Author's Note: Hello everyone and welcome back to "Dream On!" =D Ah, so the Guardians are finally venturing into the dream realm...you all are probably wondering how that's going to turn out. X) So to satisfy all your wonders and questions, here's chapter eleven! =D I hope ya'll enjoy it. ^u^

Chapter Eleven: A Not So Simple Deal

Jack had never liked sleeping.

It wasn't that he didn't enjoy the peace that would wash over him when he did. The relief that he would feel to escape the horrors of reality and simply bask in the pleasure of rest. No, Jack didn't downright hate sleeping. He just disliked it. Because sleeping, Jack knew, left him vulnerable and exposed.

For 300 years, Jack didn't have a home. A place to stay or take shelter in. He had nowhere to look forward to returning to. He slept on tree branches, in snowdrifts, insides of abandoned caves that he'd come across on his travels around the world. But aggressive, violent spirits would find him while he was in his state of rest, surprising the winter spirit from his slumber. He didn't have time to react when he woke up, so Jack would end up facing whatever immortals, spirits, or creatures had decided to attack him for no particular reason.

More than once had those incidents occurred, and Jack had grown tired of being easily discovered or assaulted whenever he tried to rest. So, to avoid getting hurt while he slept, Jack held off sleeping for as long as he could until he felt like he would absolutely crash. He'd go days, weeks, sometimes even months without rest. In the rarest of times, perhaps even a few years. Since Jack was immortal, he wasn't required to sleep as much as mortals did. He could for long periods of time without sleep, but that didn't mean he never got tired. When Jack reached the point of exhaustion, he'd fly to Antarticia and take refuge in a snowdrift so he wouldn't be found or attacked. There weren't many spirits out there who could stand against the frigid temperatures of the arctic.

For years, Jack had used this method, and he knew that it wasn't healthy. Jack sometimes lost track of how long it had been when he last slept, and he'd find himself passed out someplace on the globe, wondering where he was and how he had gotten there. It was dangerous going so long without rest, but Jack didn't have access to a home like the Guardians did. He didn't have a place to hide away when the spirits who resented him would hunt him down. Thankfully, since he had joined the Guardians, they had provided him with a home. Multiple in fact, and Jack's sleeping schedule had grown more stable.

But still, he wasn't fond of sleeping.

Jack had never slept in front of the Guardians before. Yes, there was the time when he had fallen asleep during their last Guardian meeting, and even when he had tried to lure Pitch out from wherever he was sequestered but those moments weren't by choice. The latter happened because he had to, and the former occurred on accident. Jack didn't feel comfortable sleeping in front of the Guardians during both scenarios, and he, frankly, didn't know why. The Guardians would never in a million years harm him while he was asleep…but he refused to sleep in front of them in fear of something happening. 300 years alone had done more to him than he thought, the winter spirit realized, and it would take a lot longer for him to fully place his trust in his friends. While Jack did trust the Guardians of Childhood, he didn't trust them to the point where he'd allow them to see him when he was most vulnerable.

So when Jack felt someone shaking his shoulder, his already on edge mind thought it was an enemy. The winter spirit snapped his eyes open and reached for his staff, but it wasn't there. Fear rising in his chest, Jack quickly rose to his feet and held out his hands, blue winter magic swirling around them. The winter spirit was about to blast at what appeared to be a foe when a familiar voice broke through his automatic reflex.

"Crikey, Jack! It's jus' me!" Bunny said in surprise, pulling his paws away from the spooked boy. Jack allowed his winter magic to seep back into his hands, and he dropped them to his sides, letting out an indignant breath.

"Moon above…Bunny! I could've killed you!" Jack exclaimed.

"Well, ya didn't thank Manny…" the Pooka said, relief decorating the edges of his voice. The other Guardians of Childhood stood behind him, equally surprised expressions on their faces. "We've been waitin' for ya ta get up for quite some time now."

"Oh, sorry," Jack apologized. He dusted himself off. "For making you wait so long…and for what just happened." The winter spirit shook his head. "Old habits die hard." he muttered.

The Guardians didn't question him any further, thankfully, and. Bunny tossed Jack his staff, which had slipped out of his grip when they had been transported to…wherever they were. Jack took it; the feeling of the rough, aged wood bring comfort to his irked nerves.

