Fan Fiction ❯ Illusia ❯ Illusia - Her Story 11 ( Chapter 11 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Serenitychan13 
Chapter 11: Strange New Feelings
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction | Genre(s): / Suspense / Supernatural / Romance / Fantasy / Action / Angst / Drama | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 01.24.2004 | Updated On: 04.15.2004 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.3K | Visits: 164 | Status: Completed
Chapter 11: Strange New Feelings
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction | Genre(s): / Suspense / Supernatural / Romance / Fantasy / Action / Angst / Drama | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 01.24.2004 | Updated On: 04.15.2004 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.3K | Visits: 164 | Status: Completed
Chapter 11
He seemed to read my mind. When he spoke again, his voice was low and deep, like the voice of the young man in my dream.
“There is more to me than meets the eye, dear Princess.” Terran spoke softly as a warm reddish-gold glow began to hover around him.
His front paws and legs grew thinner, shed their fur and bent around like wings. His snout grew long and beaky, the fur and whiskers falling away. He shed his canid’s fangs. His ears inverted and disappeared. He shed his fur in great grizzled clouds. Feathers sprouted over his twisting body. He came to rest on a rock in front of me.
I gasped. He was a gigantic phoenix! I stared at him, my mouth hanging wide open.
“Princess Illusia, I too am a shapeshifter. I prefer the form of a phoenix – much as your mother prefers that of a dolphin - but I have a human form too…”
He broke off abruptly and looked away.
Terran hung his golden-red head in obvious sorrow. I noticed that his beak looked like solid gold, as did his claws. He ruffled his wings and a pearly gold tear fell onto a dying plant. As the tear splashed onto the plant, it sprang to life. It was a rose bush, fragrant and blossoming with perfect blood-red buds.
“I haven’t been human in so long… not since the day… the day I was cursed” His deep voice was sad. “It would take true love from the one who is destined to be my soul mate to give me back my human form… But just look at me… A big, useless red bird. An ugly coyote.”
He looked down at his avian body, a disgusted look in his wonderful brown eyes, and sniffed. Had he been able to, he would have wrinkled his nose, but he had a beak instead.
“Regal-looking VERMIN. Who could love that?”
The oddest thought flew through my head and my heart and I seriously hoped he didn’t detect it.
I could…
Shaking the thought away, I tried to sound vague…
“Who knows? I’m sure you’ll find love…”
Terran continued to shed his tears, like pearlescent liquid gold. New life sprang up all around him where his tears fell. Vines and new leaves nearly hid him from view. In a burst of golden-red feathers, he shot up from the tangle, scattering leaves. A small, dark crystal dropped from the cloud into my hand.
“Princess, this is the Detection Crystal. It will guide you to the locations of the four Elemental Gems and their bearers. The fragments of the Planet Heart that reside in the handle of your knife hold considerable power. Do NOT lose that knife! Do you understand me, Princess?”
This seemed simple enough but still I was puzzled.
“But Grandfather Bear is already gone… There is no longer a bearer to find for the Fire Gem!”
“Still haven’t learned to use your head, have you Princess?” Terran ruffled his feathers impatiently. “His animal body may be gone but he still has his HUMAN form!”
“What about Diamondsea?”
“He will find you on his own. He knows full well that his piece is the most powerful, more so than any of the other Gems, therefore the most important. He will bring it directly to you. That is, unless… Unless something happens…”
I gulped and said a silent prayer.
Please, deliver my Diamondsea in safety…
“But how do I use the Detection Crystal?”
“Say ‘Detection Crystal Illusion! Point me to the Fire Gem!’ or whichever Gem you happen to be seeking. Then hold the Crystal in front of you. When it stops spinning, follow the Diamond Point. It will glow with the color of the Gem you seek. You will eventually find all of the Gems.”
I looked hopefully at Terran.
“You’ll be with me all the way, won’t you?”
“Of course Princess. I am your Guardian after all…” Terran’s deep brown eyes softened and I could have sworn he was smiling. “I will accompany you as long as I can…”
It had been a smile given in sadness.
I was very worried.
“What do you mean?”
