Seasons Unite

Chapter 2: A New Team

North's workshop was crowded with Yetis working on making presents for the upcoming Christmas season. Train sets were being tested, cars were being painted, and doll clothes were being made. Everywhere you looked, there was a bustle of activity. The short little elves were trying to help the furry Yetis, but they ended up making a mess instead.

Jack Frost flew passed the sentries, over the chaos, and onto the balcony overlooking the globe of the world. North stood talking with the Easter Bunny and Sandman, Toothianna and her little tooth fairies hovering nearby.

Jack landed gracefully on North's control console, watching as North and Bunnymund argued, as usual.

"...there is nothing I can do about it," North says to Bunny. "The Yetis are busy getting ready for Christmas. They don't have time to keep track of all your bunny holes."

Bunny reaches into a satchel that he wore at his side. He pulled out a little doll with bright blue eyes. "That's no excuse, mate," he argued with a strong Australian accent. "There ain't a reason for me to be finding toys in my bunker. This is the fifth one I've found this month!"

"Maybe if you stopped tunneling through here you wouldn't collect so many."

"I wouldn't tunnel through here unless it was absolutely necessary, but you know it's too cold for me to be out in this weather! And if your Yetis can't be more careful around my tunnel entrances..."

"Ahem!" Jack choked, letting them know he was there.

The Big Four turned. When Sandy saw him, an exclamation point made out of sand appeared above his head and he waved excitedly. Sandy only ever talked with sand pictures. Jack smiled at his friend and waved back.

Tooth flew over to greet him with a friendly hug, her green wings beating furiously as she hovered indent of him. Jack returned the hug and smiled at her with his perfect teeth. The tooth fairy gazed into his blue eyes for a second before blushing and self-consciously letting go of his neck.

North laughed jovially when he saw the boy. "Jack!" he exclaimed. "Good to see you again, old friend!" He gave Jack a big bear hug, his huge arms enveloping Jack, making him lose his breath.

"It's good to see you too," he wheezed, relieved when North finally let go. He turned to Bunny who was still standing off to the side.

"What? No hug from you?" he said sarcastically.

"Don't push your luck kid," Bunny replied, pulling his weaponized boomerangs out from the strap on his back and beginning to toy with them. Still, he nodded in a greeting, his whiskers twitching as he stifled a smile.

North put his large hands in his hips and turned to the other Guardians, becoming serious. "Now that we're all gathered, it's time to begin." The others turned towards him as he continued. "Last night, Manny told me that Pitch has returned."

The Guardian's gasped. "How is that possible?" Tooth asked. "I thought he was gone forever!"

The last time they had seen Pitch Black,  the Guardian's had defeated him with the help of Jamie and his friends. Pitch had been swarmed by the sand nightmares that he had created, and they had dragged him back into his underground lair; he had not been heard of since.

North shook his head as he thought, saying, "That's what I thought too. But when Manny told me, I knew Pitch was back. I could feel it..."