Chapter 9

The Elders

Hello everyone I am sorry for the wait but thank you so much for reading! :D I regret to inform that son, my little fanfiction is coming to an end, but on the plus side I have two more RotG fanfictions I am working on and they will be up shortly after this one is finished! Thank you for your patience and please read, review and enjoy!

Jack and I exchanged glances before turning back to North.

"Who's father time?" Jack said.

"Who's mother nature?" I replied, both of us asking at once. Tooth, Bunny and North looked at us shocked and Sandy actually face palmed.

"Father Time is one of the oldest guardians there is." North said in shock.

"He is older than Sandy." Bunny added.

"Like Sandy?" Jack asked.

"Like Sandy's older brother." Bunny corrected. Causing Sandy to cross his arms and both Jack and I laughed at Sandy's childish behavior.

"And Mother Nature is from the same age, she is kind and he guardian of the forest." Tooth told me quickly. "Otherwise known as Gaia..." she trailed off at my blank face and sighed.

"Hurry, we don't have much time!" Santa cut in smashing the snow globe against the ground. "This will take you to their area, find them and hurry, be careful." he said ruffling our hair as we passed stepping into the portal.

"Later," Jack said peacing out as he stepped in before me. The portal brought us to a swamp, little lanterns providing the only light, they lit a path through the swamp and darkness with light as soft as fireflies. Jack and I exchanged glances before stepping forward, careful of the quicksand and mud around us as we walked the path until a small cabin came into view, a gentle glow emanating from the windows. Jack and I stopped walking, looking at the cabin, it was nothing like the other guardian's homes, it wasn't laced in gold or lined with teeth, or emanating joy with toys or even eggs, but as we drew closer it felt as if we entered a strange area as if time and space warped around us and the air grew thicker. Our shadows moved over the house and that's about when we heard the door swing open with a bang, causing us both to jump and tense.

"Who goes there!? I swear I've got a staff and I'm not afraid to use it!" an old man's voice rang out. The man spotted us. "Ruffians!" he exclaimed and charged at us. "Think you can sneak around here eh? well we'll see about that!" his voice was old and it sounded as if he was speaking without teeth, making it hard to understand, the old toothless man, nonetheless it didn't take understanding to know that he was charging at us, waving a large wooden staff in the air with a crystal orb on top. His hair, or what little he had of it, and his beard were white, and his robes were stained, ripped and obviously very, very, VERY old. He swung at me and I jumped back out of the way Jack drew his own staff, prepared to block the man if he came any closer. A figure appeared in the door of the house and a woman rushed towards us.

"Father, Father!" she cried out, reaching over him and placing a hand firmly on the staff. The woman appeared to be in her 30s while the man seemed to be in his 80s. "Father what's wrong?" she asked her voice kind and gentle.

"Hoodlums! Hoodlums! They've come for me!" he exclaimed crazily, turning a pleading eye to her. The woman looked at us, her deep green eyes almost seeming to glow as they examined us in turn. Staring into them it felt as if I was being pulled into a forest. The man struggled once against the woman but his old frail body was no match for hers, she wasn't fat, but she wasn't skinny either, she was thick and her long brown hair flowed smoothly around her. I looked up at her, almost in awe of her, I barely knew her but I could tell she was powerful, but not cruel, I could tell she was kind, but stern, and all around she seemed to be like the mother I assume I lost, the mother I wanted.

"Patience Father." she told him calmly, her voice soothing "Let's give them a chance." she said as she turned back to us. "Now," she said gently. "Who are you?" I hesitated a moment and Jack stepped forward.

"I'm Jack Frost...and this is Ember." he said.

"We've come on behalf of the guardians." I added in. the two looked at each other.

"See Father, they are here for the guardians they mean us no harm." she said gently, her voice ringing through the still air around us. She released his staff and the old man gave us a final dirty look before turning and hobbling into the house. The woman smiled warmly at us and gestured for us to follow when something ran through the shadows. She tensed before ushering us into the cabin. I looked around and realized it was larger on the inside than on the outside and it was warm from a fire crackling in the fireplace. She led us into the living room, a small room with a simple blue rug in the center of the brown floorboards, on the rug was a simple square wooden table and surrounding it were four comfy looking plush chairs, one of which chairs was already occupied by the crazy old man.

