FicWad

“No!” Jack screamed. The triplets cried in the utmost agony, but jack couldn’t help that. Without hesitation he dove off the cliff, pushing himself faster and faster, but not fast enough. Jack came to an abrupt stop, hovering above the ground. Hovering above the body. It was obvious she had died on impact with the ground, but the snow beneath her had prevented her body from being crushed.
She lie there expressionless, her eyes still open and tears running down her face. Blood began to seep from the back of her head, soaking up in the snow and staining her hair a deeper red than it already was.
“Ahhh!” Jack screamed in rage as he threw a blast of ice towards the cliff. It turned a few rocks loose and they fell silently towards the shattered sled. He couldn’t bare to look at her, he had saved her once, why couldn’t he do it again.
He cursed to himself as emotions swelled up inside of him. He cursed to himself. He couldn’t help but blame himself, if I hads, and if I hadn’ts flooded his mind but, there was nothing he could do now. Nothing.
He turned his head slowly. It was hard to look at her. It was harder than you could imagine. His eyes gleamed with moisture swelling up in his eyes. He closed them tightly refusing himself to cry, but failing miserable.
He wiped them away as quickly as they came, and turned to her. He drifted over and landed next to the body. He got mad at himself as soon as the thought entered his mind. The body. It felt like such a cruel word to refer this once strong, brave, beautiful girl. Why did it have to be like this? Jack thought, she had so much of her life to live and gave it all away all for her brother.
Jack gave a small smile, thinking about the selfless act, her giving her own life to save another, out of the love she had. Then his mind drifted back to the reality of her death. He frowned, and knelt over her body. He reached his handout toward her face and pushed her eye lids shut. He wondered why he could touch her. Did it have something to do with the fact of her being dead? He didn’t know, but then again he didn’t know a lot about his life so far.
He stood up and turned away from her, trying to forget the warmth draining from her skin. There was no sense in getting attached, he thought, it’s too late to want to anyhow. Forcing himself, he took off, trying his hardest not to look back at the girl who’d sparked his interest not so long ago.
*
She bolted up panting sharply. Her heart racing. Wha- where am I? She looked around, she was so confused and it was like she was drowning in the world around her, not knowing what any of it meant or that these words passing through her head we understandable, she hadn’t remembered learning any of them.
She processed everything around her. She knew what everything around her was but she understood none of it. She thought rapidly to herself, I don’t- who am I?!
“Calm down” she stood up instantly looking around her. “Who’s there” she yelled “Who!” this time with more confidence. “I am the Man in the Moon, calm down” the shot breaths that left her mouth began to slow. This voice, it didn’t sound like anything really, not a voice that is but, like the wind and with words drifting within them.
Trying to find a source to these words, the girl looked around her. She stood on a small area of land that was low lying and close to the ocean, it was cut off by a rock wall that shot straight up her eyes fallowed it up to the sky and she gasped at what she saw.
Lights that twinkled and shone like the snow around her, but these were different, more powerful than the snow. Stars. She remembered after a moment. She had remembered seeing them before, she didn’t know how since this was the first time, but they seemed more powerful that a memory she wasn’t sure was even real. They, or perhaps the sky, seemed to be calling out to her. Wanting her to join them.
But throughout all these stars stood one greater than the rest “the moon” she said without intention. Acknowledging its presence captivated her, like the world around her didn’t matter anymore, just the moon and it’s light making her feel safe.
“Who am I?” she asked. The wind blew intensely against the wall of rock, blowing her mass of curls in her face and making her stumble forwards. She felt something beneath her feet. What was that? She looked down and a quiver full of arrows lay next to a bow.
Curiosity took a hold of her and she knelt down to pick both the quiver and bow up with each hand. As soon as her fingers make contact with each she felt a power surge through her making the wind blow fiercely again. These belonged to her that she knew for sure.
She then pushed her hair away from her face, her hand trailed to the nape of the neck and- huh! What was that? She strained her neck, trying to get a look at her back side and yes, that’s exactly what she thought, feathers. Snow white feathers that were attached to wings that were attached to her. She had wings.
A smile grew from her face and she stretched them out. She frowned. They only reached maybe three inches past her elbows. What gives? “Hey, how do these things work?” she called up to the moon. No answer. “They’re too small,” she continued. Still no answer. She frowned “Fine! Don’t tell me!” she shouted.
She noticed the wings had torn the dress she wore and it hung loosely the front part threatening to fall off “Well that’s peachy,” she stated sarcastically. She hung the quiver from her waist and clung to the bow with her left hand. Here goes nothing. She flapped her wings as hard as she could and to her surprise, she slowly ascended.
