#aquilo aster

“The only option we have so far,” he began, “is me blasting my powers at a high enough frequency to spread across the town. But the news said the storm is spreading through the rest of the state. By the time I build something to project that kind of power, who knows what’ll happen. The entity of Virginia could be covered in this weather.”

“There has to be some other place we can look to for answers,” Moirin said. She sat beside Johnny on the sofa with more stacks of books. “I’ve brought over everything I had. But we aren’t witches or warlocks or anything like that ourselves. Maybe we need to reach out—“

“No,” John shut the book in his hands. “That’s what we did that got us into this mess.” Johnny tucked his neck further into the blanket he was wrapped in.

He found himself growing colder and colder practically every minute of the past day. It felt as if the cold was inside him. Even when wrapped in blankets upon blankets, his father serving warm meals and keeping all his flames awake, he felt cold. He felt freezing. Johnny flinched with another cold chill, another wave of freezing. His body was feeling number. His chest hurt and everything felt slower. But he had to focus with the rest of his family.

Johnny slid his hand from the blanket to flip a page, when he noticed it. In the middle of the back of his hand, in a small spot, his skin was blue. It shone unnaturally. Smooth, glossy, perfect ice. Too perfect. Unnatural. Magical.

“Junior?”

“Huh?” Johnny slid his hand under the blanket. “Oh, uh, I think I found something in this book. Yeah?” He held a book out to John. The father picked up the book and read through. John took the book over to the kitchen table, where a much, much smaller stack of books laid. Open to select pages, it was helping guide the family to try and find a solution to the curses.

“We’re getting somewhere,” John huffed. “But we still have a long way to go.”

“Maybe we could take several phrases from the spells,” Moirin suggested. “Look. Some of the words are similar. We could rearrange them into a spell!”

“But we still can’t control ice ourself,” John said. “The spell will be hard to pull off without that power.” Moirin looked over her shoulder at Beth. The ghost sat on the floor, reading books herself. She flipped pages with her powers.

“Then have Beth do it,” the fairy chirped, hurrying over to her goddaughter. She lifted the teen up, making her look confused and startled.

“M-me?” she stammered, “I’ve never done magic like this! All my ice, m-my shadows, the moving stuff, i-it’s all in me. It’s not spells. It’s not me manipulating anything, I-I can’t do spells like this.” John looked at Beth sympathetically. He set his book down and held Beth by her shoulders, looking into her deep brown eyes with seriousness but care.

“Don’t underestimate yourself,” he said. “Beth—we can’t afford to doubt anymore. I know you can do this. Magic like this, spells, incantations, runes—they don’t work like those abilities. Any one can do them with the right knowledge and strength. We have the knowledge and you have the control over ice we need. Now... now we need you to have that strength. I know you have it, deep down inside you, Princess. You have to let it out.”

“But what if I make it worse?” Beth whispered. John shook his head and squeezed her shoulders again, a small smile on his face.

“You’ve got to at least try,” he urged. “You don’t know until you do.” Beth took a deep breath and slowly nodded her head. John grinned. “That’s my girl. I’ll start writing out some spells. You just—you just stay calm, don’t touch anything, and try to focus on your powers.” Beth watched her father and godmother hurry back to the table of books. With a sigh, she looked down at her hands, then back at the storm outside.

The curling winds, the life that was scared and hiding, dying, the whipping air that burned the skin, the snowfall that was pounding now. John looked further and further distressed as his house creaked and moaned from the harsh winds. As another gust of wind attacked the outside, Moirin looked out towards the Red House. John placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it.

“You don’t have to be here,” he said. “You should be with the children.”

“I want to help—“

“They need you, Mo. You’ve done enough for us. We can handle this.” Moirin looked up at the old man and gave him a tight hug.

“Tell me if you need any help and I’ll snap in an instant,” she said. John nodded. Just as she said, she snapped her fingers and was returned to the Red House. The weary old man returned back to his work. Johnny curled tighter around the blankets as he shivered again, more violently than moments before. As he breathed, he saw his breath release in small puffs of air. Glancing at his reflection in the window, he saw the tips of his hair turn white. Something wasn’t right.

Aquilo. It had to be Aquilo. When he hit him in his chest.

Waiting for the coast to be clear, he watched his father focus on the books scattered about, taking slips of paper, writing and rewriting the potential spells. Beth continued to sit near the floor, trying to focus on her powers. With a deep breath, Johnny slipped out of their view and to the basement. In the unused room, he set up another portal. Another wave of cold rushed through his body, making him convulse briefly as the cold spread. The tips of his bangs that he could see were turning more white. He shook his head and pushed himself through the hole.

He stood outside the Asters house, and though just as cold as Riverview was now, the winds didn’t beat against him. He pushed himself to the front door, slamming his fist against the door. He pulled his jacket tighter, closer to his neck. No answer. He summoned his electricity and pounded again, but not with the intent of waiting. He drew his fist back, the energy giving him enough power to start breaking the door. With a few good punches and one kick for good measure, he broke the door enough and slipped through.

The ice house was dark. The light didn’t shimmer on the ice like it did before. No lights on inside the home, no witch or manipulative son. Johnny’s eyes slowly scanned the room. His breath came out in slow, visible puffs. The cold of this area wasn’t helping whatever was happening to him, but he needed answers. Johnny held his jacket tighter as he tried to see into the shadows.

He saw something staring back.

Johnny slowly stepped towards the shadows, and saw the pale, snowy white familiar stare up at him. Its eyes were blue just as before. Johnny quickly summoned his electricity to his palm.

