Ruining the Past

8.2.2012

AN: I can't believe I'm going to do this. I mean I've tempted Rini-based fics before, but they never got pass the first page. Some of them were surprisingly good ideas and if it weren't Rini then I'd probably have finished them. However I try not to use her at all in the first place. So bare with me, this is going to take some getting used to...

AN2: Before you get on me about mixing the names, again, it's my prerogative. I like keeping things unique and there is a reason for all of it.

Summary: Reni has grown up in a world where we can only imagine and even that isn't accurate to the beauty of it. She has a wonderful mother, but sadly no father.

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Chapter 1

The wind ruffled her hair, making it fly and stick to her wet face. She reached up a hand to snatch it back and tilted her face up so the breeze could dry her tears. The flowers around her chimed as they brushed one another. With her free hand, she ran her fingers over the smooth surface. She shifted on the green blades of grass beneath her. They too were smooth and when pressed together like this, were soft. It was impossible to cut, not that anyone even thought to try, but the flowers were quite pretty and each were different, even if made of the same material.

She looked out over the ledge at the city down below, the city made out of the same material. From her spot, on the last cliff before the walls, she had an advantage to see it all. The sun was high in the sky and it threw its light onto all below it. The city was dazzling. It radiated warmth as color groupings made for a very beautiful picture. Each building sparkled and gleamed. There was one that stood out like none other.

At the other end of the city, there was a building that was the only clear one. From this distance one could even think it silver or white. It was the palace. It dwarfed the others in size but it housed so many that it could be forgiven. It was an honor to live in the palace. Those that lived there were thought to be pure with nothing to hide. Those were the chosen ones.

She lived there, but she did not think of herself in quite those terms. Only females were chosen. She had been born into it. As so often before, she wished she could be one of those living in another house, a house that wasn't quite so transparent.

There were rooms in the palace that were dense and difficult to see through, but they were few and only for the modesty of those who wanted it. Every building in this city was made out of crystal, hence the name, Crystal Tokyo. Once there stood another city by the name of Tokyo, and there had been a palace there too, but all of that was gone now, destroyed eons ago.

The density of crystal and the color often obscured the inhabitants from the outside world and while it was lovely with the sun reflecting off of it, it was nothing compared to when the sun went down and lights started flickering on inside.

Reni often sat up here, watching it, curious by who turned on the lights first and amused that it was often different every time. This was her spot, but she was no different than anyone else who had the opportunity to see this sight. Everyone's breath was caught by the sheer loveliness. Not one single person in the entire planet, nay, in the entire universe, could see this and turn away with a scoff. Not one person could see this and wish for another sight, claim that it wasn't the most beautiful thing they'd ever seen before. Not even those who had seen it every day for their entire life, who were old and weak and had seen many other wonders before it. It was a dazzle of light and colors and it was always changing. It was the best thing about this place.

This place that was so restricting for a young girl. Not in terms of rules or laws, but to reach out and embrace herself. She could not take flight and push boundaries, she was conscious of the fact that she was stuck and could go nowhere else. There were plenty of places to go, but none that she could venture off to. This is where she was born, this is where she lived and this is where she would be for the rest of her life.

Reni would have loved this place, she acknowledged that, if it weren't for the circumstances in which she lived. If things were just slightly different, she wouldn't always be looking at the horizon, wondering what else was out there. If she'd finally get to be herself without fear of being ostracize. And she was denied all of that, because of who she is.

Another wave of sobs rose up within her, waiting to be unleashed due to her thoughts. She tried to bite it down, tried to stop the thought process, tears weren't solving anything. She didn't know anyone else who was sad. At least not because of these reasons. Her mother was sad all the time, though she tried to hide it, tried to smile brightly whenever Reni entered the room. There was never a moment that the hurt didn't linger in her mother's blue eyes.

Then there were the scars. Not just the emotional ones, but the physical too. Her mother was a very beautiful woman, she had the body, the poise, the grace, everything a leader should have of this free world. But there were scars that marred the flesh, stopped the beauty short from being out of this world. The scars were hard enough to get passed, they were created ages ago, but never quite healed or faded, always a strong visual reminder of what it had taken her to get here.

