In a lavish three house palace in Amazon Rainforest, Mother Nature was finishing up on her duties in a fast pace.
Emilie couldn't remember the last time she'd been this nervous. Jane had told her at breakfast that she could expect an invitation once she'd settled in her own place. Of course Emily had promised to come as quick as she could. Nothing would keep her from being with her sister now that she was out of their father's clutches for good.
She had to thank Jack next time they spoke. She hadn't had the chance last night and this morning she just felt like he'd be uncomfortable if she showed her thanks in front of his new friends.
That and she couldn't come up with an excuse to stay after Jane left.
Still he deserved a proper thanks. He might see it as doing his job, but that didn't change how truly amazing what he did was. She'd nearly gotten a heart attack when Jack descended from the ceiling, dancing with her little sister as if they'd done this a billion times before. And then he'd made sure the two of them could talk face to face again after being out of each other's lives for so long.
Emily had lost count of the amount of times she'd nearly gone to speak with her sister during past nox lumens. She just never had the courage. Too afraid of rejection. And after a century or so, not talking became such a habit that she'd subconsciously given up on trying.
It was shameful really. She was Mother Nature for Pete's sake. Not some scared little human. She should've barged into Pitch Black's lair ages ago and demanded her sister back.
Clearly all her sister needed was someone to be brave enough to reach out to her. Someone to show her that people cared what happened to her.
Of course Jack wasn't just anybody. It was hard to deny him something he really wanted once he was determined to get it. And perhaps he was lucky that Jane hadn't turned around and ran away the second he appeared in front of her. But still.
How was it that the first person to actually try was a young spirit that barely knew Jane rather than her own sister?
Emily shook her head as she focused her mind back on the hibernation season.
No use worrying about it any way. Jane had already made it clear that she didn't blame her for any of it. And today they'd see each other again! Not only that, but from now on they would get to see each other whenever they wanted.
She'd picked out a perfect dress. Forest green instead of her usual spring green signature. Some ivy details on the waist and neckline. And a blue iris in her hair to finish it off.
Simple, dignified and most importantly a little playful. The last thing she wanted was come off as intimidating.
And off course she had picked out a proper housewarming gift.
She checked in with the birds of passage, they had settled in their winter nests well. One last overview of the hibernating animals and plants. Everyone seemed undisturbed.
Good, she could leave things be for a few hours without disasters happening.
And not a minute too soon.
She took one glance at her shadow and it was clear that her sister was ready for her.
It was waving at her. She waved back, hoping that this would make it clear to her shadow or Jane that she had seen her. The shadow pointed east.
Emily whistled for one of her little birds. The note hadn't echoed out before one landed graciously on her finger.
"You wouldn't happen to know where princess Jane of the shadow's new home is would you?"
Little birds were gossipers without equal.
If a new spirit castle had emerged, they would definitely know.
And indeed as expected the bird nodded and told her that the castle was last seen in New Zeeland in the April Salome forest.
Satisfied with the information she grabbed her gift and mentally reached out into the earth, following the birds directions to find where exactly her sister's castle was rooted, only to find nothing. That was odd... Usually she could feel where other spirit's homes were based due to the energy in the ground.
She searched the area surrounding the mountain again and finally found a remnant of magic just past the city limits. A trail of magic in fact. Soon she found the source. She was a bit sadened that her sister hadn't chosen to build her home on the same continent as hers. She found trans oceanic travel unpleasant, but she would gladly travel any distance necessary to see her again.
She softly caressed the three and a moment later she was traveling through the roots that connected all corners of the world.
When she emerged she was faced with an imposing castle that seemed to be not quite there. Not exactly touching the ground, which explained why she hadn't been able to sense it.
The castle was a unique sight. As the sun came up behind her Emily expected for the dark of the night to give way and allow her to properly see her sister's new home.
But as the light got brighter she realized that the castle wasn't as close as she'd thought.
She walked forward and found that she didn't get any closer.
It took her a little too long to realize that the castle was in fact rooted somewhere, just not in the earth. It was rooted in the shadows of the moment before dawn. This shadow was what made it hard to decipher the exact outlook of the building and even made the colors hard to see.
She propelled herself forward by growing a tree beneath her feet. Outrunning the sun was no easy feat, not even for a spirit. Suddenly she felt herself gain momentum. Was that… The Eastern wind?
With the extra boost she landed on the front steps, her feet disappearing in the mist-like-shadow.
"Thank you," she said earnestly. If the wind heard her he didn't respond. Which was fine. Even if that wind had moved on, one of his siblings would carry her message to him.
With that thought she turned to the doorway.
The design of the castle was quite ingenious actually. Even a mortal who did belief spirits like herself and Jane existed would have a hard time noticing the castle, and even if they did, by the time they got a good look at it the sun would have driven it farther back. Which would most likely end up with most humans deciding they must've been mistaken.
Even knowing that it was here, Emily found herself awed at the fact that she was standing on what seemed to be stone steps and not the forest floor that was passing not too far beneath her.
And reaching out her hand to knock she half expected her hand to faze through the barely visible door.
But it didn't. With an echoing 'thud' her knuckles hit the wooden door. She barely had the chance to knock a second time before the door flew open and someone, her sister no doubt, tackled her and nearly sent the both of them flying of the stairs.
