WOW! I really should have asked for 1000 reviews ;)

You guys are so cool! Thank you soooooooooooooo much you have no idea how wonderful this is.

I'm dedicating this chapter to Edam, not only because he went back and reviewed each and every chapter, but for his constant support and his great advice. I hope you enjoy this chapter. It turned out to be more tension than action per se, but I think I'm happy with the way it turned out.

i also want to send special thanks to the wonderful Faleno who created the most amazing covers for my previous stories. They're super cool -as well as my new avatar ;)- please check them out.


Bunny and Gretchen entered the tunnel and he carefully laid her down in a bed of soft grass he made for her. She inhaled as deeply as she could. It smelled of spring, it smelled of home, it smelled of him. He looked into her eyes for the shortest of seconds and she couldn't help smiling as he kissed her forehead.

"Stay" he breathed.

She supposed he meant 'stay alive' because he knew very well that this was his tunnel and he was the only one who could create an exit. He knew very well that she could barely move. She was about to protest, to tell him that she would be OK, that she really had had worse, when she saw him disappear through a hole.

The Groundhog laid back on the grass and got herself as comfortable as she could, concentrating on her breathing, trying to get as much air into her lungs as possible. It hurt like Hell. She was dizzy from lack of oxygen, or from the tornado, she couldn't be sure. She felt so exhausted. She hoped he came back soon, so she could tell him that she loved him too. That idiot Peter Rabbit better stop disappearing on her like that or she would have to kick his ass again. Gretchen smiled at that thought, as her eyes closed.


Amanda Bennett had never been this scared since little Sophie disappeared last spring. She considered herself a brave woman, but she was always braver when it came to protecting the ones she loved than for herself, as if her love was always stronger than her fear. And right now she was trembling from head to toe, too terrified to even try to scream. She could feel something rough, like sand paper wrapped tightly around her body, scratching her skin. Whatever it was, it was really strong and she wondered how long before it crushed her to death. Amanda Bennett had never been this scared.

And Pitch was loving it. He knew that he had made the right choice when he picked her. Her terror was feeding him, making him stronger, healing his injured shoulder. Because of her fear, he could conjure enough nightmares to defeat the Guardians. Because he had her, he didn't have to fear Frost, not even possessed would the winter spirit dare to put her at risk.

Mandy had no idea what was happening. All she could see was the ruins of her hometown... and Jack. But somehow her beloved hellion was the most terrifying thing of all. She could see his horrific injuries and her heart sank imagining the pain he had been through. She could clearly see a helpless, powerless, scared Jack surrounded by flames and she felt sick to her stomach. But as bad as he looked, it was not his burnt extremities what was scaring her. No... It was the wild, alien expression on his face, the bright green replacing the playful blue of his eyes. He looked like someone else entirely. Amanda gave a silent gasp, remembering last spring. This was not Jack. This was the monster that almost killed the Guardians. Was Jack doing this? Was he going to... kill her?

"Jack, you have to tell her what's going on!" said Tooth, pulling Jack's sleeve. She could see Mandy's terrified face and she knew the woman's fear was making Pitch stronger.

But Jack jerked his arm away, his eyes focused on Pitch. He was so blinded by rage that his brain couldn't process what she was saying. The fairy stood in front of him this time, grabbing both his arms.

"Jack, he's feeding of...!" she started, but Jack pushed her away roughly. He didn't want anyone between him and Pitch and he didn't want her to get hurt by the after shock of what was about to happen.

Bunny came out from his tunnel, hiding in the bushes. He knew that the Boogeyman was a coward and he expected everyone else to be cowards as well. The pooka was sure that Pitch thought he had abandoned his friends, and Aster was not about to loose the element of surprise. He saw Amanda, her whole body wrapped in the black sand, her kind, sweet eyes wide with terror making his insides ache. Sophie's mom, Jamie's mom. The kids would be devastated if something happened to her. Since she couldn't see him, he had never really interacted with her, except for that time when she insisted on thanking him in person for saving the ankle bitter and Jack had acted as an interpreter for him. It always amazed him, thought, how she somehow knew when he was at the Bennett's, entering the kid's room and saying 'hello', making him sometimes wonder if she really couldn't see him.

He could hear Tooth screaming at Jack, who kept pushing her away and he realized she was right: Mandy's terror was feeding Pitch. He also realized that Jack was no longer himself, his bright green eyes staring murderous at the Boogeyman. There was no way the fairy would get through to him. Bunny needed to do something, but what?

