Time

It is a fickle thing, time.  Ever changing, ever progressing.  It slows for no one thing or place.  This world knows this and yet we try.  We try halting it.  Grasping to what was, or what could have been.  Holding it to our chest like a dear child, never wanting to let it go.

Demi has frittered it away ever since her birth.  She has accomplished nothing.  Known no one.  She has not loved or hated.  Laughed or cried.  She simply existed here not even in her Equus form.  She has hidden herself away for decades as an avian of the sky.  Away from their knowledge and worldly dramatics.  It wasn’t fear that kept her disguised this way.  Perhaps boredom mostly. 

It is only now she realizes that she has wasted the time she has been given in this world.  Her body aches with the arthritis in her joints.  Her feathers were not as bright as they had been in her youth.  They are tattered and torn; dulled with the waning of time. Even here as she rests in a giant hickory, burnt by the fires of the last summer, her energy drains.  The tree's charcoal bark chaffs off on her feathers as she sits, the breeze wisping her tail to brush against it.  She notices though that even in this brittle state there is life still.  New leaves are beginning to break free from their tiny capsules, even more vigorously than before.  Her sharp vision shifts to the ground below to see growth on the forest floor, rising beneath the ash the flames turned old vegetation too.  She considers the signs of rebirth and ponders the cause. 

Could fire create new what has been lost to time?

Sifting through her mind she finds a fire within.  It is bright and glowing.  Powerful and inviting.  She welcomes it.  Allowing it to fill her heart.  Her soul.  With wings outstretched and skyward, feather gives way to the flame.  She elevates into the sky with not even another movement.  Fire consumes her, making her glow as bright as the sun she has joined in the sky so many times before.  Tendrils of flame swirl around her creating a mini vortex.

In mere moments of time her body is transformed.  Changed from what it had become to what it once was.  The fire dissipates as the burning sphere transports her back to the ground.  The glow subsides and all that remains is that of a chestnut mare.  Blanketed with the spots of her birth parents and her mismatched colored eyes.  She looks around the land taking in the sights through younger eyes.  Her nostrils flare, drawing in the scent of charred earth and fresh spring growth.  The world around her was beautiful even in its current state and she smiles at the thought of it being reborn from the fires.

-

My pause is long, but I do not linger in my thoughts.  It is a new day, a new time, and I am excited to see what the future holds.  I begin my journey with one forward step and I find the feel of the earth beneath my hooves welcoming.  It was much different than the wind beneath my wings.  It was solid, like a hug from someone you hadn’t seen in years.  It embraced me as I trod across it, picking a northern direction.  I would head to the meadow to maybe do something I hadn’t done in ages, socialize.  The thought was a bit daunting and so as I moved across the forested lands I practiced speaking, “H…Hell..o.”  My voice cracks and I cough out the moths that had settled in my throat before trying again.  “H..Hello.  Hell..o.  Hello,” I choke out.  Talking was a lot more work than I remembered.  “Uh hum.  Hello.  My name is Demi,” I smile as I decide I like the sound of my name and my tone wasn’t too horrid.  A tiny spring came to my step at my accomplishment, head rising and eyelids closing in arrogance.  I am quickly reminded of my unfamiliarity with walking as a log comes up and I stumble over it head over heels.  “Ommppf,” I grumble as a collide with earth.  I decided I was much more graceful as a bird as I rose quickly on my feet.  My gaze glances about to see if anyone had seen my tumble but all I hear is the crows laughing from high above.  My gaze narrows on them and my face twists into a scowl.  “Ya. Ya.  Laugh it up…”  I consider shifting into a bird of prey and ripping their heads off, but I continue on.

My stride lengthens as I try to move quickly from the area.  Embarrassment would do that to someone.  My focus remains on my footwork here where fallen trees are thickly scattered about.  At each cross path I raise my legs high to clear the mass before focusing on the next obstacle. My hope was to reach the unscathed tree line before the sun was at its peak and the travel became too hot.  The terrain was slowing me down, but I did not give in to the urge to shift wings and make life too easy again.  I had to at least experience this journey as a hooved creature to truly appreciate my natural form. 

