Chapter Text
There was a girl sprawled out on the grass. Bruises painted her exposed skin purple. Sleeves covered the only purple her skin was meant to bear.
Cool caresses and enchanted ice packs weren't enough anymore. Soothing words and an increasingly forced smile weren't enough anymore. Flimsy jokes and whimsical stories weren't enough anymore. The wounds she carried weren't just physical – and it was only getting worse.
This was the place she was meant to call home. This was the place she was meant to feel safe.
This place had become a battleground.
Ice-blue eyes stared at her prone form, and the last of his restraint snapped with an audible crack of spiked ice at his bare feet.
She was ten, and she was tired.
Why the hell was he putting tradition before her welfare?
“Do y’wanna leave?” He blurted out before he could think it through.
Slowly, her head rolled to the side, her deadened brown eyes gaining a hesitant glimmer of hope. “Leave?”
"Leave. Here. Forever, if y’want. Come with me, Little Tiger.” The words all came out in a rush, and he knelt by her side, cold hand anguishedly pressing to a welt on her cheek.
He expected resistance. He expected hollow claims of duty. He expected her to scoff and drag up her broken body for another round of cruelty.
“Please,” she whispered instead, voice small and cracking.
He stilled, feeling a numb ache of guilt where victory should've shone, then nodded. “Okay. Let's… Let's grab your things, and getcha wrapped up warm, then we'll leave. Okay?”
“Okay,” she murmured, flat and empty.
It took ten minutes for a sad lifetime to be packed away in a big rucksack. The Wind swept the place for anything forgotten, then affectionately tugged the long amethyst braid of the bundled-up girl, eliciting a wobbly smile. He finished up the final knot on the thick blanket he tied around her small form, fussing with the scarf around her neck and assuring her boots were tied securely.
“Jack,” she intoned with a lilt of welcome bemusement.
Jack looked up at her, sticking out his tongue before hopping to his feet, kicking his staff up into his awaiting palm. “Oh, sorry, did y’wanna get frostbite? ‘Cause that can totally be arranged.”
She snickered, but there were tears welling up in her eyes that she was clearly trying to blink away. “I'm capable of tying my own shoelaces, you know. I'm not a kid.”
“You are,” he said, soft and painful around the edges as he smoothed his free hand over her hair, then tugged a knitted hat down over her ears. “You're allowed to be.”
Her head dropped, nose burying in the folds of the scarf. He pulled her into a gentle hug, giving a reassuring squeeze and pressing a kiss to her crown. She trembled with silent sobs. His heart shattered.
Celine always berated the girl for crying – which Rumi had informed him, on numerous occasions, whilst crying – so Jack always made a point to present himself as a safe person for her to rely on, letting her vent her emotions, encouraging her to be sillier, and desperately trying to give her as much of a childhood as he could. He was disgusted with himself for letting her languish in that damn woman's clutches for as long as he did.
But he'd make up for it, starting now.
“Let's get outta here, yeah?” He suggested quietly, feeling her nod, and reluctantly releasing her so he could turn around and crouch down. “C'mon then, Little Tiger. Hop on.”
Shaking arms looped around his neck as legs curled astride his waist. He tucked his staff under the bend of her knees, holding the middle of the twisted wood with one hand, the other clasping her thigh securely and carefully. Her chin pressed over his shoulder, warm cheek to cold, and he stood up with a slight wobble, gradually accounting for the extra weight of a child and a backpack.
“You ready?” He asked, gaining another mute nod before she hid her face in the frosted blue fabric of his hood. “Alright. Wind, take us away!”
As weightlessness filled him, Jack glanced down at the rapidly shrinking green of the Hunters' ancient glade. An angry circle of spiked frost painted the ground white – a calling card that Celine would undoubtedly recognise, despite him never showing his face to her after the girl's birth.
He scowled privately at the thought of that woman; the one who seemed hell-bent on seeing his baby sister destroy herself for a cause she was not yet old enough to carry, and needn't ever carry alone.
