Chapter 3: the girl with no memories
Pitch's POV
When i woke up I was in a well lit room in what clearly was Norths workshop. The girl that looked like Fellandia lying on a beth in thesame room and looked like she was peacefully asleep.
"Could it be you survived...could it be after all these years... i found you" I thought as i got up and walked to her, but something stopped me. And when i looked down i saw why... those blasted Guardians had chained me to the bethi was in. Figures... they probably thought i would escape or be up to no good the minute i woke up. Not that this was very effective... i could just melt into the shadows when i was sure the girl was okay… no one could stop me from escaping…. No one….
"I see your awake" I looked up towards the door, only to see North was standing there while holding a plate of milk and cookies. Bleh I hope thos weren't meant for ME! My already injured dignity wouldn't be able to take that after today! "how is girl?"
"well, I was about to go and check on her but…" I made a sad face before I made the chain around my wrist clatter loudly. "I am afraid I am a little… tied"
"you would have checked on girl if you weren't?" North asked a little suprised as he put the plate down next to the girl, before he shot me a rather suprised look. Making me look up at him with a raised eyebrow before rolling my eyes. That I want people to believe in me doesn't means I am a monster. I thought those idiots had understood that by now.
"well yes she did save my skin after all just now" I replied with a annoyed growl. "I might be a lot north but I am not UNGRATEFUL"
As I said this I looked towards the girl, who let out a soft grunt, before she sat up and looked around while trembling. Her eyes widening when her eyes fell on North.
"were… were am I?" The girl asked with a small look as she looked around still a bit dazed by whatever she had done to chase away the nightmares. "were is that…"
she started to ask, but stopped when her eyes fell on me. My hearth again skipped a beat when our eyes met. She looked so match like Fellandia… yet she didn't seemed to record-ice me.
"well maybe she hit her head really hard in the crash" a voice in my head told me as the girl also kept her eyes locked on mine without saying a word "amnesia could explain why he doesn't seemed to record-ice me as Prism"
"are you okay?" The girl asked, making me look up at her with a suprised look, not really used to be treathed with respect anymore… not that someone was worried for me.
"I am fine, what about you miss…" I asked, curious to know her name, still having the feeling this might be Fellandia who had lost her memories…
"Feria… My name is Feria…"the girl flushed a little at beig called a "miss" for some reason. "and yeah…. I am fine… just… a little headace from… whatever just happened"
"you melted nightmares with this" and as he said "this" Santa held up the silver scepter, which turned back into a broom when Feria touched it. making everyone in the room gasp in suprise. "w…what? How did you do that?"
"I… I don't know…I….I have always been able to do that… as long as I can remember…"Feria replied slowly, while she gazed at the broom in her hand with a dull look. "maybe also before that but…. I don't know…"
"what do you mean: you don't know mate?" The Easter bunny asked as he and the other Guardians entered the room as well, shooting Feria curious looks as they did so.
"I mean; "I really don't remember anything before age six" Feria answered with a little edge in her voice that betrayed that she was annoyed by those Guardians, which made me chuckle on the inside. She had thesame short temper as Fellandia. "when I was found with no memories from before that"
"you still don't remember ANYTHING from before age six then?" I asked a little shocked as a realization suddenly dawned on me: Fellandia had been age six when she dissapeared! Which made me look at her with wide eyes… could it be…. Could it actually be…. I found her… after all these years….
"no… the nurses in the hospital gave me the name "Feria" after they found me… a six year old girl…. Wandering the streets off St. Petersburg…" Feria answered, before she looked me straight in the eye. Making another wave of familliarity went through me as she did so. "H…have we met before? "
"not that I remember… how come?" I asked as I kept my eyes firmly locked on hers. Having a feeling she didn't asked me this without a reason. And I was curious to found out why she asked me… especially if she was who I thought she was.
"I really have no idea but…" the brunette cocked her head as she sat on the side of her beth and reached for me with one trembling hand. "your voice…. Your eyes… they look and sound so…. Familliar… but I can't remember were from…"
I saw Bunny and North share a shocked look as I got off the beth and walked to this girl… this Feria… as far as the chain around my arm let me… Feria didn't fell afraid… she also didn't flinched… she just…. She just looked at me… with those beatifull blue eyes off hers… Fellandia's eyes…
"what do you remember?" I asked as I sat down close to her as to not come over as intimidating. Knowing that wouldn't do any good in this situation. At this question Feria got up and walked to the window, looking out of it for a moment before she started to sing.
