Time Trip: White Wings, Dark Thoughts, Evil Parenting Methods
She stood ready, wearing a white and lavender dress much like the one she wore the day before, pink cape blowing gently in the wind. She raised her left hand, and a beam of light spit the air. It curved back quickly to form a shining white bow. She grabbed the string with her right hand, an arrow suddenly springing forth as if it had been hidden in her sleeve. She raised the glowing weapon, aiming slightly to the left of a bale of hay.
Kagome watched as her spirit arrow burned a line of white flame through the air. "Turn turn turn turn turn…' she thought, but when it once again missed, her thoughts changed abruptly. 'Why won't it HIT THE TARGET?'
Suddenly the target burst into flame, the arrow had flipped around and shot back at the missed bale of hay, blasting through to poke out of the front. Kagome stared at it a moment. She held out her left hand again, the bow had disappeared the moment she dropped it in shock, and prepared to shoot again. This time shooting over the burning target, she focused on a more specific instruction. 'Fly lower.' It did, 'turn left' it did that too, then 'spin around me' it was working! 'Hit the arrow in the hay' the bright circle created by the speeding arrow flying around Kagome broke suddenly to shoot directly at the arrow imbedded in the target. Kagome smiled, this was so easy. It felt natural to extend her powers, and she kept figuring things out by accident. Contrary to what her father had said, she could put out her own fires a lot easier then she could control the arrows. All she had to do was visualize Shippou with his tail of fire and poof, the fire went out.
She had also learned how to raise a shield and attack with it. It was rather simple, but more powerful then her arrows. If she crossed her arms over her head she could block an attack from the air with her 'wings' as her father called them. She had to admit that the sheets of burning light did resemble wings in a way, but they looked more like one of Souta's doodles then real wings since no details were recognizable. When the enemy crashed down on her, she could force her 'wings' up, throwing whatever hit her backwards. As soon as her 'wingtips' passed one another and she was exposed, she would shatter the wings. Originally she thought she was converting the wings to a thousand arrows and shooting them off. Jonathan corrected her sternly:
"You are a phoenix; your spirit had wings. When you shatter them all your feathers break off, hitting your opponent with a strong wind and sharp quills. Arrows are merely projectile weapons with a sharp tip, which may or may not burn. The feathers can do a number of things; most noticeably they can carry your opponent a good distance away."
Apparently, her colors would show through the pure light, and all her powers would change from white to whatever colors her spirit was when she gained full control over them and was able to transform into her spirit form at will. Lord Jonathan had decided to show her what his spirit form looked like, and so was now sitting on an outcropping in one of the tower walls, watching.
Kagome looked over to her father. He was beautiful in phoenix form; there was no doubt about that. He was roughly twice the height of a horse, with an immense wingspan. In general, he looked much like a peacock, with a royal looking red, green, and gold crest on the top of his sleek head. An intelligent glint flashed in his green eyes, rimmed in gold. His wings, back, neck, and head were brilliant red with sparkling gold on the tips of the flight feathers. The underside of Jonathan was a rich green, the color of a healthy ancient forest canopy. His long, fan-like tail was currently folded, streaming down from his perch like a waterfall of rich green, flashing gold, and deep red. Strong, yellow and green scaled legs supported him as he held on with his sharp talons. As she watched, he nodded happily and called in a beautiful haunting voice, approving of her progress.
Kagome wished she could be that beautiful, that regal, or that strong. Her father might look like a near-flightless, dumpy, rather non-frightening peacock, but he could soar and was built of nothing but muscle. As she fell deep in thought about what she might look like, she could feel a warm power glowing across her skin. She didn't notice it at first, but it felt wonderful. When she raised her arm to the targets again, she noticed she had what looked like the shield spell glowing in a sheet off of her arm. A strong wind nearly blew her off her feet, but a pair of large wings circled around her and pulled her close.
Jonathan cooed sweetly to his little hatchling. 'Alright,' he thought to himself, 'so she didn't actually hatch, and she's nearly grown, she's still my little girl.' He turned her around to face him and spread his wings out, beckoning her to do the same. The still forming wings resembled formless paddles, but were rapidly gaining detail. 'I have to remember that she hasn't grown up as a phoenix. She doesn't know she has this power, and it is shocking to her that she can do these things but look so human. Then again, she won't look human for long.'
