Chapter 1 : Rebirth
Today is a special day indeed! Many years have passed since a new life made its way to Old Home, I'm quite surprised myself for it to come all of a sudden in a day like this; New Year, perhaps this is a sign of fortune brought to us Haibane. My hands are damped with dirt as well as my clothes, proof of tedious work from cleaning the Renmei's underground sanctuary alone, but I cared less for my little feet are now racing with time, to see the newbie. 'Fortune', that's what the elders in the Renmei could label this coincidence. But I believe this newbie would make a great Haibane, someday.
When I reached the dining room, Reki's still paintings greeted me there, each neatly lined on the wall according from images that derived from bitter nightmares to sweet memories. "Reki," I say almost out of breath from all that running, "We finally have a new member again!" Tears threaten to escape but I swallowed them in with a surging excitement of the news about the newbie. "I will be a good Senpai, like you did."
"Ya sure will be!" It's Kana with her teasing voice. Another figure forms near the door, Hikari is with her too. "Rakka, you're finally here!" she smiled.
"I'm so sorry for being late!" I say, a little embarrassed of my tardiness. "It's alright, I'm just glad to know that everyone could be here to see her." Her smile is still on as she clasped my mud-stained hands.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Kana takes us on a familiar route around Old Home's puzzling labyrinths of corridors. It was dark, only having Kana's lantern to fight the creeping darkness. Hikari held tight on my hand giving me an excited yet weary sensation. Until Kana stopped in front of a wooden door, it was the same door that had left me a dark story but in the end relieved with a happy ending, one that ended with tears and fears that were exiled inside its very corners.
"Reki's room?" I mutter out. Kana opened the door as if I had not said a thing. She didn't want me thinking of such things now."Everyone's waiting," Hikari manages to form a soft smile to break to mood.
Upon my entering in the room, I immediately spy everyone else; the twins: Karen and Nigai, Nemu, the kids and Obaa-san who was trying to silence the frantic children. "Everyone, let's give Rakka a chance to see her!" Obaa-san commands and the children obediently step aside. "Rakka nee-chan," one tugs my skirt. "I found her cocoon inside that room," he points out to the room covered darkness; it was once where Reki wouldn't let even me inside. "All by yourself?" I ask and he nods proudly. "Now that's a brave boy!" I pat his head as he puts up a modest look.
Darkness ruled over the room; even the wall's colors dare not to take anyone's attention, only that one window on the room's very corner gave permission to some outside streaks of light to loiter on the floor. And there it was, in the middle of the small room, a cocoon laid; cracked, just as that little haibane mentioned it to be. Right in front of me was the new born. Her eyes are as blue as the sky; I see her one of her wings already grown out too, her hair is shoulder-lengthen and more of white, but what surprised me the most was that she looked just the same age as the children Obaa-san had taken care of ever since their mother, Kuramori left them years ago.
"W-who are you?" She regards me wearily. Her innocent eyes stare intently at mine. It took a few seconds before words formed on my tongue. "I'm Rakka, don't worry, I'm your friend" I try to sound as motherly as Reki did when she found me. Her unwavering blue eyes dropped their cold stare and quickly shifted her face into a knowing one; one that smiles like an angel. She hugged me gently on my knees, like any helpless child would do. My face turned red, knowing that she accepts me and that I will be her senpai soon. Everyone in the outer part of the room watches me; some kids push their way to have a clearer view on what's happening while Kana and Hikari try hold them down.
"Rakka," she repeats my name softly as if it might lull her to a blissful sleep. I carry her on my arms, her face changes expression; it is a border between being surprised and giddy to be carried for the first time. "Aww, isn't she just adorable?" Karen interrupts bending towards the newbie. "Does she have a name yet?" I ask hoping that they have already given her one. "Eeerrr, Obaa-san told us to wait for your decision,"
I look back at the nameless Haibane's droopy eyes. Her eyes flutter, giving that twilight feeling of being half asleep and awake.
"She DOES remember her dream but it was quite abstract, you see," Nemu joined our conversation. "She mentioned hollow voices and strange beings beckoning and at the same time warning her of something in a great abyss, but could not tell what they were since everything was a blur, though she had a peculiar feeling too of them being her friends, and then she fell from the abyss and flew up with a wing to a light, and nothing else is what she could remember clearly.." She detailed off with a sigh.
"How about 'Yume' cuz' it did sound like just a dream didn't it?" Karen suggested.
"Duh, it IS a dream, " Nigai, her twin teased. "I suggest, Tsubasa, since she dreamt of flying" They both looked at me with competitive looks, hoping to win my approval.
"Tomodachi!" Kana joined in the fight with a wide grin. The three of them are locked up in what it seems to be more of an 'evil-eye staring contest'. "How about naming her the same name as yours?" Hikari finally spoke up. "So you're competing too aren't ya'?" Kana eyed her, still with a grin on. "I-I was just saying, and there is no completion, Kana!" Hikari defended by instinct. "Nemu did mention 'falling' in the dream, right?
Obaa-san made her way through the noisy pack, "But no Haibane should bear the same namesake, all of you are special and named accordingly, your dreams may as well tell you apart, search deeper within its meanings, there is still a riddle riding among the facts you know now, and if you find that out, consider it the answer." For the first time in my life, everyone remained silent for a long period of time. All of us, pondered about what Obaa-san had just said, her words are really striking when it gets to situations such as this,I have to admit, even the children, some faces; confused, while the others pretend to understand.
I look back once again at the nameless Haibane, her eyes are blank; ready to fall asleep from this silence. And suddenly, I don't know how, but it just occurred to me, "Nanashi," I suddenly find myself speaking. "Oohh, Nana-chan, that's a lovely name!" Nemu clapped her hands in agreement. Soon, the room was filled with noise, bouncing off the walls. Many were already repeating 'Nanashi' in many different meters of tones and tongues, giving full existence to the name I have just thought a few moments ago. It makes me really happy; this is the first time I've ever named someone.
"Why Nanashi?" Karen questioned with an arched brow; her voice has a hint of confusion and probably a bit of disappointment to the fact that her idea wasn't of any use. "Yeah, Rakka, why?" Nigai repeated.
"Well, umm…I can't explain it myself," I retort, with a flush expression for not being able to put into words the reason why. "Nana-chan's dream was just so unexplainable yet really easy to tell, it's just that feeling that gives you something that says: "nameless", doesn't it?" Hikari is such a wonder to the unexplainable; words I can never put together, it's thanks to her that I build so much confidence on expressing myself. "Yes, it's exactly what I had in mind!" I smile at her; giving her a silent 'thank you' and she smiles back too.
"Nana-chan," Nemu crouches near my arms, poking Nanashi's adorable chubby face."Nanashi,"I say. Our lips say different words but our voices come in chorus. Nanashi is suddenly awakened by this. She looks at our faces, memorizing them one by one, making us something dear to her; the only thing she has in this world to cherish, when all her memories had left her; memories that will never come back anymore but replaced my dreams.
"Nanashi," I call out to her, as soon as she realizes this as her own, she smiles brightly, making us squeal of her cuteness. "Nanashi," she tries it out herself. That night, everyone gathered in the room, it was warm, though cold outside. There was laughter and cheer. So many things I would like to remember forever, and wish this moment could last.
"Yes, Nana-chan welcome to our family!" I gave her a view of everyone else. There were no other words, just smiles that said a lot, and her smile was one that means so much to our humble family at Old Home.
Chapter 2: The Nameless (In Construction)