"Three Wings" | Abiru, Haku

Written by little song

Flame, steel clashing, cascading ice, yet nothing… The pounding in her heart resonated in her mind pulsing in her ears like a drum of doom.
Nothing… he could not be hurt… he could not be killed.
A flash of white energy and then a scream… a scream of pain and rage as Pale turned on the guardian that dared to attack him. Donindor fell like a ragdoll before the Pale might but hope not despair rose. Lightning, the Storm, that was the key. One wing extended as if longing to fly away and bear this information and her charge. The other quivered in pain trying, she winced looking to it, angry at it’s non compliance.
Darkness swirled overhead. She heard screams. It descended the world going black.
A hand clasped hers and she held on to comfort. They would die now… but there was a way there was hope.
“Abiru,” Not the childlike voice she expected.
The blackness swirled, her eyes glowed as all the bodies ignited with red magnetism. Pale she had to know where he was to try and hid them both.
“Hey,” A hand on her shoulder. “Abiru.”
It wasn’t Pierre it sounded like.
She blinked and the world shifted, not darkness before her now but white. White hair, ivory skin, icy eyes, and a smile of relief and concern.
“Haku?”
“Beautiful.” She glanced to the side blushing, her heart suddenly racing for another reason. He was leaning over her close one hand near her head for balance the other on her shoulder gently rubbing. What the heck was he doing? The hand on her shoulder shifter bruising back a strand of her bangs causing her gaze to return back to him. “Were you having a nightmare?”
“That’s not the point.”
“Oh.”
“How long have you been here?”
“Mmmh.” he muttered pursing his lips in thought as his gaze flicked to the side. “I don’t know. I lose track of time when I’m happy,” he glanced up to the moon. “An hour maybe.”
“That’s a little creepy.”
“Why?”
She raised an eyebrow and tapped the arm pinning her down.
The smile shifted in realization to a smirk but the hand did not move.
“Haku.”
“Hmmm...” He leaned closer.
“Yeah okay,” she sighed, planting her hands on her chest to stop him.
And he did but not back up.
“For shame, Haku. You know what this looks like.”
The grin grew. “I like you saying my name.”
“You’re terrible,” she shoved and he did back off chuckling softly.
She sat up meeting his gaze on a level now. “It’s not funny.”
“Oh Abiru.” he shook his head. “You know I would never do anything you didn’t want right?”
“That's a phrasing.”
“I mean, I’m not going to lie.”
“What’s that mean?” she accused, leaning closer and staring in his eyes
In answer, a dark blue box intruded her vision, silver lotus flower engraved into the side.
“What?” she breathed taking it and gently lifted the top. Lying on a bed of black velvet rested a silver hair pin of a Sakura branch.
“My hair is already silver, but I do wish to stay by your side till yours matches mine.”
She smiled, shaking her head and brushed one of the delicate blossoms “This wasn’t necessary. I’d stay with you regardless.”
“Well, it’s a tradition I actually like a lot. You deserve far more than that but,” He shrugged. “You were supposed to be in Pura with Xkoll and Kil’Kenny.”
“There was a mix up with Pierre and I missed the ship.”
“Why am I not surprised?” He stated blankly glancing to the child.
“Haku, please.”
“He’s troubled.”
“Yes. That’s why I am with him.”
“I know.” he responded looking back to her. “Your heart is one of the reasons I love you so much but...” he paused glancing around the camp. “You’re right in the middle of a war zone. If you missed the ship why come here?”
“It’s safer with people than wandering alone.”
He winced.
“How did you know.”
“I flew to Pura and you weren’t there. Came here.”
“Have you slept tonight?”
“Eh,” he dismissed. "I needed to give you that before the morning."
“Haku.” she chided, “the attack is tomorrow. You need your rest.”
“Please tell me you’re staying in camp at least.”
“Donindor says we have to stay together, they can’t leave anyone behind to protect it.”
He breathed deeply swallowing whatever words he wanted to say.
“I’m so sorry. I’m trying my best. The camp was already attacked though an-”
“What?!”
“Shh… you’ll wake them up.”
His mouth opened and closed before, “I can’t fight there,” he gestured to the sky island a speck barely visible, “if you’re here.”
“I’ll be careful.”
“No.”
“I can’t do anything else though.”
He stood. “Come.”
“What?”
“I’m flying you to our camp. It can’t be accessed from the ground. You’ll be safe there.”
She bit her lip glancing to the child. “I need to look after Pierre, and he can’t de-”
“I’ll come back and get him too. Let’s go.”
“Okay.” She rose clutching the box and checking to make sure she held everything she needed. After making sure she wrapped her her arms around his shoulders and he took her waist. A powerful silent thrust of white wings launching them into the air.
And flying the wind in her hair, the weightless feeling. Her one wing longed to extend and feel the breeze ruffle it’s feathers again but that would throw off his balance, of course he was skilled enough to compensate. She looked up into his eyes, his gaze ahead and focused.
