Chapter 1 Cliff Diving. Standing at the edge of the cliff, Phoenix watched the sunset against the horizon of the vast sea. The salty breeze flowed through the fiery colors of his hair as it lay against his relaxed shoulders. His wings rose and fell with each breath, their feathers silent to the wind. Stretching his arms out to the side in a yawn; his wings extended out their full span crossing out the setting sun. Ali stepped up a few feet behind him, sighing as her gaze shifted from him to the colors of the setting sun. Resting his wings along his back he turned and walked back towards her. Ali spoke to him. “Rachael wanted me to come tell you dinner is almost ready.” “Have you ever wondered why evolution’s path varies so much?” “What?” “Never mind, I’ve just been thinking too deeply again.” “Oh, ok then.” Ali briefly rubbed his arm attempting to bring comfort to his mind before she turned back to join the others. Looking back at the nearly completed sunset, Phoenix walked back to the edge of the cliff. His body fell forward over the cliff’s edge as if it were pushed. The moist humid air rushed over him as he fell, his eyes closing on the way down. Sharp sea worn rocks below reached up long jagged fingers that seemed to be clawing at the air for his body. Like a parachute opening, his wings stretched out catching massive pockets of salty air launching him back up towards the rock face edge of the cliff. Flying past the top, his hands grabbed hold of someone that
~1~
wasn’t there. A small disembodied yelp came from his empty hands as clouds swirled up around his body. Shooting up through the vast landscape of weightless cotton, the darkening of the vast night approaching he drifted there holding an unseen form in his arms. There was disembodied laughter coming from within his arms as the moons light bathed the new puffy landscapes of clouds just below his feet. The laughing died down as a familiar female’s body filled the void within his arms, her back against his chest. Phoenix held her tighter as he rested his head on her left shoulder. Swinging her feet playfully, she pulled his arms tighter around her waist. She had four wings of her own; they were a slightly brighter red then his with red embers sparking off of them ever so often. Her hair, fell past elegant shoulders, it was mostly straight with a slight curl at the bottom. Her eyes were the deep red true to a fresh rose, both beauty and danger vying within. Phoenix spoke affectionately to her. “You really caught me off guard there.” “So, I’m getting better then?” “Always.” “You aren’t cross with me then?” “Well…” “Oh no.” She bit her lower lip in anticipation as her mind raced at the possibilities of what he might do to her for knocking him off the cliff. Phoenix grinned impishly at the look of worry on her face. Without warning he tossed her several feet into the air above. Her arms and legs sprawled out attempting to grasp onto something. Leaning backwards, Phoenix fell below the clouds winking up at her. Quickly regaining her composure, she glared down at him, playfully shaking her finger, her lips pressed into a tight smile. Spilling air from her wings, she plunged down into the clouds; violently they swirled around her body as she exited below them. Her eyes searched the sky around her, looking for any sign of him. Her irises fractured out changing the colors of the world around her. She now saw things in a whole new light spectrum. Things hidden in the white light stood out in this new kind. In the distance, she could see the mesmerizing colors of the once white light radiating into the atmosphere from the large sphere she and Phoenix had previously made in the sea as a beacon and memorial. Even with this new outlook on the world, she did not see him; that is, not until he wrapped his arms around her waist as he floated in the air behind her. As if lost in thought she asked him a question.
~2~
“How many more still haven’t shown up?” “A few hundred. They are on their way to it though.” “You’re sure?” “You don’t trust me?” “No, nothing like that. I just want to be sure everyone is there.” “I won’t start until everyone is there.” “Promise?” “Yes, I promise.” Phoenix closed two of his wings around Anastasia and himself, pressing her close against his body. Falling backward into the air currents his other two wings held them along a gentle glide.
~3~
Chapter 2 Lost And Found. Sarah entered the glass sphere, as several others followed behind her. Its walls had rows and rows of seats neatly spiraling down to the bottom. The light that had been seen emitting from inside the sphere on the outside had no source inside the great sphere. It was indeed bright and spacious but there was nothing emitting an intense bright light of any kind. The walls looked like there were made of white marble with light gray veins running through out it. In fact the entire ‘room’ was made of what appeared to be white marble stone. Most of the crowd inside was shaken by the destruction of The Tower. To them it was a home they could go to when they had no other, a place to call their own, to have a family when outside they had none. Sarah had seen herself as one of the lucky ones. She had a family on the outside, or she hoped she still did. It wasn’t clear to her how far the explosion’s hands reached out. She glided down effortlessly to an empty row of seats, her face cradled within her hands trying to wake-up from what seemed to be a dream. Regret started to sink in then, regret that she ever saw that Agent as a child. Regret that she ever wanted to grow up to be as strong and confident as that Agent. If only she hadn’t seen that Agent take down that Fallen Phoenix just outside her parents castle grounds, she would have grown up normal. Or what she thought was normal, a life as a hidden citizen in a world over run by a species that hated what it didn’t understand. Her thoughts continued to race about in disorganized chaos as to how life might have been if she had never gone to study and train at The Tower.
