Viva Forever: Flower
Chapter #4~ The Father Figure part II
AN: Man, oh man. I have had a busy year!! Well one of my New Year's resolutions was to update stories that you people liked, and this is definitely one of them. I'm sorry if you've lost interest only because I've waited too long to update, but if you do like this fic, don't ignore it cuz it only gets better. Thanks.
__________________________________________________________
"Makoto, are you ok?" Quatre asked quickly with the deepest concern.
She thought to herself for a moment but blankly looked up at Rashid and found the words she needed to have to get away from everyone's attention. "Yu- yes, I'm ok. Sorry, I thought I saw....uh something-over there!......But....I was wrong!" She made it up slowly, and it sounded so ridiculous.
"Ok, then." Quatre returned and took a strange glance at her, before turning around to make sure she really didn't see anything near the backyard lake. He was certain no one could go anywhere near them though. The backyard was vast with land, but needed no fence because a lake cut off his land from a neighbors that lived 10 miles across from the lake.
Makoto, still staring at Rashid forgot to blush at her embarrassing moment because she was searching through her memory, very carefully. Where had she heard that name? It was beyond familiar, it was downright fresh in her memory somehow.
She recalled meeting a man, a few weeks before her bad occurrence that landed her into the arms of a rich kids' home and comfort. This man had asked her name, she recalled that. Wait! She now remembered exactly what happened
*Flashback*
Makoto ran down the street in a hurry to get home. She was so happy! She had passed her math with a high percentage, something that seemed so unusual about her. She felt so happy, she wanted to cook a big meal for herself, maybe even invite somebody over to share it with, she didn't care.
Suddenly she tripped over a shoe and face planted herself on the hard concrete ground.
"Oh my, child, please, I'm so very sorry... I'll help you up." An elderly man said, and kneeled next to Makoto, taking her by the arms to pull her up. He held her there until she was steady enough to stand upright by herself.
Then he looked into her eyes. They reminded him of someone. It seemed to him that another girl had fallen from his clumsy foot when he and herself were quite a bit younger, in fact this girl now would have been not more than three years old when it happened.
"Excuse me child, but I was wondering, perhaps a name?" He asked so politely, she flushed deep red with the most embarrassment she felt she would ever feel.
"Of course, My name is Kino Makoto." She said in a slight bow.
He drew forth a deep breath. It was true, she did remind him of that girl, because she was three and it was her mother that had tripped over him. Ever since that fateful day she had visited him, bringing him her sweets and he would give her herbs and spices in return.
One day, when it was her birthday, he had given her an antique family tree book, and she had prepared a list of names. They worked together to fill in the book, but she had asked him to keep it, with her deepest respect. He was almost tearful from her kindness. He wondered if her daughter was the same.
"Would you come into my store for a moment, please child?" He asked just as polite.
Makoto felt nervous. It wasn't a regular event to be tripped and then invited into a store by an old man, but she couldn't be rude to him.. So she followed him.
When they walked inside, she saw many wonderful things. It was an ancient Japanese antique store. Full of the traditional Japanese arts and customs. It aroused an interest deep within her. And the smell, it was a strong odor. Maybe perhaps of Jasmine and Lily of a combination. It was strange but the fragrance lit a smile on her face. He was also an herb ancient. Someone who had much knowledge and talent in herbs, plants and spices then a book could ever teach.
They drew near to the back of the store, but she stopped short of the beaded curtain. "Um, what exactly did you want me to come into your store for?" She was skeptical of his explanation.
"There is something I have that maybe very important to your very existence. I wish abstrusely that you would see it. Please." He pleaded with her. She sighed, maybe he was right, and maybe he wasn't. But she couldn't admit she wasn't a little curious about it, because after all, she was known for her curiosity.
They stepped behind the beaded curtain and it shone a golden light upon her face. It was very beautiful. A golden traditional dragon encircled the room, much too large for such a small space.
The man waddled towards a stand with a glass cover over top of it. It was not the only one, there were many stands that resembled the one he began to open. They all had a picture on the front with gold paint outlining people wooing away there loved ones, it was quite beautiful.
He lifted off the glass covering, but faltered a bit. Makoto came to his rescue and emptied the glass from his aged hands. His strength obviously was decreasing from his old age. He smiled at her courtesy and turned toward the prize on top of the stand.
His eyes glazed with tears. She didn't understand why a ratty old book with torn pages and a musty scent would influence him to cry over it.
He picked the book up and turned toward Makoto again. He carefully placed the book into her arms. She looked at him quizzically. Did he want her to read to him?
Again, he smiled at her doubt, and flipped the pages for her. When he stopped and let the page drift, floating down onto the rest of the book, Makoto gaped at it for a long while, before realizing just how important it really was.
She looked up at the man, "But how?-"
"I knew your mother, before her spirit left to find True Nirvana. She was a kind woman, very brave and self-aware. I adored her as I would my own daughter, but I have not contacted her in several years." He looked down in shame.
Contacted? What was he talking about? "What do you mean, contacted?" She repeated aloud.
"I talk to many spirits, a gift passed down from my ancestors, just as bravery and courage has been passed to you. You have an extraordinary gift, my child. I know you use it for good. It may be a secret in this world, but my connection to the other-world provides much information. I thought I would run into someday, but I was not prepared for it to be so soon.
This is a book of life. It is your family tree, as you can see, names are repeated every 50 years, every name but yours." He looked directly into her eyes, "You are very special, in your future I see many children, yes, everything repeats, everything but what you'll go through."
He was so confusing. She didn't really follow what he was saying. She knew he was implying that not only did he know she was a Sailor Senshi, but that her destiny was very weird. That she understood. But what did he mean about the children, she was going to have a lot of children? Or there were a lot of children in her tree in the future. Her dumbfounded expression grew tense as the bell rang to announce another body present in the store.
The old man looked towards the door and turned his head towards her once more. Quickly he said to her, "Be prepared for anything, young child, for your fate is different from all others. Keep this book with you, never lose it, or fate lies in the hands of the unwanted, for they will be set free. If this happens, you must fight. Though you are used to that already I realize, but this will be more than a physical battle. Please, hold onto this book."
He smiled tenderly, and started to walk away.
"But wait, I want to know about this guy, Rashid! Is he my grandfa-" The man was gone.
