All rights to Rise of the Guardians belongs to DreamWorks Animation. While the OC's in here belong to me.
I am back and glad to be! I'm sorry I was gone for so long! My computer would finally charge and stay longer than it did, but as I fixed this another problem arose. My router would not connect me to the inter; it wouldn't for any of the computers in my house! We took it in to cox and found out they don't even use the router anymore, so they gave us a new one and me and my dad (Whom I love to death!) spent all day yesterday hooking it up and figuring it out!
The bad part is, my computer is glitchy and sometimes still will NOT charge for me.
The good part is, that all that time I couldn't update, I had time to write. So now I have two updates for Fire and Light, and two updates for Frozen Roses. Plus I am halfway through another update for this story so YAY!
I love to hear from everybody so feel free to message me and I will message back!
I would like to ask a question for all of you to message me for. What do you think of a lemon between Jack and Crystal later on in the story? Of course it won't be soon, not with what is going on with them, but I would like to hear. Should it be an actual scene in the story or just an innuendo at the end?
Please message me, rate and review! Again I'm glad to be back and will work diligently to update! Thank you all for sticking with me through this! And thank you HaveANiceDream for helping me through all my problems for the story! You're a good friend!
"How is this old fart so hard to find?" Bunny shouted enraged.
"Time has always been hard to find." North sighed. "He has to be so other humans don't find him."
Tooth had left along with Sandy as they had to continue their work, and had no time to help research and locate said person. Leaving Bunny, North, Jack, and Crystal on their own to find anything they can on the old man.
"It's getting late," Bunny said gazing outside at the setting sunset. "Oi, Crystal are you wanting to stay with meh?"
Crystal perked up at hearing Bunny call for her, as she straightened her back from the hunched over position at the table. Jack had fallen asleep from boredom half an hour before, and was beginning to stir as Crystal got up from the table.
"What do you mean?" She asked confused.
"You need to stay with one of us mate." He explained. "Otherwise we can't protect ya."
"She's not going anywhere with you, you stinking kangaroo." Jack drawled.
Crystal's heart skipped a beat as she saw a sleepy Jack rub his eyes and ran a hand through his hair. She blushed furiously as she quickly turned away from him.
"Stupid," She whispered underneath her breath to herself. She mentally slapped herself as she told herself to not think about stuff like that right now.
"Wha'd you say frostbite?" He asked getting into Jack's face.
"I said 'She's not going anywhere with you, you stinking kangaroo.' Am I not clear enough?" He asked putting emphasis on the 'stinking kangaroo'.
"Where she goin go den?" He asked crossing his arms. "She'll freeze with you, mate."
Jack stood up not wavering his stare from Bunny as the tension between them was electric. Crystal stood between them as she faced Bunny and put her hands out to push him away.
"Do you ever stop arguing with each other?" She asked them irritated. She turned to Jack as she gave him a soft smile. "I'll stay with Bun-Bun tonight."
"Bun-Bun?" Jack laughed. He composed himself quickly as Bunny glared at him to shut him up, before turning towards Crystal. "Why would you stay with him?"
"Because you need sleep." She told him with hands on her hips. "And I guarantee that if I'm around you won't get any."
Bunny snickered behind her, making her elbow him gently. "You heard her mate."
"Stop tormenting him." Crystal sighed.
"You could always stay here." North said chuckling. "It would keep them two from arguin'!"
"I've already overstayed my visit here." She said lightly shaking her head. "I don't want to put you behind in your work."
"Are ya kidding me?" North exclaimed. "You've put me farther ahead in my work than I have ever been! We're already three months early in our work!"
Crystal smiled as she watched North laugh loudly.
"Come on mate." Bunny said smirking victoriously at Jack behind her back. He stamped his foot twice, opening a hole underneath them.
Crystal could hear Jack mutter a 'You better take care of her' before she dropped into the whole with Bunny right behind her. Bunny smirked as Crystal squealed in amusement as she dropped and slid along the tunnels. They landed gently in the clearing next to a lake with a picture of children laughing, smiling, and playing with a drawing of Bunny.
She laughed as she ran along the clearing climbing onto the giant boulders shaped as eggs. She patted it on the top and giggled when it stood up, spun showing its smiling face, and began to walk around. She stood on top of it as she held out her arms and smiling, letting laughter fill her body and out into the air.
"Aren't you easy to please?" Bunny chuckled. "Don't you get uncomfortable with those clothes?"
"A bit," She said shrugging her shoulder.
"C'mere." He said jerking his chin towards her.
She pouted at him, but reluctantly jumped off the egg and walked with Bunny to a tunnel. She followed him down the tunnel until a door appeared, and still followed him in there. She gasped as she looked at all the clothes in there.
"I don't think you're supposed to be stealing things Buns." She said teasingly.
