“What!” Jack yelled. He stared at the globe in disbelief. “This isn’t possible. How…”

“It vould seem” North said heavily “That we have been asleep for a very long time” He sat down on a chair looking devastated.

Bunny, Sandy and Tooth came in. Tooth gasped and clapped her hands to her mouth, and Bunny looked horrified. Sandy had a resigned look on his face though, like he had been expecting this.

“North...” Tooth said in distress “North, how is this possible. How…” There were tears in her eyes and her voice shook.

“We can’t have been asleep for that long, Mate” Bunny said to North. Sandy shook his head and made some golden symbols above his head.

“Sandy is right” North said “Somnus said that he had been preparing a ‘gift’ for us. He must have found a way to increase the power of his sleep sand.”

“Why, though” Jack asked “Why does he hate us so much?”

“For the same reasons that Pitch attacks us” North said “He has no believers,”

“He has even less than Pitch does” Bunny said “Pitch at least has legends and myths about him. They would know his name if they heard it. Somnus...he has nothing”

“As I said he is a very dangerous Spirit.” North said “He decided that if the world won't believe in him, there wasn’t going to be any world”

“He tried to put the would to sleep” Tooth said sadly “We underestimated his power...and nearly paid the price.”

“We barely won” North said “We though that he was gone for good after that”

“So in other words” Jack said “Somnus was a Spirit, ignored by both mortals and Immortals alike.”

“...yes” said North confused

“So, in other words he was like me, before I joined the Guardians” Jack said

“Minus the fact that you didn’t try to destroy the world, Mate” Bunny said

“Well I don’t know, left to myself, who know what I would have done?” Jack said bitterly. “You know, if you guys actually paid attention to the other Spirits, you might not have so many of them trying to destroy the world”

A tense silence followed these words. Jack’s life before becoming a Guardian was very rarely brought up, because it was still very sore subject.

“That doesn’t much matter now, does it Mate” Bunny said quietly “It’s too late”

“What do you mean!” Jack said “You’re not giving up, are you?”

“Jack…” Tooth said softly “Somnus has won. We have no believers”

“But we’re here right” Jack said, his temper rising. “We can still fight!”

“Not if ve don’t have any power” North snapped at him. Jack flinched, startled and North looked apologetic. “Sorry Jack, I just meant that ve….ve have no chance”

“But what about all those kids that are counting on you” Jack said angrily “Are you just going to abandon them!”

“Well, that the thing Mate” Bunny said as the 4 Guardians left the room. “There’s no one left to leave.”

Jack opened his mouth to protest, to yell after them, but no sound came out. He look wildly around the room for anything that might convince them to come back. All he saw though was dust, and silver sand though and the horrible dark globe.

And then he saw it. Down at the bottom of the globe. Could it be? He climbed on top of it and brushed away the many layers of dust to reveal a light. It was flickering slightly, but it was there. He laughed out loud and raised his arms in victory, “Yes!”

He checked the location and grinned. Burgess, Pennsylvania. It was Jamie. It had to be. No matter how old Jamie was, Jack knew he’d always believe in him.

“Hang on, Jamie” Jack told the flickering light. “I’m coming”  He leaped off the Globe and launched himself out the window, heading straight for his home.