Chapter 3
"So, Amala, I was wondering..."
"Call me Amy."
This made my brow furrow in confusion and I turned to look at her. "Wait...I know I heard the kids call you Amala."
She nodded. "That's right." She must have seen my confusion because she elaborated. "See, every year during Christmas time I come here. I've done that as long as I can remember to be perfectly honest. Anyway, Amala is so old-fashioned and fancy sounding. They've all always known me as Amala, but I wouldn't mind something shorter if you don't mind."
"Alright, then. Amy it is." She smiled in delight and my eyes flickered to the scenery around us. Somehow we had ended up walking through the snowy forest, the light of late afternoon filtering through the canopy. It was really quiet and peaceful, though. The sun's light shone off my snow making it glisten. "Can I ask you something?"
Amy giggled. "You just did."
Riiighttt... "Can I ask you something else..." She began to laugh again so I held up a hand in frustration. "Never mind. I'm just gonna ask."
She smiled and leaned her back on a tree, hands clasped behind her in an innocent way. "So ask." As I considered how to word my question, I took in her appearance again.
When I had searched for her this morning, the day after she had confessed she was cupid to me, she had changed her appearance yet again, insisting 'this was the last costume change' with a strange expression on her face. She had on fitting light pink pants, a light orange tank top and a long long-sleeved white cloak. Overall, she just seemed to blend into the wintry background, a lightly colored spirit floating through my white landscape. Excluding her hair that is. It was now a shimmering purple that fell choppily a little past her jaw. It was a pretty drastic change overall, but somehow it just looked...right.
"Well, I wanted to ask you..." I scratched the back of my head, looking down at my snow. Just spit it out, Jack! "Well, we're throwing a birthday party for Bunny later and I wanted to know if you wanted to come with me?" My eyes flicked up to her face nervously.
Her face went from shock to confusion to...upset? "Jack, that's sweet, but I shouldn't. I wasn't invited. It'd be rude to just crash the party."
I waved a hand. "Psh! Bunny wouldn't care. They'd all be fine with it."
"Jack..." Amy pushed off the tree and walked over to me. The snow crunched softly under her peachy sneakers. "It's sweet of you to offer, but you're all guardians. I'm...not. I don't belong there with all of...with all of you."
Was that what was worrying her? "It won't just be us! North's Yetis and elves and all the tooth fairies will be there too. It won't just be guardians." She still didn't look convinced. Guess I was really going to have to convince her. I put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently. "Please, Amy? I'm the newest guardian so I'm not as close as they all are. It'd be nice to have someone else to talk to and all. You know? Outside of their little circle?"
That got her. Something flashed across her eyes. "Welllll..." Her eyes darted to where a small bird darted from spot to spot in the snow. "I guess..."
"Yes!" I jumped and punched the air.
I withdrew the snow globe North had given me out of my pocket and was just about to whisper Bunny's Warren to it when Amy placed a hand on the globe making me pause. My eyes looked at her questioningly, but she simply smiled. "Can't exactly go to a birthday party without a present can I? Just give me half an hour and I'll be ready." A nod from me was all it took before she smiled excitedly. "Thanks, Jack!" Before I could even move, she had thrown her arms around me in a quick hug. She smiled and began to run away. I felt my mouth drop open as her cloak flew out and her wings extended, pumping up and down, carrying her off. There was no way I'd ever get used to that...
Half an hour later, Amy appeared again. She flapped her wings and came to a landing in front of me. The gust her wings made ruffled mour hair and I chuckled. "Finally ready?"
She nodded and held out a pile of feathers interwoven with the tips tied with a sky blue ribbon at the top. "I didn't have wrapping paper."
I snickered. "Creative. What'd you get him?" She looked at me skeptically. "Come on! You can tell me."
"Hmmm...nope." She smiled sweetly. "But I'll give you a hint." I waited for her to speak, but then she closed her eyes and when she opened them they were red.
"Whoa! No way..." Then her eyes closed and when she opened them again they were brown. "How'd you do that?"
"They're my special eyes. When I use them, I can see into a person's heart. I can see all kinds of things, but it's easiest to see who the person cares about the most. That's how I chose Bunny's gift."
I nodded slowly. "Cool...so, um, ready now?" She giggled and nodded. I pulled out the globe and whispered to it as I glanced sideways at Amy. "Take us to...the Warren..." With a smirk, I tossed it in an arc and it burst open, revealing a rainbow portal. "Come on!" I reached over and took her hand, pulling her into the portal.
