Earthian Fan Fiction ❯ Wings of Salvation ❯ Chapter One ( Chapter 1 )

Title: Wings of Salvation

Author: Cloudy daze

Rating: Right now PG-13, it might go higher as the story progresses though.

Category/Warnings: Sap, Angst, OOC (definitely on any of the Archangels since I really don't know how they act cause they're not in the OVA), AU, Yaoi. This is my first Earthian story so I'm pretty much testing the waters here and most of my knowledge is pretty much from the 4 OVA episodes and not the manga.

Pairings: Kagetsuya x Chihaya

Feedback: That is always a plus. ^__^

Chapter One

The whimsical chimes of children's laughter filtered through the blonde haired man's ears as he pulled the metal gate in front of the structure opened. A small boy with a mop of raven black hair on his head raced past him, grinning widely as he clutched a little rag doll to his chest.

"Give it back!" one girl squealed as she bolted after him.

The young man scanned the area around him, noting the huge three-story house that stood several yards away. There was a small mixed group of boys and girls that were playing tag on the left side of the building. The visitor smiled faintly at their actions, watching in amusement as one of the boy's suddenly sprouted a pair of snow white wings. He flipped up to the air, using them to gain a quick burst of speed. His tiny fingers stretched out to tap a older girl on the shoulders.

"No fair! The rules say no wings during the game. I'll tell on you!" the red haired child protested.

`A child will be a handful, but I know I'm ready for it,' he thought with determination. The sound of footfall behind him caused the blonde to pivot on his right leg, his curly hair falling to cover his blue eyes with the movement.

"Archangel Michael, what do I owe for the pleasure of your visit to our little orphanage?"

The figure brushed the locks from his face, glancing over at the woman before him. A flower print dress hung loosely from her frame; a pair of glasses perched on her nose. Her short chocolate brown hair was parted in the middle, tumbling to each side of her chin.

"It's very nice to meet you..." Michael trailed off, realizing that he didn't even know the ladies name.

"My name is Shawna Collidi, but you can just call me Shawna," the petite individual stated.

"And you can just call me Michael. I hate all those formal titles and such," the blonde remarked.

"Ok I will," the woman said with a bright smile.

"I forget myself though. I do have a reason for being here. Everyday I come by your orphanage and after much contemplating and soul searching I've decided that I would like to adopt," the Archangel announced.

Shawna's whole body lit up with the news, her expression joyful. "That's simply wonderful. Any of the children would be greatful to have a man such as yourself be their father. There are so many amazing kids here," she exclaimed.

"I know. I always enjoy watching them play when I come by. Really helps to raise my spirits from a hard day of work. I figured since it's just so lonely at my house that a child would be a delight to have," Michael remarked, `Not to mention someone to care for since the only other love in my life is one-sided,' he thought bitterly. It was a dark secret hidden to all save a very select few but for years he held deep feelings of affection for his fellow Archangel Raphael. Nothing could ever become of these emotions however because his friend was happily married.

`Even if he wasn't with Gabrielle it would never work. A relationship like that would doom us from the start.' Although same sex couples weren't illegal in their society most considered it as such. Many had lost jobs and customers when they were exposed to the general public. Boycotts were a cruel but very realistic part of life.

"Yes, children are quite fun to have around. It's hard work too, however, but in the end it's just so worth it. Now there are several things I usually do for a prospective parent. If you have time I would like you to spend the afternoon and have dinner here. That way you can interact with all the children and learn about them. Sometimes it takes days or even weeks for a parent to find the right child for them so don't be discouraged or overwhelmed if you're finding yourself at odds with deciding today," the brown haired woman informed, getting down to business.

Michael nodded in understanding. There were so many different personalities present in all the kids staying here that it would be tough to pick one out of the bunch in just a day. He vowed to himself that he would get to know each and every child in the orphanage before setting his heart on one.

