Fated
Chapter 1: Assignment
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters found in these works nor am I making a profit from it. This is done purely out of love of the characters and their stories.
AN: Hello everyone! I just wanted to say a few things before we jump into the story. First, this story will seem a little familiar as I am barrowing the concept from another author whose story I got hooked on and then they stopped writing it (soooo frustrating!). Second, this story takes place in an AU (alternate universe) so while the characters and their stories stay pretty true to the originals there will be some discrepancies. However, I will do my utmost best to keep them as in character as I can. Thank you and I hope you enjoy this story.
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I stood on tiptoe trying my hardest to see over the window sill, but it was just too tall for my five year old self. I tugged at mother's dress hoping that just maybe this time she would lift me up so I could watch the sun come up too, but she remained standing their covering the only window that faced the East and completely ignored me; as usual.
"Mother, I want see too, please?" I asked softly even though I already knew what her answer would be.
"Now, Flower, what have I told you about the sunrise?" She asked still facing the window.
"That the first light of day is the harshest and will blind you if looked upon," I repeated dully. "But mother, I can just heal myself right?" I held up a lock of my hair for emphasis. "Oh why can't I see it just once?"
Mother stiffened, she didn't like it when I questioned what she taught me, and she turned her head toward me with a strained smile. "Now, Pet, I believe I have told you this before, but your magic doesn't work on you. You would be blind as a bat and there would be nothing I could do about it. What is it I always say?"
I hung my head in defeat and mumbled, "Mother knows best."
Mother sighed, she hates when I mumble, and turned back to the window to peer around the curtain again to see if it was safe.
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I woke with a start to find it nearly black in my room with naught but the early morning stars shining through my window. I grinned to myself. Today was the day! Mother wouldn't be home until this evening. I was finally going to be able to sneak a look at the sunrise! I had been practicing with a few small cuts and burns from cooking and those healed when I wrapped my hair around it. Surely it could cure blindness right?
I jumped out of bed and traded my nightgown for one of the three dresses in my wardrobe; a pale blue one with snowflakes I had embroidered along the hem, sleeves, and collar. I tip-toed downstairs, even though I knew mother wasn't home I was still cautious. I had waited so long for this! I had studied and found that the sun was weakest on this day; the first day of winter, and with mother gone this was my only real chance!
I descended the steps as silently as I could; making sure to skip over the squeaky, loose board just before the last stair.
My hands trembled as I reached for the curtains covering the window hallow. This was it! I could feel my heart thumping in my chest. All the planning, all the research… What if something went wrong? What if I couldn't heal something as major as blindness?
No, no, no! I shook my head. I shouldn't be thinking such negative things. Got to focus! Think positive! After all I could cure old age; blindness should be a snap, right? Oh, I should have brought Pascal down with me, but I really wanted to do this on my own.
I squared my shoulders, shut my eyes, and pulled back quickly on the curtains…
One, two, three… I kept my eyes tightly closed. Four, five, six… I felt no pain, just the soft chilly kiss of the winter wind on my cheeks. I slowly opened one eye… the sun was just starting to lighten the sky and had not yet reached over the mountain top that surrounded our valley.
I opened both eyes wide and stood transfixed as I watched the sky go from velvety blue to violet to pink and then finally to hues of gold. I've loved painting ever since I was a child and nothing I could do could ever match the display before me. The colors melted and blended into one another so seamlessly that you would think them woven together.
As I watched a story I once read about the Lady of the Sun came back to me and I began to imagine that the colors were indeed woven; they were the flowing folds of the dress she wore, and the crown of gold cresting the mountains was the crown upon her brow. The brilliance the sunrise gave off I imagined was her magnificent and kind smile as she looked down and blessed all she saw.
So lost was I in this dream of mine that I even thought, for the barest of moments, that she looked directly at me and her smile became so bright that I feared what mother said was true, that it was going to blind me, but a gentle warmth seemed to settle somewhere deep within me at her smile. How could a smile like that cause harm to anyone?
I was brought out of my reverie by Pascal tugging on my dress; he must have come down while I was staring at the Lady. I leaned down and picked him up; transferring him to my shoulder.
