My eyes jutted open and I sat up slowly, and looked over my shoulder, the faint light from the stars was no help; the embers had gone out. The moonless sky was dark. I stood.
"Kane? How did you get here? Where are you?" I picked up my DS and walked slowly towards the cave's entrance.
"This better not be a trick..." I opened my DS, but didn't turn it on.

"I'm here..." He said..
"Just stay there..." He sighed, she looked so pretty...it was shameful he'd forgotten just how pretty.
"I followed Hita here....he...he lead me to you."

I stopped and stood in my spot, placing the DS on the ground.
"Kane... youre scaring me. You followe3d Hita here? Its like a forever walk or bike ride..." I said, with shakiness in my voice.
"Where...were you the last days of class? I was worried about you..." I looked to where his voice had come from, but couldn't make out a figure or face, for that matter. So, I waited, like he told me.

"Ah...yeah....about that..." He shook his head.
"N-Nevermind...Class.....I was out...w....." He sighed, stepping into enough light to light his face and front body.
"Risa....do you remember the promise I made? About the one to keep your secret safe? Well....Chidori wanted only one thing...so...I had to use that...in order to protect you.....I..." He stepped further out..
"I knew...that I had to...become a fraction like you...to..at least deterr her from telling anyone...she would have endangered me then...and I knew she wouldn't risk that." He hung his head.
"I can understand if you never want to see me again..but...I had to tell you that it was ok.....it was ok to come back to town...to come back home...with....with me and Juri.." He was now fully illuminated his wings shining gold in the light.

"Class was important, and you didn't show up! That is important to me, Kane, that you finished school. Now, I know you have GOT to have summer school..." I sighed, looking to the shadow for answers, and saw his hand flick a match into the embers of the fire spot.
"Yes...And I knew it would never stay safe, as long as I stayed in one spot, with the public..." I looked to him... his delicate, and tired face, coming into the light. He spoke on... then... after a pause, stepped out. I gasped, my eyes darting over him. I stepped back a bit.

"Kane... what... what have you done to yourself?" My eyes filled.
"You..." I lowered my head, bringing my hands up over it and falling to my knees on the hard rock floor. I began to weep silently. I brought my wings around myself, them bobbing up and down as I sobbed.
"Why... not just lie to her? Why not...just let me be exposed? I...was prepared...." I cried silently, keeping my face buried within myself.

Kane sighed..
"Lieing wouldn't have done any good and you know that....she was bound and determined....." He stepped forward..
"Risa...I.....I'm such an idiot..." He raked a hand through his hair.
"I...I couldn't break my promise...but...I can see that....I'm just causing you more grief...I'll....I'll fly home now.....don't worry....I...I'll....stay away from now on....you won't have to deal with me..anymore..."

I looked up at him through my hair and arms and said softly.
"Please...don't go...I missed you... and been missing you all week, and have been worried about you..." I stood, my face soaked, and I walked up to him, looking up at him, into his eyes sternly.
"Why... did you do this to yourself? You just sealed your life away to hiding in the shadows...the pain of being alone...do you really want that?" I asked, staring deeply into his eyes.

Kane turned, smiling.
"I did it....so I wouldn't have to be land bound all the time....so I could protect you....and.....so I could be with you if we WERE found out." He sighed and hugged her tight.
"I don't want to ever let you go Risa.....from day one....you've been.....my everything. I don't care if I have to hide...I'm just fine with living in shadow...as long as you're with me."

His arms... was the envelope of love, endearment, and truth I had been longing for this past month. I laid my head gently on his breast, hesitantly laying my hands around his waist.
"I can carry you...idiot.." I snuggled my face into his chest and looked up at him after hearing his words. My eyes watered again.
"Kane..." I hugged him tightly, bringing my wings around him, over his body, but under his wings.
"My life... just hasn't been the same...without you in it..."

He smiled..
"It's mine turn now.." He said gently, wrapping his wings around the two of them.
"Hope they're warm enough." He sighed, placing his head on hers.
"Ohmannn.....you have no idea how long I've waited to hear you say that......" He smiled.
"For a while there....when you were yelling at Noah...man I thought I was a goner....you scared me you little firecracker."

I looked with my eyes at his massive wings he lifted and laid atop of me, and mine. His feathers against mine...so soft, like a newly grown in feather...
"Theyre...amazing..." I brethed as he lay them down, the weight was phenomenal.
"I'm sorry for all the things I said.... I... just wanted you to live a normal, happy life, like you were intended to... I...never imagined it would end up this way..." I hmphed, keeping my head nestled in his chest.
"Noah has been nothing but a pain in my ass, like I need to be baby-sat or something..."

