A Shadow's Kiss ~ A Pitch Black/Rise of the Guardians Fanfiction

Chapter 10 ~ Sinful Serenity

A pair of cold hands rested on my waist; one pushing lightly on my side to turn me around. I came face to face with Pitch, noticing a playfully wicked gleam in his eyes. His grip on my body tightened; my lips parted in a small gasp as my feet lifted from the ground. A second later I was sitting on Onyx's back with my legs dangling off her right flank. Pitch hauled himself up behind me, his torso pressing against my side. It dawned on me that we had rarely been this close to one another; the thought making me flush but I was not going to complain. "Alright, my dear. You may want to hold onto something." Pitch told me, his arms reaching around me to grasp a set of reigns made from more nightmare sand. Not seeing anything else to grasp, I curled my fingers into Pitch's robes. He laughed lightly from above me, clearly amused by my choice in objects to hold onto. "Let's go." He commanded Onyx, causing the Nightmare to rear back on her hind legs, her front two hooves kicking powerfully in the air. "Woah girl, gentle now. We don't want to scare Anara," Pitch told the horse.

Onyx seemed to listen to her master, easing herself down to the ground and beginning a short trot across the front yard. "Can people see us?" I asked Pitch, realizing that the sight of me floating through the air could frighten my neighbors since they could not see Onyx. "No. There is a bit of a gray area, when it comes to being a Guardian or spirit such as myself. No human adult will see you so long as Onyx and I are here with you. My power has grown stronger as of late, and my abilities have expanded. I am now able to conceal you if I wish." He explained. "How did you find that out?" I inquired, wondering if he had tried testing the idea out before today. "I am the Nightmare King. Right now you are cloaked in shadow, my dear." As he said it, I noticed what appeared to be an extremely thin veil of darkness surrounding Pitch and I. My surroundings seemed just a tad darker than usual, even with the dim light of the evening sun, making it seem as if a translucent bubble had been formed around the three of us. We could go anywhere and be virtually unseen by the naked eye. It was a thrilling concept. Nodding to show Pitch I understood, I rested my head against his chest and allowed myself to get used to the jostling of my body as Onyx galloped out of my yard and across the quiet street.

She leaped upward, flying through the air and landing atop one of my neighbor's roofs. Onyx sped over the shingles, bounding from one house to the other, making her way out of the suburbs and toward a vast area of land not far from my house. It was a small forest with tall pine trees covering the ground, just enough empty space to stand out in the crowded little town. Pitch controlled Onyx with ease, reeling in her wild tendencies whenever he thought she was being too careless. Her sharp hooves made soft clicking sounds as they made contact with each building. I watched in amazement as we climbed higher and higher into the sky, Onyx jumping nimbly from the small houses up onto the nearby apartments and stores.

As the sun set on my sleepy town, I could see the full shimmer of the stars above me as they twinkled brightly, feeling as though I could touch them if I wanted to. Most of the people below us were already home, finishing dinner with their families and readying themselves for the evening. Some older children and teenagers remained on the streets, enjoying the crisp breeze and sipping warm drinks like cider and pumpkin spiced coffees. The smell travelled on wind, the sweet aromas filtering into my nose and lungs. I tilted my head to look up at Pitch, and the Nightmare King simply smiled down at me when he noticed my staring.

A fair distance away, I noticed a large golden cloud of sand floating into the air. A vast number of golden strands lit up the sky, shooting in every direction, twisting and spinning through the inky blackness above. When I returned my gaze to Pitch I could see his expression had shifted. He seemed perturbed by the sight before us. He must have been able to sense my confusion, because he answered the question I had yet to voice. "Sandy..." He said, unease present in his voice. Pitch's sudden tension now made sense. He wanted distance between himself and the being that was perhaps his greatest enemy. His eyes remained on Sandy's cloud, which I realized must actually be dream sand, and steered Onyx in the other direction. "Watch this, darling..." He murmured, tugging on Onyx's reigns.