Chapter 6: Teeth Collecting
The four stared at the Guardians.
The Guardians stared at the four.
It was Jack who broke the silence with an awkward cough. "Right. So…North, Bunny, Tooth, Sandy, this is Merida, Hiccup Rapunzel, Pascal and Toothlesss. Merida, Hiccup Rapunzel, Pascal, Toothless, this is Nicholas St. North," He gestured to the large white haired man that reminded Hiccup a little too much of his father, "E. Aster Bunnymund," the rabbit-man, "Toothinia," the bird woman, who was currently huddled in a corner, "and Sandy Mansnoozie." The short man that seemed to be made entirely of golden sand. He was the only one that offered a friendly wave.
"Toothless?" Bunny asked, a slight hint of suspicion in his tone.
Toothless showed his gums, than his teeth.
Tooth turned from her corner since the first time they got here.
"Listen, we didn't mean to intrude on your thing here," Hiccup spoke up.
"No." Tooth spoke. She rose, hovering slightly over the ground. "You did help. You were at least able to hit him. Thank you."
Hiccup certainly wasn't planning for that one. A quick glance showed neither were the Guardians. The smaller bird darted over to him, quickly glancing him over before doing the same to his companions. It seemed content with whatever answer it got, since it continued to hover over Merida's shoulder.
"Though that doesn't explain how you got here." North spoke.
"It's…kinda a long story…" Rapunzel muttered. She seemed worried, and Hiccup quickly realized why: she was practically meeting her idols, and they were instantly suspicious of her.
"Your snowglobe took me to her tower, she blackmailed me into taking her to see the lanterns, we ended up being attacked by thugs, befriended by thugs, attack by police, narrowly escaped, had a heart-to-heart and then Bunny showed up." Jack said, pointing fingers as necessary. "And that's how my day went, what about yours?"
"So they do work!" North's eyes lit up and he let out a merry laugh. "Tell me: what' is the other dimension like? More same? More industrial? Ooh, please tell me that's the dimensions with flying cars!"
"What d'ye mean, 'other dimension'?" Merida asked, her voice rising slightly.
"The spare snowglobes were experimental! For travel through dimensions!" North explained, nearly dancing as he spoke and his eyes sparkling with wonder.
"So, these three are from a completely different dimension?" Jack asked.
"And yet this isn't the strangest thing I've heard all day." Hiccup thought aloud.
"We can deal with that later." Rapunzel spoke up. "What we should be focusing on now is Pitch."
"Yeah," Jack said. "Why was he after the teeth?"
"It wasn't the teeth he wanted," Tooth sighed. She flew slightly off the ground, moving towards a very large mural at the end of the pond depicting her receiving teeth from very happy humans. "It was the memories inside the teeth. Teeth store the most important memories of childhood. We collect them, and when they need to remember something, we help them. We had everyone's here…even yours, Jack."
Jack blinked. "My memories?" He nearly stammered.
"Before you became Chosen."
Jack blinked again. "I—I wasn't…anyone before…"
Now Tooth blinked. She turned back to him, a slight look of confusion on her face. "Of course you were. Everyone was someone before they were Chosen."
Jack froze for a second. The next, he was darting over the pond to Tooth, the water freezing under his feet. "You're saying I was someone before the night on the pond!? I had a life? A family?!"
Tooth's face fell. "You don't remember…?"
The atmosphere suddenly grew very tense as the Guardians seemed to realize this. Jack didn't seem to pay attention. "If I find my memories, then I'll know why I'm here!" He quickly rose.
Hiccup found himself being flung off of his feet and onto Toothless' saddle as Toothless sped after him. The Night Fury crossed right in front of Jack's path, causing him to stop in mid air.
"The teeth aren't here, remember?" Hiccup nearly shouted at him. "That walking shadow thing has them."
"We'll just have to get them back then!"
The atmosphere suddenly grew a lot tenser. Hiccup glanced around. It was like the entire garden was dying. The water was growing darker, the trees were beginning to lose their bright blossoms, and the mural was quickly dissolving. Toothless slowly lowered back onto one of the rocks.
"It's already starting." Tooth said as she lowered back on the ground. "They're not believing anymore…"
"NO!" North roared. "No such thing as too late!" He began pacing, humming and wiggling his swords as he did. He froze, muttering to himself. After a few seconds, his eyes widened again, and he pointed a sword directly at Rapunzel. She hid behind her frying pan.
