Rise of the Guardians: Phantom Nightmares

Chapter 9: Villain Chats

Vlad frowned at his surroundings. "Why are we in a cave?"

Pitch scoffed at his currently blue skinned colleague. "This isn't just a cave. Its my new lair since the old one was destroyed."

"Why not just rebuild it? Surely with your powers you could've just fixed it."

"Not necessarily, though my powers are amazing, they work through fear. And the place I called home for millennia was destroyed, by children no less!" The gray man let out a hollow laugh before glaring at nothing in particular.

"I know that feeling too well. I've had a few of my lairs destroyed by children, one in particular." Vlad gave a dramatic sigh. "All he has to do is join me, but that little brat is stubborn."

"Is he that teenager you were talking to the other night?"

"Yes and it's quite strange that he hasn't been seen since. I'm sure he'll turn up soon though. Anyway lets discuss business."

The two spectral men walked towards the center most cavern. "This is my globe room. It shows all the little children in the world that still believe in the guardians."

The older halfa gave a confused frown. "Who are the guardians?"

"You're part human aren't you? The guardians of childhood are the main reason why no one can see me anymore. The Dark Ages were amazing until they came along. I tried taking over the world again earlier this year, but a new guardian was anointed in order to help them defeat me once again!" The shadows in the room started growing darker, stretching from various corners of the large room to reach the thin male. "They probably thought I was gone for good... but that's the thing about fear, it's always at the backs of people's minds, at the core of their hearts, waiting for the perfect time to strike!"

Vlad gave a slow clap. "Great speech, seems like you've thought about this a lot. You still haven't told me who these guardians are."

"The Guardians of Childhood are the spiritual embodiments that make up literal childhood. There's my polar opposite and rival the Guardian of Dreams: Sanderson Mansnoozie AKA the Sandman, the Guardian of Hope: E. Aster Bunnymund AKA the Easter Bunny, the Guardian of Memories: Toothania AKA the Tooth Fairy, one of the most obnoxious of the bunch: Nicholas St. North AKA Santa Clause, and lastly the white haired pain that is the most recent addition: the Guardian of Fun AKA Jack Frost."

"You mean those fairy tales parents tell their children are real? I guess that bumbling fool was right..."

"We're getting off track. The fear created by the spirits that invade your town is different than the regular fear I'm used to. I've heard that what makes this town different from all the others is something one of the strange adult mortals called ectoplasm. It makes me stronger than I normally would be when I try to gain energy. I was thinking these spirits could be of some use in spreading fear and getting rid of the guardians once and for all."

The older halfa hummed in thought. "I have a couple ghosts in mind that could get the job done. Can you tell me more about these guardians and their weaknesses?" The two men discussed different ways to take over the world and eventually compared the two white haired boys that foiled their plans.

Somewhere in the Ghost Zone...

Cujo and the little bat flew through the Ghost Zone, the latter struggling slightly to keep up with his green friend. They were headed no where in particular, or at least it seemed that way. Cujo knew his new friend wasn't exactly a ghost and was taking them to a ghost that seemed to know everything. There wasn't any rush to find out what was going on so the green puppy decided to also explore the equally green landscape. If only the two animals knew what was waiting for them.

Everything felt numb and detached. There was a familiar presence nearby, whether it was good or evil was currently unclear. He was currently at peace...

That was a lie! Everything was a complete lie! He was painfully aware of how injured his body still was. That familiar presence was undoubtedly bad, bad for him at least. And peace? Peace was something that only belonged in fairytales.

Where was he? It was extremely cramped for some reason, but unfortunately the cramped space was also familiar... Why was that? He hadn't been stuffed inside of anything in years. Wait no that wasn't right, he'd been stuck in here for almost a year. Or at least it felt like it, its hard to tell time when your unconscious and surrounded by darkness.

Despite the protests of his injured body and the metal walls of his prison not wanting to move, he pushed against both and ignored how it created more pain. The metal slowly but surely started giving way. "I may be trapped in this blasted thermos but nothing is strong enough to keep me. After all I am inevitable..."