Crap... I didn't realize today was the 18th until I was in school. Sorry for making you wait until now.

Shout-outs:

Darkblade 2.0: Aww thanks :) Yes, very beautiful flowers, although, I was more of envisioning Iris, the Greek goddess of the rainbow and a messenger. Anyhow, Both work!

likhitata: Oh, yah. Nasty thing to have jab into you. :/

Paper Snowflake: New profile? Yep, it's crazy to think how much he changed...

Next chapter. Enjoy:

Light encased them once more but soon faded as it had before, leaving them cold and wanting back it's comfort and protection. At least the memory was over. All but one of the guardians were left puzzled and ashamed to have done what they have to Pitch. Yet, there was so much they didn't know.

Their surrounds turned to something more familiar to the group. The found themselves back in the lounge standing in their places they were at just before the light engulfed them. Sandy turned to the clock to see no time had passed from the time they spent in the memory.

"What do you mean 'Pitch's wife,' Jack?" Tooth asked him. "What is going on with you?"

The guardian of fun sighed in defeat and started his explaining. He told them how she managed to help Jack take control when he was under Pitch's influence when he was about to kill North. He told them how, from the very start, she had been talking to him in his dreams and had attempted to suppress the darkness that was taking over him. She was the one that freed North, brought Tooth and Sandy to Bunny and Jack, and guided them back to North to escape. She was their savior. He cut them off every time they tried to ask a question and told them to just let him finish dozens of times.

When Jack had finished, he was panting heavily from all the talking. He was drained physically and mentally.

Everyone was stunned when he had finished. "So, wait, you can hear... her voice... all the time in your head?" Tooth asked nervously.

"Apparently," Jack replied. "You didn't hear her voice when she showed herself as that light earlier."

"So that is what it was," North muttered. "That light, it is Miss Pitch?"

Jack nodded.

"So Pitch's... what's her name, again?" Tooth asked.

The boy paused for a moment. "She doesn't actually remember her name." He scratched his head. "She's missing some of her memory."

"Wait," Tooth said with eyes wide. "That's my department. Maybe I can help her. Maybe I could find-"

"Tooth," Bunny interrupted her. "She died before you were even born. You wouldn't have her teeth."

"True, true." The fairy pondered for moment. "I could... no." Her eyebrows furrowed. "Maybe, I... no." She turned back to the group. "I can't give her anything since she's not... well, here. I don't have her teeth." She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't think I can do anything."

The door opened to the hallway. As the guardians turned, there stood a little yeti. Before anyone could say anything, the little creature ran to Jack and clung to the young guardian, his furry arms wrapped around the boy's waist as it let out a sob. It was little Eddie, Jack knew, and wrapped his arms around the distressed yeti.

"Shh, calm down, Ed. Shh, you're fine," Jack eased him. The winter spirit knelt down to Eddie's eye level and spoke. "Everything is going to be alright. As long as I'm here, I won't let anyone hurt you or your dad."

Eddie wrapped his arms once more around the spirit's neck. Jack returned the hug to his favorite yeti. The other guardians speculated from their places. It was always when he was with children that he was most compassionate and a leader, yet he seemed to be the most innocent. He seemed so oblivious to the darkness of the word when there was a child around.

"Everything will be alright," he cooed.

The four other guardians looked to each other and nodded in a silent agreement.

"Jack, why don't you and Eddie go do something for the day?" North suggested. "Tooth needs to go check on her fairies at her palace, Bunny will be visiting the warren, and I need to prepare for Christmas Eve tomorrow." When Sandy elbowed the big man, he added, "And Sandy is going out into field to give dreams."

The winter spirit to the others with his eyes wide in astonishment. "Really?"

"I think we've had enough brain-racking conversations for one day," Bunny commented.

"We can discuss more later," Tooth added. "We can find out how to help... your friend later once we check up on things."

That was the best part about Jack's job: he didn't have to prepare for his job or maintain a things at his workshop or warren or palace. He just had to visit the world and bring as much snow as he pleased, except to places around the equator; it was never cold enough for it to do any good. The snow would only melt after a few seconds from the forever blazing sun. Besides, being in those places made him feel sweaty and twisted his stomach uncomfortably.