He nodded.
"Thank you...It took me the whole last bit of school to learn how to use them right." He shook his head.
"No need to apologize....you...you were doing what you thought was right." He nuzzled into her hair.
"Well....you'll have to have a word with the Doc about him then....oh! I almost forgot!"

"Not just you learning...the way they look...feel...their mass, and the thickness and feel of your feathers. Theyre...real.." I looked up at him.
"Now... i can't turn you away... not like this..not after you did this... for me..." I sighed and rested my head back again.
"I will..." i looked up at him
"what did you forget?"

(( I meant to do this earlier, >.< But I forgot))

Kane ran to the front of the cave.
"Hita, he lead me here, I kind of need to tell him that there's no need for him to drag my lifeless body back now."
He let out a shrill whistle.
"HEY HITA!" He called.
"YOU ALIVE OUT THERE!?"

"Hita? Life less body..?" I cocked my head to the side and placed my hand son my hips and looked to him.
"You thought I was gonna KILL you? C'mon now, what do you think I am?"

Hita's head lifted off the branch he had fallen asleep on and shook the sleep off his eyes and took flight to the cave. He thwn landed in the mouth.
"Hey there, hi Risa."
I nodded to him.

He turned with a chuckle.
I didn't know with how loudly you were yelling before." He smirked.
Kane waved as Hita came into veiw.
"Sorry to leave you out there so long, but it kind of took me a while before I...got up enough nerve to tell her what I'd done." He scratched the back of his head smiling.

"Well Noah really knows how to tick me off, plus he hasnt left in like, a week." I sighed, rubbing my temples.

Hita smiled.
"Its alright, I know Noah was being an ass. I watched him fly over me angrily. Im used to it." He shrugged. He looked to me and smiled.
"Im glad you two made up."

He frowned.
"A week? Man, he doesn't know when to leave well enough alone does he?"

Kane smiled, hugging Risa close.
"You and me both.." He sighed and looked out the mouth of the cave.
"Still, as a pain in the ass as he can be, I just hope Noah doesn't do anything stupid while he's out there."

HIta shook his head.
"He's so madly in love wither her, he doesn't wanna leave her side."

I closed my eyes and snugly tucked my arms between our bodies, letting my wings fall limp.
Hita shrugged.
"He'll be fine, he's probably on his way back to the Professors Mansion"

Kane's grip on Risa unconciously tightened and he plunked his head on hers again.
"Maaaaaannn." He sighed.

He echoed Hita's shrug and smiled into Risa's hair.
"As long as he's not here....I'm happy."

Hita smiled.
"Well, I think I'm gonna go back too, I'll leave you two alone to reminisce." He waved.
"Ciao" and flew out of the cave into the darkness of the sky.

I let out a long sigh and looked up at Kane.
"Im getting tired, aren't you at all?"

Kane waved 'bye' and watched him leave.

He thought a minute and then shook his head.
"No, after all that I'm just a little achy from the flight...you, however, need your sleep. Go on back to bed, and I'll keep an eye on things."

I stepped back a bit and took him by the hand.
"I only have one sleeping bag, but if I open it, we can share, and use each others wings to keep warm. Come on.. dont turn into the stalker Noah and watch me sleep now..." I led him to the one-person sleeping bag and knelt down beside it and unzipped it to open it up all the way; the cloth inside was still warm from when I was in it before. I sat down and patted beside me.
"Come, rest. Your wings and you need it.

"I'm NOT a stalker.....and I'm NOT Noah....freak..." He said poutily. So...he followed. He flopped onto the ground beside her, and lay back on his side, wings folded up behind him.
"Well....this is going to be a pain if I ever decide to sleep on my back again." He chuckled.

I glanced at him, eyebrows up.
"Woah, t-o-u-chy." I watched him as he carefully, and somewhat slowly, folded his wings against his back and I smiled, laying my hand over one and stroking it softly.
"You will get used to it. After the pain you have in your back goes away, Im sure you'll be able to lay on your back like me. You just can't have them folded up or they'll cramp. They need to lay beside you if you want to do that." I laid on my side, opposite facing him and tucked my hands under my chest.
"I... missed you Kane." I said softly, closing my eyes.