Chapter 12; Treatment.

—Jorgen—

"Alright kiddo, just chill and lay down. Take a deep breath in and inhale that sweet incense. It's gonna get your body ready for the treatment." Piper had ceased possessing Timmy's body. The poor clueless child, not understanding just how dire his situation was, merely looking around curiously for Wanda.

"She's receiving instructions on how to perform your treatment," he said, smoothly lying to the anxious child. He would not tell him that his godmother had been taken away from the room in a hysterical fit of sobs.

The pungent fragrance of incense permeated the air, making Timmy wrinkle his nose in discomfort. The aroma was sweet and overpowering, a mix of various magical herbs, including the wood from a fairy tree. As the smoke rose, it filled the room with a hazy, dreamlike quality. The scent was so strong that it almost felt like a physical sensation. Timmy coughed and his eyes watering.

"Is this necessary?"

"Yup." Piper answered for him. "You gotta take a hit of this smoke before we start the treatment. It helps the magic go in smoother. I could go into all the nitty-gritty about the hows and whys, but it'd just confuse ya."

Timmy pouted, his eyes darting over to the door as if he was trying to will Wanda to appear. Jorgen would not fault her for her reaction; but she really needed to be here right now. They could not delay the boy's treatment any longer, and she needed to practice before doing it. Furthermore, they needed to discuss what to do about Timmy's rare and very dangerous complication.

Piper had used her magic to restore Timmy's organs to the correct age, ensuring that he was no longer a 62-year-old man on the inside. He couldn't believe the negligence of Cosmo, who had both allowed his godchild to die in an accident and had almost caused him to die of old age at just 12 years old. The reason for Timmy's struggles with revival magic was not because of poor compatibility. Rather, it resulted from a discordancy between his inner and outer ages.

Timmy's body needed to undergo a painful treatment that would permanently alter it. He would have to spend at least a year in bed, recovering. However, the most catastrophic outcome of this whole situation was that Timmy's heart-soul was missing. If Cosmo had been more cautious when returning Timmy to his original age, all of this could have been avoided!

"Wanda won't take too long, will she?" Timmy asked, looking anxious. He could not blame him. He must be terrified, and he wanted the comfort only his godmother could provide him.

"She'll be here soon." He promised; hopefully Wanda would have pulled herself together by then.

"Okay, we're gonna bounce for now." Piper wrinkled her nose, fanning the smoke away from her face. "Honestly, this stuff gives me a headache."

As he gazed at the boy lying there with a glum expression, he felt a surge of pity. If they could not restore his Heart-soul, Timmy would eventually be met with oblivion. Although Turner could be a pain in his butt, the mere thought of the boy disappearing entirely from existence was a sad one.

Piper snapped her fingers, and he was in an unfamiliar room; It was small and sparsely decorated, with only a few chairs and a single table in the center. The walls were bare, except for the one-way mirror that overlooked the room they had left Timmy in. He highly doubted that this room was actually adjacent to the room Timmy was in. This entire house was like a mismatched puzzle.

Piper sat down, crossing her legs and folding her arms. "Okay, so we fixed his organs, but draining the magic out of his heart won't solve the issue, unfortunately."

"I had a feeling." He cringed. Revival magic could not be used on medical deaths, it was meant for death by injuries only. The reason for that was because of an unfortunate hiccup that would occur when trying to use it on other causes of death.

When used on an injury, the revival magic would work on fixing the wounds and then spark life into the body. It would then enter a dormant phase, swirling around the body until the magic was flushed out.

Unfortunately, when used on a failing organ or illness, the magic would not enter its dormant phase and remain active. The medicine could not flush out the revival magic whilst it was active. Turner was flushing out the magic that had cured his injuries, that was going according to plan. However, some of the revival magic, noticing his heart problem, had leaked inside of it and was now stuck because of its active state.

"I've seen magic get stuck in organs before, never the heart, though." Piper admitted, watching the window where Timmy was stretching his limbs and yawning. Ignorance truly was bliss.

"Do you know how to get it out, then?"

"Yeah, but we can't do it yet." She shook her head, twirling one of her braids around her finger. "We Gotta wait for the magic-filter-thingy to finish and for his vitals to be good. If we take out the magic from his heart now, his heart won't have enough juice to beat. Plus, it'll be a big strain on him. With the kid already so weak, it might kill him. I'd wanna wait till he's stronger."

"But if we wait too long, the magic in his heart will stagnate and turn rancid."

Piper seemed to enjoy the problem as she pondered a solution to it. "Tell me when you brought him to Fey world, what was his physical state? Let me guess, he was in a lot worse state than he is now, right?"

"He was very weak, barely even awake." Jorgen confirmed. "He was halfway into a coma, in fact."

"Yet now he's fine enough to sit up, chit chat and even snarf down fairy bread and candy. Strange, isn't it?"

"Yes…" He did not know where she was going with this.

Piper put a finger playfully on her chin. "When the soul is removed from the brain or heart, it creates a small void, which in turn creates a tiny vacuum. Everything in Fey world, even the air is magical. Get where I'm going with this?"

"Are you saying that the reason Turner's health improved after coming here is….." His jaw dropped, stunned.

"So, here's my theory: his heart's using magic to function, right? Well, I think it's gotten pretty good at filtering out any 'stagnating magic' and is actually absorbing fresh magic from the environment now and then. That's why he gets so tired sometimes, I bet. It happens whenever his heart kicks out aging magic and takes in fresh stuff."

"So, is his heart getting rid of the revival magic stuck in it on its own?"

"No, rather…. it's renewing it by pulling in magic from other sources."

"Not from his godparents?" He bristled; humans hunting down fairies to steal magic was an atrocity from back in the dark ages; the thing that made most fairies detest adult humans. The reason even the most beloved godchildren could not keep their memories into adulthood was because of this innate mistrust.

He wouldn't hold it against Timmy if that was the case, as it was not being done intentionally, but it left a foul taste in his mouth.

Piper snorted. "No, no, his heart might have created a tiny little magical vacuum, but its sucking power has the equivalence a straw. It would not be strong enough to break through natural protective barriers that guard a fairy's magic."

