Erica glanced around as they made their final approach along the dirt road to Hedge. She was veiled carefully to hide her true appearance as a skunk creature, and truth be told she was feeling very nervous. What would humans of this time make of someone like her? Sure Samuel was able to understand she had once been human, but the others of this time lacked... well... knowledge.
Then a realisation dawned on her. People were transforming into things that in some way did exist. In the minds and imaginations of people. They were not turning into twisted monsters, randomly having their flesh twisted. Such things would be painful. If anything, Erica felt more healthy. It was a common theme to everyone that had gone the transformation under the sunlight. They tended to heal... weather it was a broken body, or even... a soul? Could there really be something to that? Or were people just adapting after losing an identity? Was this the equivalent of a rich person becoming poor and rediscovering themselves?
She had never felt happier being Erica then right now, enjoying Samuel's presence. She didn't want anything more... in fact, she now feared changing back. A month ago the idea of being in this body for the rest of her life repelled her. But now, Changing into something that the man she fell for wouldn't- couldn't love back... what if...
Erica glanced at her daughter who was fidgeting in her clothes. Her black and white tail poked out of it, swaying with ferocity. "I don't like wearin' clothes!" Nikki said annoyed. "It makes my fur all weird." Honestly why did her mother wear clothes in the past?
Lomasi shook her heard. "Little spirit, the others here would take your fur away if they saw you," the young native chided. "Wear clothes and be hidden."
The skunk, with a humph, relented. She put a hood over her features, as well as a mask. Samuel had to stifle a chuckle. She was a little skunk-cow-girl. All she needed was her own little pony now. The man shook his head, still smirking, when his daughter stuck her tongue at him. "I know what your thinkin'" she pointed out.
Samuel just gave another chuckle. "Well if we're goin', I'm gonna get a few trinkets. I got some gold in my office," he said thinking. "It must still be worth something in the future right?"
Kimi still seemed tense over the whole thing. "I rather go to jail then go on this... weird trip." She just... wanted to go back to Farin. Would she find him in the future though? Or... would she have to say goodbye to him now? This was so complicated. But wherever they were going, as soon as she could she would leave this group. She just wanted out.
Lomasi embraced the scared fey child. "Not have much choice, Grandfather explained. You are going no matter what," Lomasi pulled back and gave a smile. "But we go together. Might even be fun."
Nikki glanced around. Something felt.. odd. They had gone past the boundaries of town but found no guards, or anyone here. A western town always kept a guard on hand, didn't they?
It was Samuel who found them, slumped over. He feared the worst for a moment, and put a hand on their neck noting they were still breathing. "Sleepin'," he said confused. He then glanced around the small town, seeing everyone slumped over. People had fallen asleep all over the town, in the middle of whatever they were doing.
The group travelled across the main square, quietly amazed, shocked, and more then a little fearful. Nikki held close to her mother. "Y-You didn't say anything about this in your letter," she said softly. "I'm scared."
"Don't be honey," She said hugging her. Then it clicked... there was a reason she wouldn't tell herself about this. It was to show just how much she had to protect this child. It was her own, and nothing else mattered. She smiled again and hugged the scared skunk-child once more.
They journeyed to the court yard, seeing the church. "It wont be long now I think," said Nikki.
"Wait!" said Erica suddenly. "T-The letter. The letter I tried to send myself! I have to stop it!"
"It's okay," said Nikki quickly. "It was taken care of already. Er- will be taken care of. You said that in your letter to me."
Erica looked alarmed but slowly nodded her relief. Nikki would know... though she wondered of the fate of her letter. She never remembered getting it so obviously, she must never have got it. Was that how time travel worked? Maybe she couldn't alter time after all...
Lilly did a number of dance routines. Her body seemed to have a natural balance to it, which was to be expected as she spent a lot of her time running up and down trees. It caught the eye of the teacher.
"You are doing well dear," she said smiling gently.
"T-Thank you," said the young child timidly. She wasn't used to praise for anything artistic before. She wanted to be like her father, strong in the knowledge of science. Still this was nice too. It was different, but also very relaxing and calming. She closed her eyes, envisioning the music as it played. She could see it all...
"I can't do it miss!" said a shrilled voice.
Lilly glanced to the other girl. She seemed to be some kind of harpy, but as young as she was herself. Her feathers were a dark black. If she were to guess, she appeared to be some kind of Raven type of harpy? Her hair had a curious shine to it, black like her feathers. The squirrel girl looked at her curiously.
"Of course you can Hannah," said the teacher. "Why do you feel you can't dance?"
"Cause I don't have my hands any more!" she said tearfully.
"You don't need hands to dance... go ahead and just do whatever you feel to the music," the teacher encouraged gently.
Lilly felt her heart break a little as she saw the young girls plight, and more then a little guilty. Here She was moping about her own problems but that other girl didn't have any hands. She was dressed wearing some kind of simple robe. clearly someone had to dress her. Lilly wondered how she would feel..
"What are you lookin' at fuzzy!" said Hannah angrily.
"Uh- N-Nothing," said LIlly shyly.
The teacher noticed the two seemed to balance each other well. Lilly's natural talent might just rub off a bit on the difficult student. "Why don't the two of you try dancing together?" she suggested mirthfully. However she turned serious as she regarded the changed bird-child. She placed a hand gently onto her head. "Hannah, I know you are scared by all this... but I promise, it is not the end of the world for you."
