Chapter 33: Bad news
— Wanda POV —
Wanda's heart sank as she continued to helplessly watch from the sidelines, the physical effects of the Mab's enchantment taking hold of the children. Their eyes glazed over, their once lively faces turned obedient and doll-like. It was as if their sense of self had momentarily departed, leaving behind empty vessels.
As she watched Timmy, her heart clenched with a mixture of sorrow and guilt for not having been able to stop this, and being unable to do anything to help. Once a whirlwind of energy and mischief, Timmy now sat before her, his usual spark dimmed to a vacant gaze.
In this moment, she couldn't help but draw parallels between Timmy's current demeanor and the struggles he faced when he first started taking his ADHD medication—when the initial dose given was way too high and he'd suffered from a variety of negative symptoms. Right now she was being painfully reminded of the times when he'd flat-line and not respond to anything—or other times when he'd become hyper-focused on just one thing and unable to divert his attention away from it.
This time, however, the dulling of his emotions and his singular fixation on Mab was not the result of improperly prescribed medication, but rather the consequence of Queen Mab's selfish enchantment.
She wanted to do nothing more than to break through that ethereal haze that held him captive and save him from it, the way she had helped him get him the medicine he needed when his parents had left him on a dosage level that was causing his mental and physical health to become significantly compromised because they believed that ADHD was 'all in the head' and that the pills were just a placebo invented by the pharmacy to make money off of the parents of lazy children, brushing off Timmy's struggles with the medication as just him 'faking it' for attention.
Timmy had needed her to save him then, and he needed her to save him now—but unlike then, when a simple spell could make her take on Mrs Turner 's form and have a simple conversation with the doctor to fix things….there was nothing she could do against the power of Queen Mab and the threat of Gunter Von Strangle.
Her frustration grew as she grappled with her helplessness. She knew that behind that vapid mask, Timmy's essence was still there, buried beneath the layers of Queen Mab's mesmerizing influence. She wished there was a way to break the spell and bring not just Timmy, but all the children back to reality…to shatter whatever illusion Queen Mab had placed to hold them all captive in that dreamy emptiness her songs had induced.
She gazed in quiet resentment at Queen Mab, who seemed to be entirely in her own world as she amused herself with the children who were lulled into obedience by the irresistible pull of her songs.
'Timmy, sweetie…snap out of it…' She begged silently, watching Timmy's slack expression for any sign of the boy she knew.
Unmindful of the distress she was causing her, Mab was sitting crossed legged in the grass, in a manner that decisively unqueenly and yet somehow she still exuded an aura of regality as she went about playing with the children as if they were dolls.
She had the soul cage positioned in the center of her lap, tilted upwards, balancing the back end of it with her crossed legs, so that the soul inside would be made look up into her face. As for Timmy, she had him sitting tight to her right, an arm tucked behind his back as she had him lean his slack body against hers, and on her left was the Kinder, Walter, whom she had treated with such delicacy earlier, held in a similar affectionate embrace. The rest of the Kinders nestled up to her, like baby chicks to a mother hen; but the way Mab treated the children, it was like they were delicate trinkets to be admired but not truly understood or nurtured.
'If you really loved them, you'd make the effort to have them love you back; but you just forced these feelings onto all of them….their just playthings to you….' She crossed her arms, biting the inside of her cheeks to keep her thoughts from showing on her face as Mab gave Timmy a kiss on the forehead.
"Tell me, dear Timmy, what thing in nature do you love best? Flowers? Gemstone? Animals?"
"Stars…" Timmy replied and with a dreamy detached gaze, looked upward at the night sky that existed only above Queen Mab's head. "Their so bright even though they're so far away…."
"Stars!" Mab gushed in exaggerated approval. "My boy says such darling things."
'He's not YOUR boy!' She clenched her fists, unmindful of her fingernails digging into her skin as she focused on biting the inside of her cheeks in order to keep the fury out of her expression. Nova moved in front of her in order to aid in blocking her face from Gunter, who she was sure was watching from somewhere nearby, as she got her fury under control. Queen Mab's cruel guard was just waiting for her to commit an offense against the Queen so that he had an excuse to wipe out a 'subordinate' of the son he despised.
"Then, little one, let me create something special just for you, an example of something only I can give you—made with all the love in my heart." Mab cuddled Timmy, pampering him with such overdone affection that for a moment she felt as if she were watching a play being acted by a high-school student; that she was watching some sixteen year old kid confidently acting out what they thought being a 'mother' was, using only the experience they gained from a few hours of babysitting to back their understanding.
Queen Mab raised her index finger, which began to glow softly, and proceeded to draw a picture of Timmy's face in the air, the glow of her finger acting as a brush that drew upon some kind of invisible canvas. When she was done, she pointed her finger upward and the glowing picture flew skyward and turned into stars—forming an outline of her godson's face.
"There; now you're part of the stars." Mab snuggled Timmy, who gazed at the new constellation in his image in wonder. "Whenever I look up at the night sky, I'll think about you."
'This is like receiving a diamond ring on a first date…' She inwardly criticized with a shudder, sure that if Timmy was in his normal state of mind that such a gift, while amazing, was, along with the declaration accompanying it—far too intimate a gesture to make when knowing someone for less than half a day.
