Chapter Eight: Licorice
That night, Pitch was thankful the Ringleader didn't try to confront him again. But neither did anyone else, no one approached him. Maybe it was pity, perhaps a sense of anxiety of being seen around him – in case they too were going to be beaten. Pitch stared out into the darkness and teeth curled over his lower lip in restrained fury.
Morning came. Pitch having struggled to sleep with memories of their show last night. The ringmaster had been particularly keen on using his whip against the king of nightmares for the tiniest issues. Still, the audience were pleased.
But the circus was becoming bored with their mundane routine, according to Carnation who burst into their room around midday. Tooth had already been out to help set things up whilst Pitch continued to tend to his wounds.
"What do you mean? What are they going to do about it?" Tooth enquired. She had become less nervous over the days, familiar with the way things were run. As Arna opened her mouth to speak, there was a violent rattling on the door. Tooth fluttered over to open it and reel back as a slightly older man beamed at her and with a booming voice claimed.
"HELLOO MY LOVELIES!"
Toothiana just stared and Pitch was still sighing when Arna spoke up.
"Hey there Bubbles"
"Carnation! It has been too long!" he gasped dramatically and shuffled over to embrace her swiftly, kissing each cheek with exaggeration until the thirteen year old was laughing.
"Guys, this is Bubbles, he helps organise the shows"
"The fairy and the shadow-boy, it is marvellous to meet you!" he gave such a deep bow, for a moment they all believed his head would meet his knees.
He was a tall man with slim; clearly flexible, limbs and a glittering outfit, striped like a jester with even the odd tinkling bell. His skin was a deep olive and his thick, dark hair wound back in a ponytail. Unusual violet eyes shone like round marbles as he surveyed the two.
"Yes...mmhmm...yes, Oh yes!" he muttered to himself, having a conversation with no one but himself until he clapped his hands and spun on his heel.
"Follow me!"
"Do as he says" Carnation told them when they didn't immediately move. Toothiana darted out with Pitch following, sighing.
Jack had been entrusted to what he could travel over of Asia. It was quite the challenge considering the mass of the continent but for someone of his speed and lack of need to rest or eat, he was getting through it all quite quick.
He was always intrigued by the quaint, quiet streets of Japan. The occasional lantern hanging from a door in a village street surrounded by fields.
The other Guardians had suggested places with large surrounding areas, big enough for a circus tent, also to stick to main cities for the time being as the circus would want as many people attending as possible.
Jack had found himself at the entry village to a large town, lightly dropping to the ground, he peered in amongst the houses for some kind of poster, advertisement. At times he even suspended himself outside a window to look at what the Televisions might be discussing but no such luck.
At one point he had to admit, he became distracted. He found himself at a charming little trinket store filled with glittering treasures, yet the sparkles were dim in the dark, closed shop. Some of the fine vases and scrolls reminded him of Toothiana's memory cases for the children. The various colours and designs would never fail to amaze him. He recalled his own scroll with a fond smile he couldn't resist. Tooth had been able to find it for him so fast…
He stopped. Heart lurching with shock as realisation dawned upon him. He had a memory scroll, of course he did. Everyone did. Which meant...Toothiana did.
"A love story?!" Carnation exclaimed for the guardian and bogeyman who stood with raised eyebrows in response to what Bubbles had cheerfully exclaimed.
"Indeed!"
They soon found out the 'show organiser' was called Bubbles because he smoked out of an unusual pipe which produced nothing but sickly sweet smelling bubbles. The whole room was filled with the sugary scents as they sat in his larger dorm.
"What kinda love story?" Carnation asked, less surprised and more interested as she lay down on his bed on her stomach, feet kicking childishly in the air behind her.
Toothiana and Pitch who were sitting on a comfortable velvet sofa for two shuffled away from one another slightly. Bubbles chuckled as he sat on the end of his own bed, turning to the younger girl.
"Well, picture this...shadow boy-"
"Pitch" shadow-boy hissed from across the room.
"Ah yes, Pitch, well Pitch is a daring hero, sent away from the kingdom he once famed in by jealousy from the king...I'm still deciding on who is going to be the king"
"Oh, me!" Carnation piped up.
"Not quite my dear, you have another role"
Arna seemed happy with this and let him continue.
"In the jungle he is desperately trying to survive, he comes across the beautiful and exotic fairy-"
"Her name is Toothiana"
"Oh!" he turned to the tooth fairy with a polite nod. "My apologies".
Tooth just shrugged good naturedly.
"Toothiana is a princess of her own kind, one who is to rule her tribe, but her tribe is under attack and she enlists the help of this young man with promise to return him home without the king's rage, for she has the power to do so"
"Wow!"
"I know. As they fight together against the foe, they fall in love and when returning to the kingdom, Toothiana does as she promised and the king welcomes the hero back, but the hero wishes to stay with the princess yet the princess is needed at her tribe and they must part ways, so tragic and beautiful!" Bubbles had to wipe a tear away whilst Pitch resisted the urge to choke on his own spit.
"Wouldn't it be more tragic if one died?"
"Perhaps, but I'm not that into death, this will do fine"
"But it means they could meet another time, it ain't totally tragic"
"If you know so much Carnation, you organise it!" Bubbles exclaimed, huffing comically as Carnation sighed and apologised, rolling onto her back.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry...it's just...okay, what if Pitch nearly died in the battle against the attackers and to save him, Toothiana must give up her own life? But he won't let her?"
