Redbird
Cherry Rain: Alright, this is set a couple of months after the whole tournament thingie. This is the conclusion to Redbird, and then we're moving on to Part Two, which is incidentally already up. Don't forget to read it! =]
Chapter Seventeen: Reunion
"Hey!" Mariah burst into Lei Feng's room, flopping down onto the large double bed beside Lei Feng. "Dinner's ready!"
Lei Feng grinned at her friend, who was, as usual, full of exuberance. "I'll go help Ray set the dishes!" Mariah yelled, dashing downstairs.
Since the Greek tournament had passed three months ago, everyone had gone back home for a little rest, and in the Bladebreakers' case, a little celebration. They had won, after all. Lei Feng had gone back to China with Ray and the White Tigers, living in the same flat as Mariah.
Living away from the rest of the White Tigers had proved to be an unexpected advantage to the pair's relationship, and Ray spent a lot of time in their flat, and more specifically in Mariah's room. He cooked most of the dinners, or else the two girls lived on pizza and takeout and the like.
A worry still lurked at the back of her mind, though. After the last time Mariah had helped beat him in the alleys of Greece, Lei Feng had seen neither hide nor hair of Kenshin, but no matter what, she was still worried. Knowing him, nothing was over. She just hoped he wasn't in Japan, but in China. She'd rather have him stalk her than Kai.
The Bladebreakers were in different parts of the world. Max in America with his mother, Tyson, Kenny and Kai in Japan, Ray and her in China. She missed them, Kai in particular. She envied Mariah with all her heart- this whole idea of taking a break drew her and Ray closer, though Lei Feng doubted that was physically possible.
But there were miles of distance separating her and Kai. Worse, she wasn't around, but Kenshin might. Lei Feng sighed, getting up from her bed. Dinner time. She appreciated Ray's good cooking a lot, more so because she would have burnt a salad. She knew Tyson did too.
Walking out to the dinner table, her eyes widened in surprise. "Mari," she called. "Do we have anyone coming to dinner, or is it that you've gotten so dizzy around Ray you can't even count? You set the table for four more people!"
Ray walked in with a steaming pot of soup, Mariah grinning widely over his shoulder. Peering into the pot, Lei Feng exclaimed, "Ray, that's three times as much soup as you usually make!" Looking at their still grinning faces, Lei Feng glared. "Stop grinning at me like you two have gone nuts! What's going on?"
"Just a little team reunion," Ray said, the smile of satisfaction on his face growing wider as Lei Feng's eyes grew even rounder in surprise.
"You mean the rest of them are coming?"
"Yes."
Then, the doorbell rang, interrupting their little conversation. Mariah smiled. "I'll go get it! Ray; put the pot down fast! Tyson will attack you, you'll spill it, and we'll have nothing left!"
Running off down the hallway, Lei Feng followed her.
The first thing she heard was Tyson. "Ray's cooking, right, Mariah? I didn't eat a big lunch just so I could eat more now!"
Then the next voice made her heart skip a beat. "Yeah, you ate a small lunch, which was enormous compared to the rest of us. Pig." It was Kai.
"Hi, guys. Dinner's ready," she said.
"YES! Dinner!" Tyson dashed towards it. "Chicken soup! I can smell it now!"
Mariah called after him. "Tyson, wait! Do you even know where's the dining room?"
Lei Feng scoffed. "Knowing the glutton, he'll smell his way to it. I wouldn't worry about him. Worry about catching up with him. Ray might not be able to hold him for long enough so we can get a good share of the food."
"Hey, good idea!" Max shouted. "Let's go!" He yelled, dragging Kenny behind him, Mariah following. Leaving Kai and Lei Feng standing there.
There was a long, awkward pause. What do you say to someone you haven't seen in two months? Lei Feng wondered. Get a grip, girl! This is Kai standing in front of you, she scolded herself. Say anything, just break the silence!
"So, how have you been?" It was lame, but all she could think of at the moment.
Quirking a eyebrow in amusement at her discomfort, he smirked, replying, "Fine." Then, relenting, he said, "I missed you."
