Oh my gosh, before I get into anything else, I started sobbing when I saw that I have four reviews total! Thank you so much, all of you! Every review means so much to me! Your support is fantastic! I'll try to update more often, I just have to have more inspiration! Which means Violet will come more often... I have a lot planned for her. :)
This chapter, though, will not have Violet. It will have a character that you will easily recognize and is used quite often, though has never had the name I'm giving him. I try to give something unique to each of my characters. I won't go into detail, but maybe you can guess. As I add in more and more characters and you get to know them, you'll understand. I just really enjoy taking characters and/or stories and looking at them from a different perspective. Giving them a different light. That's why I love OCs. Not only can you shape them uniquely, but you can use them to shape the original characters as well without changing them.
Oh, and by the way. If you read a story that uses my OCs, can you let me know so that I can check and ask them not to use them if need be? I. Ay grant you permission if you ask me, but I won't let you randomly use my characters. I'm sorry, but I worked hard on giving them personalities, and I at least want to be given the respect of asking before using. I most likely WILL give you permission, but still. Just ask, please?
Okay, enough with my jabbering. I know you're all waiting to see who the new OC is.
So, without further ado,
I bring you
The third chapter
Of Those Forgotten!
(Yes I'm making this longer on purpose.)
(If you hate me, you should probably review. ;D)
Okay, enough being mean. On with the story!
Disclaimer: *deep sigh* I do not own ROTG, so can we just stop doing this? It breaks my heart. But it's necessary because these OCs are mine and you can't take them... See what I did there? Heh heh...
~*~*~*...*~*~*~
A group of college girls walk down the street, giggling and laughing together as they talk. The leaves in the the trees show a wide variety of colors, and many more lie across the ground. There's a slight chill in the air, but that doesn't seem to bother them. They had just slipped on some light coats before heading outside.
The conversation seems to be centered around one girl in particular. A wide smile stretches across her face and her eyes seem to sparkle more than any of the others' do.
"Come on, Julie!" Begs one of her friends, grabbing her arm and giving it a light squeeze. "Show it to us again! I want to see the sun sparkle off of it!"
Julie's grin turns into a smirk and she holds out her left hand, letting the light reflect off of the ring that adorns her third finger. As her friends "ooooo" and "ahhhhh" over it, she raises her head just a bit higher and lets her pride shine through.
"The metal is white gold, 18 carat. The big diamond is 2.53 carat, and the surrounding diamonds add up to a weight of 2.8 carats. Gorgeous isn't it?" She gushes, placing a dramatic hand against her chest.
"Oh my gosh, completely! I hope that when I get engaged, MY fiancé gives ME a ring that nice!" Another of her friend responds in admiration.
"Maybe you can get your husband to give YOU a ring like that on your anniversary, Soph." Chimes a third friend, her attention focused on the only of the five girls that had not spoken yet.
"Naw, I'm pretty happy with the one I have now." Sophie, the eldest of her friends, and the only already-married one, responds with a kind smile. The ring she wears is nowhere near as extravagant, with a simple silver band and a small diamond adorning it. Her husband had spent most of his life's savings on it, willing to give everything he had for his beloved. He'd told her time and time again how one day, when they had more money to spend, he'd buy her a new ring, one much more extravagant. But every time, she'd tell him how she loved her ring now. And it was always the truth; she does love her ring.
Julie sneers at her easy-going friend and flips her hair. "Yeah, sure. You're just jealous that your husband doesn't love you enough to give you an expensive ring."
Sophie frowns, glaring disappointedly at her supposed-friend. The two had been close ever since they were children, and Sophie had always been kind and supportive of her bestie. But lately, Julie has been cruel and taken to putting Sophie down, acting like she's so much better than her long time friend just because she has a fancier ring and a richer fiancé. But none of that matters to Sophie. She's happier with a simple life, and loves her husband with all her heart.
"Yeah, I really don't think that's the reason Julie." Sophie responds calmly, trying to keep a smile on her face. "Jasper loves me just fine. We just can't afford anything more, not that I'd want anything else. I'm happy with what I have."
