Revelations of the Worlds
Chapter 11: Haunting of the damned
After hours of watching Rei make preparations for the war she would carry out on her own with only the help of about 10 individuals, Yusuke and Keiko were shown to the vast inner bowels of the palace where each of the royal court had their living quarters. The living quarter for the Martian Matriarch was beautiful; with red, gold and orange like the flames as the signature colors. When Hiei and the others joined them after being given a security tour by Phobos and Deimos, all were shown the main reception room. On the wall next to the plush chairs was a huge painting, if not mural, of what the group assumed to be the only picture of the former Martian royal family.
"Who are those people Phobos-san?" Yukina softly inquired before the elder of the twins smiled at the younger woman.
"Those are Rei's parents or at least her father and adopted mother. I remember this painting when it was just in its beginning stages. Rei was only about 5 earth years ago when this painting was made. Not long after this painting was finished though, an inner betrayal happened. The King and Queen were murdered and Rei was the only survivor from the attack." The woman spoke as if nostalgic, a sad smile on her lips as she stared at the only family picture that was able to be recovered from the room that was burned from Rei's premature awakening.
"Her mother looks so beautiful." Yukina smiled.
"Lady Rhila was a very benevolent and merciful woman, although she was not our lord's true life mate and she could bear him no children she took Rei as her own and did her best to be certain that our princess, now our queen, would become strong. Never would we have imagined though the nightmares and horrors we would have to see with our very eyes in the thousands of years my sister and I have lived." Phobos quipped before Rei came into the reception room, her frame with baby bump now covered in a beautiful gown that was half plated with armor.
There was embroidery beading which looked like flames over her bodice and at the hem of the beautiful gown which was a rich wine red, as the armor that plated half of the bodice was subtle yet apparent. Her wrists were adorned with golden ruby-encrusted bangles as a pair of dangling ruby earrings hung from her ears. The beauty that was beheld by the way she presented herself was almost deceitful as the group noted that large sword that was hanging dangerously from her side.
"It's not much but please, to at least put my mind at ease, make yourselves at home and stay for your safety since you refuse to turn the other cheek." The royal smiled sadly as her violet eyes stared at the family picture that was behind the friends in front of her.
"Rei-chan, this is just so crazy." Keiko whispered as the Martian royal came up to her friend and took a hand in hers.
"Again I apologize so much for dragging you into this. You and those most precious to you Keiko-chan. I don't want you to loose everything like I have, but then again this is not the first time that I've been left in the ashes." Rei confessed, the melancholy smile still etched on her lips as she let go of the hand and started to show everyone to their rooms.
Phobos and Deimos took Keiko, Yusuke, Yukina and Kuwabara to the south side as Rei directed Kurama and Hiei to the north side. The two demons were watching the woman walking in front of them closely, their haunches raised and their awareness on high. Yet as she turned to show them their rooms, the demons were confused to see that melancholy was in her eyes yet again.
"The room to your left will be yours Shuichi-san, Jaganshi your room in one the right. My room is further down the hall at the end. Don't enter it period." She uttered before turning back around and marching toward the large doors at the end of the hall; Phobos and Deimos rushing past the demons to catch up with the woman who was now holding her head in her hands.
"Rei-sama, perhaps you should stay in your quarters for now and sleep" Phobos cooed.
"Yes you should rest my queen. This is a homecoming which should never have happened in the first place." Deimos said while giving the woman support before the doors were opened and shut, the raven haired beauty now contained in her room.
Kurama looked at Hiei and then went into his appointed room and looked around. The room was themed with a space-like theme. The walls were all painted a deep royal blue with spots of deep purple looking like stars as many tiffany lamps dimly lit the room. The bed was a large queen sized bed with violet blankets and sheets and a large vanity was to his right as he closed the door. As he was about to sit on the bed he noticed something on the bed.
Resting lazily on the bed was a sleep set meant for a young woman, deep purple flannel pants and a deep purple tank top, along with a multi-bristled brush for that of a person with short hair. Carefully the demon picked up the personal items of the room's last occupant and placed it on the vanity when he noted a picture stuck to the mirror. Two pairs of violet eyes stared back at him, similar hued black hair flowing behind the two women that were in the picture although one had longer hair than the other. Taking the picture off the mirror, Kurama turned the picture over and saw beautifully scribed English writing on the back.
'Big sis and I at the botanical gardens for hanami April 20XX –Hotaru'
As Kurama was about to put the picture down, noting that he'd been looking over the similarities between the twin sister whom Rei shared the same blood with for more than 4 hours, the most terrifying noise echoed through the entire area. He rushed out of the room and saw the others running toward the final room where Rei was currently residing in.
A series of long, tortured screams rang chillingly through the part of the palace they were in. It was constant, bone-wrenching and full of pain and sorrow.
"USAGI!!" Was all the group could register before the sounds of a violent struggle echoed the halls and the doors were blown open by a red haired and red eyed woman that was Rei that held the deadly sword in that of an expert swordswoman.
There were chains obviously broken dragging from the woman's wrists which were now bloodied, more than likely the struggle that the group heard. The blood dripping from her wrists flickering with living flames.
