Author's note:

Hey there! This is a story I started when I was ~15 years old. Now 23, I randomly started re-watching YYH and remembered why my teen self was so obsessed with it (Hello, sexy lone wolf, Hiei; it never fails). After reading a few fanfics, I gained the courage to pick my own story back up and release it to the public.

The awesome part for you guys is that I nearly finished a creative writing minor while in college (I say nearly because poetry is such a drag to me, and I dropped it after reading Oedipus Rex for the fifth time. Honestly, are professors out of creative material?). So I'm now able to pick through my eight-year-old story with the mind of a critical editor. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have through the years!

On Feathered Wings

The morning sun scorched my back as I jogged next to the Tidal Basin. I ducked my head when a low-hanging cherry blossom branch threatened to make impact with my forehead. Rows of roses flew past me as I quickly neared the castle.

A pale, winged woman with purple hair waited for me a few yards up the path. I groaned and started to slow my jog to a trudge.

"Excuse me, my lady," she said as I walked closer.

I nodded at her and continued toward the castle.

"Your mother requests your company in the West Parlor," she informed me as she trotted by my side.

My shoulders slumped in response.

"Thanks," I said and heaved a sigh.

My mother didn't appreciate my love for jogging, and I knew she would be annoyed by my appearance if I were to arrive in my spandex shorts and sports bra. But she would be even more annoyed by my tardiness, so I skipped the bedroom detour and headed straight toward the West Parlor.

I quickly arrived in front of a blue door carved in ornate swirls - not by knife but by light. The art was called "Illuminati," a power known only to my kind. It left the door speckled with light and could easily vaporize an apparition if used correctly.

I softly rapped on the door.

"You may enter," called a voice from within.

Another winged woman reached for the doorknob to let me in. My mother sat in a green chair with her legs crossed at the ankles, and her hands rested in her lap. Her posture stiffened as soon as she saw me. I instantly sensed it was due to her disdain for my attire.

"Destiny, I've told you too many times that it's not appropriate for you to be seen in this wardrobe," she said as her lip curled in a sneer.

I broke into a curtsy, bowing my head slightly as I did so. "Good morning, Mother," I said.

Her eyes narrowed as she said, "Explain yourself."

I stifled the urge to roll my eyes as I said, "I went for a jog by the Tidal Basin."

As I do every day.

"Young ladies of your status have no need for such an activity. Do it again, and you will force me to take action," she said.

This time I couldn't stop the eye roll. "But it makes me feel happy when I do! Without it, I feel like such a sloth, like I have no energy," I said as I clenched my fists at my side.

Before I could register her movements, my mother was standing in front of me with her nose an inch away from mine. "IT IS NOT YOUR PLACE TO ARGUE WITH ME, MORGAN," she barked at me.

It was my turn to purse my lips as I stared her down, eye to eye. I may be only eighteen years old, but I am not one to back down from a fight - even if my mother is the queen of my race.

"Sit," she hissed at me before returning to her seat as well.

I sat down on a dark green velvet couch next to her and stared out the window. I knew my inattention would piss her off even more, but I couldn't stand looking at her as I let my anger fester within. Lace curtains were drawn over the windows, dimming the light that streamed through it with little success. The West Parlor overlooked the rose gardens outside, and I realized that's how my mother had known where to find me. She was normally in meetings until noon, so I was still surprised that I had been caught.

My mother leaned forward slightly and reached for her mug of tea. "Do you know why I have summoned you here?" she asked before taking a sip.

Does she expect me to be psychic, too?

"No, I do not," I muttered.

Her blonde hair glowed in the sunlight as she set the mug back down. "It is time to talk about your nuptials," she said.

I raised an eyebrow at the word. My mother never brought up the subject of marriage with me. My best friend, Felicity, discussed it with me nearly all the time. As teens, boys were always on our minds.

"I have sent word to the Mistress that it is time for her and the Lord to start picking out your suitor," my mother finally said.

"WHAT?!" I yelled as I stood with once-again clenched fists.

"SIT DOWN," my bother barked at me.

I pursed my lips and sat.

This isn't fair.

Felicity told me that our kind was allowed to leave the isle the spring after our eighteenth birthday and search for a husband. It was supposed to be the adventure of a lifetime - that one period where our kind was ungoverned and able to do as we pleased. I've been dreaming of this moment nearly all my life.

"I thought I was allowed to find a suitor on my own," I finally confessed after collecting myself.

"Whatever would give you that idea? Finding the next king to rule our kind is not a task meant for a silly little girl."

I glared at her, forgetting my place, "Silly little girl?! I am eighteen years old, and it will be spring in a month. If the others are allowed to find their own husbands, why can't I?"

"First, I have no idea how you received this information. And second, I will not tolerate such an impudent daughter! You are excused. I will call for you again tomorrow."

She waved her hand at the winged woman standing guard by the door. I stared, mouth agape, at my mother as the winged woman opened the door for me to exit. My mother merely reached for her mug again and took another sip of tea. She gazed out the window, ignoring me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the guard step toward me. I straightened my posture and glared at the woman. She glared back at me as I exited the room.

Why must my mother always chase me out of the room? Felicity's showered her with love and affection while mine barely tolerated a conversation.

But Mother isn't the only one who kept secrets. I have my own.

Still in my jogging gear, I raced back toward the Tidal Basin - toward the wall that encircled the castle grounds. Once there, I reached for the ring on my index finger and moved it to my thumb.