The Wounded

8

Four people walked side by side to the dining area. Workers were hustling around making sure that all the residents were happy and served.

"Takano-San! Usami-san!"

The mentioned demons and their angel companion's heads looked in the direction of the call.

A boy averaging at approximately 160cm ran towards them, a towering angel behind him.

"Hello, Kisa-san. Hello, Yukina-san." The couple came to a stop in front of the group.

"Who are the new angels you've brought?" Yukina asked, blossoming roses and pink starlight around him as he smiled.

Masamune and Akihiko flinched at the brightness while Onodera and Misaki blushed.

Masamune moved to fully display his companion, "This is Oda Ritsu."

Akihiko nestled his nose against Misaki's hair, "This is Takahashi Misaki."

Kisa and Yukina waved to the new resident angels.

Onodera offered the couple his hand, "I-I umm, I am Onodera Ritsu. I-It's a pleasure to meet you." The two each shook Onodera's hand in welcome to the bashful angel.

"It's nice to meet you too." The angels nodded in agreement and smiled warmly.

"Yukina, umm. May I ask if you've found your soul yet?" Onodera flinched at his audacity and blushed in embarrassment. In angel culture, it was invasive to ask such a question.

Yukina smiled warmly and wrapping his arms around the half-heartedly struggling Kisa.

"Indeed I have. I was lucky to have found the soul I was meant to save early on. Would you show them, Kisa-chan?" Kisa blushed at the request. He shook off his shirt and willed his wings to unfold. Light gray wings unfolded from the thin back and a silver mark contrasted against the skin above the right-wing.

"What is the mark above his wings?" Takano asked.

More blood rushed into Kisa's face, "It is a mark that represents his or her angel. It does not show until the converting process has begun. No mark is the same. Mine could be a silver rose, but Ritsu-San or Misaki-san's mark will be different." The said angels nodded in agreement.

"How do you know who your soul is?" Akihiko asked still clinging to Misaki.

"I guess the best way to explain it is with the feeling of connection or love. Essentially, love heals, and an injured soul needs healing. The angel allows and encourages a healing process within the soul and helps heal them. However, the mark is not made until further along when the soul truly opens up the angel and the soul begins to produce its own grace."

Akihiko nodded, "Hey, Misaki?"

Misaki looked at him in question.

"Am I your soul?"

The surrounding angels stiffened.

"You mustn't ask, the angel does not quite know until they are already in the process. He or she will know with time, but it is almost like a sudden realization. Angels don't truly know until it, just is. "

Yukina said looking worriedly at the new resident angels. He understood the process was hard, especially in the beginning.

"Do you still have the memory flashes?" Ritsu asked Yukina.

"No, while love heals the other soul, it mends the broken memories. We learned to look through it and to work through the ah... um... trauma."

The angels smiled in response, glad that a brother in arms was doing well.

"Well we have to go, Kisa-chan said he wanted to go to the fair."

The group exchanged goodbye and watched as the couple left.

"Hey, angel, what do you want to eat for breakfast?" Akihiko asked Misaki.

The same question was asked to Ritsu.

Both angels blushed at the attention.

"A-Anything is alright with me, I wouldn't want to bother." Misaki flustered at his stuttering.

"Anything for you Angel," Akihiko replied and waited for his demon friend.

"C-Can I just have an apple?" Onodera was not very hungry, he never really was anymore.

Takano frowned, his Onodera was too thin. He said he would protect him, he would start by getting Onodera to eat a healthy amount to sustain himself.

"I will get you something with the apple. Okay?"

The angel nodded in acceptance.

The two angels watched flustered as the two other demons walked away to gather supplies for their meals.