Chapter 44: Fairies, Anti-Fairies and Fey
—Piper's POV—
She accompanied Nova as he performed his daily tasks, inspecting the forest for any injured companions or animals, removing poisonous mushrooms, and addressing anything unusual. He was conducting his routine much later than usual, but his delay was justifiable. Given the circumstances, it was surprising he hadn't taken the entire day off. However, that was just the kind of person Nova was; he clung to his self-imposed duties and personal sense of justice with steadfast loyalty. At times, she considered it bordered on self-righteousness, but everyone has their flaws, and she overlooked this particular trait of Nova's, as he never condescended to lecture her.
She had joined him in the forest once she sensed his presence there; she guessed that even if he hadn't tuned into the habitat channel to spy on how the party he had thrown his daughter-in-law and her godson was going, he'd likely caught wind of the surrounding buzz. Their fellow villagers were making quite a ruckus about it, having been both wildly entertained and scandalized; revelations in the video, managing to both pluck at the heartstrings or arouse fury.
Even she couldn't help but throw the closest thing within reach, which happened to be a book, at her TV when she found out that the boy's mother was flavoring her food with dish soap and shampoo.
'It's a wonder both of her children weren't still births.' She had thought, recalling how Wanda had asked her about the boy's stillborn twin sister, and why she might not have survived.
Knowing Nova, he was probably not in a very good frame of mind, having learned of the boy's domestic situation and the distasteful details of his son's behavior towards his wife. It wasn't wise to leave Nova to stew in his thoughts, especially when both of his triggers were involved. Without intervention, he might impulsively decide to remove Timmy from what he perceived as a 'toxic' environment; and if Timmy transitioned into a Kinder prematurely, she would lose both her angel-to-be and her intriguing medical subject.
When she had met up with him, he greeted her with courtesy and inquired about her well-being, tactfully avoiding any mention of her mother. She made it clear she preferred not to discuss that topic, by acting as though he was asking about their afternoon drinking binge, 'Unlike you, I know when to stop drinking. How's your head? Too much of Gin's cocktails can really knock you out.'
He responded with a soft smile, assuring her that his stomach had settled and that any lingering headache he might have was not from the alcohol, but from Bubbles and her remarks about the party he had made for his daughter-in-law and Timmy. She mirrored his smile, understanding they both had topics they'd rather not delve into; so they walked together in a comfortable silence that was not unusual for them and that was where they found themselves now.
She wiped her forehead. She enjoyed physical activities, and hiking was one she did frequently, but either in the early morning or evening. Walking in the woods at this time of time was uncomfortable; she could feel some sweat trickle down her backside. Even though she had taken the care to change into a flimsy tank top and shorts, she still felt overheated. She wondered how Nova could do this whilst dressed head to toe in that preppy clothing style he liked so much.
"So, what Fey fruit do you think the kid will ultimately choose?" She asked lazily, looking up at some Cormelons that were hanging from some nearby vines; tiny bite sized coral colored oval shaped melons with a sparkly glossy surface. They looked like the tiny little bulbs that would hang out on strings at parties. Their taste was like butter and honey with a hint of citrus; this had been the fruit little Theo had lost his humanity to when he had been made a Kinder.
"I am uncertain. He hasn't encountered many of them yet. However, during his 'trial of the forest,' the Bell-Fruit seemed to captivate his attention," he responded, while he cleared away mushrooms sprouting at the creek's edge—where those who failed the trial and consumed the Cormelons before the fruit was offered to them now lived along with their offspring. She watched the tiny creatures. Like all the Companions in the forest, their only purpose was to be cute to look at, and amusing to play with.
"Coralkits are cute, aren't they?" Nova inquired, his tone rich with admiration as he observed her line of sight. He seemed to have misinterpreted her gaze as one of fascination, rather than the boredom she felt. To her, they resembled a hybrid of an otter, a fish, and a frog, adorned with fur and scales that shone with the same glossy, vibrant coral shade as the fruit. An adult Coralkit was roughly the size of her middle finger, while a newborn was as tiny as her little toe. In her candid opinion, their size was the only cute aspect. Despite the other Fey in the village exclaiming over their 'utter adorableness', she found them rather ugly.
She watched as one floated on its back, holding a coral fruit between its webbed paws, resting the fruit bigger than its head on its furry stomach; despite how lazy and relaxed it looked, a tiny scaly tail worked hard behind it, keeping it afloat. Judging from the size, it wasn't one who had ever originally been human—it must have just been born last season.
Earlier, Wanda had unknowingly breached a local taboo by suggesting that Companions and animals were alike; something even she had rebuked her for. However, if the godmother were to ask her whether this creature qualified as an animal, she would say yes. In her view, 'Companions' who had never been human differed significantly from those who had once been human. Many fellow Fey would agree to favor first generation Companions, but very few within Queen Mab's territory would admit to viewing their offspring as animals.
"Oh, look…some more babies will be born soon; I simply have to see which Coralkit line they hail from…" Nova leaned forward to look at the other side of the creek where a small puddle of tiny coral marbles had formed, all no bigger than a fingernail; Coralkit eggs; over the next week, they'd get bigger until they burst with a lot of new Coralkits.
First generation Companions were immortal, baring sickness or injury; but that wasn't true for the offspring—their lifespans cut down each generation until it reached a number of years their world found acceptable. Coralkits bred in such large numbers and so frequently that all new generations only lived for a maximum of three years. In that case, was it not better just to think of them as animals? Nova would save himself a lot of heartbreak if he'd just focus his love and devotion onto the Companions, who were once human.
They resumed their journey after Nova had delighted in examining and tallying the eggs, confirming their origin from Leo's lineage. She couldn't recall who this Leo kid was, but she was certain Nova could easily spend ten minutes discussing them without pausing for thought.
She looked down at her friend, who was now checking one of the Sprigglehop nests, likely spotting something about it that was amiss; Companions weren't much of an interest to her. The only thing she knew about Sprigglehop nests was that if you came across a sudden cluster of flower petals or leaves on a road, that a Sprigglehop was likely sleeping under it. She frankly found it annoying, because sometimes there'd be so many of them that stepping around them felt like an obstacle course. She couldn't count how many times her morning jog got interrupted by coming across a cluster of them on the road. Thankfully, Sprigglehops were always on the move and most nests were a onetime use.
"Yeah, what's up?" She questioned; peeking over his shoulder. She had joined up with him because she feared he'd be depressed and would want to talk about things, but if she knew that they'd only be discussing Companions, then she wouldn't have put herself through the uncomfortable ordeal of a late afternoon trek through the forest.
She should probably be grateful that he hadn't inquired about Wanda's possession by the Heart-Soul. The thought of him asking about what visions the soul had used to gain control of her filled her with dread; lying to Nova was difficult, not only because he was a friend but also because of his sharp intellect. Her reluctance wasn't about keeping promises to that whiney godmother, but rather—she just did not want to delve into that subject with Nova; not under any circumstances.
"When a Sprigglehop nest is situated in a secluded location such as this one; it often implies that they are unwell." Nova replied as he went about carefully pushing aside the cluster of leaves that had been tucked away beneath a Snow Berry bush. "And when it builds its nest near a food source, it's because it feels like it won't be able to move for some time….oh dear, my poor darling little Clara!" He got a sympathetic look on his face as the nest was uncovered and a Sprigglehop with orange and red flowers dotting her white fur, which had several blood stains and gashes, was unveiled. "Oh, my sweet girl, what happened to you?"
It did impress her how he managed to recognize what child a Companion was within a few seconds of seeing it; to her, they all looked alike. Clara whimpered and nuzzled affectionately against Nova's fingers as he gently lifted her, cradling her in his hands.
"Piper, have you been taking care when setting those traps?" He questioned as he reached into his medicine pouch and applied some anointment to the wounds; making the Sprigglehop squirm and squeak.
