Hey Guys! Guess who's back?! :D

Well, I spent some lovely, quality time with my cousins :) Got one of them hooked onto Rise of The Guardians...;) *fist pump* Anyway guys, sorry this wasn't out as early as I wanted it to be, it took a while cause it's LONGER *winks* and I didn't get to upload it earlier in the week like I wanted to...sorry...
Hope you enjoy it though! Btw, I just quickly want to ask, are any of you guys, like, hard-core Mortal Instruments/Infernal Devices fans? Cause I freaking love those book series! :D:D:D:D And the movie for City of Bones! *gasp!* OMGOSH I'M SO EXCITED! :D:D:D:D:D:D
Ahem...*cough*...sorry...;)
Enjoy this 6800 something word chapter guys!

Disclaimer: The monkeys say I don't own Rise of The Guardians...so, sorry guys...

Chapter 17 – Memories: Atheia
(Jack's POV)

I was not crazy. I swear I was not going mad. Though, after everything that had been going on, it didn't seem possible to actually be crazy. I had seen her; trapped behind the eyes of the Atheia who wasn't as she seemed. She was there. I could see her, banging on the invisible wall behind her pupils. It was eye catching, really, seeing Atheia helplessly pounding against the eyes of the non-Atheia. I had heard of humans describing eyes as 'windows to the soul,' but I hadn't realized until now how amazingly accurate they had actually been.

I was gaping at the little, humanized figure of Atheia, who stared back at me with an equal amount of shock. I was relived enough to discover that neither her eyes or her hair had obtained the colour that her outside look had acquired, and I gazed into her emerald eyes with a wave of hope.

So Atheia hadn't changed; she didn't really doubt me or the Guardians for real, it had all just been a trick of the mind. I never doubted she had changed, but seeing her, the real her and not an imposter, was as reliving as it was terrifying. Trapped behind the eyes of a lie, I could only imagine the helplessness Atheia was experiencing. How did she even get there anyway? As recent memories flashed into my mind like light bulbs, I clenched my teeth in self-loathing as I suddenly realized all of what she was experiencing was my fault. If I hadn't left her alone with Pitch then none of this would be happening.

I swallowed back the lump in my throat as the real Atheia lifted her hand in a hesitant and skeptical wave. Her mouth was still gaping at me in awe as she squinted at me in a studying look; probably to try and determine if I actually saw her. I went to return the greeting gesture before the fake Atheia interrupted.

"Jack! I said hand the kid over!" I glanced quickly to the frustrated look on the face of the imposter, who gestured towards Jamie hiding behind my back, before my eyes flickered back to the real Atheia.

She shook her head in a desperate way, waving her hands around. Her face constructed into a thoughtful look before brightening up with what I assumed was an idea. My face scrunched up in confusion as she gestured to her stomach, nodding a head in my direction. Uncertainly, I moved my free hand over my hoodie pocket, ignoring the confused looks I got from both Jamie and the imposter; only focusing on Atheia's encouraging nods. Getting the following gestures she applied, I slipped my hand into the pocket, grabbing the first thing my hand laid on. I pulled out the cylindrical object as Atheia nodded enthusiastically. Gazing down to the memory box, the gears in my head ticked as the familiar girl on the end of the box smiled up at me in mid-laugh. I took another glance at the real Atheia as she gave me another nod. The imposing Atheia, however, just looked at me in confusion, letting the tip of the jagged knife she was holding point down to the ground in worry.

Even though the voice didn't shake, I could hear the anxiety and hesitance in her tone along with the always-present loathing. "Jack…what are you doing?"

(Atheia's POV)

It was one of the best feelings I could experience when I discovered Jack was actually looking through the eyes of the Shell and actually at me. I was purely overwhelmed, using all my mental strength not to faint from shock. At first I hadn't believed it; it felt too good to be true, but when the winter spirit continued his mindless gaping, it was obvious he wasn't noticing how purple the Shell's eyes had gotten.

I had hesitantly lifted a hand to wave, still not quite believing he could see me despite the obvious signs. When he had went to reply the gesture I was bursting with joy, even when the Shell's voice had echoed around the room, demanding for Jamie and interrupting the winter spirit. When Jack's expression faltered into one of defeat for a sliver of a second, I shook my head and waved my arms, hoping to get the message across that Jamie would not be sacrificed for her.

Around then was the time I had to think of a plan, which was a bit difficult. My mind had spun around in my head, bouncing off painfully fast thoughts that came and went too quickly to comprehend; it had take another lot of mental strength to slow the speed down to where I could actually think without a headache blossoming. My mind had twisted into a focused expression for a few minutes as I raked my head for ideas, before I recalled one from earlier before.

