Author's Note: Sorry for the extremely late update guys! Kind of been studying for my AP World History exam, which was today by the way. I found it extremely easy and I should easily get a 4 or 5 on it, I hope. :P Anyways, my updates should be back up to speed now that I am no longer preoccupied with other studies-except maybe having to enjoy the outdoors, since it's 77 degrees Fahrenheit right now where I live and super sunny, so yeah. :) So, in this chapter, something incredibly dramatic and exciting is going to happen, and it's kind of just a random thing in the plot line. :P What's going to happen in this chapter and the next doesn't really affect the plot line of this story, but it will affect the sequel. That's right. I'm planning on a sequel, a trilogy actually. :D Hopefully I don't accidentally stretch this whole story out like some books I read have... Oh, and if some of my descriptions in my story you find not entirely accurate, it's because I haven't really read the Guardians of Childhood series, but I badly want to! So, if you guys can, like, help me with certain descriptions, I'd be glad to take the help. Thanks. :) So, I think I've said all I've wanted to say-hopefully-so, yeah. Enjoy!
Starting Over
14-Transformation
Jack sat in your bed beside you, smiling while he watched you sleep. He ran his hands through your hair gently, careful not to wake you up.
He couldn't sleep, and it wasn't because he didn't really need sleep; he was just too excited. You were now his girlfriend, and just thinking about that word pleased him.
Girlfriend… he never would've imagined himself saying that, and he doesn't remember if he ever said that as a mortal either.
Before he never would've believed it if someone came up to him and said he would have a girlfriend someday. He would've just snorted and walked away.
Now, though… Now he would probably just smirk and introduce you to them. Be a show-off and never, ever let anyone harm you in any kind of way.
Thinking back to the past, Jack realized; he would never trade you away for anything—including having all of his human memories. He liked you too much.
He couldn't afford losing you. It would be worse than that feeling he had gotten last April when Pitch snapped his staff in two. As if that was painful already…
It made Jack wish he was mortal once again—or that you were immortal—so that he wouldn't have to live for an eternity in remorse if you were to… you know, die. He shook his head and cleared those thoughts away, going back to replaying the recent events.
He sighed happily, leaning his head against the headboard and cuddling in closer to you. He glanced at the moon and grinned at it before closing his eyes and falling asleep with you safe and sound in his arms.
Man in Moon smiled as he watched the scene unfolding before his eyes.
Everything was going according to plan.
And the best part of it all was that there really wasn't a time limit, as far as he could tell; nothing bad was going to happen. There wasn't going to be a whole Romeo and Juliet scenario between these two, no.
He's had enough of that, the first time was enough.
No, this time it's going to be perfect. They've met, they've fallen in love, and now for the next step—mortalization.
It's only temporary, for sure; but it is his duty to fulfill their wishes every once in a while—if it doesn't impact with the timeline of the future too much.
As far as he could tell, nothing wrong should happen.
And, being Man in Moon; nothing wrong could happen.
He sighed, standing on a stool to reach into one of the higher cupboards.
"Synchrodestiny splash potion, no, not for this occasion. Hunter's Moon spell book, no, no one's life is getting ruined tonight," he mumbled to himself as he began to throw stuff out of the cupboards and onto the floor. "Immortalization, no, I'm looking for the opposite of that, ah! Here it is—Mortalization for the Reborn Immortals." He turned around and sat on the stool, opening the tiny and very dusty book; leafing through the yellow pages. The words inside the book were written in a long lost language, so only he would be able to read it by this time in the life of the human race.
"Take some moon dust and mix into it the blood of a dragon. Stir thoroughly, stopping every fifteen seconds until the mixture is a bright crimson red. Afterwards, over an eternal flame; drop in a pinch of dream sand and a cup of mystic water. Stir in thirty second intervals until the mixture boils. Remove heat and let the mixture cool in the moonlight. If prepared right, the mixture should now be invisible to the naked eye, a bowl full of miniscule moon dust particles. With a little bit of care and magic, take the mixture out of the bowl and direct the moonlight towards the immortal you wish to mortalize. Slowly let the mixture fall from in-between your fingers, and it should follow down the path of the moonlight and land on the immortal; changing him/her back to the form of their past life," Man in Moon read, using his finger to follow the encrypted letters. He looked up and out the window, staring down at the blue ball that was the Earth.
