Chapter 14
Only fifteen minutes later did the group settle back down in the lobby, now with two more filled vessels. Everyone stood more or less away from Relena, who had been silently accused of trying to shove Rei in the Tar pit, though Rei continued to insist she had only tripped over the brontosaurus's leg, (though waxed figures normally don't kick out, or wear hard soled shoes), Rei admitted to herself and shook her head. (We only have three filled jars. How many more do we have to fill?) She sighed inwardly. (Too many.)
"Where do we go next?" Heero asked loudly, getting everyone's attention and pulling Rei from her thoughts.
Rei sighed again. "So many places..." She closed her eyes, but they snapped open a second later and focused on Zechs. "Do you know of a game called Hi-Q?" She asked hopefully.
But her expression dropped as he shook his head. "No...It doesn't sound familiar."
"Is it a marble game?" Treize asked from next to the showcase. Rei nodded. "I know how to play it."
Rei pulled in a breath. "Can you beat it?"
Treize nodded. "Yes. I played it as a child."
Rei smiled widely. "Good! Come on!" She dashed off towards the stairs, sprinting up them and waiting at the top for the others to catch up. "There's a jar inside a bear in the Burial Rites exhibit, but you have to beat the Hi-Q game to get inside it." Rei hastily explained as the group passed through the doors and into the Egypt exhibit.
She drew open the stone door a the top of the stairs, careful not to look too carefully at the puzzle, lest she activate it. "It's just down here." Rei said over her shoulder, surprised at the sudden fit of happiness that had grasped her. (Why am I so happy? Duh.) She smiled. (Because getting this puzzle out of the way will cut down how much time we are stuck in here.) She stopped in front of the large wooden bear. "In this drawer." She pulled out a drawer from the base and stood back.
Treize looked at her a moment, and stepped in front. Rei moved around him and waited off to the side. "This may take a few tries. I have not played this game for years." He quietly explained as he pressed the button to bring up the marbles.
Rei nodded and stood patiently. By now, everyone was waiting in the room. Heero moved off the stairs to stand slightly behind her and he looked down at Treize. "How long?"
"I don't know." The man now crouching on the floor responded. "It has been a while."
"Not too long." Wufei directed from the stairs.
Treize ignored him.
Rei bit her lip and shifted. (Everything is so tense.) She noticed Relena begin to inch her way towards Heero. (Here it comes.) About to move over, Rei suddenly found herself unwilling to move. (Why should I let her have him?) She bit her lip. (What am I thinking? After we get out of this place, I'll probably never even see him again!) Her eyes drifted to her left, to his emotionless face, and Prussian blue eyes fixed on the bending down on the floor. Slowly, the eyes shifted to meet Rei's.
She felt herself staring back into them. A soft chime seemed to echo in her head and Rei smiled. The ice inside Heero's gaze seemed to melt and Rei felt a smile pull at her lips. "Wow."
A low chuckle sounded and Rei managed to pull her eyes away and blush as everyone in the room seemed to be laughing at the pair. Something soft brushed her leg and she jumped back, realizing how close she and Heero were. She bumped the lion coffin behind her and continued to blush furiously.
Relena stood behind Heero, and had only noticed the pair after it was too late to stop them. (She was right up against him! How could he even stand for that! She's practically kissing him already! I have to do something.) She pursed her lips. (Now.) "Look, I don't know what you think you're doing, but-" She pulled in a breath and stepped around to Heero's side. "Whether you like it or not, we 'all' will be returning to our homes when you finally manage to get us out of here. So whatever relationship you are trying to make with him, it's best you stop this childish nonsense now." She snatched her arm around Heero's for emphasis.
Rei leaned against the lion and listened to the speech without interruption. But something struck a chord in her and she turned her head away as the girl finished. (Why am I upset over this? I have been telling myself this all along.) But hearing it come from another snapped Rei back to reality and she didn't like the feeling. (Relationship?! Why does she think I'm trying to form a relationship?! I can't help it if I happen to look at him sometimes! Why does she have to keep me from the only thing I want here?!) The anger built up and fed off the silence in the room. (It's just not FAIR!) She clenched her fist and suddenly the burial pyre next to Wufei and Trowa burst into flames.
Rei started and stared at the flames that were now beginning to die down. Everyone had jumped out of the way in time to keep from getting singed. The silence once again descended as, strangely, the fire shrank back into the boat, leaving nothing but ashes in its place.
"What. Was. That." Duo asked slowly, a hand on his chest trying to calm himself.
Relena suddenly spun and rebounded on Rei. "What did you do?!" She shrieked.
Rei leaned back in surprise. "I-" (Why don't I just tell them? She's right; I'll never see them again anyways.)
