A/N: Happy New Year! I don't know about the rest of you, but my 2017 is looking far better than the previous year (which I refuse to believe ever existed honestly), so I hope everyone is feeling fabulous.
Reviews:
To Crossover Junkie and AngelaLove072101: I'm so glad you've taken nicely to Valentina, she a tricky one alright. So much inner turmoil, which we'll see a bit more of shortly. Now to Crossover Junkie specifically: I too have seen very few Pitch redemption fics, but fear not! I'm trying to fix that. And I was aware of Pitch's past in the original books.
Deep below the surface an underground labyrinth twisted and turned in a maddening expanse. An all consuming darkness pressed against the tight passages and the shrieks of Night-Mares resounded eerily off the cold stone. At the centre of it all remained Pitch Black. Worn away to almost nothing, his sanity was held together by the thought that perhaps, just maybe, he would make it out this hell hole, if only he didn't let his fear consume him. He was motionless, knees brought up to the chest, making himself as small as possible, hiding in the shadowy corner of what he'd once considered to be his home. Disused cages and chains dangled precariously from the celling, creaking at the slightest disturbance. From where he cowered he could see the globe, crumbling and rusted from the damp air, and yet, it's lights glowed brighter than ever. Each was a crushing blow to his blackened heart and a constant reminder of failure. His failure. It was poetic irony that he should be undone by his own monstrous creations. How did he not see it coming? He had been blinded by confidence and an underlying desperation. And now he was their master no longer.
The Night-Mares were relentless; they drew their energy from fear and they could sense he had more than enough to spare. They ran rampant through the tunnels and passages hunting him down to whichever new alcove he could barely scramble to. Then they would feed. Pitch felt as though his very soul was being drained from his body - what was left of it at least. When their hunger was sated he was discarded, only to be tracked once again in a cruel game of cat and mouse.
He was constantly covered in nightmare sand. Being too weak to draw it away, it was perpetually stuck to his robes, buried in his hair, and scratching at him from under his clothes, completely in escapable. By the nature of its design it only added to the potency of his terror.
Worse still was the extraction of fear, a process so gruelling that the cold, debilitating emptiness that resulted was ever present and self sustaining in a vicious cycle. In a world that was as dark as the blackest tar, all else that could manifest was self loathing and a seething hatred for the ones who had put him there - and he found the Night-Mares had developed a taste for it. He could see that hatred made them stronger, rilled them up even more than the simple promise of fear. Chaos of the heart, corrupted or otherwise, proved to be a powerful thing.
Weak, cowardly and pitiful: That was who Pitch Black was now. The boogeyman feared by no one and despised by everyone at once. That was the nightmare to which there was no end. He had tried, oh how wretchedly he'd tried, to be believed in. But destiny refused to work in his favour.
As the despair of his predicament weighed down upon him, Pitch wished in that moment to conjure up a single, comforting memory. And although he sifted through centuries of thoughts in the recesses of his mind, he found nothing. A choked sob escaped his lips that he was only mildly aware of. It was only when he heard the rumbling snort of a Night-Mare advancing on his location that he knew what he'd done. His chest tightened in fear as a pair of yellow eyes stalked him from the darkest shadows.
They had found him.
North's workshop was overwhelmingly busy in preparation for Christmas and while the yetis worked very efficiently, they took up a decent amount of personal space. It didn't help that the elves wouldn't stay within their designated "workstation", causing a tripping hazard for anyone taller than 4ft. Jack and Bunny were watching the chaos from the globe room above when behind them a portal was opened and Tooth appeared with a slightly frazzled Valentina in tow.
"I'm going to have to get used to that." Valentina noted as her eyes adjusted to the warm lighting.
"There was the other way, but I'm sure you don't want me to try that in tandem just yet," replied Tooth, however her companion was distracted.
"Wow… look at this place." In her enthralment, Valentina drifted into the air, floating among the other worldly gadgets and contraptions that flew up from the workshop on the ground level. A brightly coloured glowing object, something resembling an upside down flower, opened and closed its petals, bobbing its way leisurely towards her like a jellyfish. She reached out to touch it and it shot away. She laughed in pure delight, having never seen anything quite like it.
"Ah, you are enjoying my little wonders, yes?" North's booming voice called up to her. He had departed the lift with a magisterial air and Sandy came following closely behind. She became focused once more and descended to where they were standing on the dark floorboards.
