Yuki burst out of the metro exit at the speed of light, his backpack swinging behind him like a leaf in the wind, the busy streets of Tokyo passing behind him in a blur. Yuki was on his way to dinner and he knew he had a small chance of being on time if he hurried. Yuki pushed himself to seventh street and just barely missed hitting some tourists pointing at a building. Yuki finally arrived at his families modest apartment door. #237 was printed onto the door in big gold numbers. Before letting his brain wander off, Yuki reached into his black skinny jeans' pocket and stumbled for his key. After finally locating it and yanking it out, Yuki thrust the key into the apartment door and walked into the apartment.
"You're late", Yuki's mother exclaimed.
"Sorry. I was just at the library."
"You and that library! When are you going to go outside and do something?" Mom said. Ever since Yuki could remember, he was different. Not just because he liked books more than people and he only has one friend, but because Yuki had 2 immense scars on his back. These scars he was told he was born with. He looked like he had been a prisoner of war, and the other kids often teased him about it. Especially on swim days. The rest of the dinner passes by quickly with the usual dinner conversations with Yuki's parents. Then Yuki took a shower, and went to bed.
The next day past by normally, but when Yuki was coming home from school, outside his apartment building there was a police car. Yuki was a bit surprised but the thought passed as quickly as it came. Yuki decided to visit the flower shop across the street to get his mom some flowers. As soon as Yuki paid for the flowers, Yuki went up to his apartment. When he arrived, a police officer was outside his apartment."Are you Yuki Yamamoto?" the police officer questioned.
"Yes" Yuki stammered nervously.
"I'm very sorry to inform you that there has been a terrible accident with your parents in it." Yuki shook with horror.
"No!" Yuki shouted. "This can't be happening."
"Yuki," the officer said, "Your parents are.." Before he could finish, Yuki fleed the hallway and ran straight out of the building into the busy city street, reality rushing to him every second. Cars beeped and swerved out of the way, as Yuki stood in the middle of the road crying, not caring about anything, least of all his life. Suddenly, a car stopped and an old woman came out. Yuki realized that that person was his Sobo (grandmother).
"Yuki, get in the car" Sobo stated firmly.
Yuki and Sobo rode in silence as they traveled their way to Sobo's estate, just outside Tokyo. As they arrived, Yuki stared in awe due to the fact that he forgot how immense and beautiful Sobo's estate was. Golden lights lined the roof and shone like twinkling stars. As they walked through the door, Sobo instructed Yuki to sit at a dinner table in another room. Sobo exited the room and soon returned with a platter of sushi and 2 pairs of chopsticks. After she sat down, Sobo said "So, we have a lot to talk about."Before Yuki could respond Sobo said, "When your mother was little, she use to sit in that chair." Sobo pointed at the chair Yuki was sitting in. The rest of the dinner passed by slowly, as no verbal conversation was made. After dinner, Sobo instructed Yuki with few words about his sleeping arrangements. Shortly after stumbling around the mansion trying to find his room, Yuki found it and hazily walked to the bed and tumbled in. All Yuki could think about was his parents warm smile and soft eyes. Crying, Yuki finally fell asleep.
Yuki woke up with a jolt, forgetting where he was and what had happened. Realisation flooded to him as he woke up more. After several hours of trying to fall back asleep, Yuki finally gave up and tumbled out of bed. Walking out the door, Yuki hoped to come across the kitchen. Still in the previous nights clothes, Yuki came across a room with a giant statue of a raven. Wondering inside, Yuki was shocked to find how beautifully carved it was. Suddenly, hearing a breath that wasn't his own, Yuki twirled around to find Sobo behind him in the doorframe.
"Long ago," Sobo started "during the founding of Tokyo, the raven goddess herself gave our ancestors the power of the raven. Unnatural abilities, for protecting the great city of Tokyo. Passed down through generations of the Yamamoto family, these abilities gave the patron the power of flight, to stop crime before it even began. These powers still exist today." As soon as Sobo said that, beautiful greywings with a hint of purple, sprouted from her back and through 2 slots in her clothes that Yuki didn't notice before. Yuki had to tell himself to breath as he stared at Sobo. Still in shock Yuki had to tell himself to breath.
"How?!" Yuki somehow produced with his voice.
"When members of the raven are about your age, they are given the power of the raven from holy bonsai root. Yuki, it is your time." Yuki shuffled backward nervously, refusing to believe what he just heard, but his eyes telling him otherwise. Bumping into the raven statue, Yuki turned and looked at the raven. "Yuki, your mother was a Raven. Joining the Ravens is a way of honoring the fallen Raven members. Honoring, your mother." Yuki thought about this for a hot minute before he felt Sobo's warm hand on his.
