Title - Imaginary
Chapter title - Immy
Author - OblivionsGarden
Genre - Romance/Hurt/Comfort
Disclaimer - I do not own Rise Of The Guardians in anyway shape or form. I only own the plot points surrounding my oc's, not recognized from the film. For this chapter I own, Immy and Jenny.
A/n - Thanks to Katie for the review! :)
Thanks for the faves and follows, xxx Please read and review, I'd greatly appreciate it. Hope you enjoy, xx (:
"Immy, you can't be here right now! Dad's already mad cause you broke his glasses... Which he thinks I did by the way!"
A young girl, brunette hair in two braids hanging over her shoulders, was pacing her bedroom in a panic as her closest friend lounged across her small bed, boot clad feet propped on the wooden frame.
"It's not my fault adults can't see me." Immy shrugged. "And I apologized for the glasses." She added as an afterthought.
"Please, just come back later. I'm being taken to a therapist." The girl came to a stop with a frown. "My parents don't think it's normal for a twelve year old to have imaginary friends. They say- IMMY!" She was cut short when her own pillow struck her face.
"If I was imaginary how could I be throwing things at you?" She shot up to the ceiling when the pillow was aimed straight back at her. "And why would you be throwing them at me?"
"I know you're real but my parents don't believe in you."
"Parents never do." Immy scowled settling herself back onto the floor. "Why don't I come with you? You're parents can't see me and at least that way you won't get bored right?" She crossed the room, hopping into the window seat with ease.
"I don't know. You kept pulling faces at me during my class presentation and I got in trouble. Just like you always get me in trouble."
"Jenny, c'mon! We have fun don't we?" The young girl broke out into a reluctant smile and nodded her head. "When do you have to go?"
"In a few hours."
"Well, why don't we go outside and make the most of this snow?" She grinned. "Bet I can beat you there."
"How much longer are we going to stand here?"
The five guardians were hiding not too far from where the two girls were playing. They didn't dare move in case a child should spot them. Bunny's fur was covered in tiny snowflakes which was only worsening his already dull mood.
"A little snow never hurt anyone, cottontail." Jack smirked, tapping his staff lightly on the ground, covering it in a thin layer of snow. "But, in all honesty maybe one of us should go talk to her."
"Off you go then." Bunny grumbled, shoving Jack forward into view.
"Me? Why should I go?"
"You're the one who says he knows her from before!"
"Bunny... She doesn't remember." Tooth interjected. "Jack, I'll go. It's fine."
"No." Jack held up a hand to stop her. "I'll go. Who knows, maybe there'll be some kind of miracle and she'll remember." Jack laughed and Tooth nodded encouragingly.
He moved off quickly into the park, hoping no one caught that her being able to somehow remember him was exactly what he was wishing for right at that moment. He took a second to just watch the two girls making snow angels in the grass, recalling a time when he, Immy and his sister had done the very same thing one winter. With a nostalgic smile he recalled the task at hand and hopped the park fence, slowly approaching the pair, clearing his throat when he reached them. Two heads shot up, the younger girls face brightening at his appearance. Immy however, frowned at this pale stranger.
"It's Jack Frost! Immy, it's Jack Frost! He's really real!" Jenny jumped up from her spot, beaming at the tall boy who smiled fondly down at her.
"Immy..." Jack began, waiting for any indication of recognition.
"You can see me?" Her frown was still in place as she climbed to her feet, pushing back her now bright orange hair.
"Obviously." Jack's sarcasm covered his pain as she treated him just like she would a stranger.
"I guess Guardians don't follow the normal rules."
Before anyone could say another word, Jenny's mother stepped onto the park, calling her daughters name and insisting they had to leave.
"We have somewhere to be... Frost." Immy spoke slowly as though Jack were some strange and unknown creature. "Bye."
"But we need to talk to you. It's really important."
"We?"
"The Guardians."
"But Jenny needs me."
"I'll be fine, promise." Jenny turned to Jack. "Can you come back tomorrow and play?"
"Maybe not tomorrow but I'll be back soon, I promise."
"Awesome." Jenny grinned, shooting a wave to Immy before taking off towards her mother.
"C'mon, the others are waiting." Jack gestured towards the alley where the other four guardians were peeking at the two.
"Am I in some kind of trouble? I must've done something to get all of the big wigs together."
Immy was completely confused but followed Jack out of sheer curiosity. It wasn't often more than one person could see her at a time so she wasn't about to let the moment pass by. When they arrived at the alley a smile finally graced her features as she waved to the Guardians.
"Long time, Immy." North rumbled in greeting. "Let's get back to the pole, yes?"
