Hey there! Thanks for all the reviews! I'm glad most of you like the poems, they mean a lot to me, and it's a great feeling to know others like them, and are even moved by them. To one reviewer who told me to leave out the poems as it took up story space, there is a reason the poems are at the end of each chapter. I write each chapter to be roughly the same amount and size, and then add the poem, so I am not taking up story space by putting them in. I'm not going to start writing chapters longer then I have been, the story would be over to quickly then, and the way they are works for me. If I deem a chapter suitable for a poem, I will put it in, and it is not taking up space. You will all have to see about Dranzer and Tadashi! (And to another reviewer, I have considered writing a novel, and I will do so in the future, after uni!)

Kai could feel himself go lighter. It was a weird sensation, the opposite of falling, but not quite floating. His wings enveloped him completely, shutting out the blackness with a curtain of darkness. The silence was empty, even his own blurred thoughts seemed to be lacking substance. He drifted, curled up in his feathered cocoon. Then he could hear something, it started as a faint buzz, almost missed in the vast emptiness. It soon grew though, and soon his ears were ringing with noise. It started to make sense, it was voices. They were murmuring, whispering around him. He unfurled his wings, and accepted the sounds.

Kai woke with a start. The effects of the gas seemed to have worn off, as his head felt clear and his eye lids were no longer heavy. He pulled the mask off and pushed himself onto his elbows. The warm faces of his team mates stopped talking and watched him. Samantha was gone.

"Where's Samantha?" he asked, his voice rougher then usual. He figured from the gas he had been breathing.

Max answered, "She's with the others in the cafeteria, she did get you some food!" he added with a flourish of his hand to the tray on the bedside table next to Kai.

"And she also told us to make sure you eat it!" put in Tyson. Kai suddenly realised how intimidating they could be hovering over him like that, clear determination in their eyes.

Kai was hungry, he hadn't eaten for a while, and even he couldn't go completely without food. He sighed in resignation and sat up. Hoisting the tray to his lap he started to eat the sandwiches present. He ignored the shocked faces as he calmly consumed some of what was on the plastic plates. He didn't eat it all though, he never could. He finished by downing the tall glass of water in one go. He placed the half eaten food back onto the bedside table and swung his legs from under the covers to hang to the floor over the side of the bed. He glanced down at his hand, noticing the I.V needle now implanted into the back of it. He felt his bile rise and he pulled it out quickly, ignoring the blood that welled up and dropped to land on the bed, scarlet shards from a broken mirror.

"Kai, what are you doing?" asked Kenny, "You need to stay in bed."

Kai shook his head, wanting to wince as blood seemed to pump to his header faster; the scab that now replaced the bloody hole throbbed. "I need to see Tad."

"No need" said a voice from the doorway. They all wheeled round to face who said it.

"Tad!" breathed Kai. She stood in the doorway, her braided hair shadowing her sheepish face. She was wearing a hospital gown that went to her knees; a pair of slippers in the same shade of pale green adorned her feet. Even as she was, she still looked poised and graceful. She walked towards Kai, the others in the room parting to clear her way. She sat on the bed next to Kai.

"I want to thank you, you saved my life."

Kai looked as little surprised, but not because she was thanking him, because of what she was thanking him for. "Of course I did, why wouldn't I of?"

She smiled, "no reason, I just wanted you to know that I was grateful, no one else would have saved me. Not even my brother."

She looked away and to her knees as she mentioned Leon. Kai wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He didn't need to say anything, they both understood. She flashed a toothy smile at him. Kai noticed her fangs again, they were enough to rival Ray's own cat like ones, but were sharper, thinner. They suited her.

"Tad, what happened in there?" he asked.

She frowned and went back to staring at her lap. "I don't really know, I can hardly remember it. There was a tube, I think, and silver stuff. And Phagus, they took Phagus, but she returned. I remember feeling her here" she said as she placed a hand over her heart, "but then there was only pain. Id never felt anything that bad. "She drew her legs up against her chest, the gown only just covering anything she had to show. A glimpse of pale underwear was present. Kai was staring, not at Tadashi's long exposed legs, but at an apparent tattoo that circled her thigh.

"Tad, what's that?" he asked, not looking away from it.

She looked down. The tattoo was of a snake, a cobra to be exact. Each black scale was detailed, the yellow cross bars perfect as they ran down the cobras back. The cobra circled Tadashi's lean thigh once before ending in an open hooded head. Even the armour was present at the tail and across the hood. It was Phagus down to every detail, even the eyes seemed to glitter. Kai couldn't believe it was a tattoo, it seemed like it was part of her skin, like it had always been there. The colours seemed to run deeper then a tattoo.

"Phagus, I had it when I woke up, I'm guessing it was from what they did to me."

Kai pondered slightly, "I went through the same thing, I wonder......"

Tadashi picked up what he was saying. "You might do, but where?"

Kai got up from the bed and walked to the mirror, maybe he did have one. It wasn't present on his visible arms and legs, he would have seen it.

'Good thing I'm wearing some underwear' he thought to himself. Being naked wasn't a problem for him, he had been bare enough times at the abbey, especially when it was cold or wet, but he doubted any one in the room would appreciate his naked self. He lifted the gown off in one swoop and let it drop to the floor. There was nothing on his front torso, except some bruising and scars. Gasps behind him told him that there was something on his back instead. He turned and looked over his shoulder. There it was.

