Guardians ~Black Plague ch.22

Black was weak, but she coulnt afford to waste any time. She was a fearling, and one of Pitch's creations, so she could easily morph herself into shadows around  Norths workshop. It made it incredibly easy to move around without being noticed, and even easier to steal a sword from Norths armory. North used to be a Cossack theif, before he became Santa, and a Guardian, this Black knew, so she expected him to own many knifes, but when she had found his collection, she had no idea exactly how many. She found an enormous room, at least two stories tall and a hundred feet long, she guessed. The walls were lined with special racks, all of which held dazzeling swords, hundreds of different types, styles, and sizes. For a moment, Black stood awe struck, and noted that his sword collection rivaled her own book collection, and she had been collecting for four centurirs now. Black;s heart sank as she realized just how difficult choosing a weapon for herself would be.

She had never fought with anything but her scyth, and barely at all with that! But North must have had thousands of wepons gathered here, how could she find one that fit her in what little time she had? It is impossible. She thought. She didnt know why, but she suddenly found herself being drawn near the left corner. She cautiously made her way over, trying as heard as possible not to let her cane make too much noise against the white tile floor. She found herself standing in front of a coloum of thin blades lined high against the wall. She reached out, and touched the cold metal of one im particular that caught her eye. It was sort of a short blade, thin, and a dark gray, reflecting little light. The bade looked  similar to a strethed diamon, thin near the hilt, and suddenly fanning out wide, before decending into a sharp point at the end of the blade. The shaft and hilt were nothing special, a simple leather wrapped hilt, and a rectangular guard.

Goliath appeared on her shoulder as she ran the tips of her fingures down the smooth metal. At first she thought it was some sort of steel, but something in her told her it was something else entirely. Goliath ran down her arm onto her wrist, and gently sniffed at the sword. Black watched, almost patiently  as the little rat continued to poke at the metal. Goliath raised his tiney head, ans locked eyes with Black. " Think so? " She asked. The tiney rat blinked, and scurried up her arm, around her neck to the opposite shoulder. Black gently grasped the hilt, feeling the cold leather against her naked hand. the sword was suprisingly light, and as Black slashed the air experimentally, she was shocked at how fluid her movements felt to her. It was as if, she thought, the blade was made for her, like it was an extension of herself long lost and forgotten. she had found her sword. She would have liked to admire the curious blade for the rest of the day, but time was of the escence. A sheath rest behind the sword on a similar rack previously hidden behind the blade.

It was a simple, wooden casing, polished black with a dark leather strap she guessed was for attatching it to belts or other placed on the body or armor. A name was etched into the wood, beautifly carved in silver letters with an elegant font. "Polarus" She breathed the name. A shiver shot down her spine as the name rolled of her toung. She paused for a second, then let the odd sensation pass, and wrapped herself in shadows to sneak back away with her new treasure. She felt a twinge of guilt for stealing such a fine blade from North, but she absoloutly had to. It took a bit of searching, which took its toll on Black as she found it harder and harder to press on, but at last she found what she was looking for. A balcony, perched a few stories off the ground, overlooking a vast snowy wonderland, rising and falling with rolling hills and dotted withdark stones. The balconey was open to the sky, without any other balconeys above it to obscure the star filled night. There, Black could easily see the moon, and more importantly, the man on the moon. she stood at the doorway, looking out through the glass door leading out onto the balcony, trying to catch her breath.

she stared at the moon for what seemed like an eternity, compleatly forzon with fear and nervousness. She had always avoided hte moon as best as she could, ALWAYS. Pitch had taught her that the man on the moon was her enemy, but of course she had learned later that it was Pitch whom she could not trust. But scince she had ended the plague, she had avoided the moon out of shame, and fear for what the extraordinary being would do to her. whats more, she did not know exaclty how one would go about speaking to such a being.  Sir? Lord? Your Magesty? Master? Ugh, her head hurt. Her stomach turned with nervousness. She wasnt even sure if the man on the moon would even listen to her, much less aid her. But this was Pitch they were talking about, surly he must want to help. Goliath squeaked, and sniffed the air. The rat nudged her cheek, and they met eyes once more. Black took a deep breath, and marched out onto the balcony with seemingly much more confidence than she actually had. She gripped polaris's pommel, and took a deep breath. " H-hey!" She called at the moon.

Great. She thought. An all powerfull being, whom is tour last hope, and all you could think of to say first was " Hey. " The moonlight around her suddenly grew brighter. She felt her heart begin to beat faster, and her grip on polaris and her cane tightened. "I-I" she was stull unsure on how to begin," I...look," she sighed." Pitch has to be stopped, he cant do this, and I wont let him," The moons brightness intesified for another instant. :you know as well as I do, that just breaking the crystal isnt goign to be enough. If he fixed it once, he can fix it again. I cant just keep running of with it for the rest of eternity..." She sighed as she thought through her plan, and its conclusion. "I..I am willing ot make that sacrifice...I know I can never make up for what I have done, but at least I can stop it form ever happening again." The moon grew brighter, and held its new shine. " Im about to... Im about to do something icredibly stupid, but its the only way." She stared intently at the moons silvery surface. " And I need your help." She held her gaze with the moon as it dimmed, returning to its normal soft glow in the center of the sky.