"Of course, but there just isn't a method guaranteed to prevent our Companions from falling into them." She reasoned. "And without them we leave our Companions and Kinder in danger of kidnapping attempts. We have to be extra cautious now that we have a newborn soul in our village."
"Our habitat channel is now inaccessible to external sources."
"That alone is a tipoff that we're hiding something; plus…you know Mab is a big gossip."
"It is probable that she has already discussed it with Queen Cliodna during their lunch." Nova concurred dryly; even his fondness for the queen did not stop him from admitting to one of her worse vices. "I will see to it that a community meeting is convened soon to discuss strategies for enhancing the efficacy and safety of our traps for our Companions."
If the dilemma could have been resolved in a community meeting, they would have found a solution thousands of years ago; but sitting down and talking about it at least made Nova feel better by trying to do something about the problem.
"There, there, Clara." He gently patted the small creature and poofed up a basket with a cozy bedding inside and placed her in it. "Rest assured, a short stay at the clinic will restore you to full health. Piper, have thorns been incorporated into any of the traps?"
"Nah; I learned from that mistake when I was a kid. One of mom's little angels-to-be stepped in one and lost a leg. Mom was furious with me and made me vow not to use thorns as part of a trap ever again."
"I remember you sharing that story with me in the past." Nova mused, a look of guilt flashing in his eyes, probably from having made her speak about her mother, but she wasn't so fragile as to be bothered by that.
"Yeah, I took a huge tantrum, because I thought mom would be happy that I had made traps around the house to protect her Kinders from being captured by the Sula Si and made into monsters. I was like, 'you can just use magic to grow their leg back! What's the big deal?'" She chuckled at the memory. "I can understand now, of course, why she was so pissed off 'bout it, but why do you ask?"
"The wounds are primarily along the sides of her body, the flanks and the legs, where the fur is thinner." Nova pointed the injuries on Clara out to her with a serious expression. "The cuts and scratches are of varying lengths, some shallow, some deeper, but there are also puncture wounds scattered across her body; primarily on the shoulders, back, ears and her face….their small but deep.." He clicked his tongue as carefully moved some matted fur aside to reveal a tiny hole that was reddish and swollen. Clara wiggled in the basket, squeaking, and he hushed to her gently, stroking her head as he tried to sooth her. "All of these are indicative of injuries made by thorns."
"I did place thorn thickets around some of the more dangerous traps." She admitted, and she had placed an illusion spell to make it look like harmless leaf piles to any outsiders, but all members of the village, including their Companions, and even the regular animals would see it for how it really was. "It was to detour our Companions from going anywhere near the traps; they know to stay away from thorns."
"But Clara seems to have run right into a thicket of them; not only did she run into it; but it seems she continued to run through it without slowing down."
"….Like she was being chased?" She caught onto his concern.
"The forests do not pose any known threats that would explain her flight, and the magical influence in the forest prevents our Companions and animals from inflicting harm upon each other." Nova furrowed his brows. "We are able to detect any presence in the forest upon entry, therefore we would have been aware of any trespasser...however, those who attempt to take our Kinders and Companions continuously develop novel methods to avoid immediate detection."
"It's a little early to jump to conclusions; we don't want to cause a panic. She could have just been startled by something."
"Without a doubt, that is a valid point. Clara hailed from a household that consisted of three step-brothers. The extent of their mistreatment towards her was nearly equivalent to the severity of Timmy's mistreatment by his babysitter, Vicky. A game they particularly relished involved surprising her with alarming masks, as they were well aware of the terror it instilled in her. Consequently, she developed a tendency to be easily startled due to this."
"So she was one of the little ones you brought here." She gazed at the tiny creature nestled in the basket. Nova's heart had sunk upon discovering that some of the children he had helped bring to Fey World had been transformed into Companions, now dwelling as diminutive creatures in the forest, rather than being spoiled and pampered as adopted children by new Fey Parents. However, now that he had fully adapted to being a Fey, all of those reservations had vanished and he completely adored the Companions.
Nova was a completely different person now than he had been when he had first arrived in their world; even though by then he had been a Fey for a while, his new nature had not taken complete hold of him until spending some time amongst them. She had asked him once, but he was unable to recall what his personality as a Fairy and Anti-fairy had once been; he had reunited so fully that he was unable to make distinctions anymore. Though he had told her that, for the first few years, he was able to distinguish between his two personalities and skill-sets and keep them separate as he switched between his two forms, keeping his transformation into a Fey secret, but over time that just got harder and harder to do as his two selves mixed into one, regardless of how hard he tried to keep them separate. Gin had described him back then as being like a layered cocktail that had been left sitting for hours; his two selves eventually mixed, creating a whole new color and flavor.
She had less than zero desire to ever become a fairy; but she wondered how much her perception would be changed from how it was now if she did become one. How much had her mother's personality changed after she ceased being a Fey? How differently did she view the world? She'd probably never be able to ask her about it now.
"Indeed, little Clara was among the first individuals I rescued." Nova sounded proud, gently petting the Companion's head. "The stepbrothers would monopolize all the food, even going so far as to pilfer her lunch at school. Consequently, she likely experienced periods of extreme hunger. I still firmly believe that her circumstances ought to have warranted an exception and she should have been given a second chance to pass the Trial of the Forest."
…He may have accepted and grew to love the companions, but that was not to say that sometimes his bitterness that not all of his saved children had become beloved Kinders did rear its head.
"I'll take a look around the traps and see if there's anything that might've freaked her out." She offered. The little creature was missing some fur, it was probably snagged on the thorns, so she'd be able to discover the location easily. She wouldn't have traveled very far after being hurt, and there were only two traps in the area that were dangerous enough to warrant the placement of thorn thickets around them to serve as a deterrent.
"I will escort Clara to the clinic for medical attention and then continue my examination of the forest. If you come across any other hurt little ones, you know what to do."
"Yup, got it!"
Just as they turned to go their separate ways; alarms sounded in their heads, and they both turned to look in the same direction. Someone had just entered their forest, and it was not someone they knew.
— Tannfe (Tooth Fairy) POV—
"So this is Fey World, huh…." She looked around herself, wide-eyed, almost losing her grip on the large basket of parcels she was carrying; the things for Timmy, as well as the items designed to shock both the senses of Wanda and Anti-Wanda and hopefully interrupt the Linking episode she was having.
Jorgen had never provided her with a detailed description of Fey world, but he had mentioned that it was unnatural and that the Fey delighted in flaunting their perversion of nature. As she looked around, she couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of her surroundings, although the more she observed, the more she had to agree that it felt unnatural. The trees were meticulously arranged, adorned with flowers of various species and types, even if those flowers didn't typically grow on trees. Every blade of grass beneath her feet was the same length, with a flawless emerald texture, still shining with dewdrops despite the time of day.
A nearby bush bore snow white berries that sparkled as if covered in frost, and she couldn't help but gaze at it uneasily, wondering if it was one of the infamous Fey fruits that transformed children into wild animals, mere decorations for the Fey forest.
"Ok, I don't have time to take in the scenery; I got to find this Fey village wherever it is…" She had persuaded the council to allow her to go in Jorgen's stead; his injuries upon return had been visible to them, so her motives went unquestioned, yet they hinted she might not be up to the task. Already incensed by Anti-Cosmo's "bimbo" comment, she viewed their insinuation as a personal affront and asserted her capability. The prospect of returning for help out of fear of losing her way in the woods was, to her, utterly humiliating.
Fortunately, there was a nicely laid out path to follow; she was sure that as long as she stuck to it, she'd eventually be led straight to the village. She took a deep breath; the air carried a sweet fragrance, a mixture of blossoms and dewdrops. It was an almost intoxicating scent that made her dizzy rather than invigorated.
"Well, here we go…I'm sure it'll be just fine; after all, Fey and fairies can't be all that different from each other." She voiced her thoughts out loud as she ventured into the woods; talking to herself had become a habit during the long nights spent alone, collecting children's teeth—a peculiar trait that only Jorgen knew about. She'd be mortified if anyone ever found out about this habit of hers, but the forest was quiet and no one seemed to be around.
