Haibane Renmei Fan Fiction ❯ Kazakiribane ❯ A Special Destiny ( Chapter 6 )

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 Six: A Special Destiny
By Shizukana Sakka

"Mother, what's going on with Joey?" Lisa asked nervously. "He really doesn't look well... you don't think it's contagious, do you?"

Mrs. Jameson shook her head slightly as she re-applied the damp cloth she'd been using on Joey's forehead. Although he seemed to be sleeping a little easier at the moment, he'd been tossing and turning in his bed off and on for hours. A few times that afternoon he'd even been mumbling incoherently, and she was pretty sure it was that same language he'd been calling out in the night before. She hadn't been able to clearly identify the mystery language yet, but she guessed it was east-Asian. Something was definitely happening to her foster son, and she had a pretty strong feeling that it wasn't any kind of illness.

"I don't think so, dear," she quietly replied. "Whatever it is, I don't think we need to worry about it affecting us. I am very worried about him, though..."

"Maybe he really is possessed or something like that," Lisa said with a hint of enthusiasm in her voice. "According to some of my research, strange fevers, delusional states and sometimes talking in unfamiliar languages are all symptoms of spiritual possession."

Mrs. Jameson sighed deeply. Her daughter meant well, but this wasn't the sort of thing she really needed to hear at the moment. The girl's fascination with the occult tended to allow her imagination to get the better of her sometimes, but even she herself was beginning to wonder if her daughter might be onto something after all.

She shook herself and brushed the thought aside. There would be time to think about those sorts of things later. She checked Joey's temperature again and noted that it was still gradually rising. Though he didn't awaken, Joey began restlessly moving around under the light sheet she'd covered him with. She'd already decided earlier that afternoon that she'd bring him to the doctor the following day, but if his condition got much worse she was giving serious consideration to bringing him to the hospital that very night.

She ended the minute or so of silence by handing the bowl of water she'd been using to moisten the cloth on Joey's forehead to her daughter.

"Lisa, could you please dump this out and bring back some ice? I want to try using an icepack on his neck and shoulders to see if that will make him a little more comfortable."

As soon as her daughter left the room, Mrs. Jameson pulled back the sheet and gently coaxed Joey to roll onto his stomach. He whimpered slightly in his sleep, but otherwise didn't resist her efforts. As soon as he was resting on his stomach, he seemed to settle down considerably. When Mrs. Jameson got a good look at his back, her mouth fell open in shock. The swollen areas on his shoulders that she'd noticed earlier had grown considerably and were even more discoloured than before. They now looked like a pair of large bruises on his back, as though somebody had beaten him with a very large object. She carefully prodded one of the bruised areas and was a bit startled when Joey suddenly jerked from her gentle touch. It was obviously quite tender so it was no wonder he'd been so restless while lying on his back. She gently checked his back outside of the bruised areas and was dismayed to find that the condition appeared to be spreading. Whatever was wrong with him, she decided that it couldn't wait until the next day for him to see a doctor.

"Holy shit! What the hell is wrong with his back!" her daughter exclaimed from the doorway.

Mrs. Jameson winced slightly at her daughter's use of language, but decided not to comment on it. Under the circumstances, she doubted that her own choice of words would be any better. She quickly motioned for her daughter to bring the bowl of ice to her and she began to wrap some in the cloth she'd been using earlier.

"I don't know what's wrong, but we're taking him to the hospital," she answered in a no-nonsense tone of voice. She gently applied the icepack to the swollen areas on Joey's back and tried to keep tears from forming in her eyes as the boy flinched with every touch.

"I'm going to call your father and tell him what's happening. I want you to stay here with Joey and keep applying the ice to his back as gently as you can," she said as she demonstrated the task to her daughter.

Mrs. Jameson quickly changed places with her daughter and then hurried to her bedroom to call her husband's office. As soon as she got through to him, she quickly explained what was happening to Joey and asked him to come home immediately so that they could take Joey to the hospital. Just as she was ending the call, her daughter's panicked shout sounded from down the hall.

"Mom! Come here, quick!" Lisa shrieked.

Mrs. Jameson practically tripped over her own feet in her haste to run down the hall as fast as she could. She rushed into Joey's room and found her daughter staring intently at Joey's back.

In response to her mother's un-spoken question, Lisa motioned for her mother to come closer and then pointed to one of the swollen areas on Joey's back. Mrs. Jameson leaned over to have a look at what her daughter was trying to show her and then nearly fell back in surprise. The skin on the boy's back suddenly shifted as though there was something moving just below the surface.

