My Sister's a Guardian (RotG Fanfiction)

Chapter 39: The Secrets We Keep

(Content/trigger warnings for this chapter: anxiety, people pressuring child to get over anxiety)

**Isabelle**

When I opened my eyes in my parent's room after a terrifying night of fitful sleep, the place was in chaos. North and Bunny shouted at each other from opposite ends of the pretty seafoam green bed, no longer keeping a grip on me or my parents. Tooth darted everywhere in a frenzy, chattering high, her iridescent feathers flashing and spiraling in the light, and Jack waved his hands up and down, his eyes wide. Glowing golden symbols flashed and throbbed above Sandy's head. My heart pounded even before my mind woke up enough to process what could be the meaning of this chaos—the calming white and green of the room didn't quiet my fear. Something was wrong.

I scrambled out from under my sleeping bag by the end of the bed and leaped to my feet. Dad sat under his covers staring blankly at the opposite wall, his eyes glazed over, and Ranya trudged into the room in her pajamas. She blinked her eyes blearily from beside the bookshelf with its neat stacks of books. That was when I noticed—

"Where's Mom?" I shouted into the chaos. No one so much as glanced in my direction. "Where's Mom!" North and Bunny's voices grew louder. "Where's Mom!" I screamed, and their shouts simmered to mumbles as they looked at me.

At first, they didn't respond, and I nearly asked again before North said, "Taken by the Watcher. I... He appeared by the side of the bed. I tried to fight, but he wrenched her from my grasp. Then they vanished. I'm so very sorry."

Tears burned my eyes and streamed down my face into my lips and mouth. It wasn't like the shock from Zachary's kidnapping; I'd known this could happen again.

And it was still my fault.

My tears gushed like if I cried enough of them, they could bring everyone back who had been paralyzed or kidnapped because of me. People said what happened because of my disorder wasn't my fault, but how could that be true? If I could just push myself harder... Mom was never good with my anxiety, but I still loved her. She still took care of me.

"Has your Mini Fairy come back yet, Tooth?" Ranya asked from the door. Her eyelids flickered up and down, and her voice was tight. Her eyes shone. "Where are you guys' weapons?" She was still able to work on defeating Pitch despite this. She likely had to. And once she defeated him, our family would be safe.

Bunny's eyes narrowed, and his hands (paws?) tightened to fists. "The Watcher took those, too. Appeared later and yanked them from our hands. I already checked my Warren and North's workshop. The Watcher took the weapons we kept there also." I glanced at Jack's pale empty fingers. Didn't he, my protector, need his staff to use his powers much at all? My heart pounded quicker, and my chest squeezed like it was caving in on itself.

"She hasn't." Tooth looked away.

A warm-looking Dreamsand cloud and downward-pointing arrow formed above Sandy's golden head.

"Right. Sandy still has his powers," Bunny said. "We all do. We just don't have any weapons that can hurt Pitch, aside from Sandy." Bunny laughed bitterly.

He was the first Guardian to turn in my direction, his eyes sparking. The rest followed.

"Isabelle," North said. "You still have your powers, too. The Watcher can't take those."

"No!" I shouted, and darted out of the room. Footsteps pounded behind me, but only once I'd made it to the stairs did I realize they belonged to Ranya. We ran down the steps as the Guardians resumed arguing in my parents' bedroom. Ranya could protect me. I had to be safe.