Sorry about the long wait for an update, school got super heavy all in the span of one week and I had to adjust. Anyway, here is the chapter, it's fairly long. I hope you all enjoy it, and please review. I have a lot of people reading, but no feedback and I would really like some, it only takes a minute!

"Chaya wake up!"

Slowly, Chaya opened her eyes and looked up into the smiling face of Stoke, who stood over her bed with his hands behind his back as if he were hiding something. Yawning, Chaya sat up reached over to wake Joey. Nothing was there. Opening her eyes completely, she turned to look for her littler brother.

"Where is Joey?"

Stoke smiled and pulled back the sheets as Chaya got up.

"He's helping Da with breakfast,"

Chaya stared at him.

"What, why?"

Stoke gave her hug and spun he around the room.

"Because its your sixteenth birthday! Don't you remember?" He laughed as he set her down again, watching her facial expressions.

"My birthday? Are you sure. I though it was next week,"

Stoke rumpled Chaya's head affectionately.

"No silly, its today! You've been too busy to remember,"

He stopped and held her at arms length, a shadow crossing over his face.

"How many shifts have you been putting in?"

Chaya shook her head and pushed away from him.

"Enough. So how long have you guys been up?"

Stoke let the shadow slide, but did not take his eyes off his sister as she lead her into the kitchen. Joey looked up from mixing something in a large bowl. Her father was behind him with his back to Chaya, leaning over the little stove.

"Since real early," He continued to whisk furiously at the contents in the bowl as Chaya came around the counter to hug him gently on the shoulders. Her father turned around and smiled gently at Chaya. Stoke passed his father to help him with whatever he was working on the stove. They seemed to be fine around each other at the moment and Chaya felt a little relief.

"My little girl, all grown up and beautiful," Chaya smiled up at her father, shrugging her shoulders as her father ruffled her hair, leaning down to kiss her forehead. She breathed in deeply. It was nice to feel her father's love again; with tension relieved, Chaya finally felt like it was her birthday. Joey piped up from behind her.

"We're making pancakes for your birthday, Chaya, and I'm helping. We even have maple syrup"

Chaya brushed away a tear and turned back to her little brother, slightly surprised at the extravagant breakfast.

"Syrup?" Chaya looked over at her father, lowering her voice for Joey. "Where did we get the money for that?"

Her father smiled again, a twinge of pride in his voice as he gestured over his shoulder to where Stoke was busy with the stove, where Chaya now says few pancakes in a heavy pan.

"Why do you think Stoke was out so late?"

Chaya stared at her brother, her mouth wide with shock.

"Stoke?

Stoke shrugged, turning around to smile at her.

"It was no big deal, I had maple syrup for my sixteenth birthday, so why shouldn't you?"

Chaya covered her mouth with happiness, passed her father and hugged her brother furiously. He laughed gently, kissing her head before untangling himself, turning back around to the cooking pancakes. Chaya reached up to kiss his shoulder.

"Thank you,"

"You're welcome,"

A little later, the family was finishing up their pancakes and Chaya was now preparing Joey for his second day of school. Her father appeared at the door of their bedroom, a small box tied with a red ribbon in his hand. He leaned on the doorframe, and watched Chaya comb through Joey's thick brown hair for a minute before knocking gently on the open door. Chaya turned and looked up at him, catching sight of the box in his hands.

"Happy Birthday Chaya,"

Vincent held out the box to her. Smiling softly, Chaya stood up and approached her father, looking up at him softly, a few tears on her eyes. Her father held a few tears in his eyes as well and soon gave in to hug his daughter close to him. She held him tightly. Joey behind them, jumping around with curiosity.

"What's in the box?"

Chaya released her father and brushed away her tears, laughing at Joey's excitement. She took the box from her father's hands and untied the ribbon slowly. As she opened the box, her eyes widened as she lifted a silver chain out and attached to it was a silver ring with interconnecting crosses, one jet black and the other encrusted with diamonds. Laying it in her hand, Chaya examined it with admiration.

"Da! Where did you get this? It looks like it cost hundreds!" She looked up shocked at her father.