"What do you think that is, Mom?" her daughter whispered.

Mrs. Jameson could only shake her head in silent disbelief. She started to wring her hands nervously and hoped that her husband would get home quickly.

------

Mr. Tanaka had been on the phone trying to get an update as to when he could expect the special envoy that was en route, when his daughter hurried into his study with a worried expression on her face.

"Hanako, what's wrong?" He asked.

"It's my friend Joey... she... I mean, he's in danger. I can feel it. Father, we have to go help him!"

Mr. Tanaka raised his eyebrows in surprise by his daughter's brief pronoun slip. That was almost as telling a sign of Hanako's growing spirit sense as the rest of her statement. He nodded to her in acknowledgement and motioned for her to be quiet for a moment as he returned his attention back to the person he was talking to on the phone.

"It has begun," he spoke evenly into the receiver.

-------

When Mr. Jameson had arrived at his house, he didn't bother locking the car as he practically ran up to the front door. As soon as he'd entered, his son got up from where he'd been sitting on the living room sofa and came to greet him in the front hallway.

"The kid's gotten worse since this morning, Dad," Tom told him with a touch of apprehension in his voice. "A lot worse. Mom and Lisa are with him upstairs in his room."

He nodded in acknowledgment to his son and then bounded up the stairs. As he was entering Joey's room, he stopped short and gazed in horror at the sight before him. Joey was lying on his stomach and gasping in short breaths as his wife and daughter were both alternating between applying a cold pack to his back and swabbing up blood that was trickling out of two open wounds on his shoulder blades. Something that looked like bone was protruding from each of the wounds and seemed to move every so often all on their own.

"Ite... ite!" Joey rasped out between gasps in a voice that didn't sound at all like his own. A particularly powerful spasm shook his entire body and he let out a long shriek.

"Oh... my... God..." he rasped out as most of the colour drained from his face.

Upon hearing his voice, his wife looked up from her seat on the edge of the bed and then threw herself into his arms.

"Henry... we have to get him to the hospital right away!" She sobbed into his shoulder. "I think he's dying!"

Mr. Jameson could only nod helplessly in response. Even his daughter had tears in her eyes as she tended to Joey. Whatever was going on with the boy, it was clearly beyond anything that they could do for him at home. He gave his wife a kiss on her forehead, then gently broke her embrace and went back downstairs to fetch his son. It would require both of them to safely move Joey to the car in his current condition and he was determined not to aggravate the boy's injuries any further.

He reached the bottom of the stairs where his son was waiting with a bit of a haunted look in his eyes. Now that he'd seen Joey's condition for himself, he understood all too well why his son had preferred to remain downstairs. Just as he was about to tell his son to help him carry Joey, he was interrupted by the front doorbell. Whoever it was, he decided it'd be best to get rid of them quickly so that they could bring Joey out to the car without an audience. When he opened the door, he was taken aback by the two people standing at his front door.

It took him a moment to recognize Mr. Tanaka due to the strange manner in which he was dressed. He was attired in what appeared to be an ornate robe that was marked with strange symbols and was trimmed with small lines of bells in places. Beside him stood a young girl that appeared to be roughly the same age as Joey. She wore a private school's uniform and although her features were mostly Caucasian, he could see some similarities between her and Mr. Tanaka. He immediately surmised that the girl had to be Hanako, Mr. Tanaka's daughter.

Mr. Tanaka and his daughter both bowed together in formal greeting.

"Uh... good evening Mr. Tanaka," Mr. Jameson said politely. "I'm terribly sorry, but this isn't the best time for a visit. We've got a bit of an emergency here and..."

Mr. Tanaka held up his hand to interrupt him.

"Please forgive me, Jameson-san, but that is why we have come. We know that the young boy is at risk. He is very special and it is vital to his survival that we see him immediately."

Mr. Jameson could only stare dumbfounded at the two visitors. Not knowing what else to say or do, he stepped back and beckoned for the two to enter. As soon as he'd closed the door behind them, another loud and very feminine-sounding scream came from upstairs.

Mr. Tanaka exchanged a meaningful look with his daughter and then turned back to Mr. Jameson.

"Unfortunately, there isn't time to explain everything at the moment. Hanako will be able to answer your questions for you when I can not. I must ask you that no matter what happens you do not interfere. Your foster child's survival depends upon it.”There were a few moments of silence as Mr. Tanaka waited for Hank's response. Although he was a bit overwhelmed with the implications of what Mr. Tanaka had just told him, he finally nodded his assent and stepped aside. Without another word, Mr. Tanaka donned the hood of his robe and dashed past Mr. Jameson and his son. Hanako quickened her pace and followed her father upstairs. In their wake, Tom and his father could only exchange helpless looks with each other and then turned to follow the two visitors up to Joey's room.

