The sequel is finally up. It was a struggle typing it out but it's finally
done. I'd like to thank all you folks who reviewed my fic. Your support
drove me to write a second chapter, thank you.
Shinikami Dragon, The first encouragement I received. I can't thank you enough. I'll try to write a Rei/Tala fic but I'll have to warn you that I'm not very clear on the facts behind Tala. Angel of pure darkness, I couldn't fully accede to your request for this chapter unfortunately, but you might find that I went a lot further in this chapter...read and find out. Yoink Daydurfurits, Hey YD thanks for your overwhelming compliments, I don't think I am quite that good. This may not be as good as Training but I had to write it the way it is to give the last chapter a good plot . . . oops said too much. Oh and yup, I wrote another chapter as you badgered. Red Countess, Hey Red Countess! Hey Black! Hey White! Thanks for your compliments the other time round. I had fun reading and reviewing your beyblade and yu- gi- oh crossover and I'm all behind you if you're writing a Kai x Rei fic. MIdnight14, If only everyone could love me the way you like my fic . . . Oh well, thank you so very much for your support and you'd probably be around the first to know of this update. Loved your story although there was a great deal of guy bashing. Hey we guys aren't all that bad...Oh and I loved your bloopers. I was kinda sad after writing this and your bloopers cheered me up a bit. Maytel, Yeah! Rei/Kai Yaoi forever. Wait a minute, am I allowed to say that here? Whatever. Anywayz thanks for the support, this chapter should interest you a little . . . but look out for the concluding chapter. Wise wolf, I'm in love with your works. How Suicidal Kai thinks is exactly how I feel. Ok. now I sound stupid. Never mind. I hope you will enjoy this and I sent you a poem so check it out.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except my corrupted, lonely soul. Ok . . . That came out darker than it should have sounded.
To Say The Words
Morning approached the Blade Breaker's cabin with the sweet scent of mountain flowers adorning the drowsy air cradling Tyson, Max and Kenny and in another room, Kai and Rei. The morning mist hung over the mountain air, filling the pre- dawn sky with a sense of unworldly beauty. As the sun gathered its rays beneath the veil of fading darkness, the Blade Breakers slept beneath the vigil of the eternal stars.
Rei stirred just as some mountain birds broke into whole- hearted song. He gently massaged his tired eyes and yawned softly, his incisors glinting with silver starlight. His big, golden eyes blinked once, then twice and he gazed at the image before him with wide- eyed innocence.
Kai was curled up beside him, his pale face frowning as if in serious deliberation. White cotton sheets were draped carelessly over his finely muscled body barely covering Kai's vest that was only half- done. Rei purred contentedly to himself and smiled happily as he toyed with Kai's tangled hair, smoothing out the knots.
His gaze swept over the severe and yet attractive expression to the tiny red puncture on Kai's otherwise unblemished neck. Rei tenderly fingered the mark and thought back to the nightmare that had taken place only yesterday.
The crashing beyblades, pummelling fists and garish reptilian scales flashed before Rei's eyes and his gaze flicked to the fading bruises on both Kai's and his own arms. Rei laughed softly thinking back to the furious fight he had with his slumbering bedmate.
"It was a good fight wasn't it?"
Rei's question fell on deaf ears, oh but what adorable ears they were! Rei couldn't resist tugging one of the wolfish ears and earned a grunt from Kai who shifted himself closer to Rei.
Rei gazed adoringly at his bedmate's fair face when suddenly his golden eyes danced mischievously and a playful grin formed slyly on his soft, pink lips. Rei deftly rolled himself off the floor and searched through his pack at the corner of the room. His probing fingers closed in on the smooth cover of a pad and his grin turned absolutely devious.
Kai slept deeply, oblivious to Rei's snickers.
**************************************************************************** *******
Tyson awoke to the beckoning aroma of eggs, sausages and coffee. He arose, captivated by the alluring scent and lumbered into the kitchen.
"Food." Tyson intoned in a deadpan voice, drool dripping from the corner of his mouth onto the polished floor.
"Good morning Tyson, back from the dead already?" Kenny inquired from where he was seated at the dining table with Dizzi propped right in front of him.
"Food." Tyson droned once more, his arm slowly stretching out and his finger pointing towards Max who was just dishing up the sausages onto some plates.
"Almost done Tyson." Max replied placating his zombified teammate.
"Hurry." Tyson gurgled, his saliva getting in the way of his speech.
"Ewww . . . Tyson! You've got your saliva all over my circuits. " Dizzi complained.
"Sorry." Tyson apologised mournfully and wiped off the sloppy mess on his face with a callused fist.
"Don't worry, I'll get it off you." Kenny consoled the bit beast within his laptop and promptly mopped up the offending globules with a tissue.
Max spun around from the stove and laid breakfast before Tyson just as Kenny left his seat to dispose of the polluted tissue.
"There you go, your first serving." Max said brightly.
Tyson turned to look at Max and grinned stupidly as a way of thanking his teammate.
Max laughed heartily at the silly expression and placed Tyson's cup of coffee beside the over- laden plate.
"Bon Appetite." Max chimed cheerfully and turned back to set the plates for the rest of the team.
"Thanks Max, it looks delicious." Kenny said appreciatively.
"Id ish!" Tyson exclaimed between mouthfuls, spluttering food everywhere.
"Chief, did you bring your umbrella with you? I really rather not be drenched in food particles and Tyson's enzymes."
"Sorry." Tyson apologised again after a hard swallow.
Kenny carefully mopped up the bits of food from the laptop and left the table again to dispose another soiled tissue.
Max finished setting up the table and undid the apron he wore. He looked about the table and his gaze fell on two vacant seats.
"Where's Kai and Rei?" he asked looking questioningly at Tyson and then turned to Kenny who had just reclaimed his seat.
"I thought I heard Rei leaving the bedroom this morning while we were still getting up in the guest room. I'm pretty sure it was Rei because he always walks with a light spring in his step."
"What about you Tyson? Have you seen Kai? " Max asked, throwing a glance at his ravenous friend.
"Haben'd sheen 'im." Tyson replied just as Kenny lifted Dizzi away from the table, narrowly saving his bit beast from the spray of food particles.
"Wow, I never knew your reflexes were that fast Chief! " Dizzi said in awe.
"Oh, it was nothing. I was running out of tissue." Kenny replied modestly, blushing all the same.
Max frowned slightly as he immersed himself in thought. Could Kai and Rei be in any trouble? No doubt after Tyson's timely delivery of the antidote and Kenny's skill in first aid, Rei was able to monitor Kai's pulse and declare that Kai was showing positive signs of recovery. However there was still one more issue left unresolved. The battle between Kai and Rei had not been a moment of impulse or the simple rivalry between peers, it was the result of a deeper more complex inner conflict within Kai. Rei feels Kai's confusion too and that only draws them together and with the undercurrent of tension going on between them, there's every possibility of a disaster. If they would only . . .
"Can I have seconds, puleeaeze!!!" Tyson begged, waving an empty plate before Max.
Max looked bemusedly at the earnest expression on Tyson's face.
"Still hungry?" he asked with a small smile.
Tyson nodded his head vigorously, his dark blue ponytail bouncing along behind him.
"You'd better feed him or he might start getting the idea that we're good enough to eat!" Kenny said in feigned panic.
Tyson glared at Kenny then he gave the auburn- haired boy a wicked smile and gnashed his teeth hungrily Launching himself out of his seat, Tyson pounced on Kenny.
"Ty . . .Tyson . . . stop! Ok I'm sorry!" Kenny gasped in between helpless giggles as Tyson tickled his sides.
"Boys . . . " Dizzi chided
Max chuckled and proceeded to heap the empty plate with more sausages.
**************************************************************************** *******
"Crash!"
Rock pelted out from the dust cloud mushrooming from the mountain face and a red streak lanced through it aiming for a rocky ground scored with deep and roughly hewn blade tracks. The red streak dived at its intended target at a fiendish speed. There seemed to be no room for escape.
"Driger, evade!" Rei quickly ordered.
At the last minute the white blur seemed to wobble and it disappeared right before Kai's eyes.
Kai blinked in surprise even as his beyblade compacted with the ground with a resounding crack, instantly pulverising the rocky ground beneath it.
Rei grinned triumphantly.
"Driger, now attack from behind, Dranzer's wide open!"
As Kai's beyblade floundered in its crater, a golden burst of light raced to meet it with devastating speed.
Kai smirked confidently.
"There's no escape now. Dranzer counter- attack, it can't evade anymore!"
Dranzer burst into fiery red flames swiftly leaping heavenwards and just as quickly hurtling back to the rocky earth with fury of an all-consuming meteorite moving to smite the golden blaze of Rei's Driger.
The two blades smashed into each other with shuddering force. Light, dust and rock chips erupted all at once, forcing both Kai and Rei to shield themselves from the explosion.
"Who . . . won?" Rei coughed out, choked by the billowing dust.
"Can't see." Kai replied from within the dust cloud. A sudden gust of mountain breeze lifted the suffocating veil.
Both bladers stepped forward to take a closer look. The two beyblades lay spent side by side and, as the mountain breeze stirred them, nuzzled each other.
"A tie." Rei sighed disappointedly.
Kai looked at the result with barely concealed self- disgust.
"Well that's three in a row." Rei declared.
Kai grunted in reluctant agreement and bent down to retrieve his blade.
Rei sighed.
"He still can't get past winning and losing." Rei thought to himself as picked up Driger.
Kai stood in quiet contemplation, his scarf billowing in the wind. The sun's early rays lined him in golden fire, somehow softening the harsh blue lines on Kai's face. Rei looked on in silent adoration. Suddenly, Kai's unfocused gaze turned purposefully to Rei and Rei flashed a warm, happy smile. Kai seemed taken aback and immediately looked away, his face seemingly flushed.
Rei noticed the crimson colour in Kai's cheeks and was momentarily lost in thought.
"It must be the sun's light." Rei thought, only half- believing this explanation.
Kai had changed but that didn't amount to what Rei hoped for. Of course they did have fun last night but it wasn't anything more than just fun and games, wasn't it? Rei shook himself out of his reverie and walked up to Kai who still seemed distracted.
"I thought we were going to have some fun." Rei asked in deliberate tones of boredom.
Kai glanced at the Chinese boy and pointed his chin to the beyblade in Rei's hand.
"We just did." He replied simply.
Rei lowered his head into his palm and sighed shaking his head.
"Kai, you don't get out much do you?" It was more of a statement than a question.
"Oh and I suppose tickling and wrestling in bed is your idea of fun?" Kai replied dryly, alluding to the 'fun and games' they had the previous night.
"Well there were other things we could have done . . . " Rei replied slyly earning a blush from Kai who immediately turned around to hide that fact.
Rei was grateful for that because it saved him the embarrassment of Kai seeing him blush.
"Erm . . . I was thinking maybe we could visit the lake nearby here." Rei said finally, breaking the awkward silence between them.
"Lake?" Kai asked, his back still facing Rei.
"Yeah, remember the one we saw the day we scouted around this place?"
"I know where the lake is. What I mean is what do you want to go there for?"
"Kai, I thought it would have been obvious." Rei sounded a little surprised.
"What's so obvious?" Kai asked peevishly.
"To swim, Kai." Rei said in a long- suffering voice.
"You brought trunks?" Kai asked turning around to look at Rei curiously.
"No, but we could always go skinny- dipping."
"What!" Kai exclaimed and whipped his head about, turning his face away from Rei.
