Through the hole in the wall, the cold wind washed into the bunker. The edges of the wood broke off in fragments, splinters still chipping off by the rushing wind. The sky outside was stuck in a perpetual confusion; above, the clouds rolled gently, thick with snow and ice that whirled through the air. Below, however, the stark white glaciers, dotted with small bursts of ocean blue, jutted into the air, sometimes as soft as the clouds above, and other times as sharp as crystal diamonds on the rocks.

Jack shivered as he looked out of the hole. He drew the feather-lined coat around him tighter, tucking his face into the soft neck of the snow blue hood. His breath steamed out in front of him, pale compared to the thick cotton above. Grey gloves covered his hands, and black boots his feet, even though he'd protested profusely against both of them. No matter how much he loved the cold, Aster had told him, this temperature was too dangerous even for the young inventor.

But that wasn't what he was thinking about at this moment, as he stared out of the broken hull, unconsciously trying to decide white mass of white was the sky and which one was the ground.

A sudden gust of wind blew through the hole like a spout, whipping the hood from his head. He yelped as the snow bit his face, mingling with his white hair that danced in the wind. Quickly, he tugged the hood back over his head, and folded his arms, letting his shivers die down.

He really loved the cold.

"That's the first sound you've made since breakfast, mate," called Aster from the door.

The Australian entered the near-empty bunker, gazing around at the bare wooden walls and the two holes in the charred floor. He was bundled up tighter than a Christmas present, two thick jackets over his three cotton shirts as he grumbled unhappily under his breath. Thick boots came halfway up his calves, and his hood was pulled down to cover his grey hair. A black scarf covered the bottom half of his face, and yet the man still shivered.

Jack didn't answer, only glancing at him before turning back to the hole. If Aster was offended, he didn't show it, instead crossing the room to join Jack.

When he felt the cold from the exposed space, he cursed aloud.

"I don't know how you stand it, Jack," Aster grumbled, pulling his scarf further up his face. He glanced sideways at the younger man. "You really should be wearing your scarf. You're face will get red."

Again, Jack didn't answer, gazing off lost in his thoughts.

Aster stepped up close to the American. He hesitated, before raising an arm to wrap it around Jack's shoulder.

The young man flinched at the contact.

"God, Aster!" he cried, "You're jacket's colder than the snow!"

Aster grumbled, and grabbed Jack back again. "Maybe if you wore your scarf, then it wouldn't be a problem."

Jack laughed, "And give up the only freedom I have left? No thank you."

Despite the outburst, he leaned back into Aster's embrace. The wind swept past them, fluttering the feathers at the very edge of Jack's hood. His hair wavered, barely touched now, as the ship sped north. The smile slowly slipped from Jack's face, and he became lost again as he gazed out over the ice. They remained silent for a while, the howling the wind and the creaking wood the only sounds in the room. Aster looked down at Jack, the fabric of his jacket crumpling lowly as he turned his head. Mild concern knitted in his eyebrows and he jostled the boy with his arm.

"What're you thinking about, Frostbite?" he asked. "You're not usually this quiet." He then muttered under his breath, "Never this quiet, actually, now that I think about it."

Jack looked down at the pipes below them on the hull of the ship. A few were shattered as well, steam erupting from them to blow behind the ship with the wind. The oars were even further down, gracefully cutting through the air and snow to guide them to their destination, the Pole.

Jack sighed, "I don't know, really… I'm just – I'm thinking about the sand."

"You're still on about that?" Aster exclaimed. "Mate, it's been two days! No one else saw the sand!"

"You saw it!" Jack said, snapping his face up to glare at Aster.

A fire burned in his blue eyes, fierce with determined truth. His lips were thinly shut, locked in place as he looked to Aster. The snow whirled around him dangerously and it framed his face to sweep his hair across his forehead. The sight sent heat to Aster's face, and he looked away in embarrassment.

"I don't know what I saw," he replied gruffly, "It was the smoke, Jack. A hallucination."

"No it wasn't!" Jack protested. "It was everywhere, Aster! There were piles of it down in the boiler room! It was under the ice, and it was gold… I just don't know where it all went!" He looked back out at the sky, his gaze hardening again.