What if memories could reconnect the mind to the soul?

A grin etched across my face as I also recalled Jack pocketing the memory box when he had first seen the effects of Pitch's work on me. I grinned back up to Jack, who still stared at me in confusion. I had gestured at his hoodie pocket, grinning with joy as he eventually got the message and pulled the teeth box out. After a few exchanged glances between the memory case and me, it was obvious he understood the message as he took a step forward towards the Shell.

"Jack…what are you doing?"

I shivered with worry as Jack advanced closer to the fake me, the tooth box clenched firmly in his fist. It glinted in the moonlight that streamed through the open window, causing the little girl on the end of the container to reflect and gleam in the light. My heart was clenched in bittersweet anticipation. This was it; I was going to finally discover my memories. The Shell questioned Jack further as he took several more steps towards her, almost in arms reach now. I could see Baby Tooth perched on his shoulder, giving me a thumbs up. I returned the gesture hesitantly, feeling my hands shake in worry. I took a deep breath, attempting to cease my shaking as Jack locked eyes with me, sending a reassuring smile my way.

In a split second his hand shot out towards 'Atheia.' Ignoring her cries and struggles of alarm, he wrapped his hand firmly around her wrist, locking it into place and pressing the memory box into her hand, keeping a firm hold on it himself. Baby Tooth had quickly flown down to the tooth container and pressed her tiny hands to the lid before the Shell could struggle out of Jack's grasp.

I saw the diamond tiles of the lid float and spin off the container, and I was only able to lock eyes with Jack and Baby Tooth for a second before the diamonds dissolved and the Shell was plunged into the memories, taking me with her.

(3rd POV)

A little girl, no older than five, sat crouched on the wooden floorboards near an open fireplace, savoring the comforting waves of warmth as they flowed from the orange flames. Another woman sat in a chair, smiling softly at the young brunette girl who rocked back and forth with worry as she clutched a doll to her chest. Her eyes never left the flames as she watched them dart and lick the wooden logs in the fireplace, shaping eerie shadows on the walls of the room.

"Mamma?" The little girl uttered in a small voice.

"Yes dear?"

"Are pappa and Jack coming home?"

The woman chuckled lightly, opening her arms for the little girl as she climbed onto her lap. She snuggled into her mother's arms, wrapping her own around the woman's torso. The woman sighed contently, smiling down to the little girl who gazed back up at the woman with glistening, hazel eyes.

"My dear Rose, forever remember that you're brother and your father will

always come home," The woman planted a kiss onto the little girl's forehead, tightening her loving embrace around the child. She chuckled lightly, as if remembering a pleasant memory. "Those two are stubborn, it is not rare that they'll do anything for the ones they love."

"But where are they Mother?"

"They've just gone to collect more firewood Rose," The mother gave a warm smile to her daughter, placing another kiss on her forehead. "There is nothing to be afraid of."

-Memories-

"Pappa!"

Little seven year old Rose giggled in joy after her father, picking up her pleated dress as she ran after him. Her chocolate-brown hair blew in the wind as she leapt over branches and stones, taking care to not get her dress caught. She could see him ahead along with her mother, holding hands lovingly as they walked through the forest. She saw him spare a glance behind him, grinning at the young girl but not stopping.

Rose's expression scrunched up into one of determination as she pounded after her father and mother, her little legs carrying her over the uneven, rocky ground. For a second, she heard someone running up behind her, but she took no notice of it. Instead, she focused on the ground below her and taking caution to not trip over anything.

Suddenly, warm, familiar arms wrapped around her torso, and Rose squealed in delight as Jack hugged her to his chest for a moment, before swinging her up onto his shoulders. The little girl giggled as she grabbed onto the teen's wind-blown, chocolate-brown locks of hair for support as Jack's arms held onto her legs. Their laughs carried on the wind as the two ran to their parents, causing the two adults to turn around again and momentarily pause.

Jack eventually caught up to them panting heavily, a smile etched onto his face. Rose sat a top his shoulders, grinning at her parents. Her father chuckled, ruffling the chocolate-brown hair of both the children, before pulling his son and daughter into a side hug as the four of them continued walking; their laughs of joy echoing off the trees of the forest.

-Memories-

The memory cleared to show Rose alone, huddled in a corner, shivering with fear. It was dark in the cottage, the only sounds coming from the pounding of the rain outside the house and the occasional roar of thunder from the skies. She let out another squeak of fright as a streak of lightning flashed across the pitch-black sky, causing her to cover her eyes with the thick blanket she covered herself with.

