Not long after posting the last chapter, so long ago, when the thought that the 'joke' could be very insulting for some people. Rest assured, although no-one replied saying they were insulted, that was not my intention. I do not insult, intentionally, unless it's some form of good humor, (friends).
[Zog off! Yoo's have fightin' tork all da time, an' den ya say's ya don' wanna fight.]
Hush, you slimy green thing.
[Oy!]
Sorry I haven't updated in a while, cycling through the stories already posted, oldest first.
So guess what? This one was next!
[Wor, 'bout time ya tossa!]
Silence, worm!
:-)
[Wot! Dat's fightin' tork, dat is! Get back 'ere suz I's can stomp ya, ya git!]
Somebody's been in the garden,
Nipping the blossoms fair.
All the green gardens are darkened,
Who do you think was there?
(I can't be bothered to try harder for riddles for the moment.)
After a while of laughing, glancing at the different emotions present on North's face, before restarting the laughing for slightly different reasons, Jack finally brought himself under enough control to stay upright and pay attention to North and what he still had to say.
"You are finished?" North asked pointedly, left eyebrow raised, his tone, with a hint of steel and humor, was an odd contrast that had Jack quieting down further.
Chuckling a little more as he planted, then lent against, his staff, Jack nodded amiably. He felt slightly tired, the excitement drying up from the days activities, but could still say he was happier then that time in '68.
"Erm, where were we?" Jack grinned lopsidedly.
North blinked, then waved away the concern, "I know where we were." He leaned forward, pointing his finger towards Jack once more, "What is your center?"
Jacks grin slipped in confusion, which was noticed by North, who stepped back and brought a hand to his chin.
Slowly, a smirk made its way through the beard. This worried Jack, a little. It seemed mischievous, with a topping of revenge. North 'hmmed' thoughtfully, smirk still there, before walking over to the cabinet next to the door and reaching onto a shelf.
"Here, this is how you see me, no?" North pulled a matryoshka doll, or one that look remarkably like one, from the shelf. One that held a crude resemblance to North, with the white hair and beard, crossed sabers and rosy cheeks. Just needed a scowl. "Very big, intimidating." He chuckled, then looked at Jack, "But if you get to know me a little." He shoved it towards the younger spirit, nearly conking Jack in the face.
Jack had to place his staff against the table he had started leaning against to completely hold the figurine without dropping it accidentally, his hands quickly coated themselves in frost to provide a better grip.
"Well, go on." North encouraged, crossing his arms, leaning back and peering at Jack expectantly.
Jack hid a grin before it could be noticed, "I didn't know you like handing dolls out, or play with them." Before North could retort with anything, Jack twisted the top and separated the two halves. The bottom half contained another, slightly smaller, doll that looked up at Jack with a jolly smile. Completely counteracting the scowl of the one that encased it before. Jacks eyebrows creased together in confusion, "Yooou are... down right jolly? Really? Wouldn't have guessed."
Before North could reply, Bunny barged through the door. He interrupted whatever North was about to say, "We have a problem, mate." Looking on curiously, Jack smiled at the annoyed look that crossed Norths face, "Trouble at the Tooth Palace."
North was immediately straightened up, pointing a finger into the air and yelling, "To the sleigh!" Before whisking himself out the door, where a pair of Yeti's quickly slipped a coat and fur hat onto the large Russian.
"Boys! Ship shape!"
"I told you, I'm not going with you guys!" Jack hollered behind the two Guardians, dodging random Yeti's that ran around the room that they had just entered. "There's no way I'm climbing into some, rickety, old..." The double doors that hid the sleigh thudded loudly, causing Jack to start peering at it in curiosity. "Sleigh."
The doors opened majestically, allowing the wildly bucking reindeer to come out into the icy cavern they were standing in. Jack held just enough cognition after seeing the untameable, but beautiful and exiting, beasts to dodge out of the way of an antler that swerved his way aggressively.
Chuckling, but wide eyed, Jack cast his gaze towards the sled the reindeer were pulling.
Before stopping, wide eyed in astonishment, as the sled was pulled through the door and settled, with a thunk, in front of them. He was vaguely aware of North giving him some form of glance and Bunny on the other side with his arms crossed, out the corner of his eye, but he was more focused on the most beautiful sight he had ever witnessed, apart from his believers, nothing more beautiful then that, since he popped out the ice.
He blinked... Nope, still there.
Jack resisted the temptation to pinch himself, this was real, and it was happening. As were the children that played with him mere hours ago.
Breathing in deeply, Jack held a single finger up, but really wanted to throw all ten up, before breaking the silence that had descended onto them.
"Ok, one ride, but that's it." He still wanted to come back with some of his believers for another ride, maybe next time he 'broke in'. No point letting them know he was hooked at first glance, though.
Moving forwards, Jack barely paid the "Everyone loves the sleigh," North threw at Bunny. Gracing a small smirk at the no doubt incredulous look Bunny threw back at North.
"Bunny! What are you waiting for?!" Asked North, just as Jack settled down in the back with Sandy, turning just in time to see Bunny nudge the sleigh nervously.
"I think my tunnels might be faster, mate! And, umm. And safer!" Bunny made to move away from the sleigh, something Jack could barely comprehend doing himself.
He was nabbed by the bandoleer holster near the scruff by North with an exasperated "Argh! Get in!" As if there was going to be no debate about it.
Then again, Bunny didn't get a chance to answer before North called "Buckle up!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Where are the bloody seat belts!?"
Jack shared a excited grin with quite Sandy who was sitting next to him. Moving over slightly so that they could talk, Jack leaned over and asked, "Do you know what to expect?" The resultant shake of the head and wider grin only built the thrill further, ensuring the excitement that ran through Jack like a raging river that practically dared to be surfed.
