Chapter 2
The sack wasn't exactly pitch black, but Belinda was positive that Jack didn't have his staff with him. The one time . . .
She was also certain that the yetis were supposed to only pick up Jack, since "too close for comfort" didn't even scratch the surface of her awkward, cramped situation.
So did that mean the others knew about her dilemma?
It was freezing in the in the claustrophobic space, for reasons that being stuff with a winter spirit could only explain.
Both didn't utter a word, but screamed as they felt inertia take over: she felt a slight breeze against her face as she felt the sack somersault several times, forcing the duo crashing into each other. Belinda's insides took a liking to their roller coaster ride, and she regretted having that extra mug of hot chocolate before she hit the sack.
She focused on not blowing chunks while she and Jack were crammed together in a burlap sack.
Suddenly, their run-of-the-mill amusement park ride jolted to a stop.
Okay, it was more of a collision, with something the consistency of hardened concrete, but still, ow.
Shoving Jack off of with a grunt, Belinda groaned in pain as she tasted blood in her mouth. Great. She must've bit her tongue when they impacted. Just great.
"He's here." Belinda heard a man speak with a Russian accent, and Belinda's gut twisted.
She wasn't . . . she wasn't where she thought she was, was she?
Belinda shook her head, trying to banish the mind-warping question from her thoughts as Jack gripped her shoulders, pushing her farther into the depths of the sack.
"Just stay here." He said. "I'll take care of this."
Outside, Belinda heard a female voice fire orders at the rate of a machine gun. "Walla Walla, Washington—we've got a trampoline mishap at 1340 Ginger Lane—"
"Quiet," The Russian interjected.
As Jack struggled to open the sack from the inside, Belinda shrank away from the tiny circle of light from her corner, she saw two tiny triangular-shaped figures with bells hanging from there hats . . . er, clothes. It was impossible to tell.
Elves . . . Belinda thought. Crud.
Walking to the sides of the sack, they loosened the knot, Jack poked his head out and muttered, "Wow. You've got to be kidding me."
Belinda flinched as light glared into the sack, and shifted her head.
"Hey, hey!" Jack exclaimed. "Whoa, put me down."
"I hope the yetis treated you well?"
As Jack and Russian were going back and forth, Belinda felt her stomach lurch as the bag was lifted, and shaken.
Oh crud oh crud— Belinda thought, and in the next second, the sack was opened, and Belinda fell onto the floor—face first. Oh crap.
As casually as she could, she dusted herself off and scanned the room around her. In front of her was Jack, his staff placed leisurely on his shoulders. Behind him was a large, burly man with a long, white beard dressed in red. On his arms were intricate "naughty" and "nice" tattoos.
Next to him was a midget of a man wrapped in a robe of the golden sand she knew of all woo well. Skin was a pale tint of marigold, and his yellow hair stuck out in tufts on both sides of his head, with another on the top. Belinda tilted her head to the side in a double. The guy had arched over backwards inhaling another goblet of—Belinda sniffed—eggnog.
Of course.
Flitting in the air on Jack's left was an avian-human hybrid. A woman who hovered in the air, silvery-pink wings beating like those of a hummingbird. Small, form fitting yellow feathers melted into greens and blues, ending with indigo at her feet. Her face was pretty, thin features on an elegant face. Light purple irises sparkled kindly. Where hair should've been though, a cluster of green and blue feathers were slicked upwards, like a headdress of some sort, the sides with smaller triangular yellow ones that dangled.
And leaning in a corner sharpening a wooden boomerang was the same pooka that Belinda saw in the alley. His ears were a bit longer than her forearm, and he was grumbling to himself.
Belinda froze, chills running up and down her body when she saw all eyes on her.
"W—Well, as much as I loving shoved in a sack and tossed thought a magic portal," Belinda said, quoting Jack. "I'd prefer to keep the contents of my stomach in my stomach."
Jack pinched his nose in an "oh crap" gesture, while the bird-woman flitted over to Belinda, moving in a little too close. She circled Belinda, hovering in one spot and darting over to another. Once she stopped in front of Belinda again, Belinda stepped back, holding her hands out.
"Personal space, please." Belinda said.
"How old are you? What's your name? How'd you end up in the sack?" With each question, she inched closer to her victim.
