Silver made her way back towards the other end of the caves easily. Taking her time to run her fingers along the rock walls and enjoy the coolness of the stone. It was a beautiful place, even if it was dark.
Silver's musings were interrupted by the clatter of what sounded surprisingly like bones. She stepped into one of the anterooms, where she thought the noise had come from, and saw nothing, even when she lit the room with moonbeams. Silver frowned, thinking maybe she had simply imagined the noise, but then she heard that strange clattering again.
Silver followed the noise down the hall, and then down another. There was this odd, chattering laughter as Silver closed in on the bone clattering noise. Silver sent lights out ahead of her, as the shadows were concealing whatever she was chasing. What she saw both surprised and enchanted her.
"Hello, little guy." Silver said, before her, trapped at the end of a dead-end hall, stood a little skeleton. He was no more than two feet tall, and his skull, which should have been small and frozen in a ghastly grin, was comically large and oddly expressive, currently frowning as he wrung his boney little hands. "I promise I won't hurt you." Silver extended her hands to him, crouching down to smile at him. The light she cast around him seemed to worry him, but he just watched her with the hollows were eyes should go. Silver could tell that he could still see her, even without the eyes.
The little skeleton clattered as he shifted from one foot to another and tried to escape through the corner of the hall, but to no avail. Silver tried to smile softer at him, hoping to calm him.
"Can you speak?" She asked him. The skeleton stopped, as if considering her words and shook his round skull that seemed funnily oversized and oblong for his short body and limbs. "No? Or you don't want to?"
"E." The little skeleton said, looking around as if for help. "NeeT." The voice was small and skittish just like the body it came from. Silver inched forward.
"What?" Silver asked gently. "What language is that?" She inched forward again and the little skeleton watched her warily. The skeleton didn't attempt to answer this time. When he saw that Silver was within a two feet of him, he chattered at her and jumped back against the stone wall again. "It's ok!" Silver tried to assure him. "It's ok!" But the skeleton wouldn't hear it. He chattered until it looked as though he'd lose all his little teeth, then he bolted past Silver, knocking her over, before he laughed like the wind through bones and disappeared into the dark.
Silver sat there on the stone floor for a moment, bewildered by what had just happened. She'd never seen such a thing before and yet the little skeleton reminded her of Santa's elves somehow. He definitely didn't look like he was his own creature. Someone else, someone with some power, was pulling his strings. She wondered then, had that little skeleton had some purpose here?
Silver stood, adjusted her dress and brushed the dust from her legs, before making her way back through the labyrinth, hoping Pitch would return soon.
Silver didn't have to wait long for by the time she'd made it to the bedroom area she could hear Pitch moving around. She stood in the doorway until he noticed her presence. Pitch looked at her from where he had just sat on the bed and motioned for her to come closer, a look of determination on his face.
"Did you find what you were looking for?" Silver asked stopping an arm's length from him.
"I did," Pitch spoke carefully, but he still didn't look happy. This worried her.
"Is everything alright?" Silver asked. Pitch reached his long arms out to her and pulled her to him. She rested her hands on his shoulders as he studied her throat with his hands on her hips.
"It will be," Pitch said absently. Silver ran a hand through his hair and he looked up at her with those strange silver-gold and shadow eyes of his. He looked more than haunted tonight.
"What is it, Pitch?" Silver asked again, worry seeping into her thoughts.
"I saw an old friend today," Pitch said.
"Isn't that a good thing?" Silver asked, surprised.
"He was dying," Pitch told her, watching her throat again as she breathed as if watching her face was too much for him.
"Is he going to be ok?" Silver asked, alarmed. She hadn't known Pitch had had any friends. From what she'd heard, all he had were enemies.
"He told me something bothersome before he died," Pitch said, avoiding her question while still answering it, his hands holding onto her tighter. Silver held her hands against his face as if the gesture could grant him some strength or perhaps some peace. "He told me something darker than night was prowling the shadows. Something more evil than this world has ever seen in daylight. Something deadly." Pitch was frowning at the memory.
