Disclaimer: These characters belong to numerous Japanese publishing entities, such as Sukehiro Tomita, Nao Yazawa, Tenyu, and Shogakukun. You'll notice how none of those are me. Not responsible for epileptic seizures or allergic reactions. May contain eye-and-brain-bleeding levels of radioactive ANGST and/or peanut products. Please sit a reasonable distance from your computer screen.
Author's Note: ADV (and several other sources) list the second major villain's name in the TV series as "Sandra". The manga, however, has it written as "Thundora". Since there's no "thu/tha" sound in Japanese, "sa" is usually used as a substitute, so technically both would be correct. I chose to use "Thundora" here, as it actually makes sense in context. Eh, he's only got one line, anyway.
Warnings: Alt universe, het (Viento/Peach), dark, ANGST, violence, gore, character death (implied, non-graphic), bondage
Broken Wings: Chapter Two
The Devils' Plaything
By Crystal Dawn Phoenix
After all was said and done, there was a bit of a last-minute bustle to get Momoko ready for her impending trip. Celeste had procrastinated so long in choosing that there wasn't much time left between the drawing and the departure. All there was really time for was for Momoko to get dressed and to throw together what she'd need for her stay. Even that turned into an escapade, each of her friends losing her bearing in turn and making a general mess of things.
As it was, Momoko stood now in the court situated before Aphrodite's palace. The wind had picked up considerably over the course of the day, and now, near sunset, it whipped her gown around her ankles and her hair and veil around her eyes. As she scanned the darkening grey skies with her mother and friends, she wished she could bring herself to fidget - to bite her nails or play with her hair or anything, just to take some of the pressure away. All she could manage to do, however, was to clutch the bouquet tighter still in her hands. They would be here soon. He would be here soon. Momoko felt like she wanted to sit down.
Suddenly, for quite possibly the first time, she felt very self-conscious about her dress. She found herself wishing for the plain white robes she'd packed into her yellow overnight bag, for anything that would make her less conspicuous. However, part of the agreement was that the chosen angel would be sent down in whatever their finest clothing was. For Momoko, this fine clothing just happened to be her Love Angel bridal gown.
Why this was part of the strange agreement in the first place had always puzzled the other angels. There were a couple of other questions that no one knew the answer to, as well. For instance, why didn't the demons simply kill all of them in the first place? And why did they only want to take one of their number every year? These things simply made no sense to Momoko; all she knew was that to defy their 'treaty' was to risk certain death for herself and the other angels. And this made her even more nervous - was it possible that she could mess this up?
A sudden flash of lightening and peel of thunder broke Momoko's reverie. The wind gained speed and intensity as she and her friends stared ahead, transfixed. Suddenly, a man was standing before them, where only a second ago there had been no one.
Momoko knew this man - this demon. She recognized the embroidered blue jacket, the shaggy green hair, the piercing blue eyes. He hadn't changed since she'd last seen him, at this same time the year before.
"Pluie," Hinagiku spat under her breath. Even in subjugation, she couldn't disguise her loathing for their old enemy.
The demon in question glanced at her, smiling the smile that only those in complete control of a situation can understand. He presently returned his attention to the party's representative.
"Pluie-sama," Celeste said softly, her right hand covering her heart as she bowed her head, eyes falling shut. For as polite as Celeste was bound by decree to be to the demon, the three girls surrounding her and Momoko were just as disrespectful in their countenances. Each glared daggers at him, not bothering to hide their disgust.
Far from angering or intimidating the green-haired demon, however, all the Love Angels' angry stares served to do was embolden him. He regarded Celeste with a patronizing smirk before turning to her daughter.
"Good evening, Celeste," Pluie said, "I see you've chosen this year's... ambassador." Hinagiku gritted her teeth; Pluie knew damned good and well that what Momoko was going to be was no 'ambassador'. She leaned forward a second before Yuri placed a firm hand on her wrist. Any misbehavior now could end in disaster.
"Yes," Celeste replied simply, raising her head again to meet Pluie's eyes. Pluie's smile became absolutely predatory.
"And if it isn't Wedding Peach," he continued, his voice clearly mocking the angels before him, "It's been a long time, hasn't it?" Momoko gave him a stand-offish look, hoping he maintained his distance. Why couldn't they have sent a different demon this year at least?
As Pluie reached lazily for Momoko, Celeste stepped between them, eyes suddenly alive and challenging.
