Author's Note: Some shout-ouuuuuuuuts that I spontaneously felt like giving! =D

Mixitupqueen: Glad you're enjoying the story thus far! =D As for Emily Jane and Katherine making an appearance in this story, they will not be. =') They are mentioned a few times, though, so I hope that's enough to satisfy you! ^u^

Taloness: Ah, yes. The Boogeyman, Pitch Black, the Nightmare King...every time a nightmare occurs, he's the first one to suspect. Your chapter idea sounds really awesome by the way! =D I do have this entire story planned out already, yes, but thank you for sharing! =D

Guest: YES PITCH LEAVE JACK ALONE PLEASE! THE POOR BOY DOESN'T DESERVE THIS! Luckily, Jackie Boy has the Guardians. They'll help him knock Pitch back down into the hole which he came from, haha. XD

And to the people that stop by and read without leaving a fav, follow, or review (yes, I know you're out there, hehe), thanks for stopping by and giving this fic a chance. =D Seriously, it doesn't matter if I get only one fav, follow, or review...as long as someone out there is enjoying my work, then I'm content enough. =)

*Claps hands* Anyway! Now that we got that all out of the way, here's chapter eight! =D (So sorry for the late update by the way…I was visiting family X)). I hope you guys enjoy it! ^u^

Chapter Eight: Comfort and Conversation

Dreams.

They were beautiful, amazing things that couldn't be labeled as just a figment of one's imagination. Dreams inspired people to achieve their goals. Showed them what things could be instead of what they were. The showed—told—people to think outside of reality's walls. Moved them. Encouraged them. Made them want to persevere. And of course, allowed people to receive a well-deserved, good night's rest.

While dreams were known to be fantastical and unrealistic, a wondrous phenomenon that people couldn't quite yet describe, they still managed to give people the push that they needed to do whatever they wanted to do. Something for them to look forward to when the day went wrong. So many incredible, remarkable things occurred in dreams. Children flew. Imagined beasts came to life. There was always light and life, kingdoms were ruled over and conquered. The world was never-ended, boundless, and inviting. There were no limits, and anything that came to mind was possible

Dreaming was supposed to be a pleasant, enjoyable experience. A time where all one's fantasized thoughts rolled into play. A time where a person didn't have to face the harshness of reality but bask in a world where anything and everything was possible. And most importantly, a time for one to get some sleep. So when Sandy discovered that Jack had been having nightmares for the past four months, he was angered in ways that he couldn't be described. The thought of a dream being turned into something as awful as a nightmare irked him, and further made him want to stop whatever Pitch was planning.

But the Sandman also felt guilty, for it was his dreamsand that allowed nightmare sand's existence. Perhaps if he had fought hard enough, he could've prevented Pitch from getting his hands on it. Then Jack wouldn't be suffering the way he was. The Boogeyman had made several modifications to the dark sand, and it was growing more and more powerful. More and more difficult to cure and understand. Dreamsand was supposed to be the counter to nightmare sand…why hadn't it worked on Jack?

The winter spirit's dreams were always so vivid. Sandy didn't understand why, but he did know that Jack's dreams were special, and he frequently visited the boy's sleeping mind just to see where his imagination had taken him. Jack dreamed about flying with dolphins. Soaring through the clouds with his beloved friend the Wind. He relived memories with his family back when he was mortal. He even dreamed of the Guardians, and from his dreams, Sandy could tell that he was beginning to accept them.

But Sandy had felt nothing from Jack when he was asleep. Every time he tried to pry into his dreams he was met with a cold, uncomfortable darkness that reminded him of Pitch's nightmare sand. The darkness was similar to the one that he felt when the Boogeyman had managed to destroy him on that fateful night a year ago while he and the other Guardians had battled him in the sky.

Nightmares. Darkness. They were the opposites of all that Sandy stood child should have to go through such torment from the two. And the fact that Jack had been suffering from both for so long made Sandy feel rather despondent.