'There are instances when Queen Mab exhibits a certain level of intensity.' Nova's voice floated into her head, his tone laced with understanding that she was not liking what she was watching. 'Her capacity for love is vast, and she struggles with exhibiting moderation. Her level of enthusiasm when meeting a new child is so high that she tends to rush into excessive gestures, but this is merely an indication of her immense happiness and deep care for the child.'
She thought of how to respond; saying what she actually thought would likely have Nova drag her back to that underground café for another 'educational video', this time without Timmy. At the same time, she could not bring herself to pretend she was fine with what she was seeing. Nova was waiting for a response, so she picked her words carefully as she replied to him inside her mind.
'Nova, I understand that Queen Mab's intentions might be well-meaning, but he is in such a delicate state right now, physically and emotionally. He needs stability and comfort. Such extravagant gestures of affection might overwhelm him.' She answered, the concerns stated having only a minimal resemblance to her actual concerns. In honesty, Timmy was in such a stupor that she doubted anything could actually get through to him enough to overwhelm him.
'Wanda, my dear, I do not intend to undermine your concerns, but have you given thought to the undeniable sense of contentment your son exhibits? While I do recognize that under different circumstances, receiving such affection from a stranger would be a cause for concern, he is currently in a state of complete ease. Queen Mab provides a safe haven for all children, every child safe and warm in her affectionate embrace.' Nova's response was kind but dismissive. She knew that there would be little point reasoning with him; Nova was thoroughly dedicated to Mab, and it was obvious that he thought she could do no wrong. She would hardly call this unnatural state he was in 'contentment,' more like brainwashed.
The queen, unheeding of all outside of the circle of night she had brought the children into, laughed without restraint as she asked each child what picture they'd like to see, and drew each request in the air, making the children's eyes widen in wonder as the pictures came alive and flew up into the starry sky to become new constellations.
It wasn't beautiful to be watch, even though it should have been, but that one spot of night in an otherwise late morning sky was so unnatural that it felt too unsettling to admire. In a way, the spectacle mimicked the disquieting nature of Mab's 'motherly love'.
There was no denying that she was treating the children with care, and was indulgent with both her attention and fondness but there was an underlying emptiness to Mab's affection, one that made her feel as if Mab's love was as easy to lose as it was to gain. True motherhood was not just play and indulgence; it was sacrifice and unconditional love. It was guidance and discipline—none of which could be replicated by enchantments or compelled by spells. She would not allow Timmy to fall prey to Mab's superficial charms, not when the stakes were so high and the consequences so dire. Once his treatment was done and they had safely escaped Fey World, she would do whatever it took to free him from her influence.
'Oh…?' She took notice of the chiming noise that was coming from the cage and looked to see that Timmy's heart-soul was turned around and was looking at her, pointing up at the Timmy constellation; its movements gleeful. She couldn't help but smile at it; it really was cute, and apparently while fascinated with Queen Mab, hadn't become enthralled as Timmy and the other children had. That gave her a deep satisfaction, as it proved that even if Queen Mab could influence Timmy's mind; his heart couldn't be so easily swayed.
"Ooh…" Queen Mab pouted a little as she noticed the soul's focus was off her. "Sweet-Heart, pay me attention; come on, tell me what picture would you like in the stars?…No, not that one…mmm…don't make a face like that, how about a picture of you? You can have a constellation right next to Timmy's. Wouldn't that be better? No? Well, how about me? …" Mab huffed, inflating her cheeks and wagged her finger at the soul. "Aw, now that's just mean! Spoiled wittle baby you are, cheeky-cheeky."
Nova, along with the rest of the Fey, made slightly uncomfortable expressions, though none of genuine alarm, as Mab did not come across as being genuinely angry. No, her mannerism was more akin to a perplexed child not knowing how to make a new shiny toy work properly.
She knew the chiming noises being made by the Heart-Soul were referred to as Soul-Speak and that the Fey could understand it, but she couldn't, not without the microphone Nova had used when they had gone into Timmy's memories. What had Timmy's Heart-Soul say to her?
'Oh, this is satisfying.' Bliss's voice floated into her head as she felt the woman's hand discreetly touch her back. 'Her powers don't work on living-souls, so she can't make it love her.'
'What is it saying?' She asked, and while she did feel satisfied about this, she was also worried that it was saying something that could cause the Queen to get angry—-and if she got offended, then Gunter's wrath would descend on them.
'It was calling to you 'look, look, Timmy is in the sky, look, look, look.' It was so cute.' Bliss did a pretty excellent imitation of a baby's voice as she replied telepathically. 'When Queen Mab asked what picture it wanted; it said that it wants a picture of Timmy's mommy to be next to his constellation.'
'That's sweet.' She replied, but Queen Mab had refused the request and had even suggested putting a constellation of herself there instead. '…How deluded is she….?'
'That's the way the Queen is.' Bliss replied, and she blushed, not having meant to transmit that thought. Fortunately, it did not seem like this Fey was as quick as Nova to jump to the Queen's defense. Rather…there seemed to be a hint of animosity towards the Queen in her intonation.
