Haibane Renmei Fan Fiction ❯ Kazakiribane ❯ Unusual Developments ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: "Haibane Renmei" and its associated characters & places used within this story are based upon Yoshitoshi ABe's original concept: "Charcoal Feathers in Old Home". They remain the undisputed property of the owners that hold copyright. I am writing this story for free enjoyment and not for profit, but even so I maintain creative ownership of my own story concepts. None of this story is to be copied or reproduced etc. without my knowledge or permission.

This Fanfiction is a story concept that I'd had in my head for quite awhile now. There's quite a lot of it that I'm still tweaking here and there for continuity issues before the story can be completely finished, but I'll post it in segments as I finish editing them. Read on... and feel free to leave a review if you are so inclined.

In some parts of the story, I have tried to use italics to help indicate whenever any characters are supposed to be conversing in Japanese. After all, this is supposed to be a story not a language lesson, so I hope that you aren't disappointed if I stick with English for the most part. ;-)

Kazakiribane - Chapter Three: Unusual Developments
By Shizukana Sakka

Joey had run for blocks in a daze before he'd slowed down enough to get his bearings and catch his breath. His headache had subsided to the point where it was merely uncomfortable, so he was finally able to think a little more clearly. He was more than just a little bit spooked by what had happened at the Tanaka's and rationally tried to make some sense out of it all as he walked back home.

'Home?' he thought to himself.

He found it a little surprising that he'd finally started to think of the Jameson's place as home, but he tossed the thought aside for the time being as he tried to concentrate on more pressing concerns. His mind was full of questions that he wasn't sure he was ready to know the answers to. Why did Hanako's mother have those pictures of his dream-place? What about the sketch of the Haibane? How did he even know that being was called a Haibane? Then, there was the matter of the dreams themselves, or were they even dreams at all?

He grimaced slightly as he felt another wave of pain wash briefly through him like a gentle tide. It was a bit unsettling, but already the fresh air from his brisk walk was making him feel better. He felt a little badly about running out on Hanako so abruptly and hoped that he'd have a chance to meet her again sometime to apologize. He didn't think he'd be able to work up the nerve to return to her house for a while, though. Whatever that thing was that she'd showed him had scared him right down to his socks. Not only did he feel that awful pain when he'd seen it, but it'd even started glowing! With all the odd things that had been happening to him lately, that was something that he was just not ready to deal with.

He'd been so disoriented when he'd fled from their house that he'd barely heard what Hanako had started to say to him. She'd been staring at him as though her eyes were going to pop right out of her head and then she was asking him something… about a girl?

He shook his head and tried to clear his mind. He didn't want to risk making his headache worse by thinking too hard about all that stuff, so he'd just focus his attention on getting back home where he could unwind some of his tension. In the distance, he began to make out the familiar sights of his immediate neighborhood and quickened his pace. He smiled to himself as he envisioned a nice, relaxing hot shower awaiting him when he got back.

-----

After hearing his daughter's account of the incident, as well as what his wife had mentioned about the boy's reaction to her drawings, Mr. Tanaka had quickly excused himself from dinner and locked himself in his study. He didn't want to get his hopes up, but he hadn't felt this optimistic for a long time. This was the closest that anyone in his order had come to finding any real clues as to the whereabouts of what they'd spent years searching for.

The oracles had predicted years ago that the Kazakiribane might be found in the 'lands far beyond the eastern ocean'. It was for this very reason that his order had selected him to come to the United States with his family so that he could search for clues there. His wife's familiarity with her native culture had been instrumental in his efforts to fulfill the sacred task given to him by the elders. Over the last couple of years there had been some clues here and there, but nothing so solid as what had happened that day... and it had been his daughter who had uncovered it!

Hanako was the finest daughter any father could hope for. He loved her dearly and was extremely proud of her, but it was at times like these when he didn't think it was possible to feel prouder. Both he and his wife had known that Hanako had inherited her spirit-sense from him, but it had never been clear as to whether or not it would be strong enough for her to follow in her father's footsteps. As far back as anyone could recall there had never been any women admitted to the upper ranks of their order. Maybe when Hanako was older, she could become the first.

He was disappointed that they hadn't gotten a chance to learn anything else about this mysterious boy's identity other than his given name. Hanako had said he'd mentioned living with a foster family in the area, but hadn't mentioned what their family name was. Now that he had an idea of what he was looking for, Mr. Tanaka was confident that he'd be able to track down the boy's whereabouts using the considerable resources of his employer.

According to his daughter's account, the boy had experienced some sort of extreme reaction to being in close proximity to the artifact. The order's elders and oracles had theorized that such a thing might happen, but since these were unique circumstances there was little real information available as to what they should expect. He would need to give an immediate report to the elders and hope that they could advise him of how to proceed. His own spirit-sense was troubling him, though. As elated as he was from this promising turn of events, he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that time was beginning to run out.

