The Light and the Shadow -hikari to kage-


come back to me.


a tyka fic


Trueangel

It was a dark and stormy night when this story happened. Honest.

In fact, while I'm at it, it was raining cats and dogs. But then again, nobody these days know where that expression comes from, so I could just as easily say it was raining bats and frogs, or it was raining hats and togas.

Oh wait. That doesn't rhyme.

If you wanted, I could launch into an explanation on the source of that idiom, but it isn't important to this story. In fact, none of this is. All you need to know is that it was dark, and there was lightning.

Said lightning flashed in the sky outside the window of the room our protagonist Kai was in. When we last left him Kai had been sitting dejectedly in a cell in a mental institution, and his friends Max and Rei had decided to take care of him. Fast forward to the present, where we see a 20-year-old Kai sitting in a corner of his room in Rei's house in China, clutching Takao Kinomiya's Dragoon. What a surprise.

To his credit, Kai's condition had indeed improved over the past few years. He would now respond to Max and Rei's voices. During mealtimes Kai would walk to the dinner table on his own. But it seemed as though Kai's vocal chords had taken a long-term vacation to Alpha Centauri. It had been years since anyone had heard Kai's voice.

The house was empty except for Kai. Max and Rei were out together. Kai never paid attention, but nearly everyone else knew his two friends were in love. In fact, A year or so ago Max had come out to his parents, before moving to China to stay with Rei long-term. Kai simply followed Max wherever he went.

From the corridor outside came the sound of the clock, ticking ominously, counting the time off second by second, and as it did so it produced a chillingly loud 'tick' sound, as though it was counting down to some unspeakable event. In fact, at that moment the clock struck midnight.

DONG. Lightning flashed outside the window again.

DONG. Pitter-patter went the rain outside as it pelted against the window.

DONG. Thunder rumbled far into the distance.

DONG. Outside the window a tree swayed in the wind like a giant waving its arms.

DONG. Kai blinked.

DONG. A car drove by on the road in front of Rei's house.

DONG. More lightning.

DONG. More thunder, except that it sounded closer than before.

DONG. Kai's eyes darted downwards to look at Takao's beyblade.

DONG. More lightning.

DONG. More thunder, even closer.

DONG.

At that precise moment, somewhere far away in the great cosmos, the last grain of sand in the upper portion of an hourglass fell through the narrow middle portion and landed, quivered for a split second, then found its place amongst its billions of brothers.

And then, Kai died.

Of course, Kai never realized he was dead. Not immediately anyway. To him, his physical body had closed its eyes, and then his spiritual being opened its eyes again. To him, it was as though he had just blinked.

Kai did notice something, however, the next time lightning flashed. Like it always did the lightning lit up the opposite wall of the room, which did not include Kai as he was sitting in one of the corners closer to the window, and also because the symbolism of this story mandates it. But then the room stayed lit.

One second. Two seconds. There was a vague notion in Kai's mind that something was out of the ordinary. Three seconds. Four seconds. Ok, that voice in his head was really getting irritating, maybe he should have a look. Five seconds. Kai looked up.

And then he saw him, him in the light. Him, who had haunted Kai's every thought. Him, who was the last person Kai would expect to see.

Takao Kinomiya.

Kai's mouth formed the words, but still no sound escaped Kai's lips. "Takao."

"Kai."

Minutes, perhaps hours, perhaps days passed as the two gazed into each other's eyes. On one hand, red eyes that were once fiery and passionate, now dull and defeated. On the other hand, blue eyes that were once stormy and wild, now tame and distant. Kai looked at Takao, struggling to remember a face that he once knew so well, but had been lost for so long. Takao's face hadn't changed a single bit since Kai last laid eyes on them, but yet now Kai found it so strange and unfamiliar - as though he were meeting Takao for the first time once more. Within Takao's eyes Kai saw emptiness and vastness, as though an entire universe lay behind them, as though that which Kai saw was but an illusion.

And then Takao spread his wings out behind him, feathery and delicate, so white and pale they seemed otherworldly. If Kai was surprised he showed no sign of it. Instead Kai looked behind himself, and saw a pair of clawed leathery wings, cruel and menacing, darker than the deepest ocean floor, darker than deep space.

"You have come for me as you promised."

"Yes, I have."

"You said I would only die when I have lived my life to the fullest. Do you think I've done so?"

"I... I lied. I knew you couldn't stop loving me, I knew you would want to see me. I thought if I told you that... I could encourage you to move on."

"You lied to me, Takao."

"I'm sorry."

"So, then, tell me, why did I die?"

"Your time ran out."

"And that's it? I died because somebody - or some thing - said so?"

"Yes."

Kai laughed bitterly. "So is that also why you died, then?"

"Kai... there are some things in this world we can't change."

