Of Ravens and Hummingbirds.
Ch. 3
A/N~ Firstly, happy Tuesday! 8D No idea why it's a day to say that, but I feel oddly chipper today. It makes me sick. XD Anyways! Here's an update, SaD is DEFINITELY going to be worked on and update next after this. So please hang in there everyone!
Enjoy!
Now edited!
Pairing: Tooth/Pitch (Cavity)
Genre: Romance, humor, angst.
Rating: T (to be safe)
Enjoy!
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Tooth had never once been in Pitch's lair. She only had a vague idea of what it was like from what her fairies had told her about it. And so far, she felt her fairies were doing the dark realm far too much justice. Pitch's realm was…desolate, to say the least. It was almost exactly like her dream, but off somehow. The air was thick and chilled, like there was a cold force trying to squash all form of atmosphere within it. It was so much darker than what her fairies and Jack described, the shafts of grey-washed light mostly missing, and leaving only tiny pinpricks of light to enter the vast caverns. It was silent as the grave…
And yet, it reminded Tooth of the grotto she first met the raven man at.
From the tiny beams of light, the darkness, and the tense atmosphere, she almost felt a sense of familiarity. She wasn't comfortable per se, but there was a sense of peace in this place – ironic considering how tense and thick the air felt.
Looking around, she caught sight of the many empty cages that hung within the lair from a seemingly nonexistent ceiling. All were empty as far as she could tell, and many were missing – leaving nothing but the lonely, dangling chains left without their cages.
But where was Pitch, she wondered. In fact, shouldn't she have run into a Nightmare or Fearling by now? Her apprehension of this place should have lured out at least one of the monstrous things. But she was alone.
Anxious, Tooth almost wished there was a Fearling or Nightmare to confront her. She wished for something to come out and confirm that this wasn't some dream again. A sight, a sound, anything. But nothing happened, and she could hear nor see anything outside the harmless cages and caverns.
She decided to take a risk, and tightened her hand on the handle of her sheathed rapier.
"Hello?" she called out. Her voice didn't even echo within the yawning caverns. It was as if the darkness itself was eating her voice, swallowing it and everything else in sight, including light; like a black hole.
"Hello?" she tried again, louder this time. But there was no response, not even an echo.
She frowned, suddenly worried. Was Pitch even in his lair anymore? Did he maybe abandon it?
'But what about the Nightmares and Fearlings?' she wondered. They had…dragged him away. But surely he regained control of them…right?
It made Tooth wonder; was Pitch still even alive?
A burden of nausea and terror dropped into Tooth's gut. No, that was not right. She and the Guardians would never…they would never kill another spirit. Intentionally or not, they would never…
But you stood by as he was dragged away like a man sent to the gallows, a part of her whispered.
Tooth swallowed, her heart beginning to race. No, that wasn't right. For all she knew, Pitch was just hiding. Perhaps he was too weak to want to play his usual mind games with her. And anyways, she wasn't here for Pitch. She was here for him…
'But where is he?' she thought.
She suddenly wondered, what if I don't find him? What if my dreams are just that? Just figments of unfulfilled wishes and desires? What if she was just chasing a ghost? The man of black feathers and amber eyes could be long gone by now. She didn't even know if he was still even alive anymore. What if he was caught by the Monkey King all those years ago? The beast was obsessed with her and her kind. And finding a male fairy would have elated him. What if he was truly, and utterly, gone…?
"Toothiana…"
Tooth startled as she suddenly recalled a memory from all those centuries ago. She and the man were sitting in their grotto together, just waiting for their last few minutes of night to pass and become a sunrise. The canopy shielded them from the scrutinizing moon above, and the man had, at his most vulnerable Tooth had ever seen, asked her a question…
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"Will you ever forget about me?"he had asked, softly, quietly, refusing to look at the fairy queen.
Tooth had been shocked to say the least, if not slightly hurt by the question. How could she ever forget someone like him? How could she forget such an amazing man? She could never forget his quiet nature, his almost shy manner, yet with his charming and suave quirks. She could never forget the way his eyes would seem to light up as the sun vanished over the horizon each day, yet they would narrow in contempt as the moon stole his night sky. How when he was deep in thought or focused on something, his fingers would tap rhythmically against his knee as if he were playing a piano song to some unknown tune in his head.