“Where the hell’s your master?” he growled at it. The cat’s tail only curled mischievously. He sighed. “The Hell am I doing? Gonna interrogate a fuckin’ cat?” As he turned to go, the fox left the shadows.

“It might not be a bad idea,” a voice spoke. Johnny looked back at the fox, glaring.

“Where the hell are you and your mother?” he asked the fox. The fox continued to stare up at Johnny. When he was almost convinced that it wouldn’t speak again, he heard Aquilo’s voice chuckle, the eyes of the cat glowing brighter.

“Somewhere you won’t find us,” his voice spoke through the fox. “Not until we’re ready to get you again. Consider us off the grid.” Johnny charged himself again as he bristled.

“Maybe you’ll tell me if I shock your damn cat—“

“It’s a fox,” Aquilo’s voice scoffed. “And you can’t hurt her. She has a protection spell while she’s guarding the house. Unless you’d like your powers bouncing back at you, you won’t do anything to her.”

“Fine,” Johnny lowered his hand. “Look, I’m not after you. Yet. But something is going wrong and I know you did it.”

“What, you mean you going grey early?”

Johnny felt his hair start to stand on end. Aquilo laughed.

“Look, all that isn’t me,” he said. “As much as I’d love to take credit for that.”

“But you blasted me with ice!” Johnny shouted. “You had to have—“

“It was just to stun you, you idiot,” the fox rolled her head. “Just the same as your shocks did to me. Just to make you weak. I didn’t hit you in any place that mattered, like your heart or your head. That causes that sort of freezing. Or an ice curse. Like your little sister has.”

“But she didn’t touch me!” Johnny forced out. It was getting harder to breath. Harder to talk. As he was about to say something again, he shivered, legs wobbling and threatening to have him fall, as his hair turned more white, and strange patches of blue and white started appearing on his clothes and skin. He stared down at his hands in confusion. Perhaps there was shock and even fear hidden beneath.

His fingertips were turning blue, but it wasn’t natural. He pressed his fingers against his normal skin. It wasn’t frostbite. He turned his hand back and around, staring at it. Johnny lifted his gaze back to the fox.

“That’s the only way it could have happened,” Aquilo’s voice said. “We didn’t do anything to you. Believe me, my mother would have boasted about it the whole time. But remember, the curse said that it didn’t have to be a direct touch or her hands. If she initiated anything that touched you, any part of her, you could freeze.” Johnny looked back at his hand.

“Her tear.”

He felt his heart miss a beat, his stomach dropping.

“I—I—“

“Johnny?!”

Johnny pulled his hand to his chest, his father and sister running inside the ice house. John gasped when he saw his son.

“Junior,” he whispered. Noticing the fox, he growled. “What did you do to him?!”

“I just explained to him,” Aquilo’s voice turned more annoyed and aggravated, “that I didn’t do anything. It’s that little ghost over there who did. Her ice curse.” Beth’s eyes widened. She looked at her hands fearfully.

“But I didn’t—“

“Apparently, you cried on him,” Aquilo said. “That would do it. Those tears are yours and held the spell in them.” John charged at the fox.

“How do we undo it?!” he snapped. The fox gave no response. “I’ll kill you, you little—!!”

“You being all together is annoying,” Aquilo’s voice broke through. “And why would I tell you how to undo the curses? I’d rather get you out of our hair for a little while longer. And I know just how.” The fox began to float, Aquilo saying another spell through it. The fox summoned a blinding light, the family shielding their eyes.

When he blinked them open, John was back alone in the house. Feeling his pulse beat faster, he started to run though the house, looking for any sign of his children, shouting their names. No response. No sign they were anywhere in the house. His hands shook. The words Aquilo chanted—they were familiar.

John raced to his books across the floor and table, grabbing one and flipping frantically. There it was. A simple scattering spell. Ones witches and sorcerers used often if their precious magical possessions were threatened to be taken and used against them. Him and his children were scattered, and with the phone lines having trouble in the storm, he didn’t know how to contact them.

They could be anywhere.

—

Beth looked around, blinking her eyes to readjust them from the blinding light. She was sure she was still having issues seeing—the world around her was entirely white. She narrowed her eyes.

She was in the middle of the storm. This is what she was causing.

Beth gasped, realizing the entire town was trapped. As the winds curled, she tugged her hands close to her chest, shutting her eyes tight. She did this. This was all her fault. The chaos, the danger, the hurt, not to mention Johnny...

Beth, with shaking breath and hands, looked down at the pale things, where her magic was summoned and could be controlled. She took a breath, tugging her hands, pulling, trying and focusing, everything Virginica taught her. The storm didn’t change at all. Her throat tightened. She tried again. No change. Again, again, again.

“Please!” she choked out with a sob. She turned around, watching the snow turn faster, the winds whip against her face. “Please, stop!! Please, help me! Dad, Johnny, I need... I need help, I can’t... I-I can’t...” She tried again. Beth looked down at her hands, slow, for a moment that felt like an eternity. She tried to hold back another sob, but to no avail.

The girl fell to her knees, arms close to her and wrapping around her torso. She tucked them as she curled down, head low. The tears slid against her face and to the snow covered ground around her. The tears turned into snowflakes as they hit the ground below her.

“I can’t,” she whispered through her tears. “I-I can’t stop this, I can’t—I can’t...”

—

“You should have asked me before you scattered them,” Virginica scolded Aquilo. He rolled his eyes.

“They’re better off scattered,” he said. “They would figure out how to undo everything faster if they were together.”

“But now we don’t know where Beth is,” Virginica sighed. “I need that girl. You need that girl. We need her for her powers.” Aquilo thought to himself.

