Title: The Strength of Difference: Chapter 2

Author: SynsOrion


Content: PG

Discription: A young girl finds that she has grown wings.  She runs away because of her confused feelings and finds another like herself.  Original story.  Please r & r so that I know if I should put up more of it.

~*~

        Hane woke in the middle of the night, breathing hard and sweat running from her brow.

        "It…it was just a--a dream?" she questioned, gasping the words out.  She brought her knees up to her chin and hugged her legs to herself.  "Just a dream."  But it had seemed so vivid, mother and Soyokaze...they had been...

        She closed her eyes, not wanting to think about it further.

        Just... a dream." she repeated.

        Suteru watched her through half closed eyes and felt a pang of sorrow well up inside of himself.  He wanted her to be happy, not shivering with fright.  He felt the need to protect her.  He now had a mission in life.  He would protect her, he had to...  After all, she had saved him.  She had given him a reason not to take his live.

        He watched Hane as she curled up with her back to him and her wings slightly out.  She was going to go back to sleep.  He allowed a small smile to touch his lips as he closed his eyes.

*

        The first thing that Suteru saw as he opened his eyes was Hane's smiling face above him.

        "I hope that you slept well."

        He sat up and grinned at her.  "Yes.  But I do know, however, that you apparently had a bad dream last night."

        "You were awake?"

        He gave her a small nod.  "What happened in it?"

        "I'd rather not say," she stated, looking away.

        "All right," he said, dismissing it instantly.  "Let's go get something to eat, eh?"

        She looked over at him, her wings spreading out a little.  "Food?"  He nodded and she smiled broadly.  "Yes!  I'm starving!"

        Outside the sun was shining brightly and everyone seemed to be awake.

        Hane had almost forgotten about her wings when a young child ran up to her and gave her a large smile followed by a handful of flowers.

        "Why thank you."

        "You welcome, angel."  This was followed by another smile and then the child was gone to play with friends.  Hane shifted her wings nervously as she let the flowers drop to the ground.

        Suteru instantly saw the need to change the subject.  "You wanna go to the restaurant?  Maybe you wanna go to the bakery?  There's a noodle house."

        "That's quite a lot of places to eat for just a village," Hane stated.  "But, I think that I'd like to eat at the noodle house."

        He grinned at her.  "'Kay!  The noodle house it is!  Follow me."  He led her through the people that were on the road and straight to a building that had 'NOODLE HOUSE' written above the doorway in big, black letters.

*

        Hane stumbled out of the restaurant, noodles covering her tank top and her wings stained with soy sauce.  Two streams of silvery-blue were running down her cheeks.

        "Why...?"

        Suteru had followed her out.

        He turned to look back at the angry owner of the building.  "That was a horrid thing to do to her!  She can't help the way she looks!  Just like me!  Why don't you come out here and fight me, eh?  If I win then she and I get all the noodles that we can eat!"

        "No, I don't think so.  And don't even think of ever showing your face in here ever again!  Stay away from here if you know what's good for you, freaks!"

        Suteru let an angry glare form on his face.  "You can call me a freak all you want, but leave her alone, bastard!"

        The owner looked taken aback.  He glanced over at Hane who was kneeling on the ground, her arms around herself in a protective fashion and her wings covering most of her body from sight.  But she could still be heard sobbing.  "Why...?  What... did I do?"

        Suteru stood up.  "You made her cry and all that she wanted was a bowl of noodles!  What an insensitive thing..."  He took a deep breath to steady himself.  "If I wasn't able to control myself so well, you would be dead by now!"

        The owner looked as if he was about to come out and see if Hane was all right when he glanced over at Suteru and, seeing the look of death in his eyes, backed up and went back into the noodle house, closing the door behind himself.

        Suteru glanced around at the crowd that had gathered, glaring at them.  "Leave us the hell alone!!"

        They scattered immediately, leaving him and Hane alone.

        He knelt down next to her, brushing a wing out of the way and setting a hand on her shoulder.  "Come on.  Let's go."

        "Why...?  Was it something...I did?"

        "No.  You have to learn to get used to it, Hane."

        "But--but...I didn't do anything!"  Fresh tears ran from her eyes.

