"Phoenix
Pure light of
Hope that will never die. Set
On unstoppable flames of
Eternal lights
Near the end of the world
Inside the burnt hearts.
Xenia of colours of the Rising Sun."
- a poem inspired by the ancient bird.
by Ayano_Ann (me)
Rebecca looked past. They were heading for the great peak of the mountain of fire. She walked farther than the others. She wasn't used to making friendships here yet.
She picked up a strand of her hair back so it wouldn't get in the way of her gaze. 'If I was only by myself...I'd get there so much faster...' she thought. The girl loved running a lot. To be free. But unfortunately, they were moving slowly – it was difficult for Ron to run and at the same time to hold Mariana in his arms, even though she was light as a feather.
Rebecca wished she could have been more sociable. Be friends with everyone and help them. But for the moment, she was struggling. Since she was a little, the girl was very shy and barely spoke a word.
Her portal creation capabilities had been unlocked not long ago. She was only 13 when one day while training the fire bending (from the very beginning the flames she created were purple, in most cases lightning, or red) she managed to break the light of lightning and create a portal a few meters away.
When her parents found out about her newly acquired abilities, they were fascinated and made her train every day to become more able of the creation of portals. But the girl never liked to be commanded and they were making her do something against her will.
That's why training didn't help much either. She stayed at the level of her powers the way she used to be. The girl should always have seen the place and it took her a few minutes to focus. So again, she decided to work on the improvement of his speed and grace.
When she was 15, a fire broke out in her hometown. People in the building screamed and tried to getaway. Almost all succeeded, but a few people were prisoned inside. Rebecca was nearby and found out there were still people inside. She'd been in the building many times before, so she knew it by heart.
Her ruby-coloured eyes lit up like gems, and she directed all her will into creating a portal inside where people are locked. Thanks to the adrenaline and the desire to help, the portal was created successfully.
She went inside as fast as she could. Rebecca helped the wounded people to get back on their feet, stunned by the smoke, and pulled everyone out, minutes before the building crumbled to the ground from the fire.
Since then, all the inhabitants of her city have seen her as a hero. Everyone admired and worshipped her. But she didn't like that attention. After the adrenaline rush of the hard events was over, she returned to her old shy self and did not want to train the creation of the portals anymore.
A year later, after her family and the inhabitants of her city, even the King of Magma (the name of the Kingdom of Fire) already knew about her abilities convinced her to join the Tournament.
A slight sadness was written on her face when she remembered her past. Sometimes she felt so weak... if only she could create portals whenever and wherever she wanted....but unfortunately, she couldn't and there was nothing to be done about it.
'If I could help somehow....' Rebecca thought and closed her eyes in search of a solution to their problems. 'Summon me. Summon me and I will help you. You feel it's the right decision, don't you?' a quiet voice said in her head. The girl quickly opened her eyes shocked. She looked around.
No, no one was talking to her....so it was only in her mind...Rebecca thought about what it might be. The girl was always acting like that about her problems. She thought about them completely calmly, even if they were very frightening. That's when she realized she might have found a solution. . .
"Miracle, I summon you," Rebecca whispered so that no one would hear her. She had never heard a name like that, but she felt she had to say it.
Flames appeared in the air above Rebecca. They were dazzling and attracted the attention of the other participants. The elemental fire formed in the body of an ancient bird.
A long-tail spread through the air. The bird had a large beak and thousands of small and long fins on its head. Its eyes were like rubies. It was a phoenix. A bird as ancient as the time itself. A symbol of strength and wisdom.
Its beautiful numerous feathers of fire lit up the dark sky. The bird swung into place with its big wings and flew towards Rebecca. The others, still fascinated by the bird, tried to warn the girl to back off.
But Rebecca wasn't scared at all. She put her hand forward so the bird could land on her arm. it was more like a soft heat that spread throughout her body.
So, you're Miracle. I will take good care of you." the girl gently stroked the bird on the back and looked at the amazed faces of the others. "I'd like you to meet Miracle. She's my Animal Spirit." smiled slightly worried that the others won't be happy.
"I didn't expect you to be able to own ancient animals as a Spirit Animal... but congratulations, Rebecca! I'm glad for you and that you've been able to find your potential!" Valentina greeted her happily. The others congratulated her, too.
Everyone seemed so happy for Rebecca's success that she felt her heart warmed a little. 'Probably…this tournament wasn't such a bad idea after all,' she thought, and Miracle screamed slightly in response to her thoughts. So, the bird could understand her thoughts too.
"Miracle, now you have to help us, little one. Fly high and look at what's ahead. Help us know what awaits us and choose the safest path to take. Good luck, my girl." She knew the phoenix only for a few minutes, but she already felt attached to the ancient bird.
Miracle squealed in response and flew out of Rebecca's hand. She flew a small circle over her new owner's head and headed for the vast.