Rise Of The Guardians
Schnee twitches slightly, balancing on Jack's staff as her human rides the Winds. Well, she thinks he's human at least. She doesn't really like riding the winds, but Jack enjoys it so she always feels content resting on the staff.
They come to Jack's Lake, the arctic fox hopping off the staff to land on the water, freezing it over instantly. She rushes over the whole late multiple times, making sure the ice is several feet thick. She never knows why but she always does this, no matter how old she gets, what late it is, or how behind 'schedule' they are, she always wants the ice to be thicker, so no child will ever come through.
'We were almost late.' Jack says, looking out over Burgess. The place is already beginning to snow, just by them being there.
Schnee slides across the frozen lake to meet him. 'Late? Since when do we actually keep to the schedule.'
Jack blushes slight. A hundred years or so ago, he had made a schedule for when to bring winter to certain parts of the world, when to stop it, which parts to constantly keep snowy and which parts to never visit. The list is at the bottom of Burgess lake, although Jack has memorised it. 'I try to keep to it. It's just more fun to be spontaneous.'
She laughs, jumping through the air to knock him to the ground. He laughs, the two of them rolling around in the grass, snow forming in their wake. Schnee manages to pin him down, grinning as she shakes frost from her tail.
Jack pushes her off gently, standing and brushing snow off his trousers. He bends down, so she can jump up and rest on his shoulders.
'Do you wanna make a snow day?'
Xian waits at the front of the sleigh for her person to unharness her. North is currently doing and inventory of all the gifts that were undeliverable, although the number is few and upsetting. Xian knows Nicholas will need comforting after reading the list but she can't do anything still tied to the other reindeer. She enjoys pulling the sleigh, she really does, but she wishes he would hurry up with filing. It's not like the elves or yetis can untie her.
'Sorry, sorry.' He whispers in their native language, voice hushed and somber. 'The list was longer this year.'
She turns her head, pressing it against his outstretched hand. Her antlers lightly bat his hand away as she looks upwards. 'There is nothing you can do about it, North. Stop getting yourself down.'
North sighs as the two of them walk into the globe room, watching all the different lights. There aren't any not shining but there are a few that weren't there last year and a few that have disappeared entirely. Most of these are just children growing up but Xian knows a few are missing due to much sadder reasons.
North sits at his desk, starting to work on gifts for next year. He has a long list of names and each one deserves a special gift next year. He starts with the babies, planning for children not yet born who will be having their first Christmas. Small ornaments and plush toys to entertain the child and baffle the parent. Baby's first christmas is normally the time adults start to believe again.
Xian stays outside North's workroom, watching the yetis set up the machines for regular toys, ones they make everywhere.
They may be sad but they're Guardians. That means business as usual, getting ready for Christmas.
Bunnymund runs through the tunnels, only glancing back once or twice to check Yaitse is still behind him. After all the years living on Earth, he still is barely used to have the small spotted quoll following him from place to place. She's quick, quicker than him most of the time, and far better than he is at remembering all the things they have to do for next Easter.
He looks back again, slowing to a stop when he doesn't see Yaitse behind him. He crouches low, waiting for something to jump him. Whatever got his dæmon must surely be coming straight for him.
'Ya know nothings coming right, ya dill.' The pooka turns back the way he was headed, seeing his dæmon sat in the tunnel. 'If I'd been jumped, ya'd know.'
Bunny rolls his eyes, following Yaitse along the tunnel, having to go at full speed to keep up with her. As always, he forgot the link he had to his dæmon, the horrible tug when she wandered to far, the sinking feeling of dread when someone, anyone was touching her. He doesn't think he'll ever remember that the quoll is his soul. To him, she's just another pooka.
The two of them come up in the Warren, Yaitse going straight to the egg warriors. They were her idea, for protecting the Warren when they were away. As such, they prefer her to him and are much more likely to talk if it's her asking. Bunny hops towards the stream, checking the small eggs jumping in and out are being coloured correctly and there are no blank spots. Yaitse scurries over, jumping up to his shoulders, burrowing down next to his face.
He'll never get used to her but that doesn't mean Bunny loves his dæmon any less.
Zubi scurries across Toothiana's crown, trying to get a good spot to watch the fairies flying in. The mouse tilts his head at them as they pass, each one turning to show off the work they have done. He nods, proud of them as always, and nods them towards the palace. They chirp, zooming away to put the teeth in the right place. Zubi crawls slightly further down Tooth's head, trying to get closer to his fairies. He loses his footing, sliding forward and off her head.
'Oops.' Tooth laughs, catching him before he can plummet. 'Careful there, Zu.'
He shakes himself off, trying to clean his ears at the same time. 'This is embarrassing. I need wings or claws or something. You can't always be holding me.'
