Believing is always worth seeing
I do not own Rise of the Guardians or its characters, only the characters that I created within this story.
Chapter 9: Child lost in the snow
Ivy didn't know how long she had slept, but when she woke up Ivy began to hear a quiet whimper of someone crying outside the cave that she, Fayette and the little Easter eggs were temporarily staying in. Ivy raised her head up from her front paws as she looked towards the cave entrance in confusion before she became curious. Ivy slowly stood up on the bed of moss before she began to walk towards the cave entrance. Fayette, who had been sleeping peacefully against Ivy's side, let out a small squeak of surprise when she and the Easter eggs fell down onto the soft surface of the moss bed. Fayette sat up and chirped at Ivy, while giving out a small yawn in the process. Ivy stopped in her tracks to look back at Fayette and the Easter eggs as the mini fairy stared at her with a questioning look upon her face. Ivy gave Fayette a reassuring smile before she spoke.
"I just heard something outside the cave just now," explained Ivy in a soft voice. "I'm going outside to see what it is. I want you to look after the Easter eggs for a moment, I won't be gone long."
Fayette gave Ivy a firm salute before Ivy turned her head forward again and walked out of the cave. Ivy stepped out onto the snow covered ground and began to look around at the trees that stood before her. At first, Ivy didn't see anything out of the ordinary, but her ears quickly picked up on where the sound was coming from. Ivy turned her head towards a large rock that stood three feet away from her and the cave. Ivy trotted over to the rock before slowing her steps as she peaked around it to see what was behind it, and what she saw made her heart break in two. Sitting on the ground, with his back against the rock, was a little six year old boy.
The boy had short golden brown hair and his skin was a light tan color. He was wearing a red winter jacket, a black snowcap, blue snow pants and black snow boots. On the boy's hands were thick black snow mittens that would protect them from the cold wind. The boy had his legs pulled up to his chest as he buried his face in his knees. Ivy sadly stared at the boy as the child sobbed and would once in a while whimper for him mom or dad. Ivy soon made her presence known when she accidently stepped on a dry stick that was hidden beneath the snow. The boy quickly lifted his head and turned his chocolate brown eyes on Ivy.
When the boy saw Ivy in her wolf form he became scared and tried to crawl away from her. Ivy saw this and sat down on the snow covered ground as she tried to make herself look none threatening towards the boy. Ivy then spoke in a gentle voice that made the boy look at her in surprise.
"It's alright," said Ivy softly, "you don't have to be afraid of me. I'm not going to hurt you."
The boy slowly stood up and cautiously held his hand out towards Ivy. Ivy sat very still as she patiently let the boy come to her. The boy hesitatingly petted Ivy on the head for a moment before he wrapped his arms around her and began to cry into the fur of her neck. Ivy gently rubbed the side of her head against the boy's cheek, while she spook in a soothing voice.
"Shh…it's okay," whispered Ivy as she comforted the little boy that clung to her.
It took a while for the boy to calm down before Ivy led him to the cave where he would be safe from the cold. After settling in, Ivy introduced herself and Fayette to the boy as the Easter eggs gathered around the child in curiosity. The boy then introduced himself as Tommy when he got comfortable around Ivy and realized that she wasn't going to hurt him. Ivy watched as Tommy played with Fayette and the Easter eggs for a bit before the boy turned his attention back on her.
"Do Fayette and all these eggs belong to you?" asked Tommy curiously.
"No," answered Ivy with a chuckle. "Fayette belongs to the Tooth Fairy and all these Easter eggs belong to the Easter Bunny."
"You know the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny!" exclaimed Tommy as he stared at Ivy in shocked surprise.
"Sure do," replied Ivy with a nod of her head, "I also know Santa Claus and the Sandman."
"Really!?" shouted Tommy excitedly. "They're all real?!"
"Yep," answered Ivy again, "why wouldn't they be?"
Tommy's smile slowly disappeared from his face as it was replaced with a sad frown.
"Because…my older brother always keeps telling me that they don't exist," muttered Tommy in a small voice.
Ivy let out a huff of annoyance at the thought of Tommy's older brother telling him to stop believing the Guardians at such a young age.