"It would be helpful to come across a local, then again…maybe the Fey really are as scary as Jorgen says they are; I don't know…I mean, lots of them used to be fairies…and some fairies eventually become them when they hit a million years old…I supposed I just have to meet them and see for myself what they're like…"
She kept her head up as she wandered the forest, gazing wide-eyed at her surroundings. Sunlight filtered through the canopy of trees, casting dappled patterns on the ground. Each tree was decorated in beautiful flowers or wondrous fruits that just seemed to beg one for a taste. The distant sound of a bubbling brook added a soothing melody to the surreal atmosphere. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, creating a whispered chorus that seemed to speak in an unknown language; almost as if the trees were singing a siren's song.
"I don't know if I find it peaceful or unsettling…" The tranquil hues of the forest created a breathtaking masterpiece, everything flowering and ripe; every detail of her surroundings was at the highest possible pentacle of beauty.
Yet, beneath the surface, an inexplicable unease gnawed at her core. It was as if an invisible force whispered warnings in her ear. A shiver ran down her spine, sending a ripple of goosebumps along her arms. Something was amiss, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
The juxtaposition of beauty and unease played a disorienting symphony with her senses. Her eyes were captivated by the picturesque scene, but her instincts screamed for caution. It was as though the very essence of the place was entwined in a paradox, leaving her torn between opposing emotions. Every breath she took seemed to carry a conflicting mix of serenity and foreboding, leaving her caught in a perpetual state of uncertainty.
As she walked further, she noticed vibrant creatures dancing in the air; from a distance she had thought them large butterflies; their wings shimmering with iridescent hues and colorful lights and sparkles went off around them like tiny palm-sized fireworks. When she approached, they scattered, but not before she noticed that despite the wings, they hadn't been butterflies; kittens with humanoid body shapes had been the owners of those wings. She watched them fly off, confused about the creature she had just saw but then, realized, the shock hitting her like a punch to the belly that those were likely victims of the Fey Fruit…
"There's no way those things could have once been human children, could they?" She was tempted to disregard the notion, but now, even the birds' chirping, which had always been a reassuring background presence, took on a sinister tone. She wondered if the minstrels of the birdsong were actually children trapped in birdlike bodies, their tuneful chirping masking cries for help.
As she ventured deeper into the forest, she began to grasp the essence of Jorgen's words, describing it as the most suffocating and dreadful place he had ever explored. The forest appeared sentient, throbbing with an indescribable energy. It was as though the very fabric of nature had been contorted into a beautiful yet disturbing display. The mark of the Fey was clear, their twisted artistry manifest in every elaborate nuance.
A sense of foreboding seeped into her bones, a primal instinct warning her of the danger that lurked within this enchanting façade. She couldn't shake the feeling that beneath the surface of this captivating realm, darkness and deceit awaited, ready to ensnare those who dared to venture too far.
"I really hope Timmy and Wanda are alright…." She hugged the basket of items close; hoping she'd reach them to deliver it.
"I'd be worrying about yourself."
"…!" She gasped, stopping in her tracks, startled. A woman, appearing to be about Jorgen's age, materialized before her; arms folded, her bright red eyes casting a suspicious glare. She stood tall, her slender and well-toned figure prominently displayed in a thin tank top adorned with an ice cream graphic, and short, tight shorts designed to resemble the cone of an ice cream. Numerous small braids interlaced with vivid red and white were gathered into a ponytail, from which colorful beads and metallic charms shaped like assorted sweets dangled. If she were to judge her based on looks alone; she seemed like a fun, laid-back person, perhaps a little foul tempered, but—the incredible amount of magic she sensed rolling off of her was so startling that she dropped her basket and stood there speechless for several long moments.
"Did the Luminix you ran into back there steal your tongue? Tell me who the hell you are, and what you are doing in our forest."
"I…Uh…aah…" She wanted to form words, but her tongue was betraying her.
"Oh, this person is…!" Another voice came from behind her; and the woman in front of her got a dismayed look on her face.
"Nova! You're supposed to be my backup. Don't come out of hiding!"
"Please remain calm, as she is not affiliated with the Sula Si or any adversarial group. Allow me to introduce Tannfe Souris, who currently holds the esteemed position of Tooth Fairy in the Fairy world...oh, forgive me, should I refer to you as Mrs. Von Strangle, now?"
"So, that's Jorgen's wife." The woman's threatening demeanor instantly vanished, replaced with a laid-back coolness as she snickered. "Aww, were we so hard on poor Jar-head that he sent his wife to see us?"
But she wasn't focusing on the woman anymore; her attention was captured by a man whom she had once called her friend—a man who had betrayed fairy world and had become its biggest criminal.
"Nova…" She stared at him dazed; she hadn't seen him in so long, but…he looked as he did in her last memory of him. "It's…it's been awhile, and, you can call me Tannfe, like you used to, it's fine…"
What he had done was terrible, unforgiveable. Thinking of how he had betrayed them and all the children lost because of him filled her with anger, but she did not hate him. She hated what he did, but not him. When she looked at Nova, she couldn't help but remember that artsy, laid back, somewhat awkward schoolmate, or the tragic young man he became after he fell into such a deep depression over the fate that befell his two most precious god children.
She did not hate him…because Nova's actions had not been driven by malice, but by sorrow; and while his actions were misguided, he had done what he thought was right. Or maybe she just felt sorry for him because of what happened to Jullian and Julia; if Jorgen had bent the rules for those two kids…then Nova would probably never of been driven to do what he had done.
Knowing it was her own husband's actions that were partly responsible for setting Nova down the wrong path….she just couldn't hate him, even if she could never forgive him.
Nova smiled at her offer to allow him to call her by her first name. "That will be pleasant. It will create an almost nostalgic feeling as if we have gone back to our school days. May I inquire about the reason for your presence here?"
She blinked, momentarily taken aback by how he was speaking; the Nova she knew had not used so many flowery words, nor was he the type of person who would use them, even if he knew them.
"Yeah, please don't tell us that we actually broke Jorgen's spirit!" The woman laughed aloud. "Oh man, I think I'm actually feeling some guilt creeping up on me!"
"No, you did not!" She fumed. "He just needs his rest after that awful treatment you put him through; I swear he's been having nightmares about cuckoo clocks since he got back!"
Rather than make either of them feel remorseful, they began to crack up.
"It's not a laughing matter!" She protested, stomping her foot. "Anyway, I did not come here to tell you that." She lifted her large basket pointedly. "We have a problem! Why is Wanda having such an awful Linking episode?"
"How you know about that?" The flamboyant woman blinked.
"Because the Anti-Wanda has become a transparent comatose wisp! Did something terrible happen? Is she and Timmy in trouble? There's no way she—" She gulped and spoke a fear she would not admit to, to the woman's family. "…Did she become a Fey?"
"I wish, truly, I do!" Nova proclaimed and cast her a smile that did not reach his eyes. "No, she hasn't. It is considerate of you to have made the journey to check in, though."
"It's only temporary, so you can run along back home if you'd like." The woman suggested; she wondered if she had offended them somehow?
"I did not mean to imply being a Fey was a bad thing." She clarified, trying to make peace. "But for Wanda, it would be tragic; after all, she has a young baby waiting for her to come home, and it's for the sake of another young baby that I can't just wait for this to clear up on its own. You see, Foop, that's Anti-Wanda's son, came to us crying for help because of the state his mother was in."
From what she knew about Nova, he had a powerful love for his family and sure enough, hearing that one half of his grandson was crying over his mother, had brought about a change of expression, but, mixed in with his concern was suspicion.
"Is that indeed the case? It is truly unfortunate for the young boy, although I must confess that I am rather taken aback to learn that Foop is possessed of such a delicate disposition. Stella's letters certainly did not imply such a fact…rather the opposite."
