Hello people of ! I present to you Earth and Sky, my first ever Rise of the Guardians story! *throws confetti* "Confetti! It's a parade!" (if you understand that reference, you are AWESOME. If you don't understand that reference, you're still awesome.) Hope you guys enjoy this first chapter of it. You guys are the best!
Disclaimer: I don't own RotG.
"We come from the mountain, living in the mountain; go back to the mountain, turn the world around." -"Turn the World Around," Harry Belafonte
A voice echoing in my head is the first thing I remember: Awake and arise. I open my eyes and see darkness; not a trace of light to be found. But for some reason, I didn't feel scared. Wherever I was, it was warm and cozy. I'm lying on something soft, and when I reach over and touched it my hand feels moisture. I rubbed something between my fingers that crumbled, but it felt rich and thick.
Is this…dirt? The revelation made sense, but what was I doing in the ground? Am I dead? I shake my head at the thought; no, I think I would know if I were dead. I rub my hands together and pinch my face. Nope, not dead – but why am I in the earth? Another thought shook me to my core: how is it that I can breathe in here? I should be coughing, hacking away as dirt and clay filled my lungs…but as I took one deep breath, and then another, I felt better somehow; like the dirt was part of my body just like my fingers were.
How did I get here? The thought scares me. I try to think back and recall any instance of how I got here, but nothing comes to mind. Who am I? Fear runs through my veins like shards of ice. My breathing becomes more shallow and faster. Okay, just stay calm and relax; everything is going to be okay. Think: my name is…my name is…oh, my goodness. It's a full-blown panic now. I don't even know my own name…
A feeling comes over me: I felt too tight in this space, like the walls were closing in on me. I felt like I was going to suffocate if I didn't get out soon. I reach up with my hands and tear at the dirt, blinking away the dust that fell into my eyes. Soil covers me, landing on my hair, stomach, feet, and legs. My arms are starting to get tired, and I want to give up but something bright and cool hits my face. I sigh; fresh air… Having been used to the darkness, my eyes burn and I squint. I pull myself up into a sitting position and wipe the dirt off of my face. When I open my eyes again, the sight I see takes my breath away.
There's white fluff everywhere, covering the earth in a blanket of snow. A full moon bathes the land in moonlight, casting blue shadows from the neighboring trees. There's a small pond nearby that's covered with ice, the dark water swirling beneath the surface. There are a few animals in the distance, their shaggy fur protecting them from the bitter wind.
Speaking of wind…I realize just how cold it is and wrap my arms around myself, shivering. I almost want to go back into the ground and go back to sleep, but something brushes my side. I look down and see that it's a small hedgehog. I can't help but smile as I pick it up gently and hold it close. The hedgehog leans into my hand and sniffs my fingers, getting a giggle out of me. And then it hits me: hedgehogs hibernate during the winter – what is it doing out here, where there is surely no sign of spring?
"Poor little guy," I say softly to the hedgehog. "Come on; I'll find you a place to sleep until springtime comes along." The hedgehog looks up at me with its beady black eyes and lets out a small squeak. I smile and manage to stand up, despite the deep snow that's covering my legs. I take a few steps forward: where am I going to find a place for this hedgehog?
The hedgehog lets out another squeak, leaping out of my hands. "Hey!" I shout in protest. It lands on the snow with a soft plop and runs to something behind me. I turn around, jogging after it. The hedgehog is a few feet behind me, chewing on some grass. I bend down and pick him up, scolding him gently for running away from me –
Wait a minute; grass?
I blink hard a few times to see if I'm hallucinating. No, my eyes are not deceiving me: where there was once sparkling snow is a small trail of grass – fresh grass, as if all of the snow had magically melted away. "What in the world…?" I mutter to myself as I feel the hedgehog climb onto my left shoulder. I bend down to the place where the hedgehog crawled and run my fingers through the grass.
The blades of grass wrap around my fingers like rings. I swear I can see them grow. Am I the source of their life and energy…? I reach out and touch a patch of snow nearby: nothing happens at first, but then I see more blades of fresh green grass stretch up to the sky between my fingers and the snow melts. I look at my hand, amazed. I stand up and take more steps forward: grass grows in the now uncovered soil from where I just stepped.
If I can create grass, does that mean…?
I start with flowers. With a movement of a finger a single white lily blooms at my feet, its sweet scent drifting up to my nose. I smile. My hands are making strange movements as flowers of all kinds appear at my feet: irises, roses, carnations, sweet peas, lilacs and bleeding hearts. With each one, I feel more energized. I coax more grass out of their hiding place. Soon I'm running, racing through the land while spreading green everywhere. But soon enough, I get tired and plop down on the ground. I smile at my work: it's truly beautiful. I stare up at the moonlight, smiling at its beauty.
I go to the pond nearby. I don't know how to unfreeze it, but I look in the ice to see what's inside. The reflection is blurred, but I see a small outline of features: a straight nose, full lips, and big eyes. I reach up and touch my hair; it's thick and a bit coarse, and it's in ringlets that fall on my shoulders. Who is that girl in the pond? I vaguely recognize her, but all of the rest is gone: no memories of family or friends or even some kind of pet. "Who am I?" I whisper softly.
Tatiana. The same voice I heard earlier came into my head, resonating through my bones. I stand up slowly, looking around. Where did that voice come from? Your name is Tatiana, the voice said again, and you have a special destiny.