"It's incredible. I've only ever heard rumours about this place," she admitted. Bunny and Jack came to join the group in welcoming their newest member.
"Yeah, sadly the whole thing about the yetis being angrier than cut snake is a fair dinkum furphy," Bunny quipped.
"But don't tell them that," Jack hinted through a grin. "They think they've got a reputation to keep."
Here North quickly decided to interrupt. "Enough with your chatter, we have formalities to settle," he commanded. "Valentina," he began.
"'Val' will be just fine," she interjected.
"Okay then, Val, allow me to introduce your fellow guardians. You have met Tooth, of course." Tooth gave a small wave.
"Of course," she agreed.
"Next we have Bunny…"
"G'day."
"…Jack…"
"Hey."
"… and Sandy." The sandman bounded over to Valentina and gave her a vigorous handshake. "He's very friendly. And," he gestured to himself, "you may call me North."
Valentina felt all eyes on her, seeming to be in anticipation of something. "Oh, right, uh you probably already know me as Valentina Cupidonia . But call me Val," she implored. They all responded with various confirmations that they'd taken her request into consideration, but there followed a brief uncomfortable silence as no one quite knew what to say next.
"I know what you're all thinking, by the way," she continued awkwardly in an attempt to beat them at their own judgements, "just how did we end up with a couples councillor as a guardian?" The question was dramatised as she spoke. "It seems completely absurd because it is."
"Aw crikey, she a mind reader too," Bunny lamented.
"Actually I'm not," she corrected, "you're all rather transparent I'm afraid. I saw it on your faces the minute I arrived."
"Perhaps," North interjected, "but that does not mean you cannot be great guardian. You just have to find your centre. It took Jack a long time to figure out his." Jack looked at the big man incredulously. "But it can be done. And it will. We will all help."
"But… I just don't understand," she huffed. "Why now? I have existed for two hundred and fifty years completely independent and that seemed suit everyone just fine. But now everything changes? And what about what I've been doing up until now?" Valentina grew more agitated by the second. "I know what my centre is. I help people find their soulmates, I assist them in learning how to love, not just each other but themselves. Even more importantly," her tone became gravely serious, "it's my job to save them from the relationships that go wrong. You have no idea the horrors that some human beings are capable of. It's enough to make even the most optimistic person believe that love couldn't possibly exist. That's why once a year, I get to renew that hope, that goodness still lies in people's hearts. Valentine's day is not just some cheesy celebration for spouses or starry-eyed crushes and it is certainly not for florists and card companies to boost their commissions for the year, although they shamelessly take advantage of it," she spat. "It's for those lovers, families and friends to remember what they see to be special in each other, to be reminded that no one ever has to face the world alone and that above all, love is real. Because if they don't believe love exists, all that prevails is hatred, greed and ill-will."
Valentina's sharp words hung in the air and left the Guardians stunned, not for the first time since she'd been chosen. It had been so long since she'd confronted the burning passion behind why she did what she did that the resulting flood of emotions and words seemed to spill out of her before she could put them through a filter. And for once, in almost a century, she was reminded that while her job was to make the world seem a less lonely place, she had been isolated by an existence that saw her family and friends consumed by the years that she outlived them. For once she recognised just how it had bittered her.
North grabbed Valentina's shoulders to steady her, and met her eyes in the hope that she would understand him completely.
"Valentina, excuse me, Val. What you have done so far is wonderful. You have been bringing joy, not only to children, but to adults as well. And often they are the ones who need it most. You mentioned saving people from danger, yes? What we do is similar. There are children too who are abused, neglected, so many horrible things. It is our duty to protect their innocence, to show them wonder and happiness, to let them live a life free of fear. If what you say is true, perhaps you will be more useful here than you know. We are not asking you to abandon the work you do already because we understand how important it is. However as Guardian now you are called to other tasks. Things only you can put out into the world. This is why Manny chose you, Val. So you must ask yourself; what can I do?"
Valentina was silent for several seconds trying come up with something, anything, that would give North the answer he was seeking, and found… nothing. Her mind was blank, all systems had shutdown. "What can I do?" The question rang in her ears begging to be answered but Valentina could not. It was so simple and yet in the moment it unanswerable.
