My mother was sent down on a mission, 18 years ago, to watch over a person.
She was to show herself as a new colleague, and work with him. Things went
along, and they fell in love. She went to the council and explained her
situation, wanting to tell him the truth. They refused, and ordered her
back immediately. She went back, and later, I was born. The council were
suspicious, but my mother didn't mention anything. When I grew black hair,
the elders knew something was wrong.
I was presented to the council for inspection, where they found my difference. I am half earthwalker. Earthwalkers are humans, all right? They pretty much shunned me from then on. I was later than most in getting my name, and didn't do as well in lessons. The other children hated me, and showed me that often. I got in trouble more than others, so I stopped trying after a while.
I had a kinship with the birds that lived near us. As I grew, I would play and fly with them. When there were assessments of our abilities, that was shown. I was much better than the other children at flying, and was punished for it. The assessments never told of my abilities, but my mother saw me once and praised me highly. I was called monster and freak a lot.
My mother had been told when the elders found out that I would not be able to stay there. She never told me about it, so when I was taken to the council three days after my seventeenth birthday and told, I didn't believe it. They put the wings on my back, as a mark of my heritage. I tried to fly away from them, but I was outnumbered. They surrounded me, and the Chief of Council sent me down.
That's when you found me, and I was taken to Akito. I showed my wings to him, Hatori and Haru, the first humans ever to see my wings. I ran and hid, but Haru found me and brought me here. I was ready to not tell anyone what happened, but Hatori and Haru helped me to realise that I couldn't keep running and hiding; I'd have to tell you all sometime.
I don't really miss it, but I sometimes miss my mother. We stuck together through everything. Well, except the banishment. She just stood by and let them do it. I don't know how she could do it, but she did. I'm sorry for keeping this from you, but what else was I to do?
-----------
Tori looked up to see Tohru and Momiji crying. Yuki handed them handkerchiefs, and comforted them. She looked around, and looked at the other listeners. Kyou looked stunned, Shigure looked serious for once, and Hatori looked more solemn than usual. The only person who hadn't changed was Haru. He was still his slightly dazed but still serious self. He was looking at a random point in the room, obviously thinking about his own past. It was the kind of story that made you think like that.
"Do you understand why I didn't tell you?" Tori asked quietly, not expecting an answer. Shigure rested his hand on her shoulder lightly. She looked up, surprised. A little smile spread across his face, somehow comforting her. She smiled hesitantly back. She went to say something, but her head started to nod, signalling how tired the young girl was.
"Come on." Shigure said quietly, and helped her stand. They walked upstairs, where she wandered into her allocated bedroom. Before she went inside, she murmured to the dog,
"A storm's coming." Shigure shot a startled look at her, but she didn't notice as she wandered to her bed. He stood looking at the door long after it had been closed.
-----
"A storm's coming." Kyou looked up to see Shigure at the doorway. The others looked to see Shigure looking concerned, and Haru was the first to speak.
"What do you mean, 'a storm's coming'?" Looking around at the blank stares from the others in the room, he frowned. "Don't look at me like I'm the village idiot!" He snapped angrily. Shigure chuckled quietly, causing even Haru to stare blankly at him.
"It could mean a number of things." Shigure commented. "It could literally mean, 'a storm's coming', but it may also mean trouble ahead, or any number of things." He shrugged slightly as he sat down. "I don't know which thing it's supposed to mean though." Kyou frowned, annoyed at his cousin's lack of sense.
"What do you mean, you don't know? You're the one who said it!" Shigure shook his head. He picked up his tea and took a sip, making a face at the taste of cold tea. Tohru noticed, and rushed off to make some more. "Well?"
"I'm not the one who said it, I was merely repeating it." Seeing the confused expression on Kyou's face, he continued. "Tori-chan said it as she went to bed." Hatori stood up, remembering his profession.
"I should check on her. There might be something wrong with her." He moved to leave when a hand grabbed hold of his wrist firmly. He looked down to see Haru shaking his head.
"Don't worry. She told me herself, showing her wings uses up her energy, and she's shown them twice in one day. She's probably just worn out." Hatori looked down at his cousin, making no move to sit back down. "I'm telling you, I'm sure she's fine." Hatori reluctantly sat back down.
"No wonder she didn't tell us." Momiji piped up. "I mean, it's pretty much the same reason we didn't tell her about the curse." Seeing everyone's attention on him, he continued bravely. "She wanted to protect herself from getting hurt again. Plus," He added as an afterthought, "we probably wouldn't have believed her if she hadn't shown us those wings." With that, Tohru came in with the tea. As Haru took his, he heard a rustling behind him. He turned around to see the blackbirds still on the veranda, looking for their friend.
"Tori's gone to bed." He told them simply. Raku hopped forwd and started towards the stairs. Haru laughed and went over to him, putting his hand out. "You won't be able to get into the room. Come on, I'll take you to her." Raku eyed him suspiciously, and hopped onto Haru's hand. Haru walked upstairs quietly, leaving the others stunned. Shigure turned to see the other blackbirds turn and fly off.
