Good Luck Mr. Snowman

Three

305 Years Later

That was three-hundred and five years ago though, and I've learned a lot in the time that's passed. For example, I found out that I have another tattoo, just under my right eye. It's a four-leaf clover with the word 'Lucky' scripted on a parchment-colored banner around it.

I also made a friend, the cloud spirit Affiah, who creates fog and the elegant clouds in the sky simply by exhaling. She's a beautiful brown and orange tabby cat with a white underbelly and paws. The tip of her tail and ears are dipped in brown as well as the star mark on her forehead. She stands tall like a human with no weapons aside from her talon-like claws, and wears only her thick fur as sufficient clothing. The two of us are practically inseparable, it's been just us for over two-hundred years.

Throughout all those long years I learned my purpose and how to control my various powers. My purpose, well that's simple, I bring luck to the people of the world. I travel around the world blowing on dice, growing four-leaf clovers in clover patches for little children to find, placing pennies on random sidewalks, and blessing the various lucky charms people carry around.

No, I don't place pots of gold at the end of rainbows, I'm not a leprechaun, I'm Clover Patricks, or Saint Patrick as some people say. Everyone believes in leprechauns, or the tooth fairy, but no one ever mentions Saint Patrick, the founder of St. Patrick's Day. I think that's what brought Affiah and I together, the fact that no one believed in either of us.

Over the years I've had many hobbies, but my favorite past-time is pinching people. No, I don't nip at people's noses like Jack Frost, or shimmy down chimneys like Santa Clause, I pinch people. Unfortunately though, I can only do it on one day of the year, and only to certain people. And that day would be, of course, St. Patrick's Day, my day. As for the certain people I'm allowed to pinch, that's only the ones who refuse to abide by my rule and wear green on that day. So, to those of you who don't wear green on my day, well, be warned because I never miss a target.

Anyway, I was flying through Dungloe repairing trampled clover patches and sweeping the snow from them when I got the call from North. Well, it wasn't an actual call really, more like just seeing the shimmering northern lights. Either way, it was a sign that I was needed by the guardians. I placed my hand upon the cold ground in a clover patch to grow a four-leaf clover before flying full speed toward the North Pole, my tornado of clovers surrounding my legs the whole way there.

Bunnymund and North were arguing like normal when I got there, and Tooth was speedily giving orders to her baby tooth fairies. None of them noticed me glide in and sit on a desk, they also didn't noticed Sandy trying to point out that the man in the moon was going to speak to them.

"Why are rabbits always so nervous?" North rhetorically asked.

"And why are you always such a blow hard?" Bunny questioned in return as he painted an egg.

Tooth interrupted them, babbling about teeth as always.

"Tooth, can't you see we're trying to argue?" North asked as he put his fists on his hips.

"Sorry, not all of us get to work one night a year, am I right Sandy?" She spoke with a smile.

Sandy smiled as well, thinking he'd gotten someone to notice what he was trying to tell everyone, but she just continued, "Oh Clover, you're here!"

"Hey Tooth," I smirked, it fell on deaf ears though, because she continued with her work.

"C'mon Pitch went out with the dark ages, we made sure of it," Bunny piped up.

"I know it was him, we have serious situation," North replied.

Sandy spotted a nearby elf and picked it up by its bell-tipped hat, shaking it roughly to get everyone's attention. He made a crescent moon out of sand above his head before pointing to the hole in the roof where the moon peaked through.

"Ah, Man in Moon, Sandy why didn't you say something?" North asked with a smile. Sandy huffed and blew sand out of his ears, while I just chuckled at the scene before me, it was like a show just for me.

"It's been a long time, old friend. What is big news?" North questioned.

Manny made a shadow of pitch on the floor above where the guardian stone would normally pop out.

"It is Pitch," Bunny stated, staring at North as he patted his belly.

"Manny, what must we do?" North continued.

The guardian stone rose out of the ground and everyone seemed surprised.

"Uh guys, you know what this means?" Tooth floated around the stone.

"He's chosen a new guardian," North and I echoed, looking at Bunny before going back to the stone.

"What? Why?" Bunny questioned.

"Good question," I replied, awestruck. It was my first time seeing the guardian stone in action.

Everyone looked at me.

"Didn't see ya there mate," Bunny stated.

"You never do," I smiled convincingly, although inside it was getting a bit old hearing that, I'm not invisible guys!

"It must be big deal, Manny thinks we need help," North commented, getting back on track.

"Since when do we need help?" Bunny asked as he looked at North.

"I wonder who it's gonna be?" Tooth asked in a hyper tone.

Sandy made a four-leaf clover over his head. Did he think it would be me? Would Manny really make me a guardian after all this? I was never officially a guardian, you see, I just helped them out from time to time.

"Maybe the leprechaun," Tooth assumed Sandy was talking about a leprechaun instead of me, it was insulting. Leprechauns already get enough hype as it is, we don't need one as a guardian. I puffed out a breath of discontent and waited.

"Please not the groundhog, please not the groundhog," Bunny chanted.

The glow from the stone showed a picture of a boy holding a curved staff in his left hand, with his right hand in his jacket pocket. My mood deflated, I had kind of hope that it would be me after all. Oh well, Man in Moon knew what he was doing and I had to trust him on that.

"Jack Frost," North replied sounding surprised.

The little baby teeth chattered happily in awe near Tooth, one of them even going so far as to faint. I'd never met the guy, so I didn't why they were acting so happy, but I bet it had something to do with his teeth, it always has something to do with the teeth.

"Uh, I take it back, the groundhog's fine," Bunny said as he held his hands up in front of himself in surrender.

"Who's Jack Frost?" I asked curiously, only to be completely ignored.

"Well, as long as he helps to protect the children...right?" Tooth stopped staring at the glowing picture in awe and spoke nervously.

"Jack Frost?! He doesn't care about children! All he does is freeze water ponds and mess with my egg hunts. Alright, he's an irresponsible, selfish-" Bunny was cut off by North.

"Guardian," North stated, nodding.

"Jack Frost is many things, but he is NOT a guardian," Bunny concluded angrily.

"You seem to know him pretty well Bunny, what'd he do to ya?" I asked eagerly, leaning forward on my staff.

"Easter of '68, that's all I'm gonna say about it," he huffed angrily and crossed his arms.

"Fine," I sighed.

"We need to get him here, any ideas how?" North moved on to the next point of order.

"I'll go," I offered just as bunny help up a boomerang and opened his mouth to speak.

I had to admit, I was curious about the new guardian boy. Well, that and it was getting a little old listening to Bunny and North bicker. I needed something interesting to do, so why not go help find the kid Man in Moon chose for them?