Here is another chapter, continuation of the lonelier night. Do you guys think i should do this small story separately? Well, i hope you like it either way :D don't forget to review.
First there was this uncommon vacuum. Probably, there were few people on this Earth to have ever experienced it and remembered.
The sole feeling of nothing...
If you could, indeed, feel anything, you would be absolutely terrified, by the emptiness filling everything around and within you. But truly everything! There wasn't any left particle remained to be found. As I said before, there was nothing.
But that would be the case if you could only feel worry, or fear, or fright. But you couldn't.
And in the blurred waters of your own mind, what was left of your conscience would absently ask:
But if there's nothing, how am I here? How can I be something if the only thing prevailing is the complete emptiness?
And with that last though in mind, you would feel yourself and all your surroundings dissolve.
But dissolve into what, few might say. Well, what can nothing dissolve to?
Either way, there's too much peace for you to even worry about this or what your future beholds. Because, after all, there is no future, there is no past...
What is there to worry about, anyway? It is all an illusion.
Because in the end, you are one with everything. And everything is just a huge space of nothing... isn't it?
Is it?
...
A light so strong that appears to swallow you whole, wakes you from your wandering slumber.
It seems as if your quiet emptiness of feelings was violently torn apart, and your drowsy conscience abruptly tossed back into a world of intense sensations and uneasiness.
You groan, unpleased. You want to get back there, back where it's peaceful and calm.
Here it feels cold and alone.
Cold and alone and scared...
What... what was scare? There was no such thing back there.
How much time has passed?
Where did that came from? What means... time? What an unfamiliar concept. Well, it surely rang a bell somewhere in the back of her conscience. But still, far, as if from a previous life.
Life...
Two lilac eyes opened swiftly, brushing the soft snow aside.
Light white dancers came fluttering towards her, born in the tumultuous dark sky.
She absently thought of touching them, and was surprised when a tiny arm stretched from the cold ground at the unspoken order. Her head tilted in awe, feeling so strange to have something that she knew was part of her, apart from her conscience. It was dense and tangible, contrasting ever so deeply with the serene emptiness of before.
Another thing that got her attention was the cold feeling. Feeling, what an interesting word...
But that bitter sensation seemed to disturb her tranquility, seemed to... bother. Her body responded to it, feeling the urge to get away from the unpleasant coolness. So she let her natural instinct take over, as her mind worried about other things. There was this order, echoing deeply within: Remember...
And that was the only thing she knew for sure, as muscles tensed, pulling up her torso. She needed to remember.
Her eyes drifted to the white ground around her, monitoring the hard task her limbs tried to fulfill: getting up. She frowned at the impracticality of her short legs, briefly wondering why would a creature depend on such fragile structures in order to assure its own locomotion. It was then that a slight tremble on her back called her attention.
Oh, much better! , and the crystal-looking wings begun fluttering rapidly. The motion of air propelled her body upwards, finally making her tiny feet leave the gelid floor.
She giggled, delighted, at this recovered feeling of freedom that overflowed her. The laughter was high-pitched, ringing like tiny bells. She swirled in the cool air, happy with herself.
But suddenly, a gasp left her throat, and she flew backwards a little, hands flying to cover her mouth.
There, laid on the snowy floor below her, a lifeless body rested under the soft moonlight. The plumage that covered its body was torn messily, flakes of pure white bending into bright blues and iridescent greens. And even in this chaotic state, it was certain that it was a naturally beautiful creature.
But suddenly, as her eager irises took in the sickly pale skin and closed eyelids, something deep within her, bubbled violently towards the surface. The face, the crown of feathers...
Everything quickly revealed before her eyes, the images of the fall, the massive force of the wind against her struggling self, the brutal storm, all replayed intensely in her overcrowded brain.
But something kept ringing there, above everything else. A mission, she truly needed to fulfill. And as if formed out of the colorful cloud of thoughts that drowned her mind, a figure became distinguishable. His cocky smile was long gone, foggy eyes staring at nothing in particular, staff loosely held in one pale fist.
Jack...
Like a distant whisper, a name was immediately associated to the picture. And a voice within her stated that such sad expression should never be seen in this character that, curiously, made her tiny heart flutter.
Yes, we can say it is not the pure peace she previously was in, but it was a... warm feeling. The problem was, she noticed, that with that flutter she felt at the sight of him came also a certain anxiety, as a closer look revealed his unhappiness.
I shall end it!, she said confidently to herself.
