Chapter Thirty-Two- Make A Wish
"I wish we could tell them." Jessica mused, sitting on the shore of a magical lake that showed her the world and whatever she focused on. Mani, the middle-aged looking spirit of the Moon and spirits settled down beside her.
"I know." He gave her shoulder a pat. "But even I'm not certain this will work. Aroara's magic was immense, and if you can't absorb it then I can't make you the new Mother Nature." He explained calmly, as if he hadn't said it a million times.
"I get that, I do…" She sighed heavily, flopping down on the grass in a way that made Mani think of a certain winter spirit. Jessica had reverted to her twenties, about the peak age she would need to be as an immortal in order to handle the magic of nature. At the moment he was handling it, and admittedly doing a sub-standard job.
"So…how is this going to work?" She asked suddenly.
"What do you mean?"
"Am I just going to show up one day?" She chuckled. "Ta daaaa!"
"Well yes, actually. It'll be a bit showier than I'd like, but there's no better way I can think of. But we'll need a landmark to go by. Something has to be different about the day in order to have a channel of magic to send you through. Plus it'll give me time to recover from the whole Boogey incident." He offered.
"That makes sense." She nodded, not bothering to sit up. She had become fairly healthy there and there was nothing better to Mani than managing to bring happiness to anyone who came to his world.
"Maybe Jamie's birthday?" He asked. "Jamie will be about the same age as Jack was as a human, that'll be a perfect time to make him a winter spirit." Mani thought aloud. He had decided that they would both be immortal when Boogey had been defeated, but her death had cinched it. All that was left was to wait.
It was wonderful, but darn if it wasn't boring.
"See ya, Monty!" Jamie had called over his shoulder as he walked up the path. School had been rough that week and he was wondering about his grades. They were slipping in his mind, but a ninety instead of a hundred was hardly cause for alarm in James' opinion. He had told him to relax, that he was studious and doing just fine, but it still bothered him. His grades had never dropped, not once, since he had been living with James, and he couldn't be more proud. However, that month had been hitting him hard.
As he walked the path he wondered about dinner and started making plans to start on his two papers (not even due until two months later), one having to do with a project he needed to start, and barely noticed that the house was dark.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Jamie almost fell back down the stairs to his front door. He had forgotten it was even his birthday week, let alone the day.
"What?" He just started wide-eyed at the collection of his family. The very first thing he noticed was that Tooth had an apron on to protect her feathers from various elements of batter and icing and foods. The very next thing was that North's beard had blue icing in it. Not a little either, it looked like someone had shoved a cake in his face.
Jack had blue in his hair too…
"Hey Jamie! Didn't expect you to be this surprised, mate." Bunny chuckled, poking his head in from the kitchen.
"Um…I kinda forgot what day it was." He chuckled, rubbing the back of his head in mild half-joking discomfort. "But this is awesome guys, thanks!" He added hastily, the situation's shock wearing off quickly. After all, he had grown up with Jack Frost as a best friend and the Sandman as their occasional partner-in crime. Guardians of childhood coming around almost weekly and he sometimes referred to North as "papaw". At this point, he was more shocked when something managed to surprise him at all.
"Well come on, you've got some candles to blow out!" Jack prodded. Sandy had been setting the table which explained his absence from the living room shouting. Jamie could venture a few guesses why.
"Okay I'm coming, I'm coming." Jamie chuckled. It was beautiful and he almost cried he was laughing so hard when he saw it. "The SLED!" It was the spitting image of Jack laughing while Jamie flew through the air on a sled, the infamous couch at the opposite end, ready to run down the fondant-made Jamie. The street lights were the candles.
"Is all edible." North commented from where he had somehow managed to sneak up behind him.
"Yum, couch." Jamie deadpanned…everyone was rolling. I wonder what mom would think of all this.
"Right Sandy, blow out the candles buddy! Make a wish!" Jack prodded.
"Okay okay, I'm on it." Jamie sobered a little, enough to get a good breath. I don't see the harm in trying, cause honestly what do I have to lose but…I want mom back. He made his wish, the same wish he made every year not because he expected it to happen, but because he couldn't think of anything he wanted more. It was about being honest with himself, and that's really all he wanted.
Before he even got to try to blow out the candles a white light flashed through the living room so brightly it washed out the entire kitchen.
"You missed!" A strikingly familiar voice called out in mock-annoyance from the living room.
"No way." Jamie shook his head skeptically. There was no way. Everyone else was stunned to silence. Jessica was standing there in the flesh, just as she had been but a little younger, maybe twenty five.
"Jamie? James? Guys? I saw that little party goin' on I know you're in here." She teased, poking her head around the corner she was met with a group of shocked guardians and a conflicted Jamie who took a moment to snap out of it before tackling her.
Sandy looked over and saw the candles getting a bit crazy so he nonchalantly snuffed them out until they were ready for them.
"Woah there, easy mate." Bunny chuckled, helping both of them up and getting a rush of magic from her. "Wow. No way."
"What?" Tooth asked, fluttering changing from quick ecstatic to confused and slow in about three tenths of a second.
"Wow, whole lotta that goin' around today." Jessica chuckled. "Mani put me back as Mother Nature. He didn't even know if he could do it, so he didn't wanna let everyone in on it for nothing, but he did it and, well, here I am." She shrugged.
Everyone started asking questions at the exact same time.
I'm just gonna watch. Sandy mused, leaning back in his chair with a huge smile on his face.
"Easy now, one at a time. Jamie?" She asked, ruffling his hair. "Birthday boy first."
"You're Mother Nature?! Does that mean you're immortal? Do you get to stay? Am I dreaming? What happened?!" He gushed. The guardians and his recent guardian stood with sad little smiles on their faces. He really didn't believe this was happening.
"Jamie, Jamie easy, of course I do! This is one hundred percent real, I promise. And, yeah. She needed to be replaced because apparently Mani is awful at directing weather." She chuckled when Jack nodded enthusiastically.
"No offense Mani, but you really are." Jack agreed. Moon help him last winter was horrible. "At least I know you." He offered.
"What does that mean, Frostbite?" Bunny asked cautiously.
"I didn't know Arora, honestly I don't think she knew I existed." Jack shrugged. He must have been in a great mood because he didn't even look worried about the possibility of them asking for elaboration.
"Well I do." She was faster than ever, and caught him in a momentary headlock and nuggied him. Bunny fell over laughing.
"Hey!" Jack called out indignantly but still giggling.
"I approve." He choked out.
"Shove off." Jack grumped through a huge smile.
"Um, weren't we about to have a party?" His mom asked suddenly through giggles before seeing the amazing cake and shaking her head a bit then releasing Jack and snuck in a half-hug. Quite a multi-task-er.
"Of course" James gave Jamie's shoulder a pat as he led him back to the kitchen.
Then it was a normal birthday party. Jamie blew out his candles and realized that he just didn't have much else he wanted. So for the first time in a long time he made a wish that could happen.
Keep this weird family together and happy.
Hope y'all like it! I was having trouble with it, and it might get edited again if something gets pointed out. As always, let me know whatcha think! :)