Kyle held a scrap of paper between his index finger and thumb. He burned a barn down. He seared the flesh of an evil snake being. One had been done on accident, and the other he was unsure how he did it; he knew he could, but exactly how or why it happened was still a mystery. He wanted to see if he could do it again.

He sat on the pebbled shore, the same one he and Akora had visited just a few nights ago. Fledermaus napped beside him. If anything got out of control, there would be nothing to burn. He had to get angry, but not too angry. Anger felt bad. He started by thinking of the things that annoyed him.

When the bullies on the bus take my backpack.

Annoying, but not rage-inducing.

That time in middle school when Susie called him a weirdo.

Hurtful, but not rage-inducing.

A year or two ago when the barber gave him that awful haircut.

Upsetting, but not rage-inducing.

When the naga tried to kill both him and Asim.

That wasn't small, but it did get him upset.

His heart was starting to beat faster. He was getting upset, but not angry. Maybe he should think of something else.

He thought about when Akora got him in trouble at the beginning of the semester.

He had hardly any hostility towards her for that.

He thought about when she got them trapped in the frozen doomscape.

The more he thought about that memory, the fonder it seemed.

He thought about the naga again, staring at him as he turned to look over his shoulder.

He shuddered. That was scary.

Maybe he wasn't thinking about the right things. He knew there were things that made him mad, but he was unsure if he was ready to relive them in a non-life-or-death scenario.

He thought about people who park badly. Those people who park over the line or in the middle of the road and say they just have to run in real quick.

They were annoying.

He thought about walking to the bathroom in the middle of the night, and stepping with a sock-clad foot in a puddle leftover from somebody's shower.

That was annoying.

He thought again about the bullies in school, and all the bullies of the world who say and do things so cruel he could not even imagine them.

He could feel a tightening in his guts.

He thought about the politicians who put themselves over the people they were supposed to represent.

He thought about the people who spread hatred and fear because of their own sense of grandeur.

And then the naga came back, her blood soaked face right in his.

He jumped out of fright of the memory, and then it happened.

The paper turned to ash.

It took him a moment to process what he saw. There was no spark, not even a flame his eyes could process. One moment, there was paper, and the next, there was ash, falling between his finger and thumb into the water like grey snow. Thin, nearly transparent, wisps of white smoke rose from the ashes.

It had all happened so fast he was unsure if it had really happened at all.

He took the sheet of paper from his pocket and tore off another edge. He tucked the rest in his pocket and held the scrap, and thought again.

People who park poorly. Bullies. Bad politicians. Evildoers. People who don't tip their servers out of spite.

And then the naga came back.

Again, he jumped and the paper went up in smoke.

He took another scrap. Luckily he was getting frustrated.

People who park poorly. Bullies. Bad politicians. Evildoers. People who don't tip their servers out of spite. Litter bugs. Susie from middle school.

The naga came back, but she was falling now, falling away into the pool below.

He exhaled slowly and opened his eyes.

The paper was burning away, slowly now, bits breaking away and falling onto the pebble shore, where thin streams of water were waiting to take the ashes away. One larger chunk fell, still burning, and he reached out to catch it out of habit. When it hit his palm, he expected to feel at least some pain from the embers, but instead, all he felt was warmth.

Curious, he put the remainder of the paper in his hand. The bright red embers spread all across the paper. Then, a small flame rose. He expected that, at least, to hurt, but again, only felt its warmth. He held his newly freed hand up to block the wind, though it had been very calm. The fire grew, eating up the paper until none remained. Then, rather than die, it remained, dancing in his palm, feeding off something within him he did not quite understand.

He wanted to play with it. He wanted to make it bigger, hotter, more powerful.

But he was scared.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

He clasped his hands together, extinguishing the flame. "Drugs!" he yelled. "Just drugs!" He turned to see who it was.

It was only Elvia and Skitterscamp.

"Oh, thank goodness, it's just you."

"Yeah," she said, "just me. I didn't know anyone else hung out at this spot."

He stood up. "I've only been here one other time," he said. "I was exploring."

"That's how I found it, too," Elvia said, picking up a stone and skipping it across the water. It hopped five times before it sank.

"You're pretty good at that, aren't you?" Kyle said.

She nodded. "Thanks. I've been practicing here."

He turned back to the rocks. "How do you get up and down?"

She skipped another stone. "With great difficulty." She turned her head to face him. "So what are you doing down here, for real? Because I know you haven't even seen a drug ever in your life."

He could show her.

He took the paper from his pocket and tore off another piece. "Practicing," he said.

She skipped another stone. "Practicing what?"

He took a breath. "Do you remember the barn."

She nodded. "Yeah."

"Well," he began as he thought about the things that bothered him most, "I'm trying to do that again. But on a smaller scale."

"Oh, okay. Luckily a little bit of ash is good for the soil."

He thought about the things which annoyed him, but this time, between each thought, he reminded himself he was safe. He felt the paper growing warmer until a small flame appeared once more.