"I… I have to go." She stuttered and without another word immediately bolted away around the mezzanine, past the globe and picked an open door at random to hide behind in an attempt to get away from prying eyes. Behind her, Bunny was counting on one paw.
"So that's… two of my theories answered." He held it up as if this was supposed to be important information.
Meanwhile the pressure that had been slowly building had finally overwhelmed the newly appointed Guardian of Love. Backed up against the door, she clicked it shut and slid down to the ground trying to take deep and steady breaths.
"Crap," she whispered to herself. Valentina's state of panic frustrated her a great deal. Her usually confident facade was apparently absent for the time being. Why? In her lengthy existence as the Spirit of Love and all it encompassed she had barely any reason to understand, let alone interact with children. If there was one thing about them she could count on, it was that the general majority of them believed goodness would prevail. The hatred that she was so often called to mediate in adults nary existed among them, it was one of the few things that gave her hope. And now they were relying on her.
A gentle rap on the frosted glass just above her head was followed by quiet voice.
"Val? Valentina are you in there?" It was Tooth. The fairy seemed to have a knack for tracking her down.
"Yes.. I'm here," she replied with a hint of defeatism.
Tooth attempted to open the door but found it jammed. "Can I come in?" she called through the ornately carved oak.
"Oh, right. Of course." Valentina moved to open it and found a concerned Tooth Fairy on the other side.
"What did you do to the-"
"I was sitting in front of it."
"Ah, I see." Tooth flew in, but the room was smaller than she anticipated and she accidentally knocked down some miscellaneous toys that evidently never made it past prototype. It was a sizeable storage space, but so heavily cluttered with junk that she found it more practical to stand. "So.. that could have gone better," she suggested carefully.
"I feel like a fraud," Valentina said flatly, "and they all know it."
"You haven't even given yourself a chance! Val, how could you know what sort of Guardian you'll be if you don't try. I know you can do amazing things already, they just have to be applied to a slightly different scenario, that's all."
"I am going to have kids depending on my good judgement for their best interests. How does that not get the better of you? Aren't you terrified of making mistakes?" she queried.
Tooth was unsure of how to answer this and gave it some thought. "To tell you the truth, it's very hard not to let it," she admitted, "there are times when I wonder if I've actually done the right thing. But you learn to deal with it because ultimately it means you care. We have all made mistakes, myself included. But there are very few things in this world that are truly unforgivable and as long as you know you have done the best you possibly could under the circumstances, you have to be able to forgive yourself."
Valentina nodded in understanding. Despite what her insecurities told her, according to the Man in the Moon she was every part the Guardian they were. However, there was one thing still bothering her.
"You said it yourself though, Tooth. Even you don't really know why he chose me. No correlation, remember?"
"You're right, I don't know why. But I do know we're going to find out," she promised wholeheartedly, and being somewhat convinced that perhaps she really could take her place among them, Valentina hugged the fairy out of gratitude.
"So?" Tooth tested, "are you ready to get back out there?"
"Yeah, I'm ready," she decided with a definitive gaze toward the door and smoothed back her chestnut hair.
"Good, because it's time we told you about Pitch Black."
The Guardians were gathered once again on the Pole's upper mezzanine under the globe, which was growing dimmer at a concerning rate. This time though, they occupied the cozy alcove opposite North's control station, complete with a rug and crackling fire place. Unfortunately, these small comforts did nothing to detract from the threatening nature of Pitch's return. A general briefing was underway to establish the extent of what they knew. Unsurprisingly, Valentina was indeed familiar with the works of the dastardly Nightmare King so it didn't take long for her to catch up.
"Essentially, this bloke is the reason why we're all here," Bunny summarised for her as he examined one of his boomerangs, "we were made Guardians during the Dark Ages to combat anything Pitch tried to throw at us or the humans. It was the height of his infamy, scared people half to death. Chaos and terror, it was all fun and games to him. So we retaliated with hope, dreams, wonder and memories, people became less afraid and eventually stopped believing in him all together. He might might still think he's a King, but his reign ended then and there. He tried to make a comeback recently and from what we can tell, it was similar to this," he gestured to the globe behind him. "But, he failed thanks to us and, dare I say it, Jack Frost, who was our newest recruit. Anyway, you've probably gathered the guy's not exactly playing with a full deck of cards." He indicated with the weapon in a circular motion by the side of his head to demonstrate lunacy.