"Your wife is writing you about Foop?" She tilted her head, confused. She could see her writing him about Poof, but….
Nova shook his head at her, rocking a small basket in his arms, where a injured little creature lay. She swallowed, staring at it pensively, hoping it hadn't once been human. "I have the memories of both my fairy and Anti counterparts. When I refer to Stella, I am encompassing both the fairy and Anti-fairy embodiments of my spouse. In order to prevent any confusion, I will utilize titles when making references to them, to you."
"Oh, sure…." She did not miss the growing coldness in his eyes. He must believe she had lied because Foop's behavior did not match what his wife had written about him; and was suspecting that she had lied in order to take advantage of how much he loved his family.
"So, back to what we were saying—Foop came to you crying for help, did he?" Nova did not look as if he believed that story in the least.
"Foop…" She sighed, trying to sound nonchalant, knowing she had worded things in a way to play on his emotions, but she hadn't exactly lied either. If she played things off just right, she could cool Nova's anger before it erupted. "He loves putting on a tough act, going on about being the 'harbinger of doom!' and all that silliness, but—oh, wait, I can show you."
She remembered what Poof had done earlier to tease his counterpart and held up her wand, letting the memory chip play out the scene when Foop had arrived at Cosmo and Wanda's castle. Nova leaned forward anxiously, his eyes dancing in delight when he saw the images of both halves of his grandson appear before him.
"Quick, come here! I need help and I can't find my father anywhere!" Foop appeared in the dining room; it was very easy to tell from how badly he trembled, that he was distressed.
"What's the matter?" Cosmo looked absolutely stunned by both Foop's sudden appearance.
"It's my mother! I went to Father's study to look for some books on Fey and Linking and—" Foop's voice was thick as he struggled to keep his tears concealed, which made him struggle to speak his next sentence. "I found her, and—and something's terribly wrong—she's... she's not alright, not at all!"
"Poof, poof..."Little Poof empathized, perhaps not realizing his anti-self was close to tears, looking unsure why Foop had come to them for help.
"I can't locate Father, and I don't know who else to turn to; no one I know is knowledgeable about Fey or Linking, so you two buffoons are my only hope!"
"I'm familiar with the Fey, and I know what Linking is. Lead me to her, and I might be able to help." This was her offering to help, which was exactly the reason why she had told them she had come, so hopefully if they had suspected any deceit that this would clear it up.
"I'll inform Mama and Schnozmo in case they start searching for us!" Cosmo poofed away, he seemed horribly upset, like he was honestly very concerned for Wanda, to think he'd be making such awful jokes about her just a little while later.
"Let's go, quickly!" Foop insisted, and vanished with Poof. She halted the recording, unwilling to hear Anti-Cosmo label her as an overly made-up and underdressed bimbo once more.
"Now that aligns more closely with the information I have been given about Foop." Nova's fury cooled, and he rose a brow at her and with a half-smile, he wagged his finger. "Tannfe, it is important to acknowledge that while you did not speak an outright untruth; it is apparent that you intentionally presented the tale in a deliberately sensational manner. I suppose it was done out of concern that we might refuse to allow you access to the village. I must attest, your character remains unchanged since our days at Fairy-high."
"Once a theater kid, always a theater kid!" She laughed it off; knowing that if things had gone differently, maybe she would have gotten a taste of the same cuckoo horror that Jorgen had.
"Well, ain't she a ballsy one?" The braided woman snorted and extended a hand to her. "I'm the Pied Piper."
"Oh, so your Dr. Pied. Jorgen's told me a lot about you." She took the offered hand.
"All of it flattering, I'm sure." Piper smirked. The woman's skin was remarkably soft. It was enough to make her a little jealous. As they shook hands, she felt Piper's gaze linger on her finger, more specifically her wedding ring. "Well, well, look at that; now isn't that an interesting trinket."
"Don't bother asking, because I will not give it to anyone."
"Aw, how about if we promise never to pick on Jorgen again?"
"My man knows how to endure things; he can tough out whatever you bunch throw at him, so no, I'm not giving these baby teeth to you. …How do you even know who they belong to, anyway? Let me guess, Stella?"
"Yes, but…even without her letter, the boy's teeth are…unique." Nova furrowed his brows with an apologetic smile, aimed probably at Timmy wherever he was. "Tannfe, as the one responsible for teeth growth, did you do that intentionally because you knew Jorgen was preparing to propose?"
"I did not." She defended. "I certainly wouldn't choose a kid to grow the perfect teeth for a wedding ring in—Timmy's teeth happened naturally; that's why they're such a treasure!" She gushed and admired her ring, knowing perfectly well that if the Fey were given it, that Timmy would end up their property but she also knew that the Fey could not gain any power from things stolen, so she had no fear about showing this off—because she had the power in this situation; her simply saying no would render them unable to do anything, and there was absolutely nothing they could do or say that would tempt her to hand over Timmy's baby teeth, and with it, his freedom, over to them.
"So, completely natural then…that would make it perfect for us to use." Piper's eyes lingered on her ring. "You sure there's nothing we can offer you for it?"
"I'm sure." She huffed, insulted; they weren't just asking for her to sell her wedding ring; they were asking her to sell a child to them.
"My dear Piper, let us refrain from employing such commonplace approaches when it concerns my beloved God Grandson. He is an special young man, and as such, I would greatly prefer to receive a token from his own hand rather than resort to the unsatisfying alternative of purchasing his token from another."
"Nova!" She protested. "You aren't really planning on stealing Timmy away? After all those children you've already stolen—!"
"All those children I already 'saved', you mean." The cold look was back in Nova's eyes. "Tannfe, I acknowledge that this is our first conversation since my transformation into a Fey. It is likely that you are under the mistaken impression that, just like my physical appearance, my personality remains unchanged from when we last interacted. I will make an exception and overlook your behavior this time. However, please be aware that you do not possess the authority to lecture me."
"I'm not going to hold my tongue about this! You have absolutely no rights to Timmy! I know you have good intentions, but stealing children away from their world is not the answer!"
"Tannfe, you really are just as you were when we last spoke; sanctimonious and blind to the real suffering of those children."
Nova, without blinking, unleashed a surge of his magic; an unseen force bore down upon her with such intensity that she collapsed to her hands and knees, unable to withstand the pressure for even a moment. The power was immense, yet she sensed it was but a fraction—a mere 1/100th—of what he could truly exert.
She knew he was waiting for an apology, but for all the pain she was in, she couldn't bring herself to even spit one out. Over 200 children had been removed from their lives and made into toys for the Fey to play with.
"I'll admit that we view things differently…" She wheezed, groaning as she used every ounce of strength to lift her head and meet his unremorseful gaze. "But I am not going to apologize to you for having a different opinion!"
"Well, well, she's got more guts than your daughter-in-law. She'd be weeping out an apology before she even fully landed on her knees."
"No, I believe Wanda would be every bit as stubborn as Tannfe if she wasn't concerned for Timmy's wellbeing." Nova sighed and then the weight left her just as suddenly as it had come. "I am not inclined to forgive your disparagement of my actions once again. If I had not intervened, those children would have either perished or succumbed to the poison of adulthood. However, I must acknowledge that it is immature of me to become upset over a contrasting viewpoint. In order to maintain harmony, let us refrain from further discussion on the matter."
"That's fine by me." Grumpily she brushed the dirt from off her knees. "I did not come here for a debate with you; can you just take me to Wanda?"
"First tell me what it is your planning on doing with my dear Daughter in law?"
"I'm going to give her senses a shock; a strong Linking episode can be interrupted if her two halves are stimulated by strong likes and aversions."