Rei chuckled quietly to himself. He could get used to this, making Kai uncomfortable. Of course he would also have to learn to control his own instinctive blushing.
"I'm kidding! We could go in our shorts." Rei suggested.
"Well?" Rei asked when Kai didn't respond.
Kai kept a thoughtful silence for a few moments and then abruptly turned around and quickly strode past Rei.
"Hey, where are you going?" Rei asked as he quickly pursued his teammate.
Kai didn't turn around but Rei could imagine the smirk on Kai's face as he replied.
"I thought it was obvious? I'm going back to the cabin to get ready for the swim."
Rei frowned in feigned annoyance but he couldn't help the grin that escaped from the corner of his lips.
Now things were getting to be a little more fun.
**************************************************************************** ****
"I still can't believe it." Tyson repeated for the umpteenth time, "Kai called off training for a swim?"
"How many times are you going to say that?" Max, who was walking beside him, inquired.
"Fourteen times and counting." Kenny announced for the benefit of all within ear- shot.
"He actually told us to ditch training for a swim! " Tyson exclaimed not for the first time.
"We've heard that one eleven times already." Dizzi informed him.
Tyson shot her a dirty look.
"Well," Max began, "Kai didn't really invite us. As I recall all he said was that if there weren't any objections there would be no training today. Then Rei mentioned that he and Kai would be going for a swim, at which point Tyson, your jaw hit the table. Then I mentioned that going for a swim sounded like a good idea and I asked them if they would mind if we tagged along and Kai said..."
"Kai said ' Do what you like, I don't care.' " Dizzi completed doing a perfect imitation of their team leader's voice.
"I still can't believe it . . . "
"Oh, get over it Tyson!" Kenny said with just a hint of exasperation.
"Oh give me a break Chief, I seem to remember someone falling off the chair when Kai cancelled training." Tyson retorted.
"I did not fall off! I merely lost my balance."
"Right. Of course, how could I have been so blind as to not have seen the obvious difference between falling off and losing your balance." Tyson replied sarcastically.
"At least I didn't try to crack my jaw on the table." Kenny replied scathingly.
Max grinned at his squabbling friends and then turned his attention to Kai and Rei who were leading the way to the lake ahead. Kai and Rei seemed like they were too far ahead to catch the conversation that had just taken place but they were in fact close enough to be within ear- shot. Max was certain of this because he distinctly saw Rei nudge Kai when Tyson had declared once more his utter bafflement at Kai's behaviour. Max silently watched the two from behind, his expression thoughtful.
Up ahead, Kai frowned as the quibbling reached a crescendo of insults and abuses.
"I shouldn't have let them come." Kai muttered from the corner of his mouth.
Rei looked bemusedly at Kai.
"You know very well why you invited them to come along." Rei said, silent laughter dancing in the shifting gleam of his golden eyes.
"I didn't invite them." Kai corrected turning his crimson eyes to his companion.
"You didn't stop them." Rei countered, a small smile playing on his soft lips.
"I admit I made a mistake." Kai replied, turning away from that bewitching smile.
"There's no mistake over the fact that letting them join us is your way of saying thanks for the trouble they went through for you." Rei said in a teasing voice.
"Believe what you will." Kai replied refusing to continue the conversation.
Rei only smiled knowingly.
"The lake is through there." Kai announced suddenly pointing at a towering height of vegetation.
They walked through a narrow opening in the wall of bushes and emerged in what could only be described as paradise. Somehow in the midst of the harsh conditions of the mountain terrain, small verdant trees cast their jade leaves in the golden splendour of sunlight, lending a sparkle to their moist leaves. They adorned the lake with the graceful curves of their trunk and boughs. The lake itself was the crown jewel of the surpassing beauty of this secret paradise. It lay in the centre of the clearing bathing the entire haven with a turquoise glimmer lined with the golden light of reflected sunbeams. In this unworldly light, birds sung from the top of exquisite trees, their voices clear and enchanting. These birds peered at the sudden visitors of this heavenly realm with curiosity and some left their perch to flutter gaily about the five spellbound boys, freely displaying their vividly coloured plumage. The crystal allure of the lake called to the boys with gentle ripples stirred by a faint breeze that carried the perfume of a hundred different flowers lining the tranquil waters.
Max gasped at the remarkable beauty while Rei seemed entranced by the call of the birds and the gentle rustle of dancing leaves. Even Tyson and Kenny had stopped arguing for the overwhelming splendour of the clearing had caught any words they had in their throats. Kai sighed softly and slowly unwound the scarf around his neck.
"It's beautiful." Dizzi exclaimed in wonderment.
Kenny nodded his head in mute agreement.
"I think we should get into the lake now." Tyson murmured distractedly as he gazed unblinkingly at the light dancing across the lake.
"Yeah." Max replied a dreamy look in his eyes as he began to undress.
Rei had already stripped down to his shorts and he carefully unwound the white bind he kept his hair in allowing his long, lustrous black hair to flow about his firm, strong shoulders. He crouched by the lake and peered deep into the clear water. Kai stepped next to Rei his long, muscled limbs receding into blue polyester shorts. Rei let his gaze settle on the fair, opal gleam of Kai's face.
"It's beautiful isn't it?" Rei whispered with a soft smile.
Kai looked down at the dashing smile and the dark rope of hair veiling the well- toned frame of Rei's bare body.
"Very beautiful." He murmured before he could catch himself.
Kai's face flushed immediately and he quickly turned to the lake and dived right in.
"Kai!" Rei protested as foam and water splashed into his face.
"Coming through!"
Rei turned to look and saw Tyson running in the direction of the lake.
"No, Tyson don't!" Rei shouted in alarm.
Rei's appeal was punctuated by a loud splash sending a cascade of water over him.
Tyson's head broke through the lake's surface and he emerged laughing and dripping with crystal droplets from the lake's waters.
"Sorry Rei." Tyson breathed.
"Whatever Tyson." Rei sighed.
Max approached the lake's edge in a calmer manner. Crouching down he let his fingers trace the water and found it chilly to the touch, but the lake was too beautifully clear for him to resist. He slowly slipped himself inside shivering slightly every inch of the way.
"Cold but nice." Max gasped once he was fully in the lake.
Max turned to face Kenny who watched enviously by the trees.
"Come on in Chief. " Max invited, gesturing for the chestnut- haired youth to get into the lake.
"Can't," Kenny replied wistfully, "I can't leave Dizzi alone."
"It's alright Chief, just leave me by the flowers, it'll be nice to have a change of scenery and I'll be safe." Dizzi assured him almost gently.
"Only if you're sure." Kenny said a little doubtfully but his eyes strayed ever so slightly to the crystal waters.
"Stop fussing over me and go." Dizzi commanded.
"As her majesty wishes." Kenny replied in a mocking subservient tone.
As he lay her down he whispered softly to her, "Be safe."
Then he quickly stripped and lowered himself into the lake, a relaxed smile on his face even as his teeth chattered uncontrollably.
"Max, are you up to a race?" Tyson challenged his fair- haired buddy.
"Just as long as you don't take losing too hard." Max jeered impishly.
"I'm never going to beat you guys so I'll be the timekeeper." Kenny announced brandishing his wrist- watch.
Rei remained crouched by the side of the lake, his eyes on the half- submerged form slicing through the water at an amazing speed.
"How about asking Kai to join the race?" Rei suggested as the boys were getting ready.
Tyson gazed at their leader who had just reached the far end of the lake.
"Maybe later. He must be tired after swimming that far." Tyson replied evasively.
"Chicken." Rei accused, laughing at the slyly grinning blue- haired boy.
"Well, even if Kai doesn't join in you're still going to lose." Rei mocked.
"And why is that?" Tyson asked with exaggerated impertinence.
"Because I'm in the race too." Rei said with a laugh and dived into the lake smacking Tyson's and Max's face with lake water.
"Rei!" Tyson complained while Max chuckled beside him.
Then Tyson caught Max's eye and gestured his head to the water. Max's eyes glittered with mischief and he nodded in agreement.
As soon as Rei emerged, both boys splashed the crystal water into his face.
"Hey!" Rei protested.
"See you at the finish line Rei!" Tyson jeered as he and Max took the opportunity to get a head start.
"No fair!" Rei shouted in reply and promptly propelled himself after his two friends.
**************************************************************************** *****
Kai watched the race from afar and wasn't surprised to see that Max had emerged the winner with Tyson a hair's breath ahead of Rei. All in all, Tyson had performed the worst of all since he had a head- start from the beginning but it was only to be expected, as Tyson wasn't exactly famous for his ability to handle himself in water.
Max did a little victory dance while Rei was busy dunking Tyson's head in the water. Kenny laughed at all of their antics from afar, that is until all three of them traded looks and dived back into the water in his direction, then he gave a startled cry and swam furiously away from the churning waters advancing towards him. Kai flashed a rare smile, surprising himself. It was very rare for him to feel any genuine happiness and those rare occasions usually occur when he defeats a strong opponent and never when he's doing anything besides beyblading. To make things even worse, he had the sudden impulse to join them and he was alarmed to find himself swimming back to join the rest of the team. As he skilfully steered himself through the azure waters, thoughts that had remained buried for some time, returned unbidden to his mind.
A warm body curled comfortably over his own, tears falling from bright yellow eyes into his face. Deft fingers probing for soft, weak spots to tickle, wisps of dark hair in his mouth and smooth and yet firm flesh in his grasp, musical laughter and warm breath in his ear . . . His chest swelled with every image that swam before his eyes. He felt a sudden irrepressible urge to say what he had kept within himself for such a long time. As he surfaced for breath, swimming freestyle towards his teammates, his eyes searched and found the subject of his most private thoughts. Rei was joining the others in splashing cold lake water at the floundering Kenny. Water sparkled in his hair like diamonds and his laughter the sound of clear water trickling musically into a bubbling stream. Suddenly, Kai felt himself sinking into the water. Kai realised he had stopped pedalling and began to quickly recover to a swimming stance.
"What's wrong with me?" Kai thought to himself, embarrassed by his lapse in concentration.
"This can't continue, I have to get this settled, get it out in the open, talk it out with him . . ."
"Kai, you're just in time!"
Kai swam a few more strokes and drew himself up to look at Rei who smiled wickedly at him.
"What?" he asked apprehensively.
"We were hoping that you would join us in a little game." Max said his eyes flashing with suspicious over- enthusiasm.
Kai was about to ask Max to explain himself when Tyson interjected.
"They placed bets on us."
"What?"
**************************************************************************** **********
"You're just going to play an innocent little game Kai, albeit there are some strings attached but essentially it's still an innocent game." Kenny coaxed.
"The answer is still no." Kai repeated adamantly.
"All you have to do is stay underwater for as long as you can." Max persuaded.
"No!"
"Please Kai, don't be such a spoil sport." Rei begged.
Kai looked over at him, a questioning look in his eye.
"What did you place down as stakes?" Kai asked, gazing steadily at the Chinese boy.
Rei met his gaze and smiled faintly.
"Whoever loses the bet will have to entertain the rest of the team until they're all satisfied." Rei replied in a non- too- innocent tone of voice.
"Which means that the entire process could get more than a little embarrassing." Max added impishly.
"But essentially, all you and Tyson have to do is just to stay underwater for the longest period you can without resurfacing for air." Kenny simplified the matter.
"What I don't understand is why I have to do this." Tyson grumbled his blue eyes turned accusingly at Max.
