Setting is a few years after the events in Rise of the Guardians, which I do not own.
The spirit sat cross-legged in a stream, staring in wonder down at the water. She had the light in her eyes of one who truly appreciates beauty. She had been in the same position for several hours, admiring the graceful arc the canopy of trees made, marveling at the way water always found a way around rock or… simply breathing in the smell of nature with her eyes closed. She could never get enough. Springing up abruptly, she dashed underneath the trees. Neatly dodging branches and bounding on rocks, sheer joy in the thrill of running free, the young spirit of the forest sped on her way to nowhere.
"What does this mean?" "Another Guardian?" "Surely not." "Not so soon after—"
"It can only mean on thing." A deep voice sounded clearly through the others. He was intentionally being ambiguous to make sure he had everyone's attention. A highly divers group of colorful beings was gathered around a monstrous globe. The wide doom they were standing under was partially open with the light of the full moon shining in. There was plenty of light entering for the most of the room to be illuminated in light but instead, all light was concentrated to a single point on the globe.
"That is where we will find the next Guardian."
Everyone was searching frantically, but Jack was determined to be the first one to find the new Guardian. It had been almost sixty years since the creation of the last one, himself, and he was extremely curious to find out who the next one was going to be. They had spread out in the cool pinewood forests the man in moon had indicated a while ago. Jack was now dangling a leg over a pine bow as he studied the forest from above. After speeding through the forest searching aimlessly for a few minutes, he had decided he needed to employ a little strategy. So he had climbed to the highest point in the forest and was now searching for a likely place for a spirit to be. The problem was, they new nothing about this new spirit they were supposed to be tracking down. Not what it looked like or what its powers were. Arggh! Jack balled his hands into fists jerking up out of his sitting position to pace the branch. Taking a few deep breaths, he started talking to himself. "Now, a spirit who lives in the forest… its interests probably include the preservation of said forest and helping humans to do so as well. So… Where would a guardian of the forest live…." He looked out over the forest again, searching.
She stood under an ancient oak tree, looking up at its bows, one hand resting on the trunk for comfort. The events of the last few hours still fresh in her mind.
The young spirit had been dawdling at a well-known pound near a town, when a couple of rowdy teenagers had arrived, music blaring, their rambunctious shouts ringing through the forest. She hadn't really minded their presence. It was fun to observe humans sometimes. Especially when they showed exemplary traits; like the girl who didn't wait for any of the others before taking off, plunging into the water on her own, laughing and gazing around when she came up, not even glancing back at her friends. Oh she liked this girl; this girl had an excitement for life. The happy spirit lounged around for a while enjoying their laughter at her spring, even making bigger waves for them when one jumped in from a nearby tree. But as night set in they started settling down around a small bonfire and she made ready to leave.
Most of the kids had been drinking but one of the boys seemed extremely intoxicated. He wobbled over to one of the more shy girls whispering into her ear. It was obvious that his attention startled her and when grabbed her arm, making towards the forest she allowed him to lead her only hesitantly. It was not the spirits vocation to medal in the lives of humans, what they did was their affair. This turn of events, however, had an uneasy feeling curling in the pit of her stomach. After another moment's hesitation, she slipped into the forest after the young couple. Getting closer she could hear their clumsy stomping among the quiet trees, but she could hear no words. This was really none of her business, she doubted herself, becoming decidedly more uncomfortable as she moved closer. But somehow, she couldn't stop herself from moving forward; she had to make sure that shy girl was safe. Then she heard something that made her heart drop down into the pit of her stomach. "No, Daniel please, I said I don't want to do this." The quiet begging almost made her heart stop. Not thinking about anything except saving the owner of those words, the angry spirit raced forward, the power of the forest at her back. Arriving at the scene of a large boy lying on top of a small figure serving to enrage her further, and without thinking she flipped the boy over with a flick of her wrist—the wind doing the actual flipping her arm merely guiding it. She then swooped down on the girl lying stunned in the pine needles, easily lifting her. In a blink she had turned and was racing back to the kid's camp with the trembling girl in her arms. It took less than a heartbeat for them to get there, the wind swirling around them. Butterfly light, she dropped the girl down and took off again into the woods before the other girl could even comprehend what had just happened. Back to the clearing where she'd left the culprit, the spirit sprinted, relishing in the imaginings of what she was going to do to teach him a lesson. Skidding to a halt she found him almost in the same position she'd left him. His legs were pulled up underneath him and he sat with glazed eyes looking around in bewilderment. Commanding roots to lift and firmly entwine him around the nearest tree; she moved her arms as she stalked towards him, blood boiling.