"What's worse than the boogeyman?" Silver asked innocently.
"I don't know," Pitch said gravely. It was absurd for him to feel the way he did then. He was fear, he shouldn't be afraid. Yet he was. He was afraid of what could be darker than him, more powerful than him. And he was afraid for Silver too because he knew that whatever was prowling out there, it wanted Silver for its own.
And Pitch would do anything to protect what was his.
"Oh Pitch," Silver said running her hands through his hair again. "Don't look so worried." She pleaded.
"I am worried. Something powerful is out there and it wants you." Pitch told her. Silver felt a pang in her heart as she did every time Pitch made her feel like he truly cared for her.
"Well you know what?" Silver said, moving so that she sat on his lap with her arms around his neck. Pitch watched her, wondering what she was up to. "It doesn't matter what He wants, no matter how powerful He is, and do you know why?" Silver asked. Pitch didn't answer right away. He only looked at her as she smiled at him as bright as the moon in the night sky.
"Well?" Pitch said, sounding mildly impatient.
"Because He can't take me away from you." Silver told Pitch. "He won't be able to make me not want to be here with you. Nothing He can do will make me leave this place. I'll be here until you tire of me or tell me to leave." Silver was still smiling at him and Pitch was momentarily speechless. Pitch had harbored a secret fear that Silver was unhappy in the dark with him and that one day she would wise up and leave him there, alone with nothing but the shadows. That fate shouldn't bother him, all he had wanted while locked in little Cally's room was to be free to go back to his shadows and caves, but now, it seemed so unpleasant without his Silver.
"I will never tire of you," Pitch said his hand moving to brush the curly silver strands from her face. "Nor will I ever ask you to leave." Her hair curled itself tightly around his fingers.
"Good." Silver smiled broader now. "Because I'm not going anywhere." Then she kissed him and they both fell back on the bed. Silver made an odd sound in her throat as she sat atop the nightmare. "Let's play a game." She said, wiggling her eyebrows at him. Pitch raised his brow at her.
"What sort of game?" Pitch asked knowingly.
"I think you'll figure it out." Silver ran her hand over his chest, fingers darting beneath the edges of his cloak. "Why don't you wear a shirt?" She asked honestly.
"Why don't you wear pants?" Pitch retorted, allowing her to continue her investigation of his torso. The cloak moved away as she pulled and played with the dark shadow-fabric.
"I don't need pants." Silver wrinkled her nose at him.
"Well, I don't need a shirt." Pitch replied, his fingers playing at the hem of her dress. Pitch watched her and wondered why he felt so strongly about her. He had never cared for anything but himself until her. Then a thought dawned on him.
"You've ruined me," Pitch said rolling so that Silver was beneath him.
"That's my job, sweetie." Silver managed with an adorable smirk before Pitch kissed her again. Pitch just kissed her harder and deeper. She had truly ruined him, Pitch thought. That's why the Man in the Moon had picked little Cally Moonborne all that time ago. The Man had known what she'd do to him, that she'd ruin him like this. Pitch wanted to be angry, but with Silver in his arms and her taste on his lips, he could only be thankful.
Not that Pitch would tell that to the Man in the Moon…
"Who was your friend?" Silver asked when their game was through. Pitch grumbled something incoherent from behind her, not wanting to think about unpleasant things.
"He was the last of the Dream Pirates." Pitch finally said. Silver shimmied closer to Pitch, who had his arm were around her.
"Dream Pirates?" Silver wondered.
"They were these ferocious marauders that loved to pluck good dreams from sleeping children. And they behaved so much better than the Fearlings ever did." Pitch said remembering the Golden Age and how wonderful that time truly was for him.
"And the Fearlings?" Silver asked.
"They were wispy shadow creatures that delighted in causing nightmares and did my bidding easily." Pitch told her.
"I see." Silver said. "Were you sorry that this last Dream Pirate died?"
"He was the last reminder of the Golden Age. It is truly over." Pitch said.