Rubbing out the remainders of drowsiness in his eyes, Jack looked around, finding that he and the Guardians were standing in the middle of a dark wood. The sky was blanketed by thick, grey clouds. The trees were aged. Ancient even. The bark was peeled and wrinkled, revealing a black covering underneath. Many of the tree branches were bare, so the sky was visible. Leaves were scattered across the ground, dead and covered with thick, gushy mud. The bushes were stripped of their leaves as well, and thorns populated each and every branch, glittering like the tips of swords.

The forest didn't look like the one that Jack had ran through in his previous nightmare, and nor did it look like the one that surrounded his beloved lake. Pitch had placed them somewhere in the unknown…Perhaps even in a place that didn't even exist.

"Where are we?" asked Jack. He slipped on his hood, feeling much more comfortable now that his ominous surroundings were blocked by the inside of his hood.

"We should be the one askin' ya that," said Bunny as he crossed his arms. "This is yer mind."

"Well, I don't recognize this place," admitted Jack. He slipped a hand in his pocket and slung his staff on his shoulder. "I was hoping that one of you might."

"Unfortunately, we do not," said North with a sigh.

"Perhaps if we look around, we'll find something that seems familiar," suggested Tooth, her wings fluttering. "Pitch may be nearby, so I suggest that we all keep our guards up."

"Great idea, Toothy," complimented North. "Do you mind giving us light, Sandy?"

The Sandman nodded, and with a wave of his golden hands, he conjured up a glowing ball of dreamsand, which glittered brightly in the midst of the darkness. It looked like a miniature sun as if floated in midair in front of its creator. Sandy turend to the other Guardians and smiled, gesturing for them to follow him down the path that he had illuminated.

"How do you know that's the right way?" asked Jack.

Sandy shrugged, which Jack knew translated to, "I don't."

"I guess we're walking through a dark, spooky forest without any idea where we're going," the winter spirit drawled.

"It's better than standin' around here," commented Bunny. "Now let's see what we can dig up, eh?"

Sandy took the lead as the Guardians walked down the only trail that led out from the clearing. A storm must have recently passed through, for upon closer inspection, the trees were damp and dripping with raindrops. They plopped on the ground, sending small splashes of mud onto the feet of the Guardians who traveled by the ground. Sandy and Tooth didn't have to worry about getting dirty since they flew, but the gnarled branches caused quite a problem when it came to flying through them. They clawed and scratched at them, but the two continued to fly ahead, keeping their eyes peeled for any sign of Pitch Black.

For the first time in centuries, Jack wished that he had shoes. Or at least some sort of foot covering. The mud squished and gushed under his feet, and several sticks and twigs scratched and tore at the bottom of his feet. The winter spirit accidentally stepped on a few sharp stones, causing Jack's feet even more discomfort. As he and the Guardians proceeded through the woods, Jack found himself envying North's boots, which were perfectly constructed for these types of conditions.

Bunnymund seemed to have no problem navigating his way through the dark wood. If Sandy's dreamsand wasn't available, Jack was sure Bunny would still have a sense of direction. He had an impeccable sense of smell, so the Pooka could've easily sniffed his way out. Why he didn't volunteer to do so this time, however, Jack wasn't sure. Well, the Guardians didn't know where they were going or what they were looking for. So perhaps smell wouldn't be as helpful as Jack had originally thought.

Most of the forests that Jack had visited during his 300 years alone were always moving, even in the night when it seemed quiet and tranquill. A creature was always skittering through the bush. Nocturnal birds chirped and hooted from the treetops. Even a light, gentle breeze caused the leaves and bushes to sway, but the forest that the Guardians walked through was silent. Still. Whist. Too whist. Far too whist for any of the Guardians.

The trail grew narrower and narrower until it finally opened up to another clearing. At first, Jack thought it was the same one that he and the Guardians had started in, but upon further inspection, he found that it was wider and broader. Almost like…a battlefield. Shadows stretched across the open space from the trees like clouds grew thicker, hanging over them like a draping. Jack's apprehension began to rise as the Guardians pressed forward.

"Where the bloody heck are we now?" asked Bunny, not expecting an answer. None of the Guardians knew where they were. Or how to get out. Jack gripped his staff and looked around when, suddenly, he sensed something. The wound on his arm jabbed with pain, causing the winter spirit to hiss.

"Jack? Jack, what's wrong?" asked Tooth, flitting up to him worriedly.

"I-I'm fine…I'm fine…" the winter spirit got out. His arm flared, and he looked up at the Tooth Fairy worriedly. "Something's coming,"

"What's coming?" asked Bunny, already drawing out his boomerangs. North unsheathed his swords and Sandy's whips snaked against the ground. They could sense that something was wrong too.

