Author's Note: Hello everyone and welcome back to "Dream On!" =D Ack, this is the chapter where the Nightmare King finally makes his entrance. =D Pitch's character is actually really interesting to write and expirement with. I've noticed that a lot of ROTG fanfics always focus on Pitch being the bad guy, but in reality, he's just lonely and desperate for believers, friends, and a family. To be frank, I feel bad for him (especially in GOC. His story is tragic ='() I included some of those elements into this story...you'll see what I mean as we get deeper into this fic. X)

Anyway, I'll stop character analyzing now, haha. XD I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. =)

Chapter Six: The Return of Pitch Black

The shadows creeped up the walls like spiders. They were sharp and jagged, like cracks in stone. Nightmare sand shifted and weaved around the Globe of Belief, and the presence of the darkening substance caused the many lights on the globe to wane and flicker. The yetis and elves were still running around, frenzied, and the Guardians stayed glued to their spots in front of the control panel on the platform below, eyes wide with shock.

Jack's breathing quickened at the sight of the ominous murk. It had been a year since the Guardians had seen any sign of Pitch, and here the Boogeyman was, revealing himself. Jack remembered watching the look of terror on Pitch's face as he was dragged deep down into his lair by his own creations. Since then, the winter spirit hadn't thought much of him until his nightmares began. Jack had hoped that Pitch wouldn't return for, well, a very long time. Unfortunately, Pitch didn't wait that long to strike again.

The winter spirit stepped away from a tendril of darkness curling near him like a tentacle. Jack gripped his staff in hand, a bright blue glow radiating from the aged wood. Despite the situation being frightening, Jack was ready to fight, even though the only thing he wanted to do was run and hide.

Instinctively, the Guardians placed themselves in front of Jack, weapons raised so they could protect him. Though Jack continuously told them that he was fine, the Guardians knew that he wouldn't be able to last very long if a fight were to break out. And none of them wanted to risk him getting any more hurt.

Pitch's shadow loomed over the Globe of Belief, but the physical figure of the Nightmare King was nowhere to be seen. Keeping to the shadows was one of the many methods Pitch loved to use against the Guardians; they weren't able to see or attack him from there. The Boogeyman laughed at the Guardians' blatant display of affection.

"Aw…ready to defend your precious Spirit of Winter, I see?" he drawled. "If this were, say, about a year ago, none of you would've made a move to protect him."

"Come out and fight, ya bloody wuss!" Bunny yelled, gripping his boomerangs tightly in his paws. If Pitch were visible, Bunny would've already hurled his two weapons of choice at the man.

"I prefer to stay in the dark," Pitch said. His shadows multiplied and circled around the Guardians threateningly. Long, darkened fingers stretched from the murk, reaching toward them. One of them brushed against Jack's cheek. He shivered.

"Ah, I can feel the waves and waves of fear rolling off you, Jack," Pitch said with a low chuckle. "A child's fear is one thing, but yours is just too tempting to toy with."

Jack glowered, the grip on his staff tightening. "I'm not scared," he said rigidly. His staff sparked with winter energy, glowing just as bright as the winter spirit's determined eyes. "You should crawl back to the hole you came from, Pitch. Or we'll send you there ourselves."

"Your pathetic threats don't scare me, boy," Pitch said dismissively. "And I'm having enough fun already playing with your head."

Jack faltered, but he quickly regained his confident composure before anyone could notice. So his inkling had been correct; Pitch was the one giving him nightmares. Now he was more than upset. Pitch would pay for ever sending him those night terrors, but Jack still didn't understand why he was doing this. He wasn't the only one who had taken a part in defeating the Boogeyman. Why hadn't he touched the other Guardians? Or the Burgess children?

Not that I want them getting hurt… thought Jack. Perhaps it was better it were him than them. The children deserved to go on with their lives without any fear, and the Guardians were busy enough giving their wonder, hope, and dreams to the children. Handling nightmares wasn't something that they'd always have time for, and nor did the kids.

As if his thoughts had been read, Tooth asked, "What do you want from us, Pitch?" Her eyes flashed with indignation, and her feathers flared. From beside her, Baby Tooth wore an equally angered expression.

