~Chapter 9~

Ember stumbled into the cave as Pitch pushed her out of the shadows, nearly tripping over her own feet. Pitch manipulated his shadow so that he was surrounding every side of Ember, making it seem more like a nightmare.

"So you and Jack know each other? You must be great friends if he was willing to ambush me to try and save you." Pitch sneered, his voice echoing throughout the cave. The fearlings started to peak out of the shadows, smiling as their master raged on.

"No, please you don't understand! Let me explain please!" Ember begged the shadows. She wanted to recoil into herself, but she had to stand tall and not let her fear get the best of her.

"You deliberately disobeyed me Ember! I asked you multiple times if you had run into the Guardians, and you lied to me." Pitch spat the last words like venom. He felt almost betrayed, and yet a little proud at the same time that Ember could be so deceiving. He also couldn't forget the fact that she had just attacked Jack to save him.

As Pitch got louder and more menacing, the fearlings came a little closer to Ember. They started to surround her, but they didn't get to close for fear that Pitch would kill them. They remembered Pitch's threat about getting to close to Ember, and they didn't dare betray him while he was angry. But they got close enough to Ember to make her remember her nightmare that she once had, the one where Pitch cast her out and left her to die at the hands of the fearlings. The thought that her nightmare would come true made her bones quake, but she had to stay strong. She had to.

"Please, I can-"Ember began, but she was cut off by Pitch. He pulled all of his shadows together and stepped out of nowhere, swiftly grabbing Ember's wrist and wrenching it behind her back.

"After all I gave you. I gave you a home, a new life, a loving family. All that you wished for, and you betrayed me." Pitch hissed in Ember's ear. Ember winced as Pitch dug his nails into her arm. Pitch's words hit Ember like a slap to the face, making her feel like a horrible daughter unworthy of his presence. "I should have just left you to die." He taunted, he knew this would hit Ember right where it hurt. It worked to.

Ember felt a sharp pain hit her. It felt like someone had ripped out her insides and cut them into a million pieces. She closed her eyes to keep the tears from spilling out, and shook her head. 'No. He didn't mean it. Not him, no, no , NO!' Ember screamed inside her head. She couldn't believe her ears. Of all people that would say something like that, it wouldn't be Pitch. It started to infuriate her, she was tired of people saying stuff like that.

"Would you just let me fucking explain!" Ember demanded, she didn't care if Pitch was mad or not she wouldn't let him say stuff like that.

Pitch was shocked, but only for a moment. He quickly threw Ember up against the nearest cave wall, slamming his hand against the cave wall next to her head so she couldn't escape. She gasped at the sudden movement, accidentally letting out a groan of pain at how her head had slammed into the wall. She watched how his nails dug into the hard stone of the wall's surface. To Ember's amazement pieces of the cave wall crumbled away beneath them and turned to dust.

Ember thought back to those same claws that earlier had been pressing into her arm. She realized then how much Pitch had been holding back, that her flesh could be shredded and pulled apart like warm bread beneath those claws. Pitch might have been mad, but he was not about to truly hurt Ember. It made Ember relax a little knowing this.

"Well?" Pitch scowled, he was growing a little impatient. But he was curious as to what Ember's excuse was. Ember snapped back into reality, and quickly organized her thoughts.

"Please, you have to try and understand. I have a plan, a plan to destroy the Guardians. But it involves trying to gain there trust." Ember explained. Pitch's non-existent eyebrows furrowed. He became interested in what she had to say about this so called 'plan'.

"Go on." Pitch insisted. Ember hid a smile, she knew she could go somewhere with this.

So Ember explained her plan in full detail, making sure she didn't miss a single detail. She told Pitch about how she needed to gain the Guardians trust so that she could trick them. How she needed to learn how to make the dream sand, and how it would lead to Sandy's dismay. She told him the story of the little tooth she destroyed, explaining how the nightmare sand had destroyed the tooth. She expressed her difficulty's about Jack and his staff, but also about how easy North and Bunnymund would be to destroy.

It took Pitch a moment to completely process all that Ember had said, and once he did he smirked. Pitch must have liked her plan because his eyes had changed to gold and they were shinning. Ember had never seen his eyes shine that much, it kind of scared her yet relaxed her. She knew that meant he liked her plan.

"Why did you never tell me this plan before?" Pitch remarked, giving her a quizzical look.

"I tried, believe me. But every time I got a chance you were busy." Ember shrugged her shoulders.

"You have a voice, child. And you have permission to use it. If I'm busy feel free to speak up." Pitch turned away from Ember, his hands joining behind his back as he strode toward the globe in the center of the cave.

"Let this be a lesson though. Don't ever disobey me again." Pitch reminded Ember. Ember felt a twinge of guilt shoot through her. "Now. Your plan, my dear, is far greater than I could have ever realized. Though you have some flaws to work out. But together we will destroy the Guardians, and there will be nothing but fear and darkness." Pitch grinned, his eyes shining. Ember grinned to, she had no clue her plan might truly work. She was ecstatic of the thought that Pitch would be working by her side now, like father and daughter.

She joined Pitch's side by the globe so that the fearlings didn't surround her again, and they started to discuss the plans progress so far and what is to come.

Jack flew faster than he ever had in his entire life, bursting into North's workshop at break neck speed. The Guardians where almost blown over at the force of wind Jack brought with him.

"Ember's in trouble! We have to save her!" Jack exclaimed.

"Calm down Jack, how is she in trouble?" North asked, trying to calm Jack down with his fatherly tone.

"I saw Pitch hurting and yelling at Ember. There where fearlings everywhere! A-And Ember even stopped me from attacking Pitch." Jack stammered. He was too frantic to try and re account the entire thing in full detail. He just needed to help her and fast! Everyone shared worried looks, they didn't truly know what to do.

"Well... what are we waiting for? Let's go save Ember and kick some evil butt!" Bunnymund declared.

Everyone shouted in agreement, except Sandy who gave an enthusiastic thumbs up, and set off to try and save Ember. They didn't know what to expect, so they fully prepared themselves for a fierce and epic battle.