Author's Note: Sorry about not updating for so long! My student teacher gave us so many projects and tests!!! I still haven't finished studying for them yet but I figured I'd write something and post it up ASAP. I'm writing this at midnight right now because I spent the whole day studying. If there are any mistakes or such, it's because I'm not really awake. ^-~
Two things I would like to mention:
1.) In the previous chapter, I wrote about how the doctor refused to go help Rei. I received a couple of reviews concerning that issue, saying how that is unrealistic. It will all be explained, hopefully, in this chapter. I'm sorry for any confusion. If it's not explained in this chapter…well…you have my permission to call me forgetful. ^-^
2.) The stupid little spelling error I made on the last sentence has now been fixed. Thank you very much to everyone that pointed out my mistake. I greatly appreciate it. Taught me not to rely on Microsoft Word so much. ^-~
Now, the traditional thanks to my reviewers:
Sarcasmcat- I'm so glad you like this story! It means so much to me to know that this story is liked. Thank you for your review!
Chibi drigger- ^-^ Torturing Rei is my specialty. ^-^ I'm glad you like the story. ^-^ Killing Tala was probably enough for me…but no guarantees! Keep reading. ^-^
Hikari Donya- Thanks for your review! I appreciates it that you picked out my mistakes. The spelling mistake is already fixed and the other one is going to be explained in this chapter. I'm so glad you like this story. ^-^
Devlinn Reiko-sama- I love your review! Short, yet thoughtful. ^-^ I'm glad you like this story; I also enjoy writing it. ^-^
Bluumberry- CLIFFIES! @__@ I know how you feel. I hate it when authors leave evil cliffies. ^-^ But c'mon, a story wouldn't be a story without some suspense. ^-^ I hope you like this new chapter; hopefully, there will be not cliffies. No guarantees though.
Blader Fairy Everlasting- ^-^ I'm so glad you appreciates my sense of humor. ^-~ I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thanks for reviewing!
Quicksilver melt- I love writing cliffies. ^-~ They are extremely fun to write and I think they make the story more interesting, don't you think? ^-^ Well enjoy this chapter!
HimekoSukie-Lin is very adorable. Don't worry; it's not the last time he shows up. ^-^ About the doctors…-_-…it'll be explained hopefully in this chapter. ^-~
Child of the Stars- Evil's my middle name. ^-~ I stopped where I stopped because to tell you the truth, I didn't want to write anymore for that chapter. ^-^ *Lazy authoress* this chapter will be longer though. Enjoy the chapter!
Vanilla Fox-Fluff? Well…maybe if Rei decides to join the living. ^-^ Now about Tala, I can't really answer that question, you'll have to read on. ^-~
Mimica_Shuaka- Thanks for your review. ^-~ Hope you enjoy this chapter.
Shaka Dragomir Nocturnus- Thank you for your review! Hope you enjoy this chapter. ^-~
White Spirit Angel- hehehehe…^-^ People are going to be sad for most of the story…not all, just most. ^-~
Cutie_Kat-Thanks for your review! Enjoy the chapter!
Senko-sama- ^-^ that remains a mystery…^-^ Enjoy the chapter, it's filled with surprises.
Platinum Rei- ^-^ Yup, Lin is pretty creepy, trust me, it's not the last time you'll see him. ^-~ He plays a pretty important role actually. ^-^
Lazyfifilazy- Thank you for pointing out my mistake. It is now fixed. Glad you enjoyed reading this story. ^-~ Enjoy the chapter.
Mirai Shinranui- Thank you for your review. ^-~ The paramedics…well that's going to be explained hopefully in this chapter. ^-^ The spelling mistake is also corrected now and the chapter has been reposted. Note to self: Never trust Microsoft Word so much. ^-~
Sleepstar- Thanks for your review! Enjoy this chapter; the suspense MAY be lifted…just a little…
~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N- Just a quick note before I start the chapter. This chapter may not be as realistic because I know nothing about paramedics/rescuing people. ^-~ So please stay with me as I write this. Thank you to everyone who reviewed and I'm sorry I didn't update for so long.
This stands for personal thoughts.
