Disclaimer: Don't own silly cartoon about spinning tops, or the beautiful boys within ^_~ (you have to wonder how they thought of it. Admit it, you wonder.)
Warning: Spinning top battle ahead. I was giggling too hard when I wrote this, so I don't have a clue how it is. @_@ Usually warning, some darkness, some cursing
Author's Note: Yikes, it has been awhile hasn't it. I apologize for the greatly delayed update. I was doing so well until recently, too ;_; Don't give up on me. I promised I'd finish this fic, and I will! Sadly, I have several ideas running in circles in my head for other fics and it's getting hard to stay focused. But don't worry, the sunlight is not too far now. I hope you stick around to watch the sunrise with me.
A World So Cold
Chapter XXI: The Games
Void.
Such a simple word with such a simple definition. The void; dark, black, silent. Black Dranzer was the very essence of the void, but such simple words did little to describe this being. To truly understand the dark phoenix, one needed to understand the truth of the void. The void is not defined by what is there, but rather by what is missing; the absence of light, color, sound.
Even though the void can occur in nature, like the black hole, Black Dranzer was undeniably unnatural. It was an abomination. Nature never intended for the void to live, or to feel. It was truly a being to pity. Black Dranzer was aware of light, sound, color, emotion. It knew about everything that filled the world with energy, and it knew that it did not have any of that within itself. It learned hatred and envy as it watched those that were not empty. It was amazed that beings who were already so filled with light and emotions could continue to grow. Surely it wasn't fair that others, who seemed filled to bursting, could still miraculously find room for more when it, with so much emptiness inside, could not have any.
In its anger and jealousy, Black Dranzer began to believe that somehow it could steal the essence of those that were not empty. It deluded itself into believing that finally it could fill its aching emptiness with the light, color, and music of others. That just maybe it could fill the void within.
With this ambition driving it, Black Dranzer moved silently through the trees, the clear sound of laughter and young voices drawing it irresistibly forward. The bright energy of strong spirits seemed to shine through the woods before it and the dark phoenix could barely restrain itself. A pale pink tongue flicked eagerly over lips stretched taut in a feral smile. The two spirits ahead would surely fill much of the emptiness inside. Black Dranzer quickened its pace, losing none of its stealth. Its prey would be unaware of their danger until it was too late to escape.
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"Let it rip!"
A bright green blade landed easily in the dish beside its waiting opponent. The green and white blades quickly closed on each other, sparks flying as they impacted. The whir of the blades was easily overcome by the enthusiastic shouts of the boys who had launched them. One fair and the other dark, there was no mistaking these two as anything other than friends and team mates. A third boy looked on from his perch on a nearby tree stump. Balanced on his lap was a laptop that was busy recording the battle.
As the white blade launched into a furious attack, the blonde boy only laughed as his green blade met each hit with a strong wall of defense. The green blade seemed completely unfazed by the barrage, barely moving from its spot.
"You're going to have to do better than that, Takao. You know Draciel has the strongest defense there is. You'll never take us down like that."
"Dragoon doesn't know the meaning of never," Takao responded, echoing Max's grin.
The white blade seemed to blur as it sped up, darting in to attack Draciel from all sides. The green blade continued to defend itself, showing no sign of falling to Dragoon's onslaught.
"Maybe he just needs a good dictionary," Dizzi's electronic voice piped in.
Kenny couldn't restrain his laughter at Dizzi's comment. He had just been thinking the same thing. Max's light laughter joined in as Takao turned glare at the offending laptop.
"Hey! You just be sure to record my victory."
Turning back to the match, Takao watched as Dragoon continued to pound at Max's blade with no effect. A small frown betrayed his concentration as he searched for some way to win the match. It definitely wouldn't do to lose after the boast he had just made.
Damn. His defenses are just too good. There has to be a way to get through them, I just know it. I can't give up, I won't give up. But how? Everything Dragoon throws at Draciel, he just shrugs off. How can I get past his defenses?
