Haou: Where's Anime?

Jaden: Don't you know?

All: ?

Tyson: It is March 6.

All: *gasps*

Anime: HAPPY 15TH BIRTHDAY, HOOD! *glomps her*

Alice: To celebrate, Anime uploaded this chapter.

Jack: Happy birthday, Hood! Welcome to official adulthood in the Hispanic culture! We hope you're reading this! Also, introducing Demon!

Demon: How did I get here?

Anime: *hugs her* I brought you here so you can celebrate! Also, to convert you to our shipping.*evil glint* Jalice~. (Demon likes Jelsa. *gasp*)

Hood: So, what do we have for this chapter?

Aster: As the title suggests, it's the Return of the Nightmare King a.k.a Pitch! Yay! Warnings for possible OOCness, terrible imagery, a terribly written plot and some torture. There is Jalice in here as well as onesided Forcedshipping . . . what's that?

Anime: You and Black Ruins.

Hood & Demon: You gave it a name?

Anime: Leave me alone! The song for this chapter is Mordred's Lullaby by Heather Dale. Check it out. Imagine Alice singing that to little Aster! So cute~.

Haou: Since she forgot to do the disclaimer in the previous chapters, we'll have to remind everyone so those people in black suits don't come: We DON'T own any of these characters. Anime only owns Aster, Arwyn, Raven, Aria, Zayden, Sariya and Rayne. Enjoy.

~~~FBW~~~

Chapter 4: Return of the Nightmare King

Jack knew he was dreaming. He had to be, since he was currently holding the person he cared for the most in his arms. Alice was leaning on his chest, her eyes closed as if she was resting. She was breathing softly, indicating that she was asleep. A hand was on her stomach, allowing Jack to see that it was swollen.

Alice was not, in any reality, fat. She had even looked undernourished once so it wasn't possible that this was real. Besides, the background seemed almost blurry and out of focus. Not only that, but Jack didn't recognize the scenery they were in.

They were underneath an imposing looking tree that towered over them. It had no leaves as it was, apparently, winter in this dream. Snowflakes fell from the sky, dancing in the air for a moment before landing on the ground. The sky was gray with no sign of the sun anywhere, even though it was daytime.

"How's Mom doing?"

Jack jumped at the sound of the new yet familiar voice. He looked up to see Aster sitting down in a branch above them, swinging his feet. Aster's hair was currently white and he had green eyes. The green eyes amidst his pale features made them appear brighter than normal. He was wearing a red shirt with a black-and-white sweater underneath and brown trousers similar to Jack's. On his hands rested the Moonstone necklace Aster usually wore around his neck.

When Aster's words finally registered in his mind, Jack froze and stared at the young spirit above him. His mom? Alice couldn't be Aster's mother. Now, with more reason, Jack knew this was a dream. A weird dream created by Sandy. Yeah, that was it. That had to be it.

Aster cleared his throat, twiddling with his fingers. Jack remembered this was a certain habit of Aster's that he usually didn't do unless he was worried, "North said that she's healthy so far. She might not even have trouble in childbirth. As long as she doesn't stress herself out like before, Mom will be okay."

"Yeah." Jack heard himself say. He looked down at Alice, who was still asleep. He heard movement next to him, and he knew for sure who that was. After all, only one person was around besides them.

"Aunt Tooth told me about how she was when she was pregnant of me." Aster mumbled after a long silence. Jack turned to look at him and was surprised that Aster's eyes were filled with emotion. They weren't the dull orbs Jack had grown used to seeing. These eyes were bright and lively. Yes, this was definitely a dream.

Aster chewed on his lower lip for a moment before speaking again, "She would remember the fire . . . the asylum . . . She remembered all of her tragic memories, and she would nearly kill herself. They told me you kept her from doing that, for my sake. I . . . I don't imagine Mom like that."