~*~In A dream~*~
~*~*~*~*~
Love Lifts Us Up
~*~*~*~*~
In his own hospital room, Lin quietly smiled a toothy. 'Rei going be ok. Kai feel feeling to Rei. Kai not know yet. Kai like kitty.' Holding tightly onto his teddy bear, the only possession left from his parents, Lin slowly drifted into a dreamless sleep, unlike a very unfortunate, sick blader.
~*~
"So…so…cold…someone…someone…please help…"Rei murmured in his wistful sleep. "Please…NOOOOOOOO…don't hurt me… Kai, no please no…come back to me…" Rei moaned as crystal teardrops slowly fell from the corners of his eyes.
~*~ Dream ~*~
The rain poured mercilessly from the darkening sky. The sepulchral weather did little to comfort the lonely, raven-haired teen curled up in the nearby abbey. He had little on his body to protect himself against the freezing rain, his ragged clothes, was soaked from the blood of his open wounds. Slowly glancing up, he fearfully met the emotionless, crimson eyes of his captain. Emotions flickered briefly within those fiery orbs before carefully concealing themselves, like a carefully trained routine.
Fingering the whip in his hands, the captain starred blankly down at the pathetic teen. The raven boy's figure and eyes were what amazes the captain- all strongly resembling a graceful feline. Raising the wet whip with one arm, Kai swiftly flicked it into the teen's body, tearing yet another piece of clothe.
The teen, also known as Rei Kon, did little to stop Kai's whip. Letting out a small whimper, Rei shivered again in the harsh coldness of the night. For so long he had lain in the rain and endured this torture, not knowing the reason behind this.
"So…cold…please…help…" Rei moaned as the whip continuously connected with his tender flesh. "Please…don't hurt me…Kai…please no…"
Pleading to the dominating teen, Rei felt hot tears threatening to fall from his amber eyes. Why did this happen to him? Why is Kai being like this?
Trapped in his thoughts, Rei was hardly aware of the stillness of the night. The only sound that could be heard was the continuous drip of the rain falling from the heaven above him…no sounds of whips. Surprised, Rei timidly raised his head to discover that Kai was no longer above him.
Gently lifting himself up to a sitting position, Rei caught a glimpse of Kai's retreating back. Whimpering, Rei slowly attempted to stand with the support of the abbey walls. Gasping for breath, Rei slowly took a small step towards Kai. Immediately stumbling, Rei, once more, found himself back in his fallen position. Raising a bleeding arm, Rei tried to grasp the image of the disappearing teen.
Slowly, he felt the little strength left leaving him. His vision blurred and he could feel his body give in to the monotonic rhythm of the rain. His cracked lips formed their last sentence before his brain surrendered to the darkness, "Come back to me…"
~*~End of Dream~*~
Max watched helplessly as feverish sweat from Rei's forehead mixed with the tears pour from his securely closed eyes. Like a well-learned routine, Max reached for the now warm towel on Rei's head, immediately replacing it with a new, cooler one. Dipping the warm towel into a large bowel of cold water, Max spared an ever-so-slight look outside the hotel windows. Much to his disappointment, the rain continued to pour, covering every inch of the ground with puddles of water. As he watched, Max wondered to himself when on earth the rain would cease.
Gently taking off the towel from Rei's scorching forehead, Max slowly lowered his hand to check Rei's temperature. Withdrawing his hand instantly when it connected with Rei's flesh, Max was surprised that the blader's temperature had yet to lower. Muttering a silent prayer, Max hoped that Kai was on his way back.
~*~
Kai paced impatiently as the paramedics did their best to prepare quickly under his watchful eyes. Muttering a few curses under his breath, Kai pondered to himself how these people dressed in white robes call themselves doctors. His temper was at its edge, about to explode at whomever is as unfortunate as flare it.
'When we get through this, ALL these doctors will be sent back to medical school.' Kai thought bitterly to himself, 'What kind of doctor doesn't go help a patient in need?'
"Excuse me, sir," a timid voice called out behind Kai, shattering his thoughts. "We are ready now."
Letting out a sigh of relief, Kai sprinted up to the nearest ambulance. Slamming open the door, Kai jumped into the seat next to the driver. Snapping on his seatbelt, Kai turned to find the face of a surprised driver.
