Title: Resurfacing
Authoress: Ladya C. Maxine
Rating: R
Summary: see chapter one
Warnings: see chapter one
Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters. All unrecognizable characters belong solely to me and are not to be touched. I am not making any money off of this and I write with the sole intention to entertain.
************
Dark.
That's all he could see. And feel. Not the darkness of black and shadows, but of nothingness. There was nothing around him. All he felt was the cold of lost. He couldn't find his way out. It was so cold. And lonely. He felt that too.
Awareness came to him and he could hear things. They sounded familiar. Beeps and drips and hums and buzzes. And, in the back of his mind, he could hear voices in the distance. The more he woke up, the more of his senses returned. With much effort, he opened his eyes.
The ceiling above him was white, lined with fluorescence lights that burned brightly as they burned his eyes. Blinking very slowly, he turned his head to one side, feeling the wave of dizziness hit him though he was lying down. Pale green walls surrounded him from all sides of the room. Machines of all sorts and sizes lined them, wires and plugs leading from them towards him. He could feel at least three needles in his arm.
Each laboured breath he took hurt his chest and his skin tingled with pain and numbness. It took all his concentration to keep his eyes open and that made his head hurt even more. Something was over his nose and mouth; an oxygen mask of some sort.
Alone.
He was alone.
Soft breathing turned his head to the right where he could make out the blurry outline of a person dressed in white who sat in a chair next to his bed. He remembered her; the lady who had spoken to him when he had awoken the first time, though he couldn't tell how long ago that had been. She had tried to keep him in awareness but he couldn't. He didn't want to.
He was alone. The lady in white was right next to him but he couldn't feel her. He couldn't feel anyone. He didn't want to anybody.
Except one.
Looking around, he strained to see him, but he wasn't there. The fiery warmth that always surrounded him wasn't in the room. Nothing but cold, and darkness.
Then, he felt.
A cold that slowly ran down a cheek, leaving a trail of wetness. A single bead of moisture trickled down his face to be absorbed into the soft whiteness of the pillow beneath his head.
A tear.
A single tear.
Alone.
Like him.
A loud beep from a machine nearby woke the woman as it had before but before she could even speak, he turned his head away as another lone tear escaped. Darkness was returning as the emptiness of his heart beckoned it. Without the fire to burn it away, he was trapped.
'.....Kai.....'
Darkness and loneliness overcame him and he slipped off just as the doctors ran in.
***********
Dranzer lifted her head when she felt the teen beneath her move. She nudged his head gently with her beak and watched as half-lidded eyes opened, irises the colour of her feathers taking on the state of awareness. When he didn't move again, she nibbled on his bangs, tugging softly; worried that he had taken a turn for the worse during the night.
"I'm alright, Dranzer."
His normally confident and strong voice was now but a whisper but she gladly accepted it. Cooing, she nuzzled his head with hers and a hand came up to stroke her flaming head.
"Thank you."
His muscles no longer hurt as much as before, but he still needed to hold onto her neck for support as he sat up, immediately feeling the chill of early morning as the action made her remove her heated tail feathers and large wing. Seeing this, she hopped onto his lap, settling down though her eyes never left his.
"You know that you can't stay out of your blade for too long. You'll run out of energy," Kai pointed out softly, scratching beneath her beak as she lifted her head. A look of defiance was her response and he could feel her sharp talons tightening slightly where they rested on his pants.
"It's day. He doesn't come during the day. I'll be alright."
Not buying it, she laid her head down, getting herself more comfortable as she was prepared to stay with him for as long as she could.
Flames burned bright, though didn't hurt him, as the door handle wriggled a bit as someone started to open it. Jumping off him, she placed herself between him and the 'visitor', spreading her wings to shield him as much as possible.
"Kai?"
That voice. He recognized it. And it didn't belong to his grandfather.
Placing a hand on Dranzer and pulling her back a bit, much to her resistant, he looked beyond the flames to see a middle aged woman whose jet- black hair was held out of her face in a high ponytail. The once solid colour was now streaked with the greys of age. And her once smooth face had aged also, though not too much. Still, fine wrinkles around her eyes and mouth told of hardship and grief.
"Margaret?" he asked disbelievingly, wondering if this was indeed the lady who used to look after him when he had been a child. Her name worked to pacify Dranzer who settled down next to him as she regarded the human female.
