Q-A: Here we go with chapter 25! If this in anyway feels short to you is because it is! DX Getting your wisdom teeth removed is a bitch! I couldn't think more than what I wrote here because of how much my jaw's been killing me…okay I did write more after this note obviously, but you get the point! D: Sorry I didn't mean to sound …mean but my jaw hurts. None of the painkillers help, they just make me all drowsy and…zzzzz Whoa, I think I fell asleep again….zzzzz probably ironic since this chapter is mostly centered on the Sandman and all….zzzzzz.
Well whatever something about pancakes and pickle chips and rhinestones….zzzzzzzz 0x
Disclaimer: None of these characters belonging to DreamWorks or The Greater God of Moonbots is mine. Story and are mine though.
~An Insomniac's Observation~
It took getting use to for the other Guardians when they learned of Sal's apparent true species reveal. He was still a salamander only with a few minor differences. To be honest how they discovered it was kind of a funny story, or at least it was for Sanderson. Bridget and Jack were returning from their…'walk' (yeah he seriously knew something else happened but obviously he wasn't there to see it) and she was running excitedly toward the camp with her little black and blue (Sandy couldn't help but laugh at his choice of words) amphibian in her hands. She walked over the where he, the Sandman, and the rest of the Guardians stood while speaking wildly to them.
Sandy needed to blink twice while trying to take in the news. Bridget had just told them that during their 'walk' (still not believing it) she and Jack discovered that Sal was no ordinary salamander (as Bridget put it) a Salamandra Ignis. Sandy was surprised to hear this initially, for the most part he wasn't one hundred percent sure if what the redheaded girl explained was all that true. He didn't think she was lying, not at all, but the Sandman was only having trouble with considering if Sal really was a mythological creature or not. While he never showed any signs that he wasn't one Sal did have one thing against him: his coloring. Most of the fire Salamanders the Sandman saw in the DEEP ancient past all appeared with skin tones that matched their element correctly (ex. red, yellow-orange, dark orange). None of them weren't completely black or had bluish markings; those who did were compared with the other type of salamanders. So trying to grasp that Sal was indeed a fire elemental seemed very unlikely for Sandy. The other excuse was that magical salamanders were even scarcer than dragons are today. Many of the poor amphibians were exploited feverishly in the past by ignorant humans who did experimented on every salamander they could find and nearly killed them all. To this day Sandy couldn't help but feel deep regret for not trying to do something to help the little creatures. Sandy always did have a soft spot for the little guys.
But much to the Guardian of Dreams surprised, along with the rest of the Guardians, they saw a befuddling thing. Bridget gently padded Sal into the camp's fire and a blast of blue flames appeared in a brief explosion. Before he could reprimand her for such a reckless and horrible act of cruelty a black object popped out of the flames taking the blue fire with it. Collective gasps were heard as the small black blob shifted back into a four-legged animal as the fire slowly went out. Sal shook a small layer of soot off him and eyed the Guardians carefully.
North had almost found the whole thing very strange while looming over the fiery amphibian. The other gaping Guardians and Sandy nodded while Jack smiled proudly and Bridget grinned happily at her pet. She didn't seem fazed by that explanation though and exclaimed that Sal was basically cool. Bunnymund or Edmund (Sandy still found that name hilarious!) didn't seem so fond of Sal though. The pooka never really liked the salamander in the first place with the fear of it climbing its mucus-covered body into his ears. After learning that Sal could be literally set ablaze freaked out Bunny even more. The poor pooka hopped around the field in a frantic manner and cursed with Australian jargon curses that no one could understand thankfully. It took the remaining Guardians fifteen minutes to calm down Bunny long enough to convince him that Sal wasn't going to be dangerous and not burn his fur off. He (begrudgingly) consented after a while but said as a matter of fact that he wouldn't go anywhere near the 'slug' until he knew that it wasn't going to be scorching his fur off.
