A/N: The italics at the beginning and/or end of a chapter are Melody's narrations to connect the time gaps in the story and occasionally give other important information.

Chapter 1: Earth to the Spiral

I was born on a very distant world called Earth, or so I'm told, and it seems everyone from the human side of my family was born there. I was given the name Melody Sharp by my parents and was often put in the care of their firstmate, an elderly goat monk from distant Mooshu called Xiao.

I was dreaming about the skyways again, barely turned four yet already dying to join my parents in the sky.

Their firstmate Xiao was standing over my shoulder as we watched the merchant ship docking at the only sky port on Earth.

The rest of their crew was swarming out of the ship, most of them I knew but a few of the faces were new. It was a small crew, about fifteen members that I could see plus my parents and Xiao.

Then my parents stepped down to join us, smiling and happy as I had always seen them.

Yet this time their eyes hid a secret, something was happening in the skyway that had scared them.

I knew nothing of that though; I merely let out a happy squeal as I leapt into their arms. My shifting control was weak at that point and I was often floating in an in-between form with my little tail curling in delight.

My father smiled and rubbed my head as he caught me, his voice gruff but soft "Have you been up long Sweetie?"

"I wanted to see you in port this time…" I let out a yawn as I leaned against his arm, letting him take my weight as sleep finally began to catch up to me "You promised I could go on the next trip…"

"We're not setting out immediately though" my father laughed as he picked me up and started back towards the house.

"She is very eager to join you but is it safe yet? She cannot control it yet and if the Armada sees her true form…" Xiao spoke up as he followed us to the house, the rest of the crew finding somewhere around the docks to sleep.

My mother cut him off and checked that I had fallen asleep before she spoke in a bare whisper "It's fine, the next trip is a short journey to Skull Island and back to trade cloth. No one will find her here on Earth."

I curled deeper into my father's arms, not wanting to eavesdrop but curious as to why they were being so secretive.

Xiao opened the door with a sigh and waited for them to enter before stepping in himself "I have been out of the sky too long but even I know of the growing threat they pose. I would beg you to leave her here as you have always done but it would not be right."

I felt myself dropped into my bed as sleep finally overcame me, the last thing I heard was my father saying something about Valencia.

The days at home passed quietly on the outer fringe of Earth until finally it was time to set sail again.

Xiao woke me early that morning and carried me to the captain's cabin of the ship, The Majestic Archer, before leaving me to make final preparations with my parents.

I must have dozed because when I opened my eyes again we already in the skyways.

I rushed outside to see the crew running all over, lashing everything they could find down, while the ship itself was bucked and tossed by the violent winds. The storms off the shores of Earth were very effective at keeping it separate from the rest of the Spiral but a skilled captain could direct a ship through the turbulent winds.

As I took in the scene I was snatched up by Xiao, the little goat yelling something that was snatched away by the wind. When I could make sense of things again we were standing next to my father as he fought to keep the ship on a straight path.

"Take her back inside Xiao, the winds are acting up today." My father's voice was nearly drowned out by a crack of thunder off the port side, the lightning blinding the entire ship for a moment.

Xiao nodded and we were ushered back into the captain's cabin as the rain started to fall. "The sky's beyond are much nicer young one, stay inside until he have passed the storm tunnels that guard Earth." His voice was gentle but direct as he placed me on my parents' bed and sat down in the nearby chair.

I nodded reluctantly and lay on the bed watching him while we listened to the storm raging outside.