AN: This is my first fan fic so plz read and review, I tried to research as much as I could so that the information would be accurate, I will try my best to update and explain any terms that might be confusing. warning slight character death. Enjoy :)
Light within the dark
Without the dark, people take the light for granted. It's like the gift of sight; you use it every day without even the slightest thought about it. But by closing your eyes ,you plunge into darkness, and soon find yourself yearning to see the sky. You have to first lose the ability to see the world around you to truly appreciate it. Without comparison of the dark, how do you expect people to see the light? Just like a lily, too much light can cause it to shrivel and burn. However too much shade will make it wilt and die. You have to have the perfect harmony of light and dark in order to truly thrive.
October 31, 1672,
All hallows eve…..
"Soul, soul, an apple or two, If you haven't an apple, a pear will do, One for Peter, two for Paul, Three for the Man Who made us all." A soft voiced chimed in the dark. That night the moon cast its light brighter than usual upon the world bellow. a young woman walked through the narrow streets. The sharp, staccato, sounds of footsteps echoed through the dark. Wind blew softly tossing raven strand up into the crisp autumn air. The woman shivered and drew her shawl tighter around her lithe form.
Jacqueline looked around with sharp brown eyes, men and women were returning from Samhain feasts, where they indulged in a banquet surrounding a blazing bonfire. Many wore guises such as horned hats, billowing capes, and demonic masks. She couldn't help but smile as a pair of drunks stumbled past her singing of soul cakes. While many feared this night, what with the threat of evil fairies and demons roaming the night, Jacqueline had to admit she was quiet fond of it.
The mystery, and adventure, the excitement of putting on a mask and being someone else for a night, was all but too appealing to the young woman. But who could blame her for wanting to escape reality for one night? Nobody really, not unless you considered being a twenty five year old spinster a satisfying life. Most men found her pale skin sickly, her dark locks daunting, and her interest in mythology downright strange. This was unfortunate because ever since she came of age she dreamed of meeting a man and starting a family.
Jacqueline loved children and they seemed to love her back just as much. In fact that was the reason she was walking down these bustling streets that very night. Jacqueline's brother-in-law was away on business so she had decided to keep her sister company by having dinner with her and her nephew. She smiled at the thought of her nephew with his big curious blue eyes. Blue just like his mothers she contemplated with a sigh. Her sister had been lucky and took after their mother who had deep blue eyes and soft chocolate hair. Meanwhile Jacqueline had taken after her father and his bleak looks. Fate truly must be cruel she thought with a humorless smile.
Looking up Jacqueline noticed she was in front of her sister's house, and with a smile walked up and lightly rapped on the heavy oak door. After waiting a few moments she heard the sound of feet thundering down the stairs and suddenly the door flew open.
"Aunty Jacqui!" a loud shout sounded through the night. Jacqueline was barely able to make out a mop of brown hair before a pair of small arms tangled around her waist. She nearly fell over from the impact but caught herself and looked down, a pair of sparkling azure eyes looking up at her from a grinning boys face. The grin spread to her own face as she bent down and scooped the boy up into her arms. The young boy let out a squeal of laughter as she carried him back into the house.
"Colan! My goodness look how much you've grown! You're nearly a young man now!" she said with a laugh as she set him down in the parlor. She crouched down in front of him and asked him with a mischievous grin, "has your mother been feeding you enchanted beans?" Her nephew gave her a gap tooth smile and said, "no mam', but she has been complain' that I'm eatn' us out of house an' home!" at this Jacqueline gave a hardy laugh, "yes, well that does sound about right."
"Jacqueline dear, is that you?" a voice called from the hall
"Yes Aimee, Colan and I are in the parlor!" she shouted back. The dark haired woman rose from her crouching position as her sister walked into the room. Aimee walked up and gave her a light hug, "oh Jacqui it is so nice of you to visit especially on a night like this."
"Oh don't mind that, you know I love Halloween. It doesn't bother me at all," Giving her sister a reassuring smile as she pulled out of the embrace. Aimee sighed and shook her head "I'm afraid I never will understand you, such a strange girl you are." Jacqueline knew her sister had only meant it jokingly but still her own self consciousness made the words sting, like a lash upon the skin.
