A/N: Please enjoy! Time to get into the cool stuff and interlocking story lines!. Pitch is my favorite underdeveloped villain from Rise Of The Guardians. Although I lost some favorites and follows, I want you all who stuck it out and stayed around and let me know you were enjoying it to know that I'm touched. I work hard on thinking of what to write next and I want other writers to know as well that it's not about the quanity of likes and follows that matter, nor even the number of reviews. It's just knowing that your work is being respected that keeps you going. It keeps me going. Please enjoy this next chapter. (However, I can bribe ya if I can appeal to ya. If ya'll favorite and follow I may post more than just 2 chapters today.) I of course will make sure they're well developed. I am trying not to rush a chapter simply to rush it. Now, onwards to Patience, human Elsa, and Rudy the Red nosed MOosen :D This chappy is a little under 3,000 words but that's ok XD If I gave it all away, I wouldn't be getting more people hooked to keep reading! I try very hard to not do spelling errors. I also apologize for my big chapters, I am trying to keep them less big but to be clear, this is a webpage so technically chapter paragraphs may look defintely wider not necessarily bigger. PLEASE ENJOY! FAVE AND REVIEW. Ok so it's actually 4,369 words. You guys lucked out. Chapter word count will vary though! Expect perhaps a short chapter next chapter.
Jack took a deep breath, his fingertips brushing the cool metal of the gold case. Clutching it in his palm, he suddenly felt a tug in his gut, and shut his eyes tightly as he suddenly felt himself get blasted what felt like was up. With a startled yelp, Jack's eyes opened quickly. He let out a sharp gasp. In front of him, was Toothiana!
"Tooth?" Jack's eyes widened in surprise. Toothiana beamed at him and caught him in the air, floating him back down to the ground.
"Sorry about that, Bunnymund thought it would be funny to throw a boomerang at your head and see if you'd come back to earth," Toothiana shot a glare at Bunnymund, who Jack noted was on the bank now looking innocently away, petting his boomerang. That stupid rabbit.
"I...I was just..." Jack wondered what had been going on with the other guardians. How had they recognized him?
"If you're wondering how I knew it was you in human form, that's because I have a perfect record of your teeth," Toothiana fan-girled, along with her 20 little fairy subordinates. Jack looked her and the Easter Bunny over.
"Ah, right. Where is North?" Jack's eyes flickered with worry. Bunnymund and Tooth exchanged glances.
"...Well, North is...out of the loop right now," Bunnymund said gruffly. "No thanks to a particular-"
Toothiana kicked him when she landed next to him. Jack however, narrowed his eyes at Bunnymund.
"No, don't do that, what was that you said, huh? You got a problem?" he challenged Bunnymund.
Bunnymund snorted. "Hmph. I'm not the one who froze Santa Clause."
"I didn't do it on purpose!" Jack growled. Toothiana cleared her throat.
"Sand is with North right now, on guard...if anyone can fend off Pitch's dark nightmarish schemes the best, and protect North as he recovers, it's Sandy..." She said to the other two. "Boys, now is not the time to blame. We have to find Pitch. Jack, have you had any luck?"
"Better question, mate. Why are you human, anyways?" Jack glared at Bunny but he took a deep breath his shoulders sagging.
"It's a long, long, long story." he curtly replied.
"Well crikey, I'm listening, I've got time," Bunny crossed his furry blue arms.
"More like long ears," Jack muttered weakly.
Toothiana rolled her eyes, flitting between the two boys. "Boys! Boys! Please! Let us all just get along!"
"Jack, tell us," Bunny growled, impatient. Jack's heart sank. There had been so much that happened that he didn't know where to start.
"We don't have much time...please, just tell us what you know! We got word that Pitch is only getting stronger...he's apparently even pulled Manny into all this!" Toothiana urged Jack. Jack's eyes blinked.
"What...wait, hold up! The Man in the Moon...he...he talked to you?" he asked.
"Yes, he told us about a small place called Arendelle that was in danger...and he was going to send us there but it didn't work out because...well...because the moonstone is how he was going to transport us originally. We were waiting for him to recharge enough to make another one," Toothiana explained. Jack furrowed his brow processing.
"What do you mean recharge?" he pried.
