A/N: Takes place after "Fireball Faerie," but in the same universe…sort of. I think I might've aged Tootie in FF, so, uh, just pretend Chloe was there after all? Stupid canon is screwing up my fics.
Also, season five never happened. The marriage joke episodes, aside from the one with Doombringer, do not exist in this universe. Because seriously, screw the marriage jokes. They weren't funny, and I love Wanda too much to see her hurt.
"Straight On 'til Morning" has one more snippet before I finish it, so naturally I'm dragging my feet on it.
Chapter One: Hexe
Snow crunched underfoot as Timmy hauled water back to his camper. His parents had decided to "rough it" in Canada during his winter break and because they were being obstinate about doing "whatever the Carmichaels were doing," Timmy had to drag water from the river back to the camper. He'd forgotten, once again, that he could've just wished the water to the camper. However, he had wanted some alone time away from his parents, who were driving him up the wall.
Cosmo and Wanda had switched campsites and were with Chloe for the moment; the Carmichaels and the Turners hadn't camped as closely as they had that one spring break (they'd learned a lesson in that, at least), but they still disliked each other. Timmy's and Chloe's friendship remained an enigma to them, especially as it had lasted three years so far.
The bucket was heavy and water sluiced over the sides while Timmy considered it. He'd gotten better at balancing his friends; Chester and A.J. had confronted him about ignoring them a few months after Chloe had moved to town. So he tried to spend time with his guy friends and Chloe, which was made difficult by the fact Chester disliked her and Sanjay and Elmer claimed she cramped their style. Only AJ had any interest in her, and that was because they were both intelligent, which led to them having discussions that went over Timmy's head.
That wasn't what had given him pause today, though. Lately, it felt like his feelings for Chloe were getting complicated and he didn't want to bring this up with his godparents in case there was some weird taboo about it. Besides, he wasn't sure what he felt. Was it still friendly, because they'd been friends for years and spent a lot of time together? Was it like he felt for Trixie? Or had felt for Trixie, because he wasn't sure he liked her anymore? It wasn't how he felt for Tootie, which was now likewise complicated because she'd outgrown her braces and was wearing her hair down. Plus, she'd stopped hounding him and argh, girls. Everything had been so much easier before he'd had feelings.
Chloe's campsite was a good mile away from his parents'; that was the limit of their cordiality. As his parents had sent him out so they could have alone time, he wished he had someone to talk to. He had never realized how isolated he was until he had no one around. Poof was still at school, Cosmo and Wanda were with Chloe, and he didn't get service out here.
That was why when a blonde blur slammed into him and bowled him over; he wound up with the bucket upended on his head and water soaking him. Careless hands knocked the bucket off, and Chloe stood there, yanking him to his feet and then dragging him forward. Cosmo and Wanda were disguised as rabbits, which he had a split second to see before Chloe was hauling him over rough ground and through the forest.
"What the hell?" he said. "Where are you taking me?"
"Just look," she insisted. Timmy wasn't sure what she wanted him to look at. There was a rusty sparkling trail she appeared to be leading them on, which baffled him. He tried to dig in his heels and prompt her to slow down, but if anything, his obstinacy increased her own. He should know better by now than to attempt to stand in Chloe's way. It was like standing in the way of a natural disaster.
"You know, maybe we'd be better off at the campsite eating smores," Wanda suggested, voice terse. Timmy chanced a look at her and tripped over a tree root for his trouble. Chloe didn't permit him time to regain his footing. She just continued dragging him along. The bucket, by this period, was long forgotten.
"What are we supposed to be looking at?" he demanded.
"I've been following this trail for the last ten minutes, and then I had to find you because I'm telling you it goes somewhere really weird," she said.
"Like to a bathroom?" he suggested. His bladder had chimed in, and he fought the temptation to cross his legs. Chances were she would've let him trail along the ground anyway if he had.
"It can wait!"
"Says you," he grumped.
She parted the bushes, and they halted before a crater in the earth. Something about it struck him as unnatural, but at least Chloe had stopped. He took advantage of the opportunity to duck into the trees and relieve himself. Chloe squeezed hand sanitizer onto his palms, and because he knew otherwise, she'd complain, he rubbed it on his palms.
