DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the "Rise of the Guardians" and "The Guardians of Childhood" world, which is trademarked by both Dreamworks Animation and William Joyce respectively.
QUICK AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello everyone! This is my first fan fiction in a while and I'm glad to be presenting it to you all! Quick note, this fan fiction will stay relatively loyal to the original movie plot and later one will feature elements of the book. I will be extremely honest with you: I've not read The Guardians of Childhood books but I plan to in the future. However, I HAVE done my research and read what information from the source canon I have and I'm confident I'll be able to portray all the character, plots, elements correctly.
Having said that, there is one more thing you should know. This story will, obviously, contain some AU elements as well. Namely the relationship between Pitch and Jack which you will read as the story continues. Certain character backstories will remain the same as before but with slight differences. Don't worry, there won't be any huge and major changes but I just thought I'd let you know ahead of time so you don't go nut or anything. Okay! Done talk, let's get on with the story!
Spring of 1709
The darkness. He knew it well. He controlled it, lived it, breathed it. Hell, some would say that he was the absolute physical manifestation of it. He was intimidating, intelligent, cunning and so devious. Forever living, he spent his time roaming the shadows of the world, striking fear into the hearts of the young and old alike. In the Dark Ages, the frigid nights and unforgiving days, constant war, death and disease were a perfect breeding ground for fear and despair! The people were so filled with superstition, it only took one little whisper to trigger mass hysteria. Such power he wielded, such influence he had! It was so exhilarating!
Or...at least...it used to be.
The shadows never left, nor did the dark nights and harsh days. What had changed...were the people. They weren't afraid anymore. And even if they were, it was never enough. Never. All thanks to him. The Man in the Moon and his guild of so called "guardians" had chased away all of his beautiful darkness. They numbed the children of their fears so there was nothing left but happiness and wonder. Leaving him to wander the world, alone and powerless. He was nothing better than a pitiful ghost. He was once the most feared being in the galaxy! He ravaged worlds, destroyed planets, had hundreds of minions at his beck and call! Now look him...he was nothing.
And he HATED them for it…
It's been nearly 100 years since the Guardians and the Man in the Moon sent Pitch into hiding within the shadows of world. Since that time, Pitch has had to grasp for what little scraps and bits of fear he could find before the guardians showed up to chase them away. Now Pitch couldn't step out without retching at how happy and carefree the people were. It absolutely sickened him...
Doesn't exist. Not real. Nothing to fear. Only a dream.
Those words haunted him even more than the feeling of having someone walk right through him; just a ghost, a spirit cursed to live in such a state. It filled his heart with hatred and such malice. Especially for the moon. What was wrong with fear? Fear could be a good thing! Wisdom can be learned through fear; fear could teach you not to stick your nose where it hurt. What was wrong with that? But no...the Man in the Moon and his guardians just had to contradict that belief and filled peoples hearts with their incessant innocence and light. He supposed the old saying is true; ignorance is bliss.
His current state of affairs, however, was far from being blissful. In order to keep himself sustained at the minimum of what was comfortable levels, Pitch was forced to travel from village to village and syphon what little fear he could from children and adolescents who were still young at heart and still susceptible to his powers. It was a pathetic way to live...he hated it…
Every new village he visited, he had the same routine: watch, listen, wait then strike. He'd watch and listen to the children of the village, find out what they're fears and anxieties were. Pitch found this to be very effective in getting the most fear out of them. His natural empathic abilities allowed him to sense when a child is most scared of something. Then he'd hit them where it hurts and hit them hard. In spite of that, however, he still had to do this covertly and quickly. That blasted Sandman seemed very adept at sensing bad dreams. Even from damn near halfway across the globe, he could sense them and still be able to do away with them!
Then there was the tooth fairy, and her massive rabble of tiny clones, going around collecting teeth. He wouldn't want to be caught by her either. Not that he feared her but if he was seen, the guardians would hunt him down again...he didn't want to deal with that...not right now. Not while he's powerless to defend himself, let alone destroy them.
Still, even with the added risk of being attack by the guardians, who believe him to be gone, he had to keep himself strong somehow. At least until he found a way to get back at them. Until that day, he was stuck with this boring routine. He expected this time to be no different...
For the past few decades, he had had been scouring through the american colonies. He found the fear of the children of these pioneer villages to be most potent. So far from the protection of their king and country in Europe, there were many things to be afraid of in such a strange land.
About three days ago, Pitch arrived at a tiny little village called Bergessön. The village had a decent amount of children to leech fear from. Though, quite a few of them already wrote him off as "just a bad dream". They didn't believe in him, some of them even bad mouthed them, right in front of him! Well, they can't see and hear him anyway...even so, it was still insulting!
Oh how he hated this. It's the same thing every single village he visits. Walking among the children, invisible, hoping to sense their fears and exploit them when the time was right. It was so monotonously boring...but then...something unexpected happened...
In this little village-Bergussön-something surprised Pitch. Something new happened...
It started out like any other day. The children were up with the suns dawn. They, along with their parents, went about their usual chores and home lives. It was a small village of farmers and coal miners so a lot of the younger children, who were not of farming families, were spared the labour of shovelling coal and were instead given menial chores. By the afternoon, everyone was enjoying the rest of their day, enjoying the spring weather of late March.
Pitch was walking through the shadows of the village, listening and watching them. It was a somewhat cloudy day so the sunlight wasn't too harsh. He was invisible to everyone but, by instinct, he kept to the shadows at all times.
