Pitch came bursting into Ana's room in early hours of the morning.
"Wake up, Your Highness!" the man barked. "I have important business to discuss with you!"
Ana shrieked, and she jumped in alarm from sleep. "Who ever it is is gonna be..."
Pitch waited, arms crossed for Ana to awake and pay close attention. The Nightmare King asked, "Are you listening? This is important. I have a task for you."
"You woke me me up at... three in the morning! And I'm Queen of Sparkletopia. Why should I help you?"
"Because, if you don't, I shall kill all your friends. One. By. One," Pitch hissed in delight.
"If you do, I'll throw you in the dungeon!" Ana warned, although a tiny bit less bravely than she would have liked. But who wouldn't when a creepy weirdo in a dress bursts into your room at three a.m., demanding you do something for him?
"In this palace?" Pitch laughed. "Not likely!"
Olivia, who was woken up by Ana, crept out into the hallway. The High General was a light sleeper and had the room adjacent to the Queen's, so she was in range to the conversation.
"So, the Great Pitch, King of Nightmares, decides to threaten the Queen of Sparkletopia, who's friend is the High General, me, who does not like him at all and is itching to irritate him. Hm, not very smart are we?" Olivia interrupted, leaning against the gaping doorway.
Pitch turned on her, his face evident of the hatred.
"It is not wise for YOU to insult ME!" the Boogeyman hissed.
"Put a cork in it, Booger. Or a tissue. Whichever you prefer," Olivia dismissed him.
"Olivia, it's okay," Ana assured her. "I don't mind helping him, just as long as he's nice about it."
"I do not have to be nice about anything! I am-" Pitch ranted.
"Shh!" The High General shushed him. "Some people need sleep, not that you would know!"
"Can't this wait until morning, you two, though?" Ana yawned.
"Of course!" Olivia exclaimed, and then turned to Pitch. "Please, go away. Honestly, get a sense of what boundaries are! People need a little privacy."
"See you in the morning," Ana mumbled, hobbling back into her bed.
Olivia stood by, arms crossed, waiting for Pitch to leave. The Nightmare King snarled, "You had no right to interfere with my plans! I must leave as soon as possible!"
"Not until the morning," Olivia retorted. "Trust me, Ana needs to wake up first, and now is not the best time. Go back to plotting or whatever you were doing." She flapped her hand toward the other end of the hallway.
Pitch stared at the High General for a moment, but then turned and strode off.
Olivia allowed herself a small half-smirk. Not bad. Not bad at all.
"We, apparently, have many important matters to discuss!" Ana declared, slipping into the British dialect she and Olivia turned to by unconscious habit when they mocked Pitch or told their devious schemes.
Tooth, North, Bunnymund, Jack, Sandy, Pitch, Olivia, and, of course, Ana sat among the chairs around the dining table in use previously by the entire group at breakfast. The kids had set off after polishing of several rainbow/glitter/sparkle/etc. related food stuffs to go off to the stables. Cupcake especially was near to bursting when she caught wind that many unicorns were housed in the stables.
"I wish to know what this fear-instilling land mentioned by Mr. Gingerbread-Gumdrop is!" Pitch said, and made as if to continue, and would have if Olivia had not started sniggering.
"Sorry!" She apologized. "Seeing you say that is just weird!"
Jack bit his lip, trying no to join the High General in laughing.
"Moving on. I request that Ana-" the Boogeyman nodded and gestured to the queen. "-equip me to go to this place."
The Nightmare King, who had stood up to speak, sat in his chair. No emotion showed on his face, except maybe concentration.
"Um, I will, but... How can I trust you not to reek havoc on my lands and the entire world?" Ana inquired.
"You can't," Pitch said, knowing there was no point in telling a lie. "But, if it makes you and the Guardians feel any better, I HAVE lost my powers, remember?"
Ana mulled it over in her mind, the will to let him go ahead tugged at her consciousness, but the even greater desire to just throw him in the dungeon and get it over with held firm. An idea suggested something to her. Besides, it would test how much going meant to Pitch, as well as whether or not he was going to cause mischief and damage.
"I will let you go... however, I will require my High General, Olivia, to escort you there," Ana decreed eventually.
"Very well, as long as she will remain civil, I shall allow her to keep me in line," Pitch agreed with a certain air that suggested, in the event the High General was not able to remain civil, he would abandon her on the cliff of a desolate, mountainous region.
"Vhere are you trying to go?" North broached.