She could never forget, how much fear she saw hidden behind his eyes whenever he thought she wasn't looking. How those barriers would just rise up like soldiers at attention. Ready to guard the golden secrets locked behind an impenetrable black vault. How, despite how he proclaims so passionately to have a heart of black – or no heart at all – she just knew it paled in comparison to any gold treasure or trinket.
She could never forget him, and she openly voiced this to him. He turned to face her then, but his eyes were guarded, saddened.
"We always forget things,"he said, "Memories to people are simply like old trinkets. When you first get them, you cherish them. But as time wears on, they become dull, rusted, and eventually useless. It is part of growing up…"
Part of growing up, he had said. She had never heard him sound so hopeless before, so scared.
Determined, Tooth grabbed the man's larger hand and held it tight in her own dainty appendage.
"I will never forget you," she said firmly, unrelenting, "I can never forget you. Not with all we've been through and done. Why would you think I would suddenly just…throw you away? You are in some of my most precious memories…"
"You do not even know my name,"he said, "How can you remember something that is but a mere shadow?"
Shaking her head, Tooth smiled sadly, "You don't need to have a name to become a cherished memory."
The man stared at her, his expression unreadable. But behind his gold eyes, Tooth could see an internal battle. Over what, she was unsure of. Perhaps he was contemplating telling her his name. Perhaps he was trying to find some flaw in her reasoning, some kind of escape to put the subject to rest. But after a moment, he shook his head and looked away.
"How can I be sure you will not forget me?" he asked, "I may be like you in many ways, but to others, I practically do not exist. I am just a bad dream to others, no sooner to be forgotten. How can I trust that one day you won't wake up and forget about me too?"
Tooth's heart broke for the man. She had no real knowledge of his past; he blatantly refused to speak of it to her. But what she did know was this; her black bird was very hurt, and very, very lonely. His façade of a rude, sarcastic, and stuck-up peacock was but a farce. Before, she was unable to see that, but now, it was clear as day to her.
Frowning, Tooth looked down at her lap, thinking. What could sway the black bird man into believing her? What could she say or do to reassure him that he was not just going to become some bad dream to her? That she was not one day going to wake and turn her back on him?
A thought suddenly occurred to her as she stared at her lap. Looking down at the small bag tied to her hip, she reached down and opened it. She pulled out an item wrapped in a silk cloth, and carefully, she opened it.
The man seemed confused as he looked at the small, ruby box in the fairy queen's hands. But as he watched her open it, it became a bit clearer. Inside was a small collection of baby teeth; a full set it seemed. Carefully, Tooth picked one out and held it up to eye level as she regarded the black bird.
"These are my baby teeth," she explained, "My parents collected them when I was little, and each one holds a precious memory of mine."
She held a tooth out so the man could see, smiling almost meekly at him as his brows shot up into his forehead.
"This one…has the memory of when we first met," she said, "And this one…" putting the tooth back, she reached in and pulled out another one.
"This one, I put the memories of all our best and worst times together in it. So that I may never forget," She took the man's hand and, carefully, deposited the enamel in his palm, "And I want you to keep it."
He seemed shocked, struck speechless. It made Tooth almost laugh in all honestly. But he suddenly frowned, looking down at the tooth briefly before he averted his gaze back at her.
"But why…?" he asked.
"Well, if I kept the one with all our moments together, I would maybe think they were a dream," she said, "But if I keep the one with our first meeting, I'll know that you meant something to me. And that you truly existed, and that you impacted me in a positive way. Otherwise I never would have put it in the tooth."
"No, I mean…" the man shook his head, "Why give me this? This is obviously precious to you. Why just give me your memories so freely?"
Tooth seemed to recall a bit of a frantic incident where the man before her had taken her tooth box as a way to ruffle her feathers; but he had gotten more than he bargained for. In the end they both calmed and forgave one another – but it was never forgotten, especially by him. She almost cringed in sympathy for the rather large cut she left on his shoulder that day…
Smiling, she took his hand and curled his fingers over the tooth.
"Because, you are just as precious to me as my memories," she said, "And I trust you to keep them safe…"
Squeezing his hand, she steeled her eyes and made sure he was looking at her.
