Disclaimer: Who missed me working on this project? I know, I know. No one. You bitches can just suck it then. Fairly Odd Parents isn't mine, but everything original is – Pumpkins.
FOP
"Nyssia, Orlana, what can you tell me about Feldan? I would ask Dwalin, but he's a little preoccupied." Motioning back towards the Goblin and the Faerie, Timmy almost laughed at how quickly things could change. What had started as an apprehension towards one another had transformed into a friendship seemingly overnight. Poof was currently floating beside the head of the Goblin King, and the two were sharing an in-depth conversation of poofs and Goblin rebuttals.
The group had decided to set up camp after a few hours of hiking, a break that Timmy was grateful for. All as they walked he felt a biting at his heels, an anxiety that no matter how fast and far they walked he would always be too late. He thought that with setting up camp and settling down for the night he would be able to clear his mind a little, but found that the night fire only served to bewitch him into thinking of her. Of Tootie.
The sisters emitted a sort of sigh which was on the verge of a laugh, although not quite there. Nyssia shook her head sorrowfully as she stood, the dying embers of the fire flickering a warm orange on her pale skin. Orlana watched her sister rise, forest green eyes mimicking the emotion in her protector's motions. Timmy could only sit there, waiting patiently as the elder paced back and forth by the fire, before turning her orbs onto the young human.
"Feldan is King of many lands, but it is said this by far is his favorite. His magic is great, far greater than any I have ever seen in one or even multiple creatures. There are many stories and legends about how he came to be, and though they all are different from one another all seem to agree that he is as old as time and earth itself." Here she stopped, and Orlana continued with what she knew as Nyssia sat herself by the hot coals.
"He collects things both beautiful and ample in magic. He sends his Watch out to gather and bring them back to him in his Realm, where he keeps them forever. There is only one that I know of whom he hadn't locked away – she goes by Harpsichord. She was human once, a beautiful young human child whose magic nearly rivaled his own. She now sits as his Witch, the eyes and ears in Lands he cannot yet go."
Timmy could only listen in shock as the sisters took turns relaying all the information they knew. The red and orange of the fire danced within the vivid green of their irises, and through it all he found himself wishing it were a deep purple he was seeing. Suddenly Nyssia shook her head, and her two companions moved to look at her. There were no tears in her eyes, but a reserved pain one finds when bitterness has been extinguished.
"No, no Orlana, he doesn't collect them to keep them. They are his source of magic." The green eyes of the elder shifted to the stars above them, and somewhere Orlana found it in her to speak.
"Nyssia . . .?" or she had tried, but found her question was forced to go unasked.
"Every beautiful creature and powerful magic-soaked being that enters his Realm with the mark on them are not part of a collection. They are used. He takes their memories, one by one, and in absorbing them he absorbs their power, until there is nothing left."
Orlana gasped as if wounded, understanding something for the first time as Nyssia nodded mournfully. And then the pair did something that had surprised even Timmy, who had long ago assumed that nothing could surprise him after his first escapade with Dwalin.
They began to weep.
"Orlana, I will ask you this only once: are you sure you wish to help this human man in confronting Feldan? Because you know as well as I that once we return to his palace there will never be another escape." Orlana looked upon her older sister calmly, thinking over her death sentence before smiling.
"Yes. I want to give love a chance, their love, in place of yours."
Nyssia took her sister's hand in her own, and for a moment the pair held a gaze so strong that Timmy felt like he was intruding. Even Dwalin and Poof stilled their movements in order to watch the sisters. The elder broke the stare just as easily as she began it, and stood, pulling Orlana with her.
"Very well. Nyssia and Orlana, at your service when and where you need it on your journey to Feldan's Lair. We are at your disposal, young human." Realizing what moment had finally come, Timmy quickly got to his feet as well, unsure of how to respond to such a strong declaration.
"Uh, thanks. And you can call me Timmy."
The sisters smiled, and it was Orlana, the smaller of the twins, that laughed into her free hand and Nyssia pulled their conjoined appendage down in an effort to silence her.
"We know. Nyssia was just being formal, as she always is. Come comrades, night has fallen and sleep longs to embrace us." Her laughter fading, Nyssia slipped down by the embers with Orlana falling into her.
