Nine more days, nine more days! Totally getting phsyiqued about the movie.
It's a bit more lengthy than the others and I'll try to do stuff just as long.
Anyway, new chapter!
"You're going to the infirmary." Jaenirra's decision was final.
"But-" Pan'nuck began to protest.
"No," There would be no arguing with her. "You're hurt badly and don't tell me you're not. I saw that limp and don't think you can hide your eye. You look worse than the Cinnamon Sweet incident."
"Hey, those were some good candies and you and Wenda weren't exactly the innocent ones. And trust me, Jackie doesn't hit nearly as hard as Saro."
They were speaking of something that had happened decades ago, when she, Pan'nuck and his little sister, Wenda were all still kids.
Jaenirra realized the beaten boy was skillfully luring her away from the problem at hand.
"I don't care," she put her hands on her hips. "By order of your queen, I'm demanding you go with Tooth's lieutenants to the infirmary and stay there until I say otherwise."
Jaenirra could see in his swollen emerald eyes he was fighting the command but years of servitude won over.
The carrot-topped boy sighed. "Fine, I'll go."
He stepped towards her and placed a hand on her arm, one of friendship and caring.
"Just don't let him get to you. You're stronger than he is; don't give him the satisfaction of getting you angry. Promise?" He waited for an answer, his hand still on her crossed arms.
"Okay," she huffed, "just stop looking at me like that."
His green eyes relented. "Promise?" He pushed.
Jaenirra threw up her hands. "Yes,! I promise I won't beat him up! Can you go now?"
Pan'nuck managed a small smile, which mangled his already bloody features. He squeezed her arm slightly before turning to go.
Well, that's over with, she sighed gratefully in her mind.
Now to get down to business.
She knelt down to the sleeping boy, well aware of the Guardians eyes one her. She tucked a falling curl behind her ear.
The red bag had been removed, his staff lay in it's folds. She was careful to avoid it.
No way she was touching anything of his.
With the bag gone, she could now see him fully
He was just has she had remembered him.
The albino teen was a skinny thing, but Jaenirra could see that under his tight, tattered pants and azure baggy sweater, that he had lean muscles left from years of snowball fights and battles between him and her. His chest slowly rose and fell hypnotically, swaying like the waters in the cerulean sea.
She was careful not to touch her bronze skin to his pearl. The cold just seemed to flow of him. Already the carpet surrounding him was covered with a thin layer of blue-tinged ice.
A pit formed in her stomach. How did she approach this?
Pan'nuck had been protestingly wheeled away by a group of Tooth's fairies to North's infirmary. And with him went her rage.
She wasn't feeling vengeful anymore.
It was strange.
On any other given decade, she would have undoubtedly bet this guy's ass but now...she had no idea what to do.
It was one of those things. You fantasize about doing something for years and then it happens and you have no idea how to deal with it.
Varden rose from where he was resting by the giant fireplace near North and trotted over to the crouched girl. He looked over her shoulder, down at Jack Frost, Jaenirra's worst rival until now.
They would have to work together as a team to defeat a dark force greater than ever before, Pitch.
All of them, North, Tooth, Bunnymund, Sandy, Pan'nuck and herself, would have to follow this jerk to battle against the calloused spirit of evil intentions.
Chills spidered down her back, creeping down the hood of her coat and stroked her bare spine. The Nightmare King, she thought, master of all things dark and twisted in this warped world.
The dragon companion sensed her unease and nuzzled her reassuringly; one of Tooth's helpers flitted over to the silent girl and nestled on top of her hair, snuggling and cooing, into waves of flame. It was strange, how animals and other such creatures sensed the disquiet of their humans or companions.
Then again, it was not so different. With the inherited powers of Lady Summer, you gain the abilities to sense the anguish of others, create flame with a snap of the fingers and create the seeds of inklings into the minds of those less creative then most. Great powers with a great price as well.
Better get on with it then.
Taking a deep breath, Jaenirra hung her face over Jack Frost's, careful not to let her scarlet curls brush his placid ivory face. Everything had to be perfect, as she had learned in intensive hours of studying the etiquette of becoming Lady Summer. One must dominate the room into which she steps, careful to set the boundaries immediately on who's who, her instructor punctuated in a shrill tone.
