Rise of the Guardians

Arlecchino

Chapter 01

The russet-haired, small girl with big midnight blue eyes and deep peach skin stood in the bustling crowd, silent, still, and with a blank look on her face. Unable to smile, unable to laugh in this form, the little girl who wasn't what she seemed to be was watching the world go by her, without being noticed or thought upon.

Which never bothered her until recently. The news of a new Guardian, a Guardian of Fun, irked the girl. Shape shifted into a little girl, she couldn't do her job quite well as she couldn't smile or truly interact, but she hoped vainly to have at least a glance of attention. After all, who would leave a child all alone?

But as she stood there patiently, her thoughts roiled in her head as she regarded the impossibilities of her task. It was quite simple, really, nothing that would change the world in a one-eighty turn but it made the world better.

The little girl shifted, falling away from the form into another one gracefully, that of her true form. She bore the same russet colored hair in a long French braid, the left half of her face hidden in a half-form jester's mask. It was white with a midnight blue, four pointed star for an eye and a half of a pair of ruby red lips.

She never, ever took off her mask. Her shame, her sorrow, her pain, and her past existed behind this protection and she was more than wary about exposing herself.

Not that anyone but the Man in the Moon took notice of her. After all, he was the one who rose her from death to become who she was now.

She walked away from the bustling crowds and wandered in an absent fashion. She hurt, more lately due to the changes that had transpired. She was enraged, deeply, deeply angered that like it had been for centuries, her gift was seemingly no longer needed.

The girl was petite-figured at around five feet two inches and thin. She wore a white tank top, the top edged in a viridian fabric that matched her jean shorts that was held up to her hips lightly in a gold band. Falling from this band along the left of her hip was a partial skirt, tier-layered in two, it was a flimsy Persian blue fabric, the edges ruffled. She wore white ankle socks, with mismatched coloring but fundamentally the same sneakers, that of the right shoe was gold with Persian blue stars and heel, and the left of a Persian blue with gold stars and heel.

The last part that she often didn't bother to wear unless she was feeling the 'spirit' was of the jester's hat, a two-pronged hat with the right side colored yellow with pink plaid patterns and the right side pink with yellow plaid patterns.

She moved slowly, no longer interested in the mortal life. She had long since left it and had been a very faithful spirit. But now that the Guardian of Fun usurped her position, she was beginning to think that she really had no place left. After all, her holiday was literally a joke, no longer actively shared as something more than silliness.

She was the spirit of April Fools Day, chosen by the Man in the Moon to bring laughter when there had been none. But that disaster passed and she was needed less and less until now, now that she had been replaced.

"What am I to do?" She turned toward the encroaching night sky, the sun setting in the opposite direction. "What purpose do I serve now? For small and insignificant pranks that do little to bring light and joy anymore? Where people go for the violent and crude way of so called 'humor' of today's so called advance into what's funny and what's not? I do not stoop to that level, sir! I will never! My humor is to bring happiness and joy, not pain at the expense of others!"

"Stupid, stupid Frost," She turned away into the falling sun, stomping around as she felt anger come unabated. "Why did the Dark Ages have to go? It was so much more easier then! How am I supposed to do ANYTHING when I'm not even as affective! I can't touch anyone or anything! I can only do silly, harmless pranks and no one wants that! At all!"

She eventually came to rest on a hill, overlooking the town of Burgess, where she'd been traversing to for the last few weeks. She was going to have a talk with this Jack Frost, one way or another. She was going to get her place back in the world of laughter and make sure she stayed there. No matter what she had to do.

By the time she managed to enter, the moon was up and available for a talking to.

"Look, Lune, I know that you've been watching and how happy everything's been and all that with your new wonder boy, but I have to ask. Where the Hell do I stand in this? I.. I can't even do my job anymore! I can't make anyone laugh!"

She ran her hand through her bangs with a whimper. "I'm so worried about this. So panicked. Why did you make him the Guardian of -Fun-?"

She came to the forest where Jack's pond would be found in. She looked around at the shadows in annoyance. "I'm incapable of being hurt, I'm incapable of being hurt.."

The girl didn't want to admit it but she was terrified of the dark. She used laughter often to ease that fear but now that she was feeling less and less cheery, her fears were getting stronger.

"Hey, Frostbite! Get your butt out in view!" She shouted at the edge of his pond. It was slowly freezing, autumn seeping into winter.

Jack appeared in a flurry of ice as the boy landed limberly on his feet, his staff hitting the ground after his feet did. "Sooo.. .can I help you?"

She stared at him, trying to think of something to say. Her mind became a blank slate as she tried vainly to remember what she wanted to say, those exact words.

It didn't quite work. "You're a jackass!"

Jack sighed. "Great, another Bunny."

"No, that's not what I mean.. I.. I'm Marcaria D'Avril, the Spirit of the Aprils Fool and you're taking away my laughter!"

