"Recreation spell."

Chris cringed. "I knew you were gonna pick that one," he muttered sullenly.

"Well, then, you should know it quite well," returned his teacher, his wise brown eyes twinkling. "You may choose the occasion, and I shall evaluate you on its flow of time, sense of space, continuity, and believability."

"C'mon, Quinlan, can't you pick a different one?" Chris looked at the old man from under his eyelashes, trying to look as pathetic as possible. Quinlan, however, was unfazed.

"This is the most appropriate spell for me to test, Young Christopher, if for no other reason than its difficulty compared to the others you studied. It, like no other, will show me a true representation of your skill and strength."

"Do as he says, Christopher," scolded the other man in the room, his smile softening the admonishment. "Quinlan knows what he's doing."

Chris sighed in acquiescence. "Oh, alright, fine." He closed his eyes, feeling a familiar pang in his heart. He knew exactly what scene he would be recreating. It would be good to see his friends again, even if it was only a spell. Besides, Quinlan and Adhamhán had been expressing curiosity about it, anyway, and this would be a good way to explain it to them. "I choose to recreate the events that led to my departure from the human world and brought me here, to you."

Quinlan nodded. "Very well." He and Adhamhán took their seats. "You may begin."

Chris stood still for a moment, gathering his thoughts and energy. Then, with a wave of his hand and a quick verse, the room faded away.

~*~

The crowd was intense. Chris grinned over at his friends as they exited the building, causing the screams of the fans to increase in volume. No matter how many times they did this, it never ceased to amaze him the way their fans got so excited just to see them.

"Chris, Chris, we love you!" one girl shrieked as he passed, tears streaming down her face.

"Oh, hey, love you, too," he responded, reaching over and grasping her hand. She gasped and swooned into her friend's arms.

"Hey, Chris, you're hot!" Joey yelled into his ear, pointing at a hand-lettered sign a ways back in the crowd that proclaimed that fact in bright red letters.

"I know I am, but what are you?" Chris scanned the crowd for signs about Joey.

"Engaged, apparently," Lance answered, turning their attention to a sign begging Joey to marry its holder.

The group's bodyguards grimly pushed their way through the crowd, ushering their five charges toward the waiting limo. They were almost there when there was a sudden ripple through the crowd. Chris turned just in time to see a man shove his way to the front, sending several girls to the ground. It was only after the man's hands clamped around his neck that his true intentions became clear.

Chris reacted without thinking, Adhamhán's training leaping to the front of his mind. Before any of his friends or bodyguards could even react, he had grabbed the man by the arm and tugged, using his attacker's own momentum to flip him up and over his head. The man landed on his back, his breath rushing out of him in one painful gust, and Chris felt his heart slam painfully against his ribs. The guy was a leprechaun.

He had cast the spell before he even finished the thought. The noise from the crowd immediately vanished, replaced by an eerie silence as time itself froze in place. Chris stared down at the man, barely aware of his friends as they gathered around him, their own wide and frightened eyes fixed upon the tableau of stillness all around them.

"Damn, Chris," Justin breathed after a moment of shocked quiet. "Since when did you know judo?"

"I think the world freezing is a little weirder than Chris knowing judo," JC pointed out, pressing a little closer to Joey's side. "You okay, Chris?"

"Oh, my God...." Chris ran a shaking hand over his head, flattening the spikes in his hair. "You guys, he's a leprechaun."

Lance stiffened beside him. "What?"

"A leprechaun, a leprechaun!" Chris started to pace, his entire body humming with nervous energy. "Don't you know what this means?!"

Joey's eyes went even wider. "They know who you are."

"Exactly." Chris clenched his fists. "You guys.... I am so sorry."

"JC looked confused. "Sorry for what?"

"I... I have to leave."

"What?!" All four of them spoke at once, their loud protests all blending together.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry!" Chris stopped pacing and faced them, knowing that his regret was plain on his face. "Look, you guys, I won't put you in danger, I care too much about you. If people are going to be determined to kill me, they won't much care if you get in the way. It's safer if I just go."