Julie sighs, shaking her head and laying a gentle hand — a hand that just happens to be her left hand — on her friends shoulder. "Sophie, Sophie, Sophie. My poor misguided friend." Sophie tries to pull out of her friend's grasp, but she won't let her, a hint of malevolence in her eyes. "You just don't get it, do you? If they don't get you something expensive, they don't care. They're planning to leave you or cheat on you and don't want to spend the money."
Sophie grits her teeth and yanks her arm out of her not-so-much-friends's grip and takes a step back, eyes focused on the ground. "I'm sorry, but I have to go. Jasper wants to take me out for dinner tonight, and I can't be late." She mutters before turning around and heading back in the direction of her house.
Behind her, she can hear her "friends" laughing. "Whatever you want, Soph!" Julie calls after her. "Just don't say I didn't warm you!"
Sophie doesn't turn around, just hurries on her way, reaching up to wipe away a tear. Some friends. She knows that her husband loves her; Jasper is the most loyal man she'd ever met, and she can't imagine living without him. Who cares if her so-called friends can't see that? She can, and that's all that matters.
~*~*~*...*~*~*~
Unbeknownst to her, she is being watched. A boy sits above her on a light post, a bow resting across his lap as his crystalline blue eyes follow Sophie on her walk home. He reaches up to brush a hand through dark, unruly bangs, a sigh escaping his lips as he shakes his head.
"I'm sorry you had to go through that, Soph. I really am. But don't worry, Julie was completely wrong. Jasper loves you more than anything. Every day, he works hard at his job, all for you. You know he hates it, but what you don't know is that he gets through each day only because he thinks about you every single second. For Christmas, he's going to buy you a simple sapphire necklace to match your blue dress, the one that you love but don't have any jewelry to match. And you'll surprise him with news that you're pregnant.
"You and Julie will slowly grow apart, but it will be all Julie's fault. She'll push you away and you'll try to find out why, but she won't let you in. The reason she's so upset is that her fiancé is busy getting drunk most nights, staying out late, and leaving for long periods of time. He buys her lots of expensive stuff, but he isn't loyal in the slightest. All she wants is his loyalty, but he won't give it. So she pretends to be happy with all her expensive things, when she really isn't.
"You'll attend her wedding to support her, even though she tells you not to come. You'll wear your blue dress and sapphire necklace, even though the dress is a bit tight because you're starting to show. Julie will wear a beautiful white dress, sewn with real diamonds and pearls. She'll look absolutely stunning in it, and absolutely happy. She'll make it to the chapel, but she'll never walk down the aisle. Her fiancé will abandon her on their wedding day. It'll be better for her if he leaves though, as he's already married to two other woman, has four other girlfriends, and dozens of lovers.
"She'll cry, and you'll be the one to comfort her. She'll try pushing you away again, but you'll refuse. And, after a while, she'll finally let you comfort her. You'll let her stay with you and Jasper because she'll have nowhere else to go, and you love her like a sister. And finally, after more than twenty years of knowing each other, she'll begin to understand that love. And she'll spend the rest of her life trying to make up for it.
"You'll give birth to a beautiful baby girl, and later on to two boys. They'll call Julie auntie, and you'll deem her to be godmother to each of them. For the first time since both of your childhoods, she'll be happy. She'll finally feel loved."
Throughout his speech (or prophesy, as it were), Sophie slowly seems to stand taller and taller, and by the time he's finished, she seems to have a spring in her step, a great smile on her face, faith and hope filling her heart.
The boy smiles, pushing himself off of the light fixture and landing on the ground in a crouch. He straitens to his full height and gives a soft sigh, pulling his quiver so that it sits more comfortably across his shoulder and strapping his bow across his back.
If people could see him, they'd call him a trouble-maker. His face is a rugged sort of handsome and he looks to be in high school, but the years behind his eyes call for something much older. His crooked smile just screams mischief, but his eyes scream gentleness. His hands are worn and calloused from years of handling a bow.
But sadly, people can't see him. He knows there are other spirits out there who can see him; many consult him for help. Usually, it's the same thing: asking crushes out, choosing a place for a date, asking if their beloved still loved them... Usually, he has to go to them if they need help with anything else. Family issues, fights with friends, raising a child... They never seem to realize the true extents of love.
