The four Guardians rushed to the castle, they didn't stop to knock on the door or bother with noting that there didn't seem to be any guards as they barged into the first room, that was an expansive dining hall where there seemed to be no one at first but the shadows suddenly detached themselves from everywhere and converged on the Guardians. Bunny's egg bombs painted the castle even as they drove the shadows back, Tooth out flew them, Jack's ice made the paint glitter in the dim light as well as Sandy's sand. A floor above them, North swiped at several of the Night Terrors, managing to recover his swords and Jamie had picked up the stolen sword North had discarded; the blade slicing into any that came too near though it did little besides keep them back and one that tried to touch him only shrieked before disappearing. Its brethren kept as far from Jamie as possible after that. The shadows kept coming though as the two groups fought and in the chaos the two met in a large audience chamber with a throne; the shadows circling around the six of them. Jamie found he was back to back with Jack, slashing at the grotesque forms of the Night Terrors that circled around the group. They ceased attacking though, hissing and it became clear why as the throne chair was no longer empty; Jamie was surprised to see it was occupied by a youth who was pale, just as Jack was, but unlike Jack he was dressed in black modern clothes. Instead of blue eyes he had piercing orange and his wind tousled hair was black instead of white.

"Jacko." It was North who had spoken. The youth lounged in the chair.

"So, the Guardians are all here now. Along with their most precious believer, what an intriguing set of visitors."

"We aren't visitors! You sure don't treat visitors the way you've treated us!" Jamie yelled in response.

"Hmmm, true, more like trespassers."

"You stole me! I wouldn't trespass here if only zafe place on world!" North growled.

"I suppose not, but you are all guilty of keeping me from my rightful place in the world."

"Says you! That's the biggest load of crap I've ever heard in my life!" Jamie shot out before Jack could think of speaking.

"Such language for a boy." Jamie glared in response.

"As it is, it's not fair that you stand between me and a world just waiting to believe!"

"If ya want believers so bad go get 'em yerself rather than ruining someone else's holiday!" Bunny scowled.

"Oh, I did indeed try that... but of course YOU Guardians had to ruin everything. I was so feared and believed in during the age the humans oddly call the Dark Ages. The power I wielded... everything was deliciously dark! Then you four had to ruin it all! Your wonder and light making me nothing more than a mere shadow on the wall! I intend to change that!"

"Shows what you know!" Jamie said suddenly.

"I beg your pardon?"

"People love being scared! Since when have you last been out of this dump of a place and I don't just mean the castle!" Jacko raised an eyebrow at the boy.

"I'd have thought the modern world would have better manners."

"Not with a villain like you." Jacko stood from his throne and moved towards the boy.

"Villain?" Jack shifted to set himself between the two.

"I'm not the villain dear boy. I'm merely taking what's rightfully mine."

"It's not yours to take a holiday that doesn't belong to you! To terrorize my mother and the whole of adults like you would a child! You want believers, fine, but this isn't the way!" Jacko stared at the boy a moment.

"You're the key..." He murmured, staring at the boy even as Jack shoved Jamie behind him; he wasn't about to let the other lay a hand on his friend.

"What are you talking about?" Jamie asked, peering around Jack in confusion. The other spirit laughed.

"So... that old fortune teller was right..." In the blink of an eye the shadows disappeared. The Guardians didn't trust this turn of events for a moment.

"Boy... I was told that you would come to be of your own violation one day, that you would stand with me. I was not told why, only that you would be the key; I have no intention of harming you in any way lest I hurt my chances." He turned from the group and headed back to the throne. Jamie just stared at the other.

"Why would you trust some fortune teller?"

"Because she's never been wrong. She even foretold that this would happen... did she not, Jack?" Jamie looked at Jack then.

"What's he talking about Jack?"

"I'll tell you the full story later Jamie. Right now I think we should leave."

"That would be preferable." Jacko replies and the group headed out of the castle without any trouble.

"I don't get it." Jack said as they stood at the doorstep of the castle. The others seemed just as perplexed.

"What does it matter? I say we just get out of here." Jamie replied. Though he had wondered what Jacko had meant as well. For what reason would he ever return to this place to? He shrugged it off and North pulled out a snow globe that then whisked them all back to the North Pole.

"I should take Jamie home." The others nod and Jamie didn't protest when Jack picked him up and carried him from the freezing North Pole.

"So, what exactly happened after I was taken?" Jamie asked quietly.

"Well, not much really. We found our way to town."

"What did he mean about you knowing what he meant?"

"Well, on our way to the castle we talked to a fortune teller. It was... unnerving that she seemed to know who we were when I've never met her. So we took a detour. It was how we knew where to find you in the castle. You didn't think that was by chance did you?" Jamie shrugged a little as they flew across Canada.

"I really didn't consider it. I was too busy fighting off the Night Terror things."

"Well, she told us exactly where you'd be and when so we could fight off the Night Terrors. Even told us we'd win the fight but she was vague about the how. Do you know what he meant? About you coming back willingingly?" Jamie shook his head.

"No idea. I'd have to have a heck of a reason to go there again. The guy's about as batty as Pitch was... well no, maybe he's a little more sane in some respects. I mean, he really didn't put up much of a fight did he?"

"No, and that's what concerns me."

"Why? He didn't have anything to gain in letting us all go like he did."

"We don't know that."

"Jack, seriously. He kidnaps North and then lets him GO when we all show up? What could he possibly hope to gain?"

"I don't know. I don't like it though." Jamie sighed a little.

"Well it doesn't really matter what his reasons are. Point is, North is back and he's got a couple of days to finish getting ready for Christmas. I have faith that things will be okay."

"So you did listen after all."

"I told you that I did fortune teller, but did you not say that the key would come to me if I proceeded? I needed to know who the key was for certain. North's capture was what was needed and the possibility of ruining that ridiculous holiday was just a bonus."

"But was it wise to antagonize Jack?"

"Hmmm, perhaps the frost spirit will mistrust me for some time, but it doesn't matter. As you say, fortune teller, you are never wrong. The boy will come to me at the appointed time and I await his arrival. You are deserving of a favor and a feast for your work with them as I know too well you spoke with them but you didn't have to."
"I only do what benefits us my king."

"Yes, yes, but even so your diligence goes beyond that and you deserve a reward." The woman merely smiles faintly.

"As you wish my lord." If only you knew... but that would be telling...

Jamie was glad when he found himself able to rest easy that night without being woken up from screams from his mother and the rest of the adults seemed to recover well from the threat of the Night Terrors. Jamie had to wonder though why they had seemed to up and vanish like that. What had been the purpose of them originally? Had it been Jacko's power seeping over the world, just as Pitch's had done and it had waned with the battle in the castle or was something else up? Jamie shook the questions from his mind as he got ready to go outside to play with Jack who was waiting for him. He bundled himself up and got ready for a snowball fight, it was; after all, just one more evening until Christmas. As he had every year, North delivered the gifts to all the girls and boys of the world; Jack made sure it was a white Christmas and no one, other than Jamie, was the wiser of the threat that had almost stolen Christmas from them that year.