"No way!" Justin grabbed at his arm, fingers digging in painfully. "We're gonna do this together, Chris!"

"But—"

"No buts, Chris!" Justin glared at him, the other three nodding their agreement behind him. "We. Do. This. Together."

After a long, tense standoff, Chris finally wilted. "Man, I'm royalty, you shouldn't boss me around like this," he joked weakly, and his friends relaxed, knowing they'd won this battle.

"So who is this guy?" Lance asked, glaring down at the man.

"Don't know," Chris answered, stepping up and examining him closely. "But I doubt he's working alone, whoever he is." He took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. "I guess I'd better ask him. Stand back a minute, guys, will you?"

They did, watching curiously to find out what he was going to do. Chris spoke the words of a limited reversal spell, then quickly uttered the verse that would restrict the man's movements and keep him from attempting to hurt any of them. His attacker came to life immediately, gasping for breath as though he had only just landed on the ground. The man's eyes widened as he slowly realized what kinds of spells Chris had cast. "You.... How did you did this? You're only a half-breed!" he burst out incredulously.

Chris glared at the man, schooling his features into a cold, hard expression and pitching his voice to match. "I am your crown prince and I expect to be treated as such," he reminded the man, letting his friends' reassuring presence fortify him. "Who sent you?"

The other leprechaun seemed to push away his shock and he sneered at Chris before spitting at him in contempt.

Chris growled at him. "Tell me who sent you now, or I will turn you into a woman." He gave a sadistic grin. "The hard way."

The man paled visibly, and Chris heard Joey whisper, "Damn, Chris," before Lance shushed him.

"I.... You can't possibly.... You're only a half-breed." The man's voice was shaking, his fear and uncertainly obvious.

"I am the crown price," Chris repeated, gesturing to the world around them, frozen in time. "Now, I ask you for the third and final time, who sent you?"

"The Alliance," the man spat, his hatred glittering in his eyes. "The Alliance knows who you are, and we will not rest until you are dead. Mark my words, false prince. Your days are numbered."

Chris cut off the man's protests with a short wave of his hand, ending the reversal spell and freezing him once again in time. He let out a shaking breath and leaned back into Justin, feeling the younger man's arms go around him unhesitatingly. "Shit, you guys, The Alliance.... This is really, really bad."

"What's The Alliance?" Justin asked, squeezing him slightly.

"They're a huge political group," Chris answered faintly. "They have a lot of members and a lot of power. Kind of like the CIA or FBI, or something, only not run by the government. They have eyes everywhere, and their people are well-trained. If they want me dead, well.... I'll probably end up that way."

"No way," Joey admonished immediately. "Come on, Chris, don't think that way. If you give up, you won't stand a chance. You're smarter than this."

"Yeah," JC agreed, punctuating his words with gesturing hands. "Can't you protect yourself somehow? I mean, you froze time, and everything, isn't there... I dunno, another spell you could cast, or something?"

"Not really," Chris answered, shaking his head. "My magic will only stop a bullet if I see it coming." He thought about that for a moment. "Dammit, I should have listened to Adhamhán."

"Huh?" Justin asked.

"Adhamhán, my father's most trusted advisor. He told me years ago that if I only had the training, I could be really powerful, but I never paid him any mind. I didn't think I had a need for it, you know? I had a life here, with my family and then with you guys.... The leprechaun thing was just... I dunno, not even an issue."

"Well," Lance's words came out in a slow drawl, as they always did when he was deep in thought. "Why don't you get the training now?"

"Lance, it'd take years!" Chris threw his hands into the air, greatly frustrated. "The Alliance is after me now, I don't have the time—"

"Chris," Lance interrupted him, shaking his head as he gestured at the unmoving world around them, "You have all the time in the world."

Chris stopped in mid-rant, his mind and stomach churning. "I.... Do you really think—"

"It'll save your life, Chris," JC said quietly, his eyes sad. "I think you should probably do it."

Chris stared at all four of them, feeling his throat close up. "I... I'd have to freeze you, too, you know. I don't know how long I'll be...."

"It's okay, Chris." Joey smiled shakily. "We're not afraid."

