Heya guys! Kenya here! Finally after a month of working around studies and whatnot, I have been able to get this second chapter up! This may be the last one for a little while because of my studies so you'll have to bear with me alright? And, as a personal request, would you all please review to see how I am doing? I really enjoy critique and opinions on how I am doing and it is also essential for me to improve as a writer. So please PLEASE review, please? Anyway so, this story also has some song inspiration. The first is "Another Try" by Josh Turner, next is "Camelot Main Titles" from the television series Camelot, then there's "Guardians Regroup" from the Guardians movie. From the last chapter were, "Fate and Destiny", "Get the Key" and "We've both changed" from Brave, and "Three brothers" from Brother Bear (specifically the ending from Sitka's funeral). Hope you all enjoy this and let me know how I am doing ok? Reviews = good! ^^
Chapter 1: How time Flies…
1 ½ years after Pitch was defeated, October 12th 2012
Jack awoke from his sleep with tear stained, deep, sapphire blue eyes of sadness and pain. Although Sandy's dream sand helped with easing some of the pain he felt from his personal blame, it didn't heal every scar he bears. He sat up on the edge of his bed and rubbed his face with his now cold, frigid fingers and palms to try and cool his warm face. Stopping at his forehead he remembered Valora's face before she was killed by the bear, how her eyes widened with fear for her and Jack's safety, how her skin paled after she saw Jack get clawed, and how her long low black ponytail swayed as she ran for her life, the life that was taken from her too early in time. He sighed as he stood up and stretched his muscles after being in bed for what appeared to be five hours.
Moving to his own personal bathroom he turned on the water in the sink, gathered the water in his hands and splashed his face with the cold water in an attempt to wake himself up more. He grabbed the face towel and dried the water from his face before it froze on his skin, looking at the mirror when he finished, his hair like a birds nest sprinkled with morning dew with eyes that looked like ocean basins, deep and dark.
With another sigh he moved out of the bathroom to grab one of three blue hoodies that he owned, grabbed his staff, which was hanging from the overhead rack from his bed, and walked out to the hustle and bustle of the North Pole workshop. Walking slowly and quietly, he replayed the memory over and over again to try to remember how he could have stopped the accident. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't hear the other guardians talking to him, until he bumped into something big and soft.
"You alright mate? Still upset about that memory?" asked Bunny, looking down at Jack who bumped into him.
"Tooth and Bunny told me the story of what happened, Jack. I'm sorry that it came up like a bullet to you" said North who came up beside Jack and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"It's fine. Not like anything can be done now" said Jack, trying to be positive, but obviously not working.
Sandy came over and gently rubbed Jack's hand while smiling sadly, sand signaling that he was sorry for him.
Tooth was looking down when she thought of an idea, "Hey Jack? Do you still remember where Valora's grave is?" she asked him.
Jack winced slightly at the mention of her name but recovered to answer the multi colored fairy, "Yes, why?"
"Well, I was thinking, since you remembered her, why not try to ease the pain by decorating her grave? I heard from the kids in Mexico that they honor their dead by decorating the graves and what-not, so why not decorate her gravestone?" she suggested.
"Good idea Tooth, that should make things a little easier right?" said North looking at Jack.
Instead the teen sighed, "If only there was a person to honor. Her body was never found so they placed that grave as a marker so that if they did find the body, they could give her a proper burial" he then floated to a book shelf where he removed a large book filled with records of residence, turning to one specific page and stopped at the name Melody Wolfe, moving sideways to how she died and if she was recovered. "And as you can see here, it says that her body was never found. Decorating the grave is a good idea Tooth, but it would be better if it was honored with a real buried body. Thanks for the idea though" he then placed the book back and floated back down while using his feet to pick his staff up. "But," he said as the guardians looked at him, "I wouldn't mind visiting her grave, since it's been a while. And….I wouldn't mind company either" he looked down, a small blush appearing on his pale cheeks, embarrassed.
