An Angel's Tear
Chapter 2
Awakening

It was a raining…

I was on my knees. My arms hanging by my side.

The rain pounding away at my pale young face.

I was sweating. Panting. Scared out of my pathetic wits.

I stared at something as the rain continued to drench every inch of my body.

The abundant dark clouds looming over my head like vultures circling over the dead.

My back was stinging like mad. As if a divine flame was burning every inch of skin that was on my back. A divine flame that felt like it was sweeping all my sins away from my body.

Purifying me…Cleansing me…

Yet it felt wrong…Horrifyingly wrong…

I didn't like it…But regardless of the pain, I continued to stare at the thing in front of me. It laid motionless on the cold wet ground. My eyes trained on it.

It was a body…

A young women's body…

Someone who I cared for a lot. Some one who I would've died saving.

But no…

There it laid in front. A stiff cold figure of what it used to be.

A corpse.

Fresh red blood seeping out from every pore of her skin. Splattering down unto the grassy soaked earth beneath my kneeled down form.

I started to shake. My back burning more and more.

I trailed my eyes from the corpse's dead feet.

Up to her soulless upper body.

There a huge bloody hole was present. Letting me see inside her pierced emasculated stomach.

I continued to move my eyes up her bloody clothes and up to her face. Ignoring the smell of blood ever so present in the thick wet air.

A look of despair and worry was still etched like a horror painting on her wet and red soaked face.

My back started to burn ever more intense as my eyes locked unto her lifeless brown eyes.

Those brown dead eyes stared back. Blood seeping out from the corner of her eyes. Almost like as if they were…crying…

But the rain washed it all away.

Painting the earth even more red.

Deathly chills ran up my burning spine.

"Mother…" I simpered with my premature voice.

I raised both my arms and looked at my hands.

One hand had a black pendant in its palm.

The other was completely soaked with blood. The rain washing the crimson liquid all away.

"Mother…"

My eyes started to cry…

I gazed to my left.

There hanging from my stinging back and leaning forward so as I can see the tip was a wing.

A wing made out of black stunning feathers…

I looked to my right. The same thing…A second black wing…

I didn't want them. I wanted to rip them out from myself.

"Mother…"

I gripped the pendant tighter, arched my body painfully backwards, inhaled - and with utter despair-

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" I Screamed…

I was seated at one of the many tables scattered in the main room. The main room of Haruka's pleasant tea shop.

"So like I said Keitaro, what have you been doing for the past two years?" her voice questioned from across the counter.

"Not much, just trying to get into Toudai."

"Of course…"

I bit my lip and gazed over at the kitchen.

"Yea." I said as Haruka emerged from the kitchen. A cup of tea in each of her hands.

"Well, at least you're sticking to your dreams…but how many times have you failed those exams?.." Haruka bluntly said. Sitting down across the table.

"I failed two times…."

Haruka passed my a tea cup. "Yea…"

I sweat dropped. "Didn't I tell you this along with the girls yesterday?"

Haruka nodded, taking a sip from her cup. "But I just wanted to hear it from you again.."

"Your evil…"

"You just noticed.." She smirked

"But I'm not going to give up. I can't afford to give up…"

"Or your mother's action would go in vein.."

I nodded weakly. Also taking a sip of my own cup.

But Haruka's eyes caught something dangling inside my shirt. Something precious.

"Keitaro…"

I perked up.

"Do you still have……it?"

I looked down at my shirt and saw a tiny bump peeking out from my chest. I sighed and reached down my shirt to reveal the black pendant.

Haruka gazed at it memorably as it dangled on its chain, spinning slowly. Remembering that faithful day in the rain.

"I see you still keep it in good condition."

"Of course I do…It was a present from mom of course.."

"That pendant isn't just a present Keitaro, and you know that."

"….."

"That pendant is the only thing holding back your powers. After thatincident, you chose to live a normal life. A normal life that consists of you heading towards Toudai. Without the use of any of your….dark… powers nor having to worry about demonic entities. All because of your mother and that pendent..."