"Well you brother doesn't control your life Tommy," said Ivy firmly to the little boy in front of her. "Besides, he just wants to annoy you."
"But…he told me that I'm too old to believe in childhood fantasies anymore," argued Tommy half-heartedly.
Ivy gave Tommy a gentle smile as she shook her head in disagreement to what he had just told her what his brother said about him being too old.
"No, Tommy, you're not," said Ivy. "You're still a young pup who is just learning about this world, and besides a kid like you shouldn't think about adults stuff just yet."
"Really?" asked Tommy in a small voice.
"Trust me, if you grow up too fast then you'll wind up missing out on all the fun stuff."
"What kind of fun stuff?"
"Well, let's see…you'll miss out in having snowball fights with your friends, and playing in the snow when Jack Frost comes around during the winter times."
Tommy gave Ivy a befuddled look when she mentioned Jack's name.
"Who's Jack Frost?" he asked.
"Jack Frost is an immortal winter spirit teenager who is all about snowballs and fun times," explained Ivy with a chuckle. "He likes to pull pranks on people once in a while whenever he gets the chance, but the sad thing is…no child can see him."
"Why can't anyone see him?"
Ivy gave Tommy a sad sigh: "Because nobody believes in him. He's been invisible for three hundred years to mortals who can't see him, and spirits who can see Jack Frost completely ignore or attack him without any reason."
"He must have been really lonely without any friends to help him," voiced Tommy sadly.
Ivy quietly agreed with Tommy, for she knew what it was like to be alone when she didn't have anyone to help her when it came to discovering her ability to see spirits. She soon decided to get to the most important question that was banging inside her head.
"So…Tommy, what are you doing out here on your own?" asked Ivy curiously.
Tommy looked down at his lap in sadness as he twiddled his thumbs around for a moment, but he soon began to answer Ivy's question.
"I was looking for Easter eggs," said Tommy. "My family and I were spending Easter with my grandparents at their cottage. I woke up early before anyone and I went outside the cottage to look for Easter eggs, but I didn't find any near my grandparent's cottage. So I decided to look in the woods to see if I could find any Easter eggs, but I was so focused on looking for the eggs that I completely lost sight of where I was. I started to panic as I tried to find my way, but I just got even more lost."
"And that was when I found you huddled up against that rock outside my cave in the snow," said Ivy as she finished the end of Tommy's story.
Tommy nodded his head as tears started to form in his eyes again. Ivy saw this before she stood up and walked over to Tommy. She sat down beside Tommy and began to nuzzle her head against his right shoulder to comfort him. Tommy then threw his arms around Ivy's neck and began to cry into her fur again. Fayette and the Easter eggs sadly watched as they were helpless on how they should help the boy find his way back home. Ivy continued to comfort Tommy as she nuzzled the side of his cheek with her own.
"It's going to be okay Tommy," whispered Ivy. "I promise that I'll get you back to your family no matter what."
After an hour of crying, Tommy fell asleep from exhaustion as he curled up on the soft bed of moss. Ivy lay right next to Tommy with her left side pressed up against the boy's back as she used her body to shield him from the wind that blew through the entrance of the cave. Fayette and the Easter eggs were all huddled together a few inches away from Tommy's sleeping form. Ivy was still awake as she sadly stared down at Tommy's sleeping form for a moment before turning her head towards the cave entrance. Ivy let out a quiet sigh as her thoughts wandered to Jack and the Guardians.
'I wish you and the others were here with me, Jack,' thought Ivy. 'One of you would probably know how I can find the cottage of Tommy's grandparents.'
Ivy soon decided to get some sleep as she lay her head down on her front paws before closing her eyes. Unknown to Ivy, Tommy's parents, grandparents and older brother had noticed that their little family member was missing and were now looking for him along with a search and rescue team.
Dream scene
Ivy slowly opened her eyes and saw that she was in a lush green park with a group of children walking around with disappointed looks upon their faces. Hanging above the children's heads' was a banner that read 'Easter Hunt in England Park' that was attached between two large trees. Ivy, in her human form, watched on in sadness as the kids started to walk away, while speaking sadly to each other.
