A/N: Ok that last chapter was a big one! Historically speaking, I'm not sure if everything was accurate, but that's alright, right? Cause this is a fiction story set in a legit magic world. Yeah, I don't believe me either. But, oh well! Enjoy this new chapter!
Manny paused to take a deep breath and he closed his eyes against the memories. He could still see Idalia's childlike face like it had been just this morning since they had sat in the light of the moon together. Now he could look at her and not even recognize her. How far they had both come since that day.
Silence filled the Moon Room as the Guardians waited for Manny to finish his story. Seconds passed agonizingly slow before the founder of the Guardians opened his eyes again. Sadness filled them, sadness beyond human comprehension. Elsa's heart clenched at the sight.
"Well what happened?" Jack blurted out suddenly. Manny blinked as if he just realized they were there. In his grief, he had forgotten he had an audience.
"I died that day. The man came for Idalia, and I fought him. I lost. He was a warrior, I was a shepherd. It wasn't much of a fight." Manny laughed humorlessly. "The entire village came to watch, even Idalia. She was wearing that beautiful dress. She said we would get married after I won, and she would wear that dress, and we could tell our children the stories we made up about the stars." Manny looked around at the faces of the Guardians. Their expressions were all various levels of shock, anger, even interest in the story. Only Elsa's eyes held sympathy. Manny was taken aback by the welling of emotions in Elsa's eyes. The Snow Queen had been quiet through the telling of the story, but he had watched as she silently wiped tears off her cheeks, thinking no one was paying attention to her.
"What happened to Idalia?" Tooth asked quietly. Her tiny fairies chattered in agreement, also wanting to know the answer. Manny didn't answer right away. His face betrayed his discomfort on the subject and North stepped forward and placed a steady hand on Manny's shoulder. Jack noticed that it was a gesture the large man was fond of, and also that he had, perhaps, picked it up from him. All the Guardians seemed to have actually. Something about the show of solidarity, without the need of words, resonated with all of them.
Manny cleared his throat and began again, drawing strength from North.
"Idalia married the man who killed me that night. Then she killed him, and herself, using poison." Tooth and all her fairies collectively gasped. Bunnymund winced sympathetically. North hung his head. Sandy placed another hand on Manny's knee, the farthest he could reach. Jack was wide eyed and frozen in place, feet planted heavily on the ground. Elsa felt her heart skip a beat. She was unaware of Manny watching her as she absentmindedly stroked Jack's arm, her mind spinning a mile a minute.
"How did you become the Moon?" She asked after a few minutes of tense silence.
Heads again whipped around to Elsa. She ignored them and stared directly at Manny.
"You made the rest of the Guardians, correct? So who made you?" Manny opened his mouth to answer, closed it, and opened it again.
"I haven't the foggiest idea." He answered. "As far as I know, I was the first human to become an eternal spirit. There were already spirits of course, nature spirits and the like, but I was the first human spirit. Idalia was the second. After we awoke to our new lives, we tried to find each other again, but we found out quickly that we weren't the same people that we had been. She was vindictive and scalding. Her temper was quick and explosive. I on the other hand was calmer than I even had been in life. Though, to be fair to myself, I did only ever do one irrational thing in it. We were both...older too. Our bodies had aged to become like we are now. More adult. But also...ageless. It's hard to explain."
Elsa nodded, somehow seeming to understand his babble. Jack looked utterly lost, as did the rest of the Guardians. Although, Sandy seemed to identify with what he was saying. Jack thought it might have something to do with the fact that he was the first Guardian to be resurrected by Manny.
"Anyway," Manny continued, "I learned very quickly to stay away from her. It broke my heart, still does, but she isn't the same girl that I loved as a human. And I am not the same boy."
"Do you have any theories on how you became this?" Tooth asked. Manny paused and considered.
"Yes and no. When I awoke, I was not alone persay. I was surrounded by many nature spirits. Spirits of the wind, spirits of the hills and mountains, animal spirits. Even sky spirits like my people used to worship. None of them gave me an explanation as to why I was there, or why they were there but they did say that I was supposed to be their new leader. That their old king had left them and I had taken his place. It took me a while to accept the responsibility but it's really the only explanation I have. That the old king made me, much in the way I made you."
"What does that have to do with now? With Pitch and Pandora and the others?" Bunnymund grouched.
"Quiet, Bunny!" North commanded, but Manny laid a gentle hand atop the one rested on his shoulder.
