Chapter 21 – A Just Encounter
"Please tell me we are not going to come tumbling out of this like a swirling heap of sardines, again, like last time, are we?" we all heard Saige cry as she was the last one pulled through the portal after us, the frosty ground disappearing beneath our feet as we instead entered the glass-shimmery portal that Castor had created.
Even Castor cracked a smile as a bunch of us laughed, making sure we each had our hands grasped together like he had instructed us to do. Almost everyone had their eyes closed due to the portal's intensity of brightness. However, being at the head of the line next to my sister and Castor, I had to admit that seeing the auroral plane of his creation was quite a sight to see.
"How did you create this? It's like the Northern Lights," I found myself breathing out, seeing Castor's unique two-hued gaze settle on my own as he only lightly smiled, amused at my joy. From behind me, where Snow was gripping my shoulder, due to her other arm still being her sling, she asked, "The portal is made of snow? How did you do that?"
Hearing Snow's words, it did leave us thinking and wondering more about him in general, especially in the way he was able to conjure up a winter-shimmery portal from just the mere toss of what looked to be a normal snowball. "It's not snow. Actually, it is no mere different in how each of you are able to do your abilities. Even your young friend, here … Dusty, right?" Castor asked, watching me smile as Cloud looked down at me and Snow frowned. "Even your Dusty can make things out of thin air appear. Why is it that you guys find me so interesting all of a sudden?" To our stunned silence, he only said, "I see. So, where was it you needed to go?"
"North's workshop," Cloud said immediately, knowing all of us were wanting to get there quickly. "Our families are waiting for us there." Seeing him turn his head back to the front where his hand started to raise to open another portal, she also said, "North's the head of the pole. Don't worry, Castor, he is really nice. You'll see."
Saying nothing, Castor only closed his eyes as I felt him empty his mind and whip his hand down in a magical wave, all of us feeling the magical winter stream leave before we all closed our eyes and felt the current of the portal leave our feet, where we felt solid metallic ground. Opening our eyes, we all saw the curious gaze of North's little elves stare up at fright and shock, almost as if we had emerged out of thin air.
Lowering his head to their level, all Castor said was, "boo", to which all the little elves screamed and scattered, except for one as he clasped ahold of Castor's bootleg and stayed there in shivery fear.
"That wasn't really nice," Solar said, earning a stale look from him as he only shrugged at everyone's worry. Picking up Snow with one arm, it was an evident fact that Jack and Snow were the only ones laughing at the fleeing elves, the last one Castor removing from his boot in a gentle tug as he tweaked his hat as he let his go. Dropping his staff on the ground as he sidled Snow, Jack stopped laughing to see that a few of the last few elves were then swept up in a whirl of Jack's wintry frost as they were left sliding to the far ends of the floor.
"What the …?" Jack said picking up his staff, getting Snow's attention as she asked, "What's wrong, Dad?"
"Nothing, Pepper-Flake. Watch," he said, touching the top part of his staff to the point of North's floor as it lifted to reveal a small patch of crystallized ice before them all as everyone gasped, seeing the renewal of Jack's magic.
"You did say the 'workshop', right?" Castor asked, picking up one of the half-finished toys left behind by one of the yetis as he studied it, noticing a tuff of the hair of the one who was making it stuck in it. Fingering it, he pondered, "Funny, I always thought the elves made the toys. Where is everyone?"
"You're kidding, right?" Saige asked him, completely annoyed. "They're in the Globe Room! Up there!"
Hearing something crash up on the globe floor, everyone ran to the lift, except for me and my Dad as we both used our sands to make us rise to the top floor, to see what was going on as Jack only picked up Snow as he called forth his wintry wind to 'fly' them up instead of following everyone else. Seeing Castor just standing there, Snow called, "Hey! Aren't you coming?"
"Guys, hurry!" I called down at them, the scene in front of my eyes filling me both with relief and fear as Angel turned her ireful yet spiteful grin towards all of us as we arrived on the scene in front of us all. "She's here."
"What?!" Castor breathed out, showing pure concern as he made his appearance behind us, too, listening to her maniacal crazed laughter as though she was completely unfazed.
