Hey guys! Here for the update once again. Have fun with the second Guardians chapter!
Rabbit887: Happy you found it amusing. I was going for that. (::)(::)(::)
The Queen: Haha thanks. :-) (::)(::)(::)
Hoggyloggy/boggy loggy: Thank you for the many reviews! Happy your enjoying it. :-) (::)(::)(::)
Okay! That's it for now. Busy on vacation huh? Anyways, enjoy! :-)
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Apparently Tooth had started something.
Just moments after she started hugging him and was about to pull away, North stepped forth, squeezing tightly with his muscled arms and keeping Tooth in place. Sandy joined in as well, lightly floating over with a sleepy smile on his face.
Bunny was the only one to not join the huddle, not being one for hugs, he instead awkwardly hung nearby.
"Nice ta see ya, ya gumby." He said at last, giving a rare smile usually reserved for Easter day when the kids were seeking out their painted eggs.
Jack smiled. "Aw, you do care," he grinned. Bunny simply shook his head, a look of slight exasperation on his face.
As North finally released him, Tooth fluttering a short distance away along with Sandy, Jack took a deep breath. North's hugs were quite strong.
Jack furrowed his brows as an excited twittering filled the air, something small zipping past to land on his shoulder.
Looking over, Jack spotted a familiar fairy chirping up a storm.
"Baby Tooth!" He exclaimed happily.
Said fairy gave a confirming chirp, fluttering up to face him, violet eyes bright. Jack smiled and held out his hand, which she happily settled on, curling up in contentment.
Jack placed her gently in his pocket, a fond smile on his lips as she gave one more sleepy twitter, and turned to once more face the Guardians, who had gathered near the door.
"Must find yetis," North explained. "Clean all... This," he gestured to the chaos surrounding them. "While we enjoy Christmas, best holiday of all!"
"Easter!" Came Bunny's annoyed tone, which North ignored, striding off into the workshop as the others followed, Jack gliding carefully behind, sure not to let Baby Tooth slip out of his pocket.
For awhile, the workshop was deserted, toys flying aimlessly through the sky or sitting on shelves, Jack even spotted a large collection of half painted robots- one side blue, the other hastily painted red, with what looked several dents in the wood in the imprint of a yeti's head. After they had passed a few more hallways, they came across a large room filled with yetis- this space was normally used for the yetis' few breaks over the year from making Christmas toys; they always had two per day for mealtimes, and the week after Christmas, was free as well. Christmas itself, however, usually involved quite alot of cleaning up for the year to come.
As North stepped into the area, one yeti, Phil, broke off from the others to approach him.
"Blargh a burgle yah?" He announced in yetish.
"Ves, elves taken care of," replied North, and a collective sigh of relief echoed through the chamber, all the yetis except Phil filtering off to either go back to making toys or clean up the globe room.
"How did elves get into eggnog?" North questioned. "Eggnog usually well guarded."
Phil shrugged, seeming confused. "Blargle barg."
North's eyes widened. "Asleep..?"
All the Guardians turned to Sandy, who widened his golden eyes innocently, forming a angel halo made of sand above his head.
Jack flew over to defend him. "Hey! It doesn't have to be Sandy. Yetis get tired too! Maybe you should just give them some more breaks." He suggested mischievously.
North frowned. "Perhaps they have been working too hard recently... I vanted ze gifts to be especially good avter Pitch..." He trailed off for a moment, Jack exchanging a triumphant look with Sandy as the others looked on in surprise.
"Very well." He said at last. Raising his voice, he gave a shout. "Breaktime!" He cried out.
Phil's eyes widened in shock, and several yetis who had been working nearby stopped and stared.
It had been over a century since they had gotten an extra break.
North turned and patted Jack on the back. "Time to celebrate!" He announced, and they walked/ flew/ floated/ hopped off, leaving the workers in shock.
North led their group to a cozy room similar in style to the one Jack had entered the Pole through, except this one was decorated. Not quite as lavishly as the globe room, but close.
A couple of comfortable looking chairs, red and green of course, were settled beside a sizzling fire and a table shaped like a Christmas ornament was in the middle, groaning under the weight of pitchers of eggnog and plates of cookies, gingerbread houses, shortbread, and fruitcake, the sight of which brought to mind the first time he had really met North- when he was talking to him about centers.
Glancing at Tooth, Jack grinned when he saw her absolutely horrified look at the sight of the treats, even Baby Tooth had risen from his pocket to chirp in alarm at the collection of sugary foods.
"North!" Tooth exclaimed. "Do you know how much sugar those contain..? How much that can rot your teeth?" She fluttered anxiously, producing several sugar- free snacks from nowhere and placing them on the table. She approached Jack almost threateningly- "Don't you dare ruin your perfect teeth with that-" she gave a disdainful glance toward the crowded table- "junkfood." That one word was filled with so much venom Jack almost laughed, but he decided that wasn't such a good idea with Tooth in this state.
North however wasn't so careful, giving a hearty belly laugh. "Tooth! 'Tis Christmas!" He exclaimed, a twinkle in his eyes.
Tooth simply glared. "That is no excuse to ruin your teeth! Do you know some people eat tofu desert? That is a much better treat than these..." She fumbled for a word bad enough to show her hatred toward the goodies. "Atrocities!"
Jack leaned toward Sandy. "Tofu desert..?" He whispered. Sandy shrugged, a auestion mark appeaing above his head.
"Calm, Tooth." Comforted North, settling down on a large striped red and green armchair as Tooth fumed. Taking the cue, Bunny hopped over to a plush green chair that matched his eyes- settled conveniently right next to the fireplace. He closed his eyes in bliss, stretching his feet out to the warmth. Sandy simply created a dreamsand armchair and stool where he stood, and Jack hopped onto the arm of a red chair. Tooth finally fluttered over to a small dark red polka dotted chair, settling down, though as Jack reached for a piece of shortbread she was quick to send him a glare, reaching herself for a bag of kale chips she had brought, looking with superiority as everyone selected their own snacks, no-one touching her own additions.
Except for Baby Tooth of course. The little fairy selected a collection of something small and green, crossing her arms and twittering in disappointment at Jack, who simply shook his head and changed the subject.
"Got anything for Akitla? She hasn't gotten the chance to eat since I got back."
"For owl..?" North shook his head. "Bunny?"
"What? Now ya gumbies think I eat like a bird?" He snapped.
"Vell... You both eat vegetables, no?" He asked.
Bunny sighed. "Why don'cha give her some of that stuff Tooth brought? Sure looks like bird food."
Tooth ruffled her feathers. "I'll have you know many people-" But Jack wasn't around to hear the rest. He had already sneakily grabbed a package of what looked like seeds from the table and sprinted down the hall.
Reaching Akitla's room, Jack took a large handful of seed from the package and placed it in her cage, smoothing her feathers down as she began to eat. He placed her a bit closer to the fireplace for warmth and left her to eat in peace.
When Jack got back, he found tensions had calmed and the already overwhelmed table now had the addition of a dozen Christmas presents- one for each Guardian, excluding North, of course.
"Jack!" North exclaimed, a grin on his face. "Ve vere waiting for you to open presents!" Jack slid into his chair, smile wide. It felt good having gifts and sharing a Christmas with what he thought of as family after so long.
Bunny was first, a gift wrapped with green wrapping paper and Easter eggs on it shoved into his arms by an over- excited North.
Shaking his head, ears flopping, Bunny unwrapped the gift deftly, slashing it open with his clawed paws to reveal a new painting set with dozens of unique colours and many- sized paintbrushes.
He smiled, spring- green eyes thankful. "Thanks, North. My googies will appreciate it."
North simply smiled. "See? Christmas better than Easter!" It showed how much Bunny appreciated the gift when he only rolled his eyes instead of arguing.
Next was Sandy, who unwrapped a gift with wrapping paper covered in the mystical things the oldest Gaurdian loved putting in children's dreams- dinosaurs, unicorns, clouds, and planes, all with the backdrop of a starry sky.
His gift turned out to be some new aviators goggles to replace his usual sand versions.
He put them on immediately, giving North a happy thumbs- up.
Following Sandy was Tooth, who's wrapping paper depicted, of course, dozens of white teeth, bottles of toothpaste, and floss. She unwrapped it delicately, keeping it mostly whole, to reveal a large collection of shiny new toothbrushes.
"Oooh!" She exclaimed. "One of my favourite belivers, oh he just has the whitest teeth you've ever seen, he has this one!" She cried, pointing to a bright blue brush with stiff white bristles.
North smiled proudly, handing a smaller package with the same design as Tooth's over to Baby Tooth, who tore into it with her sharp beak to find a flosser and a small white tooth necklace- you know, the type they give people at school who lose to their teeth.
She chirped excitedly, planning on using it to carry more teeth at once when she was on the job.
All of them done, it was Jack's turn. A soft blue gift with snowflake designs was handed to him, and Jack noted it had almost the same shape as Harry's broom was before he unwrapped it.
He tore it open, seeing North's excited face and he watched Jack unwrap his gift.
It was a broom.
The bristles looked almost like they were frosted over, and the side had a trail of snowflakes leading up it to the top, where a beautiful frozen moon was painted. The wood was a soft blue, like a robin's egg, and in cursive writing above the snowflake trail the word Snowflake was written, the words almost appearing to be made of ice. As he lifted it out of the package, he noticed the tail end left a trail of snow behind it.
Entranced, he hardly noticed the Guardians waiting for his reaction.
Losing patience, it was Bunny who broke the silence.
"Well mate? D'you like it or not?"
North seemed a bit anxious, but it was Tooth who voiced his thoughts, hovering a bit over her chair in worry.
"We know you liked using your staff, but we thought maybe you should have a proper broom, in case you get attacked you can fight back without revealing yourself, but if you don't like it-"
Jack interrupted Tooth's nervous rambling with an ecstastic grin.
"Guys. I love it."
They smiled, North even standing up to give Jack a bone- crushing hug.
Gift giving over, the Guardians settled back down in their chairs, Bunny even producing an egg and beggining to paint it with his new set, before Tooth spoke.
"So, Jack, how have you been?" She asked.
Jack sighed. Funtime was over. And that sucked for the Guardian of fun.
He decided he'd try to save the whole Hermione thing for last- that was definetly the most serious issue.
"You guys remember the letter I sent you about the dog?" He asked.
"Oh yes!" Tooth exclaimed. "I was so worried!""
Bunny nodded as well. "Keep getting yaself into trouble..." He muttered.
Jack continued. "Well, we got a hint as to what it might be guarding... Any of you ever hear about Nicholas Flamel?" He asked, looking around hopefully.
North let out an ashtonished laugh. "Why, ves... I believe I met him a century or two ago... He vanted to become immortal. Sounds vike he suceeded."
Sandy nodded, signs flashing above his head to show that he remembered that.
"Huh." Jack wondered what he had to do with whatever the dog was guarding... Well, at least he knew something now.
It wad time to tell them about Hermione.
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Alright! End of chapter. As you can see, there will be one more Guardians chapter. This one ended up a doozy and I decided it was high time to end it. I promise the next one will be the last one before I return to Hogwarts!
I write thousands of words for you guys- you can write a sentance for me!