Chris sighed and let his head fall forward, closing his eyes. Then he opened them and stared at his friends for a long time, memorizing their faces. "Okay." He stepped forward and gave them each a long hug, murmuring his goodbyes in their ears. "This won't hurt at all," he promised when he had finished, stepping back and preparing himself for the spell. "And you won't even miss me, it'll be like I was never gone."

"Okay," Lance nodded, his green eyes calm and resigned. "Just do what you have to do, Chris."

Justin nodded. "And be careful."

He smiled fondly at them. "I will." He paused, raising his hand to cast the spell. "So, um.... See you."

"Bye, Chris," JC grinned, waving at him. "See you soon."

Chris closed his eyes and just did it, only checking to make sure it had worked before turning his back on them and shimmering out of sight, going in search of Adhamhán.

~*~

Chris blinked back tears as the spell ended, the scene fading away before his eyes. He turned to face his teachers, whose eyes were suspiciously bright.

Adhamhán cleared his throat. "That was... very good, Christopher."

"A perfect casting," Quinlan added quietly.

"Thank you," Chris managed, his voice low and scratchy. "Is that.... Is that all?"

Quinlan nodded. "I suppose it is."

Chris stood wearily and began to gather his books together. Some time in the gardens would do him good; he needed to be alone for a while.

"Christopher, before you go...." Quinlan's voice stopped him as he stepped toward the door. "Would you bring me that book, there? On the third shelf, with the greenish binding? Turn to page 13 for me, if you would."

Chris turned to the large bookcase in the corner and saw immediately which book Quinlan meant. He pulled it free and flipped it open, absently flipping to the correct page. "Here you go."

Quinlan's eyes brimmed with tears as Chris held The Book out to him, and the old man smiled up at him, making no move to take it. "Your Majesty," he breathed.

Chris wrinkled his nose, confused. "Your Majesty? What happened to 'Young Christopher'?" Quinlan shook his head and stood, only to fall to his knees before his student. Adhamhán followed suit. "Hey, what's all this?" Chris asked, becoming vaguely alarmed. "Cut it out, get up!"

"Look at The Book you have opened, Your Majesty," Adhamhán said, keeping his head down out of respect.

"It's...." Chris gasped as he saw the title of The Book Quinlan had requested. "The Book of Legends?"

"Indeed." Adhamhán finally looked up. "The Book of Legends. For a long time, it was thought that Quinlan would be The Prophesied One, for he was the most powerful leprechaun in all the world. But he has never been able to open The Book. Today, you, Your Majesty, have proven yourself. You are now The Prophesied One."

Chris swallowed hard, staring at The Book. "No.... It has to be a mistake. I'm only a half-breed....."

"Can you read it, Your Majesty?" Quinlan interrupted.

"I.... Yes, of course...."

"I saw it when you held it out to me," Quinlan told him proudly. "It was nothing but gibberish to me, and anyone else who sees it. You are The One, Your Majesty."

Chris hung his head and closed The Book, putting it gingerly down on the table. "Okay, fine, so I'm The Prophesied One. Now what?" Adhamhán opened his mouth to respond, but Chris cut him off. "And would you guys stand, please? It weirds me out to have you kneeling before me like that." He reached down and tugged on Adhamhán's wrist, helping him back to his feet.

The older man pulled him into a hug the minute he had regained his balance, his hand patting Chris' back reassuringly. "Don't worry about a thing, Your Majesty. It will all come to you in time; you'll know what to do, and when. The Book will help you, as well. Keep it close to you, and guard it with your life. It will do the same for you."

Quinlan joined them and placed his hand on Chris' shoulder. "You know the legends, young prince. Your time to rule is years into the future, yet. However, it is important that you accept who you are and make it your new life's goal to prepare for the future."

"But what about my friends? What about NSYNC? I can't just leave—"

"Your Majesty, you don't have to!"

Chris held his breath, almost afraid to hope. "I don't?"

"No, of course not!" Quinlan's eyes crinkled up in the corners as he laughed. "As we told you, you have years. More than enough time to live a full life in the human world before you return to us to take on the rest of your responsibilities. Your main concern now will be to keep yourself and your friends safe."

