Chapter 22: Burdens

- Wanda POV -

"I'll be on my way now. Expect me to return with Queen Mab's decision on the matter." Gunter Von Strangle marched out of the room where Timmy's soul was kept. She feared for it. They had been in there for so long. A few minutes with this man and her poor godson was heartbroken. Gunter had chosen the words that would hurt him the most. She had never met a more callous and hateful man! How had that poor tiny soul fared under the onslaught of his remorseless abuse?

"Take your time. Don't feel the need to rush back," Piper remarked in a saccharine tone. Nova stood behind her, looking over at her and Timmy. His eyes, filled with sympathy, seemed to search for a way to ease their pain.

"If Jorgen returns during my absence, tell him this is exactly the sort of mishap I would expect to happen with him in charge." As Gunter's gruff voice echoed through the room, it carried an air of superiority and confidence. His words dripped with disdain, and there was not a trace of guilt in his tone. It was as if he reveled in the idea of someone else's misfortune, particularly Jorgen's. That he had stuck at a defenseless child in the absence of his son did not add even the weight of a feather to his conscience.

But while there was a complete absence of guilt in his voice, there was unmistakable satisfaction in his demeanor. It was as if he relished the thought that what had happened to Timmy was a direct consequence of Jorgen being in charge.

She watched as he left, glaring at his back. She wasn't the only one furious. The moment the door closed, Piper's anger surged through her veins like a raging inferno, causing her hands to tremble as she clenched her fists. Her knuckles turned white with the intensity of her grip, the sharp points of her gaudy fingernails digging into her palm. Her face twisted into a mask of fury, her eyes narrowed into fiery slits.

Nova's concern for Timmy escalated as he raced over to Wanda's side and held Timmy's arm, his fingers gently tracing the pattern of his wrist. "Oh, what a pity for the poor boy! Gunter's behavior was undeniably malevolent. Such heartlessness was entirely uncalled for and deplorable!"

The bright red stigmata painted a vivid scene sending a shiver cascading down her spine. Her heart sank, witnessing the transformation of the pale, barely visible line into a raw, brutal red as it bled. The pulsating beads of blood, reminiscent of tiny crimson droplets, served as a poignant symbol of the pain and turmoil Timmy was enduring.

Suppressing a whimper, she bit her lower lip, determined not to let any sound escape, reluctant to add to Timmy's distress as he trembled in her arms. It felt like a cruel cycle; just when he seemed to cheer up, another event unfolded, plunging him back into suffering.

With delicate care, she used a cloth she had conjured to wipe Timmy's wrist, only to find the blood persistently swelling back to the surface. It wasn't an immediate concern for blood loss, but a lingering worry gnawed at her—what if it continued unabated?

"It's needs a special salve that can stop Soul-Bleeding," Nova informed her with a soft, compassionate voice as he watched her futile efforts to staunch the bleeding. "Wiping it like that will do nothing."

"Soul-Bleeding?" She had never heard the term before, but it sounded horrible.

"It's complex, and not my expertise, so I will forgo a detailed explanation. The important thing to know is that when a soul bleeds, it becomes impossible to fade the Stigmata until the bleeding is stopped. Fortunately, we do still have some of that salve left over from a treatment we performed on—-." Nova trailed off, a dark look briefly crossing over his face. "Well…Mary Alice…"

"Hindsight can really suck." Piper shrugged. "We should have allowed the Stigmata to consume her."

Drawing Timmy closer, Wanda embraced him tightly, as if the strength of her hold could shield him from the impending uncertainties.

She had never glimpsed the young Mary Alice, and did not know what kind of child she had been like, but every fairy knew the haunting tale of the atrocities committed by the girl once she grew up and the fate that had befallen her godmother.

"Timmy is nothing like her. Please treat him."

"Naturally, my dear! We did not entertain such notions; we never intended to imply that our young lad here was similar to that terrible child. It was a fleeting, yet admittedly poorly timed, escape into painful reminiscences." Nova sighed, staring off into the distance, as if he were looking into the past. "To exert such effort towards Mary Alice's healing, only for her to subsequently engage in such abhorrent actions... one can't help but feel plagued with guilt."

"We gave the brat's godmother a fair warning," Piper said, arms crossed. "We're not to blame. She totally ignored our warnings about Mary Alice and even the rules you fairies are supposed to follow regarding your god kids. She caused her own downfall. It's not on us, you know?"

"Piper…" Nova gave her a sympathetic look. Wanda had also not failed to notice the slightest hint of a quiver in Piper's voice.

