Chapter 46

She was stood watching everything from high up on one of the ridges surrounding the distant edges of hell when the thin, sticky runt of a girl with greasy black hair and blue eyes appeared beside her. A thin smile flickered across her face as she allowed her disguise to slip away. She'd deliberately chosen to dress herself in pink trousers, topped with a short black top and finished off with a pink strappy vest top. The combination was so weird she knew her latest companion would hate her for it and the unimpressed look in her blue eyes only confirmed that. She also knew her companion suspected the truth about her, but neither one of them had ever felt the need to acknowledge it.

'Must you keep yourself in that Miriad disguise, we're not in the madhouse now.'

'I know,' her companion agreed, as her features and hair filled out; the greasy effect turning glossy and her appearance becoming innately pretty, if not beautiful. 'I kind of forget I wear it sometimes.'

'It must be so easy for you.'

'I am only what she makes of me,' she shrugged and for a moment was silent. 'You could compete with her father you know.'

'I thought that was your job Pitch.'

'It is my job to host her.'

'Don't you ever get tired of that?'

'She's Daddy's favourite, which means so am I. If I ever got bored I could ask for whatever I wanted to make things interesting again. The others don't get that.'

'No,' she half turned her gaze away, 'the others get what they are given.'

'Like a cave to be trapped in for all eternity. Poor Tormented and poor Sound.'

'You feel sorry for the original Sen Kayma?'

'In the way that she is my sister and I pity my sister.'

'Your sister created the Sayu.'

'Mm and I envy her for that,' Pitch sat herself down, with her legs dangling over the edge of the ridge, 'don't you?'

'I'm not like you Pitch, how many times do I have to tell you?'

'More times than this if you want it to mean anything,' the other girl laughed, as she watched with glee the blue lightning strike the grounds of hell. 'With all his bastards running round people forget about the sisters. The true, legitimate heirs to his kingdom.'

'And there's only one of them with any freedom to claim it,' she sat herself down next to Pitch.

'She knows that, but she doesn't want to.'

'Why not?'

'Because she likes her father and she likes his hell.'

'Daddy's girl.'

'Unashamedly.'

For a few moments the pair of them were silent, then a devilish grin appeared on Pitch's face and she turned towards her.

'You want me to claim to be the beast, don't you?'

'The thought had crossed my mind,' she tilted her head in thought, 'but I might have called you here for some other reason.'

'What other reason could there possibly be?'

'As powerful as I am, I can't do everything on my own. I need your help; I need a controllable distraction.'

'And you pulled me out of the madhouse for that?'

'I know you like your games Pitch and I assure you you'll get to play them.'

'Oh?'

'Can you not guess... Miriad?'

'I think I can,' she chuckled, 'but it would be so much more fun if you let me claim to be the beast.'

'You mean the creator wishes to become her creation?'

'Give me a good reason why she shouldn't?'

'I don't have one, but that doesn't mean I can allow this. I have my own plans for you.'

'And for the beast?'

'Who said the beast needs to be involved?'

'Your feelings towards me have always been… ambivalent at the best of times little Red,' Pitch studied her. 'Yet you've called me away from my fun and games more than once asking for my help, I can only assume at this point that the beast is involved.'

'You haven't called me little Red in a long time.'

'It was the name you gave me the first time we met, because you didn't want me knowing your true code name. I have to admit I've always been very fond of that name; it suited you in the same way I suited you. It suited me to be your rival and it suited you to be my friend, whatever happened to those days?'

'I've never maintained a relationship which wasn't mutually beneficial.'

'Such a cold response,' she leant in towards her, 'so I'm dealing with this version of you today. I must say this is my favourite version, I'm never sure if you like me or not. Not like those other two versions which are clearly one side or the other.'

'I don't know what you're talking about.'

'You never do, do you little Red?'

'We are not here to discuss me Pitch. I need to know whether or not you're going to help me and I need to know now. Or so help me you'll never see the inside of that madhouse again.'

'You'd take away my fun?'

'Only because I was the one to give it to you in the first place,' she held her ground. 'Now, will you play my game?'

'I suppose I have no choice.'

'Good.'

'You know something though little Red,' Pitch pulled herself to her feet, 'I think I miss the days when I was a lot more powerful than you were. At least then I didn't have to put up with your threats.'

'You were never more powerful than me Pitch; when we met we were equals.'

'Oh you and I have never been equals, precious little Prodigy Child. Tell me, when did this version of my little Red become such a big bad wolf?'

For a few moments she was silent. Then she got to her feet and held a hand, palm flat, out towards Pitch. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath in.

'You could never love me, could you,' Pitch's voice was mute.

'And you can never hate me,' she flicked her gaze open, before lowering her palm. 'It's nice to see things haven't changed all that much.'

'So little Red can always find what she's looking for.'

'Does that mean you'll do as I've asked?'

'You know I'll always do as you ask,' Pitch averted her gaze.

'Then its time for me to finish what I've started.'

'And just what have you started little Red?'

'A war is coming and the first battle has only just begun.'