Rakka leisurely swept the floor of the corridor in the west wing of the run-down, abandoned mansion of Old Home. Of course, the place was neither abandoned nor run-down anymore, because the Haibane had moved in and lived there for generations. It was just how the townsfolk pictured it to be.589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSnxXko6bie
“I can’t wait until the new younglings arrive! By then, it’ll be my turn to be the responsible senior Haibane,” the neck-long-haired brunette smiled to herself.589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡabBY26DRXe
She worked her way from door to door, zigzagging across the hallway, until she stopped in front of a very particular door. It was closed; above it a weathered sign read: “Cocoon hatchery”.589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡObinYymbPx
Memories came flooding back to her: cold; dark; wet; voices … then, all of a sudden, bright light and warmth contending with the humidity of her body. She recalled the welcoming smiles of the ones whom she’d now spent a year living among and had gotten to know so well.589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡInyWskx2C5
Her fingers snaked around the door handle and she carefully opened the door and poked her head through the slim crack in the door frame. Inside, the floor was only lit by the light coming from the door ajar, but as Rakka’s eyes moved further into the room, they stopped and rested for a second on two leaves sticking up from the ground.589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoP1T0GZyu0
Her face lit up in a mixture of ecstatic surprise and astonishment, “Twins!” and after standing there for a moment to take in the sight, she gathered herself and slowly backed out of the room. Safely out in the hallway again, she could barely hold it in, and dropping the broom she rushed for the stairs. “Oo-oooh! This is big, this is big!”589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBi6rUo11nR
She lost her traction on the steps and tumbled down the stairs, sitting a split second to collect her thoughts, before she jumped back onto her legs and rushed down the rest of the flights, now yelling out loud: “This is big, this is big! This is big!”
***
“Wow, that one is pretty big! I think it’s almost as big as yours was, Rakka.”589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmd0ZHIdmJZ
All four stood inside the room, staring at the cocoons, which had had an amazing growth rate just over the past few minutes.589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgJph9qe2wf
“Was mine really that big, Kana?” Rakka asked, amazed.589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡynCIqxAJ1p
Kana nodded matter-of-factly. She was the most tomboyish in the group, with short, black hair and a self-secure loom on her face.589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLld4mrJXc0
“Of course, but it was only because of all the water. For some reason yours was fuller than usual,” another girl pointed out. She had long, straight, blond hair and glasses.589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPRDJVENg3k
“Hikari, how would you know how much water a regular cocoon is supposed to hold?” The girl who asked the question, was taller than the others, with shoulder-long, brown hair and a rather relaxed expression on her face.589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJH5RqYormb
Kana put her hands on her hips, smirking at the girl. “Come on, Nemu, do you even recall the fact that Rakka’s cocoon nearly flooded the entire west wing? Or were you asleep that time too?”589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsCknOrz8Dj
Nemu frowned lazily. “Do you wanna get hit?” she asked rhetorically.589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ36lI2zqUMi
“Guys, look!” Rakka pointed, amazed at the two cocoons. Both had started to split, water spouting from the cracks.589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlkv0rXUWGF
“Oh boy, everybody brace for impact!” Kana shouted, turned and ran for the door. 589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX1QLp4xzw4
“This is gonna be a tidal wave!” She hushed the group of curious younger Haibane away from the doorway so the rest of them could get out, but as she turned toward the room while hiding behind the wall, one stood strong.589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL3Shq3jL4d
“Rakka, get away from there, it’s dangerous! This is nothing like that time!”589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ZWoILJ3gg
“No way,” Rakka said bluntly. “I’ve waited for this moment ever since Reki left. I’m gonna be just as much to these younglings as she was to me. I owe her that!”589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEiIA3SMbcF
She braced herself as the walls of the cocoons eventually gave in completely and water exploded out. The massive wave hit her defense curl stance with tremendous force, but she managed to break through.589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQAQUIpDsV
When her eyes had cleared, Rakka saw two people crawling out of each their cocoon. She hurried over to the one coughing the heaviest, a girl with long dirty-blond hair. Her timid appearance and short stature reminded her of Kuu, the youngest of the Old Home Haibane adult group, who had used to live with them until she had gone beyond the walls surrounding the outskirts of the city territory, on her Day of Flight.589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ02hx2N5qq
In the corner of her eye she noted that Nemu had come to the other twin, a boy with hair so black it could almost swallow one up.589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtmce20mBXJ
“Relax, it will be okay now, no one’s gonna hurt you, I promise,” she hushed when the violently coughing teenager suddenly went over to sobbing as the girl threw her arms around Rakka’s neck. Rakka felt feathers on her wings weighing slightly, and she helped the struggling girl onto her feet.589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcOTsm37ebT
Rakka watched as custody of the girl was taken over by Hikari, and falling to the back of the group with Kana, followed them down the way they had come up into the west wing.
