Title: Untold Truths
Authoress: Ladya C. Maxine
Rating: PG-13
Summary: see chapter one.
Warnings: see chapter one.
Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters. All unrecognizable characters belong solely to me and are not to be touched. I am not making any money off of this and I write with the sole intention to entertain.
"Subjects have entered the main complex. Both males are still present."
/What's their status/
"Female 191191191 and subject Kon are displaying no signs of wariness. 201121, however, appears to be vigilant of his surroundings."
/Is everyone in position/
"Yes, sir."
/Hm. 201121 will pose a threat so remove him as soon as possible. Kon is only a bystander but he had show aggression before when harm is brought upon 191191191. Commence operation 987 within one hour./
"Affirmative, sir."
Watching the children as they strolled towards the exhibits, the stranger smirked and disappeared amongst the throngs of people who had come to enjoy what would have been a quiet and pleasant day at the zoo.
"Can we go see the dolphins?" Saskia asked as she skipped between them with Mica in her hands, the key chains on her backpack rattled with each bounce.
"Whatever you want," Ata promised, idly taking in the colorful environment though he'd been there many times before.
The architects who had designed the zoo had taken into consideration the drastic climate changes in Russia and so the zoo boasted over millions of dollars worth of immense enclosures that came equipped with lush rainforests from Brazil, large marshes from Florida, mind-blowing rock formations from Australia, sandy beaches from Hawaii, barren tundra's from Alaska itself, open grass plains from Africa and many more live reservoirs that were actually putting Mother Nature to shame. And this was only the indoor part of the zoo. The open-air exhibits were twice the size and had twice so much plantation and elements!
Animals of all size, color and type lived contently in the modern paradise. During the cold winter days they were kept inside where the complex's heating system was regulated to match each species preferences. The creatures in the rainforest section loved it stuffy and warm while the African Sahara's inhabitants preferred in the pure heat. On the other end, the artic lovers were allowed outdoors during the winters. Summertime was their turn to be spent inside where the central cooling system would be blasting to compensate the higher temperature outside.
People flocked the buildings. A day like this was not meant to be spent at work or school so many parents were there with their children. Tourists could not get enough the expansion of the zoo and walked around, camera's loaded and maps ready to begin their exploration as they watched the animals, bought souvenirs at the dozens of shops and ate in the restaurants.
At the moment the three teens were wandering at an easy pace. Some of the animals had used the time to feel the fresh air and warm sun while others had opted to remain indoors. The aviary had been empty while the occupants flew around a large enclosed area made just for that. How the zoo people got the birds back in the cage afterwards was lost to Ray but they were professionals so he did not really dwell on that.
"You want see tigers, Ray?"
"Yeah..."
At least he was enjoying the patterns on the floor since he had yet to look anywhere but down. Was that a scratch on the toe of his left shoe?
Clearly, he was trying to distract himself. Too bad the floors weren't all that interesting.
He wished he were back in China. In the little village in the mountain range. Hiding under a rock. While being eaten alive by bugs. So his bones can then wither away into dust. Only to be burned into vapor in the pits of hell and inhaled by the devil himself.
Low self-esteem? No one could blame him, what with the morning he had. Having one's crush blow off their first kiss only to have the whole painful affair slapped in his face, almost literally, at the breakfast table was not the best way to start the day. Spending the rest of the day with his crush's boyfriend wasn't looking all too cheerful either.
'That must be it. Kai and Ata are dating. Why else would they be so close? Why else would Kai push me away like that, without any reason? He's got pretty Tala, who is so much smarter and stronger than little mountain boy Ray.'
When had this train of thoughts begun to plague him? He'd say the second when Kai and pretty Tala had come downstairs from, he presumed, Kai's rooms, talking amiably while sharing a few laughs here and there before they spotted him. Kai's mask had slipped back into place and he finished whatever he had been saying in Russian before walking out the front door without a good-bye or anything to him.
Ray wanted to like Tala. He was a fun to have around. Too bad that Kai thought the same way too, on a much stronger level. So did this make Tala his rival? In that case, the redhead had this contest won, hands down.
'This is so unfair! Why am I even here with this guy!'
The only thing that was keeping him from screaming out rather loud profanity was the little girl holding his hand. Deaf or not, seeing him in an insane rage would…upset her.
