North Star: Prologue - Bad Start

Prologue: Bad Start

Truth be told, Rain wasn't fond of winter. The breezy weather was pleasant, certainly, but she always had to bundle up. Moreover, it was wet and damp everywhere, they couldn't sit on the grass or play games on the field during the cooler seasons with all the water and mud. Not that she minded the dirt, it was the cleaning up part that bothered her.

She hugged herself, leaning into and bracing against the strong winds that shrieked around her. By and by the school disappeared behind her and the roads gradually grew wider.

 The skies were already darkening by the time she had reached home, and the beginning of stars twinkling in the sky. They winked at her and she giggled, waving back. It was around then that she noticed a single light growing larger.

It was a falling star.

How odd. There were no recent forecasts of Starfell, and for a single star alone to fall.

She chased after the falling star into the woods. The encroaching darkness of dusk bothered her little, for she knew the woods well, following the paths she knew by Heart.

She ran until reaching a clearing, set aglow with a brilliant light as the star descended. Its sheer radiance blinded her before she sought shelter behind a tree, covering her eyes with a sleeve. Despite seeing stars mere moments before, the light didn't feel harsh, and soon enough she peeked out from behind the trunk.

There stood the Northstar, though she was too young to recognized the constellation that surrounded him. His body emitted a gentle light, a radiance that was somehow frosty and somber in its pallor. Bathed in its glow, she stepped closer, mesmerized.

The Northstar turned to her, and his eyes were as cold as the light emanating from him. As she padded over, he straightened up, shoulders back and head held high with the dignity that was entailed of his ancient kind, witnesses to the dawn of Time.

 The child smiled up at him, "Are you a star?"

"Do you not know who I am?" his brow furrowed, and he felt a small tickle of irritation as the child shook her head, eyes large and peering up at him in wonder.

Ignorant little thing, to understand so little of the gravity and immensity that his presence meant.

He withheld a sigh. Impatience was unbecoming.

A tug at his robe and the urge to leave was quick becoming stronger, he peered down at the girl and she smiled up at him again, "Mister, what's your name?"

"I am Northstar, Polaris A. who presides over the righteous path, and guide to those who have lost sight of it." as he spoke the all too familiar words, his voice carried with it an odd mix of apathy and pride.

By the child's lost look he felt himself deflate a little. The girl was clearly too young to understand his presiding prerogative nor his jurisdiction over the Heavens. Oh well, all with due time he supposed.

To his surprise, the child giggled, "I'm Rain, what are you doing here Mr. Northstar?"

Choosing to ignore the prefix, he instead thought of her question. The smile that crossed his face was closer to a grimace, but any ill will seemed to have escaped the child's notice, "My reasons for descending are beyond your comprehension, child. You need not concern yourself with them."

Rain just stared up at him, confusion clear on her visage, "Will you be here for long?"

"No, child."

"Rain."

"Pardon?" the stellar being raised a brow.

"I'm called Rain." she supplied.

At first he thought her quip bold, impertinent even. Demanding that a constellation such as himself address her by name, but staring down at the child, could see no conceit. It seemed doubtful that she even understood the implications of respect in her request for him to call her by name.

Sure enough, he gleamed her thoughts, revealing nothing but the childish understanding of the world, that just as the white wisps of moisture in the sky were clouds, she was Rain and he was Northstar.

"Are you now?"

A nod.

Northstar glanced around. The Earth of now, held little resemblance to the one of memories, whence he'd last seen it. It wasn't a pleasure trip that had taken him to this quaint speck of inert celestial dust, yet he was in no rush. It had been eons after all, and Time held a very different significance for the celestial lord. Besides, such was but a speck in eternity. Perhaps there was something to be gleamed from--he glanced down at the child staring at him--a different perspective, and entertaining a child was a small price to pay for it.

Settling himself down on a fallen tree, he beckoned to her, "And what of yourself? Twilight is upon us and you've yet to cross the threshold of home."

"I was with some friends, we were playing!" Rain grinned at the memory.

She sat there with the odd stranger, blathering on about her friends, school, the friendly old ratty tabby on her street, and so on.

Northstar was nice, weird, but nice. And his vernacular was strange to her, but she understood the geist of what he was saying, even if he used some pretty big and funny sounding words. That he listened so attentively was a huge plus in her book! He asked her about the town, what she did, and so on. His questions were as strange as he was. Northstar wanted to know the most mundane things.

The star chuckled as the conversation again went back to this odd game that the child seemed so fond of. Hide and seek? Tag?

"Mhmm! Do you wanna try? I'm really good at it!"

And as amusing as it all was, the darkness was soon encroaching. It would soon be Time for his departure.

It was then that a thought came to North, and he made a show of consideration, peeking down at the child from the corner of his eyes in amusement as she watched him with bated breath, at last answering, "Alright, but only one game, for the hour grows late. Pray explain to me once more how it is played."

Rain let out a happy cry and nodded enthusiastically, clamoring that North would count to 10 while she hid, once he found her and tagged her, she would be "it", and it would be the star's turn to hide.

North nodded and closed his eyes, counting down. It was all for show really, he needn't eyes to see the child as she squealed, unprepared, and darted off.

Upon reaching one, he stood, and stepped lightly over the litterfall. Had he been a mere mortal, her hiding spot would have been a good one indeed. But he was a celestial body and as it was, brushed aside the thicket to reveal the small white haired child hiding in the hollow of an old stump.

There was a frantic cry as she scrambled to run, but he was a step ahead, and tapped her on the head.

Rain crossed her arms, sulking up at him and he tutted at her lightly, twirling his finger in a motion that she took to mean it was her turn to turn around and play seeker.

She did so, pouting still, and closed her eyes. But even as she counted, behind her lids she saw a brightening light. Hurriedly, she counted to one and swiveled around, a small anxious pang rushing through her.

But the clearing was oddly dark, void of the cool blue light of the Northstar.

She searched high and low, and confused, looked up to search the sky for the star that had descended.

As she did, she saw a prominent glow fading into the sky. With a cry she called after him, but there was no reciprocating voice, and Rain could only watch as the glow grew weaker still, light diminishing as the distance grew.

Just before it faded back into the nightscape, she heard his voice chuckle, "Catch me if you can, seeker."

With a grin, she hollered back, "I will, I'll find you North!"