ID Thief: second to last chapter of this fic!

Kai: yay!

Hiei: feh, go figure.

ID Thief: shut up!

Hiei: Make me..

ID Thief: Hahaha, fine ::snaps finger's and Hiei is suddenly stuck in an envelope::

Kai: Please don't do that to me.... ::backs away::

ID Thief: naw, I need you.

Kai: I don't know what's worse!

Hiei: Gigantic COMSMIOC POWERS! In an itty little living space! :: imitating the Genie from Aladdin::

ID Thief: your insane...

Don't Throw Your Life Away

By: Identity Thief

Chapter 14: Saying Goodbye, a final wish of a dying innocent

(Kai)

I stare right at Tala our eyes connect. Ones of pure ice and harsh as a Siberian winter, and the other a raging inferno from the depths of hell themselves. Locked together in a staring match, we fight for the team dominance.

" How long have they been doing this?" I hear Robert whisper but don't turn to face the younger man, for if I break eye contact I lose my challenge for team leader.

" About half the day." Rei tells him and I hear Johnny laugh slightly, that annoying rich boy laugh.

" Why are they not dueling in a Bey battle? Wouldn't that be the most logical approach?" I flex the fingers on my left hand, yet still keep my eyes on Tala, wondering what he was thinking.

" They tried that, they were so evenly matched that the Bitbeasts refused to fight after the first six hours. Then they tried Chess, but that only lasted until Tyson knocked over the board."

" Hey! I didn't mean too!"

" Any way, then they tried a drinking contest to see who would give up and go to the bathroom, that ended up badly." Yes, both Tala and I chugged soda to the point we both had to run for the bathroom, and of course growing up together we had no problem with pissing in front of each other, so... yeah. Ended badly.

" Oh and don't forget the race." Kenny pipes in, and I resist the urge to roll my eyes.

" Yes the race. Tala and Kai both ran a course we set up for them, ya know hurtles, money bars, tires, moving cars, big dogs, water." Rei sounded like he could have done it asleep. Yeah sure, he would have stopped at the dogs. I mean really who sends three pit bulls, two Rotties, and a Newfoundland after people?

" So after they ended that, after escaping the hounds from hell, they decided to end this with a staring contest, how mature." I nearly laugh. If only they knew about some of the contests we use to have. Tala, Ian, Spencer and Bryan use to insult each other's mothers, and since we didn't know them we really didn't take offence. That was surly mature.

" You mama was soooo stupid, she thought penny's meant a dollar!" Tala pipes up and I widen my eyes in shock, mind you I didn't blink. So he wants to play dirty? Two can play at that game.

" Yeah well, your mama was sooooo fat she used the planets to play pool." I say in retort and Tala, narrows his eyes. (a/n: I know these are lame, but I'm not a real big joke person. Sry)

" You're so short you're the last one to know when it rains!" I quickly snap out something I heard in a movie

" Fee Fi Fo Fum, what bean stalk you fall from?" Tyson bursts out laughing and I hear the whispers from the other teams that had gathered to listen and watch the exchange.

" Your mama so stupid she thought a quarter back was a refund." I smile and shoot with an equal amount of humor

" Your mama so ugly she had to walk backwards!" Tala growls and then gets to his feet, never breaking eye contact.

" You look like the back ass of a moose!" Oh getting personal.

" You so ugly Boris had to tie a piece of meat around your neck just to get Wolborg to obey you!"

" Your so screwed up Dranzer flies in circles!"

" Butt munch!"

" Eat me!"

" No thanks."

" C'mon is that all you got?!"

"You blinked."

" What?"

" You blinked! I win! You blinked!" I point at Tala and his face falls, a shocked look coming to his face. I laugh as the Russian blader smiles and moves back, blinking quickly.

" Ah, you are the rightful leader of the Bladebreakers once again brother!" Vincent yells from the group and I laugh.

" Oh man, thank you god! Tala was a drill Sargent!" Tyson groans and laughs as the other's just look at him.

" Don't expect anything to change Tyson!" I yell and get a clap on the shoulder from my adversary. Somewhere in the back a phone rings, but I'm to busy to care. Then Lee's voice yells over the happy chatter.

" Kai! It's Azumi! You got to get to the hospital soon!" I widen my eyes and take off out of the room, running full out to the hospital.

(Azumi's room General POV)

Kai arrived at the young girl's room and held back a shudder at the sight displayed before him. The young girl that has stolen the leader's heart is lying on a bed of hospital whites, her skin impossibly pale. Her small body was thin and almost translucent, filled with needles and instruments helping her stay alive. He swallows, and walks to the two people sitting in the chairs.

" Sir, Ma'am." Kai whispers and the parents of Azumi turn, their faces lightening up at the sight of the young man. The mother gets up and hugs Kai close, tears falling from her obsidian eyes, and her father clasps him on the shoulder, a sad smile on his face.

" She was asking about you, before................. before they put the air tube down her throat to help her breathe. Kai, her last wish was that she wanted you to have this, and she wrote you this letter." He nods, taking the amulet from the man's hand and looking at it. A beautiful obsidian stone with a flaming bird, a Phoenix etched into the center. Kai swallows again, knowing it was going to be hard to ask this, but he needed to do it.

" Would you mind if I said good bye to her alone?" He asks, his voice trembling slightly. The husband and wife nod, leaving the room in eerie silence. The only sounds were the ones of the heart monitor, showing the weakening heartbeat and the whirl and hiss of the respirator. Kneeling down beside the dying girl's bed, Kai takes her small hand and holds it in his own large, callused one, and whispers

" I know what I say won't stop the lord from taking you. Yet I have never thought my angle would be taken away so quickly. Azumi you were the one thing that made me believe in myself when I thought my life was ruined. You were the only person who ever saw the true me, and you never gave up. You made me a better person, and for that I am grateful to you." Kai's eyes overflow and tears make their way down his shark fined painted face, falling from his chin to land on their entwined hands.

" I feel like a weight had been lifted when you walked into my life, and even now as you walk out, I feel that weight leaving with you. I know now that you are truly my angle and as I see you off, I just want you to know." He sobs as the heart monitor slows down, cutting his time shorter.

" I just want you to know that you will never be far from my mind, my heart, my soul. You have etched your mark in every part of my being and I will never forget. Good bye Azumi, and don't be sad, or scared. Be happy and remain young forever." The monitor let out on last long beep and then a long sounding one, showing the young life had ended. Azumi's mother and father come into the room and Kai moves aside, feeling slightly ashamed for taking the last time they had to say good bye away from them, yet felt enjoyed when the girls father turned to him and said

" Thank you for seeing her to her next place. She would have wanted to say good bye." He nods and says his regards and leaves, tears still flowing from his eyes. The other teams run from the elevator as he pushes the button, they take one look at the Phoenix's fallen and tear stained face and know they are too late. The girls burst into tears and Rei clasps a hand over his mouth, tears running from his eyes. Tyson and Michael take off their hats and they all bow their heads in a silent prayer and good bye. None of them see the distressed Phoenix leave. No one but the spirit of one young, happy girl watching from above.

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