Well here we are again, and with two arcs down!

I'm hoping to close out Epikaos soon, but it will depend on how the chapters go. So since Toddler Bunny and Pitch's Passion is done, the next update will be Visions which I'm sure you are all eager to see the end and read what will happen next. ENJOY!

"Jack," North sighed happily as he sunk onto the bed and wrapped his brother in a warm embrace "I'm so glad you're ok, I was worried sick."

"We all were," Sandy signed his face decorated with a relieved smile.

"Thanks guys," Jack said softly with a tight smile in return his eyes becoming downcast with guilt "I'm sorry I caused so much trouble."

"Trouble?" Aster said incredulously "Ya haven't done a blasted thing!"

"But…" Jack suddenly stopped, biting his lips as he scrunched further underneath his blankets "It's all my fault…and…"

"Jack," Tooth leaned forward when the pale boy paused, stroking his face with a slender hand "sweetie, you can talk to us."

"I c-can't," Jack stammered as he pulled the blanket over his head and pulled his knees up to his chin "I promised."

"Jackie," Aster plopped onto the hospital bed and tugged the blanket off the younger boy's head "we know."

Blue eyes widened to gaze at his adopted older brother "You know about what?"

"About Pitch," North replied walking around the bed so that he could sit on Jack's other side "he came to the hospital and told us that he had tricked you into believing a lie."

"A lie," Jack's eye widened to impossibly huge discs "but he said that if I didn't mess up my drum solo and ruin our audition he would frame you guys for terrorism in order to get you guys deported. That was all… a lie?"

"Yeah," Tooth smiled gently as she brushed pale whitish blond hair from the boy's forehead "he was trying to stress you out by signing us up for extra practices, and with whatever he told you, in order to blackmail us into throwing our chance at the audition for LA."

"H-How?" the boy asked in a hoarse whisper.

"Well," Aster pursed his lips in careful thought "he said that if we don't throw our audition, he would call Child Protection Services and report North as an 'Unfit Guardian', and get ya thrown inta the foster care system."

Jack's shock filled gaze suddenly grew cold, their azure depths shifting and becoming stormy like the snow as it begins to fall into an avalanche "That jerk" He hissed.

"I know," Sandy signed with a silent sigh "but regardless of how much I may agree on that statement, we have to think about how to keep Pitch from making that call."

"He can't!" Jack exclaimed, the force of his yell causing him to bounce in the bed "He doesn't have any proof-"

"Yes he does," North said quietly his matching blue eyes downcast guilt and pain swimming in their depths "in the eyes of the government Jack, I am not a fit Guardian for you. You do not have a stable home, or a mother, and your health has been compromised by the heavy practices and constant traveling that we do. Just by showing Child Protection Services the schedule of shows, practices, and eventually your medical records from your trip to the ER in an ambulance, it would be very easy for Pitch to validate his claims against me."

"But…" the pale boy slumped against his pillows, tears rising in his eyes as his chest began to heave "th-that's so unfair!"

"Jack," Aster put up his hands and cupped them gently around the youngest band member's face when the Aussie saw Jack's heart monitor became erratic "Jackie, ya need ta calm down mate. We're not gonna let that happen."

"Yeah," Jack sniffled leaning forward to plop his head into Aster's chest "but then you have to sacrifice your dreams, and we'll never get a record deal, and it'll all be my FAULT!"

"Naw," Aster soothed stroking the white head and gathering the boy into his arms "naw mate, it ain't yer fault, and we can always get another record deal with another agency."

North beckoned with his hands and Aster gave a nod while depositing the weeping teen into the arms of his older brother "Jack," North said in a soft voice rubbing comforting circles into Jack's back "it is fine. I rather throw away a dream that may never pan out in the long run, than take the chance of losing you, my precious brother."

"I-I'm so sorry!" Jack wailed "I'm so stupid! I should have talked to you, I shouldn't have let Pitch mess with my head, and now our dreams are ruined because was an idiot!"

"You are not an idiot!" Tooth said emphatically giving Jack's shoulder a firm shake with her hand "Pitch was a jerk for telling a lie like that to you, and he's an even bigger skuzz bucket for doing it with the sole purpose of driving you to having a panic attack from the stress, you were just trying to protect us."

"But I should have known better than to trust anything Pitch says!" Jack insisted turning his face so that it was buried in North's chest and he didn't have to face the concerned looks of his family "I was stupid for thinking that he could seriously get you guys deported."

"Jack, it's an understandable fear," North squeezed his younger brother in his embrace "you cannot beat yourself up for worrying that Pitch was capable of it."

