Author's Note: It's been a while since I've done shout-outs, so here's some for all of you wonderful people. =D

Snowy Monday: I think little Jack is cute too! I have so much fun writing his sweet voice. XD I would love to see him animated...*sighs* If only we had a sequel. =') And thank you for your touching words in your previous reviews...I'm so glad my stories make you feel happy and warm. ^u^

Guest (Chapter 24, February 8): Aww, thank you so much! I'm really glad you enjoy my work. ^u^ I don't take requests since I already have a lot of stories planned, but the idea of the Guardians body swapping is an interesting one! =D (If North and Bunny swapped, I bet they'd be hilariously devastated XD).

Guest (Chapter 1, February 9): I'll be sure to slip in that nickname again at some point. =3 I'm really looking forward to "The Last Element" as well! If all goes according to plan, it should come out sometime during the next couple of months. XD We'll see how much writing I get done then. =D

Guest (Chapter 24, February 9: Hello, May! =D Thank you so much for your kind words; I really appreciate them. ^u^ I have a lot of fanfictions planned for the future, and I'm planning on writing every single one of them (I know it's a huge goal, but I'm very motivated XD). I am also a huge fan of sick fanfics, wholesomeness, and adventure stories too! =D Do we share a brain cell? XD

I'm always on the hunt for new fanfics (I have a ton sitting on my list right now XD). I'll definitely add the ones you mentioned to my fanfiction reading list. =3 Thank you for the recommendations! X)

And thanks to all of you who gave this story a read, follow, or fav! =D I appreciate any feedback I receive, no matter how little. =) As long as you guys take pleasure in reading my work, I'm beyond content. ^u^ It doesn't take a lot to make me happy. XD

This chapter may sound a bit different from the previous ones. I've been experimenting with my writing style lately, and this chapter is one of the ones that underwent that experiment. =D I did mention in a previous one-shot that I'm trying to be a little more creative with my writing. The changes aren't super noticeable, but if you do notice a difference in tone, that's why. =D

I had so much fun writing this chapter too...So, yeah. XD I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I did writing it! ^u^


~ XXV ~

Where Stories Come Alive

A library is a magical place

Filled with joy and wonder

Hopes and dreams

Magic and mystery

Memories and creativity

Yes, a library is a magical place

But for Jack and Katherine

That phrase was more literal

Then one could make

...

Jack was very excited today. So excited, that one could use this feeling of excitement and use it to power some kind of machine.

And why was Jack so excited, you ask? Well, first of all, he was going to spend the entire day with Katherine. And second of all, he was spending the entire day with Katherine…at her house!

Or, less of a house, and more of a tree, but still! He was going to Katherine's for a playdate! And the six-year-old couldn't have been any more elated. Ever since they had met, the two had been inseparable. They were two peas in a pod, a crab and sea urchin, the stars and the sky, and any other symbiotic paring you could imagine. Jack loved Katherine; she was his first friend after all. And North was glad that his boy had someone like Katherine looking out for him. She was a wonderful girl, young Katherine. She was immediately accepting of him, unlike others, and not only that, she was Ombric's girl. The two shared a similar interest in magic and fantasy. Ah yes, Jack loved his Katherine, and he enjoyed the time that they spent together.

This was Jack's first-ever playdate, so you could imagine the rush he was in to go to Katherine's. He shoveled heaping spoonfuls of eggs into his mouth and swallowed his toast without hardly even chewing.

"Whoa, moy mal'chik, slow down!" North warned, an amused smile on his face. "Katherine isn't going anywhere."

"Mph mwo, bo ah mwanna guph ferre en ah urry!" which translated to: "I know, but I wanna get there in a hurry!"

"I know, my boy," said North, handing Jack a cup of milk. "But if you eat too fast, you could choke yourself."

Jack swallowed his milk and slowed down as he ate the rest of his breakfast, eating only a few of his bites quickly. He knew North had told him to take his time, but he was just so excited to see Katherine again. He felt on top of the world whenever he was around her. Katherine was amazing; she was the bestest of the best! Soon, Jack found himself wolfing down his breakfast again, and North had to remind him to slow down.