Pushing these thoughts aside, Sandy turned his focus to Jack, who was sitting before him on the bed. Shortly after the Guardians had left, he had switched his seating position. Now, the winter spirit sat curled up on the bed; his knees drawn to his chest. His hood covered his face, leaving only a tuft of white hair peeking through. Jack's eyes were distant. Dulled. Lost. He didn't notice it, but he was trembling as well.

Sandy didn't see a 317-year-old spirit in front of him, but a child who had just woken up from a bad dream.

The Sandman floated up to Jack, who had hardly noticed his presence. Once Sandy grabbed his attention, his dreamsand coiled over his head, creating the image of a question mark, silently asking Jack if he wanted to talk. Sandy could usually reach into one's sleeping mind and view the dream himself, but Pitch had put up an invisible barrier of sorts, which blocked him from accessing Jack's dreams. So the only way he would know what Jack had dreamt was if the winter spirit told him himself.

Jack shook his head languidly. "No…I don't really want to talk about it," he said quietly. Sandy understood, and he nodded. For some peculiar reason, Jack was surprised.

"You…aren't going to make me tell you?" he inquired. Sandy shook his head, a look of understanding on his face. If Jack didn't want to talk, he didn't have to. Sometimes, answers didn't have to be revealed right away, and the best thing one could do for someone was to simply just be there. What mattered most to Sandy right now was that Jack was comfortable. He could tell them more about his nightmares when he was ready.

The two sat in silence for a while, and Sandy was willing to stay like that for as long as Jack needed. Though he hadn't said so out loud so out loud, Sandy knew that Jack was glad for the company that he was giving him. It's pleasant to have your family or friends near you whenever you experience something terrible. Nightmare or not.

Jack hissed in pain, causing Sandy to look up once again. The winter spirit was clutching his wounded arm, and he had tensed. Sandy pointed at the injury, asking if he could examine it. Jack nodded, giving him his permission. Sandy rolled up the blue sleeve of his hoodie and unbound the bandages that were wrapped around his arm. They had been replaced recently, and yet they were stained with blood as if they hadn't.

Underneath the bandages lay the hideous bite, and Sandy couldn't help but wince at the sight of it. It was like the wound was fresh anew; shadows like vines stretched from the bite mark, crawling up and down Jack's arm. They stuck out against Jack's naturally pale skin, pulsing as if they were winter spirit chewed his lower lip nervously.

Sandy brushed his golden fingertips over the wound, sprinkling his dreamsand over it. But when the golden sand touched Jack, they reverted into the horrible grains of nightmare sand in the blink of an eye. Jack stared, dumbfounded; his eyes were permeated with fear.

"...What's happening to me?" he whispered brokenly. Sandy looked up at him, wishing that he had an answer to solace Jack. He wanted to tell him that everything would be okay, that things would soon go back to normal and that his nightmares wouldn't plague him anymore, but he couldn't. He didn't know how the future would unfold. Pitch was making his return, and he was gaining power by the minute. Nightmares were running rampant through cities and towns, and North's yetis and Tooth's mini fairies had reported that a few children had been touched by Nightmares. The Guardian had hoped that the Nightmare King would keep to his lair, but Pitch was as obstinate as he was determined; he didn't back down without a fight. And he wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted.

Pitch wanted to see the Guardians crumble. He wanted to watch them suffer, but what would he do that was force the Guardians of Childhood toward their breaking points? Sandy didn't know, and not knowing what was yet to come only added on to his increasing worry.

"I don't know…" Sandy replied, using the image of someone shrugging to get his message through.

"I guess I won't be sleeping for a while, then…" said Jack, leaning against his pillow. His words were flippant, but Sandy could hear the anxiety behind them. Jack was scared; a feeling that he often concealed behind his mischievous, mirthful facade. Jack had been on his own for a long time, and Sandy wished that he and the Guardians had taken notice of him sooner. He and the others still felt the lingering feeling of guilt, so they were doing their best to make up for all that lost time. While Jack was adjusting slowly, he was having a bit of difficulty in doing so, even though the Guardians had welcomed him. He still tended to keep to himself and didn't turn to the Guardians right away when a problem arose. Jack tried to solve his issues himself, which often put him in perilous situations since he didn't have the proper help.

