Disclaimer: I no own hatoful. Moa own hatoful.
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Truthfully, Sakuya hadn't believed that anyone would come to the wake. Besides he and Maman, that is. The students of St. Pigeonations, even those who had been in the same class as, even considered friends of, Yuuya had not been told of his death. The situation was suspicious as it was, and the Dove Party was doing everything they could to keep it under wraps. Tosaka's and the headmaster's deaths, as well as Kawara's supposed one, were known (except of course Kawara's mother, who had been told everything), but excuses had been made and governments intervened.
Monsieur Le Bel would not be attending, of course, and if he was not Sakuya's elder siblings would not be either.
So Sakuya was expecting a quiet, awkward affair with only he and Maman (with whom things were rather tense at the moment. Sakuya had told Maman immediately about his true parentage. He had expected confusion, yes, and surprise, but not horror. The elegant matriarch, trained in the ways of politics and public relations, had not outwardly shown her dismay, but it was there. Why, Sakuya had yet to understand completely, but it was another sharp pain to compile on top of all the others he had already accumulated), flanked by, of course, Albert, as well as Madam Le Bel's own bodyguard, Yamada Kayo, an unobtrusive-looking white-tailed kite.It had confused Sakuya, then, why a place had been rented.
As soon as he walked into the building he had understood.
The entire hall (relatively small, of course, compared to Sakuya's mansion, but still) was full. Not to the point of being uncomfortable, but there had to be at least forty or fifty people. Birds and humans. In a sudden panic, Sakuya scanned the crowd for a face, any face, he recognized.
There, in the corner – Leone. Ranting to a group of slightly bewildered birds of varying species was Higure. And the fantail making a rather large fuss over by the tables of food had to be Okosan.
"Mère, qu'est-ce qui-" he began, before he was interrupted by a bright blue kingfisher who had just flitted up, followed by a much larger and more sober-looking heron. Albert moved a little closer to Sakuya.
"Excuse me," the kingfisher said, his voice as bright as his plumage. "Are you Yuuya's family?"
"Er, yes," Sakuya managed. "What – I mean, who–" His mother looked equally confused.
"Oh, shoot!" the kingfisher exclaimed. "Did he not tell you – oh, I suppose he wouldn't have – well, no offense, but he said that you-"
The heron interrupted, her voice the exact opposite of the kingfisher – calm, slow, and deep. "Chika, calm down. You're scaring the boy."
The kingfisher, Chika, Sakuya corrected himself, looked down, embarrassed.
"Sorry, sorry!" he apologized quickly. "I tend to just talk and talk and go on for forever, and I-"
"Chika," the heron repeated, a little more forcefully. "I apologize, Mr. Shirogane, Madam Le Bel. I am Elizabeth Archer, and this is Chika Walker." She bowed politely, as Sakuya noted the foreign names and Elizabeth's odd, almost formal, Japanese.
"You were friends of Yuuya?" Madam Le Bel asked curiously.
"Yes, ma'am," chirped Chika. "We were in training together, and we stayed in contact!"
"Chika, they will not-" Elizabeth began, but Sakuya cut her off.
"You are a member of the Dove Party!" Sakuya realized with a start.
Are all of these people here for my brother? Sakuya thought, a strange feeling rising in his chest. I hardly knew him, and yet everyone here…
Chika jumped a little, his wings flapping. Elizabeth cocked her long neck, graceful and elegant in a different sort of way than Madam Le Bel. Sakuya had to fight the sudden urge to smile. The two foreigners were completely opposite in every way, and yet they fit perfectly.
"Yes, we are part of the European division. Has Yuuya told you, then?" Elizabeth asked, steadying herself.
Sakuya nodded. "A little, before he- I know he has been a field agent for a while, and the reason for his position at St. Pigeonations…"
"Is everyone here for him?" Madam Le Bel queried, and Sakuya frowned a little.
What a strange question to ask. Why else would they be here? Sakuya glanced at his mother, and blinked. She had her mask on, the expression she wore when she was dealing with especially straining politicians or other aristocracy. Is she annoyed with them? Or does the low-class of the company here repulse her…?
She wouldn't have cared once.
The train of thought hit Sakuya like… well, a train.
My mother once loved a commoner, loved him enough that she ignored their different classes, and her duties as a noble, to marry him. To have children with him.
I wonder when it was that she started to change…
"Yuuchan made a lot of friends!" Chika trilled, bouncing up and down again. (Albert and Yamada exchanged a brief look, and moved closer to their respective employers. It seemed they didn't completely trust the overly energetic kingfisher, though they remained silent as always.) "Some people here he worked with, some people he just knew from work, some people," he said, lowering his voice with a conspiratorial grin, "some people's lives he saved." Chika nodded cheerfully. "Everybody loves Yuuchan!'
Elizabeth nudged him, and Chika added, "Well, not everybody. You either love him or hate him, I think." He shrugged. "It's his personality, I think."
Sakuya grinned wryly. "Believe me, I understand."
"Remember the pink dye?" Chika asked, laughing.
Elizabeth smiled. "How could I have forgetten? Kurokawa was furious for months. She swears that her feathers still have a pink tinge, though I admit I do not see it."
Chika opened his beak to respond, but Madam Le Bel spoke first. "Is this really the right atmosphere for a wake?" Her voice was harsh and a little annoyed.
For a second, no one said anything. It was Elizabeth who broke the silence. "There will be time enough for sadness tomorrow, at the funeral. Today we remember Sakazaki Yuuya as he was."
"Yuuchan was always cheerful and happy," Chika replied. "Do you think he would have wanted us to be anything else today?" His words were solemn, though, and he gave Sakuya's mother an understanding, and sad, smile.
Madam Le Bel gave a regal nod, but Sakuya still saw her mask. "I see. If you will excuse me?"
Without waiting for an answer, she left the group, heading for the door. Yamada immediately followed her.
"Did I make her mad?" Chika asked worriedly. "I didn't mean to, I just-"
"I… it's fine." Sakuya suddenly felt heavy. "There's just a lot going on, right now."
Elizabeth lightly brushed his side with her wing, and Sakuya realized that she was the same age as Yuuya.
Her stoic and serene manner seems so adult, but she and Chika can't be much more than high school age. I wonder what their stories are. What everyone here's stories are. What led them to try to bridge the gap between humans and birds? Why did they join so young, like Yuuya? Why would the Dove Party accept them?
I suppose they must be desperate, he thought, a little sadly. How many birds would risk their lives for a human?
And how could I have been so blind, especially in regard to my own brother?
My own mother, Yuuya's own mother, can't even stay for his funeral.
"Coooooo!" (Okosan knew he recognized this scent!) A huge white thing barreled into Sakuya. The French fantail found himself on the ground, Okosan sitting atop him.
"You should not dwell too long in the shadows of that which could not have been, Hallowed Magician of White," another familiar voice spoke. A red-breasted Luzon hopped up next to them. Chika was sniggering, and Elizabeth's eyes were wide.
Great. Just what I need. Sakuya groaned and let his head drop.
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Thanks much for reading! Ugh, I'm exhausted… I'm in a play, and we had two performances yesterday… I hope you'll forgive me for adding Chika and Elizabeth… I just feel like Yuuya would have made some friends during his time as an agent. He is kinda awesome, you know. They won't be main characters, but they may show up now and then.