The Boy in the Tower

by Sirenfox


In Which a Chinwag is Had

After a good night's rest Aster was able to look at things more objectively. Considering the child's reaction to his near accident he hadn't meant to hurt him. If anything Aster would have guessed the opposite. The boy was attention starved and if he was right about Pitch abducting the boy then it was no wonder.

It still didn't explain what he was doing in that secluded ruin of a castle. Wouldn't Pitch want to keep an eye on the kid? Somewhere a bit closer to home.

He wouldn't be getting any answers from sitting around in the Warren. He'd have to talk to the boy. Not that that was any big hardship, the boy was fascinating.

And beautiful.

In a completely platonic, I want to etch your likeness onto a canvas for the whole world to see, sort of way.

*Frostbunny*

Jack waited with nervous excitement for his human to return the next day. He spent the majority of it sitting on the balcony with his feet dangling over the edge as he watched the shadowy courtyard below for his colorful visitor to arrive.

He hadn't touched his staff since the day before, going so far as to ignore Wind's attempts to tempt him into one of their usual lighthearted games.

Jack just could not bring himself to call on his magic. The memory of the human's free-fall to certain death hung over his head like a black storm cloud, leaving him in a foul mood.

He had all night to ruminate on the day before and how badly that could have ended. He'd come to the realization that his father was right. He was dangerous, and for once Jack was actually glad his father kept him so far away from the rest of the world.

He could only imagine the kind of destruction his unchecked power could cause. Who he would hurt, even if accidentally. He knew that if that were to ever happen he'd never be able to forgive himself.

Jack also had mixed feelings about seeing the human again. He'd already almost killed him once, so he was worried something even worse would happen should he return. But on the other hand Jack couldn't wait for him to come back.

He had so many questions.

Jack was so torn that he finally couldn't stay still any longer and raced down the stairs two at a time until he reached the bottom., When it became apparent that the stranger still hadn't shown up he started bouncing on the balls of his feet trying to curb some of the restless energy that was slowly building.

That didn't work for very long and soon he was pacing back and forth at the base of the tower. With all this time to think, Jack couldn't help but go over his short conversation with the human - if it could even be called a conversation. Jack hadn't said much, just stared at him like a complete idiot.

The human, on the other hand, had said quite a lot and that was what Jack had fixated on. There was one thing in particular that the man had said that stuck in his brain. What in the hell was a Chinwag? No matter how he turned it, he just couldn't figure it out.

It was worrying, Jack couldn't figure out if he was in trouble or not. The stranger hadn't seemed angry when he left, but that might just be the shock. When that wears off, well, who knew?

Time seemed to drag on for forever as he waited. And waited. And worried.

He'll come back, Jack told himself when that worry started to grow and warp alarmingly the more time passed with no sign of his guest.

He'll come back. He promised he would be back.

And yet, no matter how often he told himself that, Jack was struggling to believe it.

The human was a complete stranger to him and Father had often explained - in great detail - that all humans were liars.

Jack would not trust the man so easily…but that didn't seem to deter the tiny seed of hope hiding deep inside him that he wasn't able to snuff out. Hope that the human had told the truth and that he would return.

Unfortunately Hope was a dangerous thing to possess. It attracted Aster's attention and Father had tried his hardest to keep Jack safe from the pooka and the rest of the Big Four.

So Jack tried his hardest to smother the feeling, or when that failed, hide it under so many layers of ice that even Jack couldn't feel it anymore.

Sometime during his wait Jack had migrated back down to the courtyard and sat where the human had left him for a long time just staring at the ice blue flower now standing proudly in the center of the courtyard right beside his abandoned staff.

"He'll be back." Wind's gentle tugging on his hair finally pulled him from his spiraling thoughts and he focused on him instead, "He'll be back." He reassured his friend with a firm tone that was fooling no one, least of all Jack.

He ignored his skeptical companion and went about uprooting his new treasure. He cautiously climbed the stairs leading up the side of the tower.

