Here it is, my second chapter of my Haibane Renmei story. Don't ask me
why I keep calling it "short", because I have intentions on making it as
long as possible since I enjoy writing (you can see why reviews are
important to me) So, here it is...
---Winter in Old Home, Haibane Renmei---Part 2---
Reki looked at the clock hung on the wall in her room, it was after six O'clock. She looked around her at Nemu and Hikari. "So...No sign of Rakka or Kana?"
"They haven't turned over their names in the entrance, so they couldn't be here," said Hikari worriedly. She looked at Reki hoping to be assured that nothing was wrong.
"Damn, look at how these things have gotten messed up. First this horrible storm, then we have to go out looking for Rakka and Kana. What is this...the third time we have to go out looking for Rakka?"
"Um, I think it's the fourth now." Replied Hikari, then realizing she was not helping the situation.
The three of them sat silently at the guest room's table, lost in their own thoughts. All of them were thinking the same thing as the others. It just so happened that Nemu was the first person to voice it out loud:
"Well, I think I'm going to go check at Oyakata's, maybe Kana's master kept her in late. Rakka is probably with her since she wouldn't hang around outside alone..." of course this wasn't all true. Most of the times Rakka went missing it was because of the feeling of wanting to be alone caused by internal conflict.
"Here, I'll come with you," said Reki, getting up. "But we have to have a discussion later about showing up after dark. If we don't find them before six O'clock, we won't have any day light to work with." Reki joined Nemu and pulled on her coat. She turned around and looked at Hikari, "Hikari, are you going to stay here?"
Hikari looked at the floor, "yes, I don't feel well today. I'm going to go to bed early, unless you would like me to finish cleaning up for you?" Reki looked over into the kitchen where two meals were left untouched, waiting for the two absent Haibane to eat them.
"No, it's okay, the food will probably go bad. Make sure that if we don't return before tomorrow morning when you wake up, get word to the Haibane Renmei. I don't like the looks of this storm." Hikari nodded and Reki closed the door behind her. Hikari was still for a moment before getting up and wiping off the dinner table.
"Rakka, Kana, I hope you're both alright..." she whispered to herself.
"Kana," Rakka said to the figure covered by snow, "I've almost got you out, hold on!"
The storm was only getting worse and daylight was fading. Rakka was focusing on digging the rest of Kana out of the snow. As she was doing this, she was rapidly trying to figure out what to do with her. Old Home was too far to walk back to and she couldn't leave Kana as she was. She decided to try and get back into the sheltered buildings of the village.
"Come on Kana," Rakka said, pulling Kana's body out of the snow with her numb hands. "Please, wake up, I can't carry you like this." All Rakka got for an answer was the howl of the wind.
Step by step, Rakka pulled Kana in the direction of the village. She couldn't feel her hands anymore, let alone her feet. Some how though, she was able to summon enough strength to drag herself and Kana into the confines of the village streets. With buildings on either side of them, they were at least partially sheltered by the wind.
Rakka looked around her, trying to find someplace where they could take shelter. Spotting the restaurant she was in earlier, she dragged Kana towards it. Half way towards it the door opened and a tall figure ran outside towards them. Rakka recognized him to be the owner of the store.
"Please, help,..." Rakka tried to tell him, but she wasn't able to speak easily with Kana over her back. Thankfully, the owner was heading towards them on purpose and picked Kana up off Rakka's shoulders. Beckoning Rakka to follow him into the store, she obliged, he might have said something but the wind drowned him out.
If the situation wasn't so serious, the scene would have been funny to most onlookers. Three people being practically blown by the wind into the confines of the store landing on top of each other. The owner got back up immediately and locked the door behind them before tending to Kana.
"Please, follow me, we have to get her to a bed." Rakka followed closely behind as the owner marched into the back of the store with Kana in his arms. "Here," he said, as he pushed open a door at the end of the hallway. Inside was a cozy small room, similar to the rooms inside Old Home. He laid her down on the bed and quickly ran back out to get something.
Rakka could see that Kana's face was the same color of her wings...charcoal grey. That's not healthy, she thought to herself.
In came the owner again with a blanket this time, he wrapped it around Kana's body and sat down beside her to feel her head. "Please tell me, what's happened here?" he looked at Rakka for an answer, offering her a chair at the same time.
Rakka sat down and said: "Um, I don't know, I was going back to Old Home and..." she hesitated, remembering seeing her friend lying lifeless in the snow. "I, just saw her lying in the snow, I don't know what happened." She raised her head to look at the owner straight in the face, "Is she going to be alright?"
