Recruiting the Spirits of Winter and Night
North Pole
Santa Claus, or North as he was known as to the other immortal spirits, was busy in his office at the North Pole, working on a new line of toys. He was a fat, jolly old man with blue eyes and a white beard and red suit. But his suit was lined with fur, his hat was Russian styled, and he had naughty and nice tattooed on either one of his arms. He was also a master swordsman, he loved children and had an enormous weakness for cookies and other sugary treats.
As he whistled a Christmas tune, he took a large block of ice, placed it on his workbench and began to cut and carve it. "Still waiting for cookies!" he said. Though he knew the elves had most likely either eaten or licked his cookies as they were even bigger suckers for junk food than he was and they were most pesky than helpful. Hence why it was North's yetis who were his helpers, rather than the pointy-eared gremlins.
Before long, he was finished with his ice-sculpting and now had a train made of ice travel along the tracks he'd made. He laughed with a twinkle in his eye at his creation as it then took off into the air with wings of a plane, only to be smashed into the wall when one of the yeti's burst into the room and hit it with the door on accident.
North cried out with dismay, as the yeti looked horrified at what he'd done and he wondered if he was about to get fired.
North then sighed in exasperation as he rubbed the space in between his eyes. "How many times have I told you to knock first?!" he demanded, exasperated. This wasn't the first time one of his prototypes had been wrecked in such a way, and nor would it be the last. But it still annoyed him to no end and who could blame him?
The yeti looked apologetic and quickly said sorry, but then told North why he'd come to his office.
"The Globe?" said North, displeased. He quickly grabbed one of his swords and began to walk to the large globe in the main room. Every Guardian had a special globe in their home. Each of the lights on the globe represented a child who still believed in North or one of the other immortals. "Shoo with your pointy heads," he said, to the elves. "Always underboot…"
When he reached the Globe, he did not like what he saw. Lights were flickering out, and then suddenly black sand engulfed the Globe. Wind blew in the room and darkness entered, causing the elves to hide in terror as North's eyes widened in horror. Then, just as quickly, the black sand vanished, but not before a suspicious-looking large black shadow was spotted.
"Can it be?" murmured North. Can our old foe truly be back? Has Pitch Black returned? Deciding he needed to take action, he said, "Dingle, make preparations! We're going to have company."
And with that, he summoned his fellow Guardians, using the Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights. It was the Guardians' job to protect the children, to bring about light and hope and wonder. And now it seemed the children were in danger and the time had come for them to band together again to defeat their ancient foe. A foe they'd kept at bay for many centuries and had now reappeared again. He was not to be taken lightly.
Before long, his fellow Guardians had arrived. The Sandman, also known as Sandy, arrived in a sparkling airplane made out of dreamsand. Toothiana the Tooth Fairy, also known as Tooth, flew in on her beautiful wings along with half a dozen or so of her helpers, the Mini-Fairies. And last but not least, E. Aster Bunnymund a.k.a. the Easter Bunny, ran in. His tunnels hadn't reached North's home and he was freezing as he'd had to take quite a few hops through the snow. Despite being a very fast rabbit, he couldn't feel his cold feet.
"Can I get you anything my friends? Would you care for cookies or eggnog?" offered North, when they arrived.
"This better be good, North!" said Bunnymund, grouchily. He was not in a good mood after the journey he'd just had in the freezing snow and he was under stress as his holiday was coming up quickly.
Sandy made a question mark out of Dreamsand and looked confused.
"I know, Sandy, I know," said North. "But I would not have called you unless it was of dire importance. The Boogeyman was here, at the Pole!"
"Pitch? Pitch Black? Here?" said Tooth, looking worried. She seemed frightened and no one could blame her, knowing just how dangerous and terrifying the Nightmare King was.
"Yes, there was black sand encircling the Globe," said North, dramatically.
"Wait, what do you mean, black sand?" demanded Bunnymund, concerned.
"And then I saw a large black shadow!" said North, dramatically, ignoring the rabbit's interruption.
"Hold on, hold on," said Bunnymund, confused. "I thought you said you saw Pitch!" Though he highly doubted the Nightmare King's return was possible, since they'd made sure the creep had gone out with the Dark Ages.
North looked a tad nervous as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Well…not exactly."
Bunnymund looked exasperated. "'Not exactly'?" he repeated. He turned to Sandy. "Can you believe this guy?"
Sandy made another question mark and shrugged his shoulders.
"Yeah, you said it, Sandy," said Bunnymund, as he resumed painting an Easter egg a pretty shade of light blue.
"Look," said North, seriously, "he's up to something very bad. I feel it, in my belly."
This didn't help Bunnymund's mood.
"Are you telling me that you summoned me here three days before Easter because of your belly? Mate, if I did this to you three days before Christmas—!"
"Bunny, Easter is not Christmas," interrupted North, starting an age-old argument once again.
Bunnymund let out a sarcastic chuckle. "Here we go. North, I don't have time for this. I still have two million eggs to prepare!"
"No matter how much you paint, there's still egg. Besides, you still have time for your holiday," said North, dismissively. "Why are rabbits so impatient?"
"Why are you always such a blowhard?" snapped Bunnymund. He was working with perishables and didn't have all year to prepare like the Jolly One did for his holiday. "I'm dealing with perishables, mates! You've got all year to prepare!"
North and Bunnymund then proceeded to argue about whose holiday was better and about Pitch's supposed return, not noticing Sandy's attempts to get them to notice MiM's appearance in the window. In fact, they only ceased arguing to say to Tooth, who was busy with her work and giving her Mini-Fairies orders and accidentally interrupted them, "Tooth, can't you see we're trying to argue?"
"Sorry. Not all of us get to work one night a year, right Sandy?" said Tooth.
Sandy nodded and made an arrow pointing upward, hoping it would get the fairy's attention, but no such luck as Tooth remembered other cities where kids had lost teeth and sent her helpers off. Quite frustrated, Sandy looked for something to get the Guardians' attention, and found an elf quickly scarfing down a mug of eggnog. Sandy grabbed the elf and shook it, until the ringing of the bell on its cap got his friends' notice. Once it did, he made an image of the moon and then pointed upwards.
North looked and his face lit up. "Ah, Man in Moon! Sandy, why didn't you say something?"
Dreamsand steam billowed out of Sandy's ears in irritation. It was times like this that he hated being unable to speak normally like the others.
"It's been a long time, old friend!" said North, to MiM. "What news you bring?"
A beam of moonlight entered the room and within moments, a shadow resembling their old foe appeared, making them all look unsettled, even Bunnymund.
"Manny, what must we do?" asked North.