"What am I supposed to be looking at?" he asked.
"Oh…" Cosmo and Wanda echoed in unison, and he looked at his godparents, to Chloe, and then to the crater. The small trail of sparkling rust had soaked the ground here, and a savaged body lay in the crater's center. All that was distinguishable was a tarnished crown. Timmy's stomach roiled, and he thought he might be sick.
"I didn't know it would lead here!" Chloe protested. "That can't be…"
"It is…" Wanda croaked, sounding as ill as Timmy felt.
They looked up at arguing voices. Timmy recognized one of them immediately, and the color drained from his face. Oh, no, not her. The second, a male voice, didn't strike him as familiar. They emerged from the other side of bushes directly opposite Timmy and Chloe, and Timmy nearly lost his footing. Chloe snagged him in the nick of time.
"I told you this wasn't a good idea," a male fairy snapped. He had dark purple hair, hanging to his waist and braided. His wings, resembling an anti- fairy's more than a typical fairy, were black and draconic. Tootie faltered too, and he grabbed her to prevent her from plunging headlong into the crater.
"Oh, no, not you," Tootie snapped, glaring at Chloe.
"What brings you here?" Chloe called back, ignoring Tootie's homicidal gaze.
"That." Tootie pointed to the blood coating the ground in front of her and then down into the crater.
"How much was there?" Timmy asked in a subdued voice.
"Depends on how much he struggled," the unfamiliar fairy said, somber. "Or she. Tootie, I told you this wasn't a good idea. We shouldn't go inviting trouble."
"If this is a fairy's blood, then a fairy died here," Tootie retorted. "We need to find out what happened."
"A fairy died here?" Timmy asked, looking at his godparents. Both swallowed as if fighting their gorge.
"Technically, sport…" Wanda started but seemed unable or unwilling to finish. She swayed and leaned against Cosmo, who likewise leaned against her.
Chloe released Timmy and slid into the crater. In unison, all three fairies yelped, darting after her. Not to be outdone, Tootie launched herself into the hole and yanked something out of the soil. It was a broken wand. The three fairies exchanged uncomfortable glances.
Timmy hesitated, uncertain he wanted to join the group, but decided he might as well. Chloe caught him before he plunged headlong into the soil. To be honest, he wasn't even sure what he was looking at. His mind refused to put the pieces together to form a body.
"Could we not have this conversation right next to…to…" Wanda faltered.
"I wish we were somewhere else!" Timmy exclaimed, not bothering to clarify. They reappeared at Chloe's campsite. Her mom was puttering around inside the tent and paying them no mind.
"Deborvak," Tootie said, turning to her fairy. "What's going on?"
Deborvak shook his head. He looked at Cosmo and Wanda, who had gone green.
"Someone's murdering fairies?" Timmy asked. His voice was a shadow of itself. "Doombringer?"
That was the only person he could think of, and he hadn't encountered her in three years. Chloe gave him a curious look, but he didn't clarify. Tootie's brow furrowed.
"We don't know," Wanda murmured.
"And we don't wanna find out," Cosmo added.
"Why would a fairy be hurt here, of all places?" Tootie asked. "And did whoever harm him or her know we're here?"
"You don't know…" Chloe protested weakly. "You don't know that that's what happened."
"Oh, stop being so damn optimistic," Tootie snarled. "Honestly, you piss me off."
She turned to Timmy and pointedly ignored Chloe. "Timmy, my parents are camped a little way down the road, if you wanna talk about it. Miss Perfect's not invited."
Signaling to Deborvak, Tootie left them with more questions than answers. Timmy watched her recede into the distance. Chloe frowned, shivering. Timmy had an urge to put an arm around her shoulders but resisted. Part of him felt like he ought to pursue Tootie and the other thought he should stay here with his godsibling.
"I wish I knew what was going on," Chloe said, and Cosmo and Wanda shook their heads.
"I don't think that's a good idea…" Wanda said.
