Rating: T+
Pairings: Jack x Alice (Jalice/Ice-Tea/The Real OTP)
Warnings: Grammatical errors, implied sexual content, rantings of a mad author, OCs, OOC characters, confusing plot, no beta, etc. (Couldn't think of more at the moment)
Anime: My friend is right. I have no shame. I haven't updated in months, for Heaven's sake! I am so sorry for that and for making this story fall into hiatus. I've been busy with real life and with my other fanfics. I've also had my bouts of depression that made me unable to write here. I even thought of abandoning this story because I thought I was unable to continue. However, thanks to Hood for her encouraging words to not give up (although I would cry after everything because I didn't think I could continue) and Demon, who also urged me to work, and nezushijustwantstobefree a.k.a Ship for guilt-tripping me to update. Through the power of their support, I am back! I'm not gonna promise quick updates, though.
Aster: It's a start, don't you think? Anyways, Anime forgot to thank the supportive readers/reviewers. Thank you for reading this. Thank you all for having patience to wait for this story. Thank you to those how favorited and followed this story. This long-awaited chapter is dedicated to all of you.
James: If you do not remember what happened in the previous chapters, just know that Aster is the son of Alice and Jack that came to the past thanks to the Moonstone, Black Ruins is the new bad guy who is obsessed with Aster and has kidnapped his friends and wishes to obtain the Moonstone. Aster Frost (or Frell) is supplying energy to Pitch so the Nightmare King can assist in the battle against Black Ruins. One of Aster's friends – Aria – has fallen prey to the darkness and has turned evil. Alice and Jack are getting closer together in the romantic sense and the only ones that know Aster's true identity so far is Pitch and Sandy, although Tooth suspects him. Finally, Black Ruins has given Aster an ultimatum: To give himself up before spring begins or Black Ruins will kill the Guardians.
Rin: The song for this chapter is Hey Alice by Rachel Rose Mitchell, also known as the song that caused Anime to break out of her writer's depression and write for FBW once more. Now, Whims of Anime does not own American McGee's Alice or Rise of the Guardians. She only owns the OCs and the plot.
Anime: Now, to the long-awaited sixth installment of Frozen Butterfly Wings: As Beautiful and Deadly as Snow!
~~~FBW~~~
6: As Beautiful and Deadly as Snow
Alice was walking around in a misty world that was enveloped in beautiful white snow. She didn't recognize the place she was at. She could feel the wind through her hair but she didn't feel cold. She was wearing a white dress that looked just like her usual attire except it had the symbol of Chaos stitched into the edge of the dress. She looked up to see that snowflakes were falling delicately from clouds that were light blue. As odd as blue clouds sounded, Alice knew better than to question her dreams.
"Hey, Alice,
Where's your Wonderland
Now that you're back on Earth?
How does it look
Now you've left it behind
And crossed the stepping stones?
Hey, Alice,
Is it greener here?
Or does it seem like dirt?
Does it feel the same?
Can you say that you are happy to be home?"
Alice turned around at the sound of singing. Was that a little girl singing? Alice walked towards the sound of the song, frowning slightly. This voice was unfamiliar to her. Sandy wouldn't make an unfamiliar girl start singing in her dreams, would he? She couldn't read him as well as she could the other Guardians.
"The rabbit
Seems to call your name.
You're late!
So it's time to move.
Oh Alice,
You know it's your fate.
Tick tock,
No time to lose."
Alice reached a clearing where a young girl – probably around six years old; she couldn't tell properly because she was facing away from her. She was sitting down on top of a large boulder and, floating in the air, were two books that the courage spirit couldn't see the titles to. The girl turned to Alice and continued to sing her haunting melody.
"Did the mushrooms make you grow?
Did the flowers say hello?
Would Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee
Care to sing a song for me?
Did you like your Unbirthday?
Did the Cheshire Cat smile your way?"
The girl had dark hair with a red tinge to it that made it up to her waist and had striking blue eyes. She was a beautiful girl with a healthy complexion, although she was paler than a typical human. She wore a simple navy blue dress with short puffy sleeves and a fanned out skirt that is cut to mid-leg. She also wore black-and-white stockings underneath the dress, and black and knee-high boots which were secured with silver buckles.