'Don't get me wrong.' Bliss then added quickly, as if regretting having been so candid. Perhaps she was worried that she might repeat what she had said to Nova or to someone else. ' I do respect her for creating a land where Kinders and companions are treated so well; and as long as her core values aren't being insulted, she's a very relaxed ruler. Her lands are very peaceful and amongst the safest in our world. There's really only one major downside to her and it's her obsessive desire to be number one in the hearts of all children."
'…' She clenched her fists a little tighter, feeling a sense of dread and perhaps of loss too as she watched Timmy's transfixed expression stare at Mab in a dreamy, contented state. Over the many years together, She and her godson had built such a strong bond—and the idea that this woman who barley knew him may have just taken the number one spot in his heart just by forcing her nectar on him…was painful.
'Oh, don't worry.' Bliss reassured, cautiously glancing around to see if anyone was taking notice that they were speaking together using telepathy. 'Since he's human, he got the nectar, not the mead. He won't stay this loopy around her. In about three days, his response to her will be akin to seeing a favorite celebrity…unlike our Kinders, who get like… this whenever Mab comes by. Fortunately, her visits aren't that frequent.'
'That's good…' She replied; if it hadn't been for the fact that Mab felt as if all children ought to love her the most, it would appear that, as far as Fey Queens went, she wasn't a bad ruler, but because of what she had done to Timmy and the other children, she could not envision herself ever thinking well of her.
"Ah…I'm afraid my dearest Mab that Timmy's next treatment is approaching…" Nova began, apologetically. His words brought her great relief, which she could barely keep from her face.
"Aww…" Mab pouted like a spoilt child. "Really?"
"Yes, I'm afraid so. He needs at least an hour to breathe in the incense in order to open up his star points so that the magical filter cycle will flow properly."
"Hmm, your right, these cute little star points need to be opened properly to get the magic flowing right—to make him a little angel." Mab purred, and she watched annoyed as the Queen gave Timmy a kiss on the star point located on his forehead. "Oh well, then, I shall be on my way."
As soon as she said those words, Gunter appeared right beside her, ready to escort the Queen who rolled her eyes at his quick approach.
"Really, can't you let me say my proper goodbyes to the kids before your scary lion face makes them all anxious? I suppose you simply can't teach an old guard dog new tricks." Mab sulked. "Why must you always hurry me along?"
"I would not dare rush my Queen when she is engaged in a worthwhile pastime." Gunter responded in a tone that was impossibly polite despite his wording, which implied that what she was currently doing, playing with the children, was not something he considered worthwhile. "But you did promise to have lunch with Queen Cliodna."
"That is true—" Mab scrunched up her face, making it obvious this was not a lunch date she was looking forward to keeping. "…She's going to serve sea food again. I swear she sticks shrimp in everything."
"You can just tell her you don't like seafood." Gunter suggested matter-of-factly.
"Ooh, you know how painfully melodramatic she is! She is always throwing herself in the ocean whenever things don't go her way." Mab complained and began to gently move the children cuddled up to her aside so that she could stand.
When she saw her sit the soul cage to the side and remove her arm from around Timmy, it felt like a hundred pounds of tension was released from her shoulders.
"Well, children, I have to depart now, but I will be back to visit each of you little darlings. Rachel….our youngest Kinder, seeing your cute face warms my heart. Kieran, never stop being so cute and playful, Marina you are a perfect little blossom, Kasumi next time I come, you tell me all about your latest adventures, Lilybeth—your a little lady and Walter…ooh, Walter!" Mab gave each child an affectionate farewell but with this one, as she had several times before, she showed extra care and took him into a big hug that she looked reluctant to end. It took her aback, for the first time since Mab arrived, the Queen's emotions actually came across as genuine.
"Walter, you're such a special little gent."
"Wilt thou come again to visit me soon?" The small Kinder requested with hopeful eyes; speaking in his old-fashioned way. She wondered how old this Kinder was or did he speak this way because his 'fey-parent' had altered his speech patterns with magic?
"Of course I shall! Lets you and I have a special one-on-one day soon." Mab promised and gave each of the mushrooms growing on top of his messy head of mossy hair a kiss.
Mab now turned to Timmy, though an arm remained drooped around Walter's shoulder. It seemed that Mab had no problems with playing favorites, but none of the Kinders seemed to be kicking up a fuss about it.
"Adorable Timmy, and cute little Sweet-Heart, meeting the two of you has truly been such a treat." Queen Mab purred. She tapped the Heart-Soul on the head affectionately with the tip of her pinkie and gave Timmy another kiss on the forehead. "Once you've become an angel…your invited to my palace for a grand celebration."
…That was definitely NOT an invitation she would allow to be fulfilled. If they wanted to throw a celebration about Timmy becoming an angel, they'd just have to do it without the guest of honor present.
— Jorgen POV —
'Will this awkwardness ever end…?' He thought as he sat across from Piper in the sitting room she had brought him to.
The sitting room was, like every other room in this house, a mess of contradictions that clashed with each other in strange and unexpected ways; a Victorian-era chaise lounge sat alongside a futuristic holographic coffee table, a medieval suit of armor stood guard next to a sleek modern fireplace, above the mantle of which hung an expertly painted still life of what looked to be a common stream that shouldn't have prompted enough interest for even the most camera-happy person in the world to even take a photograph of.