"Isn't it the most beautiful thing you have ever seen?" I asked him. Pascal nodded and then pointed to the clock slightly behind me on the kitchen wall. I sighed as I read the time; 7am, time to start on chores. I shrugged. Oh well, I had gotten to see the sunrise at last and possibly even the Lady of the Sun; that small ball of warmth still burned in my chest.
Well, back to reality. I picked up the broom and climbed the stairs to my room to begin cleaning, tugging the skylight open with my hair along the way. My last thought before my mind numbed with the monotony and repetition of my usual morning lineup was if mother was wrong about the sun, what else was she wrong about?
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Meanwhile, at the North Pole…
Yetis were busy making toys for Christmas, North was up in his study poring over his lists, and the elves were trying their best to keep from being trampled on. There was only four days left until Christmas and the factory floor was no safe place to be if you were under three foot tall, so they congregated in the Globe room whiling away the time hanging lights on everything.
Once the elves had covered every inch of the room that they could one elf, Dingle, picked up the plug and held it over his head. The rest of the elves all nodded and giggled in anticipation of the big moment, but another elf in a green hat; for he was the head of the group, shook his head and pointed to North's office. The rest of the elves, understanding that he wanted them to wait for North, all nodded once again and began running and tumbling over one another to get to the study door.
Well you can imagine the racket caused by dozens of tiny fists banging on the big wooden door. North growled in frustration, set down his lists, and went to go see what all the commotion was about. "Sooner is done, sooner I can work," he thought as he pushed on a small dark brown section of the door and waited as the magic lock began to turn and whirl and click.
When the door swung open to reveal the small sea of elves eagerly pointing to the Globe Room, North felt a small trickle of unease. Was he back? No, that was impossible! They had banished him for good; or at least another 300 years or so. Grabbing his blades from their ever-present place beside his desk he rushed out of his study and after the elves only to stop dumbfounded in the doorway of the Globe Room starring at the three foot tall tangle of lights that wove around the room and over the Globe itself.
Pulling on his beard in frustration North put on a smile, "Okay, show what you show."
Dingle once again picked up the plug and pushed it into the socket. For five seconds the lights glowed cheerily and in many different hues until… pop! Everything went dark… even the Globe!
North panicked. Never before had he seen the Globe affected by anything other than magic! He hastened over to the control panel and began opening the main cover plate when a warm pulsing light appeared right behind him. North spun around, swords drawn, ready to fight off this intruder. After a moment however, he sheathed his weapons and bowed deeply.
"My Lady!" He stood back up and putting his hands on his belly laughed out loud. "You have not visited in many years. What is honor?"
The pulsing light slowly took the shape of a young woman with flowing golden hair, gold eyes, and a gold tiara upon her head. She smiled so brightly that the very air seemed to shine with her presence. "I have found her at last," she replied in a musical voice.
"Your daughter has been found? That is wonderful news! We must go fetch her at once!" North said. "I will get sleigh!"
The young women held up her hand and shook her head sadly. "I wish it were so easy, but she is guarded closely by the witch who took her from me. Many spells and enchantments keep anyone from reaching her."
North laughed. "I am wizard, am I not? No problem!"
Again the women shook her head. "No, magic leaves traces. She would suspect and then I may lose her forever." Her brow wrinkled slightly in concentration. "There may yet be a way we can free her without detection… Call your Guardians. We will need their help."
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Jack laughed as he flew over Burgess racing with the setting sun. He wanted to see Jamie before Sandy came and put him to sleep. He landed on the roof of Jamie's house and seeing that the sun was still only halfway down he leaped up and whooped for joy before floating down to the boy's window to take a peek.
Inside Jamie was sitting on his bed talking excitedly to his mother. Sophie was chasing around a red and white striped ball she had found by her brother's closet.
"You should have seen it, Mom! It was so amazing! It was like a hundred feet high and then there were these bunch of fish just swimming through the air! And then Jack touched part of it and it formed into a dolphin and swam around him before flying off to join the rest of the dreams!" Jamie's eyes were bright and his cheeks flushed with enthusiasm.
