[Fiction] Learning new things

[Long]

Long sighed as he once again started the exercise. "Come on Silvertalon this isn't half as hard as you're making it."

He had actually taken a Male version of her form for this and was trying to walk her through taking on a more human form. Thus far getting rid of her massive wings and getting her to fairly normal human size was proving difficult.

He relaxed and allwed the quantum to flow through him, the giant wings receding slowly back in to his back, as the rest of him became more vulpine and foxlike, even down to the bushy tail.

"I have no problem with your natural form Silvertalon, but the general population won't be able to handle it."

He chuckles. "Besides Kitsune are looked upon favorably here, though they have a reputation for mischief." His tone was that of an elder teacher instructing an apt but somewhat unruly pupil. He stood and watched as She began to try the shift.

In his own mind he was glad he'd procured a colony of Eufiber for her early on so she wasn't nude. At least with something on it lessened certain temptations and baser instincts. Besides, she was his student, more like a younger sister than anything else. She needed a teacher far more than anything else and that was what he set for his task.

[Silvertalon]

Silvertalon's ears slowly laid flat against her head while her eyes lowered. A soft growl gently escapes her lips betraying a slight frustration in the fact this was much harder then it looked. "Easy for you to say...." She looks up into his eyes for a moment as a slight coy grin plays across her lips. "An I do enjoy a challenge." A slight flush highlights her inner ears taking a moment to look over her teacher in a form much like her own before he shifts before her eyes. She watches very carefully sensing his quantum flowing though him, watching him relax as the form before her changes becoming very much fox like.

"So why would the general population have a problem with how I look? What is a kitsune? Something like what you look as of now?" She takes a few long moments looking over Long's fox-like form. As her tail sways behind her and wings rustle slightly not missing moment of his transformation.

[Long]

"Kitsune are traditional Japanese fox-spirits. Thew were revered as wise and failthful guardians and friends, and of course sometimes as great tricksters capable of taking on the form of humans."

He smiles. "As to how you look normally, The blending of Fox and dragon is seamless, but many would simply find it monstrous and unnatural. Reptile and mammal don't normally blend well."

"The goal is to eventually take on a fully human form, but for now simply taking on something more readily acceptable to the masses is fine. Now, you try it."

[Silvertalon]

"I see..." She looks over herself slowly for a moment, "So if I was to learn how to control my ability to shape change, then I can take on a form more suited to this culture?" She looks towards Long with a better understanding.

"So, this training will help me become what is in that picture? I.. Don't understand how that honestly wouldn't be right... In a way..." She trails off for a moment before taking a deep breath. "Well let's give this another try..."

Slowly her eyes close as you watch her body relax from head to toe. Her tail slowly sways as her wings rustle slightly as her breathing slows. Several long moments pass before the quantum

in her body begins to flow. At first the flow is slow and steady though her body. The flow with in her wings is slowly drawn into her body, as the wings visibly being to quiver. A soft gasp escapes her lips as she shivers feeling the odd sensation flowing though her. Slowly her wingspan shrinks in size passing the last attempt easily. Her closed eyes seam to tighten as the flow of quantum seams to rush quickly now nearing the point of loosing control of the change but yet she's holding on.

[Long]

"Good Silvertalon, good. keep going, you're doing it." Long's voice is full of almost parental encouragement. "Are you in any pain?"

[Silvertalon]

Slowly her eyes open taking a deep breath with a low growl, the expression is clear she is having a little trouble controlling the flow of the quantum. Her eyes close slowly as a low growl wells with in her chest, while her wings steadily shrink in size. "...T...this.. Is..not.. easy.."

Quickly the wings finally fade away as if she didn't possess them. A sharp yelp escapes her lips as she suddenly starts to stumble backwards not prepared for shifting weight at the loss of the wings and the counter balance they once offered. As she finds herself falling over unable to catch herself or adjust to the change fast enough.

[Long]

Long is there intstantly and she can feel his hands at the small of her back and her stomach as he catches her and stands her back up.

"The balance issue is one I figured you would have when you finally managed to do this. Losing the weight of your wings throws off your equilibrium, I forgot what that was like."

Holding her, being that close to her, something stirred, but he squelched it quickly.

"This will not be easy at first Silvertalon. I never said it would be. But by the end of this, you will be able to do this at will with minimal effort."

He gently rubs her back where her wings used to protrude and massages the area gently while holding her up with his tail and right hand. "Any residual pain Silvertalon, any other issues?"

He chuckles lightly "And do you still need my assistance to stand?"

