Chapter 4; azure
Normal POV
the next few weeks Pitch had to stay in beth to recover from a serious aftermath of losing all his powers once again, while Feria started her princes training with Black Plague in hopes of recovering hidden memories.
This proved to be a bigger task then anticipated. Not because Feria was unwilling to try and remember anything (she would have said "no" in the first place if she had been) but because Black plague's appearance TERREFIED Feria, making the poor girl tripped or stumbled more times then she could count. Making if took all of Plague's patience not to yell at the poor girl, knowing this would only make matters worse and ruin any chance at the reward money.
"No, no your highness, you need to keep your ellbows in more, head firm. Try again..." Plague sighted one morning about three weeks later, just as Pitch entered the room, who was (according to his own judgement) already feeling a lot better and wanted to see how things were going. "Try again... From the top"
"You really don't see what"s happening here don't you?" Pitch asked, leaning on the doorpost as he spoke. Smirking when his friend pinched the bridge of his nose when Feria dropped the top of the teapot once again. "She is confusing things and tripping up so match out of fear, not out of forgetfullnes or unwil to do things right"
"How do you..." Plague started to ask, but stopped and facepalmed when he saw it was Pitch he was talking to. "Urg ofcourse... you know people's biggest fears..."
"Thats one of the perks of being the boogyman" Pitch smirked as he walked over to Feria, who looked up from her work with a suprised look. "Meaning i can also do something to help you"
"What are you doing here? You should be in beth?" Feria remarked with a hint of accusation in her voice that made Plague snicker. Princes or no princes that girl had guts... not many dared to speak to Pitch like that. "Your still very ill"
"Don't worry Feria I already feel a lot better" Pitch reasured her as he used his black nightmare sand to form a fake teapot, which he then handed to Feria. "See? And i will go back if I start to feel faint again, promise. But right now i can help you"
"I see" Feria remarked, a slight blush crossing over her face as Pitch took her hands in his own and gently started to adjust her pose to what he remembered the Tsarina doing when she poured tea to guest when he had been young. Making Feria managed to pour the black sand tea into the cup without spilling the content this time. Match to the delight of Pitch and the astonishment of Black Plague "HEY! did you see that? I can do it!"
"Yeah, and all you needed to do... to maken it work was concentrate" Pitch remarked, looking at Feria's hands... still in his own to hide he was also slightly blushing. "Just try and compare the things you got to learn to things you had to do until now in order to survive"
"You might have to explain that one to me" Black Plague commanded, while sitting down on a nearby chair. "Because i don't see what's so diffrent between what you just did and what I have been doing all along"
"She wasn't raised as royalty...Plague. not that she remembers anyway" Pitch explained as simply as possible while cleaning away the mess Feria had made before. "She was raised like all the mortals here on earth... work to survive, take care off yourself and all of that nonsense..."
"So?" Plague asked with a raised eyebrow, not really getting what Pitch was getting at.
"So she will do better if you compare the things she has to learn to those basic tasks she had to use every day until now in order to survive" Pitch smiled a little as he handed Feria a tray and made a gesture to tell her to place it on her head, which Feria did tho a little confused. "Ever been a waitress Feria?"
"Yes, twice even" Feria admited with a bright smile on her face. "Once in catherineburg and ones in burges until right before i found you"
"Okay, then i want you to relax... close your eyes and pretent your at work carrying three trays at once" Pitch told the brunette with a calm look, before grabbing two heavy books from a shelve and placed one on each of her hands after adjusting her pose. "Order up"
As Pitch said this Feria started to walk to imaginary tables... foot by foot with the posture off a queen. Match to the astonishment of Black Plague who had been trying to get her to do this for the past three weeks.
"How in the blue blazes did you manage to get her to do that?" the spirit of the Black Death asked gawking as Feria also managed to do a perfect curtseye as she delivered the "trays" to the designated "tables"
"she did Plague, because the memories are still there… burried deep inside" Pitch remarked calmly as he gave his friend a stern look. "like I said when you just got here; she just needs the right motivator to call them up"
"and you forgot to mention this earlier…. Why exacly?" Black plague asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I dunno, maybe i was a bit pre-occupied with being ill and all of that" Pitch replied with a shrug, looking up at Feria when she placed a blanket around his shoulders with a worried look in her blue eyes. "must have slipped my mind"
"well mister forgetful… I hope your ill health didn't made you forget we only have one shot at this" Black Plague remarked, rubbing one hand over his face. "if we go to the moon clipper with the girl we believe to be Fellandia and she turns out to be a fake we will be arrested at best"
"a…and at worst?" Feria asked, turning pale at the idea of what might happen to her friends if she turned out to not be the one Lunar had been looking for.
