All-Hallows' Eve. Halloween. The one night each year that he was allowed full reign. And yet, not many Immortals knew that.
Certainly, the Guardians knew. He suspected that they kept tabs on him, but they never directly interfered.
Pitch loved Halloween, but this year, it meant more than a short span of freedom. This year, it would save him.
Halloween was the time when Pitch replenished his strength. Without it, he would have faded away, barely able to create a bad dream. This year, of course, Pitch was staying away from nightmares; he simply wasn't strong enough to control them yet.
Still...after what had happened, after the battle, Pitch was worried. Would the Guardians, still recovering from their ordeal, allow him to roam the globe, inspiring fear in small children? Or would he be forced back underground to wither and weaken?
It was for that reason, and that reason alone, that Pitch forced himself to knock on the door of the North Pole. He waited, shivering and blinded by the intense light reflecting off the snow drifts, until a gust of warm air followed the opening of the heavy wooden door.
"Who is with the knocking?" North boomed. He took one look at Pitch and made to shut the door.
Pitch lunged forward and grabbed the edge. "Please, just hear me out."
North narrowed his eyes. Slowly, the door opened, inch by inch. Only when North nodded did Pitch move forward.
"Wait by the fire," North said. "I have call to make."
"Of course." As Pitch approached the fireplace, two yetis carried an armchair towards it. He sat down and waited; a few moments later, the Aurora Borealis appeared through the window.
An hour passed; Pitch was offered hot chocolate by the elves, but declined. Finally, the muted sound of the snow and wind could be heard clearly, and Pitch knew, even before they spoke, that the Guardians had arrived.
"It's bloody freezin' out there!"
"It's only a little snow, Bunny."
"Don't start fighting!"
"So what's the emergency, North? Yetis falling behind?"
"Not exactly."
North rounded the corner, with Jack, Bunnymund, Tooth, and Sandy close behind. The new arrivals all froze when they saw Pitch.
"What is he doing here?" Bunnymund demanded.
"Is that really how you greet people?" Pitch asked, standing up. Sandy cracked his knuckles threateningly.
"Now, now," North said, "let Pitch explain."
"Thank you, North," Pitch said.
"Just get on with it!" Bunnymund growled.
"If you insist." Pitch paused. "As you know, Halloween is in a few weeks-"
"Hah!" Bunnymund interrupted. "If you think for a second that we're gonna let you run amok, you've got another think coming."
"Bunny!" Tooth hissed.
"He's right, though," Jack said. "Look, I'm sorry, but can we really trust Pitch?"
"Yeah, for all we know, he's gonna pull another one of his stunts!"
Pitch seethed. "Is your opinion of me really so low? Do you honestly think I would ruin this chance?"
The Guardians stopped their bickering and directed their attention to Pitch. He spoke with barely contained rage, growing louder with every word.
"Halloween is the one night each year when I'm appreciated. Hasn't it ever occurred to you to wonder why I waited until Easter to undermine you? Why I didn't attack on Halloween, when I'm at the height of my power?"
The stunned silence answered his question.
"Halloween is about fear. People of all ages expect to be scared. Not terrified, just scared. Because the minute they're terrified, it stops being fun. And when it stops being fun, they stop celebrating it.
"But you wouldn't understand. Even with the lesson I taught you, you wouldn't understand. You-" Pitch pointed to Jack. "You spend your life traveling around the world, bringing winter to cities and towns, surrounded by blue and white and smiling faces.
"You, Sandman, every night, you go from place to place, bringing sweet dreams to little children. You, North, last the year by building whatever catches your fancy, stuffing yourself with sweets and ordering your lackies around. Our wonderful little Tooth Fairy collects memories and lives in a beautiful palace, surrounded by her loving minions. And the Easter Bunny. Don't even get me started."
"Watch it, buddy."
"You all live your life surrounded by light, loved, accepted! Every day, you're busy, bringing joy to children! I have this one night! One night when I can walk through the streets, surrounded by cheer and lights. One night when I can scare people, and no one gives it another thought. One night when they can see me!
"Oh, sure, they assume I'm in a costume. But I can pop out and scare people, and after that first jolt of fear, they laugh, maybe pat me on the back. They congratulate me on scaring them. They appreciate me!"
Pitch paused to regain his breath. Somewhere along the way, he had begun shouting. In a softer voice, he said, "One night. That's all I'm asking of you. Just give me this one night, and I swear, I won't disappoint you."
No one answered. As the silence stretched on, Pitch felt despair settle around his shoulders. They weren't going to listen. Of course not.
"He's right."
Pitch looked up, straight at Jack, and Jack stared back.
"Let him have Halloween."
"Jack," Tooth said, "are you sure? Do you really think we can trust him?"
Jack nodded. "He's telling the truth."
Bunnymund sighed. "Alright, fine. But any funny business, Pitch, and you'll wish you never came out of that hole."
Despite himself, Pitch felt a smile spread across his face. "Thank you. Thank you. I promise, you won't regret it."
And they didn't.