Raye had tracked the footprints for a day. They were obviously a man's footprints because of the track of the shoes as well as the size. The horse was a common breed. "So he must be from near here," Raye speculated. Filled with a fury for her sister's unknown fate, Raye moved quickly through the forest. Because of her training with her master, Jadeite, Raye was able to travel through the forest by jumping on tree limbs and avoiding other people.

As she traveled, Raye had time to think and worry. She worried about her sister, her family back at home, and herself. Raye had no doubt that she would find Serenity, but she wasn't sure what state Serenity would be in. "Serenity isn't dead. I would have seen it," she thought to herself confidently.

Raye had kept her own secrets from her family. She had always been deemed the responsible daughter, the one who had potential to do great things. But no one ever knew of the power she held within her. Fire had always fascinated her and Raye could spend countless hours looking into a fire. Slowly though, Raye realized that if she looked close enough she could see images within the dancing flames. More than a few times, Raye had been burned by getting too close to the fire. Though, instead of it being a scorching pain, the fire seemed to seep through her skin and comfort her. The burns would never stay longer than a few seconds, as though the flames had passed through her skin directly to her time, Raye realized the images she had been seeing had always seen visions of things to come and things that had passed. Whenever she had questions, the fire would give her vague images. She could only speculate what was happening in the flames, but it had not led her astray yet. Raye had actually seen herself wielding a bow and arrow in her hands facing some faceless enemy and so she had decided that she must learn to fight. Because of that image, she knew that she would come against someone evil and needed to be prepared. She knew how to use a bow because she had helped her father go hunting, but she had never received special training. So she had set out to join a weapons guild and learn to fight. And it was there in the guild she had met her teacher, Jadeite.

When she had first seen Jadeite, he was drinking with some others around a fire. They were laughing uproariously and making crude jokes about the townspeople around them. Raye, who had been tired from a long day's travel lost her temper and fired a warning shot near the men. Then she fired another one more through someone's canteen, shattering it. Liquid poured out of the destroyed canteen and she marched away. She had a satisfied smile on her face and was very content with herself. "That should teach them," she growled quietly. Raye knew she had a short temper, but those men deserved it, treating people around them like animals.

Suddenly, her arm was grabbed and she was dragged into the forest. She tried to wrestle out of the man's grip, but he was too strong. Preparing for battle, the moment she was let go of, she held her bow and arrow in ready position. But the man merely held his hands up.

"Calm down. I am not going to hurt you. I just want to talk to you." he said. His blonde hair was cropped short and he wore loose-fitting clothes. But they were made of high quality leather so she knew he wasn't just a regular person. He had scars all over his hands, a few small ones on his face.

"Then why did you drag me out here. And tell me the truth or I am going to shoot between you eyes and you won't be able to see it coming," Raye warned. The man clicked his tongue.

"Don't you know better than to underestimate your enemy? I guess that is one thing I am going to have to teach you as your new teacher."

Surprised, Raye's eyes widened. The grip on her bow slackened and the man grabbed it quickly before she could respond. "What do you mean, teacher?" she said in a low voice.

"I mean, I am going to your new teacher. You have skills, as is evident by my destroyed canteen, but they are very unpolished. I have not had a student in awhile and frankly, I am getting bored with all this drinking and caterwauling." Jadeite smiled mischeviously. He put his hand out. "My name is Jadeite, but you can call me Master."

"Over my dead body will I let a drunken lunatic be my master. I am going to join the weapons guild and find a real teacher!" Raye yelled at him. Jadeite put his fingers in his ears to prevent himself from going deaf.

"But I am a real teacher. Here, a crest from the weapons guild. On that note, I am actually the guildmaster, hence the gold lining around the crest," he said smugly. Too shocked to say anything, Raye just stared at the crest. She glared at the man, about to refute his offer but he quickly said "Young lady, I can help you develop the skills you need or you can keep searching for a master that will never be as good as me. I can promise you that."

Raye opened and shut her mouth, like a fish. She did not know what to say. Jadeite grinned, knowing he had won over the raven-haired beauty. "By the way, did I mention that I have never had the privilege of working with such a beautiful student? You're the very first, you should feel honored," he joked.

Raye said nothing. She handed back his crest and turned away, too angry to do anything else. As she walked away, she heard him yell,

"So I will see you at the nearby clearing tomorrow at dawn!" Not turning around, she held up her middle finger and continued walking. Jadeite smiled knowingly. He would be seeing her tomorrow, he knew it.