I gripped the pendant with one hand. "I never...ever want to have those evil powers again Haruka.."

"…."

"I know that our family has a duty for helping people…helping people from evil and other things. But when I got th-those…wings…My way of thinking changed…At first I wanted to become just like you Haruka. With those beautiful pair of wings. Using your powers for good. Helping people out. I wanted to do that."

"….." Haruka kept silent. Looking at my shivering figure.

"But when I received my powers..…I felt tremendous evil coursing through my veins. I couldn't control myself. As if something was controlling me. I didn't like it one bit. And all I could think about was that this power of mine was going to hurt people…not help them… "

"…"

I was looking down. My eyes closed tight and my jaw clenched up.

"Look, I had already hurt you Haruka. I almost hurt Kanako-chan…and I killed Mother. I don't want to release these powers again because I fear I would hurt even more people, and especially betray mother…"

Haruka stood up.

"No Keitaro…"

I stared at her. Perplexed.

"I don't know what happened that day. But you were not your normal self that day. It wasn't your fault and your mother died protecting you and gave you that pendant to make who you are today…"

I winced and shivered but nodded.

How does she know all this!

"So you see, Keitaro, she would do anything to make you happy. Even far enough to sacrifice her body and soul. So don't feel like you will betray her when something does happen. She trusts you to do the right thing. I know…she is my sister.

"….."

"And when the time comes. You know what to do…and both your mother and I trust you to do the right thing"

"When the time comes? What?"

Haruka smirked and headed towards the kitchen. "It's getting late. You should go to sleep."

I stood up and placed my necklace back under my shirt.

I gazed over at Haruka and sighed. "Good night….and thanks Haruka…"

"Good night Keitaro."

And I was gone.

Haruka stood alone. Finding lonely solitude in her little kitchen.

She looked out at the door I just went out of.

And she smiled.

"Haruna, your son is surely something…"

I was suppose to be heading towards my room. I was suppose to be tucking into bed and sleeping today off.

But I found myself wandering the Hinata-sou. Passing by every one of my tenants' rooms in the dark hallways of the building that I now own. Its ironic that a man like me who has never been with girls that much now owns a girl's dormitory. But I am still responsible for them.

I fumbled more in the dark and I ended up at the roof of the Hinata-sou.

The wind was harsh as it has ever been these couple of nights and the moon still continued shining brightly down upon the square tiles of the roof.

I balanced myself and stood still in an angle on the roof.

My body started to shiver as the wind picked up more.

"Se-sempai?"

"Shinobu-chan!"

I curiously looked over my shoulder and saw Shinobu as she emerged from inside the Hinata-sou. Her cute blue short hair visibly dangling with the violent winds. She still had her school uniform on as it to blew with the gusts.

"What are you doing up here Sempai!" she worriedly asked. Trying to keep her small petite body balanced on the angled roof.

I could see it in her face she was having a very difficult time in doing so.

"I should be asking you the same thing Shinobu-chan." I turned around and quickly urged her to move with my hand. "It dangerous out here, you might fall, so please go back inside."

"Ok, but you should to Sempai, you'll catch a cold up here.."

I smiled and nodded. But I couldn't shake off the feeling that I'm forgetting something..

My eyes widened.

I forgot to apologize to Shinobu!

"Shinobu-chan!"

She stopped, turned around, balanced herself on the roof and looked over my way.

"Y-yes!"

"Um..I'm sorry that I lied to you about the whole 'I am a Toudai student' thing .."

"…." Shinbu didn't respond.

"Its just that one thing led to another and when I saw that look in your face when I agreed that I was a today student. I just couldn't turn back and tell the truth. I'm sorry that you had to find out the hard way. But now that I am your landlord, I'll be more truthful and if you need any help in anything please don't hesitate to ask me." With that I bowed still on top of the roof.

Shinobu blushed. "It-its alright, I forgive you Sempai. I might have overreacted when I found out. So please take good care of me and the other girls from now on."

I stood up from my bow and smiled genuinely at her.

