Disclaimer: Rio is mine... Kao-ri is yohko-lily's... Nikita is Wolfy's… and GOD I wish I had Kai, Tala, and Rei. -.-;;
Shadow
Chapter 8
Dancing Bears,
Painted wings,
Things I almost remember,
And a song someone sings,
Once upon a December
----
"Mommy, what's wrong?" asked Kai as he watched Rahil calm down the giggling baby Rio. Brushing her fingertips to her lips, Kai snapped his mouth shut to comply with what Rahil told him. She pulled him closely towards her, holding both of her babies in her arms.
There was a scuttling sound just outside of their apartment door, and Rahil's eyes widened. She gripped onto the pendant around her neck and started to chant a prayer. Lifting it over her head, she slipped the necklace over Kai's head. "Keep it safe... keep Rio safe..." she said in barely a whisper. Kai nodded, pulling it under his shirt to cover it up, and gazed as his mother all confused. The door handle started to shake and rattle violently; Kai and Rahil jumped at the sudden movement, Rio started to sniffle as tears were running down her face. Rahil tried desperately to try and quiet her terrified daughter.
The door was eventually flung open as large men dressed in black suits barged in, guns loaded and set. They continued to file into the apartment and rounded the corner to see the three Hiwataris huddling close together. "Get up!" they cried at them, guns pointed. Kai was terrified beyond belief at the sight, as was Rahil. Standing up, the men ran over and two of them grabbed Rahil's arms, causing her to drop Rio to the ground. Kai was quick enough to catch his baby siter before another set of men pried the screaming child from the crying Kai. Another man picked up Kai and all were dragged out and thrown into a van.
----
Someone holds me,
Safe and warm,
Horses prance through a silver storm,
Figures dancing gracefully,
Across my memory....
----
Rio held tightly on to Kai as the were thrown into a barred cage. Standing in front of them were the black suited men and Rahil cringing on the floor. Her bottom lip had been split long ago, and the blood was seeping out and down her chin. Looking through her two black eyes, she noticed her children both huddled together inside the cage. Her chest was killing her, at least two ribs had to have been broken, besides her right arm which had gone numb from the pain and just hung limp next to her side. Kai couldn't pry his eyes from the sight; it all was hurting too much, too fast.
"Tell me now, bitch!" hollered a man in front of their mother, his face shadowed by his long bangs. Rahil raised her blood soaked head to look at him in the eyes defiantly.
"Why?...Why are you doing this?" she asked him softly, barely having a voice left in her strained throat, her voice shaking with each word. The man grew tired of her avoiding his questions. Grasping her throat yet again, he lifted her up; Rahil's feet were dangling two inches from the ground. Each breath was a struggle as her mouth continued to fill with blood.
"Answer me now, whore! Where's Dranzer?!" bellowed the man right into her face. Rahil struggled to get out of his grip, swinging around madly. Rio buried herself into Kai, who was shielding her from the scene the best he could. The little girl gripped her hands to her ears tightly, squeezing her eyes shut as tight as she possibly could.
"Dranzer..." started Rahil, choking on a necessary breath. The man dropped her to the ground, her body crumbling to the floor and landing on her broken arm, screaming.
"Dranzer is..." continued the man kneeling down in front of her. Rahil looked through her raccoon eyes defying his every breath. Her bleeding lips pressed tightly together as she looked her attack straight in the eye.
"Dranzer is... where you could never reach," she spat at him. "Dranzer is the Hiwataris. No outsider of any kind shall posses the Phoenix. You will fall in the flames if you attempt to harness the power..."
The man stood up in a flash of anger and turned his back to her, stalking over towards one of the men. Ripping the automatic from his hand, the attacker spun around.
The sound of the gun firing echoed in the room, and Rio screamed her tears covering her ears still from the harshly loud sound. Kai was in shock, staring at the lifeless form on the ground that was his mother.
"Mommy?..."