"I'm eighteen. Belinda. The yetis did it." Belinda winced. Gosh she was stupid. The first two questions gave it away, if they hadn't heard already. "Back off, Tooth."
Her interrogator gasped.
"Yes," Belinda said wearily. "I know of you." She swept her hand in front of her. "I know of all of you." Belinda looked over Tooth's shoulder. "Well, I know Jack and Sandy."
The little golden man nodded, sleepily, waving.
"Wait," Jack strode over to Belinda, gently pushing Tooth aside. "You know them—you know who—they are?"
Belinda pointed to the pooka in the corner. "Easter Bunny." She nodded at Tooth. "Tooth Fairy." She locked eye contact with the Russian. "Santa Claus. Otherwise known as North. And there's the Sandman."
North stroked his beard, thoughtful. Bunny and Tooth were shocked. After all, and eighteen year-old still believes?
Belinda winced, jumping as North cleared his throat.
"Very well," the Russian said, clapping his hands. "We get on with show." North put an arm on Jack's shoulders, steering him. "You know Bunny obviously."
Jack put on a smirk. "Obviously."
"And the Tooth Fairy?"
When she heard her name called, Tooth gasped, smiling a little. She flitted off to the winter spirit, her habit of forgetting the concept of personal space evident.
Belinda wrinkled her nose in sympathy, and shrank back behind a column. Sitting with her knees to her forehead, she groaned, letting the warmth spread from her toes to the rest of her body.
She lifted her head when she felt the heat partially blocked like a shadow.
"Hey Sandy." Belinda said. "I don't suppose you know why I'm here."
The golden man shook his head, and extended d. The sand formed into the shape of a maple leaf. He put his hand down and shrugged.
"Yeah, figured that too. But honestly, I'm really not sure if I'm ready, you know?" She looked over her shoulder. "I know I should tell them. They can help, but at the same time, I screwed up. Bad." She took a deep breath. "And—"
Sandy cut her off, holding up a finger.
"Sandy?" North bellowed. "Sandy!"
The golden man floated up a few inches and drifted over to where the hullabaloo was taking place. Belinda peeked from the column, watching Sandy and Jack. She sighed in defeat. Maybe it was best not to bring others into this.
Who needs another problem to deal anyway? She thought.
Belinda felt a tug on her jeans and glanced down. An elf looked at her with a wide toothy grin. Next to him was a goblet of eggnog.
She offered him a small smile. "Sorry bud, I'm not a huge fan of eggnog."
The corners of the elf's mouth tucked into a frown, and he kicked at Belinda's foot.
Belinda chuckled and raised her hands, palms out in a mock "I surrender" gesture. "Hey, hey!" Settle down." She leaned down, and glanced over her shoulder. "I'm more of a hot chocolate fan myself," she whispered as if this were something scandalous.
The elf skittered back a few steps, his mouth a gaping oval. He held up a finger. "Be right back!"
Belinda watched as he ran away, jumping every few steps.
"Hey!" Jack interjected. "Anyone want to tell me why I'm here?" A pause. "That's not really helping, but thanks, little man. I must've done something really bad to get you four together. Am I on the naughty list?"
North chuckled. "On naughty list? You hold record! But no matter. We overlook. Now we are wiping clean the slate."
"How come?" Jack asked.
"Ah, good question." Bunny muttered.
"How come?" North was incredulous, as if the answer were as clear as day. "I tell you how come! Because now . . . you are Guardian!"
By this time, the elf that had offered her eggnog earlier had returned with a mug of hot chocolate. After thanking him, Belinda shifted into a squat, picked it up, and carefully stood. Upon hearing the word "Guardian," she flinched, dropping the mug. As it shattered on the floor, yetis began lighting torches, and elves leapt from columns unfurling banners. A few of Tooth's fairies, Mini Teeth who were the actual size of hummingbirds, tried to present Jack a necklace of paper snowflakes. The winter spirit shooed them away.
"This is the best part!" North bellowed.
Belinda wasn't sure whether sure whether to be relieved that no one was paying attention to her, or whether she should attract some.
As Jack scanned the room, he made eye contact with Belinda, who shrugged, holding her palms out. They were throbbing now, and she shrugged off Sandy's help. She needed to see how this would play out.