Apparently, I should have specified because according to the globe, 'take us to the warren' meant drop us into the weaving tunnels that connected it to the rest of the world. We fell nd were immediately sliding along the tunnels crazily fast. Whenever I tried to get my balance, Amy would accidentally slide into me and we'd start sliding again.
I faintly heard her laughing, so I knew she was having fun, but this was...actually it was kind of fun. She slid up the wall and passed me. "I'm gonna beat ya, Snowflake!" Amy grinned at me and I chuckled.
"Bring it!" I pressed my back flat and shot past her. After a moment, she passed me again, her wings cupped under her to slide her faster. We kept alternating until I took a decent lead. I was laughing, until I saw the tunnel's entrance. Near the opening stood Sandy and he wasn't facing our way. "I'm coming in too hot!" I didn't even have the time to appreciate the irony in that, I had too much speed and couldn't get airborne enough to avoid crashing into him.
Suddenly, two slender arms wrapped around my chest from behind and I felt warm breath on my ear. "Don't worry, Jack..."
We shot out of the tunnel and I saw Sandy turn, a look of complete surprise on his face, when I heard a loud noise and felt wind blow past me and we were suddenly in the air over Sandy. Amy flapped and turned, still clinging to me, as she lowered us to the ground. As soon as our feet were on the ground, she let me go and smiled as I turned to her. "You alright?"
I smiled back. "Yeah, I'm cool." She raised an eyebrow.
"I'd hope so."
I rolled my eyes and I turned to Sandy. "Hey, Sandy. Sorry about that." The little guy just shrugged. He never seemed to get particularly mad, which I liked.
"Hey, Sandy..." Amy seemed to be hiding behind me as she greeted the golden man. He waved, but had a sad expression on his face. I looked between the two of them in confusion. Why was Amy suddenly so quiet and timid? The only time I had ever seen Sandy be intimidating was when he had fought Pitch. Now that could make you fear the little guy, but he seemed perfectly fine right now... Weird...
"Jack!" I was suddenly greeted with a body flying into mine, spinning me around. "You came!"
"Wouldn't miss it." I looked at the always ecstatic Tooth Fairy. Her smaller versions suddenly darted into my vision and they all began to chirp and chatter at me in unison. A few fanned themselves or seemed to excitedly talk to each other.
"Girls! Control yourselves!" Tooth shooed them away before she caught sight of Amy. "Jack..." Her demeanor changed to confusion and suddenly her feathers vibrated and she spoke bitterly. "What is she doing here?" I glanced to Amy and saw her grasp one arm and look away, wings drooping dejectedly. Sandy looked at her in sympathy. What was going on? Tooth was never that mean-sounding.
"Ahhh! Jack! You just arrive?" North's huge hand fell heavily on my shoulder and he laughed his hearty laugh.
"Yeah, North. We just got here." That guy was always so crazy and hyped up. It cracked me up.
"We?" His heavy brow furrowed in confusion, until he spied Amy and his eyes widened.
"G'day, mate!" Bunny hopped over, clearly not realizing everyone's stunned and tense expressions. He stood and paused as he took in the scene before him. "What's got everyone so..." His eyes fell on Amy. "Oh..." It could have been my imagination, but I thought I saw her trembling slightly. "What in the bloody hell is she doing here?!" I've never heard a rabbit roar or growl, but this was pretty darn close to whatever I imagined the noise to be.
Amy flinched and there were tears in her eyes. "I...I just thought...I didn't see what harm it would do..."
Bunny leapt forward and stood over her. He was over six feet and I'd be amazed to find out Amy was even five and a half feet, so he towered over her. "Rack off..." His eyes narrowed as he snarled and now Amy was definitely trembling. Actually, it was more like shaking.
She closed her eyes and I saw a stray tear break free and fall down her face. "I'm sorry..." Her voice was softer than a whisper. I had to read her lips to realize what she had said. Why was she apologizing, though? The others were the ones being harsh for no reason!
"Guys, c'mon. I know she wasn't invited, but we don't have to..." A small hand fell on my arm and I looked down to see Sandy shake his head slowly.
"I'm sorry..." Amy's voice came out stronger and as her eyes opened, I saw that they had cleared. She gave me a sad smile. "Thanks for the invite, Jack, but I knew better." Then she actually bowed. "I apologize for troubling you, but can one of you make a portal for me to go home with?"
"Heh. Heh. Heh. Heh." Bunny scratched his chest and smiled smugly. "My pleasure." He tapped his foot twice, opening a hole in the ground. "Now choof off, ya bloody galah."