"IDEA! Ve," He waved his swords around them, pointing towards nearly all of them. "Vill collect the teeth!"
"What?" Merida asked.
"Ve get teeth, children keep believing!"
"We're talking seven continents, millions of kids-!" Tooth spoke.
"Give me break." North chuckled lowly, finally putting down his swords. "You know how many presents I deliver in one night?"
"Or eggs I hide in one day?" Bunny spoke up.
"And if you three help," North pointed his sword to Merida, Rapunzel and himself. "Ve get you back before…lanterns?"
Rapunzel lowered her frying pan to give an enthusiastic nod.
"And if you help out," North pointed to Jack. "We find your teeth."
Jack smiled. "I'm in."
"BEST!" Rapunzel dropped down one chimney.
She popped out of another a few houses away. "DAY!" She fell back down.
Yet another chimney across the street. "EVER!"
"Better catch up, Cotton-tail, I've five teeth ahead!" Jack shouted as he flew over the rooftops.
"You don't wanna race a rabbit, mate!" Bunny called after him.
"Ooh!" North called as he rose from a chimney. "Is this a race now!?"
"Four bicuspids over there! Incisor two blocks east! Is that a molar! They're everywhere!" Toothless slowed as Tooth rammed into a billboard.
"You okay?" Hiccup called.
"Fine!" She laughed it off. "It's just been a while since I've been out on the field?"
"And how long is 'a while'?"
"Oh…440 years, give or take?" She admitted sheepishly. She sped off as she found another tooth.
Merida tossed the tooth up in the air
…and found herself falling through the ground. Bunny took the tooth before it could fall. "Thank you very much, miss!"
"Oi!" Merida protested. Fortunately for her, the Puca wasn't two feet away before he was pinned to the wall by a blast of ice.
Jack took the tooth from his paw, giggling lightly. "Yes!"
A golden hand reached down and took it from him. Sandy floated above them on a cloud of his sand, smiling to himself.
"No!" Jack protested.
One of Toothless' fireballs shot out. Sandy managed to move before it hit him, just in time for Hiccup to reach out and take the tooth from him. "Thank you!" He called out.
He didn't get to move very farther before Rapunzel swung in his path on her hair and snatched the tooth from him.
"Wow!" Tooth exclaimed. "You're collecting teeth and leaving presents faster than my fairies!"
There was a pause.
"You have been leaving presents, right?'
Sandy nodded, before lowering his head and shaking it.
"Try smoothing it out on the side." Hiccup offered.
"I did!" Merida shouted back. Stupid other dimension and their stupid paper currency!
Finally, a miracle happened. The machine took the bill, spitting out several silver coins as a response. Merida happily took it and turned to the end of the line.
"Left central incisor, knocked out in a freak sledding accident." Tooth noted, twirling the tooth around in her fingers. She giggled slightly, careful not to wake up the kid beside her. "You think Jack had something to do with this?"
Rapunzel laughed softly and nodded.
"This was always the part I liked the most. Seeing the kids." Tooth sighed, rising up above the bed. "Why did I ever stop doing this?"
"It's different up close?" Rapunzel spoke in nearly a whisper.
Tooth nodded. "Thank you. I knew it wasn't your intent to be here, but…you've really helped." The fairy laid a soft hand on her shoulder.
Rapunzel fought to hide her smile. But it's been so long since she had such need to smile. "Thank you, really. I grew up reading about the Guardians, and…it really means a lot that I could help."
"A-HA!" North's exclamation shook through the room. Rapunzel and Tooth shushed him as he, Jack and Sandy walked through the window.
Jack understood, and spoke in nearly a whisper. "What gives, slowpokes?"
"How you feel, Tooth?" North asked, a bit quieter this time.
"Believed in!" Tooth sighed.
"Oh, I see how it is." Bunny spoke lowly, his head sticking out from the floor. "All teaming together ta put the rabbit in last place."
"Ye think we need ta team up to beat ye?" It was Merida speaking now. The sack of teeth she had came into the room before she and Hiccup did. "Look a' this!"
"You call tha' a bag of choppers?" Bunny asked. He held up his own, nearly twice as big. "This is a bag of choppers!"
"Now, now, this is about Tooth.. This is not a competition. And even if it was," North tossed his bag, nearly as big as he was, over his shoulder and down on the ground. It landed with a thud. "I WIN!"
