Chapter 7 – Sailing in the Seas of Stars
Never expecting that the first one to respond instantly upon hearing her cry for help was him, her misty blue eyes filled with anxiety and sadness lifted up at the white haired boy who flew down, drew near and kneeled down after lowering his frosted wooden staff.
"Jack?!"
"What happened here, Elsa?" Asking with a tone of sincere concern, he held his right hand inches near Bunny's upper torso, scanning.
Tears rolled down from her twitching eyes. "He just fell down ill…" The platinum blonde haired girl eyed the immortal boy closed his eyes briefly to focus while his hand stopped near on Bunny's lungs while he ignored the other immortals who drew near to help.
Covering her mouth in shock with her hands, Tooth pushed herself from the crowd, floated speedily towards unconscious Bunny, shot a doubtful look at Jack when the deity of winter almost summoned his power.
"What are you trying to do? Freeze him off?!" The guardian of memories turned protective at the Pooka.
"It's alright, Tooth, he's trying to save him." Elsa defended Jack, trusting him wholeheartedly, prompting Jack to gaze again at the mortal girl.
"How sure are you? When he never heals at all?!" Turning emotional, Tooth replied Elsa back, reminding her that Jack Frost destroys since his nature was a chaos god.
But that was before, before he protected us.
The mortal girl reflected, almost spoke back but someone else agreed with her unlike the other gathered immortals who seemed to side with Tooth.
"He can save Bunnymund, because the power of ice could also heal - it reduces the pain and the injuries." Her eyes rolled towards the bringer of winter. "I am much aware about the Warriors of Ice, you all were not only trained to fight but to cure. You had a vast knowledge of the anatomy of any living being, which your people complied to know the vital organs in order to kill an enemy, or to tend and heal an injured fellow warrior."
Glancing at the golden goddess of love, Elsa eyed at Freyja who spoke further and bended down beside Elsa as she spoke to Jack.
"However, you cannot completely do it alone with the Pooka's incurable illness."
Everyone fell silent as the goddess of love shifted her eyes at Elsa who could not move, she was aware that the divine being was staring at her. When the girl was unable to move an inch, Freyja spoke so soft like a breeze calming the sea waves that only the platinum blonde haired girl could only hear.
"Your power grows greater with love. And nothing is impossible with your power." She held gently Elsa's hand and led her hand towards Jack's hand, placing Elsa's hand on top of Jack's hand.
As soon as their hands touched, the unconscious Pooka's started to breathe normally. Jack moved his hand to entwine their fingers, held out his other free hand above Bunny to reduce the injury by manipulating the temperature within Bunny's body. And when he finished healing the guardian of spring and hope, he lifted his eyes and glanced at Elsa.
"Let him rest, he'll be alright."
Upon hearing his words and viewing Bunny's sight had gone better, the silent girl pulled away her hand from Jack's hand and remained her eyes lowered away from him.
"Is he sure that Bunny's fine now?" Whispering, Tooth drew near Freyja. "What is wrong with Bunny anyway?"
Replying her, the goddess of love remained her eyes focused at Elsa and Jack. "You don't have to worry about that anymore. Please bring Bunnymund back in the warmth of his warren, and take good care of him, Toothiana. But let the girl stay with me until I find a suitable family and home for her, since she will never live with the Pooka anymore."
Taken aback, the guardian of memories could not believe what the golden goddess had said.
"Please, Toothiana," The golden goddess of love requesting the queen of the tooth fairies.
"But Bunny…will never…accept this…" She stammered with her words in anguish, knowing the Pooka will be devastated.
"A mortal girl born with the powers of ice and snow, and whose powers keeps on growing, cannot lived long with a being of different and opposing elemental powers, as in the case of E. Aster Bunnymund, who is an immortal of spring and warmth. Three years had taken its toll to the Pooka, and clearly, he will even allow himself to die rather than let Elsa leave his warren. He had kept it as a secret to hide the damaging consequences. This is how much he had loved Elsa as his precious child, and would never allow her to know, because it will greatly affect her."
Knowing that Freyja was telling her the truth, Tooth eyed at Bunny's white fur, which was like an arctic rabbit during winter - it changes its fur to adapt in the cold season.
