My eyes slowly opened, and I stared at the orange walls of my bedroom. I sat up in bed and looked around my room, memorizing every nook and cranny of the small area. I pulled the covers off and pushed myself out of bed. I looked in the corner and at my reflection- my Teen Titans appearance. I tore my eyes away and headed to the door.
The first step out, my foot snagged on something. I gasped as I stumbled, shooting my hands out and placing them on the wall to steady myself. I turned around and looked at the floor. A chill crawled down my spine at the sight of a white spellbook laying in front of my door- Rorek's spellbook. I crouched and picked it up. I turned it right-side up and opened the front cover. A piece of paper was wedged into the crease of the book. I unfolded the paper. Strange symbols lined the paper; I couldn't read it.
The alarm blared, scaring me out of my skin. Rorek's spellbook fumbled out of my hands and fell to the ground. I quickly picked it up again and rushed to Ops. I entered the large room. No one else had arrived yet. I looked to the giant, wall-sized window on the other side of the window.
I sprinted to the window, pressing my face close to the glass. My breath fogged the glass. Multiple stacks of smoke rose from the city, but I could still see the bright flames scorching Jump City. A black creature circled above the city, and I could faintly see the wings flapping on its back. My eyes widened. The doors behind me opened, and my friends filed into the room. They stood around me and followed my gaze.
"Is that...?" Raven said.
I gulped and clutched Rorek's spellbook in my arms. "Malchior."
"Anybody got a clue how Malchior found himself in our city?" Raven said.
"After the act back in Paris, ten bucks says he was sent by you-know-who." Beast Boy said.
"I've never kicked dragon butt before." Cyborg said. "This is going to be fun."
"Starfire, Raven, and Beast Boy, you three focus on putting out the fires around town. Join us when you're done." Robin said. "Cyborg, Ciela, and I will deal with the dragon."
"Aw, yeah!"
Beast Boy leaped out of the T-Car, transformed into a pterodactyl, and flew deeper into the city with Raven and Starfire. The driver's side window of the T-Car rolled down, and Cyborg aimed his sonic cannon at Malchior. The energy beam hit Malchior's cheek. Malchior roared and shot a column of fire at us. Robin swerved the R-Cycle to avoid the flames.
"Hold on and keep that book ready." Robin said.
I nodded, clutching Rorek's spellbook to my chest with one hand while the other gripped Robin's shoulder. Slowly, my grip released, and I wrapped my arm around Robin's torso.
Robin tensed. He glanced at me over his shoulder. I focused on his back and refused to meet his gaze. He faced forward and revved the engine, picking up speed.
The R-Cycle and T-Car wove in and out of the road, avoiding the stray cars parked in the middle of the street and the sidewalk. Malchior's wings cut through the buildings, leaving a rain of glass and rubble behind him that we also had to navigate around. Starfire and Raven appeared in Malchior's way. Malchior opened his mouth and spewed fire at the two. They raised their arms and shot a combined ray of astral magic and star energy. It countered the fire.
"Now, Beast Boy!" Raven said.
I looked up and watched Beast Boy, as an elephant, fall from the sky. His body hit Malchior square in the back, and Malchior dropped several feet with an annoyed roar.
"Hit him with everything you've got!" Robin called.
He pressed a button on the dashboard, and two rockets launched from the front and flew towards Malchior. Cyborg fired another sonic ray. Malchior barrel rolled, and Beast Boy slipped off his back. Malchior flicked his claw, hitting Beast Boy and sending him flying towards us. We swerved out of the way. Malchior flew straight up. The rockets and sonic ray zoomed towards Starfire and Raven. They gasped as the rockets exploded, and the two fell from the sky and hit the sidewalk.
Malchior spewed another column of fire at us. Raven thrust her hand up and covered us in a dome of astral magic. The flames bounced off and licked the asphalt.
When the flames dissipated, we looked up. Malchior, however, was gone.
