Jack Frost and Eros did not ever expect to have to give a pep talk to a bear. But that's just what they had to do, because a certain Slenderman had piss-poor motivational skills...
The large polar bear was facing an even larger tree, laying down and covering her face with massive paws, grumbling at the spirits to leave her alone, despite the fact that they couldn't understand her.
"Can I quit and go back to being dead...?" The bear whimpered. "I kinda wanna go back to being dead... This job sucks. I didn't even get a welcoming ceremony or anything. This sucks, and I want to go back to being dead. What good am I doing, anyways? None. I scared the shit out of my brother, and I hurt a teenage delinquent that was just trying to help me. I suck..."
"Come on," Eros reasoned with the bear, lightly patting her side, "You're not that bad..."
"She isn't?!"
The ginger scowled and hit the teen upside the head. "We're supposed to be helping her, you stupid kid!"
Jack yelped and held up his arms in defense. "I wasn't being serious!" He protested, "I thought that maybe she would get mad at me and forget about being depressed..."
Eros rolled his eyes and leaned down on one of his knees. "Come on... I've been aiming for ya for four years. I wouldn't spend that much time on anyone who was anything less than awesome..."
The bear grunted into the ground. She wasn't crying or anything, but man, she kind of wanted to...
Jack finally sighed and set his staff on the ground before getting on his hands and knees. He lifted up one of the massive bear's arms and crawled underneath it until he got close to the moping bear's face. The teen wrapped one arm around the bear's massive neck and lightly patted her forehead.
"Hey..." Jack told her quietly, "You wanna know how I know that you're cool...?"
The bear exhaled heavily and shrugged one shoulder.
"Zach. Zach is a great kid, and smart, too. And that kid loves you to death," Jack said, "You should have seen the way his eyes lit up when he'd tell me about you... You were his hero."
She glanced at the white-haired teen from the corner of her eye, and Jack grinned.
"Is his hero gonna let him down...? Are you-"
The bear sat up suddenly, placing a furry paw over the teen's face, ears erect. She stood up slowly, sniffing the air as a familiar, not-right sensation bubbled in her veins. The bear stood up on her hind legs, and the fur seemed to almost melt off as the bear got shorter and shorter, until Ashley was standing there with her trident in hand.
She narrowed her eyes in concentration as she breathed in the air.
"What is it...?" Eros asked quietly.
She started to lean back to tell him she wasn't sure, until it hit her like a ton of bricks. "Son of a female dog!" She snarled before sprinting to the large tree in her backyard and scrambling up. She leaped into the window, forcing it open before barrel rolling on the carpet.
She looked up, only to see a fearling looming by Zach's side, and she growled low under her breath as she threw her trident into the creature's chest. The fearling staggered back a few steps before being engulfed in the now-familiar white light, and her trident hit the ground with a thud.
"You damn things just don't give up, do you?!" She roared in anger. "Put yourself back together so I can kill you some more, you bitch! You need to just fuck off, Pitch! I'll kick your ass-messing with my baby!"
Sliding across the bed, she dropped to the ground and picked up her trident faster than you or I could blink. Checking under the bed for any more fearlings and finding none, she peeked in the closet and was just starting to check behind some coats before a voice rang out.
"A-Ashley...?"
Whoops. Ashley still had yet to completely figured out how to control when people could and couldn't see her. She had figured it had something to do with what she consciously or unconsciously wanted-but wasn't quite sure yet, and thus, couldn't really control it. Being around other... whatever they were-Jack and Eros and them, they could see her no matter what, so she couldn't test it out on them. So really, until she had a chance to test it out, it was a fifty/fifty deal...
She'd have to ask Slendy about it, next time she saw him...
She stood up straight and clutched her trident to her chest, turning and giving the young boy a meek wave. "Hey... Hey, darlin'..." She rubbed the back of her neck nervously, clearing her throat. "Um... Wow, I should've planned this out or something, this is really awkward," She chuckled weakly, hoping to break the ice. "So, uh... Guess who's not dead...?"
Zach burst into tears, and Ashley... well, for lack of a better word, she panicked.
