Rise of The Guardians 2: Just Like Fire

Chapter 22: Jack

"What the hell Tooth?" I sputtered, still reeling from Aria's bombshell.

She turned to stare at me. "You're really going to take her side? She's his daughter. They're obviously working together, and this is all part of some elaborate plot to gain even more of your trust, before killing you! Why should you believe a word that comes out of her mouth?"

"Maybe because I'm not a jealous bitch pining over someone who's clearly not interested, who takes it out on the person he is interested in!" I snapped back.

"That was quick." She hissed at me. "I'm impressed. Really I am. Less than twenty four hours and she already has you whipped. I should take lessons from her. And meanwhile, you are so blinded by this crush, you can't even think that she's not the goddess you think she is. Maybe if you grew a pair, and sent some blood to the head that isn't in your pants, you'd be able to see that."

"Hey." Bunny interrupted. "As much as I'd love to see how this fight would end, we need to decide what the hell to do now."

I gritted my teeth, turning to face the others after one last glare at Tooth. "Well, I think we already have two votes, one in favour of trusting Aria and one against." I saw Tooth scowl at me out of the corner of my eye. "North, what do you think?"

He stroked his beard, clearly debating with himself. "My brain is telling me no." He said after a while, hesitating before continuing. "But I cannot ignore what I feel in my belly. I think we should trust her. What about you Sandy?"

The little man gave North a childish grin, nodding.

"Are you insane?" Tooth roared at him, before turning on Bunny, the only person that hadn't voted yet. "You can't possibly agree with this too, can you? Trusting Kronos' daughter? If she had been Pitch's daughter, would you trust her then? We'd just be asking for betrayal!" her tone softened. "Please Bunny. Please fight this with me. I... I don't want to die."

"I can't pretend that there aren't certain issues with all of this." He said slowly. "But I also can't pretend that the girl is evil just because I don't like her. This isn't easy for me to say, but I think that she is telling the truth. About everything. And I think that if we want to survive until Easter, and then Christmas, we need to trust her."

"Aww Bunny. I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said." I teased.

Bunny smirked, but Tooth whirled on me, a tornado about to tear something apart. "How can you joke about this? How are you able to laugh, able to ignore the truth right in front of you? How are you not afraid of what might happen if you're wrong?"

"I am afraid." I snapped. "I am deathly afraid of what might happen if Aria does double-cross us. If she does, it's all my fault, and I'm willing to accept that. But I'm not going to risk everything on the off chance that she's lying to us."

"It's such a big risk..."

"And a risk I'm willing to take. What other option do we have? Sit on our asses and hope the storm passes over us instead of through us?"

"Go find the truth." She snapped back. "Don't you think it's weird that she just happens to know everything about what's happening? It's suspicious."

"She has told us everything she knows, I'm sure of it." North interjected, seemingly nervous about Tooth attacking him.

"Tooth, this isn't my decision to make..." I began.

"No, you're right, it isn't. It's all of ours." She said, then winced when she realised how she'd drawn herself into a corner.

"And we voted. The decision has already been made." Bunny gently told her.

"If it turns out that I am wrong about her, you can haunt me forever." I joked, and her mouth curved the smallest of fractions at the edge.

"Go tell her, before she runs away again." She told me after a very awkward pause.

I looked at her, surprised. Her eyes were downcast, sad but resolute.

"Thank you." I told her, understanding what she was trying to tell me.

I got up straight away, Aria immediately the only person on my mind. I sensed Tooth get up behind me and follow me out of the room, but she turned the opposite way to me, heading to the sanctuary of her room.

There seemed to be a tether, just at the bottom of my ribs, wrapped around my core. I followed its pull, somehow knowing it would lead me to the girl shining bright at the forefront of my mind.

Turning several corners, I ended up in one of North's many large sitting rooms, upholstered in pastel green. Aria was curled up on a large bay window seat, resting her chin on her knees, which were curled into her chest. She looked so beautiful, her hair cascading over her shoulders and down to her waist, but her eyes were filled with loneliness,

In the middle of the room, I saw as I followed her gaze, was a ballerina of flames, compete with a sparking tutu. The flickering apparition was in the middle of a slow, graceful solo, turning and then lunging into the oddest position.

"What ballet position is that?" I asked, causing her to jump, and the ballerina to dissolve into sparks.

"Third arabesque." She said in a small voice, her eyes unfocused as she gazed into the snow.

"It's very realistic." I said, not really knowing what to say.

"Before I..." she paused, shifting slightly. "I used to dance. Ballet. I always wanted to join the Australian Ballet, and I would practise for hours a day. It was my escape from life." She blinked, and looked at me, biting her bottom lip in a way that was both innocent and beautiful. "Is Tooth... still mad?"

"Yeah." I smiled wryly. "She lost the vote."

"Really?" she asked, holding her breath.

I just nodded.

Her face broke out into the most stunning smile, and she launched off the seat, flying at me.

I stiffened in shock, but her arms wrapped around my waist, hugging me. My face broke into a silly grin as I hugged her back, the smell of vanilla and cinnamon enveloping me.