Freezing and trapped, that's the first thing that I remember. I was in a large, black birdcage. There seemed to be no way out. I was in some kind of cave. It was pitch black except for a ray of moonlight, and it filled me with hope. It was shining directly in my face, until it moved towards a single bar of the cage. I grasped the dark metal in my hand, and I felt it loosen. For the rest of the night, the moon ray stayed there, as if encouraging me to keep loosening the bar that would help me escape. I didn't know why I was here, but I knew that I had to escape. I worked until dawn, until the moon was gone. As it disappeared, the only thing it told me was my name was Persephone Simmons. That was the last thing the moon told me, and that was a long time ago.
The sun pushed through the crevice of the cave and I felt my strength double. The bar finally broke off the cage. To my amazement, It turned a pale yellow in my hand and shrunk to where it fit perfectly in my hand.I took my new scepter and swung it at the door of the cage. It broke open and I discovered I could fly.
I soared out of the cage like a bird and sang like one, too. I flew out of the cave and found the open sky. It was a beautiful light blue, no clouds in sight. I went down to the ground to see where I was. There was a small layer of frost on the ground, but I when i landed, it melted under my feet and new spring grass appeared in its place. A stream was nearby that was frozen solid. I pointed my scepter at it and it unfroze almost immediately. I laughed in delight. A flock of birds appeared out of nowhere and landed on my shoulders and arms. I petted the smallest one, which perched on my wrist. They flew away soon after that. I glanced down at the stream and paused to look at myself.
A pair of green eyes were studying me critically. I blinked, and so did they. I smiled, and I found they danced with mischief and fun when I did. My smile was a nice one, and I had straight, small teeth. I don't know my age, but I know that I still have all my baby teeth. My hair was the color of my scepter. It was a pale yellow- the color of the sun when it first comes up on a soft morning. I looked farther down at the reflection in the stream. I was wearing a pink, short sleeved dress, torn above the knees at different lengths. I looked down to find I was barefoot. I laughed with delight and ran towards a field, waving my scepter above my head and making spring appear.
I climbed a tree that should have been impossible to climb and witnessed the first birth of spring. A robin was hatched. The mother didn't squawk at me, but watched me with her beady eyes, they seemed kind of friendly. I whooped in celebration and flew away.
There had to be someone around here to tell me where I am, and why I was here. I found a little log cabin on the edge of the woods that led to the meadow. There were two little girls playing, enjoying the winter thawing. I waved my scepter and made it disappear. They giggled with joy. I flew down to them, but they didn't seem to notice me at all.
I waved very eagerly, "Hello there!". Nothing, the sisters started making mud pies. I walked over to them and put a hand on my shoulder. They went right through me like I was mist. A blue smokey substance appeared when the older sister followed her sibling. I walked into the cabin to try and find the parents, thoroughly confused. The mother was sitting in a rocking chair, sewing.
Her belly was swollen, and she was saying good naturedly to her husband, "It'll be a spring baby! Won't that be wonderful, Charles!" It made me smile, new life is always best when it happens in spring. Then, I frowned. Wouldn't they be surprised to see someone in their house?
"Hello? Can you see me? Can you hear me?" I yelled.
Charles was cleaning his gun at the small table in the middle of the room and looked up at me. My heart skipped a beat! He noticed me!
"The door opened, how did that happen?" He asked and got up to close it. In the process of doing so, he walked through me. I cried in despair and flew away, wilting the newly budding flowers simultaneously.
I flew away, wondering what I was doing here, and why no one could see me. That had been nearly 150 years ago, and I've discovered a lot about the world, but not about myself.
I'm one of those legends. You know, like Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny? My legend actually started during the Greek times. No one believes in me anymore. I couldn't even remember the good days, if that was really me. According to the legend, Persephone was the daughter of Demeter, the goddess of the harvest, and she was the goddess of spring. She got kidnapped by the god of the dead, Hades. She was trapped, and Demeter got depressed and that's how late fall and winter happened. Persephone was rescued, but she had to stay with Hades half the year, and that's why fall and winter happen. That part is definitely not true. Jack Frost is in charge of winter and all that junk. I hate winter, it's way too cold! Nothing can grow! Why someone would have that for more than three months is beyond me.