"You're joking , right?"

Her face turned hot red. "NO!" She screamed in rage. "Do you know how HARD it is to get people to laugh? To share in that laughter? No, it's all mean this and mean that, everyone's been turned to the idiotic notion that being the fool is an insult and should be treated like garbage instead of bring light and happiness. Now it's all crude jokes and rank attitudes… why do you get to get people to have fun and laugh while I'm getting more and more forgotten?"

The moonlight gently danced across the two as Marcaria turned toward the moon and shooed at it. "Go away, Lune. This conversation is for our ears only! No, I don't care that you made him a Guardian! He's taking away my livelihood!"

Jack was interested in the argument that she was having with the Man in the Moon. The pale boy rested on his staff, one leg bent over the other casually as he observed the girl get very upset and threw a tantrum right then and there.

"I don't care that you say I can do it! I've been TRYING AND TRYING AND TRYING! I can't even get a stupid chuckle!"

The sound of Jack's soft laughter made her turn hard. "How dare you mock me."

"I'm.."

She kicked his staff out from under him, sending him sprawling to the ground. "You stupid punk. I should kick your ass for laughing at me! What kind of spirit are you? Huh? Huh?"

The moonlight once more touched her as she gritted her teeth and put her fingers in her ears. "I'm not listening! I'm not listening!"

Jack stood up, brushing off the dirt from his sweater as he then kicked up his staff with a gust of cold air.

She glared at him with cold eyes. "I brought light and joy and happiness when it was the Dark Ages. I made the world lighter and happier! But now as people have traversed and distanced themselves from the sorrows of life by hiding in their violent gore and cruel foolery, I'm more than useless, I'm unwanted!"

Marcaria glared at him balefully.

Jack rubbed his head. "Look, I'm just snowballs and fun, not like the whole picture. I'm sure that there's something you can do."

"Bullshit."

Jack winced at the tone and language. "You have a pretty accent, though it's pretty faint."

"Go to Hell, Frostbite!"

The moonlight grew stronger as she turned sharply and gritted her teeth. Her body slowly loosened as her body relaxed into a defeated pose. "I don't care about that he's important. I want to be important too.. I know you say that but what about this world? What about my touches and laughter? Who am I supposed to bring happiness to when my jokes are so old-school and stupid in the eyes of all these mortals?"

She covered her face with her hands, a sob breaking out. "I've kept up my spirits for so long, to feel them fall into despair.. That's not what I want!"

Marcaria turned again, anger lighting in her eyes. "It's all of your fault!"

Jack began to talk. "You can't blame me…"

"You're a GUARDIAN! OF FUN! You get to see people and make them laugh and enjoy life! You get to interact and get others to play! I was created in the Dark Ages to bring laughter when the Boogeyman took the happiness away. A simple joy, a simple love, so insignificant when faced with darkness and yet so strong that it made it fall away from it."

"But now there is no darkness, there is no tragic living, there's only mortals and their laziness and cruel intentions. What happened to the days when we all worked as one? When we joined forces and people believed in helping each other? Now it's all kill that, kill this, pick on this poor kid, make fun of this fat guy, sure, it won't matter because it's funny for the cruel people but heartbreaking for the victims!"

Jack was holding his ears at this point as she raged at him. She then shrieked in fury, turned, and tore out of there. Once out of the forest, she let loose all the bad language she knew, slamming around the ground in her frustration. The moonlight this time didn't touch her as the Man in the Moon let her get her anger out.

"Oh, god, this is such bullshit…" She held her aching head. "What's the point anymore?"

"What is the point anymore?"

She thought it was Jack, coming back to say something stupid when the tall man slunk out of the shadows, walking with a heavy gait. He was lanky with an angular, sharp face, but muscled with a slight pot-belly visible under the silver wife beater he wore. His gray jean pants clung tightly to him till it clumped at his ankles, over his dark green sneakers.

His claret-hued hair was spiked to the side, with ending at a slender braid that ended at the bottom of his neck.

His question was cool and emotionless, as the man towered over her. "Heard you bitching, Pranksta."

"Just go away! I've already yelled at Frostbite, I'll just yell at you!"

The man walked by her, still walking with his obvious gait. She couldn't help it. "Are you all right?"

He glanced at her, about to disappear into the shadows. He ignored her and delved into the darkness.

She followed her impulse, disappearing into the shadows with him as Jack finally popped out.

"Hey, I… well, geez, she didn't stick around to apologize for yelling at me. What did I ever do?"

The shadows dispersed for Marcaria as the sweet smell of wheat and grass hit her nose. The sunlight was startling as it had just been nighttime. She looked around, seeing only the tall wheat moving with the soft, warm wind.

