Rakka was sweeping one of the west-wing hallways of Old-Home.
“I can’t wait until the new younglings arrive! By then, it’ll be my turn as the responsible senior haibane. Oh, but what if they won’t listen to me...” The brunette grimaced as an undecided mixture welled in her belly. “Well, I’ll just have to do my best!”
Clasping the broomstick, she zigzagged from room to room until standing in front of a very particular door. It was closed; above it a weathered sign read: ‘Cocoon hatchery’.
Memories came flooding back to her: cold; dark; wet; voices … then, all of a sudden, bright light and warmth melting away the humidity on 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.
Her fingers wrapped slowly around the door handle and she carefully poked her head through the narrow crack in the frame. The only source of light came from behind her, but as Rakka’s eyes followed along the strip they fell on two sprouts sticking up from the ground inside the nest.
The girl’s face lit up in a mixture of ecstatic surprise and astonishment, “Twins!” and lost in thought for a second, she gathered herself and slowly closed the door. Safely out in the hallway again, dropping the broom she rushed for the stairs. “Ooh-oooh! This is big, this is BIG!”
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, yelling all the way.
***
“Wow, that one is pretty big! I think it’s almost as big as yours was, Rakka.”
All four girls stood inside the hatchery, staring at the sprouts, which had done an amazing growth spurt just over the short while Rakka had been gone.
“Was mine really that big, Kana?” Rakka asked, amazed.
Kana nodded matter-of-factly. She was the most tomboyish in the group, with short, black hair and a confident expression on her face.
“Yes, 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.
“Hikari, how would you know how much water a regular cocoon is supposed to hold?” This girl was taller than the others, with shoulder-long, brown hair and a rather relaxed expression on her face.
Kana smirked at her. “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?”
Nemu frowned lazily. “Do you wanna get hit?”
“Hey, look!” Rakka pointed at the two cocoons, both of which had started to split, water pouring from the cracks.
“Oh boy, everybody brace for impact!” Kana shouted, and ran for the door. “This is gonna be a tidal wave!” and hurried the group of curious younger haibane away from the doorway so the rest of them could get out.
“Rakka, get away from there, it’s dangerous!”
“No way.” Rakka braced herself. “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!”
She drew her breath as the walls of the cocoons eventually gave in completely and water exploded out. The massive wave punched her in the face, chest and gut, almost knocking her over, and she sank to her knees as the water evened out across the room.
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 Rakka 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 town territory, on her Day of Flight.
In the corner of her eye she noted that Nemu had come to the other twin, a boy with hair as black as the deepest well.
“Relax, it will be okay now, I promise,” she lulled as the violently coughing teenager suddenly threw her arms around Rakka’s neck, sobbing uncontrollably. Rakka felt the feathers on her wings weighing slightly, and she helped the struggling girl up. As Hikari took custody, Nemu and the boy in the middle, Rakka fell to the back of the group with Kana.
***
“Here, try to get some rest,” Hikari smiled as she helped the girl into the bed in the guest room.
The girl, despite her care, stumbled on the edge of the bed and plunged down on the white mattress. A weak groan came from her gritted teeth before her fading consciousness took her into oblivion. Hikari made furrows at Kana. “It’s starting already,” she stated gravely.
“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, but she could’ve just felt something because it was an uncontrolled and unexpected fall, even with a soft landing, or maybe she was surprised by the landing. It IS a comfortable bed, after all.”
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.”
“Hey, where’s Rakka?” Kana asked.
Nemu pointed to the door that led out to the terrace, where Rakka overlooked the courtyard.
Kana also followed Hikari's eyes toward Rakka before stretching her arms as she let out a big yawn. “Well, I’m beat. Gonna get some rest. See you guys.”
Nemu said good-night to Hikari and hurried after Kana.
Hikari came out on the terrace next to Rakka, and with a sigh she looked down onto the cobblestone.
“I’m so scared, Hikari,” Rakka muttered. “I mean, I’m so happy we have new younglings at Old Home – even if they’re a little older than we might have expected – 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?”
Hikari smiled reassuringly and placed a hand on Rakka’s shoulder. “Oh, Rakka… I suspect Kana will give them a walloping!” Rakka smilled slightly, “You gotta remember, we’re all here. We’ll help you out with the new ones just like we helped out Reki with you. And she did a fantastic job, you’re proof of that!”
“But that’s what I mean! What if I’m not as good as she was?” Rakka pretended her voice hadn’t cracked in hopes her friend didn’t notice, but Hikari embraced her, and she broke down silently.
“Reki taught you everything she knew about raising younglings by the way she raised you. 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…” They broke contact. “And 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.”
“Thank you, Hikari.” Rakka wiped a tear running down her cheek. They held hands for a second, but when Hikari was about to leave, Rakka stopped her. “Good thing you reminded us we needed two beds in here.”
Hikari laughed, smiled and vanished out the door. Rakka watched her enter her part of Old Home, and waved at her in the doorway.
She gazed up at the sky; 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. “I won’t let you down. And thank you … for everything.”
Then she left for her room.
