A/N: I'm so sorry it's been so long, guys. I'm pretty much copying and pasting this from Zeus' Dice, so if you've read it there, sorry for the repeat.

I know that people don't want to hear excuses and that the vast majority of y'all are gonna skip right over this to the story, but I do wanna explain. College was hard on me. I had a difficult time in classes for pretty much the first time in my life because most of my old schools assumed that if I was in the honors track, I knew how to study and didn't actually teach me about that. Made for an interesting time trying to keep up with college courses while also working on figuring out what kind of studying techniques actually worked for me. Please learn how to study before college. Trust me, it'd help. Anyways, college took up my life for the past couple years, and moving back into my parents' house in January has been a bit difficult, as well, for many reasons. Add to that that I really have a negligible attention span (no, seriously, my friends will tell you that I have new story ideas about every time I blink) and that I'm working on an original novel, I've not really been able to sit and work on fan fiction for a while. I'm trying to get back into it, so I wanna apologize if my writing's not up to snuff. I'm working on things, I swear, it just takes me a long time to actually get something written and to a point where I actually like what I wrote, plus I try to have at least a couple chapters pre-written (as in, first draft handwritten) before posting anything.

In addition to college, I've had a few different medical issues over the past few years, the first being a chronic knee issue, and the second finding out a couple months ago that I have a cyst in my ankle, so there's been a bunch of stuff on my mind with that and all. (It also doesn't help that I've gotten into a bunch of new fandoms and wanna make stories for each of them….)

Anyway, about half this chapter was only just figured out tonight, so I'm sorry if it's not up to snuff, I usually pre-write the chapter before I type it, so this is a bit out of my comfort zone, but I wanted to get it up, so…. Yeah. I also haven't yet found my notes on the rest of the story and especially on Serenity's whole deal, so I wound up refiguring what to do with her. The story, I mostly know where it's going, but Serenity's plot has changed a bit.

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Danny was content to just sit. After all, his world was still stuck, frozen in place. He didn't even realize that he'd been moved or that Serenity was gone. All he knew was that there was this buzzing coming from in front of him, and it just wouldn't stop.

He didn't know that that buzzing was Bunny and North as they barked out questions at him, questions he didn't hear, questions he couldn't answer. He didn't know that as they continued to demand answers of him they were getting more and more aggravated at him. He didn't know they planned on getting answers any way they could.

He didn't know—until Phil decided to shove snow into Danny's face.

The boy sputtered, wiping at his face to remove the frozen water. Then he coughed, trying to dislodge the bit that went down his throat. "Wha—" he choked. "What the hell was that for?!"

"Oh, now ya talk!" Bunny exclaimed before leaning over the table to be nose-to-nose with Danny. "Now, we're only gonna ask one more time. Why was that nightmare with ya?!"

Danny stared for a moment, confused, before his eyes widened slightly. "Oh, Serenity? She's been around for a while, now."

While North filed away the fact that the teen had actually named the mare, Bunny seethed. "But that doesn't tell us why!"

"Why does any nightmare hang around someone?" Danny shot back, a brow raised. "She fed off my fears, but kept others away." He shrugged. "I guess she wanted me all to herself."

"But how did you make her change?" North asked.

"That's right!" Bunny exclaimed, pointing accusingly at Danny. "How'd ya manage that?"

"What change?" The boy seemed honestly confused.

"She is silver fox now," North replied.

The boy stifled a laugh, then grinned up at them. "Okay, first, she's not male, and second, I haven't seen her show interest in anyone, regardless of age difference. Unless you count me, in which case, that's a cougar, not a—"

"That's not what he meant," Bunny snarled at the chuckling teen. "Crikey, you're as bad as Jack!"

"Thank you."

"Is not compliment," North said, breaking up the short fight.

"Then, what'd you mean by 'silver fox'?" Danny asked, confused once more.

"Exactly what it sounds like. When Sandy tried to turn her back into a dream, she turned silver instead. When we inspected her a few hours ago, she morphed into a—"

So this is where you've kept my boy.

All three turned to the door, as did the yetis, surprised to see that Serenity had broken in. She locked her glowing eyes onto the Guardians. I would like him back now.

"…Whoa," Danny breathed, reaching out towards her only to have his hand slapped away by Bunny. "Hey!" He glared at the Pooka.

"You've done enough damage without even bein' near her. We ain't takin' any chances."

Danny huffed, but Serenity snorted. As if you are in control here, rabbit. She tossed her head, then tilted it slightly. Tell me, when's the last time you heard of a rabbit surviving an encounter with a fox?

Danny chuckled as Bunny seethed. "Lookie here, sheila, I'm not some common rabbit!"

Serenity snapped at the finger Bunny was pointing at her, causing the Pooka to yelp and jump for cover and Danny to laugh even more. Well, I am no common fox. And I want my boy back. Now.

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The moment Benji became a believer was obvious to all those around him. One minute, they were explaining to Ray and Luna about Phantom (they hadn't yet hit that portion of history classes), and the next, Benji was shrieking and pointing at Jack.

Who just grinned. "Oh, hey, you see me now!"

"You just—but you weren't—how'd—?" Benji stuttered before shaking his head harshly. "No. There must be an explanation why I can suddenly see you."

"We see him, too," Kyle pointed out.

Benji grinned. "Group hallucinations! That must be—GAH!" he cut himself off with a shriek as Jack began floating in front of him, frowning.

"I'm not a hallucination, kid. I'm real."

The redhead shook his head frantically. "You can't be! I—It's not logical!"

"Logical or not," Charlie said, stepping in, "it's true. Now, Jack," she turned to the spirit, "why'd you mention the ghosts?"

"Also illogical!" Benji commented, but no one was listening to him any more, instead focused on the winter sprite.

