Clouds moved slowly overhead. Students filed out of the school in heavy crowds. Some small, some large. Takabi clutched the strap of his bag tightly, eyes watching from a distance as Jewel and Blake walked home together. He felt a twinge inside him. Something small. Something dark.
"Don't look so angry," Nana's voice rang when she stepped next to him. Her bag was in her grasp, down in front of her skirt. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail, brown eyes a bit misty, and she looked a little tired. "That darkness can leak outta you. Not a good look."
The feeling inside him faded slowly. He waited for the other students to thin out before he asked her, "So. Wanna explain it? That… Thing you did in the gym."
"You mean my air control?" She twirled her finger, a small breeze running past Takabi's ear and around her finger, like a mini twister. "Magic. It's an amazing thing, ain't it?"
"That wasn't the first time you used it around me, was it? The first day, when I almost fell, you caught me then too."
She nodded at his words, stepping down the stairs. "Shall we go then?"
"You wanna see my place that bad," He asked, standing and putting his hands in his pockets. He stepped down the stairs, walking ahead of her. She slowly began to stroll behind him, gradually catching up and walking in sync. "Don't judge me if it's not in the best condition. I don't remember if I cleaned up or not."
"No worries. You were never the type to be neat. In fact, you were pretty much a slob."
"Hey," He said, slightly offended. "I'm pretty sure it wasn't that bad."
She shrugged and lightly punched his arm. "Nothing is ever as bad as it seems to you."
That, he had to agree with. He reacted very calmly to the entire situation in the forest. His body, his mind. All of his being reacted perfectly, reacted in a way as if he had been in that situation a hundred times over.
They continued in silence, a gentle breeze oozing from Nana as she strolled. Takabi glanced at her, questions forming in his mind. He wanted to know her, why she would even bother with him now if she knew he couldn't remember anything. Her whole demeanor was unreadable. She really seemed like just a normal sixteen year old girl.
Takabi knew that wasn't the truth though. No normal girl would have the ability to control air. Magic was supposed to be simply parlor tricks, things to entertain kids and people who had an interest in it.
Yet he knew of true magic. What that kind of ability actually is, and what it can do. He's used it himself, from what he assumed, many times before. Now, he had only one clear memory of using power like that.
Coming to their destination, Takabi stepped up the stairs and pulled out his house key, unlocking and opening the door for Nana to step in. He followed behind her, closing the door with his foot and tossing his keys onto the table in front of the couch.
Dropping his bag as Nana began to look around, he moved into the kitchen and opened the fridge, pulling out a pitcher of tea and pouring them both a glass.
"It's not bad in here," She said, pulling out a seat at the kitchen table and sitting. "It's cleaner than I thought it would be." She paused when he brought the glass over to her and placed it down in front of her. He moved around the table and sat across from her, drinking from his own cup and keeping an eye on Nana. "How can you afford this place on your own anyway? You're only sixteen."
"I work. Bills and everything is taken from my checks." He explained, then shook his head. "Never mind me. I want you to explain yourself already."
"Impatient, aren't you," She taunted, undoing the top buttons of her blouse and drinking the tea. Placing her glass on the table, she lowered her eyes and said, "What's there to explain? I mean, I guess the best way to start is to crush any doubts you have about me." Her fingers danced around the rim of the glass. "My full name is Nana Kaze. Kaze means wind, and that's basically where my family originates."
"You come from the wind? Wait, doesn't that mean…" He touched his chin. "That sounds familiar… Ten.. Ten something." He bit his lip, closing his eyes and thinking hard.
"Kaze no Tenshi," Nana finally said. Takabi locked eyes with her, and nodded for her to continue. "Angels of Wind. That's where I come from. Angels born, gifted with the ability to control the air as they please. It's quite handy to be honest."
"So you're an Angel?"
"Yes."
"Where's the wings then?"