The light hit him dead in the eye.
The kid scrambled backwards once the Guardians looked at him. However, his eyes remained wide with curiosity, and the flashlight traveled to examine everyone in the small bedroom. "Santa Claus? The Easter Bunny? The Sand Man…and the Tooth Fairy! I knew you'd come!"
"Surprise!" Tooth exclaimed. Her small laugh made it obvious she was nervous.
"And I don't know who you are, but you have to be cool!" The kid continued. It occurred to Rapunzel that the light was now on her, and she offered a pathetic wave.
"Uh…hi! We were just…collecting you tooth, and now we'll be on our way…" Hiccup prompted.
Before anyone could so much as take a step, a dog leaped onto the bed and faced them, growling slightly.
"Alright now, nobody panic," Bunny spoke up, walking up closer.
"Uh, Bunny? That's a Greyhound." Jack pointed out. "You know what Greyhounds do to rabbits?"
"Well, I bet he's never seen a rabbit like this!"
"Woahwoahwoahwoahwoah!" Rapunzel scrambled forward, spreading her arms to put as much distance between Bunny and the Greyhound as possible. Once he was at least out of the way, she turned to the dog. "Easy there, easy! Easy…"
The growling stopped. "Is she…" Hiccup started, but he didn't finish that thought.
"Now then…sit!"
The Greyhound plopped down.
"Good, uh…" She glanced to its owner.
"Abby!" The kid supplied.
"Good Abby! You're just a giant sweetheart aren't you? Now we're just going to calm down and…"
A loud buzzing filled the room.
It happened very quickly. So quickly, Rapunzel was positive that she didn't even get to see it all. Abby sprung, and began chasing Bunny around the room. A golden ball soon followed suit, bouncing around the room. It collided with Tooth, Bunny and Abby, knocking them out. It collided with North, sending the large man down and on the bed, sending the kid flying. Rapunzel managed to knock the ball out the window with her frying pan, and Merida caught the kid before he could fall on the ground. With a nod from Sandy, the kid fell asleep.
Jack's cackle filled the room.
"Jack!" Merida protested, dropping the kid to put her hands on her hips.
"What?" Jack asked. "I wasn't the one who knocked them all out. Though I do wish I had my camera…"
Sandy gave him a disapproving look. It changed into one more fearful, and a golden finger pointed to the window. Rapunzel turned. A Nightmare stood in the window.
It sped off as soon as it was spotted, and the five scrambled out of the window just as soon as it was gone.
It was a meager campsite. And 'meager' was probably the nicest word for it. But considering that they had left the castle with literally the clothes on their back and not much else, Stoick supposed it would have to do.
Elinor, however, seemed to disagree. In the time it took him to start up a fire and a small place to sleep, she had set up a full table with plates made of bark and utensils made of twigs. Stoick watched curiously as she had set it up, and when she finally was sitting down, he cleared his throat. "So what's all this suppose ta be?"
"Dinner, o' course." She replied. "Come. We'll never find them on a' empty stomach."
Stoick fought the urge to roll his eyes as he sat down, placing his axe
"No weapons on the table." Elinor said without glancing his way.
on the ground beside him. He watched quietly as Elinor picked up her utensils, carefully trying to slice through a single berry on her plate. Said berry collided with the bridge of Stoick's nose.
He could hear Elinor's apologies, but he tuned it out as he glanced over the berry. "Find these by the creek?"
Elinor paused. "Well, of course."
"Nightshade berries." And, when that didn't provoke a response, "Poisonous."
Elinor spat the berry out. It collided with the bridge of Stoick's nose again. She scrambled for some water, and Stoick tried to hid back his laughter.
He let her collect her breath again before he spoke. "You're used to the finer things in life, aren't ye?"
Elinor sighed. "I suppose…"
"Yer daughter this way too?"
This provoked a laugh. "Of course no'! She's probably havin' the time o' her life righ' now!" Then, a bit more somberly, "That is if she isn'ae in danger…"
Stoick stood and picked up his ax. "Come oon. I'll teach ya ta fish."
Author's Note: No...no...I SLEPT TOO LONG! Eh, at least I'm updating on the right day.
Not too much to say about this chapter other than the scene it is based on is great and I feel like I didn't do it enough justice. Next time we'll get more into the plot.