"After a year," Celeste said firmly, "She can come back. Those are the terms of our agreement, are they not?"
"Of course," Pluie replied, his tone dripping condescension, "If she survives, we'll send her back in exchange for next year's angel." Celeste seemed to relax only a little. "Now if you're done being rebellious," Pluie continued, a bit of a sneer creeping into his voice, "You can say your goodbyes. We've got to be on our way."
Celeste turned to her daughter. There was so much she wanted to say to her, so much she just didn't have time for. Instead, she took the girl into her arms and rested her head upon her shoulder.
"Stay strong," she whispered, "And come back to us. If anyone can do it, it's you." Unable to contain themselves, Yuri, Hinagiku, and Scarlet each threw their arms around their smaller friend.
"Don't let them beat you," Hinagiku said, shutting her eyes against the tears.
"We'll pray for you," Yuri added, almost choking on tears of her own.
"If you die, I'll never forgive you," Scarlet offered, her voice stern.
"Mama," Momoko said softly, "Everyone. I love you all. Wait for me?" The other four women nodded solemnly at her.
"Now that that's over with," Pluie spoke up, his countenance quite disinterested, "I believe it's time to go." The group looked up at him, their attention diverted from the tearful farewell.
Suddenly, Momoko felt something cold and heavy settle around her neck. It was tight, but not constrictingly so, and as she looked down, she could see a black leash leading from her to Pluie's hand. Her eyes widened in fear as one hand shot up to investigate what she determined to be a collar circling her throat.
"Come along now, little Love Angel," he sneered, his obvious contempt seeping through his voice. Momoko gasped as she was jerked forward by a firm tug of Pluie's hand. As she broke away from the cluster of her mother and friends, she could feel thick, wet clouds sweeping up around her feet. Straining her ensnared neck to turn back to catch a last glimpse of them, Momoko saw the Angelic World obscured from her vision by the billowing, dark clouds.
Celeste watched, unmoving, as her daughter vanished from sight into the cloud bank. As soon as she could no longer see the girl's figure through the thick veil of mist, however, she finally allowed the oppressive weight of the entire situation to settle on her. It hammered her to her knees as she covered her face with her hands and began to cry. The three young women surrounding her knelt beside her, each leaning in to comfort her with their embrace.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Elsewhere, the clouds obscuring Momoko's vision cleared, revealing to her what seemed to be an endless, darkening, overcast sky. She looked down to see cobblestones enshrouded in mist beneath her feet. An unending fog seemed to be rolling in from somewhere indeterminate, covering almost completely what appeared to be the bridge that Pluie and Momoko were standing on. At least she thought it was a bridge; there were inornate stone railings on either side, but past that there was nothing but an expanse of thick grey cloud.
Momoko looked ahead to the demon holding the black lead as he walked confidently through the fog. "What is this place?" she asked, more than a little nervous. Pluie didn't bother looking back.
"It is only a corridor between the Angelic World and the Human Plane," he answered simply, "And... who told you you could speak?" Momoko felt the lead tighten painfully around her neck as she was dragged forward half a pace. She... wasn't allowed to speak? Momoko thought she caught a glimpse of an awful smirk on Pluie's face. Was he only acting like this because he hated her? Was this part of what they planned on doing with her?
She looked forward through the fog, the greys and charcoals and nearly-blacks, while the worst feeling of loneliness and despair overtook her senses. The reality had finally settled on her; it was all over. The overwhelming possibility was that her life would end in the demons' custody. There was going to be nothing else for her; she'd never fall in love, have a family of her own, be kissed, or even get married. All things considered, she found that to be the biggest and cruelest irony; an angel named Wedding Peach was never going to get married. And almost as if to confirm everything she'd just thought, she could feel Pluie's hatred as a small buzzing in the back of her mind. Was it this place, or was it him?
Momoko walked forward robotically, trying not to feel the hopelessness that had begun to surround her. Before she knew it, the cobblestones beneath her feet had turned to concrete, the dark, foggy bridge having given way to a dark, humid alleyway. Was this the Earth now?
The first thing she noticed was the heat. Momoko knew that it was the first official day of summer, but it still felt too hot to her - especially since the sun had already set. The air seemed thick, too, almost like breathing water. It seemed to settle on her skin, crawling inside her lungs and making her gasp for her first few breaths of air.