"…Dulice's tragedy will never be forgotten." Wanda spoke softly, not sure what else to say.

"Well, enough unpleasantness." Nova snapped his fingers and a fancy little container filled with a light green salve appeared in his hand. "Fortunately, the Stigmata has not spread to his other limbs, so we still have hope of managing it before his next treatment."

Anxious, she inquired with a worried tone, "Will it hurt?" Her hope hung in the air, a fragile wish that the forthcoming application of the salve wouldn't bring any stinging or burning sensations. Timmy, sensitive to the word "hurt," shuddered in her arms, his diminutive frame tensing with apprehension. In response, she enveloped him in a tighter embrace, her arms becoming a comforting fortress, a desperate attempt to soothe his distress and shield him from any potential pain.

"It won't hurt him, but…." Nova paused, a subtle weight in the pregnant silence. His expression betrayed an unspoken intention, a flicker of determination beneath a frail smile. Uttering no further words, he plunged his fingers into the salve, applying it to Timmy's wrist.

"Nova!" Piper hissed, eyes bulging, and she saw some tension in her father-in-law's face.

"Is something wrong?" She asked, worried.

"Be at ease, my dear. Leave this task to me and focus on comforting the child." Nova spoke through clenched teeth, his voice hitching.

"Nova, just because you're not a Pure Fey, doesn't mean you can touch that stuff safely!" Piper scolded, her brows unswept in dismay as she began biting down on her thumbnail anxiously. At first Wanda thought she was talking about the salve, but then Piper gestured to Timmy's bleeding wrist. "Human blood has iron! That stuff is like acid to us!"

"It's acid to Fey who were never separated. For me, it's more like boiling water." Nova attempted to crack a joke, even as his eyes watered with tears. His resemblance to Cosmo in that moment was so exact that it made her heart ache.

"If it hurts you, then let me put the salve on!" She protested. "Human blood does not hurt fairies."

"No; this medicine is made from incredibly potent magic. It's too powerful for a non Fey to handle it. When a fairy touches it, it absorbs their magical essence a little each second they remain in contact with it. I don't want you to become frail and aged. My burns will clear up, but what it'll take from you won't return, so please allow me to take care of this."

"…Thank you Nova."

"It's not an issue, my dear. As a family, it is our responsibility to prioritize each other's well-being and make every effort to ensure the happiness of every family member. Occasionally, this may necessitate some members bearing the burden for others."

She was no stranger to bearing the burden. She spent most of her career as a Godmother bearing the burdens of Cosmo's countless mistakes. Of course, it irritated and frustrated her, but she continued to do it—-because they were family and she loved him.

The salve worked with remarkable speed, effectively staunching the bleeding, but the vivid raw red of the stigmata persisted to mar Timmy's wrist.

"Now that it's not bleeding, we'll be able to fade it." Nova remarked, a sense of satisfaction evident in his voice even as horrible looking burn blisters blossomed over his fingers. Wanda's gaze couldn't help but shift guiltily to his injured hands, a silent acknowledgment of the sacrifice he had made to spare her and a poignant testament to the lengths he would go to protect those he counted as family.

"Don't worry about me, save your concern for little Timmy…" Nova reassured her with a smile. He directed his attention to her godson, who clung to her silently, as if having shut down emotionally in the face of everything.

"Would that room you made for him earlier be of help?" Her voice trembled with genuine concern, her worry palpable. The sight of Timmy in such a distressed state was unsettling. It was such a stark departure from the boy she knew so well. The weight of the information he had revealed about his twin sister lingered in her mind, a revelation that unveiled the deep-rooted pain he carried. The unanswered questions from that fateful night, when the dynamics between her and Timmy shifted irrevocably, now found their heart breaking answers. His burdened heart held a guilt that she had been unaware of until now—-a revelation potent enough to fracture her own heart and had apparently just broken Timmys when Gunter Von Strangle had callously brought such pains to the surface of his thoughts while he was already in a vulnerable state emotionally.

"It will help him, but not quickly enough. However, with your permission, I have some other ideas on how we can significantly improve the Stigmata before his next treatment." Nova gently stroked Timmy's head and spoke to him directly. "Don't take what Gunter says to heart. His special ability is to ascertain people's weaknesses just by talking to them. He knew just what to say that would hurt you the most."

"He hates god children and always does his best to leave them in tears whenever he encounters one." Piper's disgust was clear on both her face and in her voice. "Big powerful warrior, right? In the absence of any battles to fight, he resorts to being little more than a schoolyard bully, picking on little kids."

