Author's Note: Hello everyone and welcome back to "The Winter Child!" =D Just to let you all know, my family and I will be traveling out of state on Friday and we'll be gone the entire weekend.. I'll still post something on Friday evening, but there will be no posts from me on Saturday and Sunday. =) So don't panic if you don't see anything from me. X)
That's...really all I have to say. XD I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! (Spoiler: there's a lot of mother/son fluff). =3
~ XXI ~
Motherly Love
She loved him as if he were her own
She spoiled him
Though she couldn't help it
But perhaps her fondness for him went deeper
For being a mother was something she had dreamed of being
...
Santoff Claussen was busy as it usually was. Its residents were up and down the streets either talking to each other or proceeding with their daily activities. At Tooth's place, she was in a bit of a tizzy. She flitted this way and that, instructing her fairies with specific tasks that she wanted to be carried out quickly.
"Alrighty, girls, we don't have much time. I want this place to look as presentable as possible!" Tooth proclaimed. She herself was in the middle of placing letters and packages in their spots. They were new, waiting to be shipped out. This was to be done tomorrow.
Tooth and her mini fairies ran three businesses at once. Well, one wasn't necessarily a business, business, but Tooth took it very seriously. Toothiana had always been fascinated with teeth in her youth, it was an interest that she inherited from her mother, who was a Sister of Flight. The Sisters dedicated themselves to protecting not only the jungles of Punjam Hy Loo but children's teeth around the world. For teeth held the most important memories of childhood. Memories that were often lost as one aged older.
After her parents' death, the memories stored in Tooth's baby teeth gave her comfort during her time of grief. As she wandered Kalathrai, Tooth realized that she wanted all children to be able to access the memories of their youth. Especially those who needed them. So, with the help of her mini selves, Tooth began to collect baby teeth from her nearby village. Eventually, this spread out to the rest of Kalathrai, and soon, to all of Lunslruna.
Such an activity required a lot of assistance, which was why Tooth was grateful tor her unique ability to split into miniature versions of herself. Though the mini fairies reflect her emotions, they each had their own personalities. Baby Tooth, for example, loved action and adventure. The a lot of the other fairies, however, preferred to stay safe and settled.
Regardless of their differences, Tooth and her fairy army were a potent team when it came to collecting teeth. They had an entire trove of children's teeth inside their large home. Dispensers with different coins were also found inside, making it easier to leave the correct currencies under a child's pillow. The collection of teeth was Tooth's favorite part of the day. Sometimes, she'd join her fairies for a few rounds so she could stretch her wings. She'd stay long enough to watch the children's faces as they woke up, all smiles as they uncovered the shiny coin hidden under their pillows. Tooth loved those smiles; they encouraged her to keep going.
Apart from tooth collection, Toothiana also ran a dentist in Santoff Claussen. She also looked forward to this job because not only was it in her area of expertise, but she got to meet all sorts of different people not only in Santoff Claussen but outside of Norsurberian. There were nomads and travelers, which Tooth often received. Creatures and animals (Tooth was fluent in all animal languages), soldiers, scientists, and so many more. Tooth enjoyed meeting new people, and she liked learning from them. And once she solved their tooth issue, they'd leave, feeling much better. Helping was another thing Tooth loved.
Then there was her postal service. Yes, three jobs sounded like a lot, but Tooth didn't mind being busy. It was similar to tooth collecting, but the fairies didn't leave anything behind. They dropped off packages, presents, letters, and cards…anything that needed to be transported long distance. Tooth and her fairies worked hard to make sure everyone received their mail. They were like this with all of their jobs: determined to do them to the fullest.
Although, Tooth sounded busy, she still set aside time to take a break or help her friends, Aster, North, and Sandy—the other Guardians of Childhood. Right now, she and her fairies were preparing for Jack's arrival. North was dropping him off there while he and Aster went to the markets looking for parts. Tooth had heard about the invention North was making for Tsar Lunar. He had been quite secretive about it, so she had no idea what it was. From what North had allowed her to know, it was supposed to work as a defense mechanism against Pitch. "You will see it when it is done," said North. And he hadn't mentioned anything more about it since.
