Dawn of Terror
Chapter 12: Chasing Tears
The night provided the perfect cover as he dashed along the back streets, towing the dumb-founded neko-jin along behind him. His feet clattered over the cobble-stone streets.
No one was awake yet. No one would see him. He held the gun in his left hand, his right tightly grasping the neko-jin's wrist.
A dog in someone's yard barked as he dashed by. He kept running. He couldn't afford to stop. He might get caught, and who knew what Hiwatari would do to him. The neko-jin obviously meant a lot to him.
He pondered how much he could sell the neko-jin for. He was a beautiful prize, but battered and bruised as he was, Tala couldn't help but doubt a lower price. Also, his feet weren't bound, lowering any substantial sum to mere hundreds. Still, mere hundreds were good and he could probably live on the sale for months on end. By that time, he might have been successful and stolen someone else's riches. There were plenty of rich families in the area.
He kept running. Someone was following him now. He could hear their footsteps over his own and the neko-jin's, over their harsh breath. He turned right sharply and dove into an alley. He clamped his hand over the neko-jin's mouth. The scared creature looked up at him. "Keep quiet," he growled.
The neko-jin nodded meekly and turned his attention to the entrance of the alley. Their pursuer, the blue-haired boy Tyson, crossed their view, sprinting by. "They went this way!" he shouted over his shoulder.
He disappeared. A few seconds later, Kai tore by. Blood was streaming from his arm and Tala smirked at the wound. He forgot about Rei. The neko-jin vaulted forward, jerking out of the red-head's grasp. His claws dug into the material of Kai's scarf as it fluttered by. "Kai!" he screeched.
The bluenette stopped and turned, facing them. Tala stared at him, then yanked on Rei's hair, pulling him away from Kai. "Yaro!" he barked, then turned and ran.
Kai stared after them, then looked back to where Tyson had ran off to. He was no where in sight. He turned back to the alley. Rei and Tala had disappeared. He swore under his breath and started off down the alley. As he rounded the first corner, it hit him like a ton of bricks. He knew where Tala was headed.
~*
The rotting wooden planks creaked under his weight. The neko-jin hung back as much as he could, whimpering. Tala tugged hard on his wrist and he stumbled onto the boards. He whimpered loudly and looked down at his feet. He felt wobbly, knowing that only inches below him lay the icy depths of the bay. He shuddered. He hated water. Hated it with a passion. He looked back to Tala, wondering if the red-head knew he couldn't swim and was planning on throwing him in. So far, the red-head had shown no inhibitions and Rei wouldn't put it past him. Tala turned and growled at him. "Well," he said impatiently.
He tapped his foot. Rei scuttled along the length of the dock and huddled at Tala's feet. He snivelled and shivered again. The deep night fog was cold and it turned to dew and clung to Rei 's hair. A fog horn sounded, ringing out in the dark. In the distance, the black sky was starting to turn grey. Rei guessed it must have been about four a.m.
Tala turned his back to him, but Rei stayed in place. He could still see the glimmer of the pistol out of the corner of his eye. He surely didn't want to come face to barrel with that.
Tala strode across the creaking planks, inspecting the boats that rested in the harbour. You would have thought he was going to buy one, the way he was studying them so intently. His footsteps and the groans of the planks were the only things that resounded. At last he stopped and peered into an open port in one of the boats. Rei watched with something masquerading as curiousity.
"Spencer?" the red-head called.
No answer. Tala frowned and walked onto the boat. A moment later, he returned. He was frowning and his eyes betrayed that he was in deep thought. "Now, where did that baka get to?"
He glanced about, still frowning. Rei watched him. Tala turned back to him at last. "Let's go," he barked.
He started forward. Rei readied himself. He was willing to obey - he didn't want to get hit. Or worse. Tala passed him and he started walking behind him, on all fours, the way he used to when he was little. They'd only gone a few inches when Rei paused, ears twitching. Tala stopped. "Stupid neko-jin, what's wrong?"
He glared and crossed his arms. Rei looked back the way they'd come, ears still twitching. Tala heard it then too and frowned. The boards were creaking, although they were being walked on. "Maybe it's Spencer," Tala suggested, taking a step forward.
A uniformed patrol man walked around the corner of the dock. Tala froze. This wasn't in the plan!
