In the Dark - A Rise of the Guardians FanFic

One Shot - Panpipes (Pan x Pied Piper)

I did a thing.

Piper danced and whirled through the trees, leaves and snow falling around him in circles as the tune he played echoed through the evening air. His fingers sprang over the holes of his pipe as he blew, warm breath full of magic that echoed out and brought the world around him alive.

His boots crunched in the icy snow as he skipped around the large pine tree, eyes closed as he dodged under a dead branch he knew instinctively was there from the echo of his music. The upbeat tune brought shivers through the air, and with a low creak, the tree itself seemed to sway with new life, needles growing strong and fast from the previously dry branches. In under ten seconds the tree was in full bloom, and several woodland creatures scurried to the new foliage, peering out at the magical man as he continued through his forest, music ringing and a smile on his lips.

After reviving Jak, Piper had needed to come home, to his forest, and to hear the magic of the world around combined with his music. The world was lost in the beautiful tune that made snowflakes dance and the first stars above sparkle. A frozen stream thawed from under him at the smallest change in pitch, and he skipped over it lithely, body flowing so nimbly as he was caught up in his music.

His hair was dusted with snow, and his coat shimmered with frost, and Piper spun with joy, feeling his music touch the trees around him, reverberate through the branches, fill the very snow and-

Piper came to a stop, music cutting out as his eyes fluttered open. And ten feet away, drawn forward by the magic of the music, Pandorea's fox-like ears flattened to her skull as she skittered back several paces, a hand on her spear.

For several moments they stared at each other, Piper's eyes narrowed cynically and her's wide with anticipation, taking in every inch of his body before meeting his eyes. He could see her shivering beneath the mountain of furs; wolf, bear and something eerily like yeti that she cloaked herself in. A scar ran the length of her face, glittering silver in the dark blue evening light. Piper slowly brought the pipe away from his lips. "Can I help you?"

Her eyes widened further at the sound of his voice before narrowing, her lashes coated with snow. When she spoke, her accent was even more German than his own, the original accent, how it had been centuries ago. "You're the Pied Piper."

"I am. Who are you?" Piper could hear her heartbeat, pounding with strong steady beats, slower and harder than a normal human's, but alive none the less. Was she a sprite? When she didn't reply, he continued. "I recall asking whether I could help you."

"I do not need your help."

"Then what are you doing in my forest."

"This forest doesn't belong to you."

"Then who?"

"Nobody."

"I've lived in it most of my life."

"So have the trees; it's not theirs either." She spat out the words as if she was talking to a child, adjusting her grip on the spear. And he knew.

"Your one of Mother Nature's children."

"Not any more."

"That means you're Pan." She didn't respond, and Piper took a step forwards, and immediately the tip of her spear was at his throat, He raised his hands, eyes still on hers. She was wild, eyes bright and cheeks flushed. But... with a shock Piper realised she'd been crying. He could hear the feint echoes of screams in her throat. She was not alright, despite her fierce expression. "What are you doing here, Pan? You're all alone."