AN: Some of you may recognize this story as: Day of the Dead: Faith or Fear? By Swtorchef. She is a friend of mine, but she is going through a lot of mental health trouble and abandoned this fic. So with her permission I am going to be taking over, changing it a bit, and updating what she started so many years ago, the first several chapters are mostly her content she has given me to update and change, (and yes all changes and updates where gone over with her before I took over the story) after I update what she had I will be doing my best to finish the story in a way that ties our writing styles together. So, without further ado! I do not own Rise of the Guardians or any of their Characters nor any of the songs I will be using, I own (mine and Swotorchef's) Original characters and changes in plot. Please read and review and let me know what you think.
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Darkness. That's the first thing I remember. It was dark, and it was cold. And I was scared. My eyes frantically flicked around me. Blackness was all I could see. I reached out my hands until I came to something hard. It felt like wood and following the wall I realized it surrounded me I was in a box. Frantic, I pounded at the wall in front of me ramming my shoulder into it. I heard a crack, and thin strips of silver light broke through. I continued to pound on the door desperately peeling at the edge of the small hole I had made.
With one final hard shove of my shoulder, I fell through landing on my hands and knees with a gasp. Pain sprang through my limbs; long silver hair fell loosely about my shoulders, and I blinked not recognizing the color. Slowly I lifted my head and took in my surroundings. It was fall. Brightly colored leaves rattled the breeze. I stood shakily and turned to glance behind me at my wooden prison. I blinked, dazed as I gazed at a wooden casket. It was placed in the wall with several other caskets just like it. Each with intricate designs and symbols for peace and safe passage to the next life etched in the surrounding stone. Above the row was carved a simple sentence. "Our dead are never dead to us, until we have forgotten them." I cocked my head, Dead? I don't remember dying. A flicker of light caught my eye and I turned. The moonlight danced across a lake hidden in the middle of the forest. I tentatively crept forward and glanced into the dark water. I sucked in a breath, there staring back at me was a young woman, maybe about 18, with dark skin, silver hair, and bright eyes. My reflection blinked back at me, and I glanced down at my clothes. I was wearing a beautiful black top with the gold embroidery made it look like a leaf and the shirt ended just above my midriff. I wore black pants with a red rose designed on the leg of one. A red belt with a crescent moon and a red cape hung from my shoulders. I touched the red cape; it was as soft as fur.
"Who am I?" the words were barley a whisper, but as if in answer light expanded in a circle around me and I looked up. And then I saw the moon it was so big, and it was so bright, and it seemed to chase the darkness away. And when it did...I wasn't scared anymore.
"You are Aria Calaca, the guide of the souls of the dead."
I blinked as the light faded and I frantically called out, desperate for more answers.
"Wait what do you mean guide of the dead?!" silence was the only response I received. I signed angrily and stomped back to the casket and glanced inside hopeful to find some answers. Unfortunately, the only thing inside where two small dolls, in the shape of cartoon looking skeletons. One was solid red and the other black with moon and star designs. I took one in each hand and almost shrieked as the shot up and flew up to hover around my shoulders like two guardian birds.
Taking a deep breath, I reached out and touch the red doll and it seemed to tap my hand in greeting. An unintentional grin crossed my face. I reached and petted the black doll as well as I started forward, as I clearly wasn't going to learn anything standing around. and they floated along after me. A piercing shriek split through the night air. After the shock cleared my mind I bolted toward the noise. As I entered a nearby clearing I froze at the sight before me. It was a graveyard and cringing behind one of the cross headstones was a young boy no more than 6. He was hiding behind the cross headstone, tears streaming down his cheeks and his mouth moving in words I could not hear. And on the other side was a vicious looking phantom canine. It was considerably larger than a normal dog. Its hair was black as coal, and its eyes glowed like angry red flames.
Anger flared deep in my gut along with a desire to protect the child. Almost is if my body were on autopilot I snapped my fingers, and the red and black dolls flew into my open hands. A flash of light blinded me, forcing me to blink rapidly to clear the blueish after image left behind. When my vision cleared I glanced down to see the dolls had transformed into two identical twin whips, one red, one black. I grinned wryly and gave the red one an experimental fling. The resounding crack echoed through the trees. The hellhound's barking instantly silenced as he turned to me. He crouched baring is gleaming yellow teeth and growled. I cracked my whips out and smiled.
