AN: Thank you to everyone who supported this story! Just a heads up: you will hate me for the finale. But if I get enough positive feedback, I might write the sequel. You've been warned!

Cupid's Bow

Chapter 7

Amora watched her reflection in the glimmering lake in her meadow. She had walked all day, until the sun faded from the sky. The darkness had already claimed her entire upper body and was reaching across the right side of her face with its dark caress. The left side was fighting to remain free from taint and the result from the conflict was unsettling. Her eyes were mismatched colors. Her left eye was a faded pink from the power of her love while the other was the color of night. She looked like something out of a bad horror flick.

She looked up at the Man in the Moon. "I have never asked you about why I am the way I am, but I need answers now. I need to know why you chose me to be a Legendary. Why did you bring me back?" She waited, but there was no reply. The Moon simply started at her, patiently silent. She groaned and stomped her foot in sudden anger. "Two hundred years, Moon! Two hundred cursed years! I never once asked you why you did this to me! The least you could do is tell me why I was chosen! Why didn't you let me die? You're doing it now!"

Only the infuriating silence answered her. She sat down on the grass and put her head in between her knees. She didn't like feeling weak and vulnerable. And now she felt all that and more. She crushed her fingers into a tight fist and clenched until her fingernails dug into the blackened skin of her palm. She lifted her head and watched as dawn touched the sky. I will be brave. I will not fail. Not a single soul will be without love. Not today.

As the sun brushed it's fingertips across the sky, Amora closed her eyes and inhaled, feeling the hum of her power shine and wrap around her. She felt her clothes drip off her body and transform. The pink lace replaced the tattered remains of her red tank top and faded brown trousers. It scaled down to her feet, gently dissolving her boots until her feet were wrapped in silky pink slippers. A golden staff appeared in her hand and she grasped the rod with sure hands. Her hair was taken out of the pony tail and curled itself into gentle, loose curls and two small, white wings curled from her spine to embrace the day. Her day.

She opened her eyes and looked at herself. The lace dress was a snug fit and underneath was a pale rose-colored satin slip. Her feet were adorned with pink slippers similar to a ballet dancer and the ribbons wound around her legs up to her thighs. Every year she scrunched up her nose. She didn't like clothes that clung too tightly to her body, but on Valentine's Day she never had the heart to change a single thread. But that didn't mean she didn't accessorize with her black leather jacket, which was lying on the ground beside her.

She smiled and began running to the small town and waved her scepter. The love poured out of her and encircled anyone walking outside in the early morning. She could feel the warmth envelope people, heard their hearts cry out in joy and affections that were buried all year long. The little girl who had faced the Boogeyman with her was outside with her brother, Jamie who was reading her a story about a Yeti sighting. Amora landed gently on the fence post and waved her hand and sprinkled them both with her pink magic.

Sophie laughed playfully and hugged her brother who ruffled her hair and hugged her back. Amora leaned against her staff and watched the two embrace. They reminded her of how her brother used to hug her. She shook her head to clear it, and began to run again. Amora felt amazed by how free she felt despite the darkness inside her. She felt as if she weren't invaded at all.

She swept through the town, waving her arms and scepter at anyone and anything that caught her attention. She laughed and ran up the side of a small business to run atop the buildings. People embraced and couples kissed. She couldn't contain her glee and laughed heartily.

Soon, she was on her way to the next town and then the cities and the next and the next and the next until she had traveled all over the world, spreading her love and joy with everyone. She had one more town to get to, one she had saved for last. She ran at lightning speed, sweeping madly around her and laughing. She couldn't remember ever having this much fun, not in the two hundred years she had lived and served the world.

She slowed her pace when the billboards began coming into view announcing her welcome to St. Peters. She walked down the main road, waving at cars and people and children and everything. She ran her fingers through an iron fence, saturating it in pink. She saw women begin to come out their homes and head to their neighbors to wish them a happy Valentine's Day.

When approached the last neighborhood and stopped suddenly. North stood in her way with his arms crossed and a glint of amusement in his eye.

"I almost did not recognize you. Leather jacket gave it away." He laughed.

Amora smiled. "Happy Valentine's Day, North."

He waved her greeting away, with a small blush. "I have brought present. Come."

She approached cautiously, watching him as he stood on the sidewalk. "What is it? And why do you look like you're going to toss me in a burlap sack? You know, if parents saw you like this, they'd keep their kids in at Christmas time."

North snorted. "Why would I toss you in sack? I am not taking you to the Pole."