Racing over to my mother, who only slightly hugged me in return, I watched as she and Dad, and all of the Guardians raise up newfound vigor as we all turned to see that most of the lights on the Globe remained steadily bright despite a few that were flickering.
"What are we waiting for?!" Saige said, looking at all of us as we didn't make a move towards her. "Guys?!"
"Saige, just wait," Taylor said, calming down her friend, picking up on something else I was slowly becoming aware of, too.
"You know, I'll admit something," Angel said, rising to her wings to fly high above the globe, a distinct trail of dark sand falling from her strangely and over the globe as she only peered at the still evident sign(s) of belief still apparent in Burgess, despite her previous work of obvious influence and idle destruction. "Kids are not as prone to fear and to doubt, as I been lead to believe before. Why, even in the mere presence of their senses, whether it apparent or not, it is obvious that some are keen and resilient enough to withstand it. How, I wonder?"
"There are some that just refuse to lose faith," we all heard Aunt Casey say, to which Snow only ran to her mother as Jack put her down, relieved that her mother was alright. "And sometimes, that's all it takes to ignite the next assault of strength to right the wrong."
"You know, you all have been warped to the point of no return, you know? Castor, you're here as well, hmm," Angel said, still cackling as her eyes settled on her son, finally noticing him among the kids, who didn't return her gaze. Turning her head, she fastened her eyes on North, who was holding up two of his swords in troublesome grief as she flew closer, where some of her sands fell across his eyes and made his expression turn vacant, and spoke demurely. "North, dear, you've let the main Man in the Moon himself convince you that everything we do is for those kids, right? What was it you've always said? 'It is our job to watch over the children of the world, and keep them safe,' wasn't it? I'm only trying to show them the truth of what really exists …"
"ENOUGH!" North shouted, throwing a snow globe down that made a light mist coat him, to which he disappeared in. Appearing right behind her, she slowly turned as his two blades came together with a magical glow that nearly hit her but was instead shielded against a sudden magical shield that covered her as the strike only made her spin as she flipped. "Pitch! Let her go!" Stunned, she only fell briefly as she corrected her fall in time to see Castor rush forward to block North's next cross-hit with his own sword, to North's shock and awe. "What is this?!"
"North, stop it!" Terra cried, Luna holding her mother back and commanding the others to do the same as she saw Castor had it under control, to everyone's shock.
"Leave her alone!" Castor shouted, thrusting North's stance back with a single push that left the burly toy-maker breathing in a hard but slightly painful gasp as he felt to his knees. Castor then knocked down the swords out of his hands with a familiar two-parry strike, pushing them away from his father before he could pick them back up. Looking up to see that the young lad had tears in his eyes, North's sudden episode of anger and grief all but subsided as he read something else, too, in his son's gaze … heartbreak.
"North!" Bunnymund cried, eager to rush to his friend's aid, but was surprised when North just raised his hand for him to stop in his tracks, tears rushing down his eyes as he all but collapsed to the floor, his hands coming up to cover his tears. Knowing it was not over, Castor turned to face his mother bluntly as she only allowed her face to show no fear, even in the eyes of her son. Contrary to their leader's order, however, the shortest member of the Guardians ignored North's order as he threw a glowing yet infused mist ball right in Angel's face, to which she only took as she first moaned, fainted, and then fell. "Good throw, Sandy!"
Sliding forward, Castor immediately got right under his mother as he caught her, his face looking straight up into his father's shock and everyone's curious gazes as the children noticed he had one final snow orb in his hands.
"Stop him!" Snow said, recognizing what he was fixing to do as he just threw the ball to the floor, which created a brief yet narrow portal. Dropping her in front of them all and watched her disappear inside it, Castor then closed his eyes and brought his sword down in it, sealing it closed as he collapsed in front of them all on the banks of his knees.
"Ok, can somebody just tell me what happened?" Aurora spoke up, appearing from behind her father in sheer fear as Narain held both of her hands to her mouth in silence and shock. Looking up, Dusty saw her Mom and Sandy both approach North with a herbal kit to wipe the lingering specks of dust from his eyes that his tears did not wash out. As Terra walked past her with Song in tow, she heard Aurora say, "Terra?"
