Sound descending, not falling

Apollo listened intently to the angel’s story, nodding in understanding at its conclusion. “I see…” So it had originally been someone else…The concept of having past lives was not unfamiliar to him; Echo’s story made it seem as if the human doctrine of reincarnation wasn’t all that far-fetched after all. Still, Apollo couldn’t imagine how frustrating it must be: to know who your past life was, everything about them, but not remember how they thought, why they did what they did. It would drive someone mad, he thought. Trying to decipher those decisions would take ages, and would probably be impossible. It would be like trying to have a conversation with a dead man- only that dead man was once you.

Apollo smiled. “Well, that’s notable enough! And I’m glad everything’s been good. You should always be happy with yourself.” Advice that he himself had difficulty following sometimes- but good advice, nonetheless.

Now it was his turn. He took a few moments to think about what he could say. What was fit to share, what was best left alone for now…

“To be honest, I can’t say I’m the most interesting person in the world, either,” he began. “I lived by the ocean my whole life, which is something I guess. But I suppose that’s hardly intriguing to someone who’s seen the whole world…

“I grew up like any other kid- went to school, made friends, did all that. I wasn’t the most social- I mean, I hung out with people sometimes, sure, but I wasn’t into sports or anything like the other boys were- really, I couldn’t be. I spent a lot of my time inside playing music, because…well, for one thing, it was easier.” He laughed. “No need to go walking into walls or banging around with my cane. I could just stay in one place. No one had to ‘pity’ me for my disability- I got to be free from all that.” He sighed. “But the main reason was because…it made me happy. Listening and playing music always filled me with this joy that nothing else could ever really do. Whenever I got to perform for my family or my friends, it was like nothing. I never would have to worry about getting nervous, or messing up- the music took those thoughts away, and I could just be. I loved sharing music with people. It was the one thing that set me apart- for the better.”

He grinned fondly, as warm memories were brought forward in his mind. “My parents always loved to hear me play. Whenever I’d find a new piece, I’d spend days, sometimes weeks, perfecting every single little detail until I thought it was worthy for them to hear. And no matter what they were doing, if I asked them to come and listen, they would do it-which, as I got older and understood how busy they were, I grew to appreciate even more. Sometimes,” he let out a soft chuckle, “I could hear them get up from their chairs, and hear their feet start moving in rhythm together as I played. They would dance.” He laughed. “They would dance while I played! And it would always make me feel so nice, knowing that the two people I loved most in the world could dance to my music. Knowing that made me happier than anything else.”

He paused for a moment, his smile fading. “And then, very recently, they died. And that night my powers were revealed. And then I got my letter.” He shrugged, pushing those memories back once more. “That’s pretty much my life. Like I said, not very interesting.” He supposed there was no way for such a short life to be very interesting yet, anyway- but even in regards to the lives of other kids his age, his life seemed very dull and quiet. But perhaps that was about to change for him, he thought, come his arrival at Starlight Academy.

Apollo smiled warmly at the angel. Perhaps our paths will cross. He liked that idea quite a lot. He had never stopped to consider what his stance on life after death really was: he figured that something had to happen to the soul, other than just fading into blackness, but as for what that something was, he couldn't possibly know. So, wherever his parents’ spirits might be, he liked knowing that they could be found, and maybe…maybe even spoken to, through Echo.

He didn’t know whether or not it was true, that Echo could, in fact, potentially meet Apollo’s mother and father- or if it was simply trying to express its sympathy for a grieving child. All the same, the thought of getting the chance to send even the smallest message to his parents, to tell them he loved them one last time…

Tears began to well up in his eyes, as the angel continued to speak. While he could sense that it was fumbling a bit for words, he understood that Echo’s sentiments were true. There was indeed certainty and sincerity behind its tone, even if the words it was using to convey those feelings weren’t exactly the ones it was looking for. Apollo could only smile wider.

Echo was getting a bit flustered in its attempts to express itself, and Apollo wanted nothing more than to reassure it that he was not uncomfortable at all, that he was actually in fact very grateful for everything it had said, and that it had absolutely no reason to apologize. However, in that moment Apollo, too, found himself at a loss for the right words, and rather choked up. So, he did the one thing that he knew for sure would get his message across.