"When was the Golden Age?" Silver asked, she'd never heard of such a thing. Pitch chuckled softly against the back of her neck. She'd never heard Pitch speak of the past like that before, and it fascinated her.
"A very long time ago."
"What did the Dream Pirates look like?" Silver asked, remembering the skeleton she had cornered early.
"Why are you so curious today?" Pitch asked.
"I saw something today." Silver said. "A little skeleton. I was wondering if it was maybe a Dream Pirate or a Fearling."
"What sort of skeleton?" Pitch asked.
"He was about two feet tall and had this oblong skull that looked too large for his body." Silver said. "And he chattered a lot."
"I've never heard of such a thing." Pitch said closing his eyes, pulling Silver closer with a sigh. "Did it do anything? Or say anything?"
"Not really. I followed it, then cornered it, and it ran away." Silver said, her eyes also closed.
"It's probably nothing. Just some creature looking for something to do." Pitch tried to assure her. Silver was on her way to dreamland, so she didn't catch the worry in his voice. Pitch knew it wasn't just some random happening. It had to be connected to the voice, that thing, whatever thing it was, that was somehow stronger and more evil than Pitch, the Nightmare King. Silver nodded, readjusting herself before she fell asleep. Pitch smiled as he blew at the golden dream sand, turning it into the most beautiful of nightmares.
The next morning Pitch went off to try to find some leads on who the voice was and Silver had agreed to stay near the caves. In fact, she had no intentions of leaving the cave today. Silver wandered the corridors looking for signs of the little skeleton man. She wandered farther back into the many anterooms than she normally did. This time, however, she felt something…off.
"Hello?" Silver's voice seemed to get absorbed by the shadows. She took a deep breath and stepped into one room that had a high ceiling and a small doorway. "Is there someone here?" Silver could feel someone like one might feel sunlight on their skin, only this wasn't a pleasant feeling. It was more like feeling winter in the fall air. "Talk to me." Silver said, hoping it was the skeleton man.
"I have waited a long time for you to say that, Silver." The voice cooed from behind her, sounding more than pleased. Silver whipped around and came face-to-face with the stone wall behind her. "Tsk, tsk. No peeking." The voice seemed more solid today and Silver could feel the body behind her. Fear prickled across her skin as her hair wavered around her head, as afraid as its master.
"How'd you get in here?" Silver asked.
"Take a look for yourself." The voice said. "I'll hide nothing from you." She looked around and saw the hole in the floor. It wasn't huge, but it was certainly deep. Silver felt dizzy just thinking about how deep it might go.
"You hide nothing but your face, your name, your purpose…" Silver listed cheekily. The voice chuckled and she heard his feet upon the floor. So the voice had a body after all.
"I told you my purpose. I want you." The voice said easily. Silver made to turn towards him again. "No peeking." He chided. Silver stopped.
"So you can hide your face, and your name, and say you conceal nothing." Silver sounded snippy, even to herself.
"My name?" The voice mused softly. "Is that what you really want?" He stood directly behind her and she froze, afraid that if she moved she'd break the spell and he'd be gone again and she'd know nothing at all. She felt something like fingers brush the backside of her hair.
"Yes." Silver whispered. She felt his breath, absurdly cool, on her neck as he leaned closer to murmur in her ear.
"My name is Death." A shiver raced down her spine like liquid ice.
"Death?" Silver asked. She felt the ghosts of his hands as he made to place them on her hips. She stepped out of his reach. "What do you want with me?" Silver asked, doing her best to not turn around and look at him.
"You were to be mine, but fate, or the moon rather, snatched you from my grasp." Death spoke bitterly.
"What? I never belonged to you…or anyone," Silver tried to defend herself.
"All souls are mine in the end," Death spoke candidly. "And yours was the most beautiful soul I had seen in many, many years. And with your tragedy, your soul was so much…sweeter." Death purred as if he were speaking of a wonderful sort of confection.
"You saw my death?" Silver asked, her hand coming up to cover her surprised mouth.
