Arg! I'm ill again! But lucky for me, no school on Monday. So, here's another chapter. We're in the final stretch, only a few more chapters. And I'm planning out a sequel. Maybe. ^-^


Kai sighed and stretched out on the bed. Rei should be coming over soon, and out of consideration, Bastet had left, making some excuse about people she needed to see. He took off the blades he normally wore on his arms, tossing them into the corner. The Phoenix Tribe had a match tomorrow, and if they won, they would be facing off against the Bladebreakers. The knowledge that he would be fighting his former team was a subject of mixed feelings for Kai.

A knock at the door shook Kai out of his thoughts. As he got up to answer, he decided not to think about the tournament, and just enjoy the time he had off. He pulled open the door, brightening that indeed, Rei had arrived. The dark haired boy bounded into the room, his amber eyes bright with excitement.

"Did you see the match, Kai? We won!" Rei gushed.

Kai smiled and shut the door. "I was there. After all, I promised you I would be."

Rei grinned and wrapped Kai in a hug. "Thanks Kai." He whispered.

The older boy sighed with content. "Of course, Kitten."

Rei pulled away reluctantly and looked around. "Where's your other half?"

Kai shook his head and sat down on the edge of the bed. "You mean Bastet? Out. Gone for the night most likely."

Rei smiled and sat down next to Kai. The other boy looked and him and blinked in confusion. Causing Rei to laugh. "Uh uh, Kai. I'm not sitting on your lap."

Kai tried to mask his disappointment with fake amusement. For once they didn't have to hide their affections, and Rei wasn't willing.

Rei smiled. "Don't look so disappointed. That's not what I meant." He put his arm around Kai's neck and put the older boys head in his lap. "There."

Kai smiled and played with the end of Rei's long hair. "I guess this will do."



* * *


Bastet stuck her hands in her pockets, glaring at the ground below as she walked. She actually did have to go see someone, but she was putting off the unpleasant deed as long as possible. A strong wind blew her long hair in her face, and she struggled to tame it. "Damn world!"

She sighed again. She was basically wandering to nowhere, not even caring where she end up.

"You are alone this evening."

The voice made the red haired girl stop. She recognized the voice, but hadn't even realized she was wandering in that area of the city. She glanced to her right, making eye contact with the same fortune teller she and Kai and encountered after her battle with Johnny.

"Yeah. I Am." She answered.

The fortuneteller laughed softly. "I must say, I was surprised when I saw you in the company of a mate, Yokai."

Bastet paused for a second, trying to decide what part of the statement she wanted to correct first. "For starters, that boy wasn't my mate. He already has a boyfriend…"

The woman blinked. "What…"

Bastet ignored her and finished her sentence. "And second. My name is not Yokai, HUMAN."

The woman nodded. "I stand corrected. Would you care for some tea?"

Bastet took a step back. She narrowed her eyes, certain the woman was up to something. The fortuneteller blinked, surprised by her actions.

"Or would you like a glass of water?"

Bastet considered. It was a good distraction, after all…



* * *


Rei gently pet Kai's hair, gazing down at his koi with adoration. "You have a match tomorrow. Are you going to battle?"

Kai considered. He hardly ever battled when he was with the Bladebreakers, why start now? "I don't know…"

"Please?" Rei looked down at him and gave him the cutest look he could. "For me?"

Kai felt his defenses slipping as he watched Rei beg him. He sighed. "Ok."

Rei leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the forehead. Then he straightened up. "Hey, I just realized something. I don't have a pet name for you."

Kai closed his eyes and let the other boy play with his hair. "Do I need one?"

"Yes." Rei said firmly. "Now…lets see…"



* * *



Bastet accepted the glass of water from her host, and gazed around the small shop. There were all kinds of star charts and things of the sort of the walls. The bookcases were lined with books on mythology and magic. But the most impressive thing in the room was the large gold sculpture of a griffin that resided against the back wall.

The fortuneteller sat down on a chair and motioned for the girl to sit. "So, what is your name?"

The red-haired girl remained standing. "Annex."

The woman nodded. "I am Eloise. Tell me, why is it I hear your companions call you by a different name?"

"You mean Bastet?" Annex nodded. "That is the name the Tribe gave me."

She gazed at the sculpture in the corner, her mind wondering off in a thousand different directions. She lowered her gaze when she heard Eloise voice a question. "Pardon?"

"I asked you why you reside among humans, and take a human form."

Annex laughed softly, a hint of cruelty echoing in her voice. "I assure you, it is not by my choice that I am."

She turned her back to her host and closed her eyes. "Before I came along, the 'Phoenix Tribe was nothing more than a pathetic band of do-good priests and monks."

Eloise remained silent, willing the yokai to continue.

"My mother was an ice yokai, extremely power, and endlessly smart. She was also a little off her rocker." She laughed, recalling her parents. "My father was a phoenix."

The fortuneteller's eyes widened in recognition. "I understand know why you do not look like an ice yokai."

"Oh yeah. I'm a real freak of nature. An ice demon that inherited red hair and the eyes of a phoenix from her Father."

"Naturally, this must have its benefits."

"Sort of." She smiled. "In any case, I guess I was your stereotypical demon. For a while. I raided villages, caused fear and pain and sought to be more powerful. And that's when I discovered a great part of my heritage." She pushed her hair out of her face. "My mixed blood allowed me to absorb certain elemental traits. But it wasn't easy.

"To get these powers, I needed to cause great disasters of the trait. For example. For the power of water, I needed to cause a tremendous flood. And I did."

Eloise shifted uncomfortably, wondering if inviting Annex in was really a good idea.

"I had gathered wind, water, light, and ice without many difficulties, but fire was a different story. I tried to absorb fire, but failed." She pulled down the back of her shirt.

She closed her eyes at the sound of her host's gasp. Taking up most of her back was a huge burn, which had formed in the shape of some kind of winged beast. She adjusted herself and continued.

"Fire got away, leaving me with that. But that was the start of my problems. By now, the tribe had decided enough was enough. So they mounted an army against me." She chuckled. "I won't make you suffer through the details, but in the end, I lost. The tribe then used powerful magic to remove my elemental traits, sending them out in the form of sacred phoenix spirits.

"They used another spell to make me appear human, then set about completing the final task." Annex turned to face Eloise. "They had to remove my eyes." she sighed, and shut her now gray eyes. "They replaced them, so I wouldn't go blind, but in the end, they had to tie me down to keep me from scratching out my own eyes."



* * *



Rei chuckled. He already knew what pet name he wanted to give, but he decided to play around a bit. "How about…Honey bunny?"

Kai blinked at him, not believing his ears. "You have got to be kidding."

Rei pouted. "You don't like? Well then, ok." He squirmed out from under him and pinned Kai's arms to the bed. He gave the other boy a long kiss before lifted his head just slightly. "Then how about," he said softly, "Mine."




Whew. At last, the explanation is out of the way. Now we can focus on some serious Kai/Rei! Please review!