Makoto twirled around and saw nothing, it was like a dream, but reality was that she saw him. She still had the book.
*end of Flashback*
Makoto had not blinked for a while, as she thought of this. A tear ran down her cheek. She thought she already had enough problems, but now it was worse. She did not have the book.
Duo and Catherine looked at each other. They didn't know what was wrong with Makoto, but they didn't really want to interrupt her thoughts.
When they saw another tear run down her cheek, Duo lost his own thoughts and his grip on his fork loosened, allowing it to fall onto the plate, breaking everyone from their thoughts to stare him down.
"Hehe.... oops." He said.
"Idiot....." Wufei whispered in a barely audible voice. Makoto snorted, and almost giggled, but didn't want Duo, nor anyone else to be mad. She was brought back to life, herself, with Duo's noisiness.
Quatre and Rashid had been lost in 'business' conversation, but Quatre felt rude and stood up. "Rashid, I'm sure you remember my friends here," he pointed to the boys and Catherine, "But this is my new friend, Makoto Kino."
Rashid stood up and bowed to her. She blushed and said a quiet, 'nice to meet you.'
Rashid looked at her with awe. She looked so familiar, like a family member. He saw the resemblance thoroughly with her brown hair and green eyes. Rashid's own mother had green eyes, that exact shade, emerald. It happened to run in the family.
'Makoto, huh...',"You aren't related to Rosaline Kino, by any chance are you?" he asked her. She looked at him with complete innocence.
She thought over and over again to see if she could distinguish that name from the book. Yes, she did believe she recognized it. It was a great ancestor of hers, but he was probably talking about a more recent Rosaline.
"Uh, no I don't think I am, no." She answered nervously. Rashid did not make her nervous, it was the fact he knew someone of her bloodline, and that his name was apart of it also. But she couldn't be certain. 'This could happen to anyone.' she continued to tell herself.
But she needed the book.
"Well, I'm full, lets go do something huh?" Duo suggested.
"Yah, I'm starting to feel chilled, and it's getting darker. It's probably better indoors." Catherine added. Duo nodded to her statement aggressively.
They cleared the table and brought everything into the house. Makoto followed closely behind Quatre and Rashid. She wanted to learn more about him, but she didn't know how. Somehow she was going to get inside his head and learn his knowledge.
The group went into the main room and they all took a seat. Makoto looked all around her, and admired the decor. Silver-white angels were molded out of the ceiling they stared down upon them and smiled, they were protection from evil.
And then.... silence. No one knew what to say. Since the awkward beginning of dinner, to the awkward ending, it was difficult to make conversation, trying to exclude the strange occurrences that had recently been happening.
Catherine and Duo whispered to each other, while the rest of them simply sat and stared at nothing in particular.
Soon Makoto was tired of it, and stood to stretch as she yawned.
Wufei stared at her, noticing how shapely her body became when her simple small dress clung to her in her stretch. What? He really noticed that? Wow. This was different, but no matter how ignorant he was of females, he still was a guy, and guys can think about things once in a while. Great! Now he was making stupid excuses about his stupid thoughts. Ever since she came into their lives, she crazed his thoughts. He didn't know what to think. It was almost making him mad. Actually it had made him mad already, This was so confusing.
"Well, I'm going to bed now. I'm glad that I could meet you Catherine, and you too Rashid." She looked around and nodded to the boys. Wufei had his doubts.
Then she started to walk away. As she turned the corner, and was about to ascend the stairs, she noticed a hallway of which she had never traveled through before. She didn't think it was an 'out of bounds' area, and she felt that it was safe for her to explore. So she started to walk down the hall.
As she passed the first room she looked inside of it. It was a technical room. There were many computers, so many of them, she couldn't count. She had never seen that many computers in one setting before. Not only were there computers, but it was like a NASA unit in the room. Many machinery that did God knows what, there a lot of buttons, she didn't understand how anyone could remember what to push when. There was a huge screen at the opposite side of the room, from where she stood. She liked the impassiveness of the room. It reminded her of Heero, and his eyes. She thought about them for a bit. She had never seen such coldness in a human like Heero. He intrigued her to no end. His deathly stare sent shivers down her spine.
In her absent minded thoughts, she leaned on the computer and then yelped from a sudden noise.
"You should be careful of where you enter." A deep and manly voice lowly spoke. His voice was almost in a growl, from such a deep tune. Makoto whipped around and wide-eyed stared at his handsome figure.
He was very handsome, guessing that his age was mid 30's. He had been wearing a red cap when she first saw him, but she guessed he removed it in respect. She was less nervous now, being that it was only their presence in the room. Though she didn't really know what to say to him.
"Are you good with the computer?" He asked politely, seeming like he was making conversation.
Makoto snorted, "Yah, right. I was born illiterate of anything electronic." She laughed. He smiled narrowly.
"What can you do?" Rashid asked trying to pry more information from her, not knowing whether he could lay trust within her or not.
She perked up and with her chin rising into the air, "I am an excellent cook as a matter of fact." She was satisfied in her own talents.
This was not what he expected to hear at all. He was waiting for a skill of the martial arts or weaponry expertise, not of bread baking. He silently laughed at his own suspicion of her. She could not be any more harmless than a sweet little girl. He finally approached her with a kinder grin.
In turn, she smiled at him. Her awareness that he didn't trust her at all seemed disappointing. She didn't know this man very well, but she had this eerie urge to bear hug him. She had to calm her acceptance of him down a little because she wasn't sure how to handle herself around him. To her relief, he was a man of emotions, probably from the years he had known Quatre., so he told her what he felt.
"I had my suspicions of you when we were introduced, but I can see that you bring no harm to Master Quatre,
'So he thought I was here to hurt Quatre, huh?' She couldn't help thinking abhorrently, but thought otherwise when he continued.
"When I saw your eyes, I recognized a bit of myself inside of you. You have an aura that explains yourself. You are very strong, I can see that. You may only be a female, but in any case you can be strong no matter the gender.
'Where is he going with this?' She wondered. She didn't even know him, yet he was almost bearing all his feelings to her.
"It is obvious that you had realized I was skeptical that you had happened to 'befriend' Master Quatre. Actually, to all of us, we thought you may have been apart of some kind of alliance with the Oz base. But forgive us, we meant not to brush you the wrong way."