The patrol man had looked up now. He'd seen them. Tala gritted his teeth. The officer started forward, retrieving his gun from its holster. "Freeze!" he shouted.
Tala held up the gun and fired, three times. Rei winced, then glanced back at the patrol man. He screamed in horror. The patrol man lay on the ground, one eye wide open. The other was missing, along with the left half of his face. Nothing was left save for a bloody mass of twitching muscle.
Rei felt sick. He had no time to re-act though, as Tala had dashed by him, grabbing him by the wrist and was dragging him off. He threw a look back over his shoulder. Two more patrol men rounded the corner. "It came from over here!" one of them shouted.
"Halt!" the other one shrieked, opening fire on Tala.
The red-head dropped to his knees, covering the back of his head with his hands. Rei screamed, feeling the bullet tear through his palm. Blood spattered everywhere and he looked at the blood and shrieked. The thing that shocked him most wasn't the sickening pain tearing through his arm, but the blood that started to pool on the ground as he dropped to his knees. It was his blood….and the thought of that made him feel dizzy.
The world started to turn black, blurring at its edges. Faintly, he heard the clatter of shoes over pavement, then somebody stop beside him. He couldn't hear if they said anything – he'd fainted.
~*
The early morning light began to pour through the thick fog in the harbour. It was colder here, the cold sea air drifting in from the ocean. Kai winced as the salt in the air bit at his open wound. Still, he walked on. He was tired now, more than an hour of running about the city having drained him.
He gritted his teeth. When he got his hands on that asshole Tala….He clenched his fists and picked up his pace. He jogged toward the dock, knowing full well that Tala had to be there somewhere. Where else would he go?
A gunshot rang out and he heard shouts. Frowning, he dashed to the head of the dock. Two policemen were kneeling over somebody on the ground…He recognized one instantly. The red-hair was unmistakable. "Tala…"
The police looked up, obviously startled by his presence. One of them narrowed their eyes. "Who are you?!" he barked.
Kai snorted. "Never mind," he said, walking forward.
The second man held up a gun. "Stay where you, are!"
Kai looked at him apathetically. "That's my servant you've got there."
He nodded at Tala, who looked up, shocked. He turned to the other officer, who was presumably holding down Rei. "And that's mine too."
The policeman holding down Tala blinked. "Oh, I know you….You're Hiwatari-sama's grandson, aren't you?"
He pointed an accusing finger at Kai. The other officer looked from his partner to Kai, adding slowly, "Hey, you're right!"
Kai gritted his teeth. He was obviously dealing with a pair of morons. "That's right, I am Hiwatari-sama's grandson, and that's my property you're arresting."
The man holding Tala down let him up. The red-head got up, rubbing his wrists. He looked at Kai, still obviously confused as to why Kai was helping him.
The man holding Rei down didn't move, however. The neko-jin mewled in discomfort and the officer cuffed him. "Shut up."
Kai frowned. "Let him up," he said, trying to sound as commandeering as he could.
Both men laughed. "Let him up? Oh, you're funny."
Kai frowned. "I said, let him up," he growled.
The man who had been holding Tala down smiled and fished a paper out of his pocket. "I'm sorry, Hiwatari-san, but we can't do that."
He handed Kai the paper. The bluenette took it and read it over, carefully, several times. Finally, he looked up and glared at the policemen. "Why?"
The man shrugged. "Orders of the Emperor, Hiwatari-san."
Kai looked at the note again. "By proclamation of the Emperor, all neko-jins are to be arrested. Ownership of a neko-jin is hereby illegal. Anyone found with a neko-jin will be fined and the neko-jin will be arrested," he read aloud, feeling shameful tears start to betray him.
He looked up at them, gritting his teeth and glaring through his tears. He knew it was shameful to cry in front of them, but he couldn't help it. He'd just gotten Rei back and now this. Rei was in a terrible condition and going to jail or where ever they were going to send him wasn't going to be the best thing in the world.
"I don't care," he sobbed.
The officers shrugged. "Orders are orders, Sir."
Kai wiped tears away with his forearm. "I bet the Emperor has a million neko-jins," he growled bitterly. "Damn hypocrite."
Both police officers looked slightly aghast. "Hiwatari-sama, you shouldn't talk like that about the Emperor-"
"I don't care! Just give me Rei back!"
Said neko-jin mewled. The officers looked at him apologetically. "Gomen nasai, Hiwatari-sama. We can't do that."