"we could be put to death without a trail for what we did" Pitch replied as calmly as possible, tho the hidden undertone in his voice betrayed he two was rather nervous about the idea. "so the stakes are high"
"then we better take training up a few notches" Feria stated matter-of-factly. "Continue your lessons... i don't wanne be the death of either one of you... even tho one of you scares the pants off of me"
"Well that is only natrual... he is still one of the most terrefying and deathliest diseases around" Pitch shrugged, shooting Plague a sad look as he did so. "People shiver at the very mention of his name, yet they don't know Plague himself can be a very nice person"
"He doesn't bares the impression on me..." Feria crossed her arms as she said this, making Pitch chuckle. Thinking this was a very Fellandia thing to do. "up till now he came off as his disease... cruel and unforgiving..."
"Thats just show... deep down he cares believe me... its just that..." Pitch looked to the side rubbing his hand over his other upper arm with a sad look in his eyes. "Sixteen hundrud years in isolation changes a spirits vieuw on things... believe me..."
"Anyone would..." Feria admitted, looking up at Pitch with a sad look. "If i had been not believed in and invisible for everyone for over sixhundred eigty-eight years... well... i would have grabbed to extremes and done anything to be believed in as well..."
This made Pitch look up at her with a suprised look, not having expected to hear Feria say she understood why he he had wanted to plunge the world into another dark age... something like that hadn't happened often... not since Fellandia...
"They have so match in comman that it's almost impossible that this is cooincidence" Pitch thought as he gave Feria a fond smile. "Yet the "how?" question remains... how did she manage to survive that crash... who helped her... and were has she been ever since?"
As Pitch thought about this Feria walked to Black Plague and looked over his shoulder into a book that showed a picture of the royal Lunanoff family right before everything went downhill. Fellandia wearing her royal dress looked at the painter with a mischievous grin while her brother Lunar held a arm around his sister in a loving way. Behind them on either side stood Nightlight and Prism. Both with their hands behind their backs as they calmly looked at the painter.
" that's Pitch as a kid" Feria mumbled as she looked at the picture with a sad look. "My he always looked that pale"
"He did... " Plague commanded, looking half over his shoulder at Feria, who looked the other way the instand their eyes met, since she still thought Plague looked scary. "It's due to his species he looks like that"
"Shadowling... his species are named; shadowlings... right?" Feria asked, placing a hand on her head as vague memories appeared into her head. "We visited their planet for negotiations... and... and he saved us from falling down a cliff"
Feria looked up at Pitch, who had to sit down to cover up he was about to faint, thats how shocked he was that Feria knew were he came from... how they met... since only Fellandia and Lunar had known that...
"From the look on Pitches face you got that right my dear" Plague smiled, taking in Pitch with a worried look as he spoke. "Your not gonna faint right?"
"Wouldn't dream of it" Pitch retored smirking, before clearing his troath. "But we should realy get back to training now... something about a... tight schedule... i recalled you saying just now old friend?"
"Indeed, indeed" Plague smiled, ushering Feria back to her spot to pick up the lessons "tho this little "talk" proved useful to our cause.. since it sparked some of her memories"
"Tho not match..." Feria stated, looking from Plague to Pitch with a sad look. "I can't remember more then a few things still despite all of your efforts.."
"She has a point there Plague... our techniques work but way to slow..." Pitch remarked, stroking his chin deep in thought. "For this to work we might need a diffrent strategy"
"How do you even become... the person you've forgotten you ever were?" Feria now wondered out loud.
"Well that one is actually rather easy! Just take a deep breath..." Pitch smiled, placing a hand on Feria's shoulder as he did so. "Close your eyes... and imagine and diffrent time... a whole diffrent world"
"You were born in a palace here on earth"
"A palace here on earth?" Feria repeated looking up at the roof with a pondering look, trying to remember what it must have looked like. "Weird idea"
"You owned it as well" Pitch remarked with a small smile on his face.
"On earth you had horses and rode with your father when only three"
"Me? And horses? NO" Feria stated, crossing her arms in protest.
Favorite horse?
