Note: I'm going to add what might seem like a horrible object that would seem to never fit into the Haibane Renmei universe: a gun.
Now this may turn some of you off, but hopefully you'll see past the gun and realize why I chose to put it into my story. Hopefully I can pull it off...
Also, if you're a fan of Kino's journey and Cowboy Bebop, look out for the small references that I put in for fun.
Oh, and my friends wondering how old Roku looked compared to the others (i.e.: Nemu looks like she's about 18 or 19 compared to Rakka who looks like she around 14 or 15). Anyways, I suppose Roku would be older looking than Kana (Who, in my opinion looks to be about 16) and younger than Nemu, but definitely older than Rakka. That answer your questions?
Note #2: Also, somebody sent an anonymous e-mail and has brought to my attention that The Communicator's "Official" name is "Washi" and that a human was given a name (Sumika or Sumiko...) and that it is spelled "Hyouko" not "Hyoko" AND that it's spelled "Glie" not "Guri". That somebody then went on the write a bazillion page essay on why I should find out the correct names before I put them into a story. Well goddamn, I've only watched the entire series once, I'm bound to forget a few things (like ONE name) and I didn't even know how to spell "Hyouko" or "Glie" until now. I didn't READ the anime...
Oh, and my friend tells me that "Washi" roughly translates to "Communicator". So there.
Besides, I'm typing this in English. ENGLISH.
chapter four: good advice
As I walked my way toward the town exit, I took the time to absorb the local atmosphere. As I passed a small café, I observed several people chatting away, sipping on their hot beverages, and laughing once in a while. The smell of freshly baked bread wafted through the air and entered my nostrils. I took a deep breath, clearing out my sinuses. Quickly, I accepted this town as my new home.
Exiting the town, the air's scent changed from fresh produce to the scent of freshly cut grass. The gentle breeze blew my hair around, making me feel welcome.
"This is great!" I thought to myself, "I think I'm gonna love it here."
As I neared the bridge, I spotted the road that led to a small mountain.
"This looks the road that Rakka said would lead to the temple." I thought, "Looks like it'll take quite some time before I get there..."
I began walking, quickening my pace as the road increased in angle. After a few moments of walking, I reached a rickety looking rope bridge, which hung next to a waterfall. Cautiously, I crossed the swaying bridge, hoping that it would support me. I took a deep breath after reaching solid ground once again.
"God, I don't wanna do that again." I thought.
Making my way past a narrow strip, I eventually reached the temple. Located at the side of a cliff, it appeared to be some sort of short tower. Outside was a man wearing a black cloak. His face was entirely covered in what looked like a flat mask made of wood. In his hands, he held a sickle and a basket filled with greens. I assumed that he was picking vegetables.
As I approached, he put down his equipment and met me at the entrance. He pulled out bells from his cloak and placed them on top of my wings. He then took my hand and tied a bracelet around my wrist. He pointed me into the direction of the entrance. I slowly entered the temple.
Inside, I saw what seemed like a small forest. I was shocked at the sheer size of the forest; the outside had seemed to be much smaller than in here. I jumped as a familiar voice bellowed toward me, coming from all directions. I had recognized his tone; it was the Communicator
"Have you recovered?" He asked.
I responded by moving my right wing, remembering what Rakka had told me.
"Good. Please, walk forward."
I walked a little bit, finding a small gazebo near a small lake. Inside, the Communicator was sitting on a bench.
"Sit." He commanded.
I quickly sat next to him. From afar he looked as if he stood at only five and a half feet, a few inches shorter than me. Sitting next to him, I clearly saw that he was much taller than I, by at least another foot.
"How is your arm?" He asked.
I sat there silently, not knowing if I was allowed to speak or not.
"You may speak." He assured me.
Breathing a sigh of relief, I spoke to him.
"It doesn't hurt as much anymore." I rubbed my shoulder, "I still can't believe it's gone though..."
"How was your walk through town?"
"Eh? Well... Rakka, Hana and I met this newlywed couple that asked us for some feathers. Then we went to the thrift store so that I could get some clothes. And Then I found a job at a repair shop..."
"Did you feel... strange... as you walked through town?"
"Yes, but how... did you know?" I was shocked.
"How did you feel?" He asked.
"Well..." I thought for a moment, "I felt like I knew this place and this shirt and belt... from somewhere...But I can't quite remember. It all feels familiar somehow..."
"Hmm..." He thought.
We sat there together in silence. The both of us never moved an inch, basking in the atmosphere of the forest. He finally reached inside his cloak, pulling out an item.
"The Tooga have learned about your ordeal. They wish to give you this as condolence." He handed me a small wooden box, "Open it."
I placed the box on my lap, and unlatched the lock, located on the face of the box. Slowly opening it, I was shocked to see what the box held. Inside was an ornate revolver, loaded with six bullets. I picked it up, feeling the detailed carvings that decorated the grip. The carvings looked like an abstract mix of lines and circles with no particular purpose other than to provide a rough area to hold onto. The grip itself was made of a high quality wood; fire hardened and colored a deep brown. The chambers and the barrel was polished silver, reflecting my face as I took a closer look.