“I can get her back,” he said. “I have an idea.” He grabbed his coat. Virginica watched him. “But what about those other two? You have plans for them?”

“They’re interesting with their powers and being human,” Virginia mused. “At least John. The son is part witch. It would be interesting to learn from them, but... I can draw assumptions. I’m sure another like them exist. They’re not needed. Why? Do you have an idea?” Aquilo smirked. He used his magic to summon his blades and his ice, twisting it and curling it to become a separate scythe to use.

“I always do. Ready to hear it?”

—

Johnny stumbled through the snow, the ground too thick, his body feeling heavier and number. As he turned colder, it was getting harder to move. He could feel the ice spreading through his body, only few strands and parts of his hair still brown. With the storm growing worse, he could barely see where he was going. The buildings and their shapes blurred as the snow swirled. It was getting harder to breath.

As he shivered, he tried to look up at the sky. Some sort of sign, some sort of anything to tell him where he was—

He heard a car horn blare. Turning around fast, he forced himself to leap out of the way. Falling into the snow, he shivered more. Closing his eyes was easier than anything. The car stopped and the door swung open. Someone came running out.

“Johnny?!”

He pushed himself to open his eyes. Above him was Marianna.

“What—what are you... doing... driving... in the snow...” Johnny whispered. Marianna shook her head.

“I was trying to get help and supplies in the next town—wh-why are you walking in the snow?!” she looked at her friend. She looked at her car behind her and pulled her friend to stand up. “Your hair is all white! You’re covered in snow! C’mon, we have to get you out of here.”

Marianna had Johnny lean against her as she led him to the passenger side, allowing him into the car. Hurrying back to the other side, she shut the door and turned the heater up for him. Johnny watched the snow flurry outside as another wave of freezing hit. He slammed his back into the seat, shivering and gasping for breath. Marianna looked at him worriedly.

“Y-you might be sick,” she murmured. “You already look like you’re freezing or have frostbite. I’m taking you to the hospital.”

“It—it won’t help,” Johnny forced out. Marianna looked at him in confusion.

“What do you mean it won’t—?”

“It’s magic, Marianna,” Johnny shivered. “All of this. The storm in June, how it’s only in our town and spreading through Virginia, how I’m starting to freeze. It’s magic.” Marianna went quiet, then quickly shook her head.

“You’re having delusions,” she said. “This is serious.” Johnny pushed himself to sit up better in his seat, grabbing Marianna’s shoulder.

“I’m telling you the truth,” he whispered, breath puffing out softly in front of him. His deep eyes were sincere. “When have I ever lied to you, Mari?”

“What do you expect me to do, Johnny?” Marianna gasped exasperatedly. “To believe you when you’re not in a healthy state? Magic isn’t real!” Johnny opened his mouth to argue, when another wave of cold hit him. Marianna looked at him more clearly this time and saw his hair turn completely white, blue crawl up his skin. The markings of ice in patterns too delicate, too precise to be caused by nature. The pattern followed on his clothes as well.

Johnny held tight to his chest, feeling the ice crawl further through his body, everything freezing, everything turning numb and slowing down. Marianna stopped the car near a sidewalk and stared at her lap. Johnny’s breath shuddered.

“I-I’m telling you the t-truth,” he said. “I need to get home s-so my dad can stop this. And I n-need to find my sister.” Marianna balled her hands up into fists and shook her head, placing her hand on her car keys in the ignition.

“No, she’s dead,” she spoke, her voice tight and firm. “Just like Alex. They aren’t around anymore.” Johnny grabbed Marianna’s shoulders the best he could. He squeezed them as much as his body allowed.

“Beth is a ghost,” he whispered. “I’m a half-witch who can control electricity. My dad has powers over fire and was once dead, a-and came back as a ghost, and was brought back to life by my m-mom, who was a witch. Beth has p-powers, one b-being ice. And she can s-stop this. Riverview and I don’t have much time.” Marianna looked into Johnny’s eyes. She saw the shapes of snowflakes hiding behind them, the tints of it turning blue.

Marianna started her car back up.

“How do we find your sister?” she asked. Johnny’s face gave the first smile he shared all day. He turned back to the window and rolled it down, bracing himself for the winds. He poked his head out and looked around.

That’s when he noticed the storm swirling at one point in the sky.

“I h-have an idea,” his smile turned more determined. He pulled his head back in and rolled up the window, pointing out at the swirling, spinning clouds. “F-follow that. It’s where the s-storm is coming from. It h-has to be Beth.” Marianna nodded and followed the storm clouds as the winds turned worse.

“Stay warm the best you can,” Marianna warned. “There’s a blanket in the backseat. I brought it just in case.” Johnny weakly reached for it and wrapped himself around in it. “Why—why didn’t you tell me any of this before?”

Johnny let out a weak laugh, “M-my dad and I were p-paranoid for all our lives. P-people not understanding. H-hurting us. But I trust you. A-and you deserve to know.” Before he could continue, Marianna heard something hit her car. She looked into the window, and saw a strange shape and array of colors, blurred and following the car.

“What?” Marianna murmured. Johnny looked into his window and felt his heart drop.

“Marianna, y-you’re gonna have to start going f-f-faster.”

“Why?”

“Well, uh—“

Aquilo rushed up beside the car, speeding along the ice with his powers. He smirked at the two in the car, raised one of his arms with a blade, and scratched at the car. Marianna screamed. Johnny grabbed the wheel and tugged, sending the car spiraling.

“What was that?!” Marianna shrieked. Johnny threw himself back into the seat as he groaned, freezing further. The ice was growing against his neck.