~ You're focusing too much on getting through. If his defenses are too strong to go head on against, then you shouldn't go head on. ~
Takao smiled as he realized exactly what he needed to do. It was time to change tactics.
"Dragoon, Phantom Hurricane!!"
Hearing this command, Max looked up in confusion at Takao. He hadn't expected his friend to try something like that. As he watched, the white blade veered away from his and began circling Draciel. As the blade's speed increased, a current of air seemed to close in on the green blade. The updraft that Dragoon was creating began to push up at Draciel's ring and the blade began to wobble precariously. The blade that had seemed to be an immoveable mountain suddenly had all the stability of a drunken sailor.
"So what do you say now, Max? Think Dragoon and I have a chance of winning? You can't defeat me if you can't keep your blade spinning."
"Wow," Kenny was typing away furiously on his keyboard. "That is an awesome attack. Dizzi, don't miss any of this."
"I'm hurt, chief, like I could make a mistake like that."
"I'm not done yet, Takao."
Max leaned in, giving the battle his full concentration. He was surprised at how much skill Takao had seemed to gain. Throughout the match, Takao had demonstrated that his current training while Kai was missing had not been in vain. His blade moved with unusual deftness even at greater speeds. Now he had surprised Max by using his usual attack in a new way. By manipulating the speed and angle of his blade, Takao was actually aiming the gusts of wind that were trapped in the hurricane. The attack had once been like the blunt, direct blow from a hammer, but now it had the precision of a sniper.
He's gotten really good. If I don't get Draciel out of there, he's going to completely stop his spin. I need to find a way to counter his wind attacks. Maybe if I anticipate the direction, I can defend against it.
Despite his renewed concentration, Draciel continued to be rocked by Dragoon's winds. There seemed to be no way to determine where the wind would hit next, and the few times Max had moved to try to counter a coming blow, he had almost been knocked completely over in the dish.
It's no good, I can't figure out where he's coming from. I just can't defend against this attack.
~ Even with a perfect defense, you can't win if you only defend. Sometimes you have to drop you barriers and turn your defense into offense. ~
Max watched the battle rage, his whole body tense. He was not trying to anticipate the next blow anymore, but rather was waiting for the blow to fall. As a sudden updraft hit his blade from below, he let all his defenses fall. The green blade was not only rocked by the blow, but was completely overturned by it. The blade allowed the wind to upset it and used that force to throw itself out of the eye of the storm. Landing shakily outside the circle of wind, Draciel took a moment to steady itself before launching an attack on the outside of the ring.
The green blade crashed into Dragoon, interrupting his path and forcing him to break the ring in order to defend himself. Both boys watched as the blades raced towards each other. The blades each picked up speed aiming for a direct collision in the center of the dish. At the last minute, right before impact, Draciel suddenly stopped. The green blade was spinning in place with its defenses up as Dragoon plowed into it. The white blade, unable to stop its forward momentum and equally unable to break through Max's defenses, literally seemed to trip over the green blade and fly off the dish.
"Nice match," Max was smiling as he picked up his team mate's blade and reached over the dish to return it to him.
"Thanks." Takao, never one to be a sore loser, returned the smile easily. "That was a great move."
"And we have it all in here," Kenny added, patting his laptop.
Max watched as Takao leaned over Kenny's shoulder, demanding he play back the part where Dragoon had Draciel trapped in the eye of the hurricane. Scooping up his blade, he laughed happily. Finally, the 'Breakers seemed whole again.
Maybe it was strange to feel that way since, technically, Kai and Rei weren't physically there at the moment, but Max and the others all felt that way nonetheless.
When Max had awoken that morning, he had seen Kenny sitting on watch by the door and Takao grinning mischievously at him from his own futon. Because of his recent habit of getting up early to train, Takao had anxiously been waiting for either Max or Rei to wake up so he would have someone to train with. Looking at where Rei lay sleeping, the three of them had decided that the Chinese blader needed his sleep and had quietly slipped off to train.
