Auther's Note: Sorry It took so long for me to get up between collage and studying I didn't have much time to work on this, but here it is and I hope you enjoychapter. Thank for waiting and I'll try to have the next chapter soon, but i can't make any promise since I'll starting winter samaster next week.
Tears of the Gifted
Chapter IX: Tai's Dilemma
Tai sat silently on his knees, hands on his hips, feet bare, eyes closed, sweat dripping across his scarred, unclothed chest; and smooth strings of fire circling his torso. The young Fire Gifted was silent and still as a statue. The room around him held a soundless atmosphere disturbed only by the gentle pace of his breath, in out...in out. Slowly the room grew dark and black; a realm of shadow surrounded him. The whispering cries of flames filled the air and slowly grew into roar as red hot flares blanketed the floor and danced like an ocean's waters. Slowly figures of fiery shadow walked out of the darkness and surrounded him. He stood as the shadows drew closer to him until they were a mere ten feet away. His geyes closed he waited as the first of the shadows struck at him with a fast punch from his right. He blocked it and countered with a fast blow to the attacker's stomach. The next strike came from the front...Tai caught his enemy's foot and then pushed them away spinning a corkscrew. The following assault struck from behind. His eyes still dormant; he shifted to the left and dodged the assault at his skull and then quickly grabbed the assaulter's arm and flipped them over his back onto the fiery ground. Tai stood calmly with an eased mind as all the figures stuck all at once in a barrage of attacks. Tai dodged and countered them one by one...dodge, kick, punch, dodge kick punch. Out of nowhere more enemies came as if rising from the flames that covered the ground of the shadow black realm. In a dance of marital arts Tai fought back with a calm mind and gentle heart. Faster and faster he grew as more enemies came at him until a mind imprisoned echo cried, 'Stop!' Tai froze; his movement ceased. His enemies vanished and the room returned to normal...
'That is enough for now my student. Return home quickly; dawn's light is approaching.' Theecho ordered wisely and calmly.
'As you wish Master,' the fire gifted replied.
Tai opened his eyes. An eerie silence surrounded him as he blinked slowly, inhaling and exhaling deeply. He turned to a window where a pile of black clothes: a cloak, a pair of boots, a pair gloves, a shirt and a lather jacket, lay beneath it. He went to them and one by one he put them on with the cloak being the last. He tied its strap carefully but firmly around his neck so that there was almost no space between it and his skin. He looked out window at the hellish scenery around him. The blazing haze giggled about the area and he lowered his head in remorse and then flipped his hood onto his head and drowned his face in darkness and shadow. He left the room and walked down the hall of the abandoned apartment building. One would call him a fool for wearing a jacket in such a desolate place, but for him...a Fire Gifted, a being that thrives off heat and flame, the blazing atmosphere around him was nothing but a gentle spring day. He walked down the stairs carefully as they led him to the building's built-in parking garage. His foot steps echoed throughout the area as he came upon a motorcycle as black as the midnight shadows cast by the moon's silver light. He grabbed the bike and slowly walked out of the garage and into the open, but his steps were slow, and one could see the restlessness in his steps. Something troubled him as he walked; this place...this...surfaced hell, it caused a pain in his heart, a painful feeling of regret and agony.
Upon leaving the garage he stood and looked up at the blazing red sky as the echo spoke to him again...
'What has been done, my student, cannot be undone.'
'But...'
'What is done is done. You must not let your past cloud your way of thinking for a clouded mind cannot see the present around him. Now, return, you must not be seen in your cloak and hood during morning's Light.'
'Yes Master...' Tai said respectfully.
He climbed onto his bike and looked about the remnants of Fire Storm. The heat blazing near a level of that of the sun danced joyfully and the voices of the lost, cried through his mind, "Burn Fire Demon, burn...join us...join us...burn..."
Tai shook his head, started up his bike and left the remnants out into the open but empty streets of Odaiba, Japan. Dawn was coming and the city was beginning to awaken to a new day. Tai drove through the streets stopping only for the lights until he came upon a road that led him out of the city onto a road with a forest on each side. He then turned off road into the forest. He drove more slowly now, as he looked carefully from left to right until he stopped in front of a well hidden and narrow path. He got off and walked his bike down it until he came upon a small old fashioned Japanese house that looked like a dojo from the ancient times of the Samurai. He walked over to it and parked his bike just across from a blue and white one near by. Breathing the gentle crystal air around him he went inside and stood in the one foot entry-way of hard cherry wood floors. The inside, despite the outside, appearance told another story about the house. Beyond the entry-way was the living room with its soft dark purple carpet, two couches one for three and one for two a coffee table between them and three completely filled bookcases. The two couches stood against the north and west walls; the three person against the north, the two person against the west, their corners touching just ever so slightly at the northwest corner of the room, the coffee table stood with it's long side facing the three person couch and it's short facing the other, the bookshelves where evenly aligned against the east wall just next to the door that led into a hall. Tai looked about the room and removed his cloak and jacket and hung them on two of the seven hooks next to the front door, just next to a couple of motorcycle helmets: one black, and the other blue and white.
'I'm home master,' he thought
'Welcome back my student, now go wash up. Then come and speak with me,' his Master ordered kindly.
'Yes master.'
