A/N: Readers were confused by my last chapter? E~to…I guess I did go a little overboard. Here's a simpler layout, if it helps any…
1) OCs introduced. I don't blame you if you're lost there. You're not supposed to know a thing about 'em, except they talk oddly. And one has funny eyes. And one likes to stick his hand in mirrors. And…yeah. More OCs this chappie.
2) Kai (yes, Nice Kai now) and Rei have rescued the D-Boys. That's right – Tala, Bryan, Ian, AND Spencer. They play a rather large role in future chapters.
3) Griffolyon brings up unpleasant memories for Robert. They will be explained.
4) The D-Boys, Kai and Rei are stuck in Moscow. They need to get to Italy. The complicatedness of the situation is giving Robbiekins (and the author) a headache.
5) Enrique (obviously freaked out by Robert) gives his permission for the D-Boys to lay low at his place in Italy. Providing they can get there.
6) Johnny gets pulled into a closet by Robert, (down, hentais! It's not a Robert x Johnny fic!) so that Robert can explain.
Does it help? O.o; Maybe this chapter will do a better job of it…and once again, you are not expected to understand the starting section…yet.
[*BAMF*
*Draconicality appears in a flash of light, dressed in a pinned-up blanket (toga) with curlers in her hair*
Drac: And miracles as poetic- what the hell?! MAROKU!
Maroku: You're being lazy. Not enough writing…what the hell happened to Heartfire? And people are waiting for the next chapter of this fic…
Drac: I've been busy! *gestures at costumed self* If I haven't memorized this by Monday, my grade GOES!
Oliver: But… *huge googly eyes*
Drac: Yeah, yeah, I know. You want some action…no, not the puppy eyes! *sigh* I…guess I can churn one more out before I go back to practicing…
Enrique: What's with the costume anyway? You look weird!
Drac: Okay, YOU be the lady mathematician of Greece, Giancarlo. YOU can do my speech for me. With the curly hair and costume and all…aaaand, we can dye your hair black!
Enrique: *gleep!*
Robert: How very unc- *gets his mouth covered by Maroku*
Maroku: *whispering* I nearly forgot…Draconicality told me that if she hears that word out of you ONE more time, she's going to let Tyson out of the character closet and pair you with him. And keep you both in the same room.
Robert: O.o; *shuts up*
Maroku: Better.]
On with the fic!
~-~-~-~-~-
So…useless-looking. So frail…
She flops haphazardly back on the bed, hands raised in the air above her face. She squints at them, at her fingernails.
Short. Useless. Tortuous.
It angers her, and she slams both hands down on either side of her body, digging her useless nails into the mattress.
To her great surprise, the bed suddenly explodes in a cloud of white feathers, and she sits up in shock, brushing aside floating bits of down to examine the rips in the comforter.
The ENORMOUS, slashing rips. Six of them.
She glances frantically at her hands –is that a faint flicker around them she catches? – but no, they remain unchanged. She brings her hand down a second time, punching into the already mutilated bed, but nothing happens.
"Kinda'ral! What the HELL did you just do?" The other girl's pale form moves into the dim room, brushing goosefeathers away from her long, unruly spill of silvery curls. She sits lightly down next to the girl on the destroyed bed, placing a comforting, if unfamiliar, arm across her shoulders.
The one she has just named wind-being looks up at her with huge, brimming eyes, tinted deep red-violet like wine, like partly-dried blood. She holds her hands out before her as though in supplication, but they are just hands now, fine-boned, small, ordinary. "…I-I…don't know...please, kairan'al-doumei, I don't KNOW…I thought it had come back, but it's gone, and I don't know if I can make it return again…"
The silver-haired girl hugs her, light lavender eyes veiled by pale lashes. Storm-being-sister. The shaking youngling's words touch something within her. "Don't worry. We'll find a way out of this…regain what's been taken away…"
You are as I. We are NEVER frail.
And we will find a way out. All four of us. I promise.
----------
Johnny:
I blink in confusion. A closet?
"Robert, what're you-"
"We need to get to them," my friend growls, cutting me off with an impatient wave of his hands. "If they get caught again, when they're this close…" He sags against the wall of the narrow little room.
"I owe them, you know." The simplicity of that statement shocks me, but before I can say anything, he continues. "I…know a little of what it feels, to be one of them."
I blanch at the implications. "You've been…in the Abbey?"
He nods tiredly. "I wasn't there for long, though…and all thanks to them." He grabs me tightly by the shoulders, intense onyx eyes burning into mine. "They helped me, do you understand? They got me - and Griffolyon – out of that hell when no one else could, or would, but they had to stay…in there…just to get me out. They deserved to be freed FAR more than I did…and I promised Tala something there…something long overdue. When the time came, I would do my part. There wasn't much I could do, back then, but now that Kai and Rei've done it…"
I nod mutely, his confession weighing down on my mind.
