Chapter 2
Tooth Palace
They were running and trying to follow North out of the workshop, getting deeper into ice galleries where yetis were bustling about in try to prepare their leaving. The dragon spirit had been caught up in the emergency and had completly forgotten that Lord Søl was behind this. The last remain of his mind aware of this died down as his orange eyes landed on Santa Claus's sleigh.
It was impressive, even more with the eigh reindeer pulling it. The sleigh was red and golden, adorning two giant skis so it can slide and two fins that seemed to be there to help the sleigh fly. There was only one sit on it since the back part was supposed to be filled with the giant bag of presents. Still there were steps were the other spirits could sit. Visibly it was not the first time the sleight was used for something else than the Christmas presents distribution. Just in front of the sole sit was a miniature version of the earth globe from the workshop, though this one was not covered in lights representing the children believing in spirits.
Hiccup was the first one to hop onboard of the sleigh.
''Everryone love the sleigh !'' North beamed. ''Bunny, what arre you waiting forr ?''
Aster looked hesitant and a bit scared.
''I think mah tunnels might be fastah, mate. An' huh… an' safah.''
Sandy chuckled silently at that while North grabbed the bunny by the back of his neck to toss him in. Then the golden spirit floated casually and took a sit while Hiccup was still standing, a hand on the railling while he was bending to check out the mecanisms of the sleigh.
''Buckle up !'' North ordered.
''Woh woh, where's the bloody seatbelts ?!'' Aster panicked.
''Ha ! Zat was just exprression, arre we rready ?''
He didn't wait for the yetis' approval and shook the reins to unleash the reindeers, forcing everyone around to flee away from their path. The sleigh toppled over a couple elves before launching itself in a fast and almost out-of-control slippery in an ice tunnel.
Hiccup remained standing, only one hand on the railling to steady himself, chuckling at such speed. It reminded him a bit back when he was riding dragons. He had stopped that since he had mastered shapeshifting but he happened to miss the sensation. With curiosity, he glanced at the other passengers and held back from laughing as Aster was litterally clawing the wood, scratching it, while Sandy was having a lot of fun and was raising his arms as if in a rollercoaster. North was also having great fun, laughing loudly.
''I hope you like ze loopy-loops !'' He beamed as the sleigh was already rolling over and sliding in a loop.
''Hope ya like carrots.'' Aster retorted, looking pale as if about to throw up.
When they reached the end of the tunnel, the light blinded them for a few seconds but their eyes got used to it just in time to see the end of the platform, where the sleigh finally let go of gravity and took to the sky. Though the reindeers' magic was different from Hiccup's, the way they were running and bouncing on the air reminded him the very first power he had discovered. The sleigh's take off was followed by North's laugh, a joyful exclaim from Hiccup and a terrified yelp from Bunny.
The fire wielder climbed the steps at the back so he could look down at the retreiving North Pole. It was not the first time he had flown above North's base and workshop, but it was the first time he was doing it onboard the sleigh, and that seemed to completely change the view.
''Hold on everryone, I know a shorrt-cut !''
''Oooh, screw ! I knew I shoulda take it ta the tunnels !'' Aster wailed, ears flat against the back of his skull.
Hiccup held from laughing at his usual bold and self-confident friend, it was a shark contrast to see him like this. North pulled a snow globe out of his heavy black-furred red coat and shook it with a twist of his wrist. It was filled with a sparkling, visibly magical dust.
''Tooth Palace.'' He said.
The viking then saw an image form into the globe, looking like a pointy montain covered in vegetation. But he barely had the time to identify this mountain as the Tooth Palace before North threw the globe in front the reindeers. It exploded and formed a shining, spiralling portal in which he threw the sleigh.
Once gain, they were shaken in every direction, swirling into the spiral, before they emerged on the other side, in a completly different place. The sky was full of colorful and smooth pink and yellow colors, some mist covering the ground and mountain colds emerging from it. Each peak was covered in luxurious and tropical vegetation and there were countless waterfalls feeding the fog. The sleigh was aiming straight to the higher mountain, just as imposing as New Berk had been, but far more narrow.
However, before reaching the Tooth Palace, the spirits had to face a cloud of unknown dark silhouettes going straight to them.
''What ?'' North frowned.
