Ryuuya sat up with a start, and found himself in bed. He wondered vaguely how he had gotten there and pressed the heel of his hand to his forehead. He remembered how many voices were echoing in his head, so many wishes and prayers about the girl in the sky… a thousand years worth it felt like. Though his fathers, his fathers voice had been so clear in the end. Ryuuya didn't know the whole story, he knew part of it. All I needed was to make you laugh… He frowned, remembering the words. To make her laugh… he looked out the window as he fell back against his pillows. It had only been a few days, but so many strange things had happened.

Sighing, Ryuuya got up and tied his hair back. He slid open the door, and jumped, staring right at the angry blue-green eyes of Sen.

"Um… hi?" He said tentatively.

"What are you doing here?" Sen asked, crossing his arms and still glaring.

"Working. I've been traveling awhile, and just lost all my money on the bus that dropped me off here. Uraha let me borrow some of your clothes, sorry. I'll be getting more of my own once I have some money." He explained, picking at the shirt he had put back on. Sen was quiet for a moment.

"Fine… Sorry, I… overreacted…"

"Nah, it's okay. She's your girlfreind, right?" Ryuuya smiled. "I'm sure anyone would be a little protective if their girl was living with a strange guy." Sen shrugged.

"Some people say im too protective. That Kanna girl, for one." He said. "Uraha has been acting strange ever since she started working here. It's got me worried." Ryuuya smiled a little. Seemed Sen wasn't anyone to worry about.

"Hey, im not going to make a move on a woman I know is taken, relax." He said. "Besides, she's about what, five years older than I am?" Sen shrugged.

"Sounds about right." He said. Ryuuya fell silent, giving Sen a sidelong glance. He still wasn't sure what to make of him, but he didn't seem too bad. The two entered the small kitchen where Uraha and Kanna were working to finish breakfast. The helped carry the food out to the dining hall, where the children said a short prayer and then the noise began, so the four of them had to almost shoutt o be heard over the noise, as they tried to talk amongst themselves and also as they tried to quiet the kids down. Ryuuya watched as, afterwards, the kids each washed their own utensils and took them back to cubbies in the dining area, each with their name on it.

Ryuuya started work in earnest that day. He was glad he was good with his hands, always had been. He had captain of the sword fighting club he was a member of all through his school years. During his free time he either hung around with Kanna, or played with the boys of the orphanage. Shiro was the on who sought out Ryuuya's attention most of all. He would climb a ladder and watch as Ryuuya fixed a hole in the roof, or he would peer around the corner of the building as Ryuuya would teach a few of the boys to sword fight with make-shift fake swords. He wold smile as he saw Shiro trying to hide, but be noticed at the same time, and gave him special attention. The boy was quiet, but had talent. He would help as Ryuuya fixed the paper doors inside, and parts of the porch around the building. He often told the boy he'd make quite the handyman when he grew up. This would make Shiro giggle and close his eyes as Ryuuya ruffled his hair.

Ryuuya also got his fun from teasing Kanna. She was far to easy to do so, and she had hilarious reactions. He felt some sort of strange connection to her, like he did Uraha, but this was different. How, he didn't know, but he could tell it wasn't the same.

At night, he and Uraha would talk before they went to bed, and he found himself enjoying her company more and more.

///***\\\

A month after Ryuuya had started staying at the orphanage, there was a big event happening. It was mid summer, adoption day. One of three in the entire year. Ryuuya watched as the kids either acted far shyer than they really were, or more obnoxious than normal. Shiro was the only one who was the same. He hid behind Ryuuya's legs, looked shyly out at the people all around them. Ryuuya just kept his hand on the back of the boys head, rubbing gently.

Closer to the end of the event, a young couple came over to him. Shiro hid behind Ryuuya's legs even more. The young woman knelt, and smiled at him. "Hey hunny, What's your name?" She asked. Shiro clutched Ryuuya's pant leg tighter. He knew they could recognize him as one of the children living there by his name tag. Ryuuya smiled.

"This is Shiro. He's a quite boy, but has a lot of energy." he said, smiling at the boy. Days like today were scary for the kids. Even when a couple came by on a normal day, they acted differently. They never knew who would get left behind, or who would be taken, or where they would be taken to, or even if someone would be picked over them. Kanna was nowhere to be seen, her reasoning, Who wanted a fifteen year old girl? Ryuuya had to agree, even though it was a sad thought. She'd never had a real family.

The woman backed up a bit, and held her hand out to Shiro. "Come on out, let me see you." She smiled. While She tried to coax Shiro out, her husband told Ryuuya quietly what they had been going through. She had been pregnant five times in the past three years, each one failed. She'd become so depressed, the only way he figured to help her feel better, was to stop trying too have a kid and adopt one. They hadn't found a single kid to warm up to them yet though. And he'd been getting discouraged. She just kept trying though.