Sophie added, "Hop, hop, hop."
Their mom just laughed, "What active little imaginations you two have! Now, time for bed. Come on, Sophie." She picked up her daughter, gave her son a hug and a kiss, turned off the light, and shut the door behind her.
As soon as Jack saw the door close he softly pushed open the window, Jamie always left it unlocked for him now, and jumped inside with a flourish! "Did you miss me?" He asked, arms held wide.
Jamie yelled "Jack!" and ran over to hug his favorite winter sprite. "I was almost afraid you would have been too busy to visit as it's the first day of winter and all!"
Jack pretended to pout, "You doubted me?"
Jamie laughed. "Nope, never. I was just… concerned, yeah that's it, concerned."
Jack threw his head back and laughed. "Forget it, kid. I was just teasing. So what do you say I make it snow enough for a Snow Day and we spend all day tomorrow playing in it?"
"Awesome! We could go sledding again. That was so fun last time! Hey, if I lose another tooth do you think I'll get to see the Tooth Fairy and Baby Tooth again," he asked.
Jack chuckled, "Maybe, you never… know..." Jack had suddenly gone very still and was gazing out the window. Jamie looked that way too before running to the window.
"Oh wow! Look it's the Aurora Borealis! But it next to never comes this far south…"
Jack sighed. "I have to go kiddo, that's North calling. It's a meeting for the Guardians. Rain check?"
Jamie's face fell. "Okay, but you have to tell me all about the meeting, alright?"
Jack jumped up onto the window sill. "I promise," he said winking and the wind whipped him out of Jamie's room and off to the North Pole. "I guess I'm racing a kangaroo now," he said to himself with a smirk.
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"So, when's frostbite getting here?" Bunnymund asked North while warming his feet by the fire.
"Ho, ho, ho, now Bunny, Jack was with Jamie. Burgess is long way to fly!" North replied.
Bunny humphed and was just turning back to the fire when the window flew open and a cold breeze proceeded the Guardian in question, causing Bunny to shiver and glare over his shoulder at the immortal teen.
"Speak of the devil…" Bunny grumbled under his breath as North picked Jack up into a bear hug, kissing him on both cheeks.
Laughing, Jack said his hellos to North and then turned to Bunny. "Did you say something, Kangaroo?"
"Watch it there, Frostbite! I'm a rabbit!" Bunnymund growled.
"Frostbite? Ha, ha, nice!" Jack laughed the insult off and patted Bunny on the shoulder who just rolled his eyes and grinned at him.
North watched this with a happy smile. It was nice to know those two had finally come to an understanding that bordered on actual friendship. Not that either of them would ever admit it of course.
Just then North heard the sound of fluttering wings as Toothiana came flying in with Baby Tooth, who as soon as she saw Jack flew straight over and hugged his neck as hard as her little fairy arms could. Both North and Tooth laughed at this.
"She hardly speaks of anything else," Tooth said with a fond smile and a shake of her head before flying over to greet Jack and Bunny.
North looked around the room one more time. They were just missing Sandman now. "Where could Sandy be?" North thought. North was just starting to get worried when the large doors to the hallway opened and in floated Sandman and Lady Sun, both glowing brilliantly.
Bunny and Jack, who where back to arguing good naturally, both stopped midsentence to stare at the new comer. Tooth gave a little squeal and flew over to the woman and gave her a hug.
"Oh! It's so good to see you! How long has it been since you have come down to visit us? Not since…" Tooth put her hands over her mouth suddenly and looked at her with wide apologetic eyes.
Lady Sun just laughed and said, "That is what I am here about, Toothiana, my dear. I need your help."
North cleared his throat and the Guardians all turned his way, all except for Jack who kept staring at the lady. He didn't know why, but she looked kind of familiar. Why couldn't he put his finger on it? He scratched his head in frustration.
North gestured for the luminous woman to stand before the now working globe (it had been her magic energy that had shorted it out earlier, but North had recalibrated it) so she could better address them all. When she took her place, she smiled at them all and began to speak.