"They advised for you to wear it at all times." The Communicator said. He motioned for me to stand and take off my brown shirt. He then wrapped a leather holster around my chest. "There is ammunition in the box."
"Who are the Tooga?" I asked.
"They are people from outside of town. They come here to trade with us every once in a while. They are not allowed to approach humans, so I communicate with them, making deals and bartering and such..."
"How did they know about me?"
"That I do not know..." The Communicator said. "I know you have many questions, but that will be all for today." He started to walk away.
"Wait!" I said, "What do I need a pistol for? This town is so peaceful. Wouldn't carrying a gun around frighten the residents?"
"I do not know why the Tooga would want you to wear a weapon... But I would do so if I were you. Gifts from the Tooga are rare, and advice from them is even more so." He turned and started to walk into the forest. "You should do as they say. I'll call for you for our next meeting."
I sat there for a moment, thinking to myself as I stared at the beautifully made weapon in my hand. Again, a wave of nostalgia hit me. I knew this gun from somewhere.
"What the hell..." I thought, "It's just like the feeling I had when I picked out my clothes..."
Taking this feeling as an omen, I placed the pistol into the holster that the communicator put on me. I then put my shirt back on, buttoning it up this time. I picked up the box from the bench, and quickly exited the temple, heading back home.
(PC)...
As Roku approached the road that led to Old Home, a familiar voice called out to him.
"Roku!" It was Kana, "Glad to see you're up!"
"Good afternoon, Kana." Roku greeted her, "What's up?"
"I just got off from work." She noticed his clothes, "Ooh, nice clothes. Man, you got lucky finding those at the thrift store." She smiled at him.
"Eh?" He looked at his shirt, "Well, I only got this shirt and this belt," He lifted his shirt, showing Kana the black leather belt, "Rakka found the pants and long-sleeve in the closet. I found these shoes in there as well."
"Eh?" she said, "Man, if I only I found that long-sleeve when I was born..." She started laughing. "Hey, you need a ride?" She pointed to the back of her bike.
"Hm? You sure you can ride that thing with me on?"
"Don't worry about it!" She flexed her arms, "I'm as strong as an ox! Mwahahaha!"
Roku smiled, "Okay, if you insist..." He sat on the rack behind Kana. She balanced the bike, and then stood on the pedals, pushing as hard as she could. After gaining enough momentum, she sat back down, pedaling at a relaxed pace.
"See?"
"Ha... strong as an ox."
The ride back to Old home was short and quiet. Kana never had talked to a male Haibane before, not even the guys at Abandoned Factory, so she was a little nervous.
As they reached the gate of Old Home, Roku hopped off the bike and checked the nametag wall. Rakka and Hana were already back, as well as Hikari and Nemu. He turned his nametag over, doing the same for Kana as she rested her bike against the wall.
"I wonder where they all are." Roku asked.
"Hm? Oh they're most likely in the kitchen preparing dinner. The Young feathers should be in the den playing or something." Kana started walking toward the building straight ahead. "This way."
She led Roku into the biggest building in Old Home. Sure enough, the children were inside, playing amongst each other. Roku looked around and saw the children stare at him in awe.
"What?" He asked, "What's wrong?"
"See!" it was Hana's voice, "I told you! He said he lost his arm because he never ate his vegetables!" She pointed to Roku. The children all gasped and gathered around him.
"Hm?" Kana looked at Roku, who was blushing after being the center of attention. Questions were thrown at him from every direction.
"Did it hurt?"
"How'd it come off?"
"Did somebody cut it off?"
"Where's your arm now?"
Just as Roku was about to say something, Nemu entered, emerging from a door across the room.
"Hey, leave him alone." She said, "It's dinner time. Go on and get!" She led them to another room. They all groaned along the way.
In a playful mood, Roku warned them, "And eat your vegetables or you'll end up like me!" The children all screamed as they ran into the dining room, quickly gobbling down the greens from their plate.
"Ha!" Kana laughed, "'Bout time somebody got them to eat their veggies! Good job, Roku!"
Roku laughed at the thought, "I just hope they don't turn green..."
"Heh, I think that would be an improvement." Nemu chuckled, "Come on, dinner's ready."
She led tem to another room adjacent to the room where the children were eating. Inside, a long wood dining table was covered in dishes and containers filled with food. He spotted Rakka and Hikari already sitting at opposite ends of the table. Nemu and Kana quickly sat at their pre-determined seats. Roku, on the other hand, didn't know where to sit.
"Your seat is over here." Rakka said, reading Roku's mind. She pointed to the end of the table where the biggest seat was located.
"Uh... you sure?" He asked, "What about the house mother?"
"Oh, she likes to eat with the children." Hikari said, "Come on and sit!"
"Why so elaborate?" He asked, "I mean it's kinda fancy."
"Well the house mother said that traditionally men always sat at the front." Nemu said, "We've never had a man here, so were new at this."
"And besides, that's the only spot left open." Rakka said.
