I truly apologize for taking so long for updating this story. I've have been so busy with my new job and classes as of lately, as well as helping my friend with the stories we write together for the big bang challenges. That sure has taken a lot of my time. Hopefully, this chapter was worth the wait. And with that, I would like to dedicate this chapter for all who asked when Mother Nature would get Jack's tooth box from Tooth. *Smiling innocently with devil horns* Although, this might not be what your expecting. Onward to the story...Enjoy!
Chapter 37: Tooth Box
She couldn't help but feel an overwhelming disappointed as she watched her mother and sisters fly away from the enraged Winter Spirit and the redeveloping blizzard that surrounded the spirit. The young Tooth Fairy shivered slightly as the vines moved on their own accord, protecting her the best it could.
The young Tooth Fairy knew the vines were acting on Mother Nature's wishes — to protect and shield her from the cold, to keep her alive — when it moved to cover the opening above her. She was thankful for that. She was protected and warm thanks to the Spring and Fall Magic traveling within the vines.
Despite being safe and warm, it did nothing to the dread, fear, and disappointment she'd felt. Mother Nature's words, revealing bits and pieces of what happened as she attempted to breathe reason into the spirit, confirmed that she knew of what the spirit was talking about and further confirming what the Snow Queen was saying held the truth that she wanted to deny. But it was Mother's reaction toward the grieving Winter Spirit's accusations that truly made her realize that the Snow Queen had been telling the truth and that she had every right to want vengeance. They had taken the life of a child after all.
The very thought made the fairy's heart cringe in pain. She could not believe her mother would do such a thing. But Mother had. She had taken the life of a child, rather she meant to do it or not and had made another enemy in the process.
The young Tooth Fairy removed her eyes from the small gap between the vines, sighing sadly as the truth settled firmly in her mind. Mother, what have you done? The young Tooth Fairy shook her head sadly. She knew exactly what happened. Mother had become too blind to see the consequences of this unneeded war. She had allowed her anger to cloud her judgment and had allowed her hatred and misguided beliefs to distract her from her duties.
Mother might have thought that she was protecting the children by constantly attacking Pitch, instead of joining them when they collected the children's teeth, but she wasn't. When she stopped collecting teeth, opting to stay at the palace for hours on end or joining the other Guardians in their efforts to destroy Pitch, she stopped seeing the children and the ever changing world they lived in. Mother didn't see the children that were orphans. Or the children that were dying due to an unknown disease spreading throughout the country or as a result of all the fighting and killing among the morals. She didn't see the children that were cold and hungry and only dreamed of a day where their parents would return home from a hunt or with enough money for food. Mother did not see what she and the others saw.
The young fairy sighed as she heard Mother Nature yelling for her father. The young Tooth Fairy blinked her eyes before shifting her gaze to the gap between the vines. What was Pitch doing here at the palace…and why?
If Pitch Black had been here, he was long gone, which was puzzling itself. However, he wasn't the only one who was gone.
The young fairy chirped questioningly as she gazed outside. She would have assumed Pitch would have wanted to join the Snow Queen and attack them. Pitch Black was very angry right now and rightly deserved to get his revenge on them. Besides, they were down by a dozen or so miniature Tooth Fairies and the other Guardians were nowhere in sight. It was an easy win.
Whatever the reason was, Pitch didn't attack. In fact, he wasn't here and seemed to have taken the blizzard and the Snow Queen with him. Now, this was interesting. Why would he do that?
The young fairy thought back to what the Snow Queen said about Pitch, her mother, and the now dead child. She wasn't sure what Pitch's relation to this child was, but they must have been close if Pitch Black was hurting as the Snow Queen revealed. And if that was the case then what was the relation between the Snow Queen and Pitch Black? Were they working together? Were they a couple? Were they friends?
The fairy grunted at the growing headache that was starting to emerge. This war was a big mess for everyone. Many of the other spirits were becoming resentful of the Guardians. There had been talk of stripping the Guardians of their powers or destroying their holidays and jobs. The other spirits were getting fed up with this silly war that the Man on the Moon started, but chose to do nothing about it. Many were afraid of Mother Nature's wrath and chose to wait until she did something. For now, it was just talk, but she feared of the outcome this could cause. The Guardians were always the topic of discussion in the Spirit World. It was why they were never invited to Mother Nature's or the other Ancient Spirits' parties, meetings, or celebrations.
There were very few that supported the Guardians and sadly she was not one of them. The young Tooth Fairy hated to admit it, but even she was starting to have negative feelings towards her own mother. Mother was not the kind woman she once was. She had changed and it was a change she didn't like.