Kenny had remembered seeing a small blading dish in a clearing in the woods. He had noticed it while they had been running through the woods to help Rei and thought he could lead them back to it. Max and Takao had followed him, sneaking carefully through the woods trying not to make any noise. They didn't want to awaken their hosts, nor did they want to alert Voltaire since it seemed the clearing was near his property.
When they had finally arrived at the clearing, they found it to be perfect for training. There was a small blading dish in the center and the entire meadow was nicely shaded by a circle of trees. There was a tree stump that was at just the right height to sit comfortably on. It had obviously been a very large tree once, because the stump was big enough to seat all three boys comfortably. After clearing the dish of the leaves and dirt that had been laying in it undisturbed, the boys launched immediately into a battle.
It had been that battle that let them realize that they were a team again. Whether or not all the team mates were present, they were very much there in spirit. Each boy had a unique presence, almost like they were a particular instrument in a symphony. Takao was loud and brash, full of courage that he selflessly gave to his friends. He knew without a doubt that he and his friends would always win, no matter who or what they faced. Max was cheerful, bubbling with enthusiasm. He would support his friends without prejudice and be there for them win or lose. Kenny was easily recognized by the sound of his typing. He, along with the ever-present Dizzi, would be nearby watching and analyzing the combat, always ready to divulge some hidden strength or weakness of an opponent.
Even if one of the three were not actually there, they would still be there in spirit, just like Rei was there with them now. Rei could always be counted on, a strong, dependable presence. He would use all his strength to bolster his friends and he would stand up to defend them against anyone who would even think of hurting them. As they battled, Max and Takao could feel his strength behind them, just like always.
Up until this training match, though, none of the boys had been able to feel Kai's presence. In a way, they blamed themselves for this, for not knowing Kai well enough. They often wondered if only they had a stronger bond, maybe they would still feel he was part of the group. But even though they blamed themselves, the fault lay mostly on Kai.
Kai was too good at what he did. He had always been determined to stay distant. He didn't want to risk any of them getting to know him too well. Kai believed the others would get hurt if they were connected to him. Because of this, Kai was always careful to remain in the background. He would be the shadow on the sidelines, never sharing the light with his team mates. From his vantage point, he would watch and coach his team mates. Kai was better than good, he was one of the best. His coaching reflected that. He would never interfere if his team mate could handle things on his own. Kai understood that if he held their hands all the time, they would never learn to walk on their own.
If his team mates were in trouble though, he would not hesitate to assist them. In his calm, cool voice, he would tell them what they needed to know, no more and no less. He would give them enough information for them to use it and their own knowledge and skills to win. Maybe it was because he was always in shadows, or maybe it was because the things he said seemed so obvious to the one blading that they seemed to realize it exactly as he said it, but his team mates never seemed to notice the impact and presence he had on the team.
It was only now, after they had bladed so long without him that they truly understood his impact on the team. As Max and Takao had bladed, they had each heard his voice speaking calmly, knowingly in their thoughts, guiding them in their battle. It was strange, but their own inner voices that analyze their battles seemed somehow to have taken the shape, or rather, sound of Kai's. Once they understood this, they realized he was still with them, that he always would be.
"Hey, Max, come look at this," Takao was jumping up and down excitedly behind Kenny. "This is when Dragoon was kicking Draciel's bit-butt."
Max tucked his blade away in his pocket at walked over to join his friends. He couldn't help but laugh indulgently at his friend's boasting. After all, it had been a pretty sweet move.
"Don't forget who won that battle," Max teased, leaning over Takao's shoulder to peer at the small screen. "However, I have to admit, that move was definitely"
"Pitiful."
The three boys froze at the unexpected voice, their laughter dying immediately. It was a voice they knew well. After all, it was the same voice they had heard silently in their minds as they battled. As one, they turned.
Leaning calmly against the trunk of one of the encircling trees was a familiar figure. Arms crossed at his chest, the boy's head was bowed, almost as if he were sleeping. The 'Breakers had learned from experience that the relaxed pose was deceptive, that the more relaxed the posture, the more wary the boy. Even with the boy's face in shadows, the 'Breakers knew immediately who it was.
