Beyblade (c) Takao Aoki
Author Notes: We are currently writing chapter 6. If you want chapter 2 then how about a little exchange. You give us reviews for chapter 1 and we'll give you chapter 2. That's fair, right?
Between Two Realms
Chapter 01
Most of the village were sound asleep when Lee and Ray made it back, but they found that Mariah, Kevin and Gary had waited up for them despite how late it was. Mariah watched them both carefully and saw from their expressions that there'd been no mistake. "Oh, Ray," she said softly before wrapping her arms around him.
"So... he's really gone then?" Kevin asked Lee quietly.
Lee nodded sadly. "Ray phoned Kenny and then Tala. There's no mistake."
"That's awful," Kevin commented quietly, wishing he hadn't clashed with Kai so much.
"Even the Panthers knew about it," Ray spoke up.
Mariah gasped before moving back to check Ray and Lee weren't injured. "You ran into those guys? What happened?"
"Tried to goad us into a fight," Lee explained, "Went really below the belt with a few comments too. But we didn't rise to it. They said they want Kathleen back."
"But she doesn't want to go back to them," Mariah commented. "That's the whole reason she never leaves the village. In case they try to make her return."
Lee sighed and sat down. "I know, but that's what they said. We'll need to keep an eye out for them."
Ray moved to sit down as well, against the wall, without a word, staring at nothing in particular. The words 'it never rains but pours' occurred to Kevin, but even he had enough tact not to make light of the situation. Ray had just found out he'd lost one of his closest friends. There was nothing funny about that. "So now what?" he asked quietly.
"Now, you continue on as you always have," Tao spoke, stepping inside. "As painful as it is, young ones, you can't turn back the clock."
Mariah, Kevin and Gary looked at Tao with a slight gasp. "You heard too?" Kevin asked.
"I heard from the elders and waited for you to return before coming over," Tao replied. Tapping his stick down on the ground, he shook his head, "Sad news indeed."
"Yeah," Mariah agreed, turning her head as there was some movement from Ray again. He'd shifted and was now looking away from them so that they couldn't see his face. Mariah looked down, wishing there was something she could do.
Tao silently motioned for them all to step out a moment, wanting to have a quiet word with Ray. With another glance at their captain, the team left the hut as their sensei had wordlessly asked, taking a small distance to avoid eavesdropping. Tao moved over to stand in front of Ray and watched the teen for a moment. "You must not hide your true feelings, Ray. Grief is something that touches us all and only once you have let it run its course; can you hope to move forward."
Ray lifted his head to look at Tao. "Yes, Sensei," he murmured before glancing at the door. "But I can't lead a team like this..."
Tao smiled gently. "My dear boy, none of us are asking you to. Your friends understand. We are all here to help you any way we can."
"Thank you, Sensei," Ray murmured.
"You do not need to give thanks. We are all hurting, even me. Kai was my student just like you after all. It upset me greatly to hear of his death, but a part of him is still with us."
Ray nodded because he couldn't trust his voice while he was this upset. Whenever he did speak his voice would stop working on occasion and he'd have to pause to compose himself before continuing. It was just frustrating. "I wish... I could have seen him again," Ray said once he trusted his voice enough not to break mid-sentence.
"He may still appear to you from time to time," Tao said. "A part of him now rests within you so he's not truly gone."
Ray sighed. "Sometimes a memory just isn't enough," he commented, not caring how childish and bratty that it sounded.
"Then you should consider yourself more fortunate, because that's not the case." Tao turned to look at him, having been studying his stick. "Did you not listen to what Fabian told you a few months ago?"
Ray looked up. "Fabian?" He frowned thinking back. The day Fabian had brought Yin to them and the day he'd been attacked by gargoyles in the village were the only times he'd ever interacted with the demon in question. All other times they'd only passed each other. But there was no mistaking him and he commanded a great deal of respect. Such a presence made it difficult to forget the events he was involved in. But Ray had listened to what Fabian had to say. "I didn't understand what he was saying and he wouldn't clarify when I asked. All he said was that the demon blood was no longer dormant and that I was closer now to being half demon than I had been. That something had awakened it."
"And what d'you think it was that did that?" Tao prompted.
"I don't-" Ray began to snap irritably, but froze. A moment ago they'd been talking about Kai. This was the same conversation. Ray's eyes widened and he gasped, finding his mind back in the monastery as he stared at Kai, having just punched the other teen in the face. Ray jerked back, just as he did that day, blinking when he hit his head on the wall he had been leaning against and looked around. He was home. Ray shook his head to try clear it. Weirdly, for a brief moment, he had almost thought he really was back there in the monastery. Everything had felt so real; the sensation in his fist as though he had just hit someone. And he had at that time. The blood at Kai's mouth was the proof. Kai's grip on the collar of his long gown. Of course he knew it wasn't real. Kai was gone and it had all happened in the past. But it had still stunned him somewhat. "Kai... That's when it happened... It was Kai... It was his energy that did it."
"Well done," Tao praised with a nod. "He indeed was the one responsible for the change in you. Whether purposefully or by accident doesn't matter, because even now there are still remnants of his power in your body. That was his gift to you."
Ray stared at Tao for a moment before his eyes saddened once more and he looked down, raising a hand to gaze at it. "Kai's gift..." he murmured softly as he closed his hand. "Then I should find a way to make good use of it."
Tao nodded. "And I know you shall."
"Thank you, Sensei," Ray said softly as he looked up at Tao again.
Tao nodded and made his exit. The rest of the White Tiger X team filed back in a few minutes later. "What was all that about?" Lee asked.
