Author's Note: Hello everyone and welcome back to "The Winter Child!" =D This is the second arc for this one-shot collection (story? Eh...), and one that I had a lot of fun writing! =) I've received a lot of questions from you guys, and it's been a bit since I've done shout-outs anyway, so...SHOUT-OUTS! XD

Guest (Chapter 42, March 9): Hm...not sure about when I'd do a Q&A...I don't think I could fit that long of an author's note in my story. XD Although, I am planning on opening my PM in the future when summer rolls around (since I'll have more time to reply then), so if you don't mind waiting until then, I'd be happy to any questions you have for me! =D

Guest (Chapter 42, 32m ago as of right now): The only magical people in this world are Pookas, Sisters of Flight, Lunarians (like Tsar Lunar and those who came with him from the Moon), Fearlings, Nightmares, snow sprites, and...that's just about it. XD I didn't want to overstuff this story with too many different races that it's overwhelming, but I still wanted to include some variety. =)

Guest (Chapter 42, 36m ago as of right now): Nightlight won't be featuring in this story, but he does feature in some of my past fanfictions ("My Katherine," "Sick," and "Happy Birthday, Katherine"). As for future fanfictions, he will make a few appearances, but there is one particular AU story coming in which he's a key character for the plot...but I'm not revealing anything yet, hehehehe. X)

I really don't mind answering your guys' questions, and I do know asking in the reviews is probably...yeah, not the best method. XD But I am planning on opening my PM feature sometime in June when I'm not so busy (and because I'm still kinda nervous about opening it right now, ahhaha- =')), so yeah. XD I'll be sure to let you all know when that opens up! ^u^

Also, if you guys don't mind (this specifically applies to guests), if you could put nicknames for yourselves when leaving a review with a question contained in it? Some of you may not know, but you do have the option as a guest to type up a pen name. =D This just makes it easier for me when giving shout-outs, instead of me placing the date, chapter, and time you reviewed. XD

Anyway! That just about sums things up...I hope you guys enjoy the first installment of "Lost in the Woods!" (Totally not thinking of the Frozen II song right now...Totally).


~ XLIII ~

Lost in the Woods, Part One

He was growing older

More restless, longing for adventure

So Aster suggested he join him

On his trip to the woods

Neither of them expected

That they'd get lost in the forest trails

Where danger was imminent

And the shadows prevailed

...

It was a cool autumn day in Santoff Claussen, and North was working on a blueprint for a new invention. Outside, Jack was playing in the backyard with the Wind. After last week's flight, they wanted to improve their flying skills. The reindeer, who stayed in the shed in the back, watched from their stalls as Jack and Wind swooped and spun in the air. Jack smiled and whooped happily, encouraging the Wind to thrust him into another barrel roll as he sped around the yard.

Though he was proud of his boy's progress in flying, North did wish he would be a little quieter. Designing blueprints took a lot of time and focus, and Jack's loud ruckus made it difficult to do so.

But…now that North thought about it, the young sprite had been acting a bit more restless lately. He could hardly stay in one spot without fidgeting and loved riding swiftly and fast with the Wind. Jack had earned a mischievous streak for pulling pranks on his classmates, Omrbic included. They were all harmless schemes, the ones that were meant to draw laughs, but Jack had received a few warnings about when it was the right time to pull said pranks, and he had been holding back since.

Jack was twelve years old, a transitioning age between child and adult. He was always boisterous and mischievous since he was a boy. He wanted to do anything and everything that caught his attention. He was always moving, always active. Sometimes, North dizzied himself just trying to keep up with him. Jack was like a flash of light, there one moment, gone the next.

"Jack, could you quiet down, please?" North hollered outside. Jack had left the backdoor open, so the snow sprite heard him clearly. The Wind settled down to a light breeze, and North sighed in relief. He continued to scratch out lines on his blueprints, enjoying the peaceful silence when, suddenly, the Wind picked up again. Jack's laughter rang from outside like a siren.

"Jack!" North chided. "I asked you to quiet down!"

"You didn't say for how long!" the snow sprite sing-songed. North frowned, about to tell Jack to lower his volume when he heard a knock come from the door.

North got up from the table and walked to the front door. When he opened it, Aster was on the other side. He was dressed in traveling attire instead of the casual shirt, vest, and pants that he wore.

"Ah, welcome, Aster," said North with a smile. He stepped aside. "Come in, come in!"

"G'day North," said Aster as he walked inside. North closed the door behind him. "What have ya been up ta?"

There was a crash outside, and North cringed. Aster's ears twitched as he picked up the sound of Jack groaning.

