Whole New World Chapter Three

Whole New World
Chapter Three: Companion.

     A noise.

     A slow, constant noise.

     It could have been anything. The beat and rhythm of the shimmering emerald sea. The wind making its unhurried path through the thick twilit air.

     Or the flapping of colossal wings.

     It sounded as though something silken was slipping through the breezy air, making that soft, lulling sound.

     Something seemed to rise and drop in time with the moving wings. It swung and moved with every gust of wind and every turn taken, as if it were nothing more than a piece of cloth.

     But it was much more than a cloth. It was an angular shape, a flat, dull grey. It looked nothing more than some disgusting sea creature plucked from the depths of the ocean, perhaps to be eaten.

     The being carrying it, however, had quite different intentions.

     Its mighty wings moved down slowly, buoying it up easily. The playful wind was pulled under its smooth feathers, offering an almost solid grounding for the flying creature.

     Suddenly, a sound rippled through the air. It was a beautiful sound, a long, low, wavering note. The music seemed to encompass, in that one note, the bird’s sorrows, joys, its experiences… its whole life. The note shifted, and erupted into a song, a song that echoed over the ocean, through the clouds, touching eternity itself. And all the while, the music spoke of the sea.

     The rippling waves, calm and soft, moving languidly on a warm, lazy day…

     High, jagged, black waves, towering above all, tearing each other apart in the force of a storm…

     The hidden currents, coiling over and around in the infinite depths, carrying secrets untold for millennia…

     All the beings of the water, flowing in and out of shafts of light, diving to the depths, or rising to break the surface…

     The whole world seemed to pause and listen to the song, entranced by its beauty and feeling.

     As the lilting music faded away, the burden the bird was carrying seemed to change. Parts of its body seemed gain colour. It was still only a weak colour; a pale, sickly yellow. But the bird looked to be satisfied by this, as it began singing again, with renewed vigour.

***

     Every single part of me hurt. It felt as if I had been crushed and had all the air forced out of my lungs. My arms hung limp under me, as cold and stiff as if they were dead branches. My eyes were shut, and their lids felt so heavy I doubted if I could open them.

     I could hardly feel anything. I was only aware of that dull pain… it felt more pressing and concentrated in my chest. Why was that?

     Things slowly started coming to me. I felt air moving past me in languid arcs, warm and cushioning. I also felt cool from below, and something about that registered.

     Fear took over, stifling any thoughts about where I was, or if I was in any position to move. I began to struggle, only to find that I was being constrained by something strong – and many times larger than me. That only amplified the fear blooming inside me. Surely something so mighty and huge couldn’t want anything good with me? I had almost drowned, only to be pulled from death to be eaten, or some worse fate yet to be thought of.

     I forced my eyes open. The first thing that met my gaze could have been better. I saw water below me – an expanse of green, flowing away endlessly in all directions. That caused me to flinch in alarm.

     I dared to look up.

     Clamped firmly but gently around my body was a single long, soft grey paw. It was so big it could have held me on the tip of one toe, let alone using all three digits.

     The paw led to a thick, strong thigh. The thigh was set back on the body, which suggested that this creature had only two legs – which, on a fearful glance, I confirmed it did. The creature carrying me had a long, curving tail, still that same, almost-white grey, tipped with two blade-like fins. Though they were easily as large as me, the fins didn’t look particularly sharp.

     Arcing above the legs was a pale green belly, a different colour to the rest of the creature’s body. The belly curved upwards, into a thin, dinosaurian neck. Sitting at the top of the neck was the head of the most beautiful creature I’d ever seen.

     The head was reminiscent of a dragon; in that showing from the mouth were two wide, curved fangs, pointing downwards, as well as the general shape and flow of it. But then, it resembled a bird also; the head was sleek and streamlined, as if made especially for flying – or swimming. It had a slightly angled beak, but by far the most fascinating feature was the two blades sweeping back from the middle point of its head. They were purest, vivid green, shining in the afternoon sunlight, glimmering like massive, pointed jewels. Set forwards in the frame I could see a single, golden eye, expansively deep and complex. I saw my reflection shimmering in that eye; helpless, minuscule and weak. The effect was increased by the fact that the bird’s eyes were easily as large – if not, larger – than my head.