"I already told you!" Pitch snapped. "Where ever that snivelling idiot that meet us at the gate was oh so unwilling to utter the name of!"
"You mean Mr. Gingerbread-Gumdrop?" Bunnymund corrected.
"Whatever," the Boogeyman muttered.
"Where was he not talking about?" Jack asked.
"Are you discussing... the..." the little man, Gingerbread-Gumdrop interrupted, trailing off in horror. His already squeaky voice dropped to a squealing whisper. "... The Darklands?"
"How uncreative," Olivia remarked.
"How wonderful," Pitch breathed. "Yes, I wish to go there."
"You can't trust him going there, Ana," Tooth warned. "Even with Olivia monitoring him, he will regain his powers and destroy everything!"
The Nightmare King's face took on a nasty half grin, half glare. "And YOU will stop me?"
"I say, we let him go," Olivia declared. "And I'll go with him."
"No! It's too dangerous!" North refuted her.
"Hear me out," Olivia protested. "If we allow him to go somewhere in his element, then he, in turn, must remain neutral in this planet." The High General turnd to Pitch. "Then, and only then, will we set you on your own."
Pitch cackled in laughter. "I will go whether you want me to or not, my dear! You-"
"Then you'll be stuck in a brightly colored cell for the rest of your days, eating rainbows and glitter!" Ana pointed out.
"I'm giving you a chance," Olivia continued. "We all are, on this one. Let's set aside the fact that we hate each other and commit random acts of kindness towards each other."
"Random acts of kindness?" Bunnymund echoed. "Why should we be kind to him?" The Pooka shot a look at Pitch.
Sandy lept to his feet, floating up to hover above the table. He motioned to Olivia and then to Pitch. A sequence of backpacks and riders on horses materialized over his head.
"Sandy?" North said.
"So... You think they should go?" Tooth questioned the little, golden man. Sandy nodded.
"Then it's settled," Ana confirmed. "They leave immediately."
Pitch and Olivia, led by the stable hand, Mathew, browsed the vast array of equestrians in the stable. The selections were brightly colored ponies, winged pegasi, and unicorns. The types of these creatures ranged from girly to frilly to beautiful. None of them quite, however, matched the tastes of the Nightmare King.
"Are there any nightmares to ride?" Pitch inquired Mathew.
"Um, no," the stable hand replied in his slow, nasally voice. "But there IS the High General's stallion, Thunder."
"Don't even think about it," Olivia whispered to Pitch, who had taken on a slightly interested expression.
"Can you even ride a horse of any kind?" The Boogeyman interrogated.
"Of course, sort of," the High General responded. Mathew stopped at a door and removed a huge ring of keys from his belt. Hand shaking, he unlocked the door, warning the pair to stay out of range. When the lock clicked, the animal inside bashed out, neighing in rage. A massive black stallion with electric teal streaks in its mane and tail reared around the area, causing Mathew to cower down.
Pitch stepped foreward, palms raised, cooing, "Whoa! Easy, easy, boy. Shhhh, that's it."
The horse had the stir crazy gleam in its eye, but ceased to buck and thrash around. Pitch placed one hand on the Thunder and beckoned Olivia foreward. The girl came eagarly, yet calmly. She had experience with animals. The High General whispered, "Hello there, beautiful," to the horse and approached it, palms up.
Olivia started stroking the stallion, beginning with his face and working her way to his mane. Thunder nuzzled Olivia as an old friend, forgetting Pitch.
"I fail to see how you should ride him, and not I," the Nightmare King said.
"He treats me like a trusted friend," Olivia explained. "But if you're so intent on riding him, you can hop on the back."
"I prefer to be the one driving," Pitch said.
Mathew finally stirred, and rose, shaking, to his feet. "I-I have one unicorn that you could ride, sir," he stuttered. The stable boy looked ready to drop to his knees and worship Pitch.
"If you must," the Nightmare King said, waving his hand dimissively.
Mathew scurried off around the corner, leaving the two behind. Pitch turned to Olivia and Thunder, annoyed that this girl would get a horse such as that, while he would have to ride a unicorn! The gall!
Mathew returned with a sparkling, large unicorn with a fluffy mane and tail.
"Hey, hey, lay off, you imbecile! I thought I told you, those other idiots forgot my coffee... AGAIN!" The unicorn growled, jerking away from Mathew. The unicorn's voice had a New Jersey dialect.
"Woah, cool accent, bro!" Olivia exclaimed.