By the later afternoon, he found himself watching a group of children at play in a field near a small wooded area, just south of the village. In the distance, you could make out large green hills and mountain tops, of which the sun was slowly beginning it's descent. There were six children; three girls and three boys. They all played and laughed, just as happy as can be.
Two of the girl, twin sisters by the look of it, were playing tag around the trees. One of the boys (who looked entirely too small for his age in Pitch's opinion) decided to keep to himself with a good book. Pitch's inner scholar applauded the boy for his diligent reading but, for the most part, he ignored him. He already knew of that boys fear of drowning and boy...did Pitch get a quick fix from him last night.
The second boy was busy climbing an oak tree, day dreaming by the looks of it. And finally, the last girl was playing "Red Hands" with the last boy whom, stood out from the rest of them. The other five children had to be no older than 10 years of age. But this last boy had to be, what Pitch assumed, around 13. He was a bit unsure with this one; the boy was rather skinny for his age. However, considering the rather rough winter they just went through, food was expectantly scarce so, his thin appearance was to be expected.
Other than being the eldest of the group, the boy didn't stand out much. He had pale-tan skin, bright brown eyes and ear length brown hair. He was dressed in a simple pair of brown leather pants that were very tattered ⅔ of the way down his shins. He wore an oversized white tunic with baggy sleeves and a simple dark brown vest. Resting in a small clump was a dark brown leather poncho he had brought with him, just in case he got cold. And, unlike the other children, this boy didn't have shoes so he was just walking around barefoot. Nothing special about him...though Pitch did frown when he saw him...
Standing on the sidelines, invisible to the children that ran around him, he watched them play and laugh and skip...it was so aggravating to have to do this all the time...just to get a few bits of fear...how he despises how far he's fallen…
"Hey guys, I had the dream again last night! It was so real this time!" The boy in the oak tree spoke up loud enough for the others to hear. The children all looked up to listen to him as the boy began to climb higher into the tree as he spoke.
"What dream, Austin?" The elder boy spoke this time, pulling the girl he was playing with into his lap and tickling her.
The tree boy-Austin-smiled down as he continued to climb. "The flying dream! It came back again, and this time I flew for real! It was so...amazing...so real..." The boy looked longingly at the sky as he climbed higher, a determine yet somewhat crazed look in his eyes.
Pitch's stoic demeanor turned sinister as he smirked. Ah yes...every so often he'd find that one particular child whose mind is a bit...out of tune. They're unable to differentiate dreams from reality so they do dangerous things and believe in the littles of rumors and fantasies. Children like this were especially vulnerable to his magic touch. Often time, he only need to syphon just a tiny bit of fear to trigger a complete psychotic break. So much fear could be had from delusions of granders. This Austin child was one them. From the very moment he arrived in the village, he could smell the crazy on that kid...he loved it.
Pitch watched intently as the children became worried about their friend who was climbing a bit too high. At this point, Pitch began to walk forward, his smirk growing. He went to the twin girls who had stopped their little game of tag to watch and listen to Austin. He leaned down between them, his head just between their ears...
"He's going too high...he's going to fall…"
The girls smiles quickly melted and they took a step forward. "Austin, be careful!"
"Austin, stop climbing, you're gonna fall!"
But the boy didn't listen. He simply smiled down at the other children and continued onward. "I won't fall! The sandman's dream told me so! In the dream, I climbed on top of a tree just like this one! And when I reached the highest branch, I fell! I fell so fast and so far, I thought I was going to die! But then I spread my arms, just like this," He paused for a moment, straddling a tree branch to spread his arms out and sway them ever so slightly from side to side.
"And then, just like that, I flew high into the sky! Above the houses and trees and into the clouds! I even flew to the moon! It was so amazing!"
Ah. NOW Pitch remembers. The other night, he was trying to trigger another crack in Austin's mind with a rather nasty falling night terror. But, in mid-delivery, that blasted Sanderson's dream sand came in and interrupted the nightmare he worked so hard to give to him!
At that time, it made Pitch so angry! However, looking back, this might've been a blessing in disguise. Because if what Pitch thought would happen really was going to happen...he was about to get a very large dose of terror from these children.
He moved away from the two girls and now kneeled down to whisper into the ears of the little girl brown haired girl and the boy whose lap she was sitting on.
"Those branches don't look very strong, do they? Think he'll fall and break his neck?"
Pitch grinned with such glee at the look of horror that appeared on the girls face and the stunned look of the older boy. She hopped off the boys lap and walked closer to the tree.
"Austin, seriously, stop! You're gonna fall and die!"
"No I won't...I'm gonna fly! I'll show you!"
Pitch couldn't be grinner any harder even if he wanted to. This was going so well! Ah the fear these children were feeling, it was so invigorating! The children all grew tense as Austin reached the top of the tree and, although very wobbly, stood up near the edge of the tallest branch. From his viewpoint he could just barely see the smoke from the chimneys of their village in the distance.
Pitch chuckled wickedly; the children began to gather at the base of the tree and Pitch followed them, leaning toward the center of their group.
"Oh dear, how frightening! Think he'll break a leg? An arm? Maybe he'll fall so fast the impact will kill him!"
Pitch continued to feed their fear, the children now desperately calling up to their friend to come to his senses.
Meanwhile, Austin continue to stare out at the village as he inched his feet further. The children grew panicked as the boy spread his arms like wings and bent his legs at the knees; oh the fear coming from these children was like a rolling ocean wave!