"Your mom," Jack said, not understanding why he was saying this. Then again, in dreams, you can't control what you say, "is a strong woman despite her difficult past. She fought bravely to be where she is now. She was afraid of bringing you into this world. She feared that you might get hurt and it'd be her fault."

"If I do get hurt, it will not be her fault; it shall be my own," Aster replied softly, touching Alice's cheek, "Mom always cares and looks out for others, yet she doesn't do the same thing for herself. She blames herself for everything that seems to go wrong, and I hate that about her."

"You got that from her, snowstorm." Jack responded. Aster stared at him, his eyes questioning him. Those green orbs were so expressive and open; a huge difference from the closed eyes Aster usually displayed in real life. The eyes also remained green, like Alice's eye color, instead of changing depending on Aster's mood. Jack didn't know how Aster truly looked like, but why would he imagine that his 'true form' had white hair and green eyes?

"I . . ." Aster averted his gaze. He chewed on his lower lip once more, "Um . . . Hey, Dad? Can I ask you something? I . . . What would you do if a close friend of yours started acting weird around you . . .?"

"Can you explain how 'weird'?" Jack questioned.

Aster made eye contact with him, "Well, said friend is always staring at you when they think you're not looking. They ask you awkward questions like if you have a crush, or kissed anyone or if you're still virgin. They seem to know everything that you do and it seems that they always know where you are."

That didn't sound like a friend to Jack. That sounded like a stalker, someone obsessed with you, or a guy who wants to sexually molest you. Why was Aster asking him about this? Was it possible that Aster had a stalker that was obsessed with him? If so, why did he consider him a friend?

"What I'd do is get away from him or her." Jack responded, "That is not a friend, Aster; he or she sounds like they're obsessed with you or something. Being around them will only lead to trouble. Besides, I have a feeling that you haven't told me that he or she has attempted to touch you inappropriately."

Aster's eyes widened and so did his mouth. He closed his mouth and then cleared his throat, "I see. Well, you're right. I didn't tell you about everything. This friend of mine, Dad . . . He. . ."

Ah, Jack thought, it's a guy.

"I've known him for two years, but he's been protecting me for seven years. It's only recently that he's been like that and . . . Dad, three days ago, he tried to rape me." The last part was nearly mumbled but Jack had heard it. Hearing that sentence made his body go rigid and his eyes widened.

Aster wrapped his arms around himself. He looked so small and vulnerable in that position, Jack noted. He didn't know if he liked this new open side of Aster or the usual, closed-off Aster, "I was so scared, Dad. He was always so nice and kind to me; I saw him as an older brother. He'd protect me when I was younger when you guys weren't around, making sure nothing would harm me. I don't know why he . . . He just . . . I . . . What did I do to deserve this? Is there something wrong with me?"

"There is nothing wrong with you, Aster."

Both Aster and Jack were caught off-guard by the smooth words spoken by the raven haired female that had been asleep. Her green eyes were wide open, allowing Jack the opportunity to compare them to Aster's. Alice's eyes were stronger and lighter in shade while Aster's were darker and had small specks of blue in some parts. Why hadn't Jack noticed that before?

"I don't know, Mom. I think I did something to him and I . . ." Aster gave out a groan, "Ugggggh. It's so complicated . . ."

Alice smiled and placed a hand on Aster's pale cheek. This action caught Jack off-guard as Alice wasn't prone to human interaction like this, "You worry too much, Aster. You should try to relax. Your sixteenth birthday is coming up soon. Aren't you happy about that?"

Aster smiled, nodding, "I guess so!"

Jack felt a little odd being in between the mother-son interaction, almost as if he didn't belong. Of course, he had to remember that this was a dream. None of the events occurring matched up with his reality, after all. Aster began speaking again, but his voice was muted. Suddenly, both Alice and Aster disappeared, the background swiftly changing.