"Tyson, if you do this there might be a special lunch for you . . ." Max trailed off seductively.
"Let's do this." Tyson said immediately, all business like all of a sudden.
"Tyson, it is amazing how irresistible food seems to you." Rei said shaking his head.
Max walked up close to Rei and whispered confidentially to the golden- eyed boy.
"His special lunch is not exclusive to food alone." Max breathed into the cat- like ear.
"Wha- at!" Rei choked and Max hopped away from him laughing.
Tyson, Kai and Kenny stared at Rei and then turned to Max for an explanation. Max smiled at all three of them.
"My lips are sealed." He declared eliciting howls of exasperation from Tyson.
"All right," Kenny interjected, "Contenders ready?"
"Ready!" Tyson yelled.
"Yeah." Kai mumbled.
"Right, I'll be timing the two of you. If either of you run into any difficulties just splash helplessly in the water and my two beautiful lifeguards will assist you." Kenny finished looking at both Max and Rei.
"Careful Chief, we're within range to throw you into the lake." Rei threatened flashing Kenny a dangerous, fanged smile.
"Oh we'd love to see how long you could stay underwater without any oxygen. What do you say Rei five minutes perhaps?" Max asked his friend.
"Three hours." Rei replied emotionlessly.
"Three hours, hmmm . . . has a certain appeal to it." Max mused in an equally cold- blooded manner.
"Let's not get hasty guys." Kenny gulped.
"Let's just get on with this." Kai grumbled.
"Right" Kenny agreed, wiping off the cold sweat on his face with the back of his pale hand. "As I said, I'll time the both of you and the first one to resurface loses the game. Are we in agreement?"
"Yup." Tyson answered.
Kai gave an imperceptible nod.
"Right, on your marks, get set, go!"
Both boys sank into the water in unison. There was a faint beep as Kenny began the timing on his wristwatch. Rei and Max drew themselves closer to the pool in tense anticipation.
"One minute." Kenny read out.
Bubbles began to form where Tyson was submerged.
"A minute and a half."
The bubbles were beginning to get more obvious on Tyson's side while the water above Kai showed signs of an occasional bubble or two.
"Looks like Tyson is in trouble." Rei commented in a mixed tone of satisfaction and genuine concern.
"Don't be too certain." Max replied although he looked troubled himself.
"Two minutes." Kenny announced his voice a little shaky.
The bubbles on Kai's side increased significantly whereas Tyson's side showed no signs of bubbles but a deathly calm.
"That idiot! He's going to get himself killed!" Rei swore and prepared to dive in to save his blue- haired friend.
Max beat him to it. He filled his cheeks with air and dove gracefully into the water.
In a couple of strokes Max reached his friend but instead of both of them resurfacing there was only a further silence.
"I'm going in." Rei declared, his voice bearing the edges of panic.
Just as was about to dive in, there was a sudden great deal of thrashing from where all three boys were submerged.
Kai's head broke the surface first and he gasped desperately for air. Tyson resurfaced slowly after him, followed by Max who had a sly smile on his face.
Kai stopped panting and made for land. Tyson remained in the lake grinning foolishly at all of them. Max had collapsed in helpless laughter.
"What happened? I thought you were winning?" Rei asked as he helped his team leader up.
"I didn't win." Kai answered curtly.
Rei decided to drop the matter but he still had one burning question.
"What happened with Tyson and Max back then?"
Kai's cool, pale skin turned a flaming crimson.
"It was two against one." He replied choking a little.
"Huh?" Rei asked confused.
"Max replenished his air supply alright!" Kai exclaimed exasperatedly and stalked off in indignant fury.
"What?" Rei said bewildered.
Rei turned to Max who was still laughing and Tyson who still had that silly look on his face. Tyson slowly fingered his lips and his grin broadened. Max collapsed onto his back in laughter.
"Underwater mouth to mouth resuscitation." Kenny said answering the growing confusion in Rei's mind.
"You mean they . . . ?"
"Yup. The oldest trick in the book."
"Max . . . he . . . Tyson . . ."
"Do I have to explain it any further? Max filled his cheeks with air and dived into the water and breathed that oxygen into Tyson's mouth by kis-"
"Never mind." Rei interrupted, blushing furiously and stalked away.
Max finally towed Tyson ashore, his face beaming with a victorious smile.
"Tyson is the winner!" Kenny declared.
"I know." Kai and Rei spat waspishly in unison.
Tyson still had that dazed expression on his face.
"So," Max began with a malicious grin, "Are you going to launch into the strip tease now or would you prefer to waste your energy by performing other antics that we are just going to refuse to accept."
Kai blushed and looked apologetically at Rei.
"Sorry."
"It's alright." He assured Kai.
Then he turned to Max.
"What's so difficult about stripping?" Rei scoffed.
"So you'll do it?" Max said, a little surprised.
Kai made a strangled noise.
"No. I'll do something even better than that."
"A pole dance? Oh Rei, I like the way you think! Kai could be the pole."
Kai choked on that.
Rei gave Max a look.
"No, even better than that."
To answer Max's questioning look Rei went over to his robes and fished out a jade- green stick. Only it wasn't a stick but a gleaming bamboo flute that Rei twirled presently in his hand.
"A flute? I don't see how this is any better than a pole dance." Max said doubtfully.
"We'll see." Rei said simply, a sly smile playing on his lips.
Rei held the flute beside his lips. Gently and carefully, he blew into a smoothly cut hole, his lips barely touching the smooth bamboo. His fingers skilfully played across the jade flute weaving music from the sweet- scented air.
It was a tune that carried with it the joy of spring and the happy laughter in summer. The trees swayed serenely to the melody and the myriad of flowers that bedecked the lush green grass danced joyously to the warm breeze and the rich tune. Birds listened respectfully to the flute's music and then burst into heartfelt song, their voices warbling in harmony with Rei's notes. Then the tune drifted into the sad, silent weeping of trees as they shed their crimson leaves in autumn and the slow mournful longing for the love of spring in cold and barren winter. A cloud cast the clearing in shadow as the trees rustled with faint sighs and the flowers hung their petals in remembered grief. The once joyous melody of the birds' song now slowed into a heartbroken ballad. Rei brought them through joy and sorrow, love and pain, life and death. His music seemed to perpetuate in an endless cycle, like the seasons ageless and timeless, unceasing but ever- changing, from Man's first breath to his last sigh.
The mountain air echoed with the painfully beautiful notes long after Rei had lifted his moist lips from the bamboo flute.
"That was beautiful." Max said finally, his eyes glittering.
"Yeah." Tyson whispered, finally awakening from his earlier stupor.
"Amazing." Kenny agreed.
Kai seemed at a loss for words.
"It seemed . . . so lovely and yet it seemed as if there was a tale of loneliness in it." Kai murmured.
Rei looked at Kai in gentle surprise and nodded his head.
"Where did you get the inspiration for this tune? I've never heard anything quite like it before." Max queried.
Rei glanced briefly at Kai and smiled.
"It's dedicated to someone close to my heart."
Max snapped his fingers in triumph.
"I knew it." Max declared smugly, "It's for the one you love."
Rei was taken by surprise and could only manage a weak denial even as his feline face turned crimson.
"I...I..."
"Whoa! Rei's in love!" Tyson exclaimed, leaping to his feet.
"Tell us who that person is." Kenny badgered.
"No, I . . ." Rei muttered, his face flushing all the more.
Kai looked at him quietly, an odd expression flickering in his eyes.
Without any warning hard drops of rain pelted the Blade Breakers.
"It's raining!" Tyson shouted and he quickly made a run for his clothes.
"Dizzi!" Kenny exclaimed and ran towards his laptop.
"We were too absorbed by the music to notice the sky darkening." Max said as he ran after Tyson.
Even as the boys rushed off to make a hasty retreat to their cabin, the drizzle swiftly thickened into a heavy downpour. A bright spear of lightning tore the sky in half and an ear- splitting roar seemed to rend the earth.
Already, Tyson, Max and Kenny had tore through the thick bushes and out onto the path back to the cabin. Kai and Rei made to follow suit. They had just reached the edge of the clearing when a jade- green bamboo slipped from Rei's grasp and rolled away. Rei halted immediately and turned to retrieve his flute. Kai caught his arm.
"Where are you going?" Kai shouted above the roar of the downpour.
"My flute, it's going to roll into the lake." Rei answered as he wrenched his arm away from Kai's grasp.
"Leave it!" Kai called after the retreating figure.
"I can't, it's a gift from Lee." Rei shouted back over his shoulder.
Kai cursed under his breath and chased after Rei.
**************************************************************************** ***
Max, Tyson and Kenny were too busy running to notice Kai and Rei were not following behind them.
"We're going to get soaking wet!" Max shouted, the roaring rain nearly drowning out his voice.
"We're already soaking wet!" Tyson shouted back. "I think I can see the cabin up ahead." He said hopefully.
"I can't see a thing in this downpour." Max replied.
Kenny who lagged behind them frowned deeply even as the rain thickened.
"Dizzi can't be doing very well in my laptop." He thought to himself even as his running form shielded the sleek laptop and the Bit Beast inside.
"Hold on Dizzi." Kenny whispered to his computer and broke away from the others.
"There must be a closer shelter somewhere, I have to find it before Dizzi sustains any damage." Kenny thought as his eyes scanned the mountain face.
Kenny's eyes suddenly lit up and he steered himself towards his new destination.
**************************************************************************** ***********
Rei dashed towards the lake after his beloved bamboo flute. As the flute reached the edge of the lake, Rei pounced, his arms and fingers outstretched, reaching for the bamboo before it fell into the lake.
Rei cried out triumphantly as his fingers closed in on the flute but he rejoiced too soon as the flute slipped through his fingers. The jade- green flute fell into the lake and swiftly sank into the choppy waters.
Kai rushed to Rei's side.
"It's gone." he said straining to see as the curtain of rain thickened rapidly.
Rei picked himself up.
"Not yet." Rei said determinedly and dove into the lake.
"Rei!"
**************************************************************************** ***
Tyson and Max stumbled blindly trough the rain.
"It's impossible to see!" Max shouted.
Tyson didn't respond, he could hear nothing else beside the furious roar of the storm and the wind's savage howls.
Max squinted ahead and saw only a grey void.
"This is way too dangerous. If we stumble over the edge of the mountain path by mistake . . . " Max shivered at this thought.
Doubt and fear began to sink into Max's mind and his pace slowed down rapidly as his steps faltered.
Tyson turned to his friend.
"Come on!" he seemed to say, though Max couldn't be sure. The rain drowned out every other sound aside from its own roar.
Max shook his head.
Tyson began to say something but thought better of it. Then he suddenly grasped Max's hand and stubbornly plowed through the storm.
Max felt his heart leap and despite of the raging storm, he felt strangely warm and safe.
"Tyson is my friend, no, even more than that. He would never lead me to danger." With that thought in mind, he quickened his pace and followed Tyson through the blinding storm.
**************************************************************************** ********* Kenny gave a whoop of joy as he stepped beneath an outcrop of rock.
"We'll be safe here Dizzi!" He shouted over the howling wind.
Kenny sat on the rocky floor and turned up the screen of his laptop.
"I'm okay!" Dizzi chirped brightly but there was a slight trembling note in her voice.
"Is it too cold?" Kenny asked concern heavy in his voice.
"I'm alright, I'm a Bit Beast remember!" Dizzy reminded Kenny.
