Well, here it is, the third chapter…this is getting kinda hard because I used up my two main ideas. Oh, I do not own Haibane Renmei, I own this story. I would also like to thank "tea roses" for all her support…thank you…(I hope she doesn't bite my head off for that.) Well, I'm just trying to please whoever is nice enough to come by and read this, so here goes…

---Winter in Old Home, Haibane Renmei---Part 3---

"RAKKAAA!"

"KANAAA!"

Shouts for the two missing Haibane were the only voices to be heard around the fields. Nemu and Reki had circled the fields for two hours, trying to find some sign of Rakka and Kana. It was dark now, the sun had set and it was colder than they had ever experienced.

"Reki, it's no use, we have to go in now. We'll never find them in the dark, we'll probably die of cold out here in the first place if we stay out any longer," said Nemu, shivering. There were no stars or moon visible that night, making the darkness even more claustrophobic.

"Nemu," said Reki, "if they are stuck out here, we cannot just leave them. God Dammit, where could they have gotten off to?" Reki looked around, but she was starting to realize how hopeless it was to be looking in pitch dark.

"Please Reki, I'm going in but I do not want to leave you out here alone." She tried to grab Reki's hand but Reki just pulled it away again, out of her grasp.

"RAKA! KANA!" Reki shouted as loud as she could. Even though Reki herself knew it was hopeless, she was too stubborn to stop.

Nemu tried once more, "please Reki, we have to go in. If we continue like this, we'll be the ones who are missing." This time the point got through to Reki. She stopped shouting and turned around to face Nemu:

"I-I'm sorry. I don't want to leave them out here."

"I don't either, but I don't think that we're in any state to find them right now." For the first time, Reki looked at Nemu, then at herself. She was completely white

because of all the snow.

"Wow, we look like snowmen…or snow-Haibane." She laughed and Nemu joined in as well. "Okay, fine. We'll go in since I still have to make sure that Hikari finished cleaning up the food. Damn, just when I'm the busiest, I have more work that has to be done." Nemu smiled and took Reki's hand as they headed back to the faint lights of Old Home.

"Rakka?"

Rakka stirred, then opened her eyes. "…hmmm? Morning? I don't want to get up…YAWN*" Rakka lifted her face up off the covers to rub her eye's, then remembered where she was. "Huh?...Kana?!"

Kana was still asleep on the small bed, but color had returned to her face. Rakka instead felt the pressure of a hand on her shoulder and turned around to see Horuda smiling down at her.

"Good morning, how did you sleep?" He sat down beside her and replaced the water bottle over Kana's back. "Did your friend wake up yet?"

"No," replied Rakka, sadly. "I thought I heard a voice, but when I got up Kana was still asleep."

"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you when I called your name. I'm making us some breakfast, I called to see if you wanted any. You didn't answer so I came in to see if you were awake." Rakka looked at him and smiled faintly:

"Thank you for waking me. But I can't pay you for breakfast."

"Oh, I know that. Since you stayed with your friend all night I think that earns you a meal." He smiled and added, "can you eat scrambled eggs?"

Rakka was taken aback, she didn't want to accept a free meal, but she was also very hungry. She didn't want to venture far from Kana either. "Um, how about if I help you with work here like Kuu did? That way I can pay off my meal!"

Horuda thought for a moment. "That sounds pretty good. Okay then, get to work whenever you're ready. There are crates that need to be brought in from the back and the furnace needs coal every hour or two. I'll be in the kitchen if you decide to have your meal, or if you need anything okay?" He waited for Rakka to nod in agreement, then left the room, heading for the front of the store.

Rakka looked back at the sleeping figure of Kana. She thought that Kana was looking healthy enough. Rakka decided she would have enough time to leave the room and get washed up quickly. Rakka adjusted the water bottle on Kana's back and headed towards the front of the store.

"Um, Mr Tashikawa, where's the washroom?"

Horuda turned around to look at her, the pointed to the third door of the hallway and turned back around to tend to an early customer.

"Thank you!" She walked down to the washroom, which was directly next door to the room where Kana was sleeping, she noted. After stretching and washing her face, she looked in the mirror to find that her coat was missing. Before she had time to ask Horuda where it was, she heard a scream in the room next to her. "KANA!"

Rakka bolted out of the washroom and into the bedroom where she spotted Kana sitting upright, sweating. "Kana, you're awake!"

Kana turned around to see Rakka standing in front of the bed, she squinted as to try and see better. "Rakka?"

"Yes, it's me, Rakka. Are you okay?"

Kana sat in her position for a few second without responding, then she let herself go limp and fell onto the soft bed and yelped! "Agh!"

"No, careful Kana, don't land on your wings." Rakka looked down on Kana, who was lying sideways, clutching her wingtips. She looked up at Rakka again, then let her head fall back onto the pillow. She closed her eyes which immediately caused Rakka to panick! "Mr. Tashikawa," she shouted.

"Huh, did you call me?" Horuda came into the room to see Rakka standing by the bed and Kana lying on her side sweating. "What happened?"

"I don't know," Rakka barely audibly replied. "I heard a shout from the bathroom, so I ran in here and Kana was awake, I think." She looked down at Kana, who now seemed to have fallen asleep again.

"Whew, don't worry. She probably had a bad dream, now that she knows she's alright she might sleep for a little while longer. You didn't get much sleep either, so I'm surprised you got up." He looked at her with a soft expression, trying to sooth her. Rakka looked at Horuda and calmed down.

"You hardly got any sleep either, I'm surprised you're awake Mr Tashikawa!" Now Rakka and Horuda both laughed. "Oh," said Rakka, realizing something. "What time is it anyway?"

"Hm, I'd say about quarter to eleven."

"Oh no! I slept in that late? I'm so sorry."

"Oh, no, it's okay," said Horuda, slightly surprised by the unexpected apology. "I got up late as well, which reminds me I have to get back to the counter. You want something to eat now?" He looked questionly at Rakka.

"Okay. And do you think we can leave some tea beside Kana in case she wakes up and wants a drink?" Horuda smiled at Rakka's question.

"Of course, but you'll have to bring it to her."

"Thank you!"

Reki looked at the clock, eleven O'clock. "Damn, they still haven't showed up yet. The worst thing would be them showing up after enjoying themselves all night after we've been looking for them…"

"Oh, be easy now Reki. Wait until you know what happened before judging those two." Nemu came in yawning, letting the door swing shut behind her. "If you want help, just ask, *yawn*" With that, Nemu flopped down on the guest bed and fell asleep again.

"Wow." Was all Reki could say, "now she's a hardcore sleeper!"

---

Yes, you may notice this was in a different format than my last story...that's because i wrote this in notepad. My microsoft word had gone WHACKO!!! and won't let me upload my stories...so I'm sorry if this is any inconvenience...