Heart flew for what seemed like ages. Jack followed a ways back, trying to hide behind clouds when he could, but there wasn't much need to. Heart seemed to absorbed in her own thoughts to look behind her. Both of them flew from North's shop to the tip of Germany, over a large forest of evergreens covered in a small layer of melting snow. Piles of the white powder lay in heaps all around the huge pine trunks. Heart seemed to have gotten tired of flying and landed in a small clearing surrounded by a ring of trees and a huge, round rock three times as tall as herself. Jack landed a few feet back from the clearing, where the trees where dense but he had a good view of Heart. She had her back to him, and for a while she just stood there, as if she was a statue. Jack caught the slightest movement only from her hands as they closed into fists, so hard her knuckles turned white and she arms shook.
With a frustrated yell, she suddenly whipped to her right and sent a ball of fire hurtling towards the rock face. It landed with a boof as it dispersed, leaving a black scorch mark on the rock. She chucked another, and another, and another, until her fireballs grew smaller and dimmer. Soon she was sweating and breathing hard, but she wasn't done. Her fireballs turned into daggers and her aim diverted from the rock to the nearest tree. Unfortunately, that was the tree Jack was hiding behind. He gasped and flattened himself against the back of the trunk as the knife sank into the it behind him. Heart paused for a moment (Jack couldn't tell why, he was facing away from her), so he quietly tried to slide away to the nearest tree. Just then another dagger embedded itself into the branch next to him. He quickly withdrew to his previous hiding spot.
Jack closed his eyes, listening to more angry cries and knifes hitting the tree with hard thuds. He went over what he knew in his head, trying to be logical with his thoughts. Seeing that Heart hadn't noticed him but the dagger had still come closer to where he was, that had probably just been instinct to hit things that moved. So she hadn't actually seen him. Good. Unfortunately, that also meant that he was stuck behind this tree... the one tree an angry Heart decided to attack. Jack sighed. Out of all the trees, she picked this one. Oh, joy.
Heart kept at it for a good fifteen minutes. Jack made a few more attempts at escape, but no luck. When the daggers stopped coming, Jack risked a tentative peek at his friend. She was exhausted, breathing hard and sweat pouring down her face, and she finally seemed to have calmed down a little. Not much, but a little. With a loud sigh, she turned around and took to the skies... yet again. Jack waited a moment to give her a head start before following.
After a while, Heart flew into a cloud, and when Jack followed and emerged a few seconds later, he was alarmed to see that his friend had disappeared. He looked around for a moment before spotting a nearby cave in the cliff side to his right. Relaxing ever so slightly, he made his way to the entrance. He landed on the outcropping and peaked inside. Towards the back of the cave sat Heart, facing the back wall.
"You don't have to hide." she grumbled. "I know you're there." Jack, seeing no more purpose in hiding, stepped into plain sight behind his friend. "Why'd you follow me?" she asked over her shoulder. "Just wanted to make sure you were okay." he answered. Heart gave a hollow laugh. "No, you didn't." she said, standing up and turning to face Jack. "You want answers." "Well, yeah, some answers would be nice, sure." Heart sighed and brushed past him. "I knew it." "I mean, it would have been nice if you had at least mentioned it." Jack paused. "Why didn't you mention it? Did you not think we were trustworthy or something? We wouldn't have treated you any differently. I mean, what were your reasons? Because, honestly, I can't see any. So, why didn't you tell-"
"I don't know!" Heart suddenly shouted, whipping around to face him. Jack was shocked into silence by the sight of tears streaming down her cheeks. Not in the whole time he had known her, Jack had never been able to even imagine Heart crying. "I just... I don't know why." She sobbed, leaning against the cave wall and sliding to the floor. Jack, feeling rather guilty, sat next to her.
"You and the other Guardians all wish that you had families." she said through tears. "That's one of the reasons you want to be seen and believed in. You all know that, even though your original families are gone, you can substitute them with others. Friends are the closest thing you all have to family. But you all take it for granted. You assume that all families are perfect and loving. But not all of them are." she spat. "Growing up knowing I was literally the child of fear, all I wanted to do was get away from my family. Besides, you and the Guardians have each other. You all are family. I don't have anything like that. I don't even have anyone that believes in me. All your believers are children, all too young for love. By the time they are, they think believing in spirits are for kids. I mean, who do you know who believes in Cupid?"
Heart broke down then, putting her face in her hands and sobbing uncontrollably. Jack, an attempt that he hoped was comforting, wrapped one of his arms around her shoulders. She gave into his touch, leaning against him as the hot tears came. And there the two friends sat, silhouetted against the setting sun.