"You weak onna," Wufei snarled at Mitsuko, "We have no reason to fight, I have no time."
"Say that again Chang and you'll wish you had never touched my sister." She darted towards him with her sword aimed at his chest. Wufei, using the skills he had been taught since he was a toddler, thwarted the attack by blocking it with his katana and reared her to the side.
She fell to the floor and quickly jumped to her feet and, without a moment's hesitation, charged at him again. Yet again he fended off the attack.
"Onna, stop this!" he shouted, "You're going to lose, I didn't hurt your sister!"
"Hm, you need to be disciplined," Mitsuko said darkly, "You don't go hurting anyone and get away with it, also lying about it too."
"You're crazy! Besides, you can't beat me!"
"Well you're in for a rude awakening," she whispered with a deadly snarl. Gathering all her strength, she charged at him again, with her body crouched low and the katana held firmly by her side.
With a loud crash and clang of metal, something or someone, had stopped her from going forward. Mitsuko gasped and growled.
"Raye, what the hell are you doing?" she screamed. Raye blocked Mitsuko's katana with her own and was struggling to force her back.
"Mitsu we don't need to fight!" she grunted.
"Get out of the way Raye," Mitsuko hissed. The two blades scraped each other causing a teeth-grinding sound to escape.
"He didn't hurt Aiko, it wasn't him!" Raye cried, "It was Jin!"
"Raye just let me handle her." Wufei ordered from behind them.
"No Wufei, no more fighting!"
"Raye…."
"Wufei, I said no!"
"You speak to each other as if you were good companions." Mitsuko said looking back from Wufei and Raye. Raye tensed and averted her eyes to the ground, trying not to look guilty.
"I see. Having a little affair are we? I thought you were a bit strange during the past few months." Mitsuko continued with a sly, slightly in wondering awe voice. A devious grin appeared on her face. "Some one has been very, very naughty…" Her eyes shot to Raye, who was looking around uneasily.
"You know Raye, you are a spoiled little girl…"
"Yes I might be," Raye, answered boldly, "But I don't know what you're getting at about me and—"
"Don't lie to me!" Mitsuko interrupted, "I know you well enough that you're lying!"
"Don't yell at me!" Raye half-shouted, "Even if you're right you can't punish him for what Jin did! He wasn't even here!" Mitsuko didn't answer but glared at Raye with deadly venom. Finally, after a tensed, silent pause, she lowered her katana.
"I'll get you later boy," she threatened, shooting a detestable glare at Wufei, "Don't you worry, and I'll get that wimpy cousin of yours too." She turned on her heels and walked back to the opening.
Making sure that Mitsuko was fully out of earshot, she turned to Wufei, who had a scowl on his face.
"I can't believe I let an onna threaten me like that," he snarled particularly to no one.
Raye glared at him. "This is no time to worry about that," she snapped at him, "It could've been worse, you don't know Mitsu, she can fight like hell!"
"I could beat her," Wufei said flatly, "Easily too. She might be good, but not good enough to beat me. Onnas like her are weak. You shouldn't have stopped our fight."
"Would you stop it with the Weak onna thing?" Raye pleaded angrily, "If you did beat her, as in killing her, its not going to help the situation we've gotten ourselves into. And I couldn't risk both of you in this fight!"
He didn't answer but just kept a blank stare into the air. Then there was a loud roaring of sirens nearby, suggesting that the police and paramedic had arrived. A loud blur of yelling and tires of cars screeching to stop was heard along with the sirens getting louder and becoming multiple. A couple of fully dressed police officer appeared from the opening, looking slightly surprised and angered. The first one, the one that had a big mustache under his nose and stood nearly 6 feet tall, put his hands on his hips when seeing the large gleaming katana they both carried. He sighed.
"Great…" he muttered.
"Wish we can throw them all into jail…" the second whispered to first one.
*~*
"Both of her eyes were ripped open," Master Hino, Raye's father told Raye the next day in the privacy of his dark room with Naoko, Raye's mother, Akiko and Sayaka by the side.
"She will be blind, there's no way to repair the eyes."
"Poor dear…" Naoko whispered. Raye's mother, who was the older version of Raye, except that her hair was dark brown and not black with wine highlights.
"Can I go see her?" Raye piped up in a small, scared squeaky voice. She knew perfectly the answer would be 'no', but it never hurt ask her.
"NO!" Master Hino boomed out, his hair, which Raye had inherited, went suddenly a mess. "YOUNG LADY DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE DONE?!"
Raye shrank down under her father's glare.
"ANSWER ME RAYE!"