Jack never realized how this day became happily surreal to him since he had never spent this time longer with Elsa alone after she thanked him for saving the Pooka. As dusk came, the blue eyed girl decided it is time for her to leave and return home, stood up and almost bade farewell to the god of winter until she viewed a certain sight in the far distance. Alarmed, she hurried near the railing of the gazebo, whispered loudly as her eyes glanced at the guardian of memories along with her fleet of mini fairies were carrying Bunny away.
"W-Wait?! Is that Tooth and Bunny heading home?! They're leaving without me…?!" Dashing off as fast as she can, she stopped when Jack flew and landed a few feet away from her.
"I can fly you up so you can catch up with them." Offering to help her, he gestured his hand out towards her.
Since she was more comfortable with her feet on the ground than with flying, the platinum blonde haired girl knew she had to take a risk, drew near Jack who opened his arms, and then held her.
Wrapping her arms around him, she requested. "Please, please take me home."
He was about to fly away with her when the goddess of love went outside from one of the rooms of the gazebo with someone familiar.
Wearing a black and red formal captain's uniform without any battle armor, Lord Kozmotis Pitchiner formally spoke to the mortal girl. "You are not going home in the Pooka's warren anymore. You are going to stay with my family from now on, Elsa."
As soon as she heard his words were concealing the real reason, Elsa became distressed, did not let go of her arms around Jack.
"Why?! What's wrong? Why won't I go back at the warren?"
"Elsa, please understand," Freyja reasoned out at the girl. "Bunny needs to recover for a long time in his warren, and only Tooth is capable of looking after him. Besides, you need a real family to take good care of you. And for that you need a father, a mother, and a sister…" The goddess ceased talking when Lady Pitchiner moved towards the mortal girl who remained beside the deity of winter.
Bending down, she focused her gentle eyes at the girl. "My family welcomes you, Elsa, as our new daughter and an eldest sister to my dear Emily Jane."
Seeing how similar the elegant noble-ranked immortal is with her real mother, and feeling her heart ached for her real home, she loosened her hold on Jack Frost and drew near at Lady Pitchiner.
Viewing her standing on board of a floating ship in mid-air and leaving with her new family towards the Constellation of Orion, Jack stood feeling miserable and more alone.
"You could always visit her there," Freyja spoke at him who frowned at the goddess of love. "Even how far that place is, I think you could go there anytime you want."
"This is never about the distance! This is about the Agreement, and your own interests!"
"That I am fully aware, so do you. It was only an accident that the Pooka came across her. Lord High General Kozmotis Pitchiner and his family was originally the ones who supposed to adopt and take care of Elsa until she is of legal age to marry you and to have your children, thus having your new family for you."
"I've always hated the way you treated her! Giving her to the high general like she's a bargaining chip! To what?! Make me give in to his demands?!"
The golden deity remained calm when the god of winter replied her furiously. "Ah, his demands. How long have you denied those ambitious demands of military might, haven't you?" The goddess of love paused for a moment, held the stem of her wine goblet to swirl her red wine. "Minutes ago, it is very apparent you are ready to fly her away from this pain, sorrow and suffering awaiting her. What did you call this despicable situation?! Oh, right, a situation of being influenced and controlled." Freyja replied him, took a sip of red wine from her golden goblet. "You really hated playing the Game of Power! It really shows since you exiled yourself from your own realm, the Empire of Niflheim. But I know the only one reason which will make you stay, play and win this eternal game with us - Elsa."
Hearing the goddess' words of truth, the boy clenched his jaw, then slammed his wooden staff down, sending a blast of powerful frosts and winds across the entire paradise, turning it into a frozen wasteland. Afterwards, the bringer of winter flew speedily away.
The ship's journey ended when it anchored on a small moon of a planet deep in the heart of the Constellation Orion. It was a very beautiful home encircled protectively by many asteroids, where each had high-walled and heavy secured fortress, and guarded by armed platoons of the Elite Golden Age Armies. Viewing a spacious castle like villa with moonstone carved columns and emanating a soothing cool glow of light inside, the mortal girl hesitated as she followed behind her new parents.
"You'll get use here, our home!" A wild and joyful child shattered her long silence, welcoming her and holding her new eldest sister's hand. "You'll love it here!"