"What do you want us to do with the kids?" asked one of the suited men. The murderer chucked the man back his weapon as if nothing had happened.
"Leave them there," the leader replied without a second thought as he was heading for the door. "Leave the bitch there as well. We don't want to separate them from their mother after all..."
----
Far away,
Long ago,
Glowing dim as an ember
Things my heart used to know
Once upon a December
----
Kai sat with his back across the bars, Rio sleeping in his arms, her face covered in the dry tears. Kai had yet to cry; it wasn't that he wasn't upset, but he was still in the shock from all that happened. Kai wouldn't let it sink in that his mother was gone, taken right in before his eyes...Rio's eyes. Holding onto his sister rightly, the three-year-old gurgled in her slumber, shifting into a more comfortable position.
Burying his face into her locks, Kai finally was feeling his eyes swell with the newfound tears. It had taken long, but it sunk in. Rahil was gone. She wasn't coming back. His last trace of his family was dead...was killed...was murdered. He found himself gasping through each of the quenching tears. Rio's eyes fluttered open as she felt the tears of her brother soak towards her skin. Gazing up at him, she stretched her arms out as much as she possibly could, embracing her brother in a hug.
"It is OK, Big Brother," she said softly. Her words only encouraged him to bawl even harder. He was the older one, he should be the one comforting her, and he should be telling her those words, not her. She was the baby. He was elder, the Big Brother. Pulling her into a tighter embrace, he heard her stomach rumble. "I am hungry Big Brother...but I can wait if I have to..."
"I know...I know, Rio. But I don't know when they'll feed us..." If they'll feed us... But he kept that to himself, not wanted to upset his little sister. Kai had lost count of the time that they had spent in that cage, but he wanted to guess a day. And they had been making dinner when they had been attacked.
The smell of the corpse had finally gotten to the children, upsetting their stomachs, and causing them plenty of cases of heartburn. Rio buried her face into Kai's shirt, trying to mask the smell...on Kai's command.
That was when they heard gunshots coming outside of the little room. Looking up, Kai pulled Rio closer, acting as a barrier towards the door for her. Plenty of this cried that came through the doors sounded like a cat's cry. Rio shook in fright, as there was a banging on the door. The bashing was so violent; it knocked down one of the lights, from the wall, down. Sparking, the wooded walls and floors started to catch on fire. Kai and Rio started screaming in fear of the fire. The room grew hot and thick with smoke rather quickly.
Suddenly the door bursted open, but Kai couldn't see who was coming in through the thick smoke. Rio was sobbing and coughing, clutched in Kai's grip. As three figures moved in the smoke, Kai strained his eyes to see who they were.
"What that? Hey over here!" shouted one man. The three noticed the dead body on the floor, burning and saw the two children locked in the cage. Covering their noses from the horrid smell of burning flesh and hair, they started towards them. "Hang on kids, this'll sound loud..." The man fired his gun off, hitting the lock. Rio screeched as the sounds echoed in the mix of all else.
"ARG! That's fucking hot!" snarled the second men quickly throwing open the top latch, burning his hand in the process. Kai still couldn't see too well in the smog, and held onto his bawling sister tighter.
"Give her to me, Kid," said the third man. But Kai shook his head in resistance. "We're going to get you out of here, but we can't unless you hand her over!" They were able to pry the toddler from Kai's grip and lifted her out. The first man picked Kai out of the cage as well, and they carried the two of them out of the room.
"Mommy..." whimpered Rio, but they were out of the room in a flash.
----
Someone holds me
Safe and warm,
Horses prance through a silver storm,
Figures dancing gracefully
Across my memory.....
----
Outside the warehouse, the three men jumped into one of the man waiting cars just outside and drove off. They all sighed as the two rested Rio and Kai down on the back seat of the car next to them.
"So what are your names?" asked the third man, while the first one drove amongst the long line of cars.
"Kai Hiwatari," he said pointing to himself. "And Rio Hiwatari..."