But that doesn't really matter. They always figure it out eventually, with or without his help. He only advices when it's necessary. It's the same with people. He lets the humans figure everything out on their own, and only intervenes to give them that extra push of faith and hope that they need to keep going. To keep loving.
He sighs and looks to the sky. His face quickly grows a smile and, within seconds, he is climbing a tree and leaping from it to the roof of a house. The sky has turned a dark velvet, with tiny sparkling lights flickering across it. The moon is rising, and it is bringing night with it.
The boy watches in anticipation as the last lights of day disappear with the sunset. Everything seems to go quiet. The world stops for a moment and waits... And waits... And w-
A stream of gold sand wisps through the night air. Strands of dreams light of the night, slipping into houses and bringing joy to all they meet. The boy watches it all with a grand smile and, as one comes closer, he begins running alongside it, jumping from roof to roof in an attempt to keep up. When it's finally close enough, he leaps into the air and touches it.
The sand stops, swirling around the boy and forming into the shape of a little girl standing with her mother and father. Her father reaches down to pick her up, and her mother gently kisses her on the forehead, leaning her head on her husband's shoulder. It's the perfect image of a loving family.
The girl reaches out to touch the boy on the nose, then the dream disappears through the window of a house. The boy crosses his arms, smiling at the sight, but his focus is quickly diverted by the sight of a golden figure floating on a dreamsand cloud.
The boy grins and cups two hands around his mouth. "Hey Sandy!" He calls out in greeting.
The golden man looks around in surprise, but stops his search when he sees the boy. He waves happily, and the boy waves back. He doesn't keep the small man any longer, but instead moves on to let him finish his job.
He continues to leap across rooftops, eyes scanning the night until they land on a figure standing guard over a doorway. The still stone form gazes across the street at a park, eyes fixed on a small playground. The creature does not move, a statue frozen in the night.
The boy approaches the gargoyle and stops next to it, hands in his pockets as he smiles at the figure. "Hello, Aurelia! How are you this evening?" He asks kindly.
The stone head makes a slight crunching noise as it turns to face the boy. A screech erupts from her throat as she looks at her friend, a grin appearing where no expression existed before.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just making a house call and thought I might find you here." He replies, gesturing to the neighborhood as a whole. Aurelia nods in understanding and makes another noise, one that almost sounds like agreement.
The boy grins widely and nods to the friendly beast. "Well, I have to get going. I'll see you later!" He calls, already on the move, leaping over more houses. Behind him, he hears a animal-like cry, and turns to see Aurelia return to her original position, keeping guard over all those around.
The boy begins to turn back around but is distracted by the sound of music. He doesn't pause for more than a second before taking off to find the source. As he runs, a group of tiny fairies pass by him. The little colorful things fly around him for a few moments, chirping and admiring his teeth. He gives a quick hello, but doesn't try to start up any conversation. He knows they won't stay long. They prove him right when they take off again, flying into houses to find the precious teeth of children.
The boy continues on his search, and it takes little time for him to find the music's source. "Peter!" He calls out to another boy who dances through the nearby woods, playing a mystical tune on a wooden flute. His hair glows gold in the moon's light, his raggedy green shirt and brown pants looking as if they'd fall to pieces at the slightest breath of the breeze. His long, thread-bare cape moves with an imaginary wind, while the trees and flowers sway with the song, the grass waving its long arms in admiration.
Peter brings the instrument away from his lips and looks around at the sound, grinning widely when he sees the other boy. "Hey Cupid, What's up?" He greets, his smile turning mischievous as he anticipates the other's reaction.
The boys rolls his eyes at the nickname and crosses his arms. "You know that's not my name." He retorts, his face void of any sort of amusement. He had come to resent the name, which is quite unfortunate, seeing as the mortals have taken to calling him such. He hates the depiction of a tiny winged baby, but what can he do? No one can see him, so there isn't a chance of the representation being changed.
"Yeah, so? Everyone else calls you that, so why can't I?" Peter asks with a wicked smirk. His bright blue eyes sparkle as the other boy becomes more annoyed.
The first boy glares at the teasing remarks "Don't you have a flute to pipe, Piper?" He asks in return, with only a hint of anger in his voice.