Jaenirra knew she had to be the first person he saw, and it had to be close, so he would realize she wouldn't be afraid to get violent with him should he cross a line. Jack's mind would not tell him he was being manipulated into thinking such a way, but surreptitiously slithering into his head.
Jaenirra began to assess all the possible approaches and outcomes to certain events, her bisque eyes never leaving his soft features.
She tried calling his name a couple times.
"Jack." She whispered softly.
"Jack Frost."
She did not see any changes in his sleeping features.
He looked peaceful, quiet, and damn her if she ever admitted to anyone else, naturally beautiful, like a cherry blossom petal drifting slowly down to earth.
"Jack, Jack Frost. Jack Frost."
His normally mocking blue eyes where quivering under the refuge of his eyelids, his pale coral lips twitched, moving in silent words. Even his alabaster hair looked better then usual, kissing the floor on which it rest gently, shimmering in a blue haze.
Jaenirra squinted.
Wait a minute, blue haze?
But that could only mean he was in pain, suffering mentally inside. The girl could see the kaleidoscopic auras when someone needed the comforting hand of Lady Summer. Everybody had one in their own distinct colors with their own textures, no two auras were the same, wether pitch black and boiling or a satiny, sunshine yellow.
What she thought was ice was, in reality, Jack's aura.
It was the most peculiar one she had ever seen, now that she inspected further; it was a mix of sapphire, obsidian, and silver, all coiling and caressing together to create a spectacle of suffering. The boy twitched in his sleep and Jaenirra could see a grimace of pain in his serene features.
"Uh Jaenirra? Ya jus' gonna sit there an' ponder or actually wake the bloke?"
Bunnymund inquired.
His hard voice churned the still air of Jaenirra's meditating haven of mind until it shattered, leaving nothing but tinkling memories hanging from the outer frame.
"Hold on Bunnymund!" she whisper-shouted, "I was just getting to that part."
She contemplated some more, watching the bud of colors licking back and forth across his chest like a flame.
She had to wake him up, bring him from the inky depths of the nightmare he was in. As it was her duty as the Lady Summer, she would have to comfort him. The girl turned her blazing head to Sandy. A look of confusion, pity and worry etched into his grainy features, and when he saw Jaenirra's amber eyes upon his golden ones he could also see the questioning in her eyes.
Did she wake the boy with open arms or did she attack him with violence, adding to the resentment he harbored for them? Sandman nodded and the answer was clear.
She turned once more to the suffering person.
Okay she'd be nice but that would not stop her from doing what had to be done if it needed to be done. In other words, if Jack did anything suspicion, malevolent, or even remotely hostile, she'd hand his ass back to him of a silver platter signed Yours Truly in his blood.
"Jack Frost, wake up!" she commanded.
No response.
Of course, her mind shouted.
Pan'nuck had used the last of Sandy's sleep dust on Jack. And by the looks of the empty bag of golden powder, he had used quite a bit.
If you used just enough of the dream sand, the resting person could go into a coma, one to last centuries in the right situation.
But there was no way to wake him if that happened, she would just have to wait it out.
For some reason Jaenirra despaired.
Without Jack, that two-faced son of a bitch, Pitch, would destroy them all.
Maybe she was being too dramatic but the fiery-haired girl knew she could not condemn the winter spirit to an eternal sleep, no matter how good it sounded.
She had to find a way.
A light bulb went of in Jaenirra's head.
Every Guardian had an uncanny ability to sense mortal peril to themselves or people around them, just like her, only on a lower scale.
They could react to it and save themselves from potential danger.
If Jack was as special to MiM as she believed, he would have the same defense mechanism.
But how to do it?
She pondered.
It would have to be something that could potentially hurt him.
No hands involved, no way she was touching the loser's filthy body.
An inkling arose in her mind.
She grinned deviously.
"Crowbar!" she called.
A tiny elves frantically ran around the room to fulfill Jaenirra's needs, bumping into each other a wreaking havoc.
Elves, she sighed inwardly, sometimes I wonder how North puts up with them, completely useless sometimes, they were, but not bad bakers.
