The Guardian of Mischief Meets the Nightmare King

I couldn't help but smile when I see the shock bloom on Jack Frost's face. His reaction was perfect. But, there was only one thing missing. What was it again? Oh, yes. A touch of fear, I hear Pitch's voice echo in my mind. My smile grows into a sadistic one as my personal Nightmare trots up next to me. I am the first one to speak within the chaos around us.

    "Do you like what I did with the place, Jack? If you ask me, I think it looks better this way," I say, my voice colder than it was as a Guardian. Guardian . . . Such a pathetic title. Jack's eyes narrow in anger and he shoots icicles in my direction. I raise my hand to form a wall of Nightmare sand and see the icicles burst on impact. My mare whinnies in excitement and nudges me, begging me to ride her and attack. I run a hand through her mane and smile. "Not yet, my darling. Let the fear begin to flow first." I turn my attention back to a shell shocked Jack. 

    "Nikita . . . what has he done to you?" Jack asked. I smirk at him and make gestures with my hands. The Nightmares all around stop and come back to me, standing at attention in groups, the fairies inside fluttering and chirping crazily. Their fear is just so adequate. I see Sandman freeze, his whips drooping down as he puts his arms at his sides. When he looks at me, his eyes widen in shock and . . . there it is . . . fear. Sweet, delicious fear. I flick my eyes to a hole in the wall and see the other Guardians arrive. The same reaction as from the Guardians of Dreams and Fun. I wave and do a mock curtsy. 

    "Glad to see me again?" I ask, my voice growing colder and meaner. "Well? Are you just going to stand there or are we going to fight?" I draw my swords (yes swords; the second was a gift from Pitch) and stand with one above my head and the other perpendicular to my body. Everything is still frozen. I flick my eyes to the Nightmares without fairies and move my head forward slightly. "Behold the armada!" I shout as those Nightmares and I charge forward as one. The Nightmares with fairies and teeth boxes head for the dark crevices and go back home. My first target is Jack; my main order was to capture him. The invasion of Tooth Palace was the bait. When I return, Pitch is going to reward me heavily. 

    Jack saw me coming and charged. The sword in my left hand easily blocks his glowing staff and the other goes for his torso. It slashes a part of his hoodie and the tip cuts his skin ever so slightly. I smile when I see the Nightmare sand creep into his skin. It'll take a minute or so for the pain to set in and transformation to begin. The fight keeps going, and Jack is slowly losing. His strength is fading fast, thanks to the sand. I am about to go in for the kill when I feel something wrap around me. I look down and see it's one of Sandy's whips. I only have time to look up and mutter, "Shit," before getting pulled to Sandy, lifted in the air, and slammed into the ground from twenty feet in the air. A mortal might have passed out, at worst died, but I am not mortal nor a normal immortal. The fall knocks the wind out of me, but I recover easily and notice I managed to keep a death grip on my weapons. I use the Nightmare sword to cut the whip and block North's attack. I see Tooth helping Jack and wave a hand toward her and watch as the sand throws her against a wall. Hard. I see blood begin to flow from the back of her head.

    Next targets to eliminate: Bunny, North, and Sandman. North and I are battling, sword to sword. An advantage I have is being smaller, younger, and faster. I kick his legs out beneath him and stab him in the belly with the obsidian sword. He yells out in agony and I feel his fear of fading away. I lean down and whisper, "Oh, don't worry, old man. You won't die. Not yet." As I pull back and take the sword out, I turn around and face Bunny and Sandy and watch in delight as they are being surrounded by my lovely Nightmares. Sandy is going crazy with his whips, and I see puffs of color appear in the depths of my darkness from Bunny's egg bombs. This irritates me and I take to the sky. I put my swords away and holds my arms out to the Nightmare sand. It swirls around my arms and goes straight for the bunny and corrupts him. I mean only to put down this one, not turn him. As soon as he is pinned down efficiently enough, I turn to Sandman. The Nightmares back off and stare at Sandman and me, ravishing the tension. Bunny's moans of effort are getting annoying, so I gag him with the sand. The silence is afterward is bliss. The stare down begins again. We start to circle each other. I am the first to strike. My Nightmare sword easily cuts through his dream sand whips easily. I yawn in the middle of the battle. It feels like it's dragging on too long. I stab through his defenses and pin him down with nightmare sand. As soon as I am sure he's down, I turn and scoop up a withering and whimpering Jack Frost. I look him in his icy blue eyes and smile a sweet smile he loved before I was turned. 

    "Don't worry, Jackie. It'll all be over soon." I say as I brush hair out of his face. He no longer keeps up the brave act, just breaks down and starts crying. Long ago, I would have felt bad. Now, I relish his pain. "It's okay. It'll all be okay soon." I whisper as I mount my favorite mare. I move Jack so he is bound to me by Nightmare sand and we take off. A strand of sand brings my sword back and I sheath it, looking back to see all other strands retreat. The remaining Guardians rush off to Toothiana and North as the rest of my sand disappears. I laugh and turn back to see an especially dark crevice in the wall. I go to it and stop before I enter.

    "It's been fun, Guardians, and I'd love to play more, but I have to go." I tell them. They look at me with a mix of hatred and sorrow. I wave and say, "I bid you farewell. Until next time, dear ones . . . " As that was said, I disappear into the shadows and reappear before my lord, Pitch. He smiles at me and walks up to me, still mounted on my mare and holding onto the shaking hands of Jack.

    "Well done, my darling." He says as he strokes my arm. "Now, we must start phase two. But first, you and I have unfinished business." He smiles at me seductively. His Nightmare sand takes Jack into some prison cell as I dismount and am taken into Pitch's arms. He strokes my cheek and gives me a loving kiss. "Come," He says as he leads me into his chambers.