Chapter Three: The Prophecy is Foretold

 

            * “This is your room. If it is not satisfactory, see the housemaid. She can tailor it to your needs. Your daughter’s room is next door.”

            “Thank you so much for the personalization Mr. Yui. I’m sure it will be of great help to me in the future.” Serena muttered under her breath. Hiiro heard her and inwardly frowned. So the woman could have just as snippy an attitude as her daughter. Well, like the saying goes, like mother like daughter, the apple never falls far from the tree. Still, the woman’s witty mumbles were an improvement from loud-mouthed Duo or too polite Quatre. She was nicer looking than both of them too. He shoved those thoughts from his mind. They were inane and foolish to begin with.

            “You need to call me Hiiro; we are supposed to be married.” He brushed her off coolly.

            “As you wish Ro.” Serena managed to keep a straight face when he stopped and stared at her, but when his stoic face became a dark scowl she couldn’t help but laugh. Was he actually trying to be intimidating? The full effect was really more comical to her than anything else. Besides. His features weren’t scary enough to give the full effect of the death glare he was sending her way. Overall, it made him look, dare she think it- sexy. Blushing at her own distasteful thoughts, she shook them out of her head and pushed on ahead, hoping to get away from him.

            “My name is Hiiro.”

            “And I gave you a nickname. Ro. It has a certain, oh, ring to it, wouldn’t you say?”

            “No.” He gave up. She wasn’t afraid at all. She was laughing at him. At him, the Perfect Soldier. The one who had infiltrated OZ, destroyed the White Fang, and saved Earth. The most perfect assassin ever created, the most feared of all men, was being laughed at by a petite young blonde. Could he stoop any lower?

            “Hey Ro, tell me something.”

            “Hnn.”

            “Alright, that was a nice start. And as soon as my grunt dictionary comes, I’ll translate it. Seriously though. Why do you need to act as if you have a family?” She asked, her face straightening up from the taunting smile it had worn.

            “Hnn.” Hiiro wasn’t going to tell her that it was his mission; that even he didn’t know why this man would only trust someone with a family.

            “Stop grunting, will you?” Hiiro looked down at the little girl. Had she sounded annoyed? What was wrong with this mother and her daughter? Didn’t they watch the news?

            “Rini. Apologize, that was distasteful.” Serena semi-scolded her daughter.

            “But why Mom? You did it!” Rini pouted right back.

            “Listen to me. I am an adult. Mr. Yui and I have a different relationship than you and he do or you and I do. Besides.” Serena stopped to wink at Hiiro, then turned back to her daughter and winked at her. “If you’re going to be rude, do it for a reason and get something from it.” The little girl, who had previously been slightly upset with her mother slowly turned her frown into a genuine smile and winked back at her mother.

“Aye, Aye Captain Mom!” Rini saluted, then giggled and ran off. Serena shook her head after her daughter and sighed.

            “Don’t break anything!” Serena called after her daughter. Rini wasn’t so bad- once she listened to you.

            “Was it wise to let her off that easily?” Hiiro questioned Serena. He felt Rini should have been given a punishment for being so rude.

            “Yes, it was. And don’t try to tell me how to raise my daughter. You don’t even have a family, so don’t start trying to act like you know how they work now. You have no idea.” Serena countered.

            “I have to have an idea, I have you and that little girl for my family for a week.”

            “That ‘little girl’ has a name. Rini. Do we need to spell it out for you, or do you think you can manage it big boy?”

            “Rini. I managed it. Can you manage Hiiro?”

            “Ro. Try my name on for size- or have you already forgotten it?”

            “Serena.”

            “Good. Now stay. Roll over, there’s a good boy!” Serena petted him on the head. Then she flipped her head around, turned her back to his face, and walked down the hall and into a room, slamming the door behind her.

Hiiro didn’t know what, but she brought him near boiling point. Something about her condescending mannerisms that he had never experienced before made him want to pace and throw a fit. She herself was like a child, one without bounds or insight. It annoyed him to the brink of self chaos.

 He checked his watch. Damn. He had to pick the mysterious guest up in less than an hour, and the airport was going to be packed. He had to leave soon. Storming over to Serena’s room, where she had barricaded herself in, he yelled to her through the door.

            “I’m going to get the guest. Be dressed well by the time I return.” The door opened.

            “Dressed well huh? Alright Ro, Rini and I will be dressed- well.” She slammed her door back in Hiiro’s face. He blinked a few times, then turned and strolled out the front door.

>>>)(<<<

            Serena felt awful. Usually she was nice. But there was something so cold and aloof of Hiiro Yui that made her want to show him up. She wanted him to learn that he wasn’t the only one on the planet that had things to worry about, had opinions on issues, had a life. And the only way she knew how to show him all that was to be snippy and snide, to show him who was boss.

            So he wanted her to dress well huh? Oh, she and Rini would be dressed well. In fact, she could hardly wait for Hiiro and their guest to return so she could show him how well. they were going to be dressed.

>>>)(<<<

            “Mr. Yui I presume?” Hiiro opened his eyes and pushed himself off the wall he had been leaning against. He took in the appearance of the man before him. The man was slightly older than himself, three, four years, five at the most. Light brown hair and clear-gray green eyes twinkled. The man was not in bad shape either. A strong chin and good set of shoulders mapped the rest of his body: he was a strong, charismatic man with a tense yet nonchalant manner emanating from him.

            “Yes.” Hiiro replied coolly.

            “Very good then. My name is Taliesin, I’m to be your house guest for the week. I do hope I’m not interrupting any other events you and your family had planned for this week.” The man spoke up, a cheery smile lighting his features.

            “No, you weren’t interrupting anything.” Hiiro answered.

            “That’s fine then, very fine. Well, allow me to gather my luggage and then we may leave.” Taliesin turned and began walking towards the baggage claim, Hiiro close behind him, gun ready to be pulled any minute if need be. If the doctors had thought he was a security issues or a weak link, he would need all the protection Hiiro’s gun could offer.

            “Tell me of your family. I do so love families.” The man kept the cherry smile on his face. Hiiro cringed. How could someone stretch their mouth that wide?

            “I have one wife and one daughter.” Hiiro replied, lifting the man’s luggage for him and beginning to walk back to the car, where Andrew was waiting for him with the trunk open.

            “Oh come now. You’ve been married for how long and you can’t speak more about your family? How shall I greet your wife when I am received by her?” Taliesin babbled on.

            “ By her name.” Hiiro gruffly grunted out.

            “ And her name is?”

            “Serena.”

            “Serena. Pretty name. Beautiful, in fact. Tell me. You say you have a daughter as well? And how shall I address her?” The first word that came to Hiiro’s mind was ‘brat’. However, he could hardly let his emotions get the better of him courtesy of such a young child, so he had to think to remember the brat’s name.

            “Rini.” He replied, glad he had been slightly paying attention when Serena had introduced them.

            “Rini. What an unusual name. May I ask how you and your wife chose it?” Taliesin gently prodded. As he watched Hiiro reply, he studied him. Not just the outer shell of the human, but the inner soul. What he saw was a deep sense of detachment. Hiiro Yui had pushed himself so far away from any and all emotions that he had forgotten life was for living, not for trying to die. He saw that the recklessness and negligence of Hiiro’s tortured soul would one day catch up with him, and when it did, his world would be shattered into shards so small he would never be able to piece them back together. Unless. Unless salvation came on this earth, not on the next plain…*