She blushed even more. Making her more cute. If that was even possible.

But suddenly a wind with unreal strength came pounding into out bodies. It was more harsh then any of the previous gusts.

I closed my eyes tight.

Me and Shinobu tried to stay balanced on the roof but I was heavier so I had more of advantage then Shinobu. That was the bed part.

"Aaaahhh!" I heard a scream that pierced threw the maelstrom of winds in the vicinity.

I opened my eyes to only widen them more.

As if time slowed down to a crawl. There in the other side of the roof top I could see Shinobu's frail body. It began to slowly tumble down the side of the roof.

I ran but the wind was pressing against me. I knew in the depth of my heart that I wouldn't make it. I knew that she would continue to tumble to the end and fall three stories down into the earth. I knew if I didn't reach in time, she will die.

I knew I wouldn't reach it.

My ears could only hear the helpless scream she continued to shout as she slowly tumbled and I slowly ran there. My legs becoming more heavier and heavier by the agonizing milliseconds that past by.

I closed my eyes.

The pendant under my clothes glowed as bright as it has ever been.

Oh god! She's going to die! Please…no… not Shinobu! Not one of the people I am starting to care about...not one of the people I am responsible over...please!

But I felt everything stop as my eyes were closed.

I reopened them to see everything black and gray. Shinobu was gray, the early raindrops were gray, the roof was black, the sky was gray…and most important of all was that everything had indeed stopped.

Time had seemed to stop.

I looked around. It was about to start raining but I could see the first raindrops right in front of me. Frozen.

I could also see Shinobu's balled up figure frozen in mid-tumble.

I shook of my amazement and tried to move. But I too was frozen. My feet that is. It was as if someone super glued my feet onto the roof top.

"Keitaro…"

I felt a presence behind me. One that was extremely familiar and maternal.

I looked back and saw …..her.

Long brown hair. Stern deep brown eyes. A beautiful young looking face, and an angelic body draped with linen cloth.

"Mother?…"

She nodded, coming closer to my stationed form.

"Hello Keitaro.." She said. Her voice filled with power and protection.

My eyes couldn't help but stare at her. Amazed. "I-I thought you were"

"-dead? Well technically….no."

"?"

"I've been inside that pendant of yours Keitaro…my soul that is."

"What!" I took out my pendant. To see it glowing madly in the palm of my cold hands. Warming them up.

"Yes Keitaro, in order for that pendant to work. I had to put all my soul in it. And I mean all of my soul."

My eyes trained back to her angelic white form. My body completely shivering.

"Th-that means when I killed"

Mother lifted an interrupting hand. "It wasn't you who killed me Keitaro. You wouldn't harm a soul. You would do the complete opposite. You would go to the ends of the world to save a soul. So no, it wasn't you Keitaro who killed me. What happened to me was in my own accord."

I stared into those chocolate warm eyes of hers. "So..so why are you here now?"

She smiled and pointed past and behind me.

I turned around and there, still frozen, was Shinobu.

"I'm here because its time…"

"Time for what…"

She stepped closer.

"Time for you to make a decision."

"A decision?"

"Do you want Shinobu to die Keitaro.."

I frowned. "O-of course not!"

"Then release it.."

I shook with shock and locked my eyes with hers. With fear.

"Release it! Mother I don't want to do that!…I'll end up hurting more people.."

"No you won't. Not the Keitaro I know…"

I gazed away from her eyes. Fearfully.

She stepped closer, just enough so her whole body was in front of me. I didn't know if she shrunk or if I just grew taller, but she was slightly looking up at me. Her body radiating a warmth that I longed for since her death.

"Don't be scared and run away from your gift Keitaro…I'm here with you.."

She raised a palm up to my cheek and lightly forced me to look back at her. I felt the power and warmth in those palm as they were placed on my cheek.

"Trust me, would you rather have done nothing and let her die so you can feel guilty the rest of your life…or do you want to risk releasing those powers and save her from death.." I looked into her brown almond eyes once more. "Just trust me…I want to see you happy…"

She hugged me with those long inviting arms of hers. I would have cried right at the moment. Feeling my mother's warm arms envelop me with such motherly love. But instead I hugged back, and whispered into her ears.