They hauled Rei up to his feet and started off down the street. "Goddamnit! Bring him back!" Kai yelled.
He took a couple steps forward, still screaming as loud as he could. "Listen to me! Bring him back here! He can't go to prison! Bring him back!"
They kept walking. Kai gritted his teeth. A cold hand placed itself on his shoulder and twirled to fin its owner. Tala was looking at him with ice-blue eyes. "Hiwatari-sama. Give up. He's gone."
Kai looked back to the road, where the party of three was disappearing into the fog. He looked back at Tala, feeling the tears start again. "This is all your fault!" he shout, grabbing the red-head and shaking him by the shoulders.
He broke off sobbing, sinking to his knees. He rested his forehead against Tala's chest, finding comfort in knowing that there was a living creature here, right here with him. Tala placed a comforting hand on the bluenette's unruly hair. "Gomen nasai, Hiwatari-sama," he said softly.
He was about to say something else when Tyson rounded the corner, huffing and puffing. He rested his hands on his knees, bending over. Kai unravelled himself from the vulnerable position he'd assumed. Tyson looked up and grinned. "Oh, so you caught him Kai."
He glanced around. "Where's Rei?"
Kai looked skywards, willing the tears to stay at bay. "He…..got arrested."
"What? What'd he do? Tala's the criminal!"
The red-head gritted his teeth and raised a fist in Tyson's direction. "Let it go!"
"Shut up! Both of you!"
Both servants stopped and looked at their master. Kai slumped against a lamp post. "They're arresting every neko-jin in the city," he muttered, jamming his hands into his pockets.
Tyson blinked. "What? They can't do that! …..Can they?"
Kai was silent for a moment. "Apparently the Emperor can," he said bitterly.
The stood there for a moment or two, each with his own thoughts. At last, Tyson's voice broke the silence. "What about Mariah?"
Kai's head snapped up. "My God!"
He took off at a dead run. He bolted past Tyson. The blue-haired boy, pivoted, following the blur that was his master. "Hey! Wait!" he shouted, but Kai was off like a shot.
Tala dashed by Tyson. "Let's go!" he shouted, then followed Kai.
Tyson nodded dumbly, then found his legs and started off.
~*
Kai dashed into the foyer of the mansion, slamming the oaken door behind him. Junsui poked her head around the corner. "Oh, so there you are. Where have you been?"
She walked into the foyer, crossing her arms and frowning at him. He shoved her aside. "No time," he muttered breathlessly, charging across the floor.
Junsui gasped indignantly, then followed him. "Hiwatari Kai, who do you think you are-"
"Shut up, woman!"
He whirled on her and slapped her. It felt dreadfully good and he smirked when she put her hand to her reddened cheek, tears filling her eyes. Her lips turned down in a pouty frown. "You're a horrible man," she said sternly, then turned and walked smartly out of the hall.
Kai sighed in relief, then remember what had put him in such a hurry to begin with.
Mariah was right where he'd left her, still kneeling in shock on the blood-spattered carpet. Kai sat down beside her, sighing in relief. "Thank God, you're still here."
She bowed her head slightly. "Of course, Hiwatari-sama. You told me not to move."
Kai looked at her, the back at the ceiling. She lifted her gaze. "Where is he?" she asked.
"Rei's…..been arrested."
"Arrested?! What happened?!"
Kai shrugged. "All neko-jins are being arrested. Orders of the Emperor."
Mariah didn't say anything. Kai looked down at her to see what was wrong, only to find she'd fainted dead away.
~*
Tala knocked on the door to Kai's study. The bluenette looked up, then back down at his papers. "Come in," he said, in an almost bored tone.
Tala walked into the study and shut the door behind him. "Hiwatari-sama, this is all my fault. I feel terribly guilty."
"So you should," Kai said, never taking his eyes off his papers.
Tala bit his tongue. "If you would, I'd like to assist you in re-gaining custody of the neko-jin. As a sort of apology. I wasn't aware he meant so much to you."
Kai paused and looked up at him, as if inspecting him. Tala almost fidgeted under the harsh gaze, but he remained still, keeping his eyes locked with Kai's. Finally, the crimson-eyed boy looked away. He went back to his papers.
"You're too bold, Tala."
