Fallen Angels
Death scented the room of bloody succession. Rei paled and collapsed forward, ebony locks swaying over his broken amber eyes. Uncharted tears staining his flawless complexion with their salty streams and diluted sinful blood.
Kai smirked happily and walk towards the fallen boy pausing briefly in front of him before staring at his crime beyond.
At last after fifteen years of life he had taken the main player from the game. Voltaire lay dead, eyes open in shock, bewilderment and betrayal his expression, otherwise still looking elegantly regal in death, the only imperfection to Kai's success was the blood that stained the man's attire, Rei and his self. The other notice, was the object that still remained placed in his Grandfather's hand. Kai could almost feel the obsidian flames licking at him, pleased with what the blader had just accomplished, grateful that at last their master had lived up to his murderous expectations. He grinned with pleasure as the fire warmed him, settling contentedly into his mind.
Around him the room fell silent, all was without motion as the occupants judged what Kai would do next. The crimson eyed boy just smiled and turned to face Tala laughing.
"I've done it! He's dead! I'm Free. You're free." He continued to laugh, though the notion held no jubilance to Tala's ears as he noticed the change in Kai and flinched under his gaze.
-----
Tala was with the group of boys touring Biovolts experimental labs that day, Kai was there too, still too young to be considered in 'training' as Tala, being a year older, was. Tala watched the smaller child fondly as he paraded around interested in everything being done, clutching his beloved recently acquired beyblade.
Kai had only lately been granted permission to beyblade at age four. He had come to the abbey about nine months before that and had been treated with luxury and privileges. Tala debated often if he should warn his friend of Voltaire and Boris' treatments. These 'treatments' included being pampered for anywhere between six months to a year, depending on the child's trust, before the serious training began. Tala having been here since he was three began training at age four. He had been forced into knowing the meaning of pain before he could even read or write. He longed to save the crimson eyed child from the same fate.
He and Kai had become aquatinted as Tala had been assigned to 'show Kai the ropes' so to speak and their friendship began from there. Now he watched as that same ruby gazed boy innocently inspected every new piece of equipment that of Biovolt's line.
It was not until the end of the tour did Tala begin to worry.
"And on your left," the associate drawled on obviously exasperated to have been chosen to 'baby-sit' the new recruits. "You will see our most prized finest piece of work." The guide told them allowing the excitement of such a powerful weapon reach even him. "We call it, Black Dranzer."
Kai watched it with such intense curiosity, it gave way to desire.
Several nights later there was word of Biovolt's experimental labs collapsing, all burnt down in black flames. Tala didn't see Kai for almost two years after that.
When at last they say each other, Kai was seven and Tala, eight, Kai was different free from emotions and memories, filled with rage and passionate anger, his childhood already lost to him.
-----
That same look haunted Kai's eyes again, except this time the fire had been fueled.
"Kai?" Rei asked meekly almost shying away as well from Kai's quick sharp glance in his direction.
Beginning to understand the power that had entered the room the employees misfortunate enough to have witnessed Kai's destructive nature over eleven years before, backed away leaving Tala unguarded as well as Boris, who went unnoticed for several fatal moments, as the three boys attempted to mend refuge.
"Kai, What the hell do you think you are doing?" Tala snapped, bringing his self closer to the fallen golden eyed boy, who hardly reacted to the assistance while Tala pulled him to his feet.
"I'm protecting you Tala." Kai laughed murderously in a depthy tone.
"By scaring the shit out of Rei!?!" Tala retaliated shaken still by Kai's transformation.
"Isn't that what you wanted?" Kai asked shrugging, laughing as Biovolt's employees departed carefully from the room, probably off to tell the company of the owner's death. "For me to be all yours?"
A small voice disrupted the boy's arguments.
"Tala, I..." Rei began breathlessly, trying desperately to apologize, however was silenced by a look from Tala.
"Kai, what are you doing?" Tala asked. The blue eyed boy's voice full of concern for his beloved friend. "Please break from it." Tala begged Kai knowing what had been set off in his mind. "You are stronger then this." He noticed Kai was hardly paying attention though, which caused his own gaze to fall in the similar direction, what his eyes lay upon brought dread from every source of his body. Black Dranzer.
Tala turned and kneeled next to Rei, to begin prying the blade from the dead man's clutch. Regaining his stance he turned to Kai and flinched holding the weapon to the crimson eyed boy's face.
"Is this it?" He asked calmly. "Is this what you crave?" He questioned and though he didn't say it he thought it impossible for his eyes not to betray his thoughts, Is this why you returned to the abbey on your own free will? "Kai, I love you, what more do you need?" Tala through his arms around the smaller boy pulling him close to him hoping to feel the phoenix's warmth but it was obsolete.
