My Sister's a Guardian (RotG Fanfiction)

Chapter 55: The Villain

(Content/trigger warnings for this chapter: one (1) swear word, depression-like thing, school shooter-esc situation, people tell character to kill herself)

--Ranya--

"If I free the Guardians, they can help me with the Fear Angels and the Watcher," I mumbled as I tried to stand up for the tenth time in the thick, blooming part of the forest. Big, full leaves crunched against one another, and small animals scurried through the bushes. "They're probably in Pitch's lair if they're still alive. Let's see—how can I get down the entrance?" But my mind came up blank. And I only had so much time. Jamie probably couldn't protect Isabelle. Then there was the rest of my family, and the Guardians... But now that I was near the end of this fight, my hope for love came through as well. If I lost, I wouldn't get all that...

If I lost.

"Could I please have another teleporter?" I shouted. "Isabelle's first Guardian Angel?" As if he could hear me through the broken pendant—wherever it was. But nothing sounded except the scratching of branches in the wind and the crunch of plants under my boots as I stumbled forward again.

And white mist—the right color—bloomed in the distance between the trees. My heart rate sped up, but I made myself hold my ground. I haven't even figured out how to stop her yet, though! Trees and other plants vanished as the mist rushed toward me, darting straight through trunks and branches. The fog grew to a towering height. Spiny creatures formed on its front edge, clawing and whispering in their guttural language. Could they tell me a secret that could help me defeat Pitch?

But by the time they would get close enough for their words to switch to English, I would be almost dead.

"Caelum!" I shouted. "I know it's you. Let's just talk."

The mist didn't even pause, and I fought the stronger urge to turn and try to sprint. "Won't you please let me save my family and the Guardians? You can fight me afterward."

The fog continued rushing forward.

"Caelum, won't you let me have any last words? Talk to me before you kill me? Tell me your evil plans? Why are you doing this?"

"You think your words affect on me?" came Caelum's voice. Then the mist and creatures within it dissipated into the air. As they cleared, directly in front of me stood the tall girl I was expecting. She wore a tank top and shorts—pajamas by the looks of it—and her long hair I knew was blond lay neatly flat. She narrowed her eyes down into my soul.

"What do you want, Caelum?" I said. "I'll give it to you if you leave me—"

Caelum interrupted with a finger pointed at the sky. I followed. Thick clouds had begun churning overhead. A Terror Storm? I looked back at Caelum, and a dark grin shadowed her face. "Isabelle will never make it to stop Pitch. She'll get too scared."

Isabelle's not trying to stop Pitch... But before I could ask Caelum what she meant, she grabbed my wrist, and everything went black as wind tore at my body.

I crashed onto something when color returned. The world spun so rapidly I couldn't make sense of most of the flashing colors, but gasps echoed from all directions. The air was cold and smelled of reheated grease. Caelum hauled me onto my feet as I maintained a tight grasp on my stick.

Alarmed shouts echoed around, and I could just begin to make out classmates ignoring their dented trays full of breakfast as they stared with wide eyes at Caelum and me. Classes therefore hadn't begun yet—these people were mostly juniors and seniors who drove themselves to school. Their shouting swelled as Caelum threw me to the ground.