After her surroundings had gone quiet for a while, the little girl peered out from behind the blanket, scanning the dark room. She wanted to pick herself up and walk back to bed to pretend like everything was fine, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Instead, she continued to shiver in fright as more thunder exploded into sound that made her cover her ears.

She pondered to go to her father; he was always the person that would make her feel better, but he was in the other room on the other side of the cottage. Rose's expression scrunched up into one of pained decision making, before shaking her head in refusal; he was too far away for her. Another flash of lightning erupted in the sky, lighting up the room momentarily. In those few seconds, Rose spotted her brother, his face buried into his arms as he slept peacefully. The young, terrified girl brightened up slightly, scrambling over to the sleeping teenager.

After a few moments of hesitation, Rose softly poked at her brother. "Jack?"

The brunette teen groaned a bit, turning around, but not fully awakening. The girl's expression furrowed in annoyance momentarily, before she poked him again slightly harder. "Jack!"

Another roar of thunder echoed in her ears, causing Rose to yelp in fright. Tears welled in her eyes as Jack shot up, his hair ruffled from sleep and his eyes half-open. "Rose? Rosie! What is it? What's wrong?"

The said girl's bottom lip trembled as tears streaked down her cheeks. Jack, now fully awake, pulled the frightened girl into his lap, hushing her as he stroked her chocolate-brown hair. The young girl wrapped her arms around him, burying her face into his chest as she sobbed. Jack murmured soft, comforting words into her ears, rocking him and his sister back and forth as the rain pattered onto the ground outside.

"Jack?" Rose mumbled, tightening her arms around the teen. "I'm scared."

The boy hushed her some more, continuing to stroke her hair soothingly. "It's okay...it's okay. I'm here; and as long as I'm here, there is nothing to be afraid of."

-Memories-

The mist from the memory faded, clearing to show a snowy-white landscape. A frozen pond glinted to the side, reflecting the golden sunlight off its cold, but smooth surface. Banks of snow covered the once-green scenery, and the trees were stripped of their leaves. Light, fluffy snowflakes fluttered down from the partly-grey sky, swirling around in the light breeze.

Rose, now seemingly around nine years old, peered around the side of a tree, a snowball clutched in her mittened grasp. She panted heavily, before whipping her head back around to lean against the bark. Her pleated dress was soaked at the ankles along with her not-so-waterproof boots, causing her feet to already start to go numb from the cold.

The wind blew her chocolate-brown bangs into her eyes, and she annoyingly shook her head soundlessly to free them from her sight. Hearing the sound of snow crunching under footsteps, she clamped her mouth shut, holding in a deep breath as the footsteps advanced closer, keeping in mind to not crush the snowball too much. A light, carefree chuckle sounded in the air, and the young, brunette girl backed further up into the tree.

"Atheia? Where are you? I know you're out here somewhere..."

Rose gritted her teeth at the sound of her first name. As if the voice could sense so, it let out another chuckle. Counting to three slowly in her head as the foot steps advanced closer to the young girl, she whipped out from behind the tree on the last number, snowball aimed, but only to face empty, snow-white banks. She only had a few moments to ponder in puzzlement before a wave of ice-cold whiteness enveloped her body and view. Letting out a small gasp as the cold seeped through her clothes, she attempted to squirm out of the frigid environment as another chuckle sounded in the air. She poked her head out of the snow bank, locking her eyes with the highly amused teen and glaring as he sat perched on the lowest branch of the tree she was just standing behind. He sat with his elbows against his knees, his father's shepherd staff handing loosely from his right hand. A mess of chocolate-brown hair sat a top of his head along with bright hazel eyes that gazed down at Rose as his smirk grew wider.

"Jack!" The little girl whined, struggling to get out of the snow pile. "It's cold!"

Jack laughed again, gracefully swinging down from the tree branch and onto the snowy ground. "Sorry little lady," he said, bending down to pull the nine year old out of the snow, chuckling as he did so. "You deserved it."

Rose pouted, crossing her arms as Jack continued laughing at the young girl. He placed her down on the ground, ruffling her hair despite her complaints.

"Come on," he said, nudging her into the direction of the village. "Let's get you home."

The young girl took a glance back at the clearing as Jack led her away. She pondered momentarily, before looking up to her brother. "Jack?"

"Yeah?" The teenager asked, going to ruffle the girl's hair again.

She waved his hands away, giving the boy another pout as he smirked done at her. "Do you think you could teach me how to skate?"