Young Kamiya left the small living room and entered a narrow hallway. He walked down the hall and entered a small bedroom big enough for no more than one person. The bed lay beneath a large window cable of holding a full sized human body, next to it's head on the right side stood a woodened desk its surface occupied partially by a neatly stacked pail of school books: literature, math, history, science and few others for enjoyment, next to them a binder filled with both used and unused paper, and lastly in the canter a notebook titled Kamiya's Journal: Touch and Burn; next to desk just between it and the door stood a small closet and a small dresser sitting on it's floor next to a pair of white and blue shoes that were replaced with a pair of black shoes that Tai had recently removed from his feet. He took from his closet a dark blue shirt and some light blue jeans and from the dresser he pulled out a pair of dark blue leather gloves and white socks. Carrying his cloths he left the room and went up the hall a ways and stood in front of a locked bathroom door and the sound of a blow-dryer flowing from the inside. He knocked on the door only to get a silent reply. He knocked again, but still no answer came.
"Hey Karina! Open up, I don't have time to wait for you to finish your hair," he yelled loudly. Still he received no answer. He banged on the door. "Karina! Come on!"
After knocking for another minute or so the door finally opened and out stepped a fifteen year old girl with hair and eyes as black as shadow, slightly pale skin, and a bath towel warped around her body and a small portion of her breast hanging out, "Ok...geash, I was pretty much done, anyway It's all yours now," she said smartly, brushing out her hair.
"Ah...thanks," Tai replied turning his head away blushing shyly.
"The hot water's already run for you, the soap's on the sink and there's a dry towel on the rack," she explained, "There's also a bowl of hot oatmeal in the microwave for you; make sure you eat some before leaving."
"Right...thanks," he said his head still turned and cheeks red.
"What's wrong? Why are you blushing?"
"Well...ah...you're...ah..." he stuttered trying to direct her to her chest.
"My ah...OH!" she quickly covered up her chest and blushed a deep red, "Sorry!" she said her head turned away from his.
"It's alright," he replied kindly.
"Yeah, I guess so...I mean you have seen more than that before..." she blushed brushing her hair away from her eyes.
"I...have..." he asked confusingly.
"Yeah, but I don't blame you for not remembering...I mean, you were half dead around the time and I...didn't want to get blood on my new cloths so I..."
"AH...if you don't mind I'd really like to get cleaned up and be on my way," he said blushing.
"Oh, right...later..." she replied. She then ran to a near by bedroom just across from his and closed the door behind her.
Tai relinquished a breath of relief and then went into the bathroom. The hot water sat in the tub at half full. He set the cloths he would where for the day on the counter next to the sink and then undressed and placed his dirty clothes into a basket near by. He then took the bar of soap and wash towel from the counter and sat down on the edge of the tub. He placed the soap into the towel and then dipped it into the tub, lathered the towel with soap and slowly he began to wash himself, enduring the slightly painful stinging that echoed through him as the soapy wash towel glided across his scarred form.
'I really wish Master would get a decent shower.' He thought.
When finished he took a towel from the towel-rack hanging on the wall, dried off and got dressed. He then opened the bathroom drawer and took out a brush and black rubber band. With the brush he brushed out his dark red hair and then with the rubber band he bonded it into a pony tail. Through with the bathroom he left and went back to his room where picked up a cell phone charging on his desk. He placed the phone into his pocket as he walked up the hall and around the corner to the kitchen where the food Karina had left waiting for him. He took the bowl of oatmeal from the microwave sat down at the cherry-wood table in the center and ate until the bowl was empty and then placed it into the sink. He left the kitchen and slowly he walked to the room just across from it and stood still before the door. There was a strange aura of calmness and wisdom that echoed from the door, a feeling of power and control that just soothed his soul. Carefully and respectfully he knocked on the door.
'Enter my student,' a voice echoed through his mind.
Tai turned the knob slowly and entered the large room. Unlike the rest of the house, light held no domination in this room except for a violet ball of lighting flouting in center before an old man in a white martial arts robe and pants sitting on a large pillow. He sat their lags crossed, eyes close, hands on his knees, a gray beard of triangular shape, winkles of both age and wisdom interplayed throughout his face, and rays of violet light circling his body each with a single strain of lighting wrapped around them.
Carefully and quietly Tai walked forward towards the old man, his foot steps echoing through out the room. Closer and closer he drew until finally he stopped and sat down on the pillow just across from the old man with the sphere of lightening between them. He was silent and spoke not a word. He bowed his head respectfully and waited for the old man to speak.
"They who cling to what is done and gone..." the old man said.
"...are they who cannot move on?" Tai finished.
"One can never be forgiven..."
"...if one cannot forgive ones self."
"Yes...the past is a difficult thing to bear, and your past my student is filled with much hardship and when I rescued you from your anger and sorrow your life was fading and you asked me to let you die, but in the end it was you chose to return to life for the shake of those who loved you. I taught you many things my student, including how to control your emotions and you have done well yet..." he slowly opened his old violet eyes to half their wake, "...now I sense something troubles you. Your powers have been acting on their own for quite sometime now and I read the sorrow and regret in their movements across your form. Tell me, my student, what troubles you?"
Tai was silent. He sat there unsure of how to tell his master the feelings in his heart. A silence was held between them and the Master sat patiently waiting for his student to speak. Then finally Tai spoke, "Master...do you think it would be better if I remind in hiding here with you?"
The Master opened one eye and looked at his student with a look of confusion mixed with understanding, "Why...do you ask such a thing my student?"
"Well..." he didn't know how to say it. He couldn't find the words to explain his reasons and part of him did not wish to reveal them at all, "I just...think it would be better that's all."
The Master looked at his student and closed his eyes, "For every choice a consequence. That is the most important of the lessons I have taught my student. No matter what the choice is, no matter what decisions you chose to make in life there will always be consequences to your actions. If you truly think it would be better for you to remain I will not try to stop, however, I ask that you think about this decision and the consequences that come with it, now go."
