Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ The Winged Warrior ❯ Buke ( Chapter 6 )

The world was dark, cold, and wet. It was the forest again, but he had no idea where he was in it. Shadows were dancing along the corridors made by the random trees. There were whispers coming from the brush. He could hear himself panting and the sound of his feet pounding against the muddy ground. He didn’t know why he was running, but for some reason, he wouldn’t stop.

The world began to twist and distort, images of the Manors front room came, of places in town he’d never been, of a little blond girl with wavy hair, of a tall man glaring down at him and yelling orders, but the world finally stopped in that dark wood. As the world seemed to straighten its self back out, a humanoid figure appeared. No two! Two figures!

His feet stopped moving, his body slowed into a stop. He continued to try to decipher what was ahead of him. It was a man and a woman, no; it was another man and Alex. Alex was struggling with the guy but his body wouldn’t react. His eyes landed on the man finally.

A villainous smirk curled upon his perfect lips graced his well chiseled face. Perhaps that’s what made him such a threat. The man’s eyes seemed to be missing. His eye sockets were black, but something wasn’t right about them. There were glints of light reflecting as though there were eyes in the sockets, but somehow, in a twisted nature, they had turned completely black. There seemed to be a faded glow about them as well brought only by the night. His face wasn’t aged very much; he was a teenager at best. He seemed almost lost in the night. His sun brown flesh being all that was truly shown in the night’s cover, his hair and outfit were both as black as the starless sky.

He seemed to look like he was proper but arrogant and above all else, superior. His body screamed his message with its toned build and posture. His sophistication was showed in his step and as he gracefully moved a knife seemed to slide into his hand from his sleeve. What in the world was he doing?

“No” The words escaped his own lips; River didn’t know why he was reacting as such. He didn’t know this man. No, he knew him; he just forgot who he was. “Don’t” He pleaded as his body took another step forward.

“Another step closer,” The villain had a voice like silk. It was deep and smooth but laced with malevolence, “and I will paint her neck crimson.” He said almost poetically as he lifted Alex up and placed the knife to her throat. River gulped as his panicked eyes went to Alex. She looked as though she was fighting off a showing of fear or tears. Her eyes came to him and almost pleading him to just run from here, that somehow that she would be all right. The devil only continued to smile but soon a low chuckle erupted from deep in his throat and before too long, it had evolved into a full bellowing evil cackle. “What’s wrong Musha?” He shrieked in his bellowing laugh. “Can’t decide between your precious lover and your clan?”

“Don’t hurt her, Engel.” River said in a calm but fearful voice. Engel, that was his name, Engel, but what significance did he have on them? “Please, take me instead, just don’t hurt her.” He pleaded, he supposed this situation would happen again, and just like now, he would plead for her safety. Alex’s eyes widened in panic and she shook her head objectionably. Engel just kept laughing as though his pleading words were funny.

“Ah, Musha, you crack me up.” Engel said as he whipped his eye against his shoulder. “Tell you what; I’ll let her go…” Engel started to let go of her. A deep feeling of relief came across River’s entire body, until the blade spiked back and a stream of dark red fluid began to pour down and reflect in the moonlight. “But not alive.” Engel finished in a laugh as he took the knife away and stood there watching Alex stumble away.

River’s body wouldn’t move. He just watched in horror. “Alex” He spoke as though his mind and heart had just shattered into a thousand pieces. He watched helplessly as she felt clenching her neck. She never even had the chance to scream.

“It’s such a shame that you’ll die here.” Engel said with a smile as he approached her. “You’re so beautiful covered in blood.” Those words broke the last microscopic fragment of his humanity.

“STAY AWAY FROM HER!” River screamed at the top of his lungs as his body jerked up in bed. He was covered in a cold sweat and his fists were clenched so tight his knuckles were as white as snow. The light in the hall came on and the stampede came barging in, lead by Rain, of course, who, through a rather creepy twin sense, probably knew he was distressed. He just looked at them with dark eyes.

“River, what happened?” Rain asked as she came bounding in, leaving the others standing there, all wide eyed like a deer in the headlights. She grabbed the sides of his face to get him focused. “River?” He wasn’t replying at all as he began to think methodically about what had just occurred in his subconscious, if it was his subconscious at all.

