It was that time again.

The Guardians, sans Jack Frost, were having a meeting about their youngest, as they did every three months or so, There was one difference that was of a great note, however.

This time they had an outsider join them.

"Are we really going to discuss the times when Frost was afraid? Seriously? We'll be here all Summer! The amount of times he's fed me and my Fearlings could be recorded in a very thick and very large novel."

"Yes Pitch, we must discuss this delicate part of Jack's being. Is why we brought you here, so you may enlighten us on three very...odd fears that Jack has expressed in all but words." North said in explination.

"Enlighten you?" the Nightmare King sneered "As a rule, I generally like to keep everything in the dark. However, I suppose it won't hurt to...lord over my knowledge over you simpletons. Mind you, I only agreed to this because it benefits me to keep Frost happy for the time being."

Bunny waved him off "Who cares why yer doin' this ya Dingo. Just do it! Sides, Frostbite doesn't know about these...progress report...discussions. We hold em while he's busy. So don't get all worried that he'll tease ya about hangin' with us fer this."

Pitch made a mental note of that fact, perhaps it would prove helpful ammunition if he ever needed it. "Interesting. So out with it. What is the first of the three 'mystery fears'?"

Tooth licked her lips nervously "Well, one of them happened a few days after Summer was announced..."

Tooth was heading to the Pole when she caught sight of the youngest Guardian with some children. She always loved seeing him interact with his believers, so she went in for a closer look.

Her eyes narrowed as she caught sight of Gregory Tyme. She knew from Jamie that the sadistic child and her Sweet Tooth did not get along. She frowned as Jack got visibly agitated, and started to back away. The monster of a child, despite the other children trying to discourage him, continued to agitate Jack. Eventually, the Winter Teen retreated into a tree and refused to come down.

"I couldn't hear clearly enough to tell what went on. Jack refused to even talk about that day let alone what that monster had said to make him react like that..."

Pitch gave a snort "Monster? Be careful Toothiana, you happen to be talking about one of my favorite Believers. I remember that day just as clearly as Frost himself. I was there after all."

"Well I would think so." The faerie said snidely, "Jack's fear was so thick even I could feel it from feet away."

"Yes, it was quite palpable. No small wonder when it comes to Gregory. In a way, Frost's fear of what was said or shown was completely and totally irrelevant."

"What're you talking about, drongo?" Aster asked folding his arms.

"I'm saying that the fear I fed on and the faerie felt had nothing to do at all with what Gregory told or showed Jack. It had everything to do with the boy himself."

North's eyes went wide as realization hit him "Jack Frost was...afraid of a child?!"

Pitch sneered "Is it any small wonder when that particular child is not only a huge fan of the Guardians greatest enemy (Not to toot my own horn but I do take some pride in that fact still) but also a very, and this is putting it mildly, avid hater of Jack Frost? Really North, you yourself had to have seen the boy's hesitance to visit a certain town. His no-doubt cow-eyed look when the rabbit asks him to hide eggs near a certain house? Jack Frost is terrified of Gregory Tyme!"

"But why?" North asked puzzled "Gregory is just a child! A naughty child, but a child nonetheless."

Piutch narrowed his eyes "He is more than a mere child North. You of all people should know this. How long has he been on that list of yours? Years! He'll beat Frost's record at ther rate he's going, 300 year head start or not. The boy is a sadistic psychopath and I love him. The fear he inspires just helps my cause right now, and what's glorious is he knows it! He is a terror among ants. But I see my gloating does not answer your main question. Why does my favorite believer terrify your precious boy so much. Well it's simple enough. The boy has set him on fire before. Twice in fact."

"He WHAT?!" Bunny roared

"And he no doubt plans to do so again. He has also tortured Frost by manhandling then breaking his staff."

Bunny seethed, but North thought he had the perfect solution.

"We must help Jack get over fear of boy!" the leader of the Guardians said determinedly.

Pitch snorted, raising a finger in protest. "Now North, I agreed to identify Frost's fears. I, as you may have guessed, am not interested in curing those fears."

"Is understandable. Loss of Jack's fears means less power for you." The big man said a bit bitterly.

"That has nothing to do with it!"

"You agreed to this to keep Jack happy. Getting rid of fear keeps him happy."

"Getting rid of his fears, old man, makes Jack Frost reckless. Getting rid of this particular fear will get him killed!"

How so? Sandy piped up curiously, Jack defeated you because he countered your center with his own. How will helping him basicly do the same thing with Gregory lead to a different outcome?

"Well put Sandy." Bunny said with a grin.