"HIWATARI! I didn't know the boss had grandkids!"
"That must have been his... aw SHIT! They got Dranzer! Those sons of bitches...crap...pardon my language..." Kai wanted to shake his head, but he kept to himself, not trusting who these people were. The driver headed straight for Voltaire's pent house. Pulling up next to the large building, the third man picked up Rio and led Kai out of the car. The elevator ride up took a bit and none of the three spoke.
With a click, the elevator stopped and the doors opened, revealing a hallway that lead towards a penthouse door. Knocking four times, a bodyguard answered it, and started at him, noticing the children that were with the hit man.
"What is the meaning of this Dimitri?" he asked.
"It is believed that these two are Hiwatari-san's relatives..."
"He has no family-"
"But he instructed me and a few others to find his daughter-"
"So where is she?" asked a strong voice towering over the other two.
"We believed she had been killed, Sir. We followed a lead to a warehouse, but it was heavily guarded by neko-jins calling themselves Bái Hu Zu. We managed to force our way in, when Vladimir heard crying and we found one room up in smoke. We found these two, but not your daughter. The boy said his name's was 'Kai Hiwatari'. In so, I assumed his was your grandson."
"Boy, tell me the name of your mother," demanded Voltaire staring down at them with his stern and relentless eyes. Rio buried herself into Dimitri's shoulder.
" мать... отец called her 'Rahil'," said Kai, trying to remember when he heard his mother's name used. Voltaire rubbed his chin in a deep thought.
"Hiwatari's not your real surname is it?" Kai shook his head 'no'. "Tell me the truth, boy. What is your last name? What is your father's last name?"
" мать told me never to say it..." Voltaire's eyes narrowed and Kai felt a chill dive down his spin. Then again, he promised his mother he never would say it again.
"I am not a patient man, boy. Was it Stanislov?" Kai lowered his eyes to the ground and nodded. He didn't say it. "Dimitri, set the kid down and you are dismissed. Kai is it? You and the girl come into my home now..." Kai took Rio's hand and they did as they were told...
----
Far away, long ago,
Glowing dim as an ember
Things my heart used to know
Things it yearns to remember
----
The sun was shinning brightly down on the grassy knoll as the two Hiwatari children were playing a game of tag with one another and their best friend. The two bluenettes and the red head were running around laughing the entire time. The littlest, Rio, was in her diapers and t-shirt as her older brother in his overalls was chasing her. She was giggling and laughing as Tala ran by and picked her up, and took off.
"Hey! Get back here!" shouted Kai after them. Tala was laughing his head off and Rio was on his shoulders giggling her chubby little cheeks off.
"Like you could catch me in a million years, Hiwatari!" shouted Tala back towards Kai. The bluenette growled lightly and ran faster. Tala noticed this and picked the pace up another notch.
They continued to chase each other under the watchful eye of Kai and Rio's nanny, Katrina. The twenty-some-odd year old kept a careful eye on the children and wasn't letting them out of her site.
"KAI!" boomed a menacing voice from behind Katrina. Tala and Kai slowed down to see the elderly man standing in back of the nanny. Rio squeaked and held her hands out towards their grandfather, but he never returned the gesture. Kai and Tala stalked over to the powerful man.
"Yes, sir?"
"This playtime is over, young Kai," stated Voltaire. "It is time for you to continue your studies. If you are going to be my heir, you must be prime." Kai nodded and Tala put down Rio from his shoulders. The little girl immediately grabbed onto Kai's hand. "Katrina, take the baby and Kai, you report to study 2 for your tutor."
Katrina had to pry the little girl from her grip on her onii-san. Rio didn't want to let go of her brother, but Kai ended up pulling his hand away from Rio to help Katrina. He didn't want to let go of his onee-chan, but he knew Oji-san would be upset if he didn't. Rio wanted to cry but Katrina picked her up and turned to Tala.
