was missing a tooth.

'Wow, Alexis. That's your first tooth, isn't it?' asked Jack, receiving an enthusiastic nod from the girl.

He ruffled her hair. 'Well, in that case, you'd better make sure that it's under your pillow tonight. I'm sure that Tooth and her Apprentice would be proud that you're flossing.'

Alexis pointed to Yusa, 'Are you Tooth's app – epp – approin –' she whispered, 'Um, Jack, what's the word again?'

'Oh, no,' laughed Yusa, 'I'm not Tooth's apprentice. But I…well,' she lowered her voice into a whisper, and leaned in towards the twins. 'Can you keep a secret?'

The twins, with eyes as wide as dinner plates, nodded towards her.

'Okay,' gulped Yusa, as if divulging information from the CIA, 'I wish that I was Tooth's apprentice. Because, between you and me,' shooting Jack an accusatory glare, she pointed in his direction, 'my teacher's a complete loser.'

'Excuse me?!' laughed Jack, as the twins giggled in return, 'I'm a what?! Well, you're just asking for it today, aren't you?'

After brushing the twins off him, Jack gathered a pile of snow in his palms, and attempted to form the biggest snowball that he could make. Yusa, after realising that she was right in the line of fire, attempted to make a run for it.

'Oh no you don't,' grinned Jack, propelling the snowball towards her.

Yusa let out a shout as the snowball slammed into the back of her head. To her dismay, Jack had only begun; seconds after launching the Godzilla of all snowballs, Jack had formed another one in his hands, and had shoved it down the back of her hoodie.

The twins burst into fresh peals of laughter as Yusa shrieked with surprise. As the snow trickled down her back, she turned around and glared at her teacher.

'Aww, did I do that?' asked Jack, feigning sympathy.

If it was any other person who pulled this trick on her, Yusa would have been thoroughly offended. However, she had gotten to know Jack well enough to realise that tricks like these showed an important aspect of their relationship. Being comfortable enough to pull practical jokes on one another, and launch caustic comments at one another, was part and parcel of showing how a Protector and a Guardian weren't just student and teacher; they could also be friends.

'I see he hasn't changed a bit,' said a voice from the front porch, 'he used to launch snowballs in my direction all the time.'

As Jack turned towards a man on the porch, his look of false concern melted into a smile of genuine happiness. Yusa watched as her teacher flew – literally – towards the porch, and landed in front of the man. The man, with a smile that was brighter than the Christmas lights, enveloped Jack in a hug.

'Daddy!' exclaimed Marco, as he bounded up the stairs. His sister followed closely behind. 'Look who's here!'

'I know,' laughed the man, 'imagine my surprise when I saw your letter – can you believe it? an actual hand-written letter. I didn't know Jack Frost could write – on my desk.'

'I know how busy you are,' said Jack, 'and I wanted to make sure that you would free yourself up for me. I figured that the best way to make sure that you would is if I warned you that I was coming.' Jack's smile grew. 'It's good to see you again, Jamie.'

Jamie… thought Yusa, her memory jogging. Why does that name sound so familia –

Oh. Oh no. No way. No way!

'Let me introduce your talented successor,' said Jack. He motioned for Yusa to step up to the porch. 'All the way from Shanghai, China, I'd like you to meet Yusa.'

Then, whispering to Jamie, he added, 'That's not actually what she's originally called. Her real name's painful to pronounce.' He shrugged, 'Trust me, I've tried. A couple hundred times.'

'Nice to meet you, Yusa,' laughed Jamie, clutching her hand in a handshake. 'My name's Jamie Bennett.'

Inside, Yusa thought, IT IS HIM! OMIGAD. THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING. MY FEELS ARE OVERFLOWING.

But out loud, she said, 'Nice to meet you, Mr. Bennett. I have to say, I've come to appreciate your work.'

'Appreciate' was an understatement. Jamie Bennett was the main reason why she had grown up believing in the Guardians of Childhood. At the age of seventeen, he had written an entire book about a group of legendary childhood figures, and their misadventures with a winter spirit with a penchant for fun. After following this series for years, Yusa was ecstatic when it was produced into an animated movie, with Jamie Bennett himself as the producer of the film.

That's why Jack's story was so familiar! Thought Yusa.