Adhamhán nodded, staring at him thoughtfully. "Indeed. I believe they may be part of the Prophesy as well."

"The Legends do speak of four brothers close to the Prophesied One who will rule at his side. It was always assumed that these four were literally brothers—and, of course, leprechauns—but I think you and your friends fit the bill as well. I have often heard you refer to them as your brothers, have I not?"

"Well... yeah." Chris picked The Book up once more and stared at it in wonder. "Man, I wonder what the guys'll say when they find out they're part of a leprechaun prophesy."

"I'm afraid you can't tell them just yet," Adhamhán cautioned him, shaking his head. "They mustn't know until it is time."

"Uh-huh." Chris grimaced. "Let me guess, The Book will tell me."

Quinlan chuckled. "You catch on quickly, Your Majesty. Now, I believe you have much to do."

"I do?" Chris looked at the two men, both of whom were grinning widely. "Like what?"

"Well, first of all, don't you have four brothers waiting for you at home?"

Chris caught his breath, his eyes widening. "I...." He felt a grin forming on his face. "I'm done? I can go home?"

"It's been a long time, Your Majesty," Quinlan answered fondly, "and you've trained well. I think you deserve a reward." The elderly man laughed as Chris leapt at him and enveloped him in a bear-hug, lifting him off the floor in his exuberance. "Calm yourself, Young Christopher! Put me down!"

"Oh, thank you thank you thank you, Quinlan! You have no idea how much this means to me!"

"On the contrary, I think he has a very good idea," Adhamhán observed, smiling in amusement as Quinlan subtly reached a hand around to massage his back, aching from where Chris had squeezed him too tight.

Chris immediately felt contrite. "Sorry."

"It's quite alright, Your Majesty," Quinlan assured him, easing himself down into a chair. "I'm not quite as frail as I look. Now, gather your things together and go back to your friends. It has been six long years, and you are obviously anxious to see them again."

"Yeah." Chris couldn't stop smiling. He tucked the Book of Legends carefully into his cloak and hugged the two men once more. "Okay, I'll see you guys around, okay? Adhamhán...."

"You always know how to contact me if you need me," the king's advisor assured him. "Quinlan and I both are at your disposal."

"As, like... teachers, or...."

"As friends, Your Majesty, if you'll have us."

"Definitely." Chris stepped back and closed his eyes, bringing to mind the spell he would need to transport himself directly to where he had left his friends. "Goodbye, then."

The air shimmered around him and in an instant he was back to where he had started. He stared at his four brothers, his eyes beginning to fill with tears. They looked exactly the same, which wasn't really a surprise, but it felt wonderful to see them in person again. JC's hand was still raised in the wave he'd given just before Chris had cast the spell.

Chris swiped his tears away—no need for them to see him crying—then went to stand directly in front of Joey, pushing his hood back away from his face and quickly running his hands over the long growth of beard he hadn't bothered to shave. He wanted to shock them, not scare them.

He cast the limited reanimation spell and raised his hand in a wave. "Hi!"

"Whoa!" Joey jumped backward, nearly falling into Lance.

Chris began to snicker at the shocked and wide-eyed looks on their faces. "Oh man, you should have seen yourselves! Holy cow, I wish I could do that again."

"Man...." Justin breathed, stepping forward and touching his fingertips to Chris' dense beard. "One second you're normal, then BAM! Monk robes and a beard. Wicked."

"He moved, too," JC observed, also thrown off by Chris' appearance.

"It's so good to see you guys." Chris couldn't resist any longer and drew them all into tight hugs. "I missed you so much!"

"How long has it been?" Lance asked curiously. "Obviously a while; even you can't grow a beard like that in just a few weeks."

"Six years," he answered somewhat wearily, nodding as they all expressed stunned disbelief. "Yeah, I know. But I had a lot to learn."

"So, um...." Justin gave him a devilish grin. "You're 36, huh?"

Chris stuck his tongue out at him. "Shut up, infant."

"Don't worry, you don't look a day over 35," JC teased him.