Once breakfast was eaten, Jack went upstairs and grabbed Wawa from his bed (she went almost everywhere with Jack). North and Jack got their coats and hats, then exited the house and began to make their way to Big Root. Jack held North's hand and skipped beside him, his blue eyes sparkling as he looked around his village. Santoff Claussen was simmering with activity. Its people were out and about, conducting experiments, creating inventions, testing theories, and exchanging friendly conversations with fellow neighbors. Magical puffs of air rose from underground homes. Squirrels and chipmunks dashed down the paths; they were in the middle of a game of tag with a group of fireflies (who were infamous for cheating in said game).

The village children were being just as innovative as their parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles. Jack waved at Tall William and his brothers, and they kindly returned the greeting. They were in the middle of building a rocket that was supposed to fly to the Moon or Mars ("Whichever comes first!" the youngest William chirped when he explained to his classmates).

Santoff Claussen was always bustling with magic, and Jack wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Though small, and its population few, the people of Santoff Claussen were very supportive of each other. No matter how crazy an idea was, or how ridiculous a plan sounded, Santoff Claussen welcomed all sorts of visionaries, artists, scientists, and inventors from around the world. And it was all thanks to Ombric, the founder of the sensational little village.

Ombric was the last surviving wizard of Atlantis. And as he was wandering the Earth, he had nearly been hit by a sudden meteor, which, thankfully, crashed two hillsides over to where he had been standing. Any normal person would've run away from such a disaster, but Ombric wasn't your normal type of person. He headed straight for the giant meteor. The shooting star hit a small tree sapling, but instead of killing it, the stardust infused in the meteor made it grow into a large, majestic oak that served as Ombric's home. He called it Big Root. And not only was it housing for Ombric and Katherine, but it was also where the village children had their daily lessons, and it contained a massive library of books that Ombric had amassed over several years.

North and Jack arrived at Big Root's front door. The tree's branches waved a greeting, and Jack smiled. He lifted his fist and knocked at the door. Instantly, Katherine was there.

Jack grinned."Hi, bestest friend!"

Katherine smiled. "Hi bestest, bestest friend!" she replied cheerfully. The two giggled uncontrollably while North stared at them, bemused. He assumed the "bestest" friend thing was some sort of inside joke. The ex-Cossack smiled as the two dove into chatter. Ombric glided from behind Katherine.

"Hello, North," greeted Ombric kindly. "You are here to drop off Jack, I assume?"

North nodded. "I am," he said. The blue-eyed man smiled. "Although, Jack probably would've dropped off himself if I had taken any longer with breakfast."

Ombric chuckled. "Impatience is common in children," he remarked. "But with growth and practice, it dwindles."

Ombric was always saying wise words like that. If you hadn't known the wizard so well, you probably would've thought they were straight out of a book. But no, Ombric was a natural philosopher, which made him all the more interesting to spend time around. North could still very vividly remember his time as Ombric's apprentice. The years were full of fun and magic…and frustration. Spells were more complicated than they appeared to be, and more than once had North mixed up incantations and magical chants.

But there was nothing, nothing in the world, that North would exchange for his time growing up in Santoff Claussen. He had been a lost, wayward man, greedy for the village's fabled treasure. But instead, he found a treasure far more valuable than the gold coins and gems that he had spent so long thieving. Friendship, joy, love. And a work that he truly enjoyed.

"I will be in Workshop most of the day. I will come pick Jack up this evening," said North.

"Marvelous," said Ombric (the old wizard had a charming habit of using fancy words as well, much like a particular Sandman). He looked at Jack and Katherine, who were already starting to head inside. He smiled. "They'll be having so much fun, he probably won't even notice you're gone."

Jack never liked being separated from North when he was little, especially for long periods of time. But whenever he had fun, time flew by so quickly, he didn't remember North had left until he returned to pick him up.

North chuckled, and he called, "Jack! I'm leaving!"

The little snow sprite turned around and ran up to his adoptive father, throwing his arms around him and hugging him tightly.

"Bye, North!" said Jack. North smiled, hugged the boy back, and watched as he joined Katherine at the door. Knowing that Jack was in good hands, he turned around and took his leave.

As North left, Katherine took Jack's small, pale hand and pulled him inside. "Come on, bestest friend. I have something super amazing to show you!"

Jack grinned, and he held Katherine's hand as she pulled him along. Jack went to Big Root for school, but Katherine had given him a personal tour of the place since they mostly stayed in the classroom area. Big Root was a castle to Jack; it was big, stunning, and by far one of the most glorious structures he'd ever seen…for a tree, anyway.

