Pitch Black

I woke up in my bed, sweating and breathing heavily.

I had no idea how I had gotten there. I didn't even know what had happen in the past few hours. All I knew was that I had a throbbing headache. My dream was filled with nothing but shining wide smiles and the flames of white candles burning out. The room was illuminated with the dark-gold hue of the late dusk. I wiped my face with my hand and silently crept out of bed, dressed in pajamas. I wondered if I had been the one to put them on as I walked out into the corridor.

Some students were just leaving their after-class activities and heading to the dining hall to grab a few snacks before going off to their destinations. As I walked, I noticed something strange; I felt as if all sound around me was being blurred out, like I was walking underwater and I could only hear the voices that sounded outside the depth. My vision was slightly blurry at the edges, but as I walked, my body drew closer to an aster-like, clear field of vision. I walked toward it, hoping my vision would clear itself. I thought this to be just simple side-effects of the headache I was having.

I found myself in the upper floors of the castle. No one was there, and I was near what looked like an abandoned arithmetic classroom, for the door had an old, peeling sign on the front reading "ARITHMETIC" and the door looked like it hadn't been polished in years. Oddly enough, I heard banging and screaming within the room, and the sounds of papers and books being torn and chairs being knocked against the ground violently. I tensed up as the sounds grew more persistant, and wondered what in the world could be making the noise. I stood there, ear to the door, holding my breath.

The sounds gradually stopped. I waited a while, and then slowly turned the tarnished brass handle of the door and peeked inside.

The room as a mess. Torn bits of paper and the remains of textbooks littered the floor. Overturned chairs and desks lay sadly upon the ground. A hunched over figure sat in the only chair and desk that wasn't thrown to the ground, his face buried in his hands and rubbing his face and hair worriedly through his hair. I stepped as quietly as I could through the room. He lifted his head as soon as I took the first step. To my surprise and pleasure, he didn't have his trademark grin. He tried his best to tug a little smirk at the edges of his lips when he saw me, though.

"Jack..." Xavier said, putting his arms down on the desk. "Didn't know you be coming to walk on me at such a... wrong time." He chuckled.

I stepped forward, closing the door behind me. "I was wandering around and it sounded as if a lion was tearing apart the room looking for a rabbit." I kicked over one of the destroyed arithmetic books on the floor. "Incidentally, what were you looking for?"

"A book." Xavier said shortly. That had been the first time I had heard him use that tone of voice, causing me to stare at him. He realized his sudden shortness and smiled again, trying to put it off. "It's a very important book to me, you see. I really need it."

I bit my lip, angered. "I see. Would you like me to help you look for it?"

Xavier gasped in mock surprise. "Jack Winstead, offering to help me, Xavier? Actually extending his services? Oh, I'd never thought I'd live to see the day!"

I scoffed. "I offered because I didn't want you destroying the rest of the school for a measley book, Belial. So do you want help looking or not?"

I saw a corner of his mouth twitch when I had said "measly book." "I don't need the help, actually. But thank you for asking. I'd rather you not. I'll find it..." he added distractedly. "Hopefully soon before someone else finds it..."

"What's so important about it?" I asked.

"Nothing." He said in that short tone again. He stood up and faced me. "Have you been reading Moon and Light lately?"

I nodded reluctantly, and unsurprisingly he smiled, wide. "You like it, I take it."
I shrugged. "It's alright."

He shook his head, still smiling. "How're you feeling?"

"I have a headache." I replied, running my fingers through my hair. "And I don't remember anything from yesterday. All I remember was that I saw Lynn's casket and you were there with me until dusk... and then... it's all dark after that."

Xavier's reaction was not what I expected. I expected a cool reply, but he gave me a long, almost frightened stare, as though he was looking at a ghost. But that was quickly wiped away. "You passed out." He said quickly. "I took you back inside. You had been out since yesterday evening."

I stared at him a long time, and then nodded, I had a feeling he was hiding something... not that I was interested in knowing what it was that he was hiding. Otherwise I would have shown the slightest bit of curiosity and voiced it, which I didn't of course.

