The Jian, also known as "the bird that shares wings," only possesses one wing. Unless a male and female pair lean on each other and act as one, they are incapable of flight. They're imperfect, incomplete creatures. But for some reason, their way of life struck me as profoundly beautiful.

Under a canopy of trees, a boy with black hair lays in the grass. The Jian is also known as "the bird that shares wings." The book I read about it a long time ago said it can't even fly unless a male and female support each other. They're pitiful creatures.

He sits up and closes the book in front of him, before pulling out a small device. Until it finds a partner, it must hide among the tree leaves, wait with bated breath, and dream of the day it can take flight into the skies above.

Code 015: Hey, slacker. Where are you right now? Anyways, you'd better show up for the recruit welcoming ceremony tomorrow. Got that? Too bad about Naomi, but you've been told you can stay, so don't act all stubborn.

Code 016: Fine, don't worry about me.

He hears a thump, as if something slammed into the edge of Mistilteinn. He fiddles with his short ponytail for a moment, before making up his mind. He walks up a small hill to investigate.

A bird lies on the grass, flopping around, trying to fly. He reaches down to help them, but they flap away from his touch. It makes its way to the edge of the hill, before struggling out of sight.

"H-hey..."

If so, where does a bird that ends up never flying go?

He's suddenly snapped out of his thoughts as the thrum of engines roar above him. He looks up to see a cargo carrier flying over the glass dome of Mistilteinn.

I know the answer to that all too well. The answer is…

"'Partner Killer?'" Futoshi echoed.

"Apparently, the girl has horns and fangs, and any parasite that rides with her will have his blood sucked and die after the third time, without fail." Zorome's loud and boisterous voice is easily recognizable.

"Yikes… I don't want to ride with her."

"Surely that's just a rumor." Miku chimes in.

"It's true! Someone actually overheard security talking about it." Zorome argues.

In the corner, Ichigo continues trying to contact Hiro. Goro walks in and asks "Did you get a hold of Hiro?"

"He responded, but he hasn't told me where he is."

"Hey..." Zorome turns around in his chair, leaning on the backrest. "So is he gonna' stay here after all?"

Futoshi continues eating. "But he didn't attend today's briefing. Maybe that means he's going to turn down the chance?"

"Nothing new about that. He never attends briefings."

"Hiro-kun's going to leave? That's so sad." Kokoro says softly.

Ikuno's down-to-earth voice chimes in as well. "But if he doesn't, where would that leave Naomi? She got caught up in his mess."

"I say Hiro's showing real integrity. It must be hard to face us after what happened, too." Mitsuru remarks loftily. "Spare a thought for how he feels."

"God, how forced." Miku mutters.

"Are you okay with this, Ichigo?" Goro asks quietly.

"That idiot."

Hiro had been following the trail of blood left by the bird. The trail ends and he hears a loud bird call.

"It's alive."

He continues walking along a small footpath, before reaching a misty lake. The water is silver and smooth.

"I didn't know this place even existed. I wonder how they keep vegetation from growing on the water?" He muses.

A bundle of clothes rests on the branch of a tree.

"A parasite? Their uniform is different from ours..." He picks up a silky piece of clothing.

Suddenly, the water ripples. The silver expanse of water is broken up by something. He noticed the shape of the object, before making the connection. He blushed a bit, but just before he was about to turn away, he noticed that she hadn't surfaced for a while.

"Is she drowning?" He started going into the water.

Just as he got knee deep in the water, a pink-haired figure exploded out of the water, fish in her teeth. It gave him a… nice look at her body. She had red horns atop her head. Her eyes were a beautiful color, like the shimmering water of the sea.

He blushed, but stood transfixed.

She leaned towards him, and he flinched.

"So you aren't dead." She remarked. She walked towards the shore past him.

"Are you a parasite?" Hiro asked.

"Strange. I heard ocean water tastes salty." She said, completely ignoring his question.

"Uhm… This isn't an ocean." He said softly, still embarrassed.

"I know that much. But it's the most ocean-like place I know." She looks at him. "Aren't you going to swim?"

"Me? No, I don't know how…"

"Really? Maybe I should teach you. You were staring so hard, I thought you wanted to swim too." She says casually. She was also still distractingly naked.

