I'm surprised on how popular this story has gotten…

Hopefully I would still keep this up.

As usual, a thousand thanks for Gabriel Nichole. Oh and btw, I highly recommend RWBY on this website called Rooster Teeth. The first episode is out.

Chapter 2

Light blue eyes slowly open as birds chirped their early songs. At first, he wanted to go back to sleep for another five minutes. But as soon as he was about to shut his eyes once more, he now remembered something within instant. Well, ten seconds to be exact…

Remember to bring this basket to your grandfather tomorrow, Jackie. He will be working overtime in his shop out in the woods.

Groaning loudly, Jack sluggishly rose up underneath the covers before stretching out his arms, hearing the sounds of his joints popping. He rolled his shoulders back a few times before feeling relaxation and swung his legs over his bed. Jack looked over to see his alarm clock, finding out that it was nearly nine.

"Enough time for me to prepare…" he said to himself before getting up to head over to his window.

As soon as he pulled back the curtains, he was greeted by the bright ray of the sun; seeing that he is not the only one getting up early in the village below.

"Just another day…"

"Morning, Grandma!"

An elderly woman looked up from cooking some breakfast, to see a familiar head of white. She smiled sweetly before scooping a bowlful of oatmeal.

"Oh, Jackie, you're up," she greeted back, as the said boy placed a kiss on her cheek. There was a slight Russian accent in her voice, not too thick but at the same time not to faint. "And here I was about to head up there to drag you out of bed myself."

Jack smiled his trademark grin as he gratefully took the bowl from his grandmother. "You can do that, but didn't your doctor say that it would go beyond your physical limitations?" He knew that it was a cheap shot, but he couldn't help it. It was in his nature to tease!

What he did not expect next was an airstrike attack in a form of an oven mitten in a form of a cartoonish reindeer with an oversized red nose, hitting him right in the face.

"Hey!" Jack sent a playful glare at his dear granny who responded by her own smirk.

"That's what I think you do every time you get out of bed, young man."

"Hahaha, touché, Granny….touché"

"I'm heading out, Grandma!"

He checked to see if he got everything in the messenger bag before heading out the front door. However, Jack his grandmother gently placing her hand on his shoulder; stopping him in his tracks.

"Hold on a moment there, Jackie," then she went into the jacket closet, rummaging through it before finally picking one of them out. It was a zipped up blue hoodie, and on its collar and sleeve cuffs were white designs that gave off the illusion of falling snow, Jack's favorite weather.

"Don't want you to catch cold on your way to your grandfather's workshop." He heard her pointed out as she took the piece of garment off of its coat hanger and unzipped it to place it on him. Jack hid his eye rolling but obliges anyway, setting the bag down gently before allowing his arms slip through the sleeves, feeling the familiar warm fabric slip on to him.

"It's only November, Grandma," he pointed out. "Just a slight chill in the air that's all."

His grandmother just gave him a light but playful bop on his head.

"Now don't sass me, young man," she lightly scolded as Jack picked up the messenger bag and opened the door. "And remember, don't stray..."

But she was cut off by her grandson who finished for her. "Don't stray from the path on your way to Grandpa's workshop, I know," then the white-haired teen turned to her with a reassuring smile. "Come on, Grams, I've been doing this like what? Since I was nine years old…" he leaned in to place a kiss on her wrinkled cheek.

"I'll be fine…the old man had been giving me some self-defense tips." He readjusts the bag one more time before heading out. "Love you!"

His grandmother smiled as she waved after him. "I love you too, sweetie!"

The elderly woman sighed heavily, watching her grandson's back as he head into town.

"I swear that mal'chik is somehow a magnet to attract trouble."

A melodic sound of wind chimes rang in the air as a couple stepped out of a spa, looking refreshed.

"What did I tell you, honey?" a young woman asked her boyfriend, smiling as she cuddled against his arm. "This place really brought us some sweet dreams."

The said boyfriend rolled his shoulders back, feeling relaxed and refreshed as he sighed in content.

