The Importance of Family | Rise of the Guardians Reader x Various

Chapter 1

A tall and skinny spirit dangled her legs off the side of a lampost, watching as kids ran past her, some chasing each other, and some just having a good time. Her hair danced in the air, mimicking flames.

The spirit smiled as she watched a mother hold her son's hand as they crossed the street, the young boy clinging to his mother's side.

She conjured a small flame in her palm and sent it towards the little boy.

It flew into his chest, and he suddenly felt the feeling of safety, as if he wouldn't be harmed.

He stopped clinging onto his mother and just held her hand when they reached the sidewalk.

Hestia, the spirit of the family, watched as they walked away. She hopped off the lampost and began to walk down the sidewalk, with the occasional child or adult passing through her.

She didn't mind. She was used to being invisible. All that mattered was that the kids were enjoying time with their families and friends, not paying attention to her.

Hestia stopped, and she looked around as if she felt something nearby.

She suddenly took off in the air, with her long hair flowing like fire behind her.

After flying for a few minutes, she landed in a completely different town and began to look around.

Her eyes eventually stopped on a house down the street.

She flew over and peered into the window to see a couple arguing in the kitchen, with their two kids peering in through a doorway with a golden hint of fear in their eyes.

That special kind of fear seemed to be more abundant lately, and Hestia didn't know why.

"Not on my watch..." Hestia whispered.

She conjured two more flames and sent them into the house, where they flew into the parents' chests, causing them to immediately stop arguing.

They reconciled and ended with a hug, and then they noticed their children.

The mother apologized and the father playfully picked them up, making them laugh.

Hestia watched as they happily walked out of the kitchen. She then took off into the sky once more, planning on heading back to her home, in Greece.

As she flew, she glanced at the northern lights dancing through the sky.

"Hmm...I wonder what that could mean."

Jack Frost flew into North's workshop, only to be met with scrambling yetis and panicking elves.

He walked through the mess of North's helpers towards the Guardians' usual meeting place, but the entrance was blocked by more yetis.

Jack had begun to get frustrated, "Woah woah! What's the hold-up?!"

The yetis stopped and looked towards the voice, and when they saw Jack, they gasped, and one began to speak.

But Jack only heard nonsense and gibberish.

"Hah...sorry, I can't understand you. I gotta get going." Jack said, flying over the yetis, "I should've done that first..." he mumbled.

When he got to the meeting place, he saw North over the globe controls, Bunny in the corner twirling his boomerang, Sandman standing quietly off to the side, and Tooth completely ignoring everyone as she discussed with her fairies.

"Look who finally showed up," Bunny said after he noticed Jack.

"Sorry, cotton-tail. The yetis are a mess down there." Jack joked.

"That's your excuse for being late every time." Bunny scowled.

"Well, this time it's true," Jack said.

"Boys, boys. Let's not fight. We have urgent business to attend to now that we are all here." North said, turning around from the control panel.

Sandman made symbols above his head, and North seemed to understand.

"No, Sandy. This isn't another meeting about Tooth's fairies waking up the children." North said.

"I'm sorry! My fairies just get so eager when they see a molar!" Tooth smiled.

"I know, Tooth." North said with a hearty laugh, "I called this meeting to inform you of an old enemy that has resurfaced." North said.

"Get to the point, North." Jack said.

"Alright, alright. Pitch has returned."

"WHAT?!" Bunny gasped.

"How is he back?" Tooth asked.

"We saw him get sucked into that hole! Or pit...or...oh I see now." Bunny face-palmed.

"I haven't heard from Manny ever since he told me of Pitch's return. He made it seem urgent." North said.

"Well, what are we supposed to do?" Bunny asked.

"I don't know. But he did tell me something else." North said.

"North, seriously, you need to stop burying the lead." Jack laughed.

"Jack, I'm building up tension." North defended.

"Alright, alright, I get it." Jack held his hands up defensively.

"Manny also said that we're going to need more help for this," North said.

"Another guardian?! Jack is already enough." Bunny huffed.

"Hey!-" Jack started.

"Not a new guardian, but an ally. Manny didn't say they were chosen, just an aid to defeat Pitch." North said.

"Well, who is it?" Tooth asked, getting more excited by the minute at the fact of meeting someone new.

"Pitch's new tactic is to attack the children's place of safety and comfort, the home," North said.

"None of us are good with actually interacting with people," Jack said, looking specifically at Bunny.

"That's why we need this ally." North said, pushing a button on the controls, which opened a hatch in the floor, which revealed the same crystal used for chosen guardians.

A figure appeared in the crystal.

It was a tall girl around Jack's age, with what looked like long flames for hair, a short dress around her knees, and two flames in her hands.

"Guardians, meet Hestia, the Spirit of the Family."