"Oh, yeah, I got ya." Piper gave her a thumbs up; she sensed no hostility from her, perhaps even a sense of approval? "It'll be like giving Wanda's sense of self an electric shock by making her experience the things she loves/hates at the same time." The doctor explained the method to Nova and then gave her head a shake, as if to disagree with the treatment. "Sure, it'll help her regain her sense of self pretty quickly, but it'll be much more unpleasant for her than if you just let it wear off naturally—as I said, it's only temporary. Since she has the kid's next treatment coming up, it might be best not to shock her. Unless, of course, her intelligence or sense of magic control got switch around with her anti-selves, then we'll have to, because it'll be dangerous to have her perform the treatment if she's gotten stupid or clumsy."
"Normally I would agree that it's best to just ride a Linking episode out, but Anti-Cosmo…well, honestly, I'm worried that if it goes on too long, he might take drastic actions." Figuring it would be easier to simply show rather than tell, she once again activated the memory chip in her wand, being careful to replay the section after Anti-Cosmo had insulted her, not wanting to live through it a second time.
"Well, after your attitude, Mr., I'm not sure if I ought to tell you, but I will—only because what affects Anti-Wanda, affects Wanda,"
"It's Wanda's fault that Anti-Wanda is like this in the first place! No, correction, it's the fault of that pathetic buck-tooth crybaby who can't stop latching onto his godmother like a parasitic attention-leech!"
"Poof, Poof!"
"Oh, cram it—are you really too blind to see that your 'Big Bro' is nothing but a weepy, useless waste of space? Even his own parents would rather he had never been born! Frankly, everyone in the world would be better off if he hadn't!"
"Whoa, Father, isn't that going a little too far...? Not that I disagree, but—saying it aloud lacks tact..."
"I will NOT lose the woman I love to HIM!"
She stopped the recording with a sigh. "So, you see—it might be best to stop the Linking episode now before he gets anymore riled—-up?"
She blinked, confused, as she suddenly found herself in a completely different place; in what appeared to be a sitting room with bubblegum pink walls and a decorating scheme that seemed to have pulled mismatched pieces from across time. Piper sat across from her in an antique Victorian-era chaise lounge, while she found herself in the type of recliner you could buy for cheap at Fairy-Mart. A hand-painted still life of a common, and frankly completely uninteresting stream took up prominence above the fireplace mantle. It could have some sentimental or historical significance she was unaware of, and frankly, had no interest at all in learning about.
The basket Nova had been holding with the small, injured critter inside was on top of the futuristic holographic coffee table that sat between them. It was making chittering noises; disturbed just as much as she was by its sudden change in location.
"Where—?" She asked, startled and confused by the abrupt change in location.
"Yeah…." Piper drew in her breath with a hiss, her eyes wide and her face twisted into a grimace. "We probably don't wanna be anywhere near Nova right now, cause I'm pretty sure he probably just snapped."
"What? But all I did was—"
"Nah, his anger isn't directed at you, but at his son."
"But why? It's the Anti-Cosmo who said—"
"From Nova's perspective, both Cosmo and the Anti-Cosmo are his son."
"Oh, that's right; he would have the memories of both Nova and the Anti-Nova now that he's a Fey, so I guess that makes sense….but, even so…he ought to know how Anti-fairies are; they're usually not very nice."
"Yes, but you're not thinking like a Fey." Piper tapped her head with the index of her finger. "We may look alike on the outside, but we Fey don't see the world the same as you fairies do."
"And how exactly do you see it?" She asked with caution, aware that probing too deeply into a Fey's thoughts was probably unwise. The idea that they could whisk away children, turning them into living dolls or animals, and consider it a benevolent act, was completely incomprehensible to her.
"You probably look at Anti-Cosmo, or even your own Anti-self and think of them as their own individual person—someone who just looks like you, and everything they do and think completely unrelated to you. They are just a person who is the opposite of who you are."
"Isn't that how it is, though?" She asked and Piper quirked her brows and gave her a look that seemed to imply she was thinking she was stupid.
"If that was how it is, then there'd be no such thing as Linking or Unifying, would there? Like it or not, your Anti-self is just as much 'you' as you are."
"No. Anti-fairies…their just our opposites…" She stammered, not wanting to think too deeply about it.
"The fate of one affects the other; you die, your counterpart dies; you married Jorgen, your counterpart also married the Anti-Jorgen; if she really was her own individual, would your life have so much sway over hers?"
"…."
"I guess it must be kinda uncomfortable; but an anti-self is just a part of your own heart and mind living outside of your body with a supplemented personality put in place as a prevention of having it automatically reunite with you."
"Wait, what do you mean?"
Piper raised her brows, letting her jaw drop a little. "You came here in order to 'shock Wanda's senses' in order to stop her Linking episode and you're asking that? Well, damn, I'm glad teeth collecting isn't a medical procedure because seriously, resorting to treatments without understanding the principals behind them is really….bimbo-ish."
"Ugh!" She slammed her hands down on the coffee table, frustrated; making the critter inside of the basket squeak in alarm. "How many times am I going to be called a bimbo today!?"
Piper snorted and picked up the basket and began to, somewhat awkwardly, try to calm down the animal inside of it.
"And FYI, I had no chance to 'understand the principals'. The fairy council keeps all the information about Fey strictly confidential. Only the method to halting a Linking episode is available for public knowledge, but even for that, you need to go through them and get asked like a million questions." She defended herself, and Piper's brows creased, a thoughtful look on her face.
"I see; that really sucks, but it does sound like something they would do. Well, you see—Anti-Fairies were imbued with the opposite personalities, likes and interests from their other halves in order to make them incompatible and—-" Piper stopped talking and took a long look at her face, then sighed and continued with a patronizing smile. "If the Anti-Fairies were left with the same personality traits as their Fairy self, then overtime they'd automatically end up mixing together like water and sugar; but by making them opposites, Fairies and Anti-Fairies are like water and oil."
"You dumbed down your explanation just now, didn't you?"
"Your face was looking blanker than a turned-off TV screen." Piper pointed out dryly. "But anyway, from Nova's perspective, hearing Anti-Cosmo say those things about Timmy is the same to him as it would be to you hearing Cosmo say those things."
"Oh, I see…" She grimaced. "Guess I shouldn't have shown him that."
"No, it is fine. It is better for me to know the truth even if ignorance is truly, as they say, bliss."
"Ah!" Piper nearly kicked over the coffee table as Nova appeared in the room.
"Relax Piper, I am not angry…" Nova's eyes were hollow and downcast, his shoulders slumped. He did not even bother to float, but instead walked over to sit on the couch beside Piper. His demeanor reminded her of how he was in those days after Jullian and Julia's tragedy.
"Really?" Piper questioned, but with far more concern lacing her voice than disbelief.
"...I find myself quite surprised as well. Upon hearing those terrible words, I felt the stirrings of anger, but before it could fully surface, the gravity of the words shattered my heart, and sorrow, like a torrential downpour, extinguished the flames of my rage."
"Aww, Nova; your son is just going through an emotional roller coaster right now, don't take it to heart." Piper conjured a cup of herbal tea and handed to him. He took the cup into his hands in such a way that it was obvious that this wasn't the first time Piper had handed him tea when he was feeling down. She was glad that her former friend had someone in Fey world to treat him kindly.
"Look, I know that as Fey, you view Fairies and Anti-Fairies as the same person; but….Anti-Cosmo wouldn't have any of the love Cosmo has for Timmy. They've only ever interacted as adversaries, and Anti-Cosmo really loves his wife and would be furious at anyone he felt was a threat…"
"…One of the things my Fairy-self loved most about Stella was how assertive and self-assured she was, while my Anti-self loved Stella because her meekness and retreating manner made him want to protect her." Nova took a sip of his tea, never bothering to look at her, and his voice so quiet that she had to lean a little closer to him in order to hear. "…That's why I know that our feelings towards others are not opposites…the dynamics may change, but the feelings do not."
"But Cosmo loves Timmy! He'd never say the things that Anti-Cosmo did! He wouldn't even think them!" She protested confidently. He might poke fun, or even make some thoughtless remarks, but he'd never cross the line Anti-Cosmo had.
