Disclaimer: I do not own Rise of the Guardians
Chapter 4– Encounters
'We meet the people we're supposed to when the time is just right' – Alyson Noel
'…I can't…believe…you ran away…'
I scoffed as I rolled my eyes. Halloween was more or less over, so I was now lounging in the Master suit of the Hollow.
I laid on the bed, the covers drawn over me as I attempted to ignore my bonded.
'…I would…have thought that…you and the…Winter Sprite…would get along…' Willie spoke before she added, '…Annoyingly so.'
I knew that Willie wanted answers from me. She was especially worried seeing as I was shielding a lot of my thoughts from her.
'…What are you afraid of?'
I frowned as I threw the covers off and sat up. I glanced at Willie only to see that she had become a deep blue colour. I may be good at shielding my thoughts, but my emotions were another thing.
"I'm afraid of what he links to," I answered at length as I fiddled with the ends of my hair.
'And what…does he link to…?'
"My past life."
I had figured out where I was a year or so after I had first woken up to the Hollow. I had taken to travelling the world – as much as I could before the time came for me to oversee Halloween for the first time – and I had heard whispers and sayings and stories of four 'Heroes of the Moon'.
The Guardians of Childhood.
The Tooth-fairy and the Easter Bunny, Sandman and Santa Claus – they were the Guardians – The Big Four.
I had been awestruck. Once imaginary figures were…as real as I was. They weren't just a simple fairy tale – as they had been in that other life of mine.
I didn't like to be reminded of that other life of mine – especially since I knew next to nothing about how I croaked. There was no real sense of closure.
'…Get over it…'
"As gentle as ever," I commented dryly. She had a point – but the saying 'Easier said than done' also applied.
"Do you know anything about who I was?"
'You…said that before.'
Indeed I had asked that question once before. But I stared at Willie expecting an answer nonetheless.
She gave the Wisp-er equivalent of a sigh, before she answered blankly, '…No…'
I had gotten that same answer before too.
I gave a sigh of my own.
"What about you? Why were you chosen to help me? Why were any of the Wisp-ers chosen to follow me?"
I watched as Willie's flame-like body increased in size at the stream of questions – a clear sign of her agitation.
'…You ask…too many questions…'
"You said that before," I sneered a bit. Willie always did that. She'd never given me a straight answer when it came down to her and the other Wisp-ers' origin. Was it that dark? Was it that painful?
If that was the case, then how much of a hypocrite did that make Willie. She had the nerve to tell me to get over my death when it seemed as if she couldn't even get over the establishment of her existence.
I scowled at Willie and she glowed a chilling auburn.
A tense silence reigned in the room – though not just in the room. The entire house had gone quiet – as it usually did whenever Willie and I fought. I felt unease and wariness radiate from the Wisp-ers that were in the house.
My bonded was the first to speak up.
'…You should get out…of the house,' Willie said solemnly, '…You've worked hard...'
My eyes narrowed. She was trying to change the subject. "You were never one for subtlety."
'Not particularly,' the Wisp-like entity answered, 'Get some rest…'
And without even letting me get a word in, Willie faded out of my vision.
"Typical," I groaned under my breath.
The latter part of the year was always busy.
Now that Halloween was more or less over with, people were preparing for the fast approaching Thanksgiving Holiday and of course Christmas Time and the New Years.
James Town was no different. The small town – that was becoming more and more urbanized with each passing year – was always beautifully decorated. Hallow's Hollow was located just on the edge of town – but even from there I could see the bright lights emanating from multiple adorned houses.
As I was now, I sat on the front porch of the large house, gazing at the cloudless sky. I had been out here for a few hours or so give or take, my sense of time was a bit out of whack.
A familiar, chilling sensation rushed through me and the hair at the back of my neck stood up. 'Have you calmed…down yet?' Willie's voice sounded from my right.
"Not by much, I'm still ticked off."
I rose from where I sat.
"Let's go somewhere," I replied instead.
'If you wanted…to go somewhere…why didn't you…leave already?'
I huffed. "You guys are my only means of transport remember?"
'…Fine.' Willie replied as if she were in the process of placating a child. I ignored the tone.
'What would…you like me to become…?'
I tugged on the ends of my hair.
"A dragon," I answered at length, a grin stretching across my face.
'…Would you like…me to become a…unicorn next time?'
I rolled my eyes. "Enough lip, hurry and Dragon Up already."
Within moments Willie floated towards the courtyard and her form began to shift and solidify until a miniature dragon stood before me. Willie's green scales glistened in the light as obsidian talons dug into the earth beneath them. She had two horns atop of her head, both the same colour as her talons, though the tips were a bright red – the same colour of her eyes. I watched as a pink tongue slithered from a fanged mouth as she tested her wingspan.
"Just what I had in mind," I commented.
'Indeed.'
I wasted no time in jumping onto Willie's back. "Let's go."
'Where?'
"Anywhere."
'As you wish.' And with that Willie took off.
It had been sometime late in the afternoon when we had left James Town. Where we were now it was well into the night.
"Where are we?" I asked.
