After we found Tooth, and Johnny relieved her of babysitting duties, Mavis decided led us around the hotel to get ready.

"I can't remember the last time I had a day to myself, and I really need some girl time with people my own age," she had explained excitedly. "Like, actually my own age. Johnny is wonderful, but he's a guy, and 160 years younger than me."

I hadn't even thought to bring clothes with me, much less a swimming suit, so Mavis had supplied me with one of her (Tooth didn't even wear clothes, so it wasn't a problem for her.) Needless to say, I was severely uncomfortable showing so much exposed skin, even if it was a one piece, and even though the girls and the masseuse were the only ones who were going to see me. I had never been swimming in anything less than a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, and before the death of my mortal self, it had been scandalous to even show my ankles and shoulders.

"You look fine, see!" Mavis had cooed as she pulled me in front of the mirror. I was alarmingly pale in the pure black swimsuit, and almost unhealthily skinny (food has always been a bit hard to come by for me, and I had never made it much of a habit as I was immortal anyway.) We had to cut a lot of the fabric off of my back to allow my wings to protrude in a comfortable manner. Luckily enough, Mavis had enough swimsuits that it wasn't a big deal that we had mutilated one for my use.

We settled for getting massages first. Tooth and I had been a bit apprehensive at first. Both of us were very protective of our wings, and we didn't want the masseuse to accidentally damage them, but Mavis assured us that the masseuse was a gargoyle himself and was well trained in the art of giving massages to monsters with wings. And so, I subjected myself to the massage.

I did not regret it. As the gargoyle tut-tutted about all of the tension in my shoulders and neck, and then again at the inflammation around my still healing wing, I felt myself melt like putty. It was so heavenly, and warm, and soothing that I never wanted it to end. I must have dozed off at one point, because I jerked awake when the gargoyle back away and I went and joined Mavis in the natural hot spring while Tooth went in for her turn.

The young vampire giggled when she saw my groggy face. "Did you have fun?" she asked.

"That was the most lovely experience I've had in... I don't even know how many centuries."

Mavis eyed me curiously. "How old are you, if you don't mind me asking? Grandpa Vlad is almost 800 years old, but he said that you were older than him."

"I turn 1,023 in two months," I said. Mavis spluttered in much the same way Bunny had just two days ago (wow, was it really only two days ago?)

"You're over a thousand years old? But you look younger than me!"

I shrugged, but couldn't help feel a little smug about it. "That's how it works when you're a Lunar spirit. No matter how old you get, you look exactly the same. Nothing can alter your appearance."

"Wow," Mavis sat back again and allowed this new information to soak in. "Nothing can change? Not even a terrible injury?"

"Well, I still heal at the same pace as a normal mortal," I said, "But when you have enough believers you start to heal faster, and it's harder to injure yourself. At least, that's what I've heard. Everything I know is mostly from hearing rumors and stuff."

Mavis' brow furrowed, and I avoided her gaze, instead opting to stretch my wing around in front of me and starch picking dirt and bent feathers out. It'd been awhile since I'd had a good bird bath.

"My dad used to talk about how Grandpa Vlad had a grudge against the moon," Mavis said after a while. "I asked him what he meant by that, but even he didn't understand it. I'm starting to think that maybe it wasn't the moon itself, and maybe the man in the moon..."

A small smile tugged at the corner of my lips. "That would be a good assumption to make... after all, Vlad is crazy, but not that crazy."

We both giggled.

"So, I just want to make sure I've got this straight," Mavis said. "The Man in the Moon, he's this supper old guy who just lives up in the moon, and has this ancient wisdom and the ability to bring people back to life as Lunar spirits, right?"

"Correct," I said with a nod. "He also grants them abilities corresponding with their given responsibility and... I think North called it their center?"

Her nose wrinkled in confusion. "A center? Like, your heart or something?"

I waved her off. "No, nothing like that. He said a Lunar's center is supposed to be what they protect in children should they become a Guardian of Childhood. North is the Guardian of Wonder, Jack Frost is the Guardian of Fun, Tooth is the Guardian of Memories. You know, something about us that is special and can be found especially in children."

"What's your center supposed to be?"

I shrugged. "I haven't the slightest clue. I'm not sure I care enough to find out either. I don't want to be a Guardian."

Mavis stared at me, and I saw doubt in her eyes, but she bit her lip as if she wasn't sure whether she wanted to speak her mind on the matter or not.Truth be told, I wasn't sure I completely believed myself anymore. The past few days had changed me in ways I couldn't imagine.

"Other than the fact that the Man in the Moon has been a really manipulative jerk for the last ten centuries or so, what's really holding you back?" she asked. "Is it... believers?"

I yanked too hard on a feather that wasn't ready to come out and winced, before rubbing ruefully at the raw spot.

"That definitely plays a big part," I said. "It's bad enough to be a Lunar spirit without believers, but a Guardian literally cannot survive without them. They fade away to nothingness without believers, immortal or not. If I accepted Guardianship this very moment, I would be kept alive only by Johnny and his belief in my existence, but the moment he either dies or stops believing, I simply stop existing. Rather defeats the point in being a Guardian, doesn't it? But, at least Manny wouldn't have to be bother by me anymore. He wouldn't have to worry about me overthrowing him or anything, if that's what his deal is."

Mavis watched me with shimmering eyes, and suddenly I was squished up against the concrete wall of the hot tub, and she was hugging me. Out of pure instinct, I almost bit her, but I managed to stop myself at the last second.

"Well, Guardian or not, I think you seem like a wonderful person, and I would love to be your friend and you are welcome here at the hotel anytime, no matter what my dad says. I don't want you to disappear, no matter what the stupid Man in the Moon thinks."  

Speechless was not the right word for how I felt in the moment. I wanted to say something. I should have said something, because I had literally know Mavis for less than four hours and she was declaring me... what? She hadn't called me her BFF or anything, but I felt wanted and appreciated,  and if that didn't make me tear up, nothing in the world would.

We both cried until Tooth came back from her massage, and when she asked what the matter was, we both said it was just the heat getting to us.

  ****I DO NOT OWN DREAMWORKS, RISE OF THE GUARDIANS, NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, DISNEY, WINNIE THE POOH, SLENDERMAN, HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA OR ANYTHING ELSE!!!!! JUST THE STORY PLOT!