There was nothing to see in the alley they'd appeared in yet, though; it was all dark, except for the burning orange light at the end. As they walked toward it, Momoko wondered if it was perhaps the light from streetlights. Did they still have streetlights? Electricity? Drawing closer to the exit of the alley, it seemed as though the light was too bright to have been made by simple electric lamps. There was also a noise from the end of the alley, like a dull roar or a waterfall that grew louder as they moved forward.
As they emerged from the shelter of the darkened alley, the heat, light, and noise hit Momoko full-force. Gasping, she shielded her eyes from the bright orange bonfires that burned on either side of the thoroughfare they'd come out upon. People (were they humans or demons? Momoko couldn't tell) lined the wide road they'd stepped onto, yelling and beating on the drums containing the tall, roaring fires. They blurred together, forming an unintelligible mass of angry noise and violent motion, making Momoko's head almost spin.
Pluie led a reluctant Momoko toward the middle of the road. Off in the distance down the road to her left, Momoko could see a large, imposing building, shaped something like a large compound surrounding an ornate church. Much like the street she and Pluie were now walking on, it was lit by fires, the contrast between the brightness of the fire and the deepness of its shadows making it look even more ominous. It also struck her as being very familiar for some reason, but she wasn't sure exactly why. Naturally, that was the direction that Pluie decided to lead her in.
"They're all here for you, you know," Pluie said abruptly, strangely audible above the den of the frenetic crowd that had surrounded them as they made their way down the street. Or rather, had surrounded Momoko; the on-lookers seemed to be getting closer to her, but Pluie was strangely left to walk unhindered.
"What do you mean?" she asked, unable to contain the question. This time, Pluie didn't seem to mind. He even smirked a bit.
"They come out like this every year," Pluie replied. Momoko suddenly found the calm and clear tone of his voice to be very unsettling. "They want to see the angel pass through," he continued with a bit of a sneer, "And to thank her for her 'help' in the previous year." Momoko's eyes shot open as she realized what he was talking about.
"But we're on their side!" she cried, the reason for the crowd's angry demeanor dawning on her at last, "We tried to save them! Why would they hate us?" As she took another step forward to follow Pluie, though, Momoko felt her dress snag on something from behind. Looking back, she saw that one of the people from the crowd had planted his foot on the hem of her pink petticoat, pinning it to the ground. As Pluie continued to drag her forward, the man's foot didn't move. The momentary tug-of-war almost caused Momoko to stumble, but the dress gave way before her knees did and she continued to move with Pluie. The throng surrounding her seemed to grow louder and more raucous as they realized that they'd succeeded in ripping her gown.
"Their lives are miserable," Pluie said, not a little bit of amusement in his tone, "They have to hate someone. Better it be those who failed to save them than those they serve." Momoko wanted to protest and tell him that humans weren't really like that, that they knew better, but before she had the chance, she felt a hand clawing at her right sleeve. It cut through the thin satin sleeve and Momoko was certain that it had pierced her skin (was that person holding a knife?). She let out a startled yelp only a second before Pluie continued on, taking her with him.
Momoko looked down the long road before her at what she was certain was her goal - the imposing "palace" far down at the end of the road. It seemed to actually shimmer in the distance because of the heat. Or perhaps it was because Momoko herself was feeling a little more dizzy now, she wasn't sure.
Again, she felt another hand grab at her, this one ripping the bow from her chest. Squealing, Momoko clutched at her neckline, unwilling to let it be pulled off as well. And since it was now an easy target, another hand pulled the bouquet away from her. Momoko reached futilely for it as it hit the ground and was trampled underfoot by the frothing crowd. As she looked over them, however, her eyes hit upon a far-off sidewalk to the side of the road. There, she was surprised to see a figure in a long, blue coat and hat, calmly watching the entire affair. Before she could wonder about it, however, Pluie pulled her farther forward.
All the way to the gates of the imposing compound, the crowd besieged Momoko. They tore, tripped, snatched, ripped, and raged at her, more than once bringing her to the verge of tears. The heels on both of her shoes had snapped, causing her to discard them halfway there. She'd walked the rest of the way barefoot, the dirty streets digging into her feet; she was certain that they, too, were bleeding now.
The rest of her outfit wasn't doing much better; her dress was in tatters, covering barely more than her plain white robes did now. Somehow, she'd managed to keep her tiara on her head, but her veil had definitely seen better days. Scratches and cuts had found themselves all along the length of Momoko's arms and legs where the crowd had torn her dress.
