Chapter 7
The autumn wind had become cold enough for Manny to tighten the scarf around his neck as he continued his hike in the deep woods. The leaves crunched underneath his feet as he ducked under branches. He was quite glad winter hadn't come yet or else he would have snow coming up to his ankles in trying to find the cottage.
Granted, this was a cottage that normal non-magic users shouldn't be able to find and therefore it shouldn't be easy. He hummed to himself as he continued to walk until his toe bumped into an invisible wall.
Not the least bit puzzled, Manny tapped the unseen wall with his fingers to confirm it was there before tucking his hands into his pocket.
"Seraphina," he called out. "It's me!"
It took a moment, but a bright shimmer rippled down the wall revealing a large cottage when before there had been nothing except trees. A woman with flowing black hair tied into a long braid had her back to Manny as she picked apples from her trees and dropped them into her basket.
"What," she asked briskly without turning, "do you want?"
"My dear, Seraphina," Manny said as he removed his hat and offered a cheery smile. "Can't an old friend come for a visit?"
Seraphina sharply turned her head and kept her glare. "With you personally knowing how much I crave company? No."
Manny kept his smile as he walked to her. "I am sorry for troubling you, but I need to speak with you."
Seraphina sighed as she picked up her basket. "I don't have time for this, Manny. Winter will be here soon and I-"
"Please, Emily Jane," Manny asked, sincerely. "It's very important."
Seraphina paused, as Manny knew being called by her birth name would cause her to. Very few people called her by it now. When her magic had awoken, she chose then to go by her new name "Seraphina, The Witch of Storms," and bury her old name to be forgotten forever to break ties with her past. Manny was one of the few who understood why she choose her new name.
Manny patiently toyed with his hat as he let Seraphina debate and then heard a defeated sigh. "I'll give you ten minutes. I needed something hot to drink anyway."
"Ah, yes," Manny nodded. "Be a good time for tea."
Seraphina turned and gave the same wicked grin that was identical to Pitch's. "Who said anything about tea?," she lifted her basket. "I'm a witch, Manny. I only deal in apples, especially poison ones."
Others would have stepped back startled at such a comment, but Manny gave a laugh. "I would prefer my apple cider poison free then."
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Inside the cottage, nestled next to the fireplace, Seraphina took another sip of her cider before casting a wind spell on her mug. The mug cider then hovered and sat in the air as if it had been placed on the table as she folded her hands into her lap. "Now, what do you want, Manny?"
Manny tapped the handle of his mug as he spoke. "North has contacted me recently and it seems our dear Aster has gone missing."
Seraphina raised an eyebrow. "And this concerns me how?"
"We believe your father is behind it," Manny said and watched Seraphina stiffened at the revelation. She showed no expression on her face as she plucked her hovering mug out of the air to sip it again.
"Father has been after him for awhile but I don't know what you expect me to do about it," Seraphina replied.
"I thought perhaps you would know where he is," Manny asked as he leaned forward.
"You know fully well I haven't spoken to my father in centuries," Seraphina replied not hiding the bitterness in her voice. "Not since we've had our 'disagreements'."
Manny gave a nod. Seraphina had never gone into full detail on what on exactly she and her father had argued about. All he knew was that Seraphina had grown tired of trying to be an alchemist like her father and wished to find her own path in life.
That path lead to Seraphina discovering she had her own magic inside her, course as a result that lead to Pitch discovering he had the potential for his own magic as well. Seraphina had refused to help her father's quest for power, but she also refused to join forces with the Guardians stop him as well. As far as she was concerned, Seraphina was neutral in their fights.
"But you still keep tabs on him, don't you?" Manny said.
"Only to ensure I can sweep away Onyx when the time is right," Seraphina replied. "But even then, it's hardly constant. I don't want to risk father noticing I've been tracking him."
"Would you please tell me," Manny replied with a smile. "I know your feelings, but all I ask if you know where Pitch is."
Seraphina gave a sigh as she had her mug hover in the air again. "Fine, but that is all I'll do." She rose and moved to the water filled cauldron that had been boiling at the fireplace. Seraphina raised her hands and the bubbling water suddenly became calm.
