Secret of Frost and Moon

Science or Skeptics?

Alaia Skyhawk: Hehe, I've actually had this one partly pre-written for a fair while. Sufficient to say, I've been looking forward to posting this one :)

(ADDED: Whoops, I spotted a timeline error in this, which is now fixed. I'd had Southern and Northern Summer going on a the SAME time O.o)

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.

~(-)~

Chapter 74: Science or Sceptics?

Jack stood atop the flagpole outside the highschool, whooping a cheering along with the students and parents who were here. The crowd calling out their approval and good wishes for the students who were graduating and about to head out into the wider world.

Jamie was among them, and was now a well-built teenager who had regularly trumped his peers at track, and yet he had also turned down a sports scholarship. He'd told everyone he'd been offered a place at a special and small private college, which was run by a family friend. Where that 'college' was, he hadn't specified. After all, it was doubtful how his peers would have reacted if they'd learnt he was off to a magical village in Siberia to study wizardry full-time for three years.

Beside Jamie was another familiar face, that of an 'exchange student' who had attended Burgess High for the past two years. A particular red-headed girl who was purportedly off to the same college as Jamie, but who in fact had only come to Burgess to gain 'paper qualifications' so she could work in the town easily once she and Jamie came back.

Allienne brandished her graduation certificate for the official photograph, with the same apparent enthusiasm as all the others. Although to those who knew where she was actually from, it was clear to see she still couldn't fathom why a piece of paper was so important for proving you'd studied and learnt things. There were no such things as 'exams' at Santoff Claussen.

The photograph taken, the students gathered on the school steps began to scatter towards family and friends. The school-year now over for them, and with many of them now waiting for the time to head off to college. A final sweet summer in Burgess before they'd set out on their own.

Jack left his perch, swooping over to where his fellow Guardians were discreetly stood under the shade of some trees. The rest of the Bennetts were with them, Sophie practically glued to Bunny's side, and Tooth looked like she was about to start gushing tears of pride.

And there was much to be proud of in Jamie, budding wizard that he was. Because just a few months previous he'd mastered the power of his belief to an extent that few ever did, and had joined the ranks of the self-sustained immortals. Only his wish to live at the age of mid-twenties, allowed him to continue ageing at this point. And there was already talk in Santoff Claussen that, once time came he couldn't hang around Burgess anymore without people asking awkward questions about him not ageing, he might set out to start a similar village of learning of his own. But for the time being his plans were;

Go to Santoff Claussen to study for three years.

Marry Allienne.

Return to Burgess to have and raise a family.

Jack continued to whoop and cheer as Jamie and Allienne came over, the former with his arm draped around his fiancée's shoulders. They'd gone from being fellow pranksters to dating three years back, and Sophie had been ecstatic to learn who would become her big sister.

It was now that Sophie, twelve years old now, launched herself at her brother and future sister-in-law and hugged them both.

"Congrats, Jamie! Allienne!" She stepped back, putting on a mock pout. "It's not fair, you two get to go to the village early. I have to wait another three weeks before I can come."