But then she remembered the body next to her, and something suddenly was added to the cloudy mess of memories and gloomy boys. A word, which she believes, she had once held so dearly to: responsibility.
It was in that moment that she remembered the children, her duty as a Guardian, and everything else her small form carried on her shoulders. And as if a real weight had suddenly been put on her back, her petit form sunk slightly in her hovering position.
It looked like all the tiredness she felt in her other body, was suddenly transferred to this smaller self.
Toothiana sighed, missing already the serene lightness of a blank page. The possibilities she had ahead in the moment she woke up, before the burden from her original life to be brought back.
So many memories end up becoming rather heavy..., the Tooth Fairy sadly realized. She missed the freedom of Nothing. The freedom of not having responsibilities.
In this exact moment, Toothiana understood with every particle of her being what Jack had felt, when he was first invited to join the Guardians. Who would want to leave his own freedom like that?
But that was what made them Guardians! The fact that they devoted their own eternal existence towards the happiness of others!
And it was then, that the Tooth Fairy remembered the nobility of such choice. It was in that stormy Christmas Night, in that snowy spot, with her lifeless body right next to her, that Toothiana renewed the oath she had once made to the Moon, a long, long time ago.
So staring deeply at the World's Watcher that smiled brightly in the dark sky, closer than he had ever been in a long time, the little fairy nodded. And with a confident frown settled in her face, she darted away, back to the stormy blizzard.
Children needed her, needed their memories, so that the unhappiness in their lives won't prevail.
- Because I shall end it!
...
..
.
What a mess...
It was the only thing the Winter Spirit managed to think of. He could barely blink his eyes, too much wind and too much ice uncontrollably swirling around at crazy speeds.
He scrunched his darker eyebrows, locks of virgin white hair whipping against his forehead.
So much chaos was starting to get on his nerves.
He swiftly extended his arm against the storm, the sound of the long staff cutting through the air.
- THAT'S ENOUGH! – the boy roared, authoritarian, frown still on his face, and, in his voice, not a single trace of amusement.
The Northern Wind immediately died away, surprised by the sudden order. Small bewildered snowflakes leisurely fell towards the ground, pacified that once again, only serene gravity held power over them.
The violent current transformed into a soft breeze. Normally, Jack would come and play with him, entirely ignoring the fuss that both of them might be causing down below.
But right now, the boy's anger, however, continued to flare in his eyes, causing the wood to which he clenched so strongly, to completely freeze.
- What have you done to her? – he simply growled. There was no time for politeness.
The air current bent around him, submissive under so strong determination. Had never the carefree Wind seen such anger and worry within his friend's core. An unknown fear devoured the Guardian's youthful self, leaving him lost in this overwhelming distress.
The older companion felt the urge to end such suffering, but right when Jack though he would lead him to her, the Wind simply vanished.
The boy's heartbeat increased, at the shock of such a sudden absence all-around him. He was always used to have the Wind enveloping his slim form. And now here he stayed, hovering in mid-air. He could well have been hovering in the outer space, he would not be able to tell the difference.
The Winter Spirit blinked twice to the empty night before him. Then his insides were filled again with that consuming, anxious fury.
- Oh, you must be kidding me! First you push me all the way up here, as if it was a major emergency, and in case you haven't noticed: IT IS! – he shouted, his angry breathes coming out of his lungs in turbulent vapor clouds. – And then you simply... puff... disappear!
Ending the burst out, he waited, hoping that the wind would see how serious the Guardian of Fun was being right now; how serious the situation was!
At the lack of answer, he tightened his fists, arms firmly set on each side of him, and stumped and angry foot against the non-existing floor. Just like a grumpy child.
- This is NOT time for jokes! – he yelled, starting to fall in despair. – Tooth's in danger! Now, tell me where she is!
His irises swept the cold December air, trying to spot any flutter in the curtains of snow-flakes that peacefully fell all around him. Longing for the slightest sign, for the slightest proof that his oldest friend hadn't abandoned him in this time of need.
Silence.
- Please... – the boy begged, defeated.
He lowered his head, hidden in the emptiness of the night by the heavy snow-fall.
It would be impossible to find Tooth all by himself, in the immensity of the forest, and at nighttime.
Only the Moon could help him now. But the Moon, well, it seems that his prayers never fly high enough to be heard...
The massive worry that flooded both his heart and mind, making them heavy and confused, was preventing him from thinking properly.
- What am I going to do... – Jack only whispered, now truly, in every meaning of the word, he was completely lost.
