36 The End of the World

It started as a normal year, North came off his Christmas rush, Bunny prepared for Easter, Jack spread winter everywhere he could, and the other spirits did their jobs like they did everyday or night depending. Tragedy had grown a little restless. She still lived in her same cave with Daydream and Daniel. The Nightmares had somehow grown and thinned at the same time in the last five years. They missed having a dark master. The world needed evil just as it needed good. People needed fear.

The day of the bimonthly meeting, Tragedy told Daydream she had a bad feeling. "It feels like something or someone is going to happen today and we need to be ready." It was early February, still heavy in the winter months. Jack was very busy and hadn't visited Tragedy since Halloween. She of course was also busy since December to February had a higher rate of suicides. She also loved the colder months because during winter was when volcanoes erupted. Lots of fire and destruction she could join in.

Daydream answered Tragedy in her usual way, "Pitch has been dead for five years. Manny hasn't appointed a new Boogeyman for a reason. Everyone, except you and those Nightmares, is happy with how things are.

Tragedy of course dropped the subject. Daydream was wise. She had advanced enough to have little sprites she called Dreamers. The Dreamers looked like Baby tooth fairies except they were made from a mist blue looking sand. They somehow looked like water and sand at the same time. Bad Dream had become able to control the Nightmares as well and trust them to fulfill their purposes without 100% supervision. Where Tragedy still worked solo. No mini-death eaters following her around. Tragedy sometimes thought it was because Manny still didn't trust her.

As everyone settled in and Tragedy sat between Jack and Cupid. Cupid had changed a lot in five years. He no longer fought Tragedy on topics about love. Nor did he flirt with Daydream. He actually started an on again off again relationship with a short Irish-American woman who became St. Patrick in the U.S. about 3 years earlier. Patty was short, stout, with red hair and bright freckled skin. She had a clover tattoo on her right arm, a snake tattoo on her left leg, she carried a staff that resembled a small tree. She could talk to snakes and make plants grow, only clovers and trees. Patty had instantly fallen for Mr. Cupid. Cupid of course fell for Patty as well.

They weren't the only new couple. Much to no ones surprise Jack and Tooth started dating. They had a more stable relationship than Patty and Cupid but that was because Patty and Cupid were intense.

The meeting was pretty boring until a Dreamer flew in followed by several Baby teeth and Yeti. They all spoke at once. In languages Tragedy had never learned, (generally only those who owned these sprites learned their language, Jack being the exception had learned every single one). Everyone paled. Tragedy knew something was wrong.

The globe started to darken. Thousands of lights snuffed out in seconds. "What is happening?" she asked.

Daydream just looked at her with tear filled eyes. "Several major volcanoes erupted at once, more than the normal 20 to 30 that normally erupt in a day. Some caused Earthquakes and a tsunami. A few thousand people died. No spirits created. Tragedy, you need to go. People are dying."

Jeannie blinked, she immediately left to go to the biggest explosion. Spirits stood around looking at her. She guided them all to the light. She repeated her task as more people died. At least one island was wiped off the map. Tragedy finished late into the night and went to lie down.

"More volcanoes erupted today than at any point in history," She said looking at the new flood of Nightmares. Bad Dream had also been busy.

Over the next three days they would deal with the aftermath. The trying to get light back on after watching loved ones die took a lot out of Jack and the others. The tsunamis and earth quakes that followed such a massive eruption. They also looked for spirits. None of the people that died turned into spirits. Not that none of them died heroically, just no new spirits were needed.

It took over three months to get things relatively normal. In a world of 7.6 billion people 10,000 lives lost was not a dent in population but it still effected the world. A whole island destroyed by a thought to be dormant volcano. Tragedy was the only one who knew this happened because of the unbalance in the world.

After three months, the group met up again, this time to discuss what they needed to do to prevent future catastrophes. When a dark laugh can be heard throughout the room, "O aʻu le puipuiga," (I am that prevention.) The voice echoed through the room. Then the evil presence disappeared along with the intence heat that filled the room.

North smiled awkwardly, "well, I guess that was our new Boogeyman. He seems.... perfect for the job."

Tragedy felt chills, his voice made her feel something she never felt. A new kind of fear and excitement. She couldn't wait to meet her new companion in the darkness.