"Do you have any idea what you were just about to do?!" The glare she leveled at him could have melted metal.
"N-No, w-what's going on here? What is this?" He was visibly shaking and his eyes were running in utter terror over the roots incasing him. She tightened her fists, causing the roots around the boy to constrict in response, provoking cry of pain from the boy. Pain was clear on his face. At that moment, the carefree, nature loving spirit realized what she was doing. She was hurting him. The plants released his body abruptly and he fell to all fours gasping. She stood there stunned looking down on the intoxicated, hormone driven teenager before her. She had just been about to take out rage and pain she felt for others on this poor boy. But still, he wasn't entirely innocent. Kneeling down in front of him, she placed a soft hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her.
"Do you realize what you were about to do to that poor girl?" She asked softly, but saw only confusion on his face. "She didn't want that. You must pay attention when a girl says no, no matter what you may want." She said softly, stressing the words, hopping he would understand.
He wiped his nose with the back of his hand, appearing to gain more awareness. "I didn't mean too." He said weakly, almost like a child afraid of being punished.
She felt guilt wash through her at how bad she'd scared him. "I'm sorry for hurting you," She said looking down instead of at him for the first time. "I was just so desperate to make sure nothing bad happened, I acted rashly, and did something bad myself." Looking back at him, hoping to see understanding, she just saw more confusion and lingering apprehension.
She sighed. "Just try to think in the future, ok?" He nodded furiously and she raised her arm pointing back towards the camp. "Your friends are that way. Go." she said warily.
He didn't need to be told twice, he got to his feet and staggered off in the direction she had pointed. She'd stared after him for several long minutes before making her way slowly into deeper woods.
Now she was resting with her back to a tree, eyes closed and she was really disappointed in herself. Just because she couldn't do anything to stop the evils of the world when she was human did not give her the right to go terrorizing humans now. Granted, it was good that she had intervened, but she could have handled the situation differently. She knew better than to give in to those negative emotions. It was one thing to protect people form harm, another completely to deliberately injury the perpetrators, she thought, lightly hitting her head against the trunk to pound in the point. She would never again let her emotions get to the point were she hurt someone intentionally. That was inexcusable. She sighed to herself before opening her eyes, what a mess. Deep breath in, deep breath out, she chimed to herself. Breathing was the first thing she used to calm her guilty heart. Next, she looked at what she'd learned from this experience. First: the punishment should fit the crime. That boy was no unlawful felon, just a boy with little self control. Yet she had been treating him with the same contempt should would a criminal of a much greater caliber. Her reaction had been a bit uncalled for in the situation. Second: She never wanted to be the cause of someone's pain again, especially using her gift. Her powers were something beautiful and special and should never be used for something so ugly again.
Those things decided, she felt much better, there was not point in agonizing over something that had already happened. The best thing she could do now was work on and learn from her shortcomings. Her eyes had drifted shut again as she leaned against the tree—it had been an eventful day. Taking one more deep breath, thinking it would be nice to detox in one of the near by hot springs, she smelled a shift in the air. Head snapping up and eyes opening she came face to face with Jack Frost.
Haha Yes! He had found her first! Hours of scouting out the most picturesque corners of the area and he had spotted her by chance in an unremarkable section of forest, leaning against a tree with her eyes closed. He immediately flew in closer for a better look, landing on the ground lightly. Though he alighted noiselessly, her eyes snapped open the moment his bare feet brushed the ground. Wow those eyes were something else: they appeared to be shifting color as first, as shock then wariness, crossed her features. And people said he had crazy hair! Hers was a shifting mass of different shades of green and brown with vines and leaves growing out from the roots. Her skin was a dark tan color that looked like it could blend in with any branch, stem or trunk. All this coincided nicely with his forest-spirit theory. Her clothes though, those surprised him. They were so… normal. A pair of loose fitting green capris that had a thin swirling brown pattern flowed onto a modest dark green tank-top with thick straps and brown trim that covered her torso. There was something strange about her whole appearance though, as if it could change in an instant or… it was shifting as he studied it. She was studying him now too. Time, and his unassuming manner, had removed her shock and replaced it with curiosity.
His light blue eyes were examining her with an intense curiosity, as if he'd never seen another person before. It made her slightly nervous—she wasn't used to being looked at anymore. His scrutiny came to an end when he realized he was making her uncomfortable,
"I'm Jack" he said in a confident and friendly manner holding out a pale blue hand.
"Hi, Jack" She responded with a quirky half smile. "Like to tell me what your doing in my forest, Ice spirit?" She asked sweetly.