He had to admit, all this seriousness was getting to him. He was the guardian of fun, not of meetings. Jack turned to the yeti. "Want to go do something fun, Little Ginger?" Ginger was his nickname fore the yeti for being such an orange red, unlike the others.

The little creature grumbled in agitation at the nickname, but a smile perked between his cream mustache. He nodded and Jack took the yeti's hand and tugged him out of the lounge, leaving the others.

Sandy molded a Pitch and wedding ring along with Jack with a question mark while wearing a face of awe.

"It's so weird to think she talks to him." Tooth shuddered. "So, is she a spirit?"

"Well, not like Jack, no," Bunny mumbled. "For some reason, she went to Jack and not one of us."

"Let's talk of this later, my friends," the Russian suggested in agitation. "I have much to do before tomorrow!"

"But what if something happens?" asked Tooth worriedly. "Splitting up isn't a good idea-" a snow globe held out to her and she stopped mid-sentence. It wasn't as large as North's other globes; it was the perfect size to fit into you're pocket

"You globe to contact," North ordered as he handed one to the Pooka and sandman. "We'll meet back here later."

After a few farewells, the guardians scattered to do their jobs at their warrens, palaces, workshops, and in sleeping towns.

.../\...

Rage filled the Nightmare King known as Pitch. He should have destroyed the guardians at his first chance. They were all in his grasp, until she came along to destroy his plan. She was the reason he hadn't taken over the world that day. She stopped him from following through with his plans and getting what he wanted for thousands of years.

No, he thought to himself. Jack is the reason.

He turned her against him. He encouraged her to foil his plans. He was the reason why fear hadn't taken over.

Pitch would make him pay, he promised, as he grinned at the plans that were being told by his apprentice. He would get his revenge against that wretched boy if it was the last thing he ever did.

.../\...

In a room somewhere in the maze of North's workshop, a winter spirit and yeti held their bowling balls in a ready stance. At the end of the room stood ten frozen elves each wearing a face of shock and in different poses.

Jack looked at the young yeti next to him. "You want to go first, ginger?"

The little "ginger" grumbled a something Jack didn't understand, but then smiled at the boy and nodded.

"Okay, just stand right here." He ushered the creature into position. "Hold your ball like this, and when you're ready, just let your ball go like this." After Jack's demonstration, the yeti took his stance and stared at the frozen elves at the end of the room while Jack stood of to the side and set his blue ball down. The front yeti was standing on one foot and looked like he was about to fall over. Its mouth was wide open and eyes filled with shock.

Eddie's eyes constrained to just slits. His beard pulled up as he scrunched his nose. After a few seconds, the Eddie step forward and pulled back his right arm with the scarlet bowling ball. He swung forward and released. Jack watched as the bowling ball rushed down to the other side of the room, but was pulling to the right.

Jack quickly whispered quietly to the wind, and within seconds, the scarlet ball was set back on course and crashed into the elves. Ten frozen elves toppled over each other and fell on their sides.

The yetis eye filled with glee and excitement as he heard Jack's cheers and claps in the room they were in. Jack grabbed the yeti's arms and danced around the creature. "You did it! Great job, Eddie! You were awesome!" Little Eddie laughed as he wast twisted in circles by the boy who continued to congratulate him. His voice wasn't deep like the other yetis. Instead, it was more like any other child's- sweet and contagious. "You were amazing! Come on, let's do it again," Jack laughed as he ran over to the other side of the room to set up the elves once more. Eddie continued to laugh as he ran to Jack's side to set up their 'pins' once more.

Jack's heart seemed to warm as his favorite yeti grabbed his ball and ran back to the other side of the room, ready to throw again. Not only was this a distraction from reality, but a reminder of what truly matters. He had to be there for the children who felt alone and afraid, just like he had once been. This was why he loved his job: making other's smile.

.../\...

Pitch skulked in the shadows as he watched his arch-enemy travel through the streets of cities in Australia. He watched as his the children were given dreams in their sleep of being knights taking down dragons, princesses being rescued by their prince charming, and others of more modern things such as surfing.

