A shame that season royals can't take a vacation. Aurore really needs one. Especially after this crazy last few days. Not only is Frost's job harder than he made it look like, apparently the rumors of Frost being asked to become a Guardian of Childhood are true. She never saw that coming. Looks like she lost that bet to the King of Fall. She bet if someone becomes a guardian, it will be Mother Goose. Looks like the drunken king's bet of Jack being it won.
"Well, if that is the case than I better make him my Magnum Opus pair of wings.", said Aurore to Yue. All wings are hand crafted by the Ice Queen. To save time, she gives all the spirits the same basic design. When she has time and inspiration – her art is her hobby – she may give spirits an upgrade. Unless they switch to the wings she makes on her own time, she only makes new wings if they are earned. Or in Frost's case, are being reinstated in their community. "This week is more wild than the storms in the Antarctica."
Not only are these wings for the herald of her season, but for a new guardian. And a big fat sorry.
"Father?"
Pitch opened his eyes. The memories worked, half. One eye was pure warm gold, while the other was pure cold silver. "Emily.", Pitch said with two voices.
"Emily? What now?", asked Jack.
Pitch looked to Jack. "Oh, Jackson!" He became to dust and his shadow form floated to Jack. He then manifested again in front of Jack. "Embrace your heritage! Embrace me! Your father!"
Pitch tried to grab Jack with tendrils of the Darkness. An attempt to corrupt Jack, to turn him into a Prince of Nightmares.
"If you want that, okay!", he said.
"Jack?", asked Sapphire worried. She may not fully know what is going on, but she knows Pitch is bad news.
"Don't worry, Sapphire. I have an idea.", he told her in Greek. In three centuries or even longer, spirits tend to pick up languages. You need busy work to not get crazy in immortality.
"I hope it is a good idea.", she replied in Greek. Sapphire gestured Whitaker not to interfere which whatever Jack has planned. Sapphire asked, "May I ask what?"
"Golden age magic.", replied Jack in Greek. This caused Toothiana to gasp.
Jack was dodging the attacks from Pitch. Not attacks, Pitch was trying to grab him. Emily saw that Sapphire and Whitaker won't interfere, so she told them to block any attempt of Pitch feeling. Both agreed and Sapphire whispered to her, "Jack wants to attempt golden age magic."
Emily was surprised by this. While her uncle and father started teaching Jack, before it happened, they didn't come far. Jack only knows very basic light magic. Literal light, the magic the guardians are based on. This magic is rooted in the concepts of hope, dreams, memories, wonder and fun. The concepts of the Guardians of Childhood. "Oh my, he plans that?"
"He plans what?", asked Whitaker. Besides Greek, he really has no idea what is going on.
Sandy wrapped his whip around Pitch. Jack then tackled the king, pinning him with ice to the ground. Sandy tried to get Jack away from Pitch. Being so close to corruption can't end well.
"You want me to embrace you? Fine.", he said. He then started to say a spell. "Minori hadari hagatun." Now Sapphire was also confused. She has no idea what language that is, which is rare as she is a language buff.
But Sandy and Emily recognized it. Gadarim. It was the golden age's latin. An old, dead language, only really used for old rituals and magic. The spell Jack tries to attempt. A very basic cleansing spell, one Sandy and Emily aren't sure is enough to break the Darkness grip on Pitch.
"I embrace your true self. Minori hadari hagatun. Mirori hadari hagatun.", a rune appeared on Jack's hands, like a seal. They looked like a snow flake made of white light. A bigger one appeared on his forehead. The same seal appeared on Pitch's forehead.
Sapphire and Whitaker were just watching. They had no idea what is going on, but they knew this magic looked important, they won't interfere, unless it goes wrong. Or Emily tells them to.
'May it work?', wondered Sandy, but no one read his signs.
"I embrace the memories I have of Kozmotis Pitchiner." Pitch was grabbing one of Jack's arms. "I dream of a peaceful reunion." A dark tendril was wrapping around Jack. "I hope to heal you from the Darkness." The darkness was spreading over Jack. "I wonder how our lives had been if you weren't corrupted." His head was nearly covered as well.
