Rise of the Guardians

Chapter 8: Centers

The three of them went in the elevator to the rest of the workshop.

"It's nothing personal, North. But what you all do, it's just not my thing," Jack told him.

"Man in Moon says it is your thing! We will see," North replied after signing something from one of the yetis.

"Slow down, would you? I've been trying to bust in here for years. I want a good look," Jack said.

"What do you mean, 'bust in'?" North questioned.

"Oh, don't worry. I never got past the yetis," Jack responded, turned to see one of the yetis with a warning glare, and greeted, "Oh, hey, Phil."

"Keep up, you two, keep up!" North said.

"I don't know whether to be impressed or disappointed that you've tried to break in so many times to a point where you know the yetis' names," Cupid remarked.

"I would say 'impressed'," Jack smirked.

"Very funny," Cupid chuckled then added, "And I don't know about you, but you seem familiar to me. I just don't know why."

"It's not just you. You look familiar to me too, but I think I would remember someone like you," he told her with a smile.

She smiled back and returned, "Right back at you."

They continued on to see more yetis making really cool toys.

"I always thought the elves made the toys," Jack pointed out.

"We just let them believe that," North whispered.

Then one elf lit some Christmas lights around another as he spun and the others were just working on junk, making Cupid hold in her laughter.

"Very nice! Keep up good work," North told them.

Then they walked past a yeti who just painted the last blue toy robot.

"I don't like it! Paint it red!" North ordered.

The yeti groaned and shoved the last toy robot off the table.

"Step it up, everybody!" North instructed.

They made it to North's office where there were ice sculpture versions of toys.

"Fruitcake?" North offered.

"Uh, no, thanks," Jack declined.

"I'm good," Cupid did the same.

North tossed it behind him then said as he cracked his knuckles, "Now we get down to tacks of brass."

"Tacks of--" Jack and Cupid whispered.

Then the door closed behind them and locked. They looked back to North, who was approaching them and they backed up.

"Who are you, Jack Frost? What is your center?" North asked him as their backs were to the door.

"My center?" Jack questioned.

"If Man in Moon chose you to be a Guardian, you must have something very special inside," North pointed out then added before going to grab something, "Cupid, you need to listen as well so you can become Guardian."

"Wait. You're not a Guardian?" Jack asked her.

"No. It's a long story," Cupid replied with a hint of sadness.

"Here. This is how you see me, no? Very big, intimidating. But if you get to know me a little...Well, go on," North told them as he handed the large wooden doll to Jack.

Jack put his staff to the side and opened the first of the wooden dolls as Cupid watched from beside him. The next wooden doll was one of North smiling.

"You are downright jolly?" Jack asked with a smirk.

"Good one," Cupid commented.

"But not just jolly!" North stated.

The next ones were him looking over a cape, a brave expression, and a smile with a tear going down his cheek.

"I am also mysterious, and fearless, and caring! And at my center?" North listed.

Jack let the last one fall into North's hand.

"There's a tiny wooden baby," Jack said.

"Look closer. What do you see?" North asked.

"You have big eyes," Cupid answered.

"Yes! Big eyes. Very big. Because they are full of wonder. That is my center. It is what I was born with. Eyes that have always seen the wonder in everything! Eyes that see lights in the trees and magic in the air. This wonder is what I put into the world! And what I protect in children. It is what makes me a Guardian," North explained as they left his office then asked them, "It is my center. What are yours?"

"I don't know," Jack answered.

"I may know, but only time will tell how it applies to kids," Cupid said.

In response, North had Jack hold onto it as a reminder for both of them, to which they smiled a bit.

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A/N Needing to find out their centers. Fun stuff. Gotta love it. 😂