"Don't be ridiculous." Heero stated firmly, belatedly pulling his arm free of her grasp.
"Relena, that's physically impossible. Rei was all the way across the room." Quatre explained calmly, yet with an air of irritation.
"But-but I saw her face! She was furious! And she jerked her hand just as the fire started!" Relena exclaimed, trying to make the others see her logic. (It's so obvious!)
"Relena." Zechs said evenly. "No matter what Rei was doing, it is impossible to start a fire from the other side of the room." He crossed his arms in finality.
The silence once again came upon them. Treize sighed heavily. Picking up the talisman, he pulled the bag up form the floor, and dropped it carefully in. "Whatever just happened," He closed the bag slowly. "We still need to move on. Where next?"
Rei hesitated. (I'll have to thank him later.) "We go through the Witch Doctor exhibit. Codes Quatre got earlier will open a door."
Quatre frowned. (What.) "Oh! Those words I got from the video camera. Will we have to put them in the drums?"
"Drums?" Both Zechs and Treize questioned.
Rei waved her hand vaguely. "It's in the next room. You'll see."
"Then we go." Heero said and quickly sidestepped between Rei and Treize towards the door. After a moment, everyone else followed. Treize waited patiently until he was last, and looked for a moment at the now- scorched boat.
"I thought so."
Done! Finally! This chapter is all you people who have been buggin me to put in Rei's powers!!! I even changed the ending!! But don't feel too proud, I was actually considering using her powers even before you started bugging me! *Sigh* Anyway, now that I got that out, I want to thank Goodbye, who noticed a little mistake I made. You're right, Rei never did really find out Relena was Vice Foreign Minister, but I went back all the way to chapter 3 and added a few words. She knows now. Big thank you for pointing it out. And I'm not sure, but someone asked how old the real Shivers game is. It's definitely not a new game, but it's not ancient. I would say maybe.'96 or somewhere around there. But I'm not sure. Well, as for the chapter, I had intended it to be longer, but all the ideas I had when I started writing it, had flown out of my by the time I got to the end. So, I apologize for the shortness. *Sigh and Stretch* I hoped you liked it anyway. I really have to get some sleep now, so review me okay!
Oh!! I want to ask you people. Is there anyone out there who remembers the name of that big bad guy in Mulan? The Hun guy? I just can't remember him name. Well, if you know let me in so this will stop bugging me!
Only fifteen minutes later did the group settle back down in the lobby, now with two more filled vessels. Everyone stood more or less away from Relena, who had been silently accused of trying to shove Rei in the Tar pit, though Rei continued to insist she had only tripped over the brontosaurus's leg, (though waxed figures normally don't kick out, or wear hard soled shoes), Rei admitted to herself and shook her head. (We only have three filled jars. How many more do we have to fill?) She sighed inwardly. (Too many.)
"Where do we go next?" Heero asked loudly, getting everyone's attention and pulling Rei from her thoughts.
Rei sighed again. "So many places..." She closed her eyes, but they snapped open a second later and focused on Zechs. "Do you know of a game called Hi-Q?" She asked hopefully.
But her expression dropped as he shook his head. "No...It doesn't sound familiar."
"Is it a marble game?" Treize asked from next to the showcase. Rei nodded. "I know how to play it."
Rei pulled in a breath. "Can you beat it?"
Treize nodded. "Yes. I played it as a child."
Rei smiled widely. "Good! Come on!" She dashed off towards the stairs, sprinting up them and waiting at the top for the others to catch up. "There's a jar inside a bear in the Burial Rites exhibit, but you have to beat the Hi-Q game to get inside it." Rei hastily explained as the group passed through the doors and into the Egypt exhibit.
She drew open the stone door a the top of the stairs, careful not to look too carefully at the puzzle, lest she activate it. "It's just down here." Rei said over her shoulder, surprised at the sudden fit of happiness that had grasped her. (Why am I so happy? Duh.) She smiled. (Because getting this puzzle out of the way will cut down how much time we are stuck in here.) She stopped in front of the large wooden bear. "In this drawer." She pulled out a drawer from the base and stood back.
Treize looked at her a moment, and stepped in front. Rei moved around him and waited off to the side. "This may take a few tries. I have not played this game for years." He quietly explained as he pressed the button to bring up the marbles.
Rei nodded and stood patiently. By now, everyone was waiting in the room. Heero moved off the stairs to stand slightly behind her and he looked down at Treize. "How long?"
"I don't know." The man now crouching on the floor responded. "It has been a while."
"Not too long." Wufei directed from the stairs.
Treize ignored him.