The boy seemed to think over her words, taking a glance back to the frozen pond himself. Rose looked up at him with hope, her hazel eyes begging. One look back to her was all it took for him to give in. He smiled at the girl, causing her expression to lighten up in excitement.

"Sure I can."

-Memories-

The scene cleared to show a crowd of villagers milling around in hushed whispers and murmurs of gossip. Rose, teary-eyed and sobbing, attempted to squeeze past the legs of the people in vain, wiping her nose for the millionth time. Her vision blurred with tears but her heart throbbed with determination; she had to find him. She had to!

Eventually giving up with attempting to get past the villagers, Rose, spotting a small, snowy hill, scrambled up to the top to get a better look, not bothering to care if her dress soaked through. Her mouth agape as she panted, her eyes filled with even more tears as the sight of her surroundings hit her with a wave of heart-wrenching emotions.

The snowy-white landscape was the exact same as what she was use to; hills and leaf-less tress surrounding a iced-over lake, only this time the lake had a gaping hole in the middle with several, spidery-webbed cracks surrounding it. Several villagers cautiously stepped onto the lake, pulling back as more cracks emitted from their weight. Rose could see her mother, collapsed on the snow in tears, shrieking in pain and sobbing in regret.

The look of hurt and sadness present on her mother's face was enough to bring Rose to her knees. She ignored the icy-cold water that seeped into her clothes, only focusing on regretting every single moment of her life. Tears spilled down her cheeks while the icy wind comfortingly flowed around her, drying her tears. That's all she had now, the comfort of the wind.

Eventually, after all the villagers left the clearing and her mother retreated back to the cottage, Rose collapsed on her hands in sobs and screamed. She screamed at the ice, for taking her brother, she screamed at Jack, for sacrificing himself for her, but mostly, she screamed at herself, for allowing her brother to take his life so she could live on with hers.

After sobbing and shrieking for what felt like hours, Rose collapsed fully onto the snowy ground, ignoring the slush and cold as it chilled her skin. She laid their for ages, self-loathing thoughts echoing in her mind.

She had broke.

-Memories-

Rose sat in the middle of her bed in silence, clutching Jack's blanket in her lap. The material was as soft and warm as the personality of its owner, enveloping her in a sense of warmth that her heart couldn't match. It still smelled of him, the warm, comforting smells of the earth; rich soil and cut grass.

But now he was gone.

Rose gazed outside through the only dusty window that was in the room. Kids, both younger and older than her, were mucking and squealing about in the village, throwing half-melted slush at each other in laughter. She knew she should go out to join them; Jack would have wanted her to, but she couldn't bring herself to move. The emptiness inside her chest pained her enough, and she couldn't bring herself to have fun when Jack wasn't around. It just didn't seem right.

A low groan of her door opening made Rose tear her eyes from the window and fix them back onto Jack's blanket. She heard footsteps make their way slowly to her bed, but she paid no attention to them; she preferred not to speak to anyone at the time.

"Rose?" She heard her mother's voice in her ears, but she didn't look up.

"Rose look at me."

After a sigh, Rose looked up to her mother, Sarah's pale, hazel eyes starring back. Jack's death had taken its toll on her too, her pale complexion and dark rings under her eyes proving so. She let out a sigh, as if she didn't like what she was going to say, before sitting down on the mattress next to Rose.

"Look, Rose. We're running low on money…and food. With Jack…

gone…"

The words were meant to be harmless, but Rose could feel the harsh blow of emotions that tackled her as the words left her mothers lips. She would've cried, but all the moisture had left her eyes, so she was left with the throbbing pain of hollow emptiness.

"…I need you to get a job."

Rose didn't reply, instead, found it more interesting to gaze at her hands that were folded in her lap.

Her mother was quick to start rambling. "I-I would do it myself, but, I-I don't want you to be alone, while I work for countless hours. I-I could visit Mrs. Burgess, see if you could get a job there, maybe as a maid –"

"No."

The response was sharp, yet almost inaudible. Her mother looked at her in a frantic state of shock and worry, her golden-blonde hair tangled up her messy bun, a few loose strands sticking to her face.

"B-but you –"

"I don't want to be a maid," Rose lifted her eyes to lock with her mother's, a deadly-serious aura flickering in them. "I want to be a shepherd like dad and Jack."

Her mother opened her mouth, but then closed it again at the pleading look her daughter gave. She averted her eyes for a moment, silently pondering on the thought. Without lifting her eyes, Sarah replied in a quiet voice.

"If that is what you want."

-Memories-

When the memory cleared, it showed Rose, nervously gazing out to the green field of sheep, cows and men.

And not one woman or girl was in sight.

