Safe and Sound
((A blizzard raged around them, furious and cold and deadly. There were no traces of Jack's magic within the madly swirling snow, none of his ever present mischievous and light soul in the harsh winds that drove this beast across the frozen landscape below them. This was a pure nature produced storm and while the Guardians knew that Jack wouldn't be affected by it, they still worried that something would happen to him. They searched the blinding white for the beacon that would lead them to their youngest member: his emotions. Like a flame in the fireplace attracts a cold-nipped soul seeking warmth, the Big Four travelled through the memory blizzard until they reached the snowy haired teen. His emotions shone as brightly as ever and yet appeared so dull; as if he had no more emotions to feel. Resignation, soul-shattering sorrow, hopeless anger, tear-jerking pain, and heart-breaking guilt flooded the guardians' senses. With minds weighted with worry, they pushed themselves as quickly as possible to where they felt Jack Frost. When they found him, their hearts shattered.))
Memory World
This Blizzard was not of my making though I knew that the Big Four would find some way to blame me for it. I had little to no control over naturally occurring winter storms; at most I could keep the winds from blowing to hard against the villages nearby. It took so long for the living to build appropriate homes and shelters that could shield the families from Nature's moods that to lose their protection now, in the dead of winter, would be catastrophic. So I concentrated and forced as much of my magic as possible into protecting the village nearby, hoping, praying that I was making a difference.
I was so focused that I almost missed it below me if the Wind hadn't alerted me to the presence. Dropping down to the forest floor beneath me, I walked through the blizzard like one would walk through a blustery May Day with the harsh winds whipped my hair into a frenzy around my head. My eyes stung from the ice kicked up by this wintery reaper, blurring my vision for a few precious seconds. When it finally cleared enough for me to see what lay ahead of me, my ice blue eyes widened in shocked horror and my frozen heart stopped beating. There, nestled and shivering against a wind stripped tree, was a human child no older than seven. Brown hair plastered to impossibly pale cheeks by frozen water-some of which I would bet my staff was made from tears-eyelashes practically crusted shut with white ice and cloaked form already almost covered in breath-stealing snow.
With a wordless cry I raced across the distance separating us and forced my magic to create a shield around the violently shivering child as protection from the worst of the storm. I knew it wasn't enough, but I had to try to make everything at least a little better before the child…ceased. Oh, how I hated this aspect of my element, of my season. I hated having to sometimes watch as those caught in these winter storms turned as pale as me while their lips became a dark navy almost purple blue and their breath was stolen from them by the wind. I hated-hate hate hated!-these times especially when a child was the one I watched die. They were always so young, so full of life, too small to have their life taken from them. I wanted to scream in rage, in sorrow to the heavens for allowing this to happen again. Instead of giving into my desires (though I knew the child wouldn't be able to hear me) I only allowed my maelstrom of feelings to leak through the frozen tears I shed while I drew the shivering child into my chilled embrace.
I knew the child couldn't hear me or feel me, but with so much snow I was able to manipulate the child into my arms in a semblance of a hug. I always did this when I came across children trapped and lost in the blizzards; it gave me peace of mind to pretend that I was able to provide even that small bit of comfort in their final moments. An act of mercy to hasten their time of departure from this world so that they won't suffer long; I kill them in my cold embrace because no matter how much I wish they could survive through my help, I only make things colder. Shaking my head, I brace myself for the task ahead and begin what I have dubbed my Death Song.
I remember tears streaming down your face
When I said, "I'll never let you go"
When all those shadows almost killed your light
I remember you said, "Don't leave me here alone"
But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight
They can never hear me, but as their bodies still from shock, I almost trick myself into thinking the children I lead to the reaper's door are comforted by my lullaby.
Just close your eyes
The sun is going down
You'll be alright
No one can hurt you now
Come morning light
You and I'll be safe and sound
This child bundled in brown cloak and winter furs has almost completely stilled against me, the only indication that the little soul still clung to life was the white puffs of air that escaped in agonizingly slow amounts. I can literally feel a piece of my soul dying alongside this precious child I probably have never met before. A soft whimper escapes blue lips and crusted eyelids struggle to open, but I quickly rush to reassure the child that everything was fine. Gentle murmurs to encourage the child to slip away from this cruel world of pain and cold that I give. I rock back and forth gently as tears continue to flow and the lullaby trickles from my own pale throat.