Vincent's expression had changed as he looked down at his child, his normal straight lined face frozen as if he could not move. Finally he beckoned for her to come out of the room, with her brother following close behind. Stoke, still cleaning up the kitchen would not work until noon that day. He noticed the seriousness of his father's face and soon joined them all at the couch. Vincent sat down heavily and beckoned Chaya to sit close to him.

"Let me tell you a story Chaya,"

Chaya held the ring in her hand before her father, unable to move for a moment. She swallowed quietly. The sudden seriousness of her father's and now Stoke's face was a little daunting. She sank softly on the couch next to her father. Joey curled up on the other side, not fully understanding the sudden mood shift. Vincent looked at his daughter long and hard for a moment; Stoke, who sat on a small chair across from the couch, rubbed the back of his head and could not look at either his father or his sister. Chaya watched her father's face.

"What is it, Da?"

Vincent closed his eyes, looking back into the past as he summoned the strength to tell his story. Finally he opened his eyes and looked at her directly.

"Chaya, you're not my daughter,"

Chaya's world stopped, her heart dropped and she momentarily swayed on her feet as the weight of the words hit her. Her mouth formed words she didn't know her brain had told it to and a whisper escaped her lips.

"What do you mean?"

Vincent closed his eyes tighter again, opening them and looking away with tears threatening to fall.

"You're not my daughter. My wife and I were not your parents. You were adopted into our family,"

Chaya could not move, shock enveloped her body and she started to shake, losing control of herself. Her mouth moved, but nothing came out. Finally she forced out the only words she could think of, the only words that she could see in that moment; choking her from within.

"I'm adopted?"

She looked over to Stoke, who could not look her in the eye, but nodded quietly. Chaya looked back at her father, still not believing what he said. Vincent held his face in his hands, shaking quietly as he controlled his emotions, overwhelmed. But not as much as his adopted daughter. Emotions swirled around in her mind. Everything she had believed in for all those years, it had all been a lie? She was not Joey and Stoke's sister? Her father was not her father? If she was not part of this family, who did she belong to? Who was she? Did her real family not want her? Did they lose her? Was she such a disappointed to them, that they left her with another family? The questions flooded her mind and her brain could not keep up, let alone form a simple answer to it all. Emotions spun in Chaya's head and she pressed her fingers into her skull, desperate to relieve the pressure. Her trembling became worse, but no tears would come, the shock was still too great. Everything was spinning out of her control and Chaya could not gain it back. Finally, anger bubbled u above all the other emotions and Chaya grasped at the only thing that made sense She stood up abruptly and stared down at her father.

"Why didn't you tell me I was adopted?"

Chaya…"

Chaya cut him off.

"Why did you raise me in a lie? Why did you let me believe that I was apart of your family when I clearly wasn't? How could you do that to me!?" Joey cowered behind his father, scared of his sister, who had never so much as raised her voice. Vincent wrapped an arm around his son, looking up at Chaya, hurt in his eyes.

"I didn't know how. You were so young Chaya and when you would have been old enough, your mother died…"

"Don't make that excuse with me, she wasn't my mother! All that pain and grief I carried after she died and she wasn't even mine to love!"

"Chaya, your mother loved you more than you know,"

"How could she? I wasn't hers to love!" Joey was crying into his father now and Stoke took action then and stood up to hold Chaya's shoulders, trying to calm her down. She jerked away from him, tears rolling down her cheeks now. But Stoke was stronger and he easily pulled her into him, holding her close with an arm over her chest and the other around her waist. As she lost he battle of dominance to her late-brother, tears finally spilled over her cheeks and Chaya nearly collapsed at the heavy weight came off her shoulders. Stoke held her up as she cried and grimaced as Chaya screamed out at her father,

"Why would you LIE TO ME? For my WHOLE life? WHY?!"

"Chaya, stop!" Stoke shook her firmly and she quieted, still shaking violently from the emotions streaming down her face. Vincent was crying now, Joey shaking next to him. Sighing deeply, Vincent looked up once again at his estranged daughter.

