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“I was dead... until I wasn’t”
Thought flowed through a raging ocean; unforgiving and swift, tendrils carried away into the tide before they could come to fruition. Cries of fear, triumph, horror, and rejoice (such brilliant joy in their cheers even as despair settled deep in her heart) echoed around her, distant from her ears yet so close as to feel them resonate and imprint into her sense of self.
Forged anew from flames and steel, from prayers and calls of salvation, she opened her eyes for the first time in her living memory.
The tears quickly dried from her face even as the reason for said tears and the emotions that had once filled her faded without so much as a memory to allow her to decipher why. Thoughts that had once been slow and hard to grasp grew sharper, though no less fleeting, as awareness began to flood her senses.
Fire was innate to her nature. Somehow she knew this even with the realization that she knew very little else. A strange lack of emotion soothed the jagged edges of a healing mind, preventing panic or fear from taking hold, and instead fostering curiosity. She felt a vague awe, even as the itching-aching that encompassed her torso rapidly spread to her eyes, working diligently to sharpen the surrounding world. The film that had coated her vision in grey and magenta eventually cleared to reveal greens and stormy blues.
Like a newborn she gazed up, mesmerized, taking in the flashes of light - lightening - that streaked across the sky in a thunderous fury. What a beautiful storm she had been born from. Did the storm create her or had it been the river? She relaxed into the gentle whispers and reassurances, arching into the waves lapping at her toes. It was such a sharp contrast to the storm’s triumphant cackles, but the girl found herself soothed nonetheless.
She wiggled her bare toes, pressing pale fingers into wet grains of dirt, and marveled at the sensations assaulting her senses. It was so cold in contrast to the heat surrounding her.
Riverbank.
Riverbank? Oh! She was on a riverbank! A high pitched giggle echoed around her before becoming abruptly silent. Another laugh rang out, slightly hesitant at first before beginning to grow steadily in volume and echoed glee.
That was her, that was her voice!
Raising a hand (her hand was so small, was she really so small) as if to touch the white clouds blocking parts of her vision, the girl let out a high pitched squeak as her hand touched something almost unbearably hot. She watched with amazement as the white broke apart in lines of... smoke? Her eyes widened in wonder when she noticed that the clouds were coming off of her hand, off of her entire body.
That is steam, child.
Steam... not clouds? She liked clouds better!
Almost vibrating with energy, the girl looked around with curious excitement. The clouds were starting to fade away, becoming more transparent as the aching finally faded from her chest. She wanted to explore and she couldn’t do that lying down! With a deep inhale, she forced her body up with a push of her hands.
Only to fall back down almost immediately.
Letting out a slightly embarrassed cough, she couldn’t help but laugh at herself. She had to try that again!
It took a while to get her shaking legs under her, but after a moment of reassuring herself and puffing up her cheeks, she made a second attempt at standing.
It went better than the first time!
Arms pinwheeled as she fought to stabilize herself. It was difficult, and her legs were refusing to cooperate despite how hard she tried to will them to stay still. It was then that she ran into another obstacle. The young girl let out a high-pitched yelp as she stepped on something that sent a stab of ow ow ow what was that up her spine.
That was -
hurt
Hurt! That hurt!
Still somewhat shaky as she tried to find a position that wasn’t as painful, she looked down and couldn’t help but blink at the blue feathers that were pinned underneath a bare foot. Taking a careful step forward (the pain almost immediately fading to her relief), she realized that the weight on her back was actually a piece of - what - clothing? It was wrapped firmly around her shoulders and if she hunched, it could have probably covered her entire body and then some. Stroking the feathers, her eyes shined as she was struck with the realization that the material was so so soft!
Letting out a giggle, she clumsily twirled in place, the thick fabric and feathers fanning out around her. The girl cooed in awe over the light blue feathers that made up the long... cloak? Cape? Did the head cover make it a cloak? She reached up to examine the feathers near her head only to find herself pulling on hair.
Gasping, she realized that her hair was the same color as the feathers on the cloak and - that was so cool?! She tried to rush over to the river even as the cloak dragged behind her slightly and made her wobble on her already unsteady legs. The blue-haired girl (she couldn’t get over her excitement at that) let out a slightly breathless giggle as she fell against the edge of the river bank, hurrying to take a look at the face in the mirror, the face that was hers.
She was unreasonably excited with what she saw.
The first thing that came to mind was how soft she was. Her face and features were round, eyes impossibly wide against cherub-like features. Her eyes shined rather brilliantly in contrast to her surroundings, an almost burning light that made the reflection around her eyes blur in the dark murky water.
Her hair was choppy and short, but reaching around to the back of her head confirmed that it was longer in the back (it would be nice to have a longer braid, two maybe, it would be so pretty - ). The metal clips in her hair were a bit out of place, but no less riveting to fiddle with. The edges were carefully smooth and the material seemed custom. Someone had put thought into the clips that she was wearing. The blue-haired girl wondered who had cared enough to offer her such a gift. Warmth encompassed her chest as she smiled and stroked the metal pieces. She would love to meet them!