Now she captured the true intention of this guy. He thought she was the enemy. She was aware fully, that they could not be 100% honest with her about everything, but she didn't suspect for a moment that they might feel she was from 'the other side'. And although she had very scarce care for these people, she felt deeply hurt by what she had just learned. Maybe she should have not allowed Quatre to take her in, she should have found a way home in the first place.
Rashid stood his ground, he moved not an inch. But Makoto, too did not move, lost in her thoughts of what the new information surfaced within her. But neither of them realized there was a person shadowed by the door, listening to everything. The person cursed Rashid for giving away valuable information that had given them an advantage, to a person who, could, be their enemy regardless of her talent in 'cooking.' He was well prepared for these kind of occasions, that he thought better of it and silently walked away.
*****
Makoto woke to a gentle breeze that chilled her bare arms. Sleepily, she raised her tired body upwards and pulled her blanket higher around her. Underneath, she hugged herself. She laid her head, on it's side, on her knees and stared out through the window, at the misty lake. The sun had just recently began to rise, and the orange light beamed off of the lake and up into the other half of the sky that remained dark. It was a metaphor of good and evil, the good could always, somehow, reflect into the darkness. Just as Usagi could make it happen.
In the room directly beneath her, Makoto could here a loud bang of something metallic. Surely, no one could be up at this hour and not be only lazing around. Her curiosity, which had grown more than it should have since her arrival, over ranked her scornful thoughts and she immediately scrambled from her bed, like a little child, ran to the mound of boxes, she didn't bother opening and putting clothes away; she searched for a sweater which was thick wool and very warm.
She pulled the sweater over her head, ran into the bathroom, grabbed a hair elastic and made her way out of her room. Sprinting down the hall, she sloppily tangled her hair into a messy bun, but large strands of hair fell out as her journey to the bottom of the stairs went along.
If her calculations were correct, this room was the room just below her own. It was the training room. 'No kidding,' she thought, 'Quatre has really outdone himself.' She trained also. She enjoyed a good workout, it made her feel more relaxed, especially when she was angry.
It was a rather large room too. In the corner she saw a long barbell lying on the ground. A mat had been on the ground, but it obviously didn't make it. He must've been running with it or something, but the thought made Makoto smirk.
On the diagonal of her position, Wufei Chang's back was to her. He wore no shirt, and she watched as he lifted a steel dumbbell up and down repeatedly. It looked like a rather high number, possibly a weight of the hundreds, maybe two. She wasn't surprised at all. He was, after all, a good looking Chinese boy, and the look wouldn't be complete without muscles. And he had muscles. As he lowered the dumbbell she noticed his definition clearly, then he raised the dumbbell and his muscles tensed in his strength. They popped out and sweat ran down his back, allowing it to glisten. She quite liked the view.
"Knocking is usually the polite way to enter a room when it's occupied." He remarked arrogantly, prominently staring at her reflection in the massive glass window. The room was half glass and half wood There were huge windows and a sliding door. Large blue curtains were strewn across half the windows, but as the sun rose, orange an pink filled the room intensely.
When Wufei let the dumbbell drop, her turned around to face her. He was very sodden in his own perspiration, and Makoto saw that his towel was lying, along with his shirt, next to her on a chair. She kindly picked it up and walked quickly toward him.
"Well, I woke from hearing your weights drop, it was loud. You must lift a lot." She said, in hope to make him release her from his glare with her eagerness to brag about him.
When she came nearer him and offered his towel, she also offered a friendly smile which he did not return.
He grabbed at the towel. "I don't need your help, nor your comments. You do not impress me at all. You are, after all, only a girl." He said and wiped away the moisture from his face, turning his back on her once again. Then he threw the towel down, bending over to pick the dumbbell up once again.
'Only a girl? ONLY A GIRL!!!' She screamed within herself. Who does he think he is? He doesn't have the right to insult her like that, it didn't matter if he lived there before her, or not. She was not just another girl. She was a person too. His words did not sit well with her and she turned away from him, stomping her feet as she walked.
"Maybe you should pay a visit to the cook, I'm sure he could find use for you, since you like that choice in chore." He almost sounded nice to her, but she quickly realized where his information came from and how stupid his statement was.
"And maybe YOU shouldn't listen to other people's conversations, you are rude and ignorant!!" She complained.
He only snorted, "Don't act like you are so tough, because you are weak. You are no match for me."
"Oh, is that so! Well maybe I should prove how much of a match I am against you, huh?" She expressed out of pure infuriation.
"That would be interesting, but I do not fight girls, it is dishonorable."
"And insulting them isn't? Who raised you? You certainly have misunderstood what manners are!" she fired at him, rising unexpected anger from him.
"Do not speak to me with such disrespect!"
"Don't tell me what to do!"
"You are unbelievable! I don't understand why Winner would even invite you to stay here."
"Maybe because Quatre has something inside of him that civilized people refer to as compassion, something I can plainly see you have no comprehension of." And when she finished her statement, leaving Wufei in shock, she thundered out the door and down the hall looking for some room where she could shut the door loudly.
Wufei only stared at the empty doorway. It wasn't so much that she had insulted him, like he did to her, but it was that she had judged him in a way that was correct. He had lack of compassion in him, but he didn't think anything of it because it was weak. So he was determined that he wouldn't let it attack his mind anymore, but he would figure out what to do about it later.
Makoto opened an unlocked door and shut it loudly behind her, as she had planned, hoping Wufei would hear how angry he made her. When she drew a deep breath, she turned away from the door and looked at where she traveled into.
In her surroundings, she understood that she was in a large greenhouse that was connected to the house itself. It was so beautiful. There were so many plants and flowers standing up so tall above her in every shade and every colour. She could smell a mixture of scents, all of them tickling her nose and she was grateful. It cleared her mind from the anger that choked her from words. Now she was able to smile again.
She saw all over the ground were fresh vegetables and more plants, and so many herbs. Quatre had himself his own Eden, rich with all fruits and vegetables. The orange and pink light shone clear through the glass above her . It must have stretched a good 20 feet from her own height. She was engulfed by the breathtaking scene that showered her presence.
