Hi to one and all! I just wish to give everyone my biggest thanks for reading and reviewing!

Eien No Kaze: Yes, Radion is disgusting. Everyone must listen because he is the king and you ARE correct on your assumption.

Ruji: The world was once a very different place and I think you would agree, that it's interesting to see it through the eyes of an ancient dragon.

Tristripe: Tyrants often meet with unpleasant ends! You will see more of Takashi..notice his beginnings of Jealousy at end of last chronicle? There is a lot more angst to go on with...

Kagome girl21: It's going to get even more intense!

Yoshikochan: If you want to punch Raidon then you will have to get in line. Once you get to him, you can punch or stomp on whatever little bits Fuji leaves behind ...Ah! The power of the true 'Blood'...

DnKs Girls: Oh yes! It will be fun to kill Raidon! Cue evil laughter...

Alaena Flame Dragonstar: Dragons wont be staying servile. The winds of change are starting to blow...

Analine: Thank you so much for your wonderful comments! Incidentally, Fuji did not heal Jiroh. He merely woke him up. But it's true he is powerful and needs lots of hugs (and more) from Tezuka.

Disclaimer: Only one human really owns Prince of Tennis and THAT human is not Tora.

Foreword: As some of you have commented on Raidon's behaviour, I wish to say a few things. By nature, Hikari are arrogant, pompous, proud and must be first at everything. While it's true that most of them are nice enough, history tells us that humanity has been plagued by evil kings and savage rulers ever since time began. As Hikari are NOT TRUE angels they are, in fact, angel folk and are therefore much like humans; only with powers and yes, they are immortal. So like us, they too occasionally suffer from the misfortune of having a cruel leader. Such kings however don't tend to stay in power as history also shows us tyrants get bought down. Would readers agree that Raidon is a "Bitter one?" I have made a few references to beings called "Celestials" These Mythics are the so called "True" angels and are the creators of all mythic life. They have been around since the planet first formed and are now said to be extinct. However... smirk.

"Suspended Soul"

Chapter 4

Story: Tora Macaw.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Something had gone wrong in the world of the one he loved. He could feel it crawling through his senses, creeping across his heart and sinking deep within his bones. Ice water lanced throughout his blood stream, drawing from him an involuntary shudder and a quizzical glance from the red head at his side.

" Whatever it is, it's dragon business" he firmly reminded himself as he fought to concentrate on his current lesson. But as he stared at his droning teacher through closed eyes, Fuji kept wishing he could have accompanied Tezuka to wherever it was his captain had gone.

A chair scraped loudly beside him, causing the 'Blood' to turn his head as Eiji rose to read from the book before him and just as the young Cat Lord opened his mouth to speak it hit him; a terrible wave despair and anger all rolled up in a deluge of shock that filled the Tensai with a cold foreboding slammed into his skull, then shot deep into his soul to turn the warmth of the day into the darkest Antarctic night. Immediately following on the heels of the invading force came pain such as he had never known and gripping his head, Fuji uttered a long suffering groan of the damned before collapsing senseless over his desk.

A few minutes later, he opened his eyes to the white, sterile environment of the school's infirmary and an anxious pair of large azure eyes as a trembling Eiji leaned over him.

" Nya! Fuji, are you OK?"

Feeling a strange tightness in his chest but not wanting to alarm his excitable friend, Fuji heaved himself into a sitting position to calmly assure the Cat Lord he was fine. But hidden behind his serene smile, Fuji's insides were a bubbling lake of seething tension and overwhelming sorrow. True, he had been expecting this feeling to strike him ever since Ryoma's miraculous return from the neither world as his dreams had taken on the sinister qualities of darkness and deception.

Grateful that Ryoma had no memory of it, Fuji had taken it upon himself to secretly draw off any lingering traces of his team mates ordeal and cast the last of it away in his dreams. During those small hours when most of the world was asleep, he had seen stark visions of his little friend's horrific experience and by seeing through the Demi-Dragon's eyes he now knew the face of evil.