"We never meant this to be a lie to you, you were too young to understand the truth. After your mother died, you were just turning 13. I knew you were old enough, but your whole life had already changed and I just couldn't add to it. You must understand that I didn't have a choice,"

Chaya fought once more against Stoke.

"So now is better?" Her voice was laden and Vincent flinched, but nodding heavily, holding Joey closer.

"Yes, it is. You've grown so much since your mother died and I knew I had to tell you before I talked myself out of it all together. You deserve to know. But Chaya, this doesn't change anything. I still love you just as much as my boys. Stoke was 5 when we found you and he never thought of you less then his sister. Even Joey, he knows the truth now and he still loves you Chaya,"

"Does he?" Chaya spat fire as she looked down at her little brother. He shuddered and hid in his father's arm.

"I do Chaya,"

Chaya shook against Stoke, but this time it was not with anger, it was release. Slowly, Stoke lowered himself and Chaya to the ground where Chaya poured out her heart in tears. Vincent wanted to reach out to her, but he knew Stoke was capable. Exhaustion from shock eventually took her over completely and she relaxed into Stoke, who held her tight, not moving.

"We know this is hard Chaya. You're hurt and upset, but we still love you, nothing has changed. You're still a part of this family,"

Chaya shuddered in her brother's arms, her tears lessening until she stopped completely. Shock was still on her face and she didn't speak for a long time. The ring was still gripped in her hand and she looked down at it.

"Who am I?"

Vincent looked down at her.

"You're Chaya, you're my daughter and- ,"

"No, who am I? Who was I before? Who was my family?"

Her father sighed, looking away once again. Chaya adjusted to move away from Stoke. He allowed her to sit up, but kept her close to him. She watched Vincent closely, waiting for the explanation.

"That's the next part of the story,"

Chaya didn't move as her father gestured to her ring.

"We found you outside one night in the winter. You were in a basket with a few blankets with a sealed note. We looked for someone else to show up for you, but no one came. So of course we took you in. Eventually we decided no one was coming and we adopted you into our family. We do love you Chaya, we don't see you as adopted,"

Chaya ignored him.

"Who was the note from? What did it say?"

Vincent sighed gently, looking again at the ring, going back to that wintery night.

"It was from your biological father. He explained in the note that he was heartbroken that he could not keep you and raise you as his own, that his wife, your mother, did not live past your birth," Vincent was tearing again, no doubt thinking of his own wife. "He begged us to take you in and raise you for him. He stressed several times that he loved you with all his heart, but he couldn't bare to see you raised with him when he knew he couldn't do any good for you. The note said that he wanted you to have this ring when you turned sixteen years old. He even gave us your name: Chaya,"

Chaya stared at the ring, the story bouncing in her head.

"My real mother died after I was born and he couldn't take care of me?"

Vincent nodded.

"The note said that he wanted to, but he didn't know how. He was afraid you would die too, I guess that's why he wanted you to belong to a strong family who would make sure you were healthy,"

Chaya looked off in to space, Stoke watching her closely, while Joey calmed slowly as Chaya did.

"So… he couldn't take care of me?"

Vincent shook his head.

"He was extremely selfless Chaya. He did it for you. You may have died if he had kept you. I don't think he could've done it alone,"

Chaya shook head slowly.

"He couldn't do it alone?" She moved to get up, but Stoke kept her down. "So he just decided he didn't want to do it by himself and he dumped me on to somebody else. I mean you continued after your wife died, you never gave up on us!"

"Chaya, that's different-

"How? How is it different?"

Chaya was close to tears again. Vincent was firm.

"You and Stoke were old enough to care for yourselves by the time she passed away, you were old enough to take care of Joey and Stoke could work. You were only a baby and he was a single father,"

"But he didn't even make the effort!" Chaya was in tears. "He just gave up as soon as his wife was gone. Did he even want me?" She stopped and wiped a tear away from her eye. "Did he even care?" her voice was a whisper.

"Chaya,"

Chaya looked away, holding more tears in. Stoke held her in, leaning his head on her shoulder, providing as much comfort as he could.

