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Rakka sighed as they finished cleaning the room that the twin cocoons were found it. Hikari, Nemu, Kana, and Rakka had just spent three hours making sure that the room would be clean when the new arrivals came.
Kana sighed loudly as she fell backwards into a chair that Rakka had quickly pushed under her. "Why do I always have to help?" she complained.
The others laughed.
Rakka playfully glared at her. "We don't want our new arrivals to come into a dirty room."
Nemu clamped her hand over Kana's mouth before she could say anything else. "How about we leave Rakka to watch the cocoons and go get everyone some food?"
Kana didn't even say anything. She got up and ran out of the room. Nemu and Hikari followed her laughing.
Rakka turned and walked to the cocoons. She knocked on each of them twice before talking.
"Hello, new arrivals. I, as well as all of the Haibane welcome you to Old Home. You are very special. You are a Haibane. When you come, you may be scared but don't worry. We will help you through it. You are very special and I will take care of you to the best of my ability." she said to the cocoon, just as Reki had for her.
After Reki's day of flight had come, Rakka had taken over what she used to do. Now, it was her job to take care of the new arrivals.
"I hope that your dreams are pleasant. Please, enjoy them. You don't have to rush."
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A boy slightly opened his eyes and gasped. He was floating in the middle of a room and he was in pain.
"AHHHH!" he called out as pain seared throughout his body.
He fought and twisted back and forth, trying to get the pain to stop. But it would stop.
A man walked up behind him. He was shadowy and he couldn't see his face. "Don't fight it. Embrace it." he evilly.
"No! I don't want to!" the boy cried.
The man sighed. "Its your destiny. I'm sorry but you won't remember this but still, watch closely." and with that, millions of images flooded his mind at once. Each one was filled with pain.
The boy closed his eyes and didn't remember anything about his dream.
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The girl smiled happily as she looked around her. It seemed that there were mirrors all around her. She could see herself every where. And not everything she saw was about her. She saw some memories but she soon forgot them.
A pool of water appeared in front of her.
She walked up to it, hoping to see her true reflection.
Even with all the mirrors around her, she felt that none of them showed what she really looked like. The mirror images were distorted, fuzzy.
She knelt down and gasped. In front of her was a beautiful girl. She didn't believe that that was her. It wasn't.
The girl had long beautiful black hair. She had a sad look on her face but it soon change to a happy one.
The reflection changed.
A girl in boy's clothing stood by an old man. She was smiling and had grease all over her face.
Again, the reflection changed.
A girl that looked like a boy who was wearing a large hat was now showing. She jumped up and down but quickly disappeared.
A blond girl holding a metal case came next. She smiled then disappeared.
Lastly, a girl in a white dress and a brown coat came. She went from happy to depressed and then to happy again. She seemed to be talking to someone. Then she faded out as well.
The girl sat staring at the pool for a while until everything went dark.
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Kana sighed as she put her plate down. "I want more!" she complained.
Hikari rolled her eyes. "I told you, there is no more." she said for the fifth time.
Kana looked over at the cocoon. "I still can get the hammer, you know!" she jokingly said.
Nemu hit her. "They can hear you in there, you know." she sighed and shook her head.
Just after that, both of the eggs started to crack at the same time. They all looked at them just as they burst and the water came out. It came up to their knees.
A girl and a boy both fell out at the same time. The girl had long, white hair and they boy had messy black hair that came to his shoulders.
Rakka immediately took control. "Get both of them to the main room. They may wake up soon."
Everyone nodded and left. Well, everyone but Nemu. "I thought that they wouldn't send boys to Old Home. Normally, they would go to Abandoned Factory."
Rakka shrugged. "I'll have to ask the Renmei. They will know what to do. I'll ask tomorrow when I go to work."
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The boy groaned as he began to wake up. His eyes were fuzzy for a bit but soon they focused on where he was. He was in a large room that had a large table to one side.
"Oh good! Your awake!" a girl cried when she came over.
"Where am I?" he managed to croak out.
The girl kindly smiled at him. "First, can you……" was all she got out before three others burst into the room. They all started talking at once. "QUIET!" the first girl shouted. "Don't confuse him. Your sister woke up about an hour ago."
