21Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Creepypasta.
BloodyKitsune: Okay here is the first chapter of Toy Maker's Daughter Book Three: Grim Arrivals. I hope you all enjoy it and take the time to read through it. There have been quite a few changes and improvements.
Chapter One
Within the small town of Carter far past the midnight hour, the lights within every house had been doused and even the town's singular bar had kicked out it's last booze hound. No one was up to wander the streets not even the alley cats or night birds seemed to be awake. Within the bowls of an old decrepit home that had long gone to ruin and was barely standing, an old grandfather clock that no longer worked suddenly started to tick. Slowly at first as soft sparks of muted silver and canary yellow darted from it's dust coated frame, the clocks hands began to move faster and faster until it struck twelve. Discordantly the chimes rang out to ring the hour in as magic flowed from the clock towards a book half hidden beneath a fallen beam. With a loud crack, the beam was tossed away as the book's cover was flung open and it's yellowed pages began to turn rapidly.
From within the yellowed pages, a white gloved hand extended outward followed by an arm coated in black. Within a few moments, a Victorian gentlemen wearing a rather ridiculous top hat had appeared from within the book. Tilting his head as he gazed about himself with a curious crimson toned gaze, he caught sight of the book and sighed deeply, "Truly sealed me away this time, huh, Martha? I thought you'd been joking, but with this," He cast another glance about himself before shaking his head as he bent down to pick up the book, "I suppose it can't be helped. Though I thought you'd be here when the spell was done," He tapped the book against his chin, "Perhaps you'd been caught up, Slender or perhaps that other one might've got you caught up in something," He smirked a bit revealing pearly white fangs that gleamed, "Oh well, I could occupy myself for a time. Just until you've come to collect me, the sealing has made me quite...peckish."
Practically flopped against the table, Calla half-heartedly glared at the chessboard. She tossed the piece in her hand into the air for the umpteenth time as she groaned, "I'm so bored, Poppy. Can't we play a different game."
Snatching the piece from the air, Candy Pop shook his head with a snort, "Unless you want to try playing Go again, no," She wrinkled her nose earning a huff of laughter from the incubus, "Little one, you know why we can't play any of fun games."
"Poppy," Calla pouted at him, "I get that lying to you all was bad. I've said that I was sorry,"
"But you're not truly sorry," Candy Pop pointed out earning a small huff.
"I am for lying to you guys," Calla crossed her arms as she sat up, "I'm not sorry for going to the concert with Viv and Luna. It was really fun,"
Chuckling at her, Candy Pop shook his head as he told her, "Still you disobeyed Jay when he said you couldn't go."
Rolling her eyes at him, Calla told him, "We were fine. Nothing happe-"
Hearing Candy Pop's phone ring cut Calla off and she looked at him as he answered it, he stood up as Ben's voice came through loud enough for both of them to hear, "Pop get your ass to Carter?"
"Why would I go to that Podunk? It's barely even a splotch on the map," Candy Pop's head tilted as Calla's head perked up, "Besides, I'm watching Calla, so I can't just leave without a damn good reason. She's still in trouble for breaking the rules,"
Glaring at Candy Pop, Calla turned away from him and crossed her arms earning a snort. Ben grunted at him, "I know, Dude. But we need the brand of freaky shit Night and you are capable of," Calla's head shot towards Candy Pop's phone with interest and she could see his eyes narrow at her, "We already called in Candy Cane, Jason and LJ for help. We're calling in others as well, but we're trying to limit exposure if possible,"
Seeing Candy Pop's eyes narrow and his lips pull into a dark frown sent shivers down her spine, Calla wondered what was going on. Candy Pop's tone turned serious as he asked, "What's going on, BEN? Calling in so many of us once? A cult?"
