Disclaimer: I don't own Pitch Black! Well, I mean I own a personal copy of the movie, but that's it, I swear. No, you can't borrow it. :P

I struggled to write this chapter for some reason. :( I hope it flows together alright. Thank you for reading and reviewing, I really feel the love. :D Please keep them coming! You guys are great.

Italics = Inner most thoughts

Bold Italics =Thoughts of the 'Beast'

Chapter 8

Rain finally learns what happened to Ali. He had found his way into the locked coring room and encountered some of the same creatures that had gotten Zeke. Johns had had to fire two shots to get the coring room doors open; they had been locked from the inside. Ominous. By the time they had found Ali, he was an unrecognizable lump of flesh mauled to death by the creatures. Imam and his remaining charges buried him among the rocks outside in a brief funeral service.

Johns, Carolyn, Shazza, Riddick, and Rain explored the coring room after Imam took Ali's body away. They finally solved the mystery of what happened to the settlers that had once been here. The settlers had gathered in the coring room, and the monsters in the caves underground had come from below to get them. The settler's skeletons litter the well-like hole that descends from the coring room's center. They had never stood a chance. What does that say about our chances?

Neither of these discoveries was the most disturbing, however. No, the most disturbing discovery comes when Carolyn makes the connection between the 22 year old coring samples the settlers last took, and the working model of the planets solar system she found. As she turns the model around to click into the 22 year position, the planet in the middle shifts into darkness.

Carolyn barely whispers, "An eclipse."

An eclipse? Here? Rain stands between Riddick and Johns, Imam nearby, witnessing Carolyn's discovery on the miniature model. She holds her breath in dread as Carolyn straightens. Those things underground live in darkness; they'll be able to come aboveground during the eclipse. This must be what happened 22 years ago, and the settlers all died.

Riddick breaks the grim silence with a sarcastic smile at Carolyn, "you're not afraid of the dark are you?"

Carolyn shoots a dirty look at Riddick as she passes by him, storming from the room. Johns follows after her with a sigh.

"I'll break the news to the others." Imam leaves as well, and Rain and Riddick are left alone.

Rain can't seem to wipe the frown from her face. Did I do something bad in a previous life?

"What are you thinking about?" Riddick crosses his arms and leans back against the wall behind him, thoughtful.

"Just wondering what I did to deserve being thrown onto this hell hole with you lot." Rain sighs and half smiles.

Riddick laughs in reply. "What, you ain't enjoying my company?"

Riddick observes Rain's reaction closely after his comment. Several expressions war across her face before she settles with an amused reaction, quirking her lips and giving a mischievous reply.

"I 'enjoyed' it just fine when you came and woke me earlier. Is that answer enough?"

Riddick gives a deep laugh, tossing his head back toward the ceiling briefly. You are just too amusing to leave alone, kitten. I'm gonna keep you for a long, long, time. Riddick's thoughts sober up to the present and he frowns, good mood fading away. But we need to survive this place, first.

"There's something I want you to do for me, darlin'." Riddick speaks low, to grab Rain's attention, pausing to make sure she's listening. "Serious shit is going to happen around here 'fore too long. When it hits the fan, I want you stay close to me. Don't trust any of the others, and stay far away from Johns. Can ya do that?"

Now Rain is frowning, "but don't we need the others to get outta here? For the ship?"

Riddick uncrosses his arms and strides towards Rain, growling quietly. "No. You only need me. Johns is a spineless merc who'd kill his own grandmother if it could get him his next payday. The others follow him, and that makes them ignorant. Only trust me." His last three words are spoken slowly, with emphasis, as he towers over Rain from above; his eyes ask her to obey.

Rain turns her head to the side, baring her neck to Riddick's anger and instinctually submitting; her reply is barely a whisper. "Only you."

Riddick's inner is pleased, preening. Good. Then we can protect you properly.

Rain stands before Riddick in quiet stillness, eventually turning her face up to peek at him, curious. He has a strange look in his eyes as he asks his next question. "Are you afraid of me?"

"No." Her reply is sure, without question. He's asked me that before. Should I be afraid? Something inside Rain tells her, that above anyone else, Riddick is trustworthy. Only him.