Aster was the only one North bestowed more about this contraption on. Tooth knew that the Pooka was helping the ex-Cossack with it, but she was extremely curious as to what North was making, but she knew that it was almost complete. Soon, she and Sandy would discover what the two had been working on in the study for hours on end. While Aster and North searched for parts, Jack would be staying with Tooth for the afternoon. Sandy was once again at the palace in a meeting with Tsar Lunar. He'd join North and Aster on their way back.
Tooth loved Jack as if he were her own, and she wanted his stay with her to be as fun as possible. She spent yesterday night planning what they were going to do together. She knew they wouldn't be able to get to all of them (perhaps none of them if Jack decided he wanted to do something other). Regardless, Tooth was looking forward to Jack's stay.
Baby Tooth flitted up to Tooth and chirped. It was then that Toothiana heard the knocking at the door. Her feathers twitched. "Oh! They're here? They're here!" Tooth turned to her fairies. "Alright, everyone! I want you on your best behavior, okay?"
The mini fairies nodded.
"That means no peeking in Jack's mouth to stare at his teeth!"
In total unison, the fairies let out depressed moans.
Tooth shook her head. "Come on, girls. We don't want to scare Jack off."
She fluttered to the door and opened it. North and Jack standing on the other side. The winter child had a backpack on his back. He smiled. "Hi, Toothy!"
"Hello, Jack!" Tooth greeted cheerfully. She looked at North. "He's all set?"
North smiled. "He is. Aster and I won't be gone too long. Jack did bring a few of his toys, and you know how he gets when he's playing."
Jack was befuddled, but Tooth laughed. "We all do. Is Aster with you? I wanted to say hello."
"I'm going to pick him up after I leave," said North. "I'll send him your greetings."
"Alright," said Tooth. She hovered in front of Jack and smiled. "Are you ready for a day with me, Sweet Tooth?"
Jack nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah!"
North hugged Jack before he left, and the winter child stood with Tooth as he watched North hop into the sleigh and ride off. Tooth had heard Jack's previous reactions to North leaving; he was rather close to the ex-Cossack, so he never liked being separated from him. This time, however, Jack seemed perfectly fine. He knew that North would come back eventually.
"Let's head inside," said Tooth. "You can leave your coat, bag, and boots by the door."
"'Kay," said Jack. He slipped off his coat and popped off his shoes. Toth kindly hung up his coat and offered to take his bag. Before he handed it to her, Jack pulled out Wawa, his stuffed arctic fox who never left his sight.
"Aw, you brought Wawa with you?" asked Tooth. Jack nodded.
"So I wouldn't miss North too much," he said. The boy handed Tooth his bag, and she hung it on the coat rack. She then led Jack inside, where the mini fairies were waiting to greet him. They flitted and buzzed around the winter child, chirping excitedly. Jack giggled and said hello to each one, giving each of them a name based on their traits
"Hi Raini, hi Posey, hi Snowflake, hi Spring, hi Maple, hi June, hi—Baby Tooth!"
The yellow-feathered fairies buzzed up to Jack and flew around him, chirping excitedly. Jack laughed, and he held out his palm. Baby Tooth landed in it, tickling Jack's hand with her tail feathers. Tooth smiled; the two shared a remarkable bond ever since the day Jack named her. She was his favorite out of the mini fairies, and Baby Tooth didn't hesitate to show her obvious affection for him.
Baby Tooth perched on Jack's shoulder, and Tooth guided the winter child inside. Jack looked around the large room in awe; he had been to Tooth's before, but he had been very young at the time. It was like stepping into an ancient palace; the colorful mosaic designs lined the walls. The glimmering gemstones hung from the ceilings. The mini fairies quickly returned to organizing teeth, as they had to make room for the newcomers that they would bring that evening. From the roof window, sunlight poured onto the shimmering tiles, making them glow and glisten. The hanging plants that stretched from their pots or hung from the ceiling swayed back and forth as the fairies buzzed around.