"Just some stuff I needed to hear and something I hadn't realised concerning my heightened senses," Ray replied softly. "Kai did it and Tao worked it out."
"Kai?" Lee asked in disbelief while the others stared in silent shock.
"Back when he stopped my attack on him. The energy he put through me to break the device's control," Ray responded with a nod.
"In the monastery..." Lee mused. "I'd almost forgotten about that. So, Kai's the one to cause that huh? I'm almost not surprised."
"Yeah," Ray said softly before covering his mouth as he yawned. At this hour it was normal for him to feel tired, but on top of that he'd been really upset for several hours. Needless to say, he was still upset. It was strange how exhausting crying and getting upset really was. "I think we should turn in, guys," he commented.
"Yeah, it's been a long day," Lee agreed. "We could all do with some sleep." With the decision made, the team turned in and let the exhaustion take them.
000
"Lee, I'm worried," Mariah commented a week later. "Even though he's gone back to teaching the others and training himself Ray's not eating right. I've tried to call him out on it and to convince him to eat some more but he just says he's not hungry. What should we do? Even Yin's noticed that he's upset."
"He's grieving, Mariah," her brother replied. "We just have to be patient and keep an eye on him. I'll try and have a word with him later."
Mariah smiled and thanked him. She knew Ray was grieving and could understand that, but it pained her greatly that he wasn't taking care of himself as well as he could. At her side; Bao suddenly started barking, staring towards the trees. "Huh?" Mariah looked down at Bao then towards the trees. "What's going on?" she wondered.
Lee frowned as he looked towards the tree line. The birds had taken to the sky and the friendly little kodama spirits were retreating inside the trees. "Something's wrong," Lee murmured before Bao growled and ran off into the forest.
"Bao, no!" Mariah called before rushing after the dog, "Here, girl! Come back! Heel!"
"Oh great," Lee growled, going after his sister. If there was trouble, the last thing they needed was Bao leading them straight to it. Luckily the dog had stopped not far into the forest.
"Something's upset everything in there..." Mariah commented as she crouched next to Bao, "But what?"
"I don't know," Lee replied, touching Mariah's shoulder. "Come on, back into the village."
"But..." Mariah began before nodding. "Alright," she agreed.
Something disturbed the undergrowth further ahead and Lee stiffened. He could sense something watching them. Bao started growling again. "Back out slowly," Lee whispered to Mariah.
Mariah swallowed and nodded her head, doing as her brother had instructed. "Here girl," she whispered to Bao and the husky followed her grumbling. She couldn't help but think something was terribly wrong with the whole thing. They hadn't had any trouble for a while, so why now? What was going on? And why? "Lee, the tree spirits are gone," Mariah pointed out worriedly. "That's a really bad sign."
"I know. We need to speak with the elders immediately." Lee felt relieved when whatever it was that was watching them didn't follow, but he kept his guard up even as they broke out of the trees and into the clearing of the village. The presence was still there, but it appeared to be moving away now.
"Grandfather is not going to like this..." Mariah commented before sighing. "We're probably going to have to organise a party to investigate."
Lee nodded. "We'll need to tell Ray too. He'll want to know."
"Yeah," Mariah agreed though she didn't sound convinced.
Lee frowned slightly. "Mariah?"
Mariah sighed. "Ray will want to know, but should he?" she asked. "What if he tries going to see for himself? It's so soon after the news, too soon and he's not been looking after himself... What if something happens to him?"
"I'll go and tell him," Lee decided, realising his sister had a point. "That way, I can stop him if he tries anything. You go and speak with grandfather."
Mariah nodded. "Talk to him about looking after himself better too?" she requested.
"I will," Lee assured her and headed off to see Ray.
"Come on, Bao," Mariah said before rushing off to the elders' hut.
000
Yin sat in Ray's lap, looking up at Ray's face, blinking her blue eyes while she watched him stare ahead. "Gege?" she asked. Ray started slightly before looking at her and smiling a little as he rested a hand on her head. Yin returned the smile, happy to have had a reaction from him.
"Ray!" Lee called, spotting him and running over. "There you are. I've been looking for you."
Ray stood up, lifting Yin so she wouldn't fall. "Lee? What is it?" he asked. The child changed shape, taking the form of a small cat, which looked much like a "blue" coloured Somali though still retaining her blue eyes as opposed to the breed's green or gold colour, and climbing up onto Ray's shoulder. Ray didn't react to this behaviour as it was something he'd grown used to over the past two months.
"We've got a problem," Lee reported. "Something's upsetting the tree spirits. Something nasty and it's close by."
"Where?" Ray asked.
"Not far. I'll show you." Lee quickly led Ray back to where he and Mariah had just been, but didn't go into the forest. "I could sense it watching us, but I didn't get a look at what it was."
Ray picked up the cat up and placed her on the ground. "Wait right here, Yin," he told her before turning back to forest to head in and investigate.
Lee caught his wrist. "You can't go in there alone," he told Ray firmly. "You haven't been eating. You're not at full strength."
"But we need to know what's causing the problem. This is way too close to the village to go ignored," Ray responded.
"Gege, no," Yin said as she took on a human appearance again and caught one of Ray's legs.
"Yin..." Ray murmured, looking down at her then at Lee again. He sighed knowing that he'd never get them both to let go. It would take both hands to remove either one, by which point the other would have just grabbed him again, "Alright. You win."
"Mariah's gone to tell our grandfather and the other elders," Lee explained to Ray. "She's worried about you, Ray. We all know that you're hurting because of what happened to Kai, but you have to look after yourself better."