"Well then, to Valora's Grave it is! Everyone, to the sleigh!" said North as he went to gather his coat.
"No thanks mate, I'm taking the tunnels" said Bunny as he turned to Jack, "Where's the graveyard?"
"Meet us at Goldhawk Hill in Burgess. She's not buried at any cemetery I can tell you that" said Jack as he smiled for the first time today.
So with that, Bunny went through his tunnels and the rest went on the Sleigh to Goldhawk hill, an old war zone named for a former governor of the 1600's. The hill had breath-taking views of both the city of Burgess and the sunset laying over the mountains, creating a palate of pinks, yellows, and oranges. By the time the big five got there, the sky was a tainted red. How ironic.
"Turned red in honor of the fallen huh? Heh" said Jack as he moved out of the sleigh.
The winter spirit then leads the group through a labyrinth of trees to a small vacant spot where several old graves reside. Among them, in the far back right corner where a small view of the now present town of Burgess sits, an old double gravestone with a small angel statue on top sits alone. Jack walked gracefully toward the tombstone while looking at the different names on the other tombstones. Miguel and Elizabeth, Larkin and Evita, Hilary and Devon, Jack's sister Ginny and her husband, and a few other members of both families that Jack never knew. When he reached the back tombstone, he knelt and placed his hand on the cold still statue of the small angel that stood above the plaques dully shimmering upon it. Below the angel's feet, a small plaque read in large letters 'DIED BEFORE THEY WERE MARRIED, BODYS NEVER FOUND TO BURY'. Below that were two plaques, one that read Jack's name, time alive and a small saying, another reading Valora's. Water was blurring his vision as he traced Valora's name delicately when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Bunny and the other guardians around him at the grave with small sad smiles of sympathy as Jack closed his eyes and let the tears fall.
"Jack, don't move" said Bunny in a scared and worried tone, all of the sudden.
Slowly Jack lifted his head and his gaze to see two vivid blue pools of surprise and sadness surrounded by fur of tan, brown and black. His eyes widened in shock as he remembers the owner of those eyes, the one who lead him to the fight for Valora's life, the wolf who attempted to save her.
"It's you" said Jack breathlessly, surprised to see the one who warned him was still alive after all these years. The wolf looked at him cautiously and started to growl lightly. Jack laughed a little and shook his head, "I figured you wouldn't recognize me, considering it has been over 300 years since you helped in saving my fiancé from that demon bear" he looked at the wolf with hopeful eyes.
The wolf's ears perked up and eyes slightly widened at Jack's remark. He moved closer to the pale teen and sniffed him, only to lunge him and lick Jack's face in happiness. Jack laughed as he petted the wolf's head and fur and wiping his face of spit after the happiness toned down. The teen then hugged the wolf like he did all those years ago, which the wolf hugged back, tightly.
"It's been a long time old friend" said Jack as he released the hug, looking at the wolf's face with a smile that could melt permafrost. Suddenly a caw was heard from above and Jack raised his head to see the Goshawk perched on a branch that was right above his and Valora's gravestone, right next to the angel.
"So you're here too huh? I'd pet ya, but I don't think those talons will suit well with my hoodie" Jack said, getting a laugh from the guardians, who were happy that the old Jack was starting to come back.
The young hawk just ruffled it's feathers and shook it's head as it looked at the wolf and cawed a few times as if it were talking to it. The wolf looked at the hawk and the two engaged in what would be a conversation that the guardians did not understand. After at least two minutes, the wolf looked at Jack and around him until his eyes laid on his staff for a second. The canine looked at the pendant and started to inch towards it with it's mouth open while Jack leaned back trying to get the pendant away from the wolf. Suddenly, as fast as a snake bite, the wolf turned, grabbed Jack's staff from the ground and took off, the Goshawk trailing behind him.