The beam of moonlight narrowed and then a large crystal on a pedestal emerged from a hidden panel in the floor.
"Uh, guys, you know what this means?" said Tooth, excitedly.
"He's choosing a new Guardian," said North, amazed and intrigued.
"He's what?!" exclaimed Bunnymund. "Why?"
"It must be a big deal to Manny. He thinks we need help to defeat Pitch," said North.
"Since when do we need help?" demanded Bunnymund. They'd done a decent job of guarding children for centuries in his opinion and he was perfectly happy with the way things were. He didn't need change.
So, as one might expect, the giant rabbit was the only one of them not at all excited about a new Guardian being chosen. The other three were, and they were also trying to guess who their new ally against Pitch would be.
"Ooh, I wonder who it's going to be. Maybe it'll be Cupid!" said Tooth, excitedly.
A four-leaf clover appeared over Sandy's head. He thought it was going to be the St. Patrick's Day Leprechaun, a.k.a. Lucky.
"Please, not the Groundhog. Please not the Groundhog," prayed Bunnymund, over and over under his breath. Bunnymund wasn't at all fond of the Groundhog because if the Groundhog didn't see his shadow, it meant spring six weeks early, but if he saw his shadow, it meant another six weeks of winter, and Bunnymund hated winter, which was only to be expected since his holiday was in the springtime.
The crystal glowed and then, much to their shock, there was not one but two images of immortal spirits chosen to be Guardians standing before them and not only that, but they were most unlikely pair of all.
"Jacquelyn and Nightstar Frost," said North, smiling. He didn't seem to be the least bit surprised or disappointed in MiM's choice.
Tooth's helpers were so happy; one of them actually fainted like teenagers did when meeting their idol. Tooth and Sandy looked pleased and even a little excited at MiM's choice, but Bunnymund looked horrified. By now, Jacquelyn and Nightstar Frost had gained quite the reputations and had encountered the Guardians a few times.
"Uh, I take it back, the Groundhog's fine," he said. "Anyone is better than those two."
"What's wrong, Bunny? As long they help protect the children, they're fine, aren't they?" said Tooth, slightly confused by Bunnymund's reaction.
"Jacquelyn and Nightstar Frost?" spluttered Bunnymund. He had prior history with the two elemental spirits, which included a tiff with Jacquelyn Frost which had gone on for forty-five years. "Those two don't care about children! All that little brat Nightstar does is pull pranks with shadows! And don't get me started on his ice queen of a mother, Jacquelyn! She freezes things and causes blizzards on my holiday! Those two mess with my egg hunts, for carrots' sake! They're a pair of irresponsible, selfish—"
"Guardians," interrupted North, smiling as he rubbed his white beard in thought. "Yes, they'll make fine Guardians."
Sandy made images of Jacquelyn and Sunny playing together and then defeating Pitch, united in arms. He fully believed in Jacquelyn and Nightstar's abilities and potential for Guardianship.
"Sandy's right. Look, obviously Jacquelyn cares for children. How could she not, when she's got a kid of her own? She's always taking care of her son and he's been loyal to her for years. They're both powerful and they could be a big help with Pitch," said Tooth. "Plus, some new friends around here would be wonderful. I bet Nightstar and Jacquelyn are really great once you get to know them."
Bunnymund sighed in exasperation. "Jacquelyn and Nightstar Frost are many things, but they are not Guardians! Besides, how would you get them here? Even if we talk to them, those two won't come to the Pole easily. They loathe responsibility and we've been more or less ignoring them for years!"
"You have, I haven't," said North. Despite North's busy life, he'd always found time to deliver gifts to Jacquelyn and Nightstar at Christmas. They were mischievous, yes, but their devotion to one another and love of kids had just barely kept them off the Naughty List for quite some time. "And as for getting them here, I have an idea…"
"Save your ideas for later, North. In case you're forgetting, none of us even know where to find them," said Bunnymund. "Those two go underground when they're done with their mischief and are just about impossible to find, except on Christmas. Heck, it took Tooth and her fairies a while to find Jacquelyn's kid when he lost his baby teeth, remember?"
North's face fell as he realized Bunnymund had a point. However, at that point North noticed the uneasy look on Sandy's face and how he'd been trying and failing to leave the room without being noticed by the others.
"Sandy, do you know where they are?" asked North. "Are you close with them?"
Sandy tried to deny it, but his friends were seeing right through him. Inwardly he winced as he realized he wasn't getting out of this. Jacquelyn was going to kill him.
XXX
Meanwhile, in St. Petersburg, Russia, Jacquelyn Frost was having the time of her life finishing up some of the last of the winter touches for the season. The next day, she'd fly off to Burgess to meet up with her son, who'd been off with April Fools, helping the trickster spirit come up with fresh prank ideas for his holiday.
Being a protective mother, Jacquelyn had been reluctant to let him go off on his own, but Nightstar had been looking forward to it and she hadn't had the heart to refuse him. So, she'd consented on the condition that he only be gone a week and would meet up with her at Burgess. Their home in the clouds moved frequently, but nine times out of ten, it was nestled above Burgess, hidden in plain sight.
Once she was back with Nightstar, they planned to let spring take its course and use the free time to have a vacation with Sandy and relax for a few weeks. As much as Jacquelyn loved having fun with winter and snow days, she was ready for a little break and quality time with Sandy and her son.
Jacquelyn let out a whoop of delight as she flew on her staff like a snowboard, enjoying the feel of chill wind in her face. As she flew through the town, she finished up her work for the night. She frowned when she saw a particularly obnoxious kid getting a drink from a water fountain.
Ah, the bully kid. Someone's got a long overdue lesson in humility coming right up. With a devious smirk on her face, she froze the water fountain's water to his tongue just as he was drinking it, causing other kids to laugh at him.
Jacquelyn sent ice and frost all around the town, causing a grouchy man to take a slight spill on some ice and sending frost up a building. Papers flew out of an open window, a fishbowl's glass became icy, windows turned into drawing boards and icicles were everywhere.
Jacquelyn laughed and soared through the sky before finally stopping to catch her breath on the very top of an old palace.
"Hey, Wind, is Nightstar at Burgess yet?" yelled Jacquelyn. She and her son were good friends with the Wind Spirit.
Wind gave her an affirmative and told her that her son was awaiting her in the clouds above their hometown of Burgess.
"Great. Well, let's go home and find him! I'm ready for a vacation, how 'bout you?"
Wind agreed and then Jacquelyn soared on his back, letting out cries of delight as she leapt over clouds and did amazing dynamics in the sky until she heard her son calling out to her.