The image was firmly planted on his skin on his right shoulder, opposite the shoulder where the slanting scar ran from left shoulder to right hip. The image was a stylised bird facing towards you, its bottom half engulfed in flames, its wings spread out as if in flight. Half the bird was a scarlet colour, vibrant as the other, black side was dark. (To get the style, think of the Lost Prophet's symbol of a bird rising from fire, its all black and facing to the side, but it's the style I like; it's tribal and minimal on detail).

The two phoenixes, both of them, part of him. There wasn't the detail that was present on Tadashi's, instead it was minimal, all clean lines and solid colour. The flames licked at the rising phoenix in reds and blacks mixed. He reached over to touch it with his hand. Smooth skin greeted his fingertips. It was a part of him.

He left the gown where it lay on the floor and padded back to the bed. Sitting back next to Tadashi, he frowned at the ring through her eyebrow.

She noticed and gave him a small smile. She reached up and held his chin in her hand, pulling it slightly towards her to get a better look.

"I see you didn't like the new marking idea of theirs" she said softly as she stroked the skin near the wound that was left from the lip ring.

He moved a hand to place on hers as it still held his chin. "Why do you still wear yours?"

"I like it, it gives me a certain air, don't you think?"

Kai had to agree, it did look good on her. Everyone else in the room shifted awkwardly, it was like invading a tender and private moment between the two on the hospital bed. They were so close, it was hard to believe this was the girl that had caused a good deal of those scars, to see them together was like seeing life long friends, almost lovers. Ray had to elbow Mariah to stop her gawking at Kai in his toned, muscled, nearly naked state. She blushed coyly and he just had to shake his head grinning, she definatly kept him on his toes.

Kai and Tadashi suddenly noticed they were not alone in the room and broke apart any physical contact. She drew her legs back to her chest and Kai sat cross legged by his pillows.

Tadashi looked away from Kai. "I have to tell you something Kai."

He looked at her, his eyes narrowing. She looked round at him and gazed levelly at his mahogany eyes. Then Kai noticed it, her pale grey blue eyes were different, they were ringed around the edge of the iris with sky blue, a blue Kai recognised.

"Tori's colour?"

"I didn't want to take her away from you Kai! When we were at the abbey, I was jealous of you two, and I did try to put a barrier there. But when she died, and you went away, I realised how much I missed both of you. I knew her memory was strong in you, and that it was her that kept you going when nothing else could." Kai thought back to the operating theatre, he would have died if it wasn't for Tori being there.

"I was dying Kai, from what had happened, and I would have been left there to die. But Tori was there, in my mind, in my dreams. She kept me here; she said that I was needed, that I couldn't leave. She's still in me Kai; I can feel her in every beat of my heart. I took her from you, and for that you cannot forgive me!"

The others in the room were gob smacked, what the hell was going on?

Kai thought back, he had felt Tori up until the ship incident, and then she had been gone. He remembered asking himself where she was. She had gone, she was now with Tadashi. Kai silently thanked Tori for keeping his other friend alive. To lose both would have been more then he could have taken.

"She has a message for you Kai; she says that they will return, you have to wait for them."

Kai understood, Dranzer and Black Dranzer. Gods, how long could he wait for them!

Then he realised Tadashi was crying, her hidden face was betrayed by her shaking shoulders. He reached towards her and pulled her into his arms, stroking her hair softly as she cried out all her pain.

"You didn't take her from me Tad, she's still here, with you. I have you both, I always will."
Ray realised this moment was maybe something they shouldn't witness, and began to shoo the others out. He closed the door behind him, leaving Kai to soothe Tadashi.

"I think maybe we should leave them alone for a while, let's go find the others."

Everyone agreed, especially Tyson and Hilary, who realised they were looking at each other and turned away blushing. They vowed to themselves to talk to their chosen adults as soon as possible.
Tadashi had slowed down with her crying, and was now dozing in Kai's warm embrace. He kept thinking that he should lay her down to sleep, but he couldn't bring himself to let her go, not just yet. Instead he pondered the phoenixes. The tug he felt from them was so weak, but it was still there. It was strange to feel Black Dranzer the same way he felt Dranzer. It used to just be a pull for power, for perfection, now it was a need to complete himself. He hoped Tori's message was right, that they would return, because he would die without them, there was only so long a body and spirit could hold on with out its soul. He didn't know how others did it, lived without their bitbeasts. The times that Dranzer had been taken away, it was the worst pain, and something he couldn't handle for long. Maybe he was just different in that way, maybe his path was different, but then, could he handle that?
Your life

Till the embers fade

And the ashes grow cold

We'll all walk our distance

The way we were told

Listen to all around you

Respect all those above

Bite back all responses

Obedience, never love

Delivered from a gun

Leaves a cut from a sharpened blade

With the strength of the words

Deep wounds are meant and made

Hide the scars behind smiles

Be ashamed of the marks they make

Forget the tales behind them

Live to give so others can take

Individuality is dead

We all sing the same song

We're all pulled by strings

Left were we fall as we're pulled along

Dare to be different

Dare to be scorned

Dare to walk a different path

Smile even as you're burned

Feel the kiss of sharpened steel

The blade makes crimson rain

As you take your life in your own hands

And let go of all the pain