Wingless

Chapter thirteen, the flight

Sky looked around for people that might see him. Spotting none, he made his wings appear and stretched them out. Standing on the railing of the balcony, he looked back, and then threw himself into the night, in one, powerful push.

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Immediately, the air caught him, in its huge, welcoming arms. He swayed a little, but then, flapped his wings, once, twice, three times, four, and the push against the air was so strong, Sky was already soaring above his apartment building.

The night air was cold, but the sensation on his skin felt great. Flapping a few more times, he twirled in the air, and propelled himself even faster and higher.

Sky could see the city lights growing smaller and smaller below him as he slowly rose in the air. It was magical, really. The wind rushing through his feathers in powerful bursts, the clouds in small white tufts on either side of him. The shining stars twinkling above him, so close yet so far at the same time. Sky had  expertly maneuvered through the wind, tilting his body at just the right time, so that the passing gust of it caught him and carried him even further forward.

The darker colored parts of Sky's wings seemed to blend in with the night sky above him. He smiled to himself, gliding in the swish and swoosh of the air.

It was ironical - actually - because Sky knew he belonged with the sky.

When Sky was flying, it was as if all his worries and troubles were swept away by the passing wind. Any thoughts or ideas seemed dim, and all Sky could think of was how amazing this was. The howling wind rushing past his ears, the tug of his feathers on the air. The occasional cloud that brushed past him, and the stars. The stars were the best part about flying.

Sky was surrounded by millions, maybe even trillions of tiny shinning dots, that seemed to change color and sing, if you looked and listened hard enough. The melody in the air was - there was no other word for it - magnificent. They seemed to call to Sky, to say "join us" and "you belong with us" pulling him in, transfixing him, so all Sky could do was stare and want to go up higher, higher, higher, and to sink into those beautiful night depths.

The moon as well. It called him. As weird as it sounds, it did. The stunning ball of gold was whispering something to him he knew only he could hear, and yet, somehow, he wasn't able to. No matter how hard he strained or how far he flew, he wasn't close enough.

This did not concern him however, when he flew, all he could think about was how wonderful it felt.

Sky found himself swooping, soaring, diving, and felt utter and total happiness. This was his world. This was his night. These were his wings. And for a second, he thought he might finally accept them, after all these years.

He always thought that. But he knew the truth. He wasn't ashamed of it for once however. This is what flying did to him. Everything was better. The problem with Prapai seemed solvable, and all his scars and bruises seemed miniature now, compared to the size of the world below him.

Then, Sky felt something he didn't feel even when flying before.

He could see everything. He could hear everything. He was everything. He felt he could do anything. He felt like the world was here, in the palm of his hand. Like he actually mattered. Like he did, like he had power. Lots of power. Power that could change everything.

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Sadly, the feeling vanished as Sky remembered Gun and what happened with him.

Sky still felt great but, he knew he needed to think logically. So, Sky focused on the main reason the went flying anyway. Sky glanced down at the thousands of tiny houses below him and found that he could easily distinguish were his dorm was, even without having to properly look. It was a bird thing, he figured.