"Yes Master." Tai bowed his head respectfully and left the room.
The Master watched him leave as he heard the sound of a door open and shut shortly after. He then averted his gaze toward the sparking orb before him as the image of a young lady appeared within it, "The seal has spouted, but the Guardian...has only just begun to rise from the earth." He waved his hand across the orb and a small child appeared, crying in a beautiful forest like garden that looked as it could have only been grown by the hands angels. The child sat under a golden-green tree holding his knees close to his chest. The Master looked at the child and then closed his eyes as the image vanished. "Time, grows short with each passing day and my time is not eternal..." he coughed sickly. "I must do what I can in what little time I have left."
Tai stood outside of the room. Part of him didn't feel right about keeping the truth from his Master. The old man had saved his life and taught him how to control his powers. After all he'd done for him he deserved to know the truth...didn't he? The truth, of that sad day of realization and revelation...
It was but a week and half after his mother had finally awakened from her coma and he had revealed himself to his friends that he was alive. Since then he had been busy trying to find a new home for his family, but there were few pro-gifted Landlords who would be willing to strike a compassionate deal, especially with a fire gifted. One day he had found some free time to go and visit his father's grave, but when he got to the cemetery he found a large group of people standing around what looked like a roofless steeple. At first he paid it no mind, figured it to be a large family mourning over a lost one, but as he continued to walk a man bearing the mark of the fanatic anti-gifted group, Pure Blood, passed by him heading for the crowd. Pure Blood's members rarely wore their symbols out in the open. Doing so was pretty much asking the police to follow them. Concerned, he turned around, went to a near by tree, and jumped into it. From There he jumped from one tree to the next until he was just above the crowd. Looking downward he saw a few more people wearing the symbols of Pure Blood. He sat quietly unnoticed as a well dressed man in a black business suit, stood before everyone and addressed them in a calm and well mannered tone.
"Thanks you all for coming. I know many of your have already had funerals for your loved ones whose names have been in engraved in the monument that stands behind me, but this ceremony is to honor them anew. To remember the joy they brought to our lives and to remind us just how dangerous powers uncontrolled by man can be," he said calmly and sincerely as he looked over the crowd standing on the same large platform as the monument. "Though I am aware that some of you must have mixed feelings about this ceremony, after all some of you had children who were friends with their murders. Like my niece, Yuki." He held a sorrowful expression masked with a gentle smile as he remembered the girl of whom he spoke. "Such a kind girl she was. She used to help look after the local children in her neighborhood. She'd always take them to the park and play with them until their parents came to pick them up." He breathed in and out quickly. "She was a real angel in the eyes of those who knew her. Boys always asked her out but she always turned them down mostly because her eyes were set on just one boy. He was a bit of a hero at the High school always standing up for the little guys. Yuki admired him, but he never took an interest in her but still she kept trying and one day she managed to snag him." he blinked slowly.
Tai was a silent as a shadow. He knew well the people the man was talking about. He held his head down in sorrow as he remembered the girl named Yuki.
"Yuki and her new boyfriend were quite the couple. A perfect match one could say and he was a fine a boy, a born leader. I had expected him to be Prime Minister some day, but then it happened." His face took on a serious expression. "It was during a soccer match I heard. I wasn't there, but Yuki was with her father, my brother Yor-yin. Her boyfriend was on the Odaiba High School soccer team and was in fine shape. Odaiba was winning five to one, but then the boy suddenly fell to his knees holding his stomach. Yuki ran out to him and the next thing anyone knew a ripple of fire erupted from the boy's body and Yuki was of the unfortunate bystanders that was gravely wounded by the flames. She was hospitalized and died a few days later. The boy had tried to see her before then, but my brother wouldn't allow it and neither would I." he looked at the crowd. "What became of that boy you wonder, well, he is now remembered as one of the most dangerous gifted to have ever lived, his name was Tai Kamiya!" the man's voice grew more serious and rage filled suddenly. "He was one of the first gifted to appear. His flames took the life of my innocent niece, just as he took the lives of countless others in the Odaiba High Inferno and Fire Storm. God-dammit if he wasn't already dead I'd kill him myself!" Tai listened as people cried in joyous anger filled agreement. "He deserved what he got in the juvenile hall. Wrongful tortures, HA, more like justified tortures if they ever even happened. He deserved every last one of those tortures for killing my innocent niece! But not just her, but your sons, your daughters, your sisters, your brothers, your husbands and your wives, who were all victims of either the school's destruction, Fire Storm or the Remnants of Fire Storm," People cried out agreements as the man spoke with more and more passion and then went about pointing from one person to the next asking them what Tai Kamiya had taken from them; one woman in a black gown said that Tai had taken away her newly born child. The infant had died from heat stroke during the sudden raise in temperature in the area that is now known as the Remnants of Fire Storm. It wasn't just her others spoke up claiming what Tai had taken from them.
The man then slowly went into speaking about how gifted were a menace to sociality and how they'd bring about the end of naturals whom he referred to a true human beings, but Tai had stopped listening beforehand. He had gone silent and from the tree he looked down at the people below him. His heart sunk suddenly in a sea of regret and worry. Even though the rain poured down hard, Tai could see the hatred, the sorrow and anger on the faces of the people below and the sight of it just pieced his heart like a knife. It was the first time he had truly seen the hatred people held for him. Most of those who did not wear the mark of pure blood, hated gifted because of him and others just hatred him, but of course hate was such a meager word to describe the amount of dislike they held for him, because of what his flames had done. Sitting there in that tree he began to realize that he had never really understood how deeply people hated. He thought he knew with Pure Blood's wrongful murder of his father, but he didn't. There is a fine line between hating a group persons whose names and faces are unknown, and hating a single person whose name and face is well known. A forgotten regret filled his heart, a regret he had once felt while he was in juvenile hall but could never truly feel it because of his hatred for naturals. But now, however, that hatred has all but vanished and with a clear heart and mind he could feel the regret and sorrow flooding his heart like a tidal wave into a city. His mind became confused and he began to wonder if he should really return to the outside world.