"Kai!!"
Takao was the first to leap up, running with wild abandon towards his newly-returned team mate. His cap flew off, but he didn't even notice as he ran forward, arms open wide to pull Kai into a bear hug. Max was a bare step behind him and managed to grab the loose cap before it hit the ground. Max's laughter echoed his happiness as he joined his companion's rush. He knew there was no way Kai would let Takao hug him, but he was determined to help Takao try.
"Stay back!"
Max and Takao stumbled to a halt at the harsh command. Kenny, who had been following them at a more sedate pace even took several steps backward at the force of Kai's voice. Takao, though, was not going to back off now, not after they had searched so hard for the phoenix.
"Kai, man," Takao took several steps towards the shadowed form, "you wouldn't believe how happy we are to see you. We've been searching all over for you. You sure know how to make an entrance."
"Don't come any closer."
Takao stopped moving forward, turning to give Max a questioning look. Max was at a loss though. He didn't understand any better than Takao why Kai was being so stand-offish. Looking from Takao to Kenny, Max had a sudden thought.
Rei's not here. Kai doesn't know he's alright. The last time he saw him, Rei was in pretty bad shape. Maybe he thinks we blame him.
"Kai, it's okay," Max spoke entreatingly. He began to take slow, wary steps forward, first coming even with Takao, and then moving past him. "Rei's fine, he's asleep in the house just through the trees over there. He's been really worried about you, we all have. Why don't you come with us, I know Rei's anxious to"
A dark blade came flying from the shadows, striking the ground and knocking Max backwards. Only Takao's quick catch prevented Max from falling to the ground. No one spoke as three pairs of eyes focused on the black blade spinning on the ground before them. Kenny stumbled backward until he fell back to sit on the tree stump.
"Bl…Black Dr…Dranzer…"
At Kenny's soft stuttering, Max and Takao felt their eyes drawn up to their distant team mate. Kai was no longer leaning at ease against the tree, but, rather, he stood, his legs slightly apart in a posture of challenge.
"I told you to stay back."
Kai walked forward, moving out from the shadows of the trees and into the bright morning light. Somehow, even in the new dawn light, he seemed to bring the shadows with him. Kai seemed the same as always, but there was something subtly different. Takao stared intently at him, trying to figure out what was making him so uneasy.
Just looking at Kai, there was a noticeable, if very subtle, difference to him. Kai seemed to be clad in shadows. He wore clothing similar to his usual outfit, but much darker and more fitted. The clothes seemed to hug his form, with only a black scarf moving in the wind. The usual metal pieces of his outfit were missing, but there was a small glint of metal at his neck which the movement of the black scarf kept them from being able to identify it.
The dark clothes served only to bring attention to how pale his skin was where it was not covered. His face was so pale that it seemed almost drained of blood. His usual blue markings stood out in sharp detail, emphasizing the hollows of his cheeks. From the thinness of his features, it wasn't difficult for his friends to see that he had not eaten much during his captivity.
"Something's wrong," Takao spoke softly to Max as he help his friend to steady himself.
"At least it doesn't look like he's been hurt," Max replied, grateful for Takao's support.
Takao didn't get a chance to answer Max as he inhaled sharply in surprise. Kai finally lifted his face, his eyes meeting Takao's. Takao found his eyes capture in the ice blue stare.
"Kai?"
Max heard the confusion in his friend's voice and followed his gaze to see what had disturbed him. Max was stunned.
Kai doesn't have blue eyes, they are red. What is going on here? I don't like this, those eyes, they are just like Tala's when we fought at the championships. What could have made his eyes change color? They've always been red, they couldn't just change color! Could they? Is that what Takao meant when he said something was wrong, or is it something deeper.
"Kai? What happened to your eyes?"
