The Little Bird Girl
It was raining, reflecting Kai's dismal attitude. He had just left a reunion of bladers from his generation. Almost everyone had been there, with the exception of Mariam and Max, who were on their honeymoon. It had been three years since he had lost Dranzer and he had fought alongside Takao, Rei, Max, Daichi, and Kyoujo in that last tournament.
Everyone had been so happy, and they were all smiling. Kai smiled too, of course, but he didn't seem to revel in the old happiness like he used to. He stopped and sighed, pulling his beyblade from his pocket and looking at it. It had felt empty ever since Dranzer had gone…
The echoing sound of a group of rapid footsteps sounded out of the alley to his right and he looked into it, frowning. Suddenly, a pale being shot out of the darkness and into him.
Kai held himself where he stood; locking his knees and pressing back with his back foot like a kick-stand so he and the person wouldn't topple to the ground.
The being who had barreled into him, on the other hand, clung to him and whimpered softly, shaking with fear.
The silver-haired boy looked down at the being and suddenly felt…Odd.
She was an interesting looking person. Her hair was long and a very pale blonde color and flowed around her with an unnatural affect. She was petite, but with a feminine figure.
The girl looked up at him with scared features, and Kai felt sudden rage fill him.
She had a slim face, with pouty lips and a button nose. Her skin as pale, like snow, and set the color of her eyes magically.
Now her eyes, gods, her eyes swallowed Kai immediately.
They were amber near the pupil, but as they went out they turned orange and then were finally finished with a ring of red around the iris. They were alight and bright like fire.
"Onegai, help me…" her eyes seemed to beg.
Fear made her voice quiver and the look on her face was that of a helpless child.
Kai looked up at a group of boys who finally ran out of the alley, grinning like maniacs and swinging chains and twirling pipes.
One kid stepped forward and smirked arrogantly, twirling his pipe through his fingers like a baton. "Well…What do we have here? Come on/Mister/, give up the little brat! She deserves what's coming to her!"
Kai's reddish-brown eyes turned cold and hard as he snarled his response, "Really? Five guys against one, huh? Afraid she'll beat the living crap out of you?"
The kid growled while a kid from the back called out, "Get 'im Tats!"
Kai smirked. "'Tats?' What kind of name is that? Sounds like something I would name a rat…Wait, never mind…"
Tats snarled and jump forward, positioning his pipe as though it was a bat and swinging at the girl.
Adrenaline kicked up in Kai's system. With agility he hadn't used in a long time, he pushed the girl behind him, grabbed the pipe, wrenched it from Tats grasp, and threw the boy against the wall, holding him there with one hand.
The other hand balled into a fist and punched Tats in the stomach, knocking all the air from him.
Kai was attacked by other members of the gang, but after he dropped the fifth member, they all ran.
He turned back to the girl, who jerked away as he reached out a hand.
"Hold still." He said, and pulled her towards him, touching the blood on her cheek. She had obliviously been cut by something, and the cut was pretty deep too. It might need stitches.
"That's a pretty bad cut." He murmured, taking a handkerchief from his pocket and pressing it against the small wound.
She jerked at first, but held still as Kai continued to clean away the blood to see how bad the cut really was.
"Ooh…Yes, that may need a few stitches…" He took her hand and turned. "Come on… I won't leave you here defenseless and hurt…"
She blinked at him, but held her ground. Kai stopped and turned to look at her.
"Alright… I'm Kai Hiwatari." He looked at her unfazed features when he said that with some surprise. "What's your name?"
"H-Hinotori." Her voice was slightly higher-pitched than most girls, but had a beautiful ring to it, like a songbird's.
The boy raised his brows at the name. She was named, literally, for the mythical Firebird Goddess.
She cocked her head to the side, wide eyes glittering in the orange light.
This girl seemed so familiar…But… Shaking off his thoughts, he led her towards the one person he knew wouldn't ask questions if someone came in with a few bangs or bruises: Takao.
Takao was sitting beside Hiromi on the couch, tickling her and cuddling her (as he had since that fateful trip in the mountains last Winter) when his Grandpa came in.
"Yo! Little dude…The cool dude and a little lady here to visit you." His sofu said.
Takao shot up and gaped as two beings strode into the room. It was Kai, with a girl. Takao had never seen Kai with a girl before… Not like this.
"Hey, Kai." Takao said mildly and smiled, not having expected to see him so soon.
"Hello Takao… Where's Hiro?"
Takao blinked. "Hiro? I think he's staying in one of the guest rooms… I haven't been home lately… "
Kai nodded and turned to the girl at his side, who held the handkerchief at her cheek.
"I'll be right back."
She nodded and was immediately smiled at by Hiromi once Kai's footsteps disappeared into the house.
"I'm Hiromi and this is Takao…We're old friends of Kai's. Come here and let me see your cheek…" she patted the seat beside her, and Takao moved over.
Nervously, the girl sat beside the brunette and removed the cloth from her cheek.
Hiromi winced and Takao whistled softly.
"Is it painful…?"
Hinotori nodded some and shifted in her seat.