"When do we begin?" Yuki questioned.
"Right now!"
Yuki slid to a stop as Sobo just slammed into him with a powerful kick. Pain rushed to his side where she kicked him.
"Again" Sobo instructed as Yuki reluctantly got up. For the past 2 hours the relatives have been practicing hand-to-hand combat. Sobo might have looked old but she had the agility of a young cat. After a few moments of fighting, Sobo baited Yuki into having an open shot on her knees. Yuki took the bait and hurled his leg toward Sobo's knees. Before Yuki could realize his mistake, Sobo hurled her arm at Yuki's chest, sending him flying backward before he crashed into the wall. Sweat gathered at his brow and ran down his face. Pain gripped him like a mother holding a baby.
"Again"
"No!" Yuki said quietly.
"What did you say!?" Solo questioned.
"No, I won't get up. All you're doing is beating me up, not teaching me anything!"
"That's because you're not learning from your mistakes! If you saw where you were going wrong from earlier, you could've easily blocked that strike."
"I'm done" Yuki stated as he stormed out of the room.
Yuki exited the house and looked around the backyard. It was beautiful. Huge wisteria trees all around the yard towered over him. Yuki went over to have a closer look. Yuki thought about his father and how he has always wanted wisteria trees but never could because of the limited space in their city garden on the room. Tears gathered at Yuki's eyes. Suddenly, Yuki could feel a warm hand on his shoulder.
"These trees have been in our family for generations. They are beautiful aren't they?"
"Yes, they are" Yuki responded.
"Yuki, I'm sorry about earlier. I not sure if you know this, but I'm as new at this teaching thing as you are to the Raven. We are both learning."
"I'm not sure if I can do this." Yuki stated.
"Yuki, if you don't Tokyo will fall. You're the last hope for Tokyo." Sobo said as she stared Yuki in the eyes
"Do you think I can do this."
"It isn't my decision."
"Will it make my mother proud?"
"It will make her so proud for you to be her son."
"Alright let's do it!"
"We have a lot of work to do."
Through the next couple of weeks, they trained hard. Yuki could feel a change not just in his body but also in his mind. He was more calm than ever and more fit than ever. Yuki's extra fat burned away and his muscles turned tense. One night after dinner, Sobo and Yuki were meditating. Unusually, Yuki spoke in the middle of it.
"Sobo, I feel everything around me. The bugs in the air, the grass on my feet and the birds in the sky. I feel balanced."
"Then you are ready," Sobo said as she got up. "Come with me"
The duo walked through the mansion in silence. They kept on going, farther than Yuki ever journeyed. They finally arrived at a room with a stone floor and tapestries hanging all around the walls.
"Sit" Sobo commanded.
Yuki did told and felt the cold stones on his feet and legs.
"Let the ceremony begin!"
Sobo held Yuki's shoulders in her hands, slowly starting chanting in a language Yuki didn't recognize. The chantings tempo increased and Yuki could feel something devolving in his back. The chanting was getting faster and faster but abruptly, the chanting stopped. Pain shot into Yuki and he screamed like bloody murder. Suddenly, Yuki wasn't in the room anymore. He was in the sky, watching a raven glide over an open meadow. Yuki could feel the birds soul and tried to connect to it. Yuki was now looking through the birds eyes and could feel the birds heart and senses. He could feel feelings of flying all through his body. They were one, as a unit. Yuki was suddenly back in the the room with the stone floor, but something was wrong. He couldn't breath, and he was spazzing out.
"Drink" Sobo commanded as she held out a goblet filled with some kind of liquid.
When Yuki didn't respond, Sobo forced the liquid down his throat. Yuki could feel a cool studstance travel down his throat and into his stomach. Before Yuki knew it, his eyelids drifted closed.
Yuki's eyes slowly opened as he could feel the sun's morning rays through his eyelids. When they fully opened, Yuki scanned the room. He saw that he was in his regular bed and saw Sobo in a chair sleeping. Getting up, hoping not to wake Sobo, Yuki failed. At the slightest movement Sobo woke and looked right at Yuki.
"So, the Raven awakes." Sobo exclaimed.
"How long have I been asleep?"
"2 days."
"Wow! It didn't feel like one moment we were in that weird room and now we are right here. What were we doing in that room anyway?" Yuki questioned.
"Yuki, you are now a member of the Raven."
Yuki stood in shock. He twirled around and looked into the mirror on the wall.
"I don't see any wings"
"Yuki, reach into the place in your body where every feeling originates."
Yuki did as instructed.