"It doesn't, Aster, but it helps Elsa to understand our world. The world she is about to be fighting for." Bunnymund grumbled under his breath but sat back and allowed Manny to continue.
"You see Elsa, nature-all nature- has life. Spirits Guard that life. It is up to me to keep those spirits both in line and doing their jobs. However, there were no Guardians to protect human life. Perhaps I was meant to be the first. But as humanity grew and expanded, it became obvious to me that I could not do it alone. Humanity had too many aspects that needed to be Guarded. Not just life itself, but what makes up a human being. Their hopes, their memories, their dreams. Their wonder. Their fun. I chose a Guardian to protect each one of these elements of human life, humans who embodied each of the elements that I wanted to protect. And the system worked, despite the fact that spirits were created to systematically destroy everything I built. For each Guardian I created, an opposite was made as well. They do their best to fundamentally ruin humanity. And that's what we are facing now. They've somehow gained enough power to band together, and the stronger they become, the weaker the Guardians become."
"That's why you need me. I don't have an opposite. I'm not a Guardian. I'm human." Elsa realized. Manny nodded.
"I don't know where you got your powers, and I don't think we'll ever know, but I do know that we're going to need them."
Elsa clenched her jaw. Jack noticed a fire burning in her eyes he had never seen before. He had caught glimpses, while she was fighting Hans's men in their ice castle, when she was dealing with a particularly irritating dignitary or subject. It was determination. Jack felt his long dead heart clench in his chest. He was torn between the two sides of himself. The Guardian side, which wanted nothing more than Elsa's help to protect the children of the world, and the side that was hopelessly in love with her, which wanted nothing more than to keep her far away from anything that might hurt her. He knew he had to let her fight but he was determined he was going to protect her. He had no opposite, not that he knew of, and he'd be damned if he let anyone hurt Elsa. He clenched his staff tighter in his fist, resolute in his vow to himself.
North spoke next, surprising the others.
"I think she and Jack need to know about the others. Pandora, Lethe...Krampus. Our stories as well." Manny nodded. Tooth and Bunnymund looked extremely uncomfortable, but they agreed too.
"Finally!" Jack butted in. "Everyone knows my story but I know next to nothing about you guys! It's about time I'm let into the loop." The tense air broke with a little laughter and Jack felt a little pride. After all, he was the Guardian of Fun. He was happy that he could help his friends laugh, even if it was just for a moment, during this hard time.
North rang his little silver bell again.
"We are going to be here a while. We need refreshments." He said with a small smile. Dozens of elves again burst into the room, this time with several trays of food and drink. Elsa gratefully accepted a steaming mug of hot chocolate and inhaled the scent, thinking of Anna. Jack crammed three cookies in his mouth and shoved another dozen in his pocket. Looking at Elsa thoughtfully, he grabbed another handful and moved to shove them in her new sweater's pockets as well.
"Jack!" She complained, as cookie crumbs rained down her front. Jack bent down slightly so he was shorter than her, turned up his head, and opened his eyes wide. Sticking out his bottom lip just a little, he begged.
"Elsaaaa. These are the best cookies in the world." Elsa rolled her eyes.
"Wrap them in a napkin first. This is brand new." Jack thrust his fist in the air triumphantly. North laughed across the room.
"I'll send you the recipe." He said to Elsa. She smiled gratefully as Jack shoved a dozen cookies at her chest.
New chairs were brought in for everyone. Jack left his untouched, preferring instead to perch on the back of Elsa's with one foot dangling to the side. Once everyone was settled in Manny once again took control of the room.
"Jack, Elsa, I presume North told you Samir's story?"
Jack and Elsa nodded.
Jack looked over at Sandy, who was munching happily on a cookie. He still couldn't believe that Sandy- Sandy- was Pitch's brother.
"Alright then." Manny clapped his hands together weakly. He still looked rather awful, but the cookies and steaming warm milk had brought a bit more color back to his cheeks, and as long as he stayed off his feet, he would be fine. He would need lots of rest later, but for now, sitting and talking wouldn't further injure him.
"Who's next?" He inquired. Awkward silence once again filled the room. The ticking of a clock could be heard, that is, until North kicked out the rude little elf that had been standing in the corner clicking his tongue. That distraction gone, the silence returned, thick and seemingly impenetrable.
"I'll go next." North's heavy voice sounded through the room. Jack bristled on his perch.
"When I was a young man, I was a priest…"