Confronting her new youngest sister, Elsa's face beamed in delight.
"Come on, come on! Want to show you my schooner!" Pulling Elsa to come with her outside the villa towards the docks.
"Now, Emily Jane…"Her mother's firm but gentle voice chided her, but her husband just held his wife's shoulder, a silent gesture to allow the girls to play, to do what they pleased.
Viewing her thick and long raven-black haired flowed behind her like a horse's mane as she run and pulled the blue eyed elder girl, Kozmotis Pitchiner spoke to his new daughter. "Go on, go with her." He continued with a faint smile. "Because tomorrow, I will be molding your young minds with both of your assigned studies, particularly the art of strategies, then we will be having some physical training especially with swords - for it makes a person better when he or she balances both the mind and the body."
"Father?!" Emily Jane frowned adorably, making his father laughed and loving Emily Jane's wild heart as he remained a blind eye to her disobedient ways.
"Off you two then, just don't forget, dinner's at 1900." He had a habit of speaking in his proud military words and ways.
Elsa nodded and hurried along with her sister towards the dock where a small schooner was anchored.
Watching their two daughter in the docks and preparing the small schooner to sail, Lady Pitchiner whispered beside her black-haired husband whose silver-golden eyes focused at her.
"It is a good thing, we have adopted Elsa, seeing Emily Jane happy for playing with another child, and not being alone here…" Her eyes glanced back to him.
"You are a very kind woman, and I, a very lucky man for having you." Replying his beloved wife, Lord Pitchiner clasped her hand as they stood near the door facing the dock and the vast sea of stars.
"My dear husband, you are doing everything to retain the Golden Age as long as you can for our family, and also for allowing Elsa to stay here for her protection, knowing our home is the safest place in the universe."
Reflecting his wife's words, he pondered secretly that he is making the best strategy in adopting Elsa in his family. The mortal girl is one of the reasons that they are now enjoying the peaceful fruits of the Golden Age, besides, in case if something happened to him in his turning vicious battles against the Dream Pirates, Elsa is the security for his family, guaranteeing that they will live through even without him, making his immortal co-signers in the Agreement not to turn away from his family's needs in case he will be gone, especially now that Elsa is part of his family. There is only one thing he needed to make sure that his plan will work.
His thoughts were interrupted when his wife, kissed him on his cheek before she moved away to prepare for their dinner as the other servants followed her to the kitchen. Turning to face him again, his wife smiled at him.
"I am so happy, finally, we are a complete family."
The high general returned a smile back at her, but deep inside he know that they are not complete as a family yet. There is still one member missing, and he will do anything in his power to have him as part of his family.
With his mind in motion and not wasting any time, he proceeded towards his study. When he entered inside the room, he then sat before his table, took an empty parchment and a quill. Dipping the quill on a nearby ink bottle, he wrote a short letter and addressed it to no other but to Jack Frost.
And so time passed by peacefully like a rhythmic rolling waves of the nearby sea of stars around the lovely villa located in the small moon…
"I told you, you'll enjoy sailing and swimming before the break of dawn! Let's sneak out again! Tonight perhaps!" Laughing, six year old Emily Jane drenched wet with Elsa as they remained having fun, proceeding towards the back door of their villa by taking the route to their outside gardens.
Their laughter broke off when Lady Pitchiner stood up after widening her eyes and placing her tea cup on the garden table, hurried beside the two girls and placing her shawl at the sixteen year old blue eyed girl who stiffened upon realizing she is not alone with her family, that they have their usual guest.
Gazing at her, the white haired immortal boy fell silent with his discussions with the high general. Lord Pitchiner observed them, particularly the bringer of winter who forced his blue eyes away from Elsa since it was rude for staring at her who was drenched wet in her nightgown. However, he remained his faint amused smirk at her upon realizing she was concealing a spark of unpredictable playfulness and passion within her graceful and reserved cold exterior.
"My apologies…" The platinum blonde haired girl spoke for her and Emily Jane as the younger girl almost makes a face at their mother who was disciplining them. She had accepted Elsa's apology and waited for little Emily Jane who did not apologized, shifted cunningly into another topic to distract by directing the spotlight to Elsa and her alleged "fiancé" and his usual visitations to her sister. Imitating a teasing sound when matching two people as a couple, Emily Jane almost sings a spelling-like song.
