Disclaimer: I don't any of the characters of The Rise of the Guardians. It belongs to Dream Works and William Joyce.
A/N: Hey guys! I know this story is going slow but I want to include details so you guys can understand the plot. I will try to update more frequently try to make my chapters longer. Other than that enjoy!
Old friends pass away, new friends appear. It is just like the days. An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful: a meaningful friend - or a meaningful day.
― Dalai Lama
Jack awoke with a start. Why was the world moving... Oh right he had to go on that so called 'prophecy'. Adjusting to the rhythm of the sea, Jack managed to get out of bed. He slammed into the wall, his feet wobbling. Naturally he walked (or more like crawled) to North's room to wake up the Russian descendant. He wasn't there. Jack's eyebrows raised. He was probably on the deck, it was common sense.
He made his way through the bustling crowd of creatures; all grumbling when they saw him. "Hello to you too," Jack greeted. They only sighed and got back to their daily activities. Life as a Yeti was just so fantastic. Why the yetis were obeying North orders? Because they owed him a great debt. And that all you need to know. As for the elves they came along for a joy ride. Cause they're crazy. Seriously, Jack saw one of them on a sugar high. Never again, Jack shuddered at the memory.
Knowing Jack couldn't prank them, without hearing from North, he continued upwards, climbing out using the ladder. Bright sunlight flitted through, and Jack scrunched up his eyes at the bright contact. After a few more blinks, his vision was no longer bleary. He took a three-sixty looking around. The deck was what he had seen in the books his father use to make him read. Jack silently thanked his father for preparing him. Without his dad, Jack would have been lost. But now his dad was gone. So was Jack lost? Jack honestly didn't know at the moment. Right now he was on a journey. And so far, that was all he was focused on.
Jack peered around looking for the steering wheel of the ship or it's captain. Fortunately he found both in the same place, North was checking a large map, directing the ship to go in a general direction. Around him were the elves and the Yeti's all making adjustments to the ship and doing carrying out their tasks. Dodging them Jack made his way up to North.
The said man was eating a cookie, swallowing down milk. "I didn't know you had a soft spot for cookies and milk," Jack smiled cockily. "It is good in my belly," North jollily said, rubbing his stomach. Jack smiled wider at the man before looking at the map that North was currently occupied with.
"So where are we headed to captain?" North beamed, absentmindedly rubbed his ring," Vhell I was thinking dat we should first go to my homeland, to stock up on supplies, than we could make our way slowly to this part..." North pointed to a sudden dark spot on the map. The spot clearly was the where nobody ventures, (why else would it be black), secluded from all the other lands. Like a group of friends and than one loner. Jack stared at him in disbelief. "You're kidding right?"Jack said. "Vhy would I be kidding, of course I'm serious?" North asked confused. Jack face palmed.
Note to self: no rhetorical statements. Sarcasm? Maybe. "Maybe because I don't know... maybe because its obviously the place people go if they have a death wish!" Jack stated. " Vou are right, 'veryone who goes dere dies or is never the same! They are like... living dead!" North said." Than why are we going there? Since you already it won't end that well," Jack said, hoping his statement would get through the treasure hunter's thick skull. "Because I have a plan and a good assumption," the man brilliantly said. "Now we are going on assumptions?" Jack half-shouted.
Jack suddenly felt himself grabbed by the shoulders. He was brought up to meet blue eyes that rivaled his own. "Jack, you have to believe in me. If I didn't make any assumptions, I vhould still be in the ice lands somewhere. I vhouldn't be where I am. Believe me, okay?" The man said.
They both stared at each other, gaze trying to fight one another. North eyes shone with clear belief. He knew the plan would work. He knew. Jack, no so much. But it didn't mean he didn't believe it wouldn't work. He couldn't find any reason to argue, and his conscious wasn't arguing with him right now. So Jack somehow found himself agreeing with him, though it seemed so far-fetched. The chance of it working was highly low. But so what?
He lowered his eyes, "Alright..." he defeatedly agreed. He felt himself picked up and squeezed in a hug, the man kissing both sides of Jack's cheeks. "Okay! Alright! Let me down," Jack fumed liked a angry child. North let him down, Jack rubbing his cheeks as if a child wiping off affection. "You need to work on your hugs," Jack said. "Bah! Strong hugs are the best!" North laughed heartily.
" I'll probably die before I make it to the dark side..." Jack muttered. "Anyway ve need to get vou into shape!" Jack raise one of his eye brows, "What for?" he asked, a bit offended." Because you are veak!" North said, as if the answer was obvious. "Hey! I haven't practiced in a while..." Jack said, defending himself. "Vhy?" North interrogated. "Because my family needed me after... after... my father... died," Jack said voice dropping low.