The color of the walls in the room had started off a bubblegum pink, but the more he told her about her mother's current condition, they had darkened until they had become as black as licorice and the seat he had been given became harder, colder and kept being pushed further and further away from the coffee table, until he was pretty much on the other side of the room.
"…." Piper wordlessly bit down on a gingerbread cookie, biting off the head and then putting it back down on the plate with several other headless cookies. They had all been decorated to look the same way, orange hair, green eyes and wearing a pink and white western-styled outfit. She had not offered him any of these cookies, he wouldn't have taken one even if she had, and tea she had given him had changed its flavor from green to ginseng, to wormwood and ultimately yaupon holly during the course of their conversation.
Worst of all, when he tried not to drink it, she'd just use her magic to force him to drink the increasingly bitter beverage.
"I know your not happy to hear this; that's why I was holding off on telling you….look, if her condition turns critical I would have informed you, but…as long as there is still hope for improvement I was hoping to save you the distress of…"
"Give it a rest! You don't give a damn about how others feel, and we both know it! You thought it was too much of a bother to tell me about this. That's the real reason you said nothing," Piper accused, and he couldn't deny that she had a point.
What would be the point of telling her? It would only anger her and create chaos. Being a Fey, she couldn't pass through the barrier the council had erected to keep the Fey out of fairy world and safely away from Earth.
Moreover, Piper's mother was not in a state to return to the Fey world at the moment. Revealing the true situation would only bring headaches to everyone involved.
However, there was an even more important reason he had been keeping recent developments about her mother from her knowledge.
With the Darkness defeated by Timmy, the barrier created from its residual negative energy had been nullified. It's negative energy which had negated the pure magic of the Fey had been the only force capable of overpowering them and that was why the council had used the energy left behind from their first battle against the Darkness to create the barrier to keep the Fey from ever returning to Earth.
If Timmy had simply destroyed the Darkness like the Chosen One had been supposed to do, that residual negativity would have remained as part of the barrier—however, he had purified it instead, so now any Fey could now potentially break through the barrier if they exerted enough effort. The only thing stopping them was the collective memory of countless failed attempts over the years and that they did not know the Darkness had even returned let alone was stopped by a ten year old boy.
Thanks to the mind-wipe he had put into place, Jorgen alone was the only one who kept that memory and he wouldn't return it to anyone until Timmy's time with his fairies was over. That was the only way to keep things balanced and the rules in place. He'd let the fairies of Fairy World know someday that Timmy had saved them all, so that the boy could be honored as the hero he was, but the knowledge of his deeds must never reach the Fey.
If they were aware that the Darkness had been defeated and its negative power purified, they wouldn't hesitate to make another go at breaking the barrier.
Given Piper's headstrong and emotional nature, she might even attempt it without even knowing about the purification of the darkness. Her mother would be incentive enough for her to try.
"She begged me not to tell you." He met Piper's angry gaze with a stern one; this was not a lie or an excuse…even if it was not the main motivation for his silence.
"Yeah, that's something she'd do alright, but it's still no excuse! You should have told me!"
He dropped his teacup with a surprised yelp and lifted his feet as the contents inside the cup turned to acid, making a hole in the cup's bottom and then eating into the floor as if the floor had been made of sugar. The room below them seemed to be a storage room for dolls, all of which seemed not to have been touched in years and had been long claimed by dust and mold.
"Your mother is my friend. I would not disrespect her wishes. I only did so now because you literally threatened to rip the flowers off my mother's tree." He scowled at her, trying to get out of his chair, which now was wobbling precariously over the hole in the floor, but found that he was being held down by her magic. "Look, I worked very hard on HER behalf to get permission from the council to allow you and her to have a live and uncensored video contact if her condition gets critical."
"Lots of good that will do." She rolled her eyes at him. If she was going to act like a child, she ought to do like every other Fey did and give herself a youthful appearance rather than allowing herself to look like her actual age—because seeing a woman who looked the human equivalent of 48 acting like a rebellious teen was actually kind of gross, in his opinion. Seriously, she was a few thousand years older than he was. Why couldn't she be more mature about this?
"It's not like telling you did any good either." He countered.
Piper glared at him in return and sulking began twirling several of her long braids, swinging them around with enough force that the M&M beads decorating the ends of them made clicking noises akin to the shots of a BB gun whenever they hit against the wall behind her.
"Piper, we have made our return. Wanda and Timmy have already been guided to the examination room. Queen Mab's visit exceeded the anticipated duration, however, we should still have sufficient time for a medical examination before little Timmy needs to take in the incense." Nova appeared in the room without any warning, but he quickly took notice of the room's black walls and the hole in the floor which his chair was threatening to fall into.
Nova gave him a stony expression, looking ready to attack him if he had done something to hurt Piper's feelings—was that even possible? This woman's emotions were made of titanium. The only thing she ever felt powerfully was anger.
"I forced him to tell me about my mother." Piper explained as Nova glanced in her direction for clarification before deciding on his next course of action. "Apparently he's been obeying her wishes—to keep silent about the fact she dying."
