Perfect Sacrifice

by Parker, Jack

  In only a half an hour, she was done cooking. Leon was still just sitting at the table, resting his head against it. It wasn't until Ray set a plate down in front of him that he moved.

  "What would you do without me?" she asked with a smile as she went and sat next to him. On their plates was one thing: a rather large helping of fried rice. Leon couldn't tell what was in it, but at the moment he didn't care. He was hungry.

  He began eating, taking one bite before stopping. Amazing. He quickly began to eat more, and Ray just watched him, somewhat happy. By the way he was eating, someone would think that he hadn't had anything in days. It was nice to see that he was enjoying the food, however. It meant that she wasn't that bad of a cook.

  Leon finished rather quickly, giving out a relieved sigh. That really had been good.

  "Well?" she asked him, wanting to know what he had thought.

  "That was great!" he complimented enthusiastically, a large smile on his face. "Where did you learn to cook like that?"

  "From my brother, Lee," she responded, a smile still on her face. "It was his favorite dish, so he'd cook it rather often. I learned by watching him." She began to circle her fork in her mountain of the fried rice. "It took a few years to get it right though."

  "You'll have to cook more often," suggested Leon as he got up and took his plate with him. "You're very good." Ray just smiled, feeling slightly flustered by the compliments.

  The door opened, and Dr. Solaris and Chris walked in, carrying bags of groceries. They quickly set them down on the counter.

  "Sorry we took so long," apologized Dr. Solaris. "I'm sure you're both hungry."

  "Not anymore," said Leon as he began emptying the bags. "Ray cooked dinner tonight." Dr. Solaris and Chris both looked to Ray, who sat alone at the table with her plate.

  "There's some over there if you're hungry," she said, pointing to the rather large bowl sitting near the stove.

  Both Dr. Solaris and Chris were shocked for two reasons. First off, neither of them had known that she could cook. Second, she was talking. When they had left the base, she had been basically dead. Now she looked more like her old self, like the Ray they knew and loved. Why the change?

  Dr. Solaris glanced at Leon as he began putting away the groceries. Perhaps leaving him alone with Ray had been a good thing. He had to admit, he had been worried at first. Leon wasn't the most tactful person in the world, especially when it came to dealing with Ray. It looked like everything was turning out alright this time. Dr. Solaris couldn't help but smile. He was enjoying the current course of his thoughts. He wasn't about to voice them, however. After all, he didn't want to embarrass Leon or Ray…at least not right now, anyway.

  CHAPTER 21

  Childish Fear

  A week had gone by without any disturbances. There hadn't been one sighting of the mysterious Geno, no problems in Torran, and there was no word on Ramirez. It had just been a nice, quiet week. In fact, a lot of good had happened in those seven days. Brian was out of the hospital and back at the base. Ray had stopped by to greet him on returning home. Everyone had been happy to see that she was also doing well. They had Leon to thank for that.

  Currently, Ray was alone in the rather extravagant bathroom at the Solaris base. It was similar to the ones you saw in mansions. Everything was made of white tiles and marble. The bathtub was more like a hot tub, which Ray was currently using. She was taking a rather relaxing and luxurious bubble bath, her head being all that was still above the water. It was rather soothing. She loved the bathroom. Everything about it was very serene.

  Her mind was currently wandering, but she was mainly thinking about her predicament. The Solaris base was feeling more and more like home. She felt more relaxed and comfortable each and every day. This building wasn't just the Solaris base. It was her home. Everything about it was home, even the people she lived with. They were just like her family.

  Ray sighed in content as she relaxed further into the warm water. She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. She was starting to get a little lazy. There hadn't been anything for her to really do. She went shopping, she watched television, and she worked on her Geno. There had been a battle, but Leon had taken it, just like he always did. He had won too. For a regular pilot, she had to admit that he had skill.

  She glanced around at the bathroom, realizing just how safe and at home this place made her feel. However, her eyes quickly landed on something black near the sink. It stood out against the white marble. What is that? She narrowed her eyes, focusing in on the black object. As it began to move, her eyes widened in fear.

