Note - Slight spoiler here... They obtained the blood from a certain Strategos. I would think he didn't know (or didn't care...?) what the Zaibach sorcerers wanted it for (this being 6 years in the past).

Tenkuu no Ryuugekitai - Koudai Ate


Grey orbs stirred beneath the thin translucent skin. A hand reached up and cleared the sleep and dreams from the delicate covering. The senses became aware of the surroundings...of soft breathing and warm skin.
You're alive.
He knew the other two hadn't left; he recognized Guimel's snoring and had felt Shesta's leg kicking him all night. They were simply too exhausted after their emotional roller-coaster, and collapsed as they lay.
He was fully awake now, but hardly dared to move. The warm, frail body that had curled up against him rose and fell with shallow breaths, her head resting upon his chest. His fingers wound slowly around the tangled scarlet tendrils of her hair and, when she didn't move, softly stroked the pale cheek half-hidden by the strands. A pleasant déja vu. He loved how she looked when she slept; darkly-circled eyes shut to welcome escape from reality, chapped lips parting ever so slightly with every breath, her whole face angelic even as the weight of the world bore itself onto her shoulders.
How do I tell you, my Shanti...? How do I say that I... that I...
'I love you...' Gatti breathed. His heart throbbed almost painfully in his chest as he whispered, beating so hard he was afraid it would wake her up. Gatti was suddenly a whirlwind of emotion.
What if she doesn't feel the same way I do? What if she doesn't love me back?
The boy looked at the girl with a sudden desire to..
What if she does?
Gatti closed his eyes and leaned forward...

'Mmmrrhhmm... naa...?' Startled, Gatti turned his head to see Guimel scratching his fluffy hair sleepily, then look, amused, at him.
'Nice hair,' he muttered groggily. Having two cowlicks on either side of his head, Gatti knew his ash-blond locks would look like they were trying unsuccessfully to flee his scalp. He cocked a brow and eyed the other's unkempt curls.

''Least it doesn't look like a sheep's attacking my head.' Guimel made a face at him and yawned, glancing at a nearby clock. It was still early in the morning; an hour or so until the wake-up call. However, they couldn't risk Master Dilandau finding them out of their own rooms. The dark-eyed Slayer gently picked up his still-sleeping comrade, placing Shesta's arm around his neck to carry him back to his room. With a wink and a grin at Gatti, Guimel left, bringing the smaller blond boy with him.
As soon as they had gone, Gatti looked back at Shanti, who still hadn't moved since Guimel had woken up. The ash-blond boy let his eyes wander along her face, and the faint outline of her body underneath the blanket he had used to conceal her from the others.

If only they knew, he thought bemusedly. If only they knew the truth about you. His fingers began to idly stroke her cheek, pausing only when she stirred in her sleep.
I wonder what they would say,
He still wanted to kiss her. Those lips looked so inviting...and she was asleep...
He hesitated. Was it his right to do this?
Well, she did kiss you, but...
Get on with it.
Swallowing nervously, he moved closer and closed his eyes once more, leaning until he felt a soft pressure against his lips. He hadn't really kissed anyone before, and felt very clumsy in doing so. Deciding to improvise, he gently closed upon her bottom lip with his own two, losing himself in the moment and the delightful roughness of her chapped lips.
As the precious seconds ticked by, he was startled to feel the slightest hint of suction on his upper lip. Moments passed before he realized, in a mixture of fear and elation, that she... she was kissing him back! His heart threatening to burst, he continued his inexperienced kiss with new intensity until after an eternity... their mouths pulled apart, and it ended. Dreading and anticipating her reaction, Gatti paused before opening his eyes.
Shanti stared back at him, her own eyes clouded with the fogginess of sleep. Realizing she had woken up in the middle of his embrace, Gatti waited for his action to sink in, suddenly becoming afraid he was going to get hit very hard.

'Uh...hi,' he smiled weakly.
Smooth, Gatti. Very smooth.
There was a short pause before Shanti's eyes suddenly opened wide, causing Gatti to cringe ever-so slightly.

'Wh... wha...?' Her fingers went, shaking, to her mouth, which loosely hung open.

Correction, he was going to get hit extremely hard.