And just before all his hopes could simply die away, like a fragile flame in the sigh of the passing wind, his ears caught a sound.
Yes, something definitively disturbed the vastness of silence surrounding him: a familiar buzz that instantly made his heart swell up from relief and happiness.
He desperately flew towards the humming figure that came closer by the second. His body easily cut through the air, soft flakes clutching to his clothes and lashes. Jack continued speeding blindly through the darkness, as his only guiding the approaching flutter of wings.
A huge smile started to form on his thin lips.
He could not wait to hold her feathery form safely against his own chest, not ever going to let her go again.
Who cares about the Teeth Collecting or the snow-days? What were their duties as Guardians compared to the agonizing worry he presently felt? Right now, the only thing the boy was certain of was that he wouldn't pass through such a nerve-racking situation in a near future. And that meant keeping the foolish fairy tight in his arms.
Oh, she was going to hear from him, for putting herself in such a dangerous situation so stupidly. What was she thinking about, coming to look for him in the middle of a blizzard? He wasn't worth the effort!
The thought of holding her dearly was interrupted when he suddenly saw her, between the heavy snow-fall, flying hurriedly.
But... not in his direction, though.
Jack frowned, and quickly went to meet her, the fairy probably too disoriented to even notice him.
- Tooth! – he shouted happily, and the silhouette turned to face him. – Oh, I was so worri-
But he couldn't finish whatever he was going to say, as something suddenly hit his face in mid-flight.
Apparently the fairy was closer than what it seemed.
He rapidly recovered from the surprise.
But it was then that he noticed something warm clinging to his face. And his face only...
And before he could start to wonder what in the Moon that was, a high chirp abruptly pierced the quiet night.
...
..
.
The boy carefully grasped whatever was holding dearly to his face, simultaneously landing with both feet on a snow-covered branch. Well, in a way he already knew what it was, or he wouldn't have removed it 'carefully'...
Jack then opened his milky palm, right in front of his face, where an agitated minifairy jumped up and down, twittering madly.
She had an enchanted smile on her face, as if finding him was the best thing that could have ever happened to her. It was only then that the boy realized that she had been hugging desperately to his cheek, and the light stings he felt, was she kissing him repeatedly.
His thoughts were interrupted, as suddenly his dilated pupils caught a golden reflex in the peeking moonlight, which seemed to wish witnessing the unfolding of events.
He blinked, a confused frown settling on his face.
- Baby Tooth? – he whispered. But just as fast, he started inquiring the anxious minifairy, chiding her for having followed the worried spirit towards the blizzard without any permission. – Didn't we agree that you would stay managing things back in the Palace?
But, to the boy's surprise, the minifairy kept shaking her head, mouthing 'no'.
Then suddenly, she tried to fly away, but her eyes were always set on the boy, expectantly. But thanks to his quick reflexes, his huge palms enveloped her tiny form again.
- Wow, wait a second, girl! – he eased, gently stroking her head feather. Then his voice lowered, coming to a tone of calm comprehension. – You're saying you are not BT?
Enthusiastic nods.
- So... who are you? I've never seen another golden head-feather minifairy flying around! – the boy eagerly inquired, his innate curiosity making him forget all the previous drama.
The minifairy - that restlessly started to hover again, seeming to have some urgent place to go to - landed back on his hand and huffed, frustrated.
The Ice Prince saw her bit her lip, as she thought, and then slide a tiny hand over her golden head-feather, absently trying to fix it.
Jack's eyes widened immensely, immediately recognizing the gesture.
- T... Tooth? – he whispered, bringing the fairy close to his eyes.
Her head turned swiftly at the name, immediately facing him, and then he saw it: huge lilac eyes staring right at him, surprised.
- It is you... – he muttered, much more shocked than she could ever be for him to be able of distinguish her within millions of similar minifairies.
The now tiny Guardian smiled brightly, and on impulse of pure happiness, she jumped forward, hugging his nose tightly.
The boy chuckled, and soon she quietly sat back on his hand. However, his eyebrows scrunched again, confused.
- How did you end like this?
And her eyes only widened in response, as if she swiftly remembered something really important. In the next second, her light weight had abandoned his palm, floating on the cold winter air before him.
The boy looked at her, inquisitive, and rapidly got up from the branch, when the fairy's little hand signaled for him to follow.
She was right, it would be easier for her to explain latter, when she was back to her body. When she was back to being her special self in a bigger size. And that would happen soon. He hoped so...