Raven had decided to attend the New Years party. Even though he knew Novissimus would be there. She was a tiny stick of a girl with a habit of getting in people's business. Every other day of the year Novi was a sweet kind girl. But for New Year's Day she ran everything, knew everything, and attempted to do as much change as she could in the twenty four hours she had.

    He sighed, it wasn't very often he visited the large tree in the southern pole. Which was where most of the lesser guardians hung out. It was an immortal tree, created by Mother Nature. It persevered against the cold weather and was home to many penguins. He usually didn't go because the tunnels were very small and his feathers got caught on protruding roots. Not to mention people usually were a bit tense around a walking skeleton boy.

    He banked and landed on the ground. Then brushed snow off his wings and walked inside the low hanging archway. Raven kicked off his boots next to the variety of other fancy shoe wear and shuffled in his socks to a green door. He opened it, bringing the snow with him, and squeezing his massive wings inside.

    "Hey!" Feather called. "Didn't expect to see you here."

    He walked over to Raven, sporting a glass of cranberry juice. Raven scowled and shook off more snow.

    "Only because you, Luna, Sunny, Night, even Jack wouldn't stop asking me." He pouted.

    A figure pushed her way past his wings and smiled very wide in his face. He jumped, then took a few steps back.

    She was a fairly dark skinned with black hair that was pulled back in a pony tail with a few wild locks hanging loose. She was wearing a decorative blue and very long shirt with darker leggings.

    "Hello Novi." Raven said weakly.

    "Have you ever though about cutting you hair?" Novi asked.

    "No."

    "How about dying it? Or buying a new cloak perhaps? Have you scared enough people this year?"

    Raven grit his teeth. "I'm, getting a drink."

    Feather laughed nervously. "Ha, he's an acquired taste."

    Novi turned to him. "Do you really like being covered in feathers?"

    He gave her a dazed look. "Yes, I guess."

    Raven leaned against the counter and sipped his cranberry juice. Beside him, one of the decorative grapevines shriveled and died. He took a deep breath and tried not to get angry.

    Another familiar face walk up to him. A blonde male around his age that was practically glowing in his yellow tee. His name was Sunny, and he was always covered in a fine layer of dust.

    "Hi! Raven, long time no see! How have you been dreaming lately?" As weird as the question sounded, being the master of dreaming himself, it was normal.

    An annoyed voice rose up from behind him as what looked like Sunny's shadow slid out from behind him.

    "You know very well, brother none of us can dream." Said the shadow, which now looked like a female teen with pale gray skin and black eyes. She was covered in dust as well.

    "I know sis, it was a joke. Trying to be funny here." He tried.

    Neither of them answered him. Sunny sighed and walk off. The girl poured herself a drink.

    "Quite a party, isn't it Rae?"

"Call me that again Night and you will regret it." He growled.

    "Oh, touchy, touchy." Night answered.

    "It's Novi, she bothers me. Every year she throws one of these parties and I get interrogated for my resolutions. I don't want to change."

    Night smirked, as much as she usually did. "Change is inevitable Rae. Now excuse me, I have to go cause some misery."

    It was fun hanging out with Night, he had to admit. He knew she was vastly misunderstood, like him. Being queen of nightmares was often like having the power to cause death. It often separated those from stereotypical social circles. Unless your part of The Guardians Initiative. Then of course they weren't even the Primary Guardians, they were all secondary. Most of them weren't even heard of in the mortal realm.

All of a sudden, Novi was in his face again. She was a great deal shorter than Raven, so it was almost easy to ignore her. But for once she didn't say anything. She just leaned into the counter next to him. Soft music played in the background, people were dancing, it was serene in a way.

    "Raven?" She asked, suddenly, his spirits sinking.

    "Yes?"

    "Do you miss anything from when you were alive?"

    The question caught him off guard a bit. But he knew what he missed.

    "Not being stared at, breathing, being normal you know?" He glanced down at the small girl.

    "People will only stare at you if you feel like you have something to hide Raven, and you can breathe anytime you want really." She shrugged, pouring herself another glass and taking a sip.

    "What about being normal?" He criticized.

    She smiled. "Look around you, none of us are normal. Would you honestly trade anything for that?"

    He sighed and smirked. Watching Sunny trip and almost knock over a small vase.

    "No, not really." He admitted.

    "This year Raven, try to stop living in the past." Then she smiled, and walked away.