Jack blinked twice before realizing what happened, "Hey! Come back here with that!" he yelled as he ran off towards the duo who were pretty far ahead.
"Jack!" shouted Bunny as he looked toward the guardians, who silently agreed to catch up, "Wait up!" they shouted as they ran after the teenager.
For a small fragile animal, the wolf was pretty fast, even for Jack. Like the wind to the sky, the canine moved gracefully through the woods while dragging Jacks staff behind him, the crook in its mouth and covered in slobber.
The Hawk flew high above to see the trail better as Jack chased closely behind the wolf, the guardians on Jack's tail closing in.
Jack inched closer and closer to the wolf as the group ran through the thick dark forest away from the town of Burgess and into the unknown. The forest around them became darker and wild as moss as thick as sheepskin rugs and greener than emeralds started to coat the trees and land around. After what appeared to be hours of running, the wolf makes a sharp right turn, throwing Jack off and making him stumble a bit in the dirt, and ran to what appeared to be an old forest temple. Tall as a mountain and thick as a red tree, the canine climbed up the moss covered steps with the hawk swooping above him to the inner chambers of the temple. Jack was not far behind but stopped in his tracks with the others following suit as they gazed at the magnificence of the shrine that was taken by nature. Jack took a deep breath and exhaled sharply as he climbed the steps of the structure to follow the paw prints of the thief, the others slowly falling behind. Bunny was the last one to enter the shrine as he looked around nervously and anxiously, getting the feeling that something bad was about to happen.
"Uh, mates I don't like this. I'm getting a bad feeling about that wolf, like it's not what it seems to be when we saw him" said the oversized rabbit.
"He saved my fiancé, well attempted to, so I own him. But I don't know why he took my staff. It's like he was trying to get my att-" Jack wasn't able to finish his sentence as he fell down a hole screaming.
"Jack?! Jack! Where are-"The same thing happened to Bunny and the others as the same hole seemed to move around the group, making them scream and not know where they were going. When light finally showed itself, the big five fell into a pond that laid below the tunnel exit. This didn't feel like ordinary pond water though because Jack wasn't freezing it on the spot like he would naturally do. It was warmer than normal and surrounded by moss.
"Where are we?" asked Tooth as she swam her way to the shore and climbed up the moss, cleaning her wings.
"I wish I knew" said North, carrying his now soaked thick coat in one arm and helping the other men with his other arm.
"You are in the Kingdom of Virelith, frontier for the Guardians of Nature" said a voice from nowhere.
The group looked around franticly for the source of the voice, until Sandy's chiming turned all attention to a nearby oak tree where a boy about three years older than Jack's visual age sitting in the tree, blue eyes covered by strands of short messy black hair overlooking the scene while clad in a short sleeve brown tunic graces his tan fit upper torso while wearing trousers that are tight at the waist area that flow out a little at the end of the pant leg covering light tan Greek sandals. Next to him was a very thin girl with hair so light that it almost looked gray but it was blonde. Her ash grey eyes overlook the group while clad in a midnight blue Greek toga covering all her torso except her left shoulder. Grey sandals are placed upon her feet while silver bracers like bunny but hers don't have any special markings or gemstones, they are just plan silver. Every item she wears gives her skin a bluish appearance to her already pale skin, much like Jack's only hers is pinker.
"Hey, uhh, you haven't seen a wolf around here with a staff in it's mouth have you?" asked Jack.
The two teens in the tree looked at each other and exchanged smirks.
"You mean that staff?" asked the boy as he pointed to an area behind Jack.
The white haired teen followed the direction of the finger to a willow tree where some of the branches held his staff further up the strands. Jack groaned as he flew up to grab his staff, only to be attacked by a flock of birds that made him fall into the water again, staff and all.
Jack surfaced from the water to collect his breath before glaring at the two teens in the tree who were laughing like crazy, the boy hanging on the branch by his feet, like Jack use to do to entertain the children when he was mortal.