Manny crept over to steal a peek as Seraphina's gaze was lost staring into the water. He knew this spell. It would cause the caster visions that only they could see appear in the water. It was a hard spell, but it was a trifle thing to the Witch of Storms.
After a moment, the water started to resume boiling. Seraphina lowered her arms while blinking her eyes as if she was trying to get sand out of them. "Curious," she said as she whirled and folded her arms. "Father is on the move."
"Is he?" Manny asked intrigued. "And did you see, Aster?"
"No," Seraphina replied, "but I saw father's face. He looked furious and he seems to be heading North West."
Manny frowned as he grasped his chin in thought. Was it possible Aster escaped?
"If he keeps going in this direction," Seraphina said as she traced her delicate fingers over one of her apples. "He may end up at your Guardians precious mansion."
"I see," Manny said with a sigh. It wasn't much for them to go on, especially with whatever method Pitch was using to block their attempts to track Aster. However, at least they could assume Aster was trying to head back home.
"I shall let North and the others know," Manny said as he set mug of cider on the table and put his hat back on. "Thank you, Seraphina."
He started to leave, except Seraphina caught his shoulder. "By the way, Manny," she asked as she knelt and drew close to his ears. "Did you sense it last night?"
Manny paused and realize he knew what she meant. "That spark of magic being awakened?" he said and nodded. "Yes, I did." For magic users that were as old and powerful as Manny, he could sense when somewhere in the world someone was obtaining their magic.
It use to be much more frequent. Now, it was so rare to feel the familiar tingle crawl over his skin in this modern world. He glanced to Seraphina curiously. "But did you sense it too?"
"Yes," she admitted, quietly. "It felt quite young as well."
Manny nodded in agreement and became extremely curious. Seraphina wasn't on the same level as Manny, but she could sense when a magic related to nature was awakened, although that hadn't happened for centuries.
"Well, isn't that interesting," Manny said with a grin. "Once we locate Aster, I should have him look into it." The Pooka's own magic was connected to the earth itself, it would be a prime case for him to investigate As Manny left the cottage though, he couldn't resist reaching to the conclusion the timing of the awakened magic and Aster's disappearance were hardly coincidental. There had to be a connection between the two incidents.
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Jack was warm and buried his face into his furry pillow. Much to his annoyance, a hand shook his shoulder. "Jack? Come on, Kiddo. Time ta wake up."
Jack gave a grunt as he shook off the hand and forced his eyes to remain shut. "Ten more minutes, Dad."
There was a pause and Jack thought he won, until he heard a cough. "Um...be glad ta, but my legs are gettin' stiff here bein' yer pillow."
Jack blinked puzzled. Groggily he raised his head became fully awake as fur filled his vision. Right, he wasn't home. He was sleeping on a train he snuck on with a giant rabbit...who he just called 'Dad." Jack blushed madly as he bolted off of Aster and inched away like Bunny had the plague.
Had he been seriously clinging to Bunny like a teddy bear? Geez, and why on earth did he call him Dad?! Sure, his dad use to wake him up in the morning like that, but still-
Jack couldn't tell if Bunny had been amused or annoyed by the situation as he stood and rotated his shoulders. "Right," he said "the train stopped so we need ta get out before they check on the boxcars."
Jack nodded as he focused on collecting his bag and swung it over his shoulder. Bunny then frowned as he stared at Jack's bare feet. "First priority, gettin' ya shoes," he stated.
"I'd be fine without them," Jack argued. "Shouldn't we concentrate more on getting you clothes to hide in?" He arched an eyebrow. "I can't exactly hide you in my duffle bag anymore."
Bunny's eyes narrowed as he folded his arms in thought. "I wonder," he muttered. He then raised a hand and curled his fingers it like he was attempting to open a door. Suddenly, sparks flew. Bunny jerked his hand back as Jack jumped and yelped in fright.
"Crikey!" Bunny hissed as he examined his hand like he was checking for burns. "That was a bad idea!"
"What were you trying to do?" Jack asked once he saw it was safe to move in closer.
Bunny sighed. "I was tryin' ta see if I could access my astral pocket yet, but looks like that seal is keepin' me out of it."
"Astral pocket?" Jack asked as he tucked his hands into his pants pockets.
