Hey all, I know this was a long time coming and I do apologize for that. I fell out of my groove and I didn't know how I could connect A to B, but I figured it out and I'm over the writers block now. I hope you're still enjoying this story!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Rise of The Guardians

Chaya was dreaming. She did not quite know how she had come to be asleep, but all she knew was that she was happy.

She was back home, snuggled in her own blankets and in her own bed with Joey close beside her. She had no doubt that Stoke was behind her. Lifting her eyes, Chaya's heart soared. Her adoptive father was standing in the door, smiling as he looked over his children. Meeting his eyes, Chaya felt bittersweet emotions flood over her as his smile widened. It had been a long time since she'd seen him so happy and even now with their relationship having changed, she still wanted him to be happy.

A faint voice played on in the background, but it was too quiet for Chaya to discern and she ignored it. She was with her family and that was much more important to her. Slowly, she sat up in bed, looking down at Joey asleep beside her. Although his chestnut hair was falling over his eyes, she could still tell it was him. Gently, so as not wake him, Chaya brushed aside his hair and tucked the blanket closer around his shoulders. Looking up, she smiled again at her father. Vincent stepped into the room, his footfalls echoing in Chaya's mind strangely. He stood at the edge of their bed.

"It's good to have you home Chaya,"

Chaya suddenly felt warm and she smiled again. Even though she knew now that this was not her real father, she loved him still. Even her brothers, who were not really her brothers, were the closest thing she had to family and she loved them dearly. Even their mother, the women who's role she had taken on, was close to her heart.

This was her family.

But… it wasn't.

Almost instantly, the atmosphere changed; the soft morning light darkened and Chaya frowned, looking down at the bedcover, which suddenly seemed fuzzy and unclear.

Her mother.

Her real mother. The women who had given brith to her. The one who had been married to Pitch. Her mother. She had to know her mother. She could never be truly happy if she didn't know who her mother was and why the moon wanted her to be a guardian. It all came flooding back and Chaya chocked back tears.

Chaya looked up at her father, her eyes misted. Stoke had appeared and stood behind his father. They seemed to vibrate before her, as if frozen on a screen.

"Chaya?"

Chaya barely heard their voices, they suddenly seemed distant. All she could hear was a tramping in her ear; the tramping of many feet all around her, moving through her head. Confusion filled her and she looked down at her younger brother. He was sitting up, staring at Chaya oddly, but he too looked outside from Chaya.

"I need to find my mother," Even her own voice was far away, swallowed up in the tramping of feet getting louder in her mind.

"Chaya!" She heard Stoke's voice shout at her, but when she looked up, her father and brother had disappeared. Frightened, Chaya looked back down; Joey too had disappeared. Chaya scrambled up off the bed, her movements feeling heavy and slow, as if time had stopped around her. Her mind was reeling as she ran out of her room, into the living room. Still, there was nothing and no one around her. Breathing heavily, Chaya turned around completely, fear overtaking her senses, finally collapsing her to her knees.

"Where are you?"

Her voice was barely audible now as a rushing wind caught up her words and stole them away. Chaya felt a sudden pressure at the back other neck and she gasped, the image of her house fading into back. Darkness overtook her and she slowly faded in unconsciousness.

She was not out long.

Blinking her eyes, Chaya felt weak and battered, as if she'd been bashed against rocks. A wave of relief hit her as she realized it had all been a dream. She was back in Pitch's lair.

Wait… was she?

Chaya eyes widened as she slowly regained her strength and was able to take in her surroundings. She was still underground, but it felt colder, deeper somehow. As far as she could remember, her father had taken her far below the earth, but this felt different. These thoughts passed through her mind in a matter of seconds until her vision cleared and she froze, her eyes landing on an enormous figure sitting before and above her.

His eyes were bright and stung her own as they stared into her very soul. Long dark hair flowed over his massive chest and blended into the dark robe covering the rest of his body.

Terrified, Chaya did the only thing she knew she was capable of.

She screamed, backing away from the frightening image before her, eyes wide and filled with fear as the eyes followed her. Chaya continued to scream until she felt arms wrap around her, a grey looking hand covering her mouth.

Pitch.

"Shhhh, Chaya, I am here. There is no need to fear,"

Pitch was behind her, his arms pulling her in so as to cover her. Although Chaya was still afraid of him, he was the only familiar thing she could cling to. With her screams turning to cries, Chaya turned in his arms and buried her head in his chest. What was this place? Where were they? Nothing made sense and it killed her. Pulling closer to her father, Chaya cried her heart out; it had become normal for her. She could feel Pitch trying to calm her, running a hand up and down her back. He was shaking. But why? Why did he feel as afraid as Chaya felt? Tears still streaming down her face, Chaya gazed up at her father, who looked down at her with concern, but also with fear.

"Where are we?" Her voice was shaking and Pitch wrapped his arm around her back protectively, glancing above her head for a moment before looking back down at her. He seemed unsettled, all the confidence she'd seen from him thus far, completely gone. Slowly, shivering from the cold, Chaya looked over her father's shoulders.

There were crowds of gruesome looking creatures surrounding them. Chaya whimpered, her eyes as wide as saucers. She could feel fear overtaking her body as she surveyed the mass of horror before her. Some of the demon-like creatures held spears, as if they were an army. A pasty white, horned beast caught her eye and snarled. Chaya whimpered again and hid her face in Pitch's shoulder.