Don't you dare look out your window, darling,
Everything's on fire
The war outside our door keeps raging on
Hold on to this lullaby
Even when the music's gone
Gone
I watch as the seconds in between each breath become longer. A frozen kiss to an equally chilled forehead, I continue to sing the child to death.
Just close your eyes
The sun is going down
You'll be alright
No one can hurt you now
Come morning light
You and I'll be safe and sound
My head was bent over so that my lips were close to the child's ear, my lullaby drowning out the fierce howl of the wind. That was the only reason I heard what I did:
"Thank you, Mr. Angel. Thank you for not leaving me alone in the storm and the pretty song. Thank you for protecting…me."
The breath was stolen from me as this child who I was killing thanked me-thanked ME!-for killing them. Whisper soft words tore through my heart better than a hot summer sun could melt ice. These strung together syllables and letters crushed me more in a few short seconds than anything the Easter Kangaroo has ever told me. What's more is that the child could hear me which meant that they must have had some belief in me and that….that murdered my soul. I was killing a believer in me, possibly the only one. I don't know if I'll survive this time.
Oooh, Oooh, Oooh, Oooh
Oooh, Oooh, Oooh, Oooh
La La (La La)
La La (La La)
Oooh, Oooh, Oooh, Oooh
Oooh, Oooh, Oooh, Oooh
La La (La La)
There is no more movement, no more puffs of white breath from the tiny bundle cradled in my arms. Sobs threaten to consume my body and soul but I push it aside to finish my sendoff. One last chorus to let the little one go from my icy clutches. This little child who may have believed a tiny bit in Jack Frost deserved all the respect I could possibly give in death.
Just close your eyes
You'll be alright
Come morning light,
You and I'll be safe and sound...
Oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh oh oh. [x7]
After the final note I couldn't hold it in anymore and allowed the sobs to tear apart my thin frame even as I clutched the still body closer to my chest. I screamed my throat raw, cursing my nature and the one who created me with this burden called life. It never got easier, not after two hundred years and certainly not in two hundred more. I don't know how long I stayed in that position, cuddling the frozen body of a child snatched by Winter's rage. What I do know is that when I finally acknowledged the world around me again, the storm had moved on and only a light snowfall was any indication of what had come through this area. The dark black sky of night was becoming grey as the sun began its ascent across the heavens. The Wind encircled me in its' own version of a hug in an attempt to comfort me.
"Thank you." My voice was nothing more than a harsh croak from hours of screaming and crying to the howling blizzard winds. I looked down at the peaceful visage the child's body had left for the villagers to find, but I had no more tears to give. With what little strength I had left, I arranged the body as best as I could for the greatest chance searching villagers would find it. "I'm sorry I couldn't do more. I'm so sorry." My throat closed on me and I couldn't speak even if I had words to say. Why must I be an Angel of Death? Why must I have this burden on my conscious, these deaths staining my soul? What have I done to warrant this punishment? Whatever it was I did, I'm sorry! I regret with my entire being whatever it was that caused God to punish me in this way. Please, don't make me suffer alone with this anymore! I can't take it! I'm breaking; I can feel myself shattering beyond repair. Someone out there save me from this nightmare that is my life!
The forest around me was so quiet, almost too quiet. I could almost believe that the trees knew what had transpired among their roots and were paying their respects. The Wind too was silent not playing its way through the branches as it normally does. In a way I was touched by the respect Nature had, as if it was trying to say sorry for what it had caused me and the child to go through because of its anger. However it paled in comparison to the righteous anger I felt consuming me for the sake of the believing child that died in Nature's blizzard. I stayed with the child's body until the villagers found it or rather she if the name the villagers called into the quiet snow covered forest was any indication. I clutched my chest as almost physical pain tore through my heart at the child's name; her name-Nadia-meant "hope" of all things. Ha! Some Angel of Mercy I am. I have single handedly killed "Hope". Forget that the blizzard wasn't of my own making; I am still nothing more than a murderer. Man, the Kangaroo is going to have a field day with my hide when he finds out since children with names meaning what Spring embodies have always been his favorites. Guess I should go turn in my obituary now…oh, wait why would I need to do that since no one would mourn me anyway. A dry mirthless chuckle wrenched itself from my tortured vocal chords; it's an endless cycle of self-torture whenever an event like this occurs that will only end once I've released my emotions on some barren arctic wasteland.