"I promise you, I will never forget about you," she said, "No matter how much we may change, I will never forget all the best, all the worst, and even the strangest times we had together. I promise…"
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Tooth bit her lip, her eyes blurring with unshed tears. That had been so long ago, and yet she recalled it as if it were yesterday. Wiping her hand across her eyes, Tooth took one last look around, hoping, praying to her see black bird again. But still, there was no one there.
But there was a sound.
Suddenly on the alert, Tooth frantically looked around for the source of the sound. She could not particularly name what it was or what it could be. And then it suddenly clicked for Tooth. It was the sound of a cage. Faint, like it was far away. The creak of a swinging cage…
Tooth swallowed, suddenly unnerved. She carefully looked over her shoulder then, but thankfully saw nothing hanging behind her. No cage, and no raven man trapped inside of it pleading for her help. Reaching into a small leather pouch hanging on her hip, she pulled out the black feather she woke up with. It was long and streamlined, yet it was soft and pliant like a down feather.
She could not stop and turn back now. She's invested far too much in this now, and was in far too deep. It was now or never, she thought.
Taking a deep breath, she put the feather away and dove down into the passage where the sound seemed to be coming from. Flitting deeper into the dark caverns, Tooth was growing increasingly wary of the fact that she was seeing no signs of danger. Nightmares and Fearlings were not the least bit patient when it came to their prey. She could not sense anyone down these tunnels – and it scared her.
Turning down a corner, she stopped. Just nestled in an alcove was a set of double doors. One of them was slightly open, admitting a very faint, yellow-orange glow into the hallway. It was also significantly warmer in the hall, the heat seeming to come from behind the door.
Cautiously, she allowed herself to land lightly on her feet so the sound of her buzzing wings would not attract attention to her. Although she has not seen anyone – or anything – roaming these halls yet, she wanted to be safe. And instinct told her that she was not alone in the lair.
Carefully, she peeked in through the crack of the room. Heat assaulted her eyes, causing her to tear up slightly before her vision cleared.
It was a bedroom. Not huge, but not small – it was open yet held many things within it. It was built to be a safe, homey place it seemed. Many overly stuffed bookshelves lined the walls. In the corner was a large wardrobe, and beside it a dresser and mirror. A writing desk with journals, books, papers, and an ink well and pen sat within a round nook off to the back corner, just across from the roaring fireplace. A smaller cage hung above the room by the ceiling, holding no birds or fairies, but a mass of lit candles that added only to the eerie gold-orange glow of the fire. And just at the vest back of the room, was a giant black cage, part of its front missing and showing what was inside. A pile of oversized cushions and pillows, partly hidden under a silken canopy of black and gossamer gold draped over the cage, as if a sleeping bird were inside – it was a bed, a nest.
And it was occupied.
Tooth gasped and ducked back behind the door. But she paused and frowned, peeking back around the door. Breath held, she looked at the bed again. The Boogeyman was still, unmoving despite her presence. Carefully, she pushed the door open a bit and tip-toed in. Still, there was no response from the Boogeyman.
Tooth willed herself to have courage, and slowly crept up to the nest of pillows and silken blankets. She was just at its edge now, dainty feet just faintly touching the plush rug that crept out from the nest. Gently pushing the drapes away ever so slightly, she peeked in and looked down at Pitch.
She breathed a partial sigh of relief; he was asleep. Curled up in an almost protective ball, a silky blanket tucked around his shoulders and lean body. His shoulder steadily rose and fell in a deep, dreamless sleep. He oddly looked peaceful to Tooth.
A sudden glint caught her attention. Frowning, she peered down at the pillow Pitch's head rested upon. There, just under the gold fringe, she could see a dark shard of obsidian. And…she could sense something from it. A strange pull, yet there was a familiar sense of energy coming from it. It felt almost like…
Like one of her own baby teeth.
Heart pounding in her chest, Tooth numbly reached out for the corner of what she could only guess was a small box. A part of her was so confused; how would Pitch get one of her baby teeth? She always checked on them, and was never missing any. And the only one that was missing, she knew she gave to the raven man. But another part of her was equally confused, yet frightened; why would Pitch of all people have it? Was her black bird truly here, and he took it from him? What was in this box…?
'Just a little more…' she thought, biting her lip.