His master's room was silent and still. He stood outside the dojo where his master trained him. When he was finally tired of remembering the ceremony he shook his head free of the memory and started towards the front of the house where his motorcycle laid waiting. He picked the white and blue helmet on his way out the front door and held it firmly under his arm.
Waiting for him outside, with a black motorcycle helmet under her arm, was Karina in one of her outfit of black T-shirt tucked into a pair for short black shorts that covered only half of her thighs, short black girl boots with low heels, and a short black lather jacket. She stood leaning against the black bike, her shadow black eyes, and darker than shadow hair in a pony that hung from her head like a horse's tail from its bottom.
He looked her and she heard his footsteps pass by her as he went to the white and blue bike across from her.
Silence ruled them as Tai hung his helmet on the handle bars and then tossed a set of keys over to her. She raised her right hand and caught them and then tossed a different set of keys over to him as she broke the silence, "P called," she said smiling slyly eyes opened narrowly and arms crossed.
"Really, so what kind of dish does he have for us this time?"
"Nothing on Pure Blood unfortunately, but there are some rumors going around," she replied as the two of them started walking their bikes towards the narrow path.
"And what would those be?"
"That Tai Kamiya never died at Firestorm."
"Really, you don't say," he replied seriously, sarcastically.
"I do," she answered back. She looked at slyly, but seriously, "You should be careful with how you move today. Don't forget there's at half a city out there that hates you."
"I'm aware of that, but I doubt they'll cause me too much trouble."
"It's not you I'm worried about?"
"Don't worry, Sora never leaves her home without escort, my sister's always with Davis and under a twenty-four hour police watch, Matt, Mimi, TK and Ken can tend to themselves. Joe and Izzy may not be too good in a fight but they have quite a way with words, and Yolei and Cody know how to keep a low profile and stay out of trouble when needed."
"Your faith in your friends is pretty high."
"I've known them for a long time and after everything we've been through there's almost nothing we can't handle. When you finally meet them you'll understand."
"I look forward to and I'm sure Mimi and I will get along real well."
Karina was a sly one and her fighting skills were nearly as good as his, combined with her being a darkness Gifted not many wanted to mess with her and most people were afraid of her. Tai enjoyed talking with her because it always took his mind off certain things he didn't want to think about.
"So what are you up today?" Karina asked as they exited the narrow forest path and to the wider one.
"The usual, looking for a new apartment for my family before my mother is out of the hospital," He replied
"Any luck yet?"
"No, but I'm meeting with Professor Takenouchi today and together we're going to talk to the landlord of the Hishikashi Apartments where he lives and hopefully strike a deal."
"Well, I wish you luck, but Tai..." she said as they came to a stop.
"Yeah..."
"Remember, you don't always have to harbor your feelings on your own. You have friends who are more than willing to help to you when you need them." He was silent as he suddenly looked away from her. "So if you ever want to talk about anything just let me know alright. My ear will always be open." She said as she placed her hand on his shoulder.
He was silent Karina was a nice girl, and he cared for like she was his sister, but not even her kind words could get him to speak what was on his mind, "Thanks Karina, but sometimes there are things I can't even tell you." With that he put on his helmet walked his bike further forward, climbed on and started it up. "I'll see you tonight, later." He then drove and Karina watched him as he disappeared down the path.
"Tai...please be careful not hurt yourself...or your friends with your choices," she said worryingly and calmly as the dust trail from his bike settled.
Tai left the forest and returned to the city streets. He drove straight for the Takenouchis where he met up with the professor who introduced him to the apartment building's landlord. From the secure walls of the landlord's office Tai and Professor Takenouchi worked out a deal to get the recovering Kamiya family a new apartment and after an hour of negotiation the landlord agreed to give the Kamiya's a small two bed room apartment for half the price with no payments for three months in return for Tai helping out with security around the complex. He would work every night starting from when his family moved in from five to ten and then when school started he would work from five to ten on Fridays and Saturdays and from five to nine on Sundays. He would do this work until his mother was cable of working again and could pay the full price.
After finally securing a new home for his family after weeks of searching and negotiating with various landlords, Tai made arrangements to have his family's belongings moved from the Takenouchi's storage to their new home. Once through with this errand he went and picked up his sister and together they visited their mother with the good news. After a thirty minute visit, which was all they were allowed, Tai returned Kari to her guardians' home and watched her leave immediately afterward on a date with Davis. But, he did not leave right away. He lingered for a moment as he looked up towards the Takenouchis' apartment. He knew someone else in there some one dear to him like a sister and a little a more. His heart was still plagued with sorrow and regret as he looked up. His helmet under his arm he gazed upward at the window he once sneaked out through. He then closed eyes and for a moment as he shook his head and put his helmet back on.