"I know he does." Nova admitted in a soft whisper. "But…I remember my feelings for Jullian, both as a Fairy and as an Anti-Fairy. The former felt nothing but pity and sorrow for him, however the latter just disparaged him in disgust for allowing himself to end up like that. When I became a Fey, that disgust did lighten, but it did not go away. That was when I realized that those emotions…were just something my Fairy-self was unable to bear admitting to…and so those dark feelings were instead transferred to my counterpart."
"So you're suggesting that Cosmo might have had certain thoughts about Timmy that were passed on to his anti-self?" she asked gently, trying to make sense of it.
Nova continued to solemnly stare into his teacup, but nodded.
"Well, doesn't that just mean that Cosmo was so ashamed for thinking that life might be easier without Timmy that he rejected those feelings and they got transferred over to his counterpart?" She wondered, hoping she wasn't completely off base. "So—if those two reunited, wouldn't it simply be that Cosmo allows himself to recognize he's frustrated and angry with Timmy rather than denying it? It wouldn't be anywhere close to what Anti-Cosmo is feeling!"
Nova managed a weak smile. "….I suppose so. It was still, however, quite a shock and disappointment for me to hear. In the long time we've been separated, I may have conjured an idealized version of my son inside my mind and became hurt to hear that it was not so. Last time I saw my little Cosmo…" Nova stopped to correct himself. "I mean, Anti-Cosmo, he was just a small baby, playing with his little lamb doll that he named Clarice…ah, he'd pull that toy apart and then poof it right back to normal just to rip to pieces all over again; that lamb must've of gone to slaughter a hundred times a day…."
"Oh….how….cute?" She was sure 'cute' was the furthest word away from accurately describing the scene, but Nova did not notice and was still fondly traveling down memory lane.
"And Cosmo, oh!" A sad, lonely smile spread over Nova' expression. "He was always getting into his mother's purse and playing with the shiny coins; he once pretended that a nickel of all things was his baby sister! ….Don't know why he named it Philip though….but I do remember that he blew up the entire mall when Stella accidentally spent it."
"…Your son sounds so weird." Piper remarked. "Dare I ask about your oldest?"
"Oh, Schnozmo is a handful!" Nova's smile widened, just a hint of the sadness in his eyes lifting. "Schnozmo's consistent dishonesty and criminal tendencies has sadly made him the black sheep of the Cosma family, while Anti-Schnozmo's unwavering honesty and virtuous demeanor has made him the outlier of the Anti-Cosma family! In all honesty, it appears that a malfunction occurred when he was born, resulting in his Anti-self becoming his Fairy-self, and vice versa."
She had never considered that such a 'malfunction' could happen, but she had to agree, Schnozmo would be right at home amongst the Anti-fairies.
"It can be hypothesized that should he ever transition into a Fey, his character would manifest an impressive state of equilibrium." Nova mused, then his smile dampened. "Regrettably, I cannot make the same statement about Cosmo. There is a possibility that he may be overshadowed by his Anti-self, resulting in only remnants of his other self remaining, similar to what occurred with Siofra and Finch."
Frankly, she thought he was worrying about it for nothing as she could not see either Cosmo and or Wanda deciding to join the Fey, at least not anytime soon. What any fairy decided for themselves once reaching a million years old was their own private business. In any case, she hadn't come here to chat about Fairies and Anti-Fairies and their relationship to each other; she had come here to help Wanda.
"Anyway, Nova, don't let what Anti-Cosmo said get you too down; let me show you a little something that'll prove to you that, even if he thought some darker things, that Cosmo really does love Timmy a lot."
She used her wand to replay the scene when they got the popsicle stick creations from Cosmo, being careful not to show the part where he had been making fun of Timmy by calling him a crybaby.
"I'm just…confused. Timmy was never the meek or sensitive type. He used to bounce back like a bouncy ball, but now…it's like he came someone else." She showed him lamenting, and his later concession. "I do hate seeing Timmy hurt…But lately he's been so delicate, I feel like I'm walking on eggshells around him. Wanda's been nurturing, but it feels like the more she coddles him, the weaker he gets." and "Maybe I don't understand. I'm more about fun than I am about comfort." Finally, "I do love Timmy, and I want to be of help, but…all I can really do anymore is wait around for whenever he feels like playing again."
She looked at Nova, hoping to see some relief on his face, but he had only a polite smile; as if she had shown him something he had already seen; perhaps Jorgen had already shown him this? Or maybe it just wasn't enough after hearing what Anti-Cosmo had said.
"I acknowledge that Cosmo genuinely cares for the child, regardless of any other thoughts he may entertain. Thank you for your endeavor to provide me with peace of mind." Nova told her politely and then smiled. "I do believe your intention in coming here was to assist Wanda, and not to take part in such difficult and unpleasant conversations. Allow us to escort you to the room we have provided them for recuperation. I am certain that you will find our exceptional hospitality towards guests seeking medical treatments to be most commendable."
"Yes; I made sure to bring everything I would need to shock Wanda's senses and have her and her Anti-self stop Linking."
"Good, let us go then—oh, and before I forget, Piper…." Nova glanced at the little injured critter that Piper had placed back on the coffee table. "Thank you for taking the caution of whisking Clara away with you. I am most ashamed to admit to it, but when my fury is aroused, both my restraint and my control over my magic becomes lamentably lacking."
A chill crept up her spine when, for a brief moment, his eyes flickered towards her, and she realized that his seeming thankfulness towards Piper was actually a veiled warning towards her—a signal to remain quiet about topics he wanted to keep from Wanda's ears; and she was certain, without any doubt, that uttering even one word about either Jullian or Julia to Wanda or Timmy would lead to her directly witnessing the 'lamentable' extent of his wrath.
— Poof's POV—
"Well, to start, I should tell you exactly what the Fey are. Poof, you would have taken about this in school eventually when you got older; and I would prefer this lesson waited until you did, but circumstances how they are, it's best you know now." His grandmother sat with him at the table, where the takeout feast his father had ordered was mechanically nibbled at by only the two of them.
They ate not out of hunger, but rather as a distraction as his grandmother did not seem to really want to talk about the subject they were sitting down to discuss, nor was he sure he wanted to know.
How was his grandpa a criminal? Was his mother and brother in danger? But that couldn't be true! He was his daddies, father; and he looked like he was having so much fun in those pictures as he laughed and played with his mommy and his brother. He couldn't really be a bad person, could he? He wanted to just tell himself that and forget about ever hearing the word 'criminal'; but he also knew that if he refused to listen to what she had to say because learning the truth frightened him, then he'd stay feeling worried and uncertain.
"Well…how should I start….?" Mama Cosma rubbed her chin, brows knitted so closely together that the wrinkles on her forehead seemed to double as she puzzled over how to begin. He did not care to know what the Fey were, he just wanted to know about his grandpa and if his mommy and big brother were going to be ok around him, but before he could voice these feelings, she finally came to a decision on how to start.
"I suppose I ought to start with the ancient war."
"War, poof?" The ability to tell her to forget the Fey explanation and to just tell him about his grandpa faded away from mind. A war? This whole thing was getting scarier by the moment.
"It was a long time ago." His grandma reassured, seeing the anxiety on his face. "I wasn't even born yet, but in this war, called the Mana War, all magical creatures fought for dominance. The Fey won this war by an overwhelming margin; putting us on the same level as gods like Cupid and Mother Nature. However, the secret to our victory in the war was…." her lecturing tone faltered, and she lowered both her eyes and her voice. "….It was because they had used humans as soldiers."
"Poof?" He puzzled; why use humans in a magical war? He loved Timmy, but even he had to admit that his human brother was incredibly delicate and powerless when compared to a fairy.
