Chapter One
Weight of the World
It was another sleepless night. She laid on her back staring at the ceiling. Her forearm rested against her throbbing head. She glanced towards her window looking at the dim light from the rising sun. Looking over towards her alarm clock, she closed her eyes again since she had a few more minutes to rest. She sighed.
She had the dream before—man in black dashing through her dreams. He saved her, protected her, and held her tightly. They stood together in the ruins of the Moon Kingdom holding each other tightly. The man would cup her face in his hands and kiss her. Even though they were just vague images, they felt so real.
The girl touched her lips as tears leaked from her eyes. Why did she dream of someone she could never have? The blurred images looked so much like the dark warrior that strolled by moonlight to protect the Sailor Scouts. Why did she dream of Tuxedo Mask—the future King Endymion, husband of Neo Queen Serenity, the one she swore to protect.
She always turned off her emotions. She never looked him in the eye. She never mentioned him, thought about him, or anything. It didn't seem so bad while trying to live her life day to day, but at night, it killed her. It killed her to be loved, touched, and kissed in her dreams only to awake to a cold and lonely reality. Yes, they were just blurs of random images, but they felt so real.
Suddenly, the alarm clock started buzzing. Raye fluttered her eyes open and reached over to the alarm clock. She slammed her hand down on it to shut it off. She groaned and rolled over out of bed to start a new day.
Raye stepped out onto the bright morning sun. She gazed around the courtyard of the Cherry Hill Temple then sighed. There was so much work to do. The yard needed to be raked, the sidewalks swept, the floors scrubbed, the offerings collected, and her mind became overwhelmed with the numerous tasks. She walked down the porch that winded around the shrine and headed for the shed. She opened the door and grabbed a rake. Heading over to the yard, she started to rake the fallen twigs, leaves, and branches out of the grass. She sighed again. There was so much work to do. Her Grandfather was gone on business leaving her with all the chores—not that he could do much anyway. It seemed as time went on, the more and more responsibility was placed on Raye to take care of the shrine.
"What'cha doing?"
Raye cringed. She knew exactly who it was. "What do you want, Serina?" She asked, without even turning around.
"Nothing. Just wanting to know what you're doing."
"What does it look like I'm doing?" Raye snapped, not in the mood to talk to Serina after last night.
"Geeze, sorry." Serina circled around Raye for a few moments.
Raye's patience grew thin as Serina quietly walked around her. "What do you want, Serina?"
"You wanna go to the arcade with me?"
"No, I'm busy!"
"You're always busy!"
Raye kept sweeping. "Of course I am. I have chores to do, unlike someone I know!"
"I have chores!" Serina placed her hands on her hips. "I have to make my bed everyday!"
Raye rolled her eyes. "You've never had a hard day's work in your entire life!"
"That's not true!"
The two girls started to argue back and forth furiously until the rest of the crew joined them and split them up. The blue haired girl stepped in between the fighting pair. The tall brown haired girl directed Raye's attention away from Serina while the other blonde grabbed Serina's attention.
"There that's better. Friends shouldn't fight," Mina said.
"She started it," Raye balked.
Serina stomped her foot into the ground. "I did not!"
"Anyway," Leta said. "Why don't we all go have some fun? School starts in a couple of days. We only have one more week of freedom."
"Well, I thought we could actually start reviewing for the school year. I already have a six chapter head start in Calculus…"
"Yeah, right Ami, nobody wants to spend our last week of vacation studying…" Serina laughed.
"Yeah, especially since Serina hasn't even passed basic Algebra yet. Don't worry, you'll get those multiplication tables someday."
"Shut up, Raye!" Serina crossed her arms.
"That was kinda harsh, Raye." Leta sighed.
Raye kept sweeping the yard, feeling a little embarrassed that her friends didn't think the joke was as funny as she did.
"Well, anyway," Mina shrugged her shoulders. "Why don't we all go out for brunch then go shopping for some new school clothes?
"I can't." Raye said.
