Sorry it took so long to update, I'm back in shcool being crushed under a mountain of work...boo hoo! I have very little time to do what I want and that depresses me! Well thank you to all of my reviewers!
Crazedcandie- the ever faithful! Thank you for your review, I understand the who love/hate relationship! In a past review you asked what Reiko had said in her other language...well here it is!
Juusagit- (insert fav swear word or "no")
Slivdaf hurshcib wridel- (Make them stop)
Reiocu- thank you!
icedragongurl15- Here it is! Chapter 12!
XXXXX - time elapse
Standard disclaimers apply!
Chapter Twelve
(Akiko)
One minute I had been watching Chai take hold of my last binding and then I was floating in a void of nothingness. For a space of time I cannot account for I hung there wondering what was going on and what was going to happen to me. Where was Chai? Was I ever going to be free? Would I ever be able to see my family again? Abruptly I found myself falling and I scrambled for a hold on the rocky surface in front of me. My right hand wrapped around a sharp black rock that sliced into my palm jerking me to a sudden stop wrenching my shoulder out of its socket. Pain almost forced me to let go of my lifeline but I held tight grappling to find another hold for my left hand so as to relieve the pressure being put on my injured arm.
"I'm ready." I would know that voice anywhere, it was Chai, but where was he? I couldn't see anything but the rock wall in front and above me and the molten lava beneath me. Waves of heat washed over me, and my body began doing overtime to pump out sweat and adrenaline to cool me and give me energy.
"Chai!" I screamed, my voice was harsh from fear and it grated on my ears, "Chai! Help me!" The fingers on my right hand had gone numb and I knew I wasn't going to be able to hold on much longer, the blood gushing from my wounded hand was making it hard to hold on.
"He's not coming, do you actually think that he would save you when he has the chance to kill me?" Zinan's voice whispered in my ear and my heart froze skipping a beat before doing double time to pump icy fear through my body. "Little insignificant you? Someone like you is worthless, not one would ever consider saving you, not even your family so why do you think this man, who doesn't even know you would save you? There is no hope. You will die." Fear clogged my throat as my blood soaked fingers slipped off the rocks and I plummeted down towards death in the molten lava.
"Kiko!" A strong hand wrapped around my wrist and my descent was stopped, "I have you, don't worry." Hardly daring to breath I looked up and my eyes locked with his red flecked steel grey ones. "I need your other hand." Grimacing in agony I reached out for him tears flowing down my cheeks, he had come for me.
I was back in my mind and I was yet again falling but this time right into Chai's arms where I clung to him and sobbed with relief for my ordeal almost over. He held me to him tightly as he slowly sat down not loosening his hold on me giving me the comfort that I craved so much. It took a little while for me to calm down enough to stop crying and gather my scattered wits to me so I could merge with my other self that was still lying in a heap near us. Squeezing Chai hard to signal I was ok, I let go of him and crawled over to my other self, bracing myself for what was to come as I reached out and clasped her to me.
My mind shattered into a million pieces as I fell into the dark depths of a lost mind that had been hidden away for much to long.
'Who are you?' Looking up I saw my other form, Kiko for now, she was sitting in the middle of the blackness with her knees bent in such a way that her heels were inches from her hips. Her blue eyes were hooded, as she stared at me no curiosity what so ever in her gaze, her tone was monotonous with no feeling in it.
'I am you and you are me, we were not meant to be apart but we were separated like this.' I told her this quietly as I crouched down in front of her trying not to come across as intimidating.
'We do not look similar, nor do you seem familiar.' She blinked at me as she appraised me tilting her head to one side as she did so, 'I have always been in the dark, just like this. Why should I believe you?'
'Because you can feel it deep within you that you are meant to be one with me, when we are apart it hurts us in ways that are hard to explain.' I tried to put into words what I knew but she didn't seem to.
'He won't be out there will he? That man who want to know about the future? I don't like talking about it, they call it a gift but it is a curse, a dark thing that taints the soul.' Something flickered in her eyes as she grasped a memory of the outside world that she had almost forced out of her mind.