The ground shook below them. The remaining leaves on the trees rustled. The atmosphere darkened. More ominous. The shadows seemed to grow longer as the ground quaked and rattled. Suddenly, Nightmare burst out from the ground, popping out in puffs of black, gritty nightmare sand. They used their hooves to push themselves out of the dirt, mares of all different sizes surrounding and circling the Guardians of Childhood. Their amber eyes glittered with lust for fear, and their nostrils flared, smoke steaming from them as they snorted malevolently. They stomped their hooves against the ground, the thuds echoing like drums. The Guardians were completely surrounded.

"Wonderful. A herd of nightmares ta deal with on the first go round," Bunny said sarcastically, twirling his boomerangs in his paws.

"Well, you know Pitch," Tooth said, brandishing her cutlasses. "He likes to have others do the work for him!"

"If there are Nightmares here, then Pitch can't be far," said North, backing into a circle with the rest of the Guardians. Sandy nodded in agreement; his bright eyes narrowed. "We should fight these ones off and see if Boogeyman decides to reveal himself."

Jack flipped his staff into both of his hands; the wood already sparking with winter energy. "Then let's show these guys what we've got, shall we?"

The Nightmares thundered forward, and the Guardians broke from their circled positions and attacked. The Nightmares charged with a fury, using their hooves to bash and knock at the Guardians, but they dodged and parried their attacks. Bunny chucked and threw his boomerangs at oncoming Nightmares. The twin weapons swiped and cut through the devilish horses as if they were cream, and they burst into clouds of black sand. Catching his boomerangs into his paws once again, Bunny used them to stab and slash through the Nightmares who were close enough to fight by hand.

North swiped and slashed his swords, letting out a proud "Ha!" whenever he successfully defeated a troupe of Nightmares. The Guardian of Wonder's coat billowed behind him as he charged the Nightmares with not even a lick of fear. His swords were nothing more than quick, silver crescents in the air as he cut them through the nightmares as if they were butter. North didn't seem the least bit tired…even after defeating his fifteenth nightmare. The man seemed to be fueling off of his victory as he continued to fight through each and every dark, dastardly creature that came his way.

In the air, Tooth looked like a rainbow-colored hurricane as she twirled her way through the Nightmares, using both her twin swords and wings (which counted as weapons in Jack's book), to slash through the Nightmares. The Tooth Fairy was known by those she was closest to as warm, bubbly, and sweet. But in battle, Tooth allowed her Sister of Flight side to take whole, and she became a warrior that wasn't just strong but feisty and fierce. The Nightmares underestimated her by her size, but Tooth proved to be a worthy opponent when she expertly cut and slashed her swords through the infernal Nightmares.

Sandy was a golden belligerent as he snapped and cracked his whips at the Nightmares that approached him, thinking that he was an easy target. The Nightmares didn't turn into dreamsand like they normal would in the real world, but sandy was still able to defeat them who his snake-like whips, which cracked and tore at the rippling nightmare sand that the Nightmares were made of. Sandy looked dead bent on destroy each and every Nightmare; they had been hurting Jack and destroying his dreams, and he let this fury fuel every snap that he took at the evil beings as he fought through them.

Although the Guardians fought their very hardest, the battle was still difficult and rough. Especially for Jack, who was struggling greatly against the Nightmares who attacked him. The winter spirit relied mainly on his winter magic to freeze over and destroy the Nightmares. He didn't charge any of them head-on for he knew that he wouldn't stand a chance against them. These Nightmares were bigger and stronger than the ones that he and the Guardians had faced at the battle of Burgess. They were unhinged, fueling by their covet for fear that they didn't think before they acted. They just attacked and assailed. Jack was tired and sluggish, and his movements were just as slow, making him an easy target to the fear-hungry Nightmares, which was the only emotion that Jack was feeling at the moment. Fear. Overwhelming fear that clouded his senses and made it difficult to keep his head in the fight.