"Hey, tanks, sweetheart," the unicorn reciprocated.
"This is Sir Creampuff," Mathew said, leading the irritated steed to Pitch. "He's the only horse, pegasus, or unicorn that would be suitable for you."
"Why do I have to put up with tat guoy?" Sir Creampuff demanded, studying Pitch with disgust. "And why is he wearin' a dress?!"
"It's a robe," the Nightmare King corrected him, rolling his eyes. "I expect you to respect me... fear me!"
"You have gotta be kiddin' me," Creampuff said, looking at Pitch like the man had just told him the lamest joke of all time. The unicorn turned to Olivia and Thunder. "Who is this guoy?"
"I am Pitch Black, King of Nightmares and the Boogeyman," Pitch introduced himself, at a bit of a sneer.
"Are we going to just sit here and sneer at each other or do you feel like actually going?" Olivia asked.
"Whatever," Pitch said. He began saddling Sir Creampuff up.
Olivia, with help from Mathew, also saddled up Thunder, tossing and securing packs of supplies over and to the large, black horse. The High General clambered up a stool and swung a leg over Thunder. Recalling the horse back riding lessons she had once taken several years back, she adjusted herself into the proper position and stirred Thunder into a brisk trot out of the stables.
Meanwhile, Pitch was experiencing some control issues with Creampuff.
"Let's go, you great beast," the Boogeyman commanded, attempting to spur the unicorn to action.
"Say the magic ward," Creampuff countered.
"Be off, or I shall kick you," Pitch commanded.
"You're already doin' tat," Creampuff snapped. "Now, say please, or The High General will leave you behind."
"Please," Pitch growled through gritted teeth.
"And they're off!" Creampuff ejaculated, galloping through the stables and into the streets. The unicorn flew through the kingdom, sending several citizens diving for cover and Pitch bouncing madly. The Nightmare King threw himself himself onto Creampuff's neck, allowing for less jumbled riding.
Creampuff slowed to a trot and finally a halt at the gates, where Olivia and Thunder idled.
"Oh, joy, the slowpokes bothered to show up," Olivia announced, her voice dripping with annoyance.
"Well, perhaps if you allowed me to ride the horse that cannot talk back, I would have been able to be here faster," Pitch retorted.
"Are you two enemies, friends, or an old, married couple?" Creampuff broached.
"Euh, that's the most disgusting thought anyone's every put in my head all day," Olivia exclaimed.
"So, enemies?" Creampuff guessed.
"Precisely," Pitch said.
"So, why are you goin' off into the blue togetha?" Creampuff continued.
"I am going to the Darklands," Pitch explained, spurring Creampuff along, but he did not move. An expression of terror descended upon the unicorn's face.
"Move," the Nightmare King ordered, and Creampuff stumbled off, silent as a classroom during exams.
The group continued off in silence at a steady trot. Olivia did not mind the lack of dialog, because it gave her time to think. However, these thoughts brought up a question.
"Why DO you want to go to the Darklands, besides the obvious fact that you don't exactly fit it well in this sparkly land?"
"I believe that I shall be able to regain my powers there," Pitch explained. The silence continued.
Olivia reviewed her mental checklist again for the heck of it. She had brought three spare outfits (two were the same to the one she wore now and at dinner last night, the other consisted of black leggings and a black tank top (for stealth)), enough provisions to last them several weeks, various weaponry, including bows, arrows, swords, knives, rainbow whips, knock out glitter, and a scythe, which Pitch carried, a pack, and a hammock. Pitch carried some of the weapons, provisions, and the hammock.
"We're going on an adventure!" Olivia ejaculated, referring to the Hobbit movie and using a higher, British tone. Pitch rolled his eyes and spurred Creampuff along at a bit faster rate.
The journey remained uneventful, as a drive to a vacation location has the infamy of. It also had the false sense of excitement the actual vacation drive held.
"So-o," Olivia began, using her trademark conversation starter.
"Allow me to stop you right there," the Nightmare King interjected.
Olivia slumped down a couple inches, her expression falling in annoyance. "You know, for a guy who feels so alone in the universe, you would think you would want to talk to people for once."
"Not you," Pitch shot back. "And I'm not alone in the universe! What do you take me for?"
Olivia straightened up, cheerful. "Oh, good, so you just don't want to talk to me! I see."
"You're doin' it anyways," Creampuff piped up.
Pitch ignored the pair, his eyes set into the distance.