"Hey, Mom, over here!"
Jacquelyn flew over to a cloud, where she saw Nightstar waving at her, looking eager for some fun.
"Hey, kiddo. Enjoy your time with April Fool?" asked Jacquelyn.
"Yep. Mom, April's awesome. You should've seen all the stuff we planned. Just wait until April first comes around. You'll be laughing so hard, you won't be able to fly," said Nightstar, happily.
Jacquelyn smiled. "Can't wait until then."
"Me neither. So, anyway, what's the plan? Are we having one last snow day in Burgess before finding Uncle Sandy and plan our vacation? Or are we finally not giving the Easter Bunny reason to come after us again?" asked Nightstar. He didn't mind either one, to be quite honest.
While not a full season spirit like his mother, Nightstar loved winter as it meant fun times with snowball fights and sledding.
"Yes and no," said Jacquelyn, after a moment's thought. She was in a good mood and ready for time off. "We'll have just one small snow day today, and then it's vacation time. Easter's still two or three days away. The snow will be gone by then."
"So, snowball fights and maybe something epic at Jamie Bennett's house?" guessed Nightstar. Jamie Bennett was the duo's favorite mortal kid. The little boy and his toddler sister, Sophie, were very sweet and just plain irresistible. Jamie believed in everything, which gave them both hope that one day, Jamie would be the kid who'd be their first believer.
Jacquelyn grinned. "You just read my mind. Come on, let's go!"
Nightstar grabbed Jacquelyn's hand and they let out cries of delight as the wind picked up speed and they did an amazing leap. Due to the time zone differences, what was once became midday quicker than the blink of an eye.
It was time for Burgess's final snow day before springtime. There were just three inches or so of snow left and it wasn't very cold.
Jacquelyn and Nightstar emitted whoops of delight as they flew around Burgess, causing snow and brisk wind to fly everywhere. Ice formed and people zipped up their coats and jackets as the last snow day before spring came.
As they zipped around the pond outside of Jamie's house, the book that Jamie had been engrossed in, They're Out There—Mysteries, Mythical Creatures and the Unexplained Phenomenon flew out of the boy's hands.
"That looks interesting," said Nightstar, as he peered at the book's cover. "Is it any good?"
Jamie made no reply to Nightstar as he ran up to his group of friends, who were waiting to hang out with him.
"Yeah! Snow day!" cheered Caleb.
"You're Welcome," said Jacquelyn, smiling. She knew they couldn't hear her, but it still felt good to hear kids praise her and her son's work.
"Hey, guys, wait up!" said Jamie, as he caught up with his friends. "Are you coming to egg hunt on Sunday?"
"Duh! It's free candy!" said Claude. "Let's just hope we can find it in all this snow."
"Trust me, you'll find the eggs and candy. Bunnymund will make sure of that," said Nightstar. "And we'll help if need be." The most they could do was get rid of the snow before Easter Sunday. Anything more and the rabbit would have a conniption fit.
Jamie glanced through his book again and his face lit up with excitement. "Hey, guys, look at this!" he said, as he showed his friends his book. "It says here, they found Bigfoot hair samples and DNA in Michigan. That's super close!"
"Oh, here we go," said Caleb.
"You saw the video too, guys. He's really out there. He's real," insisted Jamie. He put down his book on his front porch and picked up his sled as his three-year-old sister, Sophie, came out of the house to play. She was adorable with blond hair, eyes blue as the sky and sweet smile. She was dressed in green and blue clothes and wearing fairy wings.
"That's what you said about aliens and the Easter Bunny," said Claude.
"The Easter Bunny's just as real as Bigfoot," said Jamie.
"Oh, he's really real all right," said Jacquelyn, as she balanced on Jamie's picket fence. "He's really annoying, really grumpy, and really full of himself."
Claude and Caleb just laughed.
"You guys will believe anything. The Easter Bunny's about as real as the Tooth Fairy!"
Sophie just giggled as she got into the fun. "Easter Bunny! Hop, hop, hop!" She tried to hop like a bunny, only to fall off the porch step and cry.
Jamie, being the good older brother that he was, dropped his sled and helped his little sister stand up. "You okay, Sophie?"
Sophie immediately stopped crying and nodded.
"Good," said Jamie. He then turned to his mother, who was just leaving the house. "Mom, I'm heading out with my friends."
"Okay. Just be back before dark," said Mrs. Bennett. She then let out an exasperated sigh. "Jamie Bennett, how many times have I told you to wear a hat when you play in the snow? You don't want Jack Frost nipping at your nose."
"Sorry, Mom," said Jamie. He picked up his hat, which he'd left on the porch railing and put it on. "And Mom, who's Jack Frost?"
"No one, honey. It's just an expression," said Mrs. Bennett.
"Hey!" said Jacquelyn, indignantly. "First off, the name's Jacquelyn. And second, I am not 'just an expression.'"
"At least people have some idea of who you are. I don't even have an expression," joked Nightstar.
"Well, we'll have to fix that somehow, won't we?" said Jacquelyn. "In the meantime, are you up for a little fun?"
"Aren't I always?" said Nightstar, as his eyes gleamed with mischief.
Jacquelyn then made a snowball, added a little of her magic to it and handed it to Nightstar, who then tossed it at Jamie. It hit the back of his head and Jamie fell under Jacquelyn's spell instantly. He began laughing and looking ready for some fun. "Okay, who threw that?"
"Well, it wasn't Bigfoot, kiddo," said Jacquelyn.
Jamie then began throwing snowballs at his friends and within moments, an enormous fun snowball fight began. Snowballs were flying and hitting and kids were laughing and having fun.
"Free-for-all!" cheered Nightstar. "Who needs ammo? Coming right up!" He helped his mother make a few dozen snowballs on the ground for the kids to use while tossing his own snowballs at the kids.
The snowball fight got more intense with Jamie using his sled as a shield and the snowballs fell like rain, but then Jamie tripped and knocked over a snowman just as Mary, one of the neighborhood girls, accidentally hit Cupcake in the back of the head.
"Crud. I hit Cupcake!" she cried, looking terrified.
"She hit Cupcake!" said Monty.
"You hit Cupcake?" said
Cupcake was a girl who secretly enjoyed sweet girly things like unicorns and wore a tutu, but she also had the worst temper and no one in the right mind crossed her wrong. She looked furious and was about to pummel someone with her snowman's head—more specifically, Jamie, since he happened to be lying on the ground cowering under his sled—but then Jacquelyn tossed one of her own snowballs into Cupcake's face, ridding the girl of her anger.