"She's NOT dying." He corrected. "Her condition is still stable—"
"As if a fairy can survive long with their wings ripped off! They can't do much of anything at all! So…so tell me, who's been writing to me!? There's no way my mother could have written those letters in her condition!" Piper threw her teacup at him, and since he was unable to get out of the chair, he could not avoid its contents. He yelped as it burned into his skin and the glass dug into his flesh as if some external force was pushing on the shards.
"Her….her anti-self…" He gritted his teeth against the pain as he answered honestly. "She's…the one who's been writing to you…."
"Oh….of course….obviously. That was stupid of me." Piper hit her forehead with the palm over hand several times, and from the loud smacks, she wasn't doing it gently.
"Piper…." Nova begun consolingly, going over to her side and patting her shoulder. "You know how much your mother loves you. She probably begged Jorgen for his silence to keep you from being hurt."
"Well, maybe if she loved me half as much as she loved those human brats, maybe she wouldn't be an invalid sitting around a hospital waiting to die!"
Nova winced as Piper kicked the plate of cookies off of the coffee table and disappeared; hopefully not off to the examination room in the emotional state she was in, though he was pretty sure that's where she was heading.
He hoped Wanda would be ok. Trying to deal with an angry Piper was more difficult than handling an enraged elephant. Nova glanced at him and with a sigh and with a snap of his fingers stopped the glass from cutting into him and cooled the liquid which had been burning him; though his wounds remained. Luckily, most of his injuries were confined to his arms, which he had used to shield himself, with only a few additional shards of glass and liquid having reached his shoulders.
"I fault you for a lot of things Jorgen, but not for this one." Nova admitted with reluctant understanding. "Piper's mother was like a foster mother to you, stepping in once Engeltrud.…"
"About my mother—" He cut him off, brushing the glass off of his body as he could finally stand up out of the chair. "Tell that crazy doctor to never threaten her again."
"Pardon me?" Nova quirked a brow, taken aback.
"She dragged me in here to tell me about her mother, but the moment she sensed I was holding back something, she threaten to tear off the flowers from my mother's tree."
"Oh, goodness…." Nova grimaced, looking away awkwardly. "I express my regret for her propensity to make such profound threats, yet, I harbor substantial doubts that she'd actual go through with such a deed. Piper often utilizes persuasive techniques in her pursuit of objectives, although she lacks consistency in executing them. It is widely recognized that when a Tree Mother loses her flowers, her soul becomes scattered. Deliberately destroying the flowers on a Tree Mother's branches would be considered a violation of the taboo against intentionally causing harm to a human soul. Within Queen Mab's dominion, these actions would warrant either banishment or execution. Given Piper's exceptional self-preservation instincts, it is improbable that she would actually perpetrate such a crime."
"I don't care if she was sincere or not! And I don't care for your hoity toity reassurance! No one talks that way about my mother!"
"Undoubtedly, her actions were in the wrong. Once she regains her composure, I will address the matter with her." It looked almost as if it was physically paining Nova to be on his side in an argument. "Well, I do suppose you should be on your way; go home and recover from your injuries…"
"I'm not leaving until I can see with my own eyes that you Fey did not do anything to Turner or Wanda whilst they were out of the safety of their recovery room."
Nova made an irritated noise. "Fine, I'm too exhausted to argue with you and I frankly rather be there to support my daughter-in-law and god grandson. You can wait in the waiting room. We'll call on you when they're ready to receive visitors."
"Wait one mome—" Before he could finish his sentence, he found himself teleported into a room that was vertical-wise so small that his shoulders pressed against the walls, making him stand in a cramped and uncomfortable position; while horizontally, it stretched so tall that he could not see the ceiling, and on every space of the wall was a cuckoo clock that chimed not every hour, but every minute.
He slapped a hand to his face and uttered a low, irritated growl. He really, really hated dealing with the Fey….
— Timmy's POV—
"U-ugh…" He moaned, wrapping his arms around his stomach. He had to take that terrible tasting medicine designed to flush out the stale revival magic an hour before his treatments, and then he'd have to breathe in that incense that made his head go all funny—right after it had finally cleared up after Queen Mab's departure. Usually it was the other way around, he'd breath in the incense and then take the medicine, but apparently they were short on time and needed to make sure he had time to get out all of the stale stuff before Wanda injected the new stuff.
Nova had poofed them back to the clinic saying that, as much as he would have liked to give them the scenic route, that the Queen's visit had last longer than he had expected and they needed to hurry back to be on time for his treatment. He had no idea how long Queen Mab's visit had lasted, everything was so blurry...it was like trying to remember a dream after being awake for hours.
They had been brought first to their recovery room to place his soul back in the room that was made for it. His Heart-soul, apparently, was tuckered out from the outing and had peacefully gone to sleep in a bed made of popsicle sticks and he had been changed into that embarrassingly thin garment that he was required to wear during the magical filter cycle.
After that they had been brought to the same examination room he had been shown to when Piper had first examined him; the one that looked like a cross between a fantasy RPG's witch doctor's hut and sci-fi laboratory. Nova had left to get Piper and Wanda had given him that yucky medicine.