All that hatred for a purple stripe she was born with.
Jack tightened his hold slightly, gritting a smile into the breeze as they flew above the clouds.
He vowed to do everything in his power to help Rumi live again.
*
Jack came to a rather abrupt halt above the Alps mountain range.
“Oh…” He mumbled.
Rumi stirred slightly from her cocoon. “You okay?”
“Um,” Jack floundered for an excuse, an explanation, anything to make him sound competent – but he just sighed meekly. “So, I– uh… okay, humans need proper places to live, right?”
“Yeah…?” She sounded understandably bewildered.
He gave a nervous laugh. “Well, y’see… I tend to just… hang around a pond. That's sorta my home. And, uh… I just realised that is not an acceptable place to look after a human child…?”
“I don't mind,” she said quickly. “I can live on a pond. It's fine.”
“I don't doubt that for a second,” Jack responded wryly. “But, no, I can't do that in good conscience. So… okay. We'll find somewhere safe to squat for a bit, and I'll see if I can poke around and find out about the Guardians' places, or somethin’. I mean, how haven't humans found them yet? If you go where you'll be seen, people will assume you've been abandoned, or get suspicious, so we need something more discreet…”
“I'll stay with you anywhere,” Rumi assured, holding him a bit tighter for a moment. “I don't care what it is. I trust you.”
“Aw, Little Tiger.” He tried not to sound emotional. He failed. “Uh, Wind? Could ya find us a nice place to stay for the night?”
The Wind ruffled its confirmation, flowing across the snow-capped peaks. Jack exhaled a misty breath, tapping his fingers idly on her thigh, a frown creasing his forehead.
God, he really should've thought this through.
*
Enchanted ice curled around the opening of the cave, obediently spilling out from where the crook of his staff touched the stone. When it had fully circled, he shifted his focus slightly, willing the glitter to spread inwards until it closed in the centre, leaving a sparkling pane sealing the entrance and blocking out excess cool wind.
Jack turned lightly, watching Rumi sleepily stoke the campfire with a stick. Faint smoke was guided invisibly towards a small hole in the ceiling. The flames cast cheerfully dancing shadows on the shallow cave's walls, and he amused himself by folding his hands to create a shadow rabbit that sniffed at shadow-Rumi’s head. She watched it with a small smile, but rolled her eyes when she saw him looking pleased.
He plonked himself down on the floor next to her, crossing his legs and staff across his lap. “Get some sleep, Little Tiger. I'll keep watch.”
Rumi obediently shimmied into her sleeping bag – wasn't it lucky that Celine had insisted upon wilderness survival training? – but hesitated to rest her head. “Um, Jack?”
“Mm?”
“Thank you,” she said softly, echoing in the chamber. “For… helping me.”
“I think this is legally a kidnappin’, but anytime, kiddo!” He responded with a playful grin, patting her hair.
“...will you get in trouble?” She asked, clutching at the padded material of her sleeping bag.
“They'll have to believe in me first,” Jack remarked wryly, shaking his head. “No, we're fine, don't worry. And once we find a place to set up home, we'll be great! Anythin’ y’want in the new place?”
She blinked at him, as though her whole world had tilted on its axis. “Uh, I don't know…”
He abruptly realised with an internal wince that Celine had dictated her entire life – the only things the girl had were things deemed necessary for a Hunter. No toys, just weapons. No fun, just practicality. No hugs, just fights. A few possessions outside of that once belonged to her departed mother, a fierce woman Jack sorely missed, and even more sorely wished that Rumi had been able to grow up with.
But Miyeong was gone.
Rumi only had Jack.
He had to be enough, for her.
His brain scrambled for a rapid redirect to stop things from becoming too awkward in the stretching silence. “Me neither, really! Never had a proper place to call home. Guess this is an excitin’ adventure for both of us, huh?”
Rumi began to look sleepier as he continued stroking her hair, and she snuggled deeper into her bed, smiling. “I can't wait. Goodnight, Jack.”
