Ever since we could remember, we were on the streets.
Everyone was desperate. We honed our skills, searching for a lifeline in them. Some were deft with their hands, others quick with their tongues, a few strong with their fists… we all had our quirks.
I was good at organizing, so I gathered everyone into a group. It was all for survival.
Before long, we became known as a band of thieves, feared by society. But being feared also means being targeted. We fell right into a trap and got taken down in one fell swoop. I lost a lot of comrades, some died shielding others. It was my mistake, one I can’t regret enough.
In the end, we were captured, and our execution was set, all of us together. I had no complaints. Honestly, I couldn’t even tell the difference between us and the ones who’d died on the streets.
But the day before the execution, the high priest showed up. Apparently, if we worked for the church, our sentences would be pardoned. They said God is merciful, offering a chance at redemption no matter the sin.
I jumped at it. Who knew such a convenient entity existed?
I remember thinking, “If that’s the case, why not just make a merciful world to begin with?” A bitter complaint.
Since then, we shed our names and threw ourselves into fulfilling the oracles.
Well, it looks like that’s over now.
The weather was so clear, but the moment the show started, it poured. The model got wrecked, and we couldn’t even launch the fireworks. Seems God really hates us.
In a way, it’s pretty flashy.
We were the ones fabricating fake oracles. To the world, we’re just a gang of thieves who infiltrated the church to scam people. This time, we’ll definitely be hanged.
A public execution. Would it be more entertaining than the Pegasus show? I’m not too confident.
No, I doubt it’ll even end that simply. If it’s about deception, the old man’s in on it too, and…
But then what? If the oracles disappear, what happens to everyone…
“Hey… God?”
Ignoring the rain hitting my face, I look up at the sky.
I drop to my knees, close my eyes, and clasp my hands. It’s so clumsy I’d probably get laughed at.
“Please, protect the little ones who believe in you.”
If the church falls and the orphanage shuts down, there’ll definitely be kids who end up like us.
A tightrope life. The frustration of dying, the pain of surviving. No matter how it turns out, it’s a life without salvation.
I don’t want them to go through that, not ever.
—It stopped?
I open my eyes instinctively. And there I am, surrounded by pure white.
A round light floats between the clouds. The rain seems to have stopped, and the full moon has reappeared, enveloping the world without distinction.
The towering cathedral, the hushed crowd, my comrades frozen in the same pose as me.
No, wait. The light I thought was the moon is growing… and multiplying?
Each one moves with a graceful, dancing motion. Could it be?
“Pegasus!”
Someone shouts, and another echoes it. In an instant, excitement ripples through the crowd.
Noble white horses gallop across the sky. The herd folds its wings and descends to the ground.
They move in unison toward where our Pegasus model crashed.
Our masterpiece, now reduced to junk. Surrounded by the real thing, it looks even shabbier and more pitiful.
Well, they’d be mad, right? Having us copy them without permission. It’ll probably get torn to shreds.
But contrary to expectations, the Pegasi are calm. They nuzzle the model with their noses, as if comforting an injured friend.
Then, the model moves. It stands on legs that were broken, flaps wings that were bent. Not satisfied with that, it even lets out a whinny.
“It’s… alive?”
“…No way?”
Unbelievable.
But… The signs of damage on its body have vanished like a lie, it’s a fact.
And the model’s movements, brimming with life, aren’t anything we programmed. Its coat shines just like the other Pegasi. It’s just a couple sizes smaller—otherwise, it’s identical.
Did it… become real? There’s no other way to describe it.
Amid the uproar, the Pegasi take flight, one by one.
Our Pegasus flaps its wings desperately but can’t lift off.
The crowd’s voices unite in encouragement. Before I know it, I’m shouting too.
A few Pegasi that had taken off earlier come back down, landing and taking off again, as if teaching it how to fly.
After some struggle, our Pegasus’s hooves leave the ground. With roaring cheers, it joins the circle of seniors soaring above.
“You did it!”
Is this what parental pride feels like? My throat hurts from yelling so much.
“Someday, I’d love to stage something like this. It’s a miracle, Leader.”
“Yeah. Turns out we’re on this side too.”
The herd of Pegasi rises into the sky. Standing with my comrades, I gaze up at the night sky endlessly.
The crisp morning air, the sweet scent of flowers, the gestures of people offering prayers.
Huh… the chapel’s this beautiful? I should’ve come sooner.
I spot a few of my comrades here and there, but chatting here would be bad manners. The chapel is a place for confessing or praying. A place to speak with your heart.
I turn to face forward.
A statue of God, illuminated by the morning sun. Come to think of it, this might be the first time I’ve really looked at it.
There’s a huge statue in the oracle chamber too, but I always avoided it. I thought it had nothing to do with me.
Man, this one’s gorgeous too.
Incredibly glamorous and divinely beautiful… Well, it’s God, so that makes sense. Still, recently I feel like I’ve—
Nah, no need to dwell on it. God’s super popular; it’s not weird to see this anywhere.
I fumble through half-remembered steps, arranging flowers in a vase, pouring water into a basin. I’ll review later and do it more smoothly tomorrow.
Kneeling, I clasp my hands. My prayer is one of gratitude.
Thank you for last night’s true miracle.
The crowd was floored, and faith held strong. Peace and the kids’ lives are secure now. Man, that was flashy.
And about us, when our Pegasus joined the herd, I felt happy, like it was me up there.
Take good care of it, okay? I’ll work hard to make it to your world properly.
And… please look after them too.
Finishing my prayer, I stand and lock eyes with the high priest. He looks oddly youthful.
The old man gives me a smooth wink.
I try to mimic it.
Mine’s probably a wrinkled mess… but it’s enough to get the message across.
~The End~