When the sack I was in landed, I groaned in pain.
"Oh! She's here!" A voice cheered.
"Fat man, you will die first!" I shouted.
He laughed. I fought against the bag. What the heck?! Did they use some kind of steel rope to hold it closed?!
There was another few minutes of my fruitless fighting with a bag. Albeit completely stupid and pointless fighting, but I won't give up just yet. Beside me I heard another loud thud, followed by a groan of pain.
"Who's there?! Who is that!" I demanded.
"He's here. Now we can have party start!"
The rope holding my bag shut loosened. I pushed me way out, waving a hand expecting to hit someone's face.
Instead I was greeted by the sight of the North Pole.
My jaw dropped.
"Hey, there they are! Jack Frost and Cupid!" The fat man that had been shouting-Santa holy crud that was Santa I was meeting Santa-was now waving his arms in an excited greeting.
His arm had waved out towards the two other people in his group. The Tooth Fairy and the Sandman.
"Wow, you gotta be kidding me." A voice added beside me.
Before I could see who it was, something poked my face. Shooting up to my feet, my hand lashing out to my sheathed blade, I saw it was only an elf. He was beaming up at me with a dopey grin. While I observed I let myself hover off the ground. That always made me feel better.
A pair of yetis came up behind me. As I flew to the side to defend myself I saw them grab a pale thin boy from another sack. The boy seemed familiar to me.
"Hey, hey. Whoa, put me down." He told the yetis. They dropped him on his feet.
"Who are you?" I asked him.
The big straightened up his hoodie, brushing off yeti fur. "Who are you?"
"I asked first." My hand tightened on the hilt of my blade.
"I asked second." He tightened the hold on his staff.
There was a tense silence while I sized him up.
"Oh you are Jack Frost." I taunted. "You are smaller in person. What, is it too cold out?"
Jack narrowed his eyes. "That makes you Cupid?"
"Mmm, smart too. You're not just a baby face." I winked at him, loosening my hold on the hilt.
"I hope the yetis treated you well?" North interjected.
"Oh, yeah. I love being shoved in a sack and tossed through a magic portal." Jack snarked at him, swinging his staff over his shoulder.
North beamed. "Oh, good! That was my idea!" I rolled my eyes. "And Cupid?"
"Shove me in a sack again, fat man." I warned. "And I will not be happy."
North laughed. It was the big belly laugh that made me grin, however snarky. "You know Bunny, obviously."
Bunnymund was leaning against a nearby pillar. He gruffed our direction.
"Obviously."
"In passing."
"And the Tooth Fairy?" North prompted.
I opened my mouth to answer. The Tooth Fairy flew up to Jack, fingers reaching for his mouth. "Hello, Jack. I've heard a lot about you. And your teeth."
"My, my what?" Jack stuttered.
"Open up! Are they really as white as they say? Yes!" Tooth squealed. She flew backwards from Jack. My hand covered my mouth, protecting my teeth. "Oh they really do sparkle like freshly fallen snow." She chirped. Her tiny fairies- which were way less cool than my cherubs-swarmed to Jack's head. "Girls, pull yourselves together...Let's not disgrace the uniform. Cupid! You're-oh."
My hand was over my mouth.
"I just wanted to see if they were as white as your wings!"
I growled beneath my hand. Tooth flinched back, giggling bashfully.
"And Sandman." Except the Sandman was sleep floating. North tapped his shoulder. "Sandy! Sandy! Wake up!"
The Sandman snorted as he woke up, landing on the floor with rehearsed ease. He smiled at Jack and I.
"Hey! Ho! Anyone wanna tell me why I'm here?" Jack asked.
"Yeah. I'm not really a fan of being dragged to places." I advised.
Sandy floated closer to us. He began forming sand pictures above his head. They started off slow before rushing through.
"That's not really helping. But thanks, little man." Jack commented.
"There was a man." I translated. "Or...the silhouette of a man. He was here at the Pole. Something about the moon? I think? And...Jack and me. Somehow we're...well not involved but in the middle of it?" The Guardians were surprised. "Yeah I can read Sandman. Despite the blonde, I'm not an idiot."
North laughed good naturedly. Bunnymund was snickering, like he doubted that.
"We musta done something really bad to get you four together." Jack walks away from the group, frosting an elf with a tray of cookies as it marches past, then turns around. "Are we on the naughty list?"
