Chapter Two
Mysterious and disappearing stranger
"Rei! Will you hear me out!" Yuuichirou shouted out while running on the side walk to catch up to Rei's car. "Yuuichirou, you can just live with the guilt that you saw me naked at the public bath houses," Rei said without looking at him and continuing to drive at a slow paste. "Look, I wasn't trying to get an eyeful, I was just-- WHOA!" Rei noticed that he didn't finish what he had to say, but she was about to press on the gas paddle. "Ugh, should I be concern or not?" she thought to herself with a groan.
After a 5 second consideration Rei pulled over and parked along the side walk. As she stepped out of the car she saw Yuuichirou laying on the ground as if he tripped over the person that was laying next to Yuuichirou. "Hey, are you okay?" Rei asked in a concern voice as she walked to the two men on the ground. "I'm okay, thanks for asking," Yuuichirou said thinking Rei was asking him. "Not you, him" she responded while pointing the man that Yuuichirou tripped over, Rei rushed to the stranger's side.
As she knelt down to the man she heard him make a groan as she turned him over to his back. He had dirt on his face, he was wearing a brown dirty coat covered with holes, his pants had holes on the knee area and a dark beard. "I am sorry" he said with his hand over his head, Rei was touched by the soft tone in his voice. "Sorry? it wasn't your fault" she said as she helped him sit up with Yuuichirou's help. "Yuuichirou here is the one who wasn't watching where he was going" Rei added. Yuuichirou made a groan and gave Rei a frown "Maybe if certain people had gave me a chance to speak I wouldn't have tripped over this poor unlucky dude" he responded to Rei's comment. But the quarreling couple turned there attention back to the homeless guy "I am so sorry, I'd be glad to clean up whatever mess I made on your clothes" he added while pulling at Yuuichirou's sleeves. "Oh that's okay Yuuichirou will clean his own clothes" Rei said as she looked in his eyes and noticed how they reminded her of Usagi "Uh can we buy you something to eat?" she asked in a concern voice "No, no thank you" he said as he tried to get up on his feet.
It was impossible to keep the man on his feet when he wobbles like he was drunk and his behavior reminded Rei of Usagi when she got drunk at a ball with American students. "Whoa, we should take you to the hospital," Yuuichirou said out of concern. "Or to an alcoholic rehab clinic," he added as a humorous joke. "No, neither one of those," the man responded as he tried release himself from Rei and Yuuichirou's grip. They did what he said.
"Alright, I'm Yuuichirou and this is my-" Yuuichirou couldn't finish his entire introduction because of Rei. "I am Rei Hino," she said in an out burst. "And you are?" Yuuichirou asked. The old man hesitated for a while before he could answer. "Uh Raion," he answered finally. "Well, uh, Raion you want us to take you to a shelter home?" Yuuichirou asked after thinking about how this man is living alone on the streets for obviously a long time. "No, you can stay at the temple." Rei said before Raion could kindly refuse the offer of the shelter home. "What?" Both the men said in their own level of tone Yuuichirou said it in a loud and shocked voice while Raion said his calmly and softly.
"Hey, your grandfather isn't going to like that idea of yours," Yuuichirou whispered to Rei with his face close to her's as a way to try and avoid Raion from listening. "I don't care, anyway a shelter home is packed," Rei said louder with any concern about that Raion would hear. "I truly appreciate your kindness, but I can't accept your offer," Raion said as he backed away. "Oh please come, you'll be more than welcomed," Rei pleaded with Raion. But as he stepped further a shiny golden object fell out of a hole from his jacket pocket, it didn't break when it hit the ground. Instead it opened up and played a familiar tune.
Rei looked closely at the golden item and recognized it as Usagi's star locket, the one she hasn't seen since the battle against Queen Beryl. "Hey, that belongs to my friend. How did you land with that?" Rei accused him while approaching him. Raion's eyes widened with fear and intimidation as he quickly picked up the locket. "NO! Its mine!" Raion said in a very defensive voice as he cringed on to it. Rei was stunned to hear him say that. "Hey old man you better give that back or you'll regret it," Yuuichirou threaten him as he stepped forward in front of Rei. "I won't give this away it's the only heirloom and reminder of my wife and my dau-" Raion stopped himself."UGH, DAMMIT! I shouldn't have interfered," Raion said in an angry voice as he pushed his hair back with one hand. "I've said too much. DAMMIT!" he added with tears growing in his eyes. Rei noticed them and began to take pity on him "Your what? Of your family?" she asked as she took two steps forward.
Raion noticed how closer the young adults were getting and his defense took him over as he reached into his pocket. "STAY BACK!" he commanded. "Please Raion, let us help you if we can." Rei pleaded but as she tried to take another step toward him Raion struggled to pull what Yuuichirou thought was a gun. "Rei, watch out!" he shouted as he pulled her to his back so that he could shield her. Raion pulled out a gray/blue marble and tossed it on the ground in front of the couple. It exploded like a firecracker and a big gush of grey smoke covered Rei and Yuuichirou. They felt a slightly burning sensation on their skin then the fell to the ground, paralyzed. As the smoke cleared away the couple felt there burns die down and there paralyzing state was gone but they were left covered with some tiny spackles on their body. Then they noticed Raion was gone from where he stood. "He made a ninja exit," Yuuichirou said bluntly but in a stunned voice. Rei didn't say a word as she got onto her feet. "That was one nutty geezer," Yuuichirou said as he stood up next to Rei. He noticed that Rei was silent and all she did was scan the area. "Hey! Are you there?" he said while waving his hand over her face "YEAH I HEARD YOU DUMMY!" Rei shouted in frustration. Rei suddenly had another of her physic reading. "I just realized just now how much of familiar entity he had," she explained as she kept on looking around the area with a lot of questions about this "Raion".