Kenny smiled lovingly at his Bit Beast.
"Of course." He murmured and he held the laptop close to his body.
Up above, lightning flashed and flickered dangerously while heart- stopping thunder tore the air to sunders. Kenny hunched his body to shield Dizzi from these furious elements. He couldn't afford to place Dizzi in any danger; he couldn't afford to lose her.
A blinding flash seared his eyes and Kenny hung on as tightly as he could to Dizzi as a loud crash filled the air.
**************************************************************************** *********
Rei was surprised at how warm the water felt when he dove into the lake but his wonderment did not last. His eyes searched the turbulent depths for a hint of green, hoping to catch a glimpse of his jade- green flute. Bubbles streamed before his eyes and Rei impatiently dived past them searching for his treasured possession in deeper waters. All he saw were greenish- grey rocks and aquatic vegetation swaying idly in the current.
Rei felt his chest tighten but he pushed himself further down and searched more thoroughly for his flute. His fingers raked through rock and weed but all he got was a fistful of sand that slipped through his fingers as brown smoke. Rei felt his heart begin to pound and his vision grew dimmer with every frantic heartbeat, yet he would not abandon his search. That flute was a sign of kinship between himself and his brother Lee, he had to find it. He just had to.
Rei thrust himself closer to the bed of the lake ignoring the maddening urge to surface and breathe. At first all he saw was the dull green of seaweed then from the corner of his dimming vision he spotted the jade- green corner of bamboo. His hand shot out and grasped the smooth, green flute, tugging out from a tangle of seaweed. The urge to breathe was now too overpowering to ignore. Rei propelled himself upwards, pedalling as fast as he could. The water that had seemed warm at first now grew steadily cold, Rei felt his limbs grow numb and his movements grew more and more lethargic.
"Just a little bit more . . ." Rei urged himself.
It was a little more too much for Rei's body. He felt his limbs flailing weakly and the light faded from his yellow eyes.
Just as Rei felt himself starting to fall into the dark depths of the lake, the water before him exploded into foam and bubbles and dark red eyes pierced through the cold water to focus on him. Rei smiled even before the strong, paw- like hand closed around his own.
"Saved again . . . thank you . . . Kai . . ."
**************************************************************************** **
They could have fallen headlong into the void below, they could have stepped over the edge and plummeted to their doom. At any moment the lightning that missed them by degrees might have grown more accurate or the rain might have washed down rocks and mud which would have swept them away but none of these happened. Max knew they wouldn't simply because Tyson was with him. Through the dark curtain of rain, they ran, hand in hand, placing their faith in courage, hope and most of all, trust.
Tyson blinked aside the rain that fell into his eyes and blinked again as lightning tore through the dark curtain.
Suddenly, Tyson cried out in pain just as a peal of thunder drowned out the raging roar of the storm.
"Tyson!" Max screamed, cold fear gripping his heart.
Tyson groaned and straightened up.
"Tyson?" Max called a quiver in his voice.
"I'm alright." Tyson reassured his friend and laughed, softly at first and then he outright guffawed.
"Tyson what's wrong? " Max asked grasping Tyson by his shoulders.
"I'll show you." Tyson gasped as he succumbed to another attack of uncontrollable laughter.
Max followed Tyson through the blinding rain and immediately tripped over something.
He gasped out in shock and pain. Then Max looked up at Tyson who smiled at him through the dark storm. Max began to laugh as well and as Tyson bent over to help him up, both boys laughed crazily as they walked up the steps that they had both tripped over, steps that led them back to their cabin.
"We're so silly." Max said at last as he lay down on the cabin floor.
"Yeah I know. Getting all worked up over a little rain." Tyson said breathing hard from the run and the laughter.
"We'll never hear the end of it from the others." Max sighed.
"Where are they anyway?" Tyson asked noting the obvious vacancy.
"Do you think they might be in trouble?" Max asked, worry in his tone.
"Kai and Rei shouldn't be in any trouble and Kenny's smart enough to look after himself." Tyson rationalised but he sounded a little doubtful.
"We'd better go back for them." Max suggested and tried to get up.
He hadn't realised the toll of his exertions in fighting against the blinding rain and the force of the storm to reach the cabin. Just as Max began to straighten his knees he felt the strength drain out of him and he fell as his knees gave way.
"Max!" Tyson cried and rose to his friend's help but he had only risen halfway before his limbs weakened and he fell headlong into Max's chest.
Max gasped at the impact.
"Sorry Max, I just seem so weak all of a sudden." Tyson apologized as he braced himself above Max with aching arms.
"It's alright. I guess it was more than just a little rain." Max said with a tired smile.
"Yeah, it was." Tyson admitted.
Tyson tried to stand but he fell instead like a weak kitten on Max's chest again.
"Forget it Tyson, we're not going anywhere." Max said as he winced at the blow.
"That does seem to be the case." Tyson agreed with a rueful laugh.
"Give me a minute and I'll see whether I can get myself off of you." Tyson said after a while.
"It's alright stay there." Max told him.
"No it's alright, I'll try to lift myself up again." Tyson insisted.
"Tyson," Max said in a long-suffering voice, "I'm wearing a soaked shirt and shorts and I'm drenched to the bone. You're warm. I'm cold. Stay there."
"All right." Tyson laughed and sighed happily as Max's arms wrapped about his shoulders.
"Tyson?"
"Hm?"
"You know what I said about lunch?"
"Yeah?"
"You can have some now."
"Huh? I thought you'd be too tired to coo . . . mmmhhh" Tyson's words were instantly smothered.
"Was that what you had in mind?" Max asked after Tyson could breathe again.
"More or less." Tyson answered licking his lips.
"Wonderful, that was just the appetiser, now prepare for the main course." Max grinned and prepared to serve the rest of his special lunch.
**************************************************************************** ***
Kenny huddled as close to the mountain face as he could.
"I'll be alright chief. You don't have to be so worried." Dizzi assured Kenny although her voice wavered tremulously.
Kenny couldn't see how Dizzi was doing but he could feel her in his mind and she was shivering in his arms.
"I should have thought to take my shirt." Kenny rebuked himself, "How could I have been so stupid?"
Kenny shivered as the cold began to seep into his body that was bared naked against the elements save for the beige shorts around his waist.
"You should have headed back to the cabin while you had the chance." Dizzi nagged.
"I'm alright." Kenny replied and promptly sneezed.
"See!" Dizzi scolded.
"You would have got wet." Kenny answered and sniffed as his nose began to run.
"I told you Chief, I'm a bit beast, such things don't worry me." Dizzi cried exasperatedly.
"The rain can't kill you but I know that Bit Beasts can be hurt by the elements being elemental beings themselves. I just don't want anything to happen to you. It's bad enough for me to keep you in a computer." Kenny said his voice trailing off with a hint of guilt.
"Kenny . . ." Dizzi began but her tone had turned much gentler.
"Just let me look out for you, just this once." Kenny whispered and caught his Bit Beast in a fierce hug.
Kenny wasn't sure if he was imagining it but he seemed to feel a warm presence envelop him. His spine tingled with the sense of warmth and love.
"At least don't do it alone . . ." Dizzi murmured from deep within Kenny's embrace.
Kenny smiled and drew Dizzi closer to his happy heartbeats.
**************************************************************************** ***
Rei trembled violently within the hollow Kai had made for them. The bushes helped keep out the worst of the storm, but it couldn't hold off the harsh gale. The wind cut through his frame like an icy dagger. He clutched the flute he had just recovered in both his hands and tried to bury himself deeper into the bushes. He shivered again as the movement sent streams of water sloshing down his back.
Kai was crouched beside the shuddering feline form. Like Rei, all he wore was shorts since both their clothes were soaking wet and lay in a dismal pile together with Kenny's beside Kai and Rei's hollow. He felt the biting cold of the wind just as keenly as Rei but he didn't shake as much as Rei. After all he had survived worse than this in Russia. Painful memories came back to him but he forced them back, he couldn't afford to dwell on them at the moment. He looked over at Rei. The Chinese boy's lips had turned a bright blue and his face was far paler than it should be. The dark hair that crowned the young cat- like face was embedded with cold rain drops and beads of water from the lake he had so foolhardily leapt into. Rei shook with cold once more and Kai couldn't help it any longer. He gently but firmly placed Rei in his arms and held the freezing body close to his own, breathing his warm breath over Rei's pale face.
Rei slowly stirred, his golden eyes peering vaguely at Kai's form before him.
"Th . . .anks." Rei whispered through chattering teeth.
"Shhh . . ." Kai said shaking his head and slowly rocked the lithe body to get some warmth into it.
Rei gratefully closed his eyes and his expression turned to one of peaceful bliss.
Kai stared silently at that face, thoughts rising and stirring within him.
A blinding bolt flashed dangerously in the sky and an earth- shattering crash resounded throughout the mountain.
Rei awoke with a start. Kai placed a calming hand on Rei's face and Rei turned to look at him and smiled, relaxing his tense body.
"It's beautiful." Rei whispered.
"What is?" Kai asked.
"The sound of the rain on the leaves. It's like the sound of lovers tapping out a secret message that only they understand." Rei said looking at the quivering leaves above them.
"Hm." Kai replied an odd feeling gathering within him.
"A Chinese poet once described the sound of the rain as lovers in bed speaking in hushed tones to each other." Rei continued.
Kai listened intently to the rain and for a few moments it did seem as if the rain whispered to him.
Lightning flashed before them, lighting the curtain of rain before them with brilliant light. Rei purred at the sudden beauty. The rumble of distant thunder echoed him. Kai took one look at Rei's expression of pure joy and sudden impulse took control.
"Rei, can I ask something?" Kai blurted before he could stop himself.
Rei turned his yellow eyes on Kai, gazing at him with a kittenish curiosity.
"Hm?" Rei asked cocking an inquisitive eyebrow at Kai.
"How do I say this?" Kai thought to himself.
"I . . .I . . . feel that we've both come a long way . . .and . . ." Kai struggled to say.
"And?" Rei asked his gleaming eyes softening.
". . . and . . ." Kai took in a deep breath and exhaled with difficulty.
Rei held his breath and felt his blood rush in his ears.
"Can we be brothers?" Kai finished finally his crimson eyes staring at Rei with mute appeal tinged with the fear of some sharp rejection.
"Brothers?" Rei choked on the word as he felt his blood drain away from him and he felt his body grow cold.
Kai realised immediately that he had made a mistake.
"I'm sorry, maybe I assumed too much. I just felt that we . . . never mind. Forget I said anything." Kai's words rushed carrying with it the tone of regret and humiliation.
"No, hold on Kai." Rei interrupted.
Kai turned his crimson eyes on Rei with bewildered hope.
"Is that how you really feel?" Rei asked with false calm.
Kai slowly nodded his head tensely.
Rei gave a Kai a smile that he did not feel.
"Then I'll be happy to be your brother." Rei declared.
Kai's guarded expression turned to surprise and slowly relaxed into a grateful smile. Gingerly, he embraced his new brother. Rei returned his brother's embrace more forcefully.
"Brother." Kai whispered gruffly into Rei's ear.
"Brother." Rei echoed even as a single tear slid down his wan skin.
**************************************************************************** *******
And so we reach the end of this sequel. Sorry I had to do this to you Rei, I tried very hard not to this to you but . . . Of course things won't end like this. I'll post one final chapter . . . I've already started on it, but I'll let this story settle for a while before I start type out the last chapter. This chapter is a bit of a let down to me but it had to be done. Can't write anymore . . . got the blues . . . review to tell me what you think please.