-----
Rei watched this with faded thoughts. Kai had acted as if he wanted to kill him as the man behind him had fallen dead. What a story he would have to tell, if he made it out alive. His shoulder was throbbing and his neck felt disjointed leaving his limbs almost unusable as he leaned against the desk where Tala had left him.
Tala.
Kai.
Tala loved Kai, not him.
Tala knew Kai, and Kai listened to him. Rei could tell this just in the emotion behind Tala's desperate words.
He understood now why Kai had been so upset about talking about his lost love.
Lost love?
It clued into Rei. Tala was alive. The obsidian haired boy groaned inward knowing what he had to do. The only reason Kai had sought out Rei was because he had been trying to replace the loneliness. Rei didn't resent this, on contrary, he only wished to be able to comfort his leader, however this was now Tala's job and that is why he knew how to react when a final gun was raised that evening.
-----
"Kai, listen to me, please." Tala shook with emotion trying to grasp the Kai he loved. "You don't need this!" He took the burning blade that Kai watched so carefully and threw it across the room. "You are more then just a created molded version of evil. You know that Kai and so do I."
"Is that so Tala?" Boris asked malevolently holding his own gun loosely in his right hand. "I guess now that Voltaire is gone, you will just live happily ever after, you and Kai and your pet kitten over there. You are free?" This question was directed to Kai. "You will never be free." He said to both of them.
"They will because they have each other," Rei gritted his teeth pulling himself at last to his feet as he was the only one to notice the weapon.
Boris began to laugh his shaking hands raising to hold love's destruction. "If I can't have you Tala," he paused a murderous gleam to his violent colored eyes. "Then no one can." A second gunshot.
Instinctively the sound of a gunshot in his loves direction caught Kai in the heart, wrenching him to unbearable pain and reminding him of another death, another life, a repeated mistake.
-----
"I will always defeat you. Something's are just not meant to be." Voltaire's voice sneered as the gun was lifted up unwavering to Kai's head. "I'm sorry Grandson, but this is where it all ends."
The gun was fired, but with careful precision it was dashed from Kai's aim and dared through the heart of the torn blue eyed boy.
Kai hadn't been able to reach him in time; he wouldn't let that happen again.
-----
The crimson eyed youth, twisted violently, trying desperately to allow the bullet to reach him first before it managed to get to Tala, when a flash of white caught the edge of his vision.
He would never be able to make it on time, the bullet came closer, time seemed to stop, to die and fade in the mind of death and so it seemed ageless years before the bullet made it's mark, staining ivory with it's deadly scarlet tear drops.
-----
Rei had known what he had to do. He was not afraid. In his mind this was his everything, he loved Kai, so much so, that he was to literally give up everything just for his leader to be happy. He would dare not allow his golden gaze to watch the death of Tala.
With unjustified strength and his agile movements, Rei was able to stable himself in front of the gun, feeling the painful lead tear though his chest.
He collapsed to the ground, at last he had hoped to have proven himself to Kai.
-----
Boris watched the scene with disgusted shock. Why had this Rei boy sacrificed himself for someone he hardly knew? It was enough to allow his self to lower the gun.
The violet haired man held honor and sadistic schemes to balance. The morals in life had won this time and as he gazed at Voltaire's corpse he knew that to live was victory in itself, and these boys posed a threat.
He had been wrong to want to end Tala's life, for now with Voltaire gone, at last he would be able to take center stage. He would have it all, Biovolt, money, power and both Tala and Kai. Yet now was not the time.
-----
Kai was able to catch Rei as he fell. If not to stop the bullet, to stop the amber eyed boy's painful loneliness he knew the oncoming death would bring.
"Rei?" Kai asked breathlessly unable to think of an emotion to feel.
"Kai?" A groggy, lifeless voice replied, though Kai could tell it hurt the boy to talk.
The obsidian hair, which was once tied with immaculate care, now lay a mess on the floor, ebony bangs plastered to the boys face from blood and sweat. The golden pools were faded and murky slowly loosing their shine and his skin was transparently pale from lack of blood. The flowered crimson wound on his chest was the only sign of freedom as blood escaped uncharted from their veins.
Kai pulled off his scarf and bundled it to Rei's chest in futile attempts to save him. Rei only smiled and shook his head in the calm way he held during any crisis.
"You know I still love you Kai?" Rei said smiling and then turned to watch Tala hoping to send the message correctly that he was happy for them.
Tala rested near Kai unable to gaze upon the obsidian haired boy from guilt.
"I know Rei." Kai said showing neither happiness nor sorrow from the confession he had heard a hundred times.
