The Girl Who Wanted Wings
My name is Kurashina, Menou.
I was only fifteen years old when I died, and I was very ill at the time. I had a very bad disease called sarcoma. It was in my throat and I couldn't speak very loud, or breathe very heavy, or go many places because then my throat would swell up and I would be chocked.
It was horrible, simply awful.
It also caused a problem in my eyesight, so everything around me was quite blurry. I could make out shapes and objects, but only those familiar to me. It made me very sad.
Mother restricted me to my bed, and I was very, very lonely for such a long time. I had many books to read though, and for a while they satisfied me in ways living probably never could. My favorite story from my favorite book was, "The Man Who Couldn't Shiver" in the Grimm's Fairy Tales storybook.
It is a funny story you see, and I had often longed to share it with some else, so that they too could laugh at the funny characters. Unfortunately, my illness prevented me from going to school and ever making any friends.
Until, he showed up that is.
Every night, because I was often paranoid about the dark, shadows would frighten me and cause me to have a coughing fit, so I would keep my light on except if I was asleep. It had been a long day that day, as I recall, because the doctors had been poking me and prodding me and saying something about blood letting. My mother had started crying and my nurse-maid wouldn't look at me.
I was staring out my window that night, as I often did a copy of the Grimm's Fairy Tales in hand, on page one hundred and thirty-three, when I heard a peculiar sound. Suddenly, a blurry mass of red was before me, misted off past the window. It was a person. A person floating outside.
"Who's there? Who is it?" I called, cursing my poor eyesight internally and the softness of my voice annoying me. I remember his eyes were chocolate brown.
"I am… that is, I'm Phantom… I mean, I'm a friend." It was a boy's voice, soft and sweet but a tenor and smooth. A friend? That concept had been so foreign to me. Why would this boy come to my window to be my friend? Surly there was other people who needed a friend more desperately than I, but still, I was flattered and overjoyed. I could faintly see wings on his back. Was he an angel?
I gave my biggest smile, and I started to see the faint details of his face. I stored them away in my memory, to cherish forever. "I thought so!" I said, rising from my bed and opening my window. He had to have wings, because my room was on the third floor of the house. I looked at his jet black wings for a long moment. I could see them a lot clearer then before, now that I was closer to him.
Wait, black wings? Was this that Phantom Thief Dark that I had heard mother gossiping about? I usually think gossip is for daft people, but one day I had overheard her, on accident. I thought eavesdropping was a bad thing too so I had prayed to God for forgiveness for that little sin. I did eavesdrop, after all. That conversation was not meant for me.
"Dark?" I asked him, helping him to jump inside my room. When he landed on the floor, he gave me another smile, this one a little sadder. I could clearly see the emotions in his eyes. He nodded at me though, "No, my name is Phantom Thief."
"Oh, my." I had said, surprising him a little and I looked into his brown eyes. Now that I was closer, they weren't as brown, more amber. Like the soft brown of the spring forest, the forest I can remember playing in as a small child, before I was ill. What was it like to not be ill?
"What's wrong?" He suddenly asked me, noticing my large pause.
"I simply cannot believe your mother named you Phantom Thief-san." I told him.
He started laughing, quietly. It was a beautiful and very rich sound, like church bells ringing after mass. I felt my heart swell. My faith in God had been dwindling as the prior months of my illness had been horrid and sad and down-right depressing, but now I was almost positive that God had sent me this angel. He sent me my little phantom thief.
"Alright, you win. My name is Daiki." He finally admitted to me, and I sat upon my warm bed. I placed my hands on my lap and gave myself a deep breath. Would this boy be the one who I could tell my Grimm's Fairy Tale to?
"I have two questions for you now." He then said, leaning against my windowsill and glancing out at the coldness of the city. He then held up one finger.
"What is your name?"
I blushed, "I'm sorry! How rude of me! My name is Menou. Kurashina, Menou. You can just call my by my first name though, can I call you by yours?"
He smiled at my apology, nodded yes at my question, but continued to stare at the city. I still wonder why he always would look out at the city when he came to visit me, but I didn't have enough time to ask him. I wouldn't realize it, but my time with Daiki-san would be short.
"Alright, Menou-san. Second question. Why do you always have your light on this late? You're always awake, I see you when I fly past. It's strange, your light it the most radiant among all others. It's like a lighthouse, bringing me home."
I internally giggled at his poetic words. He must have read a lot, just like me, because he had the tongue of a literate person.
"Actually, Daiki-san, I'm quite afraid of the dark."
He looked away from the window, finally, and looked into my eyes. He seemed a little surprised by my answer. "Afraid of the dark?"