"Yes I do!" Raye shouted angrily in answer. Of course, she knew immediately that she shouldn't have screamed.
"Don't use that tone on me Raye!" he snarled, "You have deliberately disobeyed the family's main Order! You have brought dishonor to our family by knowingly associating with him!"
"So what're going to do?" she asked stubbornly. Akiko bit her tongue painfully. Raye, child, don't be so stubborn nor brave now…
"What did you say to me?" he asked in a low, furious whisper, "Raye, you are the heiress to all of this wealth. Are going to give it all up become you felt some petty feelings for our enemy?"
"He's human, like us, it makes no difference about his name and the clan he is born in!" Raye shouted out loudly and took a step back, "Father, this is ridiculous!"
Master Hino suddenly grasped Raye's left wrist, which still had a scar, and pulled him towards her. Naoko and Akiko both jumped to their feet.
"I'll tell you what's ridiculous," he growled, "This is ridiculous!" He thrust her back violently with a great amount of force. Raye fell onto floor; her long hair flew freely by her side. She turned back to her father and faced him ton her knees.
"You don't know what I'm talking about do you?" she asked in the same, angry whisper her father had used, "You're ignorant and pride is blinding you– Aaah!" Master Hino had suddenly slapped her, but the slap was so strong and full of anger that it sent Raye back a few feet. Naoko shrieked and rushed to her husband.
"Shinji, no…" she begged. Akiko went to Raye and helped her sit up. She cleared her hair from her face and silently gasped at Raye's left check that was red and swollen. Raye started crying, misty, white tears slowly flowed out of her eyes and onto her cheeks, making wet streaks as it flowed down.
Angry, Akiko whipped around to face her employer and glared at him callously.
"Sir," she began in trembling voice, "You can't teach her by hurting her…you know that perfectly well."
"This isn't your business Akiko," he spat, "Get out of the way and maybe I'll forget about how bad you do your job."
"No." Akiko answered without budging, "I helped her sir. In all of this." Raye sobbed louder and tugged at Akiko's dress.
"No Akiko…" she whispered.
"You did?" he grumbled, shaking his head, "Then you're fired. Now leave."
"No!" Akiko answered boldly, "I will not leave Raye to be punished by her father. She has it more then enough from Sayaka and it never helped did it?" Sayaka grunted disapprovingly from afar.
"Leave before I have you arrested!" Master Hino bellowed.
"If you promise you won't lay a finger on Raye." She said defiantly. He sighed. Almost rolled his eyes, and nodded.
"Get her out of my sight and start packing. We leave in 3 days."
**
"Leave where Akiko?" Raye asked desperately when Akiko had half-carried her back to her room.
"I'm sorry Miss that I did not tell you this sooner," Akiko said softly while opening Raye's walk-in closet.
"Apologize later," Raye yelled shaking her head rapidly, "Where are we going? Answer me!"
"Your grandpa, your mother's father, had convinced your father to move the whole clan to earth."
"What…?" Raye breathed putting her hands to her mouth, "W-Why…?"
"I hadn't the heart Raye to tell you," Akiko explained sadly, "I just couldn't…"
"You knew and you didn't tell me?" Raye was muttering under breath, "And Aiko too?"
"Yes."
With her anger exceeding her boiling point, she steamed. Raye got up to her feet and ran outside to the balcony. Akiko rushed after her.
"Raye…"
"I hate you!" Raye cried with tears streaming down her face, "Damn you, why didn't you tell me?!" Akiko approached her and attempted to touch her shoulder but Raye slapped her hand away.
"Don't touch me!" Raye ordered between her sobs. Her face was red, and blemished with tears.
"I'll take you to see Aiko tomorrow," Akiko said softly, "Come in when you feel like it." And she went back inside.
Raye stayed outside for at least 2 more hours. Akiko had shut off the light in the room and it soon became pitch dark. The moon was half full, though you could still see the other half that had a dim light. The air became suddenly cold and cooled her hot face. The icy wind invited her hair and loose clothing to a dance in the air, blowing it her right.
How her heart was hurting, churning in pain. With eyes still fresh with tears she refused to let fall, she stared out into the dark night, into the endless darkness and into the vague horizon. Suddenly she broke into tears and rested her head on the stone balcony rail and continued sobbing throughout the night, until finally she fell asleep and Akiko came out and brought her back in.
*~*
"Don't approach her too hastily," the Doctor warned Raye the next day at the hospital, "She tends to scream and throw things at you with terribly good accuracy."
Raye grinned and nodded. "Sounds like her."