One of North's yetis brought him a thick, old leather-bound book with a stylized "G" on both covers. As the jolly old Russian cleared his throat, Jack raised his staff. Ribbons of blue light weaved their way through the wood, the power and magic input suddenly spiking.
He slammed his staff on the ground, sending out a shock wave of freezing wind. The torches blew out, and the music came to a flat stop. Belinda turned her head away, instinctively raising her hands to shield her. She winced.
First they were throbbing because I burnt them, Belinda thought. Now they're halfway frozen.
"What makes you think I want to be a Guardian?" Jack demanded.
At this statement, North burst into laughter. That is, until he realized that Jack was, in actuality, not joking. Stony, he said, "Of course you do!" He looked over his shoulder to the elves. "Music!"
A few seconds into the elves' fanfare, Jack raised his voice again. "No music!"
Apparently, an elf really wanted that music; he threw his silver trumpet to the ground, shoving an elf with a euphonium to the ground as he stormed out.
Watching the scene unfold, North glowered.
Belinda's mind was running a mile a millisecond, but she couldn't process it nearly as fast, considering she was half-drunk with lack of sleep.
"Look, this is all very flattering but uh, you don't want me." He insisted. "You're all hard work and deadlines, and I'm snowballs and fun times." He sat on an overturned bookshelf with a slouch. "I'm not a Guardian."
"Yeah, that's exactly what I said!" Bunny piped up.
"Jack," Tooth fluttered down to him, directing his attention to the giant globe in the center of the workshop, rotating in sync with the Earth. "I don't think you understand what it is we do."
Belinda tuned her out. One of the pockets on the inside of her jacket started vibrated. Slowly, she unzipped it, and pulled out a . . . rock?
She frowned slightly, bring it a few inches closer to her inspecting eyes. Yes, it was made of stone, but it wasn't just a rock. There were tiny golden specks of light. Belinda' held it up to North's globe, and it rose a few inches off her palm. Cracks began to appear, they soon spread, and the pieces separated themselves from each other, forming tiny continents. The lights were in the same spots, except for a few that North's globe didn't sport. A green light was somewhere in Chile, a pink one hovering over Japan, and on the North Pole were a light blue and amber speck of light.
Belinda knew each of the golden lights was a child, a child that still believes. "We protect the children, because they are all we have," Belinda breathed. "And all that we will ever be."
So what were they others? Up at the North Pole, the blue one had to be Jack, and the amber one?
Though she didn't admit it out loud, Belinda's stomach sunk as she realized it was her.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jack move toward the center of them room, and Belinda hastily stuffed her globe back into her pocket.
"Okay!" North boomed. "No more wishy-washy! Pitch is out there doing who knows what!"
Jack scoffed. "You mean the Boogeyman?"
"Yes," Belinda muttered, angrily. "The Boogeyman."
Her interjection went unnoticed. This get-together was about Jack, after all.
"Yes!" North confirmed. "When he threatens us—" he gestured to the Guardians behind him. "He threatens them—" he pointed to the globe. "As well!"
"All the reason to pick someone more qualified!" Jack insisted, sweeping a hand towards the globe.
"Pick? You think we pick?" North scoffed. "No you were chosen, like we were all chosen! By Man in Moon!"
Jack spun around, looking at the Guardians of Childhood assembled before him. Belinda couldn't imagine how he felt.
Actually, I can. Being ignored, practically nonexistent for three-hundred years? Leaving her family, Jamie, behind to succumb to death's eventual embrace? It hurt. It ate at her insides, leaving a depressing, melancholy hole.
As for Jack, when he found out about the Guardians, the Guardians of Childhood, Belinda was sure that he tried talking to them, but except for Sandy, he was practically shunned.
Did he try talking to the other branch?
Belinda shook her head. They were fair busier than the Guardians of Childhood; their duty was to the whole world, not just the kids.
The Spirit of Spring was —whoever that was—was on break; it was winter in the Northern Hemisphere, and therefore summer in the south. Did Jack try talking to him or her?
"The Man in the Moon," Jack breathed. "He talks to you too?"
He looked to the skylight, where the moon seemed to move on its own from behind the clouds.
"You see, you cannot say no," North stated. "It is destiny."
Jack was obviously confused, and his perplexed expression melted into a scowl as he exhaled sharply.
