Hello again. I was supposed to update yesterday but ff.net was having difficulties. But that's okay. Right now I'd like to thank my two reviewers for chapter 2: Jedite'sflame and Dark-Illusion1. Now on with the fic...
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I was troubled. That girl that I kept on seeing in my dreams was Rei, but what did it mean? The only way I knew how to get an answer was to ask the fire for help. I saw how Shinji-san did it, and I thought I could do it myself. It didn't look that hard.
I stood up and put on the priest robes that were hung out for me. It took me a while to put them on, but I finally managed. I went to open the doors to the fire room when I realized someone was already there. A person with long dark hair silhouetted the room and I knew it could only be Rei-san. But why was she asking the spirits to help her, I wondered. So I walked in.
When I got closer to her I noticed that she didn't feel my presence. That meant she was in a deep trance and whatever she was doing, it looked as if it were hard. Sweat was pouring down her face; the back and shoulders of her priestess robes were soaked. "Rei?" I called out. She didn't answer, so I dared a little bit more. I put my hand carefully on the top of her shoulder, "Rei." I called out more urgently. She jerked awake, eyes wide. She looked up at me with fury.
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Uggg. It was Jadeite. Of all the people to break me of my concentration it had to be Jadeite.
"What are you doing here?" I almost screamed at him. For someone that meditates a lot I sure get angry really easy. Oh, I forgot, I meditated because I got angry.
"Well, I was going to meditate, but I guess you are not going to let me, are you?" He was questioning me with a smug look on his face. It was as if he knew that he was infuriating me.
"Well, I guess I'm done here. I was so rudely interrupted that I don't think I could concentrate hard enough to get back to where I was. I hope you have better luck than I did." I stomped out of the room; steam was coming out of my head like rockets on a rampage. The nerve of him, I thought.
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"Would you please pass the onigiri," Hino sensei asked Rei. She was quiet the entire time at dinner; I wondered what was going on with her. I knew that we sort of had that argument earlier, but I didn't think it would affect her this much. In fact after our little dispute I had forgotten even why I went to the fire room in the first place. Maybe I should say something to her.
"Hey Rei?" She looked up at me with a question in her subdued eyes. "I was wondering why you had steam coming out of your ears after we talked earlier." Her lightly passive eyes suddenly turned into burning coals, the anger was eminent on her face.
"Why do you care," she spat. "I honestly think that you couldn't care for anyone even if you tried, Jadeite. And as for earlier, I believe it was you that made me angry and frustrated. Did you know that I was working really hard on something, but was never able to finish it because of you?" Hino sensei and Shinji sensei looked at her like she was an angry ape on the loose. Their mouths were open wide and their eyes looked like they wouldn't shut.
I didn't say anything after that, Rei looked joyous. I realized she had won this time, but she wouldn't get me back again. Oh no, this time Jadeite was out to get some revenge. Especially since she had made me look like a dork.
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A few days later the clouds gloomed over the shrine, blackening the sky. Oh great, just what I needed, more rain. Softly, drops of cool water fell from the heavens. Another day to waste, I thought. Even Jadeite looked murky, feeling the effects of the weather himself. All of a sudden the lights went out.
"EEK!" I screeched. I didn't remember making that sound since I was a little girl. Jadeite was laughing behind me. I turned to look at him and he was smiling brightly, amused at my sudden outbreak of noise.
"It's okay Rei, it's just a storm; nothing serious is going to happen to you." He was being sarcastic. I glared at him. He just gave me a look that said, whatever. I decided to sit down on the sofa, next to him.
"I've never liked storms." I didn't know why I was admitting this to him, but I felt like it was okay. It was like I trusted him, or maybe I just needed someone to talk to.
"When I was little I would cry myself to sleep when they would come. It was like they were torturing me because I was so afraid. My Grandpa would always come in and lull me to sleep by singing me songs. They would drown out the sound of the rain and thunder, and then I would fall asleep." I looked up at him, with tears forming in my eyes. He looked shocked, truly shocked. It was as if he didn't expect me to say anything like that at all. He slowly crept forward and put his warm arms around me. The tears started to fall down my face. "Shhh. It's going to be alright. I won't let you be sad any longer." Then he started to sing. He had the most beautiful deep voice; I couldn't help but be absorbed by his pleasing music.