He now sat on that room's hospital gurney; a straw mattress with metal fixtures. It was surprisingly comfortable despite its appearance, but even so, it did not help make him feel any better. Whenever he took that medicine it made his guts feel like they were on fire, and his entire body so weak that it felt like he was made from jelly.
"Here, shh…let it all out." Wanda held the barf bag she had poofed up, bottomless and self cleaning. He still felt badly about making her hold such a gross thing. He had thrown up so much purple gunk that he felt as if he had just lost half his body weight and he was still upchucking.
"…I'm…s-sorry…." he gagged, wiping his mouth with his hand which Wanda promptly poofed clean.
"What are mothers for? A little vomit isn't any trouble for me."
"…Not about that." He put his head down, unable to bring himself to look at his godmother even though she was standing right next to him.
"About what, Sweetie?" She sat down beside him, putting an arm around him as she pulled him in closer to her, while continuing to hold the bag in case he threw up more.
"I said all those things at the café and yet as soon as I saw Queen Mab I….I lost all control. I hurt your feelings, didn't I?"
"Oh, pumpkin!" She gasped, using one of her rarer nicknames for him. "No, no, don't you feel bad about that! That was not your fault!"
"But, I….I should have resisted more or…I ought to have—"
"Your just a little human boy and she's a Fey Queen. How could you hope to overcome her magic? Even if you had, it would have only angered her and who knows what Gunter would have done in response to her offense? That you were able to show even a hint of resistance is proof of how much you love me and I'm really touched by the fight you were able to put up against her."
"I hardly put up any fight." He denied, shaking his head with tears stinging his eyes. "I melted faster than butter in a hot pan!"
"….Jorgen's been teaching you analogies, hasn't he?" Wanda asked dryly, maybe trying to crack a joke because everyone knew that Jorgen sucked at making analogies, but he couldn't laugh even knowing she was trying to cheer him up. All he could think about was the hurt, anxious look on Wanda's face as he cuddled up to the Queen with no regard at all to her feelings. "You do so much for me and I…! I couldn't even keep my word…I…hurt you…I…I'm so pathetic…!"
"Shhh…." She took him in her arms and rocked him as she hushed him soothingly. "You did not hurt my feelings."
'Oh great, I'm doing this annoying crying thing again.' He gritted his teeth, trying to get his tears under control. Why was he like this now? He never used to cry so easily. Was it his condition? Was it his medication? Or was he simply going bonkers? He did not know, but he hated how easily he broke apart lately. As Cosmo had said—he was growing down instead of growing up, he had become a huge crybaby, a pathetic weakling…
Even his only friend left, aside from his fairies, Mark Chang had rebuked him that 'the mighty warrior feared and respected by Yugopotamia' shouldn't be letting school yard bullies and the cruel memes circulating about him on the internet crush his spirits. When he was ten, he would have been able to put up a fight…brush things off, but these days…whenever things went wrong, he'd just….! He'd just break apart…
'What's wrong with me…?' He messed with his hair, pressing his palms to his eyes to try to get his tears under control. 'This isn't even anything to cry about…so why won't these tears stop? Why did they start in the first place? Damn it….! Why is it I've become like this…? This isn't supposed to be who I am…this isn't who I was…I don't want to be this way..!'
….No wonder everyone who hadn't already hated him for some reason or another began distancing themselves from him. It must be frustrating dealing with someone who cried whenever anything went wrong. Even Cosmo would roll his eyes at him when he started crying or sigh 'here we go again', that's why he had begun to 'secret cry', so that he did not end up chasing off his fairies as he had everyone else. He had also not wanted to make Poof sad. His little brother respected him, being too young to realize how worthless he really was, and he hadn't wanted to lose that by letting Poof see he had become a pathetic crybaby.
He'd always go off alone to secret cry, not wanting to be a bother but…when he saw Wanda was often holding back tears of her own, he told her about his secret crying spot, and they had begun to secret cry together…she never got upset or frustrated with him, and let him cry all he needed…she'd comfort him, and he'd comfort her….
But…he cried a lot more than Wanda did….so…was he just being a selfish brat again and taking advantage of her kindness? Because of him, she and Cosmo were always arguing….
'Oh great, now more tears are coming….why….? Why won't they stop?' He sniffled, and Wanda embraced him, making soothing noises as she stroked the back of his head. She said nothing, but rocked him in her arms, patiently allowing him the time he needed to get his emotions under control. He closed his eyes, taking in a few deep breaths; he could feel her body heat envelop him like a blanket as she gave him a tight squeeze. The sound of her heartbeat was so soothing that it was almost like a lullaby. Allowing his mind to replay his memories of when she changed him into a toddler, being carried around in her arms, all safe and secure, he managed to quiet his tears down to a few left over sniffles.
"You ok now, sweetie?" She asked him gently as his sobs subsided.
"….Yeah, sorry, I…I don't even know why, I…."
"Your under so much stress; it's important to let it all out whenever it gets too much. You can cry all you want to me." She reassured him, kissing him on the head.
"Your the best mother in the world. No, in the universe, no one else is even half as good as you are! Queen Mab's magic might have made me all woozy, but you're still a novemnonagintillion times better than her!"
"I….I don't even know what number that is; but thank you, Timmy." She chuckled." Gosh, you're going to give me an ego if you praise me that much."