“H-he’s another witch,” he mumbled. “P-part of the reason wh-why this storm is happening.”

“And why is he trying to kill us?!”

“N-not us. J-just my family.”

“Oh, that’s comforting!!” Marianna revved her car and started driving fast, struggling to maintain control of the car. “Johnny, I-I can’t do this! We could crash, and you could—!”

“It wasn’t your fault,” Johnny said. “I-I told you that, and I m-meant it, because it’s true. I k-know what really happened. Wh-why there was n-no one in the other car.” Marianna whipped her head to look at Johnny. Before she could ask anything, Aquilo came back into view. Marianna slammed on the acceleration, getting back ahead of him.

Johnny’s phone rang in his pocket. He pulled it out, seeing the call coming from his father. He tapped to answer. His fingers were too cold.

“A l-little help, Mari?”

“Is being your get away driver not enough?” she quickly snatched the phone from Johnny, hitting the answer key and speaker. “Mr. Bosteau? It’s Marianna! I have Johnny with me!”

“Thank god!” the voice was crackling and muffled. “Bring him back to the house.”

“I would love to,” Marianna nervously chewed her lip and made a fast turn, throwing Aquilo off, “but we’re actually going after Beth right now. H-he told me the truth, sir, I know what’s going on. We’re following the storm clouds overhead. It might be Beth.”

“Then I’ll try to find you,” John said. “I might have the final spell to undo this. Any idea where you are?”

“I’ve actually been kind of not paying the best attention,” Marianna glanced behind her, “cuz, uh, there’s some witch or whatever also chasing me in my car and trying to kill us.” When she saw Aquilo again, she gasped. The other line started crackling. The two could barely hear John. “Mr. Bosteau? Mr. Bosteau?!”

“L-line is d-down again,” Johnny pressed his head against the window. His head was turning heavy. The phone beeped as the call dropped.

“Can’t you get it back?” Marianna asked, handing him the phone. “You have electricity!”

“I c-can’t fix c-connections,” he tried to reply sarcastically, but he still only sounded weak. “P-plus.. I’m not s-strong e-enough r-right now.” Marianna groaned. “J-just f-follow the s-storm, and w-we’ll make it, Mari.” She nodded, looking up at the sky. Johnny looked out the window, seeing Aquilo. He held his hand in front of him, struggling to get even the smallest sparks. He squeezed his eyes shut, ignore the cold, ignore the ice...

He shot out the best blast he could, stunning Aquilo briefly. Marianna looked in shock at her friend.

“H-how long could you do that for?”

“S-since I was l-little. I promise to t-tell you more once we get out of this. N-now go!”

—

John trudged through the snow the best he could, bundled up tightly. Using his fire could make his path clearer and easier to make his way through, but it still wasn’t easy. The cold got into his bones and made his body ache easily, not to mention the leg pains that he always had. Moirin and the children were safe, but his children weren’t. Johnny was freezing, Marianna was now involved, Aquilo was after them, and Beth was no where to be found.

The old man looked up to the sky, and saw the swirling clouds that were moving more, moving faster and were darker than the others. It wasn’t giving him a good feeling. John tugged the collar of his jacket closer and braced himself for the cold of the storm.

As Aquilo sped after the car, he stopped, skidding to a stop on the ice. He watched the car race away and growled. Fine. He would get them later. He knew where Beth was either way. The clouds told of her location. So he’d just have to lie to her. It wasn’t like he hadn’t before.

Once more, he skated fast towards the direction of the storm, hiding himself within the wild storm clouds to avoid being seen by Marianna and Johnny. He looked out to where he knew they were, then grinned with a scheming look behind it. Twirling his wrist and fingers, he summoned a cold blast of ice magic, and shot it at the car. A scream signaled the successful landing. He would get to Beth before them in no time. And even if John was on the way towards them, he was far behind and was slow. Aquilo has everything in control.

He skidded through the ice and snow, seeing the clouds twisting down in front of him. It appeared almost as a full column of ice and snow, whipping winds and raging cold. It was akin to a tornado, a hurricane. Aquilo took a deep breath and lunged in.

Inside, the sounds of the storm were gone. Everything was silent. He could see the storm clouds twisting and rising up, and the air felt clear and crisp in an overwhelming sense despite the strange fog. The cold didn’t sting, and everything was calm. About half the length of a football field away, he could see Beth. He summoned his scythe and whispered a spell to enchant it. His plan was going right, just right, just perfect.

—

“We’re close to the storm!” Marianna smiled anxiously. “Get ready! We can stop this!”

Johnny’s heavy eyelids opened, looking up at the storm. He was shivering consistently now, as the ice curse grew worse. His eyes are now entirely blue, snowflake patterns visible within them. His clothes were covered in more snow, frost building all over his clothes. They looked more white and blue than their natural colors. His cheeks were turning with more ice.

Marianna got into view of the clouds lessening, and then the car suddenly shook violently. She screamed, Johnny forced fully awake despite getting weaker every minute. The car stopped moving. Marianna looked frantically, as ice crawled up the entire car. She hit her hands against her door, shaking in nerves and frustration.

“We’re trapped,” she whispered. Johnny limply pushed himself against his door. His mouth and lips trembled. He pressed his hands against the door, he shoved weakly, he pushed but the door didn’t budge.

“I... I-I... c-can’t...” Johnny felt his eyes turn heavier, his body shaking violently again. He started slipping in the seat. Marianna unbuckled herself and Johnny, trying to pull him back up.