"There aren't any eggs."
"I give up."
"Let's go."
Ivy slowly walked up to a picnic bench where a little girl and boy were hanging about. The boy was looking under a bush, while the girl sat on the table of the bench watching him.
"I don't understand," spoke the boy in a disappointed voice.
"Maybe he just hid them really well this year," suggested the girl in a hopeful voice.
'If only that were true,' thought Ivy sadly.
"Kids, oi!" a familiar voice shouted with the sound of pounding feet accompanying it.
Ivy quickly turned to see Bunny running up to her and the two kids on three legs with his right arm holding a basket filled with Easter eggs. Bunny quickly switched to standing on two legs as he now stood between the two kids.
"Bunny!" exclaimed Ivy with a relieved smile upon her face, while almost forgetting that Bunny couldn't see or hear her.
"I've looked everywhere," said the boy as he turned to face the girl. "There's nothing here."
"Yes there is, there is!" exclaimed Bunny with a reassuring smile before taking a painted egg out of his basket to show the two children. "I mean, these aren't my best looking googies but they'll do in a pinch."
Ivy hopefully watched as the girl jumped off from the picnic table.
"I can't believe it," said the girl.
"I-I know," said Bunny as he turned to look at the girl while laughing nervously.
Ivy sadly watched as she sensed the last spark of hope beginning to die out from inside the little girl's soul as it was replaced by sadness and grief.
"There's no such thing as the Easter Bunny," the girl finished sadly as she and the boy began to walk away.
Ivy watched helplessly as Bunny expression chanced to shock, sadness and hurt when he heard what the girl had said.
"What?" voiced Bunny before he started to desperately call out to the children as he stood in front of a boy that was walking towards him, "No…wrong, it's not true, I'm right in front of ya mate!"
What happened next made Ivy gasped in shock as the boy that Bunny was trying to get attention from suddenly walked right through the Guardian of Hope. Bunny's eyes went wide as a look of pain shone through them, while he was gasping as if he was having trouble breathing. Bunny slowly turned as he watched the kids leave the park with realization coming over his features.
"They don't see me," spoke Bunny in a hopeless voice. "They don't see me…"
Bunny slowly sank to the ground in defeat as his basket dropped to the grass, while he curled in on himself with the egg he held close to his chest as if to protect it from the world around it. A few tears slid down Ivy's face as she sadly watched Bunny without him realizing that she was standing just a few feet away from him.
"Bunny…I'm so sorry," voiced Ivy as she watched Tooth, who had been hiding in a few bushes, slowly hover over to Bunny's side.
Tooth placed a gentle hand on Bunny's shoulder as she tried to comfort him as best she could. Ivy watched this for a moment before she was jolted out of her sadness when she heard North's voice shouting out Jack's name from behind her.
"Jack! Where were you?" questioned the Guardian of Wonder.
Ivy quickly turned around to see Jack standing a few feet away from her with North leaning against his swords looking tired and worn out. Ivy ran over to the two before coming to stand on Jack's right side.
"North, what happened?" asked Ivy before she remembered that North couldn't hear her, but the Guardian gave Ivy her answer as he explained what had happened to Jack, and unknowingly to Ivy.
"The Nightmares…attacked the tunnels," said North in an exhausted voice. "They smashed every egg, crushed every basket. Nothing made it to the surface."
Rage began to bubble up within Ivy's body when hearing what had happened to the little Easter eggs, but her rage was quickly forgotten when Tooth suddenly flew up to them.
"Jack!" shouted Tooth with relief appearing in her voice.
Ivy sadly stared at Tooth as she noticed how some of the Queen Fairy's feathers were falling from her body and landing on the ground. Ivy also noticed that Tooth's feathers have lost their luster and beauty.
"Oh…Tooth," voiced Ivy sadly.
Tooth stared at Jack for a moment before looking down when her eyes caught something. Tooth let out a gasp as she looked at Jack in shock and horror.
"Where did you get that?" asked Tooth.
