Alaia Skyhawk: For those who have asked, I've no plan to give Jack a love interest. It's something I feel would detract from this story, or at least take it in a direction it's not meant to go. However if Jack romances are your thing, you and I all know there are LOADS here on FFnet. This just won't be one of them :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Rise of the Guardians, the Guardians of Childhood, or any related characters etc. This story is written purely for entertainment purposes.
~(-)~
Chapter 96: Putting a Foot Down
He whistled cheerfully to himself as he finished up the last of the frostdust distribution for the day, completely ignoring the sparodic ringing sound coming from his tablet computer just below. The same way he'd ignored it every morning since just after the first seminar held by David Bennett.
It was now late January, and in the more southern areas of the North of the World, winter was giving way to spring. But there were still plenty of places further north where frost and snow would still cling on for a while yet. Plenty of places where children would be overjoyed to get a visit and play a game with Jack Frost.
Frostdust done, Jack settled back at his desk to write a few tip-offs for immortals the winds said had things going on in their territories. There were barely a dozen to write; the Bennetts' emergence from anonymity was already doing what they'd hoped. They were opening eyes, inspiring those who had been doubtful, and above all making sure everyone who listened to a speech from one of them became aware of the incredible possibilities that now lay ahead. For the correction of disrupted weather patterns, via reforestation projects with the help of Mother Nature and the Spirit of Spring to reverse Global Warming. For the ending of famine, with cleverly designed farming methods ranging from high to low-tech, and also of poverty. With yet other technologies that would help the needy to lift themselves up to a good standard of living, without harming the environment in the process.
Understandibly some people were worried that a sudden plunge in deathrates among the poorest nations would lead to an equally massive population explosion. While that was true, it was also a noted fact that as living standards increased, birthrates tended to fall. Not only that but hopefully some tactful 'advice' from the Immortals, against having unneccessarily large families, would help everything settle to an equilibrium much faster.
But Jack wasn't going to worry himself over things like that. Human birthrates were Mother Nature's concern to deal with, not his. Nope, right now he was still whistling to himself as he thought about his itinery for the next two weeks... Idly tapping the 'decline' icon on his computer every time it started ringing.
However, after selecting decline for what was probably about the thirtieth time, he sighed with annoyance and hit 'accept'.
"Yeah, what?"
He didn't even look at Marcia's face when it appeared in a box at the corner of the screen, although he didn't need to in order to know she was frowning.
"Jack, why have you been so hard to contact lately? Have you been avoiding contact on purpose?"
The Spirit of Winter sealed up the current note he was writing, and handed it to the sprite that bounded up into view of the camera to take it. After murmuring to it who the note was for, he started writing the next.
"Are you going to say why you were so persistent today, or were you just calling to complain. Because if it's the latter, I end this conversation right now."
She was still frowning, this time at his bluntly dismissive attitude, but did get to the point.
"There's a conference tomorrow, and-"
"Ask David Bennett."
Jack's clipped answer made her blink in surprise, before she gazed into the camera at her end in entreaty.
"But he's at a conference this week."
Jack folded up another note, handing it to the next sprite he'd whistled a summons to.
"Then ask Jamie."
Marcia grimaced.
"Also at a conference this week."
Jack finally looked at the screen and shrugged.
"Then you're just going to have to wait then, aren't you?"
Marcia actually gaped, until a hint of rising temper made her clutch the edge of her desk.
"This can't wait!"
Jack shook his head and began writing the next and last note. His response was bland.
"Not my problem. It's Northern Winter and I have wall-to-wall appearances planned across the entire North of the World. My timetable is fully booked."
Marcia began to splutter.
"You're just going off to play with children! Surely you can cancel a few appearances!"
Jack handed over the last note, directing a disapproving stare at the woman on the screen.
"Playing with children, encouraging and nurturing their sense of fun, is one of my major jobs as an immortal. I've 'cancelled a few' far too many times the past three years, and just as many in the three years before that."
"But Jack-"
Jack faced her fully, his hand already reaching to touch the 'end call' icon on the screen.
"But, nothing. I have work to do. If you're that desperate, try calling Craig Bennett at the Burgess Museum. See if he can spare time for a video call to whatever conference you've been bugging me for."
