A/N New chapter! Hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I don't own rise of the guardians

Krampus

Krampus

Immediately after Jackie heard Krampus call for Sarah, Jackie's opinion on Sarah's disappearance immediately changed from "Where is she?" To "Thank goodness she's gone." She had no idea if this Jane had taken her or not, but she didn't care at least she wasn't in danger from whoever this beast was.

Beside her, Will fisted his hands, his look darker than it had been during the confrontation with Pitch. "What do you want from her?" Will asked through gritted teeth.

"You of all people should not have to ask me that William Williams." Krampus said, "especially considering what she forced you to do, to your brother."

Had this not been a terrifying moment, Jackie might have laughed. Will's last name was Williams? He was literally named twice? Sarah wasn't kidding when-

Jackie's inner thoughts sobered immediately, Sarah wasn't here and this monster was after her this was not the time to be laughing.

"She wasn't herself." William said, "It was the sand… she…"

"Oh yes," Krampus said with a laugh. "The sand, oh so convenient that the sand gave her permission to do what she'd always wanted to do in the first place."

Jackie took a step back. "No, you don't know what you're talking about."

Krampus smiled and looked up at Pitch. "Oh, I know exactly what I'm talking about. Isn't that right? Boogieman?"

"The sand… it doesn't give you new nightmares, it takes your pre-existing fears, and moulds them into nightmares. Likewise, I didn't give Sarah any new impulses, I just took away any good impulses she might have had that would have tempered all the bad ones, and ramped up her anger, fear, and hurt until it was all she could feel."

"So Sarah, always wanted to hurt our older brother?" Will asked softly sounding horrified.

"No" Pitch shook his head. "There was subconscious anger, I think at the entire town."

"She loved Santoff Clausen." Katherine argued. "She would never…"

Pitch nodded, "Yes, but also anger, Sarah… she wasn't well-liked. Some children of the village viewed her with jealousy because she was Jackie Bennett's best friend. After all, the moon chose her specifically to be Jackie's friend."

"I wasn't Jealous of her," Will said softly, but the uncertainty on his face made Jackie doubt.

"I was." William the Mean said quietly. "I mean it makes sense, why she was picked, Nicholas was raised in Santoff Claussen and could help Jackie with magic, while Sarah and Jonathan were both around her age and were being raised in the outside world. But a lot of us from Santoff Clausen were irrationally angry because we had known about magic for generations, and Nicholas was the one who was picked to teach her."

"Yeah," A girl said looking familiar though Jackie could place (Though based on the way her dad was clenching his staff told her that he did.) "My family and the Williams family have been in Santoff Claussen since Ombric was in charge. And yet…"

"Were you jealous of her too?" Jackie asked Will, the closest friend Sarah had at Santoff Claussen.

Will stared at Jackie, for a moment before he looked back down "At first." Will admitted, "But that died out when I met her. She was kind, and gentle, and just wanted to help you. After a talk with my parents, I realized that it didn't matter who was your friend, what mattered was why. And Sarah… she didn't care that you were Jack's daughter, she cared that you were lonely, and forced to hide, but also had a good heart, she saw you needed a friend and wanted to be that friend not because you were powerful, but because she loved you."

Jackie stared wide-eyed "She didn't even know me."

"Yes," Krampus said taking his moment to step in. "So how could her actions have been any less selfish? She didn't know Jackie from Eve."

William glared. "Sarah is the least selfish person I know." He snapped at Krampus.

"Then why is she a thief?" Krampus laughed stepping forward slowly. "Why was she on the naughty list for five years even before she was kidnapped by Pitch?"

"Because she's loyal to her best friend." Jonathan said glaring at him, "Santa refused to believe the letter she'd written, so she decided that if Jackie couldn't get presents neither would she."

Jackie stared at Jonathan wide-eyed, Was that why?

"And yet you just hid Jackie's desires in the letter you wrote" Krampus.

Jonathan rolled his eyes even as he felt his parent's eyes on him, "So we had different ways of showing our friendship… so what."

"Is what you have with Sarah friendship?" Krampus asked. "Then why keep secrets? Why keep the jealousy, and the anger a secret? Seems to me she wanted to be naughty and Jackie being invisible was a convenient excuse."

"You are delusional," Nicholas said stepping forward in front of Jonathan, Jackie and Will. On his shoulder Nyx cawed indignantly "My daughter has made mistakes…"

"Mistakes yes… like you did. When you made that love potion for Selene, be thankful I'm here for your daughter and not for you."

Nicholas didn't say anything else instead he just stared at Krampus, Jackie couldn't see his face but she could imagine that he was staring at Krampus in shock.

"So, Sarah has been naughty," North said stepping in. Jackie startled at seeing him there, she hadn't noticed he'd returned. Had it really been that long? "It doesn't mean she deserves the punishment that you give. You went overboard all the time Krampus."

"And you went too soft. Coal for Christmas? What does coal do to punish kids? No, all naughty kids deserve to be expunged."

That line sent Jackie reeling, "How dare you? So Sarah's made mistakes, so what? She doesn't deserve to change? To grow?"

"Kids like her don't change," Krampus said with a menacing smile. "It's in your best interest to give her away, she's lied to you too much, and she's kept too many secrets. Wouldn't it be better to look for a friend who has fewer flaws?

The doubt crept in, almost against Jackie's will, was Sophie really that bad a friend? There was murmuring around the Santoff Clausen residents horrifying sounding like they might agree with Krampus.

"Don't pretend you care," Bunny snarled and for a moment the spell broke. "You never cared about the children. No one who cares about the children does what you did."

Krampus laughed, "Oh and you do? All you care about are the golden lights on the globe."

"That's not true. The Guardians do care" Jack shouted before the doubt could fester again, "And I know Sarah has made her mistakes, I know that she hasn't been this perfect girl, but she is the greatest friend my daughter has ever had, and I'll be damned." He said his staff started to glow blue-white with snow, "If I let a monster like you take her away."

And just like that, the entirety of the pole was ready, and the fight began.

A/N an attempt is made by Krampus to sow doubt between Sarah and everyone else. Of course, he hasn't realized that she isn't there, and since neither Sarah's family nor the guardians have said anything no one else is.

And they're not saying anything because if Krampus is at the North Pole, he's not terrorizing other kids searching for Sarah. At least the kids at the Pole are protected by the Guardians and parents who believe.