Jack was floating on top of a pillar, watching the events below. A lone figure was sitting down on the ground, head lowered to the ground that was covered in crimson red blood. Jack dropped down for a closer look and gasped as he caught a good look of the person who was surrounded by so much blood, "Aster!"

Sure enough, the lone figure on the ground was Aster. He looked exactly like he had in the beginning of the dream except he was wearing white clothing. He was looking at his hands that were filled with blood, slowly falling to the ground. Aster was mumbling something, but Jack couldn't hear him. Blood was seeping into Aster's white clothing, making the clothes turn red. Shiny tears were coming out of his eyes, sliding down his cheek until it fell to the ground to join the bright red blood.

"Hush, child, the darkness will rise from the deep and carry you down into sleep. Child, the darkness will rise from the deep and carry you down into sleep," A voice sang from nowhere, and Jack watched coils of darkness surround Aster, who kept mumbling incoherently.

A person emerged from the shadows, wrapping his arms around Aster's neck in an embrace. He placed his head on his shoulder, a hand running through the shock of white hair. The male Jack was looking at was someone he had never seen in his life. He had black hair with blood-red highlights and glowing red eyes with golden spots on them. He seemed to be around twenty years old. He was wearing black clothing; a striking contrast to Aster's white clothing. When he had been touched, Aster shivered as if in fear.

"Guileless son, I'll shape your belief and you'll always know that your father's a thief and you won't understand the cause of your grief, but you'll always follow the voices beneath," The male sang to Aster, smiling wickedly at him.

"Get away from him!" Jack yelled. To his surprise, the male heard him. Startled, the other looked up at him and smirked, an evil glint in his eyes. For some reason, Jack was getting the chills by just looking at him. Something about this guy made Jack uncomfortable, and Aster felt the same.

"Mine." He chuckled in a singsong voice. As he said that, he placed a hand on Aster's tear-stained cheeks. Jack definitely didn't like him. He was creepy, and he didn't own Aster! He had to set this guy straight.

"Listen, you creep, whoever you are! Aster isn't yours so get that through your thick head! He's his own person, and no one is going to just have a claim on him! You're gonna have to get through me to get to him! You got that?" Jack yelled. The spirit frowned at him, looking hateful. He smirked and then he, as well as Aster, began to sink into the pool of blood.

Jack gave out a cry of surprise and held out a hand to his friend, "Aster! Aster! Give me your hand! Come on!" Aster looked up at him, and Jack was surprised to see coils of darkness swirling around him as if it was a blindfold. Even so, he could see his green eyes that were red rimmed from crying. He opened his mouth, and Jack finally heard him speaking.

"Please, please forgive me, but I won't be home again. Maybe someday you'll look up, and, barely conscious, you'll say to no one: 'Isn't something missing?'" Aster sang in a hoarse, broken tone. Hearing him like that made Jack feel saddened.

"Aster!"

"You won't cry for my absence, I know," He continued. He closed his eyes, the last tears falling out of them, "You forgot me long ago. Am I that unimportant . . . ? Am I so insignificant . . . ? Isn't something missing? Isn't someone missing me?"

Jack reached out to grab Aster, but it was too late. The mysterious male and Aster had disappeared. Jack shook his head, staring deep into the red in hopes of seeing his friend reappear, "No . . . no . . ."

"Even though I'm the sacrifice, you won't try for me, not now. Though I'd die to know you love me, I'm all alone. Isn't someone missing me?" Even now, Jack could still hear the sad melody Aster sang before he vanished.

"Aster!"

