Rise of the Guardians: stories we tell ch 2
Chapter 2: oh no
All was quiet, still, peaceful. That's what woke Tooth. Her palace was usually thrumming with the wingbeats of her fairies, at least half the team would be flying to collect teeth all over the world. Tooth flew out of her room, already a sense of regret and dread making its way up through her system. Regret for allowing Baby Tooth to convince her to turn in for the night, and dread at what she was about to find. The center of the palace was as still as still could be. Not a chirp or buzz could be heard aside from her own wings. The tooth boxes still in their usual places.
"Girls?" She called out psychically as well as aloud, "if this is some kind of joke Jack talked you into, I can assure you it's not funny."
Silence.
Tooth began to fly frantically around the palace, looking in every spot she could think of for her beloved fairies. The empty hall echoed her frantic wingbeats, the sound of it causing the Guardian to cringe inwardly. She finally ended up back at the center of the palace.
"Once upon a time, a beautiful fairy queen, with wings of a hummingbird and eyes like lavender, awoke to find her handmaidens gone. She searched her kingdom but found no trace of her beloved children. After a time a wise man came to assist her, in anyway he could, but he was met only with hateful scorn…" an elderly but strong voice echoed around the room. It was a voice Tooth thought she'd never hear again. Turning around slowly she glared at the being standing in a corner. His features were hidden by a dark coat, but his wrinkled hands were visible where he clutched at a staff to keep himself upright.
"What are you doing here?!" She demanded, "where are my fairies?!"
"Despite his assurances that he was only there to help, the queen flew into a rage and attacked the wise man." Tooth felt herself lunge at the man, she managed to pull up and away at the last moment. How could he have done that? His spells should be powerless against any Guardian.
"Upon hearing he had news of her followers, the fairy queen, heart filled with dread and worry, stopped her attack to listen to the wise man. He told her that they were safe and sound outside the realm they were in."
"What realm is that?" Tooth asked unwillingly, just as the man narrated her doing so.
"Why the realm of dreams, the wise man told her. Then he told her something that turned her wings to stone, causing her to fall to the floor before him." Tooth fell, landing ruffly on her hands and knees, "he told her that he would see her soon, thanks to a mischievous boy. Disbelieving, the queen forced herself to awake. But not before the wise man took a feather from her." He pulled out a feather from her head, causing Tooth to cry out in pain. She sat up, looking around her darkened bedroom. Baby Tooth flew in and landed on her shoulder, chirping worriedly at her mother.
"I'm fine, but we need to get to the pole. Now." She got up, flying to the window. Baby Tooth chirped at her.
"Because he's back." Tooth said as they flew. Quickly reaching the pole. She banged on a door until one of the Yeti let her in. She waited impatiently for Phil to get North, fluttering back and forth worriedly.
"Tooth? Is middle of night, what is wrong?" North asked, somewhat tiredly, his beard covered in wood shavings that he'd accidentally fallen asleep in back in his workshop. Tooth told him what had happened and he wasted no time in summoning the other three Guardians.
"It's the bloody middle of the night, this had better be important." Bunny grumbled, rubbing warmth and feeling back into his feet.
"It was an emergency, Bunny." Tooth said.
"Yeah Kangaroo, my angel wouldn't wake us up for anything less. What's up?" Jack asked, trying hard not to yawn.
"The Storyteller is back." Tooth explained.
"What?!" North and Bunny shouted in unison, Sandy making a large sand question and exclamation mark above his head.
"Um, the Storyteller? Firstly who are they, secondly what kinda villain name is 'the storyteller?'" Jack asked.
"The Storyteller was once a man, an apprentice to Mother Goose," North began, "he was so good, was said his stories would come alive, literally alive. Sometimes they would effect mortals, was not bad if happy fairytale. But could be very bad if bad ending. Storyteller was, how you say, fond of tragedies. So Mother Goose, with Ombric's help and magic, sealed him away in magic book." He finished.
"So if he's sealed in a magic book then how did Tooth see him?" Jack asked. The other Guardians faced Tooth, waiting for her answer.
"I didn't see him, but I had a nightmare about him." Tooth said, wringing her hands nervously.
"Maybe it was just a rogue nightmare we missed since we locked Pitch up." Bunny suggested.
"I don't think so, it didn't feel like one of Pitch's nightmares." The Queen of the Tooth Fairies shook her head. "He said he will be coming soon, thanks to a mischievous… boy." She looked up at Jack. North, Bunny and Sandy followed her gaze.
"Woah, why's everyone looking at me?" Jack asked, a nagging sense of dread playing at the edges of his mind.
"Your the most mischievous boy we know snowflake." Bunny said, crossing his arms pointedly.
"But release a dangerous enemy? No, not Jack. Jack learned lesson from Pitch, right?" North tried to defend Jack, but something about how the frosted teens stance told him something wasn't quite right. He was gripping his staff, as though to comfort himself rather than his usual casualness.
"Umm, of coarse. Totally learned that lesson. But I… may have… done it on accident." He said the last bit in a rush, wincing in preparation for the scolding he was about to receive.
"YOU WHAT?!" Bunny yelled.
"Hey, I didn't know what it was." Jack defended, "you know you guys aught to label things like, don't open dangerous psychopath inside." His attempted joke failed. Even a near by elf was shaking it's head pitifully at it. Sandy was making pictures above his head, a book then a key and lock.
"You know Sandy has a point. We should find a way to get him back in the book before it's too late." Tooth said.
"Everybody, to the sleigh." North said, already walking towards it.
"I'll meet you there." Bunny said, making a tunnel and disappearing through it before anyone could object.
"North, I'm really sorry about this." Jack tried to apologize as they walked.
"Not now Jack." North looked down at him, not with anger, just disappointment, "not now." He said sadly. Tooth didn't even look at him. Jack hunched down in his seat on the sleigh, pulling his hood up. He didn't even put his hands up for the loop the loops.