Teacher: Hello there, and welcome to the first chapter of Flying Through Time. The story of the character, Ryle, is done by me and my friend, Student. She draws and I write everything up. This is my first time ever writing a story like this despite my profession so if you see any errors, I would love for you to point them out. This story can be a bit confusing at times but we hope that you enjoy it.
Student: If you have any questions, feel free to ask! We hope you like this!
Flying Through Time
Arc I: To the Time of the King
Chapter One: Death Back
Rushing wind hits her face but is blocked by glasses positioned on her nose. The wind rushes past, howling and whistling as they bounce off the tight fabric of the wings. She goes through a cloud, cold and wet air hitting her, blinding her for just a second. She dives down, out of the thick white clouds and the ocean comes into view. Her shoulder length brown hair flies behind her, whipping in the rushed air.
Closer- even closer to the water she goes, never slowing down, never thinking of backing up. She dives straight to the waters below, closer and closer till she finally jerks up. The glider's wings catch a wind and she smoothly glides over the surface of the water. She releases one hand from the bar, the only thing that is keeping her attached to the glider, and runs it through the sun warmed ocean water.
A tailwind comes and she takes it, riding higher and away from the ocean surface. She does not go as high as she had before, staying below the thick clouds, but high enough that no ship's mast or sails will get in her way. Once more she circles her island, a rocky, almost treeless but not barren land with plenty of fields for crops, landing and take offs. She tilts her wing to the right and swoops down, catching small air currents that lead her straight to the field behind her house.
Once close enough for a landing, she comes out of her horizontal position and waits for the ground to become closer. Once her feet are able to hit the grassy patch, she runs until the glider is moving due to her. She then stops and carefully tilts it back and rests it on the ground. She moves her glasses to the top of her head and wipes her forehead with a 'humph.'
Her name is Ryle; a sixteen year old girl with shoulder length brown hair, brown eyes and tanned skin. She is average height for a girl on her island, wearing face blue jeans, brown boots, a gray t-shirt and a black flyer jacket with her own little emblem on the back: a puffy cloud with a blue glider behind it that resembles one she rides all the time.
Ryle stared up at the sky one more time, a bit of wanting to go back up came to her but there was no good wind for it. She also had other things to do that were even more important: house chores before her mother nagged her about them. Ryle chuckled to herself; thinking of her mother's nagging face always gave her a laugh since she looked like a choking horse whenever she got angry.
Ryle picked up her glider and, carrying it by the hand bar, carried it to a place where it would not be in the way. After the glider was secured, she began her walk to her small cobblestone house. On her way she saw some gliders in the air, people attempting to make a safe landing with the dead wind. She silently wished them luck before entering the humble house. The smell of coffee cakes and tea hit her face as soon as she went in, along with the smell of cinnamon and a cooking goose.
"Took your mighty fine time out there didn't you?" Ryle's mother, Annabeth, said, not even turning around to see her daughter. "I thought you were going for a walk."
"I did go for a walk." Ryle sat up on the counter and broke herself off a piece of cake. "Had some damn good winds out there too."
Annabeth turned around and huffed at her daughter. "Now I told you about that language of yours." She warned before smacking the hand with the cake. "You are going to ruin your dinner with that cake, it was meant for after the meal."
"I'm a growing teenager." Ryle said, her mouth fool of the sweet delicacy. "I need a lot of food."
"Sometimes I question if you are a guy or not." Annabeth sighed, shaking her head.
Ryle pulled open the front of her pants and glanced in before snapping them back in place. "Nope, no junk, still a girl." She said blatantly.
Annabeth's lecturing face turned to one of hysteria as she began to cackle at what her daughter just did. "Oh sometimes I wonder if you are more of your father or me." She said. She turned back to the stove, still giggling a bit. "Go and pay respects to your father before coming in here and setting the table."
Ryle jumped off the counter and brushed the crumbs off her hands with her pants before walking into the living room. There were two old leather couches and a chair positioned to encircle a fire place. On the mantle above the fire place stood a single picture of an older man with graying hair and two candles on each side which seemed to have been lit constantly from the wax that was slipping down the sides.
Ryle walked in front of the picture and grabbed the matches that were behind it. She lit each candle, blew out the match and put the rest back where she found them. She then proceeded to clap three times and silently stood in front of the picture of her late father, eye's closed to the world. After a minute of giving a silent prayer, she went back into the kitchen and began to put silver ware on the red checkered table cloth that decorated the small oak table. Annabeth began to place food on the set table and the two started to eat, not a word was spoken.
