"I'm sorry, I'm sorry Sasuke..." Mother sobbed while she hugged me so tight that I could hear my bones sing in pain from the pressure. Her smell was a combination of sweat and something sour and foul to the nose.

"Mommy, you smell bad. Why're you cryin'? Did the bad man come and scare you again?"

I looked up and all I could see was her frail thin neck. She was trembling. I was trembing too, for how could I not? I should do what mommy does too. I'm her son after all.

."I'm sorry I can't take you with me. Mommy's going to fly away. Mommy's going to fly away just like I told you."

I got scared. Mommy's flying away sooner than what she'd told me before.

You see, mommy's not from this world. She doesn't belong here and I know that too because no matter where she was, mommy always looked so out of place.

I asked her once why she's always cryin' whenever daddy laughed, or why she laughed whenever daddy got angry or why, whenever I'd cry she would always come running to my side, ready to kiss my tears away and magically they would be gone.

"That's because I'm a fairy Sasuke." She answered while slicing the chicken for dinner, I would always look at what she was doing in the kitchen even though my eyes could barely peer over the sink.

Chop. Chop.

"A fairy? Of what?"

Chop. Chop.

"Of tears..." She smiled. "Some fairies take a tooth from under the pillow, some put sand in your eyes to fall asleep, but I kiss the tears away and make them mine, that's how I've lived all this time."

Chop. Chop.

"Why do you cry too?"

Chop. Chop.

"It's a part of me Sasuke. But let me give you this magic of mine... close your eyes and once you open them you will never shed a single drop of tear again. Now listen closely... it's a magic spell."

CHOP.

She whispered lots of things of which I didn't understand but there was one word I did know once I heard it.

"Why do you have to go now? Won't you say goodbye to Naruto and daddy? Daddy's not home, you should wait for him before you go..."

"Shhh... If anyone other than you sees me now I'll disappear, do you want me to disappear, Sasuke?"

"No? But you'll be gone anyway... mommy, take me with you?"

"I can't Sasuke."

"But why?"

"Because even with wings you can never escape."

I breathed in a lungful of air the moment she let go, and in the darkness of our cage, she opened the window and flew away.

THUD.

"Mmnnn... Sasuke, what're you doin'? What's that noise? Did you fall from the bed?"

"Just a bird."

"Lame. Just sleep already."

"Okay."

I think my friend is a fairy too. He was like mommy in many ways, and one day, he'll fly away too but I'm the only one who knows so don't tell him that.

It's our secret.

Just that there won't be any windows next time.