"Then, how…?"

"You'll have to confirm with his godmother; but I bet fatigue fits occurred shortly after eating. The food they poofed him up was created from magic, and therefore contained trace amounts of magic. That was what his heart was sucking in."

"….That sounds…." He cringed as his voice trailed off.

"Bad, yeah. Big time bad. The reason I gave him the special clothes is to filter his godmother's magic to separate it from that muddy Big Wand magic. The food he's been eating was made from that murky magic—so no wonder the burning sensation of the magic in his heart hurt so bad." Piper shook her head in dismay. "If it had gone on for a day or two longer, the magic would have turned rancid and he probably would've died from the pure agony of it."

He was glad that Wanda had the sense to call on him right away.

"It's fortunate, though, that it seems like the pure clean magic of Fey World has cleared out the muck. The reason why his chest is burning so hot now, and yet he is in no pain, is because of how strong and pure our magic is." Piper nodded to herself in satisfaction. Fey never missed an opportunity to boast about how superior their magic was. How could they feel pride in magic that had come at the cost of children's lives?

"But if his heart is pulling in any magic he consumes, and even the air here is magical—" He tensed, but Piper just snorted.

"I've already put a cap on it whilst I was inside of him. His heart can only suck in about this much." She made a pinching gesture with her thumb and forefinger. "The void left in his heart is pathetically weak, but the human body is even more pitifully weak. Left unchecked, and he would've sucked in enough magic to cause him to spontaneously combust."

"Blegh…" He shuddered at the mental image that forced its way into his brain.

"I think swinging by Fey World every couple of days ought to keep his ticker in good shape and stop that revival magic from going bad."

"Are you joking? Taking a child here even once is putting them at more risk than I like."

"Well, you could just let all that gunky magic go rancid inside his heart."

"….."

"It would only be until we come up with a more permanent fix." Piper's attempt at placating him failed as she could not keep the smirk from off her face.

But what could he really say? If they let the magic go rancid inside Turner's heart, the boy would die in complete agony. With his heart-soul missing, that would also spell his oblivion. As much as he looked forward to the day, Turner got too old for his fairies. He also had to admit that the boy had grown on him over the years. He did not want that kind of fate to befall him, but he also did not want to put him at more risk of becoming one of the Kinder. That boy, full of spunk and mischief, was one he could not bear to see turned into one of the Fey's obedient little playthings.

"Sweetie, I'm back!" He heard Wanda's voice from beyond the window and looked to see her and Nova poof into the room. She seemed to of regained her wits as she began to cough and wave the smoke away from her face. "What's with all this smoke? It can't be good breathing all this in!"

She had poofed a face mask onto Timmy, only for Nova to remove it with a snap of his fingers.

"My dear, on the contrary, this is a specialized incense formulated by Piper. It facilitates the creation of magical currents within non-magical beings by clearing a path through them."

"It's making me woozy…like the time I accidentally drank my father's glass of eggnog…." Timmy complained. His speech was becoming a little slurred.

"Ah, well, Nova and the whimpering godmother are back." Piper jumped back to her feet. "I hope she doesn't cry during the entire treatment."

"Wanda is a good godmother." He defended, irritated at the quick and poor conclusion drawn about one of his best godparents. "She'd be one of the top godparents in fairy world if she wasn't attached to her idiot of a husband."

"Whatever, I don't like her type."

"And what type is that?"

"The hypocritical type." Piper sneered, glancing over at Wanda, whom had gathered Timmy into her arms to give him a cuddle. "Having the nerve to look down on the Fey as a bunch of dirty kidnappers, when it's plainly obvious she's just itching to nab that kid for herself."

He swallowed down hard and focused his gaze on Wanda, whom was affectionately stroking back Timmy's hair and asking how he was feeling.

He knew Piper was not goading him. He had realized it the moment he had seen Timmy's blood change into the same color as Wanda's own on the handkerchief. Their bond was far stronger than what was typical between a godchild and their godparent. It was a bond far too strong for godparent and godchild to have.

He'd have to have a word with her later; he had to snip this in the bud if he did not want to risk another Bubbles incident. Not that he thought Wanda was anywhere near that level yet, but it was better safe than sorry.

— Timmy POV—

He noticed Wanda had been crying, although she had tried to hide it. Despite her efforts, he could feel the sadness emanating from her. He was tempted to ask her what was wrong, but he knew that she had wiped away the evidence of her tears, indicating that she didn't want to talk about it. Instead, he held her tightly, suspecting that her tears were related to him. He was scared, but he also wanted to comfort her and reassure her that whatever the problem was, it wasn't her fault. They had promised each other a while ago that they wouldn't 'secret cry' anymore, so he hoped that he'd tell him what was wrong once they were alone.

"…." There was so much he wanted to say, but his head felt really floaty. Whatever was in that incense was making him feel really weird.

"Wanda, I kindly request that he take his medication at this time. It is imperative that we commence his treatment promptly," Nova firmly stated. He shuddered, hugging his godmother a little tighter in his fear. Whenever he took that stuff, he got so weak and felt so bad….

"Sweetie, shh…I know, I know, it's scary, but don't worry. You're going to be alright." She reassured him, rubbing his back as she poofed up the medicine and filled up a spoonful. He gave her a pleading look that he knew was useless. She rose a brow and wagged her finger, 'no' and held the spoon closer.

"….What's my favorite game?" He asked, mumbling to show he was unhappy. He knew full well that it was really her. He had just asked to delay the disgusting medicine by even a few moments longer.

"You scamp." She chuckled, catching on to what he was doing, and leaned in close, affectionately wiggling his nose as she whispered. "Baby game, and we'll play it when we get home. Now be my good boy, say ah…"

She tried to feed him his medicine in the same way she'd feed Poof. He braced himself and then quickly closed his lips around the spoon, swallowing before he lost the guts to do so. The bitter, disgusting medicine sled down his throat, making him gag.

"There, there, now you just lay down and relax, ok Timmy?" Wanda gently guided him down on the mattress, patting his hand. "You just rest while I go over some further instructions about your treatment with Nova."