"If you insist..." Roku then sat at the helm. Almost immediately, the girls filled his plate wit the food that they prepared. Hikari spooned mixed greens onto his plate as Rakka placed a slice of the roast beef. Nemu poured gravy on top of the meat and vegetables, and then placed a dinner roll onto his bread plate. He sighed, "Don't tell me... the house mother said that men get their food first, right?"
The three girls nodded.
"Well, that's fine and all, but I don't really like being the center of attention." He said, "Please, just treat me like you would yourselves."
"Okay, if you say so..." Hikari stopped serving him and began serving herself. Rakka looked a little disappointed and began serving the other girls slices of the roast beef. Nemu began sipping her glass of water. Kana, on the other hand, was already working on her third helping of dinner rolls, waiting for the meat to land on her plate.
"Come on," Kana said as she chewed a wad of bread, "It's not like he's only here for a while."
"Yes, but," Rakka started, "The house mother told us that it's tradition..."
"I'm fine Rakka." Roku assured her, "Please, I don't really like special treatment."
"Okay." She said, helping herself to the mixed vegetables.
(PC)...
The conversations we had during dinner were small; usually ending up centered toward me. I told them about my new job and about my boss. Nemu seemed to know him personally, saying that she would stop there once in a while to refuel her scooter. I then told them about the Haibane boy I had met named Hyoko. They all seemed to know him well, especially Rakka. They told me about Abandoned Factory, and about the Haibane that lived there. They also told me that most of the Young Feathers that lived here were born in Abandoned Factory."Why are they over here?" I asked.
"Well, they admitted that they know nothing about raising children," Nemu said, "A while ago, a woman named Kuramori found out about the children over there and volunteered to take care of them, seeing as how most of the Haibane at Abandoned Factory are immature and always like to play around."
"So, how come I've never met this Kuramori?"
"Hmm..." Nemu started, "Well..."
She then explained to me the concept of "The Day Of Flight". I pondered about this for a moment.
"Would I have to go through a Day of Flight?" I wondered.
"Where do you go after the Day of Flight?"
"We don't know." Rakka said, "That's one of the many mysteries of Guri."
"Many mysteries?" I asked. They then began to tell me about the walls that surrounded the town, saying that nobody was allowed to exit, and that no one except for the Tooga were allowed to enter.
"The Tooga?" I wondered, "The same people who gave me my pistol?"
After dinner, we went to the guestroom where tea and cookies were served. The soft glow of the lamp in the corner of the room gave the area enough light for me to see everyone's faces. The yellowish glow of the lamp on the table felt as if we were around a campfire. I felt at ease talking to the girls. It was during this time that I was asked what the Haibane Renmei wanted to see me for.
"Eh?" I said, "Well, Only the Communicator wanted to see me." I sipped my tea, "He said the Tooga wanted to give me a gift."
"What?" The girls spat out their tea, "The Tooga gave you something?"
"Uh... not personally," I said, "The Communicator delivered it to me."
"What is it?" Kana asked.
"Well..." I unbuttoned my shirt and pulled out my pistol, laying it on the table, "This."
"Wow..." Nemu said, "I've read about guns before, but I've never actually seen one in real life." She carefully picked it up, and examined it, "Oh, this is a revolver... and the bullets are pretty big too." She removed a bullet from one of the chambers.
"Why would the Tooga want you to have a gun?" Rakka asked, "You're not going to use it are you?"
"I don't know..." I said, "The Communicator told me to follow the Tooga's orders, so maybe they know something that I don't..."
"Careful with that!" Nemu shouted at Kana, who was looking straight down the barrel, "It could go off at any minute!"
"Fine..." Kana said, putting down the gun.
"Well, you're really lucky to get a gift from the Tooga." Hikari said, "For as long as I've been here, they never gave anything away. And they never really want to talk to anyone else besides the Communicator. And even then they don't actually talk."
"Huh? What do you mean?" I asked
"Well, they don't talk." Hikari said, "They use a form of sign language, using only their hands to make deals."
"Oh. Why don't they want to talk?"
"Again that's one of the mysteries of Guri..." Nemu said, handing the gun back to me. "Well, it's getting late. I'll see you all tomorrow." She yawned as she exited.
"Yeah, we should go to." Kana said, pulling Hikari outside, "G'night, Rakka. You too Roku."
"Heheh, 'night..." Hikari said.
I waved them goodbye. Yawning, I started cleaning the table.
"You can have the guestroom," Rakka said, "If you don't mind that everyone uses it as well. It's like a meeting place for everyone to come to."
"Heh," I chuckled as I put the dishes in the sink, "As long as you all knock before entering." I rubbed my hair, "A boy needs his privacy once in a while."
"Heheh," Rakka laughed, "Goodnight, Roku"
"'Night." I replied. She waved, and left me alone in the room. I took off my shirt and pants, hanging it on the post of the bed. As I walked over to turn off the floor lamp, I noticed an object standing against the wall near the kitchen. I backed up a bit and realized that it was a mirror.
I stood in front of the mirror, examining the holster strapped to my chest. Feeling playful, I quickly drew the gun from its place and pointed at my reflection. I felt stupid when I realized that I was wearing nothing but a long-sleeve and boxers.
"Bang..." I thought to myself, mouthing the word.