Its oaks curled and twisted in delicate patterns. Dots of stardust speckled its bark, blinking at the two children as they passed by. In the various nooks and crannies of the tree, squirrels, insects, spiders, bugs, birds, and other creatures dashed hither and thither, either having fun or tidying the place of dust and dirt. Through the windows, Jack could see Big Roots branches swaying in the wind. He could feel the tree pulse, like a beating heart. Big Root was breathing; it was alive. And it could grow and expand whenever Ombric wished.

Katherine said that Big Root could form as many rooms as Ombric wanted. But the room she loved the most—more than her own bedroom!—was the vast library that sat in the heart of the tree.

It was here that Katherine led Jack, and the winter child couldn't help but gasp in awe. Jack loved Big Root's library. It was so…so…big! It was as vast as an ocean, but instead of water, it contained waves and waves of knowledge and magic. Ombric's fellow insect friends, a few chipmunks, and a small troupe of porcupines were in the middle of tidying the shelves. Ombric's owls, which were usually found sitting on their perches in the giant globe in which Ombric slept (wizards have rather peculiar sleeping habits, Jack noted), helped lead the mass cleaning, so Katherine and Jack made sure not to get in their way.

On the table nearby, Mr. Qwerty, Ombric's longtime friend, was in charge of the actual books themselves. He'd tidy and polish them until they sparkled like new. He cared for the tomes and novels as if they were his children (though considering he was a bookworm, that could very much be true).

"Hello, Mr. Qwerty!" Katherine acknowledged him happily. Mr. Qwerty looked up from The Extensive and Detailed Annals of Lunslruna and smiled at the curly-haired girl. Mr. Qwerty was very fond of Katherine as she was a fellow bibliophile and treated books just as thoughtfully as he did.

"Well hello, Katherine. And hello to you too, Jack," said Mr. Qwerty. He was fond of the young snow sprite too; he had quite a wild imagination, one that Mr. Qwerty deeply admired. "What are you two up to?" he inquired.

Katherine bounced on her heels. "I'm going to show Jack the surprise!" she whispered excitedly.

"Surprise?" Jack's sprite ears perked instantly. Anything involving the word "surprise" immediately caught his interest. "You didn't mention anything about a surprise! What is it? Is it big? Is it fun? Will I like it?"

Katherine laughed. "You'll love it, I promise!" she said. Katherine pulled Jack down one of the aisles. "Come on, come on!"

"Be careful running down the halls!" Mr. Qwerty called. Though she was extremely excited, Katherine took note of this and slowed down. She still kept Jack's hand clasped in hers, and the winter child hugged his Wawa to his chest, wondering what Katherine's surprise would be.

"What are you gonna show me?" he asked.

"You'll see," Katherine sing-songed, her grey eyes twinkling.

Katherine had her own personal nook tucked in the deepest part of the library. Like her treehouse, it was a special place to her. When Katherine needed inspiration for a new story, she surrounded herself with the hundreds, thousands of stories laying in the library. The nook was like a window seat, but with no window. It was shaped in a circle, with Big Root's stardust-studded branches framing it. Leaves acted like a small roof to the little seating place. Inside, were two cushioned seats with a yellow blanket and pillows to sit against. A bookshelf was embedded inside where Katherine kept stories she was reading or her journals that she composed her own tales.

The grey-eyed girl pulled one of the books sitting on the shelf out and led Jack to a nearby table. She set the book down, and Jack examined it, Wawa tucked under his chin. The tome was green with gold, swirly trimming. A golden, moon-shaped clasp held it shut. Jack had never seen a book quite like this before. He looked at Katherine, who was smiling with glee.

"Did you write a new story?" Jack asked.

Katherine shook her head. "No, but I would very much like to write one using this book," she replied. "It's a secret, though. You can't tell Ombric or North until it's done," she added with a smile.

Jack giggled, and he nodded. Katherine opened the book and turned to a fresh page. Jack was bursting with anticipation. A fancy book such as this one had to have some kind of magical secrets, right? Jack clutched Wawa, expecting fireworks, fairy dust, why, even some kind of fantastical explosion!

But alas.

Much to his disappointment.

The book was…blank.

Jack blinked. Then he blinked again.

The page stared at him. Still blank.

Jack stared, confused. "I don't understand," he said blatantly.

Katherine giggled. "Just wait and watch."

She tugged a pencil from her pocket and began to sketch. When she moved away, Jack saw that she had drawn him and Wawa, a wide smile was on his face. The image looked very life-like.