"I know that much," Valentina agreed, "I've seen what his brand of fear can do and believe me, it's caused no end of trouble for me as well."
A thought barged its way to the forefront of her consciousness that caused her to visibly tense. The implications of which were something that she wanted nothing more than to ignore, but her sensibility told her to speak up. "Do you think, given that Jack and I were chosen so close together, Manny might be preparing for a new Dark Age?"
If the others hadn't been paying attention they were now. Concerned glances were exchanged among the group.
"There is a chance," North confirmed grimly, "I did not want to say for causing panic, but I have had suspicions." He patted the side of his belly, indicative of his gut-feeling.
"North, you should have told us." Tooth said with a note of disappointment. Something had caught Valentina's eye about the fairy. And about the winter spirit. In a way that made sense to her greatest instincts, she saw the way they moved to be closer to each other, as though pulled by a magnetic force. She saw the way he positioned himself upon hearing the news, as though subtlety trying to guard her. And she saw the way her hand brushed against his while the other was clenched. She saw and understood immediately.
"So what's plan, North? Are we gonna storm fort? Flush him out?" Jack suggested with a hardened expression and heightened determination while Sandy formed a bat in one hand and slapped it threateningly in the other in agreement.
"I have been thinking for whole day, and I have it." North alluded. "BRING IT IN!" he thundered to his elves. In a disorganised scramble with belled hats jingling, they wheeled a large, battered chalkboard on to the floor and positioned it in front of his audience.
"Ta daa!" He presented with a newfound excitement, and gestured to the board, obviously proud of his own work.
"An ambush?" Jack read skeptically. The word had been written in block letters with several diagrams surrounding it. It was detailed to the point where arrows and symbols became a muddled wreck, but the idea seemed to be that they would lure Pitch out into the open and confront him where he couldn't melt into the shadows.
"Yes! We go to Pitch, assemble at opening, get him out side on to frozen lake and take him down once and for all," he explained zealously, but his tone became sobered as he added, "he must be stripped of power, it is only way."
Tooth looked aghast, "can we even do that?" she asked. North nodded.
"Incarceration. I have asked to have cell built under workshop. We separate him from from Night-Mares and keep him locked in well lit room until we decide what to do next."
"Sounds reasonable, although I would have buried him in under the ice myself," Bunny quipped.
"What about execution?" Jack raised and was met with horrified gasps before he clarified, "I mean, how do you deceive the most manipulative of all liars. Come on, that is so dark..." As if by magic, a pointer had appeared in North's hand and he indicated to the board as he spoke.
"This is where plan gets tricky, Jack, you will be waiting above cliffs surrounding lake with Tooth. You will have good view but wont be seen." They glanced at each other. Tooth gave a nervous smile and Jack returned the sentiment with a small, reassuring nod.
"Bunny and myself will be flanking entrance," he continued, "we funnel him toward lake. Sandy will be in the skies to fight off any attacks."
The little man clenched his fists in anticipation as he recalled what happened the last time he'd tried to face Pitch.
"When Pitch is forced out on to lake, we must do everything in our power not to let him escape. That means offence, not defence. He must be distracted to stop him from slipping away. Then when he is at disadvantage, Tooth and jack will open portal to push him though to holding cell."
Valentina, increasingly anxious to know what her part was in this plan (if there was a part for her at all), decided to get the de-facto leader's attention.
"And what should I do?" she asked tentatively. North turned to address her specifically. She noticed his brow had furrowed in... apprehension?
"Ah yes, you will be important to quote-unquote "execution." He hesitated before revealing the primary instalment of his scheme. "We will need you to get his attention," he said simply. "That means no offence, he must be able to let guard down, if only for second."
"You want me to act as the bait," she realised dubiously, not really affronted, but certainly confused as to how she would actually achieve this.
"Not bait," the Russian corrected hastily, "Pitch has never met you in person before, no?"
"No. As far as I'm aware we barely have mutual acquaintances."
"Therefore, he is not likely to be knowing much about you, and certainly not that you are Guardian. He will be suspicious of you, yes, but if you stand alone he will not make connection until we are on top of him," North justified.
It made sense after all, the logic was there. But Valentina couldn't deny that to face up to Pitch with no prior experience was being brutally thrown in the deep end. "So how do I get his attention then, stick a neon sign to my forehead?"
