Chapter 24
Here it is. The final chapter. The finale, the ending, the closure.
Sorry it's taken so long to put up. I've been up to a lot stuff lately, so yeah. Enjoy!
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(Fang POV)
It was time. The night I had been waiting for, for a whole week. The ball. As cheesy as it sounds, I was taking Max to a masquerade ball. For our one chance at freedom. It was what we needed. Max didn't think it was a good idea, but had agreed to it. Very reluctantly, I might add.
I grabbed my jacket off the hotel bed, and went to find Max. She was probably in the lobby. We had spent a lot of time there, just hanging out. And they had a huge fireplace, so that also might be why.
When I stepped into the elevator, I was surprised to see Ella, Max's sister. Along with Nudge and Angel. They were carrying a case, full of who-knows-what, a straightener, and several hair pins. Angel grinned up at me. I gave her a quizzical look.
"We were just trying to make Max all pretty again for your big night! She didn't take it too well, but we convinced her it was for the best," Angel stated. Nudge started to giggle. I figured it was a girl thing.
They exited the elevator, and I stepped in. The doors closed, causing instant claustrophobia. I tried to breath, and peered at my reflection in the shiny metal. Not bad. Normal, actually. I tugged at my shirt, nervous.
Why was I nervous? This was Max. Max! And I was freaking out. Great. Just what I needed. All of a sudden, crazy emotions popping up.
The elevator door slid open and I leapt out, practically running over a man dressed in a business suit and tie. He glared at me for a moment, then walked on.
I gazed over the heads, and saw Max sitting on a couch in front of the fireplace. Walking over, I sat down beside her, and stared into the fire.
Max was gazing deep into a mug filled with hot chocolate. Her hands were wrapped around the mug, trying to get warm. It was as if she was trying to see the future in that muddy colored water. But she looked beautiful.
Her hair had been flat-ironed, and swept back into a pony-tail at the nape of her neck. The wing necklace I had given her the other week glistened in the fire light. A light pink color of lip stuff was splashed across her lips, with some sort of clear mascara, or something. I really didn't get the principles of make-up.
I brushed my lips across her cheek, and whispered in her ear.
"Max. Are you ready? It time to go dance."
Max looked up slowly, and stared at my face, trying to focus.
Once she could actually see my face, and know that it was me, she sighed.
"I'm still not sure about this. What about the others?"
"I told you, they are staying outside the building. It is surrounded by a forest. They will be fine," I told her, not for the first time. She just seemed to be out of it lately.
"Oh. Ok. Well. I guess we should go then."
She drained the hot chocolate, which probably wasn't very hot any more, and I helped her up. On the way out, she banged the mug on the check in counter when the guy wasn't looking. I turned to see his reaction, and laughed out loud. The guy was blinking down at the mug, his mouth gaping at it. Max smiled in a mischievous way.
When we were outside, and hidden from the view of others, we took flight. Max's depressed expression turned to one of happiness, as the wind lifted us higher. I decided to find out why she was so distant.
"Max, what's up with you? You have been all lonely and..blah-ish, for lack of a better term," I called over the wind. She glanced at me and sighed.
"What Iggy said just keeps running over and over again in my mind. I keep finding myself trying to figure out how I could give them a normal life. But there is no way. It just aggravates me," Max said.
I sighed inwardly and thought, "Well, guess what? It aggravates me too, but for different reasons. Cause you keep bringing it up every time we're together!! Can't you come to a conclusion, and give it a rest!?"
"Max. If I've told you before, I've told you a hundred times now..." I growled.
"What they want is normalcy. What they need is freedom. And they have freedom," Max droned, finishing my sentence.
"But that's just it! I don't think we have freedom! What if we are just puppets in a big play?" she exclaimed.
"I think tonight will prove me otherwise. You'll see, Max. Tonight will show it. But you have to promise me you will have a good time!" I yelled, knocking her with my wing. She grinned, and hit me back. I angled toward the ground, and started the short descent to the lawn below.
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(Max POV)
So, here we were, in a big mansion, with big tables, big chairs, big chandeliers, and a big dance floor. Oh, and big dressing rooms. Since our costumes were stored in the dressing rooms.
