I pull my coat collar closer to my face, trying to shut out the cold. I'm half surprised I haven't run into the formerly-infamous-now-famous Jack Frost. I laugh and roll my eyes at the thought; the Guardians wouldn't like me much.

I keep to the shadows, not wanting to be seen, just in case someone believed in me. They never have, but I'd rather not take the chance. If they saw me they might not want to believe in me, that's what Pitch always told me. No one Knows about Huntress. I shake my head and trudge on through the snow, getting deeper by the minute. A door swings open and passes right through me, sending a cold wave through me. My bow starts slipping off my shoulder, and I reposition it. It slips again, this time I let it fall to my hands. I finger the string and reach my hand back to my quiver, counting my arrows. Twenty-three, I need to start saving them or retrieving them. I shake my head, I need to add another layer to my quiver, three layers isn't enough; I have unlimited space in my quiver if I ever bothered to build the levels. The levels rearrange when one runs out, so if I did a good job of stocking up I could be set for weeks at a time. No nightmares would get through and no shadow would be too dark for 98 percent of the time instead of just 90. The Guardians are only there for the big things; if they're the FBI, I'm the security guard. Right now my tracker says that most of the world is clean of dark portals, just a few in this area. My friends can cover the smaller ones; shoo down a few bad dreams for Sandman and report for duty, no big deal. Except for the fact that Sandman doesn't know it's us who does it. The Guardian's assume it's the kids "Will, determination, defiance" whatever. Who do you think gives them that? Saint Nick covers "Wonder", Frost-Boy got "fun", Bunny-zilla has "hope" and I get "Determination and Protection" Basically, I show kids how to fight for what they believe in, how to be brave. I'm the voice in the back of their head, telling them to run a little faster, think a little harder, to try something new. it

I smirk to myself, and notice a pitch-black shadow. I frown and shoot a gold arrow at, the arrow explodes as it hits it in a sparkling-magic show and the shadow returns to normal a shade. A gray dot disappears on my tracker.

A small beep alerts me of a large blue dot, moving towards me in a irregular fashion, as though it's riding the wind itself. I half-wonder if it's my cousin, Cupid, but he shows up pink. I shrug, but keep my guard up.

A few minutes later, a cool gust of wind nearly knocks me off my feet, I frown and whirl around. I'm met by a pale-faced, pale-haired, bare-foot, late teenaged boy. Holding a frozen staff. I huff and cross my arms, just another fellow

"Who are you?" Jack Frost demands, I freeze, wondering how he sees me. The only one who believes in me is Pitch! Unless...he thought the shadow was Pitch, so he related me to Pitch, allowing him to see me even if he doesn't believe in me.

I raise an eyebrow, "Who are you to be poking around my business? Go take your Guardian self somewhere else, I'm busy." I turn back around and continue searching for the last portal Pitch set up. Then I'll go track down whatever escaped from it.

Frosty doesn't leave like I thought he would, he follows, flying just behind me as I trudge through the snow, twirling and spinning in a sort of game.

I see a fully-black shadow and shoot a gold arrow at it, closing it. I throw my shoulders back, then forward as I jump up and reach for a ledge pulling myself up, scaling the building with ease.

"What was that?" Frosty asks, one eyebrow arched with curiosity.

"A dark portal, one of Pitches." I reply curtly.

"Pitch?" He asks, alarmed, "He's back?!"

"No, this is pretty normal. Where do you think nightmares escape from. A few stray bad dreams doesn't mean Pitch is back and ready to fight."

"So why don't the Guardians know about this? They could help."

"Look, It's not a big deal. The Guardians are only needed when I can't handle Pitch on my own." I explain half-heartedly.

"So why weren't you helping us when Pitch attacked?" He asks, brow furrowing, serious for once.

"If even the Guardians don't believe in me...what can I do but whisper in the kids ears that being brave isn't about having no fear in the first place, it's about overcoming it. That's my job; destroying portals and being brave." I say, almost bitterly.

"Why doesn't anyone believe in you?" Jack Frost asks.

"If they believe in a person who defends them from Pitch, they also have to believe in Pitch. If that happens, Pitch gains strength and everything goes downhill from there." I reply in monotone, allowing no manner of sadness or regret to creep into my voice.

He nods and says, "What's your name?

I hesitate, struggling to remember; no one's asked in so long, "I'm called Huntress by Pitch and my archers, but I think I'm called...I-I can't remember anymore."

Jack Frost nods and stick out his hand with a goofy grin, "I'm Jack Frost, nice to meet you, Huntress."

And with that he lets the wind carry him off, leaving me to hunt the nightmare, with only a swirling design in the ice where he stood before.

It's mid-afternoon two days later that I see Jack Frost again. He and the boy who I told about being brave-Jamie I think was his name-are throwing snow balls at each other and with some other kids. I smirk at the scene, leaning against the wall in the shadows.

Jack Frost manages to spot me and points, Jamie's eye follow his finger, he looks my direction but looks up at Jack, puzzled.

"What are you looking at?" I expected this, but I can't stop the pang of disappointment. I wave at Jack, in a better mood than before now that I have a quiet day, for once. He laughs and throws a snowball at me, I duck under it, and Jamie's still confused gaze.

"I was waving to a friend of mine. You can't see her." He explains. I raise an eyebrow, so he considers someone who he talks to for five minutes a friends? "Well, at least, I know her."

"Why can't I see her? I can see you." Jamie says.

"You don't believe in her, she won't let anyone believe in her."

"How come?" Jamie asks, disappointed and concerned. I smile despite myself.

"It's dangerous to believe in her, if you believe in her, you give Pitch strength, too." Jack explains to Jamie.

Jamie nods and smiles, throwing a snowball at me, even though he can't see me. He almost believes in me, but he's at the age where seeing is believing; especially because he can see Jack, Santa, Sandman, Bunnymund and the tooth fairy. I sigh and give the kid a smile as the snowball smashes into the wall, a few feet away from me. Jack laughs and they return to the game.

I wander the own until the sun sets, waving at the man in the moon. He offers me a smile and then returns to watching over everyone.

The ground freezes into ice beneath my feet and I slip, into what looks like a huge rabbit hole. I come out on the other side, and it closes behind me, leaving me trapped in a warehouse, forever Christmas-decorated.

"I don't see her.." Santa says, squinting.

"Jack said we wouldn't be able to see her," The bird-like tooth fairy says.

A lightbulb appears over Sandman's head and he spreads sand out on the floor, demonstrating that I should talk like he does; use the sand.

I creep over to the sand, and use my finger to draw in it, "Hello."

"Ah!" They gasp. Jack and Bunnymund come through a giant rabbit hole, like I did. Jack peers over at the sand and exclaims, "I told you so!"

I smile, as they slowly begin believing in me, now at least, five people/rabbit/sand-person/fairy will be able to see and hear me.

"Hello." I say, to them. Jack grins as the others nod and acknowledge me.

I'm seen! Now, I can truly fight Pitch.