"No… stop it…" Tooth groaned, caught in the grogginess between alertness and slumber. The wind was stubborn though. It flew about Tooth's head anxiously, but to no avail. Its icy caress was ignored as Tooth burrowed deeper into the covers. The wind hovered above her, uncertain what to do next. With an impatient sigh, the wind spiraled into the air, only to hurl itself at Tooth's sleeping figure. The blankets were ripped away in an instant, sending Tooth skidding across the cave floor. Tooth yelped as she stopped unceremoniously in a heap of tangled limbs and feathers. She sat up, clutching her head while trying to make sense of her surroundings.

"Wh-what's going on?" Tooth yawned, blinking blearily. The wind howled in distress and started swirling around Tooth.

"What?" Tooth asked, her maternal instincts suddenly alert. At her words, the wind tugged at Tooth insistently, begging her to follow. Tooth stood shakily, brushing the ruffled feathers on her arm down.

"Where's Jack?" Tooth asked suddenly, noticing for the first time she couldn't sense the winter spirit's familiar frosty presence. The wind sighed unhappily and moaned quietly in Tooth's ear. Tooth allowed herself a cautious step in the direction the wind seemed to be pressing her in. The wind roared in delight, urging the tooth fairy onward impatiently. Deciding to trust Jack's invisible friend, Tooth let the wind blindly lead her through the icy cave, the darkness complete.

"Jack?" Tooth called again, her voice meek and small compared to the infinite spires of frozen tears she was passing. The wind sighed, grief thick in its voice as it trailed across the tears it had been unable to wipe away from its beloved companion.

Tooth, despite her forced hopefulness, was beginning to have her doubts.

Could she ever fix what had been broken?

But she had to hope. It was the only light she held onto in the suffocating darkness.

Tooth continued her winding way, trusting the invisible and believing the impossible.


Tooth reached the mouth of the cave before she found her quarry. When she made out his silhouette against the gray early morning sky, Tooth sighed in relief. Tooth cautiously fluttered over to Jack, stopping only a few feet behind the slight figure. Jack was balanced on the tip of an towering stalagmite made entirely of ice, his bare feet hugging its shining surface. One arm was draped over his knee carelessly, while the other held on firmly to his staff. The boy seemed oblivious to her presence, his gaze focused on the forest below as the first rays of sunlight shone from the horizon. Tooth let her wings drop her lightly onto the cave floor. Shivers ran up her spine as the ball of her foot touched the icy ground. Tooth wrapped her arms around herself as a source of warmth and comfort, and lightly walked toward to Jack. Mustering up her courage, she tapped him on the shoulder. Jack started, turning his head to face her, his crystal blue eyes dull with fatigue. Even though Tooth had startled him, Jack did not fall off his lofty perch but maintained perfect poise.

"Tooth." Jack said hollowly, sounding faintly surprised. "You're awake." Tooth nodded, looking up at Jack with a faint frown. The bags under his eyes seemed to have only worsen since last night. Tooth reached up and cupped his face in her hand, her frown deepening when Jack shied away from her touch.

"You don't look so well, Sweet Tooth." Tooth worried, her large amethyst eyes alight with concern. "Do you feel under the weather?"

"I'm fine, Tooth." Jack sighed. "I'm just tired. I didn't get much sleep last night."

"Why not?" Tooth asked, her feathers ruffling protectively. It pained her to see Jack like this, so lost and worn. Where was her beloved carefree boy that flew laughing through the night sky, the shadow against the moon? Jack's face was almost unrecognizable to her now, the shadow of his bangs covering his eyes from view.

"It was..." Jack frowned suddenly, his eyebrows drawing together. "I- I don't remember." Jack realized, troubled. He wore the same pained expression that he had when he tried remembering his past life, before he had seen his memories. But a moment later it was gone with a shrug of his thin shoulders.

"I guess I was just restless." Jack dismissed, though he didn't seem convinced of his own words. Unconsciously he gripped his staff tighter.

"And so you came out here?" Tooth asked, leaning against a stalagmite and gazing up at Jack.

"Yeah." Jack sighed, smiling softly at the horizon. "Before I became a guardian- when I was alone- I would come up here almost every morning to watch the sun rise. I would sit up here, watching the sky burn bright with radiant colors. I would think until the morning came."

"Think about what?" Tooth asked. Jack stiffened, a detail not missed on Tooth. Slowly Jack stood on his perch and jumped down, drifting gracefully onto the cave floor, as weightless as a snowflake. Tooth frowned. It wasn't like her Sweet Tooth to ignore her. Not at all. A small nagging worry seemed to pester her at the back of her mind.

"I'm sorry, Jack." Tooth said quickly, leaping into the air and darting through the air over to Jack. "I didn't mean to pry."

"No problem." Jack said carelessly, though his expression said otherwise. "I just..." He searched for words, his sentence dying.

"What?" Tooth asked, cocking her head and flying around Jack. Jack shook his head, then brushed his white bangs out of his eyes in annoyance.

"You wouldn't understand." He said, his tone carefully warning her to leave the subject alone. Tooth stuck her lower lip out, placing her hands firmly on her hips.