Within moments, Cupcake was smiling and laughing with the rest of the kids as she playfully chased them with her snowman's head.
"Whoa, watch it, it's slippery," said Jacquelyn.
Suddenly, Jamie slid on a slide of ice and ended up landing on his sleigh, which took off at great speed as Jacquelyn and Nightstar led him through the town.
"AHHHH!" yelled Jamie.
"Jamie, what're you doing? That's the street!" yelped Mary.
But Jamie didn't hear her as his sled went off at great speed, flying over a small hill of snow and landing in the street. His icy slide continued through the town, weaving through cars and pedestrians and other such obstacles.
"Don't worry, Jamie, we got you!" said Nightstar, as he and Jacquelyn steered the sled.
Nightstar's words did little good as Jamie couldn't see nor hear him and the boy looked increasingly frightened as he continued sliding down the icy slide.
"Keep up with us, kid! Take a left!" said Jacquelyn, as she steered the ice left.
Jamie then slid through the street and then went up a large mound of snow and ice as Jacquelyn and Nightstar kept him from hitting a semi-truck that was closing in fast. Jamie then took off and flew through the sky like a rocket before landing in a huge pile of snow.
"That was awesome!" said Nightstar, cheering as he high-fived his mother.
"Whoa! Jamie, are you okay?" asked Caleb.
By now, all of Jamie's friends had followed him to his current destination and they all looked worried for him.
Jamie, however, was perfectly fine. In fact, he looked excited and happy. "Whoa. Did you guys see that! That was amazing! I was flying and then—oof!"
Jamie was cut off when a sofa from a truck, which had unfortunately come out during the excitement, slid and knocked Jamie down.
Jacquelyn winced and looked sheepish while Nightstar laughed.
"Whoops," she muttered.
But Jamie didn't seem the least bit bothered. Rather, he just stood up and smiled as he held up one of his front teeth, which had just been knocked out. "Cool, a tooth!"
"Dude, that means cash! Tooth Fairy cash!" said Monty.
Jacquelyn's face fell. "Oh, no," she murmured. Once again, she and Nightstar were being forgotten and pushed aside for the Guardians. She leapt off the statue and tried to talk to them. "Guys, wait a minute. Weren't we having fun just now? The Tooth Fairy didn't do that. That was Nightstar and I!"
But not one of the kids heard Jacquelyn.
"Don't you just love the Tooth Fairy?" gushed Mary.
"How much money do you think she'll give you?" asked Claude.
"Come on. Let's get inside. My ears are freezing and I want hot cocoa!" said Monty.
"Guys, come on. What's someone got to do to get a little attention around here?" interjected Nightstar, as he stood before them. "We just gave you the best snow day ever. Don't you want to have more fun with us?"
But all the kids just walked through Nightstar and Jacquelyn, because as usual, Jacquelyn and Nightstar were invisible. No one saw them, heard them, or believed them. And the sadness they felt because of this was reflected in the weather, which had grown darker and colder in the last few minutes as they rode on the Wind to Jamie's house.
XXX
Later that night, Jacquelyn and Nightstar watched Jamie as he prepared for bed.
He'd drawn his sledding adventure and was telling the story to Sophie, who eagerly listened to him. But the story quickly turned to the Tooth Fairy, as Jamie was excited about getting money that night and he was trying to get his mother to let him and Sophie stay up to try and catch the Tooth Fairy in the act of leaving money under his pillow.
It was a cute sight, and reminded Jacquelyn of when Nightstar was younger and doing such things, but it was also somewhat bittersweet as it was a painful reminder of Jacquelyn and Nightstar's seemingly eternal invisibility.
While Jacquelyn continued to watch from the window, Nightstar managed to slip away to the roof. He needed to talk to the Moon and didn't want her to know about it.
"What are we doing wrong? We've been doing everything possible and yet no one ever believes in us. You don't talk to us. You're just silent." He sighed. "Look, if you want to ignore me, fine. But my mother deserves better from you. You put her here. She deserves to know why you put her here and she deserves have someone believe in her. Just one person. She's looked after me and loved me my whole life. She's worked in your name for three centuries and yet you've abandoned her. Why? She deserves answers. She needs them. What more can she do to get someone to believe in her? Talk to her, please."
But as always, the Moon was silent.
"Nightstar," said Jacquelyn, startling him.
Nightstar spun around and saw his mother standing behind him. Instantly, he knew she'd heard everything he'd just said. "Mother, I…"
Jacquelyn held up a hand, silencing him. "Son, I heard what you said. It was sweet, but honestly, I'm fine with the way things are." Jacquelyn got discouraged at times and once in a while, she wished she did have a mortal believer, but in the great scheme of things, she knew was luckier than other immortal spirits. She had a child of her own that believed in her and always would. Children born of immortal spirits were among the rarest of the rare and Nightstar was a blessing she thanked the heavens for everyday. "I just wish I could get mortals to believe in you. You deserve that more than anyone."
Nightstar raised a skeptical eyebrow. While he knew she wanted him to have believers, he didn't quite believe that she was content not having any for herself. "Mom, I know that. But I can't believe that you're fine without believers, especially not after you were earlier."
"Sweetheart, I do have a believer," said Jacquelyn, gently. "You believe in me and that's enough."
Nightstar couldn't help but smile back as he hugged her. "Thanks, Mom."
"You're-Welcome," said Jacquelyn. "Now, what's on your mind? You look like there's something you want to ask me."
"That's because there is. Mom, would…would you tell me about my father?" asked Nightstar, hesitantly. He'd never asked about his father before, though he had wondered for years. Neither his mother nor Uncle Sandy had ever spoken of his father, which led him to believe they thought it was either too painful to speak of or Nightstar was too young to know at the time. Now that Nightstar was a hundred and fifty years old, he thought he was finally old enough and ready for answers.
Jacquelyn tensed. She'd always known someday her son would ask questions about his father, but she had secretly hoped that it would wait a little longer. "Your father? What about him?"
"What was he like? Why did he leave us?" asked Nightstar.
Jacquelyn sighed as she sat down on the roof and beckoned for Nightstar to do the same. "Nightstar, I want you to listen to me very carefully and try not to be angry with me when I tell you this. Your father didn't leave us. I left him before you were born."
Nightstar's eyes widened in surprise. "You did what? Why?" He hadn't been expecting that response. All these years, he'd assumed his father had left them, but now…
"I left him because I believed it to be for the best," she replied. "My relationship with your father is a complicated story. But to put it simply, I was young and naïve when I met him and he was charming and too good to be true. I was an easy catch for him. I loved him very much and it seemed like he loved me too. We were together for fifty years and those fifty years were magical and wonderful. Our love seemed to blaze like wildfire. But eventually, things ended between us."