"That's it?" Cyborg said. "Aw, I wanted to kick dragon butt."
"So, he shows up just to back out of a fight. What was the point of that?" Beast Boy said.
Raven turned away and looked down the road. "I don't think he was looking for a fight."
We turned and looked at the thick smoke blanketing the neighborhood. The repugnant smell stung my nose and lungs, and I covered my face in my hand.
"Then what was he here for?" Beast Boy said.
"To be a messenger." Robin said, revving the R-Cycle. "Back to the Tower. We'll plan our next move there."
"I do not understand. Jane was a member of the Brotherhood of Evil. Why is it, then, when we confronted them in Paris, she decided to betray them at the last minute?" Starfire said.
"It was probably a part of her plan... whatever that is." Beast Boy said. Robin folded his arms.
Starfire leaned over the couch and rested a hand on my shoulder. "We have hardly heard your voice today. What is troubling you?"
My grip on Rorek's spellbook tightened. "Jane knew the Brotherhood of Evil was supposed to lose. Some events are set in stone, and no amount of meddling can change them." I stood from the couch, walked to the window, and stared out at the city.
"Do you know where she is now?" Cyborg said.
I took a deep breath. "Tokyo, Japan." I said. "A place very far from here. After the fifth season is finished, there's a movie that wraps up the series..." I turned to my friends with a sad smile. "This is my last adventure with you all."
Beast Boy, Starfire, and Cyborg gaped at me in shock. Robin and Raven's expressions, however, contorted into horror.
"She's waiting for us there. It's best we not keep her waiting." I said. "The sooner we pack, the sooner we can get going."
The room was silent, save my footsteps as I walked past everyone. Their eyes burned the back of my head. The doors to Ops closed behind me, and I only took a few steps before my knees wobbled. I stumbled into the wall and panted. Rorek's spellbook fell from my hands, but I left it on the ground. I squeezed my eyes shut as tears threatened to spill. Using the wall as a support, I trudged down the hall and out of Titans Tower.
I circled around the Tower and to the training course. In the distance, faint streams of leftover smoke from Malchior's attack curled into the air above the city.
"Starting countdown: two minutes and counting." I jumped at the monotone voice. I turned and faced Robin as he walked down the ramp to meet me on the training course.
"One more training session." he said.
I folded my arms and looked away.
"One minute and counting."
"Come on. I want to see what you've learned." Robin said.
I looked at Robin with a smile. "All right, then."
Robin smiled. "All weapons and techniques are allowed. When one side can no longer fight, the match is over."
I nodded and pulled my pistols from their holsters.
"Three... two... one..."
Once the counting stopped, a long and loud siren blared. I raised my pistols and fired consecutively. Robin pulled out his bo-staff and vaulted over me. The lasers chased him as I fired in an arch. Robin landed on the ground and swung his bo-staff, aiming for my legs. I jumped and landed on the metal rod. I shoved my foot into Robin's chest. He stumbled back. He quickly regained his composure and charged.
I holstered my pistols and brought my fists up. Robin threw a series of punches, and I dodged and blocked them. As his foot came up in a kick, I transformed my pistols into my bazooka and slammed it into his other leg. Robin crashed on his back.
"You're not focused." I said.
"I am, too." Robin said.
"If you were focused, you wouldn't be flat on your back after I kicked your butt." I hovered over him and smiled. "I would like to add that I totally called this predicament. Cyborg owes me."
Robin jumped back on his feet with a kip-up. He eyed his bo-staff, still laying on the ground, and scooped it up. I pulled out my pistols and transformed them into my energy sword. We both swung, our weapons clanging violently. We both pushed away. I lunged, thrusting my blade forward. Robin swung up, redirecting my arm away, and jabbed the end of his bo-staff into my stomach.
I gasped and doubled over. My hand cradled my stomach, which flared up in pain from my scar.