The Guardians tried their best to back him up, but the Nightmares soon surrounded them, and Jack was bashed into the side by a Nightmare that he hadn't seen sneaking up on him. It crashed into his chest, and the winter spirit cried out as he collided with the ground, banging his head against the mud-soaked floor. Jack's head spun, and the area around him spiraled as the sounds of battle rung through his ears like a distant echo. Pain blossomed from his chest and his arm drummed with pain. Jack squeezed his eyes shut; he yearned to wake up. He felt his sleeping body shift in bed, a whimper leaving his lips. All he had to do was open his eyes, and all this would be over…

He then remembered Sandy's warning: "If you wake up, we all wake up." Jack could wake up right now, but if he did, the other Guardians would wake as well. And they had just got there. These Nightmares were the first sign of Pitch that they'd seen in a while. The Boogeyman had to be nearby, and Jack was determined to find him and demand for answers. He couldn't give up. Not yet.

Mustering up all the strength that he could, Jack shakily got to his feet, using his staff to support him. He wiped the mud of his face and tired his staff into his other hand, a battle cry tearing from his lips as thrust toward the Nightmares, cutting and hacking his staff through the Nightmares that came toward him. Blue energy snapped and swirled from the winter spirit's staff as he blasted and froze the Nightmares that came toward him. When his staff made contact with the dark creatures, they turned into ice and crumbled away. Jack was tired, exhausted even, but he still pushed himself to fight with everything that they had.

But despite the Guardians' best efforts, they soon found themselves surrounded. The Nightmares slowly closed in on them, their eyes flashing in the dark as they slinked toward the Guardians, ready to land the final blow.

"I think now might be good time to wake up," said North.

"We can't leave now," Bunny said. "We still haven't found Pitch!"

"Bunny's right," said Tooth. "We just got here. We can't quit now!"

Sandy gave a firm nod to both Bunny and Tooth's statements. Silently, Jack sided with North, but he didn't say anything out loud.

Suddenly, silky, amused laughter sounded from above, making the atmosphere feel even colder. The Guardians looked up, and from a cloud of nightmare sand, Pitch descended. The Nightmare King's lips twitched into a cruel grin.

"That battle was quite the display," said Pitch. He folded grey hands behind his back, his amber eyes glowing in the darkness. "I've been expecting you, but a battlefield isn't fitting for a talk…How about we head someplace less disoriented?"

And before any of the Guardians could shout, Pitch's shadows whisked them away.

…

It was strange knowing that they were in a world of dreams. Everything felt too…real. Too solid. Too absolute. So when Pitch suddenly spawned the Guardians in hanging black cages, Jack couldn't help but feel as if he was inside of Pitch's warped lair underground. The thought stirred up old memories that the winter spirit would rather not think about.

The Guardians each had their one separate cage. While they did fit inside of the, they were small enough to feel constricting. Jack never liked feeling enclosed or confined; he preferred to be open and free like he was whenever he rode on the Wind's gales. Staying in one place for too long made the Guardian of Fun feel antsy, especially when that place felt restraining.

The cages were held by thin chains that didn't look very sturdy. They looked very similar to the ones that Pitch had in his lair, making Jack feel as if he was one of the mini fairies that had been trapped down there. Below the Guardians pooled a dark, seemingly endless pit that looked as black as it was ominous. Jack could feel a shivering, foreboding cold emitting from below him, and although he never was afraid of heights, the thought of dropping into the inky abyss sent a shock of fear through his veins.

There wasn't any footing that surrounding them. No place where they could stand if they left their confinements. All that surrounded them was darkness. A single torch stuck to the wall; its feeble flame flickering weakly in the dark. It didn't provide much light, but it illuminated the area enough to give the Guardians a clear view of the Nightmare King, who stood on a pillar of nightmare sand in front of them. The grains swirled and churned below their creator, lifting Pitch above the Guardians so that he towered over them. His shadow loomed above them, and though he didn't want to, Jack felt intimidated by the Nightmare King that stood before them.

Well, he has that name for a reason, the winter spirit thought as he gripped his staff. Thankfully, Pitch didn't take their weapons. The Guardians couldn't go anywhere in the position that they were in anyway.

"It's been quite a while, hasn't it?" Pitch said. His grin glowed in the darkness, making him look like the Cheshire Cat slipping into the shadows. "But I do have to say…It's a pleasure seeing you all again."

"Let us go, Pitch!" Bunny demanded with a growl.

Pitch laughed lightly. "Why, I haven't even told why I brought you all here. Didn't you come here searching for information?"

Before any fo the Guardians could respond, Pitch continued.

"I'm well aware that you know that I've been...hm...toying with your precious Guardian of Fun's head," Pitch explained. His tower of nightmare sand slowly began to circle the Guardians like a vulture does to its prey.

"I would call it toying," said Jack, his eyes harder than glaciers. "I'd label it more as torturing."