She opened her mouth into a wide smile “Ahahaha!” a feeling of triumph made her feel stronger and stronger as she rose from the bottom of the cliff. She made it to the ledge but that still wasn’t high enough. Higher, she had to go higher. Finally she was seemingly face to face with the moon, its light shining directly on her.
She looked down, her feet were bare. That’s funny, she thought, I could of sworn I had shoes, just then her cloths began to change. The sleeves receded into a sleeveless cropped top that was rimmed with gold. Her skirt became a length that was just above her knees, it also rimmed with gold, and the once navy blue color faded into white that shone in the moon light. Leather straps that raped round her fore arms remained, as well as leather straps that appeared to weave themselves around her shins. The bow she held remained the same, but the quiver had enhanced it designs into ones that were more complex and intricate.
She observed her knew attire and nodded in approval to the moon. As if in response the wind blew greater, her wings somehow absorbing this, and growing bigger and stronger. The wind died and she was left flapping her enormous wings to keep herself suspended.
She looked to the moon again and asked for the second time, “Who am I?”
In sudden response the moon answered, “Cupid”
*
Jack debated whether he should still hang around. She was gone, and that was that. Nothing he could do about it now but, he couldn’t help but feel somehow attached to this, this girl and her family. He fallowed the boys and made sure they got home safely. They cried bits of the way and when they got home havoc had rained supreme in the castle, knowing that their princess had passed.
He watched what was left of the family fall apart. The queen had locked herself in a room and refused to come out. The king took to the weaponry room, thrashing his sword around, yelling, and destroying all the training dummy’s. And the boys, well, they just drifted around the castle, not a word left their mouths.
It made Jack’s stomach turn to see this family grieve. He now sat on a thick branch staring up at the moon with grim expression, not knowing if- “Ahahaha!”
What? He shook his head and looked around to find the source of this whaling laughter. Nothing. He looked up to the moon again, confused. Who would be crazy enough to be out in the middle of the night, in the middle of winter?
As if his question was answered he saw a… a… what was that exactly? A bird? No. It was a person… with wings? He watched this silhouette dip and dive in the air screaming, laughing, and becoming more erratic with each stunt that was attempted. “Wha…” Jack suddenly laughed at this figure, so helplessly trying to stay aloft with the poor maneuvers that were attempted.
He watched her smiling, (he had assumed it was a girl due to the sound of her voice and the long mass of hair she carried with her) and still laughing at her poor flying skills. After one more glance, he laughed and hoped off the branch he stood on, it was time to intervene.
*
“Here it goes!” Cupid laughed. She flapped her wings with an epic force, shooting up into the sky. She was loving this, flying that is, it was just, just so- she bit the insides of her cheeks and smiled, and failing to find words that would even begin to describe the joy she felt flying. I will never land, she thought.
Cupid flew in only one area, it was supported by the light of the moon so she could see much better this way. “Here we go,” she said aloud to herself. She had imagined a new trick in her head and thought it was time to try it out.
She flew high into the moon light, ached her back, wings spread, and spun into a downward dive. At first it had worked out exactly how she planned it, but when she tried to position her wings to glide safely from the dive, it failed miserably. She was going just too fast and spun out of control.
Cupid attempted to retract her large wings but, she couldn’t even if she tried. Just keeping herself from helplessly tumbling was hard enough, and the strain on her wigs was too great, they might’ve snapped under the pressure. “Ahh!” she screamed as she neared the ground, the wind rushing against her.
*
As Jack flew towards the figure, he took a moment to watch her fly up and arch her back, sending herself into a downward spiral that instantly got out of control. Oh no. Jack wasn’t surprised this failed, she was really a reckless flyer from what he had observed, but she fell closer and closer to the ground.
He rushed towards the falling silhouette, aiming himself to catch her. She was about to hit the ground and if he didn’t get her… ugh, he shook the thought. Almost... there…
With a finale thrust, he held his arms out and caught the falling girl. Her screaming subsided. She was so tense that she was unable to move for a moment.
Jack eyed her face but it was hidden beneath a mass of red curly hair, a very familiar mass of red curly hair. But it couldn’t be, could it?
She went to push away the hair from her face. Her hand brushed against Jacks cheek. The warmth sent shivers running through his spine as he watched the hair leave her face and reveal her features.
As soon as he saw that face he froze, nearly dropping her in the process. He hovered there, unable to move, just stare, mouth agape.