It was a few hours after dinner was done and Ryle and Annabeth were sitting in their living room, eating the coffee cake and drinking tea when the raid sounds came from the town bell tower. Annabeth rushed outside with Ryle right behind her. From the small hill where their house was positioned, the two could see the large pirate ship that was moving closer. Cannon fire was followed with explosions and the silent, early night air was erupted in noise.
People screamed, pirates laughed, crying, booming, the cackle of fire's being started and the crumbling of buildings was heard in an instant. Ryle didn't know what to do, everything had started so quickly and everything was happening so fast. Annabeth pulled at her daughter's arm and rushed her into the house after spotting pirates rushing up the hill.
Ryle was yanked through the rooms and Annabeth pushed her out the backdoor. "Run!" She shouted, frantically and begging. "Leave with your glider!"
Ryle watched her mother disappear and the sounds of gunshots erupted once more, this time, from within her home. Ryle felt tears began to fall down her cheeks as she watched her house become swallowed in flames. She screamed for her mother, prayed for her father and cursed at the pirates who were now coming towards her. But she did not stay and fight a battle she knew she was going to lose.
The pirates were shouting at her as she ran in the direction of her glider, obeying the final wish of her mother. She would get off the island and live, she would not die that easily. Ryle made it to her glider and was able to position it so that she could take off, but no wind was there and the pirates had already caught up. She heard the lighting of a flint and the crack of the bullet being fired and that was it… she died, her life was over, and everything was white.
Ryle felt no pain from the bullet but she still felt the pain of losing her mother. But it was not warm like her island had been due to the flames; it was cold, but hot, nauseating but perfectly fine. The feelings she felt were contradicting and confusing, uncertain and out of this world like. She felt lightheaded as if she had gone to high in her glider, which for some reason, she found herself still holding. In fact, she was still standing from what she could tell, but there was no light, no dark, pure white, but no color. Yet she still felt these mixed emotions of fear, sadness, safety…
And then it was gone- a sharp pain in her head began to turn everything dark as she began to lose consciousness. Her body felt numb and a rushed feeling came to her stomach. And then she was gone.
-22 Years in the Past-
The green-black sea churned in the high waves the stormy winds created. The sky was blanketed in a thick gray and black layer of clouds. Everything was everything was being pelted in the rain that feel in sheets. A single pirate sailed through these waters with a skillful crew on board. The sails were unfurled and the black flag bearing a pirate's mark flapped in the wind while voices coming from the deck were drowned away in the storm.
Almost every man on the ship was on deck, soaked to the bone but no hope was loss in their spirits as they continued to sail through the night. Each man was at their position and each one was doing it dutifully. Even the young pirate apprentices of no older than fifteen were helping out in defeating the strong storm.
The navigator shouted: "Move towards the port bow!" and the ship leaned to the left as a current rushed past. He shouted more, giving orders to all and safely letting the large ship sail through the storm. After what felt like several hours, the waters calmed, the storm passed, and everything was silent. Nothing but the heavy breathing, sighs and huffs of tired crewmen could be heard.
They were slumped against rails, walls and barrels and some were flat out lying on the water soaked deck. Their muscles were soar and heavy and they were unable to even lift an arm to cheer for surviving through yet another storm. The New World was unforgivable, even more so than the Grandline had been. Hell, the Grandline was paradise considered to the monstrosity that the New World was.
A single man stood up. He was tall with broad shoulders, messy black hair and a large curly beard with a bit of scruff. The man was wearing a red and gold captain's jacket but like the rest of them, he was panting from the exhaustion of the storm. Once his breath was caught, he tossed his head back and bellowed a laugh that made all other men laugh as well. "Thought we were goners with that one!" He shouted. "But, looks like we lived!"
The men began to laugh at their captain's light heartedness. His name was Gol D. Roger and by this time, also known as the Pirate King. Many of men feared him and many hated him for the actions he did. But every man on that ship, the Oro Jackson, idolized and respected Roger, deeming him their friend, their captain, their savior.
Though the black night sky still hung over their heads, the men began to throw a party, accepting their victory over the storm. However, this light hearted celebration did not last as long as they had hoped for a large white orb in the middle of the deck interrupted the merry going. The men shielded their eyes from the harsh rays it emitted but stared nonetheless to see what the world had brought to them this time. The orb began to take the shape of a person before the image of a young girl and a large object came into view. The light disappeared and the girl collapsed to the deck, unconscious with the large glider on top of her.
The men were still, unsure what to do; even Roger was not expecting what had just occurred. The first person to move was a cabin boy with bright red hair who had a straw hat placed on his head and went by the name of Shanks. He knelt down next to the unconscious girl and shook her shoulder but got no response. "Oi, Buggy, help me move the glider off of her." He said.