"Ta put it simply, it's a mini alternative dimension magic users can store stuff into for emergencies." He pointed to Jack's duffle bag. "Think of it like an invisible duffle bag, except it's the size of a large room. I often keep extra clothes and cash in there for situations like this."
"But you can't access it due to that seal," Jack concluded.
"For now at least," Bunny said as he slowly slid open the door to peek out. "Right, coast is clear. Let's go."
Before Jack could say anything, Bunny tossed Jack onto his back and they dashed out of the boxcar.
"A little warning would be nice!" Jack exclaimed as he clung to Bunny and they swiftly moved out of the train yard.
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"Do they fit?" Bunny asked as he slipped on the coat and watched Jack wiggled his into his new shoes.
"They'll do," Jack said as he finished tying the laces. "What about you? I got the biggest coat I could find in that store." Bunny was forced to stay hidden in an alleyway, while Jack found the nearest clothing store and bought the cheapest pair of sneakers and clothes he could find.
Jack tried to be oblivious to the odd looks he received as he entered the store in his bare feet and bought clothes that were clearly twice his size. He had then ducked back into the alley for Bunny to change.
Jack had to admit, Bunny did look funny in the long trench coat and hat he got to match. If he wasn't an oversize rabbit, Jack might have believed he was a detective.
"Bit tight, but I ain't complain'," Bunny replied as he folded his ears to fit inside his his hat. "I swear I can't wait for the seal to ta be gone. Be a lot easier ta get around with my magic restored."
Jack nodded as he glanced down at Bunny's large furry feet. Finding shoes that would fit Bunny were the only things he couldn't find. They would just have to hope not many people bothered looking down. "You said you keep cash in that astral pocket of yours?"
"Yeah, as well as my documents and passport," Bunny replied as he adjusted his head.
Jack blinked. "You have a passport?"
Bunny shrugged. "I normally stick ta usin' my tunnels, but ya never know if a rogue magic user attracts the authorities or if we need ta stop by the hospital. North's idea, figures better if we're prepared, but I haven't had ta use them yet."
Jack still stared confused at him. "But why do you use a passport?" He pointed to Bunny's face. "Be kind of hard to hide that fur under a mask. I doubt it make a good photo."
"Mask?" Bunny scoffed. "I've never worn a mask in my life. If I have ta mingle with humans I shapeshift."
"Shapeshift?" Jack asked as he swung the bag over his shoulder. "What's that?"
Bunny seemed to not hear him as he looked across the street. "Let's snag a bit ta eat and make plans for the day." He stuffed his large hands into his pockets. "I'm dying for a cup of tea."
Jack rolled his eyes as he chased after him. Glad to hear Bunny had his priorities.
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Jack had been the one to go in and buy their food. He was glad there was a special going on and order a stacks of pancakes and a tea to go. He and Bunny then found a spot by a fountain to eat. Jack was almost tempted they go inside to eat, but there was too high of a risk of someone getting a close look at Bunny.
Granted, in the end, it didn't matter much since Jack found himself barely able to eat one pancake. Normally, he'd be starving, but this morning he could only poke at his breakfast.
"Ya alright, there?" Bunny asked as he picked up his tea and pointed to Jack's fork that was currently stabbing the pancake.
Jack shrugged. "Just not hungry I guess," he replied and he bit his lip. "But I was wondering, that astral pocket thing you mentioned, do I have one too?"
Bunny continued to frown at Jack's fork, but he nodded. "Takes a bit a prep work, but once ya have some trainin' ya'll have one." He gave a scoff. "Course, that we'll be after we see the type of magic you'll get."
"My type?" Jack asked as he swallowed a mouthful of orange juice.
"There are general spells every magic user uses, but the more powerful spells depend on what kind of magic ya have. It's different for everyone" Bunny continued. "My friend Sandy, his magic specializes in seeing people's dreams and the future."
"Has he predicted any lottery numbers?" Jack asked with a grin.
"Doesn't quite work like that," Aster said with a sly grin. "But, he would if he could. Tooth's a bit similar, her magic is more telepathic and lets her read minds and memories. Then there's North, his is the most reliable and unpredictable."
"How can you be reliable and unpredictable at the same time?" Jack asked as he tried to force himself to eat another forkful of his pancake.
"His is a bit unique," Bunny said as he folded his arms. "As long as he had the proper materials he can imagine and create just about anythin'. Once saw him make a robot that changes into an airship."