"Now, feel that spirit in you and pull it out."
He could feel what Sobo was talking about. Yuki pulled it out and could suddenly hear a tear in his clothes. He looked in the mirror again and stepped back in SOMETHING. On Yuki's back was a pair of beautiful of wings. The feathers a deep, but vibrant purple with hint of grey. Tears gathered at Yuki's eyes; he was finally whole.
For the next couple of days, Yuki and Sobo spent pretty much all day practicing with their wings. Flight maneuvers, positions and much much more. All of which, Sobo said were necessary to learn. Yuki now slept with his wings open and usually wrapped around him to keep himself warm. He kept on exploring new aspects of his wings everyday.
One nice sunny day, while Yuki was out flying behind the house, suddenly a knife came flying out of nowhere. Luckily, Yuki just had enough time to move. A second knife came flying right at his wings. This time though, Yuki didn't have enough time to fling his body out of the way. Pain erupted in Yuki's right wing and he fell to the the rough rocky surface of the ground. Yuki screamed in agony, and blood rushed out of his wing as fast as a raging river. Abruptly, a dark figure covered in a black hood and armed with a wide array of throwing thrives on their waist, reached down to Yuki's body. With no effort shown, the figure pulled Yuki off the ground and now Yuki could see into the man's eyes. A dark cruel face looked back at Yuki. The intruder smiled an evil smile and pulled out a long silver knife. Still in shock, Yuki was paralyzed.
Before the hooded figure could do anything that he wished he could, Sobo suddenly shot out of the shadows of the trees. Sobo tackled the intruder and they fought while Yuki sadily could only watch. Punches and kicks were exchanged but soon he realized that Sobo was going to lose. Suddenly, Sobo thought she had him. She swung a punch powerful enough to knock out a grown man. Sadly, it was a trap, and Sobo left her side vulnerable. The man kicked Sobo side and sent her flying back, landing hard on a rock. The man slowly walked over to Sobo lying on the ground using a swagerly gait, celebrating his victory. He slowly pulled out a short knife. Yuki heard the scratch of the blade being pulled out of the sheath. Yuki fought his body for control but just couldn't gain control. The man approached Sobo and slid the knife down her arm. Red blood rushed out of the slice and Yuki screamed. The person smiled again. Going for the finish, the man slowly slide the knife on Sobo's neck. Yuki screamed and cried for minutes as the murderer savored the moment. The murderer started walking towards Yuki again. Knowing his end was near, Yuki sucked up his feelings and gave the person a straight face.
"I've been hunting you for many years" the intruder stated.
"Okay"
"I can't wait to bring you to the..." before he could finished, suddenly another avian flew overhead. Seeing the shadow on on the ground, the murderer glanced up. At this precise moment, Yuki gained control of his body and shot to his feet. The hooded figure swiped at Yuki with a knife but Yuki dodged it and skipped out of the way. The other avian, still in the air, dove toward the ground and started engaging the murderer in hand-to-hand combat. The outsider fought well and soon overtook the intruder. In one final motion the outsider got behind the murderer and snapped his neck. The low sound it produced echoing through the woods. The outsider and Yuki looked at each other. He looked about 21 and was beautiful and slender, but had also muscles.
"Yuki Yamamoto, I'm Haru Yamamoto. Your brother."
Yuki stood in shock. As long as he could remember, he has been never told of any siblings or even cousins.
"Your mother had me men she was just 20, with her mate, another avian. I was hidden, but eventually taken in by just my father when mother went to be with some human man. I just you are the outcome of that relationship." Haru said as he pointed at Yuki.
"How did you find me?" Yuki questioned.
"I have been keeping a wing on you for many years. You after all, you are my brother."
"What are we going to do now though?"
"Come live with me at my apartment. We can rebuild together."
"What about this place?" Yuki said as he surveyed his surroundings.
"This place will always be a safe haven for Raven members all alike."
"Sobo..." Yuki said sadly.
"She died honorable. Many loved her, including us. Let's give her the burial she deserves."
For the next couple of hours the brothers talked about Sobo and her great life while digging a deep hole for Sobo's lifeless body. Tears came to both of them while packing the dirt in; Yuki first then Haru. When they were done saying the prayers to the raven goddess, the brothers looked at each other.
"Are you serious about me living with you?" Yuki asked.
"As long as you pick up your dirty laundry." Haru said as he smiled at Yuki and Yuki returned it. The 2 brothers came closer to each other. Yuki went in for the first hug as the first wave of happiness came around. For the first time since Yuki's parents died, he felt a sense of true family. After hugging, the siblings looked at each other. Knowing that they were embarking on a journey, together.