Rise of the Guardians 2 - After the End

Realizations

North cracks open the cover to the book, the crisp sound of the aged pages echoes as everyone gathers around him. The book isn't special seeming from the outside; it's literally just a book. It contains the oldest information in the world, but still just a book.

North opens it gingerly to the first page. I look at the page but where there should be words, are just a bunch of symbols and chicken scratch, completely incomprehensible. Tooth flits above us to get a better view. "Oh my, this is old, even for me."

"So I'm not the only one who can't read this." I say aloud, glad I'm not the only one in the dark this time.

"Yes, yes, Manny has them written in the language of the ancients. Sandy and I have studied the language over many centuries just in case a moment like this would ever come about." His hand begins to trace the words from right to left down the page, reading to himself; Sandy hovering behind his shoulder.

They stay reading in silence for what seems like a few minutes, I begin to get antsy. I interject, "What does it say?"

"Hold on, Jack." North scolds, his eyes never leaving the page. "This says that Pitch and Mother Nature came about at the same time. Mother was meant to bring light and beauty and protect the nature of this world. Pitch commanded the darkness, to balance Mother. They were the first, besides Manny."

"She looks a lot younger than she seems." I remark.

"So they are connected." Bunny adds.

He nods, "It seems so, even more than a long friendship kind of bond, more like a dependence."

"Well, we can't exactly bring Pitch back, can we?" Tooth asks.

"No, even if we could, we wouldn't." He cuts that line of conversation off abruptly. "She must be blaming Jack for Pitch's end."

I scoff, "You guys did just as much to put Pitch in his place, why is she just going after me?" I break away from the crowded circle around the book.

"Maybe we can all just have a talk with her! Explain everything and why Pitch had to be stopped and everything." Tooth suggests, obviously wanting to avoid any more conflict.

I speak up, "She wouldn't be straight with us earlier, why would she change? And North is right, we can't bring Pitch back so what can we do for her? We just gotta confront her!" the ground begins to frost around me as I stand my ground.

North puts a hand on my shoulder, "Jack, if we have any chance to avoid more fighting, we need to take it."

I bend out of his reach, "May I remind you whose life is most likely on the line if things go south?"

"And what of us?" He looms over me, "We stand by you, we may all perish to Mother."

"But you're not dispensable!" I scream hollowly. Frost cuts across the floor like lightning.

A silence falls when North doesn't immediately respond. I continue, "All you guys represent so much more than me, holidays, traditions, everything; I'm just a cold breeze that makes you want to stay inside most of the time. She wouldn't get rid of you. Mother probably thinks she can just off me and do my job herself, I mean, she did it before I came along obviously..." my words slow, and become quieter with each one; it was just coming together as I said it.

Leaning heavily on my staff, I turn away from the group. The silence billows.

"She'll have to get through me first if she eva wants to get to you." Bunny speaks up confidently.

"Same here." Tooth takes my hand between hers.

Sandy does the same.

"Jack," North began, "you are Guardian for a reason. We will defend that, and you, till our last breath."