"Please, please sit down." she said we obeyed and she ran around the little home into the kitchen, bustling around frantically. Father time kept his staff close, staring into the orb at the end and running his withered hands across it and along the wooden staff that looked as if it were made of tree roots intertwining with each other. His gaze was far away from us, deep in thought and I don't even think he noticed we had come in, let alone sat right across from him. After a moment the woman walked back into the room, carrying a tray of freshly baked cookies, offering them to us before placing them on the table. Jack and I each took one and thanked her. Both of us uptight in the awkward situation.

"So, what did you come to talk about." she asked as I bit into the cookie, my excitement dropping when I realized they were raisin and not chocolate chip, and based on Jack's face he had the same realization. I swallowed quickly before talking; trying to keep my tone as polite as possible, dispute the given situation.

"The guardians are in danger." I began. "Pitch Black has returned and he is currently launching an assault on North's workshop in the North Pole." Mother took a deep breath, her body tense and face serious. Father still seemed hypnotized by the cloudy orb as if there was something in there but I could see there wasn't, and I wondered if even as a legend would I grow old and become senile like that.

"We have come to you for help, the guardian's sent us to request that you would come with us to defeat Pitch and end his attack on North's workshop...I don't think they can last much longer." Jack finished for me, surprising me with how seriously he was taking this. He sounded almost guilty, as if this was somehow his fault.

"And who are you?" Mother Nature asked us quietly, her voice barely above a whisper and I strained to hear it above the crackling fire.

"My name is Ember." I told her, inclining my head in respect. "I control fire."

"I'm Jack Frost." He said, smirking, and I quickly looked away before I could allow myself to get lost in it. "I am the master of ice and winter." he said. Mother nodded as if in understanding.

"That explains why they would send you." she said. "It's been ages since I've even heard the name Pitch Black." she began. "We have not left this house in centuries, we have been long forgotten by humans, taken for granted along with our gifts to them." she was about to say something else when the old man next to her spoke up.

"Mother." his frail old voice barely above a whisper, but no longer trembling. "Pitch has returned." he sounded as crazy as he had earlier, repeating what I had just said but his voice now held an air of authority. "It's time we return to earth...we must stop the nightmares." he said, his eyes still distant, and not seeing any of us. Mother remained silent and I followed her lead of watching him, silently but intently. His fingers trailed the creases in his staff up to the orb that he never looked away from, a fog swirling inside of it.

I found myself silent in awe as he touched the orb drawing in its grey clouds with golden trails of sand, just like sandman's. It swirled, the grey and gold cloud growing and seeping out of the staff, engulfing him in its impenetrable mist. Jack and I rose to our feet, alarmed but awed by the scene, stepping back as the cloud grew, but never reaching us. Mother remained calm, unflinching despite the strange midst that swallowed Father Whole. The mist vanished as quickly as it had come, but Father Time was not there, in the old man's place was a young man in him late twenties or early thirties, he held Father time's staff, he wore the same light blue robe, only now it was intact, crisp and looked as if it were brand new. His hair was brown, short and thick, his misty grey eyes seemed to have renewed life, and sparked with excitement as he looked around. Mother Nature smiled at him.

"Welcome back Father." she told him gently, he smiled, and then turned to look at me and jack. The slightest smirk curling his lips.

"What's wrong? You two look as if you've just seen a ghost." he smiled, and Jack smirked. I stared at him, my eyes wide with surprise, causing his smile to grow. "I am father time dear." he said. "I can reverse my age." I realized how stupid I must look and quickly regained by stature, he laughed heartily and gripped his staff tightly.

"Shall we go?" Mother asked as she rose to her feet, glancing at us to see if we were ready. I nodded still dazed, as we followed the two elders outside. We walked through the dark swamp and forest and despite the shadows that danced around us I wasn't worried. Mother and Father both gave off a comfortable safe feeling. We stopped watching once we met a little pond in the middle of a ring of trees, the full moon shining brightly through the canopy and reflecting off the water, causing everything to sparkle and glisten in the darkness.

Mother stepped forward, stopping at the water's edge extending her hands out as if to reach the trees across the pond. Her eyes closed gently, and the wind picked up around us, whipping locks of my hair, and leaves around. The trees creaked and groaned as they swayed, but it almost seemed like they were singing a song.

leaves and wind
water and waves
foxes and squirrels
guide, our way

moon up above
and soil below

carry us away
far far away
far far away
from this place.

I realized I only caught part of it but it was calming and relaxing and very subtle, I realize I had heard it before, mixed with the rustling of the bushes or splashing of water, as well as other signs of nature like birds singing.

