Sorry this chapter is so short!

So I know we're not even close to Christmas, but I want some action and humor involved in this story. So the Big Present Delivery Thingy is happening in the next chapter. I hope you guys will like it. :)

Thanks for all the reviews, follows, and favorites, guys. Sorry I didn't update in so long! I was REALLY REALLY busy. But for those here who are my Crystal Thief fans, I finished the story! Yay! I actually stayed committed to it and finished, and now am considering a possible sequel sometime later in the future.

Anyway. Back to Lights.

This is a rather short chapter, like I said before. But it's a preamble to the real Christmassy action! And now I really miss Christmas because I'm writing this. :(

North: Doesn't everyone?

Jack: *cough cough CONCEITED cough cough*

North: Vat you say to me?

Jack: Nothing, nothing.

Me: CHRISTMAS!

Olaf randomly pops in: Hi, I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs.

Jack: ...

North: O_O Holy Candycanes maybe you could be an elf and be a worker for me!
Me: Okay. Anyways. Since I'm so random and JUST HAD to do that entire weird convo...

Thanks to ZambleTheZombie, Fandomrandom, Boomerang, Melantha Frost, Amberflame805, ROTGLOVER, Guest, and FullMetalCanine for reviewing! :D

Enjoy the chapter.

xx, Crystal


"So where are the shadows?"

Starla wanted to cover every aspect of their plan, including location.

North took a deep breath. "The shadows are all in Pitch's lair."
"Where is that?" Starla asked, trying to take in the entire plan.

North looked at Sandy.

Sandy looked at North.

"Um," said North. "Vere it is. Vell. That is excellent question."
Starla gaped. "You don't know?"
Jack raised his hand. "I know."
North glanced at him, surprised. "How do you—"

Jack sighed. "Long story."
Starla looked at North. "Hold up. North. Before we rush into anything, I need to train." She shook her head. "Get it? North, I could barely make a shield to protect myself back there in Burgess."
"Yes, yes, training, ve vill get onto that shortly." North wrote it down on a piece of paper.

"What is that?" Jack asked.

North grunted. "To-do list."
Starla stood. "What else is on your to-do list?" She was eager to get on with the training to retrieve the missing members of the Guardians.

"Vell," North looked down at it. "Prepare for Christmas, vich is in two days; organize the gifts to each individual child by Hemisphere and Continent and then Country and State, if I have time; bake a batch of double chocolate chip cookies for myself; answer a few remaining 'Dear Santa' letters, feed the reindeer, train Starla for—" North stopped abruptly and scanned the to-do list like a maniac.

Sandy made a golden question mark above his head.
"North?" Starla leaned forward. "Are you—"

North jumped to his feet. "SHOSTAKOVICH!"

Jack widened his eyes. "What? What happened?"
North was pacing around the room, massaging his temples. "Presents—Christmas—two Guardians lost—for the love of Tchaikovsky—Dimitri Kabalevsky, what am I going to do?"
"North, is everything okay?" Jack stood up to walk over to the older man.
North ignored him and continued pacing like insane.

"North!" Starla stood up.

No response.

Jack grabbed his staff and shot a beam of ice at an elf that was casually walking by carrying a string of Christmas lights.

"AAAAAGH!" North yelled, turning to Jack. "How many times have I told you—"
"What's WRONG?!" shouted Starla, floating up so she was level with North.

"Christmas!" shrieked North. "Christmas is what's wrong!"
Jack was totally lost. "...isn't Christmas your holiday, North?"
"Yes!" North walked up to Jack and grabbed his shoulders to shake him. "Christmas happens to be in two days, Jack! I have barely begun preparations! I can only count on the yetis! I have been so focused on Guardian problems that Christmas is bottom of list! What if—" North sucked in air and shut his eyes. "Rimsky-Korsakov. Christmas is capoot."
"No," Starla said. "It doesn't necessarily have to be that way. We can help you deliver the toys. If you want, I mean."
North looked up. "It vill not vork. Christmas is just two days avay and I don't understand how I could've forgotten about the most important holiday in the vorld."
"We can help you!" Jack insisted. "Seriously. How does Christmas usually work?"
North buried his head into his hands. "I am losing touch."

"North!" persisted Jack.

"I ride in sleigh all around vorld using snowglobes. I organize gifts by Hemisphere, Continent, Country, State, and maybe even town. But defenitely I am behind schedule this year."
"Well, you do that," Starla told him. "And how do the gifts get down the chimney?"
"Parachutes," North said. "Special parachutes that I built long, long ago. I used to be jumping down chimneys, eating milk and cookies and scooting past angry dogs to put gift under trees. But these parachutes are specially attracted to any sort of plant, especially pine. So they vill fly right to Christmas tree!" North did his signature laugh.

Starla frowned. "What about the milk and cookies?"
"Are you kidding?" North grinned. "I have my own parachute to get the milk and cookies."
Jack leaned forward. "Is it true that some kids put reindeer food in the grass?"
"Yes," North said slowly. "And some pesky little kids try and film us."
"They'll be pretty disappointed," said Starla, "to know there's no Rudolph."
"No vone cares about stupid reindeer song!" North hissed. Then he softened. "You really think ve can still pull together halfvay decent Christmas this year?"
Jack nod-shrugged. "Yeah. We need to keep the wonder alive in the kids." He smiled. "And maybe Starla can help snazz up the house with her lights."
"And ve can use your snowflakes! HAHA!" North jumped in the air. "And Sandy! Sandy can send good dreams of candycanes and dancing elves to the kids. Yes?"
Sandy nodded.

"Ahah!" North pumped his fist in the air. "Great Kabalevsky, we may have ourselves a Christmas! Now if you'll excuse me," he pushed his chair back and headed for the door. "I have a few hundred more toys to prepare."
"Hey, North," teased Starla. " 'He's making a list, he's checking it twice...'"
North scowled. "Oh. Dat song."
Jack nudged Starla and stepped forward teasingly. "You are checking the list twice, right, Santa?"
With a harrumph, North headed into his workshop with a last shout over his shoulder.
"Ah, leave me alone!"


North: Whoever made up those songs about me don't KNOW me.

Jack: If you don't like them, YOU make up the songs.

North: Hmmm. Not bad idea. Thank you Jack.

Jack: TT_TT I was being sar-

Starla: Just let him be happy.

Me: PLEASE REVIEW! AND FOLLOW/FAVORITE MY STORY! And I'll love you all forever and ever!

Adios, amigos!

xx, Crystal