The young fairy sighed as the vines began to retract their protective sphere and return to the ground they came from. The fairy flapped her wings, happy that the vines melted the ice on her feathers and gave her the strength she needed to fly again.
Instead of flying back to her mother, the young fairy flew to Mother Nature, who was still near the edge of the platform. Mother Nature had not moved since the departure of the Snow Queen and Pitch Black. She remained on her knees, staring blankly at the empty space in front of her with such a saddened look on her beautiful face. The young fairy landed on the woman's shoulder, looking at her in concern.
Neither of them said anything for a long while. Mother Nature remained silent as her spirits and sprites rushed to warm up the place, melting the ice and snow, and attempting to save those that have been covered in snow and ice. She knew many of her sisters have not survived, however. Many had been the first to instantly freeze when the Snow Queen started the blizzard. The blizzard had started in the middle of the palace's courtyard, while they were heading towards the columns that would give them coins or fetch the tooth box (that belonged to the child that they have collected the tooth from) from the vault.
Green-pink eyes misted at the sad thought. Her sisters were dead. Sure, Mother had dozens of fairies and could separate herself by using the Ancient Relic (a baby tooth giving to her by her parents long ago), giving birth to more miniature Tooth Fairies. However, this was stored deep within the palace in an unbreakable vault, where they kept all the other baby teeth.
Despite this knowledge, the young fairly realized that it did nothing to rid the pain in her chest. She turned her head to the sky, watching several sprites as they warmed the area. She could feel the magic of spring and summer warming her tiny bones. The young Tooth Fairy ruffled her feathers, hoping the warm Spring and Summer Magic would dry the feathers that were still damp from the ice.
"They don't know." She had not expected Mother Nature to break the silence, though. The fairy was concerned, however. The spirit's voice was very soft, barely above a whisper. If it wasn't for the fact that she was on the spirit's shoulder, she probably wouldn't have heard her. "He's not dead anymore."
"Who?" she asked, questioningly. "Who's not dead?"
The spirit did not face her, nor answer right away. Her face was a mask of emotions as she stared tearfully in front of her. "Me and Lunar brought him back, you know. But they don't. My father is grieving the death of his brother…no thanks to the Guardians…he doesn't realize that his younger brother is alive now." Her eyes widened in surprise. Pitch had a brother? "And Susanna…she's so bent on revenge now…she doesn't know that Jackson is alive and healthy…"
Mother Nature finally shifted her greenish-gray eyes towards her. The spirit smiled weakly at her as she tried to process what she was being told, in addition to what had occurred over the last several hours. However, her mind could not process anything while she was staring into Mother Nature's eyes. Her heart cringed for the spirit as she read the mixture of emotions that was presented to her. There was so much pain and sadness there. Pain for her father, Pitch Black. Pain for the Susanna, the Snow Queen. Pain for Jackson. Pain for the dead mortals. Pain for the suffering and loneliness the war had caused everyone involved.
"I know they need to know," she continued before the fairy could form a question. "But Father keeps going off the grid. Not even I can find him anymore."
"How is that possible, Mother Nature?" she asked, startled that Pitch was now even concealing his presence from his own daughter.
Mother Nature sighed, smiling weakly at her. "I'm afraid I do not understand you." The young fairy huffed in frustration. She forgot that the miniature Tooth Fairies were one of the few creatures Mother Nature couldn't understand. They were not normal. They weren't humans that turned into spirits, nor were they animals. They were somewhere in the middle. Made from the very essence of their mother's soul. They were a direct copy of her in a sense, unnatural and different from the rest of beings in the Spirit World. "But judging by your expression, I am going to guess that you want to know what happened to Jackson after me and Lunar brought him back as a spirit and about my father."
Well, that was one of the many questions she wanted to know. It might not be the question she had wanted to know a few seconds ago, but it was something.
"My Father is constantly moving and not in the same location for very long," Mother Nature began when she jerked a nod and a tweet. "I do not have powers over shadows, so it is hard to locate him. Like Susanna, Father is on a war path for what the Guardians did to his family." Mother Nature's eyes hardened around the edges as she mentioned the Guardians. The young fairy felt her own anger for them starting to bubble inside her chest, but she held it in. "They decided to attack Pitch in the village that Jackson and his adoptive family lived. Pitch tried to fight them but your mother and the other morons were determined to destroy him. They have the nerve to believe that Father was attacking the children." The young fairy's feathers ruffled in shock. Her hands balled into fists and her face twisted in disbelief at the atrocity of it all. How could her mother think that? She couldn't be that blind! Or…maybe she was.