"they say i was found…. Buy the side of the road.
There were tracks all around… it had recently snowed…
In the darkness and cold, with the wind in the trees.
A girl with no name and no memories but these
Feria looked up at the Guardians as she said this, before she turned to me, shooting me a little smile before she went on.
Rain against a window
Sheets upon a beth
Terrefying nurses, whispering overhead.
Call the child; Feria
Give the child a hat
I don't know a thing before that….
The guardians shot each other a sad look as she said this, clearly pityful state the girl must have lived in up until now.
Traveling the back roads, sleeping in the woods
Stealing what i needed, working when i could.
Keeping up my courage.
Foolish as it seems
At night all alone in my dreams.
In my dreams, shadows call, there's a light at the end of the hall
Then my dreams… fade away
But i know it will all come back one day….
I could see her eyes got dreamyat the thought off her memories returning one day, so her dreams would make sense once again. Which made me smile a little, knowing her dreams would come true one day if she was who I thought she was.
i dream of a starship, beyone all compare..
Is it the moon clipper? The moon clipper…
A beatifull ballroom, a deck like a square
And I hear a voice whisper; i'll meet you right there!
On top deck… on top deck…
I looked at her with big wide eyes, since no one knew the moon clipper was actually a starship…. Making the "what if" calling voice in my head only louder, as Feria turned around to look at us.
"you don't know what it's like, not to know who you are
To have lived in the shadows… and traveled this far.
I've seen flashes of fire, heard the echo of screams.
But i still have this faith in the truth of my dreams.
In my dreams… it's all real
And my hearth has so match to reveal.
And my dreams, seemed to say;
Don't be afraid to go on
Don't give up hope come what may.
I know it all will come baaaaaaack!
One daaaaaaay!
Fellandia stood on her beth as she sang the last part with her arms in the air. Smiling brightly as she looked up at the roof.
"so…. Let me get this clear…. You walked all the way from st. Petersburg to Burges?" Bunnymund asked with wide eyes, making Feria looked up at him with a suprised look from were she was still standing. "that must have been quite the travel"
"it was quite the journey… but i had no choice" Feria replied, giving the Pooka a stern look as she said this. "seeing i have no money whatsoever"
"how do you eat then?" the tooh fairy asked worriedly, placing a hand on bunny's shoulder as she did so as a sign he had to watch his temper. "you have to eat to survive… right?"
"I did… and I still do…" Feria replied matter-of-factly with her arms in her side and a stern look on her face, that went to shame not to long after. "meaning i had to either work for money… or… well…. Steal…"
She looked down as she said this last part, knowing all full well that stealing was wrong. Yet she had probably been left with no other choice many times… unless you counted going to sleep hungry that is.
"then, when was last time you ate now?" North asked as he sat down on the beth next to Feria.
"a while ago" Feria admitted as she plopped on the beth on her bottom now, eying the plate of milk and cookies on the bethstand next to her with a half eye as she spoke. "and I am quite hungry…"
"here, you need eat. Gain strenght" North replied calmly as he plopped the plate down in her lap. I saw Feria eyed me worriedly as she brought one of the cookies to her mouth, lowering again when she saw i was looking at her calmly. Making her smile and get up and sit down next to me on the floor before she handed me a few as wel.
"you also need to gain strenght… those things must have done a number on you as well" Feria smiled, match to the suprise of North, while Tooth had to hold Bunny back from moving in to take the cookie away from me. I only gasped as I looked at her as she closed my hand around her, not used to kindness like this anymore. "what were those things anyway?"