Once the black things reached them, their ears were filled horrible and gloomy sounds they had never heard before, and North had to start dodging the things. These creatures were clearly magical, hense they had entered the Fairy Queen realm, but they didn't look like anything the spirits knew.
They were black, they were fast, there were streaming laces hovering behind them… Aster bent to avoid one that nearly collided into him, Sandy opened up an umbrella made of his dreamsand to block out another one. Hiccup bent over the railling to try and get a better look at theses things. He focused on one of them and noticed its fly was not steady, but it didn't seem random either. It didn't took long for the dragon spirit to spot a little fairy trying to escape it.
''They're taking the tooth fairies !''
Another passed by, pursuing a bunch of five fairies, and the spirits got a glimpse of others bird-like creatures within the black mass. It looked like there was a veil of black sand around them, but judging by the way they were beating their wings and squirming, they were fine. Just caged.
Hiccup focused and concentrated his flames into a plasma blast, red flames turning purple-blue, before he shot it on the beast. It exploded in tiny black particules, freeing the fairies, but another black horse-like thing almost instantly took them.
The sleigh struggled and made its way into one of the opening of the highest mountain, inside of which were countless golden, pink and purple graceful towers, falling from the ceiling like stalactits with balconies. There was so many of them the sleigh couldn't keep a straight and steady flight without bumping into them. So North ended up guiding the reindeers down towards the bigger towers, the one with larger balconies were the sleigh could land.
When the sleigh started to pursue one of these black powdered horses, North gave the reins to his closest neighbor, Hiccup.
''Herre, take overr !''
''What ?!'' The fire wielder spirit panicked.
He couldn't say no before North pushed the reins in his hands and jumped over the console, unsheating his two sabres and ready to attack the horse. Hiccup tried not to panic despite the fact he had not the faintest idea how to direct reindeers, this was nothing like riding a dragon !
He still managed to make the reindeers run faster, allowing North to stab the black creature. It exploded in a slew of black sparkles splashing on the sleigh. Something tinckled on the wooden floor, something that had been in the creature's belly, but it was not the tiny fairies. It was golden cylindricals which upper part was flatten and covered in golden and purple designs. There also were children faces drawn on the front round part.
Aster bent and picked up one, recognizing the canisters where the fairies stored the teeth.
''There's stealing the teeth !''
Sandy frowned but focused on something else as he wiped some of the black powder that had landed on himself. It looked oddly familiar to his dreamsand, to his own magic, but the sand was black as if diseased.
''Blaze, look out !'' North shouted.
The dragon spirit, distracted by Aster and Sandy's discoveries, had stopped checking where they were heading. He panicked and pulled on the reins, feverishly trying to derout the reindeers so they could avoid a collision with a tower. The turn was so harsh they ended up crash-landing on the nearest balcony. Well, at least the sleigh had landed, and noone was hurt, just a bit shaken.
Looking up, they noticed the palace was empty, the black things seemed to have taken all the fairies and fled away, leaving only one colorful and fast frame in distress.
''Tooth ! Arre you alrright ?!'' North called out while the others jumped from the sleigh.
She kept on flying around, turning on herself and looking everywhere frantically, taking in with dread the sight of what had become to her realm.
''They… They took my fairies… and the teeth ! All of them… Everything is gone… Everything…''
Shock seemed to weaken her to the point her wings slowed down, and she dropped on the upper platform of the neighbor tower, forcing the other spirits to climb to reach her. At least, North, Aster and Sandy did. Hiccup remained next to the sleigh, only approaching so he could keep the Big Four in sight. He stared at them in confusion and anger, wondering who could have done such a thing. Granted some rivalries existed between spirits, but that didn't mean they were willing to sabotage someone's work. Because, despite the rivalries, everyone knew each spirit had a purpose, each spirit was important, even those who's mission seemed a bit ridiculous. Even the Groundhog who was afraid of his shadow was important because he could decide of later winter or earlier spring.
Hiccup's boiling thoughts died down as he heard the Tooth Fairy's sob.
''Everything is gone…''
He looked up and found her still on her knees, wings hanging lifelessly on her back, surrounded by her three comrades who didn't seem to know how to comfort her. North and Aster were bending towards her while Sandy, barely taller than her, was shyly patting her shoulder.