Ivy frowned at Tooth in confusion for a second before noticing Jack moving his right arm as he lifted up his hand and what Ivy saw made her eyes go wide in disbelief. In Jack's hand was a tooth box. On the flat end of the cylinder tooth box was a picture of a boy that looked exactly like Jack, but instead of having white hair and blue eyes the boy in the picture had brown hair and brown eyes. Ivy's jaw dropped open as she stared at the tooth box for a moment before looking up at Jack's face in shock. When Ivy saw the dazed look on Jack's face she stared at the winter spirit in confusion.
'What's up with him?' thought Ivy.
Jack stared at the tooth box in his hand for a moment before he turned his attention back on Tooth again.
"I was…it-it's-" stammered Jack as he tried to explain his absence to the Guardians but Tooth interrupted him.
"Where's Baby Tooth?" asked Tooth as she franticly looked around for her missing mini fairy.
Jack seemed to be trying to come up with an answer, but he was too slow as Tooth quickly jumped to a wrong conclusion.
"Oh, Jack…what have you done?" voiced Tooth with a look of disappointment on her face.
"That is why you weren't here?" stepped in North as hurt and betrayal appeared on his features. "You were with Pitch?!"
Jack had shoved the tooth box into his hoodie's front pocket before he started trying to defend or explain himself.
"No, no listen!" exclaimed Jack as his shoulders sagged a little. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean for this to happen."
'What does he mean by that?' thought Ivy with a frown.
"He has to go," spoke Bunny as he walked up to the group.
Ivy and Jack turned around to see Bunny standing before them with his fists clenched at his sides. Ivy could sense a growing anger building up inside of Bunny as the older Guardian glared at Jack. Ivy felt her stomach clench in fear as she stared up at Bunny in worry. Jack stared at Bunny in shock and disbelief.
"What?" voiced Jack.
"We should NEVER have trusted you!" shouted Bunny as he raised his right fist up as if to hit Jack.
"Bunny, no!" yelled Ivy as she quickly stood in front of Bunny as she tried to block him from hitting Jack, once again forgetting that no one could see or hear her. "Please, don't let your anger get the best of you and let you make the biggest mistake that you'll wind up regretting for the rest of your life!"
Jack quickly jumped back as he stared at Bunny with fear in his eyes, while Bunny stopped in his tracks as he glared at Jack for a moment before his features changed to sadness. Bunny lowered his fist as his shoulders slumped in defeat before he began to speak to the winter spirit.
"Easter is…new beginnings, new life," explained Bunny in a broken voice. "Easter is about 'Hope' and now it's gone, along with Ivy."
Jack stared at Bunny in horror: "What?"
Bunny only glanced at Jack in disappointment before he turned and began to walk away. Jack quickly turned to look at North and Tooth.
"What happened to Ivy?" asked Jack in a worried voice.
North let out a sigh before he answered Jack's question.
"The Nightmares somehow got into the Warren and started attacking us. During the attack, Ivy was trying to protect a group of eggs from a Nightmare that was going to smash them. But before the Nightmare could hurt Ivy a strange light suddenly came out of nowhere and engulfed Ivy, along with the little eggs that she was protecting. I think Fayette had been with Ivy at the time and must have disappeared with her as well. The light had destroyed the Nightmares, while we were blinded by it. For a time we couldn't see anything, but when the light had faded and we were able to see again…Ivy was gone, along with Fayette and a few of the Easter eggs that she was protecting. It's as if she disappeared off the face of the earth…just like comrade Kiba."
Ivy, who was sadly watching Bunny, heard what North had said and she quickly turned to face the Guardian of Wonder before she once again started to speak in a despite voice in hopes that Jack or the three Guardians could hear her.
"No, I haven't disappeared off the face of the earth!" exclaimed Ivy. "I'm just somewhere that you haven't looked yet!"