Robin lowered his bo-staff. "Are you okay?" He approached me.
I lifted my index finger and touched the end of my sword's guard. The cybernetics wrapped around my hand and into a gauntlet. I straightened enough to reach out and press my palm against Robin's chest. Robin froze at the hum of my gauntlet. We remained in this position for several seconds.
Finally, Robin dropped his bo-staff and raised his hands in surrender with a smile.
"Congratulations." he said.
My arm fell back to my side, and I smiled for a moment. "You think this could be enough against someone like Jane?"
Robin's smile faded into the serious pout he's worn the past few days. "You know we won't let her anywhere near you."
I holstered my pistols and folded my arms. "Of course. But, theoretically..."
Robin rolled his eyes. He reached for his utility belt and plucked a grappling hook off.
"Here," he said, offering the grappling hook to me, "I want you to hold onto this, just in case you might need it."
I took the grappling hook, examined it, and placed it on my belt. "Thanks."
I stepped into my room and sat on my bed. Outside, my friends walked back and forth down the hall with their luggage. I looked around my room. Three outfits hung in my closet: my prom outfit from "Date With Destiny", the Murakami school uniform with Terra's jacket, and my old clothes from when I first entered this world. I stood up and walked over to my dresser, where many souvenirs sat on the top:
Starfire's Blorthog necklace from "How Long is Forever?".
The leftover roll of gauze I used for my scar back when it was still fresh from "Aftershock - Part 1". I rested a hand over my stomach and felt the rugged skin. It still ached from today's training session.
The silver bicep cuff and arrowhead necklace that Cyborg gave to me so we could infiltrate the H.I.V.E. Academy in "Deception."
Jinx's note from "Cyborg the Barbarian".
And...
I raised my eyebrow and stepped back to look at everything.
Where's my picture? I thought, scanning the top of my dresser several times just in case I missed it. I looked around, but the picture of my real self wasn't anywhere to be seen.
As I searched my room, I caught my reflection in the mirror. I walked up to the mirror and placed my hand on the glass. My reflection copied me. My necklace dangled in the air, swinging hypnotically like a pendulum. I noticed the bottom left section of my necklace was still its original gold.
How come it hasn't changed yet to represent Starfire? I wondered. I guess her focus in the series isn't over yet. Maybe something will happen in this movie that will change it.
There was a knock at my door. "Ciela?" Starfire called. I walked over and opened the door. "Are you prepared to leave?"
No.
"Yeah." I said, stepping out of my room.
Starfire looked at my empty hands. "You do not have luggage to bring?"
I shook my head. "No... I won't need it."
Starfire nodded slowly, avoiding my eyes. I glanced back in my room, just before the door closed.
Will this still be here, even after I'm gone?
"Everyone ready?" Robin said as we strapped into the T-Ship. "If you forgot something, we're not turning around and coming back for it."
"All good here." Cyborg said.
"Here, too." Beast Boy said.
"All right, then. Next stop, Tokyo." Robin said.
I turned around in my seat and looked up at Titans Tower. The T-Ship revved to life and slowly lifted into the air. The turbo thrusters activated, and we zoomed into the sky and out to the ocean. Titans Tower and Jump City grew smaller and smaller. With its image permanently sketched in my mind, I sat back in my seat and hugged Rorek's spellbook.
Somewhere along the way, while staring out into the ocean, I fell asleep. I woke to a bright flash behind my eyelids, followed shortly by consistent tapping against the glass of my pod. I peeled open my eyes and looked at Beast Boy, who clung to the top of my pod as an octopus. I pressed a button on the dashboard, and the pod opened slightly. Wind poured into my pod from our fast traveling. Beast Boy slid into my pod, and I closed the glass.
"What are you doing?" I said, rubbing my eyes.
"Taking some pictures. How else are we going to remember this?" Beast Boy said. A photo popped out of the front, and Beast Boy waved it in the air before looking at it. "Aw, look at you."