Hiromi had meant to get a name from her, but she said nothing else to the shy girl for Kai had returned with Hiro.
Over the past three years, Hiro had finished his first set of medical studies. He had to cover another three or four years to officially become a doctor, but he would suffice for the care of this cut.
"Well, is this her?" Hiro asked and moved the hand that held the handkerchief against Hinotori's cheek.
"Yes." Kai said and sat down, watching Hiro's hands intently. For some reason the slate-haired young man felt obligated to protect Hinotori in anyway possible.
"It won't need stitches, but it will need to be cleaned very well everyday." Hiro sighed and left for his room, returning a moment later with a medical kit in hand. "So, what's your name?"
"Hinotori."
She nodded as she watched his hand on hers.
The older man took out the hydrogen peroxide, splashing it onto a clean cotton-swab and cleansing the wound. The skin right around the cut was pale, but around the white skin it was bruising.
Dabbing away the white foam from the wound, Hiro looked at Hinotori. She didn't as much as flinch when the stinging solution touched her wound. He dried off the wound and dabbed some Neosporin onto the wound. Covering the cut with a bandage, Hiro said, "Finished."
Hinotori looked at Hiro and bowed her head slightly, "/Domo/."
"You should get her home Kai," said Takao, returning into the room with Hiromi. "It's almost one a.m."
Kai looked at Hinotori. "Where do you live, Hinotori?"
She blinked. "What home?" the way she said it, it seemed so innocent, but Takao looked at Kai incredulously and then at Hinotori while Hiromi frowned.
"You don't-"
"Have a home." Hiromi finished, astonished by Hinotori's nod and watching as she looked at each of them in turn.
Hiromi wrapped her arms around Hinotori in a sympathetic matter. "I'm sure Takao's ojiisan won't mind an extra guest tonight, don't you agree Takao?"
The boy nodded, looking from the girl to Kai again, and raising his brows in a way that meant /'Where did you find this girl, Kai?'/
Kai gave him a /'Later'/ look.
/Kai awoke with a start from a nightmare including Dranzer and an odd girl. He had been battling with the famed bitbeast, the way he used to, when Dranzer's feathers began to fall off, until a girl stood there with Dranzer's wings sprouting from her shoulder blades. And then, the girl began to cry, her form slowly disappearing./
Kai sighed and sat up, his eyes adjusting to the dark room. He could see the clock against the far wall. It was three am; he'd only gotten two hours sleep. With a sigh, Kai stood up and strode towards the door, opening it and walking through. The 18 year old walked silently down the dark hall. There was a small light on in the room Takao and Hiromi were sharing, but it was dark in Hiro's room and the room Hiromi had made up for Hinotori. Kai stopped outside Hinotori's door and opened the door quietly, glancing in.
The girl was asleep on her stomach, her face almost hidden under her long hair. She'd probably sleep all night and through to well past noon.
Lucky, he thought, closing the door and continuing down the hall.
He could hear Takao's grandfather snoring in his room, so he went into the living area, sitting down on the couch and sighing.
"Oh, so you're up too?" a voice asked softly behind him.
Kai spun around, startled, his eyes setting on Takao.
"Yeah…" he murmured, as Takao sat next to him.
"So, uh, where did you find her?"
The slate-haired teen yawned softly, and went through the story. He told Takao how he had walked home instead of taking a cab, and how the girl had run right into him. He described the fight briefly, and then stopped to yawn again.
"Then we got a cab and we came here…"
Kai's old team mate nodded. "Well…What're you going to do with her? I mean, she's young, with no home, and looks half starved. She's probably our age, so I don't think she can go to an orphanage…But there are always homeless shelters…"
"She's not going to a homeless shelter!"
This sudden outburst even surprised Kai.
"I think I'm going insane." He murmured, his head falling into his hands.
Takao chanced his thoughts aloud. "Uh, why?"
"I barely know this girl and I feel like I have to make sure she's alright…I swear to God, it's like she's my kid or something!"
"Or your soul mate." A voice said quietly from behind them.
Takao turned to see Hiromi merely growled out softly, "I don't believe in soul mates, Hiromi. All that wishy-washy shit is nonsense."
The girl rolled her eyes as she sat down. "Maybe she can stay here, Kai. I mean, Grandpa loves company, and he'll give her somewhere to sleep at night. She could get a job, too. With the job, she could probably save up for her own apartment. Not to mention, maybe she could help him around this old place Lord knows he needs someone to help him now, especially with Hiro almost always at school."
Kai looked up from his hands, sighing. "No offense, but he's been crazy ever since I first met him, and only been getting crazier. The job thing I like, but she definitely can't stay here…"
"With you?" Hiromi asked, cocking a brow and frowning slightly.
"Me? No…I can't. Not with me having took over the family business. I have to constantly go on trips, and-"
"Oh please! You can send someone else, or just have a video conference!"
The boy sighed, rubbing his eyes and glancing at the clock. It was 4:35 am now.
"I… Dunno. I really don't…I mean…Ugh, I need to get some more sleep."
The girl rolled her eyes and chuckled. "I agree. Let's all get back to bed…We need it."