"How did you become a fairy tale?" Dark asked Piper as the elevators lifted them up towards the Eiffel Tower's second story.
"I was cheated, I took my revenge- you know the story. But then those three... idiots rewrote my legend, and suddenly I was no more than a story, a moral. Nobody believed in me anymore, why should they, i they wanted me they could look in the nearest booksellers." Piper replied, spinning his pipe along his fingers.
"And you're really okay with this; acting against the Guardians?"
"The Guardians hate me. I forsake my duty as an immortal, by taking those children with my music. I'm as bad as Pitch here to them; Bunnymund despises me especially. Despite what you would think, I used to know him, and he is truly the softest o the Guardians."
Dark caught Pitch's eye from across the elevator and he shrugged. The doors of the lift opened with a beep, and a gust of icy air blew in, lifting Dark's hair and making Piper's coat flap and snap in the wind. The city of Paris towered around them, despite their being half way up the tower, and a cloud drifted lazily up above them.
"He's here," Pitch told them. "Finally."
The Nightmares reared up from behind them, and Pitch vaulted onto one, stroking it's dark mane. Dark watched Piper blow swiftly on his pipe, two low notes that made the fearling sink to it's knees so he could mount it. As he took off, Dark felt her breath catch as she watched his face light up with the pink of the rising sun, the ripples of it on his light brown hair. She shook her head, closing her mouth as she rose into the air. What was wrong with her?
Yet as they landed at the top of the Eiffel Tower, the morning light streaming about them, she found herself drawn to looking at Pitch, his dark face and smooth hair, thinking of the way his lips curled in a sarcastic smile when he had been talking to Jack Frost. And how sweet his voice was, how spine tingling, it was the most beautiful sound she had ever heard.
"Cupid, we've come to see you," he called up to the sky, and Dark felt her insides fill with a warm tingle.
The clouds, wreathed in pink lining, seemed to descend a little, and Dark realised that it was a path, fluffy and soft, being lowered down to where they were. As it touched down in a misty haze around their feet, Dark asked, "Can we walk on it?"
"That would be nice- not all of us can fly," added Piper, his eyes lingering on Dark, making her face flush for the first time in three hundred and fifty years.
Pitch sneered at her. "Look at you to blushing like lovers, I can see Cupid's already gotten to you two. And yes, you can walk on it, though you might be better off dying if you're already in that state."
He turned and walked up the pink cloudy path, puffs of mist floating up where he stepped. Dark almost giggled; it seemed so strange for Pitch Black, the Boogey man to be leaving a trail of pink bubbly mist behind him when he walked.
Dark looked at Piper before following Pitch up the path to the large cloud, which retained it's pinkish hue, despite the Sun having fully risen. If sunk beneath her feet and sprung up as she stepped off it. Feeling ridiculously childish, she gave a hop, feeling the bridge propel her like a trampoline, and she felt a giggle escape her lips as she landed, the cold wind blowing was against her hair, tugging her off the path, but she didn't care about that, nor the sunlight that was warming up her skin, she felt elated and silly, something she'd forgotten she could even feel.
She bounded along after Pitch, hearing Piper laughing behind her, and turning to see him grinning out of character as he jumped along the path too. Even Pitch looked less glowering as he stepped into the mist cloud and out of sight.
Dark followed, and emerged in a large cleared area, framed by white marble columns, like an ancient Greek structure. It was filled with flying baby-like men with wings like angels; cherubs. The cherubs were hanging garlands of roses around the place, brilliant red flowers, while taking down wreaths of pink orchids. Despite being dressed in white or pink loin clothes, they looked slightly menacing as they turned to stare at Pitch, and some of them wore two quivers of their back, and either a lyre of a bow over one arm.
But then Dark followed Pitch's gaze, her mouth hanging open, and her vision tunnelled as her eyes met those of the most attractive boy on the planet.