“I have to go see Alex.” He said as he broke away from Rain and stood up. He collected himself quickly grabbing his glasses and throwing a shirt on with it customary holes in the back for his wings. He started out the door, pushing past the crowd that had accumulated because of his early morning scream.

“River, wait!” Rain called running after him. He didn’t seem to listen and went bounding down the stairs then out the door. As the door slammed behind him, Rain let out her final words. “It’s four am” She said with a sigh.

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The morning dew made a pleasant smell tickle his nose as he rushed towards the Oceana residence. He was almost shocked to see Gwen sitting out front on their long porch in a rocking chair with her baby lying against her, both wrapped up in a blanket. “Hey” River almost whispered when he was close enough. Gwen let out a bit of a wave. “Little early to be out, isn’t it?” River asked looking at his watch his head jerked back in shock seeing the time.

“Tell that to her” She yawned nodding then she looked at River suspiciously. “What are you doing up? More importantly, what are you doing here this early?”

“I… just… had, a, bad, dream, just came to see Alex.” River paused between every word still trying to shake off the shock of the dream to explain his arrival this early in the morning, “I didn’t know how early it really was.” River reach back and rubbed his head nervously. “I guess I’ll be back in a couple of hours then.”“No need, she’s in sitting at the table. She was up with Cassie before I was” Gwen said with a bit of a sigh. “Doors opened; don’t do anything I wouldn’t approve of, I still carry a gun and lack of sleep made me crabby.”

“Yes Ma’am,” River replied as he walked in the front door shutting it carefully behind him. His eyes scanned the layout over again, just as they had when he first arrived in the Oceana house only a few weeks before. He swung around the dividing wall finding Alex sitting with her hands on a coffee mug. He made sure to make enough noise to let her know he was even there so she didn’t flip out and throw piping hot coffee on his face. He found himself caught between wanting to sprint over and crush her in a hug or just gliding over and be calm, the latter option being the saner one.

The argument was compromised in his head; his glide was faster than usual normal. He put his hand on her shoulder first quickly gauging her initial reaction before wrapping both arms around her leaning down and kissing her neck. “Good morning” He said calmly looking up at her from his position. Her head leaned back against his shoulder.

“G’morning” She said in a half conscious voice. She tilted her head a bit awkwardly to kiss his cheek. “Kinda early to be here,” She stated putting her hands on his forearms almost to hold him still though he wasn’t moving. Her brow tightened a bit as she nuzzled into the side of his neck. “You okay?”“Yeah, I’m fine.” River said rubbing her shoulders in his hold on her. “Just a dream, that’s all.” He said resting his cheek against her forehead. Alex sat up and turned her body towards him after letting go off his arms. She put her warm hands on his cheeks and caressed them a bit.

“Do you want to talk about it?” She asked concerned. He froze for a bit, analyzing his options. He moved his arms down placing his hands on her shoulder blades. He frowned slightly to one side but then he suddenly smiled.

“That is such a girl question.” He teased. “Men don’t talk about ‘dreams’!” River snickered a bit. “We talk about manly things like sports and women.”

“That’s why you’re a ‘boy’” Alex teased back. “You use to talk to me about dreams all the time, you silly little winged thing.”“Winged thing? Catchy but not a nickname to keep.” River replied with an eyebrow raised. He could get her distracted and save himself all the questioning. He didn’t know who Engel was, if he was even real at all or just a figment of his blurred memory representing anger or evil or something of that magnitude, but if he was, there was no way his filthy hands would ever touch his Alex, over his bloody corpse. “You know… I think I’m a little obsessive…” He mentioned looking at her.

“Where did that come from, winged boy? Oh no, I’m keeping that one,” she commented before he could object to the nickname. “I won’t use it often don’t worry your cute little head.”

“Cute?” River retorted, “I am not ‘cute’,” He drew his hands back and crossed them over his chest with a pout.

“Your expression isn’t helping your argument.” She said pinching his cheek and giggling. “Holy crap, you’ve turned me into a giddy school girl!” She pushed him a bit.

“I can’t help that I’m amazing.” He said with his goofy grin on. He chuckled when she burst into laughter and pushed him again. He recovered and laughed a good hearted laugh himself.

