AN: So I finally got around to writing another installment to the series. As you know, Vengeful Spirit is the sequel to Faithful Spirit and Polar Spirits and I'm super excited for you all to read what I have instore! I'm super excited to share this with my fellow RotG fans and I hope you all enjoy!

Chapter 1: The Return

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

"You have got to be kidding me," Nat scoffs as she crosses her arms in disbelief. "After everything that's happened, and by your hands no less, you expect us to what, exactly? Act as though it never happened? That's not going to happen, I can assure you."

She and the rest of her fellow Guardians formed a loose semicircle around the culprit responsible for unspeakable amounts of damage. As Nat concluded her statement, the others nodded in agreement, having nothing to add to her statement.

Splaying his arms wide to emphasize his point, Jack pleads, "C'mon, Nat, have a heart. It's not like this is my fault. You guys can't seriously blame me for this mess."

Laughing suddenly, Bunny uncrossed his arms before tapping Sandy on the shoulder, asking, "Can you believe this guy?" As Sandy offered up a shrug, Bunny turns to Jack before adding with a frown, "You're gonna have to fix this, mate."

Turning to Tooth, Jack implores, "Tooth, speak some reason into these guys! Tell them I'm not to blame for this!"

Pulling her hand out of his grasp, Tooth shakes her head sadly before saying, "I'm sorry, Jack, but you got yourself into this mess and now you've got to get yourself out."

"But I'm telling you guys I'm not to blame here!" Jack exclaims, upset that no one seemed to believe him.

Arching an eyebrow, North denotes behind Jack before pointing out, "If you didn't do this, who did, eh?"

Reluctantly turning in a circle, Jack was forced to look at the ruined workshop behind him. His neck all but disappearing as he lowered his head in shame, a red tinge of guilt causing his cheeks to flush, he takes in the damage with a cringe. Yetis and elves alike were lying in strewn heaps. Those who could manage to stand did so and attempted to clean up the mess. But it would take much to pull off such a feat. The toys that were in the process of being made had been broken down into their most basic parts, those that had been fully put together were now in a similar situation. The ruined playthings were scattered across massive streaks of ice that crisscrossed across the workshop in arching patterns, veins of frost branching from them. The evidence was there and it would be hard for Jack to make a convincing claim for his case.

Turning back towards his fellow Guardians, Jack offered a slight shrug before admitting, "So, um. . . I might be partially to blame for this." At the scathing glances he was being given he adds, "But it's not my fault! The yetis wouldn't let me in even though I'm a Guardian now so I had to get a little. . . creative on my entry."

Massaging her temples, Nat relays, "Do you think maybe this is why you weren't allowed inside?"

Scratching his chin in thought, Jack muses, "Yeah, probably," before offering a sheepish grin. He couldn't help it. After only being a Guardian for a measly few days, it was unfair to expect his personality to undergo a drastic change. He was a troublemaker at heart and it simply couldn't be helped if he acted in an unfavorable manner on occasion.

"Well, have fun cleaning this up. I've got important stuff to do," Bunny says, tapping the ground and opening up one of his rabbit tunnels before diving inside and disappearing.

Similarly, Sandy conjured a small biplane out of dream sand, waved goodbye, and propelled his way out of North's workshop before disappearing along the horizon.

"Good luck, Jack," Tooth offers encouragingly before leaving the Pole herself, her mini fairies twittering excitedly along as they followed her.

His face falling at the turn of events, Jack turns towards Nat and begs, "You gotta help me clean this up! It would take you a second to melt all of this ice!"

"And ruin my carpet?" North interjects in alarm. "No, no, I don't think so. Jack, you made mess, now you clean mess."

Shrugging innocently, Nat adds, "You heard the big guy. It's out of my hands." With that, she offered Jack a sad smile, added, "Better luck next time," and took off towards the sky.

North went back to his office soon after, leaving Jack all alone in the workshop. The yetis and elves had all filed out, there being too much of a mess for even them to handle. With a resigned sigh, he picked up his staff and began flitting from spot to spot, whisking away the ice that laid there.

As Jack was nearly halfway done, a dark shadow flitted in the corner of his eye. Turning around, his staff gripped tightly to the point where his knuckles turned paler than usual, he looked around for the source but saw nothing. After a moment he shook his head and went back to cleaning. However, it wasn't long before another shadow danced just outside his line of sight.

Running his hand through his hair, Jack waves his other hand in surrender before admitting, "Okay, North, this was funny the first time but now it's not. You can stop now."

In reply, another shadow ducked behind the Globe.

Scowling, Jack leaped into the air and softly glided over to the globe. "North?" he calls, craning his neck to peer behind the massive contraption.

When he was mere inches away, the darkness lunged directly at him.

"Gah!" Jack cries, batting at the shadow with his staff as he dives out of the way. The shadow shoots past him at a blinding speed before realizing it missed its mark. Seeming to turn around in midair, it made another pass at Jack, who shot a spray of ice at it. As though it had come prepared, the creature turned intangible and the ice sailed harmlessly through its form.

Cocking his head to the side Jack asks, "What are you?"

As though to answer his question, the shadow rockets over to the base of the Globe where suddenly a massive, skeletal horse erupts from the floorboards. Landing on its cold hooves, the creature snorts viciously before swinging its head towards Jack. Though there were no eyes in its sockets, the horse seemed to be staring directly at him, if not through him. Yet in the next second, it tears its gaze away before leaping into the air and flying off.

Jack watched it go, his mouth left agape in horror at what he had just witnessed. There was only one person who he knew was capable of conjuring such monstrosities as that. It was time to gather the Guardians.

Having resolved that the workshop would need to be cleaned later, Jack turned only to bump directly into North. With an arched eyebrow, he points out, "This place looks worse than it did earlier. What gives?"

Gaining control of his vocal cords, Jack managed to reply, "It's Pitch. He's back."