Chapter 9 - Holding Out for a Hero

9


Tootie walked slowly down the street to her house, thinking over Romi's words from the day before. It just didn't make sense; how could a boy who seemed so alive and vibrant be dead? She puzzled and pondered and fretted for so long, she barely got enough sleep to get her through the school day. She used her lunch time to go to Oberon High School and ask around there to see if anyone had seen or knew a boy with messy brown hair, shining blue eyes and strange silver jewelry. No one had a clue what she was talking about and she soon found herself escorted back to her own school at the end of the lunch period by Timmy's old friends.

"Romi, c'mon, tell me!" Tootie whined softly as the fairy peeked out from the safety of the girl's backpack, "Can't you find a way around Da Rules and tell me what his name is?"

"I'm sorry, Tootie, but every fairy in Fairy World swore to not reveal his name to anyone!" Romi whimpered, "The only way for you to know is if he told you himself or you discovered it on your own!" Tootie sighed and pushed her glasses up higher on her nose, letting them slide back down as she thought things over again. She couldn't understand it. Why was her own fairy not able to help with this?

"Okay, then how about what you meant about him being dead?" she asked, "Can you explain that? 'Cause he moved way too fast to be dead!" Tootie smiled, oblivious to the fairy's eyes going wide and skin turning pale white. "He was kinda cute, and the way he jumped like that reminded me of Timmy. I miss him still." she murmured and glanced back at her fairy, "Romi? Hello-o?"

"Um, well, he died, but then he came back to life." Andromeda finally answered. Tootie frowned. What kind of answer was that?

"That's impossible! No one can come back to life!" she exclaimed, "Isn't there a rule against that?!" Romi looked around, decided it was safe, and flew out of the pack to float by her godchild.

"There is, but it was broken by that boy. Since then, no fairy magic can touch him, because that would be like admitting he's alive again when he shouldn't be." she explained, "That's why it's against Da Rules to grant any wishes that involve him."

"Can I wish you'd tell me how he came back to life?" Tootie asked dryly and Romi poofed up the book again, flipping though the pages.

"Um, it doesn't directly affect him, so yeah, I can do that." the fairy answered and waved her wand to grant the wish. A photo poofed into the air and Tootie plucked it down, studying the image of a white-haired boy in a black and white uniform. "That's Danny Phantom, the Lock and Key to The Veil Between Life And Death." Romi told her, putting the book away and digging out a small card from within one of her large sleeves. She began reading off the card. "'This halfa has the power to cross into purgatory and retrieve souls from within its confines. He was the one who brought 'name block' back to life. As of -oh, this is kinda old- his status as ally to Fairy World is under debate because of this obvious abuse of power.'"

"Did he know it was against Da Rules?" Tootie asked in confusion. Romi nodded, shoving the card back into her sleeve. "So why did he do it?"

"Well, first off, he's not a fairy, so Da Rules don't bind him like they do us fairies. And the second reason, um... I'm not allowed to tell you." she mumbled, "Sorry. All I can say is that what he and Fairy World's other ally did messed up the natural order of things for that boy." She clutched her wand tightly and gave Tootie a sad expression. "In Fairy World, we call him The One Who Stands Beyond Death's Reach. He can never die until he finds the Grim Reaper himself." The two of them stopped at a crosswalk while Tootie chewed on that bit of information, stuffing the photo into her backpack.

"So, basically he's immortal?" she wondered aloud, "Isn't that a good thing? He'll live forever!" Romi shook her head, eyes wide and face growing even paler.

"Not a good thing! It means nothing can kill him, but he's not protected against injury or pain!" she cried in horror, "Like if something came along and bit off his head or something, he'd still be alive and the pain would be unbearable! It's a horrible curse! Endless agony; he'd be doomed forever like that!"

Tootie stared down at her shoes, pushing that thought out of her head with a grimace, then working her mind on the other bits of information she'd gathered as she pushed her glasses up on her nose again. Eternal life filled with the potential for endless pain; that did sound awful. But if it was so bad, why was that boy so happy-sounding? At least, up until he thought his stuff was missing? And if he broke a major fairy rule, why would the fairies work so hard to protect his identity?

She began to ask about it but halted as she saw the mystery boy from yesterday race by on the opposite side of the street, heading into downtown Dimmsdale. He seemed so intent on something, he didn't even see her. There was a long stick of some kind strapped to his backpack, and he was dressed all in black this time. Why did he keep wearing dark clothes? And more importantly, where was he going and why?