"Can you tell a raven from a writing desk?
Was the Hatter's tea the best?
Did you do as the Queen asked?
Did you see through the looking glass?"
"Who are you?" Alice asked as the girl paused in her singing, her blue eyes – familiar blue eyes that looked similar to a certain winter spirit that she knew of – twinkling with something that looked like amusement. The girl grabbed a tattered stuffed rabbit that made Alice flinch because that was her rabbit. Why did this child have her rabbit?
"Hey Alice,
Time is running short!
This can't take too long.
Make a choice now.
On which side of the door
Do you feel you belong?
The rabbit
Seems to call your name."
When she stopped singing, the stuffed rabbit turned into the White Rabbit and ran off, holding that ridiculous clock of his and stating that he was late and that the queen would have his head if he did not hurry. The girl giggled and jumped off the boulder and turned into a swarm of blue butterflies with white edges. When the butterflies reached the ground, they formed to create the little girl, who had a smile present on her face.
"Who am I? Well, I cannot answer that for I am not a 'who' yet." The girl replied, speaking with an English accent that carried the girl's youth and mirth. She curtsied, "If I could, I would be able to answer but I suppose I should say what I am, for I am nothing but a possibility."
"That is a very confusing notion. Perhaps you should have merely told me that you were just a possibility from the beginning." Alice replied coolly and the girl giggled, as if she had said something amusing.
"Well, I should have but it is fun to spin circles around the mind. It's a good way to exercise it." She replied as she conjured up three dolls. She dropped one of the dolls and hugged the two that she had kept holding in her pale arms. She smiled excitedly, staring at the dolls as if they were her whole world.
"I don't suppose that Sandman conjured up this dream." Alice asked the possibility – how else to address the girl because it seemed rather repetitive to call her 'the girl' when she had said that she wasn't a person – who sat down in the snow and began playing with two of the dolls, ignoring the third one.
"Of course not. I am your possibility. His too, but mostly yours. It is your choice whether or not I become a 'who'." The possibility replied and Alice approached her slowly to see the dolls that she was playing with. She stayed silent when she noticed that the possibility was playing with dolls that looked a lot like her and Jack.
"Why won't you play with the third one?" The spirit asked, gesturing towards the third doll that was abandoned on the ground, the snow covering most of it. She had no idea why she wanted to go uncover it. She had no attachment to dolls, so why did she care about the doll?
"Well, he gets mad at me for playing with him for too long." She said, glancing at the third doll, "Besides, it's not as pretty as these two!" She made the two dolls kiss briefly before hugging them again, "He promised not to hurt these two if he kept the third doll so I don't mind."
"Who is he?" The raven-haired woman asked, kneeling down and grabbing the abandoned doll that was covered by a huge amount of snow. When she removed the snow from the doll, her eyes widened slightly when she saw that the doll greatly resembled the imagination spirit Aster Frell.
Unlike the dolls that had the possibility had, the doll that looked like Aster looked more like a rag doll than a porcelain doll. It had white hair and green eyes and was dressed in the same clothes Aster had. The letters A, N, F and L were stitched on the back of the doll. Aster Nick Frell? Could it be his initials?
"Oh dear," The possibility said in soft voice, "You've made him angry."
Alice turned around only to be greeted by the Dollmaker that had once plagued her Wonderland, the man who had tormented in reality, making her flinch and take some steps back in surprise. He launched himself at her but he turned into black smoke when he reached her. Alice looked down to see the doll that looked like Aster had disappeared. Had Bumby taken it? If so, why?
The possibility was curled up in a small ball, hugging the two dolls protectively to her chest. She was looking down, her dark hair hiding her pale face and shining blue eyes. She eventually looked up to see the raven-haired beauty, whose eyes widened in surprise. The possibility's blue eyes were now black with blood coming down like tears. Her whole body and even her clothes were white, her hands drenched in blood. In short, she resembled Alice when she went into Hysteria mode.
"You should have never left Wonderland, dear Alice."
~~~FBW~~~
Alice woke up with a jolt and sat up. She was extremely confused when her head collided with something cold that felt a lot like flesh. "Ow, that hurt!" Someone said and Alice blinked when she saw Jack holding his nose and instantly realized that was what she had bumped into.
