Change of Heart
Chapter 23
Black Dranzer
Summary: I think the title's easy to understand. Never let Marik know you. EVER.
Battle City Center...
Kai strolled around Battle City, still overcome by the loss of Dranzer. He had at length gotten on his own, free for his own thoughts. Leisurely, he drifted away from everyone, and winded up in an empty lane. He sat alongside a wall, drawing his knees into his arms. In the shadows, he was unseen. His life, his lives, danced before his eyelids. A waste... it's all been a waste. His shoulder beat with pain. He took no notice of it, embracing his knees even tighter. What's the point anymore... I'm hopeless to everyone. He felt someone standing before him. "Can I help you?"
"I was gonna ask you that," a gracious voice responded. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Kai barked.
"Why don't I believe you?" the voice said, standing next to Kai. "You're curled up like a ball in an empty lane, so I know you're perjuring yourself. Is there something I could do to help you?"
"I've had it!" Kai's voice quivered as he spoke. "I'm exhausted of people always guarding me. Everyone's always helping me."
"If you need some time alone..." the stranger began.
"Listen," Kai said. "All this time, my whole life... I've never done anything for myself by myself. Someone's always been beside me. I've never been alone... not like this."
"But you have friends, right?"
"I never wanted them, though. I always wanted, or thought I wanted, to be alone. It wasn't true then. I know it wasn't, but it is now. I need to get Dranzer back without anyone else's help..." Kai lowered his head, tears coming to his eyes. "But I'm not strong enough..." He felt the stranger's hand fall to his good shoulder. Kai looked up, trying to see his eyes.
"The dream to live alone is a silly one," the stranger said. His voice had changed, becoming distant. He seemed to start at his own words. "No one is strong enough to live alone."
"I know that," Kai sighed. "I don't wanna be alone anymore."
"Let someone in, then," the stranger said. "No one can do anything alone."
"I have, but..." Kai tried to find his voice. "I need to do this on my own. I need to be self-seeking."
"May I ask you some questions?" the stranger asked, his voice gentle again.
"Only if I may do the same," Kai responded.
"Fair enough," the stranger agreed. "Who shall ask the first question?"
Kai let a smile play on his lips. "You did just know. My turn. What's your name?"
"Harold," the stranger responded. "Why are you here?"
"Stumbling in hedonism, thinking of my lives' merit," Kai shrugged.
"Lives?" Harold repeated.
Kai caught himself. Gotta be more wary. "Why are you here?"
"Battle City," Harold responded. "Aren't you?"
"In principle," Kai sighed. "But why an abandoned lane?"
"A shortcut to the Center," Harold said. "Mind if I ask more private questions?"
Kai budged against the wall. "Go ahead."
"Why do you feel that you must live alone?"
"I desire faultlessness, or more accurately, I used to."
"Then you know, or rather knew, that you can do better."
"Better?" Kai asked.
"Better than Dranzer," Harold clarified. He stood up, standing before Kai again. "You know you can have something so much better." His voice changed again. "You know you want Black Dranzer again."
Kai stood up. "I don't think I like you anymore..."
"I don't really care if you like me," Harold scoffed. He slammed Kai into the wall, pushing down on his bad shoulder. He pulled Black Dranzer from his pocket, thrusting it into Kai's face. "Take Black Dranzer again, Kai!"
"NO!" Kai awakened in a sweat, breathing heavily. Not again, he thought. Never again.
Chapter 23
Black Dranzer
Summary: I think the title's easy to understand. Never let Marik know you. EVER.
Battle City Center...
Kai strolled around Battle City, still overcome by the loss of Dranzer. He had at length gotten on his own, free for his own thoughts. Leisurely, he drifted away from everyone, and winded up in an empty lane. He sat alongside a wall, drawing his knees into his arms. In the shadows, he was unseen. His life, his lives, danced before his eyelids. A waste... it's all been a waste. His shoulder beat with pain. He took no notice of it, embracing his knees even tighter. What's the point anymore... I'm hopeless to everyone. He felt someone standing before him. "Can I help you?"
"I was gonna ask you that," a gracious voice responded. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Kai barked.
"Why don't I believe you?" the voice said, standing next to Kai. "You're curled up like a ball in an empty lane, so I know you're perjuring yourself. Is there something I could do to help you?"
"I've had it!" Kai's voice quivered as he spoke. "I'm exhausted of people always guarding me. Everyone's always helping me."
"If you need some time alone..." the stranger began.
"Listen," Kai said. "All this time, my whole life... I've never done anything for myself by myself. Someone's always been beside me. I've never been alone... not like this."
"But you have friends, right?"
"I never wanted them, though. I always wanted, or thought I wanted, to be alone. It wasn't true then. I know it wasn't, but it is now. I need to get Dranzer back without anyone else's help..." Kai lowered his head, tears coming to his eyes. "But I'm not strong enough..." He felt the stranger's hand fall to his good shoulder. Kai looked up, trying to see his eyes.
"The dream to live alone is a silly one," the stranger said. His voice had changed, becoming distant. He seemed to start at his own words. "No one is strong enough to live alone."
"I know that," Kai sighed. "I don't wanna be alone anymore."
"Let someone in, then," the stranger said. "No one can do anything alone."
"I have, but..." Kai tried to find his voice. "I need to do this on my own. I need to be self-seeking."
"May I ask you some questions?" the stranger asked, his voice gentle again.
"Only if I may do the same," Kai responded.
"Fair enough," the stranger agreed. "Who shall ask the first question?"
Kai let a smile play on his lips. "You did just know. My turn. What's your name?"
"Harold," the stranger responded. "Why are you here?"
"Stumbling in hedonism, thinking of my lives' merit," Kai shrugged.
"Lives?" Harold repeated.
Kai caught himself. Gotta be more wary. "Why are you here?"
"Battle City," Harold responded. "Aren't you?"
"In principle," Kai sighed. "But why an abandoned lane?"
"A shortcut to the Center," Harold said. "Mind if I ask more private questions?"
Kai budged against the wall. "Go ahead."
"Why do you feel that you must live alone?"
"I desire faultlessness, or more accurately, I used to."
"Then you know, or rather knew, that you can do better."
"Better?" Kai asked.
"Better than Dranzer," Harold clarified. He stood up, standing before Kai again. "You know you can have something so much better." His voice changed again. "You know you want Black Dranzer again."
Kai stood up. "I don't think I like you anymore..."
"I don't really care if you like me," Harold scoffed. He slammed Kai into the wall, pushing down on his bad shoulder. He pulled Black Dranzer from his pocket, thrusting it into Kai's face. "Take Black Dranzer again, Kai!"
"NO!" Kai awakened in a sweat, breathing heavily. Not again, he thought. Never again.