"Nightmares " I replied simply as i took a small bite from the cookie Feria had placed in my hand. "I can create those out of the dreamsand the sandman produces"
"why? Aren't nightmares a bad thing" Feria asked while biting into her own cookie. "I hate having a nightmare… their aways so scary"
"which is something I enjoy since I am the nightmare king and all" I replied with a hinch of pride in my voice. "the spirit of fear"
"i understand… and fear can be a good thing" Feria remarked wisely as she took a sip from her milk. "fear teaches us to stay out of dangerous situations… but just not all the time"
"interesting point of vieuw" i commanded as I calmly looked at North, who looked at me with a rather suprised look. He probably hadn't expected me to react so calmly on that statement. Asshole… that I had wanted to plunge the world into another dark age doesn't mean i am right out terrible like say; obscures… whoms name still send a shiver down my spine. "Try and tell THEM tho"
As I said "them" I nodded to the guardians, whom looked at me with narrowed eyes, while Feria looked at them with a suprised look. Odd…. She must have heard the stories about what happened at the very least.
"Your the Guardians right? The tooth fairy, the easter bunny, sand man and santa claus…." Feria asked with a cocked head. "I heard a lot of stories about you"
"indeed we are, and this…" North smiled as he nodded to Jack Frost whom was standing a little akwardly in the back. "is the newest guardian…. Jack Frost"
"Nice to meet you Jack Frost" Feria smiled hearthingly. "My name is Feria… I don't know my last name but I am trying to figure that out as we speak"
"How?" the easter Bunny asked me a little suprised as he took one firm step towards the two of us sitting on the floor. "you got any clues? Any memories?"
"nothing… I only have "this" to help me find my way" and when she said "this" she pulled a little golden necklace from beneath her clothes that made me gasp for air. THE KEY! She had the key! The key to the music box Lunar had given to Fellandia on our last day on the moon clipper. How did she come by that!? Could it really be….
"she doesn't remembers her last name, she looks exacly like Fellandia AND she doesn't remembers ANYTHING from before age six!" a voice in my head whispered while Feria… Fellandia… told the Guardians something in the background. "and now it also turns out that she has the key to the music box Lunar gave Fellandia right before the end! Go figure who this…"
i stopped mid thought when a soft hand was placed on mine. I looked up and saw Feria was only a few inches away from my face. Looking rather worried for some reason… again a pang of emotions went throught my body as she looked at me with a worried look. Thesame worried look Fellandia used to give me whenever something was up with me.
"hey are you alright? You were staring out before you like you saw a ghost" Feria remarked as a gentle hand covered my forehead. My first impulse was to pull away. Why was she checking my temperature anyway? Why did she care whether I was ill or not? Did she even realize I am a spirit and can't really het anything THAT … I stopped mid-thought when Feria gently took me close and lied me down on the beth. Just in time as well as the world suddenly started to spin around me… and before I could protest or even try to get away from Feria… my world litterly turned pitch black around me… oo the bitter, bitter irony…
Normal POV
After Fellandia's medallion had come from under the ragged clothes of Feria, Feria noticed Pitch had started to stare out before him… almost like he was in a trance… making Feria gently scooped closer to him and placed a gentle hand on his forehead.
"Hey! Hey are you alright?" Feria asked with a worried look. But no reply followed… it was like the man she had saved was in a totally diffrent world.
"don't worry. Pitch is nightmare king… real troublemaker… no need to worry about him" North reassured Feria, seeing the brunette was still looking very worried.
'He he pure evil! He tried to plunge the world into another dark age right before you came along" Jack Frost added, shooting Pitch a dark glare, that turned into worry when Feria ignored their commands and lied a gentle hand on Pitch's forehead. The guardian of fun had thought that Pitch would make a fuss or even put up a fight to save face. But no reply, nor attack followed… which was very unlike what Jack had seen of Pitch up until now.
"He has a frightfully high fever!" Feria called while looking at the guardians with a shocked look.
THe guardians looked at her with a rather shocked look but no reply followed... none off them moved in to help him. Making Feria gasp in shock as a vage image shot through her head.
Shadows moved around a little boy wearing all black clothes that looked very badly injured. A girl wearing a beatiful light green gown sat next to him and held the hurt boy closely in her arms, tears shimmering in her bright blue eyes as she looked at the shadow creatures that looked equally as scared as the girl as they closed in on the two childeren. Slissing in a unknown language as they did so.
"Leave him alone! Leave him alone please!" The girl in the green gown begged as she took the boy close to her hearth. "All he did was safe my life and then i made him launch! He doesn't deserves to be punished for that!"
