C8: Flight - p2

"Okay then, big boy, remember what Mom told you," Melissa reminded me, letting go of my shoulders. "On three."

"Three…"

"Two…"

I breathed in the air and spread my wings wide.

"One."

Melissa pushed me from behind and I suddenly closed my eyes. For a mere second, I was afraid.

I let my body lose and lost my footing purposely.

I opened my eyes. I was falling from the 100-foot-tall tower to the Earth incredibly fast. I gazed at the ground and gritted my teeth. Fear was unacceptable now. I had to overcome fear.

Chloe's words from before when I was having the ride on her back resounded in my head.

"Remember, fold your wings, build the momentum, and then spread your wings again to break the fall. By then, you'd be in control, and with the next flap of your wings, you fly… ok brother?"

I folded my wings. I fell faster towards the ground. I kept my eyes open, overcoming the fear. The wind blocked my ears. I could hardly hear anything.

When I had enough momentum built up, I unfolded my wings.

But – nothing happened. My wings were frozen.

"NO SHIT!" My hands automatically shot upwards to defend my face from hitting the ground straight up and –

Swoosh!

When my arms slipped, I saw Melissa's crimson eyes right before me. She caught my hand and instantly blocked the fall with her wings when I was only 2 or 3 feet away from touching the ground.

Before I knew it, I was in my Mother's arms like a baby.

My heart was beating so rapidly, I almost felt like it was going to come up my throat.

"As I said, don't be scared. Mom will catch you." Her reassuring words calmed me and I sighed in relief.

'Flying is definitely hard,' I told myself inwardly.

"Arghhh!" The screaming voice of the little Mono came from the distance as Melissa flew us up to the tower with one flap of her wings.

Crash!

Mono crashed onto the roof of some Animagi slaves who were hanging up their clothes to dry. Thankfully, she was too light to break through the roof of the house. No damage was done to the roof.

Aunt Crystal shook her head in disappointment upon seeing Mono's failure. I felt bad.

Crystal was taking it too hard on the little girl.

"Aish, let me go get her. We all had to do it like that at first," Chloe laughed, flying to pick up Mono.

Melissa kept me on the ground, and I sighed. Kaya shot a prideful gaze at me from the back, looking down on me as if I was a peasant once again. Her lips curved in the corners, and a smirk formed.

I didn't bother with her. It was already getting too old for me, so I just ignored her stupidity.

"Mmm, kiddo," Melissa rustled my hair, leaning close to me. "Couldn't break the fall, huh? Don't worry it happens. When you want to unfold your wings, take a breath and just spread them wide. Don't feel like you're trapped when you're in the air. You are free."

I nodded to Melissa, accepting her advice.

'Feel like I'm free then?' I thought, spreading and folding my wings to exercise for the next run.

Chloe carried Mono back to the tower and gently laid her on the floor. Her arm was slightly bruised, and she had a despairing look in her eyes. She cooped up and covered herself with her blue wings to hide from the shame.

Chloe stepped back after she did this, leaving her be.

However, Melissa felt sorrowful upon seeing this sight. I could see it in her eyes. Meanwhile, Crystal did not even budge to comfort her daughter. She simply stood there with her arms crossed.

Melissa leaned beside Mono and slowly pulled down her wing, gazing at Mono's face. Her eyes were dark and dry. Even though there were no tears, it was clear that she was in despair.

"Mono, look at me," Melissa started.

Mono looked Melissa in the eyes.

"I was just like you before."

Mono's little blue eyes widened upon hearing this.

"Surprised? Yeah. I couldn't fly either. But – I wasn't so shy though," Melissa laughed. "But of course. Flying is not just spreading your wings to keep yourself alive. You have to take the extra step. You have to let go and take a risk, Mono. Then, you'll learn to fly."

Melissa stood up, smiling at Mono.

The little girl wiped her eyes and stood up again, ready to try flying one more time.

Then, we got in line and got ready to jump once more.

///

As expected, I failed a couple hundred times within that day in the attempt to fly. Mono did learn to flap on the second try, though.

It was not until evening that my wings got used to the flying process, and Mono found her true potential.

By then, Mother had gone to take a shower, Aunt Crystal had gone to scout the perimeters and Kaya had gone back to whatever she was doing. Only Chloe was left with us, waving her legs as she sat at the edge of the tower.

Even when the process got boring for us, she kept a cheerful face with a smile.

On the last try, my wings were tired, and I was ready to fall flat on the ground and take a break from everything for a few more days. But after reconsidering my choice midway through the fall, I unfolded my wings and perfectly broke the fall.

After a few flaps from my wings, after I broke the fall, I took the skies.

[General skill: Flight unlocked!] The skill notification appeared before me.

"WOHOOO! I fucking did it!" I cried out, flying in circles to the excitement. Before I knew it, I was flying in the air perfectly.

Chloe clapped as she saw me flying with a smile. "Yay! You did it, little brother!"

However, right at that moment, when I was staying still in mid-air, a white light shot past me at an incredible speed.

Woosh!

My hair blew away to the wind pressure made by the object. When I looked up at the skies, I saw Mono slicing through the air like a hawk at an incredible speed.

"WOOOHOOO!" Chloe cheered as she saw our cousin cutting through the wind. "YOU GO, MONO!"

I felt embarrassed upon seeing this reaction by Chloe.

'But – she only gave me a clap,' I told myself, feeling betrayed.

My thunder was totally stolen by Mono that evening. But – seeing Mono fly like that with a smile on her face was quite satisfying too.