'I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry...' The boy bowed his head apologetically like a child, frantically trying to beg forgiveness. 'I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that, I know, it was wrong of me to take advantage of you like that, I shouldn't h-'
A finger upon his mouth silenced him. Gatti kept his eyes downcast - he couldn't bear to look at her now. Ashamedly, he kept his mouth shut and awaited his punishment. Seconds passed. Shanti hadn't moved, nor made a single sound. Gatti felt her staring at him, and snuck a curious glance up. She was still staring at him in her unnerving manner of not blinking enough for his liking.
Without warning, Shanti leaned forward in one fluid movement and placed a quick, almost nervous kiss on his lips. She hesitated as if to say something, a rosy colour creeping up her neck to her cheeks. Just as suddenly, she gracelessly stood and stalked over to his bed to grab her uniform jacket, speedily putting it on before stalking back out of the room, mumbling something concerning the washroom, all in about 5 seconds. As soon as she had left, Gatti blinked and fell back to the floor on his back.

'Woah.'

***

Eejit. Eejit. EEJIT. Shanti stood outside the door, her fingers splayed across her face as she held her head in her hand.
You have no right to do that. You have no right to act on your emotions. You have no right to hurt him.
She would hurt him, too. The Zaibach sorcerers had made sure of that. They had permanently ruined her life and her body...
But you love him. Do you think resisting like this doesn't hurt him?
I don't mean to, I don't! I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't.
The Highlander sighed.
Life's not fair.
Suddenly, the door opened, and Gatti's head poked out into the hallway. He did not act surprised at her being there, as if he knew she would be standing in the hall. With the pleading eyes of a puppy, he reached out his hand and took her arm.

'Please come back in,' he said quietly. 'Please, I need to talk to you,' Shanti nodded and let herself be led back into the room. She sat down on his bed, and Gatti pulled up a chair to face her.
'I just want to say that I'm sorry for what I did...it was uncalled for,' As he spoke, Shanti lowered her head and fidgeted with her fingers.

Say it. Tell him everything. Tell him you love him. Tell him why you want to break his heart.

'I know you probably don't feel the same way about me as I do about you, and-'

'Gatti, I,' The girl fidgeted some more, examining her fingers like she hadn't seen them before. 'I don't want to... I mean, I don't... I,' The Slayer cringed as a sharp tremor of pain shot through her shoulderblades. The last thing she needed...
The boy lowered his head to look her in the eye, intrigued and confused.

'What don't you want to do, Shanti...?'

Say it. SayitsayitsayitSAY IT.
'I don't want you to get close to me.' The Highland girl winced as she saw a flash of hurt flicker through those beautiful grey eyes, and moved quickly to explain.
'What I mean is... I don't want you to get hurt,' Relief entered the eyes now, as if to say 'is that all?'.

'Why do you think I would get hurt...?' The tone he used annoyed her...it seemed to belittle what she said, like he didn't care. He was too ignorant, too love-struck to see the truth.

And what is the truth, Shanti? The little voice jeered at her. You know what it is. No matter how many times you deny it, it's the truth. Dalet could see it. The fiery-haired girl balled her fists, her eyes narrowing. Screaming it more to herself than to Gatti, she snarled,

'Look at me! Are you blind? I'm a freak!' All the anger and rage that had built up inside her unleashed itself upon Gatti with a fury as Shanti continued her passionate rant.
'Dalet could see it...everyone can see it. That's why they pity me...because I'm Migel's replacement, and Migel's replacement is some scientific MISHAP!' With that shouted word, two bulges arose from Shanti's back. Nearly berserk with her anger, the girl hardly noticed as her
freakish, abhorrent
wings burst from her skin, sprinkling blood and feathers into the air.
'Why can't you SEE it? I'm ugly with these... these... THINGS,' she spat as she turned and ripped a handful of black feathers from her right wing, spattering droplets of blood across the floor.
'Look what they've made me!' Gatti watched, frozen and mesmerized, as she looked at the handful of feathers, her voice radically changing to ironic cynicism.
'These things... they've made me a Draconian... a cursed, demon Draconian,' she said, referring to the race of winged people wiped out ages ago.
Her dark wings twitched, sending a few stray feathers floating to the ground. For some reason, they were not retreating to their mysterious sheath within her skin.
Hatred and frustration bubbled up inside of the Highlander, and she tore at the black feathers, as if ripping them out would make her 'abnormalities' disappear. Flurries of feathers fluttered to the ground, each tip covered in blood as she plucked them obsessively.
Gatti thrust his hands out and grabbed her wrists in a tight grip.

