Burgess was odd town.

Everyone believed in monsters.

You heard the whispers everywhere. Whispers about the shadows that moved even when light didn't flicker, how a sharp chill could be felt on a warm spring night, how people that went near the lake after dark never came back.

Not everyone openly admitted it, of course. Adults always coolly brushed such superstitions aside, and teenagers would scoff at the notions when asked by a younger sibling. But deep within their hearts they believed. Every soul felt that twinge of paranoia, that nagging suspicion of something lurking within the forest that bordered town.

Children would often challenge each other to see who could stay out in the dark near the woods the longest. Toothiana, Nicholas North, Sanderson, and E. Aster Bunnymund-known as Bunny to his friends-were going for the record. Ten minutes. Anyone that could preform such a deed would surely be the hero of Burgess Elementary School. The four 8-year-olds stood in a grassy field, close to the edge of the towering trees and scrubs. Their branches were becoming more and more menacing in the fading light.

"Guys, I'm not so sure about this anymore…" Tooth said timidly, her voice quiet. She did not want to seem weak in front of her male friends-they were the only ones she had- but at the same time an icy ball of fear sat heavily in her stomach.

"Don't worry, there's nothin' really out there. Big kids just make up stories to scare us," Bunny said, his voice lilted with an Australia accent. Sandy took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. She smiled gratefully at her mute friend and returned the gesture.

"Besides," Bunny continued, puffing out his little chest, "if anyone comes near us I'll knock 'em out with one kick!" He proceeded to execute powerful high-kick with a loud HI-AAAAAH! He put too much force into the movement and slipped on the dew-soaked grass, landing with an unceremonious thud. Tooth bit back a giggle but North laughed heartily.

"Wrack off," Bunny muttered, cheeks burning with embarrassment. North rolled his large, light blue eyes.

"Oh, c'mon Bunny! Take chilling pill," North quipped in his thick Russian voice. His family had just moved to town and he was still getting the hang of English. He stuck out a friendly hand and Bunny took it grudgingly, allowing the little Cossack to pull him upright.

"You ok, Bunny?" Tooth asked. Bunny hoped it was dark enough to hide his reddening cheeks.

"Yeah, I've had worse," he said, flashing her a shy grin. Suddenly the last glimmer of sunlight vanished and a deep, dark blue fell across the sky. The four children stilled, hardly daring to breathe. It was eerily quiet. No evening birdsong, no soft chirp of a cricket, no buzz of insects. The air quickly took on a sharp, chill, and the little group huddled together.

Two minutes.

The night was clear and clusters of stars slowly emerged in the sky. It was a half moon, but its light seemed to shine brighter tonight than it usually did. Tooth was thankful for that.

Three minutes.

Every rustle made them jump, every snapped twig made their breathing hitch. A story began to worm its way into her mind, a story every child in Burgess knew but was forbidden to hear.

Four minutes.

Tooth had reached out for Bunny's hand, and Sandy had reached out for North's. They stood together in a brave circle, taking solace in each other's presence. The story wedged itself into Tooth's thoughts and wouldn't leave her be. She had overheard some older kids telling it on the bus. They said even though it happened over 300 years ago he was still angry. That's why the forest was so cold, why animals were rarely heard. He prowled underneath the lake's surface, hiding from the sun that would melt him away. They said he drew power from the moon. He waited patiently for an unwary person taking an evening stroll, for a reckless couple going for a moonlight swim.

Six minutes.

She didn't understand why she was scaring herself. Bunny was right. The big kids probably just wanted the lake all to themselves. So did nobody, not even grown-ups, go down there? She knew the answer. Everyone did. It's because when you get close enough he reaches out with sharp claws made of ice. He drags you under and doesn't let go until the last gasp of bubbles escapes your mouth. She shivered at the thought. Bunny noticed and kindly offered her his coat. She declined politely, but huddled closer to her friends.

Eight minutes.

"This not so hard!" North suddenly exclaimed, making them all jump, "But is too quiet! Why don't we sing Christmas song?"

"It's the middle of September, ya gumby," Bunny sighed with annoyance. North's bright face fell a bit but he quickly shrugged it off.

"Tooth?" he asked, blue eyes hopeful. She couldn't help but giggle at his antics. North was passionate about Christmas, of that much everyone already knew about him.

"Sure, it couldn't hurt," she laughed. So they raised their voices in "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer," loud and defiant to the eeriness of the night.