“I love you Bird brain.” Alex moved some hair out of his face. She had made a habit out of using the nickname that RJ had given him in the car now that he flew around a good portion of the time. She leaned over and kissed his forehead.

“I love you too Featherhead.” He replied with a bit of a smirk. He didn’t even think about that until it came out of his mouth. “Featherhead? Where in the world did that come from?” He scratched his head in confusion as he was slowly led over to the couch by an equally confused Alex.

“Maybe you’re getting something back in that thick skull of yours,” She said as they both sat on the couch. She could see it on his face that this new unconscious development bugged him. “Maybe it’s some sort of pet name?” Her face flushed.

“Perhaps.” River folded his hands and rested his elbows against his knees. “Heh, Featherhead… Featherhead and Bird Brain, you’d think we’d have hobbies.” He joked leaning over and kissing her cheek.

“Says the boy who’s up at four am.” Alex flicked his forehead. “I kind of like Featherhead….I’m starting to feel like I should miss my wings…” She sighed slightly. “River, I think they knew that what I was all along…” Alex said reaching over and grabbing his hand. “But I think they didn’t want you to know…”

“Whaaaaat?” River leaned his head back and stared at her. “That’s just plain weird.”

“River, may I remind you that you fly and punch dents in concrete?”

River was silent for a few moments. “Go on.” He pouted but kept his interest on her.

“Something just doesn’t seem right about it all…” She said putting her head against his shoulder. “Plus I keep having this weird dream.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” River asked in a taunt of her own question earlier.

“I intend on it.” She replied poking him roughly in the side. “There is this guy…. He looked like he’s our age… he is in all black, tan, sort of handsome, but not like you, you beat him, at least in my eyes, he’s got black hair and green eyes…. And he just looks…“Insane.” River finished, her description brought the face of the man from his dream back… but those black eyes were normal now with grass green eyes. The villainous smirk remained on his face.

“Yeah.” Alex said looking at his face. She was able to see the worry, even through his shields. “My god, what did you see…” She released his hand and hugged his head to her chest like a mother with a frightened child.

“I see cleavage.” He said in a joke to get her to let go of him. “I don’t want to talk about it, okay?” He said blinking a bit. It was true he’d probably return to the position against her chest, but he didn’t want her worry about his mental health.

“He hurt me…” Alex concluded with a victorious smirk. His annoyed eyes confirmed her victory. “And that’s why you came running over here this early.” She kissed his forehead and noticed the tightened brow. “He didn’t just hurt me….” Her eyes filled with worry as his expression seemed to freeze like that.

“No…” River said in a calm voice, something that one would have to practice at to be any good. “He didn’t just hurt you…” He said taking in a deep breath.

“Tell me about it.” She said in a voice that would be able to melt his strongest face.

“I was right there, I was right there but I couldn’t move.” He said getting up almost angry with himself. “I was right there.” his voice was rising just as he rose to his feet but Alex pulled him back down into a sitting position. “I couldn’t move… he had you… he had a knife.” River shook his head. “It will never happen, okay? I’m crazy about you; he’ll have to kill me first. I know I’m obsessive and crazy and overprotective but dammit I can’t help it.” He managed to keep his voice down but it was obvious that he wanted to scream. She reached over and caressed his face before pulling him back down and hugging him close, again with his head against her chest. “You’re the only girl on this planet that would let their boyfriend sit like this.” River laughed a bit with a slight crack in his voice trying to break through the growing tension with humor.

“Well other girls don’t have you, and I know that you wouldn’t do anything inappropriate… because my mother and her pistol are within screaming distance.” Alex smiled running a hand up through his hair and slightly messing with the soft brown locks. “Besides, heart beats are supposed to be comforting… so I figure I might as well while you’re so tense…” She began to rub his head just slightly. “You know it’s not real, River, I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere.”

“I know.” He said with taking in a quick breath and then letting it out in an unloading sigh. He almost couldn’t resist cuddling into her chest just a bit putting his ear just over her heart. She was right, it was comforting. “I should get home. I’m going to fall asleep here if I don’t…” He said carefully, her hands didn’t move.