"Crikey, it's like talking to a rock," Bunnymund grumped, "Listen here, mate. It's basically like this. Pitch is stronger than before, so strong that even our pal up in the moon is having issues with keeping up with him. Ya diggin' this? Long story short," Bunny scratched his ear with a big furry hindfoot, " Manny doesn't have enough juice for all of us. He was sending you already back and forth and that took a toll on what energy he had."
"But he's all powerful!" Jack didn't get it.
"He may be our leader, but even leaders have limits," Toothiana said, placing a hand on Jack's shoulder. Jack looked back into her eyes, and he took a deep breath, placing his own hand over her smaller delicate one.
"I guess that's true," Jack felt insecure. If even Manny was challenged, then what did this mean for the future of The Guardians? For the world of the children they were sworn to protect? For life itself as they knew it? Was Pitch really powerful enough to bend the laws of reality? No one should be that strong. And yet... there was so much not known about Pitch. Jack wondered if the answer wasn't in the present...but Pitch's past. He turned to Toothiana.
"Do you know who Pitch was as a human?" Jack asked.
"Ah..." Toothiana looked guilty.
"Tell me!" Jack sounded eager.
"...He...he took his tooth case, Jack...he raided me a long, long time ago..." Toothiana said, rubbing her arms, as though she was cold. It was clear that she was witholding something but Jack didn't pry. "I...I can't seem to remember, without his tooth case, I can't keep a record of him. He's faded from my memory unfortunately." Bunny's gaze softened and he reached out as though to comfort her but then got cold feet and he ended up just giving her an awkward head pat. That didn't go unnoticed by Jack. However, he wasn't into Toothiana anymore so it didn't matter. However, Elsa's face flashed into Jack's brain and he felt an odd heat in his cheeks. He looked away. Now was definitely not the time to be thinking about her.
"W-Well...we have to dig up some dirt on that guy, I think it's the only way," Jack said urgently. Tooth and Bunny looked at each other.
"Agreed," Tooth said, smiling at Jack.
"We'll try to dig up some dirt, you go and find your friend Rudolph and the young woman Elsa that Manny said you are picked to protect," Bunny said bossily. Jack's heart thumped.
"How much do you know about her?" he blurted.
Tooth and Bunny looked at each other. "We only know that Manny thinks you and her make a good team," Toothiana said politely.
"Eh, don't get your tongue stuck like an icicled pole," Bunny smirked as only an annoying aussie kangaroo rabbit could. Tooth held out her hand. Jack looked to it.
"What?" he asked dumbly.
"The case is calling to me, I must look for a second," Toothiana said softly. Jack's eyes flickered but he didn't argue. He handed her the case. She took it and she closed her eyes. Jack looked around.
"Hey, where's baby tooth?" he asked.
"She is on a little mission for me," Toothiana replied, her eyes glowing purple. The glow faded and she handed the case back.
"Jack, your case, it wants you to hold your biscuspid pre-molar from when you were seven and a half," she said to Jack matter-of-factly like he had any clue as to what that was. Jack frowned.
"What? my bi-whattus?" He had no idea about teeth names.
"Bi-Cuspid pre-molar." She tapped the case and it opened up. Jack eyed all the teeth. He knew what molars were but they looked the same to him. Tooth saved him the trouble by holding his palm face-side up and placing the small tooth in his palm. He blinked at it.
"Why this tooth? That was from so long ago," Jack had no idea what that had to do with anything.
"Trust your teeth- err I mean, trust in yourself!" Tooth said sheepishly. Jack took a deep breath. He closed his eyes and he touched the tooth, closing his eyes. He let out a small gasp, feeling himself sinking suddenly into what felt like a dream-like sleep. Tooth caught him. She looked to Bunny, Jack's tooth, floated back to the case and set itself magically back in place. She closed the case and she put the case with five of her fairies who took off through a small portal to take it to their home -with heightened security since Pitch's first attack- and Bunny picked up Jack princess style.
"I hope for Jack's sake that Manny knows what he's doing..." Toothiana said worried.
Bunny grunted. "I won't ask about this guy's bizzo(Business) when it comes to what he eats. Crikey."