He left and drove around aimlessly for a few hours until he stopped at a flower shop and bought a bouquet. Carrying them carefully and delicately he drove to the cemetery and parked his bike at the sidewalk. He walked through the open black steel-bar gate and down the stoned path basking in the cool shade of the surrounding cherry blossoms their white flower petals blanketing the ground. Gravestones stood neatly and orderly in rows everywhere he looked. Sorrow echoed in his foot steps as he came upon a four-way intersection in the path and standing in the middle stood a ten foot black marble block in the form of church's steeple. Engraved within it were the names of the lost and among them stood the names of Hoshin Yor-yin and Yuki Yor-yin. Its base was surrounded by flowers and he set his bouquet among them.
He looked at the steeple and lowered his head in regret. Strings of fire slowly circled his body as he gripped his fist in frustration, 'Why am I here anyway? Why am I placing flowers at the grave site of people who tried to kill me one of which tried to kill my sister and nearly killed one of my friends. Some of the people on here hated Gifted...so...why I am I doing this?' he raised his head and looked before him. "Dad...you were killed by naturals, so why I should I feel so much regret over Fire Storm?"
He looked at the monument before him and trailed over the name Yuki Yor-yin gently.
'Yuki...maybe it's because of you that I'm here. If you were alive today would you still have cared so much for me?'
"You miss Yuki don't you," a voice said gently and suddenly.
Tai froze for a second and turned around to find a beautiful girl in a white cloak and hood in a white-golden summer dress that trailed an inch away from the ground.
"Sora...what are you doing here?"
"I was visiting someone when I saw you and decided to hello," she said innocently and sadly, "I haven't seen you since the day your mother awoke from her coma?"
"I'm sorry, I've just been busy, that's all," he said sadly, returning his attention to the monument.
"I know, you've been searching for a new home for your Mother and sister," she said understandingly. "Have you managed to find one yet?"
"Yes I have, it took some time, but I manage to get a hold of a small two bedroom apartment for half the price in exchange for helping out with security."
"That's wonderful! Where is your new home?"
"Right across from yours."
"Right...across...from mine," she said with suppressed joy. She closed her eyes for a moment with her hand to her heart and smiled lovingly. "So, you'll be close by."
"Yes," he replied. "It's probably for the best. My mother's not going to be up to working speed at least for a month after she gets out and your mother agreed to look after her when Kari and I are at school."
"Our families have been such good friends for so long how could we not help you out," She said kindly. "Anytime you need something please don't hesitate to ask. We'd be more than happy to help you."
"I know and I'm grateful for everything you and your family have done for us," he said. "I only wish we could find some way to repay you."
"Really?"
"Yes..."
"Then, please tell me what's wrong."
He froze, "Wha...what do mean nothing's wrong?"
"That's a lie and you know it," she said looking at him with sadness in her eyes.
"No it's not a lie...nothing's bothering me...I'm fine," he stuttered
"Then why won't you look at me?" she asked sadly, but seriously. "Why did you turn away from me?" he was silent. "Please, Tai tell me...tell me what's wrong?"
Silence ruled his tongue. He feared turning around, because to turn meant having to look into her eyes, those sad, gentle, innocent, kind eyes. He could not lie to such eyes no matter what was at stake. It was because of those eyes that he did bother to tell her how he survived Fire Storm. He knew she would see right through the false tale he had told his mother and friends.
He stood still, he stood silent and Sora stood waiting for an answer. 'What should I do...master...' he received no reply. The mind link between him and his master was silent and he realized was on his own for this
"Tai..." Sora cried softly.
He finally gave in and sighed gently as he looked off to the left from corner his eyes.
"Sora...tell me, when you saw the aftermath of Fire Storm how did you react. When you saw the remnants left behind by my storm what...what did you think of me."
The golden light gifted looked downwards a ways, "When I saw your gravesite, I was devastated. My heart was filled with an anger I couldn't portray. It just wouldn't come out so I just cried, and I cried and I cried until I could cry no more. I could only imagine the horrors that were inflicted upon you as you were in the juvenile hall and I couldn't help but blame myself for becoming so weak and frail. If I hadn't broken, if I hadn't become so weak that I required either you or Matt for a shield, then maybe...just maybe you wouldn't have gone to juvenile hall and gave birth to fire storm. If I had been stronger, then maybe your father would still be alive."
"Sora..."
"I feel as if the blood that was split on the day the school was destroyed and during Fire Storm is also on my hands for becoming so weak."
"Sora...you're...you're not responsible for anything. Every life that was lost to the fire that destroyed the school, every life that was devoured by Fire Storm is on my hands. The blood stains my hands alone and that includes a small partition of my dad's blood."
"Your, dad...but Tai Pure Blood..."
"...killed my father while he was protecting Kari, I know, but he left home to look for Kari because I didn't pick her up on time and she had started walking home not wanting to worry mom and dad. If I had just done what I should have done and gone to pick her up then maybe he'd still be alive right now."
"But you were late to pick her up because you were protecting me. Because I had grown so weak I couldn't protect myself anymore."
"You're not weak Sora; you're stronger than you know. You just can't see it anymore," he said kindly. "The lives that were lost to the burning of the school and the lives that were lost to Fire Storm like the lives that were lost to my awakening powers are my fault, and the blood is my hands." He breathed and blinked slowly, "The hatred so many people hold for me is fair and jus. I thought, in the past, that I understood it with Pure Blood's murder of my father. I thought I understood the hatred people held for me, but I was wrong. There's a wide gap between hating a single person and hating a group of persons. I only recently realized that difference." He gripped his fist as strings of fire continued to circle his body. Sadness and regret reflected themselves in his eyes and his heart ached with pain. "So much blood is on my hands, more than I ever that possible for someone at my age and so many people hate me at such level that they'll do anything to get revenge against me even if it's through one of the people I love." A tear dripped from his eye. "My father's death, the destruction of the school, fire storm, my mother's coma…they're all my fault! I'm to blame...for all it. My fault...all my fault." Tears dripped lightly from his fire red eyes.