This friendship and complicity between the three managed to warm up a bit the fire wielder's heart. At least, until they heard a gloomy voice echoing within the mountain. It was talking loudly and clearly, but it was impossible to say from where exactly it came. It seemed to be everywhere and inside of their head.
''I have to say this is very very exciting.''
The voice was masculine and silky, but the tone didn't seem friendly at all.
Instantly, the five spirits were on guard. North unsheated his sabers, Aster did the same with his boomerangs, Tooth beat her wings and floated a few inches above the ground, her fists clenched, Sandy and Hiccup outstretched their arms a bit, ready to use their respective powers.
''The Big Four all in one place. I'm a little startstruck.''
When they managed to identify the source of the voice, which had condensed at the top of the tower the four guardians were on, they all looked up and spotted who was taunting them. The tall and slender man was standing in the warm and tropical light, but he still looked as dark as ever. Even the colorful palace couldn't manage to add the slightest yellowish hightlight on his ashen skin. He looked like a character from a black and white movie who had been tossed in the color world.
''Did you like my show on the globe, North ?'' He snickered, ''Got you all together, didn't I ?''
North groaned in frustration as he realised he had been tricked by the Boogeyman and fell for it. After all, he had been the one to summon the other guardians after he had seen a shadow in the globe at the North Pole. The meeting had led to the message from Lord Søl, warning about Pitch's return and telling them they needed help from Horren Blaze.
''Pitch !'' Tooth barked with anger. ''You have got thirty seconds to return my fairies !''
She flew after him, but she circled around the tower without finding him. He had disappeared and showed up on another tower.
''Or what ? You'll stick a quarter under my pillow ?''
North rose a saber and pointed at him as he interrogated him.
''Why arre you doing this ?''
''Maybe I want what you have. To be believed in.''
Hiccup was not even surprised to hear the Boogeyman say that. He knew how much belief was important for spirits. After all, they may were part of another world, they were still living in human's world. Only a few hidden realms, like North Pole and Tooth Palace, gave them the feeling to be in a whole world of spirits, but that was just secluded places.
Evolving in a world with which you couldn't interact, it was downright Hel, it was the worst form of isolation possible. Hiccup himself had experienced it back in the days he had just been reborn as a spirit, when he had tried to reach his family. It still happened sometimes, even all this milenas after, because he didn't have much believers.
But sabotaging others' work ? This Pitch was going too far, he must had had a twisted mind to go to that extend.
''Maybe I'm tired of hiding under beds !''
''Maybe that's where ya belong !'' Aster retorted.
''Go suck an egg, rabbit.''
Pitch kept on circling around them, using the shadows to teleport from a tower to another, taunting and infuriating them. Aster was the most irritable one, Tooth was already on the edge of nerves from her fairies kidnapping, only Sandy seemed calm, wisdom emitting from his composure. As to Hiccup, he simply stood on guard but out of this. At least until Pitch's voice started to loom around him too.
''Hang on. Is that Horren Blaze ? Since when are you all so chummy ?''
''I've always been sociable, doesn't mean I'm friend with everyone.'' Hiccup growled.
The only one among the Guardians he could call a friend was Aster. After all, that was the first time he had met the others.
''Oh good.''
The viking started as he heard the voice coming from behind him, signaling the master of shadows had formed there. He turned around to face the Boogeyman, who was casually leaning against a railling.
''A neutral party. Then I'm gonna ignore you. But I assume that doesn't change much from your solitary habits, does it ?''
He snickered coldly but Hiccup didn't feel hurt by the remark. After all, it was a secret for noone that Horren Blaze, the fire wielder, dragon-shifter spirit, Protector of the Hidden World, was a solitary spirit. It was his choice, so he couldn't be hurt by that. But Aster took it personal in his stead, and the susceptible, protective rabbit launched at the Boogeyman.
''Pitch ! Ya sneaking ratbag, come here !''
Obviously, the dark spirit didn't let the rabbit strike because he vanished into the shadows once more. Aster found himself next to Hiccup, a paw pressed on his chest in a protective gesture. That's when Tooth stole his second boomerang as she spotted Pitch on the upper platform behind them, where he had appeared first.