"A storm's coming." He murmured to himself, looking at the trees surrounding the house. The trees looked back at him, yellow eyes of blackbirds in all of the closest trees. 'A storm's coming.'
-----
ooh, eerie ending!
I was presented to the council for inspection, where they found my difference. I am half earthwalker. Earthwalkers are humans, all right? They pretty much shunned me from then on. I was later than most in getting my name, and didn't do as well in lessons. The other children hated me, and showed me that often. I got in trouble more than others, so I stopped trying after a while.
I had a kinship with the birds that lived near us. As I grew, I would play and fly with them. When there were assessments of our abilities, that was shown. I was much better than the other children at flying, and was punished for it. The assessments never told of my abilities, but my mother saw me once and praised me highly. I was called monster and freak a lot.
My mother had been told when the elders found out that I would not be able to stay there. She never told me about it, so when I was taken to the council three days after my seventeenth birthday and told, I didn't believe it. They put the wings on my back, as a mark of my heritage. I tried to fly away from them, but I was outnumbered. They surrounded me, and the Chief of Council sent me down.
That's when you found me, and I was taken to Akito. I showed my wings to him, Hatori and Haru, the first humans ever to see my wings. I ran and hid, but Haru found me and brought me here. I was ready to not tell anyone what happened, but Hatori and Haru helped me to realise that I couldn't keep running and hiding; I'd have to tell you all sometime.
I don't really miss it, but I sometimes miss my mother. We stuck together through everything. Well, except the banishment. She just stood by and let them do it. I don't know how she could do it, but she did. I'm sorry for keeping this from you, but what else was I to do?
-----------
Tori looked up to see Tohru and Momiji crying. Yuki handed them handkerchiefs, and comforted them. She looked around, and looked at the other listeners. Kyou looked stunned, Shigure looked serious for once, and Hatori looked more solemn than usual. The only person who hadn't changed was Haru. He was still his slightly dazed but still serious self. He was looking at a random point in the room, obviously thinking about his own past. It was the kind of story that made you think like that.
"Do you understand why I didn't tell you?" Tori asked quietly, not expecting an answer. Shigure rested his hand on her shoulder lightly. She looked up, surprised. A little smile spread across his face, somehow comforting her. She smiled hesitantly back. She went to say something, but her head started to nod, signalling how tired the young girl was.
"Come on." Shigure said quietly, and helped her stand. They walked upstairs, where she wandered into her allocated bedroom. Before she went inside, she murmured to the dog,
"A storm's coming." Shigure shot a startled look at her, but she didn't notice as she wandered to her bed. He stood looking at the door long after it had been closed.
-----
"A storm's coming." Kyou looked up to see Shigure at the doorway. The others looked to see Shigure looking concerned, and Haru was the first to speak.
"What do you mean, 'a storm's coming'?" Looking around at the blank stares from the others in the room, he frowned. "Don't look at me like I'm the village idiot!" He snapped angrily. Shigure chuckled quietly, causing even Haru to stare blankly at him.
"It could mean a number of things." Shigure commented. "It could literally mean, 'a storm's coming', but it may also mean trouble ahead, or any number of things." He shrugged slightly as he sat down. "I don't know which thing it's supposed to mean though." Kyou frowned, annoyed at his cousin's lack of sense.
"What do you mean, you don't know? You're the one who said it!" Shigure shook his head. He picked up his tea and took a sip, making a face at the taste of cold tea. Tohru noticed, and rushed off to make some more. "Well?"
"I'm not the one who said it, I was merely repeating it." Seeing the confused expression on Kyou's face, he continued. "Tori-chan said it as she went to bed." Hatori stood up, remembering his profession.
"I should check on her. There might be something wrong with her." He moved to leave when a hand grabbed hold of his wrist firmly. He looked down to see Haru shaking his head.
"Don't worry. She told me herself, showing her wings uses up her energy, and she's shown them twice in one day. She's probably just worn out." Hatori looked down at his cousin, making no move to sit back down. "I'm telling you, I'm sure she's fine." Hatori reluctantly sat back down.
"No wonder she didn't tell us." Momiji piped up. "I mean, it's pretty much the same reason we didn't tell her about the curse." Seeing everyone's attention on him, he continued bravely. "She wanted to protect herself from getting hurt again. Plus," He added as an afterthought, "we probably wouldn't have believed her if she hadn't shown us those wings." With that, Tohru came in with the tea. As Haru took his, he heard a rustling behind him. He turned around to see the blackbirds still on the veranda, looking for their friend.
"Tori's gone to bed." He told them simply. Raku hopped forwd and started towards the stairs. Haru laughed and went over to him, putting his hand out. "You won't be able to get into the room. Come on, I'll take you to her." Raku eyed him suspiciously, and hopped onto Haru's hand. Haru walked upstairs quietly, leaving the others stunned. Shigure turned to see the other blackbirds turn and fly off.
"A storm's coming." He murmured to himself, looking at the trees surrounding the house. The trees looked back at him, yellow eyes of blackbirds in all of the closest trees. 'A storm's coming.'
-----
ooh, eerie ending!