"What do I want?" Pitch repeated. Finally, he stepped out of the shadows, his figure on top of the Globe of Belief. Upon further examination, Jack realized that he looked much stronger than he had been a year ago. Pitch had been greatly weakened after the Battle of Burgess, and the Guardians knew it would take some time for him to reach full power once again. A year was hardly enough to regain all that lost strength, but it seemed that Pitch had saved enough to do whatever he had planned for the Guardians of Childhood.

The Boogeyman looked much taller as he stood on the Globe. His amber-colored eyes flickered malevolently, and his hands were folded behind his back. Despite his solemn pretense, the Guardians could see the burning hate in his eyes and tightened posture.

"For years and years I've been walked through. Cast into the shadows with no one ever taking a glimpse of me. But you—you all were praised for your pathetic deeds. Leaving…quarters under pillows. Dropping of gifts in the middle of the night. Rainbow colored eggs tucked away in the forest, and sweet dreams being delivered every night. Tiny, ridiculous little things that hold no importance, and yet the children believe. And what did I get for doing my job? My job, that holds true significance? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Instead, I was forced out. Shut out. I was here first and yet you shoved me aside."

As Pitch continued to speak, his shadows rippled and lengthened, making the Guardians feel even more uneasy.

"It's asinine, really," Pitch said. "That you all are noticed for the tiny, little things that you do. You never revealed yourselves to the children, and yet they still believed in you. When I finally gained the power to, I decided to sweep my fear across the Globe. I'd make them notice. I make them see who they should really believe in. But here I am with zero believers while yours are still increasing by thousands."

"If I can't be believed in," Pitch said loudly, stepping forward on the Globe. His eyes narrowed, boring into each of the Guardians like drills. "Then I'd rather watch you crumble and fall. Destroyed from the inside. None of you have ever felt true fear, and I know all of your fears, your phobias. The things that you kept hidden away from everyone because they made you look weak. And of course, you didn't want any of the children to think that. Those fears of yours can be used against you and bring you down to the point where you'll break. I'll take those fears and use them against you, and in time, you'll weaken. You'll lose your power. Your believers. Everything that you love and cherish. You'll wither away in fear until there's nothing left but dust and ashes."

To say that he wasn't frightened by Pitch's threat would be a lie. Jack was completely shocked. It had never crossed his mind that the other Guardians had fears too; they didn't seem like the type who got scared or felt fretful. Jack looked at his comrades, their stances stoic but their expressions troubled. Jack knew that he looked the same way, but he was already being put through Pitch's turmoil, unlike the others.

Mustering up as much courage as he could, Jack stepped forward. "If you're after all of us, why are you only messing with me?" he demanded.

Pitch chuckled. "You do know you mean a lot to the Guardians, even though they've never said so out loud," he replied. "And your fears go far deeper than the others. 300 years alone has left quite it's mark on you, hasn't it?"

Jack's grip on his staff tightened, his eyes harder than ice.

"You have so many internal wounds, and they're still healing," Pitch continued. "But if they're cut open just enough, they can cause you enough pain to release a wash of fear. Your fears are more personal than the Guardians', and you still struggle with them to this day, so I'm easily able to plant my nightmares into you and watch as they plague you in your sleep."

"Stop this now, Pitch!" North bellowed. "You'll only bring more pain on yourself!"

Pitch threw his head back and cackled. "I don't take orders, old man." As he spoke, his shadows stretched and crawled over the walls, turning the normally jolly North Pole into a twisted, darker version of itself. Nightmares leapt out of the inky murk and stomped their hooves angrily against the ground. They were bigger and stronger than the ones the Guardians had fought back during the Battle of Burgess. Their eyes glowed with fury, and they grunted and shook their heads madly. Nightmare sand coiled around their feet like snakes; the Guardians quickly raised their weapons.

Pitch smiled with his shark-like teeth. "Attack them!" he commanded.

The Nightmares whinnied sharply. The Guardians of Childhood charged and attacked without hesitation. Their rage and anger toward the Boogeyman fueled every slash, cut, and blow that they took at the dastardly creatures. They burst back into the sand that they were made of upon hit, their screaming like haunting poltergeists as they were destroyed. Their remains splashed on the ground; they didn't disappear.