"I'll take you home Tala," she said. The red head nodded and waved good-bye to his best friend as Katrina led him down to the way to his house. Rio waved as well with her chubby fingers. Kai waved back, but Voltaire roughly grabbed his wrist and dragged him towards the house.
----
And a song
Someone sings
Once upon a December
The club was decent, the crowd inside was decent, but above all else…it could have been so much better. The drinks weren't the best, and the music wasn't the best. This place was sort of run down, and filled the back with drugs. But the dancing that when on was ok. Not to mention how cheap it was to get in.
One girl was happy and giggling as she continued to drag a nervous friend into the club.
"Really Kari...I already love what you got me!" exclaimed the birthday girl, trying to weasel her way out of the club. "You really don't need to take me to a club..." Her friend waved her off.
"Come on! It'll be your first club right? Well I've decided it's going to be your birthday present," smirked Kari. Nikita Vorobev sweat dropped as Kari continued to drag her in.
Not far away from the two girls in the club sat long time pals, Tala and Kai. Both had their own drinks in their hands, disappointed on how they still had a few more years left before they could drink.
"So, your grandfather going to let you go to college or what?" asked Tala taking a gulp from his cup.
Kai snorted at the idea, "Voltaire thinks he can control me. I'm doing what I want."
"Yeah. Well, you know I'm here for you bud."
"Don't go sounding all gay on me Tala... that's the last thing I need…"
"Woo! Alright, check out the crowd!" exclaimed Kari as they made their way into the club. Nikita looked around and shrugged.
"Yea...nice crowd..." she replied, dodging some drunk guy that fell unconscious.
"So! You want to get a drink, or find a couple of guys to dance with?" questioned her rambunctious friend.
"I'll go for the drink...." Kari smiled as she walked her best friend over to the bar for a drink. Non-alcoholic of course, seeing as they were far from the legal age.
"So, any girls here worth dancing with?" asked Tala smirking towards Kai. The bluenette looked around, and shrugged.
"No... they're all the same whores as usual... Not much of a change since- wait... I haven' seen those two here before." Kai pointed out a girl with charcoal hair and her blonde haired friend.
"Oi! Bartender! Two rounds of Shirley Temples!" snapped Kari. Nikita started to get out her wallet. "No way, Nik!" Kari pushed her hand down. "I'm payin'. Your birthday!"
"Thanks, I guess," she said with a weak smile. Looking around at the people at the bar, she declared most of them to be drunks. Then two men caught her eyes. One was a dual haired, crimson eyed man, and his buddy was a red head with striking blue eyes.
"Who?" asked Tala looking through the drunks. Everyone looked the same. So he was confused. Kai shook his head and got up. He started to head over towards them. Catching the ending of the two girls' conversation, he heard a 'birthday'.
"One of the round houses... hello there..." said Kai smiling down at them. Nikita looked up at him and felt her eyes melting into his.
"Uh...hello," she said, blushing lightly.
Kari turned around from the bar, handing Nik her drink. "Oh! Hello!"
Whoa...he's cute...hot...and not drunk! Score!
Kari smirked at how Nik was looking at the bluenette. "I'm Kari, and this is Nikita!" Tala finally spotted Kai and groaned inside, but got up and walked over towards him.
"Kai... that's Tala... listen Tomi, put these girls drinks on my tab," he said smoothly. The bartender nodded and turned to help another customer.
"Hello Tala," said Kari with a hyper smile. "Whoa, thank you."
"Thanks, Kai," added Nikita. Kai just smiled down at her and shrugged his shoulders. Rolling his eyes, Tala chugged down the last of his drink.
"No problem. So what brings you girls here..." Kai asked through his ginger smile. Nikita wanted to melt. Waaahhh! he's such a cutie... She found herself staring at the bluenette stranger.
"It's Nikki's birthday! Thought I'd take her out!" exclaimed Kari, looking between both her best friend and the tall Russian boy. Nikita found herself nodding unconsciously. Kai just returned with his warm smile.