“No—n-no, no, no, stay with me, s-stay with me, Johnny,” Marianna shook his shoulders, patting his face to try and keep him conscious. With a renewed sense of urgency, she turned to the door and slammed her body several times against the car door. She shivered at the cold seeping into the car, her body aching as she reawakened the pain her body went through several months ago. Finally forcing the ice to break enough to open the door, she practically fell out of the car into the snow. She shivered, rubbing her arms and breathing into his hands. Marianna quickly looked back to Johnny and pulled him out of the car.

“Mmf—c’mon—“ Marianna hoisted one of Johnny’s arms over her shoulder, “please, try to stand up! We gotta get in there! We gotta stop this! I-I can’t pull us both on my own.” Johnny nodded slowly, forcing his legs to take the best steps he could. He stumbled frequently out of balance, he had to stop to try and breathe, he could barely keep his eyes open. Marianna kept a hand on his chest as they pushed through the raging storm towards the column of snow after Beth.

“We’ll make it,” Marianna huffed. “We can make it!”

—

“Don’t be afraid.” Beth jumped at hearing Aquilo’s voice. She backed away, hands shaking.

“Stay away from me!” Beth shook. “You lied to me!”

“I’m sorry about it,” Aquilo murmured. “I truly am. I really did like you. You truly live the phrase, ‘to thy ownself be true’. I can’t show cruelty to that.”

“Please,” Beth turned away from Aquilo, “please, just stay away. You’ve done enough to me! To my family! I don’t want anything to do with you, and I’m not afraid to hurt you!”

“If you weren’t,” Aquilo shrugged, “you already would have.” Beth turned quiet. She looked down at her hands and sighed. “I know your heart, Beth. You’re good. But you can’t control yourself. It’s not your fault. But I can give you that control. I’ll end this curse for you, Beth.” The young ghost turned to face the son of the witch. “But I have one condition.”

“Which is?” Beth brushed her fingers under her glasses, wiping stray tears before Aquilo saw them. Aquilo smiled and held his hand out to Beth.

“Just come back with me,” he said. Beth fell silent and backed away slowly.

“No.”

“Beth, listen to me. What do you have left here? Your brother is dying. Your father will soon, too, so will everyone else who lives here that you love. There’s nothing left.” Beth slowly fell to the floor. “Nothing. It’s just you, it’s just me, and your powers. Come with me, and this will all end. We’ll stop this.”

“You just want my powers.”

“But then,” Aquilo spoke calmly, “you won’t have to fear controlling them. You’ll be free from the pain. The reminder of what you’ve caused once they’re removed. Give them to someone responsible. Who can handle you.”

“I... I can’t,” Beth whispered. “I-I don’t know what you’ll do with them. You can hurt people—“

“Does that make us really that different?” Aquilo asked. Beth fell silent. “If you want this storm to end, save whoever else you can before your death count continues to rise, then agree to me.” Beth didn’t answer. Aquilo shrugged and backed away. Let her grieve for a moment. It would be easier to take her back weak and destroyed. The spell would do it just fine. Aquilo summoned his scythe.

“Parting is such sweet sorrow,” he recited in a whisper, raising his scythe, “that I shall say goodnight til it be morrow.”

—

As Marianna and Johnny got closer to the storm column, the two took a deep breath as they pushed themselves through. Marianna looked in awe and bewilderment at the magical storm being silent and still within, but spiraling out to everywhere else. Johnny left Marianna’s assisting hold and started to walk towards where he saw Beth in the distance.

“Beth,” he tried to call, but it only came out in a weak, hushed voice. His legs shook with every step, but he had to reach her. Marianna ran back to catch up with him and assist Johnny. He leaned against her briefly, before forcing himself to stand on his own. His own stubbornness made him want to stand on his own, run to her, but he kept needing Marianna to keep him upright.

“We’ve almost made it,” Marianna looked down at her friend, “I see her right over—“ she raised her eyes and noticed Aquilo past the fog. “It’s that guy, w-we saw in the car!” Johnny lifted his head as fast as he could.

“Beth!” he puffed out. He stumbled forward, pushing Marianna back and away from him.

“Johnny, stop!” she gasped, “What are you doing?!” Johnny’s body trembled. He took a deep breath and started to run. “Johnny!!”

Aquilo summoned his scythe and raised it.

“Parting is such sweet sorrow,” he recited in a whisper, “that I shall say goodnight til it be morrow.”

“Don’t you touch her,” Johnny’s voice barely left his lips. He ran in front of Beth.

“No!!” he managed to shout, just as another male voice shouted the same. Beth lifted her head, hearing both. She heard Aquilo scream in pain.

Beth turned and saw the scythe destroyed, melted with hot lava dripping off of it. Aquilo laid on the ground, curled up with his hand held tight to his chest.

“This isn’t over!” Aquilo shouted, before he vanished in a blue and white shimmering light. Johnny was still standing in front of Beth, body trembling as his body started to freeze more. John ran to his children and slid to his knees on the ice as Johnny fell to his own knees.

“Are you two alright?” the old man breathed heavily, stroking the hair of both of his children. Johnny pressed his icy cheek to his father’s hand. Beth looked up at her father.

“I-I don’t know how to stop this,” she stammered. “Dad—“

“I might know how,” John pulled out a slip of paper from his coat, handing it to his daughter, fingers trembling in nerves. “But we have to act fast. Riverview is getting torn up, a-and Johnny... d-do the spell on him first.”

“But I don’t know how!”

“Y-you need to try, Bethany,” John squeezed his daughter’s shoulder. “Please. Please. It’s up to you now. For Johnny.” Johnny opened his mouth to say something, when he lost the strength to stay on his knees.  In one final shake, his hair tips started to turn to solid ice and his eyes started to close. He laid on his side, shivering, as the ice crawled up his face, his hands and the snowflakes setting in to his skin.