He nuzzled his head against her, feeling a sense of contentment wash over him; he only ever felt this way when he was with her. She was his peace…his safe place. Being in her arms beat all the dreams Queen Mab had shown him whilst he had been under the influence of her enchantment and while a strong feeling of affection for Mab remained inside of him, because of her nectar, it paled compared to what he felt for his godmother.
Fake love couldn't hold a candle to the real thing. His body relaxed, even as the usual weakness he experienced after taking the medicine hit him. She held him tighter when the strength to sit up on his own left him, using a tissue to wipe his tear stained cheeks for him. He was too tired now to want to speak, but offered her a smile of gratitude.
"…And—not the best time for an examination, I see…" Piper's voice surprised him. She must have just appeared in the room. "Ah, well, what's to be expected when that cow with a crown on her head shows up?"
The part of him being influenced by Mab's nectar recoiled at the insult but the part of his mind that was clear enough to acknowledge that these feelings he had for her were forced stopped him from speaking on the Queen's behalf. If Wanda had been insulted however, he'd be jumping to her defense….more proof that genuine love trumped love that was forced by magic.
"Ah, is it safe for you to say that?" Wanda sounded nervous, but not like she disagreed with Piper's sentiments.
"Mab already hates me, but she would never get rid of me." Piper sounded smug as she prepared the incense. "With the barrier blocking off access to Earth and all the strict protocols in place in Fairy world, human children are an extremely rare commodity, and I'm the sole reason they still arrive in this land—if I was gone, the next best Fey doctor is in Cnoc Bláthach; part of Queen Áine's lands. He's skilled, but his expertise was in creating monsters during the war, not the best hands to place kids in, even if he claims to have turned over a new leaf."
"I see, but isn't it still risky to insult her so brazenly?" Wanda sounded unsure; that was his godmother. He knew she did not like Piper, but she was concerned for her safety. Wanda was just so kind…
"Mab would sooner have me send her a signed copy of a book of insults dedicated to her than lose her supply of children to Queen Áine. Their allies—but Mab is horribly jealous of her, for multiple reasons-but the biggest of all is that she has tons of—"
"Piper, really, that's enough." Nova's voice came now, scolding.
He cracked open his eyes despite how weak he was feeling; he really hated arguments, always had, but lately just being in the room with people arguing, even if it wasn't about him, made him feel sick.
Cosmo's father looked irritated, his mood obviously having soured since returning to the clinic with them. He wondered is something bad had happened.
"Jumping to the Queen's defense as always, Nova? Seriously, you got to stop thinking the world of her just because she had a few kind words for you."
"Piper, I know you're upset right now, but—"
"Oh, cram it, Nova! Hey, weepy-willow, I bet she planted a big old smooch on your godson, huh? Bet it pissed you off and this guy probably went on about how it was such a good thing, huh?"
"Weepy willow?" Wanda questioned the insult, annoyed rather than answering the question.
"That Mommy-Wannabe Wench thinks she's the ideal mother; she comes in, gives a few mind-control kisses, plays a few games, gives a couple of gifts and thinks she's got the number 1 place in all the kids hearts. Did it to all the kids my mom raised—thinking she can replace years of love, hard work, sacrifice and dedication just like that. It's an insult. That's what it is!"
"Piper, please, this is not the time or place for—-"
Piper made a scoffing noise and let the metal pot full of the incense drop loudly on the counter next to his bed. Wanda pulled him protectively closer as she watched the woman cautiously.
"I added a few extra ingredients that should help with your unique condition." Piper softened her voice slightly as she spoke to him. Her red eyes, usually bright like fire, looked really dim.
She looked like she needed to secret cry.
— Wanda POV—
"Wanda, my dear, I would like to express my utmost apologies for Piper's conduct..."
Nova was apologizing to her, much like how a parent would apologize when their child took a tantrum in a public location.
"That was really the last thing poor Timmy needed, especially right before his treatment." She frowned; she and her father-in-law were in the room with a window that overlooked the room Timmy was in. He was breathing in the incense and Ginny was once again brought in for him to cuddle with. She wondered if the incense did not affect companions, or maybe it did, but it simply did not matter if they got groggy from it.
"I know, I know." Nova sounded pained and guilty, even though it hadn't actually been his fault. "Piper is usually not one to let her emotions interfere with her bedside manner…."
"Well, he at least looks calm now." She pressed a button on the control panel to turn on a microphone Nova had rigged up for her, so that she could speak to Timmy despite them being separated by glass. "You doing ok, Sweetie?"
"Ughh, smells like… Like dirry soockss." Timmy's slurred speech complained with a pitiful whimper.
"It is likely that she has incorporated valerian root." Nova explained. "This plant possesses useful properties, as it has the ability to relax muscles and alleviate anxiety. Regrettably, its odor is quite unpleasant."
"Hang in there, sweetie." She encouraged and flipped off the microphone. "What was all that about, anyway? I hope she doesn't behave like that in front of her patients normally."
She inwardly knew that she was being a little unfair. She had already seen for herself that Piper had a good bedside manner at least with children, but she just couldn't help but feel frustrated with her lack of professionalism during a time when Timmy had already been upset.