Romeo
You had tantrums and then demanded CAKE
All servants turned bleak
"Stubborn child" Pitch smirked while making the command, because it was a fond memory he had off Fellandia "Once a week"
"But you'd behave when your father gave that look" Both man gave Feria a very stern look. Making Feria look at them and grin at the idea of her fathers face in that moment.
Imagine how it was
your long forgotten past
We've lots and lots to teach you and the time is going fast!
"Well then, continue on" Feria smiled as she looked from Pitch black to Black Plague, whom immidiatly adjusted her stance for the next lesson.
"Okay then! Let's see you walk. Head up! Reagal bearing" Plague instructed as he placed a book on her head once more.
"Now, shoulders back and stand up tall" Plague instructed as Pitch helped her with her stance
"And do not walk, but try to float" Pitch instructed with a small confidant smile to Feria, who gave him a small smile in return to thank him for his help.
"I feel a little foolish" Feria admitted, clumsily moving in a straight line, yet admittedly looking better then last time she tried "Am I floating?"
"Like a little boat" Plague complimented.
"You give a bow"
What happens now?
Your hand receives a kiss
Most of all remember this;
If I can learn to do it
You can learn to do it
Something in you knows it
There's nothing to it!
"Follow in my footsteps...Shoe by shoe!" Plague sang as he showed Feria how to walk like a royal, which Feria mimiced clumsily.
"You can learn to do it too!"
"This isn't as easy as it seems" Feria mumbled as she did her best to minic Plague's movements.
"Your doing Greath! Keep that up!" Pitch encouraged as he adjusted Feria's stance just a little bit more so her walk was perfect.
"I agree she is a natrual" Black Plague confirmed after a small yet firm look from Pitch to encourage him to give a compliment.. to show his more kind side. Which might encourage Feria to come closer then she did now. "Have a seat young lady"
"Now, elbows in and sit up straight" Plague intructed showing her how to sit
"And do not slurp the stroganoff" Pitch took the bowl away from Fellandia when he saw she was about to slurp the stroganoff, earning him a annoyed look from Feria.
"I never cared for stroganoff" Feria smirked, playing with the sticks in her hand a little.
Spoken like a lunanoff! Pitch smirked, elbowing Plague who also chuckled.
The samovar!
The caviar!
Dessert and then goodnight? Feria asked excitedly.
Not until you get this right" both man replied, wagging their fingers at a vety frustrated looking Feria.
If I can learn to do it (If he can learn to do it)
You can learn to do it (You can learn to do it)
Pull yourself together
And you'll pull through it!
Tell yourself it's easy
And it's true!
You can learn to do it too
"Who is your lady-grandmother" Plague asked pointing at the blackboard
"Dowager empress eliza lunanof the first" Feria replied solemnly. Knowing this for a fact for some reason
"Your lady great-great grandmother?" Plague asked entosiasticly now that Feria was seeming to make quick progress.
"Uh" Feria stammed, pondering about this for a moment "Princess omperia of the second moon of sandagor"
"Your best friend is..." plague asked pointing at Feria like they were in a game show.
"My big brother lunar" Feria stated matter off factly. A grin crossing her face as she did so.
"Wrong! Your best friend is-" Pitch started to correct her. But was cut off by a very angry Feria
"I know who my best friend is!" Feria snapped"
"What a temper!" Pitch commanded as he looked at Feria a little shocked. Up until now she had seemed so kind and caring... this was a whole new diffrent side he hadn't expected her to have...
"I don't like being contradicted!" Feria hissed angrily
"That makes two of us!" Pitch now snarled back, not liking the tone of voice that was currently being used on him.
"Continuing on" Plague called out of nowhere
"NO! I've had it! And I hate you both!"
"I'm sorry that we ever met ! I'm hungry, and I'm frightened! And I'm only human, don't forget!" Feria stomped her foot as she looked from Black Plague to Pitch with a mad look. "I don't remember anything, Get out and let me be!"
Feria fumed, pointing at the door. Plague was about to get really mad at her now. But Pitch placed a hand on his arm before he could , signaling he would handle the situation.
"Feria, darling, look at me" Pitch placed a hand on her shoulder, making Feria turned around and looked at Pitch, still seemingly fuming wity anger. "We're all frightened"
"Well, slightly" Plague commanded with a shrug.
"Now and then, Shall we start again?Take a breath Count to ten" Pitch took a few deep breaths with her, smiling when he saw Feria was indeed calming down. "You have courage And strength you barely know"
"So blow that little nose" Plague handed her a tissue, with which Feria blew her nose "And dry those pretty eyes"
A princess like your majesty
"Can do this if she tries" Pitch balted his fist excitedly. Making Feria grin. Encouraged by her friends.