“Johnny!” Beth looked to her brother. She pressed her hand against his cheek, “N-no! I-I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, please, please don’t freeze! I’m sorry... please, please—“

“H-hey,” Johnny pushed his smile out, the best of one of his signature ones he could manage. “I t-told you. This isn’t y-your f-fault. I-it’s ok-kay, Beth.” The teenage ghost looked at the slip of paper in her hand. She held tight to one of Johnny’s freezing hands, the dot where it all started shaped as a teardrop on the back. She squeezed it, swallowed and began to read the words of the spell.

When nothing happened, she looked panicked down at her brother, “N-no... no, no, no, D-Dad, it didn’t work—!!”

“Give him a minute,” Marianna rushed to beside the family, kneeling. “Maybe it takes a second.” Beth, with hopeful and tear-filled eyes looked down at her brother.

The teardrop shape shimmered.

Slowly, from the single mark, the ice started to melt away from his skin. John beamed, brushing away the tears in his eyes. Marianna watched in awe as the magic began to be undone. As his body began to finally return to normal, the ice vanishing and warmth returning to him, he gasped for air, finally able to breath like normal. He sat up, grinning at his sister.

“See?” he playfully punched her arm. “Just in the nick of time.” John pointed out to the storm.

“Now, we have the bigger stage,” he said. Beth took a deep breath. She slowly stood up and looked at her hands. After a moment, she turned back to her family. Marianna smiled as she and John helped Johnny stand. Beth raised her hand to the swirling storm clouds above and recited the spell once more, eyes closed as she focused.

The safe column fell away, exposing everyone to the harsh storm again. But quickly, the winds died. The snow began to rise. Beth tucked the note away and started to move her hands, controlling it to help raise and remove more of the ice. Marianna looked around as everything melted and quickly restored itself—the bent, dead trees, the destroyed buildings, the ruined signs and fences—each one restored itself. Beth raised the magic to the sky, then pulled it back to herself. She pressed it tight in her hands, erasing the storm itself for good. She dusted her hands off with a smile.

“Do you still have the curse?” John asked, placing a hand on Beth’s shoulder. She looked down at her hands and bit her lip, unsure. Timidly, she touched her hand against the ground—nothing happened. Beth released a sigh of relief. Marianna looked up at the sun, shielding her eyes. She tugged at her scarf and jacket, peeling them off.

“I have a feeling,” she said, “we should probably get all of you out of the middle of the city. If you want to keep this stuff secret and all. I guess I can be your guys’ get away driver one more time.” She gave a wink to the Bosteaus. They all looked at each other with small smiles.

Having power wasn’t the problem for Beth. Control was.

Untrained telekinesis. Untamed cyrokinesis. With a single hint of her emotions blowing out of proportion, her powers would burst forth just as equal. Beth was gifted with powers, but cursed with the lack of knowledge. So John was constantly trying for her. Teaching, training. When her ice went too far, he could melt it. When she needed a sort of time-out, as rudimentary as it sounded, he would make the whole house warmer to make it harder for her powers. For the movement of objects, he relied on his knowledge of the art of magic to push items back. But he was only one man. He struggled to balance his daughter, his son, his work, put food on the table, keep the roof over their heads.

So he looked for help.

He warned his children constantly how dangerous the UpSideDown was, how people and monsters, benevolent and vile roamed on the same streets. Johnny countered with noting Riverview was the same. John gave his son a look at his comment.

Having been husband to a descendent of the great Amemori witch bloodline, he had quite a bit of resources at his disposal. But even with such help on his side, it was nearly impossible to find someone who knew anything about the rare, spectacular magic that was the power over ice and snow. And after much time, he finally found someone who could help.

A witch held of highest prestige, a woman with great intelligence, asked for her skill and intellect often in the world that was the UpSideDown. Upon being contacted that there was someone asking for her help, John and Virginica met, agreed to terms of help for the young ghostly girl. John made sure she was a woman to trust. She seemed familiar with the Amemori legends and was eager to lend her services.

But even so, on the first day of her lessons, John insisted on coming along to see her off at the very least. He hopes to watch the first lesson, but the likeliness wasn’t high. Yet to his own surprise, Virginica allowed the first visit.

In a Realm full of witches, warlocks, and the sort, stood a lavished home, which couldn’t have been bigger than the farm house, but was far more appealing in its exterior. Isolated from the other witch homes, though most were spread a good distance away to keep peace and avoid conflicts, the home glistened like diamonds in the light. Crystallized, the whole home was created of ice, and around the area was a blanket of snow on the ground. In the same radius, clouds laid over the nearby sky and allowed soft winds and gentle snowflakes. John bundled up further into his coat, though Beth floated freely and unbothered. Johnny pushed up the collar of his jacket and shivered within it. As the family stepped to the front door, knocked and waited, Johnny tucked his neck further into his jacket.

“It’s freezing,” he grumbled. “Is there any chance it’s warmer inside?”

“I doubt it,” John shook his head. “I told you to bundle up more, Junior.”

“I didn’t think we were confronting the snow on Mount Everest.”

The front doors slowly opened with no person pushing them. John looked cautious for a moment before permitting his children to step further inside. Beth stood in the middle, the boys on either side of her, not unlike bodyguards of some sort. The family walked further inside the main hall of the home, spying stairs in front of them. The ground and steps, all the furniture and fixtures were created of ice and snow. Boots clicked on the icy stairs, and there stood the witch.