I replaced the gun, and drew it again, getting a little faster every time. I did this for a while, not realizing how much time had passed by. Curious, I check the clock, which read "One thirty-two".
"Better get some sleep..."
Finally feeling tired, I un-strapped the holster and hung it on top of my shirt. I fell on the bed, exhausted. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was fast asleep.
I awoke to the sounds of screaming in the distance. My surroundings were pitch-black; I couldn't even see my hand in front of me. Getting up from the bed, I felt that the ground was unstable; it was as soft as a pillow stacked on top of more pillows. I looked down, wondering what I was stepping on, but saw nothing.
"What the hell?" I thought, "Power outage?"
I squinted my eyes, hoping I would be able to get used to the darkness. Slowly an image appeared before be. A girl, about my age, was facing me. She wore white pajamas and a tank top, carrying a small plush dog in her arms. Her light brown hair looked as though it were waving in a gentle breeze, though I could feel none.
"Why are you doing this?" She asked.
"Eh?" I responded, "What are you talk-"
"I try and try to provide for you, and this is how you repay me?" I heard myself say.
"What the?" I turned around, and to my surprise, I saw an image of myself.
My image walked over to the girl, reached back with his left hand, and slapped her across the face.
"Next time I tell you to stay home, you do it!" he said.
"But..." The girl said, holding her face, "Brother...I ... saw you... I wanted to stop you..."
"You know what'll happen if Rob finds out about this..." He drew closer to the girl, putting his left hand on her shoulder.
"Please... no..." She closed her eyes, "You'll protect me... right?"
"I took an oath..." He said, "You know I can't..." He suddenly grabbed her throat.
"No..." She choked out. She began struggling, though it was in vain. He was clearly stronger than her.
"This is what you get for butting in!" He said as they both fell to the floor. He still had her throat in his hand. I could clearly see that his grip was getting tighter every time she tried to take a breath.
"I wish you were never born with me! Burn in hell you fuckin' bitch!" He shouted in her face. After a few moments of struggling, the girl's body lay limp on the floor. I then saw him stand on her body, checking the clock on the wall. It read "Six o'clock". He fell to the floor, face first and began sobbing.
"Why!" he screamed, "Why goddamn you!"
I saw him struggle to force himself up. He then looked right into my eyes. Slowly, he reached into his pocket, pulling out a revolver. He pulled on the hammer with his thumb, pointed the gun to his forehead, and squeezed the trigger.
"NO!" I screamed as I fell off the bed. I looked around and saw that I was back in my room.
"A dream?" I thought to myself.
I slowly got up and sat at the edge of the bed. Rubbing my forehead, I checked the clock on the nightstand.
"Seven o' four..." I said to myself.
I sat there for a moment, analyzing what had just happened in my dream. I tried thinking harder, but nothing still made sense. Was this my past? What did that girl see? Who is this "Rob" that "I" spoke of?
I sat there, staring at the floor for a few minutes when there was a knock on the door.
"Roku." I recognized Hikari's voice, "Breakfast's ready."
"I'll be down in a minute." I called back. I heard her footsteps fade as she walked away. Sighing to myself, I put on the holster and the Gun that hung at the corner of the bed. I then dressed myself, putting on my pants and shirt. I went into the washroom, and groomed myself with a brush that I found. Satisfied with my appearance, I quickly headed for the dining room.
(PC)...
As the girls prepared to serve breakfast, Roku briskly walked into the dining room with a look of thought pasted on his face. He quietly sat at his chair, and poured himself a cup of hot tea.
"Morning, Roku." Nemu said as she passed by, sitting at her chair, "Did you sleep well?"
"Yeah." Roku said, rubbing his eyes.
"Doesn't look like it," Kana said as she jumped onto her seat, "You sure you had a good night's rest?"
"Yeah... I just..." Roku trailed off.
"What?" Nemu asked, passing a plate of toast to Hikari.
"Do you know a place where they sell cigarettes?" He asked, smiling.
"Cigarettes?" Rakka asked, "I think they sell some at the trading post near the clock tower..."
"Yeah. They sell cigs there." Kana confirmed, "You smoke?"
"Yeah." Roku said, blushing. He checked the clock on the wall. It read "Seven twenty-seven". He sighed, "Well, I guess I gotta cut breakfast short. I'm already late for my first day of work..."
"Hm?" Rakka started, "Oh! You can use Reki's scooter!" She stood up and retrieved a set of keys that hung by the clock. "I'm sure she wouldn't mind."
"Reki?" Roku asked, "That girl you were talking about yesterday? Where is she?"
"Oh..." Hikari started, "She had her 'Day of Flight' a few months before you were born, so she's already gone."
"Oh, I see..." He stuffed his mouth with a couple slices of toast, "Nghill chee oo rata den."
"Eh?" The girls all asked at the same time.
Roku quickly washed the toast down his throat with a glass of water. "I said 'I'll see you later'." He waved at the girls, taking the keys and exiting the room.
"Roku wait!" Rakka called out to him. Roku re-entered the room, wondering what she wanted. She ran into the kitchen for a moment, returning with a small paper sack. She handed it to him. "You're lunch."
