Guardians: Remastered

Chapter 9

Silence. It was so incredibly silent that it seemed almost impossible, as if it was in the middle of space, drifting further and further away, out of reach...
Flame jerked awake, gasping for air as he sat up. The sudden overtake of vertigo had woken him, and he was slightly irritated about it. He glimpsed around the room through narrowed eyes, still not fully awake. The walls of the room were as same as the wooden exterior of the cabin. It was warm and dry without a hint of humidity. It was dim, but not due to the candle that he had lit last night, he now realized. The candle had already burnt out. The light was coming from a window on the other side of the room, revealing that it was now morning. Flame let out a yawn as he let himself sink into the comfort of the bed once again, his gaze now facing the ceiling. I wonder if Frost is still sleeping. He pondered. I wouldn't think so. She seemed pretty tired last night. Maybe I should get up and make something for breakfast. The sun won't fully rise for a good while longer, and Frost and I haven't eaten in about a day or so. I'll just have to check and see what I have to work wi-

"Rise and shine, slee- oh, good morning, Flame! I didn't think you would be up so early!" Frost's unexpected appearance startled Flame as she peeked through the cracked door. He sat up quickly and turned swiftly to look at her, wide-eyed and shaken up. She's actually up before me. Typical. Why'd I think I'd wake up before an early bird like herself? 
"Good morning to you as well, Frost. Did you sleep well?"
"Yep, I slept quite well! I woke up a couple of hours ago, actually. I'm shocked that I didn't wake you, I was making a lot of noise while I prepared breakfast."
"...You made breakfast?"
"Oh, silly you, only concerned about the food. You're gonna get married to food before you marry an actual person, aren't you?" Frost joked, letting out a giggle. Flame rolled his eyes and got out of bed, angry both at Frost's joke and about not being able to sleep in any longer. He secretly wanted to, even though he felt as if he was starving. He walked forward anyway, ignoring the fact that he was tired, and followed Frost out of the room and into the living room. The cabin was rather small, so the kitchen was practically a part of the living room, only separated by the counter. The floor, however, was divided. The living room floor was smooth and wooden, but the kitchen floor was made up of light gray tiles. As the two approached the counter, Flame saw a plate of pancakes, perfectly stacked and all nearly the same exact size. Just staring at them made Flame's mouth water. 
"You made those all on your own? How'd you even manage to find the right ingredients to make pancakes? We haven't been here in years, there would be no reason for the cupboards and fridge to be stocked."
"Maybe mom and dad have still been using the cabin, even with our absence. Believe me, I was just as surprised as you are to find the right ingredients. I couldn't find any syrup, sadly. It may be frigid and snowy, but this isn't Canada."
"Did you seriously just make a joke about Canada based on the maple syrup stereotype?"
"Heh, maybe," Frost said with a smirk. Flame rolled his eyes once again and grabbed a plate of pancakes for himself. If I had a dollar for every time I've rolled my eyes due to something Frost has said, I wouldn't have to work a single day in my life. Wait. That doesn't change anything, now does it? Holding the plate carefully with both hands, he walked over to the chair he had been sitting in the night before. He took a seat and smiled as all of his discomforts disappeared. Except for his hunger, of course. He looked down at the plate that was in his lap and now realized that he had forgotten to grab a fork. "Dammit."
"Forgetting something?" He heard Frost ask. She was standing beside the chair, her plate in one hand and two forks in the other. Flame gratefully took a fork and smiled. 
"Thanks, Frost."
"Yeah. No problem."