"Jack, what are you doing in my room?" Alice questioned, eyes narrowed at the winter spirit. Unless he had a good excuse for being in her room when she was sleeping, there was no way that she'd apologize.
Jack rubbed his nose, "Well, today is Christmas Eve! North asked me if you wanted to help move all the presents into the sacks. Sorry if I scared you." The last part was said in a mumble but Alice was able to hear it. She wasn't going to tell him so, though.
"Well, I apologize for hitting your nose." Alice said, lightly tapping Jack's nose. The winter spirit stiffened at the contact and the female spirit got out of bed, missing the light flush on his cheeks. He shook his head, willing the blush to disappear, before leaving the room. Like the girl he loved, he missed the light smile of Alice's face that had appeared while she had been staring at him with warm eyes that not a lot of people could say that they had seen coming from her.
Jack sighed as soon as he closed the door. Ever since that night where they had fallen asleep in the same bed – oh, the Guardians, Pitch and Aster had teased them for days when Aster had caught them the next day – it seemed that the invisible barrier that had been around since they had first met had vanished. Now, Alice didn't seem to hold back in in her teasing, as if she enjoyed watching Jack get flustered. Knowing her, that was probably the case, the winter spirit thought with a pout.
"Jaaaaack!" Jack was tackled into a hug by Aster, who twirled both of them while the younger spirit laughed with mirth Jack had never heard from him. He let go of Jack, grinning but the smile not reaching his eyes. It was a fake smile, Jack thought sadly, just like several of the smiles he gave recently. At least he did look a bit happier than he did the first couple of days of being here.
"What's wrong, Aster?" Jack asked, trying to stop the whole world from spinning.
"It's Christmas Eve!" The spirit said, his hair and eyes glowing bright yellow in happiness. He grabbed Jack's hands, "Christmas Eve, Jack! It's such a wonderful time of the year! Children today are awaiting tomorrow for their presents while others will try to stay up to catch a glimpse of North. Oh, I'm so happy!"
He flew away, giving a whoop of happiness and accidently knocking over an elf as he flew through the workshop. Jack noticed that Pitch was glaring at the happy-go-lucky young spirit, as if hating that he was happy. Then again, he had heard from Sandy that Pitch gained power from Aster's fear. It must be hard to feed off someone who wasn't afraid at the moment.
Jack wondered why Aster was so happy all of a sudden when he had been depressed lately. In the few times that he saw the spirit – Aster was suddenly spending most of his time with Sandy and Pitch rather than with Jack – Aster had black circles under his eyes, his eyes looked tired and he just exuded sadness. Jack had no idea why he was so happy and knew it wasn't just because it was Christmas Eve. He knew one thing for sure: Pitch and Sandy probably knew why he was so happy.
~~~FBW~~~
"It's so wonderful!" Aster laughed excitedly as he landed on top of the globe where Pitch was staring at him with something that looked like disgust. He hugged Pitch, ignoring the odd look Pitch gave him. He sat down, a wide grin on his face, "I didn't have a nightmare last night, I can see Mother and Father are getting closer and today North says I can go around to see some kids. It's a very good Christmas."
"I can assume it is." Pitch replied, speaking as if he didn't care. Aster supposed that was the case with the nightmare king. He was probably cranky because Aster's fear had disappeared – for the moment – so he wasn't getting a lot of energy and, thanks to their deal, he couldn't go terrorize the children the way he would do if he wasn't getting enough energy.
"Lighten up!" Aster smiled and Pitch thought that the dark circles under his eyes were less visible when he was smiling. A smile that looked so much like Jack's at this moment because it was wide and filled with happiness. Usually, Aster's smiles and smirks resembled his mother's rather than his father's. How was it that he looked a lot like Jack as he smiled this brightly but looked a lot like Alice when he smiled softly? Pitch decided not to think about it, as it led him to remember the daughter he hadn't seen in centuries.
"I am not the spirit of light; I'm afraid I cannot do what you've proposed." Pitch replied. Aster rolled his eyes at the older and darker spirit in what appeared to be annoyance but he could feel – for some reason – the love Aster had for him. Even if he had, somehow, been this boy's 'uncle' or some acquaintance, why didn't he show any fear when Pitch wanted him to?