"Ha! That was just expression!" North hollered over Jacks question, before turning so that he faced the front and grasped the reins, then asked the most important question, "Are we ready?" The frantic waving of the hands and worried warbling from the Yeti right next to him was promptly, almost eagerly, ignored, "Good, let's go!"
The sleigh lifted itself slightly, ensuring another swapping of excited grins between Sandy and Jack, before North cracked the reins, sending the reindeer jolting forwards into a mad dash.
Bunny clawed desperately at the armrests, gauging the paint off the wood in what would be a screeching noise. If they were not going too fast to hear it, that is. Jack chuckled at the sight, grin sticking onto his mouth.
"Out the way!" North yelled from the drivers seat, grabbing Jacks attention once more. Just in time to see the reindeer drop downwards.
Jack's eyes darted to the trembling Bunny before switching back to still grinning Sandy, just as they started sloping downwards.
Bunny screamed.
Well, more of a terrified holler, but it counted as a scream to Jack.
Sandy was grabbing onto the seat and armrest with wide eyes in obvious excitement. Grinning stupidly as the wind pulled at his face and hair.
Jack jumped up so that he was standing on the sleigh as it blitzed the racetrack like runway. Hair wiped backwards and excited grin for all to see. He just couldn't help himself, it was as fun as any roller coaster ride he had ever been on.
Stalactites hanging from the sealing while the stalagmites were obviously removed for the sleigh's runway that appeared as if it was made from a bobsleigh's racetrack.
They passed a metal tower that stood out from its icy surroundings, Yeti's hammering away at the structure while the Elves scurried around. A few of the Elves looked over the side and waved at them as they passed before the sleigh moved on to another part of the racetrack like runway.
They passed in-between two walls of ice that left a small, pointed, hole for them to use before North looked over his shoulder with a toothy grin while calling back. "I hope you like the loop-de-loops!"
Jack could just hear Bunny groan out, "I hope ya like carrots." While bouncing on his heels. This wasn't fair. Still too much energy.
He leapt, just as Sandy flung his hands into the air.
Dodging several more stalactites while racing the sleigh to the rapidly approaching gangway should've been illegal, and Jack most definitely shouldn't have been able to even think about it, with how adrenalingly exciting it was. He only just managed to flip back onto the sleigh as it reached the start of the, old, wooden and rickety gangway.
Without any more fanfare, not that Jack thought there should have been more fanfare then a herd of reindeer stamping off a dead drop, they were off to save the Tooth Fairy.
Of course, there was the almost maniditory loop-de-loop-in-the-air that everything that flew needed to do to show off it's new found freedom. The call of "Glazno!", or that's what Jack heard coming from North. But they were away!
Jack laughed as he hopped onto the headrest, right at the back of the sleigh. And then noticing Bunny trying to fold himself in half while keeping himself from throwing up, likely because it would involve looking over the side or having his feet in vomit.
Jack didn't know spirits could throw up, he'd never done it before.
"Hey, Bunny." Jack called, hopping slightly so that he was squatting on the backrest while facing the Humanoid bunny.
Bunny looked up at him, Jack stood up slowly, "Check out this vie-woaah!" the frost spirit let himself fall dramatically, hoping to give Bunny a scare for the attempted provocation from the workshop.
Bunny flattened himself against the sleigh the second Jack fell over, panic setting into him. "Uh, ah, North! He's, huh, hauh." Bunny finally managed to look over the side, when he realized no-one was paying him any attention.
Only to be met with the image of Jack, leaning against one of the treads, relaxing and smirking up at the terrified rabbit.
"Ahh, you do care." Jack cooed, getting so many kicks out of seeing Bunny so scared for him, or himself. And the scowl that quickly overtook Bunny's features tickled him all the more.
"Oh, rack off ya bloody show pony!" Growled Bunny, glaring down at the relaxed frost spirit.
Before Jack could respond with any number of responses to Bunny's anger filled reply. North hollered back towards them.
"Hold on everyone!" Jack slipped back onto the sleigh while Bunny was distracted with North, "I know a short cut!"
Jack glanced at Sandy excitedly, short cuts were always more fun than the long routes, maybe more so for the sleigh. Sandy was clapping with a wide, soft grin wile somehow rolling his eyes when Bunny called.
"Oh, oh, oh strewth! I knew we shoulda taken the tunnels!"
North pulled out one of his snow globes, causing Jack to lean forwards slightly. He'd heard of these, but didn't know what they did. "I say," North uttered mysteriously, circling the globe ball around using his wrist, before leaning in to almost whisper, "Tooth Palace."
The globe suddenly cleared of the fake snow, revealing, for a few seconds, some form of intricately tampered mountain that looked out of place in a snow globe. Without further pause, North threw the snow globe in front of the sprinting reindeer where it shattered in midair and a portal came into being in front of them, swirling colours preventing anyone from knowing what lay on the other side. Only the spoken location being any indicator. Jack gripped the armrest tightly as they shot through, feeling the same distortions and feelings as when the Yeti's dragged him to the North Pole.
Cliffhanger, unless you know what will happen next of course.
Sorry it took so long to update, here's a list of excuses, please feel free to skip;
Decided to cycle through my stories, last to update comes first.
Internet went haywire at home, couldn't get it to work for the longest time.
I found out I take a certain amount of dislike to following stories or films, it's tedious. In another story I'm doing, someone is saying the story was following the film too much, on the first day in the film, before most interactions with someone who doesn't want to interact too much.
Lost interest, saw some stories that looked interesting enough and got distracted.
I think that's all, not much, but something.
Hopefully I can get the next chapter out sooner, hopefully.