Slipping in to keep the door as closed as possible, she nodded, her eyes hesitant as she approached him, carrying a tray of food. Seeing the meal, he realized that he had not eaten for three whole days, though he still didn't feel like it.
"You've grown," she commented. "It's been a long time since we last saw each other."
"What are you doing here? The mansion is empty."
"It is. But...Lord Voltaire called me yesterday and told me to come back." She sat down, placing the tray on the side table. "I hadn't heard from him in years and I found it strange but he didn't allow any questions. I had a new job in southern Russia and I didn't want to leave it. Then he told me that you were here with him..." Dark grey eyes studied the still fading bruises on his shoulders and torso.
"You shouldn't have come back," Kai said softly. Inside, he felt even worse. Again a person he cared deeply for was putting their health and life on the line to help him!
"I had to. I would have never forgiven myself if I had turned the 'offer' down. Come here." She motioned him over but he hesitated. "I just want to check your injuries."
"That's not necessary," he argued, unconsciously moving away a bit and folding his legs.
She held up her hands and nodded.
"At least eat something. In order to heal you will need your body to have strength."
She took a plate with bread off of the tray and held it out to him.
Hearing her voice and seeing her brought him back to his childhood, which was probably the only reason why he accepted it, moving closer. The action caused his pants' waist to slip a bit, revealing the dark bruises that marred the normally pale skin. He heard her gasp softly and raised shamed eyes to meet hers.
"I'm sorry, Kai. I...I just thought that...I didn't think he would already have..."
"Before we even got here," he admitted, eyes fixed on the plate with the untouched bread.
She took a deep breath, her aged face holding anger as well as despair. A weathered hand reached out and when he didn't do anything, it brushed at the soft bangs before his eyes. He flinched at the contact and she quickly withdrew.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, uncertain as to why he reacted that way towards her.
"It's okay."
He had flinched from her. Never had he done that. When he had been a child he would sit in her lap and cry as she rocked him, saying soft words of comfort as his blood would be soaked up by the towel she held against the wounds. The coming of age had made him far more aware of how shameful his situation was.
Now he was ashamed since he knew that she recalled his childhood horrors and that she now saw him right back where he started made it even more unbearable.
A soft clink came as Dranzer nudged the plate with her beak, urging him to eat. The sight of food made his stomach churn but both females were doing there best to help him and he didn't want to make it harder for them then it already was. Taking a slice, he slowly ate it, concentrating on keeping each bite he swallowed down.
When it was finally gone, he asked,
"Where is he?" No elaboration was needed.
"Having an important meeting with a client in town. He's going to be gone all day."
Kai looked meaningfully over at Dranzer but she merely puffed up her chest and ruffled her feathers in a 'So what?' kind of way, daring him to even try and get her back into her blade. Whether Voltaire was there or not, she wasn't going to allow him out of her sight.
He could feel sleep returning and wearily handed back the plate, noting with disdain that his hand trembled beneath its 'weigh'.
"You should rest," Margaret advised, seeing his eyes blinking to stay awake. "You're weak from hunger. I will return at noon with some soup for you. You are in serious need of nutrients."
He looked ready to protest but she simply eased him back against the pillows, noting that she would have to go find a blanket. Luckily, Dranzer walked over and laid herself down next to him, placing a wing and her long tail feathers over him. His scarlet eyes quickly succumbed to the pleasant warmth and he drifted off.
Margaret watched him sleep, Dranzer next to him and ready to fight for her master. It pained the woman to see her young charge like this. That bastard of a grandfather had been gifted with a wonderful grandson but all he was interested in was the boy's outer beauty.
Fishing out a small handkerchief from her skirt, she wetted it with some water from a cup and gently wiped away the remaining paint from the serene face. Kai tensed in his sleep but Dranzer was quick to assist, nuzzling his face until he calmed.
Thanking the bit beast with a silent nod, Margaret collected the things on the tray and stood, preparing to leave the boy to his much deserved rest.
"You will find a way out of this, Kai. Someone out there must be searching for you."
She closed the door softly and turned to walk away but gasped loudly and dropped the tray with a clatter as she found herself standing face to face with Lord Hiwatari.
tbc...........
