Skyward Guardian

Chapter one

A bright light blinded her vision. She was so used to the darkness, this sudden light frightened her. She snapped her eyes shut. Her body felt warm. The darkness she was used to was so bleak and cold, so she liked this change. She brushed her hands around her. She was lying on something soft, but she didn't know what. Where was she?

Hesitantly, she opened her eyes. Again, the bright light blinded her. Alarmed, she sat up quickly. The blinding light went away. Instead, she saw lots of green. She looked around herself, drinking in the sight. She had been laying in a field of grass, and had been feeling the warm rays of the sun. It looked like she was in some kind of pit. Along the side of it, a pathway sloped upward leading to what looked like more ground.

Had she made it? Was this the Surface? She sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She pulled her hand back and stared at it. A high pitch noise of happiness came from underneath her. She quickly looked down, expecting to see what had made the noise. Instead, she saw her own two legs covered in black pants and her feet slipped into black boots. She glanced around her, only to find nothing.

But where had the noise come from? She glanced around but saw nothing. Perhaps it was nothing after all. She glanced back up at the slope. How was she going to get up there? When she sat up, her body could support her weight. Maybe her legs could do the same? She shifted her legs and weight so she was on her knees. She pushed her hands against the ground straightened her legs. She shifted her weight and stood up. Her weight shifted backwards and she began toppling backwards. Startled, she flailed her arms and leaned forward, catching herself.

Boy, was this harder than she thought! She inched her left foot forwards and lifted her right leg next to it. She did it once more, this time with her right leg first. She cautiously lifted both legs and took one step forward. And another. She looked behind her and realized she was farther from the point she started and was closer to the sloped path. She was doing it! A warm feeling flowed through her and a force quirked the sides of her mouth upwards. Curious, but not unpleasant.

With this new warm feeling flowing through her, she walked up the slope with ease. The feeling growing stronger, her legs suddenly moved quicker and she felt the wind blowing at her face. Wisps of blond caught her attention from the corner of her eye and she stopped. Looking down, she saw the grass, her legs, and this time, ends of something blond curling over her clothes. Strange. She lifted her hands up and felt it. It was soft and silky, and it smoothly glided through her fingertips. It was longer than she thought, and she ran a hand through it, realizing it sprouted from the top of her head. She put and hand on her forehead and ran a hand through the softness and let the curly wisps cascade down her shoulders. Pretty.

She glanced around, just now realizing she had made it to the top of the slope. Short bushes of green sprouted from the ground, rustling in the wind. Tall, brown tee trunks stuck out of the ground, smaller branches growing out of them, blossoming green. Tiny, multicolored birds hopped along the ground on tiny legs, before spreading their wings, which were covered in feathers, and flapped them up and down before taking off into the blue sky. The wind blew hard causing the blond wisps to flow into her face. She lost her balance and fell on her legs, trying to move the wisps from her face. Once she regained her sight, she looked up at a large temple. Vines grew along the sides of the wall. Two double doors with carved symbols stood out.

Her head suddenly ached awfully. She clutched her head in her hands, groaning in pain. A flash of memory flickered through her mind. She saw a young girl, no more than seven, playing with another woman. She had dark skin and wore her hair in a long braid down her back. The girl had short blond hair and wore a white cloak that flowed elegantly behind her as she ran.