“That’s fine.” She kissed the top of his head. “I’m probably going to fall asleep myself.” She watched her mother come in and glare at River like she was about to use her free arm to draw her pistol and castrate him from afar. “No mom, I put him like this.” Alex spoke in his defense quickly.”We weren’t going to do what you probably are thinking right now, you know we wouldn’t have done anything in the living room.”“Too many possible witnesses…” River joked, still not being able to lift his head, Alex’s hand slid down and twisted his nipple to which he simply grunt. Gwen actually laughed at River’s comment.

“You know I’m not just going to walk away.” Gwen replied while she fixed the babe in her arms then she walked over and sat rather proudly in the arm chair across from the couch and watched them like a hawk. River wasn’t sure quite how long she stayed there, his eyes had become too heavy to concentrate on the woman in the chair, he drifted into sleep.

He woke up with Alan and Keith looking down at the two of them, he and Alex, on the couch, with Gwen still perched in the chair and laughing. “What?” He asked groggily, “Did you put marker on my face or something?” He sat up while Alex shifted slightly underneath him.

“Ugh, warm thing, where did you go?” She groaned a bit before slowly opening her eyes. “Oh hello Males of my life… mind not staring at River, I’m sure it makes him quite uncomfortable.” Alex said shifting slightly so she was sitting up against the side of the couch and rubbed her eyes.

“Only slightly,” River admitted before standing and stretching out his back, his shirt ridding up to where his stomach could be seen at the very end of his shirt. “I need to get going anyway.” He leaned down and kissed Alex’s forehead. “Thanks for that,” He whispered putting his forehead against hers for a moment before starting towards the door leaving the warm blanket to drape over Alex’s body snugly.

“He’s a good guy.” Gwen commented before standing up with the baby and heading up the stairs leaving the Oceana men to question Alex about what had just gone on that morning.
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Things were peaceful; school was on a long break due to a break in a pipe system that caused the floors to flood. Everyone was enjoying the spring weather and spending a lot of time outdoors with their family. It was a pleasant time to be around the village, it felt full of life and hope for the future.

River spent a lot of time thinking when he wasn’t with Alex. He spent his thoughtful moments outside in the cool spring mornings and stayed out throughout the night returning home just long enough to sleep. He had yet to venture beyond the barriers of the village pointed out to him by his father and his advisor, however he was curious. The forest continued to taunt him in his waking hours. If he could just go out there once, he’d be happy.

His mind finally decided that today, that’s exactly what he’d do. His morning cuddle with Alex had put him in a high state of mind and he believed that he was truly invincible this day. It was a dangerous mind set to be in but he wouldn’t have it registering in his mind until his feet broke into a full sprint, breaking into the dense wooded area.

The forest was all his dreams had held for him. The underbrush crunched under his heavy feet. The sun broke through the leaves in many areas and the area was calm and eerie.

This place was paradise on Earth. The colors were enough for the artist’s eye to swirl into the grand picture. The markings so traditional wood that it was like stepping into a picture that one could capture anywhere. Big fat brown squirrels stood with their wary bodies on the sides of large oak trees that towered above the young man at amazing heights and all sorts of widths.

It never was a surprise when he found a tree knocked to the ground by an unknown force, he simply jumped over the log deftly and went about his way. He found a clearing where the sun seemed to tear the trees apart to shine onto a large meadow area. The ground was worn and torn in some areas and the grass was surprisingly tamed for being in the middle of the forest. The man wondered into the clearing and then let his eyes wonder the trees and passage ways he could take in the long corridors. His eyes rested upon a large elm tree with a carving in it. He sat on the ground in front of it trying to imagine how someone would have the time to carve the shape into it.

It was a bit of an elaborate design for a simple notation of love, the heart was carved so delicately that it formed a question mark. The letters were in cursive, neat and proper for the two letters and the other set were sloppy and wild, AO and RM. He wanted to take the wild guess. He wondered when and who, him or her, as he ran his hand over it.

Suddenly he found himself in a winter years ago, he was in a loose coat in a snow storm. His face was red; he had stepped out of his own flesh. He was a preteen at best and small. His hair was short and his body was disproportionate. He held a rock in hand and sat on the ground reaching up and beginning to carve almost out of boredom. He smiled when his work was all carved out.

He heard someone laughing behind him. The young man looked up and for a moment he saw his uncle as he began to move back from his memory. The first thing he saw as he returned from his reverie was the knuckles of a fist going straight into his eye and knocking him across the forest floor. As he slid and eventually recovered, he looked up at his adversary.