Cold, blue eyes stayed focused on them as Kai called Black Dranzer back to his hand and moved to stand across the beydish from them. Locking Black Dranzer into his launcher, Kai's expressionless face seemed to twist for a moment. A strange, hungry semblance of a smile appeared on his lips. At least, Takao thought it was a smile.
"Are you ready?"
Max and Takao looked on in disbelief as Kai held his launcher ready. There was no way that they would battle with him. They had been searching for him to help him, not fight against him. Kenny looked on from his seat on the tree stump, clutching Dizzi tightly to his chest. He had seen Black Dranzer absorbing other bit beasts and he wasn't about to let that monster come after his precious Dizzi.
"Kai, we're not going to fight with you," Takao stepped forward, trying to talk some sense into his friend.
"We're your friends, don't you remember?" Max spoke entreatingly from behind Takao. "We want to help you. You don't want to fight us, I know you don't."
"I don't have any friends, friends are useless. The only thing that matters is victory. I will ask one more time, are you ready?"
"And I'll tell you as many times as I have to, we are not going to fight you!" Takao yelled in frustration.
Max stayed silent for the last exchange, too hurt by Kai's answer to respond. He knew that that couldn't be Kai speaking. After all they had been though together, Kai just couldn't reject them that easily.
Kenny had been steadily inching away from his friends as they talked. He felt his fear mounting, but knew there was nothing he could do. If Kai decided to take Dizzi from him, he wouldn't be able to fight him. After all, Dizzi was trapped in the computer, he wouldn't even able to put up a fight in a bey battle. He was useless and he knew it.
"Then the time of asking is over," Kai's voice was totally emotionless, but his face remained frozen in the same terrible grin. Kai's icy eyes remained locked on Takao's for a moment longer, before he abruptly turned and launched his dark blade.
Kenny didn't have a chance to cry out as Black Dranzer made a beeline for him. All he had time to do was close his eyes and hug Dizzi closer to his chest. He held his breath, waiting for the impact. Only when he felt the need to take a breath did he open his eyes again wondering why Black Dranzer never hit him.
The answer, of course, was that while Takao had been focused on Kai, Max had been watching Block Dranzer. He remembered the last battle they had had with the dark phoenix and was ready for any stunt that Kai might pull. So when Kai turned and launched his blade at Kenny, Max had been ready and launched Draciel to intercept.
"That was low Kai," Max turned, expecting to see an expression of anger or contempt on Kai's face. He was surprised to see that the same smile was still locked in place.
"Finally, an opponent. It's been a long time since we last battled. You were lucky last time, I hesitated too much and I lost. That won't happen again. This will be our final battle."
A chill crawled along Max's spine at Kai's words. He definitely didn't like the sound of that. But it was too late now, Draciel was on the field and Max would not back off.
"You're right about one thing. This will be our last battle. As much as I hate doing this Kai, I will fight you. And I will destroy Black Dranzer."
Green and black blades collided, moving almost to fast to be seen. The dish had been long forgotten and the blades traveled across the length of the meadow. Max kept his concentration completely focused on his blade, completely unaware of the world around him. For right now, the world didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was the black blade that was his opponent.
Takao watched to two boys engrossed in the match and slowly inched around the outskirts of the battle to come up next to Kenny.
"Kenny," he spoke in a low undertone, "get out of here. You have to go get Rei."
Kenny nodded shortly before turning and vanishing off between the trees. Takao watched the small brunette disappear before turning back to the battle. Max's blade was putting up a strong defense, but Black Dranzer seemed to consistently strike through it. Deep gouges were appearing on Draciel with each impact. Takao pulled Dragoon out of his pocket, setting it on his launcher. Max was putting up a good fight, but Takao wasn't sure how long he'd last.
I just hope Rei can get here in time. Otherwise…
------------------tbc
Mwahahaha
I know I'm evil. What can I say, I love cliffies ^_~
I know you were all waiting for a battle between Kai and the others. You'll just have to wait a little bit longer ^_~ I just was unable to do a serious bey battle at the moment. Besides, it'll fit better in the next chapter.