        He reached a hand up and gently brushed them away.  "Come on, Hane.  We should go."

        She let her wings go back a bit as she looked up at Suteru with melancholy eyes.  "I didn't do a single thing!  Nothing!  Nothing at all..."

        "I know, tenshi-ko.  There's nothing we can do about it."

        She looked surprised at the pet name that he had given her then quickly wiped the tears from her eyes.  "I'm hungry!  Why can I have noodles?!"

        He gave her a small grin.  "You know why.  Come on.  Let's try one of these other places, all right?"

        She nodded.  "I guess."

*

        Hane looked around the village then over at Suteru.  "I think that I'm gonna leave here soon.  You wanna come with?"

        "Sure.  Where're you heading?"

        "Donno.  I figured that I'd walk around."

        "Walk around?"

        "Yeah, I don't really feel like going on the train again.  I'd rather walk somewhere now."

        "Aren't you even gonna stay here another night?  I mean, that lady gave us the room and we might as well use it while we can.  We probably won't get to sleep on beds for a while after this."

        Hane nodded.  "We'll leave tomorrow then.  First I hafta call mother and Soyokaze though."

        "People you left behind?"

        "Yes.  Didn't even tell them that I was leaving either.  Mother will most likely be worried out of her mind.  Soyokaze's most likely trying to find me."

        He nodded.  "There's a phone in the inn, you can call them from there."

        Hane started towards the inn.  "'Kay.  I think I'll call them now, though."

        Suteru gave her a smile.  "All right, tenshi-ko."

*

        "Hello?  Is Mrs. Tenshi there?"

        "Yes," said the female voice on the other end.  "This is Mrs. Tenshi.  Who is this?  Hane?  Is that you?"

        "Yes, it's me."

        "Where are you?  I've been so worried!  Soyokaze keeps coming over to see if you're here.  Everyone's looking for you!"

        "Mother, I'm all right.  I'm in a village called Murdory."

        "Murdory?!  Hane, that's a long way's away!  How'd you get there?!  Get back here!"

        "Mother, I'm not coming back right now.  I'll call again later.  Besides, even if you try to find me, I won't be in Murdory Village very much longer.  I'm leaving it tomorrow."

        "Why are you running away, Hane?"

        "Mother..." she paused inhaling a breath to steady her pounding heart.  "Bye."

        Hane hung up the phone then put some more change in and dialed a different number.  "Hello?  Is Soyokaze there?"

        "Yes.  This is Soyokaze.  Who is this?"

        "Soyokaze, it's Hane."

        "Hane!  Where are you?!  Zankoku said that you ran away!  He said that he found wings on your back, or something!  Is it true?  Do you have wings on your back?  Do you look like an angel?"

        "Yes..."

        "Hane!  That's so cool!"

        "Yeah, wish it was."

        "Hane, you hafta come back here!  Your mother is worried sick and now Zankoku has only me to pick on.  'Course he is sorta more occupied by telling anyone who will listen that you've got wings and that's why you ran away."

        "Soyokaze, listen, I don't want you telling everyone that I've got wings, okay!"

        There was a pause on the other end of the line then, "So, where are you, anyway?"

        "Murdory Village."

        "Take the train?"

        "Yes."

        "Anyone else there with you?"

        "Not anyone who you'd know.  His name is Suteru." 

        "Where'd you meet him?"

        "On the train."

        "What does he look like?  Is he nice?"

        "Well he sorta looks kinda...  You know how I got wings?"

        "Yes!" she said eagerly, listening closing to what Hane said.

        "He's sorta a chimera."

        "Come again?"

        "A demon.  Well, not really, he just looks like one.  He's really nice though."

        "You like him then?"

        Hane blushed.

        "Soyokaze, I hafta go.  I'll call you when I find another phone."

        "What do you mean 'when you find another phone'?  Aren't you staying in Murdory Village?"

        "No.  Suteru and I are leaving tomorrow."

        "Oh, well, I guess that you better not keep him waiting, eh?"

        "Soyokaze!"  Hane let out a small chuckle.  "Good bye."

        "Bye, Hane."

        She hung the phone up again, a small smile on her face.  At least Soyokaze thought that it was cool that she had wings.

        "Done?"