************
Read & Review, please.
Authoress: Ladya C. Maxine
Rating: R
Summary: see chapter one
Warnings: see chapter one
Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters. All unrecognizable characters belong solely to me and are not to be touched. I am not making any money off of this and I write with the sole intention to entertain.
************
Dark.
That's all he could see. And feel. Not the darkness of black and shadows, but of nothingness. There was nothing around him. All he felt was the cold of lost. He couldn't find his way out. It was so cold. And lonely. He felt that too.
Awareness came to him and he could hear things. They sounded familiar. Beeps and drips and hums and buzzes. And, in the back of his mind, he could hear voices in the distance. The more he woke up, the more of his senses returned. With much effort, he opened his eyes.
The ceiling above him was white, lined with fluorescence lights that burned brightly as they burned his eyes. Blinking very slowly, he turned his head to one side, feeling the wave of dizziness hit him though he was lying down. Pale green walls surrounded him from all sides of the room. Machines of all sorts and sizes lined them, wires and plugs leading from them towards him. He could feel at least three needles in his arm.
Each laboured breath he took hurt his chest and his skin tingled with pain and numbness. It took all his concentration to keep his eyes open and that made his head hurt even more. Something was over his nose and mouth; an oxygen mask of some sort.
Alone.
He was alone.
Soft breathing turned his head to the right where he could make out the blurry outline of a person dressed in white who sat in a chair next to his bed. He remembered her; the lady who had spoken to him when he had awoken the first time, though he couldn't tell how long ago that had been. She had tried to keep him in awareness but he couldn't. He didn't want to.
He was alone. The lady in white was right next to him but he couldn't feel her. He couldn't feel anyone. He didn't want to anybody.
Except one.
Looking around, he strained to see him, but he wasn't there. The fiery warmth that always surrounded him wasn't in the room. Nothing but cold, and darkness.
Then, he felt.
A cold that slowly ran down a cheek, leaving a trail of wetness. A single bead of moisture trickled down his face to be absorbed into the soft whiteness of the pillow beneath his head.
A tear.
A single tear.
Alone.
Like him.
A loud beep from a machine nearby woke the woman as it had before but before she could even speak, he turned his head away as another lone tear escaped. Darkness was returning as the emptiness of his heart beckoned it. Without the fire to burn it away, he was trapped.
'.....Kai.....'
Darkness and loneliness overcame him and he slipped off just as the doctors ran in.
***********
Dranzer lifted her head when she felt the teen beneath her move. She nudged his head gently with her beak and watched as half-lidded eyes opened, irises the colour of her feathers taking on the state of awareness. When he didn't move again, she nibbled on his bangs, tugging softly; worried that he had taken a turn for the worse during the night.
"I'm alright, Dranzer."
His normally confident and strong voice was now but a whisper but she gladly accepted it. Cooing, she nuzzled his head with hers and a hand came up to stroke her flaming head.
"Thank you."
His muscles no longer hurt as much as before, but he still needed to hold onto her neck for support as he sat up, immediately feeling the chill of early morning as the action made her remove her heated tail feathers and large wing. Seeing this, she hopped onto his lap, settling down though her eyes never left his.
"You know that you can't stay out of your blade for too long. You'll run out of energy," Kai pointed out softly, scratching beneath her beak as she lifted her head. A look of defiance was her response and he could feel her sharp talons tightening slightly where they rested on his pants.
"It's day. He doesn't come during the day. I'll be alright."
Not buying it, she laid her head down, getting herself more comfortable as she was prepared to stay with him for as long as she could.
Flames burned bright, though didn't hurt him, as the door handle wriggled a bit as someone started to open it. Jumping off him, she placed herself between him and the 'visitor', spreading her wings to shield him as much as possible.
"Kai?"
That voice. He recognized it. And it didn't belong to his grandfather.
Placing a hand on Dranzer and pulling her back a bit, much to her resistant, he looked beyond the flames to see a middle aged woman whose jet- black hair was held out of her face in a high ponytail. The once solid colour was now streaked with the greys of age. And her once smooth face had aged also, though not too much. Still, fine wrinkles around her eyes and mouth told of hardship and grief.
"Margaret?" he asked disbelievingly, wondering if this was indeed the lady who used to look after him when he had been a child. Her name worked to pacify Dranzer who settled down next to him as she regarded the human female.