But now, a new evil was making its presence known to him; an evil that should never have been... one that threatened the lives of those around him in a way even Aion at his worst could not. Concentrating his mind, the honey-haired 'Blood' focused on a vision of Tezuka and at first, he saw him sitting beside his brethren deep within the forests heart. His eyes held such bitter sorrow that Fuji almost swooned from the impact, then the scene shifted and Atobe came into clear focus. The proud Hyotei youth he knew was almost unrecognizable as lay on blood stained grass surrounded by a ring of anxious Hikari. Their glowing hands held over his semiconscious body, the group quietly healed a terrible wound on his shoulder then worked to repair the broken bones of his right leg.

Gasping at the sight, Fuji was wondering who could have done such a thing when some thing completely unexpected happened. Tezuka raised his lowered head and seemed to be staring straight into his own eyes! A whirling vortex of gold, blue and silver light appeared before the dragon king's face, then the Tensai felt the weirdest sensation of being dragged backwards. He struggled against it, but the force was too strong and abruptly, he found his sight had cleared and all he could see was the infirmary and Eiji's worried frown.

Later that afternoon the leaden skies opened to release its load of rain and as Fuji walked home beside a subdued and troubled Tezuka, he strongly felt the conflict his dreams had warned him of were only at their beginning.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Rain. It pattered down to make love to the ground with its gentle caress as it had done so for the past two days. Everything was held in its damp, misty shroud and the grey sky perfectly matched the somber mood of one Keigo Atobe as he slumped miserably on an old swing. Dispiritedly rocking in a slow, melancholy rhythm, its rusty chains groaned painfully in the wet.

Across the road from the run down park and its ramshackle equipment, the bell signaling the days start rang out at Hyotei. But head down, his body shaking with a bitter, empty cold he had never before known, Atobe ignored the urgent summons as his feet scuffed trails in the muddy slush and the rusty old links dug painfully into his tender flesh as he tightened his grip.

Out on the street cars rolled by unseen and people walked past, hardly sparing the grieving youth so much as a single glance as they hid beneath large umbrellas or high collared coats. Instead, they went about their daily lives; never faltering from well established routines and not knowing of the tragedy that occurred in their midst. The last Kirin alive had left the world and they didn't even know it.

Slightly lifting his head, Atobe blinked his tear-filled, swollen eyes as he envied them. Jiroh the Mythic equine was gone and not a single human was aware of the beautiful creatures absence. However; there are two sides to every coin and the drama of the second side was steadily being played out before him.

Akutagawa Jiroh the human student was missing and his absence at least had been duly noticed. It had been much easier to deal with the loss of the Moon Dogs Aion had killed as they were not in school and had their mythic families to explain away their "disappearance", but Jiroh had been an orphan; a ward of the state under an assortment of mythic families care and for the second time in the two days that had elapsed, a short row of police cars parked before Hyotei as the officers within questioned its inhabitants.

They had of course questioned Keigo in great detail, but had been forced to use his unearthly powers to make them forget that painful interview. After all, he had been unable to divulge the truth; that his friend had been taken away by the lord of the Hikari after beating the living crap out him first. If the attack of the Dark Hunters hadn't been bad enough for the proud youth to bare, Raidon's victory over him had been the final humiliating blow that had crushed his spirit and sent him tumbling head first into the darkest pits of despair.

'Keigo' The gentle mind voice of the Hikari's bond dragon whispered softly within the corridors of his mind, but he instantly slammed his mental shields into place; wanting nothing but solitude for his sorrow. Images began to form and no matter how hard he tried to keep them at bay, he could see Jiroh as clearly as if he were right before his eyes. Mouth split into a happy smile as the sunlight caught the golden highlights in his hair, Jiroh sprinted about a tennis court. Felt covered ball sang its song against hard strings as the laughing youth raced beside the net doing what he enjoyed most. The game came to an end and Jiroh trotted off the battle field to promptly keel over and fall asleep, much to the amusement of his team mates.

The scene shifted in a melting puddle of Hikari tears, then reformed to show Atobe one of his fondest memories. He was sitting in a peaceful sun lit meadow, enjoying the light breeze and warmth on his wings. Jiroh trotted in a circle about him, tossing his proud head as he invited his guardian to ride upon his back. Together the pair had vaulted into the sky to dance amoung the clouds, but as Atobe closed his eyes to smile at the vision it suddenly took a sinister twist.

