Hey there! Nearly 300 reviews, oooh yeah! Feel the love! I had a question
about why my story was called crossing the bridge, so here's the
explanation. Kai separates himself from getting close to people, he puts
himself on the banks of a river of pain, shame and torment, and he places
everyone else on the other side of the river. The crossing the bridge title
comes from his friends support building a bridge to him, and it's up to Kai
to accept their help and cross the bridge. I know that was a big
explanation and I don't know if it makes sense to you all, but the title
just felt right to the story! Anyway, onwards with the next chapter!
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Tadashi gave a small smile, "hello Kai".
Kai stared at her, what was she doing here? She was different then before, her black and red hair was still in the small braids, but it all hung down to her shoulders now, no longer hung to fall down to her ears in loops. The front was still loose though, and obscured part of her face. She was dressed differently as well. The deep blue, long, split skirt was still present, but her legs were no longer bare beneath it. White baggy trousers shrouded her legs and were gathered into the top of her black boots. Her top was white and hugged her figure, only the barest of glimpses of her midriff could be seen. Blue straps held onto the shoulders and onto sleeves that sat part way down her upper arms. The material was also white, but the blue straps and buckles that lined the sleeves all the way down to partially cover her hands added some more colour to the white based outfit.
Around her waist was her low slung belt, no matter what, she always wore this. The whip was no longer hanging on her left hip, and was replaced with a blue pouch. The whip hadn't gone though; Kai could still see the tip of the handle poking through the flap lid of the pouch. She had probably covered it so she wouldn't be stopped and asked about it.
Kai's gaze finally settled on her eyes. The colour always fascinated him, like his eyes did other people. The blue so pale he swore they were really grey. The only difference from before was this time, instead of clear purpose and joy they used to hold, pain and confusion clouded them. Kai could understand, everything she had known had been ripped away from her, and she had been thrust into a reality she had no experience of.
"Tad, what are you doing here?"
She looked in the direction of Boris's cell, "I came to see what had happened, if they really were locked away."
"How did you get in?"
Her voice swam in musical notes in his ears, "I said that Boris was my uncle, I hated to say it, I never knew how evil he was till, well, till I was punished." Her voice grew thick with emotion, and she lowered her eyes to stare at the floor.
What had they done to make her like this? This wasn't the Tadashi he knew, it unnerved him to see the once cool and graceful girl who had punished him all these years on the verge of tears. It wasn't right, it was like seeing Voltaire don a tutu and dance Swan Lake, it just wasn't possible.
Tadashi's movements startled him as she collapsed to her knees and started to sob. Kai rushed to her and knelt by her.
"Whoa! Tad, don't cry, please!" he wasn't going to admit it, but he had no idea what to do when people cried.
Then she did something he really couldn't handle, she turned to him and cried on his shoulder. He knelt there, one knee on the floor, one bent to support him, both arms hovering in the air, what the hell was happening? He had made two girls cry in one day; so far it was a bad day!
Her crying eased and she turned away from him. "Gods Kai, I never expected the world to be this way! I've got so much explaining to do!"
Kai placed a hand on her back, "not here, never here. You can say what you need to when we are out of here. I've been in this place too long already."
Tadashi nodded and accepted his help to get her up. They walked in silence. Kai's thoughts were all over the place, why did so much have to happen in such a short time, his parents, his release of Boris, and now Tadashi. He was so confused by her, he should be angry, he should hate her, but he couldn't. She never hated him, and she had never known any other way to live.
They made it to the barred gate to find Samantha and Mr. Granger arguing with the guards. All went silent as the two teens approached.
"Kai! There you are!" said a very relieved Samantha, she then gave a quizzical look at Tadashi.
"She's coming with me" said Kai as he walked passed the now open gate.
The adults fell behind the fast striding Kai and the girl they had never seen before. They walked through the doors into the waiting room. Kai grabbed hold of Tadashi's arm and pulled her to walk faster. He didn't want awkward questions from the others, he didn't wasn't Tadashi to run off again. He heard his name being called as he sped across the floor towards the door. They walked into the sunlight and almost ran to the minibus. He climbed aboard and Tadashi followed him. They sat at the back and Tadashi busied herself with staring out of the window. This was going to be uncomfortable for a while, but she couldn't run now. The others boarded the bus and sat in seats near each other. Tyson came up and sat in the seat in front of Kai. He didn't turn around till the bus was moving.
