My Sister's a Guardian (RotG Fanfiction)

Chapter 26: The Other Enemy

(Content/trigger warnings for this chapter: anxiety)

**Isabelle**

Stars glimmered in the sky above us, and a slight wind whispered through the trees in nearby yards, keeping me cool while we ran. We sprinted until we grew tired, breathing in fresh, frigid air; then we slowed, trekking around glossy puddles and slush on the edge of the street, illuminated by lampposts. Faded two-story houses in a variety of soft pastel tones and familiar shapes stood on either side of the pavement. I gripped the straps over my shoulders tightly.

Shadows worked to cloak everything outside our path, but Ranya was with me. As long as I stayed near her, I could keep my fear at bay, though my heart beat fast and my ears strained for any odd sounds. I jumped and my heart spluttered at every one as I tried to reassure myself that it was just a normal night happening. I was on this trip to get rid of my powers and therefore keep myself safe from the dangerous supernatural. To be rid of the fear of Pitch, Fear Angels, and Terror Storms. That was enough motivation to push me forward.

I was about to speak, my eyes darting a thick rustling bush, when Ranya said, "The school's not far." She glanced at me, her green irises still visible in the dimness. "A couple more blocks, and then that street surrounded by fields—I think they're growing beans this year—and a few more short blocks." She readjusted the duffel bag, slinging the strap over her head to her opposite shoulder.

Then we filled each other in on our schools' attacks. I told her about my vision and how I'd recognized the Fear Angels, spilling how I couldn't use my powers anymore because they were making the symbol grow, and Ranya spoke about the vanishing white mist and details about her encounters with Dakota and the Nightmare King. I had a feeling she was leaving something out, though. Something about what Pitch had said or done.

"So who was the boy who told Jack I was in danger?" she asked when we finished.

I shrugged. "I think he's a fourth grader. I saved him from falling off the playground yesterday, but I don't know him otherwise. He said he was... possessed by a woman who lured you into your high school. But he was too scared to tell us her full plan."

Ranya stiffened. She opened her mouth, but then closed it and shook her head. "Thanks for telling me."

My heart began to beat quicker, and I shivered as a stronger breeze slipped down the back of my warm coat. What did she know that she wasn't telling me? My eyes snapped to a tall overgrown poplar as I jumped from a wooden creaking sound. Fear was exhausting. "Do you know how to contact Mother Nature? I'm wondering if she could help protect me. I know she's temperamental, but..." I bit my lip.

Ranya drew a hand through her hair and looked into the distance. "Yeah, that makes sense. And Jack left you today—the Guardians are protecting our whole family, so you need someone who's only protecting you." She shook her head. "Honestly, though, I don't know how to contact Mother Nature. No one in the books ever tried, and she wasn't in the movie, so we don't have an example to follow. But sometimes she's just watching. She's watched the Guardians before. Maybe she's doing it to us right now."

I glanced through the shifting darkness.

"Only Tooth and Jack can sense her if she's hidden," Ranya explained. "I don't see her, so if she is around, she doesn't want us to know."

Then something in the air suddenly changed. The little hairs on my back stood on end, and I whipped my head around as my heart pounded harder. This was more than just strange sounds I could eventually explain.

Ranya followed my gaze and stepped closer. "What's wrong?"

"I think there's something dangerous here!"