"Lee..." Ray murmured, looking at his friend. He sighed and looked towards the forest again.
Lee sighed. "There's probably going to be a search party sent out later. So why don't you go home and at least eat something just now, then go with them later?"
"I don't really feel like eating, but if it will put your mind to rest then okay," Ray responded.
"A nap might be a good idea too," Lee suggested. "That'll keep Mariah happy."
"You're not gonna let me off, are you?" Ray guessed with a slight smile.
Lee smiled back, "Not at all."
"Okay. I'll try. For you guys," Ray replied. He glanced at the forest one last time before lifting Yin once more into his arms and heading back to the village with Lee. True to his word, Ray did eat, even though he didn't really feel like it. He also lay down to take a nap as Lee had suggested and, despite thinking he'd probably be lying there awake for ages, he did drift off for a couple of hours, much to the relief of his friends.
000
Once he'd rested Ray joined the group about to head up to the forest. There wouldn't be much natural light left to search with for very long, but Ray wasn't that bothered because he could see so well in the dark now. Given the opportunity, he could probably continue searching after the others headed back either for torches or to retire for the night. Chances were, however, that Lee would never allow it. He'd probably come after Ray and prove just how much more stubborn he was on the matter. Then Ray would most likely have Mariah on his case as well. And that would only agitate Lee further. It wouldn't be pleasant so it was wise to avoid that scenario. The best thing to do was to try find out what had happened earlier whilst staying with the group and to do it before sunset.
"There have been a few sightings within the last half hour," Kevin reported to Ray. "It's definitely a demon, but not one from around here."
"We better find out all we can about it. It's not normal for demons to just show up like that. The last time it happened was an attack on the village and I'm not prepared to take that risk," Ray stated. He left the bit about the attack being over him unsaid. They all knew and none of the villagers blamed Ray for it. But thinking of that made Ray think about Kai again. He'd been in serious trouble that night. The gargoyles would have killed him. But Kai had intervened. Kai had caught him before he could be injured on the wall, then he'd helped Ray to sit down before single-handedly driving back all of the enemies. Come to think of it, Kai had been the first to know about that threat. It was too bad they didn't have him anymore because he probably could have taken care of this problem too. He's gone, Ray, the White Tiger X captain told himself. He's gone and he's never coming back. You have to deal with your own problems. Get used to it. There won't be a miracle this time. Ray sighed a little to himself before facing the others. "The forest is too quiet and I don't trust that."
000
The main party was beginning to break up into smaller ones in order to cover more ground, but nobody went alone. There was no telling what could happen and so it was wise to have someone watching your back. If something was to happen, an alarm would be raised and others would come to assist those in trouble. Ray took his team, with the addition of Kathleen, into the forest and Bao set to work sniffing the ground with Mariah's encouragement. She watched the husky's body language, retracing her steps whenever Bao lifted her head. They all remained wary in case of attack.
Every now and then the group would come across evidence of something, probably the demon, moving through the forest. But the trail was confusing, changing direction constantly with no set pattern. Almost as if the demon was trying to avoid being followed.
"This is ridiculous," Mariah commented as Bao lost the trail once again.
"We're going to run out of daylight soon," Kathleen commented.
"We're going to have to split up further to cover more ground," Ray decided. "Gary, Kathleen, you guys go back with Mariah and Bao to where the last scent was. Kevin and Lee, you two come up ahead with me to search for any clues." Kevin and Lee both nodded in agreement.
With the girls and Gary going back to try help Bao pick up the trail, Ray led Lee and Kevin on some yards, searching the ground. The sky was starting to hold its evening glow of gold and pink, but much of the charm was lost due to the lack of evening calls from birds. It was eerily quiet and there wasn't even the sound of mice and other small creatures rustling about through the leaves. Straining their hearing for any sound they often gave themselves slight starts by disturbing pebbles and sticks.
Ray stopped walking as he spotted something up ahead that looked like fabric. He jogged over to it, finding that it was in fact a scrap of blood-stained bandage. Ray crouched down and picked it up but froze with a slight gasp. The blood on this bandage had come from a demon. He could sense that.
"What did you find, Ray?" Kevin asked, bounding over while Lee kept an eye out for anything.
Ray stood up and held out the bandage for Kevin to see. "It's demon blood," Ray told him quietly as he looked around.
Kevin blinked. "Think it came from the one we're tracking?"
"I can't be sure yet," Ray answered.
"Well, if it's wounded, then that might make finding it a little easier," Kevin mused and then frowned. "Unfortunately, that means it's probably going to be even more dangerous to deal with."
"Yeah, but this is still too close to the village so we have to deal with it," Ray commented.
Kevin nodded. "From the tracks, I'd say it's heading towards the upper falls," Kevin commented, "Probably to hide its scent."
Ray nodded. It made sense. But if the bandage came from the demon they were tracking, who or what had injured it? And why had it come here? "We don't have much time left," Ray realised as he noticed the sky paling. "Let's hurry and see."
Kevin nodded and the pair headed to the falls with Lee. Once there, they found nothing of the demon and as night fell they had no choice but to head back to the village and the guard was intensified.
000
Reaching his house, which he now shared with the team, Ray found Yin waiting for him in her cat form, her bushy tail beating the ground impatiently. Spotting Ray, she stood up and bounded over to him leaping up towards his shoulder. Her jump wasn't high enough to reach her favourite perch, but Ray brought up his arm underneath her and gave the youngster a little boost; smiling as she began to purr contently. His expression saddened however as he remembered that Kai had liked cats and it occurred to him the Russian teen would probably have liked Yin.