"Kai, isn't she the girl that we saw when, you know, we were all kidnapped?" he whispered, but not quiet enough, Kai could see Tadashi tense out of the corner of his eye.
"Shut up!" growled Kai in response and Tyson turned away grumbling. Tadashi relaxed a little as Tyson got up and sat with the others. He could hear them talk amongst themselves and tried to drone them out, he really needed to think. He had too much in his head, but it was mostly thoughts about his parents, and what Tadashi was doing here. He didn't say anything till the minibus stopped and everyone got off it and went to Tyson's house. Tadashi followed Kai in silence, her eyes only just raised high enough to see where he was going.
Kai led her to the garden, he didn't want any of the others to disturb them, not right now, he needed to hear what Tadashi had to say. He sat down on the raised, undercover wooden area and she sat next to him.
"So, are you going to tell me what you're doing here?" asked Kai, breaking the silence.
"I'm sorry Kai, I had no where to go, so I went to see what had happened to Boris and your grandfather..."
"He's not my grandfather, don't call him that" Kai interrupted.
"Sorry, I can see where your coming from, but he is your grandfather whether you want to believe it or not."
Kai didn't argue with her, her honesty was one of the things he had admired of her; she had always spoken her mind, even when it meant trouble for her.
Tadashi took Kai's silence as an indication for her to keep talking. "I wasn't looking for you, but you were there. Kai, I never realised how evil I was till Biovolt went down, I've done such terrible things! I didn't know what I was doing was wrong!"
Her voice was thick again, Kai didn't want her to cry, and it was too disturbing the first time round.
"Tad, it's not your fault, you were used like I was. The only reason I rebelled against what they wanted me to do was because I had seen the world first, you were born and bred in that abbey, everything you knew came from their teaching. The important thing is, and I know it corny, is that you know what's wrong and you can change it. The past is done, what's important is how you live from now on." Kai was saying this, and Tad was relaxing so it had to be working, now if only he could believe it himself.
"Thank you Kai, it helps. I just wish I could help you the same way."
Kai frowned, "what do you mean?"
Tadashi actually smiled, and Kai glimpsed a little of the Tad he knew, "I may believe this, or at least want to, but your not convincing yourself are you?"
Kai allowed a small chuckle, "How do you do that Tad? How do you know what people are thinking?"
"Training, I learnt to read body language when I was learning to talk. Now why don't you believe yourself?"
The mirth had faded, "because I'm not sure I can live with what I've done, I know you feel the same, but you never killed anyone."
"No, I just tortured them", her voice was sad again, "Kai, how can you even look at me after what I did to you, and I enjoyed it!"
"But you don't now?"
Tadashi didn't know where this was headed but she answered anyway, "no, I feel sick when I think of what I did."
"Then your past shouldn't matter, it's the choices you're making now that count. I should hate everyone from the abbey, and I can't. I feel sorry for everyone that's ever had experience in that place. Even when they hate me, I can't hate them."
"People like Tala? And what about your gran....Voltaire and Boris?"
"Tala hates me, but we were friends before then, before I killed Tori. I can't blame him, I took away his sister. As for Voltaire and Boris, after seeing them I feel only anger towards Voltaire and I feel strangely empty over Boris. I know what he did to you Tad, and if you ever need to say anything about it, then you can always just talk to me."
Tadashi sighed, "I wish I could but I don't think I will ever be able to talk about what he did to me."
Kai's face formed a grim smile, "you'd be surprised about what you can talk about in the right conditions. I know what you've been through Tad; I was at the receiving end of Boris's affections more then once."
Tadashi turned and stared at Kai, "you mean? Oh Kai, I don't know what to say."
"There's nothing you can say, so don't. I have to ask you, but do you know where Leon is?"
"No, no I don't. I'm sorry, I wish I knew where he is, he's dangerous Kai. There are things about Leon you don't know. If he gets hold of you, then you'll wish it was Boris instead. What he feels for you goes beyond hate, and he will make you suffer."
Before either of them could continue Ray interrupted them.
"Sorry guys, but I think you both need to explain what's going on here to the others, and me."
Kai stood up, "we don't have to explain anything Ray!"
