Rise of Glie Chapter 34
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FHD Remix: The Rise of Glie
Chapter 34: Kagami's Bird
"Crystal," she says to the human lady, who has just married Tony, "Bangou told me to be ready for this, but I only have enough for today."
"Enough for what?" Crystal asks as she washes another dish in Old Home's kitchen. Crystal, Tony, Bangou and Kagami occupy a section of the west wing, away from the boys quartered in the east wing. They are still partied out from Kagami's fourth birthday.
Kagami tugs on Crystal's sleeve. Their height difference has narrowed, but Crystal is still quite a bit taller. Kagami stands on her tiptoes to whisper in Crystal's ear.
"Oh, gosh," Crystal answers, blushing, "Of course, I can find some. She rushes to the closet and starts rummaging, "That explains yesterday's cramps."
"There's something else," she says.
"What is it?" Crystal asks.
"That thing that you and Tony do at night," she starts, "I know it's something haibane can't do, but the dreams still bother. I was wondering," she asks quietly, "does it hurt?"
"That thing most haibane don't even know of, you mean?" Crystal says. She reflects softly, "There is no way to get closer to somebody, and nothing that will ever get you as close. It doesn't hurt at all, and every time, Tony and I get even closer."
Tony approaches from the other room, having just folded the laundry, "What's she asking about, sweetie?"
"Sex," Crystal breathes bluntly before brushing his cheek with her fingers.
"Letting her in on our little secret?" he asks curiously.
"Nothing specific," she responds, "Haibane are born from cocoons with a past they can't remember. It's probably a part of that past." She turns to Kagami and asks, "That haibane can't ever do it brings you comfort, right?"
Kagami nods, nervous of Tony because of the way he touches his wife, who seems entirely comfortable with it.
Crystal turns to Tony and says, "I think she wants to talk about girl stuff."
"Sure," he sighs playfully, "Anyway, I'll go let your mom wax me at chess again while we wait for Jose's go to bring in the corn. I'll let you know with that sharp whistle, then we can go do some real work." He gives her a smart whack on the shoulder as he departs, "Oh, Kagami, you got something on your feathers."
As the door closes, Kagami lets out a sigh of relief.
"What is that," Crystal asks as she notes the black spots near the tips of her distals.
"I don't know," Kagami says, "but in my dreams, the Saviour says I need to forgive him, or he won't let me Fly," she starts bawling, "I don't know what to do."
As Kagami collapses into Crystal's arms, the latter notes that, strangely, the black seems to spread along the barbs of her feathers. Odd, since feathers are not living tissue. "Has Tony done something to you, Kagami?"
"No," she cries, "I'm talking about the monster in my dreams. The Saviour says I need to forgive him, but I don't know what that means."
"What has he done to you?" Crystal asks.
"What Tony does to you," Kagami sobs, "Only I don't want it, and it hurts. He's so much bigger than I am, and he..." She can't explain any more.
After several minutes of letting her cry, Crystal asks, "Have you talked to the Communicator about this?"
"No," Kagami sobs, "he's a man. You know men are different from us, not just their private parts but how they think and feel. He wouldn't understand..."
"Shiden," Aware addresses the Communicator personally, and at very close range, "You said Kagami was a <<tough case>> way back when she emerged, right? Do you know what's happening to her?"
"What do you know?" Washi responds.
"She says that her Day of Flight is near and that the Saviour will not let her Fly," Aware says desperately, "Her feathers are turning black just like yours did, her halo's flickering, these are things I can see. She won't talk to me about it, refuses to come to the Temple, but I've gotten the same story from both Crystal and Bangou."
The crow standing on the desk caws twice.
"What is happening to her?" Aware asks.
"The condition is called <<Sin-Bound>>," Washi explains, "In this case, to be forgiven, she must forgive others. Given the horrible things that happened to her in her old life, I can see why it is so hard for her."
"What happened to her, Shiden? Do you know?"
The crow caws twice again.
"Please, don't use my name," Washi begs, "There are things here that understand more than you think."
"Like him?" Aware indicates the crow on the desk.
The crow seems to shrink shamefully as Washi and Aware approach.
"What's the matter?" Aware asks, stooping to see the crow crouched on the desk.
"Don't bother," Washi says, "They're even more skittish than the Toga."
"Not this one for some reason," Aware says. "Do you want me to know you?"
The crow extends his right wing.
"Hi, I'm Aware," he says softly, "Do you have a name?"
The crow reaches over his wing into his feathers and pulls out a small piece of paper. He lets it down from his beak and taps it, then takes a step back.
"I ... don't understand the language," Aware says.
"That's because it's in English," Washi says, setting a loupe over it. "My God," he gasps, "That's you?"
The crow extends his right wing.
"You are the monster in little Kagami's dreams, the father of her old life?" Washi asks.
The crow extends his right wing, resting on the desk with his carina, leaning his head on his beak and closing his eyes. He looks almost like he's dying..
"What did you do?" Aware asks.
"The paper," Shiden says, having lifted his mask to wipe his tears, "is from an English dictionary. It is the definition of the word <<rape>>."
Next: Rise of Glie Chapter 35: Kagami's Terror