As his eyes graced the man’s features, it became very apparent who it was, he wasn’t nearly as dark as he had been before and the sun seemed to make the night like mane on his head seem to shimmer in a magnificent glow. Every inch of the man screamed perfectionist from the clean toe of his combat boots to the very tip of his head, he seemed to find that pose and proper were the highest of all things in the world. River growled involuntarily as he got to his feet. He thought it was pretty arrogant to act like he was so perfect after sucker punching a daydreaming man in the face. “It’s been far too long, Musha.” The man remarked in his silky voice smiling at him. The grass green eyes were just what Alex described, this was him; this was Engel.

“Yeah… far too long, Buke.” The words rolled off his tongue so easily that it was alarming. He glared at him with a deep growl that erupted from the depths of his throat. Then it seemed like the two beasts had been unleashed from their cages as the two men took two steps forward and started into their stare down. River’s expression read only in anger, he didn’t know this man but in the depths of his soul, he felt the fiery burn of hatred for all that he represented. Engel seemed so much more level headed, and for that he hated him even more.

“What are you waiting for?” Engel laughed, and then they began to move in fluid steps, fists were swung and bodies curved unnaturally to avoid them. Feet seemed to fling upward in attempt to catch the other off guard, but as those they were in some sort of violent dance, they predicted each other’s movements and countered easily. “Ah, a standoff,” Engel scoffed as his back threw back to avoid the rather powerful punch of his nemesis. “I suppose fair play is over.” Engel’s hand molded as he folded in his middle and ring finger and thumb, holding his pinky and index out. A black light surged for a moment between the two fingers like a tazer before he plowed the hand into River’s stomach.

His entire body felt a sudden shock wave and then burning that he couldn’t escape, River let out a loud sharp call of pain before he swung his fist into Engel’s jaw line in a blind rage. Engel fell back and River stumbled for a few moments before his outraged eyes fell upon the black haired man and his body rushed forward tackling him to the ground and just getting ready to pound his face in when suddenly there was a sharp whistle over the forest. River stopped when his hand had wrapped around Engel’s throat, his eyes came up and his sweat covered face became laced with shock.

There must have been a hundred of them, and they were in dark clothes, all faces that he didn’t know… but he knew why they were there. He let go of Engel and took a few steps backwards and took in the scene. There was an entire army, and fear began to engulf him as he looked at them all beginnning to hyperventilate.

This was war; this is who they were fighting. Engel was up now and looking at him laughing in the most insane, ominous laugh River had ever heard in his life. This was a war, and he was standing alone on the front line...

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Alex had been sitting with her mother when the whistle seemed to erupt from nowhere and then a siren began to blare. “What in the world?” Alex asked, looking out at the rather pleasant weather. She looked at her mother confused. She saw the fearful expression. “What?”“They’re here.” Gwen said as she looked to Keith, who was watching out the window. “Don’t even think about it.” Keith warned before shooting a glance to his wife.

“Who are ‘they’?” Alex asked concerned, she tried to remember what River said about fighting or something that would be relevant. “Are…. Are ‘they’ who we’re fighting?” Keith nodded unconsciously and before Gwen could get out a word or Keith could object, Alex had started out. She knew River would go, so she just had to find him.

Alex found herself among what seemed like ‘minute men’ for the village. There were individuals of all shapes and sizes, of both genders, faceless individuals who were willing to go throw themselves to the sword for their clan. She followed the crowd out of the village and out towards the meadow almost in awe. Upon arrival, her eyes caught her warrior, up in the air and to her surprise, his shirt was tattered and he looked almost angry. He swooped down and in a dazzling combo brought another man up with him. She watched the two exchange blows in mid air despite the man not having even one wing of his own. Alex saw his feet hooked to River’s hips and thought it must have been painful, his body was twisting along to go at blows with the other man in the air in a grace that she’d never seen from him before, she didn’t know whether to be terrified for his safety or attracted to his bravery.