     I see you’re finally awake. I am glad of that. But am I right in saying you can barely move?

     I could have staggered in this thing’s paw. Not only did it have a voice to match those boundless eyes: deep and knowing; it was telepathic.

     What have I gotten myself into? I thought to myself, distressed. After thinking that, another shock came.

     Oh, nothing bad… I have no will to hurt you. The bird had turned its immense head to gaze at me. A smile touched its mouth.

     It was telepathic… and a much stronger telepath than I. It had heard my private thoughts as clearly as the wind whistling past us.

     Then I started recognising what it was, and I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was impossible that I had managed to literally play myself into this creature’s paws. Could I possibly have flown far enough as to enter the region I thought I was in?

     Could this creature really be…?

     Was I dreaming…?

     No. This is real.

     It was true. This creature above me, this colossal being with gigantic wings…

     Was Lugia.

     But something was wrong. This Lugia was no ordinary Lord of Water. Then it fell into place. All of the fins, the underbelly, instead of being deep blue and sky blue respectively, were in truth vibrant green and pale green. That wasn’t right. And somehow, this Lugia felt slightly larger…

     I tried to think out loud to it. I found doing that very hard. Of course, I could think to myself, but I couldn’t communicate to anything outwards. Something seemed to be stifling my psychic abilities.

     Then I realised. It was just the Lugia’s huge conscience bearing over me – feeling like it was pushing mine down. And I knew, what I could feel was just a fraction of his real power.

     I tried again.

     You… you’re not… a regular Lugia. I managed to force out some speech, with difficulty. It’s amazing how strenuous it is, trying to telepathically interact with something that has a mind as intricate as Lugia’s.

     Correct. I am different to others of my kind… and I am also larger than others. Those Lugias I have known have taken to calling me Neon, after the shade of green that my fins are. Neon smiled at that description, and in that short sentence, it somehow entered my mind that he was male.

     I found myself nodding, and that hurt my neck. I groaned.

     The smile faded from Neon’s beak.

     Don’t move too much… I only just got to you in time. You don’t understand how weak you are; at the very best it’ll take you about a week to even regain basic movement. He was looking at me with a mixed expression. It took me awhile to figure it out, and his emotions surprised me. Concern seemed to be written across his face.

     Neon seemed to be having trouble saying something. Judging by the thought waves emanating from him, he thought that if he told me, it would either scar me or put me off him. I doubted that any news could turn me away from my saviour, so I prompted Neon to say it.

     What are you thinking, Neon? I _^ugh…</sup> won’t be afraid to hear it. It was getting annoying, using telepathy under such an oppressing presence.

     Neon frowned, then looked at me again. He sighed.

     When I found you drifting in my deep current… you… weren’t unconscious… That made no sense. Had I been awake through that whole ordeal, just in such pain as to be cut off from everything? Then a thought hit me. Unless…

     Neon went on.

     You were being pulled along in a current that lead to the island I inhabit. Normally, that current doesn’t even exist. He avoided my eyes, suddenly looking very guilty. Still without making eye contact, he thought, I… had been careless… very, very careless… He looked back down at me, and his topaz-coloured eyes swam with remorse.

     I  created that storm… the storm you got caught in… you weren’t unconscious… Suddenly, Neon’s voice broke.

     You were dead! I killed you!

     My eyes widened and shock assaulted my mind, loosening something. Memories started flowing back.

     The stark ferocity of the storm. The sudden calming of the currents. That beautiful sound.

     And finally, those floating points of green…

     It all made sense. The storm I had been caught in – and if I believed him, killed in – had been of Neon’s doing. From what he said, it was a very unfortunate accident. He must have sensed me in his current, then come to investigate. But if I had really been dead… how was I here right now?

     Before I could ask, Neon spoke again.

     I took you from the current. You… were grey, and very cold… At this point, Neon’s expression changed subtly. The terrible guilt remained, but something else had worked its way in. A tiny, burning line of anger showed faintly, and I knew what his quarrel was with. He was angry with himself.