"The creed of our Circle is that we all have a fondness for human children and desire no harm come to them. We gathered under Queen Mab because she shares our views, but if she were to suddenly proclaim that she was no longer vested in protecting children, we'd find another queen to gather around. Gunter and the rest of the Von Strangle family, however, would just switch to her new policy." Nova explained, his disdain for the Von Strangles clear.

"Point being unlike the rest of the Fey in our circle, Gunter and the rest of the Von Strangle family don't care about children at all. Gunter especially hates godchildren because Jorgen is in charge of godparents, and he hates his son most of all." Piper rolled her eyes. "Yeah, this whole mess is just because of some Von Strangle family drama. Pathetic right?"

"What kind of lowlife takes their personal matters out on a child, especially a sick one!" Wanda glowered, infuriated. To think that her poor boy had been hurt so badly just because of a petty grudge Gunter held towards Jorgen. "See, Timmy, what he said was not true. He was just trying to hurt you on purpose. Do not pay anything he said to mind."

"…"

"Sweetie... why are you so quiet? You can talk to me."

Timmy was just quite curled up tightly to her, his body shaking. Nova sighed and patted Timmy's arm with sympathy.

"As I warned earlier, when a Stigmata appears, the soul becomes vulnerable to direct damage from negative emotions and Gunter struck a very potent weak spot." Nova's expression turned icy. "To serve Queen Mab, but to be so vindictive as to willingly cause a child soul damage...! That is why I loath the Von Strangles. They take on positions in which children's wellbeing should be the primary focus, but care far more for upholding their rules and regulations."

" Timmy's head is a total mess right now. This Stigmata is gonna make his thoughts a jumbled tangle. There's so much negative mush in the way that he can't think clearly enough to form words." Piper shook her head in dismay.

"..." She wrapped her arms around him tighter, horrified to think of the horrible state Timmy had been reduced to. What kind of awful things were going through the poor boy's head? "And what about the Heart Soul? Did that jerk Gunter hurt that as well….?"

Piper snorted. "Don't worry about that little thing. We can safely say one of his five core traits is courage! It was so angry at the damage done to its mind soul that it put up its little fists like it was an itty bitty boxer and kept taking jabs at him and sticking out his tongue."

"Is it ok!?" Wanda felt herself turn cold. With how cruel and violent that man was, she wouldn't be surprised if he had tried to blast the tiny baby soul into oblivion.

"'Gunter wouldn't harm something that he knows Queen Mab would delight in." Nova scoffed. "He's hoping that by showing the Queen an extremely rare Newborn soul that it will somehow elevate him in her esteem. "

"As if he even had anything at all to do with it." Piper turned her eyes towards the ceiling. "Typical Von Strangle."

"At least..." She sighed, relieved. Courage…, that was definitely one of Timmy's traits. A fire burned inside of her boy, one that his tears wouldn't extinguish, no matter how plentiful they were. "I was really worried, not knowing what was happening in there. Why was the baby monitor shut off?"

"Sorry." Nova looked guilty. "Gunter did not want you listening. He felt that a fairy godparent and godchild were too unworthy of hearing any discussion involving Queen Mab."

"I've heard great things about Queen Mab…" She began cautiously remembering Piper's warning of Nova's admiration. "That she is kind and wise and that she had remained a Fey to ensure that Kinders had a safe place in Fey world. I can't help but wonder why she does not lose her temper with guards who don't seem to care about children at all when it's something so important to her?"

"The Von Strangles protected the Queen in the great Magic wars. They were one of the nine most powerful and oldest Fey families; those nine are the ones who brought us victory in the war and made us the most powerful of the magical races. The Von Strangles were the only one of the nine families that did not rely on either the use of monsters or angels in their battles." Nova explained, but she detected the faintest hint of displeasure at her having questioned Queen Mab's reasoning. Piper rolled her eyes, but since her focus was Nova's back, it seemed that for once her scorn was not being directed at her.

"I admit I know little about that battle..." She began placatingly. She hated to skirt around people, but Nova was the closest thing to an ally she had in Fey world.

"Embarrassingly, Fairy School does skirt around the darker aspects of our history," Nova admitted. "Titania was very jealous of her twin sister... she wanted to dilute her memory as much as possible."

"...Good twin, bad twin..." Timmy murmured. Perhaps these words managed to get through the haze in his mind because they related to the hurt swirling around in his head. It pained her to know that he was probably referring to himself as the bad twin. Not wanting Nova to learn of something so private and sensitive, she offered an alternative meaning.

"Timmy had a bad run in with Titania. I don't know if you're aware, but she was dethroned a long time ago and recently almost destroyed Fairy world." She stroked Timmy's hair. "Luckily little Timmy stopped her."