"Let's go meet the children then. All of them will be quite happy to see and talk to you. They do that to everyone that comes to adopt so it's perfectly normal. I'm just letting you know in advance so you won't be surprised," Shawna stated as she led him into the house.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The curly haired individual stifled a yawn before taking a seat at the huge dining table. `I missed work to do this and I'm just as tired as if I had actually gone,' he silently acknowledged, `I wouldn't change a moment of this though.' He'd lost track of the endless stream of children he had played with, learning about each and every one with the same attentive air.

"They are a handful aren't they, Michael?" Shawna remarked as she began to place cooking dish after dish on the table.

"I don't know how you do this every day," the young man admitted.

The woman laughed as she exited the room and returned a moment later, a stack of plates in hand. "Sometimes it's about all I can do to not scream, but I always feel rewarded when I realize how much I'm helping them all."

The Archangel smiled at the notion. `I hope I can do the same for one of them. There are just so many kids here I'm still unsure where to start. I'm not even sure if I've talked to them all yet.'

"Get ready for the feeding frenzy. Try to keep your fingers to yourself or you might lose them," the woman joked before calling out to the children, "Dinner time! Spread the word!"

The thunder of footfall erupted as children converged onto the spot, jumping up and down as they sat at the table. After several minutes the dust had settled and all the chairs were occupied except two beside each other. Shawna frowned as she did a mental count.

"Ok, who's missing?" she pondered. The woman did another sweep of the room before sighing. "Why didn't any of you tell Chihaya dinner was ready?" she asked.

Michael frowned as the kids quickly became fascinated with their plates and silverware, refusing to answer.

"I'll go get him this time but I warned all of you about this negative attitude towards him. I don't want it to happen again. You all got that?" she ordered.

A choir of `Yes Ma'am' answered her as she proceeded to leave the room. The blonde watched the whole interaction curiously. `I don't remember the name Chihaya. I wonder why all the children don't seem to care for him? Maybe he's very unruly or mean?' A thousand questions filled the Archangel's mind, pondering about the unknown boy. Any negative thoughts were erased from his head as the child stepped into the room. He quietly entered, his gaze lowered as he slowly climbed into his seat.

Vibrant violet eyes, barely seen through a mass of black hair that hung down, glanced up to gaze at Michael for a moment before turning away. `Surely this silent little boy wouldn't be cruel to anyone.'

Shawna led everyone in saying grace before allowing the children to begin eating. The dinner went along splendidly, as the Archangel spoke with several of the kids, answering questions about his life and job. Michael's line of vision kept returning to Chihaya however. He observed how polite the boy was to everyone; even though it was quite obvious the others didn't share his views. `I've got to find out why they act this way to him,' he vowed.

The blonde waited patiently for dinner to end and the children to disperse before turning to enter the main hallway that held the majority of the bedrooms. He glanced into the various doorways, searching for the black haired youth.

Michael paused in his explorations when a small boy with dirty blonde hair entered the hall. He smiled brightly when he saw the adult, dimples forming on his face.

"Hello there... Aki is it?" the Archangel asked, digging deep into the recesses of his mind to remember the child's name.

The little boy nodded repeatedly. "Well Aki do you happen to know where Chihaya's room is?" Michael inquired.

"Why do you want to talk to him? He's a bad angel," the boy stated strongly.

"Aki!" Shawna warned as she walked over to them from the kitchen, "I've told all of you to not call him that. Chihaya has never done anything to hurt anyone."

"But he's dark. No angel is like him so that's why he's bad," the youth insisted.

"Aki you know it's wrong to judge. Chihaya is special because of his differences. However it's not right to discriminate against anyone. Don't you agree, Michael?" the woman announced.

"Shawna is right. Prejudice is wrong in any form," the blonde answered.

The small figure hesitantly agreed, even though it was obvious he was still having a hard time accepting the idea.

"Chiyaya's room is the last door on the left," the brunette woman added, hoping that the Archangel would get the hint and speak with Chihaya. The sweet boy really needed to interact more with potential parents. And she secretly hoped that Michael would see just how wonderful the small boy was and adopt him.