"Okay, now watch this," Katherine said with a bright grin. She closed her eyes and concentrated. Suddenly, the sketch of Jack sprung to life, and the miniature him started to dance.

Jack was shocked. "Whoa! That's amazing!" he exclaimed. He looked at Katherine. "You just did magic!"

Katherine twirled her pencil, a proud smirk on her face. "Well, it isn't really magic, just my imagination."

"Normal drawings don't dance, Katherine," Jack stated.

The young Shalazar paused. "True," she agreed. The girl stopped twirling her pencil. "I guess I did do a little magic, huh?"

"Where'd you find the magic book?" asked Jack, watching as his mini-self and Wawa danced and spun on the page.

"I found it in the deepest part of the library. Where Ombric keeps all the mysterious things," explained Katherine, smiling at Jack's fascination with her drawing. "I probably shouldn't have taken it…but I needed a new sketchbook and Ombric said that there were some back there. He never told me we had magical ones!"

Fascinated, Jack bounced on his heels. "Can I try, can I try?"

Katherine handed Jack her pencil with a flourish. "Your writing utensil, my kind sir."

Jack took the pencil and drew several snowflakes surrounding the sketch Katherine had drawn of him. He set the pencil down, mimicked Katherine's previous actions, and opened his eyes. The picture hadn't moved. He tried again, but the image didn't budge. Jack frowned.

"It's broken!" he proclaimed.

"It took me a couple of tries until it worked for me," said Katherine gently. "Try visualizing harder. Imagine the thing you drew doing what you want, and capture it in your mind. Then exert that action onto the page."

Jack nodded, and he closed his eyes. He imagined the snowflakes doing what he wanted, and he vividly saw them in his mind. He imagined he was pushing the vision in his head onto the piece of paper, he let out a soft breath and cracked an eye open.

"Did it work?" he questioned.

"It did!" Katherine cheered. "Look! Your snowflakes are moving around your miniature you!"

Jack opened his eyes all the way and looked at the book page. Sure enough, his snowflakes twirled around his miniature self as he spun around with Wawa. Katherine placed a hand on Jack's shoulder, and the winter child laughed, proud of himself.

"Can we do more?" he asked the girl.

Katherine smirked. "I don't see why not!"

And so, the illustrating session began. Katherine and Jack took turns writing and drawing for each page of the magical book. They watched their illustrations move and interact, but they had just as much fun writing and coming up with dialogue as drawing the pictures to go with them. They didn't keep track of time; it was lost in the fun and creativity that they shared together. They used pencils, colored pencils, crayons, ink, and paint…every art tool that Katherine had available. The table was soon filled with papers of practice sketches, and the book was stuffed with Katherine's detailed illustrations, and Jack's simpler childish drawings. Soon, they had filled the entire book. Both were a little saddened that all the pages were full.

"Now what are we going to use to make more magic drawings?" asked Jack, flipping the final page back and forth sadly.

"Perhaps there's another magic book we can use?" Katherine proposed. She led Jack to the section where she had first uncovered it. Though there were many magical trinkets, none of the books there were capable of bringing drawings to life. Disappointed, they returned to their little crafting studio. Ombric was there, examining the book that the two had been playing with for the past hour.

"I see you have found one of the magic artbooks that the Lunar Lamas gifted me," he mused.

"Oh, Ombric!" Katherine appeared a little guilty now. "I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't have taken it—"

Ombric chuckled. "It's alright, Katherine. I knew you'd eventually uncover it sooner than later," he said. The old wizard flipped through the pages. "You've crafted quite the story here…"

"Ah, sorry to interrupt, but…did you mention llamas just a few seconds ago?" asked Jack. "Lunar llamas?"

Ombric laughed. "Not llamas Jack, Lamas," said the wizard. Jack appeared even more befuddled, so he explained. "The Lunar Lamas are a race of mysterious holy men dedicated to studying the Moon. They know everything, and I mean everything about its origins, its leaders…Their knowledge of the Moon actually surpasses mine."

He placed his wrinkled hand on the green book's cover. "The Lunar Lamas were known for making many magical inventions. And this book is one of a thousand. The Lamas created these magical storybooks so that if another was used, you could tether the two together so you could communicate using words or moving images."

"Whoa," said Jack.

"Whoa indeed," concurred Ombric.