“Night, Little Tiger. Sweet dreams!”
Once he was sure she was asleep, he stared worriedly into the crackling fire. A whole new life loomed before him, and he had just thrown himself into the dreaded role of Responsible Adult without any prior experience. There was a child relying on him to make Responsible Adult decisions, and his first decision – after kidnapping – was to make her sleep in a random mountain cave.
The emerging pattern did not bode well.
He quietly allowed himself to bury his face in his hands, only briefly, before letting his arms flop back down with a soft sigh. Panicking would solve nothing – though it sure was easier!
Looking out for the Hunters over the centuries was one thing – at least he had more than enough knowledge to teach Rumi, in that respect – but there was always an adult around, and a place to live. This was whole new territory.
No – Jack could handle being the guardian to a child, no problem. Tons of books on parenting existed, so he would read all of them, and be the coolest guardian ever.
…If he could just figure out where they would live, that'd be great.
He stilled at the Wind’s whispered warning, hearing the muffled sound of crunching boots. It wasn't even dawn yet – what were these maniacs doing up so early?!
The fire was bright and obvious, its light casting through the ice fractals of the barrier and flitting over the path outside. The path that hikers were on. The path that they could most definitely see.
Jack hastened to freeze the fire, plunging the cave into darkness, and watched frantically as shadows slipped into view. He held his breath as the warped silhouettes of people–
…walked straight past?
They trudged along the trail outside the cave, not even sparing the ice wall a cursory glance, which was very weird because the ice was very suspicious. He drifted over to the entrance, placing a palm on the ice and frowning in confusion. None of them batted an eye, and soon the little group had disappeared out of sight, on their merry way up the mountain.
His ice was visible – he should know, after all the mischief he'd caused over the years. So, the question was: why hadn't they acknowledged it?
He lightly tapped a fingernail against the solid surface, thinking.
Bunny's warren had the benefit of being largely hidden, though it still had a section open to the air. Sandy had a giant glowing gold pirate ship in the sky that he occasionally resided in, which did not qualify as hidden. Tooth's palace was nestled amongst mountains, but it was massive and clearly out of place. And North’s workshop at the North Pole was so blatantly not a part of the landscape, there was no possibility that humans couldn't have stumbled across it, what with their satellites and fancy spy technology.
So… Was there some weird spirit magic that made humans simply… not acknowledge the obvious? If they believed, he supposed it would probably be different, but… the ones doing all the exploring were usually adults who had long shed the starry-eyed wonder of childhood.
Rumi stirred quietly as rays of sunlight began to filter in, refracting prettily in a way that turned the muddy stone into golden stained glass.
After a long night of thinking, Jack had a lead.
And a lot of experimenting to do.
*
Rumi's injuries were slowly healing, soothed by Jack's frost and the occasional poultice mixed up from local herbs, born from old knowledge. The dark purple bruises dulled into splatters of lime green against her pale skin, and any wounds closed into scabs that Jack was swift to bandage or stick a band-aid over after kissing it better.
Kissing it better was a very important part of the healing process, as he repeatedly insisted to a giggling Rumi.
There were more than enough nooks and crannies in the Alps to provide a variety of shelters away from prying eyes. Sometimes they'd only camp for a day, sometimes they'd stay a bit longer. Whenever there was a settlement nearby, he'd pop down to visit and test out his theory, with excitement increasing every time, but his little sister always seemed a touch put-out by his unexplained dalliances when he returned. Gradually, Jack ensured they were migrating towards the west, towards the sea.
Rumi always woke with a start when dawn broke. She'd begin to throw herself out of her sleeping bag, only to freeze at Jack's overly-jovial morning greetings. Her black-coffee eyes would widen in a haze of confusion-shock-realisation, and once she'd glanced around and remembered what had happened, she always visibly slumped with relief.
It was the first sign of her accepting safety as reality, and that made it easy for Jack to keep his smile as they pottered about their morning routines.
