October 30th 11:50 PM

Jack fired beams of icy air in rapid succession to blast away the armour of the oncoming forces. As he froze the enemies armour, it became heavy and the soldiers toppled, unable to lift the extra weight. Bunnymund lept over Jack in a frontal flip and mid air tossed his twin boomerangs to shatter the newly formed dry ice. The enemy armour crackled away and became vulnerable to sandy's onslaughts. The golden sand crept in through the crevices and cracks of the black obsidian draining the strength of the forces of darkness. But as soon as the first wave dropped – a new regiment of nightmare riders swooped in to replace the sleeping footmen.

Bunnymund was tackled head on by one courageous rider resulting in him being pushed full force into a rock wall. The black sand moulded around his shape, creeping tendrils over his thick fur. The rider dismounted the newly formed prison and punched Bunnymund in the gut for good measure. Jack flew to intercept the brutality but tendrils of rough sand shot from the ground to wrap around his waist. His momentum slowed then completely reversed as he was pulled back and whipped down hard into the ground. Then tendril slid up his back and pinned him down while also pulling up his head to look at the feet of Pitch black – materializing in front of him.

"It's a shame Jack. I really believe you could have been more this. I beacon for the outcasts. And yet your stubbornness and ignorance led you to... bleeding... on the ground. Perhaps it was always meant to be this way." Jack darted his eyes back and forth, searching desperately for an ally. Sandy was preoccupied keeping a flock of screaming crows at bay, but was failing as they clawed at his skin. Pitch knelt down on one knee and leant forward so he was just above jack. He brushed back Jack's silver hair as creeping tendrils explored his skin and gripped around his lips pulling them apart to widen his jaw. With a look of justified cruelty on his face, Pitch gripped one of Jack's canines and ripped it out of his gums. Jack screamed in agony, a metallic taste filling his mouth. "A tooth for a tooth... right Toothiana?" He pivoted on his knee and stood, holding the bloody snow white bone out in the tooth fairy's direction. She turned to answer to her name and upon seeing the scenario, screamed.

She watched in horror as Jack begged with his black swollen eyes for release. In a moment however, that silent horror formed into a berserker rage. She lifted her twin hand guns and fired metal coins aimed directly for Pitch's wide grin. He shimmered, and then faded entirely into shadow. Toothiana kept firing at the gliding shadow – coins ricocheting off the floor in all directions. Once both clips were empty she holstered them on her hips and pulled off her back a shotgun with "The Molar" written across the side. She spun just as Pitch leapt for her, teeth bared and hands grabbing, and fired. A wide spread of coins tore through his insides leaving a gaping void dripping with black sludge.

His hands rested on her shoulders. He looked down to his wound with a look of tired shock in his eyes. Toothiana rested the barrel of the gun where his liver should have been.

"That's an end to your nightmare. Once and for all."

"Oh my dear..." Pitch laughed as he coiled his hands around her throat "...the nightmare hasn't even begun." She went to lift her shotgun but the wound had already started closing itself. Around the barrel of her gun. She tried to pull but it was stuck fast and she began struggling for breath as his grip squeezed ever harder. His thumbs dug into the front of her neck until they pierced her skin and introduced a new way to breath. He dropped her there as she panicked and clung to the wound, applying pressure to delay bleeding out.

Pitch grabbed the handle of the shotgun and with several attempts, yanked it out of his anatomy groaning. He marched over to the screaming crows. In the centre, Sandy was curled on the ground with hands clutching at his bleeding ears. With a wave of his hand, Pitch dismissed the birds and with no words of victory or gloating he pointed the barrel at Sandy's head and fired at point blank range. He dropped the gun at his side and begun to climb the steps of darkness summoned to his side.

"Try and come back after that, Sandman."

October 30th 10:00 PM

"You're sure this is where Pitch will make his stand?" North asked his face full of worry. He cracked the reigns of his sleigh while Tooth and Bunnymund held on behind him. Jack was flying on his left and Sandy was on his right, piloting a miniature jet fighter of gold. The moon shone brightly in the sky to guide their way.

"We all chased the nightmares back to around this area!" Jack shouted over the high altitude wind. "If Pitch has a base of operations, this is where the door will be!" Sandy formed images above his head. One of a group of trees, followed by question marks.

"Yes Sandy!" North commanded "In a forest! That's where all ghost stories come from! You're sure you want me on the sidelines? I'd be much more useful on the front!"

"Ohhhh no. Not on your life mate" Bunnymund interrupted. "Christmas is only around the corner. If anything goes wrong here, you need to make sure you'll be on time for Christmas."

"Very well then my furry friend. I will supply what forces I can when you call." Bunnymund stood up and made a running pounce off the sleigh, boarding Sandy's jet. Toothiana buzzed her wings and joined Jack in flight. "Good luck!" North pulled his reigns and the reindeer ascended higher away from the clouds. The rest of the guardians tipped forward and nosed dived toward the mists and foliage below.

October 30th 10:10 PM

Tooth and Sandy hovered between the trees and Jack and Bunnymund jumped from branch to branch, all making their way forward while holding a line to cover as most ground as possible. The mist cleared and the distance between the trees grew wider as the guardians reached a clearing. The open space was sealed by a spiked iron fence. The fence surrounded a large overgrown garden that looked like it hadn't been tended to in generations. The garden itself surrounded a tall menacing mansion in a worse off state. It was crooked and the garden had grown roots up its walls to support it. The wooden porch in front was splintered and the furthest thing from inviting. The windows gaze was cracked and broken letting a wind moan through the house.

Bunnymund took 3 tentative steps forward, then took out his boomerangs.

"I don't mean to alarm you all, but it seems like we're not welcome here." The group looked up to see hundreds of red hungry eyes looking down at them.

"The crows..." Toothiana whispered in fear "...why are they all staring?"