Shaedowe: -blink blink-

Myishi: Do you think you could wake up a bit?!

Shaedowe: -blinks- What is wake up?

Myishi: Open your eyes!!!

Shaedowe: -blinks- what are eyes?

Myishi: -shakes Shaedowe- Shaedowe!!!

Shaedowe: -blink blink blink-

Myishi: Argh! -storms out-

Shaedowe: -blink- What is argh?

Oh, and before I forget, thanks you to all reviewers.

Like: Queen of Fantasy

Crimson Shadows (Pyro Inu) -sorry, is this how your username is spelled? Correct me if

I'm wrong... -ashamed-

Haha, yeah, Singapore rocks! -winks-

Myishi: -sweatdrop- Can we get on with the story now?

Shaedowe: -blinks- -becomes retarded again- What is story?

Myishi: Argh!

---

Jade leapt from shadow to shadow, determined not to be found. Strangely though, no one seemed to be looking for her, no alarm was sounding and no one seemed to know who she was, granted no one had seen her.

She was glad in a way, but disappointed all the same, in a funny way. Her captors hadn't even thought her worthy enough to lock the door... It seemed as if she was welcome to roam the place, wherever this place was. Well, first she was going to find the exit. Then she was going to escape back to civilization.

It was freaky the way there were no windows in here, except for the stained-glass ones high above, letting in a stream of coloured lights, almost-beautiful. But she wondered how anyone cleaned them, them being so high up. Five ladders stacked on top of each other wouldn't come even close.

Somehow she doubted that now was the appropriate time to be thinking about the cleaning methods of the beautiful stained-glass windows high above.

The sound of footsteps echoing on the cold stone floor shook her out of her reverie. She had to find a place to hide and fast, or she would be dead meat, and she wouldn't want to die with the last thought in her head being the cleaning methods of the beautiful stained-glass windows high up.

She glanced around desperately. There. She spied a large door metallic some way behind her and ran for it. The doors were automatic, sliding open to welcome her, almost as if she were expected. And it looked like she was.

As she stumbled in, panting heavily from her sprint, she spun around and came face to face with a calmly smiling boy with almost white hair and tan skin. He looked a lot like the cute guy called Derek, the one in the dream.

The one who had died in the dream.

The one she had got killed.

---

Arrience paced around Reave and Jade's shared room, angry at Reave for not insisting to get Jade immediately, angry at Derek - a tinny wincey bit - for being wrong about Reave insisting and angry at herself for being so damn angry.

She glanced at the raven-haired girl sitting on the bed, back straight, eyes closed, meditating. Once in a while she would mutter something incoherent - which, by the way, didn't make her situation any less boring - but other than that, she might as well have been a corpse. Arrience liked that image very much: Reave as a corpse. But now the image was beginning to wear thin...

Abruptly she got up from her position of lying lazily on the floor. "Going for a walk, little Reave. Don't bother to follow me, you'll never make it. You never did like cats." She crossed the room to the window and leapt downstairs - what was three storeys to a cat? - somersaulting and landing on her two feet neatly. She uttered a loud 'meow' just to piss Reave off and strolled off.

---

Reave got up and stretched. Holding the same position for hours on end wasn't easy. But she had finally succeeded in nearly boring the other girl to death, leaving Reave alone to do whatever she wanted now.

She stepped in front of the mirror. Her hair was straight as always, long and hanging down her shoulder like a waterfall. It would always remain straight no matter what she did to it. Sometimes that was good, sometimes it wasn't. Her hair looked drier than usual now though - probably the stress. Walking to the sink in the marble-tiled bathroom, she splashed some water on her face and hair to wake herself up and to give her hair more water. It sprang back to life mysteriously.

Sighing she checked the clock. It was now 12:43 in the afternoon. Even Tyson would be awake now, courtesy of his ever-hungry stomach. And she would have to emerge, either she or Jade, or people would get suspicious, and that was the last thing she needed at a time like this. Jade was obviously unavailable at the moment, so that left her with no choice. Groaning she slipped out the door.

She was tired. Staying up the whole night trying to bore a cat was not easy; they didn't bore easy. Her legs felt like jelly and her head hurt terribly, to describe a few symptoms. And she still had such a long way to go.

She made her way to the staircase feeling rather than seeing the way. Mentally she created a checklist of the things-to-do today.