"Don't be like that," Aster laughed before looking up, "Although, I do miss my mother's wit. Rowan loved her wit too. I can imagine how upset Rowan is, considering how much she cared for my mother. I do hope that my friends are alright."
"Hasn't Black Ruins told you if he has them?" Aster shook his head, his blinding yellow hair and eyes turning brown in his worry. He wished Black would tell him if his friends were safe or not. Instead, the dark spirit just toyed with his mind the way a puppeteer does with his marionette? That was a creepy analogy, considering the image Aster now had of him being held by strings as Black made him dance. Alright, he needed to forget that image.
"This Black Ruins sounds . . . interesting."
"Hearing that from you doesn't make me feel safe, Uncle Pitch." Aster mumbled as he stood up and flew away. He still thought about the threat that Black had given him. To be honest, he didn't like none of the options but the bastard was going to force him to choose. Such is the fate of Aster Frost.
~~~FBW~~~
(Unknown date; Unknown time; Unknown location)
"It's so lonely here." Cupid sighed as he flew around the small confinement he had called home for so many centuries. The winged spirit was surrounded by more mirrors than usual. He had expected as much; so many people got together with the person they loved during the holidays, especially in Christmas and Valentine's. He materialized his chair and sat down in front of the mirror that had an image of Jack and Alice speaking with each other.
Cupid smiled softly. These two were progressing smoothly and Cupid knew that those affections would only grow stronger as the days went by. He reached out to touch the image of the two lovers but stopped when he realized what he was going to do. He shook his head, pouting, "I can't interfere here! Not with this couple! They will come together on their own. I know that!"
"Hey Alice, are you here or there or somewhere in between? Hey Alice, would you ever dare to go back through where you've been?" A voice sang, the young voice echoing and Cupid frowned when a small girl materialized in front of him. A small six year old girl with black hair, pale skin and blue eyes that made his heart cry out in pain but he didn't show his pain to the smiling girl.
He growled and began to fly away, "I am not in the mood for your games, Naenia. Taking that child's form isn't amusing." He stopped when he saw that the girl was floating in front of him, holding two dolls close to her chest. He looked away when he saw who the dolls looked like, "Stop it."
"Feeling guilty? You should be? You made this girl a mere possibility." Naenia replied, smiling darkly, "You had her parents killed only because you thought that spirit deserved love. Not everyone deserves it, you know. Look at what you've done. A broken child, a possibility and two corpses are the only things that remain of the once happy Frost family."
"Naenia-."
"Call me Elizabeth. It would've been her name." Naenia – or Elizabeth as she wanted to called – demanded in a voice Cupid had a hard time taking seriously.
He looked to the mirror that held the image of Jack and Alice holding presents with Aster behind them, chatting happily with the younger versions of his parents. The Frost family . . . would they ever forgive that he had robbed them the possibility of having this little girl? It was unfair for the female Frost – Elizabeth Sophie Frost had a nice ring to it – because she would never be born. And it was all because he had wanted to show love to the one who couldn't comprehend it.
"That was your downfall, Cupid." Elizabeth said as she jumped towards the mirror that held the Frost family. She held it in her arms, the two dolls that resembled Alice and Jack disappearing, "You showed someone love when you knew very well that they could never learn to love. You know there are those who cannot love."
Cupid knew that what Naenia – or should he call her Elizabeth – said was true. He, for example, could not find love. That was so ironic, he thought with a snort. The spirit whose center was love could not find love. It was as if Man in the Moon was laughing down at him, giving Cupid such an ironic way of living. Likewise, Black Ruins – Cupid decided not to call him by his old name, his mortal name, because he hated his old name – had been born into this world unable to love.
That brought forth another question as to why Man in the Moon had made him into a spirit. At first, he thought it was so he could redeem the human's spirit but now he wasn't sure. Was this man's spirit redeemable? He had caused too much problems as a human and those problems were nothing compared to the actions that he had done as a human.
"Yes but I thought that I could try." He whispered, sitting down on his throne once more, "I wanted to believe that his dark soul could be capable of love. I guess that was a rash course of action. It's like the tragedy of Troy all over again. How many people will be hurt by that one love arrow that I shot at Black Ruins?"