Not even a fourth of the way up his legs and lungs were burning. How had the human done this? His father as well. They'd made it look so easy, but it was very quickly becoming apparent that Jack was not used to this type of exercise. Going down had been so much easier, yet he stubbornly persisted onward, gasping and wheezing for breath until legs gave out and he had to take a break.

How was the tower even this tall? He didn't remember it being this hard yesterday, when he went to bed. But most of the night before was a blur in his mind. After the human had left Jack had wandered back to the top of the tower almost in a daze. He'd laid in bed for a long time before sleep finally claimed him.

Now he lay on the stairs, resting his head back against the uppermost stair within his reach as he gazed resentfully up at where the stairs vanished around the side of the tower.

This was just ridiculous. Annoying. And Jack couldn't help but marvel over the human with a touch of Wonder which he smothered just as quickly as he had the Hope.

That was another dangerous emotion his father had warned him about. Jack almost couldn't say which scared him more, the thought of being mauled by the monstrous pooka or being at the mercy of the cutthroat Claws.

"Wind, help me up." He begged at last, he still needed to reach the top and laying there on the stairs wouldn't do any good. Wind huffed against his neck in exasperation, but obediently went about helping his friend up and supported him on the long agonizing trek up the impossibly long staircase.

Jack missed flying. But not enough to go back on his resolution.

Once his new flower was tucked away with the rest of his hidden garden Jack retreated back inside his tower.

He wasn't really in the mood to play, not with the dark turn his thought had taken lately. Besides his staff was still outside on the ground. Where it would remain forever if Jack had anything to say about it.

It was better this way, he couldn't hurt anyone without his staff, there was no chance of accidentally losing control if he just stopped using it. Not to mention he wasn't willing to climb all those stairs again. Not now at least. Maybe later…when everything stopped hurting.

*Frostbunny*

He'll come back.

He'll come back.

Jack chanted to himself about an hour later. He said he'd come back. Today.

Not that Jack would know if he did show up since he was currently hiding up in his tower, too frightened of what he might not find waiting for him down on the ground.

If he stayed up here he could always pretend he'd just missed the man…besides it would require climbing down all those stairs again and Jack had absolutely no interest in repeating that experience anytime soon.

Even if the human did show up, how long would he wait around for Jack before he gave up and left?

That thought had Jack pacing along the edge of the balcony as he fought with himself over what to do. The movement caused his aching body to scream in protest but the anxious energy gripping him was too strong to ignore and he needed to let it out one way or another.

This was the safest option.

Jack wouldn't even blame the man if he did grow tired of waiting and left, although the thought of it sent a pang of hurt directly to his heart. He sniffled and wiped angrily at his wet eyes. Storming back into the tower, angry with himself now. Why was he even crying? It didn't make any sense, he didn't even know the man so why would him not showing up matter at all to Jack?

Yet that didn't stop the sense of abandonment from enveloping him in gloom.

He was being so stupid. He knew that. The human was in danger every time he came to visit him, what if he came while father was there? Or worse yet, what if father returned early?

No, it was for the best if the human left and never came back.

That thought alone eased a bit of the hurt gripping his heart, he would much rather the human be safe than anything else. And it just wasn't safe for him here.

"Not bad, Frostbite." A familiar voice drawled from behind him, startling him out of his thoughts.

Jack gasped in alarm and spun around to confront the intruder before he'd even properly processed the accent or strange nickname.

The very human he'd just been thinking about was standing in the doorway glancing curiously around Jack's home. He fixed the boy with his vibrant green eyes, his mouth quirking up into a smirk. "Ya forgot something'." He teased tossing Jack's abandoned staff across the room.

Jack caught it automatically, pale fingers curling around the familiar wood. Jack's eyes traveled from the staff back up to the human in shock. "I-you came back." He stuttered, ignoring the tears prickling at his eyelashes.

The smirk slipped right off the human's lips, and he moved forward concern coloring his motions, "Course ah came back, ah told ya ah would."

Jack smiled, tremulous, back at the human. He was clutching his staff like a lifeline, not even really registering it's presence.

He came back.