The veins of the trees reached out, waving through the air and the water began to glow, and I no longer saw our reflection in its shallow depths but a watery image of the North Pole. The nightmares were still attacking and our friends were barely able to hold them off, but they somehow managed to keep them at bay. Mother stepped forward, her green gown-like dress trailing into the water after her bare feet, the pond glowed brighter and Father followed. Jack and I exchanged glances before following, the water feeling strange and foreign as I walked through, as if walking through Jell-O and when I stopped walking I found myself standing in North's workshop.

A quick glance around showed me things were coming to an end...and not in the guardian's favor. Many yeti's and elves lay useless or unconscious on the ground. Black dust littered the floor almost in piles, Sandy quickly made his way around the room, touching it and twisting it to his will, as the nightmares flew above us close to the skylight that was still sealed off with metal. The other guardian's and children were up against a wall, cornered as they tried to keep the monsters at bay. A little boy screamed as a nightmare grabbed him by the arm, pulling him forward, away from the guardians.

"Oh, no you don't mate." Bunnymund called out, tossing his boomerang through the creature and smashing it to dust. Tooth pulled the boy back to the wall with the other terrified children. Father was the first to move. He strode forward with confidence that amazed me, striding through the battlefield to the group huddled in the corner. Mother walked away, not after Father but to the Yetis and elves on the ground, touching them gently and reassuring them. Her touch almost seeming to heal them, as many rose to their feet immediately after. Both Mother and Father appeared almost unaware of the nightmares that plagued the room, toppling over piles of toys, smashing what they could. When one lunged for us Jack didn't hesitate to smash it with his staff. One flew towards me, its mouth open in a monstrous shriek, as if planning to swallow me whole.

"Here horsey you hungry?" I said with a smirk, twirling a ball of fire in my hand. "I hope you like spicy!" I threw the swirling flame into the monster, and once inside it exploded, sending sand flying and incredible fireworks to burst through the room. Jack chuckled.

"Isn't that a bit flashy?" he asked with a grin. I just smiled back and shrugged.

"Well you gotta make an entrance." I said letting the colorful fire rain down around me. He laughed, avoiding them embers as they fell.

"Time!" North cried out, reaching out to hug Father who simply put up a hand to stop him. Sandy looked down from his sand made airplane, acknowledging his brother before returning to fighting off the nightmares. A child shrieked as a nightmare flew at them, Father turned around slowly, staring at the oncoming nightmare before slowly raising his hand, his palm to the nightmare. The monster shrieked as it slammed into his hand, smashing to dust as if it had run into a wall, all at once the ten nightmares around Father slowed to a stop in mid bite or snarl, some even in mid-flight. And within only a few seconds they blew away on an unfelt wind, dissolving as they would over time.

Mother Nature made her way through the room with slow smooth steps, waving her hand here or there, humming a gentle tune as the potted plants around the room waved and danced. Their veins or branches reaching out and slapping the nightmares, some leaves even flew across the room to slice through a horse like daggers. Jack, the children and I stared in awe of the power, because within a few minutes, the demons that the guardians had been fighting for the past 1/2 hour, were all destroyed, leaving nothing more than a fine powder around the room that Sandy then turned gold to fuel his own power. I found myself wishing I could have that type of power, and I wondered if I would acquire it over the years...I am expected to live forever, but power like that might make it more...interesting.

North paused for a moment, still holding his two swords before letting out a booming laugh as he slammed his fist into the red button that locked up the workshop, this time it unlocked it. The doors and windows opened and the metal around the skylight clicked back into its hiding stop to reveal a starry night sky. The children stared at Father Time and Mother Nature in amazement. Quickly running up to them and admiring them. Father smiled, flashing his white teeth as he showed the children his staff, letting them gaze into the swirling orb at the top. a few children rushed to mother nature, who smiled kindly and patted a few of them gently on the head, telling them about how brave they had been during the fight, and giving them little flowers that she made bloom from a nearby flower pot that had recently been plain dirt. Sandy's plane dissolved and as he touched ground, joining the rest of us guardians as the kids finished their meetings with the elders.

"Oi, long time no see mate, thanks for the help but we had it under control." Bunny said, confidant and proud as always.

"Yea, so I saw." Father said as he smirked at Sandy. "But I think we definitely saved the night." he said, poking fun at his little brother. Sandy scowled and crossed his short little arms, looking nothing like Father.

"Mr. Time how old are you?" a child asked from the back of the crowd. Father smiled.

"Older than ages." he replied, being as vague as possible.