The crowd continued through the candy forests. The day was pleasant, filled with warm sunshine and dulcet birdsong. It seemed like the perfect day in any world for taking a joyride across the country side.
"So when we get to the Darklands, what are we gonna do?" Olivia asked.
"You can go back to those weirdo Guardians and your friend. I plan to return to our world."
"Hate to break it to ya, Mister, but this is ou' world," Creampuff said.
"No, this girl here brought us all here!" Pitch disagreed.
"Whateva," Creampuff snorted. "Anyways, we need to make a pitstop soon. Snack time's comin' for me and lunch for you two. Plus, I've gotta use the little unicorn's room."
"We do not rest until noon," Pitch declared. "We can stop for a short while, but then we must continue to move."
Creampuff trotted along, mumbling about having give up his afternoon nap to haul this lazy dweeb across the country. The clop of hooves and the chirping of birds occupied the air. The travellers continued on beyond the meadow and into the dappled forest. Moss, mushrooms, and other more normal things populated the floor, but kept the overall theme of Sparkletopia; it was almost enchanted forest-like.
"Uh, Pitchy Poo, I hate to break it to ya, buuuut... This place is giving me that 'evil-concealed-by-cuteness' vibe," Olivia said.
"What? Did I just hear you say, "Pitchy Poo?" Pitch inquired, turning to the girl.
"Yeah, get used to it. It's my new nickname for you," Olivia shot back, glancing around, glaring at squirrels who looked dangerous and staring after suspicious tweety birds.
"You are obviously uneasy about this place," Pitch commented. "Should I hold your hand? Would that make you feel better?"
"No, just watch out. My internal knowing is usually correct," Olivia warned.
"We will wait and see."
It was when Pitch refocued his attention to the path ahead that that a fluffy squirrel attacked his face.
"Arrg, get off!" The Boogeyman roared, clawing at the small creature.
"Nuts!Nuts!Nuts!Nuts!Nuts!" The squirrel chanted in a high pitched squeal. "Nuts!Nuts!Nuts!Nuts!Nuts!"
Pitch ripped the animal from his stormy face and hurled it into the bush.
Olivia breathed in, doing anything to keep from doing the most stupid thing to do: laugh. Pitch swivelled around to face her.
"If a single person gains knowledge of this event, you-" the Nightmare King threatened.
"No need," the High General interrupted. "If you don't want anyone to know, I respect that. We all are intitled to our privacy."
Pitch barked single, harsh laugh. "You insult my name and make a fool of me, and turn around and turn a blind eye to a very embarrassing matter of mine? I knew you were irritating, but a hypocrite? I am disappointed!"
"I believe you make a fool of yourself. And as for me being a hypocrite, my motives are not clear to any but myself," Olivia said. "And by the way, not to be cliquè, but I told you so."
The silence that followed as they manuvered the Forest of Evil Squirrels had a muggy, damp feel to it, as before an approaching storm. Noon, as it appeared, was running late, or perhaps had went off and forgotten his appointment with the travellers. Creampuff worked up on complaints, first about the conditions of the journey, and then on to the fact that the sun was too bright. Pitch constantly interjected snide commentary, or simply told the unicorn to shut up. Olivia had dropped out of the situation and zoned out. However, the High General snapped when Pitch and Sir Creampuff resorted to verbal threats of physical action.
"Okay, can we please stop hating each other? Please?" Olivia begged. "And I think stopping will help decrease grumpiness."
Pitch and Creampuff stared at Olivia like she had been explaining a complex math concept to them.
"Of course, my dear," Pitch said, mockingly. Then, the man steered Creampuff towards a glade in the middle of the forest. Olivia followed in relief. Olivia and Pitch dismounted and Pitch relieved Thunder and Sir Creampuff of the baggage. As he did so, Olivia rummaged through the supplies until she found a stash of preserved rainbow strips. Taking a knife, the High General slit open the package, aiming to keep as much of the packaging intact as she could. The girl removed half the rainbows and folded the empty packaging over to cover up the hole. Olivia distributed the food to the others and replaced the remaining strips in the food supply pack for later.
The group munched on the chewy strips of rainbow in steamy silence. Only Thunder radiated any kind of positive energy. Ana back in Sugaria could have felt the tension between Pitch and Creampuff and the soggy attitude of Olivia. The journey predicted to be as rewarding and as wonderful as getting dunked in ice cold mud-water in the middle of winter.