"My……sister?" he asked. He didn't remember anything about his past. He breathing started to get quick.
"Calm down. First, my name is Rakka." she started. A moaning came through the wall from the room next door.
"Oh, dear. Hansha's wings must be starting to come through. I'll go take care of her." an older lady said. She immediately left.
A blond girl came up to him. "Rakka, should I give him the halo?" she asked Rakka.
Rakka nodded. "We should get this done quickly, just in case his wings start to come in."
The girl came up to him. "I am Hikari. I give this halo to you, Haibane, to guide you." she pulled a dirty ring out of the case. "I'm sorry. It got a bit messed up."
The boy shrugged. "I don't care."
Hikari smiled at him. She reached out and put the halo over his head. It wobbled a bit before staying. "Don't touch. Its still hot."
He sighed. "I guess that's why I feel hot."
Rakka immediately walked forward. She put her hand on his forehead and sighed. "I had hoped that the fever wouldn't break out so soon. Everyone out. I can take care of this."
Everyone immediately left. Rakka turned to him. "Try to get a bit of sleep." she said.
He was asleep just as she said that. He didn't wake up until pain shot through his shoulders. He gasped in pain.
Rakka was immediately at his side. "It will hurt when the wing tips break your skin. Bit on this. Hurry." she held out her thumb, which was wrapped in cloth.
He quickly did as the pain came quicker. He felt something pushing at his skin and breaking through it. As his wings came all the way out, he screamed in pain before passing out.
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Rakka had gasped in fear when his wings had fully shown themselves. And she had thought that the sin-bound wings were scary.
They were larger than most wings. His wings were shaped strangly, like a bats almost. There were still feathers there but they were strangly shaped. They weren't fully shaped. Only the bottom half was showing and they were almost leathery. Part of them almost seem feathery but that might go away.
Rakka still cleaned the blood and grease away from his wings. She wanted his wings to still be clean.
She finished cleaning them and she yawned. She stood up just as someone knocked at the door. She stretched and walked over to the door. It was Nemu!
"Nemu!" Rakka exclaimed. "Your still awake?" she jokingly said.
Nemu glared at her. "How is he?" she asked.
Rakka sighed and let her in. "Look at his wings. Have you ever seen it before?" she asked Nemu.
Nemu gasped and shook her head. "You need to go. Now." she said.
Rakka was about to ask but she then saw a letter in Nemu's hand. "Is that from….."
Nemu nodded and handed her the letter.
Haibane Rakka.
You must immediately come to the Renmei as soon as you have received this letter. You will understand more when you arrive. Come even if is in the middle of the night.
The Haibane Renmei.
Rakka sighed. She had wanted to get some sleep. But she shouldn't make the Renmei wait, especially when they asked for her to come at anytime.
Nemu touched her shoulder. "Go. I'll take care of things here."
Rakka nodded. "I'll get him some clothes on my way back. Lets get some measurements quick."
They quickly took the boys measurements for his pants and shirt. She would let the shop owner take care of that. They walked outside and soon Rakka was at the Renmei building. She nodded to the guards and they let her by. She quickly walked to where the Head man was waiting.
"You may speak." he said. "The two new feathers have come and I am guessing that you are concerned about the boy."
Rakka swallowed a bit. "Why are his wings like they are?" she bluntly asked.
The man sighed. "I do not know. We are researching that. I know that he did not have a dream or that he has blocked it from his mind."
"But then what will his name be?"
"He will be Itami. Let me see that paper you have."
She handed him the paper and he wrote something on it. Then he handed it back to her.
"Please do not look at it. You did need his other measurements, right?"
She blushed a bit when she realized what he meant. "Thank you. And I am sure that Itami will be thankful as well."
He nodded. "His sister will come tomorrow but he will not. When you come to work in a week from today, bring him with you. He will help you with your job. Also, if he goes outside of old home, have him wear a backpack over his wings and a hat."
Rakka nodded. "Alright. Is there anything else?"
He shook his head no. "The store will be open by the time you get there. Good Bye." he said and he would talk to her anymore.
Rakka walked outside and saw that it was dawn. She slowly walked into town and, true to his word, the store was open. She walked in. She saw that the man had dozed of on his table.