[Silvertalon]

A moment was all the feeling of falling was before she slightly tensed up feeling Longs hangs catching her almost at the moment of falling. His right hand placed behind her along her back. His left pressed to the soft fur of her belly helping her right herself up to stand once again. A little woozy from the shifting balance and sense of loss beings to fade. All the while her tail gently wraps around his waist as she leans into his hands just a bit with a slight flush and rumble.

"Meh, silly foxy forgetting to tell the other foxy such things..." She sticks out her tongue at him and giggles a bit with a coy grin. Her tail lightly squeezes as she realizes at that moment her tail is slightly curled around Longs waist as it quickly uncurls and sways behind her once again leaving one to wounder if it was accidental with such a coy look. "err... Sorry.."

Slowly she nods listening to his words taking a moment to consider myrring softly feeling his fingers rub across the still sensitive flesh with a shiver. "Still it is sensitive there.... A little bit discomforting with the feeling of having but not having... But its fading quickly... It's such a strange feeling... Not having my wings..."

"How long would it take for me to get used to... Doing this? Will it always be like this? Or... Is it just due to the fact I am not used to this I am...." Her ears lay back slightly not liking the feeling of saying the next words openly, "Weak...At controlling the change."

Slowly her weight shifts feeling longs hand rub along her back gently were her wings used to be. Her eyes slightly close enjoying the back rub clearly not one to let such rubs go to waist. Her ears perk back up once again as she shakes her heads, "No... no pain... Should there be?" She opens her eyes looking at him with a deeper blush realizing she was just taking advantage of a nice back rub. "Errr... N..no.. I think I can stand now." She pushes herself forward taking a few steps at first adjusting her stance to counter act the shift in her body weight and balance. It doesn't take her long to adjust to the changes adapting far quicker then expected.

[Long]

He smiles as she squeezes him. "The discomfort should pass, and I'd recoomend you learn to use your tail for balance the way I do normally."

His tone becomes more paternal. "It will get easier with time and practice. You aren't weak by any means, just inexperienced. It is good that there is no residual pain"

He smiles as she steps away taking her first steps as a kitsune.

"Good, you're doing great Silvertalon." His ice-blue eyes focus on her as she continues learning to move about in this new form.

[Silvertalon]

Slowly she walks taking a few steps in quite stride clearly having fully adjusted. Slowly her steps become slightly more graceful with each step, her tail sways a bit more flexible then it should be. In addition her tail fur seams to be a bit longer then it was a few moments ago, the slight sounds of bones shifting and soft pops can be heard. A little gasp escapes her lips as she falls forward slightly catching herself this time expecting this to happen. Her tail seams to rip in half as two shorter lengths sway upon their own, the shapes quickly taking on a new form.

As fur and barrel fills out rapidly she is on all fours looking over her shoulder at her tail.... or in this case two tails as she blinks a bit confused look in her eyes. "I.. didn't do that.." She softly mumbles a little bit confused now looking at two long bushy tails swaying as if they have a mind of their own. Some of her reptilian features seam to have melded a bit as she slowly rises from her hands and knees to a standing position once again looking very confused for a few more moments.

One would have to wounder was it a intentional effort or instinctive by nature.

[Long]

He resisted the urge to catch her, sensing this was still yet another change. The sounds of flesh and bone contorting weren't new to him and he simply waited till it was over to speak. "Well it is said Kitsune often have between one and nine tails, and two isn't so bad."

He smiles, the narrow vulpine muzzle makes it look more like he's just bearing his teeth, but the tone of his voice is still light and happy. "It's a good look for you Silvertalon, very appealing."

"Besides, tails are so much fun, having more than one I imagine increases that."

[Silvertalon]

A soft chuckle escapes her lips as she blushes slightly her inner ears showing it. "Thank you...."

A coy smile plays across her muzzle as she takes a slow step forward and then another before slowly turning around. Her tails sweep around gracefully as she looks down over herself. Her own hands sliding down her own form a bit feeling the changes taking note the scales she once had are now replaced with soft fox fur. Her body taking on more lean build, supple curves and a thinner frame. As she is using her quantum to finalize the form you given an example of.

"Strange... This... Form... Is so lean and supple... Although highly agile." she looks over her shoulder with a playful grin.

She watches Long's expression for a few long moments from over her shoulder with a wink, "Very true tail's have many uses... An they are quite fun indeed.." She leans slightly forward raising each tail slowly nice and high with a soft growl. Slowly her eyes close with a devilish look written across her face, "Expessly to feel the cool air, flow though the soft warm fur....." Her eyes open slowly with a innocent smile as her tails slowly lower myrring softly licking over her own lips. As she looks as if she ate the canary so to speak.

"Indeed... they are..." Slowly her long sharp talons upon hands and feet become small little claws that properly suit the form she has now taken. Every trace of reptilian nature has faded and melted away leaving quite interesting looking artic white two tailed fox creature standing before Long or in this case posing.