I hope you like my take on Black Dranzer. I am actually very proud of the descriptors for it. O_O Wow, did I just admit to liking something I wrote. *giggles* I really pity Black Dranzer, it can't help that it was created this way. Poor, warped, demented spirit.
Just a quick question. I admit to being corny, I got quite teary-eyed when I wrote Nadya's death. I was quite attached to her and the relationship she had to Kai. I was just wondering if I was the only one. Anyone else out there who would admit to getting teary-eyed. Anyone?
;_; Oh well, I'll get you next time ^_~
Special Thanks to:
Jae: ^_^ I'm glad you enjoyed my chase scene. I really wanted it to be believable. I hate stories where characters do stupid things that just happen to help move the story along. It's very important to me that everyone in my story acts thoughtfully and within their character's state of mind. That's the most fun in a story, revealing the character's inner self, not just through words, but through actions. I'm so glad to hear that the story makes sense for you. I know I am purposely being shady in how I present things, but I am hoping that by now it's all starting to come together. Sometimes I get a bit doubtful that I'm doing a very good job because things that I think are obviously still seem confusing. I guess that's only natural, I have all the answers, so I can put things together more easily. Thanks for the review and encouragement. I hope you enjoyed the reunion of the 'Breakers, I promise more next time.
Droopy1389: *giggles* Everyone is saying poor Kai. We do love to torture him so. I hope you enjoy the upcoming scenes with his 'friends' (if only he knew)
Kai's-gurl-Riece: As you requested, here's your update. Hey, better late than never. Stay with me, it will get even more interesting.
Hitokiri Elf slayer of evil: Wow, was that a 3 for 1. *laughs* Glad you enjoyed. I'm working hard (even if it seems I'm hardly working) Catch you next chapter.
Ashla: One thing that seems common in my story is the evil cliffie. They do seem to come out of nowhere, ne ^_~ I really loved Nadya too. She's very real for me, I put a lot of thought into her. It had to happen though. I'm trying to explain everything without changing the anime's current storyline. I know that makes no sense, seeing as I've changed so much, but since there is no Nadya in Kai's present, she had to die. It was inevitable. I'm glad you're clear on the eye color. I explained how it happened, but do you know what I didn't explain ^_^…..I'm not telling! *giggles* There is more than meets the eye. (pun intended) Stick around, I'm sure I'll clear it up sooner or later.
The Fire-breathing-ferret: *laughs* It's too late for our beautiful Kai. He's possessed by Dranzer and he's completely given in to it. Now the only questions that remains is, do his friends have any chance of saving him? Does he even want to be saved? Poor Kai!! ;_;
Dawn35: ^_^ I'm so glad you liked it. The battles are coming up, but maybe you should let me know what you want. I truly don't think Kai could possibly lose to the 'Breakers, he's Kai after all. However, if he wins, I don't think he would ever be saved. It's a dilemma because I just don't think that Takao and the others have a chance of winning. Poor, Kai, he's doomed!!
Jaded Gossamer: Hi! I'm glad you are emjoying my story so far. I hope you continue to enjoy it. Ja ne!
Fey Phantom: I hope you did well in your water polo game. I definitely agree with you, there's nothing like getting online and procrastinating when you have a ton of stuff to do. Unless of course, there is so much stuff, that it prevents you from getting near your computer ;_; Yea!I just love your reviews, you are always very thoughtful. I think that Kai's mother is a truly tragic character. She loves Kai, but doesn't know how to show it. Her father, Voltaire, probably was not a good role model, or a good father if we go straight to the point. She probably was never really shown love (except, maybe, from Kai's father. And she was forced away from him once she was pregnant.). She tried in her own inept ways to show her love, but sadly, Kai never saw it. Nadya's death was hard to write, I wanted it poignant, but not heavy handed. From you nice comments, I hope I succeeded. As always, thanks for the support. Hope you enjoyed this chapter as well.