He reached out in front of him, and after a few seconds of groping around the empty air, felt an arm. He trailed his hand up until he reached the angel’s shoulder, his fingertips lightly grazing the soft feathers of its wings. He rested his hand there for a few moments, then clasped his other arm around Echo and pulled him into a hug.

With the tears still in his eyes, and threatening to fall out, Apollo whispered a soft “Thank you,” into Echo’s shoulder.

Apollo chuckled softly to himself as they separated. In all honesty, the angel’s confusion at his sudden hug was a bit expected- and rather endearing. For the small amount of time in which he had known it, Apollo had experienced a transformation in his perception of Echo: from something holy and unfathomable, to a somewhat awkward but altogether compassionate and kind being. And he liked that. It made the angel more real, that awkwardness-that disconnect from humanity and its mannerisms. It was something that allowed it to learn from humans as much as the humans could learn from it.

Wiping the tears from his eyes, he smiled up at Echo as it placed its hand on his shoulder. “Thank you,” he repeated, regaining his composure and, with it, a small, steadily growing sense of confidence in his heart. “I really hope…” He trailed off a bit there. No. Hope wasn’t the right word. “I know they will.”

He didn’t quite know what else to say there, so for a moment, there was silence; only the calm, steady sound of the waves against the large ship could be heard at this hour. What was the hour, Apollo wondered? He supposed it didn’t matter, as long as the two of them weren’t being disturbed. Apollo closed his eyes, breathing out a long sigh of contentment, and just listened. For in that moment, there was only peace…

Apollo suddenly had a thought- a random little wandering thought, which crept slowly, softly into his mind, prominent enough to infiltrate his palace of serenity, but gentle enough not to shatter it. It was a thought that his consciousness had grown very familiar with in countless minutes of pondering throughout his childhood- as well as one that his subconscious had grown fond of revisiting in his dreams.

“Echo,” he asked, quietly, almost like a child embarrassed to speak to his teacher, for fear of asking something ridiculous. “What’s it like to fly?”

Apollo’s eyebrows rose, his eyes alight and glimmering with excitement. He had been hoping that Echo might suggest that.

The sheer wonder of flight for Apollo did not come from the prospect of seeing the world from a bird’s eye view- obviously. For him, it was all about the rush- that small, sudden drop in the stomach when being lifted off the ground, having nothing but the air for support. Feeling the water droplets from clouds graze the skin and the cool blowing wind against the cheeks. Feeling light and giddy and free- just floating through an endless mass of space. The absolute freedom that flight provided.

For the entirety of his life, Apollo had had to stay grounded. His ability to feel the earth beneath him, his connection with that surface below was one of the main things that stabilized him as he tried to maneuver through life without one of his senses. He had never been allowed to set foot anywhere without some sort of solid ground. He had never even been swimming, despite living next to an ocean for eighteen years, for fear of being pulled out into a void of sea, never being able to point himself home.

But now…This was different. There was no fear. There was no void. There was no possibility for getting lost, or being left on his own. He could be weightless, for once- and still have support. Still have grounding, in a sense- but from above.

He laughed at the thought that the angel’s wings served only to fulfill expectations from Earth. As if the humans couldn’t remotely accept the concept of flight without them- no, that would be impossible, wouldn’t it? Illogical. Nonsensical. Telekinesis? Psssh, how absurd…How amusing people must be to it, he thought. Amusing, or perhaps just ignorant.

Looking up at Echo hopefully, he gave a small grin. “If I may…I’d absolutely love to try.”

Apollo gave a quick inhalation of breath as his feet slowly began to rise off the ground. This is happening. This is really happening. He couldn't contain his level of excitement anymore. He felt the need to lean against the angel’s hold at first, wobbling ever so slightly in midair as they tried to find a steady height. After a moment, though, he was able to regain his balance, and he chuckled. He could tell they hadn’t gone up that far, but even so, the thought that they were up at all started a warm, bubbling feeling from inside his chest.

Apollo let them hover for a moment or so while he collected himself. Too much excitement might make him more difficult to hold onto, and he most certainly didn’t want to be dropped. Still, he could only just barely still his shaking body- he was practically jumping out of his skin. The thrill of going higher was just within reach. He wanted it. He craved it.

With a determined smile and sparkling eyes, Apollo nodded towards Echo. This was the opportunity of a lifetime, a dream he had had for so long. “I’m ready,” he said, his voice full of confidence he didn’t know he had. “Let’s do this.”