In the corner she saw that there was another door, leading into a secret room perhaps? She moved in it's direction and opened the door. She searched for a light switch on the wall and flicked on the radiant light. It was protected by a greyish cover, to make the light duller. She was standing inside of a stillroom. A room where herbs and plants were used to create medicines, cremes and lotions. It smelled mostly of Jasmine. It was a plain room, with many cupboards and a wide shelf. They were all bare, as was the counter with its lone sink. A table and two chairs furnished the room, but that was all. No one must have even attempted to use this room, by the look of it. It was just, there.
Maybe this room could be useful to her in the future. She thought about it thoughtfully. Then she turned the light off and closed the door as she exited the room.
When she slowly walked back to the hall, she noticed the door was open. 'That's funny, I thought I closed the door behind me.' As if someone heard her thoughts, a familiar voice answered.
"I followed you here when I heard shouting." Makoto turned herself around to meet the kind gaze of Rashid. "I understand that you had a disagreement with the Wufei fellow." He said making clear of what had happened.
"No, not a disagreement, we had a loud fight. And I don't think I've met anyone as arrogant as him!" She pointed towards the wall on her right, as if Wufei had been standing there.
"Please, understand that he is trying to accept your presence at this house, like the others are also. And, although it was rude for him to listen to our conversation last night-"
"Wait a minute! You knew he was there?" She interrupted.
He nodded, "I knew, I saw his urge to follow me when I had walked down the hall a little after you had."
Makoto felt like she was trusting him, because it was important to her to be able to trust someone she talked to so affectionately. But she didn't know what affection she had for the man, only that it was there. But he did not trust her, and that made her conversation very tight-lipped.
"Why do you follow me so much? And why do you talk to me like you're trying to confide to me?" She asked with innocence, that he knew was a wild flare of hers.
His answer wasn't complete, because in all honesty, he didn't know why exactly he wanted to talk to her like she was apart of his family. But he felt he made a connection with her in some odd way.
"I merely want to know you, as Master Quatre's guardian, it's my duty to be well informed of the people that reside in his home. Yes, you are welcomed here, but you are still a stranger, and that is not comforting, especially during such an unfriendly war." He reminded her of someone. Someone she had known so well when she was younger. The distinction between the two was incredible.
"I understand that it could be uncomfortable to have me stay here without knowing about me, but it is equally discomforting to know nothing of my host and why he was so eager to take me in when I woke up in a hospital which I still have no idea how I had gotten to." She retorted. She received an impressed smile.
"Fair enough. Maybe we should talk some more then. Perhaps, over breakfast. Not everyone joins the table at the same hour in the morning, so it would be just the two of us." He asked.
She smiled, more content of his insistency about questioning her. "That would be cool." And she took the lead, while he followed behind respectfully. Now she was not afraid to be herself, because she had someone with her in the house that related with her thoughts. It was so much more welcoming, only because the person she was, not because Quatre didn't make her feel welcomed.
They sat down in the dining room, and waited until breakfast was served, to talk. Halfway through the meal Rashid asked the first question.
"Why did you accept Quatre's invitation to live here temporarily?" Makoto stopped eating. The question did not disturb her, but the way he said 'temporarily' did. Maybe she wasn't going to stay there forever, but it sounded more like he wanted her to leave as soon as possible. Although his eyes showed no sign of unwontedness. But the question in itself was fair.
"Well, when I woke up, I had no idea where I was. But Quatre was right by my side and he seemed so eager to help me, or be my friend or something, so when he offered, I thought it was better than staying in a hospital with a bunch of people that would make better use the room I occupied." He nodded to this, accepting her answer. "Well, why are you Quatre's guardian?"
"Master Quatre's mother died during child birth, and so his father was the only parent he had left. I was already apart of his life because I am second in command of the Maguanac Peace Corps. There are many of us, and we protect Master Quatre from danger. But his father had been killed throughout the war and left Quatre with no parent. Although he is legally the heir of the inheritance to own, he is still young and he asked for me to be his assistant."
"But if you're his assistant, why are you called his guardian?" She continued.
"Master Quatre insists that he call me his guardian because that is the way he thinks of me." He replied with no hint of irritation on his face or in his tone.
They stopped talking for a bit and ate some more, when another question halted Makoto's consumption of eggs. "Rashid?" She asked with a tone of innocence.
"Hmm?"
"Would you mind telling me about your heritage?" She asked him. "Never mind ... That was a rude question."
"Not at all. My father was a very poor man that came to Master Quatre's family in search of a doctor for my mother, as she was pregnant with me, and ready to give birth. Master Quatre's grandfather, became the doctor as he delivered me. We were very close to his family from then on, and when I was raised, I was raised as a soldier sworn to protect not only my best friend, Master Quatre's father, but his whole family."
"Really? That's an amazing story." She said in awe of the history. But shook her head, as that was not the history she wanted to learn about. "What about your ancestors?" She wanted an answer that satisfied her, one that reached deeper into his thoughts of people he had never even met, something that might bring clues to Makoto.
"Well, I know that my ancestry is Japanese. My great, great grandfather married a Middle Eastern woman and since then have had middle eastern children every generation. My ancestor Great Aunt Rosaline Kino, she seemed to be an amazing woman. But her history goes far back into the A.D. years, a history beyond our time. She was the Japanese daughter of Heron Kino whom I don't seem to recall the name of his mother, but his grandparents I know, he never met. They died when his mother was a little girl., from a aircraft crashing I believe. Before that is very uncertain to me." He explained in honesty.
Makoto only stared at him. Her mouth hung open in immediate shock. She now, in such bad timing, knew why she recalled the name Rashid. Rashid was the name of her own grandfather, whom she had met once in her life and she was Rashid's ancestor.
____________________________________________________________
Well. Did that make any connections to you at all? I'm truly sorry I couldn't update this sooner, but I had the worse case of writer's block for this chapter. When I had written that Makoto recognized Rashid's name in the third chapter, I had completely forgotten why I did that, but then after all this time, I remembered... so there you go. This fic is more popular than my others, which id great, but it is weird cuz I started it on a whim, not because I had this awesome plot!! But I now have a plot, so it should get even better as it continues.
Thankyou, all of you whom have reviewed in the past. If it weren't for you, I would've forgotten about this fic all together.
