In the Shadow of the Pitch

Shh listen can you hear it, that beautiful melody, that majestic sound, crying out from under the sewers. It's very faint but if everything were to die down you can here every word of the beautiful song. But alas not one soul can hear it, each one too busy to notice.

If one did and followed the noise then you would see something or rather someone who many think is dead, but what fools to think so, I am very much alive. I stay hidden under the town of Storybrook. There is no reason for me to come out. Too much has happen for the simple folk that the fear I feed off of is enough to last me a life time. So now there is nothing else left to do but play the soft melody I play until it's time for me to feed.

You readers out there in your world are probably wondering who I am? Well there's not much, I can a sure you after all you have already seen me once before if you are a true fan. My name is Kozmotis Pitchiner, but I am more commonly known as Pitch Black or the Boogeyman. But where have you seen me? I know it is what you are wondering, let me tell you this, Neverland is known as the place of dreams.

Do you remember the time when a man and his son came to Neverland, the man climb a tree and encountered a shadow? Well you see that shadow is me, the shadow that can talk, the shadow that split father and son. How could I do something like that and create the most heartless villain of all time? Well I did it to feed.

That boy was covered with fear already, and tasted delicious but I knew it would be even better if the boy was separated from his father. I was right and the boy even grew up into a coward of a man and his fear was my main source of food. But unfortunately like every mortal whatever flaw you have a straight will always counter it. The man was intelligent and very protective of his son.

The ogre wars were a time of joy for me even when they started recruiting children to fight. Although I never wish for a child's death their fear is better and stronger than any adults, and I wanted it no matter how I got it. But it ended when the coward of a man did the smartest and most courageous thing one could do selflessly, he turn into the dark one and ended the war, and the man himself became immune to my fear for he could now see me, not because he believed in me but because he was magical to do so. It is hard for an adult to believe in spirits like me.

I fled from him for he wanted me gone and he even put up walls of magic to keep me away from him. So I roamed everywhere hungry and waiting for something or someone. With the ogre wars over no one was afraid as much and it was hard to come by little flecks of fear.

It was like that for years, but then while walking through a small kingdom near the mountain rangers there was a delightful smell, the smell of fear. My shadow like stomach growled in hunger, I did not have a decent meal in years, so I followed the heavenly sent all the way to the castle and inside a room that held a young princess, who's heart was covered in fear and ice.

"Oh Anna f-forgive me please" the child said as she sat on the floor by the door and hugged her knees. Her fear was amazing it was not something you would think of. The texture, the taste was rare and ever so delectable. I could tell that her fear was not of monsters or strangers or even death but her fear was of herself. Fear like that I had only ever found in adults. So for a child to fear themselves it was impossible to stay away.

I had planned on staying there and fed off the child. I would stand out in the open since no one could see me, but what a fool I was. Although she didn't believe in me before, my stay at the castle was long enough for her to start believing in me. I stood in the centre of her bedroom looking around at the sharp icicles she had made through fear. The door soon opened and then shut, I knew it was the princess but before I could turn to look at her, she let out this high pitched scream.

The scream did not bother me so much, for I am use to the scared screams of children, but I was startled by it. I turned to see the screeching girl stare at me, not through me like she or anyone else use to, but right at me. She could see me, and she believed in me. Not soon after the guards bursted into her room.

"Princess Elsa! What's wrong?" the younger guard said.

"There's a man of black shadows!" the young princess Elsa cried and pointed at me. "He's standing right there"

"It must be your imagination young princess" the other guard said once he finished investigating the room. The guards left, one of them walked straight through me, making me feel hollow inside.

Once the door was shut the princess turned to look at me, fear falling off of her like a waterfall. "W-who are you" she stuttered.

Since she was the first person to see me since a very long time I presented myself formally. "My name young princess is Kozmotis Pitchiner" I said with a small bow "but others call me Pitch Black."

"A-are you going to hurt me?" she asked. The fear that fell from her was not as pleasant as the one before, I knew she feared me but I craved for her fear of herself more.

"Of course not princess Elsa, I am mainly here to watch over you." I said.

"L-like a fairy godmother?" Elsa asked.

I was slightly insulted by the question but never the less still replied to her. "No not a fairy godmother, more like a… guardian angel." Once that was said Princess Elsa believed me and whatever I told her.

I stayed with her, feeding off her fear with the lies of guilt I whisper to her. After a while she no longer feared me, she trusted me instead. She was use to me hanging around, but like the ice she made she was still cold to her family. A few times she left bedroom for dinner or some other event to which I decided to stay in her room and wait. Elsa did have a little sister and I knew from what I hear outside the door she would believe anything, and for her to see me could ruin everything I had. So I stayed in the darkness of the room.

While waiting for Elsa's return I sang softly to myself. The same song I use to sing to my daughter as I tucked her in at night. Sometimes I would wonder what would have happen if I did not become who I was known as today and would wonder where or what my daughter was doing.

"The night sky is nothing but black if you take away the stars. It will become a danger to everyone around. But thank the stars that shine in place, they'll protect you through the night. So thank them by closing your eyes, thank them with your dreams" I sang softly, lost in my own though. I did not realise that Elsa had entered her room and listen to me sing.

