Chappy 6: When All Hope Seems Lost
Rei's smile had not dimmed since he first realized what day it was as he sleepily climbed out of bed this morning. He was even cheerful doing his chores; quickly but thoroughly. He seemed to have more tasks than usual today, but it didn't faze the boy. All he thought about was watching people dance, eating expensive food, and maybe trying some wine, though he did fear it would make him excessively less sober. (A/N: Translation: He doesn't want to get drunk.) He would be wearing his pretty outfit and maybe someone would dance with him. Well, since he had never danced in his life, he figured he could learn as he watched the other participants. He had always been a quick learner.
Mariah and Hilary had been modeling their new gowns for a good part of the morning. The pinkette wore a rose dress, frilled at the bottom in lighter rose and white. A pink stripe ran down her chest and down to the very bottom. The sleeves, which onlt covered her shoulders and a little below, were puffy and trimmed in white. She also wore light cherry gloves that went up to her elbows and matching ribbons in her hair. A black choker with a ruby clung to her neck.
Hilary seemed as pleased with her gown as Mariah was. Hers was a light yellow, sleeveless and strapless. Golden flowers could be faintly seen on the skirt half while the top was decorated with a sparkling gold material. Lemon gloves made their way to her elbows, and a black choker was around her neck, holding a yellow sapphire. Her hair was up in a bun, which was encircled with daffodils.
Rei had to admit, his step-sisters looked very pretty. Standing next to them was sure to make him feel small and meek, as they were sure to get a lot of attention. Ms. Tate wore a simple violet dress, strapless, and the skirt didn't flare out as much as her daughters. A lavender sash hung behind her and was carried by her inner elbows. Her neck was styled with silver jewelry, as was her fingers and wrists.
As the day drew to the hour, Rei returned to his attic room to get ready. He hummed a cheery tune as he let loose his hair and began to brush out the tangles and knots. Once it ran like a raven waterfall, he got up and went to his bureau. Opening the door, a few moths fluttered innocently out, and Rei's eyes fell on the frightful sight of his father's Chinese outfit, filled with moth holes. His eyes tried to fight back the tears of seeing the last remaining piece of his parents torn and tattered as he lifted the white shirt, examining the damage. Suppressing a sob, he hugged it to his chest. No longer did it smell like Myako Kon, but of the guilty moths. But the neko-jin couldn't blame the creatures. It was in their nature. But never before had they infested his room. The only form of life other than himself was the bat that occasionally flew into the room on hot summer nights when he had the window opened. Maybe Kami didn't want him to go to the ball, or maybe this was punishment for something wrong he did he had not realized.
Slowly and quietly Rei made it down the stairs to where Ms. Tate, Mariah and Hilary were waiting. In his hand, he still held the holey shirt. The blond woman didn't seem as confused as the other two. "Why aren't you dressed, dear boy? We have little time to waste as it is." He voice seemed calm as she played her cards.
"I'm sorry, Ma'am, for making you wait for me. But, I cannot go, for you see, my…my clothes are ruined." He held up the chemise for all to see.
Hilary rose a brow. "What did that?" She asked, disgusted at the sight of the tattered material.
"I'm afraid it was the work of moths."
Mariah gave a shriek. "EEEEWWWWWW! Mother! Have his room disinfected at once!" The girl hid behind her sister, frightened that her step-brother might have one of the hideous insects on him now.
A side of Judy Tate's mouth lifted, but it went unobserved. "Yes, of course. Tomorrow, perhaps. Rei, you should move into the stable until it's safe to go back to your room." She suggested as she turned to the door. "Oh well, have a nice night alone. Come, girls. We have a ball to go to."
Hilary took one last look at the shirt and snorted. "It was probably ugly to begin with." And then the three left.
Tears streamed down the boy's pale face as he ran through the house and out the back door. He dashed into the thin edges of the woods and collapsed in the grass under a tall oak. There he cried into the white fabric. Nothing ever worked out for him! Was he there merely to play the role of a housemaid? Was he not allowed to go out and have fun like everybody else? Why did he have to be different?
Rei paused, sensing something looming over him. He heard and felt it's hot breath as it stared down at him. Summoning the courage, the neko-jin looked up at the creature. What he saw was a beautiful white tiger, striped green with what seemed like a bit of golden armour. Although the animal was stunning, the fangs in it's jaw were enough to frighten any man. Quickly Rei tried to scramble away from it, but his back hit the trunk of the oak. He began to shake with terror. Was this creature going to eat him? He surely hoped it would leave in peace.
"Tell me, my child." He was shocked to hear a deep and solemn voice sound from the tiger's throat. "What makes you cry? Why is it that a pretty flower must shed tears in the early night? Tell me."
The cat's words were poetry in Rei's ears. How could an animal have such a silver tongue? "I…I…." He stuttered, his mind boggled. He swallowed the lump in his throat. "Fate...has been very cruel to me.."
The tiger seemed to smile, kindly, not as if he was staring down at his lunch. "Events predetermined can never be foretold, my child. Fate shapes the future to her whim, and she has dealt you the short thread. But life is a game, and even when all hope seemed lost, you can still pick the winning card." The tiger lowered himself into a sitting position. "My name is Driger, and I'm here to guide you to that card"
Rei nodded. "So, you're like a…fairy godmother?" He asked curiously.
Driger seemed to get annoyed at the term 'fairy godmother'. "We prefer the term 'Guardian', thank you very much."
The neko-jin smiled sheepishly. "Oh, sorry."
"Nevermind, we need to get you ready for that ball." Before he could ask how on earth he knew that, the tiger started speaking again. "Alright, we'll need six mice, a horse, a rat, and a pumpkin."
Rei fetched the mice, the rat, he got Bitsy out of the stable, and found a pumpkin in the garden. When he returned with the pumpkin, he noticed that the mice were gone. "Um, where did-"
"Ran off." Driger said rather quickly. (A/N: Cats, what great liars.)
The boy gave a shrug and set the fruit down next to the rat. Driger stood up and touched the pumpkin. Lights began to dance around it and it grew, turning white as it did so. It transformed into a beautiful carriage with gold decorations and gold colored wheels. The inside was fashioned with red plush seating. The cat touched the old horse, Bitsy, and she altered into a young mare, white with gold and white reins. At last the rat was touched and it changed into a buck-toothed man with brown hair and black eyes. He was dressed in a suit of white, gold and a little bit of red. He got up onto the carriage where the driver sat and took Bitsy's reins.
Driger smiled at his work. "There, now you're all set." He told Rei.
"Um, excuse me. But…I can't go dressed like this." He looked down at his dirty clothes with a sad face.
The tiger turned to him. "Oh, you're right. Hold still a moment." His eyes flashed, and Rei felt the clothes changing shape on him. He looked down to observe what work Driger had done on him
A/N: Ooh, cliffy. But you're not going to get Rei's clothes description from his point of view…Can you guess who's then? I'll give you a cookie if you guess correctly! Heck, I'll give you a cookie if you REVIEW!