Tooth flitted to the sky. "Bunny, take him to your home, and keep him safe. I need to find Jamie!" She took off, leaving Bunnymund to babysit the mischevious previous spirit of winter who was sleeping, in what appeared to be a very peaceful dream. Bunny looked to that.
"In the meanwhile...who's watching that wobbly Blue-Nosed Reindeer and the young lassie?" he sighed. "She's a beaut, too bad you don't know a good thing if it hits ya from the Moon." He tapped his foot to the ground and a hole opened up. Hopping in, Bunny only caught one last brief glance of Tooth's form getting further away before the earth swallowed him up whole, taking him home to watch Jack.
Sophie sighed, leaning against the fence of her school. She scanned for her mom's car, rubbing her mittened hands together and stamping her feet a little to keep herself warm. Her friend Alfred had already been picked up by his own father, and she was alone. Sophie pulled out her notebook to write down something. Her mechanical pencil however was out of lead. Muttering about rotten luck, she stuffed her notebook back into her back pack. Something caught the corner of her eye though. It was a flash of light. At least, it was like a hummingbird. She squinted, seeing the small body flicker away from her. Looking around herself, and noting that no one was watching, she tried to inch closer but quickly as she'd seen it, it left. With a frown, she shook her head. "I must be really hungry," she yawned. It had been a long day and she had to catch up on the next episode of Pretty Little Liars. Sophie spotted her mom's red Honda CRV 2013 and she shouldered her satchel pack, running over eagerly.
"Sophie, how was school?" Her mother asked her after Sophie had gotten into the car. Sophie groaned. What was with parents and wanting to know how a boring day of school was like? Every day was pretty much the same. You'd think parents would get tired asking that question at some point.
"Good," she replied succinct and to the point.
There was the familiar awkward pause where mother and daughter didn't quite know what topic to discuss. Sophie decided to ask what was on her mind all day.
"Ma, do you know...do you know who Jamie's friend is? I haven't seen him before," Sophie asked curiously.
Casey Bennett ran a hand through her brown hair, her bangs sticking to the sides awkwardly because she had woken up from her nap late and had rushed to get Sophie on time. "His name is Jack, that's all Jamie really told me... Although he tried to pass him off as a distant relative," the mother sounded somewhat amused.
"What? Well, I guess he does look a bit like Jamie..." Sophie's eyes lit up. "And they're around the same age...Ma! Do you think they're long lost twins!"
Casey chuckled. "I don't know sweetie, however, I plan to ask your brother more about his friend. Something just feels off...but you young lady, mustn't impose yourself on Jamie's guest."
"Isn't Jamie in loads of trouble for being gone for nearly a day?" Sophie asked eagerly. She couldn't help but enjoy when her brother had all the attention. It left room for her to get into mischief.
"Mmmhm," her mother turned down the block towards their humble home. "However, young lady, that doesn't mean what you did earlier was right."
Sophie winced.
"Aw, I'm sorry Ma, I shouldn't have but I couldn't help myself! It was just a loan!" She said sheepishly. Her mother rolled her eyes in the rear-view mirror but her eyes weren't that angry, just exhasperated.
"As long as you return the staff and apologi- Where is the staff?" The mother noted just then.
"Ah, Jamie got it back already," Sophie piped up.
"What? He went to your school?" The mother frowned, turning up into the driveway and she parked the car, turning the car halfway off, pausing for a moment, to look towards her green-eyed daughter in the backseat.
"Yup! he must've walked! It's like 30 minutes on foot!" She said chipper.
"Did he say where he was headed after?" The mother sounded slightly irked now. Sophie knew not to anger her mother, and she was more than happy to direct the attention away from herself.
"Ah, no, but he mentioned something about meeting up with Jack-Jack!" She said helpfully.
"Can you clean your room? I need to call your brother and find out where he is," Casey took a deep breath, taking out her Samsung.
"Okie-Dokie Mommy!" Sophie was NOT getting in the line of fire when her mom exploded. Both Jamie and Sophie were pretty simple kids. They did what they were told -most of the time. They got along well enough and Jamie used to be well, more fun. Sophie had noticed a gradual change in her brother since the beginning of Senior Year at his Burgess High School. She didn't know how to read her brother anymore. She bit her lower lip. She knew siblings weren't always tight but she and Jamie, she used to think that they were really close. Now Jamie not so much as grunted in her direction. Stupid boy. Sophie scampered to her room.