"On naughty list?" North laughed, going serious to glare at Jack. "You hold record. Cupid...you are not off to good start. But no matter. We overlook. Now we are wiping clean the slate."
"Why? What's the catch?" I asked, pulling an arrow out of my quiver to twirl around my fingers.
"Ah, good question." Bunnymund complimented, sneering in disgust in North's direction.
"How come? I tell you how come!" North cheered loudly. "Because now...you are Guardians!"
There was loud fanfare from behind me. Jumping towards it, I saw the yetis waving torches. The elves were blowing on horns. There was confetti falling from the ceiling.
Four fairies were flying up to us. Two holding a snowflake necklace, another two holding a heart one. Once it was close enough I grabbed it from their tiny hands. Throwing it on the ground was sad. Their expressions, not the act itself. No way was I wearing paper hearts like one the kids I shot with the arrows.
"This is the best part!" North's voice carried over the cacophony of loud noises.
The two yetis with torches began rotating them. They walked around Jack and I. In a way that I realized quickly was to herd us towards the middle of the floor. I stayed off the ground, to their displeasure. They waved the torches higher in the air. I had to touch the ground to dodge the flames.
When my feet touched the ground the panic set in. It suddenly felt hard to breath despite not needing air. My wings were sagging on my back, sinking so the tips touched the ground.
All I could think about was the mistakes.
That boy in Ireland.
The girls from Missouri.
That couple in Chicago.
This little girl and a pony.
Mrs Barclay.
Lilac.
How sad she looked when Mrs Barclay was taking her away.
The noise in the room grew. It grew. It grew. It grew. It grew so loud I could barely tell the noise in my head from the noise in the room.
There was a loud boom. The harsh cold of the room spread to my feet.
It grew too much.
I flew off the ground, flying until I was touching the ceiling. My wings flapped hard to keep me away from any of the flying toys in the Pole, and to avoid hitting others. Silently I called for cherubs. Any cherubs nearby. They would help. They knew what to do.
From above I could see everything that had happened. Jack had slammed his staff on the ground. It had spread out a violent ice from where we had stood. No wonder I had gotten so cold. The elves and yetis took steps away from Jack. Sandman was looking up at me. His expression was of pity.
"What makes you think I want to be a Guardian?" Jack demanded.
"S-Seconded!" I called down to them.
North-who somewhere in my panic had acquired a book-laughed. "Of course you do!" He turned to the elves. "Music!"
They blew on the trumpets.
I fired an arrow at one. The arrow hit one through his hat. His eyes went cross for just a moment. When they straightened the elf cuddled the trumpet he was holding.
"Stop!" I ordered. "If one more of you plays music, I'll hit you with TWO arrows!"
The elves stopped. One threw down his trumpet, storming off in a huff.
It became clear they weren't going to start up again. So I fluttered down towards the ground. Not touching it, I wasn't ready for that. No just hovering over the ground.
"Look, this is all very flattering, but ah...you don't want me." Jack told them. He hopped off the ground, floating to the barristers. "You're all hard work and deadlines, and I'm snowballs and fun times. I'm not a Guardian."
"Yeah, that's exactly what I said!" Bunnymund reminded the Guardians.
"You're all idiots!" I shouted, flying closer to them. "Us? Guardians?! I can't protect anything! I can barely watch over-"
Suddenly, a trio of cherubs appeared. They began fluttering around my head, squeaking rapidly.
"Cherubs! Oh I forgot I called you guys!" I cheered. Two of them went to hide in my hair, the other checked my wings. "Mydia! Get your hands off my feathers! Pelie, Seraph, that hurts my head! All three of you stop."
The cherubs paused.
"Move away."
They did. Mydia began chittering at me, scolding.
"I know I'm not supposed to touch the ground! It was an accident!" I replied. Mydia chittered again. "Would you stop? I'm trying to have a serious conversation with Guardians."
The cherubs gasped. They turned to the room, seeing the Guardians and Jack and all the other residents of the North Pole.
Seraph waved, bashfully. Pelie hid in my hair again. Mydia faced their confused stares without shame.
"What are these?" Bunnymund asked, sneering.
Mydia chittered at him- angrily waving her fist.
The cherubs gasped.
"Mydia! Language!" I scolded her. The cherub refused to apologize. I huffed. "These are my cherubs. They go to places I can't- and Mydia I said to stop!"
