My Sister's a Guardian (RotG Fanfiction)

Chapter 59: The Horror

Blood ran from a long gash in my leg, several in my side, and two in each arm. My body stung and burned and ached.

Pitch teleported away. I spun and received a blow to the face, falling back hard as my vision reeled.

What can I do?

---

**Isabelle**

The Fear Angels surrounded me.

"If you back up, perhaps I'll calm enough that my powers will stop!" I told them. They didn't retreat. "I'm not trying to attack you or Pitch! Please back up! I have gifts for you! I know you guys have been lonely."

Ranya cried out in pain from the center of the Fear Angel wall.

When Pitch killed her, or paralyzed her at least, he would come for me next.

---

--Ranya--

His next blow, I blocked with the dagger. Barely. I lunged toward him, and he dissolved into a shadow from the Fear Angel wall. I tripped to the slippery grass.

Though I scrambled away from the next blow of that dark scythe, his face leering, I wasn't able to stand. Wait, I told myself. Just wait.

---

**Isabelle**

My mind could only focus on the danger of the Fear Angels' presence. It couldn't come up with ideas for how to prove I cared about them, or how to convince them to stand back.

I could only repeat, "I'm sorry!"

Then the circle of Fear Angels surrounding me broke open. Pitch stood in the distance, staring through the gap. At me.

---

--Ranya--

I rushed Pitch as he strode toward Isabelle. He's changing targets? Why? But my plan—! The world swerved beneath me. I gritted my teeth and sank my stick hard into the mud every step. But still, I fell and began to bear-run.

The Fear Angel circle began closing in around me. Cutting me off from Pitch.

I ran as fast as I could, my hands squelching and sticking in the mud, but the creatures soon crouched too low for me to pass underneath. They locked their bodies together.

I had too much forward momentum to stop easily, and collapsed onto my shoulder.

When it came to it, I wasn't fast enough this time.

Something cold and hard pressed against the side of my neck. My body went slack as my eyes shut and all my senses faded to static, then nothing conscious at all.

---

**Isabelle**

I shrieked as Pitch strode toward me.

"Did you think your sister would win, Isabelle?" He opened his arms and stepped to the side.

But I couldn't stop watching his whole form, his every movement, making certain he wasn't attacking me. My body shook like giant, choppy waves.

I had to stop being so scared. If I didn't, I would die. That was what I was scared of all along, wasn't it? Death? That dangerous supernatural beings would kill me?

And here one was about to do so. But other dangerous supernatural beings could be my allies, like the Guardians. I wasn't scared of them.

"You don't have to follow Pitch," I told the Fear Angels. "Come follow me. I don't kill, I don't hurt people if I can help it. And I don't make my family fight for my love. I'm your mother; you were made from my fear," I said louder. "And real mothers don't hurt their children."

Pitch vanished, and though I desperately wanted to believe he had left, I knew he most likely wouldn't have. I whipped my head around, searching for him. When I sensed a presence at my back, just out of reach of my powers, I whirled to face his scythe. I barely dodged its slicing swing. He moved quicker than the powers erupting from my body.

"It's too late!" he cried.

My ears rang louder. No!

The world burst into more color than the rainbow held. It consumed my world like fireworks combined with... holiday lights. The world slowed and breathed. Light enveloped Pitch's scythe-holding arm and yanked him back as he hollered.

But a blade sliced through the glowing butterflies surrounding him. He shouted, pushing through the swarm, and started toward me. I turned and ran.

I screamed as a soft rustling came from his direction, and Black Sand wound around my chest and squeezed hard. I couldn't breathe. I clawed at it. Pitch hollered again, and the sand fell to the ground.

The butterflies, once Fear Angels, swarmed the forest. One of them, green, landed on Ranya's back. Her eyes flew open, and she stumbled to her feet. She glanced around, and looked at me, then at the butterflies swarming the air. Her eyes widened in what looked like horror.

A gathering of them flew out of Pitch's lair holding North brandishing his swords. His eyes were open, and his face broke into a smile when he saw me. The butterflies brought out Bunny, Sandy. Tooth and Jack. All with their weapons.

Then Mom, with a beaming smile. Her eyes glistened with pride. Dad, holding his arms open, his body relaxed. And Zachary, laughing hysterically. He jumped up and down. I ran to them.

Butterflies, only a couple of inches long, landed on my arms and head as my powers calmed to a low hum beneath my skin.

But Pitch was still at large.

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