Learning to Fly by Hikaru Chan ______________________________________________________________________________ Into the distance a ribbon of black A strong chill breeze whistled over the rooftop, swirling around the tall slender figure standing perched on the very edge of the shin high lattice. The sun had almost completely set, and the dark bowl of the night sky was rapidly devouring the last few rays of light. Rowen gave a gusty sigh that was lost in the rush of air as he tipped his head back to gaze at the clear sparkling diamonds that were beginning to reveal themselves from their black velvet holdings. He closed his eyes and threw his arms out wide, looking for all the world like he was about to fling himself down from his perch. A slow smile crept over Rowen’s face; there was nothing more soothing than feeling the cold air swirling about his limbs. God how he wished that the chilly currents would lift him right up into their cradling embrace. He knew that’s how flying would feel, like being held by his mother, like coming home. Swaying slightly with the breeze he strained to the very tips of his toes. The night sky was calling, his sister stars were putting forth their hands to lead him home. Just one step, just one little step and he could join them, and he could fly. "Rowen! Get down from there young man! I will not be rushing you to the hospital in the middle of the night just because you decided you wanted to fling yourself from the roof again." Startled out of his half trance Rowen jumped down from the low lattice that circled the apartment building’s roof. The tarred surface felt too solid under his feet and he sighed loudly. His mother’s cross expression softened into a smile at her young son’s fancies. She knew how much he loved the sky. Slinging a slender arm around his broad shoulders, she smiled at him, chafing his arm to get some warmth back in his chilled skin. "Come on inside pumpkin, dinner’s almost ready." Rowen grinned in response. "Alright ma. I’ll be there in just a sec okay? I gotta get my stuff." He kissed her on the cheek and smiled as she walked back through the rusted door that opened onto the roof. The warm smile quickly disappeared however as he turned his eyes back up to the gleaming bowl overhead. "She just doesn’t understand. I don’t wanna go inside, I don’t belong there." Suddenly he laughed and threw open his arms again, and began to spin round and round. His laughter spiraled up to the darkened heavens as they circled tightly around the grinning boy. Ice is forming on the tips of my wings It was midnight and Rowen lay sprawled on his bed staring out the window into the unending blackness that surrounded his home. He sighed and rolled off of his squeaky battered mattress and padded over to the uncurtained portal. Pressing his forehead against the glass he stared longingly at the stars again. And memories came unbidden into his mind. "Flying? You wanna fly? Join the damn Air Force and do something with your life!" That was Uncle Henry. He had laughed when he said that, not understanding Rowen’s wish. "Ha! There’s no place for your flying fancies in the real world. Get your feet on the ground Dreamer." That was Keiko-basan, on his father’s side. She always had some biting criticism to make about him and his "daydreaming." When both of his parents had agreed with her, his heart had nearly stopped. They didn’t agree on anything! Daydreaming? Waste of time? No place in the "real world"? What did they know?! He slammed his fist into the wall, leaving a small indention about the size of his first knuckle. "Aw, dammit! If ma sees that, she’s gonna kill me!" "Rowen? What are you still doing up honey?" His mother’s voice was muffled by the wall. She knew that he stayed up late, but she always asked that same damn question. Her asking that question night after night was really starting to get on his nerves. She meant well, but damn, could she be annoying! "Nothing ma. I’m just gonna go t’sleep now. G’night!" Not bothering to wait for a reply, he turned from the window and trudged back to his rumpled bed. He flung himself into the nonresistant mattress wanting nothing more than to get as far away as he could from where he was now. They didn’t want him here. They didn’t understand him. The only ones who had ever understood him were the guys. The other Ronins, but they were gone now, back home with their own families. With a heavy heart he let his eyes slip shut, hoping to fall asleep quickly. A soul in tension that’s learning to fly It was no use. He couldn’t fall asleep. He’d been trying for the past two hours, but all he could do was toss and turn and make a bigger mess of his already tangled sheets. Getting out of bed again, he returned to his seat by the window. "I don’t wanna get stuck in their lives. I wanna live my own! I’m not made to tread out their dreary existence on the earth. But they seem adamant on forcing me to do it. You gotta get into a good school, make something of yourself," he mimicked his mother’s high nasal voice. "Dammit boy, when are you gonna pull your head out of the clouds and do something with yourself," he asked his reflection in his father’s deep, heavily accented voice. Blue eyes hardened with an inner resolve. "I’m not gonna do it. I’m not gonna be earthbound for the rest of my life, because it is my life. I want to fly!" He grinned conspiratorially at his reflection, then jumped up and began to root through the hope chest in which he kept all of his most precious possessions. After a few moments of fruitless digging, Rowen sat back with a small crow of victory, and held up a small, round, glowing object. "Ha ha! Found you! What were you doing hiding in the corner like that, huh? Yeah, yeah, why’d I wake you up. Heh. Now I know how the guys felt when they were trying t’wake me up in the morning." Laughing he stuck his feet into his fuzzy rabbit slippers and threw his dark blue robe around his shoulders. He smiled once out the window, stuck the glowing ball into his pocket, and snuck quietly out of the apartment to the roof. Above the planet on a wing and a prayer He crept quietly onto the tarred roof, shutting the rusted door carefully behind him. Shivering in his bath robe, it was colder than he’d though it would be. Reaching into the robe’s deep pockets he pulled out the glowing orb and smiled at it. "Heh. Never thought I’d be using you again. Especially not for something like this. Armor of Strata, Tao Inochi," he called, and tossed the orb into the air. It exploded into falling cherry blossoms and a wash of bright blue light. The familiar energy coursed through his veins, then the light winked out leaving him standing alone on the roof, the Armor of Strata settled familiarly about his body. He flexed his metal cased hands in silent wonderment for a moment, then focused his chi and formed a dark blue glowing sphere about himself. "I wanna fly...." The sphere lifted off the ground and streaked blindingly fast into the sky. He burst through the thick layer of clouds and blinked in the suddenly too bright moonlight. Speeding over the clouds he looked about himself in amazement. The sky never looked like this from earth! It was....amazing. A sense of purest awe swept through his being at the beauty he beheld. He looked down to see his shadow cruising, distorted by dips and rises in the gathered vapor, over the clouds beneath him. The clouds were beneath him! The moon looked close enough to touch. Rowen didn’t know he was weeping until the huge luminous orb before him blurred. Too overwhelmed by the sheer joy he felt, he laughed through his tears and executed a perfect barrel roll. It was more magnificent than he remembered. Up here he was alone, at peace, far above the weighty shackles of ordinary life, of the "real world." He had his dream, right here, all around him, cloaked in velvet black and sparkling diamonds. There’s no sensation to compare with this Feeling more free than he had in a long time, Rowen sailed through the night sky. Purest bliss coursed through his veins. He hadn’t known that he could feel this good, never even dreamed it. But there it was, the greatest feeling of joy he had ever experienced. Nothing could touch him up here. Nothing at all. Once he dipped below the line of clouds to see the city sparkling beneath him. "Heh, would you look at that. Looks like everyone shares my dream in some way, it’s like they’re trying to copy the sky." He gave a short laugh and began to notice the soft gray light beginning to suffuse everything and dull the sharpness of the dark. Sunrise. It was morning and his mom would be up soon. With no little regret he turned back to his building and touched down lightly a few moments later. The sky was getting lighter. The aura shield surrounding him dissolved into sparkling motes of light, and Rowen sent his armor back to its resting place. With a small secret smile up at the slowly brightening sky, he tucked the gently glowing orb in his pocket and headed quietly back to his apartment.
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