What was he going to do? The last thing Pitch wanted was to come face-to-face with a demon ago. That experience so many centuries ago had been more than enough to scare Pitch away from them. There were things in the world far more frightening than nightmares. In the morning children awoke, parents took care of them and the cycle repeated itself. Something had gone wrong. What Pitch was not sure, but something had happened within the months since defeating the Guardians that he had not anticipated. Something more than a measly war, there was always a war, he had experienced thousands throughout his life. Jack had a right to be scared.

He absently played with the small bag of golden dreamsand he kept especially for Jack. It was nearly empty, barely enough to do the month. It was not enough to cure all their problems though. For the first time in his long history Pitch needed advice. He needed his old rival. There wasn't enough sand to even summon Sandy's spirit.

He was a fool.

"Where's Frostbite?"

Pitch almost tripped over his own feet at the sudden accented voice. He glared down at the tiny bunny at his feet. "How should I know?" he snapped, raising a foot to step on the annoying creature.

Bunnymund hopped to the side out of his way. "Hey, ye're his warden, isn't it your job?"

A snarl was his only answer. "Jack can come and go as he pleases. Just because he lost interest in playing with you isn't my problem."

Bunnymund followed him across the high bridge connecting the third floors. "Ya know what ah'm talking about. He hasn't been himself in days and ah've search every inch of this sink hole for him. He's not here." He waited a moment but when Pitch didn't acknowledge him he pressed forward. "Did ya two 'ave a fight? Last ah saw he was a might bit upset."

"No, we didn't fight."

"So?

"So?"

Bunny was still quicker than the average rabbit and scooted ahead of Pitch. "What happened?" He's little brows furrowed. "Why do ya have a pouch of Sandy's sand?"

"It's for Jack." Pitch stopped, suddenly staring down at Bunny. "Wait, when was the last time you saw Jack?"

"Yesturday morning."

He slipped into the shadows, reappearing in front of his large iron globe. He studied it for several long minutes before finding what he was looking for, a bright blue dot just over Washington. "Oh Jack, what am I do to with you?"

"Why? What's going on?" Bunny demanded. He jumped up, kicking Pitch. "Hey, Ah'm talking to ya! What's wrong with Frostbite?"

Again Pitch moved through the shadows, not caring that Bunnymund had decided to hitch a ride. His focus was on Jack, moving quickly to where he sensed the youth to be. He reappeared in what appeared to be a large office. A middle age man sat at a desk, reading a print out of some sort. Jack was standing in front of the desk, pleading for him to listen, to not go through with something. But of course the man didn't hear a word he said. Jack's frustration was getting the best of him as wind whipped through the opened window knocking over a stack of paper. The man cursed and set aside what he was reading to close the window.

"You have to listen to me. You can't do this!" Jack yelled. "You can't start a nuclear war! There has to be a better way. This...this isn't right!"

The temperature dropped with every outburst, causing the man to shiver and grab his suit jacket and put it on.

"Please, don't sign those papers," Jack pleaded, making a grab for them.

Pitch caught him, bringing the small spirit into the circle of his arms. "Jack, stop."

"No! NO! We have to stop him! We can't let this happen!" For the first time in months Jack broke down, completely and utterly broke down. Pitch knelt on the ground with him and held him tight. Bunny burrowed his way in between and cuddled against Jack. "Please, we have to stop him."

"We will, son, we will." How Pitch wasn't sure but he would help if only to see the boy happy again.

Jack's sleep was restless that night. Pitch didn't use the dreamsand this time, there was very little left and if they were to succeed they needed every last piece. He sat on branch high up in one of the trees surrounding jack's beloved pond and peered inside the bag. He loathed to do what he knew he had to do but he had no choice. His gaze shifted to the full moon above him.

"Where are your precious Guardians when the world really needs them?" he asked the bright orb. "Did you see this coming, old friend? Did you see that the only possible saviours for man kind would be me, Jack Frost and a tiny Bunnymund? A mere glimmer of hope?"

He stared off toward Burgess. "If I don't do something Jack will go off and try to stop this war from happening by himself. What can one child do? Yes he's powerful but he's still only a child. You made him that way. You trapped him forever as a child rather than letting him pass onto the world beyond. Is this what you meant for him? For me?"

Leaning back he closed his eyes. "I'm lost, Manny. I'm not afraid to admit that now. This world is so much different from the Dark Ages. It's far scarier than any nightmare I can create."

He wasn't expecting MiM to answer him, the moon never did. So Pitch settled back and let his mind wander, knowing that Jack was safe with Bunnymund. The rodent was annoying but he had his uses. The rabbit was probably telling the boy about more Guardian adventures. Surprise filled him when the small bag of dreamsand began to glow brightly. He nearly fell out off the branch in his surprise.

"Sandy?" he breathed, grasping the thick trunk of the tree. He looked back up at the moon. "I don't understand." The sand swirled out of the bag, forming a mini Sandman. It wasn't alive like Sandy but still the meaning was there. "He's still alive?" The sand shifted again, forming two more symbols. North and Toothiana. "They're all alive? How is that possible?" Err filled him for a moment but he quickly banished it. This was not a time for old vendettas. He had three Guardians to find and not much time to complete the task.

"I know I'm going to regret this," he grumbled before fleeing back into the shadows.