Sorry this took so long. Thank you to all of you that continue to read.

Peace, Love, and Whatnot,

- S. Nightly

Bunnymund hopped at a quick pace, ducking behind tables, and hiding behind frozen yetis as much as possible to stay out of the open. Looking out at the room Bunny found no trace of Jack anywhere. A stark silence fell over the room. Bunny listened to his heart pound in his chest. With luck, he had managed to avoid Jack in the kitchen, but he was running out of places to hide. Not to mention, if Jack got bored he would start searching the other levels. Once the winter spirit realized the others were not playing, it wasn't going to fun for any of them.

The cold silence was broken by a laugh that caused Bunny's heart to leap out of his chest. Sliding on the ice, he fell to the floor. As he looked up a dark shadow came down from the rafters, and lay upon one of the yetis. From it a skeletal figure emerged. Bunny scowled at the pale man who was now perched upon the yeti's shoulder.

"Oh my, I so do enjoy horror features." Pitch laughed.

"Pitch! Get out of here ya ratbag! Before I throttle ya!" Bunny snapped, as he pulled himself up from the floor.

Pitch only laughed, and leaned back, putting his feet up on the yeti's head, and using the raised arm as a back rest.

"Now, now." He warned with a chuckle. "Any louder, and Jack will find you."

Bunny's eyes immediately shifted to the door, as if he were waiting for Jack to fly through. Pitch let out another loud laugh, finding the sight hysterical.

"Ah so much fear! I haven't eaten this well since the dark ages!"

"Well, you're about ta starve!" Bunny sneered. "Because no one here is afraid! We'll get Jack under control!"

The Boogeyman's smile didn't fade. He wiped away an imaginary tear from his eye.

"Please, you think you can control a force of nature?"

Pitch stood up. He stepped from one yeti to the other with ease as if they were rocks lined up in a creek. Bunny followed closely as the shadow danced about the room.

"Jack Frost is ice." He said jumping to a new perch. "His is snow." He landed on another yeti. "He is all that is winter embodied in a child."

Pitch jumped with no place to land, turning into a cloud of sand. Bunny looked about trying to find the intruder when his laughter summoned his gaze to the top of the globe. Pitch stood there smiling happily.

"Can you feel it, Rabbit? The fear flowing through the air?" He smirked. "It is... delicious."

"We'll find a way!" Bunny screamed. "Jack's not a bloody monster like you! We'll find a way because we aren't afraid!"

Pitch only shook his head and continued to smile.

"Oh how cute. You think that you're so important." Pitch laughed. "Look around you, Cotton Tail. Your fear in just a side dish. But thank you for keeping the main coarse warm."

Pitch wiggled his fingers in a playful wave.

"Ta ta."

A gold whip crashed down onto the top of the globe. Bunny looked over his shoulder to see Sandy standing there with an angry look on his face. The Boogeyman turned into sand, and disappeared back into the shadows from which he had come. Tooth, and North rushed up to their friend.

"Bunny, are you alright?" Tooth asked, patting him down.

"Yeah, yeah, fine. Takes a lot more than talk to scare me." Bunny huffed, puffing out his chest.

"Bunny, no time for pride. Where is Jack? The pole is starting to heat up." North demanded.

North looked to the Yeti's, and smiled. There was already a coat of water dripping down where they were melting. Some were even beginning to break free.

"Uh, last time I saw him I gave him the slip in the dinning room." Bunny guessed, rubbing his head. "But he could be anywhere by now."

"Ah is fine. Jack will be weakened by heat. Any of us should be able to handle him now that temperature is up. Tooth search main floor, Sandy east wing, Bunny west wing. I will check basement, and lock up to make sure no one gets near the heater."

"Alright, but everyone be careful, and shout if you need anything." Tooth told them as they split up.

Sandy gave her the thumbs up and flew off as North waved her on, and went down to the basement.

Detaching himself from the group as well Bunny went to check the west wing. With a sigh Tooth flew off to check the last place Jack had been seen.

She fluttered through the halls at a fast pace, checking smaller rooms quickly as she went. Knowing Jack, Tooth knew the boy would not sit still for long, and if he was still playing their game then he would most likely be in plain sight. Unfortunately, she was right.

She found Jack in the meeting room. He made no attempt to hide himself as sat upon the carpet curled up in a ball before a roaring fire. Tooth had to double take the sight as she had never seen Jack so close to a flame before. His hood was drenched in water as his icy skin melted. What little she could see looked paler than usual.

"J-Jack?" Tooth stammered at first.

As she came closer she noticed Jack's hands clenching the sides of his pants. They were red around the edge despite the lines of frost nipping at them. Tooth felt a great pain when she realized they were burnt.

"Oh my- Sweet Tooth."

Tooth could not hold herself back. She zipped over, and planted herself beside him. Jack flinched when he felt a warm hand on his shoulder. Bunny came in the room after, making his curl tighter.

"Hey Tooth there's nothing in the west w...ing."

Bunny froze as he walked into the scene. Seeing Frostbite melting made a little part of his heart cringe. The boy looked so defeated, and helpless.

The boy's eyes opened as he managed to lift his head. The orbs had faded to a pasty gray, and looked like that of a blind man. The mystical light was nowhere to be seen. He pulled away from her, panting in an effort to draw air into his weak lungs. Everything burned, and Jack could barely speak, yet he let out mournful whimpers as he tried to stay away.

"Pitch said... I was bad, and... you were going to melt me..." Jack whispered sadly. "S-so, I'm helping."

"Forst- No..." Was all Bunny could manage in his shock.

Bunnymund jumped as an elf came out of nowhere, and ran through his legs. He splashed a bucket of water on the ground as he struggled to keep it up. Before he could reach the fire Jack touched his hand to the floor. The frost that grew there was pathetic, and quickly melted to water, but it was enough for the elf to slip on. The jingly munchkin slid across the floor, and fell forward into his own water bucket before it spilled across the room.

"I told th-them to stop." Jack muttered, curling back up.

"Them?"

Tooth turned to see a small hoard of elves hiding behind the couch. They carried with them trays of ice cubes, cups of ice water, one even carried a small tub of chocolate ice cream. More were lined up behind the other pieces of furniture, and one at a time more snuck in. So far their efforts had been in vain. As a last attempt they were planning a final assault.

"Jack, you weren't bad. We were just-" Bunny stopped, realizing he was about to contradict what he told Pitch.

They were afraid. All of their efforts had been to fight Jack because they were afraid of what he had done, and what he would do. They were terrified of what Jack had become. The worst part was Pitch, the king of darkness, and lies, was right about everything. They were afraid of Jack, and he was afraid of them.

"I should h-have gone away."

Tooth looked at the poor boy, shivering as the heat slowly cooked him. Tears stained his face, forming rivulets over the half frozen tears that were still attempting to slide off his face. She couldn't stand it. This had to end, and they had to make thing right.

"Bunny... Get the window open."