Love Alone Is Worth The Fight

Chapter 2: City of Different Worlds

The digital clock on North's high-tech-no-reindeer sled displayed, 11:41 AM Eastern Time. According to Mani's instructions, the Guardians were ordered to fly to New York by the time they received his letter. The Guardians took a few hours to pack up and left Australia in a matter of minutes after meeting Leo. North, Bunny, Tooth, and Sandy, we're the only ones wide awake. The thoughts of what has to come, burnt deeply inside their mind. 

Timezone differences or jet lag doesn't bother them. Especially Sandy. His adorable tiny eyes were wide open with excitement. Or it was Bunnymund's blended jump-kickin' coffee bean drink made him stay awake. As for Jack, he was knocked out at the back seat of the sled, sleeping like as if the Guardian of Fun and the Guardian of Dreams traded personalities. Jack was deeply exploring dreamland while the short yellow man was running around the sled like a hyper five year old.

"Alright wake up the boy, we're here," said North.

Bunnymund got up from his seat and went over to wake up Jack, grunting to himself of why he was entitled to be the boy's babysitter. It's surprising how he had control over his fear of heights. All he had to do was to not look down. He found Jack heavily sleeping like a Snorlax. A mischievous grin formed across the rabbit's face. From out of nowhere, he took out a megaphone and took a deep breathe.

"Waaaaake Up!" shouted Bunny.

Jack jolted up and accidentally shot out an ice blast at Bunny's face. The poor long-ears's face was covered in ice. He was a bunny-sicle.

"Dude! It's three in the morning" Jack shouted at Bunny.

Bunny slapped his face to break the sheet of ice. "Right on mate, but we're not in Australia anymore," he corrected him. "Welcome to New York." Bunny gave a gesture pointing towards a large pencil shaped building. The Empire State Building stood high and mighty above the morning fog.

North made his sled dived down from the sky. Passing through soft, thick morning clouds and flying through a space in between two large buildings. Everyone on board, we're calm, more like they were filled with excitement because all of the thought of never visiting a familiar place. But, in some of their minds, especially North, at the pit of his stomach, he felt worried about the secrets and obstacles his friends will face in the near future. Being a Guardian wasn't always an easy job. But, with a little hope, a sprinkle of fun and wondrous imagination could create unforgettable memories that can be relived in dreams.  

"So where do we meet this 'Mr. Gold' person?" Jack asked North. North looked over his shoulders and spotted the white hair lad with a frost-covered blue hoodie and worn out brown pants.

"We'll meet Mr. Gold over there" North steered his reindeer-less sled on top of a large rectangle building that had residents coming in and out of the structure. The street traffic was going by smoothly down below. A river lights beaming from an assortment of cars to the remaining streets light that were still on during the early morning. North parked his sled safely on the rooftop of Grand Central Station. The city's busiest train station.

Behind one of the doorways that trailed down inside the station came out a small old man in a suit with different shades of green, a boulder hat with a four-leaf clover at the side. From the look of the man's face, he was happily skipped across the rooftop, filled with joy to see the Guardians.

"Hope you all had a safe trip. Welcome! I am Brandon Gold. Mr. Gold is all right." Mr. Gold introduced himself.

"Nice to meet you" Tooth rushed over to Gold and gave him her special handshakes that cause you to shake and have your feet lift off the ground.

"Oh my lassie, you have a fine grip" commented the little man while straightening himself up. "Nice to meet you all as well. Shall we start getting you all settled in?"