"You're here!" Her little sister's excited laughter was infectious. Soon both were giggling and hugging. After almost ten minutes of uninterrupted squealing and giggling the shadows moved in on Jane, effectively drawing her attention back to the here and now.
"Alright, alright! We're coming inside," she assured them with an affectionate pat, too happy to be annoyed by the attention craving beings.
She turned to her sister with a nervous, excited smile.
"So. Ready to take a look at the place?" she asked.
"Lead the way," Emily smiled warmly.
With another excited giggle the princess of shadows pulled her sister inside by the hand.
"This is the hallway slash throne room I suppose. It's kind of the whole floor. There you have the standard where I stand to do my job. I like to have a spot so the shadows know when I'm at work and when I'm taking a break for whatever reason. And, for future visits I've been working on shortcuts for everyone in here. There's a mirror for Haru to visit. And there is a few plots of ground for some plants for you and other nature bound spirits. I'm pretty sure it would work for Bunny to open a tunnel here. There is a window up there that's always going to be open to let the winds and other flying spirits in…" She listed many more entrances for her fellow spirits, but Emily was only half listening at this point. She was impressed by the brightness of the room despite the many shadows. And the many ways to come in once again indicated how much her sister actually loved being around people. Back before Pitch had found them she had loved interacting with anything that would stop long enough to let her. And now, out of their father's isolation, her little sister flourished once more.
She was like this house. Open and bright and welcoming despite outwards appearances.
"I think that about covers pretty much everything for this room. Aside from like the couches and chaises…" She gestured to the many pieces of seating furniture that surrounded the center of the room. "But those speak for themselves," she shrugged.
"Take a seat. I have to let a few shadows pass through and then we can go to my room…"
Emily nodded, but instead of taking a seat, she walked towards a shadowy plot of ground and planted her present. It was a special flower she'd started to grow and take care of when they first got separated. Now it had grown and evolved to be not only a reminder of her sister, but also the perfect plant to add color to a castle of shadows. She had a separate spot in her garden where she had a few dozen of these shadowblossoms. And one of them now would take root in her sister's home.
She was curious to see how her little creation would do in the environment she was made for.
If Jane was anything to go by, the little bud would be alright.
She returned to the center of the room and sat herself in a chaise as the shadows swirled around the room in a graceful, soothing kind of way. Kind of like watching fish swim by.
One by one they'd pass by Jane and as she stroked them they changed.
Emily couldn't put her finger on it, since to her they all looked like vague masses of slightly darker air. But she was certain that when Jane touched them something about their shape changed.
After this they disappeared from the room, most likely to take their new place in the world.
"Mom's shadow comes by every once in a while," Jane whispered all of the sudden.
Emily didn't know what to say to that. Should she ask how she was? Should she just smile and nod?
"Oh?" she hummed, hoping it was vague enough to pass as whatever Jane was looking for.
"Yeah. It's nice when she's close. I never dared to keep her around for longer than absolutely necessary though. I feared dad would notice somehow and… well. I don't know what I was afraid of exactly. I just knew that it would be a bad thing if either noticed the other's presence you know?"
Emily gathered the courage to ask: "What do you mean? Shadows aren't like ghosts right? They're not the actual people they once belonged to… Or are they?"
Jane looked back at her sister with a comforting smile.
"Yes and no. A shadow doesn't forget it's former lives. And it remembers our shadows. When we separated we didn't each get a new shadow. Look." She approached her sister, pulled her up and made her look at their shadows… It was one and the same.
Jane took a step back and they were two again. But when she stepped back closer the shadows shifted and it looked like there was one person standing in the room instead of two.
"They remember what it was like when we were one. And if I'm honest, I'm not even sure If I remember being Emily-Jane as well as they remember being her shadow." With a sigh she returned to her post to finish up with the shadows.
"Anyway, she is enough like mom to make it nice to be with her every once in a while… She's a whale now, it'll be a decade or something before I expect her back. If you want…" The invitation hung in the air. Emily didn't know what to do. On one hand any kind of chance to feel their mother close again was welcome. On the other, would she even know? She didn't have Jane's affinity with the shadows.
Would her mother's shadow pass her by and try anything to catch her attention only for her to notice it about as much as the small shadows passing through between her feet.
"I'll help you," Jane promised guessing her sister's concerns.
"I'll think about it," she allowed. She couldn't say yes… Not yet.
"Great!" Jane exclaimed as she hopped from the platform and grabbed Emily's arm again to bring her upstairs. Jane's room was basically an oasis of comfortable pillows, matrasses, blankets and all kinds of couches.
Emily barely had time to take it all in before Jane dragged her with her as she let them fall on aforementioned matrasses.
When Emily got back up she saw the twinkling lights of a troublemaker in her sister's eyes.
"One dance with Jack and you are a trickster? What happened to my baby sister?" Emily teased.
To her surprise though Jane blushed. "A dance and a walk after everyone else went to bed actually."
Suddenly it dawned on the nature matriarch.
"Jane…" she grinned feeling like a teenager for the first time in forever. "Do you have a crush?"
The fact that there was absolutely no eye contact and a lot of blushing said it all.
"Yes," she finally admitted.
Emily sat up. "Tell me everything," she demanded.