Sweet Surrender

Chapter 7

Though Maxanarda had tasks of her own needing tackled, being by Bucky's side was more important right now. She would watch as his breathing would rise and fall as calm and slow as the clouds floating by. It put her spark at ease to see him so at peace, at least that's how it looked on the outside. The true test will be when he wakes up, if he'll come even closer to being the man he once was years ago.

To pass the time, there were moments when Maxa would experiment with her different colors of fire. Ranging from a blue blaze outlined in black, to black with a gold trim, there were many possibilities. As a puff of silver flame outlined in red escaped the Naita Koa's mouth, Bucky's head slowly began to rise. He softly moaned as his eyes began to focus.
"So this is who I am now..." he spoke words only Maxanarda could understand. To anyone else, it just sounded like rumbles and grunts.
"It is apparently who you were meant to be, Barnes."
"But why? Why this way?" The beast questioned with a lowered head.
"As my twin brother once said, there are mysteries to the universe we were never meant to solve."
"If this is my life now," Barnes carefully rose to his feet, "then there's no use fighting it. As long as it means I get to be myself again. That such strong demons...are finally gone." Evanna gazed up to the sky,
"Only time will tell, lad," She gently used her muzzle to raise his head, "But I know you are well on your way." She could just barely see Bucky start to smile a tiny bit, until he'd looked to his wings holding his front half up off the ground. He then looked up at the sky,
"What's it like?"
"The feeling of flight is beyond words, lad. One would have to experience it to even begin to understand its mental impact. Do you wish for me to show you?"
Might as well get SOMETHING out of this body.
With a silent nod, he was getting his wings going up and down. Though off balance, his feet were gradually leaving the ground.
"Think in unison with your wings, lad. Your mind is what guides them." Barnes snarled in frustration as he continued to be off balance. He was quickly becoming impatient, but remembered some earlier advice. Eyes closed, breathing in, and out. In, and out. Without even realizing it his wings were now moving in sync with his breathing pattern. The higher Bucky rose, the more confidence he gained. When he'd finally opened his eyes, the snarl turned into a grin.
"Oh this is gonna be fun." The Soldier bolted up into the clouds, harshly blowing back the grass below. Barnes roared while flying through clouds or weaving around them. He was twirling and spinning like he'd flown all his life. He never ceased to amaze the Naita Koa.

She swiftly joined him, catching up rather quick given her wing advantage. Bucky was grinning the whole time while zooming around in the sky. Physically and mentally, the Soldier had never felt so free. The wind in his hair, the sun on his back, everything felt so right. Next thing she knew, Maxa had begun chasing him around. Her intention was to fly at his side, but Bucky had other ideas. In turn, the female beast blasted purple fireballs his way. This really put his agility to the test now. There were times when the blaze would graze his skin, but that didn't faze him. Finally he'd stopped flying away, and instead flew beside her.
"Who you were then does not define you now. I trust you are understanding that?" Maxanarda asked.
"Yeah, I think I am." She nodded,
"And now we must perform the true test. We need to know for certain, that this is what your mind and body was trying to battle all those years. I believe the intense rage and fighting was just a disguise, covering up the truth." He knew exactly what she meant. The words that were more than just words were about to come back.

Bucky closed his eyes, letting each word sink in, one at a time. She told him to breath in on every other word, and exhale on the other. He just let go, and whatever was going to happen will happen. The memories that usually reminded him of the frigid cold he felt after the fall, turned into the metal paws that were always there to catch him.

For the first time in decades, Bucky didn't feel a strain on his heart while hearing those life-changing words. They became like others in the dictionary, and not a cue to kill. Instead of feeling unbearable pain, he felt overwhelming joy as tears streamed down his cheeks.