I nodded, and felt a heat rise into my cheeks. It was embarrassing to know that, here I was, sitting in my room with a romance-novel worthy boy, and I was telling him how I was afraid of the dark! I didn't ever have really good people skills though; the only people who spoke to me daily were my mother, Dr. Mathews-sama, and Nina-chan, my nurse-maid. My father had passed away in a petty robbery, he was protecting my mom.
I blushed even deeper. "Yes, it's quite sad, isn't it?" I smiled at him, "and sometimes, I sleep so much during the day that I just can't find it in me to miss the beautiful show that the stars bring to me each night."
Daiki-san looked out at the stars which I was referring to. "Your right, Menou-san, they are quite stunning."
"So," I decided to ask, "Are you the Phantom Thief Dark I've heard gossip over? I thought he had purple hair and amethyst eyes. They say he has jet black wings, just like you!"
He blushed and looked back at his wings, "Well, I'm not Dark, I'm myself." He then looked down at his hands. "I can't really tell you anything more than that."
I nod, "I didn't mean to pry, Daiki-san. I'm sorry."
"Oh, there is no need to apologize, really!"
I giggled. He was adorable. Sweet and soft and though I could tell he used some kind of mask during the day, I was quite sure that this was the exact person Daiki-san was. I know that sounds kind of weird, but that's just how I felt.
After a few more questions, I asked him if he would return again. He told me that every night that he was sent out of steal something, (he said I would know from the gossip because he always sent warning letters to the police, and I wonder why he did this for wouldn't it be smarter to just steal an item and not have the police chase you?)he would come and visit me. He said that he only stole things to help people, but he had to do it a lot. Even though I shouldn't have been pleased, I was, for I knew in my selfish heart that if he stole more things I would see him more often.
Then, he jumped out of my window after saying a goodnight to me. The sun was already peaking over the edge of the horizon on the sea. I would grow to hate the sunrise though, because when the sun rose it meant Daiki-san would leave me. Just like when he left me on our last night together.
The next few days, I asked Mina-chan about any gossip about Dark or a warning letter, and looked at me funny, as if she thought I was being too aloof or something.
"When did you start caring about gossip, Menou-chan?" She had asked me, looking a bit worried as well. I will never know why she was worried though.
"Oh, it's just…" I faltered, thinking of the appropriate thing to say. I didn't want to lie after all. My mind remained dreadfully blank.
"Come on, Menou-chan. What is it?" Mina-chan prompted me. She always seemed to do that, get me to say things that I didn't want to say. I was glad that she didn't push to hard though that day, because Daiki-kun had told me that I shouldn't probably tell people that he was stopping by.
The nights grew shorter though, and I now had many wondrous thoughts to daydream about during the long hours of the day. Almost five days after I first met him, Mina-chan stopped by personally to inform me that Dark was to steal some painting that was saved from the cultural reform.
"Thank you for telling me!" I had told her. She had just smiled. "It's nice to see you interested in something Menou-chan." She had said.
I think even Dr. Mathews-sama noticed my superb attitude that day. I even felt well enough to go and sit in the park for a while.
That night, I was a bit nervous. Would Daiki-san show up?
I chewed my lip, a bad habit indeed, and read another fairy tale. This one was called, "The Bean, The Straw, and The Coal." It was a strange story about a piece of straw spreading itself over a river so a bean and a piece of coal could cross it, but the coal was still warm so it burned through the straw, and the bean got away, no harm done. Just as I had finished the story, I heard a tapping on my window.
Looking up, there he was, holding a large painting. He was grinning. I put the book on the other side of my bed and opened the window for him. We spent a few minutes just blushing and saying pleasantries, until I finally asked him, "Why did you have to steal that painting?"
He sighed, and showed me the painting. It was titled, "Cypresses" and it was by an artist called Vincent Van Gogh. I wasn't really well rehearsed about art, so I couldn't tell of its value. He then told me, "This painting made people feel happy. Because of those emotions, the painting kind of grew magical powers."
"Magic?"
"Yes, It was causing cypress tree's to grow at an alarming rate. I had to seal it before anyone got suspicious."
I then smiled. I realized that Daiki-san stole paintings and other artworks to help people. He wasn't stealing them for his own profit or his own greed, then again, Daiki-san could never be greedy. He was just too sweet.
"Well, what happens to the painting now?"
"Oh, it stays in our basement for a couple years before, if it proves to be safe and stable, we anonymously donate it to and art museum so people can enjoy it again."
"You're a truly great person, Phantom Theif-san." I giggled. He blushed, which was a charming look on him. When he did, his amber eyes got soft. Gosh, did I love his eyes….
Over the next three months, Daiki-san would come to visit me almost every night. He would always show me what he had stolen, tell me why he did it, and we would play games. My mother almost caught him in my room once, but I was able to hide him in my closet. Oh, if mother had found him, heaven only knows what she would have said! 'Phantom Dark' in a young girls room at about three in the morning…Oh my!
