Something has changed.
The certainty of this sole fact clawed at Honoka's consciousness, ripping the anger away, replacing it with confusion.
She had stopped sensing Noah's essence the moment he entered this weird looking shop. Panic seized her as she flew in the skies of Shibuya, tracking what was left of the energy the boy radiated, trying to find his tracks. She cursed herself over and over again, for letting them go unsupervised. This was the second time she made the same mistake.
She wasn't sure how many more times she could afford to fail before it was too late to fix anything.
But then, the moment she landed in front of the technology shop, nausea filled her insides, she doubled over to vomit, but only gagged. This place reeks of demons.
Honoka gripped her twin swords in her palms, focused all her essence in her weak spots, and readied herself for battle. She was about to kick the door open with all her might, when a weak melody was heard over the bustling noise of the city. Barely audible but that had a unique presence to it, distinct from any other music.
The sound of a ringing bell, announcing the opening of a store.
The two teenagers walked out of the demon shop, safe and sound, unscathed.
Something has changed about them.
Honoka watched their every move, their eyes, the way they held themselves, the way they walked past her, as if she didn't exist, as if she wasn't standing right outside the door, ready to bust in, ready to protect them at all cost.
"Where's the demon? Let me just go in and--"
"There is no need to hurt anyone" , Noah intercepted. He didn't even bother looking at her when he said it. He just walked towards the Shibuya crossing, accompanied by Hitori.
Honoka's brain froze. She stood for a couple of minutes, letting them gain distance over her, before she finally collected herself, drew back her weapons and ran after them to catch up.
"What are you talking about? What happened there? Are you both okay?"
Hitori looked back at the angel, her face full of a resentment she didn't know the reason for, and said with a voice devoid of emotion: "Nothing happened. We just bought smartphones."
That's when the realization hit her like a stab in the heart.
They lost the little trust they had in me.
I am no longer useful to them.
What in the world have they learned?
The angel warrior wanted to rush back to the shop, torture the intel out of that demon, but there were more important things to deal with.
Like attempting to gain these kids' trust again. A nearly impossible task.
She walked behind them, hands in her skirt pockets, clenched into fists. She kept her teeth from chattering out of frustration. There was something about these two...it was like she was seeing different people.
The distance that separated the two teenagers grew thinner and thinner. Hitori's shoulder now often brushed Noah's, their hands close enough, however not yet touching.
The boy's body had always been stiff around everyone, always on alert, always observing the humans in his direct line of sight, from the corner of his eyes, searching for threats.
The stiffness that weighed on his shoulders was gone by now. His whole body relaxed, his smile was easier to manifest, his eyes have gained color. The dull shade of gray turned into a light tone of ocean blue, gleaming under the sunlight, like the calm surface of the water that reflected countless shape-shifting clouds.
Honoka knew.
Noah was being reborn. Whatever happened there, whatever miracle the girl caused, it was unraveling beautifully. The hard surface of the wax-made doll was breaking, replaced instead by the smooth skin of a living being. The wooden heart was gaining vessels, its empty rooms were being filled with blood, rich with oxygen, surging with all sorts of emotions.
Even the girl herself grew, she smiled at Noah, the shadow of her past that faded her eyes, the guilt that contracted her face, the ghost of the boy whom she loved, holding her wrists like shackles, binding her to the floor, was nowhere to be felt. She walked more lightly, her steps hitting the concrete like every move mattered, like every second was precious.
It was amazing how one can grow in a matter of hours.
"What happened to you two?" Honoka tried asking one last time. Instead of a response, she was met with silence.
The streets of Shibuya were crowded, pedestrians walking in every direction without bumping into each other, as if they were programmed to do so. The three high schoolers crossed the white parallel lines engraved on the asphalt, reaching the other side. Different looking shops were lined, barely leaving space for small restaurants and ramen places to exist.
The clothing store they chose was almost entirely made of glass. They were met with a huge windowshop, behind which three tall and slender-looking mannequins stood. They all had wigs resting on their bald heads. Pitch black pixie hair. Pink and violet mixed into curly locks, tied in twin tails. A turquoise long straight mane, with bangs so long they hid one eye.
The mannequins wore lolita dresses, decorated with countless bows and pastel-colored dentelle. The background of the window shop was only a screen, displaying a forest covered with snow, with occasional passing birds and a couple of small white sleeping bears, barely visible, for they blended perfectly with the background.