"Wow" she said startling me. I turned to see her laying on her bed her eyes where big and she had a faint smile on her lips. "I didn't know you could sing so beautifully, can you teach me?" she asked I didn't know what had come over me at the time, maybe it was for the fear she made but I agreed to teach her.

"Very well Elsa. Let's start with posture, your back must be straight so your diaphragm is not crushed." I told her

"But what does singing have to do with my diaphragm, don't I use my voice?" Elsa question

"Indeed Elsa, but your volume comes from your diaphragm and make you hit the notes better, and although it might be easier to use your chest it is safer to use your diaphragm. To tell if your using it place you hand on your hip and feel your stomach tighten" I chuckled and started the lessons.

Many years had passed and Elsa grew up from young child to a beautiful adult, and so did her voice. I never really knew how angelic and strong her voice was. It was as if singing were the only thing that she was confident in. Every so often I would leave her room for her privacy and explore the castle. Once I made it back she would be there either fearing herself or slightly singing to herself. However there was this one time she did both.

Upon making my way back I could hear her voice flowing down the halls. "-and you trusted me but what did I do, we both know I hurt you." At the time I thought she was singing about Anna but then there was more. "-Your life was short and was ruined by me, I should have never shown you what I can do, and you'd might still be alive." Something then clicked to me. Did she kill someone? I entered her room and looked at her. "Elsa what was that about" she turned to me, she truly was beautiful.

Elsa looked at me "Pitch if I had killed someone accidently would you be afraid of me?" It started to snow in her room and her fear was pleasant as usual. "Never your majesty" I replied.

"I wish I was as brave as you Pitch. Then maybe I won't freeze everything at the coronation tomorrow" she said. That was something I did not want, if she was brave she would no longer produce the fear I need to survive, and I would have no other reason to stay. I had to know more about the song she was singing.

"Elsa who were you singing about?" I ask. Elsa glanced at me with guilt in her eyes. She looked at her hands and sigh. "Before the incident with Anna there was a stable boy and his sister that I use to play with. I knew was years younger but I use to have a crush on the 17 year old boy. He taught me how to skate and how to build an igloo and he was the first person I showed my power to. But I never should have, it happened at the beginning of autumn we wanted to go ice skating so I froze the lake, we were having fun and all but the ice was melting in the heat and began to crack beneath me and his sister. In the end he sacrificed himself and felt through the ice and drowned, his body was never found after that, just like I had never seen his sister since."

"What was the boy's name" I asked slightly knowing who it was anyway. "Jackson Overland Frost" when she said his name she confirmed my suspicion it for me. "Jack Frost" I mutter silently and looked out the window. Some weird worry fell on me but I guess it was nothing.

That was until it happened. I knew Elsa's power was strong but not that strong since she set her kingdom in an eternal winter. Everyone had fear dripping off them but none more so than the Queen herself. She was so afraid about hurting someone that she ran up the north mountain, and I followed her because of the fear, but really because I cared about her.

When she finally made it up the mountain she stood there hugging and singing to herself, but then she did the most amazing thing I have ever seen her do. Before my own eyes she created a palace made of ice while singing her soul and heart out. She had never looked more beautiful then, and I guess that was when I realise I loved her. I wanted her as mine and mine alone no one could ever have her.

Unfortunately thanks to the winter during summer, she was able to catch the eyes of a certain winter spirit. Hiding in his shadow I was able hear everything he said. "Wow! She's beautiful!" Even at the memory of him saying that makes me mad. I emerged out of his shadow. "You don't have a chance with her Frost" I said causing him to turn to me.

"Oh it's um…"

"Pitch-"

"Pitch I said it first… wait what do you mean" I rolled my eyes at him.

"Jack Frost I know you are real but she does not" I waved my hand toward Elsa "and she won't, you and I have the same problem Frost no one see us and no one ever will."

Jack's head lowered at what I said and I was able to see past him to see something happen, Elsa was in trouble. I knocked Jack down and made my way to the ice palace. Inside Elsa was confronted by a man with scaly skin that was a sickly gold colour. In his hand was a golden urn "you know why I'm here dearie, now make it easier for me and get in the urn" he threw it at her. Before I could do anything Elsa had caught the urn and began to melt into a pool of blue liquid.

"Elsa NO!" I shouted. The man giggle "I knew you'd be here dearie." The man turned around and it was the boy from the before the boy who became the dark one "You! What are you doing her what could you want with her?" I asked in anger. "A prince by the name of Hans called for me to get rid of her and from it, it looks like I gained a castle." He giggled again as he magically pull the blue liquid into the urn. "Let her go!" I demanded. "And why should I? Are you going to scare me Boogeyman? Because if you are, you're doing a terrible job!" He said with an evil smirk on his face and with the wave of his hand the castle's wall change from ice to stone and claimed it as his own. "You should leave before the same thing happens to you"

As much as I wanted to stay and fight I fled instead, but the pain of losing Elsa was stronger than when my own daughter denying that she was mine or even when my wife had passed. I knew I loved Elsa so much but even if I tried it was better if I was gone it would have only made things worse.

As I said at the beginning I now sit underground in the endless labyrinth playing and singing a sweet melody. The air around me is cold and a slight frost surrounds me as it clings on to the walls around me. I can feel my heart swell with hope and pain but there is no way she could be here in Storybrook. I have tried to forget about my ice Queen but I am still clutching the memories and I cannot seem to let it go.