Ready? Plague asked.
Set? Pitch asked holding up a clean tissue like flagging a race
Go! Feria nodded firy. Ready for whatever the two man were going to throw at her next.
Now here's your great aunt antric Black Plague showed a picture off her in the book Made a large journey in a small starship
Oh! Feria gasped suprised.
Your distant cousin eliza loved her vodka
Got it Feria? Pitch asked calmly.
No! Feria called, shaking her head as nervously as she fell at the moment at keeping all these people straight.
"The Duke of planet mars was short!" Black plague continued on showing his picture.
"Entina of jupiter Had a Wart!" Pitch continued with a smirk on his face.
"Count Sergei of septurnus Wore a feathered hat
I hear he's gotten very fat" Pitch chuckler clamping two hands over his stomach like he was very fat as well
And I recall his yellow cat! Feria suddenly jumped up, beaming happily at the memory.
I don't believe we told her that Pitch remarked, looking at Black Plague with a suprised look, who shrugged in return, since he had also not told Feria about the cat
If you can learn to do it (if I can learn to do it)
He can learn to do it (you can learn to do it)
Pull yourself together
And we'll pull through it
Tell yourself it's easy
And it's true
You can learn to do it
"Nothing to it!" Pitch and Black Plague lifted Feria on a chair just as North and Sandy came to check on how things were going
"You can learn to do it" Pitch and Black Plague point to Feria, who tapped her chin in a pondering way, before she started to sum up.
The caviar, the stroganoff
The samovar, the feathered hat
The cousin drank, the Duke was short
And here a wart, and there a cat
Feria chuckled as she looked from Blzck Plague to Pitch who both had grins on their faces seeing their plan had worked.
The horse's name was Romeo
"So tell me something new" Feria demanded with her arms in her sides
Ha!" Both man cheered, hearing the song had helped to trigger her hidden memories.
"Oo" Feria cheered. Also noticing the two man had managed to make her remember a whole part off her past with this song
You can learn to do it twooo" all three off them sang together as Plague and Pitch lifted Feria high off the chair before putting her down carefully.
"That was amazing!" Feria commanded when the song ended, giving each of the two man a hug. "I remember so match all of a sudden!"
"Greath! Now please let me go" Plague commanded, making Feria akwardly step back. Realizing what she had done in her excitement. "Calm down, i am just not match off a hu.. "
Plague started, stopping when Feria hurried out of the room, seemingly upset by Plague's outburst.. especially after the fun they had just now... making Feria had finally started to warm up a little towards the spirit of the black death.
"Aaaaand she is gone..." Black Plague deathpanned looking after Feria running off. "Just greath..."
"She finally started to warm up to you... way to ruin it now" Pitch deathpanned, before heading towards the door, were North and Sandy quickly duck behind a corner to avoid being spotted. "I managed to calm her down when angry before... i"ll handle this"
"Goooooood luck" Plague called after him. "She is stubborn as hell, thats for sure"
"I know old friend" Pitch called, chuckling to himself at Plague's command. "I lived with her for years"
After this command Pitch went looking for Fellandia with North and Sandy softly following after him from a safe distance. Finding her not to long after he started to look for her, sitting on the globe he had stood on not to long ago almost, almost celebrating his victory over the guardians... if only that one kid had stopped believing! If only frost hadn"t started meddling in his buisness! He would have ruled now.
"Yet then i wouldn't have met Feria" a little voice told Pitch as he closed in on the globe. Hearing to his amusement the girl was humming "learn to do it" to herself, maming him chuckle. The song sure stuck to her...
"You know this isn't a very good hiding spot" Pitch quipped as he sat down next to Fellandia.
"Who said i was trying to hide?" Feria quipped back, before she looked at Pitch with a sad look. "I just... i just thought... he was a lot less scary then i first thought... until just now..."
"I noticed... i must have forgotten to mention Plague isn't match off a hugger due to the illness he represents" Pitch shrugged, looking at his lap as he said this. "Whoops"
"Did you sickness alter your brain or something?" Feria chuckled, a teasing grin crossing her face as she asked this. "You were forgetful at times before but never THIS forgetful"
"Probably because i usually never forget.. " Pitch started, but stopped when he realized what Feria had said just now. "A... thing..."