"For boys & girls, For Dolls & Humans" , Hitori read outloud. "This is oddly accurate, and a bit too long for a shop name, if you ask me"
Noah giggled. His whole face lit up as he smiled at the girl. Honoka nearly gasped and ruined the moment.
When did he learn to smile like that?
"You're right, let's see what it has to offer" , he replied.
They all went inside, Honoka dragging her feet but determined not to lose sight of them again.
They both tried some outfits. Hitori only took the black ones. Always the same attire: either an oversized sweatshirt that somehow became a mini-dress with long black tights and high gray leather boots, or a tank top with black jeans and comfortable colorful looking vans. After trying other shades like pink and blue, getting horrified at the result, she ended up buying five or six of the same items. The whole time she kept trying clothes, Noah was smiling.
When it came to his turn, he tried wearing black, but Hitori immediately refused.
"You are not wearing the same clothes as me. Do you want us to look like a couple of matrixes?" , she pouted.
"Matrixes?" Noah cocked his head.
It didn't occur to him to wonder about the use of the word couple, instead of asking about what matrix meant.
"It's a movie. I'll make you watch it over popcorn one day. You'll love it"
Honoka winced at the familiarity in these words. She made a mental note not to get surprised when they start to kiss all of a sudden.
Afterwards, Noah had to try all sorts of outfits, only to fit into a scarlet shirt and loose jeans, over a black cozy-looking wool jacket.
More spare clothes piled up in the shopping cart, and naturally, Honoka had to pay for it all.
"I'm not your mother" , she hissed while getting out those yen papers.
"Yes, but you're an angel. You can even create money, am I wrong?" , Hitori retorted.
"No, that goes against the law of creatures living with humans. We are bound by human rules when we are on Earth."
Hitori didn't even hesitate.
"You still can afford to buy us all this, so you must be rich, right?"
To this, Honoka had no answer. If she spoke too much, she could defy the Oracles' orders, so she pursed her lips and kept her mouth shut.
She also had to carry their bags.
"Where to, your majesties?" She grumbled.
That's when they both turned to face her, at the entrance of the Clothing store they had just gone out of.
At last, some actual conversation.
It was Noah who spoke first.
"We're going to split up to gather more intel. Hitori is going back to her old home to look into something. Now that Aoki is no longer a threat to us, it won't be too dangerous. As for me...I'll go back to my old home."
"You what?" , the angel exclaimed. "Absolutely not" , she shook her head, over and over, her long black locks slapping her face in the process. "You are not going to dive into any more demon territory by yourself, this is unaccept--"
"I will not" , the boy interrupted for the second time that morning. "You will go with me"
"I--" , Honoka opened her mouth to protest, then an idea sprang in her mind, preventing her from any complaint.
This isn't a bad suggestion at all. I myself can obtain information on how the demons stole Noah. We need to know how they succeeded in infiltrating our headquarters, and no one will know better than the demon who raised the boy herself. If I am not to use my powers, Noah's voodoo magic will suffice to control her.
"Alright" , she complied. "But let me send one of our soldiers along with Hitori, just to keep her safe."
The teenagers both nodded. Honoka had a weird feeling about this. They both agreed so easily on letting a stranger walk beside the girl, alone with him. Was she wrong all along? Did they trust her after all?
Either they were on her side, or they were plotting something behind her back.
Yet, she couldn't do a thing. The Oracles' orders were absolute.
Do not interfere with the children's decisions. Let the future unravel how it must.
Not once did Honoka doubt the old Angels & Queens.
Not when they told her to stay away from Noah when he was finally found. Not when they ordered her, a Queen, to disguise as Honoka, a shady high school girl, and follow his every command.
Not even when she had to break the rules of the Universe and marry a human, then have a child that became more of a stranger to her than her own son, made of her own essence.
She wasn't going to doubt them now, when wheels were turning inside the clock, when events were taking place in their correct order, however a little unpredictable.
"Come with me" , she finally said. "You must meet him, he is one of the strongest--"
"And most good-looking angels alive?" , a male voice chimed in from behind her.
Honoka didn't even flinch. She always sensed Michael whenever he came.