~4~
“Then we might not have met each other.” A male’s voice broke her from her thoughts. She turned out of her thoughts to see the owner of the voice. Beside her was a young male, appearing to be a few years older than she was. His hair was cut shoulder length, strawberry blonde waves throughout its layers. His eyes were gently focused upon her, holding a look of affection as a smile danced across her face. His azure colored wings fell loosely on his back, relaxed and barely moving as he breathed. He spoke calmly to her, a sense of worry in his voice. “So, where have you been staying the last few days? I’ve been worried about you.” Absentmindedly she looked up at the hole as still more flew in. “Sarah? Where have you been staying?” She hung her head, staring at her feet. “Sarah, please answer me.” “With Anastasia…” “Isn’t she with the outlaw you and Agent Frank were supposed to be hunting?” “Yes.” “I’m not sure I understand.” “Please, don’t be mad at me.” She met his gaze, deep concern on her face. “I won’t, just tell me.” “Phoenix… err… the outlaw wasn’t what the Council made him out to be like.” “What do you mean?” “Can you answer me something?” “Yes, but…” “If we were both murdered and for some reason I wasn’t able to rebirth and you were, would you avenge my death?” “Of course I would, but what does… oh.” “That’s all he did, and the Council labeled him a Fallen Phoenix and put him into exile.” Tears were falling from Sarah’s eyes as she looked into Thomas’ now understanding eyes. Thomas wrapped one of his wings around her, pulling her in closer, holding her in his arms as she wept lightly. It was then he noticed that the small chatter in the vast round structure had become a low mummer. Looking around, everyone’s face was turned upward looking at the hole at the top as the out-law Phoenix and a female dropped calmly out of the sky.
~5~
Phoenix’s eyes surveyed the room as they descended to a rising platform. Sarah lifted her head from Thomas’ shoulder as she too watched them. Anastasia spotted her among the now crowded rows and waved friendlily to her. Hundreds of eyes turned their focus onto Sarah, nervously she waved back, the small chatter grew louder. Thomas saw Phoenix just as he nodded a small greeting toward him. Bewildered he raised an eyebrow returning a curious look. Thomas continued to watch them as they landed on the pedestal; Phoenix with his arm around Anastasia’s waist. Thomas leaned into Sarah closely so only she could hear him. “Who’s that with him?” “That’s Anastasia.” “No… can’t be?” “That’s how she truly looks… or how she used to look.” “But she looks so different from when she was at The Tower.” “It’s hard to explain and they really haven’t told me all the details about it.” Thomas turned back to looking at Phoenix standing in the center of the pedestal; a stone podium grew up in front of him as two stone benches grew behind. Sarah whispered into Thomas’ ear. “He should take his sunglasses of for this.” Anastasia sat on one of the benches as the eyes of the room shifted their gazes back unto Phoenix as he straightened his long coat. Clearing his throat Phoenix spoke up loudly so everyone could hear him. “I know that most if not all of you still see me as The Tower’s most elusive Fallen Phoenix to date. This combined with the fact that you were taught that they were dangerous, destructive, and very manipulative. I’m sure that most of you are looking down at me in both hate and disgust for what I have done as of lately. I am not proud of it and I do grieve for those lost due to it. I can’t change that The Tower and the surrounding city no longer exist, and I’m sure that most if not all of you would not believe me if I told you the reasons why I did what I did. I’d like you to take a second however and think back to the last few minutes before you fled The Tower. I’m positive you’ll remember receiving a message from The Towers Central Computer Systems warning you what was about to happen. A program of mine has been running on the computers there and one of its tasks was to read over and analyze each of your files, including your physiological evaluations. Each of you received that
~6~
warning because that program factored that you were not one of the ones that blindly follow orders. Among other factors. I know that many of you saw The Tower as a home and family, one of which I have taken from you; but I would like to think that if we all work together we can build a new one up from the debris and ash. One that is free of envy or ill will towards one another. Something like that may seem impossible to have but I’m willing to get as close to it as we can get it. Somehow we can build a new world side by side with the humans, no longer living in the dark hiding from them. Just because they feared us in the past does not mean that they have not matured. I believe that now we can show our true selves to them. We were once seen as gods, even as angels to them. Now we can rise back up and reveal ourselves again. With our centuries of knowledge we can make a better world for both Phoenician* and humans alike to live in.” Phoenix stepped down from the podium, sitting on the empty stone bench. A low mummer swept throughout the round structure. Standing up from her seat Anastasia stepped up to