She let out a war cry as she flew right to him, but he kept his composure and even smiled as she approached. When she was just about to strike, she suddenly stopped and back off in a jolt as a dark figure suddenly formed between them, protecting Pitch. The swirl of black sand took the shape of a horse and a blue light lit up in its core, as if giving it life. Then the horse neighed and tried to bite her.
Pitch laughed at that and patted its side to sooth it despite the horse was still agitated and even reared.
''Ho ho hey ! Easy girl, easy.'' He chuckled.
When the creature finally calmed down and put back its four hooves on the ground, Pitch ran a hand on its back to collect some sand.
''Looks familiar, Sandman ?'' he asked in a teasing and taunting tone. ''Took me a while to perfect this little trick.''
Hiccup glanced at the ancient spirit and saw him lower his head to look at his hands, where he made some sparkling and golden sand swirl. The sand vanished as he clenched his fist, glaring at Pitch.
''Turning dreams into nightmares.'' Pitch explained, gloating while stroking the nightmare's head.
Tooth floated down to the others and gave back his boomerang to Aster.
''Don't be nervous. It would rile them up more. They smell fear, you know.''
''What fear ?'' Aster barked, ''Of ya ? No one's been afraid of ya since the Dark Ages !''
''Oh, the Dark Ages… Everyone frightened, miserable. Such happy times for me, all the power I wielded ! But then Lord Søl chose you to replace my fear with your wonder and light. Lifting their hearts, and giving them hope… Me, I was discarded as just a bad dream ! 'Oh, there's nothing to be afraid of. There's no such thing as the Boogeyman !' ''
The nightmare bustled about again, it seemed to react to Pitch's anger, as if the growing shadows around him were not enough to state his mood. That's when Hiccup noticed the blue light inside of the nightmare. It didn't seem connected to the Boogeyman, and it pulsed slightly in reaction to his anger. The dark spirit turned his head as if hearing something that caught up his attention, and the fire spirit noticed strange frost patterns appearing on the top of the floral cupola of the tower, just next to Pitch, where he had turned his head.
The Boogeyman seemed to get back his senses and frowned, clenching his fists and looking down on the Big Four.
''Well, that's all about to change.''
Suddenly, there was a faint quake spreading within all the palace. The whole structure seemed to shiver at that, and the golden decorations started to crack and fall, as if corrosion was suddenly attacking it.
''Oh, look. it's happening already.''
Tooth gasped and put her petite hands over her mouth, staring in shock at the decay of her realm.
''Children are waking up,'' Pitch chuckled with a false sweetness in his voice. ''and realise the Tooth Fairy never came. It's such a little thing, but to a child…''
''What's going on… ?'' Hiccup hesitated.
''They… They don't believe in me anymore…'' Tooth said.
The fire wielder couldn't help but stare at the decay too, just as shocked as Tooth herself. He was used to not have much believers, but the fairy… He could barely imagine what it felt like to loose her believers, and loose the power she gained from their belief. The vanishing magic was visible on the fairy as her wings slowed down, weakened, unable to carry her anymore. While she was weakening, the Boogeyman was gloating.
''No Christmas, or Easter, or little fairies that come in the night. There will be nothing but fear and darkness. And me. It's your turn not to be believed in.''
Hiccup clenched his fists and felt a wave of pure hatred rise inside of him. Spirits had always respected tenets and values of the others, and here was this one who was trying not only to sabotage the Guardians' work, but indanger their very existence ?! He couldn't let this go. The Guardians being connected to Lord Søl didn't matter anymore, he couldn't just let them disappear.
However, before he even had the time to plan an attack, he noticed the frost patterns thickened into ice next to Pitch. Oddly, the air seemed to grow colder around them, then the blue light inside of the nightmare suddenly vanished. The nightmare instantly collapsed, startling even the Boogeyman, and Aster took advantage of it. Without warning, he threw his boomerang to the dark spirit.
Pitch, despite a visibly growing panic, managed to dodge it but the objet was coming back, so the master of shadows formed another nightmare. The same blue light pulsed into its core and seemed to stabilise its shape, the Boogeyman climbed on it and the creature plounged, followed by a gust of cold wind adorning some specks of snow. The four Guardians instantly jumped after their enemy. After a faint hesitation due to astonishment, Hiccup shifted into a dragon and followed suite.