Another boy of the same age as Shanks came over. He had blue hair that was pulled under a beanie and a large red nose that resembled something one would see on a clown. The two of them together were able to remove the glider from off the girl. Shanks turned her over onto her back. Roger walked over to the boys and knelt down next to the girl, placing two fingers on her neck. "She's still alive." He said. "Crocus, mind taking a look at her?"
A larger man with hair like a flower walked over to them and looked at the girl. From what he could see, there were no exterior injuries; she looked more like she was sleeping rather than unconscious. "Doesn't seem to be injured." Crocus said. "But we should wait until she wakes on her own." Roger nodded and ordered Shanks and Buggy to move the girl to a free room where no one could disturb her. Shanks gladly did so with a grumbling Buggy right behind him.
Ryle opened her eyes to a dark wooden room that was gently rocking and smelled of sea water and beer. She sat up, a bit groggy and out of it, unsure of where she was or how she got there. The only thing that came to mind was being surrounded by pirates in her hometown, about to be killed, or maybe she had. Was this heaven? Or maybe it was hell…
The door opened and Shanks walked in with a tray of food in his hands. Ryle stared at him wide eyed and he stared right back, both shocked at seeing the other. Shanks's shocked look became a relaxed and easy-going smile. He placed the food down next to her and sat on the bed that was to her right.
"Looks like you finally woke up." He said grinning ear to ear. "You were asleep for a few days."
"Where am I?" Ryle asked, ignoring the food though she was indeed hungry. "Am I dead?"
Shanks laughed loudly at what Ryle said, covering his face with his hand and leaning back. "Of course you aren't dead!" he said, still laughing. "What makes you think that?"
"I was shot at by pirates…" Ryle said. "My whole island- it was destroyed by them."
"Don't know about that but you appeared here from this glowing white orb." Shanks pointed at Ryle. "What the hell are you?"
"Human, isn't it obvious?" Ryle said.
"I meant what kind of devil's fruit did you eat?" Shanks grinned.
"I never ate one." Ryle deemed. "I've always been quite a good swimmer."
"Then how did you teleport here?" Shanks jumped up, getting in Ryle's face. "The only way you could have magically appeared like that is if you are one!"
"I didn't eat one." Ryle declared. "My glasses did."
Shanks gave her a dumbfounded stare, not believing one word of it. Ryle glanced around before finding her beloved glasses and held them up for Shanks to see. "These are them." She said once more.
"That's impossible." Shanks said, crossing his arms over his chest. "No way."
"Dr. Vegapunk created a machine that allowed an inanimate object to 'eat' a fruit."
"I've never heard of that." Came a voice from the door. Both teens looked up to see Rayleigh, a man with short, strawberry blond hair and a small black beard. "In this era, there is no such technology."
"What era is this then?" Ryle questioned.
"The Golden Era." Shanks said, his tone seemed to make Ryle feel like she was dumb.
Ryle went silent and her eyes went wide. She was from the Age of Pirates, the era after the Golden Era, the era that Gold Roger had started at his execution. Her glasses- it had to be done by them. "Time skipped…" She muttered to herself, confusing the men in the room.
"What do you mean, time skipped?" Rayleigh questioned. "You said your glasses 'ate' a devil's fruit, is that what you are talking about?"
"They 'ate' the Time Time Fruit." Ryle said. "Something must have triggered it to go off."
"You said that you were attacked by pirates, could that have done it?" Shanks asked.
"Your life being in danger might have triggered the reaction." Rayleigh said. Ryle lowered her head and stared at the clear-blue glasses in her hands. "Before we get any deeper, and since Shanks obviously didn't ask, what's your name and where are you from?"
"My name is Ryle, Ryle of Wind's Breath." Ryle answered, looking up at him.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Rayleigh Silvers, first mate of the Roger Pirates." Rayleigh places his hand on Shanks's head. "This is Shanks, a cabin boy and pirate apprentice."
"Roger Pirates?" Ryle questioned. "As in the Pirate King, Gold Roger?"
"The one and only." Shanks beamed proudly. Ryle went silent, a bit in shock maybe as well. First she had finally escaped one pirate crew and the next thing she knew, she was stuck on the ship of the fearful king of them all! Today was not her lucky day.
Ryle was so caught up in her thoughts that it took her a second to realize that Rayleigh had place a gentle hand on her head to ease her concerns. She glanced up at him and his friendly eyes smiled at her through small glasses. "Don't worry." He said, reassuringly. "We aren't going to kill you. I do have to talk to the captain about what to do with you though."
