Windsong - Chapter One

The wind whistled through the trees as a sigh vibrated through the forest.

A hand rose to her head as she pushed herself up from the wet soil. Breathing heavily, she sat up with a scared expression and looked around her. The forest isn't burning; there's no fire, she whispered as she scooted up next to a tree.

As she did so, something bumped her shoulders as she swiveled around. As she looked on, silver wings sprouted from her back as she fell over on the ground side in shock.

"What? What's happening?" she said as her wings began to flap. Feeling lifted up into the air, she panicked when the ground lowered beneath her. Flailing her arms, she grabbed ahold of a thick branch as she hovered next to the tree. Her wings fluttered gently so she could stay in the air, but she was holding on to the branch for dear life as she witnessed willow leaves growing near her feet.

"Get away," she cried softly, but she watched in awe as they wrapped around her feet like sandals. Lowering one of her covered feet to the ground, she landed as her wings stopped flapping. Wiping a weary hand to her head, she finally looked down at her clothes. She was now wearing a shimmering violet robe-like dress that travelled all the way down to her uncovered feet.

"What's happened to me?" she whispered, falling to her knees. Lifting her hands to her face, she wept as the woods grew lush with new vegetation and life. As her tears flowed down to the forest floor, the drops trickled deeper into the woods where the light met the darkness. Lifting her head, she watched as branches parted aside to create a garden path that grew alit with illuminating blooms of sparkling lights. In the middle of the pasture laid a silver fountain that was formed from her tears. Water began to flow from it as her wings slowly brought her to the edge where the water laid watching.

Sitting against the fountain steps, she brushed a hand into the water as a small smile formed on her face. Peering down at her reflection, she gasped when a pair of dark twilight eyes sparkled up at her. Snow white hair flowed down her back as a breeze began to flutter the end of her skirt.

"What am I? I'm not who I was anymore," she said to no one but her reflection. Closing her eyes, she asked, "Please, can someone tell me where I am?"

A breeze blew her aside her hair as a glow began to light up the clearing behind her. She didn't notice a shiver of sand quiver by her head as a small man walked up behind her. Smiling, he laid a glittering hand against her shoulder.

Turning to his touch, she came face to face with a familiar set of sandy amber eyes.

He smiled as she murmured, "Sandy? Is that really you?"

He nodded as he sat down beside her. Patting her hand, he tilted his eyes down by her side.

Next to her laid five wooden pipes each in a different size. Picking up a pipe, she felt of it as she twiddled it around in her arcing fingers. "What am I supposed to do with these?"

For an answer, Sandy threaded a piece of dreamsand into a robe and threw it up into the air as the image formed into a lasso that curved around a willow branch. Pulling on the string, the Sandman brought the sand rope back as a string of thin ivy vine trailed behind it. Fusing it with his sand, Sandy handed the string back to her as he held up the pipes by size.

Understanding, she weaved the thread in and around the pipes one by one and connected them as they formed into the other thanks to Sandy's sands. As she finished tying the knot, the pipes glowed as she took them into her hands.

Bringing them up to her lips, she saw that they each had three holes for their sound. Looking back at Sandy, she smiled.

Returning the grin, Sandy mimed that she should play the pipes.

So, she did. Beginning on the smallest pipe, she blew as a lyrical note flowed out into the still air around her. Fluttering around her for a few more notes, it dove straight into the fountain as the water shimmered in silence. Puzzled, she lowered her instrument as the water began to illuminate into a rainbow aurora. Sandy also watched as a crystal arose out of the water and into the air, spinning in a shimmering crescendo.

In response, the lights from the flowers zipped in all directions until they all covered the crystal. Glowing even brighter, she sheltered her eyes as Sandy beamed, for the light lit up the whole pasture. As the light diminished to a vibrant glow, Sandy uncovered her eyes as she watched the tiny lights become little wisp sprites of music. Colors unfolded themselves on the little creatures as they flew closer with tiny smiles and excited wings.

