Jack entered in through North's launch tunnel, maneuvering around the icy hanging stalagmites with ease. He sailed in through the doors over several surprised yetis' heads, did a once around North's globe and smiled to himself when he saw that Jaime's light of belief still burned bright, then landed on the ornate "G" of the wooden floor of Guardian headquarters. "Jack Frost!" North bellowed his booming voice reverberating throughout the workshop. He scooped the scrawny teen up in his arms and held him tight.

"Can't. Breathe," Jack managed to gasp out, which made North quickly set him back down and splutter apologies.

"Strong arms. Can't control sometimes," he commented with a wink.

"See you made it just fine," Bunny remarked.

"Hey! I got here first!"

"Actually..." Tooth interjected cautiously. Jack gaped at her and then threw his head back.

"No! I thought I finally beat you!"

"Like I said mate, never race a rabbit," Bunny cheekily shot back, looking quite smug at having never lost to Jack or anyone else for that matter.

"Looks like we're all here," a serene feminine voice said from the corner of the room. Zamia strode towards the gathered Guardians with Sandman floating beside her. He beamed upon seeing Jack and flew over to him, dozens of images illustrating his excitement and joy over being reunited with him appearing and disappearing over his head. Jack laughed at this and hugged Sandman warmly.

"It's good to see you too, Sandy," he said once they had broken apart.

"Now that we're all-"

"Hold on, who's she?" Jack interrupted while pointing his staff at the woman tentatively, unsure if she was someone he could trust. The woman simply smiled sweetly at him and turned her gaze to North.

"Jack meet Zamia. Mother Time." The staff dropped front end first to the floor as Jack's grip went limp and his eyes widened.

"You're...you're the-"

"Oldest spirit here? Yes, considering that I've been here since...well since the beginning of time itself." Her gaze met Jack's and he felt himself wither in her presence. He had only heard whispers of her existence and had thought that he would never get to meet her. Now that he had openly threatened this ancient spirit, he felt ashamed and embarrassed in front of his fellow Guardians.

"Look, I'm sorry about pointing my staff at you."

"Quite all right, Jack Frost. I have seen all you have gone through and understand your reservations. You can trust me." Her eyes looked him over warmly and Jack felt at peace.

"Right, so why did you call us here, North?" Tooth piped in with.

"Pitch is returning," North bluntly stated.

"Seriously? That's supposed to make us nervous?" Bunny asked sardonically, rolling his eyes.

"Yes," Zamia flatly said. "You should be nervous, Bunnymund, for the man in the moon has stated that stopping him this time will take much more than the force of the Guardians."

"Has he selected a new Guardian, perhaps?" Tooth inquired. Zamia shook her head and cast a grave look at the fairy. The "G" on the floor then started to fill with moonlight and give off a brilliant pale glow. Tooth gasped and Jack looked on in awe, having never seen this happen before.

"It appears Manny has something to add," North said with a smile. Once the "G" was completely filled with moonlight, the floor opened and a large crystal on a pedestal rose up from the ground. It stopped just above the Guardians and Jack eyed it curiously.

"What's that?" he asked.

"It's how the man in the moon communicates items of great importance with us," Toothiana answered. "The last being your selection to be a Guardian." A glow from within the Crystal emanated and cast rays of light about the Guardian headquarters. Then a white substance that looked similar to snow started to take shape within the crystal.

"I know why you need me now," Zamia quietly said.

"He spoke to you?" North asked. Zamia gave a terse nod in his direction then returned her focus to the crystal. Inside the image of a teen boy wearing a fur vest and standing next to what appeared to be a dragon appeared.

"I-I don't recognize that spirit," Toothiana stammered in confusion while the other Guardians continued to stare at the crystal, wondering who this boy was and why he was important to the task at hand. The image was slowly replaced by a young woman with wild hair riding a horse and aiming an arrow notched on her bow. This only served to increase the Guardians' befuddlement.

"I don't get it," Jack grumbled in an annoyed fashion. A final image of a teenaged girl with incredibly long hair appeared in the crystal before the glow and light faded from the room and the moon resumed its normal appearance.