Shaking it off he headed inside knowing the child would most likely stay for the night. It was just something that Yin often did, following Ray like a shadow whenever she could. Yin didn't often speak, preferring to watch the world in silence. She also seemed to prefer her cat form but Ray suspected that was because she wouldn't have to reply that way. People who spoke to cats didn't generally expect an answer, at least, not an answer that didn't consist solely of meowing.
Yin didn't even speak much to Ray, who she was obviously closest to in the village. Conversations between them were generally one-sided and were normally made up of yes or no questions from Ray, with Yin answering with a nod, shake or one-worded response. But then, that was something else Ray was used to and as he contemplated this, Ray sighed at yet another reminder of Kai.
Yin hopped down from Ray's shoulder as he moved to sit on the bed and took her human form. She stood in front of him for some minutes as the pair watched each other. "You're hurt," Yin decided finally. Ray blinked and looked down at himself, bewildered, but blinked again when Yin's hand came into view as she touched his chest, over his heart. "Here," Yin stated and Ray looked at her again.
Ray sighed. "Yes. I am," he confirmed.
"I hurt here," Yin said, bringing her hand over her own heart. "I lost baba and mama." Ray nodded and pulled Yin onto his lap, hugging her. "Who did gege lose?" she asked quietly.
"I lost a very dear friend," Ray answered softly, "A friend who I looked up to and respected. A friend who protected and guided me, helping me to become the person I am today." Yin nodded in acceptance of his answer and returned the hug.
Yin spoke more to Ray that evening than she had the whole time Ray had known her. She asked questions about Kai and about the adventures they'd had. She asked about how they'd met and about what kind of person Kai had been. When hearing about Kai's favoured response of 'hn' the child had giggled. She was also impressed by all the stories Ray had to tell her, including the ones that took place in White Tiger Hills. After hearing about Ray's father, and deciding she didn't like the man, Yin asked about Ray's mother. She realised she had even more on common with Ray, at his answer, than she'd first thought. She told Ray as much then explained he was more demon than the others in the village, just like she was, when he had asked what had been the first thing in common.
Conversation turned back to Kai and the questions only stopped when Yin finally fell asleep. Ray tucked the girl into his bed and headed outside to join his team under the stars feeling somehow lighter. Kathleen was with the group when Ray joined them.
000
"That's got to be the most she's spoken since arriving here," Kevin commented quietly as Ray joined them. "You know, anyone would think you two really were brother and sister with how much she follows you around."
"I think it's sweet," Mariah put in, smiling up at Ray before he sat down between her and Lee.
"So she's finally opening up a bit then?" Kathleen asked.
"Yeah," Ray answered with a nod. "You guys weren't listening, were you?"
"Nah, we could hear voices, just not the words," Kevin answered.
"Okay, down to business. So what do we have then?" Ray asked.
"We've got a silent forest, a bloody bandage and at least one demon in the area," Kathleen listed.
"Bao couldn't pick up the trail. There were too many scents for her to follow," Mariah put in.
"And we got nothing at the falls," Kevin added.
"All in all, not a lot to go on," Lee surmised.
"All the elders can do is increase the security, which they've already done," Mariah mused.
"And we haven't heard anything of the Panthers yet in regards to Kathleen," Ray added, looking to the girl.
"I'm not going back to them," Kathleen stated adamantly.
"We know, Kitty and we won't make you," Kevin assured her.
"Why does everything always start going wrong around the same time?" Mariah murmured aloud without meaning to. She gasped and covered her mouth before sending an apologetic look towards Ray. Fortunately, Ray missed it and didn't actually pick up on the fact that she was referring to Kai's death too because he was looking up at the stars. Following his gaze, Mariah gasped as it brought back a memory. Back when Ray had been captured and held prisoner. Mariah had gone outside, feeling crowded and miserable, and looked to the night sky. Kai had spoken to her back then and promised to get Ray back safely.
"Mariah?" Ray asked worriedly.
Mariah blinked, realizing her vision was blurred and looked at Ray. She blinked again and understood why. She offered Ray a smile and wiped her eyes. "Just remembering," she offered as an explanation.
Ray understood who she was referring to and returned the smile. "D'you know, I don't think he ever realised how good a person he really was," Ray commented to her softly.
"Kai?" Kevin asked of their current topic, receiving a nod from them both, "Heh, yeah. He was always hell bent on looking after everyone but himself."
"Didn't matter how many times you told him, he always put everyone else first," Ray agreed.
"Remember when we all got sick?" Mariah asked, looking at Ray. "We weren't on his team or even that close to him and he still nursed us back with as much care as he did for you guys."
"I remember him getting really pissed off at Omar for insulting us, particularly Ray," Lee commented. "He was mad enough at the guy for just trespassing in the first place, without him talking trash about Ray on top of that."
"I'd never seen anyone fight as hard for someone else as Kai did," Kathleen commented. "After he and Ray had their match out at the park we were going to take Driger while Ray was exhausted. But the way Kai fought... We had him outnumbered and Ray was already down, but I don't think even Hell itself could have made Kai back down. No amount of taunts or sneaking around could stop him. It was amazing. HE was amazing. And despite how ruthless he seemed, there was also a certain level of forgiveness. I wanted that. To care so much about something that it gives you strength. And the bond you all shared with your bit beasts. When I backed down, he let me go and I realised I had a choice. I didn't have to be what they wanted me to be. Kai taught me that." Kathleen sighed. "I never did get that fair match that I wanted with him."
