Dawn of Faith

Chapter 12

When I could finally see again, I was no longer in the caverns of Queen Halloween's lair. I was under the shade of green trees, birds singing and chirping above me. A few stray notes of a cricket wafted in on a breeze. Soft sunlight filtered between the leaves, the branches of a weeping willow gently brushing against my face. The bright pink blossoms of a cherry flickered between the swaying emerald branches. I couldn't say why, but the sight almost moved me to tears.

I sat up slowly. Each breath was pained, and my back ached and throbbed as much as my head. I peered down at the strange pressure on my torso. There were bandages wrapped around my waist, slightly damp with fresh blood.

"You're awake." A hushed voice said, and I startled as I turned to look towards the source. He was by the stream. Fresh white bandages rested in his arms, but I saw nothing more than his face, the tentative smile that clung to his lips, the glimmer in his golden eyes.

"Pitch," I whispered, unbelieving. Was it really him? Was he...was he merely a mirage? Perhaps my mind was playing tricks on me. Maybe I was dreaming. I would touch him and he would vanish, rippling away like a raindrop in water. He rose from his perch beside the stream, and made his way towards me. He stood tall, his footsteps sure and strong. He knelt before me, hands clasped tightly in front of him.

"You passed out, so I carried you here. We should be safe...I..." he fiddled with his fingers, twisting them together. I could see the blush that crawled across his cheeks and up his ears. His throat bobbed as he swallowed. "I uh, I cleaned and wrapped your back, where..."

He fidgeted a bit more, playing with the sleeves of his robe. A twinge of pain up my spine flooded my mind with memories of the recent battle. Losing the Guardians, cornered by Fear, my rescue at the hands of Pitch and Queen Halloween. I hung my head in my trembling hands. My senses had been so blurried I couldn't even recognize him, my companion, the one I knew as well as my own self. Pitch must have caught the conflicting emotions warring on my face, as his expression dropped.

"I'm sorry Dawn...I'm sorry I..." I cut him off with a gentle kiss, surprising us both. His honeyed eyes widened for a moment, before slowly closing. His body leaned closer, as if aching for my touch. The coolness of his lips contrasted the heat pouring off my cheeks. His eyelashes fluttered against mine. When he pulled back, there was an inviting smile dancing along the curve of his mouth, his eyes shimmering with a long-lost emotion I had feared would never return.

I blushed madly under his gaze, allured by the piercing gold surrounding his pupils. His face was different than I remembered, less angular but still sharp. He looked younger, handsome even, with a grin playing upon his face. "I was afraid I'd never experience that again," he whispered smugly. Caught off-guard, I blinked rapidly before shyly nudging him.

"Not like you've ever experienced it to begin with." I tucked my head into my shoulder to escape the strangely attractive way he rolled his eyes. This Pitch was new, different, unlike the Pitch I could recall. Was he bolder? More brazen? I couldn't decide. It had been so long since we'd been together. A wave of sorrow washed over me and I shifted closer, quieting his teasing. "I was afraid I had lost you forever..." I said under my breath, wrapping my arms around his neck. He moved closer, sitting beside me in the cushiony grass, holding me tightly.

"I was afraid I had lost you." He paused, thinking carefully. "Though to be honest, I felt I never deserved you."

I looked curiously at him, the way he hardly met my eye. He was more expressive and open, wearing his heart on his sleeve. The Pitch I could recall never shared his emotions. Before I could consider much more, he spoke again, his voice filled with regret and guilt.

"I was weak back then. I...even if it was wrong, I always envied you. You were the day, the sun, there was nothing intimidating about you. I was always two-sided to the children we loved so much...I brought dreams, but I could also bring nightmares. I knew better, but still I grew angry...the children saw me as the bringer of their greatest fears. They cherished you, the sun, the daylight. You were loved, while I was feared. I was torn. Never would I have turned my back on you. Yet I hated being...feared...when all I lived for was bringing dreams and collecting wishes. It was selfish, I...I know. I grew weak from doubt...and that was when Fear struck. I forgot who I was, and to my dismay, I lost you." He let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders drooping. He hesitated, as if reconsidering his next words, but glanced up into my face. His features softened and he sighed again, tentatively wrapping his fingers around mine. "Looking back...the power, the belief...it was worth nothing to me. Fear was so eager to be rid of you. Even after the Guardians banished us during the Dark Ages, he never took his sights off of finding you. In the precious few moments I had my own mind, I prayed he would never succeed."

I felt my own emotions fill with shame and sympathy. How could I have been so blind? How could I have spent so long by his side without noticing his plight? "I never realized...Pitch, I'm so sorry."

He chuckled softly, leaning his head against mine. "Don't apologize. I am grateful to have finally broken free, and even more so now that you're back in my arms again. Here..." He pulled away from me and carefully undid the bandages around my waist, concern furrowing his brow.

"How did you escape?" I asked, flinching as his touch sent fire burning up my wound.

"Hm. That's a question I can't easily answer. I have been under his control for so long...I believe Fear's power weakened when he tried to overcome Queen Halloween. He no longer had as strong a hold over me anymore. And when you came to see me...my mind was finally able to start breaking free. Your presence alone drove his influence away, if only for a moment, and gave me the strength to fight him off. When you were in Queen Halloween's lair...I could sense your distress. It led me here, to you. Your presence beside me as we fought Fear strengthened me, fueled me with a power I have not felt for centuries. As if...I were believed in..." His voice trailed off, and I turned my gaze toward him. He averted his face, looking down mournfully.

"What's the matter?" I asked, trying to glimpse his expression. I knew he craved to be seen by the children, to be believed in, but there was an unsettling depth to his voice that scared me. Small tears formed at the corner of his eyes, though he quickly blinked them away. His next words were only a whisper.

"Dawn, I'm fading."