"More than 100?" another child asked with a gasp. Father chuckled. "Yes, far older." Sandy elbowed me, flashing a few silently signs and making a face as if he were giggling.

Yup he's an old man alright. Sandy had joked and I giggled with him, causing everyone to look at me.

"What's so funny?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow having a pretty good idea already. I shrugged and Sandy and I exchanged glances before smiling innocently at everyone.

"Nature! It's so nice to see you!" Tooth exclaimed giving Mother a large hug. "How are you doing? How is your garden?" Tooth asked, her words rolling off her tongue in rapid succession. Mother smiled.

"It's nice to see you too Tooth, I am fine and my garden is better than ever." she replied responding to everything in order. I hesitated, a question forming in my mind, and it took me several seconds before gathering enough courage to speak my mind.

"Umm...Father...I was wondering...I always thought Sandy was the oldest guardian, but if you are all considered elders than...how many elders are there?" Time snickered at my mention of them.

"No Ember, we are not elders." North said, shocking me.

"But Christmas has existed for like-forever!" I argued. "How are you not Elders?" North chuckled and insisted that if you live forever your view of old is very different.

"You see Ember." Father explained his voice gentle as if talking to a child. "Elder is a certain generation of guardians. When the world was first created by the man in the moon many, many years ago, Nature and I were created to watch over it. She covered the planet in gorgeous plants and vegetation, lakes and trees and eventually animals. I tracked time, days, hours, minutes, it kept the world moving, so that it would not stop spinning. We were the first of many."

"Shortly thereafter the Man in the Moon created humans, creatures who would survive off my garden, that's when Time became needed the most. Afterwards came Sandy, we needed him to give the humans dreams, and through dreams hope... and belief in us." Mother said continuing the story. "He is Time's brother because it takes time for stone and rock to erode to sand, which is what, gave Sandy his form. And from there all was peaceful." Mother finished with a smile. I nodded in understanding but Father cut in.

"But of course things couldn't stay that way. Humans had many emotions and once fear and cowardice became powerful, they gave birth to Pitch Black." Father growled, as if angered by something as little as Pitch's name. "Pitch began what was known as the dark ages, he created nightmares to plague Sandy's dreams. And plunged humans into a world of fear. That was until we, with their help." Father added, motioning to the others. "Defeated him, sealing him away." Father finished. I stared in amazement of what I had just heard.

"Technically there are only 4 elders. Sandy, Time, myself, and Pitch." Mother explained getting back to my original question. "That is why he is so powerful even though he had been sealed and defeated in the past."

"I understand." I said with a definite nod.

"Oi, I hate to ruin our little reunion here but we've gotta get going." Bunny interrupted. "We've got company." the rest of us ran to the window he pointed to, seeing another army of nightmares rushing our way in a large black wave, moving like a storm on the horizon. We scrambled, Father, North, Jack, Sandy and 2 children climbing into the sleigh and taking off through a portal. Bunny smiled at the few of us who remained. "What do ya'll say we have a lil' race?" he asked, tapping his foot so a tunnel appeared. The remaining three children smiled, jumping in after bunny, followed by Tooth, Mother, and me.

The tunnels are like giant slides for those of us who can't hop or fly through them, sending us tumbling and twirling, like a slide you would find at a carnival or water park. We slide down for what feels like miles but it only lasts a few seconds before the end comes into view and we get spat out into reality.

This time I found myself standing near the entrance to Pitch's sewer cavern. I looked around for the others but they were nowhere in sight.

"Where are the others?" I asked as we made our way towards the entrance.

"Oh, don't worry mate, they'll be here." Bunny said with a wild grin and as if on cue, North's sleigh came into view coming down with a crashing halt. The children looked amazed and startled at the same time, letting out a whoop of excitement while the one little boy threw up over the side. I smiled as they climbed out, my heart beginning to pound.

This is it. We're finally going to defeat Pitch...this is finally over! I thought excitedly, the adrenaline pumping through my veins.

"So what's the plan?" I asked as we ran towards the entrance of the cavern, Mother carrying the sick little boy, her kind touch making him feel better almost instantly. Jack threw back his head in a laugh as he ran beside me.

"Plan?" he asked, swinging his staff as if striking down an imaginary enemy. "Defeat Pitch, what other plan do we need?"

Author's note: Yes the song was corny, cheesy and probably unwanted but I like that type of stuff so :P lol either way, here is a link to the song (written/sung by me) on youtube.

watch?v=uibCLMuSCpw