Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Savi frowned, placing their hands on their hips with a tinkling sigh. The drawer of their dresser was pulled open as far as it could go, its contents packed so tightly inside they feared touching anything would result in an explosion of capes. The colorful collection of fabrics was one of their favorite parts of dressing up for the day.

Their gaze was drawn towards one tucked neatly near the front. It was well-worn, though they would prefer to call it well-loved, and certainly not the most exciting of their collection. In fact, it was the least exciting, the dull brown color an antithesis to the bright pinks and blues of the capes surrounding it. But Savi gravitated toward it anyway, draping the fabric over their shoulders and shutting the drawer before realizing they had made their decision. 

Their friends would laugh and pat their head and coo when they saw Savi wearing their old cape. Moth, their voices would tease. They would take their hand and drag them around as if Savi had never seen the Realms before. It would all be in jest, the possibility of Savi truly being a Moth simply absurd to them all. No, they were not a Moth, and would never be a Moth again. 

But sometimes, Savi would think about their first cycle, their first memories of the Realm. They would think about the wonder of finding the spirits dotted across the quiet landscapes. The grandeur and mystery the Elders held had faded as they got to know them, and it was quite rare, though not impossible, for Savi to find a corner of the Realms they had not yet seen. But those first cycles, the Moth that became Savi explored on the wings of soft browns, flitting every direction at once to take it all in. Every step, every beat of those wings was a new horizon, a new challenge, a new friend. 

The cape would not make them a Moth, no matter what their friends teased. But Savi still wore it, if only to remind themself to think like a Moth every once in a while.

Chapter Text

Phoenix thought about the warm beaches of the Sanctuary Islands, with the blazing sun and lounge chairs dotting the beaches, while the birds and mantas flew lazily overhead. The peaceful relaxation, with hardly any other Sky Kids around to bother them while they waited for the daily geyser eruption. They could even use the innertube the Sunlight Guide had given them and float in the shallow waters without a care in the world. It sounded like the perfect way to spend their day.

Unfortunately, they were not on the island beaches. Dreamer, their newest friend, was instead gripping tightly to their hand while the pair raced down the slopes of the Valley, heading directly toward the Village of Dreams. Phoenix didn’t dislike the Valley by any means, but it certainly wasn’t the warm, tropical paradise they had hoped to visit when they left Aviary Village.

The chill in the Valley was distinct. Not enough to extinguish a flame, but the air currents cutting between the mountaintops made flying a chore, and Phoenix tended to not stray too far from the path whenever they passed through. 

Dreamer had not made the purpose of their visit clear, but Phoenix assumed they were stopping to chat with the Skater. Perhaps they were even going to the Village Theater to watch a rehearsal. But Dreamer skated right past the alleyway that led to the Theater, and left nothing more than a wave for the Skater. Instead, they let the wind catch the folds of their cape, and Phoenix was lifted into the air as they took flight. Phoenix let out a startled call, whether out of surprise at the change or the shock of cold air, they weren’t sure. Dreamer called back in response, but didn’t change their course, and Phoenix looked around as they flew higher and higher above the rooftops. 

The Skater waved at them from below, gradually growing smaller as they climbed. Before long, Phoenix could see the racing slopes on the other side of the Village. Turning around, they could even see the glow of the Theater lights. But Dreamer continued flying upwards, and Phoenix turned their attention forward. 

The mountaintops were rapidly approaching, clearly the destination Dreamer intended. The air currents were a bit turbulent, and had Phoenix been flying alone, they wouldn’t have dared to try and fight against them. But Dreamer was determined, and Phoenix’s light was enough to ensure they could make the journey. The summit of the nearest mountain loomed, a sight that Phoenix had never seen before. They blinked against the bright light of the snow reflecting the sunlight, and their confusion turned to shock when they realized just where they were going.

Nestled in the peak was a large alcove that cut into the rocky side of the mountain. The spacious overhang provided cover for what looked to be a decent-sized pond. The water bubbled and shimmered, a layer of steam resting just above the surface. Floating merrily on the water were a small collection of messenger boats, and scattered on the rocks were a few conversation candles. 

Dreamer brought them down gently at the edge of the water, and already Phoenix could feel the warmth washing over them. They sighed, relieved to be finally out of the cold. Dreamer laughed before jumping in, creating a large splash as they went. Phoenix was much more careful, stepping off the ledge and wading into the pool, and they picked up one of the little boats nearby. They unfolded the paper, reading the message inside with a laugh, before gently setting it back down. When they looked up, Dreamer was staring at them expectantly. They pointed at one of the conversation candles, and Phoenix nodded in understanding.