My eyes pleaded with him to tell me everything was going to be alright. Instead, he worried me more than ever.
“Princess… I have the extended maximum life span, but a heart will always bleed when stabbed, from the smallest of mice to the mightiest of wolves… There are dangerous beings after my blood and yours too, dear Princess. Terrible creatures who come from worlds away… These creatures have no desire but to destroy the Universe and replace it with planets of pure evil. It is your duty, Princess, not to let them succeed. The Universe depends solely on you.”
Terran’s eyes looked almost human as he looked sadly down at me.
“I’m not sure I can do this,” I said softly
I must admit that I was fairly shaken by the extremely sudden, very much unexpected revelation of my destiny.
Terran’s voice was firm, but very gentle.
“There is no being sure or unsure. The fact is you have to. You are the Supreme Princess. You must protect your world, dear Princess.”
I could hear the note of longing in his deep voice.
“I can’t do this alone Terran… You have to help…”
I was thoroughly hysterical by now, throwing my arms around this powerful bird. I didn’t know why, but it felt like he could somehow make everything alright again. His giant red wings wrapped around me. It was different from Grandmother Eagle’s hug. It was like he was protecting me, like nothing could hurt me while he was there holding me. I felt a spark in my heart and I was sure that it had come from Terran.
Surprised, I backed away slowly – almost unwillingly, my face still streaked with salty tears. I had never felt so warm and safe…
I heard his voice, soft and gentle. It seemed to surround me and warm me along with his wings.
“What is it? What’s the matter, Princess?”
Terran’s eyes looked strangely more human.
I looked up at him, staring at the glowing red bird who held my pounding heart captive in his big brown eyes. I was wondering how I could tell him just what was causing me so much confusion and pain.
A tear was streaming down his beak. Not a golden phoenix tear, but a crystalline droplet that fell only from human eyes. In my heart, I saw the young man in my dream. My heart leaped to my throat, still pounding almost unbearably. Though I could barely stand up, my feet felt riveted to the forest floor.
“I don’t know,” I said dreamily. “I just felt something different, like everything was spinning…”
Terran’s eyes looked more human than ever as he stared straight at me, looking me full in the eye.
“Dear Princess, I think I may know what is happening…” His voice was smoky with longing.
His eyes begged me to understand…
“What is it?”
My voice was soft…
“My Princess, I believe you are falling in love.”
His eyes were begging me to kiss him.
Had he been human, I would have.
He seemed to read my mind. When he spoke again, his voice was low and deep, like the voice of the young man in my dream.
“There is more to me than meets the eye, dear Princess.” Terran spoke softly as a warm reddish-gold glow began to hover around him.
His front paws and legs grew thinner, shed their fur and bent around like wings. His snout grew long and beaky, the fur and whiskers falling away. He shed his canid’s fangs. His ears inverted and disappeared. He shed his fur in great grizzled clouds. Feathers sprouted over his twisting body. He came to rest on a rock in front of me.
I gasped. He was a gigantic phoenix! I stared at him, my mouth hanging wide open.
“Princess Illusia, I too am a shapeshifter. I prefer the form of a phoenix – much as your mother prefers that of a dolphin - but I have a human form too…”
He broke off abruptly and looked away.
Terran hung his golden-red head in obvious sorrow. I noticed that his beak looked like solid gold, as did his claws. He ruffled his wings and a pearly gold tear fell onto a dying plant. As the tear splashed onto the plant, it sprang to life. It was a rose bush, fragrant and blossoming with perfect blood-red buds.
“I haven’t been human in so long… not since the day… the day I was cursed” His deep voice was sad. “It would take true love from the one who is destined to be my soul mate to give me back my human form… But just look at me… A big, useless red bird. An ugly coyote.”
He looked down at his avian body, a disgusted look in his wonderful brown eyes, and sniffed. Had he been able to, he would have wrinkled his nose, but he had a beak instead.
“Regal-looking VERMIN. Who could love that?”
The oddest thought flew through my head and my heart and I seriously hoped he didn’t detect it.
