Harming an Innocent

Ever since the Golden Age, the Guardians had fought to protect the children of Earth. They vowed to stop Pitch, the Nightmare King, from harming the children with his nightmares. The war had gone on for centuries with no sign of letting up.

As the years went on, the constant battles between the two forces had placed a huge toll on the children’s beliefs. The Guardians, rather they knew it or not, were neglecting their duties. This did not disturb the Nightmare King though. He hated the guardians and MiM for the destruction and loss it had caused him.

Seeing his family vanquished at the hands of the Guardians, leaving him with an empty feeling inside, made him angry. Trying to stop him from spreading fear made him just as angry. Thinking that the children needed just Wonder and Dreams and Hope and little fairies that collected teeth, sickened him. It sickened him that after all these years they thought they could get rid of fear. But what made him hate them worst of all was the knowledge of what happened to his younger brother.

He remembered the day he had first lost him back during the war and the decades he spent, searching endlessly for him as he fought the Guardians day after day, night after night. At one point he had thought he would never find him until he stumbled upon a small village named Burgess.

It was during the colonial period when he found him. He had just managed to survive a losing battle against the Guardians (a temporary setback might he add) and was now resting and replenishing his army of Nightmares in one of his many lairs. He was in his throne room, creating another nightmare to replace the ones he lost, when one of his very loyal, trusted nightmares came into the room. The nightmare was a beautiful Percheron that he assigned to search for his brother, and gain intelligence. All his nightmare horses were intelligent, but this one was the brightest of all of them (considering it was his first successful one) and in a way knew him better than he knew himself.

Pitch glanced from his almost completed nightmare to glance at the nightmare entering the throne room. He glanced at the horse curiously as it came running in, looking excited. He wondered what news his nightmare brought. Maybe it was about the Guardians?

“What is it?”

The nightmare stopped in front of him with a twinkle of excitement in her yellow eyes. “We found him, Master. We found the Prince.”

Pitch felt his mouth go dry at what his nightmare just said. After all this time, after all the battles of pain, and loss, and fear, they finally found him...his younger brother. “Where?” The horse stomped her hooves in excitement.

“In a small village not far from here. The village is called Burgess. I stumbled upon his home while delivering nightmares to the children in that area. I found him with a young girl. The girl was asleep, however, he saw me, but was not afraid of me.”

Pitch felt his eyes widening. Could it really be his little Jackie, his baby brother? “Did he talk to you?”

“Yes,” the horse confirmed. “He wanted to know what I was and why I was here. I told him that I was supposed to give them nightmares. The child didn’t show any fear though. He asked for me to not give any to his sister, but was willing to take both of their nightmares himself.” Pitch looked shocked. Sister? “I didn’t want to give your brother nightmares, Master, but he was determined to protect his sister from getting any nightmares.”

“Did you give him the nightmares?” He asked threateningly, which the nightmare ignored.

“No, Master. I wouldn’t dream of it,” the horse said as her ear flicked back when her Master’s anger rose. “We made a compromise that I will give neither of them nightmares, but he would have to speak to you tomorrow.” A small smile crept onto his face.

“When does he want to meet?” Pitch asked, not realizing the hopeful tone in his voice.

“He is a shepherd and has to get up very early in the morning before returning home to get his sister ready for school while the mother works in town. He said you are more than welcome to come see him while he is herding or after.”

“Very well,” Pitch said distractedly, shooing his nightmare away, as he thought. The nightmare took no offense to this, knowing that her master needed the time to think. Without a single thought, the horse left as if it was never there.

Pitch returned to his uncompleted nightmare. As he worked on finishing his nightmare he couldn’t help but think about his younger brother. After all this time, he would finally be reunited with his brother. He wondered who this new family was that was caring for his younger brother? He wondered if he was still the happy, energetic, mischievous child that he remembered? He wasn’t sure if he liked that he was a shepherd and poor, but that was out of his hands. As long as the family doesn’t mistreat him, then they were safe from his wrath and vengeance.

He smiled softly as he finished the nightmare and sent it to play with the other young nightmares. He watched it go and pondered on what to do the next morning.