I thank all my supporters. Current stories are all under revision excepting this one, which I am set on finishing in the next few months. Hopefully a chapter or two every week. I own nothing except my own original characters, which you may use as long as I am contacted and approve of the works they are being used in. Please review, but not too harshly. Your uplifting words keep me hopeful as an aspiring author. Without further adieu, here is your next chapter. Chapter titles are based off of Wild Faerie Dance lyrics by Gary Stadler and Wendy Rule, I think.
Wandered Alone
Jack was, to say the least, bored completely out of his mind. How was he supposed to bring snow during the summer? Well, granted it was very early summer, but summer nonetheless. Verania, the summer sprite and the only one of the seasons who consistently wore shoes, had outdone herself. Which also led him to wonder, why on earth was he the only male season?
While he was flying aimlessly, in search of a little fun, he almost smashed directly into a large - no exaggeration on the large - group of girls. There must have been at least twenty - and certain familiar faces proved his theory that he'd nearly run over the entire Council of Faes. They were of all assortments, each individually dressed up it seemed. They were relatively famous; most people knew Alohanani, and Keani, and Calypso, and Calliope, and Achlys, and Xyza. The question burned: What were they doing out here, in the evening, in such a huge crowd?
It was then that Jack remembered he was in a pretty close vicinity to Tooth's Palace. Immediately a feeling, a horrible feeling, set itself somewhere deep in his stomach . Is Tooth okay? What if, what if...
There were so many 'what ifs' charging through his mind as he whirled himself swiftly to Tooth Palace, what if Pitch is back? What if Tooth is hurt? What if something happened to the baby fairies? Why were the Council of Faes needed? Were they really going to Tooth Palace?
All of these concerns partially stemmed from an attachment Jack had formed. It was completely unintentional - he hadn't realized it was even there until it was too late to stop it. But for some reason, a reason with which he was not familiar, his heart would race and his throat would tighten, and nothing, absolutely nothing except Tooth's company could relieve him of the feeling. Maybe he didn't know what it was called, or how to deal with it, but currently he was acting on it - and heading directly to check on her.
As he approached, Jack could see lights, bright, colorful lights, emanating from the various windows. One large one swung open, and he watched as the Council of Faes entered - seeing a black shape materialize and brush into another area. Oh, Man in Moon, was that Eris? Not good... - and someone pulled the door/window shut.
That wasn't just anyone, Jack knew that face. Everything from the pointed nose to the sly grin, the lopsided smile cast with the mischievous smirk all at the same time, the tremendously long braid and glimpse of black/orange wing. That was Autumn.
To be completely honest, Jack couldn't stand her. He'd heard tales of her as the Thorn Queen told by other Guardians. Tooth had been the only one not to mention it, and even with all the stories of the others, the story he'd been able to put together was extremely vague. But it wasn't the debate about her...past that bothered him the most. Oh, no. It was that she always, always complained. Complained about how soon or how late he brought winter.
"Stop doing that, you're weighing down the dead branches. Stop it, you're covering the leaves. Do you honestly want to die? Come on, it's only December! Will you knock it off, your wind is countering mine!"
It wasn't that they couldn't have gotten along - she just always jumped at every opportunity to be ridiculous. He rather enjoyed pestering her, that was fine, but the problem was, she enjoyed pestering him. And that was not okay.
It never ended! Well - minus that one time when - point was, why was Autumn at the Tooth Palace? What was going on-
And then Jack got close enough to peek into that large window and get a glimpse inside. Girls. So many, with wings and glitter and - ugh, the abundance of so much color almost hurt! How many faeries were there in the world? No, scratch that, he didn't want to know. It was obviously a party, he could feel the base vibrating the side of the Palace.
At least Tooth was fine, right? But if Tooth was fine, why would the Council of Faes come here, and...why wasn't he invited? So not fair.
There were too many unanswered questions that had lined Jack's mind. He needed resolution, now. Where was Tooth anyway?
Oh, right there. Autumn was next to her, one arm casually draped over Tooth's shoulders. Tooth knew Autumn? He recognized Rosemary - frail little thing - standing with them, tapping her foot to music, and Dryada...there was Eris, she was...talking with them? To them? At them? He couldn't tell. Of course, it seemed Tooth was fine, and he wouldn't want to intrude or anything...for some reason there were no guys...but with Eris around, he was worried.
(No one really trusted Eris, not him, Tooth, or even Autumn. Not even the Council of Darkness, as far as he knew. And she was the figurehead of that.)
Rosemary and Dryada left the others, squabbled about something for a while, until Rosemary headed towards the speakers. The feeling of the base immediately diminished - he assumed she'd switched the track. He could hear conversation, finally, actual words instead of garbled noise. Here and there Jack could catch tidbits, but nothing of the talking between Eris, Tooth, and Autumn. (Currently, Eris was exchanging a sinister glance with Autumn, while Tooth flew nearby, trying to seem nonchalant.)