Ata was torn between slapping the sulking teen and being, strange enough, perplexed. Which was saying much since hardly anything ever puzzled him. But the neko-jin's behavior was not what he'd expected. Sure, he hadn't believed that Ray would be laughing and frolicking about the place after what happened during breakfast, but right now the kitten looked as if he was being lead away on a leash to be humanely euthanized.
'Looks like I'm going to have to talk to him too.'
"Bears!" Saskia was unaware of the tension above her and tugged them over to the enclosed area that was surrounded on three sides by water. White giants lumbered about, slithering around on the ice and sniffling it experimentally.
Saskia tried to look over the railing but it was a good foot above her head. Undeterred, she started to hop to get a better look since the iron mesh below the railing didn't suffice to her. Despite his mood Ray smiled at her enthusiasm before lifting her onto his hip, giving her a much more agreeable view of the polar bears as they growled and snorted at each other.
'They sound like Spencer sleeping,' Ata smiled. Wonder what the guys were up to right now? They were still at Bryan's aunt. The poor woman was probably being eaten out of house and hold. Spencer ate like a hog. Bryan was no better. And despite his small size, Ian could down more food than Ata himself!
"Look at that one, Mica!" Saskia held out the stuffed dolphin to show the uninterested, if not lifeless, creature a polar bear as it woke up from its nap. Standing on its hind legs, it scratched its stomach, looking around a bit sluggishly.
'Yep, definitely Spencer.'
"What are those men doing?" Saskia asked as two men stepped out from a door that was positioned several meters above the large pit but still a few feet short of where the visitors stood. They wore full white jumpers and carried two big containers.
"They are feeding them. The animals here can't hunt for themselves so they must be fed regularly," Ata informed, leaning with his elbows on the safety railing. Was it just him or did Ray just take a small step away from him? Had he really offended the kitten that much with his taunts earlier?
"Aw, aren't they cute?" she fawned, looking at three white cubs rolled about on the ice as they rough-housed with each other on a frozen pond.
"Selectively," Ata said as he watched the adult bears rip at the large slabs of raw meat the men threw down to them. Large teeth shredded off chunks of meat and practically swallowed them whole. Did he mention how much it reminded him of Spencer?
Ray watched the beasts as they ate, making a bloody mess. Not very settling, but it was more interesting than the floor and almost distractingly enough. Still…where were those 'warning: explicit contents'-signs when you really needed them?
"Let's go see some other animals," he proposed. 'Preferably ones who are not being fed.'
"Too much for you, Kitten?"
He gritted his teeth. He didn't recall specifically talking to Ata. Nor could he remember giving the redhead the rights to steal Kai away from him, but that was just his jealous opinion.
"No, I just don't think that this is appropriate for Saskia. It's too graphic for her."
That would have been a good excuse had Saskia not been sketching the gruesome scene in a sketchpad that was much smaller than her normal one, probably a travel size pad.
"I'm sure she'll recover," Ata shrugged, piqued at the somewhat hostile attitude of the neko-jin. He would have continued but a beep got his attention. Shivering slightly at the sudden chill at the back of his neck, he said softly;
"Scan update."
: Unwelcome presence detected. Use caution. :
Not betraying anything, Ata looked beyond the bear pit to find a man watching them from amongst the crowd on the other side. A brief flash of a hidden camera made him flinch but he kept calm and taking hold of Saskia's hand, he gently pushed the still bristling Ray before him, away from the stranger.
"Let's go."
"201121 had detected something and is displaying wary behavior, sir."
/He would want to get them away as quickly as possible but won't risk irking Kon's suspicion. Keep to the plan and do not rush in./
"Plan to commence in 30 minutes, sir. We will report when ready."
Saskia, and Ray too for that matter, had been confused by the sudden departure but they had recovered quickly when they had gone to the Siberian housing. At least, Saskia did. Ray was still moping.
"Wolves!" she stated the obvious, watching with big eyes as they neared.
A large hallway ran through the enclosure, shielded by glass on both sides that brought visitors and wolves within an inch of each other. Benches lined the center to allow people to sit and relax as they watched the pack outside. This is where Saskia chose to sit down and started to sketch a bundle of pups as they tumbled across the snow around their mother. The three children were the only ones in the hall.