We were more careful after that. Eventually though, my body got frailer as winter came. I started getting sicker and sicker. Sometimes I would cough up blood. It was scary, but Daiki-san always helped me. I could actually talk to him, tell him how I felt, and whenever I smiled it seemed that he too glowed…
In the end, I think Daiki-san was the one who saved me. He was the one who brought true life to me, and I care for him dearly because of it. I was even able to read him "The Man who Couldn't Shiver."
He loved it. He actually, truly enjoyed the story! Imagine how happy I was. It was ironically funny in that way, the happier and happier I got, the frailer and more tired my body became. My soul was dancing around and glowing, but my body was dying. I knew that my illness would soon take my life.
I didn't want to tell him that though.
The last night that I saw him, well I was still alive, is something I think about every single day. It was very cold that day, even Nina-chan was out sick, and Daiki-san had been called to steal an artwork by a family called the Hikari's. I think that name means light, but I'm not sure.
It was a ring, and a very divine looking ring at that. He showed up a little after midnight.
"Hi, Daiki-san." I told him, as usual helping him through my window. My body was hurting but I didn't care, spending time with him was all that mattered.
"Hi, Princess Menou-san." That was one of his nicknames for me. He had quite a few of them, and I thought it was adorable. I was aware that some people thought nicknames were idiotic and stupid, and I would have rolled my eyes had anyone else called me something like "Princess Menou" but it was Daiki-san so I didn't care.
"May I see?" I then asked, motioning toward his bag that obviously held the stolen ring in it. He nodded, and even let me try it on. "It's quite harmless now; I had Dark himself seal it up." He told me.
"It's lovely, but rings don't really suit me." I informed him, returning the stolen good.
"Oh, why is that?"
"Just because, they are heavy, and they often fall off."
"Then what kinds of things do you like, Princess Menou-san?" He asked, sitting on my floor and putting his cheek in his palm. He gave me a lopsided smile. "Would you like a golden crown?"
I scrunched up my nose and shook my head. "No way! That would be way to funny looking on a girl such as I. Hmm, I really don't know for sure…" I answered honestly, and then I glanced at him and gave another huge smile. "I know!" I told him and I leaned foreword and put a finger to my lips. "Promise to keep it a secret?" I asked, almost in a whisper.
He smiled, and held out his pinky. I locked my pinky with his. "I promise till the grave!" He told me. Then I blushed and looked at his wings.
"If I could have anything, I would want a set of wings too."
Daiki-kun looked at me intensely. He seemed to be thinking really hard about something. "Is that weird?" I asked, not really sure if I had offended him or something inadvertently. He then seemed to snap out of his train of thought.
"I'm sorry; I was in another world for a moment there." He told me, making me laugh. He then stood up. "I have something else to show you!" He reached to open the window, and then looked back at me worry in his amber orbs.
"You should probably get back under the covers, Princess Menou-san. You look a bit pale and I don't want you getting any worse."
That was the sweetest thing I think I had heard him say. He honestly, truly, actually cared about me and my well being. He wasn't just waiting for me to die, like my mother was. It seemed everyone always did a lot of waiting when I was around, and I hated it. I quickly climbed into my bed and pulled the covers over me, more for Daiki-san than for myself. I would die soon, it probably didn't matter if I was warm or not.
He smiled brightly, blissfully unaware of my angst filled thoughts. He then opened the window and flew out. I wasn't quite sure what he was going to get, and I was a bit worried that he might catch a cold. I saw his face peak back into the window.
"Close your eyes, ok? No peaking!"
I did as I was told. I could hear a strange sound but I waited patiently.
"Alright, open them!" He called, softly. He had learned that he could never be too loud. He didn't want to end up in the closet again, hearing my mother berate me for being up at such an hour.
I opened my eyes, and I almost cried.
There were little snowmen, sitting on my windowsill. He smiled, "Well, each one of them represents a character in that Grimm story about the man who couldn't shiver! This one is the man, this is the princess, the king, the ghosts who was to play bowling, and,"
He lifted one last snowman in the air, "The cat who wanted to play cards."
He knew that the cat was my favorite character in the story. I had always wanted a cat, but the fur caused me to sneeze a lot and I couldn't be around one for very long. Still, they were adorable.
"It's wonderful, Daiki-san!" I cried out, wiping away a stray tear that flew up from my eyes. I wasn't really used to crying, because I had given up on feeling sorry for myself. I was ill, sure, but crying never helped. This time I wasn't crying sad tears though, I was crying happy tears. Daiki-san didn't even mind, I think he could tell that I was happy.
He left soon after, the sun rising from the horizon. I hated the sun that morning, more than I had ever hated anything. The sun drove Daiki-san back to wherever he went to.