"Well then... seeing as it is your birthday and all..." Tala internally growled towards his buddy's actions. It was going to only end up the same way it always did when Kai used that tone…
Don't toy with her.... like the others... its her birthday after all…
"…would you care to dance?" Nikita's blush darkened somewhat as she felt the blood rushing along her face. She wanted to kill herself for getting so worked up over this guy she had just met. Kari nudged her from behind with a wink.
"I think she'd love to!"
"Uh...ok sure," she replied softly, looking at him shyly. Kai held out his hand for her, putting the half drunk drink down on the table. Nikita left her drink on the table as well and took his hand. Kari was mentally squealing.
EEEE! I knew this was the perfect present!
Grinning, Kai lead her over towards the dance floor. Tala picked up the forgotten glass and finished it off for his buddy. Nikita was trying to keep her excitement down when they start to dance. It was a faster pace song, as the DJ switched over to Usher's "Yeah". Swaying their hips to the rhythm, Kai and Nikita found it easy to keep with the beat and each other.
I might actually have to thank Kari!
She's not that bad... thought Kai as he watched Nikita carefully. They continued to dance, as Kai continued to move closer to Nikita, who was too busy blushing to notice much more.
"So uhh...what are your interests?" she asked, having no idea what to say or do. Kai thought for a second as he continued to dance in the large crowd. That was when "Yeah" ended and the DJ changed it over to Jet's "My Girl". Kai reached out and grasped her wrist in his hand as he pulled her close to swing dance.
"Umm... not much..." Nikita was kind of surprised when he grabbed her hand, and let out a short yelp. Kai smirked as he stopped dancing and just held her close to him. "You scared? It's just dancing..."
Nikita blinked, "H-huh? No, just sort of a sudden movement that surprised me." She tried to cover up her blush, by looking down to the ground. Kai just smiled and started to swing dance with her. Nikita smiled back shyly.
Stop trying to get to know him, Nik...he's probably not even serious.
"So... what about you?"
"Me?...well I guess I tend to concentrate on school work a little much..."
"Where do you go to school anyway?" asked Kai. Nikita shouted out over the loud music as it was blasted louder. Kai barely caught wind of it. "I've never heard of that one..."
"Private school."
"Ah... I know that life... sucks... don't get to meet many people..." That was when everyone thought the DJ was on drugs, as he switched the music over to a slow song. "All I Ask of You" to be precise. "...Erm... still care to dance?"
"Uh well...do you still want to?"
"Only if you want too... better decide before the song's over..."
"One last song I guess then..."
Kai smiled softly, "Alright then." He held out his arms for her to come close to him. Nikita shyly stepped towards him. Kai walked the rest of the gap, and wrapped his left arm loosely around her waist. With is other hand; he took her left one, intertwining their fingers as they started to dance. Nikita slide a hand over his shoulder as they moved across their little area on the dance floor.
He's still pretty sweet...but don't get your hopes up Nik. She mentally sighed. Kai smiled happily... this was the first he's felt this good in ages... Discreetly, Kai lowered his head slowly, smelling her hair. Nikita was too busy currently admiring him to even notice it herself.
They continued like this through the entire song, until the sweet moment had to end.
Nikita tucked a bang behind her ear out of pure habit. "Well uh...thanks for the dances," she smiles shyly with almost visible blush. Nikita turned from him and started to head back over to the jumping Kari.
"Wait... Nikita... would you care do this again... with me... you know..." Nikita stopped in her tracks and just blinked. Her heart was rushing. Was this true? Was he really… no… she had to be dreaming. Nikita pinched herself, and felt the pain. Nope. No dream.
"Alright...w-when?"
"When are you available... My school doesn't start for a bit..."
"I don't think I have any exams to study for...so maybe this weekend?"
