Black In Black

Toothache Memories With a Twist

Tooth grasped the vial for a moment. Was she sure that it was a good idea? Pitch was a loose cannon at times, going into his lair uninvited might be a death with. But, its not like she could call. She sighed, setting the case in her feathery lap. It wouldn't hurt to try, She thought. She could even just leave the vial with a note.

She picked the vial up from her lap and left the hallways of teeth and fluttered over the edge down to her personal office. Really, she didn't need one. There was no paperwork in trading teeth for coins. Setting down the vial she scribbled a note to him in her curvy letters before folding the soft paper carefully. The note was short, simple, and made her feel less reluctant to give it to him. She then picked the vial up again and went off to find Pitch.

Not ten minutes later Tooth arrived at the hole down to Pitches Lair. She let her small feet waver down to the icy snow before floating up again. She had held Pitches vial close to her chest the entire fly there, and her arms felt tired and stiff from the pose. Still, she held it tightly to her. She took a deep breath, and floated down the hole and let her feet touch the dark rock of his Lair. Besides the open area where his cages were, the pathways were to cramped to fly properly. She carefully padded out to the open area, letting her eyes skim over the endless staircases and doors and archways. She couldn't see him, and that's definitely not a good thing. She drew a shaky breath and continued. Where was her confidence from last year? When she wanted to and did come right up to the man of nightmares and knock out a tooth? She had to remember, she was doing this for his own good. He needed this or he might never let Ellie grow into who she's meant to be. 

A muffled sob rang down throughout the stairways to her. She jumped, hovering in the air now. She followed the echo up to a platform she didn't see before. A glow came from above it, one she couldn't place its source. She silently left the confines of the hallway and flew up to the platform, peeking over the edge. 

She found Pitch. He was kneeling down in front of the glowing light, with his face in his hands. She moved to the left to see his face. He wasn't crying. His body language said he was angry as something. He had his grey eyes pinched closed and his teeth bared like he was holding back another sob.

This was a moment when Tooth pitied him. For a moment she saw not a monster, but a man. He missed Ellie terribly, it was only thing obvious about his actions, and his words.

"Why do you have to take my little girl away from me, old man?" He spoke quietly though his gritted teeth.His fist came down on the cool ground fast but his hand stopped just short of hitting the surface. his hand then fell limp in defeat. Tooth couldn't stand it, she  fluttered up quietly and carefully and knelled beside him. 

"Pitch?" She called to him gently. Seemingly lost in his own thoughts, it was a moment before his head shot up and his stormy grey eyes met her soft pink ones.

"T-Toothiana," His voice drastically changed. A certain venom was thrown in his words, like throwing a curtain up to hide what might have seen. "What are you going here?"

She pursed her lips before unfolding her hands to reveal the vial. She held it up, letting the painted image of his face point at him. "Here," She finally said, hoping he'd take it. Unsure, he took the case from her. His fingers were long and careful, they touched her soft knuckles momentarily. Once it was safely in his hand, she pulled her hand away. "Memories are powerful, Pitch. And Memories can help you through your most vulnerable state. I'm not saying that you are, I'm just- Listen, Pitch, I'm here to help you, okay? Remembering the past can help you with the present."

He went quiet, looking down to the vial, which encased his teeth of childhood. For him, it had been so long ago. "Why?" He finally asked collectively, the venom from his voice gone. "Why help me?"