He had olive brown skin and a halo of dark hair that fell about his face in luxurious waves. His eyes were a light green and sparkled as he smiled at her, and in that moment she felt as though her whole world had exploded into shards of light and ecstasy. He wore a toga of pure white that fell about his waist, exposing strong abdomenal muscles, chiseled as though by a god. Dark felt her heart near burst.
Then Piper stepped up behind her, gazing at the boy with a look of worship on his face. "She's beautiful."
Dark snapped out of her bubbly mindset. "She?"
The boy laughed, his voice exactly like Pitch's and suddenly he was one of the cherubs, only larger, with a mop of blonde hair and a strong jaw. He grinned at them as Dark, Pitch and Piper both stumbled back in shock and horror at having been drawn into what was once a gorgeous person.
"I find first impressions are the most meaningful- don't you Pitch Black?" Cupid said, it's voice husky and french accented. "You all look so shocked. Should I change back?"
With a flourish Cupid returned to the most attractive boy in the world, and Dark felt her blush returning unwillingly. She forced herself to remember the fat cherub he actually was. He walked over to Pitch, and she felt a stirring of unintentional jealousy.
"What brings you here Pitch?" Cupid asked, stroking his face. Suddenly he flickered into what Pitch was seeing. A tall, curvy woman, dressed in black with rosy cheeks and icy eyes.
"I-We want your alli-"
"You could do with some sunlight, you know," interrupted Cupid, inspecting him critically. "And that hair- really, just cut it all off already. And your teeth... they're more like fangs- and look, you're missing one! I would have thought you'd have valued your appearance. But then again... maybe not."
He walked over to Dark, back in his attractive form. He looked her up and down, his eyes narrowed nastily. "Gosh, and I thought Pitch was the one who needed a tan. I can see your veins, dear. What are you- the Bride of Dracula? Your hair... that's alright I suppose, in a black kind of way... You're eyes are disturbing though... but there are contacts available."
Darkness balled her hands into fists, biting her tongue to stop herself from mauling him. But he wasn't done yet, as he shot her a smile and cupped her face. "And you're clothes too, darling, too much black. Colour is in at the moment, black's for shoes only. That goes for you too, Pitch."
He knelt down and squeezed her leg, feeling her ankle and she gave a gasp of shock. "Too skinny, my love, too skinny. I'd try for some more muscle, a man doesn't like twigs over proper legs, remember that." It was so strange to hear Pitch's voice discussing her legs that she couldn't think of a remark for him.
He walked over to Piper and put a hand to his chest, then prodded his arms, and was suddenly a small girl with tight brown curls, a warm freckley face and brown almond eyes. She wore and old fashioned blue gown and when she spoke it was with an Australian accent. Piper looked at her adoringly.
"Finally, we've got a half decent one!" she chuckled, running a hand along his face. "Yes, you're gorgeous. A bit mousey with the hair- we could brighten that up. And maybe some new clothes, though ruffles and lace do suit you, honey bunny."
Piper stumbled back. "Bunny- no! You can't do that. Go back, now! She's dead!"
"And more the pity, my dear Pied Piper. You are a faithful man, I do admire that." Cupid gave him a wink, back to his cherub self. He turned back to Pitch. "Now what were you saying about that alliance?"
Pitch's eyes were narrowed, and Dark could tell that he wasn't happy with being put off by Cupid. "We might require some of your talents as a distraction... against some certain Guardians. In return we can offer gold and a place in my- our new world. We need to destroy Christmas."
Cupid shook his head. "And whatever makes you think that I'd want to destroy Christmas, wrecking all of those beautiful people's dreams?"
Dark couldn't help it. "You keep talking about beauty and looks, but I thought love was supposed to be about more than just appearances."
Cupid cut her a glare. "Of course it is, you silly girl, love is all heart, but we can't see people's hearts now, can we? How dare you come and argue with me about love, to me, Cupid. I don't want any parts in your schemes, Pitch Black. Get out of my sight, you're hurting my eyes."
