Echoes of the Past (Matrim the Vice)

[Reira]

Reira raised her hand to knock on the office door of the Vice Principle Matrim Aldon, but like two times before, her hand fell limply to her side. She turned to walk away, arguing with herself at the stupid reason she came here in the first place.

Her mother talked about him almost as much as Luke. It wouldn't be right not to say anything, when a figure of her mother's past was probably sitting in a desk only a few feet away. It was just curiosity, she told herself. She heard alot of stories of Matrim.

It can't be that bad, if I just ask him a few questions...wait a minute yes it would because they're all about my mother!! That's it, I'm going back to my dorm....ooooh but just one question..

"Oh for crying out loud!!," she shouted, slamming her fist against the wall. Only she thought it was the wall, in fact it was the office door.

Staring at the door blankly, she gulped, and said "Mr. A, it's Reira DeMorvick, could I talk to you?"

[Matrim Aldon]

The teacher looked up from his desk and papers, he was planning the next lesson plan and had to remember the chemical formula for it. Hmm.... was it 2 oz of KNO₂+C+S or was it 2oz of KNO₃+C+S... Light its hard enough making gunpowder from scratch but to forget the formula it could be deadly. His brain was racked with racing thoughts of the right chemical formula.

He gave a sigh as he opened up his MAC to type the chemical formula for it into it. He didn't like relying on the device since it might make him seem like he didn't know what he was teaching about. He looked it up in his notes and found it was KNO₃+C+S. "Alright, at least I was close." he said to himself lightly as he wrote it down.

He then heard a knock at the door. Well more of a crash on the door, couldn't tell if it was a person or a fist, either way it was loud enough for him to raise his clover green eyes from the paper. He then heard a faint voice from the other side. 'Mr. A, it's Reira DeMorvick, could I talk to you?' He gave a half laugh. Ah, the soon-to-be-deaf girl, I wonder what it it is. He thought and leaned back into his chair. He looked at the time. He had another hour before work was done and Elayne got out of school so he could afford some time with a student especially if they were good students.

"Yes Reira, come on in. The door is open." He said as he finished jotting down the last of the lesson plan. Well Chemistry, and Anatomy are done. Which is all I'm gonna teach for now until I can guarantee more students for Physics. He thought to himself.

[Reira]

When an answer didn't come right away she almost danced out of the hallway right back to her dorm only to stop mid stride when she heard him reply.

"Yes Reira, come on in. The door is open."
"Crap.."

I don't even know why I'm so unsure about things. Like I want to go and do it, but I don't at the same time. Well..no turning back now..

Before she entered, she took the necklace with the venetian ring off her neck and hid it in her hand. Matt had given it to her a few days ago, and she was sure it was something special.

With a quick turn of the knob, Reira entered the room. She saw Mr. A sitting at a huge desk, piled with papers and other scientific devices that she couldn't put a name to. He seemed to be making something. Her hesitation mysteriously vanishing, she walked right up to his desk and held the ring up for him to see.

"This look familiar to you?"

[Matrim Aldon]

He looked up as she opened the door. He wondered what she wanted but that would be found out soon enough. He looked at her as she walked in. She then walked to his desk and showed him a ring. It was the Venetian ring he had given Samara, who had given it to Luke, who gave it to Mat's Mini-me and now it was in her hands.

"Yes, I recognize it. What about it? Did mini-me give it to you as a sign of affection or something?" he asked her. "Wait...Did he ask you out? Light that boy moves quick...." he said as his thoughts raced. If he was wrong then it would at least get Reira to blush at the thought hopefully then he could laugh.

He then gave a shrug and looked at her. "Anyway, yes I know whose it is, I was the original owner...well my mother was but I took it from her jewelry box since it was her least favorite ring." he said with a shrug. "But that was a very...very long time ago." he added and looked at her with a indifferent look.

[Reira]

"Mini-me?..His name is Matrim too, how strange.."
"Wait...Did he ask you out? Light that boy moves quick...."
"Um no, he didn't ask me out, why does everyone seem to think something will happen?"