"No, no, no-don't cry! Wow, talk about me being insensitive!" She yelped, "But hey, I'm not dead! Well, I guess technically I am-but-but you can see me, and-and talk to me, and even touch me! Please, please don't cry! I'm right here, see!" She dropped her trident and held her arms open, gesturing to herself. "You're not crazy-I'm here!"
Zach jumped at her, almost knocking her over as he wrapped his arms around her neck. She was surprised at first, but she quickly hugged him back, sinking to the ground. Zach sniffled into her neck, as they both held each other as tight as they could, with no intention of letting go anytime soon.
Just being able to touch the kid again made her feel so much better. After so long of wanting to hug him... It was nothing short of bliss.
Hearing Zach sniffle and stifle sobs made her get all emotional, and well... She just forgot herself. She started to cry a little bit, too, as she kissed the top of his head and nuzzled the top of his head.
"I'm so sorry, Ashley," Zach whimpered, "It was my fault... None of this would have happened if I would have just fallen asleep like you wanted me to..."
Ashley laughed as a tear rolled down her nose, leaning back a bit. She wiped away the stream of tears from his eyes and kissed the young boy's nose. "Baby, don't even pull that crap," she choked out, "I don't care. If anything, it was my fault. I was the adult, I should've been paying attention-but I'm not playin' the blame game with you... God, kid, I am so sorry..."
As she hugged the boy, Jack and Eros peeked in the window, having missed the action again.
Eros didn't mind it, though, as he smiled to himself. A real, genuine smile, this time... "I always love seeing that," The man sighed happily. "That's one of the purest kinds of love... It's also one of the best ways to tell if someone is worth trusting or not. It's gotta be in my top three favorites..."
Hearing other voices, Ashley quickly straightened up and wiped her eyes, clearing her throat. "I-I wasn't crying. I was... I was sweating through my eyelids." She stood up quickly, with Zach still hanging around her neck. She smiled and held him up.
"I missed you..." Zach mumbled into her neck.
She chuckled and nuzzled his shoulder. "I can see that..." She looked over at the winged ass and jerked her head to her trident. "Get that for me, will you? Zach's getting a little too big for me to bend over while carrying him."
Eros walked over and picked up her trident, handing it to her with the weirdest smile. Ashley averted her eyes. "Uh... You okay...?"
He gave a giddy smile. "I'm better than okay! Cupid, remember...? Seeing love makes me feel all warm and fuzzy."
She raised an eyebrow at the odd ginger before shaking her head and muttering under her breath, "I can see why people say gingers don't have souls..." Before turning her attention back to her baby.
"Are you alright?" She asked concernedly, "That kid who pushed you, did he hurt ya? I swear to whatever god is up there, I'll mess him up if he hurt you..."
Zach leaned back and gave her a shaky smile. "No, he didn't hurt me m-" He froze. "Wait... how did you know about that...?"
Uh oh...Ashley cleared her throat and laughed nervously. "Oh, you know... I've been around town, and news spreads like a frickin' wildfire, these days..."
Zach raised an eyebrow. "I may be young," He told her dryly, "But I'm not stupid. You pretty much raised me for the past two and a half years, after all..."
She winced. Ouch... "Yeah, yeah, you're right. I am pretty awesome," She sighed. "Well, ya see..."
He jumped suddenly, and put his hand on her face with wide eyes. "Wait..." He breathed, running his fingers down cheek, realization in his eyes. He moved her reddish hair away from her left ear, only to jump back and almost fall off of her lap. "You-you-you! You have the same - how?!"
She opened her mouth again, only to be cut off again. "Oh my-did you...?! Were you...?! Could that bear have been...?!" He gaped at her, opening and closing his mouth for a few seconds before shaking his head. "No... No, that's impossible..."
She gave a weak smile, watching him carefully for any signs of fear or disgust. "You're thinking like a mortal... I was supposed to be dead. But I'm here now... Nothing's impossible, so I'm told."
