The Finest Thing I've Ever Done

He might only be a shadow these days, but Pitch Black has gained something for it: memories. Being shredded and torn apart from the inside out for a second time had been good for something after all; it had jarred something inside him, brought back a person he never knew he was. This other, Kozmotis Pitchiner, had mingled with his Pitch Black persona and now he was someone else. Once he remembered his time as General Pitchiner, he cast away his cloak for something more fitting for a man his status - not armor - but a crisp new coast embroidered with fine gold renditions of nightmares.

Tidying up his lair, he brought in more torches to light up areas he enjoyed and added ones to rooms he never went in; lights helped make places more inviting, right? Or at least he hoped so, because he couldn't help but think it made his caverns even more intimidating. What, with the way the lights cast shadows on the walls, which gave the fearlings and nightmares places to lurk among his lair. He had even decided to bring in a bit of color; though the gold didn't look nearly as warm he hoped it would in all the darkness. In the end, the Nightmare King had to admit the place at least looked refreshed and not as care-worn.

Once re-decorating his lair was finished, the Boogeyman went out looking for his daughter. She was that woman, Mother Nature. Or, at least he hoped she was; Mother Nature had far too striking a resemblance for it to be coincidence he believed. It took several nights to track her down, but eventually he found her on a coast in Russia staring at the ocean. He ended up staring at her, trying to wrap his head around the fact that his daughter (or a descendant of his daughter's) somehow ended up here with him as the Mother of this world.

"I know you're there," Mother Nature called, not turning from the ebb and flow of the waves. The Boogeyman hesitated for all of a minute, finally coming to the decision to take his place by the woman's side. Once beside her, her onyx eyes flickered his way. "Ah, what brings you here Pitch Black?" she asked indifferently.

The King of Nightmares frowned at the name. "Well," he began, "I remembered some things."

Her head turned fully. "Oh?" she prompted, curiosity glinting hungry in her eyes.

The man nodded his head. "Yes." Taking a breath, he confessed, "I remember Seraphina, Kozmotis Pitchiner, the war."

Mother Nature's lips lilted sadly. "Ah yes, the one that ripped my father from me." Studying him, she cocked her head. "You are not Kozmotis Pitchiner?"

Meeting her gaze, he tossed his head side to side. "No, I'm not," he agreed. "Nor am I Pitch Black."

This brought a confused look to his once-daughter's eyes. "Then who are you?" she inquired.

He shrugged. "I shall just go by Boogeyman for now," he answered.

She smirked just a bit. "Going back to scaring children so soon, are we?"

Boogeyman scowled. "Yes," he grumbled. "No matter what those ridiculous Guardians think, a bit of fear keeps children from being complete idiots."

The woman laughed. "No world conquest, though?" she questioned, though it was only partly in jest.

Chuckling once, the Nightmare King shook his head. "No," he said. "Not now."

Mother Nature hummed. "Most likely for the best, I bet."

"Yes..." Boogeyman murmured, after a bout of silence, he looked to Mother Nature and searched her being for the daughter he remembered. "Are you still Seraphina?" he implored.

Earth's Mother opened her mouth, but quickly closed it and pressed her lips thin in thought. "I'm no more Seraphina than you are Kozmotis, at this point."

"Ah," he muttered, shoulders slumping.

Quickly ratifying her mistake, Mother Nature laid a hand on the man's slumped shoulder. "That does not mean I do not love you," she explained. "I always shall - my memories of you as my father will always ensure that."

Boogeyman blinked at her. "My memories shall do the same," he admitted with a smile. They talk for a little while longer, Boogeyman managing to get Mother Nature to promise to visit him at his lair some time in the near future before leaving.

It's possibly a year later, after countless nights scaring children and then sticking around to watch them be comforted by parents that Boogeyman realized he missed having a child around. He missed having someone who cared when he'd return, who gave and accepted affection without fuss, who simply looked at him like he mattered and most of all, he missed having someone he could claim as his. Someone he could be proud of. It was at one of his bi-monthly visits with Mother Nature that he decided to bring this complaint up.

Her lips had twisted in amusement. "I know of a boy without a family," she told him.

Putting aside his cup tea, the Nightmare King had studied the woman before him. "Who?" he questioned with narrowed eyes.

Mother Nature smirked. "You know him," she offered.

Boogeyman settled back in his chair and demanded, "Who, M?"

"Jack Frost," she stated with little inflection, but he was quite certain she was trying to hide a grin behind her cup of tea as she took a sip.

The spirit of fear put his cup down. "Doesn't he have the Guardians?" he asked.

Her eyes dimmed just a bit. "Yes," she concurred. "But who has time to spend with one child when they have a world's-worth to make happy?"

The man quieted. "I'll consider it," he murmured. "But, I bet he'd rather attack me on the spot than speak with me."

Mother Nature enclosed his hand with hers briefly. "Maybe," she conceded. "But you never know until you try."

Downing his tea, Pitch got up. "You are right," he concluded.

"Goodbye Boogeyman," she said watching him disappear into the shadows.

He found Jack Frost just North of Burgess; the boy was alone, watching children play a game of tag in the snow. Knowing that sneaking up on the child would only negatively impact his chance of convincing the boy to be a part of his family, the Boogeyman called out, "Hello!"

The winter sprite's head turned, as did a child or two's; (take that Guardians) while the children whimper and run, Jack just cocked his head. "I'm surprised you're showing yourself in daylight," he remarked.