Nova's spirits instantly improved, and he affectionately played with the end of Timmy's pony tail, almost in the same manner one would play with the tail of a fluffy dog.

"Your right, dear child. Queen Mab is good. She is not at all like Titania. She's a very loving and matronly figure. You're safe in her domain. She loves all children. You're all precious little treasures in her eyes."

…Treasures, objects to collect, pets to tame, she thought sourly as she forced a neutral expression. If she truly loved children as they were, she wouldn't allow them to be transformed into Kinder.

'Wanda, dear...' Nova's voice in her head caused her to start but the warm tone and gentle smile on her father in laws face put her at ease that her thoughts had not been read. 'Correct me if I am wrong but, would you say that Love might be a core point of his? Often, soul injuries can be mended by positively indulging the five core points of their souls.'

'I think so... but what makes you guess that if I might ask? You don't know Timmy that well.' She asked within her thoughts, figuring he had spoken in her mind to have Timmy avoid hearing the plan he was forming.

'Gunter landed a very critical blow when the love of his parents got questioned. If one of the five core points receives a direct injury, it will result in rapid worsening of the Stigmata.' Nova replied. 'However, it also means we can quickly improve its condition by directly engaging with its five core points positively."

'That sounds like a good idea…' She agreed. 'Love courage…how do we determine the rest?'…

'By observing the behavior of the Heart Soul, we can ascertain its characteristics.'

'You mean, like how he started dancing as soon as we turned a camera on him?'

'Exactly so; while we can't identify the trait exactly, we can safely say he seems to like attention. We can work with engaging his need for love and attention, if you don't mind him meeting some other Fey? I promise it will be in a secure environment that follows all the safety protocols in place in your room."

….She was not sure how she felt about that, but Nova had not waited for her to respond and had continued talking, no longer taking the precaution of speaking into her thoughts and instead spoke aloud while playfully braiding Timmy's ponytail. "While I prepare things, my dear, would you cuddle with him in his therapy room? I'm sure the combined presence of you and his new friends will help. Then I would suggest some TV. Go to worldview and..."

"He did that earlier... "She frowned. "Nova, I thought this room was free from enchantments, but that video had a spell on it."

"No, no, the video was not enchanted, the voice speaking was enchanted and our dear Seren was not technically in your room." Nova quipped, trying to sound playful, but this was a prime example of the sort of tricks Fey would play. Taking notice of his displeased expression, he patted her hand, speaking to her in the tone one would take when speaking to an overreacting child.

"Oh Wanda my dear, it is harmless. Do not be so dower. The program has no ill intentions. It merely serves as a pathway for the children who visit here to embark on exploration of our world whilst nestled in the safety of their recovery rooms."

"…There will not be any unexpected surprises with what you're planning, will there?" She asked cautiously, and he laughed.

"Your protectiveness, my dear, is a testament to your love for the boy." Nova looked very amused.

"Children can't be transformed into Kinder whilst baring a Stigmata, and besides, turning him now before he's an angel would be a waste." Piper came over to inspect Timmy's wrist. "If it doesn't fade to at least half that color by his next treatment, it'll spread to another one of his limbs. We gotta do everything we can to make it better, and if your lack of trust is gonna mess that up, then we'll just take him away from you."

"Piper, there is no need to be so severe." Nova scolded. "Don't worry, my dear, I swear on the name of Queen Mab that there will be no deceptions involved in the activities I have planned." Apparently, by the way he placed his hand over his heart, this oath was one he found to be very serious, but not so serious that he did not playfully amend his statement with a wink. "Except, of course, for a few gentle nudges and persuasions about how much nicer it would be for the two of you to live here with us. Was there any place in the video he watched that he particularly liked?"

"...Stars..." Timmy mumbled in her arms. He had mentioned something about a star pavilion earlier. His body relaxed a little and Piper beamed, looking impressed.

"Resilient tike. Even with a red Stigmata, a positive thought managed to slip in. Impressive."

"You like stars?" Nova asked dotingly as he continued to play with Timmy's hair. She remained alert, knowing that Timmy was in a stupor and that Fey had a tendency to ask for a few strands of a person's hair in order to claim power over them.

"...love stars..." Timmy confirmed quietly.

"Timmy has always liked space." She explained and moved to suggest she wanted to bring Timmy to the Cuddle & Snuggle room in order to break off the conversation.

"... Big dipper…made of fairies..." Timmy mumbled, surprising her.