the podium nervously clearing her throat. The mummer barely died down. She cleared her throat again, but gained no respect. A small anger grew in her. Her head hung looking down at the podium as she closed her eyes. Phoenix casually took out some cotton and plugged his ears with it. Anastasia lifted her head up towards the ceiling letting out a highly intense scream that echoed up and out of the structure. A small crack stretched across one of the lens in Phoenix’s sunglasses. Silence fell throughout the room as the remnants of her scream faded. Everyone’s undivided focus was back onto the platform. “Thank you. Some of you may or may not recognize me. Some of you were my closest friends at The Tower, others were merely acquaintances. But whether you knew me as Anastasia the top of her class out spoken girl you could talk to about anything, or as Anastasia the girl you passed in the hall on your way to a lesson, doesn’t matter. I was to be Agent Franks replacement and to take over his hunt for the ‘Fallen Phoenix’ you see behind me. And as some of you know, an Agent needs to know everything about their target in order to successfully capture it. But I wasn’t told everything about this one. The council deliberately concealed evidence from me. Only I thought I was *
fu'nee-shun
~7~
told everything. I was all gun-ho on capturing him and bringing him in for his sentence.” Anastasia bit her lip and glanced over her shoulder looking for a moment at Phoenix before resuming her speech. “Permeate death. The council feared what he knew, what he was, so much that they wanted him dead. This hate they harbored became like a sickness for them, and soon spread to the rest of us. We were told horrific stories about him and what he had done. In short, we were lied to. The scary thing is he’s not the first one they lied to us about. There were countless others. Other Phoenician’s that knew too much about something or spoke their minds. They too were hunted down just the same as the real Fallen Phoenixes were. Treated the same way as a vicious criminal all because they spoke up and wanted to take a stand against a corrupted council. We were blindly told that we could live and learn in an open free environment free from the fear and hate that the humans had for us; a safe place where we could build and learn on each other’s ideas. But it was all a lie! We were living in a closet dictatorship. Freedom of idea and speech was fine so long as it was the same idea’s and views of the council. For far too long we blindly followed them because that’s all we knew, because they would never let anyone stand up and say otherwise. We were so scared of the outside that we allowed this to happen. But now we have been given a chance to start over. A chance to create the lie we lived, but this time for real. A true place where one can speak their mind. Where you can truly build on others ideas. Where we can all live without fear of the humans, because in all truths we are the stronger species. We can be the more peaceful level headed species. So I stand before you, as a former classmate, an Agent and I say to you all that I will stand here next to this ‘Fallen Phoenix’ and help build a new city for all of us to live in. A city, not just a tower, but a full city. And I now ask who else will stand with him and help build our new future?” With the last bit of her words fading out in the room, silence prevailed. Looking around at the vast crowd she worried that nobody would join them. Thomas opened his wing and arm from around Sarah, and stood up. A look of confidence on his face, he spoke up with conviction in his voice. “I’ll help.”
~8~
Sarah smiled joining him. “I’ll help.” All eyes were back on them, Anastasia smiling lightly at them. Slowly others stood joining them, but many remained seated.
~9~
Chapter 3 Nowhere, U.S.A. Rachael walked out of the house into the screened-in porch as a cool autumn breeze blew through the large pecan trees in the front yard. It was an old farm house on the outskirts of a small rural town. Ali had taken Rachael and Mai to this dwelling when Phoenix and Anastasia took flight back out over the sea just a day earlier. Ali was in town at the local market buying groceries to stock the cupboards and old icebox in the kitchen. Just like Phoenix, Ali was able to fold her wings into her back giving her the ability to walk about town without drawing attention to herself, other than she was a new comer. Rachael was sitting on the porch when Anastasia fractured into focus, her back leaning against the homes doorway; her arms folded across her chest. Dust swirled up into the air from her sudden appearance causing her to sneeze several times. Nonchalantly, Rachael passed her a box of tissue. “Where’s Phoenix?” “He’s setting up a safe haven for the survivors to stay while he scouts for an area large enough for us to start building our new city.” “How did it go with them?” “Well, we got some supporters, but there are still a lot that aren’t sure what to think or do right now. They aren’t sure what to believe or who to trust. The ones that are willing to help have good hearts and will help the others come along in time.” “What is going to be done about the news reporters and other humans that were there and saw what happened?”