And so, Raye became his student, though quite reluctantly at first. But Jadeite had not bragged about his skills unknowingly. He was indeed very talented, and taught her how to use all sort of weapons. Though, she preferred her bow and arrow, she knew that having all sorts of knowledge never hurt. And so, years passed under his harsh training and eventually she was able to hold her ground against him in swordfighting. She beat him every time in archery, but he returned the favor when they practiced with the lance. Jadeite was a joking sort of fellow and liked to make light of every situation, and was very different from Raye who took everything seriously. Often, he would try to play pranks on her, but they almost never succeeded because he would end up falling over the trap himself. For a master swordsman, Jadeite had a serious lack of hand-eye coordination when he did not have a weapon in his hand and would often trip. It reminded her of Serenity so much, Raye could not help but laugh at him. Jadeite was very open with his emotions and liked to smile at everything and everyone, though when he was angry it took a very long time for him to cool down. Through the years of training and time spent together, they became fast friends.

On her last day with him, Jadeite told her, "Raye, you're ready for anything. I have taught you all that I know. Keep practicing the movements with the lance and sword, because they are your weakest points. But I am confident that you can hold you own against any man from now on."

"So what do I do now?" asked Raye.

"Well, that is up to you. Our guild could always use another warrior, or you can return home. You came here with a mission, remember?" Jadeite responded. Raye nodded and bowed to her teacher.

"Thank you for everything, teacher."

Jadeite took her hands in his. Staring into her eyes, he smiled. "You don't need to call me that anymore. I am just Jadeite now."

Raye nodded and looked down at their hands. For years, men around them had made jokes about their relationship. Jadeite never made any inappropriate actions against her and brushed the jokes away, but Raye had a gut feeling that he had always liked her. Which explained why he had approached her in the first place. After spending years in his presence, Raye had tried to keep their relationship very professional, only allowing contact during practice and lessons. She did not want to compromise her relationship with Jadeite, who she considered a wonderful friend, and she did not want to be held back by anything until she had faced her faceless monster.

As she was thinking to herself, Jadeite put his finger under her chin and tilted her head up to look at him. "Raye, I am not putting any pressure on you. I just want you to be happy."

"I know," she said quietly. She sighed and decided not to say anything. She did not want to make anything awkward between them. "I need to go back home. I am sure my family misses me." Jadeite nodded and his head moved to kiss her forehead lightly.

"May fortune bless you Little Flame," he whispered. Raye wrapped her arms around him in a hug, trying to hold back tears.

Raye shook her head, trying to stop her eyes from tearing. There was no point in crying about the past. She had learned all she could from Jadeite and needed to move on. She could not afford any distractions. "I promise I am going to find you Serenity," she whispered.

Looking down, she saw a single traveler in a woolen cloak riding a horse. She stopped, watching the man. She noticed the tracks had stopped and that he was making new ones. "Got you," she thought maliciously. Leaping from the trees, Raye dropped in front of the horse, causing it to rear in fright. The man tried to hold on, but he ended up falling off and on the ground with a thud. Raye held out her sword to his neck.

"Where is my sister…" she growled. Her eyes were as black as night, filled with rage. They promised eternal pain if she did not get the answers she wanted. The man held up his hands and tried to stand up. He winced and Raye noticed there were marks all over his arms, as if he had been whipped repeatedly.

"Who are you talking about?" the man yelled. "Now my horse has run off and I have no more supplies!"

"My sister, Serenity!" Raye brought the sword closer, making a scratch on his neck.

"Okay okay! Calm down! I don't know what happened to your sister, okay?" There was panic in his voice.

"What have you done to her?!" Raye screeched! She jumped the man and straddled him. His face was contorted with fear. The woman was seriously going to kill him!

"I didn't do anything! She fell off the cliff! I tried to stop her…" he protested. Raye stood stock-still, frozen on the spot. Suddenly she screamed and raised her sword, ready to kill the idiot man. All of a sudden, she felt hands stop her and she looked up ready to kill whoever was distracting her.

"Stop it Raye. Listen to his story first before you do anything you regret," said a memorable voice. Raye sunk back as she looked at the man who had taught her everything.