Megami*Silence
Chapter #4~ The Father Figure part II
AN: Man, oh man. I have had a busy year!! Well one of my New Year's resolutions was to update stories that you people liked, and this is definitely one of them. I'm sorry if you've lost interest only because I've waited too long to update, but if you do like this fic, don't ignore it cuz it only gets better. Thanks.
__________________________________________________________
"Makoto, are you ok?" Quatre asked quickly with the deepest concern.
She thought to herself for a moment but blankly looked up at Rashid and found the words she needed to have to get away from everyone's attention. "Yu- yes, I'm ok. Sorry, I thought I saw....uh something-over there!......But....I was wrong!" She made it up slowly, and it sounded so ridiculous.
"Ok, then." Quatre returned and took a strange glance at her, before turning around to make sure she really didn't see anything near the backyard lake. He was certain no one could go anywhere near them though. The backyard was vast with land, but needed no fence because a lake cut off his land from a neighbors that lived 10 miles across from the lake.
Makoto, still staring at Rashid forgot to blush at her embarrassing moment because she was searching through her memory, very carefully. Where had she heard that name? It was beyond familiar, it was downright fresh in her memory somehow.
She recalled meeting a man, a few weeks before her bad occurrence that landed her into the arms of a rich kids' home and comfort. This man had asked her name, she recalled that. Wait! She now remembered exactly what happened
*Flashback*
Makoto ran down the street in a hurry to get home. She was so happy! She had passed her math with a high percentage, something that seemed so unusual about her. She felt so happy, she wanted to cook a big meal for herself, maybe even invite somebody over to share it with, she didn't care.
Suddenly she tripped over a shoe and face planted herself on the hard concrete ground.
"Oh my, child, please, I'm so very sorry... I'll help you up." An elderly man said, and kneeled next to Makoto, taking her by the arms to pull her up. He held her there until she was steady enough to stand upright by herself.
Then he looked into her eyes. They reminded him of someone. It seemed to him that another girl had fallen from his clumsy foot when he and herself were quite a bit younger, in fact this girl now would have been not more than three years old when it happened.
"Excuse me child, but I was wondering, perhaps a name?" He asked so politely, she flushed deep red with the most embarrassment she felt she would ever feel.
"Of course, My name is Kino Makoto." She said in a slight bow.
He drew forth a deep breath. It was true, she did remind him of that girl, because she was three and it was her mother that had tripped over him. Ever since that fateful day she had visited him, bringing him her sweets and he would give her herbs and spices in return.
One day, when it was her birthday, he had given her an antique family tree book, and she had prepared a list of names. They worked together to fill in the book, but she had asked him to keep it, with her deepest respect. He was almost tearful from her kindness. He wondered if her daughter was the same.
"Would you come into my store for a moment, please child?" He asked just as polite.
Makoto felt nervous. It wasn't a regular event to be tripped and then invited into a store by an old man, but she couldn't be rude to him.. So she followed him.
When they walked inside, she saw many wonderful things. It was an ancient Japanese antique store. Full of the traditional Japanese arts and customs. It aroused an interest deep within her. And the smell, it was a strong odor. Maybe perhaps of Jasmine and Lily of a combination. It was strange but the fragrance lit a smile on her face. He was also an herb ancient. Someone who had much knowledge and talent in herbs, plants and spices then a book could ever teach.
They drew near to the back of the store, but she stopped short of the beaded curtain. "Um, what exactly did you want me to come into your store for?" She was skeptical of his explanation.
"There is something I have that maybe very important to your very existence. I wish abstrusely that you would see it. Please." He pleaded with her. She sighed, maybe he was right, and maybe he wasn't. But she couldn't admit she wasn't a little curious about it, because after all, she was known for her curiosity.
They stepped behind the beaded curtain and it shone a golden light upon her face. It was very beautiful. A golden traditional dragon encircled the room, much too large for such a small space.
The man waddled towards a stand with a glass cover over top of it. It was not the only one, there were many stands that resembled the one he began to open. They all had a picture on the front with gold paint outlining people wooing away there loved ones, it was quite beautiful.
He lifted off the glass covering, but faltered a bit. Makoto came to his rescue and emptied the glass from his aged hands. His strength obviously was decreasing from his old age. He smiled at her courtesy and turned toward the prize on top of the stand.
His eyes glazed with tears. She didn't understand why a ratty old book with torn pages and a musty scent would influence him to cry over it.
He picked the book up and turned toward Makoto again. He carefully placed the book into her arms. She looked at him quizzically. Did he want her to read to him?
Again, he smiled at her doubt, and flipped the pages for her. When he stopped and let the page drift, floating down onto the rest of the book, Makoto gaped at it for a long while, before realizing just how important it really was.
She looked up at the man, "But how?-"
"I knew your mother, before her spirit left to find True Nirvana. She was a kind woman, very brave and self-aware. I adored her as I would my own daughter, but I have not contacted her in several years." He looked down in shame.
Contacted? What was he talking about? "What do you mean, contacted?" She repeated aloud.
"I talk to many spirits, a gift passed down from my ancestors, just as bravery and courage has been passed to you. You have an extraordinary gift, my child. I know you use it for good. It may be a secret in this world, but my connection to the other-world provides much information. I thought I would run into someday, but I was not prepared for it to be so soon.
This is a book of life. It is your family tree, as you can see, names are repeated every 50 years, every name but yours." He looked directly into her eyes, "You are very special, in your future I see many children, yes, everything repeats, everything but what you'll go through."
He was so confusing. She didn't really follow what he was saying. She knew he was implying that not only did he know she was a Sailor Senshi, but that her destiny was very weird. That she understood. But what did he mean about the children, she was going to have a lot of children? Or there were a lot of children in her tree in the future. Her dumbfounded expression grew tense as the bell rang to announce another body present in the store.
The old man looked towards the door and turned his head towards her once more. Quickly he said to her, "Be prepared for anything, young child, for your fate is different from all others. Keep this book with you, never lose it, or fate lies in the hands of the unwanted, for they will be set free. If this happens, you must fight. Though you are used to that already I realize, but this will be more than a physical battle. Please, hold onto this book."
He smiled tenderly, and started to walk away.
"But wait, I want to know about this guy, Rashid! Is he my grandfa-" The man was gone.