"Romi! I wish I had a hoverscooter so I can follow him!" Tootie whispered loudly. The fairy yelped and granted it, presenting the girl with a shining white scooter that floated several inches off the ground. Tootie jumped on with a happy shout as Andromeda transformed into a deep blue and silver helmet on the girl's head. "Here we go!" the young Goth declared and stomped her foot on the pedal, shooting after the boy.

~*~*~*~*~*~*

It was dark by the time the boy stopped running and Tootie parked in the shadows, sneaking out after him with Romi disguised as a jacket she wore. She looked around in confusion. This was the upper-class district. Only the super rich lived here. Why was the mystery boy sneaking into this place?

"Romi, can you use magic here? Is this a safe zone?" Tootie whispered as she followed the boy to one of the more opulent mansions. It was hard to see where he moved until he actually shifted in the shadows and bushes. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought that the boy was a ghost himself. He was further up ahead than she was, and Tootie was finding it difficult to follow his exact steps to avoid getting found herself.

"Must be a safe area. Look at the boy. He's using magic." Romi answered and poofed from jacket to binoculars for the girl to use. Tootie looked through them and gasped in awe as the fairy directed her vision to the mystery boy's location.

He stood in the shadows of several majestic trees, holding out his hand as a ball of light blossomed into existence above his palm. Two fairies hovered around him as the sphere of light floated down to keep hidden as well as light another path. One of the fairies was a boy with green hair in the same messy style as the mystery boy's; the other was a girl with pink hair all curled up prettily. How amazing! He had magic and not just one, but two fairy godparents! Wait a second....

"Hey, Romi. If fairy magic doesn't work on that boy, why does he have fairy godparents?" Tootie asked in suspicion. The blue and silver binoculars seemed to shake in her hands.

"Uh, well! Those two helped bring him back to life, so, um, they were banished from Fairy World and sentenced to be his godparents until he finds Death, or for all eternity. Whichever comes first." Romi stammered, "They... they were his godparents when he died, so they remained his godparents when he was brought back."

"When did he die?"

"I-I'm not allowed to tell you. Sorry!"

Tootie huffed as she held the binoculars away, blowing her bangs upward with the exhalation. Romi poofed back to her normal self and apologized again, looking flushed and nervous. The girl let the words slide over her, thinking furiously. If she ever wanted to know more about the mystery boy, she'd have to rely on her own self to find the answers! It was obvious now that Fairy World was doing its best to keep clues about him very few and far between. Moving quietly, she continued trailing the boy and his magic light, inching closer with every brief stop for cover.

He was headed for one of the biggest houses in the neighborhood, the home of that one guy, Remial Buxaplenty, better known as Remy. Tootie took on a puzzled expression as she closed in on the boy. What did this mystery boy have to do with Remy? In her opinion, the guy was the worst kind of snob and brat to ever disgrace the Earth; a true blue slimeball. The jerk was even laughing the day Timmy died!

There was a brief flash of light and Tootie blinked as she saw the boy leap out of the bushes in a flying kick that knocked over a pair of security guards. She nearly yelped in shock and watched with wide eyes as he murmured something to his fairies, who waved their wands in unison and poofed the fallen men away. One surprise after another, what more cool things could this guy do?!

"Tootie! Quick! Get down before he sees us!" Romi squeaked and they ducked in the bushes themselves, crawling across Remy's vast yard to catch up to the boy. The ball of light had disappeared, maybe that had been the flash from earlier? She was still able to peek past several decorative flower bushes to spot the boy making his way to the side of the mansion. She crept closer, then stopped when he began to speak; maybe this was close enough, if she could hear his whispering loud and clear.

"We're going to have to split up here, guys. It'll be easier to investigate the place this way. Plus, I don't want Remy to figure out who I am, and if he sees you two, my cover's blown." the boy ordered softly.

"I don't know about this, Sport. What if he's got a whole arsenal of traps inside?" the pink fairy exclaimed in a hushed voice.

"Wanda, I'll be fine. I checked the radar. No traps." the boy assured her, "Just come into the house from the back; you might find a secret room or something. Take a look around and see what dirt you can dish up." He turned to the male fairy. "Cosmo, fly in from the ceiling and do the same; please, try to stick to the plan! We can't have the whole place wake up just because you couldn't resist the urge to do something stupid!"

"You got it! Resisting urge to do something stupid!"

Tootie sighed dreamily as a blush crept over her face. A leader! A real, honest-to-goodness leader type! Those were rare in Dimmsdale; yup, she'd definitely chase this one around! Well, not as much as she did with Timmy, since that never worked, but that's what she has a fairy for now, right? She could already picture the chases now, running towards the mystery boy across a vast sunset-painted desert, arms open and ready for a hug. He'd turn to see her and....