"Ok mother…I trust you…"

"That's my boy….and remember…unlike last time you had your powers...This time I'll always be with you…"

And with a flash of light she was gone. But orbs of light took her place instead.

They floated and twirled around my stiff body. And stopped near a part of my body.

It stopped over my heart.

And right there and then.

I knew what to do.

I gripped the infernal pendant with one hand, lifted it up.

Finally with a forceful grunt I shoved it down unto the roof tiling.

-Smasshh-!

It shattered into a million pieces and scattered into every direction.

And what was left of the small thing were black orbs. Similar to that of the orbs hovering over my heart. And they too rushed up and dove into my heart. Along with the white orbs.

I jolted at impact as they pierced into my heart. I gripped my head and chest as everything started to blur.

My hair strands started to rise up slightly.

The tilings of the roof shook and rose as well.

Static sparks erupted around my body as my arms flung forcefully to my sides in a crucified manner.

I tilted my head up to the sky as my back arched backwards.

My lips parted.

I saw the frozen clouds looming above me. The clouds then parted away in a halo fashion.

And revealed a beam of blue light surge from the exposed heavens just to-

-ZZAAAPPPPP-PHLOOOM!

Explode unto my body like a ray beam.

I let out a silent scream as my body was engulfed in blue light. I closed my eyes and endured it.

It felt like it was scorching me forever.

But when it was all over I collapsed back unto the roof.

My body was hot and partially blazing all over. Heaving for air and water.

But my back was introduced to the same burning sensations. A divine flame…

Steam and smoke gently started rising from every inch of my kneeling body.

And also from my newly found wings..

I looked to my right and saw a familiar wing. One I never wanted to see and feel again.

A black accursed wing.

I panted and cursed.

I expected the same to my left.

I gazed over…..and my eyes widened.

There I saw a not a black wing but instead a majestic white wing. One that I never thought I could have. I could see all the feathers, and I could also feel a familiar presence in that one wing.

Mother's presence…

I smiled, stood up and turned around.

My proud white wing to my left and my mysterious black wing to my right. Smoke billowing from both wings and all around the rest of my body. The hotness still present the most up and down my back. Where the wings met my skin.

I could feel everything come back to me though.

Everything slowly received their colors and soon time resumed its normal self.

And it did.

"Aaaaahh!" The helpless screaming from Shinobu was the first thing I heard.

She tumbled and tumbled until she reached the end of roof. About to fall three stories to the ground.

I gritted my teeth, flapped a pair of wings, and ran.

I streaked across the slippery roof as fast as my new found wings and powers could take me.

I dove from the edge and grabbed unto Shinobu's now fainted form.

I held her close and we both fell.

The third floor passed us.

I extended my black and white wings and picked up air under them.

We reached the second floor.

And with as much power as I could muster, I summoned one huge flap from both of the wings.

Swwoosshh-

Before we hit the ground that one huge flap of my wings decreased our descent and I landed gently on my feet.

I sighed and knelt down, placing Shinobu's unconscious body safely down to the grass.

I chuckled to myself and looked at my wings for last time today. Before they Flash

Disappeared in thin air.

I looked back at Shinobu and with one final desperate breath I collapsed on top of her.

plop-

"zZZZzzzZZ"

Completely exhausted.

-End of chapter 2-

…..

…..

…..

…..

Haruka came marching out of the shadows.

She was now hovering over our two collapsed bodies.

She smirked, spat her cigarette out of her mouth, and reached into her apron pocket.

She pulled out a cell phone and dialed quickly.

She placed it near her one ear and waited.

"…….Yes Granny Hina…..yes….mhmm…Keitaro's powers has awaken like we predicted…and he brought Haruna back to us….alright…I'll do it. "

click-

She closed her cell phone and stared at my body.

"This is where it all begins Keitaro…And me and Haruna will be there every step of the way…"