"Um Jaenirra." Tooth fluttered up to her timidly, "Are you sure-"
"Yep." The redhead didn't look at her friend. If she did, she would have guilt and if she had guilt she wouldn't be able to beat Jack up and that would be a shame.
"But-"
"I got this Tooth."
Finally Bunnymund took the initiative to hand her the rod of iron himself. She smiled up at him and he, down at her.
"Get 'im for me." He chuckled.
Okay Jaenirra, she told herself, deep breaths. She raised the crowbar behind her head.
"Three."
Was this a good idea? He looked so peaceful.
"Two"
The boy's eyes flutter.
"One"
She brought down crowbar just as Jack's eyes popped open.
She was hit by the vibrance of the sky speckled with silver clouds all contained in two orbs widened in surprise.
He shrieked and rolled away from the oncoming rod.
It thudded against the carpet.
Jaenirra sighed.
And so close to.
"And that my friends," she was still on her hands and knees. "Is how you wake up Jack Frost."
The rest of the room laughed.
All except for North.
He glared daggers at Jaenirra while Tooth laughed nervously, Bunnymund chuckled disappointedly and Sandy managed a weak smile.
Okay, so they didn't like her methods.
Haters gotta hate and Jaenirras have to do Jaenirra things.
Crowbar included.
Back to business.
"Gooooood morning!" She sang, leaning in towards Jack.
Remember the original plan, she thought through gritted teeth.
She hated being near him. To much chill and not enough body heat.
Jaenirra was now grateful for all the layers she had piled on; it came in handy.
Clearly Jack didn't like the heat radiating of her and he yelped, backpedaling on his hands and bare feet like a crab.
"What, Jack?" she pretended to huff.
She stood on her knees and flick her hair behind her shoulder before placing her hands on her hips. "Didn't you miss me at all?"
There was silence for a moment. The white-haired teen was breathing hard, sweat poured done his face. His eyes darted around the room, drinking in all the unfamiliar sights and sounds.
His presence felt like that of an animals. Wild and disoriented.
And his eyes.
There was so much in those eyes. Hurt, pain, distress, loss as to where he was.
And she also saw a loneliness in those two sapphire eyes.
It was so deep and it welled like a reservoir. She could see it in those portals to the soul. How long had he suffered under being alone?
His aura wailed out to hers and she felt a pull in her gut.
So badly, she wanted to reach out a comforting hand to him.
To hold him and tell him everything was going to be okay; she would be there to protect him.
But then that moment passed when he smirked.
It was infuriating, playboy, stuck-up.
And it was in that moment when Jaenirra forgot everything she had seen before.
The facade of a confused, hurting boy had been slashed through and replaced with the person Jaenirra had resented ever since replacing her mother as Lady Summer.
It was pure hate. Because of this guy, Pan'nuck was wounded, spring was behind schedule and a thousand other things had gone wrong in the world; all because of him.
"Oh, Jaenirra Flame," he said smugly.
He got slowly to his feet and Jaenirra scrambled to hers.
How dare he hold himself higher then her. She was Lady Summer and she ought to be treated with respect.
Thank MiM, Varden was there for her to place her hands on so she looked less like a fool in her struggle upwards.
Somehow the tiny fairy nestled in her hair remained there, even after all the pandemonium that had occurred.
Jack spoke again.
"What a pleasant surprise. I was beginning to wonder when I would see you again."
In the process, he managed to slip his pale foot under his strange wooden crook and flip it into the air, catching with the swipe of the hand.
He showed years of practice.
Must have time to do it, she thought bitterly, guy's spoiled rotten with MiM's little visits, I bet.
Jaenirra didn't know if this was a fact but that must be the reason MiM has picked the jackass out as Champion.
Why else would the man choose the boy?
"Sooo." Jack drawled out, leaning on his staff in the most arrogant way, it made her blood boil. Her hands almost caught fire in her rage but she remembered Pan'nuck's warning as he was carried away to the hospital bed.
'Don't let him get to you.'
"Nice to see the rest of you showed up to my kidnapping." Jack was addressing the rest of the Guardians. "It's good to know you actually care."
"O' cours' we care abou' ya, Jack." North groveled.
Good MiM, that the bearded man was a suck-up. Always wanting to be Jack's adopted father and the teen, in turn, to be his perfect little son.
