Of all the people to be at their house, Flee was not expecting the Boogieman. Sure she heard that he ate children and gave them terrible nightmares that makes grown men cry. Although, he didn't look that scary. She wondered how many of those rumors are actually true.

The Boogieman turned to face her with equal shock on his face. "Umm...hello." God, this was awkward.

"Hello, Flee," Pitch greeted with a smile.

Flee's eyes widen as the Boogieman, Pitch Black, said her name. She never told him her name. How did he know? Did Jack tell him?

"How? How do you know my name? Did Jack tell you?" Flee glanced at her brother as he prepared breakfast. Jack paused mid-stirring to glance back.

"I didn't tell him," Jack replied. Slight confusion in his voice as well.

"It's my job." Flee turned back to The Boogieman. "Yes see its my job to give nightmares. In order to do my job correctly I need to know basic information about the child I'm giving the nightmare to."

"Why?" She asked.

"Everyone is afraid of something, my dear," the Boogieman said thoughtfully. "Not everyone is afraid of the same thing at the same level."

"Okay, not everyone has the same fear. I get that, but what this have to do with you knowing our names," she asked as she took a seat at the table.

The Boogieman leaned forward a bit, resting his arms on the table. "Simple really. Let's say a boy lived in an area with a pack of vicious wolves. If I don't know this basic information the nightmare I give him wouldn't be as helpful." He paused for a moment as Jack started putting the food on plates. "If I knew this information, I would give him a nightmare about a scenario on what can happen if he isn't careful. However, if I didn't know this information and gave him a nightmare unrelated to his situation, it wouldn't really help him now would it?"

Flee shook her head at this. "No it wouldn't. It wouldn't help him at all." Pitch nodded and didn't comment what he was going to say when Jackson came and placed the food on the table, along with a pot of tea and two cups. They all gave thanks and began eating, switching the conversation to something else.

"So," Jackson said as he munched on a piece of bread. "Mind telling me the whole new appearances and why you're called Pitch Black in our stories?"

"Or how you lost Jack in the first place?" Flee added.

Pitch groaned into he's tea. "That's a long story. I would have to tell from the beginning to answer both questions." Jackson and Flee gave each other curious looks before returning their attention back to Pitch. "Back then there was a war between good and evil. We were at war with every evil thing you can imagine, Fearlings, Pirates, Nightmare Men, you name it. In the hight of that war there was a hero who fought them with his army and finally defeated them. I was that hero.

During that time I was called General Kozmotis Pitchiner, hero of the Golden Age."

"Wow," Jackson and Flee in awe.

"You were still very young at the time, Jackson, when I was assigned to guard their prison. I did it for many years without a problem, until the day they tricked me into opening the gate and setting them free." The children gasped at the same time they finished their food. "They used the voices of you and my daughter, Emily. They made me believe that you two were trapped in there."

Pitch shook his head sadly at how stupid he was. "I should have known that you two weren't in there, that you two were safe at home. But I missed you two so much. I was missing the time to raise the both you and I guess that made me vulnerable to their lies."

"It's not your fault!" Flee yelled. "You were tricked!" Pitch smiled slightly at her comment.

Jackson frowned slightly. Something was telling him that something bad happened to his brother. "Koz? What happened after they were released?"

"They attacked me and almost completely consumed my humanity, turning me into what you see today." Jackson paled. "I guess you can say I went mad. The Fearlings that were in control at the time had me do something I am not proud of."

"Like what?" Flee asked as tears filled her eyes.

"I destroyed our home world without a second thought. I destroyed our friend's home planet, the Pookas. I destroyed many galaxies and planets in my madness."

"And me?" Jackson asked.

"I didn't know it at the time, but you, Emily, and a few others managed to escape in hibernation cradles."

"What's that?" Flee asked as she tried to remember the strange cradle that her parents mentioned finding Jack in when they found him.

"These were made during war time, before the Golden Age. We used these cradles to help those who were hurt, severally injured, or when we needed to escape to another planet that was far from us." Pitch paused in thought, thinking of how to word this. "While in the cradle a person is put into suspended animation. A person can not grow, physically, while in the cradle. This helps when someone is injured. It keeps the person alive until we could help them."

"Wow," Flee said, impressed. "That's amazing. We don't have anything like that. All we have is a healer that comes to the house if we are sick or hurt."

"Indeed," Pitch said with a smile. Pitch glanced at his younger brother, who had a thoughtful look on his face. "While I was...going mad Emily and Jackson's cradles traveled through other galaxies. Emily's cradle crashed landed, after a few days, releasing her from her cradle. She grew up to the age of sixteen, but didn't get along with the man that raised her. After an outburst she was put in a ship and sent to crash onto another planet.