"If it were that easy," Ben groaned lowly making her jerk a bit as she turned to fully face Candy Pop, "Grimsley is awake," A harsh gasp left Candy Pop, "Martha is thankfully still asleep which is a blessing, but you know how fucked we are without her to control that bastard. If you can get here soon, we'd appreciate it. We don't need to get completely fucked over,"
Cursing in a mixture of fey and demonic languages, Candy Pop growled, "Sure. Give me five minutes to sort shit out."
"Hurry," Was Ben's reply before the phone clicked.
"Who's Grimsley?" Calla asked earning a grimace.
"A pain in the fucking ass from a time long past," Candy Pop shook his head as he pinned her with a stern look, "Don't leave the house or go anywhere near the mansion. With the shit going down that really shouldn't be happening right now, we can't risk it,"
Looking at him in confusion as she could feel Night behind his gaze, Calla swallowed as she asked, "Poppy, what-"
"Later," Candy Pop ran a hand through his hair, "We'll explain things when things are a bit quiet, but right now I've got to hurry,"
"But-" Calla tried to ask more.
"Just listen to me without asking questions for once, Calla," Candy Pop snapped making her flinch back and fall silent, "This is rule three," She slowly sat back with a nod as tears burned at the back of her eyes, "Calla...Little one, we'll be back," She saw him hesitate for a moment before hugging her and she stiffened at the touch, "I love ya, Little one. I'm sorry for snapping, but you've got to listen to me right now,"
Nodding silently, Calla swallowed as he released her and disappeared. Slowly sinking back into her seat, she sniffed slightly and quickly pulled Shukaku to her chest when he appeared. Hugging him, she murmured, "Shu, I...do I need to stop asking questions so much?"
Shukaku merely nuzzled into her chest giving no answers only silent comfort.
Regrets raced through Candy Pop as he arrived in Carter though he quickly pushed them into the back of his mind, Night let out a whistled as they took in the burning town around them. As the tell-tale scent of blood filled his nose, he spotted torn apart bodies flung about with entrails and organs being strung up like party favors. Had he not been warned before hand about Grimsley being awake, he would have thought Laughing Jack had gone on a random spree after smoking something new. But as he looked closer and saw the lack of blood dripping from the bodies, he knew it had to be Grimsley. And with the tang of shadow magic dancing through the air and the twist of it against the buildings, he knew the old boy was trying to draw in Martha.
"Odd seeing someone other than Jackie toss things about like party favors again," Night commented lowly as they moved through the town in search of Jason.
"Yes though unlike Jack, Grim eats at his victims," Candy Pop stepped over a half-eaten heart.
Reaching Jason took little time as the toymaker was knee deep in a half-ass ritual set up, Candy Pop had to shake his head at the shattered pieces of skull with half-formed runes spastically giving off hints of shadow magic. Jason looked up from where he was in the process of taking a part what looked to be an umbral runic scheme, "Pop, Calla-"
"Home," Candy Pop's eyes flickered to his friends stressed expression which eased just a bit, "He's still half-asleep and doesn't quite realize it, isn't he?"
Snorting as the runes underneath his fingers shattered like fine-spun glass on hard concreate, Jason moved onto the Sumerian runes as he shook his head, "No which is why Cane's even attempting to distract him with Jack."
Nodding as Jason swiftly dismantled the rest of the ritual, Candy Pop reached out and picked up a half-eaten kidney that had become shriveled, "So we're on ritual duty then?" Jason inclined his head, "Fun, my favorite thing to do though I suppose it's better than dealing with a cannibalistic vampire,
He dropped the kidney and began helping Jason set up their own ritual, "Is it just me or has Grimsley become more of a cannibal since snapping?"
Raising an eyebrow at him as they both rapidly wrote out runes, Jason retorted, "As I've never spent time with Martha or Grimsley before they snapped, I cannot tell you. Though admittedly," The toymaker grimaced a bit, "It is somewhat a shame we cannot allow either them to be awake though."
Nodding with a sad hum of agreement, Candy Pop pulled out the set of ingredients they'd need while Jason prepared them, "One day perhaps when the world has become a little bit more over populated."