It was with a happy squeal that Ryuuya knew Shiro had come out a bit more. He stepped away after a few moments, leaving Shiro to talk to the young couple. If they decided to keep him, he'd miss the boy. Soon enough it was apparent, if the look on the boys face was anything to go by, Happy and scared at the same time. The young couple said their goodbyes, and promised they'd be by tomorrow to pick him up.

It was about this time, Uraha came over to Ryuuya, scared and panicked.

"Ryuuya!! Ryuuya I cant find her anywhere!!" She cried, fisting her hands in his shirt.

"Calm down!" Ryuuya said, gripping her shoulders. "who is it? Naomi?" He asked. She was known for her games of hide and seek that left you freaking out, when she was just under the table, sleeping or something.

"No! It's Kanna! She was in her room just a half hour ago!" She sobbed. "I cant find her anywhere! She never does this!" Ryuuya blinked. This was unlike Kanna. She always let you know what she was doing.

"Alright, calm down, and we'll find her!" He said, gripping Uraha's shoulders. She nodded, wiping her tears away. They headed off, looking in all the rooms incase she had just been missed. Several minutes later, Sen darted in, yelling. "She's on the roof!!" Ryuuya felt a thrill of terror go through him, and he was out the door with the remaining potential adopters and a few city officials.

Sure enough, Kanna was standing as if in a daze at the corner of the roof, the wind blowing her hair about gently.

"Kanna!!!" Uraha called. Ryuuya's face hardened to a determined gaze, and he sprinted for the shed, pulling out the ladder he normally used and made his way up to the roof faster than he ever did. He sidled his way along the roof carefully, praying each step that she wouldn't make a move before he cold get to her.

"Kanna, Kanna can you hear me?" He asked when he was only a few feet away. She turned to face him, dazed looking.

"Sir. Ryuuya…" She almost whispered. This shocked him so much, he almost didn't see her falling. He made a jump, and didn't realize what had happened until someone screamed, and he noticed he was hanging onto the edge of the roof with just one hand, Kanna in his other hand, passed out cold. Someone was calling for a mattress, or five. He didn't dare look down, only concentrated on his slipping grip.

///***\\\

"How long has it been since you were here last?"

"I imagine that you've gotten used to life at the shrine after all this time."

"My robes are splendid, but… I'm as good as a prisoner here…"

"A winged person acts as a messenger to the Gods. In times of famine and pestilence, She uses her spiritual powers to communicate directly with the Gods and intercede on our behalf." Ryuuya said. The two stood on the porch that wound its way around the shrine. It was a glorious summer day, and he wondered how she didn't get to warm in those robes she always wore. "I assume your living conditions would better reflect that." he said, a smile in his voice.

"Just having wings doesn't make me a messenger to the gods." Kanna said, slightly irritated.

"So where are you're wings right now?" Ryuuya asked, looking at the young woman.

"I keep them hidden." She replied as he leaned back, staring at her back. "I prefer to be seen as any other human." She said. Ryuuya reached, and lay his hand on her lower back gently. This was probably a bad idea, as Kanna freaked immediately.

"What do you think you're doing?!!!" She screamed, flushing and glaring at him, shoulders set in a defiant position.

"I was just seeing if that's where you had your wings hidden." Ryuuya explained, not fazed at all by her outbreak.

"Oh so what?! You just go around touching people all the time without asking?!! How rude is that?!!"

Ryuuya was about to roll his eyes when someone started giggling behind him. Being the hard-to-sneak-up-on guy he was, he spun around and grabbed his sword, on the defense. He was supposed to be protecting this girl behind him. It was a young woman with greenish hair, in robes almost as fine as Kanna's, holding a fan in front of her face.

"And what is so funny, Uraha?' Kanna asked, irritated once again.

"I was only laughing because you were so embarrassed by his touch, Lady Kanna."

"You should be more careful, I don't think I'd make a habit of sneaking up on people like that." Ryuuya said, relaxing. He knew this woman.

"I see you've called on Sir. Ryuuya again, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you've grown extremely fond of him." Uraha said, smiling over at Kanna, who started flailing her arms in protest.

"Whaaaaaaaat!? Well, I mean that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard in my whole entire life!!! All I'm trying to do is teach some manners to this rude, impolite, shameless despicable person here!!!" She ranted. Ryuuya gave her a weird look over his sholder, going over the names in his head while she tapped her fingers together, flushing brightly.

"I wouldn't blame you if you were." Uraha said, smiling. "There's never been anyone else quite like him." Ryuuya paused a moment, and looked at Uraha as she put her fan back up over her mouth as she began giggling.

There, you guys are being spoild.

Two chapters in one day XD more or less

However! you got a nasty cliffhanger! Mwahahhahhahahahahaha!!!!! I wanted to put in another flashback to the past, so there ya go! lol. Those three are hilarious. And i decided Sen isnt going to be all that bad, he's just concerned for Uraha, since she's been acting funny. It's the spirit of the past Uraha kinda activating. Im sure you've guessed thats happening with Kanna and Ryuuya as well. What with all the funky things Ryuuya is feeling and seeing.

well, see ya next time!!