"...That involves death Arna"
"But that makes it more dramatic, ya want the audience to cry right?"
"I do wish to elicit a range of emotions"
"Then get em dead! By the way, what am I?"
"The elderly queen of the tribe"
"...Awesome" Arna giggled to herself.
All the while, Pitch and Tooth had been avoiding one another's gazes. The sudden direct address to them turned both of their eyes to the front.
"Pitch, Toothiana, what do you think?"
"Err...is it really necessary?" Toothiana tried, keeping her tone light and without confrontation.
"I'm afraid it is my dear, the next audience will contain critics, if we impress them we will be allowed to tour Europe, something we have never done before and we could use the sponsorship" Bubbles explained, voice surprisingly and suddenly sincere.
"Could you not have other acts" Pitch tried this time.
"The ringmaster has requested you two improve your own performance, everyone else has a solid role that I will only be embellishing"
Well, there was really no getting out of this one. Arna noticed their slight discomfort and spoke up with a reassuring grin.
"Don't worry about it guys, it's a one off and it's only acting-"
"It probably won't be a one off if it's successful-"
Arna shoved her hand over Bubble's mouth and grinned.
"Just acting" she finished.
"We'll do it" Pitch suddenly claimed, voice certain and Tooth stared at him.
"We will?"
"It's just acting as she said...but I have one condition" he looked to Bubbles with harsh eyes, leaning forward until his elbows rested on his knees.
"We have to have a scary scene"
"B-but that means you'll be hurt again" Viktor's voice trembled. Eyes downcast as Iancu spoke to him. The vampire sighed and caught the ghost's hand. It's transparency unusual but tangible. It shouldn't have been but Viktor had been poisoned by some unknown spell for some time, making him more visible for the audience. That and he could technically alter his physicality somewhat.
"It's fine, honestly, I heal quick, you know that" the Romanian traced his thumb in a circular rubbing motion over the back of Viktor's hand, easing his tears. "I really think that shadow-guy is on to something, don't you want to escape?"
"Y-Yes"
"Then we have to trust him"
The fifteen year old who'd been fifteen for a long...long time, stood from where he and Viktor had sat outside on the grass that afternoon, unbothered by everyone as they came out for the night-time showings. Viktor stood with him, eyes flickering about frantically, mouth parting, trying to say something. He settled on shifting forward to embrace his friend desperately as Iancu turned to move away. The vampire dug his face into Viktor's shoulder and squeezed him back before letting go and storming toward one of the tents.
The ghost sat back down to curl into a ball as he heard his only friend make a terrifying, strange snarling sound and started attacking the staff settled in the tent.
Jack had to alert the guardians, how? He wasn't quite sure. He didn't exactly have North's technology and now at the Guardian of Wonder's home, he was flying about frantically in hope to find the way he alerted all the others. With no succession, he sat on one of the regal chairs further back and stared at the great world before him, built of many different pieces with glittering lights.
He seemed to be the only one without some kind of immediate transportation to other countries or a globe of his own. Did he have to make one? He could easily do so. He imagined it now, a beautiful icy globe.
As he inspected each of the little lights, he noticed some were different in colour and with this curiosity flew up with a kick off with his staff and walked over the edge, crouching to squint at the bright green light.
Chirping from inside his hood was suddenly heard and he jumped.
"Baby Tooth?" he asked as the little creature carefully ran down his arm to the planet where she nudged at the light with her pointed nose.
"Is it someone I know?"
Yes, according to her.
Then it hit him. Of course. Green.
He poked at the light and to his horror it turned white for a moment before the light faded back to emerald.
Bunnymund had naturally taken the route of Australia/Oceania. Racing across the plains like he'd never done so before. He stumbled and nearly fell when a creeping coolness spread through his spine. Coming to a halt, he stood under the sun's heated rays just outside the city he had been checking on and looked down at himself for some explanation of the cold.
Ice was creeping over him. Not painfully. After watching it slide over his skin in intricate patterns for a moment or so, he tried brushing the snowy dust from him, it escaped in a cloud and before him came the brief yet bold vision of Jack at North's globe. The figurines he saw where as delicate as glass and as he went out to touch the one of Jack. It faded into the air.
"I'm sorry" Pitch found himself apologising but the vampire just grinned at him through blood-stained teeth.
"It doesn't matter as long as your plan works"
Pitch chuckled and circled the boy to undo his ties. He had been strapped down to a chair once again. After attacking those inhabiting the tent, he had been swiftly caught, beaten and restrained.
"Is Viktor nearby?" he then asked.
"The ghost?"
Iancu nodded.
"He is outside"
The Romanian smiled, less wild this time, it was a smile of content.
"You and him will be able to escape very soon but for now I need you to stay here"
"Why are you doing all of this? I mean, course people have thought about leaving but you're insane, the tabs the boss has on you, I'm surprised you can even walk around unsupervised"
"Let's be glad I can so this will work"
"So what exactly does happen now?"
"Did you bite the girl in the cloak, as I asked?"
"Sure did"
A/N: Alrighty, what's going on here then?
-LAW09
~Review Replies~
33rd-Anemoia: I did indeed! I know, I'm trying to make the plan clearer form now on. I'm glad you like the idea of their performance, ahaha, thanks so much for an amazing review!
InsaneXPrincess: Hi! Ahaha, I'm so glad you reviewed, you're very much the catalyst to me continuing because you've reminded me about how much I love this ship and all my reviewers so there is special thanks to you! Thanks so much!