"Jackson and his sister were playing by a frozen pond, while my father was trying to force the Guardians back. They were getting too close to the village. They were reckless the fools." The young fairy felt a sense of dread fill the pit of her stomach. "Nicholas and the rabbit," she said with a snarl, "were fighting among each other as well as trying to destroy my father. Jackson and Flee had almost got hurt because of the rabbit. My Father was prepared before (during Easter when the rabbit attempted to attack them in broad daylight when he saw Jackson with his Nightmare Horse) and managed to fight them off. However, this time the rabbit prevented Night, the Nightmare Horse my father created for him, from protecting him when Nicholas's sword struck the ice."
Her heart dropped. This means that…Pitch's brother… drowned? How…? Why…? Why didn't Mother do something? Certainly, she must have tried to help Pitch save the child.
"And the Guardians did nothing! They just watched and insulted my father as he lost his emotions to the pain and grief...and then the Fearlings struck…"
She watched silently as the Elemental and Nature Spirits and Sprites made their way around the palace, melting ice and snow. She had long since retired to her room, leaving the cleanup to Mother Nature's Spirits and Sprites and what remained of her children. After seeing at least a dozen or so of her fairies froze solid in a block of ice...unmoving...dead, she, she just couldn't stomach it anymore. She just had to get away. Toothiana had, by some miracle, managed to avoid talking about what happened when they left the North Pole to confront Pitch. Her children had been preoccupied grieving the death of their sisters, allowing Toothiana to get away and think about what she was going to tell them when the time came.
Originally, they had every intention of finishing him off once and for all. Bunny had said it would be the only way to make sure the children would finally be safe. He was a monster that needed to be stopped before another Dark Ages occurred. Bunny had told them what Pitch did to his people. Pitch was ruthless and merciless as he slathered the Pookas and other civilizations throughout the galaxy. Pitch was a monster that needed to be stopped! But as she thought about the grief and horror that crossed Pitch's feature as the child, Jackson, fell through the ice, she began to wonder. What if it wasn't Pitch that need to be stopped? What if it was them?
Toothiana's shoulders sagged at that thought. Long ago, they had vowed to protect the children of the world. They had vowed to protect them and make sure they got the Dreams, Wonder, Hope, and Memories of their childhood before reaching adulthood. But as she thought about the last few months, she realized that she hadn't been home too often to instruct her girls where to go. In fact, she hadn't been home for weeks on end, leaving her girls to conduct her job for her. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't done her job at all in quite a while, and she wasn't the only one. She couldn't remember the last time North created a very detailed ice sculpture for the yetis to make into toys or Bunny taking the time to carefully paint his eggs with so much detail and beauty that he was famous for.
Toothiana frowned as she stared out the window of her bedroom. They had been fighting Pitch all year round for centuries now. It was their job to protect the children from Pitch and other evil spirits, but when had they lost track of their own duties. She was barely home to direct her girls to the children that lost their beautiful incisors. North barely worked on the toys, opting to help Bunny to track down Pitch's movements, supplying them with food and weapons, and to keep them up to date on what the Dark Spirit was doing. Bunny barely had a moment to go home and work on his eggs. He was needed to help North find Pitch and his Nightmares. He was the best tracker after all, even if his ego often led him to disastrous encounters with other spirits. So he was left to work on his eggs between battles and breaks when one side retreated. If she was being honest with herself, Sandy was probably the only one to keep on top of his job. Sandy barely slept for he was constantly weaving Dreamsand to the children, no matter where he was in the world. Apparently, he didn't have to be in the same location of the child to give them good dreams. He was capable of giving dreams while at the North Pole. Although, they weren't as strong or as carefully crafted as they usually were.
"It seems the Guardians have a new enemy." Toothiana blinked at the sound of a female voice. Toothiana felt a wave of uneasiness as she shifted her eyes in the direction of the flat voice. On her right were two columns (where the money for the children was stored), which were still encased in ice. On one of those columns, at least several stories above her, were two Summer Spirits. Toothiana couldn't make out any of their features, other then the spirits having reddish-orange hair and summer-like dresses, but she could tell right away that they were the lesser Elemental Spirits. They weren't nearly as powerful as the Head Seasonals or their Second in Commands, but they were stronger than the Sprites. But their powers were nowhere near the level as some of the more talented and powerful Holiday Spirits. They were weak compared to the rest of them.