He put his pen down and looked back at the red-head. "Very well, Tala. I accept your offer. But let me remind you, no deed goes unpunished around here."
Tala bowed, hiding his smirks from Kai's view. "Thank you very much, Hiwatari-sama."
He exited the room, still bowing. Kai raised an eyebrow at this, but went back to his papers anyways.
~*
Rei coughed and looked at the neko-jin beside him. He was short, with green hair and he had only one eye showing. It glinted purple. He felt Rei's eyes on him and glanced his way. Rei dropped his gaze back to the floor.
He looked to the right, studying the neko-jin on the other side of him. He too was short, but not nearly as short as the other boy. He had golden eyes, much like Rei's, and long grey-brown hair. He gave Rei a sideways glance. "What's wrong with you?" he asked in a hushed tone.
A whip cracked and all three jumped. "No talking!" the guard barked, then continued on his stroll.
A few coughs went through the tent, but the rows of neko-jins were silent, keeping their eyes on the guard, following his every move. They were chained and kept under heavy security. Rei wondered what was the big deal. After all, they were just neko-jins. Sure, they looked a little different, but what reason was that to keep them locked up like this?
After a while, another guard came in, the tent flaps opening up to reveal the countryside Rei hadn't ever seen in his life. He wondered where they were. He couldn't remember being taken from the police station. He'd fallen asleep, and then he'd woken up here. He wished he could remember.
His thoughts shifted and he thought of Kai. Tears started to fill his eyes and his sniffed, loudly. The whip cracked in front of them again, and again they jumped. "Shut up, or you'll git your gizzard slit!"
Rei swallowed nervously and looked back at the floor. He wished he weren't here. He wished he were at home. But where was home? He'd been so detached lately, he couldn't remember. He frowned in thought. As he thought, he kept his eyes on the guard, just as the rest of the occupants did.
At length, he decided that home was a place out of the cold, where he had a nice bed and could be fed whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. He closed his eyes and smiled a tiny bit. Home was where he could lay in front of a warm fire on a winter's night. He opened his eyes. There was only one change he'd make to that picture. Instead of lying on the floor, he'd be lying on Kai's lap as the bluenette sat in the chair and pet him. Home was where Kai was.
He missed him terribly.
Chapter 12: Chasing Tears
The night provided the perfect cover as he dashed along the back streets, towing the dumb-founded neko-jin along behind him. His feet clattered over the cobble-stone streets.
No one was awake yet. No one would see him. He held the gun in his left hand, his right tightly grasping the neko-jin's wrist.
A dog in someone's yard barked as he dashed by. He kept running. He couldn't afford to stop. He might get caught, and who knew what Hiwatari would do to him. The neko-jin obviously meant a lot to him.
He pondered how much he could sell the neko-jin for. He was a beautiful prize, but battered and bruised as he was, Tala couldn't help but doubt a lower price. Also, his feet weren't bound, lowering any substantial sum to mere hundreds. Still, mere hundreds were good and he could probably live on the sale for months on end. By that time, he might have been successful and stolen someone else's riches. There were plenty of rich families in the area.
He kept running. Someone was following him now. He could hear their footsteps over his own and the neko-jin's, over their harsh breath. He turned right sharply and dove into an alley. He clamped his hand over the neko-jin's mouth. The scared creature looked up at him. "Keep quiet," he growled.
The neko-jin nodded meekly and turned his attention to the entrance of the alley. Their pursuer, the blue-haired boy Tyson, crossed their view, sprinting by. "They went this way!" he shouted over his shoulder.
He disappeared. A few seconds later, Kai tore by. Blood was streaming from his arm and Tala smirked at the wound. He forgot about Rei. The neko-jin vaulted forward, jerking out of the red-head's grasp. His claws dug into the material of Kai's scarf as it fluttered by. "Kai!" he screeched.
The bluenette stopped and turned, facing them. Tala stared at him, then yanked on Rei's hair, pulling him away from Kai. "Yaro!" he barked, then turned and ran.
Kai stared after them, then looked back to where Tyson had ran off to. He was no where in sight. He turned back to the alley. Rei and Tala had disappeared. He swore under his breath and started off down the alley. As he rounded the first corner, it hit him like a ton of bricks. He knew where Tala was headed.
