They were miles from nowhere when Goku noticed the bird circling overhead.
"What's that? It's following us."
Hakkai shaded his eyes and gazed upward. A vulture? surely not. No--
"Huh." Gojyo leaned back and stared up into the blue. "--the hell? It's an owl."
Hakkai narrowed his eyes: so it was. An owl? In midday? And it seemed to be white--
The bird spiraled down toward Hakuryu, talons extended, as if expecting to be received. Gojyo stood up in the back seat and held out his arm, fist clenched, in the age-old falconer's pose--once more,as so often, Hakkai felt the strange shiver of ages past and present, how many times have we all lived--and then the white owl landed on Gojyo's arm, and, like a trained messenger, held out its leg.
There was a coil of paper tied to it.
Gojyo untied the scroll, and Sanzo glanced up sharply as he read it.
"What? from Gyoma'oh's side?"
But Gojyo held the paper out, with the oddest expression, to Hakkai. "…it's for you."
Hakkai pulled the jeep over and began to read.
Dear Great-grandfather Hakkai,
I hope this reaches you safely. I've never done the time-turning spell before, and I hate to risk an owl, but this is very important.
Let me introduce myself. My name is Cho Chang, and I am your great-granddaughter. In another timeline, my mother is your granddaughter and niece,Cho Dao-Ming.
[..does this mean that in some other reality Kanan and I had a child?--]
I was born with special powers, and I came to this school in England, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, to learn how to use them. But everything has gone wrong here, and that's why I'm contacting you, Great-grandfather: I need five scales from a white dragon.
[you do?…]
It has to be an Asian dragon, and freely given, and nothing else will work. My grandmother always said that you had a white dragon as your familiar, and that's why I ask you now. Please, Great-grandfather Hakkai, I seriously need these dragon scales. Send them back with the owl if it's possible. We face terrible enemies who want to destroy all freedom of magic and terrify ordinary people, and we can't allow that.
Please, help us.
Yours, Cho Chang
The bird regarded him with calm amber eyes, so like Goku's, and waited. Eyes of misfortune…
" 'Kai? What's it say?" The redhead in the back seat cocked his head.
Hakkai tried to manage his usual smile, but he was sure it didn't look right.
"It seems my great-granddaughter needs my help."
Gojyo grinned. "Is she cute?"
Hakkai shot him a glance that could have cracked glass. "That's no concern of yours."