~~~FBW~~~

(December 16; present time; North's Workshop)

"Jack!" Jack opened his eyes to see familiar looking green eyes peering down at him, concern visible in those gorgeous orbs. He blushed and inched away from the owner of the most beautiful green eyes he had ever seen on someone.

"Alice? What are you doing here?" Jack asked, his blush refusing to die down. He was in a small room in North's workshop he had claimed as his own. It was a simple room with no decorations, an open window and a sparse bed that Jack had fallen asleep in. Currently, Alice was sitting down at the corner of the bed while Jack was sitting down in its center.

Alice gave out a huff, raising an eyebrow at his antics. As she gave him a look, Jack tried to calm his racing heart. It wasn't every day that you wake up to see your crush looking down on you. Now that he thought about it, how long had Alice been in here? Oh no, what if he did something embarrassing in his sleep? He'd never live it down! What if-?

"What were you dreaming about? You sounded scared."

Jack jolted out of his thoughts as Alice spoke. She was looking at him seriously with soft eyes. Jack bit his lower lip, remembering his dream. It had started off well and then it had ended terribly. That man taking Aster, who was he? Why was Aster in that place in his dream?

"I dreamt that something happened to Aster. He-." Jack gasped, "Alice, where's Aster?" Jack had no idea why he was so scared of such a simple dream, but the male holding Aster so possessively haunted him. He didn't like it.

Alice sighed, "He didn't come back last night."

"What?!" Jack grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her forward until they were only inches apart, "Are you sure?"

"Why would I lie about that?" Alice asked him, her cheeks turning slightly pink. In his panic, Jack didn't seem to notice their proximity. Alice didn't mind the distance. She never got to see Jack up close, and she was taking advantage of the moment. She could smell Jack's scent, something she wouldn't have noticed if she wasn't so close to him. Was it odd to say that he smelled of freshly fallen snow or that she felt safe being so close to him?

Jack stared deep into her green eyes until he noticed how close he was to the object of his affection. He released her and scrambled away. Clearing his throat, with a visible blush on his face, Jack spoke, "I guess you're right. Uh . . . sorry about that. I didn't mean to do that to you-."

"Who said I minded, Jack?" Alice boldly asked, a smirk planted on her face. Jack's blush turned darker at her words. Gah! She's teasing me! Jack thought as he looked away from Alice, much to the raven's amusement. Hey, she called me Jack! How come I haven't noticed that before? I like how she says my name . . . Agh, what am I saying?! I'm ranting now!

"Um . . . well . . . you see . . ." Jack stuttered. How was it that this English beauty was able to reduce him to a stuttering mess by simply calling him "Jack"? Everyone called him Jack, so why was it when she said it, he acted like this? Why did Alice's actions and words affect him so much?

Maybe it's because . . . I love Alice.

Was that the reason why this was happening to him? Was it because he saw Alice as something much more important than a friend? Jack had never loved anyone in that sense before. He didn't know how to act and didn't know whether or not to act on his impulses. Right now, he was refraining himself from uttering that sentence and from running a hand through her hair . . .

"You look a little flustered, Jack. Are you feeling quite alright?" Alice noted. Jack's usually pale cheeks were light pink from the blushing. He looked so adorable like that and, the fact that she was causing him to react like this, made her heart beat a little faster. Even though she wasn't completely head over heels in love with the winter spirit, that didn't mean that she didn't see him in that sense. As far as looks went, Jack had them.

Of course, she wasn't just interested in just his appearance. Jack had a charming personality, a good heart and qualities that Alice sometimes wished she had as well. He was the embodiment of the qualities that she lacked. He completed her. Of course, the idiot didn't seem to notice that.

Jack gulped and, just as he was about to speak, was cut off by Tooth's scream of glee and a familiar yelp of surprise. Jack sighed in relief and mentally counted his blessings. Thank goodness that Aster was back! He'd provide a good distraction from his current dilemma with the courage spirit. He'd soon tell her about his hidden feelings but, for now, he was going to keep them sealed and hidden from her eyes.

Both spirits left the room to find Tooth inspecting Aster – especially his shiny, clean and white teeth – and the other Guardians warily looking at the teen. Alice's demeanor instantly became serious, "What's happening?"

"The boy's insane, that's what!" Bunny shouted, pointing at Aster. The other glared at him, as if daring the Pooka to continue speaking. For a moment, Jack saw that Aster's glare was as fierce as Alice's. Bunny growled, "I told you he was an enemy! A spy! I guess you got some satisfaction, eh?"

"Listen, I'm not an enemy, and I had no choice!" Aster yelled, "Black Ruins will come here and, when he does, he'll come for me. He'll slaughter anyone that gets in his way! Do you think I want that?"

"You released Pitch!" North yelled.

"He did what?" Jack asked, looking at Aster in disbelief. Aster looked away from the winter spirit, feeling a wave of disappointment overwhelm him as he saw that Jack looked almost angry at his decision. Aster, like some children, didn't like disappointing his parents.

First I couldn't get close to my mom and now this. What did I do to deserve such rotten luck? Aster thought, eyes trained on the ground as they turned blue.