He really came back. He…

Jack tilted his head to one side curiously as a thought occurred to him. "I don't even know your name….You have a name, right?" Did humans have names? He couldn't remember and he refused to keep calling him the human. That sounded rude, even in his head.

The human didn't look offended at least, only mildly amused. "Me friend's call me Bunny."

"Bunny?" Jack repeated, his nose crinkling in confusion, "Like the animal?" The second the question slipped out uninhibited and completely without permission from his brain, Jack slapped a hand over his mouth, utterly horrified with himself. Father would be disgusted with his manners, were he here.

But Bunny just chuckled, "Yeah, like te' animal." One furry eyebrow arched upwards, "And wha' 'should ah call ya, mate?"

Oh.

"Jack. Frost."

"Which one is it then, Jack or Frost?" Bunny teased the amused smirk reappearing.

"Jack." The boy answered with a smile of his own, "My name is Jack."

"Well, Jack, it's nice to officially meet ya," Bunny told him solemnly, reaching out one giant paw for a handshake.

Jack stared at it with wide eyes. He'd never actually had a handshake before, but he'd read about them. His eyes flicked up to meet Bunny's, but the human was just staring down at him patiently.

Nervously Jack reached out and slipped his own hand into the much larger paw. The silky feel of the man's fur under his fingertips was a pleasant contrast to the rough pads on his palm and Jack reveled in the contact, short-lived though it was.

A silence fell between them as they dropped their hands back down to their sides. It gnawed on Jack's nerves until he was practically vibrating, casting his mind about for something to say.

Bunny just watched him in amused patience until Jack couldn't take it anymore and burst out, "I have so many questions." Overeager, loud. He felt like banging his head against the tower wall at his own stupidity, but restrained himself. It was true, after all. He easily abandoned his staff against the wall and crowded close to the tall human.

Bunny smirked down at him, the expression becoming more and more familiar the longer Jack spent in his company, "Ask away, mate." He encouraged.

"What's it like? Out there?" It was the one question that itched at him the most.

At least at the moment.

*Frostbunny*

Aster watched the boy for a moment as he pondered how to answer that vague question, "'Ave ya' never been outside ta' glade?" He asked at last, deciding he would pose his explanation around the boy's answer.

Jack shrugged, turning his back and curling himself up on one of the chairs. It was enough to distract Aster momentarily - Aster had never seen anyone, especially a human, sit like a pooka before. It sent a brief pang of homesickness through him. Although, Jack's next words were enough to derail those thoughts completely.

"Father forbids it." Was his simple reply. Bunny knew that bothered Jack just because he refused to meet Bunny's eyes, slender fingers tugging at the bottom of his white shirt.

The pooka frowned, not liking where this was going. He could guess what Jack meant by that, but he had to ask anyway, "Father?" Just the thought of Jack referring to Pitch with that title sent a horrified shudder down his spine. He Hoped he was wrong, he really did.

"It's for my own safety, of course. He says if I leave they will find me." Jack was shaking by the time he finished explaining, a fine tremble that began in his fingers and spread like his frost, over the rest of him.

Aster was by his side in the blink of an eye, kneeling in front of him and enveloping those slender hands in his paws "Shh…it's awrigh'." He soothed, "Who is huntin, ya?" This didn't make any sense, was Pitch hiding him? From whom? Or was Pitch the one hounding his steps? Who were They? There was no way to know for sure unless he could get the boy to talk.

If Pitch was the one after him maybe Aster could convince the boy's father to move, go somewhere safer. Because if Aster found this place, Pitch would too. It was only a matter of time.

"The Big Four." Jack breathed, his blue eyes so wide and innocent that Aster had almost missed what he had said completely. The pooka blinked, comprehension slowly settling over him. Maybe he had heard that wrong? The boy was still speaking though, so Aster forced himself to focus on that, "They can't find me! Please, you can't tell them where I am." The longer he spoke the more frantic he became until he was breathing so hard Aster was afraid he might pass out.

"It's okay. It's okay, shhh. Yer fine, ah won' tell em. Ah promise." He cooed, "Jus' breath mate, yer fine."