"Just like we cannot handle butterfly nets, each magical race has its vulnerabilities, and many of these vulnerabilities crisscrossed between the magical races during the Mana war. Humans, however, were not only immune to these vulnerabilities, but could wield them. Not just that, but human blood is actually incredibly poisonous to many magical creatures—so a wounded human on the battlefield was a weapon in and of its self."
"Poof….." That sounded terrible, but…he was still confused. Even if humans could wield things that the others were weak too and that red stuff that came out of them whenever they got an owie was poisonous; it still seemed to him that having humans in a war against magical beings wouldn't be all that helpful. "Got mad at Tim-me once, wave rattle and he no move."
"Yes, your daddy told me about that." His grandmother smiled tenderly. "He mentioned how that foul tempered mother of yours wouldn't let you have sweets for three whole days because of it."
"Poof." An awful punishment, but, he had to admit that he had deserved it.
Timmy, in an attempt to prove he was now 'responsible', had insisted on following all of mommy's rules when she had allowed him to babysit; and he, looking forward to a night of fun and mischief with his big bro, had gotten upset and had turned Timmy's legs into stone. Timmy had been completely helpless—so couldn't the enemy side have just turned the humans feet to rock like he did and make them unable to fight?
"Poof, poof?" He asked his question, and the fragile smile that had graced his grandmother's face faded instantly. She nervously clasped her hands, looking down at her feet.
"…These stolen humans, the majority of them young children, were given new bodies more…capable of fighting. They had taken mostly children because their young bodies were far more likely to survive the transformation…and their young minds far easier to control." She looked up, meeting his eyes with a deep set frown. "You see dear, none of these humans fought for us willingly—they were enslaved by our magic."
All appetite for the food in front of him disappeared, and he felt sick; suddenly the magic that had always been a part of his very being felt as if it was both something dirty and something stolen.
They had won the war and had become the strongest of the magical races….all because human kids like his big brother had been stolen and transformed against their wills and then forced to fight in a war to protect the very ones who had done such a terrible thing to them.
"D-did…the kids…did they get…." He trembled, gulping down his fear as he squeezed out his question. "To….to go back to….normal?"
The prolonged silence from his grandmother spoke volumes, and as she averted her gaze, he understood her answer was no. Tears welled up in his eyes while he shook his head, feebly trying to reject the reality that he had just learned.
"W-why poof?" He did not understand. Timmy was transformed into all kinds of things and he was always able to be changed back!
"Transformations like the kind you probably saw your god brother go through are surface level only; their like….a really well-made costume, but even in the most changed form—he is still a 'human boy in an altered body'. The kind of transformation the Fey did back then alerted the body at it's very core, overwriting everything—in those transformations it would not be 'a human boy transformed into a wild animal' but 'a wild animal who was once a human boy.' "
"Poof….' He shook his head, he just couldn't wrap his mind around it; changing his own form, his brother wishing himself into other forms—it had been a everyday thing; a fun, harmless game—how could….how could it have another side to it—one that was so horrible?
"….You really are too young for such a talk, dear." She sighed with dismay. "—let me be brief then. We, as a species, can never fully make up for what happened to those children; and that is why we fairies dedicated ourselves to bringing happiness to the childhoods of miserable children; in order to remember and repent to those we took the childhoods from in the past."
"Poof…." He murmured sadly. The ones getting their wishes granted weren't the kids who had gotten hurt….
"After the war, with their supremacy now unchallengeable, many Fey allowed themselves to look back on their actions; and many felt remorse for what happened to those children." His grandmother, who had been sitting across from him, changed chairs now to sit beside him, putting an arm around him consolingly. "Some Fey were haunted by guilt, others were overwhelmed with gratitude, a few even romanticized the sacrifices and regrettably, there were also those enthralled by the magical experiments and transformations of that era. All these different sentiments led to one outcome—the Fey, driven by their obsessive desire for human children, began abducting them indiscriminately, ushering in an era known as the Dark Days."
"Poof…" His voice quivered; he really did not want to hear anymore. If the Fey were so bad, and his grandpa was a Fey, then did that really mean his grandpa was bad and that his family was in danger right now?
"I'm almost done; then we can talk about your grandpa, ok?" She hushed him, stroking his head. He preferred it when his mother did this. His grandmother's hand was too heavy and indelicate to be comforting.
"The chaos all this kidnapping caused escalated to such a degree that the existence of the Fey became common knowledge amongst the humans; and in order to protect their young children, many of them became hunters. Likewise, the a number of Fey became appalled at just how many children were being taken, and at their only inability to resist the allure of taking them."
"Poof...?"
"No, I don't understand their obsession." His grandmother confessed, looking like she wanted to know herself. "-but it's a trait all Fey have...it's become a part of their very nature. So, to quell this desires, many chose to divide their nature into two and Fairies and Anti-Fairies were born. Those who refused this division were confined by the powerful fairy council to their own realm, now known as Fey world and the memories of every human on earth were given a soft rewrite; turning these very real events into little more than folktales."
"Poof…?"
"Yes, that's right." She nodded. "The only difference between us and the Fey is that we have counterparts, and thus both our magic and our natures are halved. A fairy can become a Fey again if they unite with their counterpart and become a single being again."
"Poof!" He shook his head wildly. He never wanted to be part of Foop! Never! Never, ever!
"Don't you worry; the decision is yours, and you can't be forced to become a Fey if you don't want to. You can't unite by mistake; it has to be a conscious effort….or…if you break the taboos."
"T-taboos?"
"Doing something… extreme in order to claim a godchild as your own." His grandmother made a face and decided not to explain what she meant by 'extreme.' "… killing a godchild, performing transmogrification on them—" Seeing his confused look, she clarified. "That's the type of transformation magic that can't be undone, or doing something that alters their soul. Those are the taboos that will cause a fairy to unite with their counterparts against their wills and within hours of committing the deed. As you can see….they are all horrible things that no fairy would ever want to do!"
"G…Grandpa….?"
"No." She closed her eyes, shaking her head. "That is not how he became a Fey. You see…there are smaller taboos that, if broken repeatedly, can also cause one to unite against their will. Your grandfather….he helped the Fey steal children away from earth."
"Why….?" He whimpered; why would he do something like that….?
"He…." His grandmother hesitated, her eyes turning moist. "He had good intentions. You see….Poof, as A-class godparents, Nova and I were assigned to cases where children suffered from very dire situations."
"Bad as Tim-me's?"
"Some far worse."
"Poof…" Worse than what his brother endured at the hands of his parents, Vicky and all those bullies? It was hard to imagine that there could be worse than that, and he really did not want to learn what it was.
"Time and time again, we saw little children at the mercy of a world just too cruel to them. We did our best though to help in every way we could but then we were assigned to Jullian." His grandmother's eyes watered and she looked away, dabbing them with a handkerchief. She took a few deep breaths and then turned back to speak to him, but her eyes were still moist. "Jullian, he was to Nova and I what Timmy is to your parents. Schnozmo and your father's middle names are Julio and Julius, in tribute to him and his little daughter, Julia."
"Poof, poof?"
"Yes, that's right—just like how your middle name is Thomas "Tommy", a name similar to Timmy's. It used to be a fairy custom for God Parents to name their children's middle name to something similar to that of their favorite godchild."
"What happened to Jullian?" He asked. Even as his grandmother tried to smile at him, she looked sadder than he had ever seen her before. "He not happy?"
"…..No." She shook her head slowly. "We stayed with him for as long as we could….but fairies need to leave when the child turns eighteen, even if their still in a very bad environment. ….Jullian…I'm sure he must have tried his best, but he just wasn't able to climb his way out of it, without us….and his story did not have a happy ending, and neither did—" Her voice broke and she turned away from him quickly, but not before he saw the tears finally break free from her watery eyes.
"Poof…." He patted her hand, trying to console her.
