Jack hopped onto the deck of the ship, his arms full of the last needed supplies. He headed below deck, where Pitch was tying down a crate. Jack began to arrange the supplies in another crate. A black box tumbled out of his hands and broke open. A strange assortment of little things slid over the floor. A necklace with a crystal in the middle rolled over and bumped against Pitch's foot. He glanced over, his thin lips pressed together in displeasure.

"Please be careful with that, Frost."

Jack scrambled to pick up the items. "Sorry. Slipped."

Pitch tied an expert knot then leaned down to pick up the crystal. He stared at it fondly, one finger caressing down the length of it. No smile touched his lips, but his eyes were soft. Jack packed the crate then held out the black box.

"What's that?" Jack asked.

"A special piece of a phosphorescent rock that Nightlight and I found. We made a pact with it. He has the other half."

Jack was surprised when Pitch handed it over. Setting the box aside, he brought the necklace close to his face and turned the crystal around. Veins spread through it, branching off until they were too thin to see. Jack hummed.

"So it glows?"

"When the two halves near each other. Nightlight let Lunar and me out of his sight only after I had the crystal. It's a sort of beacon, a homing device. If I wanted, I could use it to find him."

"Great! We could use all the help we can get," Jack said.

Pitch shook his head, taking the crystal back. He tossed it into the box then turned away.

"I'm afraid that Nightlight has finally gone out."

"What?"

"Don't you remember what Shadow Man said?" Pitch asked, his shoulders slumped. "He put out Lunar's Nightlight. That's why he could get close. Because Nightlight went out. That means that the monsters can get him now."

"So…he's dead?"

Pitch shrugged, but Jack could tell the answer was yes. Jack fingered the crystal, watching Pitch regain control. The man straightened then turned to nod at Jack.

"Finish up and we can take off." He paused a few steps away, his intense eyes looking at the crystal. "Why don't you wear it? He's dead, but you're like him."

"I am?" Jack asked.

"Yes. More than you know. He was also brave and clever and stronger than his slight build would suggest." His eyes gleamed as he added. "And he was a child who couldn't grow up. I think you would have liked each other."

Jack looked down at the crystal, knowing that Pitch was entrusting him with an object that was very dear to him, and he smiled as he slipped the chain around his neck.

"Thanks."

Pitch inclined his head then headed up the stairs. Jack took a moment to admire his new possession before he placed the black box in the crate and worked on the complicated knot that Pitch had shown him. It took him much longer than the Nightmare King, but he finally got it then hurried up to the deck.

The ship was dark, the boards moving with the black hole shadows, which seemed alive as they swirled and danced with every step. The stars were glittering above them, but there was no moon to be seen. It was truly dark, and just noting that it was gone made him shiver. Pitch was at the helm, looking at him.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

Pitch crooked a finger, and Jack hurried up to him. When he got there, Pitch gestured at a black bell.

"Ring it."

Jack leaned against his staff, which Pitch had retrieved two days earlier and was fixed an hour before, then rang the bell. A thud sounded out, and the ship trembled under his feet. A sensation akin to flying hit him, and he bounced in excitement. Pitch nudged him then gestured upward.

"Get up on the lookout post. You'll like the view."

Jack called the Winds, which propelled him up into the crow's nest, and he stared around with great glee as the ship lifted from the ground and began to sail up. They had to take off at night because Pitch was concerned about them remaining invisible. Jack asked if the children would really care, and the man's jaw clenched as he replied.

"It's not the children that I worry about."

Jack understood and said nothing more about it. Now, he stood in the crow's nest of a dark ship, staring into the starry sky as they sailed on invisible winds up and up and up. Pitch guided the ship with skilled hands. After a few minutes, he called up to Jack, his voice soft, yet carrying.

"Brace yourself. We're going to hit the layers of the atmosphere. Earth has five. Don't fall. We're still in the gravitational pull."

The first jolt hit Jack hard, and he sat down. Another jolt a minute later, and Jack heaved himself up to look over the railing. The earth was receding quickly, and Jack could see the lights of big cities peeking through the clouds, shimmering like fireflies. The next jolt and Jack stood, planting his feet and clutching at his staff. The next layer and he felt like he had his balance.

"We're about to leave Earth. I'd sit if I were you," Pitch called.

"I've got this!" Jack laughed.

Pitch stared at him for a moment then pressed the wheel down. They shot up so fast that Jack screamed and fell over the side of the crow's nest. It was only a tangle of ropes that kept him from a brutal fall to the deck. There was a soft pop and Jack knew immediately that they were in space. The ship had its own gravity generator, so he didn't float, but his senses didn't know what was happening anymore. When his dizziness passed, he opened his eyes to find Pitch standing in front of him with his arms crossed, a knowing look in his eyes.