Tadashi stood up and placed an arm on Kai's shoulder, "yes we do, even if it's just me." Kai resigned himself to walk behind the other two, glaring at Ray's back.
None of them noticed the flash of steely metal from the wall, or the glint from dark, stormy eyes. But before anybody could, they were gone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tadashi gave a small smile, "hello Kai".
Kai stared at her, what was she doing here? She was different then before, her black and red hair was still in the small braids, but it all hung down to her shoulders now, no longer hung to fall down to her ears in loops. The front was still loose though, and obscured part of her face. She was dressed differently as well. The deep blue, long, split skirt was still present, but her legs were no longer bare beneath it. White baggy trousers shrouded her legs and were gathered into the top of her black boots. Her top was white and hugged her figure, only the barest of glimpses of her midriff could be seen. Blue straps held onto the shoulders and onto sleeves that sat part way down her upper arms. The material was also white, but the blue straps and buckles that lined the sleeves all the way down to partially cover her hands added some more colour to the white based outfit.
Around her waist was her low slung belt, no matter what, she always wore this. The whip was no longer hanging on her left hip, and was replaced with a blue pouch. The whip hadn't gone though; Kai could still see the tip of the handle poking through the flap lid of the pouch. She had probably covered it so she wouldn't be stopped and asked about it.
Kai's gaze finally settled on her eyes. The colour always fascinated him, like his eyes did other people. The blue so pale he swore they were really grey. The only difference from before was this time, instead of clear purpose and joy they used to hold, pain and confusion clouded them. Kai could understand, everything she had known had been ripped away from her, and she had been thrust into a reality she had no experience of.
"Tad, what are you doing here?"
She looked in the direction of Boris's cell, "I came to see what had happened, if they really were locked away."
"How did you get in?"
Her voice swam in musical notes in his ears, "I said that Boris was my uncle, I hated to say it, I never knew how evil he was till, well, till I was punished." Her voice grew thick with emotion, and she lowered her eyes to stare at the floor.
What had they done to make her like this? This wasn't the Tadashi he knew, it unnerved him to see the once cool and graceful girl who had punished him all these years on the verge of tears. It wasn't right, it was like seeing Voltaire don a tutu and dance Swan Lake, it just wasn't possible.
Tadashi's movements startled him as she collapsed to her knees and started to sob. Kai rushed to her and knelt by her.
"Whoa! Tad, don't cry, please!" he wasn't going to admit it, but he had no idea what to do when people cried.
Then she did something he really couldn't handle, she turned to him and cried on his shoulder. He knelt there, one knee on the floor, one bent to support him, both arms hovering in the air, what the hell was happening? He had made two girls cry in one day; so far it was a bad day!
Her crying eased and she turned away from him. "Gods Kai, I never expected the world to be this way! I've got so much explaining to do!"
Kai placed a hand on her back, "not here, never here. You can say what you need to when we are out of here. I've been in this place too long already."
Tadashi nodded and accepted his help to get her up. They walked in silence. Kai's thoughts were all over the place, why did so much have to happen in such a short time, his parents, his release of Boris, and now Tadashi. He was so confused by her, he should be angry, he should hate her, but he couldn't. She never hated him, and she had never known any other way to live.
They made it to the barred gate to find Samantha and Mr. Granger arguing with the guards. All went silent as the two teens approached.
"Kai! There you are!" said a very relieved Samantha, she then gave a quizzical look at Tadashi.
"She's coming with me" said Kai as he walked passed the now open gate.
The adults fell behind the fast striding Kai and the girl they had never seen before. They walked through the doors into the waiting room. Kai grabbed hold of Tadashi's arm and pulled her to walk faster. He didn't want awkward questions from the others, he didn't wasn't Tadashi to run off again. He heard his name being called as he sped across the floor towards the door. They walked into the sunlight and almost ran to the minibus. He climbed aboard and Tadashi followed him. They sat at the back and Tadashi busied herself with staring out of the window. This was going to be uncomfortable for a while, but she couldn't run now. The others boarded the bus and sat in seats near each other. Tyson came up and sat in the seat in front of Kai. He didn't turn around till the bus was moving.
"Kai, isn't she the girl that we saw when, you know, we were all kidnapped?" he whispered, but not quiet enough, Kai could see Tadashi tense out of the corner of his eye.