"What the hell are you lookin' at? Start driving!" Kai ordered.
Shaking out of this phase, the driver quickly stepped down on the gas pedal and the van shoot forwards into the rain. The teen sitting inside had only one thought on his mind, to save his teammate…his friend.
~*~
"Go, my friend. Notify Tyson and his friends that Kai's on his way back." The teen whispered to his wolf companion as he watched the paramedics van disappeared from sight. "Run like the wind, my friend."
Listening quietly, the wolf showed his understanding by gently nudging his owner's hand, earning a rare smile from its owner.
"Go…there are little time to be wasted." His master quietly ordered.
Getting ready, it was ready to run off again when a small voice behind it in its tracks, "me come with you?"
Wolf and teen both spun around in surprise. Greeting them is a tiny boy barely past the age of six, holding tightly to his teddy bear. Taking a deep, shaky breath, the teen wondered how on earth such a little boy happens to stumble upon his hiding place.
"You help Kai-kun. You and wolfie go help Rei-Kun too, right?" The little boy asked.
Surprised, the teen wondered how such a little boy knew his plans. Bending down so that he was leveled with the little boy, he quietly asked, "What is your name little one?"
"Lin," The boy replied simply, as if the name explained everything. "Me like your eyes, so blue…like Kai-kun's hair."
Giving a tiny smile to Lin, the teen quickly withdrew from his kneeling position. Looking out into the rain, his throat felt clogged at the floods of memories; memories that had been buried for so long, surface from their dusty cell. He barely had time to dwell on his thought however because he felt a gentle tug on his shirt.
"Wolfie no need to go. Kai help Rei-kun himself. Kai save Rei." Lin said timidly.
Surprised, the teen began to wonder if the petite boy could look into the future. Turning around, he knelt down and leveled his eyes to Lin's, "how do you know this?"
"I donno…me go now…me tired. Bibi." Lin replied before turning and wobbling out of the room.
All through the conversation, the wolf stayed silent, waiting for his master's command. Pausing for a second, the teen pondered over the conversation. Should he trust a six-year-old? Could he? Glancing down at his faithful companion, a silent decision was reached in his mind. Turning swiftly, he quickly walked out the hospital room, the wolf following at his heels.
'This could be interesting…'
~*~
Tyson paced impatiently in the hotel lobby, occasionally glancing outside for the flashes of the paramedics, that signals Kai's arrival. His fingers entwined together in a nervous fiddle. Glancing outside again, Tyson failed to spot anything but the pouring rain. Deciding to check on Rei, Tyson slowly made his way toward the elevator.
Lightening flashed, followed by rolling thunder. The lights flashed inside the hotel before throwing the building into complete darkness. Stunned, Tyson didn't dare to move. He felt panic rise up to his chest, almost suffocating him. Worries about Max and Rei brewed in his chest. Waiting for his eyes to adjust to the complete darkness, Tyson hit the elevator button. A string of curses left his mouth when he realized that the elevator had cease to work. Slamming a fist into the closed elevator door, Tyson wondered how the hell his luck just went from bad to worse.
Nothing was heard for a couple of minutes before the faint sounds of sirens reached Tyson's ears. Immediately, Tyson concentrated on the sound. Realizing that the sirens were getting closer and closer, hope dwelled again in Tyson's chest. Feeling his way around, Tyson slowly made his way back to the front lobby.
~*~
Sitting in the paramedics van, Kai also heard the thunder and witnessed the lightening. Following the lightening, the street plummeted into complete darkness. Letting out a string of filthy curses, Kai hoped beyond hope that the hotel still had electricity. As they got closer and closer to it however, Kai saw no such luck. The hotel was pitch black, like the rest of the street. Wondering how on earth the paramedics can get to the 34th floor in the dark, for the first time in years Kai felt hints of worry worm its way up his throat.
Turning, he saw a worried look on the driver's face. He too reached the same conclusion Kai had.
As soon as the van came to a stop, Kai quickly hopped out of the van and ran for the hotel. Tyson greeted him at the doorway with a worried expression pasted on his face.