Dwalin, who had been silent throughout the exchange, sat at the edge of the campfire with Poof ever stoic at his side. Earthen eyes dark with thought, he spoke not a word but dug himself a small hole to sleep for the night. Saddened by the change in his new friend, Poof floated over to his brother, snuggling into his arms to fight away the sudden chill that passed through his magical bones. Timmy lay back with the young Fae on his chest, his gaze leaving the dancing creatures in the fire's flames to watch the stars above. No one spoke again, save for the sisters – the two now one – who had one more thing to say before the enchanters of sleep worked their magic.
"We have heard tales of your exploits, Timmy Turner. Of how you helped defeat the Gypsies, and reconciled the Goblin Queen with her sister the Leader of the Pookahs. We believe that if anyone can confront Feldan the Magnificent and win, it will be you."
The dancing women in the flames were the only ones left with something to say, but no one at the campsite spoke Fire.
*O*
The sun had long since disappeared beneath the horizon by the time the Watch stopped for the night. Cerridik settled himself against a fallen birch and pulled out his beloved dwarf moss, rolling himself a smoke and lighting it on the fire Dominik had started. Lorriana scoffed at the smoke he blew her way, turning her regal head away from him and directed her gaze towards the prison around their comrade's neck.
"She can't remain locked in there until we reach Feldan. She is only human after all." Her words ushered in a heavy moment that threatened to break them with its weight, before Dominik turned his dark eyes to the creature on the chain.
"And if she tries to flee?" Cerridik coughed out amid the purple smoke of his drug. Even as he spoke the Wolf was removing the prism from its place and setting it by the ring of fire.
"Then we will catch her." as the words left his mouth the crystal grew in size until at last Tootie was in her ordinary conditions. Glaring at her captors once for good measure, she harrumphed herself into a sitting position near the fire. Dominik kept his gaze locked with hers, daring her to move even an inch in escape.
"I won't run. In all honesty I know I need to, but not why. I don't know what I want to run to; the only thing I can remember is traveling like this. What's happening to me? Why can't I remember?" her voice was rough with emotion by the end, and Lorriana moved to wrap her arms around the distraught young woman, once again the image of maternal affection.
"Hush now dear, it's a side-effect; Feldan needs all you pretty young humans as blank slates. Worry not, soon that void you feel will be so large, you won't even know it's there."
Purple smoke was blown their way as Cerridik observed it all, a smug smirk on his lips as he appreciated Lorriana in both her tender and exposed state. Dominik growled once for good measure, however the pair of men did little else to disturb the Vendoise comforting their ward. Tootie began crying then, not hysterical sobbing but quiet shakes as the tears tried to force themselves from her eyes.
"Why does he need blank slates?" voice little more than a whisper, Tootie moved closer into Lorriana's naked breast in an effort to find solace and truth. The Fae for her part stroked the girl's hair and rocked her back and forth, meeting the eyes of their squad leader – Dominik nodded only once to show she could speak. Her answers, though, would have to be censored.
"There is less fight in you creatures when your memory of what you were is gone. That means you are easier for Feldan to . . . handle."
"But why me? Why does Feldan want me?"
The group remained silent. After a short time, Tootie ventured from the bosom of her captor in order to lean around the campfire and take the cigarette from Cerridik. The Fe'vert growled playfully but otherwise let her take the drug from his lips. They all watched in fascination as her shaking hands held it to her own mouth and inhaled, amazed as she didn't cough or sputter, but instead released a steady stream of purple blue smoke, Cerridik laughed as Dominik plucked it from the young human's grasp and tossed the dwarf moss into the dancing women of the fire.
"Dwalin is not far behind us, and it seems he's enlisted the aid of a human, a Fae, and a pair of nymphs." Cerridik announced after a moment of absorbing the small spores that merged with him from the forest. Dominik's dark eyes watched the flames intently, thinking over the intelligence he didn't want to hear.
"Nyssia."
"And her sister, it seems."
"Why didn't they flee like I told her to?"
This time it was the Vendoise and the Fe'vert that locked eyes .They had had suspicions about their Wolf friend, and what he had done in order to get demoted from Feldan's Right Hand to a simple Watch Squadron leader. But if this Nyssia was one of the nymph twins that escaped Feldan's palace, and Dominik and helped them, then it's no wonder. Releasing a magic source of Feldan's is almost as grave as touching his Witch – the only difference being that the latter is equitable to absolute death.
All things considered Dominik got off lucky, if they were correct.
"Dwalin?" Tootie's voice was soft, and surprised that that one word brought a small cluster of memories with it. However all she could see was green, a brown sock, and a spider or two.