The young, almost sickly-looking boy gaped at her for a few seconds, with eyes that seemed as large as dinner plates. It made sense, really... Zach was by no means a foolish boy, and he clearly saw the scars on the bear's face. Rearrange them a little to fit a human's, and they matched Ashley's scarred face. Even the ear...
For a moment, a flash of fear crossed Zach's face, and Ashley's heart dropped in her chest. She hadn't meant for it to show on her face, but it did, and Zach saw it...
He stared at her for a few tense seconds, before asking slowly, "So... that bear was you...?"
A guilty look that was laced with regret crossed her face, and she nodded.
He watched her carefully before repeating, "So... That was you, at recess...? The big, white bear...?" She nodded again, and a grin crossed the boy's face as his eyes lit up. "Cool! You can turn into a bear!Can I ride on your back?!"
Her face fell and she cocked her head to the side. "Wait... You're not scared or anything...?"
Zach scoffed. "Me? Scared of you?!" He snorted. "That's not even remotely funny. I'd never be scared of you, Ash... I promise. Just... don't leave me like that again...? Please?"
She hugged him. Yeah, she'd been hugging him a lot, but she needed to make up for lost time. That's the excuse she'd give if someone were to ask, anyways... "I love you, kid." She mumbled. "And I'm sorry I put you through all that..."
"S'okay," The boy mumbled in her shoulder, "You didn't try to... And-and I wanna tell you another thing... You... You died, because of me..."
Ashley rolled her eyes. "I thought I told you that I'm not playing the blame game."
Zach shook his head and frowned. "No, no... I mean-you saved my life. Some people that were investigating saw how messed up my side of the car was... I should have been dead. My leg got crushed real bad, and I was bleeding on the inside, but... it should have been worser." Zach gave her a sad, guilty, regretful look. "If you had stayed on your side, you could have walked out with just a few scratches, but you didn't... You covered me up, and took most of it." His eyes suddenly got a glassy look to them, and he cleared his throat. "And you... People called you a hero. I just... I just wanted you to know that..."
She blinked a few times, before shrugging one shoulder. "Babe, I'm gonna be completely honest with you... I really could not care less... I just wanted you to come out of there unhurt... And, I kinda failed..." She looked down at his stump. "I tried, but..."
Zach lightly punched her in the shoulder, smiling assuredly. "It didn't hurt, honest..."
She raised an eyebrow and gave the boy a skeptical look. "Zachary..."
"Okay, okay," He admitted weakly, "So it hurts a little when I take a shower and clean it, and the stitches still creep me out... But I'm a big boy, I can handle a little hurt."
Giving up, she sighed and lightly headbutted him. "I know... I still don't want you to have to, though."
The boy shrugged, and caught sight of the people behind her, only to have his jaw drop. "Jack! And a bird man!" He gasped before asking excitedly, "And are you the tooth fairy?!"
Ashley turned to look, only to drop her arms. It was a good thing Zach was holding on tight...
"Woah, man... That is... You are... beauteous..."
Now, Ashley had no idea what she was. The so-called tooth fairy kind of looked like a mix between a hummingbird and a human. Brightly colored feathers covered her body, save for her face and hands. Her eyelashes were long, and her face was clean and clear. Her feathers had a brilliant sheen to them, and a crown of longer, lighter-colored feathers on her head where hair would be. And the wings... They were moving so fast, she couldn't really see them but they were still so cool...
So in shock, Ashley had forgotten that Zach was dangling by his arms until he protested with a grunt and a headbutt to the shoulder. She jolted, and held him back up with a meek apology.
The tooth fairy smiled and flew closer. The way she moved reminded Ashley of a hummingbird. "Thank you very much!" Giving the awkward adult a closer look, she gasped, and the feathers on her head lifted, like a cockatoo's would. "You're Ashley Catherine Edgewood!" She beamed. "My, I haven't seen any sign of you since you were fifteen! You got so big!" The lady's smile fell. "Goodness... What happened to you...?"
"Okay, that's it!" Ashley exclaimed with a note of finality in her voice, "I'm getting a mirror! This is getting on my nerves, man. Everyone keeps talking about my face, and I still haven't even seen it yet! Someone give me a freaking mirror!"
