Polar Opposites

Chapter I

Luci's P.O.V.

I've been stowed away in a cage for so long, that when I look at the sun, it burns my eyes. Ironic, really. Me being the guardian of summer and all.

It's the middle of autumn. The light wind blows a strand of bright red hair across my face. Red. That is the color of my hair. I've been locked underground for such a long time, I've forgotten color, even of my own hair.

I blink repeatedly, my eyes tearing up from the harsh light of the sun. When I open them again, it feels like a rainbow of colors is flashing across my face. Red, orange, green, blue. Colors I haven't seen in almost two hundred years.

I hear birds whistle their sweet songs through the trees, but I cover my ears, it's too loud. It's like an explosion echoing through my head.

My bare feet shake wildly as I take a step, grass brushing across my ankles. I cringe at the touch, because I am used to smooth, hard stone, not the delicateness of the grass.

I look around slowly, shielding my eyes from the sun with an upraised hand. It's almost as if nothing has changed from when I last saw it. The same trees, ringed around the same pond. The same orange leaves, already turning green from my presence.

I grin. I haven't felt this free in ages. I swing my arms round, laughing. It was a miracle I was able to escape. I remember those long, twisting tunnels I blindly ran through. The dark, menacing face of- A sudden pain rips through my body, flashing my vision red and forcing my knees on the floor. My head spins. I can't breath- I am locked in seemingly endless agony. I try to cry out but I can't- it hurts too much.

Then it's over- it ends as suddenly as it started.

I lay on the grass, gasping for air. Everything was blurry. Something- someone- is shaking me, hard. I want to tell them to stop, but I can't. A voice is shouting at me.

I don't understand how I could go from laughing and joyfully spinning around in the autumn heat to writhing on the ground in pain. Everything is happening to fast, it's a blur.

I desperately try to hold on to consciousness, but I know I am slipping. I fight, feebly, against the waves of darkness, but it crashes down on me.

Everything fades to black.

I'm pretty sure I'm dreaming when I feel a cold, smooth hand stroke my face. The hand is so cold, it stings me, painfully. But I do not wake up. I still drift on the edges of consciousness. I want to angrily push away the hand, to keep it from touching me, but my body is heavy with drowsiness, so I can't.

I can hear a whisper, but I can't make out any words. The whisper sounds distressed. Almost confused.

There is a cold chill in the air. I can feel it, even though I am dreaming.

I shiver. The hand darts away from my face, and along with it, the icy, frigid air.

I'm too lost in sleep that I don't associate the hand with the cold. My mind slips unwilling away from the dream of the hand, the cold, and the soft whisper into a deeper, darker nightmare that will soon begin to plague my dreams every night.

"Shh. She's sleeping. She needs her rest. Poor thing, looks like she hasn't had a good night's sleep in ages." says a high, tinkling voice.

"But-" interrupts another voice.

"Go!" The fairy-like voice laughs.

"Fine. Call me again when anything happens." The second voice sulks.

There's a pause, and the sound of footsteps getting further away.

"Wait- Jack!"

"Yes, Tooth?" Jack calls back eagerly, already running back.

"Why...why did you bring her here? She's just a mortal girl. Why not a hospital?" Tooth questions, her voice light and curious.

Jack paused.

"I...I don't...I don't know. I felt...something. I..." Jack's voice trails off, obviously lost in thoughts, confused.

"You felt what?"

Tooth's sharp voice yanked Jack back into focus.

"I...OOWWW!" Jack yelled in pain.

"JACK! What's wrong? What happened? Are you okay?"

"What? Oh, it's nothing. Nothing. Just a, um, headache..." Jack replied, sounding as if he trying to assure himself, not Tooth.

I hear footsteps coming my way, and a sudden cold breeze blows across my face. I flutter open my eyes, to see who it was. It's a boy. His face is beautiful. It's perfect. His eyes are an impossibly bright blue, his hair is soft white, like snow. His skin is smooth and pale, but his cheeks are flushed. His lips are etched in a playful smile, his eyes lively and wide. He wears a simple, blue, snow-flecked hoodie over brown trousers.

And then my head shatters into a massive migraine.

(Author's note: Hope you guys like it; it is a bit shorter than what I usually post. Next chapter will definitely be longer. Oh, and next chapter is going to be Jack's P.O.V., and much more interesting)