"Yes!" Nova seemed pleased by Timmy's knowledge. "The brave warriors who stayed behind at Queen Mab's orders to watch for the dreaded Darkness! Don't worry, if the darkness ever reappears, they will protect you!"

But... How did Timmy know that? Had Cosmo been loose lipped again? Great! Wasn't it bad enough that Cosmo's loose lips made poor Timmy live with the impending doom of knowing that the ones he loved like family would someday be ripped away forever and that he'd lose all memory of them. Now Timmy also knew that a maleficent entity that could appear and destroy the entire universe if a mysterious Chosen One did not miraculously fulfill some arcane prophecy and banish it could appear at any moment.

"...Darkness... gone..." Timmy mumbled in his stupor. Nova raised a brow and Piper laughed, "If only!"

"I think he's confused." She hugged Timmy tight. "Poor pumpkin, his thoughts are probably all mixed up with something he saw in a movie or video game."

"Yes, it was a miracle for his thoughts to clear as much as they did." Nova laughed. "But wouldn't it be nice if the Darkness were gone?"

"Yeah! We'd be able to poke a hole in this irritating barrier the council put up and finally get back to earth!"

"What does the Darkness have to do with that?" She asked, confused, having no prior knowledge that the Fey and the Darkness had any connection.

"The negative energy that envelops the Darkness not only neutralizes pure Fey magic but also absorbs it. The council employed a portion of the energy residue collected during our battle against it to fashion the barrier that confines us to our own realm." There was a marked bitterness in Nova's expression as he spoke of the barrier that prevented him from seeing his family.

"If we stay in contact with the barrier for too long, we'll end up as dust. At first, we lost a bunch of stubborn folks who just wouldn't give up on trying to break through. These days, even the craziest people avoid it."

"I see…I did not know. I always thought it was purely the council's power that created the barrier…"

"Think reasonably, a thousand fairies wouldn't be powerful enough to defeat one Fey. Do you think four fairies would really have the power needed to contain us?"

"…Well…" Now that it was said bluntly, Piper did have a point. True, each council member was said to have magic equal to that of a Fey, but that would still be four against thousands. It made sense that they'd have to use some kind of outside power in order to trap the Fey.

... As dangerous as the Darkness was, it apparently had brought an unintended blessing.

— Jorgen —

"I have to admit Cosmo, I'm impressed." Jorgen found himself admitting something quite unexpected, but he was genuinely impressed.

The time had arrived for him to check in with Wanda and Timmy, and he had stopped by the Cosma home to retrieve any crafted items Cosmo might have made. Little did he anticipate stumbling upon a mesmerizing sight: Cosmo and Poof sprawled out on the floor of a paint-splattered room, boasting over a dozen miniature creations neatly aligned as they stretched from one corner to the other.

Intriguied his wife's eyes shimmered with an evident apperciation for the meticulous craftmanship before her. A part of her seemed tempted to claim these charming miniatures for herself as she marveled at their adorable charm.

Cosmo's knack for handcrafts was undeniable, though it appeared to be his sole talent. Admiring the detailed assortment—ranging from a kitchen table, stove, cabinet, chair, bed, piano, dresser, park bench, swing, sandbox and even an outhouse, all crafted entirely out of popsicle sticks.

Poof, meanwhile, had taken charge of the painting, clear from the colorful furniture and the paint splattered fairy baby.

Cosmo, basking in the praise, cheekily quipped. "Ah, well, what can I say? I'm just good with popsicles."

"Poof! Poof!"

"Yes, I'm sure Timmy's Heart-Soul will like these." He allowed his wife to gather the items, fearing his big hands would crush the delicate creations.

He gave Cosmo a warning glare as he saw the smaller fairy looking a little too closely as his wife leaned forward to pick the handcrafts up. Cosmo blushed sheepishly and looked away, trying to plaster an innocent expression onto his face.

"Hey, are those snacks?" Cosmo tried to change the subject by pointing at the plastic bag he was holding. "Wee! Cheese puffs! I love these!"

"Hands off." He swiftly pulled the back out of reach. "These are for the Heart-Soul."

"It eats?"

"Yes, souls do need nourishment….but don't you dare feed it anything conjured from magic!" He warned, taking a tone severe enough that it would get through even Cosmo's thick head. "If it consumes even a trace amount of magic it will alter his soul forever. Tampering with a soul, even unintentionally, will instantly make you a Fey, so be very careful. Not even a crumb of magic made food, not even if it cries and begs for it!"