The same concept could be applied to his nightmares. If Jack had spoken up sooner, Sandy knew that he and the others would've happily helped him. His night terrors wouldn't have grown so bad, and the winter spirit would be out flying on the Wind, spreading his winter and spending time with the children.

But Jack had chosen to stay silent for reasons that none of the Guardians could comprehend just yet. Thankfully, Jack had told them what was going on now, and Sandy was determined to help him as were the other Guardians of Childhood.

Sandy was pulled out of his musings when he heard a deep sigh come from Jack. Looking up, Sandy noticed that Jack was just about to fall asleep. The winter spirit's eyes nearly closed shut when Sandy created a ping-pong pebble and whacked Jack's cheek with it. Jack's eyes snapped open instantly, and he looked around the room, momentarily stunned. His sleepy blue gaze landed on the Sandman, who was producing several images over his head, almost at the speed of light. Jack didn't know how he comprehended what Sandy was saying.

"You can't go to sleep until we know what Pitch is plotting. You may not wake up again if you do."

Jack nodded, remembering how close the Guardians had been to losing him when he had his last nightmare. He shoved the thought aside before the scenes of his terrible dream weaved into his mind.

"Thanks, Sandy," said Jack earnestly.

The words were so sincere, that Sandy felt a little guilty. All he had done was prevent Jack from sleeping, which was something that the Sandman was normally against. He hadn't stopped the nightmares, and nor did he know why Pitch was tormenting the young winter spirit with them. But here Jack was, giving him his thanks, as if he had solved all of his problems at that moment.

Sandy took Jack's hand and squeezed it reassuringly, promising to both the winter spirit and himself that they would get to the bottom of this.

…

Love was a peculiar thing.

It could bring people happiness beyond measure. Make them do things unimaginable, whether good or bad. Change them in ways that one may think impossible and bring out the best in people—even the bad ones.

Yes, love was strange. Peculiar. A mystery that humans haven't figured out and perhaps never would. But the strangest thing about love was the many other emotions that branched from it, and how it could make even the most caring of people turn against each other or reveal a side to them that they didn't know existed.

Worry. Hurt. Fear. Sadness. Tooth knew all of these feelings too well. She had experienced them all in a loop back when she was a young child living in the jungles of Punjam Hy Loo. Her parents, Rashmi and Haroom, she loved them. Cherished them. Cared for them more than she could measure. And knowing that she put them in danger just by being near them made Tooth feel terrible.

So it was out of love that she stayed away from them. She only visited at night, when the light was little, and few people ventured out into the forest. She saw this same love, these same emotions in her parents and friends, when it came to protecting her. When someone you love is hurting, you worry. Sometimes you fight. Sometimes you argue. But it's all out of love. Tooth had seen it all during her travels across the world. Families turning against each other because someone they care about is hurt. A difficult decision to stay away to protect a friend. They did love each other, but the fear of losing them had taken hold, which caused heated arguments, and near loss of friendships.

Tooth placed her small, pink hand against the door that led into Jack's room. She didn't care about the nipping cold that came to her fingertips as she pressed them against the frosted door. The Tooth Fairy was focused on what was going on inside. Tooth desperately wanted to hear the conversation going on between Jack and Sandy, but she couldn't. Baby Tooth twittered sadly from her shoulder. Tooth gave the little fairy a gentle rub on the head in an attempt to reassure her that things would be alright. Behind her, North and Bunny were arguing on what to do next, but it didn't seem to be getting anywhere.

"I say we head to Pitch's lair, finish off the remaining Nightmares, and see if we can find the shadow-sneakin' bloke there," suggested Bunny firmly. "If we destroy them all, we may be able to lure Pitch out."

