(Azrael's POV)
I watched.
The Tiny Bird running home. Over my long absence her body had begun to mature, ever so slightly. Her legs were becoming much more slender. Her night-black hair, longer. Her face was losing its baby fat. Her lips seemed to get pinker and plumper by the hour. But many things still remained petite. She was still a child.
Once upon a time, there was a Bird. The Bird was pure white and had a voice to match her lonely color. She was neither strong, nor big. In fact...she was fragile, tiny.
"My King, thank you for finally choosing one of my offspring." I whisper a delighted prayer to my King. As i look at his soon-to-be Queen. The girl suddenly stopped and whirled in the direction of my voice. But she couldn't see me, i was but an innocent bird to those twinkling eyes. I smirked internally. My King had the Bird completely entangled in his web. My King would finally achieve his dream, using finally using my best offspring. I couldn't wait. We'll practically walk the little fool to Gahenna!
But we'll have to kill that bastard Exorcist Kitate first.
(?'s POV)
"Father Kitate! I'm home!" I yell into the church as i take of my shoes and put my schoolbag in the closet. The redwood of the building's narthex walls and the intense-stick smell leaking from the apse greet me as warmly as a mother. Home is like that ya know? The stained glass and crosses sparkle cheerfully in response. Something much needed after a last day of school. When peace, quiet, tranqui-
CRASH, CLINK, CLANG, TWANG!I blinked once, twice.
"Father, did you try cooking again?" I call out as i head toward the kitchen, just beyond the northern transept. The lack of response means I'm right. I sigh at Father's silly behavior, and continue to the kitchen. I smile at the familiar stained glasses, as well-known to me as the back of my hand. I remember, when i wasn't allowed to go to kindergarden, i used to stare and talk to the windows for hours. And never once were they silent. They told me stories like 'Adam and Eve', ' Birth of Christ', and alot more. Those stories became much more familiar to me than regular fairytales, and, to me, much more loved. You may think i'm crazy, but I like our church, what it stands for, and the people in it. When i made it to the kitchen, sure enough, i find Father crawling on the ground looking for the pots he dropped.
Father's blind.
I sigh loudly to let him know i'm here, and i'm annoyed. Even though he probably heard my angry little footsteps earlier. I hear him chuckle. Slowly, on his age-ridden knees, he stands and turns toward me. Father, despite his condition, was very handsome. Styled salt and pepper hair and an itchy beard to match, 7 different crosses on his neck and arms, a huge body (compared to mine anyway), big, calloused hands, unmoving green eyes, and dark, sandy skin.
"Home so soon? I was just going to make dinner!" He complains, causing me to roll my eyes.
"Father! You and i both know you can't cook worth a fruit loop." I scold, picking up the some of the pans he dropped. He furrowed his eyebrows and stroked the shiniest of his crosses.
"And you can my Tiny Bird?"
"Better than you anyway." I smirked, ignoring the blow to my 8 year old pride.
"No you can't."
"Yes i can."
"No you can't."
"Yes i can."
"No you can't."
"Yes i can."
"No you can't."
"Yes i can!"
"No you can't!"
"Yes i can, can, can!"
"No you can't, can't, can't!"
"YES I CAN!" I scream and flail my tiny limbs in the air. Face red and chest heaving.
"My, my. Temper, temper." Father teased. I blow a raspberry at him.
"Dear, your face will freeze like that!" I stop and angrily wave my limbs in the air at Father's back as he steps out of the kitchen...seriously...HOW THE FRUIT LOOP DOES HE DO THAT?!
-Timeskip-
"How was you last day of school?" Father asks later that day at dinner. Which Jason, the 2nd-in-command priest, made. Jason was really nice guy. He alway sneaks me a cookie at night. Not only that, he always seems to know when i need a pick-me-up, so today he made my favorite. 3 meat curry with rice and creme fruit salad. I shove half of the of curry in my mouth.
"Yomi and i made a pinky promise." I answer. Yomi is my best friend. Even though we're as deifferent as two people can get. Yomi's quiet, mature, and shy. I'm the exact opposite. At least that's what Father says (that meanie). Aono says it to, but he says it's a good thing!
