So, after rereading this I spotted countless mistakes in style and grammar and decided to fix as many as I could find and add a few things here and there. Hopefully it improved now. Thanks everyone for sitting through the first mess.
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I miss it, I really, really miss it, thought Matt as he sat on the roof of his own house, his feelings once again overcoming him. He couldn't even remember the last time he felt truly free.
He looked up, watching the clouds on the dark sky, seeing their color changing when the moon shined behind them. It was not a full moon, but it was close, creating a piece of art, right in front of his eyes. Once, he could become part of it. Once he could have helped shaping it, put his own stamp on it. Be an artist. Now, he was forced to be an observer and an observer alone.
How he ached to be there, to touch the clouds, to try to get near the moon, to feel the wind brushing against his body when he reached a speed very few people could hope to match.
It was true, Matt Olsen did miss flying and the necessary morph to do so. He wanted to transform again, to soar across the sky, wanted to feel the total freedom again. He hated Shagon more than anybody but it would be a lie if he weren't willing to put up with him again, just to be able to sprout wings again.
Flying was liberty, if you wanted to turn right, you did so, if you wanted to fly towards the moon, nothing could stop you. Looping, slalom, straight flight, the possibilities were limitless. Which direction or whatever place he wanted to go, he just had to take off and fly towards it, yes, that was freedom.
They say, no matter who, once somebody had powers and he lost them, they would do anything to get them back. Matt would like to think he was better than that and even though he wouldn't do anything, there was a certain desire. There were rules he wouldn't mind walking over if it meant to get his abilities back.
I guess it's in times like these that you find out who you really are.
He knew that he wasn't the only one who lost all of his powers; the Guardians, his closest friends, his comrades in arms, his wife, they all had to give up most of their magical abilities, including their ability to fly. Yet, and of this he was certain, none of them had such a strong bond to flying as he did. None of them depended on flying like him. Not even Hay Lin.
Matt, looking sadly at the slowly floating cloud, remembered the first time he flew; It was a magnificent feeling, to soar towards the stars, to fly just a few centimetres above the sea, so that he could feel the water without touching it. To race birds and when he was particularly overwhelmed by his foolishness and youthful self-confidence, crossing the border of stupidity by miles, sometimes even planes. He could fondly remember jumping from windows in human form only to transform in midfall and glide down safely or start flapping his wings and fly up again. The thrill, the feelings he had at that moment were just highs he missed dearly.
He smiled at at special memory, when he freaked out a huge plane, who suddenly started to take a different route, just to get away from him, Matt escaped in time though, before it could get even more uncomfortable and dangerous. Thinking back, it was nothing but dumb luck that he had not given away their most important secret.
"You are still here." he suddenly heard a soft voice he knew all too well. Just as he knew who had accompanied that voice.
"Don't you guys miss it too?" he asked, his mind still distant.
A figure sat down next to him, the person wore blue jeans, a turquoise t-shirt and an pen brown jacket, her blue eyes also looking sadly, while her brown hair stand was collected in a very short pony tail.
"Of course we do, silly, do you really think we wouldn't miss something like that. Heck, I wouldn't mind taking a spin right now."
A warm arm placed itself around him, pulling him into an warm embrace, as Will, his wife for eighteen years, sat next to him, her hair in the same short fashion as ever, the way he loved it, her skin appearing mysterious in the moonlight. Cheesy as it sounded, he knew centuries could pass without that changing.
"We always agreed,." Will Olsen started, placing her head on his shoulders. "that flying was always the best part of our powers. And believe me, getting Cornelia and Irma to agree is no small feat."
"Next to stomping evil, of course." added Irma, grinning as she always did. "I mean, the feeling you have when you foil some idiots plan to take over the universe or something is just so good. Almost as good as the expression on their faces. It's like a drug."
"Flying." said Taranee, standing next to Hay Lin, also looking at the magnificent satellite of earth. "Was the thing which made me feel confident for the first time. I was afraid of nearly everything, and when I flew, I lost all insecurity, becoming a true Guardian. I overcame my freight of heights and with that, I conquered most of my other fears too."
Hay Lin, leaning with one arm on the shorter Taranee, her hair, this time cascaded as one long unity down her back, let the warm breeze of the evening caress her.
"Air was my métier, and no matter how long I flew, I couldn't get enough from it. Manipulating the air while flying in high speed, the mobility I possessed, all the options I could choose from, I understand your feelings. In the air, I felt at home. Even now, it still calling me." She looked at Matt. "You can see the canvas too, can't you? I want to paint on it too."
Cornelia was not speaking, since she didn't had to add something, like the others she had enjoyed flying, however, she didn't have as strong feelings for flying as the others did. As the Guardian of Earth, she had always felt a little out of place in the air, where she didn't have any contact to the earth. She preferred to touch the ground, to feel the earth. The air, completely devoid of anything she could draw power from, had always been uncomdortable to Cornelia. Yet, she did enjoy flying but she could live her life without missing it.
Like with the others, her Guardian powers, even though some still remained, were mostly gone. The earth didn't obey her anymore, the water was not controlled by Irma, air wasn't supervised by Hay Lin, fire was its own master, and the quintessence was now back in the infinity.
The nature fully controlled the elements, it had always controlled them, but they were grateful, that they were chosen to help nature a little.
"You know," said Cornelia. "You could always ask Lillian do give you enough power to fly again."
Matt shook his head, still smiling sadly. "Beg my powers back, while you feel the same? It wouldn't be fair. Also, I feel, it wouldn't be the same. There is a reason I can't transform anymore." Or that I was able to become Shagon in the first place.
The cloud now fully covered the moon, shielding the earth from its light, letting them fall into darkness.
"Let it go, Matt." advised Will, knowing how he took this. "Our powers, they were only lent to us for a short time. We fulfilled our duty and we were blessed with peace and tranquility."
"We are proud to have done our service to the universe." said Taranee, her glasses mirroring the cloud.
"Well, the universe could have been a little more generous. I mean, the retirement plan sort of sucks." added Irma, leaning fully back on the roof.
Cornelia smiled, having thought exactly the same as well, not surprising since both woman had both come to the same conclusions earlier as well.
Matt, still looking longingly, stood up, watching the cloud float away from the moon, revealing it's light once again, letting it illuminating the roof they were standing on.
"We should go inside."
The girls looked at him, still not sure what to think of him right now. He had proven it more than once that he possessed a bravery rivaling Caleb's and that he would do anything in his might to help others, but they had never seen him that vulnerable.
"Are you really alright?" asked Hay Lin, concerned about his wellbeing.
"Yeah." He answered shortly, turning his back to the girls.
The former Guardians, standing as well followed him, as Irma stepped forward, grabbing Matt at the shoulder.
"Don't regret, we have nothing to regret, we did things most humans could only dream of. We should not dwell in the memories of the past, but should dream for the future. Treasure the memories Matt, but don't long for them."
Will, adding nothing, placed a kiss on his lips, before stepping through the small window back into the house. She saw Matt's back facing her, still looking at the moon, but now, the cloud was in an unusual position, it had been separated into two nearly identical pieces, one on Matt's each side, resembling wings, but in the opposite color they have been once.
Will smiled at this, knowing exactly what Matt was thinking, next to the miss of flying. It seemed that he was forgiven his deeds as Shagon, the white wings proved it.
Shagon was gone, the powers were gone, and his memories would be gone soon enough, only then Matt would achieve the freedom he always wanted, the freedom from guilt.
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I don't know what rode me to do this, but I here it is, a small one shot, hope you liked it.
Disclaimer: ( I know a bit late,) None of the character of W.I.T.C.H. belong to me and I don't intend to make any money with it.