Three Colors

Tap, tap , tap. I looked up to see a figure at the window, tapping lightly on the glass. He grinned at me, his face filled with the energy of orange light, and tapped again. An answering smile painted my lips, and I nearly sprinted to the window. A loud hiss spread through the room as I opened it, the sound of the air-tight seal being released. "Michail!"

He laughed at me. "Your face lights up when you see me. Are you sure about that answer you gave me, firebug?"

I felt the purple rush to my face. "Yeah, I'm sure. Don't always trust the colors, Mic." I said, looking down at my toes briefly. "Besides, you know that Rymon is my match."

That earned me a frown. "Oh, come on Taylah! Do you have to ruin every night with him?" He asked. I sighed, and gave him a sheepish look in reply. It seemed to be enough for him. "Oh, forget it. Come on! Grab your disk, and lets go!"

"Yeah, one second." I turned away from the window, to grab the circlular bit of metal from underneath my bed. At my touch, the ring around the edge lit up in an array of colors. "Are we going lit tonight?" I asked over my shoulder.

Michail shook his head and grinned. "No lights." He replied, and I ran my hand over the underside of the disk, finding the switch that drained the lively colors. Hurrying to the window, I clipped the caller to my necklace, my disk tucked under my arm.

Outside my window, the city thrived with light and life. Mobils rushed by on the streets, carrying their passengers along the roads. Towering buildings, like my own, extended into the clouds, the less traveled paths higher up, lined by borders of light. Michail hovered on his own disk, on which he balanced effortlessly. "Come on Taylah! Let's go!"

Away he raced, and in the briefest of moments, off I went after him, throwing the disk into the air, and hopping onto the rubbery surface. From the board, black liquid leaked up and onto my ankles, solidifying into secure safety braces. The wind raced through my hair, against my skin, reminding me why I flew. In the corner of my vision, the buildings rushed by, and the lighted restraints of the hoverpath glowed white as I raced on. Michail turned fast to the side, diving into the

"Where are we going?" I called to Michail, my words nearly lost in the wind.

He turned briefly, and I caught a glimpse of his teeth, bright white in the dark. "No idea!" His voice flew to my ears. "Just fly!"

A smile lit my face, and I leaned forward, crouching to get just that more speed. Flying like this, no restraints, I felt as if I could touch the stars, and fly through the puffy gray clouds. There wasn't a thing to stop me. A whooping cry permeated the air, and I glanced over to Michail, his energy lighting up beneath his skin, bright blue. It wasn't the first time that I wondered what color the essence of his being glowed beneath his gloves.

Out of nowhere, I felt the rising agitation of the wind. He caught my eye, and we both grinned ecstatically. The was an updraft coming, and this was always the best part of flying. With a grin, I concentrated on my feet, positioning them flatly on the disk, two hand-spans apart. My arms flew out, balancing me perfectly, and I settled down to wait, slowing to a gentle pace. Beside me, Michail was doing the same, his blue eyes narrowed in concentration, and his long brown hair streaming out behind him. Only a moment now.

It hit with a shudder, and I soared up, farther and farther, until even the peaked roofs of the towers were below us. Wind roared and rushed around me, echoing in my ears and tugging at my single braid. I let out a scream of pleasure, nearly losing my balance as I threw up my fists. The wind let up, and suddenly, we were falling down, coasting on the little that remained of the lift. And then, someone knocked into me, and I flipped upside down, my disk flying above my head as I shouted with laughter. Michail was next to me, grinning at me. "Gotcha, firebug!" He cried, and raced away.

"You!" I shouted, and raced after him. "I'm going to kill you!" His laughter bounced off the metal buildings around him.

"Wanna check the King's Garden?" He called over his shoulder.

I debated for a moment. "Sure! Race you!!" And I was off, racing through the back roads, the ones that were too small for anything but the disks. My own disk was so loud that I couldn't hear anything of Michail behind me, but it didn't matter. I was flying, and probably leaving him far behind in the air currents.

"Hey, what's the big idea!?" Behind me, quickly gaining.

"Well damn!" I shouted. "You just don't quit, do you? " Michail is the better flier. But I was better at turns.

My left foot kicked back, and I felt the switch click on, shooting me faster, just in time to bank through the curve into another alley. Michail was still on my tail, and we raced together, and when we reached the garden, we were both breathless with laughter.

"Nice try, firebug!" Michail elbowed me in the side, and I pushed him back.

"Oh shut u-" I was promptly cut off.

"Wait. Who's that?" We hovered on an impromptu disk landing on top of a building, overlooking the King's Garden.

Beneath us, within the walls of the courtyard, a man sat on a bench, missing his gloves.

"I don't know, but he's got three colors in his hands." I breathed in amazement. No one had even two colors, even though a person's color was only their's to know.