Aster sat up from the bed with a memory hanging from his neck and a jolt passing through his body. He gasped for breath, his paws fisted into the sheets surrounding him on the infirmary bed. The sterile white light enveloped him, sending his vision black with the nightmare.

Jack's body crashed back onto the ground, covered with blood drawn from the sprite's own chest. He lay, lifeless, as the sound of gold sand drifted into the Warren. Aster felt his ears twitch, but nothing else. Straining, he tried so hard to feel something. But nothing came to him except for a deadened fear, abandoned rage, and the sight of that golden star bright and full in his Warren.

His head pounded in agony at the remembrance of the sound. When he tried to open his eyes he saw stars. The world spun off its axis, whirling into a muddled, sickening mess. Mixed into the chaos, the lights blinded him and sent him reeling back into his shattered memories.

Around him, the Moon Clipper blazed with flames. Golden masts collapsed, bringing down with them the charred sails of the ship. Bodies littered the surface, blood splattered across the metal, and as one of Aster's swords sliced through the air, he heard the screams of the spring faeries crying out in terror. Out of the corner of his eye, through the smoke and the chaos, Manny opened a portal. Aster roared, hurling his bloodstained boomerang at the man, but it was too late. As the portal closed, Aster's weapon returned, but not without hacking through two more brave faeries for good measure.

He rolled onto his side, a groan leaving his mouth when the pain racked his sides. Shaking, he clutched the support rail to the side of his bed with his sweating paw. The pounding in his head turned into a high ring, loud and insistent in its misery. He cried out as another vision racked his mind.

He followed Tooth underground, sensing her above in the air, just her trail as a fairy. This he could feel, and it felt tempting. A growl began in his stomach as he emerged into the Tooth Palace. The moment he surfaced, alarmed squeaks rang out from the minifairies. A feral grin spread across his face, and the growl in his stomach moved to his throat. He raised his hackles and bared his teeth, hungry for the kill.

The world came into focus, and stopped spinning, just long enough for him to push himself up. The headache in his skull subsided, as his ears fell back against his head. Slowly, as his chaos dwindled, he blinked open his eyes. He gasped at the brief flare of pain the light set off, and raised an arm to shield his face as his vision focused.

Jack sat at the foot of the bed, staring intently at the Pooka. His icy gaze was unreadable, and his feet remained perched precariously on the edge of his stool, as if ready to fly off at the slightest sign of a threat. His staff leaned against his shoulder, the blunt end on the floor. He remained as still as a statue, frozen by some emotion kept beneath his skin.

Aster opened his mouth, and then swallowed. He gasped in a breath, and then brought his arm down. He froze. He only had two arms. Immediately, he clutched his sides, and then winced when a dull throb of pain radiated from where his extra limbs used to be.

Suddenly, Jack spoke. "You're back."

Aster let his arms drop, and stared down the bed at Jack. He felt lost, trying to figure out what was going on.

"W-what?" he asked. He coughed; his throat was sore, and it hurt to speak.

Jack's brows furrowed, and he finally moved. The sprite slid off of his stool almost fluidly, his feet touching down on the cold hospital tile. He slowly walked around to the side of the bed, still hesitant in his steps. His staff was clutched to his chest, his knuckles even paler than usual. When he reached Aster's side, he stopped, and a breath rattled his small body.

"You are… Aster, right?"

The Pooka's ears fell, and he looked down at himself uncertainly. "I… I think I am, mate."

"Oh, thank MiM!"

With that cry, Jack flung himself onto the bed, wrapping his arms around Aster's shoulders. Pain shot through the rabbit's torso, and he groaned out.

"Jackie, mate. Frostbite, that hurts!" he wheezed, and struggled to push the sprite off of him. However, Jack only clutched tighter, burying his face into the fur of Aster's chest. "Frostbite? Jack, you alright?"

Jack nodded his head, his hair ruffling up in the Pooka's fur. Slowly, he brought his head up, and looked Aster in the eyes. His blue gaze was wet, close to brimming over with tears.

"Jack," began Aster, concern layered in his voice, "What happened?"

For a moment, Jack only stared at the Pooka. Then, he sat up, drawing away from the hospital bed. He crossed back over to his stool, and resumed his perch to stare at Aster.

He asked, "How much do you remember?"

Aster blinked once, looking into Jack's gaze. The sprite's eyes dried quickly, and once again his expression became unreadable.

Without making any progress, Aster turned back to his own thoughts. Flashes of blood ran through his mind, staining metal, grass, stone, and he cried out softly. Crushing guilt wrapped itself around him, tightening with every breath he took in the past.

"Everything, mate," he answered lowly. "I remember everything."

Jack nodded plaintively. "So you know what I have to do."

Aster's arms dropped back down to the sheets. The Pooka nodded, his paws bunching up into fists. His ears fell as he looked up again.

