I don’t remember much about the first lot of years of my life. What I do remember I try to forget, if you knew what I knew, you would too. The only thing I remember clearly is my 13th birthday. As the clock struck midnight I crept into the large garage, certain that everyone in the house was asleep. With the keys of my father’s favorite bike, I mounted and started the engine. I sped out of that garage as fast as I could manage, never once looking back. I made myself a promise at that moment that I’d never let anyone bully me, put me down or try to take control of me ever again. I’d had enough. More than most adults would experience in a lifetime. I’d finally mustered the courage to run away, I wouldn’t turn back now. I’d made many promises to myself over the years but that was always the one I kept no matter what. I drove as far as I could on what was left in the tank. There was a fire and passion in my heart that night that fueled and scared me so much. I ended up somewhere on the streets of Kyoto, having came from Osaka. I spent a few weeks there. Hungry and alone I’d just about given up hope. The fire that had got me there was dying. I was beginning to think that I’d made the wrong decision.

I was discovered by a social worker not much later, who having gave up trying to find where id came from put me in foster care. Someone had reported me living on the streets to his agency. He found me a home. I was placed into a nice house in suburbia with a nice couple that took in lots of kids it seemed. They had mostly girls with one other boy. The girls were in the attic, apart from Anna and Phoebe who were the two oldest and twins, while Will was in the room across the hall from me. I was happy there I guess. It seemed for once I had a half-normal life style. It seemed I could be comfortable in my own skin. I wasn't being judged any more because they all had their own tale to tell. I never told anyone about my past though. In the years I spent there I was able to grow unstunted. Develop as a person and find myself to an extent. It made me optimistic towards living a better life.

That is until I met Jonathan. I became so sexually confused when I met him. My foster parents weren’t the most understanding people towards a situation like it. They were more used to handling less messed up kids with low self-esteem. I found it amusing that they were so understanding and sympathetic to practically every situation, yet I couldn't bring myself to tell them about Jonathan. As much as I grew to love them they were very old fashioned and would have protested my relations with Jonathan. Not that he was in any way subtle about his sexuality. In too many ways he put me in mind of jack from will and grace. It was something I’d always tease him about while he’d come back with the remark that I looked like an anime reject. He’d always amuse him self by mocking my scruffy light pink hair and large baby blue eyes. But I couldn't have loved him more. We’d been together about 3 years and it seemed like we could never get sick of each other. When I thought about his comments I knew he was completely right about my looks. With my favorite purple shirt and green suit I was the oddest-looking thing around at the time. But as I said I’d grown comfortable in my skin to look as strange as I did. Jonathan always had labels and perfect hair. He always had his hair short black with a large spiked fringe that stretched to the back of his crown. Anytime we were together he’d have his fingers through my hair yet if I were to even think about touching his it could easily have felt like another world war. He was a perfectionist when it came to his looks but he was in no way shallow and it took you only to be around him 10 minutes to see that.

I guess I was happy enough with my simplistic lifestyle until She came into it and messed everything up. One wet January evening I was walking home through the town. Not long out of Jonathan’s with a grin on my face I walked the deserted streets, completely to myself. I think I was about 17 at this stage. The rain drenched me through, though my occupied mind had other things to entertain itself. This was the happiest I’d ever been and it felt fantastic, I was on a constant high. I was completely lost in my memories, but for some reason I looked up and there she was. I blinked slightly stunned.

There stood this woman in a white tube top, white Egyptian style skirt, blue eyes and hair, staring at me. Despite the oddness of her appearance and the fact that she was dressed like that standing perfectly still in what was beginning to seem like a rainstorm, it still wasn’t the oddest thing about her. From her back sprouted two beautiful crystal white angel wings, neatly folded across her back. I couldn’t help but gap. I had a million questions on my mind. What the hell was this thing? Was she simply an illusion? Was she death? She stared straight back with a smirk playing on her soft features. “There you are, took long enough to find you.” I winced as a car drove past, its headlights blinding me, when I looked back she was gone.

I stood there for a moment before dismissing the incident as an illusion and headed on home. As I opened the door I was greeted my by foster mother April, “oh Michael look at you, your completely drenched, didn’t that Jonathan boy think to lend you an umbrella or something?” she ruffled my hair as I offered her my explanation. “He couldn’t have, it didn’t start raining ‘til I was a block away from their apartment building.” She accepted it.

