The Wandering Flame
Chapter 2: A Faux Existence
Disclaimer: I do not own ROTG, sadly.
Recap: I gazed up at the revealed sky, the full moon gleaming its soft rays down on me as flames seemed to swirl around it.
"I'm just glad you're all safe. The moon...looks so pretty tonight..."
"Because I was conceived and born and I grew up. I'm breathing and my heart is beating and as much as it hurts-as much searing, monumental pain it causes me-I have to exist." -Brenna Yovanoff, Paper Valentine
Three Days Later
Eyes fluttered open, inhaling the singed yet fresh air and the fear of the surrounding darkness dissipating when she felt herself get lifted out of the charred debris by some unknown force. Hands flexed to test reflexes and legs stretched to dissolve the tiredness in them.
The first thought that popped into her head was, "Where am I?"
A follow-up question became "Who am I?"
Suddenly a voice, or rather, an idea flowed into her mind. "You are the Spirit of Summer, the one who warms away the frost and brings days filled with sunshine. The power of flame and thaw is yours to bear."
The girl gazed up at the faded moon in the sky, feeling as if it was the one that had planted these ideas and thoughts into her head. Or rather, he.
The man in the moon. She knew now, for he told her so. He was the one that soothed her fears of the dark and of confinement.
She got up, wandering about the space and nearly tripping over some kind of staff or rod. Out of an odd compulsion, she reached out to grab it, feeling a sort of deep connection to it that could not be described with mere words. The moment she touched it, the wood illuminated with intricate flames and light.
Dropping it out of shock, she stared at it for a moment and watched it return to normal. Curious, she poked it, causing the staff to burst into the flames and light again.
Smiling, she gripped the staff to watch it illuminate with her powers and held it erect. When the end hit the floor, it shot out warm flames to thaw the surrounding area. Now excited, the spirit started experimenting with her staff and powers, jumping up and gasping when she realized she was still hovering in the air.
Laughing a little to herself, she tried flying around a little only to crash into the beams of the remnants of the ceiling and crashed to the floor, knocking the breath out of her.
"Okay...not a good idea." She wheezed, getting to her feet once more.
Glancing around again, she realized she'd been in the aftermath of a rather terrible fire.
"What...happened here?" She murmured, backing away from the debris.
Piles of charred wood, crumbling stone and shattered glass lied everywhere, but she somehow managed to make it out unharmed.
Finding a nearby puddle of melted snow that she caused, the girl finally caught a glimpse of herself for the 'first' time.
Her hair was long and dark golden-scarlet, eyes colored a mix of gold and hints of red. She was wearing a nightgown of sorts, though the seams and edges were lined with subtle, intricate flames above the burned, tattered ends. She turned, catching other angles of her body.
Inching up the hem of her skirt to see if her legs were okay, she was stunned to see that on the sides were spiraling patterns of flames similar to the ones on her dress.
"Are gold-ish eyes normal? Are the patterns on my legs normal?" She murmured in question.
"I don't even know my name...why do I know my purpose, and what I am, but not who I am?"
A couple somberly came to the debris, staring at the remnants in despair. The woman was very lovely with a thin figure and an oval face framed by light blonde hair.
The man acted as her pillar of strength, both literally and figuratively. His towering body held her close to him, seeming to keep her from falling apart.
"Dear God...William, I can't bear it. Where is she? Why can't we find her? Why did this have to happen to us?" The woman sobbed, barely staying upright.
"I don't know, my dear. We...we can only hope she is in a better place now." The man now known as William replied.
He, too, had a countenance contorted with grief.
"Excuse me, do you know where I am? Are you oka-" The girl began, reaching to touch the woman's arm, only to pass through it.
A gasp escaped her lips as an expression of horror spread across her face. "What...just happened? Hello? Can't you hear me?!"
They continued to stare as if she didn't exist. Did she not really exist? Was she just some sort of sick joke with a stupid purpose? More people passed through her, unaware of her presence, unaware of her being.
"Why is this happening?! Why can't they see me?! Is it because I'm a spirit?" She muttered, stumbling away from the crowds of civilians.
The grip on her spiraled stave tightened, causing her knuckles to flush white. Her already bright gold and red hair spouted flames at the tips as her outline emanated steam.
She threw her head back to glare at the bright blue sky and the distant, ivory planet with accusing eyes.
"WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME?!" The girl screamed, knowing it didn't matter if anyone heard her.
Because they couldn't.
Since to them, she didn't exist.
Quickly she escaped the town in which she awoke, somehow causing herself to fly by summoning the wind. Some day, she'd come back for answers, but for now it was all too much.
