Hey there! Should Kai get another tattoo, something to symbolise his newer connection with the two phoenixes? And thank you those who gave sequel suggestions, I need more!!!!!! There will be a few chapters yet before I finish this story, and the sequel will be just after! I promise! I'm only doing it this way because the story is getting a bit long, and I think that puts newer readers off trying to read it. Anyway, feed back people, I love you all!!!
The boats set off at a fast pace towards the burning ship a way out to sea. Apart from the whirr of the boats fast motors, and the occasional interruption from the communicators, the only sound to be heard in the dark was the strange wet rustling of the calm water, inky black under the night sky. Only the moon lit their path to the red glow in the distance. No one spoke as the distance shortened. When they got closer the rescue men separated out and put on search lights, they began to circle the burning ship, getting closer with each circle.
Ray looked out and squinted into the darkness, the sea seemed to be absorbing all the light.
One of the men, the one steering the boat, spoke, "I hope your friend made it off that ship, if not, then there's no hope."
Ray nodded slightly in the dark, the man was right. He looked at the sudden brightness that was the boat. It flared and oranges and yellows reached further into the sky. If Kai was still on it, there was no way he would be alive, not now.
"Please be ok, Kai please!" he whispered. Hilary came and stood beside him.
"We'll find him Ray, we will."
Ray could only hope they would. The sound of Kai's name began to sound from every boat.
Kai was struggling. The cold water seemed to have seeped into his bones, and it felt like it was trying to drag him under. He could feel Tadashi's heartbeat against his back, slow, but it was still there. Voltaire had long since stopped floundering, and Kai couldn't tell if the grey haired man was even conscious still.
His legs were slowing down, no longer aching, but heavy and numb. He wondered if the bleeding from his thigh had stopped. The arm holding Voltaire was numb too, and he had to keep looking back to make sure he was still holding him.
'Gods your heavy!' thought Kai. Voltaire was a large man, and it didn't help the situation.
The arm he was using to swim paused, it seemed to lock into position. Kai's head went under slightly as the support was gone. He worked his arm free of the hold the cold had on it and pushed his head back up. He coughed the water he had swallowed, the salt causing the lip ring to sting. He cursed hoarsely as the water hurt his already sore throat.
Then he saw the light. It wasn't the distant lights that lined the still far away shore. It was from something closer. His tired brain registered something, sounds. He heard his name, and something mechanical.
"Its ok Tad, their here" he told the still unconscious Tadashi on his back before yelling the best he could as waves pushed against his face.
"I'm he...... cough I'm here! Help!" He called out, his breathing raspy in his throat as he called out.
The light swung toward his position, and he tried to wave without going under. He could dimly see the boat, but his brain seemed slow, was it the cold? The boat was closer then Kai realised. He could feel the water push at him as the boat swung next to him. The displaced water forcing him away from the shiny side of the boat. He struggled to get closer. Only problem was he was sinking. He couldn't seem to move.
Then the weight on his back was lifted, and something grabbed at his shoulder. Hands fixed themselves under his arms and hauled him up, out of the numbing water and into the chill air. He barely had time to think that Voltaire was no longer in his hands grasp.
He was pulled over the boats side and placed on the floor. Blankets were placed around his shoulders, faces swam in his vision. He couldn't do this, he needed to go back. He pushed hands away from him and lurched to his feet. He almost fell to the boats edge as hands tried to pull him back.
"No! I have to go back!" hands began to pull again, trying to drag him away from what he needed, "NO! Let me go, please, you don't understand!" he pleaded. He gave one last shove, and pulled free. He clambered up the side, and was about to dive when he was tackled to the ground. He groaned as he hit the floor.
He blinked as Ray moved away from him.
'Ray tackled me?' he thought numbly to himself. It didn't matter, he had to go back. He struggled back up, only to be pushed back down.
One of the rescuers in the boat pushed Kai back to the floor of the boat by his shoulders. Kai kicked out and Ray grabbed his legs.
"I have to go back! Now!" he yelled. The other two boats drove towards the one Kai was now in, trying to see what the commotion was about. Faces peered with bemused and worried expressions as Kai thrashed in the semidarkness. The man gave a pleading look and Tyson and Max went to help hold him down. Kai stopped when he saw them move Tadashi into one of the other boats.
"TAD! Leave her alone, she needs me!"