"Martha would be good for the Doll," Night commented sending a sting of pain through Candy Pop as he thought of how they'd left her, "She'll forgive us for snapping at her, Idiot. It might take a bit, but-"
"I know, I know," Candy Pop grimaced mentally, "It doesn't make me feel good about it though,"
Stiffening as he felt a burst of bloodlust and madness all contained within a shadow magic laced form, Candy Pop whipped around to see Grimsley approaching. Night whistled in appreciation, "Damn, I know we can get bad when we're binging, but shit. Are we sure he just went after this Podunk?"
"Looking at him? I can't be too sure," Candy Pop shook his head as he stood, "Jay, you good without help?"
"I'll be fine," Jason replied, "Po-"
"Candy Pop as I die and breath," Grimsley's deep crimson eyes glowed as his pupils flexed and shifted to peer at what Jason was doing, "Whatever are you two doing over here? First darling Candy Cane with that delightful clown and now you with this rather interesting fey? Taking apart my ritual like that..." The cannibalistic vampire's eyes narrowed, "It's almost as if you're trying to prevent me from calling my wife to me,"
Keeping his body loose as Night stiffened in their mind, Candy Pop spoke calmly as he got ready to summon his hammer, "Grim, you've been a good friend. Martha and you both are beings that I care greatly for. You know that, right?"
"Of course I do," Grimsley's head tilted with a slight crack, "The feeling is quite mutual seeing as we've helped each other find food on occasion and hiding places. Martha especially loved it when you joined us in bed,"
Ignoring Jason's breath hitching, Candy Pop kept his eyes on the vampire, "So you know that I will not lie to you, Old Boy," Grimsley's eyes narrowed into slits, "You need to stop. You've fed...Gorged yourself really," He waved a hand around them, "Let us help you back to sleep."
Body stiffening at that, Grimsley hissed at Candy Pop, "Sleep? You think-" Grimsley's eyes widened and he stumbled back a step as if he'd been struck, "Martha...she isn't coming, is she?"
"This is probably going to be very bad," Night grimaced.
"No kidding," Candy Pop kept himself focused on Grimsley as he shook his head, "No, Grim. With Humanity growing in ways that we couldn't have predicted back then and you two refusing to change, the balance had to be upheld. You knew that. Martha did too,"
Eyes filling with rage, Grimsley growled at Candy Pop, "WHERE IS MY WIFE?!"
"I can't tell you," Candy Pop answered truthfully as he hadn't been the one to seal Martha away nor Grimsley for that matter.
Chest heaving as sparks of dark toned magic leaped from his skin, Grimsley hissed at Candy Pop, "Locked us away? Like animals? After everything we've been through together-"
Ignoring the shadows dancing at Grimsley's feet, Candy Pop shook his head, "If you wish to think of it like that, Grim, yes, you two were. I had no part in it which likely made things worse in a way. But I refused to be part of it," He felt the ritual behind him begin to spark which sent a small rush of relief through him, "Grim, come quietly. I truly do not wish to fight you on this."
"You've changed, Candy Pop," Grimsley spat making Candy Pop shake his head again, "You used to be so much fun!"
"I changed in some ways perhaps, but stayed true in the ways that mattered, Old Friend," Candy Pop took out his hammer as Grimsley rushed him in an attempt to disrupt the ritual, "Change...We all did,"
"Not just because of the Doll either," Night spoke softly as Candy Pop began to clash with Grimsley, "Everyone changed with the times not just us, the fool won't ever realize it,"
Blocking one of Grimsley's punches with a slight grimace as he felt a pang, Candy Pop muttered, "A true shame. It would've been nice to have a piece of the past with us. Not just to have Martha's help with Calla..."
"Indeed," A low sigh left Night as a sense of loss radiated from him, "Very true...Wonderful creatures have been lost to time after all. Grim and Martha would have made things so much more entertaining. Between the two of them, I think I'm going to miss Martha the most if only for her clever mind.