"Silence – we'll speak no more of this. Cerridik, douse the fire, Lorriana put her back within the crystal. If we leave now we will reach the palace by tomorrow morning." His subordinates nodded, still not used to this sudden urgency he seemed to adopt.
"Of course Dominik, but why the hurry? Surely one night of rest won't kill us." The green man reasoned, earning a bark as the Vendoise snatched up the crystal, the re-imprisoned Tootie staring out with large eyes. Gracefully she slipped the chain over the dark man's neck, nodding sadly to the girl within.
"The sooner we hand her over to Feldan the better, I have a bad feeling about this one and the longer we have her the worse it gets."
They would not argue with him more. Rather, Cerridik followed an order, and Lorriana looked over her shoulder as if to see the encroaching posse pursuing them. And as for Tootie, she sat within her prison once again, heart heavy with a void and an image of a pink hat she simply couldn't shake away.
*O*
Timmy had just barely fallen into a light doze when a loud poof accompanied by golden smoke filled the campsite, and he sat up so quickly Poof fell off his chest and rolled down his legs.
"Timmy! Poof!" Wanda's shrill call of frantic relief was enough to make both boys shrink in remorse as the baby Faerie was engulfed by his mother's arms. Cosmo meanwhile had floated over to hover by his Godchild's head, watching the spectacle of his wife and son with some enjoyment.
"What are you boys doing all the way out – Dwalin?" Wanda's rant was cut short by the little Goblin sitting up slowly, shaking the dirt from his head. Nyssia and Orlana had also risen, the pair separating their heads but conjoined from the shoulders down. The campsite was quiet as all the creatures within eyed one another, until Timmy worked up the courage to break the silence.
"Didn't you read my note?" he asked curiously, to which Cosmo and Wanda shared a look Timmy instantly recognized as one from his youth.
"Uh . . ."
"I'm going to hazard that to be a no." Nyssia spoke, her body finally separating from her sister's completely. Timmy looked back and forth from each face of his godparent, the epitome of blank expressions falling over his eyes.
"Tootie was captured by something called the Watch and taken to this Feldan guy, so Poof and I are following Dwalin to get her back. We just met Nyssia and Orlana, who are helping us." He watched with a sinking feeling as Cosmo paled and Wanda's eyes grew wider than he had seen in a long time.
"Feldan has Tootie?"
Nyssia shook her head as Orlana fell back onto the floor, looking anywhere but at the young human.
"Not yet, but I would assume by tomorrow he will." The Faeries shared a look that shook Timmy to his very core. They knew something too, didn't they? Why was everyone keeping secrets from him?
"It's worth a shot." Wanda mumbled, and with a motion so practiced she didn't even notice, waved her wand in a large, tired arch. It glowed with a bright warm gold, before falling limply to the side.
"You have to prove your desire to reach Feldan – he will not allow such an insult as magical teleportation in his Realm." Timmy was surprised to hear something akin to distain within Nyssia's voice. He had thought that she hated Feldan; so why now did she sound like she hated Wanda? Didn't they all have the same common goal?
The Nymphs, as one, caught his eye.
"This is not a game, Timmy Turner. You have to be willing to risk it all, for Feldan takes nothing lightly. Under normal circumstances he would never let some Faerie just appear without his consent – and these times are anything but normal. He has waited for this for so long, that he will not let it end so easily."
The incredibly tense moment was broken by Wanda gathering Poof in her arms, holding him close as if she would never let him go. Cosmo looked at his wife, and she was surprised to see rational eyes staring back at her. The Old Cosmo, whom she thought she lost.
"Poof is going no further. . . and neither will we."
"What?"
Wanda sighed, pulling her son closer, trying to absorb him into herself like those lovely Nymphs. For a moment she couldn't look her Godchild in the eye, keeping them closed tightly as she gathered herself, afraid to see the grief and heartbreak she knew she'd find. Cosmo remained floating beside Timmy's head, but he too could only look at the black sky or orange flames.
"Poof's just a baby, it's not safe for him out here. And he can't grow up without his parents. I'm sorry sport, but we can't go with you." The solitary human could hear the remorse, the heart break, but all he could feel was his own. The words left his mouth before he gave himself the chance to see the logic in her words.
"Can't or won't."
"Timmy -"
"You would leave me out here on my own? To face the horrors of these realms and Feldan alone? I know Poof needs you but what about me?" at this point Cosmo wafted over to his wife and child, the weight of the situation nearly crushing his Fae wings.
"Some journeys must be done alone, sweetie. Besides, our wands don't work this deep in Feldan's kingdom – what good would we be? We'd just be in the way causing more harm."