Ray watched the canines as they moved about, yipping and barking and darting between the trees. He was a cat lover, obviously, but he could not deny that there was a style, grace and power to be found in these canines. If there was one thing he really admired in wolves, or the canine species in general, it was the clan life. They played together, hunted together, and protected each other. Just like any loving family would. No wonder that the term 'Lone wolf' was so emphasizing.
'Wolf…Ah damn, now I'm thinking about him again,' Ray thought darkly, subtly glancing out of the corner of his eye to where Tala stood. A look of sadness glimmered in the ice blue orbs as they followed the pack.
…Why was he such a softy?
Despite his newly mixed feelings for the redhead, he couldn't help being just a bit curios as to what this was all about. Trying to look as disinterested as possible, he wordlessly walked over, pretending to be engrossed in the animals' activities. That is, until all attention went to Tala when the Russian moved.
A pale hand was raised and held against the glass. The moment the Russian's palm touched the smooth surface the large wolf, most likely the beta female, raised her head and stared Tala straight into the eyes. Rising from where she had been sleeping, she trotted over, tail wagging, before stopping to just a foot away from the glass the teen.
'What on earth…?'
To his total amazement she stood on her hind legs and placed one of her forepaws on the glass, mimicking Tala, and remained like this for several seconds. The furry ears suddenly lowered and she whimpered softly, removing her paw and dropping her head.
At first puzzled, Ray jumped slightly when she threw back her head to release a long and piercing howl. Soon enough, the others joined in one by one, creating an echoing siren of mournful howls. The sound carried up over the area and more wolves came from between the trees, loping across the snow to join their brethren. Pretty soon the entire area was filled with wolves while the air was filled with the haunting cries.
Just as they had started, they ended; one by one falling silent before turning and returning to lie on the snow. None continued with running or playing. It was as if they were holding a moment of silence. This left Tala with the beta who sat on her haunches, head cocked to one side and clear eyes studying the teenager.
Tala fell into an easy crouch, bringing them to eye level.
"I'm sorry."
Not to quote Tyson, but…Huh? Did he just hear Tala speak to a wolf? Scratch that; did he just hear Tala apologize to a wolf? Either this was a very mystical moment between two different species or the redhead had left out a few things in his story, like possible mental disorders.
Remembering that he himself had the amazing ability to walk, he came up along side the redhead who had yet to acknowledge him though the wolf blinked and looked up at him with ghostly eyes. She then looked at Tala and nudged her nose against the glass as if in parting and left, disappearing completely from view amongst the trees.
Watching her leave, Ata sighed and stood. He had been putting that off for several weeks but it was the only right thing to do though the reaction had been as grief-struck as he had expected. After all, wolves were very social animals...
"What was that all about?" asked the voice, which had barely been heard since coming here, in a soft tone.
"Just giving them the news," he answered, meeting the other's stare. The neko-jin quickly looked away, again to his bemusement. "Wolborg was the spirit of a wolf that used to belong to this clan. They now know that he is dead."
"You can talk to animals?"
Did the redhead really have to give him such a sufferable look?
"I'm not Dr. Dolittle. I can't walk up to any animal and start a conversation. Only wolves. And it's not really talking just…to make an incredibly corny and farfetched story short; having the sacred spirit of a specific animal gives a blader a better understanding of the species."
'That's right. Kai told me something like that my first night here.'
Great, now he was thinking about Kai again.
"So they sense that he is gone?"
"They sense that he is longer with me. It's pretty awe-inspiring; how deeply connected wolves are to members of their pack. Wolborg was taken from them more than a decade ago but they still remember him."
He looked over to Ray, face neutral but voice traced with regret.
"While being trained by my parents in the mountains I once saw a pack of wolves and the experience never left me. They looked after one another. It was only after I got Wolborg that I started to understand the meaning of friendship and trust.
The two boys stood in silence, watching the wolves and thinking over what had just been said until Saskia, who had been drawing the entire time, came over, her wooden platforms tapping on the tiled floor.
"Wolborg still loves you, Ata," she assured, holding up the sketchpad.
She had caught the surreal moment between the teen and the beta female. The only thing different was that she had drawn the spirit of Wolborg surrounding the two.
Ata studied the drawing and a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as memories of his furry companion came to him.
((Thank you, Saskia.))