"Why not?" Mina asked.
"I have too much to do."
Mina crossed her arms. "Raye, you never take a break. Look at you, you're exhausted and miserable looking. Why don't you just go out with us?"
"I can't! Someone has to take care of this place, and if I don't do it, nobody else will!" Raye snapped angrily.
The girls fell silent after Raye's emotional outburst. They all gave each other nervous looks. As time passed on, Raye was growing increasingly angry, stressed, and rude towards them all. They didn't know what they did or what was wrong—they never knew.
"When's your Grandfather coming home?" Ami finally spoke up.
"Maybe tomorrow. I don't know." Raye sighed.
Serina bit her lip. "Where'd he go again?"
"Kyoto," Raye said shortly, trying not to blow up again. Serina opened her mouth, but Raye spoke before she could speak. "He's visiting another temple," She said, answering the question Serina never asked.
Serina stood quietly for a few moments then started to open her mouth again. Raye spoke up before Serina could again. "He's at Tsukiyama Shrine outside Kyoto. He goes there every year."
Serina stopped her foot. "Why do you always do that?"
"What?" Raye smirked, knowing exactly what.
"Always saying what I want to say before I say it!"
Raye shrugged her shoulders. "What can I say, you're predictable."
Serina folded her arms and started to grumble.
Ami looked at Raye curiously, "Raye, hasn't your Grandfather taken more trips this year than just one?"
"Yes, he's been going to Kyoto much more frequently. He's been there almost once a month since the beginning of the summer."
"Maybe he's looking for a new shrine?" Mina suggested.
"Oh, Raye, are you gonna move to Kyoto?"
Raye gave Serina an annoyed look. "Don't be stupid! This shrine has been in my family for almost 400 years."
"Just wondering." Serina looked away from Raye.
"Well, it doesn't make any sense. Why would your Grandfather be going to Kyoto so much?" Leta wondered.
"I don't know. I guess he just wants to pray or something." Raye said, apathetically.
"I know!" Mina smirked. "I bet he's got a girlfriend!"
Serina and Leta nodded their heads as if revelation had enlightened the situation.
Raye laughed sarcastically. "That's ridiculous!"
"Think about it! Why else would he be sneaking off to Kyoto once a month? He must have met someone there on his annual visits then has been going more frequently to see her." Mina smiled at her reasoning.
"Why is it that your mind only works when you're trying to figure out who's dating who?" Raye asked.
Mina shrugged. "Don't know. It's a gift."
Raye looked over at Ami. "You don't believe this garbage, do you, Ami?"
Ami looked at her feet. "It is a real possibility. I mean..."
"Oh, shut up!" Raye hissed.
The girls laughed as Raye grew extremely frustrated.
"Just go away! I have work to do."
Leta rubbed her hands together. "Come on, girls. Let's help Raye get her chores done so we can have some fun."
The girls nodded. "Right."
"No, forget it! I'll do it myself," Raye snapped.
"I'll get the sidewalk," Mina said.
"Good, I'll scrub the deck." Leta rolled up her sleeves.
"Come on, Serina." Ami grabbed Serina's arm. "We'll collect and count the offerings."
Raye shook her head and continued to rake the yard.
The Sailor Scouts spent the whole day cleaning and scrubbing the Cherry Hill Temple. They didn't realize how much responsibility was placed on Raye everyday, and it made them more emphatic to their friend who always seemed to be tired and stressed. The five of them laid on the porch as the late afternoon sun warmed their bodies.
"Can you believe we only have one more year of high school?" Mina asked.
"Hmmm, no…" Leta murmured with her eyes closed as she laid on the porch.
"I mean, the future is going to carry us off in so many directions that I don't know…" Mina leaned against one of the support posts to the roof.
"Well, I know what I'm doing after high school." Serina softly said as she lay next to Leta. "I'm going to marry the most wonderful man in the universe."
"You're so lucky, Serina," Mina sighed.