Kagome looked up at her father's impressive wingspan in awe. 'He said I had a spirit form too. I wonder what I look like.' Kagome looked down at herself, startled to see that the shielding spell had become more defined. She could see white feathers, wreathed in brilliant flames, engulfing her arms and spreading quickly across her chest. 'The shielding spell never covered my chest before.' She thought quickly before realizing what her thoughts had done. 'Am I? Way cool! I've got real wings, and I'm getting… smaller?'
Jonathan watched with pride as his daughter shrunk down to half her normal height, her neck stretching out into a graceful arc. A few more moments, and a snow white hen peacock stood in the gentle circle of his wings.
"You make a lovely hen, Kagome." Jonathan cooed
"I… I understood that!" She squawked back in shock. "And I sound like a bird." She said in a voice that would put the proudest songbird to shame.
"Most creatures are blessed with a universal language. Humans are one of few that do not inherently know how to speak. Demon and phoenix children must still be taught how to speak another language, usually a human language, in order to speak across species barriers. Otherwise canine demons couldn't talk to felines, birds, or dragons. By the by, you have a beautiful voice."
"I'm still white, and I'm so small."
"You will get your colors when you shine with your true spirit. Right now you are still learning. Also, you are small because you are young. I happen to be the respectable age of one hundred and thirty-six. Don't look at me like that child, you'll get the same you know!" Jonathan laughed "The instant you take on your true form, you nearly stop aging. It will take a good ten years for you to age the same as a human does in one; which is the same as demon by the way. I dislike comparing us to them all the time but you've had such close contact with them I think you will have an easier time understanding things if I put them in those terms."
"Thank you, Papa. I never asked Inuyasha about aging, but I suspected it was something like that. So, what do I do now?"
"What do you want to do?"
"Well… I have this feeling. I don't think Inuyasha would take my sudden disappearance well. Could you show me how to make a portal?"
"I think you love that boy."
"Papa! I can't… He wouldn't… It's just complicated."
"No, these things usually are very simple, but the situation and rationalizations that surround or spring out of them are highly complex. Now before you make a portal, you must know how to fly. The simplest way to not pass out from the shaking and swirling is to ride the currents like a bird in a strong wind. Now do exactly as I do, and if you fall you will do it again. If you fall again, you will do it again, and again, and again until you lift your little wings and soar the way you were born to."
Jonathan hopped over to the side to give Kagome a good view, then leveled his wings. He took a running start, flapped a few times, jumped, and pushed down with the critical stroke that launched him into the air.
"It's the jump that is important. With a little practice and a lot of instinct you will be able to take off by jumping alone, with no runway." He called down.
Kagome took a running start, flapped her graceful dove-white wings, jumped, flapped, and ate dirt. Un-phased, she tried again. Then a third time she ran out of courtyard, hitting the unforgiving stone wall that surrounded this area of the 'garden and recreation grounds.' Slightly dazed she took off in the other direction.
"Again!" Jonathan called down as he circled high above his struggling daughter. "Don't give up. Jump and push down with all your strength. It is not easy!" He watched as she failed again and again, an evil idea pushing at the back of his mind. Finally he gave in. "If you don't make it this time I'll do for you what my father did for me." He advised in a smooth tone. Kagome ate dirt for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. "Alright then!"
Jonathan swooped down, caught his daughter by the shoulder blades, and started climbing.
"Papa! What are you doing? Let go… wait! Don't let go! I can't fly yet. What are you doing?"
When the castle below looked like a toy he answered. "Taking off and landing are hard, this is easy." With that he gathered speed, shooting directly east, into the wind as fast as he could. "Don't fight the currents, use them." He kept his voice calm as he felt his daughter wobbling in his grasp. When the tug and pull evened out he could feel the lift from his daughter's wings pushing up on his talons.
"Now you have it." The quick, chirped sentence was all the warning Kagome got before she was roughly shoved down and away from the safety of Jonathan's claws. She spent a moment paralyzed in fear before she realized that she wasn't dropping like a stone. Her father bent his neck down to rumble into her ear. "Flap your wings a few times and relax. You can sleep in the air and wake up only a few feet lower then when you nodded off. With your wings, the wind is a smooth stream that you can float on, and it will support your weight with little work, once you get up to speed. Now… where is it that this Inuyasha lives? I've been meaning to take a trip east again and since I've cleared my schedule…"
"Would he even exist in this time?"