Aster was silent for a moment. Finally, he hugged Jack closer. "Mate," he said, gently, "There's no point in dwelling on it. Whether there was sand or not, it's not here anymore." He bent his head to place his chin on Jack's hood. "Come on, Frostbite, let's go get so–"

He was cut off by the bell that rang through the ship. The clear sound carried down from the deck, echoing in all the pipes and resonating within the wood. Aster perked up, looking around in question, while Jack turned as well towards the door.

A breathless Baby Tooth suddenly rushed into the doorway, stopping underneath the frame. Her blue and violet eyes shone bright with excitement, her brown hair flung across her face.

She grinned broadly, and breathless, she announced, "We're here."

She rushed back off to the deck. Jack and Aster looked at each other, both of them confused. But even as he thought, Jack felt a bubble of anticipation building in his chest, about to burst as he smiled. Aster returned the grin, and they both rushed to the door Aster's arm still around Jack's shoulders.

They emerged onto the deck to a magnificent sight. Off the starboard side, the cliffs of ice rose up high into the air, towering above the ship even at this altitude. They glimmered clearly like crystal, the bright sunlight painting rainbows within the shards. And buried deep in the ice were the roots of the largest tree either of them had ever seen. Wood weaved through the frozen water, swimming gently in their static positions, building up higher and higher until they peaked out of the ice.

They merged to create the trunk that soared into the sky. At this cold, the sight of green leaves stunned Jack. But even so, the boughs of the great tree bowed down, hanging just over the ship. In awe, Jack stared at the plants, the sun glittering through them. Something about them was odd, artificial. Suddenly, one of the leaves loosened, and dropped like a stone, clattering onto the deck.

Jack bent down, taking the rock in his hands. "An emerald," he breathed, looking up to Aster. The man was just as confused, glancing to Jack with green eyes that shone just as brightly as the gemstone.

The ship rounded the corner, and their breath was taken away.

More trees, these ones red with rubies, another with sapphires as blue as the sky, and even another with smooth pearls set in a bed of curved opal, hung over the canyon of ice. In the arctic wonderland, a magnificent palace hung from the cliffs, as bright as the stones, if not more beautiful.

The spires scraped the sky, large bulbs on the tops of the metal towers. The palace looked like a castle set into the ice, bright grey against the clear crystal. The windows were stained glass, and the vines of the trees draped over the open walkways that crossed between the towers. Far below the canyon dropped into icy caves that darted the cliff surface.

Suddenly something darted past The Sleigh, and Jack jumped, falling closer to Aster's grip. The flying animal galloped away into the sky, its flank brown and sleek. From its antlers, icicles spiked back, narrowed into sharp tips that stretched behind it like the tail of a rocket.

"Is that…?" Aster asked, trailing off.

"That, my friend, is Comet!" North called.

The large man stomped down the steps from behind the captain's wheel. He looked out at the palace, a broad grin across his face, with his hands on his hips.

"Old boy can never sit still," he commented, as Comet did a flip in the air, dashing towards the castle.

Another reindeer suddenly leapt from above them in the cliffs, falling in a slow arc. Just as it was level with the railing of the ship, it reared its head, and curved up into flight. The wind seemed to follow behind it, blowing across Jack's face. He shivered, tucking in closer to Aster, but his awed eyes never left the flying animal. Its coat was a glistening white, smooth in the sunlight. Icicles also hung from its antlers, only they weren't as sharp as Comet's, slanted only slightly back. They seemed to be perpetually melting, glimmering with wet water.

"And that is Dasher," said North. The man turned his eyes up to the cliffs. "Ah!" he exclaimed, "And there are Dancer and Prancer, always fighting, those two!"

Jack followed his gaze, to see the two reindeer North was talking about. The larger one had a slightly blue coat, the shade of grey of Aster's hair, and large antlers that spread out from its head. Strings of ice, beaded with snow, draped from the broad stalks, hanging like curtains. The other was smaller, with a deep brown coat like earth, and had green vines, like the trees, across its antlers. White smoke huffed from their nostrils as they fought. With a loud clack they struck each other, running full on to attack. Their hooves pounded on the ice, almost cracking it by the sound.