And then...he jumped!
If it weren't for the fact that he could sense their terror, he could've sworn he heard some of their hearts stop! There were many varieties of fears in this world...but the fear people felt while witnessing the death of another...that kind of fear was truly delicious! And soon he would get his wish as he watched the boy plummet from the branch and fall, faster and faster!
In the split second from when he jumped and began to plummet, the boys fear levels began to spike as he realized his folly! The flow of time seemed to slow down as looks of horror and terror spread along their faces! Oh such fun Pitch was having! He was just 12 feet from hitting the ground, full impact, when…!
There was nothing. No frightened screams, no gasps of panic! They all stood there starring as the boy hung upside down, just a mere few feet from the ground. Austin looked as if he were about to soil his pants (though in all likelihood he probably did) as he hung there, his shirt bunched up around his chest and under his arms. Gasping, he looked up at his feet and saw what had saved him.
Pitch was absolutely livid!
He was so focused on Austin's plummet that he didn't even notice that elder boy had sprint forward to skillfully climb the branches after him. Then, as the boy began to plummet, he fearlessly reached out to grab him with both hands. He had missed the boys hands, at first, but by letting himself fall backwards, he managed to just catch the boy by his right ankle!
So they they were; the eldest boy hanging on the branch by his knees, stretched out as his hands gripped tightly at Austin's ankles.
Oh! If Pitch still had enough power to turn children into Fearlings, he would've hit that boy with a curse so fast his little head would spin! Just as quickly as it rose, the childrens fears began to quickly evaporate and were replaced with joy, relief and awe. Their "big brother" had saved the day and saved their insane little friends life. And Pitch HATED him for it!
"Jack!? Oh thank god…" Austin sighed in relief, sitting himself up while the elder boy-dubbed Jack-simultaneously pulled him closer to the tree branch. Once they were both upright, it took them no time at all to climb down before they were both safely on the ground once again.
Though none of them could hear him, Pitch loudly cursed to himself at his own bad luck of not getting the fear he wanted. The boy just had to be a hero, didn't he?!
The children ran up to Jack as he put Austin on both feet and kneeled before him, grabbing both his shoulders firmly.
"Austin, what on gods green earth was going through your head when you thought it was a good idea to jump of the top of a 50 ft oak tree!?"
"I-I'm sorry, I-I wasn't thinking it's just…! Th-That dream I had! It was so real, I swear I could touch the cloud and fly above the rain! I-I really thought I could-I could fly, I just knew I could!"
"That is completely INSANE! Do you know how badly you could've been hurt?! You could broken something or, worse, DIED!"
"I know! I just...I didn't…I didn't mean to...!" As the elder boy scolded him, his eyes began to well up with tears. The gravity of the situation finally began to hit the boy as he realized how close to death he was. Pitch could sense his fear but it was no where near as intense as the fear the 6 children felt just moment ago.
Jack, though still very cross with him, sighed and opened his arm. Austin wasted no time in going right into Jack's arms for a much needed hug. Sitting down, Jack allowed the boy to sit in his lap as the other children sat around him. The girl, imitating their mother, attempted to console the boy with gentle strokes of his hair and back. They kept their voices soft but the other other boy, book in hand, went on and on about how much he had scared them.
For a while, Pitch just watched them with disdain and hatred. This wasn't the first time that boy they called Jack had interfered with his collection of fear. This world was harsh and unforgiving and a lot of children had lost their loved ones. Any source of happiness they could find, they clung to for comfort and reassurance. This boy, this Jack, was such a source for them. He was the children's "big brother"; and he had this uncanny ability to make them smile when sad and make them laugh when unhappy. It was incredibly annoying to have to deal with such a nuisance when he was trying to work.
After letting him cry for a few moments more, Jack leaned back and wiped the boys tears away. "Come on, stop crying you're safe now. But Austin, never EVER do something that stupid EVER again, okay?! If you got hurt, what I tell your mom, huh?"
Sighing, Jack leaned back to look at the tree then looked back at Austin again. "And besides, I thought you were afraid of heights, happened to that? You used to say you get bad dreams from just crossing over a bridge…"
"Well, I used to...but then that dream came...and…." Austin, like many children who were in trouble, resorted to keeping his voice low and refused to look Jack further in the eyes. Though the boy was forgiven for his folly, he still felt bad.
"You shouldn't do stuff like that, Austin! My mama told me that if you're bad, evil spirits will come and get you like Evil fairies and Boggarts and the Bogeyman..." The girl that was playing with Jack now spoke to the boy and, upon the mention of Pitch's title, the boy scoffed.
"Hmph! The bogeyman's the idiot who gave me the dream anyway...he's a stupid jackass anyhow...and even if he was real, I'd believe Sandman's dreams over his any day…"
Dear god, Pitch had never wanted to strangle somebody so badly before, let alone a child! In fact, forgetting himself and his predicament for a moment, he was just about to attempt such a thing on Austin...when Jack suddenly spoke up..
"If you ask me, I'd believe the bogeyman over the Sandman in this case!"
This made Pitch stop, intrigued by Jack's words.
"What?" One of the twin girls asked as she sat next to him.
