Thanks very much to the following reviewers:
Yukirin-rin: Aw, yay. I can't believe how excited you were that I posted!J That's cool that you liked the chapter. And thanks for all the compliments!
neko-neko: Yeah! We all love little Cheese! So cute, so cute. Are you talking about the girl in the photo? Yep yep-that's who you think it is-good job! (;
kaz: Yay! Yay yay-you like r/m more than m/m! j/k, I like Mobekai or he wouldn't be my OC and r/m will definitely happen (;-and you'll learn more about the picture later!
Galux Kitty: Oh, sweet! You people that have ytv are so darn lucky! You get to watch BB during prime time and you've already seen seasons 2 and 3! The only episodes that come on here in the states are at stinking 7:30 in the morning. And you even have little pop quiz questions too! (*hugs chibi Ray plushie*) Aww…how cute.
Curtis Zidane Ziraa: Pets are always fun to have! Thanks for reviewing.
Ivan: Hey thanks for the e-mail! Actually, I do have an excuse for that or I would have immediately incorporated that into the fic: I never saw the battle between Ray and Bryan until after I posted Chapter 8, but I'm glad you brought it to my attention! I'll figure something out (:
Cool Quotes:
"If you can't see the weapon, it's not against the rules." -Tyson's father
"Yeah! Well, it ought to be!"-Tyson's grandpa
"You got that right, Gramps!" -Mr. Dickinson
The second battle between Ray and Brian in 'A Wicked Wind Blows'
Authors Note: This one so far was the hardest to write-at least until I finally figured out the sequencing events. I think it's really good, though, so I hope you enjoy. Kind of the first climax, if you will. M/M (Mariah/Mobekai) fans I know will definitely enjoy this one.
Disclaimer: Any misspellings, confused references or mixed up teammates are purely accidental and are a result of the author's new innocent fascination with the world of beyblading. Kira Ocelet, Mobekai Tart, Danika Woods, Colby Peterson and Trish ?? belong to me.
I actually did some research on Milan this time-most of the trademark names used, like hotels, buses, restaurants and trams are actual places and names. However, I just guessed on the money. Enjoy!
Italics are thoughts.
Bold Letters are songs.
*SecretQuill*: Awww…I kind of don't want to write this chapter because you know, then I have to make you sad.
*Ray*: I know. Poor me. ):
*SecretQuill*: Guess what though? (sings joyfully) I found my other muse!
*Ray*: Finally!
*SecretQuill*: May I introduce my very own character-Trish! DadadadaadaaDAH! Drum roll please!
*Trish*: Oh, please don't get all sappy on me. I'm running out of money and I needed a job…especially after…well I can't ruin the end of the story.
*Ray*: I'm running out of popcorn. Refills, please? Hey, what happened to the cool background music?
WATCH THIS!
Chapter 10: Struggling for Answers
The Bladebreakers were in the packed train to Italy and the only relief was escaping once in a while to wander the hallways or head to the dining compartment before the attendant persuaded them to head back to their "room".
The dining compartment of the train was filled with many cushions. At the far side on either end of the compartment were wrap around bars, though no alcohol was actually served on the train. On either side of the door were triple-seated wooden benches.
Kenny sat in one of the chairs adjacent to the benches and played games on his laptop and Dizzi acted as the sarcastic side commentator,
"Maybe you should get Tyson to do it for you Chief. You're not commending much effort. No! A little more to the left!"
"Be quiet, Dizzi! I can't concentrate!"
Tyson was only half-heartedly eating an enchilada at the countertop. Max and Ray were watching and commentating on the news showing on the small T.V. set up in the corner of the room. The only other occupants were one waiter/bar attendee, two males gathered around the stools, three females talking opposite the bench Kenny was sitting on and two boys playing marbles on the floor nearby. Kai was watching their game with interest. He stepped forward, a little tired of standing behind the boys,
"Can I join your game?"
The little boy looked up for a quick glance. He had thick blonde hair and brown eyes,
"Yeah, can you wait for a few minutes? We're almost…" He trailed off and looked up more slowly, his jaw slack open in awe, "Hey! I know you! You're Kai Hiwatari! You're the captain of the famous Bladebreakers, the world champion beybladers!"
Kai smiled, "Yeah, that's me."
"You can join right now if you want to! Neither of us has scored yet!" The other boy scooted over, "I'm Jacob."
"I'm Cale and I love the Bladebreakers."