Taking a deep breath, Rose trudged over to three men drinking and joking around. She presumably guessed that these people were the ones that normally took in the helpers, and that they'd be the best people to talk to. Anxiety clawed its way at the pit of her stomach, but she pushed away the feeling, preferring not to throw up on her hopefully-new employers.

"Uh…excuse me?" She said the closest of the three, successfully catching his attention.

"Yes?" He replied, obviously confused at the sight of a nine year old in this certain environment. "Are you looking for someone?"

"Uh, no. I was actually wondering if I could get a job here."

The man looked at her in bewilderment, as did the other two, before they all burst into laughter. Rose glared at the three men as they hooted in amusement, crossing her arms in annoyance. She seriously did

not want to do this at this point in time.

"You? A young, little girl working as a shepherd? You're hilarious darl," Another one of the men said, taking a swig from what Rose assumed was a mug of beer.

"I'm actually quite serious. My brother and father were rather good at their job; I learned a few pointers."

The man spat out his drink, violently coughing as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "You-you're the Overland kid?"

Rose nodded, her arms still crossed in front of her. The three men wore uncomfortable expressions, and the entire conversation was plunged into an awkward silence.
After a moment the man spoke up again. "Look, I'm sorry –"

Rose held up a hand. "I don't want pity, I just want the job."

The man hesitantly nodded, turning around and picking up a branch from the ground. At closer inspection, Rose saw it was twisted around itself, an orb of wood sitting at the top of it. As she took it, she could feel the rough texture of the wood, splinters poking out around the bottom and top. It wasn't a traditional shepherd's staff, but Rose didn't mind as she cautiously traced her finger along the features.

"You're hired."

-Memories-

Fourteen year old Rose gazed out to the lake as the water lapped at her toes. The water reflected off the golden sunlight that streamed down onto it. It was the middle of spring, and the trees and meadows that surround her were in full bloom. Flower petals from the tress rained down onto her mid-back length chocolate brown hair, fluttering down like snowflakes and weaving their way into her hair. The teenager twirled a rose in her hand nervously as the wind lightly blew through her chocolate-brown locks.

"Hi Jack."

Of course there was no answer, but Rose felt obliged to continue.

"Things have been going good, I suppose. Mother still misses you. She's quite silent most of the time, but then again, I don't get to see her as often as I used to ever since I started working at the fields. Remember when I told you that?"

Her question was left unanswered, the only sounds being the ripples in the lake and the wind whistling in her ears. Rose cleared her throat awkwardly.

"I hope you and Dad are happy where you are. At least you got to be with him."

Rose picked at the fabric of her pants, letting the conversation fall into silence for a few moments. Flicking the lake water with her toes, she watched the ripples as they snaked their way across to the other side. Suddenly chilly, she shivered slightly, rubbing her bare arms.

"I really do miss you. It's not as fun when you're not around." Rose softly stroke the red petals of the flower in her hand, as if savouring a memory. "You don't know how much I regret asking you to teach me how to skate. I feel as if it's all my fault."

The wind whipped lovingly around her, as if enveloping her into a comforting hug. For a few seconds Rose leaned into the embrace, pretending that her brother had his arms around her like he did when she was scared, hushing her and whispering relaxing words into her ears.

Rose sighed, chuckling slightly at her next few words. "I know you wouldn't want me to think like that, but its so hard not to. I always think of the 'what ifs' and whatnots. I just feel so lonely without you."

After another few moments of silence and deep thinking, Rose got up from the ground, dusting off the back of her pants. The cold winds were whipping around faster now, and Rose could see dark clouds start roll across the sky over the village. It was probably another freak snowfall; the town had been getting a lot recently.

Twirling the bright, red rose in her hand for the last time, Rose tossed the flower in the lake; a tradition she had grown to do every time she visited the lake to talk to Jack. The flower bobbed in water for a few moments before sinking under the lake, joining the rest.

Rose turned back to the path that led to the village, whispering a soft goodbye to her brother as she made her way back to the cottage.

-Memories-

The next memory showed Rose, presumably around sixteen, clutching her shepherd's staff and her daily pay in each hand as she managed to tiredly pull herself through the village. Her staff was more like a walking stick, coming up to just about her hip. It had served its purpose at the time, but right now she desperately needed a new one.

So that's how she found herself gazing at different shopping stands, unable to help herself as she poked at and touched several types of expensive jewellery, clothing, watches and knickknacks that she had no idea what did. The owners sometimes screeched at her, but she couldn't care less as she dangled a red pendant in front of an old, short-tempered man, causing his ears to go red with fury.

