The night was black and moonless. Soft whispers travelled through the trees, warning of the dread presence among them. Pitch Black ran a hand along a trunk, sending a rustling shiver through the leaves high above.

Pitch's hand slipped off the trunk as he stumbled over a root. The world had not been kind to the Boogeyman, who wandered the forest alone. He turned a scornful eye towards the empty sky.

"One of these days, you won't be so lucky," Pitch sneered at the blackened moon. "Your Guardians cannot keep you safe forever."

A stray wind caught the bushes to Pitch's side. He jumped towards them, ready to fight. After a minute of silence, Pitch relaxed. He had finally left the rogue Nightmares far behind.

"Looks like he got the better of you again," a strange, lilting voice said from behind Pitch. Concentrated as he was on the bush, Pitch had not noticed another presence join him in the woods. He whipped around, gathering the last of his black sand for a final battle, but encountered nothing. His frantically roving eyes finally caught movement behind one of the trees. He could barely discern the tall figure surrounded by shifting clouds as black as the night.

Once again, Pitch relaxed. "You snuck up on me, Emily," he said.

The figure shifted. "I told you not to call me that, Pitch."

Pitch waved a dismissive hand. "Fine, have it your way. What do you want here, anyways?"

The woman laughed with the sound of a running brook. "You entertain me, oh King of Nightmares. Where are your minions? I seem to remember you forming an army."

Pitch turned from the hidden figure. "If you're only here to gloat, I'm not about to stick around." A sudden mist, closely resembling the woman's dark clouds, descended, hindering any path away from her.

"Aw now, don't leave," the woman pleaded. "We've barely begun to catch up. It's been years, after all."

"Yes, I know," Pitch replied with annoyance in his voice. "You haven't exactly been helpful."

The woman paused, as if on the verge of offense, before her laugh rang again through the forest. "As I said, I enjoy just watching you. However, this last endeavor of yours has changed some things."

"How so?"

"You became powerful enough that not even the Big Four could face you."

Pitch threw his hands up in rage. "That didn't matter! They just found another little Guardian!"

"Yes, but Manny has shown his hand. Recruiting Frost shows he's weak."

"I thought you liked the kid."

"I do, but him joining the Guardians tips the scales. The Man in the Moon cannot be allowed to wield this much power."

Pitch paused, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm listening."