Kai turned around to see Tyson staring blankly. Max and Ray arguing with the T.V. cameraman and Kenny concentrating hard at his screen, while Dizzi gave fake cheers,
"GO KENNY! No, go right! Go left! Your other left."
"I'm trying, Dizzi!"
"What does that guy think he's doing? Punch him! Use that key there-it's supposed to be a secret, but as I'm the computer, I know it. Yeah, that's it!"
Keeping in mind the consideration of respect and awe these boys had for him, Kai thought it best not to introduce them to Tyson, who loved his fans just as much as they loved him.
"Your move," the boy handed him the dice, "Wow, Jacob, wait till we tell Samantha we played dice with Kai Hiwatari!"
Kai found them amusing, though he did not particularly like all the attention.
"Can I see your Dranzer?"
Kai hesitated before pulling his blade out. He held it in his hands for them to see, but put it back in his pocket immediately. Cale watched him closely,
"I guess you're pretty protective about that, huh? Can I hold it? Please?"
"No. No one else has ever touched Dranzer, but me," he moved his marbles and handed the dice to Jacob, "I believe it's your turn."
He watched Jacob and Cale also play their dice, before it was Kai's turn again. It was a pretty easy game. He moved his marbles and again handed the dice to Jacob. He blocked the game out for a minute and just listened to everything around him.
"That's outrageous!" Max hit the T.V., "Why can he say something like that and get away with it?"
"Yeah, I can't believe-" Ray trailed off.
"You idiot! Why didn't you kick him?" Dizzi yelled over Ray's response.
"I was trying to, but I was also trying to block out your yells at the same time!" Kenny clicked a button on his laptop, "Okay, I'm starting again. Try to keep your voice down a notch, will you?"
"Wow! Would you look at that?"
"I haven't done anything yet."
"I'm not talking about the game. Over there! Isn't that Danika and Kira of the Wild Cheetahs?"
Kai turned around distractedly when he heard this to see Danika and Kira make their way over to Max and Ray. He barely would have noticed the hand going into his pocket if he hadn't turned to see the game. Cale stood up too quickly, lost balance and cluttered back onto the floor in a heap. Kai could see Dranzer glowing slightly in his sweaty hands against the reflection of the only lighting in the compartment.
"You!" He lunged forward, "Give me that!"
"Jacob!" He tossed the blade over to his friend, who stared at Kai's angry face for a minute and then took off toward the entrance,
"Cale, help me!"
"You're common thieves!" Kai reached out and grabbed Jacob's hood, lifting him off his feet. Jacob closed his eyes and stuck out the blade too resignedly. Kai thought that was a little weird since he'd just taken so much effort to try and grab him. But Jacob closed his hands when Kai reached to grab the blade from him and he threw it behind his back where Cale grabbed it.
Cale was closest to the bar where Tyson was sitting. He jumped forward to grab Cale, but only clawed his satchel and watched as dozens of marbles flew everywhere.
Cale sprinted toward the door, where Trish suddenly appeared from nowhere and snatched Dranzer out of his hands, picking him up by the scruff of hair on his neck. He squeaked and covered his eyes, yelling,
"I just wanted to hold it!"
Trish let go of him, a little nonplused and he and his little friend disappeared into the other living compartments.
"Gee, what was that all about?" Tyson, who had started to pick up the marbles, looked around at Kai.
Trish walked up to Kai, but her eyes were only for Dranzer, clutching the blade with both hands. She seemed almost mesmerized by the bit-chip. She felt every curve of the blade against her palm.
A hand reached forward suddenly and snatched it out of her hands.
She looked up at Kai's tired and slightly annoyed face. He did not like the way she had been possessively holding his blade.
"Your welcome," she replied sarcastically.
"Thank you," he responded.
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"Rain!" Kenny clutched his official BBA jacket around him as he and the rest of the Bladebreakers ran through the pummeling rain just outside the Central Railway Station in Milan, "Heat to Snow to Rain! Why can't we just have a normal beautiful day around here?"
"Chief!" Ray pointed to a teller near one of the ticket booths, "That's an auto currency exchange machine. We won't be able to catch a taxi without the right money!"
"Right!" Kenny handed him some money, "We'll meet you inside."
"Did Mr. Dickinson give you the passports?" Kai asked a little worriedly.
"I've got them here," Tyson held up what looked like soaking towels, "Well, they were good and dry a minute ago."
"Never mind about that," Max heaved the luggage, "They still count."