This was the beating heart of Tooth's home, and Jack couldn't have been any more impressed. "Where did you get those?" the winter child asked, pointing to the tessellations on the walls.
Tooth ran her fingers reverently against the unique designs. "These are the tiles I salvaged from the palace in Punjam Hy Loo."
"Punjam Hy wha?" said Jack, confused.
Tooth chuckled. "Punajm Hy Loo," she corrected gently. She lead Jack to a window, where the sun hung high in the sky. She pointed straight ahead. "It's located eastward from here. I used to live there with my parents, but I had to leave them."
Jack looked at Tooth and tilted his head. "Why?"
Tooth smiled sadly. "My mother was a Sister of Flight. I'm sure you've learned about them in school." Jack nodded, so Tooth didn't have to elaborate on that subject. "And my father was human. When they had me, they didn't think I'd inherit the traits that my mother was born with. But once I turned twelve and lost my last baby tooth, I sprouted wings and began to grow feathers."
"That doesn't sound so bad," said Jack. "You're able to fly!"
"I am," said Tooth. She sighed. "But…people are afraid of what they don't understand. I wasn't welcomed in the village, and the adults there sent hunters out to capture me. My parents and I fled to the woods. I had to stay hidden in the treetops while my parents camped on the ground. I was always on the move to avoid being taken. I could only visit my mother and father at night when it was easier to go unnoticed."
"Oh…That doesn't sound very nice," remarked Jack.
Tooth shook her head. "It wasn't. Eventually, the hunters found my parents. They…they told me not to come after them if they were ever captured, but I couldn't just let them—"
Tooth's amethyst orbs dimmed, and she looked down. She couldn't remember the last time she told anyone this story—the story of how she came to Santoff Claussen. She had forgotten how depressing it was to think about what happened to her mother and father…She had witnessed the violent mob that descended upon them before she made her escape. Tooth blinked rapidly, trying to force away the horrible memories that she didn't want to think about.
Jack placed a hand on Tooth's shoulder. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."
Tooth looked at Jack. The winter child wore a look of concern. On his shoulder, Baby Tooth looked equally as saddened as Tooth, for she could feel what she felt. Tooth placed her hand on Jack's and she squeezed it gently.
"It's alright, Jack. You deserve to know," she said. The Tooth Fairy drew in a breath of continued. "I tried to save my parents, but it was too late. They ordered me to escape, and so I did. The last thing they gave me was a ruby box filled with my baby teeth. That was when I discovered that they held memories from one's childhood, and I watched them every night."
Tooth led Jack away from the window, and she gestured to the hundreds of mini fairies flying around and placing teeth into tooth boxes. "As children grow older, they tend to forget what's important. So my fairies and I started collecting children's teeth so that everyone can access their lost memories."
At this, Tooth allowed a smile to grace her face. The turmoil she faced as a child would forever haunt the back of her mind, but in the end, she continued her parent's legacy through what she did for the children. It was a fulfilling, refreshing feeling.
"We have everyone's here," said Tooth happily, gesturing to the tooth boxes that stacked up to the ceiling. Jack looked up as far as he could. "And you have your own tooth box, where you'll soon be keeping your teeth when they start to fall out."
"And I'll be able to look at the memories inside them any time I want?" asked Jack.
Tooth nodded. "Yes! So remember to start saving your teeth. Take good care of them so they won't have a hard time falling out!"
"I will!" Jack promised. "I'll brush them every day!"
Baby Tooth chirped, satisfied with his answer.
After talking a little more, Jack asked if they could play tag. It was the mini fairies' break time anyway, Tooth and her fairies joined Jack in what was perhaps the biggest game of tag. There was only one person it, and hundreds of targets. Tooth proposed the idea of teams, but everyone was enjoying the single-tagger game. Outside, the fairies flitted and flew around. Jack declared Tooth as it, and she managed to catch Baby Tooth, who caught Jack. The game drew on and continued, and the rush of the afternoon air felt wonderful on everyone. Jack felt especially proud whenever he caught Tooth. The smile on his face whenever he tagged her made Tooth feel like a child again.
