Thanks for being so patient- though I have a feeling this isn't getting as much reviews as 'A Blackened Memory' did, which I kinda understand XD That was by far my best ROTG story on an emotion level. Maybe its because this story's more of a mystery/action/adventure rather than a emotional/person thing, though I am adding in elements of that, too.
I hope this story's doing well even though I don't get as much feedback.
Enjoy, and please review!
Chapter 6: What Makes You Think
The hard impact against stone knocked all of the frosty air from Jack's lungs, his shoulder and side colliding roughly with the hard surface of wherever he'd landed. The cloth between him and the floor was no protection from the sudden slam.
Dazed and disoriented, the youth scrambled desperately; the darkness around him making his chest tighten and panic leap into his mind. Darkness was something he could never deal with, truly. Not even since all those years ago when he'd awakened, surrounded by it.
He finally managed to stick a hand through an opening, and as light flooded into his view, he saw curious and startled pairs of eyes watching from outside the sack. They jumped back as he moved forward, finally poking his head away from the fabric and blinking in the light.
"Hey..."
Jack Frost was frozen, funnily enough. He stared up in bewilderment at a large, towering and bulky figure dressed in red with a familiar white bearded hanging bast his waist, standing in front of a blazing fire bigger than himself. To one side hovered a winged spite as colourful as a rainbow, and a small round man on the other. The large man spoke in a booming voice as Jack blinked at him.
"There he is! Jack Frost!"
"Santa?" Jack's brows fell in confusion, but he managed to speak at last, a slightly wondrous smile spreading across his face. "Wow..."
Abruptly something seized him from behind, and with a quick glance he saw it was the yetis again. "Hey! Put me down-"
He was set on his feet, stumbling just as his words finished leaving his lips. With one foot, almost by instinct, he flipped his staff into the air and into his hand, strolling a little to the side, looking around as Santa began to speak.
"I hope the yetis treated you well."
Jack stopped and slung his staff over his shoulder, taking on a sarcastic tone of voice. "Yeah, we love being shoved into sacks and being tossed through magic portals."
"Oh." Santa beamed happily, a jolly look true to his name appearing quite obviously, "Good. Dat was-"
"Wait, wait." Both stopped when a dry voice cut through, and Jack noticed with a scowl that Bunnymund was leaning against a pillar nearby, boomerang in hand and a unimpressed frown on his face. "We?"
Jack was about to retorted when he fully remembered who else he'd been referring to. He hadn't forgotten that Ayver was with him, but it had somehow slipped his mind that the little bunny in question was still in the sack.
"Ayvie." Jack's voice came out worriedly, and his cocky posture seemed to vanish completely as he darted towards the sack, much to the other occupants of the room's confusion. He opened the sack and peered inside, breathing out and smiling when he spotted a familiar pair of brown eyes. "Heey there!"
Ayver stared over the fabric of the sack, around the giant fireplace and chamber they were in, glancing fearfully at the yetis. Jack's smile widened as he stepped back and gesture enthusiastic to the rabbit to get out, and reluctantly he did so.
Bunnymund rose a brow in slight confusion and disbelief, as his Toymaker friend raised both of his bushy brows in surprised acceptance.
"Say 'hey' Avs." Jack said with a swing of his arm, though the small rabbit had promptly hidden behind his ankle and peered around at the strangers with clear anxiousness.
"Aw, We have another guest!" Santa threw his arms wide, "More eggnog is needed! Jack, you've met Bunny-"
"Course." Jack muttered, the rabbit giving a sniff of disapproval and glancing down at the small bunny with a less than impressed look.
"And Tooth!"
"Hello Jack!" Suddenly Jack found himself barely inches away from the flying sprite's smile, her excited look accompanied by little replicas of equal excitement. "I've heard so much about you- and your teath!"
Her bubbly voice through what she said into blurriness before Jack finally did a double take. "Wait, my what-"
"Open up!"
Ayver exchanged a uncertain look with a yeti, surprisingly enough, as Tooth poked her fingers into the Winter Spirit's mouth and began examining his white teeth, chattering away like a woodpecker. Ayver frowned up at her a little, still positioned beside Jack's pale foot.
Then, the small Bunny noticed the small man nearby, one who was looking up, past them, with a slightly worried expression on his plump features. Ayver tilted his head and forgot his nervousness of being around the Guardians- spirits who were of higher rank and power- and followed his gaze till he found an open shaft above, were the moon watched through as clear as if it where night. Sandman, who Ayver guessed he was, looking incredibly worried.
Santa looked a little trouble, too, gazing up at the moon above. As Tooth bantered on about how nice Jack's teeth were, Ayver watched the tall man move back to Sandman.
"He is not here, Sandy. I am worrying, too."
"Who?" Jack finally manged to back away from tooth, and Ayver followed him as they both moved a little away from their new acquaintances. They had gone quiet.
Jack frowned a little, staff again swung over his shoulders. He decided to get to a better question and, frankly, one he was more interested in. "Why Am I here? Oh..." A small, almost bitter sarcasm slipped into his voice, and Ayver found himself nodding along- nodding!- to what Jack was saying.
