A Moonlit Night and A Good Smoke
Valdescir stood upon the Third Hokage's forehead, having himself a smoke. The moon was out tonight, briefly illuminating his exhalations before they dispersed. All the talk of war in the morning had left him tense, and sometimes, a smoke was all you needed.
He felt air rush out from behind him, and the rustle of feathers that accompanied them. He didn't have to turn around to know who it was.
"What is it Remiel?"
Remiel looked at his mentor, the man who gave him a chance to redeem himself and others, and saw the tension in his tall frame. He hadn't seen him this riled since the War of the Lions a few missions back.
But he hadn't come here to muse upon past missions.
"The Council is requesting your presence, Valdescir. It appears you've turned into an asset for them."
Valdescir managed a small smile.
"No doubt thanks to Kakashi's recommendation. Tell 'em I'll be right with them, as soon as I finish this stick."
Remiel was silent for a moment, Valdescir assumed he gave a nod, and the wind rushed out from behind him once more. A softer breeze blew behind him, and it made him smile.
"You're getting better at the flying thing now, Hinata. I barely sensed you."
He could feel her cheeks redden from the compliment, even with his back turned. After all the time Remiel's been with her, she was still a bit of a wallflower. He couldn't blame him or her, some things just didn't change. And some things did.
Hinata shed the bulky, thick hoodie she always wore, and has since been wearing the white sleeveless hoodie & pants that hugged her voluptuous form. He could remember when flowing robes had been standard dress code for angels…
Oh, how times change.
"Remiel's been teaching me rather well, Valdescir-kun, thank you for the compliment." She said in that soft, meek voice of hers.
"Kid, if I know you, and I'm not saying that I do, but I'm pretty sure you wouldn't come up here for a reason."
The cigarette's flavor changed subtly, the mark that the good stuff had burned through, and he was halfway down his stick.
"So spill." Said Valdescir, wondering if he should rescind his word to Remiel, and light one more stick.
A moment of silence passed between them, and then Hinata spoke.
"I want to thank you."
Valdescir was taken aback by this, and released a breath he did not know he was holding.
"Ohh, kid, you scared me for a sec back there, I thought you were gonna ask about forbidden knowledge, or how to unlo-…Yeah, I should stop there. Well, in any case, you should be thanking Remiel, he gave you your second chance."
Valdescir could clearly remember speaking those words a long time ago, to a young man who had lost all hope once. The cigarette changed flavor not-so-subtly, and he could swear he could taste the filter. He was three-fourths through the cigarette. He didn't have time for musings and reminiscing.
"No, Valdescir-kun, I remember not so long ago, that you told Remiel that you had sent him here as a vacation, and if not for you, I wouldn't have met him. So again, I thank you." Valdescir finally turned, and saw her rising from a rather deep bow.
"No need for such formalities, kiddo, we are both equals…and 'sir' makes me feel old. Go on, enjoy the night while it is young, I have a meeting to attend to."
Hinata spread her wings, grey they were, and not white, for she was not wholly angel. She thrust them down, and soared upward into the night sky.
Valdescir stood there, watching the spot that Hinata flew up into, gave one last puff, and flicked the cigarette off into the village, though it probably wouldn't make it that far.
"Wars always get me riled up...there's never time to smoke in one." He bemoaned to himself.
He gave a sigh as he took off into the night, his wings glowing softly as he flew, like an earthbound star.
Rudra had walked out of Konoha.
She could not risk being seen in the air, now that there was a total of three angels in the village, travelling by air out of Konoha was dangerous, especially if they knew where she headed.