Taking a deep breath he said, in English,
"Now, let's go find those dolphins you and Mica wanted to see so badly."
Taking her hand, he lead the way out but Ray turned to see the wolves as they watched them go, clear eyes mourning the loss of one and the pain of the wolf who remained behind.
/It has been planted, sir. We are standing by./
"Excellent."
"Look Dolsea! Look Mica! Your mommies and daddies!" Saskia leaned over the railing, holding both her beyblade and her stuffed dolphin over the large and deep tank where the great marine mammals swam, sometimes coming up to poke their head out of the water to observe the small being to whom they felt strangely drawn.
"Watch it before you fall in," Ray warned. He must have looked like a nervous mother, holding her securely by the waist. The thought made him flinch.
"I can swim."
Ata watched the two interact, shaking his head as they started to bicker. Had he not known any better he would have thought them to have known each other for years. Kitten must really be a very unique character to have Saskia take to him so easily.
'Then again, he got Kai to fall for him.'
Speaking of which, how was he going to get the two lovesick idiots to confess their feelings?
An interesting idea, which had something to do with locking both of them up in a very small closet, was starting to spawn in his head when a sudden cold ran down his spine and back up, pooling in the back of his neck. Someone was watching them. Intently.
He sat down and opening his laptop he quickly searched for and opened his personal files. Taking in as much as he was experiencing and typing it in codes onto the hard drive, he never took his mind off of the two people that were under his care. When the screen flashed 'Download completed' he closed the portable device and stored it away in its carrier.
'Running will only make them move in faster. I have to get them out of here as calmly as possible.'
He forced on a casual façade and walked over to the two.
"Let's go. They say that this is the best time to go see the tigers."
/Sir, subjects have entered the zone./
The man behind the desk smiled and steepled his fingers.
"Excellent. What are your men's statuses?"
/The charges have been placed and set. We have only to wait./
"What is the remaining time?" he asked through the intercom to the man on the field.
/10 minutes and counting./
"Report back within 9 minutes."
/Understood, sir./
He leaned back in his chair and smirked.
"Is that him?"
"Nope."
"Is that him?"
Ray looked at the possible candidate but shook his head.
"How about that one?"
"Try again."
Saskia sighed and leaned farther over the railing as she tried to find a tiger she hadn't pointed out yet.
"That one look like Drigger."
"That's a girl tiger."
"Maybe Drigger is a girl."
"He is not!"
"How do you know?"
"I…Because…He's a male."
Ata rolled his eyes at the neko-jin's undisputable defense but opted not to interfere, this time. Saskia stood on the bench they were sitting on and was looking over the metal railing at the Siberian tigers that lounged about in the indoor pool. Her main objective, though, was to try to locate the tiger that resembled Drigger the most. So far she wasn't having much luck.
"They all look same," she surrendered, plopping down on Ray's lap. "All have stripes and all are white. I don't see a difference."
"So you are deaf and blind?"
In retrospect, Ray should have been grateful since this would prove to be a very good distraction. Nothing killed the fantasies like meeting your crush's ex-fiancée. Too bad it meant that they were now stuck with the one girl Ray ever truly felt like hurting. Seriously.
Tiffany McSnobbe, in all her high-class and scrunched-nose glory, was standing there before them, arms crossed and mouth looking as if she was sucking a lemon. To be fair, she was still beautiful and no doubt an eye-candy to the men, but Ray would have rather eaten his own eyes than admit that. While all she carried was a small purse that couldn't hold more than one lipstick and maybe a very thin eye-liner, the diminutive form of Claudette stood behind her, straining under the many bags loaded with souvenirs.
"I'm sorry, Sick-kia, but if you're here to visit your family then I fear it impossible; the Dodo birds died out in 1816," Tiffany giggled at her own 'intelligent' joke.
No one else found it amusing, including Claudette who watched with sympathetic eyes as Saskia sank down in Ray's lap.
Ray glared at Tiffany, hands itching to knock her out like he had that punk.
'Man, I thought she went back to England already. How long can a birthday last?'
"What's the matter, retard? Aren't you listening to me? Oops! I forgot! You can't!" Again that jittery snicker. "But honestly, what are you doing here, Sick-kia? The mental institution in town has room for one more mongrel."