-----

Back at the Jameson's house that evening, Heather was a little surprised that Joey had returned so early after calling to say he'd been invited to dinner at a friend's house. He hadn't offered much of an explanation other than to say that he'd suddenly not felt well and wanted to return home to get some rest. Although he'd claimed that he was feeling a lot better from his walk home, he'd looked a little pale as well as trying to poorly conceal the fact that he was suffering from a headache.

It occurred to her that this was probably the first time that she'd ever seen Joey showing any signs of illness. In the few years since he'd come to live with them, to the best of her knowledge he'd never even had so much as a simple cold. While it was true that she wasn't really his mother, his being the youngest member of their household often brought out strong nurturing instincts within her. Since her own children were well into their teen years, she had been a little saddened that they didn't seem to need her as much as they had when they were younger. When Joey had been placed with their family, he'd always been a quiet but well-behaved boy. Her neighbors had commented often on what a perfect child her foster-son appeared to be and had jokingly asked her if there were any more like him available where they'd gotten him.

As it was, their family didn't really know much about Joey's past -- not that there was all that much to tell. They knew that he'd never known his real family and had been in and out of foster homes for longer than he could remember. It was understandable that the boy was very distant and withdrawn much of the time due to his rootless past. Heather's heart had gone out to this boy from the very first day she'd met him and resolved that his living in their home would be a new beginning for him. She felt a strong emotional bond with him and as a result was often able to see through his usual stoic mask of emotions that he wore. She'd never commented on it directly to him, though, and remained optimistic that he'd become comfortable enough in their home that he'd begin to open up a little more.

She'd sent him off for an early shower before dinner and advised her children to give him his space that evening. She'd explained that he might be coming down with something and she didn't want to risk them catching it, but mentally she conceded that wasn't the only reason. She could also tell that there was something bothering him; something that he seemed to be trying very hard not to think about, and she wanted some privacy with him to see if she could get him to talk about it.

She was concerned that he'd shown very little appetite at dinner -- not that he typically ate very much normally. Even the rest of her family could tell that there was definitely something wrong with him, but they'd decided not to say anything about it. No one was surprised when Joey asked if it was alright to turn in early for the evening, and for once Tom and Lisa didn't comment on it.

-----

“C'mon Mori… wake up,” said a pair of synchronized voices.

She opened her eyes and saw the two twins, Umi and Hoshi, standing next to her bed.

“Rakka says you should try to eat something…” Umi began.

“… `cause you sure won't feel like eating later and you're gonna need your strength,” finished Hoshi.

She started to pull herself into a sitting position and felt a sharp pain in her back.

“Owww!” she yelped, to which the twins gave each other knowing glances.

“See? It's started! I told you so!” Hoshi said to her twin.

“Yeah well, wait and see. My guess was for later tonight and I could still win,” Umi replied.

“Don't you two have anything better to do than placing bets?” Asked a tired-sounding voice from the doorway. Mori and the twins looked over to see Rakka and Kana entering the room, the latter of which treated the twins to an unpleasant glare.

“Mori probably has no clue what you're talking about and you're probably freaking her out. Now… get back to your chores!” Kana told them irritably as she chased them out of the room.

Rakka took her usual seat next to the bed and offered Mori a drink from a tray she'd brought in with her.

“How are you feeling, Mori?” She asked gently.

“Better, I think…” Mori replied, still a little surprised at the quiet soprano voice that came out. “I don't feel as weak as I did before, but my back hurts a little.”

Rakka had her turn around so that she could undo the ties of her gown and inspect her back. There were two discoloured areas of swollen tissue over each of Mori's shoulder blades and she winced as Rakka gently prodded them with her fingertips.

“It appears that the growth is well underway, and quite normal,” Rakka said after she'd finished her inspection. “Soon the fever will come, but it only ever lasts for a single day. Everything will be much better tomorrow.”

“Wh… what is it?” Mori asked with a hint of trepidation in her voice. “What's happening to me?”

Rakka gave her a curious look, and then turned in profile to display her wings to Mori. For added emphasis, she gave them a gentle flap and then relaxed them back into their normal position. All at once, Mori's eyes widened in understanding and she reached over with a trembling hand to gently touch one of Rakka's wings.

“Wow… they're real,” she said in awe.

Rakka nodded.

“Yes, they are. The wings usually appear within a day or two of hatching from the cocoon. The experience can be a bit…”

Rakka's voice trailed off as she considered how to best explain what was coming to the New Feather. The emergence of the wings was typically the most painful experience that each Haibane faced. She remembered her own experience and how her then-caregiver Reki had downplayed it a bit to avoid frightening her.

“… unpleasant,” she said after finally deciding on a suitable word. “It will undoubtedly sting a bit when the wing tips first break though the skin, but it'll be over pretty quickly.”

She turned back to the tray she'd brought in with her and offered it to Mori. On it, there was a plate with a few pieces of bread and some chopped vegetables.

“You're probably not very hungry right now, but please try to eat something just the same. You need to try to keep up your strength so that you can recover faster.”

Although she really didn't feel hungry, Mori took Rakka's advice and ate some of the food from the tray. She was more than just a little bit anxious about the impending arrival of her wings and it was causing an unsettling feeling in her stomach.