You are Powder.
Her head snapped up as a bright light streaked through the sky. The thunder’s resonance continued the storm’s statement.
You are Jinx.
What?
The girl (Powder-Jinx, Jinx-Powder) blinked up at the sky even as the storm seemed to have little else to say on that matter.
“I’m Powder... Jinx? Is that, like, a last name or something? Or maybe it’s Jinx Powder?” She - Jinx - questioned, scratching at her head as her brow furrowed in confusion. It sounded better than the other way around.
Go home.
The newly named Jinx blinked as the voice whispered behind her, beckoning her silently to turn south of the river. Looking down the girl found herself gasping at the metal constructions and buildings. So different from looking at the bright city on the other side of the river.
“That’s home?” The newly dubbed Jinx couldn’t help the way she smiled, bright and eager at the realization that she had a home and people that were probably waiting for her! She began to make her way across the wet dirt of the river bank and towards the metal city.
No.
The blue-haired girl stopped. “No?” She echoed with a curious lilt in her tone, not offended in the least.
South. To Shurima.
Never-ending sand and carved figures, sharp features and symbols carved into cliffsides, flashed across her vision. Jinx blinked back the vision and found herself grinning even wider with near reverent joy.
“Shurima,” she echoed like a prayer, backing away from the border of the metal city and finding herself looking up to the sky.
“It had felt so final back then. Turning away from the Undercity, turning away from Zaun.”
It was then that she turned her attention for the first time to the lurking monolith that was the bridge above her. Eyes shining with glee, she was struck with the urge to climb the metal structure, to dangle from the supports and lines just because she could.
Why climb if you can fly?
Jinx let out a cry of disbelief mixed with choking exhilaration. She couldn’t... could she? Looking down at the feathers of her cloak and back up towards the looming structure, she felt almost as if her heart was trying to jump it’s way out of her chest.
Eyes shining with unshed tears, though she found herself unable to explain why she was on the verge of tears, Jinx began walking towards the bridge. Taking in a shaky breath, the girl didn’t allow herself to look down at her feet even as they trembled with the threat of falling with each step. Panting, she nearly tripped once or twice, just barely catching herself in time, as she found herself speeding up. The sound of her bare feet hitting the dirt felt like a triumph, thunder at her back, lightening leading the way.
Faster, go faster blue bird
The blue-haired girl let out an amazed, breathless burst of laughter as she finally began to run. Thunder bit at her heels, urging her to go quicker, as the wind pushed her forward and up. The drag of her cloak as it fanned out behind her didn’t seem to hinder her, feathers seeming to weather the near vicious current with ease.
It was exhilarating, it felt like understanding, and it felt like love and coming home.
Jinx didn’t know much about herself, but at the same time she knew enough.
Cloak wrapping around her like a second skin, Jinx gasped as she felt herself becoming more. Feathers climbed up and down her neck, wrapping around her arms in a layer of soft plumage. Touch and sight overwhelmed her as thousands of new sensations stretched from her limbs, from her face and her chest. Jinx felt so infinitely big for a moment, larger than life even. Feathers painted wide brush strokes onto her flesh, almost seeming to encompass the sky, before becoming so very small.
And when Jinx opened her eyes she realized -
The sky was made up of a hundred colors.
Everything around her was saturated in bright hues of blue, green, gold and everything in between. She found herself having a difficult time describing the majesty of the sky, of the city of iron, unable to describe the colors that seemed to pop out where they had previously been hidden in smog, where darkness had hidden fine details nearly invisible to the human eye. Clear and crisp, lines of contrast were so easy to pick out and Jinx found herself wanting to never move, to live in that perfect moment forever.
The shining city to the north seemed to pale in comparison with it’s oversaturation mismatch of colors and golden accents, but Jinx thought it may have been unfair to judge. It was probably a pretty city as well. Perhaps not so suited to birds though.
Her voice had become sharp and high pitched, letting out piercing trills as she rose higher and higher into the brightening sky.
It was nearly daylight.
“My first sunrise was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.”
The light that fell over the bridge, over the twin cities felt almost symbolic in a way. The colors that were revealed under the light even more so.
Finally reaching the very top of the bridge felt like a triumph, though Jinx couldn’t quite understand why. And before she thought to articulate, her encompassing black eyes turned towards what was beyond underground city.
Home, she needed to go home.
Jinx could just barely see past the storm that seemed to consume the skies, but it did nothing to shorten the excitement she felt at the idea of the adventure this would be.
She didn’t think to hesitate, think to wait and look around the area (she would have found a frantic boy screaming her name).
With a push of sturdy wings, the bluebird unknowingly left behind her first home in search of another.