Okay, I'm going for shorter chapters with more of them. Plus, that way, I can do lots of lovely cliffhangers for you! This is how it all happened, how we get to what happened in the prologue. That means that the prologue is in the FUTURE – it hasn't already been and gone.
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Dark Shadow on the Horizon
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Chapter 1 – The End
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"Hey! Rei, that's so cheating!"
Rei chuckled under his breath as he took a short cut between the rocks. Technically, it was cheating but it made hardly any difference to the outcome of the race. This shortcut was easier than climbing the rock face on the west of the mountain, but it was longer. The time taken to complete each was almost exactly the same, unless you were Kevin, who could climb like a monkey but couldn't run for toffee. Poor little stumpy legs.
The day was fine, with hardly a cloud in the sky above the peaceful valleys and mountains of China. Rei was enjoying a hillside romp with his friends in form of a race – and he was winning. He sprinted in large bounds up the slope, but paused. A piece of paper had fallen out of his pocket.
Walking slowly back, he picked it up with a kind of religious reverence and, as if in a trance, unfolded it.
He smiled as he read the contents for what must have been the hundredth time.
Rei,
The sun dawns upon my last letter to you in some time, for I must attend business matters far from home. I do not know how long it will be before I may write again.
It seems so long since we were face to face. Two years since the team disbanded. Too long.
Winter has descended upon Russia. Already I miss the Japanese autumn and its red-gold leaves. You can no longer see the mountains for snowstorms.
Don't bother asking me what the business matters are about – you would most definitely find them extremely boring. You're not the only one. However, there is another pressing matter, connected to business.
My grandfather, Voltaire (remember him?), has been hounding me about marriage. Tell me, how did you manage to escape your betrothal to Mariah? The information would be most helpful. The 'lady' he's most hopeful for has a nose that sticks up like a pig and has a voice that reminds me inexplicably like Tyson, the stuff of nightmares that it may be.
Until next time, far in the future,
Yours,
Kai Hiwatari
Rei's reminiscent smile turned to a frown as he reread the last paragraph. Kai and marriage didn't seem to fit together in any sentence, except: 'Kai was against the marriage' but that still didn't fit either. Kai had a bachelor air about him, one that was not dislodged easily.
He sighed as his eyes alighted on one paragraph. Kai was right. It had been too long. He hardly did any serious blading these days anyway. At seventeen, Rei was required to exercise his leadership abilities and help run the village. This was, of course, one of the most boring things he had ever had to do, and he longed to see his team-mates once again. But that wasn't possible. The Bladebreakers had split and the members went their separate ways. Max was deeply involved in lab work with his mother, Tyson had taken up a place as a beyblading coach with some kendo training on the side, Kai had returned to Russia to sort out 'family matters', and Rei was stuck in China with nowhere else to go.
Stuck in China, further away from Kai than he had ever been in years.
Because Rei missed Kai more than he would ever let on. He missed his crimson stare, his slate grey hair that swept across his eyes. He missed the silhouette, the tall lean figure with the distinctive scarf flying out behind. He missed his will to succeed, the will to make it through whatever was thrown at him, no matter how many times he had to get up from a fall. He missed his lack of social life and the way that meant that he was always there when you needed him. He missed the sound of his voice, the way he chose his words carefully, not wasting a single syllable. He missed his smile, the small smile that only Rei ever saw. He missed Kai for a very simple reason
Rei was in love with him.
It had built up over the years, respect becoming friendship, friendship becoming love. He had learned to love everything about his cold-hearted team-mate, the way he preferred silence to speech, actions to debate. It didn't matter that Kai might not love him back. It wasn't an option.
Years of exposure to Rei had meant that Kai had no choice but to let him in. To stand in the doorway perhaps, but enough to let him glimpse the person inside.
Rei looked up sharply as he heard an unfamiliar guttering sound, followed by a blast of wind that nearly flattened him to the floor. The sight that met his eyes was a black helicopter, coming in to land next to him. Transfixed, he watched as two men got out and walked over to him.
"Rei Kon?" one asked.
Rei nodded, watching them with wary interest.
"Good."
Rei felt a sharp pain in the back of the head, before falling into blackness as unconsciousness claimed him.
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I named this chapter 'The End' because it signifies the end of Rei's life as he knows it. Very exciting!
Kai will appear next chapter – I might alternate points of view, I'll have to see.
Big kiss, I love all my reviewers (hint hint).
I am the Hodgeheg