Ray ran to the machine and clicked on a button that said English Transfer.
5,000 pounds for E 4,067. Transfer Complete.
Ray grabbed the money in the bowl and ran inside the sliding glass doors, where Tyson was attempting to blow on the passports.
"Give it up, Tyson. That's not going to do a thing," Kai grabbed the tickets from his hand and handed them to the attendant. He nodded and let them slide by.
"Taxi! Taxi!" Kenny lifted a hand, furiously.
A white taxi with a blue and red stripe across the side pulled up,
"Ah, tourists! Where to, boys?"
Max grabbed the information packets,
"The Golden Tulip Manin Hotel. At 7 Via Manin."
"A four star hotel. Very nice choice. Weather's pretty nasty, eh?"
Max nodded and handed the packets back to Kenny.
The Italian bearded man pulled out into the crowded streets.
"You can call me Keato. Welcome to Milan."
"Thank you," Tyson buckled in.
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Trish squeezed the water out of her drenched shirt and stood back to watch the BioVolt helicopter land. It had stopped raining for a bit, but the dense humidity, overcast sky, and puddled roads still left a gloomy atmosphere. The helicopter landed slowly, the winds from the draft splashing water in all directions. Trish covered her face as she was sprayed with water once again. She immediately gave up trying to get her clothes dry.
The door lift came down and Boris stepped into view with that hideous purple mask covering his eyes. He was flanked on both sides by Tala and Ian of the Demolition Boys.
"What kept you?" Was Trish' welcome.
"Absolutely nothing. You're early." Boris smirked, "Why?"
"Colby caught the flu. I think she's been hanging around the White Tigers." Trish was delighted that he'd noticed her early arrival.
"Good. That's good…" Boris began thoughtfully.
Trish frowned,
"It's good she caught the flu?"
"No. It's good she's been hanging around the White Tigers." Tala stepped forward.
Trish smiled,
"Hello Tala. Ian. I thought you had a match to be at?"
"We won already. What did you expect?" Tala raised an eyebrow.
"Well, I certainly didn't expect you to show up in East Europe."
"We're running…errands for Boris." Ian grinned.
"The delivery boys. Fascinating." Trish gave a quirky smirk.
"Tala and Ian are here to cheer the Bladebreakers on," Boris smiled a little too fakely, "And it only takes two hours to get back to Ireland in the copter."
"Come now, Boris. What are you really planning to do?" Trish folded her arms.
"You better be worrying about those bit-beasts. Let us worry about our own problems."
"So, you're just going to lie to me? Like you lied about Kai?"
"I never lied about Kai."
"He used Black Dranzer and somehow it's not an unknown secret. Yet, I didn't know about this. You said he never wanted to use it!"
"He doesn't…now. I had to tweak the story a bit or Zen would never have bargained."
"What am I supposed to tell Kai if he asks me about it then, huh? Lie?"
"No. The original story will do just well."
"The original story will never work. It's a guarantee failure."
"Really? Enlighten me." Boris raised an eyebrow.
"This puts everything on a different light. I'm now running the risk of enticing him by using it. His familiarity with the blade could ruin everything."
"Keep him out of the way. It's that simple."
"No, it isn't. Zen's group is starting to 'bond' with the Bladebreakers. Trusting Zen was your first mistake. Kai is only going to keep interfering and I'm afraid he already suspects something after I asked him about Black Dranzer."
"You're not starting to sympathize with Kai, are you?" Tala asked suspiciously.
"No," Trish stated firmly, "But at least he's honest with me."
"For your sake," Boris' eyes narrowed, "He better not interfere. When has honesty or trust been a priority for you, Trish?"
"She's getting soft," Tala surveyed her, "I told you you should have let me do it instead."
"Silence, Tala! Do not undermine my authority. Maybe his interference could work to our advantage. Keep bringing it up, Trish. His interest might be what we want at the moment."
He glanced at his watch and then at the sky,
"I will be going now. Keep an eye on Kai, Trish. And Tala and Ian? Keep an eye on Trish."
"Yes, sir." All of them repeated obediently.
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Max and Kai swung open their hotel door, dragging in the luggage.
"Hey there, little dude!" A rough voice yelled from the center of the room.
Tyson paled,
"Grandpa? What are you doing here?"
"What kind of a question is that? I came here to see my grandson battle, of course!" Grandpa Granger clapped Tyson on the back,
"Been having fun? Boy, I tell you, Italy is beautiful isn't it?"