"He was torn, his wife was dead and you were his only child. He didn't know how to raise a child and no doubt he didn't know how to. He gave you up to save you. He believed you would have a better life without him. It was selfless,"

Chaya could not look at her family. This was so much for one day. Just a few hours ago she knew who she was and she belonged to her family. But now… She was a leftover, someone that someone else couldn't take care of. It would've been better if she hadn't been born. She curled into herself as everything spilled over and she cried simply for the sake of getting the emotions out. Stoke pulled her closer still, keeping her in his arms as he tried not to cry with her, her pain searing his own heart. Vincent sat on the couch, leaning forward to watch her empathetically, not being able to bring himself to move to her. Joey pulled at him and he hugged his son close, taking comfort in protecting him. The family stayed still for the length of Chaya's release.

Finally, Chaya shook off her brother and sat by herself. Stoke knew that he had to let her have her space. Her sobs lessened and she looked up, her face tear-stained and red.

"You have no idea who my father is or where he is?"

Vincent shook his head softly.

"I'm afraid not, he didn't give a name or address,"

Chaya sighed, looking down at the ring still in her hands.

"I guess it's all for the best…" Her voice trailed off and she held her chin in to her knees. Silence held again for a longer time. Vincent shook himself eventually.

"How about you try it on?"

Chaya looked at the ring for a moment, shaking her head slowly. This ring was so quick to excite her, but also to tear her back down. Such a little thing that was actually so powerful. Finally she took the ring into her right hand and gazed at it intently. The diamonds on the first cross sparkled in the dim light while the black cross only shone, beckoning a closer look into the darkness. Sighing, Chaya tilted the ring towards the light and slipped it onto her finger. It seemed to sparkle and shine even more as it perched elegantly on her finger. She smiled.

"It really is beautiful isn't it?"

She looked up to show her father.

Her mouth dropped open in a soundless scream.

Her father and brothers were gone, her house was gone. She was gone. Blackness surrounded her; she could not see her hand in front of her face. Chaya started, she had not even felt Stoke's arms let her go, she had not felt a departure. Chaya had simply disappeared. She screamed in terror and curled her knees around her, now knowing where to turn. She panicked as the darkness seemed to flow over her, choking her and giving no cause for escape.

What had happened? She not heard anything and yet suddenly she was nowhere, she was no one. It was all empty blackness and she didn't know why. She screamed again, tears flowing down her face as she tore her throat in tears. She searched the blackness, unable to move.

"Da!"

There was no answer and Chaya looked down at the ring. It couldn't be, could it? Desperately she wrenched the ring off her finger and looked up again. Nothing had changed; blackness still shrouded her vision. Again, she replaced the ring, hoping for a change, but nothing came. She cried harder, the noise dying slowly as the blackness swallowed it up. Her surroundings came in to gentle focus as her panic lessened slightly The ground underneath her was hard, cold and rocklike. The pitiful sounds of her cries echoed off wall like structure around her. She must be deep underground, no sun penetrated the cave or chasm.

"What- what- how…" She wiped her tears as shock took over her body and she shook uncontrollably.

Suddenly a shadow deeper than the darkness passed over her. She shivered and turned around. Golden eyes watched her and she convulsed, panic overtaking her again.

"There there Chaya,"

The voice was soft and gently, not the monster that Chaya had formed in her mind from those mysterious eyes. She looked in the eyes and they seemed to smile at her. Confusion flooded her senses and she moved away, fear and terror halting her movements. She could barely move for the shaking in her body.

"No no, stay with me. You have nothing to fear," the voice came closer and with it a sudden light shone in the little space between her and the voice. A gentle face looked down at her. A grey face that looked soft and human. His golden eyes were remarkably bright and Chaya squinted in the light. He smiled, not a horrible smile, more like one that hadn't been shown off in awhile. Chaya shivered under his gaze and his eyes filled with compassion and oddly enough, love. Chaya shuddered more and backed up until she hit something solid. It must have been one of the walls of the cave-like world. She backed up as far as she could, breathing shakily as she tried to block out the image of the grey man before her.

He laughed softly at her efforts. Bending down before her, he held out a hand to brush up against her cheek. Chaya shrunk away, but his long fingers reached the distance. They were cold and calm and somehow Chaya found them comforting and she stopped shivering as he moved her face to look straight at him. Gold eyes met gold eyes and he smiled again, larger and brighter this time.