"Is that how humans see us?" She asked, chuckling. "While it's true, we do use wings to fly, it's just not how you think it is. The wings are usually made up of whatever power we control. A basic spell to learn when you think about it."
"Okay, so you're an Angel. How do you know me then?"
"I'm getting there, relax. Anyway, the Angels of Wind have specific things they must accomplish in their lives. Mine was to befriend three kids and keep a very close eye on them. Of course, that didn't work out too well, considering…" She trailed off.
He raised an eyebrow, watching her and waiting for her to continue. Her eyes flicked to him, then the glass and back again. She bit her lip, and it was obvious she was going to say something she didn't want to. He did want to hear the truth, so he braced himself for it.
"... Considering one of those three kids blew up an entire neighborhood."
"Which one?" He asked. Again, with the neighborhood incident.
"... You, Takabi. Don't you remember anything at all?"
"Nothing."
Taking a deep breath, she stood from the table and slowly paced around the kitchen. She looked very nervous all of a sudden, something that made Takabi begin to wonder what was on her mind. He wanted to ask, but wasn't exactly sure how, or why it was important for him to remember his past at all.
Her back faced him, but she suddenly spun around, meeting his eyes. With a deep breath, she said, "Takabi. How bad do you want to remember everything from before?"
"Well… I haven't given much thought to it… But it would be nice to at least have an idea of what it was all like." He tapped his mug and sighed. "Still, from what I heard, the entire neighborhood was vaporized and built over. There'd be nothing left of my previous life there anyway."
"You're right… I know someone who can help you though." She stepped over, touching his hand, and looking him in the eye. "If you're willing."
"I am." When she moved her hand, he grabbed it again quickly, standing suddenly and getting close to her face. Taken by surprise, Nana's eyes widened and her cheeks turned a light shade of pink. "What? Why are you so close?"
"You're.. Very beautiful.." He admitted. "That's all." He let his grasp of her go and stepped back. "How do we refresh my memory?"
Nana took a minute to catch her breath, hand against her chest to feel her heart hammering in her ribcage. "Well… The simplest thing would be to retrace yourself. I mentioned before you had siblings. A brother and sister. We're going to find your sister."
"What? Why?"
She pursed her lips, saying, "Your brother died in the explosion… Along with your dad. Your mom has been missing for years now. The night it happened was the night she vanished."
Takabi ran a hand through his white locks and asked, "How do you know she didn't die too?"
"Because I sensed her moving away from the home before it vanished. It didn't slowly fade either. It just… disappeared. Anyway, you should start packing. We're going to have a long trip."
"Where are we going? Wait! What about school!?" He asked, watching her closely. "We can't just not come in! We'd be expelled if we're gone too long!"
"Are you actually worried about that? I left a note on the principal's desk before we left. We're taking a temporary leave of absence… For, possibly, a couple months. I explained in detail that you were still recovering from your injuries, and would be home for a while. They're going to send school work every week, so make sure you tell Jewel to collect it for you, and don't question why they won't be searching for us. It's a long and complicated process." Nana turned and strutted into the living room, sitting on the couch and looking at him.
"Is that even going to work?!"
"It should. I forged it from a Doctor. I'll be waiting. Take your time, and pack only what is needed."
"We're the same age, but you sound so much more mature than I am… It's kinda weird." He said, walking past her and up the stairs. When he reached the top, he stopped and looked down at her. "Can I trust you?"
She looked up at him, their eyes meeting again.
"Like… Can I truly trust you, Nana?"
She waited a moment before answering. Her genuine smile gave away her answer. "Of course. I would never dream of lying to you at all, Takabi." Something lingered in her words, her eyes. Something that stabbed Takabi through his heart and made it skip a beat.
He turned quickly and entered his bed room, closing the door in a quiet manner and leaned against the wood. Quickly stripping down, he moved into his bathroom and started a shower, hoping the rushing water would free his clouded mind and allow him to accept the coming future.