"As much as I enjoy his suffering, stop chastising the boy, North." Jack couldn't forget about that voice. He glared at the owner of the voice, seeing Pitch sitting down on the globe. He had a smirk plastered on his face and he was creating miniature nightmares.

This man lied to him and had hurt so many children. Locked away for two years didn't sound like enough punishment for him and for what he had done to everyone. "You certainly haven't changed." Jack told him.

Pitch descended to the ground, standing by Aster's side, "I am not here to tolerate your feelings towards me. I am here because this boy promised me something in return. A new power."

Jack blinked and saw Aster bite his lower lip, giving a warning look to Pitch. What did he mean with 'new power'? What power did Aster know about that made Pitch agree to help the Guardians? Whatever it was, it had to be a very interesting power if Aster made Pitch come here.

"What power are you talking about, Black? What power does Frell have that you desire?" Alice asked smoothly. Aster didn't make contact with her eyes. If he did, he knew that'd he'd run to her and confess everything to her. He couldn't afford to do such a thing. If she found out that he was Jack and her son . . . she might not be too happy about that.

Aster took a deep breath, "Okay, I've kept it hidden for too long. I think it's time that I told you about what we're dealing with. After all, this new threat is a danger to us all. He might be a bigger threat than Pitch was."

~~~FBW~~~

(February 28; 80 years in the future; Location Unknown)

"Aaaaah!" Arwyn screamed as he felt his limbs being stretched further back. If the punishment kept up, he might lose the ability to move his arms. He looked down, trying to calm his breath. It was working fine until they were stretched even more backwards. Arwyn gave out another, bloodcurdling scream.

"Music to my ears." Black Ruins chuckled as he controlled the dark coils that were torturing the friendship spirit. Thrown on his feet was Aria, who looked worse for wear. She had blood gushing out of one of her eyes while the other was swollen from where she had gotten punched.

Her legs had two-degree burns along with several slash marks. Her right leg was bended on the wrong angle and she had long gashes on her arms. Her nose was definitely broken, and her lip was busted as well.

"Why won't you submit, boy? Pass out from exhaustion or plead for mercy. It's quite boring when you only scream in pain." Black Ruins told Arwyn. Arwyn glared at him and looked down to see Aria. She was in a terrible state. She could die.

Black Ruins placed his foot on Aria's stomach. She whimpered in pain and Arwyn finally spoke, "Leave her alone, you bastard! She doesn't deserve what you're doing to her or what you've previously done to her!"

"The kindness spirit . . . who knew she'd be the first? I wanted you to be the first, but you're hard to crack. Oh well, I have to make do with this." Black Ruins said, looking down at Aria. Arwyn froze, eyes wide. No. He couldn't possibly be thinking about killing Aria! Not her! Not Aria! She was too kind and sweet. She didn't deserve death. Then again, the innocent died first in this world.

Black Ruins crouched down and placed a hand on Aria's chest where her heart was located. She screamed, and her body began to writhe as if she was having a seizure. Her skin began to blacken as she screamed in pain. Arwyn wanted to do something to help her but what? He was in a predicament too.

Black Ruins removed his hand from Aria's chest, and she lay there on the ground, motionless. Her skin had turned completely black, and she had stopped breathing. Arwyn choked back a sob. Was she . . . ? No. He couldn't think about it. He closed his eyes, but the image of Aria screaming in pain was stuck in his mind.

"Awaken, Aira."

Arwyn opened his eyes to see that the darkness was slowly moving towards Aria's wrists, forming designs akin to tribal art. Her wounds were completely healed, and her clothes seemed to have been repaired as well, although they had changed. When Black Ruins spoke, she had opened her eyes and stood up.

Aria had changed. She was wearing a sleeveless black dress that reached up to her knees. She wore black-and-white stockings underneath the dress and black shoes one would normally see in a porcelain doll. She had black eyeliner and fingerless black gloves on her hands. Her hair was up in her trademark ponytails but, with her new dark look, she made it seem intimidating. Around her neck was a black dog collar that read 'Aria'.

"What did you do to her?" Arwyn asked.

Aria turned to him, "Ah, Arwyn . . . Nothing is wrong with me. In fact, Black Ruins helped me. Aria the kindness spirit is gone. I am Aira, the cruelty spirit." She chuckled, and Arwyn felt a shiver run down his spine. Aria's words were so haunting that he knew that it wasn't her.

"Time to play, Aira." Black Ruins chuckled.

From her wrists, black smoke appeared and transformed itself into a whip. The whip was dark black like Aira's clothing. It seemed to be about five feet in length and had small thorns jutting out of it. Arwyn gulped. Great, he was screwed over. He met the girl's gaze. They were still the same color, but now they were hard and cold. Aria was really gone.

"Try not to scream or I'll break your arms." She said with a smirk. With a smooth flick of her wrist, the whip smacked Arwyn's left cheek. He couldn't help it. The pain from the attack plus the stretching of his arms was too much.

He screamed.