Beast Boy turned the photo around, showing the picture he took of me sleeping.
"Beast Boy!" I cried.
"Let's take one together!"
I sighed. "...Fine, if it will get you to go back to your pod."
Beast Boy grinned and threw his arm around my shoulders. He pressed his cheek against mine and faced the camera towards us. There was a pause.
"Aren't you going to take a picture?" I said.
"I'm waiting for you to smile." Beast Boy said. "I'll crack jokes until you do."
The corners of my mouth twitched, and I laughed quietly. The camera flashed, startling my smile away. The photo popped out, and Beast Boy looked at it with a smile.
"Here," he said, handing me the photo, "you keep it. Maybe you'll be able to take a souvenir back with you."
I held the photo in my hands and stared at the two of us smiling. I looked back up at Beast Boy and smiled.
"Thanks."
Beast Boy flashed a thumbs-up, opened my pod, and climbed back to his. I sat back in my chair and returned my gaze to the ocean, holding the photo gingerly between my fingers.
"Finally!" Cyborg's boisterous cry jolted me awake. My pod opened, and I yawned and stretched my hands up to the cool, night air. I carefully tucked Beast Boy's photo into the back pocket of my shorts, grabbed Rorek's spellbook, and climbed out of the T-Ship. "Look at that view!"
I lifted my gaze to the Tokyo horizon. The city was ablaze with golden lights, with the tops of the tallest skyscrapers flashing green, yellow, blue, and purple.
"It's pretty." I said. "I've never been outside of the country before, not even in my world."
"Hello, Tokyo!" Beast Boy cried, cupping his hands over his mouth to increase the echo. He fished a piece of paper from his pocket. "All right, I've got a list of places we should check out. First, the one at the very top of my list: Wakamono Shuppan!"
"Waka... what?" Raven said.
"It's the publishing company of my favorite manga!" Beast Boy pointed to one of the buildings, a tall, wide building that we could easily notice from here. "Come on, if we hurry, we might be able to catch them before they close and get a tour!"
"We're not here to sightsee, Beast Boy." Robin said. "We have a mission to take care of, and that's finding Jane before she can cause trouble for us and the city. While we're here, we need to be on our best behavior. Especially you."
"What do you mean, 'especially me'? I'm the perfect example of good behavior!" Beast Boy said. "And why do we have to spend all our time worrying about Jane? We're in Tokyo! We should enjoy our time here!"
Robin clenched his fists and turned around. "I said no. Let's go."
Robin walked ahead. Beast Boy sighed with a pout.
"Someone's cranky." he mumbled.
We headed into Tokyo. The lights were much brighter up-close, and I noticed all the crowds of citizens walking down the streets that I couldn't see from the hill. Electronic billboards covered the buildings, each displaying a different advertisement.
"Um..." Raven said, eyeing the street signs. "I don't suppose any of you know Japanese?"
"Nope." Beast Boy said. "All my mangas are English dubbed."
"I could probably download it into my hard drive... but that would take a few days." Cyborg said.
"Hey, plenty of time for some sightseeing!" Beast Boy began to pull out his list again. Raven smacked him in the back of the head.
"Please, allow me." Starfire said.
She searched the crowd, setting her eyes on a young man heading our way. I tensed as she walked over to him. She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and kissed him. I looked away, clutching Rorek's spellbook.
"Oh, yeah, I forgot about that weird alien thing." Beast Boy said while Starfire conversed with the boy. She bowed and turned back to us. The young man hobbled away, hearts dancing around his head.
"Now, if there is anything you need translated, I will be happy to assist." Starfire said.
I remembered the letter in the spellbook. I pulled it out and compared it to the signs. Sure enough, the letter was written in Japanese.
"Hey, Starfire, do you think you can read this?" I said, handing the letter to her.
Starfire nodded and skimmed her eyes over the paper. Her smile faded quickly.
