Chapter Six


Rianne wasn't sure of what to think. She knew that the girl must mean well. But she couldn't shake off the feeling that they somewhat resemble others. By others, she means Sandman and Boogeyman. But she was curious. Curious about what will happen when her iridescent sand made contact with Jaq's black-silvery one. She was a quiet girl, which is why there are times when people don't seem to notice her. But that has its perks. For the first week that the new guardians were living on the same roof, she noticed a phenomenon occurring every night. At exactly midnight, Jaq would leave the workshop. Suspicious and serious as it may seem, she hadn't told anyone yet. Instead, she decided that she'll follow her.

Hiding behind a pillar, she waited for Jaq to leave. It was two minutes before midnight, and she already hears footsteps from above. Peeking, she waited for the girl to come.

"Rianne?" A soft voice said. Her eyes widened as she saw Anna look at her. She gulped, fearing what would happen. She quickly pulled Anna behind the pillar, covering her mouth. "What are you doing?" Anna asked, yet Rianne just shushed her. Confused as she is, Anna just followed her orders. After a few seconds of not hearing a single noise, they both peeked. They were surprised when Jaq was already leaving. Anna's eyes widened. Once Jaq went out through one of the windows, the two girls looked at each other knowingly. They followed her.

Rianne casted her sand to form a cloud-like form. They both board the sand, and started following Jaq. They didn't know where they were going, but they knew that Jaq was up to something. While following her, Rianne told Anna that this was happening for a week now. This alarmed her. What if Issa and Daichi were right? What if Jaq's actually evil? Anna pushed the thoughts away. Whatever Jaq was up to, she was hopeful that she has a good explanation. About half an hour passed following Jaq, when she disappeared. They both looked around, trying to find the girl. And that was when Anna saw the familiar town. It was the same town with the same buildings and the same fountain. She pulled at Rianne and told her to land at the town. Even though Rianne was questioning about it in her head, she knew better than to doubt Anna. She controlled her sand to land.

As Rianne stepped down, her bare feet immediately felt the cold ground. Her tan skin shivered at the cold wind. She wished that she had brought her coat, instead of wearing just a yellow sundress. Anna whispered for her to follow her. Rianne followed the order. Anna, now preparing her bow and arrow, was leading Rianne to the same window where she had previously seen Jaq. They both peeked at the window, and there they saw the girl. She was doing the exact same thing Anna saw her do. She raised her hand over the boy's head. Anna was about to shoot one of her arrows, but then Rianne told her to stop.

"What? Why?" Anna looked at her as if she was crazy. Rianne looked at Anna.

"I don't think she's here to harm him." She said quietly, now averting her eyes back to Jaq. Anna sighed and lowered her bow. They both watched as Jaq hand made a few movements above the boy's head, and after a few seconds, spiders made of her sand hovered above the boy's head. His face was tensed. Anna furrowed her eyebrows. She examined Jaq's face, and was actually surprised when her face softened. And the next thing they knew, Jaq was humming a soft tune, as if singing a lullaby to the boy. As the seconds went by the black spiders hovering above the boy's head was starting to turn to silver. The boy's face softened, becoming more relaxed than before.

But that stopped when Jaq spotted them.

She immediately disappeared from the boy's room. Before Rianne and Anna could do anything, darkness engulfed them and sent them in the forest. Anna didn't even bother to prepare her bow. She took Rianne's hand, waiting for the worst. If there was one thing she learned about Jaq the previous week, it was that she hates it when somebody invades her privacy.

"What are you doing here?" A voice echoed from the forest. They looked around; trying to find the girl, but all they saw was darkness and trees. "Why are you spying on me?"

"W-We are…" Rianne started, trying to think of a way out. But she gave up eventually. She sighed. "We got curious. I s-saw you leaving every night f-for the previous week."

Jaq appeared in front of them, her amber eyes glowing brightly. "Oh who am I kidding, I knew you wouldn't trust me anyway."

"What were you doing?" Anna spoke out. She gulped as Jaq's eyes pierced through her. The pale girl vanished and reappeared in front of her.

"None of your business." Jaq growled in her low and slightly raspy voice. She stepped back and eyed them. "You should go home."

"We're not leaving until you tell us what you were doing with the boy." Anna said. If it wasn't for her voice quivering, she would've looked tough for speaking up. She held her bow tightly, preparing for the worst. She was expecting a wave of shadows, but what she got was a small sigh.

"Let me tell you what I wish I have known years ago." Jaq said, her eyes switching from Rianne to Anna. "Curiosity will always kill the cat. One way….or another."

That silenced the three girls. Anna was speechless. Well, whatever Jaq was doing there, they won't know anytime soon. Rianne, on the other hand, saw something in Jaq. She might not know what she was doing, but she suspected that the girl's intentions were good. Because deep within those harsh and cold eyes, lurked kindness no one ever knew. She cares.

With a wave of Jaq's hand, they were back at the pole. In Anna's room. With Jaq nowhere to be seen. They thought that she was probably in her room. Rianne stayed with Anna overnight.

When the sun hit Anna's eyes, she slowly woke up, remembering the events last night. Or should she say a while ago. Standing up, she made sure that she won't disturb the sleeping Rianne. She walked to the circular mirror across her room. She wasn't surprised to find her short her sticking up in every direction. And now, as a new feature in her face, she saw bags under her eyes. She disregarded her discovery, and just went on to walking down the stairs. On the way, she was greeted by Issa, who wondered why she was so tired. They walked down the stairs together. And once they reached the main room, they noticed that all the guardians where there, well except for Rianne and Jaq. Well Rianne was asleep. Meanwhile Jaq was on her way, walking so slow that it was like her whole body was aching. It was surprising when Rianne got there first, immediately appearing beside Anna. Once Jaq reached the bottom of the stairs, North started talking.

"Now that everyone's here, we have a matter of business to talk about." He cleared his throat, before looking at Daichi. Daichi nudged North, and he sighed. "Daichi over here had reported that he saw black sand terrorizing a village last night. And he accuses Jaq of such actions."

"Me?" Jaq Noir and Jack Frost looked at Daichi. Bunnymund rolled his eyes and told Jack that it was the girl. Jaq furrowed her eyebrows at Daichi, and she suspiciously glanced at Anna and Rianne. "I didn't do such thing." She said in a tired voice.

"So how will you explain that?" Daichi snapped. "Who else could've summoned those sands and shadows."

"You said black sand right?" Jaq's eyes widened. If it was even possible, she looked paler than she already was. "Well, it's not mine."

Anna was sorta surprised. She had expected Jaq to yell in her defense, but she talked smoothly. Anna wondered what could've gotten her so tired. And what surprised her more was when Issa defended Jaq.

"She's right, her sand's not black." Issa told Daichi. She might not fully trust the girl, but she would stand up for what's right.

"North, don't you think?" Tooth gasped. She and Sandy both looked at North. They knew that it couldn't be possible. While the kids where having their own meeting, the older guardians had their own.

"That can't be possible." Bunnymund spoke with his deep accent. He was holding his boomerang, pointing at North. "Back for a second time, sure why not. But back for the third time? You have got to be kiddin' me."

"It can't also be possible that the girl did it." Tooth looked over to the younger guardians. They were arguing. But even with the accusation, Jaq didn't even bother to raise her voice.

"Well if it's terrorizing a village, we better know who it is." Jack said sternly. "Whoever they are, we have to stop them."

"But what if he really is back?" Tooth looked at North, followed by the others. North looked up at the bright moon that was still visible at the pole.

"Then we will be ready."