So this chapter, as well, is coming to an end. Thank you to everyone who is still reading, I love hearing your feedback to my stories
Jack wandered through the trees, his staff resting over his shoulder. The snow was deep, but he didn't mind.
It had been several hours since he had left Chaya on the doorstep. For a while, he had worried about her, wondering what was happening. But he knew that her adoptive family would understand, once Chaya told them everything. They loved her, that much was clear.
He looked up through the tree branches; the silver light of the moon shone down onto the snow, causing individual snowflakes to sparkle like so many diamonds hiding in the ground. The Man in the Moon had spoken to Jack; everything was going to be fine, in its own time.
He didn't know what that meant, but he trusted Manny.
Jack simply had to wait for Chaya to come back to him, he had the globe after all. There was no other way to get back to the North Pole. Although, Jack wasn't certain Chaya would want to go back. She still didn't know how to use her powers, that was the whole reason they had left in the first place. Would she try going back to her father? Or somewhere else? He wouldn't know until Chaya came back and who knew when that would be.
Jack swung his staff through the snow, flinging a cloud of fluffy snowflakes off to the side.
He was becoming quite bored.
He began walking back, in the direction of Chaya's home. He knew the forest area fairly well, although it felt like ages since his last visit. Before all this started, he would sit in the trees outside her house for hours, listening to the stories she told her brother. Everything about her had drawn him in; her smile, the sound of her voice, the way her eyes shone in the moonlight. Now that he knew more about her, knew her by name, Jack found it harder and harder not to lose himself the golden pools of her eyes, dazzled by the reflection of moonlight off her raven black hair. He was more than willing to follow her on every whim, on every last bit of a hope she held on to, no matter the risk.
Why was that? Why did he feel this way?
A sudden noise off to his right caused him to freeze. Jack spun around, holding his staff out before him. His blue eyes narrowed, focused.
"Who's there?" He kept his voice taut, a warning.
A sparkling, white light burst through the trees. Jack took a step back, caught off guard. A portal developed in front of him, opening up from the Noth Pole. A lumbering shape stepped through the spinning lights, shadowed by the darkness of the forest.
"Where in the blazes have you been, mate?" Jack immediately recognized the gruff voice. It was the Easter Bunny; he stepped out of the portal, his face twisted in a frown. The portal collapsed behind him, the crystal globe left laying in the snow.
Jack relaxed, almost laughing at himself. He twirled his staff around in the snow, back over his shoulder. He gave the Bunny a sly smirk.
"You look like a bear in the dark, did you know that?"
The Easter Bunny was in no mood for jokes. He growled at Jack, something Jack had never seen him do.
"You took one of the globes without asking, mate. You've no right to take Chaya off to god-knows-where when we're in the middle of a crisis!"
Jack rolled his eyes, waving Bunny off; he wasn't intimated. He knew what Bunny said was true, but when had Jack ever followed the rules?
"Chaya wanted to go, rabbit. She's trying to learn her powers, for all our sakes. I'm just helping her out,"
The Bunny growled again, clearly not appreciative of Jack's passive mood.
"She's not allowed to leave the Pole on her own accord, you know that,"
Jack scowled.
"She's not an official Guardian yet, she doesn't have to follow your rules,"
"She's close enough, mate! You knew we were in the middle of a problem! Santa's workers are still under and they aren't getting any better! Chaya is our only hope! She's no good to us running around with you!"
Jack felt his blood boil, he stepped into the snow, his shoulder forward.
"Chaya's not a tool for you to use! She has to use her powers in order to help those workers. How do you expect her to do that if she doesn't know how to use them? I was helping her!"
Bunny stepped up as well, not at all intimidated by the winter spirit.
"Oh yeah? Where has your help gotten her, mate? Has this wild goose chase of yours gotten her any closer to getting them?"
Jack shut his mouth. He thought back over everything that had happened since they had left the Pole. Chaya had talked to her father, but that hadn't helped. Now, she was with her family and Jack hadn't talked to her all night. Had any of it helped? Chaya had been hurt by her father and Jack couldn't blame her. She had wanted to go back home, to be surrounded by the love of her adoptive family. Any further investigation on her powers had been put on hold.
Bunny leaned in close, hunched down to meet Jack eye to eye.
"Nothing's changed Jack, you didn't help her," He leaned away, his arms crossed over his skinny, barrel chest. "Santa wants you two back at the Pole. We're going to consult Manny on what to do next,"
Jack scowled.
"How do you know Manny will know what to do?"
Bunny snarled.
"Manny always knows! Do you doubt him? After all he's done?"
Jack waved his hands, pushing Bunny away.
"Of course not! But what if he can't help? Chaya's power is an old power, one that was handed down through generations. How do we know it's something she can just conjure up? What if she needs training?"
"Then Manny will tell us! We always follow Manny!" Bunny bent to pick up the globe. "Go get her,"
Jack raised his eyebrows.
"What?"
Bunny gave him a patronizing look.
"Go and get her, mate. We're going back,"
Jack opened his mouth to protest.
"Jack! Jack?"
Her voice. Her clear, lovely voice.
Jack twirled around, snowflakes fluttering in his wake.
It was Chaya, calling for him.
"Jack! Where are you?"
Bunny cocked an ear to the sound.
"Is that her?"
Jack wasn't looking at him. He started down the hill, back toward the house.
"Bring her back, Jack!" Bunny called after him.
Jack didn't answer him, he started to run. Snow billowed out in clouds in front of him as he hurtled down toward the house. He passed the large trees, the ones he would sit in to listen to Chaya's stories. He passed the window, her window, where he had looked in on her. He ran around the little cabin, skittering into the front yard.