The winged-girl nodded and set her gift down. "Goodbye..." Her eyes found me. "Thank you for everything, Jack..." Then she shot up. She seemed suspended on her back high up in the air for a moment, her body curved as she began to dive downward. Then she shot downward and time seemed to resume.
"NO! Amy!" I began to race forward, but before I made it more than a step, she was swallowed up by the hole. I stood, my breathing ragged, as I stared at where the flower stood on the ground that had just closed up. She had hardly said a handful of words. So why...?
"Why...?" I wondered who had asked that until I realized it had been me.
"Jack, you don't know that...?" Tooth's hand tried to turn me to face them, but I jerked it off.
"There's a lot of things I don't know..." Suddenly, something in me snapped. I spun and felt my body shaking as I yelled at 'my fellow guardians.' "I don't know why you treated her like that! Yeah, she's not a guardian. Who cares?! She's a good person! She's just lonely. Just lonely...lonely and wanting a...a..."
"Friend?" North looked at me with a kind sadness in his eyes. "You relate to her, Jack?" I nodded, not trusting myself to keep it together. "Jack, she is not one of us." He raised a hand before I could go off again. "I do not mean her not being guardian. It is true she is not one, but this is not why we push her away. Manny has told us a prediction about her..."
That got my attention. "What kind of prediction?"
Sandy let some dream sand float between us. It materialized into a winged girl. The creation wasn't specific enough to be Amy, but I knew it was meant to be her. I leaned in closer to watch her. On one side appeared the moon and the other side showed Pitch. The figure looked between the two, seeming unsure. Sandy released more sand, loosely forming the four of them. The girl bounded over and joined them beneath the moon. It seemed fine, until Pitch's miniature double extended his hand and the girl seemed unsure as she faced him, shaking her head. She turned back to the guardians, but as she did, the guardians vanished. She turned back to Pitch and he coaxed her and then she reached forward taking his hand. I watched in horror as all the sand lost its forms and fell away. Sandy looked at me helplessly.
"There's no way that's right... There's no way! She's a good person! She wouldn't side with Pitch." I looked at North to agree with me.
He nodded gravely, but I knew that nod was only confirming what I feared. "Manny fears that if she joins us, it will make her join Pitch in the end somehow. We can not allow this. Guardian or not, she is a powerful being. We can not allow Pitch to have such power. Jack, we do not cast her aside because we choose to, but out of necessity."
Tooth darted forward and nodded. "Jack, it's too dangerous. Besides, she isn't dedicated solely to children like we are. She uses her powers on everyone and she uses them when she decides she should. It's too much freedom. It's too much power."
I couldn't believe this. Just when I had started to think I was truly becoming a guardian, truly starting to belong, they threw all this at me. "She uses her powers responsibly. She made kids believe in me!"
That seemed to surprise them. "Watcha talkin bout, mate?"
I didn't even see how it mattered at this point. "These kids didn't believe in me. She told them some stuff and they believed in me. We all built a snow man and danced in the snow." I felt a smile on my face. When had I started smiling? "It was fun..." My eyes scanned the ground, not wanting to see the pity and bitterness in their faces. That's when I saw the gift Amy had brought Bunny.
I scooped it up with my staff and gently pulled the edge of the ribbon until it came loose. The ribbon fluttered down to the ground and the feathers fanned out revealing a glass egg inside.
That wasn't even the incredible part.
Inside the egg was a white three-dimensional picture of Bunny giving an Easter egg to Sophie. She had the happiest smile on her face. Amy's words echoed in my head.
"They're my special eyes. When I use them, I can see into a person's heart. I can see all kinds of things, but it's easiest to see who the person cares about the most. That's how I chose Bunny's gift."
"Wow..." Behind me, the other guardians were making assorted noises of amazement as well. She must have gone through so much trouble to make it...for someone who told her to basically get lost as soon as he saw her.
"Here." I threw the egg to Bunny and he caught it in his paws, surprised. The feathers from it had fallen to the ground and they looked like a huge snowflake. Coincidence? Maybe. "Oh. This too." I took the bag from my pocket and threw it to him. He blinked and opened it up revealing carrots with snowflakes carved into them. I'm not creative at this kind of stuff, but I thought it was an alright gift.
"Thanks, mate." He plucked one out and, after briefly admiring the snowflakes, began to munch on it. "Now, c'mon. Let's go enjoy the party!" He hopped off, followed by Tooth and North who were talking. Sandy shrugged sadly and walked after them. I looked to the flower once more before following after them. I swore after the party I'd find Amy and I'd make sure she was alright.
