Facets of Belief
By Uniasus
Chapter One - Powerless
Jack knew his staff was made of wood, and yet he had never thought of it as breakable. So the fact that it snapped as easily as an icicle from a side mirror was very surprising. The fact that it hurt, that he could feel his heart crack at the same time, was terrifying.
There was nothing he could have done to prevent Pitch's attack, he was too focused on the pain to even see it coming. It hit him like one of Bunny's kicks, compounding his chest pain. He blacked out when his head hit the icy rock, but he knew it had just been a matter of time before his splintering heart sent him to the darkness.
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Baby Tooth shook herself awake, the action sending her dull headache into a piercing pain that soon faded. She was cold, tooth fairies lacked the layer of down that would make long stays in either pole comfortable. Shivering, she buzzed her wings, but to her dismay they weren't working. The fairy was grounded.
She pushed herself up to her feet and took a few steps forward. They were unsteady, but Baby Tooth didn't know if that was due to not having set foot on the ground in centuries or because of the snow.
Once she got the hang of the terrain, she looked around. Rock walls, so some type of crevasse, and...was that Jack's staff? If he had lost it, surely he'd come looking for it and in the process find her.
She walked toward it, hand on the rock wall, and as she got closer she realized it was Jack's shepherd hook, albeit lacking its usual frost and in two pieces. After Pitch had backhanded her into a wall Baby Tooth had no idea what happened, but Jack and Pitch must have fought. And Jack lost.
Baby Tooth didn't think that was possible, he had been so strong the previous night when they all went teeth collecting together!
Jack would need his staff, but first she had to figure out how to get out of here. She doubted Tooth would be able to find her; she didn't know where Pitch had taken her and if she couldn't fly her boss wouldn't be able to either. Maybe if she fixed the staff, somehow, it would return to Jack, like Bunny's boomerangs, and she could hitch a ride. Yes, that was a good idea. Now all she needed was something to connect the two halves.
Baby Tooth pivoted slowly, taking in her surroundings.
Behind her was Jack Frost himself, lying against the rock wall and not moving.
She rushed towards him, forgetting her wings didn't work so that all she did was land face first in the snow when she took a step. Not minding the bend in her nose, she ran towards Jack, calling his name, but he didn't stir.
Even when she viciously stabbed her nose into his thumb after everything else failed to rouse him, Jack didn't move.
Well, at least he was still breathing, she thought. That was good.
Baby Tooth made her way back towards the staff. Maybe if she fixed it, Jack would get better. But she knew it was beyond her supplies and abilities. She couldn't even lift a piece of it, and rolling the part without the hook took more effort than she thought it would. She moved it maybe a foot closer to the still Guardian before she was too exhausted to do more.
She staggered towards Jack and wearily climbed up his sweatshirt until she was at the neck of the fabric. His skin was ice cold, but perched were she was Baby Tooth could feel the faintest hint of warm breath. She thought about nesting in the pouch of his sweatshirt, it would certainly warmer, but she was also worried that at some point the air leaving Jack's mouth would stop.
The small fairy hoped that someone, and not Pitch, found them soon.
It started to snow.
A/N: Alright, here we go! Massive story, all complete, but no promises on regular updates. This baby is looking for betas, if you're interested.