Tyson rubbed his back sorely,
"Yeah. I'll have to wait till it rains before I can see it, though."
"Just look out the window!" A new voice grinned happily.
"Mr. Dickinson?" Ray turned, "Let me guess: you arranged for Tyson's grandfather to come?"
"And that's not all! Mr. Granger is meeting us in Denmark and your grandfather is meeting us in Romania, Ray!"
"My grandfather?" Ray asked amazingly, "You really got him to leave China? That's great!"
"Denmark? We're going to Denmark? And Romania? Gypsies!" said Max.
"That's right!"
"But why?" Kai asked, "Is everyone coming just to support us?"
"Of course!"
"Even my father?" Tyson asked, "But he should be out making important archeological finds!"
"Well, he might not stay the entire time. He'll be there for the finals."
Ray walked over to the balcony overlooking a nice view of a partial garden. It was all really nice that everyone was coming to support them, especially his grandfather. It had been so long since he'd seen his face and it would be a delight to see him. But he wasn't so sure that was why Mr. Dickinson had arranged for everyone to come together. He thought Kai had a good point. He had a feeling there was another underlying reason that Tyson's father, grandfather, and his own grandfather were getting together with the Bladebreakers. He felt it had something to do with Mr. Dickinson's mysterious pack and his 'hidden' arrangement to meet with that Chinese Man.
"Coming, Ray?"
"Huh?" He turned.
"We're getting lunch. You've got to be hungry after all that traveling," Max held the edge of the door.
"Nah, I'm actually a little tired. I'll just stay and get some sleep."
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Mariah held an ice pack up to her head. Her hands felt like ice, but her headache was earsplitting.
A loud knock broke the silence of the room.
"Coming!" Lee called. He opened the door, "Oh. Hi."
"Hi Lee. I suppose you're feeling better then?" Mobekai rubbed his hands together.
"Yes," he nodded, "What business have you here?"
"You didn't meet with Colby, yesterday, per chance did you?"
"You came up here to ask me that?"
"Actually, we're staying at the Leonardo da Vinci hotel on Via Senigallia. I came up here to speak with Mariah. If that's all right?"
"She's sick and not feeling good. No thanks to you, of course."
"I understand. May I speak with her?" Mobekai persisted.
"You'll catch what she has."
"I'm not afraid. Colby has come down with something as well; I'm around her twenty-four seven."
"But you're not around Mariah twenty-four seven. Please go, Mobekai."
Lee almost succeeded in shutting the door on his face, but Mariah grabbed the handle and pushed Lee back,
"Lee! That's rude. He traveled all the way up here just to talk to me. I can give him a few minutes of my time. If you will…?" Mariah smiled.
Lee stepped aside a little begrudgingly,
"Only a few minutes though. Nothing more."
"Maybe we should go to the garden, Mobekai," Mariah grabbed his hand, "Lee can't commentate from there."
"I'll use the window, then! You should avoid the outdoors, anyway. We're battling tomorrow!"
"It can't be that contagious, can it? I mean, you, Kevin, and Gary are always around me and you haven't gotten anything yet. I'll be back soon."
She shut the door on Lee's face and followed Mobekai downstairs.
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"Italiano and caffe!" Tyson's grandfather read aloud, "Sounds like a wonderful little place."
"You mean a wonderfully cheap little place," Tyson grumbled.
Grandpa hit him on the back on the head,
"Stop being ungrateful, boy! You're lucky I don't feed you his food," he pointed at Cheese, who was nibbling on some crackers in Max' hand.
"Eat up." Kenny advised, checking his watch, "The next match starts in two hours."
"Hmm…Pizza sounds really good right now." Max wandered over to the buffet.
Kenny ordered off the menu before excusing himself to the little boy's room. Tyson's grandfather began picking everything he could off the buffet. And Mr. Dickinson, Tyson, and Kai ordered off the menu. Tyson then went to get a salad from the bar. Mr. Dickinson got up and Kai watched him approach a young woman at a table on the other side of the caffe.
Kai crossed his arms and laid tiredly back in the booth. But just as soon as he did, a horribly familiar voice rang out in front of him.
"If it isn't the little traitor, himself?!"
Kai's eyes flew open to see Tala and Ian, Boris' instrumental slaves as he knew them, standing only a few feet in front of him.
"What are you doing here?" He asked icily.
"We wanted to watch your battle, of course." Tala shrugged without feeling.
