Sky

Soaring on red wings, Kristina and I come up on the major city of Solitude. “To think”, I start, “that we could one day become one of the mutants who could live in such a Utopian society. Man, I feel like a comic book character.” She smiles back at me, and we start to land. But I stop and think about my words. Comic books usually have terrible events after a place as “unique” as this is created I think. And it’s true. Human beings aren't the type of creatures to allow different things live better lives than us. That’s why we cage animals, kill animals that live simpler lives, and we domesticate things that are meant to be naturally free. Caging birds, dogs and reptiles and forcing fish into tanks not even a thousandths the size of the ocean they swim freely in. Hell, they even try and “improve” on the humans they think are lower than their standards, essentially “savages”. Imagine what they’ll do to people with wings, people who can move buildings with their minds, and even those who, like me, change reality with will. But I push my thoughts away as Kristina lands down and starts flapping her wings. I land and with a thought take the wings away. She looks back and smiles at me. “Best way to travel is by the power of imagination, huh”, she says to me looking up. Her big brown eyes always make me smile, as if they have no care in the entire world other than to be cheerful and bring others joy. I smile slightly back at her, and then I spread my black wings, making them bigger inch by inch. Then, as fast as you can say “off”, they burst, sending hundreds of black feathers into the sky. The people of the city look up and look all around at them. Some in awe, some smiling, others thoroughly unimpressed, thinking they can do better. Kristina tries to grab one, but it gets away from her. I grab it and hand it to her. “It’s all just a matter of dreaming bigger and bigger”, I say to her as the feather in my hand burns in a black flame, and from that flame comes a black phoenix. “A new pet for our new life”, I say as it flies onto her shoulder. She laughs and pets it. I rub her head and we start walking off to find a place to stay at. There’s a tavern in an alley, and as we enter it, I see people who look like regulars laughing and drinking. We sit down at the bar, Kristina still playing around with the phoenix. “What should I name it?” she asks me looking up beaming. “Something fiery”, I say jokingly. “Milk for the child, and a cup of…” I stop, looking at the bartender. She stares back at me and instantly I can feel my pulse spike. I feel like my everything dilated. I could feel all my senses heighten just looking at her. Her hair was long and golden brown. Her skin was bronze, almost like a mix of pure gold and copper. Eyes like a hawk, and a beautiful brown with a hint of green stared into my eyes, deep down into my soul. I wouldn't need an electrokinetic to tell me we had a spark. Kristina looked at me, then at her, and said “he’s thinking of all the different jokes he should try and say to impress you. Most of them are really corny. This is Fiery!” she said as she raises the tine phoenix. Crap, I didn't think she would just out and say what I thought. The bartender smiles, and looks at me and says “do you know him so well you know what he’s thinking?” “No,” Kristina says, “I can just read minds. Really well for my age, I've been told.” The bartender laughs and looks at her with a grin on her face. Immediately Kristina starts blushing, and tries hiding it. They’re having a mental conversation? About what? How is that even possible? The bartender turns around and starts to pour her a cup of milk. “She has the power to control people’s attraction to her. That and she’s also a telepath,” Kristina says directly into my mind. Great, another person who will know everything I think. Plus the bonus power of making me think dirtier than a pig kennel. “You have more control than most guys I meet for the first time” the bartender beamed directly into my head. This one freaked me out, but I had to control myself. Don’t think too hard. Baby steps. She starts laughing as I realize I’m thinking all this into her brain as well. “You know, I could read your mind if I wanted to too,” I say to her out loud. She turns to me, with passion in her eyes that could drive the most logical of all telepaths insane. She grins, leans closer to me and whispers, “Then what am I thinking. Right. Now.” My heart skips a beat, but then I grin. I lean closer to her and whisper into her ear, “you want to…buy me jellybeans.” The second my voice stops she leaves the bar and goes out the door. In 15 seconds she returns with a tiny bag in her hand. She walks back behind the bar and drops the bag. I open it and see it’s filled with jellybeans. It takes her a few seconds to realize what she just did, and then she looks at me in confusion and slight anger. “Reality control” I say with a grin while I put a handful of jellybeans into my mouth. Her anger and confusion mix with amusement and wonder. “What else can you ‘control’, oh reality changer?” I look at her and then look at her hands. I hold my hand up, and in an instant my hand changes to hers, and then I set in on fire. She looks at it in amazement, until she realizes she can still feel her hand and feel the flames. But they don’t burn. They soothe. They’re almost like a warm glove all around her. “Wow… so then where did your hand go?” she asks in amazement. I frown, and look at her. “I never had a hand. When you change reality, everything changes. I can control if people remember how things were before or if they think my changes were how things always have been and always will be.” The bartender looks up at me and says with a straight face “So you’re like a God. Doesn't that ever stress you out?” I look away, and revert my hand back to my own. “It doesn't just stress you out, you question what is real and what you made. It drives you insane.” She touches me and automatically I’m back to thinking about her beauty. She smiles. “There,” she says, “you’re much happier like this. I’m Alicia. And as long as you and she are in this city, I won’t let you go insane.” I look at her in awe, with nothing to say or think or do. But then it comes to me. This place, it isn't just a city in the clouds. Its heaven. And I've just met my goddess, along with my little personal angel. I smile. I pull Kristina in close and think to myself No amount of powers or reality control can make this moment better. I’m finally home.