Chaya stood on the stone steps, a grey sweater hanging over her shoulder; it was too big to be her own. Her two brothers and another man Jack didn't recognize stood behind her.
They looked right at him, could they see him?
Chaya stepped away from her family as soon as she saw him and ran down the steps, right into Jack, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Jack stood still, as if shock, his arms hanging stiffly by his side.
Stoke was staring at him as if he could not quite believe his eyes. The younger brother, Joey, was gawking at the winter spirit, his eyes alight with childlike wonder. The man looked at him rather differently, with an odd sort of understanding. It suddenly struck Jack that this man must be Chaya's adoptive father. The man who had once been bedridden, drugged with depression.
He looked solid, healthy and full of life.
Jack gasped and looked down at Chaya, still holding on to him. He wrapped his arms around her back, lifting her off the ground.
"Your powers, Chaya! You got your powers!"
Chaya pulled away, her eyes full of happy tears, her smile wider than Jack had ever seen it.
"I saved them, Jack," She gripped his arms, her slender fingers holding onto Jack's frosty sweater. "I saved them,"
Jack pulled her in again, holding her close. She had done it! She had her mothers powers, she was going to be a Guardian!
Jack looked over Chaya's head at her family. He tilted his head down, close to Chaya's ear.
"They can see me?" He still could not quite believe it.
Chaya nodded against Jack's chest, turning around slowly in his arms.
"I told them everything. They believe in you now," She looked up at Jack. "They believe in all the Guardians," She laughed gently. "It wasn't hard to persuade them after they saw me use magic," Chaya's laugh sent shivers down Jack's spine. It sounded like silver bells on a clear morning.
Chaya took hold of Jack's hand and pulled him forward, toward her family.
"Let me introduce you," Jack allowed Chaya to drag in forward, feeling suddenly shy. Chaya smiled at the man standing behind her brothers.
"Jack, this is my father, Vincent Winters,"
Vincent offered his hand to Jack, a fatherly smile on his face.
"Thank you, Jack Frost, for taking care of Chaya. She's told me how you watched over her," Jack felt his whole body shake as Vincent shook his hand; there was no loss of strength there.
Chaya gestured toward her brothers.
"And this is Stoke and Joey,"
Stoke stuck out his hand, an odd grin on his face.
"I never thought I would be talking to someone I thought was make believe. Thank you, though, for taking care of my sister,"
Jack couldn't help but laugh as he shook Stoke's hand. It felt so odd, talking to them, knowing they could see him. For so long, they hadn't known he existed.
Joey pulled on Jack's sweater, his head tilted so as to look up at him.
"Can you make it snow?" His awe-filled voice caused Jack to smile, a playful and devilish smile. Without a word, he flicked his staff around in his hands, over his head and down onto the stone with a loud smack. Silvery snowflakes began falling around them.
Joey's eyes lit up and he lifted his hands up to the shower. Chaya smiled as her little brother grabbed at the snowflakes, his face lost in happiness.
Jack watched her through the snowflakes, his heart suddenly feeling heavy. He knew that they had to leave, and soon. Bunny was not going to wait forever. Jack wondered if Chaya had told her family about what she had to do, what she had been trying to do when she came to them. Now that she had her powers, she needed to go back and save the North Pole workers. Once she had done that, she would be named a Guardian.
Chaya caught his eye, the look on his face; her smile faded. Slowly, she turned to her father, taking hold of his arm. Vincent looked down at his daughter.
"What is it, Chaya?"
Chaya looked to cry again, glancing down at the ground for a moment before she raised her head.
"I have to go. There's something I have to do,"
Vincent did not look surprised, but his smile fell away. He pulled his daughter to him, holding her close. Joey noticed his sister's tears and Stoke had to hold onto his shoulders to keep him back as their father whispered something to Chaya. She nodded, squeezing her eyes shut. Vincent let Chaya go, pushing her gently toward her brothers. Stoke hugged his sister tightly, kissing her forehead. Joey held onto his sister's leg.
"Do you have to go?" His voice was full of tears.
Chaya let go of Stoke and bent to hug her younger brother.
"I do. I'm sorry Joey, but I have to do this," She knelt down, holding Joey out by the shoulders, looking him in the eye. "But I promise, I'll come back. I won't be able to stay with you forever, but I will always come back. I love you, Joey," She hugged him again, rubbing his back as he cried onto her shoulder.
Jack wondered briefly how much Chaya had told them about her becoming a Guardian; if they knew that her life had now changed forever. She would never be able to come home and live as their sister anymore, she had responsibilities, people who would come to depend on her. Did they know how important she going to become?
Stoke pulled Joey away, allowing Chaya to stand up and step away. She walked backwards, off the step.
"I love you, all of you. I'll be back soon,"
Nothing else could be said. They waved to her, their faces solemn in sadness.
Jack took hold of Chaya's hand as she came closer. She gasped gently at the chill of his fingers. She turned to him, her face stained with tears.
"Let's go," Her voice was a whisper.
Jack nodded up the hill, an apologetic look on his face.
"The Easter Bunny is here. Seems we've been caught,"
Chaya managed a small smile.
"I hope you're not in trouble,"
Jack winked at her, guiding her down on to the lawn.
"No more than usual. Come on, he'll be waiting,"
Chaya followed him, willingly, unable to turn back. Once they were out of sight, Chaya took a deep breath and continued on. They made their way up the hill, as quickly as they could.
The North Pole workers needed her. The Guardians needed her.
This was what she was born to do.
So there will be more of her adoptive family, I had a little trouble with how much to have them in this transition chapter, but they will be back. Cheers!