Revision 6/19/14
Nakietra
I barely remember the day. I know me and Nero sat on the balcony, watching the cars go by. I did a little sketching of the clouds in the sky but my heart wasn't in it. Hiro was on my mind though and I couldn't stop thinking of all the time I spent with him and Toya. I cried when I thought about never seeing Toya again.
After dinner, Syaoran said we had to go to this concert because the feather might be there. We all went with then. Me and Nero only went because we couldn't stand to be inside anymore. The idea of never seeing his pack again depressed Nero much more than me not seeing Toya. He was the only one who probably missed me considering my aunt and her family hated me. I brought my knife just in case something happened like usual. Syaoran always manages to make it dangerous for us.
People were already seated and waiting in the square when we arrived. Some were sitting in foldable chairs or on blankets on the ground. Other's stood around or sat on the walls surrounding the area. I rubbed my shoulders briskly. It was sort of cold. It must be a different season than when I was last here. Fia, Sakura, and Monkona moved closer to the front. I kept as far back as I could along with Kurogane. Syaoran went off to the right to get a better view. I don't want to be near people right now, but Kurogane is tolerable. He actually respects my boundaries unlike the others. I took a seat on the ground and Nero followed. Sakura tries very hard for me. I put a hand over my heart and try to remind myself that she isn't my Sakura.
The band introduced themselves as the "Wishing Birds". That was the reason for the feather being their symbol at least. The lead singer wore a headband with the feather symbol on it and the drummer had the same symbol on his drum. I watched them more, four young and strong men. One of them had to know something, but we wouldn't be able to ask until after the concert. I would let Syaoran and Sakura do the asking anyways.
They went through four songs that were all about love it seemed. I put my head down on Nero's flank. I was never given the chance to find love. I blocked them out, but the memories still all over my mind were worse. The talked a little bit then in the middle, I couldn't hear anything they said from back here over the cheering, and then they started playing. My head shot up just as did Nero's did. This was a song from my homeland. I was sure of it.
On the other side of time, there is a city of wind
Come on, Take me with you
Make the white flower's dream come true
Take my hand with your sweet fingers
Come on, I want to be guided down the long road to your side
An unending song in the early afternoon
The two awaken and become one
Knowing the meaning of happiness for the first time
Take me with you
An unending say in the early afternoon
The two awaken and become one
Knowing the meaning of happiness for the first time
Take me with you
The other side of unseen dreams
Come. On the two of us can take that long road
To the city of wind
This was a song sung at marriages, usually by the bride. I close my eyes and replace the man's voice with Ira's deep one. Her's was the only marriage I watched because it was to my brother. Tears leaked from my eyes and I hid my face behind a hand. She never liked me very much, but she always made my brother smile so I never said anything to her. I loved the way Hiro would smile.
Nero pressed his head up against mine. I grip it around my arm and silently sign along with the words that I know he wants to hear. His people hold mating ceremonies and we sing for them too. They are like us, torn from their homeland by the white men. Tears slide down my face.
Will I make it to The City of Wind by my birthright? There's no one to guide me as far as I know…The City of Wind, the place the ancestors came from and the land where we lived with the wolves. Our children were raised alongside wolf pups and grew up drinking the milk from them. It was a time where everyone had a bond like mine and Nero's, and it was a time of isolation and peace. That's what the stories say at least.
More tears pushed forward as I hear their next tune. I inhale sharply and bury my face into Nero's neck. Nero whines and reaches his tongue out to lick my fingers. He rips himself away from me then and places his paws over his ears. I wish I could make it go away too. This song is too painful.
Kiss me sweet
I'm sleeping in silence
All alone
In ice and snow
In my dream
I'm calling your name
This was the funeral song.
The closest woman to the one that died sang it just before she lit the burning pit. Our dead are always burned so that their bodies can make the trip back to the savannahs that we came from. The song is older than grandmama's grandmamma and no one understands the part about ice and snow.
Then it stops. I push away my memories of the time I watched my mother sing this for my father, and then I swallowed hard so I would stop remembering how raw my throat felt when I sang for my mother.
It all went away then when I looked up. A beautiful red bird was drifting through the air around square. I've never seen a bird so vibrantly colored in any world. I watch it float through the air and then gracefully land on the lead singer's shoulder. My eyes narrowed and I saw that around its neck hung the feather. We could easily get that given the chance.