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The revelations that Rei had said to me this evening were unbelievable. I couldn't make fun of her, not with such a distressed heart. I really couldn't do that to her.
What really surprised me is when I started singing. I had never sung in front of anybody. So when I started, the familiar children's song fleeting from my mouth, I couldn't help but be stunned. I felt the sounds slowly drift from my curved mouth. Rei curled her body against mine; the warmth was pulsating from it. I sang until I felt her breathing patterns steady. Then I slowly drifted off to sleep as well.
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"Prince Jadeite," I called out. The milky flowers were brushed up against my running feet. The night sky was floating above my head in wonder. I chased after him as I called to him again. "Jadeite!" He turned, finally realizing I was there. He had a pained expression on his face. "Rei, you shouldn't be here." He looked as if he were about to cry. "Why are you leaving me?" I calmly asked. However, the feelings I was currently holding inside myself were anything but calm. "I can not tell you why. You know that Rei." The tears slowly crept down my face. "Alright, I won't ask you why you are leaving, but you must promise me you'll come back." He nodded, "I promise." That was the last that I heard of my love.
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I woke up, shivering. I lifted my head and looked over, the door was open. I got up to shut the door when I saw something very interesting happening outside. It was grandpa. He was training Jadeite just as he had trained Yuuichiro. Sweat trickled down Jadeite's scrunched up face.
Instead of closing the door I walked down to see how grandpa's training course was going. Jadeite looked up and saw me coming. He straightened up a bit.
"Hello, Grandpa." I smiled as I said this.
"Hello, Rei. Did you sleep okay? I know how storms like those keep you awake all the time." The scenes from last night came crashing back into my head. I could feel myself blushing, embarrassment taking over. I quickly turned around and hurried back into the temple. How did this happen?
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"Wake up, young lad. It's time to see what you can do." I groggily opened my eyes. Hino-san, wide eyed, was poking me in the head, his face inches from mine.
"What do you want?" I asked sleepily. The priest did not seem to know when it was a good time to rest.
"It is time to start your training, Jadeite. You've got to be good at something here, and what able-bodied young man couldn't fight." I just looked at him.
"Come on, you better get dressed. Although, I'm sure that you wouldn't mind staying in bed with my granddaughter." He looked over at the sleeping girl. My eyes went wide as the events that took place last night came back to me. I felt myself starting to blush.
"Uh, sir, I would like to explain that nothing hap--." A sturdy hand cut me off. "Nonsense, boy. I think you and Rei make a very wonderful couple. Besides, I have been waiting for my granddaughter to settle down with someone, and you will do fine after your training."
We headed out the door quickly, that is, after I got dressed into the oddest clothing I had ever seen. We didn't even shut the door as we went out.
An hour later I was tired and worn down, but we still weren't finished. I was working on some hand-to-hand skills, when I saw Rei walk outside. She seemed smug about something. Hino-san looked up. They started talking about something, but I didn't pay much attention to the conversation. I only saw the raven-haired girl and her beautiful eyes sparkling. Then all of a sudden it switched. She seemed to be remembering something. She started blushing, and when I blinked she was gone, the door of the temple closing. Oh, don't tell me she was embarrassed about last night, I thought, she wasn't the one who was singing.
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I could not believe Minako and Makoto dragged me into this "idea". Really, they didn't even know who Jadeite was.
"Let me explain again, Ami. It seems that this Jadeite person is nice now, and Rei could use some romance in her life. It won't be that hard to do, giving her a little phone call." Mina-chan smiled at me.
"But what about Usagi?" I asked. "What if she finds out?" Mina answered my question acting like it was obvious what was going to happen.
"Duh, Ami. Usagi is going to be with Mamoru that day. They are going to be on one of their dates." Oh dear, this cannot be good.