"I guess you better get going then," Ata quipped smoothly, watching the blond, whose face turned red. Behind her, Claudette stifled a small giggle.
"You?" the blonde sneered. "What are you doing here?"
Ray wasn't an expert at gauging situations, but it was safe to say that the two weren't the best of friends.
"I heard that they got a new species in today. Not the brightest of animals and not much of a looker either. I didn't know that they would allow it to wander around loose in the building though," Ata answered the now seething girl.
"Ooh, you!" Her pretty face was bright red and she looked about ready to slap him. Instead she spun on her heels, short skirt whirling to expose dancer-toned legs. "Well, I don't care what you are doing here but I am here to study swans."
Silence for a moment.
"My mind is warning me, but...why?" Ata asked bored.
"Because," she smirked a superior smirk. "I have the starring role in Swan Lake. I will perform in front of thousands in the theatre. After all, that's what successful dancers do."
She looked down her perfect nose at Saskia who lowered her eyes, ashamed and uncomfortable. Ata was quick to come to the little girl's aid.
"First of all, Saskia is a far more superior dancer than you ever were at her age. Second, she is a far more superior dancer than you are at your current age. Third, the only reason she doesn't perform on stage is because of her hearing incapability. And fourth, shouldn't you have the starring role in The Ugly Duckling?"
Both Ray and Claudette burst out in fits of laugher as the blonde glared daggers at Ata who returned it with an innocent look.
"Whatever," The blond scowled, put off to have lost another verbal round to the Russian. "Claudette! We leave. I wish to spend my time with beings of an equal IQ as myself."
"I thought you said that Dodo's are extinct," Ata reminded her.
"Wise guy. You would to well to recognize your superiors. I don't know why someone as regal and wealthy as Kai would want to spend time around you but once I have him you can kiss your borrowed luxury goodbye. A pathetic lot you are. I'm surprised that any of you are able to draw breath on your own."
"1681."
"What?" She looked over a shoulder to meet the golden eyes.
"The Dodo bird, known also as Raphus Cucullatus, a native to Mauritius, an oyster shaped island 500 miles east of Madagascar, became extinct in 1681, not 1861. The name 'dodo' is derived from the Portuguese word 'doudo', which means foolish or simple. Something Saskia is not but you have displayed both really openly."
Ata and Claudette shared a look, trying not to laugh at the shocked expression on Tiffany's face.
"Grrrr!"
Unable to counter after being humiliated by someone she saw so inferior to herself, the blonde bristled and stomped off, shoving apart a couple who stood in her way. Claudette started to follow but stopped when she heard a small sniffle.
Saskia still sat with her face buried in Ray's chest, trying hard not to cry.
The maid looked to where her mistress had just stormed off to and made her way towards the sad child, searching in one of the many bags she carried for something. She knelt down and tapped the girl gently on the shoulder. When Saskia looked up she presented her with a small tiger beanie baby. Saskia blinked at her in confusion and then looked up at Ray who was also perturbed by the gesture.
"What's that for?"
"I know that young Saskia loves animals so I hope that this will make her feel better. I'm very sorry about what my mistress said. She tends to speak what's on her mind."
"If she did then she'd be a mute," Ata said, not looking up from where he had returned to typing on his notebook.
"I see you haven't lost your sense of humor," Claudette giggled.
"CLAUDETTE! I DEMAND YOU TO COME HERE!" Tiffany's voice boomed throughout the area, scaring the hell out of the other visitors and causing one tiger to loose its balance and fall into the water.
"I better get going. She tends to get lost on her own."
"So stay."
"Very cute, Ata." She stroked Saskia's hair affectionately as she placed the little tiger in her hand and then started to pick up the bags. "You're not what she says, Saskia. You are very pretty and very smart and one day you will dance on stage."
The small bluenette smiled at the kind words.
"CLAUDETTE!"
"I have to go. I hope to see you soon, and under better circumstances."
Giving them a parting wave, she trotted off to find her raving mistress.
"Nothing like a quiet day at the zoo," Ata concluded as he watched the drenched tiger grumpily stalk out of the pool it had landed in. "Nice bit on the Dodo, by the way."
"Yeah, well, you don't hang around Kenny for a year and not learn anything," Ray admitted. "So you know them?"