[Long]

It's a good thing Long's eyes are pupilless. though in all truth any female would literally be able to feel the intensity of the gaze he looks at Silvertalon with as she finalizes her form.

He smiles, noticing that she elected to keep to the White motiff that he is nominally locked into. The fact she was obviously teasing him isn't lost on him, indeed it takes a significant force of will not to give into certain baser instincts.

"Not that your natural form isn't beautiful, but something tells me this form will serve you far better in dealing with the public."

He starts heading towards the door to the courtyard. The children were in class, and Sakurako was spending the day playing Mom to the twins.

He leads Silvertalon out into the inner yard and turns to her. "Fly."

[Silvertalon]

She quickly notices him go slightly tense as if stopping himself from doing something and then settles a bit. She sense the conflict with in him for those few moments as she tilts her head slightly to the side watching him walk past. His scent was also different as her eyes widened slightly putting it together as she shook her head with a slight smirk.

"I know this form... Is more suitible, but I don't think I can keep it for to long. It's not what I am... It does feel nice but yet so alien in itself..." She pauses for a moment to look over herself a mirror for a few moments as the door to the inner yard is opened. She turns to see Long holding it open for her as she moves quickly into the sun with a soft myrr. "Sun feels nice on my fur.. It's been a while."

She turns to Long once again after taking a few moments to enjoy the fresh air and warm sun with a smile. But that smile slowly fades looking towards long with a confused look. "I can not fly... I have no wings..."

[Long]

Long looks at her. "Nor do I."

With that he simply rises into the air and hovers in a circle around her. "To a nova Silvertalon, the normal rules do not always apply. The speed which you fly at hints at a more innate ability than mechanical flight. I believe you can truly do it as I do, with or without wings."

There's a slight undercurrent of pain in his voice. Something isn't right, and for the first time that She's known him, Long seems to be in pain.

[Silvertalon]

She watches Long rise into the air slowly and then move around her in a circle explaining to her she can fly. Yet its hard for her to understand it having a firm belief for so long her wings were the only way to fly. Her ears flicker slightly catching the sounds of pain in his voice as he masks it. A slight worried look crosses her face as her hands reach out gently grasping Long's hips and pulls him to the ground close to her as her eyes look into his own for a moment. She can see pain and sense it as well.

"Your in pain..." Her words come softly, "You shouldn't do anything to cause yourself such pain."

[Long]

Even Long was impressed by her strength as she pulled him down. He still towered over her at eight feet tall, but he did wrap his arms around her shoulders. "I can endure it Silvertalon. You need these lessons, and it is best I show you how do do what I ask of you."

He pries her arms from around his hips and returns to the air. "Now, just think about flying, about being truly free and will it to happen."

There's a softer tone to his voice than before.

"This is one thing I want you to grasp well."

[Silvertalon]

Slowly she takes a step back watching long hover and move around in the air showing her. "I think I understand what you are saying but, I always had wings... I don't think I can do what you can do.. It looks so easy..."

Her ears lay back a bit clearly confused as a part of her thinks she needs wings and the other part wanting to try what was suggested to see if she does or does not.

[Long]

"I see a more direct approach is going to be needed for this."

He chuckles and quickly snatches her up in his arms by her waist and rockets up into the air. "This was how my mentor originally taught me to do this, It's a good deal more ehilirating." He stopped about a mile up.

"Do not shift forms for any reason Silvertalon. Have faith in me, have faith in yourself, I do."

With that he released her and pushed her away fast enough that she couldn't latch onto him.

[Silvertalon]

"What do you mean by a more dir...." She yelps suddenly being snatched up into those strong arms and hoisted up over his shoulder feeling the sudden feeling being held in place as long rockets into the air. She squirms a little for a moment but see ceases as she realizes the ground quickly moving away as they rise into the air.

"Long! This isn't funny.... Your master knew you could fly.. I.. Can not with out my wings!" She growls at him sounding annoyed and worried at what he might do. Her eyes narrow as he tells her not to shift forms she shakes her head looking towards the ground far below. "Long! Don't you dare! Don't you think about it! I have no wings! I.. Cant fly!" Her grip on his arm tightens at the same moment he tries to release her and push her off him.

Oh she does indeed snag him and latch on for a few moments its quite an awkward sight as the two struggle in the air for several long moments. Suddenly her grip gives out having no talons to dig into or proper grip she finds herself becoming the victom of gravity as she falls towards the earth.