"Hm," Pitch hummed. He looked at Jack, his amber eyes drilling into the winter spirit's sapphire one's. "I like that even more," he purred.

"Ya aren't goin' ta like what we do ta ya if ya don't quit messin' with Frostbite's dreams," threatened Bunnymnd, clenching his fists.

"And why would I listen to you?" said Pitch. "You all are in my territory. I have complete control here." As he spoke, his tower of sand grew tall and taller, and the Guardians felt smaller and smaller. "You can't harm me," the Boogeyman sneered.

"Why are you tormenting Jack with nightmares, Pitch?" asked Tooth boldly. Her feathers looked dull in the dark room, but her eyes still carried their colorful fury. The Fairy Queen beat her wings. "What are you going to do with him?"

"Since you Guardians vanquished me, I've been dreaming for revenge," replied Pitch. He folded his hands behind his back and narrowed his eyes at the five that were caged below him. "I've gone unnoticed, unseen, unheard for far too long, and after centuries of meticulous planning to achieve what I wanted. To take what I truly deserved, you came and thwarted my plans!"

The shadows on the walls grew longer. The small flame in the torch cowered as Pitch's voice grew stronger and echoed with ire. The room grew colder with every word Pitch spoke, and the black pit below seemed to grow even deeper.

"You brought wonder and hope to the children. Reignited their dreams and returned their memories of fun and laughter," spat Pitch. "While I was left with nothing but a few of my surviving Nightmares, my half-ruined lair, and just like that I was back in the shadows as if nothing I had done had made an impact!"

The torch went out. The room was freezing. Only Pitch's glowing eyes were visible in the dark.

"You took EVERYTHING away from me!" the Nightmare King exploded. His words bounced off the walls and reverberated through the darkness. Pitch's eyes suddenly disappeared; the Guardians were left taken aback by the Boogeyman's sudden outburst.

A hiss came from the torch in the room. Pitch stood nowhere near it. He held no match, so the Guardians were left wondering how he had relit the flame. They didn't dwell on the thought for very long, though. Pitch was now in front of the cages, his back to them. The Guardians glanced at each other warily.

"All I wanted…was to be acknowledged," said Pitch quietly. "Seen. Known." He turned around, his sharp eyes flashing with abhorrence. "But you stopped that all from happening," he hissed. "You took everything away from me, so now I'm taking everything from you."

"Ya still haven't answered the question," Bunnymund reminded him. "Why are ya plaguing Jack with Nightmares?"

Pitch chuckled darkly. "Like I previously stated, the boy does mean a lot to you, doesn't he? Well…when the Man in the Moon brought him into the picture."

Those words hit Jack like bricks. He hated how Pitch always picked at his hidden doubts and weakness. He was at the hands of the Boogeyman, and he could easily read his worst fears. Jack frequently found himself wondering—regardless everything that had happened between him and the Guardians—if they did care for him. If they meant when they said that they would protect him. If they kept him around because they were fond him…or because he was just a tool that was needed to ensure that Pitch would never rise again.

Guilt washed over the veteran Guardians of Childhood. Pitch tsked.

"Ah…the feeling of guilt," he drawled. "Perhaps my second favorite emotion next to fear. It weighs you down…never leaves you alone for a moment. It's even harder to overcome than fear."

None of the Guardians responded. They scowled at Pitch, but the Nightmare King didn't seem the least bit offended. He smirked and continued on.

"If I can't have what I want, I'd rather watch you suffer and crumble," Pitch said. "And to do that, I'll have to destroy what means most to you, which shouldn't be too long. Things are on the clock already."

Jack narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "What things?" he asked.

For an ephemeral moment, Pitch seemed surprised. The Boogeyman turned to the other Guardians and tilted his head and smiled in amusement. "You haven't enlightened him? How is he supposed to trust you when you won't even tell the boy what's ailing him?"

Jack's brow furrowed in confusion, and he turned to the Guardians. Their bold, brave composures had slipped away and were replaced with nervousness and unease. Jack stared at them; they were hiding something from him.

"Guys? What's going on?" asked Jack, his tone questioning but firm. He needed to know what was going on, and the Guardians conceal the truth from him any longer.

The Guardians looked at each other, wordlessly debated who would be the one to deliver the news to Jack. For a moment, Jack thought that they wouldn't say anything…until North spoke up.