"Go ahead." The doctor said and opened the door. Raye stepped in and pulled the door close. When the door snapped shout with a faint click, Aiko, who was sitting, more likely, slouching in her bed, sat up suddenly and stayed alert. Her eyes were under layers of white bandage.
"Who's there?" she whispered.
"Its me." Raye answered and sat on a chair by the bed.
Aiko's face broke into an excited grin. "Raye?" she breathed, "Oh Raye, I was waiting for you!"
Raye chuckled. "I'm sorry I couldn't come earlier."
"That's okay, I knew you were being beaten by your father." She answered good-naturedly, "Its that predictable."
"Oh…"
"About Wufei…"
"What about him?"
"Have you seen him lately?"
Raye scoffed and laughed a dry laugh. "Ya think? No, I couldn't sneak out…I mean, if you were—"
"Raye," Aiko interrupted with an amused attack, "Remember, I'm blind."
"Yeah I know," Raye muttered. She sighed messaged her forehead, "I know. Maybe I should just forget about him—OW!" Aiko had suddenly chucked a small pillow at Raye's face with great force and accuracy.
"I thought you were supposed to be blind!" Raye half-shouted rubbing her nose and throwing the pillow Aiko had hit her with on the ground.
"I am," Aiko, replied, "You breathe so loud that I could pin-point you easily. I have other senses too, not just the eyes."
"I do not breathe loud!" Raye retorted, "Why'd you hit me though?"
"You are not to forget about him!" she snapped, crossing her arms across her chest.
"I'm not…?" Raye answered, slightly deterred, "But I can't—OW!" Aiko had threw yet another pillow at her.
"Stop hitting me! You know what? I'm really beginning to doubt that you are blind!"
"Raye," Aiko continued, ignoring Raye's comment, she turned her head to where supposedly Raye was to be and frowned, though you couldn't really see it, "I did not give up my eye sight so that you can forget about him Raye!"
"You did it for me, so I can be with him?" Raye asked.
"Well, not entirely for him either but for you. I can tell you this much, its absolutely sucks being blind." Aiko answered promptly, "Everyone feels so sorry because my eyes were ripped out, but I sort of like it."
"Oh…" Raye put on a slanted frown.
"See," Aiko pointed out, "Even you do, and I can hear it in your voice." Raye didn't answer. She looked down guiltily into her hands.
"Raye?"
"Yeah?"
"Wufei was here." Aiko said quickly. Raye stared at her for a while, letting the sentence slowly sink in. And when it did, her eyes widened.
"What?!"
"Don't scream." Aiko said pouting, "Now, he thought you were here, but when I said you weren't, he told me to tell you something." Raye grasped Aiko's shoulder and shook it back and forth rough.
"Aiko tell me what he said," Raye demanded, "Please." Aiko giggled playfully.
"Stop shaking me then." Raye stopped and slumped back into her chair.
"He says to meet him in the park, he says that you know which, at midnight tomorrow night. He has something to tell you, something important."
"And I, him." Raye groaned, "About our moving."
"You know now?" Aiko asked.
"Yes."
"Hm, Raye, I get to come home this evening, I'll help to go to him, risk being caught and beaten Raye, this will be the last time you'll see him."
Raye nodded, forgetting that Aiko couldn't see.
"Raye?" Aiko called out, "Are still there?"
"Yes. And I will go."
Aiko grinned at Raye's answer and lay back on her bed. "Good girl."
*~*
The next night, Raye defied her orders for the last time and sneaked out into the park. Aiko waited in Raye's room, knowing that sooner or later Sayaka and Naoko was going to find out. But that didn't matter.
It was 2 hours later when she heard Raye being dragged into the room by Sayaka. She was crying and sobbing loudly.
"Stay in here girl," came the harsh voice of Sayaka. And then Aiko heard footsteps leaving the room. Raye was still crying.
"Raye," she whispered, "Are you alright?"
"Yes," Raye answered, her voice full of tears.
"What happened?" Aiko asked desperately feeling around for Raye. Raye came up to Aiko and touched her hands so Aiko would now where she was.
"I met him," Raye answered, her sobs had abated a bit, "He gave me a chain, a beautiful ruby…Sayaka broke it…"
"Sounds like her." Aiko said disgustingly, "How'd he take your news?"
"He told me to be strong," Raye answered resting her head on Aiko's laps. Aiko slowly ran her hands through Raye hands, gently soothing her like a mother would do.
"What else sweetie?" Aiko asked in a gentle voice.
"He's getting married."
Aiko gasped. "What?" she asked softly, "He's only 13."