A heavy, curved woman with pale skin, and hair so blonde it was almost white, curled and frozen to permanent tips on her head. Dressed as a fine witch, she was beautiful, but one thing stood out: her arms and hands. From the very tips of her fingers were a pale blue that faded into deeper light blues, before fading back into her skin. None of the family had ever seen someone with such icy hands.

“Welcome!” Virginica’s voice rang as she descended the steps. A white arctic fox followed her, curling close to her feet and swishing its tail. John knew of those creatures, of the familiars that many involved in the life of witchcraft had. “Mr. Bosteau, you’re looking well from our last meeting. And this must be your son and daughter, Johnny and Beth?”

“Yes,” John smiled proudly and nodded. “My daughter is the one you’ll be teaching, but my son and I wanted to escort and watch her, just this first time. We’ve had such an awful bout of negativity that I wanted to be one-hundred-percent sure she’d be alright.”

“Of course,” Virginica smiled kindly. “You know, I have a son of my own. I know such worry. He’s also skilled in the arts of magic and ice. I’m sure he’ll have no trouble helping me when needed, if at all.” The sound of steps neared the stairs. Virginica looked over her shoulder with a smile. “Speak of the Devil. Bosteaus, this is my son. Aquilo Aster.”

A handsome young man descended the steps just as his mother had. Hair spiked up towards the front instead of the sides like his mother, his hair was a pale brown, skin equally pale and cold to his mother’s. But he had the same bright blue eyes like her. He wore a dark, long coat that covered a pale blue vest and dress shirt under it, dark pants, and boots. His face was still for a moment—stoic and cold. But then, a slow smile formed on his face.

“Welcome,” his voice was smooth. Been felt her glow turn brighter. “I’ve yet to see another ice magic user. Is it you?” His eyes landed on Beth. Her glow turned slightly pinker. She gave a shy nod. Aquilo smiled and moved closer, holding out his hand. Beth gently placed hers in it, and neither of them shivered at the touch. He kissed the back of her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Beth.”

John cleared his throat, “Well now! We’ve got introductions out of the way. I’m very eager to see how these lessons will go.” Virginica gave a simple, slow nod.

“Of course,” she said. “Then let’s begin. Aquilo, you will be my second demonstrator.” She summoned chairs made of ice behind the father and brother, bowing her head at them. “You two may sit and watch.” Johnny crossed his arms and looked at his father for a moment, before John’s eyes insisted his son sit. He did so, albeit slow and with cautious eyes and tense hands. The witch grinned and clapped her hands.

“Now. Let’s begin.”

———

Days and weeks and months of training, and the boys saw progress in the young girl. She would be gone for most of the day while Johnny delivered pizzas around town and John lectured at the campus. Johnny would drive down into the UpSideDown after work to pick up Beth from the Aster house, they’d go home to John just finishing cooking dinner, and Beth would talk all about what she learned and showed her developing control. Johnny would clean up, John would try and continue teaching Beth in terms of normal, human schooling. Some nights Johnny would insist taking over so his worn out father could rest or take personal time on his art. This was the way most days worked. Most of the time.

Except one night, when Johnny had to stay later at work. He texted his dad and sister, annoyance clear in his choice of language. John was stuck with grading at the campus, and neither trusted Beth to venture on her own back home. But that’s when he offered to take her home. Young Aquilo.

“Take her straight home,” Virginica said. “Don’t make her poor family worry too much.”

“Yes, Mother,” Aquilo rolled his eyes. Beth gave a small smile and waved goodbye to her instructor. Aquilo held out his hand to Beth as he led her away from the perpetually snow-covered land around his home. Beth watches the flakes float down. With a gentle wave of her hand, she was able to guide them with ease. Aquilo smiled.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” he asked. Beth nodded.

“It’s... it’s magical,” she said. She felt her glow turn brighter and she stammered with a nervous smile, “I-I mean, obviously it’s magical, but I mean—you know?” Aquilo offered a small chuckle.

“I get it,” he replied. “I’m sorry that I don’t have a bike like your brother to take you home on. We’ll just have to go the long way.”

“I already let them know,” Beth shyly brushed a curl behind her ear. “They worry so much over me. If it’s warranted or not, I guess I can’t say, but it is a fact of them.”

“Believe me, I know overprotective parents,” Aquilo placed his hands in his pockets. “I love her, but I’m all she’s got. She’d be worried sick if anything ever happened to me. I’m her pride and joy. Her best creation.” The two walked in silence for a while longer. “You know, you really are something special, Beth. Your powers... so raw and incredible. I’m impressed.”

“Thank you,” Beth felt herself smile wider and blush more. “I’m... I don’t think I’m anything special. And I’ve never really felt like I belong anywhere. But being here with you and your mom, a-and learning what I can do... I feel like I could be anything. I feel like I belong.”

“You should,” Aquilo stopped walking, smiling kindly. “Because you do.”

“I haven’t felt like I have in so long. Even with Johnny and Dad. I-I know I’m different than them because—mm. It’s... hard.”

“I understand. I haven’t had the best time with people before. But you make all that different to me. I know you’ve been thanking us for lessons, but I should be thanking you, too, Beth.”

They stood still for a moment, Beth shyly holding a hand against her chest. As Aquilo breathed, she saw his breath and realized it was snowing over them. She blinked and looked up at the small cloud over their heads.

“Am I—?”

“It’s us both.” Beth’s eyes looked into Aquilo’s deep blue ones. “It’s an emotional power, remember?”

“So... what is this?”

“What do you think? Tell me about it.”

“It’s... soft snow,” Beth looked back up at the small cloud. “Only over us. No big storm clouds or powerful wind. It’s... soft. Gentle.” Aquilo took a step closer. He gave a smile down at Beth. If the young ghost had a heart, it would have jumped from her chest.