Fang and I went to separate rooms to get dressed. I rifled through the racks of dresses, and found a long and flowing lavender halter dress. With white wings attached. The mask that came with is was a strange one. It was shaped weird. It started off looking like a crown, with two triangles on the top, one over each eye. Then, it curved downward to the bottom of my face, and went back up to meet at the bridge of my nose. Like fangs. Wow. How ironic.
It was covered in silver glitter, so it didn't clash with the dress too much. I wore small, clear heels, and had someone help me clasp the halter together....after I had cut the wings out, and replaced them with my own; securely folding my wings down my back. No one would ever know that they were real.
Finally, I looked ready, and started to exit the dressing rooms. People were starting to pour into the place any way, ranging from teenagers like me and Fang, to old-as-dirt people.
And that's when it occurred to me that I might not be able to find Fang. On the account of us both wearing masks. But I couldn't take mine off, risking us being recognized off the news or something of the sort.
Just then, someone touched my shoulder from behind, and I whirled around, ready to fight, although I had no idea how I would be able to with this kind of dress.
"...Max?" Fang asked, lifting his mask slightly to show me it was him. I didn't say anything. Didn't need to. He could recognize me by the necklace I wore. I hadn't thought about that.
He was dressed in white, with a black tie, and his own black wings folded over the jacket. His mask was also black, but only surrounded his eyes and nose. Almost like a Zorro mask.
"I think it just starting. We should go to the dining hall now," Fang said, holding out his arm. I grinned and took it.
We walked past so many creatures, and so many colors, I thought I was kind of casual. Some of the masks were wild, and then again, some people didn't even wear masks. They wore face paint. It was very interesting.
The dining hall wasn't too full yet. Huge platters were set on tables running along the walls. In the center were more tables, where you could sit and eat. We grabbed a couple of plate fulls, and started to eat.
I was really starting to enjoy myself about 15 minutes into the night. We ate all we could, talked about anything, and no one found anything strange about us with our wings out. It was amazing.
After about an hour and a half in the dining hall, we had out fill, and went into the ball room. People were waltzing around the room to some classical music. I looked at Fang skeptically. He shrugged.
"Shall we dance?" he asked, changing his voice into some bravado character. I laughed and took his outstretched hand.
"Do you even know how to waltz?" I questioned, as we walked onto the dance floor.
"As a matter of fact, I do!" he exclaimed, stopping and putting a hand at my waist; the other holding my other hand. My mouth dropped open.
"It shouldn't be that much of a surprise. I have a laptop, you know. One word: Internet," Fang said. "Put your other hand on my shoulder."
I did as he told me.
"Now, just follow my steps. And let me lead. That's the key: to go where I go."
I followed his steps, and soon, I was laughing as he twirled me around crazily. People laughed at us, and even we laughed at ourselves. We were having so much fun, when it was about to get more fun.
They switched from waltz music, to Soulja Boy in an instant. We instantly started going crazy, dancing with all the other teens, and even some of the adults.
We danced through a round of songs, having the time of out lives. I couldn't stop laughing, and Fang eventually joined me as the night went by.
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They started to play Lucky, by Jason Mraz, when I dragged Fang off the dance floor. Fang had a stupid, happy-drunk smile on his face. I did too, but really didn't care at the moment. We went into a hallway leading to the dining hall, and I slumped against the wall, giggling slightly. Fang swayed to the distant music, or maybe he was just dizzy. I really don't know.
"What time is it?" I asked, lifting my mask up a little. It was hot under it, and I was burning up from all the dancing.
Fang lifted his wrist and looked at it, only to find that he had no watch on. He had left it in the dressing rooms, with his clothes.
"Don't know. It must be late."
I thought for a moment, then...
"O-k. What time does the party end?"
"Don't know."
"Is there anything you do know?!" I laughed. He grinned and took my hand.
"Yep! I know I'm hungry again!" Fang said, starting to run towards the dining hall. I followed, only to stumble. Fang caught me before I fell. I glared down at my heels.