From that day on, she would always blame the man on the moon for this nightmarish life thrust upon her. Because now, she would always be alone.
With Jack
When he finally made his way back to Charleston to test the intriguing Archer child further, what awaited him was nothing short of horrific.
As ice-blue eyes landed on the remains of charred wood and shattered remnants of a once lovely home, a sense of panic and utter perturbation slammed him in the gut.
His mouth went dry at the awful sight before him. Was she...was she gone?
Gone, gone?
This feeling of dread and distress was worse than when he first emerged from the frozen lake and realized no one even knew he existed.
Slowly, his feet drew him closer to the burned-down house as he carefully avoided the shards of glass and pointed shafts of wood. He searched everywhere, but there was no body.
Except, strangely enough, there was a certain spot that was left untouched by the blackened soot of the fire. Jack didn't know what it was supposed to mean, but he had to believe it was a sign.
He couldn't lose his first believer-it meant too much to him.
The Spirit of Winter searched high and low for the Archer family, and finally found them in what appeared to be a relative's housing. They all looked very grim, which caused unease to stir in his stomach.
"I'm not going to believe she's gone!" Little Rena cried, tear marks staining her chubby cheeks and eyes swollen red from all of her bawling.
Leo looked absolutely shell-shocked, barely able to spit out his reply. "Rena...I saw her. She...she was trapped. We all saw her."
"But we never saw her afterward! That has to mean she's still out there!" The strawberry-blonde protested.
"Sweetheart, I want to believe it too, but Anna is-" Their mother began, before her husband cut in.
"No, no buts. There is no solid proof that she is gone. We have to hold on to the belief that Anna is still out there somewhere. It's been three days and there's been no sign of her." William declared, earning a hopeful gaze from his youngest and an intrigued stare from his son.
His wife, however, sent him a look of hurt and disbelief. "William-"
"Cora, my love, I won't give in to despair when there is hope that our daughter is alive."
Her jaw tightened as she tried not to tear up in front of the children. "We need to discuss this later."
Cora's entrancing blue eyes flickered to Leo and Rena. "It's time for bed."
"Will you keep the light off again?" Rena requested.
Despite having arc lamps and other early versions of electrical light in this time period, Jack noticed that they seemed to frighten the girl and her brother, as if a spark would ignite them and send this house burning to the ground like their own.
"Of course, darling. Now, off to bed you go. Your father and I will be there to tuck you in shortly." The pale-blonde smiled, prompting her sleepy children upstairs with the help of their aunt.
Cora turned to face her husband. "William, it isn't that I don't want to believe our daughter is...still out there. I just don't see how I can. Where is the proof? Where would she even go after that? We would have been told of her whereabouts by now. And you saw how she got pinned down; even if she was still alive, she'd never be able to walk again."
Tears threatened to drip down her face as she choked out the final sentence. The strawberry-haired man before her encircled his muscled arms around her in a comforting embrace.
"Just believe in her, my love. Who knows? Maybe she was given a second chance at life, only with a new form."
Cora pulled her head away from his broad shoulder. "How could you think such a thing is possible?"
"Because nothing is really impossible. They're just ideas most people deem too outside of our own ways of thinking to consider real." William answered, warmth shining in his jade eyes.
Jack had to pull away from the window, unable to hear much more of their conversation. Anna, his first near-believer, was dead. Dead, or missing somehow. But 'dead' stayed with him more than missing, and the spirit could only feel himself spiral into deep despair as the world seemed to crash down on him.
Distancing himself from the town, he felt his anger and long-rooted sadness well up until he could no longer contain it inside of him. With a roar, he unleashed a powerful blast of ice magic from his shepherd's crook that acted as a catalyst.
The blast shot up into the sky before exploding, lighting the clouds with flashes of pale blue and white. Once again, it felt as if his existence was nothing but a fake. What kind of existence was it if no one could see or hear you? When you were all alone in the world?
He said no words, but Jack was mad at himself, and whoever decided to take Anna away from him and her family. Had he come back sooner, perhaps she'd still be alive. The Spirit of Winter sent more blasts skyward, cursing the consequences or if the citizens grew alarmed. He needed to vent, and then...
Then, he needed to forget Anna. Because if he kept remembering her, he'd only feel further turmoil.
A/N: Sorry this is so short, I tried to elongate it but it just seemed to kill the chapter and go off-topic. So, next chapter will be longer (probably). Apologies for the delayed chapter! I got sick and Christmas had me super busy. And late Merry Christmas to whoever celebrates it! Remember to favorite, follow and review!