She remembered going to the market with Jack at times when their mother asked them to get bread or fruits. They would always taunt the salesmen, swiping food from under their noses and infuriating them to no end. They would never steal, instead, replace the foods in odd places and laughing when the owners would go purple with rage. The memory brought a smile to her face as she made her way through the market, her eyes flickering over products that were either way too expensive or poorly made.

That was, however, until her eyes laid on the most beautifully crafted staff she had ever seen. Her eyes widened as she gaped at the intricate swirls and elaborate designs on it. It was hooked at the top, and was taller than her, but not by a ridiculous amount. The best thing about it was that it reminded her of Jack's staff; the object that had surely saved her life.

Rose looked to the counter, where a kindly woman sat reading from a yellowish-paged book, before rushing over to grab her attention. The woman looked up, and smiling at her, closed the book. "What can I do for you miss?"

"How much for that staff?" Rose said, pointing to the wooden object.

The woman followed her gaze, before walking over to it and picking the rod up, carrying it back to the desk. She laid it on the wooden counter, and Rose held back the urge to touch it.
"It's a beautifully crafted staff, one that I actually don't know the price of. But for now, let's say…fifteen silvers."

Rose grumbled lowly in annoyance. She hated playing this game it marketing; Jack was always the better one of them both. The sales people would always name a ridiculously high price and the customer would have to bargain down the price to a reasonable amount. Rose would always find herself either loosing money or backing out of the deal.

The teenager lifted her chin defiantly; she was not backing down this time. "Two silvers."

The woman narrowed her eyes to the girl. "Thirteen."

"Three."

"Twelve."

"Three silvers and three coppers."

"Eleven silvers and two coppers."

"Four."

"Ten."

"Five."

The woman sighed deeply, wiping a hand down her face. Spotting something off to the side, she grinned slyly as she walked over to it.

"Eight silvers for the staff, and…" she came back, holding up a midnight hooded cloak, smooth looking and stain free. "…this elegant black cloak."

Rose gazed at the cloak longingly. It was beautiful, with its sleek appearance and mysterious aura. It was hooded as well, making the cloak seem even more mystifying. The girl gritted her teeth in consideration, before fishing out the required amount from her pockets and handing it to the woman, who grinned in victory. Rose discarded her old staff, having no use for it anymore, and picked up the purchased items.

The cloak had a smooth feeling to it, soft and comfortable. When she wrapped it around her shoulders, the silky material seemed to cling and flow in the right places, making the teenager feel relaxed. The staff, as she picked it up, seemed to fit into her hand perfectly. The wood was smooth, not at all like the rough texture of her previous staff. She traced a finger along one of the swirls engraved in the staff, feeling the even edges of the wood.

Rose lightly inclined her head, signalling to the woman that she was happy with the purchase. The woman repeated the action, a smirk playing at her lips as she averted her eyes back to the yellow-paged book, flipping open to a random page and continuing to read.

"Have a good day, Miss. Overland."

-Memories-

The scene cleared, showing an eighteen year old Rose, walking through the village, a handful of coins clutched in her grasp as she made way through the frequent strollers. The wind blew wildly about the village, tunnelling in and out of the gaps of the cottages, bringing in the smell of manure, hay, baked bread and dust with it. Heading to the food court, she lightly tapped kids to the side with her staff to avoid trampling on them. They moved with ease, each grinning up at her with a playful smirk. She ruffled the heads of a few with her few free fingers, looking down at them with adoration, before continuing on her way, her elegant, black cloak trailing behind her.

Bright, colourful flowers decorated the sides of the dirt path, along with young girls making daisy chains and flower crowns. Purely for her own entertainment, the teenager plucked a bright, red rose from a bush, weaving it into her hair. Roses were her favourite flower by far, not only because she went by the name of the elegant flower, but because Jack had suggested the gorgeous blossom when she was being named, saying that she was just as beautiful as one. Rose somehow felt that the flower was one of the very few connections she had with her brother, and throughout her life without him, she had always treasured the blossom.

Smiling with the thought in mind, Rose, juggling the copper coins in her hands, peered over the shoulders of the villagers to the food stands, looking for fresh, but cheap produce. As she sighed in annoyance at the prices, she could faintly smell something bitter that made her scrunch up her noes at the unpleasant smell. Before she could decipher the strange stench, the wind carried it away with its howling breeze, and, after a couple moments of pondering, Rose let the matter drop and she continued on through the path.

It was only when a shrieking scream pieced the air that she decoded the faint, pungent smell; smoke. The teenager whipped her head towards the terrified cry, her mouth parting in shock and her eyes widening in disbelief.

