Alaia Skyhawk: Here's the next one!

Disclaimer: I don't own Rise of the Guardians, the Guardians of Childhood, or any related characters etc. This story is written purely for entertainment purposes.

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Chapter 118: Getting a Measure

It was with great reluctance that the children said their farewells, when midday came and their parents began to collect them one-by-one. It was equally bitter-sweet for Jack as he watched the last few head off for the noon meal with their families. This might not be Earth, and these might not be 'his' children, but a part of him felt almost guilty that he wouldn't be able to stay and help all the children of Lumeris.

No, they'd need their own Guardian of Fun for that. And as much as he'd enjoyed the morning with them, he knew it would be best not to repeat it. It wouldn't be right to 'trespass' on what would be their Guardian's role. He didn't want the give the children expectations about what theirs would be like. That wouldn't be fair for their Guardian of Fun, when the time came that they had one.

Jack let out a sight, looking around until his eye caught a glimpse of the nearby monument. At that point he winced, remembering the others, and darted over. They weren't there now, meaning they'd continued the tour without him. So much for that.

"Whoops."

Jack looked around again, trying to decide what to do. While he could fly back to the Citadel, perhaps he could give himself a 'tour' of his own on foot. However before he did that, he needed to do one thing.

He unfastened the moonsilver G snowflake that fastened his cloak, and reversed the clasp so that it was hidden inside the garment against the hoodie underneath. That done, with all the weird and wonderful array of hair styles, colours, and clothing among the people of the city... Even barefoot and in ragged trousers he didn't particularly stand out thanks to his cloak. And the announcement of his and Bunny's visit to the planet, hadn't contained a description of them. If he didn't make a big deal of who he was, he could walk about without anyone nearby being the wiser as to his identity.

If was with a sense of mischief and adventure that he set off back towards the Citadel, guided by an ecstatic little breeze that was now the subject of much envy from the other nearby winds. All along the way, with every shop and market he passed, Jack resolved to ask one of the Tsars for some local stone to carve with. If he made a few little curios, he could trade them for some souvenirs. Sure he could ask the Tsars outright for the money to buy things, but he didn't want to. No doubt they'd want to give gifts to him, Jamie, and Tsar Lunar before they went home, so he'd just ask for stone.

Jack grinned to himself at the thought... What would they make of that request?

It took him a little over two hours to walk back to the Citadel, as cheered by his explorations as he was also solemnly reminded. That despite the buoyed feelings of the people, in the wake of the good news from Tsar Lunar, the mental scars from the years of fear would be a while in fading. They showed still, in the little ways such as glancing at nearby shadows or the occasional pause as if to listen for something lurking nearby. They needed immortals, and he knew he had a whole load of candidates waiting for him to see if they were up to the task.

He got several salutes from the gate guards when he arrived back at the Citadel, but despite being back with people who knew who he was, Jack continued to keep his moonsilver clasp hidden. A quick query to a conjured puff of air once he was inside, got him directions to the wing of the building where the candidates were staying. One hundred people, twenty from each of the five home worlds of the five local Constellations. Each Tsar had picked ten for each of the two groups Father Time had told them to bring.

It was Jack's job now, to say if any of those candidates had what was needed to be the Guardian of Fun or Steward of Natural Fear for those five worlds. And when he arrived at the wing, he pasted on an expression of nervous query before entering.

The first room in the new hallway was a large common area, and the moment he walked in he could tell which candidates were for which role. The Guardian of Fun candidates were sat telling stories or chattering with each other, their manner ranging from cheerfully energetic to outright exuberance. The Steward of Natural Fear candidates were scattered about either absently listening to the other group or otherwise entertaining themselves quietly. None of either immediately noticed Jack, although they did once he walked further into the room.

He acted a bit bashful, in addition to the nervousness.

"Um, is this where the candidates are supposed to be staying? I got a bit lost on my way here."

Among a crowd of people where several had blue, green, orange, and one even had pink hair, his white hair didn't seem at all odd. Added to his assumed manner, he got the reaction he wanted.

One of the Guardian of Fun candidates got up and hastened over, smiling.

"Another candidate! Which group are you with? The loud ones or the quiet ones?"

Jack eyed the green-haired fellow, whose bright teal eyes glittered with mirth, and grinned at the joke. Mentally adding a 'tick' to the boxes for this one. Nice reaction, to respond to apparent anxiety with a bit of levity to cancel it out.

"Loud ones, I guess. My friends would say I bounce too much, to be quiet."

His response got a chorus of laughs from the other Guardian of Fun candidates, and even the Steward candidates cracked a few smiles. Good, that meant the Steward candidates weren't going to be too stiff to be flexible. They'd have the biggest challenges to adjust to, should any of them make the grade. Although it was a definite plus that all these people knew they'd been selected to possibly become immortals. It meant all of them already had the prerequisite qualities, to handle that part of things with no fuss.