  * * * *

  The three men of the Solaris family were currently sitting around in the living room. Leon wore an impatient scowl on his face, as if he was waiting for something…or someone.

  "Man, how long does it take just to take a bath?" he wondered, looking down the hallway. Ray had been in their bathroom for nearly an hour now.

  "She's a girl, what do you expect?" asked Dr. Solaris.

  "Besides, what do you care?" questioned Chris as he lazily flipped through the channels, finding nothing of interest. "It's not like you don't see enough of her the way it is." Leon didn't respond to that, but Dr. Solaris found the situation rather amusing. This was the perfect opportunity to tease his eldest son. The mildly lazy and carefree boy could use a good shaking every once in a while. This opportunity was one he, being a father, couldn't pass up.

  "Wow Leon," he began, drawing his son's attention. "I never thought you'd go for someone like Ray."

  "What?" questioned Leon, looking rather confused and a little nervous. Just where was his father going with this?

  "You were always telling me how you wanted a girl who was somewhat timid and quiet, a girl who was sweet and would listen," he said as if he was recalling this with every bit of mind power he had. "I didn't think you wanted someone who was just like you."

  "Whoa," said Leon, halting his father. "Wait a minute, are you comparing me to Ray?"

  "Of course," he said, as if it was no big deal. "I mean, both of you are loud, cocky…"

  "Pretty," mumbled Chris with a small smirk. Leon turned towards his brother, a deep glare on his face.

  "I'm not pretty," he stated in a dangerously low voice.

  "That's what that reporter said, remember?" asked Chris as he stopped channel surfacing long enough to face his brother. "She called you a 'pretty boy'." Leon growled at the annoyance of the memory. Why was his family picking on him anyway? What had he ever done to them?

  "Plus," continued Dr. Solaris, "you're both rash, stubborn, and neither one of you will admit that you care about the other." Leon crossed his arms and stood firmly with a scowl on his face.

  "That's because I don't," he stated.

  "I see your point," said Chris to his father, still not turning to them as he channel surfed. All of this was just agitating Leon more. He really didn't need this right now.

  "Look, I don't care what you say," he said arrogantly as he stuck his nose up. "I could never care about that arrogant, childish, self absorbed ace knight." Just as those words escaped his mouth, a scream rang through the base. Everyone turned to face the hallway, looking for the source. However, they all knew who and where it came from.

  "That had to be…" began Dr. Solaris, but he was cut off by Leon.

  "Ray!" he called in slight concern as he went running down the hallway. Dr. Solaris just smirked. And he said he didn't care. It then hit him that Leon's idea hadn't been a fairly intelligent one.

  "Wait, Leon!" called David. "I thought Ray was in the…" However, it was too late. Leon was already gone, heading down the stretch of hallways towards their millionaire's bathroom.

  * * * *

  Leon ran to the bathroom door, placing his hand over the doorknob that Ray had forgotten to lock. She figured that they were all smart enough not to open the door when someone was inside. She had forgotten about Leon though. He turned the knob and shoved open the door, stepping into the large bathroo
m.

  "Ray, what's wrong?" he asked. Ray was currently huddled against the far wall in the bathtub, her head being the only thing above the water. She was staring off at one side of the bathroom, her eyes fixed on one lone object.

  "S-spider," she said softly, her voice quivering. Leon just quirked an eyebrow, following her line of vision until it landed on a black thing. It was indeed an arachnid.

  "Wow," he said, seeming only slightly amazed. "That's a pretty big spider."

  "Kill it!" demanded Ray as she backed way in the tub even more. "I hate spiders." Leon only smirked as he walked over to it. Since it was sitting on the floor, it would be easy prey. He simply brought his foot down on it, crushing it with his rather thick boot. He then wiped the mess up with an already dirty towel.

  Leon smiled as he turned to Ray, who now seemed rather relieved. Hard to believe that someone who risked her life in battles constantly was afraid of a measly little spider.

  "It's gone now," he announced rather proudly, as if killing that spider had made him some kind of hero. Perhaps it had in Ray's eyes.