Amala sat in a tree, softly crying. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair! IT WASN'T FAIR! She sobbed and pressed her hands to her face, trying to muffle her wracking sobs.
She was cupid. It was her job to open people's hearts and to help people find love. So why couldn't she be loved? She had stupidly thought she could be friends with Jack, but after seeing the guardians' reactions, she knew they'd talk him out of it. All because of some prediction the moon made, but none them would even tell her what the prediction was.
Amala saw light filter down on to her and she looked up at the bright moon. It hung there, silently observing her heartbroken weeping. "Why...?" Her voice came out raspy and weak from crying. "Why?!" She stood up, balancing easily on the skinny branch, shrieking at the moon. "Why did you decide I would spread love and friendship and then decide I don't deserve to be loved or have friends? How is that fair? My center is love, yet I can never experience it?" Her voice broke and she clung to the trunk of the tree, sobbing her broken heart out. The moon remained silent as she cried and cried. Tears poured down her cheeks until she felt like she had no more tears left in her and she just made hiccuping sounds softly in the aftermath of her crying.
Slowly, black clouds spread across the sky to block out the moon as her breathing calmed down.
"It really isn't fair..."
Amala sniffled and looked up when she heard the silky voice. She looked around, but didn't see anyone. Where had the voice come from?
"You poor thing..." The ominous voice seemed to speak from the shadows. Amala sat on her branch preparing herself when a man appeared out of the shadows. "Hello, my dear..." He took her hand, kissing the back of it. "My name is Pitch Black and I feel such sympathy for you, child. May I ask your name?"
She nodded, wiping at her eyes. "My...my name is Amala. Amy for short."
"Ahhh...a beautiful name..." Amy smiled at Pitch's compliment and he gave her a smile in return. "A beautiful smile as well..." She blinked, startled, then she snapped open her wings and dropped to the ground. As soon as she landed, Pitch appeared out of the shadows, grinning at her.
"What do you want?" She looked at him, a fire burning in her narrowing eyes.
Pitch smirked. "I want the same thing you do. I want to show the guardians that they aren't the only ones with power. They aren't the only ones who make the rules. Come now, my dear. Isn't it unfair how they won't let you in their little club? Why are you the only one on the outs? Because the moon said you'd make friends outside of their little circle? Does that sound fair to you?"
Amy looked down, her eyes searching the darkness. "No...it's not..."
Thin fingers reached forward and tucked some hair behind her ear. "You don't need to be afraid anymore..."
"I'm not afraid!" Amy looked up at him fiercely.
A slow, devious smile spread across Pitch's face. "Oh, but you are, my dear..." He began to pace around her as he spoke. "You're afraid the guardians will never accept you and that you'll never have true friends." Amy's eyes widened as he spoke aloud the fears she had never even been willing to admit to herself. "You're afraid that no one will ever love you, even when you open your heart to others and love them." He paused behind her and leaned toward her, whispering in her ear. "But most of all, you're afraid that the boy who you fell in love with at first sight won't love you back or want anything to do with you."
That did it. "Shut up!" Amy shrieked and spun, bringing her leg out wide to slam it into Pitch's chest, sending him flying backwards into a tree. "Stop it!" She crumpled to the ground helplessly. "Please...just stop..."
Pitch stood back up and smiled. He always knew everyone's worst fears and, thus, their greatest weaknesses. This girl was no different. "I'll stop, Amala, but let me make you an offer before I leave. You are afraid of these things, this is true, but you aren't helpless. Amala you have the power to conquer these fears." He approached her and offered her his hand. "I have the ability to see a person's darkest fears, and you the ability to see their deepest desires. Together, we would be unstoppable."
Amy looked up at him, sadly. "I want to be loved, not feared."
"But you can be!" Pitch grinned. "The guardians are strong, but their newest little member is uncertain at the moment. He has seen the way they treat you. He doesn't want to be like that. You could bring him to our side. The three of us could rule the world. Think about it... You would not only be loved, but by the man who you love..."
Amy closed her eyes. To actually be loved...and by Jack Frost...the boy who had made her heart race the moment she laid eyes on him...the boy she loved...
A slender hand grasped the offered gray one. "I'm in."
There's chapter three. My biggest worry was getting Bunny right, so hopefully I did a decent job. Well, lemme know what you think and I'll try to update soon!