Well guys...this is it. The final chapter of Running for Life, complete with a brand-new cover drawn by yours truly to celebrate (at least that's what I intended, but Fanfiction's being finicky...it'll be up when it works, I don't know, but it's already the cover of the soundtrack on Spotify).

Oh man, where do I start? I've had such a good time writing this story, and all of you guys' positive feedback has meant so much to me over the year I've been posting this. I love all of you, and I know I couldn't have gotten this far without your support. When I started writing this story, I had no idea where it was going to go, or what it was going to become. I just...felt like writing a Rise of the Guardians AU, so...I did. The scene at the tavern was not only the first scene in the story, but the first scene that came up in my mind, the scene that was the spark that set everything else into motion. And now, thanks to that scene...here we are. It's a bittersweet moment for me. Sweet because I feel accomplished, bitter because the story's done forever. Now, all I have to say is...thank you. Thank you guys so much for the support, and helping me get this far.

That being said, time for the reviews. :) Endless thanks go out to Yukomin, Brenne, pikachukite, WinterCrystal1009, OneWhoDreamz, Serami Nefera, Aekidna, BooksAreMedicine, Ravenclaw667, Guest, rwbygirl, Unknown, and jackandelsaforever101. To you and everyone else reading this...thank you. Thank you so much.

Will I make a sequel? I don't know. I think I'd like to at some point, but of course, that's only if I come up with an idea for it. However...that's a question for the future. For now...please enjoy the last chapter of Running for Life.

Chapter 40: The Final Answers

The traveling storyteller had first come to his village when he was about ten and a half years old. With the tales he spun regarding the four immortals known as the Guardians of Childhood, all of the children, himself included, were instantly intrigued by the man.

The storyteller simply called himself "Manny". He was a bit on the shorter side, but still stood tall over the children. His round face was pleasant. It was the kind of face that one felt like they could trust, though he still retained just enough of an air of mystery that the former effect could potentially be resisted.

He wasn't sure if he trusted the storyteller. Sure, he adored the stories he told them, but he also noticed the man's behavior was a bit...odd.

He would often catch Manny's gaze lingering just a bit too long on him, especially when he was playing with or helping some of the younger kids. He had no idea why Manny had some kind of strange interest in him, and he had to admit that it made him a bit uncomfortable.

After a week or so, he told his parents about his concerns. They immediately went on their guard, keeping a close eye on Manny. However, nothing ever came of it. The storyteller never so much as approached him individually. They never even had a one on one conversation.

Still, he decided to do some spying of his own. He pretended it was a game and would sometimes hide behind buildings or around corners, trying to watch the man go about his business in the village.

Manny had never done much that was out of the ordinary. The one thing that stuck out to him was that the man sometimes seemed as though he was...looking for something. Something important.

Eventually, he gave up on trying to figure out what that "something" was. After all, he was just an irrelevant child. It couldn't possibly have anything to with him.

...right?

()()()()

"'Tis you…" Jack whispered softly, stunned. "You're...you're Manny…"

"I am," the Tsar confirmed quietly, his voice suddenly seeming much lighter and less intimidating. It was a voice Jack had once known.

The boy could not speak. His shock was far too great for that. Luckily, however, the Tsar, or Manny, or whoever he was, seemed to pick up on the torrent of questions that swirled through Jack's mind.

"I understand your confusion…" he said. "Allow me to explain. Have a seat."

Feeling dazed, as though he were in a dream, Jack sat down in a silver chair that certainly had not been present a few seconds ago. The Tsar took a seat as well and looked at him calmly, silvery eyes gentle yet mysterious all at once.

"Soluna's line of Tsars and Tsarinas have always worn masks to conceal our entire faces," he began. "This is so that, in times of need, we could travel on our own outside the confines of the capital city in order to recruit help in the form of a new Guardian. Up until now, no Guardians have needed to be added outside of the original four. You are the first in a very long time, Jackson.

"When the Nightmare King began showing signs of planning to rise again, I knew I had to take action. Disguising myself as a simple traveling storyteller, I set to work to find my candidate. Of course, said candidate couldn't be just anyone off the street. I decided to keep the diversity of the group and recruit a snow sprite. I knew of your kind's powerful magic and saw how helpful it would be in the battle against Pitch Black."

Tsar Lunar heaved a deep sigh. "I regret to say that I was not careful enough when carrying out my plans. By watching me from the shadows, Pitch soon deduced exactly what my intentions were. You know his actions from there…"

Jack gulped and nodded mutely.

"I knew I had to pick up the pace," the Tsar continued. "Time was running short, and I still had not found the proper candidate. Then...I found you, Jackson. After only a few days of observing you, I knew you were perfect. You interacted flawlessly with those younger than yourself. You expressed a desire to protect, whether you realized it or not. Overall, you emanated the very essence of…" He raised his eyebrows.

"Fun…" Jack finished with a whisper. Suddenly, so much that had confused and unnerved him as a child made perfect sense. The reason Manny had been watching him...it was because he was considering him for Guardianship.

So...why didn't he say anything back then…? he inwardly wondered with a frown.

"The only problem…" said the Tsar, as though reading Jack's mind. "Was your age. You were only ten when I first went to your village. I could not and would not place the burden of becoming a Guardian on someone who was only a child himself. I admit, I was at a loss for what to do.