Shinikami Dragon, The first encouragement I received. I can't thank you enough. I'll try to write a Rei/Tala fic but I'll have to warn you that I'm not very clear on the facts behind Tala. Angel of pure darkness, I couldn't fully accede to your request for this chapter unfortunately, but you might find that I went a lot further in this chapter...read and find out. Yoink Daydurfurits, Hey YD thanks for your overwhelming compliments, I don't think I am quite that good. This may not be as good as Training but I had to write it the way it is to give the last chapter a good plot . . . oops said too much. Oh and yup, I wrote another chapter as you badgered. Red Countess, Hey Red Countess! Hey Black! Hey White! Thanks for your compliments the other time round. I had fun reading and reviewing your beyblade and yu- gi- oh crossover and I'm all behind you if you're writing a Kai x Rei fic. MIdnight14, If only everyone could love me the way you like my fic . . . Oh well, thank you so very much for your support and you'd probably be around the first to know of this update. Loved your story although there was a great deal of guy bashing. Hey we guys aren't all that bad...Oh and I loved your bloopers. I was kinda sad after writing this and your bloopers cheered me up a bit. Maytel, Yeah! Rei/Kai Yaoi forever. Wait a minute, am I allowed to say that here? Whatever. Anywayz thanks for the support, this chapter should interest you a little . . . but look out for the concluding chapter. Wise wolf, I'm in love with your works. How Suicidal Kai thinks is exactly how I feel. Ok. now I sound stupid. Never mind. I hope you will enjoy this and I sent you a poem so check it out.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except my corrupted, lonely soul. Ok . . . That came out darker than it should have sounded.
To Say The Words
Morning approached the Blade Breaker's cabin with the sweet scent of mountain flowers adorning the drowsy air cradling Tyson, Max and Kenny and in another room, Kai and Rei. The morning mist hung over the mountain air, filling the pre- dawn sky with a sense of unworldly beauty. As the sun gathered its rays beneath the veil of fading darkness, the Blade Breakers slept beneath the vigil of the eternal stars.
Rei stirred just as some mountain birds broke into whole- hearted song. He gently massaged his tired eyes and yawned softly, his incisors glinting with silver starlight. His big, golden eyes blinked once, then twice and he gazed at the image before him with wide- eyed innocence.
Kai was curled up beside him, his pale face frowning as if in serious deliberation. White cotton sheets were draped carelessly over his finely muscled body barely covering Kai's vest that was only half- done. Rei purred contentedly to himself and smiled happily as he toyed with Kai's tangled hair, smoothing out the knots.
His gaze swept over the severe and yet attractive expression to the tiny red puncture on Kai's otherwise unblemished neck. Rei tenderly fingered the mark and thought back to the nightmare that had taken place only yesterday.
The crashing beyblades, pummelling fists and garish reptilian scales flashed before Rei's eyes and his gaze flicked to the fading bruises on both Kai's and his own arms. Rei laughed softly thinking back to the furious fight he had with his slumbering bedmate.
"It was a good fight wasn't it?"
Rei's question fell on deaf ears, oh but what adorable ears they were! Rei couldn't resist tugging one of the wolfish ears and earned a grunt from Kai who shifted himself closer to Rei.
Rei gazed adoringly at his bedmate's fair face when suddenly his golden eyes danced mischievously and a playful grin formed slyly on his soft, pink lips. Rei deftly rolled himself off the floor and searched through his pack at the corner of the room. His probing fingers closed in on the smooth cover of a pad and his grin turned absolutely devious.
Kai slept deeply, oblivious to Rei's snickers.
**************************************************************************** *******
Tyson awoke to the beckoning aroma of eggs, sausages and coffee. He arose, captivated by the alluring scent and lumbered into the kitchen.
"Food." Tyson intoned in a deadpan voice, drool dripping from the corner of his mouth onto the polished floor.
"Good morning Tyson, back from the dead already?" Kenny inquired from where he was seated at the dining table with Dizzi propped right in front of him.
"Food." Tyson droned once more, his arm slowly stretching out and his finger pointing towards Max who was just dishing up the sausages onto some plates.
"Almost done Tyson." Max replied placating his zombified teammate.
"Hurry." Tyson gurgled, his saliva getting in the way of his speech.
"Ewww . . . Tyson! You've got your saliva all over my circuits. " Dizzi complained.
"Sorry." Tyson apologised mournfully and wiped off the sloppy mess on his face with a callused fist.
"Don't worry, I'll get it off you." Kenny consoled the bit beast within his laptop and promptly mopped up the offending globules with a tissue.
Max spun around from the stove and laid breakfast before Tyson just as Kenny left his seat to dispose of the polluted tissue.
"There you go, your first serving." Max said brightly.
Tyson turned to look at Max and grinned stupidly as a way of thanking his teammate.
Max laughed heartily at the silly expression and placed Tyson's cup of coffee beside the over- laden plate.
"Bon Appetite." Max chimed cheerfully and turned back to set the plates for the rest of the team.
"Thanks Max, it looks delicious." Kenny said appreciatively.
"Id ish!" Tyson exclaimed between mouthfuls, spluttering food everywhere.
"Chief, did you bring your umbrella with you? I really rather not be drenched in food particles and Tyson's enzymes."
"Sorry." Tyson apologised again after a hard swallow.
Kenny carefully mopped up the bits of food from the laptop and left the table again to dispose another soiled tissue.
Max finished setting up the table and undid the apron he wore. He looked about the table and his gaze fell on two vacant seats.
"Where's Kai and Rei?" he asked looking questioningly at Tyson and then turned to Kenny who had just reclaimed his seat.
"I thought I heard Rei leaving the bedroom this morning while we were still getting up in the guest room. I'm pretty sure it was Rei because he always walks with a light spring in his step."
"What about you Tyson? Have you seen Kai? " Max asked, throwing a glance at his ravenous friend.
"Haben'd sheen 'im." Tyson replied just as Kenny lifted Dizzi away from the table, narrowly saving his bit beast from the spray of food particles.
"Wow, I never knew your reflexes were that fast Chief! " Dizzi said in awe.
"Oh, it was nothing. I was running out of tissue." Kenny replied modestly, blushing all the same.
Max frowned slightly as he immersed himself in thought. Could Kai and Rei be in any trouble? No doubt after Tyson's timely delivery of the antidote and Kenny's skill in first aid, Rei was able to monitor Kai's pulse and declare that Kai was showing positive signs of recovery. However there was still one more issue left unresolved. The battle between Kai and Rei had not been a moment of impulse or the simple rivalry between peers, it was the result of a deeper more complex inner conflict within Kai. Rei feels Kai's confusion too and that only draws them together and with the undercurrent of tension going on between them, there's every possibility of a disaster. If they would only . . .
"Can I have seconds, puleeaeze!!!" Tyson begged, waving an empty plate before Max.
Max looked bemusedly at the earnest expression on Tyson's face.
"Still hungry?" he asked with a small smile.
Tyson nodded his head vigorously, his dark blue ponytail bouncing along behind him.
"You'd better feed him or he might start getting the idea that we're good enough to eat!" Kenny said in feigned panic.
Tyson glared at Kenny then he gave the auburn- haired boy a wicked smile and gnashed his teeth hungrily Launching himself out of his seat, Tyson pounced on Kenny.
"Ty . . .Tyson . . . stop! Ok I'm sorry!" Kenny gasped in between helpless giggles as Tyson tickled his sides.
"Boys . . . " Dizzi chided
Max chuckled and proceeded to heap the empty plate with more sausages.
**************************************************************************** *******
"Crash!"
Rock pelted out from the dust cloud mushrooming from the mountain face and a red streak lanced through it aiming for a rocky ground scored with deep and roughly hewn blade tracks. The red streak dived at its intended target at a fiendish speed. There seemed to be no room for escape.
"Driger, evade!" Rei quickly ordered.
At the last minute the white blur seemed to wobble and it disappeared right before Kai's eyes.
Kai blinked in surprise even as his beyblade compacted with the ground with a resounding crack, instantly pulverising the rocky ground beneath it.
Rei grinned triumphantly.
"Driger, now attack from behind, Dranzer's wide open!"
As Kai's beyblade floundered in its crater, a golden burst of light raced to meet it with devastating speed.
Kai smirked confidently.
"There's no escape now. Dranzer counter- attack, it can't evade anymore!"
Dranzer burst into fiery red flames swiftly leaping heavenwards and just as quickly hurtling back to the rocky earth with fury of an all-consuming meteorite moving to smite the golden blaze of Rei's Driger.
The two blades smashed into each other with shuddering force. Light, dust and rock chips erupted all at once, forcing both Kai and Rei to shield themselves from the explosion.
"Who . . . won?" Rei coughed out, choked by the billowing dust.
"Can't see." Kai replied from within the dust cloud. A sudden gust of mountain breeze lifted the suffocating veil.
Both bladers stepped forward to take a closer look. The two beyblades lay spent side by side and, as the mountain breeze stirred them, nuzzled each other.
"A tie." Rei sighed disappointedly.
Kai looked at the result with barely concealed self- disgust.
"Well that's three in a row." Rei declared.
Kai grunted in reluctant agreement and bent down to retrieve his blade.
Rei sighed.
"He still can't get past winning and losing." Rei thought to himself as picked up Driger.
Kai stood in quiet contemplation, his scarf billowing in the wind. The sun's early rays lined him in golden fire, somehow softening the harsh blue lines on Kai's face. Rei looked on in silent adoration. Suddenly, Kai's unfocused gaze turned purposefully to Rei and Rei flashed a warm, happy smile. Kai seemed taken aback and immediately looked away, his face seemingly flushed.
Rei noticed the crimson colour in Kai's cheeks and was momentarily lost in thought.
"It must be the sun's light." Rei thought, only half- believing this explanation.
Kai had changed but that didn't amount to what Rei hoped for. Of course they did have fun last night but it wasn't anything more than just fun and games, wasn't it? Rei shook himself out of his reverie and walked up to Kai who still seemed distracted.
"I thought we were going to have some fun." Rei asked in deliberate tones of boredom.
Kai glanced at the Chinese boy and pointed his chin to the beyblade in Rei's hand.
"We just did." He replied simply.
Rei lowered his head into his palm and sighed shaking his head.
"Kai, you don't get out much do you?" It was more of a statement than a question.
"Oh and I suppose tickling and wrestling in bed is your idea of fun?" Kai replied dryly, alluding to the 'fun and games' they had the previous night.
"Well there were other things we could have done . . . " Rei replied slyly earning a blush from Kai who immediately turned around to hide that fact.
Rei was grateful for that because it saved him the embarrassment of Kai seeing him blush.
"Erm . . . I was thinking maybe we could visit the lake nearby here." Rei said finally, breaking the awkward silence between them.
"Lake?" Kai asked, his back still facing Rei.
"Yeah, remember the one we saw the day we scouted around this place?"
"I know where the lake is. What I mean is what do you want to go there for?"
"Kai, I thought it would have been obvious." Rei sounded a little surprised.
"What's so obvious?" Kai asked peevishly.
"To swim, Kai." Rei said in a long- suffering voice.
"You brought trunks?" Kai asked turning around to look at Rei curiously.
"No, but we could always go skinny- dipping."
"What!" Kai exclaimed and whipped his head about, turning his face away from Rei.
