Darkness in the Heart

Chapter One

Rapunzel sat on the bed with her hands gripped into tight fists on her lap. Her breathing and heavy tears racked her body with the effort. She thought back through her 15 years of life and everything seemed to fit together.

The early memories of strange goings on in the house, how her mother could suddenly appear out of thin air. How Rapunzel was given every luxury she wanted, things just appeared to appease her. How sometimes her mother always seemed to be able to hear what she was saying even when she thought she was alone.

And now the existence of her tower struck her as odd. Why hadn't she ever questioned the way her tower had been built? Because until now, she hadn't suspected her mother of being a witch. She had been too used to the way her world worked, it had never appeared abnormal. Rapunzel started to grow angry instead of heartbroken at the thought.

"How dare she abuse me while feeding me lies about the world!" Rapunzel thought with anger. Suddenly a voice nearby responded.

"She doesn't have to use you any longer". The voice was smooth and deep, but malice was lying underneath the pleasant sound.

Rapunzel leapt of the bed and stumbled into the middle of the room. "Who are you" she forced out through clenched teeth. She suddenly grabbed her frying pan which was lying on the ground by her feet. She whirled around searching for someone.

"Why, Pitch Black of course" the silken voice responded and a tall man stepped out of the shadows. He had a v-neck suit like robe draped on his body. It was black and Rapunzel realized it was made of liquid shadow. She then saw that the black haired man was also made from shadow. However his eyes were a piercing gold that stood out against his ashen skin.

Rapunzel was confused, she didn't know who he was. "Pitch Black, you know the Boogeyman," He prompted her, but Rapunzel only stared with a hard expression. Pitch sighed "Alright well I'll cut to the chase, I can help you get away from your... mother" he half explained.

Pitch deliberately left out who he was, she wouldn't comply to his "help" if he did, and she needed to not believe anything negative.

"How" Rapunzel immediately demanded. She yearned to escape, to be free. "But she isn't my mother" she quickly added.

Pitch smiled wickedly, "all you have to do to get away from the witch is to come with me". He promised, if she wanted freedom as badly as he wagered, the little golden flower would soon be his little dark flower.

Rapunzel hesitated, she didn't know who he was, but she needed to get away. She had to leave no matter the cost, "deal" she decided out loud. She clutched her hair and frying pan and was ready to follow Pitch. No matter how dangerous.

"Wonderful" Pitch said grinning largely, "let me see your hair for a moment please" he requested as he bent down a little removed a strand from the pile at her feet.

Rapunzel frowned and eyed him suspiciously, as soon as Pitch touched her hair, he dropped it. However, a touch was enough. Suddenly the strand turned silvery at the contact point. Rapunzel gasped as the silver expanded. She couldn't feel anything as hair was dead skin cells.

"What did you do?!" She gasped and backed away from him. The silver traveled along her hair and it started to glow faintly. However it glowed strangely, like it omitted a white harsh light.

"Nothing much" Pitch said as the transformation reached the roots of her hair. Suddenly Rapunzel screamed in pure agony, "only a touch of darkness to your heart, it will suffice to turn you into a tool I need." He finished callously.

Rapunzel fell to the floor and curled in a ball. She hid in her now silver hair and whimpered, the darkness spread into her face and started a spiral across her whole body. It turned her skin ashen and cold. She writhed in pure pain and closed her green eyes. She fell still the pain reaching its peak, a moment later her eyes opened. But now they were gold.

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Jack paced along the cold hard darkened floor. His room was originally very simple but he had furnished it to be nicer. Everything was in dark tones but Jack loved it. The darkness was natural to him, even though he remembered a time when it hadn't been.

But that Jack was weak and puny, he had had no purpose and his father had given him one. Besides those memories were dull, and he had something else to think about. Today, Pitch had gone to bring something back for his little prince of darkness. Jack was very impatient for his new "toy". He didn't know what was coming but it was important.

Jack strolled out of his bedroom. He held his black wooden staff and the other hand was in his jacket pocket. He walked through the dark halls of the palace and past the nightmare room. The snarls that came at his walk past the door were met with a blast of ice that flew into the corridor. Whimpers echoed out of the hollow and Jack smirked in triumph.

He walked to the great hall where the throne room was. He walked along the smooth floor until he reached a long dark table. He promptly sat down and brought his chair into the table appropriately. He glanced at the empty chair across from him where his father usually sat.

When he did, he noticed that there was another chair at the table, next to Jack's. With a start Jack flew up a bit and ran a hand through his silvery hair. He sat back down in his seat and his black clothes settled around him. He decided to wait until Pitch arrived to eat. Then he could get an explanation, also he found it more polite to his father.

Not that Pitch cared for politeness, but Jack had a twisted sense of honor. And a twisted sense of love and respect for his father. After a moment the doors to the dining room opened and Pitch strode in. He sat across from Jack and smiled warmly, if that was possible for Pitch.

"Jack, as you know I brought you a present. " Pitch said smiling at his "son". He did love his son, but only in a way that a sniper loved his gun.

"Yes Father" was Jack's impatient reply. Pitch laughed and summoned a demonic looking waiter. "Rapunzel" he called towards the door where he had walked in from.

The doors opened once more and Jack stared at the person who walked in. She wore a blood red and grey dress, red was the only color Jack had seen besides black in years. Her silvery hair and pale ashen skin resembled his, but her eyes were different. Her walk was a little bouncy, her smile not quite as beaten down as his yet.

Her eyes were both golden and they sparkled brilliantly. Jack felt two emotions enter him suddenly. Envy at first, she had both eyes golden, while Jack was stuck with one blue eye and one gold eye. However his next emotion startled him, he thought she was pretty, and he liked how she looked. Her very presence made him smile. And that made Jack feel warm for the first time in his life.