"Oh yes," he said blandly. "You've got this."

Jack's cheeks cooled, but he laughed. "Oops!"

"Hold still."

Pitch untangled Jack in less than a minute then rearranged the ropes into their proper spots. Jack watched, leaning on his staff, a grin on his still cold face. Pitch strolled back to the helm and angled the ship toward a black area with no stars.

"Should we be going toward that?" Jack asked, worrying his bottom lip. "I mean, it looks like a black hole."

Pitch snorted. "No. It's the moon. The reflective sand has been darkened, probably from Shadow Man." The man glanced over. "Trust me, you'd know if it were a black hole."

"How?"

Leveling his intense silvery-gold eyes on Jack, Pitch replied, "Because I'd be worried."

Jack shrugged. "Good point."

The boy didn't know what to do with himself, so he just sat on the railing and watched the dark spot increase in size. He had never been to the moon before, and he was excited to see where MiM lived. As he thought, he turned to look at Pitch.

"Have any of the other Guardians been to the moon?"

"They've all been to the moon," Pitch replied, adjusting the ship with small, precise movements. "But only Sanderson has been farther. North, Toothiana, and Bunnymund were all born on Earth. Pookas came from a distant planet, but as far as Bunnymund is concerned, he is one of the last Earth-born Pookas. There are some across the galaxy, here and there, but the ones on Earth either left or died out. Except for the dear Easter Bunny."

Jack nodded, dangling his foot over the edge. He could see more of the moon now, the surface covered in shadows that sharpened in relief in the starlight. Pitch turned the wheel and came alongside the moon, scanning the surface with sharp eyes. After a few minutes, he decided that it was safe and angled the ship to land. The landing wasn't as jarring, and Jack remained sitting. Pitch rang the bell again and weightlessness flooded the ship. Jack yelped.

"The outer shell's gravity is broken, remember? Less gravity," Pitch said. "Follow close behind me. Be ready to fight. I don't see movement, but Shadow Man might have left a surprise for us."

"Did he know we would come here?" Jack asked, gripping his staff.

"He knew I would," Pitch said tightly.

They disembarked and Jack's toes dug into the moon sand, cool and unearthly. He giggled, and Pitch glanced at him. There was no reproval in his gaze, but Jack felt a need to be serious, so he nodded and followed on quiet feet. They made their way across the surface, and nothing moved. After about thirty steps, Pitch held up his hand, his eyes scanning the still horizon.

Pitch knelt down and pressed a hidden switch. A hatch opened up, and Pitch gestured for Jack to go in. Jack slid in and dropped to the ground hard. The gravity surprised him, and he rubbed his sore elbow as Pitch landed beside him. The hatch closed above them, and the metal shivered beneath their feet as lights flickered on.

Pitch glanced around then helped Jack up, and they hurried onward. Jack was lost after four turns, but Pitch seemed to know where he was going. He took the corners with ease, not even pausing to consider. After ten minutes, they emerged into the central hub of the ship. It was only then that Jack realized something.

"The moon really is a ship," he whispered, staring at the control panels.

"Broken, but yes," Pitch replied. "It was known as the Moon Clipper in the Golden Age."

"How did it break?"

Pitch grimaced, and there was pain in his eyes. Jack backtracked immediately. "It's okay. So what are we here for?"

Pitch's expression eased into his usual apathy, and he nodded once. "I need to see if I can get a trajectory on Shadow Man's ship. We need to know what direction to go in. The universe is enormous, you know."

Pitch walked over and hesitated before touching the keys. The screen flashed, and Pitch breathed out. He began typing quickly, and it took Jack a moment to realize that he was using symbols that weren't in any Earth language. Information flashed on the screen, and Pitch barely seemed to glance at it before scrolling through. He inhaled sharply and stopped typing. His lips pursed as he read through the page. His face grew tense, and he tapped a button to turn off the screen.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked, tightening his grip on his staff.

Pitch's jaw was set like stone. "He did leave something here," he whispered. "We need to get back to the ship now. Pray that it doesn't know we're here."

Jack knew at once from the look on Pitch's face that it wasn't good. He tensed, and they turned toward the passage they had come down. A noise from the hallway branching to the right stopped them in their tracks. Pitch stiffened, his eyes narrowing as he stepped in front of Jack, his gaze intense as he scanned the dark entryway. Too dark, Jack thought nervously. Pitch cursed under his breath as a shadowy mass slithered out. It reared back, blood-red eyes flashing as it looked triumphantly at Pitch Black.

"Oh, but I do know you're here," it crooned. "Hello, Prism-boy. Remember me?"