"Don't you have your own battle to attend?" Kai sat up, "Say, in West Europe?"
"We already won ours. We don't have to be in Ireland till tomorrow," Ian gave a quick smirk. He dropped it immediately, as if unused to smiling. Figures, Kai thought.
"Had any problems lately with that weak Dranzer of yours?" Tala watched Kai closely.
"Dranzers not weak." Kai stared stealthily back, "You'll know cause we'll be facing you in the finals."
"Indeed, we might," Tala leaned back, "Say hello to your, um, 'teammates' for me."
"What are you boys up to?" Mr. Dickinson had appeared with the woman at his side. Tyson appeared seconds later, frowning with disgust at the sight of Tala and Ian.
"Shouldn't you be halfway across the globe right now?" Tyson asked.
Tala smirked momentarily,
"Wouldn't you like us to be there? We were just disgusting with Kai how very much we would like to cream you in the finals."
"We'll see who'll be cream when that day comes, won't we?" Tyson raised a fist.
"Come off it, Tyson. You don't scare me one bit." Tala crossed his arms, "You better hope you don't even make it to the finals. We want our title back and we're showing even less mercy than we did last time we battled."
"Whoever said you had a title in the first place?" Kai asked.
Ian raised a hand to wave as they turned and crossed the restaurant,
"In the finals then!"
They disappeared behind the door.
"They're not here to cheer us on," Kai muttered angrily at their retreating backs.
"Gee, what gave you the first idea?" Tyson asked sarcastically.
"Boys, I really would like to introduce you to Miss-"
"Not now," Kai stood up, "They're doing something for Boris and I'm gonna find out what it is."
"Kai, this is very important…" Mr. Dickinson continued.
"So is this. I'll find out later anyway."
"Now don't you do anything stupid, boy!" Tyson's grandfather warned, appearing again at the booth.
Kai ignored him and proceeded to follow the two Demolition Boys out the door.
"Hey, Kai! Wait!" Tyson held his salad up, "You haven't eaten anything! Aren't you hungry?"
Kai closed the italiano and caffe door, the little bell ringing.
Tyson dropped his plate,
"Ahhh-he always has to ruin my appetite."
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"Your voice sounds a lot better."
Mobekai walked next to Mariah as they headed through a bunch of hedges in the garden. On either side were rows of flowers of every kind, size, and shape. White benches covered in green moss were lined up every two yards along the path. And everything was freshly soaked with the moisture of sun-kissed rain.
"Really? That's good-I've been using ice-soaked wash cloths."
"I didn't mean to upset Lee. I didn't think-"
"Lee's just really protective. That's all. Don't worry about it."
"It's really pretty here, isn't it? I mean, all the rain and the sun shining through at just the right angle on these flowers? At least, it's beautiful compared to what we experienced in Bern."
Mobekai was looking at the ground. He leaned over and picked up a wilting rose on the ground,
"It's starting to rain again. Look!" He pointed at the raindrops visibly ricocheting off the rose as he held it up.
Mariah looked up at the sky and then back at the hotel,
"I'd rather not go back so soon. Let's stay a while."
"And get all wet? Mariah, if you haven't noticed, the rain isn't the best place for you to be at the moment because you're sick."
"I have to ask you----a---question, Mobekai?!"
The rain was starting to pound all around them.
"What?" Mobekai called back. He grabbed her hand to pull her under a giant weeping willow. His hands feel so perfect, she thought furiously, They're just the right shape. Why am I thinking this? She shivered a bit and tried to wipe her wet hair out of her eyes.
"Over here, Mariah! It should provide just a little bit of protection."
He pulled her, but the pavement had created a large puddle and she hadn't placed her foot firmly on the ground.
"Oooff!" She grunted roughly as her foot slid up and she fell onto the asphalt, yanking Mobekai back as well. He slipped and fell on top of her as well. It hurt a bit, but she completely forgot the pain when she saw their position. They were completely wet all over and the rain continued to soak their backs. Mariah had completely forgotten that she was sick and that she was cold. She blushed furiously as she stared into Mobekai's eyes. They were so blue…like the rain all around them. Stop! She tried commanding herself furiously, You're in love with Ray, remember? Golden eyes…
But a little voice in the back of her head also spoke,
But you love Mobekai as well. Don't deny it. You think he's cute and sweet and you want to kiss him badly…
Stop!