Soon the sun was beginning to reach high in the sky.  At this time, I would have sought shelter in a tree knot to escape the midday heat as one of my many bird forms.  Luckily the trees I reached now had been untouched by the fires and so their leaves provided some shade from the sun's rays.  Every other step or so the light filtered through and touched my skin.  It was warming in a very comforting way.  I decided I should continue practicing, “Hello. My name is Demi.  What is yours?” Eh, needs work.  I clear my throat and try again, “Hello.  I’m Demi.  What’s yours?” Hmm better I guess, less formal.  My ears flicker to a flutter overhead and I pause in my tracks.  I raise my head and gaze to find a sparrow watching me.  I smile as it hops from a high branch to a much lower one just above me.  “Hello,” I say kindly, “I’m Demi.  It is a lovely day today isn’t it Mrs. Sparrow.”  The tawny bird tilts its head before hopping from its tree perch to my mane.  Rummaging about it pulls a loose chestnut strand from the tangled mass and takes off.  I laugh before calling out, “you’re welcome!”

It isn’t long before I reach the river.  I could hear the waters trickling for a while now, creating a thirst to arise inside me.  My bleached tail flicks at the flies that had begun to gather on my rump.  Being equine sure did have its challenges.  Within a few more strides I am at the water's edge.  I quickly glance around to ensure my safety before lowering my muzzle to the surface.  The cool liquid is refreshing as I gulp down a gallon or so.  Much more than I had ever drank as a bird.  One of my favorite past times was bathing in puddles, the beads of water rolling off my oily feathers.  My head rises as I wonder what would happen if I rolled in the waters now.  Again, I give a few quick glances around the area before folding my legs under me and sinking into the cool aqua. 

The water did not roll off me but soaked my chestnut and white pelt.  It cooled me as I thrashed about.  Moving such a large body was also interesting and not without great amounts of effort.  I rise and fall into the water again but on the other side, having not mastered the roll just yet.  I snort as I rise once more and involuntarily shake the water off.  My chestnut mane hangs in tangled wet masses along my neck.  I curl my neck around to scratch at an itch I find myself having.  My teeth rake at my thick hide relieving me of said itch.  Satisfied with my horsey antics thus far I begin to wade deeper into the river, my sights set on the other side.

-

I begin my crawl up the riverbank, the world plateauing to a land of green rolling hills.  I have been here many times before but never appreciated the earthly view until now.  Various groups of equines were scattered about going about their lives.  I find myself hesitating at the thought of running into another.  The idea is both exhilarating and terrifying.  What if they like me?  What if they DONT like me?  What do I say?  What will THEY say?  Breathe, just breathe.  You can do this.  I give myself a mental pep talk before I take another step into the lands.  My ears flicker at every sound and every movement.  A smile begins to surface on my face as suddenly, fore the first time in a long time, I feel alive!

It has been ages since I have walked the earth.  The feeling is strange beneath my hooves, and I find myself looking down as I place each step.  My eyes are wide with fascination, the scents of the grass tickle my senses.  Achoo!  Or perhaps it is the pollen.  

My steps are light and airy as I progress into the lands.  Distracted by the many sights, sounds and smells I hardly notice someone approaching.  It is the greeting that has my head turning and my footsteps halting.  My expression may have been shocked, startled or both, but seeing him smiling causes me to mimic it, even if wearily. "Oh hello!" I reply kindly.  He didn't look threatening, so I offer my name as well, "I'm Demi."  The words flowed more fluently than I expected, given the disaster of my previous practicing.  My crimson ears flicker as I hear fluttering overhead.  My muzzle lifts to inspect the source of the noise, finding a sparrow flittering about catching bugs.  I half wonder if it is the same one I had seen earlier and it has followed me here.  I smile at the thought then remember I am in the midst of a conversation with a stranger.  My focus returns to the colorful stranger with an awkward smile, "Sorry, I'm new to this."

Thoughts of my previous life play within my mind and all the ways I'm new.  The transformation between them was only moments and yet it feels like two lifetimes.  I guess in a way they were...

As my focus returns, I notice something about the colored stallion that escaped my notice before.  He was feathered, with wings much like a bird.  The thought causes a quickening of my heart, an excitement that I share something with this stranger.  Things became more clear when one focused.

