Imagination Is Everything

The Fear of Doubt

"We have to do something. I'm sick of losing people like this," Tooth huffed, collapsing into an armchair after constantly flitting around the room, the fluttering of her wings already starting to bug me a little. "But we still don't know who our enemy is. How can we fight back against something we don't know?" Jack fumed, lying on his back in mid-air, brainstorming along with the rest of us.

We were in the living room of North's workshop. I had collapsed into an armchair the moment we arrived, trying to recollect my thoughts which were sprawled all over my throbbing brain. I just didn't get it. Who would want Daffy and Aspen, now Alric dead? All they ever did was keep the balance, nothing more, nothing less. They weren't horrible people. Quite the opposite, really.

"So far, we have three deaths and no clue to whom this culprit may be," Tooth muttered out loud. "All their deaths seemed too clean. There weren't any break in's, nothing seemed out of place. There's absolutely nothing to help us move along by!" As Tooth ranted, her faint English accent grew stronger and stronger, until she finally realized the loud volume she was speaking in and stopped. "Oops. Sorry," she cringed.

I shook my head. "It's fine, Tooth. We all want answers as much as you do," I said, laying my head against the headrest, groaning. "But something seemed off about Alric's death, if you ask me," I said to no one in particular. "You too? I thought I was the only one," Jack looked at me, surprised.

"When a spirit dies, ya said that their essence, their abilities, will leak out from their bodies to look for a new one, right?" Bunny finally asked me, looking at me in the eye, trying his best to hide that look in his eyes. But I could see the faint look of hurt left in them. A pang of guilt stabbed me in the gut. But I really couldn't think about that now.

I nodded my head, gulping silently. "Yea. But..." I trailed off, all of us finally realizing the small flaw in the seemingly perfectly executed death of Alric. But of course.

"We didn't feel any hate towards each other."
Bunny breathed that bit of realization, his ears perking up. "Ah. Now we're getting somewhere!" North exclaimed excitedly. We were suddenly filled with a new sense of hope for our current situation.

"But who the hell would want to fake a death?" I frowned, shaking my head. "This sick bastard, whoever they are, are gonna get it when I find them."

"Do we have any suspects so far?" I asked, looking up at all of them. They all shared that same look in their eyes, hoping that I'd understand. Oh, I heard them loud and clear.

"No," I said sternly. "It's definitely not Pitch. I already said so." "Well, then who do ya have in mind then?" Bunny asked, crossing his arms across his chest, flexing a bit of his muscle, that same forlorn look in his eyes. A flicker of regret went through me.

"I don't have anyone in mind." I pressed my lips into a thin line. "But I do know that it ain't Pitch's doin'." "Well, how the hell do you know?" Bunny pressed me for more.

I could feel the other looking on with some looks on their faces. Whether they were suggestive or confused, I didn't really give a shit about. I was just partially glad that Bunny never told them. No noses poking into our business. best way to bury the hatchet and forget the past.

And my mind went back to that particular day I was at Pitch's place.

"Are you sure you don't know?" I asked him as we sat in his sitting room, him sipping his usual cup of Earl Grey, reclining into his armchair. "Absolutely. If I knew, I would've told you already," he replied cooly. "You do know what I can do to you if you lie to me, right?" I raised an eyebrow at him. "Look, that was the old me. I let the Fear get the best of me. You know that. But I have better control of my nightmares now. Thanks to Manny," he said pointedly.

My grudge against him, though not down completely since he was the one who killed off every single one of my species, had simmered down to a more acquaintance-like relationship. The look in his eyes was a huge change to that raged and completely out of control one he had in his eyes back on Hyperion. It took him quite a while to adjust to the nightmares and overwhelming fear essence inside of him, and he wasn't all to blame for the Dark Times. He just fell victim to the hunger and craving for power and let the essence control his mind. That was why Manny's job, choosing the suitable ones most fitted for the job, both physically and mentally, was most important. Things would've been even more hectic if he had chosen someone else who was incapable.

I learned that the hard way.

"But do you have anyone in mind?" I asked. He thought for a while, and I could see all the gears working for an answer as he sifted through what I've told him so far. "There are quite a lot of potholes in all of their deaths, if you ask me. Their deaths weren't as perfect as you all thought they were. I might need some time to think. I'll get back to you when I finally think of something," he answered, finishing the last few sips of his tea, setting down his teacup on the neat tray he had set up, complete with his most prized porcelain tea set. "Are you sure you don't want anything?" he asked again, offering me some of the biscuits Daffy had taught him how to make. It was surprising, how fast he was able to learn how, since Daffy was the worst teacher I've ever known.

"I'm sure, Koz," I nodded, declining his offer, using the nickname I had given him when I found out about his former name from his former life, Kozmotis Pitchiner.

"Well?" he cocked an eyebrow at me.

I hestitated on whether to tell them or not.

"I just have this feeling. Call it a gut feeling."

"Come on, Ammo. At this point, no feeling in anyone's belly is enough," North exasperated. "This could be Pitch's doing, Ammo," Tooth joined in.

"Look, everything he did in the past, wasn't entirely his fault. He's changing for the better."

"Well, how the hell do you know? We all know Pitch is a bad guy. I know that you know too," Bunny said, I could detect the softened tone in his voice that he only directed at me.

"You know I don't give second chances better than anyone, Bunny. So if I give him a second chance," I paused, looking at all of them pointedly, but mainly at Bunny.

"Are you sure we can trust him, Ammo?" Bunny asked me. But there was another look, a different look. Fear and doubt.

"He's the best, Bunny. And you know it. You've seen him in action with your dad," I said softly, careful not to thread too much on the delicate subject. "But he-" he started to protest before I cut him off. "Those were the nightmares and the fear essence taking over the best of him. He regretted what he did. And you know that I'm the hardest person to convince." "You do have a damn good pokerface. And a harder head to get through than most people I know," he said, failing to hide the small twitch on the side of his mouth that only I succeeded to notice.

"So what you're saying here is that..." North trailed off, as they all slowly came to a realization.

"He's helping us out too."

"You better be right about this, Ammo."

I hope so too.