"Jadeite…"

Serenity watched quietly from the table as Darien chopped up vegetables. Her feet were swinging back and forth. Darien felt her eyes on him, but he did not react. Though he was being extra careful with the knife. Suddenly, Serenity stood up and the chair screeched slightly as it was pushed back. She came closer to Darien's side, wanting to see up close what he was doing. Darien stopped chopping and looked at her. She looked so adorable, with her eyes staring intently at the food. Serenity noticed he had stopped chopping and looked at Darien inquisitively. She then pointed to the knife, and then to herself.

"Are you sure?" Darien asked. He did not even know if she knew how to cut vegetables. She gestured to the knife again, impatient. Darien sighed. "Alright, but let me teach you first." He went behind her and put her hands under his. "You hold the onion like this, and move the knife up and down, up and down. Don't do it too fast or you might cut yourself," he warned. He helped her for a few more minutes, partly because he was worried and partly because he liked her scent. He sniffed her hair lightly so that she would not notice what he was doing. He moved away to look at the stew he was making, stirring it occasionally, and looking at Serenity to make sure she was okay.

She had a look of determination of her face as she slowly chopped up the onion. But her face got a little too close and she started to sniffle as the onion smell started to burn. Finally she finished, but her eyes were watery and red. She tapped Darien and pointed to the onion, rubbing her eyes with her hands. But that made the burn worse. Serenity could not figure out why she was crying. Darien quickly finished up the stew and put it to a low simmer so that it would not burn. He grabbed her hands and brought them to the sink so she could wash them. He grabbed a clean washcloth and soaked it in water, wringing it out after. Handing her a paper towel to dry her hands, he used the cloth to dab at her eyes. When she was no longer sniffling, he told her, "Cutting onions lets out a strong smell. When you rubbed your eyes with your hands, the onion smell made it worse."

Serenity nodded her head, and resolved to be careful around onion from now on. When Darien was done dabbing at her face, she grabbed his hands and put them on her cheeks again. She wanted to show how thankful she was, and figured he would not be comfortable with a hug. Darien looked down at her and tapped his forehead to her, understanding what she was trying to say.

"You're welcome," he said quietly. Then pulling away, he tugged her towards the table. "Dinner is ready, so let's eat."

After eating, Darien went to take a shower. Serenity followed him into his bedroom, not knowing where to go. When he went into the bathroom, she looked at the door with a puzzled expression. She could not figure out why she was feeling a certain way around Darien. Whenever she was around him, she felt happy and content. Her eyes followed him, but she wanted to look away whenever he looked back at her. She liked holding his hands and putting them on her cheeks to smell him. "I want to know everything about him. I wonder if I have ever felt that way about anyone before?" she wondered. Looking out the window, Serenity sighed as she saw the moon. It was the most beautiful thing she had seen, even though Darien's eyes were becoming a close match.

That was how Darien found her when he came out of the bathroom. Drying his hair with a towel, his eyes searched for her in the darkness of his room. He had always preferred to be in the dark because he found it easier to hide from the world that way. But when his eyes found Serenity standing in the moonlight looking out the window, he instantly decided that he preferred the moonlight. He wanted to keep her that way forever, looking happy and lost in thought. She made such a picturesque view, the simple black dress flowing around her. "She is so beautiful," he thought to himself. Shaking out his hair, he walked over behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. She turned her head slightly to look at him, and smiled. His lips tilting up slowly, and very slightly. Serenity's eyes widened as she realized this was the first time he had even remotely smiled at her. Darien still hadn't noticed his own smile and kept looking into her eyes. Still looking at him, Serenity brought his hands down her arms and wrapped them around her shoulders. Darien's head was now on top of hers, and she was able to tuck herself further into his embrace. Darien let her, wanting to keep the angel happy forever. Serenity turned back to look at the moon, saying a quiet thank you in her head to whomever was listening.

After a few moments of silence, Darien noticed her arms were getting a little cold. He felt her shivering every so often and decided that it was time for her to go back to bed. Unwrapping his arms, he took one of her hands and pulled her to the bed. She looked at him curiously, wondering what he was up to. Darien handed her his shirt and sweatpants, the ones she had been wearing before. "I am sorry that I cannot give you appropriate clothes right now, but we will go shopping for them tomorrow. I can't have you wearing clothes that are too big for you anyways," he murmured, not wanting to break the atmosphere of serenity around them. She cocked her head, wondering what "shopping" was and nodded. She went to the bathroom to change and when she came out, she headed straight for the bed. Darien had pulled some blankets from under his bed and was heading out to sleep on the couch, but Serenity tugged at the back of his shirt.

