NUUUU I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN SO LONG SO HERE HAVE A CHAPTER WITH AK-SHUN.

Sorry for the very long wait as I had sailed away on a plain to my holiday, where I basked in the sun with no internet or laptop. I'd like to thank ElfstoneEvensta, a guest reader, for helping to get this chapter done as they reminded me I needed to continue. We're getting to the good stuff, folks, perhaps motivation is finding me again. Crystal Peak, who reviews every chapter, you have my undying thanks for your support, as does Elfera, BrightDarkness-2013, hm813, Robin-Is-Totally-Whelming, KeeperofHounds, Witch08, Lady Minuialwen, TheRangersArrow, MisteryMaiden, Dormiveglia and the Moving Christmas Tree. Hope I did't Miss anyone. :D

Notes: I may started drawing Photoshoped-coloured fanart of this. It may appear on my deviantart account- link in profile.

Lol, I got my first un-constructive criticism from a guest, simply stared: oc's ruined it. I'm fine with people disliking Oc's, their's a good many over-the-top ones that have no feel, but there are also tons of good, developed ones. And this is called FANFICTION. It happens, ya know. Ah well, here's a chapter.

Please review, and again, sorry for the wait.

Chapter 13

It had been pure instinct that made Sandman soar after the nightmare, shooting right from the bedroom floor and towards the window. It had taken Jack a second for what had happened to register before he barred his teeth and jumped after him, catching onto a gust of wind clumsily in his haste to follow.

He caught up to Sandman's speeding form upon his golden cloud, but before he could address the elder guardian, something flew right by his ear.

"What the-"

His head jerked to the side and his eyes widened in alarm when he spotted more of the black sand horses racing towards them, one of them cutting right in between them and the nightmare that had taken Jo.

Jack acted quickly, heart pounding as he swept forward a wave of frost, effectively causing the nightmare to burst from its form and crumble away. He ducked the dismantled sand to avoid getting it in his eyes, but as soon as he looked up he saw another charging right at him.

Sandy threw a sand ball of his own at the creature before it could collide with either of them, and they swept through the golden cloud it morphed into a second later.

Jack let out an enthusiastic laugh "Sandy, Didja see that?! That was awesome!"

It was unknown to Jo if Sandman had seen or not, for he was far ahead, flying backwards at a sickening speed. He couldn't move against the wind, and flopped like a Ragdoll whenever the black sand jerked him in another direction.

He could barely managed to think, though he was certain he was in very, very much danger. His blood was rushing and for some reason it felt like it was stinging his skin.

Just as he tried to force his eyes open, it stopped and he was flung like dejected skipping stone through the air. He slammed against cold concrete; his head shooting with pain.

Face down, he slowly pulled his arms towards him and lifted himself onto his knees, feeling beyond nauseated. Through his blurred vision, flickers of the familiar black and grey, forestry landscape appeared and faded, again and again.

Am I losing my mind...?

"Odd, isn't it..."

Jo didn't have the strength to flinch. Still on his knees, He turned his head to scowl at the tall man leering down at him from one of the higher rooftops (as he was sure he was laying on a flat, cold rooftop as he heard no cars)

"That the Guardian who is so different than the rest is affected the most by all of this?" Pitch's smile grew into a sharp smirk when he saw Jo's angry look of questioning, and it a smooth swoosh he melted into the shadows and reappeared a few yards in front of him as the boy dragged himself to his feet.

Jo managed to croak out a few words. "What do you mean, Pitch? We're beating you."

Pitch laughed quietly, as if it was all a big joke that only he knew. Jo's temper flared, but he said nothing. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the black sand in the shadows stirring at every sound Pitch's voice made. He clenched his fist.

"Your silver sand hasn't been of much use lately, has it? Not much of a Guardian, not eying able to defend Tooth's palace..."

Jo wasn't able to suppress his look of fury before Pitch saw it- and his ominous grin widened. It was then Jo became aware that he was circling him like a vulture, and for once i many years, the silver-haired boy began to feel a familiar sensation creeping over him, from back in his human years- helplessness.

He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the dizziness beginning to swell. True, he was a different Guardian. Chosen differently, worked differently. He worked behind the scenes. He was not a mascot or an emblem of the thing he guarded; he was the thing he guarded.

