My Sister's a Guardian (RotG Fanfiction)

Chapter 22: A Powerful Being

"Welcome back," said North, his expression grave.

Sandy nodded.

Mom strode over to Zachary and squeezed his shoulders. "Are you all right?"

"It was cool!" he said, his blue-green eyes sparkling. "There were monsters everywhere! They were bigger than a whole mountain! They were made of bones, and when they touched people, they'd go crash!" He hit his little hand with the other. "To the floor!"

Even though it was a little morbid, Zachary's complete lack of understanding of the situation cracked through my guilt and fear a little. I smiled. Mom stood. "As long as you're all right."

North shook his head. "Keep being a child, Zachary." Then he turned to his fellow Guardians. "Sandy, we'll want your story as well and confer with Bunny once he arrives with Mr. Kirkwood. For now, Jack—don't let Isabelle out of your sight. We don't want this to happen again. But we need to hold a meeting with what we have—we don't know how soon Pitch will strike next. Join us, Isabelle."

My heart rate sped up as something spun desperately in my chest. Joining a Guardian meeting was like being a spirit and a Guardian. Besides, I had something I needed to do. "No."

"Isabelle, you need—"

"You can't make her," Ranya said, though kind of dejectedly.

North pointed a harsh look in her direction.

"You can't make me!" I burst around his large figure out of the dark red halls. He and Mom turned, and Jack followed me. I darted to my room upstairs and locked the door once he was inside. I didn't want to be alone at all anymore.

My head throbbed as I plopped in my hard desk chair, reminding me of how little sleep I had gotten last night and how I was due for a nap. My pretty plush bed invited me, but I couldn't rest. I had to do something. The Guardians couldn't protect me. Even when Jack had returned, he couldn't stop the Fear Angels.

Therefore, I needed someone else.

The butterflies arranged across my walls seemed to be watching me.

"Who do you know who's powerful? Besides the Guardians?" I asked Jack.

"Why?"

I didn't want to lie, and he had mostly helped me until now. "You left me today, Jack." My voice was bitter as something sharp swirled in my chest. I was sure this was my lack of sleep talking, and I tried to make myself apologize, but he shook his head.

"That was only one time, Isabelle. I promise it won't happen again."

"How do you know?"

"I don't think North will be letting anyone leave after this. We're all gonna stick together."

Loud steps heading toward the stairs sounded below.

"Do you think the Guardians could defeat an entire army of Fear Angels?" I crossed my arms and kicked off my shoes, and the carpet scratched at my feet beneath my thin socks.

"We could teleport everyone out of here."

"What if Ranya escapes again?" She would likely have to to defeat Pitch. "You would have to split up."

Jack opened his mouth. I narrowed my eyes. He closed it. "Fine." He twirled his staff and glanced at the ceiling. "Most powerful people become Guardians at some point, like me. Except Pitch. I guess the only one who hasn't and isn't completely evil would be Mother Nature. Though she's really—"

"Mother Nature?" Ranya had told me about her before, and she was in the books, but it had been a while since Ranya made me read them.

North knocked on the door. It rattled. "Jack, please let me in."

Jack ignored him. He was taking my side more and more every day. "Yeah," he told me. "She can control the elements and whatnot."

"How could I contact her?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I don't think anyone's ever tried. She's pretty...temperamental."

"Tem-per-a-mental?"

"Unpredictable. Easily changes moods. And she's pretty independent. Doesn't help out unless she wants to, and she won't just do things for the greater good."

How could I get help from someone like that?

"But she is powerful," he continued. "She can control natural phenomena—lightning, wind, ice, plants—to such a level you wouldn't believe. She can even go head-to-head with Pitch."

"Isabelle!" Mom called. "Your school is closed until further notice. North said we'll remain in the house until this is over nevertheless. Though I haven't heard anything from Ranya's school..."

North knocked on my door again. It rattled a little harder. "Isabelle, please let me in. At least talk."

I gazed sharply at the door and then stood and leaped onto my plush blue bed covers, smashing my face against the mattress and the pillow against the back of my head.

North rapped on the door, even louder this time. The pillow didn't muffle it much.

"Isabelle!" called Mom. "At least let him speak. You need to get over your anxiety, and your avoidance isn't helping."

How could I get Mother Nature to help me?

I tried to ignore the guilt Mom's words caused. Was this really my fault?

(A/N: Hey guys! I'm starting a Discord server! Here, you can talk with other RotG fans and share your fan content, talk about my fanfictions and share fan content for that, and if you choose, get notified every time I update my fanfiction! Here's the link to copy and paste: https://discord.gg/UMRbZp33 (go to the latest chapter for a link that still works; Discord makes them stop working after a week))