Nine Minutes.

Singing? Nobody sang so close to his forest. They were too busy listening for monsters. Monsters like him. He strained his ears, not truly believing them. Children? It couldn't be. Taking up his black, viciously sharp scythe, he flew off into the night.

Eleven Minutes.

"Ha! Made it! Ok guys, let's go!" Bunny said quickly, starting to back off toward the town.

"We can't leave now! It will be too easy for someone else to beat us. We should stay for at least three more minutes," Tooth protested. After their caroling she wasn't as afraid anymore, and she didn't want their work to be for nothing. Sandy and North nodded with agreement. Bunny opened his mouth to argue, but closed it and sighed with resignation instead.

Twelve minutes.

His ice-blue eyes widened with disbelief. Sure enough there were four little children standing in a tight circle just on the edge of the forest. His forest. He snorted indignantly, scratching his pitch-black hair. Was he losing his touch? Did young children no longer fear him? No. Fear was all he had; he couldn't let it slip away. Conjuring the fiercest, coldest wind he could, he hurled it at the unsuspecting kids.

"LEAVE!" he roared.

Thirteen minutes.

All of them cried out as the wind came out of nowhere, biting into their faces and blasting dirt into their eyes. Sandy was struggling to stay on his feet, and Tooth was trembling with fear. It howled mercilessly, and she could have sworn she could her an angry, hateful voice upon it.

LEAVE! It screamed. She thought of the creature they called Nightmare Jack, the monster of ice and darkness.

"Let's go!" she yelled over the gale. Her friends nodded frantically and took off as fast as they could toward town. As they sprinted through the grassy clearing, a strange sensation pricked at Tooth's neck. She threw a glance back over her shoulder at the dark forest. She gasped with horror. There, standing in a shaft of moonlight, was a tall, thin figure. It looked human, but it had sharp talons where its hands and feet should have been. It carried a frightening-looking weapon, a great curved blade that glinted even in the darkness. Two eyes that burned like blue fire glared out at her. They narrowed, and then the figure vanished into the night.

"Tooth! Pick up pace!" North yelped. She snapped her head forward, realizing she had fallen a few steps behind her friends. Tooth obeyed, not daring to look back again.

She wasn't able to sleep that night. Every time she closed her eyes, a pair of deep blue eyes, eyes full of hate and pain and fear, bore into hers.

Exactly Ten Years Later.

Tooth waved goodbye to her friends as they parted ways, each off to their respective houses. Bunnymund usually walked her home, but today she went off on her own, telling him that there were some errands she needed to do for her mother. Tooth felt guilty for lying to him, but she couldn't bring herself to tell Bunny the real reason for going on her own. There something she needed to do. Taking a deep breath, she started down the road that would take her to edge of town. The sky was heavy with clouds but every now and then a shaft of sunlight managed to poke through and catch colorful streaks in her short, dark hair. Her dark curls bounced with every graceful step and she took in the world with odd, lavender eyes. Tooth put in her headphones, hoping a little music would calm her nerves. None of her friends knew it, but today was the anniversary of their little adventure to the woods all those years ago. They all laughed about how they were scared away by a bit of wind, but Tooth always shuddered at the memory of those tormented, bereft eyes…

Those eyes had tormented the same dream she had every year on the night of the anniversary. She would be walking with Sandy, North, and Bunny by the lake in spring, laughing and carrying on like they always did. It was such a pleasant scene that she was always drawn in like a sailor to a siren, forgetting about the danger that was lurking beneath the surface. Suddenly everything would go very cold. The sun would vanish behind a thick cloud cover, plunging them into darkness. Tooth would move to run, only to find her feet encased in ice. As her friends raced to help her, a terrifyingly familiar figure rose from the lake. It was dark and slender, and the only feature she could ever make out were its cold, piercing eyes. It carried a large black scythe, its razor edge glimmering dangerously. The creature would raise its weapon and slam it down into the water. The lake would instantly freeze, but the ice didn't stop at its edge. It would race up and over the ground with dizzying speed, easily catching up to her beloved companions. Tooth could only watch in horror as the ice wrapped itself around their feet and dragged them back to its master. For a brief, exhilarating moment Tooth would manage to grab onto North's hand as he was pulled past her. Their frightened gazes would meet before a sharp, final tug ripped him away. He and Bunny would kick and struggle with all their might. Sandy's eyes were always closed, a resigned but dignified expression on his face as he silently accepted his fate. They were yanked onto the surface of the frozen pond at the feet of the dark monster. Teeth flashed white in a grim smile as it tapped its scythe against the surface once again. The ice would fracture and splinter, give a defeated groan, and finally collapse, swallowing up North, Bunny, Sandy, and the monster. Tooth would be left alone in the darkness, still frozen to the ground. Her screams would echo unheard through the trees.