     If I hadn’t been so stupid… you’d be with your family right now. I could feel his great muscles tensing around me – though I couldn’t tell whether it was due to his emotion or fear of losing me.

     I tried thinking to him. It was getting slightly easier to commune with Neon.

     But you did get to me, Neon. You stopped the storm, and you rescued me. Then I paused, still wondering about one detail. Tell me though… how is it that I am alive? You said I was… dead.

     Neon’s features eased and a small curve lifted his beak.

     I did the only thing I could. His golden eyes shone. I sang.

     He turned his head forward, opened his beak, and sang.

     It was the most moving thing I’d ever heard. Tears welled in my eyes as the lovely music flowed over me.

     Then something curious happened. As Neon sang, the pain in my chest was lifted, and for a moment, I was able to move.

     I was amazed. I realised that I was experiencing  - first hand – the wonders of a Lugia song. And truly, it was wonderful.

     I felt my arms loosening, my wings easing up and my feathers lifting. For one glorious moment, it was as if I had never been through my ordeal after the race.

     Then all the hurt came back – but slowly, and slightly less strong, as if it were travelling through a sieve.

     I gave a muffled whimper and screwed my eyes shut, desperately wishing to go back to that world free of this crushing pain. And yet the song had brought me comfort, even if it was only for a short while.

     Knowing better than to move my head quickly, slowly I looked up at Neon, who was gazing back with a smile not only on his beak, but in his eyes too.

     Feeling better? He asked gently.

     Suddenly I felt a swell of admiration and thankfulness for this creature. I managed a frail smile back.

     Yes. I do. Thankyou, Neon. His smile broadened, and as he looked ahead once more, he quietly hummed his song deep in his throat. It soothed and lulled me, making it obvious that I hadn’t slept properly for three days.

     I never told you my name, I thought tiredly. I’m Shiny.



     Shiny. Shiny, wake up… I stirred reluctantly, realising with mild surprise that I was resting on Neon’s left tail-blade. I saw, with some shock, that I was barely longer than the fin. Its surface was cool, soothing on my tensed features.

     Quickly, unexpectedly, I remembered the subject of my dreams last night.

     I had been flying over the ocean on the day of the storm. It had blown out to a mere drizzle, stippling the surface of the water with countless tiny pits and hills.

     I had started as I saw, gliding over the surface with a deeply worried expression on her face, Amber. Flying above her were Latios and Latias, turning their heads this way and that as if to pick up a scent. Latus was hovering apart from the others, doing his own separate search.

     They were casting around psychically, combing the area desperately for any sign of… me?

     I watched as my siblings moved around carefully, their pretty faces furrowed with apprehension. Suddenly they all turned to Latias as she cried out. She was floating just over the rippling surface, staring intently at a point on the water.

     To any other creature, that one small area of ocean would have been the same as every other litre in this sea. But to the Eons, it was hugely significant.

     Latios! Latus, Amber, come here! Her thought trail was frantic and laced with tiredness, as if the search had been up for days.

     I found a trace of her energy, but it’s really faint… help me pick it up!

     So Latios, Latus and Amber immediately shot down to where Latias was hovering. The Eon siblings donated their telepathic energy to Latias, in order to help her pick out the trail she was on.

     Latias frowned and concentrated, struggling to figure out what the signal meant.

     At that point in the dream, I had groaned as I’d realized that the energy trace Latias was picking at was the last fragment of energy I had released before I’d “died”.

     A sound broke through the air. Latias had gasped and brought her paws to her mouth. She’d figured it out. With her eyes streaming, she transmitted the bad news to her siblings. Each of the Eons cried out in turn. Amber choked back a sob.

     The dream had faded out there, leaving me feeling terribly guilty about misleading my siblings like that.

     Neon’s soft voice brought me back to my current situation.

     Bad dream, Shiny? His tone was gentle and comforting. You shouldn’t worry… you’ll soon be able to return to your family. He smiled at me.

     Suddenly, I felt his tail tilting under me. Carefully keeping his tail-blade level, Neon lifted it until I was level his left eye. I was, of course, terrified of falling off, as I was still quite immobile. He sensed this in the thought waves I was giving off, and he replied to them.