~~~FBW~~~

(December 16; present time; North's Workshop)

"Black Ruins is a very dangerous spirit. According to what I've found out about him, he's been around for thirty years. He's been laying low during most of that time. However, he surfaced around ten years ago." Aster began.

The eight spirts were standing in front of the globe with the golden lights. The elves and yetis weren't around, as North had dismissed them. The matter was between the eight spirits that were gathered at that moment. All of them wore serious expressions, slightly intimidating the youngest spirit among them. The room was unusually quiet. The only sounds that were heard were the steady breathing of the eight occupants and the soft howling of the wind outside.

"Three years ago, I am ashamed to say, I knew Black Ruins as a friend. He kept up a great façade, leading me to believe that he was a good person. Alas, he was the opposite of what I thought. He was cruel, sadistic and cold. Not only that, but he murdered children as a hobby."

"How cruel. How could he live with himself after murdering those kids?" Tooth whispered. The killing of innocent children was something that was unforgivable to the Guardians, especially since they were meant to protect them. Compared to what Pitch had done two years ago, this was pure evil.

"How did he become a spirit?" Alice asked.

Aster winced, his blue eyes looking towards the distance, "He told me that they killed him in his previous life. Whoever it was, I want to congratulate them for killing him in the first place and then punch them for their actions caused a greater threat to arise. He didn't tell me in what manner they killed him, however.

"This man is obsessed with power. He likes to take control of people and he acts as if he's above the rest of the world. What he seeks is the Moonstone," Here, Aster paused to reveal the stone hanging around his neck, "A fallen stone that came from the moon itself. It allows us spirits to live to protect the children of this world. It gives us the necessary powers we require to do our duties. It also makes us invisible to protect ourselves from outer harm."

"All that power in that small thing?" Pitch wondered. That question was mentally repeated inside the minds of the winter spirit and the courage spirit. Big things come in small packages, Alice thought with a half-smile. The Moonstone turned brilliant green for a moment before the rest of the colors began to appear. Jack blinked at that odd transition.

"Yes. Rather odd, isn't it?" Aster said, the corner of his mouth lifting up in a half-smile. Tooth caught this, and her eyes widened. Aster and Alice's smiles were splitting images of each other! Sure, Aster's teeth looked a lot like Jack's but the manner how he was smiling was identical to Alice. That couldn't be a coincidence. After all, some children often had the smiles of family members. Aster and Alice had never met before, and they weren't related. I'm going to have to investigate this, Tooth decided.

"This is one of the reasons Black Ruins murdered my parents," Aster forlornly said, "The power of the stone would make every spirit submit to him. They wouldn't chance his power over the stone. Not only would every spirit be in danger, but the human race, especially the children, would be in grave danger. As the stone's protector, I will not allow this to happen."

North stared at the young boy in awe. Such a big responsibility resting on such a young spirit. He was dedicated to his duty, and his conviction was amazing. Others might have shied away from the task, yet Aster clung to it. He truly was a remarkable young man. His stubbornness to uphold his duties did remind him somewhat of a certain raven haired spirit, although he wouldn't tell her that.

"What are we going to do to stop him? What are his strengths and what are his weaknesses?" Bunny asked. This malevolent spirit had to be stopped, for the sake of the innocent children as well as the spirits. The fact that he had already murdered both spirits and children angered him. Black Ruins was going down.

