Welcome to the one shot and scraped ideas fic. This will be ideas I tried to start but ended up one-shots or reached a point that the idea just failed for one reason or another. This first one is in the Rise of the Guardians verse. I don't know why I wrote this about a week after my near death moment with the lightning, but I'm giving it a good polish and turning it into a one-shot. I hope you enjoy browsing this fear inspired idea.
Disclaimer: Don't own anything save what I indict is mine.
The Nightmare
Daniel Allon's Mind(This character is based off me. Why I used this name I don't know.)
Daniel looked around him with dread. He knew this street. It was THAT street. Why did he revisit this memory/nightmare over and over? It had been years yet his mind replays it night after night like some sadistic torturer.
No matter what he tried he walked down the sidewalk as rain poured down uncaring of the suffering it caused. "Please not again!" He begged as he sped up hoping to avoid that moment. But it was all for not. The sky rumbled and booming thunder drew closer by the second. He ran full speed but cursed as IT happened.
A bolt striking a yard in front of him mercilessly. He couldn't see, hear or smell his way home. It was like a flash-bang went off. His ears rang, all he saw was white and he smelled was ozone. He stumbled blindly hoping to reach home. (This is exactly what happen in real life. But I didn't know it was going to happen til it did. Yes I ran home in a storm unable to see, hear or smell properly. It's amazing what fresh terror can let you do.)
Daniel's bedroom
With a yell, Daniel wakes up sweating. "That dream just needs to disappear." He grumbles then freezes when a voice answers. "Why would you let such a wonderfully crafted nightmare go to waste?" The voice came from a pale man standing in the shadows. "Who are you are why are you in my house? !" Daniel demand.
Taken aback the stranger relied "You can see me? Well this is quite interesting." He walked into the moonlight and Daniel noticed that he wasn't touching the ground. In a voice almost like a purr the Stranger said "I am Pitch Black, the boogeyman."
Daniel first reaction would be to deny that claim, He was 21 not some kid afraid of the monsters under the bed. Carefully he asked "Do you have proof?" Pitch grinned nastily and black sand swirled behind him. A horse formed before his eyes. It was massive and solidly built.
What filled him with dread was it's features. Hooves that thundered with each step. A mane and tail made of storm clouds that arced mini bolts every so often. Eyes that burned with a fury that he doubted anyone could tame. And it's breathe smelled of ozone. "That's..." Daniel started as he cowered from the beast. "Yes that is your nightmare. Isn't she lovely?" Pitch finished.
Pitch was clearly enjoying the terror he was causing and went to pet the nightmare. But out of no where the nightmare bucked Pitch out of the house smashing a hole where the window was. It bugled a challenge, it's voice like thunder, and ran off into the night.
Daniel walked to the car sized hole in his wall. "How will I explain this to the insurance company?" he sighed. (this line I added because It fits so well. How do you explain a horse made of black sand kicking a hole in the 3rd floor of your house without sounding insane?)
24 hour ago, North's Workshop.
North was looking at the globe. Smiling he saw that all the believers were lit up after the plan Pitch did mouths ago. Hearing a sound, he turns to see Phil speaking to him waving and gesturing at the moon. Looking up North asks "Manny is there a problem?" The Moon shines and North pales and calls the guardians.
6 hours later North's Workshop
after everyone arrived North explains why he called them. "Manny has informed me that Pitch is about to unleash something dangerous." Bunnymund groaned and said "That guy is back already? So whats this 'something dangerous'?" He takes out and egg and paints it. "A Phobia Nightmare." North answers. (this is also my own creation.)
Sandy drops his eggnog that the yetis gave him and a '? !' appears over his head. He flies up, grabbing Norths collar shakes him roughly and symbols flash at blinding speed over him. It took Jack, Tooth, and Bunnymund to pull him off of North. "Sandy! What's gotten into you?" She asks. "Yeah what is a Phobia Nightmare? Is it like the nightmares that Pitch used last time?" Jack Frost asks twirling his staff lazily.
North looks grimly and says "No idea but I've got a feeling in my belly that it's bad." They groan at this. "why don't we ask the guardian of dreams who clearly knows something." Bunnymund points out. They turn to Sandy who flashes symbols.
Scratching his beard North says "So Phobia Nightmares a nightmares born of dreams created by someone's deepest darkest fear?" Sandy nods grimly. Bunnymund rolls his eyes and says "That easy to beat then." Sandy shakes his head and flashes more symbols.
"What do you means the owner of the dream must defeat it?" North asks Sandy clarifies. They groan again. "So we have to stop Pitch before he unleashes it or hunt down the owner if we are too late." Jack says. Sandy nods and takes the fresh eggnog that is offered to him by Phil the yeti.
"well, We better get searching." Tooth says and informs her fairy to keep a look out for Pitch.
20 minutes before Present time North's workshop
"Really? Thank you!" Tooth exclaims. "One of my fairies saw Pitch in this neighborhood." She points out a town near the upper east coast of USA. "Good. We'll take the tunnels." Bunnymund thumps the ground and a hole opens. They all jump in but North grumbles "the sleigh is better."
Ruby Row (This is a made up town as far I know. So If it's real then that will be interesting to find out) 5 minutes before present
They pop out of the tunnel and were about to search the town when They hear a crash. They look up in time to see three things. One, Pitch Black flying out of a house unwillingly and crashing at their feet. Two, a massive nightmare thundering away from the same house. And finally Third, a person looking out of the hole in the house directly at them.
"Well that saves time." Jack says after he binds Pitch in an ice block up to his neck. "But we're too late." Tooth says mournfully, wings drooping. Bunnymund laughed and pointed out "Looks like Pitch can't control it after all." Pitch had a horse shoe shaped bruise that covered his face. His nose looked broken.