Something about that last thought he'd made to assure himself made his stomach lurch. His skin crawled, and he doubled over slightly. Pitch's shadow cast over him as he looked up at the man, who now stood right before him. There was no longer a smile nor a frown, but a glint in his eyes...as if waiting for something.

Jo slowly moved a few steps back, straightening up and scowling, trying to ignore that fact he felt so weak he could barley do so.

Pitch tilted his head, a hideously gentle look upon his face, "You don't look so well, Jo. Perhaps your belief isn't all it was cracked up to be."

A pin could have dropped and be heard in the silence that followed.

The words fell onto Jo liked a bucket of cold water, and his eyes where wide and horrified. He knew why now- why he'd felt so horrible when the children had discovered their teeth, still under their pillows. It was so obvious.

Belief of thousands of children were being threatened. And because of this, he was losing his powers.

"JO!"

Jack Frost Burst into view, showing the area in a silvery blue light. Jo noticed that the sand, which had been surrounding him without his notice, had been thrown aside by the bolt of ice. He stared, flabbergasted as Pitch slid back a little with a scowl, as Jack landed beside him, clutching his staff.

Jo gaped up at him, and the older boy flashed a cocky smile in return, though it faded a little a moment later.

Jack took in the boy's paler-than-usually face, his hair-usually straight and floppy- was ruffled and unkempt, his eyes bloodshot. He smiled crookedly, "Rough ride, huh?"

"This isn't your fight, Frost." The boys turned and spotted Pitch, back on the rooftop above them. "So much for being a neutral party...Hear I thought you had some sense."

"You made it my fight when you stole those teeth!" Jack clutched his staff defiantly, glaring up at the bogeyman furiously. Pitch was unfazed.

"Why do you care, anyway?"

Jack pursed his lips, searching for answer. He had been here for his teeth- the whole reason he got into this. And to help the others, he added in his mind. But for some reason saying this out loud sounded...amazingly selfish.

"It's none of your business, Pitch," Jo's voice sounded beside him, the colour returned to his face a little, "Go crawl back into the muck you came from."

Pitch's glinting eyes narrowed and he surged forward, a wave of black sand bursting up and surrounded them the boys stood back to back, circling around as the dark sand spiralled the other way; Pitch raising up above them like a viper read to strike.

"We'll see how big you two talk when your precious virtues are shattered, and what you seek is tossed aside." Jo, hair flapping in the wind as the sand closed in, glowered up at Pitch with venom.

He slapped his palms together and conjured up a ball of silver sand, hurtling it as the black cloud spinning around them- but his barley managed to dissolve the wall. Jo's eyes widened and Jack rose a brow.

Pitch wasn't playing. He was really stronger.

Pitch's hollow laugh echoed over them as the sand lurched up like a geyser and shot down towards them, but before it could hit the two youths, shining gold strands whipped forward and wrapped around their waists, pulling them out of harm's way just in time. Pitch's gasp was unmistakable, and Jack and Jo turned their heads (where they lay of their backs on the rooftop opposite) and spotted Sandman standing between them with folded arms.

Just as Pitch landed back on the cold stone roof across from them, Sandman hovered forward quickly and landed beside his knee, glaring sourly and silently at the other spirit. Jack couldn't help but snicker at how much the usually smiling, plump little man could look so fierce.

Pitch stepped to the side when he spotted him. "Sandy. How nice it is-"

THWAK.

Both Jack an Jo jumped, amazed, as Sandman's gold whip slapped around Pitch's ankle and slammed him against the wall; then back and forth across the ground, the into the air. All three had been taken by such surprise they could only gape (Pitch included) as he was tossed into the street below, but not before colliding with a perfectly innocent car.

The alarm screeched through the night air, and Sandman dusted off his palms meaningfully as the boys joined him at the edge of the rooftop. Jack whistled. "Whoo. Remind me not to get on your bad side."

They hopped down onto the damp street below, as Pitch scrambled to his feet quickly on their approach. "You can't really blame me for trying, Sandman- it was wrong of me to mess with your dreams."

He rose a finger in the air as he stood, his almost pleading voice hardening, "So I'll tell you what...You can have them back."

