Sorry!
I know I said that updates would be more frequent but as my GCSE's are going to start next year, my dad is pressuring me to concentrate. I really don't want to let him down, but I don't want to let you all down either. So any small chance i get, I will write. Hopefully I will have the last chapter of Frosted up soon after this one.
Moon, now to thing that makes my day.
Guest Reviews:
Sofie Rose: Bunny, I'm glad you think it's ace but just stop arguing with Sofie and Tooth. They're right. Deal with it. (He'll have to admit it sooner or later, Jack, otherwise I might have to embarrass him more. Much more:)
Iloveanimals: Until the end.
Enjoy! Your happiness is my happiness!
The following months were difficult.
The other 3 Guardians took it in turns to go to the Warren and just keep an eye on Bunny.
For a week or so, he just slept in Jack's room, only getting up to eat and bathe at Tooth's threatening.
One day, while Sandy was with him, the Pooka's ears shot up, as if he had an idea. Before he could be questioned, Aster zoomed out of the room and ran deep into the Warren.
Sandy let him leave, knowing his old friend well. Just as the old Guardian predicted, Aster returned a few hours later, stating that neither he, nor the other Guardians needed to keep an eye him anymore.
He slowly reverted to the habits of his previous life, before Jack's guardianship, with a few differences.
He spent his time planting new plants in preparation for Easter. He had to look after the rivers the dye, to ensure they remained clean and bright.
When he finished that, he went to a hidden part of the Warren to work on a secret project of his.
After a month, he began to slowly attend the Guardian meetings. At first, he was quiet, just listening to the hustle and bustle of the Workshop. The third meeting he went to was when he started to engage with the others. Soon, he was back to his former sarcastic quips and even more sarcastic jokes.
Three months passed and the Guardians convinced him to start attending Seasonal Meetings again.
Silence flooded the room when he entered. Stella and the Groundhog were absent, suffering the consequences of trying to tip the balance of nature. Aestas and Solis stood up and lead him to the table.
The meeting was forgotten.
Stories of Jack's escapades were shared amongst the two Summer, two Autumn and one Spring spirit.
Mother Nature silently excused herself, noticing the hostile air coming from Aster. In his eyes, his grief was all because of her, and she didn't blame him. The decision to give Jack the Hearts was a foolish one on her part.
Mother Nature wandered down the halls of her recently rebuilt palace, not knowing what to do with the extra time she had gained.
She was about to carry out Jack's usual Winter duties when a shout stopped her.
"Mother Nature!" She turned around and saw, to her surprise, Aster. He stopped just before he bashed into her.
"I'm sorry, Bunny." She said. "I should have thought everything through before I-" Aster raised his paw, signalling her to stop talking.
"I know you couldn't have possibly have foreseen what happened," Aster started. "But 'sorry' doesn't bring him back any faster."
Mother Nature pursed her lips. It was uncommon for a spirit under her command to be so rude towards her, especially when she was trying to fix her mistakes, so this was a new experience.
But Bunny, wasn't just her Head of Spring. He was a father. A Pookan father, at that. He had almost lost his son several times before. He wasn't going to get his son back for a while, now. The only way he would feel a little bit of relief is if confronted the reason his son was gone.
She remained silent as Bunny ran his law over his ears, clearly distressed. When he looked back up at her, she could see water in his eyes.
She may be Mother Nature, but she was no parent. She would never feel the same as Aster only because it wasn't her child.
"Look, jus' when he comes back, don't come ta see him unless he wants ta see ya." Mother Nature opened her mouth to refuse but he had long vanished into the Earth.
Aster came back to the Warren to find Tooth waiting for him. He couldn't help the small smile that appeared on his face when he saw her. If she hadn't told him to get off his furry posterior, he would've never confronted Mother Nature the way he just did.
"How did it go?" She asked gently, seeing the stress showing through his fur. They had become good friends over the last few months.
Not that they weren't before.
It was just that, Bunny used to be secretive, and still was, but now wasn't afraid to share if he needed.
Aster wiped his eyes clean and grinned. The tears had long stopped falling. Jack wouldn't be happy if he found out that all Aster did was cry for him.
"Everyone talked for a bit and I told Mother Nature to stay away. She wasn't very happy at being told what to do!"
Tooth chuckled. "I bet she wasn't."
Bunny laughed, knowing that Tooth secretly wanted to rant at Mother Natures high and mighty attitude.