He looks to me with a puzzled expression and the question to elaborate is asked.  I smile shyly, not knowing exactly how to express my thoughts.  "Umm this life...  No.  This form...?" My answer becomes a jumbled mess, an equal look of confusion on my face that I am sure reflects his.  My head shakes away the stammering thoughts that cloud my mind.  My eyes close as I draw in a deep breath.  I hold it briefly as my mind clears. I see a mythical form, a melding of both worlds.  My mismatched eyes snap open, the excitement before returning and echoing in my voice, "Here!  I will show you!"  I lean back on my hunches and lift my forelimbs from the dirt below my hooves.  My shift is effortless as I mimic his look of half bird, half horse.  My natural equine colors hold strong within this unknown shifted form.  Rusty red feathers cloak my avian face and neck, blending into creamy white feathers along my shoulders.  My wings, large and outstretched, are a blending of both hues.  

My head twists as I inspect this new form I have created.  My forelegs, now taloned, grip the earth with razor sharp claws.  I gently and carefully fold my wings to my sides, noting that my equine rump remains unchanged.  My bi-colored tail swishes as if I am testing it out for the first time.  The dark beak, that replaces my soft nose, parts in awestruck wonder.  My head twists again, my mismatched eyes looking to the stranger wide eyed.  My expression is bright and smiling, though the hardness of my beak prevents it.

I bid my wings to unfold again, testing the air beneath them with a flap or two.  It feels similar to when I shift into my other forms, though the walking on four legs, two taloned two hooved, is awkward.  I turn 180 degrees, walk a few paces before leaping into the sky.  It is more effort to lift my larger form, but I manage.  I soar above the treetops, circling around before returning to where I had started.  As I land, I morph into my full equine form again, a smile painted on my lips.  "Did you see that?!"  I ask him though I'm not sure if it was actually a question.  I prance about in my excitement of my discovery.  "I'm not sure what that was but it was awesome!"  I laugh as I stop before him, tossing my head to the sky.

The word he speaks is foreign to me, though many are.  "Hippogriff," I echo as if saying the word myself makes it less unknown.  My smile does not faulter even in my mild confusion.  He speaks of shifters, and I am even more intrigued.  "Oh yes I come from a long line of shifters!  My twin is also a shifter," I pause briefly, "but I am the only avian shifter I know."  My ears flicker as he asks if I have other forms.  My smile grows larger as I think of all the birds I have come to know in my travels within their world.  I shake my head, "Oh yes lots!  But mostly things I have seen..." My thoughts trail for a moment, "Well, sometimes, if I close my eyes and clear my mind, I can feel them inside me.  The ones I haven't seen.  Like the Hippogriff!"  I add excitedly, "You should have seen the one I discovered earlier last week!  It was on fire!"  I didn't know the name of the things that had renewed me in a ball of flames.  "Do you want to see my favorite?!"  He doesn't get a chance to answer before I am morphing to a thing of the night.  My silver laced, tawny feathers sheen brilliantly.  Something of the coloring reflective of the moon that hangs in the night sky.  My eyes, still of mismatched hues of fire and water are all that cling onto my equine form.  I hover only briefly before I transition once more.  The wings of the owl were not made to hover, but to glide silently through the darkness...

The feathered man seems just an enthralled with my gift as I am.  When he asks his first question the childlike smile on my face fades to a more thoughtful expression.  "I-I guess I hadn't really thought about it," the last word trails as if now I am pondering just where I was to go from here.  What I would do?  Who else I would meet?  "Quite honestly, I didn't think I'd get this far," I laugh lightly.  It is his next question though that I do not expect but the answer seems to come more easily, "Of course!"  My old life had been one of solitude.  Everyone I had ever known had slipped away like the sands of time.  It would be a welcomed change to have company.

It is now that I wonder about the company I keep.  I had been so engulfed in myself that I knew nothing about him.  My expression changes to curiosity as I begin to speak, "And what about you.  Where do you live?  Are you a shifter too?!  Did you have someplace in mind you want to go check out?"  The questions whirl about my mind.