Makoto twirled around and saw nothing, it was like a dream, but reality was that she saw him. She still had the book.
*end of Flashback*
Makoto had not blinked for a while, as she thought of this. A tear ran down her cheek. She thought she already had enough problems, but now it was worse. She did not have the book.
Duo and Catherine looked at each other. They didn't know what was wrong with Makoto, but they didn't really want to interrupt her thoughts.
When they saw another tear run down her cheek, Duo lost his own thoughts and his grip on his fork loosened, allowing it to fall onto the plate, breaking everyone from their thoughts to stare him down.
"Hehe.... oops." He said.
"Idiot....." Wufei whispered in a barely audible voice. Makoto snorted, and almost giggled, but didn't want Duo, nor anyone else to be mad. She was brought back to life, herself, with Duo's noisiness.
Quatre and Rashid had been lost in 'business' conversation, but Quatre felt rude and stood up. "Rashid, I'm sure you remember my friends here," he pointed to the boys and Catherine, "But this is my new friend, Makoto Kino."
Rashid stood up and bowed to her. She blushed and said a quiet, 'nice to meet you.'
Rashid looked at her with awe. She looked so familiar, like a family member. He saw the resemblance thoroughly with her brown hair and green eyes. Rashid's own mother had green eyes, that exact shade, emerald. It happened to run in the family.
'Makoto, huh...',"You aren't related to Rosaline Kino, by any chance are you?" he asked her. She looked at him with complete innocence.
She thought over and over again to see if she could distinguish that name from the book. Yes, she did believe she recognized it. It was a great ancestor of hers, but he was probably talking about a more recent Rosaline.
"Uh, no I don't think I am, no." She answered nervously. Rashid did not make her nervous, it was the fact he knew someone of her bloodline, and that his name was apart of it also. But she couldn't be certain. 'This could happen to anyone.' she continued to tell herself.
But she needed the book.
"Well, I'm full, lets go do something huh?" Duo suggested.
"Yah, I'm starting to feel chilled, and it's getting darker. It's probably better indoors." Catherine added. Duo nodded to her statement aggressively.
They cleared the table and brought everything into the house. Makoto followed closely behind Quatre and Rashid. She wanted to learn more about him, but she didn't know how. Somehow she was going to get inside his head and learn his knowledge.
The group went into the main room and they all took a seat. Makoto looked all around her, and admired the decor. Silver-white angels were molded out of the ceiling they stared down upon them and smiled, they were protection from evil.
And then.... silence. No one knew what to say. Since the awkward beginning of dinner, to the awkward ending, it was difficult to make conversation, trying to exclude the strange occurrences that had recently been happening.
Catherine and Duo whispered to each other, while the rest of them simply sat and stared at nothing in particular.
Soon Makoto was tired of it, and stood to stretch as she yawned.
Wufei stared at her, noticing how shapely her body became when her simple small dress clung to her in her stretch. What? He really noticed that? Wow. This was different, but no matter how ignorant he was of females, he still was a guy, and guys can think about things once in a while. Great! Now he was making stupid excuses about his stupid thoughts. Ever since she came into their lives, she crazed his thoughts. He didn't know what to think. It was almost making him mad. Actually it had made him mad already, This was so confusing.
"Well, I'm going to bed now. I'm glad that I could meet you Catherine, and you too Rashid." She looked around and nodded to the boys. Wufei had his doubts.
Then she started to walk away. As she turned the corner, and was about to ascend the stairs, she noticed a hallway of which she had never traveled through before. She didn't think it was an 'out of bounds' area, and she felt that it was safe for her to explore. So she started to walk down the hall.
As she passed the first room she looked inside of it. It was a technical room. There were many computers, so many of them, she couldn't count. She had never seen that many computers in one setting before. Not only were there computers, but it was like a NASA unit in the room. Many machinery that did God knows what, there a lot of buttons, she didn't understand how anyone could remember what to push when. There was a huge screen at the opposite side of the room, from where she stood. She liked the impassiveness of the room. It reminded her of Heero, and his eyes. She thought about them for a bit. She had never seen such coldness in a human like Heero. He intrigued her to no end. His deathly stare sent shivers down her spine.
In her absent minded thoughts, she leaned on the computer and then yelped from a sudden noise.
"You should be careful of where you enter." A deep and manly voice lowly spoke. His voice was almost in a growl, from such a deep tune. Makoto whipped around and wide-eyed stared at his handsome figure.
He was very handsome, guessing that his age was mid 30's. He had been wearing a red cap when she first saw him, but she guessed he removed it in respect. She was less nervous now, being that it was only their presence in the room. Though she didn't really know what to say to him.
"Are you good with the computer?" He asked politely, seeming like he was making conversation.
Makoto snorted, "Yah, right. I was born illiterate of anything electronic." She laughed. He smiled narrowly.
"What can you do?" Rashid asked trying to pry more information from her, not knowing whether he could lay trust within her or not.
She perked up and with her chin rising into the air, "I am an excellent cook as a matter of fact." She was satisfied in her own talents.
This was not what he expected to hear at all. He was waiting for a skill of the martial arts or weaponry expertise, not of bread baking. He silently laughed at his own suspicion of her. She could not be any more harmless than a sweet little girl. He finally approached her with a kinder grin.
In turn, she smiled at him. Her awareness that he didn't trust her at all seemed disappointing. She didn't know this man very well, but she had this eerie urge to bear hug him. She had to calm her acceptance of him down a little because she wasn't sure how to handle herself around him. To her relief, he was a man of emotions, probably from the years he had known Quatre., so he told her what he felt.
"I had my suspicions of you when we were introduced, but I can see that you bring no harm to Master Quatre,
'So he thought I was here to hurt Quatre, huh?' She couldn't help thinking abhorrently, but thought otherwise when he continued.
"When I saw your eyes, I recognized a bit of myself inside of you. You have an aura that explains yourself. You are very strong, I can see that. You may only be a female, but in any case you can be strong no matter the gender.
'Where is he going with this?' She wondered. She didn't even know him, yet he was almost bearing all his feelings to her.
"It is obvious that you had realized I was skeptical that you had happened to 'befriend' Master Quatre. Actually, to all of us, we thought you may have been apart of some kind of alliance with the Oz base. But forgive us, we meant not to brush you the wrong way."