"You're so beautiful, just like I knew you would, just like her..." His voice trailed off as Chaya cocked her head, more confusion and more terror. Did she know him? Or more importantly, did he know her? Finally she worked up her courage to speak, as shaky as her voice was.

"W-who-o are y-you?" She swallowed trying to control her shaking as he held her face still in front of his; he was almost nose to nose with her now. Smiling more, the man brushed her mouth with a finger before withdrawing.

"Have you not guessed?"

Chaya teared up again, not understanding his happiness, wanting to get away from the blackness, the cold, the rocks, this man. She wanted her Da back, her brothers. Her home. She wanted the moon, the crystal clear blue light of the moon. She even wanted Jack Frost, as silly as that sounded in her head. She whimpered and hid her face as she cried.

"Please, I just want to go home,"

She could not see, but the man's smile vanished and he looked down steadily at her, watching her cry.

"You are home Chaya,"

Chaya looked up, new terror filling her anew.

"What do you mean?"

The man waved his hand behind him in a swirling flourish and suddenly light swept to every corner of that dark expanse. It was indeed an underworld of sorts, a deep and expansive cave with pillars, tunnels and ledges lining up and out back into darkness above. No escape as she could see it. He looked back at her, a different kind of smile on his face now; pride.

"This is your home, this is where you belong!" He swept closer without a sound to look her in the face, bending down so close that Chaya shuddered and cowed under him.

"This is home, Chaya,"

Chaya could barely breathe in his terrible presence. This strange man who seemed to know her so well.

"Who are you?" Her voice was barely audible, but he must have heard it. That soft gentle smile came back and he took her chin, bringing her face close, tilting it down to kiss her forehead. Fear coursed through her head and a sudden image of a dark shadow knocking on the door of an old cabin came into focus. He set down a basket on the doorstep before slinking away into the dark. The door creaked open and another shape came into her focus, a large lumbering shape that looked oddly familiar. A slender shape followed him and together they picked up the basket. Her minds eye closed in on the two and they looked up, almost into her eyes, their expressions dead. Chaya gasped, coming back to reality where the man was looking deep into her eyes, the smile subdued a tight line.

"You're my father?" The words did not feel real as she said them and she could not believe it even as he nodded with a delighted laughing smile. He stood tall again and spun around in front of her.

Chaya could not move, her legs were up against her chest, hands supporting herself on the ground. Her head did not move as her eyes followed the man who was her father, as he moved about. He laughed loudly, his voice echoing off the walls and bouncing back to hit Chaya's ears over and over again. Eventually she brought her hands up to cover them, bringing her head into her knees and screamed.

This could not be so! Who was this man that claimed to be her father? He was a monster. Some kind of hideous representation of a human who was really something to be feared. He lived in the dark and seemed to never have seen the light. He must hate the light!

Chaya stopped. The light… he didn't like the light. Where had she heard that before. Fear coursed through afresh as it came back to him and she stared in horror at he man who had stopped spinning and stood rooted to the spot, staring her down, the smile still plastered to his face.

"You're.. the- the bogeyman!?"

He laughed and shook his head.

"Such a silly name, an adopted name really. Something from a child's imagination. No one actually calls me that. But yes, you're right. I am the bogey man. I am the fear that hides under your bed, in your closet. The one who rules over you in fear. I am Pitch Black!"

Chaya gasped as a wave of coldness passed over her and she shivered under his stare, shaking her head in disbelief. The events of the day were happening too fast. This could not be real. Something was wrong. She was asleep still. Of course, this was all a dream! Stoke had never gotten her maple syrup. She wasn't adopted. Relief flooded over her. This had to be a dream, nothing like this could be real. The bogey man wasn't real! She looked up and laughed at him; a dry kinda of laugh that tasted of hope and despair.

"You're not my father! This is ridiculous!" she stood up and laughed, dusting off her jeans as she shook her head at the absurdity. "This is all a dream. I haven't woken up yet. All those stories I told Joey have gotten to my head. You're not real!"