"I'm really not that surprised," the other female Summer Spirit replied tightly, almost in a mocking tone. Toothiana's hands tightened on the windowsill as she watched the spirits warm the air around the column, allowing the ice to melt. "It was only a matter of time before one of the other spirits got fed up with the Guardians' stupidity and recklessness." To say Toothiana didn't feel a little hurt at the comment was an understatement. The words stun her, making her wince away from the window as if she had just been slapped in the face.
In a way, she probably had. Toothiana had never paid attention to other spirits or interacted with them in centuries. This made her wonder what was going on. Were their actions affecting the other spirits and their jobs? No, that didn't make sense. They haven't intervened on other spirits' holidays or jobs. In fact, that had all been Pitch's doing. They should be thanking them for attempting to eliminate a threat that could potently harm them all! But as that thought came and went, another came to argue that stubborn thought.
How would we know? We've been fighting all this time and not once bothered to ask how this war would affect others. How do we know attempting to rid of the Nightmare King is really the best course of action?
Toothiana couldn't come up with an answer to counter the other thought. There was truth to it. They wouldn't know. They wouldn't know anything. As that thought surfaced, Toothiana felt another wave of guilt. Because of this war, they had ignored spirits they had once been friends with. If they could still call them that.
Toothiana paused for a moment. Maybe she should visit one of her friends. Hopefully, they would not be too mad at her for not talking or visiting in a long time.
"How could you?!" Toothiana was startled out of her thoughts as one of her girls came swooping in, yelling all the while. Toothiana stared at her daughter with a sunken heart as familiar eyes stared back at her in anger and loathing. "How could you just attack Pitch like that, knowing that children were nearby?!"
"Sweetie…" For once Toothiana wished she had named her children. Toothiana never thought she needed to. They had all been created by the special tooth her parents gave her, the tooth of MiM. They were simply copies, merely an extension of herself and not their own person, at least at first. The child in front of her was the youngest of the latest batch of Tooth Fairies she brought to life, being made just a little over a century ago. Toothiana came to realize that she was exactly a direct copy of herself, from her eyes to her fiery personality. "…I'm…I'm afraid I'm not sure what you're—".
"Don't tell me you don't know what I'm talking about!" she interrupted angrily, raising her fists, waving them at her in anger as she ranted. "You all attack Pitch! Fighting him while two children were playing on the frozen pond!" Toothiana froze in terror. She knows... "You all attacked without thinking of the consequences, like always!"
Toothiana frowned. What was her daughter talking about? What consequences was she talking about? She knew she and the others were the cause of the child's death, but there shouldn't be anything else…right?
"And now you are probably thinking what other consequences I'm talking about?!" Toothiana nodded, despite the angry huff, bristle, and glare her daughter shot in her direction. "Blind as always!"
The comment hurt. It really did. She never thought a simple comment could hurt so much. And what worse…
"Maybe if you actually thought about what you were doing and actually did your job, instead of listening to the old man and the stubborn rabbit every time Pitch surfaces, you wouldn't be in this position!"
The dam finally broke when her child just stared at her with loathing that accompanied each and every word. There was disappointment, anger, and disgust in those identical eyes that made the tears well up on their own accord. Toothiana couldn't stop the tears that fell and her daughter didn't even give her a second glance as she stormed out of her bedroom.
Toothiana could not stop the flow of tears from leaking from their confinements as she felt her legs gave way under her. The pain was too real and it hurt too much to fight against the sorrow that soon washed over her. She had wanted to fly after her daughter, but Toothiana found that was impossible. For as she covered her face with her hands and wept on the cold wooden floor, she realized that she had just lost another daughter. And it was all—her—fault.
The land looked so beautiful and peaceful as snow covered every inch of the land. Snow covered the land and icy platforms that he walked on, as well as the mountains that littered the region. Little blocks of spiky ice littered the ground from where snow, ice, and harsh winds collided with each other, creating a beautiful, violent work of art.
A sad smile crossed his feature as he stared at the snowflakes falling from the sky. They were so beautiful, so white and pure, barely tainted by the cruel world. They reminded him so much of his brother. Jackson was just as innocent as the snowflakes that fluttered around. Pitch reached out a hand, allowing a snowflake to land in his palm.
"Are you playing among the snowflakes, Jackson?" Pitch asked as the snowflake melted, turning to water from the warmth of his body heat. "Are you…happy?" Pitch could barely voice the question. Jackson had always loved the snow. Before he went off to war long ago, he had always watched his little brother and his daughter playing in the snow together. Emily Jane loved everything about nature, including the changing of the seasons. But winter truly was Jackson's element. He loved the snow even as a little baby.