Rei bit her lip and shifted. (Everything is so tense.) She noticed Relena begin to inch her way towards Heero. (Here it comes.) About to move over, Rei suddenly found herself unwilling to move. (Why should I let her have him?) She bit her lip. (What am I thinking? After we get out of this place, I'll probably never even see him again!) Her eyes drifted to her left, to his emotionless face, and Prussian blue eyes fixed on the bending down on the floor. Slowly, the eyes shifted to meet Rei's.
She felt herself staring back into them. A soft chime seemed to echo in her head and Rei smiled. The ice inside Heero's gaze seemed to melt and Rei felt a smile pull at her lips. "Wow."
A low chuckle sounded and Rei managed to pull her eyes away and blush as everyone in the room seemed to be laughing at the pair. Something soft brushed her leg and she jumped back, realizing how close she and Heero were. She bumped the lion coffin behind her and continued to blush furiously.
Relena stood behind Heero, and had only noticed the pair after it was too late to stop them. (She was right up against him! How could he even stand for that! She's practically kissing him already! I have to do something.) She pursed her lips. (Now.) "Look, I don't know what you think you're doing, but-" She pulled in a breath and stepped around to Heero's side. "Whether you like it or not, we 'all' will be returning to our homes when you finally manage to get us out of here. So whatever relationship you are trying to make with him, it's best you stop this childish nonsense now." She snatched her arm around Heero's for emphasis.
Rei leaned against the lion and listened to the speech without interruption. But something struck a chord in her and she turned her head away as the girl finished. (Why am I upset over this? I have been telling myself this all along.) But hearing it come from another snapped Rei back to reality and she didn't like the feeling. (Relationship?! Why does she think I'm trying to form a relationship?! I can't help it if I happen to look at him sometimes! Why does she have to keep me from the only thing I want here?!) The anger built up and fed off the silence in the room. (It's just not FAIR!) She clenched her fist and suddenly the burial pyre next to Wufei and Trowa burst into flames.
Rei started and stared at the flames that were now beginning to die down. Everyone had jumped out of the way in time to keep from getting singed. The silence once again descended as, strangely, the fire shrank back into the boat, leaving nothing but ashes in its place.
"What. Was. That." Duo asked slowly, a hand on his chest trying to calm himself.
Relena suddenly spun and rebounded on Rei. "What did you do?!" She shrieked.
Rei leaned back in surprise. "I-" (Why don't I just tell them? She's right; I'll never see them again anyways.)
"Don't be ridiculous." Heero stated firmly, belatedly pulling his arm free of her grasp.
"Relena, that's physically impossible. Rei was all the way across the room." Quatre explained calmly, yet with an air of irritation.
"But-but I saw her face! She was furious! And she jerked her hand just as the fire started!" Relena exclaimed, trying to make the others see her logic. (It's so obvious!)
"Relena." Zechs said evenly. "No matter what Rei was doing, it is impossible to start a fire from the other side of the room." He crossed his arms in finality.
The silence once again came upon them. Treize sighed heavily. Picking up the talisman, he pulled the bag up form the floor, and dropped it carefully in. "Whatever just happened," He closed the bag slowly. "We still need to move on. Where next?"
Rei hesitated. (I'll have to thank him later.) "We go through the Witch Doctor exhibit. Codes Quatre got earlier will open a door."
Quatre frowned. (What.) "Oh! Those words I got from the video camera. Will we have to put them in the drums?"
"Drums?" Both Zechs and Treize questioned.
Rei waved her hand vaguely. "It's in the next room. You'll see."
"Then we go." Heero said and quickly sidestepped between Rei and Treize towards the door. After a moment, everyone else followed. Treize waited patiently until he was last, and looked for a moment at the now- scorched boat.
"I thought so."
Done! Finally! This chapter is all you people who have been buggin me to put in Rei's powers!!! I even changed the ending!! But don't feel too proud, I was actually considering using her powers even before you started bugging me! *Sigh* Anyway, now that I got that out, I want to thank Goodbye, who noticed a little mistake I made. You're right, Rei never did really find out Relena was Vice Foreign Minister, but I went back all the way to chapter 3 and added a few words. She knows now. Big thank you for pointing it out. And I'm not sure, but someone asked how old the real Shivers game is. It's definitely not a new game, but it's not ancient. I would say maybe.'96 or somewhere around there. But I'm not sure. Well, as for the chapter, I had intended it to be longer, but all the ideas I had when I started writing it, had flown out of my by the time I got to the end. So, I apologize for the shortness. *Sigh and Stretch* I hoped you liked it anyway. I really have to get some sleep now, so review me okay!
Oh!! I want to ask you people. Is there anyone out there who remembers the name of that big bad guy in Mulan? The Hun guy? I just can't remember him name. Well, if you know let me in so this will stop bugging me!