Chapter 20

Deep in the earth, Mora was being entertained by some of the night terrors and waited for the others to return with the prize.

Then, the big black sand bird flew in and dropped Grace close to Mora's throne.

"So, this is the girl?" the night goddess asked and the bird nodded.

Grace looked up at Mora and asks, "Who are you?"

Mora's image melted into the shadows and reappeared behind her and Grace jumped in surprise.

"You don't know me? I am the queen of the night terrors and the name's Mora," the female spirit said.

"Why am I here? What do you want with me?" Grace asked, her heart pounding.

"I wanted to meet you, I heard that Pitch is watching over you, like a guardian to a child," Mora answered. "As a matter of fact, he and I were once a couple. Very much in love."

Grace shook her head and Mora could sense her fear. "Oh, you don't believe me. Well, has Pitch told you anything about his past life? Before meeting you?" Mora asked and then, black sand looped around Grace's hands, binding her. The sand then formed into snakes and they hissed at Grace and she gasped.

Meanwhile, Jack, Sandy, Pitch, and Erebos found the opening to Mora's underground home.

The black sand monkey tried to escape, but Sandy grabbed it by the tail and transformed it into three golden butterflies.

Erebos stayed at the entrance, while the three male spirits went down into the dark earth. They went through a maze of debris and tree roots and found an opening that lead to the throne room.

Pitch was the first to spot Grace and then, he saw Mora. The goddess was taunting the girl and Pitch could hear Mora say, "Do you want to know what Pitch did? And why he was chosen to be your guardian?"

Grace was curious, but she felt that the dark goddess would tell her nothing but lies.

"He and I, before the world knew Santa Clause, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny. Pitch and I enjoyed spreading fear to children and that's what they believed in, the boogeyman and the queen of night terrors.

"Well, all that changed when the Man in the Moon chose the guardians and they brought joy and hope to the children. Then, they stopped believing in us and Pitch and I were invisible to the world," Mora explained and Grace did not know what to say.

"And then, I did something that the big boss did not like. He sent me to live down here and I never saw Pitch, again, but for a short time, he believed that I was alive. Then that feeling went away. However, a few months ago, he did something, do you want to know what he did?" Mora asked Grace and Pitch knew right away what she was planning to tell the girl.

"We can't sit here forever," he said to the others and they nodded. Pitch pointed out a path that lead to the throne and Jack and Sandy headed down there.

"Pitch led a rebellion against the guardians, he wanted the children to believe in him and forget the others. As a matter of fact, he killed the Sand Man," Mora said and Grace's head shot up.

"You're lying! Sandy is alive!" Grace shouted.

"Oh, yes he is, but he came back to life because the boogeyman got scared of the guardians. However, the Man in the Moon gave Pitch another chance and the big boss assigned him to watch over you, but when Pitch is done, he will forget you, just like he did to me," Mora replied, but Grace didn't believe her.

"You can't block out the truth, little Gracie. Just ask Pitch, but he will try to deny it," the goddess added, but Grace shook her head.

"No, no, no! You're lying!" she cried out.

"Has a goddess lied to anyone before?" Mora asked and was about to say more, when a voice called out.

"I believe that's enough, Mora," Pitch said and Mora and Grace spotted him, walking upside down on the rocky ceiling.

"Pitch, is it really you?!" Mora exclaimed and Pitch disappeared behind a rocky pillar.

"I am here," he answered after reappearing from behind Mora's throne. "I must say, you've outdone yourself. You've mastered the night terrors, much better than my nightmares," Pitch added.

Mora threw her arms around him in a loving embrace. "Why did you leave me?" she asked.

"You were not the only banished into the deepest part of the earth. I'm sorry, but I had to wait to strike back," Pitch answered. "Once the world knew fear, again, I was planning to raise up out of this hole."

Grace could not believe what she was hearing; at first, she thought Pitch lost his mind and was rambling on with lies. Then again, she had listened to what Mora had said.

Then, she noticed Jack and Sandy crawling up to her. Sandy pressed a finger to his lips and Grace showed the snake-like chain around her wrists.

"I could not stop thinking about you for the last few centuries," Mora said to Pitch.

The boogeyman gave a quick look at Grace and noticed Jack and Sandy. Pitch gave a quick wink at Grace and she smiled.

"You know, I thought you were dead, but deep down, I knew that you were somehow alive," he replied and moved a strain of Mora's hair behind her ear.

Jack quietly moved his staff at the snake chains, hoping to freeze them, but suddenly, they hissed. Mora heard it and turned around and saw the two guardians. "You!" she shouted and shot black sand at them, but missed.

Pitch grabbed Mora and pushed her aside. Jack quickly froze the snake chains and they fell off. Pitch scooped Grace in his arms and they charged passed the night terrors. Jack froze some of them with his staff, while Sandy transformed them to golden sand with his touch.

"Get them!" Mora shouted and she summoned a night terror in the form of a bear.

The night terror went after the four as they headed for the entrance. When they got there, Jack and Sandy had floated up, but they had to help Pitch and Grace up. Pitch could not get up while he had Grace in his arms and he placed her down. Jack helped Pitch up to the hole with his staff and they turned their attention to Grace.

"Grace, you're going have to jump!" Pitch called to her.

The girl heard a noise and turned to see the night terror bear, charging at her. Without another thought, Grace took a big leap, stretching her hands toward Pitch.

She grabbed his hand, but she started to slip. Jack took her other arm and helped her up and out of the hole. The bear was about to reach them, when Jack slammed his staff and a thick sheet of ice covered the hole and they hurried away with Erebos.

The night terrors were unable to get through the ice, but Mora sent them away. She was thinking about what she saw. Pitch had taken the girl in his arms like he was saving a child. Then, it hit her; Pitch must love this girl.