The fluffy white cumulous surrounding them turned black with a sudden snap. Dark shapes held up by bat-like wings of midnight shade swirled about them, their blank eyes filled with feral malice as razor fangs flashed in cruelly grinning mouths. Hissing with demonic laughter they closed in on the startled couple. One of them produced a long whip that snaked out with a fearsome crack to strike Jiroh's gleaming rump. Screaming in terror and pain, the Kirin bucked wildly. Losing his grip, the Hikari sailed through the air; only to impale on the point of Raidon's light sword.

Throwing his head back the Hikari lord roared with mocking laughter, then destroyed the circling Dark Hunters with a single snap of his fingers. The word "USU!" rang out, but it wasn't Kabaji who had spoken. Blank eyes staring blindly ahead, Jiroh strode on stiff legs to stand at the ruler's side. Sneering, Raidon then seized the Kirin's horn; removing it with a sudden brutal twist. Shrieking in agony, his legs buckled and he crashed lifeless to the ground. Atobe dragged himself free of the blade piercing his body and staggered forward to help his stricken team mate, but the king of the angel folk vanished in a flash of golden light; taking the broken Kirin with him.

Desperately shouting Jiroh's name, Atobe found himself falling through a cold, dark void. Intense pain searing his insides, he dropped into an inky darkness that closed over him as an ebony ocean to mercilessly swallow him up.

.--.-.-.-.-.-.-

Breath leaving him in a sharp gasp, Atobe's head snapped up; his body shaking in the grip of a cold sweat as his heart hammered in his chest. Grey orbs overflowing, he felt himself becoming ill as a hacking cough broke from the depths of his lungs. It was the grief, he knew; His race did not catch colds.

Throwing his head back, he never even heard the great wail of desolated anguish that roared its way up from the deepest recesses of his soul and pitching forward he fell from the swing. Knees impacting with the muddy ground, he braced himself on his right hand; his left one repeatedly pounding the wet soil as he failed to notice how the mud splattered to cover him and the quiet approach of a sorrowful friend.

A long arm snaked past him, the hand attached to its wrist thrusting out to catch the flailing fist in mid strike. Raising dull eyes, Atobe gazed sadly into hazel-gold orbs that spoke with silent compassion. Fighting against a new howl of misery that threatened to escape his control, he fell forward to grip Tezuka's jacket in both hands as his body trembled violently.

Offering what solace he could give to the grieving Hikari, the captain of Seigaku failed to notice a pair of glittering cerulean eyes observing him from the street. At first, all Fuji had been aware of was an unreasonable surge of jealousy as the one he loved knelt to embrace another, but calming his raging emotions the 'Blood' called up his mythic energies to take a true look at the scene before him.

The form of a great dragon lay on his chest, wings hanging limp as he closed his eyes and held his head on the end of its curved neck just over a shaking angel man's soaking wet hair. Sensations of great sadness rolled out of the beast to catch Fuji in its quiet wave and silently berating himself for wanting deny a person in desperate need of comfort the right to cling to a friend he had always known, Fuji turned away as the pair vanished from existence and made for Seishun alone.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Out of the endless rain and far from anywhere, a despondent Hikari and a stoic gold dragon sat together; two unearthly beings all alone in a hostile world ruled by non understanding humans. In quite tones Atobe told the mighty king of his daring plan to rescue his beloved Jiroh and Tezuka rumbled a low warning as he listened with growing foreboding.

" What you propose is highly dangerous. If he catches you..."

" He wont." growled Atobe in response to the dragon's concerns. " I must do this. Not just for Jiroh, but for all of us."

His thick thatch of golden-brown hair blowing in the rising wind, Tezuka was about to reply when something swooped low over them and with a whoosh of leathery wings a small group of demons landed beside them. Arching a slivery eye brow, Atobe at once demanded to know why Fudomine had come before him.

" Your team mate has been taken," said Tachibana firmly " and I sense you want to rescue him."

" While you may sense correctly," stated Atobe, his habitual pride exerting itself in the presence of demons. " Ore Sama does not require your help."

" Indeed." remarked the Dark Storm Thleerum as he ignored both the Hyotei captain's stuck up attitude and his own team mates outraged muttering. " So you just plan to waltz into Raidon's realm and announce yourself with your sword? Then I'll just have to say: Goodbye Atobe, it was nice knowing you!"

