VISIONS!

Pitch stumbled back, his face pale as he shook his head in disbelief "…No…" he murmured "It's you…"

The woman smiled evilly at Pitch, the flames dancing around her as she sauntered towards him, while her hair arced out on either side almost blending in the orange glow "Hello Pitch," she practically purred "how's things?"

"How's things?!" Pitch repeated incredulously his eyes narrowing with disbelief "Holly," he gasped "is that you?"

"Yep, it's me," the lady chirped her green eyes lit up by the flames and an underlying bitterness "honestly I'm surprised that you even know who I am anymore, I've practically been forgotten about everywhere else."

"How could anyone forget about you," the Boogeyman asked slowly as he began to walk backwards his brain reeling urging him to find a way to get her to leave before she destroyed his home "I mean, you ARE the spirit that inhabits the feelings of Peace and Goodwill during Christmas."

"Don't you dare talk to me about THAT!" Holly spat sending Pitch scurrying backwards as the flames raced out engulfing more of his home.

"I see you have a new look," he shouted over the roar of the flame "interesting since I don't remember fire being one of your abilities, trying for a change?"

"You could say that," The former spirit of Peace calmed down and sauntered through the lair and into the living room "let's just say I have finally begun to see things differently and am no longer going to continue being so passive and pathetic."

"Oh?" Pitch queried his face giving an imperceptible wince as he watched the woman sit down making his couch begin to smolder "May I ask what brought on this change?"

Holly braced her face against her palm, her green eyes scrutinizing the dark figure in front of her "Let me ask you something Pitch," she said softly with an almost menacing undertone "don't you ever get tired of being stuck in your current predicament, of being subject to the humans who live in and run this planet, without any freedom to decide your own future?"

"Of course," Pitch shrugged sitting across from her on a nearby chair "I'm sure even the Guardians-"

"The Guardians!" Holly snarled as the material of the couch around her began to curl and smoke "It's their fault that I'm like this! For centuries I guarded the spirit and feelings surrounding Christmas long before North ever came on the scene, but then here comes the jolly fat man, and for a while I thought 'We're partners! He brings joy, and I bring Peace!' but I was wrong, SO wrong!"

"You…" Pitch said slowly as he put the pieces together "hate North?"

"YES!" the spirit shrieked "It wasn't until he started bringing gifts that Christmas lost its meaning! Gone are the feelings of Peace and Goodwill, now every year is full of whining children screaming about how they didn't get what they wanted, and families fighting because the children are fighting. Selfishness, hate, bitterness, all pouring from the children they protect because those brats no longer know how to be thankful that they are even alive and have their families with them. They only care about owning fashionable clothes, have the perfect phone, and the latest toys! And if they don't get what they want, then they automatically assume their parents hate them and want to ruin their life, and stomp off in a selfish rage. Do you know how many times I have gotten kicked in the teeth, and burned by a child's selfish desires when I was trying to fill them with feelings of love, compassion, and giving? Too MANY, that's HOW!"

"But there are people who try," the Boogeyman said as casually as he could manage "people who work at homeless shelters, and children who give away their Christmas gifts to needy children, as well as countless people who bring food to those who have none. You can't say that the feelings of Christmas are destroyed."

"Heh," Holly snorted as her flames diminished "what's wrong Pitch," she sneered "you're sounding like you actually care, something happen in the past one hundred years that I don't know about?"

Pitch closed his mouth with an audible snap, and shrugged, looking away not daring to meet her eyes. Holly leaned forward, her icy green gaze now glaring at him "You are different," she hissed "I can tell, you're stronger…you…You're getting believers again!"

Pitch opened his mouth, his lips giving a small pop, before closing it again and shrugging "…Possibly…"

"How?!" Holly growled her nails digging through the material of the couch.

"Well," Pitch chuckled nervously as his eyes lamented over his precious couch being slowly consumed by fire "that…is a long, and strange, story."

"TELL ME!" The spirit shrieked.

"The Guardians!" Pitch cried his hands balling in frustration over the impolite attitude of his impromptu house guest "We came to a…truce, and now I have found a way to do my job, and not suffer being pummeled by them for it!"

"They…" Holly huffed the flames around her growing till they reached the ceiling and her green eyes glowing like flickering emerald flames "helped you get BELIEVERS?! And they ignored ME?!"

"I wouldn't say 'ignored'," The Boogeyman coughed "more like…temporarily misplaced, they have been busy training their newest Guardian you know."

"They have a NEW GUARDIAN?!" was the screamed reply.

"Ah," Pitch's shoulders deflated when he saw that this was not going anywhere good very quickly "you know Holly, it has been a wonderful chat, but I think you should go and…ah….take a soothing walk. It's winter you know, and I'm sure Jack has laid some lovely snow on the ground, it all makes for a very refreshing jog don't you think?"

"I came to enlist you," Holly snarled completely ignoring Pitch's attempts to get her out of his lair "but I see that even you have betrayed me by siding with them. Fine, if that is how you want it to be, then I'll give you a firsthand account of just what I will bring to this world, and ultimately to you!"

"Oh dear," Pitch sighed as he looked towards the ceiling where he imagined the moon to be "here we go. Tell me Manny, was I this chatty while I was evil?"

"SHUT IT!" Holly shouted "Just you wait Pitchiner! Not only will I have my revenge against North, but I plan on burning down every house of every child on this miserable planet, teach them what it really feels like to live without, and I won't be satisfied until the sky is dark with the smoke of the flames of my righteous fury!"

"Is that before, or after you destroy the Guardians?" Pitch asked casually.

"Wait, what?" Holly said the flames going out as she gave the Boogeyman a puzzled glare.

