Three full days had passed before I awoke after practicing with my powers. I had not felt how they had drained me until that very last moment with Cupcake. When I opened my eyes, Pitch was already awake and watching me anxiously. "H-hey," I croaked in greeting. The Nightmare King moved to kneel next to me, taking my hands between his own. "Hello, my nightflower. I believe you are beginning to enjoy worrying me." He remarked. I chuckled, shaking my head and squeezing his hand. "Not hardly." I retorted before yawning and getting cautiously to my feet. I spent the rest of that day and the following relaxing, although I really didn't want to. I practiced summoning Bastet and Nuka and crafting smoke hearts, trying to do something productive with my time.

A few days later Pitch and I were in my room, my boyfriend stretched out across my bed and petting Aphrodite while he watched me sitting by my window and practicing my powers. Every now and then I noticed a young couple strolling down the way, standing close enough to brush shoulders. Like the first day in the mall parking lot, I sent a heart shaped cloud out of my palm and down toward the couple. Within moments, one person would reach out to hold the hand of the other, and both would grin shyly.

The sound of my bedroom door slamming open startled the Nightmare King and I, each of us immediately facing the sound. "Anara! Is it true?" The stunned silence was met with the voice of a familiar young boy. "Oh joy, the Bennett child has arrived...what a wonderful addition to my day..." Pitch muttered as he rolled his eyes, returning his attention to my cat who was purring as he stroked her fur. Jamie flinched away from Pitch, noticing the Boogeyman's presence for the first time since barging into my room. Noticing the boy's distrust, Pitch let out a low growl, causing Jamie to dart over to me. "Oh Pitch. Must you torment him?" I asked, reaching out for Jamie's hand. Jamie took it and sat beside me, ignoring the chuckle that came from my boyfriend. "What is he doing here? Cupcake said you are a Guardian now." Jamie asked, confusion written across his freckled face.

Smiling gently at the child, I began to answer his question. "Cupcake was right, Jamie. The Man in the Moon made me a Guardian like Jack and the others. I am the Guardian of Love now. But, Pitch Black is not just the Boogeyman, he is the Guardian of Fear. He and I are two sides of the same coin. We are meant to be together, even though we are different. Even the Man in the Moon told me so. Pitch does as he is supposed to, but he would not harm you." I explained, holding my hand out to my boyfriend to gesture for him to come over to me. The Nightmare King huffed and got to his feet, approaching me and Jamie and wrapping his fingers around mine. "She is right, Jamie. Though you are a pain in my tail, I would never actually hurt you. Frighten you, yes. But physically harm you, no." Pitch reaffirmed my comment.

Little did I know that I had two other visitors standing at my door. "Shut the front door!" I heard my best friend Jade gasp, her mouth open in a large grin as she glanced between me and Ashlyn who was standing beside her. "Hey guys..." I greeted them, waving them into the room. "How much did you hear?" I asked, watching Jade and Ashlyn staring at both Jamie and Pitch. "Something about Guardians, you, and Pitch." She offered, then smirked at my boyfriend. "I was wondering when we were going to actually see Mr. Black again, though I had no idea this was how he usually looked. I thought it was a Halloween costume. Still, I am not disappointed." She winked at me after analyzing the Boogeyman from afar. Pitch swallowed and looked at me in embarrassment, his cheeks slightly darkening due to my best friend's comments. "Same here. So what all were you guys talking about?" Ashlyn interjected, sitting on the floor beside Jamie, while Jade claimed my desk chair.

Shrugging, I took a deep breath and prepared to explain the story of the Guardians and my transformation to all the people who had settled around me. All eyes stayed on my face as I told my tale from beginning to end, Pitch holding my hand and stroking it while I described the fight with the Guardians and my death. Jade and Ashlyn gazed at me in awe and disbelief, clearly taken by surprise that the figures from our childhood were indeed real, and that I was dating one of those characters. And the fact that I was also a Guardian now seemed to shock them more than anything, but their smiles never left their faces.

When I finished speaking, I waited for one of my friends to call me crazy. Instead both remained silent. "You guys don't think this is a little strange, or that I'm delusional?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at the pair. Each girl shook her head. "Nope. After all, we have the proof right in front of us. And you are our best friend. Do you honestly think we would not believe you telling us something so serious?" Ashlyn prodded me. I sighed in relief, "Thanks guys. That makes me feel a lot better..." I murmured, relaxing fully into Pitch's embrace.

