Author's Note:
This story has my shortest chapters - of all my newer stories. After two chapters mostly about Xiba, Rei finally has a chapter-about her.
Enjoy!
Please review.
Translation note:
Rei say's a line in Japanese: Aku ryo tai san which literally means, "Evil Spirit, be gone."
Training School of the Pure Hearted
Zhen Hang Mountain
The wind blew, and the two teenager's auras peaked, their energy thrusting rocks away from them, a smirk on the handsome red-headed boy as he ran forward with his staff at his side, his energy fluctuating.
Leixia's eyes widened. She had never seen someone with so powerful of a fighting aura in her life. Was he even human? She watched as the girl stayed still, waiting for him to get close. "Hey, get outta the way!" She cried out as the young girl covered her little brother's eyes-afraid of what would come next.
Xiba thrusted his staff forward, going straight into... thin air. No, that didn't make sense. Leixia could've sworn that the other girl had been standing still the entire moment.
"Aku ryo tai san!"
Leixia looked around, trying to see where she had suddenly heard someone speaking a language other than her own. Looking upwards, she could see the pretty woman above Xiba with a piece of paper in her hand, coming down as he quickly moved out of the way. "Hey stupid, I told you... that won't work on me!" Xiba exclaimed as he back flipped away from her.
Rei's face didn't change. "I won't know until I try..." She moved forward, this time taking initiative.
Xiba sighed. "If you can catch up to me," there was a smile on his face as he spoke as she began to try to kick him, but he used his staff with a quickness that was hard for Leixia to keep up with, "you won't ever be able to try... but even then," he grabbed her by her shoulder and flipped her over him then with her back to him, he took his staff and spinned it on the ground, knocking her over. "Even then, you'll be sadly mistaken."
The young man jumped backwards, showing off as he often did in training as he landed just above her in a push-up position, a smirk on his face. "You should really leave the fighting to real warriors, Rei." His brown eyes mocked her, knowing it would sicken her enough to get her to get more serious.
Leixia stared in awe. "He's amazing, isn't he?"
Leixin nodded.
"It's not over yet," a girl suddenly said from behind them with wild blonde ponytails. Leixia could've sworn that she had seen her before, but it seemed highly unlikely as she'd never been allowed into this part of the dynasty for fear of what lied in the unknown world out there. "It's a shame though, don't you think?"
Leixia turned to the new girl with sudden interest. She didn't answer, unsure what to say, not wanting to sound stupid to this person she had never met.
The girl smiled slightly. "Being a woman, in this culture, she stands no chance, does she?" The girl had this sad look in her eyes that reminded her of her own mother.
"I think girls have plenty of opportunity... they can marry a rich man of power, and what do they have to worry for?" Leixia responded with a smile, "I mean, she's beautiful so I'm sure there are many suitors who are willing to make deals for marriage with her."
The green eyed woman looked at her blankly. Leixia wasn't sure how to take it for it weren't cold, nor confused, not even angry... but rather devoid of emotions. "What if she doesn't want any of those things?"
The empress daughter frowned slightly. What kind of woman wouldn't desire such a thing? Turning her attention to the fight, she could see Xiba had been backed into a tree where Rei aimed her kick for his neck to which he dodged as he swung his staff forward however she also dodged as she aimed for where it hurts.
It connected. Xiba doubled over.
Leixin's mouth stayed agape; he could feel the pain that he imagined Xiba had felt. "This is bad."
The blonde looked down at the thirteen year old. "What is?" she asked, scratching her cheek.
Leixin just shook his head, hoping that the young man had a good control of his emotions after an attack like that. Training could easily become a real battlefield to the death with those kinds of dirty tactics.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Xiba cursed the woman before him, wishing many things that he couldn't say aloud that he wished could happen to her. She had kicked the wind out of him with all that she had.
Rei' folded her arms. "You piss me off... I don't think my answer could be any simpler than that."
"What kind of answer is that?" He yelled, throwing himself off the ground, grabbing her by her arms tightly. "This is a freaking training session..."
"Oh... yeah, whatever!" She shot back, glaring at him. "Trying to impress the new girl while you're battling me... really?! Do you think that I am so weak and unworthy as a training partner?"
There was a silence as she stood there glaring at him, her eyes cutting like a knife.
Xiba stared at her wide-eyed with a smile on his face. "So... Scrawnz, you were jealous?" He smiled handsomely.
"Hey, you two, either get back to training or get ready to go to class since no one wants to hear you argue." The blonde came forward, a pretty smile on her face.
"N-Natsu?" Xiba stammered, backing away. "When did you get back?"
Rei folded her arms and looked the other way. "Like you didn't know she was here... that was when you decided to start showing off..."
Natsu smiled lightly. "I've been back for a while, but I had been staying at your friend's house for the past week..." Playing with Rei's hair, she looked over at the handsome young man. "I was so battered from my last mission that I didn't want you to see me until she could give me some of her herbal medications."
Xiba turned to Rei, his face slightly red. "I'm sure you looked fine." He chuckled, "it can't get any worse than Rei on a good day."
Natsu blushed. Looking away, her face suddenly became serious. "That's nice, but once you all graduate this school and are able to join me, I'm going to be so happy. It won't be so lonely... and maybe, we can visit my homeland and see my master and mother."
Leixia watched them, unsure whether to walk up and join them or to stay back and watch. She looked down unsure if she would even fit in especially with the way the short and concise conversation with the blonde had gone. She was sure that Natsu thought she was an idiot.
"Leixia, we should go find the monks..."
