Hooray, we've reached the double-digits in chapters. I'm glad to here so many people liking the story and wanting me to update fast, I'll try my best to not keep you guys waiting long. Enjoy the next chapter. BTW- chapter 10 is split into two parts.
The two seasonal children met everyday since they began their fun weeks ago. The swamp, to any other person of magical being would seem like an odd place to meet, for it was desolate and lacked the exciting, bright colors of the outside world but to these two it was paradise. Here they could be friends and forget the problems and duties of the world at large, here they could be free from it all. The two children began their days after the summer spirit finished bringing the sun's heat to the world and they would sadly have to leave when the last rays of light would disappear, this was when, as Jack noticed, the summer girl would become tired. Even though he knew a schedule such as this was putting strain to the little girl, he started to notice that she would slowly and slowly stretch the time longer with him; she would use all her energy to play with him just a little longer.
"Hey Siria," Jack said as they took a break from their merriment of the day "Do you get tired easily?"
"Yeah" The girl responded with her newly learned speech pattern "Why do you ask?"
"Oh, it's just that...every time we meet up I've seen that you get really tired when the sun goes down, is it just a season thing, or what?"
Siria looked down to the dried mud she was sitting on "Yeah, it's a season thing." Jack looked at the girl next to him, her face hidden by the muddied sunhat, it seemed she didn't like being tired so easily.
"I don't think that's the whole story."
Siria sighed "Sorry Marsh, I'm not comfortable talking about it so much." Jack took the hint "Oh that's okay" he started "I was just curious that's all."
"That's okay," Siria replied, feeling the awkwardness the conversation took he changed the subject quickly "So, it's gonna be May tomorrow, you excited?"
"May starts tomorrow!?" Siria in shock, Jack nodded his head "Yeah, it does. Did you forget?"
"Oh" Siria said "Time went by so fast..."
"Yeah it did" Jack began "So, I was thinking that since it's May tomorrow that we'd-"
"I can't" Siria said suddenly, Jack looked at his friend with concern "Why not?"
"I...I just have a lot to do tomorrow, that's all."
"Like what?"
"Just stuff. Summer stuff."
Jack sighed "Are you sure you can't make it?" the girl looked to him and shook her head.
The winter spirit wasn't happy to hear she couldn't make it tomorrow, he was hoping to take her to a nearby festival he heard about a couple of days ago and have fun with her there, his plans were now short-lived. Sensing that he just made the conversation turn cold, for the lack of a better term, and convinced Siria to continue playing with him. The two young spirits threw mud at each other and wrestled in the natural sludge. Then just like every day since they began their friendship, the waning daylight told them it was time to go, with a disappointed goodbye the two departed once again. The summer girl going towards the sky and the winter boy back to the coldness of the north.
Siria recalled the day she spent with her friend Marsh to Flint as she brought back the rays of the sun to let the earth cool from the solar assault. The girl explained how they played in the swamp and how because of this she was becoming more use to the modern world; because of her new friends, she felt more connected to the world at large.
"We've had so much fun together." Siria told the bird "I can't wait till after May first so we can play again." The bird chirped and looked at her in confusion; why after May first?"
"I'm guessing you're wondering why after the first of May, don't you Flint?" The bird chirped again in response.
Siria looked at the bird "I'll tell you Flint but you have to keep it a secret, okay?" Flint nodded his head and Siria let out a sigh "I made a promise to my mother that when I was fourteen I would go to the May Day festival with her. She said that once I was that old I would be better and she would take me." Siria then looked down "but...then, I turned into the summer spirit and my mother couldn't take me anymore so I decided from then on out that I would spend that day in a desert."
Flint gave her a disapproving look, "You might think it's extreme" Siria started "but I made a promise with my mother and would never betray my mother; besides, what's the use of going if I wouldn't be able to enjoy it."
Flint chirped
"No, I've made my choice, I won't go."
The bird chirped again
"No Flint I won't..." Siria broke into a coughing fit before she could finish, the bird flew near her in concern, she waved him away.
"I'm okay...I've just been feeling a bit cold lately." The summer spirit girl then recomposed herself "I just need a bit of sun and I'll be better; it's a good thing I'm taking a break tomorrow so I can." She then gave Flint a smile "Come on Flint, time for you to get some rest, you can have the day again tomorrow." Flint was still uneasy but perched at a nearby tree and prepared himself for the next day; Siria looked up to the sky.
"Yeah, I just need a day to myself."
Jack laid sprawled on the floor, bored. He was so use having his day either spent in the swamp or writing to the summer spirit that he never really thought about what he would do if he didn't have anything to do, well, except for a prank that was about to be revealed in three...two...
"ARG!" a yeti cried in the distance, Jack punched the air in victory "Yes!"
The yeti named Paul came stomping into the main room, his fur covered in purple paint, the jar in which he thought contained cookies in his hands. As he stomped to where Jack was, Paul cried out something inaudible to the winter spirit.
"Hey Paul" Jack said with a smile "You look rather purple today, is that a new look?" The yeti glared at the winter spirit and without warning dumped the rest of the paint onto Jack.
"Ahh!" Jack cried out as the paint splashed onto his face, his once blue appearance turned purple; the other yetis that happened to be passing by laughed and cheered for this over-due pay-back to the king of pranks.
"Well played Paul" Jack said as he sat up and wiped the paint of his face "well played but you do know this means war." The yeti grunted in acceptance of the challenge and walked away, passing the approving yetis and a just arrived North.
