Disclaimer: I do not own Rise of the Guardians and I'm not profiting from this.
Jack knew immediately this wasn't a normal dream.
One advantage to knowing Sandy was the ability to have lucid dreams. And he knew that, while this dream had Sandy's touch, he wasn't the only being to mess with this dream. Something else had been here. Something powerful, ancient, and magical, that seemed as old as time itself.
Jack began to walk through the dream, which at first was nothing but white. But, it quickly turned into a wintery forest, which Jack found comfort in. Snow and ice was something he at least knew. But, as he continued walking, something else stirred in him. He got the feeling he'd been here before.
He kept walking, taking everything in. Sandy's dream where realistic, but this had something extra too it. The wind was realistically bitter, the snow made just the right amount of noise, and the moon shone through the trees perfectly. If Jack didn't know better, he'd assume he was awake and walking through a forest at night.
As he continued down the path, he saw a small village up ahead. He could see small candle fires flickering inside homes, and one big campfire in the middle of the settlement. He saw people milling about, carrying firewood and today's pickings from gardens.
He walked into the village, and, in that moment, realized it was his village from his childhood. He began to wander around, taking it all in. He began to recognize people; neighbors, the children he used to play with, the old woman who told the best stories, the man who was the town's doctor only because he could read. Childhood memories filled him, filling him with a strange melancholy.
He wondered why Sandy would give him dreams of his past when he realized he couldn't feel Sandy's presence in the dream anymore. This other power held control now, and, though it didn't feel evil, it made Jack worried.
He spotted another path. He couldn't remember where it led, but it went into the forest. He took it, no longer interested in spending time in his childhood home.
As he began to walk, it began to occur to him where he was going. For some reason, he didn't stop. Something was drawing him down that path, and he followed it, despite every cell in his body telling him to turn and run the other way.
The path ended in a clearing, reveling a frozen over pond; the pond he'd died in. With shaking legs, he slowly walked forward. Then, he stopped short, spotting a girl kneeling on the ice. A few feet in front of her was a hole. The sight of it made Jack's stomach turn.
He took another tentative step forward, only to hit a twig. The snap rang through the trees. Jack winced, and the girl looked up from her vigil. She carefully got up and turned slowly, then walked, keeping her eyes glued to her feet. Once she was safely on solid ground, she looked up, and gasped, tears spilling over.
"Jack!" His sister exclaimed, and as she did so, Jack noticed his appearance flickered to his mortal form for a few seconds before switching back. She didn't seem to notice, instead running forward and pulling him into a hug. And he returned the favor.
The brother and sister stood in the chilly, winter air, reunited, both silently wishing the moment would never end. One was burdened with the knowledge that it must.
Nothing like a new fandom to rekindle my fanfic muse! And yes, I'm new to RotG; I just saw it in it's entirety on Saturday. (I'm always fashionably late to fandoms.) This plot bunny was inspired by the Dream Bubbles in Homestuck, where the dreaming can talk with the dead, while both parties relive memories. And as for the identity of the other power...that's up to you. Anywho, thanks for reading and feel free to review! :D
