Brotherhood of the Bladers- Chapter Four
"Have you found it yet, Dizzi?" Kenny whined impatiently. "Just got it, Chief. According to my research, the only blader powerful enough to match Taylia is
"Brooklyn. He's going to be the one to watch out for since he's the strongest and team captain." Tala explained briefly to Saiyana and Taylia. Saiyana: "So, basically he's the one we should send Taylia to go kick his butt." She said smiling as she elbowed Taylia lightly in the side. "Hn." Taylia growled. Saiyana was starting to get annoyed. "Dammit Tai, there are other words in the dictionary than HN." Taylia shot her a cold glare before walking out of the room. "Just leave her alone, Sai. You know she's still upset about Alex." "It wasn't her fault he passed away." "But she still blames herself. She was the only family she had, how would you feel if you woke up one morning to find your brother dead?" Saiyana remained silent. Tala ran a hand through his fiery red hair and sighed. "Just give her some time to cope. She really misses Alex and it's been really hard on her... She needs us more than ever now."
Flashback
As the alarm clock went off, Taylia hit the OFF button and stretched in her bed. "Oh Alex, time to get up." She got no response. "Alex, come on and get up." It was dangerously silent. "Alex?" She moved silently over to her brother's bed and pulled back the sheet. He wasn't moving at all. Timidly, with a shaking hand, she touched Alexander's face. It was cold, like ice. Alex was dead.
A yell came from the next room, making both Tala and Kai leap to their feet and dash into Taylia's and Alex's room. Taylia lay over Alex, who was motionless on the bed. "Alex, no, please don't leave me here alone!" Tears were streaming down her face onto the sheet. Kai gasped as Tala walked over to Taylia and gently lifted her up to her feet. She immediately buried her face into his chest and started to cry, unable to look at the lifeless body of her little brother. Tala held her in a warm embrace as Kai pulled the sheet up over Alex's face. "Alex, don't leave me here alone, you can't die..." She sobbed. Tala rested his chin on the top of her head. "Just cry Tai... you've been hurt so you go ahead and cry..."She hugged him tightly. "Alex..."
"Alex..." Taylia muttered to herself as she leaned her head back against the tree. As hard as she fought, she couldn't force back a few tears.
Tai? Are you ok? Dralyx asked gently, in a concerned and worried tone.
No, no I'm not ok. I've never been ok. She muttered angrily, but she was directing her hurt at herself.
Is there anything I can do to help?
No...
Dralyx faded away. Taylia leaned back again and closed her eyes to keep them from shedding more tears. It didn't work. She opened her eyes again and glared up at the skies as it started to pour. "WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS! WHY DID ALEX DIE! WHY!" She screamed at the skies, but they gave no answer. Taylia sank to her knees in dejection as the tears she had fought for so many years finally came down, becoming lost among the raindrops that ran down her face. She glared up at the skies again. "HE WAS SO INNOCENT AND YOU TOOK HIM! ALEX NEVER DID ANYTHING WRONG AND YOU KILLED HIM! JUST END MY SUFFERING, PLEASE! PUT ME OUT OF MY MISERY!" She pleaded as tears streamed down her face. Nothing came. All the hope seemed to suddenly go out of her as Taylia fell forward face-first to the ground, sobbing bitterly. "Alex... Alex why did you leave me alone... I need you so badly, I need you more than ever..."
For the first time in her life, Taylia wept bitterly. She had cried countless times from painful beatings or the like, but that wasn't really it. As she cried, it was from the deepest, most heartfelt emotional pain she had ever experienced, she not only wept for Alex but for Ian and all the others she gone from her life that had been taken so cruelly away from her. "IT'S NOT FAIR!"