"Buns? What is with all these nicknames?" He sighed. "Anyway, they're not stolen, they're clothes people have lost, or left behind."
"Wow," She breathed softly.
"Go ahead, change into something comfortable." He told her gently.
He waited for her out in the clearing as he painted the eggs with precision. He heard footsteps behind him and glanced back before double taking and looking at her. Crystal had changed into a light blue summer dress that ended mid thigh, tight fitted around her chest and stomach, before flowing out around her gently. Light blue silk ribbons wound around her neck before attaching itself to her dress, leaving her back open of clothing. The same ribbons were wrapped around her right wrist to her elbow, and on both legs reaching from her calves to her feet.
"That looks beautiful on you." He complimented with a smile.
"It's much more free than the other one." She said shyly.
"Much more appropriate for children too." He said standing up. "We better catch some sleep."
She nodded in agreement as she looked around and sat next to the lake. He chuckled again as he walked off to wherever he goes to sleep. She sighed as she listlessly ran her fingers over the water, before changing to her foot, letting the cool water soothe her.
Blank eggs wandered over to her, surrounding her quickly in fun. She picked one up as the others crawled into her lap and around her legs. She painted the eggs in bright colors, and in fun designs; she finished them one by one until her eyes could no longer stay open.
A man with chestnut hair and depthless grey eyes stared at her with a smile, he changed into an old man with a gray beard and a balding head before changing back to the young man.
"Father Time," She whispered recognizing him from her memory.
"It's nice to see you Crystal," He said politely.
"Why did you help me?" She asked. She looked around and saw nothing but darkness all around them.
"You are the only hope." He said smiling again.
"Only hope for what?" She asked desperately.
"To save us." He groaned impatiently. "To save all of us who children believe in, and who adults just talk about for myths."
"How am I supposed to help?" She asked confused.
"A pure heart can help with anything." He chuckled.
"But why help me with my memories? I can't give anything in return!" She cried.
She stood there watching him as her chest tightened, and guilt rose in her chest. His looked turned from a smile, to narrow eyes in a split second as he walked closer to her. His old man form came back as he leaned against his staff and stared at her in the face.
"In your memories is the key to destroy the one thing that can destroy us." He told her serious.
"I can't destroy anything," She said lightly. "My power is to create."
"Yes, you do have the power to create. Anything that blooms and roots is created by you." He agreed. "Yet you also have to power of light, the one thing that can fight against darkness. The one thing equal to that of death."
"But the Guardians said you don't help anyone without something in return." She told him.
"What if I told you that giving you your memories back came with a price of forgetting the one you most treasure?"
She arched an eyebrow at him before realization dawned on her. "You mean forgetting Jack? But that's why I want to get my memories back!"
"Would you take it if it meant saving his life?" He asked staring into her eyes. As if he was seeing her soul.
She didn't need to think about it as she squared her shoulders, jutted her chin out, and looked him straight in the eyes. "I would."
He smiled at her warmly. "Good, that's an answer of a pure heart."
He faded backwards as he became farther and farther from her.
"Wait!" She said reaching out futilely for him.
"Come find me." He said.
"We don't know how!" She yelled out.
"I am in the past. I am in the present. I am in the future." He said with an echo.
"What does that mean?" She asked with a cry.
"I am death. I am Life. I am there when time stops." His voice faded as he completely disappeared.
"That doesn't make since!" She cried out desperately.
Crystal shot up quickly as she looked around quickly for Father Time.
"Sorry 'id I wake you?" Bunny asked her with a guilty half smile. He had completely frozen, brush in hand, and ready to paint the egg in his other, as she had shot up.
She shook her head making him relieved as he continued to paint the egg. She lied back down on the soft grass, letting it brush her cheek. "That one's pretty. Do you always get up so early?"
"Usually yeah," He nodded. "But I guess I didn't have to with 'ow many eggs you painted last night."
"I didn't know I painted that many." She said flushing. "Sorry if I did them wrong."
He held up one of the eggs she did last night and smiled at it approvingly. "They look great."
She smiled as the warmth enveloped her body, relaxing her mind, and making her eyelids droop. Bunny began to whistle a tone, lulling her to sleep. This time Father Time had not shown up, but her dreams were filled of her with the Guardian's.
Jack flew through the tunnels till he reached the clearing and heard Bunny whistling, following it to where he hoped Crystal was. Bunny was leaning against a rock with a long piece of grass in his mouth as he whistled a playful tune.
"Where is s-" He cut off as he looked at the edge of the lake.
He looked to the edge of the lake at Crystal curling her knee's slightly to her chest as her arms lay loosely next to her head. Her hair spilled around behind her, and her face was calm and relaxed as she gently breathed in and out. He noticed her new set of clothes along with the ribbons adjoining her outfit and looked at Bunny with a raised eyebrow.
"She wanted a change o' clothes." He said with a shrug.