Ears becoming as pink as his hat, Timmy fisted his hands and glared at the fire.
"It's your job to help me."
"It's our job to guide you, and grant your wishes. We can't do that here, so we'll be home." Just as she and Cosmo raised their wands, Timmy looked up. The expression in his eyes stopped them dead.
"What about Tootie?"
For the first time all evening as far as Timmy could remember, his Godmother smiled. A warm, caring smiling that flooded his insides with a sincerity he didn't realize he missed.
"She has you coming for her, there is hope. Good luck Timmy."
And with that, the golden smoke returned, taking with it the family of Faeries. After they had been gone for a matter of minutes, Timmy sighed and kicked out the fire. He nodded for the others to follow him as he left the campsite.
"So soon?" Orlana questioned, her hand once again fused with that of her older sister. As Nyssia looked upon the young human, she couldn't fight away the feeling that he already looked defeated.
"Yeah, I'll bet the watch won't stop for the night. And to be honest, I can't sleep anymore anyway." Voice haggard and posture stooped, Timmy fled. Dwalin and Nyssia shared another hard look, before following.
Meanwhile, Wanda and Cosmo had poofed themselves directly into their small castle home, Poof safely in their arms and wide awake. Feldan had let them escape his Realm with their family and their lives, but Timmy was another matter. Placing her son inside his cradle, Wanda collapsed to her knees, hands turning white as she gripped the sides of the bed and wept. Cosmo said nothing, just took hold of her shoulders and cried silently with her. They both knew that dark, harsh truth.
There was no hope.
*O*
Dawn had barely begun to spread her chilled fingers across the world when Dominik emerged from the wood, the crystal around his neck and comrades at his heels. Even in the morning Feldan's castle was powerful and commanding, power so strong oozing from its walls that the Wolf could do nothing but shiver in at the sight of it. Twisted, magical, beautiful things happened inside, things that made him envious and fearful all at once. Memories flooded his eyes, of a dark haired Nymph with green eyes, of the gifts she gave him within those halls. Of the life she filled him with, of the hate he replaced it with.
If only she had fled. If only . . .
"Dominik?" Lorriana's voice flitted in his darkness, like a will-o-the-wisp in the dead of the night. It shook him from his reverie, and with a startled sort of waking he barked out at them and made his way down the slope towards the castle walls.
Cerridik laughed as he watched his old friend stomp towards his master. He was always a resentful dog, a hound that had been kicked one too many times – given to bouts of aggression and bites. And yet he had never led the Fe'vert astray, far from it the Wolf had brought him straight to Lorriana. The Vendoise, who now did not clutch to his green arm, but did stand a bit closer to him as they passed below the fantastically carved archway.
He never knew a time when she had coward in fear at the sight of the sentry guards – horrible creatures, the Bone-Crunchers. They would ride the nightmare owls over the battlefields and feast on the corpses of the dead and the nearly-dead. Zombie-like they would devour those left behind, eating away at the flesh and bone in hopes that it would restore their own, would stabilize their deformed little bodies. But it never did.
It only made things worse.
Cerridik knew there was something special about Lorriana the moment they passed beneath those flocks of villains, and she never so much as flinched. It was then, probably, that he first fell in love with her.
"Go and rest, I've pushed you hard enough. And besides, this is one visit I would like to make alone." Dominik ordered over his shoulder, not turning around and only barely stopping on his way to the throne room. His subordinates were left standing in the courtyard, confused but relieved. Dominik was one thing and Feldan another, but the pair of them together was a gather not many would survive – and they did not want to test their luck today.
Not bothering to announce his presence, the Wolf strode into the throne room with his head high and distain clearly readable in his eyes. As he suspected Feldan was already seated and waiting for him, the Witch standing to his right. Her eyes were just as cold as his, and Dominik had to fight away the fear creeping down his spine.
"Do you have her?" voice deep and echoing, Feldan knew the answer already but, as with all magik, would never be certain until he saw her before his very eyes. Dominik said nothing, but with an elegant bow swiftly removed the crystal from his neck and pulled the chain. Moments later Tootie stood before the powerful being, unflinching in the face such power.
Harpsichord took a step forward, but the movement was overshadowed by Feldan. His form towered over everything in the throne room, dark orbs absorbing every detail of the young girl. His witch took one look into her eyes – those beautiful, violet, bright, empty eyes – and smiled.
It would seem the time had come.
FOP