Jack watched as Delia and Eros took a seat in Storge's secret lair, one of their many hideouts, as Eros had explained. The Spirit of Family Love had used their magic on a forgotten storage room, had expanded the interior and built a cave that would have been paradise for every child. There was no furniture, colourful toys and cushions everywhere, a blanket cave in one corner, a TV and game station in the other. Strewn over the floor were packets of crisps, sweets and other unhealthy snacks that kids so adored and that adults usually limited for them. Storge, it seemed, didn't have to worry about anyone's scolding, so they just brought anything they wanted into their base. They had been far from cooperative, pouting and shooting Eros a few poisonous looks, but in the end, they had agreed to take them to their lair and hear Delia out. As with Eros, Storge had mustered Delia with intense curiosity after taking a proper look at her and seemed strangely fixated on her now. They had taken her hand and led her away, completely ignoring both Eros and Jack in the process and were now contentedly sitting on Delia's lap, showing her their collection of Percy Jackson Merchandise which she looked at with true enthusiasm. Jack smirked. He had known that Delia was an avid reader, but he was unaware of the true scope of her passion for the written word. He could have watched her all day long, but they had a goal, and he had to take responsibility in getting them another step closer. He sat down beside Delia.
'Storge,' he began, 'can you tell us where Agape is?'
Storge tensed, their wide grin disappearing from their face. They turned in Delia's lap to gaze at Jack, eyes narrowed.
'Why do you want to know?'
'Because,' said Delia before Jack could reply, 'I need her to find my father.'
Storge looked up at her with a much kinder expression than he'd granted Jack. 'Your father?'
'M-hm.' Delia nodded, eyes cast down on the ground. 'Have you ever heard of Pitch Black?' she asked them.
Storge blinked. 'Sure,' they replied. 'He's that horrible monster who tries to bring fear into children's hearts.'
'Yes,' Delia agreed, 'that's him. Well, he's not content with only scaring children anymore…'
'What do you mean?'
Delia opened her mouth, but it seemed difficult for her to form the words that needed to be said, so Jack took over.
'Many years ago, Delia's father Jamie was the only child that still believed in us, the Guardians of Childhood, when Pitch had led all other children to give us up. Jamie was the last light, and the only reason we survived Pitch's attack and triumphed over him, back then. Ever since then, it appears, Pitch has kept an eye on Jamie and his family and now he's switched his target. He's kidnapped Jamie to try and put fear into Delia's heart.'
Storge frowned. 'But, why? Isn't it much easier to scare children? Isn't that how he gains power?'
'The Fears of a Teenager,' Delia murmured and they all stared at her. She must have noticed the attention, because her head perked up and she finally met their eyes. 'That's what Pitch told me. That the fears of a teenager are much more powerful than those of a child, despite being more difficult to inflict. I guess that's why he's waited so long.'
'Hm, so you have a special connection to the Guardians of Childhood?' Storge mustered her thoughtfully. 'Is that why you appear so… appealing to us?' They looked at Eros for support, who smirked.
'Appealing?' Delia asked.
'Appealing, indeed,' Eros confirmed.
Jack tensed. Did that Spirit have to turn every situation into an opportunity to flirt with Delia?! Thankfully for Jack, she ignored Eros' last comment and directed her reply at Storge.
'I don't know,' she replied honestly. 'Possibly.' Then she grinned. 'My father's blood runs thick in me.'
Jack chuckled quietly, glad she hadn't lost her sense of humour yet.
'So, Storge,' she continued. 'Can you help us find Agape? According to the Man in the Moon,' she paused to roll her eyes, 'it's the only way to free my father from Pitch's imprisonment.'
Suddenly Storge's mischievous grin disappeared to make way for a stony expression that looked far too mature on the young child's face.
Delia seemed to have noticed the change as well, and she asked, 'Storge? What's wrong?'
'I can't help you.'
Jack watched Delia blanch and he jumped up. 'What do you mean you can't help us?' He stared at them, then turned to glare at Eros. 'You! You told us Storge would know where Agape is!'
'Hey!' Eros protested. 'I said they were always the closest to her, and that they were the most probable to know where she's now. I didn't promise anything!'
Jack could feel his anger crackling between his fingertips. 'Oh, yeah? Well, maybe you should have warned us beforehand so that Delia wouldn't be so disappointed now!'
Now Eros got up as well, approaching Jack with long strides. Jack was glad that Eros had shrunken, because now he was eye to eye with him, instead of towering over the Guardian of Fun.