Slowly Jack's breathing leveled out and returned to a far more healthy level. Those hypnotizing blue eyes gazed searchingly into Bunny's soul. He couldn't say what the boy was looking for, but he slowly relaxed. The boy's slender fingers combing through the soft fur on Bunny's paws.

"Now, how 'bout ya explain why yer hidin' from 'em." He hesitated in putting a name to the nightmare for multiple reasons. He still wasn't sure if they were even talking about the same group, maybe there was another 'big four' out there that Aster hadn't heard of?

Unlikely.

The look Jack gave him at that question told him Jack thought it was the stupidest thing he'd ever heard. "They're monsters." He explained so earnestly Aster might have believed him had he not known differently

"Right. Course." Aster muttered his mind reeling, "But why you? There's gotta be a reason, they never do anythin' without a reason."

Jack glanced away, his emotions flashing across his face and Aster knew he was asking the right questions. "They'll take my magic away." He whispered, as if even saying it out loud could draw their attention.

Aster reeled back as if struck, "Bu' tha' would kill ya." He gasped, horrified that anyone would even suggest such a thing. It wasn't a quick painless death and often drove the victim crazy before they committed suicide. Not even Pitch deserved that.

Well...maybe Pitch.

Jack shrugged once again, trying for nonchalance, but his tense shoulders and averted eyes belied him, "Like I said, monsters."

Obviously someone had been filling Jack's head with horror stories and Aster had a sneaking suspicion about who. If Jack thought the Big Four were going to kill him, the only person who could be behind that was Pitch. Aster's original guess was becoming more and more likely.

He closed his eyes and decided he needed to bring this conversation back on track. "How long, exactly, have you been …stuck…here." Aster asked, it couldn't have been for too long and it would definitely give him a timeline.

Jack's face screwed up as he thought about it, "I'm not sure, two…three centuries. Maybe?" He offered with an easy shrug, completely oblivious to the pooka's mounting horror.

Three hundred years?

Impossible.

They would have known…wouldn't they?

But Jack wasn't lying, Aster could tell. The pit in his stomach that had appeared when he'd first found the boy just kept growing, yawning open and threatening to engulf the pooka in guilt.

"Three." He finally manage to croak. Jack glanced up at the strange sound that escaped Aster with the word. The boy stared at him for a long moment before cracking up.

Aster quickly schooled his expression into a glare directed at the laughing boy. When the boy finally caught his breath he beamed at Aster warmly, "It's not that bad." He lied and when Aster continued to stare at him unimpressed he admitted, "Okay, so it can be a bit boring."

Boring.

Aster nodded stiffly, his mind spinning. That was one hell of an understatement, if he'd ever heard one.

The kid was resilient, he had to give him that. Hoping to distract from the unfortunate turn their conversation had taken, Bunny brought them back to the real reason he was still here. "Ah believe ya 'ad some questions fer meh?" If he could help Jack in any way, he would, even if it was as simple as answering some questions about what was outside this tiny little cage.

"How did you find me? I've never had a guest before. What's it like out there? Have you ever seen the sun? Does it hurt? How did you make those flowers? I've never seen anything so bright before. Are all flowers so bright?" He stumbled to a stop and stared at Aster with wide frightened blue eyes his bubbly zeal unexpectedly replaced with a grave earnestness, " I didn't hurt you yesterday, did I?" Those bright eyes dimmed and swiftly swept over the pooka's long figure as if searching for hidden injuries, before shifting to focus on something behind him.

Aster glanced back over his shoulder, seeing a dark brown shepherd's crook sitting against the wall. The staff had been alive in the boy's hand, glittering with magic and frost. Now it appeared as no more than an old, dead branch.

With a slight frown Aster turned his attention back to the boy sitting forlornly before him. "Ya din't 'urt me, mate. Gave me a bit a' fright, but no 'arm done." He told the boy, patting his knee comfortingly.

The boy didn't look at him, his eyes dropping down onto his own lap where his hands were clenched together tightly. He stared down with a haunted expression that had no right to be on his face. "You fell off the tower. I threw you off the tower. You could have died and it's all my fault. Why did you even come back?" He asked, turning his wide, watery blue eyes up to meet Aster's own.