"...What does it say?" I said.
Starfire hesitated. "'You are going to need this. I will meet you at the end. Best of luck, Fa- Ciela.'"
Starfire silently handed the paper back to me. I tucked the paper back into the book and sighed. The ground rumbled. I looked down and watched a large, black shadow race across the ground. The shadow lifted off the ground, peeling off like a sticker, and took shape into a large dinosaur. The darkness curled off its body like smoke, and a pair of red eyes opened.
I gasped- it was the same kind of shadow creature as the Shadow Ciela I encountered during season four's finale. The monster opened its black jaw and roared, spewing smoky darkness into the air.
"Titans, go!"
Suddenly, my friends were no longer at my side, but charging towards the monster. They buzzed around it like flies, trying to deal damage. The dinosaur swung its claws in the air, knocking Beast Boy, as a pterodactyl, into Raven. Starfire and Cyborg attacked the dinosaur with sonic rays and starbolts, which pestered the monster.
My grip on Rorek's spellbook loosened, and I let it drop out of my hands. I pulled out my pistols and transformed them into my bazooka. I peered through the scope and pulled the trigger several times. The lasers traveled up the dinosaur, starting at its feet and trailing up to its face. The dinosaur turned to me, its red eyes flashing. I put on a scowl as it reeled its claw back. I palmed the side of my bazooka, and it transformed into my sword. I jumped to the side, and the dinosaur's hand slapped the ground. With a grunt, I swung my sword. The blade slide clean through the dinosaur's hand.
The dinosaur roared as its hand melted into the ground, and that small shadow rushed away and down the road.
"Look out!" I whipped my head forward as the dinosaur swung its stubby arm into me. I flew back and crashed into the nearest building. I gasped as the air left my lungs from smashing into concrete, and I collapsed on the ground. I stabbed the blade of my sword into the sidewalk crack and hoisted myself back to my feet, the other hand gripping my side. The dinosaur roared again.
Sirens blared in the air. Multiple police cars filed onto the roads, and dozens of police officers stepped out of the cars and aimed their guns at the shadow dinosaur. Spotlights showered the dinosaur, and it roared in agony. A black van pulled up at the outer rim of the police cars. A man stepped out of the van and walked to the circle of police officers surrounding the dinosaur and my friends. He wore a brown fedora, brown trench coat, white button-up shirt, black pants, a black tie, and black loafers.
My wide eyes followed the man. He came to a stop, his hands in his pockets.
"Troopers, fire!" he cried, pointing a finger at the dinosaur.
"Titans, let's join them!" Robin cried.
I shook my head and transformed my sword back into my bazooka. Simultaneously, we all unleashed a single attack on the monster: my bazooka, the guns of the police officers, Starfire's starbolts, Cyborg's sonic cannon, Robin's explosive discs, and Raven's astral magic. The attacks collided in a large explosion. A large gust of wind rippled my hair and clothes, and I shielded my eyes from the dust cloud and flying pebbles. There was a final roar from the dinosaur. When the dust dissipated, the shadow monster was gone. I holstered my weapons and joined my friends.
The man in the trench coat let out a hearty laugh. He turned to us. "Excellent work! You must be the Teen Titans, yes?" The man bowed. "I am Uehara Daizō, chief of Tokyo Police."
We bowed. "It's nice to meet you, Commander." Robin said. "We appreciate your help."
Daizō chuckled. "Please, just call me Daizō. And it is I who should be thanking you. I am used to regular criminals and bad guys, but giant dinosaur monsters are a new thing for me."
"You should see the things we've had to deal with back home." Beast Boy said.
"Please, come with me. I'll take you to Tokyo's police headquarters. Allow me to give you a tour of our beloved home."
Daizō gestured to his van, which had a clear path as police cars left the scene.
"Thanks." Robin said, and my friends headed for the van. Reluctantly, I followed, scooping up Rorek's spellbook as I passed by it.