The other man was the man from her dream, she knew it the moment she saw the side of his face. His foot twisted up and smashed into River’s forehead and almost like he was riding a board of some kind, he seemed to glide down causing River to bang into the ground and skid across into a final stop. There were gasps but finally a battle cry was shouted and the two groups of soldiers intertwined in battle. Alex found herself easily going with the flow. She took a few enemy soldiers out by herself. She was quite proud of how easily it all came to her as she executed a well place foot into the jaw of the opponent she was up against before her eyes found River and Engel.

The two seemed in a never ending violent ballet with one another. Irrational and violent both seemed to be trying their hardest to mutilate one another, and unfortunately, Engel was in the lead. Her warrior didn’t looked all that strong when his arm was wrenched back and slammed down, it made the rest of his body fall in the sheer force.

Alex watched his body; the blows he was sustaining were cheap and low at best. She just took a deep breath and tried to remember what RJ told her about her voice and before she knew it she’d let out a shrill scream. It cleared the area between her and River; Engel was thrown back into a tree in what looked like a very painful blast. She’d have to store that little talent away for later. She ran towards River and helped him to his feet. “Hey big guy,” Alex whispered holding him up as his eyes tried to focus on the world. “It’s okay, I’ve got you.”

“Heya” He said putting his head against her cheek for a moment regaining himself. “Neat trick, you’ll have to show me it again sometime.” He said almost casually. He seemed so natural there on the battle field. It seemed to be just then that she noticed something different about his eyes. The glorious amber surrounded dark blue. It was almost as if he’d gone blind, but his eyes were clear.

“I should have known that wherever he was that you couldn’t have been too far.” Engel cackled as he rose to his feet. “It’s like Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dum.” He spoke evenly as he brushed off his shoulders. He removed his long coat and threw it to a grunt that seemed honored to hold such a ‘magnificent’ article of clothing. “You two may decide amongst yourselves who is who.” He smirked like a Cheshire cat at them. The man took a step towards them and both his hands lit a black blaze. “Now shall we begin our little party now that the gang is all here?”

“Alex, let me take this clown.” River whispered to her. “The idea of you getting hurt isn’t on my top ten list of things I want to bare.” He commented standing up straight like the hero often was supposed to in the story. Alex admired his bravery but then cast asside his statement for his idiocy.“You know I’m not going to leave you alone here.”“Are you two going to bicker? Because honestly I rather not be bored.” Engel said as he made the black blaze into a ball and tossed it up and down almost playfully. “Oh why wait?” He threw the ball at Alex and watched River dive nobly in front of the black orb only to be shocked and sent to the ground in a painful heap. He pushed himself up onto his elbow with a grunt. “River...” Alex started towards him but then had to dodge the black orb that Engel sent towards her. “Son of a” She didn’t finished her sentence before she was side stepping another orb. It must have amused him so to see her try to dodge the electrifying orbs. Once grazed the skin on her arm, it caused burns, even a cut that began to immediately bleed. “Crap.” She cursed under her breath taking a hold of her arm and trying to stop the blood while the cackling black-haired maniac continued to throw his damaging flames.

Both Alex and Engel never even looked to River again as the two were caught in the dodging and throwing game. The man was slowly gaining his way back up and his amber eyes caught the glint of blood coming from Alex’s arm. Just as he had anticipated, his mind immediately went into a state of insanity. It seemed that, if there were someone trying to man his brain, they would now be panicking as his humanity threatened to slip from him. The dark blue pupils of his grew lighter and expanded until the blue covered his entire eyeball and shimmered. His body seemed to be getting ready to attack. For River, it was like looking down a narrow tube. The edges undefined and course making sharp points coming out in some places, his vision blurred and his pulse rose, his body temperature climbed, and his muscles constricted quickly. His body arched and suddenly, he found himself leaping forward onto Engel. His hands surrounded in a blue hue tightly brought into a solid fist. He found himself punching the other man repetitively. For a warrior, this normally would have been no problem when facing an enemy, there was only one problem.

He couldn’t stop.