The memories brought tears to his eyes, but Pitch refused to allow them to escape. If he did then it would mean that Jackson truly was gone, forever out of his reach. His body deep within the icy pond and his soul free among the stars.
Pitch felt a raw bitter sob leave his throat as he thought about his brother. Jackson hated being alone and now he was. Pitch's heart clenched tightly in his chest as he fought against the sorrow and pain. Not yet. He couldn't break down yet. He had to make sure he was far away from the lair. He could not afford to lose Susanna to his pain and grief.
Susanna… Pitch felt a wave of guilt hit him as he thought about his beloved. He had been foolish to think that Susanna could control her rage. She hadn't had her powers for very long. The deaths of those humans — he would not allow her to hold the weight of the countless deaths on her shoulders. He would gladly take the blame for that. She had enough grieving to deal with. She deserved to grieve her son (his brother) anyway she wanted to. Besides, they never got a chance to properly grieve Jackson's death, now did they? They had created a shrine, but that was because they had no body to bury. Jackson needed a final resting place and the shrine in his Burgess lair was the best he could offer for his little brother, but he knew that was not enough. It would never be enough. Jackson's death affected them more than one would think. They all lost the one person they cared for the most. It would only be a matter of time before Flee joined them to avenge Jackson's death. For he was not meant to die so soon. It should have been him. He had seen everything that needed to be seen and experienced everything that was to experience throughout his travels among the galaxies and the stars; and have left his mark on the world, no matter how bad it was. But Jackson hadn't done a thing. He hadn't even begun to leave his mark on the world. Pretty soon, no one would remember his name, just like the winds and the shadows.
The thought made Pitch very sad and very angry.
"Why?" The question was barely heard over the raging winds of the forming blizzard, but he knew that he would hear him perfectly. "Why did you not stop them?" Pitch trained his heated gaze to the moon, feeling an overwhelming anger fill him. The moon was positioned high in the sky, staring mockingly at him as he walked through the snowy region of a forming blizzard, neither answering him nor acknowledging him. "Why did you let him die?"
Little Tsar did not respond, not that he expected him to. Tsar always cowered and hid when things got bad. Pitch scowled at him, his voice rising as his anger for the man grew. "What? Have nothing to say?" Only silence answered him. Agitated, Pitch lashed out. The shadows quivered as they separated from his body and did his bidding."It's your fault he's dead!" Black sand and tendrils of darkness formed into spikes as they collided with ice and rocks. Huge chunks detached from the snow covered mountains, falling into the icy ocean below. "Bring him back!" Pitch ignored the ache in his throat as he screamed. "Bring Jackson back, Lunar!" He ignored the warm, red liquid dripping from his hands as the sand and shadows began mixing with ice shards from the raging blizzard as he walked closer and closer to the center.
As he lashed out over and over again, Pitch thought about his brother. Jackson had been his light, his purpose to continue fighting, to live. He was the reason he chose to protect and defend again. Jackson had always made him feel loved and wanted. Jackson had always made him laugh and feel joy, overwhelming joy. He was the reason he loved and lived again. And now…Jackson was…gone…
"Jackson…"
Pitch's choked on a sob as he remembered the reassuring smile Jackson gave him as he slowly drowned in his icy grave. He remembered his final wishes for his family to stay together, to be protected. Jackson had no regrets, had no ill will. He blamed no one for his untimely death.
Pitch could not stop the tears that finally leaked from his eyes and fell down his cheeks. Once they began, he found he could not stop them. Pitch sobbed sorrowfully, his anger now replaced with an overwhelming guilt and grief. Pitch collapsed to his knees, ignoring the numbness caused by the snow, as he sobbed. Pitch couldn't stop the tears, nor the pain in his chest. Pitch's right hand gripped the fabric of his robe tightly as his chest ached in pain.
Why? Why am I always left to be alone? Pitch was barely aware of his sand mixing with the blizzard. He was barely aware of the tendrils freezing over and forming into a black, spiky sculpture that was both beautiful and threatening. Pitch was barely aware of anything anymore, not after Jackson's death. "I'm sorry…" What he was sorry for, he wasn't really sure. He was sorry for not being there for his brother when he needed him. He was sorry for the mortals that had died as a result of Susanna's anger and pain. He was sorry for not being able to prevent Susanna from falling into a temporary hibernation. He was sorry for leaving Flee without her mother. And he was sorry for not being able to comfort Night or to remove her pain as she grieved. He was sorry for so many things, so many things. "I'm so sorry…"
Pitch's vision blurred as tears leaked faster and faster. He did not move as the winds brushed against him, nor did he move when his tears began to freeze into little ice droplets before hitting the snow. There was something beautiful about that. The ice, just like this land, was beautiful, a paradise for the animals that lived here; but it was also a lonely continent, a place for one who was alone in the world.