It wasn't the mystery boy in his dark clothes and silver jewelry that smiled at her, but a familiar figure in a pink hat and shirt with those buckteeth that so often haunted her dreams. Tootie stopped running and just stood in shock at the boy standing before her. Those eyes, that hair; it was the mystery boy, but at the same time, it wasn't.

"Timmy?" she whispered, feeling tears of joy well up in her eyes, a surge of hope rushing through her. Had her wish finally been granted? Had Timmy Turner returned? "Timmy!" The boy shoved his hands into his pockets, smiling wistfully as the desert wind began to blow across the sands, sweeping over the two of them.

"Sorry, this is just a dream." the strange mix of mystery boy and Timmy told her, the scratchy voice of the ten-year-old she remembered mingling with the softly serious tone of the older boy's voice. "I'm dead to the world, remember?" Tootie felt her joy dwindle into sorrow, her hopes dying as she reached out in an attempt to touch him, to prove to herself that he was really there, not just another vision of the boy to taunt her broken heart.

"Please, don't. Don't go away. Dimmsdale... all of us, we miss you." she whispered, "I miss you. Please, Timmy. Don't go away. Come back." The boy only smiled brightly and shook his head.

"Tootie, you dork! I never left!" he laughed, "You still have the memories of me, after all. You and everyone else back home. How can I be gone if you have me with you all the time?" He shrugged nonchalantly. "Besides, even if I got lost, you always seem to know exactly where to find me. I can't get away from you for very long!" Tootie shook her head furiously, unable to keep the tears from falling.

"You don't get it! We're all hurting because you left!" she yelled at him. The boy only turned and began to run from her.

"That's because you're letting it hurt! I have to go, but remember that I'll always be close by, even if I can't be there as myself." that strange mixed voice called back to her. She gave chase, crying for him to return, but no matter how fast she ran, she couldn't catch up.

"Timmy! Wait! Come back!" Tootie wailed, "We need you!"

"Of course you do!" Timmy's voice echoed around her cheerfully as the desert and the sunset began to glow a brilliant white, blinding her vision and hiding the receding pink-clad figure, "I'm the hero!"


Tootie snapped back to her senses as Romi squealed loudly in terror. The mansion lights were on, guard dogs were barking madly, and the sounds of angry yells and crashing things filled the air. What was going on in there?!

"Romi! C'mon! That boy needs our help!" she declared and raced for a broken window.

"Eeks! Wait for me!" Romi cried and flew after her. Tootie leaped through the window and gasped as she watched the mystery boy dart about the huge main lobby, dodging a multitude of blows from what looked like a giant metal octopus.

"Ahhh! A monster!" she screamed, "Romi! I wish it was a bird!" Romi flew forward and brandished her wand, the golden star shining brightly. With a blast of fairy smoke and magic, the giant octopus was gone and in its place, a small blue bird fluttered around an angry blonde teenager in money-print pajamas.

"What in the hell is going on?! I didn't wish for this!" the teen raged and shot a furious glare at the mysterious boy standing before him, panting. "You! I bet you had something to do with it, you wretched urchin!" The other boy only grinned at him as he breathed harder, staff held before him horizontally in one hand, the palm of his right hand pressed against it. He managed a slight shrug, uncaring of the sudden shift in the whole situation. "You might have a fancy light show, a dirty stick and some vaguely interesting martial arts moves, but you don't have this!" the blonde declared arrogantly, "I wish for an army of robot ninjas!"

"He has a fairy godparent!" Romi exclaimed with a shocked gasp as a puff of purple smoke revealed dozens of golden robots wielding swords and daggers.

"Why?! Remy's a cruel and heartless little snot! What makes him deserving of a fairy godparent?" Tootie demanded to know and shook her head, "Oh, never mind! I wish those robots could only juggle their weapons!" Romi held out the wand again and another poof transformed the ninjas into jugglers.

"What the bloody hell is going on?!" Remy yelled in a fury and searched the room for another fairy interfering with his wishes. The mystery boy also looked around, puzzled, and both teens spotted Tootie at the same time. "Another piece of lower-class trash?! And she has a fairy godparent?!" Remy shouted in outrage, "You little wretch! I'm the only one who should have fairy godparents to grant wishes!"

"Tootie, get out of here!" the mystery boy yelled at her, "Remy's gone nuts with power!" The blonde turned on him angrily.