"I never got the hang of your years. I could tell you how many years it's been since Rome fell. That's how European magical creatures date our calendars, and that includes phoenixes, demons, unicorns, and dragons."
"I don't know what year Rome fell…actually I'm not sure what year I go back to. It must be something close to five hundred years into my Japan's past."
"Well if he isn't there, I'll show you how to make a portal."
"How will we find our way?"
"We'll fly east, over some highly disputed territory. Then we will angle south over the Ural Mountains and across to China, our reflections will shine off the rice patties, a sign that we are nearly there. Then a short flight over the Sea of Japan, and we'll judge our location from the curve of the land. If we get lost, I'll pick up a trade cart and ask him where he is heading!"
"Papa, do you mean literally you intend on picking up a trade cart with your claws?"
"Well I certainly don't mean flirting with it until it agrees to date me."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So what do you all think? I love that last line! It came to me while talking w/my dad. I told him I planned on picking up some more blank CDs to burn my downloaded Inuyasha episodes on. "Does that mean you'll need some cash?" "Nah, I'll just flirt with them until they agree to date me." (I have episodes 1-98; with up to 52 burnt. I get about 5 to a CD on the good quality ones, 7 to a CD for the smaller resolution/no intro song or credits).
*Tinuviel* guessed partially right about "What's Wrong With Inu"! It does have something to do with the fact that the portal was decaying. You win… this announcement! (What do you expect? I'm broke. If you sue me you'll get cheap teabags and an empty pack of gum.)
Lylli Riddle, thank you for the numerous reviews; however, it's kind of rude to flood a story like that.
You are welcome for the Latin/Jonathan explanation, Kitsune Hanyou.
SurfAngel: They will meet near the very end of this fic, but two things must happen first: Lady Futomi is coming back and Jonathan will meet Inuyasha for the first time but not know it. :) I am evil sometimes.
She stood ready, wearing a white and lavender dress much like the one she wore the day before, pink cape blowing gently in the wind. She raised her left hand, and a beam of light spit the air. It curved back quickly to form a shining white bow. She grabbed the string with her right hand, an arrow suddenly springing forth as if it had been hidden in her sleeve. She raised the glowing weapon, aiming slightly to the left of a bale of hay.
Kagome watched as her spirit arrow burned a line of white flame through the air. "Turn turn turn turn turn…' she thought, but when it once again missed, her thoughts changed abruptly. 'Why won't it HIT THE TARGET?'
Suddenly the target burst into flame, the arrow had flipped around and shot back at the missed bale of hay, blasting through to poke out of the front. Kagome stared at it a moment. She held out her left hand again, the bow had disappeared the moment she dropped it in shock, and prepared to shoot again. This time shooting over the burning target, she focused on a more specific instruction. 'Fly lower.' It did, 'turn left' it did that too, then 'spin around me' it was working! 'Hit the arrow in the hay' the bright circle created by the speeding arrow flying around Kagome broke suddenly to shoot directly at the arrow imbedded in the target. Kagome smiled, this was so easy. It felt natural to extend her powers, and she kept figuring things out by accident. Contrary to what her father had said, she could put out her own fires a lot easier then she could control the arrows. All she had to do was visualize Shippou with his tail of fire and poof, the fire went out.
She had also learned how to raise a shield and attack with it. It was rather simple, but more powerful then her arrows. If she crossed her arms over her head she could block an attack from the air with her 'wings' as her father called them. She had to admit that the sheets of burning light did resemble wings in a way, but they looked more like one of Souta's doodles then real wings since no details were recognizable. When the enemy crashed down on her, she could force her 'wings' up, throwing whatever hit her backwards. As soon as her 'wingtips' passed one another and she was exposed, she would shatter the wings. Originally she thought she was converting the wings to a thousand arrows and shooting them off. Jonathan corrected her sternly:
"You are a phoenix; your spirit had wings. When you shatter them all your feathers break off, hitting your opponent with a strong wind and sharp quills. Arrows are merely projectile weapons with a sharp tip, which may or may not burn. The feathers can do a number of things; most noticeably they can carry your opponent a good distance away."