Sandy was readying his whips and Emily conjured a scythe. Sapphire and Whitaker readied their weapons as well. This does not look good.
"My core is fun. I am the guardian of fun. I will laugh your shadows away. Mirori hadari hagatun. Mirori hadari hagatun!" The seals on their foreheads were lighting up, flashing the cell. They barely saw how Jack was leaping for Pitch, hugging him.
Sapphire and Whitaker used their wings to block the lights. Only Whitaker's wings really worked. Unlike Sapphire's, his weren't translucent. They were powdery white, no clear crystals. He covered Sapphire. He wondered, "Where are Sandy and Emily?"
Said spirits, eyes closed, walked together to the light sources. Sandy could make out Jack still hugging Pitch, repeating the chant and his sentences. Sandy started to do the same. 'Mirori Hadari Hagatun. I dream of you returning to the light. I remember the fun we had as kids. I hope you'll be okay. I wonder we can reconcile, Kozmotis.' He then hugged Pitch and Jack as well.
Emily saw the light got stronger, even if that didn't seem possible, and how Sandy joined them. It is worth a try. "Mirori hadari hagatun! I wonder if I can forgive you. I remember the fun we had when I was a girl. I hope to heal our family. Please, come back, father." She then hugged her family as well.
The light got even stronger. Sapphire and Whitaker felt toasted. They started to wonder if their wings can melt from this. They considered to leave the cell, to flee from the light.
The light then diminished. Sandy, Emily and Jack let go. All of them felt drained. And embarrassed when they realized Sapphire and Whitaker witnessed this rather personal method of magic. Said winters were also very embarrassed by this experience. The Darkness was gone from Jack. And so from Pitch, now Kozmotis. The fish faced King of Darkness was replaced by Kozmotis Pitchier, who hadn't aged a day. Besides the need for a hair cut.
Emily grabbed him again with her vines. "Father?", she asked again.
"E-Emily? I-I am sorry, I wasn't-" He got interrupted by her hugging him a second time, albeit without a burning light.
"The spell worked!", said Jack excited, realizing Kozmotis is back from the shadows.
"Sapphire, Whitaker! May I ask you to inform the Guardians that Pitch Black had been neutralized! After that, you can return to your Queen!", said Emily. She was too happy to demand of them.
"Of course, Mother Nature!", they said and then left.
Emily then felt a sense of emptiness. "What now?" She actually never considered what to do if they manage to turn him back.
"For now, I apologize to both of you. Especially Jackson!", said Kozmotis. He walked to Jack and tried to hug him, but Jack stopped him.
"I know it was not your fault, you were mind controlled, but I just saw my death a bit ago.", he said. "It feels weird to hug you again. I am sorry, but I need time to process all of this. You, Sandy being my uncle, Emily, my role as a Guardian. So much is going on."
"Understandable, son.", said Kozmotis. "Apropos Emily."
"Yes?"
Kozmotis sighed. "I know what had happened, but why did you shun your brother! Even if he was just a boy similar looking to you, Emily!"
Sandy rolled his eyes. Such a Kozmotis thing to do. The first thing he does after being cleansed is scolding his niece. Poor Emily.
After Sapphire and Whitaker informed the Guardians, as well that Jack pretty much accepted the spot, they returned to Queen Aurore, with one last report. And least they hoped it was the last one. Their wings are melting from the lot of flying they had been doing the last few days.
Emily, Sandy and Jack started to integrate their father and brother into the spirit world. The guardians were the most skeptical, but Sandy told them to shut it. Emily called upon all spirits to meet.
There she announced her father's neutralization, Jack being officially forgiven - "If you continue to hurt my brother, I will ask Mortis and Moisoi to make your existence hell on earth." - she also revealed that Jack is her brother and Jack was officially announced as a new guardian of Childhood.
As the elementals and Deathlings were the most familiar with Jack, they had the strongest reactions. The Elementals lost their mind and felt stupid, while the Deathlings started to party. They chanted 'One of us!', which gave most other spirits the creeps. After the meeting, Jack was asked to come to the Ice Palace. Walking in, he sensed a change in mood. The winter spirits were nicer. And apologized. Walking into the throne room, Aurore, Aurelie and Aurora were flying down to him.
