Chapter 2: A new Guardian

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North Pole, Santa Claus Workshop

An immense man: tall, buff, and a little rotund worked in a giant room. He had bright blue eyes, thick black eyebrows, and a long white beard and moustache. His outfit consisted of a black fur hat, a long red coat with black fur trim, and a red plaid shirt. The words "naughty" and "nice" tattooed on each forearm respectively

"Cookies? Eggnog? Anyone?" he asked, holding a plate with the said Christmas themed food.

"This better be good, North" someone else said, standing by the fireplace.

He was a Pooka; a fictional rabbit species that stood between six to seven feet tall, with greyish-blue fur, flower-like imprints on both his forehead and shoulders and bright emerald-green eyes. He wore leather bracers set with orange stones, a single-strap holster with which he carries his boomerangs, and leather wrappings on his feet.

On the air not too far behind him, a peculiar woman with bird characteristics flew. She was a part human, part hummingbird hybrid. She had fair skin and pink eyes. Instead of hair, she had feathers that make a curved upward style. Instead of clothes, her entire body seemed to be covered in small iridescent contour feathers. Around her wrists and ankles there seemed to be golden lines that appear to look like golden bracelets and golden anklets, as well as gold feathers on either side of her head for earrings. She, also, had long, drapery feathers that started at her waistline and ended at her knees, giving the appearance of a skirt or dress.

She mumbled to some smaller and more childish versions of herself that were flying around her. They spoke back in a high pitched tone and an alien language.

Suddenly, a plane made from golden sand came from an open window. It dissolved into golden sand and the Guardian slowly lowered himself on the ground. He was a short and squat individual, garbed in an outfit made of his Dreamsand appearing as a night robe. His hair, vaguely clownish, was golden and short, styled into five points, and glittered like his sand. He also had tiny feet and golden brown eyes.

"Sandy! Thank you for coming" North said and Sandy made a few gestures above his head, creating images with his golden sand. "I know, I know, but I obviously wouldn't have called you all here unless it was serious!"

"What is it then mate?" Bunny asked, his feet now warm enough and his full attention on the bigger man.

"I will tell you in a second. We need to wait for Thanatos first"

At the mention of the Grim Reaper's name, tension quickly built up. Bunny seemed to be the most affected by it and his muscles quickly stiffened as he was about to fight or flight. Toot and her fairies quickly stopped talking, looking around as if that person was in the same room. Only Sandy seemed pleased and clapped his hands a few times in excitement.

"You are kidding me, mate"

"I do not like this either," a female voice said as from the shadows, at the corner of the room, Death took its form.

With the hood up and the body covered, the bodyless entity seemed to float towards the Guardians, the scythe nowhere in sight. The Pooka tensed more, his senses on alert while one hand went subconsciously on his chest in order to be close to his explosive eggs that hang on his diagonal belt.

"Thanatos...its... uhm...great to see you again" Tooth said, giving a slightly awkward smile but didn't dare to flow closer.

The reaper pulled down the hood using her right or normal hand and shook her head a few times. Long white straight hair fell on her back and covered it like a cape before stopping by the end of her waist.

Red eyes locked on the fairy's form. "Likewise," she said out of courtesy.

Her face showed that the scary figure from the tales of old was nothing more than a 17-year-old girl. She kept her face neutral, eyes slightly droopy since she wasn't in the mood for socializing. It was hard for her to smile or look...well, alive and he guardians knew that.

They do not even recall when she seemed happy or pleased for the last time. However, everyone felt slightly better now that the hood was down, and the intimidating image was no more present.

"Great. Everyone is here" North said, drawing the attention on himself. Death stopped, being far enough from the guardians who stood together at one side. "The boogeyman was here! At the Pole!"

"Huh! Pitch? Pitch Black? Here?" Tooth asked, looking around while flowing lower.

"Yes... There was black sand covering the globe"

Thanatos felt the need to facepalm, somehow feeling she should have expected it. After all, Pitch came to her so what would stop him from making a fancy entrance? He simply loved the attention.

"W-w-what, whadda' ya' mean black sand?" Bunny asked while he was painting an egg in hopes of calming his nerves.

"And then - a shadow!"

