(AN: Forgive any weird sentence structure when the characters are taking I tried to keep to their accents)
The Other Pooka
It has been five years since the incident with Pitch and all the Guardians are at a monthly meeting at the pole to catch up and to talk if there have been any sightings of Pitch. Normally these meetings are nothing of importance but this one is different. As four of the five guardians are mingling while waiting for Tooth they hear her fly in having and intense conversation with one of her fairies Jack calls Baby Tooth.
"Ah. Tooth vhat is vrong you never late to meeting?" Asked North.
"Oh, it's just one of my fairies saw something that I know cannot be true." Replied Tooth.
"What did Baby Tooth see?" Asked Jack.
Glancing at Bunny she replied, "Well she said she saw Bunny scare some children on Halloween."
"What!? I love the little ankle-bitters why would I scare 'em! Your fairies are wrong it was not me they must have seen something else!" Screamed Bunny
"Vhy not find out, look for other Bunny." Suggested North.
After a long discussion they came up with the idea that next Halloween they would go to the town Baby Tooth saw the Pooka and track them down. None were more excited at the aspect of another Pooka then Aster. Except when preparing for Easter, Aster spent all his time thinking. Is it really another Pooka? I thought everyone died in the fire. If it really is a tribe mate where have they been all this time.
-Time skip to next Halloween night-
It is late at night and the Guardians gather in the town of Meadow Brook. Once gathered they searched until they came across a group of children running away screaming. At first everyone was on alert thinking it might be Pitch until Jack spoke up. "Wait their smiling, it can't be Pitch, they are having fun."
"You sure Frostbite?" Asked Bunny.
"I am the Guardian of Fun, I know when kids are happy." Jack remarked snidely leaning on his staff. At this Sandy starts picto-graphing to go in the direction the children came from and there might be the one they are looking for.
"Sandy right ve go look that vay vhere kids come from." Said North.
They all ran down the street catching a glimmer of a tall black figure hopping away fast towards the forest outside of town way ahead of them. Not seeing a way to escape pursuit the figure jumped into a tunnel after thumping their foot on the ground twice. Seeing how they disappeared there was without a doubt in their minds that it was a Pooka that they were chasing. So, to get a better look of the area Tooth and Jack, with the help of the wind, fly into the air. "Hey guys there's a house some little ways into the forest." Yelled Jack down towards the rest of the Guardians.
Upon hearing this Aster rushed in the direction Jack pointed towards leaving the others behind without a care in the world. All that he could think about was the possibility that he may not be alone anymore. He continued to run until he stopped just before reaching the edge of a clearing. In the middle of the clearing is a small white cottage with a porch that wraps around the entire house.
Aster stood there in shock. The Pooka race was known for their keen senses and at this moment Aster is in sensory overload. He was being overwhelmed by the powerful smell of an unclaimed female Pooka. Lost in thought at the new smell and trying to control his instincts he did not notice the other Guardians coming up behind him. "What's the matter kangaroo." Jack said with a smile.
At the question Aster was pulled out of his shock and replied in a whisper just barley loud enough for everyone to hear him, "It's a sheila," completely ignoring the kangaroo comment.
"Vhat you mean?" Asked North.
"Are you sure Bunny?" Asked Tooth.
Aster nodded his head and replied, "I can smell it." Slowly they make their way to the cottage door. From inside the house the female Pooka could hear everything as soon as they got to the clearing.
"Who could that be nobody should be able to get here so easily unless familiar with the area." Questioned the Pooka. As she pondered this in her mind the Guardians had already approached her front door. It was the loud banging of North's knocking that withdrew her from her thoughts. Back to reality she made her way to the door opening it to see the last group of myths she ever expected to see.
"What do you people want?" She scowled glaring at them. Once the door was open and she spoke Aster was in shock once again. Standing in front of him was a female Pooka like he has never seen before. She stood at one to two inches shorter than Aster. Her base coat was a midnight black as well as her chest and her belly fur. Like Aster she had the same tribal markings but hers were gray with a hint of purple. She also had deep blood red eyes that look like they could stare deep into your very being.
"We heard that there was another Pooka besides Bunny, so we came to check it out." Explained Tooth.
"Can we come in and talk?" Asked Jack.
The female Pooka sighed, "Do I really have a choice." She turned and hopped inside with the door open. Everyone walked inside to the living room the last being North closing the door behind him, and they all convened in the living room. Once everyone was seated comfortably there was an awkward silence for a few minutes before Tooth spoke, "Why were you scaring the children?"
"Because it is my job." She replied
"What do you mean and what is your name anyway." Asked Jack.
"Nightshade and what I mean is that I am just doing as I am told just like the rest of the you. You think that just because you are the Guardians that you get special treatment, the Man in the Moon talks to us "lesser" spirits too."
"Ve not mean to offend, vhat is job anyway." Spoke North
With a sigh Nightshade replied, "I'm the spirit of Halloween, it is my job to give the ankle-bitters a healthy dose of fear, just enough to teach them to be mindful of their surroundings and learn to be cautious of possible dangers. That not all fun is good and that it can lead to reckless behavior that could get someone hurt. My center, as you like to put it North, is balance for I show the thrill of fear through fun scaring children just enough to cause minor nightmares just so that next time they might think twice about something they should not be doing. And before you ask no I am not like Pitch, I do not get a sick pleasure out of hurting kids, I hate the bastard just as much as you do Aster, but fear is needed just not to the extent that he wants. That is why Man in Moon is ok with you all dealing with Pitch because there are others who will spread fear without it consuming them."
Finally, after listening to her speak Aster gathered his courage to ask, "Where have you been all this time, I thought Pitch killed all the other Pooka?'
"He did." Was her morbid reply.
"What do you mean, if Bunny is the only survivor how are you here." Asked Tooth.
Getting up out of her seat and moving to the window to look out at the crescent moon she delved into her story, "As you can see I am not like the others of our kind, I am the only Pooka to ever be born with black fur. Normally we are browns, reds, white, and grays in various shades. When I was born the tribe saw me as a bad omen, they said I would bring death upon all of us. As a result, I was an outcast, you did not know about my existence Aster because of who you were to our tribe, their hope. The elders did everything they could to keep me away from everyone for fear that I would ruin said hope. When it came time for Pitch to attack while you were helping others try to escape the elders tried to offer me up as sacrifice to leave the village in peace. As I lay dying on the floor I could hear Pitch laugh saying that they were fools that he planned for us all to die before I was born because of you, without hope in the world he thought he would be free to rule and spread his fear. The Man in the Moon saw this and knew yes fear was needed but not like what Pitch wanted, so like Jack I was brought back to life but in a different location away from that monster. I knew you were around all this time but after all that has happened, and the way I was treated what assurance did I have that you would not do the same and blame me for what happened. I know what has been going on, I know how much of a bitter ass you have been, just look at the way you treat Jack. Did you ever stop to ask his side of the story for what happened in '68 or a few years ago with Pitch. And yes, I know all about it for like him I am fear."
The Guardians were speechless, after taking a moment to collect themselves Aster spoke in a soft voice, "Yeah shiela we know how we wronged frostbite and we are making up for it, as for you I am just happy to know I am not alone. I could care less about what the tribe thought about your coloring, to me you are a beauty and I would like to get to know you for you and not from what was said about you back then.
After that night the two Pooka did in fact talk a lot and get to know each other. They would visit each other when they could, when not getting ready for their holiday. Over time they came to love and respect each other for who they were and not what others said about them. Eventually they became mates and like the rabbits they are had many, many kits running around the warren. May MiM watch over them all.