"What'd you promise?" Usually you can't really tell when Father is looking at you because of his condition, but there are times, really, really, really rare times, when it seems like he really is 'looking' at you. And when he does...when sightless eyes meet your own...
Your soul gets stabbed.
That's exactly what happened right now. I've seen Father give those looks before, to weird people in dark blue and sliver, while gripping all his crosses like he is now, but never to me. So, i was more than a little scared. I swallowed all the food in my mouth. I know Father loves me. He raised me ever since i can remember, along with the singing lady. Even though the singing lady is gone now...back to the point! Father Kitate and i may not have the same blood or names, but we're family.
So why am i so scared of him right now?
"We promised to stay friends forever Father." I say in a small, quiet voice (Yomi would've been proud). Slowly, Father relaxes and stops his stabbing stare. Words didn't do justice to my relief. Still, i found it hard to speak louder after that point.
"What about Akane and everyone else?" Father says casually as if nothing had happened.
"Well, the girls said they were going out of town for summer vacation. Akane said he and his parents were going overseas." I say, trying to get my voice back to normal, but it seemed like my soul was still recovering. Why? I love Father. Why is he suddenly so scary? Father becomes very quiet. He stands. Places his dishes in the sink. Walks toward the door.
And leaves.
This is weird. No...this whole day has been weird. Father...i wonder why he was so tense? Did something happen? Did i do something wrong? Did i-
No.
I trust Father. If i needed to know something Father would've already told me. I'm just over-thinking this. No wonder why people call girls complicated. I sigh and go to calm my nerves. To be more specific i go to the Choir Room, a large outdoor greenhouse that has my white piano. But the werid thing is that our church doesn't have a choir.
It has us.
By 'us' i mean Saya, Yomi, Yuu, Kagari, and i. Akane can't sing worth a fruit loop. The girls and i all take turns singing during Sunday prayer. It's just one of the many reasons i love them all. Saya maybe a little cold. Yomi may be distant. Yuu may be wild. Kagari may be crazy. Akane maybe downright weird. But i love them all. Because they're my friends. They're not perfect. But they're not complete wrecks ether. They're just...them.
And that's all they have to be!
The Bird was really happy.
I sit down on the glossy white seat. A clean, rosemary smell wrapping around me like a wool blanket. The iron frame of the outdoor building dimly reminding me of a cage. Pushing the back case out of the way, black and white keys smile at me. I couldn't hold back my grin. I laid my chubby, child-like hands on the keyboard, once again, hoping that they'd be thin and slender some day. Taking a deep breath and close my eyes.
"Rollin' girl wa itsu made mo todoka nai yume mite, sawagu atama no naka o kaki mawashite kaki mawashite." I can't say why i like this song so much...
"La, La, La, La, La..." But i do.
"Mondai nai to tsubuyaite kotoba wa ushina wareta?" I can't say why i don't feel whole.
"Mō shippai mō shippai machigai sagashi ni owa reba mata mawaru no!" But i do.
"Mō ikkai mō ikkai "watashi wa kyō mo korogari masu" to."Even though i have Father, my friends, and all the other priests….the world doesn't seem very warm...
"Shōjo wa iu shōjo wa iu, kotoba ni imi o kanade nagara!"
"mō ii kai?" What will warm it? This world, i mean.
"mada desu yo mada mada saki wa mie nai node iki o tomeru no ima."
"Rollin' girl no nare no hate todoka nai mukō no iro." Please don't misunderstand...I'm happy with my life, but there is this uneasy feeling that never goes away.
"Kasanaru koe to koe o maze awase te maze awase te."
"Mondai nai" totsubuyaita kotoba wa ushina wareta..." I wonder what this world is missing?
"dō nattatte iin datte sa machigai datte okoshi chaō to sasou sakamichi?!"
"Mō ikkai mō ikkai. Watashi o dōka korogashite to!"
"Shōjo wa iu shōjo wa iu,mukuchi ni imi o kasane nagara!"
"Mō ii kai?" Or...
"Mō sukoshi mō sugu nanika mieru darō to iki o tomeru no ima."