The wind had died down; making the cloud of smoke above the trees seem a lot thicker. The black, thick cloud stood out against the bright, blue sky and glimpses of orangey-yellow flames were visible through the trees, stunning the villagers into gasps of alarm. Rose, unfreezing herself from her state of shock, shoved through the crowd, pulling up the hood of her cloak as she sprinted towards the forest.

"Are you crazy?" A male voice cried over the shouts of alarm.

"You'll get yourself killed if you go in there!" Another voice, this time a woman, called out.

Maybe she was crazy, maybe she would get herself killed, but it would be worth it, because if she didn't, whoever was in the forest

would die. No ifs, buts or maybes; life was only so short, and if hers was going to end today, she may as well make it worth it.

With those thoughts echoing in her mind, Rose pushed aside the unharmed branches of the outer trees of the forest, and plunged into the woods, leaving the voices of the villagers behind her.

The first thing she noticed was it was unbearably hot. The sound of wood crackling filled her ears and the bitter, dry taste of smoke choked her. Another desperate cry of help sounded from her right, near the majority of the flickering, hot flames, followed by miserable sobbing. Rose, covering her mouth and nose with the side of her hood, bolted through the trees as the burning flames licked at the wood, weakening the branches above her. The sobbing grew louder as she drew closer to the voice, and Rose quickened her pace, barely dodging through a set of branches that had collapsed from their weight and tumbled down to the forest floor.

Despite her attempts, smoke still seeped into her nose and mouth, enveloping her in the choking smell of scorching wood, forcing her to stop for a few moments to heave in lack of oxygen. Her knees wobbled in exhaustion, and she felt light-headed and dizzy, but as another shriek filled her ears, Rose structured her features into a look of determination. She took uneasy steps, coughing harshly and leaning on her staff for support as she made her way to the crying voice.

Her eyes widened in delight as she spotted the owner of the voice; a little girl, no more than six, was huddled in the middle of a ring of flames, sobbing in hopelessness. Rose took a step towards her, only to stop her action abruptly as flamed branches from the above trees came tumbling down, spraying a shower of sparking embers and blocking her path to the little girl as they crashed down to the ground.

Grumbling in annoyance, Rose tucked in her white, loose, cotton shirt into her tan pants and gathered up her cloak. After a quick count to three, Rose took a running leap, barely missing the tips of the flames as she jumped over them, a came down onto the other side of the fire ring, slamming the right side of her body into the ground painfully. She heard a small gasp of fright, and Rose groaned in pain as she pulled herself up, turning her head to look into the fear-filled blue orbs of the young girl.

'Claire,' as Rose had remembered the name of the normally happy child, was backing slowly from her, her red, tangled hair tumbling in front of her face. Her eyes were wide with terror and shock at the look of another danger, and Rose had to push back her pained scream to the back of her throat as her shoulder and right leg pounded agonizingly, to calm the girl down.

"Claire! Claire, sweetie, it's me, Rose!" The teenager had to yell over the crackling of the flames as she laid out a reassuring hand to the girl, using the other one to push back the hood of her cloak, revealing her sweated, exhaustion filled expression.

Claire, at the sight of seeing a familiar face, grinned as she rushed over to the teen, throwing her arms around her and letting out hoarse sobs of relief. Rose, taken aback slightly, rubbed soothing circles on the girl's back, before scooping her up in her arms. Pulling herself up, she looked desperately around for a clear path, but finding none as she realised they were surrounded. The wood crackled under the heat of the flames, and the smoke fogging up the view. She kept turning, frantically looking around, determined not to give up. Suddenly stopping as she saw a colourless gap in the flames, Rose hobbled to it, waving away grey smoke with her free hand, her staff clutched in the other with Claire wrapped up in her arm.

As she approached close enough to the gap, Rose hurriedly put the little girl down on the ground, brushing dirt and leaves out of her hair and off her shoulders and trying to ignore the throbbing pain that was shooting up her right arm and leg.

"Okay you listen to me," Rose said, brushing the last couple of leaves out of the little girl's hair. "I want you to get out of here and go to mamma, tell mamma everything but don't worry about me, got it?"

Claire looked at the chocolate-brown haired girl in confusion, but slowly nodded as Rose stood up and ruffled the little girl's hair.

"You'll be okay though, right?"

Rose briefly thought to the pounding of her shoulder and leg, trying to hide the grimace and attempting to choke back on the cry of pain she desperately wanted to let out. "Yeah...I-I'll be fine kiddo. Now go!"