But Ivy should have known that none of them would hear her. After hearing that Ivy was gone, Jack felt a sense of loss within his heart. Jack may not have known Ivy for very long, but despite him teasing her, Jack had cared about Ivy as if she was his little sister. As North and Tooth turned away from Jack, the winter spirit reached into the pocket of his hood and pulled out the little Russian doll that North had given him. Jack sadly looked at the doll in his hand for a moment before he tossed it to the ground. Ivy watched helplessly as Jack ran a couple of feet away from North and Tooth before he flew off on the wind that carried him far away to who knows where. Ivy sadly sighed as she turned her gaze towards Tooth, and North to look at them with disappointment before looking to where Bunny was sitting on the ground. He was sitting on the ground curled up into a ball once again near the banner. Ivy made her way over to Bunny as she came to stand near the left side of the Guardian of Hope before she crouched down beside him. Ivy noticed a few tears running down his face as they left behind wet markings in his fur. Ivy bit the bottom of her lip before she started to talk, while knowing that Bunny wasn't going to hear her.
"Bunny…I'm sorry I disappeared on you when you guys needed me the most," said Ivy in a sad voice. "But I just wanted to let you know that the Easter eggs, Fayette and I are okay. I don't know where we are right now, but I can't come back to you and the others just yet. I need to help a lost boy find his way back home to his family. He still believes in you guys and I'm going to make sure that he keeps on believing in you.
"I also wanted to let you know that I'm not giving up, no matter how bleak our chances of winning against the shadow creep are. Jack may have messed up on this, but it wasn't his fault, it was Pitch's fault. He lured Jack to his lair so that he could distract Jack long enough for his Nightmares to attack the Easter eggs and your home.
"Bunny…you're the Guardian of Hope and that center is one of the strongest emotions in the world. I've given up the hope of ever finding a family that would want me, but you've given me back a new hope that…maybe I could have friends that would accept me for who I am and what I am. I may not know where I came from or who my parents were, but what I do know is that there might be a slight chance that we can turn this battle around in our favor. I only wish that you and the others can see me right now."
Silence came over Ivy for a moment as she continued to look at Bunny in sadness when she suddenly heard a voice calling out Tommy's name. Ivy reached out with her left hand and gently placed it on Bunny's shoulder, just barely touching it.
"I have to go now Bunny," spoke Ivy with a sad smile, "but I promise that I'll meet up with you guys as soon as I can. You just have to believe in me."
After saying those words, Ivy drew her hand back and stood up as she got ready to wake up. As Ivy's world started to turn black, she didn't notice Bunny reaching his left hand up to his right shoulder with a look of surprise on his face before a hopeful smile replaced it. Nor did she hear him whisper her name as she faded back to consciousness.
Real world
Ivy let out a groan as she slowly started to wake up before she heard multiple adult voices calling out Tommy's name. Ivy quickly lifted her head up as she turned her attention towards the cave's entrance. Ivy cast a glance down at Tommy for a moment before she slowly stood up and began to make her way outside when she heard a quiet chirp. Ivy stopped in her tracks as she turned her head to see Fayette sitting beside Tommy's head as the mini fairy looked at Ivy curiously. Ivy gave Fayette a smile before she spoke in a quiet voice so that she wouldn't wake Tommy up.
"I'll be back in a few minutes Fayette," said Ivy gently. "So until I get back, I want you to stay here with Tommy and make sure that nothing bad happens to him. I won't be gone long, alright?"
Fayette let out a chirp as she gave Ivy a firm salute to show that she understood. Ivy nodded her head at Fayette before she turned towards the entrance again and walked out of the cave. Once she was outside, Ivy broke into a run as she headed to where the voices were coming from. Back in the cave, Fayette had sat herself closer to Tommy's head as she watched him along with the Easter eggs that had just woken up before Ivy had left the cave. Tommy slept peacefully in the presence of Fayette and the Easter eggs, unaware that a dark shadow was lurking within the back of the cave.
Scene change: Forest
Ivy ran through the forest at breakneck speed as she headed to where the voiced were shouting out Tommy's name. Ivy started slowing down when she neared the location. Ivy stopped near the edge of the tree line before staring out at a small clearing as she saw a group of adult humans walking along the forest path.
'Well…I found the people who are looking for Tommy,' thought Ivy as she sat down to think. 'Now, how do I get them to follow me? If I go out there to meet them in my wolf form I might scare them off, but if I show up in my human form then there's going to be questions.'