Mr. Tanaka stopped in the doorway and took in the sight before him. He immediately looked back to his daughter and nodded to her, then he knelt on the floor next to Joey's bed with his head bowed.

Although she was a bit startled by the sudden arrival of two strangers in the room, Heather's concern was still primarily focused on Joey. She looked at the strangely attired man and the young girl with him, then past them to her husband who had appeared in the doorway behind them.

“This is Mr. Tanaka and his daughter, Hanako,” Hank told her. “They are the people that Joey met the other day. He says that they know what's happening to Joey and that they can help.”

“But… look at him!” Heather said as she carefully swabbed some more blood from Joey's back. “We don't have time for this! We need to bring him to the hospital right away!”

Hanako, who hadn't said anything up to this point, suddenly cleared her throat to get their attention.

“Gomen… Ah, Joey-kun not go to hospital,” she said in slightly broken English. “It is dangerous now if him to move, and hospital workers can not help.”

It took a couple of moments for what the girl had said to sink in, and then Mr. Jameson asked the obvious question that was on everyone's minds.

“Why not? What is wrong with him?”

“He is not human. She is Haibane,” Hanako answered.

------

As they approached the gate to the temple, Rakka quickly explained the rules about not speaking and to only respond `yes' or `no' with the bells of communication that the Haibane Renmei will give them to use during their visit. Almost on cue, the gates opened and several members of the Haibane Renmei came out to offer their silent greeting to the girls and outfitted them all with the bells for their wings and wrists. They were then escorted inside the temple to meet with the Communicator.

As soon as they entered the large garden his voice called out to them, sounding as though it came from every direction.

“I bid welcome to you all, and especially to you, New Feather Mori.”

Mori stopped abruptly and nervously looked around for the source of the voice. She was suddenly a little fearful about being the focus of attention. Rakka gently patted her on the shoulder reassuringly and tilted her head towards the path in front of them. Though still a little nervous, Mori got the message and started walking again -- even if she was shaking just a little bit.

The Communicator stepped out into view in front of them and motioned for them all to approach. The group stopped in front of him and the 6 Haibane all offered the traditional two-handed bell greeting, followed by Mori who copied their gesture.

The Communicator chuckled a bit and nodded his head slightly in acknowledgement.

“I see that you are a quick study, New Feather Mori. That is good. There is much that a new Haibane needs to learn about living in the township of Glie, but even more so for a Kazakiribane.”

He paused as he glanced at each of the others and then turned back to Mori.

“Already you have learned that you are different from other Haibane. Though we all possess the wings, Haibane do not fly until we each achieve our own Day of Flight. This is true of all the Haibane except for one -- the Kazakiribane. You possess the `wings of flight' and, as you all have recently discovered, the ability to use them as well.”

From the serious tone in the Communicator's voice, Mori was suddenly fearful that she was in some kind of trouble. She opened her mouth to speak and then closed it quickly when she remembered that they were forbidden to use their voices inside the temple. Instead, she cast her glance down towards her feet and started trembling as she awaited the judgment that she knew was coming.

Instead, she felt a hand gently touch her on the shoulder. She looked up and was startled to see that it was none other than the Communicator himself.

“You must have many questions, New Feather Mori. Though it is usually not permitted, I will allow you to speak. Ask your questions,” he said with a comforting tone in his voice.

Indeed, Mori had many questions. So many, that she wasn't sure where she should start. After a few moments of gathering her thoughts, she managed to rasp out, “Why… am I… different? Why am I a Kazakiribane?”

“That is not known. Though you are not the first Kazakiribane, your arrival is the first in many ages. In times long past there have been others like you. While all Haibane must undergo individual trials unique to each of them before achieving their Day of Flight, it was believed that the Kazakiribane were destined to an even greater purpose. You are as you are meant to be, and the exact purpose you are meant to fulfill can only be known through the natural course of time.”

The Communicator then directed his attention to the rest of the group.

“The reason that you have all been summoned to appear with the New Feather is so that you can better understand the dangers present not only to the Kazakiribane, but to all residents of Glie.”

He paused as he walked over to a nearby rock and sat down on it, and then waved them all over and gestured for them to sit down on ground in front of him.