"Strengths? He has a resilient ability in controlling the mind, especially memories. He usually has a conduit to use that ability. He tends to use necklaces for that. I suppose it's like hypnotism." Aster pondered, "He can control dark energy and transform himself into black smoke. He is incredibly fast, and he's intelligent. He can read an opponent simply by looking at them."

"That might prove to be difficult." Pitch noted. He caught the younger's eyes that had turned from blue to silver with light blue streaks. Likewise, his eyes had changed. However, Pitch knew otherwise. He knew the boy's true appearance. The son of Jack Frost and Alice Liddell, fleeing from a madman who sought the Moonstone and the stone's protector. Aster Frost was an interesting person. A perfect mixture of the winter spirit and the silver tongued Englishwoman.

"Any weaknesses?" Tooth asked.

"None that I've noticed." Aster bit out. He was slightly angry at himself for not asking that bastard before. Then again, he had thought he was a friend. He'd never ask his friends those types of questions. He should have realized sooner. If he had, he wouldn't be in this mess and his parents . . .

"When do you think he will come?" Alice asked, interrupting his thoughts. The two made eye contact and, for a moment, Aster saw a little of his mother. She was still as beautiful and headstrong in the past as she was in the future. Of course, she wasn't as rough in the future – becoming a mother made her more forgiving – but she was the same as always. Aster missed her and Father. They would know how to handle the situation at hand.

"I can't be certain." He replied. He clenched his fists, "All I know is that we must be prepared to face him and whatever he has in store for us. He isn't someone you can toy with. When he comes, we have to be aware that defeating him isn't enough. Black Ruins must be killed."

~~~FBW~~~

(January 19; 77 years in the future; Burgess)

"How come you think like that?" Aster asked his companion. He was dressed in a silver hoodie and dark brown pants that reached up to his ankles. As usual, he was barefooted. His white hair was longer than usual, reaching up to his shoulders already. He tilted his head to the side, "Why do you think the world is ugly?"

His companion, Black Ruins, was dressed in his usual dark robes. His hair was as short as usual and his eyes hard and calculating. Both of them were sitting down on a tree branch, overlooking the city of Burgess. He raised an eyebrow, "Why should I believe this world is beautiful?"

"Well," Aster looked at a golden stream of Sandy's Dreamsand and touched it, "the scenery is nice. Don't you think so? The laughter of those children as they get happiness out of the simplest of things. Truly, children are curious things. Maybe that's why I'm so fascinated by them."

"You're no more than a child yourself, Aster. You've recently turned thirteen. You talk as if you're an ancient spirit even though you're not." Black Ruins pointed out.

Aster blinked and laughed, scratching the back of his head, "Oh yeah! I guess I am still a kid in spirit standards. I mean, my father is over three hundred years old! Still, as a spirit, I have a duty to protect these kids. I guess I forget that I'm a kid too. Mother told me that, as soon as I was ten, that I should start taking care of the kids. It's my duty as a spirit and as the son of two Guardians."

"You try too hard to live to expectation." The other told him, "You could stop trying, you know. Your father wasn't very responsible until he became a Guardian and, even then, he didn't properly mature until your birth."

"I know." Aster said, looking down and swinging his feet, "I just don't want to let anybody down, you know, Black? Most spirits just see me and think I'm a slacker because I'm so young. I want to prove them wrong. Besides . . ."

"Besides what?" Black Ruins asked, turning to the suddenly serious teenager. He looked up, his green eyes shining with determination.

"I'd be a coward if I ran from my responsibility. I am Aster Frost, after all. I'm going to prove to everyone that I'm a force to be reckoned with! Not only that, but I want to prove to people that my parents raised me well. My behavior reflects the way I was raised by them. They taught me how to see the beauty in the world and to respect life, no matter how small. That's why I think you should see that this world we live in is lovely."

"Even if no one can see you in this 'beautiful' world?" Black Ruins asked. Aster stopped swinging his feet, and his eyes turned downcast. Both spirits had no believers and hadn't been seen by any child. It was a sore spot for Aster and Black Ruins knew that.

"Even then." The other agreed, his voice a mumble. He wanted to be seen. He wanted to be believed in. He knew that would take its time, but it would one day happen. It took his father three hundred years to be believed in. He had to be patient and wait. Someday but not today.

"Your parents taught you to respect life," Black Ruins started as Aster started creating figures with his Fantasy Dust, "Does that mean you wouldn't kill anyone?"

Aster quickly turned to the other, looking horrified at the question, "That's such an awful thing to say, Black! I wouldn't want to kill anyone! Sure, they might want me dead, but I wouldn't want to kill them! I'd be robbing someone of their future. It's despicable!"

"Let's say that person killed innocent people-."

"If I killed him, I'd be no different than him. Killing is wrong and cruel. You're stealing the life of someone who still had a chance at life. It isn't fair!" Aster replied, shaking his head.

Black Ruins stared at him for a long time before speaking, "You're against killing? Even if killing that person meant the safety of others?"

"No one deserves to die." Aster replied, both turning quiet as they continued to gaze at the quaint city. There was nothing else to say, and they both knew it. That is why they were silent. Their silence said more than their words ever could.

Little did both know that, soon, this topic of conversation would destroy their friendship to a point beyond repair.