This was a difficult decision for Ivy to choose from, but after a moment of contemplating Ivy finally made her decision.
'I'll just have to chance it in my wolf form,' thought Ivy before she stepped out into clearing to face the humans.
Back at the cave
Fayette and the Easter eggs sat close to Tommy as they watched over the young boy, while they waited for Ivy to return. Fayette gently patted Tommy's forehead with her left hand for a moment before stiffening when she and the Easter eggs sensed something behind them. The cold realization that they weren't alone in the cave sent a shiver down the mini fairy's spine. Fayette and the Easter eggs quickly turned around to look at the back of the cave and what they saw made them all freeze in fear as they all stared into the predatory eyes…of a Nightmare. The Nightmare that Fayette and the Easter eggs were seeing wasn't the usual Nightmares that they had seen in the Warren. Instead of the Nightmare being in the shape of a horse, it was in the shape of a wolf. The wolf Nightmare let out a dark snarl as it glared at Fayette, the little Easter eggs and the boy as it inched closer to them with its eyes set on its target…Tommy.
Fayette quickly got over her fear when she saw that Tommy was in danger. The mini fairy attempted to jump up from the ground and fly around the Nightmare to distract it, but she suddenly found herself unable to lift herself off the moss bed. Fayette attempted to try again, but it was the same result. Horror came over Fayette's features when she realized that she couldn't fly anymore. Fayette and the Easter eggs watched helplessly as the black sand wolf crept closer towards Tommy, but before it could get any closer to touch the boy a deep growl resounded from the cave entrance. The Nightmare quickly lifted its head to where the growl came from before a silver streak appeared from out of nowhere and slashed right through the wolf Nightmare. The Nightmare let out a howl of pain as it disintegrated into the shadows of the cave. The whole cave was quiet as Fayette and the Easter eggs stared in astonishment as the silver blur that had attacked the Nightmare turned towards them to reveal itself the mini fairy and Easter eggs.
Standing in the cave was a wolf with silver white fur that glinted in the light, which flowed into the cave. The wolf's eyes were a grey blue with a few flecks of gold dotted around the edges of its pupils. The wolf's stomach had white fur that traveled half way up the wolf's chest while the white fur also traveled down underneath its stomach and the underside of its tail.
Fayette stared at the wolf in wide eyed wonderment before shrinking down in the moss bed when the wolf began to walk towards them. The wolf walked around Fayette, the Easter eggs and Tommy's sleeping form before stopping to stand behind Tommy's back. The wolf soon lay down on the moss bead, while pressing its side up against the boy's back. Tommy unconsciously shifted in his sleep as he pressed himself closer to the wolf for warmth before settling back down. Fayette stared up at the wolf in befuddlement before stiffening when the wolf turned its grey blue eyes on her. The wolf stared at Fayette with its piercing eyes that seemed to look straight into the mini fairy's soul before it lowered its head and gently nuzzled Fayette with the side of its muzzle. Fayette soon began to relax when she realized that the wolf wasn't going to hurt her. The mini fairy and Easter eggs soon walked over to Tommy and cuddled close to the boy and wolf to keep themselves warm, while the wolf watched over them as they slept.
Back in the forest
In the forest, a search party made up of men and women, who were friends of Tommy's grandparents or were rescue professionals, were wandering around on a worn down trail. Leading the search party was Tommy's father, a thirty year old man with short black hair, light tan skin and brown eyes. He had a strong and a well-built figure, which showed that he was athletic. He was wearing a dark brown winter coat over a dark blue sweater, black pants and brown winter boots. Around his neck was a leather brown string with a sliver wolf pendant hanging from it. His name is Richard Clark, a man who works with the search and rescue team.
Richard glanced over his shoulder to see his wife and older son who had come with him to find Tommy. They were walking a few steps behind him.
Tommy's mother was twenty nine years old with long light golden brown hair that grew down to her shoulders and light blue eyes. Her skin was a lighter color than her husband's skin tone. She was wearing a red jacket that was zipped up to protect her from the cold, a sweater dress that was hidden underneath the winter coat, black leggings and light brown winter boots. Her name was Amy Clark, a devoted wife and mother to her family.