"It'll come for us someday," Leta said. "It might be coming for Ami sooner than she thinks."
Ami blushed. "Nothing is going on with Shoji and I."
"Yeah, nothing except that he applied to the same pre-med program you applied to," Serina giggled.
Leta and Mina giggled too as Ami blushed an even deeper shade of red. The girls sat in silence for a few moments.
"How about you, Raye?"
Raye sat a few feet from the other girls in an Indian style position. She was silent as she stared hard into the sinking sun. "Huh? What?"
"What's wrong with you? You've been really quiet." Serina sat up and looked over at Raye.
"Nothing." Raye glanced over then turned back to the sun to keep the girls from seeing the tears forming in her eyes.
"So what are you gonna do after high school?" Mina asked.
Raye sat silent for a moment. "I don't know," She whispered. She prayed to herself that they wouldn't ask her any more questions and would just leave her alone.
Her prayers were answered as a short, bald man reached the top of the great stairs and appeared onto the temple courtyard.
"Grandpa." Raye stood up off the porch and walked over to the stairs. The other girls followed quickly behind Raye.
The small man looked around the courtyard. "Well, you haven't destroyed the place."
"I did my best, Grandpa." Raye bowed to the short man.
"Good."
"You're back earlier than I thought."
"Why were you going to have a wild party when you thought I was gone?"
"No, Grandpa."
"Well, if you were, I wouldn't mind if you brought some of your cute girlfriends over…"
"Grandpa!" Raye interrupted.
"Very well." The old man cleared his throat and reached down for his luggage.
"Let me get that, Grandpa."
"I got it."
"Grandpa! Let me! The doctor said…"
"I can get my luggage you little brat!"
The girls watched a usual sight as Raye and her Grandpa verbally argued over the little things.
"Master, is that all?"
Everyone looked down the stairs to see where the strange voice came from. Instantly, all the girls' eyes filled with hearts, that is, except for Raye who grew extremely skeptical.
"Oh, my gosh! He's gorgeous!" Mina uttered.
Grandpa motioned his hand back towards the young man standing on the steps. The young man stood tall with beautiful blonde hair with wild locks that stood up and his sapphire blue eyes glanced over all the people at the top of the stairs. He was well built, handsome, but sad looking with pain-filled eyes.
"This is Kyoji Tsukiyama. I've hired him to help us here at the shrine."
"Oh, no! We do not need any help!" Raye snapped.
The young man looked over at the raven haired girl for the first time and locked his eyes on her.
"What are you talking about? You were swarmed with chores just this morning!" Serina said.
"This is our shrine! We don't need any outsiders coming in here and getting into our business!"
"Why you ungrateful little brat! I've done nothing but feed and clothe you and this is how you repay me…"
Raye suddenly jerked her head over at Kyoji and stared him in the eye. "What are you staring at?"
Kyoji pulled his eyes away. "Sorry, I…
"I won't hear any more of this!" Grandpa yelled.
"Would you use your brain for just a minute!" Raye screamed. "He'll just walk off and leave us like Ch…" Raye trailed off her words.
Grandpa folded his arms. "This isn't about me hiring help. It's about your failed relationship with Chad."
Raye's face twisted in fury. "How dare you!" She stormed off with anger burning and raging in her soul.
The girls stood silent as they watched their friend take off.
"Don't you think that was a little harsh, sir?" Serina asked, emphatically.
"The truth is truth," Grandpa stated plainly.
"Yeah, but he broke her heart. I mean, it was in the newspapers and everything. He was caught cheating with another girl after one of his concerts," Leta said.
Grandpa stood silent for a few moments then picked up his luggage. "Let's go, Kyoji. I'll show you to your shed."
"Yes, Master." Kyoji picked up his luggage and followed the short old man through the courtyard.
The girls walked over to Raye's bedroom. Serina took the liberty off knocking on the door. "Raye, are you in there? Will you let us in?"
Raye laid silently on her bed as tears streamed down her face. She sat quietly wished the world would just disappear.