Tooth shook her head to clear it of the nightmare, clenching her fists with fierce resolve. Not this year. She would not let the malicious ice spirit haunt her any longer. After a great deal of thought Tooth believed she found a great solution. She had the song, all she needed now were flowers, luck, and every last scrap of courage she could summon.

Tooth walked down a slope to the same clearing from all those years ago, smiling a little at the memory of Bunnymund slipping on the grass. He had come so far since then. Aside from North he was the tallest kid in school and the star of the lacrosse team. Nobody messed with the pugnacious Aussie.

Tooth picked a modest bouquet of wildflowers and skillfully wove them together into a fragrant wreath. She came to the edge of the forest, peering cautiously into the towering pine trees. Clutching her wreath in one hand and a little can of mace in the other-it never hurt to be cautious- Toothiana stepped into the woods, praying everything would be okay.

After a half an hour of walking through the overgrown trails, Tooth reached the infamous pond. Despite the lush environment, its shore was devoid of reeds and grass. Frogs didn't chirp, and only a few large, hardy fish cruised beneath the water. It was unusually cold and Tooth pulled her emerald jacket tighter around herself. After taking a moment to consider the perfect spot Tooth came to a moderately sized rock with a flat, wide top at the water's edge. After putting the wreath atop of it, she pulled out some candles and a small container with homemade baklava from her backpack and placed them alongside it. She paused. Would it be bad to light candles in an offering to an ice spirit? She decided against it, but would leave them there anyways for sake of ceremony. Tooth stood and folded her hands and bowed her head.

"Whoever you really are, whatever really happened to you…I'm sorry. I know this isn't much, but I hope it brings you a little bit of peace. May you rest well," she spoke softly. She strained her ears for any indication he was near. Nothing.

What am I doing? She thought with a little sigh. Maybe it really was just the wind that night, and her colorful imagination and fear did the rest. Maybe she was just crazy.

I came all this way; I might as well finish what I started.

Taking a breath, Tooth began to sing. She knew it wasn't a conventional or even a traditional song, but she thought it just sort of…fit.

"When you feel you're alone
Cut off from this cruel world
Your instinct's telling you to run

Listen to your heart
Those angel voices
They'll sing to you
They'll be your guide
Back home

When life leaves us blind
Love keeps us kind
It keeps us kind

When you've suffered enough
And your spirit is breaking
You're growing desperate from the fight

Remember you're loved
And you always will be
This melody will bring you right
Back home

When life leaves us blind
Love keeps us kind
When life leaves us blind
Love keeps us kind."

The last note from her clear, strong voice rang through the forest, and for a moment Tooth felt like nothing could touch her. Panting a bit from the effort, Tooth listened intently for any sort of sign that her efforts were acknowledged, that someone had listened. Hearing nothing, she shouldered her backpack. She had no idea if her unorthodox ceremony did anything, but at least she had tried.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Tooth gave a startled cry and whirled around. She instantly recognized those eyes. They were the eyes as cold and hard as ice, the eyes from her memory, the eyes from her nightmares. Tooth's felt her own eyes widen with disbelief and terror.

The spirit had the form of a tall, slender boy that looked about her age. A head of night-black hair and upon his hands framed his sharp, handsome face. Ice had frozen in the form of menacing talons on his hands and feet. He pointed his signature black scythe accusingly at her, eyes narrowing dangerously.

"I asked you a question, songbird," he snarled. Tooth put up her hands defensively, doing her best to stand her ground.

"I-I-I was giving you a ceremony," she fumbled dumbly, struggling to find the right words. The boy scoffed and gave her an incredulous glare.

"You come into my forest, to my lake, to my home and you have the guts to lie to me?" he spat, brandishing the scythe dangerously close to her face. Tooth was forced to take a small step, her heel brushing the pond's edge.

"N-no! Why would I do that? I came here to—" she stammered.