"Shut up!" growled Kai in response and Tyson turned away grumbling. Tadashi relaxed a little as Tyson got up and sat with the others. He could hear them talk amongst themselves and tried to drone them out, he really needed to think. He had too much in his head, but it was mostly thoughts about his parents, and what Tadashi was doing here. He didn't say anything till the minibus stopped and everyone got off it and went to Tyson's house. Tadashi followed Kai in silence, her eyes only just raised high enough to see where he was going.
Kai led her to the garden, he didn't want any of the others to disturb them, not right now, he needed to hear what Tadashi had to say. He sat down on the raised, undercover wooden area and she sat next to him.
"So, are you going to tell me what you're doing here?" asked Kai, breaking the silence.
"I'm sorry Kai, I had no where to go, so I went to see what had happened to Boris and your grandfather..."
"He's not my grandfather, don't call him that" Kai interrupted.
"Sorry, I can see where your coming from, but he is your grandfather whether you want to believe it or not."
Kai didn't argue with her, her honesty was one of the things he had admired of her; she had always spoken her mind, even when it meant trouble for her.
Tadashi took Kai's silence as an indication for her to keep talking. "I wasn't looking for you, but you were there. Kai, I never realised how evil I was till Biovolt went down, I've done such terrible things! I didn't know what I was doing was wrong!"
Her voice was thick again, Kai didn't want her to cry, and it was too disturbing the first time round.
"Tad, it's not your fault, you were used like I was. The only reason I rebelled against what they wanted me to do was because I had seen the world first, you were born and bred in that abbey, everything you knew came from their teaching. The important thing is, and I know it corny, is that you know what's wrong and you can change it. The past is done, what's important is how you live from now on." Kai was saying this, and Tad was relaxing so it had to be working, now if only he could believe it himself.
"Thank you Kai, it helps. I just wish I could help you the same way."
Kai frowned, "what do you mean?"
Tadashi actually smiled, and Kai glimpsed a little of the Tad he knew, "I may believe this, or at least want to, but your not convincing yourself are you?"
Kai allowed a small chuckle, "How do you do that Tad? How do you know what people are thinking?"
"Training, I learnt to read body language when I was learning to talk. Now why don't you believe yourself?"
The mirth had faded, "because I'm not sure I can live with what I've done, I know you feel the same, but you never killed anyone."
"No, I just tortured them", her voice was sad again, "Kai, how can you even look at me after what I did to you, and I enjoyed it!"
"But you don't now?"
Tadashi didn't know where this was headed but she answered anyway, "no, I feel sick when I think of what I did."
"Then your past shouldn't matter, it's the choices you're making now that count. I should hate everyone from the abbey, and I can't. I feel sorry for everyone that's ever had experience in that place. Even when they hate me, I can't hate them."
"People like Tala? And what about your gran....Voltaire and Boris?"
"Tala hates me, but we were friends before then, before I killed Tori. I can't blame him, I took away his sister. As for Voltaire and Boris, after seeing them I feel only anger towards Voltaire and I feel strangely empty over Boris. I know what he did to you Tad, and if you ever need to say anything about it, then you can always just talk to me."
Tadashi sighed, "I wish I could but I don't think I will ever be able to talk about what he did to me."
Kai's face formed a grim smile, "you'd be surprised about what you can talk about in the right conditions. I know what you've been through Tad; I was at the receiving end of Boris's affections more then once."
Tadashi turned and stared at Kai, "you mean? Oh Kai, I don't know what to say."
"There's nothing you can say, so don't. I have to ask you, but do you know where Leon is?"
"No, no I don't. I'm sorry, I wish I knew where he is, he's dangerous Kai. There are things about Leon you don't know. If he gets hold of you, then you'll wish it was Boris instead. What he feels for you goes beyond hate, and he will make you suffer."
Before either of them could continue Ray interrupted them.
"Sorry guys, but I think you both need to explain what's going on here to the others, and me."
Kai stood up, "we don't have to explain anything Ray!"
Tadashi stood up and placed an arm on Kai's shoulder, "yes we do, even if it's just me." Kai resigned himself to walk behind the other two, glaring at Ray's back.
None of them noticed the flash of steely metal from the wall, or the glint from dark, stormy eyes. But before anybody could, they were gone.