"I'm okay!" he cried. "Just, ah…flew into a tree!"

Aster chuckled and North shook his head. "Trying to keep moy mal'chik from hurting himself," he replied. "What about you? You look like you are about to head out."

Aster nodded. "That's why I stopped by actually. I'm headin' ta Olsolurstia ta get more ingredients fer paint."

Aster was a painter, which, obviously, required paint. The paint that he used was paint that he actually made himself. He used most of the flowers he grew in the Warren to make colors such as red, blue, and yellow. But there were some shades, some colors that could only be made with specific plants and herbs outside of Santoff Claussen. So, every once in a while, Aster would venture outside of the village into the forests of Olsolurstia, where these plants and items were predominant.

Whenever this occurred, North always suggested heading to the markets within the village. But Aster liked searching for the ingredients within nature. And as reclusive as the Pooka was, Aster liked getting out of Norsurberian every once in a while.

Upon hearing Aster's voice (for Jack had increasingly sharp hearing), he barreled into the house. Since he had turned twelve, Jack had grown taller. His hair had become longer and wilder and was currently filled with twigs and leaves. He had begun to wear cloaks recently, mostly in the color brown and always with a hood. The boy said they made him look mysterious. North couldn't help but laugh at the comment.

His skin had grown a bit paler and his eyes flickered the spark of mischief. He carried his crooked staff with him everywhere; the wooden object had become Wawa's replacement. North knew Jack would've grown out of the stuffed arctic fox soon enough, but he still felt a bit saddened when Jack had placed her in the closet, claiming that stuffed animals were too childish for twelve-year-olds.

Jack skidded to a stop in front of North and Aster. "Hey, Bunny!" he greeted happily. His cloak was ruffled and a few bruises stuck out against his skin.

Aster smiled. "Hey, mate. I hear your practicin' yer flyin'."

Jack nodded. "Yeah…Wind and I still need to work on our steering." His eyes widened with remembrance. "Oh! Did you bring the blue paint I asked for?"

Aster smirked and pulled a tube of blue paint from his pocket, twirling it in his paw before handing it to Jack. "Use it wisely. It's the last one I got."

Jack nodded. "I will! Thanks!" Then he ran off. Aster chuckled.

"A little ball of energy, isn't he?" Aster remarked.

"He's been a little too energized lately," North said with a small sigh. "He grows wilder and wilder every day…Not in a bad way, of course. He's just hyper."

"He's been cramped here in Santoff Classen all his life," said Aster. "I'm not surprised he's so restless. He needs ta step out of the village, North. He's probably just lookin' fer adventure."

North hummed in agreement. "Perhaps," he said.

"How about this…I take the kit with me when I go ta Olsolurstia," said Aster. "Not only will Jack get ta step outside the village, ya get ta have some extra peace and quiet."

North looked at Aster. "I don't know, Bunny," he said hesitantly. "What if—"

"I'm going with Bunny to Olsolurstia?" North and Aster turned, spotting Jack standing in front of them. They hadn't even heard him enter! The boy was looking at them, excitement dancing in his eyes. "I wanna go!"

"I'm not sure about that, Jack," said North. Jack looked at him, puzzled. "What if something happens to you out there? I don't want you getting lost or hurt."

"But Nooooooorth! I can take care of myself!" Jack exclaimed. "Besides, Bunny will be there. I'll be fine!"

North was still unsure. Aster looked at the ex-Cossack and shook his head.

"C'mon, North, let the kit have an adventure for once," said Aster. He knew how protective North could be when it came to Jack. He had acted the same way when sending Jack to school and even when leaving him at Aster's house when he left in search of spare parts. North only wanted to protect Jack, Aster understood. The boy was a snow sprite; a race that was heavily discriminated against, and there were many who would've loved to take advantage of Jack, and perhaps even use his powers for ill intent.

North looked at Jack, who had put on a pleading expression. He even had his hands folded in front of him! The ex-Cossack thought for a few moments before making his final decision.

"...Alright," he said at last. Aster smiled. Jack gasped. "As long as Aster is with you the hold time, then you can go."

"Woo-hoo!" Jack cheered. He gave North a hug. "You're the best, North!"

North smiled and ruffled the twigs out of Jack's hair. "First, you will need to get yourself cleaned up, though."

"He's right," said Aster. He made his way toward the door. "I have a few more things ta pack up myself. I'll come back in about an hour or so ta pick up Frostbite."

Jack grinned, excitement bubbling with him. Finally! He was going to leave Santoff Claussen! He wondered what would discover out there as he and North went upstairs to help him get ready.