"Oooh, is this like one of the rules in that scary show Timmy watched…what was it called? Well, they weren't supposed to feed their new pet rabbit, who looked like their dead daughter, sweets, but they did and then she gave birth to a bunch of cannibal bunnies!"

"Poof, Poof!" Poof put his hands over his ears, shuddering and squeezing his eyes closed.

"Riiight…Wanda punished Timmy for letting you watch that….sorry Poof!"

"…That sounds like a weird show." He stated, but then saw an opportunity to fish for some further information. "But anyway, I'm glad to hear that she still punishes Turner. It seems to me like she's gone soft on him."

"Eeh." Cosmo rolled his eyes. "More like Timmy's gone, as soft as mashed potatoes. He's been a real cry baby ever since he started taking that medicine."

"Poof!" Poof huffed, offended, and gave his father a pout.

"I'm not being mean, it's true!" Cosmo defended. "Back in the old days, Timmy was like as tough as an uncooked potato, someone said something mean to him and he'd get angry or make a silly wish to get back at them, but now it's 'waaaa waaaa, I need hugs, tell me you love me, waaaa….!' "Cosmo's imitation of Timmy's voice bordered a little on the callous side and he exchanged uncomfortable looks with his wife, while Poof, visibly upset, protested his father's portrayal by bonking him on the head with his rattle.

"No, be mean to Tim-me!"

"That's right, Cosmo, you shouldn't say such mean things about your godchild." Tannfe lectured.

"I'm not being mean—! I'm just…confused. Timmy was never the meek or sensitive type. He used to bounch back like a bouncy ball, but now…it's like he came someone else." Cosmo lamented, his voice tinged with genuine concern.

Tannfe, sensing the need for clarity, spoke in a calmer tone. "At his age, things become more perplexing, emotions more complex. What did not hurt as a child can sting more deeply when you're older. Sometimes, enough hurt can change your entire personality."

Jorgen knew she spoke not only from her own experiences, but his too. As a kid, he was the friendly and outgoing type. When kids would ask why he did not have wings, or why he was so much taller, he'd just laugh it off. Being different had not bothered him. He had thought it made him special, and he beleived that others had thought the same.

It wasn't until he reached his teenage years that he realized his differences weren't receiving admiration, but speculation, and scorn.

Not wanting to let them know he was hurt, he crafted a tougher persona. He pretended he found fairy wings to be too girly and poofed up rockets, and he began to work out so that his massive height would be accompanied by massive muscles that would make anyone and everyone too afraid to gossip about their rumours and speculations about him and his differences.

Though satisfied with his own evolution, Jorgen acknowledged that not everyone emerged stronger from their trials, but he believed in Timmy's resilience.

"A boy like Timmy Turner isn't the type to be defeated. He has a spark in him, and even if it's flickering now, it'll ignite again." He affirmed. The boy who defeated the darkness wouldn't be defeated by a bunch of name calling. It was too bad that he couldn't risk restoring Timmy's and everyone's memory of the battle with the Darkness. It would probably go a long way in restoring the boy's confidence. Alas, not only had the fairies put Timmy onto too high a pedstal, but also…if the Fey ever learned the Darkness had been defeated…it would lead to chaos. With the Darkness now, the kindness, the dark residual energy that had made the Fey world barrier impenetrable, had dissipated. Fortunately, none of the Fey would dare think of trying to breech it again, not if they thought they'd become dust for their efforts.

"I do hate seeing Timmy hurt…" Cosmo lowered his head, mumbling. "But lately he's been so delicate, I feel like I'm walking on eggshells around him. Wanda's been nurturing, but it feels like the more she coddles him, the weaker he gets."

"Tim-me not weak, just need hugs!"

"Well, maybe I don't understand." Cosmo admitted bashfully. "I'm more about fun than I am about comfort."

"I guess Turner's been closer with Wanda." He stated, hoping Cosmo would let more slip.

Cosmo rolled his eyes. "She ought to just poof herself into a security blanket at this point, but…" He made a sad expression, even more guilty than his previous. "I mean…I get it. Timmy's parents have been very mean lately, and the kids at school have been absolutely horrible. I'm not good with that kind of thing. Actually, I tend to make people feel worse whenever I try to cheer them up. So Wanda really is the only one he has to go to…"

"Poof! Poof, poof!" Poof gestured to himself, frustrated.

"Oh, and you too, Poof." Cosmo amended with a strained smile. "I do love Timmy, and I want to be of help, but…all I can really do anymore is wait around for whenever he feels like playing again."

"I'm sure he will." Tannfe reassured. "Just be ready with lots of exciting games for when he's feeling better. I have a feeling that once this rough patch in his life passes, he'll be back to the same mischievous Timmy Turner we all know and love."