“What emotion is that close to?” he whispered.

“Calm. Peace.” She looked down shyly, almost afraid to admit. Her hands shook. “Love?”

“Yeah.”

Beth slowly closed her eyes, and felt Aquilo’s lips against hers. She felt a shiver, but not caused by cold. Aquilo gently parted from her. He held out his hand to her once more.

“We should get you back home,” he said with a twinkle in his eyes. “Your father and brother could be home any minute.” Beth stared at his hand. “Beth?”

“Did we really just—?”

“I’m sorry if you weren’t ready, I just thought that—“

“No!” Beth’a glow turned bright. “No, I-I liked it. I’ve just... never had anybody like me back that way before.” Aquilo shrugged.

“You should have,” he said. “You deserve it.” Beth, for the first time that night, gave a calmer smile to Aquilo. She gently took his hand.

“Thank you,” she said. “For that and... taking me home.” Their fingers intertwined. Neither shivered or showed discomfort at the cold each other released.

“It’s what boyfriends do.”

————

There were mixed feelings with the developing relationship, for Johnny and his father at least. John wanted to encourage Beth to find love, and Aquilo seemed respectable. He was a gentleman, more mature than other sixteen-year-olds. But his overprotectiveness still pinged and tapped his shoulder. Johnny wanted the same, the same happiness for Beth. But Aquilo seemed too charming. Too good with words. Hell, he quoted Shakespeare when they invited him to dinner to express his feelings for Beth. He compared himself to Romeo and Beth his Juliet.

While not big on theater since high school, he remembered reading the play and his ex-boyfriend talking about it amongst many other plays and musicals. He was familiar with the blind love and stupidity that lead to downfall. One thing was for certain, he didn’t want that for Beth. His little sister had been hurt too much already. Not again.

As John slowly calmed and began to enjoy the intellectual conversations with Aquilo, his punctuality with Beth and always following orders, his managing to sweep Beth off her feet every date they had... he was finding fewer and fewer real, tangible reasons to disapprove. As he worked in his study one night while Johnny scowled in the living room waiting for Beth to come back home, he spotted them in the window, coming back towards the house.

Johnny waited to hear the door open. Minutes passed. He paused his video game and started to head towards the front of house. The young man pressed his ear to the front door, hearing them talk on the porch, sitting together.

“You’re... wonderful,” Beth sighed, resting her head against Aquilo’s shoulder. “I’ve never felt this way for anybody before.”

“Neither have I,” Aquilo chuckled. Johnny wanted to gag. He heard them kiss. The old wood creaked with Aquilo standing up, holding his hands with Beth as he helped her stand. He kissed her knuckles. “Parting is such sweet sorrow,” he brushed a curl from Beth’s hair, “that I shall say goodnight til it be morrow.”

“Goodnight,” Beth smiled back at Aquilo. She started to turn towards the door, Johnny backing up quickly to try and not be caught.

“Wait, I almost forgot!” Aquilo chuckled. “Here. A gift.”

He held out a small box to Beth. She timidly took it, opening it up. Inside was a velvet cloth, that when pulled back revealed a shimmering heart. Beth gasped at it.

“It’s amazing,” she breathed. “Thank you so much.” Johnny peeked through the peephole and watched, before sneaking back behind the door. Barely missing it, Beth entered the house.

“Dad, Johnny!” she called, “I’m home!” Johnny let out an almost silent breath and shimmied away from the wall. As Beth went inside the kitchen, looking for her family, Johnny pretended he just came down the stairs.

“Uh, hey—“ he quickly slid into place, startling Beth. “How was it?”

“Were you there the—never mind. It was wonderful,” Beth sighed dreamily. “He’s incredible. But I’m beat. Um, mind not blocking the stairs so I can go to bed?”

“Sure, sure,” Johnny mumbled, stepping aside. He watched his sister go upstairs, and he felt unease crawl up inside of him. He crossed his arms, shook his head, and grabbed another soda. With this feeling sitting in him, he wasn’t going to get sleep anytime soon. He’s rather just veg out and wait for it to pass.

———

“What is it with them being so nice?”

“Junior, not every one is cruel. You’re too shaken from our bad run-ins.”

“And you aren’t?”

“Watch your tone, Johnny,” John looked at his son, hard and with firmness in his voice. Johnny scoffed and pressed his chin in his hand. “Now when it comes to anxiety, you know it doesn’t get worse than me. But as I’ve watched, the Asters are very good people. They’ve given me no reason to distrust them. Bethany tells us everything she learns, all they do with her... Virginica is a kind mother, a successful mentor, Aquilo has equal intellect and not to mention charm and being a gentleman.”

“But doesn’t it all feel too perfect?” Johnny asked. John sighed. He set down the music box he was crafting, turned his stool and placed a hand on his son’s shoulder.

“I know you’re worried about her, son,” he began. “But Bethany is not twelve anymore. She doesn’t need you to fight bullies who are... gone now, she doesn’t need you to protect her from Merhib. Perhaps we’ve grown too used to being on guard and fearful. Perhaps my paranoia has brought that on to you, too. But I promise you, she’s alright. The monsters after her are gone and over. Maybe we’re not used to peace in our lives, but we finally have it. Adjustment might take time to that, after all this... trauma and fuss.”

“Yeah,” Johnny grumbled. “Maybe.” He stood up from his own stool, grabbed his jacket off the garage wall and shoved his fists into his pockets.

“Where are you going?” John blinked. Johnny grabbed his helmet off the wall.