"闇の光" is the chapter I have been waiting to write ever since I started this book. The end had materialized, oddly, before anything else did; and what stood out most was someone emerging out of the darkness to take the form of a light. It was a short distance back home on the train and the moon was full when the idea first came to me—the idea of someone being the moon. It didn't necessarily have to be a girl, per se. Because for some reason all moons are portrayed to be women (here is where I laugh). I then thought of a small, curious boy whose existence was far too tiny and negligent in the wide world to make a difference.

The idea was pleasing and it was exhilarating to think that someone would shine only in the darkness; but in the day go unnoticed. Very much like...a sparrow. :)

On "闇の光"

I will start by explaining the title of this special chapter, "闇の光", that I chose to write in Japanese, and the reason why I cannot put it in English. Like every other title chapter, this too, is an oxymoron. An oxymoron is a phrase with at least two words that suggests an idea that is in conflict with each other. For example, it is impossible for there to be 'Caged Freedom' (one of the title chapters in Flight School), since freedom is, implicitly, uncaged and void of burden. "闇", read as yami, meaning darkness, and "の", read as no, is a particle that implies possession—more commonly known as of, and "光", read as hikari, meaning light. Now in Japanese, the structure of this phrase is not appropriately represented by the direct translation. Instead of it being "darkness of light", it is actually "light of dark". Unlike English, Japanese and Chinese often put the possessive noun before the object; therefore in this case, darkness is the one possessing and light is its possession.

Honestly, "Light of Dark" sounds...pretty meh as a title XD hahahaha! Cuppie is sucker for good language and implications. Light of Dark sounds grammatically wrong and it doesn't say as much compared to the title in Japanese. In the latter, there is an implication that there is light IN darkness, which is less obvious in the English translation. And of course, since this book is just full of light and dark imagery, Cuppie couldn't resist the temptation to put this in :')

I guess it is clear for you, now, then—why Io could only gain access to a predator's Link during the night. After all, the moon only rises when it is dark and this is where Io goes from, for all intents and purposes, nothing to everything.

It is also why I make Io and Luka meet only at night because it is the only time they can meet as equals—of course, this, they hadn't known, but merely established first on the basis of being human. They were friends as humans; and that was all. This is also why Luka always sees a strange light in Io's eyes but doesn't know just where it's from because most of the times they are together in the treehouse, the moon is not in the sky but in Io. Luka sees the moon in Io's eyes, and not in the sky.

And this is also why Luka, who could, initially, only see the night is now able to see the moon and the stars ever since someone had, so coincidentally, come into his life. Even the first time when Io asked Luka whether he found the moon beautiful (through the note he had left in the treehouse), there was, precisely, no moon in the sky because Io was the moon. And all Luka did was answer, blindly, that yes it was even though there was no moon; he just wanted to reply something, anything because that would keep the conversation going.

Io being the moon phoenix also explains why he, though a prey, is not afraid of the night. In fact, in the early chapters, Io found that he loved it—though he did not know why. I think it's in the chapter when Io first meets Slayne with Jiro. The jarring difference in his personality is, also, a hint that Io is in fact a Nocturne that has two Avians because his personality changes according to the time of the day. I'm not sure if anyone notices this but I made careful point to illustrate it using language :'D

This also reflects the nature of ourselves, as humans—how we are when things are going well and how we respond when things are getting dark and falling apart. Very much like every other human, Io has more than one side of himself and like everyone else, he breaks when he falls but unlike everyone else, Io has the strength to take that fall; knowing that it will hurt, but doing it nevertheless because was this not what made one human? Suffering is alright. There is nothing wrong with being sad or crying and Io understands that and accepts the fact that he is suffering.

The catch is that he actually does something about that suffering; and, from that 'all was dark', conjure a light within himself even if it meant making something out of nothing.

The very first time Io shifted into his Avian unconsciously was at the end of the first season games; when Vaughn pulled the trigger on him and he unintentionally chose the light. Though this first time was unconscious, the diction (language) in that part hinted an underlying presence of his second Avian—basically, him being the moon, and I will get to that in a second :> The second time he manages to shift is what you just read in "闇の光", where he, upon telling Vaughn that he had 'come so far' and 'deserve to make it to the end', felt a light within that begged for freedom. This however, is a result of Io consciously choosing (while he was 'dead') to be the light; thereby receiving the reward (which Cuppie bestows upon :>) of a stronger entity and a mind that is as willful as his heart. His shifting also implies acceptance of his other self, and his coming to terms with pain and darkness that seems to him, necessary in order for flight. Especially in his case—since he is the moon, which ultimately only rises at night.

On language

Puns.

I know, I know. Cuppie is 100% lame :'D which is the truth, really. The nature of puns is that the word has, inherently, more than one meaning. I use this a lot in revealing, or foreshadowing Io's other identity because then it would be less subtle but, nevertheless, still there. It is also used to reflect the dual nature of us, as humans, and that in reality no one is as simple as the characters in books or movies. We all have more than one side.

"Heights" and "Greater Heights": It has been established from the start that Io is afraid of heights; in the form of the former definition, the physical manifestation of distance and the fear of things becoming too small or too far away (this can be taken further upon interpretation but I'd rather let you have your own :) as always, free to interpretation. Answer the question: is there any implication to Io being afraid of things becoming too small or reductive? How is this reflected in his personality?)