'China…'
It was no surprise that we arrived in China in what felt like a few, albeit long, minutes. I really wasn't sure how Wisp-er transport went in terms of the time it took to travel cross-continent.
It wasn't as if time was that big of a deal for me either way.
As I stared out across acres and acres of…grassy fields. There were a few small houses here and there – but it was clear that this was nowhere near city limits.
"China? Why China?"
'I thought it…was fitting.'
"But why the country-side?" My nose crinkled. "Why couldn't we have gone inside the city limits?"
'…Just wait.'
Deciding to oblige my Bonded I casually perched myself on her back and did as she said. I had been sitting patiently for ten minutes when suddenly bright, golden spots began to appear within my vision and then quicker than I could blink hundreds more appeared and it was as if I was surrounded by glittering lights.
They were fireflies if I ever did see them.
'…These tend to…stay within…the country side…'
I admit that they were beautiful, in fact the scene seemed so very…whimsical. The golden lights swayed in some sort of rhythmic pattern within the air – as if dancing to some unheard music. Nonetheless –
"Fireflies?" I asked bemused, "You brought me half-way around the world to see fireflies?"
'Look closer…'
My brows furrowed, but I leaned forward nonetheless, focusing on the area in front of me.
One particular firefly flew and stopped mere inches from my face. I stared wide-eye as the light around the 'bug' dimmed.
Wiry, butterfly-like wings jutted from a glowing teeny-tiny human-like frame adorned with sparkling robes. I gaped as the tiny being seemed to stick its tongue out at me before giggling to itself.
"W-was that –" I exclaimed as I held out my hands in the hopes of having one of the bright lights land on them. When one did I gaped at it. "Are these…!"
'Use your words,' was Willie's amused response.
It was a little faerie. The tiny fay seemed to giggle before it leaped into the air and spun around, welcoming my mesmerised appraisal.
"They're faeries!"
'…Of a kind.'
"These are absolutely adorable," I sighed as the faerie finally flew from my hand.
I settled myself into a more comfortable position on Willie's back and I just continued to watch the fanciful arrangements that the faeries made in the air.
"This is beautiful," I mumbled to myself. There was nothing nearly as magical as the sight before me back in that other life. It was glorious.
I suddenly stifled a yawn.
My eyes fluttered shut as an unexpected heaviness came over my body and although I didn't need to sleep – I did it ever so often though – I felt like dozing off right then and there.
I opened my eyes to get one final glimpse of the dancing faeries, but what I saw had me sitting up and rubbing my eyes just to make sure that I was seeing right.
My brows furrowed. When did the golden spots become streams of golden dust?
"Willie are you seeing this?"
When I received no answer, I quickly crawled over her back to glance at her face. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing evenly. She was asleep. It seemed as if it were a deep one too, since the way I began nudging her did not even cause her to stir.
"Sure fall asleep and leave me with the mysterious dust stream," I commented sarcastically even as I glanced at said stream curiously.
I stretched out my hand to touch the golden dust. It felt as if sand were passing through my fingers. But before I could withdraw, the dust seemed to solidify into a golden band that wrapped itself around my hand.
I gave a startled shriek when the band gave a particularly strong pull.
"Woah! Hey!" I yelled as I felt my body leave the ground as I was tugged into the air.
Cool, crisp air wrapped around my skin as I was taken higher and higher into the sky. In mere moments I found myself atop of a large cloud that, by the colour and by the way it glistened, I could tell was made of the same little specks of gold as the dust streams were.
I landed in an ungraceful sprawl really – but my discomfort was second place to the mix of confusion and awe that I felt when my gaze travelled to what was on the other end of the golden band.
It was a smiling, short, stubby golden man – everything was golden – his weird spikey hair, his robe-like clothing, his hands and face.
The dust danced around him and it was forming all sort of shapes. Still smiling at me, dust accumulated over the figure's head as it waved exaggeratedly. Atop of the man's head was a miniature dust version of him – and it was waving as well.
"Hello?" I greeted unsurely as I got to my feet. The golden man beamed even more at me – he was really bright and sparkly – and before I knew it, tiny palms clasped around my hands and began to shake them.
"Alright, alright," I said as I pulled my hands away – he had had quite the grip. "It's nice to meet you too…Sandman right?"
How had I not realized that the dust had belonged to him sooner? It was Sandman's…well sand.
Chime-like sounds erupted from his person as he nodded excitedly. Above his head, his golden sand began to make the all too familiar shapes of a carved pumpkin, a witch, a werewolf. But they didn't stop there – the sand quickly formed numerous shapes thereafter, all Halloween themed.
"Woah there Sandy," I smiled as I attempted to stop his onslaught of images. "Yeah, you're right, I am the Spirit of Halloween. I'm Haley."
It was actually easy to interpret what he was trying to communicate with his sand – at least it was for now.
The smile I got was all teeth and Sandy waved at me again. He was kind of cute – like an adorable plushie or something.
I looked around me and observed the streams of sand that originated from the large cloud. They spread far and wide and I had no doubt as to where they lead to.