"Not now," was all Terra said, as she instructed Narain, Tooth, Bunnymund, Jack, and Sandy to move him into the main sitting room to rest. Helping them move him to where he would be more comfortable, she returned a moment later to watch the kids approach him with different expressions, all in silence.
"Castor," Dusty said, trying to get him to look up as she and Cloud came over to sit on either side of him in support. Tears were still streaking down his cheeks as he continued to say nothing. Looking up, Dusty tearfully smiled as her mother appeared and came over, too, sensing a good heart in him like her daughters as she just calmly placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, showing him that they were just there to listen.
"Please …Please, tell me I did the right thing," was all they heard him say as he simpered.
"You did the just thing, my dear," Windsong said, much to the joy of both of her daughters to show that she trusted their discretion to do everything they could to support him. "Did you know she was here?"
Looking up into Song's eyes, he truthfully said, "No."
"He helped us to get back," all three of them heard Snow say as she walked up, too, connecting her dual-hued gaze with Castor's, showing her trust in him on common ground. "But you also did more than that. Do you know where you sent her?"
Shocking everyone with her question, Dusty knew it was a risk to ask because of Castor's actions and unpredictable tendencies towards secrecy. However, Castor surprised them all with an answer, "She's somewhere she won't hurt herself and anybody else, and that's all I'm going to say."
'Okay, well it's a start', Dusty inwardly thought to herself as she and Cloud each offered a hand to help Castor up. "That's fair. Now, I think I think it's time for us to introduce you to North as the side of our bargain."
"Huh?" Castor asked, not meaning to let his mind speak aloud, to which the girls (including Snow) giggled at. Inviting him to come in with them, they all brought him into the other room where they all knew the adults were attending to his father to wait.
"Hey, can you teach me that trick?" Snow asked him as he sat down, catching Castor's attention as she summoned a snowball in her hand. "The snowball portal thing that you do."
Grinning a bit, Castor only said, "I'm not sure you're going to be able to do it."
"Why not?" Snow challenged him, to which he only opened his hand and magically made a snow iris appear in his hands, to which he gave her as she gave him a squint.
"Well, it's a little hard to explain ... I ..."
"I know, you know magic, right?" Snow said, earning from him a smile.
Coming over to check on Snow, Blaze asked her if she was alright, to which she only gave him an ornery grin with a nod, falling back to thwack him in the head with a wet snowball when his back was turned. Hearing Snow and Blaze chase each other, Dusty and Cloud led Castor forward when they heard Terra say, "Alright, he should be alright now. He just needs some rest."
"W- … What … What happened?" North asked, blinking open his eyes to see everyone looking at him with relief, especially when his eyes locked beyond theirs and connected Castor's instead. Seeing the young lad, North just warmly chuckled and Castor then let loose his first shy grin since he got there. "Oh, it's you." Chortling a bit, he only rested a hand on Castor's sword hand as he said, "You've got quite a talent for that sword of yours, boy. I'm sorry for what you had to see in there."
Saying nothing, Castor only lowered his head in acceptance as Terra rested his hand on his back in a comforting manner for what was to come next.
"North," she said, seeing that the bout that he had just went through was pulling on his last reserve as his eyes almost slid shut. "Before we let you rest, you should know that …"
"Know what?" North said, his breathing becoming peaceful as he then fell asleep on them.
Leaning forward into his ear, Terra whispered a few choice words about Castor into North's ear as the kids were led away to get some rest by the rest of the Guardians, who wanted to hear the full story. Taking a pause, she also said, "You should know that that boy is your son and Angel's, too. His name is Castor and he ... He just saved your life."
According to the last posting of this story, this story has been hiatus for 4 years. Well, no more, because here is the latest update for our sequel. I hope you readers don't mind if I apologize for my late posting of this story. I've been through a couple of things in the past couple of years, and I
am so happy to see that I finally got back to this story.
More info coming on Castor coming soon, I promise!
Thank you for your continued support of this fanfic, and until next time. Enjoy!