Luckily for Jack, the trio moved towards the windows. Autumn even opened one. He didn't know why, but he didn't feel like making his presence known. Perhaps it was his tendency to pick a fight with Autumn, who'd most likely accuse him of something inappropriate, and then claim she was going to enforce punishment (which meant insult him while trying to pummel his face). Or maybe it was his distrust of Eris, whose black hair hung down over one side of her face, leaving only the green eye in view and giving her a creepy half-smile, one she wore whenever a new cause for panic struck the world. Heck, he'd seen Pitch stand his distance from that one. It could even have possibly been the fact that he didn't want Tooth to think he was a stalker or anything, or that he got extremely nervous the longer she talked to him.
No, he'd rather stay hidden, just above the window.
"So, Toothiana, long time no see," he heard Eris talk, that low, sarcastic voice.
"Uh, yeah...well, it's all work, you know?"
He could hear the lie in Tooth's voice as clear as day. There was no way she'd visit Eris, work or not.
"Because that's so not transparent," Eris drawled, and he picture the skeptical eyebrow rising nearly halfway up her forehead. "Autumn," she continued, the name a mere acknowledgement.
Autumn snorted. "Cut to the chase, Eris. Aren't you the mistress of hurrying anyway? As in, hurrying away when you fail?"
Eris laughed, and not the most amused one he'd ever heard come out of her mouth. It was a dry, heartless laugh. "Autumn, I'd expect you to be a little more courteous. You said yourself, I'm a noble. Isn't that the duty of a queen - oops, I'm sorry, former queen."
The silence bristled.
Jack assumed Eris was referring to Autumn being the Thorn Queen - as mentioned, he didn't know too many of the details, and none of the Guardians would explain more to him, especially not Tooth. He caught Autumn's scoff.
"Eris, you never talk to someone without a reason to. Get it over with," she snorted.
Eris gasped in mock outrage. "It's suddenly a crime to take a personal interest in how people are doing?"
He could almost hear crickets (if the music hadn't been so loud) until Eris gave a frustrated sigh. "Alright, so I might have a few reasons to talk to you."
Autumn made a sound of approval. Jack rolled his eyes. Always had to be right, that one.
"Firstly, it's blackmail, but secondly, it's caution."
"Okay, Eris, the blackmail sounds like you, but I don't think we need any warnings or tips. No offense," Tooth's cheerful voice broke through the taut string between Eris and Autumn.
"Oh, please, Tooth. Look, you don't want hints, then fine. But openly gawking at your little boyfriend won't get you very far. Trust me."
"You? Like you have any experience with guys," Autumn taunted, and Jack gained just the smallest bit of appreciation for her. If there was one good quality she possessed, it was being protective of everyone she called her friend. Wait, what? He was pretty sure he just heard 'boyfriend'. Tooth didn't have a boyfriend. More specifically, he didn't want Tooth to have a boyfriend.
"Can it, queenie. And Toothiana, I'm sure that if you don't do something about it soon, I'm going to."
"I...I don't know what you're talking about," Tooth said shakily. Jack suddenly didn't like listening in on the conversation - even if Eris never really was direct about what she was talking about, and if only the person she spoke to caught on - this wasn't his business. As he turned to leave, something made him stop.
"If you're still being a baby about this in...I'll give it a month...I'm going to blurt everything to the world. Remember that little journal you keep?"
Tooth gasped. Autumn growled. Jack cringed, and Eris snickered. "That's right. I know everything. Don't you people understand that I find out whatever I want to find out? This time next month, Tooth, and I won't wait," Eris concluded, turning to Autumn, who was seething.
"You wouldn't dare."
"You're right, I wouldn't dare. I'd only do something if I'd get away with it. Which I will."
"No you won't! I'll beat you so high and low that you won't be able to-"
"Now, now, Autumn. If you try any funny business, you know what happens. Early release of delicious rumors for your best friend."
Tooth was completely quiet, and Autumn snarled.
"And, Autumn? I'd watch whose business I stick my nose into. Stay away, and you won't hurt yourself."
"I don't even-"
Jack peeked down from above the window, using his fingertips and feet to push himself against the wall. The curved slope actually made things easier, and he saw why Autumn had stopped short of defending herself. Eris had vanished, presumably to go find her 'friend' of sorts, Melanctha.
Melanctha was one of those few people he pitied.
"Autumn, what am I going to do?"
"I don't know. I'll think of something. But what was that about?"
"Nothing. There's not even anything in the dumb journal, but I just...it's private, all the same."
"I know."
And he was about to leave again when he heard Autumn suggest that Tooth and herself get some friends and hang out in another, significantly less noisy room - he just couldn't miss it, he was curious, intensely curious about exactly how Tooth was when she wasn't working. He hadn't ever seen her without a single baby fairy whizzing around her. Instead, he followed them as they moved a few rooms over, with Rosemary, Caoineag, and Dryada in tow. Caoineag he didn't really know - all he knew was that she was one-quarter changeling and one-quarter bean sidhe.
And when the Truth or Dare started, there was no way he could pull himself from the window - even if his better half was telling him to get lost.
Quick note here: Autumn's backstory will be elaborated in the next story. This one has primarily everything to do with Jack and Tooth. The next one involves more of Autumn, and much, much more of Pitch. Thank you and please, send me some feedback! I'll respond as quickly as I can.