During this time I was in control once again and was traveling galaxies looking for you two. However, I also made many enemies because I now commanded the Fearlings and giving nightmares to children. Many don't understand that nightmares are needed in life. During one of my battles I was overwhelmed and crashed onto this planet and was put into a temporary sleep, which lasted a few weeks.

I didn't realize at the time that Emily was on this planet too. She made quite a name for herself. You may know her as Mother Nature."

"What?" Jackson exclaimed in shock. "Emily is Mother Nature?" Flee was in equal shock. It's not everyday you hear that you brother is related to the Boogieman and Mother Nature.

"It's true. However, we are not in good terms at the moment."

"Why?" Flee asked.

"I'm at war with Man in Moon's Guardians."

"Who?" Jackson and Flee asked.

"Nicholas St. North, better known as Santa Claus; Toothiana, the Tooth Fairy; E. Aster Bunnymund, the Easter Bunny; and Sanderson Mansnoozie, Sandman."

"Why? Why are you in war with them?" Jackson asked, flabbergasted. "They're good guys! They protect children!" Flee nodded her head in agreement.

Pitch frowned. "Remember when I said I had enemies?" They nodded. "One of my enemies was the Man in Moon. You see when I awoken I was invisible to those who don't believe in me. I was fading away. However, I learned that I could prevent this by giving others nightmares. When I was strong enough I tried to continue my search for you and Emily. However, there was a problem."

"The Guardians?" Jackson asked with a frown.

"Yes," Pitch said with a sad smile. "Man in Moon called them and made them Guardians. They fought to destroy and stop fear. Foolish I know, but that's what the war was about. This was during the Dark Ages."

"But," Flee looked at him in confusion. "Wasn't that like a few hundred years ago?"

"Give or take," Pitch replied. "I really don't remember the exact period. All I can tell you is that whatever survives that managed to survive from our planet where wipped out by the Guardians."

"But that would mean that I should be really old, right?" Jackson asked, worriedly, not really pay attention to the last part his brother said.

"In a sense yes. But you must remember, Jackson, that you were in the hibernation cradle for quite a long time. My guess is that by the time your cradle got into this galaxy a lot of time has passed. You never aged because of the fact that you were still in the cradle," Pitch told him with an amused smirk on his face.

"That makes a lot of sense," Jackson mumbled as he got up to collect the bowls and cups. Flee watches him as he goes into the kitchen

"Are you still fighting the Guardians?"

Pitch looks at the young girl with a grave expression. "They still try to destroy me and my nightmares." Flee frowned.

"That doesn't sound very nice." She glanced at her brother. "Will they try to come after us?" She couldn't help it. She had to ask.

"I'm not sure maybe," Pitch said, remembering the thought he had yesterday. "They don't know I have a brother. When they found out Emily was my daughter they tried to get her to fight with them. She remained neutral and refused to fight with me nor against me, especially with their actions that lead to the death of the refugees from our home world that came here.

To this day she is sticking to keeping the balance and staying out of our war. But she did promise me that if I ever needed help she would come to my aid. She even promised to help search for Jackson and protect him."

Flee nodded in slight relief, but then panicked when she heard the last part. "You're not going to take him away from us, are you?"

Pitch raised his hands up in surrender. "No, no, nothing like that," he told her. "I made Jackson a miniature nightmare." He pointed to the nightmare on Jackson's shoulder. "She can protect him and get me if you kids need my help." Flee smiled as she calmed down a bit. "I can also send some other nightmares to guard your home, if you like. They can keep an eye on you two and protect you from the Guardians." Flee was thankful. After everything she heard, well she really didn't like the Guardians for what they were doing to Jack's older brother.

"What about you?" Jackson asked, surprising them. "I know you're busy, but we just found each other again." Pitch looked at Jackson's sadden face. Not liking the fears he was getting from his brother. Pitch got up from his seat, walked towards Jackson side of the table and pulled him into a hug.

"I will not disappear, Jackson. It's true that I am at war, but that will not stop me from seeing you. I can come every morning, like today. I can risk an hour or two of my sleep to visit my baby brother."

Flee squeals at the idea that Pitch would visit them every morning. Jackson was happy too about his brother visiting, even with his busy, war plan, schedule. But he could not show it. He had a reputation to uphold, especially since he was called 'baby brother'.

"I'm not a baby!" He whined.

Pitch, or Kozmotis as Jackson insists to calls him, smirks. "No matter how old you get you will always be my baby brother." Jackson pouts as brother began to ruffle his hair. Jackson heard his sister giggle at him. Oh the irony!

Jackson was going to complain (hey, he had the right to be childish!), but a knock on the door, followed by a young voice interrupted his thoughts. With a smirk at the time, Jackson got out of his brothers hold and walked to the door. On the other side of the door was a young boy. The boy had brown eyes and hair, and freckles on his cheeks. He wore a brown tunic, cloak, and black pants. Jackson smiles fondly at the young boy as a huge smile grew on his face.

