North gazed down over the Guardians before he spoke.

"Now listen closely," he announced. "Remember the Japanese Dragon Deity Ryujin, Guardian of the Seas and Good Luck? We arranged a meeting in a week, so we have to prepare to greet him and make him feel special."

"Never heard of him," Jack drawled.

"I've only met him once," Tooth whispered to him. "Pretty mysterious guy."

"This is a very important meeting," North continued. "Ryujin rarely makes an appearance to the outside world, even to us Guardians. But I have contacted him as of late, and he wants to talk with me, so this must be something important."

"What is the meeting about?" Tooth inquired.

"Remember Pitch? Ryujin is the guardian of luck. We might do well with some good luck next time we come across any more forces of evil. In the meanwhile, Ryujin, I heard, is in need of a few gifts from me this Christmas – that is, some seafood to feed his fishermen on the Japanese shore." North shrugged. "I don't know if my yetis know how to breed edible fish, but we'll figure out something. Any questions?"

Bunnymund's paw shot into the air. "Why can't the Dragon King luck himself his own bait? I mean, he is the Guardian of Luck!" Sandman soundlessly giggled.

North scratched his head. "It's not that simple…sadly, the Guardian of good luck also has to deal with bad luck to balance out the nature between them. It can mean casting tsunamis on the Japanese coasts, or famines, or even drowning at sea…"

"So, to take away, why need good luck when the chinky gook can't even help himself?" the Aussie cried.

"Chinky gook," Jack Frost repeated with a smirk. "Yeah, because everyone knows the chinky gook's good luck is a bunch of superstitious claptrap!" And he and Sandman and Bunnymund doubled over with laughter.

"You boys think you're so funny!" Toothiana groaned, rolling her eyes. Sometimes, those guys could be kind of immature.

"Now, now!" North said sternly, crossing his arms. "You do not disrespect Ryujin by any means, you hear? He is known for being cruel and sending bad luck to those who disrespect him. I know you don't believe in luck, but-" He stood up and glared at them across the table, "-do you really want to risk it?"

The day finally came. The Guardians and their special guest were to meet in a simple but beautiful Japanese garden with a tea room set up especially for their guest. North had just served the last round of lectures to Jack and Bunnymund emphasizing politeness to their guest, and Sandy and Tooth were just finishing the last ornamental touches of Japanese lanterns and flowers everywhere when a pond besides them starting bubbling violently.

"Kris Kringle," North cried. He barked, "Everybody in positions, now!"

The Guardians lined up at his side, and as they did, the surface of the pond broke, and from beneath it stepped out a majestic creature.

Ryujin looked like any other normal human being, except that he was very tall, and his flowing robes and cloak were made out of dragon scales and muddy-green seaweed. He carried a staff in one hand, and the other held three growling, snapping kappas on old ship ropes for leashes. With his shoulder-length hair and gentle-looking doe eyes, he looked so beautiful that Tooth swooned and even Bunnymund could hardly restrain a wolf-whistle.

"Irasshaimase!" the Guardians chorused and bowed deeply.

"Thank you, friends," the dragon king responded in a deep, throaty voice. He turned to North with a polite smile. "And how are you, North, since I've seen you?"

"Very good, Ryujin; should ask the same about you. Haven't seen each you in, what, centuries?" And North bowed again.

"I would say more like 200 years!" Ryujin said, smiling sadly. He turned towards Jack. "And who is this fellow?" Ryujin asked North.

"This is Jack Frost. He is part of the Guardians now." North clapped a hand over Jack's shoulder. "Shall we sit down for tea now, Ryujin-sama?"

And so, first Tooth and her little tooth babies showered Ryujin with presents, Sandy prepared the tea, and Bunny and Jack served it to North and the Dragon King in the tea room.

First North and Ryujin, who were obviously friends from an era longer than any of the other Guardians could remember, caught up a little over what they've been up to over the centuries. North complained that the children have gotten more spoiled this last century, and Ryujin lamented over his job.

"I hate it, because while I try to push bad luck as far away as I can, sometimes it is inevitable," Ryujin said. He smiled wearily. "Such is the duality of the opposing forces of life, and I have to sit back and watch it happen. Do you remember the tsunami on the shores of Japan last summer?"

"Yes. I wondered why you couldn't prevent it…"

"Because you know that I can only provide equal amounts of good luck as I can bad luck." He looked at the Guardians who were seated around with him and North.