Jack reached down and pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear, making her grumble in her sleep.
"You're too cold," Bunny snapped. "You'll wake 'er up."
"I will not," Jack said brushing it off.
He lied down next to her, laying his staff on the rock, putting his hands behind his head, and staring up into the ceiling. He felt the breeze brush over him as he took a deep breath before letting it out and smiling. Crystal grumbled next to him again as she began to stir.
"See? I 'old you you'd 'ake 'er up." Bunny grumbled.
Instead of waking up, she cuddled next to Jack, lying her head on the soft spot between his shoulder and chest, and pressed her body against his side, letting her hand rest on his chest gently.
Jack looked over at Bunny snidely. "See? I told you I wouldn't wake her up."
"Shut up frostbite." Bunny snapped.
"Make me Kangaroo." Jack snapped back.
Neither really knew why they still fought, though they reconciled over the whole "Easter Sunday" Jack ruined for Bunnymund. Everyone just concluded that it was such a habit for them; they couldn't stop and just kept bickering at each other for the heck of it.
"You're too loud." Crystal grumbled finally once the boys' voices were in the shouting range.
She sat up gently as she looked from Jack underneath her hand, and Bunny glaring at Jack by the rock. She let out a deep sigh as she stood up and walked onto the lake. She loved how she could just walk onto the water, and watched it as ripples started where the balls of her feet touch and washed out away from her. She crouched down and scooped up a handful of water before splashing it on her face to wake her up.
She wiped the water away from her face before turning back and noticed they were still bickering at each other, but were now standing in front of each other with electricity flowing between their eyes.
"I got a clue from Time." She said walking back towards them.
They seemed to not have heard her so she shrugged her shoulders at them and slowly walked off, letting the spring breeze carry her dress behind her. She jumped on top of the egg rock again and patted it gently, waking it up from its slumber also.
"I guess if you don't care, I'll just find North." She said wistfully, telling the rock to start walking towards the tunnel.
That seemed to snap them out of their argument as Jack grabbed his staff quickly and ran up next to her, with Bunny on the other side.
"You know we 'ern't ingorin ya." Bunny said holding his hands out.
"Yeah," Jack agreed with a nod. "We were just trying to finish our argument first."
"Which was over what exactly?" She asked wanting to be helpful, but didn't tell the rock to stop.
Jack flushed as Bunny looked the other way and mumbled.
"What?" She asked leaning towards him, hoping she could hear him. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. But I'd really rather it be over and solved now so we can figure this out."
"It's solved now, don't worry." Jacks said rubbing his read neck in embarrassment.
She shrugged her shoulders again as she sat down on the rock and leaning back on her hands. Jack flew up and sat next to her, leaning forward to look at her face.
"What? Do I have something on my face?" She asked rubbing her cheeks and nose.
Jack let out a short laugh as he leaned back with her with crossed legs and bumped his shoulder into hers. "No, just really taking a look at you now."
"What do you mean? You see her every day!" Bunny grumbled.
"Buns don't start that!" She nagged.
His ears went back as he mumbled out a sorry, but perked back up when she reached down and scratched behind his ear and on his head. He flushed afterwards in embarrassment at what his animal side automatically did.
"I mean, you've changed so much from when you were a human." Jack said looking ahead. "I don't know. Maybe it's just me, but something seems different."
Crystal stared at him long before he finally looked at her and smiled, making her do the same and lean against him.
"This doesn't bother me so much anymore." She said. Jack was about to reach his hand up when she noticed it and sat back up and shook her head. "Not yet."
He sighed deeply as he nodded in disappointment.
"We're 'ere." Bunny told them as he looked up, showing an opening above them and the sound of building above.
Jack flew through as he grabbed her hand and helped her through the whole, before setting her down and waiting for Bunny to order the rock back and come through with them.
"Ah! You're back!" North cried happily with open arms. "How lovely you look!"
Crystal immediately ran towards him and jumped into his arms with a huge smile. He was like the father she wished she had, maybe she did have one like him and she just didn't remember, but either way that's how she saw him.
North leaned down sheepishly as he put a hand on the other side of his mouth and whispered to her. "Would you mind help the yeti's a bit? They seem to have made a mistake in a toy and can't figure out what is wrong."
"Sure." She said as she bounced over to the yeti North pointed out and looked over the toy quickly before pointing at a specific spot where the gears weren't properly aligned, blocking the voice box for the little's girl's doll, and explaining how they could fix it.
"Thank you," North sighed as she bounced back to him with a proud smile. "Much help."
"No problem!" She giggled.
"So you ready for research?" He asked her as he patted his belly. "I feel it in my belly that we'll find something today!"
"Wow, you're good." She told him. She poked his belly making him laugh as he ruffled her hair, making her pout and fix it quickly. "Last night Time came into my dreams."
"Your dreams?" A feminine voice said behind them.