"Why?" asked Nightstar. If you were in love, why didn't you stay together? went unspoken.
"When I found out I was expecting you, I was so excited. I went to tell him the great news. But I never got the chance because I found out he wasn't the man I thought he was. He was doing things I don't condone and looking back, I doubt he ever truly loved me," said Jacquelyn. "I was heartbroken and angry. We had an enormous fight and things ended between us. In the end, it was just as well I got out of it, because I met your Uncle Sandy afterward and things became better."
Nightstar was quiet, unsure as to how to respond to this. So many years of wondering and it turned out his father wasn't worth thinking twice of. He must not have been, if Jacquelyn wasn't even saying his father's name. "So, my father…he's still out there?" he asked, after a moment.
"I doubt he's coming back anytime soon, but yes, he's still out there somewhere," said Jacquelyn. She reached over and squeezed Nightstar's hand. "Nightstar, look at me. My relationship with your father was a mistake, but I'm never going to regret it or be sorry for it."
"And why's that?" asked Nightstar. If his father was a jerk, then why wouldn't his mother regret becoming involved with his father?
Jacquelyn smiled at him. "Because your father gave me you and you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. You're my entire world and do you know why?"
"Why?" asked Nightstar. He knew the answer, but he liked hearing her say it anyway.
"Because you're my son, my baby boy and I love you so much," she said.
Nightstar's heart swelled with immense joy at this as he tightly hugged his mother. "Thanks, Mom. I love you too," he said.
Jacquelyn returned the embrace and then pulled away when Sandy's dreamsand began making its way across the town.
"Right on time, Uncle Sandy," said Nightstar, smiling. "Come on, Mom. Let's chase it."
Smiling, Jacquelyn joined her son in chasing Sandy's dreamsand across Burgess. They flew into the air and landed on a telephone wire, where they were able to reach out and touch the dreamsand. Nightstar's touch created an owl and Jacquelyn's touch created a dolphin, both of which entered nearby windows and became the pleasant dreams of children.
Mother and son were so caught up in their fun that they didn't see the shadow that slipped past them unnoticed.
XXX
In her room, Cupcake slept peacefully, dreaming of riding a unicorn.
She was unaware of the figure that had entered her bedroom through the darkness of the shadows from underneath her bed.
It was Pitch Black, a.k.a. the Nightmare King and the Boogeyman. For more years than he cared to count, he'd been trapped in a frozen prison, but now he was free. After slowly regaining his power over the course of many months, he was ready to make his move and seek his vengeance upon his sworn foes, the Guardians.
He was quite tall with grey skin, glowing yellow eyes and black hair that looked as if the wind had taken liberties with it and he wore a long black robe. He looked quite scary and more than worthy of his many names.
"Ah," he said, chuckling, at the sight of Cupcake's dream. "What an adorable little dream. What a little girl, so full of hope and wonder. It's almost perfect. It's just missing one little thing, a touch of fear."
Pitch touched a long, slender bony finger to Cupcake's dream, and within moments, the unicorn's gold color changed black and caused Cupcake to flinch and wince in her sleep as it turned into one of Pitch's Nightmares.
A large black horse with glowing gold eyes then emerged. It was one of Pitch's Nightmares and he was simply delighted at his work. "Beautiful," he murmured, as he stroked the Nightmare's muzzle. "Simply beautiful. Who says fear is ugly and unwanted? All evidence to the contrary in my opinion."
The Nightmare whinnied in agreement.
"Now go, my pet. Tell the others the wait is over," he ordered.
The Nightmare obeyed and took off with the rest of its herd. Pitch then slipped out of the house and a smug looked crossed his face before he glared at the Moon.
"Don't look at me like that, Old Man!" he snarled. "You had your chance. My Nightmares are ready. Are your Guardians?" He didn't think so.
Just then, one of Pitch's Nightmares came up to him, looking panicked.
"This better be good," said Pitch, impatiently. He didn't have time for trivial matters. He had a world to conquer and foes to vanquish. His impatience vanished when the Nightmare delivered its news of what it had seen just moments ago. "What do you mean there's a new spirit? There hasn't been a new one in three centuries!" Not since MiM created dear Jacquelyn Frost.
The Nightmare neighed in reply.
Pitch frowned. "What? He's an immortal spirit born of two immortal spirits? That cannot be! Do you have any idea what this means if it's true?" Children born of two immortals, though quite rare, tended to be born with enormous power. "He could ruin all my plans!"
The Nightmare whinnied to Pitch, which gave him a little relief.
"He didn't appear to be with the Guardians? Good, good. That may yet work in my favor. Do you know of his parentage?" asked Pitch.
The Nightmare shook its head. It didn't know of the boy's lineage, because it had only glimpsed him for the briefest of moments before vanishing.
"So, something's cloaking the boy? Interesting." If the boy was being protected, and was powerful and quite young, it could mean Pitch could gain an ally. But he would have to tread carefully as he knew the boy might be against him like everyone else. "Find out everything you can about this boy. He may be of some use to me in my fight against the Guardians."
Something wasn't quite right. He'd sensed something different the moment he'd broken free of his prison and he knew it had something to do with the boy. What, he had no idea. But one way or another, he would find out.
XXX
Meanwhile, back outside Jamie's house, the dreamsand began fading away, so Jacquelyn rose up from where she'd been sitting.
"Come on, son, let's go," said Jacquelyn. "It's time we met up with Sandy and had our vacation."
"Agreed," said Nightstar.
Before they could take off, however, Jacquelyn spotted something suspicious. Please, don't let that be what I think it is. "Nightstar, stay here for a moment; I'm going to check something out. I'll signal you if it's safe."
Before Nightstar could protest, Jacquelyn went off, investigating the dark shadow she thought she'd seen. After a few moments, she relaxed. It's nothing. He's not here. She signaled Nightstar that it was safe, but then nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard a voice say, "Hello, mate."
"Oh, jeez. Bunny, it's just you," said Jacquelyn, as she pulled back the hood of her cloak. She wasn't exactly thrilled to see the overgrown rabbit, but it was better to see him than a certain someone she'd expected.
Bunnymund stepped out of the shadows in the alley, holding one of his boomerangs and looking very cross with her.
"It's been a long time, Frostbite. Last time I saw you was the blizzard of 1968, Easter Sunday as I recall," said Bunnymund.
"Oh, please. You're not still mad about that, are you?" asked Jacquelyn. But knowing what a stick-in-the-mud the kangaroo was, he probably was still mad.