If good 'ol Jack Frost was here to dump snow on her forest at the wrong time of year, she would not be the only one cleaning up the residual mess.
"Looking for you!" He cried, excitedly pointing at her with an odd, crooked stick. It reminded her almost of a shepherd's staff, though she couldn't recall when she'd seen one.
"We were told by the Man in Moon that the next guardian would be here, and here you are." This last statement brought her eyes off the intriguing staff and back to its owner, who was currently gazing at her in the oddest way.
"What are you talking about, kid?" She placed her hands on her hips, giving him a questioning look. Guardians? Man in Moon? She was completely lost.
"You're the newest guardian," He repeated earnestly, taking a small step forward and staring intently into her eyes, trying to gauge her reaction.
"I don't know what that means" She told him frankly.
"It means," He said slowly, "you get to have a family again." The look of compassion on his face was so genuine, there left no doubt in her mind that he had gone though something similar before.
She didn't know what happened but suddenly her eyes were welling up. Looking up at the trees, she blinked profusely, surprised at her emotional response. Rather than see at the sympathetic look she knew would be there, she addressed the trees above her saying, "that's not very clarifying" a lot more calmly then she felt. The boy had really shaken her up… or maybe it was just this whole day. She needed a bath.
As she glanced back at him, he was rubbing the back of his neck bashfully and said, "it's kind of a long story, uhhh, maybe we could sit down," he gestured to the ground questioningly. Thought she did want to know more, she wanted to change the mood a bit. Make things more light.
"Alright," allowing a wicked grin to spread across her face as she thought of a more amusing alternative. "But, not here."
Intrigue flashed across his face, he looked about to ask where, when she took off at a dead sprint without saying another word. She missed the delight that filtered through his shock as she dashed away, the wind aiding her flight, blowing a gale to propel her onward to inhuman speeds as she expertly dodged her beautiful nature.
Jack frost was right on her tail. He couldn't anticipate and weave the way she did, but the wind guided him as well and helped lead him where she trod. They glided through the forest, her on the ground and him in the trees until they reached a pond. It was so small Jack would have missed it had she not skidded to a halt at its side. It was a small peaceful pool, gently fed by an adorable little runoff stream and surrounded by low growing bushes and shrubs. The presence of lichen covered rocks and ancient fir trees added to the secluded and peaceful ambiance. Both spirits were breathing heavy after the race as they looked at each other with wide grins. It was good to have someone to play with.
"So what do you think?" She asked, gesturing to her glade with her arm. The boy gazed around the small glade realizing this was the place he had been searching for: her home. Noted also was the neat pile of leaves under the nearest thicket, that could easily serve as a bed, as well as other homely additions to the natural forest.
"It's perfect" he said simple, slipping his hands into his pockets, one elbow still wrapped around his peculiar staff, the look on his face one she couldn't identify.
"Alright," she said plopping herself down cross-legged in the grass, "Start talking." Grinning, he settling himself down as well, before launching into his narrative.
"We are part of a group of people chosen to defend the world. For each one of us, there is an opposite or opposing being that we are equipped to handle. Basically the manifestations of concepts like fear, hatred and malice. And we," He said with a hand on his chest, "we" gesturing between the two of them, " are manifestations of there opposites: love, compassion, peace." He looked rather impassioned.
A bit taken back by the magnitude of what he was talking about, she remained silent, contemplating what he was suggesting. All she did was hangout in the forest all day. She was no force of power to counteract evil. Maybe she made things better sometimes but she cringed thinking about her rash behavior with the boy earlier that day. He seemed to be picking up on her confusion and doubt because he rushed on to explain,
"We all work together. We train and work on new ways to counteract threats that arise everyday, just like you were created recently to counteract… something," He ended on a hesitant note,
"What? Why do you look apprehensive all of a sudden?" she asked candidly, picking up on his tone immediately.
"Well the thing is," He was rubbing the back of his neck again, "Usually a new Guardian is chosen in response to a threat of some kind, but… before you were chosen, no threat had been exposed."
It took a moment of hard thought for the significance that statement to sink in.
"So something bad is coming." No emotion coming through her voice as she tried to comprehend everything he was telling her.
He was nodding as she said this, glad she understood. "It's got everyone pretty shaken up, nothing like this has ever happened before."
Looking at him with almost desperate eye's, she leaned in and asked, "What do I need to do?"
Sorry about that cliff hanger, I just have no idea where to go from here!. Suggestions are welcome. I know you guys have some great ideas and I'd love to here them :)
I'm not sure when/if I'll be updating. I love this story, just not sure what to do with it yet