Innocent Chaos (an RotG Fanfiction)

Chapter 5: The First Sign of Chaos

Scarlett wasn't sure what she should do with the gifts. She certainly didn't really want to keep them for numerous reasons, but they seemed a little too nice to just ditch. However, not seeing what else she was supposed to do with them, she set the ones that were objects down under a bush as the servant from Pitch killed the golden birds flying above her. Scarlett then, wondering what other things it might try to kill, retrieved the white bow. She didn't know why, but it felt comfortable, familiar in her grasp, like she had held similar objects a million times before. More out of habit than actually knowing what to do- because she didn't- she went through the hand movements of notching an arrow as a pale pink-colored one appeared in her fingers, pulled it back, aimed it at the target, and then released it. It hit the servant straight in the chest, and caused it to dissipate.

She was surprised at herself and looked at her hands. How did they know how to do something that her mind did not? And how had she been able to aim so well when she couldn't remember ever having done it in her life? As she thought these questions, other questions began coming back to her. What was the meaning of the roses' song? Where was Tooth?

Scarlett flew up into the air again, not realizing she was still holding onto the bow and not knowing where to go. She just didn't want to stay here, where there was evil black sand on the ground and presents that her power had persuaded people to make for her. Her wings were still kind of tired, but they could still last for maybe half an hour.

***

"Come, child," voices sang, reaching the skies where Scarlett flew. "Return to those you left." The winged spirit immediately felt relaxed- too relaxed to be safe. She stopped making at active effort to fly and dipped downward, plummeting toward the ground below in a state of hypnotizement-induced unawareness. Red roses' green vines reached up about ten feet into the air and caught her, then began lowering her towards the ground that her bow had fallen to. The roses were in the backyard of a house on a rural street with other houses, a place Scarlett hadn't realized she was above.

"Come back to those whom you were shamed for listening to," they continued to sing. A blue-green blur let out a squeak and quickly flew past Scarlett. "Now that you are free, you can return. Join those you once called your friends. Return to those who you cast aside." The roses continued to lower her towards the ground. "Come, child."

Suddenly, a blur of color flew through the air and cut the vines holding Scarlett with a dagger. The voices died out in the green-eyed spirit's head, and she snapped back into awareness as she fell the last few feet to the ground, thankfully not falling on the roses' vines and their thorns, but the breath was knocked out of her.

"What...?" she mumbled once she had regained it, a strong dull pain in her back.

"The roses tried to kill you again!" Tooth exclaimed. Scarlett sat up.

"The others...," Scarlett spoke softly. "The other Guardians and Pitch..."

"They're still in 'love' with you. I know," Tooth muttered, and Scarlett grabbed her bow, wondering how she hadn't noticed that she had been carrying it. "What's that?"

"It's a special bow," Scarlett responded. "North gave it to me. It's the only one of their presents I kept." Tooth's eyes glared at the ground at hearing that they had all given her presents.

"Can you even use it?" Tooth asked spitefully.

"Yeah," Scarlett mumbled. "I don't know why, but I'm really good at shooting with it. Like I've used a bow before or something...I don't know..." A strange expression came over Tooth's face.

"Scarlett...do you remember your past life?" she asked.

"What?" Scarlett questioned. "A past life?"