“Please?” She begged – as she often did.
He groaned, tying off her finished braid and running his hands down it. “I would if I could, Little Tiger, seriously! But we can't risk anyone spottin’ you. Celine is probably going nuts over your disappearance.”
Rumi huffed, turning to face him. “I'm bored of being stuck in a cave all day! You get to go out and do whatever you're doing, you don't understand!”
Jack winced apologetically, raising his palms in surrender. “I know, I know. But you're pretty recognizable. If y’weren't, then–”
He paused, looking at the frost he'd left. It tinted her hair slightly white.
“Oh, so you're blaming me?!” She snapped, hands balling into fists with a suppressed hiss of pain. “You took me out here, and you didn't even have a plan!”
“No,” he said faintly, mind whirring. “I didn't…”
“I'm sick of this! You promised me freedom! I-I–” She growled, crossing her arms and averting her eyes as she deflated. “I wanted a life. With you. Away from Celine. I'm tired, Jack…”
He approached hesitantly, and when she didn't shrink away, he slowly pulled her into a hug, and she melted as he eased his palms down her hair. “I know. I want that, too. I'm sorry. I promise I'm workin’ on it. I promise you'll be able to make a life you love, I swear. But, for now…” Jack leaned back with a mischievous grin. “Wanna come into town with me?”
She blinked. “Huh?”
“We'll have to restyle your hair, but I, for one, think the new colour is very fetchin’,” he said nonchalantly, smirk widening as she snatched her braid and stared, stunned, at the snow-white strands. “Totally unbiased opinion, of course.”
“What–?”
Jack shrugged, already reaching out to undo the distinct braid for her whilst she watched with an open mouth. “Well, purple hair is pretty conspicuous, and probably listed on whatever missin’ person's report you've got back home, so I figured… That's somethin’ I can change, yeah? I know, I know – pure white isn't exactly subtle either, but it's different, I guess.” He flicked a pair of ice mirrors into existence, holding one up for her to admire the excellent job he'd done twisting and pinning up her hair in an elegant bun. “So, whatcha think? Have I got a future in the beauty industry?”
She was silent for a moment, reaching up to gently touch the style. “...we match.”
He beamed proudly. “We do! Definitely siblings, now!”
Rumi smiled, slow and unfamiliar on her face, and blinked her glassy eyes. “Yeah. Yeah, it's good. I love it, Jack, thank you.”
“Great!” He clapped his hands decisively, vanishing the mirrors in a puff of snowflakes. “Grab your jacket, and we'll head on out!”
*
“This is what you get so giddy about?” Rumi said flatly.
Jack pouted. “It’s excitin’!”
“You're making random chunks of ice in the streets,” she deadpanned.
He idly shot another blue pulse to make the ice bigger, blocking off an alleyway. “Well, I like it.”
“You're weird,” she responded without any bite, shaking her white-haired head. “Can we go explore the town soon? I'm bored.”
Glacial eyes sharpened as he noticed a stranger walking down the street, who paused with mild confusion before continuing, but never once seeing the giant wall of glowing ice right next to them. Bingo.
“Yeah, yeah,” he grumbled lightheartedly as he unfurled himself from his squat atop his staff, letting himself float to the cobbled street and throwing Rumi a warm grin. “Alrighty, let's do some sightseein’. Better keep your hood up, just in case, okay?”
She lit up, obligingly pulling her hood over her bright hair. “Finally! I've been smelling something delicious for ages! We need to check it out.”
“That's a plan I can get behind,” he remarked, sniffing the air and confirming that, yes, something smelled incredible. “Let’s hope it's a shop, huh? If I don't get to try whatever that is, I think I'll cry.”
Rumi suddenly eyed him doubtfully. “Uh, do you have money?”
“Do I have money,” he scoffed, grinning as he pulled a wallet from his hoodie pocket, packed with euros he'd collected over the years. “We are gonna buy so much junk. Let's go!”