Dark and Light: Blood Moon - Epilogue

Authors note: and here we are.. The grand finale or Dark and Light... It's so weird to think that I won't be uploading anything for this anymore... Still its been fun- and quite a roller coaster I hope you've all enjoyed it even if it was quite intense I've really enjoyed putting this up for you guys and reading all about what you think...It's just been incredible so thank you honestly- you're comments and reviews are what make it all worthwhile thank you for sticking with me...

And so for the last time in the story...please review everyone I love hearing what you think especially now its all over even just a few words mean a lot to me so please do...

I guess that's it... Nothing more to say... I'll leave you with the words of the epilogue... Until the next one... Enjoy!

Things as a moonbeam actually weren't too different to before he died. He wasn't as handy as he was before (one of his new prime puns), which had been annoying but grown into a joke. Bunny would ask him if he needed a hand- he'd tell him he'll slap him if he's not careful. Sometimes he'd randomly tell someone to look where he's pointing- or give them a round of applause by repeating the word clap over and over.

Being a moonbeam wasn't as simple as being a flying golf ball, though- there was more to it. He had to travel with the night- in daylight he was invisible and practically phased out of existence- and his job now was more focussed on getting rid of nightmares and fearlings, rather than spreading winter. What really irritated him though, was that now had to report back to the moon every night, and record all his encounters with dark creatures (to monitor dark activity, or something). It was weird for him having to report back to, or follow orders from, anyone. But, it could be worse- for the most part he was his own free spirit. Being one of the elite moonbeams came with special roaming perks.

Apparently, the moonbeam who'd saught out Bunny and North was also an elite (he'd been promoted for his bravery on the battlefield). He quite liked that little guy- they'd become pretty good friends. They often did patrols together- when they weren't competing. They spent most their time challenging each other, to see who could destroy the most nightmares- or else racing back to the moon. It had been him who'd taken him to the moon for the first time as a moonbeam. The journey had taken a matter of minutes (ah, hyper speed- wasn't it brilliant).

On that first trip he'd finally met, and got an audience with, the Man in the Moon himself (which had been weird and awkward for both of them). Manny had tried to apologise for pretty much everything he'd messed up (which was strange, because some parts were like 'I'm sorry I saved you- I should've let you die'). Almost all his life he'd wanted to hear something from the moon that had just abandoned him to walk through hell alone, but now... He just wasn't bothered anymore. Seriously- he couldn't care less.

If he hadn't done any of the things he had done (or lack of things really), he would've never met the Guardians- and he wouldn't trade the times they'd had together for anything. Even if he could go back in time to change things, he wouldn't. Even if it would've prevented the hell of being split in two for one hundred and nine thousand five hundred and seventy five days- he would've rather have put up with it and known the Guardians, than be whole and never have met them at all. Of course, after he'd said that to Manny, he'd told him he was wise- at which point hed laughed in his face. Seconds later realising- wait, he wasn't joking?

The moon hadn't just brought him there to apologise, he'd also told him about his new moon duties. But before he could start that, there was some things in his old life that needed taking care of- mostly regarding the kids.

Telling Jamie what had happened had been a task and a half- the Guardians hadn't even told him he was dead. How was he meant to get the kid to make a connection between Jack Frost and a glowing ball, when all he could literally do was float and flash? He'd tried for a long time, before he gave up and got a miniature tooth fairy to write a message for him. He'd worried that Jamie would panic about him dying, but he just saw his death as another epic tale of adventure- after all, it was hard to think of someone as gone when they were floating right in front of you. Sophie hadn't quite understood, though (the concept of death was still too big for her to understand)- her version of the story'd had to be translated to 'Jack poofed into a glowing ball'.

He'd visited the other kids of Burgess- and all the other kids that knew him personally- and told them about what had happened. But otherwise, he let anyone else who believed in him carry on believing. He still played with the kids- albeit at night now, rather than in the day- even becoming their personal bodyguard when they wandered the street at night (most thugs etc thought they'd been spotted, mistaking him for a torch or car headlights, and ran).

But really, life was great. He couldn't complain. In some ways his life now was better... Although it was worse in others.

He'd just accepted that though- there was good and bad in everything. He could travel at super sonic speed- and see everywhere at once- but he couldn't touch the physical world (be seen in it, yeah, but only by children- thanks to some strange moon magic he didn't understand- most just disregarded him as a shooting star). It wasn't just the physical world though, he wasn't allowed to make any worthwhile impact- in that world or the Guardian's. That was something that had been whispered to him one night- presumably from the Higher Powers, and he got the feeling they'd enforce it.

