DISCLAIMER: References to features of religions or faith beliefs do not necessarily mean that the authors, Terry Wilson, Matthew Costello, and Yoshitoshi ABe (or anyone else for that matter), take them seriously. All characters featured are new; none appear in either FWL, Doom 3, or Haibane Renmei. Also, don't forget that this is a work of fiction, not prophecy. This means that what is said about these characters is not what fans call "canon", that is, it is not a part of their existence in their own worlds. This story was written by Terry Wilson, who makes no copyright claims against the concepts of the other authors. This work will never be commercially published without the permission of the copyright holders for all three worlds.
The italic lines are the lyrics to the Cascada Song, Perfect Day, title track of the album Perfect Day, Track 5 on the Robbins Entertainment release in North America, March 2008.
I know what it takes
I won’t hesitate
Thought I told you not to call
‘cus I don’t care at all
Guards come to take the young brunette from her cell. She wears a brilliant orange prison uniform. They lead her in irons down a corridor. Fellow inmates are rather quiet. She, however, quietly smiles.
Here’s my point of view:
I’m all through with you
Guess there’s nothing left to say
And I’m not gonna wait
A last look at your sacred text, sweetie?" one of the guards asks her derisively, "Seek your beloved Saviour for some last minute advice? You will die just as easily as he did."
The girl looks up at him and says, "And I will come back ... just like he did."
The guard gives her a smart swat. Her hair blows about as she recoils from the swing. The other guard grabs his hand and says, "Boss wants her pretty for her execution."
‘Cus I’m all right
Yeah yeah
And I don’t mind
Yeah yeah
Baby you’re no longer
creeping in my head
The girl strides so proudly into the square that the guards can hardly keep up. Once in the middle, she just stands there.
And I’m okay
Yeah yeah
I’m on my way
Yeah yeah
And it’s time for me to face that
Perfect Day
The executioner stands there, annoyed at her impudence. "Are you in a hurry to die, little girl?" he growls.
"Why shouldn't I be? Every drop of blood spilt from the veins of his followers hastens the return of the Saviour," she nods over to a caged creature brought along to watch the procedings [Doom 3 Imp]. "And, do you really think he gives any more of a crap about you than I do?"
The creature screams and bangs loudly against his bars, briefly startling the girl.
Yeah yeah
Yeah yeah
"Soon it will be war," she explains, "and you will be on the wrong side, or worse: We will be divided against our common foe. My side with the light of the Saviour, yours," she shrugs playfully, "with no hope at all."
Then she sings from one of her favorite songs:
Boy you’ve gone too far
This is who you are
Now your back’s against the wall
But I don’t care at all
She continues to sing as the executioner grabs her shoulders angrily.
Made me spin around
Now I’m touching ground
She indicates the executioner's sword lying in its cradle beside the pillory that will hold her for her final breath.
Here’s the price you have to pay
And I can’t hardly wait
She keeps singing as the guards force her into the pillory and clap it shut around her neck. Over the course of the chorus, the executioner picks up his weapon and brandishes it for her and the few spectators.
‘Cus I’m all right
Yeah yeah
And I don’t mind
Yeah yeah
Baby you’re no longer
creeping in my head
And I’m okay
Yeah yeah
I’m on my way
Yeah yeah
It’s time for me to face that
Perfect
The Perfect
Perf-
(This is the actual song; she's not getting nervous at the last instant ... or is she? I'll leave that up to your imagination.)
The head of the Saviour-spawn is severed from her body by a single swing from the anodized black sword held by the executioner, momentarily ending her defiant singing. Her twitching body also falls free from the bloodied restraint that held her. The executioner begins, "So ends the pitiful life of another-"
The words of her song continue as though her disembodied voice echoes off the walls, unnerving everyone in attendance, especially the creatures and the executioner himself.
Tired of having you around
I don’t need you
I won’t let you bring me down
------------
Okay, this is different, she thinks as she comes awake floating in her cocoon. She looks down at her body, seeing the white robe she expected. She reaches for the wall of the cocoon, feeling its soft inner lining.
"Hello," says Tatakai in her chair just outside the cocoon. "Take your time coming out. You'll probably be disappointed to know that it is Saturday in the dead of winter. I arrived on a Saturday last winter, the first Haibane to arrive in the winter in 54 years."
Nothing for it, the cocoon's occupant thinks, I can't possibly get back to sleep anyway. She tears through the lining, then gives the shell a good punch. She breaks a hole in it and suddenly finds herself pressed against it, her shoulder stopped against the jagged edge of the hole. If she won't help me, I'll just have to wait for the fluid to drain out, I think.
Tatakai takes her hand. She pushes herself against her host, letting the fluid drain out through the small hole. This is helped when the girl uses her other hand to punch a hole in the top of the cocoon to let air in. Once the fluid is down enough, she pulls her hand back in and expands it large enough for her to crawl out into Tatakai's arms. She lowers herself to the floor and expels the fluid from her lungs, spending about a minute coughing up the rest before she can speak again.
"Where's the Saviour?" she asks.
Tatakai shakes her head, "He's not back yet."
"Where am I?" is her next question.
"Under the altar, I think," answers Tatakai, "The town is called Glie, we are the special creatures in it called Haibane, Ash Feathers."
"F-," she nearly remembers the name of the old angel-like creatures hunted as fiercely by the new regime as the Saviour-spawn. Featherwing, she remembers the creature, but not the name. "The wings," she gasps, "six metre span ... flyers ... shared by love?"
"No," Tatakai says, "they are extinct today."
The new girl shakes, "Then what are?" she indicates Tatakai's wings.
Tatakai responds, "something different ... I was a flyer before ... a warrior in the last battle ... my final memory was being blown out of the sky. According to records, the final memory of all Haibane before I arrived was ... suicide."
The girl says, "Not suicide ... I was executed by the new regime as a follower of the Saviour ... they had the demons from the portals developed on the red planet ... they are the ones who are really in charge."
"No, sister," Tatakai says, "The Saviour is in charge ... always has been."
The new girl smiles from under her soaked grey-brunette hair.
"Let's get you to the guest room, the next twenty four hours are going to be quite a challenge for you."
After some time passes, the new girl has shared her unsettling dream. Shimoni says, "Now for a name, how about ナイフ, Naifu?"
Tatakai giggles, "Too English, might as well just call her Blade" [Author's note: there is a fictional vampire killer by that name, the title character of two movies who's played by Wesley Snipes.]
"刃, [ヤイバ], Yaiba," the girl suggests, "blade."
Menmo says, "That actually sounds kinda cute!"
"Yeah," Tatakai says, "unlike my name, it won't sound like you're ticked off all the time."
"But you are ticked off all the time, Tatakai," Kurai blurts.
"Only at the end of the month," Tatakai retorts.
"And the rest of us," says Shinomi, "Yaiba, we all get it at the same time, I'm not sure why."
"Get what?" Yaiba asks.
Kurai giggles, it's obvious hers is mildest.
"PMS," Tatakai explains.
[Edit: paragraph spacing ... why do I seem unable to tell the computer how many linefeeds I want?]
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