"No matter whether Pitch was capable of getting' us deported," Aster sighed "we do have a very real threat that he is capable of, and we have a decision ta make, concerning the audition."

"We can't go," North said firmly his blue eyes both sorrowful and angry "I won't chance Pitch keeping his word and separating me from Jack."

"But we can't give up and let Pitch win either!" Sandy's hands moved in sharp angry motions.

"I'm with Sandy," Tooth said her mouth a grim slash of angry determination "We've worked so hard to get to where we are, and I don't want to surrender simply because Pitch the scumbag wants to blackmail us into giving up our dreams, we should face him on equal ground and force him to fight fair!"

The group looked at Tooth, each agreeing with her in their minds but their faces still showing depressed defeat, everyone except Aster that is. The Aussie stood by the window, his stormy green eyes staring out into the middle distance as one finger tapped his chin, lips pursed in deep thought. Suddenly the emerald gaze widened, and a slow grin spread across the tan face, and Aster turned around and slapped both hands onto the blanket of Jack's bed.

"I GOT IT!" he practically screamed.

A crash accompanied by a startled squeak sounded outside the door, and a frazzled nurse sat on the floor surrounded by food trays, her brown eyes giving a grumpy glare at the noisy young man who had scared her out of her wits. Aster gave her an apologetic smile before clearing his throat and continuing in a much quieter voice.

"I do believe I have an idea ta help us outta this mess," he coughed in embarrassment.

Tooth giggled as she watched the nurse huff and puff as she gathered up the food trays, then turned to the Aussie "Well," she chirped hope sparking in her lavender eyes "don't keep us in suspence!"

"We send Pitch a letter," Aster grinned wickedly "and propose that if he thinks his band is so much better than ours, how's about he ditches the idea ta blackmail us inta forfeiting the audition, but instead we get our road manager ta set up a battle of the bands, us versus him. The people auditionin' us will be the judges, winner takes all, and loser bows out of the music business fer good."

The room went deathly quiet as everyone processed Aster's words, until North broke the silence, his voice a breathless laugh "That," he gasped "that could actually work!"

"Pitch's ego wouldn't let him pass up the chance to prove once and for all who is better," Sandy grinned "I say we do it!"

"YES!" Tooth whooped as she bounced on the bed pumping her fists "And when Pitch accepts our challenge, we'll beat him once and for all!"

Jack burst from North's arms and tackled Aster in a hug despite being tied down by the various cords connecting him to machinery and monitors, leaning back the boy gave his adopted older brother a playful punch to his bicep "For a crazy Aussie," Jack laughed through his relieved tears "you're pretty smart, I don't care what North and Sandy say."

"HEY!" came the unanimous retort from the men in question.

Aster laughed out loud, and the boys were quickly joined in a large group hug initiated by Tooth, snuggling close, the family finally drew their first breath that wasn't weighed down by fear or stress. They had hope, and should Pitch take the challenge, they had an even better chance of putting this Boogeyman to bed for good and all.

….

Pitch lazed in his motor coach, a smug smile on his face as he calculated just how long he might have to wait before hearing Epikaos' response. If he was lucky he would hear from them before the end of the day!

Suddenly his cell phone rang, and the dark man answered it, his grin much like the Cheshire cat "Hello?"

"Hey Pitch," the road manager said quickly "I just got an email from Epikaos, and they came up with a great idea for how to sell some tickets. I already agreed, and am preparing for the upcoming battle, check your email, they sent one to you too."

Pitch felt his eyebrow raise as his cell phone buzzed signaling the alert for an incoming email. Hanging up quickly, the young man gritted his teeth, and clicked on the link, his topaz eyes widening at the contents of the email.

Pitch,

We were thinking, and we decided that we didn't want to give up without a fight. So how about this, you forget about your little plan, and instead both of us lay on the line in an all or nothing battle of the bands. Winner takes all. The conditions are simple.

We meet on the stage, and each of us get to do one song, then we meet in the middle and battle it out in a DJ match while we each fight with a lyrics battle. The judges will be the people auditioning us for LA, whoever wins will go to LA, whoever loses gets out of the music business, permanently.

What do you think? Are you man enough to go to war and fight us for real?

Pitch grinned, and began to laugh deep in his throat as his eyes took on a crazed look, oh yes this was much better than his original plan. Blackmail was fun, but it wasn't as satisfying as beating his enemies in a bonafide battle. His fingers flying over the keyboard of his phone, Pitch cackled with delight as he typed his reply.

GAME ON!