Disclaimer: I don't own Angelic Layer
On Angels Wings
By: Lirial Raito
Chapter 3
The air was thick and heavy, causing Umi to move sluggishly. She didn't recognize where she was, only that she was alone. All around her white feathers fall around, blanketing the ground in a soft white bed. The white feathers were soothing, and she longed to lie down and let her young heart be soothed and unburdened.
Yet always another part of Umi refused to be soothed, refused to be unburdened. She was alone in this white-feathered darkness, no one to lean on, and no one there to care. She thought maybe, at one point in time, she had been able to come here with other people, but now she doubted that anyone but her had ever come here.
She walked on for a small eternity in this strange place, memories stirring in the back of her mind unbidden. She stopped as she tried to gather these memories to her, but each one slipped away like water through her fingers.
Frustrated tears slid down her cheeks, to fall onto the feathers piled upon the ground. Each tear formed a small pillar of ice, until she was surrounded in a prison of ice crystals. Bitterly she reached for the edges of the ice, only to be forced to pull back numb hands laced with cuts. The ice was sharp… slowly the numbness spread throughout her body, capturing everything but a small corner of her heart. There a single feather fell and landed, reminding her abruptly of Hikaru's wings. And in that once spot, heat and hope remained.
= = = = = = = = = = = =
A week after they're first practice together, Tamayo met Umi in the Piffle Princess for a real match, a match that would gain one of them points for angel rewards.
Haruka rushed at Usagi, only to have Usagi slip aside at the last moment and catch Haruka's neck in the crook of Usagi's neck. Usagi shifted her balance quickly, lowering her center of gravity. Since Usagi had stayed near the edge of the Layer, she was able roll onto her back and kick Haruka out of the Layer.
Hotaru raised her hand up, "Usagi wins!"
Umi picked Haruka up and bit her lip hard. The fight hadn't even last three minutes, all because she had expected her superior speed to beat Usagi. *** Stupid Umi! You knew better, you knew not to underestimate her agility! Shimatta!!! ***
Outwardly she smiled evenly, and shook Tamayo's hand. "Congratulations Tamayo-san. You and your angel shine together." Tamayo smiled and gave Umi a slight hug, "you do too Umi-chan, very much so. I think you let me win, ne?"
Misaki, Hotaru, and Kotaru laughed at this, and Umi's smile became more strained. "If you say so. And if you'll excuse me, I need to go home."
Umi ran off and caught the elevator before the others could go after her. They looked at each other, confused. "What's with her?" asked Tamayo, "she can't seem to take a joke at all!"
Hotaru shrugged, "I don't know, she's always so cheerful in class…"
Misaki frowned after the younger girl, the brightened, "Let's try to catch her and follow her home!"
Tamayo and Kotaru agreed easily enough, but Hatako hesitated. "I don't think she would like that. Her family seems to value privacy a great deal. I don't want her to be mad at me in school. She's one of the few people who don't seem to mind that I skipped a grade, even though I devote so much time to angelic layer."
Misaki ruffled Hatako's hair affectionately. "Don't worry, we won't do anything to upset her."
With that Misaki, Tamayo, and Kotaru left the Piffle Princess to find and follow Umi.
= = = = = = = = = = = =
She knocked on her door, as her habits dictated, then inserted her key and unlocked the door. She entered and shut the door, locking it behind her. Slowly she walked into the kitchen, and opened the door to her refrigerator. She stared inside, then closed the door. Instead she walked over to the sink, and got a glass of water. She swallowed a multivitamin and listened to her stomach growl. *** Wonder if Misaki would mind if I stopped by for dinner… she cooks so much better than I can. ***
Listlessly she walked through the darkened living room and hallway that led to her bedroom. She glared at the pictures of her parents that hung upon the walls, and swiftly started taking each one down. When there were no more pictures upon her walls, she threw them into the far corner, listening with satisfaction as the glass of the frames shattered into a million shards. She giggled, and pulled Haruka out of her case. Then she laid down and went into a deep sleep. She never heard the knocking on her door.
Misaki knocked lightly, then a bit harder when she didn't get an answer.
"Doesn't look like anyone is home," she said, looking at Tamayo and Kotaru uncertainly. Tamayo shook her head. "We followed her, we saw her go in. She has to be home!"
Kotaru put an arm around Tamayo, and her rising temper cooled down immediately. "Maybe she went out a back door, is taking a nap, or doing homework. We should let her be. If she wants guests she'll invite us over."
Misaki nodded, frowning at the door worried. With a sigh the three went over to Misaki's to spend the rest of the day.
= = = = = = = = = = = =
Short, I know. Gomen.