"Are you quite sure?" I asked.

Xavier nodded, and then went over to an upturned table and desk and lifted it up. "Take a seat wont you?"

Slightly reluctantly (why only slightly?) I traversed the room and sat next to him. This had been one of the only times I was within three feet of Xavier, and inside me the familiar feeling of hatred for him welled up. But, it was mixed, and blocked, as if some other feeling, a wall of foggy glass had moved in its path and was obstructing it's way and view, preventing it from building up into the near-murderous rage I usually felt when I even heard Xavier's name mentioned. It was odd. But if that foggy glass of unidentifiable feeling hadn't been there, I probably would have thrown the nearest upturned chair at his face at his offer and walked off back to my dorm, so I was somewhat thankful.

"Since you're here, we might as well quit the useless banter and talk about something of more catching interest." He began. "What part of the book are you on now?"

"I had just begun the chapter where the King finds out he hates the Light more than he ever has," I said, recalling what I had read.

"Ah! Yes!" Xavier said. "I could honestly say that that chapter would have to be one of my most favorite ones yet."

I asked him why. At this request he turned his entire body to me and gve me an eager look. "It's the turning point of the entire thing. Something extremely unexpectant that no one would ever guess."

"How wouldn't they have guess it?" I asked. "That git of a light's been poking and prodding at the moon for god knows how long. I found it completely natural for the moon to hate him."

"That's the thing!" Xavier said, his eyes shining with excitement. "It's only told from the moon's point of view! In reality, what those who can think outside of the box-" he tapped his head." Can only see the big picture. The moon doesn't hate the light at all; only at first he thinks he does. The light once said that the moon will indeed need him one day, and it will turn out to be his weakest moment. The moon is nothing without all of his subjects, right? And his subjects, being the stars, begin to fade out, aye? The moon does not realize this, but without the light, something that could brighten his existence when the stars cease to exist, he would cease to exist. So he doesn't hate the light; he adores him! He himself just hasn't realized it yet." He leaned back, smiling widely with glowing brown eyes, looking very pleased.

I shook my head. "That doesn't make any sense."

Xavier laughed, a sort of heart-wrenching yet melodious sound. "It doesn't? Maybe because you yourself haven't experienced it. Hate before love is such a common thing." He leant forward and gazed at me. "When you do realize it, Jack, remember this; think back." He said in a coaxing tone. "And then think now."

He smirked charmingly, and leant back again. I found a grin starting to spread across my face, and a small breath of laughter escaped me. He was insane!

"You're a looney." I said. "You're utterly insane and you belong in an asylum."

"Sometime I think the same." He said, shrugging. "But it all comes from a mind that works tirelessly. Advanced advanced. You will see light when you finish the book, Jack. You'll see."

"Really, now?" I stood up, and pushed the chair in. "Well thank you, Xavier, for this pleasant little chat, but I must be going. It's Sunday, and I have preparations for tomorrow to do. I do wish you luck in finding your missing book. Good day."

I turned around and made to leave. Behind me I could just feel Xavier's smile burning at the back of my head.

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The next night, the Moon found a few corpses of his most precious stars. He weeped at the loss of his subjects. "What is a King to do," he groaned. "Without his subjects, he is not a King!!"

The Light, feeling pity, went up to the Moon's side. The Moon immediatly snapped at him. "This is YOUR fault! If you hadn't come to my skies bright in all your arrogance my stars would have never been faded out!"

"Oh, King," The Light said. "I dearly apologize. Please, I am sorry. But your night skies are still illuminating, and you are bright as always. Why do you complain?"

The Moon thought for a moment, and looked around. Why yes, he thought. The sky is still nice. And yes, he saw, he was still as bright as always. He would never forget his missing stars, lovely and shining, but he could not continue to mourn. He was a King with a duty. He nodded at the Light.

"You are right." He said. "I will be fine."

The Light shined brightly with happiness. The Moon then decided that he did not hate the Light as much as he thought. However, he would still be alright if the Light could just be taken away or disappear.