"But we cannot leave Jack behind!" protested North. "What if Pitch comes here. Then what?"

"I don't want ta leave Jack either, mate, but but we need to find Pitch in order ta stop him from hurtin' the kit!" Bunny retorted.

North shook his head. "I think it is best to stay here in Santoff Claussen. Place is heavily guarded. If Pitch attacks again, we will be ready."

"Ya want us ta stay put and wait for Pitch?" Bunny asked incredulously. "We can't just sit here and wait for the bloody ratbag ta show up, North!"

"And we can't just search the planet for Pitch when we don't even know where he is!" North thundered.

"Like I said before, we can start at his lair," Bunny said indignantly, crossing his arms as he spoke. "Frostbite said there were Nightmares there, and where there's Nightmares, there's Pitch." he concluded with a frown.

"We cannot go out without plan, Bunny," North said. "We should stay here and figure something out first."

"And how long will that take, mate?" snapped Bunny. "Because Pitch is out there wreckin' havoc, and we don't have much time until he goes after the ankle-biters too!"

"And if we go out searching for Pitch, Jack will be left unprotected," North countered.

"Then we take 'im with us!"

"What?! No! We stay here and think of something first!"

"North, yer bein' bloody irrational!"

"You want irrational? Go look in mirror!"

"Why ya bloody little—!"

"Just stop! Stop it!" Tooth cried, turning around from the door and glaring at the two bickering Guardians behind her. Surprised, Baby Tooth flew away from her. North and Bunny stopped arguing, finding them standing in line with the Queen of the Tooth Fairy Armies' rage. "Fighting with each other isn't going to help Jack!"

Though the two didn't show it, both North and Bunny felt ashamed.

"We're discussin', not arguin'," muttered Bunny.

Tooth's feather's flared as she pointed at the door. "Jack is in there, and he's hurt. He won't admit it, but he's scared too! We can't act like this around him; it won't make him feel any better! We need to keep ourselves together and not fall apart. The situation is far worse than we realize!"

Tooth was right, and both North and Bunny knew it. But there was one thing that they were baffled by…What did Tooth mean by the situation being much more dire than they thought? They both knew that Pitch was making his return…what could possibly be worse than that?

The Tooth Fairy turned to Bunny; her wing beats slowed. "You feel it too, don't you?" she said solemnly.

Bunny was still for a moment, stricken with bemusement. Tooth fluttered away from the door, motioning for the Pooka to stand in front of it. Bunny did what she wordlessly requested, and he paused in front of the door, eyes closed. When he opened them, they were wide with shock.

"Oh bloody heck…" he murmured.

"What? What is going on?" asked North, dumbfounded.

Tooth rubbed her arm, smoothening her feathers. Baby Tooth perched on her shoulder once again, placing an encouraging hand on her queen. Tooth sighed, and she proceeded to explain.

"Since I'm half Sister of Flight, I can feel the life force from anything and anyone," she explained softly. "Us Sisters inherited the trait over time. From what I've heard from my mother, they used it to track the life of fantastical creatures and magical plants that needed to be kept in check." Tooth nodded toward Bunny. "But Pookas have had it long before we did."

"A life force, spirit, or soul feels like a tug," elaborated Bunny. "When it's strong, it's tight and it pulls, like how a rubber band feels when ya stretch it out. But when that pull is loose…"

The Pooka trailed off, his ears flopping against his head. Tooth's feathers stuck to her, and her wings skipped a beat. Baby Tooth twittered soberly from the Tooth's shoulder. A wave of dolefulness washed through the room.

Like a brick hitting a wall, North realized what they were insinuating.

"Are you two saying…" said North shakily. "Are you two saying that Jack is…Is…"

"Dyin'?" Bunny finished. Both North and Tooth were shocked. Bunny shook his head and sighed. "Yeah…Yeah he is." He crossed his arms and chided himself. "I can't believe I didn't notice anythin'..."