Pitch sneered, and Dark became very aware of all the cherubs watching them, the plaza suddenly very silent, except for some sounds that could have been arrows being notched. "Very well, but you shall regret this, Cupid. You remember that."
"If I have the time for it," Cupid replied. "But I'll always have you to remind me- oh what's that? You didn't think I'd let you go, did you? The only thing keeping lovers away from eachother these days is fear. If I cage you- I free them. CHERUBS!"
The cherubs flew forward swiftly, and Piper blew hard on his pipe, an earsplitting note that dropped the cherubs to the ground and sent Cupid wailing. Dark pulled them out towards the exit, but suddenly the hall seemed so much longer, and the cherubs were getting back up.
An arrow whizzed past Dark's head and clattered to the ground next to Pipe'rs feet, and she and Pitch fired streams of darkness and sand back at them, while Piper blew his pipe, but he was out of breath so only a few cherums fell down.
Then suddenly Pitch fell, an arrow in his knee, and Dark had to rush back, while Piper covered her back, swirling his pipe to deflect the arrows. As she reached down to help him up, Pitch grabbed her arms and pulled her down on top of him, and for a wild moment Dark though he was attacking her until he clamped his lips down on her, but her head had moved slightly, so he ended up sucking on her chin. Which, she reflected, made for a very akward first kiss.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" roared Piper, dodging and arrow and punching out at a cherub. "WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!"
"It's the arrow," cried Dark, struggling out of Pitch's grip and falling over. "What did it do?"
"What letter does it have on it?" a cherub asked, zooming at her and she ducked. Dark squinted at the fletching stuck in Pitch. The was a golden T painted on it.
"A T," she replied, flinging a stream of shadows into four cherus that were aiming arrows at Piper.
"That's for temporary. He'll be infatuated with the first person he sees - you- for about two days or so, unless the affection is returned, then the spell will cut out." The cherub informed her helpfully, firing another arrow at her face. She deflected it with a blade of darkness and Piper gave a whistle that exploded him.
"I love you," Pitch cried, thrusting himself into her arms and grabbing her.
"If you love me- get your Nightmares and get us out of here," she hissed, pushing him away.
"Fearlings!" Pitch cried, and Dark pulled him out of the way of another arrow. The Nightmares appeared. Two were shot by the swarm of cherubs, but Dark pulled Pitch onto one and Piper climbed onto another. The Nightmares bolted through the cloud surrounding them, and suddenly they were over Paris, before Pitch tried to turn around and grab at Dark again, slipping them both off the fearling, and sending them tubling down into the city, where they landed with an almighty slam on a park bench.
"You're beautiful, Dark," Pitch whispered. "I love you."
"If you love me," Dark choked out, "Get off my face."
Pitch clambered off her, and bent to help her up, but she struggled to her feet herself, just as Piper landed beside them, laughing his head off. "This is hilairious." he cackled. "Pitch is in love with you."
"It's not funny," she hissed, pushing him off the Nightmare. "What are we going to do now? It could be days until he's back to himself."
"He didn't tell you his plan?" Piper asked, his grin fading.
"He doesn't tell me anything," Dark replied. "What are we going to do?"
"What did the cherub say?"
"That it would wear off in a couple of days... unless- No. No. I don't even know how to return affection! How the hell do you kiss someone anyway?" Dark stumled away from Pitch, tripping over her own hair.
Piper leaned over and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Like this," he whispered, kissing her hard on the mouth. He pulled away and pushed her towards Pitch, who was looking at her with puppy dog eyes. Dark was too shocked to speak. Piper urged her, "Go on, it's only once."
Dark shook her head angrily. "He better have a bloody good plan..."
This chapter was a bitch to write. I really hate gooey romance stuff, and this was FULL OF IT! I'd meant to spend more time on the Pitch/Dark part, but I was being yelled at to get off the computer. So anywho, I'll maybe give you a birthday chapter on Monday, but for now, au revoir to le chat gris.
Also, apologies for the spelling mistakes and the plot moving too fast. As I said, vair little time.