"I mean that if the Bogeyman sends you bad dream about climbing on top of roofs and jumping off of them only to fall and hurt yourself, you should listen to him! Sometimes a little fear can be good for you, it tells you when you shouldn't do dangerous things...like jumping out of trees! The bogeyman is the good guy in this case…"
"The bogeyman is a good guy? Tch...never heard that one before…" Pitch thought to himself. Of course, he didn't get too excited. Just another wild imaginary interpretation of Pitch. Though, this was indeed the first time someone's ever called him good for giving people nightmares...and whose theories were somewhat close to his twisted ideas on why he feels the need to give people fear.
However, it was obvious the children didn't feel the same way, they soon started to giggle and tilt their heads at Jack, who smiled and giggled back. "What? I'm serious! I've always had this theory about the bogeyman about why he gives us nightmares! I think that if you've been bad and do bad things then yeah, he'll give you really bad night terrors and stuff. But I also think that if you've been good and do good things, he'll send "good" bad dreams?"
"How can a bad dream be GOOD!?"
"Well...take Austin for instance! The bogeyman gave him a bad dream about falling and hurting himself. And what happened today? He ignored the dream, climbed up a tree, fell and almost hurt himself! If you're a good boy or girl and you get bad dreams, I'd take them as warnings to not do bad things!"
Another moment of silence...then came the laughter and giggles.
"Jack, THAT'S crazy! Hahahah!" The bookish boy spoke, the other agreeing. "Hahahah! Yeah that's stupid...and besides, the bogeyman's not even real! How can you know that?"
Jack shrugged his shoulders, the smile never leaving his face. "Well...I don't know it for sure, but it's just a theory I have! And who says the bogeyman's not real? I mean, you guys believe in Santa and the Tooth Fairy...why not the bogeyman?"
"Cause he's a jerk, he doesn't deserve to be real! And plus my mom and dad told me so…"
Pitch scowled at the children for another moment. Second later, the sounds of the church bell could be heard ringing. It was 6 PM, it would start to get late soon and the children knew that. Collecting their toys and books, they all made their way back toward the village, smiling and laughing. The Austin boy begged for Jack not to tell his parent what happened today. After debating it, Jack smiled and made the boy promise not to do such a thing again.
Pitch watched as the boy swore to Jack's words and was promptly picked up, and placed on Jack's shoulder for a bit more play time.
This was irritating. What looked to be a good day for Pitch, ruined because one boy had to be a bloody hero. However, as much as he hated the boy for depriving him the fear he desired he was fascinated as to where he heard such a tale. Did he come up with that theory by himself...or was it a parent or another older sibling who told him such a thing? Perhaps another spirit? No, that was unlikely. Pitch didn't go out of his way to make friends with other spirits and magical beings. And those he did met wound up disliking him at the end of their encounter.
The forest grew quiet without the laughter of the children. The sun was beginning to set. After dinner, most of the children would be preparing to sleep. Which meant he best get back to town as well...try to scrape up what little fear he could before the Sandman got to them...
[Later that night]
The sun had set some hours ago and stars soon filled the night sky. After a hard days work, the farmers and miners of the village came lumbering home in their dingy clothes. The were looking forward to hot meals that awaited most of them, as did the children. Once their bellies were full of food, they finished up what little chores were left, cleaned up and went off to bed.
Away from the main streets and collection of buildings in the village, there was a solitary cottage where a family of three lived; a loving mother, a sweet little girl and...the boy. Jack. Pitch had been going from house to house, looking for someone who hadn't been touched by the dreamsand yet. His efforts had been for nothing; almost every child and teen had a stream of dreamsand flowing into their homes. Only one house did not have that damnable sand flowing into it yet and it was the home of the boy who deprived him of his fear from earlier.
His original plan was to give the boy night terrors for wronging him. However, upon further thought, there wouldn't be any point. He hadn't found out what the boys fears were yet and couldn't exploit them. If Pitch was going to give a child nightmares he was either going to do it right or not at all. Not to mention that little idea Jack had gotten into his head about bad dreams being good things.
Pitch sighed in annoyance as he adjusted the wide sleeves of his long black robe; standing over the straw bed of Jack as he did so. It didn't appear as though dreamsand was floating over his head but already the boy was smiling in his sleep. He looked across the room where a second straw mattress bed could be found. Sleeping in it was a cute little girl with medium length brown hair and a light dusting of freckles on her cheeks.
Unlike Jack, she actually had a blanket to sleep with in that cold night. It seemed the brother did without so that his sister could have more; the boy just slept in his brown poncho. Pitch leaned over the girl, a devious smile spreading across his face.
"What an adorable little creature you are...so small and sweet…" Pitch's eyes looked the girl up and down and then looked at the head of her bed. Letters were carved into the headboard of the wooden frame; it spelled the name "Mary".
"Hm..you're name is Mary...Hehehehehe...how charming...well, Mary...since the Sandman hasn't claimed your cute little head yet...how about you and I have a little fun instead…?" His smile grew wider, his greyish-white teeth glowing in the darkness along with his pale-yellow eyes as he leaned down closer to Mary's ear. He whispered in her ear, ever so softly as to not wake her. Soon, her calm face contorted in discomfort as Pitch arose from his bowed position.
He watched with glee, his smile wide and his eyes narrow as the nightmare began to take hold. He softly placed his hand on her head, egging the nightmare on as she began to shiver and cry in her sleep.
"There we are...see? Isn't this fun? Heh heh.."
As she slept, Mary began to whimper and shiver in her sleep, curling further into herself like a little pill bug. Pitch inhaled deeply through his nose, as if he could smell her fear. Ah...he loved this feeling. He didn't know what nightmare was playing through her head right now but whatever it was, it was scaring her to her core.