Tooth flew in with a sleepy Sandy riding on a cloud of sand behind her. Sandy dropped in as Crystal picked him up before walking into North's opened personal room and sitting on the windowsill. Sandy nodded off as Crystal hugged him close and laid her chin on his head.
"Yeah. He gave me a clue, but it made no sense." She told them furrowing her brows.
Jack sat against the windowsill as he draped an arm over his leg. He wanted to pull her close like he used to but remembered her shaking her head before and telling him 'not yet' and contained the urge.
"What he say?" North asked sitting down and grabbing a pen and paper.
"'I am the past. I am the present. I am the future. I am death. I am life. I am there when time stops.'" She quoted him, remembering his exact words. "It makes no sense though."
"Of course he'd be the past, present, and future." Bunny said with a sniff. "He controls time."
"Exactly. Meaning he has all my memories, my present, and what is to come." Crystal confirmed.
"I am death. I am life. I am there when time stops." Tooth said to herself. "That's as simple too. He chooses when people die and are born. And I'm guessing he can stop time when he needs to."
Crystal furrowed her brows as she pressed her chin onto Sandy's head and went into a deep thought. She chilling breeze went through the window and passed her skin, making a shiver creep down her spine. She unconsciously wiggled backwards as she turned her body and leaned back against Jack's chest. He looked down at her in surprise until he noticed she was in deep thought. A chuckle rumbled through his chest, making her snap out of it and look up.
"Sorry!" She said scooting away quickly, but had difficulty as Sandy was still in her arms.
"It seems your body still reacts like it used to with Jack." Tooth said with a smile.
"Yeah," Crystal said blushing. "But honestly it's weird right now, because my mind is telling me I shouldn't do that randomly."
"Don't worry, I was the same way when Pitch was using my sister's voice against me." Jack said understandingly. "I knew I recognized it, but I didn't know from where."
"Why do we lose our memories?" Crystal asked Tooth confused.
"Because we die protecting others. And Man in the Moon finds us fit to live again, but for the hopes of children." Tooth explained. "It's as if we are being born again. Being brought back to life. And for our new life we make new memories, leaving the old behind."
Sandy woke with a start as he hopped off her lap and over to the paper North had written the clue on. He pointed at it as a light bulb appeared and turned on over his head with sand.
"You figured it out?" Bunny asked surprised.
Sandy began to nod his head as picture's flashed over his head quickly. The others couldn't keep up with what he was saying, but somehow Crystal got the jest of it, along with what Tooth just explained to her. The pieces of the puzzle were coming together as she figured out the way to find Father Time.
"Slow down Sandy!" Tooth complained.
"I get it." Crystal said smiling. "Sandy! You're brilliant!"
"What?" Jack asked puzzled. "You understood him?"
She nodded her head in excitement. "Enough to put the pieces together." She looked at all of them as Sandy smiled at her and ushered her to go on. "I was right about the past, present, and future. Of course he would tell me that to say he did, indeed, have my memories. 'I am death. I am life. I am there when time stops.' Don't you get it?" She asked hoping they understood now by thinking hard about it. "As Tooth said, we all die protecting someone before we become a Guardian right?" They nodded their heads as it dawned on them. "And we are brought back to life by Moony! But he would need the help of Father Time to do so right?"
"I am death. I am life!" Bunny said excitedly as it made sense. "But what about 'I am there when time stops'."
"The one thing I do remember was when Moony was calling down to me. To wake me up from when I had died!" Crystal said explaining. "If you remember, it was as if time had stopped for you. You no longer aged from when you died, you no longer held a human life. Time had stopped for you!"
"That makes sense!" North said pounding his fist on his palm. "So you're saying we need to visit Moony?"
"No!" She groaned. "I think he wants me to go where I was woken up. Where I had died, then was brought back!"
"Where was that?" Bunny asked with a smirk.
"Outside a small tunnel in the rock." She said proudly.
Yet as she said those words an ominous chill ran through her body, sending a cold fear that struck her heart hard. Her breath escaped her as she put a hand over her heart and clenched her fist. However she had died, it wasn't pleasant; whatever happened had made her fear to go back. But she wasn't backing down now, she was getting her memories back if it was the last thing she did!
Jack walked over and gently grabbed her hand as he noticed her eyes go from excitement to fear. She looked at him and he gave her a reassuring smile to calm her down. She knew that even though he was the Winter King, he was always so warm to her. She wanted to know why, and Jack wanted to help her remember how they were, hopefully changing her acting towards him back to normal.
None of them had the sense of mind to see the danger that was soon to come. They didn't see the price she had to pay for going to Father Time. She may not have to forget Jack, but she may have to give up a part of her heart. Every prize has a price, and Time was not one to forget that, he just hoped as he watched them through a mirror that they would be smart and strong enough to defeat the darkness to come. Or they would all die.