The winged boy is staring out at the sea, watching the gray ocean as it continues to crash against Taiga’s rocky western shore. Nashua likes this part of the redwood forest. He’s found a small peninsula and the pegasus likes the sound of the ocean as it breaks on three sides of craggy coastline. There is Magic in that number, he’s been told. (His mother would have told him that there are three parts to a story: a beginning, middle and end. Three wishes from a genie. Three trials to overcome.)
He doesn’t know what parts of this peninsula makes up its story but he likes to come out here because the waves can be louder than his thoughts.
Only today he hadn’t been alone. His maternal aunt had followed him after Nashua had limped off from a particularly hard sparring session with his paternal one. His flaxen tail had whipped around in frustrated circles (the flies, he told himself) and the growing yearling had stalked off to his preferred part of Taiga. He found a piece of shore and tried to lose himself in it. The winged boy considered the ocean and it paid no attention to him.
I should find Yan, he thinks. His twin knew how to settle his mind when he couldn’t. It was usually Yanhua that he sought out or would come to find him. Today, though, it was Elaina and her kind words. The borders of the northern forest seemed to crowd closer lately; the bigger that Nashua grew, he felt like the trees huddled closer. Intent on reminding him of his missing mother, on the increasing absence of his sister Celina, on the complete disappearance of his sire.
It seemed intent on reminding him that his wings belonged to the wind, not to Taiga.
That he was a creature of the sky, not the ground.
His guardian had heard it all before. Nash’s frustrations weren’t kept to himself and so his palomino aunt had smiled (a little sadly? he had wondered, realizing that it seemed smaller than usual). "Did you know your mother often felt like the black sheep of her family?” Elaina had said and that had caught the adolescent off-guard. Shockingly quiet and shaking his head, Nashua listened as his aunt explained some of the things his mother had once shared in childhood confidence.
"You are more like her than you think,” Elaina had said tenderly. Did that make him feel better? The copper pegasus wasn’t sure. It wasn’t as if his mother was here to ask.
"I know I should want to stay here,” Nash admits, feeling guilty for it. How could he think of leaving? His duty was to his family and his family was here. "It’s my duty to stay,” he adds, thinking of Elio and how it seemed his older brother was always capable of making the right choices. His green eyes look up between two towering redwoods to the open sky, "but I keep wishing...” Nash’s voice trails off.
Elaina had offered: "We have a duty to ourselves, our kingdom, and our family, Nash. While I’ve given it to all of them, I’ve found that only one has offered to share the burden.”
Coming back down to Earth, feeling the soft loamy ground of Taiga finally firmly beneath him, Nash nodded. He had (innocently) thought at that moment he understood. Heavy things for such a young mind to consider. A full weight that he might not realize until he’s had a few more years to carry it around.
"It’s a lovely day,” his Aunt offered, changing the subject suddenly. "The wind seems fair,” said the once-airbender. Nash hadn’t caught on at first. Why was she talking about the weather? It wasn’t until he caught her smile and he grinned back at her that he understood. Flaring his wings and spurring into an enthusiastic gallop, Nashua tested them on a summer breeze and took off with it.
Just for a bit, he told himself. Just a small adventure, he thought while still wildly grinning with each enthusiastic stroke of his wings. Higher and higher he climbs until he spies the distant green of the Isle looming ahead of him. Thank the Winds, the boy thinks. By the time he reaches the southeastern shore, his gleaming copper hide is covered with sweat and his body is almost shuddering with the exhilaration of the journey. Nashua is still grinning, though. The smile is almost raving but Nash uses his voice to cry out instead: "@[Leilan]?” he shouts, catching the frigid scent of the Dragon King blowing by him as he draws his tired wings close.
"I did it!” he says with beaming excitement and the adolescent is literally glowing with pride. "I flew all the way from Taiga!” he echoes on a beach that glitters with dark glass.
so this super long and i'm sorry but he's here! anybody else is welcome to come say hi!
![[Image: jCdBK6.png]](https://img.nickpic.host/jCdBK6.png)