Frozen Heart
Chapter 74
Jack could admit that all of this was getting way out of hand.
She had no idea where the lacrima was, or where any of the Dragon Slayers had gone, and now the damn Boogieman was taking advantage of the situation to get rid of the Guardians of Childhood in order to plunge Edolas into a dark age of fear.
Honestly, what would they do without me?
“We need ta know everything about this whole Anima plan.” Bunny asserted, arms folded tightly over his chest. “It’s gotta be stopped, an’ Easter stay on track, or Pitch’ll have the advantage.”
“He’s already kidnapped most of my girls, and all the teeth in my palace…” Tooth reminded them, drooping. “The children…”
“We can’t let them stop believing in Tooth.” Jack Frost insisted, a scowl firmly set on his face. “If none of them get a jewel under their pillow tonight in exchange for a lost tooth…”
Sandy sent up a flurry of symbols, of teeth and coins and yeti, and Tooth brightened at the idea.
“That could work!”
Watching the discussion quietly, running thoughts over and over in her mind like smooth stones, Jack gathered up her usual spunk and spoke up.
“What happens if the children stop believing?”
The conversation ground to a halt, all four of them staring as if she had just spontaneously grown a second head.
“You…don’t know?” Jack Frost voiced, obviously flabbergasted.
Crossing her arms defensively, Jack huffed, her own blue eyes narrowing.
“Why would I ask if I already did? To feel stupid?”
“We don’t think that, Sweet Tooth!” Tooth assured, fluttering about in distress. “It’s just…Every Spirit in our world is powered by Belief, so it’s…new.”
“Belief…” Jack muttered, absorbing this new information. “So the magic you have is different from what the humans use?”
“Exactly.” Bunny replied, regaining his composure. “Our magic depends on the anklebiters’ believing’ in our existence, while theirs’ is from nature an’ limited.”
“If enough children stop believing, we’ll fade away…” Tooth admitted, tears making the stars in her ears waver. “And everything we protect…”
Heart twisted in her throat, Jack’s attention jerked down as Sandy created a question mark, big gold eyes curious.
“Oh, well…In Earthland, us Spirits have our own magic. It’s like the humans’, but we have a lot more thanks to our connection to a season or constellation or magical creature. It doesn’t just…go away.”
“That is it!” North crowed, startling his fellow Spirits and a poor cookie-nabbing elf with his sudden enthusiasm. “Pitch will not think we get help from other Spirit from Earthland! Is perfect!”
“It is?” Jack Frost voiced, rubbing his ear.
“Of course!” Tooth realized, beaming. “If she isn’t effected by Belief, she won’t get weaker like we would!”
“So if things take a turn fer the worst, we’ll still have a chance.” Bunny agreed, ears perking up.
Sandy smiled, nodding rapidly, and Jack Frost showed all his pearly teeth in a grin that had most of the mini-fairies falling to the carpet.
“Ha! So that old drama queen has no idea what’s gonna hit him!”
“Precisely!” North boomed, grinning through his heavy beard down at the young Winter Spirit. “So, will you help us?”
Blinking owlishly, she looked at each of their excited faces, ending on the biggest pair of blue and purple eyes that stared up from her shoulder.
“I…I’ll try.” Jack relented. “But my friends…”
“We will help your friends as well!” North guaranteed, as excited as a child on the morning of his holiday. “Easy as cake, da?”
“Easy as pie.” Both Jacks corrected, her grin growing to match his.
It took ten minutes to wake Tooth up after that.
She had no idea where the lacrima was, or where any of the Dragon Slayers had gone, and now the damn Boogieman was taking advantage of the situation to get rid of the Guardians of Childhood in order to plunge Edolas into a dark age of fear.
Honestly, what would they do without me?
“We need ta know everything about this whole Anima plan.” Bunny asserted, arms folded tightly over his chest. “It’s gotta be stopped, an’ Easter stay on track, or Pitch’ll have the advantage.”
“He’s already kidnapped most of my girls, and all the teeth in my palace…” Tooth reminded them, drooping. “The children…”
“We can’t let them stop believing in Tooth.” Jack Frost insisted, a scowl firmly set on his face. “If none of them get a jewel under their pillow tonight in exchange for a lost tooth…”
Sandy sent up a flurry of symbols, of teeth and coins and yeti, and Tooth brightened at the idea.
“That could work!”
Watching the discussion quietly, running thoughts over and over in her mind like smooth stones, Jack gathered up her usual spunk and spoke up.
“What happens if the children stop believing?”
The conversation ground to a halt, all four of them staring as if she had just spontaneously grown a second head.
“You…don’t know?” Jack Frost voiced, obviously flabbergasted.
Crossing her arms defensively, Jack huffed, her own blue eyes narrowing.
“Why would I ask if I already did? To feel stupid?”
“We don’t think that, Sweet Tooth!” Tooth assured, fluttering about in distress. “It’s just…Every Spirit in our world is powered by Belief, so it’s…new.”
“Belief…” Jack muttered, absorbing this new information. “So the magic you have is different from what the humans use?”
“Exactly.” Bunny replied, regaining his composure. “Our magic depends on the anklebiters’ believing’ in our existence, while theirs’ is from nature an’ limited.”
“If enough children stop believing, we’ll fade away…” Tooth admitted, tears making the stars in her ears waver. “And everything we protect…”
Heart twisted in her throat, Jack’s attention jerked down as Sandy created a question mark, big gold eyes curious.
“Oh, well…In Earthland, us Spirits have our own magic. It’s like the humans’, but we have a lot more thanks to our connection to a season or constellation or magical creature. It doesn’t just…go away.”
“That is it!” North crowed, startling his fellow Spirits and a poor cookie-nabbing elf with his sudden enthusiasm. “Pitch will not think we get help from other Spirit from Earthland! Is perfect!”
“It is?” Jack Frost voiced, rubbing his ear.
“Of course!” Tooth realized, beaming. “If she isn’t effected by Belief, she won’t get weaker like we would!”
“So if things take a turn fer the worst, we’ll still have a chance.” Bunny agreed, ears perking up.
Sandy smiled, nodding rapidly, and Jack Frost showed all his pearly teeth in a grin that had most of the mini-fairies falling to the carpet.
“Ha! So that old drama queen has no idea what’s gonna hit him!”
“Precisely!” North boomed, grinning through his heavy beard down at the young Winter Spirit. “So, will you help us?”
Blinking owlishly, she looked at each of their excited faces, ending on the biggest pair of blue and purple eyes that stared up from her shoulder.
“I…I’ll try.” Jack relented. “But my friends…”
“We will help your friends as well!” North guaranteed, as excited as a child on the morning of his holiday. “Easy as cake, da?”
“Easy as pie.” Both Jacks corrected, her grin growing to match his.
It took ten minutes to wake Tooth up after that.