Author's Note: Hello everyone and welcome back to "The Winter Child!" =D I hope you all are having a wonderful evening thus far. ^u^

I'm really out of words today (*cries*), so I hope you guys enjoy this new chapter! =D


~ LXXIX ~

To the Capitol and Back, Part Two

A long sleigh ride was

To reach the Capitol's walls

He felt as if he were in a fantasy

When he entered Lunslruna's city

...

The Guardians spent most of the days leading up to the big trip packing and preparing. It shouldn't have taken so long, but it had been a while since any of them had left the village, so all were unsure of how to prepare. Not that the chances were high, but what if Pitch stormed the palace while they were there? What if something happened in Santoff Claussen that required their help? What if the message Katherine had received was from a Fearling in disguise, and all of this was just one big trap?

Perhaps they were overthinking (oh, who are we fooling, they were overthinking), but the Guardians had been through a lot the past few months. So their concerns about leaving the village were, in a way, justifiable.

But out of all of them, Jack had to be the most nervous of them all. This was his first time leaving the village, and he didn't know what to expect from the people of Lunslruna Capitol. Not only that, but he was a snow sprite. How would they treat him?

Jack was lucky enough to have North, who prevented any form of discrimination to come his way. The people of Santoff Claussen were wary of Jack when he was brought into the light, but they soon came to accept him, and he was loved by almost everyone in the town.

But Lunslruna Capitol was huge. And it was a hotspot for many of the Tsardom's gossip. The streets were always filled with chatter, whether it was about Pitch, Pookas, the Guardians, snow sprites, and more. For all Jack knew, the terrible misconceptions about snow sprites were probably floating around just as heavily as they had been several years ago when North was still hiding him.

So, just to be safe, Jack brought along his hooded cloak just in case he needed to conceal his ears. He didn't want to draw any unwanted attention, and he wasn't comfortable enough revealing himself to others yet.

The Guardians didn't argue against his precautions, and North admitted that he did want Jack to wear some kind of covering to avoid stirring the people. While he didn't think everyone in Lunslruna Capitol would be judging, he still wanted Jack to be safe and comfortable during their short time there.

Once everything was packed into the sleigh, the Guardians set off. Ombric promised to watch the village well (he had created it after all), which helped ease the Guardians nerves a bit. Lunslruna Capitol was, at least, a four-hour sleigh ride on North's sleigh, and they wanted to make it there while the weather was still pleasant.

Jack couldn't remember the last time he had sat down in the red vehicle for so long. When he was young, and North used to ride around the village, just for the thrill of it. That long stopped when Fearlings were discovered to be roaming in those parts. Then Jack had gotten busy with school and other unpleasant events had taken place that further made him want to reside within the village's boarders.

But now he was out in the world with North, Tooth, Sandy, and Aster. The wind whipped against his skin as the sleigh rushed down the path. It was partly cloudy, and the sun was bright with light as the Guardians continued their way to the Capitol. It was a warm November day, but it would become even warmer as the Guardians neared the Capitol. Its weather is fairly normal compared to the craziness that occurred in Norsurberian sometimes.

"How are ya feeling, Jack?" asked Tooth, noticing the snow sprite's pensive expression. Jack turned around and the Tooth Fairy smiled. "I know this might be a lot for you."

Jack shrugged, and he fiddled with the strings of his cloak. "I'm fine," he replied, and that wasn't a lie. It was as if he left all his nerves behind in Santoff Claussen. Perhaps it was because it was a nice day, and the weather was having a pleasant effect on him. His blue eyes flicked next to Tooth and he smirked. "I think that question should be more geared toward Bunny."

Next to Tooth, Aster was clinging to the edge of the sleigh, his eyes squeezed shut. He looked as if he were about to fly out at any moment. For as long as Jack could remember, Aster absolutely despised North's sleigh. And frankly, Jack didn't know why. Everyone loved the sleigh, and Aser was the extremely rare one percent that didn't. Jack wasn't sure where his fear of the sleigh had come from, but if there was one thing the snow sprite knew, it was that it was absolutely hilarious.

Aster cracked open an eye and he glared at Jack (only he could give a fighting glare with just one eye). "Don't ya go pickin' on me now, mate. It isn't goin' ta end well for ya."

"I didn't even say anything," Jack said, blinking innocently. "I'm genuinely concerned for you.

Aster snorted. "Sure ya are." The sleigh hit a bump, and Aster yelped. Neither Jack or Sandy couldn't hold back a laugh.

"We're almost there, Bunny," North reassured the Pooka. "Just thirty more minutes."

"Thirty minutes," Aster mumbled. "Thirty more minutes in this deathtrap and it'll all be over…"

"Uh, Bunny?" Jack cut in. "We're going to be taking the sleigh back home, you know."

"Hush up, Jack!"

The snow sprite laughed, and he turned to face the front again.

Thirty minutes passed quicker than any of the Guardians would've thought. Soon, they could see the large golden gates leading into Lunslruna's Capitol. As soon as Jack caught sight of them, he pulled his hood over his head. He hoped that his white hair was concealed enough under the brown fabric, but neither of the soldiers standing guard near the gates took notice. They politely saluted the Guardians and opened the golden doors for the group, and the Guardians entered the Capitol. Jack gasped.

He had never seen anything like this.