Sora looked at him. She had never seen him so sad before. She lowered her head not knowing what to do. In her eyes he was always strong...always so courageous and void of fear. Yet now she saw a part of him that wasn't him, or at least from what she had seen of him. When she looked at him now however, she saw...she saw a bit of herself as she was now. Ever since her transformation into a Gifted she grew more and more fearful of naturals. She was even for a time afraid of her parents. Even today she fears naturals, fears the slings and arrows of persecution that will be fired her way should they ever learn of what she had become. She looked at her sorrow ridden childhood friend when her Elvin ears caught the gentle sound a softly made foot step. She turned her to left and looked at the figure hiding behind a near by tree. She looked at him and he looked back as she shook her head. He tried to whisper an argument but she merely shook her again and he sunk back into his hiding place.
Sora walked up to the lightly crying Tai and rested her head and hands on his back. The Fire Gifted stood still and he looked back at her a little ways, "Sora,"
"Please, please don't cry, Tai," she requested gently and sadly. "I know that the school and Firestorm were at your hands, but please, please don't shoulder this all on your own. Please don't hold all the blame. You were unable to meet Kari on time because you were protecting me. Your flames destroyed the school because you were protecting me, and because of it you were taken away to that juvenile hell." She rose up and he turned towards her a bit. They looked into each others eyes and she touched the right side of his face and gilded her thumb slowly and carefully over the scare resting beneath his right eye. "This scare...and all others that lay beneath your cloths. All there, because you protecting me...because you protected me, you suffered so much."
Tai looked into his friend's eyes, but as he did, he almost didn't see her as a friend. Her silk soft hand against his cheek, her innocent gaze shining upon him as strings of golden light circled her body, all of it, her very being standing before him, so close to him, eased his trouble heart and soul. He cared for her, more than he anyone knew. He touched her hand gentle as it lay on his face and caressed. He wanted her, deep down he longed for her. He wanted to hold her, love her...kiss her...but no...this was wrong. He had asked her to return to his friend. He had returned her to his best friend...this was wrong...he had to stop it. His emotions, his heart with them, his power echoed them. His control...the control he had work so hard to obtain, it was slipping...he couldn't let it. He had to stop it from going any further. He was grateful for her comfort her efforts to ease his pain, but now he had to stop it.
"Sora...stop," he said suddenly and hesitantly as he gently gripped her hand and pulled it down from his face. She looked at him in confusion, "I know you're only trying to help me, but this is going too far. You're my best friend's girlfriend for crying out loud. If Matt saw us like this he'd be furious." His flames smoothed out and his control slowly returned.
"I'm sorry, it's just that, I was afraid that you..." she began as she turned from away from him a bit.
"Afraid that I'll what?"
"That you'll leave as soon as your family is settle in I'm afraid you'll leave and never come back." He was silent yet again and Sora looked at him, reading him like a book. "I'm right aren't I? You're not planning on staying are you? You're planning on staying in hiding aren't you?" she cried worryingly and fearfully.
He looked away from her, "It's just that so many people..."
"I know it's not easy having so many arrows of hate pointed at you. Arrows that might ricochet and hurt one of the people you love," she said with a bit of understand as she turned her back to him.
"I'm sorry I just can't..."
"It's alright I understand," she said kindly with a sad smile. "It'll just be so hard to say what could be a permanent goodbye."
"Sora..."
She took a deep breath and tried her best to bear a mask of strength, "Well though it will be hard I'll accept your decision, but you have to promise you'll come visit when you can. I'm sure your mother and Kari will understand if you explain it to them and I'm sure they'll agree to it as long you keep up at a discreet contact." He was silent. "The others might put a bit of fuss, but I'm sure they'll understand and it's not like we're helpless without you. Mimi's a pretty good fighter now and Davis isn't too bad either. He's grown up a lot."
"Sora..."
"Ken and Yolei will more than likely accept it though they may not be too happy about it. Joe and Izzy will likely debate about it, but I'm sure they support you; and TK and Cody should be fine with, since it is life and your decision."
"And Matt," he asked.
"Matt..." Sora said softy. She giggled a little trying her best to mask her sadness, "Matt, he's been trying so hard to make things up to me. I'm sure...what happened before won't happen again." She shivered a little as touched the light burn mark on her left arm. "I'm sure he'll understand."
"No I wont!" a voice cried suddenly.
"Who's there?" Tai demanded, placing himself in front of Sora like a bodyguard. Slowly a familiar figure walked out slowly from behind a near by tree with blue strings of fire circling his torso.
"Matt..." Tai said looking at his blonde haired friend.
Matt stood infused with anger, his fists gripped tightly like an anger filled boxer. He walked slowly walked towards Tai, "You...you..." he said with rage, "You...Idiot!" he charged at Tai and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, but in the blink of eye Tai broke free of Matt's grip spun behind him and delivered a harsh hit to his friend's back with his palm.
"Matt!" Sora cried with worry as she went to his side.
The impact had knocked Matt to the ground and left him standing on all fours. His face dominated with a sorrowful anger, "You idiot...why, why are you just going to hide?" he asked turning towards him. Tai gave as silent reply, "Answer me! Why you going to hide like a coward?"
