The two females decided to tell Simon their plan first, since he was the most likely to understand it. And because River wanted to tell her brother the good news.
Simon was in the ship's little infirmary, reorganizing his instruments. River ran in, smiling brilliantly, and hugged him. "What's this?" he asked, completely surprised, even as he hugged her back.
"We know how to fix me."
"It's not a cure all, and we don't even know for sure if it'll work." She looked at Simon. "But it's something new to try."
Simon leaned back against the counter. "What's your plan?"
"We figured out why River hasn't been able to control her… abilities." Rain launched into explaining their idea. Simon's expression went from one of shock, to careful consideration, and finally to a smile.
"This could just work. You're sure you can teach her?" he asked Rain.
"I'm sure I can. I have to do them every day."
"When can we start?" River was practically floating.
"As soon as possible would probably be best," Simon said.
River glowed. "Let's do it in my room."
"I'll meet you there in a minute." Rain waited until River left. "I don't know if it'll help any more than controlling the voices. And honestly, due to her other troubles, I'm not sure how well it'll help with the voices. But it's bound to be better than nothing."
She watched while Simon's grip on the counter tightened, his knuckles turning white. "I haven't known what to do for her. Every time I try to give her something new, and it works, it only lasts for a little while."
Rain felt her heart wrench at the pain on his face. Gently, she laid one of her small, pale hands on his golden one. "I know what it's like for her, for the voices to have control. I'm going to try my hardest to help her gain that control. And maybe, if it works, she'll be that much closer to healing from what those sick hun dans did to her."
He turned his hand over, gripped hers briefly, and then let go. "Thank you."
She could only nod, then left.
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"First you want to make sure you're sitting in a relatively comfortable position."
They both sat on the floor in River's room, legs crossed, hands clasping. "Any position is comfortable," River said.
"Alright. Then you need to close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing. This process is similar to meditation. But rather than using it to relax and learn, it's actually the easiest way for one to get into their subconscious." She let her breathing even. "Now, if I do this right, our minds will be open to each other while we're in trance. Okay?"
River nodded. "I'm ready when you are."
Rain smiled. "See you there."
The girls closed their eyes at the same time. Both innately set their breathing to the count of seven; the number of people surrounding them. They emptied their minds of thought, allowing their conscious to float away.
It took River a bit longer than Rain to find her subconscious. When she finally did she felt the immediate connection between their minds. Odd, isn't it?
Very. She looked around. Mot would assume that they'd be surrounded by nothingness. It was anything but. They stood in River's old home, the mansion she'd left behind to go to the Academy. Why does it look like this?
Rain shrugged. Everyone's subconscious is different. At least, that's what my teacher told me. I never saw hers.
What does yours look like?
Maybe I'll show you one day. But for now we need to work here. She looked around as well. We have to find what room represents your psychic abilities. Do you have any ideas?
But River wasn't paying attention anymore. Her eyes had been caught by the complete bedlam of the room. Why is it so disordered?
This is your mind. It's showing how much of a mess it has become. It needs to be organized. And in organizing it you gain control.
It's not going to be as easy as I'd hoped.
Rain shook her head. No, it's not. But it is possible. I wasn't lying when I told you that you have to want this.
River took a deep breath to steady herself. I need to do this. I want to do this.
Then find the room you need.
She thought about it for a moment, then set off toward some destination. Rain followed. They wound through the mansion until River came to a stop. Hesitantly, she reached out and opened the door… and gasped.
The room looked as if five natural disasters, two groups of Reavers, and an entire Alliance fleet, had struck it all at once. I think… I think this is it, she said quietly.
What room was this? Rain asked.
Mine. She walked into the room, looking at the destruction. I guess I should get started.
Rain entered the room and rested a hand on River's shoulder. We'll do this together.
And they did. Both girls toughened themselves and began to clean different ends of the room. It was a long and difficult process. When they collapsed with exhaustion hours later only half of the room had even been touched. We'll do this once to twice a day, Rain said between gulps of air. We have to finish cleaning before we'll even be able to begin organizing. She looked at River. It'll take a couple weeks to get it under control. After that you'll still have to do this daily to keep it that way.
She lay on her back, eyes closed. I'm not going to give up. I can't. It feels too close.
Rain nodded. Well, I'm exhausted. We should go back now.
How?
She shifted into their original position. It's a lot like how we began, but backward. She waited for River to join her. They clasped hands. Steady your breathing again. Empty your thought, then count backward from…
Thirty, River supplied.
From thirty, then.
Eyes closed, the two slowly relaxed and began to count. River's sense of her surroundings came back more the closer she came to one. Finally they opened their eyes, silver and gold meeting in a smile.
"Gorramit you two!" Startled, they both looked up to see Jade. "Do you mind warning us how long you plan to be next time!"
"How long were we?" Rain asked.
Simon walked in. "You've been sitting there for over five hours." He crouched beside his sister. "Are you alright?"
"I'm better than alright." She was glowing again, and her happiness seemed to be contagious as her brother began to smile.
'There's improvement already?" he asked.
Rain let herself fall backward then. "There gorram better be." Jade came over and handed her a glass of water, then gave one to River. "Thanks." She gulped half down, then sipped more slowly.
"Thank you for helping me," River said. "I can do it on my own the next time."
"No." The word came out strong, and final. "You're not doing that alone for quite awhile. my teacher stayed with me for about three weeks. I'm staying with you at least that long."
"But it takes so much out of you."
Rain smiled sadly. "Don't worry about me, mei-mei. I'm fine." She got to her feet. "I'll be in my room."
She made sure she walked with her back straight until she reached the safety of her room. She didn't quite manage to close the door before she had to collapse on the bed. It hasn't taken that much out of me in awhile. not since the first time. Of course, she'd never walked in someone else's mind in such a way before.
A knock on the door made her want to groan, but she suppressed it. "What?"
"Are you okay?" It was Inara, her face riddled with worry. "You look so pale."
"I'll be fine. I'm just tired."
Inara came in and sat on the side of the bed. "We're all grateful for what you're doing for River." At Rain's confused look she smiled a bit. "Simon filled us in on your plan. With a bit of translation, it made perfect sense to us."
"It's not fair that she suffer due to them. I know I can never erase the memory of what they did. But maybe I can give her what she needs to live with it."
After taking a moment's hesitation, Inara reached out and smoothed a hand over Rain's crimson locks. "We're lucky to have you and your cousin aboard, bao-bei."
The steady rhythm of Inara's hand lulled Rain. "My mother used to do this, when the voices were so bad I couldn't sleep."
"You miss her."
"Shi, it's hard not to. We're a small family. All of us are close. Especially since the war, when my father and my uncle were killed."
Inara's hand paused, but then she resumed. "That's horrible."
Rain was nearly asleep, her voice thick with drowsiness. "Ruttin' Alliance bastards. Gotta stomp out all the Browncoats they can. Doesn't matter if they have a right to what they believe. Can't believe anything they don't want…"
As Rain fell into a deep slumber, Inara pulled the covers up over her. She hadn't lied when she had told Mal that she supported Unification, even though she always loved to get his goat. But hearing what Rain said… Well, that made her think.
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Chinese Translations:
hun dans - bastards