"That was quite a display," North mused to the others.

"What?!" Bunny shouted. "That gave us nothing! We don't even know who they are, let alone where to find them!"

Zamia stepped forward to the center of the room and said, "I know who they are."

"Great! Get in sleigh and we go get them!" North then proceeded to head to where his sleigh was while several yetis ran ahead to prepare his ride.

"I also know when they are," added Zamia with a lilt of her eyes. This stopped North in his tracks.

"I'm sorry, did you say 'when'?" asked Jack, more confused then ever.

"That is where I come in. The figures you saw in the crystal are not spirits, but rather people with astonishing talents and gifts who will be instrumental in our fight against Pitch. However, they are not of our time," Zamia explained calmly.

"You're going to send us back then?!" Tooth excitedly asked with a gleam of delight in her eyes.

"No, him." She pointed to Jack who then placed a hand on his chest in order to confirm that he was indeed the one she pointed at.

Stunned, Jack managed to say, "Why me? Why not North? He has more experience and knowledge on all of this!" North eyed Zamia curiously, awaiting her answer.

"The man in the moon feels that since you are close to the age as the three that we need for this fight, you will be able to appeal to them better than North could."

"You still haven't told us who they even are," Bunny interjected loudly.

Zamia gracefully moved her hands, summoning some white sand from the time stream to reform the three images that had been shown to them in the crystal. "Hiccup Haddock the third of the Vikings," she said while placing her hand over his image. Jack snorted at the name and was met with a stern glare from Zamia. "You would do well to respect him, Jack. He has one of the fiercest dragons known to man." He gave her a smirk, but then nodded his head for her to continue.

"Merida DunBroch, princess of the DunBroch clan and an archer who never misses her mark."

"She's a princess?!" Jack blurted to no one's surprise. "She looks more like a savage!"

"Nevertheless she is a princess and you will treat her as such." He groaned and glared over at Bunny who had let out an amused chuckle.

"That'll be the day," Bunnymund chortled.

Zamia cleared her throat in order to get their attention once more. "The final one is Rapunzel of Corona, a girl who possesses hair with magical healing properties."

"Come again?" Jack said.

"You heard me." He raised an eyebrow and then swung his staff over his shoulder, while striding over to her.

"So, how do I get this band of misfits here?" he queried.

Zamia lifted her necklace over her neck and placed it on Jack's, opening it to reveal the small clock with the swirling white sand beneath the Roman numerals. "I have already told the necklace where you need to go. Tap the face of the clock twice when you are ready and it will take you to the first person. Each time you are ready to move on, make sure that you are holding those with you and tap twice. Tap three times to return here."

Jack lifted the clock and examined it closely. "This little thing is what you use to control all of time?"

"No, I haven't been allowed to meddle with time for a while," confessed Zamia with a guilty look.

"You're the mother of time though! Why would you not be allowed to control your own element?!" Jack questioned.

Zamia sadly smiled at him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "A story for another time, perhaps. You must be off. We are all counting on you." He gave her a grin that appeared more confident than he felt. Turning his gaze to his fellow Guardians that stood all around them, he made a small flourish with his hand.

"I bid you all goodbye as I go on this important task," he admonished with flair. Tooth giggled, Bunny groaned and waved his paw off at the boy, while Sandy smiled encouragingly for Jack and flashed him a thumbs up.

"I know you will succeed, Jack," North affirmed before clapping his hand on the teen's back so hard that it caused him to stumble forward a bit.

"Thanks, North," he sincerely said with a small smile. He held the clock before him and was about to tap it when a thought suddenly occurred to him.

Whirling around wide eyed, he blurted, "How will they even see me?!"

Zamia looked at him somberly and answered, "I do not know if they will see you or not. These people all existed before your time. If they do not see you, it is up to you to get them to or else we do not stand a chance."

Jack gulped and looked back down at the clock, thinking to himself, "No pressure, then." With one last look at the Guardians, he tapped the clock twice and disappeared in a swirl of brilliant white sand.