By: Dreamer

"Rhythm Emotion."

I just feel Rhythm Emotion, the beat of my heart connected to yours so far away

I don't care if I'm hurt anymore, without

It's kinda of hard to believe, but I got into a fight with Gabe. I told him that he was so far up my ass that I couldn't take a piss without him knowing. I later told mom this and she laughed. She told me that he's always been like that. It's only gotten worse since Bakuryu and I have hooked up. After I started to think about it she was right. I sighed and turned on Kenji's stereo in our room. It started blaring something, I really didn't care. I just trying to get some naptime and I couldn't get any, so I started thinking. Which isn't really good for my health... so some head bangin' music might work... damn, it doesn't.

Later I was called down from our room for dinner. I eat my dinner quietly while Kenji filled in with talking, Duo would then back her up. For some reason, I really didn't feel like talking, I actually had nothing to say. After I was finished I looked to all the parents, curtsey thing.

"May I be excused?" I asked, something that attending formal balls and the like instilled themselves in me. It's habit that I ask to leave the table every time.

My father nods his head to me after flashing me his approval smile. I held back urge to roll my eyes at him. I cleared my space and when I was done I walked to my mother and whispered into her ear.

"Is it okay that I go and train... alone?" I asked, knowing damn well that Bakuryu and Cloud could hear me.

"Is everything alright?" She asked. "You really haven't been seen all day and haven't spoke a word at dinner."

"I'm just a little out of it, that's all... honest. Some training will do me some good. This rain spell we've had for the last few days has sucked me dry of my energy. I don't care if it's night, while the cat is away... I'll play for a while."

"Just be careful. I don't want you to stay out too late... because I don't want you chewing Gabe out."

"But its so much fun!" I said out loud and we both laughed at this.

I dashed out of the house and went through the woods splashing and skidding through the mud puddles. It relaxes me and I love to play out in the moonlight. When I got that out of my system, I began training. Various kicks and punches led to me trying to control the way my energy went. I eventually went out to the cave and got something that my mom made, she hasn't named it yet just like her to put something like that off. What it does is it will reflect my energy beams right back at me. Then after some time it will start reflect the energy beams back and forth to confuse you and then hit you when you least expect it. It's always been loads of fun watching Kenji go at this.

I remember one time that she was really pissed off at something and decided to take it out on the devices and I showed up, she charged up for a big beam and released it. I was being a smart ass and shouted while pointing behind her, she was in front of me... I told her that Gabe's ass was right behind her, with nothing on... she turned around and made a questionable sound... the beam hit her and she fell out of the sky and hit the ground. I started laughing to the point tears were rolling down my cheeks. She jumped up and started chasing me everywhere until Bakuryu stopped her with the help of Gabe.

It's something we both laugh about when the word "ass," is brought up. It's just something that will stick with us for the rest of our lives, no matter how much we change and fall apart.

I kept it up until I fell to the ground utterly exhausted. I was sweating so bad, anyone could smell me from the better of a mile away. I sighed as I looked up at the moon and stars, I was at peace here. My heart is connected with Bakuryu's... not because I'm in love with him, I won't knock that... but he's the one that's keeping me training to be a stronger person.

I went to move my left arm and felt the pain of the deep gash I got there the other day. I got it the day that Bakuryu transformed for the first time. I had stepped in the way of him and his mother fighting, I couldn't stand to watch it happen... I had to do something, anything... I just felt helpless watching them fight. It didn't feel right for them to do that, so I stepped in the way of his mother's blast...

Bakuryu shielded me from the blast, or so I thought. What I've kept to myself is the fact that when he wrapped his clawed hands around me, he scrapped my left arm and left me with a deep wound. Nobody noticed it in all the commotion. Which is good. I can handle the pain if it means that Bakuryu doesn't find out.

If he knew that he caused me pain, he'd only push himself further away than what he has already. And I couldn't bare to lose him. But it's not the pain or the wound that bothers me at all. I don't care if I'm hurt anymore just as long as I can protect Bakuryu from going through another transformation is all I care about.

Call me selfish or whatever you want but it's the truth. As the rain started to fall again, my tears mixed in with the sweat and rain that covered my body.