"Oh goodness no, don't judge her too harshly." Nova sighed. "You see….she received some bad news about her mother…."
"Oh!" She put a hand to her mouth, feeling ashamed for her earlier harshness. Anyone would be rattled if they had received bad news about a family member. "I…I see…."
She wanted to ask what happened, but that felt as if it would overstepping her boundaries. Nova, however, leaned in closer to her and spoke in hush tones.
"You see….Dr. Sweet was injured…by a fairy hunter."
"Ooooh…." She wrapped her arms around her midsection, feeling sick with sympathy. Not all fairy hunters were laughingstocks like Crocker. Many of them were proficient and ruthless. Over half of them were former godchildren…without their memories, but longing for the taste of magic they had grown accustomed to; the mere sight of a fairy could be enough of a trigger to ignite a desire to reclaim that power inside of them-hence the rule that fairies weren't supposed to return to visit their godchildren once they became adults. Fairy Hunters had crippled or even outright killed many fairies over the centuries…all in an attempt to steal their magic and make it their own.
That's why Jorgen was warning her not to let Timmy get too attached, because he feared he would end up becoming a dangerous fairy hunter, but she knew her boy and knew he would never—-but unfortunately, many former godchildren did….
"Was it…recent….?" She asked, worriedly. Normally, whenever there was a fairy hunter attack, it was all over the fairy news, warning all fairies in the location of the hunter to be on their guard. The idea of Poof or Cosmo ever becoming a victim of one of those hunters….it sent chills up her spine. She feared that neither her husband nor her son would take the warning of a fairy hunter seriously because they were so used to Crocker—but Denzel was a joke compared to a real hunter.
"It did not just happen." Nova corrected, reassuring her. "We had been long aware that she had been the victim of an assault... nevertheless, both her letters and Jorgen's assurances maintained that she would make a full recovery and, upon doing so, deliberate on the possibility of returning to Fey world." He furrowed his brows, biting down on his lower lip. "Nevertheless...Piper's impatience led her to coerce Jorgen into disclosing the complete truth about her injuries."
"How bad are they?" She asked tentatively. Nova sighed, shaking his head miserably.
"Her wings were ripped off."
"Uh no!" She put her hands over her mouth, horrified. Even a bad injury to a wing could debilitate a fairy for life! To have them ripped off…that was…fatal.
"Receiving such distressing news was indeed disheartening. Piper might act tough, but she really does love her mother a great deal," Nova spoke with genuine compassion. "Poor thing was not at all pleased to learn that the letters she had been receiving were being sent by her mother's anti-self, who will also face certain demise once her fairy self does."
"If they became one again, as Fey, couldn't they have the magic to—" She began hopefully, but Nova's gloomy expression prevented her from completing her suggestion.
"They can't return to being whole if one of them is missing both wings." He corrected with a sad sigh. "As you know, the wings are a fairy's weak point…it's the area of their bodies that most of their magic is concentrated in…"
She nodded gloomily, understanding the significance. When a fairy lost both their wings, they lost their own natural magical abilities. They could still use magic by using the wish star that was attached to their godparent wand, each wish star being attuned to each fairy; but without their own natural magic, their bodies couldn't continue to function normally.
After a while the fairy blood inside of them, bereft of magical energy, would eventually stop flowing and dry up and then….they'd turn to dust.
"I am sorry; it must be hard for her, not even being able to visit her mother when she's so injured…."
"Yes." Nova poofed them both up a cup of tea without asking if she wanted one, but she wouldn't refuse it. The smell of chamomile and honey filled the room with a pleasant scent, unlike what Timmy was experiencing on the other side of the glass. "My feelings toward Jorgen are unfavorable, however, I can rationalize his decision to maintain silence on the matter. As Piper is unable to be physically present, conveying such news would only serve to cause feelings of helplessness and hurt."
She nodded her head, and not knowing what to say, took a sip of her tea instead. Fortunately, Nova hadn't been waiting for her response and continued. "However, I do understand Piper's feelings - the idea of being kept in blissful ignorance, even if it is done with good intentions, would be infuriatingly maddening to me if something were to happen to Stella or my sons!"
"…Yes, I…I think I'd rather know too…." She looked over at Timmy, who seemed to be dozing off. "…Even if he's grown into an old man well into his 80's, with no memory of me at all, if he got sick and was in the hospital….if he was dying…I'd want to know, to watch over him….even if not knowing would be less painful for me."
...She'd want to be there, to hold his hand, and restore his memories in those final moments so she could have a proper goodbye….but….she never wanted that awful day to come….when Timmy would be gone forever….
Why did he have to be born mortal…?
"Oh, my dear, I apologize. It is inconsiderate of me to introduce such melancholic thoughts into your mind, especially given the impending treatment you must perform." Nova handed her a handkerchief to dry the tears that had begun to form in her eyes.
"It's fine." She felt embarrassed; no wonder Nova and Piper had the impression she was a 'weeping willow'. She knew Timmy often berated himself for how easily he cried these days, and she was getting a taste of just what that felt like. She couldn't help it though—everything that had happened and was happening to him just kept digging at the painful reminder that someday he would be….gone.