"Ah Sandy, it is good to see you! Tooth! How are the children? Bunny! Good to see you!" North greeted the other guardians cheerfully.

"Looks like we are all here, except the rookie, mate." Bunnymund growled as he leaned against the wall. Tooth hovered in the air, along with six of her small fairies. Sandy took an offered glass of eggnog from an elf, and took a drink.

"Yes, Jack. I am sure he will be here soon." North said. "In fact, my belly is telling me… open the doors!" The yeti rushed over and pulled open the doors, just as a blur of white and blue shot inside. Jack skidded on the hardwood floor to a stop, right at North's feet. The youngest guardian jumped to his feet and stared behind him. The yeti were closing the doors, looking rather relieved.

"Aw, c'mon North! Why did you have to ruin my thunder?" Jack whined.

"I do not ruin thunder! I do not like it when the yeti has to repaint those doors after you pay a visit."

Jack rolled his eyes and shouldered his staff. "So, why are we here? I was in the middle of something when I got the call."

"Jack! How are you doing! How are those pearly whites? Let me see!" Tooth zoomed over to him, and opened his mouth wide with her fingers. "Ahhh! Looks like you have been flossing! Still bright and white like snow!" She cried with glee.

"Tooth! Fingers out of mouth!" North ordered. The fairy drew back, cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"Sorry! Couldn't help myself." She sighed, then flew to the other side of the room. Bunny marched over to Jack angrily.

"Oh hey, Kangaroo! Hmm, looks like you might want to cut down on the sweets. You can hardly see your pouch with that belly." Jack grinned.

"Look! How many times have I asked you to stop with the snowstorms on Easter! It's already hard enough to deliver eggs in one day!" He growled, and bared his teeth.

"Sorry Cottontail, kids actually like snow while searching for eggs!"

"Bunny, Frost! Enough! We are not here to argue! I called you here because Pitch is back!" North shouted.

The whole room froze with shock. For some poor elves that stood to close to Jack, it was quite literally. Two elf ice statues stood beside his feet.

"P- Pitch? Pitch Black?" He gasped. "No! It can't be! He's imprisoned by the Nightmares! I made sure of that myself!"

"I'm afraid that is no longer true, Jack. He's escaped the prison, and the Nightmares are under his command again. This time, he's out for revenge. Not us, you." North said grimly.

"Me?"

"Well, I wouldn't mind if he got you, you blazin' kid." Bunny grumbled.

"Bunny! This is no time for jokes!" Tooth snapped. One of her fairies made a fist, and mimicked a punching motion.

"Tooth is right! We cannot be fighting amongst ourselves! We must stick together if we are to succeed."

"So, where is Pitch now?" Jack asked, as he perched himself on his upright staff like a bird. The whole room grew silent. North shifted on his feet uneasily, and shrugged. "You mean you don't know?! How on earth did you know that he is back?"

"I felt it in my belly," the whole room groaned. "As well as the globe let me know that the prison was breached." He said with a smile.

"So, we know that he's free, but how do we know that he's back?" Tooth pondered.

"Maybe if you all use your eyes, you'll see him." A menacing, black voice echoed through the workshop. The group spun to face the globe, to see Pitch Black standing atop the large sphere.

On instinct, the group reacted. Bunny pulled out his two boomerangs, North unsheathed his two swords, Sandy summoned his golden whips, and Jack readied his staff. Pitch let out a gruesome cackle, and held his side.

"You never learn, do you? Nightmares were created by me, they are of my essence. It only took a couple years to regain control over them. Now I have returned, stronger, wiser, and smarter than before." Pitch grinned, his sickly black teeth gleamed menacingly.

"Arrgh!" Jack launched himself at the Boogeyman, but only passed through shadow. Pitch's form rippled slightly, then smoothed back into position.

"What? Do you really think I would come here personally, this early in my freedom? Ha! You fools! I'm not stupid!"

With fury, Jack swung his staff, sending a blast of ice at the projection. It only passed through it, and smashed against the wall behind. "Why don't you come here and face us, coward!" He screamed.

Pitch turned to face the boy. "Not coward, just smart." Just as he said that, Pitch disappeared in a plume of smoke. The five guardians stood there in silence for a moment.

"He's gone." North whispered. The only sound in the workshop was the soft flutter of Tooth's wings, and the quiet jingle of bells as an elf collapsed in faint.

"We're in big trouble." Bunny grumbled.

"Look! The globe!" Tooth cried, and buzzed to the southern US area. The golden lights were flickering, and some were going out.

"Pitch. He's in that area. And it looks like he's on the move." Jack expressed. It seemed like he was right. The flickering of lights were moving northward, slowly.

"The nightmares are creating fear. And maybe we can use this pattern to our advantage." North speculated.

"Great, let's cut him off before he goes any further, and get him before he gets too strong!" Jack cried as he flew right in North's face.

"No, it could be a trap, Jack. We need to get back to our headquarters, and set up every line of defense we have." North ordered. Bunny opened up one of his holes, and headed off to the Wallow, Tooth flew off through a window to Tooth Palace, and Sandy followed.

"Run and hide? That's what we are going to do? Just run?"

"We need to be prepared. The children need us to be ready for him. He will attack any number of our homes. Now, I need you to stay here, and help ward off any possible nightmare attack with a storm. Do you know what to do?"

Jack went and studied the globe. The lights were flickering mainly in the New York area. "Yes, I do." He told North.

"Good, now, once you are done with that-"

BANG

North spun around to see the large double doors swinging open, and a small speck of blue and brown flying into the white sky. "FROST!" North shouted, and ran to the doors angrily. "JACK FROST!" The boy did not answer. "Ready the sleigh!" He ordered the yeti, and stomped to his office.