(I got a chapter done during work. Hope you guys like the plot twist, the cliffhanger end and review as much as possible.)

How Do You Love Someone?

Chapter 24 - The End of Love

"Why did Cupid decide now of all the chances he had, to take Fay now?" Bunny wondered aloud and Pitch, who sat stiffly between the rabbit and Jack shifted.

"She was getting to close to unlocking her power. From what I can tell, he had you running around searching for her soul-mate, who was with her the entire time." Pitch's voice was straining to be heard over the wind. But the single glance at Jack told them all they needed to know.

"That bastard told us it was someone mortal." Bunny exclaimed while Sandman made a sandy fist appear over his head. Tooth just seemed distressed over the whole ordeal as she fluttered her wings in agitation.

"No. It was a snowman" Pitch deadpanned and Bunny's anger dissipated as he laughed at the insult. Jack glared and tossed out Guinea Pig and Bed Boy to the other two who returned the insults, starting a new mini-war between them. It was better then moping but North needed directions from the Boogeyman. Turning, he pulled Pitch to his side. The dark man seemed less then thrilled at the handling but put up with it.

All joking aside they needed to hurry. With Mt. Vesuvius in sight, they found their way to the damaged city of Pompeii. The walls were being excavated and a hand of one of the volcanoes old victims was partially uncovered. Jack flinched at the sight and stepped away from it as Pitch slid from the sleigh to walk up the street. He almost seemed at home in the dark and destroyed village. The entranceway was inside one of the buildings under what appeared to be a once beautiful bath-house.

"From here on out, stay close together or you might get lost in the tunnels. Darkness's Abyss is where the tales of the Minotaur in the Labyrinth come from" The wall fell apart easily at Pitch's touch and the six entered the dark with nothing but Sandy's sand to light the way.

With a huff Cupid dropped Fay on the floor and walked past her. As the Autumn spirit tried to lift herself up from the floor despite the pain left from her transformation, she spotted something that made her blood run cold. It was a dark throne covered in bones and spiraling horns. A darkling, crouched on the foot of the thing, scurried away when it noticed her, the slick tail whacking something from underneath it to bounce in her direction. With a scream, she scurried back, pain leaving her at the shock of the grim grinning skull that spun to a stop on it's side. It was small but obviously human. A child. It was a child at one point in time. Her mind refused to wrap around that thought.

Fay stood with a wince, transforming was like having all your bones breaking then healing in seconds only to repeat the process. The only time it didn't hurt was on Halloween when her power was at it's strongest and she was in full control. This time, the ability had been panic driven and forced, the form not even being of her choosing. She had inadvertently become one of the ghostly hunting hounds that roamed the countryside and forests of Ireland. She wandered away from the twisted throne and skull to search for a way out.

Cupid had been stupid to think she wasn't able to move. Or that she wouldn't try to escape. She had found a heavy set of doors and pushed through them to dart through the halls. Her bare feet touched the marbled floors. The place held a dark beauty that shouldn't have ever been. It felt wrong to think the arching ceiling supported by curved and barbed spires were pretty in their haunting profiles in the murky distance.

Another set of doors led Fay to a room lighted by a flickering fire surrounded by Darklings of all shapes and sizes. Some even curled about the necks of the griffin-like gargoyles that perched on either side of the fireplace, their twisted and fragile looking wings holding up a bar that held a curtain of chains. In the far end of the room a massive dark crystal shone faintly in the rippling light.

"You find my home pleasing girl?" Fay whipped around to find herself inches away from a muscled red chest and had to take a few steps back to get a good look at Darkness's face. The sharp features and massive horns were key to his appearance but the glowing eyes were what held her. Filled with a chilling malice and haunting sorrow that held her captive. It was so familiar yet so foreign to her.

"Won't you come with me? You know deep inside you, that we are already one. One being, one soul, one sin. You know me just as I know you" the soft words caressed her and tugged at her but she could bring herself to answer. It was so strange. She knew that this being held some part of her. He held a part of everyone. She managed to shake her head in defiance.

"Agree with me girl. There is darkness inside of you. And you know it. There is no light without dark, no good without evil."

"True Darkness. But the light will always hold the dark at bay" she whispered slowly as the massive head lowered to her level. She was beginning to irritate him. It was visible in Darkness's eyes. His lure wasn't being bitten and he was impatient.

Cupid burst through the door and Darkness spun from Fay to grab the man by his face and lift him from the floor. As Cupid gurgled and attempted to free himself, he was shaken and tossed into the fireplace with a sick snap and crunch. Dead on impact on the wall behind the flames. Not a problem anymore. But the six immortals that rushed in to see the spectacle had seen it. And so had Fay who had sunk to the ground as she watched the chains sway and falling still once more, hiding the body that was now burning away. Spinning back to Fay Darkness grasped her arm and lifted her to her feet.

"Join me girl." he growled and when she screamed no, he picked her up from her neck, just barely giving her room to breathe. The Guardians yelled and rushed forward to stop the dark being but he flicked his wrist and his Darklings swarmed off the fireplace and surrounding furniture to rush between their master and the threat. Darkness carried Fay over to the crystal away from the mayhem now taking over most of the room.

Struggling, Fay stilled when her back hit something cold and hard. She was pinned to the crystal. She gave a cry as the pressure at her throat became strangling. A tingle started at her feet. As it rose up her legs to her thighs, she realized the crystal was absorbing her into it. She would be trapped like a caveman in ice. With no escape. Darkness released her neck, allowing her to gasp and sob. Though is was slow, the crystal was still pulling her in.

Jack smacked a few darklings from him before freezing a dozen others. A few that were caught in the air hitting the ground and shattering. He didn't want to waste time fighting these things. He needed to get to Fay. He cast his gaze around the room to find Darkness standing beside a crystal, watching the fight while Fay struggled against a crystal that she was partially absorbed into. His power flared with his anger and he slammed his staff into the ground. The surrounding area froze along with every enemy, frosting up the walls to coat the high ceiling and stretching almost the entire length of the room, stopping short before it could reach the Dark King and his captive. Irritated, he touched the precious gem and it absorbed Fay quickly. With her last breathe, she said something that just barely reached his ears before her body became locked in the transparent stone.

"I love you Jack."

You guys seemed to like the music list I put up and I have decided to put up the list of music I was listening to if I had any playing while I wrote the chapter. Everything is spelled properly so just copy and paste to youtube's search bar. If you can't find the right songs, PM me and I'll send you the right ones.

Sex Bomb-Omb - Garbage Truck

Repo! The Genetic Opera - Chase the Morning

Repo! The Genetic Opera - Infected

Creature Feature - The Unearthly Ones

(Once Again, I ask you to please Review. For those with homework, I'm sorry but it is not a chore. If I don't get reviews then I don't update. That's how it's done. Thank you. Love you all.)