He stopped mid-way. "Hold on, hold on- I thought you said you saw Pitch!"

"Well, uh, not exactly..."

"Not exactly?! Can you believe this guy?"

While Sandy responded with a question mark above his head, Thanatos decided to speak. "I do"

She decided to leave the 'meeting' out of the discussion for the time being, not in the mood to let someone grab the chance to accuse her of things that she had no control over. She had passed through that many times, no needed for another one to be added.

"Of course you do," the Pooka said, his tone turning harsh and cold as he turned his attention on her.

"Look, he's up to something very bad," North said, trying to bring back the attention to the matter while also hoping to avoid any conflict between the two spirits. "I feel it... in my belly!"

"Hang on, hang on- Y-you mean to say, you summoned me here 3 days before Easter, because of your belly?! Mate, if I did this to you 3 days before Christmas-"

"Please, Bunny, Easter is not Christmas!"

"Here we go... North, I- I don't have time for this! I still have 2 billion eggs to finish up!"

"No matter how much you paint is still egg"

The two of them started to argue about which holiday was best, going completely off-topic. Tooth had flown further away and was listening to the reports of her fairies. Thanatos was further away, closer to the shadows and was observing an hourglass. It wasn't far from finishing as well which meant that she had another soul to help.

Sandy looked around, unable to understand what exactly was going on. That was until the full moon came from the glass ceiling above them and shone its light in. He tried to get everyone's attention, but they all ignored him.

Getting frustrated by the minute, he grabbed an elf which was busy licking the cookies meant for the Guardians and started to shake it up and down. The bell on top of its red pointy hat chimed loudly and everyone looked at the shorter man.

He dropped the now dizzy elf, formed a crescent moon above his head and then pointed at where the true moon was watching them from above. Everyone followed his gaze.

"Ah! Man in Moon! Sandy, why didn't you say something?" North asked, making Sandy frustrated as Golden sand came from his ears in mimicry of steam. "It's been a long time, old friend! What is big news?"

The Moon moved further up, shining its light on the Guardian Emblem where the Big 4 what their own tiles. On the tile of the sandman, a shadow of Pitch's figure formed.

"It is Pitch..." Bunny stated.

North patted his belly vigorously. "Manny, what must we do?"

As the 4 guardians took their respective places, the centre plate opened to reveal a crystal embedded in rock rising from the floor. Thanatos stood slightly further away.

"Uh guys, you know what this means?" Tooth asked confused.

"You must be kidding me" the Reaper commented, and the fairy looked at her. "He is choosing a New guardian"

Excitement built inside her and Sandy while Bunny seemed to share the death's mood.

"What?! Why?" he asked

"Must be a big deal. Manny thinks we need help"

"Since when do we need help?"

Thanatos gave a faint side nod, mentally agreeing with the Easter Bunny. The last thing she needed was another spirit to avoid and have against her. It was enough that she was forced to participate in this 'war' and now she had to put up with yet another spirit.

She sent a small glare up to the moon, imagining it smiling down at her. Whenever Manfred had a plan, it was never good in her favour. Her relationship with the 4 guardians was solid proof of it.

Tooth and Sandy quickly started to guess who the next chosen spirit would be, bringing in different ones they knew and hoped. Bunny, on the other hand, had closed one eye and mumbled prayers, not wanting the groundhog to be chosen.

At last, the figure formed above the crystal and Thanatos felt the need to go and hang herself from the ceiling with a rope. This time she didn't hide her facepalm, not wanting to see any longer the figure of the teenage hooded, barefoot boy with the shepherd stick.

"... Jack Frost" North called the spirits name, a smile of shock on his face.

Tooth and her fairies swooned like schoolgirls observing their crush while Bunny seemed the most annoyed.

"Uh, I take it back. The Groundhog's fine. Even it is better" he said, pointing at Thanatos who narrowed her eyes at him but said nothing.

"Well, a-as long he helps to, uh, to protect the children, right?" Tooth asked, trying to contain her excitement. Sandy gave a nod.

"Jack Frost!? He- He doesn't care about children! A'ight, all he does is freeze water pipes and mess with my egg hunts! Alright? He's an irresponsible, selfish-"

"Guardian" North added.

"Jack Frost is many things, but he is not a Guardian"

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