"Calla doesn't need anymore clever minds around her," Candy Pop snorted softly at the thought.
Sneezing in quick succession, Calla groaned as the needle she was using stabbed into the doll she'd been working on. Reaching over to grab a tissue, she blew her nose before looking up as a knock sounded at the door. Tilting her head, she smiled slightly at seeing Vivian standing in the doorway, "Hey, Viv."
"You're working, Cal?" Vivian looked at the doll curiously.
Nodding her head, Calla set the doll down, "Figured Papa couldn't get anymore mad at me than he already is for the whole concert thing," She put her needle and thread away, "And since I don't really want to do anything boring, I might as well 'work'."
"I still can't believe you're grounded," Vivian walked into the room.
Grimacing at that, Calla muttered, "Yeah...It's mostly cause I lied."
"But that's shit teenagers do all the time," Vivian bumped her shoulder, "Besides we all went to the concert,"
"I'm also the one who convinced all three of them that I had each other's permission to go when none of them had given it," Calla reminded her making the black haired girl hum, "I got Mama to not tell them anything by begging. I kinda deserve it,"
Snorting at her, Vivian crossed her arms, "So you're wallowing in self pity?"
Grimacing at that, Calla shook her head, "No, I just don't want to get into anymore trouble."
Rolling her eyes, Vivian asked, "Where is everyone? The mansion is dead right now."
Grimacing as she remembered how Candy Pop had left, Calla muttered, "In some Podunk, they're dealing with some powerful Creep that needed Poppy, Papa, Cane, and Jackie to deal with. Ben said they might've needed other people from what I was able to overhear."
"Shit," Vivian frowned at her, "What's with you? Normally you're worrying over everyone's safety an trying to ask questions,"
Looking away from Vivian, Calla picked up the doll she'd been working on as tears burned the back of her eyes again. She took a deep breath trying to will the tears away. Speaking slowly, she said, "Why ask questions when they're just a bother to everyone? I-"
"The fuck?" Vivian snapped making Calla flinch, "Cal, what the hell happened between the last time I saw you and now? This isn't you,"
Grimacing at that, Calla's fingers curled tighter around the doll and she shook her head, "Viv, I-just...I ask too many questions. I realize that now. I-"
"No," Vivian stated bluntly making Calla's head snap towards her and she stared at her best friend in shock, "Just no,"
"No, Viv-" Calla started only for Vivian to smack her upside the head earning a yelp.
"No," Vivian grabbed her hand, "Hermione asks too many questions. You don't," Calla found herself being dragged from her chair and into the hallway, "You ask a lot of questions, but they're always meaningful. Sometimes you're blunt as shit and it can be a little bit annoying, I won't admit that I've wanted to try that stuffing your mouth full of shit trick when you're spouting random facts, but not because you've asked 'too many' questions,"
"Viv..." Calla's eyes were burning.
Vivian pulled her down the stairs and into the living room, "So ask questions to your hearts content and don't fucking stop just because someone thinks you're asking too many, alright?"
Slowly nodding as Vivian turned to look at her, Calla nodded while rubbing at her eyes, "I-yeah. I can do that," She eyed Vivian, "What are we doing down here?"
"We're going to watch TV and read some of Cane's books," Vivian smirked at Calla, "After all if they're actually going to ground you, we might as well break some more rules, right?"
Letting out a laugh, Calla nodded slowly as Vivian kept pulling her towards the couch. She smiled slowly as they sat down, "Yeah, sounds good."
While it had sucked that Candy Pop had snapped at Calla, it was nice to know that she had a best friend happy to ease her mind. While also getting her into deeper trouble, she took the book that Vivian handed her with a slight giggle while turning on the TV to some anime that she'd heard being discussed around the mansion during a couple visits. Shoulder to shoulder with Vivian as she opened the book, she felt at ease.