"No it wasn't." Pitch argued solemly, "If Jack counters Gregory's cruelty with Fun, he'll only strengthen the child's dark and rather frightening, I'm proud to say, method of 'play'. I have warned Frost not to use his element around the child. He ignored me once. I doubt he will willingly do so again."

"We have to do something Pitch!" Tooth insisted, hovering nervously.

"I don't see why. As it stands, Frost avoids Gregory as much as possible. Personally, I blame Jamie Bennett for their interactions"

"Jamie?! From what I've heard, those two boys are at each others throats over their respective persons of belief. I even got a tooth from one of their fights!" Tooth said "How could you accuse Jack's First Believer like that?"

"Because he is Jack's first, as Donnie is my first! I do not just grant Donnie an audience while he sleeps in his own bed. I make an extra effort to seek him out wherever he happens to be."

Bunny saw where the Boogyman was going "So you blame Jamie because if the ankle-biter didn't visit where Gregory lived, Jack would have no reason to interact with the boy unless the two crossed paths while Frostbite was spreadin' Winter."

"Well well, the Rabbit does show signs of intelegence!" the man said snidely.

:"We can't just ask Jamie not to visit Boise though" Tooth remarked "Donnie's there, and they're cousins."

Pitch sneered.

"That brat will do anything for Frost. I'm sure he'll be more than happy to aquiest to your request. As I said before, I have no interest in helping you lot find solutions to Frost's fears. I provide the what. You chew on the rest."

"Very well Pitch." North said, raising his hands "We will discuss solutions later. Please, Bunny, I believe you have another curious fear."

"I sure do." The Pooka said, scratching his head "This one's a bit suprisin', considerin what Jack's told us about his past..."

Bunny was out finding new plants to use for egg dye, when he stumbled onto one of Jack's old haunts. To his surprise and curiosity, his ears were picking up voices from inside the place. It seemed that Jack was angrily talking with someone. Closer inspection revealed that someone to be Hiccup. Odd, because the two seasons were steadily building on a level of trust that bordered on friendship.

"I won't do it, Summer!"

That wasn't a good sign. Jack had bonded enough with the young Dragon Master that he felt comfortable using the boy's name when the two were hanging out. The fact that Jack was using Hiccup's title again meant the frost child felt distanced from the young Viking.

"Come on Jack! You know how! Odin's beard, you've said yourself you've won money doing it!"

"That was then! 305 years ago then to be exact, and even then I swore never to do it again! I can't even LOOK at a pen anymore without vomiting!"

Pitch held up a hamd, a sneaky grin on his face "Oh, this fear. This fear is glorious! You weren't wrong when you said that this fear was odd coming from one who had lived in the country in his past, and was an apprenticed shepherd, farmer, and by proxy, butcher as well."

"Butcher?!" Tooth looked horrified.

"Well, yes Toothiana!" the man said gratingly and somewhat annoyed "He had to help feed his family somehow, and back then the marketplace was a very expensive option for shepherds. However this fear has nothing to do with sheep."

"Then what could possibly..."

"Pigs."

"Pigs?! Pigs?" Bunny asked with a smirk on his lips "Frostbite has a fear of pigs?"

Pitch snickered "I told you it was a glorious fear. But not just pigs in general. Potbellied pigs to be procise. Specificly those used in pig runs at the local fair. Specificly the ones used in the greasy pig competition among snotnosed brats who, in the olden days, had the task of not only catching the greased pig, but competing in a timed event to slaughter and separate all the meat in correct piles depending on what cut they were."

North cocked his head "An event that went very badly for Jack in his past life no?"

"Badly?" Pitch laughed "It went total horror show! Oh the terror he fed me that day, though obviously he couldn't see me. That event scarred him until he drowned. As he has styated, he will never even look at the pens anymore, let alone participate."

"But when we spirits put on the fairs we put on, nothing is killed during them." Tooth said "At least not in the summer festivities. I shudder to think what happens in October during your favorite time of the year, Pitch."

The boogieman sneered "It matters little to Jack. He refuyses to step foot near the greasy pig event, no matter if there is slaughter or not."

"Is understandable" North said.

Pitch looked at the sun disappearing over the horizon. "Two down. One to go. I'm very anxious to be on my way...I have believers to please and not a lot of time to please them."

"Perhaps we stop meeting now. We have tackled two fears. That is enough for today. If we keep going, we will all be here until Christmas!" North said.

The others agreed, and the first official peacefull discussion with Pitch Black was concluded on good notes. Plus thewy managed to knock out two of their youngest's fear mysteries. That was a successful day in their opinion.