'Please stop,' he said calmly. Shanti fought against him, yelling at him to let her go, let her go. The grey-eyed boy waited patiently until her strength gave out. She fell against him, and started to cry.

'Look at me... look what they've done to me,' Her black wings dropping limply to the bedsheets, she buried her face in her hands, the feathers fluttering from her fingers. Acting on a thought, the boy sprang forward and wrapped his arms around her, comforting, almost protectively. Shanti spoke again, soft and monotonous.
'I can't remember growing up. I can remember stone walls and bright lights, and them taking me... 'xenohematic transfusion', they called it. I was very sick when they started...the caretaker would look after me...' She started muttering, trying to recall a name. Gatti strained to hear her repeat one word in such a tone that sounded like she was back in the stone cell, crying for 'Jajuka... Jajuka...' Presently, she continued.
'I learned later that it meant a 'foreign blood transfusion'. They injected me with Draconian blood they had obtained somehow. Blood that gave me these...' One wing flapped pitifully like it knew she hated it. The ash-blond Dragon Slayer gave her a gentle squeeze, and murmured to himself,

'So that's what happened,' Overhearing him, Shanti gave a weakest of nods before bursting into tears.

'I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm not good enough for you... I'm a freak,' Embracing her closely to him, Gatti rested his cheek on her head.

'Never say that. Never say that about yourself again,' he whispered fiercely. 'Never. You aren't a freak. You're beautiful to me, all of you. Nothing can ever change that, my angel.' The last words were spoken softly, carried on his breath. Almost as soon as he had said it, he felt a twinge of regret in doing so. The Slayer felt the girl in his arms freeze, and he knew he had hit a weak point.
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the wings disappear feather by feather, until all that was left were drops of blood and plucked feathers. He went to comment when a loud noise pierced through their tense silence; the shrill, cacophonic sound signalling breakfast was about to start. Gatti groaned inwardly at the 'perfect' timing, absolutely unwilling to move. After a moment's hesitation, Shanti broke his hold and walked to get her jacket.

'We'd better hurry,' she stated lamely, putting on her jacket and throwing Gatti his own. With a sigh, the Slayer sullenly dressed himself, and followed the Highlander to the dining room.

*****

By the time the pair had reaching the dining hall, the other Slayers were already seated and were hungrily eating the cream-coloured gruel. Gatti found two empty spots near the very end of the long table, and led his comrade to them. As Shanti eyed their 'breakfast' warily, Gatti caught sight of Shesta giving him a strange look; Guimel attacking his gruel fiercely.
'What?' he asked, glancing at the blond sitting opposite him.

'You just missed Master Dilandau. He explained our battle strategy for this afternoon,' Shesta said. Something in his voice didn't seem right.

'Your point being...?'

'The point is that we're attacking Godasim this afternoon. Emperor Dornkirk predicted the Dragon would be located there,' Gatti made a face and shook his head.

'I still don't see what you're getting at. Godasim is the capital city of Freid, so?' He shot a look at Guimel, who had since stopped poking his gruel and was staring at him.
'Why should I care about Goda... sim,' The Slayer dropped off as a sudden realization struck him.
'Isn't Dante in Godasim?'

'Duh!' That was from Guimel, who sounded a bit touchy. Shesta nodded his head slowly.

'But we can't attack if Dante's in there! His girlfriend lives there too! We have to tell Master Dilandau before we-'

'Master Dilandau already knows,'

'What?' Guimel's indigo eyes filled with indignation as Shesta lowered his eyes to his bowl of goo.

'Shesta brought it up, and Master Dilandau said he was a... said he was a traitor! He said Dante betrayed the Dragon Slayers to be with some Freidan harlot,' Guimel banged his fist on the table, causing several nearer Slayers to glance in his direction. The curly-haired boy had been very close to Dante, Gatti knew, and had met Mikyla as well. Guimel had obviously not taken kindly to the Master's words.
'I tried to convince Master Dilandau to delay the attack until Dante returned. He just slapped me and told me to be quiet. Dante, he said, is no longer one of us,' Gatti's eyes widened.