"Don't worry," he assured her. "I'm going to sleep on the couch in the living room. I won't be far." Serenity shook her head vigorously, her hair swinging around her. She pulled him towards her, taking him by surprise. He fell backwards, his head landing on her lap. Serenity smiled cheekily at him. She patted the space next to her, then pointed to him.

"Serenity, I can't share the same bed with you," he admonished. Serenity pouted. "It isn't right," he tried to explain and got back up. But this time, Serenity followed him. As he walked away from the bed, Darien saw that Serena was following him around, a pillow in her arms. "Serenity, you should sleep in the bed. It is warmer than the couch," he urged. But Serenity shook her head again and grabbed the back of his shirt.

"Serenity…" he scolded. Serenity went around him to block his path to the door. She grabbed his hand and put it on her cheek again. Tilting her head slightly, she looked up at him with big eyes, and Darien felt his resolve crumbling. "Fine," he sighed. Serenity's expression instantly lit up and she quickly pulled him back towards the bed. Darien pulled the blankets back and both he and Serenity crawled into the sheets. Tucking the blankets around her, Darien grumbled about disobedient patients and reached for a book on the bedside drawer next to him. He turned on the lamp so that he could read a little before going to bed. Darien looked at Serenity, expecting her to be asleep, but she had turned so that she was looking at him. When she noticed him looking at her, she gestured to the book he held in his hands.

"It's just a little bit of night reading. Do you know how to read?" he asked. She shrugged her shoulders. Darien wanted to hit himself. "Of course she wouldn't know, she doesn't remember anything," he reprimanded himself. Darien looked back at her and said, "We'll see if you know how to read tomorrow. I also need to scan your head injury. I think that is why you can't speak just yet because your brain also got damaged. If certain parts of your brain got damaged, it could be the cause of your memory loss and your inability to speak." He starting rambling about medical issues regarding the brain and Serenity brought the sheets up to her nose, smiling. "He probably doesn't know that this is the most I have ever seen him talk before," she thought as she giggled to herself. Feeling sleepy, she decided to indulge herself with one more thing. She brought her hand out of the folds of the blankets and held it out for him to hold. Darien stopped talking and looked down at her open hand.

Looking at her hand, Darien felt as if he was making a choice that would determine the rest of his life. He had grown up alone and expected to be alone. But now, he was with a beautiful young woman who was so full of life and wonder. Even though they had met under extreme circumstances, she was filled with vitality and innocence. She spread happiness around her, and he felt a bond with her that he had never felt with anyone before. By taking her hand, Darien knew that he would be making choice- a choice to protect her smile forever and to love her forever. If he rejected her simple gesture, she would be hurt and if she wasn't enough, he might never open his heart to anyone else. He knew she would wait for him to show he loved her, never expecting and always open. Darien looked into her eyes, and seeing the pure affection that lay behind her beautiful blue eyes, he slowly put his hand in his. His fate was sealed, rationality be damned. This was the first irrational thing he had done in years, and as he turned off the lamp and put his book away to snuggle deeper into the bed, he still held Serenity's hand. Her hand was like a torch to him, warming him up and he wanted to hold her close. Serenity was his beacon of light and he would follow her forever now.

Serenity was still looking at him, and so he pulled her to him, tucking her head beneath his. She smiled against his neck and put her other hand on his chest. She snuggled closer, trying to get comfortable as his body heat surrounded her. Serenity felt so much happiness in her heart that it shouldn't be possible. She was so happy, and she started to tear. Even though she didn't know who she was and neither did he, Darien had taken care of her and shown her so much happiness. Now she felt as if he loved her, and she realized she loved him as well. Serenity wished in her heart that she could stay with Darien forever, even if she never remembered who she was. Making a small x over his chest with her finger, Serenity made a promise to herself to never let go of this man.

Darien felt Serenity making a small mark over his heart and looked down at her. "What was that for?" he asked quietly. Serenity looked up at him and smiled quietly. She shook her head, tucking her head back into his chest. Darien wrapped one arm around Serenity and brought their entwined fingers up to his face. He kissed her knuckles one by one, then slowly closed his eyes to go to sleep.