Bunnymund narrowed his eyes as he tossed his boomerang in his hand. "Yes, but this isn't about that. Where's your brat kid, what's-his-name, Nightshade?"
Jacquelyn didn't like the sound of that. Granted she and Bunnymund weren't enemies, but they weren't exactly friends, either. "First of all, his name is Nightstar, and he's not a brat, you overgrown hairball. And second, why are you asking? If you're looking for trouble, he'll give it to you. I just have to say the word."
"No doubt of it," said Bunnymund, grumpily. "But I ain't here to fight either of you. And I ain't leaving here without the two of you with me, either. I've got orders."
"Orders?" said Nightstar, as he teleported beside his mother. He glared suspiciously at Bunnymund. "Orders from whom, dare I ask?"
"The big boss. Now!" yelled Bunnymund.
Suddenly, Jacquelyn and Nightstar were grabbed by yetis who came out of nowhere, and shoved into a large red sack, despite their protests. They were then shoved through a magical portal and landed painfully on something hard.
"Alright, that's it!" said Nightstar. His medallion glowed as he made them both disappear from the sacks and reappear outside of them. "The next time, we see that blasted rabbit, I'm going to tie his ears in a knot and permanently dye his fur pink!"
"Get in line," said Jacquelyn, as she dusted the soot and ash off her clothes. I've got half a mind to make everyone snowbound on Easter! It was then that she noticed that they were in North's toy factory and the Big Four themselves were there, along with plenty of yetis and elves. They were all smiling at the pair, except for Bunnymund, which was only to be expected. "Uh, sweetheart, we've got company."
"What? Oh," said Nightstar, as he faced their guests.
"Ah, Jacquelyn Frost and Sunny Day, you're finally here. Welcome to my home!" said North, cheerfully.
"You've got to be kidding me!" said Nightstar, looking stunned. "What's the deal?"
"Guess we'll find out," said Jacquelyn. She was just as amazed as her son, if not more, but she was more curious about why there were there in the first place. She glanced at Sandy, who was looking guilty. "Sandy, what's going on? Did you tell them where to find us?"
Sandy tried to explain with Dreamsand images and failed miserably, but Nightstar managed to get at least part of it.
"It's alright, Uncle Sandy. No harm done," assured Nightstar. "We're not mad."
Sandy looked a bit relieved. He truly loved his godson and deeply cared for Jacquelyn. He didn't want them to be angry with him.
"I hope the yetis treated you well," said North, as though they hadn't spoken.
"Oh, yeah. It was great. We just love getting stuffed in a sack and thrown through a magic portal," said Nightstar, sarcastically.
North, apparently, didn't know sarcasm when he heard it, because he just grinned. "Oh, good. That was my idea. Now, introductions. I am North, as you well know." He then began beckoning to the other three Guardians. "You know Bunny, obviously." Bunny was leaning against a column and found his nails quite interesting. "And you know Sandy." Sandy smiled at them. "And this is Toothiana, but everyone calls her Tooth."
The hummingbird humanoid smiled quite happily as she flew over to them. "Hello, Nightstar! Oh, you are so handsome! Hi, Jacquelyn! Oh, do you mind if I call you Jackie? Jacquelyn's a bit of a mouthful. I just know we're going to be great friends! I've heard so much about you two and your teeth."
Jacquelyn stared, not accustomed to Tooth's bubbliness and scatterbrained behavior. "Uh…Jackie's fine. And what was that last part?"
"Your teeth! Are they really as white as freshly fallen snow like your son's?" squealed Tooth, as she and her helpers opened Jacquelyn and Nightstar's mouths to look at their teeth. "Oh, Nightstar, your adult teeth are just as pretty as your baby teeth!"
Tooth's little helpers were squealing and looking at them with awe and delight at the sight of Jacquelyn and Nightstar's shining teeth.
"Hey, cut it out, that tickles!" laughed Nightstar, as one of Tooth's Mini-Fairies affectionately rubbed his cheek with her feathers.
"Girls, behave," said Tooth.
"It's fine, isn't it, cute one?" said Jacquelyn, as she stroked one of the fairies' feathery head. She wouldn't admit it, but she had a soft spot for fairies.
"Alright, girls, pull yourselves together now. Let's not disgrace the uniform," said Tooth, sounding like a stern mother.
The fairies obeyed and hovered above Tooth's shoulder.
"So, is anyone going to explain why Nightstar and I are here? Don't tell me my son's Naughty List," said Jacquelyn.
"Hey!" said Nightstar, indignantly. But he looked to be amused, rather than offended.
North just laughed. "Neither of you are on the Naughty List. You're both prone to…mischief, but you've managed to stay on Nice List for long time. Now, you're both on the very top of the Nice List."
Jacquelyn raised a skeptical eyebrow while Nightstar looked surprised.
"Well, thanks, but is there any particular reason why?" asked Nightstar.
"You want to know why? I'll tell you why! Now, you are Guardians! Music, please!" said North, happily.
Yetis let out roars as they lifted up torches of fire and the elves played fanfare music. Confetti fell from the ceiling, gifts of shoes with jingle bells were offered up, there were servings of fresh-baked cookies and eggnog and North was pulling out an enormous brown and gold book.
Jacquelyn shared a look with Nightstar, who nodded at her. Jacquelyn then plunged her staff into the floor, turning the floor to ice and causing everyone to stop what they were doing and stared with wide eyes.
"You have got to be kidding me! What on earth makes you think my son and I want to be Guardians?" she demanded. She couldn't believe this. After centuries of us being ignored and isolated, now suddenly they wanted to include us in their little club? Please. Jacquelyn didn't buy it. What did they want from the two spirits? "We're not doing this. We don't want it!"
North didn't believe her. "Of course you want to be Guardians!" he said, laughing. "Music!"
Before anyone could play music again, Jacquelyn raised her staff threateningly, making them all stop in their tracks. "The next being who tries to perform music will end up an ice-cube for a month!" she warned. Or I could just have Nightstar scare them half to death. She hadn't decided yet. "Look, we're flattered, really, but the answer's still no. A Guardian's life isn't for us. You're all hard work and deadlines. We're all snow balls, pranks, starry skies and fun time. That's not us."
"I'm with my mother on this," said Nightstar, nodding. "We're not Guardians."
"Why am I not surprised?" muttered Bunnymund. He shot North a smug look. "You see? I told you that they weren't Guardian material!"
Everyone ignored Bunnymund.
Tooth flew up to Jacquelyn and Sunny, trying to fix the situation. "Nightsar, Jacquelyn, I don't think you understand what it is we do. Look at this." She showed them the large Globe, where there were many twinkling lights on every continent. "Each and every one of those lights is a child who believes in all of us."