'Why not?' Tooth smiles, flying through the palace towards their room. 'I mean, it's not like we can be very far from each other. What's the problem?'
'The problem is I can't do anything.' Zubi scowls as she puts his down on her desk. 'Unless we're in this room, or with the other guardians, which isn't very often, you know, I'm completely useless. All I can do is hide in your hands or balance precariously on your forehead. Which means you have to be preoccupied with me, rather than your job.'
Tooth rests on her bed, very similar to a nest. She pauses, thinking of what to do, how to cheer up her dæmon when she looks up and smiles. She pats the edge of it and he jumps across the room, landing by her feet. 'See? I didn't do anything there.'
His ears drop slightly. 'But neither did I, not really. Three feet is hardly an achievement.'
Tooth sighs, bending forward to plant a kiss on his cheek. 'You're perfect, Zubi.'
Sanjati runs across the sand streams her man is creating, watching each line spread across the Earth, bringing good dreams to all the children around the globe. The golden badger, made of dust like Sandy, runs around, watching all the different creatures heading around the globe. Sandy creates several badges, identical to Sanjati, to run around her and play with her. The dæmon messes around for a few seconds before joining her man, pressing her side up against his.
Sandy looks down at her, tilting his head. He brings up a series of images, ending in a big smiling face. Sanjati nods, bringing up an image of her own, an even bigger smile on an even bigger face. Sandy laughs, silent motions that cause the sand around them to glow even brighter.
Sanjati bumps Sandy as she spots something, pulling him over to investigate. The two of them surf the sand, creating waves to crash into. They laugh, no sound coming out, as they slip and slide along their own creations, to full of joy to take anything too seriously. Of course, that stops when they see the black sand.
Sandy screeches, the dust around them spiking at the noiseless cry. Sanjati snarls, jumping forward to attack the small nightmare trotting around in the sludge. The black horse rears, spinning to return along it's path to it's own and the badger goes to follow, only stopped by her man's hand on her shoulder.
Sandy points and her eyes travel to see more dark sand, heading straight into a child's room. Pitch has spread nightmares around this town, having distracted the Sandman by distracting his dæmon. The two golden creatures nod at each other before lying off to correct the dreams.
They have work to do, just like every other night.
Mora listens to the other dæmons carefully as she and her man fly over the small town. She had managed to get all the little fairies, every single one but the stupid fox had to join in and help them get the teeth, help them keep the children believing in that ridiculous Tooth Fairy and her little mouse. The bat screeches as the Guardians and their new 'friend' all meet up in one house, all laughing and happy.
She comes to rest on Pitch's shoulder, tilting her head up at the moon in the sky. 'Happy now, old man?' She mutters, wishing the Moon was an actual man, with an actual dæmon she could fight. But the Moon doesn't talk to them, doesn't care one jolt for their suffering. 'Happy you ignored us, happy you never spoke to us, not once!'
Pitch does nothing to calm her, knowing she won't be placated until the belief in the Guardians has completely faded. She screeches, again and again, not caring if the Guardians hear her. Let them come, let them fight her and her nightmares. She will kill them all.
Pitch's head tilts slightly. 'Look Mora. Our dear brother has emerged.'
The bat, made of pure black sand, follows her man's gaze, wings flapping at the sound of the golden badger emerging from the house, her sandman behind Sanjati. She screeches, louder and shriller, propelling herself towards the dream makers. Pitch is behind her, a thousand nightmares running behind him.
They are on the Sandman in a few seconds, black sand crashing against his gold. Mora hears Schnee stirring but ignores it, too intent on destroying her golden counterpart. Pitch laughs as Sandy gets overwhelmed, unable to fight so much blackness at once.
They've won this battle and will win the war.
Jamie hugs Vjerovati to his chest as he runs into his room. No one believes, not a single one. No one cares about the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy or any of them. Not even Santa or anyone.
Vjerovati shifts in his arms, jumping down to take all the forms of the Guardians she saw; mouse, quoll, reindeer, badger. She lands as a fox, with white fur instead of orange.
'It'll be fine, Jamie.' She sighs, nuzzling against his side. 'We'll get this sorted.'
Jamie shakes his head, resting his chin on the windowsill. He watches the ice pattern form and frowns. 'We just need something to make them belief.'
'Uh, Jamie-'
'Vati we need to think.'
'Jamie-'
'Vati let me think.'
'Jamie!'
Jamie turns, mouth dropping. There is snow falling from his ceiling. Snow! Vati jumps up, running around the room as Jamie jumps up onto the bed. 'Snow? Jack Frost?'
'Did he just say...?' A voice sounds from behind him.
'Jack Frost.' Vati smiles.
'He said it again.' Another voice, male this time. 'He said...you said...'
Jamie turns, smiling. 'Jack Frost.' Boy and fox dæmon smile at the spirit with his fox.
'You can see me!'