The singer invited his fell musicians to the front then. I jumped to my feet and slowly got up. It was almost time. I leaned over and starting brushing off my dress. A crash happened then from somewhere. I looked up and could only watch. The bird panicked and took flight. I could see that the drummer had tripped over the leg of his drum and caused it to go crashing to the ground with his cymbals. The spooked bird rose into the air then, circled higher into the air and then took off. It was heading toward the bridge over the gorge. I looked to Syaoran and saw he was already following.
I ran then. I've seen the risks Syaoran has taken for Sakura and they're always so stupid. I don't like seeing Sakura cry over him even though she isn't my Sakura. None of us are faster than Syaoran though, not even Nero. I close my eyes and focus my energy to my legs. I don't have an option. I have two Speed Ruins carved, one on each of legs. I activate both at the same time and I shoot forward.
The dagger I have was a gift from Tomoyo. It can make me do incredible things with the right symbols carved on the right parts of my body. I have scars all over but it's worth it. The pain….not so much. My medicine always wears off faster when I used them for some reason.
I push onto the stone bridge. I'm catching up to Syaoran now. The bird flies low and over the side of the bridge. He reaches dangerously over the ledge to grab the feather. Only a few steps away from me. He loses his footing and falls over. Two steps. He misses grabbing the ledge. Zero steps. I jump over after him. I grab the lower ledge and his hand. His arm coils around mine.
"You idiot!" I yell at him as we hang there. I shit my already hurting fingers. I'm not going to be able to hang on for long with him weighing me down. He doesn't say anything. I don't have anything that can save us. I call Nero.
My hand slips a little and I feel my shoulder straining. If my shoulder pops, we're dead. My heart beats fast and I try to pull Syaoran up. He's too heavy for me to lift at all. My fingers lose their grip. Nero has my hand then between his teeth. I wince, but I'm glad. My heart's still beating fast. I swallow hard. Nero can't hold onto us much longer without also breaking my hand in the process. I'm prepared for the pain though.
Then Kurogane's grabbing my arm from Nero. I sigh with relief. He pulls us up by my arm and I hear it pop. I yell and fall shoulder first onto the pavement. My shoulder pops back in and I'm fine again. Nero curls behind me as I slowly get up.
I wiggle the fingers in my hand. A few bones are broken and there are several bleeding teeth marks. My shoulder feels looser and the muscles ache up I'll live. Anger bubbles up in me as I watch my hand swell up. That feather isn't worth my hand and it certainly wasn't worth Syaoran's life! I glare up and I see Syaoran sitting on the ground calmly. I clench my teeth and crawl over.
I slap him across the face. He deserved it for sure.
"Do you even think before you do something?! You could have just died right now and you don't even seem to care! If I hadn't been here you would have died. Life is a gift! There's a girl here who loves you! Do you understand how that would make her feel if you died for her sake?! Do you?" I yell at him. I feel tears in my eyes. My father died for me. The only reason he signed up for the military was because my mother needed the herbs grown in the castle to take care of me. He died for me and the ones left behind are always the ones who hurt the most. I sit back and close my eyes. My chest is tight and I remember that I am alone when it comes to human contact.
Kurogane
I stare at her face. I never believed that she had scars under her hood, but I never expected this...Tomoyo wasn't lying, Nakietra is beautiful.
Her skin is a softer brown, darker than mine but somehow more beautiful. Her face was smooth, flawless, and young. She acted twice the age she looked usually but I never expected her to be as young as her voice sounded. Her eyes were light brown in the light. She reached above her head and pulled out the pins in her hair. It was longer than I thought and would easily reach down to her mid-back I'm guessing. Her eyes shot open then and she hastily pulled her hood up. I looked away before she could catch me looking. The boy's cheek was swelling up just like Fai's. I know she can fight, but it's amazing she can hit this hard.
"Syaoran!" Sakura yelled. I looked back to the princess. She was running and rushed to the kid's side with Mokona in her arms.
"Ooooo Nake is so pretty!" Fia said happily and came up just behind me. I look back to Nakietra. She was just tucking her braid back now. Her face was covered though.
"Will you say my name right for once!" She hissed angrily. She didn't like her name being shortened any more than I did.
"You're beautiful Nakietra," Syaoran agreed as he rubbed his swollen cheek.
"Leave it alone." Nakietra said softly and turned away from the circle that had now formed around Syaoran.
