Chapter 4: MUMBLINGS AND GRUMBLINGS
At the North Pole, the huge workshop was a full on hive of activities even though it was dead late at night.
While Yetis worked on repairs and quality control, Elves scurried around, tinkering with toys and loading them onto conveyor belts.
In his study, North (Santa Claus) sat slouched in his oversized chair, reading long scrolls of Christmas wishes that had been sent in by children from all over the world.
A steaming mug of coffee was placed on the desk beside him.
"Hmm," North muttered to himself, stroking his thick white beard as usual.
"Timmy wants a train set. Good taste, very good taste!"
Just then, the crescent moon's glow reflected off the windows of his study, getting his attention.
North sat up, furrowing his brows while he set the scroll aside.
"Jack Frost calling meeting… at this hour?" he said aloud, scratching the top of his head.
"Bah! What could be so important?"
He picked the mug of coffee from his desk and took a long sip before rising to his feet.
Grabbing his thick red coat and slinging it over his shoulders, he began the trek upstairs to the meeting room.
As his heavy boots thudded hard on the wooden floors, he couldn't help muttering to himself.
"Always something with that boy. Always something."
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"SNNNKKKRRRR!... PHEW!! SNNNNNXXXXKKKHHH!!!"
Deep underground in his warren—- surrounded by rolling green hills and blooming flowers—- Bunnymund snored loudly, twitching his long ears from time to time.
He was sprawled out on a soft patch of grass lined with moss and clover, his bed.
A knitted nightcap was covering his head, and a half-eaten carrot was laying just beside him.
Then, the glowing light of the crescent moon seeped into his burrow, lighting up the walls inside that were decorated with colorful painted eggs.
"Urgghh," Bunny groaned, opening his eyes.
"What in the blooming blazes…" he grumbled, sitting up and rubbing his eyes, looking for what woke him up.
Once he noticed the symbol in his sky, his ears perked up.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," he growled, pulling off his nightcap and tossing it on the bed.
"A meeting? At this time? That frostbitten nuisance better have a good reason!"
Bunny grabbed his boomerangs, slotted them in their holdings and hopped out of his burrow, muttering under his breath as he made his way to the North Pole.
—-----------
High above the clouds, Sandman floated on a bed of golden sand, dreaming peacefully of the dreams of children around the world.
Suddenly, the crescent moon symbol appeared in his dreamscape, the icy glow from it looking completely different from the warm golden hues around.
Sandy opened his eyes, a bit irritated by the interruption of his dreams then relaxed on seeing the calling sign.
He raised a hand, creating a golden cloud of sand that carried him immediately toward the North Pole.
The sand sparkled like stardust as it trailed behind him.
—------------
Back at the North Pole, Jack Frost had already arrived before the others.
Looking out the window, he watched the crescent moon symbol begin to fade showing it had completed it's purpose.
One by one, the Guardians began to arrive.
Toothiana was the first, fluttering her wings as usual, as she flew in through the open window and landed in the meeting room.
"Jack? What's going on?"
She looked around and started flying about him, pulling his eyes and checking behind his hoody.
"Is everything okay?"
Before Jack could answer, North stomped in, waving his coffee mug at him while his voice boomed.
"Jack! What is the meaning of this? Midnight meeting? Hmm?"
Bunny arrived next, scowling, "This better not be about some blizzard you caused, Frost."
Sandy floated in silently, unlike the others, he was calm.
He raised his golden hand, writing out his question in the air what golden specks of sand:
What happened?
Jack faced them all, gripping his staff tightly.
"The man in the moon showed me something."