I don't want to. You know you like Mobekai just as much as you like Ray. The only difference is that Mobekai likes you back. Ray doesn't even know you exist.
Mobekai rolled off her,
"Sorry. I didn't mean to crush you."
He smiled and tried to make a joke of it, but she couldn't find any humor in the statement. He wasn't heavy at all…he was-the perfect weight. She was suddenly hit with how cold it was. He'd been really warm.
He grabbed her hand again and helped her up, leading her into the protection of the weeping willow. He tried dropping her hand, but this time she grabbed onto his and refused to let go. He looked into her eyes,
"What's wrong?"
"I need to ask you something. It's been bugging me for a while."
"Anything."
"Are we friends, Mobekai? Or am I just friends with you?"
"What? I can't hear you!" He called and used his other arm to shield his face as a gust of wind blew through the tree. Mariah knew he could very well hear her and realized he was just trying to avoid answering.
"Mobekai?!" She asked again, a little more frankly.
He frowned,
"I don't understand what you mean."
"Do you like me? Not as a friend, but, I mean, as something more? You gave me those flowers and you wanted to kiss me and then there was all the care and comfort. I mean…what I wanted to ask was…Do you love me?"
The wind slowly stopped blowing. The only thing they could hear was the hard pattering of rain around them and their own breathing.
Mobekai slowly smiled and reached up to peel a leaf off her face. His fingers were warm and soft on her cheek.
"Yeah, Mariah…I love you."
She stared. His eyes seemed to bear deeper into her own and she felt like she was drowning in the blueness of those orbs. What about Ray though? She began to mentally remind herself.
"Do you love me?" He asked quietly, stepping closer. He took her other hand and slowly entwined his fingers through her own. Her beat began to beat faster.
"I---I don't know, Mobekai. I'm not sure whether I love you…"
"Will this help you make up your mind?"
He raised their entwined fingers up and let go, wrapping her arms around his neck. He placed one hand on her waist and let the other slide onto her cheek to support her head. He leaned in to kiss her.
She felt completely paralyzed, frozen. He was so smooth about it and yet so kind. So gentle and so sweet. She couldn't help herself as she closed her eyes, no longer able to see his beautiful blue eyes, but to feel his soft kiss.
When he felt her respond, he seemed to become a lot more generous. She could feel his warmth spread from her mouth to the rest of her body. He let go of her for a moment so they could come up for air. She was no longer cold, but hot. As she did so, though, a bright flash of lightening struck the air above them and reality sunk in quickly. The gold stain the lightning had left on her eyes reminded her of the one person she was supposed to be falling in love with.
"Mariah? Are you all right?"
She turned sadly to those wonderful blue eyes of his,
"Mobekai, the truth is…the truth is…I'm not sure whether I love you…or Ray."
Mobekai stared and let his hands drop from her face slowly.
"I--I'm so sorry, Mobekai. I--I thought I loved him. But now I'm not sure. I just need more time to get to know you better, is all."
He shook his head,
"No, Mariah. If you love me half of the time and Ray half of the time, it'll never work out. If you love Ray more, I understand. I just need to know now."
She could feel the cold again. It was a lot colder and a lot harsher than she remembered. She could feel her tears mixing with the rain on her face,
"I'm afraid…right now…that I can't give you an answer."
Her voice was starting to crack again. She could feel the strain and her head started to hurt. His own voice cracked as he asked quietly,
"You haven't gone out with him, have you?"
"No. He…doesn't even know that I like him." She must have sounded as stupid as she felt.
He closed his eyes a little breathlessly, having been totally unprepared for her response,
"Then I guess you're really not ready after all. We should really go. I'll help you-"
"No." She shook her head sadly, "Go back to your hotel, Mobekai. You've done more than enough for me already and I'm afraid you caught my flu with that kiss."
He looked deep into her eyes once more and she had to turn to the ground to avoid getting caught up in his face,
"I didn't know at all, Mariah. I wouldn't have tried if I'd known."
She didn't respond for a few minutes and finally looked up from the ground,
"I've got to go, Mobekai," she whispered, "I'm so sorry. We're…still friends right?"
"I'm afraid …right now…that I can't give you an answer." He repeated.
"Yeah, I guess I kind of deserve that…" she mumbled, pulling her hair out of her face, "I'll see you later. Maybe?"
And on that note, she turned and began walking quite stiffly up the path. Her tears began to flow more freely, but it was impossible to tell whether the rain or the stinging hurt more on her face.