Good luck taming that one, Jaenirra thought.
Jack, true to his character, wasn't paying any attention. Instead, he floated around the room. His hands were behind his head and his legs where crossed in a position that mimicked that of one lounging in a lawn chair.
His eyes were closed but he managed to navigate his way around Jaenirra and weave in and out of wandering yetis, around the room in circling patterns.
"I must have done something really bad to get you guys together." He mused. "I mean come on."
His feet became earth bound once more and he strode to where the Guardians stood.
"Santa Claus, the Sandman, the Tooth Fairy." He had been pointing to each of them in turn and when he got to Toothiana, he smirked and sent a playboy wink her way. Tooth blushed coral.
Jaenirra's fists clenched.
He was the most impulsive person, thinking he could sweep every girl of her feet.
And Tooth!
The redhead thought the fairy had more self-control than to fall to Jack's filthy level.
A growl caught the swaggering boys attention.
It was Bunnymund.
The pooka, who had been leaning before on a pillar separated from the rest of the group, glared at Jack in distaste and the warning in his meadow eyes was clear.
'Stay away.'
Jack just smiled at his.
"And of course we have our Easter Bunny, Lady Summer and-" Jack stopped short from his ramblings and mockingly pretended to look around panicky.
"Oh shit, I do believe I have misplaced our dearest Pan. Where is the guy?"
"In the 'ospital bed, no thanks ta you, mate." Bunnymund seethed.
A look of shock seemed to pass across Jack's pale face.
"Really?" Jaenirra thought he pretended to act surprised but in all actuality, Jack felt remorse.
What had he done to Pan'nuck that would have him go into the hospital?
He remembered bits and pieces, mostly of him struggling in a dark, constricted place and Pan'nuck shouting before blowing more dust onto Jack.
"What happened?" he asked.
"You happened." Jaenirra stepped forward, "Don't you remember? Your the one who attacked him." The redhead said bitterly.
Okay that crossed the line.
"Excuse me?" Jack scoffed. He placed an offended hand on his chest. "I'm the one who attacked you? No, you got it all wrong. I'm the one who got shoved in a sack and dragged here."
"Well, it's not like we wanted you here." Jaenirra began to raise her voice.
Tooth fluttered between them.
"Okay guys, calm down. Why don't we just talk ab-" She tried to reason with them but Jaenirra slashed of the rest of her friends words with an angry. " Go away Tooth! I'll handle this myself!"
Tooth felt tears well up in her eyes. Jaenirra had never yelled at her, ever.
Never once had she gotten mad at the fairy. But now with Jack here, the rest of the Guardians saw a side of the teen girl they never knew, and it was menacing, angry and violent.
"Then why am I here if you didn't want me? That seems like a pretty stupid thing to do. Kidnap a guy and then tell him he's not wanted!" Jack was yelling as well.
"To kidnap you wasn't my call!"
"Then whose was it?"
"I can't-"
"You can't what? You can't tell me? Is that your dirty little secret?"
"No! I can't tell you because I'm not supposed to!"
"Who was it then? Tell me!" Jack grabbed onto Jaenirra and she screamed.
A burst of fire shoot from her hand and hit Jack square in the chest.
He flew across the room and hit the wall with a crack as his head made contact with the wall. Jaenirra's hands smoked and she stared at them in horror. She had gone to far. Her fire abilities had always been under control but she had let Jack get into her head and in her fury, hurt him.
Just like Pan'nuck told her not to.
"Jaenirra!" Tooth screamed. "What is your problem?" She began to flew towards Jack but the boy got strugglingly to his feet.
A streak of red dribbled down his forehead and painted his white hair crimson.
He didn't seem to notice.
"Who wanted me?" He croaked out.
"MiM." Jaenirra whispered. "MiM wanted you."
She raised her eyes slowly to the bloodied boy.
"He wants you to become a Guardian."
Oh no Jaenirra! What have you done to Jack?
And Bunnymund being protective?
Find out what happens next time on Emberlywoods12 post!
Don't forget to review and I won't forget to update.
Next:
"Jack!" Jaenirra bellowed, "You son of a bastard! Get back here!"
"What did you do this time?" Pan'nuck demanded, turning to the giggling winter spirit.