DragonBlade: *giggles* I hope you weren't too disappointed by the lack of fighting between Kai and his friends. I'll get to that next chapter. I sort of needed to give some insight of Black Dranzer, or maybe I should say, share my feelings on Black Dranzer. Glad you're up to speed with the eye colors, but as I told Ashla, there's more ^_~
Artemis347: ^_^ I'm glad you loved it. I liked it myself. Hope you liked this one too ^_~
Some Random Hobo Off the Streets/Khnum: *total happiness* ^_^ Welcome to my tale. You're reviews made me smile all day, in fact, I'm still smiling. I'm glad this helped shine some light on Kai for you. I really love Kai's character and just can't help but dig into what could have been. I admit, I like the past I developed for him, it's hard not to think of it as 'the truth' when I'm watching the show or reading others fics. I really want to write a good story, so I have fully fleshed this out in my head. There are a lot of things that I will never state in the fic, but that are there nonetheless. I'm not saying I will leave out important details, I won't, but I will keep some of the background subtle. For instance, the names of the characters I created. I gave them those names on purpose. The reader isn't meant to truly analyze the names, but instead should have a subtle reaction or feeling to them. I think Gavriil/Hedeon is the easiest example. Gabriel 'the angel' turns into Hedeon 'the destroyer'. Even without knowing what a bastard he is, you still know he's a devil (like a fallen angel ^_~), you feel it, just from where your mind turns with the names (at least I hope you do). If you ever want to dig deeper, feel free to email me.
I have to say that what made me happiest in your review was the fact that you said you read it again and saw so much more. That is my biggest desire in this story. I want it to be subtle and sneaky, but once you know everything, you can read it again and just keeping smacking your forehead going, 'Oh my god!' It's all there, it's just hidden if you don't know it. Thanks for the reviews (both of them) *_* Hope you stay with me.
Ellen: *giggles* All aboard the Kai torture express. *laughing hysterically* My you bounce about. Thank you for the reviews (3 in three different chapters ^_^) O_O I guess I'm an evil person. If you think my cliffies are mean now, just think how you would feel if you joined me earlier. I'm especially proud of my cliffies when I 'killed Kai. I hope you have strong nails, because you're just going to have to keep hanging on. I like cliffies *MWahahahahah* Don't worry about knowing Kai's father, it's there, but I'll be more obvious later, I promise. Stick around, the Evil Authoress will continue (I kinda like the sound of that, maybe I'll change my name ^_~)
Kai the Ruthless Blader: Thanks for the review. If you liked the title for this chapter, you'll love the next one ^_^ See ya next chapter!!
Ruth 4 Kai: Here's the update, not soon, but definitely here (that's not saying a lot, I know). Hopefully the next one will be faster.
HimekoSukie: *_* Welcome back, anonymous. I like your name btw. Yep, I'm making everyone deep. Marya truly loved Kai, and tried in her own pitiful way to show it and protect him. I'm glad you figured out her eyes (some haven't). I will explain just what happened when she died, I think you'll enjoy it. Of course, that will be in a later chapter. When she died, I bet she was heartbroken, she died and Kai never understood that she loved him. More than that, he completely rejected her (quite justified from his standpoint, but incredibly cruel from hers.) Hmmm….I guess you're right, I certainly have killed a lot of people in this fic; Kai (for a little while ^_~), Bryan, Mikhail, Marya, Nadya, the list goes on (or it will ^_~) Truly a tragic past, but one that I believe explains why Kai is so emotionally wounded. I hope you stick with me. I promise to clear everything up eventually. Feel free to ask me anything (I might even answer ^_^) Ja ne!
Wow, finally finished. I'm curious, how many out there have got the family ties straight? I'll be more direct if you don't know yet, but hopefully some of you already have it figured out.
Well, the road goes ever on, and this story just keeps moving forward (slowly, but surely) I hope you enjoyed this update. I will try to update before my B-day (of course, since you don't know when that is, you won't know when ^_~) Thanks for reading, don't forget to leave a little light. Bring the Sun!!!
BTW the next chapter will be Why Does Everyone Feel Like My Enemy