'You mean he... he disowned him?' Guimel nodded, so angry he could hardly speak. Shesta muttered sullenly from his bowl,

'Master Dilandau has his reasons. Maybe he felt betrayed by Dante...'

'That still doesn't mean he can DISOWN him! That's the worst possible thing he could have done! I'd rather die than be abandoned like that!'

'If you think about it... Dante sort of abandoned Master Dilandau,' Guimel snorted, and told Shesta to be quiet.

'He has a point,' Gatti argued. 'I know Dante wouldn't have stayed this long away without his own reasons. Perhaps it is best if he stayed where he is,'

'But we're ATTACKING where he IS!' Getting a dozen pairs of eyes staring at him, Guimel coolly ran his fingers through his platinum hair.
'What's worse, Gatti? Disownment, or death?'

'It's not that simple. Let me think,' Gatti put his hands on his head and thought carefully.
If he returns, Master Dilandau would forgive him, wouldn't he? But he has to be here, first. A letter would arrive too late, he'd be dead by then. If he returned... no. The first priority is to warn him. But how? Not a letter. Not a letter.
'I've got it,' he snapped his gloved fingers. 'We're not attacking until this afternoon, and the main forces won't have reached Godasim until then. That leaves us a couple hours to find him!'

'What makes you think you'll find him?' Shesta asked. Guimel perked up, Gatti's excitement catching on.

'I know where Mikyla lives! He'll be with her; I can show you where they are,' The other boy nodded.

'Right. You and I can go find him and bring him back here,'

'Wait,' Shanti's soft voice interrupted their planning. 'Would Master Dilandau not know you

both are missing? If you two are going, I'm joining you,' 'Master Dilandau's preparing himself for battle,' Gatti replied, they all knowing full well how the preparations more often than not included a bottle of vino. 'Guimel knows where he lives, and I'm going along just in case something happens,'
And because it was my idea... he thought smugly.
'But if any more of us went, then someone would notice. That's why I need you to stay here,' Gatti's tone softened, his eyes pleading. Shanti's mouth curled into a pout, but he nodded his head. Mouthing 'thank you', Gatti winked, and was amused to see the Highlander start to blush. He turned his attention back to Guimel. He put his fingers onto the table, moving them as if a general pointing out routes on a map.
'Right. We wait until Master Dilandau enters his room,' Gatti pointed to a spoon. 'Then we sneak out to the hanger,' (A second spoon) 'We use the Stealth Cloaks so we can move undetected, land outside the walls and enter the city.' (A bowl) 'From there you lead us to Mikyla's place' (A spot of gruel) 'and we find Dante!'

'Yessir!' Guimel nodded, giving a mock-salute. Shanti sighed as Shesta shook his head.

'Good luck!' he said.

'You'll need it,' Shanti muttered.

***

'You really don't want me to go, do you?' Gatti turned to Shanti, who stood leaning against his guymelef with her arms crossed. He and Guimel had decided to enter the hanger at separate times, and Guimel hadn't shown yet. The girl snorted, but didn't reply.
'Shanti, you know you would do the same thing if you were in my place,' The Highlander sighed and nodded.

'But...what if you're captured? You'd be destroyed with Freid, and you would never return, and I would lose the only person who... Look,' she said, abruptly changing the subject. 'I know I can't talk you out of this...so try and come back. Please?'

'I'll be back before you even know I'm gone,' Gatti grinned at her and, after a long pause asked, quite cheekily, 'Aren't you going to kiss me goodbye?' Startled by his forwardness, Shanti felt her face grow warm and gave a weak cough.

'You horrible brat,' she chastised, though leaned forward and planted a kiss on his lips anyway. A moment later, Guimel stealthily stalked his way in, as if he were a spy breaking into a heavily-secured area. The pair blinked as they caught sight of the darkened pair of glasses covering his eyes. Seeing their blank faces, Guimel ran his hand through his hair and snapped his fingers. Very suavely, he turned his head to Gatti.

'Let's go.'