Jade Frost: Guardian Of Fun

Chapter 3 - Something Special Inside

"It's nothing personal, North," Jade said. She and him were in his elevator, heading down to where the toys were being made for kids to play. "What you all do, it's just, it's not my thing."

"Man in the Moon says it is your thing, we will see," North said. He opened the door to the factory floor. Jade wanted to slow down, she always actually wanted to see what he did here.

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

"What do you mean 'bust in'?"

"Don't worry, never got past the Yetis," Jade Said. They never really did anything bad to her, just seriously reprimanded her. She guessed it was because she was a girl. What really surprised Jade was that the toys were being made by the Yetis and not the Elves.

"I always thought the elves made the Toys?" she said.

"We just let them believe that," North whispered as they passed a couple of elves. Jade was disturbed by the fact that they were electrocuting themselves with Christmas lights. No wonder why North never let the Elves make anything. They felt like comic relief in those serious movies.

"Very nice! Keep up the good work!" said North. He put hands on Jade's shoulder and pushed her gently along. Whatever was happening, Jade wanted to know why he was in such a rush. Sure there was the boogeyman to worry about, but Jade wasn't sure why North was urgent to show her something.

"I don't like it, paint it red!" North said as they walked past a yeti working on robot toys.

The Yeti working on robots cried in dismay at having to start all over. Jade and North made it into his office. Jade was surprised by the toys and the many sketches North had out. The winter spirit noticed that North also had two tattoos of Naughty and Nice on each arm from his rolled-up sleeves.

"Uh, no thanks," Jade said at the fruit cake. Honestly, who would want to eat that in the first place? North crushed them with his fist.

"Now we get down to tacks of brass!"

"Tacks of brass?" Jade thought this couldn't get any worse. She was surprised from the slamming of the door behind her and a bar locking in on her as well as North with his menacing look.

"Who are you Jade Frost?" North said, Jade's back coming in connection with the door. He poked her gently in the chest. "What is your center?"

Jade looked at him confused.

"My center?" she asked.

"If Man in Moon chose you to be a Guardian, you must have something very special inside," North answered.

North stroke his beard and contemplated the situation, before deciding to show Jade something. He had a Russian doll, that Jade hadn't noticed before. She looked and saw the expressions on the doll.

"Here. This is how you see me, no? Very big, intimidating. But if you get to know me a little-" he beaconed for her to take it. "Well, go on."

Jade set down her staff in exchange for the Russian doll. She unraveled the first shell and saw the next doll had a jolly look on his doll.

"You are downright jolly?" she said with a small smile.

"Ah, but not just jolly..." North said. Jade opened the next doll. "I am also mysterious." North had a mysterious look and a cape drawn in front of him for him to appear what North said he was depicted as. "And fearless."

"And caring."

Jade looked and saw North's doll had a tear in his eye holding a doll. "And at my center..."