"I stayed in your village for a long time, if you'll remember. I was stalling then, trying to figure out what course of action to take. Eventually, I decided to cut my losses and leave in search of a different candidate that was of a greater age. Unfortunately...the day after I left was the day the Nightmare King and those who assisted him attacked your village."

For reasons unknown, Jack decidedly liked the Tsar less and less as the story went on. He simply seemed a bit too...lackadaisical for the boy's liking. He was using the tone "Manny" had used to tell his stories years ago, and sounded as though the death of everyone in Jack's village was merely a minor inconvenience to him rather than a gruesome massacre.

"With my magic, I could sense the Nightmare King's presence, and so I hurried back to the village. However, I was too late. The place was already in flames. The adults were dead, the children were gone...except you were still there. I saw Pitch standing over you. I was not sure what he was about to do, if he would kill you or take you with him, but I knew I could not let you be lost."

You mean you couldn't afford to lose your star candidate… Jack thought, bitterness starting to creep in.

"I interfered, rescuing you and forcing Pitch to retreat. I believe he must have been told by his top minion that all stragglers had been finished off, so he did not search for you. Just in case, however, I placed my protection on you, which I'm sure you're aware of. Because of this, should they be actively looking for you, any Fearling or Nightmare would not be able to find you, and they certainly would not be able to hurt you.

"Now...I had a predicament on my hands. Pitch was carrying out his plans at a rapid rate, and you were the only one I had deemed worthy of Guardianship so far. Eventually, in lieu of the ever-decreasing time, I decided that you would have to be the one. Of course, as I said before, you were much too young and inexperienced. It was then that I made the choice to leave you with only your horse, your magic, and your wits for a few years, just until you were old enough to send the existing Guardians to fetch. This way, you would gain experience in how the world worked, learning how to thrive and handle yourself. Experience is the best teacher, of course."

Jack stiffened. "You...what?" he asked numbly, slowly standing. "You left me alone on purpose!? All of that...all those years...it was because of you!?" At this point, the boy did not even care that he was yelling at the Tsar himself. As far as he was concerned, his anger was more than justified.

"You couldn't have trained me yourself!?" he shouted. "You couldn't have at least told me what was going on!? I was eleven! I was a child! An adult shouldn't even be expected to go through what I did! And you thought it would be the best method to teach me with!?"

The Tsar's eyes narrowed, though he remained seated and kept his voice calm. "I will not apologize for setting you on the best path," he said.

"Good," Jack hissed. "Because I wouldn't have forgiven you anyway!"

The two stared each other down for what felt like three hundred years. The tension in the room was so thick that one could've cut it with a knife. Finally, Jack turned his back on the Tsar and began to stalk out of the room.

"Do you not want to hear the rest of the story?" Tsar Lunar asked quietly. "The part of it that occurred more recently? How I coordinated your path to the Nightmare King's lair so that you would come across the village in which your sister was staying so the two of you could reunite?"

Jack's fingers curled into fists. He said nothing for a long time, then finally growled, "And I suppose you coordinated my return to my old home as well?"

"Why, yes," said the Tsar. "Although that was a bit of a coincidence...it was the entrance closest to your sister's new home."

Once more, Jack's body went rigid. Without turning around, he slowly asked in a dangerously low voice, "There was...more than one entrance…?"

"Yes," Lunar replied. "One was set up in each village that the Nightmare King decimated, possibly for transportation reasons. The entrance you and the other Guardians used was selected for convenience."

After a long silence, Jack grumbled through clenched teeth, "...well. I'm glad to know my panic attack was convenient." He continued moving towards the exit, but stopped once more when the Tsar spoke again.

"Clearly, you are upset with me," he said. "But I have a question...will you remain a Guardian?"

"Of course I will," Jack answered immediately, finally turning back around to look at the man. "But I'm not doing it for you. 'Tis for the children only. I will never forget what you have done to me, and I will never forgive, but I will endure."

Raising his eyebrows, the Tsar stood up and walked forward a few paces, studying the young Guardian's expression. "That is very mature of you, Jackson," he said. "It seems those six years on your own may have served you better than you think."

Jack scoffed and turned away. However, before stalking back out into the courtyard, he hesitated a brief moment. After a bit of consideration, he untied the strings of his cloak, removed it from around him, and threw it behind him, right in the Tsar's face. The surprised splutter the man let escape his lips nearly made Jack laugh out loud.

Instead, he merely smirked and looked over his shoulder. "Keep it," he said. "I don't need it anymore."

That being said, he strode out of the audience chamber, standing straight with his head up, free of the weight that had pushed him down for so long. He collected Zephyr from where he had left him standing, then left the palace grounds, arriving in the area just in front of it, where the other Guardians were waiting for him.

They nodded at him, smiles on each of their faces, then presented him to the gathered crowd of people for the second time that day. This time, however, he was not hiding behind his hood. He stood in the open, allowing the world to see who he was; a Guardian. The people's cheers made him smile slightly as he gazed out at them.

Perhaps Jack could learn to get used to crowds.

~Fin~

Once again, thank you guys so much for reading. I've posted the soundtrack today as well, so feel free to give that a listen. Also, if you want to see any more content from me (fanart, maybe a short oneshot here and there, or even just roleplaying), I've recently joined Rise of the Guardians Amino, which is like social media specifically for this fandom (there are many others as well; I'm also on Zelda Amino and Fullmetal Alchemist Amino). I don't know when I'll next be posting on Fanfiction, but until then...

Sapphire316, out.