The Raven-harpy sniffled a bit with tears. "But Everyone has to do stuff for me. I can't do anything any more. I couldn't even get my books from the library, an' I can't carry my bags," She said in between sobs.
"Um- you can fly maybe?" Asked Lilly. How long had she been changed?
"N-No I'm 'fraid of heights," said the child timidly.
Lilly wondered about that. A bird-changed afraid of heights? How horrible... Lilly was rather glad she didn't lose her hands. The rest of her though.... ""Maybe we can dance something nice for the teacher?"
"You're jus' makin' fun of me," said Hannah. "cause you didn't lose anythin' an' can move so quick."
Lilly blinked. Hannah was jealous of her? Did she even know what she used to be- no wait she didn't. In fact, this entire time Lilly had been identifying with another girl. Talking to her as any child might. She was acting like this was normal! Lilly cringed just slightly at the implications.
Hannah became a bit defensive as well as confused. "What!" She shouted. Then she glanced down at herself at the only thing she could think of that would make the squirrel girl have a fearful expression. "You- you think I'm ugly?"
"Nuh uh," said the squirrel girl quickly. "I jus' feel really sad. I'm sorry. Um- I'm er Lilly," she mumbled quietly.
"Yeah.. sorry. I jus' wanna be normal again," She said with a sigh.
Normal, Lily sighed as well at that. She wanted to be normal too... but they were just children. Not even magical like Jenny, just mostly normal children- at least as normal as they came under the sun. They couldn't do anything else other then be who they were. Right now that meant just playing. "You wanna do the dance? Maybe if you flap your wings we can do something?"
The harpy tensed. "I don't like movin' em. I-"
Lilly looked with understanding in her eyes. "Um.. I know what you mean. It's like my tails." she said shyly again. It was just the mark of being different and an embarrassment to everyone else who might be more normal. What did it matter right now though? Everyone was different, everyone was changed... they might even be as scared as she was. Lilly had it with being afraid. "No! Let's just do it. let's dance an' you wave those wings an' I'll wave my tails an' I don't care who sees it!"
Hannah gasped.
Erica could feel it...
That strange static in the air. It was like a rush of air with no defining source, like one might feel falling. But this was so subtle... nearly invisible. And there was something else. Like... a geyser? It was like a force was pushing the 'other way' to what she experienced before, when she first travelled through time and into the past.
More of those strange flowers were scattered about, impossibly larger then they should be. Even a giant tree, that Samuel swore could not have been there before. If he looked at it closely, he could swear it even had a face. It was a truly bizarre sight... however it certainly didn't look alive in that way. It was just an ordinary tree...
"Time Echoes," said Nikki as if explaining something very basic.
There was someone sitting on the ground.
"I-Its her!" squeaked Kimi. "Don't let her get the vines on you!"
Samuel readied his gun. If this witch wanted a fight, he was going to give her one. Nobody threatened his family. He was quite conscious that he had to protect these girls. He was the strongest one at it stood... besides perhaps Erica, given she had taken down all of Keiths men in one go.
"You came," whispered a cracked aged voice.
Erica tensed... "You are..."
"Morgana dear. Please... reveal yourselves to me. I am aware of your nature," she whispered once more. "Consider it a favour of one who has little time..."
This was the threat they were facing? Erica was expecting a blast of magic, fire, brimstone, or even a curse of some kind. Hell, this old crone looked like she was going to drop dead by herself! But they couldn't let that happen.. They needed her to open the portal. Reluctantly she took off her hood. She glanced at her daughter who had taken off her entire outfit... naked to the world in her fur. She gave a shrug at the odd look of her mother.
Morgana chuckled a bit. "So... this is you... interesting..." she coughed slightly, then glanced at the moon. It seemed to hang in the air, for a long time. like a large eye, observing them all. "Stand still..." she whispered. Suddenly, a large pentogram had unwrapped the entire courtyard. It glowed in azure blue. The witch smiled a little at the shock of the others. "Yes... this is... old magic. From a dawn long ago..." She pointed to Erica.
Erica felt the strange static energy build inside her. She could feel herself falling, even as her body started flickering in and out. A strange glassiness filled the sky above them, as if they were looking at the heavens through a giant magnifying glass.
"Let there... be... light," Morgana said even as she could feel her heart beat begin to fail. This was going to be so close...
There was a sudden, violent release of energy as it went through the tombstones. Morgana seemed surprised. The power here was stronger then she could have ever imagined. Could it be this was a focal point of magic? Such places did exist in the past, but she thought them all gone... unless... she glanced at the stained glass window. Of course... now it made sense... she could not control all the forces as a violent earthquake erupted. It was strong enough to make the church bell ring.
Suddenly, the moonlit night was brightened in a hue of soapy coloured bubbles, as the Iridescent
sun came into view. Each person glanced up at it in awe, even Nikki. She smiled a bit, as she glanced down at herself noting that she had not changed... nor would she. But now she could tell everyone in the future, she saw the strange light... the one that everyone talked about, and that it was real.
Morgana could feel it. She was getting younger... and younger.... this was good! Such power... in that light... the raw untamed power, of a new age. An age she could now join! But something felt a little strange....