"Unfortunately, he's betrothed." Raye informed in a slightly laughing tone, "Part of the Long Clan's requirements."
"Oh, I don't know what to say…"
"Don't say anything," Raye whispered.
"I think you should forget about him." Aiko whispered into Raye's ears after she found it by feeling for it, "Just forget him, I know that I said not to, but just forget him in your mind and not in your heart." Raye raised her head and stared into Aiko's black eyes. Black, meaning black pupils and everything else that is naturally supposed to be white just black. It looked inhuman, lifeless, making Raye's hairs bristle and shiver.
She stood up, staring at Aiko with a dazed, light glare.
"Okay," she said suddenly to Aiko's surprise. "I'll just forget about him." She immediately stopped crying and she looked as if all her feelings were chased out of her. "Good Night Aiko, we're leaving tomorrow."
Aiko raised her eyebrows. How odd, she didn't get mad at me, she accepted so willingly…
"Are you alright Raye?"
Raye nodded and smiled oddly, though Aiko did not know she did both.
"Raye?"
"I'm fine Aiko," Raye reassured promptly. Her tone itself was a bit odd and unlike hers. "Good night."
*~*
Raye was unnaturally quiet the next day when they left the colony. She didn't even protest when Sayaka made her read a Japanese textbook during the flight, and surprisingly, she read all of it.
When they arrived in Japan, her grandfather from her mother's side argued to keep her away from her father. Raye was happy he did that because she didn't ever want to see her father, or her other relatives except Aiko. Her mother protested but gave up in the end and gave her only child over to her father. Grandpa wanted to stay in Japan and the rest wanted to go to the Sanq Kingdom, which was thousands of miles away. He tried to keep Aiko with him, but her parents refused curtly saying that he will just ruin her ignoring the fact she was blind and couldn't do half the things she could've done when she still had eyesight.
And so they parted, Raye stayed in Tokyo, Japan with her Grandpa, the rest of her family traveled to the Sanq Kingdom. Not a strand of her missed them, not even a little bit, except Aiko, whom actually made her happy once in a while. So she said a bitter good-bye to her life on the colony, and her last sad memories and went on living her life. Slowly, the boy Wufei Chang was kicked out of her mind as she grew into a different person. When she became a Sailor Soldier, Raye had no time to even remember her parents, or even Aiko. But, no memories are hidden forever…they don't like to be…
~* 5 years later*~
"Grandpa!!" Raye shouted forcing her Grandpa onto bed, "Stay still, I'll get it!"
"Don't touch it!" Grandpa bellowed protecting his left leg that was punctured by 20 or more porcupine needles. Raye rolled her eyes and sighed impatiently.
"Grandpa," she began slowly, "You don't want them stuck in there forever do you?" He shook his head.
"I don't want you touching it either." He added.
"Why?" Raye demanded.
"Remember the last time when I got a slivers stuck in my fingers?" he asked. Raye nodded and sighed again with annoyance.
"But," Raye countered, "I was only 13, how was I to know which way the sliver were stuck in?!"
"The point is you almost gave me an operation by pushing all the slivers, which was from a poison oak by the way, into my hands!" he shrieked.
"Grandpa," Raye continued calmly reaching for his leg but he pushed her away, "Plucking out porcupine needles is easy!" He blinked at her in an untrusting way.
"I'll pluck it out myself." Grandpa said stubbornly and snatched the large tweezers out of Raye hands.
"Fine," Raye retorted and threw her hands up, "I'll go, I have the finals the study for anyways!" She stood up and stomped out of the room. Grandpa scowled.
"I don't need you anyways!" he grunted and looked at his leg nervously. He took in a big breath, and with shaking hands he approached needles.
Raye went outside to the mailbox to retrieve the mail (what else?). She looked through them while going back inside, muttering a comment as she separated ads from bills.
"Bills, ads, bills again, tire ads, electricity bill, bills, ads, ads, bills, bills," she stopped at thin package that was addressed in her name. She flipped it over, expecting to see a return address, but there was none. Hoping this wasn't blackmail or anything, she ripped it open. There was but a single, light paper inside. She took it out and unfolded it slowly, smoothing it out. The hand-writing was very familiar. No, this couldn't be…
She went ahead and read the first words:
"Dear Raye, my dearest daughter,"
It is, she though bitterly, he has enough guts to call me his dearest daughter. She scoffed. She was about to continue to read but was suddenly interrupted by a loud scream from Grandpa's room.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!! RAYE!!!"
"Coming!" Raye called. She carefully placed the paper on the kitchen table and rushed to Grandpa's room, grabbing a wet, warm, towel she had readied on the way.