The pair hopped up onto the rock, letting their feet dangle in the water. Dreamer lit up the candle between them. “Hi,” they said.

“Hi.”

“Do you like the hot springs?”

“Yeah!” Phoenix nodded for emphasis. “I didn’t know they were up here.”

“Really?” Phoenix shrugged in response. They didn’t explore Valley much. “This is my favorite place in the Realms.”

Phoenix nodded. Though they didn’t expect it, the hot springs were a surprisingly nice place. Sheltered from the harsh winds, with naturally warmed water to soak in. They were the only Sky Kids there, so it was a rather peaceful setting. Even the view was beautiful, once Phoenix took a moment to let their eyes wander across the landscape. 

Dreamer tapped their shoulder, motioning to the candle that had almost burned out. “Tomorrow, can you take me to your favorite place?”

Phoenix nodded, already thinking about the beach and the caverns to explore closeby. They wondered if Dreamer had visited the Sanctuary Islands yet, but before they could, Dreamer took their hand and pulled them back into the water. Phoenix laughed, splashing Dreamer in retaliation. They simply dodged, diving under the water before appearing further away, floating on their back, feigning innocence. Phoenix tossed their innertube onto the surface of the water and hopped on, laughing as Dreamer gasped. 

They could finish their Candle Run later. For now, Phoenix had a water fight to win.

Chapter Text

Mela crossed their arms, shaking their head. No, no way. They were not going to get on the boat, no matter how cool Rei claimed it would be. Rei stomped their foot before pointing again at the boat. 

Mela lifted their arms, showing off their cape. If Rei wanted to get on that rickety old thing, they could do so. Mela would just fly above and follow them. Rei shook their head, and Mela huffed in frustration. Without waiting, Mela jumped into the air, flapping once before shifting to a glide. They flew out away from the dock towards the direction Rei had wanted them to sail to. They heard Rei honking behind them, but didn’t care to see what they were saying. Probably just more insistence that they should take the boat.

But why should they take a boat when they could fly? The clouds around them ensure they could never run out of light, and it’s much faster to fly. Mela knew the ancestor spirits didn’t carry light like the Sky Kids did. They barely saw an ancestor with a cape, let alone one that had housed more than one flap’s worth of light. So they probably did need to use the boats to travel. But now, some Sky Kids could fly through an entire realm on their own. Times were different, and Mela didn’t see any reason to change. 

Rei’s honking changed pitch, becoming higher and more frantic. Mela tilted their head, turning to see if they were alright. But as they turned, a strong gust of wind slammed into them, and they lost their focus as they slipped out of what had been an easy glide. Mela honked in surprise, struggling to right themself as they tumbled toward the clouds below. But as they landed in the fluffy layer, the wind continued to swirl around them. It was almost sentient in the way it howled and shoved them around. They could barely make sense of which way was up, and even if they could, they certainly wouldn’t be able to fly out of the sudden storm. They tried to flap and get out of the tumbling clouds, but they had no sense of which way to go.

A hand broke through the clouds, latching onto Mela’s and pulled them out. They could feel the frantic heartbeat of the other Sky Kid mirroring their own through their hand. Suddenly they were no longer surrounded by a sea of clouds, but rather unceremoniously hauled into the rickety old boat. They laid in the bottom, staring up at Rei, who had not yet let go of their hand. They sat down next to them, and the boat drifted softly onward, with two very silent Sky Kids as its passengers.

Chapter Text

They knelt down, offering the candles to the ancestor, and twirled in delight when their offering was accepted. In their arms were at least five more pillows, and Ash knew the nesting shop would get more in a few days. Bowing their thanks, they ran out of the shop and down the path towards the block of flats built into the cliffside. A few fellow Sky Kids honked and waved as they passed, but Ash didn’t stop to offer more than a honk back. They were on a mission. The most important, coziest mission of them all.

The nest building added to Aviary Village was overflowing with color and chaos. The young Sky Kids had been thrilled by their new homes, and Ash was no different. They had immediately laid claim to one of the lower floor nooks, which was an easy win. Most of the Sky Kids wanted to be higher in the sky, but Ash always preferred a little burrow.

They hopped in through the open window, and landed on a pile of pillows. They giggled as they fell into the soft mound, throwing the new pillows across the room to add to the chaos. The Nesting Guide had offered them a bed, a table, even some chairs, but nothing would be better than a room filled with fluffy pillows.