He hung up, closing the mirror that led to the phone-mast and effectively cutting her off before she could call again. He'd been keeping it open and the computer on, for reasons of being able to watch livestreams of David's many and varied appearances in public. But since he was going to be out now for the best part of two weeks, he'd be leaving the news-watching to Baby Tooth and her team up at North's Workshop. If anything big happened, the Lights would be used summon him there.
Down below the spire, at the doorway into the Hall of Mirrors, Yuki had stood listening to the conversation. She now flew up to Jack, offering the mug of cooled hot chocolate that she carried. Speaking as he accepted it with obvious relief at the chance to relax.
"Marcia?"
Jack took a gulp of the drink and then nodded with a sigh.
"Yeah. She's gotten too used to me being able to show for a meeting at short notice, or to be able to come explain something. Now that I've put my foot down and keep saying no, it's taking a while for her to realise I've cut her loose and that she has to look elsewhere now."
Yuki planted her hands on her hips, raising her eyebrows.
"Want me to go have a word with her?"
Jack chuckled at that, able to see the mirthful smile Yuki was trying but failing to suppress at her joke threat.
"Nah, she'll get it eventually." He touched a few things on his screen to shut his computer down, speaking as he did so. "You seen Dig around?"
Yuki smiled.
"He's tearing around the main plaza, whooping at the top of his voice that he's going to go play with children today."
Jack's expression turned wry.
"Well, the North American part of the tour at least. When I'll be at places within Dig's Range of Belief."
"How many stops are you doing?"
Jack got up, the two of them gliding down to the door and walking towards the palace exit.
"About thirty each day for the next two weeks, for about half an hour each. I'll zip around with my bow in between. Frostdust arrows are great for priming groups of kids for snowball fights or just fun in general. Using it I can cover a greater area faster than I could when I had to get closer and throw a dozen snowballs to get the same effect."
Yuki glanced at him
"Will you be overseeing the storms in Russia three weeks from now?"
Jack nodded, his expression one of anticipation.
"Yeah, it's been a while since I took a flight through some rough weather. It'll be good to get back to normal routine without all the constant interruptions."
Yuki's expression echoed it as they approached the doorway to the plaza. By this point Dig was rather audible.
"Then why don't we make a group event out of it? All your Senior Lieutenants, and you, working that weather system together."
Jack glanced back at her, grinning.
"Sure. Sounds like a lot of fun."
~(-)~
Three weeks later, in the Warren, eighteen-year-old Sophie stood in one of the main Painting Glades checking over the various flowers and plants that did the painting. Ticking off each one on her list while the Easter Elf followed along behind her like a little mascot, lugging his miniature watering can so he could pour some of Bunny's special fertilizer liquid on the ones that Sophie indicated needed a little attention.
Now into middle of February, with Easter on April 16th this year, there was two months to go before the big day. And if there was one thing Sophie had taught Bunny to do, it was to spread the preparations out more. Even so far as to begin making inventory on what pigments were in storage, and what would likely be needed to be bought in, back in mid-December. It gave him time to tinker with the machines in his workshop caverns for a few hours each day, which was important given he was still adapting a lot of things from the Golden Age, so that the people here on Earth could be taught how to build them with the means and materials they had access to.
It meant Sophie was doing a lot of the general jobs, such as preparing the plants in the Painting Glades. They'd all be in top condition by the time the eggs trundled through them during the week before Easter.
She was just directing the Easter Elf to the last flower that needed tending in this glade, when she heard the umistakable cadence of Pooka paws on mossy tunnel. She turned to greet Bunny as he came into view, but her words were then smothered by the burst of laughter that escaped her when she saw him.
Because he was covered all over in patches of melting snow.
She giggled.
"Workshop, or somewhere else?"
Bunny shook himself, dislodging most of the snow although his fur was already partially soaked.
"Russia. Jack and his Senior Lieutenants are kickin' up a real storm. Grade Eight at least. Kiyiya spotted me and gave me a heads-up. Pity Jack didn't think to send a warning here."
Sophie regarded him with a small smirk.
"Why would he? You don't normally scout this early."
Bunny strolled over, giving a glancing inspection of the flowers he passed even as he nodded in approval. Once he reached her, he smiled wryly.
"I figure I should be getting into good habits. I used to tear around a lot last minute every year, but having you helping out has made me appreciate being able to take it easier closer to Easter. You won't be able to come around and help as much from September."