But, anyways, where was I? Oh, yeah, no one believing in me and being alone all the time. After discovering what year it was- 1862, and where I was- the West, Nebraska, to be precise, I wandered around, trying to find someone that could see me. I went almost anywhere, but I always came back to the West of North America, helping struggling farmers raise their crops. I realized that my gift was a blessing, not just a curse. I enjoyed playing with the children, making it warm and sunny so they could come outside. I made mischief with them, sometimes getting them in trouble, but I made sure that they weren't too badly punished by singing.
My voice can make people cheerful, and forget their anger. It reminds people of the joy of spring, and the hope of new life. Parents who are steaming with anger, instead offer to go on a walk with their kid to enjoy the spring air. Pretty cool, if I do say so myself.
The other great part, flowers isn't the only thing that bloom in spring, love does as well. To see two young people strolling and talking about their future hopes and dreams makes not being able to be seen bearable. I can make wonderfully springtime romance bloom. Sometimes, I even set people up. A canopy of roses here, a pleasant boat ride there, and voila, a very happy couple with Spring Fever. It makes Cupid really mad sometimes, but he gets over it because it is, and I quote, "So adorable, he could cry."
I hadn't been searching long, only 30 years or so, when I met Bunnymund, or as he's more commonly known as the Easter Bunny. But he's no fluff ball. He's 6'1 with an Australian accent. I wouldn't want to be on his bad side. It was a frosty, Sunday morning. Seeing him made me realize it must be Easter Sunday. He was muttering about an "annoying impish boy" as he was laying down colorfully painted eggs. He was shivering from the cold. I stared at him, I knew he must be able to see me, and if he couldn't I wouldn't know what to do with myself. If someone whose own existence is doubted can't see me, then I might not exist at all! The possibility had occurred to me before. Maybe I was a spirit that was trapped here. But, no! He stopped in his bent down position and came up slowly, not letting his gaze from me. It looked as if he doubted whether he was really seeing me.
"Hello!" I said, a little nervous, but very excited.
"Crikey! You're really there then," he nodded, "What's a sheila like you doing alone during the holiday?"
"I don't think I'm a normal 'sheila'," I said a little surprised. I waved my scepter and any frost remaining melted and fresh grass replaced it, along with a few small pink and purple flowers.
The Easter Bunny studied me," You're definitely not a normal girl," he agreed, "Can you do me a favor?"
"Got nothing better to do. Can you answer a question first?" I asked.
"I'll try," he replied.
"Do you know who I am, or what I'm doing here?" I asked, craving for knowledge of my past.
"Can't say that I do. What d'you call yourself?" he asked, his ears lowered, showing sympathy towards me.
"Persephone. Persephone Simmons," I told him, "That's all I know."
"Well, tell you what, Persephone, Jack Frost made this day wintery, when clearly this is a spring holiday," Bunnymund said with annoyance.
"Of course it is! Easter is about new life and growth-everything spring is about!" I exclaimed.
"Exactly, and with your gift, you can fix it. That scepter should do the trick. How does it work?"
In reply, I waved it towards a bush covered in a layer of snow dust. It turned a healthy, bright green.
"I can answer at least one of your questions, Sheila. You're here to spread spring," the Easter Bunny said with a caring, half smile. I shot up in the air a few feet due to sheer joy. I finally had a purpose. Spread spring, I thought with glee. I felt a spring breeze and used it to begin my flight. I waved the Sun Scepter, making the frost melt and spring reign. I saw Bunnymund wave a farewell and hop away.
I yelled a farewell, "Thank you! Happy Easter!"
120 years later, and I'm doing the same thing, but it's just as exciting. My pink dress is now just the top part, and green shorts that go down to the middle of my thighs. They're still ripped, and of course, I'm still barefoot. Why someone would wear shoes is still a mystery to me.
