The Girl Behind A Mask (Pitch Black Love Story)

Chapter 9

   "I'm fine, it's normal." Jack chuckles. "I'm so happy you're ok." Confusion appears on Fiona's face immediately.

   "What do you mean? What happened?" She asks. "Wait, who are you? Why are you hugging me?" She asks but I know she has more to ask, to say but she keeps her mouth closed, eyes focused on me. Why is she focused on me? "Why do you seem so familiar?" She asks me, in a whisper when Jack pulls away. That helps with some of my confusion of why she was so focused on me but not all of it.

   "You remember Pitch?" Jack asks, this must hurt him. She remembers me not him. Makes me happy though, she remembers me. That means something, right?

   "I-" She looks at Jack, he's looking down at the floor. She feels bad, I know it. I see it in her eyes when she looks back at me. "I don't think so, nevermind." She lies, she's trying to make Jack somewhat happy again. "Um, what's my name by the way? I mean, you know it, right?" She asks, hoping to change the subject I'm sure.

   "Ah, yes. Your name is Fiona Sparks." North answers her, joy back in his voice. "Do you know your center?"

   "Um... Could you explain to me what a center is?" She asks him, curiosity clear.

   "It is what you bring, protect, are to the children of the world. You are a guardian after all, born one." What? Born one?

   "Um... What's a guardian?" She asks.

   "You know, Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, Toothfairy, Sandman, Jack Frost." He says, pointing to each as he calls their name. I know what's coming next but I still hope she doesn't-

   "What about Pitch?" She asks, I knew it.

   "He um... Is the evil, he is fear." He tells her. She doesn't look at me though, not the way I expected. She looks at me, she feels bad. Why? I don't have a sad expression, do I? I probably do. But then she turns to North.

   "Fear isn't evil." She says, she's holding her ground as she does. How is it not, what's good about fear? I don't even know this. "You need fear, it makes you stronger. You can over come it or live with it forever. It makes you stronger either way." She says, answering all of our thoughts I'm sure. It makes me happy, she always finds the good in everything. She makes everyone happy. But the guardians look at her, speechless.

   "Pitch is still evil, fear is still bad little lassie." Bunny says.

   "Fear would exist even if Pitch wasn't here, you can't blame him. He's not evil. He has feelings just like everyone else, he wants happiness and it's hard to get that when everyone says they can't stand him. How would you like it?" She says, I don't believe she has ever talked this much at once. Everyone goes silent, Jack doesn't like she's defending me I'm sure but I just keep my focus on Fiona. Why is she defending me? Does she know she's making them feel bad? This would make a little more since if we knew her center. Fiona looks down at her feet, she feels bad now, I know it. "I'm sorry... I don't know what got into me." She says, she apologizes too much. She closes her eyes tight, then crystals swarm around her. When the crystals fade, Fiona is gone. Everyone's eyes widen in surprise at the sight. Where did she go? The woods, she may not have her memories but I bet that's where she is. Out of instinct, black sand surrounds me, transporting me to the woods. When the sand clears, I see her. She's standing exactly where the woods begin. Her arm stretched out just so her fingertips can touch the tree. But I accidentally pull her from her thoughts, gaze, moment, I'm not sure what to call it but I pull her from it when a sigh of relief falls from my lips. She spins around, backing away until her back hits the tree. Her eyes are wide for a moment, body stiff until she sees that it's me. She sighs as her body relaxes and then she slowly slides down the tree so she can sit. She pulls her legs in, knees to her chest and arms wrapped tightly around them, keeping them close.

   "Are you ok?" I ask her. I can't read her expression, she's showing no emotion as she stares up at me.

   "Why do you seem so familiar?" She asks me, her voice is flat. Her gold and blue eyes are locked on mine, still no emotion. Why is there no emotion? What is she doing?

   "Because you know me, kind of. Just like all the guardians." I tell her, not moving my eyes from hers.

   "The guardians, they don't seem familiar at all. What do you mean by kind of? And if I do know all of you then why are you the only one that seems familiar?" She asks, her voice still flat. I hate it so much, I wish she would show emotion so I know some of what's going through her head.

   "Because you were around me most, I guess. You weren't too fond of the guardians either." I tell her, ignoring her first question.

   "Alright, but what do you mean by kind of?" She asks again. I don't know how to answer this... Tooth! Teeth, if I can get her teeth... Tooth didn't collect her teeth, dang it! Fiona kept her teeth... In her small treasure chest, under her bed, in her bag of multiple collections. I just have to get a container from Tooth.

   "I'll explain later, I promise. But we need to get you back to North's or my place." I tell her. She stands to her feet quickly, a little too quickly.

   "No, not North's. Not after what I said." She says, fast. She's worried, and sorry, and sad, and scared. I won't lie, I'm releaved that she's showing emotion, even this kind.

   "Don't worry, they aren't upset with you or anything. I promise." I tell her, my smirk is impossible to hide. I can't help it, she's worried about hurting them when before, she was yelling at them to leave her alone. Yeah, she felt bad then too but she didn't show it, like this anyways and it's funny, cute even. Did I just... There's no way.

   "Don't laugh at me, I don't like hurting people and I feel really bad now." She tells me, I can't help but chuckle as her eyes change from sorrow to defensive when she tries to keep me from laughing.

   "Okay, okay. Sorry." I tell her, still smiling. She rolls her eyes at me and smiles. "Come on, North's it is." I say while grabbing her arm before she can reject, then immediately transport us back to North's.