Alone.
The word sounded so fitting. He had been alone for quite some time before reuniting with his brother. He had been alone when he was guarding the Fealings, Nightmare Men, and the Dream Pirates' prison back when he was human. He had been so very alone. And when he was taken over by those very evils, he had believed he lost everything. His daughter was gone, his brother was gone, his people and his world, gone. But when he had found his daughter again and the survivors, he truly believed that he wouldn't be alone anymore. Fate sure had a way of breaking him down. She had allowed the Guardians to kill his people and to drive his daughter away from him. He barely saw his daughter now, especially with her laws to keep her kind away from other spirits wars.
Pitch's heart ached as he realized this was meant to be. Fate did not want him to be happy. For what purpose, he wasn't sure. But he just couldn't understand why she would take his brother away from him and to tear his family apart. Jackson was forever gone and Susana would be in a hibernation state for at least three months. He barely heard the hollow laugh that tore from his lips. How fitting? He was alone. Forever alone. No Susanna. No Flee. No Jackson. No Nightmares, though that was due to the fact that he told them to stay and guard Susanna. And surprisingly, no Fearlings.
"How ironic? The ones that wanted to be a family and to stick together are the ones that get torn apart. While they continue to prosper and live another day." Pitch couldn't help but find Fate to be so cruel. All he ever wanted was his brother to be returned to him. He didn't want this war. He wanted to peacefully live with his brother and maybe start a family. But, of course, the Guardians persistence to destroy him and his Nightmares got in the way. And you paid the price for it.
Pitch sighed tiredly as he felt the shadows return to his body. His body shuddered in response, leaving his body very, very numb. But this was not due to the cold. The cold never bothered him. How could he when winter was Jackson's favorite season? Pitch smiled sadly as he wiped away his tears with the back of his hand. Pitch ignored the dark red liquid that dripped to the snow. He ignored the cuts that littered his face and arms. He ignored all of that.
But as he began to regain his composure and as his vision cleared, Pitch found himself gazing at the object in his hand.
"Where are you taking me, little one?" Normally Emily Jane wouldn't want to do anything that involved the Guardians. The Guardians were not her favorite spirits. That was obvious. They were reckless, arrogant fools that only cared about themselves. They have proved this time and time again, that they only care about their pride and their naive, ridiculous views of the world. This of course had caused many of the old to grow angry of the Guardians. Their actions have caused many of the animals to cower in fear and have even interfered with many of their jobs. One of the recent complaints were from the Spirits of Halloween, Hollow and her brother, Eve. Hollow had been furious at the last Spirit Gathering and rightly so. The Guardians had attacked her and her brother when they were preparing for their holiday. The Guardians treated her and her brother like they were nobody, a nuisance, and a possible threat to their selfish views. They saw them as an enemy and even threatened them not to harm or be near the children or else they will face the consequences. The Guardians had some nerve! They might be powerful spirits, appointed by MiM himself, but this didn't mean they were better than the rest of them or that they had the right to judge other holiday spirits.
Emily mentally scoffed at that. It was amazing how no one decided to take their rage on the Guardians yet. Noted, they didn't want to anger her, but she wouldn't have minded as long as the balance of the planet or her children were not harmed. The Guardians deserved to be taught a lesson in respect and to have their egos taken down a peg or two. Mother Nature wouldn't get involved herself, but if the Guardians got any ideas and attack her children or threatened the very fabric of the planet, she would not show mercy.
So it was very amusing that she was following the female Guardian's fairy to who knows where. Her eyes gazed at the structure of the hallway they were walking down. "This place is beautiful." Emily admired the structure of the walls. The walls were made from sparkling gold and decorated with colorful jewels of the old that sparkled beautifully. The fairy chipped at the comment from what Emily assumed was a "thank you!"
Mother Nature returned her gaze to the fairy curiously. The fairy seemed a lot calmer than she had been before. She had expected the fairy to be angry at her mother when she told her what happened. She had expected the fairy's reaction when she flew off in a fit a rage. Emily wasn't sure where she went, but she assumed it was to confront the Guardian, wherever she was.
Although, she had not expected the fairy to stare at her in determination as she chipped and pulled at her dress in the direction of the palace. Emily had realized pretty quickly that the fairy wanted her to follow her. But as they walked, Emily realized that they were walking further and further into the palace. This part of the palace was different from the rest. The mere turns and hidden entryways it took to reached this hall made her realize that this hall was restricted. So it was a place only the female Guardian and her helpers knew about.