Nodding, Lei Feng smiled rather sheepishly, "Me too," she said, hugging him in a mutual embrace. "I suck at conversation."
"Hmm." His arms tightened around her, that one gesture saying more than words could.
Annoyingly, Max chose that moment to stick his head back into the hallway. "Hey, the two of you can continue later! If you don't get here fast, the food's going to be gone.
Lei Feng glared at him, but nevertheless started in the direction of the dining room. "Fine. Later."
In the room, Tyson was busy pigging out, shoving food down his throat like there was no tomorrow. "God, am I starved!" he said, pausing to take a breath between bites.
Max shook his head. "You ate a big lunch, Tyson!"
"No I didn't!"
Turning to Kai, Lei Feng asked, "What did he eat?"
"The list is horrific. One plate of spaghetti, three plates of steak, five plates of fries, one roasted chicken and three banana splits."
"Oh for Kami's sake-" Lei Feng said, rolling her eyes expressively and then deciding to help herself to the food before it was too late.
After the very satisfactory dinner, everyone was absolutely tired, more so the boys, who were suffering jet lag. In the case of Tyson, he was practically comatose with all the food he'd eaten.
"I think we better go to sleep," Mariah said. "Talk tomorrow. I'll show you your room, guys."
She shoved Tyson, Max and Kenny in the direction of one large room- the guestroom that the two girls had never used so far. Mariah turned to Kai. "You'll have to double with Lei Feng. There just isn't enough space."
Kai nodded.
"Of course, you probably wouldn't mind very much," Mariah smiled and winked at Lei Feng, who glared at her.
Pulling Kai in the direction of her room, she pushed open the door.
"How'd this little reunion get organized?" she asked.
"Tyson and Max were sick of having nothing to do, Ray was amenable, and I- I missed you."
"You don't know how much I missed you too, Kai Hiwatari," Lei Feng said, kissing him softly on the lips. He responded, kissing her with rough urgency, a passion that was almost desperation, born from three lonely months of separation, bruising her lips.
Slightly startled at the fierce response, though definitely not complaining, Lei Feng lost her balance, toppling back onto the bed, bringing Kai down on top of her. Reluctantly, she broke the kiss, panting to get air back into her oxygen-deprived lungs.
"So what plans do we have next now that we've gotten together again?" Lei Feng asked.
"I'm not sure, and frankly, it doesn't really bother me where we go, as long as we get to practice."
"I agree. I'll ask Mari if she knows about anything," Lei Feng said, clambering into a more comfortable position on the bed, patting the space next to her.
"Okay." Kai took the hint and settled beside her, drawing up the covers. It was late autumn and the nights were growing colder. Lei Feng shivered a little.
"Cold?" Kai asked.
Lei Feng nodded.
Unbuckling the wrist guards, Kai set them on a side table and pulled Lei Feng towards him. "They say body heat is a good way to warm up."
Lei Feng wriggled a bit, positioning herself comfortably against him. "Mmmm. I think whoever said it was right. You are quite warm."
"I think I can warm you a little more."
He leaned over, kissing her again. Kai softly ran his tongue across her lips, asking for access. She moaned, and Kai deftly slipped his tongue into her mouth, exploring every corner. He was barely aware of the fact that he was now on top of her, his weight pressing her down into the mattress. And neither was she. Both were oblivious to their immediate surroundings. The world around them appeared in brief flashes, but neither of them paid any attention whatsoever.
Her fingers trailed down his back, tracing lines of fire on his skin wherever they went. His arms snaked around her waist, bringing her even closer to him as he broke the kiss, moving down and kissing her neck, gently nibbling at a soft spot. Lei Feng shuddered with pleasure and Kai grinned, knowing the reaction he'd caused in her.
Being conveniently positioned, Lei Feng took a quick nip at Kai's ear, her fingers entangled in his slate grey hair. What had started out as a simple goodnight kiss had quickly progressed into a far more active exploration of body and mouth as Kai's fingers wandered to her neck, then moved slowly down to the small of her back. An electrical tingling shot across her nerves and inadvertently caused her to arch her back, pressing herself even closer against him.