Turning his back, Atobe grumbled; " Ore Sama has no time for this. Jiroh is suffering and I must go to him."

" That's right!" Tachibana snapped as he seized the Hikari's shoulder and spun him around to face him. " Jiroh is suffering and you cannot save him alone."

" Prince Tachibana is right Atobe." cut in Tezuka as the angel opened his mouth to argue. " A dragon may not enter the upper realm uninvited ...but your own kind, and a group of Thleerum... can."

" You know Atobe," Mori almost purred as he stepped up to the fuming youth. " to succeed in taking Jiroh right out from under that miserable bastards nose would certainly spite him. Isn't that alone worth the risk?"

" Yes." agreed Atobe slowly as he envisioned the shocked expression on his rulers face once he found the Kirin to be gone, then his face broke into a sadly grateful smile as he quietly said " Thank you."

His face cracking into an evil smirk, Mori rubbed his hands together as he eagerly looked forward to another grand adventure and turning to embrace Uchimura he muttered happily; " Ah! It's been many years since I had some real excitement and this could be a lot of fun!"

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

They say that souls have no memory in heaven, but Jiroh wasn't a soul nor was he quite in heaven. The upper realm, known to its inhabitants as Varrock Jirakee, shone with incredible natural beauty and warm light during the day while soft breezes, glittering stars and gentle rainfall filled the nights. With the coming of a misty dawn, a lone Kirin emerged from the fog to idly lip the sweet grass. Although hungry, he had no stomach for the nourishment beneath his hooves and no feeling at all in his heart. His mind was an empty pit void of all thought and his very life itself had lost all meaning.

Snorting at the curling vapor, he lifted his weary head to trot in slow, ungainly shuffle. A sudden urge to run flooded his sluggish soul and braking into a canter he made a beeline for the high wall of his private garden. Gathering himself for a leap, Jiroh's body rose above the sand stone bricks; only to strike an invisible barrier that almost knocked him senseless. Falling to the ground he staggered about, only just keeping to his feet as he frantically blinked to clear the pain in his head and gazed upwards to voice a frustrated little whinny. Squeezing his eyes shut, he tried to recall a faint memory of once having more freedom but no matter how hard he focused the thought stubbornly refused to form.

Arching his neck, he spent a few minutes furiously pawing at the ground and snorting loudly, he made a few shambling circuits of his prison; wuffling angrily at the confined space. Bored and restless Jiroh poked at the violet flowers with his horn, watched a few startled bees take flight then broke into a half hearted gallop. The loud creak of large hinges caught his attention, bringing him to an abrupt halt as he looked in the direction of the strange sound.

Striding purposely through a small iron barred gate at far end of his meadow were three figures who rapidly approached him, their sharp eyes never leaving him as he laid back his ears and bared his teeth to snap at the air. Tail swishing as he nickered in annoyance, Jiroh backed away as his fierce eyes rolled and his hooves stamped a savage warning.

Ignoring the Kirin's agitated display, the tallest of the trio stepped before his companions to haughtily regard the furious equine then lifted a hand as he firmly spoke two words; "Come here!"

Shaking his horn threateningly at the speaker Jiroh shied away, causing the man to frown with hostility.

"Come here you!" The tone had no friendliness or warmth; only harsh command making Jiroh shy again as he half reared to snort with defiant refusal. Forefeet thudding down, the Kirin's amber-gold eyes darkened with rage as the man spat a bitter curse and strode directly towards him; one hand now forcefully beckoning as he called. " Obey me beast! Come here!"

Jiroh's immediate answer was to rear high, a screaming ring of challenge rising from his throat as he dropped back to all fours and charged head down in a blind fury. Gold flecked green eyes blazed and feet going forward, Jiroh suddenly skidded full on his haunches then rocked forward to stand perfectly still; his eyes void of all emotion as he froze to the spot and stared blankly into space.

A cruel smirk crossed the face of the winged man, then raising his voice he imperiously commanded; " Horned one! Come here!"

Instantly, Jiroh moved forward on stiff, wooden legs to stand at the man's side; head down and completely motionless.

