Updated edit: Okay, I know I already posted this chapter, but I went back and fixed some things *cough cough accents* that were pointed out to me. It's still basically the same, so if you've already read it you don't have to reread it. Unless you want to. Thanks D C JoKeR H S for your advice!
Many thanks to Frosted Dragon Heart and her unconditional support. Merry (late) Christmas, my friend!
You could all consider going and reading her stuff- she's pretty fantastic.
But first read this. Read it and suffer.
Also, Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. Or the main story that we all love so much. Just my own ideas.
Rare was the moment that the North Pole, center of all Christmas Wonder, was silent, but at that moment, even the jingling of the elves' bells was quiet.
Sandy stared, wide-eyed, at his fellow Guardians (minus Jack, who was center of what they had just discussed). He voiced his disbelief with the biggest question mark he could create with his dream sand, followed by several exclamation points, the message clear. They had done WHAT?!
"We know, we know, Sandy," Bunny said, ears drooping with dejection. "It was terrible, what we did to 'im. Believe me, no one could possible feel worse about this than we do." The unspoken thought of what Jack had done to save the last light, despite the way he had been treated, went through all of their minds. North and Tooth murmured agreement as they shrunk in on themselves a little in shame.
Sandy floated for a moment, expression morphing started jerking his arms about, looking like he was about to sign something before changing his mind several times. Eventually he gave up and summoned his dream sand cloud and flew up to the ceiling to just sit for several minutes, pinching the bridge of his nose in muted frustration.
Sandy shook his head and gave a soundless sigh, dragging his hands down his face before coming back down. He threw up another question mark.
"Why?" Bunny checked. Sandy nodded tiredly.
"Why what?" North asked in confusion, looking to Bunny. Sandy was normally easy for them all to understand, but when they couldn't, Bunny was the best at translating.
Sandy gestured to the three of them, then made a megaphone shape before making a snowflake.
"Why did we yell at Jack," Bunny translated.
Tooth jumped in. "Well, Pitch had just come through and destroyed all the eggs for Easter, and Jack hadn't come back like he said he would, and Baby Tooth was gone…" Tooth trailed off when Sandy's eyebrows furrowed. He spread his arms out in front of him, questioning with his eyes.
"Where DID Baby Tooth go, Sheila?" Bunny asked, turning to Tooth. "We never did ask."
Tooth's eyes furrowed, thinking. "I…" she started before breaking off and turning to one of the fairies hovering near her in concern. "Girls, would one of you go get Baby Tooth?" One chirped in assent before flitting through the window.
She waited a moment before starting again. "I never did ask, things just got so busy after we defeated Pitch. Getting the teeth put back, the fairies back on task, it's not easy!" She added the last bit defensively.
North put a calming hand on her shoulder, his hand dwarfing her a little. "'It's fine, Toothie. We will find out soon what happened."
Sandy waved his arms to catch their attention before creating a few images with his sand. Why didn't they ask Jack what had happened?
Bunny hung his head in sorrow, thinking back on the events of the day. "After Pitch ruined most of the eggs, I couldn't get them out in time. The ankle bitah's stopped believing in me, they WALKED THROUGH ME." He broke off, calming himself down. "I was hurting, and then Jack showed up and I just lashed out, didn't even stop to ask what took so long…" He looked down in shame. "Or if I did, I didn't stop to listen for the answer."
Tooth immediately fluttered over to him, putting a hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "None of us did, Bunny."
"It was still mostly me," he muttered. "I said we shouldn't have trusted 'im."
North clapped his hand on Bunny's shoulder. "No, my friend, we all had hand to play, equal blame." His face twisted in regret. "I believed he was with Pitch. I should have had more faith in him."
"You didn't almost punch 'im in the face, North," Bunny countered.
Sandy's head shot straight towards Bunny, eyes almost comically wide. Bunny winced. "Did I forget to mention that little detail earliah?"
Sandy nodded, eyebrows raised and eyes narrowed. Luckily for Bunny, Baby Tooth zipped through the window just then, shaking off the cold and puffing her feathers before flying over to Tooth. They chittered for a moment before a serious look came over Tooth's face. "Would you mind telling us what happened after Jack took Sophie home," she asked gently, cupping Baby Tooth in her hands, "And what happened to you?"
Baby Tooth's eyes got big and darted nervously around the room. She chirped at Tooth, asking a question.
"No, Jack isn't here. He left earlier after he told us about when Jamie started believing," Tooth explained. Baby Tooth slowly nodded, thinking for a moment before giving a tiny sigh. She chirped another question, gesturing around to the others. Tooth nodded with a smile, "Yes, I'll translate." Baby Tooth began the story.
"They had just dropped Sophie off in her bed with no problems at all when Jack started hearing something- a voice? Calling his name." She looked up. "Baby Tooth didn't hear it until after Jack said something, but by then he was already moving. He said he knew the voice…"
Her eyebrows furrowed for a moment before her eyes widened in realization.
"Oh no," she whispered. Baby Tooth nodded solemnly.
"what? what is it Tooth?" Bunny and Sandy were equally lost and impatient.
"I didn't realize… He never told us this part…" Tooth went on, trailing as she looked lost in thought.
"Hey, Sheila, wanna get us in on the thought," Bunny said with a huff.