"Mō ikkai mō ikkai,"watashi wa kyō mo korogari masu" to."
"Shōjo wa iu shōjo wa iu, kotoba ni emi o kanade nagara!" Am i missing something instead?
"Mō ii kai? mō ii yo soro soro kimi mo tsukareta rōne?"
"Iki o yameru no ima."
"You're getting better, Birdie." I open my eyes...only to me met with a small, cerulean flame centimeters from my face. Aono. I jump back in surprise, landing ungracefully on my bum. He quickly floats away.
A Hawk came.
He saw the Tiny Bird and fell in love with her colors.
He was the wolf under sheep-skin.
"Aono!" I cry out. I swings my legs out to get up, nearly tripping, but going toward him. Warmth tickles my skin as i come closer. I smile at the little flame, beating like a heart. Don't you dare call him weird! I've known Aono for two years, and all that time he's never acted anything less than human...if that makes sense...
"Hey Birdie? How's my favorite girl doin'?" Aono's voice says. I know its coming from the flame, and it took a while to get used to something talking without a mouth, but strange or not...Aono's my friend. Though his voice is pretty deep, like thunder crashing down on a valley. I smile.
"I'm fine! Just a little upset that i won't really see everyone this summer."
"Oh?" Aono murmurs, distracted. I furrow my eyebrows.
"What's wrong?" I ask him. He's not like his usual self. Usually he's very bold, but very gentle. Aono always looks out for me. So i want to repay the favor.
"Well ya see Birdie..."
"Yes?"
"Run away with me."
Ba-thump!
"T-That didn't sound like a question A-Aono..." I say, trying to calm down my now frantic heart. What is this? First i was scared of Father, and now Aono to?
Ba-thump! Ba-thump!
Aono gets bigger and brighter. Growing from a candlelight to a torchlight to an all-out bonfire. Aono...oh my God...he's as tall as Father and so hot, a side of the piano burns.
Ba-thump! Ba-thump! Ba-thump!
I'm scared. I scream for him to stop, but my voice is drowned out by the roar of the flames. What is this? Aono's never done this! He...he...he's never...scared me! Not once! Not until now. Oh God...oh God...
Where's Father?!
"It wasn't a question Birdie."
He gained Tiny Bird's trust.
And used it.
(Father Kitate's POV)
-Timeskip-
No...
No...
God, please no...
Too late...i was too late again...
I could hear Jason run up to me. His footsteps crackling loudly on the shattered glass of the green house, but the sound was threatened. For hard, hammers of rain, Blue of Tears, had started to fall. Because my star, my Bird, had been swallowed by the darkness. So the sky cried for me, for my eyes could give no tears. Not after the 2nd time Azrael tried take my-our-Bird. Not after i let Daiki die. Now...Now...our Bird...our Bird is in hell where her light, her innocence, will surely die.
He kidnapped Tiny Bird, and locked her in a cage.
The white piano our Bird and Daiki loved so much finally, mercifully, collapsed. How cruel. How cruel of you, Fate. Our Bird sang that song before everything fell apart. The same song Daiki sang everyday when she was pregnant...i feel Jason's hand on my shoulder, telling me he was here to help. But i didn't care.
All i care about...is how i'm going to torture Azrael to death.
I just had the most precious thing to me. The most important thing to me. Since Daiki. Ripped from my arms, and thrown into hell. Can you, honestly, blame me for wanting revenge? Priest or no priest. I am a man. A man who lost the only woman he ever loved. A man who loves his daughter, regardless of what she is. Regardless of what she could become.
Our Bird...our dear Tiny Bird...
I'm sorry.
I'm so sorry.
If only i protected you...
If only i saved you like i could've saved Daiki...
If only i made our last moments count.
If only i-
"Father Kitate. We have to get your arm treated." The tone in Jason's voice proved to me it wasn't up for debate. I grunted and left. Past memories whirring in my head like an old movie. Like an old horror movie. I walk past the sulfur-smelling, flaming remains of the 'Choir Room.'
Holding my severed right arm in my hand.
Tiny Bird died.