***
“Here, try to get some rest,” Hikari smiled as she helped the girl into the bed in the guest room.589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS4bXeekox1
The girl, though trying to be gentle in her steps, stumbled on the edge of the bed and plunged down on the white mattress. A weak groan came from her gritted teeth before fading her consciousness took her into oblivion.589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDSOIBzvEit
Hikari, having noticed the girl had landed on her shoulder, frowned lightly at Kana.589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZwN8YWxcO
“It’s starting already,” she stated gravely.589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBeMntMG55P
“Not necessarily,” Nemu cut in when Kana was about to run for the equipment. “They would be there from the very beginning – even from before breakout from the cocoon, but she could’ve just felt something because it was an uncontrolled and unexpected fall, even with a soft landing. Also it could’ve just been that she was surprised.”589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGMo0fnfuql
Hikari looked at the sleeping girl. “I hope you’re right. But even if they are coming tonight, we’ll be there to help her through it.”589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKyyqSCaubW
Suddenly Kana took a look around. “Hey, where’s Rakka?”589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeNTyD2kGwA
Nemu pointed to the door that lead out to the terrace, where Rakka stood looking down at the courtyard of Old Home.589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUvMbhvm6tX
Kana also followed Hikari's eyes toward Rakka, but she pulled back and stretched her arms as she let out a big yawn. “Phew, well, I’m beat. Gonna get some rest. See you guys.”589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMM4Ffz9tmS
Nemu, after having said bye to Hikari, hurried after Kana. They lived in the same section of this place.589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCW3usGlULT
Hikari came out on the terrace next to Rakka, and with a sigh she looked down onto the cobblestone below.589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXk67jLDZF7
“I’m so scared, Hikari,” Rakka suddenly muttered, silent as always. Hikari looked at her, and she hurried to put her hands disarmingly in front of her. “No-no, I didn’t mean it like that!” She continued looking down at the courtyard. “I mean, I’m so happy we have new younglings at Old Home, and I’m honored to be their senior … but … what if I don’t have what it takes? What if I do something wrong? Or they don’t listen to me?”589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGWdS27jOFW
Hikari smiled reassuringly and placed a hand on Rakka’s shoulder. “Oh, Rakka, we’re all here. We’ll help you out with these ones just like we helped out Reki when she was taking care of you. And she did a fantastic job, you’re proof of that!”589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy7BmZlfSYc
“But that’s what I mean! What if I’m not as good as she was?” Hikari could hear her voice starting to crack. She hugged the young leader-to-be.589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4lj1wqlGJS
“Rakka, remember that Reki taught you everything she knew about raising younglings, on the job. Although these aren’t young enough to be in the actual kids’ group, so we might have to come up with a name better suited for them… Anyways, you’re a quick learner, so I have no doubt you’ll pick up on even things that are new to you. I have faith in you, Rakka, and so do the others.”589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡomaKGA8w5K
“Thank you, Hikari.” Rakka wiped a tear running down her cheek. They let go of the embrace, and held hands for a second, but when Hikari had said bye and was about to leave, Rakka stopped her. “It was a good thing you did to remind us that we needed two beds in here.”589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHa5oFzjCDC
Hikari laughed, smiled and vanished out the door. Rakka watched Hikari enter her part of Old Home, and waved at her as she disappeared into the building.589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJNCPeC2KHk
She gazed up at the sky, and two stars seemed to be particularly bright tonight. Seeing them blink down at her, Rakka’s thoughts immediately went to Reki and Kuu, who had possibly meant the most to her during her upbringing here at Old Home. 589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq5yRLHTkYe
“Reki; Kuu … I won’t let you down. And thank you … for everything.” Then she left to her quarters.
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