She turned to look at the Guardians, gaze a little shocked. "Part of the Tooth boxes magic is that it will call to whoever is closest when a child's memories are needed to be activated. The call is irresistible, at least to an ally. Pitch wouldn't have been affected, but Jack…" her expression grew pained. "He wouldn't have known what it was, only that it was calling to him and he couldn't NOT follow it. They followed the voice to a hole in the ground, with an old bed frame over it- Pitch's lair."
The room was quiet for a moment as the words hung in the air. "So... Pitch lured 'im into a trap?" Bunny asked incredulously. "Using his memories?"
Tooth nodded sadly. Baby Tooth squeaked to catch their attention again, making sure they were all paying attention before continuing.
"They jumped into the hole. Baby Tooth says she figured out what the call was a little after Jack started hearing it, his tooth box, but she couldn't get him to understand and stop. They went further in and found her sisters in cages" Tooth's expression became fierce and angry at this before she went on. "Jack tried to free them, but the cages were locked. Then the voice came again and Pitch had the box." Baby Tooth's face grew sad for her friend as this part was told. "Pitch started taunting Jack about his fears, and had him running like crazy through his lair. Baby Tooth says they kept popping in and out of the shadows, so she didn't catch all the conversation."
Baby Tooth quietly chirped something else, staring at her mother in stubborn determination. Tooth gave her a sigh before nodding in understanding. "She also says that she wouldn't tell us what was said anyway- It's Jack's story to tell there and we'd have to ask him."
"Da, we will," North promised with a serious expression. "But what happened to YOU? Will you tell us that?" Sandy made a pleading gesture to the little fairy to go on.
Baby Tooth nodded and continued to tell Tooth the story for translating. "She was left behind by the cages with her sisters. Pitch caught her after Jack disappeared and stuffed her in his jacket- " Tooth stopped at this point and started laughing at the look on Baby Tooth's face. "Apparently, it didn't smell good in there, and Baby Tooth thinks Pitch needs to start worrying about personal hygiene more, and taking over the world less."
This had the rest of the Guardians chuckling. Baby Tooth made one more face before she went on.
"Pitch had her trapped for a bit and she didn't know what was going on. Then he grabbed her and pulled her out, and they were in someplace very cold and snowy, and Jack was standing across from Pitch, walking away. Pitch made Jack… HE DID WHAT?" Tooth yelled the last part, fury sparking in her eyes. She leapt into the air, wings buzzing at a frantic speed. The rest of them flinched at the sudden shift from tooth fairy to warrior queen. "Where is he? I'm going to need more quarters- Pitch is losing a lot more teeth tonight!"
Sandy flew up in front of her with a wary and concerned look- whether for Tooth or Pitch, it was hard to tell. He spread his arms out in front of him questioningly.
"Pitch made Jack trade his staff to save Baby Tooth," Tooth growled in rage. "He used one of MY FAIRIES as a bargaining chip against OUR SNOWFLAKE."
"WHAT?" A collective cry came from below.
Baby Tooth zipped in front of her mother with outstretched arms, chirping frantically. "I WILL NOT CALM- wait, what?" Tooth slowly began to descend, listening intently to her mini, wings moving at a more sedate speed. "He… he actually gave up his staff? Oh, Jack…" Tooth whispered. She sank onto the ground.
Sandy sat beside her and gave a comforting pat. "Thanks Sandy," Tooth whispered. She hung her head. "He went through so much, even before we really met him. And then we turned on him, and Pitch almost hurt him by taking his staff."
Baby Tooth, hovering nearby with concern on her face, winced at the words and caught Tooth's attention again. "Baby Tooth?"
The little fairy gave her mother a sad look before starting to slowly chirp.
"Pitch broke his staff?" Tooth asked incredulously? "But it was fixed when we saw him!"
"Yeah, it was fine when we saw 'im after going to find Jamie," Bunny chimed in.
More chirping followed.
"He can do that?"
Baby Tooth shrugged, then opened her arms. Apparently.
"Do what, Toothie?" North questioned.
"Fix his staff. Baby Tooth says that Jack did it after Pitch tossed both of them into a chasm after Baby Tooth jabbed Pitch with her beak." She gave a fond look to the mini before continuing. "And after he fixed the staff, they went back to free the rest of my fairies but none of them could fly at that point- was that because Pitch hurt you or because of lack of belief?" Tooth asked her fairy in concern.
Baby Tooth twittered a response.
"Ah. Belief, good."
"Well, go on," Bunny urged when Tooth was quiet for a little.
"Oh, right. Then Baby Tooth says the lights on the Globe started going out until there was just one left- Jamie, and Baby Tooth said to leave her there while Jack went to she could help her sisters. After that, they just waited until they could fly again and activate the tooth boxes."
"And we know what Jack was doing after he left Baby Tooth," Bunny said quietly.
Sandy nodded before pausing. He signed to Bunny.
"Did we apologize? Mate, of course we di- Oh crickey." His eyes widened.
"Shostakovich." North cursed, echoing the thought and Tooth winced.
Sandy smacked his forehead and gave the rest of them a look.
"Guys, I'm going to go find Jack," Tooth said determinedly. "You coming?"
"To the sleigh!" North yelled and started walking there with Bunny complaining about the 'death trap' the whole way there.
Sandy looked towards the moon in exasperation. What was he going to do with these guys? Shaking his head, he followed them towards the ice caves.
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