The owners face relaxed a little, "Most people should be fine after a little cold, but I am no expert on you Haibane. We humans are always told not to meddle in your lives, but in a time where a life might be in danger I would be willing to help even if it put my life on the line." With this he looked at Kana, lying on her back with her mouth slightly open, gulping for air. "Ever since that friend of yours left this world, I think his...oops, "her", sorry, name was Kuu. Nothing ever seemed to happen to her, she was always there when I needed a help in the workplace."
Rakka listened as the owner seemed to be letting thoughts out of his head. "I just always thought that Haibane weren't at all like humans. I thought you people were angels." At this Rakka couldn't control herself and started laughing. The owner seemed taken aback and then laughed as well.
Rakka turned back towards him, "I guess the wings and the halo make us seem like that. I believe we are only humans with wings though."
"Nonsense, those are what make you unique and special. Without them you would be "just" like us. I would do anything to be a Haibane, but in the mean time I would settle for doing anything I can to help a Haibane in need, don't you think?" At this he just remembered something. "I'm sorry, I haven't once told you my name yet, how rude. My name is Horuda Tashikawa. It's nice to meet you."
It was Rakka's turn to be taken aback, "oh, my name is Rakka. It's, um, nice to meet you too...haven't we seen each other before?"
"Oh yes, but formalities are hardly to be forgotten don't you think." He smiled at Rakka and she smiled back. Horuda Turned back to Kana, "so you say you found her out in the snow, is it possible she has hypothermia? Maybe that's why she hasn't woken up yet."
"Yes, I don't know how long she was out there. Please, is there anything I can do to help?" Rakka looked pleadingly at Horuda, "I don't want to sit around and do nothing." He turned around to look at her quickly, then walked over to the door.
"If you could, it would be appreciated if you stayed by her side, feather Rakka, in case she wakes up. It's late now, I'm going to find the hot water bottle I gave you earlier to use on her. I think I'll make some warm tea as well, you want some?"
"Yes, please," she answered, and he left the room, leaving Rakka alone with Kana. Rakka thought it was almost peaceful having Kana quietly resting like this, her gentle breaths creating creases in the blanket. Usually she was so hyper active, it's nice to see her calm now, Rakka thought.
Rakka felt sleep tugging at her, so she let her head fall on the bed right next to Kana. I'll just rest for a minute, she told herself and then dozed off.
"DAMMIT!" Exclaimed Reki. "Where the heck could they have gone off to?!"
Oh! I almost forgot, Horuda Tashikawa is a name I made up in my head for the store owner. I don't know what his real name is, so please don't penalize me for making it up.
---Winter in Old Home, Haibane Renmei---Part 2---
Reki looked at the clock hung on the wall in her room, it was after six O'clock. She looked around her at Nemu and Hikari. "So...No sign of Rakka or Kana?"
"They haven't turned over their names in the entrance, so they couldn't be here," said Hikari worriedly. She looked at Reki hoping to be assured that nothing was wrong.
"Damn, look at how these things have gotten messed up. First this horrible storm, then we have to go out looking for Rakka and Kana. What is this...the third time we have to go out looking for Rakka?"
"Um, I think it's the fourth now." Replied Hikari, then realizing she was not helping the situation.
The three of them sat silently at the guest room's table, lost in their own thoughts. All of them were thinking the same thing as the others. It just so happened that Nemu was the first person to voice it out loud:
"Well, I think I'm going to go check at Oyakata's, maybe Kana's master kept her in late. Rakka is probably with her since she wouldn't hang around outside alone..." of course this wasn't all true. Most of the times Rakka went missing it was because of the feeling of wanting to be alone caused by internal conflict.
"Here, I'll come with you," said Reki, getting up. "But we have to have a discussion later about showing up after dark. If we don't find them before six O'clock, we won't have any day light to work with." Reki joined Nemu and pulled on her coat. She turned around and looked at Hikari, "Hikari, are you going to stay here?"
Hikari looked at the floor, "yes, I don't feel well today. I'm going to go to bed early, unless you would like me to finish cleaning up for you?" Reki looked over into the kitchen where two meals were left untouched, waiting for the two absent Haibane to eat them.
"No, it's okay, the food will probably go bad. Make sure that if we don't return before tomorrow morning when you wake up, get word to the Haibane Renmei. I don't like the looks of this storm." Hikari nodded and Reki closed the door behind her. Hikari was still for a moment before getting up and wiping off the dinner table.
"Rakka, Kana, I hope you're both alright..." she whispered to herself.
"Kana," Rakka said to the figure covered by snow, "I've almost got you out, hold on!"
The storm was only getting worse and daylight was fading. Rakka was focusing on digging the rest of Kana out of the snow. As she was doing this, she was rapidly trying to figure out what to do with her. Old Home was too far to walk back to and she couldn't leave Kana as she was. She decided to try and get back into the sheltered buildings of the village.