"No wonder your smile is always so sad, Ryujin-sama! Anyways, let's get to the point…"

"Right, right, why we're even here." Ryujin looked at the Guardians. "Oh, I'm so sorry, how could I forget?" he chuckled to himself. "First, I have brought a caravan of many gifts from my homeland. Toothiana-san, I'd like to invite you to choose any one you want."

On hearing that, her twitter babies flocked to her in bunches and started twittering excitedly.

"Me?" she exclaimed, her feathers puffing up in surprise before recollecting herself by sweeping the clingy babies off her shoulders. "I mean, I'd be honored, Mr. Dragon-King, sir…"

"Just don't touch Pond of Reflections," he said dismissively.

"I won't!" Tooth dipped her head into a dainty bow before disappearing into the seaweed-covered carriage.

Jack, who could care less about any ceremony or the meeting set up between the Russian and Japanese guardian, amused himself with the thought, "Pond of Reflections. Geez, what an original name."

Ten minutes later, Tooth wasn't back, and the boredom was really growing on Jack. He excused himself by muttering, "Gotta check on Toothie," bowed himself out – luckily North and Ryujin paid no heed to him as they were deep into their conversation by now – and headed for the carriage.

"Wha-a-a-?" Jack was pleasantly blown away as soon as he stepped inside. The interior of the carriage was bigger, way bigger, than it looked from the outside. The whole room resembled a cross between the back of a pawn shop and a sorcerer's laboratory, with shelves drooping with talismans and tokens and bottles, rusty and new; and ancient-looking furniture for living quarters, and some gross-looking sea creatures flapping around in water jars.

What is Dragon-King really thinking when it comes to gift-giving? Jack thought.

But the section further along was filled with more interesting artifacts, as Jack soon found out. For one thing, some of the bottle labels were written in a comprehensible language.

Bottled winter, Jack smirked as he ran his hand along an icy-white bottle. Haha, I think I'm enough bottled winter to last anyone.

Eternal beauty. I'm already handsome enough.

Shots of wine known to grant kenotomancy. Hmmm…

Ooh, what's this? Like a curious child, he fingered pulled open a shelf filled with Japanese wines. A bottle of plum wine caught his eye.

I'm sure Ryujin-sama wouldn't mind if I borrowed some Japanese wine to show off to my friends. Jack shifted his eyes side to side as a safety reflex and, smirking, he swept the bottle into his jacket without a hitch.

He passed the potions, including caskets of herbs, crystals, and he was admiring ordinary human objects tossed onto a pile when a shuffling behind him made Jack start.

"Whooza- oh, hey, you…" Jack said, noticing Tooth hovering over a random mirror on top of a cauldron. Except, upon closer look, it wasn't a mirror, as Jack noticed when his call startled Tooth so that she lost balance and she landed face-first into the mirror. The surface of the mirror gave in and splashed everywhere.

"Oh, cavity CRICKETS!" Toothiana exclaimed as she immediately surfaced and shook herself off, water droplets splattering all over the place. She looked shocked when she noticed Jack. "Oh – oh, so sorry, Jack…"

Jack put his palms up. "Don't apologize, Tooth. It was my fault. I'm sorry."

But when Tooth still looked panicky, Jack said, "C'mon, was that really a big deal?"

"It was the Pond of Reflections that Ryujin told me not to touch!" Tooth cried in distress.

Jack clicked his tongue as he surveyed her. "Well, okay, but I mean, what's the worst that can happen?"

"It was my fault, I was looking at the reflection in the beautiful water, and then – ugh!" Tooth was now flying in spurts from frustration.

Jack laughed. "My bad, really. Well, if the water had a spell, it doesn't look like you're under the influence right now."

"Can you promise not to tell anyone about my mistake?" Toothiana suddenly clasped Jack's hand in a death grip and with such zeal in her eyes that Jack wondered for a second whether to take back his words.

But she's easily stressed…

"I promise."

With a satisfied squeal, Toothiana swirled into the air with joy before landing next to a bookshelf.

"Hey, Tooth, take a look!" Jack waved his friend over to a display of baby dragons in an aquarium (While still fingering for things worth swiping). "You like cute things, huh? Huh?"

"C'mere, c'mere, c'mere." Tooth, deaf to Jack's words, shoved a book under his nose. "Look what I found," she hissed excitedly. "'The Book of the Beholder.' Whoever holds this book gets to see the history of their life form on these very pages."

"Cool, but…" A disinterested Jack moved the book aside. "I think I'll just go explore."

But then Tooth grabbed him by the hoodie and plopped him down next to her with unseen strength.

"I haven't even told you half my life story, so listen up, special snowflake!" she hissed, but in a more forceful manner.