"…I'm sorry." She apologized in a shaky voice after a few moments. "It still hurts to think about those two; it hurt so much that it's what made Nova and I quit being god parents, but…" Her eyes, the whites now a pale shade of pink, took on a faraway look as if she were gazing thousands of years into the past. "….Nova was hurt even more than I was. It changed something in him. He became obsessed with the impossible longing to save them—to save Jullian and Julia—but since that was impossible…he began to save them by proxy….by finding other children in similar situations and bringing them to Fey world. He believed that by doing so…they could stay innocent children forever; that they would be safe and happy there."
"So…not bad man?"
"Not a bad man." She confirmed with a deep sigh. "Just…a broken one."
— Foop's POV—
"So…you are saying that…Fairies and Anti-Fairies are really just divided halves of the same person and when they're reunited, they become a Fey?" He clarified; feeling numb.
He…wasn't his own person? He had known he was a counterpart; but he had not thought that, that meant that he was just one incomplete half of a whole.
"…Yes, and Linking occurs as a warning when a Fairy is doing things or thinking things that many result in them rejoining their other self; there are a few things that may cause immediate and unwanted unification; such as murdering your godchild, tampering with their soul, irrevocably altering their body…"
He looked at his mother, who, little more than vapor, looked as if she could be blown away if he were to accidentally sneeze. "And mother is like this because…."
His father sighed, gripping her hand tighter, which he had held the entire time he had recounted the details of the past war to him. He sat on the other side of his mother, feeling that if he took his eyes off of her, that she might not be there when he looked back.
"The Tooth Fairy attributes her Linking to Wanda's extended stay in the Fey world. However, your mother has had similar episodes in the past; though not as intense, she dismissed them as vivid daydreams and foolishly chose to remain silent about them."
"You said earlier that she was Linking because she had formed a too stronger bond with Turner. Can you clarify how this could lead to her becoming a Fey?"
"The overpowering urge to hold on to him, or the intensity of her love, might lead her to Link, as these feelings closely mirror the original obsessive desire that caused Fey to split into two in an attempt to escape it." His father looked exhausted; and with slumped shoulders he laid down onto the couch, curling his body up beside his wife's, all while never letting go of her hand.
His father had spoken to him about a lot of things he had no idea about. Recounting all of the gruesome details of how, in an ancient war for magical superiority, human children were stolen and transformed to be used as disposable tools that allowed for them to gain a pivotal advantage in the battles fought against the other magical races.
Adult humans too had been snatched; both men and women, to be used as breeding tools—as human/fey hybrids had much stronger physical bodies and lacked the crippling weakness to human blood that was severe enough to kill a Fey if overexposed to it.
He had not been bothered so much as surprised by this revelation about his heritage, though he was sure that his counterpart….other half…would be devastated. Actually, he had always wondered why fairies, who were so powerful, would indenture themselves to serve the whims of human children; apparently the answer to that was simply that the whole Godparent/Godchild arrangement was some sort of self righteous penitence.
No. The past did not bother him at all. What bothered him was the present…and the future.
"So…so your saying that just because mother's other half loves that buck tooth idiot, that she'll end up having to become one with her again? That's unfair! Mother doesn't love the Turner boy, so why should she have to become a Fey just because the other half of her does!"
"No; just Wanda feeling that way isn't enough to make her a Fey." His father replied, not looking at him, but just tiredly watching the uncharacteristically quiet face of the normally rambunctious woman beside him. "But…if her she caves in to her desires and takes extreme measures, then yes."
"And what extremes are you referring to?"
"…Killing blood relatives of the godchild in the desire of claiming the child as your own." His father rattled off, as if reading items from a shopping list. "Injecting the child with fairy blood—a process that can be used to adopt a human child into a fairy blood line…but is only successful 2% of the time, with the other 98% becoming deformed writhing husks of mangled flesh and bone."
"Not a very reliable method." He remarked dryly.
"For a fairy who cannot reproduce but needed its bloodline to live on; it was a viable method; if they did not care anything for the child in question, of course."
"So, Auntie Wanda wouldn't resort to it; so all we have to worry about is if she suddenly decides to do away with the Turner parents….which to be fair, even I've felt tempted to drop a piano on them from time to time…"
"So have I." His father confessed. "….But unfortunately, Wanda may have deluded herself into believing the strength of her love and Turner's natural resilience could have the miracle of him falling into the 2% success rate….or she could try to perform the Symbiotic Fusion Ritual..."
"What's that?" He normally liked the sound of anything that had the word 'Ritual' in it, but he knew with near certainty that he wasn't going to like whatever this was. His father spoke through clenched teeth, his voice a near growl.
"Normally, our blood cannot be drawn without our consent—but the Pixies once launched an attack using a weapon they invented that was enough to draw fairy blood. In this attack, several god children were hurt as well and their godparents, too panicked to notice their own bleeding cuts and scrapes inadvertently mingled their blood as they tended to them. The success rate for human children to become fairies—or rather Fey—is 100% in this scenario."
"Then that means Wanda will surely try to use that method to claim him!" His heart leapt with alarm.
"It's not without its side effects; whilst the children all did successfully transform, they were so weak that they couldn't even sit up on their own. Most ended up crumbling to dust…though a few of those children remain, in no better shape than when they were first changed; and that's not even speaking of what befell the fairies; human blood is not poisonous to us while we are separated from our other half; but once we become Fey again, it will burn like acid and poison us…the fairies, now Fey, who became contaminated by human blood, became sickly, some left in constant agony….there are even fewer left of them than the children."
"Then she surely won't consider it."
"Who knows?" His father mumbled, his voice full of doubt which worried him, and this worry made him feel both angry and frustrated.
"But surely mother has a say in this!"
"No, she doesn't." His father's voice came flat, almost emotionless. "Neither do I, nor you, or any other anti-fairy. It's the side who has the right to god children who get to decide our fate."
"That's…!" He sputtered, his mind unable to keep up with his emotions. "That's just….!"
"Unfair? That barely scratches the surface. It's not just our fate that's determined by them, but also our personalities and abilities. To prevent unity, the non-dominant side is endowed with traits opposite to those of the dominant side."
'Well, we're their opposites, so, that's…." He wanted to say that was natural, that was nothing new to him, but his father cut him off with an angry shake of his head.
"My intellect, my magical control, my ability to aim well—-all of it was not because of my efforts, but because of my counterparts' laziness! I could never have read a book in my life and I'd still be just as smart as I am, simply because Cosmo is an idiot!"
"I don't…."
"Say, for instance, if Cosmo's training for the big TBT—" His father's voice took on a mocking edge, likely irritated that his other half could waste time on such foolishness whilst their family was in such turmoil. "Had paid off, and he had increased his skills—mine would go down; even if I trained hard and did all I could do hold on to them. Conversely, however, if I were to take a skill that I am not endowed with—such as cooking—and practiced night and day at improving it, I would not be able to make an inch of progress."
"Wait…" His mind reeled, and he felt a shiver run through him as a sense of helplessness washed over him. "So….you mean….I can only ever be what he is not….?"
"…I'm sorry Foop. I went too far. You did not need to know that, not at this young age." His father mumbled; probably the first apology he had ever spoken to him, but his mind was too clouded to even register it.
Not only his fate….but who he was as a person…his skills...his abilities...none of it was his choice? Nothing at all….? Anything he was good at, would only be because Poof was bad at it? The skills and strengths he was proud of, could just slip away if his counterpart were to acquire them?
"…Isn't there anything we can do about it?" He asked or…did he plead?
"Yes, there is. We become the dominate side; by finding a way to take over the rights to godchildren; someday….we will accomplish that goal; if not I…then you surely will."
"Father…."
"….But for now, lets just rest. Hopefully when we wake up, your mother will be back to her usual loud, annoying, reckless, and foolishly endearing self." His father closed his eyes now, tucking an arm around his wife. He had so much he wanted to say, and so much he felt that he needed to do but, he too, felt overwhelmed by everything he had learned and so, without protest he curled up on the other side of his mother and closed his eyes, with one last vow to himself that he would refuse to allow his existence to be defined by his counterpart.