With that little mistaken danger out of the way the rest of the evening went without a hitch. A tasty squash soup was prepared for dinner with a surprising side dish of sliced apples. Bridget and Jack claimed to have found a tree on their way back despite the fact how obviously apple trees shouldn't be making anymore apples this time of year, but he decided not to question it. Beggars can't be choosers after all.
Dinner was a quiet affair with some friendly conversation exchanged between those who could talk. Sandy did his best to stay in the banters by creating more lovely images in journal. He continued making these since Bridget seemed to have enjoyed looking at them back in the sheep trailer and kept staring in awe of the illustrations. Silver and golden stars twinkled the paper sky while schools of starfish swam behind the beautiful starships that traveled though the Sea of Stars. Sandy was an expert of the Golden Age with knowing all the dreams and wishes from children and what they wanted and believed in. All that knowledge allowed Sandy to write the most thrilling tales that went along with his own adventures that allowed him to show everything to Bridget and Jack without any hints of boredom. Nightlight sometimes supplemented what he vaguely remembered and told of the fun stories of how he and MiM would play around the Moon Clipper and how they hid from Tsar Lunar XI and his wife so that they could stay up later. It was all fun, Jack had said and would mention of the times he saw kids trying to hide in snowforts to escape the so-called horrors from bedtime as well.
The only words Bridget ever spoke were how she wished she could've lived in a world like the Golden Age. A time when fairness and imagination was encouraged and fear did not exist. Sandy would remind Bridget that fear did indeed live but was not as frightening as Pitch was. Before he could write anything else down North advised everyone that it was late and that they all needed their rest. It was North's way of saying that talking about the boogeyman in front of the Leetle Girl wasn't a smart idea.
Eventually they all settled down around the campfire while the flames slowly dimmed into embers. North snored loudly with the noise imitating the sounds of the thunder from earlier. Bunny sighed in exasperation from the noise while covering his ears. Being a rabbit or pooka with excellent hearing must've been painful. Tooth slept so soundly that the only signs that proved she was even alive was the gentle breathing blowing through her nose and the occasional twitch from her multicolored feathers. Nightlight stood up on the highest branch of a pine tree with the greatest vigilance Sandy hadn't seen before. The spectral boy was someone remarkable Sandy mused. Petrov slept soundly while the Mini-fairies buried themselves inside his fur coat.
That was an odd sight. Sandy usually saw them going to Jack first before being shooed away by Tooth. What made tonight different that they went straight to bed on someone else. Suddenly Sandy could hear a small sound that reminded him of soft giggling. Without a second thought Sandy quietly crawled up to where the sound came from and with the silence of a ninja crept onto the Christmas carts' ledge. Two pairs of legs dangled over the side of the cart while the two people who possessed those legs whispered in near silence to one another. Sandy had to give them credit for being quiet at least. He inched toward the rear of the cart when he heard Bridget whisper.
"Okay, tell me if you've ever done something super embarrassing."
"Like what?"
Sandy heard Bridget giggle heartily. "I don't know…something you wouldn't admit to anyone else."
"Fine…I tried drinking hot chocolate once during a meeting at North's workshop six months ago and nearly melted my tongue."
"How is that embarr-"
"I'm not done yet…after that disastrous attempt I ended up spit-taking most of it out on Bunny's face by accident."
Another small giggle was heard though Sandy had a feeling Bridget tried even harder not to laugh out loud. Sandy even smiled when he remembered that meeting vividly. Jack was giving hot coco by the elves when it should've been iced chocolate but being elves weren't so smart. Bunny ended up getting most of his fur scorched and chased Jack around for the remainder of the meeting. That was the last time Jack stayed for a whole time at one of the Guardians' meetings.
"Man, you must've avoided Bunny like the Plague after that."
"Like I didn't before?"
More quiet laughter was heard. "So what about you, little Miss Perfectionist? Got any embarrassing secrets I don't know about yet?"
"Oh please, like I'm a perfectionist…Besides I think you know some of the more embarrassing things I've done after today."
"Never thought I'd see a tree branch fall like that." Jack spoke in a wistful tone.