The tag game continued, but Tooth had to step inside to send out memories to children. The feeling was like a tug in her chest; she sensed when one—or several—kids who needed them. Tooth removed herself from the game, promising that she'd come back out soon. Jack took on her role as it and proceeded to chase the mini fairies, who squealed and chirped whenever he tagged one of them.
Tooth fluttered through the door and into the heart of her home and entered the tooth-holding area. Her bird-like eyes caught the faint glows coming from a few of the boxes. Tooth started with the ones higher up, she flew to a shelf and found a glowing tooth box, placing her hand on the smooth, ornate top. The box glowed brighter, and Tooth closed her eyes, concentrating as she released the memories to the child in need of them.
Lily. Age ten. Only four baby teeth remain. Loves horses, anything pink. She's forgotten what it means to have fun.
"I'm sure one of these will help spark something," Tooth murmured thoughtfully She needn't sift through the hundreds of memories that lay in the teeth. When a child needed a specific memory, it found its way to the child by itself. All Tooth had to do was release it.
When Tooth felt the memory slip out, she opened her eyes, and the box stopped glowing. The memory had been sent. Tooth smiled, and she moved on to the next box, sending out memories and enjoying the feeling of satisfaction that overcame her once the memories were recalled.
As Tooth continued to send out memories, her mind drifted to North, Aster, and Sandy. She wondered if the ex-Cossack and Pooka had found what they were looking for. Or maybe they weren't even close to finding what they needed,d and they were still searching for it. And Sandy…Tooth pursed her lips, wondering what Tsar Lunar and he were discussing. The Tooth Fairy had been to the palace once—all of the Guardians were expected to be acquainted with Tsar Lunar. Tooth enjoyed the conversation that they shared; the Tsar was a kind man, and he wanted nothing more than the safety of his Tsardom and the children. Tooth was proud of her new Guardian status, but what she and the others were to do if Pitch did return…she did not know.
She hoped with all her heart that he wouldn't. She hoped with all her heart that the Boogeyman would change his mind and decide to go dormant for another decade or perhaps even a century. Tooth vividly remembered the Nightmare King's reign all those years ago…It was a terrible time. Many children were hurt. Adults lost their way. Good men were lost in the battles that took place. Santoff Claussen had never been exposed to true fear and darkness until Pitch attacked the village ten years ago.
All the children had been evacuated to Big Root while the adults used what they had to fend Pitch off. But the nightmares and dream terrors that followed were worse than the attack itself. Tooth remembered the screams and cries of the children. The feeling of fear rolling off everyone in waves. When the news came that Tsar Lunar and his men had finally subdued the Nightmare Army, it brought joy like no other upon Santoff Claussen and the rest of the Tsardom. Pitch was locked away in Darksualth; a barren landscape with only scarps of trees and foliage. The rest of Lunslruna continued to flourish, the Boogeyeman becoming nothing but a bad dream in the back of one's mind.
But now—now—he was plotting something. Something big. Sandy told the Guardians of the shifting shadows and insidious ilk that leaked through the walls surrounding Pitch's prison. They had already attacked several villages and towns, and they were gone before Tsar Lunar troops would arrive. Darksualth was stirring. The Nightmare King was restless. He was biding his time, and these skirmishes were only the beginning of whatever dastardly plan he had in mind.
When Pitch returned, there would surely be a battle. Tooth didn't know what lay ahead for Lunslruna if Pitch managed to escape from his imprisonment.
"OW!"
Tooth's head snapped in the direction of the door at the sound of Jack's cry. She stopped what she was doing and rushed outside. Tooth was met with a wall of her mini fairies, all of them were chirping and squeaking worriedly. Baby Tooth ordered everyone to make room as Tooth fluttered onto the scene. The fairies parted, and Tooth found Jack on the ground, crying as he clutched his leg. Upon further examination, Tooth saw that he had scratched his knee. He must've fallen while running and cut it open when he fell.
