His Nightmare Queen (Pitch Black x Reader)

20: Goosebumps

I'm not dead! College is just time-consuming.

You swung around toward the next shift in the shadows, expecting the worst after the encounter you had just experienced. The thudding of your heart from the adrenaline rush within was still dying down. The jump that it sent made you take a few extra seconds to process the dark-haired and bright-eyed figure that was now standing before you at the opposite end compared to where the Guardian had stood moments ago. You held your breath and braced yourself, but everything dropped when who you finally realized was a woman widened her eyes at you as she drew close.

"There you are!" Onyx exclaimed, just as relieved as you were while approaching in her expressive human form. She took a few steps in your direction, not yet noticing your shock. "His majesty wanted to be sure you hadn't wandered off too far."

"Onyx! It's just you..." You set a hand on your chest to calm yourself and try to tear your mind away from the other conversation you had just ended seconds ago. Recognizing her features and how they differed from Obsidian's earlier, you were trying not to let your head spin any further with what you already knew of the mare's abilities and where you were still. You stifle a chuckle to cover any visible other emotion. "I thought you might have been Pitch for a second."

"He'll be in the throne room," the woman clarified. "I can let him know of your whereabouts."

"Actually, I'll just head over to him now, thanks," you spoke kindly with a small smile just as she had begun to turn back around. You start to walk past her form, but you soon pause. The worry stirring within was only boiling to dread the further you ignore the situation, so you pivot on your heels to face Onyx once more. "Um," you begin, pressing your lips in a line as the woman perked up to your attention again. She looked over at you as one would while openly awaiting the orders of their higher-up - a power you did not yet feel worthy of. You try to shake the brain fog away to consider how you wanted to word your upcoming concern. "You didn't happen to...see anything over here other than me...did you?" You tense again, scenarios flying through your head of the mares having already alerted the Nightmare King about a certain Frost spirit intruding in his home, and him once more having to show the Guardians a piece of his mind.

Onyx noticed this and tilted her head, eyes squinting. She glanced over your shoulder into the darkness where Jack had stood before, then back at you. Understanding the answers you both did and did not want to hear, she then granted you a softening look of reassurance. "I did not see anything you didn't want me to see," she answered.

Your brows lift slightly and you remained in place for the next few seconds. Onyx then proudly walked your way, reaching out to set a gentle hand on your shoulder. Standing tall beside you, she gives you a squeeze and flashes a quick wink of one of her amber eyes, before turning away to make her way to another part of the lair without another word.

* * *

The next afternoon, after a restful night of avoiding notifying Pitch of that evening's events, you were bold enough to conjure up the idea of taking a minute outside the lair and in the forest. In your mind, the few minutes of fresh air would likely relieve a bit of the guilt from the previous night's occurrences that you were keeping to yourself as well as temporarily get you out of where the spirit who you were keeping this new secret from was, and make you feel less like certain other spirits knew your exact location. However, when the suggestion of popping your head outside for a minute reached the Nightmare King, he was quick to give you the choice of either letting him go with you or not going at all. It took a bit of arguing at first even though you understood that neither of you desired another experience with either the fearlings or the Guardians while alone. Pitch eventually settled with the idea of sending one of the mares out with you, or perhaps another creature in a less obvious form, to watch over in the distance rather than have to be glued to your side. Ignoring his additional mumble suggesting that you bring your sword with you as well, you agreed.