"Where are they! Tell me now! That's an order!" A harsh tone came from the woman as she faced her hysterical retainers that were garbed in the silks the group saw them in earlier along with beautiful wings of crimson and blue.
"They're dead Rei-sama! Please wake up!" Phobos cried before being shoved back with the same force that knocked the doors open.
"I am awake! Wide awake Phobos! I have to find him! I have to find him now!" Rei cried while running toward the group that was watching the living flames dance dangerously in the trail that her blood left behind.
"I don't know where he is Rei-sama! Please wake up!" Deimos cried while and flying to get in front of Rei but to be swatted to the side.
The temperature of the room started to escalate as Rei took each step, when she turned around the flames were dancing around her, tears were running down her face. Desperation in her eyes, fear and hopelessness in her stance as her body trembled.
"I placed you both in charge of keeping him safe! He's deaf, blind, mute and he's alone while everyone is getting killed!" Her voice was hoarse, mournful as she wiped back around to continue down the vast hall.
Or at least until she was stopped by Hiei who was staring hard at her; the demon instantly noted her lifeless eyes, blood and horror stilled in her eyes. She was trapped in a nightmare of which the twin women knew the contents. With how they were quickly trying to contain her, he figured that the twins knew who she was talking about.
"Rei-sama! We can't find him! We don't sense his presence at all!" Deimos cried before crumbling to her knees and sobbing, the woman utterly defeated at the way that Rei was.
"He's dead Rei-sama. We failed your confidence. He's nowhere to be found. The enemy took his body." Phobos solemnly spoke before Rei's body went stock still and the sword she held in her hands landing to the ground, a loud resounding clatter following the metal weapon's fall.
"No….no….not him…please father no. Ah…." Rei's hands went to head and her heart as if she was feeling immense pain.
Hiei noted the faint flicker of her eyes going between red and violet yet her eyes didn't come back to that of consciousness.
"Please….anything but….not my….." Her bloodied hands were barely reaching past Hiei's head before she rushed past him and slid to her knees and holding her arms out as if holding something, or someone.
At this motion, Hiei noted the two women shaking their heads and sobbing hard, they knew what the blood eyed and haired woman was holding in her nightmare's beckoning. A scream came from Rei's lips before she curled more into whatever it was she was holding in her nightmare.
"WHY DID YOU DO THIS?! HE'S ONLY 8! WHY?!" The blood tears coursed down her face as she nuzzled the face of the now identified child that was in her nightmare.
Keiko stood and watched Rei sob uncontrollably, something was wrong, very wrong about this. As Rei's shaking shoulders sagged and the flesh from her back tore displaying wings of black and light pink, the brunette noted the motions very frighteningly.
"You took my child from me. You took my son from me for revenge? How petty! You did all of this to get back at me for something I never did. I loved your parents Higoyi….why would I kill your mother when I allowed her to live in my home? Your father was one of my soldier's, he was like my brother. Why would I do such a thing? Is this your sick and twisted way of doing an eye for an eye?" Rei's voice quavered as she stood up and erect as she rested her hand on her heart.
Deimos got up at this and shook her head more before grabbing Hiei's arm and pulling him back to a safe range. Yusuke grabbed tightly onto her other arm, brown eyes in a deep glare as he silently inquired with eyes what this was about.
"I summon the dagger of which my father once wielded; I command all the power of my blood to leave my broken body and seal away all of those in charge of this meaningless massacre. My life be damned if I survive this, I will unleash my portion of the abyss if I still live. Please father, allow me to seal it all in this damned palace of a glass kingdom." Was all that left Rei's lips before her hair returned to raven and her red eyes went back to violet after she seemed to spin a dagger that was a physical weapon in her nightmare and stab herself in the heart.
Rei had passed out, her nightmare's end, and had went to descend to the floor under her. Hiei had pushed past Deimos and caught the now slumbering woman to see the fire no longer dancing from the dribbling blood that escaped her wrists. Her skin was slick with a cold sweat as her wings dripped blood, the damage to the flesh on her back studied by the hiyokai before he scooped her limp body to a bridal style hold.
"What the hell was that about onna? You now have an obligation to answer any question we ask about what we just saw." Hiei hissed to the guardians that were surrounded by the humans.
With resignation, Deimos turned to her sister before moving from her sister's side. Phobos, being the elder of the twins but also the only witness of what happened to Rei stepped forward, her eyes near onyx and her shoulders stiff as she took a quick glimpse to Rei's inert body as if apologizing to the unconscious woman before returning her attention back to the group before her and her twin.
"Rei-sama had bore a male child with no mate, and he was murdered right before her eyes during the attack of Crystal Tokyo. She sealed the powers of her father that runs in her veins into the seal that once kept this palace locked from outsiders coming in"
Author's Notes: There ya go peeps. Another update just for you. I was going to make this an interlude chapter but I thought it was time to put in the one factor in it that I've wanted to put in for a long time. In the next chappy we will refocus on the information that now with Phobos back with Rei, the seal to the Crystal Palace was decimated leaving it easy for them to enter the palace. Again I give my thanks to Xiao and Lethal-Siren for being my muses. Within Temptation and Nightwish influencing the scenes as they played in my head.