The man stopped smiling. Darkness started to evaporate the little light there was until only the tiny space between him and Chaya was alight.

"How dare you," His voice was light and gravelly now.

Chaya stepped back.

"You're just a dream.. you can't be real…?"

His face distorted into a grimace.

"You dare to defy my existence? You would not be alive if not for me and your mother!"

Chaya shook her head.

"My father is in the real world. My mother is.. dead,"

The man shook his head slowly, something sparkled in the corner of his eye.

"Yes, yes she is Chaya. She died when you were born,"

Chaya shook her head, not understanding his change of moods.

"She died after Joey was bo- ," Suddenly Chaya was back up against the wall, her shoulders pinned by the death grip of the strange grey man.

"No! Your real mother had no other child. She died giving birth to you. You killed her!" He stopped, pulling away suddenly. "No, forgive me. You did not kill her. I killed her. I gave you to her, I caused her pain. I killed her," He looked back pitifully at Chaya. "You are my daughter, you must believe me. I married your mother many years ago and she died when you were born. I loved her and I love you now,"

Sudden anger filled Chaya despite her fear.

"You gave me up. You gave me up before I even knew who you were!" She had not necessarily accepted that this was not a dream, but all the events that had happened until now were bubbling over once again. "You abandoned me!"

The man shook his head, he now seemed to cow under her.

"No! No, never Chaya! You were so young, I didn't know what to do. I had never cared for a child before! I spread fear and misery. I knew nothing about fathering a child! I had to give you up, it was my only chance for your survival. What else was I supposed to do? Watch you die like your mother? I gave you up to someone I felt could do a better job than I. But I brought you back to me! You're here now. I never abandoned you,"

Chaya shook her head, anger still present in her voice.

"You left me! You let me grow up in a lie only to tear it down when I was 16! Do you know how much that hurts? I thought I was part of their family and now I don't know who I am!"

He stood tall over her now.

"You're my daughter,"

Chaya shook her head, suddenly weak from all the emotion. She backed up into the wall once again, holding her face in her hands, shuddering as she tried to hold back tears.

"This is a dream…"

Pitch came a little closer now, bending down to steady her as she collapsed with exhaustion, emotions sapping away her strength and energy. Slowly, as Chaya allowed, he guided her into his arms, cradling her head as she leaned into him, too weak to care now. Joy spread throughout Pitch's body; his little girl was finally back. All those years of suffering, watching over her, longing for her to come back. His ring had been set for 16 and no later. The wait had been agony. Fingering the the ring on Chaya's hand, Pitch let the tears of long-suffering roll down his cheeks and into her hair.

Her beautiful black hair. Pitch took a moment to look over his daughter. She was so grown, so so different from the little bundle he had left on that doorstep 16 years ago. Her hair was thick and shiny. She was slender and curved just like her mother. If she had been dressed as a shadow princess, wrapped in shimmering black threads, she would've been the mirror image of her long gone mother. More tears rolled down and Pitch leaned his head over Chaya's and held her; shaking. Finally, Chaya moved underneath him and he shifted aside so she could sit back up. She met his eyes with the same tear stained face. She looked hurt, confused, torn. But she was finally calm. Looking over him one more, still trying to fit everything together, Chaya smiled at him. Weak as it was, Pitch's heart lifted and he met her smile. She cocked her head slightly and sniffled pitifully.

"Truly?"

Pitch gasped softly, letting his head down. Chaya watched him, looking over the man who she now knew must be her father. She gently lifted her hand to touch the top of her father's head and he seemed to melt into her touch. The resemblance was unmistakable and if her mother was anything like she thought, it had to be true. Pitch looked back up at her, nodding his head as fresh tears haunted the corner of his eyes; Chaya let her hand fall to rest.

"Yes, yes it is. You're my daughter and I am your father. I do not lie to you,"

Chaya looked up at him again.

"Why did you bring me back?"

Pitch sniffed, his face frozen at he looked down at his daughter. She thought for a moment that he hadn't heard her and was just about to ask again when he stood up abruptly, dropping her so that she stumbled to sit up straight again. Looking up at him, he seemed not to see her as he looked up into the black darkness of his cave.

