Protecting Genie

Chapter 5

She's not here. She's not in her room, the house, the city. Where could she disappear to in such a short amount of time? I can't find or sense her anywhere near me. I need her near me.

She's turned from an insignificant obstacle into an annoying obsession. I barely met her just about a day ago and now I can't seem to get her out of my head.

Genie

The older sister to that bratty child who helped the Guardians and beautiful creature that now invades my every thought.

I'm pretty sure even the Guardians are wondering how a human could get the interest of the Nightmare King. Perhaps it was my solitude. Back when I tried to recruit Jack, I was not fully lying about the longing for a family, longing for somebody to acknowledge me, to know that I was there. Her seeing me and being able to touch me made me feel what I've wanted for so long.

I could have just left her there, I could have killed her along with her brother; but when would I find another human to believe in me? Change that, when would I find another woman to believe in me?

I haven't been able to find anyone like her. I'd been searching, appearing in areas where there were people her age; they all walked right through me. This showed me just how 'special' she is. And it'd be horrible to let such a special rare gem escape my grasp.

I'll keep her down in my lair. I will be the only one she will see and I will be the only one she'll touch. She will give me what I desire and I will do the same to her.

I'm eager to feel her warmth again; I'll just have to visit her tonight when she sleeps.

North hadn't waste any time in getting me settled in. He had asked some of the yetis and elves to take my luggage to my room while he proceeded in ushering me down a long hallway and into an elevator.

The elevator took us past many floors, where the yetis were already working hard on next year's Christmas toys.

"Wait a minute; I thought the elves built the toys."

"Jack said same thing upon arrival. But no, they don't. I just let them think that." The elevator came to a stop at the top floor of the building; I could see a huge globe in the middle of the room with thousands of lights shining.

I could also see Jack and Bunnymund arguing over...food, from the sound of it.

"I'm a bunny, a vejjo."

"What does that even mean? Nobody can understand your Australian sayings. Speak English Kangaroo."

"What?"

"You heard me."

" Do they do this often?" I looked up at North.

"More or less." He stomped over to the two and pushed them apart. "All right, you two, break it up. Our guest has arrived." I followed after, smiling at Jack and Bunny. Before they could say anything, North started to talk.

"You must be wondering how we became Guardians."

"I actually wasn't but now I am. So tell me, how did you five come to be? Maybe you can explain Pitch too."

"Pitch is difficult. He and Man in moon use to be good friends. We don't know what happened to separate them." Did I hear that right? There's a man in the moon?

"Wait wait wait, man in moon?"

"Yeah, the man in the moon." Jack and Bunny stood to my sides, both looking up into the sky at the moon. "He talks to us and lets us know what goes on in the world."

"A bloody brilliant bloke, he is."

"Moving on, in the Dark Ages, Pitch was reigning terror over all the children and adults of the world. Man in Moon choose Bunny, Sandy, Tooth, and myself to bring joy to them."