The Great Library

[zergio]

Will and Rei traveled long and far to make it back to central. Naturally, they dropped everything off, and snuck the firebird into a birdcage Will bought up in Rei's house. Will decided to come here because of the mass knowledge the library held.

"Your store is nice, but this is knowledge you can't buy anywhere"

Will entered the building

[Yoyo]

Rei followed Will into the library, well aware of what her store did and did not have. Once inside she took a deep breath, the smell of thousands of books filling her lungs. She loved it.

"Do you know where to look or shall I lead the way?"

[zergio]

"Well, it all depends on what we're looking for."

Will pulled out a drawer and looked through the F section

"Theres nothing that has "Firebird" as the title, so you lead. And we can talk about what we were on the cart earlier."

[Yoyo]

Rei led Will through the many bookcases of books. She was tempted to stop and read many titles they passed, but resisted that urge and continued on. As they walked, she asked, "You mean about fighting with your alchemy?"

[zergio]

"Yes. Its a very touchy subject for me, so go easy"

Will followed close behind

[Yoyo]

Rei continued to walk, slowing the farther they got into the library. She spoke softly, trying to not spread their conversation throughout the large building.

"You really only have two options," she said, running her hand along the spines of the books. "You can continue as you are, running from a fight or you can learn to fight." She stopped and looked at him. "In a world of war, those are your only two options. Either way, somebody's going to get hurt." She turned a corner and walked between two shelves.

[zergio]

Will also spoke softly back

"But my problem is that im afraid to fight...... I was almost capable of performing those forms of alchemy at age 9. If I woulda went with it, it woulda killed my mom and dad anyways. Im scared of hurting those im protecting........"

[Yoyo]

Rei stopped suddenly, knelt, and grabbed him by the shoulders. "Then you learn to control your fighting." She stood and looked through the shelf beside her and took down a book.

She continued without making eye contact. "You have it lucky. Water alchemy, once you figure out the basics, is easy enough to control. Imagine trying to control lightning. A metal rod you didn't know about could mess up your aim just enough to kill someone you were trying to save."

[zergio]

Will looked down and stopped.

"Rei, when you confine yourself to your own world, your the biggist threat in it. For years I thought I coulda been a killing machine....... but.... when I meet you, you were the first person I actually trusted...... If I hadn't meet you, I would still be unable to protect that lil firebird...... in fact, I woulda lost him..........."

[Yoyo]

Rei silently leafed through the book before responding.

"If you have any intention of learning how to fight, you have to break your own barriers and push to become better. If you want to protect that bird, open your world to it and you will want to protect it. Find the motivation and use it to help you."

[zergio]

"Rei, I do have the motivation. Now that im out of my world, I truly see all the hazards of the actual world. If I wanna see my bird grow old, and protect my friends, then I will fight. Being told of such mishaps with alchemy made me realize you were right. Please help me train......"

[Yoyo]

Rei closed the book with a snap and knelt before the boy. "You're a brave child. Innocent. Keep your innocence. Hate killing. Fight to protect. If you can do that, you'll be just fine." She rose and smiled, ruffling his hair.

[zergio]

He stuck his tongue out at Rei again.

"If I fought to kill, I'd be everything I fear"

[Yoyo]

"Good," she said as she began walking toward the front desk. "But it would be a disservice to you to sugarcoat this; death happens. Sometimes you will kill, regardless of whether you mean to or not. Just remember that."

[zergio]

"I got it Rei. Survival of the fittest I believe it is."

Will stopped Rei

"Did we find the book on firebirds?"

[Yoyo]

Rei smiled and held up the book she had pulled off the shelf. "Of course we did. Did you think we were going to leave without it?" She ruffled his hair before walking again. "You're gonna have the fittest firebird ever."

[zergio]

Will smiled, walking along Rei with a little spring in his walk. He started humming happily to a old tune he heard others singing.

[Yoyo]

Rei looked at Will, confused wonderment apparent on her face. "Where did you hear that song?"

[zergio]

Will stopped, remembering the answer.

"My father always sang it when he took me out on his cart to town. After hearing it so much, I just subconsciously remembered it. I still hum it when traveling from one place to another~"

[Yoyo]

"Fascinating," Rei muttered, looking straight ahead, watching something that was happening elsewhere. "My mother sang me that song. It was a song from her homeland."

[zergio]

"What a surprise ._."

Will was thinking of asking something, but he avoided the question, asking a different one.

"What is your mom like?"

[Yoyo]

Rei checked the book out from the front desk and led Will outside. She sat on the top step and looked up at the sky.

"My mother, huh? She was something else; everything I would want in a mother. She would play with me and help me with my schoolwork. She would let me sneak sweets sometimes when I thought she wasn't looking. She would sing me to sleep every night.

She had the most incredible singing voice. I've never heard anything like it. It was like magic. She seemed to like that song. She would sing it a lot while cleaning or cooking or she walking down the road with me."

[zergio]

Will smiled, sitting beside Rei.

"Sorda reminds me of my mom. Then again, I can't remember much about her. She was taken away when I was young. But I remember always being there with a smile whenever me and papa came home, along with dinner. I never went to school though, but im still a smart cookie."

Will looked at Rei.

"Hawthorne"

[Yoyo]

Rei smiled at the phrase "smart cookie," having use a similar phrase for herself growing up.

"'Hawthorne'?"

[zergio]

"My last name. I am William Hawthorne"

Will laughed

"You think Hawthorne is a weird last name?"

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