This chapter is a little sad and I'm not sure how you guys will like it, so bear with me. I won't be able to update for a while (at least a week, maybe two) because I'm going on vacation. Please don't abandon me (or my story). Enjoy!


I stood up groaning. Jack still had his signature smirk on his face. I turned in his direction and glared.

"I believe that's 265 for me and 265 for you," Jack said. It took a lot of restraint to avoid punching him in the face.

"Real funny, Mister Frosty Face," I spat back. I heard a snicker from behind me and I turned around. I saw four very different people behind me. A short man with golden hair and golden robes floated on the side. He caught my eye and he waved.

"Hey Sandy," I said. Sandy formed a couple of rapid sand images and I looked on confused.

"Sorry Sandy, can't read that fast," I apologized. Sandy shrugged his shoulders and I moved on. A large, 6' 1" rabbit leaned on a wooden wall. On his arms and legs were markings and he was twirling a boomerang in his hands.

"Been a little while mate," Bunny said to me, his face expressionless. I inwardly groaned.

"Would you believe me if I said I forgot the date?" I asked.

"Not really, but the nickname for Frostbite over there makes up for it," Bunny said with a smirk on his face.

"Hey!" Jack exclaimed. Everyone got a good laugh out of that one. A blur of color flew around me and then I felt some delicate fingers prodding my teeth. I looked up into a kind lady's face framed by feathers.

"Hellwo Toof," I said through her fingers. Tooth smiled at me and continued to prod.

"Wow, your teeth are so white! How do you keep them so shiny?" she asked me.

"Dew dwops," I said, my mouth still full of finger.

"Tooth, fingers out of mouth," an exasperated voice said. Tooth sheepishly withdrew her fingers and I moved my jaw around in circles. I turned to a large man in a red suit and a white beard.

"Thanks North," I said, still trying to crack my jaw. North laughed and then clapped me on the shoulder. I nearly fell over from the pressure.

"Is good to see you Misty Fog. How are you?" I resisted every urge to touch my amulet.

"Pretty good considering that the King of Bad Practical Jokes just threw me through a magic portal," I sarcastically said.

"Ah good, it always works," North said while walking away. I turned to Jack in disbelief. Jack met my eye and he frowned slightly. I walked away and looked at the five Guardians.

"So, what brings you five all together? I don't think I did anything bad enough to get on the naughty list," I said. North laughed.

"You are joking, right? You and Jack hold record," North said. Jack and I shared a smile. "But that does not matter anymore," North continued. "Just like Jack, we are wiping the slate clean."

"Why?" I asked, growing suspicious.

"Jack did not tell you? We are wiping the slate clean because now you are Guardian!" With that, elves carrying musical instruments marched in playing a fanfare. I summoned a gust of wind before this got any more hectic. The elves went scattering and a tuba-playing elf got caught up in the jet stream and started flying around.

"Are you guys CRAZY!?" I shouted. "You want ME to be a Guardian!?" The Guardians looked at me in shock. I sighed.

"Look, I'm honored. I really am, but do you realize how BAD of an idea this is?" I asked. "You guys know what happened to me. Pitch comes back…I'm putting the kids in danger. I'm putting you in danger. I have to say no."

"I told'ja this would happen. Maybe it's for the best mate," Bunny said with a sigh. Jack glared daggers at Bunny.

"For the best my foot," he said. "She loves kids, she loves protecting them, and she's certainly better qualified to become a Guardian than I was."
"For once, we agree on something," Bunny said. Jack looked ready to punch the Pooka in the face. North walked over to me and looked me in the eye.

"Come with me," he said. I followed him as he led me through his workshop. I watched the yetis make toys and I saw flying, twirling spheres zoom around the shop.

"Hold up!" I shouted to North. "Jack and I have tried to bust in for years. Never got past the yetis though. Hey Phil!" I shouted to a passing yeti. He shook his fist at me and then went back to making a robot. We climbed some stairs and then we came to a room. North opened the door and we walked into his private workroom. North motioned to a chair and I sat down. North brought over a mug of coco and I sipped it quietly. He sat down in a different chair and faced me.

"Misty, you know more about the Guardians than almost any spirit out there, besides us," North told me. I nodded my head. For a long time, Acionna was an honorary Guardian. "You know about centers, you know what we do, and you know that we do not choose Guardians, Manny does. Why do you refuse?"

"North, you know what happened to me. You know what happened to Stella," I quietly said.

"That was not your fault. She would want you to move on and to stop being so sad," North gently said. I suppose you deserve an explanation. Roughly thirty years ago, I met a spirit named Stella. Stella was a spirit called a Creation. Creations were spirits that were formed during large bursts of imagination. They aren't rare, but they generally aren't good or bad spirits. Stella, however, was about as good as good got. She knew everyone and many spirits really liked her. No one thought anything could ever happen to her, but twenty-rive years ago they were proven wrong


I stood on the edge of a building, waiting for Stella to arrive. It was a crisp, fall day and the wind was blowing through my hair. Out of the corner of my eye, I say a boy flying towards me. He had bright orange hair and softer orange eyes. He wore an orange t-shirt and brown pants. On his left hand, he wore an intricately carved ring.

