I climbed into the room quietly and carefully, doing my best not to make any noise as I passed through the window. I walked over to the child on soft feet, watching the nightmare scream as it ran around the boys head. Reaching out, I touched the nightmare softly and it screeched as the sand turned from midnight black to a soft golden. Dreamsand now floated softly around the boys head like a halo, bringing the child sweet dreams as he slept. It shifted into the perfect dream and the boy smiled in his sleep. I gave a soft smile, my job done till the next night. I watched the boy for a moment, watching him sleep in peace. I then turned and headed for the window, seeing a mirror in the corner of my eye. I paused and looked back at my reflection. A girl of 15 stood there, with dark brown eyes, a short black pixie cut with the ends a soft yellow color. A black jacket that went to her hips had yellow gold accents, the ends of the sleeves, the bottom, and around the hood held the golden color. A pure black shirt and a black skirt with gold on the ends of the fluffy layering that went to her knees. Two toned stockings of silverish black and gold and black ballet shoes. I looked away from the mirror before jumping through the window and into a tree. I watched as the Dreamsand floated back to a small golden man on a cloud of said sand. I gave a small smile. The Sandman. His job was to give the children of the world pleasant dreams and keep them happy and guarded as they slept. Besides that, I really didn't know much else about him. Well, I wouldn't have my job if he wasn't around. I've learned that while the Sandman spreads his Dreamsand, a man named Pitch Black will come and turn the dreams into terrible nightmares. After Pitch would leave, I would slip into the room behind him and change the nightmare back into a dream like it was supposed to be. Some days, Pitch would be very active, turning as much as twenty dreams into nightmares. Other days, it would be as little as five or six or even none at all. As sandman floated away, I dropped out of the tree, landing with hardly a sound. I stuffed my hands in my pockets and walked down the road towards the woods as I watched my shadow start to grow, indicating the suns rising. It was time to head home.

~ Sandy's point of view ~

Sandy had hid behind a house, no longer on his cloud of sand but on the homes roof. His eyes narrowed slightly as he watched the girl jump from a tree and onto the ground. She stood, put her hands in her jacket pockets and started to walk off. Sandy had noticed this same girl visit different children nightly while he was sending them dreams. He couldn't help but feel like this girl was somehow messing with his dreams. She could cause trouble for The Guardians and children. It was time to settle this and find out what the deal was with this girl. Sandy floated to the ground, sticking to quietly floating instead of using Dreamsand to carry him. Using his sand would cause a soft glowing which would catch this girl's attention and then he would be in big trouble. He fallowed the girl, floating along silently, pausing to hide behind trees or bushes every time the girl would stop to take a look around. Sandy hid as he saw a jogger moving down the trail. The girl didn't seem to take notice, even when the jogger was about to collide into her. The girl's only reaction was a shiver when the jogger passed through her, a ghostly blue hovering around her body for a few seconds. Sandy gave a quiet gasp. This girl was a spirit? The girl crossed her arms close to her chest, her whole body shaking with a shudder as she rubbed her arms as if she was cold.
"Darn day walkers." The girl muttered under her breath as Sandy tilted his head, making a confused face. The girl walked on, muttering about random things like what the time was or how good or bad the weather was or how bad her knees were hurting that day. The girl suddenly stopped, lifting up her head and glaring straight ahead of her. Sandy quickly glanced in that direction to find she was glaring just for the heck of it. He looked back at her to find her brushing something off. His eyes widened when he saw it was his own sand. He listened carefully as she muttered to herself.
"I don't get it, I really don't. Dreamsand shouldn't be sticking to me like this. It looks like someone dipped me into the ocean then rolled me around on the beach, or poured glue on me then dumped me in glitter." She gave a snort, nearly sneezing as the snort caused sand to go up her nose. Sandy would've have chuckled if not for the seriousness of the issue. Why was this strange girl a spirit and covered in his dream sand? The girl turned and glared at the jogger, her sudden shouting startling the Sandman.
"You darn day walker! It's too early to be out running. You people shouldn't be up at five in the morning, you should be in bed! Not running fifteen miles! You people are crazy!" She gave a smile, but one that showed self-mockery. "Oh sure, no matter how much or how loud you yell, they never hear you. At least it's good at blowing off steam." She shook her head before walking on; seeming to grow more relaxed after the sudden outburst. Now Sandy was really confused. Did this girl yell just for the heck of it, or did she have anger issues? He followed her silently for what seemed like miles before freezing, staring at the entrance to a cave. The girl didn't live in there surely. Right? The girl bee lined straight for the cave, Sandy having not much choice but to fallow carefully. He wouldn't be able to hide if the girl turned around. He peeked his head around the corner, watching the girl plop into a beanbag chair. His eyes flickered around the cave, taking it all in. Sunlight filtered in, making the cave bright enough to easily see. A soft sand covered the floor, oldish looking black feathers with gold on the tips were scattered randomly. Shelves lined the cave walls, holding all kinds of trinkets, from different kinds of stones, gems, beads and feathers, even shiny string, ribbons or wire. A bunch of thick and fluffy blankets and pillows were thrown lazily in the corner of the cave below a shelf. His eyes widened. On the shelf was a jar filled with Dreamsand and one half full. His eyes regretidly moved away from the sand filled jar back to the girl. She had pulled off her jacket and was laying on her stomach on the floor. Her head was resting on crossed arms and her dark eyes were shut as she dozed. Dark feathered wings sprouted from her back, the feathers matching those on the floor. Sandy tilted his head. The girl reminded him of Tooth but in a more dark and mysterious way. He tapped his foot judging on what to do next. He wanted to stay and learn more about this girl, and see if she was a treat, but it might be better to hurry and tell the other Guardians to be on the safe side. If she was evil, it would be good to have others on your side should a fight start. Coming to a decision, he gave a nod of his head before quickly floating away from the cave and into the air, forming a sand plane and flew to the North Pole. Better safe than sorry.