"And for the last time, how do you know my name?! I've never seen you in this town before!" he shrieked at him. The mystery boy only began murmuring to himself, a circle of light appearing at his feet and spinning plumes of pale violet color around his legs. "Oh, no, you don't! Juandissimo! Get in here!" Remy ordered and, in a burst of purple smoke, a Latino fairy appeared beside him. He struck a pose to show off his muscles and his white t-shirt ripped to shreds. A new one replaced it almost instantly.

"Never fear; my sexy self is here!" he purred flirtatiously, his accent thick in his voice. He spun a few times to show off his physique even more and snapped another two shirts in the process.

"Oh, great. Everyone here has fairy godparents!" Tootie muttered under her breath, a rising panic threatening to overwhelm her, "Romi! What do we do?" The fairy only yelped and flew into her arms, trembling fearfully.

"I don't know! This is going to end so badly, I just know it!" she cried.

"Juandissimo! I wish that brat lost all those annoying powers he's been using!" Remy yelled, shaking his fist at the boy. Tootie looked startled. No! If he lost his magic, who would save her? Who would stop Remy from taking Andromeda away?

"I would love to, but alas, my not-so-sexy friend!" the Latino declared and struck a dramatic pose of despair, snapping another few white shirts, "I cannot grant your wish! This boy, he is immune to fairy magic! Even from my sexy, sexy self!"

"Oh, you can't be serious!" Remy growled in disbelief and clenched his jaw as the boy finished the spell, casting a bolt of lightning that plowed through several robots that stood around juggling swords and daggers. "Fine! Then I wish I had his powers so I can get rid of him myself!" Juandissimo waved his wand and watched it go limp.

"Alas, yet again!" he cried theatrically, "I cannot grant that wish either! His magic is of an ancient art that only a few select and super-elite persons are able to acquire!" He gave his godchild a dazzling smile and posed again. "And you are not one of them. So sorry." he added.

Tootie watched the exchange between boy and fairy, baffled. She blinked as the mystery boy ran to her side, puffing. Funny, what was with those weird green earrings he was wearing? He touched his fingers to one and began to whisper.

"Cosmo! Wanda! Abort! Remy's going bonkers out here! I wish you two were my iPod and watch!" he ordered softly and Tootie stared at the green iPod and pink watch that appeared on the boy. So that was why he panicked that day; those items were his fairies in disguise! And those earrings were some kind of communicator? "Tootie! Let's go! Before you get hurt!" the boy added, grabbing her hand. Her face suddenly felt too warm and her heartbeat raced.

"Well, what can I do?!" Remy screamed in frustration.

"You still have an army of robots here. May I suggest wishing them back to normal and using them to capture those two persons before they escape?" Juandissimo purred and poofed into a megaphone. Remy smiled cruelly.

"Oh, yes, of course! I wish these robots were vicious ninjas again!" he declared and the golden androids stopped juggling weapons, brandishing them in all their lethality. "Now, I order you to go forth and eliminate that annoying, magic-using brat!" he yelled through the bullhorn. The ninjas gave chase, rushing after the boy in a shining flood of blades and gold. Tootie cried out in alarm, then again as the mystery boy raced out the fallen front doors of the mansion, dragging her along.

"Come on! I have to meet my other friends and get them to help us!" he called over his shoulder to her, "When did you get a fairy godparent anyway?!" Tootie panted as she tried to keep up, her black boots clacking on the sidewalk along with the clangs of golden robots hunting them both. Romi poofed free and flew by them, too scared to even squeak at their situation.

"After Timmy Turner died! But something happened to stop Romi's magic!" Tootie cried out, gasping for air as they turned out of the neighborhood into the rest of the city, "When you were at our house, and Vicky broke that thing from the wall, her magic came back!" She looked back and screamed as she spotted the horde of robots. "Romi! I wish-!"

"Don't wish!" the boy yelled back at her sharply, "We're entering an anti-magic zone! If you make a wish, we're done for!" He touched his ear again. "Caleb! Danny! I'm coming, but I've got a train charging me down! Derail them when I get there!" he cried.

"I don't want to die!" Tootie sobbed, a surge of fear coursing through her body. This couldn't be happening! Not to her, not in Dimmsdale! "Please, don't let them hurt me!" The boy looked back at her and she blinked, taking on an astonished look as he managed a smile for her sake, a cheerful expression on his face as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Hey! Don't worry, Tootie! Everything's gonna be okay!" he reassured her with a hauntingly familiar chuckle, "I'm the hero!" Romi glanced back at her, worried, but Tootie could only stare at the back of the boy's head as he continued hurrying them to his friends.

Did the ghost of Timmy Turner send this boy to help her? To help all of Dimmsdale? Was that why she had that vision?

"Timmy." she whispered softly, but whether the boy heard or not, she didn't know.

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