"But why—why wouldn't he tell me that himself?" Jack demanded, a note of frustration crept into his voice. "After three-hundred years, and this is his answer? To spend eternity cooped up in some —some hideout thinking of—of new ways to bribe kids? No, no. That's not for me!" He took a deep, calming breath. "No offense." He walked over to Belinda, who despite knowing how Jack felt, she still was just as stunned as the other Guardians. Jack gripped her upper arm, frost forming on the black of her jacket. "Let's go."
A few steps before Jack flew off with Belinda, Bunny just had to put in his two cents. "How is that not offensive? You know what I think? I think we just dodged a bullet. I mean, what's this clown know about bringing joy to children, anyway?"
Jack froze in his steps, his grip on Belinda's arm tightened slightly, and he quickly snatched it off. He turned around, rolling his eyes slightly before facing the Guardians.
"Uh, you ever hear of a snow day?" Jack asked in a "duh" tone. "I know it's no hard-boiled egg, but kids like what I do."
"But none of them believe in you, do they?" Bunny pointed out, maybe a bit too smug. "You see, it's like you're invisible mate. It's like you don't even exist."
The two glared at each other, and Belinda sensed a standoff. She moved in-between them, and glanced at Jack. His eyes reflected more light than normal; his eyes were wet.
Belinda put a hand on Jack's hoodie, and another gripped Bunny's fur. "That's enough!" She ordered, pushing them apart. "It's bad enough you have Pitch to worry about!"
Silence. Carefully, Jack peeled her hand off his hoodie and gently pushed her aside, pointing his staff at the pooka.
"No," Jack said, mustering a smirk. "The kangaroo's right."
"The—the what? What'd you call me?" Bunny spluttered. "I am not a kangaroo, mate."
"Oh, and this whole time, I thought you were. If you're not a kangaroo, what are you?"
"I'm a bunny. The Easter Bunny. People believe in me."
The situation was unraveling, fast. Belinda lifted her wool cap off her head, running a hand through her mousy chestnut hair. Out of the corner of her vision, she spotted Sandy nudge North. She heaved a sigh of relief when North stepped forward as silence filled the air once more.
"Jack," North said tightly. "Walk with me."
Belinda, puzzled, opened her mouth to ask something along the lines of "What about me?" Before she could get the first syllable out, North, who was walking away with his back turned, North pointed at her with his thumb.
"You, stay here. We figure out what to do with you later."
Belinda jumped, rubbing the back of her neck. She glanced at the shattered remnants of the ceramic mug and the puddle of hot chocolate.
She laughed nervously. "Oops. Sorry about that."
"Oi, Sheila," Bunny grunted, pointed a boomerang at the girl. "Why are you here?"
Belinda shrugged, trying to maintain an aloof face. "I don't know. The yetis threw me in the sack."
"When?"
He's almost as bad as Tooth, Belinda thought. "A little after they threw Jack in. After you left."
Bunny turned to his feathered counterpart. "What are we still doing waiting for North to get back when I could just put her through one of my tunnels?"
The petite put her hands on her hips. "We'll figure out what happens when North gets back."
"Uh, excuse me?" Belinda piped up. "Keep talking as if I'm not here, shall we?" When her initial outburst went ignored, Sandy nudged Belinda, cupping his hands around his mouth. "I was just getting to that, Sandy. HEY!"
Tooth flinched, darting to the side, and Bunny cringed, his ears pulled downwards.
"What?" Bunny snapped, his nose twitching.
"I am not leaving," Belinda asserted, stepping forward. "Pitch took . . . something personal from me last night. I need to get it back, ASAP."
"What is that Pitch has?" Tooth asked.
"Its . . ." Belinda hesitated. "Personal."
"Of course," Bunny said, rolling his eyes. He looked at Sandy. "Can you believe her?"
Sandy nodded.
Bunny gaped for a moment before opening his mouth, but before he could get a word out —
"Can I believe who now?" North bellowed, munching on a cookie. Jack followed him, studying something in his palm before slipping it in his hoodies pocket.
He ran ahead of North, bouncing off a few shelves.
"What's going on?" He asked Belinda.
"I may have been an idiot," she whispered through clenched teeth, using one hand as a sound barrier.
"This girl—" Bunny said, jabbing his thumb at Belinda. "Wants a go at Pitch!"
He started laughing incredulously, although it sounded a little forced.