"Met them last year when Kai came to stay for a while. Claudette's okay. However, that Tiffany...she has few flaws. Like existing."
Saskia was silently studying the small tiger in her hand, half-heartedly hopping it on Ray's knee. Ata gently lifted her chin.
"She's just jealous of you."
"No she isn't. She's pretty and rich and can dance very good."
"I think you've just described yourself."
"But…"
"Even her own maid doesn't like her, Saskia. She acts like a bully because you're Kai's little sister and live with him. Don't listen to a word she says."
"Do you like me, Ata?" she asked hesitantly.
Closing his laptop, he moved closer and took her from Ray, kissing her head as he hugged her.
"Nah, I pretend to otherwise Kai would beat me up."
She giggled, turning in his arms to look back at Ray.
"Ray likes me, right?"
"Beyond a doubt," he grinned for the first time since that morning. "You're the best in my book."
"He says," the redhead mumbled, allowing her to slip out of his lap. He was well aware of the distrusting glare he was getting from the other teen but didn't comment. Yet.
"Who does he look like?" Saskia asked, holding up the beanie baby to Ray. "I think he looks like that one."
Focusing on Saskia for now, the two of them returned to searching the enclosed habitat for a new candidate. Minutes went by until they finally settled on a close-enough twin. Excited, Saskia set about drawing a sketch of the much larger beast that was dozing on a rock close by.
"Alright, spill it."
"Huh?" he blinked, looking up at Tala who sat there with arms crossed.
"You've been moping and sulking the whole time and, unless I am mistaken, you are trying to avoid talking to me. What did I do?"
What did he do? What did HE do?
"Have you already forgotten that little episode during breakfast?" he answered with a question of his own, feeling his mood darken once more.
"Like I told Kai, I'm sorry if I humiliated you, alright? I didn't mean to intentionally hurt your feelings. I was actually teasing Kai, not you. He's used to me doing things like that. But again, I admit that I should have taken your feelings into account. I'm sorry."
"…Thanks."
"So what's your next move?"
"On what?"
"On Kai."
"How can you ask me something like that?"
Now Tala was the one to blink.
"Well, Kai and I are--"
"I know you two are dating," Ray interrupted, unable to keep the envious tone out of his voice. "So don't worry; I won't do anything like that again. Kai obviously prefers you to me. Just don't rub it in."
Ata sat back, staring at the neko-jin as if he had just sprouted a third nostril.
"Me…and Kai…"
The blue eyes widened as it struck home.
'Oh kitten, you are just too cute for words!'
"What now?" Ray's suspicion rose at the smile that was manifesting itself on the other's face. Was the redhead actually going to gloat about his relationship with Kai to him? If he was going to sit here and listen to any of that then--
"You just keep making this better and better," Ata chuckled, reaching over to lightly slap him on the cheek. "I knew something was wrong with you that had nothing to do with the whole breakfast event."
"What do you mean?"
"Kai isn't my boyfriend, kitten."
"…He…He isn't?" Ray asked, releasing a deep breath as if he had been holding it in the whole time.
"Nope."
"But then how can you explain the way you two act around each other. The way he looks at you, the way he laughs around you, the way he listens to you; it's like you can do no wrong in his eyes!"
"Believe me, I have proven otherwise in the past," he grinned, crossing his legs. "Kai and I are very close, I'll grant you that. Much closer than friends. I won't lie to you, kitten; we do kiss at least once a day and sometimes we sleep in the same bed. We met when we were very young. Kai was the first true friend I ever knew and vice versa; our friendship has developed into something…unique, but we have no romantic feelings for each other. Nor have we ever slept together with any sexual intent."
"Really?"
"Truly. I have had my share of dates in the past. Kai, however, has never been in love with anyone before so it is only understandable that he's a little shy about the subject."
"I see…Tala?"
"Hm?"
"I'm sorry," he said softly. "I thought that you two were an item and…It just made me so jealous that I kinda hated you for a while."
"Stick along long enough and there will be times when you'll want to kill me. Don't worry; my bark is worse than my bite."
That had really taken a heavy load off his chest. Kai and Tala weren't together, which meant that he still had a chance. Like Tala had said, Kai doesn't do well with emotions so maybe he had just pushed him away because he wasn't sure what he felt. Could it be that…Kai liked him as much as he did?