~*
The rotting wooden planks creaked under his weight. The neko-jin hung back as much as he could, whimpering. Tala tugged hard on his wrist and he stumbled onto the boards. He whimpered loudly and looked down at his feet. He felt wobbly, knowing that only inches below him lay the icy depths of the bay. He shuddered. He hated water. Hated it with a passion. He looked back to Tala, wondering if the red-head knew he couldn't swim and was planning on throwing him in. So far, the red-head had shown no inhibitions and Rei wouldn't put it past him. Tala turned and growled at him. "Well," he said impatiently.
He tapped his foot. Rei scuttled along the length of the dock and huddled at Tala's feet. He snivelled and shivered again. The deep night fog was cold and it turned to dew and clung to Rei 's hair. A fog horn sounded, ringing out in the dark. In the distance, the black sky was starting to turn grey. Rei guessed it must have been about four a.m.
Tala turned his back to him, but Rei stayed in place. He could still see the glimmer of the pistol out of the corner of his eye. He surely didn't want to come face to barrel with that.
Tala strode across the creaking planks, inspecting the boats that rested in the harbour. You would have thought he was going to buy one, the way he was studying them so intently. His footsteps and the groans of the planks were the only things that resounded. At last he stopped and peered into an open port in one of the boats. Rei watched with something masquerading as curiousity.
"Spencer?" the red-head called.
No answer. Tala frowned and walked onto the boat. A moment later, he returned. He was frowning and his eyes betrayed that he was in deep thought. "Now, where did that baka get to?"
He glanced about, still frowning. Rei watched him. Tala turned back to him at last. "Let's go," he barked.
He started forward. Rei readied himself. He was willing to obey - he didn't want to get hit. Or worse. Tala passed him and he started walking behind him, on all fours, the way he used to when he was little. They'd only gone a few inches when Rei paused, ears twitching. Tala stopped. "Stupid neko-jin, what's wrong?"
He glared and crossed his arms. Rei looked back the way they'd come, ears still twitching. Tala heard it then too and frowned. The boards were creaking, although they were being walked on. "Maybe it's Spencer," Tala suggested, taking a step forward.
A uniformed patrol man walked around the corner of the dock. Tala froze. This wasn't in the plan!
The patrol man had looked up now. He'd seen them. Tala gritted his teeth. The officer started forward, retrieving his gun from its holster. "Freeze!" he shouted.
Tala held up the gun and fired, three times. Rei winced, then glanced back at the patrol man. He screamed in horror. The patrol man lay on the ground, one eye wide open. The other was missing, along with the left half of his face. Nothing was left save for a bloody mass of twitching muscle.
Rei felt sick. He had no time to re-act though, as Tala had dashed by him, grabbing him by the wrist and was dragging him off. He threw a look back over his shoulder. Two more patrol men rounded the corner. "It came from over here!" one of them shouted.
"Halt!" the other one shrieked, opening fire on Tala.
The red-head dropped to his knees, covering the back of his head with his hands. Rei screamed, feeling the bullet tear through his palm. Blood spattered everywhere and he looked at the blood and shrieked. The thing that shocked him most wasn't the sickening pain tearing through his arm, but the blood that started to pool on the ground as he dropped to his knees. It was his blood….and the thought of that made him feel dizzy.
The world started to turn black, blurring at its edges. Faintly, he heard the clatter of shoes over pavement, then somebody stop beside him. He couldn't hear if they said anything – he'd fainted.
~*
The early morning light began to pour through the thick fog in the harbour. It was colder here, the cold sea air drifting in from the ocean. Kai winced as the salt in the air bit at his open wound. Still, he walked on. He was tired now, more than an hour of running about the city having drained him.
He gritted his teeth. When he got his hands on that asshole Tala….He clenched his fists and picked up his pace. He jogged toward the dock, knowing full well that Tala had to be there somewhere. Where else would he go?
A gunshot rang out and he heard shouts. Frowning, he dashed to the head of the dock. Two policemen were kneeling over somebody on the ground…He recognized one instantly. The red-hair was unmistakable. "Tala…"
The police looked up, obviously startled by his presence. One of them narrowed their eyes. "Who are you?!" he barked.
Kai snorted. "Never mind," he said, walking forward.
The second man held up a gun. "Stay where you, are!"
Kai looked at him apathetically. "That's my servant you've got there."
He nodded at Tala, who looked up, shocked. He turned to the other officer, who was presumably holding down Rei. "And that's mine too."