  "Thank you," she said, sounding very relieved. "Thanks so much Leon…wait a second…" Ray met his eyes as he walked over to the door, and they just stared at each other for a moment as the setting registered in their minds. Leon knew what was about to happen to him.

  "Um…Ray?" he questioned rather nervously. Ray's face quickly began to burn crimson as she sunk down even lower.

  "Leon, what the hell are you doing in here?" she yelled with embarrassment. She quickly picked up the closest thing and threw it at him, which happened to be a bar of soap. "Get out!" she demanded.

  The bar of soap hit Leon in the head, and he instantly backed out of the room. He closed the door behind him to guarantee that she wouldn't hit him with anything else. That had definitely been awkward. It was probably one of the most awkward situations he had ever been in. He began to wonder what had gotten into him. Why hadn't he planned ahead? What had he been thinking? That was the problem. He hadn't been thinking.

  He could feel a nervous heat flooding his body, all of it seeming to rush to his face. He knew there was a blush on his cheeks. How could there not be? It's not like he had meant to walk in on her in the bathroom. Okay, maybe he had, but the thought itself hadn't registered. He had only been interesting in helping her. Where had this concern come from anyway? Since when did he care about Ray?

  He quickly placed a hand to his forehead, feeling the aftermath of the hit from the soap bar. That was definitely going to leave a bruise. He began to rub it as he walked down the hallway, eventually finding his way back into the living room. Dr. Solaris and Chris were both sitting there, watching him. To his dismay, Chris began laughing.

  "What's wrong Leon?" he asked through his fit of giggles. "Did she slap you or something?"

  "No!" he shouted angrily, mumbling the rest of his sentence. "She threw a soap bar at my head." Dr. Solaris just smiled, fighting back the urge to laugh.

  "I tried to stop you," he said to Leon, "but you ran off too fast."

  "You should have tried harder," he stated, still fuming about what had happened and how his family was now taking pleasure in his embarrassment.

  "It's your own fault for being so hard headed," his father stated after crossing his arms, taking on a very wise looking pose. "Besides," he continued with a sly smirk. "I thought you said you didn't care about her?"

  "I…" began Leon, not knowing what to say anymore. It was a really bad thing when he was short on words. It wasn't a common happening. This meant that he really had screwed up. He did himself in this time.

  Dr. Solaris walked over to the kitchen, deciding that it was time to start dinner. It was going on four o'clock after all. If he didn't start now, they wouldn't get around to eating until about seven.

  "So," he began, deciding to stop the tormenting of his eldest son. "What did she scream about?" Leon couldn't help but smile at the answer.

  "A spider," he responded.

  "A spider?" Dr. Solaris questioned in disbelief. He seemed rather amused however. The thought of Ray being afraid of anything other than Ramirez was mind boggling. The fact that she had a fear of spiders was all the more entertaining. For someone as powerful as Ray to fear something so small was just entertaining to the point of laughter.

  Leon just shrugged as he sat down at the table, not really understand the ace knight's silly fear either. He wasn't about to laugh at her though. She was a girl after all. Girls tended not to like anything with six or more legs. He wasn't too fond of bugs either, especially when they were in the base.

  "I guess everyone has to be afraid of something," he said as he rubbed his head a little. Ray had a good arm. That soap had really hit hard. He could feel the bump through his headband.

  "I guess," echoed his father, deciding that Leon was probably right. Everyone had some kind of fear, and no matter how small it may be, it was a fear nonetheless. If so, then they'd just have to keep any and all spiders away from Ray. It was that time of the year where there were quite a few roaming the nearby desert, searching for a bearable climate to live in. Their base provided that.

  Ray walked into the living room, now dressed in a pair of blue shorts and a lavender top. A towel hung around her neck, her hair still a little wet. As she sat down on the couch next to Chris, she couldn't forget to shoot a glare at Leon. She would probably be angry about this for quite a while. He just sighed to himself. This is going to be a long day.