I have to find out who I would rather be with. I have to talk to someone, anyone…I hate you, Ray. What have I done? What did I just do? I ruined it. I ruined everything.
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*Flashback*
"Waaaaahhhhhhhhh! WAAAAAAGGHHH! Auaaggggghhh! Maaaaaaaaa! Thaaaaaagh!"
Ray waved his hands in front of his face. They were very small. His index fingers were pressed instinctively to his thumbs and his feet waved incessantly. He was quite young-only a baby.
"Aaaaauuggghhh! Agh-agh-aaagh!"
It was deadly quiet. The only sound was the own cries emitting from his mouth-it was the only thing he could do. Each time he yelled it cut the air like a knife. He felt so helpless and alone. He wanted his parents…his mother and his father.
It was completely black, dark, silent, and hot. He could see only bleak patches of red and orange in the distance and once in a while, bright white lights.
There was no vegetation for miles and the dust in the air was so thick, he could wipe it off his skin each time his legs rubbed together.
He was in a little ditch, sheltered from all view. He remembered that he'd been put there. A large rock jutting out from the side of a cliff blocked his view of the sky. There was a nasty smell in the air, like something that had been rotting for a while.
He screamed again, but no response came through the muggy darkness. He began to wail, flinging his arms incessantly for someone, anyone.
Then he heard it. A small tumble of rocks, like someone trying to go downhill on sand and dirt.
Curiously, Ray began to mumble,
"Ahhgaadoodedoo. Faa-"
A face suddenly appeared above his own. It seemed very huge. Ray reached up and pinched the cheeks on the face of the man in front of him.
"Ouch!" The man reared back in surprise.
He reached forward and fingered something above Ray's forehead.
"I wonder…"
Ray giggled with surprise at the touch of a human hand. It had been so long since he'd felt anything besides the rough surface beneath. He reached up and grabbed this man's finger. He stared at Ray in surprise and fingered the blanket preventing Ray's head from splitting open on the rocks behind him.
"Ray, then? Is that your name? And look at this-" he touched something on Ray's shirt before he whispered, "You're a Kon. How is that possible?"
Ray giggled again and tried grabbing the man, waving his hands over his face,
"Blah-bahriacofelatooooo…ooohhh-"
"My name is Zen Tai-Ken. Zeeeennn Taaaiiiiii-Kkkeeeenn. I guess you can't say that now, huh?"
"Aaaaaggh!' Ray squealed, squeezing his own palm. He tried Tai-Ken's finger to his mouth.
"No!" Tai-Ken picked Ray up and gave him some water. Ray gobbled hungrily.
"I guess you're pretty hungry then? You'll be coming with me. There's a village ahead. I'm sure they'll have food and drink for the both of us. You and Uncle Tai-Ken."
*End Flashback*
BOOM!
Thunder echoed across the endless gray sky. Ray sat up immediately and looked around the dark hotel room. It was still dark and empty. Not much time had passed since the others had left to get lunch. Ironic as it were, Ray was feeling pretty thirsty. His mouth felt pretty dry.
He rubbed his eyes and wandered over to the balcony, just stopping short of where he'd get soaked.
He thought he'd just had a dream. No, it hadn't been a dream. It'd seemed more like a memory. In fact, he seemed completely certain that it was a memory. If that was the case, it must've been his earliest yet.
But when had it happened and where? And more to the point, why was he remembering it?
Tai-Ken…he could still see the man's face in his mind still. "You still don't recognize me? I suppose you were extremely young then anyway..." The Chinese Man's words echoed through his mind. The Chinese man seemed to raise his eyebrows mockingly in Ray's mind.
Ray gasped as the realization hit him.
Zen Tai-Ken was the name of the Chinese man.
But why, then, had Tai-Ken found him in the middle of nowhere inside his memory? Why had he taken him to who knows where? Where had his mother and his father been in all this?
A bright white flash of lightening followed the thunder, lighting up the landscape. Ray followed the garden path with his eyes and momentarily forgot about his answerless questions.
There, beneath the weeping willow he could see two familiar figures locked in a passionate kiss.
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Final Note: You actually might hate me for this fic because a lot of you seem to like Mobekai more than Ray anyway. Just in case you didn't notice, Ray's bit and Mariah/Mobekai's bit happened at the same time. Mobekai didn't come back and kiss Mariah again! (; It'll be another week before I can post again cause I'm going to visit a friend. You know the deal: read/review please!