Sandman was the Guardian of Dreams. And I couldn't help but think that that was a wonderful thing. Everyone had dreams. Everyone loved dreams. Everyone was comforted by dreams – the pleasant ones at least.
"So," I intoned as I plopped down onto the cloud. "Why'd you drag me all the way up here?"
The light tinkering of bells sounded once more as various shapes formed above his head. Getting the general idea of what the pictures were saying, I raised a brow.
"You want to…go for a ride?"
"Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream," I sang as the boat Sandy had made with his Dreamsand moved leisurely across the night sky. It was amazing, how the Sandman could use his powers in such a way – the sand conformed to his very thoughts and imagination. He kind of reminded me of a Green Lantern – only cooler.
Sandy sat behind me, at the stern, golden oars in his hand as he made a show of rowing along the stream of golden sand. I wasn't sure how far we had drifted from where I had last seen Willie (she would not be amused when she woke up but…meh), but I didn't particularly care.
Technically, I should care. Given how I had reacted to a mere sighting of Jack Frost – I had more or less turned tail and ran. Sandman represented the same thing Jack did. But I couldn't find it within me to become all panicky.
There was something soothing…peaceful about his presence. I felt lighter.
"Merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream," I ended as we came to a stop. Excited tinkering was heard behind me and I threw Sandy a grin over my shoulder.
I turned around to peer over the bow, staring at the path the sand below us made.
It went down. Way down. And then up and around and it looped at various points – I couldn't see the end of the path actually.
The Dream Guardian was a thrill-seeker – who knew? I grasped the sides of the boat as hard as I could as I braced myself.
The tinkering sounded again.
"Ready," I declared.
This night turned out better than I expected it to be.
This night was turning out to be worse than I expected it to be.
Life had a funny way of messing with a girl.
First it takes her on a magical boat trip throughout the night sky upon golden sand of dreams. Then that magical ride turns into a chaotic, yet fun, roller-coaster ride. If it had ended as just thus – I would have called it a good night, a great night even.
But since I was left to plummet to the earth – 'great' was the last word coming out of my mouth.
The scene had happened like it was something straight out of a Looney Tunes episode.
Sandy was Bugs Bunny and I was the unlucky sap that ended up being hilariously (though now that I was in their shoes, it didn't seem all that 'hilarious' anymore) bested by him. Hmmm – maybe I was Daffy Duck…oh well.
Back to the point, I had been coming off of the high I had experienced from the wild jaunt we had taken throughout the sky. The boat had also slowed down and we were once again moving at that leisurely pace.
I had stood up in the boat (my legs were a bit wobbly) and had turned to the Sandman. I wanted to thank him really. That ride had got my heart pumping and had done its job of clearing my head completely. When I had just come into his presence I had felt lighter – now that feeling had increased at least ten times more.
I really wanted to know how he had shown up when he did. Was it a coincidence? Was it just my luck?
I wanted to ask him a lot of other things too. He was particularly old – he'd have to have the answers to at least some of my questions (even though I'd have to get…inventive with communicating).
I had turned to Sandman and grinned at him. He smiled at me too. It was then that a lever sort of thing formed from the boat's floor. Something mischievous had passed through Sandy's eyes as he wrapped his fingers around the lever.
My brows had furrowed as my smile dropped.
What was he doing?
Smile still in place – Sandy pulled the lever. I had heard a creak and when I looked down – a trap door (that wasn't there before) beneath me suddenly flew open.
There was a pause. My gaze snapped towards the Sandman.
"I'll remember thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii–"
And so here I was now.
"Alight any time now Willie!" I yelled out in vain. "Or any Wisp!"
Of course my powers were acting all botchy. It was times like this that I really wished I could fly on my own.
It was difficult for me to keep myself upright. I ended up falling head-way towards the ground. I clenched my eyes shut as I got closer and closer. I didn't know if I would die, but I did know that it would hurt like hell.
I whispered a silent prayer. As long as I did not go 'splat', I did not care how I was saved.
It was then I got the wind knocked out of me. Something solid and firm wrapped around my midsection. I was spun and then spun some more but thankfully, the world around me finally seemed to right itself when I clutched onto whatever had caught me as if I were a drowning man clutching at a rope.
"A little tight on the hold there," a strained voice above commented.
I glanced upwards and I locked gazes with striking, wintry blue eyes – they were almost like pools of sparkling water.
I blinked dazedly.
Once.
Twice.
My eyes widened as realization slowly dawned on me. In the end the answer to my prayer had indeed arrived – and it had done so in the form of Jack Frost.
"Oh boy."
He'd seen all their dreams.
He'd seen her dreams – she was lonely and confused.
He'd seen his dreams – he was lonely and frustrated.
They were both unsure…fearful.
Sandy didn't think it suit them.
For they were both very special – they were both born of light. They would be good for each other.
Manny certainly didn't object.
It'd be fun – to watch those two.
It'd be fun – to see how much their dreams would change.
Word Count: 3183
A/N: Hopefully I won't take too long with the next chapter. I don't plan on dragging this story out. Things will pick up soon, so don't worry if it's slow going for now.
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