She heard an exhilarating holler of glee and looked up to find Jack freezing magic. Amora pointed a finger at him and zapped him off balance. "I'm starting to see why you have so many fans," she scoffed.

Jack hopped down off a building and landed gracefully beside North. He twirled his staff behind his head, hanging his arms off the frosty wood. "Cupid? You look…like a girl."

She snorted and tapped the ice the trapped her magic, cracking it so the love could run free. "We seem to have that in common." She pointed to his hood, her magic weaving around Jack and coloring his clothes pink. He yelped and tried to dust it off. She held her stomach and broke into guffaws.

"I think pink is your color, mate." Bunnymund chuckled, coming up behind Amora. She looked at him and he winked good-heartedly. "I wish I have a camera!"

"Bunny, I swear I will never ice over your eggs again, if you agree to never speak of this. Ever." Jack replied.

"Not on your life, mate," came his swift reply.

"Amora, you look like a princess!" Toothiana gasped as she too appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

Amora kept the groan of horror inside and smiled and curtseyed. "What are you all doing here?"

"We wanted to make sure you were…well enough. And we have something for you now that we can see you're not…well, you know. Like Pitch." Bunnymund answered.

"North said he had a present. What is it?" She asked.

North took a small, colorful canister out of his heavy coat pocket and tossed it to her. A girl with ash brown hair and green eyes stared back at her as her caught it. "Are these…?" She couldn't finish the question.

"They're your memories, Amora. We thought they might be able to help you fight off Pitch's darkness." Tooth smiled and put a hand on Amora's shoulder. Amora smiled.

Amora hugged her, surprising the Guardian of Memories. "I can't thank you enough! Maybe this will show me what I need to know to defeat him. But why did you come all this way? Once Valentine's Day is over, I always head back to the west. Surely you all knew that."

Tooth nodded. "We weren't sure what we would expect. Especially since the last time Pitch confronted you. We couldn't let anything threaten the children."

"I understand. I wasn't sure what would happen, either. But I'm glad you're all here. Would you care to do the honors?" She offered the scepter to Tooth who made a jovial squeal and began to wave it around excitedly.

Amora smiled and twirled around in the raining pink dust with her arms out. The canister in her hand rattled and she stopped, remembering she was holding onto it. She looked at the girl on the stained glass and gently ran her fingers down the image and gasped when it sprang to life before her eyes.

"I don't know why you fill his head with ridiculous stories! He will never believe in reality! He'll forever be in this fantasy world you've concocted!" Her mother was yelling at her. Amora said nothing, but stared down at her hands that were entwined with each other as she lie helpless in her bed with her mother pacing the length of her floor. She felt her mother's anger from across the room, reaching like steel snakes to bite and snap at her ankles. Amora felt her fever rising as the moments did.

Amora never spoke out against her mother. She feared her mother's anger more than she desired her own voice be heard. Amora had always had a natural aversion to loud noises. Her doctor was angrily shaking his head and agreeing with her mother while she ranted and raved about Amora's many faults. Her mother didn't like Amora telling Jacob about her dream adventures with pirates and robbers and thieves. She felt Jacob would have a detached mind from reality.

Today felt different. She felt as if her skin was dancing and her energy was exponentially high. "I love you, mother." She said simply.

Her mother gave pause and looked at the little slip of the girl. Her eyes widened for the first time taking in the girl's hollowed cheeks and pale face. Amora had been sick for weeks—centuries it seemed. Her temperature rose every few days by an inkling degree and her energy seemed to just evaporate as the sun rose and fell like her laboring breaths.

Amora knew her fate. Consumption was slowly draining her away. But she felt at peace. For she knew love. She knew her love for Jacob and her mother. She would not allow that to die with her.

Amora looked out the window and smiled at the Moon which was peering into the dark of her room from her window. She admired the brilliance of the Moon and closed one eye to see the face.

Her mother knelt at her bedside and cautiously ran her thumb over Amora's knuckles and looked at her daughter.

"I love you too, Amora." She murmured. Amora held her arms out to her mother and embraced her. Her palm slid to her mother's heart, and she closed her eyes and willed all of her love go inside her mother and she whispered, "Do not let your love for anyone be a waste. Love Jacob, love my father, love everyone. It is my last gift to you, momma."

Her mother's tears were the last thing she remembered.

Amora gasped and she felt winded and weak. Her knees buckled and Bunnymund had to wrap his arm around her waist to keep her upright.

"What did you see?" Jack asked, leaning forward.

Amora was breathing too quickly, her heart pounding in her chest. "I know what I have to do."