"It's these dumb shoe's. I just realized how much my feet hurt. Hand on, and don't move," I told him, using his shoulder for support as I yanked the shoe's off my feet. Once the shoe's had been removed from my aching feet, I told him I was ready, and we took off towards the food again.
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After another helping of potato soup and taco's, we were back on the dance floor. They had started playing more waltz music for the older people.
"Stand on my shoes," Fang whispered in my ear. I did, and he began waltzing himself, without me doing anything. It was pretty cool.
Fang started to dance toward a staircase, which I could only assume led to rooms where people could stay for the night. I looked at him like he was crazy.
"Whoa! Where are you taking me? What are you doing!?" I cried softly.
"You'll see."
He started going up the stair case, which was awkward and weird, cause I was still on his feet. Fang danced with me through another hallway, and onto a balcony.
Fang let me get off him, then held me close, still swaying. I sighed, and lay my head on his shoulder. It was so good to have him back. So good.
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(Fang POV)
This night couldn't be any more perfect. We were having a great time, just like I told her we would. No Flyboy's or evil white coats had shown up...yet.
I lifted her head, and kissed her lightly on the lips. It just seemed the right mood to do so.
"Are you having a good time?" I inquired quietly.
"Of course! This is the best time I've had in....well, in a long time," she replied. I kissed her again, feeling the heat radiate off her body. In fact, we were both hot. It was like an oven in that ball room.
I looked up at the open sky, then jumped up on the rail. Looking down at Max, I indicated her to join me. She smiled, and I pulled her up, keeping expert balance. Max looked at me, and I leapt off the rail; free-falling down about 20 feet before snapping out my wings.
As I hovered in front of the rail, Max said in a sing-song voice, "Anything you can do, I can do better!"
The she fell backwards off the rail, throwing out her arms and twirling like a top as she was falling. Max fell about 30 feet before pulling into a straight dive, and throwing her wings out; with three strokes of her beautiful wings, she had shot back into the air, hanging in the moonlight.
"Show off," I muttered, swooping up to meet her.
We flew to our own beat for a while. Not the white coat's beat, not the worlds beat. Our beat. It felt amazing just to....not care. Not worry.
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Thirty minutes past before we went back inside, and began dancing again. Just as they started to play Just Dance, we were interrupted. To say the least.
It started as a low hum, that became a buzz. We didn't hear it over the music, until they were right over the glass dome ceiling. We wouldn't have known, if it hadn't been for some girl looking up and screaming.
With that scream, at least 80 Flyboy's smashed through the glass dome. Glass rained down on us all, as all the party people ran for cover.
The robot droning rang in our ears. Max and I stood in the middle of the dance floor, locked in each others arms, looking up. Shards of glass cut our arms and faces, dust settling on our clothes. I looked at her and she looked at me.
"Up and out?" I murmured. A odd look came over her face, and she nodded. We shot up at the same time.
As we flew past the Flyboy's Max yelled at me.
"I just realized something! We are free! How can we not be free? All those people down there...they don't have wings! They don't have flight! We do! I'm sorry for doubting you!"
"It's ok Max! I forgive you! And I love you!" I shouted back, even as a thought ran through my mind. What we want is normalcy. What we need is freedom. And we have freedom.
(Random Person Singing)
You can't always get what you want.
You can't always get what you want.
You can't always get what you want.
But if you try some times.....you get what you need.
Oh, yeah!
You get what you need.
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(Third Person)
The black silhouettes of six bird children slowly grew smaller. The people at the ball longed within their deepest of desires to follow them, but were confined to the ground. The Flyboy's disappeared, to follow their own built-in instructions. Max and her flock had yet to finish saving the world. But she will. Along with her lover, her pyro cook, her little trooper, her computer hacker, her angel, and her tag-a-long. She will.
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I hope you all liked this story! I think you did, or I wouldn't have gotten very many reviews. THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR REVIEWS!!! I give you candy, and cookies, and pudding! Everyone loves pudding!!
BYE!! P.S.- There might be a sequel, I'm not sure yet. I don't think so, cause I have another story that hasn't been updated in months, so yeah.
The End.