The neigh of the Nightmares sounded as if on cue, and their sped over the rooftops and quickly surrounded the wary trio. Jack surveyed the situation, at first trying to count them all but failed as more and more appeared.

Pitch mounted one and stared stonily down at the three as Jack murmured quietly, "So we take a third each, or..."

There was a pause, and all stood still. Then, Pitch's eyes widened and his hands reached up in a clawing manner as he simply said: "Boo."

The dark horses charged forward, and simultaneously the three threw their sparking powers out towards them. A mixture flurry of gold, silver and blue erupted around them, bursting the black sand, but not enough to stop all of the now far more powerful Nightmares.

Sandman grasped the two boys by the scruff as he rose up, golden sand shooting him up like an opened bottle of champagne. He tossed them into the air, Jo landing on a cloud of his silver sand, Jack catching the wind and surfing around him.

Jo managed to destroy another nightmare as the fight broke out full- on, but a familiar battle-cry of a certain pooka rose over the din and a boomerang collided sharply with one of the beasts coming at them.

It seemed Bunnymund had gotten the hand of standing in the sled, as he caught the boomerang easily as he, Tooth and North sped into view. Pitch's laugh rang out in the air as he and the nightmares shot up into the grey, stormy clouds above, and the sled lurched to follow. North stood, blades drawn and booming a laugh, as Tooth whipped out her wings and sped into the fray.

Jo flew up to join Bunnymund, and the two sped downwards towards the horde of Fearlings, Bunymund throwing his exploding colourful eggs as Jo whipped a wave of silver sand towards them.

The creatures where too blinded by the colourful smoke to see the shots of silver, and they burst after a good few. Jo couldn't help but notice it took a lot more strength to destroy them now.

The pooka and the boy landed back on the sled as it sped by, and Jack jumped into the air as they returned.

Jack wasn't able to keep track of all of the beasts, and though he hit a good few, they kept reappearing around him. He scowled in annoyance rather than fear as he slid downwards, allowing two to collide head-first with each-other. He grinned.

Where were these all coming from? And how much more where coming...?

He didn't have time to think anymore, as another horse swept past him, slamming against his staff and knocking him off balance- and him out of the air. Dazed, he fell through the chilly air- and a surge of panic rushed through him. His staff-where was his staff!?

A hand scraped his hood in the chaos of the hundreds of nightmares, and Jack's head jerked to look over his shoulder as he was pulled into a boat-

Wait, What-

A grinning and decidedly orange-looking Hal grinned down at him, twirling both their staffs in hand, his own (which was curled and was twice his height) sending out orange waves of smoke around the flying rowboat. He handed Jack his staff and his grin widened. "Well Hai ."

Jack rose a brow but grinned in return as best he could.

"HAL!" Jo's voice called out, "WATCH OUT!"

"Whoopsey!"

Hal grasped the steering lever and turned the boat to avoid a gang of nightmares, showering them in orange smoke he threw. Jack yelped as he was thrown against the small mast, and he rubbed the back of his neck dizzily.

"Whoa..."

Jo landed on the boat beside him a moment later, and he looked around. His eyes widened as the wind flew back almost quietly. He couldn't see anymore nightmares- and at that thought his chest began to lose its tight, panicked feel. Maybe they'd gotten them all?

He laughed nervously and looked down at the town below- not too far. But he stopped, and instantly froze.

A figure was standing in the middle of the flat rooftop he's fallen on a while ago. A black, thin, still figure. He couldn't make out its face. Still as a statue, he could feel its eyes on him. His hair stood on end, and he couldn't tear his eyes away. He suddenly felt very cold.

"Uuuhhh Oooh..."

Jack, who hadn't noticed Jo's unease, stopped rubbing the back of his head and followed Hal's line of sight, and his mouth hung open.

Jo finally managed to twist his neck around, very slowly, as if it hadn't been moved for thousands of years. His heart leapt.

Ahead of them, high in the air, leering down at the boat and the sleigh, was an enormous line- and enormous army of thousands of nightmares, raised up on a giant wave of black oblivion.

And it was coming straight at them.

Dun-du-du-duuun-dun, dun-du-du-duun-dun, dun-dududu-duuuuuh.

Please review before the Nightmares hit you!

Badass Sandy.