Michael noted the internal message and took his leave, praying that the black haired youth would quench his growing curiosity. He was in a total state of confusion as to what exactly was wrong with the child that would make everyone dislike him. He silently made his way to the room and walked in when he noticed the opened door.

"Chihaya?" he called softly, his gaze searching the perimeter. The room contained normal items that a boy of about six to seven would have. However the mass majority were books, so many in fact that the bookshelf they were on was overflowing, causing a almost ripple effect of colors and names at the base. The blonde Archangel discovered Chihaya on his small twin bed, a book perched in his small hands.

"Hello. Are you lost? If you need to find a specific person's room I'd be delighted to show you," the boy stated politely, eager to please.

"Actually I wanted to speak to you. How come I haven't seen you today until dinner?" Michael inquired.

Chihaya remained quiet for several seconds before answering. "I guess I just figured you would rather meet the children you might adopt."

"Why wouldn't I want to consider you?" Michael asked, bewildered by the youth's comment.

"No one ever does. As soon as they find out about… well what all the others don't like me for, adults dismiss me. I can't say I don't agree with them too. I know I'm not right," the black haired child admitted.

Michael couldn't stand to see the child looking and sounding so forlorn, so he quickly sat by the small figure, hugging him tightly. "Help me understand. No matter what differences you have it's not reason to be cruel. What makes everyone act the way they do?"

The boy sighed faintly as he pulled away from the comforting arms, getting up to stand in the middle of the area. The young man could tell from the child's actions that he didn't expect a positive reaction from anyone. He raised his head, glancing at the ceiling briefly before shutting his blue eyes. Michael watched in fascination as the feathery appendages sprang from his back, his hair extending to his waist. His jaw dropped when he realized just what he was viewing. Black wings! An angel with black wings! We aren't supposed to have wings that color. At least that's what I've been told. How does Chihaya have a different color than normal?

The Archangel struggled to hold back the temptation to touch them. He was sure the boy had been through enough of that in his lifetime as is. All the negative ideas about Chihaya suddenly began to make sense. No wonder the kids called him the dark and bad angel. It did seem like the whole white is good and black is bad scenario. Although the wings were dark as night, they weren't ugly. In fact Michael had never seen something so elegant and magnificent before. The black shimmered, hues of dark purple hidden inside the feathers.

"Simply amazing," the blonde finally breathed.

The child's eyes shot opened, staring at him in shock. "What?" he asked, his mind refusing to believe that anyone would find his abnormal wings anything but dark and wrong.

The Archangel got off the bed to take a closer look at the unusual site. `Why would this cause the adults to be dissuaded? I can understand other children, they're too little too know better. Adults should be better than that. Chihaya is a sweet boy, it shouldn't matter if his wings are different.' Michael deep down knew however that this was indeed the case. It seemed that most angels were prejudice over anyone different or willing to go against society's `normal' beliefs.

"Your wings are beautiful, Chihaya. They are very unique, which makes them special," the young man stated.

"But… they're black," the boy stuttered.

"Just because everyone else has white wings it doesn't mean that black wings is wrong. Maybe they signify that you are meant for something special in the future. Did you ever think about that?" the young man pointed out.

Chihaya bit his lower lip, trying to make sense of what was being told to him. All his life he had been ridiculed and insulted because of his appearance and therefore he didn't know how to act around someone who actually considered them special. Michael could see the black haired child's indecision and smiled softly.

"Well then I just suppose I'll have to show you that I don't care about the color of your wings. In the next few days I'll be sure to include you in everything I do here. You're not going to be ignored by me," Michael promised.

The youth's lips turned upward into a shy smile, hoping against all hope that the man truly meant to keep that vow.

`I will spend more time with him,' the blonde silently stated, `and I have a feeling that he may be just what I'm looking for.'

TBC…