He relaxed for just a second, allowing his head to lean back, his arms tucked behind his back now as he continued to inhale deeply. He hasn't felt fear like this in almost two weeks and he was going to enjoy it…
"Mary? Mary wake up!"
Pitch's smile melted and his head snapped down. Oh, this brat again!? The boy had woken up to the sound of his sisters whimpers and, like a good big brother, went about trying to comfort her. Jack gently began shaking her; one hand on her shoulder with the other one gently resting on her head. Her brother's calls seemed to do the trick; moments later her eyes snapped open and her arms swung around Jack's neck for a much needed hug.
His arms also went around her, smiling as he began to rub her back in soothing circular motions. "Shhh, shhh, it's okay...it was just a bad dream...you're awake now...it'll be okay…"
"Oh Jack! It was awful! I-I was playing on the road and then this big black s-shadow came out of n-no where and then I was falling a-and...wwaah!" She started to cry and sob into her brother dingy white tunic. He continued to sooth her, convincing her to quiet her sobs. He let her cry a little more before helping her to wipe away her tears.
"It's okay, Mary...the nightmares over now…"
"But it was the bogeyman, he was trying to get me! Hnn...I HATE him! I hate the bogeyman, I wish he-he'd just crawl under a rock and stay there forever…."
"Come on, Mary, he's not that bad...remember what I said earlier? It was just a warning-"
"I don't care! I HATE him, the dream was scary!"
Jack smiled down at his sister. He adjusted himself to sit on the edge of the bed, letting her sit on his lap as she often did after having a bad dream. "It's okay, it'll be okay...now...why don't you tell me about your dream?"
Sniffling, Mary put her head against Jack's chest, wiping her eyes. The sound of his warm heart managed to calm down her anxiety levels as she spoke. "...I was playing in the village. You were there. I was balancing up on the fence post, talking to you and Henna. Then all of a sudden...this...tall black...shadow appeared in front of in the road. Then you disappeared and then, suddenly, the ground disappeared and I was falling down this huge black hole and then the ground appeared again but I was falling toward it but then you woke me up…"
"Well there you go, that was a warning dream! You saw Austin fall today so the Bogeyman was probably telling you not to be stupid like him. Don't climb on top of high places!"
"But it was a fence!"
"Fences can be high! And...corn can get high-"
"Corn? Hahahah! Jack that's stupid, you can't even climb on corn!"
"Well if birds can do it, why can't I, huh? Huh?! Hahahah!" Jack laughed as he began tickling his sister, her fear, once again, replaced with happiness and laughter.
Pitch REALLY hated this boy. He really, really disliked this boy! That's twice now he's interrupted him in the middle of collecting fear and, at this point, Pitch was just getting tired of it. So tired he didn't even try to strangle the boy...even though he knew he'd just go right through him. Huffing, he wandered into the nearest shadow and transported himself outside…
The night was quiet and calm. A cold air wafted through the air, blowing at Pitch's robes, the gold embellishments of his jet black robe slightly gleaming in the moonlight as he walked down a lonely singular path to the lake in the forest…
He was tired. Not sleepy, just mentally exhausted at how hard he had to work at collecting just the smallest bit of fear! It was like he was starving to death but he just kept on living anyway! He growled as he stood before the lake, the light of the moon reflecting off the cold surface of the water. And then his mood grew dark.
"You think you've won, don't you…?" He scowled, looking up at the moon.
"You think I'm nothing now? Just a shade of my former glory...a ghost just barely holding on, haunting who he can, where he can. Just a memory...well...let me tell you something, Lunanoff...I will never be just a memory...I am Pitch Black, the Nightmare King! I slaughtered hundreds, tormented their dreams, with thousands of minions at my disposal! I was the scourge of the great constellations! You think just because your rabble of freaks managed to defeat me once that I'll simply step aside? Walk away!? Ha...I'll never leave...I'll always be here. Even if I have to claw my way out of this pathetic pit I'm in now...I'll find a way to return to my former glory...and I'll destroy you, your guardians...and then…"
He paused, lifted a hand to the moon before tightly fisting it, a look of pure malice and hatred in his eyes. "...I'll suck this planet dry…you just wait, 'old friend'...your time will-"
"Who's there?!"
Pitch went silent and turned toward the source of the voice. His eyes narrowed and his frown increased as he saw the boy, Jack, traveling down the same path he had taken. There was a wooden shepherd's crook in his hand being brandished like it was a spear. That boy had horrible timing, as usual.
A haughty huff of air leaving his lungs as he turned away from the boy and stepped into the nearest shadow in a cluster of trees and low hanging branches…
"Hey! You in the black!"
Pitch froze mid step. No...couldn't be. The boy couldn't be referring to him...could he?
Just to be sure, Pitch stepped further into the shadows, completely covered by the darkness. There he stood, still and silent, waiting for the boy to near.
Leaves and tiny twigs crunched under Jack's dirty bare feet as he trekked through the darkness and down the dirt path. He could've sworn he saw someone. He saw him just outside the window of his and his sister's bedroom.
As Jack was putting her back to bed, he happened to look up at a mirror hanging on the wall. It was just by the door of the room and could reflect the whole area, including the opposite window. Jack had just sat up from tucking his sister back into bed...when he saw it. A black...shadow or ghost or...someone in all black standing just outside their window. And when he turned to look, he managed to just catch a small glimpse of the man walking away.