"I mean," the man shrugged "destroying North, and burning down every home in the world, that's all well and good, and liable to give me some very tasty fear, but what about the other Guardians? There are five of them now, and one of them has control over snow and wind, and could probably put your fires out."

"I…I…Well…wha-" the woman stammered "What does THAT have to do with anything?!"

"Look," Pitch said gently as he folded his hands together in a placating gesture "you're having the same problem I did, you're so overcome by thoughts of revenge that you aren't thinking things through logically." The man looked to the side, quickly muttering "though my plan was much classier and almost worked, but who cares, right?"

"I'm nothing like you!" the woman growled stomping her foot petulantly.

"No, you're most definitely not," the Boogeyman laughed before he quickly sobered "what I mean is, just ask yourself this; what happens after I get what I want? Really, what? Billions of people are left homeless, and you really think that will promote peace, and more thankfulness for their lot in life?"

Holly glared at the Boogeyman, huffing in dissatisfaction "It could…"

"I doubt it," Pitch deadpanned.

"Then what do you suggest?" the woman spat sarcastically.

"You need help," Pitch ignored the muttered 'Duh' from Holly, and continued "and I'm not just talking mentally, maybe you should go talk to someone who can solve this problem with words and not…fire."

"Oh?" Holly mocked "and just who would that be?"

"Maybe…" Pitch bobbed his head from side to side as he struggled to say his idea "North?"

"WHAT?!" Holly screeched "ME?! Talk to NORTH?! NEVER!"

Pitch face palmed as he watched her mounting fury burn everything in his living room, and quickly grabbed one of the pillows on his couch saving it from a fiery demise "Good bye home," he sighed forlornly "I wish others could have seen you before you perished in flame."

"Pitch, you rat!" Holly screamed "I am going to kill you, and everyone else who is associated with the Guardians!"

"Oh goody," Pitch moaned sarcastically while holding the pillow "a death threat, I'm absolutely terrified."

Holly, incensed at his careless attitude, let out one long indignant screech "DIIIIIEEE!"

Fire shot out from her body, going into every cavern, and chamber, of Pitch's lair. The Boogeyman ducked into shadow, knowing already that everything in his home had officially been demolished by her rage.

"Cursed emotional females," he muttered unhappily as he warped towards North's workshop "curse them and their inability to maintain their control and listen to reason!"

….

"I'm tellin' ya mate," Bunny laughed loudly "them's the rules o' football in the outback!"

"Seriously?!" Jack asked bug eyed "That's so cool, I didn't know different countries had different rules in sports."

"O' course they do!" Bunny winked.

The Guardians were enjoying dinner and Jack had for the first time in weeks decided to join them, something that made the entire group sigh with relief, especially Bunny. Over the past five years the Pooka and North had been helping Jack get used to eating, and now he had worked himself up to being able to finish almost a whole serving at dinner, which Jack truly enjoyed. It was because of this that he was happily eating ham baked in brown sugar, mashed potatoes and gravy, with a side of cinnamon apple crisp, all without a single worry of what might happen later. North was currently embroiled in a serious discussion with Sandy concerning a new movie coming out and how it might have a character that symbolized the Sandman in it, and the two were barely concentrating on dinner because Sandy was so passionate about someday getting a movie about him. Tooth was just listening to Jack and Bunny talk, her face decorated by a warm motherly smile that lit her features and made them glow.

Suddenly a knock came from the front door, causing all chatter to cease, and North cocked a confused eyebrow at his family before lumbering over to open it "Pitch?" he exclaimed "How many times I tell you? You don't have to knock, just come in and-why are you holding a pillow?"

"Hello North," Pitch sighed and he slunk through the door.

"Pitch," Tooth rushed to his side her delicate fingers trailing over the burns decorating his skin and various parts of his clothes "What happened?"

"I need a place to crash," the Boogeyman pouted as he gazed unhappily at the pillow clutched in his gray hand his topaz eyes shimmering with loss over his beautiful new couch "Holly has gone rogue, and has somehow become a fire spirit. She destroyed my home, and almost me with it."

"Oh you poor thing," Tooth cooed running her fingers through his hair "I'm going to go right now and get you some burn ointment and a fresh pair of clothes."

"Thank you," the man replied quietly before walking over to the dinner table.

Sitting down next to Bunny, the Boogeyman wrapped his arms around his pillow, and buried his face in it, letting out a sigh that was laced by a groan of supreme frustration accompanied by several incoherent mumbles that were muffled by the stuffed material. Bunny and Jack cocked their heads, peering at their friend.

"Ya a'right mate?" the Pooka asked gently.

Pitch lifted his face so that only his chin was resting on the pillow, and then kicking his legs in a mini temper tantrum he finally whined "NO! I worked so hard on my home, and she destroyed it without a thought, I ask you, how can anyone be so rude?!"

"I have no idea," Bunny replied snidely as he gave a playful glare at Jack who in turn stuck his tongue out at his older brother.

Finally Jack looked back at the Boogeyman, his blue eyes wide with puzzlement "Uh, Pitch?"

"What?" The man growled darkly.

"Why are you holding a pillow?"

The Boogeyman paused, his thoughts becoming melancholy as he remembered the beautiful couch and how soft it's cushions were before blowing out a small sigh "I don't want to talk about it, it's simply too painful."

Jack and Bunny jerked back, each of them opening and closing their mouths as they tried to formulate an appropriate answer, but equally turning up empty on just how to answer the man. Finally they settled with turning back to their dinner, and continuing their talk on Australian rules versus American rules concerning Football.

HI! Just thought I would try to make this chapter a little more upbeat, heaven knows this arc needs a little humor LOL.

As always, REVIEW!