North's eye's suddenly filled with sympathy for the boy. He didn't expect that. More along the lines of 'I forgot' or 'I had to do things'. True the man had also experienced lost, but it hurt nonetheless. He clapped a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I can teach vou again," he offered. Jack looked up, surprised. "It may not ve the same way as vour father, but I am good," North softly chuckled, his powers crackling lazily at his finger tips. Jack filled with new found hope, nodded. He appreciated the mans offer, gave him a bright smile."When do we start?" Jack inquired curious and slightly scared of what the young man had in store for him. North smiled largely, "Vhell...
o0o
"This― was― not ―what I ―was thinking," Jack panted. The Russian had ordered Jack to do exercises. Though Jack was fit, he wasn't that fit. He collapsed back on the ground. "Five more!" North encouraged. "You―do it!" Jack wheezed out. "Okay," North hopped down and easily did the exercise." Easy for― you," Jack huffed, annoyed. "Jack if I couldn't do it, I wouldn't make you do it," North replied. "Its about building stamina," he said. "Stamina― my―ass," Jack retorted. "Another set," North said happily. Jack groaned. Yep he would be dead even before he got to the dark side. It felt like he was already on the dark side.
After a few more days of exercising the hell out of exercising, North was satisfied with Jack's moved to defense . Surprisingly, Jack could react quickly, and quite rashly. He would have to work on that. Next he moved Jack to weapons. Jack didn't really like holding any weapons to say the least. He did fair well though. North stroked his beard as he watched the boy.
He would figure that out later... He than moved Jack to controlling his power. His element was fire, while Jack's was ice, of course. At first the boy struggled, since fire melted ice, but after a few more tries Jack could easily out power North's attack. North finally came up with a method for Jack, based on the the frost boy's way of fighting. Now came the hard part. To let Jack adjust to it.
"This is a stick," Jack said turning over the long branch. North rolled his eyes," Yes, and the sky is blue. Vhat else do you vhant to tell me?" Over the days, North had adapted to Jack's sarcasm and matched it with his own. Their relation progressed turning more into a father and son, both aware and accepting it. Jack missed having a father while North enjoyed the boy's company. It could get quite lonely only having Yetis and elves for company, when you couldn't really understand them.
Jack looked impressed. "Getting better with the sarcasm?" Jack remarked. "Indeed," North confirmed, happy the boy noticed, his growing vocabulary of beautiful sarcasm." Pound the end of it on the floor," North suggested. Puzzled Jack did as he was told. He watched in wonder as the stick glowed growing longer into what looked like... a staff?
"A staff?" Jack said twirling it around, hands touching every part. It was old to say the least, the top of it into a curve like a Shepard's staff. Nothing really special about it. Jack's power went flowing into the staff, the cracks glowing. "Hmm, dat was quite easy..." North muttered. "What? What was easy?" Jack asked. North tugged on his mustache, "Normally for others it vhould have taken a few days to transfer the magic, but it vasn't that hard for you... strange," North said.
"Beginners luck?" Jack offered. "Maybe..." North said uncertain. He waved it off. He and Jack spared, Jack easily winning on the first round. It started with a blast of ice and ended with it. They were only training so they didn't need to go all out. That could wait. "I think I like this," Jack smirked, admiring the staff. "You can keep it!" North said. "I alvays had trouble vith dat staff," he admitted. "Thanks," Jack replied, beaming. North returned the smile.
The moment was than ruined. Suddenly there was a tremor sending the Jack to the floor, while North quickly regained his balance. "Whats happening?" Jack shouted. "Come with me!" North shouted back. They both rushed heading under to the source of the shakes.
As they got down it was chaos. Yetis and elves were hurriedly rushing up to them, speaking in the untranslatable language, North somehow cooperating with. As the other crew members rushed to asses the situation North yelled.
"В тысячу сытый!"(1) Jack guessed it wasn't a good thing. Following the angry man, they ran down to the furnace. It wasn't functioning, losing its glow as the embers slowly dieing out. "Now it chooses the time to die on us," North muttered angrily. He kicked it hard, leaving a dent, mumbling Russian words that Jack couldn't hear or interpret in english.
Not really wanting to intrude but knowing he had to he asked the obvious. "What now?" North looked at him, eyebrow furrowed. Than his expression cleared, eyes bright with a new solution. "Phil are we close to the sky lands?" he called. The Yeti nodded, signing that they were quite close.
"Change of plans! We're going to the sky lands!" North commanded. His crew scrambled to follow the captains orders, setting the boat on the course to the new destination. "Why are we going there?" Jack asked, unsure of the new plan. "We are going to pay an old friend of mine a surprise visit," North chuckled, as if knowing a secret. Jack sighed, "Oh yay," he said, tone dull. "Don't worry, it won't be long," North said, mentally laughing at Jack's face. Jack wasn't so sure. This was going to be a long journey. Fate was once again making a new direction for them. Again.
(1)= A thousand curses
A/N: Wow that took me a while. Anyone leave your comments down below. They brighten my day!