"Vixen and Cupid are most likely inside," North muttered, drawing Jack's attention back. "Blitzen… MiM knows where Blitzen is. And that leaves… Ah!" he exclaimed again, "Hello, there!"

He rushed past Jack to the railing, like a small child at the candy store. Jack laughed at the man's expression, and finally made to detach himself from Aster to follow. Aster instead grabbed Jack's hand, and walked with him. Jack paid no notice to the touch through his gloves, struck by the sight.

Comet and Dasher weaved through the air, somersaulting over each other with ease. They fell down along the cliff, and into one of the many caves that dotted its surface. Immediately after, two more reindeer darted out.

The first one was smaller, with a brown hide that rippled underneath its muscles. Embedded into its side were gemstones, blue and red and green all pressed into its fur. It huffed its lungs as it ran, its sides catching the sunlight. The gems sparkled brightly, not hindering it at all.

Quickly, the second deer overtook it, flying ahead with an extra gallop of its legs. For the most part it looked normal, with a healthy brown coat and large antlers sprouting from its head. But in the very center of its face, its nose was replaced by a large, shining ruby that glowed even in the sunlight.

What stunned Jack more were the two riders atop both of the reindeer. The one on top of the smaller deer was a young boy, with hair as white as Jack's. On the other, it was an old mad, with a large beard that flew behind him in the wind, leaned forward on his deer to give it more speed.

They darted straight for The Sleigh. As they drew close, they turned up into the sky, going higher above the masts. Whirling around the wooden and metal propellers, they descended, spinning in show as they drew closer to the deck.

The crowd of children on the deck parted, letting the arrivals through. The hooves of the reindeer clattered onto the deck loudly, the wood creaking as they stomped joyfully to a stop. Finally, they stilled, their heads turning around every which way to see all the children surrounding them.

"Rudolph and Donner!" North cried, coming forward to pat the animals on the nose. "You two are looking marvelous today!"

The old man atop the larger reindeer, Rudolph, cleared his throat.

"Do I not look marvelous as well, Nicholas?" he asked, waving his hand into the air.

He dismounted, sliding off the reindeer with ease and only stumbling a little once his feet hit the deck. He held a large, curved staff in his hands. The wood arched into a large crescent-moon shape at the top, with a knotted butt at the other end. Atop his head was a large pointed hat, and he wore a thick robe over his underclothes. Behind his bushy beard and even more prominent eyebrows, he smiled kindly.

"Ombric!" North exclaimed, opening his arms to embrace the man.

"Ah! Ah – Ha, ha!" Ombric gasped through the bear hug. "It is good to see you too, as always, Nicholas! Nightlight is here as well; give him a hug, won't you?"

The young boy slid off of Donner, much easier than Ombric, landing lightly on the deck. He also carried a staff, more like a spear, with a diamond shard at the very end, tipped to a wicked point.

"Nightlight!"

North made to hug his as well, but he held his staff in front of him defensively, shaking his head. Obediently, North stood down, and the boy smiled, white teeth shining. His green eyes sparkled playfully.

Suddenly Tooth attacked him from behind, emerging from the crowd of children.

"Aha!" she cried, "How are you, darling? Now, open your mouth so I can check those beautiful teeth of yours!"

Nightlight fought her off, irritated. Discouraged, Tooth fell back with her engineer's goggles lopsidedly strapped to her head.

Jack grinned at the display, joy and excitement radiating through his veins at the new arrivals. The children circling around the group slowly began to diverge, approaching the reindeer. Baby Tooth was the first to reach Rudolph, petting him tentatively. The deer bent down its head, and licked the young girl on the cheek, and she chuckled brightly.

The sound made Jack move, and he stepped closer. Aster was frozen in place, his hand still gripping onto Jack's. When Jack moved, he noticed where their hands connected. Jack's eyes snapped up to Aster's, and he pulled away gently.