"So, Teen Titans, what brings you to the great city of Tokyo?" Daizō said as we rode a large platform up to the top of the headquarters.
"There's someone we're looking for- a really bad person named Jane." Robin said.
"Hm... That's a bit of a broad description." Daizō said.
"She's working with a giant dragon named Malchior and she carries a large scythe." Cyborg said.
Daizō chuckled. "Yes, that definitely narrows it down..."
"Then you have seen her?" Starfire said.
Daizō shook his head. "I am sorry, I have not. But I will be sure to keep an eye out and let you know if I find something."
Yeah, right... I scoffed silently. I carefully peered down, keeping my distance from the railing. I bet she's also got you working... for... her...?
My eyes widened as I watched the police officers below. I expected vigorous, synchronized training and men being transported around like items on a factory's conveyor belt. What I did not expect was actual people.
The officers lounging around wore actual police uniforms with no helmets anywhere in sight. I took a step back, accidentally bumping into Raven, and turned back to Daizō as he continued talking about how 'technologically advanced' the city was.
Does this mean... Daizō is a good guy? I thought. I gripped the side of my head. Is it because of me?
"I apologize for not being of good help to you." Daizō said. "Please, feel free to look around. I wish you the best of luck in your search, and I hope you enjoy your time here."
The six of us stood on the rooftop of the police headquarters. A warm breeze picked up. The sky turned orange, and the sun began to rise.
"If no one else is going to state the obvious, we're now at a complete dead end." Raven said. "There are millions of people here. How in the world are we going to find one person?"
"Hel-lo?!" Beast Boy cried. "I will say this again: Tow-key-yo! This is a tourist gold mine! Can't we enjoy at least a few minutes of this place and not worried about some crazy girl and her pet lizard?"
"You know... Beast Boy's idea is starting to sound better and better. It'd be kind of a waste to not have a little bit of fun and look around." Cyborg said.
Robin huffed in frustration. "Fine. Fine! We can sightsee... but just for today! Tomorrow, we'll begin our search for Jane and Malchior."
"Yes!" Beast Boy cried, pumping his fists in the air.
"Great! Because there's this buffet that we passed by on the way here that I've been dying to try out!" Cyborg said, heading for the door. "If you need me, you know where to find me!"
"I'll be at a library." Raven said, and she was gone, too.
"Robin, would you like to accompany me in my seeing of sights?" Starfire said.
"Sure." Robin said. "If anything happens, make sure you contact us."
"Yeah, yeah, when there's trouble, we know who to call." Beast Boy said as Robin and Starfire headed for the door. Beast Boy clapped his hands together. "All right! Looks like it's just you and me, Ciela. Where do you want to go first?"
"Actually... I'm not really in the mood for touring." I said. "I'll probably hang out at a park or something."
"What?! You said you've never been outside of the country before. Why would you want to waste your time sitting on a park bench with a dumb book?" Beast Boy said. I sighed. "Come on, please? Please, please, please!"
Beast Boy begged like a little child, tugging on my arms and hugging my legs as he pleaded incessantly. I grumbled under my breath.
"Okay!" I snapped. "Man, you're annoying today."
Beast Boy grinned, grabbed my wrist, and pulled me towards the door.
I chuckled and patted Beast Boy's hunched shoulder as we walked down the streets.
"I can't believe Wakamono Shuppan is closed..." he said. "It's like they knew I would be here, and now they're tormenting me by not allowing me a tour inside!"
"It's all right. You'll live." I said. "There's always next time, right?"
Beast Boy scoffed. "Yeah, like we're ever coming back here again."
My smiled faded, and my hand retreated to my side. Beast Boy glanced at me.
"Oh, uh... I said that wrong..." he said. He perked up. "Look! There's a karaoke bar over there! Let's go check it out."
"If that'll stop your griping..."