"Aw…your leaving again?" He felt disappointed and afraid. He did not want to be alone right now. It reminded him a bit of when he had to get his tonsils removed. He had gotten separated from his godparents thanks to Vicky, and his own parents hadn't even bothered to stay in the room with him. They were too preoccupied with all the free stuff they could get from various operations. They had been even willing to let him get a twerpectomy in order to get a free vacation. The medicine he just took made him feel so bad. He did not want to be hit with the side effects, with no one by his side to reassure him. The last time he took it…. it felt like he was dying.

"Only for a little while." She consoled, looking like she felt really guilty. "I'll be back within an hour. You just close your eyes and rest till I come back, ok Sweetie?"

"…Ok…" He really did not want to be alone….

She kissed him on the forehead. "Your going to be ok, I promise."

"Dear child, there is no need for fear or sadness. Would it be of any comfort if I were to leave a companion here to keep you company?" Inquired Nova with compassion. A tiny little fuzzy thing appeared beside his pillow. It was the size of a kitten, but was just one big pink fuzz ball with two small fuzz balls on top of its head. It looked like a pink snowball with eyes.

It smelled really sweet, like apples and vanilla. It rubbed its self affectionately against his head.

"I have found that engaging in a session of gentle cuddling can be quite therapeutic for calming the nerves. The companion in question is particularly cuddly."

"…Did that use to be a….?" Wanda did not finish her sentence as she stared at the creature in unease.

"Little Ginnie Ledoux was unable to resist the temptation of biting into the large pink apple." Nova laughed as he patted the former little girl affectionately. "Her conduct had been commendable until that point. However, it appears that the allurement of certain fruits is more compelling for some individuals than for others. It is conceivable that the rose-tinted apple held a particular fascination for her. This form was seemingly destined for her."

He gulped, recalling the giant multicolored apples he had seen in the forest. So…the kids who stole a taste of those, turned into fluff balls…

"Was there any fruits you saw that particularly called out to you?" Nova asked, almost playfully. Wanda glowered.

"Don't answer that."

She had not needed to tell him that. If he confessed his temptations towards that bell-like fruit to Nova, one would likely magically appear beside him when he was alone..

Ginnie bounced, her body floating down like a big cotton ball onto his chest, and began to affectionately nuzzle herself under his chin. She weighed a little more than a feather. Curious, he reached up to pet her, and she made a sort of chirping noise.

"Ginnie will keep you company until we get back," Nova assured. He did not want her company. It was creepy to know she used to be a kid, but…

He got the same odd sense he had gotten before when he had interrupted Nova from speaking, that if he refused this gesture, that it would somehow not end well. Wanda seemed to feel it too, and remained quiet, looking at Ginnie in disconcertion.

"…Thank you…" He said, because Nova seemed to be waiting to hear it. He smiled, looking satisfied.

"Following your convalescence, I have arranged a trip for you and your godmother to behold the captivating splendor of our woodland and observe the majesty of the butterflies."

He wished Nova would stop using such big words all the time. It was like talking to Anti-Cosmo and it made him feel lost in the conversation. From what he understood, he was inviting him to join him in the forest after his treatment, but the forest was full of dangerous enchanted fruit and the Fey were tricky. It all seemed a little too risky for his liking.

Glancing towards Wanda, he wondered if she had really wanted to do this or if she was simply complying with the Fey's wishes. However, her delicate smile suggested that it was a little bit of both.

"Timmy, I'm going to go now. I promise, this will be over soon, alright? Be brave for me." Wanda looked worried for him as she stroked his hair. "I'm going to do all I can to make you feel better, sweetie."

"I know you will." He did his best to smile back; afraid because he knew that no matter how hard she tried the treatment was still going to be a painful one. At least she'd be there to comfort him once it was over.

—Wanda POV—

"….What's that?" She looked in dismay at the formless doll hooked up to a weird monitor. Seven points on it were marked with different colored stars.

She had been taken to a room that was rather minimalistic. The room was filled with a cool stillness and a sterile, almost clinical smell. The walls and floors were bleached white. Florescent lights in the ceiling seemed to wash out the little color the room had.

The doll was on a hospital bed; it was about Timmy's size, but it was a rag doll with no face or any identifying characteristics.

"The object in question is the practice doll," Nova explained. "As you can observe, it is equipped with a monitor that displays the amount of magic being injected. It is imperative that each point of injection meets the designated green threshold. It is advised to abstain from passing too far into the orange limit, as it may result in detrimental consequences. In the event that the red level is reached, the situation may become irreversible."

She gulped. "I…I see…"

With a poof, Jorgen and Piper materialized in the room. The female fey had a handful of papers she was waving around. Wanda hesitantly met Jorgen's gaze, but his expression was inscrutable. She hoped he wouldn't bring up her breakdown, especially before Timmy's treatment, when she needed to be focused..

"I got his data right here." Piper folded up the paper into an airplane and flew it in her direction. She scowled at Timmy's medical records, getting such haphazard treatment as she caught it and unfolded it.

Root Point: 1.5MJ

Sacral Point: 9.36MJ

Solar Plexis Point: 0.1MJ

Heart Point: XXX

Throat Point: 2.27MJ

Brow Point: 9.37MJ

Crown Point. 12.01MJ

"These are all in Magic Jolts." Piper was twirling her braid. "You notice the numbers are all very low, correct?"

"Yes…the root point would be barely enough magic to produce a glass of lemonade." She frowned.

"We're not sending magic into him to make him energized, but to keep him functioning until his body builds up its own vitality." Jorgen reminded. "We're giving him the minimum for survival; even this amount will cause irrevocable changes to his body."

"It might be tempting to give him extra to make him feel good, but trust me, if you do that, he'll be like whoosh and poof, gone."

It was difficult for her to hide her annoyance at Piper's lack of professionalism. The way she so easily spoke of Timmy's morality grated on her nerves. She supposed she couldn't really expect better of a Fey doctor. She probably saw all children who came her way as experimental subjects rather than patients.