Their moment of passion ended as abruptly as it came, leaving the pair more relaxed than they had been in months. Lei Feng nuzzled him gently, snuggling closer to him.
"Go to sleep," Kai said.
"I can't sleep," Lei Feng protested. "It's way too early."
"Says not the clock. It's practically midnight."
"Midnight? We came up here at eleven!" Lei Feng said, a little shocked. "How come time passed so fast?"
"Never mind. Just sleep, Lei Feng. There's going to be busy times ahead soon," Kai said.
"Mmmm." With that, she fell asleep, Kai's arms around her.
***
Lei Feng woke the next day to the smell of frying pancakes wafting up from the kitchen. But she didn't get up; she just lay in bed, savouring the moment.
Suddenly Lei Feng noticed that the enticing smell of the pancakes was starting to smell funny. She shook her head. Ray and Mariah must have distracted each other again. Walking down the stairs and noting the snores emanating from behind the closed guestroom door, she rolled her eyes. Nothing had changed.
Striding into the kitchen, she found the two of them had indeed forgotten about the pancakes and were busy concentrating on each other. Lei Feng walked up and tapped Ray. "Sorry to interrupt, but the pancakes are burning."
They broke apart, flushing crimson, and Ray immediately turned to the pancakes. Thankfully they were just a little more brown than usual. Tyson probably wouldn't notice.
As they all set down to breakfast, Lei Feng asked Mariah, "Do you know of anything to do, Mari? Anything at all?"
Setting down her fork, Mariah regarded the ceiling thoughtfully. "Well… Lee received a letter from the Majestics the other day… said something about staying for a month or so at Johnny's place or whatever. Sounds alright?"
Tyson said, "Yfggh! Leffft gfmf!"
Kai rolled his eyes. Tyson swallowed and repeated his sentence. "Yeah! Let's go!"
Lei Feng said dryly, "I take that to be a not-so-well-articulated response of approval. Ray? Max? Chief? Kai?"
"I agree with Tyson," Max said. Ray nodded. Kai chipped in with his customary "Whatever."
Lei Feng looked to Mariah. "Are you guys going to be coming as well?"
"Possibly… I'll have to ask Lee if he has other plans for us."
"Okay, you can tell me later."
***
"I can't believe this, Lee! And just when were you going to tell me? When you guys left?" Mariah screeched angrily.
Lee backed away a little; even as team leader, he wasn't about to take on an enraged, rampaging Mariah, who currently looked as if she wanted to tear him limb from limb. "Calm down, Mariah. It's just that the elders don't want the girls to go on this camping trip. We'll be stuck in the mountains and you know the elders, they think you girls can't cut it. So it's just some guys from the village."
"I can't believe you, Lee! How dare you exclude the girls! What do you mean 'we can't cut it'? I'm as good as you, Lee, every bit! And if this offer from the Majestics hadn't come up, you would have let me stay home and learn how to cook, is that it?"
"Mariah, I told you, it's the elders' decision- I don't have the power to override them. I was going to tell you the day before we left."
"Oh, so you wouldn't have to have me yelling at you, Lee? Well, have fun on your mountain trip- I'll go with them to Europe!"
"Take Yu with you."
"Why should I? Now you have a convenient excuse, you're going to try and keep her from yelling at you too?"
"MARIAH!" It was a roar of frustration. "I as team captain am telling you to take Yu with you and get off my case! Understood?"
Mariah glared back in sullen defiance but agreed anyway. "Understood."
***
Later that night, Mariah vented to Lei Feng in their living room, while the boys had already gone up to sleep. After she had exhausted her supply of grievances, Lei Feng calmly pointed out to her that Mariah would not exactly have enjoyed two weeks of living in the mountains anyway. And it was true that Lee hadn't intentionally meant to exclude her, in fact, Lei Feng had the feeling that if he could, he would have taken her along to keep her away from Ray. Anyway, wasn't she happy that she could spend more time with Ray?