'Listen, Frosty,' he hissed. 'I care about Delia as much as you do, don't forget that. And, besides, if Storge doesn't know, we'll find a way to locate Agape by ourselves, Delia and I. You certainly don't have to tag along.'
Jack sneered. 'Oh, really? And how are you going to do that, huh? Do you have some kind of magical Agape radar that you haven't told us about yet?'
'I'll –'
'You won't be able to find her!'
Jack and Eros were both startled, interrupting their argument when Storge cried out. They turned to face them and Jack was surprised to find Storge's eyes swimming with tears.
'You won't be able to find her,' they repeated quietly.
'Why?' Delia asked, voice almost inaudible. 'Why won't we find her, Storge?'
'Because Agape is gone.'
…
'…Gone?' Delia's mouth was dry as sand and her voice came raspy when she spoke.
Storge bit their lip, clearly trying to hold back tears. How ironic. Delia didn't feel like crying at all, just hollow.
'What happened?' Eros asked. He looked shaken, more so than Delia had seen him before, unusually white, lips trembling.
In Delia's lap, Storge balled their fists, staring down at their hands in despair.
'Years ago, and don't ask me how many,' they said, 'Agape… she fell in love.'
'What?' Eros' voice was faint and Delia realised that he himself must have a hard time coping with these unbelievable news right now. 'But… we don't fall in love,' he said. 'We… don't.'
Storge nodded. 'You don't. I don't. Philia doesn't. We all keep our distance, help humans out here and there, you know… think about it, Eros.' They looked up at him. 'You're Romantic Love, hot, passionate, burning bright, then disappearing into ashes. You don't get attached. Philia is Platonic Love, friends and wider family, longlasting, supportive, but, in the end, able to live independently from each other without feeling an immediate sense of loss. Me, Family Love, an eternal bond from the very first day, either forged by blood or by caring, strong, but loose at the same time. Parents have to let their children go when they grow up and children have to part with their parents at the end of their lives. It's a cycle. All of us know how to let go. But Agape?' Storge smiled sadly and Delia felt her heart contract painfully at the sight. 'Unconditional Love is forever, always bright and burning, always close, the kind of bond where one is the second half of the other. There is no escape.'
Delia pondered that. She had never been in love, not truly, anyway, but she thought of her father, always that distant look in his eyes when he thought she couldn't see, greeting her mother's photograph in the mornings, not even considering dating someone else. Yes, she thought, if you'd found your Agape, there was no escape.
'So… she met her other half?' Jack asked and Delia jumped, so completely lost in her own thoughts that she'd forgotten all about his presence. She watched as he sat down once more, completely calm after his first outburst and confrontation with Eros.
Storge nodded. 'Yes, although I don't know his name. I was so angry when she told me.' They laughed, but there was much pain in their voice. 'Can you imagine? She told me she had fallen in love and was going to marry, giving up her Spirithood in the process! I shouted at her, pleaded with her to reconsider, to change her mind, but she was adamant. She had found her own Agape.'
Unconsciously, Delia wrapped her arms around Storge's waist, looking for a way to console them, though she wasn't sure if it had any effect. Storge's trembling fingers came up to her wrists and held them gently. Delia could feel a warmth from the contact, different from Jack's buzzing electricity of Eros' blazing fire, much more gentle, slower, but so much more intense. She remembered Storge's description of themselves. An eternal love from the very first day. It felt very much like she felt around her father and it left her nostalgic for his warmth.
'So…' Eros said, breaking the heavy silence that had formed around them. 'Agape is just… gone?'
'I don't know if she herself is dead, you know, since humans break so easily… but her power, yes, it's gone. There is no more Spirit of Unconditional Love.'
'I can't believe that.' Eros' knees seemed to give way as he sunk shakily to the ground. 'She was always so… full of life. She loved bringing love to people.'
Storge granted him a small smile. 'Yes. And she resented you for burning up her work sometimes.'
That made Eros smirk. 'Heh. Some ships are meant to burst into flames. There's no Agape without passion.'
Storge shrugged. 'I'm not going to complain, you know, since passion is needed in the process of… making children… but, yeah, you did annoy her frequently.'
'She sounds lovely,' Delia murmured. She didn't know why, but she had a strangely detailed vision of Agape in her mind. Gentle eyes, loving hugs and promises that lasted forever…
'She was,' Storge agreed. 'And she always liked me best.' They stuck their tongue out at Eros who snorted.
'You trying to make me jealous?' he asked. 'You know I'm happy to live without strings.'
