The lights were going out so fast... Faster than when Pitch had taken out Sandy. Now there were only a handful left... all in the United States too. The Guardians had spread out to seek out the one causing all of this with little luck; however, there had been a message left on the globe in those remaining lights: Where it began

So now all the Guardians were searching all of Burgess, none of them remembered exactly where that battle had taken place but Jack remembered something from it.
"Maybe they meant the town square." The group wasn't disappointed this time to find a figure draped in a black robe.

"You! You cause zhis!" North accused the figure who turned from a life-sized jaded version of Jack. A single nod was the answer.

"Why?" The question was out before anyone realized it and it had been Tooth who had spoken.

"Ask him."

"That voice... I know that voice mates." Bunny said and Jack did too. He froze, staring.

"I'm glad you still recognize me. I should be honored... the Big Five remember little old me. Not that I was really anyone special was I... Frost?" Jack shuddered.

"No... that's... not true..." The four stared at him, wondering what in the world this was all about as the figure pushed back the hood with one hand. Black hair and pale skin did little to hide who he was. Who he had been when he'd been alive. His eyes were just as beautiful of a chocolate as Jack remembered and he felt his heart seem to stop... as if it had been beating to begin with. His eyes wide as he felt like everything he'd ever worked for... everything he'd ever done... was gone. This had to be some nightmare... because he simply could not be staring into the face of the boy he loved so dearly... his first believer.

"J... Jamie." His voice was weak, as if he'd been choked. No one else spoke then. None of them knew what to say as the winter spirit fell to his knees, the staff clattering beside him; for a moment all was silent and then the four took a step back as a piercing wail of pure and utter despair came from their comrade. There was nothing they could do... or say... and their former strong believer had taken that chance to leave; to let it all sink in that the Brightest Light was not bright anymore... It couldn't be true... it just couldn't... Jack trembled as his body seemed to completely give out on him and darkness stole away his conscious mind. The other four shared a sorrowful look and Bunny was the one who carried Jack back to the pole.

"You knew something about this, didn't ya mate?" Bunny asked once the four of them were back in the globe room after he'd settled Jack in a spare room. North sighs.

"Da. I felt change in boy when he stopped wishing to see Jack; was odd, but I thought maybe he just grow up. Did not realize boy come to hate us."

"Why would he hate us?" Tooth asked, confused.

"He fall in love with Jack." Came the answer, the other three stared at North in disbelief.

"Against all odds. He and Jack were close, was bound to be likely since Jack always go to play with boy since that Easter." Bunny nodded a little.

"Jack will not take this well. Jamie mean much to him. To find out Jamie iz one destroying everything..."

"Yeah... I know somethin' of the feelin' mate. It's hard." Bunny murmured, his ears drooped.

"So, what are we going to do? How did he get such power like that? I mean, not even Pitch could make the lights go out so quickly... and not without taking out my faires."

"Iz question I have no answer for."

"I... think I might know." Bunny said slowly. The others looked at Bunny.

"You saw how fast they went out right? Well... when they went out that Easter it was 'cuz they lost hope when Sandy was taken out because they were plagued with Night Mares. This time isn't the case. I've seen what he's done same as you mates... he's twisted belief itself... that's why."

"How is that possible? Without belief we'll..." Tooth trailed off, her eyes widening and she landed; more lights had gone out and she felt even weaker.

"Ya... I know mates. He hates us something fierce and he's getting back at us for somethin'. I dunno what... but I imagine frostbite might know." North nods.

"Da... he know... and so do I. I promise not to tell but don't think will matter now." The other three looked at one another then at North.

"When boy was fourteen, three years before death, he confess to Jack; Jack had seen signs and had talked to me about it and what rules were." The others nodded, they all knew it wasn't wise to get too invested in mortals in any sense of the terms; love was the most dangerous of those because of how it could affect how they did their jobs. It was bad enough Jack had gotten attached to Jamie because the kid had been his first believer.

"Jack turn him down. I do not know what he say to boy, but that was start of things. I fear boy was hurt deeply and carry grudge from that life into this. Why against us can only guess. Saying go that love and hate two sides of same coin."

"What are you saying North?"

"He's saying that Jamie's affections for Jack ran so deep that when he didn't get what he wanted... he began to hate 'em. That his love turned sour." Tooth's eyes widened.

"What... what do we do?"

"Not much we can. This is between them, much as I want to help it's not really a matter we can just fix. We have ta take the bloke out... and Jackie ain't gonna like that." Sandy nodded sadly, his symbols flashing over his head.

None of us will. Jamie was our strongest believer. It is hard to see him have fallen so far when he was such a bright soul. The others nodded sadly. None of them really wanted to do this, but what choice was there? They couldn't just let him ruin belief just because the boy held a grudge against them and Jack. Like Bunny had said, though, it wasn't something they could fix so easily. They were pretty weak as it was now; it didn't help that Easter wasn't until next year and Christmas was months away... they didn't have the luxury of a holiday to help inspire hope and belief anymore and Tooth's fairies were losing the power to fly. Tooth herself, it was obvious, was having trouble herself. There was no longer enough belief to allow her to fly. The group stared at the globe, only six lights remained and it wasn't enough to sustain them.

"Not again..." Bunny groaned as he nearly collapsed; nothing more than a harmless Bunny now. Sandy looked at his friends in worry; he was unaffected because Jamie wasn't taking away dreams... just belief in the Guardians. He could only watch helplessly as they were zapped of their magical energy. Like Jack, he got more power from belief but he didn't rely on it to sustain his own power. Sandy floated towards the room where Jack was; he and Jack were the only ones left with the strength to take Jamie on... and Jack... like Bunny had said... he wasn't going to like this. Sandy worried that the winter spirit wouldn't be up for this; after seeing how he'd reacted at just learning who was behind all of this... Jack had been broken. Sandy looked sadly at his young friend. How had things come to this? How could one boy harbor so much hatred against someone he loved? Sandy couldn't understand it. Not that he was immune to love or any such thing, but he had never really found someone to love like that himself and while he'd admired those he'd given dreams to from affair he'd never really considered the possibility of love himself. None of them had really, well except perhaps Tooth who had seemed initially over the moon for Jack when he'd been first chosen as a Guardian. That hadn't lasted though and Jack hadn't really been that interested or at least he hadn't seemed to be; Jack, he wagered, was as innocent in knowing about what love was all about as much as the Guardian of Dreams seemed to be. Well, he knew OF it... but knowing of love and feeling it were two very different things. Sandy had seen the differences, even if he'd never felt the actual emotion himself. He knew that Jack cared deeply for the boy; perhaps a lot more than he should... All he could do now was wait for Jack to wake up again. He felt so tired himself... maybe a nap wouldn't hurt...