Gently the girl pulled the boy in her lap, who was visicly shivering in fear, and rocked him to calm him down as the shadows moved in on both of them without saying a word.
In the present Feria gasped as she shook up from that... memory? Was it even a memory? She couldn't remember... but what she did know was that Pitch looked a lot like that boy the girl in the green gown held in her arms in her memory. Making Feria smile fondly as she lied Pitch down in the beth (thanking whatever deity might be listening the man wasn't that heavy as she did so) noticing a small smile on his face as she pulled the covers over him and grabbed a bowl standing on the nightstand to fill it with water to bring his fever down, since she had made up her mind. Even if she had to melt ICE by making fire with her bare hands to get water she was going to help this poor man to get better… and no one would be able to stop her or change her mind.
"what are you going to do?" Feria heard Santa claus ask behind her, whom watched in awe as she waked to the bathroom that was included in the room and started to fill the bowl with water, grabbing a towel on the way out to dip into the water and bring his fever down.
"Help him... no matter how hard you protest i am not leaving him to his faith like this" Feria stated firmly as she sat down with the water bowl in her lap and the towel in her hand to cool down the former nightmare kings fever. "He is still a living breathing being and should be treathed as such"
With these words she started to dip the towel in the cool water before gently wiping the thing gently over pitch's forehead to bring his fever down. Smiling softly when the man she had saved started to groan as a sign he was starting to wake up.
"How are you not afraid of him?" Jack frost asked as he sat down next to the girl and looked at the unconcious nightmare king. "I mean...you know what he did right?"
"You guys just told me so yes" Feria replied with a little annoyed edge to her voice as she kept herself to her work. "And... call it odd but i just... i don't think he actually that scary looking... and what he did... i... I think that was only tough act... i don't think he... he is actually like that... you know? That there is more to him then meets the eye"
"Well..." Jack looked at Pitcn with a thoughtful look. Remembering his words at Antartica... the way he had looked at him when he yelled "to long for... a family" that day... he hadn't looked like that was a plot to decieve him... he had honestly looked like he was longing for a family... "who knows... he did refuse to just abandon you and flee which is very unlike him to be honest"
"See?" Feria smirked, keeping the towel over Pitch's forehead with a triomphantic smile on her face. "Everyone has a spark of good in them... somethimes you just gotta be brave and reach for it"
"Wait! Just... hold up mate... Pitch? Might have some good inside him?" Bunnymund asked, ears up in a shocked way as he let out a good humored chuckle. "No way mate! No way that scumbag has any good inside!"
"How do you know? Have you ever tried to reach out to him? Offer a way back?" Feria asked firmly, making Bunnymund raise his paw up to say something before realizing; "no" they had never tried to look for any good inside... nor did they ever offer a way out of the darkness... making him lower his finger again.
"No..." the Pooka admitted with a ashamed look as he looked down.
"Then how can you know he is all bad?" Feria asked sounding very calm, tho her eyes told she wasn't calm at all.
"She has a point there cotton tail" Jack remarked, looking his fellow Guardian in the eye as he spoke calmly. "Remember? you thought I was nothing but trouble until recently as well... and i proved you wrong... maybe if given a chance he could as well"
To that Bunny had nothing to say, knowing what the girl said was true. Looking on calmly as Feria gently wiped the wet towel over Pitch's head as the former nightmare king groaned, slowly regaining consciousness
Pitch's POV
groaning i woke up, Noticing i was still in north workshop. CRAP! That wasn't a dream! Nor was that girl that looked like Fellandia, who was currently wiping a towel over my face with a worried look in her beatiful golden eyes... wait what!? Why was she looking so worried? I am the nightmare king for badness sake! I didn't needed this girl's pity! And besides... i couldn't die anyway... so why was she so worried for nothing?
"Stay down... your having quite the high fever" the girl... Feria she said her name was... said when she saw i had woken up and had wanted to try and sit up. The indignity! She wasn't going to order the nightmare king around! Whether she was Fellandia or not.
"I'm fine! I'm fine! Don't fret, spirits can't..." i started to protest, but stopped when i got a coughing fit. DAMN IT! That isn't helping my already injured dignity!