"I just wanted to help you." The smile never left the boys face as the pain began to numb the death that crept closer. "And I did." He closed his eyes thoughtfully fighting his lungs to keep breathing. "I was once told if you could help at least one person in your life, then it was worth living," he paused again his breathing growing slower, as he strained to reopen his eyes, mentally noting that to close them again would mean internal darkness. "Or worth dying for," Rei forced deliberately meaning every word he spoke.
Kai held him closer unable to take in what had just happened, his hand lifted from the boy's neck to carefully stroke his face. Crimson eyes met teary blue ones as Tala leaned closer to Kai in attempt to hold himself strong and to thank Rei.
"I'm glad I'm not a total loss to you then." Kai laughed in ironic bitterness, though he smiled, tears forming in his caged fire eyes. How could this have happen? Bad things happen to bad people and Rei was definitely not a bad person. "It'll be all right, Rei." Kai told more to himself than the dying boy in his arms.
Tala placed a shaking hand on Kai's shoulder, in sober solemn he shook his head gently at the inevitable.
"I'm sorry I ever doubted you Kai. You are a good person." Rei acknowledged through choking breaths as if reading Kai's thoughts. "I will die happy knowing my sacrifice wasn't in vain and that you know I believe you." Rei said at last his soft voice now no more than a whisper. "I will always love you Kai and I hope you will always love Tala." Rei sighed happily his golden smiling orbs piercing the pain held in the room.
"Rei." Kai breathed silently, leaning forward to brush aside the ebony locks to place a gentle kiss on Rei's soft lips. Rei gazed joyfully into his leaders crimson eyes and smiled before closing his eyes at last. Those beautiful golden pools leaving the world forever.
"Rei."
"Kai." Tala threw his arms around his younger companion compassionately holding together their grief for the boy that risked it all for their love.
"Tala?" Kai asked concentrating on keeping his voice normal. "Could you take Rei please?" The boy continued gazing finally upon the obsidian haired angel.
"Kai?" Tala questioned him.
"I have something I have to finish up. Get him out of here, I'll follow soon. He should feel no more pain even in death.
"I understand." Tala nodded knowing there was much unfinished business for his crimson eyed companion to attend to. He stood up after a quick embrace and reached for the fallen boy gently lifting him over his shoulder as if light as a feather. He returned a quick glance to Kai who was directed away hiding his eyes and facial emotion as usual, Tala thought to himself.
"Kai, please come out soon." Tala told the seemingly unaware boy. "I lost you more then once, let us not make it anymore." Taking Kai's slight nod of head he turned away at last walking free of the hate he had endured for so many years. He and Kai finally had freedom, however at what cost. Rei had died for them, but that was only the most recent causality, and so it was with silence that he said his final good bye to Bryan, Ian and Spencer.
Just beyond the door he could tell the sun was rising and with it, the light and warmth banished the nightmares as Kai would.
-----
Kai choked back his feelings with difficulties and stared around the room. Boris was gone. Pathetic coward, he thought to himself, but did not put the idea of him out of his mind, hoping Tala would be safe.
His second notice was Voltaire's cold lethargic body, which he kicked disrespectively with a smirk.
Finally he stepped up to the desk that had haunted so many dead memories and enveloped his palm around a warming blue object. The red flames immediately took to him, leaping up around him for joy, shying from the ebony cloud that throbbed silently detached from the world.
"Dranzer." He smiled with tears in his eyes, holding his famed blade lovingly in his right hand. She was back as always and still trusted him he sighed thankfully. One last look took to the blade being placed in his pocket.
Kai was prepared to leave the room when he stopped suddenly his heart beating loudly in his ears. He twisted around hearing his name being called. Crimson orbs fell upon the deadly sight.
The jade slashed obsidian blade lay in the corner of the room. It shone with deliberate hated evil calling to it's master. Kai could no longer resist. He held felt the power when he had murdered Voltaire. The confidence and protective determination that had destroyed his nightmare. How was that justified as wrong? Crimson orbs asked questionably smiling and taking a step towards it.
"You were wrong Voltaire." Kai told the deathly study. "I can have everything I want, without you. It was you who brought me down. I no longer belong to you." He smiled and picked up Black Dranzer from the place where Tala had thrown it and pocketed the blade. At last he turned to the exit and left his childhood pain behind. The ebony flames already settling down in his mind for the time of peace.
Not quite done yet but basically there if you are worried about unanswered mysteries just hang on I'll explain everything later alright?
Anyways I hope you have all really enjoyed this story up to this point as much as I have and your input is important to me so yea please read and review if you have the time it is greatly appreciated.
Note: Rei is my favourite charecter and killing him was the hardest thing I have ever had to do so please don't in turn kill me. It was the only way I would be able to be satisfied by not having him end up with Kai and plus it made for an intresting end.
Domo Arigotto