"Jack…the bite that you received from Nightmare injected some sort of…dark venom inside of you," the Guardian of Wonder explained. "Whenever you sleep, it grows stronger. Your nightmares, moy mal'chik…" North looked at the Guardians, who nodded encouragingly. North sighed and locked eyes with Jack, hurt reflecting in his round blue orbs. ""Your nightmares are killing you."

Jack stared at North, his expression emotionless and empty. He looked like a statue. A still, motionless statue that didn't have the capability to show any form of emotion. The winter spirit's mind drew to a halt as North's epiphany slammed into him like a wave. The room seemed smaller. Jack's breathing began to quicken.

My nightmares are…killing me?

I'm dying?

That's impossible!

What did Pitch do to me?!

No…No I can't die…My life just got better!

Why…Why didn't they tell me?!

"And none of you thought to tell me this?" exclaimed Jack, breaking the silence. The Guardians looked down, ashamed. "When were you going to come clean?!"

"We wanted to find the right time," Tooth placated. She turned to Pitch, glaring at him. "And this wasn't it."

"We were also hopin' ta cure ya before we had ta bring on the bad news," added Bunny. He shook his head, realizing the mistake that the Guardians had made in not telling Jack what was wrong with him.

Jack clutched his staff; he was upset with the Guardians. While they were only trying to spare him from the horrible truth, he still would've preferred if they had told him the instant they found out. The winter spirit felt a tumult of emotions, but they were the least of his worries. He needed to find the cure to whatever Pitch had done to him, and the Boogeyman—luckily—was standing right before him.

"How do I get rid of the nightmares?" Jack demanded, turning to Pitch.

"I do know how to put an end to them," replied Pitch. He raised an "eyebrow" as his lips twitched into a coy smirk. "But what if I don't want to?"

"Tell me!" shouted Jack. His eyes were livid, and his staff began to crackle with blue light.

Pitch rolled his eyes as if the wrath of an angry winter spirit was something that he delt on a daily basis. "No need to get riled up; I will cure you, Jack….If you and the Guardians agree to play a little game."

"Moon above…We don't have time for yer games, Pitch!" Bunny yelled.

"Patience, Aster," chided Pitch. The Pooka's nostrils flared when the Boogeyman addressed him by his real name. "It's quite simple. All you have to do is survive a few of my nightmare and escape without a scratch. I won't stop meddling with Jack's mind until you face every nightmare I have for you. Once you pass, I will restore Jack to his usual self, and everything will proceed as normal."

Little did the Guardians know; however, Pitch had much darker ideas running through his mind, but the Boogeyman plastered a shark-like smile to his sharp face, knowing that the Guardians would take the bait like a child takes a toy.

The Guardians looked at each other, silently debating whether or not they should agree to Pitch's deal. They all knew it was the only way to save Jack, yes, but the Nightmare King knew all of their fears. He knew which buttons to press and which holes to dig to tip them off just enough that they'd have a difficult time getting through whatever he laid ahead of them. Pitch had the upper hand in this scenario, and Jack had already gone through enough of his darkest phobias, and he wasn't too keen on experiencing any more of them.

But this wasn't only the best way to find out how to cure Jack but the only way. None of the Guardians knew how much time they had left until Jack's nightmares would consume him completely. They didn't want to waste a second. A minute. A moment. They couldn't sit around and wait for something to happen. They had to act, and they had to act now.

"We will do it," North spoke for all of the Guardians. "But you have to promise to heal Jack after."

"Oh, I promise," said Pitch with a smile that was far from comfortable. "I'm glad you all came to your senses. I'm feeling generous, so I'll give you five minutes before we start."

And just like that, the Boogeyman disappeared, leaving the Guardians hanging over an endless abyss of darkness. The Guardians of Childhood glanced at each other worriedly, wondering if they had made the right decision.

Author's Note: ...Oddly, I don't have much to say except *inhales* PITCH WHY DO YOU GOTTA BE SUCH A PAIN-!

Oh, and poor Jack. =/ The guy can't catch a break, can he? =(

But don't fret. Things will turn out right in the end for our favorite winter lad. =D

...At least I think it will. I still got a few more chapters left to outline, which leaves plenty of room for something shocking to happen.

...Okay, okay, I'm just kidding. X) There will no character deaths in this story unless if I drink too much heated milk. Which I won't. Probably. Hopefully...

Haha, okay. Me attempting to be a comedian ends here. XD I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and I'll see ya in the next one! =D

Until the next chapter! ^u^

~BeyondTheMoon1203