Claire nodded, gathering up her skirts and sprinting down the forest path. Just before Rose took a step to follow her, she heard a cracking sound, and looked up to see the branches directly above her groan as if they were about to give way. Eyes widening, she only just had enough time to leap out of the way before the burning branches came tumbling down and crashed into the ground where she was just standing.

Rose landed on her right side again, shooting another agonizing bolt of pain up her arm and causing her vision to slightly blur. She could hear a scream in her ears; she couldn't tell if it was her own or someone else's, before she could feel her body slipping away.

She felt the hot, dark smoke swirled around her, darkening her vision and clogging up her nose and throat. Rose only had enough strength at that point to reach up to her hair and pull out the rose she had weaved into her hair. The blossom was still red and vibrant, the only colours the environment that she could make out. The crackling sound of the flames dulled down to a faint buzz that rang in her ears as she softly stroked the petals with her thumb. She could feel her eyes start to droop close as the smoke filled her throat and numbed her mind.

"I'm sorry mother…I love you." Rose muttered quietly to herself, before her eyes fluttered close and the grip on the flower stem loosened, rolling soundlessly onto the blackened ground.

Eh...not really happy with the ending :/ How did I do guys?

*IMPORTANT NOTE!*
I don't know that much to do with early America, so please excuse any mistakes I've made. I tried to do some research about jobs for women and currency at that time (early 1800s), but I didn't get much, so I really just combined the minimal knowledge I had with a bit of creativity.

*ANOTHER IMPORTANT NOTE!*
I've pondered on some ideas for my next fanfiction after I (eventually) finish this, but I couldn't decide what to go with, so I'm going to let you guys decide! I've put up a poll on my profile with some ideas for a next fanfiction. I would appreciate if you could vote; it would help a great deal. As for guests (can you guys vote? Honestly I have no clue...) you can leave them in the reviews if you want. Also, I'm open to any suggestions you guys have or want me to write! Again, just leave them in the reviews :)

Review Responses:

story99210: *glances to chapter* I'm not sure if that counts as saving or not, but he did see her! :D Thanks for reviewing! Cookie to you! :D (::)

ViviBright16: *blushes* Thanks for the kind comments! :) Here's a cookie for you! :D (::)

ashthetyto: Hahahaha! :D Yes, I loved your cookies! And your kind comments! Don't know what to do about the hair though...;) Don't worry, hyper people are awesome people! In fact, here's a cookie! ;) (::)

booklover1598: Yes! BREAK FREE ATHEIA! *Atheia comes up behind me and slaps me at the back of the head* Atheia: "You put me here in the first place!" *walks off angrily* Me: Owww! *rubs head softly* She can be so mean at times...:( Anyway, here's a cookie! :D (::)

JustPlainOldMe: Really? You LOVED a CLIFFHANGER? *GASP!* The world must capture this moment! *camera click* ;) I. AM. THE SUSPENSEROR! :D:D:D:D Atheia's your favourite OC? Really? Wait...let me get her!
Me: "Hey! Atheia! You've got a #1 fan!"
Atheia: "Whatever..."
Me: -_-
Sorry, she can be moody at times, especially when she's just seen her memories...poor girl, I would comfort her, but she kinda hates me at the moment...
Atheia: I don't HATE you, I'm just really, REALLY mad...
Me: ...
ANYWAY, thankyou for the lovely comments about me being a sappy romantic :/ But, seriously (and I know you're gonna get mad at me for saying this) you LIKE my story?! But you're just to awesome to...MAYBE, you're right...people do say that you are your own worst critic, but its just so overwhelming when you say my story is all of those things! It's like, too good to be true...And I hate when people judge by age and gender too, it just gets so frustrating! :( But then again, it only makes our victory that much sweeter ;) And yes...we do have kangaroos...;) But despite what other people say, we actually do NOT ride around on them, they are very timid and protective a lot of the time, so getting too close to one won't be a good idea...
Thanks for your review! :) I really apprecitate it! Here's a bunch of cookies! (::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(: :)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)
And in answer to your question, yes it does count, but no, it don't want you to do it ;) You reviewing just ONCE for me is PLENTY enough and all I ask you to do, but the thought is sweet :)

MidnightWolf191: This what?! Now I'm in suspense of what you're going to say! If I give you a cookie will you finish the sentence? (::)

elfen silver power ranger: Woah...let me just say that's a lot of pleases you got there...;) Thanks for reviewing! Here's your requested update and a cookie! :D (::)

Well that's it for me guys, cause currently, its 11:35 at night and I've got school tomorrow...my parents are so going to kill me...

*waves farewell and hurriedly runs to bed*

CrystalxRose