Ooooooh, they giggled as they gathered about her and into the garden. A few fluttered by as the rest went to see to the foliage beginning to sprout around the fountain. Lifting her head, she saw that the trees had leaned to their sides and interweaved their branches high above where she was standing and created a gazebo effect around the fountain.

Lowering her eyes to her little friends, she smiled as one of them cuddled against one her cheeks. Some sat on her shoulders and spread out on her head as she looked back at Sandy.

"Sandy, this is all wonderful, but this doesn't tell me who or what I am. What should I do? I don't even know why this is happening to me."

Sandy thought for a moment before he took her hand. Helping her to stand, he led her out of the clearing and into the night. The moon seemed to be waiting for them as they came to a stop below it.

"The moon? What has the moon got to do with me?"

The stars twinkled as she stepped into the moonlight. Immediately, her wings took flight as she was lifted into the air. Where the air met the clouds, she hovered and there she heard, 'Melody, from now on you will be known as Windsong, for you are called to become a spirit of music. With the wind and stars as your guides, please take this special dust and protect those with dreams. I bless you with the ability as the wind is your messenger and friend. Your mission is to …'

Sandy smiled as he watched her, because just then he was reminded of when the moon first chose him as a guardian. Sandy chuckled at the memory and readied a small sand sack at his side.

"But, what about my children? Are they well?"

Manny, whom the Man in the Moon was called, replied with a simple 'Do not worry, Song, for they are well. I watch over all of you. I have also chosen them for a very important task. Cherish your memories, for you remember all when they recall little. I promise that you will see them, again, but right now you are needed for this purpose at this moment as they are. I trust that you will make the right decision.'

Sandy waited as Windsong fluttered back down into the meadow. Lowering her wings in a bow, she saw Sandy as he walked up to her. "You heard that?"

He nodded with a small smile. "Everybody has questions, Song. It's ok to wonder."

She smiled when she heard him speak. Sandy often always talked with his sand and signs, but his words often came out just for her.

"Here," he said, laying a sack of sparkling silver dust in her hands. "This is called moondust, and it is very important. With it, you can awaken dreams out of nightmares. Manny has entrusted this to you with this phrase, 'The one with the purest of hearts may wield the sands of priceless counts. With this snow of vitality, appoint the one of wind song to wield the snows in light and fancy.' Manny believes that you are the person he can dutifully and faithfully trust with this responsibility."

Windsong looked shocked. "But, Sandy ... "

"In Manny's eyes, you represent it and thus he has entrusted you with his dust to protect the light of children's dreams everywhere, just as I do. You represent a special pureness of heart, Song, and you showed it when you saved your children."

A tear sprinkled down her face. "But, I didn't save them."

"You did. You protected them from Pitch the night when your daughter began to have nightmares. They would have been consumed by them if you hadn't done anything."

Windsong continued to sniffle as Sandy placed the sack in her hesitant hands. "Your wings are made up primarily of this dust and will never run out, as long as you believe in the love that you hold in not only yourself, but for the ones you love."

With a smile, she bowed her head as the stars twinkled down on top of her. Covering her with light, she flew up into the sky and rode the wind as the stars embedded themselves next to her sides. One settled on her chest and another one stuck to her wavy snowy hair, but the rest of the stars became another element to her as well. The shards rested against her belt as they illuminated with light that only she knew of.

Settling back upon her feet, she rapped her arms around Sandy as she cried a happy tear.

"Now, go and listen for them. They are always waiting. Your song will always be needed to clean out fear and sadness. You'll find everything you need to know as you go along with it."

"Now, I must leave thee," he murmured into her hair as he dreamed up his sandmobile.

"Sandy," she whispered as he stepped in.

Looking over to her, he smiled as he said, "You'll see me, again, Song. Whenever you need me, know that I'm never far away."

With that, he cast a blast of dreamsand towards the sky and rode off into the night.

Song watched as Sandy flew off out of sight. Peering down at the dust in her hands, she tied the bag securely to the side of her belt. Smiling, she fluttered back to her meadow and to the shelter of the Silent Woods as the Moon smiled down at the earth as it settled into another night full of sweet dreams.

New-improved Chapter One. :)