"Good." Riddick jolts forward, slamming his lips to hers harshly, stealing a kiss, but with him as the aggressor this time. He takes her breath, making her lightheaded. Were we just talking about something important? I don't remember…Rain kisses him back, opening her mouth to do battle with his tongue.

When Riddick pulls away, it's to set his mouth at Rain's throat. He presses with teeth, and a thrill runs through her. His hands slide up her arms, his fingertips going into the short sleeves of her shirt, finding as much skin as they can as he pulls her closer.

"Ah, w-wait, the others." Rain hesitates. What if one of the others returns?

"What about them?" Riddick's voice is low, deep, aroused. Sexy. "I didn't hear any protests earlier, when you had them pretty thighs of yours wrapped around me tight. It was more like: 'Uhhhnnn', 'Please, Riddick'," Riddick imitates Rain's breathless voice, gasping her own expressions back to her, his lips pressed against her ear.

OH MY GOD! Rain jerks out of Riddick's arms in a surge of embarrassment, her face cherry-red. YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO REPEAT THAT! "Ah…I think I heard someone call my name just now." Rain grumbles incoherently, almost tripping as she makes a speedy exit, avoiding Riddick's gaze. MUST ESCAPE!

Riddick's booming laughter follows her outside.

Rain sulks through the compound with her mind in turmoil, licking her figurative wounds. Damn you Riddick! How do you get under my skin so easily? She walks distractedly for a while, enjoying some much needed alone time. When Rain spots a sickly looking Johns in the distance, stumbling from the direction of the skiff, she does a 180 to avoid him. I don't even want to know.

Rain finally manages to calm her mind, and convince herself not to die of mortification, just as a commotion starts up from the remaining Arab boys. They pass by her, yelling for the 'Captain'. What is it now?

Rain learns the cause of the uproar when she joins Imam, Jack, Shazza, Paris, and Carolyn, standing in the open, staring at the horizon. There's a wave in the distant atmosphere as the rings of a planet peek over the skyline, followed closely by the planet they encircle.

The eclipse has started, and it's moving fast.

"What are my eyes seeing?" Paris is unbelieving.

Shazza is the first to remember urgency. "If we need anything from the crash ship, I suggest we kick on. That sand cat's solar."

Shazza's comment triggers a sudden scurry to get everyone together on the sand cat; they need to get last minute things at the crash site and the all-important power cells for the skiff. Rain hops on the cat, choosing a spot beside Paris.

"Where's Riddick?!" Jack is frantic. Good question!

"Leave him. He wouldn't wait for us," is Paris's reply. What!?

Riddick jumps onto the sand cat from the roof of a nearby building, startling everyone on board as he lands. Rain gives him a relieved smile, and he winks at her. She's here, good.

"Thought we'd lost you." Paris is nervous as he scurries away from Riddick. Funny.

Everyone but Johns, is now accounted for. Shazza calls out for him, as she gets the sand cat moving, and he appears at the last possible second. He reaches his hand out to the cat as it passes, and Riddick catches it, pulling him on board. He made it just in time. Too bad. Riddick releases Johns, moving to sit beside Rain.

The ride to the crash site is rocky and rough. Shazza's driving leaves much to be desired. At one point, Jack and some of the others nearly get knocked off the back of the sand cat. Riddick takes the opportunity to wrap an arm around Rain and steady her; his beast rumbling. Keep her close.

Johns is the first off the cat when they arrive at the Hunter Gratzner. Riddick follows, but only after motioning for Rain to stay. Inside the crash ship he grabs two of the cells, leaving the others to get the rest. Riddick drops the power cells onto the back of the sand cat, stepping aside for Johns and Imam to drop theirs.

"Shit." Shazza mumbles as she tries to keep the sand cat running; but it's too late. The eclipse has progressed too far. Something crows ominously in the distance, and the group freezes, watching helplessly, as gloom descends. Now the real fun starts.

In the distance, creatures ascend into the sky out of the open dirt spires leading from the underground caves. They begin to flock together, moving in waves, upward, like a swirling cyclone of living flesh.

"How many are there?" Johns' voice is unsteady.

Riddick ignores him. "Beautiful."

Paris' voice interrupts from far away, where he stands at the door of the cargo hold. "People, just a suggestion, but perhaps you should flee!"

The group springs into action at Paris' prompt, Carolyn in the lead, "Let's go!"