Oh how he hated these things. He hated their happiness and innocence. Why were they so special? Why were they given life on a silver platter when, growing up, had fought for his right to live. Why must they be able to turn a blind eye to the darkness around them when his daughter had to take it on all alone.

Iris. Why did she have to go through it alone?

This plan had better work, or else his apprentice Pitch would be set back to square one.

As Sandy shared his sand with the sleeping children from a rooftop, Pitch stepped out of the shadows from the alley he had been lurking in. He armed himself with his scythe made from his nightmare sand and made his way towards his rival.

.../\...

The guardian of dreams watched as his sand streamed into the neighboring houses through the windows where he knew a child was sleeping. All this work with sleep made him tired as well. So much had happen the other night. Even though he was stuck walking through tunnels for most of the time while in Pitch's lair, the fear that had crept his heart had left him exhausted, the same for the rest of the guardians.

His thoughts drifted to his favorite young guardian. How could Sandy, the bringer of dreams, not know of Jack's nightmares? Why didn't he notice it before? What if he had done something to help him through those first two months with his memories back of the wretched man he called his father? The Sandman was known for being gentle, but the mere thought of Jack being scarred like that just enraged him.

Then he his anger was turned on himself at the thought that wasn't there for Jack. He wasn't there when Jack was alone for so many years. He didn't do his job as a guardian over the children of the world. What did Jack think of him? What did Jack think of himself? Did he ask himself if was worth anything? Did he wonder when he would finally matter?

Sandy was so wrapped in his thoughts he didn't realize that someone had stepped onto the streets until he heard his voice.

"It seems to me that only you made it out unharmed," his enemy sneered and Sandy turned. "It looks like I'm going to have to change that."

Sandy felt the globe within the folds of his sand attire. Casually, he reached in to his pocket.

Pitch smirked at the little gold man. "You seem so alone, sandman. Tell me, where is that beloved Toothiana?" He looked at his nails casually. "I wonder, do you think it would hurt if I slowly plucked every on of those blasted feathers of hers?"

Pitch jumped to the side as an oversized golden hammer came down from where he once stood. The weapon was fit for the world's largest Whack-A-Mole. The little fat man lifted it above his head and swung at the nightmare man. Pitch laughed as he dodge each swing and they slowly traveled to the edge of the city and away from people.

"Catch me if you can," Pitch yelled. Sandy knew something was off, but his fury at the man ever thinking of harming Tooth clouded his mind. The sandman glided after the nightmare king farther away from civilization and into a forest. Trees towered over the gold man as he chased after Pitch

With little effort, Pitch stepped away just out of reach as he continued to taunt the wee little man. "Oh, come on," he whined as he stepped into a clearing of the forest. "I thought we could be talk like civilized men about how I'd kill all of your friends." He lunged to the other side of the clearing to escape the mallet. In the place he once stood was now a large crater. "Such a lovely chat. Unfortunately, I have a schedule to follow."

Sandy glared at the dark twisted man. How was he the hero of Golden Age? How could he have been that man and turn into this?

The man once known as Kozmotis sneered at the other. "I guess I'll give you your Christmas gift now," Pitch sighed. With the snap of his fingers, the ground began to quake. Cracks formed into the forest floor and stretched for several meters. They began to widen and from within theirs depths, a hand latched onto the edge. It wasn't like any human hand.

It was slick black and extremely thin; in fact, no human it's slender, outstretched fingers were far too long to belong to any man. A head came into view. It's eyes were white and with no emotion; black tendrils sprouting from the top of its head. As more of the body was visible, the only color Sandy could see from the creature was black. Coils from the black bandages that wrapped around the creature hung loose on its body.

Then more identical creatures appeared from the widening cracks. All were wrapped in black gauze and their eyes all fixed on the golden man.

Withing seconds, the sandman knew what the creatures were.

Nightmare men.

.../\...

The globes they have can only contact, not teleport.

Chapter 28 will be posted on January 21st. I need to do homework and study for finals. :/ sorry. No fruit or shurikens thrown at me, please. I'll work as quick as possible!