He couldn’t even hear anyone but suddenly someone was grabbing him and dragging him away from the bloody mess his knuckles had caused. “River” He heard Alex’s voice clear as a whistle. “River calm down.” Just as soon as the beast seemed to be unleashed in him, it was calmed and everything was black. He woke up in his large bed with Alex leaning over him looking worried. “What happened?” River asked looking to her. His entire body felt sore and just tired even if he’d been out for hours or even days. He smiled at her when she leaned up and kissed his forehead. “You went a little crazy out there buddy.” Alex moved some hair out of his face. “I wish you could have seen yourself. Your eyes were amazing, a bit insane but purely amazing. It was like those pupils of yours took over your entire eye and lightened up.”“What do you mean?” River asked as he sat up and rubbed his head. He was confused, his eyes turned completely grey or silver or any combination of the two? What was up with that?“Oh, here.” Alex grabbed a mirror and placed it in his hands. He looked at his own reflection; he was shocked at his own pupils. His eyes didn’t turn grey, they turned blue. He hadn’t known his pupils had turned a shade of dark royal blue. River considered the mirror carefully, his brow tightened immediately as he looked into his own eyes.

“I…” He looked at her for a moment, his eyes worried and unfocused for only a moment but he noticed her expression. He didn’t know what he was going to say anyway, so he decided he might as well joke. “I suspect a beak will be next.” He chuckled. “I hope not.” Alex sighed, rolling her eyes and shaking her head at him. He mumbled a bit of a why when he put his forehead against hers after she slipped herself beside him onto the bed. He smiled his crooked grin and his eyes narrowed. “I kinda like your lips.” She replied with a bit of a giggle, he chuckled along low. For this position she leaned inward and just when she was about to kiss him-

“Could you guys be any cheesier?” came a woman’s laugh from the door way. Alex jumped and fell on the other side of River on her own side, almost trying to hide. The woman seemed to laugh more.

“Hey RJ,” River spoke annoyed looking at the dog woman in the doorway. “Whatca want?” He asked “And who is that?” He pointed at a tall man behind her. He probably wasn’t more than an inch shorter then himself but that was his most dominant feature, certainly not, but his colors; yes, his colors. At first glance, River guessed Indian; his skin was a deep tan, but more cooper colored or maybe caramel. He couldn’t possible find the right race to classify this man. The only thing he was sure of was that, whoever he was, he was definitely not human, or he had a really good tattoo artist, plastic surgeon and hair dresser.

He’d been meeting a lot of weird people, but this was closing in on the top of his list. The man next to the dog woman (ha, how ironic) had silver hair; no dark roots, or any signs of any other color. It had to be his natural color, it had to be, but he didn’t look any older than the rest of them. Truly, River had never seen a man that looked like he was sculpted out of stone but appeared entirely natural. It was just weird. To top it off, the sculptor must have been obsessed with emphasis, as it seemed that on the handsome sculpted face, straight onto the copper skin, blue streaks had been painted with painstaking accuracy. One of them marked the center of his face, the very tip just barely touching the beginning of his nose; then jetting out from both his cheeks were two parallel curved streaks that came in to point down the invisible center line of his face. The rest of his body may have had marks but River could only see his face and his forearms, both with streaks coming down to his hands from ringlets on his elbows. His arms were crossed over his chest and then River looked to his eyes. He found that they were the same yellow amber that he and RJ bared without any difference like the dog women’s red rings. His eyes were like slits, almost looking like he was of Asian and European decent.

“Hey, you can stare at him all you want, he’s taken.” RJ barked to break River from his shocked stare. “By who?” River asked in a small childish voice, mostly from shock of the man in the doorway. He thought by now he was over the whole abnormal shock thing, obviously he was not, or just utterly unprepared for the shock that RJ would bring with her upon returning to them.

“Her.” The man spoke, putting an arm around RJ’s shoulders with a rather smug smile on. He had the strangest accent to top it all, it was almost as if a mad scientist had tried to mix the harsh accent of Russian with the calmer Japanese, it resulted in a tough but gently voice which just happened to be coming out of his head. “Yataro Hatake.” He said pleasantly with a nod to River.

“He is definitely not a poodle.” Alex said looking over at Yataro from her shoulder. “I hardly believe he’s a German shepherd.”

“Eh, shut your traps. Alex, get over here.” RJ commanded annoyed. Alex stood up almost scared to take a step towards the woman. “Come on, I don’t have all day.” With that, Alex took the final step towards her. “It won’t hurt at all.” RJ smiled before she slipped a pill into Alex’s mouth almost forcing her to swallow it.