The last member of Tommy's family was his older brother Justin, who was ten years old. He had the same hair and skin tone of his father, but had the same eye color as his mother. He was wearing a dark blue winter jacket over a long white sleeved shirt, blue jeans and black winter boots.
Justin is a stubborn boy that was trying to act more like an adult and be more like his father. Sometimes that landed him in a conflict with his little brother, Tommy. They would argue about the existence of Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and the Sandman. Whenever Justin says they weren't real, Tommy would break down into tears and cry out that they were real, while adding how mean his brother was before running to their mother for comfort. Justin was sadly looking down at the ground as he walked beside his mother with regret weighing heavily upon his shoulders.
'I shouldn't have been so mean to him,' thought Justin sadly to himself. 'If something were to happen to him, I'll never be able to forgive myself.'
Justin was suddenly brought out of his thoughts when one of the men in the group shouted out a warning to the other search team members. Everyone quickly turned to see what was wrong and saw what had made the man cry out. Walking towards them at a slow pace was a young wolf with intense blue eyes that stared right into their very souls. The people in the group began to panic as one of the men lifted up a gun that he had been carrying with him. He quickly pointed the gun at the wolf and got ready to shoot it, but he was suddenly stopped by Richard, who quickly placed a hand on the man's shoulder.
"Wait a minute," he said before he began to walk towards the wolf.
'What the heck is dad doing?' thought Justin in fear and confusion.
Richard met the wolf half-way before kneeling down to its height so that he could be eye to eye with young canine. Richard then slowly raised his hand as he held it out towards the wolf and the search party, along with Justin, watched in amazement when the wolf nuzzled its head in the palm of Richard's hand. Justin stared at his father in admiration and wonder as Richard gently petted the wolf.
'Wow, I didn't know dad could tame animals like that,' thought Justin.
The wolf let Richard pet it for a second before it gently grabbed the sleeve of Richard's jacket and began to tug on it.
"What is it girl?" asked Richard with a frown.
The wolf let out a soft growl as it, now known as a she, let go of the sleeve of Richard's jacket before turning and trotting as few steps towards where she had come from before stopping. She looked back at Richard with an expectant look upon her face. Richard stood up before he walked towards the wolf and stopped a few feet away from her. The wolf trotted a few feet towards the forest again before stopping to look back at Richard once more. Richard quickly realized what the wolf wanted him to do before taking off into a run with the young wolf running ahead of him as she led him into the forest.
"Dad!" shouted Justin as he and the search party members quickly followed after Richard.
Ivy's point of view
As she ran through the forest, Ivy would stop occasionally and look back to see if the humans were still following her before taking off again. Ivy made sure to slow her speed once in a while so that the people she was leading wouldn't lose sight of her. Ivy would sometimes hear the people yelling out the name of the man that was following her to turn back, but he didn't seem to listen to them as he kept on following her through the forest.
'I have to admit, this guy is very determined,' thought Ivy with a smile.
Ivy soon saw the cave that she had left Tommy, Fayette and the Easter eggs in. Ivy stopped at the entrance of the cave before turning to look at the man that had been following her and gave a sharp bark at him. The man, Richard if Ivy remembered correctly, stopped in his tracks and stared at Ivy in confusion before he and Ivy heard a yawn come from the cave. Richard stared at the cave entrance for a tense moment before a large smile appeared on his face as Tommy crawled out from the cave. The boy was rubbing his right eye sleepily before he noticed the man in front of him. An excited smile appeared on Tommy's face as he stood up and ran towards the adult who was kneeling to the boy's height, and had his arms held wide open.
"Dad!" shouted Tommy as he threw his arms around Richard's neck.
"Tommy!" exclaimed Richard as he held his son tightly in his arms.
The search party members soon caught up with Tommy's father as Tommy's mother and brother gathered around Richard with tears of joy appearing in their eyes. Ivy watched as she sat at the entrance of the cave with a soft smile on her muzzle. Richard gave his wife their younger son before he walked over to Ivy and knelt down to pet her.
"Thank you…for saving after my son," said Richard with a grateful smile on his face.