Aster's heart ached for the boy, he was obviously horrified by what had happened more so than even Aster was, and he was beginning to suspect the boy might be traumatized as well. "Was mah fault as much as yers." When it looked like the boy would protest, Aster leaned forward so the boy had no choice but to look him dead in the eyes., "Now' Ya listen ta me. Ah startled yeh, You reacted in self defense. Yeah, 'ah did fall off the tower, but yeh came after me."

The boy ducked his head, bright eyes hidden behind his snowy fringe, "Wind saved you. Not me." He demurred.

That caught Aster off guard. "Wind?"

The question caused the boy to perk up a little, a slight smile settled on the boy's lips, "Wind's my best friend" The boy waved his hand and a light breeze ruffled Aster's fur. "He says hi."

Aster felt his heart sink like a stone at the boy's brilliant smile. He tentatively returned the look. "It's nice at meet ya." He awkwardly told the air, not wanting to offend or alarm the boy.

'Wind' swirled around him and Aster's gaze returned to the boy, unable to tear his eyes from Jack's beautiful smile.

Aster remained for a couple more hours before he had to head out. The boy had so many questions, and Aster did his best to answer them. He hated leaving Jack there alone, but he had actual work to do. Naturally Jack wasn't happy about it, either. "Do you have to go?" The boy whined as he followed him down the stairs.

Aster glance back at him briefly, but those wide imploring blue eyes were too much so he had to look away again.

"Sorry mate, Ya know ah can', but ah'll be back tamarra', promise." Aster tried to reassure the boy.

Jack nodded but that knowledge didn't cheer him up any and he continued to sulk the rest of the way down.

Aster stopped at the bottom of the stairs and turned to face the boy. Jack was standing two stairs up staring at his feet obviously depressed.

Aster breathed a heavy sigh, lifting the boy's face to look at him by placing two furry fingers under the boy's pointy chin. "Ah'll try an' come by early. Chin up Jack, Ah'll see ya in ta' mornin'."

Jack forced a smile, trying to appear unaffected, but it was a fixed and brittle thing.

Aster ruffled the kid's hair before dropping down a tunnel. He needed to talk to North.

*Frostbunny*

When Bunny finally left, Jack quickly uprooted the new flower, turning around to whisk it to safety atop his tower. A flash of vibrant color caught his eye as he turned to climb the stairs.

Jack slowly turned his head, eyes landing on another small colorful flower tucked up against the tower. He glanced down at the blue blossom in his hand then over to the purple one.

Weird. Was Bunnie's visits causing flowers to pop up all over the place? Or was someone else sneaking around his tower. Neither one was a good option. It didn't even occur to him that Bunny's visits would leave two flowers behind, one when he arrived and one when he left.

He walked over and knelt down to examine the flower. It was exactly like the on in his hand with the exception of the color and Jack already knew the flowers came in a variety of colors so that wasn't very helpful.

Jack carefully extracted that plant as well, glancing quickly around the courtyard but not seeing anything else he continued on his way. He didn't even want to think about what could happen if someone else had found him. He'd need to go check the glade in regular intervals just to make sure the flowers weren't spreading. He didn't need his father finding one lurking in the shadows of the castle.

Jack glanced down at the two flowers and breathed out calmingly. He'd just have to ask Bunny about it tomorrow. In the meantime he needed to find something to stick these in. He couldn't keep using the glassware, or he wouldn't have anything to use himself. Two more wouldn't hurt anything, but if Bunny meant to keep visiting him Jack would need to think of something else.

With the new goal Jack headed back up the stairs.


I am so sorry about the late update. I know it's been forever since the last chapter but these last few months have been a bit hectic what with comic con and all. I'd like to say the next few chapters will be on time, but I can't make any promices. I'm participating in Nanowrimo next month, an original story I hope to get published, and that takes priority. If I get the time I will try though. Thanks for your patients.

Please take time to review, you don't know how often I use your feedback to help with the revision of the next few chapters so please don't hold back. Let me know all your thoughts on this chapter or the story in general.

Review!