"Now is not the time to laugh! We have to convince the owner to confront the beast!" North bellowed a them. "You know I'm right here. I can hear you perfectly!" Daniel cuts shocking them. "Is that adult talking to us?" Tooth asks in disbelief. They look at said person who yelled down to them. "You might as well come inside and explain over tea or something."
20 minutes later Daniel's living room.
"So let me get this straight." Daniel sets down his mug of mocha hot coco. They were all seated with Pitch still in a ice block off in the corner. "You are the guardians of childhood and that dude was telling the truth." They nod. "The horse is an beast the he couldn't tame" he points a thumb at the ice block then does a double take. Pitch was gone. "Well he's slippery as an eel" he say dryly.
They were about to go search for him but Sandy make a stop sign made of dream sand. "But We have to find him." Jack says questioningly. Sandy explains in symbols that stopping the beast was more important.
"Right. So what is your fear." North asked bluntly. Bunnymund hits him upside the head. "You can't just ask that out of the blue! Have some tact!" he chastises North. Teeth asks kindly "Sweetie, If you can tell us what dream pitch used to make that beast please?"
Daniel stares that the mini marshmallows in his mug for a few minutes as his guest shuffle waiting. Tiredly he states "It's more a memory than a dream but you get the idea." He has a far off look as he continues. "when I was 16 I was almost struck by lightning." They wince. "I never got the luxury to forget it because this area gets a lot of storms."
They looked worried for reasons unknown to him. "so what will it take to stop the beast from terrorizing the tri state area?" He says jokingly to lighten the mood. They don't answers looking guilty. It dawns on him and he pales. "Please tell me I'm not the only one that can beat it." He begged. Their silence was damning.
Daniel slummed "This will be stressful." He said flatly. (I'd like to point out that This is as far as Past Me got. From this point on It will the Present Me's work. I had to finish this to get satisfaction for completing an idea that has been nagging me for 8 years.)
Pitch's Lair
Pitch was angrily throwing things. "That damned beast ruined everything!" With a roar he crushed a bust of himself. (ego much?) Calming himself down, he started to plan. He may have failed this time but he had time.
3 hours later Catskills Mountains, Slide Mountain Peck
Daniel grumbled and enjoyed the view waiting for them to corral the beast to him. He heard the beast before he saw it. Trailing behind it was a storm like a shadow following a person. This would be hard than expected.
Within minutes The Nightmare was staring at him challenging him to flee. To rise the stacks, it make the storm formed walls to box the two combatants in. No matter what the Guardians tried they were cut off from the confrontation. It was just him and the Beast, now or never.
"All you have to do is force it to obey you." North words echoed in his mind. "He makes it sound so simple." Daniel pushes aside his fear lassos the beast with the dream sand rope Sandy gave him. Holding on for dear life, the beast runs around the battlefield erratically.
As he pulls him self along the rope, he questions why he even is trying this. He gets slammed into the ground rolls out of the way as hooves smash where he was just a second ago. Taking the chance he jumps on it's back.
With the Guardians
"Are you sure he can win?" Teeth asks wincing as he hits rock after rock. "It's our only hope. We put our faith in him." Bunnymund says and they cringe when the beast shocked Daniel, who was hung on despite the pain.
"I can see why this is 'something dangerous'." Jack says.
With Daniel
The pain! This was not what he signed up for! Still he pressed up. Reaching up, he slips the dream sand bridle. The beast stops suddenly and Daniel falls to the ground. Looking up he sees that it was fading away and it looked calm. The fury that it had earlier was pacified, It was still there but in check.
As it vanished a sphere drops to the ground with a clear tinging sound. He just lays there groaning in pain. The storm walls had vanished at this point, letting the guardians get to him. North hoists him up. "Well done! I know you could do it! How do you feel?" North's bombastic voice added a headache to his list of injuries.
"That is the last time I ride a horse that uses electricity." He says shakily. Bunnymund hops up whistles at his injuries. "You look like you fought a rock slide and survived." he joked. "Don't be rude!" Tooth hits him. She turns to Daniel and asks "any broken teeth?"
The others groan at this. Wouldn't be Tooth if she didn't ask that. Sandy and Jack were examining the crystal sphere that appeared earlier. "Guys! Look at this!" Jack shouts. He brings it over and they see in it a smaller version of the beast running across the sky as thunder and lightning followed behind it.
Daniel chuckled "It's a nice gift for this adventure." Sandy signals that it's safe. Bunnymund opens a tunnel takes him home after they say goodbye. The next day he explains that a tree fell on his house. The Guardians helped make the claim look credible.
Many Years later
"...and that is how rode a bucking bronco storm horse and helped the Guardians of Childhood save the world." Daniel, who was in his 90s and had grand children, finished showing them the crystal sphere that still showed the beast after all these years. It was a prison for the beast because one can't vanquish fear, only overcome it.
"Really?" His 5 year old granddaughter asked with sparkling eyes. "Really." He replies smiling. "Kids! I'm home!" His daughter, 34 years old, calls as she enters the house. Daniel get out of his chair, grabbing his cane, and walked to greet her.
"I see you are still telling that story." She said hugging her father. "Of cause! It was one of my greatest moments. Your birth and meeting my wife are by far the greatest movements of my life but beating the Beast is high up there." He relies.
Later that night
He sat by the fire and looked out the window to see streams of golden sand snake their way to each house. Sandy was right on time.
The End
Author's Note: As I said this was in a note book from 8 years ago. I enjoyed concluding it at long last. The reason I left unfinished was because I had to get over my fear enough to find such an ending. There more ideas to come.