"Sounds easy enough," he muttered, laughing and standing up. Before he shut the book, however; he took the time to read further for any drawbacks from creating this potion. There was, and he stopped in his tracks to read it. "Warning: When in mortal form, immortals are subject to all laws of mortality; including gravity, hunger, thirst, age, and death." He frowned then shook his head. Of course the kid would be subject to all of that, it's the basic definition of 'mortal'. If he doesn't know that, well; blessed be the heavens he doesn't find out the hard way.
He placed the old book down on the stool, walking through the catacombs of his home to his brewing station. He opened various cupboards, taking out objects ranging from tiny flasks to humungous jars.
"Looks like I'm out of moon dust," he mumbled solemnly, holding up an empty bell jar to the light. He sighed, putting the jar down gently on the countertop, walking around to an outdoor exit. When he found one, he went outside and collected a few lunar months' worth of moon dust, walking back inside and watching it settle inside the bell jar.
"That shall do it," he said proudly, turning around to the brewing table. "Now for some magic."
Jack wrapped his arms tighter around you, stuck in the middle of a dream and reality.
It was weird, he was still in the dreaming state yet he could feel your presence and the room around him.
While he was trying to figure this situation out; a strange warming sensation swam up his spine, making him grit his teeth. It was too warm for his liking, but he soon realized he was slowly getting used to it.
He frowned and tried to wake up, but was unable to do so.
The sensation sparked again, stronger and more noticeable than the last time. Then it began to feel like his body was changing, but he couldn't open his eyes to look at himself.
You wish to be seen
So you recant
A familiar voice spoke in his head, and he instantly froze up, despite the fact that he felt like he was melting.
Now with eyes so keen
Your wish I grant
The warm sensation changed into what felt like a huge fireball burning inside Jack's body. He bit his lip to keep from screaming, but as soon as he did; it stopped.
The familiar cold temperature of his body seemed to be nonexistent, yet he didn't feel uncomfortable either.
He almost felt… human again.
Before he had a chance to think the strange situation over, deep sleep took him under once more.
You woke up to your blaring alarm, slamming it off in your sleep. You expected your waist to be cold again because this time you knew Jack had fallen asleep beside you, but it wasn't.
You thought he had left during the night, saddening you a little.
That is, until you realized that something was still wrapped around your waist.
You checked under the covers and indeed saw arms there, but instead of blue sleeves covering them—he finally got his own shirt back last night—they were white.
You peeked behind you, careful not to disturb whoever was sleeping next to you.
A boy with messy brown hair slept there peacefully, muttering something in his sleep.
You nearly freaked—still careful not to wake the boy sleeping next to you; whoever he was.
"(F/N)…" the boy mumbled sleepily, pulling you in closer.
You tried not to scream, the situation getting creepier by the minute. Then you thought you recognized that voice.
"Jack?" you whispered slowly, turning around to get a better look at the boy who actually did look like Jack—just, different hair and skin color.
And wearing old-looking clothes.
He woke up, not as startled as you were when you saw that his eyes were no longer blue—they were brown.
"Hey, princess," he greeted, smirking at you in the dark.
Okay, it was Jack alright. You would recognize that smirk anywhere.
"Um, Jack, you…" you didn't know how to word what you were trying to say. You can't just plain out tell him that he went under some kind of physical change of some sort.
"I what?" he asked, running his hand through your hair. His eyes widened in surprise when he noticed that his sleeves were white instead of blue. He sat up suddenly, staring at his arms.
"I thought I got rid of this shirt when I was given the hoodie," he muttered, frowning at himself.
You sat up beside him, rubbing his shoulder comfortingly. "You should take a look in the mirror before you wonder about anything else."
He got up and opened your closet door, staring at himself in the mirror hanging on it. You got up also and turned on the light so he could see himself better.
His jaw dropped to the floor and he blinked continuously, trying to make sure what he was seeing was real. "What the…" he muttered, turning around to stare at the back of his leather hunter's cape, the frost that should've been there nonexistent.
"Yeah, that's what I said," you replied, crossing your arms and trying to figure the situation out.
"Last time I looked like this, I was—" Jack cut himself off, finally realizing what happened. "Sweet Man in Moon, I'm a mortal."