"Thanks." Roku said, exiting the room once again.
Outside, Roku saw a pair of scooters resting on a wall next to the nametags. He found the scooter that matched the keys he was holding, and boarded it. Revving the engine a little bit, he slowly exited Old Home, making sure to turn his nametag around.
In the matter of a few minutes, he was at the garage. He noticed a sign that hung above the door. It read "Pop's Garage". He also noticed the surrounding area. There was a huge fountain that was built in the middle of a plaza. The shops surrounding the fountain were barely opening. People everywhere were smiling as they went about their daily routine.
The garage itself was located at the corner of one long building that stretched the entire street one way, and the other. Just in front of the building were two fuel pumps, with two nozzles each. In front of the pumps were two garage doors, one at each side of the store. The windows next to the doors showed the inside of the store. Peering through, he spotted Hyouko along with two other boys. One of them seemed older than Roku and the other much younger.
"Oh!" Hyouko said, pointing at Roku, "There he is. Come on in, Roku."
Roku entered the store area of the garage and was greeted by the older looking man.
"Hi there." The man said extending his hand. "Nice to meet you!" Roku shook his hand, noticing that the man was wearing a chef's outfit.
"His name's 'Dante'," Hyouko said, "And the boy there is 'Naota'. They're both Gordon's sons."
The little boy walked to Roku and extended his hand. "Nice to meet you." He said shyly.
"Likewise." Roku said to them both. "You two work here too?"
"Oh, no." Dante said, "I don't care too much for machines. I work at the bakery north of here. Hyouko says that one of your friends works there as well."
"Friends?" Roku said, "You mean Hikari?"
"Ah, haha..." Dante chuckled and blushed at the same time, "Yeah..."
"He likes her." Naota said aloud. "Don't you?"
"Shut up, brat!" Dante shouted, hitting Naota's head, "I told you not to tell anyone!"
"Uh..." Roku whispered.
"Well." Dante said, "I gotta go to work. Tell mom I'll be back for lunch." He waved goodbye as he exited the store.
"Hey Naota." Hyouko said, "Show Roku where the lockers are. And give him his uniform."
"Okay. Follow me, Roku." Naota cheerfully lead Roku to the back of the store, passing through a door, and into a hallway. After a few steps to the left, Naota opened a door, showing Roku into the locker-room. Inside, wooden lockers were standing against the wall. On the door of each locker hung a nametag. Roku quickly found Gordon's, Hyouko's and Naota's.
"Your locker's over there." Naota said, pointing to the locker at the end of the room where his nametag hung. It was next to Naota's. "You can find some clothes that fit over there." He pointed to a box of gray shirts. Next to it was a box of navy blue overalls. Roku began digging through the boxes, finding a shirt and overalls that fit him. The shirt had the logo "Pop's Garage" stitched the left breast, while the pants had the same logo stitched on the calf of the right leg.
"You work here?" Roku asked as he began changing into the uniform.
"Yeah." Naota said as he put on his gray shirt. "I love machines."
"Yeah?" Roku responded as he slipped on his overalls.
"Yeah." Naota answered, "I'm building this bike with a powerful engine that my dad got recently. He said that the Tooga had traded it into town and that he bought it as soon as it was available to purchase."
"What kind of engine?" Roku asked, straightening out his uniform.
"I don't know..." Naota trailed off, "But it looks like it was made for a bike, because a bike chassis fits perfectly around it. We tried it with a regular bike, but it was too weak and the engine split the chassis into two. So my dad an' I are building a bike from scratch. One that can withstand the engine's power."
"That's cool." Roku said, playing around with his hair, trying to tie it into a ponytail.
"There's a box full of beanies over there if you're worried about your hair." He pointed to a box that was on top of Roku's locker.
"Thanks." Roku said as her reached up and took the box down. Inside he found hundreds of beanies, skullcaps and hats of every shape size and color. "You sure, your dad won't mind?" Naota shook his head.
Like a kid in a candy store, Roku began sifting through the box, finding two beanies to his liking. One was the same shade of gray that matched his shirt uniform. The other was a deep black, which he tossed into his locker with the rest of his clothes.
"Come on," Naota said, signaling for Roku to follow him, "Let's help Hyouko open up shop."
Roku obediently followed, putting on the gray beanie that he had just found, tucking his hair underneath. He made sure that his halo was free to float above his head. Inside the store, Hyouko was already dealing with an elderly customer. Naota grabbed a broom and began sweeping the floors.
"Roku, could you open up the garage doors?" Naota asked, tossing him a set of keys from his belt.
"Uh... sure." Roku said as he caught the keys in midair.
Outside, he found that the garage doors were locked using a set of sturdy looking padlocks at each end. He took a bit of time searching for the right keys, also taking the time to memorize which key opened which lock. After all four locks were opened; he pulled on the handle in the middle of the garage door and lifted it up, sliding it toward the ceiling. After he did the same to the other door, he took a broom from the corner and began sweeping the area. After he was almost finished, he noticed an object in the corner of the garage. It was covered with a blue tarp, so he couldn't see what was underneath, but he noticed the outline of a bike.