"Come on Kana," Rakka said, pulling Kana's body out of the snow with her numb hands. "Please, wake up, I can't carry you like this." All Rakka got for an answer was the howl of the wind.
Step by step, Rakka pulled Kana in the direction of the village. She couldn't feel her hands anymore, let alone her feet. Some how though, she was able to summon enough strength to drag herself and Kana into the confines of the village streets. With buildings on either side of them, they were at least partially sheltered by the wind.
Rakka looked around her, trying to find someplace where they could take shelter. Spotting the restaurant she was in earlier, she dragged Kana towards it. Half way towards it the door opened and a tall figure ran outside towards them. Rakka recognized him to be the owner of the store.
"Please, help,..." Rakka tried to tell him, but she wasn't able to speak easily with Kana over her back. Thankfully, the owner was heading towards them on purpose and picked Kana up off Rakka's shoulders. Beckoning Rakka to follow him into the store, she obliged, he might have said something but the wind drowned him out.
If the situation wasn't so serious, the scene would have been funny to most onlookers. Three people being practically blown by the wind into the confines of the store landing on top of each other. The owner got back up immediately and locked the door behind them before tending to Kana.
"Please, follow me, we have to get her to a bed." Rakka followed closely behind as the owner marched into the back of the store with Kana in his arms. "Here," he said, as he pushed open a door at the end of the hallway. Inside was a cozy small room, similar to the rooms inside Old Home. He laid her down on the bed and quickly ran back out to get something.
Rakka could see that Kana's face was the same color of her wings...charcoal grey. That's not healthy, she thought to herself.
In came the owner again with a blanket this time, he wrapped it around Kana's body and sat down beside her to feel her head. "Please tell me, what's happened here?" he looked at Rakka for an answer, offering her a chair at the same time.
Rakka sat down and said: "Um, I don't know, I was going back to Old Home and..." she hesitated, remembering seeing her friend lying lifeless in the snow. "I, just saw her lying in the snow, I don't know what happened." She raised her head to look at the owner straight in the face, "Is she going to be alright?"
The owners face relaxed a little, "Most people should be fine after a little cold, but I am no expert on you Haibane. We humans are always told not to meddle in your lives, but in a time where a life might be in danger I would be willing to help even if it put my life on the line." With this he looked at Kana, lying on her back with her mouth slightly open, gulping for air. "Ever since that friend of yours left this world, I think his...oops, "her", sorry, name was Kuu. Nothing ever seemed to happen to her, she was always there when I needed a help in the workplace."
Rakka listened as the owner seemed to be letting thoughts out of his head. "I just always thought that Haibane weren't at all like humans. I thought you people were angels." At this Rakka couldn't control herself and started laughing. The owner seemed taken aback and then laughed as well.
Rakka turned back towards him, "I guess the wings and the halo make us seem like that. I believe we are only humans with wings though."
"Nonsense, those are what make you unique and special. Without them you would be "just" like us. I would do anything to be a Haibane, but in the mean time I would settle for doing anything I can to help a Haibane in need, don't you think?" At this he just remembered something. "I'm sorry, I haven't once told you my name yet, how rude. My name is Horuda Tashikawa. It's nice to meet you."
It was Rakka's turn to be taken aback, "oh, my name is Rakka. It's, um, nice to meet you too...haven't we seen each other before?"
"Oh yes, but formalities are hardly to be forgotten don't you think." He smiled at Rakka and she smiled back. Horuda Turned back to Kana, "so you say you found her out in the snow, is it possible she has hypothermia? Maybe that's why she hasn't woken up yet."
"Yes, I don't know how long she was out there. Please, is there anything I can do to help?" Rakka looked pleadingly at Horuda, "I don't want to sit around and do nothing." He turned around to look at her quickly, then walked over to the door.
"If you could, it would be appreciated if you stayed by her side, feather Rakka, in case she wakes up. It's late now, I'm going to find the hot water bottle I gave you earlier to use on her. I think I'll make some warm tea as well, you want some?"
"Yes, please," she answered, and he left the room, leaving Rakka alone with Kana. Rakka thought it was almost peaceful having Kana quietly resting like this, her gentle breaths creating creases in the blanket. Usually she was so hyper active, it's nice to see her calm now, Rakka thought.
Rakka felt sleep tugging at her, so she let her head fall on the bed right next to Kana. I'll just rest for a minute, she told herself and then dozed off.
"DAMMIT!" Exclaimed Reki. "Where the heck could they have gone off to?!"
Oh! I almost forgot, Horuda Tashikawa is a name I made up in my head for the store owner. I don't know what his real name is, so please don't penalize me for making it up.
