7Slowly this thing is getting bigger than I expected…cool! I hope you guys are still enjoying this and thank you to my first reviewers! You guys made my day!
xxxxx
Chapter 2: Gumming
It wasn't right.
Nothing about this was right.
Pitch didn't believe he was perfect, he wasn't that egotistical, but he didn't think that he deserved a punishment of these lengths. He was usually so careful with what and how he said things, all the easier to keep his foes looking the fool…
Except he was the fool right now.
What exactly possessed him to act so discourteous when she asked after him, he was not sure. He had few peers to begin with, pissing off the one spirit whose sole purpose is to bring chaos to the lives of others was not his grandest idea.
"Those damned words…" Pitch had eventually made it to a chaise lounge nearby and then proceeded to figure out what to do next.
He could venture out-after he got over the pain-and look for her and demand his teeth back. But he really doubted that would work. And he could not allow anyone to see him without his teeth-not the humans since they didn't see him at all anymore-but other spirits. He didn't know which was more pitiful. The fact that he would rather the humans saw him like this or that he had slunk so low to this point after everything.
He was thankful that his Fearlings and Nightmares had kept away for so long. He didn't have much power to keep that many of them as is, but he was thankful for small favors. But what to do now?
"I have to get them back. No matter the cost."
Pitch rose up and started to pace; of all the places to go with his teeth where would dear little Mischeif and her selves go-oh no… His left hand came up and rubbed his temple. She would do that, wouldn't she? Mishceif would give his teeth to the one spirit in charge of them-especially because that spirit was part of the Guardians.
"When I find that little brat I'm going to-"
Echoing chuckles sounded within his home-she was back.
"Going to do what, Kozmotis? Send your magic dust at me? Sands of bad dreams would be like powdered sugar to me-and you know that." She was seated onto the chaise he had just left. Looking a bit different, her posture more relaxed and she seemed more in control.
He glared and had to hold himself back from throttling her, or at least trying to. His name wasn't Kozmotis Pitchiner anymore, it was Pitch the Nightmare King, and she well knew that-but arguing with her like this was never the answer, especially since she could easily do much worse than just take his teeth.
"Yes well you didn't think I'd be particularly pleased with bare gums, did you Mayhem?" He thought to her. Pitch stood his ground; Mayhem instead of Mischief meant that her game escalated and naming her meant that she wouldn't feel the need to do anymore…unless he insulted her again…
"Why, I think you look adorable, Pitchy! C'mon, give us a smile!" She cackled at her own joke. Oh was she having fun!
"I do hope you're enjoying yourself, May, because that would just make one of us. I would like my teeth back-NOW!" Mayhem stopped her glee and flew straight up into Pitch's face, glaring darkly at him. Pitch was not frightened at all, he merely took a step back because she was in his personal space-not that she cared.
"Listen up, Space man. You are so lucky that I only took your teeth! I could've left you boneless and made trinkets out of them if I so wished. Now say thank you!" Was she serious? As if he would resort to such a thing.
"Do you really expect me to-" Darkness fell onto her face; her veins filling with black.
"Say it!" Honestly, the beast…
"Fine, thank you, you little miscreant!" She smiled and tapped on his nose.
"Uh uh uh, Mayhem, Pitch, or do you want an earthquake to play with your little underground hidey hole? I'm sure I can rustle up at least an 8 on the scale right now." He swatted her hand away when he felt her talon dig in.
"What would you have me do, hum your praises-because I seem to be unable to sing them right now-and be thankful that you have left me to this? If you wanted me humble, there, you have it! Now give them back."
She scoffed and floated back from him, "Not that easy Pitch. See to really learn your lesson, you gotta earn those teeth back. Time for some good ole fashioned Community Service!" Clapping to her own glory was not going to earn her any positive reactions from him.
"You must be joking."
"Oh no, Pitch, I'm more serious than the Plague!" Mayhem giggled, "And what fun was that, am I right?" She let out a pensive sigh and let her mind wonder to centuries ago, but he could see her teeth thinning and her waves losing their kinks. Don't want Her coming out now, so he cleared his throat, bringing her back.
"Yes, yes, back to the topic on hand-I assume I have to ask Toothiana for them back in exchange for some minor favors?"
"Oh no, not just Feathers." Mayhem waved her hand and small statues of the Guardians appeared in front of them.
"I refuse to play assistant to her or the rest of those Guardians!"
"Like you have a choice! And assistant? You must be joking now-think of it as the assistant to the assistant to the assistant of the assistant janitor!" Another figurine appeared, this one with his likeness, and in apparel that he would assume as a janitorial worker uniform. The other figures mocking him and pull at it in twisted glee. All while the puppeteer snickered and Pitch watched, enraged.
"Hilarious…Do they know that I have to do this in order to get my teeth back?" He could only imagine would that Pooka would do with such knowledge.
"I gather only Feathers has an idea, I can't be bothered to go and see the others because frankly Pitchy, I have more important things to do! There are so many wars going on, kids are taking tests in a lot of nations, and don't even get me started on those outbreaks! I must do what I do best and make a mess of all of it-you're sort of a side project. It really is all your own fault."
"So at the moment, only Toothiana has my teeth." Perhaps he could persuade the Fairy Queen to hand over his teeth for the lives of her little ones-
"Don't go getting any ideas, Pitch." Mayhem shook her finger at him but then stopped and smiled. "Or rather, sure, do that, let your little kettle steam up with all sorts of possibilities of getting out easy-it'll so much fun to see what happens next!"
"Don't you have somewhere else to be, Mayhem?" If she wasn't going to be helpful, she could just leave, immediately if possible. She was the cause of this mess, he didn't want her hanging about.
"Fine, kick me out. I'll be sure to pop in every now and then. So know that I'm always watching, Pitchiner!"
And with that Mayhem faded away leaving Pitch to ponder ways to get his teeth back without having to play slave to those accursed Guardians.