There's Ice in His Veins (A Jack Frost Fanfic)

Chapter 10: Apolune

"If the sun and moon should ever doubt, they'd immediately go out." -William Blake

***

"That's a tall-ass tree."

"Indeed."

The tree we're staring at stands at, what I guess is, about seventy feet. In fact, all the trees in this forest are that way. None of them reach below fifty feet. It's ridiculous.

"No way am I letting you go up there," I say. We can see the fungi from the ground gleaming silvery in the moonlight. There's a lot of it, too; it stretches around the whole base of the tree, which is as thick as a wine barrel.

"Better me than you," Jagalan protests. "Besides, I know how much we need."

"Can'tcha just tell me that?"

She sighs. "Jack, just let me do it. You can help if you want..."

I'm already way ahead of her, making fragile ice steps for her to use. They wrap around the tree in a spiral and get thinner as they get higher because I can't reach as well.

"Okay go up," I say. "But be careful. I dunno how sturdy these are."

"How reassuring." She stands on the first stair and nothing happens, so she continues upward steadily and lightly, being too careful. "You couldn't've given me a railing?"

"I can't think of everything!"

She laughs, then stops as the stair beneath her cracks but doesn't break. We both hold our breath, and I remember the day on the pond with my sister.

"Jack, I'm scared!" Her hands shake and her lip trembles, but I stay calm. I can save her.

Jagalan has moved on when I snap out of my reverie, and she's close to the top.

"Don't be afraid!" I yell up to her in an attempt to be comforting.

"I'm okay!" she responds.

"I'll be here if you fall," I say, more to myself.

The moon shines through a perfect gap in the trees right on us, illuminating everything in a white glow. From the angle I'm at, Jagalan's hair appears pale like mine, her hands smooth and milky, like mine. She smiles at me, and her teeth flash brighter than lightning, her eyes shinier than diamonds. She's beautiful.

Jagalan tosses the vial of fungi down to me (it almost hit me in the face) and starts the descent, her moon features gone. She makes it to the ground safely and in one piece, to my great relief.

I pocket the vial for safe keeping. We start out of the forest towards the next location, the cave where we'll mix the ingredients for me to take.

I notice her silence as we walk and ask what's wrong, squeezing her hand nervously.

"Just thinking. Jack, do you ever feel burning?"

"Maybe in the form of a cold burning, but never like fire, why?" I ask.

"I was looking at the one book we never read, and it had the same curse in it but with more. It said that if we don't get this out it'll burn right through you."

"As in..."

She speaks slowly and quietly, so I have to strain to hear her. "As in the sun will overcome you, and you'll burn alive, destroying the moon's creation."

I breathe in sharply and taste ashes. "When do I need to take this by?"

"There's a solar eclipse in two days," Jagalan says uneasily. "If it passes and we haven't cured you..."

She didn't need to finish her sentence.

"But don't worry! We're really close to the cave, and we'll get this potion in you before it can even happen, okay?"

I nod numbly. I could burn alive?! That's just wrong. I haven't been this afraid in a long time.

"I thought you said the sun would just fight for dominance."

"He will, and then he will assert it."

I swallow the ash taste and replace it with my own ice.

Jack seems to sense my fear. "It'll be alright, Jack. I swear."

I nod again.

She's quiet, just staring at me in despair. "Jack, do you trust me?"

"Of course I do." But do I trust her to get me through this? How can I put my full faith in her?

"Then trust me."

"I do." I seal the promise with a kiss, and I notice the contrast between the sun's heat and hers. The sun's is threatening and musty, vulgar and uncomfortable. Jack's is homey and calming like the tides the moon controls, honest and light.

A ray of sunlight hits our figures through a branch. "You will be mine, Jack Frost!"

I ignore him but pull away from Jack. "I love you."

"I love you."

"And I'm yours?"

"I'm yours and you're mine."

I glanced at the sky and smirked. Well, Mr. Sunshine, you've got competition.

And I wouldn't mess with her.