Chapter 9- The Precious Gift

When Kaneda and Kai left the little building their eyes encountered a fantastic sight. Levitating ten feet above the pond were Akira and Valerie had been talking before was Akira himself. He was in a standing position with his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes were glowing with a white light and he was surrounded by his physical aura, the white flames waving intensely. Valerie, Kei and the Colonel were standing at the water's edge closest to the little building were Tetsuo was sleeping. The Colonel spotted Kai and Kaneda and waved them over without speaking a word. The two friends ran over to the rest of the group and they watched Akira, who was in a deep state of concentration.

Kaneda: "That looks amazing, maybe this will work after all."

Kei: "Right before flying up there he said that he would manipulate the minds of the survivors of the Second Akira Event into thinking that nobody had actually died. That way there won't be a panic when everyone revives."

Kai: "I hadn't even thought of that! Hey you guys, he doesn't look so good. He's breathing kind of heavy and wincing a lot."

Colonel: "Of course he's in some pain, don't you think that accomplishing something like this would require just a little bit of discomfort?"

Kai: "Geez, sorry!"

Valerie: "Guys, look over there! It's Tetsuo!"

Everyone except for Akira turned to see a bandaged and still somewhat fatigued Tetsuo walk slowly towards them. It took him a few minutes to get to them but when he did he bowed slightly before Kaneda and spoke to Valerie.

Tetsuo: "Domo arigato gozimasu. You helped to save me. It'll be different this time around, you just watch."

Kaneda: "Shouldn't you be in bed buddy? I mean you look like crap. You look like an old man with that white hair."

Tetsuo grinned at his old friend and pulled down his eyelid with one finger, stuck out his tongue and gave Kaneda the raspberry.

Tetsuo: "I don't give a rat's a** about my hair you friggin' pink shirt wearing baka!"

Kai: "Uh, hi there."

Tetsuo: "Please don't be scared of my Kai, I really didn't mean to ~~~"

Kai: "Don't worry about me, I'm just fine. And I know that it wasn't you're fault so please don't apologize. But if you ever try anything then I'm going to punch you so hard in the head you'll have to take off your jeans to eat, you got that?"

Tetsuo (Chuckling): "I hear you loud and clear."

Valerie: "Damn, feel the power coming from that aura, it's absolutely incredible! I just hope that Spark can pull this off without hurting himself."

Tetsuo: "Spark?"

Kai: "That's a long story. Basically Valerie found in the Stadium and since she didn't know who he was at the time, she gave him a nickname. Now herself and Kai have that so called power that you and Akira have. That about sums it up."

Tetsuo shook his head from side to side as though he had just heard the most confusing thing in the world.

Tetsuo: "And he's willing to give up nearly all of his powers just to undo everything that happened a year ago?"

Kaneda: "Well even he can't turn back time but at least he's doing the next best thing. Now we'd better shut up or else he may get distracted."

Everyone stood and watched as the boy struggled to ignore the pain he was feeling as his mighty energy slowly made it's way back to Neo-Tokyo. And if they were back in the city at that precise moment they would have seen thousands of pillars of white fire shaped energy form into human bodies. These bodies then one by one stirred to life and began to go about their business as though they had never been dead! And just a few short minutes later back at the temple, everyone turned away from Akira with shocked expressions as three bodies slowly began to form before them. One body in particular began to cry out, reaching a hand out to one of them in particular.

Tetsuo: "Oh my Kami-sama ~~~ Kaori!! I'm coming!"

All of them had to grab onto the teen just to slow him down as he tried desperately to make his way to his loved one, whose features were becoming clearer by the second.

Kei: "Not yet, not until Akira's done! You must wait!"

Tetsuo: "No, let me go to her, let me go, let me ~~~"

The features of the other two forms were becoming clear as well, One with a denim shirt with a volcano on the front and a much older man in a long white coat. The group's attention switched back to Akira when they heard him cry out in pain. His face was screwed up in pure agony and they could actually hear his heartbeat which was quickly getting faster and faster. Valerie looked like she was going to go into a panic and all of the others were concerned as well but they knew that they could not do a thing about it.

Akira: "J ~~~ just one ~~~ last ~~~ form to make. Nearly there ~~~ It's ~~~ not going to work!! EEEAAAUUUGGGHH, AAAAHHHH!!"

They all watched in horror as one last form began to appear before Akira. It was flickering wildly and was twisting in agony similar to Akira's. Valerie instantly knew whom it was that Akira was trying to resurrect before him using the last of his concentrated strength.

Valerie: "Drake!"

But Akira was in far too much pain to complete Drake's resurrection; it was not going to work.

Akira (Thinking): "I cannot let his life force be extinguished, there is only one choice left to me. I am so sorry that it has to be this way Valerie."

With a great shriek of pain that echoed throughout the entire temple complex the light of Akira's aura filled the area causing everyone to hold their hands up to their eyes. And what they could see was one of the most spectacular things that any of them had ever seen in their lives. Drake's life force began to move closer and closer to Akira's screaming body.

Colonel: "HOLY S**T HE'S ABSORBING DRAKE, WHAT'S HE DOING?!"

Valerie: "SPAAAARRRRKKKK!!"

Valerie's anguished cry was soon drowned out by one last howl of pain from Akira as Drake's energy fused with his body. Then the screams instantly stopped and the intense light disappeared and everyone looked up at were Akira had been. Only Akira was no longer there. Instead of the powerful entity encased in the body of a little boy there now levitated the form of a very handsome young man who looked like he was in his late twenties, with shiny black hair that reached down past his shoulders. He had a muscular build and a fair complexion. But surrounding him were the remnants of a fiery aura the color of snow.

Kaneda: "Is that Akira?! What the hell happened to him?"

Kei: "He must have absorbed Drake in order to save his life energy because he had become too weak to give him a separate body. He has now taken on several of Drakes physical attributes. My god, it's incredible. What's happening now?"

They all watched in silence as the new Akira looked down at them all with soft blue eyes and a light gasp escaping his mouth. The remainder of his aura disappeared and he fell like a stone into the middle of the pond. Several bubbles escaped to the surface but soon nothing was happening.

Valerie: "Oh my god he's going to drown, somebody get him out right now!"

Tetsuo: "Kai what the hell are you doing?!"

They all turned to see Kai now standing at the edge of the pond with his arm outstretched and his body enveloped in a cloudy blue aura. The water in the middle of the pond began to ripple and splash fiercely and a body began to rise out of the water. Kai's face was scrunched up in deep concentration as he used the power of telekinesis to bring the transformed Akira out of the water and to expel the water from his lungs at the same time. And as soon as he had Akira lying safely on the grassy bank he fell to his knees gasping.

Kai: "I can't believe ~~~ that I could do that. Oh man."

Valerie rushed to the side of the new Akira who was now unconscious after such an obviously excruciating experience. And the others let her take care of Akira while they ran over to Yama, Kaori and Frost. Their most precious gift had now been bestowed upon them. But what was going to happen when Akira awoke to find himself a whole new person?