Chapter 37
"That shoulder had just healed, from when Pitch hurt it. Really, obnoxious ambusher?! Really?!"
"That wasn't quite how I thought her overwhelmed reaction would be... But. Okay." Caleb said hesitantly. I glared at him, the pink flowers flowing down.
A beautiful woman with dark black hair and piercing green eyes flew up beside us, laying sideways on a blanket of air.
"Yes. I guess that was the only thing I learned from him. And even still, I do it so much better than Pitch." she smirked at me.
"Nooooo." I gasped denyingly. "Thats no way possible..." I sputtered.
She smiled broadly. "Ah. But it is."
"Pitch's daughter is alive?!" I exclaimed, looking blankly at her.
My headache grew worse and worse. Agonizing pain. Groaning I held my head with my hands.
"Don't worry you get used to it. That's what happens when you come across a guardian with very similar powers or responsibilities."
"B.. But Mother Nature is supposed to be the only other spring guardian, and she's a myth! She was said to die in a forest-fire." Caleb cried.
"You got it. I'm Mother Nature, daughter of Pitch. And that's what Dear Daddy wanted anyway. But as you can see, I did NOT die in that fire. And I came all this way to give my so called replacement a headache and you didn't even get me a chair. Didn't your parents ever teach you kids manners?" she taunted.
All three of us gritted our teeth. Parents were a difficult issue for us. At least Caleb's mother was alive. Jack and I didn't have the pleasure with our biological parents anyway. My parents were a little complicated, with the sun and Pitch and all.
I stood up angrily. I wanted to taunt her so hard her own head was spinning like mine was.
"You're right of course!" I exclaimed.
The boys looked at me. They knew I was about to explode in that poor woman's face but they didn't dare stop me.
"You must be starving! How bout a salad?" I asked. "Mostly cuz that's the only thing I can make." I muttered.
I made a giant leaf bowl, and chopped up tomatoes, lettuce, onions, spinach, and any other vegetables that Caleb and Jack suggested.
"And since you're such an honored guest, you'll have the best seat in the house for the TOSSED salad!" With that I threw a vine at her and thrust her into the salad. I yanked the the bowl up and down, and her and vegetables came flying up and falling down over and over, at least eight yards over the gigantic bowl. She yelled each time she paused in mid-air with her limbs flailing about and also each time she fell splat on the bowl.
She yelled out "ENOUGH!" and exploded my salad. She climbed out of the remains of the bowl, and flicked off a lettuce leaf, and drained her hair from tomato juice.
"You got a little something..." I gestured to her cheek, and she took that off, still steaming.
"You little brat!" she screamed, and I looked down, trying to hide my smirk, the proof that I was NOT, in fact, at all sorry.
"I can't believe that Manny would give you of all people the abilities of the sun. You don't even act, look, or are as powerful as I am either!" she shook her hands as she spoke.
I narrowed my eyes, and took a few steps forward.
"You really are Pitch's daughter. Pitch judged the book by its cover as well."
"Stop comparing me to Pitch!" she screamed, anger clearly written all over her face. I didn't even flinch.
"Stop acting like him!" I retorted.
She stared angrily at me, obviously not wanting me to continue, but I pressed on.
"And how can anyone not continue to compare you with Pitch if you yourself continues to do so?! I can see it in your eyes, you desperately want to prove yourself that you're nothing like him!"
I calmed down a bit. "And you aren't. Everyone's unique in their own way. Everyone learns from their mistakes. Can't you see yours? Your biggest fear is you are like Pitch, and that's also your mistake. Help us, and prove that your fear will NEVER come true." I held out my hand, looking at her eyes, not letting her shift and glance somewhere else.
She reached for it, then smirked and said, "Your biggest mistake is thinking there's good inside everyone." she glanced at Caleb, making him uncomfortably shift his weight onto his other leg.
"And that's also another reason why I'm more powerful than you. I dont care about anyone and I don't get attached to anyone, because they'll ALWAYS betray you in the end!"
With that she thrust the biggest pine cone at me, knocking me and sending me flying backwards.
I slowly got up, saying, "Another mistake is thinking everyone is like Pitch."
She yelled out and sent more plants, saying, over and over and over, "Can you do this?!" with that she'd do a cool move.
"No, but I-" she kept interrupting.
When she was done and out of breath, I stated calmly, "As I was saying, no, but I'm a fast learner." I lifted my hands, and instantly, the walking trees, pine cone catapult, cherry blossom smoke, and all her other moves popped up. I pressed on gently, "I've been there. Having your dad want to destroy you is pretty scary and you learn to be very cautious and never trust anyone. But once you get to that stage where you do trust people...let's just say, that that tree has tons of fruits." as I talked a peach tree grew up, and I took a peach and took a bite out from it.
She took a peach and smiled saying, "You passed the test, and now I do trust you," she looked at Caleb and Jack. "All of you."
She continued, eying me carefully. "You really have improved much over the past few days. I really am quite impressed. Being the active spring guardian isn't very easy. Seasonal guardians can have a difficult time, having to move around the world constantly as the seasons change. However spring is the most difficult. Manny said so himself." she looked up thoughtfully at the pale moon. "The season guardians of fall, winter, and summer have it easy. No offense." She glanced at Jack sheepishly. "They just tweak the plants a little at a time as days go by and seasons change. But with spring, we have to make those plants. We don't just tweak it, we MAKE it." she enunciated each word, so every word sounded important. "
"Can you heal yet?" she asked.
I nodded cautiously.
"Good. Then nothing can stop you. Listen! Pitch is doing horrible things because he is Darkness's servant. Just like the Guardian of Help, where help is actually a person, Pitch guards Darkness. And believe me, you do not want to see Darkness. If you do, then he's planning to kill you." she warned, then continued. "Keep heading where Caleb is leading you, and you'll be there soon. Good luck. And. Don't. Die." with that she flew off.
I turned around and slumped back onto the chair. "Now, I'm overwhelmed." I smirked, grinning at Caleb, with him sheepishly turning and pointing to the direction, and Jack sliding our ice spaceship.
After a few hours I was growing restless and air-sick. I cried out desperately, "Can we walk now? I feel liked I'm about to spill my last meal if you know what I mean." I laughed jokingly, and they laughed and landed us safely. Jack lowered his hands, and the ice melted into fleeing water as it soaked into the ground. Some trees found the new water source and soaked up the water. I felt the color returning to my face. "Mmm that feels splendid." I stretched.
"Hey. D-did you hear that?" Jack muttered. An unnerving feeling shade my heart sink.
"Maybe it's the Darkness showing us his face before he gobbles us up!" Caleb jumped towards Jack, Jack crossing his arms.
"No I feel something on one of my tree's roots." I muttered quietly.