The latter of definition, "Greater Heights", is used in "闇の光" to reveal that what Io was truly afraid of was not the physical/literal manifestation of heights, but the metaphorical responsibility and burden that comes with status or power—in other words, height. This is why Io is afraid to go up, and only realizes that this is an option when he faces the darkness. This is the fear he has to overcome in order to be able to shift into his Avian and fly. This point may be a little hard to get, so it's okay if you don't >_<

"Light and "Light": Now this is my favorite one. It's so funny, I swear. For the sake of reference, did you notice that I used the exact phrase "Io was light" in the chapter "Victorious Defeat"? It is during his first shifting, the unconscious one ignited by his brief awakening after Vaughn had shot him. It may come to you now that at that point of time, it would be easy to assume that Io was physically weightless; that he experienced a loss of mass and was physically and mentally light enough to fly. This is because in that context, the world Light would come to one as of this particular meaning—thus leaving the real meaning, the intended one, to be left in the shadows (OMG PUN AGAIN HELP HELP).

The real meaning, is, of course, the one that we all know. That Io is the light in the dark. He literally is. "Io is light."

This perhaps is far easier to understand than the previous pun :>

There are times when I use other puns as well but I guess they don't really add much of significance to the core themes and issues of Flight School. These two are the main ones that will affect one's understanding of Io and of the intricacies of language that I try my best to put forth in order to fulfil my (and hopefully, your) desires of uncovering little bits of trivia like this.

It pleases me so.

On obstacles

Nevertheless, it was inevitable that I ran into some problems while trying to fit everything into my themes in order to lead up to "闇の光" which is basically the reason why Flight School even exists. In hope of making the ending a good revelation that would make one drop their phone or fling it across the room (just kidding, I hope you didn't do that D: ), I had to make sure that every time Io becomes stronger, it has to be at night and that everything had to coincide with the time of the day and that everything had to be perfectly in place ;-;. That was probably the toughest part. I hope I pulled it off somehow.

This leads me to another point: that there is one chapter left. It will be the chapter where I wrap things up about all my characters and the core issues of the book. The final chapter is where questions will be answered—but also where some will be left open for the next book, in anticipation.

This also leads me to another point: that this is, of course, not the end :) This book is titled Flight School: Prey... for purposes we all know and naturally, the next book will be titled Flight School: Predator.

Yes, because Io is now a predator as much as he is a prey and he is going to have to take night classes and and and so many THINGS TO WRITE IN THE NEXT BOOK HELP. A heads up to the next book in the form of questions (it is our lovely Io's favorite form of speech, after all): What is in store for our moon phoenix as a predator? Will he have a different life completely as a student in Flight School? What of his current friends who are prey? Of Nash, Jiro, Vijay, Pipa, Gretchen? And of the predators who had once looked down on him? Will V acknowledge him? And—Luka? Will being a predator make things easier for themselves?

IS VAUGHN EVER GOING TO BE HAPPY (WHY CUPPIE WHY CANT U JUST MAKE HIM HAPPY ALRDY)? Will Cameron just burn in hell and die already? (just kidding) Will there be someone who will come along to make him happy? (Tbh asking this question is already a giveaway I don't know why I'm asking it) Does Jing actually have depression? (Did some of you notice this already)

And on a more philosophical level: What does it mean to be human? Are we all, ultimately, obliged to feed off one another? "The only predator of humans are humans themselves,"(Chapter: Ideal Dust line 13 I think)—will it hold?

In all honesty, I cannot wait to write the next book. (Not simply because you know, I might be putting Luka and Io in the same dorm for some REASON ThAt is So not my fAnTasies) I am anticipating to see what I can do but also where I will go with you.

Thank you so much for being patient up till this point, nevertheless, with me and my slow updates and everything else that you might not have liked. Thank you for staying with me, coming with me on this journey with our sparrow and moon phoenix. Thank you, thank you, thank you; you are my everything for reading this book. It is my favorite, and the closest to my heart and I absolutely devote my entire mind and heart to the words in this.

I really hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

On a final note, I would like to say what Flight School is truly about.

Flight School isn't about choosing the light;

Nor is it about choosing the darkness.

It is about choosing—despite there to be nothing left and having been alone, so alone—

To BE the light.

In our lives, it often isn't about choosing the bad;

Nor is it about choosing the good

for there are times when we might just feel as though there is no good in this world.

And when that time comes,

It is, for all intents and purposes, about choosing to BE the good in the world.

Well, do you choose to be?

Perhaps that is the real question:

To be, or not to be.

-Cuppiecake.

I will see you in the next chapter, and of course...then onwards, as well. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee *sprinkles rainbows and chocolate chips on you* Thank you for reading this long-ass interpretation. It is, of course, subject to your own. You are free to ignore whatever I have said and keep your own interpretation of my work or even combine both ^^ There is no right, and there is no wrong. There is, merely, a spectrum in which we all lie upon.

P.S if you look really closely in the new cover, you can see, among the trees, the silhouette of a treehouse :) (where our little lovebirds reside *cough*) But yes, now you understand why I have half of the cover filled with a gigantic moon LOL