“Right well go upstairs and get yourself dried off before you catch your death” she stroked a hand down my arm as I made for the stairs. I stopped and turned, flashing a reassuring smile before disappearing up the stairs into my bedroom. I didn’t understand what she was worried about.

As I entered the room there was the winged girl, sitting on my bed reading a magazine.

“What the-?”

But it was Anna’s face that looked up at me. I shook my head trying to blot the image from my head. “So there you are, you sure do seem to be spending a lot more time around that Jonathan kid.”

“And what of it?”
she put down her magazine and rolled her eyes.

“Michael you’ve got to talk to them”

I pulled a towel from the laundry basket close to the door and began to dry my hair.

“I gotta talk to who?”

“April and Charlie”

A puzzled look appeared on my face.

“Tell them what?”

“Oh Michael don’t play dumb tell them about you and Jonathan. Please. They’re worried about you. Calm their nerves. Tell them why you’ve been so secretive lately. They think you’re involved in all sorts of illegal activities. I get you don’t think they’d understand but for god’s sake Michael, put those poor peoples minds at ease! Even I’m starting to doubt you have any innocence left”

I blushed as she said this, her eyes widened,

“Have you no honor. Just…please tell them.”

She looked saddened while I stood in the doorway feeling guilty. She shook her head and got up to leave. She hugged me,

“Please Michael tell them.”

After that she left without a second glance. Frustrated now, I walked over and flopped down on my bed. The door swung shut to reveal the winged girl. Arms folded with a leg propped against my door, its thigh showing, through the slit in her skirt.

“Quite something that Anna one isn’t she?”

I groaned

“This is not happening again”

“Almost 20 years and that’s still how you greet me? I’d think you’d have a bit more respect for me by now”

She walked towards my bed.

“Forget it I’ve officially lost it. Seeing things that aren’t there maybe Anna was right”

“Trust me”

She grabbed my face in her hand

“I’m no apparition, I’m as real as that nose on your face” she kissed my nose and let go, wandering off around my room.

“Now get ready your coming with me”

I sat bolt upright.

“I don’t think so toots I’m not going anywhere”

She turned with a smile on her face.

“Oh but you are the council would never forgive me if I’d found the legendary Michael Hawkings and didn’t bring him back with me. And you know my name is Angel, you call me toots again and I’ll do something so malicious Satan couldn’t begin to compare.”

All I could do was gulp.

“Not a chance, a figment of my imagination isn’t showing up and threatening to take me away.”

I lay back on my bed and pulled the pillow over my face. She picked up a pretty heavy snow globe and launched it at my head.

“I am not a figment of your imagination and after all these years of searching, you’re not getting left behind. Not that Saikoro was much help”

I perked up at my sister’s name.

“You know my sister?”

“Well I should she’s empress of the element Earth and the 12th daughter of Alkuaine.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. What the hell was this thing? What was she talking about? Empress?

“What are you?! My sister mightn’t be the most normal thing on this planet but she sure as hell isn’t a…whatever you said!”

she smirked.

“Same as ever my dear Michael”

I let out a low growl and bounced off my bed.

“WHAT ARE YOU!?”

She moved her fingers and an apple appeared between them. She played with it before setting it on my desk.
“Calm down Michael”

“I won’t calm down, I want to know what’s going on, and I want to know what you are, what you want with me and how you think you know me.”

“Don’t remember? Well unfortunately for you I’ve wasted enough time around here. The party and council have got to be missing me by now. I was only supposed to spend 10 minutes getting you back to Alkuaine, instead I’ve taken almost an hour. We’re in the middle of a ball, it was only that we got a lead on your whereabouts am I here. We had to have you before the other bastards. I’ll explain everything when we get to Alkuaine. There’s too much to just explain here.”
She closed her eyes and opened out her arms. A chime like noise started and a blue dusty wind picked up in the room. At that moment Jonathan came around the door closing it behind him.
“Michael you left your cellphone at my-”
I didn’t head the rest of his sentence as the world around me dissolved away.