Elvia's hands flew to her mouth. She stood still as a statue as Kyle turned the paper into his hands and the fire grew bigger. At its greatest size, it was no taller than a cheap lighter, but it still captivated Elvia's attention.

"When did you learn how to do that?" she asked breathlessly.

"Today," he said. "Well, I mean, I don't know if it was just today. I used it yesterday against the... you know."

She nodded. "I remember. Asim and Aoife told me about it."

He nodded, too. "I had a feeling."

She took a step closer. "Can you do anything else with it?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I want to try and make it bigger but I'm scared. I don't want to burn myself or you or anyone or anything else."

"Got it." Then she pulled a little pink camera out of her bag. "Could I take a picture?"

He looked away from her. "I don't know," he said. "I don't wanna get in trouble. Plus, what if somehow someone who isn't supposed to see it finds it?"

She sighed and put her camera back. "I guess you're right. Well hey, now you have something to tell Alejandro about next time you see him."

"Yeah," he said with a smile as he cupped one hand over the other, putting the fire out. "I guess I'll go look for him tonight."

For the rest of the day, Kyle meditated on what he had learned. He went to his classes and ate his meals, but spent his free time focusing solely on what he had learned. He thought about fire, how he created it, and how it made him feel. It made him proud, but it also made him afraid. He would bring it up to Alejandro.

He made it to the perch just as Alejandro and the other gargoyles were waking up for the night. A thin layer of snow had fallen on them over the day. Rather than shake it off, it all melted away when they woke up.

Alejandro rubbed his eyes. "Good evening, Kyle," he yawned. "What brings you up here so early?"

"I can burn things," Kyle said.

Stone put her hands on her hips. "Kyle!" she snapped. "That's not a very productive hobby."

"No, no!" he stammered. "I can- just watch." He pulled the paper from his pocket and tore off another piece. It was a bit gusty on top of their wall, so he had to turn his back to the wind to keep from losing the paper. He thought about the annoying things, and tried not to let the fear of embarrassing himself lead to any mistakes. The corner between his fingers smoked, and then combusted into a tiny flame, about the size of the flame found on a birthday candle. Cupping his hands to shield the fire from the wind, he turned to show the Gargoyles. They all crowded around in astonishment.

"Look at you!" Alejandro praised. "You're a natural, Kyle!"

"You've come so far!"

"You're doing great!"

Kyle's cheeks turned hot. "Thank you," he said. He bit the inside of his lip to try and conceal a dorky smile. Even after all this time he couldn't handle praise without getting a bit embarrassed. "And thanks for all the help."

Alejandro gave him a firm pat on the back. "Oh, but we're not done yet!" he said. "You still don't know how to fly!"

The fire vanished and the blood drain from Kyle's face. "I-I don't know if I'm ready for that yet!" he stammered.

"You have to learn sometime," Stone said. "It's better to know before you need it."

He drew a deep breath through his nose. "I guess you're right." Then he said, "But nobody else my age does that! Wouldn't it be better long term-"

"Kyle," Stone interrupted, "not everyone your age has the potential you do. It would be a waste of your gift." She came a little closer and sat on the wall beside him. "I know you're scared. It can be scary to learn new things. But you have this power, and I think you should learn how to use it, just in case you need it."

He swallowed hard. He was unsure if his shaking was a result of the frigid gusts of wind or the fear. Probably both. Stone was right. He had something few others did. And he liked to be prepared. "Just go slow, okay?"

Stone and Alejandro leapt into the air and beat their wings. They were both delighted. "You won't be able to fly yet," Alejandro called over the fury of gale his and Stone's wings caused. "We're just going to let your wings know it's time to come out." The two came back down, hovering just over the wall, and reached for his hands. "We're just going to hold you, and you think about flying. We'll only old you over the wall so if you fall it'll only be a foot or two. You get that?"

Kyle nodded his head and reached his shaky arms up. Fledermaus leapt from Kyle's shoulders and took to the air, circling like a curious shark, watching in anticipation. Kyle wrapped his fingers around theirs. The muscles in his shoulders tightened to keep his arms from being pulled from their sockets, and his fingers clamped down like vices. His feet slowly left the ground, but just as Alejandro promised, it was only by about a foot and a half.

"Deep breaths," he called over the beating of his wings. "We're just getting you used to it."

Kyle nodded, his eyes shut tight. There was ground beneath him. If he fell, he would not be hurt. But he was still someone who, it would seem ironically at this point, preferred to keep both feet on the ground. He tried to imagine his wings sprouting out of his back even more, growing from tiny nubs to something more impressive. Maybe not full wings, though that would be something to behold, but something noticeable. His mind started to wander. What if they grew like a child would, and it would take years for any noticeable progress to happen? Were they more like smaller animals, which could grow noticeably in the span of days? Or were they something as sudden as Familiars' sizes, and could change in the blink of an eye once he knew how? He tried to push the thoughts away but they all kept coming, crowding his mind, overwhelming him. Without any input from him, his hands tightened around Alejandro and Stone's wrists.

"Don't worry, Kyle!" Stone called down. "You're doing just fine! You're going to be okay!"