"Hey Auty, what's up?" I called to the fall spirit. He landed next to me, gasping.

"Misty, I saw some black horses take Stella into the forest," he said gasping for breath. "There were too many for me to fight on my own, but I came here as fast as I could." I looked to the forest next to the town and I made up my mind.

"Get Jack, Lily, and possibly Sandy here, fast. I'm going after Stella," I told him. Auty nodded and I took off. I flew deep into the forest and landed among a string of trees. The forest was old and it had a sinister feel to it.

"Stella!" I shouted. My voice echoed around the trees and I felt very uneasy, as if someone was watching me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a shadow move. I slowly followed it and I ended up next to a clearing. There, I saw Stella bound with ropes made out of shadows. Her long, golden hair was blowing in the wind and her golden spaghetti strap dress slightly fluttered. Stella looked up and met my eyes. She had barely shaken her head when I snapped around and saw at least fifty black horses coming closer to me. I backed up to Stella and quickly freed her. We stood back to back as the shadows circled us.

"Remember, don't let them touch you," I told Stella. She made starlight bolts in her hands and looked at me.

"You don't need to remind me," she replied. We sprang into action. Stella fired her bolts into the nightmares and they exploded. I had learned years ago that you can't fight with a flute or paintbrush, but you can fight with a staff. I pulled my flute in two separate directions and it expanded into a long, silver staff. It had no decorations except for a blue crystal in the center. I wrapped my hands around the staff and I hit nightmare after nightmare. We kept fighting, but nothing seemed to stop the onslaught of nightmares.

"Misty, look out!" I heard Stella scream. I didn't have time to turn before a black arrow hit me in the chest. Instantly, my head felt like it was on fire and I could feel my body going numb. My worst fears swam through my head and I screamed in pain. I sank down to the ground and a man with sickly pale skin and a long, black robe stood over me. He gave me an evil smile and formed a second arrow.

"Sweet dreams," Pitch said. He fired it, but it never made contact. It froze in his hands and I looked up. There, I saw Jack holding his staff and glaring at Pitch. Behind him, I saw Auty form a fire ball in his hands, Sandy form a dreamsand whip, and a girl with bright green hair, a pink t-shirt, and green pants holding darts made of spiky weeds, Lily. Sandy snapped his whip at Pitch and he flew backwards.

"Don't you dare touch her," Jack growled and they attacked. They took care of the nightmares while Stella flew over to me. She took her starlight and started to draw out the nightmare sand. Sandy saw what Stella was doing and he floated over. He laid a small amount of dreamsand on my heart and I heard a voice speak.

Misty, can you hear me? I looked at Sandy and nodded my head.

Wow, you're fast. I need you to think happy thoughts. That's the only way we're going to get that nightmare sand out, okay?

I started to think some happy thoughts, but it was difficult to think straight. I eventually focused on the time I had learned to fly right. I slowly felt my body become less numb. After a little while, I was able to sit up. Stella continued to draw out the nightmare sand, and the nightmares lessened. I looked at Stella and smiled. We had won.

What happened next, I don't think anyone expected. The nightmares flew together into one large mass and they charged straight at me. No matter how hard Sandy, Auty, Lily, and Jack attacked it, it still kept moving towards me. Stella quickly took her starlight and condensed it into an amulet. It was silver, circular, and it had a raindrop in the middle. She gave it to me and she smiled sadly. She then turned to the wave of nightmares and the mass struck right in her heart. She slumped to the ground and the nightmares flew off. I quickly crawled over to her. Her face was a mask of pain and I knew it was too late.

"Stella, I'm sorry," I whispered, my eyes filling with tears. She shook her head and grasped my hand.

"No Misty, I'm sorry. I couldn't draw out all of the nightmares. There's still a splinter in your heart. It's enough that Pitch could potentially control you. That amulet will keep the darkness at bay, but only you can get that splinter out. You have to conquer your worst fear in order to get rid of it."

Stella sighed and gave me a smile. "Fear is strong, but you are stronger Misty. Don't be sad, my friend." She closed her eyes and she faded away. I hugged the amulet close to my chest and cried. Jack, Sandy, Auty, and Lily looked on with bowed heads. The wind stopped blowing and the animals fell silent. Even the stars themselves seemed to be mourning the loss of a great friend.

Because that night, not one was twinkling.


I came back to reality, my mind still slightly shaken. That day still haunted me. Twenty-five years later, that splinter was still inside my chest. It was a constant reminder that I was a danger to those around me. Sure, I still had friends, but a lot of spirits no longer trust me, and they have a good reason not to. I had tried everything to get rid of the splinter, but for some reason, I couldn't locate my worst fear. I looked up at North, sighing.

"Maybe you're right, but I still think it would be best if I didn't become a Guardian. I'm sorry North," I said to him. North nodded and held my hands.

"I understand, but perhaps we can change your mind," he said. We stood up and walked out of the workshop. A hopping noise came from the stairs and Bunny hopped over to us.

"We've got a problem mate. Trouble at Sandy's island."


Man, that was sad. Remember, i won't be able to update for a while, but please keep that in mind. You've already guessed that this fanfic is closely modeled after the movie, but there will be some changes and, well, if you follow the movie, you can guess where this is going. Please review, and see you soon.