        She jumped slightly at the sound of Suteru's voice so close to her.  "Y--yes.  How long where you standing there?"

        He let a grin touch his lips.  "Long enough."

        Her cheeks turned a slight pink color.  "So you heard the whole conversation?"

        "Yes.  You were talking about me."

        "I--uh, I'm going to the room."  She turned around, her wings shifting out and folding again in a slightly nervous manner.

*

        When Suteru got to the room, Hane was already sleeping soundly.

        He let a small smile touch his lips as he watched her, laying on her stomach with her arms curled under her head because her wings wouldn't allow her to sleep on her back.  He let his hand brush her snow white feathers.

        "Tenshi-ko... I'm so glad that I met you."  He inhaled deeply, thinking of what he had been going to do in this village.  "You have no idea how glad I am to have met you."

        She gave a small groan in her sleep as she shifted her body slightly to the right.

        He smiled again and brushed her wing with his hand once more.  "Tenshi-ko..."

        Then he looked over at his bed.  "Tomorrow, we will be traveling together.  I'll look forward to it, tenshi-ko."

        He lay down on his bed and stared up at the ceiling thinking of what it had been like just yesterday before he had sat by her, before he had gotten on the train.  People pointing, whispering, laughing...  And then he had found her; a girl that was being treating just like him.  Alone they might've both taken their lives, but, by a twist of fate, they had found each other.

        He smiled as he closed his eyes.

*

        Suteru was once again waken by Hane.

        He glanced over at her shivering form and could hear her repeating the phrase, "Just a dream, only a dream."

        'Another bad dream,' he thought.  'Why does she have to have nightmares?'

        "Hane?"

        She shifted in surprise and turned to look over at him.  "Y--yes?"

        "Are you all right?  Do--do you wanna talk about it?"  It was then that he noticed that she was crying.

        "No...  I--I can't."

        He sat up.  "Anything that I can do?" he questioned, the hurt evident in his voice at not being able to help.

        She hung her head for a moment, letting the tears continue then looked back up at him.  "Suteru..."

        He watched her closely and could see that she was trying to ask him something but couldn't find the words.

        "Suteru..." she repeated his name, her voice breaking slightly.

        He moved over to her bed and sat down next to her.  "Come on, it's all right.  I'm here."

        She put her arms around him, hugging him to herself.  "Soyokaze...mother..." she cried.  "They--they were--"  She buried her face in his chest, letting the gut wrenching sobs over take her.

        He rubbed her head gently with his hand.  "It's all right, I'm here.  Let it all out, everything will be fine.  Don't worry, I'll protect you," he soothed.

        Hane cried herself out after awhile and Suteru soon found that she was snoring faintly into his chest.

        He smiled as he lay her down then moved back to his own bed and closed his eyes.

*

        Hane yawned, stretching her arms out.  Her wings followed suit, and, on their own accord, extended as far as the room would allow.  They were larger than the room, far larger, and they had to be, of they were to carry the full weight of a person.

        She climbed out of bed and started to pack her bag.  Hane had just managed to stuff one of the pillows from the inn into her backpack when Suteru sat up and yawned.

        "Good morning."

        "Well," he said, scratching his back with a hand.  "You seem happy this morning.  Good morning, tenshi-ko."

        She grinned up at him.  "Of course I'm happy, silly!  We're finally getting out of here!"

        He lay back down on his stomach, facing the foot of his bed and Hane.  "You know that we'll hafta make our own food out there.  We can't exactly bring a restaurant along with us."

        She nodded her understanding.  "I know.  But we'll make it, I know we will."

        Hane shouldered her backpack and that's when Suteru noticed that it was bulging at the seams.

        "You're bag seems a tad bit fuller than what it was when we first got to the inn.  Would you like to explain why that is?"

        She grinned broadly.  "That's because there's a pillow stuffed in there now."

        He shook his head slowly.  "Take it out."

        She pouted at him.

        "Stop that!"

        "Oh, come on, Suteru!  They don't need it!"

        He grinned at her.  "That may be, but it's not yours!  Put it back, tenshi-ko."

        "Oh, all right."  She slipped it off her shoulder, pulled the pillow out, flung it on the bed, and then picked the bag back up.  "Let's go!"

        "Yes."

*