Raye was standing by the temple, sweeping away some brush, when she suddenly heard familiar footsteps approaching. Quickly, she lifted her head to see who it was. "Lita," Raye said, slightly surprised. She knew that Lita's high school didn't have Friday's off.
"Raye, could I use the Fire Room for a while?" Lita asked.
"Sure, but shouldn't you be in school?"
"Something came up," Lita said, as they walked towards the Fire Room. The look on Lita's face told Raye not to push the issue.
"Here you go," Raye said, pushing the door open.
"Thanks, Raye," Lita said.
Raye nodded.
Once the young priestess had left, Lita shut the door behind her and sat on the floor across from the fire, legs crossed. As she closed her eyes, memories that she had long ago pushed away came flooding back to her.
Hours later, school had just let out and Amy and Freddy were walking towards Amy's house.
"So," Freddy began, trying to figure out how to say something nice about Mina and Serena, "Your friends were uh... interesting."
"That they are," Amy said, thinking if only Freddy knew just how "interesting" they really were.
"Why do you hang out with them?"
"Excuse me?" Amy was taken aback by this question.
"They seem so different from you." Freddy chose his words carefully.
"They're not, really," Amy said with a coy smile. What she was saying was true. While each of them had different qualities, in the end, the group had one very GIANT thing in common: each one had had a past life in the Silver Millenium.
"Yeah, right," Freddy scoffed.
"What does that mean?"
"Amy, I don't mean to sound rude or anything, but those girls are idiots, or if they're not, they sound like it. You're not. Why do you even bother with them?"
"Friendship is not based on IQ points," Amy said miffed. "Serena and Mina not be as smart as you or I, but they are there for you if you need them. That's what friendship is, Freddy. Having someone there you can count on and trust."
"Yeah, but are you sure that they can count?"
"Freddy Suashi, if you are going to continue to insult my friends, I am afraid you are going to have to find yourself another tutor."
"Sorry, Amy," Freddy apologized quickly, seeing that he had obviously angered her. "I didn't mean to make you angry, but I was just curious why someone as intelligent as you would hang around such simpletons like Mina, Serena, and Lita."
"Lita?" Amy said, surprised. How did he know Lita was her friend? How, for that matter, did he even know that Lita was named Lita?
"Yeah," Freddy said, "Lita. The girl who was walking away from Mina and Serena today at lunch. That was Lita Kino, wasn't it?"
Amy nodded, puzzled. "Yeah. But how did you know that it was Lita? Do you know her?"
Freddy smiled slyly. "A lot of people know Lita Kino," he said simply, "At least, they know who she is. She may have grown up over the past three years, but it's still obvious that the person I saw today is the same Lita Kino that everyone was talking about three years ago."
"What are you talking about?" Amy asked, having no idea what Freddy was trying to tell her.
"Don't you remember hearing about the Kinos who died three years ago in a plane crash?"
Amy nodded. How couldn't she remember? It had been news everywhere people went, and how they had left behind an only child. It was then that realization swept over Amy. "Lita," she cried in horrified whisper.
Freddy nodded. "Lita Kino."
"I can't believe that." Yet what Freddy was telling her explained a lot of things about Lita. Why she lived alone and her fear of planes. How she could afford to live on her own without having a job. The fact that she was the Kino's only child explained all of it.
"Just because you can't believe it, doesn't mean that you don't believe it," Freddy said, knowing by the look that was written on Amy's face that had gotten to her.
"We're here," Amy said with suddenly, glad that they had reached her house. Changing the subject as she opened the door, she asked him, "So Freddy, what subject do you want to start with first?"