"Well, a lot of stuff lately's been pointing towards the ghosts, Phantom in particular." The eternal teen hopped up onto a fence, pacing its length with his staff held across his shoulders. "First off, the guy who had all those pictures? He had a fighting style like Phantom's."

"Okay, so he's a fan." At the others' incredulous looks, Kyle added, "A fanatic."

"But it wasn't just that! All those photos are of kids that lived here, in Amity Park, Phantom's old haunt!"

"Maybe Jack's the fanatic," Sky mumbled with a smirk.

She blinked, finding the crooked end of the staff in her face, a scowling (but rather amused) Jack glaring down at her. "Watch who ya call fanatic, kid. Not everyone's as forgiving as me." He replaced the staff back on his shoulders. "Our main trouble is, the guy's been taken in for questioning."

"By who?" Zach asked.

"Whom," Benji absently corrected.

"The Guardians. They're suspicious that he's involved in an attack on the North Pole because he had a pet nightmare." He rolled his eyes.

Charlie furrowed her brow. "A pet nightmare? How does that work?"

"Dunno, really. But it turned silver before I left, so I think it's not really a nightmare. Not any more, at least." He shrugged. "No clue what it should be called now, though."

"…Quicksilver."

Everyone turned to Benji, surprised he'd spoken up for something other than a protest or correction. "Um, what?" Kyle asked.

"It's a saying that great-grandma Jazz passed down. 'The quicksilver of creativity will not be solidified by legal pronouncement; it will necessarily flow into new and sometimes frightening fields.'"

There was a long pause before they spoke up. "So… it'll keep changing?"

"Probably. These Guardian people are probably in for a shock from it, too, if it decides on a frightening form."

Jack's eyes went wide. "Oh… crap."

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"We cannot let boy go," North finally announced. "He is prime suspect."

Serenity snorted. For what? Being on the Naughty List? She huffed. Not exactly news. Danny has always been a trickster.

"Hey!" Danny exclaimed, shooting a quick glare at Serenity.

The fox just rolled her eyes.

Bunny's nose was twitching angrily. "This isn't some joke, sheila! He and his horde of nightmares wrecked the Pole!"

Horde of nightmares? Serenity repeated indignantly. I was the only nightmare allowed near Danny, and I will keep it that way.

"You aren't even a nightmare any more!"

So? Just because I've changed my form doesn't mean I'll let anyone else near my boy. Including you, rabbit.

"Oi, sheila, you'd better watch it!" Bunny exclaimed. "I'll send ya right back where ya came from!"

Oh, big, tough rabbit, are you? Her form began to shift as she spoke. Perhaps you'd rather fight someone your own size? A female Pooka stood before Bunny, ears laid back against her head as she fell into a ready stance.

The two spirits gaped at her while Danny blinked. "Dude," he murmured, "coolest trick I've seen in a while."

Serenity smirked. Maybe you'd rather I try a more familiar form? Her shape shifted once more, shrinking down to about a foot in height with a slightly stocky body and squished muzzle.

Danny grinned. "You can look like Cujo? Cool!"

"Quit showin' off!" Bunny barked, glaring at the two.

The tiny pup immediately morphed into a larger form, sharp teeth bared and towering over everyone in the room. I will do as I please, rabbit, and you'll stay silent on the matter. Unless you'd like to become my dinner?

North and Bunny stared up at the frothing canine, obviously worried and trying to work out a plan. Of course, just as they were about to put their idea into action, Jack flew in the window.

"North, that mare might be able to—oooh, you already found out, huh?" The sprite winced back at the dual glares he was shot. "Sorry…."

Serenity shrank back down to her puppy form, curling up in Danny's lap, the teen absently petting her while the legends began a new argument.

"Jack, how did you know it would change again?" North demanded.

"Benji came up with that one," Jack admitted. "He started quoting some old saying about creativity and quicksilver or something…."

"Quicksilver," Danny murmured, "fitting."

Indeed. Much less overdramatic than 'Nightmares', Serenity added. Everyone in the room ignored Jack's startled expression when he heard her speak.

"Much less punny, too."

"Okay, apparently I'm the one who needs to be filled in," Jack stated. "What's going on?"

I want my boy back, Serenity declared, and I am taking him back.

"Oh, yeah?" Bunny snarled back. "You and what army?"

You really want me to create an army?

"Okay!" Jack cut in, jumping between the two, arms raised towards each. "No armies, please, and Bunny, seriously, lay off for five minutes!"

"She started it!"

And I don't mind finishing it, either.

Serenity shifted once more before them, growing about four times taller than Danny and Jack, teeth elongating and sharpening into points. She loomed once more over them all, snarling. Danny merely rolled his eyes, glancing away, and as he did, he saw a shadow moving in the corner.

As the rest argued behind him, Danny moved closer to the shadow, eyes narrowing at it as it seemed to ebb and sway in a pattern solely its own. He even glanced back and forth, trying to see what or who it could be cast from, but nothing matched its movements.

And then the red eyes snapped open.

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Jack was highly unused to playing peacekeeper. Especially when one of the arguers was Bunny. In that instance, he was more likely to be the second angry party rather than a mediator. But, frankly, he'd rather the giant rabbit not get eaten by their, ah, guest.

Then he actually took a moment to look around the room and saw that Danny was off to one side, apparently more interested in a corner than the fight. "What…?" he wondered, edging a little closer. Only North seemed to notice, brow furrowing when he saw Jack move. "What's up over there, Da—?"

But that was the moment that the shadows swallowed up the boy, pulling him away to who knew where.

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A/N: Yeah, a little shorter than the past couple, but meh. I'm trying to plot out the next few chapters (this is probably about half done), so hopefully I can get those out fairly quick. Sorry again for being gone so long. Hope you guys enjoyed!