“Haku?”
“Hmm?” he noted smiling again, his arms tightening momentarily.
“May I extend my wing?”
“Of course, darling.”
She did so despite her smaller size the edge of her feathers extended almost a foot farther than his. Seamlessly he shifted his angle letting his one wing take on more of the airflow. The joyous feeling then. Oh she had missed flying. If she could fly she could have taken Pierre to Pura easily, if she could fly she could go to the tengu camp herself. Or just return to Edo and no one would have to worry about her.
“Haku.”
“Hmm,” he noted this time looking down into her eyes with a smile.
“I’m sorry I can’t fly.”
“That’s not your fault, there is no reason to be sorry for that.”
“But the doctor could have fixed it if I had been okay with that.”
“You have to break it again to fix it right?”
“Yes.”
“Then don’t worry. I wouldn’t want to do that myself.”
“You would have though?” she guessed.
“Well, we all know I’m nothing without my wings.”
“That’s not true.”
“Okay,” he conceded, looking forward again, “but storm herolds need to fly, and I’m too stubborn to give that up. You… Your talents don’t require wings.”
“Do you wish I could fly still?”
“Yes, in the sense that I hate that you got hurt in the first place. It doesn’t hurt now right?”
“No. Only if I try to extend it.”
He nodded contemplating. After a few minutes she closed her eyes just enjoying the feeling. He smiled as he noticed but said nothing more, unsure if she was looking for advice or permission to not fly. Of course he had already given her permission but sometimes it took a few times to get it into her head that his mind wouldn’t change on the matter. Or that he was being honest. It was probably the one thing that really caused them troubles. To be fair his mind could change easily with new information.
It would be easier if she could fly. He would worry less. She was clearly enjoying this now. She would like to fly again. Of course he was enjoying this too. The only way to carry her was by embrace, two sweet hours of embrace. There was a selfish aspect of control that felt very fulfilling too. She couldn’t fly away. She couldn't outrun him. She would be in the camp until he took her out. He wouldn’t want to upset her, but in the end that left him with the power to decide where she was. In a sense, it kept her safer.
He could… just leave the boy. She couldn’t do anything about it. Yes he loved her kind heart but… the kid hated him from the first moment he met him. And Abiru had ‘adopted him.’ He automatically would have a son the day he married her. An 8 year old Vachelous boy that constantly was getting himself and his future wife into trouble and both hated and feared Haku despite how nice and reassuring he had tried to be.
Beyond that, he didn’t really like children, sometimes they were cute but they were also little balls of wickedness and difficulty to train. Yeah he had been one too, one of the worst. He would not have liked his child self at all. Didn’t know how his parents had dealt with that. Pierre from what he could see was just as bad possibly worse and he had missed years of training. Yes he needed someone to help. Someone like Abiru was perfect. He was definitely not. He didn’t want any part of it.
“Abiru?”
“Hmm...” She opened her eyes, smiling at him the time and tightening her arms around his shoulders.
What little anxiety of the question drained as he smiled back. “May I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“I will do my best, but if it comes down to it and you can either be with me or the boy, which one would you pick.?”
She blinked, her expression morphing into betrayal.
Immediately he regretted asking and began, “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking again. I should hav-”
“No. it’s fine,” she voiced. “This is going to have to be discussed at some point.” And she weakly smiled. “You. I knew this might come up when I first took him in.”
Despite himself relief and joy came. “Are you sure?”
She nodded. “I took him in because he needed someone. They call me his mother. I’m fine with it. I kinda like it. But I knew that I wasn’t really, and I wouldn’t really be unless you felt the same. That’s not a decision I can make on my own, and if you’re not okay with it, that’s that. You have to promise me one thing though.”
“What is it?”
“We’ll find somewhere safe for him.”
“Of course.”
“Thanks.”
He nodded. The temptation strong to make that decision right now.
“And we have to have a kid.” She added, “I really like being a mom and I’ve got to do it someday.”
He smiled, “I’m sure we will.” he smirked. “In fact I doubt it’s possible we wouldn’t. Probably going to happen in the first week of our marriage actually.”
“Haku!” she blushed.
“I like you saying my name.” he returned.
“You-” she began then looked off to the side not knowing how to continue.
“Are going to make you so happy.”
“Stop it.” she said looking back into his eyes but was truly smiling.
“No one is here. You can say what you want to me.”
“You’ve never been like this before.”
“We haven’t been engaged before. Don’t tell me you're not looking forward to it.”
“Haku,” she blushes looking off to the side again.
Her face shifted to instantaneous worry as she saw earth. His head snapped up and in practice precision fold, twist, and catch, he narrowly missed slamming into a mountain side.
“Sorry, I’ve been drifting left apparently.”
“Maybe you should focus on flying rather than me.” she noted folding her wing in again.
“Yep.”