I'm doing my last stop to make it the first day of spring. It's April 1st, and it's the most beautiful day for the beginning of spring. There's not a cloud in the sky, and the sun is shining cheerfully. I feel it's warmth spreading from my outstretched arms to the tips of my toes. I wave the Sun Scepter almost lazily, enjoying the rays. The sun is almost like my power source. Its presence and light make me stronger. I start flying to the final town. I always skip over it and come back to it for last. Why? It's my favorite place to turn spring. Double Why? Jack Frost lives here. He resents my coming as much as his coming to Nebraska in the winter. I love seeing his face when I wave my scepter and make all his precious frost disappear. I smile smugly at the thought.
I approach the town when the wind is freezing. This is not the wind that is the first day of spring. I had so many plans for today: See the first birth of spring, sing to cheer up any downtrodden souls, maybe pair a few teens together. There's only one person that could have made spring not come. My hair turned a dark orange- like when the sun sets, because of my anger. I shot down to the town the fastest ever I've flown.
"Jack Frost!" I roared. There was three feet of snow on the ground, and the children had a snow day. I smiled at them, but my outrage returned quickly. It would take another three before the first day of spring could happen! Grass was growing around me so quickly, it was almost a foot before I realized what was happening. I waved the Sun Scepter towards a snow bank. it went down a few inches, but not by much.
"You know, I haven't seen your hair that orange since the Blizzard of '68," said a cocky voice from behind. I turned around quickly to find Jack Frost, smug as ever in a light blue sweatshirt and tight brown pants covered in frost. His blue eyes were full of fun and a sense of victory in them. He shook his white hair out of his eyes.
"Frost, this was the perfect first day of spring! Do you know how long it will take for spring to come back because of you?" I demanded.
"I thought it was a perfect day for a snow day," he replied cheekily.
"Oh, that's it," I huffed, and then I went straight for him. Jack's smile quickly faded. I was a foot away from him when I waved the Sun Scepter.
"Hey!" he protested. He looked down to find pink and purple flowers starting to grow on his sweatshirt. I swished it again, but he dodged it and pointed his staff towards me. A blast of snow came plummeting towards me. It hit me and I fell over me. I got up, brushed the snow from me and waved the scepter. He used his staff. There was a full out battle for five minutes.
By the end of it, where he stood, there were birds everywhere, green grass and flowers blooming, and the scent of spring waifing , and where I stood, it looked like a blizzard ravaged through that half of the town.
I flew to where he stood, inches away, "Next time, don't interfere with spring! I'll be back in three weeks, and it. better. be. thawing," I poked him in the chest with every emphasis of the words. "You need to warm up a little to see when spring is needed!" I raised my hand to hit him, when he raised his as well
" Maybe, you need to cool down," He put his hand on mine, and I felt a chill go through me. My hair turned back to a pale yellow. "Just so you know, I'm a Guardian now. Don't threaten me like that again. " Jack said.
"Since when?" I asked incredulously.
"Since last year. Where were you?" he said cockily.
"Hmph," was all I said. I waved the scepter like a lasso and started the thawing process. I flew off in a huff, probably raising the temperature in every town I past.
Jack, a guardian? I never saw that coming, that's for sure. Does that mean children could see our battle? I flushed in anger, am I the only legend that couldn't be seen?
"Jack Frost is a nuisance, isn't he?" A black figure appeared in the air before me. I stopped flying.
"Pitch?" I asked, raising my scepter defensively.
"My younger brother was an idiot. No, I'm not Pitch. I'm far more superior. My name is Plague, Black Plague," he materialized in front of me, bowing.
"What do you want?" I asked, thrusting my scepter towards Plague. He vanished and reappeared next to me.
"I just wanted to see if you'd like to join me, you see, no one believes in me, either," Plague said, filled with bitterness.
"I'd rather not, didn't the Black Plague kill thousands of innocent people?"
"Yes, rather unfortunate. But, sometimes but you gotta do what you gotta do, do you agree?" he said smoothly. I almost felt like agreeing, he said it so silkily, but I shook my head.
"No, I don't want to join you. Leave me!" I waved my scepter like a lasso and shot down to my home.
Plague was gone, but I could still smell the scent of death and his cold presence. I shuddered.
No way I would ever join him. I started to sing to birds in a nearby tree when a black wisp of smoke came into my vision. Before I knew what was going on, I passed out. My last thought: Plague.
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