"Why did you do that? I could have been pecked to death!" said Jack as he walked up the pond side.
"Sorry! Couldn't resist a good laugh! We haven't had one for a while since the attack" said the boy as he landed on his feet on the ground. The girl followed behind him with her toga flowing gracefully around her body. "We forgot to introduce. I'm Apollo, Guardian of small game. This is Athena, Guardian of Bird life. Former God and Goddess turned Guardians. Also known as the wolf and Goshawk that lead you all here" explained the boy, now named Apollo.
The big five looked at the two with dumbfound looks.
"Wait, wait, wait a minute" said Bunny, "You're telling us that the animals that we saw earlier and who have been wondering this planet for who knows how long have been the former Greek Gods and Goddesses and no one ever knew?!"
"Just about sums it up" said Apollo.
"During the times when the earth was somewhat young" Athena started, "we were worshiped to look over the people of the world, specifically Greece since we were worshiped there the most. We had all the power needed to protect everyone. But as time went by, fewer and fewer people believed in us. By the time that worshiping more than one god became usual, taboo even, we had to find another title for us to use our powers. Artemis, former Greek goddess of the moon, received a message from the moon stating that we should protect nature for the sake of the planet. And so, for several hundred years, we have been protecting nature with weapon and bone until the day that we choose a suitor, an heir who is a soul recently released from death's grip. For most of us, it only happened every millennia, some a bit earlier, others a bit longer-"Athena couldn't finish as she went silent and lifter her head up high, going dead silent as she did.
Bunny also went silent as his ears turned a certain direction while he stood on his feet. Just as he did in the warren when Sophie trespassed on his territory, he went on full alert, eyes moving, ears turning, nose sniffing and staying on edge.
"Something's up" he said.
A small brush of wind was felt by Jack as he turned to no longer see Athena on the ground, but up at the top of the tree, overlooking the land before her. Jack flew up next to her to see what the problem was, as he soon found out when he heard a large thump in the distance along with a small screech.
"What was that?" asked Jack a little worried.
"I hear rapid footsteps approaching!" called Bunny from down below.
"Uh-oh! Not good! Quick everyone! This way!" cried Apollo as he started to run, the ones on the ground following close behind. Jack and Athena floated down gracefully before joining the running band. The clan made their way to a thickly uprooted tree where a small tunnel underneath was large enough for everyone to fit. "Quick! In here!" Shouted Apollo as he motioned everyone to get in.
North went in first, followed by Tooth, Sandy, Bunny, Apollo, and Athena and Jack once the two arrived there in time. Breathing was well heard as the pale haired girl shushed them all to lower their breathing just as a loud thump was heard close by. Soon another was heard, followed by many others in a rhythm that resembled the feet of a giant walking on the land. About five minutes of loud noise later, a black figure appears right by the roots standing as tall as three story building. Its face could not be seen clearly because of the roots, but even from under the tangled mess, one could tell that the face was horrifically disfigured. Dark brown cloth covered with moldy like moss covers the crotch area and part of the chest area, leaving his right chest area open to the air. Slobber trailed down the left side of its mouth as it fell through the roots while smelling the air for something that the unnoticed group below couldn't quite get.
"What is that?" asked Tooth in a soft whisper to Athena.
"That is a dark troll. A combination of the two forms of darkness that are threatening our survival and our hold on nature" explained Athena, "Ruthless creatures, they are. They will do anything to make a man or woman tremble to the bone with terror before killing them for meat"
The five childhood guardians shivered slightly at the explanation. Jack grabbed his chest and heaved slightly before reaching for his pendant, only to realize it wasn't around his neck. In a silent frantic, he looked around and felt the ground for the pendant until he looked toward the entrance to the roots, where the pendant laid on the ground, right in view of the troll. At first, he hesitates on what to do, then, with eyes fully on the troll, he inches toward the entrance and slowly reaches for his pendant, with the beast oblivious to his action. As soon as he grabs it and begins to pull back, he looks to make sure he has a grip, before a black arm comes down in front of the entrance and a large dirty looking gold eye peaks through the root entryway. Everyone freezes on the spot, not moving or making any sound, only the faint sounds of rapid heartbeats could be heard as dirty gold widen at the sight of Jack. The eye is removed and a black hand reaches inside for the occupants, who move further back into the roots, trying to escape the grip.