"Ha!" a familiar voice said, "I knew I made the right choice!" It was Gordon, standing by the workbench.
"Wha?" Roku said, spinning around, "When did you come in, sir?"
"Ha! Formal too." Gordon smiled widely, "You don't have to call me 'sir', boy. 'Master' or 'Your Holiness' is good enough."
"Gordon!" Magdalene scolded him from inside the shop, "Be nice to him!"
"Okay..." Gordon walked over to Roku, putting his gigantic hands on Roku's shoulder, "Just call me 'Pops'... but only because Maggie says so."
"'Pops'?" Roku questioned, "As in 'Pop's Garage'?"
"Well who in the hell you though was 'Pops' of 'Pop's Garage'?"
"Uh... well..."
"Never mind, kid." Gordon took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and placed one in his mouth, "Mr. Satoshi from the book Repair shop dropped his scooter off last night." He lit his cigarette. "He was complaining that it wasn't running correctly. He said that he felt it struggling to run and that the engine was sputtering." He sucked on the cigarette, blowing out the smoke through his nostrils. "See if you can find out what's wrong and then fix it."
"Sure thing, Pops." Roku said enthusiastically.
"Oh, lemmie see your Haibane notebook." Roku pulled it out of his back pocket and handed it to him. He opened it up and wrote inside, closing it and handing it back to me when he was done. "Just a little advance."
"Thanks!" Roku bowed.
"Aww." Pops said, "I just thought you could use a little advance, that's all. Now get to work before I take it back!"
Quickly, Roku ran out to the front and retrieved the scooter to be repaired. As soon as Roku wheeled the scooter into the shop, everyone seemed to get into their daily routine. Hyouko began working on the small vehicle that he was repairing yesterday, Pops went inside to tend the shop, Maggie took her scooter out and rode off into the distance, and Naota took the blue tarp off of the object in the corner, confirming Roku's beliefs that it was a bike. He wheeled it next to Roku, putting it on a small lift, elevating it so that he could work on the engine that was located inside the chassis of the bike.
"So is that the bike you're working on?" Roku asked as he took off the cover of the engine compartment on the scooter he was working on.
"Yeah." Naota said, "It's great, isn't it?"
"It is." Roku said, noticing that it was bigger than any other bike that he'd seen while in Glie. He also noticed that something was bothering Naota, there was a look of concern on the little boy's face.
"What's wrong?" Roku asked.
"Eh?" Naota looked as though he'd seen a ghost. "N-nothing! Why?"
Roku studied his face a little closer. "No... there's definitely something wrong. What is it?" Roku asked again.
"Nothing!" Naota shouted.
"Keep it down in there!" Pops yelled from inside.
Roku shrugged and continued working on the scooter, but he couldn't help but notice Naota's look of concern. It was like Roku was able to read his mind. Finally, after a few moments of silence, Roku spoke.
"It's about you're brother, isn't it?" Roku said.
"W-wha...?" Naota was shocked, "How... what?"
"I could tell." Roku said, "He's doing something, but I can't quite put my finger on it..."
"Well... I..." Naota stuttered.
"Never mind." Roku said, "Forget it, it's probably nothing anyways."
Naota nodded his head and went back to work; still surprised that Roku was able to read his mind.
(PC)...
"All right!" Pops yelled from inside the store, "Lunch time! Be back here by One o'clock! Got that!"
"Yes..." Hyouko groaned. He then turned to me, "Come on, let's go and get some grub."
"Actually..." I said, "Rakka packed me a lunch." I took the sack out of the storage basket from my scooter. I looked inside and saw that she had prepared me a lunch of roast beef sandwiches.
"Whoa!" Hyouko said, "The girls made you lunch? I have to buy my lunch from a café everyday!"
"Really? Aren't there girls at Abandoned Factory?" I asked.
"Yeah." Hyouko grumbled as we began walking toward a café across the plaza, "But they're really not good at cooking; hell, they're almost never home most of the time. Though there is one guy that's excellent at making a pot of rice."
I laughed, though I almost felt sorry for him. Not being able to rely on somebody else for help. I wondered if anything would have been different, had I been born at Abandoned Factory instead of Old Home.
Reaching the café, I found a seat located outside under the sun. Hyouko went in and ordered his meal, while I unwrapped one of the many sandwiches that Rakka had packed for me. As I began eating, I heard a familiar voice call out to me.
"Hey! There you are!" Dante yelled, waving his arm, "Mind if I eat lunch with you guys?" He placed a basket on the table.
"Not at all." I said. Hyouko came back with his meal of pasta and bread, and sat across the table from me. Dante sat to my left. He began placing food on that table, making it seem as if the basket had no bottom.
I decided to make small talk. "Uh... you know where I could buy some cigarettes around here?" I asked.
"Hm?" Hyouko started, "You smoke?"
"Yeah." I responded, blushing a little.
"Well, you could go to the tobacco store over there." Dante said with a chuckle, pointing behind me. I turned around and saw that there was a tobacco shop. My face turned red; how could I have missed it?
"Uh... heh... thanks." I finished my first sandwich.