Kai turned away from Takao to face the wall. "Then what is the purpose of living, then, if in the end our fate is to be decided by some distant being? Everything we do is useless!"

"That's not true. You're wrong, Kai."

"So what is it, then?"

"Our actions make a difference to people, and we are remembered by them. Take you for example, Kai. What you've done, what you've said, they've made a difference to me, if no one else. That's why I remember them. That's why I remember you. That's why I've returned for you."

"And what happens after we die? Where do we go? What do we do?"

"We continue to make a difference."

"But who remembers us now?"

"Kai, death isn't an end. Death is an event when we pass from one realm of being to another. After humans die they become ghosts. And something happens to ghosts that turns them into angels or demons. And then angels and demons turn into something else again. It goes on."

"And so what; you're an angel while I'm a demon?"

"You're a demon only because you are trapped within the darkness."

"And the darkness is evil, is it not?"

"Shadows are home to evil beings, but by nature they are not evil. Let me show you, Kai. Look at the Dragoon you are holding."

Kai lifted his right hand, in which he held Takao's beyblade. On it was the crest of Dragoon.

"And now what?"

"No, you are not looking at Dragoon yet."

"I have it here in my hand."

"That is not Dragoon."

"Then what is it?"

"It is a beyblade; a toy. Dragoon is not a toy."

"Then where is Dragoon?"

"It is inside the beyblade. But that does not make the beyblade Dragoon. Neither does it make Dragoon a beyblade."

A spherical ball of light burst forth from the beyblade and floated into Takao's hand. Takao closed his hand, and when he reopened it, a majestic dragon flew forth.

"Now Dragoon is no longer in the beyblade," said Takao as he looked at Dragoon fly out of the window and into the storm, into the distance. "Dragoon is now free."

Kai was silent.

"You know, I still love you, Kai."

"So do I. But how does that help?"

"I know you are trapped in the shadows because you lost me. You lost hope."

"And so what if that is true?"

"When I left I took the light away from you. I thought you'd be able to find another source of light... but I was wrong. I'm sorry. I have come to return the light to you. Will you take it?"

Kai turned back to face Takao. His dark wings drooped lifelessly. "And what happens after that? Will we just go on happily ever after? Life isn't a fairytale."

"I never said it was. But you have me, and I have you. We still can cherish what we have."

"I don't know what to think or what to do now, Takao."

"Look at you, Kai. Your wings are broken."

"That's because I have neither light nor darkness now. You took light away from me, now you take away darkness too."

"And I give you back light again. Will you take it, Kai?"

"How can I?"

"Step out of the shadows, Kai. Step out of the shadows and into the light."

Kai stretched his hand out, reaching for Takao. Takao took hold of Kai's hand and pulled gently, as Kai walked from the corner from where he stood into the beam of light that illuminated Takao. As Kai's wings passed from the darkness to the light, they transformed, from their leathery form to feathery ones, yet still pitch black as the night. Kai looked at them, then turned back to Takao.

"Why...?"

"You are still afraid, Kai. You have spent too long in the darkness and are fearful of the light."

"I... I'm afraid that this is too good to be true. I'm afraid that you'll leave me again."

"And even if I do, I will come back for you again, will I not?"

"Well... yeah."

Takao wrapped his arms around Kai, and as they closed their eyes and embraced, Kai felt the world melting away from beneath his feet. Kai rested his head on Takao's chest. He realized he missed feeling Takao's chest rise and fall with each breath, but this was something he could get used to. Kai felt Takao's soft wings brushing against his arms which were wrapped around Takao's shoulders. Kai reveled in this sensation which had been forcefully snatched from him so many years ago - the feeling of physical love. Kai breathed in deeply, and smelt the scent of pure bliss. Yes, this was where he belonged. This is where he was always meant to belong. With Takao.

Kai opened his eyes, and saw Takao's face gazing into his.

"Shhh. Close your eyes."

Kai closed his eyes, and before he knew it, he felt Takao's soul pressed against his own. Kai's lips gave way, and their souls flowed into each other as they melded onto one, Kai becoming Takao and Takao becoming Kai. And then Kai knew Takao would never leave him, because Takao was within Kai.

Takao's wings wrapped around Kai, and Kai felt a warm feeling growing from within himself. Takao then spread his wings, and they flapped gently as Takao floated some distance from the ground.

"Come with me, Kai."

Kai flapped his own wings once, and the dark feathers fell off, revealing a set of new feathers as brilliant as Takao's own. The two angels flew through the window and into the horizon beyond.

"First Takao, now Kai..."

"Don't cry, Max. The two of them are together now. You should be happy for them."

"Yes, perhaps that is so."

"And we're together too, right?"

"I love you, Rei."

"Me too, Max."

Above the two lovers two angels floated hand in hand, watching over their friends one last time before they took off towards the skies.

fin.