Not Alone

Chapter 7

*somewhere in Uru'Baen*

Opal: Do you know where we are? I can't work it out.

Angela: I can't figure it out either. But at least we fit in now.

Opal: Even though you have to wear a dress?

Angela: *sighs* Even though I have to wear a dress.

Opal: Right. Well. Angela doesn't own RotG...

Angela: But I do own Rose.

Opal: Right. Now that that's over with... We should work out how to get back. It's been a week throughout which we have successfully managed to avoid everyone of significance in Uru'Baen, except Murtagh, and have managed to explore the whole place.

Angela: But Syletah's high should have worn off and we really should get back.

Opal: Agreed. Now we just need to find that suit of armour in the library.

Angela: But where's the library?

Opal: Ummmm... I've forgotten.

Angela: I see. You don't want to go back because you like your dress.

Opal: *looks guilty* It's pretty!

Angela: You can keep the dress. Just don't make me wear mine. Now let's find the library.

Murtagh: Opal? Angela? You seem lost.

Opal: *to herself* I will restrain myself. I will restrain myself.

Angela: Where's the library?

Murtagh: Up the main staircase, turn left and walk down the third corridor for twenty paces. There'll be a suit of armour and beside that a door that looks like it could be to a broom closet. Go through that door and follow the passageway until you get to another set of more impressive doors. Then you're there. That's the short cut that I'm not technically supposed to know about.

Angela: Thanks. And your secret's safe with us.

Murtagh: Is Opal alright?

Angela: *glances at Opal* Opal's fine. She's just... Thinking. Thanks again!

Murtagh: Think nothing of it. *walks off*

Angela: *coughs* Fangirl.

Opal: *looks haughty* *walks off in the direction of the main staircase*

Angela: Goodbye readers. Enjoy the chapter!

The six spirits hurtled through the air, following Pitch on his Nightmare. Bunny threw some egg-bombs at him, but Pitch ducked them and slipped into a crack in the rocks, the others quickly followed. They arrived in a small glade to see they were alone; Pitch was nowhere to be seen.

"He's gone!" North cursed. Jack looked around for himself, but there was no sign of the Nightmare King.

Rose slipped off Jack's back and ran across the water to look at the mural painted there, ice appearing under her feet as they touched the water. Tooth glanced up. What Rose had just done was a very subtle show of power and she doubted that either Bunny or North would have noticed it for what it was. Tooth had been carefully watching the siblings since they arrived in Santoff Clausen. There were little signs, the way they seemed to know what the other was thinking, Jack's reaction to Bunny's joke of tossing Rose off the side of the sleigh, the guarded look in their eyes, the way they kept their weapons within reach at all times, yes, Tooth had noticed the signs, and she would watch out for the children. They looked like they needed a mother.

"Hey, you ok?" Jack's voice came from above her. When she looked up, he sat down cross-legged next to her. "I'm sorry about the fairies." He told her.

She smiled at him, cradling one of the abandoned tooth boxes in her hand. "You should have seen them, they put up such a fight."

Jack grinned, before a thought crossed his mind. "But why would Pitch take the teeth?"

Tooth looked at him silently before rising up and drifting across the water to stand in front of the mural that Rose was staring adoringly at. Jack grabbed Rose's hand in his own as Tooth explained. "It's not just the teeth they want. It's the memories they hold. See, children's teeth hold the most important memories of childhood. Me and my fairies guard the teeth, and when someone needs to remember something special, we help them."

She stared wistfully at the mural. Jack was about to turn away, bored, when Tooth's next words stopped him in his tracks. "We hade everyone's here, you know. Yours too."

Rose spun around. "You had our memories! Why didn't you tell us?" She almost shouted at Tooth, who looked a bit flustered, but also a tiny bit smug. Yup. She thought. Those two will shock the spirit world-if they haven't already. With a start, she got pulled back into the conversation at hand, and told Rose, "Sweetie, if I had any idea that you two didn't have your memories, I would have given them back at once, of course. It is my job. But I had no idea, and now they're stolen by Pitch."

Jack leapt into the air and spun around, landing on a rock next to Bunny. "Then we'll get them back, right sis?" She nodded enthusiastically. "Oh yeah! We gonna kick his arse real good!" Rose yelled, running around kicking imaginary Pitches. The guardians, sans Sandy, who was used to the hyperactive little girl, started at Rose in shock. Jack chuckled to Rose mentally. They think you're crazy, you know. He told her. She shrugged. Well, it's their own fault for holing up in their own little worlds for half a century.

Suddenly, Tooth gasped and a few of her feathers fell out. "It's too late!" She gasped, looking at the mural that seemed to be... unravelling. Jack turned. "Why? What's going on?" Tooth looked at him, then at her dissolving feathers. "The children... they don't believe in me anymore." Tooth said sadly. "We're too late."

"NO!" North yelled, making Jack and Rose jump. "No such thing as too late!"

Rose and Jack looked at North pacing around like a madman, before almost busting out laughing at the look on Bunny's face when North nearly decapitated him. "IDEA!" We will collect the teeth!"

Jack and Rose blinked. Tooth echoed their thoughts. "What?" She gasped. North decided to actually explain his idea. "We collect the teeth, children keep believing, in you!"

Tooth started to grin, and let out a little half-laugh. "Are you serious? There's seven continents, millions of kids-" North cut her off.

"Give me break! Do you know how many presents I deliver in one night?"

"And eggs I hide, in one day?" Bunny butted in with a stupid look on his face that Rose started laughing at.

"And you two." North turned around to face Jack and Rose. "If you help us, we will make sure you get your memories back. Deal?"

It took all they years of practice Rose and Jack had not to let their indignation show on their faces. That's blackmail! Why those sneaky, rotten little- Rose ranted, but Jack butted in suddenly. Wait, Rosie. Look at Tooth. She did and gave a little gasp. She's hiding it! Just like us! Jack nodded. I think she'll be on our side. Rose grinned. Still, those two scumbags, holding the most precious thing to us we could possibly have as a ransom! I have half a mind to tell Krystal and Lily about this! Jack shook his head. Rose, they're the bloody Guardians! What could a winter spirit and a spring spirit do against them? She scowled. I dunno, but I still wanna tell them. Jack nodded. We'll visit them later, Kay? Rose grinned. Okay, fine by me!

Jack turned back to the Guardians, who had not noticed a thing. "We're in." He announced, but added to himself, Here we come, Krystal!

Tada! Now, in case this comes up, because someone asked me why, and I thought you would like to know as well, so, to paraphrase them: 'Why do Jack and Rose speak out loud when alone?' Why don't they just talk mentally all the time?" My first reaction was: "Oi! Stop poking plot-holes in my story!" But then I realized that I did actually have a good explanation-

Opal: Wow, now that's a surprise!

Oi! You're supposed to stay OUT of the author notes! Anyway, my reasoning was thus: after 300 years with the various spirits I am bringing in, they'd get into the habit of speaking aloud, and they'd only speak mentally when they were with others, and they didn't want people to overheard them. Make sense? Anyway, thanks to Maximus Potter and phoenixdragon78 see you next chapter!

Opal: yeah, bye!

Oi, OUT! Bye!

Angela