"Ugh, don't remind me. I just hope that doesn't happen again." Sandy was starting to grow curious. What tree branch? Did Bridget make a tree branch fall and why?
"It won't if we figure something out."
"You don't really sound all that sad about the tree branch dying."
"It didn't die…it just fell on it's own."
"Yeah and I'm the Queen of Sheba." Sandy could clearly hear sarcasm in Bridget's voice. "Could you at least mourn for the tree a little bit?"
"And~ I should because?"
There was a momentary pause and the sound of shuffling could be heard. Sandy assumed that Bridget might've shrugged her shoulders from Jack's question before answering, "I don't know, I guess I feel a little sorry for the plant. It didn't ask to lose its branch. It could be like losing an arm or leg in our terms."
"Someone's thinking pretty deep just now." More shuffling was heard and Bridget giggling soon added to it.
"Yeah… I guess with all the stuff that's happened so far I can't help but think aloud of all the little stuff swimming in my head."
"I can help remove some of those thoughts." Sandy could feel his face heating up from the choice of words and was ready to scold at the two until a blast of fire shot out of the cart. Sandy was momentarily stunned until he picked himself up and investigated.
"Oh honestly!" Bridget exclaimed while quickly waving her hands around and then grabbed Sal. She silently spewed out a sigh of relief when she saw Sandy poke his head. "Hiya Sandy." She pushed a strand of red hair awkwardly and gave Sandy a largely unnecessary smile. "Sal…um got all fired up again and shot flames into the air." Her words seemed jumbled and mislaid. "Right Jack?"
The winter spirit visibly winced when he felt a jab of his arm from Bridget nudging his shoulder. "Yeah, right. That's what happened."
Sandy wasn't convinced by the obvious lies but decided not to show it. If they didn't want to say the truth to him Sandy would allow himself to wait until they were ready. Sandy was a gentleman like that. He was so much of a gentleman that he even placed some dreamsand on Bridget so she could rest properly which caused her to pass out on Jack and wrap her arms around his waist.
The embarrassed scowl on Jack's face was worth it.
"So know ve must figure out a vay to retrieve Stone." North's voice boomed the next morning while he thumped the stump that he was sitting on. Some of his apple spice breakfast soup rippled from the shake but did not spill.
"At the Hill of Tara?" Bunny added while nibbling on another one of his carrots.
North nodded. "Indeed. Ve only have less than three veeks to stop the Morrígan from attempting to do vhatever she has up sleeve."
"We'll have to figure out a strategy." Tooth advised. She stirred her soup halfheartedly before continuing, "We can't just simply take the stone. There might be a trap set by the Morrígan."
"One does not simply walk to the Stone of Fál," Bridget made an odd hand gesture before snickering to herself. It took Sandy less than a second to realize that she was making a joke. Whatever the reference was meant to be from was lost to the Sandman and everyone else apparently since no one laughed either. She smiled sheepishly before looking at her feet like they were the most interesting objects in the world. Poor girl, she obviously was trying to make light of the situation. Sandy covered his mouth and bobbed his head to make it look he was laughing. When Bridget looked up momentarily she gave him a small smile, believing that he understood her joke.
North coughed slightly before agreeing with Tooth. "Yes, planning is good. Ve'll need to think of a tactic vhile getting rock."
"Couldn't we just do it the old fashion way and just take it?" Nearly everyone shot glares at Jack. He put his hands up in defense. "I'm just saying that it would be more efficient don't you think?"
"I kinda agree with Jack on this one." All eyes turned to where Bridget sat. She twiddled her thumbs nervously before adding, "It would seem like wasting too much time focusing on planning when we should act. The Morrígan did say she was going to get stronger as each day passed, right? I think we should try and find the stone ASAP and stop her before anything else happens to the kids." She nodded her head as if trying to affirm herself. "Maybe I can even try being a more…active role in the group?"
Sandy wasn't sure where this newfound confidence was coming from but had to admit he was glad to see Bridget not being shy anymore.
"Like~" Bunny trailed off while crossing his arms.