Jack laughed. "So, he made a transformer?"
Bunny raised an eyebrow. "A what?"
Jack shook his head, still grinning at his own joke. "Never mind, what's yours?"
"Mine?" Bunny said as he pointed to himself. "I'm an elemental, which is one of the rarer magics ya can get."
"Elemental?" Jack asked as he frowned. "You mean like wind and fire or something?"
"Right," Aster nodded as he dunked his empty tray and cup into the trash bin near him. "My magic is connected ta the earth. At my full strength I can create tunnels, make plants growth and stuff like that."
Jack nodded as he stared at his bare hands. "Could you tell at all what mine is?"
Bunny shook his head. "I might be able ta get a clue at my full power, but not as long as this seal is stuck on me. Will say this though," he raised his head at Jack, "the magic is often a reflection of yerself."
Jack mused on the thought as he tugged at his white hair. He couldn't help, but wonder if that was a clue to it somehow. "I hate to imagine what Pitch's would be."
"Now that's a case I know for sure," Aster said, bitterly. "Sandy had a premonition once and he knows Pitch's powers would be shadows."
"Shadows?" Jack asked. Was that what they had been so concerned about?
"Don't scoff, shadows are connected ta darkness itself," he raised an eyebrow. "And can ya imagine what Pitch be like if he could make all the lights go out and had shadows at his beckon call?"
Jack shivered. "Point," he replied as he closed the lid on his food. "Let's get the money to get going then."
Aster grabbed his wrist. "Ya can't be done. I've seen baby birds eat more than that."
"I told you, I'm not hungry," Jack said as he freed his wrist and dumped the food in the can. He hated to waste food, but there was no way to save it for later "I'll probably eat more later."
However, Bunny looked unconvinced as he suddenly pressed his hand against Jack's forehead. "Ya don't feel like ya have a fever," he muttered.
Jack rolled his eyes as he swatted Bunny's hand away. "You are such a worrywart, come on. Let's go."
Bunny looked unconvinced but he only gave a sigh as he trailed after Jack.
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Far away, in the back of his parked car, Pitch scowled as he looked over the map and marked a few of the roads going out of town with a large "X". They had searched every inch of the city all night and still there had been no sign of the Pooka or the boy. Pitch had to assume they both made their escape.
"If they had fled by foot," he said aloud, "they couldn't have taken the main roads, not unless Aster wanted to risk being seen by drivers." It was possible they had snuck onto a trunk, but Pitch and Onyx had checked any trucks that passed by or left through the town. There had only been six and four of them had been freezer trucks which would have been too cold for Aster and Jack to travel in.
The other two trucks had left around the time Aster had come to Pitch in the book shop so they had to be eliminated from the list as well.
"Couldn't they have taken the bus, Master?" Onyx as from the driver's seat.
"Aster may have regained his form," Pitch stated as he folded his hands, "but that seal should still be in placed, and thus preventing him to shape shift. He wouldn't be able to board any public transportation without drawing attention to himself."
"Then the woods?" Onyx asked.
"There aren't any woods, this area is all farms and fields." Pitch stabbed his pen in the far corner of the city on the map. "Which leaves the train yard."
"But," Onyx said as he scratched his head, "I thought you said they couldn't board public transportation."
Pitch rolled his eyes. "Yes, but they could very well could have snuck aboard a train carrying cargo." He pointed to Onyx. "To the train yard and we shall find which trains they could have snuck aboard."
Onyx gave a nod as he started the engine. Pitch folded the map as he reached into his coat for his elixir. he would have preferred drinking it in his morning coffee, but time was of the essence. Pitch removed the cork to swallow a mouthful and wiped his mouth with his handkerchief. He did have one advantage. Pitch knew the direction the Pooka was heading in, straight to the home of his precious Guardian.
If Pitch was fast enough, he had a good chance of catching up to Aster before he made it home and then the Pooka and the boy would be in his hands.
Author's Note: I've been getting a few questions about shipping in this fic, so just to make this clear, this fic will be general. In other words, there aren't any ships or romantic couples in this fic. It's just focussing on family/friendships. However, due to one person asking, in my mind for this fic Bunny is asexual. Hopes that clears things up.