"Even if I had a choice, I'd want you to do it." Aster's voice dropped to a whisper. "I couldn't live with myself – I almost can't…"

Jack's frown deepened. "You do have a choice."

The ferocity with which Aster shook his head startled both of them. "No! I can feel him Jack. I can feel the bastard inside of me. You have to do it, or it'll happen again."

In an instant, Jack's staff clattered to the floor, and the sprite stood up against the bed. "Or you could learn to control it, Aster. You could stop being afraid!"

Again, the Pooka only shook his head. "That's not possible, mate. I'm always afraid of something."

"You don't have to be!" Jack suddenly shouted. "I'm here, Aster! I can help you! Pitch doesn't stand a chance against both of us!"

"We're both scared of the same thing, Frostbite. Pitch and I…"

"No! You're stronger than he is! You can beat him!"

"Not if he's working with me."

"But he's not! I'm working with you! I want to help you! I – I want..."

Jack climbed onto the bed as he shouted out, grabbing Aster's fur and pulling himself closer to the Pooka. Aster smiled almost ruefully, and placed a hand around Jack's back.

"I don't want to hurt you anymore, Jack."

Jack shouted into Bunny's chest, "You won't! You don't have anything to be afraid of, Aster!" His cries turned into sobs, "Please… Please, don't make me do this… I love you."

Jack's form shook with misery as he shuddered against Aster's body. His breath was choked with tears that fogged into the Pooka's fur, and yet the larger spirit only hugged Jack closer. He held the sprite with a defeated reverence, and despite the tears that finally escaped his closed eyes to leak into his fur, he only smiled, running his hand gently down Jack's back.

"That's why I'm afraid, Snowflake. I can't let him, or myself, hurt you again. Because then I really wouldn't be able to live with myself."

For a few moments, Jack only cried for a little longer. But then, ever so quietly that even Aster's ears could barely pick the words up, he murmured, "I've waited for you for six years. I fought for you for six years, so that I could tell you that I loved you too. So that I could say sorry for hurting you, and for causing Pitch to take control of you; so that maybe you could forgive me."

"But Jack," Aster said calmly. He placed a paw beneath Jack's chin, and brought the sprite up to look at him. "You didn't do anything wrong. None of this was your fault."

Jack only stared up at Aster, and then he felt the tears welling up once more. Quickly, he pulled away, and wiped at his cheeks.

"Then you're sure about this?"

Aster nodded solemnly, drawing his arms back to himself. "It's the only option, mate."

With that confirmation, Jack reached into the pocket of his jacket and brought out a small Russian doll. It was North's, with the huge blue eyes so blown up against the wood, and the red wrap surrounding the innocent, wondrous face.

Aster smirked. "So that's where he kept it."

Jack only nodded, and held it out to Aster. "This is going to hurt."

The Pooka only smiled wider. "It's about time."

The small wooden doll began to glow bright with a pure, white light. Almost immediately, the fluorescent hospital lights flickered off, throwing the room into near-darkness. But the glow of the doll only grew, filling the empty spaces with stardust and wonder.

Hesitantly, Jack brought the orb closer to Aster. The Pooka smiled through the beams, and grasped Jack's hands with his own paws. Together, they moved as one, and plunged the Center into Aster's chest.

Pain flooded every nerve in Aster's entire body. The Pooka screamed in the sudden agony, and yet it wasn't enough to shock him into unconsciousness. He cried out, tasting blood on his lips, as he choked on his own life.

He could hear Jack shouting dimly over the fear pounding in his mind. He blinked his eyes open, to see the boy panicking with a wide, horrified look on his face. In return, he grit his teeth, and pushed down further.

The pain became nearly unbearable, and his screams were silenced by the sheer weight of it all. And then, with a final, shaking breath, he surged forward.

He caught Jack's crying face with the kiss, pressing himself fully into the sprite. Despite the complete and utter agony bearing down on his heart, he pressed forward. Into the kiss he pushed his every ounce of feeling, giving the sprite all he had left, and trying so hard to leave behind his love.

And then he was gone.

Jack stared down at the empty hospital bed. The sheets were tousled in the dark, but the blood staining the white looked even blacker than the deadliest fear. Shaking, Jack drew in a breath, and looked to his hands. Aster's blood covered his pale skin, warm and wet and still alive.

The sprite felt the tears before he could stop them. A small, defenseless whimper left his lips, and he choked on the sob that followed. With a helpless cry, he buried his face into his hands, feeling the warmth lingering upon them. The moment his frozen tears met his skin, however, the blood dried, becoming cold as well.

And so he cried. He sobbed into his hands, knelt over on the bed, releasing the pain of six years into his own grasp, almost as if to relive it all again. He wished, so heavily, for a change, to go back, but only found the blood that stained his hands. And yet he remained, frozen on that bed in the infirmary of North's workshop.

Eventually, his sobs subsided, becoming mere whispers of his grief. He dried his eyes, and leaned back, staring blankly up at the ceiling. The hospital lights flickered back on, and Jack closed his eyes against their intrusion.