“What did you just do?” River yelled as he got up and rushed over grasping Alex. “I’m giving her back her wings.” RJ smirked, Alex’s vision got blurry and soon the world was fading for her at least. She fell back into River’s arms. “Almost melodramatic if you ask me, don’t get your feather in a bunch, just lay her down on the bed and when she gets up give her these.” RJ placed a necklace similar to his own in his large hand. Unlike the golden chain and pilot wings, these appeared to be silver; AO was delicately carved into it. “Why can’t you give it to her?”“Pfft, I got shit to do, why else bring my husband along?” RJ laughed, “Well other than making fun of old movies.” Yataro summoned a small bell from his pocket and rung it once before the both of them were gone into thin air.
__________________________________________________________________ _____
After the drug, Alex couldn’t remember anything. She felt herself fall but then nothing. It was her turn to wake up on the big bed with River watching over her. He was smiling, of course, he was usually smiling. She felt dizzy; there was a light pressure on her back. She looked up and her eyes caught the light blue feathers. “So the bus hit me hard huh?” She joked looking at him with her head on his pillow, or at least she assumed it was the one he slept on the most, it smelled like him.

“I think so, I didn’t quite grab that license plate number, I think it was MUTT 01 or something like that.” He laughed a bit before reaching up and delicately touching her wings. “I suppose it’s not nearly as amazing from this seat.” He said with a small grin. “We’ll have to fly when you’ve recovered from the bus.” “Is she awake?” His mother’s head popped in for what seemed like the fifth time in the last minute. Alex hadn’t noticed that his door had been left open. She didn’t expect his parents to be weird about it. In the manor, there were multiple other places they could have gone if they wanted to do that, his room would have been too… obvious.

“If I say no do I get another five seconds of alone time?” He asked curiously with a bit of a chuckle. “But yeah, she’s awake.” River leaned over and brushed the hair away from Alex’s face. He never heard his mother leave the room. “When do you think I’ll stop acting like an adoring fan boy?” “Probably never.” Alex joked before getting up on her knees and spreading her wings. “Man, now I feel all stiff.” She mumbled rolling her shoulders and yawning. “It’s better than pain.” River said as he put his hand out for her. Alex slightly nodded in agreement as she took a hold of his hand and proceeded to half pull herself to her feet. He pulled the necklace out of his pocket and presented it to her. “RJ told me to give you this when you woke up, it must be your concealment necklace.” He placed it delicately around her neck and watched her wings disappear. He smiled for just a moment and then found that she’d gone to jumping up and hugging him. “Oh, hey?” He blinked just a bit hugging her back. “What’s… up?” he asked skeptically. “I-I don’t know.” Alex loosened her grip on his neck and slide back down to her feet. “I… you… River, I was really scared of you today.” “Of you?” Those words sort of struck him; he recoiled like a frightened bird. Her hands found his cheeks to hold him still for a moment. “You just weren’t you…” She said softly as she looked up at him. He kept an even face while hers seemed to scrunch in worry and a tad bit of fear. His calmness made her uneasy, his stance made her uneasy; he made her uneasy at the moment. She wanted to blame the drugs for those side effects because no matter how uneasy she was, she wanted to keep a hold on him, as though in a moment he would bolt out the door and she would never see him again. “it…. It just scared me.”“I…” River opened his mouth and then shut it and shook his head before starting for the door only to have Alex grab him and spin him around, he pinned her against his footboard, with large alert eyes and his entire body coiled, ready to spring at unsuspecting prey or the enemy. “I’ve got to think.” He shoved off. “Just don’t leave.” Alex commented pathetically, taking a hold of his concealment necklace with her right hand, looking up at him. He looked like a trapped animal standing there, as though he had no idea how to function while being held still like that. She reluctantly let go off him and swallowed hard to be able to say the next words. “Run it off… but please come back.”

“I always will.” River smiled before he turned and walked out the door and broke into a jog. Alex watched him leave with a heavy heart, this was so different then watching him fly away before, this was his back to her and his feet carrying him, this scene hurt ever inch of pride that she had, he’d come back to day… but something in her, wondered if she’d ever really have the River Musha that she fell in-love with… or was he a completely different man, even more severely changed that just a teenage mood swing.

She forced it to the back of her mind. She couldn’t think about these things, they just hurt. He was the only one in this world that she truly knew right now, and he was all she had...

God Forbid he change now.