She froze suddenly as Pitch mumbled in his sleep, and suddenly rolled onto his back, one long arm throwing the blanket off of his body. Tooth felt her face flush seven shades of red. He was clad in nothing but his trademark leggings, his cloak missing. Sighing, his head lolled to one side, one arm coming up to rest one hand on the pillow beside his face. The other hand lay limp and stretched outwards at his side, and one leg slightly bent at the knee. His slender chest expanded in a deep breath, before collapsing gently as he released it as he settled again. The cage creaked ever so slightly at his movements, explaining the sound Tooth had heard.
Tooth swallowed thickly, eyes wide. She was so close to him now. She could feel the heat of his bed warmed skin radiating off his body and into hers. His breath ghosted over her cheeks, and the scent almost fascinated her; it was like the smell of burning wood and damp earth. He even smelled like a burning forest extinguished by a heavy rain.
But there was something off, Tooth noticed. His torso was riddled with partly healed cuts and bruises, his abdomen bound crudely in bandages. Parts of his arms were wrapped as well, and all stained black in small or large places. There was a particularly painful looking cut just alone the meet of his neck and shoulder. And below that…
Her fingers were on the box now, but Tooth could not tear her eyes away from what she was seeing on his left shoulder. It was not a cut, bruise, or even a recent injury. It was a scar.
A scar from a cut – a cut made by…
Clank!
Tooth gasped and veered back, suddenly airborne. Her fingers had brushed against the box and pushed it loose of the confines of the pillow, where it toppled out of the bed and onto the ground. There, it had opened slightly, and was now emitting a sound – a song.
'Moonlight Sonata…' Tooth remembered. It was one of her favorite songs…
Dazed, she hovered down and turned the music box upright the floor. The box itself was rather small, but slightly bigger than her own Ruby box. It was made of some kind of solid black wood, its lid and base framed with a gold border. In the center of its lid was a gold etched bird – a raven. And inside was a velvet drawstring bag nestled in a small compartment used for jewelry. Alongside it was a small gold band with leafy designs etched into it. Frowning, she picked up the bracelet, studying it. It was far too small for Pitch's wrists, and any other part of him for that matter. Yet, it looked so familiar…
'Wait! I…I know this bracelet…' digging into her memories, Tooth finally realized where she had seen it.
It was one of her own bracelets, from when Tooth palace had been young, and she still so lost and alone. She had lost it in the jungles of Punjam Hy Loo ages ago, and never found it. And yet, here it was…
But why did Pitch have it?
Suddenly on edge, she looked down at the velvet bag still left in the box. Picking it up, she paused and stared wide eyed at what was resting under the bag. She recognized them immediately, and it made her blood run cold just seeing them in such a place.
Black and green mixed together in a mocking array, the feathers were neatly tucked into the little tray together in little bundles. Her own feathers, and his.
'How…?' eyes wide, Tooth was oblivious to the shade rising up behind her, bleary eyes steadily clearing from sleep.
But instead of acknowledging the danger behind her, she looked at the velvet bag in her hands. With shaky hands, she reached out for the drawstrings, and gently started to pry them open.
It was only when the soothing melody of the music box began to slow, and finally stop, did she look up and notice the willowy, menacing shadow looming over her. Wings suddenly tense, she watched as the shadow's hand twirled slightly, and the sound of rustling Nightmare sand reached her ears. The shadow raised its hand, and out of pure instinct, she suddenly flitted to one side just as a blast of Nightmare sand hit the ground where she once sat.
Panting, she pressed her back into the wall, clutching the little bag in her hands as she stared at the man before her.
He looked absolutely furious. His right hand was swirling with black sand, his eyes narrowed into dagger-like slits. Mouth drawn into a snarl, he growled at Tooth.
"What are you doing here?" he hissed.
Tooth swallowed, suddenly pale. Pitch was awake…
To be continue…
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A/N~ Once again I have disregarded SaD and updated this thing. Hahaha, sh**. But! Fear not, I have no gotten halfway through SaD's next chapter. Just needs a bit more work and a bit of tweaking. So please bear with me for a little while longer! This story here is actually only going to be perhaps three or four more chapters long. So yay for short-stories! *sobs into pillow from all this UST and het* god these two need to just kiss…
~S~