BitterMint

Chapter 6

Author Notes: It's anniversary day! A whole year since I actually posted this story. Yet, here we are with chapter 6, with a slow progress. Do I feel bad...no. I'm in school and have multiple jobs, it's a miracle I haven't keeled over yet. Now, I do not own Cinderella Phenomenon.

3rd P.O.V

There was a strange sense of deja vu as Pepper found her body twitching awake. Her eyes blinking open as sunlight peers on her little form. "Great..." Once again she's found herself waking up alone in a place that was unfamiliar to her...

A silent groan escapes her lips as she tries standing, only to stumble onto her face. "Ugh." If she didn't know better she felt worse than when she woke up at Fritz's home. She was so tired despite just waking up.

But that was the consequence of using magic on top of being injured. Wait magic? With wide eyes she scampers to her feet as memories resurface. She had found her princess...but then she passed out. "Lucette?!" She twisted all around her.

Yet her favorite red head was nowhere to be seen. "Dammit!" With silent whimpers, Pepper hops off the bed, ignoring her injuries to reach the door. She was so much in a panic that had she actually stopped and looked around the cursed girl would notice how familiar it was.

Both the door and room as a whole. But she wasn't at all focusing on the simple interior. No she wanted out. "How am I going to open this thing?" The damn thing was closed...and of course really high up in the air. Hopping and magic were unfortunately out of the question right now.

"Hmm?" It was then her ears perked up. Footsteps...heading in her direction. "Perfect." Immediately she began scratching the door, hoping to draw the persons attention. "?" And it seemed to be working as she hears those steady sounds make a beeline for her.

They were so close, just a few feet away. "Come on...whoever you are." Pepper winced but increased her scratching attempts. It would all be worth it, she would keep going for as long as it takes. "What's that?" Pepper smiled to herself as her ears perk up.

There was that familiar twist and click of the knob, the person was opening the door. "Eek!" And the little rabbit wasted no time in making a beeline out of there. Silently thanking the girl, as well as apologizing for startling her.

Somehow she would make it up to the person who let her out. But right now Pepper has a princess to find. "Where to go..." The first thing that garnered the enchanted mammal's attention was noise from below...which brought about her next challenge. "Of course..."

She was on the second floor of wherever she was. And that meant stairs. Big, steep ones. "Great. Wonderful..." Well...she had been more or less careful so far with her injuries. Surely she would be fine hopping one step at a time? "Carefully." One paw extended.

Gently applying her weight, only to wince as a harmony of pain shot through her body. Said body was shuddering from the sensation. Giving her that tingly feeling...and she wasn't sure how to react to that. She tried again, only to deal with the same jarring pain, making her groan.

"Ok...maybe not." Two steps were down...and another dozen or so to go. And honestly Pepper was going to silently chew out whoever designed these stairs. They are NOT animal friendly. "For Lucette. Come on." It was an agonizing descend.

Each teeeny step she took felt like needles were jabbing all throughout her body along with that annoying tingly sensation. But still she took deep breaths, resting every couple minutes to get her bearings so she could keep going.

She had to find her surrogate sister. Things would be ok, and a little pain goes a long way. However despite her strong will, it took a good several upon several minutes to make it to the bottom of the staircase. Pretty much ruining that desperate momentum she had going.

By the time she made it to the bottom floor she was a breathless mess. Silently hissing as her entire body forced her to lay down. "Ugghhhhhh." Her ears perked up again as footsteps started walking in her direction. Immediately annoying her.

Not that she wasn't proud of her efforts, but if there was someone she could piggyback on at least for a couple of the stairs it WOULD have been nice. "Ooohh aren't you a delightful little thing." And then she's picked up. Again it would've been nice five minutes ago.

Pepper was not impressed with the crimson haired woman staring back at her with amused green eyes. She looked familiar, but the cursed girl was too tired and grumpy to care. "Quite the little hero we have here. The princess thought you'd still be asleep."

Ok never mind, the black and white rabbit was awake and definitely interested in the maiden. "Where is she!?" The stranger laughs as Pepper pats her arm, eager to know. "Come come, the Ice Princess awaits." For the moment Pepper ignores that nickname.

She could always bite the woman AFTER seeing Lucette. So as strong as her desire to nibble on the expensive looking dress was, she holds off and lets the eccentric woman happily carry her into what looks like a tavern.

Immediately Pepper cringes as the volume grows the further they go in. "It's so loud." Her sharp hearing made it an absolute nightmare. People were bustling and chatting up a series of storms. "Ohhhh Princess? I got a present for you~" But it would be worth it.

Because there, with her infamous scowl on her face(actually...it doesn't look as intense as it usually does) with a tray full of food was Princess Lucette. "?" And the moment she turned around with her golden orbs looking at the crimson haired noblewoman Pepper leaped.

Much to every nearby individual's astonishment Pepper landed gracefully on her favorite red head without a single thing falling from the tray. "Pepper? How did you get out? I thought you were asleep." Without even meaning to Lucette smiles, soaking in the loving nuzzles she was receiving.

Completely unaware of the audience. "That's twice I've woken up alone with you nowhere in sight. I was going to find a way out even if I had to chew that door to pieces. Fortunately for me someone was nearby and accidently opened it for me." Golden eyes were still tinged with confusion.

But that was fine. "Hey where's my order?" There were bigger questions at hand. "Coming." Lucette sighs resting her head a moment on Pepper's before whispering quietly. "We have a lot to discuss." Indeed they did.

Though Pepper was incredibly amused as it seems her charge seems to have forgotten something important. That the telepathy spell cast all those years ago was a two way street. "Walk and mentally talk Princess. I don't think I could handle sitting on your shoulder in silence when there's so much going on."