"That day when Hal came to take Ray away from us," Kevin spoke up, "Kai went to all that trouble to lure the guy away, even though he was injured from training. He wanted to let Ray have the opportunity to at least know his father. I thought that was the last day we would see Ray, because we all know Hal wouldn't have come back. He would have taken Ray with him and never return. But Kai didn't allow it. And then, after all the stuff I said to him, he still helped me get down from that tree."
"He gave me Bao," Mariah added, remembering Czar fondly. Kai had generally been a cat person, but that hadn't stopped him having a pack of dogs. And when the puppies came, Kai had ensured they would be given good homes.
"So many fond memories," Ray said softly.
"Looking after friends when they're sick, defending their honour," Mariah began to list.
"Fighting tooth and nail to keep them safe," Kathleen put in.
Mariah nodded in agreement, "Fighting tooth and nail to keep them safe."
"Turning up to save the day just when he was needed," Ray added.
"He was a real hero, huh?" Mariah commented.
"He wasn't interested in being a hero, but personally, I think that just made him that much more of one," Ray replied. There was a murmur of agreement before the group fell silent in private remembrance of Kai. The Russian had meant a lot more to some of them than they had originally thought. It was true what they said. You really never did know what you had until it was gone.
After a little while the group began to feel tired and cold, so they turned in for the night, heading indoors and laying down to sleep.
000
Throughout the week, there were several more search parties sent out to investigate the demon, on a daily basis. But all of them turned up nothing. What was worse was that the silence seemed to spreading, closer to the village and surrounding it. Everyone was on edge and Ray was too busy with the situation to think about his sorrow. There was a very real chance that the people he loved and cared about were in danger right now and if something wasn't done about it then he may well lose more friends. Of course he was still sad about Kai's death, but he couldn't dwell on it and worked throughout the day with others to try and find out what was going on.
Unlike the others, he was able to continue his investigations well into the night with his better eyesight. But the sense of smell did nothing for him. The whole place reeked of demon and it was impossible to find anything that way. As for his hearing, there were no sounds to detect. The searches were always exhausting though because of effort and because of the way the atmosphere played with his nerves and so he was still forced to return home to rest. Ray decided that he might try something different the next night as he lay down for the night. He was too tired for even his frazzled nerves to keep him awake and quickly fell asleep.
000
Ray walked towards the waterfall quietly. The sound of the lapping water at the banks of the river was a welcome change to the forest which had become creepy as of late. He found it comforting. But then, the waterfall had always been a good place. Here he could meditate with ease. It was almost like a sanctuary to him in a way. The fact that he had natural sounds around him right now added to that comfort.
"I thought I'd see you here," a voice called from nearby. "Took your time, huh?"
Ray started and turned to see the person who had spoken. Sitting on a rock at the water's edge, they were dressed completely in white. They wore a white shirt and white trousers. But it was their identity that held Ray's attention the most. "Kai?" he asked in surprise before frowning. Kai was dead which could mean only one thing. "Ah, I'm dreaming, aren't I?" Apart from the colour scheme, Kai looked just the same as Ray remembered him, except for the fact that his scarf was missing.
"You were expecting someone else?" Kai asked with a small smirk.
"I dunno what I expected. I didn't expect you though," Ray answered honestly as he approached the other teen.
"Well it's your dream," Kai told him and folded his arms. "And while I can understand the significance of me wearing white, it is a little cliché, don't you think? And where's my scarf? How could you miss that out?"
"Uh..." was Ray's articulate response.
Kai rolled his eyes and smiled. "Relax, I'll manage without it." His smile slowly faded and he looked back at Ray with a sudden seriousness. "So, how are you?"
Ray blinked. "How am I?" he repeated as he tried to snap out of his bewilderment. How was he? Ray looked at the river's surface, watching the ripples match the gentle sound. "Honestly?" he asked softly. "I've been better." Ray looked up at Kai again, almost expecting him to be gone already.
Kai hadn't vanished. He was still there and frowned slightly, unfolding his arms and leaning forward to rest them on his knees. "I've disappointed you, haven't I?" he asked. "Let you down."
"It's not that. I mean, I know none of us will live forever. I guess I just thought I'd have more time. It's just, I miss you and it hurts," Ray responded. It was all so familiar. Kai berating himself about something he'd supposedly done wrong and Ray assuring him it wasn't as bad as Kai thought, or forgiving him instantly if he'd been the one hurt. It seemed so normal.
Kai slipped off the rock and walked over to Ray, hands in his pockets in what had always been a familiar casual display. "Well then, let's talk," he said, stopping in front of his friend. "Now's your chance to say everything you need to, so that you can move on. It will make it easier, Ray."
The familiarity of the display was comforting, but the words caused a certain horror to seep its way through Ray. This was closure. Finality. The end. What was there to say to someone when you knew it was the last chance you'd ever have? It was a chance to say goodbye, but it was just as much of a curse as it was a blessing. It made him feel very on the spot, which in turn made him feel quite desperate. He didn't even know what he was desperate for. Don't go? How absurd. It was already too late for that. Kai was already gone. What happened? Well Ray didn't know what happened and this Kai was a product of his dream so he wouldn't know either. He couldn't know. What then? That he didn't want it easier? No. Kai wouldn't want that. Kai would hate that. Kai had done too much for them all to see them destroyed by this. Ray needed to stop looking at it as the glass being half empty and start looking at it as the glass being half full. For the sake of his friends if not for himself. But his eyes were burning, his hands were shaking and there was a lump in his throat, so even if he knew what he wanted to say, he couldn't get it out. Why was it so real even in a dream?