She was pulling at my hair. She squeaked to get my attention, waving to my arrows. 'Guess Hamil had talked to her.' "Squeak squeaker squeakin' squeak!"
The cherubs gasped. One fainted.
"And I literally just killed Seraph." I huffed. "See? I don't have time to be a Guardian. I've got to figure out all of these...weirdos."
"You get cherubs?!" Jack yelled in aggression. "Seriously? What the- the Moon gave you Cherubs and I get nothing?"
"Jack, Cupid...I don't think you understand what it is we do." Tooth flew over towards the globe. I flew away from them, instead hovering in mid air by the globe. The cherubs followed me. "Each of those lights is a child."
"A child who believes. And good or bad, naughty or nice, we protect them." North added on. "Tooth...fingers out of mouth."
Turning over towards Jack, I saw she was indeed examining Jack's teeth.
Tooth pulled away when she saw everyone's eyes on her. "Oh, sorry. They're beautiful." She complimented Jack.
"Okay, no more wishy-washy! Pitch is out there doing who knows what!" North reminded the Guardians.
"You mean the Boogeyman?" Jack scoffed.
"Pitch Black? That's the guy?" I flew to Jack's side, staying hovering above the ground. Pelie took nest in my hair, Mydia was trying to pull an arrow from the quiver. Seraph was still passed out on the ground.
"Yes! When Pitch threatens us, he threatens them as well." He pointed to the globe. I looked as well, seeing where Lilac lived and where her light must be.
Pitch threatens us, he threatens them
Threatening her
...why does that make me want to put my blade in his face?
"All the more reason to pick others who are more qualified!" Jack argued.
"Pick? You think we pick?" North chuckled. "No, you were both chosen like we were all chosen. By Man in Moon." He waved to a window where we could see the Moon.
I gawked at the Moon. "Huh?"
"What?"
"Last night, Cupid, Jack. He chose the two of you." Tooth explained.
"Maybe." Bunnymund commented.
"The Man in the Moon, he talks to you?" Jack asked in shock.
Flying to the bannister, I sat on the edge.
Pitch threatens Lilac.
Pitch
Threatens
Lilac.
"You see, you can not say no. It is destiny." North told us.
"But why, why wouldn't he tell me that himself?" Jack asked.
He was going to feel pain for that.
Pelie was muttering in my ear.
"After 300 years this is his answer? To spend eternity like you guys cooped up in some, some hideout thinking of, of new ways to bribe kids? No no, that's not for me." Jack turned to the Guardians. "No offense."
Bunnymund was stunned. "How is that not offensive?" He asked. "You know what I think? I think we just dodged a bullet. I mean, what do these clowns know about bringing joy to children anyway?"
"Uhh, you ever hear of a snow day? I know it's no hard-boiled egg, but kids like what I do." Jack countered.
"But none of 'em believe in you. Do they?" Bunnymund taunted. "You see, you're invisible, mate. It's like you don't even exist."
"Bunny! Enough!" Tooth snapped.
"Back off, less funny Roger Rabbit." I warned him.
Flying to his face, I picked up Seraph. He was warm in my palm so he was still alive. Not that I was worried. Seraph was an a fighter- an annoying fighter though.
Once I made it to Bunnymund's face, I stared down his nose into his eyes.
"I'm not afraid to fight you."
Bunnymund snorted. "Easy for you to say. What makes you so special, eh? Why did you get cherubs and Believers even though you're young? Even though you hurt every kid you fire those twigs at?"
"Wanna see what these twigs will do to your face?" I growled.
"No, the kangaroo's right." Jack
"The, the what-what'd you call me?" Bunnymund pushed me aside. The cherubs are chittered angrily. Mydia waved her fist in his direction. "I am not a kangaroo, mate." He stomped up to Jack's face.
Jack stomped right back. "Oh. And this whole time I thought you were. If you're not a kangaroo, what are you?"
"I'm a bunny. The Easter Bunny. People believe in me." Bunnymund boasted.
I let an arrow loose before anyone could blink.
Mydia flew up in front of me, pushing the arrow as it approached Bunnymund's face.
"Mydia!" I snapped. "I told you all- don't block my arrows! You know better than this!"
Mydia held my arrow, which was a miracle of itself. She shook her head firmly at me.
I growled. As I reached up for another arrow, Pelie grabbed my ear while Seraph poked my hand.
"Jack. Cupid." North interjected. "Walk with me."