"I was waiting for your soul, but when you became a Legendary Figure…your soul changed and was untouchable to me. But I still want you, because your soul is what you are now. You are as beautiful and sweet as that little lamb I saw leaving your body. Come with me. Be mine." Death was almost pleading with her. It sounded so grand the way he said it, but Silver still shook her head. She could hear Death wishing for her to agree, but she couldn't.
"I'm sorry, but I belong with Pitch," She spoke softly, afraid that Death would be angry. Her worry was validated when Death growled. He was angry.
"Why?" Death spat. "Why do you belong with…with… the Boogeyman?" Death made a scoffing noise as he mentioned Pitch. "I have more to offer you. I have more power. I don't hide under beds!" Death spoke as if being the boogeyman was the lowest thing one could be. He sounded like a prince telling his princess she was in love with a beggar, and Silver knew it wasn't true. Pitch was the Nightmare King, she didn't need a prince.
"It's not about what he offers me. I care nothing for power," Silver said, trying to remain calm while her heart raced. Suddenly Death grasped Silver with his long, boney fingers and turned her to face him.
"What does he have that I don't? Why can't you be mine?" Death demanded shaking her. Silver's eyes were wide and startled by what was before her.
The voice had always sounded young, but the face seemed to be wrong. His cheekbones were sharp and high and seemed to flow down into his boyish chin. His eyes were large the color of old bones, dark brown over blinding white, an insane and beautiful color. His skin, however, was ashen and gray, the color of storm clouds and funeral precessions. He was dressed all in black except for his bone colored, silk, button up shirt, which he wore with the sleeves folded up to his elbows. He also wore a vest the color of the starless night sky, a silver chain hung daintily from one button hole to his pocket as if it held a fob watch. The pants Death wore were as black as his vest and as fancy as his button up shirt. The tie around his neck was the exact color of his skin.
"I don't know that I can explain it to you. I'm sorry. But threatening Pitch is not the way to make me like you, I can tell you that much," Silver broke from him and his tightly clenched hands. Death's arms fell to his sides in defeat and he sneered at her in distaste at his rejection.
"I don't get it," Death said waving a hand at her. "You're all light and beauty, Kosmotiz is dark and fear."
"You're not exactly a sunlamp," Silver cut in with vehemence. Death ignored her snip.
"How can you love someone that thrives on fear?" Death demanded with a snarl as he glared from across the room. He was beginning to pace like a caged lion, hands folded behind his back.
"How would that be any different from loving someone that thrives on death? Fear is harmless if you know how to handle it. Death is a one way street." Silver snapped back. Death straightened to his full height and seemed to tower over her, anger clear on his gray, boyish face. Silver shrank back before she could stop herself. There was something terrible in the young, ashen face, and Silver was afraid of it.
"Silver?" Pitch's voice echoed down the many corridors.
"That creature…" Death sneered, looking behind him at the door. Pitch was still a ways away from the anteroom.
"We're all creatures here," Silver retorted angrily.
"I'm afraid it's time for me to leave." Death gave Silver a deep bow and as he did so a black top hat appeared in his hand. When he straightened, he set it dramatically atop his head.
"What? You don't want to talk to Pitch?" Silver snorted. Death scowled at her.
"Until another time," Death tipped his hat to her and jumped down the hole, disappearing from sight. Silver ran over and peered into the hole, wondering where it led.
"Silver!" Pitch was close now.
"Pitch!" Silver ran out to meet him. He looked perplexed as to why she was so deep in the caves. "I know who the voice is!" She was breathing hard, from excitement, anxiety and fear.
"Well?" Pitch took her shoulders in his hands.
"It's Death." Silver said alarmed. It was Pitch's turn to have eyes as wide as the moon.
"Death?" Pitch was thunderstruck. "What do you mean 'Death'?" Pitch demanded.
"Death. Like the taker of souls. Death!" Silver said, pushing his arms away from her and heading back into the anteroom. "When he heard you coming he jumped down the hole…" Silver frowned, arm still outstretched to show Pitch the hole. Only there was no longer a hole in the floor.