"Wanda, my dear, you'll want to go from lowest to highest; so solar, root, throat, sacral, brow and crown."

"But wait, what's the XXX's beside the heart?" She stopped them, puzzled.

"It's complicated, but—-" Jorgen gave her what seemed like the quick explanation for what was going on inside of Timmy's heart now that its soul was missing.

"Hm, well, yes—his first fit of fatigue took place after dinner and while eating some movie snacks." She confirmed. "And the next time was shortly after breakfast…"

"I was right!" Piper exclaimed. "His heart uses trace magic found in the food to prevent the revival magic from stagnating. My theory was correct!" She looked extremely pleased with herself.

She felt bad that the food she had been feeding him had been hurting him. "Should I not poof up food anymore?"

"Nah, actually, it's super important that the revival magic does not stagnate. However, we can't just use the regular filter cycle to maintain it. The amount of magic needed would constantly change, and it would probably be too much for his body to handle."

"Then, what should I do?"

"It looks like the pure magic found in the air here cleans out the muck found in that second hand, big wand magic." Piper smirked. "Seems like you're gonna have to get used to coming to Fey world for a visit. I'd say you bring him here for purifying whenever you can physically feel the heat coming from his chest, or if he complains about the pain being too bad."

Nova was quiet, looking like he wanted to say something, but in the end appeared to decide against it. Instead, he spoke to her with an apologetic expression. "I understand that frequent visits to this place may not be to your liking. However, I assure you that I shall extend my hospitality towards you and your dear godchild with utmost graciousness. I will do nothing to him that goes against your wishes."

"I see…." She was glad that the trapped magic in his heart had a remedy they could use until they found something better, but she did not like bringing him to a place like this. Every visit meant her godson could get turned into an animal or made into one of the Kinder. She did not believe Nova when he said he wouldn't go against her wishes. Or rather, he would do all in his power to have his wishes become her own, manipulating her emotions in order to convince her that Timmy would be happier as a Kinder.

She couldn't chase the image of that poor little girl, Ginnie, from her mind. She had been a child with hopes, dreams, personality, and now she was nothing more than a creature whose only function was to look cute and cuddly.

….She did not want that for Timmy. The only way she would ever even consider making him a Kinder was if his soul could not be returned. There was no fate in the universe that could be worse than oblivion. Although some people may disagree with her on that point. She decided she would only resort to this last-ditch effort if Timmy himself did not object. She was determined to find a solution that did not require such drastic measures, but if all else failed, she would take this desperate step.

"We think we know where his soul is." She explained the theory she and Nova had arrived at to Jorgen, whose expression turned relieved, but Piper frowned, cupping her chin.

"When you find it, bring it here just for observation. If it tried getting back in but was repelled, it might have sustained injury."

"The boy would be displaying a stigmata, would he not? Even a tiny injury would have at least a small bruising to appear." Nova cast Piper a quizzical look.

"Stigmata?" She asked, not sure what that was.

"In the event that the soul experiences harm, it manifests as marks on the wrists, ankles, and neck of the affected individual. These marks may manifest as minor, barely perceptible bruises, or as lacerations or deep scars. In the event that all five limbs bear scars, it is indicative of the complete destruction of the soul. Upon examination of Timmy, I have been determined that there is no evidence of even the slightest redness present on any of his limbs." Nova explained and reassured at the same time.

"True that." Piper admitted. "But getting expelled twice might have befuddled the soul rather than harm it. Confused souls can get rather violent or careless."

She exchanged an uneasy look with Jorgen, like two deer in headlights, uncertain of what to do with the difficult situation they had been placed in. Bringing Timmy here was bad enough, but to bring his exposed and deeply vulnerable soul to this place was like carrying a lightning rod in a storm - potentially disastrous.

Piper sneered, seeing their reaction. "Don't trust us to handle a child's soul, do ya? The body is one thing, but the soul is too big of a taboo for wittle Jorgen?"

"My dear Piper, we cannot fault them. The act of soul alteration has long been considered a crime, even in the times where the creation of monsters was deemed acceptable. It is a vile and despicable act that we cannot condone." Nova's expression turned to one of pure loathing as if even thinking about it produced a rage inside of him. "Unfortunately, while we may be innocent, there are members within our community who have engaged in such actions. Rest assured, we have a zero-tolerance policy towards soul alteration in this village. Those who have committed such heinous crimes are not permitted to reside within our vicinity, and are instead relegated to a remote location far from here."

"Well, enough about that. We have less than an hour for Lady Weeps a lot to learn to do the treatment." Piper pouted, like a child who had just been rebuffed.

She bristled at the rude nickname, but she was right. The treatment had to be given an hour after Timmy took his medicine. She had no time to get distracted.

She stepped up to the doll with her wand, looking at the chart of numbers. Nova stood a little too close behind her as he instructed her to clear her mind, and concentrate on things that flowed—like a clear river stream.

Her face brightened in satisfaction as she got all the points in the green on her first try. Piper smirked, seeing her grin, and snapped her fingers. The formless doll had now taken on Timmy's form. She frowned, but redid her practice treatment. It was amazing how lifelike the doll felt, but once again, she got it perfect.

"This is easier than I thought." She was relieved, Jorgen cast her and pitying look, while Nova and Piper exchanged glances. Piper snapped her fingers again, and the doll moved. For a moment she had even thought it was the real Timmy, but his face was too slack, too doll-like.

She went to re-do the treatment again, but this time her concentration was broken by a loud scream and the body thrashing. The meter spiked into the orange and she dropped her wand, stunned.

Piper looked amused by her failure and laughed. "Well, you know, he's not going to be lying still and quiet. In the beginning, this treatment hurts like hell. He's going to feel like a wax-coated candle wick and your magic is gonna be the fire."

"You'll need to steel your nerves and do this whilst he is in terrible pain." Jorgen was not unsympathetic, yet he kept his tone stern. "If you mess up, he pays the price. Just keep telling yourself it's for his own wellbeing."

"R-right…" She gulped, picking up her wand, her confidence having taken a nosedive.