Jack didn't know what this man was doing here, wandering around their bedroom window. But if he intended to steal from them or hurt them, he wasn't about to let that happen!
As he reached the heavily wooded area, Jack took a look around. The man was gone?
'But I just saw him? Where the heck did he go?' Jack thought to himself as he let his crook touch the ground.
From his dark corner, Pitch watched as the child continue to search for him, poking at branches and large bushes with his shepherd's crook. He was persistent, he'd give him that. In fact, this whole thing was absurdly ironic. The one child whom he was unable to scare...is now the only child that can see him! What a mockery!
An annoyed scoff left his mouth as he moved to turn away from the boy. With the movement, a small twig snapped under the weight of Pitch's foot. The sound alerted Jack and his staff went right up again into a defensive position. It was so dark, he could barely make out anything through the shadows of the trees. At that very moment, the clouds moved aside to allow the moon's light to shine down and illuminate the woods just enough for Jack to see...and get a glimpse of glowing...yellow...eyes…
Pitch forced himself not to chuckle, instead smirking as he felt a miniature spike of fear emit from the boy…
Jack froze, putting on a brave face. He stood there for a few moments; he expected this shadow to attack or do...something. When nothing was said or done, he took a cautious step forward.
"I-I know you're there...come on out where I can see you…"
Pitch said nothing, a chuckle leaving his lips. Again, nothing was said. They both stood there, staring each other down. Pitch could've left at any time...but his curiosity was getting the better of him.
"Heh...and what do you think you'll do with such a tiny stick…?"
Jack stopped in his tracks. That voice was so deep, dark and foreboding and yet, at the same time, it had such a velvety resonance; it was almost soothing. Still, Jack had to be careful. This man was an unknown and he knew better than to let his guard down. Lifting the staff again, he took another cautious step forward.
"W-Why? Scared I'll use it?"
Again, a curt chuckle left Pitch's lips. "I am not afraid…"
Jack took a shaky breath as he stopped just short of 5 feet from the branches where Pitch was hiding. "Then come out…!"
Pitch's smirk grew wider. "...then you'll be afraid…"
The boy put on a brave face...but much to Pitch's enjoyment...he was filling with fear...finally...he managed to scare the boy.
The young boy swallowed a small lump in his throat, his palms were getting sweaty now. Without warning, he lashed out swiping away the branches-but Pitch was already gone!
"Wha-"
"This is most interesting...and here I was starting to think you were fearless…"
Jack gasped, whipping around. The voice was coming from all around him, but he could not find its source!
"...but now I see I was quite wrong...you're quite scared now...aren't you?"
"I'm n-not scared-"
"You can't lie to me, boy….I can taste your fear..."
His hands began to shake, Jack's eyes were darting to every tree, every large rock, every shadow that could possibly hide him. But he couldn't see him! Where was the man in black?!
"Wh-Where are you?! H-How are you doing this?" Then he gasped as an almost chilling thought ran through his head. "Are...are...you...a...a ghost?"
"Hahahahah...I suppose...in a way. To be honest, I'm surprised by you...I can scare every child in this town...yet none of them can see or hear me...but you never succumb to my nightmares...and yet here you are...able to acknowledge my existence….such irony!"
Jack never stopped in his search, poking at trees and swiping away branches to reveal their shadows. "I...I don't-...wait...you said...you said nightmares…?"
"Indeed..."
The look of anxiety and determination that was once on Jack's face was replaced by, what Pitch could describe as, wonder and amazement, as if he realized a great truth.
"...that's why...you were near our room...and the nightmare Mary had...does...does that mean...you're the Bogeyman?"
It was now Pitch decided to reveal himself. Maybe seeing his dark form in person would illicit some delicious fear from the boy. While the boy was unaware, Pitch slowly lifted from the shadow that Jack caste in the light behind him. Up next to the boy, he towered over him, the top of his brown haired head just barely reaching the top of Pitch's shoulders. Shadows moved and squirmed around him, his robes flowing and flapping gently in the breeze; he indeed looked like a nightmare himself. His shark toothed grin never leaving his face, he leaned forward near the boys ear...
"Boo…"
The boy yelped; he turned to swing his staff but the back of his right heel got caught on an overgrown tree root, causing him to topple backwards and land on his back. Sitting himself up and rubbing the now sore back of his head, he looked up in awe at the figure before him.
Now fully in the light of the moon, Jack got a good look at the figure before him and was quite stunned. The Bogeyman was nothing like what he expected. He expected...well, if he were honest, he didn't know what to expect. One thing for sure was that he didn't expect him to look so...human…well, human like. Jack has seen many people but he's never seen someone with glowing yellow eyes, pointed ears and such pale skin! It was grey with a slight tinge of blue to it; definitely NOT human but human-looking enough in his mind.
Pitch towered over the boy, his head high and shoulders back; his body language showing just how superior he felt over him. He was clad in all black robes, from head to toe. He looked like he could be some sort of old world sorcerer. His robes were form fitting only around his waist where a golden sash held it close to his body. They were long enough to cover his feet and then some.