'Teal Eyes' clapped him on the shoulder, chuckling.

"Great to meet you. I'm Diskeluran, but my nickname is Diskel."

Jack chuckled.

"My nickname is 'Snowflake', according to a friend of mine. It's because of the hair."

There was more laughter at that, and Diskel ushered Jack over to the middle of the biggest group of Guardian candidates. Within minutes the immortal had them telling him stories about where they were from, and even managed to draw the Steward candidates into the conversation. Jack told them about himself too, omitting any details that would give away where he was from. It allowed him to get a sense of each of them, and in his anonymity he wasn't having to work around any needless awe of who he was.

It was almost time for the evening meal when Wyatt entered the common area, having had a report from the Citadel staff that Jack had been seen heading in this direction earlier.

The Pooka looked across the room to where he sat, ignoring the curious glances he was getting from the candidates.

"The staff said you were here, Jack. If you're done for the day, Tsar Solus and the others have just returned and will be having their meal soon. Should you wish to join them."

Jack stood up with a small sight and repositioned his cloak broach back into its normal position, much to the startled reactions of the people around him. They were so friendly, so open-minded, it hadn't been hard to disarm them and direct them away from remarking on him being barefoot. They could have assumed it was a cultural thing from his world.

Once that was done, and the snowflake with its G was on show again, Jack nodded casually to Wyatt.

"I would." He now smiled at the candidates. "It's been great talking to you all, and I look forward to talking with you again soon."

He left the room the room to hushed and startled murmurs, still smiling."

"That symbol... He's a Guardian."

"Lord Wyatt said his name was Jack? He's the Guardian of Fun from the announcement? One of the two immortals Tsar Lunar brought with him?"

Once outside the room and out of earshot, Wyatt remarked quietly to the immortal walking beside him.

"I see you didn't enlighten them as to who you really were."

Jack shrugged.

"No, because I got to know them better that way. The Constellations picked a nice bunch of candidates. Of course I've already spotted a few that aren't suitable to be a Guardian of Fun or a Steward of Natural Fear, but then Father Time did only give Tsar Gallus and the others a general description of what to bring."

Wyatt glanced at him.

"Will you begin testing them tomorrow? To find out which, if any of them, can fulfil those roles?"

Jack shook his head.

"Nah, they need to get over their surprise at meeting me, first. Time to set aside the awe and stuff, and start thinking about the person they saw me as before they found out. Once they've done that, I'll be able to get down to business."

The Pooka turned thoughtful.

"Then I would suggest leaving them for two days, as the day after tomorrow will be the instatement of the new Father Nature for Lumeris, and the Spirit of Spring. The other Spirits of the Seasons will be added one at a time, at intervals of two years, to allow the previous ones to settle."

Jack stopped in his tracks, blinking in surprise.

"Wow, they going to do that already?"

"Tsar Lunar was of the opinion that, if the candidates are already available, which they are, then waiting is needless." Wyatt smiled. "It's also an opportunity to teach Tsar Gallus and the other Constellations, through example, how to properly create immortals. He's assured them that it is something that can be learnt in a single lesson. It's truly that simple once you've been shown how."

It was Jack's turn to become thoughtful, as he moved to look out the nearby window.

"Well if it's anything similar to how I turn regular immortals into Lieutenants of Winter, then he's right. Emily Jane, our Mother Nature that is... When she used a touch of her power to direct me to the first few I recruited as Lieutenants. I didn't notice it at the time, but she put the 'how' in my head as well. It's something so simple that I've done it without having to think much about it. I just grasp a little bit of 'winter', thread it into place, and it's done. It's the same when I remove a Lieutenant from my service. I grasp the 'thread' I put in place before, and unbind it."

Wyatt came up beside him, also gazing out at the view of the city and sky.

"Ah, but how to grasp the Ether is the question. How it seems to you, will not be how it seems to others. That is how the Pooka Brotherhood was unable to help Tsar Gallus and the others, because the journals and texts we taught them from did not describe it in a way that they could understand. Before the Fall, new Constellations were always mentored by experienced ones for that reason. They learnt by watching, in the cases where teaching the theory alone wasn't enough."

Jack nodded, sombre.

"And since the fall they've had no one to watch and learn from, and weren't able to figure it out for themselves." His mood changed, and he smiled brightly at the Pooka. "But they do now. And the day after tomorrow they'll see for themselves just how simple it really is."

Wyatt sighed.

"It will certainly be a day of celebration for Lumeris and the Allegiance. The first new immortal to serve on this world since the Fall, and the beginning of the era where the same can be done for all the others."

Jack rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

"Another party? ...I can't wait."

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Alaia Skyhawk: PARTY! Jack will be in his element XD