It took several tries for her to get all the points in the green. Her nerves were frazzled, and she felt sick to the stomach. The doll wouldn't stop crying even now as she caught her breath.

"Your not going onto the next difficulty level until you can get them all green five times in a row." Piper shook her finger at her. "But you better pick up the pace. Time's running down."

"There's a higher one than this!?"

"Oh yeah, definitely much harder than this."

"Wanda, you're doing splendidly. Don't let Piper's heckling get to you. You are doing better than most godparents who come to learn this treatment." Nova reassured, giving her a bottle of water and a towel. She wiped her forehead and chugged the entire thing in one go, feeling only slightly more refreshed as she went back to attend to the whimpering doll.

….She finally did it. Five times in a row, all green. She did not even have time to feel any satisfaction before Piper snapped her fingers.

She had been wondering what could be harder than a thrashing, screaming, crying doll. The doll calmed down, as if it had never been crying. However, its doll-like vacant face had turned expressive. With nervous blue eyes, he met her gaze.

"Wanda…I'm so scared…it will not hurt too bad, will it?"

She froze; she knew it was still the doll; it had to be and yet he was a perfect copy in everyway to Timmy, right now to his mannerisms and voice.

"…It'll hurt a lot. Please endure it for a little while, alright? I promise when it's over, you'll feel better. We'll go out and do something fun and special…" She knew it was a doll, but she couldn't treat it like one. Not when it looked and sounded just like Timmy. She glanced at the others in the room; Piper was giving her a look of scorn. With a nod of his head, Nova silently conveyed his support. Jorgen's arms were crossed, and his face was stoic, but his eyes were fixated on the floor, avoiding the scene in front of him.

She had no idea how she had pulled it off. When it was over, she was left feeling physically and emotionally exhausted, as if she had just been in a battle. The worst, most painful thing of all, though, was the vicious mental assault she had endured.

The doll had kept screaming, pleading with her to cease, questioning why she was causing him harm. The doll's voice trembled as he apologized, questioning if he had done something wrong. He would ask if she was upset with him, if she despised him, or accusing her of being cruel, of hating him. The doll writhing in agony had spat out all the worst things she would never want to hear come from Timmy's mouth. Every time she touched him, his eyes would light up with fear, and he would shudder in response.

The doll was still now, back to a formless, unmoving husk of cloth and stuffing.

"You did well." Nova offered her another towel and more water; both of which seemed like the holy grail right now.

"They make every fairy who comes to learn this treatment experience the absolute worst possibilities. If you can keep a cool head after experiencing the worst Turner could throw at you, nothing the real one does or says will catch you off guard." Jorgen explained. "…You did a good job, now you'll have to do it for real."

"…" She finished the water and wiped her face, not sure if it was wet with sweat or tears. "I need some chocolate first…"

Nova laughed a little and gave her a bar, which she consumed in one bite. Jorgen patted her on the back.

"We still have a little time to spare. Catch your breath a little. You're going to need to wind down before the real thing."

"I want to sit with Timmy for a while." She poofed up a mirror to check her reflection. If she thought she was a mess before, right now she looked like a train wreck. She poofed her appearance better and looked at Nova for help, not knowing where to poof in this maze of a house.

He smiled and with a click of his fingers; she was back in the room where she had left Timmy, thankfully alone.

"Hey sweetie…how are you feeling?" She sat next to him. He had turned onto his side, his arms wrapped around Ginnie as though she were a teddy bear. He opened bleary blue eyes and peered at her with an unfocused gaze, made worst by the death-like state of his blue eyes. A delicate smile made its way onto his face.

"Wandaaa, yer back. I fweeling oozzy…" He slurred, barely able to form his words. She did not know if it was from weakness or the incense. He made a pathetic attempt at trying to reach for her hand, too weak to raise it from the bed and too unfocused to find where her hand was. She took it in hers, patting it gently.

"Oh, Timmy….your going to be alright. I just learned how to do your treatment. I did really good at it. You have nothing to worry about."

Timmy stared at her for a long moment."…you were cryin'. 'member, nooo secress cryin' alone, it wuzza promise."

She'd think that maybe she had left evidence behind, but Timmy could always tell lately whenever she had been crying. It surprised her the first time he had noticed it, back when he had just turned eleven; some stupid comment Cosmo had made about her appearance. Normally, she did not let such things get to her, but she had put in extra effort to look good that night and had been feeling pretty good about herself.

'Wanda, don't listen to him. Cosmo sometimes says things just because he thinks they sound funny. I don't think he really means them.'

'What makes you think I was bothered? I know how Cosmo can be…'

Timmy had just smiled sympathetically. "Lots of the things my parents say make me secret-cry too…I can tell when someone else has been doing it."

"…..Timmy…."

"I don't know if this will make you feel better, but I think you're looking really pretty tonight."

It had been just so sweet of him; she recalled the memory with fondness. Ever since then, whenever one of Cosmo's 'jokes' surpassed her endurance, she'd find herself confiding in her godson. It really felt a lot better to give voice to your feelings and have someone there to listen. She had also told Timmy that he should feel comfortable doing to the same; that they could 'secret cry' in front of each other when they needed to. They promised not to 'secret cry' alone anymore.

"Well, it wasn't a secret cry." She confessed. "They had me practice on a doll of you, and—I brawled like a baby. Oh, sweetie, it's going to hurt. Seeing you in pain, even if it was a doll, was like a knife in my heart."

"Even iff it hurss, i nowe yer doin' whass bezz fer me. iff i shay anythin' mean orr hurtful wile yer treatin' me, i doan mean it, ok? i nowe yoo love me ann yer worming hard t' mayke me benner."

She half laughed, half sobbed and cuddled him affectionately. "That's such a sweet, heartwarming thing to say…even if it sounds like you've gotten into your father's eggnog again."

The time to start the treatment came far too soon. Jorgen was the one who appeared to tell her with a solemn face.

"It's time Wanda."

"Ok…" She stroked Timmy's hair; he was so dazed, but he seemed to realize what was about to happen as he gave her hand a squeeze, his eyes anxious even as he tried to give her a reassuring smile. Jorgen came over and lifted him out of the bed. Timmy gave Ginnie a feeble little wave goodbye. Wanda stared at the fluffy little thing that made a few chirps, its eyes looking sad, as if aware of the pain that Timmy was about to endure.