Emily hummed in thought. What could be so important that they would go to the trouble to hide his hall? Mother Nature didn't realize that she would get the answer to her question so soon. For the moment the questioned formed, the fairy stopped in front of a huge golden door. Emily stared at the door in amazement. The door was at least five times bigger than her, barely touching the jewels that decorated the board. No jewels decorated the door, but it didn't need it. In the center of the door was a huge pearly white molar tooth. Surrounding the huge molar were smaller teeth, consisting of molars, incisors, canines, premolars, and wisdom teeth.
Intrigued, Mother Nature trained her eyes towards the young fairy. Watching with curiosity as she touched the huge molar. The huge molar glowed at the touch and it wasn't long before the others glowed along with it. Mother Nature found herself covering her eyes, slightly, as the teeth's glow reflected off the jewels. The glowing lasted only a second or two before the sound of a door unlocking was heard. She blinked her eyes and stared in amazement to see that the door was now open. Emily gazed at the fairy as she chipped at her, motioning for her to follow, before disappearing between the open crack of the door.
Emily gazed at the door before closing the distance between her and the door. She placed her palms on the door. It seemed she was going to find out what the fairy wanted to show her. Whatever it was, Emily had a feeling that the answer to all her questions resided on the other side. With a deep breath and with the squaring of her shoulders, Mother Nature pushed the door fully open.
The door made a loud squeak as it was forced open. Emily silently hoped they wouldn't get caught by the Guardian or her little helpers, but the thought soon disappeared as she entered the room. On the other side of the door were tall golden shelves that reached all the way to the ceiling to the other side of the wall. Resting on each and every shelf were golden canisters. "The Tooth Boxes." Mother Nature's eyes lingered on the golden boxes that depicted a picture of every single child from the present to the very past. Emily found her eyes beginning to water. Jackson's tooth box was here, somewhere. She just had to find it and with that — his memories!
Mother Nature smiled as she walked further into the room. It didn't take long to realize that this place was like a huge maze. There were more than a couple thousand shelves, holding more than a billion golden canisters. There was so many tooth boxes, so many shelves, so many turns she could make…where was she supposed to start?
"!" The sound of a frantic chirp caught her attention. Mother Nature frowned as she made a right at the end of the first shelving and walked down the path, following the sound of the frantic chirp.
"Little one!" Mother Nature walked faster. A sense of dread filled her as the chirping got louder and louder. Was there an intruder at the palace? Was the little fairy hurt? Was it her father? Or his Nightmares?
Emily should have realized the that her last thought was the correct answer. When she finally found the fairy, her father, nor his Nightmare Horses, nor an intruder was found. Emily's heart dropped, however, as she gazed at the black sand that littered the floor, followed by several tooth boxes scattered on the floor as if they had been tossed in a rush. Emily trained her eyes to the small fairy and saw her standing on an empty space between two other tooth boxes on one of the shelves. The young fairy stared back at her with pink and green eyes simmering with sadness.
"No…" Mother Nature ran her hand through her long black hair in distress. Her eyes lingered on the empty space where a tooth box was supposed to be. "It's…gone…" Why…? Why did Father take Jackson's teeth?
The golden canister seemed to glisten as it reflected off the pure white snow. Gray fingers gently caressed the engravings that decorated the sides of the cylinder-shaped canister. The swirls on the tooth box were magnificent and truly fine craftsmanship. Of course, Pitch would never say that to the Guardian or admit it out loud. The Guardians did not deserve his praise, just his rage and disgust.
Pitch shifted his gaze to the diamond pattern of Jackson's tooth box. He knew from what the Fearing miniature Tooth Fairy told him, the tooth box held the precious memories of Jackson's childhood. This made him wonder if that included the memories from the day he was born to the day he was forced to leave his family to guard the prison of the Fearlings, Nightmare Man, and Dream Pirates; and the memories of their time together before his death.
Pitch's heart ached painfully in his chest as the memory of his brother falling into the ice flashed in his mind. Pitch violently pushed it away before he lost control again. He tilted the box up, so he could stare at the picture engraved on the front. Pitch felt his lips turn into a watery smile as familiar brown orbs stared back at him. Pitch had to admit that the damn Guardian captured Jackson's essence perfectly. There was a compassionate and joyful expressed reflected on his brother's feature and in those brown orbs was a twinkle of mischief and concern. It was the trait Pitch would miss dearly. Jackson was always smiling and showing such compassion and kindness to everyone he met. He would always know when one needed cheering up, even if it was just by giving a simple smile or to offer advice or a simple joke or two to lighten the mood. It was who his brother was. Something he wished with all his being to return to him.