Aster looked back at him, and murmured, "This is… this is impossible…"

Ombric heard this, and looked up, finally noticing the two strangers to the crew. "Who is this?" he asked North, nudging the man in the shoulder.

"Oh, this?" North replied, "This is Jack and Aster. They travel with us to America."

Ombric approached the two. He looked Jack close, staring directly into his face. Startled, Jack backed away, until his back bumped into Aster's chest. Automatically, Aster raised his hands to grab Jack's shoulders, protectively drawing the younger man in.

Ombric's eyes shot up to Aster, before looking back down at Jack. "Yes… yes, this is very good. Nightlight!" Ombric suddenly shouted, making Jack flinch, "Go tell Katherine we have new guests! I'll ride in with them."

Nightlight nodded in answer, leaping atop Donner again. He set his fingers into the scruff around the reindeer's neck, and Donner pawed the ground, getting ready for takeoff. The children quickly cleared a path to the railing, and Nightlight set off.

He shot over the edge of the ship, diving down into the air. Captivated, Jack yanked himself out of Aster's grasp, pushing past Ombric and the children to the railing. Nightlight and Donner fell down through the wind, and finally Donner began pumping his legs. With easy gallops, it leveled out, weaving gracefully through the air towards the palace. His body rippled with every bound, until they shot into the caves, and disappeared.

Aster came up behind Jack, pressing against the young man's side.

"Did you see that Aster?" Jack cried, looking back at the man. "They flew! Those reindeer flew!"

"Yeah… they did…" Aster said, still in awe of the spectacle.

Ombric huffed out a laugh, cackling kindly at them. "What, man!" he exclaimed, "Do they not have flying reindeer where you come from?"

Aster shook his head. "No, they don't."

"Well of course they don't!" Ombric declared. "I raised them myself!"

Jack laughed, turning back to look at the man. "Really?"

Ombric nodded, pride in his stance. "From the day they were born. They came out with their stones, they did. Or their antlers grew with their markings. That's how you know they're flyers."

Rudolph pawed at the deck and grunted, put out by the lack of attention. Jack let his hands leave the railing, and walked towards him. The reindeer twisted his head to look at Jack, his nostrils huffing out with white frost on his breath. His ruby nose glowed bright red, and Jack smiled at the sight. The young inventor raised a hand before the reindeer, hesitating for just a moment, before he patted Rudolph gently.

Rudolph snuffled, and then sneezed.

"Aw!" Jack said, and he couldn't help the laugh that bubbled in his chest. He smirked, "You alright there, buddy? Got a little sand up your nose?"

Ombric suddenly froze, his squinted eyes widening at Jack's words. He whipped around, and he brandished his staff. The crook caught Jack underneath the chin.

"Oi!" Aster cried, leaping forward towards Jack.

His hands grabbed Jack's shoulders, and he pulled him back into his arms. Ombric's piercing gaze shifted from the American to the older man, and he squinted again.

"You... What was that you said about sand?" the old wizard asked. His voice quivered, fraught with worry.

"He was talking to the reindeer, you bloody wanker!" Aster exclaimed, tucking Jack's head into his chest.

Jack looked out, his blue eyes wide. The wind swept his hair from his face, plastering against Aster's coat. He stammered, "I – I saw some sand in the fire. But it disappeared! No one else saw it except me and Aster."

Ombric quirked his bushy eyebrow, and straightened, thumping his staff into the wood. He huffed an annoyed breath.

He said, "Whoever said anything about the fire and sand? It must have been a hallucination, boy. A trick of the mind."

Jack broke from Aster's grasp, and protested, "But – But you said–"

"Nothing about the sand, yes?" Ombric declared. The man turned to North, effectively dismissing Jack. "How are you, North?" he asked the large Russian. "You're lucky I was awake to get that call the other night. I assume you're visiting for repairs?"

North chuckled sheepishly, and replied, "Yes, we are lucky. The hull is broken on port side, and the boiler room… Well, it is a sight for white eyes."

"I believe you mean sore eyes, my old friend," Ombric laughed.

Jack interrupted again, "Wait! North called you during the fire? So you do know about the sand!"

Ombric frowned at Jack. "I honestly have no idea. All I did was transport Tooth and the children up onto the deck."