"Bring it on mutt!"
The hound lunged at me, and I rolled to the side and lashed out with my black whip. It curled around his paw, and I yanked with all my might causing him to stumble but he easily recovered. When he pounced again I barley back peddled in time to avoid his lashing teeth. I jumped and summersaulted over his head, twisted, and landed on his back, but he was smarter than I though and turned his head and bit down on my calf. I screamed in pain, and he flung me sideways and I slammed into an oak with a meaty thud. My hands clasp around my calf and breathing heavily through clenched teeth I glanced up expecting to see the hellhound stalking closer. Unfortunately, the hound had lost interest in me and was slinking back toward the boy who was still cowering behind the gravestone. I glanced down at my leg, the black whip in my hand flashed and transformed into a long scarf that wrapped around my leg and glowed.
I gasped as I saw the wounds begin to close. It wasn't completely healed but it seemed my little companion was working on it. I staggered to my feet, grabbed my red whip handle in both hands, swinging it like a bat the whip stretched and coiled around the hound's throat. I planted my feet and pulled. The hound was stronger, and I slowly started to slide forward as the hound lashed his fangs and the boy. I pointed toward the hound and the black scarf unwound itself from my leg and shot forward, wrapping harshly around his muzzle effectively snapping his mouth shut.
The creature shook his head back and forth, trying to dislodge the scarf but couldn't. I stood there, with the current threat temporarily disabled didn't know what to do next. Then the red whip jerked out of my hands. Transformed to a scarf and started to spin in a circle, the black released the hound's muzzle and joined the red whip in its tornado like motion. The hound howled in rage as it was unable to leave the circling scarves. Unbidden I felt a vibration welling up in my chest and I opened my mouth and a high note reverberated through the air. Then the ground underneath the hound opened to reveal a flash of flame and the screams of the dammed just before the hound fell through and was gone. The scarves slowed and stopped, in a flash of light they were once again the little skeleton dolls and they floated back over to me to hover over my shoulders. I stroked them affectionately and started toward the boy.
I smiled encouragingly, "Don't be scared, it's gone, it can't hurt you." The boy didn't move. I frowned and crouched in front of him. "Hey common, it's ok now you can get up." He still didn't move. Frustrated I reached out to haul him to his feet when my hand passed right through his shoulder. I shrieked and jerked back, grimacing as my calf ached dully. Staring at the boy I swallowed, unsure of what was going on. Finally, he blinked glanced around and shakily stood still holding onto the cross for support. He glanced around the clearing his eyes passing over me each time. He couldn't see me. The thought filled me with despair and the dolls wrapped they arms comfortingly around me. I backed away as the boy hugged the gravestone for comfort.
"Charles!" frantic voices sounded from behind me, and I turned as a group of adults ran to the boy each one that ran through me like a blow to my soul. Tears trickled from my eyes as a man dropped to his knees pulling the boy into a fierce hug. "Why did you run off like that you know the forest isn't safe at night!" the boy cried into his father's chest.
"I…I…j…just wanted…..t…to see. Ma." He said between broken sobs, "b..but t..the….dog…"his voice broke off into wails and his father held him close. I backed away as tears fell. I wouldn't know it then, but it would be ages before I again would I feel the touch of another. Filled with dread I turned and ran into the woods, desperate to get away, to run from things I felt I'd never escape. Running back to the wooden casket I'd broken free from I collapsed, tears still falling. The dolls did their best to comfort me. Hazily, as if remembering a dream, I couldn't quite place, a song came to my mind and the lyrics flowed brokenly from me. The dolls began humming along with the rhythm of the song.
Hush now, my baby
Be still love, don't cry
Sleep like you're rocked by the stream
Sleep and remember this river lullaby
and I'll be with you when you dream
Drift on a river that flows through my arms
Drift as I'm singing to you
I see you smiling so peaceful and calm
and holding you I'm smiling too
Hush now, my baby
Be still love, don't cry
Sleep like you're rocked by the stream
I couldn't remember how I knew that song, but my heart felt lighter, and as I rubbed the tears from my eyes. I squared my shoulders and glared defiantly at up at the silent sky….
My name is Aria Calaca. How do I know that? The moon told me so. But that was all the reclusive bastard ever told me. And that was a long, long time ago. I had to figure this whole day of the dead spirit thing on my own since then.