"Vat happened here?" North bellowed as he went towards the teenager "Vell Jack?" the jolly man was not amused.
"I was just having some fun" Jack explained "but it sorta back-fired on me." The Russian sighed "Jack, ve are vorking today, did you forget that it vas a vork day today?"
"Uh...maybe..." Jack said with a small chuckle "Sorry North."
"Don't you have somewhere to go?" North asked "I haven't seen you around lately and I expected you to be gone on adventure today."
Jack huffed "I did but I canceled my adventure today."
North raised an eyebrow "Really, vhy?"
"Just 'cause." Jack replied "that's pretty much it." He then picked himself up"Better take all this paint off before I stay permanently purple."
"Sure you are vell?" North called after him; Jack turned to look at the older man "Yeah, I'm fine." Jack then continued his walk towards the bathroom.
"There is something odd going on here, I know it."
Jack wiped off the light layer of frost that had accumulated on top of the mirror from his very cold shower with a towel, then he vigorously dried his snow colored hair to avoid having frozen droplets form into it. Jack studied his face in the mirror, no more purple, just the frozen blue and white he was so use to seeing then again, he had now gotten use to seeing himself in a more muddier and less clean state. The teenager then put his hand against the glass, creating a bit of frost with his touch. As simple as that he was able to make something freeze, with just a touch he could make ice, with his touch he could create. In the case of his polar opposite she would allude to destruction, that with her touch she was only able to destroy. the winter spirit was just confused, what was so different about May first that she just couldn't tell him? Jack wanted answers and he was just standing there acting as if he was going to accept it, no, this just wasn't his style. With new found drive Jack put on his hoodie, laced up his pants, grabbed his staff and ran out the door.
Jack ran so quickly that he created a cold draft inside the halls, causing those who walked inside them at the time to shudder.
"Sorry 'bout that!" Jack cried out as he made his way towards the main doors.
"Jack!" North cried out "Vhere are you going?" Jack stopped in his tracks and perched on the crook of his staff "I'm going out North."
"Really?" North said in amazement "Here I thought you canceled your adventure. Why change so suddenly?"
"I decided to do something else." Jack said.
"Always up to things." North said with a smirk "Very vell, go have fun, just don't prank my yetis again for a while."
"Sure thing!" Jack happily said as he jumped off from his perch and flew off into the world, off to a new adventure.
The scorching heat didn't bother the summer spirit, she was made of heat; she was always surrounded by heat. Siria inhaled as she twirled around her scepter, she had only coughed once that day and the sun was helping her recover any strength she didn't know she had lost. It was good day to be in the desert, actually, it was the day to be in the desert. She was floating over the vast mounds of sand when she felt a cold breeze pass by, the sun girl quickly turned around.
"What are you doing here Marsh!?" Siria demanded.
"Just checking to see what was so special that you had to cancel our fun for today." Jack replied, he then surveyed the vast area of hot sand "So, this was what so special, huh?"
"I told you it was my business," Siria said with annoyance "now, go back to the swamp where you belong."
"No, I think I'll just hang here for a while" Jack said casually, much to the girl's dismay.
Siria huffed "How'd you find me anyways?"
"Well, it wasn't easy" Jack said plainly "Had to go all across Europe to find you. Seriously, I don't know why you canceled if you were just going to float here and do nothing."
"I had things to do okay." Siria responded "That's all to it."
"I don't think so."
"Well it is"
"No it's not"
"Yes it is"
"No"
"Yes"
"No"
"Yes!"
"NO!"
"Oh, you are such a pest Marsh!" Siria yelled at the spirit "Why do you want to know!?"
"Because you're my friend and I care!" Jack yelled back, Siria stared at him blankly "What?"
Jack recomposed himself "You're my friend Siria and I just want to make sure you're alright but I can't do that if you won't tell me what's the matter. I mean, you get tired easily and you clearly don't want anything to do with may first, it's just a day. "
"It's not to me." Siria said sadly "It never was." Jack moved a little closer "Hey, come on" he coxed "you can tell me."
Siria sighed and took hold of Jack's muddied hand "I think it's more of something I have to show you."
The two spirits silently soared across the skies, passing by green lands and buzzing cities, eventually Jack spotted the swamp that they've been using.
"Hey, that's the swamp, why are we back?" Jack pointed out, Siria kept her silence. The pair flew a little bit longer until they reached a town, the citizens were all dressed for the occasion with flowers. In the center of the town there was a pole, beautifully decorated with streamers and flowers; at this point in the day there was a parade going on and from their altitude they could here the music and merriment.
"We're at a festival" Jack said "Why?"
Siria broke her silence "Because this was what I was trying to avoid."
"Really? Why?"
"Because" Siria sighed "I promised my mother I would go to the May Day festival with her."
Jack looked at her in confusion "I'm not getting you here." Siria looked up at the teenager.
"This town, didn't use to be here." she started "It use to be just land and before that, there was a village."
"How do you know?" Jack asked
"Because...I was here once, you see, there was this lord and he let this area be inhabited, from what I heard, he was a good man but I can't say that I knew his kindness personally." She then took in a breath "It all started on May Day, the story I'm about to tell you."
"What story?"
Siria looked down to the town, breathed in and sighed again.
"A story about a girl named Sarah, the May Queen's daughter."
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Till next time!