Yeah... It's been a long time since I last wrote. I didn't really get much love for the chapter... In fact, I only got one review. Thanks so much, sprinkles888! I'll do my best!
Anyway, I won't really talk about this much... It's about a new character, of course. The first chapters will always be based around new OCs. This is an OC story, after all. I'll say more in the end... Once you find out who the character is. :)
Anywho, on with the story!
Disclaimer: Wait, do I have to do this every story? Woh. This is depressing. Welp... I do NOT own ROTG, but I do own all of my OCs. So... Don't steal. Yeah.
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The ruins are dark and deserted. Small shovels, spades, and brushes lay abandoned in the dirt. The light of the moon reflects off of them, making them glitter and glow like some supernatural scene. The ruins themselves glow in the moonlight, the sparkling white almost brighter than the stars. The once strong city — filled with hundreds of families, dazzling temples and palaces, glorious architecture — has fallen. And yet, it still stands, taller and grander than ever, as hundreds more families visit to see the ancient beauty. The lost city grows, even as it slowly collapses farther and farther into the ground.
A bell-like sound rings out across the ruins. A few small noises follow, innocent and gleeful, like a child at play. The ringing returns, bright and clear as the stars it resonates beneath.
Apparently, the ruins are not completely abandoned tonight.
A child comes into view, running through the stone pillars that are placed in a perfect line, skipping up a few precariously placed blocks from a fallen building. An adult would have called for her to get down, to not run into harm's way. But there are no adults around, and this is no normal child.
Her hair flies in the wind behind her, glowing bronze in the soft light shining down on her. A pair of gentle green eyes turn to look up at the source of light, sparkling like two emeralds dusted in gold. Bright red lips turn up at the edges, then open to release the bell-like sound again. A delicate hand reaches up to push a strand of bronze out of the way, and a tiny gold ring makes itself known. The little sapphires set in the shape of a flower glimmer, almost like they have a life of their own.
The girl seems so mystical, so otherworldly, that anyone who sees her would think she doesn't actually exist, that she's just an image of the imagination.
And she might as well be.
The girl reaches down and picks up a small object, one of a purplish color. She smells it and rings out another laugh.
"A violet. How fitting. My name is Violet, and now I have a violet. A violet is a violet-colored blossoming flower. Oh, I like the sound of that! Wait what part of that do I like? Oh, I know! Blossoming! That's a pretty word. It's a violet blossom. Oh, Violet Blossom! Yes, that can be my name! That's pretty!"
She laughs again and slips the little flower into her hair. If anyone else were there, they'd think her insane, talking to herself as such. And not only that, but spouting out random nonsense! Absolutely crazy! But she isn't crazy. She's just a little lost in the world, and the most she knows about herself is that she likes violets. And that she named herself Violet yesterday, and made her last name Blossom today. Because people have last names as well as first names. She found that out this morning.
Yes, Violet Blossom was created just two days ago. The moon stood above her when she was born, but it didn't say a word. It just watched her, and she felt it watching, and knew it could talk but wouldn't. So instead of worrying about it, she just smiled and made the best of it. After all, she's a very happy person. She decided that herself.
So she'd started walking through the woods. Then she's started running. And suddenly, she was flying. And hitting trees. And flying again. Finally, she reached a nearby town. She landed and ran into the village with a group of kids, joining in their game of tag. She'd just jumped out of the tagging kid's reach when she accidentally tripped. And fell. Straight into a man. An apology was on her lips, but it was replaced by a gasp as, instead of toppling them both over, she went down alone. Right through the man. And then the kids ran through her. And all she felt was pain. That was when she learned she was invisible.
And then she'd left, because she'd decided that she was a careful person who learned from their mistakes.
She flew around for a little bit, learning and deciding more and more, and had ended up here. She'd decided she liked this place and had started playing, which brings us to now, as she decides her name.
Violet Blossom hops up onto a tall pillar and plops down, pulling her legs to her chest and staring at the moon.
"So, I've learned a lot." Violet begins, resting her chin on her knees. "I've figured out who I am, I've even given myself a name. NOW can you tell me the point in my being here?"
She hasn't tried talking to him yet. Maybe it's because she knows he won't answer. Maybe it's because she wants to prove herself first. Either way, she's getting anxious and she wants answers as to why she has to learn about herself.
But the moon doesn't respond. No, it doesn't say a word. It just sits there in the sky, watching her, quietly observing from afar. A new expression flickers across Violet's face, an expression that looks almost... Sad, upset, scared, alone, but then it's gone. Barely there a second before disappearing again, being replaced with a soft smile.
"That's okay. I'll figure that out myself as well. I'm good at figuring things out. I decided." Violet says with a shrug.
She'd also decided that she's good at hiding fear and pain.
The sound of something shifting echoes through the emptiness, causing Violet to perk up. She's suddenly on high alert, looking around to see where the noise had originated from. The sound comes again, and her head twists, pinning exactly where it had come from. Something shifting twice in that short of a time? That isn't natural, and Violet knows it.