"To see the monster of Burgess?" He cut her off. "The Ice Demon? Nightmare Jack? I've been given a lot of names by a lot of people that have tried to get rid of me, people that try to drive the devil away from their meaningless little town. Well guess what, songbird? I won't let you be one of them!" he bellowed. He pulled back the blade and swung it, sending a blast of frigid air straight for Tooth. Instinctively she dropped to the ground, and she felt the frozen air rush over her back.

"Please!" she begged, jumping to her feet. "I didn't come here to hurt you!"

Jack raised his eyebrows at her quick reflexes but brought the scythe back, ready to swing again.

"Bullshit. People always want to hurt me and always will!" on the last word he hurled another icy gust at the teenager. Tooth nimbly stepped to the side, although the force of the attack made her stagger on the pebbles underfoot.

"Stop! Please, I just wanted to pay my respects!" she cried. Snatching the wreath from the rock, she held them out to the furious spirit.

"Here! Does this look like I'm trying to get rid of you?" she exclaimed.

He raised the scythe again, but paused at the sight of the flowers. He lowered the weapon and looked to her, the offering, and back again. His brow furrowed in a puzzled expression.

"You…actually were doing some sort of ceremony? For me?" his blue eyes narrowed suspiciously, "Why?"

"I…I saw you in the forest once when I was a kid. Ever since then I've had the same horrid nightmare. I thought maybe if I did this for you that maybe the dreams would stop. And, well, I don't know, you wouldn't be as angry if someone did something nice for you," she explained shakily, tan face growing red. He looked at her for a long time with an expression she couldn't read. And then he laughed. A cold, harsh laughter that sounded like wind rattling bare tree branches in winter.

"You're serious? You really think flowers-hahaha, flowers!- would appease me somehow? Do you have any idea what I am?" He began to hover off the ground, wind swirling around him as he rose menacingly above her. A bolt of pure terror ran through Tooth and she almost took off running right there. An image of her mother flashed through her mind, the most courageous and strongest woman she knew. Hold your ground, Toothiana. The only way to overcome fear is to challenge it. It had been what she told Tooth when she had complained about a bully at school. Tooth looked up at Nightmare Jack. Hatred swam in the cold depths of his eyes, but above everything else there was a deep, pained sadness. An idea occurred to Tooth and she planted her feet firmly on the ground.

"I think you are a sad, lost spirit that can't find his way," she said boldly. His jaw dropped and Tooth continued.

"I think you're angry and lonely, and that's okay. I don't expect some flowers to make things right. I just wanted you to know that someone cared, that someone wants to help," she said, voice growing louder with her confidence. Jack slowly descended back to the earth, looking like someone had punched him in the gut for no apparent reason.

"But how could you… why would you…" it was his turn to stammer, looking uncomprehending at the girl before him. She gave him a warm, soft smile.

"Because it's what's right," she said gently. He started at her, at a loss for words. His anger and frustration vented, he could see how sincere she was for the first time. There was a long moment of silence as the two looked at each other, trying to figure each other out.

"I need to go home. It will be dark soon. Whatever you are, I really do hope you find your place," Tooth said finally, her voice making him start. Feeling brave, she slowly reached out a hand for his shoulder. He flinched sharply, giving her a strange look.

"Trust me, okay?" she said softly. Jack continued to eye her cautiously but gave a tiny nod. Tooth reached out again and put a hand on his shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. Frost danced across her dark skin but quickly melted after she pulled it away.

"There, that wasn't terrible, was it?" she said with a wry smile. Slowly backing away, she began to retreat toward the trail. Jack's dumbfounded eyes followed her every movement.

"Goodbye…Jack," she whispered before turning and sprinting down the trail as fast as she could.

Jack smirked at this. He could easily catch up with her if he wanted to, but he let her go. He turned the strange turn of events over in his head. How had she been able to read him so easily? How had she turned Nightmare Jack, demon of winter, into a dumb, obedient schoolboy? Something colorful on the ground caught his eye. Reaching down, he picked up the wreath of wildflowers. Frost slowly enveloped it, creaking as it coated every last petal. He gave a quiet gasp of wonder. It was beautiful. Something shifted inside him, and emotions began to creep into his chest. Emotions he hadn't felt in a long time. Jack gave his head a sharp shake and threw the flowers aside. They tumbled across the pebbles but remained intact. Suddenly feeling restless, he took to the air, letting the wind carry him into the darkening sky.