"Starting with that training again." Bridget grinned enthusiastically. "I think I've finally understand the whole thing about my full potential and stuff."
Jack smiled in a way Sandy assumed that it held a hidden agenda. Something really was happening between the human girl and winter spirit.
"You're sure about that?" Bunny couldn't help but sound a little skeptical about that guarantee.
Bridget nodded, "You bet. I won't let you down this time. I'm not afraid to hold back anymore."
"Ve'll see," North spoke in finalization. "Training vill be essential, no doubt about that. But are you sure of trying to use veapons again, Leetle Girl?"
Another nod. "Yes, but this time I think I wanna try the spear."
"Spear?" If he could have still make dreamsand Sandy would've made a golden question mark over his head to underline his confusion. Nightlight looked a little perplexed while looking over his own spear with the diamond/tear dagger.
"Vhy? Ve don't have spear…." North scrunched his face in confusion before realization settled in finally. "Oh…you vant to use Spear of Lug. No, much too dangerous."
"On what grounds?" Bridget stood up and crossed her arms. "Is it a danger for me or for the spear?"
"Both," North simply replied though he didn't sound so sure from the tone Sandy heard him use. "You are much of importance as spear is to us."
"Glad to know my life is measured up to a giant toothpick." The deadpan was very much alive in Bridget's derision. "You didn't seem so hesitant when you allowed me to use a sword yesterday. A giant sword if I might add, against Nightlight with his own spear."
"That vas…different."
"You have to give me another chance. I want to learn how to fight and I think the spear could be much easier for me to work with." Sandy silently praised Bridget for her sounded reasoning. "If it looks too old or fragile to use then I'll let it go but I swear North this time I really will try my hardest. Not that I didn't the other day but this time I know what my limits are and I'm starting to have a better understanding about it."
Gray eyes were brimmed with so much determination that Sandy almost felt like falling from his seat. Bridget was truly set on proving herself. He was starting to feel a small sense of pride for her with all the hope and optimism swelling within her.
It didn't surprise Sandy that much when he saw Jack give Bridget a genuinely warm smile. He was giving her a lot of those types of smiles lately. Oh yeah, Sandy knew something was definitely going on between them. But anyway, back to the plot.
Bridget guilt-tripped North with the most earnest and wide eyes she could muster. Clearly she mastered the skill of begging very well since Sandy noticed that she wasn't overdoing it with a pouting lip. The lip pouting would've pushed her luck. In the end only one was going to be the victor.
The great Bandit King conceded defeat. North sighed, "Fine. You can try using spear."
Sandy couldn't hear for thirty seconds after Bridget squealed and gave North a grateful hug. "Thank you! I won't disappoint you." Sand could see North's heart melting away just from the look he gave her.
"I am sure you von't."
And true to her word Bridget didn't. It was almost like she really was a different person with how much her attitude changed with all things considered. Being paired with the spear also proved to be a very good improvement for her also. For one thing, the spear was a bit lighter than the sabers North carried around for Bridget to hold up. She did look a little hesitant before touching it though, almost like she was afraid to touch it. Why she behaved like that momentarily didn't seem to faze the others as much as Sandy but it was most likely that he spent more time observing people than anyone else, minus Nightlight of course but he was excused since he was meant to be more focused on the spear with him having to spar Bridget at the moment. Sometimes Sandy noticed Jack tensing slightly from the rock where he sat whenever Nightlight swung his staff near Bridget's head or other body parts. Sandy would silently chuckle. Jack was trying too hard to not look like he was being overprotective again. Him and the rest of the Guardians were but Sanderson digressed.
He would just rather enjoy the moment and observe while he could. Naptime was almost upon him….once…
SNORE~! Zzzzz...
Q-A: The hell? DX God this was a weak chapter! Don't you people dare say otherwise. NOTHING happened. I'm SO sorry but this really was all I could write with my teeth killing all and me this other stuff going around right now. I promise the next one won't be so crappy! Please review if you want but don't abandon me! I get lonely easily.
Keep on Writin' and Rockin'