And since Jack was a gentleman, he resigned himself just this once.

Twenty minutes later…

"…and that's how my parents died!" Tooth ended on a surprisingly cheerful note.

"You told me that story before, only this time it was more explicit," Jack said, disgruntled.

"Fine, then!" Tooth laid the book in his hands. "Tell me more about your life," she said sweetly.

Jack awkwardly flipped through the book, and as he did, words and elegant designs spiraled forth onto blank pages. Pages of events in his life as a Guardian.

"Who is this?!" Tooth slapped a palm down onto a page with a picture of Jack Frost looking into the window of a blond girl in an icy dress. "She looks like an ice queen."

Jealous, much? Jack Frost thought. But to humor her further, he smiled coyly. "Yes, she is an ice queen."

"Don't tell me you've had a GIRLFRIEND in the past?" Tooth stood up in an indignation that very much unfitted her.

Now wondering in all seriousness whether she was just playing along by now, Jack smirked. "How can we be a couple unless both of us are Guardians?"

"So she's…a Guardian?! How did I not know about her?!" Tooth was in near hysterics.

Jack spluttered, "Do I look like I have a Guardian girlfriend?"

"What's her name?!" she demanded. Jack laughed because he rarely ever saw her so angry.

He stopped laughing when Tooth thrust her hands upon his neck in a chokehold and pinned him to the ground. "Well?!"

"Hehhh…" Jack spluttered, banging his palms on the ground while wondering which tooth baby pinched her today.

When Tooth mercifully loosened her grip a tiny bit, Jack drilled out the answers. "Elsa, Elsa the snow queen, the snow queen that lived 200 years ago – and she was human! Being seen by humans at the time was completely out of the question. What else do you want from me?"

Toothiana glared over her side as though thinking this through – then just as suddenly, she dropped Jack to the ground, her expression sweetly apologetic.

"You know why I'm asking, don't you," she crooned. "It's because I love you, Jack…I love you, I love you, I luuuuuuve you…"

Jack was so taken aback by her by now, he dropped the possibility of her getting pinched. "Uh-" was all he could stammer.

Is she under the influence by a love potion?

On a whim, he decided to test her and make sure.

"Well," he started off sarcastically, "I said she was human. Was. Remember the legend of the Guardian of the Snow? Yeah, true story. I turned her into a Guardian of the Snow, and we were in a relationship."

It was hard to restrain himself from laughing. So bizarre and impossible was the notion, maybe she'd get the hint.

No, she didn't.

A wrong, very wrong, move on Jack's part.

With a bloodthirsty shriek, Tooth took something from the artifacts pile and flung it at Jack. Before he had time to react, the something, a shuriken of all things, pinned Jack's coat hood against the wall. Then a heavier weight, Tooth, slammed herself against Jack.

"Then I'll find this Elsa-" Tooth's eyes were bloodshot now, "-and make sure she doesn't see the living daylights ever again. You're mine, now, Jack. Mine, mine, mine, mine, MIIIINNNNE!"

Jack screamed an authentic scream – he could sense danger radiating from her – and bucked her off himself. But Tooth didn't stop there. With another wild screech, she raked up a pile of more shurikens and shuffled them off his way. Luckily with his agility and his experience at pulling out of violent confrontation like these, Jack dodged them quick as a wink with flips and acrobatics in midair.

"Go get Elsa, not me!" he yelled as he picked up a bronze shield artifact to protect himself. "Why are you targeting me?!"

A tomahawk in his direction, which bent the shield out of use, was all he got for his answer.

"Calm yourself, Hotwings!" Jack cried, bouncing against the sides of the carriage in an effort to evade the varying weapons. "Fight the magic influence!"

"MY NAME'S TOOTHIANA!" And Tooth whirled a spike ball at him with unusual strength. She missed, but it ended up smashing a shelf of vials, which smashed and flung the inner contents around. Everything the ball touched, it destroyed.

"Ryujin will curse us now! Happy?!" Jack hollered. Thwack went the ball, which Jack dodged again but which landed on several jars of kappas; they flopped around the tarnished floor, looking for something to choke.

Jack expected her to use up her energy but on the contrary, the challenge only seemed to spur Tooth further on.

"Gotcha!" Tooth successfully bowled the ball into Jack's stomach. The force propelled him backwards into a shelf which was just hanging on its hinges, but as soon as Jack hit them, they all collapsed into a pile on him, burying him.

Tooth fluttered to a standstill, trying to regain her breath.