Leixia nodded. Why hadn't she just joined them like she normally would? They felt like they belonged to another world from her. How could anyone not want what she had been taught since she was a child was the way it should be?
"Come on, Leixia, we should hurry..."
Training School of the Pure Hearted
Zhen Hang Mountain
Inside the Temple
'Let's run away...'
Rei sat up, walking the way down to the masters. Looking to the right, she could see the men of the village gathered together, posing and training. They were all waiting to be the one who inherited the Kali-Yuga, the weapon of great power that Kilik had once been entrusted with before during the battle against Nightmare.
Her eyes caught onto Xiba who stood in the middle of the three hundred men, his eyes having a certain light to them that often cheered her up when he was in battle. Why couldn't she be out there with him? Together, they could make each other stronger, she was sure of it.
"Priestess Rei, daughter of Edge Master, come here." A man of darker skin awaited her. His slanted eyes watched her with lust as he sat back, his arms resting on the back of his chair.
Rei walked forward, keeping her eyes only on him. "Yes, Master, what can I do for you?"
Resting his head on his hand, his bicep flexed as he smiled. "Priestess, what are the reports that I hear about you and Xiba earlier today?"
"He was training, and I was helping him."
The man's eyes narrowed. "Are you trying to sully your image?" He moved from his spot to where she stood as he licked his lips. "Priestess, explain to me... what you thought you were doing."
She looked down when he got close then shuddered when his hands touched her shoulders, rubbing them sensually. "The Ageless One wants to know of the visions that the rumors have spoken about concerning you," he whispered into her ear.
"You are an untrustworthy man, Master," Rei finally said, her eyes looking peering into his own, a steel there that he hated. "My father wishes for The Ageless One to give him time to understand these visions, and when the time comes, he says that I can speak to you on this matter."
The muscled man backed up, angered but unwilling to touch her at the mention of her father. "How long does he wish to keep us in the shadow of the future of our village and our world?" He lifted a sword off the ground and threw it into the ground, cracking it. "You realize that, if we do not solve the crisis that our country is facing, what will happen to you?"
The priestess nodded, not even flinching at the idea. The man watched her as he walked back up to her with a smile on his lips. "Of course, you can run away with me..."
Rei raised an eyebrow as he lifted her hand and rubbed her palm onto his face then kissed her inner palm. "That would be running away from destiny... Master, you are a Monk, do you wish to bring a calamity upon your people by such unclean thoughts?"
'Let's leave this place... and run away...'
A different person's voice repeated in her mind, the only person she would run away with if they asked again. She always wondered if that person ever thought about that day ever again despite her answer to him If he had asked again, with his hand outstretched like that time again, would she had left with Xiba? Would she have left these people and Edge Master without another thought?
"Such a shame that you hate yourself so much," the man scoffed, taking her face into his hands, smiling deviously. "To know both your possible destinies and be willing to live in this village without even trying to get away, you must despise yourself."
Rei stood silently as he leaned over and kissed the teenage girl on her lips as tears streamed down her cheeks. What was the point? Why would she even try to start loving herself if she were to live a hateful life or die by the one she loved the most?
"People—like you-are made with such funny facades; women, like you, are made to look desirous to the eyes, but you aren't made to be given the pleasures of life." The man softly said into her ear as he kissed down her neck. "If the dark one awakens in your timeline, the one you love most will be given the kali-yuga and with that, he will kill you... isn't that one of the destinies? With that blood, we will sacrifice you to the Gods and Goddesses above... in hope that your purity will bring about hope."
She didn't answer but rather cried as he continued his kissing her body and rubbing her body. "The other destiny, for the priestess of the purest flames... you will, after you've turned eighteen, live here and never see the night of day... you will become a prostitute for us because you will have proven useless to us. You will provide us with children who have your blood-so that they will become possible inheritors of the Kali-Yuga."
The sound of footsteps came from behind Rei as she watched the man cower away from her as she turned to see an attendant come inside. "Priestess of the Purest Flames, we must ask for your presence. The daughter of a high official is looking for your blessing."
"I'll be there in just a moment," Rei said softly as she waited for the attendant to walk clear out of sight. She turned to the man that had been kissing on her then frowned. "Master, I'm sure your wish for the visions to be handed to the monks and the people will be soon... and then, Master, I will gladly hand over this body to the village."
She was about to walk out until she stopped and saw him laughing to himself. "Master, may I ask a question?"
The man didn't move a muscle.
"What if one day I get my memory back and I change my mind... and I begin to love myself, what if I ever fall in love and desire to be with them-will it be possible to change my destiny?" Her soft voice lifted through the air. She thought about Xiba and his smile, and the look in his eyes that she could never imagine living a day without seeing. "Am I such a despicable human being that my only destiny is..." there was a pause, "this."
The man's eyes widened then moved his mouth but no sound came out.
With that, she walked out, ready to give blessings to people that she wasn't able to give to herself.
The man stood up. "Hold on, Priestess." he said in a distinctly dignified tone, "the truth is... even if you learned to love and your world suddenly changed, not all humans are made equal. You, with those demonic violet eyes, the one who showed up in flames unscorched... while your blood is precious, you, yourself, are nothing more than a tool as a means for salvation. Our people's salvation."
Rei smiled as if to say that she understood then walked out the room and continued on until she could no longer feel any auras nearby, a place where she was far away from everyone else and backed herself into a wall. Her shoulders shook, and her body felt heavy as tears fell down her eyes.
Just this one moment, she needed this. For one moment, she needed to be weak, to love herself enough to loathe her destiny-and if that was selfish and evil of her, she was fine with that.