I fell asleep soon after he left. When I woke up, my body was weak and sore and I kept coughing. I soon began vomiting blood up. Nina-chan was still sick so I didn't get to see her or say goodbye on my last day, but I did get to pet a cat for the last time.
Dr. Mathews-san said I was getting worse by the day. He said I didn't have much time left. He told me that I was going to die. I didn't hate him for telling me that though, it was just his job to do that. During the rest of that evening, I spent my time praying to God, asking him to just let me have one more day.
If I could have one more day, I would be able to see my little phantom thief for one last time. I would be able to thank him for being to kind to me. Oh, I prayed harder than I had every prayed.
'Just give me one more day. Just one more day…'
That evening, I was so tired. I could barely lift up my head. Mother came in and one my request, read me the fairy tale, "The Valiant Little Tailor." It was about a lazy boy who, through clever tricks, managed to get a princess as his wife. There is also a unicorn in it. I do love unicorns… I tried, I really did.
I wanted so badly to stay awake. I had only to wait a couple more hours and I would see my Daiki-san again. I would be able to thank him. But, I couldn't. My eyes grew heavier and my mind drew a blank, and by the time my mother whispered, "And they lived happily ever after" I was asleep.
It pained me so much, that when a smiling lad came to take my soul, I pleaded with him to let me stay. I had to tell Daiki-san thank you! He told me that I couldn't stay though.
"Why not?" I had asked, almost on the verge of crying. The lad looked worried about my predicament. He contemplated it and then told me there was only one way to stay. He then pointed over to the window.
It was odd to be floating above my own boy, but when I looked at the window, tears finally did start falling down my cheeks. There, on the outside lock, was a set of wings. A set of wings, just for me.
The lad started panicking when he saw me cry. "Please don't cry, miss!" He insisted. "If you let your soul bond to the synergy of the necklace, you can wait for that thief and say your thank you properly.
So, I did as I was told. I watched from the necklace as my mother found my body, and I watched as I was grieved over. I thought it strange that they would grieve over me, when I didn't really have much of a life to accomplish anything. My mother eventually told the necklace, its name was the Agate Links, and put me away in a dresser in her back closet.
There I waited.
I don't know how long I sat, alone, but it felt like an eternity. All I wanted to do was say thank you… if I could just do that…
The rest, I suppose, isn't really that important. I was donated to an art museum were many people came and looked at me. Some whispered things about "Dark" so I was sure that if I was just a little more patient, Daiki-kun would come for me.
Vaguely, I remember when Dark did come to steal me. He was just as the gossip had said he was. A tale male with deep amethyst eyes and jet black wings. He allowed me my final request. One more day. That all I needed and I knew God would answer my prayers and send Daiki-kun to me.
I had daydreamed about it happening for so long.
After my one last day on earth came to a close, a boy came to me and told me he wanted to protect my wings. I wasn't quite sure what to say to this, for the lad wore strange clothing, but he was sincere. He did protect it too, he really did. I'm not even sure what that lad's name was, but he reminded me a lot of the lad who had came to take me soul. Maybe they were the same soul; again, I don't know this.
After my wings broke, Dark was chasing the lad; I was ready to give up. I wanted desperately to stay a little longer, but alas, I knew that I had spent too much time waiting. Just when I was about to disappear, sad and alone yet again, his voice came to me.
"It's broken now. But I think you should keep it."
It was him! I could see his red hair and his chocolate brown eyes. He was a bit fuzzy, for even in death my eyes were poor, but it was him. I had never felt so happy. I already told you after all, Daiki-kun was the one who saved me.
He really did.
Now that I sit in heaven and wait patiently for my chance to be sent back to earth, I think about Daiki-san every day. Perhaps one day soon his own soul with descend to the heavens and I will be able to see him again. As soon as I will see Daiki-san, we will go to the great library filled with every book ever written, and I will grab the copy of the Grimm's Fairy Tales, and we will sit and read the story about the boy who couldn't shiver.
I will patiently wait for that day to come, holding my wings against my heart and staring off into the stars thinking of him, after all don't you forget, I've gotten quite good at waiting.
: "Oh, Princess Menou-chan! You're so odd sometimes!" Daiki Niwa told the frail blonde who was resting against a pillow on a frilly blue bed. The girl smiled up at him, her ocean green eyes sparkling with radiant happiness. That smile made Daiki almost transform on the spot.
"And you are adorable, my little Phantom Thief Daiki-San!":
The End
A/N: All referenced about The Grimm Fairy Tales are based on real stories in that book. I really suggest that you check them out, because some of those fairy tales are weird. Also, this one-shot dedicated to my friend, A Sad Soul of Withered Dreams. Sorry about your mum, better luck next time right? Oh, and this is quite shameless but… Please Review!