"You only need to call him. He will hear you and hopefully curiosity will get better of him. Are you nervous?" He raised a bushy eyebrow.
"Uh, a little," she confessed.
"Excellent," he exclaimed, "he can sense fear of others." He clapped her on the shoulder in approval as he moved to collect his large fur-lined coat that was hanging on the hook of a nearby pillar.
"Great… I feel so much better," she replied with feigned enthusiasm. "Do you guys really this I can do this?
"Of course," Tooth encouraged, "you're a Guardian aren't you? You're one of us!"
"Actually Tooth," Jack moved and twirled his staff lazily with a smirk, "she's not quite."
Valentina felt a pang of inadequacy at his words.
"Aye," North realised with a start and Sandy shook his head in haughty derision.
"Wondered how long it would take you lot," the Pooka snickered.
"Bunny!" Tooth exclaimed incredulously.
"What?" he shrugged, "I was going to tell you."
"What did we forget?" demanded Valentina.
North strode over to the shelves stacked with volumes of leather bound books and pulled a large, beautifully decorated one from the middle.
"The Oath! Val, you must take Oath of Guardians," he commanded exuberantly. "I forgot! How could I forget? MUSIC!"
Out of nowhere a parade of yetis and elves flooded the space. Trumpets blared and fiery batons brandished by an over-confident Phil came dangerously close to singeing Valentina's eyebrows off. Above the commotion a highly amused Jack could be heard cackling.
"Not this again, are you serious? North, the theatrics, please, it's too much!" he cried. Tooth shot to his side and elbowed him in the ribs. But the damage had been done. The music dwindled pathetically and the helpers of the North Pole shifted awkwardly. Valentina, who was slightly shocked by the sudden fanfare, looked over to see North rather crestfallen. She could hear Tooth scolding Jack and it occurred to her that not only had this interruption happened before, but this ceremony, in all its ridiculous extravagance, actually meant something special to the normally jolly spirit who's eyes were now cast down after being dismissed one time too many. At this epiphany, her confidence finally kicked in. Self-esteem was something she knew how to fix.
"It's ok, really. I kind of like it. It feels like a real welcome," she smiled encouragingly.
North's face brightened instantly in the hope that there would finally be a ceremony in full after several centuries.
"Really? You like it?"
"Who am I to get in the way of tradition?" she laughed with great abandon.
With her approval, North wasted no time in signalling the band. "From the top!" he called, waving his arms in animated conductions.
With a tremendous, re-energised peal of brass, they processed around her in cleanly rehearsed choreography which she had to stifle a laugh at, because really, it was too much. Once the instrumentalists reached the climax of the piece, North began reading from the book.
"Will you, Valentina Cupidonia, vow to watch over the children of the world. To guard them with your life, their hopes, their wishes, their dreams. For they are all that we have, all that we are, and all that we will ever be."
There was a catch in Valentina's breath as she looked around at the smiling faces of the spirits that she was now willingly joining, and answered with words that she truly believed in: "I will."
North's smile spread into a proud grin. "Then congratulations, Valentina, for you are now and forevermore a Guardian!"
There was a resounding cheer from the small crowd of onlookers with numerous hugs from her peers. She even received an amicable handshake from the aloof Pooka himself.
"I know were some doubts back there, particularly from me," Bunny admitted sheepishly, "Sorry, about that. Pessimism is a hard habit to break."
"Says the bringer of hope to children everywhere," laughed Valentina.
"Funny how things work out, eh?" he chuckled, "But you'll do us proud, we're all backing you. Just don't get in the way of yourself, you'll be right."
"I'm going to do everything in my power," she promised him, and something occurred to her. "Quick question, earlier I heard you say I proved two theories of yours; what were they?"
"Ah, you heard that," his face fell. "Well, the first was an unfortunate snap judgement. I wasn't sure you were the right sheila for the job and when you ran away-"
"It looked pretty bad, right?" she grimaced.
"Eh, a bit," he shrugged, "but then I realised that your issues were with your self belief, not how competent you were."
"Oh?" she raised an eyebrow challengingly.
"Yeah, your lack of trust in yourself is holding you back," he explained. "Self esteem, that's gonna make or break you."
"You're telling me," she laughed dryly. "And the other one?"
"That one," he said with a smirk, "was that I couldn't have been the only one here with a bloody good sense of irony.'