Little Pitch {{ROTG}}

Fear at Midnight

Phoenix's PVO

I was flying around, lighting fire when I saw a flash of darkness in the corner of my eye. I spun around to see... "Frost!" I spat, jumping as Jack landed a few feet away. In a flash, my staff of oak was aflame in orange fire. "Jeez." He said and squinted. I doused the flames and held it in my hand. "I thought you were Marco." And he sighed. "That's why I'm here." He said and I looked at him. Suddenly Tooth appeared. "Hey Tooth!" I said, smiling up at the fairy. "Oh Trix!" I said as Jack's twin sister landed on a nearby rooftop. "We've got orders to take you to the Pole. Man in Moon wants you as a Guardian." Trix said and I raised my eyebrows. "Okay." And I leaped up and flew into the air. I flew off, followed by Jack, Trix, and Tooth. "Yeah! Wind take us to the Pole!" Jack laughed and the wind sped up and we were at the pole in no time. I smiled and landed. The snow within a 100 mile radius melted. "Oops." I said and hovered above the ground.

North stood there, his arms crossed. "Phoenix." He said. "North." And I landed, mirroring him. "Come with me." And I followed him as he walked. I had to jog to keep up. Jack and Trix lagged behind and Tooth checked out my teeth. "Lemego!" I tried to say as she stuck her hands into my mouth. "Tooth." North said. "Sorry." And she backed up. I saw my good old friend Bunnymund. "Hey Bunny." I said and he laughed. "Hey is the only bloody remark?" And I raised my eyebrows. "What were you expecting? Enlighten me please Bunnymund, as to what you need?" I asked, my voice was as angry as a forest fire. "I don't think you should be a bloody guardian! We have the Frosts and they're more than a bloody handful already..." And my staff began to glow, turning red hot with angry flames. "Phi..." Jack said and I looked at Bunny.

"Fine. You say Man in Moon chose me? Well ask him to pick someone else..." And suddenly a laugh echoed around the workshop. I held my staff in one side and a ball of fire in the other. "Marco show yourself!" I roared, my staff glowing with golden fire. "Are you with the Guardians too now dear sister?" And I spun around and he stood there.

I sent a blast of fire and he blasted fear in retaliation. "You can't fight fear with fire." And I nodded. "You're right. I can't." And my staff turned from oak wood to ash and sent a blast of fear out the end. Marco screamed with rage and disappeared. I exhaled, leaning on my staff as it turned back into Oak. Jack ran over. "How did you?..." And I shook my head. "No idea Jack. But one thing is for sure. I need to rest." And I staggered and felt onto hands and knees and vomited. Bunny wrinkled his nose and I shot a blast of fire which singed his paw pads and caused blood to leak out of one nostril. Jack helped me up and I walked with help from him, to a guest room. "If I have nightmares, don't come running. I've hurt too many people trying to wake up okay? And it would be even more dangerous for you because of my tendency for fire." I said and he sighed.

"Okay. Go rest Phi." He said and I nodded and managed to stumble to the bed and fall, missing the bed but falling asleep on the floor.

I woke up to Trix and Bunny arguing outside my door. I stood up and Trix's staff was covered in ice like her brother's. "She's the perfect guardian! And she knows what it's like to be full of fear!" Trix yelled. Bunny growled and brandished his boomerangs. "We all do!" And I limped out of my room. "But can you control Fear Bunnymund?" And Bunny jumped, his boomerangs flying towards me. I ducked and they came back to his paws. "She's got a point. She might be the only one who can control and keep Marco's powers in check." Tooth said and hovered beside me.

Bunny grimaced. "What's your center?" He asked gruffly. I raised my eyebrows. "I don't have one, not that I know of." And his ears went up. "Trouble." And Tooth had disappeared. "At the tooth palace?!" I asked, thinking about how many times I had helped Tooth collect teeth before she had all the Baby tooths come into being. "To the Sleigh!" North said, charging out. I flew up and followed, zipping along on invisible wings.

Jack and Trix followed North. We came into the Sleigh and North heaved Bunny into the Sleigh. "Go!" And Bunny's claws left deep gouges in the wood of the Sleigh. "Hey Bunny look at the view!... Woah!" And Jack disappeared off the back of the Sleigh. Bunny looked over, his head bobbing in the wind. Jack was casually sitting on the runner of the sleigh. "So you do care." And Bunny's ears turned red. "Come off it you bloody showpony!" And I dove out of the Sleigh and flew alongside. I dove into the portal before they did and saw all the nightmares. I roared and saw baby teeth everwhere. My wrists shot out and caught 5. I roared and fear exploded, releasing a lot of baby teeth into the world. "RUN!" I roared.

They needed no encouragment. They flew off and disappeared. I roared angrily as the nightmares turned their courses towards me, who held the remaining 5 baby teeth. My staff broke into two and I held one which was burning with golden flames and the other was flames as black as Marco's. I roared and lunged, my staff breaking through them. My whole body was wreathed in fire as I fought through them. The Baby Teeth, four got caught but the remaining one ran to Jack who kept her safe. Soon only two remained and they ran. I looked at the other Guardians.

I exhaled and suddenly another nightmare flew out of the palace and I flew after it, picking up speed as I swerved around stalitcates and fangs of stone. I found Tooth circling around, looking transfixed with horror. "Tooth!" I said and flew up and hugged her tightly, my warmth seeming to bring something back into her. "They took the teeth all of them, they took my fairies." She said and Jack and Trix floated up. "The memories." I said quietly. "Yes." She said and suddenly a laugh echoed. I flew up and hovered, looking around for Marco, my eyes burning black and red. I shoved my staves back together into one and it turned to ash wood as flames as black as nightmares flew around me. "Show yourself brother."

I said coldly, and he hovered in front of me. "You have grown more powerful." And a huge nightmarish mare loped around him, baring her fangs. I refused to give her any fear to feed on. "Maybe I have. Now let the Baby Teeth go or I'll kill you." And he laughed. "No." And a blast of fear exploded towards me and I laughed, throwing up a shield and it smacked him in the chest. "Go terrorize kids. I even have adults who believe in me. You don't have anyone." And he slapped me across the face. I flinched and growled. "Go enjoy your hurrahs. Because they won't be there for much longer." And he disappeared. "I'll take North America. I'll warn everyone." And I disappeared.

I was speeding along and I landed on a rooftop and the 19 year old who lived there, climbed out and onto the roof. "District what's wrong?" He asked and I sighed. "I'm a guardian now. But I need you to promise me something." And he nodded. "What?" He asked and I nodded. "You have to keep believing in me, no matter what. Because if you don't, I'll disappear for good." And he grabbed my face in his hands and kissed me. He pulled back. "If Marco finds out..." And he shook his head. "He won't." He said and kkissed me again, wrapping his arms around my waist to steady us on the sloped roof.