"It has been a long time my friends. I am sorry to interrupt your busy schedules, but I am in desperate need of your help."
Jack was half listening as he was trying to figure out just why the woman was so familiar to him. He looked at her flowing dress flowing without a breeze and colored like the now setting sun outside. No, that wasn't it…
"As you will remember nearly 20 years ago I came down from the heavens on my last visit and ended up falling in love with a mortal…"
Was it her eyes? They glowed a soft sort of gold; the same color as Sandy's dream sand. No, he would have remembered eyes like that.
"Shortly after we were married we were blessed with a child; a daughter."
Hmmm, her hair maybe? It was long and golden like a river of sunlight in spring. It too moved as though a breeze played within its tresses, but there were no drafts. The longer Jack stared at her hair the more he felt certain that this was the key to the puzzle if he could just figure out why it was tugging at his memory so fiercely.
"But she was taken from us during the night while we slept. I have no doubt of who and why, but she and my child vanished as if the very shadows had swallowed them. I was so distraught that I left my mortal husband and returned to the heavens so that I may search for my child on a far wider scope than I could as a mortal woman. For many years I searched, and I had begun to give up hope that I would ever see my child again… until today!"
The room erupted in cheers pulling Jack out of his thoughts and back to the present.
"If you have found her," Bunny began thoughtfully as soon as the noise had lessened, "Why do you need our help?"
The lady sighed deeply. "I am in need of your assistance because I cannot just go and fetch her. There are too many spells and enchantments surrounding her location and if North was to try and undo them, and we were unsuccessful or found out, I am afraid they would either kill her or hide her more thoroughly than before. Perhaps even in His realm, and I would never risk my child be taken to that horrid place!"
The Guardians all nodded their heads gravely, except for Jack who was thoroughly lost and frustrated from being unable to answer his question.
"Okay, hold it!" He said loudly as everyone turned to look at him. "You all may understand, but I would like a few things cleared up. First of all, who is she? Second, what is so special about this kid that she was kidnapped? Third," he ticked them off on his fingers. "Who is it that took her, and last but not least if you cannot rescue her what makes you think we can?"
The Guardians and the lady all blinked silently at him for a moment making Jack's temper boil a little more before North started laughing.
"I forget how new you are sometimes! Jack, meet the Lady of the Sun; Manny's twin sister!" He said with a flourish.
Jack's eyes went wide. Manny's sister? Twin sister? He tried to imagine just what Manny looked like.
The lady giggled softly. "Yes, Jack Frost, Máni is my brother. He is also my twin, but we were born to two different elements; he to the night and I to the day. The rest of the Guardians call me Lady, which you may do or you may call me by my mortal name: 'Sól'."
Filing away the little bit of information he had just learned on the Man in the Moon, Jack continued, "So your Manny's sister, but that only answers one of my questions… Skipping how it's even possible for an immortal to marry a mortal, what was so special about your daughter that it got her kidnapped?"
"Besides being the daughter of the sun? I'm positive it was her powers."
"Powers?" Jack asked.
"You see, just as you were brought back to life to become the Spirit of Winter, she was born to be the Spirit of Spring," Sól answered.
"So, they took her because they like to throw lots of parties and she's good at flower arrangement?" Jack said trying to figure out how the power to grow flowers would warrant the trouble of capturing and imprisoning someone.
Sól laughed and said, "No, she was taken because she is life itself. She is rebirth, a healer. She can cure anything."
Now things were starting to make sense. "Who was it that took her and where do we fit in to getting her back?"
"She is an ancient and evil sorceress, second wife to the one you know as Pitch Black, her name is Gothal." She turned to Sandy. "It was she who taught Pitch to manipulate your dream sand. Long ago, in exchange for her help, he married her and made her immortal, but he is cruel and when he had learned what he needed to know he stripped her of her youth but not her immortality. You see the one thing she fears more than anything is growing old. That is why she took my daughter to use her powers to 'heal' her old age and regain her youth."
Jack was still trying to wrap his head around someone being willing to marry Pitch, so it was Tooth who spoke up next.
"How is it that we can help, Lady?"
