A Wild Card (Rise of the Guardians)

Chapter 6 - Mother Says No

The Pole stood in silence for a second, North and Sandy slowly turned around, and Tooth rushed back to them, hovering over Bunnymund's shoulder to watch as the two girls stared into each other's eyes in silent appraisal. Jack looked over the new comers too.

The chocolate coloured eyes belonged to a girl of medium height, completely dwarfed by Pan, though she looked to be older by two or three years, around nineteen. Solely clad in a bright, white bikini, her warm brown skin stood out all the brighter. The middle of the three, it was her that had been shot at, and her that wore a lazy smile, full pink lips spreading and dimples appearing under freckled cheeks. Jack stared at the ridiculously beautiful woman, eyes wide. The first thought that entered his mind was that she was so out of his league. And by the way she held herself, relaxed, with one hand on a wide hip, she knew it was the thought most people had upon meeting her. "Well, Pandorea, don't you have anything to say?"

"Please don't call me that."

"Uh huh. I'll just speak to somebody who's in charge here then." There was a perfect frangipani tucked behind one ear, as white as the few grains of sand sticking to her smooth, bare legs.... Jack had the odd sensation that he was melting? Was it just him? The other Guardians seemed unconcerned, and he forced himself to pull himself up from where he was slowly falling off the shelf and put on his best attempt at a business like expression. "North, would that be you, then?"

"It would," North affirmed, moving forwards warily, but still acting polite. "Why have you come here, Miss...?"

"Fran." Fran tossed back her sun bleached hair with a white smile. There was definitely Polynesian about her... Hawaiian? Fiji? They weren't the places Jack normal spent his time at, but if they all looked like that he might have to find an excuse to visit. "And this is my brother Poppy, and sister, Elle."

"Fran and Pan!" North announced, laughing as he relaxed at the introductions. "Welcome to Pole, Fran, Poppy and Elle. You are Mother Nature's children, no?"

Fran's eyes had narrowed at her name being mentioned with Pan's, but Poppy and Elle brightened up. The boy brushed a strand of his vibrant red hair out of his eyes and smiled. His hands were tucked into jeans that were barely recognisable as being black under all the splashes of paint. In contrast to their elder sister, he and the youngest were both white as snow. "That's us."

The boy was grinning around the Pole with wide eyes, trying to take in every detail, reminding Jack of his first arrival there. In fact, they looked to be around the same age and height, if only opposites, with Poppy's bright red, but equally painted shirt. He looked likeable enough, with a thin but happy face that grinned easily around.

"That's kind of why we're here, actually," Fran continued, the air smelling sweeter with every second she spent within the room. She still seemed unconcerned with the arrow Pan had aimed straight at her face, from a distance of less than twenty yards. "Our mother has a message for you."

"And what would that be?" Bunny asked.

Jack noticed Pan had been awfully silent ever since they had arrived, and when he tore his gaze back away from Fran, he saw her face was scrunched up in a look between hate and sadness, but still she held her fire.

"You're making a mistake." Fran looked each Guardian, lastly staring at Pan, whose expression immediately stilled. Her eyes shone as she stared into the big green eyes of the huntress, watching them for any reaction to her words. Without looking away, she gestured to the moon as it slowly faded from view up above. "What ever he said, whatever SHE told you, she should not be a Guardian. Ever. She's too dangerous. Too wild."

"I told them I did not want this. I'm leaving as soon as I can," Pan snapped, but Fran ignored her, turning to North as he spoke.

"Why did Mother Nature not come tell us this herself, eh?"