"Kai! I'm so glad you're back!!!! Kai you have to help Rei! He's with Max right now but the elevators aren't working and I can see anything and everything is berserk and…and…and…Rei isn't doing so well ok that's kind of obvious…and…and…"Tyson rambled on before being cut off by Kai.
"SHUT UP! I don't need this crap right now. SHIT! I can't believe our crappy luck!" Kai swore, running his hands through his spiky hair.
A pair of doctors rushed past them, carrying a stretcher. Stepping into the darkness, they both paused, unsure of what to do. Letting out a groan, Kai leveled with the doctors and rewarded them both with a slap.
"HOW THE HELL DO YOU GUYS CALL YOURSELVES DOCTOR??? DOCTOR MY ASS! YOU DON'T HELP A PATIENT IN NEED, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, AND YOU CAN'T PREPARE THE PARAMEDICS VAN! YOU GUYS ARE ALL HOPELESS MEN WHO CALLES THEMSELF DOCTORS! GET OUT OF MY FRIGGIN WAY!" Kai roared.
Launching his blade, Kai called for his faithful bit-beast, Dranzer. A majestic, firebird unwrapped itself from Kai's blade. Spreading its gigantic wings, Dranzer filled the lobby with light and heat. Looking down at its owner, Dranzer waited patiently for Kai's command.
"Find Rei, bring him down to me," Kai ordered simply.
Letting out a high screech, Dranzer took off into the night, disregarding the pouring rain. Watching his bit-beast rise higher and higher, Kai felt his tension slowly lift. Dranzer is the only living being that Kai could trust now…it had been Tala. Quickly shaking any thoughts of Tala from his head, Kai's eyes continued to follow his bitbeast, until the rain allowed him to see no more.
~*~
Max was in the middle of testing Rei's temperature when all the lights distinguished. The hyperactive teen was quick to panic, especially after he quickly realized he could see nothing. Moving from his current position, Max settled next to Rei, grasping the sick teen's hand for comfort. Closing his eyes, the teen prayed that the lights would come back on soon.
As he was praying, a thin ray of light escaped through his closed eyelids. Modified, Max quickly opened his eyes in wonder. Outside, a majestic phoenix flew, untouched by the deluging rain. Slowly getting to his feet, Max slowly walked towards the window. Placing a shaky hand on the hot glass, Max murmured in appreciation, "Dranzer…"
~*~
Shards of broken glass fell from the sky, in unison with the rain. The shards were followed by the phoenix, slowly descending from the room above. On its back, it carried a drenched blonde. A petite figure could be seem in the arms of the blonde, protected by layers of clothing. As soon as Dranzer safely landed, Kai rushed up to his bit-beast. Gently removing Rei from Max's arms, Kai starred down at the feverish face of his friend.
Carefully, almost fearfully, Kai raised his fingers to caress Rei's burning cheeks. His fingers tenderly moved up to the sick teen's black bangs, gently brushing them aside. He was hardly aware of Rei's labored breathing as he continued to stare at the face of the boy that he hurt so much.
Max gently tapped Kai's shoulders to get the saddened teen's attention. Pointing towards the stretcher, Max mentioned for Kai to give Rei to the professionals. After one last look, Kai reluctantly placed Rei onto the white, wet stretcher and watched silently as Rei was loaded onto the paramedics van. Kai's crimson eyes followed the van until it disappeared from his sight. Rapt in his own thoughts, Kai wasn't aware of the glances that Tyson and Max had exchanged. Quietly, the pair slipped away from Kai, giving him some time to himself.
'What have I done to you, Rei? What have I done to you?" Kai asked himself silently as a drop of tear silently escaped his closed eyes.
~*~
"Lin…That boy's psychic." The teenage boy concluded as he watched the scene from a distance, "Lin could be useful…"
TBC…~*~
A/N- So how you guys like this chapter? Again, I apologize for the lateness of this chapter. I was hit by several problems, writer's block, break-ups, and you get the point. I'm really really sorry if this chapter isn't as good as you guys expected…so, so, so sorry!
Please, please, please drop off a review. If it isn't too much to ask, please R&R! I would appreciate it really much!
-Silens Letum