Sighing quietly, Kai reached forward and rested a hand on Ray's shoulder. "It'll be okay. Trust me."
Ray looked at Kai then down again quickly as the dam broke. "I do trust you. I always have."
Kai gave Ray's shoulder a light squeeze in comfort. "You're strong, Ray. You'll get through this. You all will. I'll still be keeping an eye on you all." He smiled. "So do me a favour and try to stay out of trouble."
Ray looked up at Kai again, staring for a moment before giving Kai a somewhat weak smile. It was very lightly said but almost the usual lecture about doing something foolish. Same old Kai. "It doesn't work even trying," Ray pointed out. "Even without looking for it. It always comes knocking."
"I can still hope," Kai replied. "That's all I've got now." He paused. "Where's Dranzer?"
"Kenny told me that Tyson's got him."
Kai nodded. "That's good. I was worried..." Sighing heavily, Kai's hand fell away from Ray's shoulder. "I am sorry, you know. For everything I've put you guys through... I didn't mean for any of it to happen."
"What do you mean everything you put us through?" Ray asked, puzzled. Everything? That couldn't just mean the death. It must have meant the stuff when he was alive. And all that had been covered. Hadn't it?
Kai shrugged. "I dragged you guys into a lot of trouble, what with Biovolt and my grandfather. I still feel bad for that."
"You didn't drag us anywhere. We got ourselves into trouble and you were the one bailing us out. And Voltaire's plans, he was everyone's problem. None of that was your fault. And I wouldn't trade one second of it because without all that we might not have become friends."
Kai couldn't help but be touched by his words and smiled. "Thanks, Ray. That means a lot."
"Well I really meant it. Every word. I told you before, you're one of my closest friends," Ray replied.
"And you're one of mine," Kai returned. "That will never change."
"Never," Ray agreed quietly. Dreaming took place at a certain stage in sleep. How long would that window last? How long had he slept already?
"Hn," Kai smiled, slowly turning away. "Well, I'll be seeing you." It seemed he already had those answers then.
"Goodbye, Kai," Ray responded, knowing that those words were the ones he would regret not saying the most.
Kai raised a hand to wave, but didn't turn back. "Bye, Ray." And with that, he disappeared, leaving Ray alone at the falls.
After watching Kai leave, Ray faced the water again. The peace wouldn't last, he knew that. There was that demon to take care of and the silent forest waiting for him in the real world. Despite that, Ray felt better for speaking with Kai. Dream or not.
000
Ray sat up and looked around. Home, in his own bed, like nothing had happened. The final piece of evidence that it had just been a dream. Still, it had helped. He'd needed that. Kai had been there for him despite being gone. He'd said, in Ray's dream, that he'd be watching over them. It seemed he really was. That's so like Kai that I have to keep reminding myself it was just a dream, Ray mused as he got up and headed out. He had a demon to take care of and new plans to follow for the task at hand. First thing was first. He needed to eat something. He didn't plan to return home until he'd found something, even if it meant sleeping in the forest, so he'd need his fuel.
As soon as Ray left the house, Lee opened his eyes. He knew Ray was up to something and decided to follow. Ray hadn't been himself since Kai's death and his friends were all worried as a result. Until Ray had moved on, Lee had taken it upon himself to watch over his friend. If their roles were reversed he knew Ray would do the same for him.
Sensing that he was being followed, Ray stopped and turned to wait. "Morning Lee," he greeted.
"What are you up to, Ray?" Lee asked him suspiciously, not even bothering to try hide the fact that he'd tailed Ray.
"I'm getting some breakfast and then getting to work," Ray answered.
"You're not planning to come back empty-handed, are you," Lee guessed.
"Nope," Ray confirmed. "Wanna come with?"
"Someone's gotta watch your back," Lee replied. "Though I'm sure you'll be watching mine a lot more than I'll be watching yours."
"Don't be like that, Lee. We're a team," Ray responded. Lee lifted an eyebrow as he studied Ray for a moment. Ray seemed more like his old self today and Lee could only hope that that was a good sign. Lee nodded and they headed off to grab something to eat before heading into the forest.
000
Just as they had every other day, they searched the area around them for anything. The place had been searched and searched again every day and they didn't expect to find anything new. So it was a surprise when Ray stumbled across the remains of a fire. From the size of it, it appeared to have been a camp fire, perhaps for cooking with. Closer inspection of the area around the extinguished fire supported this theory. Ray held a hand over the ashes and, feeling no rising heat from them, ran his fingertips through it before rubbing them together. The ashes were cold.
"Whoever built this fire is long gone. But I know I passed this area just yesterday. Either I overlooked this patch or someone was here since," Ray observed.
"They must have been here since after you passed," Lee responded. "You've been thorough with every search."
"Not thorough enough," Ray pointed out. "There's still something seriously wrong with this forest. I'm going to be honest right now. This place is actually giving me the creeps. And I mean I am honestly freaked out by this."
"I know what you mean," Lee replied. "It's one thing for all the wildlife to go silent, but for the silence to last this long? The stress this place is bringing on can't be good either."
"Have you noticed we're whispering?" Ray asked.
"Yeah. I think we made a subconscious decision not to disturb the silence," Lee answered.
"Mm," Ray nodded. "Let's stick to that decision."
"Good call," Lee agreed. They looked around the camp site once more and then moved on. It wouldn't tell them anything else except that either the demon cooked or there was another stranger in the area.
