~Chapter 4~

"No... no you can't." Ember stuttered as she tried to back away from Pitch, but her feet wouldn't allow her to move. Pitch towered over Ember, and enraged look carved into his face. He glared at Ember, sending chills down her back.

"You are pathetic Ember. A disgrace to me and your family, you will never be anything more than a silly little girl. No wonder no one had anything to do with you." Pitch sneered. Pitch's words hit Ember like a slap to the face, she felt like she had just been stabbed in the heart.

Pitch turned on his heel and strode away from Ember, and as he did every fearling that had darkened Embers soul came surging out of her. Ember screamed and dropped to her knees, too weak to stand any longer. Tears started to stream down her face, wetting her cheeks.

"Please, don't leave me." Ember cried as she held out a hand to try to grab Pitch, but he was too far away. She watched him with blurry eyes disappear into the shadows, she felt the tug of loneliness deep in her heart.

Fearlings started to surround Ember, causing fear to race through her. They got closer and closer until Ember felt beyond trapped. The fearlings were going to kill her and she could do nothing to stop it. Ember felt helpless, powerless, she couldn't escape. Ember felt the fearlings hands close around her, tugging at her and scratching her. Pain shot through every inch of her body and she screamed out, but no one could save her now. With one last screech of the fearlings, Ember was murdered.

Ember woke up screaming and crying, her entire body was shaking to the bone and ached with the pain of fear. She tried to sit up but her arms were too weak to support her. Fearlings screeched around her, making her scream through gritted teeth. Suddenly they all dispersed, Ember looked up to see Pitch with a perplexed look on his face. There was a trace of concern that crossed Pitch's face as he looked down and saw Ember shaking and crying.

"What's wrong sweetie?" Pitch asked in a soothing voice, trying to console Ember. Ember looked back up at him through blurry eyes, the nightmare re playing in her head. As soon as Pitch had knelled down beside Ember to match her height she grabbed him tightly as if he would slip through her fingers. She buried her head into his chest and started to sob. It startled Pitch, he wasn't sure how to react.

"Please! Don't leave me!" Ember chocked as her sobs came out uncontrollable. Pitch was still startled, but tried to handle the situation accordingly. He shifted so that he was sitting next to Ember on the stone slab she used for a bed.

"Ha ha, the fearlings must have gotten to you." Pitch sounded pleased by this as he lifted Ember into his lap. He pulled her away from him and lifted her chin so she was looking at him. "Ember, I promise I will never leave you." Ember could tell Pitch was being sincere, however she thought it was a bit odd since Pitch had never tried to be comforting before. But Ember pushed it to the back of her mind and buried her head back into Pitch's chest, taking advantage of his kindness while she could. Pitch wrapped her closer to him, stroking her hair as she continued to sob.

Pitch was cold, colder than death. But to Ember he was the warmest and safest thing on earth. Ember refused to let go of Pitch, her nightmare really made her realize that she wouldn't be able to survive without Pitch and she was scared to let him slip away. Ember hated that she couldn't keep from sobbing though, she hated crying. To her crying made her feel weak and little again, but crying around Pitch was even worse. She felt that she would never be able to live up to her title as Pitch's daughter. But thankfully she soon ran out of tears and felt a bit better.

Soon Ember's breaths became slow and normal, and she had finally stopped shaking and her eyes were dry. Pitch watched her fall asleep and remembered how he had used to comfort Emily Jane when she had a nightmare. A sharp pain went through Pitch at the thought of Emily, so he pushed it to the back of his mind and focused on Embers slow breaths. Pitch loved Ember like his own child, and even though it had only been a couple months that Ember had been with him he felt like he could never let her go. He never felt alone, he almost felt happy. A feeling he had never really experienced before, and he wasn't sure he liked it all the time, but he came to grow fond of this happy feeling.

Pitch was also exceptionally proud of Ember, she was practically a devil in a seventeen year old body. She had grown talented at tormenting kids and nearly giving adults heart attacks, her nightmares had become feared among anyone who had the displeasure of experiencing one. Ember had even frightened Pitch once or twice, though he would never admit it. Pitch was proud of how she was turning out.

But one thing did bug him. There seemed to be a glimmer of light left in her, she was to kind in ways. It made Pitch wonder if the fearlings hadn't completely blackened her soul. Pitch decided to keep a better eye on Ember and make sure the light didn't grow stronger inside her. He had great plans for her, and he wasn't about to lose her to the kindness left in her soul.

As Pitch thought about this he tried to pry the sleeping child from his chest, she had still managed to keep a firm grasp on him when she fell asleep. Pitch had to pry her fingers apart so that she would let go of him. After a short struggle he was able to get Ember to let go of him, and lay her back down on the slab of stone she slept on. He brushed a couple stray hairs out of her face and stood up, his chest was still a little wet from her tears. He loved how peaceful Ember looked when she slept, it took everything in him not to give Ember a nightmare just to see the terrified look on her face once more.

It then struck Pitch that he wanted to see what Ember's nightmare was about. He called to one of his fearlings, and they showed him the nightmare. He was pleased at how terrifying it had been, but he was also irked that a fearling had tortured his daughter. As the dream went on he saw how he had left Ember to die at the hands of the fearlings, and he realized something that scared him. He had a new fear, and that fear was losing Ember. It annoyed him that he could be affected by such a little thing, but he could not forget Embers screams as she died.

After a minute Pitch snapped back into reality and noticed that the fearlings were trying to surround Ember again. He glared at them in such a way that terrified them back into the shadows of the cave.

"Touch her, and I swear to the moon above I will cut of your heads." Pitch snarled to the fearlings and they recoiled even further into the shadows. That was all he needed to say, the fearlings knew not to cross Pitch and left Ember alone. Pitch looked back down at Ember one more time, and went back to his work.