Chapter V

"Now that you know, this is my life. I won't be told what's supposed to be right." – Kelly Clarkson, Catch My Breath

Such warmth. I could feel it tingle against my face from a source I can't wrap my head around with something soft and comforting overtop of me. Then there's a smell of sweet brown sugar and…and eggnog?

My vision at first blurry, I could only make out the colors red, orange and yellow flickering. I blinked several times before everything became clear. A grand fire place a few feet away from me waved its large flames, and a thick blanket that was as soft as a kitten laid over me. I shakily stood up, as I took in my surroundings. Where to start, the huge open space, four tall pillars supporting the ceiling with red flags hanging down. Book shelves trailed along the walls, with interior balconies overlooking the entire place. But what really caught my attention was the globe located in center of the entire rich, Russian architectural building. This globe had to be ten times bigger, possibly even bigger than the one at the planetarium, it even had dots of lights scatter all over.

"Wow…" I exhaled the breath I had been holding in and 'wow' seemed to be the only word to describe the place.

Then there it was again, moonlight blinding me for a moment and I looked up into the open ceiling, again like how the planetarium was.

I sighed with relief. "I'm glad you're here."

As I hear the moon speak to me, there was jingling coming from behind me but I paid no attention to it, until I felt something hit the back of my leg. When I examined what it was, at first I thought it was just a hat but then I noticed the pointy ears, feet, hands and face with large orange eyes. It stared back at me, as I slowly processed what it could be, but I had no idea. I screamed and as if it were a soccer ball I kicked it away and knocked it right into the pillar. I backed up against the railing and watched it as it unsteadily got up, shaking its head making the bell at the tip of its head jingle. It walked unevenly and fell over once more. Guilt made a knot in my stomach and I rushed to the little thing.

"Awe, I'm sorry. Here." I kneeled down and put the little thing back up on its feet again. "There you go."

It backed up startled like I was going to kick it again.

"Hey, it's okay. I promise I won't kick you again."

It just stood there and looked at me. That's when I noticed there were more than just one and they were all hiding behind the pillars, poking their little heads out.

I quickly started backing away as they came out of their hiding spots. "Um, o-okay, d-don't come any closer." A stumbled my words.

Continuing to back up, right as I spun around a hairy large beast carrying a drink tray blocked my path and made some weird noise, like it was trying to communicate. But I didn't care because without any hesitancy I kicked the tray out of its hands and high into the air as I gave a shriek. I fell back and crawled with my elbows and feet, while staring at the distressed beast as he gestures his hands at the tray while shouting his weird language at me. The little hat things continued to stare at me moving closer. As they all say when something strange happens and you can't understand as to what's going on, if this is a dream I would like to wake up now.

I couldn't back up any farther, if I did I'd be no match for the fireplace. "S-stop, get away from me." Clearly sticking my hand out in front of them to stop wasn't helping at all.

A booming Russian voice echoes through the room, quieting the beast and stopping the little hats with legs from coming any closer. "Ah, good! She's awake." A big man, with a white beard and blue eyes rubbed his hands together in excitement. He wore a red long sleeve shirt that was tucked into a pair of baggy blue trousers, hiked up pretty high and worn out black boots.

"Oh look at her. It's okay there's no need to be frightened." In zoomed in a colourful feathered woman, with multiple wings making a loud humming sound. Bright purple eyes were inches from my own as they studied me carefully, mostly eyeing my mouth.

This white haired boy, who looked as old as I did maybe a year younger, with pale skin which would have made you thought he was a ghost, sauntered in. "Uh, Tooth, I don't think that's helping." He smirked as he leaned against the long rigid stick he carried with him. There wasn't much else to him as he was wearing shabby dark beige trousers and a blue sweater with fern styled frost all over. He wasn't even wearing shoes, but he didn't seem to have a care in the world.

Slowly, the bird like woman that the boy named, Tooth, backed away.

"And what, I suppose breaking an entry, and kidnapping the poor girl was? Am I right Sandy?" In hopped in an Australian talking giant rabbit. Literally a giant rabbit with blue-grey fur and a brown leather sash that carried something on his back.

The rabbit nudge the little golden man that walked in behind him with his elbow. This gold, sparkly looking man hovered a few inches off the ground as he gave the rabbit a shrug in reply to his comment.

"It was for good intentions, Bunny." The white bearded man said.

The rabbit was named Bunny, as I thought how unoriginal it was, Bunny sounded anxious. "But look what happened, North, if we just went with-"

"Who are you?" I managed to get the words out cutting the one named Bunny off.

The white bearded man everyone referred to as North laughed hysterically out loud. "But of course, where are my manners." He came over, lifting me up off the ground like I weighed nothing and put me on my feet. "You may know me as Santa Claus, but please, call me North."

I was slowly processing what the old man, Santa- No, I mean what North was saying as he continued.

"And the Easter Bunny." North gestures towards the giant rabbit.

"Bunny is the name, short for Bunnymund." Bunny steps up and shows off a proud smile.

North then waves his hand over to the little golden man. "And here we have, Sandman."

Sandman didn't say anything, he stood there with an excited grin and threw me a friendly wave. I returned it with a pathetic hand raise and a crooked half smile.

North leans over and whispers. "You can call him, Sandy, he's not much of a talker. Then we have Tooth fairy-"

The colorful feathered bird lady zipped passed North, throwing him off as she invaded my personal space, again. No matter how much I backed up she kept coming closer. "Hello, it's so nice to meet you," She chirped excitedly. "May I?"

"May you what-Aah!" I was taken aback when her little hands pried opened my mouth, touching me teeth. "Wha ah yo woing?!"

"Tooth." North firmly called.

The feathered lady named Tooth quickly removed her hands. Good thing too because a second longer and I was about to bite.