Tai couldn't bear to look at his friend. His head turned towards the black marble steeple covered in names and the memory of the ceremony replayed it in his mind, "So much hatred is arrayed against me. Some of them are satisfied with me being dead, but I'm not dead and once they find that out they'll do anything they can to get revenge against me. Whether it be directly, are through some I care for," he explained sadly. He turned towards them. "Before I revealed myself to you guys, I was dying after Firestorm until some kind people found me. I asked them to let me die. I thought my mother and sister were dead because of Fire Storm, because of something I gave birth to. Do you have any idea what having that kind of guilt is like. The pain of having your relatives killed at your own hands. Words alone could not express the joy I felt when I learned they were alive. I...I don't want to feel that pain again and I don't want to place you guys endanger. Even by just standing near me you're a target for MY enemies." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He calmed himself and loosened his fist to an open hand. "For every choice a consequence it's something I learned while I was in hiding. For every choice I make it more than often effects someone elses life and two of my choices have had harsh consequences."
Matt was silent, he calmed himself as while and stood with Sora's aid, "You mean when chose to protect Sora?" Tai gave no reply. "Sora's your friend Tai, she's known you longer than any of us and she's the only person who comes close to knowing you longer than Kari. When you started acting as her shield, you were always there for her. You always act as the first line of defense while I was the second and you never let your enemies break through." He blinked slowly, "But it wasn't just for Sora that you acted as a shield for, it was also for every Gifted or natural you saw endanger. You'd always been like that, it's who you are, and it's the only thing about you that hasn't changed ever since your powers awoke during that soccer match." He touched Sora's soft hand on his arm and looked at her. "Even now I can't thank you enough for being you, for not letting anything get the way of you being who you are. Though sometimes I wonder, how is it that someone can be so unselfish, so uncaring about their own well-being to act like that. There are few such people in this world who are like that and there are times when I believe in the world today you may just be the only person like that. Though you hated naturals for the death of your father you continued to try and help those who need it even if they refused to accept it you helped them anyway and without thanks." He smiled a serious but friendly smile. "It's for that I admire you, but now by saying you not going to come back just because of the hatred aimed at you, isn't that being a little selfish? Isn't say something like that completely against who you are?"
Tai closed eyes. He remembered the past for before he became a Gifted and after.
"Tai, tell me if you could relive your life as Gifted from the day you got your powers all the way to now would you do anything different?"
Tai remained silent, his ears had embraced every word Matt spoke and at the same time he reflected upon them, "I...I..." he began…
"Well, well what do we have here?" a cruel voice suddenly interrupted
Matt and Sora turned around to find a small gang of teens headed by a familiar figure walking towards them. Matt pulled Sora behind him and glanced back at Tai only to find that he was no longer there. 'Guess he's made his decision,' he thought as the boys stop before him.
The leader looked at Matt with his brown eyes and smiled a twisted smile of delight, "If isn't little Matt Yamato my former band leader been-a-while?"
"Jake..." Matt replied.
"Matt do you..." Sora started to ask.
"Don't you recognize him; he was a member of my old band before my powers awoke. He was also the natural you stop me from killing when he and his friend ambushed in the alley a couple months back."
"Yeah, yeah, but enough chit-chat, I'm here on business."
"And what would that be?" Matt asked coldly and seriously holding Sora behind him.
"There's a rumor going around that Tai Kamiya, never died at Fire Storm," Jake said.
"You shouldn't believe everything you hear," Matt replied.
"Point taken but when you think about it makes sense, I mean after all his body was never," Jake said.
"Of it wasn't it, idiot, it was incarnated by Fire Storm," Matt said.
"Oh please, he was pretty made of Fire so how could he possibly be destroyed by it?" Jake questioned, "Besides I'm not as dumb as people think I am. I made sure this rumor was true before taking action."
"Really and just what have you found out?"
"If you must know," Jake said smartly, "last month Mrs. Kamiya awoke from her coma with the aid of her child Kari Kamiya, of course that's what the news and police reported. But according to some witnesses there another person among Kari's large group of friends and I don't mean that detective who killed Principle Yor-yin, or you."
"Our group has many friends what's your point?"
"The point is I believe the person was Tai and this rumor only supports it. Not to mention the reports of not one but two people visiting Mrs. Kamiya in the hospital and calling her mother," Jake pointed out in matter-of-fact tone. "So why would someone call some else mother unless that was their mother?"
"Blood doesn't disqualify someone from being someone else's mother. A woman can be child's mother in heart and spirit alone," Matt said.
"Another good point, but the guy whose been visiting her along with her daughter is a Fire Gifted. So who else could it be other than Tai Kamiya?"
Matt was stumped. Jake's reasoning for too close to the truth for someone like him. It didn't make any sense. All he could do now was find out what Jake was up too, "You have pretty impressive information. So just what are you planning to do with it?"
"Simple, I'm going to prove the rumor to be true and the best way to do that is to force Tai Kamiya out of hiding and best way to do that is through someone with a personal relation to him," Jake explained, "But the security on Kari's way too tight for anyone to just walk and nab her. There's a police officer following her around wherever she goes." He sets his eyes on the cloaked teenage girl behind young Yamato, "So since Kari's out of the picture the next best person is Sora Takenouchi, Tai Kamiya's closest and dearest friend."
Sora sunk further behind Matt as strings of golden light circled about her body with worry, "You'll get Sora over my dead body," Matt declared angrily.
"That's the plan," Jake said as he and his small gang each pulled out a gun and aimed them at Matt, "Remember what they told us ready...FIRE!"
