~*~Here it is, the beginning ^_^ this is how she met everyone, I do tend to write stories that veer from this.. but those are just fun ^^; this is before When Worlds Collide, hope you enjoy it ^_^ ~*~
Remember the Golden Rule
By: Misty-Chan
Ch. 1
"Shin, what're you looking at?!!" Seiji called to his friend as they ran, clad in each their own armor.
"Guys! Come here!" Shin hollered from a small doorway.
His friends, all four of them, stopped and ran back to see what was so urgent.
"She's sleeping…" Shu's confusion sounded a bit like sarcasm at his good friend's choice of objects to watch.
"Leave her! We've got to go!" Touma had already started off when those words came. They all left, all except for Shin. He watched the young girl, torn awfully, draped over the shut toilet lid, asleep, in the gas station washroom and couldn't walk away. His friends had gone on, he knew where, and decided to follow them later; they hadn't waited, or even looked back for him, he had all the time he could need.
--Back home at Nasti's lake house—
She awoke to the voice of someone outside.
"I'm going to check on her.." the voice called. She tensed as the door glazed the floor while it opened
"You're awake?" A pale young man asked almost surprised.
No answer.
"Are you alright? Nothing hurt?" He tried again; his ocean colored eyes searched for a reply.
No answer.
Whiteblaze trotted past the boy, almost knocking him over, and padded his way to the bed where the girl relaxed almost to a state of meditation and stroked the tiger's fur; much to the cat's enjoyment.
When the animal jumped onto the bad she was on and fell asleep, Shin decided to leave.
She awoke again to find a note set up in a triangular prism shape so she would read it as soon as she lifted her eyes to it.
"Come downstairs" the Japanese symbols directed her. She complied, leaving Whiteblaze to follow
Lightly stepping her way downstairs, holding the note, she could smell a wonderful meal escaping from its preparation bins. The light was much better here she realized and saw an entranceway to a bright area and past that entranceway was a large window with a couch in front, which she headed for.
Seiji popped into the room quietly by the door, and noticing that she was about asked straight out "How are you feeling?" She looked up at him, having shrunk from the power in his voice and the seriousness his eyes stared at her with, but couldn't reply.
"Seiji," Shin said smirking. "Don't scare her.." Seiji turned and she stepped back from him. Shin floated over to them, in his own graceful way, and held out his hand to the girl he'd brought to his home, and invited downstairs. After eyeing it suspiciously, she took his hand and he asked if she were hungry.
"No, sir." Was the solemn reply from the otherwise silent child. Shin frowned at this and looked to Seiji, who stood watching this conversation blankly. Shin took her to the dining table and motioned for her to sit in the wooden chair at the end. She sat as Shin took the seat next to hers and faced her to talk.
When she looked at him wondering what he was up to.. He spilt his guts, to coin a phrase. "Do you have a name?" She looked down as if she'd been insulted, but nodded. "What is it?" He smiled reassuringly though she wasn't paying attention.
"They call me… Fake,.. and Jinx.." She knew what both words meant, and hated only knowing those as a name, but they were all she knew.
"You have no given name?" Shin paused, unsure if he should say what came to his mind, but he did. "Those don't sound like nice names.."
"No, sir.. they aren't.." She barely moved; Shin knew she had no given name, maybe not even a family.
"What do you say we give you one?" he suggested hopefully as he heard his friends return from a seemingly exciting soccer game.
"Hey! She's up!" Shu realized as he joined the conversation already in progress.
"Hey, Shu." Shin smiled, she watched him and copied. He whispered to his friend that she didn't have a name and word spread after Shu looked at her and her scared, almost innocent face.
Touma jumped in from the den, "How 'bout Sarah?"
"No, it doesn't suit her.." Shin discarded his attempt.
"Kara?" He tried again.
"What's with you and names ending in "rah"?" Shin asked smirking some.
"Nothing, I just like them." He defended.
"Why don't we let her decide?" Ryo joined in.
"Yeah, she might already have a name chosen for herself." Jun commented smiling happily from Whiteblaze's back.
"Do you?" Shin looked to her and she shook her head.
"Let's try the spoon method!!" Shu brought in his own culture…
"She will not be named after a noise, Shu…" Touma rolled his eyes at the thought.
"We'll watch her, whatever name strikes us as fitting will be hers.. if she wants it," Shin finalized. They nodded and Shu pouted somewhat but suddenly stopped and sniffed.
" Do I smell dinner?" He pleaded.
"You do," Shin beamed.
"Yes!" Shu was in the kitchen so fast no one saw him move.
"Sure you're not hungry?" Shin asked her again. She looked at Whiteblaze as if he would answer and Ryo became awfully curious of this, especially when the large white tiger purred loudly and marched into the kitchen.
"Alright, if I may.." Shin smiled; another person would enjoy his work. She handled the note, turning it in her hands, as the people around her filed into the kitchen. A moment or so later she followed, stopping in the doorway to watch the little boy, his five older friends, and the girl, older than her, but obviously part of the group.
Shu drooled over a pot and everyone else walked around digging through drawers and cabinets and appearing from them with plates, silverware, and such; she watched. She felt a tug at the sleeve of her shirt. It was the little boy, Jun. "Won't you come and eat with us?"
"Jun, She's our guest," Ryo smiled. "We're gonna set up for her."
"You don't have to.. I will." She spoke up.
"Don't tell him that, he won't hear of it!" Shin explained almost childishly giddy at those words. Ryo growled at him a bit and she laughed softly, Jun still hanging off her sleeve with his plates and such in hand.
Dinner was peaceful, she enjoyed extra attention and Whiteblaze was secretly being fed by Jun. She did manage to put up a few of the plates before Ryo could stop her, after dinner.
Nasti lent her the room she'd been in earlier and everyone dozed into sleep. Well, most everyone.