"Sorry, they shine so beautifully." She smiled innocently and backed away.

North continued. "And last but not least-"

A sudden breeze of artic air speared through my clothes as the white haired boy in shabby clothing swooped in. "My name is, Jack Frost." He greeted me with a cheeky smile and pale blue eyes that shimmered like when the moon's light hits the snow.

"And we are The Guardians!" North shouted uproariously and on cue the little guys wearing hats and the furry beasts came out playing trumpets and twirling batons that were on fire.

I backed into one of the pillars for support and soon enough their little show ended and silence swarmed in. They all stood there posing arrogantly, and as time went on without anyone saying or doing anything, it was starting to feel awkward.

My brain slowly was processing the sudden bomb that was dropped, "Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, Sandman, and Jack Frost." I mumbled their names off while pointing at each one of them. "You're all real." I mumbled.

"Uh, yeah?" Jack replied.

"You're all…real," I repeated to myself then stormed my way passed the so called Guardians over to where I could get a better look at the moon. "They're all real!" The next thing I knew I started laughing uncontrollably and figured I was in the middle of having a nervous breakdown. I fell to my knees and wrapped one arm around my stomach as it started to hurt from all the laughing. "I've finally lost it." I wheezed.

"Wasn't quite expecting that reaction." Bunny said in shock of my outburst.

I stood back up while wiping away the tears that filled up in the corners of my eyes. "H-he told me stories about you. I-I didn't think you were actually real." I had my hand running through my hair as I paced a section of the room.

"He, you mean Man in Moon?" North caught on.

"Man in moon...you mean Manny?" I pointed to the light grey sphere in the sky. "Wait…Man in the Moon…like, like the story?"

"You talk to him?" Tooth asked.

"I- well yeah, yeah I do." I admitted. "Wait he talks to you too?"

"Ah ha!" North jumped with joy ignoring my question. "You're the one!"

"North, I think we should take things slow." Bunny jumped in front of North, using his paws as a sign to calm down.

"What do you mean?" North questioned.

"Bunny's right, you saw how she reacted just by introducing ourselves." Tooth fluttered close to North and Bunny like she didn't want me to hear what they were talking about.

There was mumbling and whispering going on between the five of them and this was my chance. To my right I noticed one of the hairy beasts step out what looked to be an elevator, I didn't know where it would lead me but I couldn't stand to be here any longer.

My legs took giant leaps, stretching out as far as they could while I swung my arms in a proper motion improving my endurance and reaching closer to, hopefully, my way out of here, I jumped over the small gate that was part of the elevator itself and the wooden elevator began moving its way down. I regained my breath once the elevator stopped and took me to another floor where a bunch of noises like metal clanging, pipes steaming, guitar music, and shouting from more of those beastly creatures who all stopped what they were doing to stare at me as I dashed passed all of them.

"Wait, stop!" I heard North shout from above, and that's when those giant creatures started to engage and come at me.

Soon my path was blocked and if they were in front of me then my guess was that they were behind me as well, so the only other way was down. I quickly took notice to an airborne red and black machine that, looked like a turtle, fly by me. I followed it, stepping on to the balcony railing and taking a leap of faith, slowly soaring, my hand inches away from the hovering toy, but escaped me when my waist was grabbed by someone.

"What the-" I looked up and found myself staring into those icy colored eyes. "What are you doing, let me go." I squirmed in his grasp.

"Hey, hey." His flying became wonky as I thrashed around. "Hold still, I'm trying to help." He determinedly told me.

But my stubbornness took over. "No, just let me go, now!"

"I don't think you want me to do that." Right as he said that I happened to look down to see not only my legs dangling but I was hanging above an endless drop.

Next thing I knew Jack released me and I was falling, my eyes automatically shut themselves as I fell into the arms of something soft. My eyes opened and I was faced with one of those beasts with the thick white mustaches. "Put me down, put me down!" I repeated as I flailed my arms and legs like a child throwing a temper tantrum.

When the beast released me I instantly fell to the ground and more of those little pointy hat guys surrounded me.

"Shoo, shoo." North waved his large hands at them making them back off. "Don't mind the elves and yetis they mean no harm."

Why that hadn't clicked in sooner is probably because of everything else that was happening around me.

"What is happening?" I groaned, letting my head fall into my hands. And there it was that familiar squeaking which had my raise my head to be sure it's who I thought it was. The little bird popped out from behind Jack's shoulder, resting in my hands. "It's you." I said sounding relieved.

"You saved her," Tooth drifted over placing herself right next to me. "You saved Baby Tooth."

"Baby Tooth?" I looked down at the little bird who squeaked and nodded. "Um, yeah I guess," I shrugged hiding the embarrassment by the sudden gratitude. "But, how did she even end up like that?"

A chuckled escaped Bunny. "Heh, I wonder how that could of happened."

It was slowly coming together once everyone had turned their looks at Jack who backed up, hands raised harmlessly. "Hey, it was an accident, if anything I was aiming for you, Bunny."

"Nice shot." Bunny huffed, rolling his eyes.

"All right, all right let's get back on track here." North interrupted with his thick Russian drawl to stop the bickering before Jack threw the snowball that I saw appear in his hand out of thin air.

Sandy, who was light on his feet came over to me offering his hand. To my surprise I took it and he raised my off the floor.

I took a deep breath and collected my thoughts. There was no point in asking where I was from Santa Claus, his elves and the yetis making toys, actually the yetis were a surprise but I could very much tell that I was at the North Pole in Santa's workshop. "So, why me?" It was the only other thing that had come to mind from what North had said early. "You said something about me being 'the one'. What, am I a part of some sort of weird prophecy or something?"

There it was again. Everyone giving off that same nervous expression.

"You've gotta be kidding me." I sighed.