A voice rumbled through the cavern.

"Pitch Black! Do not come to me with your lies!"

Pitch curled an arm around her head, as if blocking out the sound. Chaya whimpered, her father was scared, who would help her now? Jack could not find her here.

"I am not lying!" Pitch shouted to the dark figure, before he brought Chaya's chin up to look her in the eye. He seemed calmer as if his confidence was returning.

"Listen to me Chaya," His voice was a whisper and he spoke quickly, desperately. "You told me you want to know your mother," he glanced up quickly, no doubt meeting the bright eyes watching them. "Chaya, this is your mother's father. This is your grandfather. We're below my cavern, this is the Shadow King, ruler of the Underworld. You are his granddaughter,"

Chaya's heart stopped, she couldn't breath. Suddenly her father seemed far away, his mouth was moving as if he was trying to say something to her, but she could hear nothing but his words vibrating through her head. She was the granddaughter of a Shadow King, ruler of the underworld. Her whole world had turned over before and now again, this was a new revelation. Her mother had been royalty. But of what? An underworld. Confusion filled her head and she felt tears stream down her face once again. How could that help her be a guardian? Was this all some cruel cosmic joke that the figures from Joey's stories were playing on her? Was this all some kind of demented dream she was stuck in? The truth seemed further from her then it had ever been.

"Chaya!" Pitch's voice was sharp and Chaya flinched, looking back up at him, her tears stinging her already stained cheeks.

Pitch's eyes softened and he hugged her close to him. She whimpered loudly into his shoulder and Pitch looked up apologetically at the Shadow King who had not moved during the entire encounter.

"She's been through so much,"

The Shadow King blinked slowly, the light dimmed at the disappearance of his bright gaze.

"You abandoned her," His voice was level, but it still echoed throughout the cavern. The army of deathly creatures took up a grating, mocking like laugh and Pitch's paled.

Chaya crying in his arms did not help his situation. At first the idea to bringing her to her grandfather had seemed perfect, but he was beginning to regret it. Swallowing heavily, Pitch ran his hand up and down Chaya's back vigorously, trying to calm her down was well as warm her up.

"I did not abandon her," he could hear the tremor in his voice; his confidence was waning. "I could not raise her alone without… I just couldn't," Pitch lay his head on Chaya's hair. This had been a mistake. The King had a way of bringing out the weakness in people, dead or alive. Even now, looking down at his daughter's husband and child, his eyes shone and he laughed along with his cohorts.

"You did nothing for her. All this pain she is feeling, it was all from you. That's all you do Pitch, cause pain. It will not be long before Chaya dies under you,"

Pitch shuddered, the truth of the Shadow King's words rang in his mind and he slumped softly onto his daughter. Completely defeated, a small tear rolled down his grey cheek, landing lightly on Chaya's strewn hair. Slowly, Chaya stopped shivering, suddenly tensing in her father's arms. Pitch was in too much pain to notice.

"Chaya…" his voice was soft and broken. Something unhinged in Chaya's mind and she stood, so abruptly that it knocked Pitch to the floor.

"Chaya, what are you…?" He did not finish. For the first time since he had laid eyes on Chaya, he had never seen her this alive. She was on fire.

Turning on her heel, Chaya turned around to face the King, who raised a heavy eyebrow at her, remaining silent. Chaya was shaking still, but not with fear. It was rage. Pointing her finger at the King, Chaya rent on him.

"You listen to me, you dead rot! That is my father you are talking about. Sure, he was evil and did some terrible things, but he has a heart! Which apparently you do not. My father loved your daughter with all his heart and he did everything he could to save her, which is more than you ever did! You're supposed to the the King of death right? So what did you do? You let your daughter die and blamed it on him!" she pointed down to her father, not taking her eyes off the Shadow King. Pitch was shocked, he had never seen Chaya as angry as she was right now.

"Chaya…"

"That's another thing. He had named me after my own mother! Does that not prove to you how much he loved both of us? Yes, he gave me up and he let me grow up in a lie, but he didn't do it so he could have his own life! He did it because he didn't want me to die. Probably because he didn't want me to die and meet you! He gave me to a nice family and made sure I was taken care of. He did not leave me there forever, giving me up to be selfish! He took me back, he took me back to live with him because he is my father!" Pitch noticed she left out the part of the rule of the world, but he did not complain. Chaya was braver then he had ever imagined her to be. Still trembling, she stood her ground.

"He, out of any of the crazy people I have met this last week, is the only one who gave me the straight truth from what he knew. He didn't try to throw things on me and expect me to understand. He cares about me, which is more then I can say about you! So don't you talk to him like you're better, because you're not!"

Silence followed Chaya's words and she stood still, breathing heavily. But, she felt free, a smile crossing over her face. Despite himself, Pitch smiled as well. That was his daughter and she was defending him. Carefully, Pitch glanced up at the King who had still not spoken. The Shadow King stared at Chaya, his bright eyes somehow brighter. The crowd surrounding them had gone quiet as well, seeming to shiver in their ranks. The dog like dragon at the King's side growled at Chaya and the King's eyes narrowed.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I know it's a little short, but there is more to come, no worries! Feel free to leave a comment and I'll update sometime next week