     I promise I won’t drop you, Shiny. I only brought you up to here so you can see where you are…

     The fin shifted downwards a few degrees, so that I could see over it.

     We were on a thin pebble beach. The little stones underneath Neon’s feet ranged from creamy pink to slate grey. The beach widened out a few metres away from us, then disappeared as it gently curved around. I saw how the beach sloped upwards slightly as Neon turned, gradating from pebble to soft ground, then, as it leveled out, a field of rolling hills, spreading away from us in languid arcs.

     It’s so pretty… I really liked this island. It seemed calm and quiet, with nothing to disturb Neon’s existence here – the only sounds were the steady wash of the ocean, and the wind rustling through something ahead.

     Yes, I enjoy living here. No troubles or upheavals. He looked back at me, then, Hold on. For a second, I wondered exactly how Neon expected me to do so, but then I felt the soft pressure of his will on me, securing my position on his tail.

     Neon has a most curious way of getting into flight. He lifts his wings very slowly – it can’t even be called flapping – then his whole body sort of rises up, while his wings stay in place. By this time, he’ll be a few feet off the ground, and then he would lower his wings; at the same slow pace as before. Then, whoosh, he’s up in the air, hovering.

     Neon glided lazily over the hills, and I found that the hills continued for some distance – even as an Eon goes. A ways in front of us, there seemed to be a darker, deeper patch of land. At first I thought I was still seeing things strangely, but then the shadow resolved itself into a forest. As Neon flew down, I saw that, contraire to what I had thought, the trees were all arctic. There were pines, firs, beeches… all very thickly clustered together.

     How do you fit in there, Neon? I could not see any way for a five-metre raptor to move around in that forest without destroying it. His laughter floated back to me.

     The land dips down under that forest. You can’t see it now, but those trees are only clinging to the upper levels of soil. There are also valleys – plenty of room. There was a resounding thud as he landed, keeping his tail still so that I wouldn’t fly off.

     Neon brought his tail round in front of him, lowering the end so that I slid off. The grass underneath me was springy and slightly moist, and for a second, I had the odd urge to roll around. I’d do that if I could accomplish more than moving my neck. I closed my eyes and hummed, content to just lie there in the warm sunlight. Neon saw me doing so and smiled, then pushed me along with his tail.

     There can be plenty of lazing about when we get down to my home. For the moment, I’m afraid, you’ll have to cope with being moved by my telekinetic field. He saw me staring at him with a pouty face and looked away.

     Don’t do that, you’ll make me feel like I’ve done something wrong. He laughed and then his eyes glowed a soft amber. I felt the same light pressure around me, except this time, it was lifting me up, rather than keeping me down. He brought me about level with his hind legs, and then started walking forward.

     Being suspended was not at all like flying. It felt as if there was a solid platform underneath me, moving along as I did. I had the disconcerting feeling that if I moved – were I able to – I’d fall off. I made a worried sound involuntarily.

     Neon kept moving toward the forest, then, dipping his neck, headed in. I expected to hear snapping branches, but to my surprise, he’d entered at a naturally cleared area. He fitted in fine. The ground sloped under him at a gentle angle, gradually increasing to a steep valley. I was pulled after him, carefully steered away from out-reaching branches.

     The forest darkened around us, giving an ancient, secretive touch to the atmosphere. I looked around in curiosity, taking in all the different trees, shrubs and flowers. Narrow shafts of deep gold sunlight floated through gaps in the canopy, reaching down to the forest floor, illuminating the countless motes in the air. One thing that really caught my attention was the silence. There was no birdcall, no rustle of small animals; even the wind seemed to have faded away. This made the forest feel more mysterious, as if there were innumerable secrets embedded into the years.

     It’s… very still in here, Neon… my voice seemed to be insignificant against the vast reaches of the forest, quickly fading away into nothing. Neon nodded and pulled me a little closer to him, though if it was to avoid a nearby branch, or because he wanted me closer, I couldn’t tell.

     Some might be scared of this place… but there’s nothing here of concern. It’s so peaceful. Then he smiled, and, still with his eyes set forward, moving ever onward, he continued, And now that I have a companion, it won’t be so lonely.