Approaching with deliberate slowness, the King of Nightmares only shrugged. "I like taking chances, I suppose," he drawled.

This cracked the smallest of grins on the boy's face. More curious than angry or worried, Jack quickly hurried to meet Boogeyman "So, what drove the big bad Boogeyman to visit little old me?" He asked.

"I wonder," the man muttered. "Do you notice?"

"Your change in wardrobe?" Jack suggested. "'Cause, yeah, I do. I got to say, it's a little nicer than your last get-up."

This caused the older male to laugh. "Cheeky, as always." He smirked. "Though, I do wonder why you don't call for the other Guardians. Aren't you worried that I've shown my face again so soon?"

Jack shrugs a bit stiffly. "They don't have time to listen to my prattle, as Bunnymund likes to say," the boy grumbled.

Boogeyman made an almost sympathetic noise in response. "Oh, Jackie, are you being ignored again?" He sighed.

Tensing in defense of his fellow Guardians, Jack shook his head. "No! They're just busy, is all…"

Taking a step closer, Boogeyman leaned in emphasizing his adult status. "Yes, busy catering to every child of the world besides you," the man commented.

Jack's eyes darted looking for a response in the world around him. "I don't need them all the time, I'm not really a kid, after all. I'm over three hundred years old!" he argued.

The Nightmare King smirked and quicker than the winter sprite can tense; his hand was tangled in the teenager's hair gently running through it. Instinctively, Jack leaned in. "But still a boy at heart..." he whispered.

Pulling away, Jack told himself he didn't care (but he wished Pitch would it again, it felt right).

Falling back, Boogeyman grinned. "When you get tired of being over-shadowed by the world's youth, you know where to find me." And with that, the man was gone.

Jack felt stupidly disappointed by the older spirit's leaving, how long had it been since he last talked to someone? A while, maybe since he last dropped in on Jamie and his gang. Resolving to forget about the King of Nightmare's odd offer, Jack threw himself into the group of children not far away and gained a believer while he was at it.

A few months later, after being turned away at every turn, Jack wandered the world aimless casting snowstorms as he went. In his brooding, he came into a vague recollection of the offer the Boogeyman made to him.

"...get tired of being over-shadowed...know where to find me."

Feeling quite desolate, Jack decided it was a perfect time to take the older spirit up on his offer. Finding an entrance to the King of Nightmare's lair, Jack was surprised by its state. While not warm in feeling or comforting, it felt lived in and welcoming. Urged on, Jack wandered the cavern's many twists and turns. At some, having long since stopped paying attention to where he was going, Jack bumped into someone.

"Umph!" he yelped, stumbling back.

Steadying him with a hand to the shoulder, Boogeyman smiled down at him. "Taking me up on my offer, are we?" he inquired.

Gazing up at the man, Jack was shocked by how different the Kind of Nightmares seemed. No more was the scowl, or coldness to his eyes; the set of his lips was content and his eyes danced with a smug sort of amusement. "You're different," Jack remarked.

The older male laughed. "Quite," he agreed, leading Jack down the caverns' many paths.

"...You really want me here?" Jack questioned doubtfully.

The man looked down on him with a fire in his eyes. "I would not have asked if I did not want you," he asserted.

"Why do you want me?" the winter sprite was quick to follow up with.

The Nightmare King's gaze flickered to him and to the illuminated halls before him several times before he gave an answer. "I miss having a child about," he admitted.

Jack's eyes grew. "You had a kid!" he exclaimed.

"A great long time ago," Boogeyman agreed. "...Not to say she doesn't come for visit any longer, but she's grown now."

"Who is she?" the teenager asked with great inquisitiveness.

The former Pitch Black smirked. "She's called Mother Nature now," he told the teenager.

"No way!" Jack cried.

"Yes!" Boogeyman smiled. "I've come to realize I missed having a child around," he repeated to the shocked spirit of winter. Now looking the boy dead in the eye, he said to him, "I don't expect you to trust me or even enjoy my company, but I'd like to try." Glancing away, he told Jack softly, "Someday - Someday I hope you might seem me as a close uncle...maybe even as a father."

Jack stopped and looked seriously at the man. "...I can still be the Guardian of Fun and I don't have to help you take over the world?" the youth inquired.

The man bobbed his head. "You can," he concurred. "I wish for you to stay - I don't think taking away your Guardianship or making you help me conquer the world would help with that," he explained seriously.

The winter sprite cracked a grin. "You got a deal, man," he said. "I won't be calling you Dad anytime soon, but how about Uncle Boogey?" Jack wouldn't ever tell Pitch this, but this offer...It was all he every really wanted, someone who just wanted him for him.

Closing his eyes in silent victory, the Nightmare King gave the boy a small smile. His hand coming to rest comfortably on his shock of white hair, he replied, "If that's what you want."

Truthfully, Pitch wasn't fond of the moniker, but he couldn't wait until the boy slipped up and used it in front of the other Guardians. While he may not be exactly "evil" anymore, he still enjoyed making others uncomfortable (and scaring them).

Well, I think this is rather fluffy and cute One-Shot. What do others of you think? Does Jack seem too willing? Or is it okay? BTW There are two other stories that go along with this: Now That the Calm's Returned (I Know I Can't Manage) and I'll Lean on What Matters because Everything Else Unravels.

Thanks so much for reading and please review!

EDITED: 7/15/15