Rei chuckled quietly to himself. He could get used to this, making Kai uncomfortable. Of course he would also have to learn to control his own instinctive blushing.
"I'm kidding! We could go in our shorts." Rei suggested.
"Well?" Rei asked when Kai didn't respond.
Kai kept a thoughtful silence for a few moments and then abruptly turned around and quickly strode past Rei.
"Hey, where are you going?" Rei asked as he quickly pursued his teammate.
Kai didn't turn around but Rei could imagine the smirk on Kai's face as he replied.
"I thought it was obvious? I'm going back to the cabin to get ready for the swim."
Rei frowned in feigned annoyance but he couldn't help the grin that escaped from the corner of his lips.
Now things were getting to be a little more fun.
**************************************************************************** ****
"I still can't believe it." Tyson repeated for the umpteenth time, "Kai called off training for a swim?"
"How many times are you going to say that?" Max, who was walking beside him, inquired.
"Fourteen times and counting." Kenny announced for the benefit of all within ear- shot.
"He actually told us to ditch training for a swim! " Tyson exclaimed not for the first time.
"We've heard that one eleven times already." Dizzi informed him.
Tyson shot her a dirty look.
"Well," Max began, "Kai didn't really invite us. As I recall all he said was that if there weren't any objections there would be no training today. Then Rei mentioned that he and Kai would be going for a swim, at which point Tyson, your jaw hit the table. Then I mentioned that going for a swim sounded like a good idea and I asked them if they would mind if we tagged along and Kai said..."
"Kai said ' Do what you like, I don't care.' " Dizzi completed doing a perfect imitation of their team leader's voice.
"I still can't believe it . . . "
"Oh, get over it Tyson!" Kenny said with just a hint of exasperation.
"Oh give me a break Chief, I seem to remember someone falling off the chair when Kai cancelled training." Tyson retorted.
"I did not fall off! I merely lost my balance."
"Right. Of course, how could I have been so blind as to not have seen the obvious difference between falling off and losing your balance." Tyson replied sarcastically.
"At least I didn't try to crack my jaw on the table." Kenny replied scathingly.
Max grinned at his squabbling friends and then turned his attention to Kai and Rei who were leading the way to the lake ahead. Kai and Rei seemed like they were too far ahead to catch the conversation that had just taken place but they were in fact close enough to be within ear- shot. Max was certain of this because he distinctly saw Rei nudge Kai when Tyson had declared once more his utter bafflement at Kai's behaviour. Max silently watched the two from behind, his expression thoughtful.
Up ahead, Kai frowned as the quibbling reached a crescendo of insults and abuses.
"I shouldn't have let them come." Kai muttered from the corner of his mouth.
Rei looked bemusedly at Kai.
"You know very well why you invited them to come along." Rei said, silent laughter dancing in the shifting gleam of his golden eyes.
"I didn't invite them." Kai corrected turning his crimson eyes to his companion.
"You didn't stop them." Rei countered, a small smile playing on his soft lips.
"I admit I made a mistake." Kai replied, turning away from that bewitching smile.
"There's no mistake over the fact that letting them join us is your way of saying thanks for the trouble they went through for you." Rei said in a teasing voice.
"Believe what you will." Kai replied refusing to continue the conversation.
Rei only smiled knowingly.
"The lake is through there." Kai announced suddenly pointing at a towering height of vegetation.
They walked through a narrow opening in the wall of bushes and emerged in what could only be described as paradise. Somehow in the midst of the harsh conditions of the mountain terrain, small verdant trees cast their jade leaves in the golden splendour of sunlight, lending a sparkle to their moist leaves. They adorned the lake with the graceful curves of their trunk and boughs. The lake itself was the crown jewel of the surpassing beauty of this secret paradise. It lay in the centre of the clearing bathing the entire haven with a turquoise glimmer lined with the golden light of reflected sunbeams. In this unworldly light, birds sung from the top of exquisite trees, their voices clear and enchanting. These birds peered at the sudden visitors of this heavenly realm with curiosity and some left their perch to flutter gaily about the five spellbound boys, freely displaying their vividly coloured plumage. The crystal allure of the lake called to the boys with gentle ripples stirred by a faint breeze that carried the perfume of a hundred different flowers lining the tranquil waters.
Max gasped at the remarkable beauty while Rei seemed entranced by the call of the birds and the gentle rustle of dancing leaves. Even Tyson and Kenny had stopped arguing for the overwhelming splendour of the clearing had caught any words they had in their throats. Kai sighed softly and slowly unwound the scarf around his neck.
"It's beautiful." Dizzi exclaimed in wonderment.
Kenny nodded his head in mute agreement.
"I think we should get into the lake now." Tyson murmured distractedly as he gazed unblinkingly at the light dancing across the lake.
"Yeah." Max replied a dreamy look in his eyes as he began to undress.
Rei had already stripped down to his shorts and he carefully unwound the white bind he kept his hair in allowing his long, lustrous black hair to flow about his firm, strong shoulders. He crouched by the lake and peered deep into the clear water. Kai stepped next to Rei his long, muscled limbs receding into blue polyester shorts. Rei let his gaze settle on the fair, opal gleam of Kai's face.
"It's beautiful isn't it?" Rei whispered with a soft smile.
Kai looked down at the dashing smile and the dark rope of hair veiling the well- toned frame of Rei's bare body.
"Very beautiful." He murmured before he could catch himself.
Kai's face flushed immediately and he quickly turned to the lake and dived right in.
"Kai!" Rei protested as foam and water splashed into his face.
"Coming through!"
Rei turned to look and saw Tyson running in the direction of the lake.
"No, Tyson don't!" Rei shouted in alarm.
Rei's appeal was punctuated by a loud splash sending a cascade of water over him.
Tyson's head broke through the lake's surface and he emerged laughing and dripping with crystal droplets from the lake's waters.
"Sorry Rei." Tyson breathed.
"Whatever Tyson." Rei sighed.
Max approached the lake's edge in a calmer manner. Crouching down he let his fingers trace the water and found it chilly to the touch, but the lake was too beautifully clear for him to resist. He slowly slipped himself inside shivering slightly every inch of the way.
"Cold but nice." Max gasped once he was fully in the lake.
Max turned to face Kenny who watched enviously by the trees.
"Come on in Chief. " Max invited, gesturing for the chestnut- haired youth to get into the lake.
"Can't," Kenny replied wistfully, "I can't leave Dizzi alone."
"It's alright Chief, just leave me by the flowers, it'll be nice to have a change of scenery and I'll be safe." Dizzi assured him almost gently.
"Only if you're sure." Kenny said a little doubtfully but his eyes strayed ever so slightly to the crystal waters.
"Stop fussing over me and go." Dizzi commanded.
"As her majesty wishes." Kenny replied in a mocking subservient tone.
As he lay her down he whispered softly to her, "Be safe."
Then he quickly stripped and lowered himself into the lake, a relaxed smile on his face even as his teeth chattered uncontrollably.
"Max, are you up to a race?" Tyson challenged his fair- haired buddy.
"Just as long as you don't take losing too hard." Max jeered impishly.
"I'm never going to beat you guys so I'll be the timekeeper." Kenny announced brandishing his wrist- watch.
Rei remained crouched by the side of the lake, his eyes on the half- submerged form slicing through the water at an amazing speed.
"How about asking Kai to join the race?" Rei suggested as the boys were getting ready.
Tyson gazed at their leader who had just reached the far end of the lake.
"Maybe later. He must be tired after swimming that far." Tyson replied evasively.
"Chicken." Rei accused, laughing at the slyly grinning blue- haired boy.
"Well, even if Kai doesn't join in you're still going to lose." Rei mocked.
"And why is that?" Tyson asked with exaggerated impertinence.
"Because I'm in the race too." Rei said with a laugh and dived into the lake smacking Tyson's and Max's face with lake water.
"Rei!" Tyson complained while Max chuckled beside him.
Then Tyson caught Max's eye and gestured his head to the water. Max's eyes glittered with mischief and he nodded in agreement.
As soon as Rei emerged, both boys splashed the crystal water into his face.
"Hey!" Rei protested.
"See you at the finish line Rei!" Tyson jeered as he and Max took the opportunity to get a head start.
"No fair!" Rei shouted in reply and promptly propelled himself after his two friends.
**************************************************************************** *****
Kai watched the race from afar and wasn't surprised to see that Max had emerged the winner with Tyson a hair's breath ahead of Rei. All in all, Tyson had performed the worst of all since he had a head- start from the beginning but it was only to be expected, as Tyson wasn't exactly famous for his ability to handle himself in water.
Max did a little victory dance while Rei was busy dunking Tyson's head in the water. Kenny laughed at all of their antics from afar, that is until all three of them traded looks and dived back into the water in his direction, then he gave a startled cry and swam furiously away from the churning waters advancing towards him. Kai flashed a rare smile, surprising himself. It was very rare for him to feel any genuine happiness and those rare occasions usually occur when he defeats a strong opponent and never when he's doing anything besides beyblading. To make things even worse, he had the sudden impulse to join them and he was alarmed to find himself swimming back to join the rest of the team. As he skilfully steered himself through the azure waters, thoughts that had remained buried for some time, returned unbidden to his mind.
A warm body curled comfortably over his own, tears falling from bright yellow eyes into his face. Deft fingers probing for soft, weak spots to tickle, wisps of dark hair in his mouth and smooth and yet firm flesh in his grasp, musical laughter and warm breath in his ear . . . His chest swelled with every image that swam before his eyes. He felt a sudden irrepressible urge to say what he had kept within himself for such a long time. As he surfaced for breath, swimming freestyle towards his teammates, his eyes searched and found the subject of his most private thoughts. Rei was joining the others in splashing cold lake water at the floundering Kenny. Water sparkled in his hair like diamonds and his laughter the sound of clear water trickling musically into a bubbling stream. Suddenly, Kai felt himself sinking into the water. Kai realised he had stopped pedalling and began to quickly recover to a swimming stance.
"What's wrong with me?" Kai thought to himself, embarrassed by his lapse in concentration.
"This can't continue, I have to get this settled, get it out in the open, talk it out with him . . ."
"Kai, you're just in time!"
Kai swam a few more strokes and drew himself up to look at Rei who smiled wickedly at him.
"What?" he asked apprehensively.
"We were hoping that you would join us in a little game." Max said his eyes flashing with suspicious over- enthusiasm.
Kai was about to ask Max to explain himself when Tyson interjected.
"They placed bets on us."
"What?"
**************************************************************************** **********
"You're just going to play an innocent little game Kai, albeit there are some strings attached but essentially it's still an innocent game." Kenny coaxed.
"The answer is still no." Kai repeated adamantly.
"All you have to do is stay underwater for as long as you can." Max persuaded.
"No!"
"Please Kai, don't be such a spoil sport." Rei begged.
Kai looked over at him, a questioning look in his eye.
"What did you place down as stakes?" Kai asked, gazing steadily at the Chinese boy.
Rei met his gaze and smiled faintly.
"Whoever loses the bet will have to entertain the rest of the team until they're all satisfied." Rei replied in a non- too- innocent tone of voice.
"Which means that the entire process could get more than a little embarrassing." Max added impishly.
"But essentially, all you and Tyson have to do is just to stay underwater for the longest period you can without resurfacing for air." Kenny simplified the matter.
"What I don't understand is why I have to do this." Tyson grumbled his blue eyes turned accusingly at Max.