Number one: Put on a good, unaffected front in front of the Bladebreakers, especially Kai Hiwatari. Because mainly everything was his fault.

Number two: Try not to be irritated with Arrience and refrain from killing her when she got back from her 'walk'.

Number three: Insist to see Derek, who was supposed to be dead, but somehow wasn't.

Number four: Argue with him and find out everything about his plans, if dead Derek even exists.

Number five: Find Jade.

Number six: Save Jade and convince her that wherever she is, she is in danger and should come back immediately, unless she's already been charmed by the non-existent-yet-existing dead Derek.

Number seven: Make it back safely and pretend nothing happened. Silence Jade as well, if necessary.

Yup, today was a typical day.

---

Jade bit her lip and backed away nervously. She didn't have to be a genius to know that she was in a very dangerous situation. One wrong move and she would be just as dead as she would have been in the corridor.

On the contrary, Derek didn't seem to be threatening at all. He appeared serene, happy, calm. But there had always been the period of calm before a terrible storm.

"Hello Jade."

"Err... what?" Jade gasped nervously. "How'd you know...?"

Derek didn't answer. He seemed to be waiting for something, his gaze resting on the door that had magically slid close immediately after she had stepped inside. Sealing her in. Trapping her in with her victim. Normally it would seem that the murderer was more powerful. But now was quite a different matter altogether.

The teenager's gaze shifted and he turned to smile at Jade. "You were asking?"

'Umm...no...not- not really" She squirmed under his piercing gaze, like that of a hawk's. He seemed to be able to see inside her, to her most terrifying, most hidden thoughts and fears and desires. She didn't like that.

Derek stood up and shook his head, his almost-white hair shaking silkily. It was almost like that of a girl's, just much shorter and messier, and would have no doubt looked silly on many other boys, but on Derek he looked unique, special, like an angel.

Which he perhaps is, because he's supposed to be dead, Jade mused silently in disbelief.

Derek gave a light laugh. "Maybe you're thinking that I'm a ghost, but I'm as alive as they get."

"Err" Jade was speechless. How'd he know what I'd had been thinking?!

Derek smiled. "Easy question, Jade. I am an Atlantian after all."

It was all Jade could do to refrain from bowing down at his feet. He knew what she thought. He knew it all! It was almost as if he was a god.

Derek smiled at her bewilderment, somewhat a little sardonically. "Don't worry your little head about it, or Kai will have mine when he finds out." He seemed to find this extremely amusing and chuckled. Giving her a knowing glance, he grinned. "You'll learn, Jade. We all have."

---

Reave slipped back into her room, barely having time to breathe a sigh of relief. It was too much for her to bear anymore, she felt totally exhausted.

You don't have to bear all this alone. Just tell Kai. He'll help you, if not to help you then to rescue his lady love. Dalfen mused annoyingly yet reassuringly.

Shut up. She muttered darkly back to her bitbeast. That was the last thing she needed. The very last thing. If he found out about Jade, knowing his huge but very well hidden crush on Jade, he would try to save her, doing some kind of heroics. He'd proven himself capable of such idiocies before, back last time, when he thought Jade had a crush on Derek - which she did then.

He really could be an idiot when it came to such stuff.

She was so absorbed that she didn't notice that Arrience had returned. "Boo!" Arrience greeted her.

Reave stopped short and stumbled back, nearly landing on the floor. "Oh. You." She scowled deeply.

Arrience, who was ecstatic that she had finally got the better of Reave for once, grinned. "Yes. Moi."

Reave turned away and sighed. "Can we go now?"

Arrience shrieked with laughter. This was the second time she had the better of Reave. "Thought you'd never ask." She smirked.

Minutes later, the room was empty.

---

Ok, that's it for now. Short? I dunno. But never mind. reviews? Pwetty pwease? -glances at number of reviews- -looks back- I'm desperate!!!!

Myishi: -.-0 ahem.

Myishi: So, you now know the pairings? Ok, one of them at least. Others in the next chapter. And if she feels like it, Shaedowe'll put in a beybattle. So please review? -puppy dog eyes-

Shaedowe: That's my line! Thief!

Myishi: Stealing a line isn't considered thieving!

Shaedowe: Is too!

Myishi: -.-0 whatever you say Shaedowe

Shaedowe: Aww, you're no fun. You're supposed to say 'Is not!'.

Myishi: -.-0 bye bye.