"Enough!" Lady Pitchiner spoke, finding Emily Jane's wild behavior not amusing. "I suggest you both go to your room and fix yourselves up. And Elsa, don't forget that Lord Frost came a long way to visit you, at least attend to your guest once you had finished dressing up appropriately."
Emily Jane was the first one to move to enter their house, passed by her father and their guest. Whispering loudly at the deity of winter, the little girl spoke candidly with joy sparkling in her eyes.
"I know, you are visiting my sister, Elsa, for two years now. Are you wooing her? If you are, I'm giving you my blessing as part of this family, since you two obviously liked the cold, have ice powers, loved the color blue, and looked so perfectly together!" Giving a wide smile at him, lied through her teeth, just to stir up things. "You know, she really likes you too, and she couldn't even wait for you to marry her. She's just too shy to say such."
"Emily Jane?! That's not kind!" Lady Pitchiner could not believe what she heard, grabbed the younger girl's arm and pulled her further inside the villa while Elsa who was covering herself with her mother's shawl, also covered her face too before Jack noticed her face blushed red, hurried inside the villa.
Not only that she came to know and like Jack Frost, but the way her wild-natured younger sister made everything always unpredictable.
However, the deity of winter was quick to notice her, smiled and laughed it out instead while feeling the same thing Elsa felt.
"That's Emily Jane…" Laughing, High General Kozmotis Pitchiner, controlled not to laugh boisterously unlike Jack who find it very hilarious.
Yeah, children, huh…
"How about you join us for dinner? I have important things to discuss to you tonight since I have received reports that the Dream Pirates were seen nearing the tip of my home constellation."
"You're gonna hunt them again."
"Yeah, I will be leaving tomorrow, and hopefully it will be my last hunt. I would like to spend the rest of my life in peace with my family."
"Not another word from you, please." Gesturing her to be silent and to stop her wild ways, the elder platinum blonde girl climbed down the main stairs while Emily Jane gave a teasing face and spoke to the elder girl.
"You are meeting with him again, just like every day. You looked very happy and excited when he is around. What do you call that?! Nothing?!"
"He visits me with letters from Tooth and my father, Bunny."
"Is that all?"
"Jack's a friend."
"Yeah, sure. Your intense and complicated "friendly" relationship with him." Her tone of voice remained dubious. "Same cycle between you two - you talked with him, he talked to you, then you two argued and fight about petty things, and then you both reconciled immediately, and then, the same old cycle continues." She gave a teasing look. "Next thing I will hear from you is that you love him, you hate him, and then you love him. Come on! Make up your mind!" Giving out an amused laughter, she spoke further. "No wonder the saying was always right - those who argue with each other, always ended up together in the end."
"I don't get it. Why do you like to pair anyone you see?"
"It's a part of the mystery of life. And well, it's in my nature, Elsa." Smiling wide at her, lively Emily Jane started to sing a taunting love song. The blue eyed girl didn't let herself be unnerved, walked calmly down the stairs and proceeded outside the gardens where she last saw him conversing with her parents.
Stepping out of the villa and hearing her father spoke upon seeing her joined them.
"Good, you're here. If you both excuse me, I had an urgent message to read, as for your mother, she will be preparing dinner. Shall we leave you two alone?" Lord and Lady Pitchiner stood up from their seats, the blue eyed boy followed suit, stood up but did not leave, glanced at the platinum blonde haired girl moving near him.
"Got only one letter for you, it's from your other father, Bunny…"Pulling out a sealed letter from his dark blue hooded long cloak, Jack handed it to Elsa who smiled gratefully at him and read silently the letter. Her beaming smile waned after reading the short letter from the Pooka. "Elsa, is something wrong?" Jack's voice whispered in concern beside her.
"He wanted me to visit him this instant." Elsa folded the letter and held it close to her chest.
"But he had recovered from his illness."
"That's what I also thought, that everything was alright. Why would he requested me to visit him tonight and stay with him in the warren?" Pondering, her blue eyes clouded with worry. "Well, it is alright for me to visit and stay with him in the warren, but tomorrow, my father, Lord Pitchiner will be leaving. It would not be good to just leave tonight."
