Chapter Text
"No no, Mali, the flower comes before the fruit."
Jack's head whipped up, and he beamed at Brian crouching next to their smallest sibling. "You're okay!" he cried, leaping over and giving his brother a hug.
"Yes, you dolt. I'm immortal." he deadpanned, raising a hand to hit the youngest of them.
Jack danced back from Brian's blow with a grin. "Yeah, but I thought Mom would keep you on bed rest until tomorrow."
"Yeah, what's up?" Belinda chimed in from her seat on a rock. "And where's mom? She has us gather here so she can see us all at once, and she's not here."
"She'd patching up some other guy."
"Pitch." Jack supplied. "Pitch Black, King of Nightmares. He tried to take over the world at Easter."
"Oh, that's what all the horses were?" Belinda chuckled. "Night Mares, hehe, that's cute. They make great carriage horses, once you get them hitched up."
Mali laughed, and the picture cards in front of her began to smoulder. "Horsey! Horsey!"
Jack and Brian just shook their heads. "I will never understand you." Brian grinned.
Belinda stuck out her tongue. "I think I got some people thinking there were Thestrals in London."
Jack cackled. "Okay, I revise my opinion." he laughed. "You're a genius."
"Thank you." she smirked, fluffing her hair.
"So, what's new with you?" Brian asked, turning to Jack with an expectant look.
Jack grinned. "I'm a Guardian now." he said proudly, pulling down his hoodie to reveal the distinctive G.
"You got a tattoo?" Brian gaped.
"Guardian membership. Apparently all of them have one."
"Have. One. What?" a stern voice said slowly from behind them.
Jack swallowed nervously, turning to give Mother Nature a hesitant smile. "A, um, Guardian tattoo?"
Her storm-cloud hair crackled with lightning, and Jack found his hair standing on end. "A WHAT?"
"It's really little, I swear!" he yelled, bringing his arms up to guard his face. "You can't even see it!"
The static in the air lessened, and Jack cracked an eye open.
"Show it to me." she demanded. He pulled on his collar for the third time, displaying the mark that designated him a proper Guardian.
"See? Real little. It's just another protection from jackasses like Zeus." he blurted, holding the fabric as the spirit who'd mothered him brushed her green-nailed fingers around the sensitive skin.
"Nicholas should have gotten my permission first, but I suppose it can no longer be helped." she sighed. "As for the man resting across the clearing, I know you all have questions."
"Yeah, like what's the Boogieman doing here?" Jack grumbled, crossing his arms.
Mother Nature shot him a hard glare. "Frost, if you continue to be impudent I will accompany you on next winter's rounds."
Jack winced. "Sorry."
"As I was saying, that man over there was once my father. He has suffered a great defeat and injury, and you will be courteous to him both now and in the future." she looked at all of them, her face stern. "Am I understood?"
Four heads nodded, and she smiled warmly. "Now that's done with, you all come here so I can hug you."
Mali sprinted over, launching herself to cling to their mom's arm. Belinda was next, followed by Brian, and Jack hugged his mother and siblings tight. The news about Pitch would have to be relayed to the Guardians, and it'd be a pain not kicking his ass while they were in this place together, but he'd done worse. Admittedly mostly in regards to his siblings, but still!