They were all that way. All of them that had come out of the fight. The fight that had cost them everything only to gain so much more. But was it really worth it, Reni wondered? To fight for so long, and come up with this? Sure it was beautiful, sure it was peaceful and nobody here fought, not like they had in the old days. But then what, to continue living their ancient lives, knowing that the future would be the same as it had been every day for the last century? That they would live for a long time before slowly fading away? Never knowing when. A peaceful life with nothing to strive for had to get boring, quick, especially as they didn't have families.

Sure she had her mother and her mother had her, but Reni couldn't help but think there was something more, something just beyond the scope of all of this. All the people in the city were happy, they had no worries or fears except the trivial and universal and would never leave. Like if the girl down the street liked the baker, if their children would grow up into the career path their parents held, if they would get a bigger house if they charmed the right person. The answer to the last one being no, because there were no bigger houses, everyone had the same size unless they had a larger family under the age.

Reni didn't know anything for sure, she had never seen war or hate or hardship. The only hardship she knew was life and its ever changing complexities. The friendships she had and had to fight to maintain. Her life of privilege no different than anyone else, only a change in location, was often at root of her being treated like an outcast. It was only privilege on the outside. Nobody knew about the within, despite the clear crystal walls unfolding everything for anyone to see, if they'd look. Her life's background, the beginning, well, that was different too.

She had been born before Crystal Tokyo was erected. Only just though. Days after her birth, or so the story went, her mother and father created this place of safety and haven. Outside the city's walls there lied beasts of prey, humans who did not share the desire for peace. Monsters who would kill you in an instant. So nobody ventured out and all were weary of those who came in. They were weary of her too, unsure what to make of this child who was born before even the elders in the city. The only ones older than her were those who reared her. The fortunate women who oversaw this land and kept them protected, though not many tried to break down the walls of the city.

All were free to leave and to come back. Those on the outside who wanted refuge, were not refused. Visitors came from different planets, all marveled at the engineering that was magically fused to create this haven. They all left again, eventually, giving Reni only glimpses into a life outside of this realm. They all gently refused her wishes to travel with them. She was too young.

Only one returned every year, days after her birth. Every year he smiled at her warmly but did not bid her to come closer. Every year he left the next day. Every year her mother took herself off to her room during his visit and had a crying fit, tears her companion until she slept.

Every year, Reni stood in her mother's doorway, tears on her face, not knowing why she too cried, only that she felt her mother's grief. The day was fast approaching and Reni was aware that her birthday lied in only a week's time. In body, for the third year in a row, she would be turning eight. In spirit and mind, she would be turning a hundred and twenty-two.

The children of Crystal Tokyo aged slower than they used to, or so the story went, but Reni was different, Reni was an offspring of her mother and the other guardians of the city. Reni aged far slower and watched the children age into teenage bodies, emotions running high, hormones going crazy, her friends falling in love with each other, growing into adults, having kids of their own, growing old, even die. People still died and she was forever a child.

"Not forever, little duck." Her mother's soft voice came from behind her and Reni whipped around, wondering if she spoke out loud. She was greeted with a smile that didn't reach the blues of her eyes, and her blond hair gleamed in the sun's full shine. Reni thought again about how beautiful her mother was. "You are getting older. You just don't see it, not knowing what it was like before, not knowing the baby I held in my arms."

"I was a baby for long enough to remember what I looked like." Reni bit back. Her mother wasn't the problem, the woman already suffered enough with her unspoken pain, but she was the reason Reni was like this, she had her, after all. The smile faltered off the woman's face and tears entered her eyes. "I'm sorry Mom, really. Don't cry. I didn't mean to make you cry."

"No, its not you." Her mother's hand came out and stroked her pink head. "I wish you hadn't dyed your hair. It was such a beautiful brown before and paired with your blue eyes, it was a striking combination."

"Everybody has neon color hair. I only wanted to fit in."

There was a deep breath being released from her mother's chest. "I am crying because your words hit home. I have seen you grow, you have seen yourself, when nobody has a precedence for your aging and yet there is someone still who should have, who deserves to see you but cannot."