'Uh-huh,' Storge mocked and Delia chuckled.
'Uh, guys, I don't want to interrupt your happy family reunion,' Jack suddenly interrupted. 'But now that we know that Agape is… gone… we have a problem.'
His words immediately sobered Delia up. No Agape, no Jamie. She swallowed what felt like a giant, whole, chewing gum. She could feel the cold wash over her again and her hairs stood on ends. No Agape, no Jamie. They had gone to the North Pole, chased Eros, captured Storge, and now this. No Agae, no Jamie.
'What should we do?' she asked, eyes big and pleading as she looked at Jack. Her heart sunk when he returned her gaze with one of dread.
'I don't know.'
Delia shifted her gaze, first to Eros, then to Storge, but they both avoided her eyes, their earlier glee vanished into thin air.
'But,' she protested, unwilling to give up now that they'd gotten so far. 'The Man in the Moon showed us a picture of Agape! He said we needed to find her!'
'Maybe…' Jack muttered. 'Maybe he made a mistake.'
'But it's the Man in the Moon! I thought he was the one who gave you your powers!'
'He's very peculiar, Delia,' Jack explained in a defeated tone. 'None of us really have any idea what he –'
Just as he was about to finish his sentence, someone burst through the magical rabbit hole that was Storge's front door. All four of them jumped as a young teenage girl of maybe fourteen years flew towards them, hand held high, fingers gripping something cylindrical. The girl had her dirty blonde hair tamed into a high ponytail and her soft brown eyes were glistening with excitement. She wore loose boyfriend jeans and a white t-shirt with a print that read:
Fearless
tRusted
delIghtful
Encouraging
coNfident
Dependable
'Hey, Storge, old pal,' she called out. 'Check out what I've… got.' She stopped short and stared at the assembly in surprise. 'Who are you?'
…
'Philia!' Storge had jumped to their feet and was now running up to their friend. 'What are you doing here?'
'Er… I found –' she glanced quickly at the cylinder in her hand, then shook her head. 'Nevermind that, what's going on here?'
Philia gestured around until her gaze got stuck on Eros. Her face contorted into a disgusted grimace.
'What's he doing here?'
'Nice to see you, too,' Eros said flatly and Jack smirked at Philia's reaction to him.
'Believe me, nice is not the adjective I had in mind,' she retorted.
'Um, hi.' Delia had raised her hand slowly and was smiling at Philia.
The Spirit of Platonic Love blinked at her. 'Hello.'
'Philia,' Eros said, 'this is Delia. Delia, meet the master of the friendzone.'
Storge snorted as Philia's eyebrows furrowed. 'There's nothing wrong with being just friends!' she complained.
'There is everything wrong with being just friends,' Eros corrected. 'And you're always so insistent on getting in my way.'
'I wouldn't if you weren't always trying to turn everything you touch into a brief affair,' Philia retorted, glowering at him.
Jack decided he liked her.
'Pah!' made Eros. 'I'm not Agape now, am I?'
'No, you aren't,' said Delia quietly and Eros tensed, then turned towards her with a guilty expression.
'Delia, I wasn't…'
But she just shook her head. 'Nevermind.'
'Alright,' Philia said, stemming her hands onto her hips. 'Would anyone, not you,' she stared daggers at Eros, 'explain what's happening here?' She looked at Storge. 'A human,' she nodded towards Delia, 'and a Guardian of Childhood?' This time, her eyes found Jack and he was surprised at how much careful hostility rested in them.
'Don't worry, Philia,' Storge intervened. 'They're here on my invitation.'
In an instant, Philia relaxed and accepted Storge's gestured offer to take a seat. She mustered Jack and Delia with intense curiosity.
'So?'
Storge quickly filled her in on the information and the further they got in the story, the darker Philia's expression became. Several times she gasped, murmured insults or put a caressing hand on Storge's arms. Clearly, Philia was a very good listener. When Storge had finished, she looked up at Delia.
'I'm truly sorry,' she said and sounded so genuine Jack had all but forgotten about her earlier aversion towards them.
Delia granted her a faint smile. 'Thank you.'
'But, isn't there anything we could do?' she asked and, lost in her own thoughts, put the cylinder she was still holding on to, on the table. 'Maybe we can help you find Pitch on our own…?' She was now rolling the cylinder between her hands and the contents of the golden box clattered quietly.
'Maybe…' Storge said, then they blinked. 'Philia, what do you have there?'