Elizabeth's eyes flickered so they now seemed to hold a small galaxy in their eyes. When she blinked, they were blue once again. So many possibilities lay ahead of them, although three of them were more probable than the others.
In one of the possibilities, it showed Aster turning himself over to Black Ruins to protect the ones he loved. In another, it showed Black Ruins killing all the Guardians of the present era and taking Aster with him back to their time. In the third possibility, the Guardians fought against Black Ruins and managed to defeat him. None of the possibilities appealed to the possibility spirit. After all, Aster died in all of them. Whether he killed himself or was accidently killed by Black Ruins, the son of Alice Liddell and Jack Frost always seemed to die in the several possibilities.
"Several people will suffer, especially the Guardians and Aster." Elizabeth stated and she didn't miss the slump on Cupid's shoulders. She continued, her voice hollow and grim from seeing all of the possibilities that seemed to only end in tragedy. However . . .
"Even so, Black Ruins can be defeated and no one will think about the mess a single love arrow caused to the world." Elizabeth said, smiling gently in a way that made her look a lot like Alice, although her eyes twinkled with happiness that resembled Jack's eyes. Cupid smiled softly at her reassurance. After all, if the spirit of possibilities said there was a chance of something happen, then it had the chance of coming to pass.
Elizabeth chuckled. She had hope that the Guardians could overcome this new threat. After all, there existed a world where Black Ruins was defeated, the Guardians all lived and Aster lived as well. As long as that possibility existed, the raven haired child-spirit had hope that things weren't as bleak as they seemed.
~~~FBW~~~
(March 6; 80 years in the future; Location Unknown)
Arwyn was tired of screaming, tired of the pain, tired of Black, tired of the darkness, tired of the torture, tired of the silence, tired of the taunts. He cursed the darkness with every fiber of his being. Black Ruins had already made all of his friends succumb to the darkness. Aria, Zayden, Rayne, Sariya and Rowan were gone. Aira, Nedyaz, Enyar, Ayiras and Nawor took their place. And they had taken Black's place as his tormentor.
Arwyn couldn't feel his broken arms. He couldn't feel his broken legs. His cheeks felt numb and his back stung. He could feel his ribs were broken. But the worst pain was the one in his chest, in the place where his heart was located. What was that feeling in his heart? Was it betrayal?
How had things turned out this way?
Arwyn remembered better days than this. Days where he and the others and Aster and Black Ruins would meet up and just talk and have fun. Where had those happy days gone? When had they vanished? When had everything gone wrong? Why had this all gone wrong? Why had it all gone wrong, when everything had been so perfect? Where had those wonderful days of happiness and warmth gone?
Those wonderful days where Sariya and Rayne would sing merrily tunes they had learned from the children while Aria danced so they could enjoy themselves because they had been working too hard. Those wonderful days where Rowan would tell them funny stories about the children so they could laugh after having a long day. Those wonderful days where Aster made it snow for them just so he could see them smile. Those wonderful days where Black Ruins would show them this beautiful patch so they could appreciate the beauty of the world they sometimes hated.
How hadn't he seen the darkness in Black Ruins' heart? How had he not seen the danger that spirit held? Looking back, he could remember the lingering glances he gave to the youngest of the group whenever Aster was smiling or laughing. He hadn't thought much of it, as he thought that Black Ruins cared for Aster because the imagination spirit had been the first one to speak to him.
Why had he been so stupid? Why hadn't he noticed sooner? If he had, Jack and Alice would still be alive. If he had, Aria, Rowan, Zayden, Sariya and Rayne wouldn't be corrupted by darkness. If he had, he wouldn't be in this mess. If he had, those days of happiness and joy and warmth would never have gone away.
Maybe he had realized that Black Ruins had darkness in his heart. A part of him probably thought so. But he was too scared of breaking the gentle bubble they lived in. He deluded himself into believing in the goodness of the death spirit. Because friendships were too hard to find but so easy to lose, he was scared of losing this beautiful friendship.
He was a pathetic spirit. A pathetic spirit that believed in friendship and in the goodness of people's hearts. He just had his rude awakening. The world was a cruel place. He had lost two people he admired and their son – his best friend – was missing while the rest of his friends were ruled by darkness.