Rudolph trembled, and then sneezed. Elsa and him had tried to walk away from Patience's cabin all morning. Elsa had been intent on getting to a map or something. She wanted to go home. It had been clear that Rudolph wouldn't be that much help, but she couldn't help but want to keep the poor scared creature near her. She was petting his head when Patience floated past them as a cat on her broomstick. She looked amused. Elsa cast her a disgruntled glare.
"Well, I keep telling ya, that you won't get far on foot!" Patience giggled.
"What choice do we have?" Elsa said, hitching up her dress.
"Hmmmm," Patience tilted her head. "You really don't go out of your comfort zone very often, do ya?"
"No, I like my comfort zone," Elsa's teeth chattered. She had braided her hair this morning again, but a few wisps plus her cowlick was irritating her more than usual this fine cold as heck morning. Elsa had gotten help from Patience via magic for a "costume". She was now wearing a nice, dark blue at the torso, and lighter blue below the waist long sleeved dress, that went to her ankles, along with dark red brown snow boots. Additionally, she had a snowy white fur cape that went to her feet and had a hood, her family crest broach at the throat of the cape to keep it around her shoulders comfortably. Patience wagged her catly tail and she hopped down landing on all fours. Rudolph watched the broomstick fly towards Elsa. Rudolph looked to Patience.
"I live too far from a common town...at least, by foot. If you're willing to give my broomstick a try, I can take you to Salem," Patience piped up cheerfully.
"I have to get to Jack, where is HE at?" Elsa repeated, looking towards Patience impatient.
"Uh...quite a few states away, actually," Patience mused.
"States? States? Isn't this all the same place?" Elsa asked confused.
"Ah right, you're not from around here..." Patience licked her paw and wiped behind her ear as she sat on her haunches, looking up at the two. "Well, Massachusetts is where you are right now, but Burgess is in Pennsylvania..."
"How far on foot is that?" Elsa asked.
"...God knows," Patience snickered, "I never tried."
"Don't you travel?" Rudolph piped in curious and trying to help out. Patience paused.
"...Not really, I have all I ever needed right here!" She hopped onto her broom, turning into a girl again and she looked over her shoulder at her small cabin. She had a small but sad smile on her lips that Elsa and Rudolph both caught. Elsa took a deep breath, and she hitched up her dress and began to walk again away.
"I don't have time to sit around and do nothing! I have to find Jack!" She panted. Rudolph scampered after her.
"I-If you want, you can fly on me...I'm sure I can fly again..." He tried to be hopeful. Patience's eyes flickered.
"The Moose has a point," she said.
"Reindeer, I'm a reindeer," he said indignant.
"Ok, Rudy- Patootie," She teased.
Elsa may have cracked a smile if she wasn't so focused on what was at stake. She had to find Jack. He was the only one she knew that could get her back home. She hoped Anna and Kristoff were ok. She was upset at herself for her foolish notion of leaving. What she had said earlier...she didn't mean it. At least, she didn't feel that way sincerely.
She felt guilty for telling Anna that she hadn't found her place in the world. Hadn't she? Wasn't she Queen Elsa of Arendelle? Wasn't she a good ruler who was admired despite her power? That was her place, that was her place. She pressed her hands to her chest, shivering a little bit, her breath coming out in cold puffs. She was a Queen. She had to get home. She needed Jack for that reason alone. There was no more reason for her to mix with the likes of him. She didn't know who this Man In The Moon guy was, but she was very very cross with him. She was human because of him she could only fathom. She didn't have her powers. But, was that a bad thing? Elsa looked at her hands. She was human. For the first time, Elsa felt normal.
"I don't think that's...a bad idea..." Elsa looked to Rudolph. "I rode you without difficulty yesterday...if you're alright with it, may I ride you again?"
"You are a very nice Royal Highness," Rudolph bowed his head. "It's an honor to serve you, golly~"
Elsa smiled smally for the first time that stressful fruitless morning. "Please, just...call me Elsa."