Reira just blinked and had a quizzical look on her face, almost as if the very thought of Mini-me asking her out was totally absurd. She hoped they weren't going off topic, she didn't feel like bringing up her mother twice. She was thankful when Matrim continued on and told her about the origins of the ring, his mothers jewelry box.

"But that was a very...very long time ago."

"It's a very lovely ring, I could see why she would like it. It looks like it would suit her, you must've known her really well."

Reira slid the chain off the ring and placed the ring on his desk. It was back to it's rightful owner now. Even though Matty told her to give it to her mother if she ever saw her again, Reira figured she never would, and that it was best it was with the original owner. It hardly belonged to her.

"For a moment there, I didn't think it was really you, but I've confirmed my suspicions," she said softly. "My name is Reira M. DeMorvick...Reira Marino DeMorvick. My mother's name is Samara, it's nice to finally meet a ghost from my mother's past. I've heard a lot about you."

Where am I going with this. Why can't I just ask him if he knows anything about where my mother is....feh because that is pretty much saying I want to see her. Which is not the real reason! I just want to know why..

Shifting her feet slightly she continued. "Anyways, thats all I wanted to do. To give you back the ring. I don't want anything that reminds me of my mother. She doesn't derserved to be remembered."

That being said, Reira turned in the direction of the door, hands clenched tightly to her sides.
So confusing, this feeling.

[Matrim Aldon]

He looked at her and nodded as she spoke. Seemed like she wasn't going out with mini-me too bad, they might look like a good couple but fate sometimes turns for the worst. So he just sat back and listened.

Then when she had finished speaking everything made sense, she had the ring because it was her mothers originally, well other then him owning it it was Samara's. But wow...Samara had a kid and he didn't know about it... He had lost touch with her ever since she had left 253. He and Luke still had been best friends but he always felt sorry for the guy since he went through quite a bit with her and then she left him with only that ring to remember her by.

She then said she was giving it back to him because Samara didn't deserve to be remembered. He knew a bit about that family though..quite a bit. Like the fact that Pierre had an affair with Samara's mother and that was how they had been tied with the gangs of Venice.

She had started to walk away and he raised an eyebrow and stood. "Oh no you don't" he said as he hopped over the table and lifted her up above the ground with his off hand, his left hand.

He turned her around so she faced him and looked her dead in the eyes and put took the ring with his right hand and put it on her finger. "You will keep this, Samara was a good woman and if my guess is correct right now, what you are saying is she is gone, poof, faded, flaming vanished. Then I think I know why, but you must promise me 2 things and I will tell you why, however I will not accept a no out of you, you may be stubborn like your mother but your mother also had a good heart and was a caring woman." he said losing no rhythm in his voice.

"Now, the choice is yours, do you want to know, or do you think you already know and want to be stubborn like her and be more like her then you think?" he said grinning the entire time.

[Reira]

Reira almost had her fingers on the door knob, when she heard a loud shuffle. Turning her head ever so slightly, she saw a swoosh of red hair and a quick 'oh no you don't' and before she knew it, she was held up by the scruff, much like a kitten. Matrim and her were face to face, Reira wore a most unimpressed glare.

"What are you doing! Put me down!! This is insane!" she said kicking her feet slightly. Matrim of course didn't pay attention and instead slid the ring on her finger. She looked at it like it was acid burning her flesh. If that wasn't bad enough, he started lecturing her about how her mother was a kind hearted woman. Maybe she was at one point, but he didn't know her like she did. Reira could feel anger bubbling in the pit of her stomach.

How can he be grinning at a time like this, he doesn't understand. Keh!

"You think you know don't you! You think you know my mother so well! You only knew the past her! You know nothing about what she is like now! Good heart, and caring, are you kidding me! You weren't there when my mother and father argued everynight, you weren't there when my mother became distant, you weren't there when she stopped taking care of me! You do not know how it felt to wake up one morning and she was gone..gone because her family was such a burden for her. You know what that can do to a 10 year old girl!" Reira snapped.

During her little rant she kept direct eye contact with him, but she couldn't anymore, and found herself looking off to the side, thankful that her bangs shaded her eyes. Her hands were tingling from keeping them clenched so tightly for so long. Yet she was determined not to slip, not to cry.