"I have to admit, I was skeptical at first…" then he turned to her with a smile. "But I was glad that I was proven wrong. You have to remind me to thank Mr. Lessmore for recommending this place to us when we get back."

Then they both heard the wind chimes rang again, causing the couple to turn around and saw the owner. However, they both had to look down in order to see him. The said owner is a rather small in stature, only coming up to their hip. Tufts of sandy blond hair fan from his head like a sun spreading its rays; well more like a star that you first see when night falls. In fact, the small man more or less gave off the illusion that he was glowing whenever he smiled. Either that or the fact that his usual attire of golden yellow had to do with it…

The small spa owner made a few hand signs, asking if they enjoyed their stay in the spa.

Luckily for him, the couple was fluent in sign language as they signal back that they were satisfied and they could not wait to come back here for their next vacation time. Feeling pride and satisfaction with this, the owner smiled brightly as he waved them goodbye before seeing them off; probably do a bit of sight-seeing around the town.

It was not easy handling a Bed and Breakfast which also doubles as a spa, but somehow Neil Sanderson (also known as Sandy to the locals) managed it with the StarDust Bed and Breakfast. It was one of the highlights of the Santoff Claussen town, along with the Nightlight Lake, where it was a popular spot for families (and a romantic moment at moonlit nights for couples), and the Big Root, one of the most ancient and largest trees, even before the town was founded. According to history, it was turned into a literal tree house by the founder, but that was a story for another time.

Sandy took a good look around as his fellow neighbors were opening up their shops, which most were Ma and Pa types. He knew all the names and faces of his fellow townsmen, which is quite helpful since he was rumored to be practically the oldest member. Which is yet to be proven since he doesn't look a day over 30; most of the children often joke that he must have been a witch or something, but it was just harmless fun, nothing malicious about it.

His face lit up when he saw a familiar figure in a blue hoodie jacket walking by, with an equally familiar bag.

"Hey, Sandy! Mornin'!" Jack greeted as he gave a mini salute.

Sandy smiled as he waved back, before signing "Off to see your grandfather again?"

He had known the youth when he was only a small boy, and the little man found out that he is a quick learner. Jack seemed to have a penchant to make some kind of game out of anything, which it actually comes in handy whenever he comes over to help out. True there were times that he tends to became a bit mischievous, but it always brought some smiles to both the locals and visiting tourists.

Especially with the ones that have one or few children.

"Yeah, you can say that…" then the white-haired teen takes a good look around in the town as it slowly wakes up. "This place will be at its busiest, especially when Christmas is coming up," Jack turned his attention back to him, but Sandy could tell that he must have been worried about his grandfather.

"I just hope the old man takes it easy."

Concerned for the young boy, the small man signed him some reassurance. "Give your grandfather some credit, Jack. He's more robust than you think."

Jack could not help but smile in gratitude as he knelt down to the latter's height and gave him a generous pat on the shoulder.

"Thanks, Little Man," he said, earning himself a smile from the elder. It was an affectionate nickname for him. "Good luck for this afternoon!"

Sandy waved back at him as Jack reassumes his journey to the outskirts of the town, before heading back inside for business. The spa doesn't run itself after all…

Author's note(s):

Neil Sanderson – I know that people are gonna nitpick about this, but I am aware that in the RotG/Guardians of Childhood universe, Sandy's full name is Sanderson ManSnoozie. But not wanting to disrespect the original author, as much as I love his creativity and wit to where the titles of the Guardians originated, I'm not kinda sorta satisfied with Sandy's full name. But that's just me…as for the name, Neil, as you all might be wondering, is a reference to the another acclaimed writer, Neil Gaiman, best known for titles such as Coraline, American Gods, and his most famous graphic novel series featuring his own take on the living anthromorphic personification of dreams, The Sandman, which chronicles the tales of the original weaver of dreams and his dysfunctional "family". Star Dust is also reference to another one of Gaiman's works.

Mr. Lessmore – The surname of the main character, Morris Lessmore, from another William Joyce work, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

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