"Ok, So El," Patience began but Elsa sent her a disgruntled pout and Patience chuckled. "Alright, Queen Elsa, I should point this out to you, but since you're human, you can be seen. I believe that you should be able to communicate with Jack with this mirror." She pulled out the mirror. Elsa's eyes flickered. "But...I'm not...I'm not connected to him."
"Do you really believe that? Or are you just jesting to avoid the heart of the matter?" Patience said with a small giggle. Elsa felt annoyed with her.
"Listen, you, I do not need to have a life lesson on life, love and eternal happiness from the likes of a solitary wood sprite!" She felt like Patience was being smug. Like she felt that Elsa was just putting on an act. Elsa didn't LIKE JACK. NO she did NOT. Just because she didn't completely distrust him didn't mean that she wanted HIM. No she didn't! He was childish! He was dorky! He was immature! Most of all he was a liar! Her eyes widened as she saw shadows shift to reveal his face on the screen. His cheeky, cheeky smirk. What? The mirror only showed those that she had let in, oh HELL no. She threw the mirror angrily into the snow. Patience gasped, quickly running over, her eyes flashing with hurt and anger as she picked up the mirror.
"H-HEY!" She sounded angry and Elsa felt like she had been slapped.
"I-I'm...I'm sorry," Elsa said weakly, suddenly feeling her anger dissipate like choked car fumes.
"You should leave," Patience's tone was brittle. Elsa bit her lower lip. "Wait. I didn't mean to, I just...lost my temper. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt your mirror-"
"Just, leave!" Patience bellowed, and suddenly Elsa found herself flung backwards by some force of magic and she screamed, as bats flew out of nowhere and began to attack her and Rudolph. Rudolph's nose tip glowed bright blue just then as he squeezed his eyes shut from panic and shouted.
"We just want to FIND JACK!" and in a bright beam of blue light, Patience shielded her eyes with her hat, as the bats faded away. In the place of Rudolph and Elsa was a small patch of grass with budding spring flowers. Patience frowned.
"...This isn't Manny's work...?" Patience reached to touch the flowers but her hand went right through the grass and flowers. She pulled her hand back. Her eyes misted over. She kicked snow over the patch and turned away. "It doesn't matter...I don't need them anyways," she sniffled, wiping her nose on her sleeve. She clung to that mirror, it was precious to her, and Elsa had treated it poorly. No little apology could replace that action of almost destroying a small link to what Patience had left to her past. She choked on a small sob. "Don't cry...don't cry...I'm not a child now...I c-can take care of myself...I mustn't cry any more ...yeah..I'll be fine...I am fine..."
"I'm too tired to listen, I'm too old to believe... All these childish stories..." Patience wiped her eyes, starting to sing softly, her voice cracking. Her broom floated behind her like a sad doggy. "There is no such thing as faith and trust ...and pixie dust..." As she had sung the next few lines, she had formed a small ball of magic in her palm, of sparkley green magic but she made a fist crushing the light and it faded upon the word "dust". Patience held the mirror in front of herself and she touched her fingertips to the cold reflective material. She only saw herself, her green self. A self she had thought was cool and awesome.
"I'll try
But it's so hard to believe
I'll try
But I can't see what you see..." Her tears rolled down her cheeks. She had wanted to help. That's all she had wanted. Perhaps she had overreacted. But that mirror, it was precious to her... It was all she had left of her memories of her past. No one had been able to see her before now. And she wasn't sure anyone would see her ever again after these strange handful of folks moved on. She wished her big brother was there. He had always looked out for her. Her heart ached. It had been so long, at least 100 years since she had last felt this lonely.
"I'll try," Her trudging slowed and her feet dragged in the snow, "I'll try," Her voice cracked as she sank to her knees, not caring for the cold, not even feeling it, just hugging that mirror to her chest before placing it in her lap, her hands holding it gently. "I'll try..." She merely whispered those last words, a tear falling onto the frame of her mirror as she bowed her head and cried.
A/N: This chapter took a sad turn XD I didn't see it coming. Anyhoo, I love my OC. I thought it'd be intersting to have a bit of song versus a whole freaking number. I can reaccur this later, but for now, I was content with keeping this very short. I hope you all enjoyed! Please fave, comment, etc. But most of all, PLEASE ENJOY THIS! :)