Apparently, her colors would show through the pure light, and all her powers would change from white to whatever colors her spirit was when she gained full control over them and was able to transform into her spirit form at will. Lord Jonathan had decided to show her what his spirit form looked like, and so was now sitting on an outcropping in one of the tower walls, watching.
Kagome looked over to her father. He was beautiful in phoenix form; there was no doubt about that. He was roughly twice the height of a horse, with an immense wingspan. In general, he looked much like a peacock, with a royal looking red, green, and gold crest on the top of his sleek head. An intelligent glint flashed in his green eyes, rimmed in gold. His wings, back, neck, and head were brilliant red with sparkling gold on the tips of the flight feathers. The underside of Jonathan was a rich green, the color of a healthy ancient forest canopy. His long, fan-like tail was currently folded, streaming down from his perch like a waterfall of rich green, flashing gold, and deep red. Strong, yellow and green scaled legs supported him as he held on with his sharp talons. As she watched, he nodded happily and called in a beautiful haunting voice, approving of her progress.
Kagome wished she could be that beautiful, that regal, or that strong. Her father might look like a near-flightless, dumpy, rather non-frightening peacock, but he could soar and was built of nothing but muscle. As she fell deep in thought about what she might look like, she could feel a warm power glowing across her skin. She didn't notice it at first, but it felt wonderful. When she raised her arm to the targets again, she noticed she had what looked like the shield spell glowing in a sheet off of her arm. A strong wind nearly blew her off her feet, but a pair of large wings circled around her and pulled her close.
Jonathan cooed sweetly to his little hatchling. 'Alright,' he thought to himself, 'so she didn't actually hatch, and she's nearly grown, she's still my little girl.' He turned her around to face him and spread his wings out, beckoning her to do the same. The still forming wings resembled formless paddles, but were rapidly gaining detail. 'I have to remember that she hasn't grown up as a phoenix. She doesn't know she has this power, and it is shocking to her that she can do these things but look so human. Then again, she won't look human for long.'
Kagome looked up at her father's impressive wingspan in awe. 'He said I had a spirit form too. I wonder what I look like.' Kagome looked down at herself, startled to see that the shielding spell had become more defined. She could see white feathers, wreathed in brilliant flames, engulfing her arms and spreading quickly across her chest. 'The shielding spell never covered my chest before.' She thought quickly before realizing what her thoughts had done. 'Am I? Way cool! I've got real wings, and I'm getting… smaller?'
Jonathan watched with pride as his daughter shrunk down to half her normal height, her neck stretching out into a graceful arc. A few more moments, and a snow white hen peacock stood in the gentle circle of his wings.
"You make a lovely hen, Kagome." Jonathan cooed
"I… I understood that!" She squawked back in shock. "And I sound like a bird." She said in a voice that would put the proudest songbird to shame.
"Most creatures are blessed with a universal language. Humans are one of few that do not inherently know how to speak. Demon and phoenix children must still be taught how to speak another language, usually a human language, in order to speak across species barriers. Otherwise canine demons couldn't talk to felines, birds, or dragons. By the by, you have a beautiful voice."
"I'm still white, and I'm so small."
"You will get your colors when you shine with your true spirit. Right now you are still learning. Also, you are small because you are young. I happen to be the respectable age of one hundred and thirty-six. Don't look at me like that child, you'll get the same you know!" Jonathan laughed "The instant you take on your true form, you nearly stop aging. It will take a good ten years for you to age the same as a human does in one; which is the same as demon by the way. I dislike comparing us to them all the time but you've had such close contact with them I think you will have an easier time understanding things if I put them in those terms."
"Thank you, Papa. I never asked Inuyasha about aging, but I suspected it was something like that. So, what do I do now?"
"What do you want to do?"
"Well… I have this feeling. I don't think Inuyasha would take my sudden disappearance well. Could you show me how to make a portal?"
"I think you love that boy."
"Papa! I can't… He wouldn't… It's just complicated."