It appeared as if he had two sets of arms coverings. The first layer were form fitting black sleeves that ran all the way up to the back of his hands and finally ended with the material wrapping around his middle fingers. The second set of sleeves were huge, black trumpet sleeves. The short part of the material reaching just at his knuckles while the longer, if he let his arm hang relaxed down his sides, reached just above his knees. Jack could clearly see the red material that lined the inside of the trumpet sleeves. The red coloring continued onto the outside as a single wide band of red, decorated heavily with golden swirls and designs all around the rim. On top of the black robe was a another jet black vest with upright shoulder pads, both of which also had golden lines running across the outer rims.
The neckline sloped down into a V-shape with another golden band resting on the top of his collar bone. The collar of the robe itself was stiff and stood upright; though it was not extremely tall, just reaching the bottom of his neckline and ears.
Jack continued to stare up at the man before him in quiet awe. Pitch also looked down at the child. He was so scrawny. It was almost pathetic had it not been expected. The silence was starting to irritate Pitch. Was the boy just going to sit there all night and just stare at him?
"Cat got your tongue, boy?"
Again, Jack said nothing...just stared at Pitch. Finally, Jack pulled himself up from the ground with the use of his staff, however he did this slowly. He felt the need not to make any sudden movements.
The boy was scared...but his fear was...diminishing? Why? Frowning, Pitch stepped back into the shadows and reappeared behind him. Jack looked around frantically and then, when he finally noticed him again, he took a few steps back making sure not to trip. Shadows began to move on their own and circle around Jack menacingly. Pitch seemed to grow a few more feet, completely dwarfing the boy at this point. And his face began to distort; his eyes now glowing completely red; the short fangs of his teeth and his already pointed ears growing twice as long. It was only an illusion, of course. That's all Pitch could conjure at his current state of power. But it was quite a frightening sight to behold...
"...so...Jack...are you afraid? You should be...who knows what kind of beasts and creatures are waiting to snatch you in the night….heh heh heh…"
Jack, once again stunned in awed silence, slowly nodded his head before gulping down another lump in his throat. "Y-Yeah...now that you mention it…it was kinda stupid t-to be walking out in th-the dark like this..." He looked around, his eyes darting toward the branches and bushes. He glanced down at the shadows but did not move away.
Pitch's senses have never failed him before...and Jack was indeed afraid...but it was such a small fear…? Why was that?
Furrowing his brows, Pitch let out a menacing growl. Jack stepped back...but he didn't run. Didn't scream, didn't cry. He just...stared at him. It was severely confusing to Pitch.
"...Well?"
Jack looked at him after glancing around for a moment. "...W-Well what?"
Pitch frowned. "Go on...run away screaming like the rest of them…"
"...you...want me to...run away?"
Though his eyes were glowing red, it was evident by the way he scoffed and shook his head, he was quite annoyed and rolling his eyes before casting a larger shadow further over Jack.
"Yes, boy! Run away, call for help, run back to your home, hide under the bed! You're scared aren't you?!"
Jack's shoulders began to relax as he slowly nodded. "Well...I guess so but...I mean...you're scary but...you haven't tried to hurt me yet so...what's there to be scared of, heh heh….r...right?"
.LIEVABLE! This boy was just so! Dear gods, Pitch couldn't even think of a proper simile to describe how mind numbingly irritable and fearless this boy was!? Why couldn't be like normal children and run away screaming in utter terror?! No, he just had to be so...so…!
Pitch let out a loud sound that could be described as a growl mixed with a cry of desperation. A second later, just as fast as he changed, he returned to his normal black robed self before turning away from Jack. His hand slapping right to his forehead and traveling downward so that his thumb and index finger were holding the bridge of his nose. This boy was now giving him a migraine. He didn't even know he got those anymore!
"Oh for HEAVENS SAKES, child! That's it! I give up! Go ahead and be...fearless, jump around, be an idiot! I don't CARE anymore, UGH!" Exasperated and exhausted, Pitch walked up the path back toward the village.
Jack looked around as the unnaturally moving and blacker than normal shadows suddenly detached themselves from their normal sources and followed the black robes spirit, fusing back to his robe that dragged behind them. In the back of his mind, Jack knew he should be scared...but he's always been fascinated by magic and fairy tales...and while it was somewhat bizarre and scary, it was also incredibly cool!
As the last of the shadows touched Pitch's robes, Jack's attention finally snapped back to the fact that Pitch was leaving. He couldn't let him leave, he had so many questions!
"Hey, wait! Mr. Boogeyman!"
Jack ran up the dirt path, following behind Pitch. Glancing over his shoulder, Pitch groaned again. This boy was incorrigible! He had to get away before his headache got even worse. Finding the nearest shadow, he summoned up his magic to quickly transport him back to his underground palace of darkness. He put one foot inside a shadow...only to feel a hand grab at his wrist.
His head snapped back at Jack. He glared down at the hand that grasped his wrist and Jack, getting the message, instantly let go. He kept his expression stoney with a look of irritation. In the back of Pitch's mind, a part long forgotten and forced back, he found the sensation of having someone touch him a bit surreal and yet familiar in a comforting sort of way. But it was of no matter. What mattered was getting away from this child.
So when Jack released his wrist, he turned to walked into the shadow again. This time he got in arm and a leg into the shadow before being grabbed at the wrist again.
"Wait-"
"WHAT, BOY!?" Pitch snapped at Jack, his deep voice echoing through the forest.
Jack gasped, backing away once again and releasing his arm. However, he didn't shy away again. Swallowing his fear he gave Pitch a meek smile. "I...I just wanted to ask you something!"
"What?!" Pitch asked again, his irritability getting worse.
"Um...I saw you outside mine and my sisters room. You gave her a nightmare, right?"