"What did you do Jack?!" shouted Bunny, not enjoying being squished by several members of the party in one corner.
"My pendant fell off and I had to get it back!" he explained, keeping his feet away, "I didn't mean for this to happen!" shouted Jack as he grabbed his staff and froze the inside of the tree, creating a barrier to try and stop the troll. It seemed to work, until a muffled yell of "FROST!" and an explosion of a fist crushing the roots right next to Jack just happened. Everyone yelped in surprise at the attack and tried to move further back, only for Jack and Athena to be grabbed by the black beast, Jack in a firm grip while Athena was held by her foot between two fingers, holding her dress by her hands. Jack tried to struggle to get free as the beast brought the winter spirit close to it's face, breath flowing from its disgusting hole that reeked of dead carcasses and something else that Jack couldn't identify, but the fumes made his eyes water, gag like he was about to vomit, and he started to cough and sweat from the foul smelling heat.
Just as Jack started to think he was going to faint, the giant beast suddenly took a sharp breath in as a dripping sound was heard. Its eyes rolled to the back of its head as it collapsed right on top of the roots, taking Jack and Athena with it and releasing its grip. Jack managed to grab Athena's foot and fly up well enough to get her out of the way of the hand and collapses to the ground, trying to catch his breath, coughing while doing so.
"Jack! Are you alright?" asked North, worried about his 'son'.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine. It's just that breath" Jack said, a little queasy from the stench.
"What caused that troll to fall? It couldn't have died on its own could it?" asked Bunny, overlooking the large beast.
"No, something must've killed it with the amount of blood that it's giving off" said Apollo, "But who-" The former god was cut off when a figure jumped down in front of them and stood up, towering the younger brown haired life form.
"There you are you little Brown-eyed Mullets!" shouted a clearly female Australian voice.
"Brown-eyed what now?" asked Bunny as he turned to see something that he would only dream to see.
There standing in front of Apollo was a 5'9" ash grey black speckled, floppy eared, female Pooka with red pooka tribe markings, purple tulip colored eyes, and a very thin coat of dust covered her body. Around her neck was a brown bandanna and a brown sash like Bunny wore except instead of places for egg bombs, a slit held a dagger that was blood-coated red fresh from an attack. She also wore silver braces with a thin gold leaf pattern on the edge instead of string on her feet.
"I've been looking everywhere for you two! Apollo, your sister's been looking everywhere for you, not to mention worried that you would be taken by Hades and his shadow prick of a partner! And Athena, I thought you were better than messing around with Apollo! What were you two doing here anyway?" asked the she-rabbit, clearly angry, staring down the two teenage nature protectors.
"Oh, yeah, Sorry Majabelle. But you know we need all the help we can get, and for your information you may want to thank us for bringing the guardians of childhood here to help in our battle!" said Apollo as he moved his hand toward the big five, who were dumbstruck to see the other rabbit being.
Purple eyes followed Apollo's arm to see the group of guardians standing by the fallen Troll's arm, still looking dumbstruck by the she-beast. She moved forward and examined each one, leaving Bunny last.
Sniffing could be heard as the speckled rabbit investigated the larger gray male.
"Fresh grass….paint…..paint remover…" she pulled her head back and gave Bunnymund a confused look with a small hint of disgust, "chocolate and carrots?"
"Not together if that's what you're thinking Shelia" said Bunny, holding his hands in a defensive position.