Pitch's eyes began to mist again as he stared at the box. He gently touched the box, knowing that only a Tooth Fairy could activate the memories. He could always ask his little Fearling to activate the canister for him, but it didn't feel right. He wasn't sure if he could watch his brother's memories without crying or breaking down. Maybe in a couple decades, centuries even, but just not now.
Pitch closed his eyes as the colors began to blur once again. Pitch's body shuddered in despair as he pulled the tooth box to his chest. He ignored the tears that managed to escape his closed eyes lids; but he could not ignore the overwhelming pain of knowing that this small tooth box, filled with all of Jackson's teeth, was the only thing left of his brother.
"I'm…sorry…" Pitch could not stop the sobs that left his lips as he struggled to keep his emotions under control. "I'm so sorry…" Pitch's voice broke as he opened his eyes. The blizzard had somehow slowed down from its destructive course and have begun to lose its shape. Pitch stared at the distorted blizzard with longing. Was this Jackson trying to tell him something? "J-Jackson…?" He realized that this was a foolish thought. Death would have taken him to his realm days ago, where he would be free from the ties of this miserable plain. There was no way Jackson would choose to stay here as an invisible spirit. "Jackson…I'm so sorry…" But Pitch ignored the logical side of his mind and chose to hope it was his brother coming to his aid. "I failed you…I'm so sorry…"
Pitch begged for forgiveness, despite the knowledge that he had done nothing wrong. It was the Guardians who had been the cause of his brother's death. But it had been because of him for not stopping the Guardians in time. He had been too slow to save his brother. Maybe if he was a little fast. Maybe if he had more Nightmares to guard the children. Maybe if he had attacked the Guardians while they were weakened, then maybe Jackson would still be alive.
The wind gently caressed his cheek and ruffled his hair in affection. Pitch's eyes snapped open then — when had he closed them? — looking completely baffled and overwhelmed. It couldn't be. There was no way...no way this was his brother. It could just be the wind messing with him. "Ja-Jackson?" But the more selfish part of him wanted to believe, wanted to hope that his brother was speaking to him through the winds. That, for whatever reason, he had refused to move on and joined the ranks of the Ancient Winds. "Is that you?"
Pitch waited patiently for a response. A part of him prayed that it wasn't his brother and that he was imagining things, while the other half hoped it was. To his utter shock, Pitch was rewarded with a dusting of snow on his hair and shoulders, followed by a cold breeze ruffling his hair before caressing his face. Pitch's voice cracked as he laughed both in relief and sorrow. He couldn't believe it. It was him! Pitch wasn't sure if he should be upset or relieved. "Jackson…"
Pitch closed his eyes, not knowing how long his brother would stay with him before leaving him again. Jackson no longer had a body and would get tired easily. And who knew when the next time he would be able to speak to him again. "I'm sorry, Jackson…for everything…I failed you…" A soft gust gently blasted his face in argument. "Yes, I have!" Pitch shook his head as he argued with his brother's spirit. "I should have protected you better! I should have stopped the Guardians from entering Burgess! I should have been faster and gotten you and Flee away from the lake the moment I heard your fears!" Pitch choked on a sob, silently smiling as his brother attempted to wipe away the tears, only to make it freeze on his face. Pitch moved his hand to remove the frozen teardrop on his face. "I'm sorry," Pitch whispered softly, smiling slightly despite the hollow pain in his chest. "Can you forgive me?"
Pitch, however, did not get a response right away. Pitch for that long agonizing moment thought that Jackson would not forgive him. The knowledge that his brother hated him was beyond painful and only made the tears to fall faster. This, surprisingly, just made his brother grow frantic with worry as he whipped around him, attempting to comfort him and drive away the tears all at the same time. Pitch bowed his head, realizing that he had been stupid to believe that his brother would not forgive him. Jackson would always forgive him.
Pitch closed his eyes and hugged his brother's tooth box tightly, relieved that his brother forgave him for his sins and mistakes. Pitch found himself smiling. soaking up the love and comfort of his brother before it started to slowly disappear. "No!" Pitch's eyes snapped open in horror, realizing that his brother was leaving. "No, please, don't go!" But it was too late. The gentle wind had left him. Pitch sucked in some air painfully. "DON'T LEAVE!" He was alone once again. "JACKSON!"