Chapter Two- Arisen

If she had known that it was going to be so bright, she would have kept her eyes closed. Firmly closed. But in the cold blue depths, her startling blue eyes had opened and now that she had the magnificent light pooling out above her, she was unable to look away. She was resting at the bottom of the mass of water- a lake perhaps? Not a stream or the ocean because there were no currents pulling her this way that way. She hated currents, always trying to decide for you what direction you would like to travel. She didn't need or want to be told what to do by anyone. Which brought her to another question. Who was she?

Even though she had no idea who or indeed what she was, the question seemed trivial and irrelevant as she stared at the entrancing moon. She was sure it was the moon, the circular disc radiating light and warmth. Sending glints of almost iridescent colors over the ice above her. Ice? Was that what the sheet of glass was, that seemed so very far away? A lifetime away she decided. That unsettled her.

The moon momentarily forgotten, she wondered if she was supposed to be underwater. Underwater... yes, that was where she was! Feeling giddy with the new information, she propped her self up on the bedrock and examined herself. She gasped. How white was her hair! So... snowy white but gleaming subtly- like pearls. She giggled underwater, a bubble of air escaping upward. She panicked for a second before remembering that she had been underwater for a while now, and seemed to be immune to the lack of oxygen. She twirled a strand, reveling in the sight of her long wavy hair, billowing out in the water twisting and moving in patterns, moved by invisible hands.

She was wearing tan pants and a short sleeved blouse made of a thick deep blue material. It had a v-neck and was laced down for about 4cm. She noticed a lighter blue shawl made of a thin smooth material. She caressed the material, and draped it over her shoulders.

The Moon beamed down at her and beckoned her upward towards the ice. She slowly rose, allowing the water to push her upward just this once. The ice grew closer and closer, but instead of crashing into it, she broke through it as easily as if it were just water. The ice liked her. But even out of the water, away from the ice and exposed to the harsh winds of the woodlands she continued to rise. She felt alive.

She felt so alive, and so new! The beautiful white purity which surrounded her took her breath away. She gasped as streaks of brown shot down her white hair turning it a mahogany brown. And her eyes, so cold before deepened in color to an ocean blue. She gulped breath down because it tasted and smelt so good, and her senses were only invigorated by the cold air.

Then the wind dropped her,and she plummeted a short distance, landing awkwardly on the ice.

"Ow!" She shouted indignantly, the moment ruined. The wind sniggered.

"That was uncalled for!" She brandished her fists at the air around her.

Calm yourself Adrianne, sweet spirit.

"Sorry Moon. Sorry Wind." She held her hands up in surrender. The wind brushed against her gently. She was forgiven.

"Moon... who am I?" The moon continued to beam down at her, silent."Fine don't answer" she huffed.

...

Jack watched from nearby, trussed to a tree and silenced by Pitch. He felt a familiar ache as he remembered his own awakening. She was so full of joy, just as he had been. When she first arose with white hair and blue eyes just as his, he dared to hope- maybe there would be another winter spirit like him. Sure the guardians were family, but they could never completely understand his need to never sit still, or to ride the wind wherever it may take him. He smiled softly as the wind unceremoniously dumped her on the surface of the lake. The wind was still playing favorites. But when the wind playfully ruffled her brown hair as her eyes filled with laughter and mischief as it had done many times to him... he wasn't sure. Would he have to share the wind?

But when the... girl, there was no other way to describe her, pleaded with the uncooperative moon, he felt his cold heart go out to her. She was just like him. No, he corrected, she was just like how he used to be. He thought about his his bitterness, his loneliness... he could protect her from that, and in doing so, cure the loneliness in himself.

That's if Pitch didn't get his claws into her first.

She masked her irritation and sadness towards the moon with indifference. Pitch had made clear to him, that if the girl made no impression on him, he would leave and not bother her again. So Jack hoped for her sake she would wait until tomorrow to begin experimentation.

Well they do say that curiosity killed the cat.

"I'm wearing hardly anything,"The girl spoke aloud to her self, or else to a nearby tree."and there is snow everywhere, and I'm standing on this ice with no shoes... but I'm not cold. I'm a winter spirit!" She laughed delightedly.

"Like Jack Frost!" Jack shook his head- how right she was.

"So can I... create ice?" She pointed her hands at the ground and screwed her face up in concentration. Nothing happened.

"Do I need a stick or something?" She looked around bewildered, into she caught sight of something on the ice. She whooped triumphantly as she scooped the object up, and while doing do manged to freeze her foot to the lake. She frowned before laughing.

"Well not exactly as planned but still. I can create ice!" She fastened the object round her neck, it was a pendant of some sort.

"Can you melt now please?" She hesitantly tapped the ice block encasing her foot, and groaned as the ice only thickened. She crossed her arms and began to sulk. Jack bit back a smirk as he watched her brood. her eyes lit up as she had an idea.

"Melt." Her eyes flashed gold for a fraction of a second, and her index finger set alight. She yelped and tried to jump backwards, forgetting about her foot. She cracked her head on the ice, and let slip a curse. Jack was stunned. She was obviously a spirit of winter so fire- that should have been beyond her. Fire was her opposite, yet she still created it.

"Okay." Her voice was shaky as she stared at her finger, now extinguished.

Only Jack saw Pitch's smile widen with glee.

...

"My fingers set on fire if I ask them to. That's new." She looked at her finger, and it set alight again. She grinned and put it next to her trapped foot. The ice began to slowly melt. Adrianne blew outwards and tapped her other fingers together, and they set alight too. She laughed at the warm tingly feeling which fizzed at her fingertips. When she was free, she froze an ice block, then melted it, then froze it, then melted it.

She sneezed, a tiny little thing, but it sent jets of fire straight towards the trees, which promptly began to flame. Adrianne gasped in horror- the flames which she had mistaken for playful were actually hungry beasts as they devoured the beautiful trees. Suddenly the heat was unbearable and sickly, and all she wanted to do was to cool down.

"Out out out!" She frantically scrambled over, and unwittingly released a jet of ice, which froze the flames. the frozen flames looked so beautiful and delicate, but she backed away. Adrianne looked at her hands uncertainly, before clenching them together before she could cause more harm.

What is happening to me?

She wandered listlessly through the forest, but never strayed far from the lake.

THUMP

Adrianne jumped and rose her hands to defend her self. When nobody rushed out to assault her, she moved towards the noise. One of the trees, she noted, was a funny shape. Somebody was standing by it. No, not standing, she realized as she drew nearer still, tied to the tree. Gagged and bound like a prisoner.

He was a boy she realized, the same age as herself. He was pale and thin, and looked like a stiff wind could get the better of him. Anger rose within her, and she was filled with repulsion. What could he have done to deserve this? His white hair almost hid his eyes, which were pleading and guarded at the same time. His face was littered with minor cuts and scratches. Her heart filled with pity.

She reached to remove the gag from his mouth. Words poured out of his mouth in a tumble, and not the words she expected to hear.

"Run. You have to run now, do you hear me?" His eyes flicked between hers and a shadow in the distance. Adrianne shook her head.

"I'm not going anywhere."