The sun was high in the sky by the time Frost and Flame left. The air was warmer than it was during the night time, but the wind and snow still make it cold. In fact, it was so cold that not even the rays of the sun were warm enough to melt the ice and snow that enveloped the landscape before them. The pure white snow sparkled in the daytime light, making it somewhat difficult to see. But even through this blinding light, Flame could make out a structure in the distance. 
"Hey Frost, I think I can see the palace from here!" He yelled out, pointing forward. Sure enough, there was indeed a palace there, standing tall and proud. The trees were beginning to thin out, and from here they could see the frozen lake that bordered the palace. The only possible way of crossing it was the bridge that was just up ahead. Even further away, they could see the fire side of Hailfire, its volcanos towering over all that surrounded it. Flame and Frost had seen it all dozens of times before. And yet there they stood, mouths wide open in awe. "Why did we ever decide to leave this world? I-It's...so beautiful, so astonishing."
"Because we had to, Flame. Do you not remember?"
"I remember. I just wish that we never had to leave. Or that we visited here more often."
"It's funny to hear you say that. Maybe it was just me, but I was picking up the vibe yesterday that you were feeling terribly homesick."
"How did you know? I thought I was doing a fine job in hiding it."
"I'm your sister. I think I know you decently well by now," Frost replied, smiling warmly. Flame couldn't help but return a smile as well. 
"Well, what are we waiting for? Are we going to go to the palace or what?"
"I'll race you there!" Frost yelled, a hint of mischief sneaking into her casual tone. Before Flame even got a chance to respond or react to Frost's proposal, she sprinted away, running towards the bridge. Flame, taken aback, stumbled forward, and it took him a moment to balance himself out and begin running. Although Frost had gotten a head start, Flame was gaining speed very quickly and was catching up to Frost with ease. Now that the deep snow was beginning to thin out, his feet glided across the ground like it was nothing. You're not getting away that easily!

They were running across the bridge now, Frost still in the lead and Flame following close behind. He reached out his arm, trying to grab Frost by the back of her shirt. He could feel the soft fabric at his fingertips. Just a little closer....
Suddenly, Frost made a quick turn, hopping over the edge of the bridge and down onto the frozen lake below. Panic overtook Flame as he heard a cracking sound. He ran to the edge of the bridge, looking down, prepared to see a hole in the ice. But there was no hole. The ice was indeed cracked, however, Frost wasn't there. 
"This is why you don't let yourself get too cocky, Flame!" He heard Frost's voice call from down below. There she was, skating in circles on the frozen surface, on ice skates made using her own powers. 
"That's cheating! I ought to come down there and put you into the water myself."
"My goodness, calm down. You still have a chance to win, y'know. So, you should probably stop talking to me and get running!" Frost stopped skating in circles and sped off, leaving Flame behind. Flame bolted across the bridge as fast as he possibly could without tripping over his own feet. He felt his heart racing and his feet felt like they were about to catch fire. He pushed himself forward anyway, determined to win. Hmph, talk about getting cocky! You're the one who's acting cocky. He took a running leap as he reached the end of the bridge, landing on the grassy island that the palace stood upon. He didn't hesitate for a single moment, not even to see if Frost was still behind him. He headed straight for the door, extended his arm, and grabbed the handle with his hand. 
"I win! Haha!" Flame cheered, throwing his arms up in celebration. He turned around to see Frost walking up from the edge of the frozen lake, her face brightened by a wide smile. She looked genuinely happy and proud, which perplexed Flame. She seemed so dedicated to winning, I don't understand. Why isn't she angry? Did she let me win on purpose?
"That was a lot of fun! GG!"
"...GG? What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well, the fact that you don't know just gives away that you aren't that accustomed to Earth's culture after all!"
"N-No, I am! I've just never heard that saying before. Can you tell me what it means?" Flame asked, but he got no response. Frost grabbed the door handle and tilted her head just enough so that her gaze met Flame's. 
"Are you ready? We're finally home. Our real home."



Over 1,500 words. It's been a while since I wrote a chapter that reached my set limit for how long I usually like to make my chapters. Lately, I've just been making them as long as I feel necessary. Also, I made this chapter exclusively a Flame and Frost chapter because what's coming up next in the Paris chapter. Don't know what that is? Well, in the original, Oliver, Mai, Michael, and Cat all end up in Paris, which is what's gonna happen next. I added the little race between the two at the end to create a happier mood and vibe, due to the fact that we're getting to the part where everything gets emotional and serious. Next chapter is gonna kill me, with the Eiffel Tower scene between Cat and Michael.  I don't think my emotions can take it. ;~;
Anyway, I hope you all are enjoying the frequent story updates! I'm trying my hardest to keep a good balance to make sure I don't get burned out. Expect Chapter 10 sometime in the near future!