-----

Many hours later, she was lying on her stomach and gulping in air while Rakka gently applied an ice-pack to the swollen areas on her back. The fever had come just as Rakka had said it would. Mori was covered in a fine sheen of sweat as unfamiliar muscles in her back would occasionally spasm painfully. She was delirious, but whether or not it was from the pain or the fever wasn't clear. She was barely aware of Rakka's gentle voice murmuring soothing words next to her, but through all the haze that was fogging her mind she thought she'd detected a hint of worry in Rakka's voice as well. She gritted her teeth as another powerful spasm shook her and descended further into her delirium.

“Rakka, what's wrong with her?” Hikari asked worriedly. “The wing growth isn't supposed to take this long!”

“Keep your voice down, Hikari!” Kana told her irritably. “What are you trying to do, scare the new girl even more than she already is?”

“Hikari is right,” Rakka answered quietly. “What's happening with Mori isn't normal. The swelling is much larger than I'd ever seen it. I've already sent Chou to the temple to notify the Haibane Renmei about Mori's condition. The only thing that we can do for now is wait.”

-----

A few hours later, Mori's condition had worsened. The swellings on her back ran from just below her shoulders to nearly all the way down to her waist and she was clearly in incredible pain. The spasms that racked her body had become so powerful that it took the combined efforts of Rakka, Kana and Hikari just to hold her down.

“What are we going to do?” asked Hikari with tears in her eyes. “Mori might be dying! There must be something that we're not doing right.”

“There is nothing else that you can do, and you have already done all that is required,” said a deep voice from behind them.

The three older Haibane all turned their heads and were shocked to see the Haibane Renmei Communicator entering the room. He was followed by an entourage of several of the temple attendants, and finally by Chou.

With his face always hidden behind his mask, most people -- both townsfolk and Haibane alike -- were often quite intimidated by him. Despite a lack of discernable body language, however, he always conveyed a deep sense of wisdom and understanding. His arrival, though surprising, was of great relief to the girls who were tending to Mori. After all, who could better tell them what they should do if not him?

He walked gracefully to the bed and examined Mori in silence. He gently touched her back in few places and the girls tightened their grip on her to prevent her from throwing them off. After a couple of minutes, he directed his attention back to Rakka.

“The wings are about to emerge. Give her this to bite down on,” he said as he handed Rakka a short length of wood that was wrapped in cloth. He then gestured for Chou to come over and assist in holding Mori down.

Almost immediately, Mori's struggles seemed to intensify. The swellings on her back began to split and blood started to trickle out. Rakka had just managed to get the stick in between Mori's teeth when she'd thrown back her head and shrieked in agony. Everyone stared in amazement as her wings slowly began extracting themselves from their prison of flesh. When they had pulled completely free, they spasmed briefly out to their full extension and splattered drops of blood in all directions before falling back to a more relaxed position. There was a splintering sound as the brace in Mori's mouth was crushed by her jaws and everyone cringed from the sound of the primal scream that tore from her throat. As soon as it was over, Mori's struggles immediately ceased and her entire body went limp -- much to everyone's mutual relief.

After Mori's wings had fully emerged, it had been glaringly obvious why it had taken so long. Her wings were easily 4 times the size of what was normal for a Haibane. Other than that though, despite the residual blood and other fluids that were still clinging to them, they appeared to be the same charcoal-grey colour of those of the other Haibane. Rakka let her breath out in a sigh of relief after she'd realized that she'd been holding it.

`Normal wings, but so large… It's going to take us all night to properly clean them,' she thought idly to herself.

The Communicator stepped forward and leaned closer to Mori so he could listen to her breathing. Though it sounded a little raspy, he seemed satisfied that it was returning to normal. He turned his attention back to Rakka and the other Haibane.

“It will take her a couple of days to recover, but she should be fine after that. At that time, you must all accompany her to the temple as what I need to discuss with her will concern all of you as well.”

As he was leaving with his entourage, Hikari spoke up.

“S..sir?” she asked nervously.

The Communicator paused at the door and silently gazed back at her.

“What's wrong with Mori?” Hikari paused for a quick glance at the large wings protruding from the back of the exhausted figure on the bed. “Why is she so… different?”

There was a long, uncomfortable pause before he finally answered.

“There is nothing wrong with her. She is as she is meant to be. She is a Kazakiribane.”

The Communicator then turned and departed with his attendants surrounding him. There was a heavy silence in the room after he'd left, with Mori's deep breathing being the only sound for a few minutes. No one seemed to be able to take their eyes off of the sleeping figure on the bed.

Finally, Chou cleared her throat and spoke up. She was the youngest of the `Older Feathers' group at Old Home and she hated it whenever anyone reminded her of that. As such, she was reluctant to appear naive by asking about something that apparently everyone but her seemed to know about, but her curiosity got the better of her.

“What's a Kazakiribane?” She asked quietly.

“It means, `Flight Feathers',” Rakka replied.

More to come in the next chapter: Painful Dreams