"What hole?" Pitch asked.
"There was a hole!" Silver said exasperated. "And Death! I saw him!" Pitch frowned at her.
"What did he look like?" Pitch asked reaching for Silver again. She was bouncing around in her worry and excitement. Pitch had trouble keeping up with her when she was so worked up.
"He was gray, like you, but sort of darker, more like something charred..." Silver described, her brow wrinkled. "He was dressed well, and he looked young." Silver said with a wave of her hand. She was searching the floor for the hole or at least signs of it.
"Did he say what he wants with you?" Pitch asked, honestly and thoroughly confused for the first time in a very long while. Silver stopped suddenly, her dress tried to keep going, but being unable, it slid back against her legs as she stared at the wall.
"He wants me because he was denied my soul," Silver spoke absently, as if it had only just dawned on her what it meant. She turned on her heel to face Pitch. "What does he want with my soul?" Pitch could feel the only fear he hated as it sat deep within Silver's heart.
"Souls have many purposes." Pitch told her. "I do not know what he wants with yours." Silver turned away from him and glared angrily at the shadows.
"I think he wants me to love him. I could feel him wishing for me to love him like I love you," Silver snorted. Pitch felt his heart, which he had ignored so well for so long, jump in his chest.
"Could you love him?" Pitch asked, unsure of what answer he sought, especially because Silver didn't seem to notice what it was that she just said.
"I could love anyone that deserves it. But Death doesn't seem to grasp that what he's doing is a personal attack and therefore does not make me want to like him at all. If he wants love, he needs to earn it." Silver crossed her arms across her chest.
"Anyone that deserves it…" Pitch wondered out loud. Does that mean that he, the Nightmare King, who had caused so much fear, who had hurt and angered so many purely for his own purposes, deserved love?
"Yes. Anyone." Silver seemed to know what he was thinking. "But especially you." One half of her face pulled up into a grin. Maybe she knew exactly what she had said.
Silver darted across the room and stood before him. Pitch was watching her with a slightly confused look. "I love you Pitch. I really do." Silver said softly. Pitch watched her in wonder and oh so gently touched her cheek.
"Who could love the boogeyman?" Pitch asked bitterly. Silver covered his hand with hers and frowned sadly up at him.
"Pitch, weren't you listening?" Silver demanded. "I love you."
"I want to know what Death wants with you and your soul." Pitch said, ignoring her. Silver frowned and allowed him to pull her out of the room.
"Maybe he wants to eat it," Silver said, not caring that it was ridiculous. She was sad that Pitch didn't say that he loved her back. It didn't change how she felt about him, but it would have been nice to hear it said.
"You don't eat souls," Pitch scoffed.
"Why not? Don't they taste good?" Silver laced her fingers through Pitch's long, cool hands. Pitch made a grumbling noise at her but didn't take his hand away.
"I don't know, I've never tried one," He said flippantly, ignoring that he enjoyed her hand in his.
"What else could someone do with a soul?" Silver asked.
"There are ways to take power from a soul. I never had much luck with it myself," Pitch said with a slight grin. Silver couldn't tell if he was serious or not.
"Does he want to kill me then?" Silver asked softly.
"He can't kill you that easily. You're a Legendary Figure." Pitch assured her.
"But he's Death…isn't it in his realm of power to kill things?" Silver squeezed his hand. Pitch looked down at her through the dark. Silver's hair was wavy and was hanging at odd angles while she bounced between fear and her normal, happy, loving self. Again Pitch was surprised by the strength of the urge he felt to protect her.
"If he wanted to kill you, and was able," Pitch said after a moment. "He would have already, don't you think?" Silver just nodded and moved so that Pitch's arm was around her as they walked through the many halls of the Caves. He walked her back to the main cavern, wondering just what he was going to do to protect her. Maybe he would have to ask for help. Pitch knew of only one other Legendary Figure that might help him if he asked, but only if it was for Silver's sake. The winter sprite himself.
Jack Frost.