"It's not, just got curious. Anyway, best if I introduced myself. I'm Majabelle, but everyone calls me Maj or Maja for short. I'm a member of the Virelith Pooka tribe, one of 15 guardians of domestic plants, and, as you just saw, troll slayer. And you all are?" asked Maj.
Introductions were given thanks to North.
"So, how did a random bunch of dags like you end up here?" Maj asked as the younger guardians of nature started to walk off, "Did those two bring you here?" she asked sternly.
"Hey, wait a minute, it's actually thanks to them that I was able to try and save my bride 300 years ago! They should be given a little more respect" said Jack, offended by Maj's tone of voice.
The female Pooka looked at him confused, but then looked up, thinking about what he said then raised her eyebrows.
"Oooh, you're probably talking about the old Apollo. See that Apollo is about 50 years old, while the one you're thinking of was about…..914 maybe? I lost track after a while" explained Maj.
Suddenly a loud roar was heard through the trees, coming from the west, where the gateway between the two worlds was.
"Crikey, we better get out of here before the whole troll family finds their comrade dead. Come on, I'll take ya to the Castle Cadaliri, the nature guardian stronghold. That should hold you all until the trolls leave" explained Maj.
"What do you mean 'until they leave'?" asked Tooth.
The roar of the trolls started to get louder as faint thumping is heard in the distance.
"No time to explain here. I'll tell you along the way. Follow me!" shouted Maj as she took off past the big five and the two younger guardians.
They all followed the large rabbit down a dirt path out of sight when a shadow appeared from behind a tree, silver-gold eyes of a tall slender dark figure with a jagged smile entered with his long black robe flowing behind him.
He laughed a little before speaking, "Well, it appears that we have more company than intended. We may need more darkness, right Hades?"
Also from the shadows appeared another dark figure, this one only more menacing than the last. Poisonous blue eyes appear from a black cloud of thick smog before a man appeared in full form. A black ridged pointed crown was upon his head with a blue flame in the center, glowing the same color as his wrinkled eyes. His pointed agile jawline was covered with a black short beard and a thickly well groomed mustache graced his lips. Dark silver dragon-like armor glazed from his right mid-shoulder to the bottom of his left ribcage and covering his left arm at the elbow, which from his shoulder to his elbow, as well as his right forearm, was a skeletal face that would make even the boogeyman shutter. Under this armor, a long black cape-like cloth draped over his right shoulder, diagonally across his chest, revealing his toned chest and right ribcage and covered the left side of his body and draped all the way down to his feet. On his left arm, a dark sleeve made of the same material covered all the way to his wrist while his left side was bare. From the waist down, the same black cloth surrounded him as if it was a skirt, only it wasn't. In his left hand was a staff that looked just as menacing as his armor where the top had three poison blue gems at the top and the metal splits in two making seem like a large pinching beetle. Every step he took spread darkness into the forest around him, making everything dark, cold and dead.
"Yes it would appear so. It's been a while since I had a worthy foe. Plus, it appears that your old enemies have made an appearance for some reason. I'm sure that they will parish for exhaling you like they did" the man spoke with a voice so dark and scary that it could even send shivers down Jack Frost's spine. "And it appears that we may have an alliance on our hands. Well, we'll just have to do something about that now won't we, Pitch Black?"
"Yes, we will. After all, if the story that you told me is true about one of the guardians, well, I'm sure that this will be interesting to experiment with. And as I had said before, just call me Pitch for now. I'm sure that my other name will be feared if this plan works out as we planned" said Pitch as he gazed down the path the guardians took as the trees begin to turn black and lifeless as the very life was being taken from them.
Alright, so that's all for now. Hopefully you all like this so far because I have a lot planned for this story. It's my new favorite and I can't wait to write the rest. Also, check out my profile page! It has a picture (or pictures for future updates) of the characters that will make this story live up to its title. Hopefully you guys stick around to see what else this story has to tell ^^. Don't forget to review! Byes for now!