"Mortal girl wants go at Pitch?" North leaned forward—his nose practically touching Belinda's—and stroked his beard. "I say we give her go!"
Bunny froze and gaped.
North chuckled, clapping a meaty hand on Belinda's shoulder, steering her away from the others, he led her to a lower level of the workshop. They passed yetis building toys from models made of ice, while elves ran wild, doing everything but building toys.
Belinda chuckled, smiling to herself. "This place is amazing." She breathed. "I didn't think it would be this —this—"
North turned back, chuckling to himself with a kind smile.
When they got to the end of the workstations, North pulled open a large wooden door, gesturing for her to come in.
Belinda supposed this was North's personal workspace, with a desk covered with tools of every shape and size, complete with a grand view over the cliff side.
"Cookie?" North offered, holding out a silver platter.
"Oh, sure," Belinda said, reaching out and grabbing a chocolate chip. She bit into it, scanning the sights around her. A tree was strung with lights, shelves were chock full of book and knick-knacks, and toy biplanes weaved their own paths in the air.
As she finished her snack, North walked to a chest placed obscurely in the corner of the room. As he rummaged through its contents, Belinda dodged a few flying wood carvings and old tools before North came back up for air. In his hand was a sword, a katana, sheathed.
"You recognize this—" North gently pulled it out of its cover. "Yes?"
Belinda swallowed the remains of her cookie, gingerly bringing up a finger, running it over the line representing the four seasons —a snowflake, a maple leaf, a cherry blossom, and a sunflower petal —all engraved down the middle.
"I haven't seen this in a while," Belinda murmured. "Not since—" she swallowed. "Alaska."
North smiled, sheathing the blade. He handed it to Belinda. "It is yours."
Belinda returned his smile, and swung the sheath's strap over her shoulder. "Thank you."
Behind North, Belinda noticed something rush past the window, something that reflected a myriad of colors.
Tooth.
Not a millisecond later, Bunny came dashing, Jack and Sandy on his heels.
"We have a problem mate!" Bunny said. "Trouble at the Tooth Palace."
North's eyes widened for a moment. He grabbed a matching coat and hat—red with black trim—and twin swords hanging in their sheaths off the coatrack. After fixing them on his belt, he swept out of the room, Sandy and Jack parting for him.
"Boys!" North bellowed, walking through the crowd of yetis. He barked orders in Russian, motioning for Belinda and the others to follow him.
As he led them out of the workshop, Jack sprinted ahead of Bunny and Sandy, who were lagging behind. He slowed his stride, matching Belinda's.
"Where're we going?" Jack asked, spreading his hands wide.
North gave him a look that was somewhere between a scowl and a glower with a cocked eyebrow.
"Okay, okay," Jack said, raising his palms defensively. "Just wanted to get that out of the way. How're we getting there? Not all of us can fly."
Belinda grinned a laughed a bit, shoving Jack playfully. "Jack, he's Santa. Whatdya think?"
"But I'm not coming with you guys," he insisted. I'm not a Guardian, it's not my problem."
"I'm not a Guardian either," Belinda pointed out. "But it's part of my problem."
"Fine, then go with them." Jack turned to North. "Can I go now?"
"No." The Russian answered. As they reached the hangar, North called the few yetis on duty there. "Boys, ship shape! As soon as impossible!"
"North, North!" I told you, I'm not going with you guys!" Jack repeated. "There is no way I'm climbing into some rickety . . . old . . ."
Belinda gave him a smirk as he trailed off, his jaw dropping. It did nothing to prepare her for the sight she beheld: a team of reindeer pulled a hot-rod sleigh. Most of the interior was definitely wooden, but the outside was tricked out with metal plating, making it look somewhere between a sleigh and a flying saucer. The front had a miniature globe for the driver's navigation.
As it came to a stop in front of Jack and Belinda, the latter hoped in.
"Shotgun!" She called, while there was not a definite shotgun seat on the sleigh she gave Jack a grin, causing the winter spirit to glance back at North. The Russian gave him an, "I told you so," look and gestured to the sleigh.
"Okay, one ride," Jack said, raising his pointer finger, and hopped inside, standing next to Belinda. "But that's it."
North laughed as Sandy climbed, taking a seat in the back. "Everyone loves the sleigh!"