There's another question dancing on the tip of my tongue, and I can't help but let it out. "Robert, what did they do to you, at that Abbey?"
He begins to answer, but chokes himself off as purple light flows from the blade in his pocket, to touch me on my forehead-
-immobile-opening eyes-clear-green-trapped-painpanic!-REET!REET!REET!-alarm-struggle-head hurts-spinning -the sound of crunching glass- blackness
A…containment tank.
-pure deadly rush- fire in the veins-blood-hackcoughgaspchoke-blood?my blood?-pouring from the mouth-
Chemical testing.
-curled in a cell-cold, so cold!-broken-wounded-must…remain strong-tracing fingers across an attack ring-remembrance of bitter defeat-Griffolyon!-stay with me, you're all I have!-spared, for the moment-
They beat him, and imprisoned him, for losing a practice match.
-this face-hair like mine-eyes like mine-not black but red-mouth in an evil sneer-I KNOW you-BETRAYAL-I TRUSTED youuu!-
I gasp and break away from the violent flow of information. A tear trickles down my cheek, involuntary and unbidden. So much agony…
"You see?" Robert asks me sadly. "The Demolition Boys have suffered that, a hundred times over…"
I let my breath out carefully, but still it comes out as a low, ragged moan. "What can I do?"
"Come with me," he replies softly. "We came here on my jet, right? We can use that, but they're still at that hotel, and it's not too far from the airport."
"So…I need to find them…get them there…"
"Yes."
"I understand." I give him a smile – not a smirk, but a rare, real smile of understanding. "Will do."
His reply is no less sincere. "Thank you, Johnny."
Hey, you're my best friend. There's a lot of worse things I'd do for you, Robert Jurgen.
~-~-~-~-~-
A/N: Hum. I don't think that did much more than
confuse everyone further, but updates are updates. This fic
is now officially an AU. *to Johnny* Let go of my hair, now, or you WILL regret
it.
[Johnny: Oh, ALL RIGHT...hey, when is MY
pairing coming up?
Be patient.
Johnny: Will it be horrible?
You'll see. *evil smirk*
Johnny:
*gulp*
DING DONG!
Maroku: *opens door to reveal…* YOU TWO!
*looking over, jaw dropping* Jorntil? And…Jiaan? X.x;
Jorntil: *flicking mane out of eyes* Long time no see! *to Maroku* Hey, squirt.
Jiaan: Hullo.
Robert: Who ARE you?
Jorntil: I could ask you the same.
*groan* Jorntil, Jiaan, these are Robert, Johnny, Enrique and Oliver. They're the Majestics team, from Beyblade.
Jorntil: Beyblade? That crappy show?
*room grows visibly darker, thunder booms ominously*
Everyone in room except the two newcomers: Do. Not. Diss. Beyblade.
Jorntil: O…kay.
Guys, these're my two other muses, back from vacation. Jorntil's basically a Spirit of Mischief, my Jokester Muse. The silent wonder here is Jiaan, my War Muse. *to the two* So, how was Hawaii? You're back early!
Jiaan: *guiltily* Erm...Jorntil met up with Lilo and Stitch.
Maroku: That explains the recent eruptions *sigh* Oh well. Now you can help us out with this ficcy!
Jorntil: *glides over, suddenly interested* Any pranks?
Jiaan: *looking up* Any violence?
Enrique: *silently passes Jiaan a printed copy*
Both: *pore over story, look up* This SUCKS. You needed our help bad, didn't you?
Jiaan: *looking at the Majestics* Did she sucker you into becoming her muses too?
Robert: Nope. We just hang out here. She doesn't hurt us...much.
Jiaan: Lucky bastards.
*reading up and down the new chapter* Guys. Save it. It's getting too long. This is an author's note, not a substory. Damn, this part is longer than the chapter!
Jorntil: Fine. At least you managed to get some reviews…good ones too.
Maroku: She had ME. :P
ENOUGH!]
Christina: Awww! Why do you put up with lazy me? *blink blink*
Klyukaizer: Ermm…please, stop dying T_T 'Tis more than a little depressing…
Radical Aisha: Ehehehehe…yes, I have now officially confused EVERYONE. Bloody 'ell. Maybe my muses will help, once they get off their lazy butts.
Hikari no Yami: *getting shaken* O.o; No, good influence! Or…agh, whatever -_-; Is the fic you were talking about posted yet? I'd love to R&R it…
Katreda: Err…did the new chapter help? Even a weensy bit?
Mistress of Anime: Hohoho, I got obsessed with the D-Boyz cuz of the currently running episodes :3 Kai, you idiot! Grab Tyson's hand!
Darkphoenix: Don't hurt me! Or else I'll have to lie in bed and not write! (Speaking of marching bands, thank the one that went through our street this morning. Scared the life – and the mild writer's block – right outta me.)
Kami-sama, this chapter is more A/N than story! See you in the next (hopefully longer) chapter!