However, I realized that Jade and Ashlyn were staring at me expectantly. "So...what does the Guardian of Love do?" Jade asked, not caring to hide her interest. "Well, for one thing, she can make crushes confess their love for you!" Jamie spoke shyly. We all turned to look at him in surprise. "Cupcake came over to my house a few days ago and told me that she likes me! And...I may like her back! Then today she told me about you, Anara!" The boy admitted. "Thanks, by the way," He added. My eyes widened, then I smiled back at him. "Well...I think that is wonderful Jamie, but you should know I didn't make Cupcake do anything. I simply gave her a little nudge to follow her heart. And apparently it led to you...." I explained to him. "Still, that is really cool! What other powers do you have?" He pressed. "Yes, tell us all about them! Better yet, sing about them!" Ashlyn encouraged with a teasing smile. I grinned back happily, "Very well." I conceded, pausing to think of a song that would work to express my new abilities. Even Jamie was tapping his fingers excitedly.

Gently pulling out of Pitch's arms, I got to my feet and crossed the room to face everyone. I knew this song was one that Jade and Ashlyn would know, so hopefully they would join in at some point. Winking at my boyfriend, I began to sing. "All the girls on the block knocking at my door, wanna know what it is make the boys want more!" I gestured to my female friends. "Is your lover playing on your side? Said he loves you, but he ain't got time. Here's the answer, come and get it, at a knocked down price..." I trailed off, while Jade and Ashlyn chuckled and shouted "Hey!", both of them recognizing the song. "Full of honey, just to make him sweet. Crystal balling, just to help him see what he's been missing. So come and get it while you've still got time..."

I picked up a nearby snowglobe and stared into it like it was a mystic crystal ball, handing it to Jade."Get your boy on his knees and repeat after me and say...Take a sip of my secret potion, I'll make you fall in love. For a spell that can't be broken, one drop should be enough! Boy, you belong to me, I got the recipe, and it's called black magic!" I lifted my hand and crafted a couple pink smoke hearts that floated toward the ceiling. "Take a sip of my secret potion, one taste and you'll be mine. It's a spell that can't be broken, it'll keep you up all night! Boy, you belong to me, I got the recipe, and it's called black magic..." I sashayed over to the Nightmare King as I sang, gripping the front of his cloak and pulling his face close to mine. He smirked playfully at me as I released him.

Turning to face the other three people in the room, I gave my attention to Ashlyn next and reached out to take her hand. "If you're lookin' for Mister Right, need that magic to change him over night. Here's the answer, so come and get it, while you've still got time..." I noticed the rose quartz bracelet on my friend's arm and tapped it with my nail, making it glow and sparkle as energy flowed through it."Get your boy on his knees and repeat after me and say...Take a sip of my secret potion, I'll make you fall in love. For a spell that can't be broken, one drop should be enough! Boy, you belong to me, I got the recipe, and it's called black magic!" I repeated the chorus and leaned down to peck Jamie on the cheek, causing his face to turn a bright burgundy. "Take a sip of my secret potion, one taste and you'll be mine. It's a spell that can't be broken, it'll keep you up all night! Boy, you belong to me, I got the recipe, and it's called black magic!" I smiled, red glitter dusting the room as I summoned Nuka and Bastet.

They appeared upon my bed, both stretched out as they watched my friends jump up and join me. "All the girls on the block knockin' at my door! Wanna know what it is make the boys want more! All the girls on the block knockin' at my door! Wanna know what it is make the boys want more!" Jade and Ashlyn cheered, fist pumping the air. Jamie, crawled up and sat atop Bastet's back, grinning from ear to ear as he stared at the magical cats."Take a sip from my secret potion, I'll make you fall in love! For a spell that can't be broken, one drop should be enough! Boy, you belong to me, I got the recipe, and it's called, and it's called, and it's called black magic!! Take a sip of my secret potion, one taste and you'll be mine! It's a spell that can't be broken, it'll keep you up all night! Boy, you belong to me, I got the recipe, and it's called black magic!!!" I finished, stepping lightly over my floor to sit on Pitch's knee and wrap my arms around his neck. My boyfriend grabbed my waist tightly and pressed his lips to my forehead. "Beautiful as always, my nightflower." He told me.

The three other individuals in the room exchanged excited looks. "Well, I guess that answers our questions. We have our own Aphrodite." Jade grinned, winking at me this time. I laughed, shaking my head at her remark.