That one was the most convincing argument. Mariah went off to bed still angry, but not steaming any more, most probably to complain to Ray, who would most probably give her the same argument Lei Feng had just provided.
Lei Feng went back to her bed, and wasn't too surprised to see that Kai was still awake. "Mariah's done venting. So I'll make the arrangements tomorrow."
Noting the not so pleasant expression on his face, she asked, "What's wrong?" Without waiting for an answer, she asked, "Johnny? Are you still sore about being beaten?"
"It's not that. It's just that McGregor usually doesn't mix with us low-class people. There's got to be something behind this oh-so-friendly invitation to stay at his place."
Lei Feng shrugged. "I still think it would be better to go to Europe. Better than staying here."
She left the words unspoken, but Kai knew she was talking about the unsolved problem of Kenshin. He had to concede that point. "True."
She flipped the light switch, then said, "Well, get some sleep. Goodnight, Kai."
Pulling the covers over them, he lay awake long after she was asleep. Kai had the feeling that Robert had put him up to this, probably one of the reasons being that Robert himself had had enough of feeding Tyson. But there had to be something else to it, if otherwise, why not ask Oliver or Enrique, who were on much better terms with the Bladebreakers than Johnny?
***
Next day, Lei Feng called up Mr. Dickinson and made the necessary arrangements.
She could practically hear him smiling over the phone. "Well, it's fine with me. I take that Oliver will be picking you guys up?"
"Yes, Mr. Dickinson."
Next, she called Oliver and arranged for them to go to the airport the next day, at three.
***
"Long time no see, Oliver," Tyson said.
"Same," Oliver DuBois said. Shooting a glance at Lei Feng, he asked, "And who is she?"
Before Tyson could reply, Lei Feng cut in. "He Lei Feng. Newest addition to the Bladebreaker team. And you are Oliver DuBois, currently tied for third best in Europe with Enrique, am I right?"
"You are correct." Turning to the rest, he said, "Get on."
Running her hands across the soft, velvet-covered cushion, Lei Feng was once again struck by how different her current surroundings were from what she once had. She had even dared to dream of velvet back then, when she would be lucky if she didn't have to sleep on a street in rags.
Reclining into the plush cushion, Lei Feng set herself up comfortably for a nap and began to doze, only awakened when the plane touched down.
***
Varian turned back to Satashi. "She and the boy are now in Europe, and will probably be moving around. Your little girlfriend is with them, which'll be convenient. Call your acquaintance and tell him to be ready to leave for Europe in one hour."
Satashi bowed and padded his way silently out of the study.
He steepled his fingers and rested his chin on them. The Red Phoenix and Lightning Bird- and the two incredibly talented bladers who wielded them. The future of beyblading, along with the other Bladebreakers. Powers that had yet to be even discovered, power beyond anyone's imagination- except his.
He alone could understand what was to be done with all the raw, wild force, know how to tame it, and most importantly use it, unlike those two youths, who used it honourably in the bey arena.
And the key to the merging. Black-Dranzer. Originally a creation of Biovolt, it nevertheless retained its stunning magnitude of power- and the one ability that, to his knowledge, no other bitbeast possessed.
The Red Phoenix, utterly devoted to his charge and the boy's protection, he was friend, partner, and companion, even if the boy didn't realize it.
The Lightning Bird, the defiant, rebelliously beautiful creature it was, the cousin of Black-Dranzer, and the renegade amongst the devoted, loyal bitbeasts. That one would be easily manipulated.
And here would the whole storm start. And while he, Varian, would be at the eye of the storm, calm and in control, those two would be in the thick of it.
Author's Notes: I'm ending Redbird here, and continuing it in Redbird, Part Two- The Merging, of which chapter one is already up, so be nice and go and read it. And thankies to all faithful reviewers for your support- you don't know how much it means to me. I promise Redbird 2 will be better than Redbird, because I've had time to evaluate my weaknesses and try harder... one of which is chapter length, so Redbird 2's chapters will be longer. Again, thankies and R&R!