Ray looked into Kai's face. "How can you help her? You want to go back to that!" he emphasised his aim by pointing a finger to the burning inferno that was the sinking ship. Kai's gaze followed Ray's finger. As soon as he saw the ship was sinking, his face took on a desperate look. It took the effort of Ray, Max, Tyson, Tyson's dad, and the rescuer to hold Kai, and he still managed to get to the side. They held him as he squirmed and fought his way out of their grasp.
It was too late; the ship was sinking beneath the waves. Kai clawed at the side of the boat, trying to hold on to the narrow rail, his yells becoming bellows as he tried to get back into the water. He watched with pain as the ship slipped beneath the surface.
All that colour, heat, passion. Gone into the inky darkness like it never existed.
Kai stood, frozen to the spot, hands gripping the rail till his knuckles went white. His breath was caught in his throat, and the hands pulling him paused. His mahogany eyes seemed dull and glazed as he looked into the space that was once the ship.
"Kai?" asked Max hesitantly.
Kai continued to stare. His mouth was open, like he was in the middle of saying something. Ray shook his shoulder, and Kai snapped back. He looked around at the startled faces around him.
"It's too late" he said softly.
"What is?" asked Ray, confused.
Kai closed his eyes and shook his head. "Where's Tad?" he asked suddenly. He went to get to the other boat. He made it half way there before he collapsed to his knees. He groaned as he fell forward to support himself on his hands. He was so tired. At least he had saved Tadashi, and Voltaire. He couldn't care about Leon, or Boris, both had gone their own way. But he left behind part of himself, he had let them down. Why didn't he go back for them? Why hadn't they let him?
He shivered in the chilly air.
"I'm sorry Dranzer, Black Dranzer, I couldn't get back to you" he whispered through chattering lips before he fell forward completely, and the world went dark.
Ray hurried to where Kai had collapsed. No one could understand what was going on with Kai. They had found him, much to everyone's relief, and he had even saved Tadashi and Voltaire. But Kai hadn't finished there; he had gone insane, trying to go back into the water, back to the ship that burned into the sea. He had fought with strength no one should have had after swimming that far in hypothermic water. Then when the ship had sank, he had paused, blanked out. Now he was unconscious and cold on the floor of the ship.
Ray reached him and grabbed a blanket to wrap round the still body. He placed it on Kai's upward facing back before turning Kai round. He frowned at the ring through Kai's lower lip, where had that come from?
The rescuer followed Ray and began to wrap Kai up in many blankets, even down to Kai's feet. He talked in a low voice to the driver of the boat. The one they were in, and another, now held everyone but two of the rescuers. These two were in the third boat, and they went back to look for more survivors, no one knew how many were on the ship before it sank. They had to check.
The remaining boats went back to shore. The driver requesting ambulance aid when they returned.
Hilary watched as they bundled Kai up to try and warm him up. She was curious about the lip ring. That wasn't there earlier. What had they done to him? She would have to wait, she supposed, until Kai woke up, and that was assuming he would talk about it at all! Why did he have to be such an enigma? She sighed.
As she looked up, she noticed Tyson was watching her. He gave her a small smile, and she returned it, and went back to watching as Kai was checked over. She didn't see as Tyson looked at her for a bit longer, a wistful gleam in his eyes, before turning round to lean against the rail and watch as the sea raced back.
Sudden commotion broke out as Kai stopped breathing. His lips where already blue from the cold, his skin cold and pale. Now he seemed to have given up. He no longer sought to breathe air, and he just stopped.
The rescuer tore at the blankets to get to Kai's chest, his fingers searched for a pulse. He found one, fluttering and weak, but still there. He supported Kai's head backwards, pinched his nose, and breathed gently into Kai's mouth. Kai's chest rose and fell, everyone who could watched with anticipation and horror. Kai had to pull through this.
The man breathed again and again, checking every so often for a pulse. Time seemed slowed, and the breaths seemed to have no number, they were just repeated again and again.
Then Kai coughed. Badly. His chest racked with the choking noises as he spluttered unconsciously to clear his lungs. He took several deep breaths before his head rolled to the side and it evened out. A collective sigh of relief went round, and Hilary realised she had been crying. She hiccupped softly and was grateful when Tyson placed another blanket around her shoulders. She thanked him with a weak smile as he held on to her shoulders supportively. Max watched them, a smile playing on his own lips.
They got closer to the shore, blue flashing lights showing the presence of ambulances. People still lined the docks, watching and waiting.
Ray shook his head; Kai wasn't going to like going back to hospital.