He couldn't change or impact events beyond a regular moonbeam's ability (which was not good enough to make any real difference). He could watch, comfort and guide- but he couldn't fight or do anything else that might affect the future (the council muted or teleported him away every time he was about to say or do something important).

Then, there was the fact that his moon occupations meant he couldn't see the Guardians as much as he'd like. Being busy having to run moon errands, and scare off the night terrors, took up a lot of his time- even with his free roaming perks.

But, it was okay that they didn't see him as often as they used to.

Because he knew, just as well as they did- just because something couldnt be seen, it didn't mean it wasn't there. He was still there for them- always had been and always would be. Because that was the great thing about the unreal and invisible things in the world- people lived and died, but ideas, they lived forever. Immortality was in that which didn't exist.

Memory, hope, wonder, dreams- all untouchable, but just as real as the people who believed in them. At the end of the day, that's all the Guardians were- ideas. The idea that, if you were good, someone brought you presents in winter- that if you took care of your teeth, a fairy would come and look after them when they'd fallen out. They were only as real as the people believed them to be. That was what gave them their magic- that was what made them immortal.

It's because you believe something is there, even if you can't see it, you know it is there- if not to your eyes, then to your heart. And what makes that which you believe any less real than that you can touch? If its real in your heart, and not in your eyes, then it will live on forever. Because stories live on, ideas never die- and that's why the forces that the Guardians protect are the strongest of all.

The physical world is weak but the untouchable is strong. Stories, hope, imagination- all of it can shape the world; and belief is the spark, and the strength behind it.

For a long time, Jack had never truly understood just how much the Guardians impacted the world. It wasn't their actions- it wasn't giving out toys, eggs or coins, that made them important- it was what they stood for...and without belief in them- without the belief in hope and dreams- the world would be a very dark place.

That is why the darkness will never win- so long as people can think, so long as they can believe and challenge the ideals of the darkness, then light will always be able to counter it. The darkness never can win against light- in the same way the light can't ever overcome the dark- because ideas of light and darkness will always exist. Its a struggle that cannot be won- because you can't kill something like the darkness. Darkness stems from selfishness- and will always exist, as long as people care about themselves. Which is why selflessness and light had to exist- to stop the darkness destroying everything that it didn't care about. That world would be one in which only darkness itself exists- thank the council it's one that will never come to be.

He knew light and darkness- he'd seen his fair share of both good and bad- he knew they only existed because of each other. They were so bound together. Neither good nor bad could be fully eradicated- not while the other still existed- and they both always would. There had to be lows, so there could be highs- and if there were never any highs and lows, then life would be pretty dull.

They still fought- even if victory was impossible. It was just their nature- neither wanted the other to win, and neither would give up- but that was what made the fight dangerous. If one side gained an advantage, it could be disastrous. Too much of either always resulted in too much of the other- like for the Overland/Frost hybrid, every action of light had an equal and opposite action of dark.

It was the same with the world- and whilst a lot of light might seem like a good thing, it would be followed by just as much darkness... And that was where the Guardian's role was misunderstood. The Guardians weren't protectors of the light. They didn't fight for goodness to rule over everything- they never had done. They knew the importance of balance- they knew better than to try and overwhelm the darkness... And his time before the council had made Jack realise... The Guardians were just like the council- they could be their emissaries in fact.

They didn't fight to command the world- they only took arms when the darkness did. Their purpose was exactly the same as the council's- they worked for them as much as they did the moon- and they did exactly what he'd done for all those years of being the demon angel.

They fought for balance.

He knew it could be painful- excruciatingly so- but the fight was necessary. Not for them- but for those around them. The sacrifice of the valiant protected the innocent- they couldn't fight for selfish reasons. Wasn't that why they called themselves Guardians?

Each of them protected, not only the good in the world, but the balance of it. Because that's the way of the universe. He understood it now.

It was full of equal and opposite struggles. Things were bad in it- but there was also good as well. Sure, he'd been through a lot of awful things, but without sacrifice- without darkness- nothing good can ever be achieved. In some ways darkness was good, because it meant a promise of better things to come- it may be soon, it may be years away, but light will always rise from the shadows. The sun always follows night, just as spring follows winter, and life follows death.

The universe is full of balance. He remebered he'd wondered which side of the line it stood on- whether the universe favoured light or dark- but he'd got it all wrong. It was good and bad at the same time. Like the double sided Overland and Frost-light and dark in equal measure. Sometimes, the balance wavered, sometimes it cause tears and breakdowns, and made life seem hellish- but that was the way of the world.

Fate was both cruel and kind...

...And the world was one

... of Dark and Light.