What a cruel, rude awakening for this naïve friendship spirit.
"Alice . . . Jack . . ." He croaked out, his voice hoarse from all the screaming he had done during his numerous torture sessions. His voice broke before he could apologize to the two dead spirits with his pitifully weak voice. A small tear came out from his left eye, the tear mixing with the blood on his face. He closed his eyes when he heard footsteps approaching, followed by the maniacal laughing coming from his tormentors.
I remember those laughs . . . those gentle laughs that held no trace of malice. Can I hear them again? Can I go back to those days of joy and happiness, where laughter filled the air? I want to go back.
He sobbed softly, feeling all the energy in his body vanish, as if it had been taken from him, "I'm sorry. Alice . . . Jack . . . I failed."
When the door opened, Arwyn had returned to his mind, where those wonderful days still existed. In a land where Alice and Jack were alive, where Aster and Black Ruins were friends, where Aria, Rowan, Zayden, Sariya and Rayne were still with the light rather than the dark. A land where no rules existed and no one could hurt Arwyn. A land where they could all be happy.
After all, Alice Liddell wasn't the only one with a Wonderland.
~~~FBW~~~
(December 24, Present time, North's Workshop, North Pole)
"That's the last of them!" Aster cheerfully said, a bright smile that Tooth thought that looked a lot like Jack's but, at the same time, looked like Alice's. The guardian of memories and the spirit of imagination were both alone, watching the final presents being loaded onto North's sleigh. Tooth knew she wasn't imagining the lingering look Aster shot to Alice and Jack.
"Say, Aster?" Tooth asked, deciding that she had to ask him now. She needed to know why the boy reminded her so much of the two younger guardians. She needed to know why he had no memory box where he kept his childhood memories. She needed to know why he loved Alice and Jack so much.
"Yes, Tooth?" Aster turned to her, still smiling.
"Aster . . . who are you, really? Why do you look so much like Alice and Jack?" Tooth said it all in a soft voice. It was too soft that no one should've heard her voice if they happened to be eavesdropping. But Aster heard her. And he froze, his eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights.
"I. . ."
Tooth turned to look at him and turned to see his hair and eyes flashing several colors. Was he really that conflicted with his feelings? How were his feelings so confused? Aster looked away, his hair turning blue and brown before he grabbed the Moonstone dangling around his neck and took it off. The color drained from his hair and Tooth's eyes widened when she was met with pale white hair that looked like freshly fallen snow and brilliant green eyes that belonged to someone else that she knew.
"Is this a good answer, Aunt Tooth?" Aster whispered, a hand going through his pale hair. The response was a hug from the female guardian, Aster resting his head on the crook of her neck as she ran a hand through his hair. Aster closed his eyes, feeling his heart feel warmer. He had missed this. The warmth and care of someone he saw as family. He hadn't known how much he had longed for it until he had it. He had even forgotten that people could still hug in this manner.
"Aster Nick Frell. . . I should've known that silly sounding last name was a combination of Frost and Liddell." Tooth murmured as she patted his hair, "Did he really kill them?"
Aster nodded and Tooth sighed, her wings fluttering weakly. Aster had said that his parents had been killed but, if Alice and Jack really were his parents, that meant the two young spirits had been killed. Tooth suddenly wished that she hadn't discovered that this young spirit was the son of her two friends.
"Don't tell Mother or Father or Bunny or North." Aster whispered as Tooth released him from the hug. She nodded and Aster smiled, "Thank you, Aunt Tooth." The female guardian left him, yelling loudly to Alice and Jack that they had no time to lose as it was nearly midnight.
Aster smiled when he saw Jack laugh at Tooth's antics while Alice smiled, the flying guardian latching herself to Alice, trying to make her laugh. This made Jack laugh more, as Alice did everything to get Tooth to release her. Aster chuckled, his eyes soft. Days like these made him glad that the Man in the Moon sent him back to this time period.
"Getting comfortable?"
Aster's eyes widened and he froze as an arm wrapped itself around his waist. Someone leaned their chin on his right shoulder and he heard him chuckling, his cold breath making Aster shiver despite that he was used to the cold, "What's wrong? Don't tell me you were forgetting about our deal, my frozen butterfly."