"Something i said?" Feria asked, looking at Pitch with a raised eyebrow.
"Just you...you REMEMBER I was never this forgetfull?" Pitch asked, rather suprised at the way she had just said that...like she actually remembered him from before...
"Wel...i...i guess..." Feria looked at the high roof of the workshop, not seeing North and Sandy walked closer due to that. Hiding as close as possible to see and hear what would happen next. "I...I don't know... something inside me just... just told me that..."
"Just like when you recalled the yellow cat?" Pitch asked calmly, a small smile crossing his lips as he placed a hand on Feria's knee.
"Yeah..." Feria admitted, looking at pitch with a sad look. "Its scary... you know? All these memories And i have no idea where they came from... or what they mean"
"Well...i can't say i know what your talking about" Pitch smirked raising his arms, Making North grab his sword while he and sandy stayed hidden behind some boxes, thinking Pitch was going to attack Feria he got ready for the worse... yet he stopped when Sandy placed a calm hand on his friends arm and pointed upwards. to get him to look what would happen next first. "But maybe i CAN help you to remember your fiercer then you seem"
With these words Pitch waved his hands as he created a small dog out off the nightmare sand, match to the delight of Feria and the suprise of North and Sandy.
"A dog?" Feria asked with a suprised look. Yet a small smile betrayed she loved the gift.
"He is all yours" Pitch smiled. "To remind you that you have a lot more courage then you think you have"
"It's so cute... thanks Pitch" Feria smiled, chuckling when the little nightmare dog jumped in her lap and gave a happy bark before licking her face. "N...no... t...that tickles"
"What are you going to name him?" Pitch asked, giving the little nightmare dog a stern look when it wanted to come over and lick him as well... he might not be evil anymore to the point he wanted to plunge the world into another dark age, but he wasn't going SOFT and everyone better made sure to remember that...especially his creations. "Since he is yours, your going to have to name him tl call him back if needed"
"Hmmmm thats a tough one" Feria hummed, looking at the nightmare dog in her lap with a small smile on her face. "I like azure..." Feria chuckled when the dog moved up its head at hearing a name. When its eyes met it's owners Feria could see its eyed were azure. "And his eyes are azure collored as well"
"Azure it is then" Pitch chuckled, rubbing the black sand dog over its head. "Welcome azure"
Azure barked happily as it twirled around Feria, whom lauched as it jumped on her to lick her face, before she let out a repressed yawn.
"You should get some rest..." Pitch remarked, getting up to strech a bit, since they had been sitting in thesame position for quite a bit. Leaving him rather stiff. "Tommorow is going to be another long day"
"You should rest as well" Feria remarked as Pitch carefully moved the two of them off the globe with azure floating behind them. "Your also still recovering from being seriously ill"
"I will when you sleep" Pitch remarked, giving Feria a slight shove. What neither of them saw when heading out off the room to sleep was that North and Sandman had seen and heard everything, coming from behind the crates they had hidden behind when they were sure Pitch and Feria were out of the room and out of hearing range.
"Did you see that sandy?" North asked, astonished by what he had seen and heard.
"Yeah! He encouraged her to keep trying to reach for the past and gave her a companion... thats unusual for his doing" Sandy replied with his sand sign language, before looking towards the place Pitch and Fellandia had dissapeared to with a small smile on his face. "It is hard to believe... but it seems he is changing North..."
"Yes... but in what?" North wondered out loud, looking throught the now empty workshop since everyone had gone to sleep with a thoughtfull look in his eyes
Meanwhile... not to far away from the workshop... small grey nightmare approached the workshop.
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That was all for now! I hope you enjoyed reading this! Because i sure loved writing this. Sorry it took me a while to finish the chapter up but i had some trouble making the song "learn to do it" so that it fit the story.
A/N
Like usual the song is from the "anastacia" musical! All rights reserved for them!
Due to Black plague's... eeeeeh... unsettling appearance *gets glared at by black plague* Feria is rather frightent off him... and keeps her distance... whether this will be resolved or not...who knows? I would say keep reading to find out!
I got the idea for Azure from one of my best friends while we were talking about the charachters and the story. I wanted to include a character for pooka... the loyal dog... but i had no idea were to get a dog from... this is when she suggested; if Pitch could make horses out of nightmare sand he could also make dogs. Keep reading to find out why i wanted pooka/azure included
And who the mysterious nightmare is? Well... you will find out soon! So keep reading!
And don"t forget to review! On your way out!