North helped Jack get cleaned up and allowed him to use one of his satchels to carry a few items. He provided the boy with a canteen of water, some bread and cheese to nibble on, and a notebook to write down anything that caught his attention. Jack wore his usual brown vest and cloak, which was comfortable and kept him warm. Jack was currently trying to tie the cloak strings, but they repeatedly kept coming undone. The boy huffed, frustrated.

"Here, let me help you," said North. He kneeled in front of Jack and gently took the strings and began to tie them. "Laces can be quite tricky."

"Yeah," agreed Jack.

As North tied the strings, he said, "Jack, I know you will be alright, but I'm going to remind you to be careful anyway. I don't want you to get hurt."

Jack smiled softly. He knew how much North worried for him. "I'll be careful, North. I promise."

North smiled, and he playfully pulled Jack's hood over his head. Jack laughed and pulled it down, promising that he'd try and bring something back for North.

Aster soon returned, and Jack was ready to go. The two said goodbye to North before setting out. As he waved to them, North felt a pit of anxiousness in his stomach as he watched the Pooka and snow sprite walk off. But he shoved this feeling aside and headed back inside to continue his work.

The house was rather quiet without Jack.

Before leaving, Aster explained to Jack what they were looking for, and set a few rules for the boy to follow. The woods were a mysterious and dangerous place if you didn't know what you were doing, and this was one of the few times Jack ventured out of Santoff Claussen. Aster didn't want Jack to get lost just as much as North did. He promised that he'd keep the boy safe, and that was exactly what he intended to do.

"Remember, we're looking for paint ingredients," said Aster. "Stay close and don't wander off. Ya can get lost pretty quickly in here."

Jack nodded, and he tried to stay close to Aster as they walked through the woods. Olsolurstia's forests weren't too far from Santoff Claussen. If Jack and Aster stayed on schedule, they'd arrive at their destination in a few hours or so. Aster would then collect what they needed, and the two would spend a little bit of time exploring, a camp for the night, then return to Santoff Claussen tomorrow morning.

Jack was amazed by all the things in the forest; he didn't leave Santoff Claussen much, so he was completely unfamiliar with the new surroundings. He explored every nook and cranny and climbed almost every tree. He even peeked into a few caves. Aster had to call him back multiple times before he got himself lost.

Aster had a map to track where they were going, but he was so busy trying to keep Jack nearby that he didn't look at it as often as he should've. He had visited the location multiple times, and he thought he had it committed to memory. But as time went on, the trees began to all look the same, and it started to get dark out. The shadows shifted and changed, the terrain grew unfamiliar. The path became narrower, looking as if it hadn't been traveled on in a while. Evening rolled across the land. The trees blocked out what little sunlight was left.

Jack didn't wander away from Aster now that it was beginning to get late. He had noticed that it was taking longer to reach the patch containing the flowers needed for Aster's paints. With Jack traveling off the path so much, it would've made sense why it took them a little longer to reach where they needed to go.

But it definitely shouldn't have taken this long.

"Hold on for a moment, mate," said Aster. Jack stopped and watched as Aster pulled out his map. He couldn't see very well in the dark, so Jack held up a glowing icicle to illuminate the paper. Aster skimmed over the atlas, trying to pinpoint their location but not finding where.

"Are you sure you know where we're going?" asked Jack, trying to hold the worry in his voice back.

"I do," said Aster. He knew the boy didn't mean to sound offensive, but a part of Aster felt challenged by the boy's statement. He put the map back in his bag and said. "Come on. Let's head this way."

Aster didn't want to admit that he had lost his sense of direction, but the woods they were in didn't look anything like the woods they had entered before. After a couple more minutes of walking aimlessly, Aster finally stopped, completely and utterly baffled.

Jack paused beside him, gripping his satchel strap. "Bunny…?"

"Yeah, mate?"

"I…I think we're lost."

Aster inhaled.

"Me too, mate."


Author's Note: Jack: Well doggone it, Bunny! You got us lost in the middle of nowhere! Now Moon's going to torture us with all sorts of peril, without even giving us a darn!

Ayo, don't look at me. Bunny's the one who got you lost.

Bunny: But whose in charge of the story?

Me.

Jack and Bunny: So it's your fault!

But is it really my fault? I mean, you guys have the choice not to go along with this.

Jack: No we don't!

Yes you do.

Bunny: Don't!

Do.

Jack and Bunny: MOON!

I have a feeling this argument is going to last a while...so before I head off to prove my innocence to these two dorks, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you all in the next one! =D

Until the next chapter!

~BeyondTheMoon1203