Her sister seemingly oblivious to Jacqueline's sudden change in mood walked over to where Colan had been sitting, listening to their conversation. Scooping him up and heading out the room she turned around to face Jacqueline. "I've already prepared supper it's on the table, come on" she said warmly. The brown eyed girl simply nodded and followed her sister down the hall.
As they sat their eating Jacqueline could gradually feel her mood lighten. She and her sister gossiped and reminisced, while she told Colan tales of dancing sprites & smiling pumpkins. As they laughed and joked everything seemed right in the world. That is until a pungent odor wafted into the room causing Jacqueline to choke. Immediately she recognized the stench. Panic raced through her body her eyes flashed to her sisters wide blue orbs, and instantly she knew Aimee smelt it too. Smoke began to fill the room as Jacqueline shot out of her seat and ran down the hall. Blocking the door were flames that licked the ceiling and crept closer to her family and her. Keep them safe. that was the only thought that made sense in her terror filled mind. The smoke burnt her lungs as she whirled around and ran back towards the dining room. A string of words were starting to form more clearly in her mind now. Save them, KEEP THEM SAFE! And as she scooped her nephew up in her arms and grabbed her sister's hand she could think only one thing. I WILL PROTECT THEM!
Jacqueline could barely make out her nephew's terrified sobs over the roar of the blaze. Her mind was completely focused on getting her family to the kitchen, where they could get out through the back door. Flames surrounded her, singeing her flesh and burning her thick skirts. Smoldering ash and smoke flew through the air making it hard to not only see but also to breathe. Her eyes began to water as she tripped over debris trying to navigate her loved ones to the safety at the end of the red haze.
The roar and crackling was getting louder as cinders and embers began falling on them. A loud crack sounded above them just to their left as a portion of the wall collapsed. A shrill cry of alarm could be heard above the roaring fire. Jacqueline swung her head around to see Aimee's terrified, soot caked face, but other than her tears she looked uninjured. Spinning back around Jacqueline pushed forward into the flames. They had to keep moving, Jacqueline knew that it wouldn't be long till the rest of the house followed the walls example and proceed to crumble around them.
Sweat trickled down Jacqueline's neck matting her dark locks together. They had just reached the kitchen, and she could see the exit a few yards in front of her. A wave of hope washed over her,"we're going to make it!" she wheezed. But fate decided to rear its ugly head once more as an ominous, splintering sound was heard directly above them. Fears icy blade cut through her as she snapped her eyes up to the ceiling to see a huge wooden beam starting to break away from the foundation.
There was no way she would be able to drag her nephew, sister, and herself out of the impact zone in time. She didn't have to think about what she would do. In the future if asked if she regretted her decision, her answer would always be the same. No. if she had to, she would repeat her actionsw over and over again no matter how hard she thought about it. Her decision had been made, and with no time to waste she put her plan in action.
Right as the beam was about to come crashing down, she dragged her sister forward trough the flames, shoved her nephew into his mother's arms and threw them towards the door to safety. A deafening crack and a heart wrenching wail where the last sounds Jacqueline heard, before a painful impact caused her vision to go black.
She woke up in a vacant field, showered in radiant moon light. Even though the sky was clear now, the smell of fresh rain hung in the air. The grass bellow her was damp, but in some strange way it seemed to comfort her, like a child being cradled in their mothers arms. Where am I? She could hear a soft voice but couldn't quite place it. What's going on? There it was again! Wait, was that…her? Her…but who was she? Jacqueline…my name is Jacqueline. Then she heard it, a soft, kindly, voice, but this time it wasn't hers. Yes, your name is Jacqueline O'lenturn. You are the spirit of Halloween. It was the moon! How she knew it she wasn't sure, but she could feel she was correct. Wait, hold on a second, Spirit of Halloween, what was that supposed to mean. What was she supposed to do? Everything was a blur and the more she tried to remember the little details about herself, the more perplexing it all became. The voice came again, don't worry everything will soon become clear. Then it faded away and she was left alone again.