"So, what happened?" Joey wanted to know. "Did you learn enough to keep you safe from these Alliance guys?" He gestured at the leprechaun who had attacked Chris, still frozen along with everyone else.

"I guess." Chris shrugged, reaching into his robes and pulling out The Book. "I bet there's something in here."

"Hey, cool, what's that, a spell book?" JC took it from him curiously, his brow furrowing when he realized he couldn't open it. "What the—?"

Chris took it back with a grin. "Sorry, man, only I can open this. It's, like, a really, really important book."

"Cool!" Justin eyed it jealously. "Is it magic?"

"It's the ultimate magic." Chris opened it and flipped through it slowly, skimming to find a protection spell that would work on all five of them. "Any spell I get out of this book will be safe to cast, because no other leprechaun will know about it. They won't be able to tell I've cast it."

"Man, what is that, leprechaun language?" Joey asked, peeking over his shoulder at the pages.

"Um...." Chris looked first at him, then back down at the book. "Looks like English to me."

"Like no English I've ever seen."

"It's part of the magic. Even if someone else manages to open it somehow—or peek over my shoulder, you Nosy Parker—they still couldn't read it."

Lance raised one eloquent eyebrow. "Nosy Parker?"

"Oh, shut up. Ah-ha!" He stopped triumphantly at a page detailing a spell that was perfect for his needs. "I found it!" His friends all crowded around him, staring down at the pages.

"Okay, what is it?" JC asked, taking in the ornate painted borders along the edges of the pages with interest.

"It's a spell called 'Luck of the Irish,' if you can believe that." Chris read through the words carefully, memorizing them for casting. "Supposedly, it'll protect anyone it's cast upon without being obvious about it. It'll look like you were just lucky to escape whatever was gonna hurt you."

"Hence the title," Joey nodded. "Cool."

"Yup. Okay, gather around." Chris tucked the book back into his robes and stood in the middle of the tight circle they'd made. "Hold hands, it'll make it easier to cast it over all of us at the same time."

They did, and Chris closed his eyes, bowing his head and muttering the words of the spell. Immediately, the five of them were surrounded by a swirl of what looked like green glitter. It floated into the air, trailing from Chris' hands as he cast, then settled down onto their bodies and into their hair before it disappeared altogether from view.

Chris opened his eyes. "Done."

"Wow," JC breathed, running his hands through his hair to look for more glitter.

"Okay, what else do I have to do?" Chris looked around them at the crowd still frozen into place.

"Get rid of the robes and beard, get us all back into the exact positions we were in before you froze time, erase the bad leprechaun's memory, find a way to hide that book without the robes, and unfreeze time," Lance answered.

Chris gaped at him. "Oh. Right."

~*~

"Okay, guys, this is it, the biggest acting job of your careers." Chris paced back and forth as he spoke, feeling his hands shake slightly with nervousness. His friends didn't answer, they were frozen in place by a spell meant to ensure a smooth transition when time was restarted. They were, however, aware of everything that was going on around them, so Chris felt free to lecture. "When I start time, you've gotta act as though no time has passed, you got me? That guy has just jumped me, I just threw him over my shoulder, and you're reacting like, 'whoa, that guy just attacked Chris and Chris threw him over his shoulder!' And don't over-act either, Lance. Joey. I've seen you guys act. Just... you know, be natural. JC, don't talk. Don't say a word, it'll be safer for all of us. Justin, you'll probably be fine, which annoys the hell out of me, you being good at freakin' everything, but oh well."

He stopped pacing and surveyed the scene critically. "Okay. Okay, here we go." He stepped into his own position and finalized the spell, feeling his body bend over and shift slightly to the right to fit into the frozen tableau. "I'll give a countdown, okay? 5... 4... 3... 2...1...."

The change was abrupt. Immediately, the air erupted in screams. Before Chris could even begin to adjust to the noise and sudden burst of movement, he was already in the limo, surrounded by his friends and two very shaken bodyguards.

"Shit," Lonnie was muttering, his large hands shaking slightly as the limo started up and jerked away from the curb. "Holy shit!"

"Jesus, CK, you alright?" Dre grabbed him by the chin and lifted it, examining his neck closely.