The policeman holding down Tala blinked. "Oh, I know you….You're Hiwatari-sama's grandson, aren't you?"
He pointed an accusing finger at Kai. The other officer looked from his partner to Kai, adding slowly, "Hey, you're right!"
Kai gritted his teeth. He was obviously dealing with a pair of morons. "That's right, I am Hiwatari-sama's grandson, and that's my property you're arresting."
The man holding Tala down let him up. The red-head got up, rubbing his wrists. He looked at Kai, still obviously confused as to why Kai was helping him.
The man holding Rei down didn't move, however. The neko-jin mewled in discomfort and the officer cuffed him. "Shut up."
Kai frowned. "Let him up," he said, trying to sound as commandeering as he could.
Both men laughed. "Let him up? Oh, you're funny."
Kai frowned. "I said, let him up," he growled.
The man who had been holding Tala down smiled and fished a paper out of his pocket. "I'm sorry, Hiwatari-san, but we can't do that."
He handed Kai the paper. The bluenette took it and read it over, carefully, several times. Finally, he looked up and glared at the policemen. "Why?"
The man shrugged. "Orders of the Emperor, Hiwatari-san."
Kai looked at the note again. "By proclamation of the Emperor, all neko-jins are to be arrested. Ownership of a neko-jin is hereby illegal. Anyone found with a neko-jin will be fined and the neko-jin will be arrested," he read aloud, feeling shameful tears start to betray him.
He looked up at them, gritting his teeth and glaring through his tears. He knew it was shameful to cry in front of them, but he couldn't help it. He'd just gotten Rei back and now this. Rei was in a terrible condition and going to jail or where ever they were going to send him wasn't going to be the best thing in the world.
"I don't care," he sobbed.
The officers shrugged. "Orders are orders, Sir."
Kai wiped tears away with his forearm. "I bet the Emperor has a million neko-jins," he growled bitterly. "Damn hypocrite."
Both police officers looked slightly aghast. "Hiwatari-sama, you shouldn't talk like that about the Emperor-"
"I don't care! Just give me Rei back!"
Said neko-jin mewled. The officers looked at him apologetically. "Gomen nasai, Hiwatari-sama. We can't do that."
They hauled Rei up to his feet and started off down the street. "Goddamnit! Bring him back!" Kai yelled.
He took a couple steps forward, still screaming as loud as he could. "Listen to me! Bring him back here! He can't go to prison! Bring him back!"
They kept walking. Kai gritted his teeth. A cold hand placed itself on his shoulder and twirled to fin its owner. Tala was looking at him with ice-blue eyes. "Hiwatari-sama. Give up. He's gone."
Kai looked back to the road, where the party of three was disappearing into the fog. He looked back at Tala, feeling the tears start again. "This is all your fault!" he shout, grabbing the red-head and shaking him by the shoulders.
He broke off sobbing, sinking to his knees. He rested his forehead against Tala's chest, finding comfort in knowing that there was a living creature here, right here with him. Tala placed a comforting hand on the bluenette's unruly hair. "Gomen nasai, Hiwatari-sama," he said softly.
He was about to say something else when Tyson rounded the corner, huffing and puffing. He rested his hands on his knees, bending over. Kai unravelled himself from the vulnerable position he'd assumed. Tyson looked up and grinned. "Oh, so you caught him Kai."
He glanced around. "Where's Rei?"
Kai looked skywards, willing the tears to stay at bay. "He…..got arrested."
"What? What'd he do? Tala's the criminal!"
The red-head gritted his teeth and raised a fist in Tyson's direction. "Let it go!"
"Shut up! Both of you!"
Both servants stopped and looked at their master. Kai slumped against a lamp post. "They're arresting every neko-jin in the city," he muttered, jamming his hands into his pockets.
Tyson blinked. "What? They can't do that! …..Can they?"
Kai was silent for a moment. "Apparently the Emperor can," he said bitterly.
The stood there for a moment or two, each with his own thoughts. At last, Tyson's voice broke the silence. "What about Mariah?"
Kai's head snapped up. "My God!"
He took off at a dead run. He bolted past Tyson. The blue-haired boy, pivoted, following the blur that was his master. "Hey! Wait!" he shouted, but Kai was off like a shot.
Tala dashed by Tyson. "Let's go!" he shouted, then followed Kai.