"You're my daughter and I am your father," He turned back to her, his face having distorted into a smile of sorts. "You and I will rule this world together!" He lifted his hands up and a sudden soft light lit up the cave, a dark light that did not warm Chaya in the least. Shivering, she cocked her head at him.

"Rule? Rule over what?"

Pitch laughed at her.

"What do you mean? You know who I am! I am Pitch Black or the Bogeyman as you put it. I rule the people with fear," He suddenly swept closer to Chaya, so close that she had to back up against into the wall once again. "Fear destroys people from the inside. I barely have to touch them. You will join me," Pithc swepted away from her again, stadning proud before her. "Together we will bring back the dark ages! Together, we will do great things Chaya, that is why I brought you back,' He reached out a hand to take her up with him, but she recoiled, staring at him with shock.

"But- but.. you're the bogeyman. You're just a story that people tell their children! You're not in control of anyone!"

Pitch's eyes narrowed, unmoving as he stared at her. Answering in a slow, measured voice, he gave Chaya more chills the the dampness of the cave.

"I told you that that title was not appropriate for who I really am. No Chaya, I am no story. I am living and breathing! I was once in control of everything of everyone! I ruled over them with fear, driving them mad and sometimes even to death. Those were the days. Oh to be back there and in control. I fell out of control when I met your mother. I was so in love that I decided to give up those times. But after you were born and I gave you up, I made another decision. I would hold off until you were 16 and then together, we would bring back the dark ages. They have been waiting for much too long!" His words froze Chaya's blood and she stared at him. Just a few moments ago, she was certain this man was a dream and could not actually be the Bogeyman. But now, she was certain. He was no normal man… and if he existed, who else existed with him? She shook her head, this was insane. She looked back up at her father.

"I can't rule with you. I can't control people or make them fear me,"

Pitch laughed, smiling as he stepped closer once again.

"I will train you, my sweet child. In no time, you will be just as great as me! Maybe even greater!"

Chaya shook her head, no longer excited to have this kind of father.

"I didn't mean that I can't. I mean I won't. I am not you! I don't desire to make people afraid,"

Pitch stopped, the light that had been so bright before, disappeared completely and the only light were his gold eyes staring at her.

"What?"

Chaya was not afraid of him.

"I won't rule with you,"

Pitch laughed then, a grating kind drivel that fell off his lips and scattered around his feet, surrounding Chaya in their tones. It resounded off the walls and grew louder.

"You will Chaya. You are my daughter and you will rule by my side!"

"You can not force me!"

Pitch did not twitch.

"You will rule by my side," he said it so quietly, Chaya had to strain to hear him. But before she could react, light streamed down at her from above. A different kind of light. It was cold and silver and having been used to the darkness, she had to shield her eyes. Pitch on the other hand, took the light on at full stride, standing before it, as if trying to block it from her.

"NO!" He screamed and Chaya flinched. "NOOOOOOO! She is mine! I waited for 16 years. You can't take her now! You can't! I won't let you!" He screamed again and Chaya crouched to cover her eyes and ears now. She did not understand why he was so upset, but before she could think anything else, she noticed that her arms were tingling. She looked up, still trying to block out her father's voice. Her arms sparked and Chaya screamed. Her father turned and screamed again.

"NO! Chaya!" He reached for her, but he could not touch her. She was starting to disintegrate in the moonlight. Chaya screamed and reached out to her father, at the moment, the only source of comfort she had. But he was gone. The cave was gone, everything was gone. Except the pure silver light. Chaya screamed once more and finally, with everything that had happened cascading over her body, she blacked out, floating for all she knew to her death.

Chaya thought she was dead.

She had to be, she had melted into nothing and now she should be where everyone's soul went. She wondered briefly if she'd met her real mother. Slowly, ever so slowly, she blinked open her eyes. And with one look she knew.

She was definitely dead.

Okay, there it is. The big climatic scene everyone was waiting for, but it's just the beginning. I was really tempted to make a cliff hanger after she put on the ring, but it didn't feel right, so lucky you guys :) Anyway, please review and tell me what you like/dislike about all this so far, thank you!