As they neared what appeared to Momoko to be a palace, though, the crowd had dispersed. She got the impression that they were too afraid of the building to even approach it. She almost found herself glad to be in the shadow of such a scary place if it meant that crowd would leave her alone. As Pluie went about opening the gates, Momoko looked hazily up at the grounds beyond, clutching her overnight bag to her chest. A shock of recognition ran through her. Yes, this place was very familiar indeed.
They were standing at the gates of Saint Hanazono campus.
Momoko stared ahead, too stunned and dizzy to do much else. Her eyes followed the starkly lit pathway of torches up to what she remembered as being the school's gymnasium - was she being taken there? The other parts of the campus that she could see seemed to be in total disrepair (or perhaps they'd been trashed on purpose?). A couple of walls in her line of sight were beginning to crumble and there wasn't a living plant or tree in sight. She could barely see the church in any detail, but it also seemed to have suffered the same fate; she could tell at least that the beautiful stained glass windows she remembered had been broken out. Had they desecrated the entire campus?
Before she had a chance to take in any more, the lead began to dig into Momoko's neck once again as Pluie led her forward. As they walked along the harshly lit path toward the gym, she wondered nervously what was going to happen to her. She also couldn't help but wonder exactly why the Demons had chosen this school, of all places, to set up their command center; it just didn't make any sense.
What was worse, Momoko could swear she was seeing small shadows moving out of the corner of her eye. No, that wasn't quite right - she knew she was seeing something moving in the shadows. The torchlight was reflecting in their small, narrow eyes. Worse yet, she realized she could hear hissing. For once, she hoped they could hurry to whatever fate it was that awaited her; just about anything would be safer than the trip there.
Finally, after holding her breath for what felt like several minutes, they reached the large double doors of the gymnasium. Momoko watched, half terrified, half curious, while Pluie pushed the doors open. The smell of smoke and burning fuel wafted out of the open doors, causing Momoko's eyes to water. There was no time to focus on the discomfort, though, as Pluie pulled her through into the large building.
As Momoko's eyes adjusted to the lack of light, she realized that the room barely resembled the gymnasium she remembered. The only thing that was like she remembered it was the hardwood floor, and even that was chipped and dull. Other than that, a darkness seemed to linger about the edges of the room, making it seem to go on forever. At the end of the room opposite her, she could make out the figures of five or six people (demons?) sitting at a long table draped in a dark cloth.
Worst of all, though, was the atmosphere of the room; in addition to the fumes from the dim torches that stood along the edges of the room, there was something more oppressive in here than out in the street. It wasn't exactly heat, though, it was closer to a palpable feeling of nervousness, of pure fear. She was no doubt in the presence of a host of very powerful demons. Were they here just to greet her? The feeling of dizziness crested like a wave, washing over Momoko as she looked toward the panel that was currently staring her down.
In the weak light, Momoko thought she could make out the figures of two women; one she thought might be Aquelda, Pluie's old accomplice. The other, a woman with pale purple hair, was one she had never seen before, but she thought that the other woman looked quite interested in her. Neither did she recognize anyone else at the table; as she looked from end to end, her head swam again. She could see a red headed man regarding her with disinterest at one place at the table. Another, a man with either blue or green hair - she couldn't tell quite which in this light - seemed attentive, but not at all friendly. The last one (she thought, anyway - it was getting hard to keep count) was another man, this one with large shoulder guards and disheveled brown hair; the pointed stare he'd fixed her with made her more than a little nervous. Almost reflexively, Momoko's arms wandered up to shield her body from their stares; why did they have to look at her like that when she looked so ridiculous?
The doors clicked shut behind Momoko. It seemed like the air in the room had stopped escaping through them and was now building up, growing heavier around her, weighing her down. Could it be the demons' power? Was their hatred that tangible? Suddenly, Momoko felt a hand on her back, pushing her forward and down. With a startled gasp, she fell to her knees, feeling them rub painfully against the wooden floor. Looking back, she could see Pluie glowering over her.
"Show some respect," he sneered, "From now on, you're always to be on your knees when entering the presence of your betters." Momoko stared up at him, unsure of how, or even if, she should respond. Another second went by and his hand fixed upon the top of her head, pushing it down towards the floor. Momoko steadied herself against the floor with her hands to keep from slamming into it face-first. "You're also never to stare at your betters," he continued, punctuating the words harshly, "Do I make myself clear?"
