"NO!"

The anguished scream echoed through the empty cells where 5 Guardians and 6 cowering children had once been held captive. Surely, they hadn't of gotten far. And how did they escape? He said they couldn't escape. He said they would get what the want. HE had lied, obviously.

Inferno paced back and forth, rubbing his temple with long, needle-like fingers to try and relieve the pressure building underneath his scull as he refrained from setting everything in his sight on fire. How could he let this happen? He had them! He had captured the renowned protectors of children, he had fooled them and enticed them to their prison, which was now void of any Spirits except the irate form of a man dependent on torment.

Why did i trust him? Inferno's voice viciously snapped inside his mind. He said he could give me power. He said we could have what we both wanted. Pain and suffering at our hands. He would be believed in. I would have revenge. Revenge on Jack Frost. Jack Frost, Jack Frost ... Jack Frost ...

"JACK FROST!" He couldn't hold in his rage anymore and flames blazed from his palms, scorching the sand in the keyholes, singeing the doors and stone. He needed his revenge and he didn't know how much longer he could be patient for. There was only one thing he could think of, he had to pay a visit to the man behind the plan and his new-found ally.

XXXX

Inferno stood in light being provided by a flickering torch of fire to his right hand side. Drumming his hands impatiently on his robe, sending sparks the litter the floor.

"You ought to be careful, you might cause an accident. And we don't want that do we?" A dark voice whispered from within the shadows, not touched by the light. A sly cackle echoed from where the voice had emanated from, only making Inferno more agitated at not being able to see the face of the man he was talking to.

Slightly cautiously, he demanded "Come out! I want to talk to you!"

A calm and eery tone now met Inferno's ears. "I prefer the dark, it makes me feel ... at home." His last words were more like a whisper, sending shivers down Inferno's spine. "You want my advice again but you let them escape which leads me to believe you aren't capable of handling such a big task by yourself. You're weak."

At the word weak, Inferno winced but didn't dare interrupt or challenge the speaker, an unknown fear holding him back. The man seemed to radiate fear.

"But I have no other alternative in mind ... yet." Movement from the shadows built the tension in the room. "But if you fail again, I will make. You. Pay."

Inferno couldn't help but swallow down what little saliva was in his mouth as his throat suddenly became unbearably dry. Breathing quicker than usual, he twisted his hands nervously around his cloak. The thought of this man making him 'pay' didn't seem appealing to him at all. However, his tongue feeling like sandpaper, he decided to keep quiet and let the silence scream in his ears.

Acknowledging the effect he had been aiming to inflict on the 'Amatuer' before him, the man hidden in shadows continued to speak, his voice softening. "Now," He began, almost cheerfully, "They wouldn't have gone far from the place you captured them, no doubt taking shelter in a near by cave or abandoned structure of some sort. Being the stuck-up goody-goodies they are, they will almost certainly be protecting the children and watching over them carefully. You will have to be careful how you proceed. I suggest you tempt them out, though not all of them will leave the kids. Knowing the Guardians, either The Fairy Princess or the Beach Ball will stay behind, perhaps both if you make yourself threatening enough."

Nodding, Inferno listened intently, taking in every piece of information the man was giving him.

"Jolly Saint Nicky has dual-swords. He's skilled for such a fat old man. The rabbit has boomerangs, living up to his stereotype. Make sure you have eyes on the set of wooden toys the whole time, or it will - how do I put it? - come back to bite you. Finally, there's Jack Frost."

Inferno stood up straight at the name, picking up the lack of nickname and the venom that laced the name from the man giving him advice.

"Don't underestimate him. His powers are similar to yours. Make him lose control and his powers take on a mind of their own. However, the staff he carries with him is his strength and weakness. Break the staff and then burn it! I made that mistake last time. He will hardly be a threat once his staff is gone."

"Last time?" Inferno inquired, curious about the man's history with the Guardians.

Out of the shadows stepped a tall, lean figure. His broad shoulders were covered with a black cloak, not unlike Inferno's. The man's hands were behind his back, and his movements were slow and spooky. The complexion of his skin was smooth and deathly pale, and his face was lean. In his mouth, pointed teeth like fangs were gleaming except for a missing tooth near the bottom right corner. The man's eyes were pools of darkness, wide and menacing. Black hair was spiked at the back and his head tilted to the side, making him look all the more creepy.

Taking a step back, Inferno practically bowed towards the man and hastily left his presence, muttering about not letting him down and returning with pride.

A hair-raising smile made Pitch Black's lips curl as he watched the Spirit of Fire fade from his sight. Hah! The Guardians would beg for relief after he had made them regret what they done to him! They would beg for mercy ... beg for death!

Authors Note:
Good news! I didn't delete this one five times by accident. Luckily, I remembered to save more often. What do you think of that little twist. Pitch is helping Inferno! Dun dun DUUUUUUNNNNNN! Well, the Guardians are in for an interesting next few hours aren't they? I really enjoyed writing this chapter based around Inferno and Pitch. And I like the fact that Inferno is getting almost bullied by another evil spirit. Please favourite, like and review and I'll see you all for the closing chapters soon. I think there's three more before I wrap my first fanfic up! Next story won't be Rise Of The Guardians related, but that's not to say I won't write more in the future. I'm stuck between a movie and a TV show on what to write next. There's two and I'm trying to decide which I should go for first. Anyhoo, it's lunch time in the UK and I'm STARVING so I will see you all soon - Ellie x