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"Hey freak!"
Pitch sighed as he close his book and turned to face the direction the voice was coming from. It had been two years since that first day, and thins had mostly been going well. Everyday he learned new things that had been impossible for him to learn before. Not just magic but also other things. With Sandy by his side Pitch didn't have any say in the matter. The other boy dragged him in more situations in the last two years then his siblings ever had. If it weren't for the fact the other boy was his best friend, and always got them out of trouble, Pitch would have given up on their friendship long ago.
Yeah everything had been going fine.
Except for one thing.
"Hey freak I'm talking to you!"
Pitch looked up at the approaching group of kids led by the one boy that had been making his life miserable for the last two years.
"May I help you your grace?" Pitch asked once they had stopped in front of him.
"Yeah you can remove your disgraceful presence from this school demon scum!" Prince Jack of the Northern Lands said a cocky smirk on his face.
The white haired boy was the second prince of The Frost Kingdom and the greatest ice magic wielder in the entire school. Pitch didn't know why Jack had such a problem with him. He couldn't remember having done anything to the other. In fact the reason Jack had such a grudge against Pitch was a very simple one. It had nothing really to do with Pitch but with the girl that was currently running up to their group. Or should I say princess.
"Leave him alone Jack!" Princess Merida of the Western Islands shouted as she ran up.
"Oh come on Merida why are you always protecting him?" Jack asked rolling his eyes as Merida rushed over to check Pitch over.
"Why are you always picking on him? He hasn't done anything to you!" Merida shot back glaring at Jack.
"Because he's a freak and doesn't belong here."
"That is not for you to decide!"
As the two continued arguing back and forth Pitch stood up. Dusting his robes off he looked over at the group before turning and walking away. Making his way back into the academy Pitch wasn't surprised to find Sandy leaning against a wall waiting for him. Sandy of course looked amused by the whole situation.
"Royals catch you again?" Sandy asked as he fell into step with his friend.
"Like you weren't watching," Pitch replied, "You could have helped you know."
"Yeah but where would the fun be in that?" Sandy asked with a mischievous smile.
"And you call yourself my best friend?"
"Yup, it's pretty easy when you don't have any other friends," Sandy said with a slow sleepy wink.
They walked in silence for a moment, Pitch lost in thought while Sandy kept track of the person who was following them. Well it was less a person and more a certain someone's contract spirit. The tiny ice mouse always seemed to following them these days. Not that he minded much, it was Pitch he was worried about. His friend was so innocent and defenseless that he was actually losing some sleep over it.
"...what do you think?" Pitch's voice broke through his thoughts causing him to turn and blink sleepily at the the other boy.
"What?"
"I asked if you thought Mor'du might be the reason Princess Merida is so attached to me," Pitch said rolling his eyes at his friend's lack of attention.
"You mean because you both have bear contract spirits?" Sandy asked.
"Well it's the only thing I can think of," Pitch admitted.
Princess Merida had not one but three contract spirits, all who took on the form of bear cubs. It had caused a fuss when everyone found out but Pitch didn't understand. Sure she had been able to make a contract with more then one spirit but so what? It just meant she would have to work three times as hard to control her powers and train. Pitch didn't envy her in the slightest.
"Or it could have something with the way you stood up for her the other day during the battle exams," Sandy offered.
Pitch thought back to the event. A couple days ago during the battle exams, (exams designed to test a persons fitness to battle by pitting them against someone else and fighting along with their contract spirit) one of the other male students had caused a fuss when Merida asked to join the exams. As a light elemental user no one had expected her to want to participate in the exams, seeing as light magic was used more in defense and healing. The student had caused such a fuss that the teacher was considering banning Merida from the exams. If Pitch hadn't spoken up in her defense that is exactly what would have happened. Instead Pitch had listed off every reason that Merida should have been able to join, which included the fact that one of the greatest heroes was a light wielder, in the end Merida got to join.
"Nah that can't be it, I only stood up for her because they were trashing people with Light elemental magic," Pitch said scrunching his nose at the idea, "You know because it's so strong not because you use it or anything."
"Riiiiiight," Sand replied smirking up at his friend, which caused Pitch to turn away embarrassed, "Okay so maybe it's because of what happened during lunch last week."
Pitch thought about this too. During lunch one day Merida had been tripped by one of the other students. Her food had gone flying and she'd landed on the floor much to the amusement of nearly everyone else. Pitch had just gotten his lunch when the whole thing happened. When it looked like no one else was going to help her he'd handed off his own tray to Sandy and walked over to her. Offering a handkerchief that he carried (not because Sandy sometimes spilled things on himself when he fell asleep in weird places) Pitch had helped Merida to her feet. Once she was stable he'd offered her his own lunch. When she tried to turn him down Pitch had simply took his tray and thrust it into her hands. As she fumbled with it Pitch had walked away Sandy at his side.
"Maybe but someone else would have helped her out. I just happened to get there first," Pitch commented shooing the notion away as if it were a fly, "Well whatever the reason I wish she'd stop clinging to me, it's been cutting into my studies."
"Yeah and it's been cutting into my nap schedule," Sandy agreed.
"Oh how horrible, I guess you'll just have to get your shut eye at night like the rest of us," Pitch said with a teasing grin.
Sandy shot his friend his own smile in return. His mind turned to the fact they'd lost their little shadow but that meant nothing to him. Something was stirring in this school and he didn't like the way his friend seemed to be getting caught up in the middle of it.
...
Well whatever the case he'd stick by Pitch and watch over him until the end.
Even if that meant turning against the very nation he called home.
...
Then again nothing had happened yet. Right now he would just enjoy these peaceful days with his friend.