The Guardians fought through valiantly, but they hurriedly discovered that these Nightmares were far stronger than the ones they had fought before. Pitch must have made some modifications, for it took several hits to destroy just one of the fiendish beasts. The Guardians pushed through the dark, slashing, fighting, and hitting with everything that they had. North cut through the horses with his swords while Bunny stabbed them through with his boomerangs. Tooth's cutlasses were silver blurs in the air as she sliced and slashed through the Nightmares. Sandy's whips cracked and whipped against the black horses. They turned into dreamsand on contact, and the golden grains would return back to their master. Jack's arm pulsed with pain, but he froze as many nightmares as he could and swiped his staff through the ones that got too close. His exhaustion weighed him down, and Jack had nearly been hit multiple times during the battle, but the Guardians were there to back him up in an instant.

Pitch watched, taking pleasure in the crazed fight taking place down below. He would join the discord, but he knew that his Nightmares would handle things. Besides, as the Guardians fought his creations, the next phase of his plan was already being put into play.

When the last of the Nightmares were destroyed, sunk into his shadows and appeared before the Guardians. He looked around at the carnage before examining the Guardians before him. They were breathing heavily and completely caked in Nightmare grit. North leaned on one sword. Tooth hovered close to the ground. Sandy's glow dimmed, and Jack held his arm while he leaned against his staff. Bunny gripped his boomerangs tightly.

The Boogeyman hummed in amusement. "You've done well," he remarked. "But once I bring the real battle, we'll see how well you do then."

Bunnymund growled and he lunged at Pitch with his boomerang, but the Nightmare King sunk into the shadows, his haunting voice echoing through the North Pole like an eerie siren.

"See you in your nightmares."

…

It had taken some time to get the mess cleaned up and calm the creatures of Santoff Claussen down, but once that had been done, the Guardians headed to the infirmary. Jack's wound had reopened during the battle, and his bandages needed to be replaced. The other Guardians checked themselves for injuries while they were there. Luckily, they found none.

When Jack had removed his bandages, the Guardians were shocked to find the lines of black blossoming from the bite wound had extended up and down Jack's arm. The winter spirit frowned at the sight of it.

"It looks like the bite did worse than I thought," remarked Jack flippantly.

Tooth gently rewrapped the injury with a clean roll of bandages. "We need to be careful and find a way to stop Pitch," she said. "He may be the only one who knows how to fix this." The Tooth Fairy finished patching up the wound, and she fluttered over to the medical table, placing the remaining bandages on top of it. Baby Tooth hovered over to Jack and perched on his shoulder. The winter spirit rubbed a finger against her feathers.

Bunny sheathed his boomerang on his back. "Pitch is most likely lurkin' somewhere in the shadows," he said. "And the drongo made it pretty clear that he wouldn't reveal himself unless one of us is asleep."

None of the Guardians wanted to go through a nightmare, especially if they involved their greatest fears. Jack wished that there was an easier solution to stop Pitch, but that answer hadn't been made clear to them yet. Pitch was as crafty as they came, and if the Guardians wanted to defeat him a second time, they would need to be just as astute.

"I will send some yetis to check around Globe anyway," said North. He crossed his large arms, the Naughty and Nice tattoos rippling as he moved. "There are many entrances to Pitch's lair; perhaps we will find him at one of them."

"But we can't wait until Pitch comes and attacks again," Tooth said, her wings beating swiftly. "We need to make a move, and soon. We're not the only ones at risk, but the children too. What if the Nightmares go after the kids? We have to be on our guard."

The Guardians were at a loss of what to do next. Jack, however, had an idea. It was one that he didn't want to do and was beyond risky, but he was willing to do whatever it took to protect the children and stop Pitch once and for all.

"If Pitch isn't going to come after us," said Jack. The Guardians turned to him. "Then we're going to have to bring him here."

Sandy's dreamsand coiled into a question mark over his head.

"What do ya mean, mate?" Bunny inquired out loud. "How would we bring Pitch to us? We can't summon him at will."

Shakily, Jack stood up from his seat, using his staff to support him. Baby Tooth glanced up at him worriedly.

"If we're going to bring Pitch to us, one of us has to be asleep," explained Jack. He let out a breath. "And that person…That person's gonna be me."

Author's Note: Looks like Jack's taking one for the team. =) I wonder how things will turn out?

Obviously, I know, but no spoilers, hehe. X) Thank you guys so much for reading, and I'll see you in the next chapter! =D

Until the next chapter!

~BeyondTheMoon1203