"So what happened that brought on this morning's brief soap opera-scene?"
"Why does my love interest matter to you?"
"Because your love interest is my best friend. He is like a little brother to me, though he would say that being a month younger doesn't make him younger then me since it's the years that count."
"So what are you going to do, now that you know about how I feel?" he asked warily.
"I am not going to do anything. It is you who has to tell him."
"I really want to," he confessed, "but I'm not really sure..."
"What's the point of loving someone when you are too ashamed to admit it?"
"I am not ashamed! Just afraid. Besides, we were just caught up in the moment. It could have been a stupid mistake. I don't know if he is really straight or not--"
"Not," he assured, applauding his decision when he saw the light of hope turn on in the golden eyes. "He doesn't like females. At least, not in that way." He gestured to Saskia who was too busy with her drawing to notice the conversation. "He loves Saskia and Natasia but as far as his sexual preferences go, there is no female worth his time or heart. Which is another reason why he hates Tiffany, though her being a spoiled brat remains as reason number one on his list."
"I see."
"Yeah. But back to the topic at hand; if I could assure you that Kai feels the same way about you, would you tell him about your feelings?"
Ray nodded slowly after a few seconds indecision.
"Great. So that's settled. It's about time that Kai found himself someone who could put up with him. I always thought it was such a shame; him not having a partner. He's a really caring and loveable guy, once you get through to him. And a great kisser, wouldn't you agree?" He tossed Ray a sly look.
Ray flushed and found a sudden interest in the ceiling above. What was it with him and architecture today?
"Is he? I didn't notice."
"Uh-huh." Ata laughed at the tiger's stubbornness. 'Damn it, if these two weren't meant for each other then they'll both die virgins!'
"Hey, Tala."
"Yeah, Kitten?"
"Thanks...for listening to me."
"No problem." He turned honest eyes on Ray. "If ever you need to talk, I'll be right here for you. Remember that."
"I will. Thanks, Wolfie."
"Wolfie?" Tala raised an inquiring brow.
"Hey, you got me a nickname, I got you a nickname."
"I suppose it is only fair."
Was it possible to experience terribly bad luck and terribly good luck all in half a day? Was he really going to confess his love to the bluenette? Yes. Yes, he was. He was going to tell Kai how he felt today. He'd been lingering, denying and detouring for a year. It was time to grow up and face this.
He, Ray Kon, was going to admit his love to his yearlong crush and team captain, Kai Hiwatari, and nothing was going to stop him.
"Update."
/Sir, one minute and counting. 59...58...57...56...55.../
"How's it going, Saskia?" Ata asked turning back to the little girl.
"Great, see?" She held up the sketch of the cat lying on its back.
"It looks good. But what's that little thing beneath the rock?" Ray looked at the small ...thing...that was half concealed in the painting beneath the boulder.
"Don't know. Look it there." She pointed to a small black box that really was hidden in the shadows of a boulder in the enclosure before them.
/25...24...23...22...21.../
Ray's eyes narrowed as he observed the strange object. It was square and definitely did not belong there in the tiger exhibit. A small, green light blinked on/off in tune with the rhythm of a second counter of a clock.
'What on earth…?'
/15...14...13...12...11.../
The large cat that had been snoozing beside the little box backed away, growling at the alien object as the light turned red and started to blink faster, accompanied by an ever increasing beeping.
"Oh shit…" Ata gasped.
/9...8...7...6...5.../
"RUN!"
Ray startled badly at the sudden command only to feel a sudden tug on his shirt as Ata leaped from the bench, forcing him up as the redhead grabbed Saskia. Confused and shaking, he followed the older teen who had broken out into a sprint, trying to put as much distance between them and the exhibit as possible.
Ata shouted to the other zoo-goers who had stopped their activities at his outburst
"GET OUT OF HERE! THERE'S A BOMB!"
He grinned as the countdown neared its end.
/...3...2...1.../
"Detonate," he whispered, a sinister chuckle following the single word.
'I have to get them out! I promised Kai!' Ata thought, intent on the exit but a few dozen feet away. 'I promised.'
They were almost to the exit when an eerie silence fell over the entire place. And then all hell broke lose.
The last thing they heard was a loud beep before an earsplitting BOOM shattered the world around them.
Tbc...
Read & Review, please.