Pitch rolled his eyes as his frown grew into a sneer. "No, it was the tooth fairy-of COURSE I gave her a nightmare, it's what I DO!"
"Oh...y-yeah, right! Stupid question, sorry! Heheheh! Oh...wait so the Tooth Fairy's definitely real?! Like, she flies around and stuff?"
Pitch huffed, his eyes rolling again. "...yes and stuff…" He began to walk away but the boy followed right behind him.
"Cool! So, uh, my second question: is it true you scare kids when they've been bad but then give bad dreams as a warning to good kids?"
Pitch scoffed at the idea that Jack had just repeated, not looking at the boy again as he looked ahead toward the path. That theory sounded so utterly ridiculous.
"...hmph...who told you that rubbish?"
"No one, just a guess I had about you! Cause sometimes I remember my dreams; not all of them though. The scary one I DO remember and I always remember that whenever I had a bad dream like that, the same bad thing that happened in the dream would come true! At first I thought I was seeing the future, but then other kids started telling me about their dreams and the same thing happens to them so I sorta just...put two and two together, I guess!"
Pitch, keeping his eyes on the path, listened to the boys jabbering. Funny how a child's mind can turn something others perceive as bad into a good. To be perfectly honest, whenever Pitch couldn't figure out a child's fear at first, he's just sends as much terror inducing magic into their minds until he hits a sweet spot. So in those cases, the bad dreams are completely random. Any correlations with real live events were, what Pitch believed to be, pure coincidence. This boy was either over analyzing his dreams or was just that positive about things. Still, very annoying…
Though...on the other hand...perhaps this wasn't such a bad thing. After all, this was the first time in decades that Pitch has had someone actually be able to see and hear him. In his observations, it was clear that the other children looked up to Jack as their big brother. They may laugh but they still hang on his every word. Maybe letting Jack believe in such ridiculous theories wouldn't be such a bad thing. Perhaps he shouldn't treat Jack as an annoyance but rather...as an experiment…
A devilish smirk appeared on his face. He told himself not to jump the gun, obviously...but this might tip things in his favor. If he couldn't get people to believe in him through sheer force of terror and fear anymore...maybe a little manipulation was in order. A bit of "brainwashing" might do the trick. Pitch might have a little fun with this boy after all…
Pitch took his eyes away from the path and smirked down at Jack. The boy, at this point, was swinging his crook around, swiping at some weeds and bushes.
"...actually, Jack, you're absolutely right..." Pitch said, tucking his arms behind his own back as he walked.
Jack's smile grew a bit wider at the confirmation. "Really? Cool! So, how do you do it? Do you like, cast a magic spell or-oh! Do you have a wand that you wave or-"
A slender, grey finger reached out and placed itself on Jack's lips, shutting him up for the moment. Pitch let out a half-chuckled before standing upright. "...perhaps I'll tell you another time...for now, I think it's time you got inside….don't you?"
Pitch used his magic again to spread fear and anxiety to the boy. Surprisingly, it worked. Jack began to look around the wooded area, his eyes darting every which way. Whatever Jack expected to see must've been a source of fear for him...oh he'd definitely want to find out about that fear. In the very least if his experiment failed, he'd finally be able to scare this boy a bit more effectively.
They had walked up the path far enough so that Jack could see his home, it was only a few feet away. "Right...it's getting late isn't it...guess I should get back inside…" Jack took a few steps away from Pitch and toward his home...but then stopped to smile back at Pitch who was also on his way toward leaving.
"Hey, wait a sec, one more thing!" Again, Jack ran up behind Pitch but, thankfully, did not grab him again.
Getting his attention, Jack smiled, holding out his hand. "My names, Jack Overland, by the way!"
Pitch frowned down at the extended hand. He dare not take it; wouldn't want to give this boy any wrong ideas...just scary ones. He stood tall and stoic as Jack, feeling the tension of the awkward situation, retracted his hand. Once he did, Pitch turned away and began to walk away again...but stopped after a few short steps.
"...Black….Pitch Black, is my name…."
Jack smiled. Pitch Black. He'd make sure to remember that name. He twirled his staff around, letting it rest on his shoulder. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Black! Will I see you tomorrow?"
Again, Pitch didn't answer. Jack took the hint and shrugged his shoulders. "Okay...good night, Mr. Black!" And, finally, much to Pitch's relief, the boy retreated back into his little cabin home.
Well, this week in this village proved to be most interesting . Just when he thought about moving to a different village to conjure up some fear, he finds a believer in a child that doesn't fear him at all. And, if things went well, the boy might become a blessing. Pitch knew from his experiences in the Dark Ages that one little rumor, piece of gossip and whisper could cause a raging infernos worth of fear. Just think of it...if he got children to believe in him through Jack's little theories...there's no telling how powerful he might become.
And, if all else fails, he could always scare the boy to death once he learns of his fears…
Oh this was going to be quite enjoyable…
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Quick note on Pitch's outfit description. I've always imagined that, as the times changed, Pitch's outfit would change as well.
Right now, since they're in the 1700's, Pitch's robes would be more flowing with big sleeves and embellishments like an old school wizard. However, if you need a more visual interpretation, visit this link (just remove the brackets): [the-orator].[deviantart]/[art]/[Pitch]-[Black]-[340666310]
Anyway, I hope to get my next chapter up and posted relatively soon! I got so many ideas that I wanna put up in story form!