Ivy wagged her tail happily before Richard stood up and walked back to his family. The search party and Tommy's family began to walk away, with Amy carrying her younger son in her arms. Tommy looked over his mother's shoulder and waved goodbye to Ivy, who nodded her head back at him. Tommy settled back in his mother's arms and sighed sadly at the thought of saying goodbye to Ivy. He then noticed a lump in his left jacket pocket before he dug his hand into. What the boy pulled out from his pocket were four colorful Easter eggs that had been in the cave with him, but had now lost their legs. A large smile appeared on Tommy's face as he held the four eggs gently against his chest. Justin noticed the Easter eggs his little brother was holding and became curious.
"Where did you get those little eggs Tommy?" asked Justin.
Tommy looked down at his older brother as he answered his brother's question with a wink and a smiled.
"Sorry bro, it's a secret," said Tommy.
Justin frowned in confusion as he continued to look at his little brother as Tommy continued to hold the Easter eggs in his hands.
Back with Ivy
Ivy watched as Tommy, his family and the search party travel back to the path that they had been walking on before she had found them. Ivy let out a sigh of relief before hearing the familiar chirp of her fairy friend, who was still in the cave along with the few Easter eggs that hadn't gone with Tommy. Ivy stood up from the ground and walked into the cave before seeing Fayette sitting on the moss bed with the Easter eggs encircling her. That was when Ivy noticed that something was wrong when she saw the sad look upon Fayette's face as the mini fairy looked up at her.
"Fayette, what's wrong?" asked Ivy in concern.
Fayette answered Ivy's question by flapping her wings and trying to lift up from the ground, but Fayette only got a few inches into the air before falling back down onto the moss bed again. Realization quickly came over Ivy's features when she understood what was wrong.
"Oh-no," voiced Ivy in fear, "this is so not good. The Guardians are losing their strength more and more with the children losing their belief in them. And since you and your sisters are connected to your mother, you've lost your ability to fly."
Fayette nodded her head sadly along with the Easter eggs. Ivy let out a frustrating sigh before she collected her thoughts together and started to think for a moment. That was when she came up with an idea.
"Okay, first off I need to get you little eggs back to the Warren," said Ivy in a firm voice. "After that, I need to find Jack and the Guardians, than I need to help them get believers again. I just hope I can help them before it's too late." Ivy then realized something very important and let out a groan. "But how am I supposed to get you all back to the Warren? I don't even know where any of the tunnels are."
The Easter eggs and Fayette began to squeak and chirp in excitement as Fayette pointed at the medallion hanging around Ivy's neck.
"The medallion?" asked Ivy as she looked down at the medallion that Bunny had given her. "Are you telling me that my medallion might be able to help us?"
Fayette and the Easter eggs nodded their heads 'yes' to Ivy's question. Ivy looked confused for a moment before the memory of what happened back in the Warren popped up in her head. Ivy remembered that she had tried to protect Fayette and the Easter eggs from a Nightmare that was going to crush them. When that had happened, a bright light came bursting out from the medallion just before the Nightmare's front hooves almost slammed down on Ivy's back. Ivy took on a thoughtful look before looking down at Fayette and the Easter eggs again with a smirk appearing on her face.
"Well…it's worth a shot," said Ivy in a positive voice as the Easter eggs and Fayette hopped or bounced in front of her in excitement. "Alright everyone, gather around me as close as you possibly can."
The Easter eggs did what Ivy told them as they gathered around the young wolf-girl, who lay down on the moss, as they pressed up against her furry side. Ivy placed her tail around the little Easter eggs before she lowered her head for Fayette to climb up and sit between her wolf ears. Once the Easter eggs and Fayette were settled, Ivy raised her head up again and looked down at the medallion for a second before closing her eyes and began to concentrate.
'Medallion, please transport the Easter eggs, Fayette and I back to the Warren' whispered Ivy inside her mind.
After a few seconds, the medallion responded to Ivy's thoughts as it started to glow in the very same light as it surrounded Ivy and her little friends again. Then, in a flash of blinding light, Ivy, the Easter eggs and Fayette were gone.
To be continued