When she rose to her feet, Violet will never know. All she knows is that she's good at reacting fast, and in no time at all, she's off the pillar and hiding behind a new one, farther away in the direction opposite the noise. Taking a deep breath, Violet peeks around the column, eyes scanning the night for whomever or whatever had made the noise.
What she sees isn't anything she'd expected.
A rabbit is slowly picking its way through the ruins, eyes scoping the area for something. Yes, a rabbit doesn't seem that scary. They're harmless... at least, when they're of a normal size. Which this one is not.
The rabbit — or more likely bunny, as she can see now — is way beyond the normal height. It's larger than the average adult; heck, it's larger than an above-average adult! A little wicker basket rests in the crook of its elbow, and it seems to be searching for something. It must find it, because the creature reaches into its basket and pulls something out, slipping it beneath a fallen building, hidden, but still possible to find if you're looking for it.
Violet shifts slightly, trying to get a better view of the odd, genetically mutated rabbit, but freezes when her foot accidentally snaps a twig. Her eyes flicker up and focus on the rabbit, only to see that it's perked up, sitting up tall on its hind legs. Its ears move back and forth, nose twitching as it tries to pinpoint the sound.
Suddenly, the thing's head snaps around, and Violet quickly pulls herself back behind the column, pressing herself against it. Her breathing quickens, but she desperately tries to regulate it. If it's fast and loud, the anthropomorphic bunny will hear her and, above all else, she does not want the bunny to hear her.
"Hello? Who's there?" A booming voice echoes through the night.
Violet doesn't respond, pressing herself even farther into the stone pillar. You would think she would be thrilled that another living being is recognizing her existence, but it's normal for animals to respond to her. It's also normal for them to attack and try to kill her. And a giant rabbit? There's no doubt that it will grant no mercy.
As she stands there, flowers begin to blossom all around her. Monkshood, red begonias, deadly nightshade, foxglove, hepatica, rhododendron, saffron, calendula, cyclamen, and tuberose break free of the ground, growing wildly at impossible speeds. Her breath catches in her throat and her eyes widen. She tries to move backward, to get away from the vines twisting around her limbs, but the stone column blocks her path. She can't breathe; the fear has taken a vice grip on her heart. Her eyesight starts to blur as a full-on panic attack takes over.
Then there are soft furry paws on her shoulders, a deep voice murmuring quiet words of encouragement to take a breath. She wants to get away from voice, to get away from this place and everything here, but she can't move, can't breathe. Something blocks her view of the flowers, but she can still feel them twisting around her, holding her down, and she screams and sobs from the terror of it all.
But the voice is persistent and continues to plead with her, telling her that she HAS to breathe, and she HAS to calm down. And by this point, she's too afraid to refuse. Her chest hurts from lack of air and there's no way for her to get away. Her lungs heave as they suck in a long drawl of much needed oxygen. And then she's gasping, taking in deep, gulping breaths. Shattering cries accompany the breaths, turning into heartbreaking sobs. The furry paws pull her into a furry chest that sinks to the ground with her when her legs give way, but she's too caught up in her tears to question the action.
It takes Violet a long time to calm down, but eventually the heavy sobs turn into weak cries, which die down to soft whimpers. She's surprised to find that, as she calms down, the flowers slowly release her, curling back into themselves until she sits in a field of normally-sized flowers. When she's finally regained complete control of her emotions, the girl untangles her fingers from the soft fur she'd been unknowingly gripping and pulls away from the fuzzy chest that had become the comfort to her tears. She wipes at her eyes and turns her gazes up towards the creature the soft fur belongs to.
Emerald eyes meet gold tinted green, and a gentle smile spreads across a furry face.
"You okay, Sheila?" The oversized rabbit asks, and after a stunned pause, Violet answers with a small nod. The rabbit raises an eyebrow — or whatever it is bunnies have above their eyes — and his whiskers twitch. "You sure? Cuz yer still shakin' a bit."
Violet again nods her head, taking a deep breath to try and still her quaking body. She looks back at the ground and catches her bottom lip between her teeth, millions of questions swirling in her head. There is so much to ask... Why he's so big, how he came to be a giant talking bunny, why he can see her and touch her when no one else can, why those flowers attacked her, who summoned them... She can't even decide where to start.
Just as a question begins forming on her lips, a small tap on her arm turns her focus to a small tendril of flowering thyme. Violet's reaction is instantaneous. She jumps, a terrified scream erupting from her lips as she scrambles backward away from the thing until she bumps into the anthropomorphic being. He places a gentle arm around her shoulders and shushes her as she begins to weep again. His gaze, though, is focused on the thyme that almost seems scared, shrinking away from the two, back to where its sprout began.
Violet watches with wide eyes as the rabbit stands and walks over to the plant, kneeling next to it. It shrinks back even farther at his approach, but relaxes when his paw gently brushes over it. The corners of his lips twitch in a barely concealed smile as he looks back to where Violet still sits, knees pulled against her chest as she watches the rabbit.
"Did you do this?" He asks gently, gesturing to the thyme.
Violet just stares at him for a moment, certain that he's joking, but the look on his face says otherwise. Slowly, she shakes her head, staring at him like he's crazy. An odd look flashes across his face for a moment, but she doesn't have a chance to figure out what it means before it's gone again.
