A/N: Hello and welcome to my humble abode. More information will be at the bottom of this chapter. I apologize in advance for any grammar or spelling errors. I hope you enjoy the story.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Rise of the Guardians. (I wouldn't be here otherwise...)


Prologue

I quickly sat up in a cold sweat from a dream that I never remembered what about. I only knew that I had to go and meet someone right now. At the time, I didn't know who I needed to meet and why I had to meet them in the middle of the night.

Panicking that I might be too late, I quickly but quietly got up from the grassy floor of my family's tent for they were still asleep. I didn't bother putting on any of my clothes and lightly ran out of my tent into the night with only a light cloth hanging down from my hip. I tiptoed around the guards that are widely stationed around the tribe and stayed in the shadows whenever I could. When I was out of ear shot of the guards, I ran as fast as I could in the calf length grass towards the forest that was said to be haunted with demons.

As I ran through the plains, I asked myself 'Why am I leaving all that I know of to follow this…feeling?' Even though I realized this, I could not stop my feet from following this invisible path. It was like my body was being called by this someone that I had to meet and I could not ignore it.

When I got in the haunted forest, I didn't slow my pace at all and if anything I went faster. I was surprised that I didn't trip over any of the twisting roots and so surefooted in a place that I have never been in. Even though the forest was very dense with trees, I suddenly saw a clearing up ahead and finally slowed my frantic pace down. It was strange. I was sure that I just ran with all my strength in a distance that should have taken a grown man a day or two to walk, and yet I crossed it in a hour or two and wasn't even the slight bit winded.

In the circular clearing, I saw a huge oak tree with branches higher than the pine trees on the outer edge and stretching out as if trying to touch the pine trees. Even with its thick trunk and many branches what stopped me was not the tree itself but what or who was at its base lying on the forest floor. Lying on its side with its head facing towards me was a huge wolf but at the same time humanlike and it was dying by what I didn't know. I walked up to it with awe and dropped to my knees in front of it because even in dying it was still a beautiful and majestic animal.

It was covered with black fur on its back, an underbelly with white fur, and tan in the middle of the two. Its chest and broad shoulders like that of a human and its front paws like hands but still with fur, pads, and claws. It still had the hind legs, tail, and head of a wolf but looked like it could stand on two legs. Its claws looked like they could shear through a full grown man in a few swipes and I saw that this beast was made of pure muscles. Even at realized that I could die by its hand, I was not afraid of it.

I petted its side softly and closed my eyes saying, "I'm sorry, my brother in spirit. I hope the afterlife treats you well."

When I opened my eyes, it was staring at me with a light blue eye that only a wolf can have. It spoke with a voice so deep that I could feel the beast rumbling with my hand still on its side, and said to me, "I appreciate the concern, young one, but I still have a little more fight in me yet. I won't go down like this for I need to ask you if you could do me a favor."

I moved my hand off of its side and laid it in my lap. After my shock left me, I said, "What is it you need me to do, my brother?"

It chuckled and said, "You have the spirit of a true wolf. I need you to take my place in this world for I am the last of my kind. The others were too afraid to try passing on their spirit. Cowards." It snarled the last word at the air.

I said with no hesitation, "It would be my honor."

"It seems like my call was answered." It got up slowly from its side to sit in front of me with its legs crossed and motion me to do the same. While it was rising, I saw that its right eye was pierced by an arrow with it still there. It put its left thumb in the middle of my forehead and its right hand over my heart and again motioned its head to me to do the same to it. It had to lower itself down for me to place my thumb on its head.

"Only think of me, listen to your surroundings and say what I say." It said to me seriously. Eyes closed, I nodded my head when I was ready.

"Mother Earth and Father Sky,

We ask of you to grant our request

For we are of one Heart,

One Mind,

One Spirit,

One Soul,

But of two separate bodies.

We ask you to merge from what is two to one,

So that we can continue our duty

That you have so wholly entrusted in us."

When it started to speak, I immediately spoke with it without thinking or knowing the words ahead of time. After we finished the chant, I held my breath and I think it did, too. It only was for a few seconds until I felt the change. It started with the beast's memories from its beginning to the moment I found it. After what felt like years, the beast started to fade from my hands. It felt like the beast became a ghost or spirit and it was going through me. I didn't dare to open my eyes to see it for I was afraid I would break the ritual.

When I felt the beast disappear, I felt my body start to change. I screamed in pure agony as my very bones shift, fur growing everywhere, nails becoming claws, tail growing, teeth sharping, and my head becoming that of a wolf's. Not only did I feel all of these changes, but I also could hear them all and that was worse. After the pain receded a little, I try to stand but my body had other plans for a new pain came on suddenly. I screamed again as I felt this new pain in my left eye that felt like the arrow that pierced the beast's right eye.

I could have sworn that I heard someone say, "Here's a gift for you to continue your duty."


A/N: Now to talk your ears off. I'm kidding if you didn't catch it. Don't worry. The guardians will come in the next chapter if people like this story and want me to continue it.

'Why?' you might ask.

I say to you 'Why continue a story if no one else likes it?'

Please review so this story can continue. I don't care if it is one word (hopefully not a bad word..). I will answer any questions you have if it doesn't spoil the story.

Another note, this is my first fanfiction story. I thought it might be nice to stop it on a little cliffhanger..