She followed the parted wheat in hopes of catching up to the stranger, moving quickly as she broke into a run. The wheat was endless as she was beginning to think she'd never find the end.

Until she tripped on her feet into a hard roll, making the world spin as she sat on her buttocks, confused and dazed.

"So you followed me, huh? Aren't you stupid? Oh, wait, not, you're supposed to be comedic. Congrats, Prank, you made me crack a smile."

She looked up at him, seeing no sign of a smile. "You're lying… I don't like being lied to! If you're not going to smile, then fine! I wouldn't want you to laugh at a person's pain anyways! That's not how it works!"

He stared her down silently.

"Are you always this creepy?" She stood up, brushing her hands against her clothes anxiously.

"You look very charming."

She glared at his snarky tone.

"No, really, the shoes are a perfect match for your…. Ensemble."

She crossed her arms. "I…"

"Yes, why are you here?"

She turned red. "You were limping."

"It's not a limp, sugar. It's my way of walking. It's an old wound see, and none of your concern so take your pretty little ass and beat it."

Her hands fisted at her hips as she stood straighter. "You're a fucking dick!" She threw up her hands. "What's the deal with these lousy men? Think they're the bee's knees and that the world revolves around them! Fine, forget it. I won't bother caring about another human being ever! Not like there's anyone else out there that cares about me!"

She turned and stared at the tall wheat. "Is there a FASTER and easier way to get out of here? I don't want to run through that all over again."

She turned to find him walking away. She looked startled and then pained as she gritted her teeth.

Her head hurt, her heart ached from all the anger she'd been feeling, and now she was being left alone in a strange place without any help.

The sob broke out, choked as she fought her tears. She never cried, she told herself angrily. There was always a silver lining, try to find something funny, she kept repeating in her head.

But the headache blossomed into great pain as she fell to her knees and began to sob uncontrollably. All that she'd had to endure over the years and now that she seemed no longer needed, she was terrified of fading away into nothing, no longer existing. She didn't think the Man in the Moon would be that cruel but what purpose did she have now that Jack Frost was doing her job ten times better?

Her hands went to her face, knocking off the mask as she sobbed harder. She didn't hear his footsteps nor felt his shadow overpass her form as he stared down at her lowered head. He knelt slowly, picking up the half-mask and noting how light it was and yet it had stayed in place on her face.

He tilted ever to the left, eyes going to what looked like Hell.

Her eyes opened, although, to be honest, there was only one actual eye left. The left of her face was mauled beyond recognition. Her head tilted up to look into his eyes as they widened with surprise and disgust.

Her skin paled as her eyes fell to the mask. "Oh.. Oh.. Don't look! Don't look! I know I'm a monster!" She broke out, grabbing the mask as she turned and tried to run. She tripped again, the mask flying out of her hand into the hidden realm of the wheat as pain escalated and her head dropped into the ground, her body shaking with pain-stricken sobs.

She heard him walk past her silently as she laid there. She sobbed until she finally quieted, exhausted.

There was a soft clatter on the ground as the man dropped her mask. "You're not a monster. I am."

She sniffled, pushing up as she put the mask back on, her hands shaking. She rubbed her eyes, suddenly embarrassed for having done what she had done.

"You coming?"

She looked to him, eyes red and swollen. He stood, arms crossed with a scowl on his face.

"Are.. Are you sure you want me to…?"

"If I didn't, I wouldn't have asked. I'm hungry so let's go eat. Move it, Prank. Gotta keep up with me."

"Okay!" She stood up, shaking off the dirt off her clothes as she then hurried to catch up with him. "Hey, hey… wait, we're not monsters! We're just misunderstood!"

"You're misunderstood."

"So are you!"

"Look, stop talking or else I won't feed you!"

"What are we having?"

"What did I just say!?"

"I'm sorry…"

He groaned as he reached behind him without looking, taking her by the arm as she was placed tightly to his side though he didn't bother looking at her. "Go back to being a bitch. It's easier for me to deal with, Prank."

"Oh… umm.. My name is Marcaria D'Avril."

"Momus."

"M..Momus… what's that based on?"

"The Greek God of Satire."

She unexpectedly snickered.

"It's not funny!"

"Oh, I'm sorry.." She stopped automatically, looking down and upset that she had done something that she had told herself never to do, laugh at someone else's expense without them finding it funny too.

His hand came up to her hair and ruffled it unexpectedly. He then led the way to a single-layered home, very long and very elegant, sort of resembling Greek styles such as the buttresses and various statues set around.

"Touch anything that you're not supposed to and I'll break your fingers," Momus warned as he held the door open.

She looked at him warily. "Am I supposed to take that seriously or are you kidding? Because if you are, I can't tell."

"You pick whatever you want."

"I don't want to! I like my fingers!" She hurried after him as the door closed behind them. Her voice came out, disembodied. "You were kidding, right? Tell me you were joking!"