"Jack?" she croaked. No answer. "Jack?!"

She frantically pulled apart the mess on top of Jack. There he was, lying at the bottom, his limbs askew, his expression one of shock – and some red dripping underneath his hoodie.

"Oh no…" All anger gone, Tooth pulled Jack out of the mess and laid him on her lap. She now doubted the unwritten rule that guardians can't die.

"I'm so sorry, Jack, it was all my fault!" With a hysterical sob, Tooth laid his hand against her cheek and looked at him longingly. Jack could only squirm slightly and looked around in a daze. "T-Tooth…I thought you were busy killing me…"

"Oh, nononono, you do understand that I was mad, but because I love you! You know that…right?" And Tooth broke down into hearty wails while Jack's head spun. First his own friend was trying to kill him, and now this psychopath was confessing her undying love to her dying victim?

"You're weird," he groaned. Toothiana's theatrical sobs and cradling weren't helping any. But then Jack looked down, and he could see why Tooth was making such a scene. A pool of blood soaked his coat and pooled down onto the floor.

He didn't know why he was dying. He didn't know guardians could bleed or die. He didn't know how bleeding could be so painless. But he always did regret that he didn't die with some last words.

"Toothiana…for the record…Elsa is a…fictional…character," he wheezed with a faint smile. "I made her up…in my head…"

"Oh Jack…" Tooth's tear streaked face expressed only one question: why did you lie all this time?

Jack faintly smiled. "I'm Jack Frost."

If he died, at least it would be a painless death, and at least he wouldn't have to survive Ryujin's eternal wrath, since they ruined the carriage with the precious artifacts –

Wait a minute. Then it stumped him. Jack dipped his finger into the blood bath and licked it. It tasted sweet, just like-

"Plum wine," he blurted out. "Hey Tooth, look."

Tooth stopped crying right this instant. After some hesitation, she tasted the red stuff herself. "Oh…"

"Well," Jack said finally, "if you're done with your shenanigans, then I'll be goi- OH, COME ON!"

Tooth took up an axe this time and swung it at Jack. He yelped and jumped back before plopping down on the floor again, and the axe head split the floor between his legs. Tooth thought this was comical, because she screeched with laughter.

"Why are we doing this, again?" Jack groaned wearily.

"YOU LIED TO ME!"

Out flew a range of mambeles, throwing axes, surujins, knives, spears, nunchucks, and anything else Tooth grabbed her hands on, all the way out the carriage door along with a screaming Jack, who was truly fearing for his life.

"BOMBS AWAY!" Tooth flung a grenade at Jack.

"BACK AT CHA!" Jack swung the grenade away from himself with his crook as though with a baseball bat. It landed inside the carriage and it blew up.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Guardians were mortified and curious all at once at seeing Jack burst of the carriage with a weaponized, foaming, raging-bull, insane Tooth at his heels. They all cried in shock and braced themselves when the grenade exploded the carriage. Except for Ryujin. Just when the debris was about to hit them, Ryujin calmly swept his long cloak to the side and the it transformed into a towering watery wall, protecting the guardians.

"But wh-what-" North spluttered. "WHY IS TOOTH TRYING TO KILL JACK FROST?" he roared and indicated at the sky. True to his words, Tooth was trying to choke Jack in midair while he cried helpless pleas and used somersaults to kick her off. Sandy and Bunny were about to get out of their seats to help Jack, but Ryujin blocked their path with his pole. "Gaurdians can't die."

"But-but-" North was cut off with a loud chainsaw noise in the background.

"Looks like she touched the Pool of Reflections," Ryujin explained

"And I'll be a bluey if Pond of Reflections turns you into a ragin' chainsaw killer!" the Aussie rabbit roared. Everyone ducked when the sound of an automatic gun went off above them.

"The Pool of Reflections temporarily turns your best traits against you," Ryujin continued. "She looks like someone loving, am I right? Then, it means her love was turned into a love in its darkest form. A possessive, abusive love."

"I didn't know she was in love with Jack!" Bunny burst out.

"Hopefully the effects are temporary," North said.

"Yes."

"I'm strangely amused by them, actually," Sandy said as the Guardians watched Tooth and Jack in the sky.

It was strangely relieving to see Jack at the butt end of chaos after all the centuries of chaos that he caused.

"Here you might call her behavior sadomasochistic tendencies. Or possessive personality," Ryujin said. He faintly smiled with amusement. "In Japan, we call it yandere."

I'm funny. 😂 Haha just kidding, but don't take this seriously either way.

Thanks for reading!

-KoolKat