She took a deep breath and returned to the room where she had been practicing. Timmy was laid down in the same place as the doll. She could see him looking at his surroundings, curiously, wincing at the brightness of the lights.

"Can't we bring him somewhere more comfortable?" She asked Nova as Piper went about hooking Timmy up to the monitor.

"This is the designated room in which you have rehearsed. Consequently, your nerves have become accustomed to its surroundings. Altering the environment may cause disorientation. Therefore, for the initial procedure, we seek to maximize the probability of a favorable outcome." Nova explained. She wished they had trained her in a more inviting environment, as Timmy was looking increasingly nervous.

"Ok, we're ready to go! Now no stupid mistakes like mixing up the order or breaking down crying in the middle of it!" Piper taunted in a sing-song voice. That woman really irked her.

"Yoo'll doo fine Wanda, i truzz yoo…" Timmy reassured, watching her with such trust that it made her heart ache worst from guilt then from any of the harsh things the doll had screeched at her.

"You exhibit remarkable resilience and your empathy as a mother is truly commendable. It is without doubt that he is under the excellent care of your capable hands." Nova praised, apparently trying to pump her up.

"Remember, you were the top of your class! You can do this!" Jorgen encouraged as she stepped up to the table. She couldn't help but notice that they had changed the position of the monitor so that she could no longer see it.

"Too much of a distraction. We'll tell you if you're going over," Jorgen explained when he noticed she had noted its new position behind her. "Some fairies get so caught up in watching the gauge that they lose concentration during the real deal."

"Makes sense…" She did not know if she was grateful for it or not. She took a deep breath and placed her wand on the little yellow star on his upper abdomen. She braced herself, closing her eyes.

"You know I love you, right Timmy?"

"I nowe…"

She swallowed the lump in her throat; and pictured a clear stream of water in her head as she sent a miniscule 0.1MJ of magic into his body.

"Aaaiiie….!" Timmy's body jolted, his eyes going wide. His limbs seemed to tense up all at once, his voice getting stuck in his throat.

"Shh…it's ok. It's ok." She lifted him into a sitting position. She did not recoil even as she felt him throw up into her lap. She was a mother, and he was hurting. The only thing that registered in her head was the pain he was in. It must've been a common reaction as none of the others reacted to it; the only response was for Nova to clean the mess away with a snap of his fingers. She wrapped an arm around the boy, patting his back as she positioned him over her shoulder, much in the way she'd burp Poof after a meal. She positioned her wand over the little red star near his tailbone.

"Take a deep breath sweetie…."

He tensed in her arms and whimpered, but did as she said. She sent 1.5MJ more into his body. He clutched onto her, burying his face into her shoulder as he choked back a sob. His grip on her was tight enough to hurt, but his hold instantly loosened as the pain cleared enough for him to notice how hard he was gripping. She felt the sensation of a warm liquid and heard Timmy make a humiliated whimper.

"It's ok, it's ok…" She reassured, stroking his hair even as Nova once again erased the mess. "Shh, shh, you're doing good, sweetie. You're a good brave boy."

She hugged him a moment longer, but knew she couldn't take too big of a pause between injections, so she laid him down. She squeezed his hand with her free one and placed her wand on the blue star on his throat. He made a sobbing noise as he closed his eyes shut, clenching his teeth. She felt her vision blur, but fought back the tears as she injected 2.27MJ of magic into the blue star point.

Timmy took a violent spasm and would have fallen from the bed if it had been the size of a regular hospital bed. Fortunately, the bed given for his treatment was spacious, giving him a lot of room to respond to the pain without hurting himself further. He began to choke and gasp for breath, and she lifted him again, rubbing his back, letting him catch his breath.

"Timmy, we're half done. We only have three more to go."

"N—n—not f—four…..?" His broken voice trembled, a glimmer of relief shining through his pain.

"That's right; we have a different, zero pain treatment for your heart point, ok? So, just hang in there a little longer."

He sniffled, trying to nod, but just ended up sobbing. "I—I feel l—like m-my b-blood and—a—air are b—both b-burning—-"

"Don't worry, kiddo, it's totally normal. Your body is just creating a pathway for the magic to flow through. Imagine a little tunnel being built inside you - you're doing great!" Piper was all sweetness and honey, none the sourness or vinegar she had when speaking to her present at all. It was possible that the woman really did like children—even if she viewed them as lab pets rather than people.

"Ok, Timmy…take another deep breath…." She placed her wand on the orange star just above his pubic bone. He flinched a little, but the redness on his cheeks suggested it wasn't because he feared the pain. She smiled gently and promised to make it quick. She was worried, though. So far, the magic she had been injecting was very small; but the sacral point needed 9.36MJ…that was nearly four times more than the throat point. The doll had just screamed and cried and lashed out the entire time; its reactions had not taken Timmy's personality into account at all. She ought to tell them that having the doll take a tantrum the entire time was not a good way to prepare a godparent for how their godchild was going to react.

She injected the magic and cried out a little herself as Timmy clutched her with far more strength than she thought he was capable of. It reminded her of how helpless she had been when he took his seizure. He might have been a child, still, but the raw physical power of a male body couldn't be underestimated. He hissed, convulsing a little even as he remained clinging onto her. His teeth clenched so tight she feared he'd break them. Yes, she was in pain with how tight he was clinging, but she also knew he was in much more unbearable pain, so much that he did not even realize how tight his grip was.

"Do you need help?" Jorgen asked, concerned. "We can restrain him if you need—"

"No!" She snapped at them, and hugged Timmy back, despite feeling like he might crush her spine at any moment. "He's in so much pain! He needs to be held, not held down."

She stayed in this painful position for a few moments longer, then his arms seemed to lose all their strength at once and he fell, his eyes rolling into the back of his head in a faint.

"Timmy! Are you ok, sweetie!?"

"Focus!" Piper snapped at her as she attempted to wake Timmy up. "You were a hair width away from hitting orange with that one!"