"You..only know the former shell of my mother....so please...spare me."

Calming down a little she then said. "You already said you won't accept a no out of me. I really don't have a choice, so I guess I want to know. Whats another load of dissapointment. It will only fuel the fire of hatred.......now put me down."

[Matrim Aldon]

He looked at her and nodded. "Yup, your more like her then you think full of a certain fire, might not be the same fire but both you did hate your mothers and well both of you hated me in the beginning. Well maybe both of you have a reason for that too." He said setting her down and laughed. He won't hold her like a disobedient cat when she was still a child. "However, the two conditions are that you will keep the ring as a reminder of what your mother has been through AND you will at least think about a change of heart towards your mother after what I am about to tell you."

"Now listen, I don't care if your opinion changes after this or not as long as you attempt to have a change of heart, you will know at least some truth that might help you realize things in a new light, this has helped me before and will help you too." he said staring at her with cool clover green eyes. "The reason your mother, Samara, hated her mother was because your grandmother had an affair with a man named Pierre, he was part of a gang your great uncle Rias was apart of." He said not even blinking as he spoke.

"Your mother and grand parents had run tVenice to Hawaii after that and lived there for a few years. She had come to 253 and met me, but that first time we met well...we had quite a tussle." he said with a laugh. "I told her that she was only angry because she had a pineapple shoved up her bum, and well she hit me with a surfboard. Thats why she hated me in the beginning just like now you hate me for what I have done." He finished with a small smile as he remembered that day.

He then took a breath and leaned against a desk. He was calm and he stayed calm through his whole little speech. "Now, your mother as I assume have happened has run off somewhere correct? She has 'abandoned' you. Well, what you don't know is that most likely Rias is still hunting her down because of Pierre and your grandmother. After all old quarrels are hard to stop. So she most likely ran off to protect you and your father. Like she had done, I assume this this is not fact at least to my knowledge, to Luke and I when we were at 253, went back to Hawaii with Dimitri, your 2nd cousin, to protect us although I don't know why since I know completely that I could have protected her." He said looking down in thought for a moment.

He then snapped back into focus. "Anyway, I assume she left you and your father to protect you and keep you safe, while it may not have been the smartest move it was probably all she could do. But I am just speculating with the information I have been handed. But if I AM right, and if they somehow do go after your family like what happened to your mother all those years ago then I will protect you you can rest assured that." He said with a soft grin.

[Reira]

I already know that. I already know why my mom moved from Venice to Hawaii. I already know about Pierre and Rias. Rias was after my grandfather because he owed him money. I already know all these things, but I thought after my mother and Demitri left 253..she said that Rias was captured. So there should be no more gangs. So she couldn't have left me for the same reason she left Luke.

Reira slumped up against the wall, her back towards him in a defiant manner. The coldness of the wall on her forehead felt cool and refreshing against her skin. Even though she pretended not to listen, she caught every word, and probably would memorize everything he said. It was nice to picture her mother as someone who loved her, like Matrim believed she did. It was a soft feeling to remember how her mother used to hug her and kiss her on the cheek.

"I assume she left you and your father to protect you and keep you safe, while it may not have been the smartest move it was probably all she could do."

"She told me after she left 253, Rias was captured. What is there to protect us from," Reira muttered in a wavering voice.

All she could feel was hate now. This place, this room was pissing her off. It was suffocating, like she was trapped in a small confinement and was forced to listen to things that racked her insides. After hearing Matrim speak, she was no longer sure of herself and her beliefs. Her beliefs, pride, and will, were the only things that kept her stable, now that they cracked with doubt, she felt herself wavering.

Turning around slowly to face him, she pulled the ring off her finger and held it outstreched in her open palm. Then she just stared and started to slowly tilt her hand. I don't want this ring, it reminds me of my mother..my mother my.. Her eyes widened, for standing beside her was the same spirit she saw on the day she first met mini-mat. The spirit that clutched his heart so drastically. She could now see he had fair brown hair.