He forced his eyes to open. There was but a few inches between his toes and his shadow, made light by the cloudy sky. The other Gargoyles watched, hands clasped together, mouths pulled back into bright, toothy grins, eyes wide with excitement. Not one looked afraid. Not one. He drew a sharp, shaky breath, in through his nose, out through his pursed lips. He relaxed the muscles in his legs and core, and put the attention to his arms, shoulders, and upper back. How do you flex a muscle you didn't even know you had? He was trying his hardest to find out.

"You're getting it!"

"Keep it up!"

"We believe in you!"

He drew another more relaxed breath, held it for a moment, and let it go. There was a time long ago when his parents taught him how to swim in the pond by their house (Jenny Greenteeth couldn't get him if adults were nearby). For a brief moment, he was there again, his arms sticking out like a scarecrow as the water wings kept him afloat, the cold water surrounding his tiny body. He was scared then, too. But then he saw a tiny fish, right at home in the little pond. The fish was not scared. He could be like the fish. He kicked his legs and shook his arms and bravely traversed the whopping six inches between himself and his mother. He had never been more proud of himself.

So he turned his head upward, and imagined moving up six inches to Stone and Alejandro.

He didn't move, but he could feel himself getting closer.

After a minute or two, the pair finally set Kyle down. They were sure his rail-thin arms were exhausted. And sure enough, when they let go, his arms turned to television static.

"Good job, man!" Alejandro praised. "You'll get it in no time!"

"You think so?" Kyle asked, shaking his arms. Alejandro said that a lot, but it was because he believed in him. At this point, Kyle was almost more afraid of letting Alejandro and the others down than failing for himself at this point.

"I know so!" Alejandro said. "You've come this far in such a short amount of time after years of nothing!"

Kyle smiled. It was nice having someone believe in him. It was weird at first but it was starting to grow on him.

"Go get some rest," Stone said. "Rest is just as important as work."

It hadn't felt like he had done anything yet, but taking a break from the big scary thing sounded like a great idea. "Alright. See you tomorrow, I guess?"

Alejandro yawned and nodded. "Yep. See you tomorrow. I'm going to try and get a bit more sleep before class."

The others all nodded in agreement and uttered a series of, "That sounds good."

Kyle went to bed early that night. He wanted to get it all over with and to be able to fly already, but the path ahead was daunting. How long had he been practicing? A month by now, no doubt. Felt like an eternity. Alejandro had so much faith in him but he was running out of faith in himself. What if he never figured it out? What if Alejandro was just being nice? Or worse, what if he was putting all this emotion and effort into an investment that had no payoff? It was too much for him to think about consciously, so he went to bed. Although, the thoughts followed him into his dreams.

The dream started off traditional enough. It was one of those dreams where you can fly, but Kyle also dreamt up a nice pair of wings. They were wide when stretched all the way out, pushing far past the tips of his fingers. It was hard to see, but the bony fingers which gave the wings structure were purple, like Fledermaus. The two flew through all across the school grounds, passing by a few other students. His friends were gathered on the ground, watching, cheering him on. Even Akora was impressed! He was so proud of himself.

Although, the sweet dream wouldn't last.

He flew over the forest, his shadow crawling across the path down below. There were fresh green leaves on the trees. It was so typical of dreams for something to be off. He dove beneath the canopy and watched the trees fly passed. But when he looked ahead, someone was in his way. He stopped short, dragging his feet through the dirt to help slow himself down.

The person turned around. It was the old man from the castle and from the forest at home. His face was a scowl with wrinkles so deep, it was as if he wore a mask of shadows. With his bright white hair and freezing blue eyes he looked like a ghost. He pulled back his thin lips to expose his teeth with a growl.

Kyle tried to scream but no noise came out. He tried again but only a strained breath escaped. He turned away. He flapped his wings desperately but he couldn't cover any ground. His feet were too tired to use. Where was Fledermaus? He reached up to the tree branches and swung across like a monkey. He tried and tried to scream but it was no use. He turned to look over his shoulder and the old man was still there, blood pouring from his eyes and mouth. The shadows ran from his face like spilled ink. It ran down to his feet and swallowed the earth.

Kyle sat up in bed. His hands and lip trembled. His breaths were rapid and shallow. When he closed his eyes he saw the old man's face, covered in blood and ink. It had been so long since he had seen the old man. Would he come back? He would. Kyle just knew it.

He swung his legs out from under the covers and slid his feet right into his shoes. He pulled on his hoodie. He stuffed Fledermaus - who was very confused indeed - under his shirt.

"We'll be out and back in two seconds," he whispered. "I just... I just have to see."

Kyle opened the door and peered into the hallway. The coast was clear. He crept out and quietly made his way down the tower and into the night. The air within the magic which kept the towers hidden was warm, but the air beyond was ice cold. Kyle's breath turned into thick clouds as it passed his lips and nose. Fledermaus curled up tightly under Kyle's shirt. He pressed the creature against his body. It warmed the dragon up and made him feel a lot better. He needed it.