• If it was four years earlier, Aqua would have said that there was no way that the race of winged humans existed. But now, seven feet two inches, the eighteen year old would have believed a person who walked up to her and told her that she had three noses, five eyes, and one eyebrow.

    “Come on, Aqua, let’s do this. It doesn’t harm you if you play it safe. Plus, it’s very blissful,” Roland, her newest friend for the month, since she scared away most of her friends, explained. Of course, he didn’t mean drugs or any kind of that sort.

    He was talking about sky diving.

    She glanced at the cliff nervously. She knew about people who sky dived for a living. But this was crazy, even for her standards. Never would she normally do such a thing.

    Then again, she just found out she wasn’t human.

    “Come on, it’s easy once you spread your wings the first time. After that, the back never heals so the wings can always just pop out,” said Roland. Then he grinned. “Unless, if you are too chicken to jump and try to get your wings to spread for the second time.” She glared at him as he laughed.

    Rolling up her sleeves, she grumbled, “The great and fearful Aqua never gets scared, realize that, you idiot.”

    Still smiling, Roland jumped from the cliff, his white wings spreading from his bare back. It was true that once the first sprout of wings happened, it was easier after that. Well, he made it seem like that.

    Aqua breathed in. The wind rippled her brown hair, streaked with earthy green coloring that was naturally there. Her dark skin went against her blue eyes. Taking one more deep breath, she jumped.

    The wings snapped from her back in an instant. Two months ago was the last time she last flew. Her back was almost healed up. It hurt when they snapped out. Blood covered each one, but more visible on the white wing than the black wing.

    All there was at the beginning was pain. She gritted her teeth together and dealt with it. Soon, there was bliss. Flying like a wonderful beast, an eagle, a sparrow, any kind of hollow boned animal that flew just like her. It felt wonderful being air born.

    Crash landing wasn’t so.

    Roland was laughing when her body impacted the ground. A growl came from her throat and she twisted her foot out to kick him. He fell to the ground, but she couldn’t get any amusement out of it.

    Not far away, a girl with long red hair stood, staring around with her arms around the ripped bag.

    “Who is that?” breathed Aqua.