"That's very interesting Ombric," said Katherine. "But…we filled all the book's pages. And I'm afraid we couldn't find another."

"Sadly, this is the only magical book the lunar Lamas gifted me," said Ombric with a short sigh.

"Can't we just ask the llamas for another one?" inquired Jack.

Katherine giggled. "Lamas, Jack," she corrected. "And I don't think so…I've done my fair share of reading about the Lunar Lamas, and they live all the way in the Himalayas. And that's miles and miles and miles from here."

"Oh…" said Jack.

"But you don't need a magic book to create magical tales," reminded Ombric. The two children looked up. "There's plenty of empty books laying around this library. Though they aren't magical, I'm sure you can create something fantastic with them. Feel free to take one and use it to your heart's content."

This cheered Jack and Katherine a little, and they were, even more, cheered when Ombric announced lunch was ready. Two warm plates of mac and cheese awaited Jack and Katherine at the dining table, and once they finished, they ventured into the library again. The two engaged in an exciting game of hide and seek (exciting because the creatures working in the library joined them in their play, including Mr. Qwerty), and they rewatched the story that they had created in the book Katherine had found. Once they had replayed it a fourth time, Katherine offered to read Jack one of her newest stories, which he immediately accepted. They sat in Katherine's nook, and the young girl read her most recent tale. As interesting as the story was, her voice lulled Jack to sleep, and Katherine soon found him leaning against her side, snoring softly. Wawa was tucked under his arm.

Katherine smiled and she gently brushed Jack's bangs out of his eyes. She had always wanted a friend. She felt different compared to the other children because she was adopted. Then she met Jack, the young snow sprite North had found in the woods all those years ago. Jack had only been a baby at the time, but during his visits, North would tell her about him. Katherine wanted to meet Jack so badly, so you could imagine her surprise when he stepped into class on their first day. They became fast friends, and Katherine was thankful to have Jack in her life. She had always wanted a sibling. Now, she had a little brother to look out for.

Feeling sleepy herself, Katherine closed her book and cuddled Jack to her side. The little snow sprite smiled softly. Katherine felt herself smile too.

"I love you, bestest friend," she whispered. Then she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

This was how North and Ombric found Jack and Katherine. North had returned to pick Jack up, and the two were surprised by how silent it was in the library. Ombric led North to Katherine's nook, and the old wizard and ex-Coassack found the two huddled together, sound asleep. To say that they weren't warmed by the sight would be an utter and blatant lie.

North walked up to the two and shook them lightly. "Katherine. Jack. Is time you wake up."

Katherine slipped her eyes open and yawned. "Oh, North? You're back already?'

North chuckled. "Yes, I am." Jack still hadn't woken up. "Could you help Ombric find Jack's things while I wake him up?"

Katherine nodded, and she headed off with Ombric to fetch Jack's coat and hat. North eventually got Jack awake, and the young snow sprite carried Wawa as they exited the library and headed to the front. Before leaving, Katherine gave Jack the storybook they had made.

"But…but you found it! You should keep it," said Jack.

"I want you to have it," said Katherine. "You can show North what we did together once you get home."

Touched, Jack gave Katherine a hug, which she lovingly returned. "Thanks, bestest friend," Jack whispered.

"You're very, very, welcome," Katherine said. And she and Ombric waved as Jack and North headed home.

Jack did just as Katherine recommended, and he showed North the book he and Katherine wrote (and illustrated) once they got home. North was astonished by the moving pictures, and the story was rather captivating. He should've expected so from two young, imaginative minds. When Jack closed the book, North applauded impressed.

"And you two made that in the library? Together?" he asked, amazed.

Jack nodded. "Uh-huh! Katherine found the book in the back of the library. At first, I thought it was just a regular book, but then—"

As Jack chronicled the tale of how Katherine showed him the magical book, North listened with a warm smile on his face.

Oh, how proud he was of his boy for making such a wonderful friend.


Author's Note: Want some elaboration on the "bestest friend thing?" Read chapter seventeen: "First School Day." =3

Jack and Katherine. Katherine and Jack. I swear, these two would be best friends if they had met in the moooooovieeeeeeee. XDDD I think I've made it pretty clear that I want some GOC characters featured in the ROTG film...=') *Punches wall* Why, DreamWorks?! You had an amazing opportunity, and ya let it slip!

Oh well...This is why we have fanfictions. =') Thank goodness for that. XD

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you all in the next one!

~BeyondTheMoon1203