Jack gaped, turning his head to look between Ombric and Tooth, who stood at the front of the crowd of children, waving shyly.

"Wait, you… you… what?"

"It's called magic, my boy. Perhaps you've heard of it?"

Jack was left with his mouth hanging open, as he tried to form stunned words, but failed.

Aster stepped in front of Jack, and spoke in the young man's stead, "That's ridiculous! Magic is just stories – it doesn't exist!"

Suddenly Ombric was gone, as if he'd blinked away into the air. Aster seized Jack by the arm, and they both looked around themselves in shock. Nothing was there, except for North, who smirked at the two of them, Tooth, who only carried a small smile, and the crowd of children and the crew members, some that bustled around the ship while other only stood, holding their breath in an anticipating silence.

"You two are scientists, aren't you?" came Ombric's voice from between Aster and Jack.

Aster yelped, whipping around and taking Jack with him. Aster's feet tangled over Jack's heels, and the two fell in a heap on the deck.

North guffawed deeply, throwing his head back to the air. Tooth couldn't help a giggle of her own, as the entire crowd of children erupted in laughter. Looking around, embarrassed, Aster scrambled to his feet and brushed himself off.

"What the hell was that, mate?" he shouted, driven more by shock than any actual anger.

Jack leapt to his feet, excitement flowing through his veins. "That was awesome!" he exclaimed. "How did you do that?"

Ombric winked at Jack, his eyes twinkling with mirth. "Magic," he said simply, "is a lot like science. Only a little more… abstract."

The next moment, Phil called from behind the captain's wheel, grumbling loudly through his beard.

During their conversation, Jack hadn't noticed their descent towards the castle. High above them the metal spires towered, casting shadows across the deck of the ship. They were below the main entrance, approaching the several rows of thick metal struts that jutted out from the ice cliff. Each strut was twenty feet across, spanning the entire front of the castle, and different lengths, the smallest being just over twenty feet long, and the largest being at least two hundred. Every dock was topped with glittering ice, creating a cold pathway along the steel.

As The Sleigh pulled in to the center dock, a whirring of metal filled the air. Gears locked into place and steam erupted into the air as the dock came to life. A metal hook extended on a pole, winding forward on its mechanical arm. It latched onto The Sleigh, and pulled it in. Another hook detached from the dock further along the ship, clanking with loud noise of clockwork.

Jack looked questioningly to Ombric.

The man answered his question before he'd opened his mouth. "A combination, my boy. Magic, clockwork, and maybe just a little bit of life."

Confused, Jack made to ask another question, when Aster spoke up from his side, "Hey, mate, does that ship look familiar to you?"

The Australian put his arm around Jack's shoulder and pointed, guiding the inventor's gaze to one of the smaller docks, right at the very edge of the ice cliffs. Anchored onto the metal strut was a small flying cruiser, its black sails folded up against the mast. The balloons along its side were dark as coal dust, and the wood was painted back as night. But the railings gleamed white, luminously outlining the shape of the boat. It looked like a ghost ship unmasked in the daylight, only to be nearly invisible in the darkness of night.

From the tip of its single mast, a black flag, adorned with an embellished white G, fluttered in the breeze of the arctic canyon.

Jack narrowed his eyes. Aster was right: it did look familiar.

"Hello, boys," drawled an almost bored voice from the dock, drawing their attention back in shock. Seraphina, dressed in a completely black winter coat, stepped forward, the feathers around her neck fluttering lightly in the breeze. "It's good to see you again, although it's much sooner than I expected. Why don't you come down, and we'll have a little chat, yes?"

A/N: I meant to post this earlier today, but I forgot. XD Anyways, I was going to write the next scene, but then I didn't because it's really long. And so the next chapter will be separate, and it shall be large. But because of this fact, I will not have it finished by Saturday, which is the deadline for the contest. But never fear! I shall still write this, and The Ice Club, and Learning to Live, and I will eventually continue the ROTBTD fic I was working on. Eventually. I'm working on The Ice Club right now, though, so it should be up later tonight, or tomorrow. And then