Tooth lowered herself to Jack's eye level and ran a hand through his hair, hushing him softly. "It's okay, Jack. It's okay. Come inside and I'll be able to patch you up, alright?"
Jack nodded with a small whimper, and Tooth lifted him into her arms and carried him inside. Tooth placed Jack in a chair and went to retrieve some wipes and bandages from the other room. When Toothiana returned, she found Baby Tooth perched on Jack's shoulder, comforting him as he sniffed quietly.
Tooth kneeled and lifted Jack's pant leg. While it had torn when Jack had fallen, it was easier to have the entire knee exposed. Then, she'd be able to clean it properly. Tooth took the soaked cloth and cleaned Jack's bleeding knee. The winter child whimpered and hissed as Tooth wiped at it, and she apologized for the pain that came with it. Once the wound was cleaned, Tooth wrapped it up with a bandage and gave it a small kiss.
"There," Tooth said. "Now it'll heal faster."
Jack sniffed and rubbed away his tears. He still appeared hurt, so Tooth said, "How about I take you on a flight with me? I promised you one a long time ago."
"B-But I can't fly. At least without crashing," said Jack.
Tooth smiled. "I'll hold onto you the whole time. You won't have to do a thing."
"Okay," said Jack. Tooth held him in her arms and Jack clung to her. Tooth turned to the mini fairies. "Wings up ladies!"
Jack clung to Tooth as she fluttered toward the roof. His eyes widened, and he was about to shout when he felt him and Tooth fly through the glass instead of into it. The sensation was shocking, but his surprise faded away as he and the fairies sailed over Santoff Claussen. The evening was just around the corner, and the sky was painted with soothing hues of orange and purple. Jack looked down at the village in awe; he had never been this high up before! And nor had he ever seen the village from this perspective. It was a wonderful view and admired the sights. He could spot North's house and Workshop, Aster's cottage, and even Sandy's home. Big Root didn't look so big from up there. The wind rushed past his cheeks and ruffled his hair. Jack smiled, completely forgetting about the pain in his knee.
Seeing Jack's smile warmed Tooth's heart. So, just to make the flight even more interesting, she held Jack tight and did a few spins and twirls; the mini fairies following in fashion. The winter child laughed, asking for Tooth to spin again and again until he grew dizzy and could take no more. Tooth circled and headed home, and when they landed, Jack was feeling much better.
"That was so, so, fun!" Jack cheered, bouncing on his heels. "Can we go again? Pleaseeeee?"
Tooth laughed. "Maybe another day, Jack. North will be coming back to you up soon. But I'm glad that you had fun!
Jack smiled, and he ran up to Tooth and hugged her. "You're the best Mama in the whole world," he murmured.
Tooth choked up, stunned to hear such words from Jack. Being a mother was something that she had dreamed of when she was a child, but ever since leaving Punjam Hy Loo, the thought of a family never crossed her mind. It wasn't until she met North, Sandy, Aster, and then little Jack when that familial feeling returned. Tooth wrapped her arms around Jack, returning the hug. Knowing that Jack viewed her as a mother made her heart burst with ecstasy.
Tooth helped Jack collect his things, and by the time he was buttoned up in his coat, North, Aster, and Sandy arrived at the door. Once they were inside, Jack regaled them in his adventures with Tooth. Aster and Sandy listened to the winter child while North and Tooth spoke apart from the group.
"How was Jack?" North asked.
Tooth grinned. "You had nothing to worry about, North. We had a lot of fun! Jack's a wonderful boy. He's so well-behaved. He really enjoyed his time here, and—" Tooth rubbed her arm. "He even called me his mother."
North smiled softly, and he patted Tooth's shoulder. "We're Jack's family," he said. "And as his family, we will do what we can to protect and raise him. Thank you for watching him, Toothy. I knew you'd do just fine."
Tooth's chest swelled with delight. "You're welcome, North. Feel free to bring Jack around anytime."