     For a second I couldn’t think of what he might mean, but then I realised that he meant me. I pondered this for a moment, and then I noticed that the air in the woods was getting slightly colder. We must have traveled further down than I thought, for the trees to be thick enough to obscure the sun’s warmth. It was not a biting cold, rather a smooth, even change. Somehow, it made me feel restful.

     We’re nearly there, Shiny… I think you’ll like my home. Neon’s voice rang clear in my head, with no distance or obstacles to obscure it. I looked up expectantly, but still I could see nothing. I decided then that the trees were definitely getting closer. It made me wonder how Neon managed to maneuver in here.

     After another minute or so of walking, all the trees around us suddenly backed away, revealing a large natural clearing. A soft blanket of pine needles some inches thick covered the ground, muffling Neon’s otherwise loud footfalls. The gap in the canopy let the sun’s light float through, allowing me to see that it was already sunk in the sky, staining everything deep, molten orange. Towards the other end of the clearing, two colossal boulders had fallen over each other, creating a high-roofed cave at least ten metres tall. I could see that the cave went much further back than just the alcove that the rocks made, so I reasoned that Neon had dug in. When I thought this to him, he confirmed what I said, telling me that though it was tall, it had not been long enough for him.

     As we drew closer, I noticed that a thin trickle of water fell over the left-hand boulder, splashing into a depression caused by Neon walking in and out of his den. It formed a shallow, rippling pool that led into the cave and kept going. The little fall of water sang a quiet, bell-like tune as it hit the pool below it. With a smile, I imagined that it would be like a lullaby for Neon when he slept.

     With a jolt, I was suddenly on the ground; my head barely inches from the pool. Neon had released his telekinetic hold on me, and was now bringing his massive wings slowly around. I gave a sound of surprise as I was just as quickly lifted about two metres off the ground, being held in Neon’s soft, downy ‘fingers’. Without a word, he walked on under the cave’s entrance, through the long path of water. This was when I found out something curious about Neon. Though I could see the trails and circles spreading out from his feet as he walked, not a single sound rose from the water. Despite being the huge creature he is, he made not the quietest of noises sliding through the water. I suppose it was to be expected – he was a lord of the sea, after all.

     While Neon slipped silently through the tiny stream, I looked around the cave we were in. The roof felt like it was getting lower, however that was not yet a problem, as Neon was five and a half metres from the ground to the top of his head – unless he stretched, then of course he’d be taller – but the roof was currently about nine metres high. So, no worry.

     Moss and vines proliferated the rocks around us, cushioning the sharp grey of the rocks and offering a softer, homely feel to the cavern. I wanted to reach out and brush the wall with my paw, however my arms still ached deeply. So I continued drifting along, content with admiring the slippery plants. When I looked forward again to see what lay ahead, I saw that the rocks ended and there was a bigger chamber, flooded by the dappled and split light of the fading sun.

     Neon drew into this new room, and I saw that it was a natural gully in the earth, with high, smooth walls. Creepers and spiky leaves clung to the damp walls, etching out complicated patterns. The stream pooled out below us once more, gathering in the dip that Neon had made over countless trips through here. I cast my gaze upward to see trees growing around the lip of the gully, disguising it from view and halting the progress of light. I was quite surprised at how far away the trees looked, so I figured that the land must have risen in a hill over the tunnel.

     Neon set me down gently in the silky water, and at first, I flinched. I knew I’d flinched because of my experience, but this particular area of liquid was mere centimeters deep. I could come to no harm here.

     I watched Neon as he lowered himself down next to me and yawned. He folded his wings and pushed his tail underneath me, so that I was draped over it. He curled his body and neck around his tail, surrounding me in a shield of soft, pale grey. A smile lifted his beak and he lifted one wing over me, almost instantly warming the air around me. My eyes drooped and I yawned too, not realising until now that I was exhausted. I shut my eyes, feeling more at home and safe than I could anywhere else. Sleep wrapped me in velvet wings, and the last thing I heard before I dreamt was Neon’s deep thoughtvoice,  

     Welcome home Shiny. Welcome home.