“As I'm certain you've been told,” he said as he directed his attention back to Mori again, “the township of Glie is completely surrounded by the great wall. It is forbidden for anyone, human or Haibane, to leave. Such is the importance of the separation of Glie from what lies beyond, that the exterior of the great wall has been imbued with mystic wards that discourage anyone from touching them. These wards are effective against humans, but even more so against Haibane. Thus, Glie is completely isolated from what lies beyond the great wall, with only two exceptions. They are the Touga and the birds. The Touga are the only ones permitted to enter or leave via the gates, and the birds come and go at will by nature of flying over the wall.”

Realization began to dawn on Mori and she brought a trembling hand up to her mouth. The Communicator guessed her thoughts and nodded to her.

“That is correct. You alone have the ability to traverse the barriers of Glie and, as you have already discovered, you could also bring another person along with you if you chose. Should this ever come to pass, you would not only expose yourself to the dangers beyond the boundaries, but should you return you could put all of Glie at risk. The grand purpose for which we are all present in this place -- both human and Haibane alike -- is heavily dependant upon the isolation of Glie. To break that isolation in any way could have catastrophic results.”

Rakka nodded to herself as she'd pretty much surmised the same thing. And though he didn't come right out and say it, she knew that the Communicator was also indirectly warning the rest of them not to encourage Mori to attempt it. Of course, Rakka had long since accepted the necessity of Glie's isolation -- even if she didn't really understand it. As a result, she couldn't even imagine the temptation of trying to see what was beyond the walls. Mind you, that didn't necessarily mean that the rest of the residents of Glie felt the same way. If, for whatever reason, someone felt strongly enough about it… would that person possibly try to convince Mori to violate quarantine by flying them beyond the wall?

Mori was well and truly frightened by the implications of what the Communicator had told her. She thought of the exhilaration she'd felt while flying with Hikari earlier and wondered if that feeling might one day overpower her better judgment. If that ever happened, would she find herself flying beyond the great wall? No, that was something she couldn't risk. She liked flying, but there was too high a cost for not only herself but for everyone in Glie if she ever succumbed to the temptation of flying over the wall.

“I… I don't want to put anyone at risk, Sir,” Mori whispered as tears gathered in her eyes. “If you wish it, I'll swear never to fly again.”

The Communicator paused for a moment as he heard the emotion behind her words and then gently shook his head.

“As noble as your intent may be, I can not allow you to make such a promise. It is in your very nature to fly. Your wings and the instincts of how to use them are proof of this. To deny this is to deny who you are as well as whatever purpose you are meant to fulfill.”

He paused and then directed his attention towards the rest of the group.

“Her power of flight is a huge responsibility and burden for her to bear. She is a Kazakiribane, but first and foremost she is a Haibane. It is upon us all to not only assist her with this burden, but also to encourage her to use it wisely.”

He rose from his seat and gestured for Mori to rise to her feet. Another member of the Haibane Renmei suddenly appeared seemingly from out of nowhere and stood by the Communicator's side. He handed the Communicator a new set of bells and then gently removed the ones that Mori was wearing on her wings. As soon as he was finished, he gave the gesture of greeting and then disappeared as quickly as he'd arrived. The Communicator turned back towards Mori and motioned for her to hold out her hands, into which he placed the new set of communication bells. He then gently lifted her chin and directed her to look up towards the large, open ceiling of the temple.

“Though not used as such for many ages, it was said that was the habitual entranceway for the Kazakiribane,” he said gently. “High above, there is a ledge upon which sits a small chest. This ledge can only be reached with great difficulty by means of ladders and climbing ropes… or by a Haibane with the power of flight. These are special bells meant for the wings of a Kazakiribane, and that chest high above us is where you are to keep them.”

Mori lowered her gaze back to the Communicator. A shy smile began to form on her face as the meaning behind his words began to sink in. Sensing her thoughts, the Communicator gave her a subtle nod and then retreated a few paces to give her a little more room.

She unfolded her wings and gave a couple of experimental flaps, then leaped into the air and worked her wings to carry her aloft. She flew to the uppermost reaches of the temple with little effort and then found the ledge that the Communicator had told her about. The small chest was waiting for her just where he'd said it would be. It was adorned with the markings of the Haibane Renmei, as well as a couple of depictions of a Haibane with large wings. She took a quick glance around the ledge and noted that it really would be difficult to reach without flying, although someone had to have done it recently to get that chest up there for her. She placed all of her bells inside the chest and then flew back down to where the others were waiting for her.