"Um..." Dante started, "Did Hikari make those?"
"I dunno." I said as I took a bite of my sandwich, "Probably."
Dante began to blush, "You mind if I try some?"
"Uh... no... here..." I ripped a portion of the sandwich and handed it to Dante. He sniffed it a bit, and then placed the entire portion into his mouth, seeming to enjoy every single bite.
"That's definitely Hikari's doing." He said, lost in thought.
"Uh..." I started, "You like her?"
"What's not to like?" He shouted, "She beautiful! The way she wears her hair! Her smile! The way she seems so innocent!" He went on and on until Hyouko interrupted.
"You do know that she's a Haibane, right?" He sipped on a glass of water, "The Haibane Renmei forbids us to have relations with humans, and vice versa."
"Really?" I asked, finishing my lunch. "I never knew that."
"I don't care! I'm gonna marry her!" Dante balled his hand into a fist, "Then we'll get outta this town and live somewhere else!"
I thought about this while Dante was going on about how he'd have many children with Hikari. Somehow, just like with Naota, I could read his mind. I knew all of his thoughts in the blink of an eye.
"Whoa, dude!" I shouted, "You have pictures of her in you're room?"
Dante spun around and glared at me. "Who told you that?" Hyouko began snickering, "It was the brat wasn't it?"
"No, man." I tried to calm him down, "I could tell."
"He told you didn't he?"
"Dude," Hyouko butted in, "I was with both of them all morning, and Naota didn't say anything."
"... Ah-hahaha!" Dante laughed nervously, "That was a good one, Roku!" He began laughing louder and louder. "I thought you had really read my mind!"
"I did." I defended myself, "I don't know how, but I read your mind like a book."
"Yeah, right." Hyouko said, "If you could read minds, tell me what I'm thinking right now."
Sighing, I studied Hyouko's face, trying to analyze what he was thinking.
"I dunno..." I said, "I couldn't get anything..."
"Ah, it was just luck." Hyouko said, leaning back into his chair. "I knew it all along."
"I guess..." I said as I stood up. "I'm gonna go and buy some smokes."
"Alright." Dante said, continuing his lunch.
I began thinking to myself as I walked to the tobacco shop. How was I able to read their minds? I decided that I needed another test. I entered the tobacco shop, looking around for anybody to test my theory.
"Welcome." A man behind the counter said. I decided that he would be the perfect test subject. I walked to him and began staring at his face, analyzing anything that I could get.
"Uh... can I help you?" He nervously asked. I ignored him and continued staring into his eyes.
"Look, if you want something just ask, don't try to send it to me telepathically..." He started getting nervous. Still certain that I could read his mind I continued staring at him.
"Alright!" He shouted, "That's enough! Either buy something or get out!"
"Dammit!" I thought, "It didn't work this time..." I sighed to myself and ordered. "Uh... sorry... I was just nervous... lemmie get a pack of the non-filtered and that Zippo over there." I pointed to a Zippo lighter that was dull silver. As he brought the items to me, I wrote down the price on a page of the notebook and tore it out, handing it to the shopkeeper. Bowing, and apologizing for my weirdness, I left the store and headed back to where Hyouko and Dante were sitting. I opened the pack of cigarettes and put one into my mouth. Suddenly I remembered something that I used to do before. It came to me the instant I took out the lighter I just bought.
"You guys ever see somebody light a lighter like this?" I asked them as I sat at the table. I held the lighter upside down. Quickly, I snapped my finger. The lighter ended up in between my thumb and index finger, only now it was right side up, open and lit.
"Sweet." Dante said, chewing his food.
"Hey!" Hyouko said, "Teach me how to do that!"
"You smoke too?" I asked.
"No, but that would be cool to show off!" Hyouko laughed.
"Alright." I began the lesson describing several ways to light the lighter.
later that same day.
After lunch, the three of us returned to work, with Dante heading back to the bakery and Hyouko and I heading back to Pop's Garage. Immediately, the both of us went straight to work; I went back to the scooter and Hyouko went back to the small vehicle. About an hour later, Hyouko announced to Pops that the vehicle was repaired, and that he needed somebody to go with him to the sheep farm that it belonged to. Pops volunteered, saying that he needed to receive the payment personally, and that he needed to drive the truck since Hyouko didn't have a license. Naota also volunteered to go, leaving me alone to tend the shop.
"If you see anyone in the shop," Pops said, "Just stop what you're doing and help them find what they need. If we don't come back by six, close up shop." He tossed me a set of keys. "Those are yours now. They open the shop, garage doors and your locker"
"Uh... thanks."
"Later, Roku!" Naota said, waving from the back of the truck.
"Take care man." Hyouko shouted back as well.
I hooked the keys onto one of the belt loops on my pants and went back to work. After only a few moments to myself, scooter pulled up to the fuel pumps outside the garage.
"Hey, Roku." I recognized Nemu's voice, "Could you fill up my scooter?"
I looked up from what I was working on. "Uh... sure." I stood up and walked over to her. "You come here all the time?"