Lucette's mouth opens for a moment, looking absolutely befuddled. It wasn't an expression she often makes but when she does Pepper can't stop herself from laughing. Honestly it wasn't a surprise the royal forgot.

She was so used to hiding in her room she never had to worry about being eavesdropped on. "Oh...I forgot about that." Why would she speak with her mind when there was no need to? Well at least for now she had to get used to it.

"First and foremost Lucette. Are you hurt?" While delivering the tray, Pepper gets a head shake. Good, she wasn't injured in any way shape or form. Next question...and probably the most complicated one.

At least for now. "Is Delora the reason you're out here acting as a servant girl?" As much as Pepper liked the blue dress she was wearing, the fact that the noble teen was surrounded by a bunch of people that were sending sneers in her direction made the furry being angry.

They better watch it, because Pepper was due for a good chewing. And Delora(especially if she was behind this) was at the top of the list. "Yes. But there's a lot going on. She gave me the Cinderella's curse." Cinderella?

Now Pepper despite being a fairy wasn't the biggest fan of fairytales. She lost a lot of friends due to them, and though the stories were harmless enough, just left a nasty taste in her mouth. She knows the stories, and she couldn't really understand why Lucette got that particular curse.

Cinderella was about a peasant girl that was abused by her family until her fairy godmother got her dressed up for a ball to meet her prince and live happily ever after. Lucette was already a princess. And though isn't in love with a prince, is in love with somebody.

It seems her confusion showed as Lucette sighs, explaining while heading to the front to get another tray of food. "Instead of rags to riches, my curse is riches to rags. No one with the exception of witches, fairies and the cursed remembers I'm the crown princess and must do three good deeds to break it."

Well...now that's one way of twisting a fairytale. "Three good deeds and the curse breaks? Shouldn't be too hard at all." As much as the red haired appreciated Pepper's sincere confidence in her...Lucette wasn't so sure.

"They apparently can't just be any three good deeds. According to Parfait they need to come from the heart, and be genuine." Again Pepper didn't see the problem. "Parfait? Like the dessert?" A smirk formed as Lucette choked for a moment.

Doing her utmost to hold in a laugh. "That's better. Look, I don't know what happened in the time I was unconscious but calm down. I'll help you through this. You'll complete your deeds and you'll get your happily ever after." At the mention of her down time Lucette's expression sobers.

Gentle fingers rub against the top of her furry head. "You've been unconscious for several days now. All I could do was watch over you in between shifts. I'm so sorry you got hurt because of me Pepper. And that you woke up all alone." A small sigh escapes the tiny mammal as she allows herself to be pet.

"I'd do it over and over so long as you were safe. It all worked out...though there's a few people that are on my bad list. Delora. Those bastards that attacked you in town. Fritz-" It was a good thing Pepper knew Lucette as well as she did.

Because she was well prepared for when the girl stumbles, catching herself so that the two of them don't faceplant into the floor. "F-Fritz? What did he do?" Ohh time may've passed but the humiliation she felt was clear as day.

It was going to take time and some good bribing treats to earn her trust again. "The moron put me in a cold bath. Scrubbed me up like I was a child-and then while looking for you kept reprimanding me for sneezing assuming it was too cold outside." Pepper watches her bite her lip.

That hidden smile was on the surface of her face. "Cold?" Well...at least someone got a kick out of it. "Yes. Cold water. Not warm or even lukewarm! He's lucky I'm not a typical rabbit because if I didn't know from you what an oblivious moron he could be i'd have assumed he was trying to kill me!"

The smile grows just a tad bigger. "I'm sure it wasn't that bad." At this point Pepper's not sure if her adopted sister was being serious or not...but she's awakened her ranting wrath. "It seems your friend is finally awake princess. That's great!" However before it could begin both girls turn to the young voice.

It was the boy from that night. The one that tried to protect Lucette before help arrived. "Hello Waltz." Pepper tilts her head as she and him get into a mini staring contest. There was a strange...outline surrounding the boy.

Nothing malicious in his gaze or his outline but she could automatically tell it was his magic. And it was stronger than hers. "Not fair." Lucette looks down at her in confusion. "Is something wrong?" That question came out loud, much to both girls' surprise.

Though it seemed to snap Waltz out of his own stare down. Him looking sheepish as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Princess...is that rabbit cursed by any chance?" Pepper felt her fur stand on end at that remark. How...did he know?

"What?" And it seems to have caught her human companion off guard as well. "Wh-why would you think that?" Pepper snorts, Lucette was many things, but she wasn't a good liar when put on the spot. And her reaction caused quite the blush to form.

If the risk of their secrets being exposed wasn't the case right now Pepper would've laughed. "Delora mentioned after cursing you that she ran into your friend here shifting forms. But even without that, there's a magic outline surrounding her. Most spellcasters wouldn't notice but it sticks out to me."

Ohhhh Pepper was going to kill Delora. "She's TELLING people about me?!" Lucette winced, easily able to hear her screeching frustration. "Are you alright princess?" Despite having a very pissed off rabbit on her shoulder Lucette managed to give a somewhat convincing smile.

"Fine. I need to find Parfait and Delora. If you'll excuse me." There was a sinking feeling in Pepper's stomach(not that she could tell with her anger) as Lucette steered them towards the back storage room. And that sinking feeling turned into downright dread when she officially meets Delora and Parfait.

to be continued

Author Notes: Ok lots of dialogue, specifically Pepper talking. Italics are telepathy. I know I pretty much repeat this in like...every single chapter but at this point I need the reminder lol. But that is it for now folks.

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all so much for reading this series. If you like what you see so far please feel free to fav/follow/review as it would mean a crap ton to me. I'll see you next time, tchao for now.