"No, these things usually are very simple, but the situation and rationalizations that surround or spring out of them are highly complex. Now before you make a portal, you must know how to fly. The simplest way to not pass out from the shaking and swirling is to ride the currents like a bird in a strong wind. Now do exactly as I do, and if you fall you will do it again. If you fall again, you will do it again, and again, and again until you lift your little wings and soar the way you were born to."
Jonathan hopped over to the side to give Kagome a good view, then leveled his wings. He took a running start, flapped a few times, jumped, and pushed down with the critical stroke that launched him into the air.
"It's the jump that is important. With a little practice and a lot of instinct you will be able to take off by jumping alone, with no runway." He called down.
Kagome took a running start, flapped her graceful dove-white wings, jumped, flapped, and ate dirt. Un-phased, she tried again. Then a third time she ran out of courtyard, hitting the unforgiving stone wall that surrounded this area of the 'garden and recreation grounds.' Slightly dazed she took off in the other direction.
"Again!" Jonathan called down as he circled high above his struggling daughter. "Don't give up. Jump and push down with all your strength. It is not easy!" He watched as she failed again and again, an evil idea pushing at the back of his mind. Finally he gave in. "If you don't make it this time I'll do for you what my father did for me." He advised in a smooth tone. Kagome ate dirt for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. "Alright then!"
Jonathan swooped down, caught his daughter by the shoulder blades, and started climbing.
"Papa! What are you doing? Let go… wait! Don't let go! I can't fly yet. What are you doing?"
When the castle below looked like a toy he answered. "Taking off and landing are hard, this is easy." With that he gathered speed, shooting directly east, into the wind as fast as he could. "Don't fight the currents, use them." He kept his voice calm as he felt his daughter wobbling in his grasp. When the tug and pull evened out he could feel the lift from his daughter's wings pushing up on his talons.
"Now you have it." The quick, chirped sentence was all the warning Kagome got before she was roughly shoved down and away from the safety of Jonathan's claws. She spent a moment paralyzed in fear before she realized that she wasn't dropping like a stone. Her father bent his neck down to rumble into her ear. "Flap your wings a few times and relax. You can sleep in the air and wake up only a few feet lower then when you nodded off. With your wings, the wind is a smooth stream that you can float on, and it will support your weight with little work, once you get up to speed. Now… where is it that this Inuyasha lives? I've been meaning to take a trip east again and since I've cleared my schedule…"
"Would he even exist in this time?"
"I never got the hang of your years. I could tell you how many years it's been since Rome fell. That's how European magical creatures date our calendars, and that includes phoenixes, demons, unicorns, and dragons."
"I don't know what year Rome fell…actually I'm not sure what year I go back to. It must be something close to five hundred years into my Japan's past."
"Well if he isn't there, I'll show you how to make a portal."
"How will we find our way?"
"We'll fly east, over some highly disputed territory. Then we will angle south over the Ural Mountains and across to China, our reflections will shine off the rice patties, a sign that we are nearly there. Then a short flight over the Sea of Japan, and we'll judge our location from the curve of the land. If we get lost, I'll pick up a trade cart and ask him where he is heading!"
"Papa, do you mean literally you intend on picking up a trade cart with your claws?"
"Well I certainly don't mean flirting with it until it agrees to date me."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So what do you all think? I love that last line! It came to me while talking w/my dad. I told him I planned on picking up some more blank CDs to burn my downloaded Inuyasha episodes on. "Does that mean you'll need some cash?" "Nah, I'll just flirt with them until they agree to date me." (I have episodes 1-98; with up to 52 burnt. I get about 5 to a CD on the good quality ones, 7 to a CD for the smaller resolution/no intro song or credits).
*Tinuviel* guessed partially right about "What's Wrong With Inu"! It does have something to do with the fact that the portal was decaying. You win… this announcement! (What do you expect? I'm broke. If you sue me you'll get cheap teabags and an empty pack of gum.)
Lylli Riddle, thank you for the numerous reviews; however, it's kind of rude to flood a story like that.
You are welcome for the Latin/Jonathan explanation, Kitsune Hanyou.
SurfAngel: They will meet near the very end of this fic, but two things must happen first: Lady Futomi is coming back and Jonathan will meet Inuyasha for the first time but not know it. :) I am evil sometimes.