"My father." Reni stated calmly, perhaps now her mother would share with her all that she'd held back for the last hundred years.

"Yes, your father." The blue eyes looked away, looked down at the dress she was wearing. Her fingers rifled through the blades of grass.

Reni couldn't help but think her mother meant someone else, but who could that possibly be? Her father was the one that was missing, she saw it in all the families she watched grow up. Her father wasn't there with her, to hold her on his shoulders, to teach her things about boys, only a man could know. But he'd have centuries to do so, he might forget to if he were still alive. "Please, tell me about him."

"He was a great man, strong, dependable, loved deeply." The eyes shifted up to look at her and hold her gaze. "I see a lot of him in you. He was very smart and he was sometimes difficult to read. He would have loved you and protected you like he protected all things dear to him."

"But what were his favorite things? What did he like to do? Do I have similar tastes in food, people, clothes, what?"

The woman stood up so she was her full height. "Enough questions, young lady. You have been out here long enough. It is time to get in and find Ami, she is wondering where you have gone off to."

"Lessons mother, can wait when I have all eternity to live. I want to know more about my father. I want to know more about his life. I have a right to know."

"Yes you do, but I cannot share with you all the things you want to know. I didn't know him as well as I should have. I can't tell you those answers." She was retreating back into that emotionally distant shell, the part where Reni no matter what she tried to do, she couldn't reach. "You are so much like him, its scary sometimes."

"But am I like you at all?" Reni had tried to emulate her mother as best she could, despite it all, Reni respected and wanted to be like the woman she saw.

"Yes little duck, you have some of my traits, but you've learned all of those." Her mother was formidable without trying. She was a great strategist and was so strong, so tough. Her mother was a born leader and she lead well. Everybody liked her and respected her. Not one person would go against her wishes. Reni wouldn't be the first.

Reni stood up and followed her mother, who paused to brush her backside from where she sat, but it was strange, there was nothing there. Must have been a reflex carried over from before the change. Before dirt and grass were eradicated as people knew them. Reni only knew because of pictures and stories from the women of skinned knees, dirt in wounds, stains on clothes that wouldn't come out. Now all of that was gone, now things were dealt with quickly and cleanly. No stain could beat Makoto. Not that she did much laundry these days.

Reni walked along side her mother through the streets. There were no crowns, nothing outward except maybe their poise that would indicate that they were any different than the rest on the street. Not that they needed anything to indicate, all who saw them knew, how could they not with their faces unchanging for over a century? But for a change, Reni's mind wasn't on them or trying to hide behind her mother's taller figure, no, her thoughts were on how to get more information out of anyone that could give it to her.

She'd tried asking many times, straight out about information about her father. All of it to no avail. They all either neatly side-stepped her or told her blank-faced not to ask any more. For all it seemed too painful. Reni thought it was the worst for her mother, but maybe she had just been to close to the issue. Maybe she should watch the others over the next few days instead. Though it wouldn't make any sense for the others to feel the pain her mother felt about her father. Reni just had to observe though so she could understand more.

But that didn't help in the meantime, she wanted more information about the man that was gone from their lives. Since asking about him didn't seem to do anything for her, she had to think of something else. He was from before Crystal Tokyo, so she couldn't use any props, but maybe she could ask about that. What life was like for them before Crystal Tokyo. Maybe segue into it through their fights back then, what it had been like, what happened to create Crystal Tokyo. They never hid the history from anyone that asked. Maybe she had been alive too long and didn't bother to ask, others would have, but their time ran out faster. They had to fit more in on a shorter time scale.

Reni beat down the smile of triumph that wanted to cross her lips, her mother would see and think something was up. Reni didn't want to shoot herself in the foot before she got anywhere. She wanted to see how things went and if she could get anything out of them. Ami wouldn't be a good place to start, she was too smart and would catch on too quickly.

That's when she saw her, the weak link, the hothead of the group. Rei, the one that Reni pieced together that she was named after, her godmother. Rei would tell her all that she needed to know. This time, when her birthday rolled around, she would know more about her father. She would not be daunted easily. She would stick with it until she got all the information she wanted, even if it might hurt, she would find out the truth.