"What are you doing here?" Aster whispered, too afraid to turn around. He was here! What was he doing here? Why couldn't he move? Why couldn't he run away? Why couldn't he scream? What was wrong with him? Since when had he been afraid of this man?
This was the person that Aster had pranked with the help of Rowan and Arwyn. This was the person that Aster had learned was extremely ticklish. This was the person that Aster had discovered loved cats. This was the person that had once saved Aster's life. This was the person that Aster had called a friend for years. So why was he so scared of him?
"I've always preferred you like this, Aster. That Moonstone was annoying, always making your hair and eyes change color." Black Ruins replied and Aster stiffened when he felt a hand run through his pale hair. Why was he here? Why couldn't he move? It was just like that day when he watched his parents die. Why was he so scared again? He shouldn't fear him! His uncle was the Nightmare King! Why should he be afraid of this spirit? This was the spirit that was afraid of trains, for Manny's sake! So why couldn't he move?
"But that isn't the reason I'm here," Black said and Aster looked straight ahead to where the Guardians and his parents were talking, unaware that this dangerous spirit was here. He couldn't hear them from this distance and he cursed mentally. If he couldn't hear them, the chances were that they wouldn't be able to hear him. "I'm here to see when you wish to come back to me."
"I'm not going to run into your arms, you sick bastard. Go to Hell." Aster growled out, his eyes flashing with the same ferocity his mother and father had shown in the past during battle. Black Ruins frowned at the young teen's display and Aster's eyes widened in horror when he saw black tendrils appear in front of him, all of them pointing towards his parents, Tooth, Bunny, Sandy and North.
"What are you doing?" The white-haired teen asked, panic evident in his voice. He recognized those tendrils of darkness. He had seen Black Ruins kill people with those things. No, please don't do this. Don't hurt them! Get those things away from them! He received no response except that those things were approaching the carefree Guardians. "Stop. Please," He cried out, trying to look away but a hand made him face forward, "Don't hurt them."
"Why shouldn't I?" Black whispered.
Aster closed his eyes, feeling the tears forming in his eyes when he realized what he had to do in order to protect the ones he loved. He had been a coward for too long, allowing others to sacrifice themselves for his sake. It was about time that he sacrificed something for the sake of others. It was the thing that would help everyone. His happiness, his freedom, was nothing compared to the lives of millions.
"I'll do it," Aster replied, unaware of the scream that sounded from a cave thousands of miles away in a different dimension that many could not find, "I'll go with you wherever the hell you want, alright? I won't run away and I won't fight back. I'll do whatever you want. Just don't hurt them."
Black Ruins chuckled, "That's a good boy. When do you want to leave this place?"
"Tomorrow." Aster felt his voice cracking but he was the son of Alice Liddell; he could control his emotions and would not break down in front of his enemy. He opened his eyes, his eyes shiny with unshed tears. He gazed at his loved ones, a look of despair and hopelessness washing over his features, "The deal is off if you try to hurt them."
"They mean nothing to me. They were nothing but a means to ensnare you." Black Ruins said, releasing his hold of Aster, "All I wanted was for your surrender. See you soon, my frozen butterfly."
After he disappeared, Aster could move again. And the first thing he did was fall to his knees, the Moonstone in his hands, and cry. This wasn't fair. Why was his world falling apart? Why had he let it fall apart? Why had he let that man get under skin? Why was he so weak? Why was he so pathetic?
"I'm so sorry." He hiccupped, trying to wipe away his tears. They continued to fall, much to his dismay. He felt a presence looming over him and he looked up to see the Nightmare King, staring at him with an emotion he couldn't comprehend. At that moment, however, he wouldn't have cared if the person standing in front of him had been a demon.
Aster latched himself onto Pitch's robe, sobbing. He didn't care that Pitch had no idea why he was crying. He didn't care over how weak he must have looked, sobbing in front of the Boogeyman. He didn't care if North, Bunny or his parents came here and discovered him in his true form. He didn't care about anything.
He only needed comfort.
~~~FBW~~~
Anime: I'll apologize for my lack of update and if this chapter isn't to your liking. I'll try to update chapter 7 on Christmas so I can have time to work on this and my other fics. Review kindly. Thank you and see you in chapter 7.