The spirit seemed to smile at her and it slowly closed her hand with his, so that she she now held the ring in her fisted palm. Just as soon as it had come, it dissapeared. Her arm fell limp to her side, and she looked down to her feet.

"You know, I lie to myself. If I could say anything to my mother right now, I'd tell her to come home."

It was like a sudden realization. She never hated her mother, she loved her. It was the pain of her leaving that caused her to make excuses to hate her mother, when really there were no need for excuses in the first place, it was just a way to deal with the pain..to hate.

"I will protect you"

And then they came in the smallest amount. Tears..

[Matrim Aldon]

He watched her the entire time he had talked not letting her out of his sight. She then said Rias had been captured and that there was no more need to be protected. He shook his head, whenever you think your safe from a gang, thats when your hit. "Trust me Reira, I know about gangs, never let your guard down for when it happens..." he trailed off and threw a punch into his palm making a sharp smacking sound. "You get hit, and hard. I should know, thats how I lost my sister. If your mom told you about me you should know about that the most." he said with a soft smile.

He looked at her once she took off the ring and held it out with her palm. She looked as if she would let it slide off her hand onto the floor. He already was prepared for that option if she had made the choice. He always thought on the fly and had two 'speeches' planned out for her choice.

But then it looked as if she started to close her hand, as if against her will. She then said she lied to herself and that she just wanted her mom to come home. He gave a soft, weak smile again and stood up.

Once she began to cry he walked over and put as soft a hand as he could with the metallic hands he had, they still had skin, muscle and ligements but the tendons and the bone had to be replaced every 5-10 years he had gotten another replacement 7 years ago. Thank the Creator for having the medical insurance of a tahesian prince.

Then he had embraced her in a soft hug. "Its alright, I know how you feel, Light its how my wife felt for 5 years when I was gone, but it had been against my will but she didn't know that and I missed the first 5 years of my daughters life so I know how it is. Trust me, I know." He said and opened her palm and took the ring. "If you want, I will hold onto this for you, as long as you want until you think you are ready to have it back." he said with a soft voice.

"It was your mother's and she had given it to Luke who gave it to mini-me who gave it to you and now its back to me. Well I wanted it to go to your mother still as it was hers in the first place but seeing as how right now its your only remembrance of your mother it is yours to keep whenever you are ready to have it. Also, at any time; morning, noon or night you can come talk to me. I told Samara that I would protect her and I have been and I will protect you because it would mean protecting what memory we both have of your mother." He said with another soft smile.

"So, how does that sound? I'll protect you just like I did your mother and if you need any help whatsoever, be it homework, emotional problems or even just needing someone to be there for you I will be there. Your mother may have said some things about me that are still true but I am alot nicer now then I was back then, thank the Creator for letting me see my sister again so I could have emotions again." He said with a laugh.

[Reira]

Reira felt her body tense when Matrim wrapped his arms around her. It was an odd feeling, but she didn't mind it. She felt safe, protected and loved. It had been a long time since she felt this way before, and Matrim reminded her of how her father hugged her. A sudden wave of homesickness washed over her. Trying to stop herself from crying, she hugged him back.

Even though she didn't make any signs that she heard what he was saying to her, she listened and was greatful for everything he said he would do for her.

I don't understand why he wants to protect me...I'm just a stranger to him. Even if he did know my mother, he doesn't know me, but I still appreciate it. It makes me feel a little more 'happy', like I don't have to carry so much weight. The fact of knowing someone will always be there, means a lot to me. I don't have to stand on my own anymore...

"If you want, I will hold onto this for you, as long as you want until you think you are ready to have it back."

She could feel him take the ring out of her clasped hand. Head still burried in his chest, she made no attempt to stop him.

"It sounds...it sounds...you got yourself a deal bub," Reira said, her voiced muffled. She want to make sure she was completely done crying before she allowed him to see her face. She found it embarassing when she cried infront of someone.

Regaining her composure, Reira movied away from him, sighed and blew up her bangs. With a nervous smile she said. "I think I'll keep that ring. Besides, it really is lovely, and it would be a waste if it wasn't on my finger!"

Back to normal...gawd what a baby I am.