Now she captured the true intention of this guy. He thought she was the enemy. She was aware fully, that they could not be 100% honest with her about everything, but she didn't suspect for a moment that they might feel she was from 'the other side'. And although she had very scarce care for these people, she felt deeply hurt by what she had just learned. Maybe she should have not allowed Quatre to take her in, she should have found a way home in the first place.
Rashid stood his ground, he moved not an inch. But Makoto, too did not move, lost in her thoughts of what the new information surfaced within her. But neither of them realized there was a person shadowed by the door, listening to everything. The person cursed Rashid for giving away valuable information that had given them an advantage, to a person who, could, be their enemy regardless of her talent in 'cooking.' He was well prepared for these kind of occasions, that he thought better of it and silently walked away.
*****
Makoto woke to a gentle breeze that chilled her bare arms. Sleepily, she raised her tired body upwards and pulled her blanket higher around her. Underneath, she hugged herself. She laid her head, on it's side, on her knees and stared out through the window, at the misty lake. The sun had just recently began to rise, and the orange light beamed off of the lake and up into the other half of the sky that remained dark. It was a metaphor of good and evil, the good could always, somehow, reflect into the darkness. Just as Usagi could make it happen.
In the room directly beneath her, Makoto could here a loud bang of something metallic. Surely, no one could be up at this hour and not be only lazing around. Her curiosity, which had grown more than it should have since her arrival, over ranked her scornful thoughts and she immediately scrambled from her bed, like a little child, ran to the mound of boxes, she didn't bother opening and putting clothes away; she searched for a sweater which was thick wool and very warm.
She pulled the sweater over her head, ran into the bathroom, grabbed a hair elastic and made her way out of her room. Sprinting down the hall, she sloppily tangled her hair into a messy bun, but large strands of hair fell out as her journey to the bottom of the stairs went along.
If her calculations were correct, this room was the room just below her own. It was the training room. 'No kidding,' she thought, 'Quatre has really outdone himself.' She trained also. She enjoyed a good workout, it made her feel more relaxed, especially when she was angry.
It was a rather large room too. In the corner she saw a long barbell lying on the ground. A mat had been on the ground, but it obviously didn't make it. He must've been running with it or something, but the thought made Makoto smirk.
On the diagonal of her position, Wufei Chang's back was to her. He wore no shirt, and she watched as he lifted a steel dumbbell up and down repeatedly. It looked like a rather high number, possibly a weight of the hundreds, maybe two. She wasn't surprised at all. He was, after all, a good looking Chinese boy, and the look wouldn't be complete without muscles. And he had muscles. As he lowered the dumbbell she noticed his definition clearly, then he raised the dumbbell and his muscles tensed in his strength. They popped out and sweat ran down his back, allowing it to glisten. She quite liked the view.
"Knocking is usually the polite way to enter a room when it's occupied." He remarked arrogantly, prominently staring at her reflection in the massive glass window. The room was half glass and half wood There were huge windows and a sliding door. Large blue curtains were strewn across half the windows, but as the sun rose, orange an pink filled the room intensely.
When Wufei let the dumbbell drop, her turned around to face her. He was very sodden in his own perspiration, and Makoto saw that his towel was lying, along with his shirt, next to her on a chair. She kindly picked it up and walked quickly toward him.
"Well, I woke from hearing your weights drop, it was loud. You must lift a lot." She said, in hope to make him release her from his glare with her eagerness to brag about him.
When she came nearer him and offered his towel, she also offered a friendly smile which he did not return.
He grabbed at the towel. "I don't need your help, nor your comments. You do not impress me at all. You are, after all, only a girl." He said and wiped away the moisture from his face, turning his back on her once again. Then he threw the towel down, bending over to pick the dumbbell up once again.
'Only a girl? ONLY A GIRL!!!' She screamed within herself. Who does he think he is? He doesn't have the right to insult her like that, it didn't matter if he lived there before her, or not. She was not just another girl. She was a person too. His words did not sit well with her and she turned away from him, stomping her feet as she walked.
"Maybe you should pay a visit to the cook, I'm sure he could find use for you, since you like that choice in chore." He almost sounded nice to her, but she quickly realized where his information came from and how stupid his statement was.
"And maybe YOU shouldn't listen to other people's conversations, you are rude and ignorant!!" She complained.
He only snorted, "Don't act like you are so tough, because you are weak. You are no match for me."
"Oh, is that so! Well maybe I should prove how much of a match I am against you, huh?" She expressed out of pure infuriation.
"That would be interesting, but I do not fight girls, it is dishonorable."
"And insulting them isn't? Who raised you? You certainly have misunderstood what manners are!" she fired at him, rising unexpected anger from him.
"Do not speak to me with such disrespect!"
"Don't tell me what to do!"
"You are unbelievable! I don't understand why Winner would even invite you to stay here."
"Maybe because Quatre has something inside of him that civilized people refer to as compassion, something I can plainly see you have no comprehension of." And when she finished her statement, leaving Wufei in shock, she thundered out the door and down the hall looking for some room where she could shut the door loudly.
Wufei only stared at the empty doorway. It wasn't so much that she had insulted him, like he did to her, but it was that she had judged him in a way that was correct. He had lack of compassion in him, but he didn't think anything of it because it was weak. So he was determined that he wouldn't let it attack his mind anymore, but he would figure out what to do about it later.
Makoto opened an unlocked door and shut it loudly behind her, as she had planned, hoping Wufei would hear how angry he made her. When she drew a deep breath, she turned away from the door and looked at where she traveled into.
In her surroundings, she understood that she was in a large greenhouse that was connected to the house itself. It was so beautiful. There were so many plants and flowers standing up so tall above her in every shade and every colour. She could smell a mixture of scents, all of them tickling her nose and she was grateful. It cleared her mind from the anger that choked her from words. Now she was able to smile again.
She saw all over the ground were fresh vegetables and more plants, and so many herbs. Quatre had himself his own Eden, rich with all fruits and vegetables. The orange and pink light shone clear through the glass above her . It must have stretched a good 20 feet from her own height. She was engulfed by the breathtaking scene that showered her presence.