Sophie tapped him on the nose with her clipboard.
"I'm off to study a degree in art for four years, not leaving the planet."
Bunny regarded her with pride.
"But you're going to Yale University, one of the top in the US for studying Fine Art! If you want to graduate with honors, you're not going to be able to come here three nights a week plus Sundays."
Sophie glanced around the clearing and let out a resigned sigh.
"I guess you're right. It's just a pity I can't submit 'helping the Easter Bunny paint eggs' for extra credits towards my degree."
Bunny chuckled, giving her hair a ruffle.
"If you could, you'd be laughing. You probably already know more about high-level art skills than anyone else on your course will. Probably more than the professors, too. It's just a pity I didn't have time to help you brush up on the history of art as well."
Sophie straightened her hair, her tone humoured.
"I thought I was going to study the degree at Yale, not at The Warren. I'll be fine, and I'm still going to come here every Sunday."
Bunny looked away, a little awkward.
"If ever you have a close friend or two you want to bring over, feel free to have them tag along. Just not during the last couple of weeks before Easter. But any other time is okay."
Sophie grinned.
"Wow, the recluse is telling me to invite my friends over?"
Bunny raised his eyebrows at her.
"Yeah yeah, tease me. I'm not a big showy kinda fella, but even so. North has been doing December visits to ask kids what they'd like for Christmas, Sandy's started putting 'bedtime stories' into some of his dreams for them, and Tooth's new 'collectable' trinkets are a huge hit with them too. Even Jack's in on the act, with all his appearances for snowball fights a couple of weeks ago. I'm the only Guardian lagging behind."
Sophie handed him her clipboard, and this time tapped him on the nose with a finger. An amusing sight, considering she barely came up to his chin in height.
"Then why don't you hide a set number of 'Golden Eggs' every year, with the kids who find them being invited to the Warren with their families for an After Easter Party? Like that story 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory', where there were Golden Tickets. Easter Egg Hunts will be packed with hope-filled kids if you start doing that."
Bunny mulled it over, frowning a little.
"And what about the disappointment for the kids who don't find one?"
Sophie was still smiling, unpeturbed.
"You just make sure the eggs they do find have plenty of yummy chocolate in them. Or ask Jack to increase the frostdust dose for the day, which I think he does anyway. They'll have had too much fun searching for eggs, to be disappointed they didn't find a golden one."
Bunny gave her a long look, aware that she'd seen straight through his uncertainty at the idea and his excuse for trying to avoid it. Knowing that, he gave in.
"I'll give it some thought."
Sophie nodded, glancing around the glade one again.
"I'll admit, I'll miss coming here so often." She paused, a wicked grin lighting up her expression.
"But once I graduate, you're never gonna see the end of me. I'm gonna be your assistant for life, even if you get sick of me pestering you to take breaks and stop stressing yourself out during the run-up to Easter every year. And I'm going to be around for a long time."
At the mention of her self-sustained immortality, which she'd achieved shortly after Christmas much to her brother and parents' pride, and the Guardians' pride as well, Bunny smiled.
"I wouldn't want it any other way."
Sophie grinned, darting into motion with happy laughter, as she scooped up the Easter Elf and began to swing the giggling little fellow round and round. Her snowflake-shaped protection charm glittering in the golden light of the Warren as she spun.
"Working for you is going to be the best job ever!"
Bunny watched her, content and happy, and unable to picture how the world would have been without her and the other Bennetts in it. She'd changed so much here, just as other of her relatives were helping to change the rest of the world. Something she'd also be doing during her time at Yale, he was sure. She was going to turn the university on its head. A pity his work meant he wouldn't be able to watch her do it.
They were just six years into the twenty-year wait, for the earliest time when someone from the Silver Allegiance may come to Earth. But things were already starting to change at an incredible pace. By the time 2042 rolled around, chances were the Earth would be so different a place that the people of six years ago would barely recognise it.
But the people from the Silver Allegiance would, as being a dream long denied them by fear. The beginning of a New Golden Age, and the return of Hope to their lives.
~(-)~
Alaia Skyhawk: And finally Sophie gets some action, because much of this next arc is going to follow her. She's going to be turning a lot of things upside down when she starts at university hehehe :)