"Sounds great..." said Kai, as his phone started to ring. "Hold on." "What do you want?" His tone did a 180 as his grandfather had called him. Nikita watched him before she tried to spot Kari. "....listen... I told you I'll do it, but just let me-... I KNOW! God, will you just shut up about it for once? Oh, yeah, of course she's going to care... Yeah... right..." Nikita tried her best not to listen to Kai's conversation to be polite. "Fine... I'll... of course... listen... I have important- YES important... you know what..." Kai hung up the phone and noticed Nikita was still there.
Nikita nervously looked at her watch. "Gah! It's almost midnight!" The girl was obviously not use to being out late unlike Kai.
"Sorry if I kept you... do you need a ride somewhere? I have my car here... if you need a lift that is..." he offered.
"Well uh..." started Nikita, glancing at Kari. "I'll have to see if Kari's ready to leave..."
Kari looked at Nik and senses that Nikita was wondering about something. Excusing herself from Tala, Kari walked over to the duo. "What's up?"
"It's midnight and uh...you ready to go yet? I'm sorta tired..."
"What? No way! This place is great, cute guys, music, alcohol..."
"Eh..."
"Well you can go if you want to…"
Kai smirked. "So... you want to take up on the offer?"
"I...guess so."
"Great... here... follow me..." Kai led her through the club, towards the entrance and bypassed the door as he led her down the street. Nikita's mouth dropped when Kai stopped next to a blue BMW Z3.
Whoa...is this guy rich? That's a friggin hot and expensive car!
Kai opened up the passenger's door for her chivalrously. Nikita smiled and quickly got in before her face could turn any redder than it was before. Shutting the door for her, Kai jumped around to the other side and slide into his own seat.
"Uh... where do you live?"
"Oh my apartment's on 56 and 31," she said. Kai started up the car and pulled out into the traffic smoothly.
"How's your birthday been today? How many candles?" he asked, trying to make small talk as he went down the traffic pattern towards Nikita's home.
"It's been ok, Kari's been with me most of the day. I'm 15 now."
"Well... enjoy it... cause next year you go for your driving test... and that's a bitch..." Kai laughed. 15… only about 3 years younger than me. Not bad, Kai… not bad at all…
Nikita let out a short laugh. "I think I'll be fine," she smiled.
A few minutes later, Kai pulled up to sidewalk of the apartment building. "Here we go..."
"Yup...thanks a lot for the ride, and the dances. I had a good time," stated Nikita unbuckling and ready to get out of the car. But Kai stopped her. Reaching out for her wrist, he gently held her in her seat and leaned across the glove compartment. He pressed his lips gently onto hers. Nikita's eyes widen with a major blush appearing on her face. She blinked for a few seconds before closing her eyes and responding.
A tingling sensation began in the tips of her lips, centering down into her middle. His lips were soft and warm. They felt good against her own.
Kai flicked at her bottom lip lightly with his tongue, letting his hot breath tease her wet brim before pressing his mouth more firmly against hers. He sucked her bottom lip into his mouth slightly, nibbling teasingly before releasing it.
Kai was surprised to find his hands cupping her face gently and growled lowly. He slid his fingers into her long dark tresses, flowing into her silver bangs and drug her head back, coaxing her mouth to open. He groaned softly as he slid his hot tongue past her awaiting lips, flicking her tongue lightly with his own.
His senses began to swim as he felt his control slipping away inch by inch. He wanted to taste more of her. Almost needed to.
Reality slammed back into him when he felt her fingers in his own hair and he slowly pulled away, but kept his lips close to hers.
"I'll pick u up Saturday at 7?"
Nikita was caught sort of in a daze. "Uh y-yea okay." She gave him another shy smile before getting out the car and going to the door, turning around to wave before going in.
And a song
Someone sings
Once upon a December....
----
The song is "Once Upon a December" from Disney's Anatasia. I just love it... sooo somber. So twisting to what is happening in this. Kinda reminds me of a lubullay. And since Kai's re-"dreaming" all of this... sounded appropriate!!!!
I'm no longer a myth...
lil phoenix