Tyson nodded dumbly, then found his legs and started off.
~*
Kai dashed into the foyer of the mansion, slamming the oaken door behind him. Junsui poked her head around the corner. "Oh, so there you are. Where have you been?"
She walked into the foyer, crossing her arms and frowning at him. He shoved her aside. "No time," he muttered breathlessly, charging across the floor.
Junsui gasped indignantly, then followed him. "Hiwatari Kai, who do you think you are-"
"Shut up, woman!"
He whirled on her and slapped her. It felt dreadfully good and he smirked when she put her hand to her reddened cheek, tears filling her eyes. Her lips turned down in a pouty frown. "You're a horrible man," she said sternly, then turned and walked smartly out of the hall.
Kai sighed in relief, then remember what had put him in such a hurry to begin with.
Mariah was right where he'd left her, still kneeling in shock on the blood-spattered carpet. Kai sat down beside her, sighing in relief. "Thank God, you're still here."
She bowed her head slightly. "Of course, Hiwatari-sama. You told me not to move."
Kai looked at her, the back at the ceiling. She lifted her gaze. "Where is he?" she asked.
"Rei's…..been arrested."
"Arrested?! What happened?!"
Kai shrugged. "All neko-jins are being arrested. Orders of the Emperor."
Mariah didn't say anything. Kai looked down at her to see what was wrong, only to find she'd fainted dead away.
~*
Tala knocked on the door to Kai's study. The bluenette looked up, then back down at his papers. "Come in," he said, in an almost bored tone.
Tala walked into the study and shut the door behind him. "Hiwatari-sama, this is all my fault. I feel terribly guilty."
"So you should," Kai said, never taking his eyes off his papers.
Tala bit his tongue. "If you would, I'd like to assist you in re-gaining custody of the neko-jin. As a sort of apology. I wasn't aware he meant so much to you."
Kai paused and looked up at him, as if inspecting him. Tala almost fidgeted under the harsh gaze, but he remained still, keeping his eyes locked with Kai's. Finally, the crimson-eyed boy looked away. He went back to his papers.
"You're too bold, Tala."
He put his pen down and looked back at the red-head. "Very well, Tala. I accept your offer. But let me remind you, no deed goes unpunished around here."
Tala bowed, hiding his smirks from Kai's view. "Thank you very much, Hiwatari-sama."
He exited the room, still bowing. Kai raised an eyebrow at this, but went back to his papers anyways.
~*
Rei coughed and looked at the neko-jin beside him. He was short, with green hair and he had only one eye showing. It glinted purple. He felt Rei's eyes on him and glanced his way. Rei dropped his gaze back to the floor.
He looked to the right, studying the neko-jin on the other side of him. He too was short, but not nearly as short as the other boy. He had golden eyes, much like Rei's, and long grey-brown hair. He gave Rei a sideways glance. "What's wrong with you?" he asked in a hushed tone.
A whip cracked and all three jumped. "No talking!" the guard barked, then continued on his stroll.
A few coughs went through the tent, but the rows of neko-jins were silent, keeping their eyes on the guard, following his every move. They were chained and kept under heavy security. Rei wondered what was the big deal. After all, they were just neko-jins. Sure, they looked a little different, but what reason was that to keep them locked up like this?
After a while, another guard came in, the tent flaps opening up to reveal the countryside Rei hadn't ever seen in his life. He wondered where they were. He couldn't remember being taken from the police station. He'd fallen asleep, and then he'd woken up here. He wished he could remember.
His thoughts shifted and he thought of Kai. Tears started to fill his eyes and his sniffed, loudly. The whip cracked in front of them again, and again they jumped. "Shut up, or you'll git your gizzard slit!"
Rei swallowed nervously and looked back at the floor. He wished he weren't here. He wished he were at home. But where was home? He'd been so detached lately, he couldn't remember. He frowned in thought. As he thought, he kept his eyes on the guard, just as the rest of the occupants did.
At length, he decided that home was a place out of the cold, where he had a nice bed and could be fed whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. He closed his eyes and smiled a tiny bit. Home was where he could lay in front of a warm fire on a winter's night. He opened his eyes. There was only one change he'd make to that picture. Instead of lying on the floor, he'd be lying on Kai's lap as the bluenette sat in the chair and pet him. Home was where Kai was.
He missed him terribly.