Whilst producing the film, Bennett had cleverly inserted himself into the story. So much so that the movie had recollected the very first adventure that the legendary Jack Frost had been on; it exhibited how Jack became a Guardian of Childhood, his first showdown against the Boogeyman, and how the Guardians emerged victorious with the help of human children.

If only their viewers knew that it was based on true events.

'Ah, no. Please. Yuck. Mr. Bennett makes me sound like I'm fifty,' laughed Jamie. 'Being thirty-seven, I'd like to think that I'm still a long way away from there. Just call me Jamie.'

Yusa laughed, as Jamie walked them into the house.

At first, Yusa was worried about how to interact with Jamie Bennett; for all she knew, he could be another one of those writers whose egos were too big for their heads. However, Jamie proved that he was anything but an egoistical veteran. He was cordial, sociable, and incredibly nice. Not only did he offer to open his living room to his guests, he also introduced his wife to them – who believed in, hence could see and talk to, Jack Frost – and offered to pour them cups of hot chocolate.

Well, iced cocoa for Jack.

Moments after they were introduced, Jamie, his family, and his guests, were acting as if they had been friends for years. Not only did Yusa manage to warm up to Jamie's hospitable disposition, but his family proved to be just as friendly as he was. The Bennett children asked Yusa about the Guardians, Jack's adventures, and the personalities of the other Protectors, and Mrs. Bennett did not hesitate to share about herself and her family.

'Honestly speaking, my husband is so creative,' commented Mrs. Bennett, 'and I've never doubted that Jamie had the potential to be a Storyteller. After all, the ability to make a skeptic like myself believe in someone like Jack Frost is an amazing feat.'

'I'm still wondering how he managed to do it,' said Jack, nudging Yusa.

'My children have both inherited his gifts,' continued Mrs. Bennett, 'and I wouldn't be surprised if they chose to pursue a career in arts, or in literature.'

You are a disgrace!

Yusa blinked. She heard the voice in her head again, loud and clear. She attempted to shrug off the heavy feeling in her heart, and smiled at her companions.

'What do you think, guys,' smirked Jamie, 'what do you want to be when you grow up?'

'I want to be a Storyteller!' laughed Marco. 'I'll write my stories, like daddy does!'

Do you honestly think that pusuing such a foolish dream will do you any good?

'Okay, Marco can be the writer,' smiled Alexis. 'I want to be an artist. I'll tell my story through pictures!'

Stupid girl, you are throwing away your entire future!

Yusa struggled to control her emotions. As the Bennett children continued about their futures in the creative industry, the voices got louder.

You have no idea how much you have dishonored your family.

You have brought shame to us, Xing Jun!

You are stupid.

You are worthless.

You will never amount to anything.

'Yusa?' asked a voice from next to her.

Yusa turned towards the direction of the voice, and noticed that Jack was looking right at her.

And so were the Bennetts.

'Are you okay?' asked Jack, 'you're kinda spacing out on us.'

'Oh, ha, yeah. Sorry,' laughed Yusa. 'It's just that…' she turned to the children, 'it's just so great that your parents are telling you to pursue your dreams.'

'Yeah, it is,' smiled Alexis. 'My mommy and daddy have always told me to go for my dreams. No matter what anybody else says.'

'And they've always said that they know that we can do it,' continued Marco. 'Isn't that what your mommy and daddy tell you?'

'What are you going to do, then?' Yusa remembered her mother asking. 'Move out of the house?'

'I am nineteen years old,' replied Yusa, in fluent Chinese, 'I am old enough, and I have enough money to live on my own.'

'And what? Pursue a career as a filmmaker?' boomed her father. 'You want to tell your stories through music and visuals. But don't you realise? You will not be able to make money doing that. You should be a lawyer like your brothers.'

Yusa bit back tears. 'Yeah, yeah it is.' She smiled, 'I believe that – that the most important thing that will drive a person towards their dream is if…if their parents believe in them.'

Jamie looked unfazed. 'And do yours?'

Pulling a single bag of luggage behind her, Yusa made her way out of her parents' apartment. Just as she closed the door behind her, she heard her father's voice –

'You will never amount to anything.'

She gulped, and faked a smile. 'Yes. Yes they do.'