He stirred a bit when she touched his shoulder. He looked up at her and blinked a bit. "What are you doing her so early?" he yawned as he stood up and stretched.
"I was running an errand and I need some clothes." she said.
He nodded. "So, are they for you?" he asked. "Or for someone else?"
Rakka shook her head a bit and grabbed the slip of paper.
He realized that the person was a boy. He was about to ask how she got those measurements but he realized that two different styles of writing were on there. He got some clothes that would fit him and handed them to her.
She handed him the slip of money and walked out of the store. She would get the backpack later. She walked back to old home and went into the main room and was surprised when she saw that no one was in there.
Nemu came into the room and stretched. "I moved him to a different room. I didn't think that anyone should see him yet."
Rakka nodded. "I'm going to lay down in the guest bed and sleep." and she did just that.
Later, when everyone came running in, they woke Rakka up.
She groaned and sat up. "You guys are too noisy." she complained.
Kana put her hands on her hips. "Well if we had known that you were in here, then we wouldn't have came barging in."
Nemu glared at her. "You shouldn't come barging in anyway." she said.
Kana stuck her tongue out at Nemu and before she could stop her, Nemu had poured hot tea over her tongue.
There was a laugh at the door. Hansha was standing in the doorway. Everyone smiled at her.
Rakka walked over to her. "Need any help with names?" she asked.
Hansha shook her head. "Nemu, Hikari, Kana, Rakka." she said, pointing to everyone.
Nemu nodded and reached into her pocket. She handed a letter to Hansha. "The Renmei wish to see you. Rakka will take you there after we get you some clothes."
Rakka walked out of the room and heard a slight moan in one of the rooms. She opened the door and saw the boy tossing and turning on the bed.
"Is he alright?" Kana said as she came up behind her.
Rakka looked back at her. "I'm not sure. Here, see for yourself but keep this quiet."
Hikari had followed Kana. "Keep what quiet?"
Rakka gave them a quick glare and they were quiet. Even though she was the youngest, she quickly took over what Reki used to do.
They both walked in and silently gasped. The boys wings were almost as large as his body and the top half seemed like leather. The bottom half looked like feathers, but they were also leathery.
Kana reached out to touch them but Rakka slapped her hand away. "Leave Itami's wings alone and lets let him rest." she said as she pushed them out of the room.
Kana glanced at her. "How do you know that his name is Itami?" she asked.
"I was summoned by the Renmei last night." Rakka said as they walked back to the main room. Rakka had went and got the dress that Reki had let her use. Kana and Hikari were quietly following her.
Hikari was the first to speak up. "So you went in the middle of the night?"
Rakka nodded. "And he gave me the boy's measurements and I went to get his clothes."
Kana slapped her forehead. "No wonder you were still asleep when we came in!"
Hikari gasped. "I'm so sorry. We woke you up, didn't we?"
Rakka didn't answer. "I'll take the girl to the store later and take her to see the Renmei when I go to work. Give this to her." she handed Hikari the dress before walking back towards the boy's room.
Kana was about to yell after her but Hikari pulled her into the main room.
When Rakka made it back to Itami's room, he was awake.
He gave her a bleary look. "Where am I?" he asked.
Rakka smiled at him. "Don't worry. You are at Old Home, with the Haibane."
Itami was still confused. "What's Haibane and that…….are those real?" he asked when he saw Rakka's wings move.
Rakka smiled. "Yes, they are. Just as yours are."
His eyes widened when he felt his wings move on his back. "What going on? Why can't I remember anything?" he said, panic rising in his voice.
Rakka reached her hand out to him. "None of us remember anything about who we were before coming to old home. We are called the Haibane because of our wings and halos. Our names come from the dreams we have in our cocoons. Oh, my name is Rakka, by the way."
He frowned. "But……"
She put her finger on his lips to get him to be quiet. "I know. Your name is Itami."
He nodded and yawned.
Rakka smiled at him. "Get some sleep." she stood to leave.
He grabbed onto her arm, not wanting her to leave for some reason.
She looked at him and saw fear written across his face. Something had him terrified. "Don't worry. I'll be here when you wake up."
He nodded and fell back asleep, with Rakka still holding his hand.