Slipping in to keep the door as closed as possible, she nodded, her eyes hesitant as she approached him, carrying a tray of food. Seeing the meal, he realized that he had not eaten for three whole days, though he still didn't feel like it.
"You've grown," she commented. "It's been a long time since we last saw each other."
"What are you doing here? The mansion is empty."
"It is. But...Lord Voltaire called me yesterday and told me to come back." She sat down, placing the tray on the side table. "I hadn't heard from him in years and I found it strange but he didn't allow any questions. I had a new job in southern Russia and I didn't want to leave it. Then he told me that you were here with him..." Dark grey eyes studied the still fading bruises on his shoulders and torso.
"You shouldn't have come back," Kai said softly. Inside, he felt even worse. Again a person he cared deeply for was putting their health and life on the line to help him!
"I had to. I would have never forgiven myself if I had turned the 'offer' down. Come here." She motioned him over but he hesitated. "I just want to check your injuries."
"That's not necessary," he argued, unconsciously moving away a bit and folding his legs.
She held up her hands and nodded.
"At least eat something. In order to heal you will need your body to have strength."
She took a plate with bread off of the tray and held it out to him.
Hearing her voice and seeing her brought him back to his childhood, which was probably the only reason why he accepted it, moving closer. The action caused his pants' waist to slip a bit, revealing the dark bruises that marred the normally pale skin. He heard her gasp softly and raised shamed eyes to meet hers.
"I'm sorry, Kai. I...I just thought that...I didn't think he would already have..."
"Before we even got here," he admitted, eyes fixed on the plate with the untouched bread.
She took a deep breath, her aged face holding anger as well as despair. A weathered hand reached out and when he didn't do anything, it brushed at the soft bangs before his eyes. He flinched at the contact and she quickly withdrew.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, uncertain as to why he reacted that way towards her.
"It's okay."
He had flinched from her. Never had he done that. When he had been a child he would sit in her lap and cry as she rocked him, saying soft words of comfort as his blood would be soaked up by the towel she held against the wounds. The coming of age had made him far more aware of how shameful his situation was.
Now he was ashamed since he knew that she recalled his childhood horrors and that she now saw him right back where he started made it even more unbearable.
A soft clink came as Dranzer nudged the plate with her beak, urging him to eat. The sight of food made his stomach churn but both females were doing there best to help him and he didn't want to make it harder for them then it already was. Taking a slice, he slowly ate it, concentrating on keeping each bite he swallowed down.
When it was finally gone, he asked,
"Where is he?" No elaboration was needed.
"Having an important meeting with a client in town. He's going to be gone all day."
Kai looked meaningfully over at Dranzer but she merely puffed up her chest and ruffled her feathers in a 'So what?' kind of way, daring him to even try and get her back into her blade. Whether Voltaire was there or not, she wasn't going to allow him out of her sight.
He could feel sleep returning and wearily handed back the plate, noting with disdain that his hand trembled beneath its 'weigh'.
"You should rest," Margaret advised, seeing his eyes blinking to stay awake. "You're weak from hunger. I will return at noon with some soup for you. You are in serious need of nutrients."
He looked ready to protest but she simply eased him back against the pillows, noting that she would have to go find a blanket. Luckily, Dranzer walked over and laid herself down next to him, placing a wing and her long tail feathers over him. His scarlet eyes quickly succumbed to the pleasant warmth and he drifted off.
Margaret watched him sleep, Dranzer next to him and ready to fight for her master. It pained the woman to see her young charge like this. That bastard of a grandfather had been gifted with a wonderful grandson but all he was interested in was the boy's outer beauty.
Fishing out a small handkerchief from her skirt, she wetted it with some water from a cup and gently wiped away the remaining paint from the serene face. Kai tensed in his sleep but Dranzer was quick to assist, nuzzling his face until he calmed.
Thanking the bit beast with a silent nod, Margaret collected the things on the tray and stood, preparing to leave the boy to his much deserved rest.
"You will find a way out of this, Kai. Someone out there must be searching for you."
She closed the door softly and turned to walk away but gasped loudly and dropped the tray with a clatter as she found herself standing face to face with Lord Hiwatari.
tbc...........
************
Read & Review, please.