I could…
Shaking the thought away, I tried to sound vague…
“Who knows? I’m sure you’ll find love…”
Terran continued to shed his tears, like pearlescent liquid gold. New life sprang up all around him where his tears fell. Vines and new leaves nearly hid him from view. In a burst of golden-red feathers, he shot up from the tangle, scattering leaves. A small, dark crystal dropped from the cloud into my hand.
“Princess, this is the Detection Crystal. It will guide you to the locations of the four Elemental Gems and their bearers. The fragments of the Planet Heart that reside in the handle of your knife hold considerable power. Do NOT lose that knife! Do you understand me, Princess?”
This seemed simple enough but still I was puzzled.
“But Grandfather Bear is already gone… There is no longer a bearer to find for the Fire Gem!”
“Still haven’t learned to use your head, have you Princess?” Terran ruffled his feathers impatiently. “His animal body may be gone but he still has his HUMAN form!”
“What about Diamondsea?”
“He will find you on his own. He knows full well that his piece is the most powerful, more so than any of the other Gems, therefore the most important. He will bring it directly to you. That is, unless… Unless something happens…”
I gulped and said a silent prayer.
Please, deliver my Diamondsea in safety…
“But how do I use the Detection Crystal?”
“Say ‘Detection Crystal Illusion! Point me to the Fire Gem!’ or whichever Gem you happen to be seeking. Then hold the Crystal in front of you. When it stops spinning, follow the Diamond Point. It will glow with the color of the Gem you seek. You will eventually find all of the Gems.”
I looked hopefully at Terran.
“You’ll be with me all the way, won’t you?”
“Of course Princess. I am your Guardian after all…” Terran’s deep brown eyes softened and I could have sworn he was smiling. “I will accompany you as long as I can…”
It had been a smile given in sadness.
I was very worried.
“What do you mean?”
My eyes pleaded with him to tell me everything was going to be alright. Instead, he worried me more than ever.
“Princess… I have the extended maximum life span, but a heart will always bleed when stabbed, from the smallest of mice to the mightiest of wolves… There are dangerous beings after my blood and yours too, dear Princess. Terrible creatures who come from worlds away… These creatures have no desire but to destroy the Universe and replace it with planets of pure evil. It is your duty, Princess, not to let them succeed. The Universe depends solely on you.”
Terran’s eyes looked almost human as he looked sadly down at me.
“I’m not sure I can do this,” I said softly
I must admit that I was fairly shaken by the extremely sudden, very much unexpected revelation of my destiny.
Terran’s voice was firm, but very gentle.
“There is no being sure or unsure. The fact is you have to. You are the Supreme Princess. You must protect your world, dear Princess.”
I could hear the note of longing in his deep voice.
“I can’t do this alone Terran… You have to help…”
I was thoroughly hysterical by now, throwing my arms around this powerful bird. I didn’t know why, but it felt like he could somehow make everything alright again. His giant red wings wrapped around me. It was different from Grandmother Eagle’s hug. It was like he was protecting me, like nothing could hurt me while he was there holding me. I felt a spark in my heart and I was sure that it had come from Terran.
Surprised, I backed away slowly – almost unwillingly, my face still streaked with salty tears. I had never felt so warm and safe…
I heard his voice, soft and gentle. It seemed to surround me and warm me along with his wings.
“What is it? What’s the matter, Princess?”
Terran’s eyes looked strangely more human.
I looked up at him, staring at the glowing red bird who held my pounding heart captive in his big brown eyes. I was wondering how I could tell him just what was causing me so much confusion and pain.
A tear was streaming down his beak. Not a golden phoenix tear, but a crystalline droplet that fell only from human eyes. In my heart, I saw the young man in my dream. My heart leaped to my throat, still pounding almost unbearably. Though I could barely stand up, my feet felt riveted to the forest floor.
“I don’t know,” I said dreamily. “I just felt something different, like everything was spinning…”
Terran’s eyes looked more human than ever as he stared straight at me, looking me full in the eye.
“Dear Princess, I think I may know what is happening…” His voice was smoky with longing.
His eyes begged me to understand…
“What is it?”
My voice was soft…
“My Princess, I believe you are falling in love.”
His eyes were begging me to kiss him.
Had he been human, I would have.