Of course, as is to prove him wrong, Bunny stood awkwardly to the side, frozen and absolutely petrified.
"Bunny!" North called. "What are you waiting for?"
"I think my tunnels might be faster, mate," the pooka replied, giving the sleigh a solid tap with a hind paw. He winced as the sleigh rocked and creaked. "And um, safer."
"Ah, get in!" North said, grabbing him by the boomerang sheath and hoisting him up. "Buckle up!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Bunny exclaimed, looking frantically around the sleigh. "Where are the bloody seatbelts?!"
North chuckled. "That was just expression!" He turned to a yeti making last second tweaks. "Are we ready?"
The yeti frantically shook his head no.
"Good! Let's go! Clear!" He cracked the reins. "Hiyah!"
Elves and yeti scrambled to avoid getting trampled. Belinda stumbled onto a seat, and Jack was able to keep his balance. Bunny gripped the side of the sleigh, his claws scratching ribbons of red paint off. Jack glanced back, smirking, and laughed.
Belinda herself wasn't worried about North's sleigh falling to pieces. No, she was worried that she'd go flying off as they raced down a launch track made of ice. She found herself gripping her side of the sleigh, and Jack glanced over his shoulder at her.
"You look pale," he commented. "Earlier, you were so excited."
"Oh, now you're cheeky." Celinda grumbled under her breath. Unlike everyone else here, I can't fly or magically transport myself to avoid becoming a grease stain!"
North cracked the reins once more, and the sleigh plummeted into an almost-vertical drop. To her horror, her grip began to slip, like some other-worldly being wanted to prove her point.
"Oh gosh—oh gosh!" Her muttered mantra became a scream as she felt her hold on the sleigh ripped from her grip.
Belinda yelled as the sleigh raced away, leaving her behind. As she was about to crash into the wall of ice behind her, a stream of dreamsand snaked past her. Desperately, she grabbed on, giving it a frantic yank.
Almost immediately, the whip pulled her forward, and the sleigh soon zoomed into view. Sandy was quickly reeling her in, a little too quickly, perhaps. She slammed into the back of the sleigh, and before it could happen, she planted her feet firmly, and grasped the dreamsand rope, like how a mountain climber would scale a cliff.
As she neared the edge, she held on to the makeshift rope in her left hand, Jack grasped her right, and together, he and Sandy helped pull Belinda back into the (relative) safety of the sleigh as they entered a corkscrew.
"I hope you like the loopty-loops!" North called.
"I hope you like carrots!" Bunny managed to retort, shutting his mouth promptly.
North laughed, cracking the reins. Instantly, the sleigh put on a burst of speed, launching off a ramp. The reindeer climbed higher, cantering in the air.
"Here we go!" .
"Woo-hoo!" Jack whooped, pumping his fist into the air.
"Klasno!" North bellowed with glee.
A few moments after the sleigh settled into a smooth flight pattern, Belinda was able to settle on a seat below Sandy, on the far side unoccupied by Bunny. The giant pooka was nearly flat on his back, trying to shrink into himself.
Jack glanced back at Belinda, who gave him a reassuring nod, and mouthed, I'm good.
The winter spirit returned her gesture with a smile, his gaze sliding over to a terrified Bunnymund. Nimbly, he jumped through the empty spot on the bench, landing on the sleigh's edge.
"Hey Bunny," Jack leaned over the edge, slowly standing up. "Check out this view—EEYARG!"
Belinda watched in amusement as Bunny swallowed his fear, peering over the edge. Bunny's comment of "Aw, rack off ya bloody show pony!" gave her a clue of what was going on.
Grinning, Jack leapt over Belinda's side, plopping down on the gap between Bunny and Belinda.
"Hold on everyone!" North called. "I know a shortcut."
"Oh strewth," Bunny groaned. "I knew we should've taken the tunnels."
North held a snow globe to his mouth, and threw it ahead of them. It burst, and a vortex of faint colors appeared;
"Hyah!"
As North cracked the reins once more, Belinda felt her stomach lurch as the sleigh hit its hyperdrive.
Thanks to Cloverheart609 and Alice for reviewing. I wish I got more reviews, because I really, really want to know what your opinions are for this story. Feel free to check out asktheseasonalbigfour for spoilers, headcanons, and the occasional musical composition.