To Be Continued!
On Angels Wings
By: Lirial Raito
Chapter 3
The air was thick and heavy, causing Umi to move sluggishly. She didn't recognize where she was, only that she was alone. All around her white feathers fall around, blanketing the ground in a soft white bed. The white feathers were soothing, and she longed to lie down and let her young heart be soothed and unburdened.
Yet always another part of Umi refused to be soothed, refused to be unburdened. She was alone in this white-feathered darkness, no one to lean on, and no one there to care. She thought maybe, at one point in time, she had been able to come here with other people, but now she doubted that anyone but her had ever come here.
She walked on for a small eternity in this strange place, memories stirring in the back of her mind unbidden. She stopped as she tried to gather these memories to her, but each one slipped away like water through her fingers.
Frustrated tears slid down her cheeks, to fall onto the feathers piled upon the ground. Each tear formed a small pillar of ice, until she was surrounded in a prison of ice crystals. Bitterly she reached for the edges of the ice, only to be forced to pull back numb hands laced with cuts. The ice was sharp… slowly the numbness spread throughout her body, capturing everything but a small corner of her heart. There a single feather fell and landed, reminding her abruptly of Hikaru's wings. And in that once spot, heat and hope remained.
= = = = = = = = = = = =
A week after they're first practice together, Tamayo met Umi in the Piffle Princess for a real match, a match that would gain one of them points for angel rewards.
Haruka rushed at Usagi, only to have Usagi slip aside at the last moment and catch Haruka's neck in the crook of Usagi's neck. Usagi shifted her balance quickly, lowering her center of gravity. Since Usagi had stayed near the edge of the Layer, she was able roll onto her back and kick Haruka out of the Layer.
Hotaru raised her hand up, "Usagi wins!"
Umi picked Haruka up and bit her lip hard. The fight hadn't even last three minutes, all because she had expected her superior speed to beat Usagi. *** Stupid Umi! You knew better, you knew not to underestimate her agility! Shimatta!!! ***
Outwardly she smiled evenly, and shook Tamayo's hand. "Congratulations Tamayo-san. You and your angel shine together." Tamayo smiled and gave Umi a slight hug, "you do too Umi-chan, very much so. I think you let me win, ne?"
Misaki, Hotaru, and Kotaru laughed at this, and Umi's smile became more strained. "If you say so. And if you'll excuse me, I need to go home."
Umi ran off and caught the elevator before the others could go after her. They looked at each other, confused. "What's with her?" asked Tamayo, "she can't seem to take a joke at all!"
Hotaru shrugged, "I don't know, she's always so cheerful in class…"
Misaki frowned after the younger girl, the brightened, "Let's try to catch her and follow her home!"
Tamayo and Kotaru agreed easily enough, but Hatako hesitated. "I don't think she would like that. Her family seems to value privacy a great deal. I don't want her to be mad at me in school. She's one of the few people who don't seem to mind that I skipped a grade, even though I devote so much time to angelic layer."
Misaki ruffled Hatako's hair affectionately. "Don't worry, we won't do anything to upset her."
With that Misaki, Tamayo, and Kotaru left the Piffle Princess to find and follow Umi.
= = = = = = = = = = = =
She knocked on her door, as her habits dictated, then inserted her key and unlocked the door. She entered and shut the door, locking it behind her. Slowly she walked into the kitchen, and opened the door to her refrigerator. She stared inside, then closed the door. Instead she walked over to the sink, and got a glass of water. She swallowed a multivitamin and listened to her stomach growl. *** Wonder if Misaki would mind if I stopped by for dinner… she cooks so much better than I can. ***
Listlessly she walked through the darkened living room and hallway that led to her bedroom. She glared at the pictures of her parents that hung upon the walls, and swiftly started taking each one down. When there were no more pictures upon her walls, she threw them into the far corner, listening with satisfaction as the glass of the frames shattered into a million shards. She giggled, and pulled Haruka out of her case. Then she laid down and went into a deep sleep. She never heard the knocking on her door.
Misaki knocked lightly, then a bit harder when she didn't get an answer.
"Doesn't look like anyone is home," she said, looking at Tamayo and Kotaru uncertainly. Tamayo shook her head. "We followed her, we saw her go in. She has to be home!"
Kotaru put an arm around Tamayo, and her rising temper cooled down immediately. "Maybe she went out a back door, is taking a nap, or doing homework. We should let her be. If she wants guests she'll invite us over."
Misaki nodded, frowning at the door worried. With a sigh the three went over to Misaki's to spend the rest of the day.
= = = = = = = = = = = =
Short, I know. Gomen.
To Be Continued!