" I know you can't die of illness. But that doesn't means i should abandon you to your fate when you get ill" Feria said calmly. Which made me halt mid protest to look at her with a mixture of shock and suprise on my face as a memory took over;
"That your not my own flesh and blood doesn"t mean I should abandon you to your fate dear one" the Tsarina had told me right after I had saved Lunar and Felandia and Fellandia had made me launch as she took care of my wounds. The wounds my people... the shadowlings as we were known... had given me... and all because i could somehow Prism... which made light reflect from my body... something the other shadowlings couldn't stand.
I had fled the scene as soon as i saw the other shadowlings move in on me. Pulled myself lose from Fellandia's warm embrace, even tho i really wanted to stay there... not wanting the prince and the princes to see me when my people would beat me up... but they came looking for me... they didn't had to but nevertheless they did... and when they saw i was hurt... they didn't abandoned me to my faith... instead they brought me to the moon clipper and to their loving parents who gave me the happiest three years off my life before obscures came and ruined it all...
"She just perfectly quoted the Tsarina... het late mother... if it is her at least... but... how can i be..." I started to think... but i stopped mid thought when i already came up with the answer... black plague... if i could convince him to help "train" Feria to "pretent" to be the princes there was a big chance those "lessons" would jog her memories. "And if she isn't who I think she is i might as well let Plague concince Lunar that she is the princes since he has the music box"
"You ok?" Feria asked me worriedly as she held a cold wet towel over my forehead. "You've gotten awfully quite all off a sudden"
"Yeah... yeah i am fine... i was just... thinking about something" i replied as i made up my mind. I had to at least try and see if this was her. If not i would forever walk around with the "what if" in my head anyway. "About what you told me"
"What about it?" Feria asked with a cocked head, and i could see those damn guardians also looked at me with a mixture of confusion and suspicion on their faces. Not getting what i meant either... good. Better kept them guessing until the very end to prevent a repeat of what happened at the end of my last plan.
"Well i know only one other person that disappeared at age six and had a necklace like that" as i said "that" i nodded to the necklace that stuck out a little above her shirt. "So i was thinking... If it IS you... you found your family... your past... everything... and if it isn't you...
"Then it will be a honest mistake... " Feria realized as she looked at me with a big bright smile on her face that made it almost look like her face lit up... strange... had to be the lightfal in the room. "Either way it will get me onto the moon clipper and one step closer to finding out who i am! Prism thats so smart"
"Indeed" i agreed, flushing when Feria... a girl i had only met a few hours ago suddenly hugged me! Not just that... i gasped when i realized Feria had just adressed me by my childhood name! No one knew my childhood name back here on earth! Only Nightlight, Lunar, Fellandia and their parents knew that... "you...might wanne let me go now...before one of those guardians faint"
"Oo... eeeh sorry" Feria called, a blush crossing over her cheecks, allowing me to breath... "so... how do we start?"
I took a deep breath and looked towards the high windows, knowing I had to make a tough call if i wanted to do this... Plague might not have taken my last "no" to well... with him you never knew... convincing him was sure going to be fun... in a vety... sarcastic way.
" well to get started we need an expert in manners, etiquette's... the whole circus" I started, looking at the Guardians who were currently glaring at me. They sure didn"t trusted me.. that was for sure. "I know a man... but to go and get him i will have to leave for a while... without anyone to guard me... this person might need some convincing and I don't want anyone to see that"
"Not really... not unless you weren't talking about me old friend" a deep voice called from one of the high windows. I looked up and saw the black hooded figure with the foot long red cross on the back off his hood i knew all to well. Making me break into a big smirk.
"Well, well, well your as fast as ever when your name is called" i smirked as i looked up at the hooded figure, who removed his hood as he sat down in the window frame, revealing his face. The guardians gawked at the pale white face with the Bubo's and blisters while Feria got behind me in a frightent way. "Black plague..."
Feria fainted
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
And with that said i end the chapter! I hope you al enjoyed it!
A/N
The song "in my dream" is from the musical version of Anastacia! All rights reserved to them!
Black plague's return and why he was so fast to appear after being mentioned will be explained in future chapters. So stay tuned.
That was all for now, i hope you enjoyed reading this as match as i enjoyed writing this!
REVIEW!