With dread, she looked over at the monitor and saw that Piper was right. She had almost gone out of the green. She took a deep breath and tried to center herself. There was just two more, just two more!

Then…then Timmy could rest….

She placed her wand on the tiny indigo star between Timmy's two eyes. His body jumped, waking up from his faint in a panic as he felt her wand touch him and he shook his head, looking desperate.

"P—please—-w-wait—-just give me a—a few mi—minutes! P-please….!"

"I'm so sorry, sweetie, I'm sorry, but we can't take too big of a pause between injections."

"No….no….nonono…" Timmy deliriously cried, shaking his head as he pushed his body into the mattress, as if trying to distance himself from her wand. "I—it feels like—like my—my blood—t-turned t—to a-acid…e-everywhere—is h-hurting!" His voice hitched. "I'm—b-burning…!"

"Aw, it's normal, it'll go away." Piper cooed. Timmy continued sobbing.

"Please…a—at—least n—not t-there…n—not— eyes….my eyes will melt…" Timmy dissolved into a series and sobs and hiccups. She wiped her eyes, resisting the urge to drop her wand and hold him.

She had to do this. If she did not to this, he'd die, and she'd lose him forever.

9.37 MJ's of magic was injected into him despite his protests. He hissed, gripping the bed so tight that his fingers penetrated the mattress. He frothed from the mouth, kicking his legs as he went into a convulsion. Jorgen pulled her backwards to protect her from his flailing limbs; his screams were so loud—! She covered her face with a sob, whilst Nova and Piper quickly pinned down his arms as he attempted to claw at his skin in a primitive, mindless attempt to get what was hurting him out of his body.

"We can't wait for him to calm, it'll take too long. Do the last point, now!" Piper shouted at her. She placed her hands to her heart, taking a deep breath. Just one more—! Then Timmy's pain could stop for a little while….

She placed it to the white star on the top of his head, begged Timmy's forgiveness, and sent the final 12.01MJ of magic into his skull.

…..

She had not known a human's screams could get so loud. His shrieks had hit such a pitch that the glass on the monitor cracked, and her ears were still ringing. His wails had been so loud and continuous that he had burst small blood vessels on his vocal cords and had begun coughing on his own blood.

Nova and Piper tended to him now, fixing his vocal injury, and soothing the pains his muscles had suffered from his convulsions. Jorgen had to drag her away from the bed to recover her own nerves, which were shot. Yet, she couldn't take her eyes off of her poor, poor Timmy. She would never be able to forget the sound of those cries…. they would haunt her nightmares.

"…So much worse than the doll…." She mumbled; she couldn't even tell when Timmy had stopped screaming because his cries kept echoing in her head. The worst was that it wasn't even over! Three times a day, for who knows how long, he would have to endure this torment. It broke her heart.

"You did good." Jorgen reassured. "Better than most. Some fairies stop halfway through the treatment because it's too much for them to handle. You not only stuck it out, you've kept everything in the green."

She couldn't even feel proud of herself. She knew she did what she did because she had no choice. He needed this treatment or else he'd die, but…the pain she made him suffer through…she could not help but feel horrible.

"It's a good thing he's an emotional wreck of a child, and most of his points ran at a low frequency. Usually, the amount of magic being injected is much higher." Piper laughed, but she was too stressed to react to her insensitive remark.

"Is Timmy ok….?" She stared at her poor boy, who had finally stopped screaming; he was unconscious, but his body continued to take small spasms. His sobs softening into whimpers.

"He's perfect." Piper reassured as Nova gave him a cup of cherry colored liquid to drink.

"This medicine will calm his nerves, soothe his throat, clear his head, ease his pain…" Nova murmured the effects of the medicine. He sang them like a calming lullaby to the suffering child as he soothed back his bangs as he carefully fed him the medicine. It worked fast, his face became more at ease, his body language became restful.

She went over to him; wanting to be the one by his side, and gently caressed his cheek. He was still cold to the touch, but there was the very faintest hint of warmth to him now.

"He's going to be ok? Nothing went wrong?" She asked, fretting.

"Everything went off without a hitch. He is going to be fine." Nova reassured. "But how are YOU holding up, my dear?" Nova asked, concerned. She craned her neck to check her shoulder, which were marred by finger shaped bruises. She was sure she was sporting worse bruises on her back. Her ribs were so sore that she was certain at least one of them had cracked.

"Yeah, that was one killer bear hug he had you in." Jorgen winced.

"Humans are really just a type of highly evolved animal." Nova rationalized. "When an animal is hurt or in pain, it will sometimes react violently. They'll bite, kick and claw at the thing, hurting them out of instinct."

"Be glad Turner did not bite." Jorgen eyed his buck teeth like they were lethal weapons.

"I'm a fairy. I'll heal fast." She felt as if it would be pathetic to complain about her own aches after putting Timmy through such agony.

"This will quicken your recovery. You don't want to be too sore to give your boy a hug when he wakes up." Nova insisted giving her a cup of the same medicine he had given Timmy. It tasted like gummy bears.
Instantly, her wounds stopped aching, and the bruises vanished.

"Anyway..." She went over to her boy, who had finally calmed, though he still continued to twitch. "He wasn't trying to hurt me. All he wanted was a nice, big hug…he just did not know his own strength. He's growing into such a strong boy."

She stroked his hair, watching his sleeping face. She was so proud of him. He used to be so helpless. A punching bag for any bully in the vicinity. But he wasn't weak anymore. He was growing into a boy who'd be able to defend himself.

"You still got it rough, though." Jorgen looked sympathetic, and a little grossed out. "You must want a bath."

"It is common for the sensation of extreme pain to cause individuals to experience a loss of control over their bodily functions." Nova defended whilst Piper snorted.

"At least he did not take a po-"

"Oh, quit it!" She scowled. "Its bad enough he's in pain. He does not need to be mortified, too."

"Quite right." Nova sided with her. "Allow me to show you to the recovery room. We like to have all those who undergo this treatment stay for a couple of hours, to a day or so, to monitor them for complications."