~0~

"Sandy! So good to see you! You have been doing well, yes?" North shouted with a smile, watching Sandy fly in through an open window. He frowned as Sandy flew over, a look of confusion on the dreammakers face. This couldn't be good.
"What wrong? Is Pitch back?" North's voice had turned serious as he watched Sandman shake his head. Images flashed rapidly over his head as he made gestures and head shakes, trying to get the message though.
"Whoa sandy, slow it down. Can't understand you that fast you know." Sandy gave a huff before a paper and a pen appeared over his head. North gave a nod before taking a pencil and paper from a yeti and handed it to him. Sandman rested the paper on the floor and wrote quickly, little taps and fhwip noises came as he wrote. He hurriedly stood up and shook the paper at North to get him to take it. North took the paper in his large hands, Sandy tapping his foot quickly while North read the paper.
"Eh new spirit eh? And she is messing with your dreams?" Sandy quickly nodded, a worried look on his face. He took the paper back from North before writing more on it and handing it back to him. North read it, his face growing stern.
"If what you say is true, then this could be very bad situation for all of us." Sandy nodded, twiddling his thumbs. North paced; hands behind his back as he thought.
"We must tell the other guardians about this. Maybe then we can confront this girl." Sandy smiled and nodded, giving double thumbs up. North smiled.
"So it is settled. Tell the others to meet us here." Sandy nodded raising his arms as he spread his dreamsand.

~0~

Tooth buzzed around rapidly speaking orders to her fairies when she saw it. A string of dreamsand floated towards her castle. She motioned to a few of her fairies to fallow as she flew to the north.

~0~

Bunnymund ran through his tunnels, long feet pounding the ground. Flowers he ran over or around bloomed instantly. Dreamsand wafted through his tunnels and he skidded to a stop, looking at it for only a second before changing direction and running to the source.

~0~

Jack had started a snowball fight with the neighborhood kids, laughing as he dodged and threw snowballs. Ducking from one, he flew around them, staff to the ground to make more ammo. Something golden caught his eye and he glanced up, seeing a trail of golden sand floating towards him. He waved goodbye to the kids before fallowing the sand.

~0~

North paced as he waited for the others to arrive, watching Sandy chase and elf that had stolen his drink. He chuckled at seeing the little guy so carefree. A slight buzzing entered his hearing and he looked to a window, seeing Tooth and her fairies fly through. North spread his arms in a welcoming gesture.
"Tooth! Good to see you! You are doing well, yes?" Tooth smiled.
"Busy, but well! Weathers been good." North gave a nod, stumbling back as a hole opened right under his feet. Bunny poked his twitching nose out before hopping fully out, the hole closing behind him.
"Ok, this better be a big deal, I was trying to find several haywire eggs so this better be quick." Bunny spoke with an annoyed voice, but the moment he caught sight of Sandy's concerned face he went quiet. Jack flew in through the open window that Tooth came in through and walked over, twirling his staff.
"What's up? Did I beat my old record on the naughty list?" Jack said with a smile, making a few of Tooth's fairies sigh. North gave a snort.
"No. This way more important than naughty list." The others looked at North and Sandy, concern written clearly on their faces. Tooth asked first.
"So what exactly are we all here for? It must be a pretty big deal if you called us all here." North sighed.
"It is big deal. Sandy says there is new spirit that has been messing with his dreams. He has spotted said spirit nearly every night entering and leaving children's rooms covered in his sand." The guardians shifted, looking at each other uneasily. Bunnymund spoke up.
"Do we know if this spirit is working for Pitch?" North gave a shrug.
"We do not know. Tomorrow we go check this girl out to see what is going on." They all nodded in agreement. They would have trouble sleeping tonight.