"Nah." She sat on a bench near the store entrance, "Usually I would go down to the east district because the gas is a little cheaper, but my scooter was running on fumes, so..."
"Ah..." I said as I began re-fueling her scooter, "I see."
She sat there quietly as I checked her scooter's oil and other essential fluid levels. She looked up at the sky, sighing deeply as she did so. As I worked, I couldn't help but notice a look of concern on her face.
"What's wrong?" I asked, finished re-fueling her scooter.
"Hm?" She began, "Oh, nothing." I could easily tell that she was avoiding something.
"No, there's something wrong," I wiped my hand on a rag, "I can tell." I sat next to her. She blushed, and scooted away from me a little.
"It's nothing." She insisted.
I studied her face closely, trying to see if my "mind reading" ability would work again.
"Stop staring at me!" She chuckled, gently pushing me away.
"Why do you feel that way?" I asked in a serious tone.
"Wha? Feel what way? What are you talking about?" She got up and took out her Haibane notebook, writing the amount of money that she owed and handed me the paper slip. She then quickly walked to the scooter and sat on it.
"Wait." I said sternly, grabbing hold of her arm. "There's something on your mind."
"What are you a mind reader?" She snapped back.
"... You feel like nobody cares for you." I said calmly.
"What? You're crazy!" She started her scooter, but I immediately stood in her way.
"Tell me." I said, "I know you feel this way. You feel useless because you're not able to help anyone, but at the same time you feel as though nobody wants to help you."
She turned off her scooter. "How do you..."
"I can just tell." I said. I began searching my mind for another reason, but I couldn't; it was just like the time with Naota and Dante. I could just tell that something was running through her mind.
"Am I right?" I asked her.
She sat there quietly. I walked over to her and rubbed her shoulder, ensuring her that I wasn't there to hurt her feelings.
"Am I right?" I asked her again.
"Yes." She said softly. "Before Rakka, Hirkai, Kana, and Kuu, another girl who had her 'Day of Flight' before you came; it was just Reki, Kuramori, the young feathers and I. I was able to do something around the house to help out. And Kuramori was there to help me out. But, then Kuramori disappeared and Reki changed. She started doing all the household chores; taking care of the little ones. She kept telling me that she was able to handle it all by herself, but I still wanted to help around the house. I tried to help out, but Reki would shout at me, saying that it was her responsibility. Then, Hikari was born, and I thought to myself that I finally had somebody to take care of. But there went Reki again, taking responsibility. She also did this with Kana, Kuu and then Rakka." She wiped her eyes, "I got lazy."
"You were jealous?" I asked.
"No, I was never jealous of Reki. I dunno..." She sighed, "I just feel that... I'm sorta the odd one out, you know? Like, I'm just here, and nothing else. I try to do some chores, but either Rakka or Hikari helps me out, ending up taking the entire chore out of my hands. Even Kana does it once in a while. I usually let that pass though, and end up taking a nap. But when I need help, everyone's busy. Rakka's always busy, with work and with the Young Feathers. Hirkai usually cleans up the house and starts the meals, and Kana always works on the clock tower at Old Home. It's like I'm still four years old, when I'm actually older than everyone else..."
I thought about what she said. She laughed to herself, and started her scooter again.
"I dunno why I just told you all that." She chuckled again, "It was like I was talking to the Communicator."
"Maybe you should tell people that you don't need help with everything." I advised her, "We're all friends; so you shouldn't worry about hurting anyone's feelings. You should just tell them that you want to do something yourself. Don't just let them take over." I smiled, "Goddammit, you're the eldest! You should start taking responsibility and tell everyone to sit back and relax!"
We both laughed for a second. Taking a deep breath, Nemu spoke.
"Thanks, Roku. Maybe you should start giving out advice more often. I feel better now, after talking to you."
"No prob." I said. "It was like I read you're mind though, so it was easy."
"Oh?" She said, "You're a mind reader?"
"No, I could just tell..." I said. "I'll see you later then."
"Yeah." She said as she rode away, "Later."
As I finished up fixing the scooter, I thought about what had just happened today. I knew deep down that I had read Naota, Dante, and Nemu's minds like a book. But for some reason, I couldn't do the same with Hyouko and the tobacco dealer. Each time I did, though, their problems appeared in my head, as clear as if I were imagining something. I didn't know why I was able to do this, but I would have to talk with the Communicator about this, the next time he called for me.
I took out my cigarettes and placed one in my mouth. Putting it back into my pocket, I took out my new lighter and lit my cigarette. Suddenly the blood from my head rushed down to my feet. The words "New" and "Lighter" repeated itself in my mind. Slowly, I looked at the lighter in my hand.
"OH SHIT!" I yelled, quickly getting up and running toward the tobacco store, "I WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BUY THIS!"
end chapter four
disclaimer: with the exception of Roku, Gordon, Magdalene, Naota and the names "Horton" for the old clothes dealer, and "Dante" for the assistant baker, I do not own any characters that have made an appearance in the story. I did this for fun, not for money. If you own these characters, please don't sue me. Please don't ruin my fun. Also, this story is only allowed to appear on If you wish to paste this onto your site, please ask permission first and give credit where credit's due.