'He's gone, the dark skinned one is with the authorities right now, we're safe, we can merge without any fear.' I held out my hand to her really not sure what to do, Kiko didn't seem to really care to become one but there was something about her that wouldn't let me leave in this place.
'Is the dark warrior here?' Kiko asked the question I knew I would have also asked in the same situation.
'In the flesh, he wants to meet both of us and to do that we need to become one." I kept my hand outstretched as I waited for her answer.
'Will it hurt?' She was already reaching out for my hand as she asked.
'Only for a moment.' Our hands met and there was a flash of bright light and together we screamed as pain shot through us and I then I opened my eyes.
"Akiko?" Turning my head to one side I spotted Chai sitting next to me a concerned look on his face as I realized I was actually conscious in the hospital.
"Chai…" my voice was hoarse from little use, "Is that you?"
"Yeah," he nodded.
"Thank you," I pulled myself up into a sitting position and gingerly touched my arm to make sure it wasn't dislocated; it wasn't due to the fact that it had happened in my mind.
"No, thank you. You helped me save the only person I consider family." Chai replied reaching out and tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear. "Do you want me to go get the doctor? Your family?"
"No, I just want to stay here with you for a little bit, just you." I smiled at him as shock flitted through his eyes.
"You need sleep, you're exhausted. I'll stay with you while you sleep and make sure nothing happens but I think that a little recuperation is needed before you go and do anything else." Chai told me.
"Ok, just as long as you stay here," I reverted to my 'human' blond form so as to sleep better without my wings getting in my way. "No letting the boogey man get me." Chai let out a snort of laughter as he nodded, almost instantly I fell captive to the seductive lure of sleep.
XXXXX
"Mmm," I groaned; someone was gently shaking me trying to force me to wake up before I wanted to.
"Akiko you need to wake up, the doctor wants to check you out." It was Chai, was he the one shaking me?
"Can't he do that while I'm sleeping? It's not that hard, you just do a quick once over." I muttered burrowing deeper into my pillow desperate to get away from them and sleep more; I needed sleeeeeep.
"Akiko Nana Sawasaki! You get up right now!" A sharp commanding voice penetrated my brain I jerked into a sitting position to find Oki scowling at me her arms akimbo. Even thought she was the youngest of us all we all lived in fear of her sharp tongue and bossy somehow mother-like ways.
"What, I need sleep," I whined wincing as the red haired doctor poked a still healing bruise. "And before you don't ask, yes that did hurt!" I snapped at him causing him to look up at me a twinkle in his violet eyes.
"I guess you are feeling much better, your whole family has been terribly worried about you, Sayo nearly beheaded me when I told her you weren't responding mentally to any stimulus." He pulled back and signed a chart he was holding with a flourish, "I'm glad to announce that the little miss is ready to leave the hospital but there are some rules she has to abide by."
"Ok, shoot." Oki pulled out a notepad and pen ready to write it all down.
"No drinking, smoking, drugs, extreme exercise…" he was ticking all the things off on his fingers as he told them to my baby sister who jotted them down in her personal shorthand. Rolling my eyes I looked to Chai who was watching me and my heart melted when I saw how haggard he was looking.
"Thanks, please come see me some time," I smiled at him as he nodded and stood up to leave.
"Where do you think you're going?" Oki snapped and Chai jumped.
"I was going to go check on my friend and then leave," he informed her.
"Oh I see you're just going to leave? I don't think so! I have a wedding to plan; Sayo has work to catch up on, as does Drake and Dun is about to go on a musical tour, there is no one to take care of my dear irresponsible sister. She needs constant round the clock care and you are going to be the one to give it to her because it is obvious to me if not everyone you are the only one she will listen to." Chai stood there looking dumbstruck and cornered just like Oki wanted him to be. "Now, here is the list of things you need to know…."
As I watched my little sister lecture the man who had saved me I knew that everything was going to be just fine.
Well thank you all again and please R&R! I beg of you!
