ME:  YAY!!!!!!!!!

CS: What are you yelling for?

ME: Oh, no reason…

Ray: I have a bad feeling about this…

Max: Please don't kill me!

ME: Don't worry Maxie, I won't kill you off…

Max: Phew.

ME:…yet.

Max: 0.0 Oh no…

CS: *sweatdrops* On with the story.

Chapter Seven

What we lost

Ray murmured something unintelligible in his eyes. Sunlight streamed through the window, making contact with his closed eyelids. Ray cursed under his breath as he groggily opened his eyes. He proceeded to get up, until a slim hand grabbed his wrist.

Ray turned to see…Max.

Ray's breath caught. Max looked so beautiful, lying on his bed. More beautiful than Ray has ever seen him.

Ray pushed himself off the bed in horror. He slept with Max.

What had he been thinking?

How could he done this? His best friend…

He did this to his best friend.

Ray quickly put on his clothes. He ignored the flickering pain in his body. 

Max…

Ray brushed Max's hair off his sleeping face.

He needed to run away. Run away and hide somewhere.

Tyson. Tyson can help him.

Ray ran out of the room, leaving a sleeping Max.

Tyson slowly got up. He went to the basin and washed his face. He looked into the mirror and sighed.

Another night of tears. Another night crying over Kai.

Tyson wanted to yell and scream. Yet, he bent his head and wept.

*KNOCK KNOCK*

Tyson's head shot up. Who could that be? He wiped his face and went to answer the door.

"Ray!"

Ray's face was haggard and drawn and his cider gold eyes were filled with a sense of urgency.

Tyson's face tightened, "Come in. Tell me what happened."

Ray slumped on the couch, "I…Max…"

"What did you did do to Max?"

Ray said nothing.

"What did you do?" Tyson said deliberately.

"I slept with Max…" Ray buried his face in his hands.

Tyson was silent. Then he said quietly, "And why did you do that?"

Ray groaned, "I don't know! I'm so confused…I…" he suddenly launched himself on Tyson, grabbing his hands, "I thought I loved you, but now…now I'm not so sure…"

"Ray…You don't love me. You never did. All this time you've wasted over chasing me, when you should have gone chasing a certain…someone else."

Ray wiped the tears off his face, "I messed up big time, didn't I?" he chuckled humorlessly.

Tyson said wryly, "Yes, you did. Now on your feet."

Tyson pulled Ray off the sofa, "Now tell me. Who do you love?"

"I love Max."

Ray stared at the open window as sunlight streamed onto his blessed face and repeated, "I love him."

Max slowly got out of bed. He rubbed his eyes. And suddenly his eyes snapped open.

Ray wasn't there.

Ray left.

Max clutched his pillow trembling.

No….

Maybe Ray went for a walk or home or….

Max sighed, running a hand through his golden hair, "Drag yourself together Max. There must be a reason why he left. There must be."

Chanting that little mantra in his head, he decided to call Kenny. He wanted to call Tyson, but something advised him against it. Besides, it's too early. Tyson would probably still be sleeping.

"Kenny, you up?"

"I wasn't up. Until now."

"Sorry about that. Kenny, do you know where Ray is?"

"Probably at Tyson's. 'Night."

With a click, the phone went dead.

Max wasn't satisfied. Grabbing his jacket, he went to Tyson's house.

He arrived in no time, knowing all the short cuts. He proceeded to knock on the door and make his presence known, when he heard Ray's voice through the door.

Why was Ray here? Why did he leave?

Max leaned over and pressed his ear to the door.

"I love him."

Max bit his lip to keep the tears from coming.

It wasn't him. Why did he bother?

All he wanted to do was hide inside his shell.

Max ran all the way back home.

It wasn't worth it.

Not anymore.

* I see you in the hallway*

*You confess your love, but it's not for me*

*It's for the other*

*You don't love me*

*My patience ran dry*

*I grab a pen, paper, and a razor*

*It is time for me to die*[1]


Ray slowly dragged himself back to Max's house. The pains in his muscles were worse than ever and it took all of Ray's willpower not to collapse on the street.

However, when he arrived, Max was not there.

Max was not there.

Ray pushed down the rising terror down his throat. He rummaged through the house to see if there were any signs of where Max could have gone.

Then he saw it. Above Max's bed was a note. With was pinned to the wall with a knife.

Ray tore the note off the wall. It said.

Dear Ray,

I knew you would be the first one to find this. Ray, I want to wish you the best of luck finding the one you love because I won't be there to help you. I'm sorry I broke my promise to stand by you no matter what.

Love Max

Ray stood there, dumbfounded. Then, he recovered his senses and quickly called Tyson.

"Hello?"

"Max is gone."

"I'm assuming that's Ray."

"Max is gone, Tyson. And I have a feeling it's suicide."

"Oh my God. I'll call Kenny and look for him. You start looking as well."

"Right."

Ray put the phone down and ran out of the room. Suddenly a strange feeling surged inside of him and Ray toppled over.

No, I'm having another attack!! Not now!

Ray gritted his teeth as he pulled himself up. He groaned as the pain increased.

But Max….

Max!

 Suddenly a green light enveloped him.

What's happening?

//Hello Master Ray//

/Drigger? What's happening? Is the Inherited ending?/

//Yes. The seal was finally broken because of your love for Max//

/My love broke the seal?/

//In a way. It's what you desired the most. What you were willing to give up anything for. In the face of your pain, you only thought about Max. Now the pain will go. Go tell him.//

/Thank You/

The green light slowly vanished as Ray started running. He felt a new strength and vigor fill his bones as he ran. Now, he was truly the Tiger.

ME: Yes, I know it's a cliffie….

CS: 0.0  So why are you still standing here? HIDE!!!!!

Rockets, bricks and…plushies?! Start flying everywhere.

ME: *ducks the flying Tala plushie* Reviewers receive…

CS: *whacks a rocket* Neko-jin plushies!!!

ME: *gets hit by a brick* Review! (That really hurt…)

[1] Rumi-chan's poem 'Invisible': Go read the fic!!