I sit cross-legged in the corner of my old, rickety cottage in the middle of a desolate forest. I knew he was going to find me soon. No matter where I went. I used to be so afraid, but I learnt that fear actually draws him nearer. I've stopped fearing him as much now. At least it makes it harder to track me. But considering I'm in a cottage in the middle of nowhere, it's quite likely I will be found. This time, though, I'm tired of running.

Pitch Black has been hunting me down since he knew of my existence. He's grown much stronger since he was last defeated by the Guardians. I've been running for months. Always fleeing, never unleashing my powers. I know Pitch is coming now. The spirits in the forest tell me. Yes, I can hear spirits, but only of the dead.

At that moment, the thumping hoof beats of a whole group of dark horses invaded my hearing, and I knew he was here. This time, I'm not running. I will not flee. I will fight if need be, this has gone on for too long. 'Pitch, you had better be ready. I'm not running this time.'

In that split second, my make-shift home started to crumble around me, and I quickly punched a hole through one wall and leaped out. Instinctively, I unfolded my wide, bat wings and prepared to take flight. "Leaving so soon?" Pitch chuckled, "You don't have to run this time, you know? I only wanted to give you this, Arye."

Pitch's jet black hair stuck upwards, his grey skin seemed as dull as ever. But his silver-gold eyes seemed alive. Alive with something I didn't know how to name. Behind him, the Nightmares gave a small whinny, shooh their black manes and turned to stare at me with their glowing, golden eyes.

Pitch extended his right hand, offering a golden box to me. The box glimmered in the light shining through the trees. On its side was a picture of a girl who resembles me, or at least I think it did. Except she had light brown hair and dark green eyes, while I currently had ebony hair and amber eyes. I knew immediately what his plan was. A bargain. "I believe you've figured it out. So, how 'bout it, eh? Your cooperation, for your memories," Pitch smirked, tossing the tooth box into the air coolly before catching it swiftly.

"Consider it," he said, "I know you want these memories. How about this: you take a look at your memories, and then decide if you will join me. You may find out that the Guardians aren't the wonderful, caring people they appear to be. "

So, Pitch has decided to change his methods of getting me to join him. He must've figured out what I wanted. You see, that box contains the teeth I dropped when I was still human. They were collected by the tooth fairies and still have my memories attached to them. He must've found out my desire to know who I was, before I became…well, who I am now.

Still, I was suspicious of his motives. I mean, he usually tried to use force, but now, he's not attacking… I wonder if those memories in the box are really convincing enough, such that Pitch does not need the use of violence to get me to join him. But I guess…since they were my memories, I should give it a shot right? I inched away from Pitch, and he seemed to understand my movement. "Alright. Have it your way. I won't go any nearer," he sighed, and tossed the golden box of memories to me.

I deftly caught the box. Checking my surroundings, I made sure that nothing was out of place, and that no dark creature was hiding behind some forest tree. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, so I made a few last checks, before returning to the golden box. I touched the patterned lid as it slowly dissolved like sand. The teeth resting in the box seemed to glow and my eyes were fixed upon them.

My surroundings faded.

"Mama? MAMA WHERE ARE YOU?!" I broke down and cried.

I was only five at that time, maybe. I was in a dark alley, alone and abandoned. Where were my parents? Why did they leave me? I have never felt so scared before.

About a month later, my survival instincts slowly improved. I dressed in tattered clothing and begged by the street, I learned how to pickpocket effectively, I could survive. I kept tricking and lying to people. Adults, children, elderly, I didn't care. I was always in disguise, always pretending.

Still, I was a kid. Who could blame me for believing –even if just a little- in the Guardians who I had wished would take me into their home and feed me? Yet, when I finally met them one ordinary day, Santa merely said, "Arye, you're on my Naughty List," and walked off, the others following quietly behind. None of them spared a second glance.

I just stared at their retreating shadows, tears slowly dripping to the ground. All that I had ever truly believed in, destroyed by that one sentence. 'Am I…really that bad a person? All I wanted was to survive. Why is it my fault? I'm not a bad person… I'M NOT A BAD PERSON!' I fell to my knees. My head hurt. I felt numb. Mind clouded by hatred for them. Mind clouded with the shards of a broken dream.

And so I lived my life of trickery and deceit for ten years, give or take.

One usual day of doing my usual routine at a random street, I saw this guy. Tousled hazelnut brown hair, warm and kind smile, jade green eyes. I blushed as I saw him. He looked so…happy, as if he simply radiated warmth. Something that I've craved for quite a while now.

Unknowingly, I started following him, making sure to leave enough distance such that if he suddenly turned around, I'd have enough time to react and look…like I was not following him. I kept trailing him for many consecutive days. When I do, I feel weird. When I'm not behind him, I feel even lonelier than usual. I wonder if this was called love. Was I in love with Rayne? (I found his name out when he ran into some friends while I was within hearing range.) I know we've never spoken, but sometimes, you just…know. Cliché, I know, but it's true. I still don't know how to explain this, though. He just… His face just…pops up in my mind every now and then, regardless of what I was doing.

About a week after I started following him, in the evening, he decided to detour from his usual route and strolled into a dark alley. 'How odd…' Aided by the darkness I'd grown accustomed to, I managed to press myself against the walls and hide in the shadows. Halfway through the alley, Rayne's body suddenly froze.

"Click."

'No...' From my hiding spot by the wall, I dashed forward and tackled the attacker to the ground. His gun was flung backwards, his eyes wide in shock. While he was still stunned, I quickly turned to Rayne, "RUN!"

I was immediately flung backwards and into the brick wall. Slumping to the ground, I groaned at the pain in my back. From the corner of my eye, I could see Rayne's retreating figure, and I smiled. I flicked my head back to my attacker, only to find a gun pointed directly at my forehead. "Goodbye, love," he sneered.

"BANG!"

It took me a while to get my head back together. Images of Rayne and that look in the Guardians' faces kept appearing over and over again. So that was my past. So that was how I died. Then I realize: the Guardians really did abandon me that day. Even though I was five, they shattered the hope I'd been clinging to so desperately. They didn't help me, even though I needed it. I despise people like that.

I remember waking up, still slouched against the alley wall. Although I knew I had already died. So what was I still doing there? That was when the moon's light shone on my face. A voice echoed in my head. The Man in the Moon's voice. "You will be known as Arye Hallows. You are the spirit of Halloween."

Then I realized I had wide bat wings on my back, which I could easily control for some reason. It seemed natural, like breathing and eating. At that moment, my vision seemed to adapt to the darkness of the night. I could see things as clearly as during the day. Spirit, huh? But doesn't that mean I'm like the Guardians? The Guardians were all known as spirits before becoming well, Guardians. The thought of being like them disgusted me.

"So… What is your answer?" Pitch asked, snapping me out of my daze. "If you side and fight with me, you can get back at those Guardians. You can have your revenge. Why not put the powers you were gifted into good use? The Guardians shattered your childhood belief. They will pay for that. I can assure you that, if you join me."

I hesitated. I hated the Guardians, true, but do I really want to destroy them? Well they did break their vow to protect all kids, no? Not one of them even looked back at me crying on the on the floor that night. But still, can I really blame them for choosing to abandon someone like me, even if it's their duty? I stared straight at Pitch.

"I'm in."