Eros raised a hand. "I have one..." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, foldable mirror before throwing it to her. She caught it and opened it, only to flinch once she looked in it.
"Dang... Scars are not quite as attractive as a lot of people make it out to be..." She muttered scornfully.
It wasn't as bad as she had expected. She had been expecting it to look like she'd had an accident with a cheese grater or something. It was even fully healed and everything, but...
A bunch of cuts ran up her face at various angles. The smallest ones were little more than pinkish lines that indented on her skin a bit. But those weren't what she was really upset about. Some particularly large and bastardous pieces of glass had ran across the bridge of her nose, took out a piece of her eyebrow, sliced her lips, and had damn-well nearly blinded her! There was very little space between the particularly large, pink scar and her eye. It ran downwards, and didn't even look all that horrifying or anything, it actually kind of looked like one of the scar options from Skyrim when making a character, but... it still didn't really help her lower-than-average self-image.
"This is like some 'Phantom of the Opera' crap," She said quietly, "I look..." She trailed off, and Zach finished for her.
"Awesome." The young boy told her firmly and sternly, with no room for discussion in his voice. "You look like a really cool, warrior superhero that's also a dragonborn assassin."
Ashley faltered and gave the young boy a look. He gave an assuring smile, and she gave one back. She didn't say anything-she didn't need to, and they both knew it.
Clearing her throat, she turned to the winged bird-woman-thing and bowed as far down as she could go without risk of dropping Zach. "Hey there. I'm Ashley-but I guess you already know that... I'm told that I'm supposed to be the spirit of courage. Which really needs an acronym or something, but I can do that later..."
The bird woman's eyes lit up as she beamed. "Oh, really?! Wow, that's so great!" She flew right up in Ashley's face and opened her mouth. "Your teeth are looking quite nice but... you drink coffee, don't you...?"
As bewildered as she was, Ashley nodded, looking around with wide, very confused eyes. "Uh-huh. Li'e ni'e cu's a day..."
The feathers on the tooth fairy's head puffed up as she looked from Ashley's mouth to her eyes, surprise in her eyes. "Nine?! What?! Really...?" Ashley gave an awkward nod, with the fairy's fingers still in her mouth. The fairy's eyes got wider, if that was even possible. "Wow... You take great care of your teeth, then!"
Bunnymund's voice came from the open window. "'Ey Tooth, ya got your fingers in someone's mouth again... You're not 'sposed to do that, 'member? At least... not without permission..."
Tooth's head jerked a bit, having forgotten about that. She withdrew her fingers, much to Ashley's relief, and apologized meekly.
Ashley shrugged. "Water under the bridge." Zach looked over at Bunnymund, and his jaw dropped.
"Woah! You're-you're the Easter Bunny!"
Bunny grinned from the windowsill and hopped in. "At your service, mate. I hope ya found the eggs to be quite right, Zachary...?"
Said boy gave a goofy grin as he hopped down from Ashley's arms, and leaned against her for balance. "The Easter Bunny knows my name! Yeah, they were great! This is so cool!"
North's head peeked in. "Everything is fine, yes? No trouble in finding zhe leetle one?" The massive man squeezed into the room, making the already crowded room about three times worse. Also making Zach way more excited.
"Santa!" The young boy exclaimed excitedly, "I knew you were real! I knew Ashley wasn't lying to me!"
North glanced at said girl with a fond smile. He would have patted her on the shoulder, but he was too far away... and Ashley was thanking every god she knew of, and even some she didn't, that that was the case...
"Yeah, I got this," Ashley told the huge man, "But listen... There was another fearling messing with my baby, and I'm not tolerating that. Not even a little. We've gotta do something about this because you guys are the Guardians of children, and Zach is my baby."
North furrowed his eyebrows in concern. "Another vone...?"
"Yeah," She replied, putting her arm around Zach. "And I'm not leavin' the kid unless I know he's gonna be safe, so we've gotta do something."
The large man stroked his white beard, humming thoughtfully before jumping up. "Ve could keep him in North Pole! He vould be safe there-the yetis will not let any harm come to him."