Lunslruna Capitol was just as flourished as Katheirne had described. Buildings were trimmed with colorful patterns and structures. The colored pebbled road weaved through the many markets and shops. Crowds and crowds of people bustled through the streets, waiving to those who passed by. And in the center of the large town was the Lunar Palace itself. It was built out of a material that was only found on the moon. And the shimmering silver seemed to act as a second sun for those in the village. Swirls and galactic patterns decorated the Palace's exterior. And on top of the highest tower was a rocket-looking structure that pointed straight up into the sky.

"That tower used to be a rocket," North explained. "The same one Tsar Lunar used to fly here."

"Whoa…" Jack whispered. The Capitol was like Santoff Claussen…but richer and grander. While Santoff Claussen had simple buildings and dirt roads, Lunslruna Capitol had buildings of marble and roads of stone. And instead of a giant magical tree, they had a rocket that had once come from the Moon itself.

"Well, I'm officially impressed," Jack said. North laughed. "Where are we headed first?"

"Tsar Lunar wants us at the palace tomorrow," said Tooth. She was always organized and ahead on these things. "So we can first check in at an inn and then spend the rest of the day showing Jack around."

"We're touring the city?" Jack asked.

"You're touring the city. We've all been here at least once," said Aster. He ruffled the boy's hair. "We thought we should give ya a taste of it since it's yer first time here."

Sandy nodded. "It's your first time officially out of the village. You need to savor it."

Jack was surprised; he didn't know the Guardians planned to give him a tour. He thought they'd go straight to the pale from here, but the Gala was tomorrow, and they had plenty of free time. The snow sprite smiled.

"Then let's get on with it."

Calling the Capitol huge was an understatement.

It was humungous.

Jack had always prided himself on knowing that insides and outside of Santoff Claussen. He knew the village like the back of his hand, he knew every nook and cranny. But now that he was in a place that he was completely unfamiliar with, it felt a little strange not knowing where he was or where he was going.

After checking in at an inn, Jack relied a lot on the Guardians to guide him where to go. And the Guardians wasted no time in explaining things to him. Santoff Claussen was considered a more rural kind of village. And Jack was used to the slow, but exciting life that it provided. But here in Lunslruna Capitol, things were always moving. Life was fast and didn't slow for anyone. The number of people who lived there was large, and it took Jack some getting used to when weaving through the crowds.

He feared that someone would point out the odd paleness of his skin. Or that someone would notice the white tufts of hair peeking out from beneath. They browsed the markets and walked through the streets, Jack found that he was shadowed by the Guardians when people recognized them and came to ask questions. Some sent questioning looks in his direction, but Jack paid no mind. He kept his hood tight and stayed close to the Guardians as they continued to make their way through town.

Eventually, they arrived at where most of the homes in the Capitol were. A major contrast between Santoff Claussen and Lunslruna Capitol was the home structures. In Santoff Claussen, some lived in trees, underground, or half and half. Others lived in cottages or regular, simple homes like Jack and North's. But in Lunslruna Capitol, houses were large and well-furnished. Most of the buildings were made of marble or other expressive-looking stone. And many had special trimming and markings around their sides.

Jack and the Guardians stopped in front of a particular house—no, a mansion—which was completely made out of dark oak wood, marble, and had silver trimming. A blue crescent was on the front door. Jack tilted his head, studying the large structure.

"You know…this place is big enough for all of us," the snow sprite mused.

Aster scoffed. "Are ya sayin' we should live together?"

"I think it'd be fun!" Tooth chirped. "We could have meals together every day, and everyone would be just around the corner."

"Sounds like a lot of noise ta me," Aster said.

"Oh, come on, Bunny…you don't really like living all by yourself, do you?" asked Jack.

Aster shrugged. The Pooka would never admit it, but sometimes he did feel lonely in his cottage.

"Well, if we did live here, how would we furnish?" asked North.

"Oh, I already have that planned out," Jack quipped. "Blue curtains, blue walls, blue furniture, blue—"

"Blue, blue, blue, blue…is this a house or an ocean?" Aster jested. Jack frowned.

"We could have pretty mosaics on the walls," suggested Tooth.

"A giant workshop," North added.

"And there has ta be a garden," Aster stated. "And eggs of course."

Sandy's dreamsand flashed over his head. "And we can't forget easily accessible beds in case any of us needs to take a nap."

"Sandy, that's what bedrooms are for," Jack laughed. The Sandman only smiled.

"We could do it all," said Jack, looking at the house. "This mansion could be like…a top-notch headquarters or something."

The Guardians laughed, and Jack smiled, enjoying the fantasy.

Soon, evening came around, and the Guardians returned to the inn for dinner. North, Tooth, Sandy, and Aster spoke a little bit about the upcoming gala. Jack quickly finished his food and went straight to bed, exhausted from the business of that day.

As he lay in bed, the snow sprite didn't know what to feel. Tomorrow was the gala, and Jack's nervousness began to resurface. He wondered what Tsar Lunar was like. Sandy said he was nice, but Jack was still rather anxious.

The snow sprite sighed and rolled over, his eyes grew heavy and they closed. He fell asleep, anxiousness bubbling for the next day.


Author's Note: *Insert epic battle planning music here*

...Yeah, I really have no idea what to put here. XD I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you all in the next one. =)

Until the next chapter!

~BeyondTheMoon1203