North pulled a snow globe from his pocket and threw it against the wall. Immy grimaced, never having gotten used to North's mode of transport, as Bunnymund guided her into the portal. The look of wonder that crossed her face as she looked around North's home warmed his heart. Jack however could feel his growing colder by the second. Sandy's dream sand formed a briefcase and a question mark, silently asking how her work was.
"Oh, you know same old. And you?"
"Um, Immy... Sorry to interrupt, but uh... I don't actually know what you do." Jack confessed.
"Guys, really? You get the new guy to come speak to me out in the open and you don't even tell him what I do?" Immy rolled her eyes as she jumped onto the desk beside Jack. "I'm an Imaginary Friend. That's why you shouldn't really be able to see me when I'm with a charge."
"A charge?"
"A child I'm looking out for. Us Imaginary Friends-"
"There's more than you?"
"Have you seen how many babyteeth Tooth has?" Jack nodded. "Around the same sort of number. World's a big place, Frost. Lots of children." She giggled. "But we can only be assigned to one child at a time. So only that child can see us. Makes our friendship more special to them and means that the help we give works better." She pouted a little. "But, like I said, I guess being Guardians, you don't have to follow rules."
"Of course not. Where's the fun in that?" Bunnymund joked.
"So, Imaginary Friends are real." Jack leant his head against his staff with a small smile. "That's pretty neat... So, what exactly do you do? Like how do you help them?"
"Well, most kids who need us are going through something tough. No friends, parents divorcing, bullies... You know the stuff. Like Jenny's parents are really uptight and she thinks she's a disappointment to them. It's hard for a twelve year old to go through that alone. Me and my kind help these kids."
"How?"
"Depends which friend you talk to. Some are kind and understanding and talk through the problems."
"And you?"
"I like playing games and enjoying myself. So I make them forget about their problems with fun and games until the solution becomes obvious to them. Or until the problem solves itself. My old charge, Sam... He was really shy, just moved to a new town and had no friends. I rolled a snow boulder at him and some kids went to see if he was alright. And hey presto, Sam has friends and doesn't need me anymore. I go help someone else." She moved from the desk and into the center of the room.
"Same old Immy." Jack mumbled to himself with a smile.
The Guardians were positively beaming. The way Immy spoke about the children she cared for, the way her eyes sparkled and her mouth split into a grin, it was obvious she was born to be a Guardian.
"What?" She stopped, noticing their expressions. "Why are you looking at me like that? You're freaking me out."
"It's a little scary, huh." Jack chuckled. "You've been chosen."
"For what?"
"To be a Guardian."
"Ha ha, very funny guys." Her face fell when no one laughed. "Chosen by who?" Her voice took on a slightly hysterical tone as she stepped back, away from the group.
"The Man In The Moon. He chose all of us." Tooth said.
"Um... Well, no offence to him but he has to be insane." Immy backed away further, ignoring the question mark above Sandy's head. "I can't be a Guardian. I hate responsibility, I already told you this. Really, you should find someone else. Maybe the leprechaun."
"We don't choose, Immy."
"Well, I don't have to say yes, right?"
"Well...No." North scratched his head. "But nobody has ever said no before."
Jack cleared his throat. "I said no... To begin with."
"Doesn't count, mate. You said yes eventually."
"But I said no first, so it counts cottontail."
"Sorry, mate. No it doesn't."
Whilst the two argued, causing a distraction, Immy ran from the room, making to leap over the railings and to find the door. However her plan was short lived when she found herself being lifted back into the room by her ankle by a yeti.
"Put. Me. Down. Now."
"Don't." North countered. "Immy, you need to give this some serious consideration. You-"
"What North is saying..." Jack interrupted, twisting his head upside down only making her scowl deepen. "Is don't say no yet. I thought the same as you at first, but in the end, I realized I'm supposed to be a Guardian."
Rather than speaking Immy starting writhing around until the yeti dropped her onto the floor. She stood up, straightening herself out with a huff. When she opened her mouth to speak no sound came out. Instead her face fell as her stomach twisted, a ripping pain echoing through her body as she fell to her knees with a groan. Tooth was at her side in an instant, Sandy at her other whilst Jack looked on helpless. Breathing through her nose, Immy managed to climb to her feet, her bright orange hair fading to a more peachy colour.
"Somethings wrong with Jenny." She spoke in a quiet voice, a mere echo of the talkative self she had been just moments ago.
"Who?" Bunny frowned.
"My current charge." She gulped. "I have to go."
She pulled a small piece of chalk from her pocket, moving to draw a large door on the floor of the pole. With a click of her fingers, light appeared where the chalk had been, the floor opening up to reveal her own personal travelling portal. She jumped through, the hole disappearing from sight. The Guardians exchanged a look before jumping in after her.
A/n - Please read and review, I'd greatly appreciate it. xx (: