The next chapter! I hope y'all enjoy it!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything in relation to Dreamworks Rise of the Guardians or William Joyce's characters from his books Guardians of Childhood. I only own my own plot and characters.
Its a month later and they were all in North's sitting room waiting for Jack to show up. Aster was getting antsy, he had been looking for Jack for the past month and all he got for his effort was fleeting glances and a frozen tail. The little bugger did everything he could to avoid Aster and Aster was on his last nerve.
"Where is the little show pony?" Aster murmured pacing in front of one of the windows looking out every once in a while.
"He said he vill be here. You must have patience Aster. Perhaps he lost track of time or he vas busy with Winter duties. Honestly this is one of times I wish you had not eaten as much chocolate." North stated going back to reading a letter that one of his yetis had handed him.
Aster gave out a scoff and scowled at what North was implying. He didn't need that reminder that he no longer acted like a Pooka. At least not a scholar warrior Pooka. He wonders what his superiors would think of him now, heavens knows what his father would think.
"He's still late. For all we know he could be planning to not show up and just vanish again." Aster replied sitting down across from North. Though his foot continued to tap rapidly revealing his anxiousness.
"Perhaps he doesn't want to come because you have been harassing him for the past month. When we told him we'll leave him alone! After we told you to leave him alone!" Tooth snapped. Her feathers bristling while the fairies that were surrounding her chattered angrily at him.
"I was not harassing him!" Aster snapped defensively.
Sandy shook his head and manipulated some of his sand to create an image of Aster chasing after a flying Jack over various landscapes.
"You were! Why cant you leave him alone?!" Tooth asked getting frustrated with Aster.
"He's hiding something Toothiana! Why am I the only one that cares?!" Aster exclaimed.
"You're not Aster! I care too but at least I am respectful of what Jack asked for! He asked us to leave him alone and we respected that. You didn't. Why cant you respect that?" Tooth asked in disbelief.
"I just want him to know that he can trust us. That he can trust me. That whatever he's going through, he can come to us. That we wouldn't judge him, that, we can help. That I can help." Aster explained slumping down further into his seat. Tooth's shoulders also slumped as she realized why Aster was being so persistent about helping Jack. He felt guilty. Even though they all felt guilty, minus Sandy of course, Aster felt more because when they thought Jack had betrayed them he had almost hit the poor boy. Aster had confided in her that he really did want to hit Jack, but when he saw Jack's surprised, scared face. He stopped, he realized what he was doing and he was ashamed of himself.
He had never struck a child, and he was willing to do that. He wanted to. Even though Jack was over 300 years old, he was still a child. They didn't know what age he became a spirit but the way that he acted and looked, he couldn't be older than 18. Still a child in their eyes.
"Aster. I understand you feel guilty but your guilt is pushing Jack away, not pulling him closer. Give. Him. Time. He will come to us when he is ready, you cant force him. So please, give him time to be ready. And when he's ready, he will come to us and he will trust us." Toothiana pleaded.
"How do you know that he will come to us? That he'll trust us?" Aster asked in a whisper.
"I have faith and belief." She answered simply with a small smile. Aster chuckled and gave her a brief smile.
"Well now that everything is out of the air-" North started before one of the windows suddenly opened and a strong gust of wind and snow flowed in caring a thin blue figure.
"Hey guys! Sorry I'm late, I had to deal with, um, some winter and summer sprites." Jack told them as he settled on a armchair a bit further away from the others. Though he was wearing his hood up, which Aster saw as a red flag, but he had to have faith that if something was wrong Jack will tell them no matter how much Aster wanted to just stomp toward him and pull his hood down. He had to have faith and belief.
"Nothing too serious I hope." Aster asked, trying to act casual even as his fingers twitched.
"No. Just, um, some territory issues. Seems strange that summer and winter were fighting over territory when they don't even really see each other because of their seasons. They are ridiculous." Jack answered with a sigh as he ran a hand through his hair, causing his hood to go down revealing what he may had been trying to hide.
His left eye was bruised and he could see that in a few hours it was going to get darker and it seemed to be spreading down his cheek. Aster could also see that there was some bruising on his neck that looked like a band which made him even more concerned because it looked like someone had choked him.
"Jack what happened to your eye?" North asked in shock before Aster can say anything. Jack reached to touch his cheek and winced.
"Oh that happened when I was dealing with the sprites. Two of them started to have a fight, though instead of using their magic they used their fists. I was dumb enough to get in the middle of the fight and got a punch to the eye for my troubles. That certainly stopped the fight between everyone." Jack explained with a chuckle. Aster was mildly relieved that the black eye was an accident but he was still concern about the bruise on his neck and before he could stop himself, he asked Jack about it.
"What happened to your neck Jack? Also the fight with the sprites?" Jack's eyes flashed, but Aster couldn't tell if it was from anger or from fear.
"Um, no actually. It was from yesterday. I, um, I was sparing with, um, one of my siblings. Osiris. He was doing a choke hold but he was holding too strongly which caused some bruising. He apologized and tried to keep me at the grove but I was needed with the sprites and I had a meeting with you guys I couldn't stay. I, I had to go. But it was an accident." Jack explained seemingly nervous, though Aster couldn't tell why. Did he think they would be upset with his brother? With him?
Aster had met Osiris, he knew that the man could get a little out of hand when sparing. He underestimated his own strength and he was significantly larger than slight, thin Jack.
"Ah yes, I have met Osiris. Very enthusiastic when sparing, have gotten many bruises from him. Though he has also gotten bruises from me. Hahaha." North bellowed laughing at his memories of sparing with Osiris.
"I remember that spar, though as I recall it turned into a real fight when you insulted his girlfriend at the time." Tooth reminisced with a smirk as she sat on the arm of North's chair.
"It vas accident. I mean nothing by it. He took too much offense. And it vas little fight." North protested his cheeks turning a slight pink.
"Emily and I had to pull you two apart!" Tooth stated.
"Wait, Osiris told me about this fight. But he just said that he was fighting a Cossack, I thought that meant he was fighting a human. I have been making fun of him for years about almost losing to a human." Jack stated confused.
"Well, when North fought with him, he was barely a spirit and he still referred to himself as a Cossack. He was a cocky bastard." Aster explained.
"Well now, that seems like a story worth hearing." Jack stated getting more comfortable in his chair. Sandy, who had been asleep since Jack came in, suddenly woke up and nodded his head which lead Aster to believe that he wasn't really sleeping which made him wonder if he was actually asleep all of those other times.
"Perhaps another time Jack. For now let us start meeting, then story telling. So, Tooth why don't you begin." North compromised gesturing to Tooth.
"Thank you North. I am happy to report that I was finally able to insure that all of the current children's corrupted memories have been purged and all traces of Pitch's spell are gone. All that's left is to purge the rest of the tooth boxes though they are not as much of a priority." Tooth explained.
"What about the spirit boxes?" Aster asked for Sandy who was signing using his sand.
"None of them had a trace of the spell, it seemed he did not touch them, the only box he stole was Jack's. My fairies and I are looking into how he was able to get into the chamber.
"I'm sorry, I'm a bit confused. What did you mean about the other tooth boxes and what chamber?" Jack asked.
"Well sweet tooth, every child that is currently alive is kept within the pillars and since these children are currently alive, it was best to focus on them than the other tooth boxes from the past which were also affected but since they are adults or dead, they aren't as much of a priority. Right now my fairies are working on the adult tooth boxes and then focusing on the tooth boxes of those that passed." Tooth explained.
"Oh, okay. I understand." Jack replied.
"Now as for the chamber, it is an area within my palace that contains the old tooth boxes or memories of almost every spirit in existence. Since my fairies and I have collected teeth for centuries, we have many boxes filled with memories. And we have been trusted to keep the memories safe though any spirit can take their memories if they like, though most trust us with them. Yours were a part of the collection but somehow Pitch was able to get to yours which shouldn't be possible. So we are investigating that. Hopefully we can find out the security failure and fix it as well as prevent it in the future.
"Will you be using a new spell to prevent corruption of tooth boxes?" North asked.
"Yes, I was actually hoping I can use your library to find a more effective spell and see if you are willing to help me with the research." Tooth answered with a light pink dusting on her face. Aster just rolled his eyes as North also flushed and agreed, Sandy just smiled at the two and Jack just looked confused.
"Um, so you'll find a new spell that will prevent Pitch or anyone from using magic on the tooth boxes? But if you already had spells on them, why did they fail?" Jack asked still looking at both beings with confusion.
"Well, I did have spells but Pitch has been on this earth for thousands of years, he's one of the oldest spirits in existence and he must've known the counter-spells. Hopefully North will have a spell that he wont know and if not, we can make a new spell." Tooth answered still a little flushed.
"What?! Pitch is one of the oldest? I though Mother was the oldest? And you can just make new spells?" Jack exclaimed.
"Well, technically Sandy would be the oldest, then possibly Bunny, then Pitch, and then Mother Nature, and ,I think, Manny." Tooth explained, trying to remember the order.
"What?! Bunny, you're older than Pitch and Mother? How old are you guys?!" Jack asked in shock, he hadn't expected them to be very old.
"Mate, I started life on this planet. I'm the guardian of Hope and Life. Sandy was the pilot of a star so we don't really know how old he is. Pitch was once a general of the Golden Age and Manny was a baby when he became part of the moon. Oh, and Mother Nature is Pitch's daughter though she doesn't necessarily advertise it. They have some issues." Bunny explained with Sandy agreeing and showing an image of everyone in order.
"I'm also a few thousand years old, I'm not entirely sure how old I am." Tooth added.
"Which is why I am the youngest of the group, though physically I look much older. I am only a few hundred years old." North also added amused at the Winter Spirit's reaction.
"Wow, whats the Golden Age? And why hasn't Mother told me about this? Sandy piloted a star? Pitch was a general?" Jack asked rapidly.
"How about I answer all of your questions if you tell me why you were missing for 3 months? That a deal Jackie?" Aster bargained, figuring this was a good opportunity to find out Jack's secret. Though he did notice the slight twitch Jack gave when Aster called him Jackie. Jack glanced at Aster with a hint of anger in his eyes, as well as something else.
"You know what, I have to go. I need to talk to Mother about Osiris as well as update her about the sprites. It was great to see you all and learn a bit more about you all. See you at the next meeting. Just let the Wind know, they'll find me." Jack stated moving toward one of the large windows. Tooth shot Aster a glare and moved to intercept the Winter Spirit.
"Sweet Tooth, are you sure you have to go? You can just ignore Bunny, he's just a grump." She told him hoping she can convince him to stay. Jack gave her a small smirk, amused with her calling Bunny a grump.
"Yes Jack, ignore Bunny. We vould love you to stay." North bellowed also moving to intercept the Winter Spirit.
Jack seemed to hesitate and look like he really wanted to stay and Aster expected him to change his mind and stay. But instead, a touch of air moved across his face, moving some of his bangs. His eyes widened, and suddenly his expression shut down.
"Sorry guys but I have to go. Mother has a, um, situation. I, um, have to take care of. Bye, see you next time." Jack murmured keeping his eyes down before he opened the window and jumped out.
"What just happened?" Tooth asked looking around at everyone. Everyone was very confused by Jack's reaction, it unnerved them.
"I don't know mate. But I'm going to find out." Aster swore tapping a hole open and jumping down, heading to the one person that could give them an answer.
Mother Nature.
Well, I will continue writing the next chapter and hopefully we find out what is going on with Jack and if Mother Nature can shed some light on the situation. We may also meet some of Jack's seasonal siblings. Till next time! Bye!