She shuddered at the word, 'complications', because frankly, if anything else happened to Timmy to hurt him, her heart would shatter to pieces.

"Nova..." Jorgen growled a warning. The fey sighed and rolled his eyes. "I pledge that everything in the room or anything that enters the room, unless intentionally smuggled in without permission by Wanda Fairywinkle Cosma or Timmy Turner, will be bound by the medical contract and cannot be used to cast any manner of spell or enchantment on either if the above parties."

The way he recited those words made it clear that he had done so many, many times before.

"There, now it's safe to consume or use the things in the room without falling under their spell." Jorgen reassured, while Nova rolled his eyes.

"We aren't always playing tricks."

"Anyway, we gotta wait till his treatment's over before we turn him into a kinder. Can you believe he's gonna be an angel? We haven't had one of those since before fairies split in two. Honestly, I thought it was impossible for a kid raised by humans to become an angel." Piper sauntered around Timmy's hospital bed, eyeing him like he was some kind of rare creature. "I always figured you had to snatch 'em as babies and coddle 'em."

"Well, I always knew that one day a very special godparent and child would arrive." Nova wiped a tear from his eye. "But to think it would be my daughter-in-law and the infamous little Timmy."

"Just what did Mama Cosma write in her letters?" Wanda raised her brow at the term 'infamous.'

"My dearest Stella loves to tell me all about what Cosmo's up to, and many of those stories involve your godchild's charming misadventures."

"Charming my butt." Jorgen snorted.

"She writes to you about us…." Wanda felt uncomfortable, wondering just how much and what kind of information Nova had been given.

"Don't worry Wanda. She can't have written anything that he could use against you or Timmy." The large fairy cast a glare at Nova. "We've learned from our mistakes of having the letters looked over by only one fairy. Every letter to or from Fey world has its content inspected by ten different fairies chosen at random from the mail room, and one member of the fairy council."

"My correspondence is often accompanied by a significant number of erasures, rendering my dear Stella's letters somewhat incoherent at times." Nova complained, whilst Piper shrugged.

"Yeah, it sucks so bad that I don't even bother to exchange letters with my mother anymore."

Wanda blinked, surprised; that would imply that Piper's mother had split from her anti-self and was a fairy in fairy world rather than living as a Fey in this world. She wondered who she was?

"But, as I was saying, the stories I've heard about Cosmo and his time with little Timmy are really quite amusing. The kinder absolutely loves to listen. Her letters are like bedtime stories to them." Nova chuckled. "But enough idle chatter. You've both been through so much, you need to rest now."

Laying down in a soft bed and closing her eyes sounded really good. Jorgen pulled her aside to whisper a warning about not letting her guard down.

"If you leave the room, and return to it, make sure it's really the same room you just left and not one made to look like it. Even if you use the same door, this place can change rooms as easily as my wife changes her mind about what color our drapes should be!" Jorgen warned. "Remember, it's only items in YOUR recovery room that can't be enchanted, so don't get tricked."

"Oh, Jorgen, you really do enjoy making a mockery out of my hospitality." Nova sniffed and then snapped his fingers with an offended little huff.

The next thing she knew, she had materialized in a very pink room. Nova was not with her, but she had a letter in her hand.

"This room is your special recovery room. We make one tailored to each godparent and child. This room is yours to use as you recover from the ordeal of your first magic-filter-cycle. As Timmy's condition is unique, we will have these remain your accommodations for as long as his treatments and visits to Fey world continue. Everything that is in here is free of enchantments and safe for consumption. None can enter unless you answer the door and let them in, and that includes myself. I do hope you will take me up on my offer to view the butterflies later."

She had a feeling that if she refused, that he would not remain cordial. She did not know why she kept getting that vibe from him, but he just felt as if he'd be a dangerous person to offend. Still, she was grateful for the comfort he had offered her in her time of need. She was certain that his primary motivation in doing so was to convince her to turn Timmy into a Kinder, but he had helped her regain her senses.

She looked around the room, curiously. It was filled with many indulgences, from an enormous bed that could easily accommodate ten people to a buffet table bursting with all kinds of sweets and chocolates. The plush and soft bed had a thick pink canopy that gave it a regal air. There was a large banner hung from the ceiling with a few pink balloons. "Welcome Wanda and Timmy! Feel Better Soon!"

She wondered if this 'recovery room' was made for all godparents and children who had to undergo this treatment. It was a nice gesture, granted there were no tricks involved. After the pain and heartbreak of that first treatment, some pampering was welcomed.

Besides the bed and the buffet, there was a toy chest and a dresser. A large television and cushy chairs were positioned near a jacuzzi and stereo. One corner of the room had a carousel and a puppet theater. An adjacent room revealed a bathroom, complete with fluffy towels and scented soaps. There was even a balcony overlooking a lush garden.

Above the bed was surprisingly a large portrait of her and Timmy, taken in the forest when he had joked about not making it past the berries and she had been naming a bunch of buck-toothed animals he'd look so cute as. The portrait was a vivid reminder that the Fey were always watching, always aware of what was happening in their world.

She looked around for Timmy, and found that he was curled up in the bed, looking like a tiny little bump in the blankets of the giant bed. She smiled endeared and as much as she wanted to take a bath and stuff her face with some sweets; but she was so, so tired.

"My poor, brave little boy…." She crawled into the bed beside Timmy, whose peaceful, sleeping expression was a salve to her heart. She laid down beside him, tucking an arm around him.

"Your going to be ok. Your mommy is going to make sure of it, so don't you worry about a thing….I'm going to do whatever it takes to make you better again." She promised as she closed her eyes, taking comfort in the slight warmth that now came from his formerly cold body.

"You're going to be okay," she whispered, her voice trembling. She brushed her fingers through his hair. "Your mommy is going to make sure of it," she continued, her eyes locked on his face. She could see the faint rise and fall of his chest with each breath he took. "So don't you worry about a thing." She took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. She reached out and grasped his hand. Closing her eyes, she took comfort in the slight warmth that now emanated from his formerly cold body. "I'm going to do whatever it takes to make you better again."