"...Aaand why would the Big Four want me here? And 'im?" He gestured down to Ayver with a shrug. A yeti, as if on cue, moved over to Santa and handed him a large book, bigger than Ayver himself. Bunnymund was frowning, but the others sans Sandman were smiling.
"There is big 'Five' now, Jack..." Santa drew his breath and flung his free arm out, a climatic boom to his voice, "Because now...You Are GUARDIAN!"
Trumpets blasted destructively through the air, and Jack ducked as the noise near deafened him. The elves cheered and threw confetti, some of the largest yetis twirled fiery staffs as Santa Claus stood between them holding the book, now open in the middle of the pages.
Jack, throughout all this, had watched his a look of helplessness, almost...and suddenly hurt had taken him, along with less than positive thoughts.
Three hundreds years he'd been wandering around, alone...never seen, never mentioned and never talked to. Jack could feel something bubble, so different and deadly to the chill in his fingers. And now after all this time of them ignoring him as if he was nothing, they wanted him to help them do whatever?
...No.
Jack's grip on his staff tightened in a furious clench and he slammed the end onto the ground, a burst of air escaping his lung as he fought the fire in his head. The pure fury that had boiled up with every second the music played was just too much to bear, and the result was the thundering slam, and the quick spread of bitter ice over the polished floor. The music wavered and fell, Santa and the other Guardians looking very taken back. Ayver had jumped back to avoid the ice, yet he couldn't help but feel angry as well, and did nothing to stop the Pale youth.
Jack drew his staff back and, scowling incredulous, looked around at each of the Guardians.
"What the heck..." He breathed, "Makes you think I want that? To be one of you, after all this?!"
Santa blinked at him, clearly not understanding. Then, he brightened. "But of course you do! Music!"
"No Music, Okay!" Jack yelled, arms out before the pipers could play again. One elf, viewed only by Ayver, slammed his instrument onto the floor much like Jack had done with his staff, and stormed away.
Jack, clenching his teeth slightly at their nerve, stormed a little away before finally calming down a little, but the anger still remained. "Guardian...Is not me. Sorry, guys, but We're leaving. C'mon Ayver."
Ironic that Jack had been trying to bust in here for years only to leave now, when they asked for him...but still...
"Jack, wait!"
Tooth's voice behind him stopped him in his walk, and she placed a delicate hand on his shoulder, a gesture he wasn't familiar with. He leaned back a little from her, though she didn't seem to notice. "I don't think you understand what it is we do..."
She hovered away from him, and Ayver hopped up onto the control panel to see as she moved towards the globe, an arm outstretched. Her voice became smooth and slower, unlike the chattering before.
"Each of those lights is a child."
Ayver's ears perked up and he stared intently at the globe. So that's what all those lights were, he thought, as Jack viewed them with an unreadable look.
"And good or bad, naughty or nice, we protect them." Santa's thick, accented voice hit a chord, one none of the Guardians could ever understand or expect there. Jack was shaking his head a little, but Ayver had gone still, a scowl on his face.
Those words...did they aply for all children? Ayver looked over his shoulder and found himself frowning at the Toymaker.
Sandman noticed this frown, and his brow creased in slight bemusement.
"Aw, no, no...I can't...no offense." Jack looked back at him with a blank look to that last line, as if just realising what he said could very well be offensive. Bunnymund scowled and stepped forward.
"How-how is that not offensive?" Ayver hopped off the control panel and slid behind Jack's leg, peered around anxiously as the larger rabbit drew close with a scowl. Jack glanced down at Ayver and raised a hand to him as if to reassure him.
"I mean what's this clown know about bringing Joy to children?" Bunnymund raised a palm towards the youth, looking back at his comrades with a shrug. Jack smiled in a humorless way.
"Kids like the stuff I do- Snow days, fun times..."
Bunnymund's voice dropped to a low, almost provoking tone. "But they don't believe in you, do they?"
Jack had to bite back whatever emotion that sudden stab rushed at him. He felt as if the wierd kangaroo guy had reach into his chest and gave a good boxing punch to his insides. He forced a smile, his face twitching slightly. Ayver, right beside him, saw it though. He placed a tiny paw on the Winter Sprite's leg to try and comfort him, but Jack didn't respond.
"Bunny...enough." Tooth's words didn't stop the pooka's slight smile from appearing. Jack waved a hand. Sandman shook his head, feeling Bunnymund had said something he shouldn't. He nudged North with a meaningful frown. The tall man blinked before nodding once.
He was about to address the rabbit, perhaps break the silence that had taken he and Jack, when something came thudding towards their midst.
Tyzantray, appearing almost out of nowhere, skidded to a halt before them to the side of the fire, bringing all of the intention to her. The dark rabbit doe was panting, and her eyes were wide.
Silence.
Sandman stepped forward, a single arm slightly outstretched as if bout to ask something. Tyzen stared at him, huffing, before shaking her head.
Tooth brought a hand up to her lips, her breath quickening as he spoke.
"You couldn't find Jo? But then...where is he?"
GASP.
Poor Ayver is getting ignored XD No one cares about the little Bunny who's with Jack.
GOD EVERYTHING IS SO BORING RIGHT NOW.
Don't worry, Action scenes A-Coming spoon, chapter after this one tops. But there is excitement in the next, don't worry.
Sh*t'll get real after introductions and meeting-ups :)
Please review!