"They believe in you goofs, you mean," muttered Jacquelyn, under her breath.
No one heard her.
"And good or bad, naughty or nice, we protect them," said North, firmly.
"Protect them?" repeated Nightstar, looking confused. "But what could you possibly protect them from? Life?"
"No, worse. From Pitch Black, the Boogeyman," said North, dramatically. "When he threatens us, he threatens them!" he pointed to the lights on the Globe.
Nightstar looked startled. While he'd never met the Nightmare King, Nightstar knew about Pitch from the stories he'd been told growing up and hadn't liked hearing them one bit as they'd sometimes given him nightmares.
Jacquelyn paled a little as she scoffed. "Pitch Black, the Nightmare King? That's impossible. He can't be back. It's got to be a mistake," she said. But even as Jacquelyn said it, she knew it was a lie. She'd always known Pitch's return had always been a possibility, as he was immortal just like the rest of them and there would always be fear in the world. Nevertheless, a part of her had always hoped that the Nightmare King wouldn't return for a number of reasons.
It's no mistake, said Sandy, writing out the words with his Dreamsand. Pitch has returned.
Nightstar looked concerned while Jacquelyn quickly regained her composure.
"Well, that being said, Pitch's return is all the more reason for you to pick people more qualified to fight him," said Jacquelyn, briskly. While she knew they were all immortal spirits, Pitch's black sand was deadly and often fatal. For all she knew, Nightstar wasn't immune to its effects and MiM might take pity on him. How could she possibly risk her son's life? Simple, she wouldn't. Granted Nightstar was old enough to make his own decisions, but if she had a choice, he wouldn't be part of the battle.
"We didn't pick you," snapped Bunnymund. He pointed his boomerang up at the window. "He chose you two to be Guardians, just like he chose the rest of us."
"He being—?" asked Nightstar.
Sandy responded by making a moon symbol with his Dreamsand.
"Hold on, back up. You're telling us that the Man in the Moon picked us to be Guardians?" said Nightstar, frowning. "He talks to you?"
"He chose you and your mother to be Guardians last night, Nightstar," explained Tooth.
Nightstar and Jacquelyn exchanged equally agitated looks and felt as though they were about to burst with frustration and impatience.
"Oh, well that's just excellent, isn't it?" said Nightstar, furiously. "He talks to the four of you but leaves my mother alone for centuries and doesn't ever bother saying a word to me? I think after all these years, of working in his name; we deserve some respect and consideration! And what makes him think we want to spend the rest of eternity cooped up in a hovel trying to bribe kids?"
"Nightstar, calm yourself," said Jacquelyn, as she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You're starting to scare everyone."
When Nightstar was particularly angry, his powers acted up and could cause quite a bit of fear.
Nightstar took a deep breath and calmed down. "I'm sorry, Mom. But what makes him think after abandoning you that you or I owe him anything?" True, the Moon had given Nightstar his medallion, but that was it. After working for so many years in his name with not so much as a whisper, they owed him nothing.
"I know, sweetheart. I know," said Jacquelyn. She then faced the Guardians. "Look, we don't belong here. Nightstar and I have our hands full as it is. Besides our usual duties, I'm busy looking after my son, and he's busy keeping me out of trouble. So, our answer's still no. We're not becoming Guardians, not now, not ever. It's not for us, no offense."
"Ho-how is that not offensive?" spluttered Bunnymund, as he scratched his ear with his back foot. "You know what; I think we should just let them go. We probably just dodged a bullet here. I mean, what do these two clowns really know about bringing joy to children anyway?"
Jacquelyn smirked as Nightstar folded his arms across his chest. Now it seemed they had to defend themselves to the overgrown fluff ball.
"Uh, you ever hear of a snow day or a good prank or a meteor shower? They may not be colored hardboiled eggs, but kids love what we do," said Nightstar.
"But none of them believe in you, do they, Nightshade?" countered Bunnymund, glaring. "The two of you are just invisible, like you don't even exist, whereas, almost every kid in the world believes in us, especially me."
Tooth gasped and flew in between the three of them. "Bunny! That's enough," she said, sternly.
Nightstar looked annoyed while Jacquelyn held up her hand.
"No, no, the kangaroo's right," said Jacquelyn, knowing it'd ruffle the rabbit's fur.
"What? What did you call me?" demanded Bunnymund, as he got right in their faces. He looked furious. "I am not a kangaroo, mate. I'm a bunny. The Easter Bunny!"
"Really? I could've sworn that you were a kangaroo, considering that normal bunnies aren't six feet tall or have Australian accents," quipped Jacquelyn, smirking at the outraged look on his face. "And so what if we don't have scores of believers like you? At least having believers isn't beneficial to my health." She and her son knew perfectly well what happened when Guardians didn't have a sufficient amount of believers. "We know the risk you four carry every single day. You honestly think we want that?"
"And how dare you insult my mother like that, you overgrown tribble?" growled Nightstar. "So, no one believes in us. Fine. We're used to it. But you know what, unlike you, we've got something you'll never have, Bugs. My mother's got me, a child that loves her and who'll never stop believing in her no matter what, and I've got a mother that loves me and would gladly trade her life for mine if necessary. Which is more than you'll ever have! And I think we know plenty about bringing joy to kids considering my mother's actually had a kid and I've been a kid before. She's taken care of me for years and I'm plenty happy. So, who're you to judge and lecture us, Cottonbutt?"
Bunnymund, North and Tooth were silent as they realized that Nightstar and Jacquelyn were right, but the argument was far from over just yet.
"And you know what else I think, Kangaroo? You don't want us as Guardians because you're still sore about 1968," said Jacquelyn, matter-of-factly. "Which, I've got to say is kind of silly, considering it was almost fifty years ago!"
"It is NOT silly! You sent in a blizzard on Easter Sunday, Frost!" yelled Bunnymund. "You just about ruined my holiday!"
"Yes, I can see that," said Jacquelyn, dryly. "And yet you're still here, decades later, with plenty of believers. Yes, I can see how my one little blizzard completely ruined you. Rather dramatic, aren't we, Kangaroo? Besides, we both know I already apologized for that several times and I was even nice enough to help you with your egg and candy deliveries that year, or have you forgotten that already because of your little grudge?"
Bunnymund looked flabbergasted as he realized he'd been defeated.
Nightstar frowned. "But, Mom, you—"
"Nightstar, hush," interrupted Jacquelyn, sternly, giving him a look that made him fall silent.