For some reason, she felt as if the moon itself was...smieling? She waited, patiently, but nothing happened. What was wrong? Did she say something wrong? Or did the man on the moon simply want nathing to do with her, or didnt trust her, ( though she couldnt blame him.) She sighed, her heart sinking to her feet. She had failed. How on earth was she supposed to face Pitch in this state? She could barely walk without a cane, and time certinly wasnt her friend now. The drain on her power never seemed more prominent than at that sinlge moment. She gave up. there was just no way she could hope to- Her thought was cut short as a small movement caught her eye. A single beam of moonlight shone down from the brilliant orb in the sky. It slowly moved across the balcony ground, until it grew close to Black. She shifted away from it at first, then let it crawl up the tail of her cloak, until it settled directly over Blacks heart. It clung there for a second, and Black began feeling odd, different. She felt her energy return as quickly as it was being drained away from her. she felt the numbness, and weakness in her limbs slowly ease until she could move freely without th use of the cane, which she let clatter to the floor. She blinked, and stared at the palms of her hands. The moon beam was doing something to her, returning her streangth! She didnt know how, but she certinly wasnt about to stop and ask.

She gave one, faithful, hopeful smile at the moon, shech seemed to return it with a small flash of light, and Black was off.She had barely made it back through the glass doors, before a soft glow caught her attention. It was the moonbeam. The bright silvery light setteled itself within Black herself, directly over where her heart beat. The glow itelf pulsed from a round  orb like spot seemingly beneath Blacks skin. The space was no bigger than Blacks fist, and almost appeared as if someone was shining a flashlight at her from across the room. She lightly touched the skin over the glow, and felt an odd, warm sensation beat beaneath her flesh. She didnt know whether to be comforted by the helpful beam, or horrified it seemed to be living within herself like a parasite. Another glow caught her eye, this time from  her pocket where she kept her little secret. She carefuly reached into the fabric, and removed the handful of golden sand she had snatched from her own dreams after Pitch had turned them into a nightmare. She sat on her knees, cradeling the sand in her palms. Goliath appeared on her arm, and crawled to her wrist, sniffing distainfully at the sand. Black sighed. " I know you dont want to do this, but we have no other choice. The moon beam from within Blacks heart flashed brightly once.

Black was unsure if it was agreeing or trying to show disproval. Oh well, she thought, its going to happen anyway. Goliath slowly rawled onto her palm, curling itself comfortably over the sand. Black folded her palms together, hididng the rat from sight, and concentrated. She felt Goliath breath rapidly, but not irregularly. The moon beam began glowing brighter, and she felt a strange power, far exeeding her own begin to swim within her veins, moving with ease through her, collecting itself between her palms where Goliath lay. Black was shocked, and she almost dropped Goliath. The moon beam was actually aiding her beyon returning her streangth. She smiled as she felt the friendly presence continue to flow itss streangth through her. She knew she could trust the little moon beam. Soon she felt the little rat in her hands grow, until she could not contain it within her hands.
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Pitch paced back and forth within his stoney forteress. His rat creatures surounded him, watching their master bother eagerly for new orders and fear at his current rage. He had not calmed since the Guardians had stolen Black away from him. He ground his teeth, and clutched Blacks staff so tightly his knuckles began to burn. He had to think of something, and quickly. Those Guardians would be difficult to pass to get that ingreat back, he thought. He halted his pacing for a brief moment, and smiled devilishly to himself. He would not have to go through them to get her, THEY would come to HIM soon enough, and once they did, he would be ready. He held blacks staff of to the side, holding the wood parralell to the gound, causing the rat creatures to raise their heads, and freeze. " We are going to have company."He said, almost casually. The rats clawed the air, roaring and snareling in an excited blood lust.He chuckled deep within his throut.

The Guardians would come, he was sure. He could feel Black waken and stir, and he was sure she would have told them they need only shatter the crystal once more, and everything he had done, everything he had planned to do would fall to pieces. They would seek HIM out, not the other way around as it had been thr first time. He need only wait. Suddenly, he felt something stir within him. He stopped, confused, and tried to push the feeling down, but it would not go away. It was the link, he and Black share, but what could possibly be going on with her, he didnt know. The feeling rose, and he felt a light begin to burn within her, and burn through himself. He tried once more to silence it, but the light grew until he was bent over in pain. The sensation lasted for only a brief moment, but it was enough to unsettle him greatly. He flelf his drain on Blacks power still bleeding her dry, slowly, but he no longer felt the satisfying twing of her suffering. He could not feel her weakness growing, or her exaustion weighing down on her, or the eternal hopelessness he himself sewn into her heart. Something had altered Black, something full of light and goodness that he could not stand.

He still felt it through their bond, and it confused him. He didnt know what it was, but he knew it was not good. Something was giving Black new powe, power she could use to strike back. She stopped the rats last time, temporaraly, but it was enough to alter the outcome of the battle. If she comes again at full streangth...He shook his head. Let her come. He was stronger than she, he created her after all. She was nothing more than sculpted porceline that he had once used for himself, but porcline could always break. And so could Black. His true power rested within knowing everyones greatest fear. From a single look, he could deduce what one fears most, and use it, to his own sadistic pleasue, to torment and control anyone. He knew what made Black tick, and much more from the years he had spent with her. Sure, that was centuries ago, but that only gave him something else to tear at her heart with. All those years alone, without even the Guardians for company. Let her come. Let them all come. There was only one thing that concerned him, and it frustrated him beyond whatever the Guardians could do. The scyth, still troubled him.

He could not figure out why it had not worked for him when it counted most. It was something black created unconciously, so what it could truely do was unkown to him. He could spead sickness, turn all of Blacks rat creaturs to fit his own design, but he could not seem to murder that incesant snowy haird Guardian. He growled to himsels as he thought of that annoying brat. He remembered the battle just before Jack actually came a Guardian. It was because of him his plans failed. He lifted a palm, and a perfect replecation of Jack stood on his hand, made out of inky black shadows. This time, would be different. He crushed the figure in his palm. He was sure it would be different.