"HEY JACKSON!"

"Hey, Jamie." Jamie is the son of Mr. Bennett, the founding father of their village. Jamie is a sweet, kind young man and just so happens to have a big crush on his sister. Jackson knew that they would be a cute couple one day. "You're just in time. We just finished breakfast," Jackson told him around a chuckle. He really loved the kid.

"Really?" Jamie asked with a confused look. "You guys are usually not ready yet when I come to walk Flee to school."

Jackson smiles as he leaned against the door frame. "We had a visitor today who was telling us such a wonderful story about love and family," Jackson said with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, not that Jamie noticed.

"Sounds boring," Jamie whined.

"No it was quite interesting actually. We will have a similar conversation when Valentines comes around." Jamie blushed quite nicely at the comment.

"I...umm..."

"Hmm?"

"Jack I'm ready!" Flee's voice rang from inside the house. Jamie let out a sigh of relief, while Jackson looked simply amused. Flee came to them and hugged her brother before moving around him to face Jamie. "Hi Jamie!"

"Hi Flee. Ready for school?"

Flee gave him a disgruntled look. "No, but I have no choice in that matter."

"That's right kiddo," Jackson confirmed with a smile. "Just think of it this way. Knowledge is everything that paint you a path for greatness." He gave her a somber look that was filled with longing. "At least your path will be better than mine."

"I wish you can go to school too," Flee said sadly, knowing that by the time the schools were built and established Jackson had to uphold their dead father's responsibilities.

"Don't worry about me kiddo." Jackson raffles his sister hair, affectionately. "You just go on and learn for the both of us." Flee nodded.

"You can always teach him," Jamie suggested.

"Yeah!" Flee's eyes lit up with excitement. "I can teach you everything I learned in class!"

Jackson grinned at the idea. "Well, you better get going then," he said. "I'm looking forward to my first lesson."

"Okay! Yeah! Bye Jack! See you later!" Flee grabs Jamie's hand, who blushed slightly at the touch, and drags him away from the house and towards the village.

"Bye Jackson! See you at the theater!" Jamie yells over his shoulder as he is dragged away by the excited girl.

Jackson smiles softly as he watches the two run down the path, leading to the village. He continues to watch them until they disappear down the small hill. Jackson stays there, staring at the empty path, for a few more seconds before he decides to go back inside. Jackson sighs as he turns around and unfortunately runs into his brother. Kozmotis managed to steady him before he managed to ruin his pride.

"Jackson are you alright?" Kozmotis asked, concerned. Jackson nodded.

"Yeah, sorry."

Kozmotis frowned at him. "Jackson, why don't you go to school with your sister." Jackson frowned at him.

"Koz, you need to understand that I don't have the opportunities that Flee has now. The school wasn't built when I was her age. If I wanted to learn I would need a private tutor and we can't afford that." He shrugs. "Beside I have to be the man of the house and take up father's responsibilities."

Pitch frowned. He wanted to say why his father couldn't do his own work. But restrained himself when he heard a whisper of Jackson's fear.

Why did he have to die? It should have been me? I should have been able to kill that bear.

Pitch was stunned by Jackson's fears, but Jackson didn't seem to notice. "I have to take care of the fields and the sheep and the hunting. I have to help provide for my family."

Pitch studied his younger brother. He's growing up so fast, too fast. He ponders on what Jackson said and tries to see his point of view. He didn't like it very much. "Fine, but I don't like."

"Of course you don't," Jackson huffed, teasingly. "You're the Boogieman. Work is beneath you." Pitch rolled his eyes. Oh, if only Jackson knew the type of work he does. "Are you going to stay or are you going home Koz?"

Pitch glanced at his brother, only now realizing that he managed to get out of his hold, closed the door, and was now taking out a bow and a bag fully of arrows from the closet. How he managed to do that so quickly, without him knowing, was beyond him. "I should probably get back. Who knows when those Guardians will attack again?"

Jackson frowned unhappily, but understood his brother's position. "Hopefully it won't be anytime soon." Jackson closes the door as he gathers his things for hunting and grabbed his shepherded crock. He turns to his brother, who was watching him silently. "Are you coming back tomorrow?"

Pitch smiles warmly, which is rare for him, at his brother. "Of course." He glances at the nightmare. "What are you going to call her?" Jackson's eyes farrowed for a moment.

"Night. Her name is Night." Night neighs in approval. "I think she likes it."

"She sure does," Pitch mused. Pitch walks towards a shadow in the living room. "If you need me, go to a shadow and call me."

"I will. Be safe."

"You too." Pitch walks into the shadow, feeling more alive then he had felt in centuries. he had to tell Emily the good news.