At that point, Sandy got North's attention and gave him a look. North then intervened before anymore damage was done.
"Enough with this quarrelling," said North. He seemed quite serious. "Jacquelyn, Nightstar, Pitch is a very real threat. His nightmares spread fear into the hearts of children and that gives him power and gives him a great advantage."
Jacquelyn and Nightstar exchanged looks and then sighed.
"Look, we get that the Boogeyman's dangerous. But what we don't get is why you want us to be Guardians so badly. Why didn't you just refuse MiM's orders and just go about your business as usual? Why do you suddenly want us after all these years of ignoring us?" asked Jacquelyn. "Would you have even asked us to be here and join your little club if the blasted Moon hadn't made you?"
Granted Sandy didn't even really know Jacquelyn until she was a hundred and fifty years old, but the others had no excuse. Sandy befriended Jacquelyn and helped care for Nightstar just because he wanted to and because he genuinely cared. Not because someone had commanded him so. While Jacquelyn knew the Guardians had busy lives, they had no idea what it was like to be alone and invisible or to raise a child while still maintaining your duties. How could they think that after leaving Jacquelyn alone for so many years and barely paying any attention to her son that she and Nightstar would just up and join them as though the past didn't matter? It didn't make any sense.
No one replied for a moment. North and Tooth exchanged guilty regretful looks while Bunnymund just turned away. Even Sandy looked a bit regretful, as though he was wishing he'd found Jacquelyn sooner than he had.
"You're right," said North, breaking the silence. "We shouldn't have left you alone for so long. We were wrong and we are deeply sorry. But you are wrong about us only asking you here because of MiM. He chose you, but we chose to obey him. No one made us. We genuinely want you both with us. We cannot change the past. We can only work together to make a better future."
"I really hate to admit it, but the Jolly One's got a point, Mom," admitted Nightstar.
"I suppose so," said Jacquelyn. But it doesn't make the hurt go away or change the face that neither one of us are going to become Guardians.
"Jacquelyn, Nightstar, walk with me, will you?" said North.
Reluctantly, Jacquelyn and Nightstar obeyed.
XXX
North took them to an elevator and led them down the many halls leading up to his office.
His workshop was quite the delightful sight to see with all the workers, toys, glitter and magic of Christmas. Jacquelyn and Nightstar couldn't stop looking around, trying to get it all in.
"Slow down, would you? We've been trying to bust into this place for years. We want a good look," said Jacquelyn.
"What do you mean 'bust in'?" demanded North.
"Don't worry, we never got past the yetis," assured Nightstar. His face lit up at the sight of one of them. "Hey, Phil!" he said. "Long time no see."
The large grey yeti just smiled and gave Nightstar a playful noogie.
While growing up, Nightstar had decided to try busting into North's workshop and Jacquelyn had found herself agreeing to go along with it as it was all in good fun. Due to the fact it was just fun and weren't actually trying to get in (Nightstar could've just teleported in if he wanted to) they always got caught and stopped by the yetis. Though, surprisingly enough; the yetis were quite fond of Nightstar. Most likely it was because he was a kid during their attempts to bust in.
And although North didn't know it, Jacquelyn was closer with his reindeer than his yetis, Rudolph in particular. She'd ensured red-nosed reindeer's place at the lead of North's sleigh with the fog that one Christmas Eve many years ago.
"Keep up, you two! Keep up!" said North, briskly.
With reluctance, Jacquelyn and Nightstar did so, and they followed the Jolly One into his office, where he then shut the door and held up a fruitcake. "Fruitcake?" he offered.
"Uh…no," said Nightstar, as politely as he could. He hated fruitcake.
"No, thank you," said Jacquelyn.
North nodded and then looked serious. "Suit yourselves. But now, we'll get down to tacks of brass." As he spoke, the door closed behind them and locked, which didn't bode well.
"Excuse me?" demanded Jacquelyn. She stood protectively in front of Nightstar and tightly gripped her staff. "What are you talking about, North?"
"Who are you, Jacquelyn and Nightstar Frost?" demanded North. "What are your centers?"
Completely baffled and confused, Jacquelyn and Nightstar just stared at North.
"Our centers?" asked Nightstar, frowning.
"If Man in Moon chose you both as Guardians, then you must both have something very special inside," explained North. When they still looked confused, North frowned and rubbed his chin in though. "Here, let me explain this way." He took a large nesting doll off one of the shelves and placed it in Jacquelyn's hands.
The nesting doll was of North and it looked downright grumpy and scary.
"This is how you see me, no? Very big and intimidating, but if you get to know me, you'll find many hidden layers and my center," said North. "Go on. Look and see."
Jacquelyn and Nightstar exchanged skeptical looks before Jacquelyn handed her staff to her son, and opened the nesting doll. The smaller doll inside was smiling. "You are downright jolly?" she said, to North.
North nodded. "But not just jolly!"
Jacquelyn opened another doll, and this time the doll was concealing its face in North's red suit.
"I am also mysterious," continued North.
The next doll was brave and somewhat fierce.
"And fearless," said North.
The next doll was of North crying as he held a puppy in his arms.
"And caring," said North. "And at my center…"
Nightstar raised an eyebrow at the last doll inside. It was a tiny wooden baby with enormous blue eyes wrapped up in a red blanket. "There's a tiny wooden baby." Where was North going with this, exactly? It didn't make any sense.
"Look closer," said North. "What do you see?"
"Uh…you have big eyes?" guessed Jacquelyn.
North looked thrilled. "Yes! Big eyes, very big eyes, because they are full of wonder! That is my center. That is what I was born with, eyes that have only seen the wonder in everything!" As if for further proof, North swung open the door and had them look at his workshop where toys were being built and others were flying throughout the workshop. "Eyes that see lights in the trees, and magic in the air! This wonder is what I put into the world and what I protect in children. It's what makes me a Guardian. It is my center. So, I ask again: what're your centers?"
Jacquelyn and Nightstar sighed.
"We don't know," admitted Jacquelyn. She'd never known. Jacquelyn was too busy raising her son and having fun to consider what her center might be, just as Nightstar was too busy being an immortal teenager and working in the stars to find out his.
North just smiled as he nodded, as though he'd expected this. "Well, until you do figure it out, keep this with you." He placed the tiniest nesting doll into Nightstar's hand. "You'll find your centers, and when you do, you'll know you're meant to be Guardians."
"Thanks, North," said Nightstar, as he slipped the doll into his jeans' pocket.
Just then, Tooth and her fairies flew by the window at lightning speed and then Bunnymund hopped up to them, looking panicked. "We've got trouble at Tooth Palace."