"I-We want to apologize. For everything.", said Queen Aurore. "As a sign of this, I want to return your wings to you.", she said. She flew behind Jack, touched his back and wings spread. They were bigger and more detailed than his original ones. "Wings worthy of a Guardian. Go, take a test flight. Whitaker, accompany him!"
Whitaker grunted annoyed. That much about returning to his lazy life style. "Let's go, Jack!"
Both spirits took flight into the air and left the palace. They started their flight though the towers of North's domain. Jack admired the Northern wind, but he really missed his wings. They then flew to the palace belonging to Emily. They saw her and his father walking though the summer section.
They landed there and the two admired Jack's wings. Whitaker stood awkwardly away from them. To their surprise, Katherine and her goose Gunther joined them. Katherine was also impressed with the wings, so was Gunther. He tried to preen jack's wings, but the ice was too cold for the bird.
"Aurore returned your wings! And what an upgrade!", she said. She then turned to Emily.
Both girls said, "I want to apologize and reconnect."
Kozmotis guided Jack and Whitaker away from them. "I am sure the girls want some privacy for this."
After that, Jack and Whitaker took off again. They flew to Paris. Then to the catacombs.
"Uh, Jack?"
"Whitaker, I am friends with the Deathlings, remember?", he replied.
"The queen may have said I should accompany you, but I won't step in there!", said Whitaker. "I wait here for you."
"Do that."
Jack flew into the tunnels of the dead. Soon after passing some corridors, he reached the areas humans are forbidden from. The lair of the Deathlings. They soon surrounded Jack. Apparently they were in the middle of a party, courtesy of Mortis, this party animal.
Mortis greeted his old friend, Moisoi was there, too.
"Mort, Moe, why did you all take such a liking on me?", he asked. "Even before I became an outcast?"
"You died thrice, that is pretty awesome!", explained Mortis. Moisoi agreed.
Turns out being turned from a Nightlight to a human does count as a death.
After that, Jack returned to Whitaker, then they flew back to the Arctic.
"What now, Jack?". Asked Whitaker, trying to distract from being so close to the Deathlings.
"Now that I am a Guardian, I want to change the status quo of how the season is run.", explained Jack. "I will need helpers, more than just Aurora."
"Ass long as you don't choose Aurelie, I am sure Queen Aurore will welcome that change.", said Whitaker, agreeing with his idea.
Started: 8th July 2023
Edited: 2nd September 2023
Finished: 19th July 2023
Uploaded:
AN: This year's fic wrapped up nicely. I am pretty sure to say this is my best work in the fandom!
Normally I tease two fics here, my next fic I post and the next fic in this fandom. This time I have three to tease, a One Shot turned into a Longfic and it will come pretty soon-ish.
Starting with my next Rise of the Guardian fic: Either a Raised by Fear Rewrite or a fic set after the movie! I present: Apprentice of the Moon.
Years after the events of 2012, the Guardians of Childhood find Pitch Black returned once again. But he wasn't the danger, he was the one in danger. The King of Nightmares fought with one of the Four Horsemen of Death.
War is looking for the Moonlight, the rumored successor of the Man in the Moon, a myth even under myths.
With the help of the Boogeyman, they are searching for the Moonlight before the Horsemen of Death can find them.
Now my next fic that I meant to post next: Pokemon - Ghost Whisperer
After a freak accident and a near death experience (more like he was dead for a few minutes), Ash had been a magnet for ghost types and been in tune with them. So it didn't surprise anyone when he decided to be a ghost type specialist.
What was surprising is that his overprotective mother allowed him to go and become a trainer and even requested he becomes an On-Field Trainer and Researcher for Oak. Especially with the Mindless out there, people whose mind is just gone, shells of instincts and confusion. But maybe Delia is just more afraid of what creates the Mindless.
Last but not least the fic that I will probably post next, the One Shot that turned into a Longfic: The Moon's Light, a M