'Oh, this?' Philia held up the container. 'It's a box of teeth that the Tooth Fairy must have lost somewhere. I found it lying around and thought we could watch it, you know, amuse ourselves, but –'
Jack stared and Delia gasped loudly as they both recognised just what exactly Philia was holding.
'Philia,' Delia asked, 'where did you find these?'
'Hm? Uh, funny story, in an abandoned public toilet in –'
'Paris.' Eros finished the sentence. Apparently he had caught on now as well.
Philia frowned at him with open hostility. 'Yes. How did you know?'
'They are mine.'
Everyone turned to look at Delia who was mustering the box of teeth with big eyes. Then she broke into laughter.
'I can't believe this! They actually returned! Just like Tooth told me.' She clapped her hands.
'They're yours?' Philia blinked at her, then studied the box a little closer. She found the little drawing of small Delia's head on one end of the container and gasped quietly. She looked up at Delia, then back at the box, then back at her. 'They are,' she concluded, handing Delia the box without hesitation.
Delia took it carefully, cradling the container in her fingers as if she was handling delicate china.
'Wow,' she murmured. 'I wasn't sure if I'd ever see them again…'
'That's wonderful, Delia,' Eros told her. 'Now you can watch your past.'
'Watch my past?'
'They contain your memories, remember?' Jack chimed in before Eros was able to collect any more brownie points.
Delia nodded. 'So Tooth said.'
'Well, you see, if you want to, you can relive even your earliest memories.' He shuffled a bit closer to her to get a better look at the box. 'You just have to touch right… here…' His last word was just a murmur.
He had looked up at Delia and only then realised how close their faces were. He could see every tiny wrinkle around her eyes, every faint freckle on her nose. Jack's heartbeat sped up and he wondered whether the blush on Delia's cheeks was only a trick of the light. She stared at him, lips parted, eyes unwavering and he gulped. Then, suddenly, Delia was whisked away by Eros, who'd wrapped his arm around her shoulders and was pulling her close. Jack glared at him. Give me a break.
'Yeah, so anyway,' Eros said, even as Delia pointedly plucked his hand off her shoulders. 'As I was saying,' he raised an eyebrow at Jack, 'you can watch what happened in your past.'
'Hm,' Delia made, now focused at her box of teeth again. 'I don't know, why should I?'
'Maybe,' Storge piped up and they all looked at them. 'Maybe you could find out something useful. You know, see if Pitch visited you before, as a child, or why you have this strange effect on us.' They gestured to themselves, Eros and Philia.
'Storge's right,' Philia agreed. 'Not just about this strange pull that you're emanating.' She gazed intently at Delia. 'But also about your past. If Pitch is as fixated on your family as you believe, there might be another reason behind it, not just Jamie's affiliation with the Guardians of Childhood.' She glanced briefly at Jack. 'You might even find a clue as to where Pitch is holding your father hostage.'
Delia became very quiet as her eyes stayed fixed on the box.
'What's wrong?' Jack asked. She seemed unusually hesitant about reliving her memories.
She looked up at him, eyes wet. 'Jack…' she whispered. 'I don't know… I'm not sure I want to see it… again.'
Jack swallowed hard. He knew what she was talking about, knew that reliving that very moment of her past might be enough to break her in her current condition. But they barely had another option. They had no idea where Pitch held Jamie and Jack was also very suspicious of the Boogeyman's shady motive. Was scaring a teenager really worth all of this?
He gazed at Delia and gently put his hands on hers, hoping that the cold didn't make her flinch. But she kept her hands right where they were.
'I know,' Jack began, 'that there are things in your childhood you'd rather not remember.' His chest clenched painfully. No one would like to remember that. 'And I know that it's hard and that you're scared. But, believe me when I say that this might be the only way to get closer to Jamie.'
Delia bit her lip.
'And, Delia,' he added. 'When you wake up, I will be right here.'
She looked at him with big eyes and he wondered how someone so strong could seem so fragile. He knew of her strength, her determination and courage. But in this moment all he wanted to do, was take her in his arms and tell her she'd never have to suffer again. Alas, that would be a lie.
Someone cleared their throat and both Jack and Delia jumped. Jack gaped at Storge and felt his cheeks redden. He let his gaze wander to the ground, hoping his behaviour wasn't all too suspicious.
'So,' Storge said, seemingly ignorant of the scene they'd just witnessed. 'What are you going to do?'
Jack glanced at Delia and was glad to found the determined fire reignited in her eyes. She clenched her fingers around the box of teeth.
'I'll do it. I'll revisit my past.'