Ryle nodded, knowing very well that that was all she could hope to get for now. Rayleigh left to find Roger, leaving Shanks and Ryle alone. An awkward silence arose between the two teens who sat, Ryle fidgeting a bit and Shanks just staring at her. Finally, the silence was broken with a question from Ryle: "Did my glider make it here?" She asked.
Shanks snapped into attention and nodded. "Yeah, we have it tied to the deck. No one's touched it so it isn't broken or anything." He stood up and gestured for her to follow. "I'll show you."
Ryle stood, revealing herself to be just a bit taller than Shanks. She wondered if the red headed boy was indeed younger than she was, he did look to be barely a teen. She never asked it aloud though, finding it too rude to even think of. So she quietly followed him out of the room, through the dark wood halls of the ship and onto the bright open deck.
Many of men were on the ship, some talking, others keeping track of the winds and sea. None of them bothered to look up at Shanks and Ryle as they came out on the deck, why should they stop to worry about some people they have no business with at that time? So the two teens walked across the deck and to a corner where Ryle's large glider was carefully lying, tied to the rail as a just in case.
"It wasn't damaged at all." Shanks said. He sat on the railing next to the glider while Ryle carefully untied it and checked for damaged, just in case. "I've seen them before, but I've never flown in them."
"You don't fly a glider." Ryle corrected. "Though it does give a feeling of flying, it is gliding."
"Ah, same difference." Shanks laughed. "Can you fly it for me?"
"You want to see how it works?" Ryle grinned and Shanks nodded. "Alight, but let me find a good wind." Ryle hefted the large glider up, making men in the area back up and catch the attention of others, all were wondering what she would do.
Ryle stood still for a minute, eyes concentrating on the sky as if she was staring at the invisible air currents, reading them. A quick grin appeared on her features as she jumped off the edge of the ship and plummeted down to the ocean. Men rushed to the railing to see if she crashed but Ryle came shooting up.
She swiftly placed her glasses on and moved the glider even higher into the sky. She was still low enough that she could hear all the noise of excitement from Shanks and some of the men. She tilted the wings and glided down, going right through the masts on the ship and back up. Clapping was heard from below and Ryle laughed, happy that people were enjoying her show. A few more minutes in the air and she came down to the ship for a landing, sliding down easily on the deck.
Shanks came running up to her. "Oi, teach me how to ride it." he said, almost a demand rather than a request.
Ryle sighed but a smile was on her face. "I've never taught anyone before and lifting off a short jump like the railing isn't easy. High cliffs are much better for beginners."
"Don't worry, I can do it." Shanks said reassuringly.
Ryle was about to answer when more people came onto the deck. Unlike when Shanks and Ryle came, everyone stopped and turned in respect. Roger and Rayleigh were the ones who had come up, Roger wearing a large grin and Rayleigh a simple content look. Roger looked around and it seemed that he could sense that there had been some sort of excitement. "Did I miss something?" He asked, almost whining as if to hope he didn't.
Shanks was the one to answer. "Ryle flew on her glider for everyone." The young teen almost shouted.
Roger looked Ryle over; the girl was standing stiff, not sure how to comprehend the situation. She was just a normal small town girl and now she was faced to face with the king of the pirates himself. Roger sensed her unease and slapped her on the back with a good laugh. "No need to be so stiff." He shouted. "You're interesting so I'm not going to kill you or anything. Wouldn't do that even if you weren't."
"I'm interesting?" Ryle questioned. She had never thought of herself as such.
Roger began to count out things on his fingers. "Travelled through time for an era in future, comes from the future, glasses ate a devil fruit and can fly. Yup, you're interesting." Ryle wanted to argue with some of his points but never found herself able to ruin his fun. "So how about you join my crew?"
Ryle was a bit taken aback by the question before she crossed her arms in a X. "Impossible." She said. Roger gave her a look that wanted to know why. "I am pathetically weak and the only things I am good at are gliding, reading the wind and being a smartass."
Roger laughed. "You're in!" He shouted and once again Ryle wanted to protest but couldn't. "You can be a pirate apprentice for being a navigator."
Roger turned away and started saying things about throwing a party for Ryle's welcome. Ryle herself just stood there, confused and unsure. "Is he always like that?" She asked Shanks. The boy grinned.
"That's what makes him interesting." Shanks stated, grabbing booze from one of the crates that were on the deck. "Come on, you can meet Buggy, he's another apprentice like me."
Ryle walked after him. "Wait, there are more?"