Peter's smirk disappears and is replaced by a glare of his own. "Oh, like I haven't heard that one before!" He snaps back, a growl escaping his throat before he returns his flute to his lips and begins piping again.
The first boy sighs and leaves Peter, making his way deeper into the foliage. He finds a sturdy tree and scales it in record time. Instead of walking, he begins to jump from tree to tree. A wide smile grows on his wind-caressed face, and a loud woop escapes his lips. He stops as he reaches a pond, holding onto the trunk of the tree he resides in with one hand, a branch just above him with another.
"Careful, child. That branch isn't very sturdy." A soft, gentle voice calls out.
The boy starts, eyes darting around in search of the voice's source. They land on a kind-looking woman with graying hair pulled back in a bun. Her chocolate brown eyes are warm and welcoming, and a sweet smile has made its home on her face.
The boy smiles back at her, a strange warmness lighting in his heart, the feeling of being cared and loved for. "Don't worry, Mother. I will be, I promise." He assures her in the same way a child would assure their own mother.
Mother laughs softly, shaking her head at the younger. "I know you will. You always are." She pauses a moment eyes trained on the boy. "My goodness, you've grown so much since I last saw you." She whispers with a tint of that longing that only a mother can have in her voice.
The boy laughs as well, shaking his head and looking down. "I can't grow, Mother. I'm immortal." He says softly.
Mother sighs, shaking her head sadly. "I know. It's so horrible that the man in the moon makes children immortal. You may deserve it, but it ruins every chance you had of growing up with a normal life."
"I wouldn't have had the chance anyway." The boy says in response, a sad smile on his face, eyes still trained on the ground. "I wouldn't have had a chance at anything. I would have been gone."
Mother watches the boy with eyes filled with sorrow and regret. "And that's the worst part of this. He took your chance at heaven."
The boy finally looks up again, and Mother is surprised to see determination in his eyes. "This is my heaven. I'm protecting those who can't protect themselves. I'm bringing them joy, helping them love. I'm doing more than I ever could have in my mortal life, and that's all I could ever want." He says in a tone that can not be argued with.
Mother's smile turns proud and she shakes her head in amazement. "Mim was right in choosing you. Every day, you prove that more and more. You have made everyone proud."
The boy grins and nods his head in gratitude. "Thank you, Mother. That means a lot to me."
"I'm sure it does." She says with laughter in he voice. "Now, you best be off. You have a job to do, and I've kept you long enough." She says, gesturing with her hand towards the distance.
The boy rolls his eyes and laughs. "Yeah, yeah. I know. I'll see you later, okay?" He says, already turning to continue his tree-jumping.
As he takes off, he hears Mother in the distance. "Goodbye, Aaron Truelove! Be safe."
~*~*~*...*~*~*~
Wow, that really took off. I actually wasn't planning to write any of that... It just sort of blossomed across the page. But I think it's okay. A bit random, maybe, but I'm sure you guys are happy about this little... What would you call it? A pre-show of what is to come? Eh, we'll go with it.
So, how'd you like it? Did you like the character? The main one, I mean. I thought it was a unique spin on him. I'm actually quite proud of this...
Alright, so, you guys need to 1. Tell me what you think, 2. Tell me what I can improve on, 3. Tell me if you have any OC legend ideas, and 4. Tell me if there are any specific OCs so far you want to see more on. Or maybe you have an idea for a story about one of my give-aways... You can tell me that too. I have nothing planned for any of my OCs, so if you can think of anything I can or you want me to write for them... I'd be much obliged. There will be more of everyone soon, but which ones should I write more about first? I need to know this stuff, people. Haven't I said this enough?
Also, if anyone out there likes/is good at drawing, I'd love some fanart on this. MaybeI can make it a cover picture... I really want a cover photo, so seriously, some fanart would be really awesome. I'd love you forever! ;)
I think I'll be updating on Saturdays. If I'm ever able to write more than one story a week, I'll probably save the others for later weeks. I'm sorry, but I have a busy schedule and finals are this coming week! Which reminds me. I may not have any update next Saturday. If I don't I will let you know and have two for the next weekend! Thank you so much for your continued support!
Ta for now!
~*FantasyForger*~