Little white flowers bloomed in the bushes, forming a message:

WE'RE ALL HERE
YOU'LL B ALRIGHT, LOVE
DON'T FEAR, IT FEEDS PITCH

Love? '... a big Aussie bloke who happens to be a bunny' she remembered Jack's description of his fellow Guardian. Amanda closed her eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling the essence of spring that filled her home every time the Easter Bunny was around. She could feel that energy always emanating from him, the feeling that everything will be alright. Hope. She turned around to look at the winter boy, more concerned over his safety than hers and then back to the bushes, looking for an answer. The plants responded:

JACK'S THE HULK

The effect was instantaneous. Even though Bunny couldn't see her face, he could see the smile in Amanda's eyes. She remembered a few days ago, Jamie and the twins were comparing the Guardians to the Avengers, matching a character to each Guardian. It was fine until they entered a very heated argument about Captain America. Claude and Caleb insisted that it should be Bunny, but Jamie, as always, argued it should be uncle Jack. Bunny most have been listening from Sophie's bedroom. 'Well, it seemed like that argument is settled' thought Mandy as she smiled under the black sand, her fears melting away. Bunny was here, the Guardians were here, Jack was fine. Sort of. She knew everything will be OK.


"What is it Jack? Is something the matter?" said Pitch maliciously "I thought you would rather enjoy this family reunion" he continued, smiling.

Jack just glared at him, breathing heavily, trying with all his might to control himself, to control this... this thing for Mandy's sake. But he really just wanted to freeze Pitch straight to Hell.

"You took away my family, Jack. It was only fair that I took yours..." said the Nightmare King, as more and more sand mares surrounded the Guardians. "You understand, don't you. I just didn't want to be alone anymore. Isn't that what you want as well...?"

As always, the Boogeyman was so preoccupied with his monologue that he was completely unaware of the exchange between Bunny and Mandy, until he suddenly felt it. The fear just... disappeared. He stopped talking as his mares plunged themselves towards the Guardians, a reflection of his own rage. He turned around to face Amanda, his amber eyes shinning menacingly.

"I am the Nightmare King! You will fear me!" he yelled, as the black sand wrapped tighter across her body, covering her face, suffocating her, only to let her breathe again for a few seconds before smothering her again. He didn't intent to kill her after all, just scare her... for now.

"Oi! How about you mess with someone your own size!" said Bunny, coming out of the bushes and throwing his boomerang at Pitch.

The Boogeyman barely avoided being hit and he grabbed Mandy, using her as a human shield, as five nightmares surrounded the pooka.

"Nice try, rabbit? Did you really think it would be that easy?" said Pitch. "Tell me, is your little friend already dead? Or were you stupid enough to leave her to die alone?"

"You just wait until I put my hands on you, Pitch!" replied Bunny, fighting the fearlings that were now attacking him. They needed to get rid of the boogeyman soon, both Mandy and Gretchen were in danger.

Sandy, North and Tooth formed a circle around Jack, shielding their injured friend from the black sand horses. They had this. Just like before Tooth spun around, her sharp wings piercing through the black sand easily, while North sliced mare after mare with his remaining sword and Sandy hit fearlings left and right with his golden sand whips. Of course they had this. Until Jack realized what Pitch was doing to Mandy. They had this until Jack had enough.

His green eyes shone brightly as both of his mangled hands wrapped around his staff. He could feel the pain, but it was good. It was fueling his adrenalin, making him angrier, making him more powerful.

"Duck!" the real Jack managed to yell before it happened.

Ice shoot from the top of his staff, hitting the nightmares flying on top of them, creating a chain reaction as one after another froze and exploded into tiny pieces of ice until they were all gone.

"No!" screamed Pitch, incredulous. He expected fear to paralyze the winter spirit.

"OK, Pitch. Let the woman go now, we won't hurt you." said North, walking towards the Nightmare King, who was now surrounded by the Guardians.

"No" rasped Pitch. This time he was not afraid, he knew the Guardians would never risk Mandy. He wasn't sure what he was trying to achieve anymore. Maybe he would kill the woman after all. Maybe it was time for the stupid Guardians to learn that he really should be feared. "No. You will learn tonight what it feels like to lose." he said, a wild expression on his face.

Mandy's eyes were locked into Jack's trying to find some comfort, pleading, as the black sand suffocated her once more, not stopping this time. Her lungs were aching, crying for oxygen and the winter hellion could see it in her eyes. She was dying. Pitch was only distracting them while he killed her slowly.

Sandy looked from Pitch to Jack. The winter spirit's chest was heaving, his staff sparkling little pieces of frost, like fireworks, and the Sandman knew he was loosing his self control. And then he saw it in the green eyes: Jack was about to attack the Boogeyman. Sandy threw as much of his sand as he could towards Pitch in an attempt to protect Mandy and the Nightmare King himself, afraid of Mother Nature's threat. Just a second later, the blue light emanated from the wooden staff, blinding everyone as it collided with the golden sand, piercing through it.