Generations

Chapter 21: Lights

Chapter 21: Lights

Simon jumped from the ground, letting the magic of his wings take him higher, though only a few feet off the ground; he was afraid to go higher, unsure of what would happen should he lose control and fall to the ground. Still, with his feet only a little bit off the ground he looked at the world as though through new eyes. The wind seemed stronger, the air just a degree colder, but even though he was sure it was only his imagination, it was still amazing.

“You okay up there?” Jason asked, shouting up at his brother.

“I’m not so far up that you have to scream.”

“Yeah, but I always wanted to do that.”

Simon shook his head as he dared to move higher, feeling the wings take him, each flap of them pushing him upward. Something told him that the physical possibility of wings, their shape and angle, shouldn’t be able to propel him through the air, but he knew there was more to it than that, there was magic all around him as he flew, his own magic that propelled him. He could feel it flowing from deep inside of him, pushing him higher, and defying the laws of gravity.

“Just don’t go too high, you could get stuck in a tree or something.”

“I know,” Simon flew higher, partly hearing his brother’s advice. It felt strange, the leaves and sticks poking his wings, and he wondered how he’d clean them later, but kept flying anyway. He was grateful for the small woods behind his house, he and Jason had spent many nights out here during the summer when the weather was nice. It was their hiding place, their refuge from the world. There were so many paths and hidden forts made through the woods, that it made the perfect place to hide. And in this case, it helped for Simon to hide while he got used to his wings.

Simon gathered his power in his hand darkness forming like Jason’s light. It was similar to what happened when he tried fighting during the battles, but this felt much more stable, natural even. He could only guess it was because he was a Nightwing now, someone who had this power course through them, instead of someone trying to hold something that wasn’t fully his yet. He sliced through a couple branches with it, the birds chirping and leaves drifting to the ground. He smiled, fascinated by the little bit of power he had. Sure, it wasn’t much, but it was still so cool. Maybe he couldn’t be a hero that would save the world, but he couldn’t help but love just flying, he had dreamed of what it would be like to fly as far back as he could remember, but to actually be soaring through the air, it still didn’t seem possible.

He started coming back down to the ground, his wings slowing their flaps and he let the magic fade, just a bit so he didn’t fall of course. He wondered how fast he could go, how fast he could fly, but this was magic he didn’t know, so he let that question rest, for now at least.

“Having fun?” Heather asked as she walked to her brothers, tripping over a branch on the ground and taking a dive into the ground, barely catching herself in time.

“I’d say so,” Jason said as he unsuccessfully stifled a laugh.

Heather looked up at him, and decided she’d give herself something to laugh at too. She held hand up and mentally took hold of her brother. She could feel him in her mind, as if he was just an extension of her hand. With a jolt she flung her hand to the ground, willing her brother to do so as well.

Except he didn’t.

But his shorts did.

“What was that for?” he yelled bending down to pull them back up while his younger siblings began roaring in laughter. It may have not been quite what she intended to do, but it was probably even funnier this way.

“Oops,” she said as innocently as she could while getting back up.

“Yeah oops my-“

“Jason, what’s that?” Simon yelled pointing to the house that seemed so far away. Light flashed around it, an explosive power evident. This was no ordinary light; this light seemed to tear through the sky, nearly blinding them with each blast. Darkness too ripped through the air, a presence within it something Simon knew all too well.

“Mom,” Jason said taking off toward the house in a full sprint.

The Nightwings had returned, and so he pushed every fear away, and looked within for the power he so fully felt those three days ago. Things had been quiet since them, since Simon had become a Nightwing, but he knew this day would come. He’d been practicing with his power, drawing it out, sneaking away when he could into the woods to see how strong he could make it. He managed to knock an old tree down with a single punch the day before, and knew that a Nightwing wouldn’t take kindly to something that strong.

He hoped it would be enough; no, it had to be. He didn’t just hope, he knew he would be strong enough. They wouldn’t hurt his family, not again, not ever.

“Stay here,” Jason commanded as he jumped over the last branch of the woods, his body already radiating with light.

“Think we should listen to him?” Simon asked nervously.

“When do I ever listen to him?” Heather asked.

“Yeah, but maybe those guys are too strong and I’ll just get in the way,” Simon said. “I’m not strong like Jason and Mom are.”

“Come on, you’re able to fly and I can throw things at them!”

Simon flew a few feet into the air trying to keep a better idea what was going on. He saw that Jason was close to the house, but he also felt something, that told him to look behind him. He turned though didn’t see anything, at least not yet. “Something is coming,” he said, putting his wings away as to make it harder for them to detect him after landing on what seemed like a sturdy branch.