~~~FBW~~~

Anime: How was that?

Aster: Forcedshipping has more moments than Jalice in this fic! That's just wrong, considering that this story is a Jalice fic! And that guy creeps me out! To my dismay, now that you've named it, you won't get rid of it. . .

Anime: I want to draw that scene . . . when I'm a better artist . . .

Demon: The songs that came out in Jack's dream were Mordred's Lullaby and Missing by Evanescence. It seemed to fit the mood, don't you think?

Tyson: Where's Hood?

Jaden: She, Haou and Jehu are torturing Bumby downstairs. Jehu said that was his birthday gift to her. I swore I heard some Jelsa fans being tortured down there too . . .

Anime: But we didn't reach our quota! And that was a secret!

Jack: She signed no such contract.

Sora: Read and review for the next chapter! We just love reading reviews! Next chapter is still a mystery but hey! Anime is already thinking about how to improve the Jalice in the story! Also, winterbutterflies is the name Hood and Anime came up with one random day. Winterbutterflies are fans who are Jack x Alice shippers. Support the shipping!

Jack: Aria has gone to the dark side, Tooth has discovered Aster's heritage, Pitch is back and Black Ruins is just as psychotic.

Alice: Now Tooth, Pitch and Sandy know about Aster while Jack and I are having our suspicions. What shall happen next? Stay tuned to Frozen Butterfly Wings!

Anime: Sorry for the delay. I started working on an AU of FBW called Shattered Wings and another Jalice fic called Bittersweet Lullaby based on the song Mordred's Lullaby. I'm posting those two after finishing Frozen Butterfly Wings so watch out for those if I do post them!

Hood: See ya next time!

~~~FBW~~~

Just for fun, random little drabbles titled Aster's First Words and Aster's Doe Eyes:

Jack: Alice, our son still hasn't said his first words . . .

Alice: Jack, it's still too early-.

Jack: Is there something wrong with him? (Jack acts like the woman in the relationship. XD)

Alice: Jack, let me-.

Jack: Are his vocal cords not working?!

Alice: Jack, they are-.

Jack: Oh my gosh, maybe we did something wrong when we were feeding him and now he won't be able to talk?!

Alice: Jack, that doesn't make-.

Jack: I mean, I'm not against having a mute child-.

Aster: Jack!

Jack: Alice, don't interrupt! The fact that our son may be mute is a serious issue!

Aster: Jack!

Alice: He spoke.

Jack: . . . Oh.

~~~FBW~~~

Aster: (aged 6) Daddy! North made this awesome sled for a kid! Can I have one?

Jack: Snowstorm, you don't need a sled.

Aster: *pouts and does the 'doe eyes'* Please?

Jack: *trying to resist* . . . Okay.

Aster: Yay!

[Later, with Alice]

Aster: Mum, can I get-.

Alice: No.

Aster: *pouts and does the 'doe eyes'* Please?

Alice: Nice try but that only works on your father.

Aster: . . . Dang.