The fairy looked at the sun. "I've got to get going."
Bunny nodded, knowing that she didn't actually need to leave. This was normally the time that he went to work on the secret projecat, so there was no point in her staying.
Tooth began to bade him farewell when a blinding light emited from the Burrow.
Instinct forced Aster to run in, despite the blinding light. Tooth tried to follow, but the light was too intense for her eyes. How Aster could navigate his way, she didn't know. All she did was hope for the best.
Aster had no idea what possessed his body to run into potential danger as it did.
But then he heard a voice.
"Daddy?" A vision flashed into his mind.
A small brunette boy waddled up to the tall man, resting in his chair.
"Daddy!" He said more urgently.
The eyes of the man cracked open, a smile following in its wake.
"Hey, there."
The man's breath was cut off and wheezy. However, despite his ill state, he reached out and plucked the small boy onto his lap.
"What's my big boy been up to today, huh?"
The child became excited.
"I skated on the lake without Mommy's help!" He crowed happily.
"How about Flee?" The man asked.
The boy frowned. "Flee can't stand on her skates yet."
"But you'll teach her, won't you?"
The boy nodded furiously. "I'll be de best ice skating teacher evwr!" He told the man, his lisp coming through a little clearer. Suddenly, the boy grew somber. "Mommy says you awe leaving. When will you go?"
The man settled back in his chair. "Very soon, my boy."
"When will you come back?" Now tears were welling up in his eyes as well as the man's.
"I-I may not."
Afraid that he was going to say that, the child began to cry. "Please don't go, Daddy!"
His father pulled him into a hug, rocking him gently and gently patting his back. The boy's mother came in, holding a young girl who was about 2 years old. Tears were silently falling down her face, but she stayed by the door.
She had already said goodbye, beforehand. So had her daughter. Now it was her son's turn.
"Listen to me, Jack." His dad told him. "One day, you're going to be a very special boy. And one day, you're going to find someone who will be a better father than me."
"That's not possible." Jack pouted. His father sadly chuckled.
"Wait until you find him. He'll look after you. He will go to the ends of the earth for you. But he will always come back. Promise me, when you find him, you'll always go back to him."
"I pwomise, Daddy." The boy linked his pinky with his father's.
Jack watched as his father's eyes slowly closed and his chest stopped moving.
His mother came in, crying. The young brunette didn't understand why she was crying. Then Jack realised.
His father had just left them, and Jack would never see him again.
He looked down at his pinky, still entwined with his father's.
"I pwomise, Daddy." He whispered.
As sudden as it started, the vision ended. He was in Jack's room, the only indication of that was the snow at his feet.
Bunny saw the diamond, which he had left in Jack's nest amongst his blankets. It was the source of the light. The light slowly dimmed and Aster gasped.
The diamond was still there, but holding it tight in his grasp, shivering weakly, was Jack.
He looked sickly, but the waves of energy coming off the boy indicated he was much better than before.
"Jack?" He whispered.
Jack slowly opened one eye. It was a brighter blue than Aster remembered.
"I'm made promise. I don't plan on breaking it." He gave a weak smile before drifting off to sleep.
Aster came forward slowly: as if in a trance. It had been months. He was just getting to grips with the fact that it would take a minimum of a year of Jack to get better. He was prepared to wait decades, centuries, eons even!
And just over 4 months later, he had reappeared.
'What if he gets sick again?' Aster silently panicked.
'What if he loses his powers because he hasn't spent enough time in the Hearts?'
'What if..'
"Bunny! What happened?" The Pooka started. He had forgotten Tooth was still in the Warren. He silently stepped aside and let her take in the situation.
"Jack!" She fluttered forward, checking him over gently so as to not wake the tired boy.
Bunny watched her anxiously. "Is he...is he alrigh'?"
Tooth turned to him. "Be grateful, Aster. All he needs a bit of rest. Otherwise, he is more powerful than before."
It was then that Aster realised he been essentially holding his breath. Why was he worrying?
His boy was home.
That's all that mattered.
Tooth mentioned needing to get back to her Palace. Aster mumbled a farewell and carefully climbed into the nest, trying not to jostle Jack around.
He stared at the child, who instinctively curled up against his furry chest.
"I promise, Daddy." Jack mumbled. His cold pinky finger found Aster's and linked.
Aster smiled and lay down, drifting to sleep with one thought in mind.
"He's home."