"Ya know, I don't think I eva introduced myself." The rabbit began, the smile on his face somehow different, warmer. "My name's Bunny. Wanna tell me yours?"
Violet pauses only a moment before saying in a soft voice, "Violet. My name is Violet."
Bunny nods, the smile growing. "That's a nice name. Pretty flower, too. So, Violet, if ya don't mind me askin', when'd the man in the moon make you?"
Violet is slightly taken aback by the question. Why would Bunny need to know that? "I was born two days ago." She says slowly, confused.
He nods again, looking only slightly surprised. "Well, yer a bit'a an ankle bita now, aren't ya?" He says with a laugh. "Wouldya mind sharin' what the man in the moon told ya afta makin' ya? I mean, otha than yer name, of course."
Violet's eyes widen and she raises a finger to point at Bunny, a wild grin growing across her face as she rises from the ground. "I knew it! I absolutely KNEW it! He can talk! He could talk all along, and he's never said a word to me! Why is that? Why haven't you talked to me? Am I not good enough or something? What more can I do? A person can only do so much without knowing who they are!"
Violet's voice slowly rises in pitch throughout her rant until she's screaming, more at the moon than at Bunny. The aforementioned rabbit just stands there, staring at the wild girl with wide eyes. He hadn't expected that.
"Wait, 'ang on jus a sec." Bunny says, standing and watching the young girl with bewildered eyes. "The man in the moon... He neva spoke to ya? Neva told you yer name?" When the girl responds with a slight nod, he shakes his head and continues, "Then how d'ya have a name?"
Violet sighs and stares at the ground. "I made it up." She pauses, waiting for a response, but when none comes, she glances up through her eyelashes to look at the anthropomorphic bunny. He again stares at her with bewildered eyes, this time with his jaw hanging open. "I didn't think it was good to go around with no name, so I made one! Violets are really pretty, and I found a field of them and thought they were really nice, so I made my name Violet. And then just a bit earlier, I decided my last name is Blossom. Because people have last names. It's normal." She quickly hurries to defend herself, not wanting the first person to talk to her to think she's strange.
Bunny stares at her a bit more before shaking his head and looking up at the moon. "Violet Blossom. I really can't believe you'd do this to the poor sheila. Not sayin' a word ta her... Ya know, someday, she'll be widely loved and ev'rybody'll see her. And ya wanna know somethin' else?" He pauses, staring at the moon, eyes filled with judgement. "Yer gettin' no credit for her. I'm gonna make sure of it."
With that out of the way, he turns back to the girl with a wide smile. "I know that ya probly don' really care fer a place ta stay, but how 'bout I show you my Warren, and you can visit wheneva ya like." He offers warmly, and Violet smiles in return, giving one more nod. Her eyes are still confused, but she's willing to go anywhere if she's not alone.
Bunny returns the nod and taps the ground twice with his foot. Violet's eyes widen as the ground opens right where the rabbits foot had tapped. He holds out his hand to her and, with eyes filled with childish wonder and a heart filled with unwavering hope, she takes it, letting the rabbit pull her into his rabbit hole, taking her to some unknown place where she's sure to find herself welcomed.
As the two disappear into the darkness, the opening closes up, and a little purple flower pops up where the hole had once been.
A little purple violet.
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Okay, that was much longer than my last chapter... And it turned out completely different from what I'd planned. But, you know. That's writing for you.
I think I'll be working with Violet a lot. I've just given her a very easy beginning to work with, and she's a rather easy character, and I have a lot planned for her, and... Yeah. I don't know if you guessed what she's the spirit of, but whether you have or have not, I'm not going to say it. I'll be developing her character more because I actually have to make her a very specific way for this to work...
Oh, and if you're wondering where I go the name Violet, I got it from the phrase "shrinking violet". Look it up if you wish. I think the meaning of the phrase is actually a bit obvious... And you'll think it is too once you find it.
Also, the setting, if you haven't figured it out yet, are some ruins in Greece. The story takes place around the time when Jack was created. And no, I am not pairing Bunny and Violet. Violet is around 13 years old, a year younger than what Jack is actually supposed to be (and will be in my stories).
Anywho, I hope I'll get more support for this chapter than the last one. By the way, if you want to review former chapters, that would be great! I would love to hear what I'm doing right and what I could fix! I feel like my writing is a bit random, and if you think that too, then maybe you could help me figure out how to fix that? I would love to get better at writing and maybe even be an author one day, but I kind of need constructive criticism to get there. But if you just want to say hi, that's fine too!
Lastly, if you have an idea for a legend, I'd love to hear it! Don't forget to give an idea for a center as well, if you can. I'm giving them all centers that their personalities and characteristics will sort of be centered around (since that's the point in having a center...). And if you have any story ideas or anything you want me to write or requests or whatever, don't be afraid to ask! In fact, please ask! Please. Seriously. Just ask. I'll most likely write it after crying with joy for a while. No idea is a bad idea!
Ta for now!
~*FantasyForger*~