"Tyson, if you do this there might be a special lunch for you . . ." Max trailed off seductively.
"Let's do this." Tyson said immediately, all business like all of a sudden.
"Tyson, it is amazing how irresistible food seems to you." Rei said shaking his head.
Max walked up close to Rei and whispered confidentially to the golden- eyed boy.
"His special lunch is not exclusive to food alone." Max breathed into the cat- like ear.
"Wha- at!" Rei choked and Max hopped away from him laughing.
Tyson, Kai and Kenny stared at Rei and then turned to Max for an explanation. Max smiled at all three of them.
"My lips are sealed." He declared eliciting howls of exasperation from Tyson.
"All right," Kenny interjected, "Contenders ready?"
"Ready!" Tyson yelled.
"Yeah." Kai mumbled.
"Right, I'll be timing the two of you. If either of you run into any difficulties just splash helplessly in the water and my two beautiful lifeguards will assist you." Kenny finished looking at both Max and Rei.
"Careful Chief, we're within range to throw you into the lake." Rei threatened flashing Kenny a dangerous, fanged smile.
"Oh we'd love to see how long you could stay underwater without any oxygen. What do you say Rei five minutes perhaps?" Max asked his friend.
"Three hours." Rei replied emotionlessly.
"Three hours, hmmm . . . has a certain appeal to it." Max mused in an equally cold- blooded manner.
"Let's not get hasty guys." Kenny gulped.
"Let's just get on with this." Kai grumbled.
"Right" Kenny agreed, wiping off the cold sweat on his face with the back of his pale hand. "As I said, I'll time the both of you and the first one to resurface loses the game. Are we in agreement?"
"Yup." Tyson answered.
Kai gave an imperceptible nod.
"Right, on your marks, get set, go!"
Both boys sank into the water in unison. There was a faint beep as Kenny began the timing on his wristwatch. Rei and Max drew themselves closer to the pool in tense anticipation.
"One minute." Kenny read out.
Bubbles began to form where Tyson was submerged.
"A minute and a half."
The bubbles were beginning to get more obvious on Tyson's side while the water above Kai showed signs of an occasional bubble or two.
"Looks like Tyson is in trouble." Rei commented in a mixed tone of satisfaction and genuine concern.
"Don't be too certain." Max replied although he looked troubled himself.
"Two minutes." Kenny announced his voice a little shaky.
The bubbles on Kai's side increased significantly whereas Tyson's side showed no signs of bubbles but a deathly calm.
"That idiot! He's going to get himself killed!" Rei swore and prepared to dive in to save his blue- haired friend.
Max beat him to it. He filled his cheeks with air and dove gracefully into the water.
In a couple of strokes Max reached his friend but instead of both of them resurfacing there was only a further silence.
"I'm going in." Rei declared, his voice bearing the edges of panic.
Just as was about to dive in, there was a sudden great deal of thrashing from where all three boys were submerged.
Kai's head broke the surface first and he gasped desperately for air. Tyson resurfaced slowly after him, followed by Max who had a sly smile on his face.
Kai stopped panting and made for land. Tyson remained in the lake grinning foolishly at all of them. Max had collapsed in helpless laughter.
"What happened? I thought you were winning?" Rei asked as he helped his team leader up.
"I didn't win." Kai answered curtly.
Rei decided to drop the matter but he still had one burning question.
"What happened with Tyson and Max back then?"
Kai's cool, pale skin turned a flaming crimson.
"It was two against one." He replied choking a little.
"Huh?" Rei asked confused.
"Max replenished his air supply alright!" Kai exclaimed exasperatedly and stalked off in indignant fury.
"What?" Rei said bewildered.
Rei turned to Max who was still laughing and Tyson who still had that silly look on his face. Tyson slowly fingered his lips and his grin broadened. Max collapsed onto his back in laughter.
"Underwater mouth to mouth resuscitation." Kenny said answering the growing confusion in Rei's mind.
"You mean they . . . ?"
"Yup. The oldest trick in the book."
"Max . . . he . . . Tyson . . ."
"Do I have to explain it any further? Max filled his cheeks with air and dived into the water and breathed that oxygen into Tyson's mouth by kis-"
"Never mind." Rei interrupted, blushing furiously and stalked away.
Max finally towed Tyson ashore, his face beaming with a victorious smile.
"Tyson is the winner!" Kenny declared.
"I know." Kai and Rei spat waspishly in unison.
Tyson still had that dazed expression on his face.
"So," Max began with a malicious grin, "Are you going to launch into the strip tease now or would you prefer to waste your energy by performing other antics that we are just going to refuse to accept."
Kai blushed and looked apologetically at Rei.
"Sorry."
"It's alright." He assured Kai.
Then he turned to Max.
"What's so difficult about stripping?" Rei scoffed.
"So you'll do it?" Max said, a little surprised.
Kai made a strangled noise.
"No. I'll do something even better than that."
"A pole dance? Oh Rei, I like the way you think! Kai could be the pole."
Kai choked on that.
Rei gave Max a look.
"No, even better than that."
To answer Max's questioning look Rei went over to his robes and fished out a jade- green stick. Only it wasn't a stick but a gleaming bamboo flute that Rei twirled presently in his hand.
"A flute? I don't see how this is any better than a pole dance." Max said doubtfully.
"We'll see." Rei said simply, a sly smile playing on his lips.
Rei held the flute beside his lips. Gently and carefully, he blew into a smoothly cut hole, his lips barely touching the smooth bamboo. His fingers skilfully played across the jade flute weaving music from the sweet- scented air.
It was a tune that carried with it the joy of spring and the happy laughter in summer. The trees swayed serenely to the melody and the myriad of flowers that bedecked the lush green grass danced joyously to the warm breeze and the rich tune. Birds listened respectfully to the flute's music and then burst into heartfelt song, their voices warbling in harmony with Rei's notes. Then the tune drifted into the sad, silent weeping of trees as they shed their crimson leaves in autumn and the slow mournful longing for the love of spring in cold and barren winter. A cloud cast the clearing in shadow as the trees rustled with faint sighs and the flowers hung their petals in remembered grief. The once joyous melody of the birds' song now slowed into a heartbroken ballad. Rei brought them through joy and sorrow, love and pain, life and death. His music seemed to perpetuate in an endless cycle, like the seasons ageless and timeless, unceasing but ever- changing, from Man's first breath to his last sigh.
The mountain air echoed with the painfully beautiful notes long after Rei had lifted his moist lips from the bamboo flute.
"That was beautiful." Max said finally, his eyes glittering.
"Yeah." Tyson whispered, finally awakening from his earlier stupor.
"Amazing." Kenny agreed.
Kai seemed at a loss for words.
"It seemed . . . so lovely and yet it seemed as if there was a tale of loneliness in it." Kai murmured.
Rei looked at Kai in gentle surprise and nodded his head.
"Where did you get the inspiration for this tune? I've never heard anything quite like it before." Max queried.
Rei glanced briefly at Kai and smiled.
"It's dedicated to someone close to my heart."
Max snapped his fingers in triumph.
"I knew it." Max declared smugly, "It's for the one you love."
Rei was taken by surprise and could only manage a weak denial even as his feline face turned crimson.
"I...I..."
"Whoa! Rei's in love!" Tyson exclaimed, leaping to his feet.
"Tell us who that person is." Kenny badgered.
"No, I . . ." Rei muttered, his face flushing all the more.
Kai looked at him quietly, an odd expression flickering in his eyes.
Without any warning hard drops of rain pelted the Blade Breakers.
"It's raining!" Tyson shouted and he quickly made a run for his clothes.
"Dizzi!" Kenny exclaimed and ran towards his laptop.
"We were too absorbed by the music to notice the sky darkening." Max said as he ran after Tyson.
Even as the boys rushed off to make a hasty retreat to their cabin, the drizzle swiftly thickened into a heavy downpour. A bright spear of lightning tore the sky in half and an ear- splitting roar seemed to rend the earth.
Already, Tyson, Max and Kenny had tore through the thick bushes and out onto the path back to the cabin. Kai and Rei made to follow suit. They had just reached the edge of the clearing when a jade- green bamboo slipped from Rei's grasp and rolled away. Rei halted immediately and turned to retrieve his flute. Kai caught his arm.
"Where are you going?" Kai shouted above the roar of the downpour.
"My flute, it's going to roll into the lake." Rei answered as he wrenched his arm away from Kai's grasp.
"Leave it!" Kai called after the retreating figure.
"I can't, it's a gift from Lee." Rei shouted back over his shoulder.
Kai cursed under his breath and chased after Rei.
**************************************************************************** ***
Max, Tyson and Kenny were too busy running to notice Kai and Rei were not following behind them.
"We're going to get soaking wet!" Max shouted, the roaring rain nearly drowning out his voice.
"We're already soaking wet!" Tyson shouted back. "I think I can see the cabin up ahead." He said hopefully.
"I can't see a thing in this downpour." Max replied.
Kenny who lagged behind them frowned deeply even as the rain thickened.
"Dizzi can't be doing very well in my laptop." He thought to himself even as his running form shielded the sleek laptop and the Bit Beast inside.
"Hold on Dizzi." Kenny whispered to his computer and broke away from the others.
"There must be a closer shelter somewhere, I have to find it before Dizzi sustains any damage." Kenny thought as his eyes scanned the mountain face.
Kenny's eyes suddenly lit up and he steered himself towards his new destination.
**************************************************************************** ***********
Rei dashed towards the lake after his beloved bamboo flute. As the flute reached the edge of the lake, Rei pounced, his arms and fingers outstretched, reaching for the bamboo before it fell into the lake.
Rei cried out triumphantly as his fingers closed in on the flute but he rejoiced too soon as the flute slipped through his fingers. The jade- green flute fell into the lake and swiftly sank into the choppy waters.
Kai rushed to Rei's side.
"It's gone." he said straining to see as the curtain of rain thickened rapidly.
Rei picked himself up.
"Not yet." Rei said determinedly and dove into the lake.
"Rei!"
**************************************************************************** ***
Tyson and Max stumbled blindly trough the rain.
"It's impossible to see!" Max shouted.
Tyson didn't respond, he could hear nothing else beside the furious roar of the storm and the wind's savage howls.
Max squinted ahead and saw only a grey void.
"This is way too dangerous. If we stumble over the edge of the mountain path by mistake . . . " Max shivered at this thought.
Doubt and fear began to sink into Max's mind and his pace slowed down rapidly as his steps faltered.
Tyson turned to his friend.
"Come on!" he seemed to say, though Max couldn't be sure. The rain drowned out every other sound aside from its own roar.
Max shook his head.
Tyson began to say something but thought better of it. Then he suddenly grasped Max's hand and stubbornly plowed through the storm.
Max felt his heart leap and despite of the raging storm, he felt strangely warm and safe.
"Tyson is my friend, no, even more than that. He would never lead me to danger." With that thought in mind, he quickened his pace and followed Tyson through the blinding storm.
**************************************************************************** ********* Kenny gave a whoop of joy as he stepped beneath an outcrop of rock.
"We'll be safe here Dizzi!" He shouted over the howling wind.
Kenny sat on the rocky floor and turned up the screen of his laptop.
"I'm okay!" Dizzi chirped brightly but there was a slight trembling note in her voice.
"Is it too cold?" Kenny asked concern heavy in his voice.
"I'm alright, I'm a Bit Beast remember!" Dizzy reminded Kenny.
Kenny smiled lovingly at his Bit Beast.