Jacqueline stood up trying to get her bearings. She looked down and quite frankly was a bit shocked by her attire. She was wearing a sleeveless, collared, black, laced, blouse along with a tight, black, skirt that reached to her mid-thigh. Over that she wore a deep mauve under bust corset and, a ruffled orange bustle. Her legs were clad in black and white, striped, thigh high stockings with grey heels that included skeleton faces on the fronts. A flash of orange caught her eyes, causing her hands to fly to her head. Grabbing a lock of her long raven hair, she realized the tips had turned a ginger color. As she ran her hand through her multicolored hair, the tips of her fingers brushed against something that made her freeze.
Looking around for some kind of a reflective surface, Jacqueline spotted a puddle, left over from the rain. Rushing over she knelt down to investigate her suspicions. Sure enough a pair of lightly pointed ears peeked out from beneath her bright hair. She inspected her face and spotted a pair of golden eyes staring back at her. Jacqueline's skin seemed even paler than before but now it simply seemed fitting. Still the sudden change in her appearance and her spotty memories shook Jacqueline to the core.
Her mind went numb as she got back to her feet. This was too much; her brain couldn't process all of these sudden developments. I just need to take a step back, to breathe, to get away… then suddenly as though summoned by her thoughts; a light glow appeared behind her. Slowly turning around she stared wide-eyed at what looked like a giant floating jack o' lantern. It lazily bobbed in the air, as it glowed from within. It was smiling at her, as it knew something she didn't. This was too much, she thought and turned to leave, but the grinning pumpkin followed at her heels like a lost puppy. She stopped to face it, but a nudge against the back of her knees caused her to lose balance. She fell backwards only to be caught in a sitting position, by the overgrown, floating, vegetable. "What are you doing!" she cried as the jack o' lantern started to ascend into the sky.
Scared of the thought of plummeting to the ground Jacqueline clung to the pumpkin as it soared into the night. But as she looked down the peaceful nighttime scenery, the fear seamed to melt into something else. Adrenaline coursed through her veins causing her chest to flutter and her skin to burn. The heat in her skin contrasted sharply with the cool autumn air, causing her to shudder. A bright smile, not unlike the jack o' lantern's, spread across her features.
A bright blaze in the corner of her eye caused her to turn her head. Looking over the side of the pumpkin, she saw a small town. From her vantage point in the sky she could see I giant bonfire in the middle of the town square. As if sensing her curiosity the jack o' lantern slowly descended so that its passenger could get a better look at the festivities. Dark figures clad in cloaks and masks danced around the burning inferno. Their feet moved to the rhythmic thumps of the drums, while their bodies twisted and waltzed to the intoxicating melody a light hum of chatter and laughter drifted through the air, and in it Jacqueline could practically taste the emotions running through the crowd. The flavors consisted mainly of excitement, curiosity, and a touch of fear. The newborn spirit took closed her eyes and took a deep breath, savoring the taste. It was addicting, like a new drug, which caused her mind to swim & her senses to tingle. She opened her eyes that now seemed to glow like molten gold, and gave a wolfish grin.
The moon had been correct; everything seemed to make so much more sense now. This mysterious, yet enthralling new essence was the reason she was here. A symphony of pleasure and fear, light and dark, it was hers to guard and share as she pleased. It was her center; she was and would forever be, Jacqueline O'lenturn, the spirit of Halloween, guardian of excitement.
A new sense of power flooded through the floating spirit as she crossed her legs and leaned back to enjoy the view. She smirked down at the dancing beings below her and a warm sensation built-in her chest. "Come along my friend," she said as she gave the floating jack o' lantern a light pat,"we have some excitement to spread." And with that the pumpkin rose into the night sky until it was only a glowing speck in the sky, spreading a trail of exhilaration in its wake.
a/n: plz review :) ok so in the next chapter there will be a bit of a time jump, but Jacqueline will finally meet the guardians, and the story will begin! please follow & leave reviews 'cause i love them, and it's always awesome to hear your comments, questions, and suggestions! luv y'all!