In the corner she saw that there was another door, leading into a secret room perhaps? She moved in it's direction and opened the door. She searched for a light switch on the wall and flicked on the radiant light. It was protected by a greyish cover, to make the light duller. She was standing inside of a stillroom. A room where herbs and plants were used to create medicines, cremes and lotions. It smelled mostly of Jasmine. It was a plain room, with many cupboards and a wide shelf. They were all bare, as was the counter with its lone sink. A table and two chairs furnished the room, but that was all. No one must have even attempted to use this room, by the look of it. It was just, there.
Maybe this room could be useful to her in the future. She thought about it thoughtfully. Then she turned the light off and closed the door as she exited the room.
When she slowly walked back to the hall, she noticed the door was open. 'That's funny, I thought I closed the door behind me.' As if someone heard her thoughts, a familiar voice answered.
"I followed you here when I heard shouting." Makoto turned herself around to meet the kind gaze of Rashid. "I understand that you had a disagreement with the Wufei fellow." He said making clear of what had happened.
"No, not a disagreement, we had a loud fight. And I don't think I've met anyone as arrogant as him!" She pointed towards the wall on her right, as if Wufei had been standing there.
"Please, understand that he is trying to accept your presence at this house, like the others are also. And, although it was rude for him to listen to our conversation last night-"
"Wait a minute! You knew he was there?" She interrupted.
He nodded, "I knew, I saw his urge to follow me when I had walked down the hall a little after you had."
Makoto felt like she was trusting him, because it was important to her to be able to trust someone she talked to so affectionately. But she didn't know what affection she had for the man, only that it was there. But he did not trust her, and that made her conversation very tight-lipped.
"Why do you follow me so much? And why do you talk to me like you're trying to confide to me?" She asked with innocence, that he knew was a wild flare of hers.
His answer wasn't complete, because in all honesty, he didn't know why exactly he wanted to talk to her like she was apart of his family. But he felt he made a connection with her in some odd way.
"I merely want to know you, as Master Quatre's guardian, it's my duty to be well informed of the people that reside in his home. Yes, you are welcomed here, but you are still a stranger, and that is not comforting, especially during such an unfriendly war." He reminded her of someone. Someone she had known so well when she was younger. The distinction between the two was incredible.
"I understand that it could be uncomfortable to have me stay here without knowing about me, but it is equally discomforting to know nothing of my host and why he was so eager to take me in when I woke up in a hospital which I still have no idea how I had gotten to." She retorted. She received an impressed smile.
"Fair enough. Maybe we should talk some more then. Perhaps, over breakfast. Not everyone joins the table at the same hour in the morning, so it would be just the two of us." He asked.
She smiled, more content of his insistency about questioning her. "That would be cool." And she took the lead, while he followed behind respectfully. Now she was not afraid to be herself, because she had someone with her in the house that related with her thoughts. It was so much more welcoming, only because the person she was, not because Quatre didn't make her feel welcomed.
They sat down in the dining room, and waited until breakfast was served, to talk. Halfway through the meal Rashid asked the first question.
"Why did you accept Quatre's invitation to live here temporarily?" Makoto stopped eating. The question did not disturb her, but the way he said 'temporarily' did. Maybe she wasn't going to stay there forever, but it sounded more like he wanted her to leave as soon as possible. Although his eyes showed no sign of unwontedness. But the question in itself was fair.
"Well, when I woke up, I had no idea where I was. But Quatre was right by my side and he seemed so eager to help me, or be my friend or something, so when he offered, I thought it was better than staying in a hospital with a bunch of people that would make better use the room I occupied." He nodded to this, accepting her answer. "Well, why are you Quatre's guardian?"
"Master Quatre's mother died during child birth, and so his father was the only parent he had left. I was already apart of his life because I am second in command of the Maguanac Peace Corps. There are many of us, and we protect Master Quatre from danger. But his father had been killed throughout the war and left Quatre with no parent. Although he is legally the heir of the inheritance to own, he is still young and he asked for me to be his assistant."
"But if you're his assistant, why are you called his guardian?" She continued.
"Master Quatre insists that he call me his guardian because that is the way he thinks of me." He replied with no hint of irritation on his face or in his tone.
They stopped talking for a bit and ate some more, when another question halted Makoto's consumption of eggs. "Rashid?" She asked with a tone of innocence.
"Hmm?"
"Would you mind telling me about your heritage?" She asked him. "Never mind ... That was a rude question."
"Not at all. My father was a very poor man that came to Master Quatre's family in search of a doctor for my mother, as she was pregnant with me, and ready to give birth. Master Quatre's grandfather, became the doctor as he delivered me. We were very close to his family from then on, and when I was raised, I was raised as a soldier sworn to protect not only my best friend, Master Quatre's father, but his whole family."
"Really? That's an amazing story." She said in awe of the history. But shook her head, as that was not the history she wanted to learn about. "What about your ancestors?" She wanted an answer that satisfied her, one that reached deeper into his thoughts of people he had never even met, something that might bring clues to Makoto.
"Well, I know that my ancestry is Japanese. My great, great grandfather married a Middle Eastern woman and since then have had middle eastern children every generation. My ancestor Great Aunt Rosaline Kino, she seemed to be an amazing woman. But her history goes far back into the A.D. years, a history beyond our time. She was the Japanese daughter of Heron Kino whom I don't seem to recall the name of his mother, but his grandparents I know, he never met. They died when his mother was a little girl., from a aircraft crashing I believe. Before that is very uncertain to me." He explained in honesty.
Makoto only stared at him. Her mouth hung open in immediate shock. She now, in such bad timing, knew why she recalled the name Rashid. Rashid was the name of her own grandfather, whom she had met once in her life and she was Rashid's ancestor.
____________________________________________________________
Well. Did that make any connections to you at all? I'm truly sorry I couldn't update this sooner, but I had the worse case of writer's block for this chapter. When I had written that Makoto recognized Rashid's name in the third chapter, I had completely forgotten why I did that, but then after all this time, I remembered... so there you go. This fic is more popular than my others, which id great, but it is weird cuz I started it on a whim, not because I had this awesome plot!! But I now have a plot, so it should get even better as it continues.
Thankyou, all of you whom have reviewed in the past. If it weren't for you, I would've forgotten about this fic all together.
Megami*Silence