Cupid watched him mumble something. She was somewhat embarrassed that she needed to be saved, not that she’d ever admit to it, but really? This guy? After a few moments of utter silence Cupid decided it would be best to speak up “So, uh, if yer done gawking at me, I’d really like to feel solid ground,” she laughed. It came out awkward and strained, but trying to lighten the mood wasn’t one of her best qualities.
The boy shook his head as if he were shaking himself out of a trance. He drifted slowly to the ground. Once he put her down she jumped away from him. She had no clue who this was and so far she didn’t trust him.
“Who are ya?!” she demanded. Jack looked at her wings. They had receded into like dainty things, nothing like the powerful ones with an enormous wing span that he’d seen her fly with not five minutes ago. He assumed they retracted when she wasn’t flying. “Who are ya!?” she demanded again, more powerful this second time around.
After observing her new attire he said, “You know that was some fancy flying” he laughed. She scowled at him mocking her. “At least I don’t stare at someone I first meet, it rude ya know,” she retorted. He smiled. “Well it could just be the thing on your head you call hair that really captivated me”
Now she was really unimpressed. She tried to calm herself and forced out a chuckle “Heh. It would you dobber,” Jack had no clue what ‘Dobber’ meant but he knew it was obviously an insult. “Hey, this ‘dobber’ saved your life”
She scoffed “I was fine! Two more seconds and I would have been soar’n. It was just a numpty fool who got in the way. Now who are ya’” Jack really debated whether he should finish this conversation. This was not the carefree girl he thought he’d admire, but then again he needed answers from her. She had died earlier that day, what was a deceased human doing alive and well flying around with wings?
“Jack” he said “Jack Frost” he watched the headstrong expression on her face falter, becoming less dense, as if she was more comfortable with this name to the face ratio “now you turn,” She looked confused for a moment so he drew it out for her “Well I do need a name for that hair of yours” He already knew her name, but he needed to ease into this, he can’t just go and say, ‘hey, I watched you and you brothers when you were alive’.
“Cupid,” she said. What? Jack was sincerely confused now. “Cupid?” he asked “what? You don’t like it!?” Jack laughed at how on guard she was, it reminded him of bunny. Maybe they’d get along. “No no, it’s just,” he began “you look more like a ‘Merida’ to me” what came next was completely unexpected. At hearing her name, Merida jumped and yelped, cupping her hands over her mouth.
“Where-Where did you hear that name!?” she demanded. Jack thought it would be best not to tell her right now, he still needed to ease into it. “I was just saying you look like a Merida to me”
“Well I’m not!” she retorted, “My name is Cupid”
“Where did you come up with that? I am ever so curios,” Jack said sarcastically. He really did want to know but judging on her personality so far, giving her leverage would be a bad thing. He began to stroll around casually, getting bored of standing in one place.
“Well if you must know, it was the moon,” Jack enjoyed hearing the words roll of her tongue, her accident giving them such uniqueness. “The moon told me,” he looked her up and down “Did he give you those cloths too?” she nodded. “Well don’t be surprised if that’s all he ever does for you,” Jack trailed off, not liking how intimate the conversation was getting.
Sensing how this was a sensitive topic for him, Cupid decided that she’d take it as a door way to get away “Well if that’s all, I’ll be on ma’ way..” she trailed away from her sentence as she turned to take off.
“Good luck” She stopped dead in her tracks and turned to face him “And what is that supposed to mean?” she snapped. “Oh nothing really,” Jack said smiling, “I mean besides the fact that you are one of the worst flyers I’ve ever seen, you’ve got armature written all over you,” this made the twig of self-restraint Cupid possessed to snap.
“I may be a new flyer but I’m sure I’d beat you in a heartbeat,” Energy sparked to life inside Jack, and he whipped his head around to face her “Is that a challenge?”
“Sure, that is, if you’re not afraid of lose’n” Jacks smile grew even wider “You’re on, but only if you promise not to cry when I win,”
“I’m not planning on losing princess,” Cupid then turned around and ran. She leaped and her wings instantly expanded into the grand ones she’d almost crashed with. And they were off.

TO BE CONTINUED……

Alright guys, chapter2 is here for you. Trust me when I say I wanted to fit more into this but I’m having lots of fun with it and got a little carried away. Hope you enjoyed and if you did share you opinion in the comments, it is much appreciated and it makes me feel like people actually like what I do with my spare time. Chapter 3 will be with you momentarily. Thanks for reading.