~10~
“Phoenix wants us out into the open now, not to hide in the shadows anymore. He wants us all to live together in the new city.” “Any idea on what the city will be called?” “Well since the idea is to build one on the ideals of no envy or ill will to one another it’s only fitting to name it Absitinvidia*.” Anastasia folded the used tissue into her pocket and stepped into the house. She turned on some music while pulling her hair back into a ponytail and started to clean up the layers of dust up while dancing around to the music. It was the first day they were in their new home; which was evident that it had been some time since it was lived-in prior to their arrival. Rachael stepped down off the porch to take a walk around the house to the yard in back. Ideas of flowers and gardens appeared in her mind as she felt the cool moist dirt between her toes. Living in a penthouse in a large city didn’t give much room for one to exercise their natural green thumb. She could see rose bushes creeping up one of the dead trees in the spring and patches of lilacs growing in abundance all around. Even though her gardens weren’t there yet she could see them vividly in her mind. It was getting dark as the fireflies began their nightly dance by the time Ali got back from the market. It wasn’t that the house was that far from town, but still walking is slower when you’re accustomed to flying. The house was brightly lit, illuminating the yard when Phoenix walked up the footpath. There was calmness to the air as the moon crested over the roof adding its light to the yard. Phoenix stopped just a couple of feet from the porch. He could hear laughter coming from inside the lowly farm house. A forgotten warmth filled him as he stood there letting the moon brighten the night around him. Since his realization of who Anastasia is, getting her back and the ordeal over the fall of The Tower, Phoenix hadn’t had a chance to take the time to let it sink in how much his life was different now. Smiling slightly, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small glass orb with swirling black liquid inside. Ali was still putting away groceries while Anastasia had to fight her from sampling what she was making for dinner. Rachael couldn’t help but chuckle lightly at the commotion in the kitchen as she prepared the dinner table. The house rumbled slightly as Phoenix walked through the front door and hung up his coat. *
ab-sit-in-'wi-de-a
~11~
“I’m really going to miss my armchair in front of the fireplace.” Phoenix said thinking out loud to himself. Bright ruby red flames erupted suddenly climbing up on the wall perpendicular to the front door. River stones began to pull themselves together on to the wall creating a fireplace. A second burst of flames formed an armchair in front of the newly formed fireplace. Phoenix stood there for a moment trying to think if he created the fireplace and armchair absentmindedly or what. He didn’t have to mull over the notion for too long when he felt Anastasia’s arms wrap around his waist. “You weren’t the only one missing the fireplace and the armchair. I really did appreciate you recreating my room back at the penthouse; but to tell you the truth, I liked sleeping in your room, in your bed. It felt right.” “It has been so long since I’ve been around another fellow Meraphorn*, I kind of got used to being the only phoenix that could manifest things into existence. I’m very pleased to see you’re getting used to the unlocked abilities. With you by my side I don’t see anything getting in our way of building Absitinvidia.” Anastasia smiled coyly to Phoenix’s remark. “Sweetie, just before you came inside, the house seemed to shake slightly, do you know why?” He pulled her around holding her close in front of him before giving his answer. “In the morning you’ll see, but I don’t want you to go outside until then ok?” She nodded timidly knowing his surprises were usually worth the wait. Even with fending off Ali while making dinner it turned out rather charming. Rachael had even made a centerpiece with some of the wild flowers she picked from the yard. The dinner was full of laughter and of old stories as everyone enjoyed each other’s company. Mai had even projected a hologram of himself to sit with everyone at the table. He ate the digital representation of the meal so it wasn’t as obvious that he was just sitting there with an empty plate in front of him.
*
mehra-forn
~12~
Since Phoenix hadn’t yet installed the proper wiring and power amplifiers for Mai to project himself without putting a strain on the house, they ate their dinner under candle lights so that he could use the energy he needed. Every now and again Ali would alter his appearance for her own amusement since he was still using her old terminal. He’d get mad but since everyone was having fun it didn’t bother him as much. The dinner was long over by the time the crickets had stopped their chipping just outside when everyone called it a night. The dishes were done and put away and everyone was sound asleep in bed when Anastasia crept downstairs and towards the front door. She stopped momentarily before opening the front door to listen for any signs of movement from upstairs. She tightened the straps of her robe around her waist before opening the door and walking outside. There in the front yard at least fifteen feet tall was a large black metal rose shimmering in the moon light. Its stem twisted and curled in and around itself at the bottom creating a strong support to hold the rose high in the air. «This must have been the surprise he wanted me to see in the morning. It looks just like the rose table he made me that night I accidentally dropped one of the black glass orbs in his room. At that time it grew wildly and I was afraid of it because I had never seen anything like it before, but this is what it must look like when you purposely break one of those orbs and know how to control its growth.» No sooner had she finished her thought that the silence was broken as Phoenix whispered in her ear. “I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist sneaking outside as soon as everyone went to bed. It’s ok, because I was counting on you too. Just like this rose, my love for you will never wilt. No matter where we live there will always be a black metal rose for you as a tribute of my love for you.” Anastasia wrapped her arms around Phoenix’s neck pulling him closer as she kissed him passionately her wings lifting slightly as he embraced her kiss and held her tighter in his arms.
~13~