" That's better." snapped Raidon as he dealt the Kirin a hard slap to the neck that Jiroh never felt. Gripping the equine's chin, he studied his captive, a short fringe of golden hair not quite hiding eyes that gleamed with malicious intent. White wings folded stiffly against his back, he then half turned to address his attendants. " Chancellor Renjiro, General Rei, you see before us the key to my ultimate power!"

The shortest of the trio bowed, then spoke in hushed, fearful tones. " My Lord! What you plan to do is folly! Should the Celestials ever learn of this..."

" Stow it old man!" snapped the thick set, heavily featured warrior to his right who glared until the smaller man was thoroughly cowered. Almost yawning with boredom, the Hikari lord sneered at his grovelling servant then let his right hand drift lazily up toward the Kirin's glowing horn.

" The Celestials.." he drawled as his voice dripped with venom " ... have not been seen for many millennia. May I also remind you that they gave us the same free will the great creator gave to those pathetic mortal scum on the lower plane to do as we wish and it is my wish to gain far greater power!"

"Lord Jinnai would not approve!"

"Lord Jinnai.." sneered Radion as he slurred the words into an insult " ... is as dead as those who created all mythic life and I don't fear the dead chancellor." Idly brushing Jiroh's forelock with his finger tips, Radion spoke to his companions as though speaking in a dream. " There were once many of these beasts, all proud masters of their domains and flowing with the most incredible energy. A Hikari could feed on the power of a mature one for a thousand years and it wouldn't even notice. But then those retched animals ..those Dark Hunters found they could take all its energy by simply killing it. The slaughter was swift and like the 'Blood' are now extinct. But this one is now in my grasp and that fool "Atobe" thinks he failed miserably to protect it! But.." Raidon paused to hold up a forefinger as a pleased smirk played across his face. " ...little does that low born realise it was I who caused his dismal failure! Yes! I caused his families fall from power and have enlisted aid to weaken him further! If he only knew..."

" My Lord!" interrupted Renjiro. Dropping to his knees, he pressed his head against his rulers boots. " My lord, please! You must not speak of such evil as this behaviour will demean us all!" Lifting his head, the blue eyed Hikari gripped the hem of his king's robe as he voiced a heart felt plea. " Please do not bring such shame on yourself or your people! Therefore, I beg you! Release the Kirin before you bring the wrath of Jinnai and the anger of the dragons upon us!"

Glaring at his adviser as though the grass had spoken, Raidon answered in a deathly calm tone. " Did I give you leave to speak? Jinnai is long gone and his dragons are now our slaves! None would dare so much has set a talon here nor will any of them dare to challenge my rule!" Turning to his general, the Hikari lord spat; " Rei! Get this snivelling worm out of my sight!"

In one swift movement, the burly warrior leader reached down to pluck the much smaller man from the ground and grinning at the elder dangling like a kitten in his grasp, he strode swiftly toward the gate.

Satisfied he would not be interrupted, Raidon took a firm grip on Jiroh's gleaming branched horn and power flowed from Kirin to Hikari in a shimmering wave of golden light.

Hissing with pleasure as great strength surged throughout him, Radion threw back his head to smile in a way that held no trace of humor or warmth then abruptly; he released the horn with a disdainful flick of his wrist. Jiroh uttered a single low pitched groan of pain then collapsed unconscious on the grass.

Kneeling, the golden-haired tyrant of the upper realm slid his right hand beneath the Kirin's chin to lift his face and cruelly smirk at the equine's closed eyes as he whispered; " Oh yes my slave, I bought about your friend's ancestral disgrace and weakened him so couldn't protect you! And, it was my other faithful servant who led Aion and his hunters to you that day in the forest! But that accursed "son of Jinnai" saved you didn't he? Well he will protect you no longer as once I have my hands on his rebellious hide and the 'Blood' who follows him, I'll be completely unstoppable! The fabled land and all creation, will belong to me!"

.-.-.-.-.-.-

Later, when Jiroh awoke; he had no memory of Raidon stealing his power. He was tired, disoriented and knew he wasn't asleep, yet he felt as if he were living an endless nightmare. For him, there was no longer a tomorrow or a yesterday. His mind remained trapped in the here and now, aware only of the abyss of boredom and the all consuming pain of loneliness.

To be continued...