A small whimper sounded in the hospital room.

Jack's head whipped down to stare at the bed faster than a falling star.

In the pool of blood on the bed sheets, as pale blue-grey as the softest clouds, a small creature lay. Its ears were long, as were its legs, but it curled up, so innocent and tired in the world, oblivious to the stained bed it lay on. Its nose was a light pink, and it twitched minutely as it stirred.

Jack stared, stunned by its sudden appearance. It released another cry, and then Jack snapped out of his shock. Immediately, carefully, he leaned down. With an uneasy hesitance, he scooped the creature into his arms.

It cried out again, snuffling softly. Jack shushed it softly, cooing, drawing the baby into his chest.

"There, it's alright…" he murmured quietly. He cradled the creature warmly to his chest, as warm as he could. "You're alright, I've got you…"

Something glimmered in the creature's paws, curled into its stomach. Curious, Jack peered down to see it.

The Russian doll stared up at Jack, stained red like his hands. But beside it, a black jewel glittered, darker than the night itself.

Jack gasped, and took the jewel in his hand, transferring the creature to the crook of his shoulder. This was the cause of it all; this was Pitch's broken, lost Center.

In a single instant, Jack decided what to do. He lifted the jewel high above his head, the jagged rock wickedly sharp in the air, and his entire arm tensed.

"Are you sure you that's the best decision?"

Jack yelped, drawing the jewel and the creature tighter into his chest as his whipped around. Standing at the foot of the hospital bed, Manny regarded Jack with an air of caution. For a moment, Jack studied the man's face, but found no sympathy.

"I have to destroy it."

"Or," Manny suggested, "you could give it to me."

Jack scoffed, "Why would I do that? It would take control of you faster than it did Aster."

"I have nothing to be afraid of. You, on the other hand…" Manny's gaze fell to the creature in Jack's arms.

Jack looked down at the animal, confused. Despite his better judgment, he asked, "What is it?"

"It's Aster."

Jack's eyes shot back up to Manny's. "What?"

"That's him as a kit. Different from his weaker form, yes, not like a rabbit, but instead a baby Pooka. Their anatomy is… strange."

"But why?" Jack asked, cradling Aster closer to his heart.

"All the Centers will be reborn eventually. North's will most likely be reincarnated as a different human, Sanderson's as another wishing star, but as Toothiana is the last of her Sisters, she will remain the same, as will Aster."

Jack's eyes dropped back down to Aster's sleeping form. "Why is he back so quickly?"

"He's the Guardian of Life. You can't destroy Life for a long time; bad things happen when you do."

"But Sandy's taken so long…"

Manny answered briskly, "Because you were able to take up his mantle. Also, dreams occur regardless of whether they are good or bad. Eventually, he will return. Different, but with the same Center."

Jack looked over to the black jewel. "So what do you want with Pitch?"

At this Manny stepped forward. "Pitch was originally a human, so he will be reborn as another. I want to… prevent previous mistakes from happening again."

Jack glared up at Manny. "What if it's too much for you?"

Manny only smirked. "Well then we'd better hope the other Guardians are reborn in time, yes? Now, may I have it?"

Jack studied Tsar Lunar carefully. Then he demanded, "I will raise the other four myself. You will not touch them, or even see them without my permission."

The man only shrugged. "Fair enough. Now, the jewel?"

For a moment, Jack weighed the stone in his hand. Finally, he sighed, and handed it over.

"Thank you, Jackson," Manny replied easily, pocketing the jewel. "A final piece of advice: Pooka age remarkably slow. If you ever need my assistance…"

"I'll call," Jack stated.

"And this time, I promise that I will answer."

And with that, the man left, leaving Jack alone in the hospital room.

Jack turned his gaze back down to the baby Pooka in his arms, Aster. With an exhausted sigh, too worn out to think, Jack fell down onto the bed. He ignored the blood that still stained the sheets, unable to care.

And as he drifted off to sleep, he only stared at the bundle of fur in his arms, and held it close, never letting go of his hope again.

A/N: *copy-pastes author's note from Ao3 because I'm sort of in a hurry to write other things sorry*

Ah, sorry if that seems like a lazy ending. I decided to go with a somewhat happy finish, because the other option was making me depressed just thinking about it. Basically Pitch's Center would have been bound to an egg-shaped jewel form of Bunny's center (before either would be reincarnated), and Jack would have to be forced to destroy both or give them up to Manny to become a new Dark!Bunny. But then the others would all reincarnate as normal.

Before anyone asks (I only say this because I left this slightly open-ended), I will most likely not be continuing this into a sequel. If I ever do, it would be because I've finished everything else and have no other ideas. (I mean, I already have a plot planned out, I just really don't want to write it/don't like it too much. It strays too far from the theme of these six chapters.)

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this prolonged version of Jackrabbit Week! :3 Love you guys!
~Renoku