The five spirits tried to catch up with Pitch, Aster slowed him down by sending some egg bombs to him, but it didn't help much because the nightmare was fast and could easily change directions. They kept on falling and diving, until they reach the actual ground. There, the spirits landed and gathered, looking around them, but there was no trace of the Boogeyman.
''He's gone.'' North groaned in frustration.
The five of them remained there for a moment, looking around, Aster sniffing the air. Hiccup shifted back into human-shape and noticed some suspicious ice on a wall. He got closer and ran his fingers on it. It melted away instantly, just like natural ice, but he knew it wasn't. He had felt familiar prickling while touching it. This ice was magical.
Sniffling the air too, he caught a smell. It was the chilly and prickling smell of a winter morning, freshly fallen snow. Nothing to do with the rotten wood, musty and dusty smell of the Boogeyman. Looking closely at the ice, Hiccup saw it was covering a crack in the stone. He was ready to bet that was where Pitch had escaped, using the shadow as a portal.
He frowned and turned to face the others.
''Guys, I think Pitch has an accomplice.''
''How so ?'' North grunted.
''Look at this ice.''
''What 'bout it ?'' Aster shrugged, visibly out of patience. ''Doesn' mean anythin'.''
''Do you see much snow in tropics ? And there was this frost on top of the tower next to Pitch, and did you see that blue light in the nightmare ?''
Sandy thought about that, then he rose his hand before forming sand pictures above his head. Hiccup barely had time to see Pitch's bust scroll, then something that looked like the nightmare and a question mark. The symbols were scrolling too fast for him. He blinked and shook his head, confused, while Aster got it and translated for the others.
''Yar right, Sandy. Dreams ain't Pitch's magic. If he had found a way ta corrupt them into nightmares, he still need ta use yer dreams ta produce them. Still that doesn' explain how he managed ta shape them.''
''Pitch's shadows aren't enough.'' Tooth added. ''I mean, it would be enough to model the sand but not to stabilise it.''
''That's what the ice is doing.'' Hiccup claimed, pointing at Tooth for silently praising her idea. ''That explains this blue light inside the nightmare and the fact it had collapsed once it had vanished.''
''Okay, but where does the ice come from ?'' The fairy asked. ''Who would be crazy enough to ally to Pitch ?''
''Orr desperrate enough.'' North corrected.
Hiccup turned to the tall bearded man.
''North, before being the Guardian of Wonder, you're part of the winter spirits. Do you know one whose powers match the ones we saw ?''
''Hum… Harrd to say, I didn't notice anything. But accorrding to what you said, it would be elemental spirrit. One that can prroduce and contrrol ice.''
''Elemental spirits are rare.'' Aster assured, voice full of hope. ''Shouldn' be hard ta find out, then.''
Tooth had a huge smile on her face, she seemed to have an idea and was about to share it, but she stopped as she lost some feathers. She looked down at the three blueish feathers on the ground, gasping, then looked up to her palace, which was getting darker and duller.
''Oh no, the children… We're too late…''
''No !'' North barked, shaking his swords. ''No such thing as too late !''
He started to rummage his brain while groaning, pianoting his fingers on the sabres' handles, until he finally got an idea. He started and pointed his left sword to Aster, the blade almost cutting the bunny's sensitive nose.
''Ideah !''
Hiccup stared at this, making a mental note to never stand near the tall spirit when he had his swords in hands.
''We will collect the teeth !'' he said, pointing his swords towards Aster, Sandy and himself.
''What ?'' Tooth said, stunned.
''We get teeth, childrren keep believe in you.''
The simple idea seemed to give back some strength to the fairy, allowing her to fly around North.
''We're talking seven continents, millions of kids- !''
''Give me brreak.'' North scoffed, leaning a sword over his shoulder. ''You know how many toys I deliverr in one night ?''
''And eggs I hide in one day ?'' Aster added.
Hiccup swore he was seeing some kind of competition between these two, which amused him. Sandy smiled and gave Tooth a thumbs up, adding a similar sand symbol above his head. A bright smile grazed her lips, then the others turned to Hiccup.
''So, Blaze ? What do you say ? Arre you in with us ?''
The viking gave a smirk to the Easter Bunny, then he crossed his arms. Hey, he may was solitary, that didn't mean he was heartless.
''I'm in.''