"How am I supposed to help you if you won't even talk to me?" She asked impatiently. Why couldn't her Sweet Tooth see what to her seemed blatantly obvious?

"I don't need you to help me." Jack said stubbornly, stuffing one hand into the pocket of his hoodie. "All I said is I wanted your company, that's all."

"But you need to talk to someone, Sweet Tooth." Tooth said, looking Jack straight in the eyes. Jack grunted and turned away.

"I can't talk to you about it." Jack said, scowling. "You could never understand. None of you understand." Jack looked back at Tooth, but this time his eyes were full of anger. "Can't you see it, Tooth? I'm alone. Completely and absolutely... alone." Jack gestured to the ice cave behind us, his last word echoing hauntingly back at us. Jack turned back to Tooth, his eyes showing the hurt he still felt right underneath the surface. "Can't you see I'm tired, Tooth? I'm tired of only being used. I will never belong. To the other guardians, I will always be- invisible." Jack sighed in defeat, gripping on his staff for support. Tooth stared at him, her mouth slightly open in shock.

"Jack... you know the guardians love you. You're our little snowflake, and nothing Bunny says can change that. We would never use you. You're one of us." Tooth placed her hands on Jack's thin shoulders.

"We are your family, Sweet Tooth."
Jack looked up at her hopefully, the spark in his eyes rekindling. But then there was a flash of amber, so fast Tooth thought she may have imagined it- and Jack was scowling angrily at her.

"My family died three hundred years ago, Tooth." Jack spat coldly, his words cutting into Tooth like a knife. "I didn't even remember them until it was too late. I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye. Where were you then with my memories, Tooth?" Tooth flew back, stumbling in shock at Jack's attack. Jack advanced on her, furious. "You're no better than the rest of them, are you? You used my own memories against me so I would defeat Pitch for you. They were mine!" Jack's words lashed out, his crystal eyes turning a tortured indigo. Tooth's shocked expression grew at the sight. Never had she seen the guardian of Fun so angry. "Do you understand now, Tooth?" Jack hissed. "Do you see why I can't go crawling back to the guardians? I was used by everyone. I was just a tool. You never cared about me, not really. No one does. At least, not anymore. But what did you think would happen, Tooth?" Jack stepped forward and Tooth sank to the ground, looking up at the winter spirit with wide eyes. "Did you think you could give me a shiny new quarter and everything would be alright? You are no better than the rest of th-"

Plash!

Jack stumbled back as the snowball hit his face. Tooth sat frozen in place, her arm still outstretched from her throw. The cave was as quiet as death as Jack wiped the snow off his face. He stared at Tooth, utterly stunned.

"What did you do that for?!" He asked, momentarily shocked out of his towering fury. Jack looked like the same young spirit again, his eyebrows pinched in confusion. Tooth seized her opportunity and flew to her feet.

"Oh Jack!" Tooth cried, grabbing Jack's wrist urgently. "Don't you see? These horrid words aren't yours!"

"What?" Jack said, baffled. Tooth continued in her rapid-fire way, squeezing Jack's hand.

"Something's dreadfully wrong. I know you better than you think. You might have your doubts sometimes and have a hard time trusting us, but I know that you know the things you just said aren't true!" Jack blinked, looking a little dazed as he struggled to comprehend Tooth's words.

"Huh?"

"These aren't your thoughts, Jack. They are someone else's." Tooth intoned, allowing a flicker of fear to enter her voice. Jack's crystal eyes grew wide, and he gripped his staff tightly.

"What- what do you mean by that?" Jack asked breathlessly. "You don't think-"

"I'm sorry Jack, but this is out of my control." Tooth cut in, her heart pounding. "I have to get the other guardians."

"Oh, I don't think you'll be wanting to do that, dear." Said a silky voice from the shadows of the cave. There was a high-pitched whiny, and dozens of Nightmares galloped through the air, tendrils of black sand swirling behind them. Before Tooth could move they were already there, filling the mouth of the cave and blotting out the light of the rising sun. The neighs filled the air like terrible screams, the darkness almost complete. There was a rustle of movement, and Tooth whipped around to stare in horror as none other than Pitch Black materialized out of the shadows, his deadened gray hand resting upon Jack's shoulder.

"Oh no." Pitch whispered, his glowing amber eyes soaking in Tooth's fear. He smiled, his pointed fangs bared like a wolf. Jack was staring up at Pitch, speechless for once. A hint of a smug smile graced the Nightmare King's colorless lips.

"I'm afraid you won't be going anywhere."


Ooh, I hope you guys have as much fun reading this chapter as I had writing it!

The reviews for my last chapter were outstanding! A big thanks for the people who liked my use of symbolism for the cave. And huge thanks to The Wiccan Warrior.

Also, I need help… again.

What should be Tooth/Jack's relationship? Maternal or romantic? The next chapter is going to be pretty intense and full of surprises, but I have to know what you guys think of their relationship to finish the chapter. I will be keeping count of reviews, and the most reviews for either maternal/romance will win. I'm curious as to what you guys will think! Please review!

Suggestions are always needed. They feed the imagination.