She landed easily and saw that the Communicator had returned to his seat on the rock, so she gently folded her wings against her back and sat down with the rest of the Haibane. The Communicator then explained the duties and rules which all the Haibane live by. She wondered only briefly about what sort of job she should look for until the Communicator informed her that she was to work primarily in the service of the temple. Like Rakka, she was to assist with the cleaning of the temple but her domain would be the higher levels of the temple where the others could not easily reach. Aside from her cleaning duties, she was also to serve as a messenger for the Haibane Renmei since her ability to fly allowed her to carry out such tasks with greater speed and ease than anyone else could.

On the subject of the human residents of Glie, the Communicator explained to all of them that it would be prudent if Mori avoided flying in plain sight of the town if she could at all help it. While there wasn't anyone currently living in Glie that could personally remember the last time a Kazakiribane appeared, the human residents also had their own stories and subsequent concerns about such a rare Haibane. It was inevitable that the humans would find out about Mori, but general protocol would discourage anyone from making mention about Mori's supposed ability to fly so long as some effort was made not to flaunt it in front of them. Whenever she needed to visit town, she was encouraged to walk as any other Haibane would unless it was somehow urgent for her to fly.

After everything had been explained to her, Mori was then presented with her own handbook of the Haibane Renmei and thereby officially recognized by them. The Communicator told her that she could have the next few days off before she started working since she had been asleep and missed the usual first orientation days that most New Feathers experience after hatching. All of the Haibane stood and made the two-handed greeting to the Communicator as he dismissed them -- including Mori, even though she was no longer wearing any bells -- and then they all headed back to the main entrance of the temple so that the others could return their bells.

As soon as the group was far enough away from the temple, they all started chattering away excitedly to Mori.

“Wow, this is so cool!” said Umi. “You're actually a Kazakiribane! And you're living with us in Old Home!”

“Yeah, the other Haibane at Abandoned Factory are going to be really jealous when they find out,” Hoshi added.

“What's `Abandoned Factory'?” Mori asked.

“Well, it's another conclave of Haibane, sort of like Old Home,” Hikari explained. “The Haibane that live there were born from cocoons that showed up in that place just as each of us had been at Old Home. These are the only two places in Glie where cocoons are known to appear. For some reason only girls are born at Old Home, but at the Factory it's co-ed.”

“Hmm… that sounds like that could lead to interesting possibilities. Is that how the Young Feathers are born?” Mori asked shyly.

There was a brief pause of stunned silence and then all of the other Haibane girls suddenly burst out laughing. After they'd managed to recover enough of their composure, Kana carefully explained the situation to Mori.

“The Young Feathers are usually born at the Factory as well, but they hatch from cocoons just as the rest of us do. Besides, the Haibane Renmei have strict rules about the kind of fraternizing that you're thinking of,” she said with a bit of a smirk on her face.

“The reason that the Young Feathers usually live at Old Home is because the Haibane at the Factory don't really know all that much about looking after them, so we care for them instead.” Rakka added.

“So…“ Chou finally spoke up in an attempt to get the conversation back on track. “The Communicator didn't say you weren't allowed to fly, right? I mean… he even gave you a job that will involve flying.”

Mori nodded in response.

“So, uh… do you think it would be alright if… uh, well…” Chou continued shyly

A small smile started to form on Mori's face as she guessed what Chou was trying to ask her. Chou was the smallest and youngest of the Older Feathers group, and Mori got the impression that she often felt left out of things because of it. Hikari had already gotten a quick trip through the air with her, but Mori decided that she'd do something a little better for Chou.

“… Um, could I fly with you?” Chou finally managed to ask.

“I dunno if that's such a good idea, Mori,” Kana interrupted before Mori could reply. “Remember, the Communicator said not to go around showing off your flying ability unless it was necessary.”

Mori's eye twitched a little in annoyance at Kana's statement. She was even more annoyed when she saw the downcast look appear on Chou's face. Without any further ado, she quickly unfolded her wings and scooped Chou up into her arms. She gave a few flaps of her wings to lift them a few feet off the ground and then called back over her shoulder to the rest of the girls.

“The Communicator said I should try not to fly around humans if I could help it. Well, Haibane aren't human, so I guess it's okay then. I'll see you all back at Old Home, `kay?”

Before any of them could say anything else to her, she flew off easily into the sky with Chou in her arms, who giggled and clapped her hands in pure delight. As the others watched the two of them disappear into the distance, Hikari turned to Kana with a thoughtful expression on her face.

“You know, she does have a point.”

More to come in the next chapter: The Past Revealed