The sound of a gun Fire rang through the air and a wall of Blue fire rose from nowhere and intercepted the bullets. Matt strangely just stood there in a fighting stance as if he was trying to hold himself back and force himself to attack at the same time. 'What am I doing, I have to attack...but if do I might go berserk again and if I do then I might...' he thought confusingly as his barrier began to suddenly vanish.
"Now while it's going down!" Jake order and he his men fired again!
This time no wall rose to protect him. Matt froze as the bullets ripped through the air like meteors through the atmosphere. Closer and closer they came to his heart when out of nowhere his good friend jumped in front of him and a wall of Fire rose and incinerated the bullets.
"Tai!" Matt said surprisingly.
"To answer your question, Matt, no I wouldn't do anything differently, I'd do everything the same way I did before, it's just who I am," Tai said boldly and calmly.
"Tai..." Sora said.
Tai looked at Jake with his back turned towards his friends, "The barrier that protects Gifted only stays if the attack is continuous one, like a blast from a Fire Hose but if one attacks once, waits for the barrier to start receding then attacks again then the Gifted is vulnerable to the second attack," he explained, That weakness isn't know to common punks like you, unless their of course there working for Pure Blood as covert members."
"Pure Blood? Jake's part of Pure Blood?" Matt asked shockingly, "I knew he was angry about his brother, but not that angry."
"Hatred changes people from when we first knew them. Fanatic groups like Pure Blood are united mostly by hatred for a common thing and in this case that hatred is for Gifted. Jake works for Pure Blood on a lesser note and probably hoped he could climb to a better position by forcing me out," Tai said calmly, "Isn't that right, Jake..."
Jake didn't answer him, he just looked at Tai with hate and aimed his gun. "You have no idea how long I've wanted this, now you'll die, Fire Demon."
"Matt, protect Sora," Tai ordered as Jake and his gang fired their guns. Tai's barrier rose and blocked the bullets, and Tai charged at Jake soon after
"What the..." Jake said as Tai was suddenly before about to punch in his face.
"Fast aren't I?" Tai smirked smartly as he punched Jake in the face and sent him flying to the ground.
Jake's friends stood stunned as their leader lay on the ground and Tai wasted no time turning his attacks towards them. They tried to fight, but Tai merely dodged their punches with ease. Tai moved from one opponent to the next and one by one they fell to Tai's fast dance of punches and kicks before they knew it the fight was over before it even had begun and Jake and his gang lay on the ground out cold.
Matt and Sora stood with their eyes wide open with shock at what they'd just seen. Tai turned and walked over to them with a friendly smile on his face, "Man, this has to be the easiest fight I ever won. I doubt those guys even knew how to throw a punch."
Matt looked at his friend with surprise. He had heard from the others that Tai was a good fighter but what he did just saw now was unbelievable, "Man, between you and Mimi I'm falling behind!"
"What makes say that?" Tai asked.
"Matt lost to Mimi in a sparing match," Sora said smiling friendly
"Only because I underestimated her, in our last match..."
"You lasted three minutes longer but she still beat you," Sora said with a smile.
"So, you lost to Mimi...Mimi Tachikawa, twice...in a row?" Tai asked surprisingly.
"Yeah," Matt grumbled embarrassingly.
"She's really gotten that good. Maybe I'll take her on someday," Tai laughed, "but in any case." He blinked slowly, "Thanks Matt. You helped me realize something."
"What?" Matt asked.
"I was starting to feel regret over the lives my flames took and felt that regret because innocent people like Yuki died at the hands of my flames even if was accident my hands still killed her. It wasn't just her, but there a lot of people who died at my hands that did hate gifted. When I was in juvenile some people actually how it felt to have powers. Some even wish they had them themselves. The regret I felt was for them. As a result of their deaths their loved one came to hate so much that they do anything to get revenge even if its through some I loved. I thought that by not coming back I'd be protecting you guys, when in reality I was actually just making you guys the direct target for my enemies." He blinked slowly, "If it's one thing I hate to see, it's to see my friends hurt by the consequences for my decisions. Which why I'm going to continue with my original plan, to stay in hiding until my mother is out of the hospital and then try to reveal my self to the world until its time to register for school."
"Tai..." Sora said.
"Thank you both for helping this trial," Tai said.
"Hey, don't mention it that's just one of a hundred I owe you," Matt replied.
The fire gifted looked at his friends when a voice rang through his mind and he looked upward the settling dusk sky, "I have to go, but I called detective Jin-son while I was hiding in the tree earlier. He and some other police will be here soon enough to pick up Jake and his gang. They won't be telling anyone I'm alive anytime soon."
"We'll wait for the detective and give the report. Take care of yourself and be careful out there," Sora said with an innocent smile.
"I will don't worry," he then turned around and headed for the exit.
Matt and Sora watched him leave, than Matt recalled something...
"Hey Sora about what happened between you and Tai earlier?" he said with some concern.
Sora, stood still and silent for a moment as her Elvin ear picked the sound of police sirens, "Oh what do know the police are almost here it would be rude to keep them waiting what do you say we go and meet them at the entrance." With that she ran off towards the entrance to the cemetery.
"Hey wait a minute," Matt cried following quickly after.
Tai had already gotten on his bike and driven off by the time the police showed up and he was now on his way back temporary home with his master, 'Master,' he said respectfully, 'You knew what was bothering me didn't you?'
'I had an idea of what it was,'
'Then why didn't you say something to me?'
'Some lessons my student are best learned with the aid of one's friends than one's master. You will soon be back with your family and there many trials that await you. I will try my best to aid you them, but you must always remember that some lessons you must learn without my help, but enough this day was a rest for you, tomorrow and up until you return to your family. You will train and learn.'
"Yes Master...'