I closed my eyes and welcomed the cool feeling that the rain brought. It was only a light shower and it put me to sleep. Something I haven't had since his transformation. I also welcomed this sleep with open arms.

Turing my eyes away, I want to live passionately

I want to hold you because you give me the strength to never give up

I tore my eyes away from my Preventer homework and looked at the clock. Eleven thirty at night and Aires still hasn't returned from her training. I looked back at Gabe to hear him snoring away over there on the bottom bunk of our bed. I so badly wanted to go over there and punch his face in so he'd stop snoring so damn loud. But I held back the urge to hit him and focused on sensing Aires.

Earlier, I had sensed a rising power then it fell... at the time I didn't think anything of it. How stupid of me. I quickly lowered my power level... one to that of a sleep person... and I disappeared out of the house. I perched myself on one of the highest points on the house and smelled the air. Damn rain. It was interfering with my scent.

"Stupid mutt, you're not going to find her that way..."

I turned around and to come face to face with Gabe.

"We'll have to do it the old fashion way," he said without looking at me. "Since we can't pick up on her power level or for you scent... we'll have to split up and search from one end of the forest to the other. When she's found raise your power level just enough for the other to sense you."

I kept giving him the go-to-hell look but I knew that he was only trying to help. I spit my disgust for him at his feet and complied. I hated the fact that he called me a "mutt," but he'll pay dearly for that when the time comes.

Without even nodding my head at him I disappeared to the cave and walked into there. Despite the rain, I could smell that she had been here. But that was hours ago. I left and went running through the woods.

While running, I briefly looked to the sky as thunder lit it... I saw something flying in the air. Was that Aires? I kept running and made a jump into the air and flew as fast as I could to get to them.

When I got there, I smelt a faint trace of blood. But all that was in the sky that I saw was Vera's stupid little contraptions. They were only perfect for the beginners like Aires. I then looked down and saw Aires lying there.

I saw her there... my heart stopped in my chest and I did a freefall out of the sky and landed with a light touch to the Earth. I saw the wound on her left arm, that was the blood I smelt. I couldn't see how deep the wound was on her arm because she was wearing an armband to hide it. But her blood was coming out at the bottom. "Why?" I thought. It came back to me in a painful flashback. I fell by her side knowing that I did it. I had caused her pain. It was my fault that she had to suffer. I so badly wanted to die for causing her pain.

I felt someone near me, I half open my eyes to see Bakuryu there. It looks like he's fighting with himself. I looked down and saw my watered-down blood on the grass. He now knows. I force myself up, every muscle in my body screaming in protest. I barely have the energy to move but I crawl up behind him and wrap my arms around his waist and hold onto him like that.

"It's okay," I told him. "The pain will go away..."

He didn't say anything to me, I could tell that his face went blank like it normally would do. I felt that he was trying to push me away without physically doing it. He thinks by not talking to me, I'll just go away. But I won't. It'll take a lot to "just get rid of me." I weakly push him around to face me. I guess old habits die hard for him because he quickly turned around and he ended up holding me in his arms.

"I don't care that you hurt me, you weren't yourself, I've forgiven you..."

"How can you forgive a monster?" He snapped in a low voice.

"You're not a monster!" I snapped. "You're Bakuryu and there's nobody else that I could love more... if I lose you... I lose my strength that I've got. You're my strength and I don't want you to ever leave me!"

I buried my head into his chest. Everything I said was true. I meant every word for him too. But was that enough to get through to him? I don't know...

The mistakes and the pain guided me to one clear moment of light

I want to experience the present on my bare skin, I want to find more gentleness

I want to make you feel the truth of my passion with this kiss

I don't know why she cares so much for me like she does. But she made me see my mistakes and made me see the pain that I had caused for myself and her. More lighting lit the sky up and I looked down at her. I could tell that I was causing her a lot of pain right now by not talking to her. What can I tell her? I'm not good with words and she knows that. Maybe she just wants to be comforted by the one she loves. I wrapped my arms tighter around her small frame and pulled her closer to me. I looked into to her eyes for the longest time. Before I knew it, I was leaning down to kiss her...