Disclaimer: Once again, Tales of Phantasia is not mine to stake a claim of ownership upon. Nor the entire Tales series, for that matter. They're entirely somebody else's.


-Wind-

Def: air moving across the surface of a planet or through an atmosphere at a speed fast enough to be noticed


The wind sang, each pristine note imbued with the joy of all things fresh and flighty and free. The tightly interwoven laces of pure air rippled and coiled, rushing past her like an invisible riptide, clinging mischievously to the various tassels and folds of her clothing as it swept by, and brought with it tales of vast blue oceans and rolling fields of emerald, lakes of glass and mountains of silver frost. Closing her eyes, she grinned, partaking in the stories that were breathed into her ears, snatching what flecks of scent and sound that she could gather from the muffled whisper and hiss of each fleeting gust.

Having her fill of the patchwork tales after a short while, she opened her eyes again and giggled as the wind reprimanded her with a particularly powerful updraft, buoying her several yards higher into the glowing, pristine dome of the heavens. Grabbing the opportunity, she surged even higher with the draft of solid air at her tail, swerving into a 360 degree turn with an expert haul on the chafed pole of wood grasped between her hands and dipping back down another couple of feet before pulling up to her original level with a perfectly timed tug in the right direction. Giddy with the laughter of the wind and the crystalline chill of the air, a wave of daring took hold of her limbs - as it often did - and she leaned forward against the jetstream, applying a burst of speed and streaking forward like an arrow. In an instant the world became a rushing pastel blur, the blinding white of clouds and the clean blue of the sky and the bright star of the sun blending together into a glowing curtain that never seemed to end.

This was where she truly belonged - this was what life was all about. The rush of the air, the silver tapers of the clouds, and the patchwork quilt of the world spread out beneath her in its rich greens and browns, a radiant gem too large to claim as one's own. Here gravity had no authority…no, here, the wind was law, and the law was that of freedom and flight, the air a shifting blanket to catch those brave enough to join in the fun. Surely nothing in all the world could possibly match the beauty of this sky. And nothing could possibly replace the rugged sturdiness of the broomstick beneath her, the delightful surge and swell of mana as she manipulated it to her will, the task so easy and effortless it had long since become second nature. With sheer instinct being the only calculator she needed, she could work her magic and the spells imbued in this broom in tandem with the whims of the wind, to gloriously exhilarating results. She'd been flying since she was a small child, and the tricks and stunts she had accumulated during that span of time were all but innumerable. Needless to say, she had reason to be quite proud of her prowess.

…No, she wouldn't trade this for anything in the world, not the brightest gold or the greatest fame. This was a privilege that had no price, no boundary by which to overstep.

This was hers and hers alone.

The feel of her hair whipping behind her and the air encasing her in a liquid embrace was wonderful, but she soon remembered where she was. Reluctant, she swerved around, tracing a huge curve in the skies, and sped back to an area within range of her companions, who could only cover so much distance with their own clunky Techbirds. Even during the journey back the chances for tricks were endless, though, and she wouldn't surpass them for the world - she bobbed and swung about with the whims of the constantly shifting air, increased her speed with another half-minded nudge against the invisible streams of mana that carried her, and pulled into a perfectly executed back flip. As momentum carried her upside down she briefly let go of her broomstick, allowing it to loop back underneath her as she enjoyed one second of weightlessness and two more of freefall. Completing the flip, alighted on the broomstick once more as it bobbed into place beneath her, as if it were the easiest thing in the world.

Which it was.

She resumed her journey back to the others, unable to quench the huge grin on her features if she'd wanted to.

As the sleek silver of the Techbirds rose back into view, silver daytime stars against the brightness of the sun, she lined up next to the nearest one and leaned back against her seat, hands laced behind her head, completely untouched by the vertigo that might have gripped others at the possibility of falling off such an unsteady thing as a broomstick, to meet the ground so many miles below. Satisfied to resort to plain old gliding for the moment, she admired the painted beauty of the sky above for a few minutes, before glancing over to the neighboring Techbird beside her.

The passenger of the said Techbird returned her glance with one of his own, and she could easily see the irritation painted on his sharp features. His blue hair whipped out behind him with the force of the wind, and the white sash that was usually wrapped securely around his throat had come loose by a couple of coils and was now streaming like a scarf from his airborne profile. She considered the amusing qualities of this scene for a moment before treating him to one of her brightest taunting smiles. It was plain to see that he was already annoyed at her more recent antics, but the temptation was too good to pass up.

Indeed, as she had anticipated, he seemed to know the exact reason for her grin, and his gaze narrowed into a trademark glare that flung invisible daggers. She could just hear his exact words loud and clear in her imagination, telling her off, like he was probably dying to do right now. And, of course, her grin just widened some more.

She stuck her tongue out at him, and took delight in the way his features contorted in fury.


A/N: Ah, it felt good writing this chapter. I dunno, it's just…so exhilarating and full of life. The details were so fun to write. :D I'm not sure why, but after this I feel a good deal happier…

Arche is such an awesome character. XD