Sydney

He sniffed and looked them over, claws tapping on his arm like an upset school teacher.
"A pirate, a faeling, a shifter and a sprite. *This* is the army you've rounded up?" He glowered at the silent moon, the Gaurdians sharing puzzled looks. Behind him, Pitch slumped, exhausted and pained.

"*None* of them can hope to drag him to redemption! You haven't even the *makings* of a Champion here! What kind of miracles are you expecting without a Vagrant to act as catalyst?! Honestly. *Children* these days."

Jack was the first to step forward because he was, if nothing else, as curious as a cat. "Uh, who are you?"

"Sydney Losstarot."

"And uh, what are you doing with Pitch?"

Sydney sniffed and gave the boy a doubtful look. "I'm *going* to rip the Dark out of him. As to what remains after, well, I was under the impression *you* were supposed to handle it, but I can see you're woefully unprepared and probably horribly inept."

"Oy! Watch the insults there ya bastard, we brought that blighter down without you last time!"
The look Sydney gave E.Aster Bunnymund was something along the lines of disgusted. "Oh, yes. But you completely failed to *fix* him, didn't you?"

"Pitch is Fear, Fear is nature. Nature is not being fixed." North countered, hands resting on his saber hilts.

"Fear may call to Dark, but Dark is it's own, and this man has a core of *Light*. Light and Dark may get along at times, but I'm afraid not in a vessel so very prone to breaking as a *Champion*." Sydney drolled, a flicker of shadow helping Pitch stand upright.

"Wait... you mean Pitch could be a good guy?"

"Oh sweet Mullenkamp, how old *is* this universe?!"

Silver razors weren't the best thing for pinching your nose, but Sydney looked like he'd rather try.

"Oh dear, well, we're very sorry if we don't *quite* understand but you see as Guardians our duties are to the human children of the world. Now, ah, that wasn't always the case of course but we've been so busy and focused that we may have forgotten or, uh, set aside as it were, those other things we used to do..." Toothiana, didn't fidget, exactly, but she did do a nervious sway in the air as her wings flinched in rhythm.

"You is knowing this spirit, Tooth?"

"Ah, well, more I know *of*... I mean, gracious my mother told me stories of the old ways but we've never actually been introduced..."

Jack bounced up and perched on his staff. "So... who is he?"

Sydney smiled, and it was Pitch who shook and took steps backwards from him. "I told you, I'm Sydney Losstarot. I *am* the Dark."

Tooth cleared her throat and waved her hand as though clearing away some fog. "Ah, yes. You see, well, North told you about our centre's, right? The core of who we are, which guides us to what we're supposed to do? Before... long, long before, there was any kind of, uh, 'life', to actually *have* centre's, there were the elements of creation, and those elements made life together. Then, well, some of that life got a bit... rowdy."

"Children without guidance left to their own devices, I'm sure you can imagine the *mess*." Sydney grumbled.

Toothiana forged on. "That's where centres originally come from, the elements were trying to give a, a guiding hand to Life. Then of course some centres fell more or less into specific elements oversight, and well, vessels were taken, living embodiments of the elements. Like... Light. And Dark."

"And a very long time later," Sydney interjected, hoping to speed up story time. "Those children got out of hand *again* and started trying to muck about with the apron strings as it were and a balance was struck to keep them all from idiotically wiping themselves out of existence. Champions. Those capable of combating elementals that got out of line. When Champions fall or get infected, there's ways of fixing them up and putting them back to work... and you didn't do it."

"Well how were we supposed to know Pitch was a good guy?! He seemed real happy to run about hurting and scaring kids!" Jack argued, looking just faintly sad.

Bunny snorted. "Aint nothing 'good' about the Nightmare King. Better destroyed than tryen ta yank him back proper."

Sydney arched a brow. "Well then, you may very quickly *get* your desire. The Dark does like toys that don't break, and Kozmotis Pitchner is a *prize*, but he hasn't accepted Darkness into his heart, which means I can't *keep* him. Not, that I'd want to in his current state." His claws spread like a pair of dancing fans, as sharp as his grin. "However, *when* the Dark leaves him, the Fear will remain, as it *is* him, and what Fear and Light will do... well, that's up to you."

Sandy was the one to step forward, er, float forward, sand curling in tendrels around the shadows holding Pitch up. From Pitche's wide-eyed hyperventilation, he was as surprised as everyone else.
Sydney arched a brow. "Oh? Really? I wasn't aware *forgiveness* was one of your strong suites, Dream Weaver."

Sandy smiled, symbols older than the sun floating over his head. Sydney watched, then shrugged. "Very well. If you're willing to be his anchor, this will go much faster."

Sandy nodded, holding out his arms as though in a hug. Pitch could only retreat so far, then Sydney struck. Blood flew through the air, shadows holding Pitch's body crucified over Sydney's arm stright through his chest.

It went quickly, which was the only mercy. As Sydney withdrew his limb to Pitch's tortured screams, the Dark clung to bloodied silver and came away with. Thick gobs of shadow and black fell away like clotted blood, the wound sealing itself in shimmering Light. Like a wave receeding from the beach, the Dark was replaced by more and more of Sandy's sand, until Sydney stepped away completely and Pitch feel forward, into Sandy's arms. Sandy's diminuative shoulder muffled some of the broken whimpering and sobs. His face reflected a sorrow as old as the stars.

"Your Champion of Light." Sydney gestured grandly. "Don't feel the need to thank me."