"I will! And it's not like he and I don't do anything together anymore. Wanda hates 80% of the shows Timmy likes, and Poof's too young for 95% of them, so I'm at least still his one and only TV buddy!"

"I see…." It seemed to align with what he had previously heard. Wands had taken it upon herself to fulfil the emotional needs that the people in Turner's life had failed to fill.

"When you say his parents are mean…you don't mean abusive…?" He asked, concerned.

"…They don't hit him." Cosmo answered after a pause, messing with his hair awkwardly. "Sticks and stones, may break bones but words—well…actually, Timmy gets more hurt by their words than he does getting punched by Francis…"

It seemed that everything Wanda had said was true; Timmy was suffering from abuse in both home and school and she had stepped in to provide him with support and comfort.

"Wanda might be letting herself get a little carried away lately…" Cosmo admitted after a moment of silence. "But none of our god kids were ever in such a tough environment. Overworked parents, new school, fight with friends, playground bullies, all our past godchildren had little problems…Timmy went from being our standard to being….well…to needing a lot more care….so Wanda's finally getting to be the godmother she always wanted to be…but this is all above my head…but I guess for Wanda…this is finally her right class…."

….So that was the strange feeling he had been picking up on lately.

They divided godchildren into classes based on the severity of their situations. The children in the highest class, known as A class, were those who were in environments of severe distress. Only the most exceptional fairies were chosen to be assigned to these godchildren.

In contrast, the children in the C class had minor problems, such as having no friends, overworked parents, adjusting to a new school, or dealing with playground bullies. The fairies assigned to these cases were like plasters used for minor cuts. They provided a little magic to make the children feel better while their problems eventually resolved themselves.

These fairies, however, were often clumsy, careless, and prone to accidents. This was alright, because their primary goal was to bring some smiles to the children's faces, rather than provide long-term support or protection. C class children only needed temporary playmates, not emotional supports or protectors.

Timmy had started off as C class; negligent but loving parents, mean baby sitter and being unpopular. However…even at the age of ten, Timmy's situation began slipping into B class—with his parents becoming increasingly unfit, even outright callous at times, his baby sitter becoming physically abusive and his few friends becoming distant.

Now his B class was bordering on becoming an A class situation. Cosmo was way out of his element, but Wanda had finally found hers.

If she had been on her own, Wanda would have been an A class fairy godmother. She had all the qualifications, she would have been among the very best, but her marriage to Cosmo had stuck her in C class.

For hundreds of years, she had to work far below her potential and still had to face most of her charges being counted as failures because of Cosmo's poor performance.

It must have been severely dispiriting for a woman who had become a godmother with such ideals and hopes of making a difference to endure the reality she had been dealt.

However, Timmy was different. For the first time, she could finally take on a case that was appropriate for her skills, and Turner's ingenuity made up for even Cosmo's clumsiness, keeping his fairies from being detected for longer than any other godchild in history.

The sense he had gotten from Wanda when he had spoken to her earlier might not have been the over-attachment he had feared it to be.

Perhaps Wanda was simply enthusiastic about finally being given the chance to test her mettle and prove her worth as a godmother. She could finally prove to herself that she really did have the skills and ability to do what she had always dreamed of doing when she had trained to become a godmother.

If that was so, then she had likely been honest when she had told him she had no intention of clinging to Timmy and was alright with letting him go once he became an adult. Otherwise, rather than proving her abilities, she'd be doing the opposite by committing what was a rookie mistake, despite being a veteran. Such a faux pa would have her mocked and scorned by her fellow godparents for centuries.

However, even if she had been honest about her intentions, that did not change his perspective about Timmy. The boy had severe emotional issues—he froze the universe for 50 years just to stay with his fairies, for goodness' sakes! It was dangerous for Wanda to allow him to become even more attached to her than he already was.

Who knew that Turner would come up with next? The boy had a knack for finding loopholes in the rules and twisting things in his favor, coupled with the audacity to do whatever it took to get what he wanted.

It was fine for Timmy to be clinging to her right now while he was in distress; it was normal behaviour given his circumstances, but once his situation improved…he'd demand that Wanda ween him off his dependance on her.

Timmy was a loving child who would never intentionally hurt his fairies. That was something he was sure of, but adult humans differed from their childlike counterparts. Even the sweetest child often became bitter, ruthless and power hungry once they became fully grown. The human race was weak and petty by nature. Even the kindest adults were driven by self-interest before anything else.