As soon as we entered the karaoke bar, multiple pairs of hands grabbed Beast Boy. He yelped as the crowd pushed him up to the stage.
"Go! Go! Go! Go!" they chanted as Beast Boy stumbled onto the stage. A spotlight shone on him, and he squinted at the crowd. The DJ handed him a microphone. I found an empty table in the back of the room and sat down.
"All right! Bring it on!" Beast Boy said. The music started up, and Beast Boy's face paled as he looked at the lyrics on the screen. "Wait! I need English lyrics!"
Beast Boy pounded his finger on the buttons until the lyrics translated to English, just in time for him to start singing.
I will obey the traffic rules.
TEEN TITANS!
I will eat everything without likes or dislikes.
TEEN TITANS!
The other girls in the crowd laughed and screamed, and I winced from the high-pitched echoes circulating around the room. I kept my eyes on Beast Boy as he sang and danced onstage. As he did, a small smile infiltrated my face. I laughed when he started breakdancing on the floor, transforming into a turtle so he could spin around on the floor a few times.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5!
TEEN TITANS!
"Good night, Tokyo!" Beast Boy cried into the microphone before dropping it to the ground and panting. I stood up and applauded, which was drowned out by the screaming girls. Beast Boy flashed a victory sign. He hopped off the stage and headed back to me, but the other girls in the bar swarmed him.
"Beast Boy!" I called. I tried to squeeze through the girls. One shoved me back. I stumbled into the nearest table. A few of the girls glared at me, and the one who pushed me yelled something in Japanese to me. Although I couldn't verbally understand her, I knew what she was saying.
"Leave, loser!"
The crowd of girls consumed beast Boy. I cleared my throat and headed out the door. The bell at the top tingled as I exited the bar. I sighed.
Now what?
A pedestrian bumped into me, and I almost lost my balance.
"Sorry." an eerily familiar voice said.
Red flags rose in my mind, and I gasped. I looked around frantically, but I couldn't see any recognizable faces. I placed a hand over my heart to try and calm its racing pace. I gulped and hurried down the street.
The elevator dinged, and I filed out of the small quarters, along with the ten other people I spent the last few moments crammed inside with. I lifted my eyes to the view. Last I had checked, it was sunrise. Now, the sun had almost left again, leaving the sky a heavy orange. Families and other tourists gaped at the view, pointing to the different things they could see and snapping pictures of each other.
Rorek's spellbook hung at my side. I pulled the letter out of the book and stared at the strange symbols.
'I will meet you at the end.' Part of it says. My fingers tensed, wrinkling the paper. But what does that even mean?!
I clenched my fist, balling the letter up, and stuffed it back into the spellbook. I stuffed my trembling fingers into my jacket pocket. I craned my head all the way back to look at the sky directly above me. A small flock of birds circled above my head.
I wonder what it's like to be a bird... I can escape all my troubles by flying away.
The flock of birds started to move. I found myself following them. An obstacle stopped me, and I looked down- way down- below. I could see the people and cars below. They looked like tiny ants from up here. I leaned over the railing. Everything seemed to blur together into one giant blob.
Shouldn't I be afraid? Strange... I never realized how nice it looks down there. So pretty... So... inviting.
I stood up straight and looked back up at the birds. They had flown away, and they were small, too. I craned my head back more and raised a hand to the sky.
...What would happen if I jumped? Would I be able to fly, too?
I choked on my air as the thought ripped through me. A rush of panic coursed through my veins. I stumbled away from the railing and into another person.
"Ciela?" I gasped and blinked, clearing my hazy vision. I turned to face Robin. "I didn't expect to see you up here."
"Oh, uh..." I said, panting quietly. "I needed some fresh air. It's a little crowded down there. Where's Starfire?"
"She found the shopping mall."
I chuckled. "Ah, I see." I glanced at the railing and the ground below. "Hey, let's get out of here and check out some other places."
"Okay-" Robin said, but I was already heading for the elevator.