"I'm fine, Dre," he assured him, his shaky voice not entirely a put-on. "Really, he didn't.... He didn't hurt me." He looked at the others and realized with a small amount of amusement that they all looked as shell-shocked as he felt. They hadn't had to act after all—the sudden influx of noise and movement had been more than enough to throw them all into a momentary state of shock.

Lonnie leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes. "Shit, guys, I'm sorry. He shouldn't have been able to get that close."

"It's okay, Lonnie," Chris assured him, pulling away from Dre and glancing back at the receding crowd through the tinted windows. "I'm sure it was just a random, one-time thing."

"Yeah," Justin added shakily. "Who in the world would want to hurt Chris, anyway? I'm the face of NSYNC, not him."

"Jealous, Timberlake?" Chris shot back, giving Justin a grateful look.

"It doesn't really matter why he did it," Lonnie said, glaring around at them. "What matters is that nobody gets that close ever again. If Chris hadn't flipped that guy over his shoulder like that—and we will be talking about where you learned to do that, Kirkpatrick—this could have turned out a lot worse than it did."

"We know you'll keep us safe, Lonnie," JC told him, smiling sincerely. "We're not worried."

"Yeah, well...." Lonnie turned his face away, his voice gruff. "Just be careful."

"Ah, don't worry about me, Lonnie," Chris leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, feeling the awesome power of the Book of Legends all around them. "You know me, I've got the luck of the Irish on my side."

~*~

The small gathering came to order quickly as a tall man in royal purple robes strode into the room, his features pinched and angry. He took his place at the head of the table without saying a word and glared around at the other occupants of the room, his eyes landing on one man in particular. "Séamus," he said, his voice cutting through the room like steel. "Report."

An older man, wearing a grey robe identical to those worn by everyone else at the table, stood tremulously. "My Lord." He bowed his head before he continued speaking. "The man we suspected to be the false prince is unharmed after an ill-advised and amateurish attack by my brother, Mícheál. Mícheál has been arrested by the human authorities and is in one of their jails. Our race is protected, my lord. Mícheál has told the humans that he was simply jealous of the riches and fame of the members of Nsync."

The group's leader nodded tightly. "And has any good been gained from this fiasco? Any useful information at all?"

"Yes, my lord. Mícheál has confirmed that the singer is indeed a half-breed, so we are that much closer to confirming his identity. He was also able to tell me that, as we suspected, the half-breed has little to no magical ability—he deflected the attack using physical, human means. Their security will surely be tightened after the attack, but a carefully planned magical attack should still be effective. The false price will be disposed of soon, my lord."

"Very well, then, you may sit."

The grey-robed man hesitated. "My lord?"

The leader stifled a sigh, his eyes narrowing. "What is it, Séamus?"

"My lord, I beg you to spare my brother's life. I realize the seriousness of what he has done, but Mícheál is young, and merely meant to further the cause—"

"Your brother is a fool!" the leader roared, slamming a clenched fist into the table. "The half-breed prince must be destroyed if I am to take my rightful place on the throne, and your brother nearly ruined all of our plans. The penalty for his insubordination is death, Séamus, and if I even suspect that your alliances have switched, you will join him."

"No! No, my Lord, my allegiances are clear! I apologize, my Lord, I meant no disrespect...."

"Good." Lord Geoffrey Lanigan, brother to the king of the leprechauns, motioned for the frightened Séamus to sit. He swept his gaze across the room. "I can tolerate no mistakes," we warned the gathered elders. "My nephew," he spat out the word with extreme contempt, "has no right to rule the leprechaun people. As a half-breed, he will only bring poverty and ruin to our people. My brother is a foolish man and will not face this simple fact. It is unfortunate that the young prince must die, but necessary for the good of our land. Let us begin our plans. If his death were to look like an accident, all the better. The King must not know of our plans, gentlemen, for the foolish old man would surely see it as treason of the highest degree. I expect to hear of our final plan by the morrow."

"Yes, my Lord," murmured the gathered Elders, and the purple-robed royal swept out of the room, leaving a grim silence in his wake.

End

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