"Of course." He murmured and he held the laptop close to his body.
Up above, lightning flashed and flickered dangerously while heart- stopping thunder tore the air to sunders. Kenny hunched his body to shield Dizzi from these furious elements. He couldn't afford to place Dizzi in any danger; he couldn't afford to lose her.
A blinding flash seared his eyes and Kenny hung on as tightly as he could to Dizzi as a loud crash filled the air.
**************************************************************************** *********
Rei was surprised at how warm the water felt when he dove into the lake but his wonderment did not last. His eyes searched the turbulent depths for a hint of green, hoping to catch a glimpse of his jade- green flute. Bubbles streamed before his eyes and Rei impatiently dived past them searching for his treasured possession in deeper waters. All he saw were greenish- grey rocks and aquatic vegetation swaying idly in the current.
Rei felt his chest tighten but he pushed himself further down and searched more thoroughly for his flute. His fingers raked through rock and weed but all he got was a fistful of sand that slipped through his fingers as brown smoke. Rei felt his heart begin to pound and his vision grew dimmer with every frantic heartbeat, yet he would not abandon his search. That flute was a sign of kinship between himself and his brother Lee, he had to find it. He just had to.
Rei thrust himself closer to the bed of the lake ignoring the maddening urge to surface and breathe. At first all he saw was the dull green of seaweed then from the corner of his dimming vision he spotted the jade- green corner of bamboo. His hand shot out and grasped the smooth, green flute, tugging out from a tangle of seaweed. The urge to breathe was now too overpowering to ignore. Rei propelled himself upwards, pedalling as fast as he could. The water that had seemed warm at first now grew steadily cold, Rei felt his limbs grow numb and his movements grew more and more lethargic.
"Just a little bit more . . ." Rei urged himself.
It was a little more too much for Rei's body. He felt his limbs flailing weakly and the light faded from his yellow eyes.
Just as Rei felt himself starting to fall into the dark depths of the lake, the water before him exploded into foam and bubbles and dark red eyes pierced through the cold water to focus on him. Rei smiled even before the strong, paw- like hand closed around his own.
"Saved again . . . thank you . . . Kai . . ."
**************************************************************************** **
They could have fallen headlong into the void below, they could have stepped over the edge and plummeted to their doom. At any moment the lightning that missed them by degrees might have grown more accurate or the rain might have washed down rocks and mud which would have swept them away but none of these happened. Max knew they wouldn't simply because Tyson was with him. Through the dark curtain of rain, they ran, hand in hand, placing their faith in courage, hope and most of all, trust.
Tyson blinked aside the rain that fell into his eyes and blinked again as lightning tore through the dark curtain.
Suddenly, Tyson cried out in pain just as a peal of thunder drowned out the raging roar of the storm.
"Tyson!" Max screamed, cold fear gripping his heart.
Tyson groaned and straightened up.
"Tyson?" Max called a quiver in his voice.
"I'm alright." Tyson reassured his friend and laughed, softly at first and then he outright guffawed.
"Tyson what's wrong? " Max asked grasping Tyson by his shoulders.
"I'll show you." Tyson gasped as he succumbed to another attack of uncontrollable laughter.
Max followed Tyson through the blinding rain and immediately tripped over something.
He gasped out in shock and pain. Then Max looked up at Tyson who smiled at him through the dark storm. Max began to laugh as well and as Tyson bent over to help him up, both boys laughed crazily as they walked up the steps that they had both tripped over, steps that led them back to their cabin.
"We're so silly." Max said at last as he lay down on the cabin floor.
"Yeah I know. Getting all worked up over a little rain." Tyson said breathing hard from the run and the laughter.
"We'll never hear the end of it from the others." Max sighed.
"Where are they anyway?" Tyson asked noting the obvious vacancy.
"Do you think they might be in trouble?" Max asked, worry in his tone.
"Kai and Rei shouldn't be in any trouble and Kenny's smart enough to look after himself." Tyson rationalised but he sounded a little doubtful.
"We'd better go back for them." Max suggested and tried to get up.
He hadn't realised the toll of his exertions in fighting against the blinding rain and the force of the storm to reach the cabin. Just as Max began to straighten his knees he felt the strength drain out of him and he fell as his knees gave way.
"Max!" Tyson cried and rose to his friend's help but he had only risen halfway before his limbs weakened and he fell headlong into Max's chest.
Max gasped at the impact.
"Sorry Max, I just seem so weak all of a sudden." Tyson apologized as he braced himself above Max with aching arms.
"It's alright. I guess it was more than just a little rain." Max said with a tired smile.
"Yeah, it was." Tyson admitted.
Tyson tried to stand but he fell instead like a weak kitten on Max's chest again.
"Forget it Tyson, we're not going anywhere." Max said as he winced at the blow.
"That does seem to be the case." Tyson agreed with a rueful laugh.
"Give me a minute and I'll see whether I can get myself off of you." Tyson said after a while.
"It's alright stay there." Max told him.
"No it's alright, I'll try to lift myself up again." Tyson insisted.
"Tyson," Max said in a long-suffering voice, "I'm wearing a soaked shirt and shorts and I'm drenched to the bone. You're warm. I'm cold. Stay there."
"All right." Tyson laughed and sighed happily as Max's arms wrapped about his shoulders.
"Tyson?"
"Hm?"
"You know what I said about lunch?"
"Yeah?"
"You can have some now."
"Huh? I thought you'd be too tired to coo . . . mmmhhh" Tyson's words were instantly smothered.
"Was that what you had in mind?" Max asked after Tyson could breathe again.
"More or less." Tyson answered licking his lips.
"Wonderful, that was just the appetiser, now prepare for the main course." Max grinned and prepared to serve the rest of his special lunch.
**************************************************************************** ***
Kenny huddled as close to the mountain face as he could.
"I'll be alright chief. You don't have to be so worried." Dizzi assured Kenny although her voice wavered tremulously.
Kenny couldn't see how Dizzi was doing but he could feel her in his mind and she was shivering in his arms.
"I should have thought to take my shirt." Kenny rebuked himself, "How could I have been so stupid?"
Kenny shivered as the cold began to seep into his body that was bared naked against the elements save for the beige shorts around his waist.
"You should have headed back to the cabin while you had the chance." Dizzi nagged.
"I'm alright." Kenny replied and promptly sneezed.
"See!" Dizzi scolded.
"You would have got wet." Kenny answered and sniffed as his nose began to run.
"I told you Chief, I'm a bit beast, such things don't worry me." Dizzi cried exasperatedly.
"The rain can't kill you but I know that Bit Beasts can be hurt by the elements being elemental beings themselves. I just don't want anything to happen to you. It's bad enough for me to keep you in a computer." Kenny said his voice trailing off with a hint of guilt.
"Kenny . . ." Dizzi began but her tone had turned much gentler.
"Just let me look out for you, just this once." Kenny whispered and caught his Bit Beast in a fierce hug.
Kenny wasn't sure if he was imagining it but he seemed to feel a warm presence envelop him. His spine tingled with the sense of warmth and love.
"At least don't do it alone . . ." Dizzi murmured from deep within Kenny's embrace.
Kenny smiled and drew Dizzi closer to his happy heartbeats.
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Rei trembled violently within the hollow Kai had made for them. The bushes helped keep out the worst of the storm, but it couldn't hold off the harsh gale. The wind cut through his frame like an icy dagger. He clutched the flute he had just recovered in both his hands and tried to bury himself deeper into the bushes. He shivered again as the movement sent streams of water sloshing down his back.
Kai was crouched beside the shuddering feline form. Like Rei, all he wore was shorts since both their clothes were soaking wet and lay in a dismal pile together with Kenny's beside Kai and Rei's hollow. He felt the biting cold of the wind just as keenly as Rei but he didn't shake as much as Rei. After all he had survived worse than this in Russia. Painful memories came back to him but he forced them back, he couldn't afford to dwell on them at the moment. He looked over at Rei. The Chinese boy's lips had turned a bright blue and his face was far paler than it should be. The dark hair that crowned the young cat- like face was embedded with cold rain drops and beads of water from the lake he had so foolhardily leapt into. Rei shook with cold once more and Kai couldn't help it any longer. He gently but firmly placed Rei in his arms and held the freezing body close to his own, breathing his warm breath over Rei's pale face.
Rei slowly stirred, his golden eyes peering vaguely at Kai's form before him.
"Th . . .anks." Rei whispered through chattering teeth.
"Shhh . . ." Kai said shaking his head and slowly rocked the lithe body to get some warmth into it.
Rei gratefully closed his eyes and his expression turned to one of peaceful bliss.
Kai stared silently at that face, thoughts rising and stirring within him.
A blinding bolt flashed dangerously in the sky and an earth- shattering crash resounded throughout the mountain.
Rei awoke with a start. Kai placed a calming hand on Rei's face and Rei turned to look at him and smiled, relaxing his tense body.
"It's beautiful." Rei whispered.
"What is?" Kai asked.
"The sound of the rain on the leaves. It's like the sound of lovers tapping out a secret message that only they understand." Rei said looking at the quivering leaves above them.
"Hm." Kai replied an odd feeling gathering within him.
"A Chinese poet once described the sound of the rain as lovers in bed speaking in hushed tones to each other." Rei continued.
Kai listened intently to the rain and for a few moments it did seem as if the rain whispered to him.
Lightning flashed before them, lighting the curtain of rain before them with brilliant light. Rei purred at the sudden beauty. The rumble of distant thunder echoed him. Kai took one look at Rei's expression of pure joy and sudden impulse took control.
"Rei, can I ask something?" Kai blurted before he could stop himself.
Rei turned his yellow eyes on Kai, gazing at him with a kittenish curiosity.
"Hm?" Rei asked cocking an inquisitive eyebrow at Kai.
"How do I say this?" Kai thought to himself.
"I . . .I . . . feel that we've both come a long way . . .and . . ." Kai struggled to say.
"And?" Rei asked his gleaming eyes softening.
". . . and . . ." Kai took in a deep breath and exhaled with difficulty.
Rei held his breath and felt his blood rush in his ears.
"Can we be brothers?" Kai finished finally his crimson eyes staring at Rei with mute appeal tinged with the fear of some sharp rejection.
"Brothers?" Rei choked on the word as he felt his blood drain away from him and he felt his body grow cold.
Kai realised immediately that he had made a mistake.
"I'm sorry, maybe I assumed too much. I just felt that we . . . never mind. Forget I said anything." Kai's words rushed carrying with it the tone of regret and humiliation.
"No, hold on Kai." Rei interrupted.
Kai turned his crimson eyes on Rei with bewildered hope.
"Is that how you really feel?" Rei asked with false calm.
Kai slowly nodded his head tensely.
Rei gave a Kai a smile that he did not feel.
"Then I'll be happy to be your brother." Rei declared.
Kai's guarded expression turned to surprise and slowly relaxed into a grateful smile. Gingerly, he embraced his new brother. Rei returned his brother's embrace more forcefully.
"Brother." Kai whispered gruffly into Rei's ear.
"Brother." Rei echoed even as a single tear slid down his wan skin.
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And so we reach the end of this sequel. Sorry I had to do this to you Rei, I tried very hard not to this to you but . . . Of course things won't end like this. I'll post one final chapter . . . I've already started on it, but I'll let this story settle for a while before I start type out the last chapter. This chapter is a bit of a let down to me but it had to be done. Can't write anymore . . . got the blues . . . review to tell me what you think please.