000
Apart from the abandoned camp site there was no sign of life in the forest. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves in the trees but no birds sang amongst the branches. Nothing crawled through the blanket of leaves on the forest floor. Ray wasn't sure which he hated more, the silence, or the wind being the only thing to disturb it. But he didn't disturb the silence himself and neither did Lee. Making a lot of noise was no way to hunt. The day pressed on and the wind died down, bringing on the silence of the night. It was worse than when there was daylight as they strained their hearing further.
"We should find somewhere to rest for the night," Ray decided as the night wore on. "If we're out here, it might get the demon's attention."
"So bait was your plan," Lee mused, having suspected as much in the first place.
"Well searching isn't working," Ray shrugged.
If Lee hadn't known Ray as well as he did then he might have worried that Ray had returned to his old self because he planned to end it or something like that. But Lee did know Ray. Ray had too much going for him to do something so stupid. He had plenty of friends, close and otherwise. There were the villagers, his uncle Stan, Tyson, Kenny, Hilary, Max and Daichi. There were the other teams too. Not to mention Mariah and Yin. "Bait or not, I know you don't plan to throw your life away, so let's make sure we find somewhere that will give us an advantage," Lee mused.
"So all we need to do is figure out how to gain the upper hand on an unknown opponent. Do we go up or down?" Ray asked.
"I think we should stay low," Lee commented. "It should be easier to find cover."
"Agreed," Ray said with a nod. "We used to play in this forest when we were children. It shouldn't be too hard to find somewhere suitable since we know it so well." Lee nodded in agreement and they headed off to find somewhere they could rest up safely. What they chose was a little patch under low tree branches with a boulder behind them and bushes on either side. Enclosed as they were they would see or hear anything approaching before it was within striking distance.
000
The night dragged on in silence while Lee and Ray took turns napping and standing watch. The bait plan didn't appear to be working so, once they'd both rested enough, Ray and Lee set out again. Without a torch to see by it was mostly down to Ray's eyesight to search for clues in the dark while Lee stood guard ready for attack. A few times they stopped and made some noise deliberately, to try get some sort response, but they didn't like it one bit and the only reply they received was their own echo. The most worrying thing was the ominous presence lurking over the forest. The feeling of being watched caused the hairs on the back of their necks to stand up. The pressure in the air around them built and instinctively they knew that something was about to happen.
A blood-curdling shriek filled the night air, shattering the silence of the forest, followed by pounding as something big rolled down the hillside not far from where Lee and Ray were. Crashing to a stop, the creature snarled and rushed on, shaking bushes and small trees as it went. Moving away from whatever it was that had startled it, it headed directly for Ray and Lee, leaving them little time to react.
In an explosion of earth and broken branches it emerged, big yellow eyes wide and dangerous. It was a huge rat demon, easily double the size of a grown man, with massive claws. Its thick grey hair was matted and stinking and it had what appeared to be ingrown wires and tubes coming from the back of its neck. But what stood out the most about it was the improvised arrow sticking out of its shoulder. It was under attack from something else.
The demon passed between them, knocking them both flying into the undergrowth at either side of the path as it continued on in the direction of the village. Fairly dazed, the boys floundered as they tried to right themselves again.
Suddenly, there was someone else on the path, rushing after the rat demon in hot pursuit, another demon, but this one in human form. Dressed entirely in black, all that could be seen of their face was their eyes. Deep brown eyes which glanced briefly at Ray in the split second it took them to pass. A knife glinted at their waist as the short cloak they wore was blown back with their movements. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion and yet they were gone as quickly as they had appeared, disappearing back into the forest after the rat demon.
Ray blinked owlishly after the figure who also wore a bow on their back. "Anyone get the number of that truck?" he asked as stumbled to his feet rubbing the back of his head which he'd hit when he landed. He looked around, trying to recover his bearings before frowning as something suddenly clicked. "Was that a person?" he asked, looking in the direction they'd gone in. Had he really seen that? "Did someone seriously just run past us with a bow?"
"I think so," Lee said, rushing over while trying not to stumble. "It was hard to tell but... You don't think..."
"That rat demon... looked nasty. That would explain the silence. Person explains the bandage and fire. Hang on..." Ray looked around. "Shit! It's heading for the village!" he realised as he got his bearings back.
"Oh, hell!" Lee cursed. "We have to get back and warn everyone!" His eyes widened suddenly. "Shit! Ray, what if that guy was a demon hunter?"
"Son of a- We don't have time to waste," Ray said, glancing about briefly. "The path turns left down there, we can cut through here," he decided before rushing off through the trees. It wouldn't give them that much of a cut but hopefully it would make it easier to catch up. Lee was behind him in a flash. They just had to make it back to the village first! Ray burst out through some bushes, doing a two hundred and seventy degree turn as he checked the area and found evidence of their quarry. "Shit they're fast! This way!" he called back to Lee, not even stopping his pursuit when he checked the area.
"You go on ahead!" Lee shouted. "You're faster! You've gotta warn the village!" Ray brought up an arm to confirm he'd heard Lee and picked up speed. He was running on adrenaline now but used it to his advantage as it gave him a second boost of speed.
000
Ray left the shelter of the trees straight into the clearing that held their home. The rat was now dangerously close to the village, so much so that many of the villagers were already outside, having heard the commotion from further up in the hills. A stone wall proved to be useless as the rat ploughed through it, crossing a field and heading for the first group of huts. Some women and children started screaming and running for cover while the men grabbed any weapon they could get their hands on. The rat let out a howling shriek and leapt forward to attack a straggling child, only to be viciously knocked to the ground as the figure pursuing it jumped up onto its back and forced its head down. Both tumbled over and crashed in through the wall of one of the village shops, vanishing into the shadows. Everything went still.