Even Timmy, who loved his fairies so much when he grew up, might…no, he did not even want to elaborate on his thoughts. The idea of Wanda suffering the same fate as Dulice was just too tragic.

— Nova's POV—

Nova stood before the gathered villagers in the community center, relaying the urgency of the situation. They listened in uncharacteristic silence, their hushed reactions unsettling in their ambiguity. Nova had anticipated disagreement or confusion, but this profound quiet left an unsettling uncertainty hanging in the air, making the situation even more challenging to navigate. His bandaged hand throbbed, but at least the pain help distract him from the anxious feeling welling up inside his belly.

Bliss cringed, breaking the silence with unease. "This is a big deal, Nova," she voiced, prompting Aelar to tug uncomfortably at his shirt collar, visibly struggling to articulate his thoughts.

Siofra, never one to shy away, boldly raised a pointed question. "Is any of this your doing, Piper? You've been bored lately and we all know your….bad habits when you get bored."

A few villagers echoed her suspicions, causing Piper to make a disgusted noise.

"Oh, wow, really? Say what you will about me, but it's only because I'm here that all of you can have your precious little Kinders and Companions to play with. But hey, Alethea, how about you share your thoughts? Your special Fey ability is to discern lies, so use it right not and tell anyone here stupid enough to think I'd do something as idiotic as this, that I did not! The boy showed up here like this!"

"We want to assure you that any action we take, even if it may verge on tampering with one's soul, is undertaken with the boy's well-being as our primary concern." Nova reached out, hoping his sincerity would do a better job at convincing their fellows than Piper's anger had.

Alethea, clad in her signature red attire with snow-white bangs obscuring half her face, sat calmly at the back of the hall. "Hmm, they speak the truth," she confirmed, her words calming the tense atmosphere.

The villagers all took solace in Alethea's assessment, finding reassurance since they all knew that Alethea held a great disdain for Piper and would never lie in order to protect her.

Glimmer expressed concern, gnawing at her nails. "Ooooh, this sucks! "What if Queen Mab ends up like reaaaallly mad at us?"

"We will not proceed without Queen Mab's approval. Everything we do will pass by her first." He assured, but really, he harbored worries about more visits from Gunter, fearing Timmy's endurance might falter under such strain.

Seren, contemplating the weight of the situation, remarked soberly. "If we don't help the child…it would be the same as handing out a death sentence."

Bea, one of the younger Fey spoke up firmly. "I say we do what we must; we'd be breaking the creed of our circle if we let a kid die; and as Nova said, it's not like we were the ones to remove his soul. We're just fixing what someone else broke."

"Beautifully said, Bea." He praised her resolute stance.

"This whole thing is simply horrible." Distressed, Bubbles stood off to the corner, rocking her misshaped bundle in her arms. "I'd be crushed if something like that happened to you, Dolly. It would be a terrible fate, wouldn't my sweet girl?"

"….Not as terrible as Dahlia's fate…" Finch mumbled and several other Fey urged his silence; one of Bubbles' hysterical tantrums was the last thing they needed to deal with right now and speaking badly about her "Dolly" brought about one hell of a fit of hysteria from the woman.

"Well, I say we do anything and everything we can to help." Declared Melika, her honey-colored hair framing determined almond-shaped eyes. "My Kinder loves the Timmy stories your wife writes about in her letters, and I know my little Kieran would absolutely love having Timmy as a playmate."

"We are making him a Kinder, aren't we?" Rosehip, another Fey, grinned.

"Naturally!" Piper laughed. "We aren't letting a kid that rare get away from us."

"I concur. However, it is crucial to refrain from any attempts to forcibly claim the boy. We will only employ deception and manipulation as a last resort should my attempts to obtain my daughter-in-law's consent prove unsuccessful." He reminded them, knowing how spontaneous and thoughtless the bunch of them could be, especially whenever they got excited.

…He had always intended to persuade Wanda, but now it was no longer just a desire but a necessity…for the sake of his family's happiness…he had to ensure they willingly became part of Fey World.

It was just as he explained to Wanda earlier. Family had to prioritize the well-being of each other, and do whatever actions were necessary to ensure the happiness of each family member—and sometimes that required some members of the family to carry the burden of others.

Authors note:

Hope everyone in enjoying the story. Sorry for the wait, for this one, work's been in the way, but I promise updates will go back to their regular schedule.

For the next chapter we will be meeting a bunch of Fey and their Kinder and so dear readers if you'd like to make a Fey and Kinder OC, write their description in a review (Nothing too fancy, they are going to be just minor characters) and I will have them appear amongst the Fey/Kinders in the next chapter!