"Y-yes," she answered, trying to make her voice as audible as possible. Why was he doing this? Momoko was beginning to feel nauseous as well as confused.
"'Yes' what?" Pluie hissed. Momoko searched her mind frantically, trying to find the correct answer.
"I... I don't know!" she said, unable to come up with anything in her panicked state. Pluie's hand clenched shut, pulling Momoko's hair, the pins from her tiara digging painfully into her scalp. She was too frightened and dizzy to do anything more than wince and close her eyes.
"'Yes, Pluie-sama'," he dictated, "You will always address your betters with the utmost respect. Is this clear?"
"Yes, Pluie-sama," Momoko managed to choke out. Thankfully, he released her hair for giving the correct answer. Momoko opened her eyes again, focusing intently on the floor, as her hands wandered up to her tender scalp.
Pluie stood upright beside Momoko again, turning toward the front of the room. A crackling noise that reminded Momoko of electricity resounded from the direction of the table. Then the room was dead silent. A wave of heaviness hit her as though whatever had just appeared was carrying it with them, making it yet more difficult to breathe. Momoko chanced a quick glance up; what she saw made her suck her breath in with a gasp.
Behind the table at the far end of the room, the transparent image of a woman, obviously another demon, had appeared. This one, though, was far more imposing than the rest of those gathered in the room - she was almost larger than life. Her alabaster skin stood out against the darkness, the golden crown of thorny spires on her head framing her round face. Obsidian hair spilled over her shoulders and cloak, tied loosely at the ends on either side. She looked down at Momoko, making the girl feel suddenly very cold all over. Momoko quickly looked toward the floor lest Pluie accuse her of staring again. Could this be Reine Devilla?
As if to answer her question, she heard a rustle of fabric beside her as Pluie placed his right hand over his chest and bowed. "Reine Devilla-sama," he said calmly, returning to his normal posture, "I present to you this year's Midsummer offering from the Angel World, Wedding Peach." There was a tone of satisfaction to his voice that made Momoko even more nervous. What kind of 'offering' was he talking about? She couldn't help but think that it sounded like they were going to eat her.
"Ohh?" the Queen responded, her voice as cutting as a cold knife, "Splendid. I shall enjoy watching this. You've done well this year, Pluie. You are to be commended."
"Thank you, my Queen," he replied. It barely registered with Momoko when Pluie walked past her toward the table. When she realized that was what he was doing, though, she dared to sneak a glance after him. He seated himself between Aquelda and the demon with brown hair that she'd noticed before. Momoko also noted with some dismay that he was still staring at her before she returned her gaze to the floor.
"Wedding Peach!" the imposing woman across the room boomed at Momoko. Startled, she looked up. As soon as she did, she regretted doing so, as another wave of dizziness hit her. She reeled for a second before gathering her bearings enough to respond.
"Y-yes, Reine Devilla-sama," she answered, not sure whether to look up at the spectral image of the Queen or to look at the floor again. After a few seconds, Pluie's instructions won out and she looked down at the floor beneath her again.
"Do you know why you are here?" the Queen asked, her voice reverberating in Momoko's head, which was actually starting to hurt. Confused, once again, Momoko couldn't think of anything.
"No, Reine Devilla-sama," she said wearily. Everything was starting to feel very fuzzy to her for some reason.
"You are here," the Queen began, "As a tribute from the angel race to their masters. Until next June 21st, you belong to the demon race, to do with as we please." Momoko could feel her heart race. She belonged to them?
"Every demon will be your master," Reine Devilla continued, "From myself down to the lowliest Ojama, you will obey all orders given to you by a demon. Any of us are able to mete out punishment to you if you disobey, or for any reason we see fit, or for no reason at all." Momoko stared, wide-eyed, at the wooden floor. She was going to be a slave to the demon race, probably until she died. The thought ran screaming through her head, almost drowning out the sound of the Queen's voice.
"We will provide you with your own sleeping space and food," the Queen went on, her voice almost becoming one long drone to Momoko, "Which can also be taken away if you misbehave. Our kindness and patience are both quite limited. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Reine Devilla-sama," Momoko responded weakly. She wanted nothing more than to be out of that room at that moment. Even so, she didn't think she could stand and walk out of there under her own power, anyway. The entire room felt like it was swimming around her at the moment, and she had suddenly begun to feel very sleepy.