"LLLLLLLLLLLOOOOONNNNNGGGGG!" She howls out. As her body falls like a rock towards the earth below being tossed around by the air currents like a rag doll. Her heart races in her chest rapidly with each passing moment as the fear mounts, the desire to survive becoming stronger. She does indeed try to shift back into her orignal form in reaction and out of instinct. As her quantum races uncontrolled for a few brief moments her focus can not be attained while falling to her death from such a height. Steadily the earth races towards her as fear rises with in her while her mind tries to come up with a way out of this and how she's going to do to long if she survives this.

In the back of her mind she can hear a small voice counting down the seconds of her life as the ground rushes at such speeds towards her.

10....

9.... 8.... 7.... 6...

[Long]

Long vanished from high above her and suddenly she found his hands holding onto her again and gradually he halted her fall, holding her in his arms. "No Silvertalon, He didn't know. I hit the mountainside for three days straight before I finally had the control needed to prevent it. There's still a crater there where he taught me."

He is fully prepared to get clawed or at least slapped by her, for it but he starts ascending again. "You can do this Silvertalon. I know you can."

"I promised I would protect you, but to do that properly I have to push you to fully realize your own abilities. I have learned that even someone like me cannot always be around to protect the ones I care for. You can do this Silvertalon. Now we are going to try again, this time I might not catch you."

[Silvertalon]

Her breath suddenly catches as the feel of hands grasps around her the fall suddenly coming to a stop with a sharp jerk. Her eyes wide as she stares only a few feet towards the ground, the force of that stopped her plummet suddenly jars back pulling her skywards. Her vision of the ground quickly fading as she is turned around to face Longs face once again. Her eyes wide breathing quickly catching her breath. The look of fear stricken across her face for a few moments as he speaks. She doesn't hear him to clearly her heart beating hard in her chest hearing it throb in those ears of hers.

Suddenly the expression turns to anger while a snarl wells up with in her. Her eyes narrow looking into Long's eyes, he quickly notices those eyes shift from a silvery foxen look, to a more reptilian look. Her canines slowly lengthen into fang like canines as her voice deepens, "P..pr..pro..Tect me?!?!" she half snarls. "Dropping a mile to the earth to my possible death!"

She struggles with the inner urge to lash out at him, while we steadily climbs higher into the air.. Her instinctive nature to survive starts to awaken with in her forcing her to adapt or die. Possibly Long's instinctive nature senses something about to happen at the last moment. Her body moves on its own as she lashes out at Long but at that moment she feels herself suddenly no longer held. Her swipe only hitting air as she spins for a few moments and then starts to plummet towards the earth once again. A cry of rage! Anger and fear cries out as she finds herself plummeting to the earth once again.

[Long]

"NO! Do not resume your normal form! I know you can fly in that one, I'm trying to show that you can fly in any form! You don't seem to wish to comprehend that you can do it normally, thus harsher methods are required Silvertalon. Adapt or not, that is what you must do."

Long doesn't drop her, so much as simply vanish from where he was, reappearing on the ground. Gravity takes hold of Silvertalon as she begins to plummet back to Earth.

On the ground he speaks, knowing she can hear him. "I did catch you didn't I? I won't let you get hurt, but you need to do this, to coprehend the nature of your power."

[Silvertalon]

The wind whips past her quickly, as the ground comes towards her once again. Her eyes catch the sight of long as he calls up to her while she feels herself falling towards the ground again. The feeling of fear rising with in her once again, as the earth blow comes rushing towards her once again. This time Long watches from the ground below the uncertanty of him catching her this time is high. Her heart races again much faster, a snarl wells with in her throat. Her body starts to jerk slightly as her eyes close sensing the end drawing.

Deep with in her a primal instinctive urge cries out loudly though her. Her eyes close tightly as a cry escapes her lips not of fear but the desire to live. The quantum with in her starts to flow forcing itself to push though her towards the ground as he rushes faster and faster towards her. The force of the flow builds rapidly until the fall starts to slow slightly at first but not enough to prevent her from impacting into the ground below. But with in the last four seconds, a powerful release of pent on quantum surges forth from with in blasting outwards knocking over the near by chairs. As if a powerful gust of wind suddenly appeared out of no where.

Her eyes remain tightly shut as a deep growl wells with in her chest. She hovers there for several long seconds ten feet off the ground. Before Long's voice comes out speaking to her. She opens one eye as her ears perk looking down and then with the goofiest expression seen. She erps and falls flat on her belly on the ground with a soft grunt unable to maintain what she was doing for a brief moment.

"I.. was... flying?" The changes Long saw slowly revert once again, she wasn't changing into what she was before. It was something more, instictive... Reflexive?

[Long]

"Yes, yes you were." He doesn't get to close, not wanting to get raked by her claws, but does move closer to her. He watches her transformation and speaks sootheingly to her. "Now try to rise up from the ground on your own."