  * * * *

  The door to Ramirez's dark office opened, and a single man walked in, his hazel eyes searching for the silver haired general. He eventually spotted him, sitting in his desk chair, facing the back wall.

  "Sir," called Aaron as he stopped in front of Ramirez's desk. The general slowly turned around. His eyes were just as icy as ever, but there was a rather bemused look upon his face.

  "Good work Aaron," Ramirez congratulated. "It went better than I expected."

  "What next sir?" he asked in his bland, emotionless voice.

  "We wait," responded Ramirez as he reclined in his chair, propping his legs up on his desk. "I want to wait until the three remaining knights and Leon Solaris are all together. Then you can kill them."

  "How long will that be?" questioned Aaron, not really caring either way.

  "About two weeks perhaps?" estimated Ramirez. "Until then, I have no use for you. You're free to do what you want." Aaron nodded and turned around, deciding to leave his general alone for now.

  As he entered the rather dark hallway, his mind was swamped with questions. What was the point of this? Why kill the knights? It's not like they were much of a threat. However, he was a soldier. He was to follow the orders of his superiors, no matter how sick and twisted they were. If he was told to, he'd slaughter an entire town. The consequences for disobeying were so much worse than any mental discomfort the orders brought.

  "Aaron!" shouted a rather young voice, causing the commander to stop his retreat. Aaron turned around to see Andy running down the hallway, a smile painted brightly on his childlike face.

  "Hello Andy," Aaron greeted with a ghost of a smile on his face. Out of all the people in the building, he enjoyed the fifteen-year-old's company the most. Andy was a rather insightful person, despite his young age.

  "Come here," said Andy, sounding rather excited. "You've got to see this." He grabbed Aaron by the arm and began dragging him down the hallway.

  "See what?" he questioned, letting the younger boy lead him.

  "What I've been working on," Andy responded. "I haven't even shown General Ramirez yet." They walked down the hall for a good distance before coming to one of the laboratories at the base. It was probably the biggest researching room they had, and it had been given to Andy. For being the youngest at the base, he sure had a lot of power.

  Andy quickly opened the doors, leading Aaron into the room. He quickly pulled the commander over to a rather large projector.

  "Okay," began Andy as he released Aar
on and walked over to the large screen. "You know that I've been researching those ruins at excavation site twelve, right?" Aaron only nodded, wondering where this was going. Andy must have found something really interesting if he was this excited.

  Andy went to the projector and turned it on, bringing up the sun symbol that Ramirez had taken so much interest in.

  "Okay," he said, making sure he had Aaron's attention before beginning. "After looking into it, I found that this symbol marks a person who has Sacrum." Aaron's eyes flashed with interest.

  "Sacrum?" he questioned out loud. That word wasn't used much anymore. It was mainly because Sacrum didn't exist in this day and age. At least it wasn't supposed to.

  "Yes, Sacrum," said Andy as he looked back to the symbol. "In ancient times, there were hundreds of people with Sacrum. They were able to control the power held within the sacri crystals. You see, back then there weren't Genos. Sacri crystals had other uses."

  "Like what?" questioned Aaron. Andy only sighed as he shut off the projector.

  "I don't know," he said rather disappointedly. "That's what I'm trying to figure out. I also wish I knew how Sacrum came about. People don't have it nowadays." Aaron only nodded in response. This was a rather interesting concept. Genos had only been around for a hundred years at the most. Sacri crystals were there since the beginning of the planet. Just what was their use back then anyway?

  "Interesting," said a voice by the doorway. Both Andy and Aaron turned around to see a man standing there, a smug looking smirk on his face. He was leaning against the doorway, his arms crossed. He looked to be about Aaron's age but not anywhere near his status. This man wore the uniform of a lieutenant.

  "What do you want Nathan?" questioned Aaron out of annoyance. If there was any one person in the base that he detested, it was the lieutenant standing before him.

  Nathan just smirked and pushed off from the wall. He ran a hand through his short, mahogany hair, his dark blue eyes surveying the area. He always looked at if he was hiding something and didn't care if the world knew. He was always just so smug.