"I'm sorry everyone, I couldn't get the feather," Syaoran said staring at the ground.
"Don't be," Sakura said smiling and taking his hands into hers. Nakietra spun around with a new fire burning in her eyes.
Nakietra
"You just risked your life for nothing then," I tell him. I look out over the bridge and remember how scared I was to even go near the edge. We had landed all the way at the bottom of the gorge and made the trek up here using the side path. I don't see the bird or the feather.
"I sense the feather. It's down there," Mokona said and pointing down to the river. Everyone stopped talking about Syaoran's suicide attempt and focused their attention on the black car ready to land near us. It impossible to hide from Tomoyo in this city.
"Tomoyo, these guys need to get down to the river to find something that is very important to them." I say as I watch her jump out of the car before it fully landed. In one hand she held a video camera that she was ready to record with. Knowing her, she probably saw the whole thing from up there somewhere.
Tomoyo stared inviting them into her car then and talking about the excellent footage she got. I jumped to my feet and started walking away. Even though I hadn't known her for long, she always seemed to understand when I need to get away from people. Nero followed me and matched my pace. I let my fingers trail along his coat.
It feels like I'm drowning. Every time I breathe in, but breathe stops short. It's like my lungs are being compressed but really I know they're starting to collapse onto one another. I cough harshly and stop until I catch my breath. It's been a long time it was this painful. I need to get my medicine.
I rest one of my hands on Nero's back, and leaned on him a little as we walk. I know he could take my full weight if needed, but if I fall off he can't help me anymore. I thought about taking my medicine before I left, but then I didn't for some reason. I don't remember.
"Hey," Kurogane says softly as he touches my shoulder. I almost jumped up. I don't like people coming up behind me or touching me. He knows this by now.
"What?" I said harshly before coughing heavily. I look at my hand and see some blood. I shouldn't be bleeding yet. I took the medicine this morning.
"Never mind," He says and pulls his hand back. He matches our pace and we walk in silence. I press a hand to my chest and run little circles into it. It helps a little as the pain get worse.
"Are you alright?" He asks then, sounding a bit concerned. I wave him off. I don't need his concern. All my life I've had people doing things for me because I wasn't considered strong enough. I'm sick of it. I don't need help from strangers when I can walk on my own two feet.
"I'm fine. Why aren't you with the others?" I struggle to ask. It's obvious that I'm not alright. Usually it Sakura here with me though. Amazingly, she hasn't told anyone when I tell her not to. She hasn't as far as I know.
"They don't need me," He responds. He usually went with to make sure Syaoran didn't do anything stupid which is why me and Nero tag along usually.
Kurogane
Something is wrong with Nakietra. I can't see her face but I can hear her clearly. Her voice is breathless and raspy and her coughs are painful. She needs to stop and catch her breath every time she coughs. I see her leaning on Nero which can't be good for him.
I've noticed how after she uses her "Ruins" that she says she tired and goes off by herself. That's how she usually gets her own room for the night. I've never seen her like this though. This isn't normal tiredness.
I moved to catch her as she stumbled, but she caught herself on Nero. She glared at me as I moved back. I know, she doesn't like to be touched. She also has her pride and is stubborn. When she fights, it's always on her own with Nero. She's always tried to be separate from us.
I let her continue to walk on her own, but I watched her carefully. She won't make it back I know, but I'll let her go as far as she can. She stumbles and I catch her. Carefully I swing her into my arms and keep walking.
Nakietra
"Put me down," I say weakly. My head is already swimming from the pain I feel blood tickle out of my mouth and I let it drip down my chin. I haven't been this bad since….the day after my mother died. I was obsessed with the funeral and I didn't take my medicine during my grief after the ceremony.
"You're not well. Save your energy," He told me. My breath shudders and I cough again with my body crouching into a tight ball. A mouthful of blood comes up at least. I struggle to regain my breath and let my bloody hand fall limp on dress. He continues walking. I guess he stopped. I closed my eyes and focus on breathing.
"Tell me what's wrong?" He says then. I don't have the energy to respond. I usually have energy saved up for this, but those Ruins took everything from me.
I heard Nero start whining. He was showing me what he was doing through the bond. He's darting forward and waiting and coming back. Nero knows I needed my medicine soon. He's trying to get Kurogane to move fasted.
"Hey you awake?" He said nudging me. I opened my eyes slightly but then I close them right away. It was too much effort. I feel him start to run.