She turned around. He was a younger version of himself. Chubby cheeks and a cozy smile , snow-white irises with a baby-pink corner in them that reminded her of that windowshop background, a peaceful scenery within a fairytale. A pink cotton candy sun floating above endless mountains of snow. His straight golden hair was all over the place, as if he just rose from bed. He was wearing their school's uniform: white shirt over another black one, ironed trousers of the same color over brown simple shoes. He blushed at the sight of her, which rose heat to her own cheeks.
"You were talking about me, my love?" He said with a voice as sweet as honey.
Honoka could feel Hitori's disgust in her bones.
"How did you find us?" , she asked even though it was futile to do so. She knew Michael always found her, always showed up whenever he was needed. At first, she thought it was a little creepy, but angels are born to help each other.
It was his job after all.
As her boyfriend, and as the Captain of her Guard.
"Who the hell are you?" Hitori glared at the newcomer like he was a demon.
"My name is Michael, and I'm Honoka's boyfriend, of course"
The latter rolled her eyes.
"Mich, stop that please. This is no time for your jokes."
He wasn't even listening. He touched her right cheek with his left palm, caressing it, looking at her with those charming eyes of his.
"Forgive me, my love. You have spent so much time with these underlings that I have come to miss you greatly. I could not take my eyes off you, once I saw you again"
"How about you don't take them off Hitori, for a change?" The angel Queen hissed, but she herself couldn't contain a smile.
"My parents used to say" , Noah started. His irises were returning to a vivid scarlet color, the smile that decorated his lips was now twisted into a grimace.
He was angry. Why ?
"That betraying one's partner is one of the greatest sins. Did you know Honoka had physical contact with the motive of seemingly romantic interest with someone else? Do you angels allow that?"
Lailah held her hands up in defense.
"Hold up. W-when did I ever do that?"
Hitori was nodding her head over and over, frowning arms crossed in a disappointed gesture.
"He speaks the truth He speaks the truth" , she repeated.
Michael's face went blank, all playfulness disappeared from his face and voice when he said: "What did you do to whom?"
Honoka sighed. "Oh for Heaven's sake"
She grabbed Michael's chin with one hand, his cheeks squeezed in between her fingers, then she connected her lips with his.
Their kisses always lit her on fire, no matter who was watching, no matter how the world saw them, no matter how many worries and burdens she carried on her shoulders. Their kisses always brushed them away. He tasted of cotton candy, her favorite treat, nothing less, nothing more, as if cotton candy was the only thing that mattered in the three worlds. Kissing Michael was like unwrapping a gift.
At first, it made your heart ache with anticipation, then burn with the intensity of desire, the sweetness of his lips preparing for the fresh minty taste of his saliva, mixing with her own.
She wanted more of him, she wanted him whole, all for herself.
But this was not the time. She did not kiss him for the sole purpose of it, it was only the safest way to communicate information without anyone ever knowing.
It was the Oracles orders. You just follow the girl, make sure she does not get hurt, try to get as much data as possible about her past. The Oracles believe she is one of the keys in stopping the war.
Understood, my Queen.
The Angel Queen let go of Michael as soon as her message ended.His face was flushed, but all anger disappeared from it, and he was looking like his old self again. Dead serious. Ready to follow her every order. Ready to fight alongside her for all eternity.
That's why she loved him.
Mihael was hers, and she was his.
Period.
Noah and Hitori's faces were white with shock. Their eyes were as wide as ever, their mouths open to the wind, their lips already getting dry.
"You-- You're in public--" , Hitori mumbled.
"Don't worry, no one saw us but you two" , Michael replied casually, like what they just did was buying groceries rather than a public display of unspeakable things.
"Do you angels have no limits?" Noah asked.
Lailah was pretty sure her son was getting a very wrong idea about them, she cursed herself, promising to behave the next time she was around him.
You suck at being a parent, she thought, struggling to keep the grimace from ruining her awkward smile.
"Anyway!" , Michael exclaimed. He grabbed Hitori by the wrist, dragging her away from the other two. "Let's go, young girly, we have a lot to discover!"
Hitori couldn't help but look back at Noah as he nodded at her. Unspoken words passed between them, and the girl understood as she nodded back, then turned to follow Michael down the busy Shibuya road, taking the first turn that led to a rather dark alley.
"It's just me and you now, Noah" , Lailah said.
It was the first time she was going to be alone with him.
Mother and child.
This is going to be one hell of an adventure.