Ray gulped down air as he surveyed the scene. His blood was rushing, roaring in his ears and his chest heaved, lungs screaming. It hurt to breathe but Ray pushed it aside and started running again. Down towards the shop to see what had happened and hopefully find out if the figure was friend or foe.
By the time Ray got there, the villagers had formed a hesitant circle around the shop. Nobody knew quite what to expect, but the tension in the air was almost suffocating. Several of the men jumped slightly where there was a loud clatter from inside the shop, followed by a quiet growl. The rat's glowing yellow eyes appeared in the darkness as it gazed back out at the villagers. Ray tensed, ready to strike if the rat attacked.
The demon emerged slowly from the depths of the shadows, ears flat back against its head and teeth bared in a snarl. Its claws were now stained with blood that wasn't its own and the arrow in its shoulder had been ripped out during the tumble into the shop. It studied the villagers carefully, seeking out any possible targets. Eyes landing on a young girl, it hissed.
"Get the women and children back," Ray told the others as he took out his blade and launcher. There was still no sign of life from the one who'd been fighting the rat but Ray could smell their blood. The warm, coppery stench hung thick in the air and Ray felt he'd have to agree with the murmurs from the villagers that the other one must be dead in the shop. Ray knew he didn't have the energy for a prolonged fight. He also still wasn't at full strength, so he didn't know if he could end it in one shot. But he had to try. "Don't look at her, look at me, you stinking, overgrown rodent!" he called, taking aim.
The rat instantly turned its attention to Ray and snarled, feeling threatened by the raising of Ray's beyblade. Its hair bristled up its back, while its long tail thrashed angrily along the ground. Now that it was standing in one place, everyone could get a better look at it. Old wounds covered its body, some infected and badly scarred. Ribs could be seen clearly, showing that it was most likely hungry. The scent it carried, beneath the repulsive odour, wasn't from the area either. It had travelled, and travelled far, from where it had originally come from.
Heavy, rusting shackles were fixed around each of its legs, having been rendered useless long ago and the tubes and wires at the back of its neck were now clearly visible. It looked like something out of a nightmare. Some twisted experiment gone wrong. And it was desperate for blood.
Hissing again, it lunged suddenly, without warning, heading straight for Ray and lifting a large clawed paw to swipe at him. But before it could get too close, the rat screamed and recoiled. An arrow had pierced clean through its paw. Forgetting Ray and the villagers, it spun back round to face its attacker.
The cloaked hunter stepped out of the demolished shop and into the flickering light of the village torches. A bow was clasped in one hand while the other held back an arrow that was pointing directly at the rat. Blood dripped from the arm pulling back the arrow and a tear in the hunter's cloak could be seen. Stepping over the rubble of what had once been the shop wall, he moved slowly round to the side, changing his angle of attack so he wouldn't risk hitting any villagers should the rat dodge his next arrow.
The demon was infuriated. The need to feed was overpowering and it had had enough of being chased all over the countryside by this other, much smaller opponent. Through rage and bloodlust, it had lost its ability to communicate long ago and now it had been reduced to nothing more than a mindless beast.
A heavy moment passed where neither of the two moved, but the hunter had already come up with a plan to finish this rat off once and for all. He jumped into the air the second the rat moved to attack, avoiding the open jaws and flying over its head. Trailing one arm, his bow caught the rat's snout and the larger demon was pulled backwards violently. It crashed to the ground and screamed, wriggling frantically as it tried to recover while the hunter moved in, brandishing a long knife from his side. The rat retaliated just in time, throwing the bow off its snout and raising itself up onto its hind legs. Falling forward in the hopes of crushing its opponent, it aimed to use its teeth and claws to finish them off. But the hunter was too quick, ducking under the mad swipe from both hands and getting in close to the rat's body. With a well-timed punch in the throat, he forced the rat's head up and away from him then ploughed his knife straight into the demon's chest.
A wet, choked scream echoed throughout White Tiger Hills, as blood rushed up out the rat's nose and mouth, while more gushed from the stab wound. The hunter forced the demon off balance and twisted the knife sharply and with that the scream stopped abruptly. Stepping back, he let the rat collapse to the ground with a mighty thud, watching as its blood quickly pooled around its body and soaked into the ground. Finally, the chase was over. The rat was stone dead.
Taking a breath, the victor stepped forward and removed his knife from the creature's body, flicking it to remove some of the blood. Wiping the rest on his cloak, he slid it back into the sheath at his hip and turned to look at the villagers. They we safe now and he had finally accomplished his mission. Eyes lingering on Ray for just a moment, the figure then moved to retrieve his bow.
Remembering the brief moment in the forest when he'd been trying to regain his feet, Ray realised the hunter had looked at him then too. It hadn't really stood out much to him at the time, but now it did stand out with the second look. Clearly he was known to the hunter somehow, but with him being on a beyblade team, that wasn't much of a surprise. The real question was whether or not this person was a threat to them, though instincts told Ray that the stranger was safe. The overpowering stench from the rat was making Ray nauseous, but curiosity and pride held him in place. He could hear the villagers speaking amongst themselves, asking who this stranger was. All attention fell on the hunter.
Yes, we like Princess Mononoke, but I did some research and they're not solely from that, so yeah.
Mandarin Chinese Translations (they're kind of easy but still)
gege = big brother (pronunciation = like saying get get but without the ts)
mama = mother
baba = father