"I- I thought you were drowning! I went in to help you and… Sorry, but can you put your clothes on?" His eyes had wandered down again, and he didn't like his lack of self-control.

She places her hand on her chin, before pointing at him. "Oh, I get it! You're a pervert!"

"Huh? Where'd that come from?" He frowns a little.

She points wordlessly at the panties in his hand.

He flinches, before nearly dropping it. He catches it and holds it out in a fist towards the girl with a pout on his face.

"I-it's not what it looks like."

She looks curiously at him before huffing out a laugh. She starts laughing uncontrollably. Her body shakes and, in extension, so did her… No. No. No. No. No.

"Your face looks hilarious!" She manages to say. As her laughter subsides, she looks at him, "But you jumped in to save me, huh? I appreciate that."

As she tugs on her coat, she asks. "That uniform… are you a parasite, too?"

"No." Hiro says dejectedly, facing the water while she changes.

"So you don't pilot?"

"I can't pilot. I no longer have the ability. I even dragged my partner down with me." His hands reached towards his waist where he normally kept his kendo sword. Grasping at air, he lets out a frustrated sigh, before picking up a rock and throwing it into the water.

"I don't have a place here anymore."

The silence was broken by the girl.

"Huh. So you're just like me." As Hiro turned around to face her, she spoke with a smile. "I'm always alone too, thanks to these horns." She clips what looks like a hair band to her horns. The red light on the edge blinks to green.

"If you don't belong here, just build a place where you do. If you don't have a partner, just find another."

Her smile grows wider. "And if you can't, take one by force!"

She shoves him into the water, and jumps atop him. She licks his face, before speaking in a deeper tone. "Wow, your taste makes my heart race. It bites and lingers…"

She licks her lips. "The taste of danger."

"What are you..."

"Would you have preferred a kiss?"

"...a kiss?"

"Oh, you guys don't know, huh?" She leans in close, and whispers. "It's a very special thing."

She backs off and stands up. "I think I've taken a liking to you. Won't you be my darling?"

Hiro sits up. "Darling? You mean partner?"

She holds out her hand. "Your ability is probably just still dormant. I can awaken it for you."

Her smile turns soft. "And you weren't frightened by my horns."

Hiro reached out hesitantly, before clasping her hand. She pulled him up with one hand, and held him close, staring into his eyes.

Suddenly, they heard a rustle in the foliage.

She pushed him away, saying softly "Too bad. Time's up."

She turned around and faced the noise.

A group of people in formal suits walked in. In between them, a man wearing a parasite uniform stood, wrapped in bandages and his arm in a sling. His face was covered by a white respirator.

"We've been looking for you. Why do you keep running off alone?" The question sounded more like a demand. The man's voice was muffled and slightly robotic due to the respirator.

"It's not like there's anything else to do until tomorrow's welcoming ceremony." She says roughly.

The man roughly places a hat on her head, covering her horns. "Well, as your partner, I'm the one who suffers for it."

Hiro flinched. Partner? Didn't she say she was alone? Didn't she say she was… just like me?

He stands up. "Partner?"

The man with a sling turned to him. "Are you a parasite cadet? Your welcoming ceremony's tomorrow, right?"

He sighed, and turned to the pink-haired girl. "Sorry she bothered you."

"It's okay…" Hiro pauses for a moment before looking at the man again. "Uhm, what did you mean by 'partner?'"

The man gives Hiro a dead look. "Let me give you some advice. Stay far away from her. She's not the kind of pistil that just anyone can handle."

As they begin walking away, Hiro looks up. "Your name!"

She pauses for a moment.

He continues. "What's your name?"

Her head turns towards him. "Name? Do we parasites even have names?"

She looks forward, and says quietly. "Well, my code is 002. Everyone calls me Zero Two."

They walk off and he stands there, hearing her words mock him in his mind. "So you're the same as me." Why did I believe those words?

Eventually, a small group of adults came and dragged him away. He didn't hear what they said, he only heard the ringing in his head. Suddenly, he stopped. In front of him, the bloodied corpse of the bird from before lay next to the footpath.

I'm all too aware
that a flightless bird like me
has nowhere to go.