Timmy expected Cosmo to chime in that it was a great idea or otherwise encourage her. He remained silent, and Timmy's stomach flipped. If even Cosmo wasn't advocating for this, it was serious. He hadn't seen his godparents this grave in a long time.
Chloe's lower lip quivered. He could practically hear her mental voice screaming and her representation of herself running around in circles.
"Get it together," he said, shaking her.
"Sorry…" she whispered. She shook her head and tried to settle herself. "Okay, well, then, what would you suggest?"
"That we forget this whole thing ever happened and go have some smores?" Cosmo said.
"I'm not hungry," Timmy said. He wasn't sure he'd ever be hungry again. He hugged himself.
"How about just the 'forget all about it,' then?" Wanda added.
Chloe shook her head. "No. If this is an injustice, then we need to get to the bottom of this!"
"Oh, no, here we go again," Timmy groaned. "Can't you just leave things alone, Chrissy Crusader?"
"Could you?" she asked. Timmy opened his mouth to reply that yes, he could just fine, but then shut it. He couldn't in good conscience say that. He didn't speak.
"Maybe Tootie knows something," Chloe decided.
"Didn't you hear her? She doesn't want you anywhere near her," he said, exasperated.
"I'll just have to change her mind, then," Chloe said.
"And the last three years you tried that and she wanted to throw you into oncoming traffic didn't convince that was a bad idea?" Timmy objected.
"Everyone can be won over, Timmy," she said. "It's just a matter of time."
"I hate her," Tootie seethed. "I hate how close she is to Timmy. I hate how she's his best friend. I hate her stupid face, and I hate her stupid sunflower dress and her black pants and how chipper and happy she is.
"And I hate how smart she is and how she always gets perfect grades and how everyone adores her and how she thinks she can get everyone to love her," she spat.
Deborvak said nothing; he'd heard it before. She didn't care. She was just venting. Every time she saw Chloe Carmichael, her blood pressure went through the roof. She just wanted to punch the girl in the face repeatedly. And Chloe hadn't gotten it through her skull that Tootie would sooner kiss up to Vicky than have anything to do with her.
"And I hate how she influences Timmy. He should've kicked her to the curb and refused to share his fairies with her."
Something exploded behind them, and Tootie ignored it. Her powers were out of control—they always flared when she lost her temper. She knew she ought to tamp down on it, but she was enraged. Chloe always brought out the worst in her. She didn't know how it was possible for one girl to be so infuriating.
To be fair, Tootie had loathed Trixie Tang the moment she'd met her. But Trixie was shallow, and they never interacted. Their circles were entirely different. Timmy only encountered Trixie when he forced the issue. Chloe, by contrast, was always in Tootie's face. She was impossible to shake off because she seemed to be attached to Timmy at the hip.
"I think you forget the real reason you followed that trail," Deborvak remarked, and Tootie snarled. It had fled her mind, he was right.
"And what was that?" she countered.
"Tootie…" he sighed. "Do you really not remember?"
Shame flooded her. She'd let her hatred for Chloe override her judgment again. Thinking back to the crater and the broken wand, which she'd accidentally palmed, unnerved her. The star atop was missing, and the wand had cracked.
"We need to get to the bottom of this," she vowed.
"You might want to reconsider your position on Chloe."
At the dirty look she threw him, he added, "You're concerned for Timmy and Cosmo and Wanda, right?"
"Yes…" she admitted begrudgingly.
"Then you're going to have to face Chloe. You know she and Timmy are a package deal now."
Tootie muttered unkind things about Chloe, things that would've been more in line with what Vicky wanted to do than Tootie's typical personality. Some of Vicky's darkness had seeped into her. It was resentment over mistreatment, being passed over by her parents, and now contending with the blonde bitch. She was worse than Cindy Vortex. At least Tootie understood Cindy. She even related to her, Cindy's attraction to Timmy notwithstanding. And not having seen her in three years had improved her impression of her.
"I'll sleep on it," Tootie proclaimed.
"You think you'll sleep well after seeing that?" he asked.
He had a point. She grimaced. Sleep would probably be a distant dream tonight. That meant she'd be spending the night thinking of how she was going to work with Chloe without mauling her. Fun times.