"Very well," the Queen said as she turned back to the table of demons seated before her. "Decide amongst yourselves who will take the angel to her quarters. Instruct her as to what is expected of her behavior and the consequences for failing to meet those expectations."
"Yes, Reine Devilla-sama," Pluie replied. The apparition smirked at her servants before disappearing in a flicker. Pluie turned back to face Momoko, who was still sitting on her knees, head down, propped forward on her hands.
"Wedding Peach," Pluie called. Momoko opened her mouth to reply, but couldn't find the strength to form the words. Desperate, she looked across the room to see Pluie wearing that awful smirk again. "Feeling tired?" he asked, his tone mocking her.
Momoko tried to focus her eyes on Pluie, but couldn't quite seem to do it. As her vision shifted from side to side, the darkness in the corners of the room seemed to be coming closer to her. After one more vague feeling of dread, the entire room seemed to go black.
There was a rustle of fabric as the pink-haired angel slumped forward to the cold floor, falling over her yellow dufflebag. Across the room, the table of demons regarded her with some amusement. Pluie himself could no longer contain his own amusement, a peel of laughter shaking his body as he leaned back in his chair.
"Love Angel indeed," he said, the laughter barely subsiding as his hand covered his face, "Oh, the mighty Wedding Peach!" He failed to notice the deadly glare he was receiving from the brunette seated to his left.
"She lasted longer than last year's angel," the purple haired woman commented over the laughter, almost innocently, "See?" The red-haired man beside her placed his palms against the table and pushed himself up, standing to leave.
"It's the same damned thing every year," he said caustically, "I don't even know why I have to be here. I'm gone." Not even bothering to push his chair in, he turned to go, flicking his dark cloak behind him and disappearing into the darkness. The purple-haired woman turned as well, rising to follow him.
"Ii-sama!" she cried, disappearing as well, "Don't go without me, see?" Pluie's laughter had finally died and the remaining four demons sat in silence for a moment, waiting for one of their number to speak.
"Ignis is right," the demon at the end of the table with the teal green hair finally spoke, "There's no reason for me to stay, either." Pluie gave a dismissive wave of his hand as this demon vanished as well.
"No, there's not, Thundora," Pluie remarked, "I can ta..." He was interrupted as the brown-haired man beside him rose.
"I'll take her," the brunette said firmly. The tone of his voice left no room for argument, and neither did the look he was giving Pluie. Pluie returned his glare in kind as he left the table and walked toward Peach.
"Oi," Pluie said, the amusement gone from his voice, "Don't let your emotions get the better of you, Half." Although he didn't stop or turn around, Pluie could tell he'd touched a nerve with the darker-haired man. That thought made the edges of his mouth turn up a bit in some semblance of a smirk.
"Ohh?" the brunette sneered as he bent over to pick Peach's lead up off the floor, "Being a full-blooded demon didn't seem to keep Wedding Peach from kicking your ass, did it?" He wrapped the black strap around his hand a few times, leaving only a few centimeters between his hand and Peach's neck. As Pluie fumed across the room from them, he hoisted Peach's still form up over his right shoulder, leaving her to rest with her back pressed against his.
"You..." Pluie growled, presumably too angry to finish his sentence. Not that the brunette particularly cared; he stooped to fetch the yellow dufflebag before heading toward the double doors of the gym.
"Glad you agree," he remarked smugly, tossing a smirk over his shoulder at the older demon, "Later." Before any more barbs could be exchanged, he made a quick exit from the gym.
Once outside, the brunette seemed to relax a bit. He exhaled, almost as if he'd been straining himself the entire time he'd been around the others; to be sure, that was what it felt like. A second later, he remembered the girl draped across his back. Surely that collar was cutting off her air supply with the callous way he'd picked her up. He'd felt bad for doing that to her, but there was no way he could pick her up gently without drawing Pluie's suspicion; hell, maybe he'd already drawn it anyway. He immediately descended the small flight of stairs in front of the gymnasium and let her slide to the pavement behind him.
Turning back to check on her, he was relieved to find that she was still breathing. Her breath was probably a little heavier than it should've been, but that was understandable, all things considered. Scooping the angel up in his arms (he still had trouble thinking of her as an angel - what the hell was going on here, anyway?), he could get a better look at her face.
She looked older and more grown up and maybe a bit thinner, but yes, it was definitely her.
"Momoko..."