"Then, reply him a letter that you would not be able to go." Jack replied her. "Maybe you could visit him after tomorrow."
The blue eyed girl nodded, agreeing with Jack.
"I think you're right…at least I have to say my goodbye before he sails out in space."
She almost thank him when she heard hurried footsteps of a servant, who informed them that dinner is ready, and that her family is waiting for her and Jack to join them.
After their dinner, Lord Pitchiner raised his glass goblet filled with white wine.
"I raise this glass for a toast for my wife's wonderful prepared dinner tonight, filled with the succulent bounties of the gifts of the seas, because after tomorrow, I will be missing it since I will be out in space once more. But, I promise you, my darling, I will be returning and expecting for your home cooking once I return back home, and that time, we will be all together."
The deity of winter raised his glass to give a cheers, followed by the rest of the high general's family, before they took a sip and drank their sparkling white wine.
And when they were finished, he excused him and Jack since they will be talking in private, while the rest of his family including Elsa left the dining hall.
Observing the blue eyed immortal boy when Elsa left, Lord Pitchiner spoke. "Two years ago, I remember I wrote you a very important letter. And in that letter I meant what I have written in there. Until now, you are not stating your claim, are you still interested at her, Jack? Because you seemed had distant yourself, turned friendly at her, and nothing else, unlike that long time passion and desire you've hold towards her which Freyja spoke of to all of us who are part in the Agreement."
Jack's blue eyes turned suddenly serious.
"Because if you aren't. You could stop and tell it directly in my face that you don't hold that certain interest towards her anymore!"
"Everything changes, doesn't it?" The white haired boy replied the high general whose lips curved into a frown. "I know your interests, like each of us has an interest in the Agreement. I know the moment when you adopted Elsa as a part of your family, you'll holding her up before me like a bait." The deity of winter paused. "You wanted me as part of your family for a long time, Lord High General Kozmotis Pitchiner. You who like every warrior would like the secrets of my warrior race as you once praised my greedy forefathers and their bloody conquests of the universes. And being part of your family, would do you not only honor, but greater privileges including the respect. No, I think I should use the correct word instead - fear." Jack raised his brow and decided to leave, stood up from his chair. "So, this is your way of protecting your family, you'll do anything even throw yourself in the dirt?! I suggest you count me out of it."
"I see, you finally thought you found a solution from your dilemma by losing interest at the one whom you desired the most. But the Agreement is still enforceable because there are some certain conditions still undone."
Jack faced the general. "So be it." Knowing it was a challenge, he will not be backing down, he knew the more he held on, the more it will be slipping away from his fingers. He had to retain his distance. It was better this way, Elsa is always meant to be free, away from any danger or harm especially those associated to him.
"Are you really sure about this?" The black haired man's silver-golden eyes focused intensely at the fellow immortal who scowled. "Because this is like déjà vu to you, running away by exiling yourself, and then being called irresponsible and selfish…" He paused for a moment. "Why I was like you before too - all alone. But you don't have to be alone, Jack."
"You don't understand anything! How many times do I have to tell all of you!"
Walking away to leave, the boy was furious and annoyed. It was clear that the general was further manipulating and tempting him. Somehow Lord Pitchiner showed a hint of utter desperation, became more determine in having him as part of his family.
"You are only saying those words, Jack, because you have no family unlike I do. And like me, I will do everything for them. Why not take her hand right now, and start a family with her!"
Losing his temper, he shouted his words, forcing to lie, just to silence the other immortal. "I don't love Elsa, and I'm not marrying her!" He grabbed hold of the door knob to open the door, ceased in his tracks when she stood motionless before him holding a tray with two cups of tea while a few feet behind her was Lady Pitchiner coaxing her to serve her father and her guest.
Shocked, the boy's blue eyes twitched, viewed the girl further entered and placed the tray on the table. The mortal girl entered in cold silence, clearly overheard everything as she concealed and pretended she never heard a thing.
"I thought you will be leaving." Lady Pitchiner showed subtle hostilities at the boy, finding him rude for she had also heard every word while her husband did not stop her from voicing out. "Please do leave, and don't forget to shut the door behind you."