The lady sighed again, "It is a long shot, but I figure that Gothal is very confident in her control over my daughter, but from what I saw this morning that isn't completely the case. I listened to her thoughts and found out that she grows to doubt Gothal's words. Therefore I think if we could get a message to her saying something that she cannot turn down, something that would convince her to leave of her own free will, that the barrier won't stop her!"
Bunny wrinkled his brow in concentration, "If the spells are only there to keep people out, then that might work, but how do we get a message to her in the first place. Where is it that she is located now, my lady?"
"She lives in a tower deep in the mountains outside a small town called 'Burgess'." Sól replied.
Jack, who had been balancing onto his staff slipped off and fell to the floor. "Burgess!" He exclaimed. Then he smacked himself in the forehead. Now he knew why he thought he had seen Sól before!
"As much as I love seeing you beat yourself up, mate, mind sharing with the rest of the class?" Bunny grumbled.
He looked up at Sól, "Long blonde hair, purple roof, lives with a scary looking brunette?"
Sól's eyes widened. "You have seen my child?! You have seen this place? How is it that you have gotten so close when I tried all this long day, delaying my brother's rise, to reach her and got no further than the mountain's peak and a brief glimpse through her window?" She questioned angrily.
Jack shrugged, "I haven't gotten much further, just far enough to hear her one night. It was about seven or eight years ago and I was just letting the wind fly me around as I frosted the trees when I heard someone crying. I had the wind take me toward it and I found this small hidden valley. In the middle was a tower with a large open window. There was a girl sitting there with her head in her hands crying, but what caught my attention the most was that her hair was nearly as long as the tower itself! I was wondering why she was crying when I heard her say that she wished it would snow so much that her mother couldn't leave and actually be home with her. Well she seemed so sad that I couldn't help but try and help her, so I made it snow. She was quite delighted when I blew some of the snowflakes at her and even more so in the morning when her mother called off her trip." Jack finished with a smile. "I check on her every now and again. You know, that's another thing that finally makes sense. I had always wondered how the two of them were related as they look nothing alike."
"Idea!" North shouted, startling everyone. "Jack, you will deliver message with your wind. Now, what message… Hmmm, it must offer her everything she would need…. Yes, a house, food, her likes…. What is that she likes?" He looked up from his pacing back and forth for a moment and then returned to it muttering.
Jack piped up, "she likes to paint. Her walls are covered in paintings from what I could see. And she has a pet, some kind of lizard. And she cleans and cooks a lot."
"Yes, yes! This is perfect! Now to…" North paced and muttered even faster.
"She will need a bodyguard. One of us will have to watch her and keep her safe until we can get her to back here and to her mother."
"We will use globe," North said. "She will come straight here."
"I'm afraid it's not that easy, North" Sól began hesitantly. "You see, she is mortal until she turns eighteen. Only then will she become immortal and be able to join me in the sky."
"When does she turn eighteen?" Tooth asked.
"About five months from now on May 21st." Sól replied.
"So she will need a Guardian for at least five months. Well, as I'm obviously the best fighter it should be me." Bunny said.
"Ha!" North laughed. "That would be me!"
"Hardly! And don't you have Christmas in four days?"
The two continued to argue and got louder and louder until they heard the ringing of a very loud bell and spun around to see Sandy holding a very shaken up looking elf by the hat.
He dropped the elf and pointed to the sky in which the full moon shown down brightly from the glass ceiling.
"Manny!" North cried.
"Hello, brother," Sól said with a smile. "Have you come to help as well?"
Moonbeams shown down on the large G in the floor and out rose the crystal pedestal. In it shown the images of a tall, thin tower with a long haired girl in the window, a house, and… Jack Frost. Then the crystal sunk once again into the floor.
Everyone was silent until North laughed and clapping Jack on the shoulder so hard it nearly caused his knees to buckle, he said, "I guess Manny decided this assignment is yours."
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There you have it; the end of the first chapter. I know this chapter is a little vague, but it will get more in depth next chapter or two. Please review. I would really love to hear what you think.
Love and hugs! - Lilly