"You were too wrapped up in your argument," said Tooth. Her amethyst eyes flickered as she looked down. "I didn't to bring anything up until I was sure..."

"But…but that is impossible!" bellowed North. "Jack is immortal! He cannot…pass on."

"His tug is weakening by the minute, mate," said Bunny.

"And his force feels weakest whenever he's having a nightmare," added Tooth. She rubbed her arms. "I'm guessing that the bite that he had received must've sped up the process, because I didn't feel anything before Jack was bitten."

"So Frostbite's nightmares are killin' him," concluded Bunny with a scowl.

"Which means we have to end nightmares before they end Jack," North said solemnly. He sighed deeply and ran a hand through his beard. "But we cannot look for Pitch if we do not know on Earth he is."

"He did say that he'd only reveal himself if one of us is asleep," said Tooth. She frowned. "But we've already tried that, and Jack only ended up getting even more hurt."

It was then that Bunny had an idea. The thought struck him so suddenly, that he almost didn't want to go through with it. The idea was rash. Crazy. One would perhaps even describe it as ill-minded, but Bunny knew that it was worth a try. Jack didn't have much time left, and Pitch needed to be stopped.

"I got a plan," Bunny spoke up, catching the other's attention. "It's risky…but it may be our best bet."

…

North, Tooth, Bunny, and Baby Tooth headed back into Jack's room after bunny explained his idea to them. They found the winter spirit lying down in bed; his back to them. Sandy hovered nearby, and he greeted the Guardians with a kind, friendly wave.

"Ya really let Frostbite fall asleep?" asked Bunny

Jack shifted and he rolled over. His blue eyes were half-lidded, but a light smile decorated his face. "Hey, I'm still awake." The winter spirit's smile faded as he yawned. "Just…extremely tired."

"Ya shouldn't lie down, mate," said Bunny with a small frown. "It'll only tempt ya ta go to sleep. Sit up."

Jack glared at the Pooka, still lying down.

"Please, Jack," said Tooth. "We just want to be safe."

Jack hesitated for a moment, and he sat up, leaning against his pillow tiredly. Tooth flitted up to him and ruffled his hair with an approving smile while Bunny grumbled, wondering how she was always able to get Jack to do what she asked or wanted.

"I, uh…wanted to say that I'm sorry for not telling you guys what was going on sooner…" said Jack. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I didn't mean to get you all dragged into this mess."

"It's alright, Jack," said Tooth. Baby Tooth fluttered off from her shoulder, and nuzzled Jack's cheek. The winter spirit chuckled lightly. "It's better that we face this as a team," finished Tooth.

Sandy floated up from where he was sitting and produced a question mark over his head. "Did you come up with a plan?"

North and Tooth turned to Bunny, who nodded.

"Since Pitch won't show up unless we're asleep…We're all gonna have ta sleep," said Bunny.

Jack tilted his head, confused. "What are you saying, Bunny?" he asked warily.

"I'm sayin' that if we really want ta defeat Pitch, then we all gotta dream," elaborated Bunny. He crossed his arms, addressing everyone in the room. "We're going ta have ta share Jack's nightmares."

Author's Note: And now the story really begins. OuO *Inserts dramatic cliffhanger music here*

Ahhhhhh, this chapter was so fun to write. Not that I enjoyed bringing up the fact that Jack is, well, dying and all...but this chapter is one of my favorites. There's just something about it that made it really fun to put down, haha.

Also, something I forgot to put in my previous author's note, but Jack's nightmare (the one where he was being chased through the woods), actually is a nightmare from the Guardians of Childhood. That nightmare was actually one of Katherine's when she was being held captive by Pitch in nightmare rock. I unintentionally wrote the nightmare out that way in my outline, but I decided to keep it the way it was just for the connection. ^u^

Anyway, that's all I've got. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see ya in the next one! =D

~BeyondTheMoon1203