As Tala passed by the window, something caught his eye. Outside in the rain was a figure clad in dark colors on the ground. Tai, not again... Tala ran outside into the rain where Taylia lay face down on the ground, shaking with hurt, furious sobs. "Tai..." He whispered gently. "Just leave me..." She muttered. Her voice sounded so hopeless and hollow, like she'd given up... Tala gently turned her over and held her in his arms. "I'm not going to leave you, Tai." She rested her head on his shoulder, tears still falling. "Alex... If there was ever a time I needed him it's now... And that scares me..."
That night as Taylia stared at the ceiling, deep in her thoughts, she started to think of her brother. He was a little brown-haired boy of 6 who could make any condition seem better. He was always so happy and cheerful; his hopeful, innocent smile could light up the world. She was his big sister Taia (Tai-uh), and he looked up to her in such a way that she was like a mother to him, and he thought of her that way too. He wasn't much of a blader, but he never gave up... It helped to think of Alex, but only temporarily did it ease the deep pain in her lost heart. The last things he'd said to her before the sleep he never returned from were, "Goodnight Taia, I love you." Taylia forced herself not to think anymore. It hurt too deeply to think about those last words. I love you. Funny how such simple words could mean so much and feel so strong. I love you too Alex... I hope you're happy now...
Tala looked to the staircase as Taylia came down. Those two were always up the earliest. Tai seemed more at ease, like something had calmed her guilty conscious about her little brother. "Tai?" He asked in a gentle tone. She looked up. "You ok?" She forced a half-smile, but then it became more sincere. "Yeah... I'm fine..." She looked truthful, but he could see it in her mixed eyes that she still missed Alex. She just sat down across from Tala and laid her forehead against the table and sighed. "Are you sure you're ok?" "Yeah, I... didn't sleep well last night..." Her posture made it seem logical. "Well, we're going to brush up on all of our skills today, so wake up so Spencer doesn't throw you in the pool." Taylia chuckled to herself. "He knows better. That would be his death wish." Tala choked a bit on his coffee, trying not to laugh. The last time Tala had thrown her in the pool, well, let's just say things didn't look pretty. Rated R for violence and language. Tala shook his head, sighing in that way people do when they're recovering from a particularly crappy or asinine joke.
"Seaborg, Stramolyu attack!" "Selievyce, Whirlwind attack!" The two blades clashed while the others were standing around as spectators. Once again, Spencer and Saiyana were duking it out at a practice Beybattle. Kai and Taylia, however, had decided to exert their extra energy on the boxing ring in the basement.
"C'mon Tai, I know you're better than this!" Kai said smirking as he barraged Taylia with a series of jabs. Taylia had both arms up to protect her face, but she was holding out. "You know I'm more of the kickboxing type, but if you insist." To Kai's surprise, she lashed out with a series of lightning-fast jabs, leaving no window for a counter. One hard punch lands Kai flat on his back. Taylia smirked. "You really shouldn't have told me that." She said as she removed her boxing gloves. She extended a hand and Kai took it. Taylia pulled him up to his feet. "Not bad." She looked over her shoulder to see Bryan leaning against the wall. "How long have you been standing there?" "Long enough to see you get your ass kicked, Hiwatari." He responded curtly. Taylia rolled her eyes as she got down from the ring. She had barely broken a sweat, but then again she didn't try very hard. "By the way, the Bladebreakers are over." Just as he said this, Taylia headed up the staircase still in her midriff with a towel over one shoulder.
Upstairs, the Bladebreakers were gathered around the table while Taylia got a large glass of water. Tyson started talking about something... "Boris offered me to join BEGA." Taylia choked and spewed her water out all over the floor. "WHAT!" The others looked at her weird at her outburst. "I'd be famous; there'd be T-shirts, hats, that kind of stuff." Taylia walked over to the table. "Listen to me, Tyson." She placed her cup upside down on the table. "Pretend this cup is you and my fist is Boris. He'll play you for a while, but if you fail even once..." She raised her fist and slammed it down onto the glass, shattering it and make pieces scatter across the table. Everyone looked at her like OO. "Take my word for it." With that said she walked away with the side of her fist bleeding.