Both Bunny and Ashley gave North a look.
"Are ya bonkers, mate?! They'll notice that the ankle-biter's gone in an instant!"
"Yeah, come on, now..."
Zach raised a hand. "Uh... Actually, they... They may not." The boy added quietly, "They've been working a lot lately. I've been in my room a lot, and... They haven't really noticed..."
Pretty much everyone in the room frowned when they heard that, and Ashley rolled up her imaginary sleeves with a scowl. "Okay, that tears it. I'm kickin' Dad's booty."
She started walking towards the door, but a small hand grabbed her shoulder. "I know you're upset, Ashley, but this provides us with a way to ensure Zach's safety," Tooth told her gently, with the patience of a mother.
Ashley frowned, pointing back to the door. Suddenly, she felt like she was six again, when she would made a weak excuse to her mom, before her mom had an aneurysm and left her and her dad all alone. "But... But he... My dad..." Tooth raised an eyebrow, and Ashley's shoulders hunched over as she sighed defeatedly. "Okay... I'm doing it later, though..."
Zach beamed and hopped over to his bed, collapsing in it and throwing the blanket off, searching for something. He crawled over the edge of the mattress and peeked under his bed, only to groan with impatience. "Where is it?! Where's my leg?!"
Everyone started searching for it, bumping into each other and awkwardly apologizing to each other. It was Bunnymund who found it, with a victorious grin on his furry muzzle as he handed the young boy his false, metal leg.
"Here ya are, Zach," The rabbit told him, lightly rubbing the boy's hair. "Don'tcha rush yourself, now."
Said boy had to shake off an awed look, and started putting it on while Ashley looked in the closet to find the boy a coat. Because, ya know... It's the North Pole, and all that...
She moved the various coats aside until she found a familiar leather bomber jacket. It was familiar, because, well... it was hers. Or rather, it used to be hers. She didn't really need it now, and when she had needed it, Zach ended up using it most of the time, anyways. He'd always needed it more. And to be honest, Ashley also didn't mind it because she liked the fact that a piece of her was with the little bugger, and would be with him for as long as she wasn't.
But, she would never, ever say that out loud. To anyone. Ever. Because... that was just how she rolled.
Pulling it off the hanger, Ash turned and threw the jacket at his face, and laughed when he fell back with a grunt, reaching towards the ceiling futilely. "Better put that on. It gets cold up there, and I can't be there the whole time as your own personal heater."
The boy pulled the coat off of his face and grinned. "Aww, you care..."
"Me? Pssh," She waved him off as she zipped up the coat for him and handed him his crutches. "Please... You are the scum between my toes. I can barely tolerate your existence."
"Neither can I." The young boy replied, taking the crutches and standing up, leaning against his sister with a grin. "I hate your guts."
Everyone else looked at each other, confused... But they didn't get it. Their words were harsh, sure, but there was a big grin on both their faces. In reality, they both knew that they would die for each other... though, Ashley-the more stubborn of the two-would never allow him to do so, if things came to that-and it had.
But even death hadn't been enough to keep the girl down, it seemed... And Zach (Ashley, too) could not have been happier that that was the case.
Author's Note~
It was Zach! And the Tooth Fairy, but the main thing here was Zach. I had missed Zach, and I had a feeling that if Ash didn't get an incentive, she'd end up having a break down, and well... I didn't want that to happen just yet.
What I have planned for the next bit (keyword is planned. Things don't always go as planned) is: Some yeti bonding. Some reindeer riding. Also, I'm thinking of getting Ash to show Jack what's what and sing a Spanish lullaby with a yeti. It may or may not involve some bongos. There's gonna be quite a bit, and that's partially the reason this chapter was a bit short. Sorry 'bout that.
Thanks to everyone who's read, reviewed, favorited and followed! I really do appreciate it, and I'm glad people like this as much as I like writing it.
Tell me if I made any errors on this chapter-or any, really. And as always, hope you get a few laughs out of reading my goofy little story!
,BlueAsh666