Joy's POV
I took the long way home, still needing time to think. I have no idea what to do. Pitch was my first friend, the one I trusted the most. But then there were the Guardians, who said I was one of them. Well, I don't have to choose yet, I have eternity to decide.
Jack's POV
I just finished up in Austria and was heading home when I saw something, no someone. I held staff ready for anything, "'Ello mate," except him, "Been a long time, blizzard of '68 I believe…Easter Sunday."
"You're not still mad about that are you?"
"Yes, but this is about something else…fellas." Next thing I knew I was in a burlap sack and I felt like we were going through a portal.
When we landed I was greeted by two elves and heard someone with a thick Russian accent saying, "Eh, Jack Frost."
"Santa? The Tooth fairy? The Easter Bunny? Sandman? Wow."
"I hope the Yeti's treated you well?"
"Yes I loved being shoved in a sack and tossed through magic portal."
"Good, that was my idea."
"So, am I on the naughty list?"
"Naughty list? You hold record, but we overlook because Man in Moon says you can help us."
"Help you? With what?"
Tooth jumped in and walked me over to the globe, "Each of those lights is a child."
"And good or bad, naughty or nice, we protect them."
"OK, so what do you need my help for?"
"For centuries, we have protected children of the world, bringing hope and wonder, now we face a threat greater that ever before."
"Oh, well thank you for the introduction," a dark voice said from on top of the globe.
"Pitch Black," Tooth whispered.
"What do you want?" Bunny asked.
"I just thought I'd pop by; see how Joy's replacement is doing."
Joy? Replacement? "How do you know Joy?"
"What are you really here for?"
"I just thought I'd give you the heads up at the end of the Guardians," Pitch said, eying Tooth.
"What does he mean?"
"The teeth!" Pitch chuckled darkly at Tooth's response and shadowed out of the room and she flew out as fast as she could.
"We have to go, everyone into sleigh!" North yelled already leading us to it.
"Wait! I still need to know, why do you need my help?"
"Man in Moon says you know Pitch's new partner, Joy. Is this true?"
"Yeah, we were just hanging out in Austria earlier."
"She was supposed to be Guardian, but said no. Now she is helping our enemy."
"We've tried to get through to her, but she won't listen. If you could talk to her, she might."
"OK, I'll help," I said getting into the sleigh.
"Everybody buckle up!"
"Where are the bloody seatbelts?!"
"Haha, that was just expression. Yeah!"
After flying for a bit we could see Tooth's Palace. Everywhere we looked there were baby tooths (teeth? whatever) being chased by horses made of black sand. I saw one baby tooth being chased by a night-mare and flew up and grabbed it. "You OK baby tooth?" It nodded in my hand.
We tried to save more baby tooths and these weird canisters that the night-mares seemed to want badly, but to no avail. We landed and saw Tooth flying around, unsure where to go and muttering, "They're gone, all gone. The teeth, my fairies, everything."
"Tooth calm down, they're just teeth."
"Just teeth! Jack you have no idea!"
"She's right you know," Pitch's voice interrupted.
"Pitch! What did you do to my fairies?!"
"All you need to know is that children are waking up realizing the Tooth Fairy didn't come."
"No…" The palace seemed to be disappearing around us.
"What's going on?"
"Didn't they tell you Jack? If enough children stop believing in you, you become weaker and eventually disappear. And that is exactly what I intend to do to all of you."
"Pitch?" a familiar voice asked. Joy?
Joy's POV
I finally made it home, "Pitch?" no answer, "Pitch?" Then I saw a note on his worktable, "1) Raid the Tooth Palace 2) Inform the Guardians 3) Find Joy and get her memories."
Memories? I flew to the Tooth Palace even though I have no idea how I got there, I made it. When I got there, I saw night-mares chasing little bird-fairy things. I wanted to go up to Pitch and ask what he was doing, but was frozen in place until, "…And that is exactly what I intend to do to all of you."
"Pitch?"
All eyes were on me, "Joy!? What are you doing here?" Pitch sounded almost glad to see me.
"I would ask you the same, but I think you just made it pretty clear."
"You know Pitch?" Jack asked.
"Yeah. Or at least I thought I did." At this point I just flew away.
"Joy wait!" I heard Pitch yell behind me.
"Go away."
He grabbed my hand and held it up to his chest, "Please," his eyes pleaded.
"Why would you do this? What is wrong with you?" I pulled my hand away.
"I just want to be believed in!"
"I understand that, that's why I trusted you, but now I see I was wrong."
"Joy I-"
"Destroy the Guardians? I wanted to help you be believed in but this…this is just cruel."
"Please listen to me. I was believed in until the Guardians came along. Now I need to be rid of them if I ever want to-"
"No you don't! Why Pitch? This isn't like you."
"Now that's where you're wrong. This is who I am."
"NO it's not, you're better than this."
He gave me those same pleading eyes, "I'm sorry Joy. I know this won't make up for what I did, but please take it," he held up a canister, "Please?"
"What is that?"
"Your baby teeth, your memories." I stared at him, "Please trust me, I don't want to lose you."
I stared at the canister, not sure what to do. "Memories of what?"
I stared at the canister, not sure what to do. "Memories of what?"
Pitch smiled, "Memories of your life before you became immortal. Here," he placed the canister in my hand and I just stared at it. I had a life before this? I cautiously opened it and saw my life, I remembered. I was scared of the Boogeyman when I was little. I remembered seeing a dark figure lurking in the shadows. As I grew up, I wasn't scared of the figure, but I knew it was there. I was about twelve when I stopped seeing it, forgetting. I had friends, a family, and later a job at the book store. Then I was driving home, the car behind me swerving, and hitting me.
Pitch stared at me, awaiting my reaction, and I stared at him. That's where I've seen him before! "I knew I had known you before!"
"What?"
"I believed in you, when I was little. I saw you, but didn't fear you."
He looked at me puzzled, "You didn't fear me…but you could see me?"
"Yeah…I have an idea. Let's go get the Guardians," I said already heading back to Tooth's place. On the way back, we ran into Jack. "Hey Jack-"
"Joy, why are you working with Pitch? He's bad news-"
"Jack he's not that bad. Now I need your help, do you trust me?"
"Help with what?"
"We are going to help Pitch."
"Are you sure you trust him?" I nodded, "Then I'm in. What's the plan?"
A/N I'm changing the plot up a bit in case you didn't notice. It is on purpose so deal with it. But yay! Longest chapter I've written so far!