I thought I had no more tears to shed for this child, but watching the anguished screams of the mother, the grandmother, the aunts and sisters, the village women the floodgates broke once more and I fled. I flew with the wind as far from that place as possible while my tears fell like the snowflakes they were. The Wind always knew what I needed most and right then I needed that barren artic wasteland where no one was around to get hurt in my own blizzards. I spent the next few days taking all my anger and frustration and guilt on the innocent glaciers until I had nothing more to give. My body collapsed in the snow surrounded by the jagged ice pillars my magic had created in my emotional state. I lay still listening to the Wind as it gently played with my hair and comforted me in its own soft language.
"Thank you, Mr. Angel. Thank you for not leaving me alone in the storm and the pretty song. Thank you for protecting…me."
Nadia's sweet words floated through my mind and strangely enough while I still felt guilty, I was no longer angry. I had felt so much anger towards the girl for breaking the barriers I had placed around me during times like this. Barriers she had smashed to bits with only a few words. My anger had burned hot within my veins (is there not irony in that feeling?) and for a few moments I had almost been glad that Nadia had died. My horror at the feeling had quickly squashed anymore thoughts of that nature. There was no way I wanted to become the callus Winter Spirit everyone believed me to be. It would be disrespectful to who I was and to the brief memory I have of the hope child. That little girl believed me an Angel-her angel-sent to comfort her in those final moments. Quite possibly she had prayed for comfort knowing that she wouldn't be able to survive the storm and there I was, an Angel beside her. A protector she needed because I bet anything she was petrified of dying alone. I shouldn't be hurt or angry for those prayers being answered through me. Instead I should live out my eternity embodying her name in my own way.
Getting to my feet I watched as the sun rose golden over the icy tundra and painted the white landscape in colors of fiery rainbows. Guess Nadia did live up to her name; I have hope again. With the Wind laughing alongside me, I spun through the air and began my winter journey to the nations of the world. I still felt guilty and I would always carry the burden of knowing that I had to kill a child, but I could now continue on.
((Not a word was spoken between the Guardians as the memory faded away. Honestly what could they say? They had just witnessed an aspect of Jack's job that as Guardians of children, they were horrified to see and not be able to do anything. They couldn't save the little girl or comfort their own immortal child as he dealt with the aftermath. They could do nothing but watch as Jack flew blindly and screamed his hurt and rage. They were unable to hug him as he cried at the injustice that was death or tell him that it wasn't his fault. It was eye-opening, this inability to do their job especially for Bunny. Never again would he torment Jack about Spring being the better season. If this memory was any indication, Frostbite had plenty of guilt about the winter season as it was there as no reason for him to add on more.
With these thoughts in mind, the Guardians settled in to wait for the next memory to begin all the while mentally calculating different ways to make up three hundred years of neglect and forgotten hugs to the young Winter Spirit.))
Disclaimer: I don't own Rise of the Guardians or the song, Taylor Swift and the movie producers do.
The song this time is Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift ft. The Civil Wars.
Yeah character death (though it is an OC) and major depressing themes for this one. Got the idea from a fanfiction I read, can't remember what it was called though so I'm just going to say "You know who you are so thanks for the idea!". It got me thinking though, Jack controls most blizzards but there has to be times when he is not in control and deaths do occur at times due to freak blizzards and what not. It makes sense that he would sometimes come across these victims and try to make their deaths better. Its just who he is as a person. So far this story is the longest one yet, and is sort of a memorial for the kids who died in the shooting in Connecticut. That should never have happened and the boy who pulled the trigger was one sick twisted puppy (Nothing against puppies BTW).
Constructive criticism is appreciated and flames will be used to light my fireplace and heat my coffee. Also to my faithful followers I have a youtube playlist for the soundtrack to these fictions. ShadowObsessor01: ROTG: The Voice and Histories soundtrack though the songs for my other ROTG fictions are also on there. Hope yall find it o-kay. I'm adding songs I'm ninety percent sure have a chance of becoming a chapter sooo..yeah :)
Ja'ne!