Chapter 10
The ice had completely covered his whole body. He lay there, totally numb to the outside world, and thought of his friends. It saddened him to think that he might never see them again. And Tyson... he was sorry that he'd had to leave. He had known that his grandfather wouldn't spare his life this time. But he was glad that he had drifted away with Tyson by his side. He treasured that one memory as he felt his breathing get slower and slower.
Tyson stared at Voltaire, his face a mixture of shock, hopelessness and bitter rage. And still Voltaire laughed. The rage boiled up inside him until he couldn't take it anymore. He curled his hand into a fist and punched Voltaire in the face. He grinned as the old man fell to the floor in a heap.
"That one's for Kai," he whispered.
"That looked like it felt good," Max commented, smiling.
"Yeah. I needed it," Tyson replied, smile disappearing. "What can we do about Kai, though? That antidote was our last hope."
"No it wasn't," Garnet whispered to him.
"You know a way to bring him back?" he asked, a desperate hope shining in his eyes.
"I think so, but it's a bit of a long shot," she murmured, hesitating. "My grandmother sent me a book for my birthday. At first I couldn't read it, but after Kai got put in a coma, and I was looking after Dranzer, I found I could read one of the pages. It said that he was in a place that was full of ice and was bitterly cold. It said that he would freeze over, and then be lost to us. But then I read a part which told me that he could be saved by someone of love and compassion and the guardian."
She looked around, hoping that they hadn't dismissed it all as nonsense. They were all peering at her, looking relatively convinced. Hell, they had been through crazier stuff before now.
"I think that Tyson is the spirit of love and compassion," she said thoughtfully.
"Why me?"
"Because you're the one Kai loves the most. He doesn't say it a lot, but he truly cares for you."
"Well, the love part is solved, but who's this guardian then?" Daichi asked.
"Me," Garnet whispered slowly.
"So what do you and Tyson have to do then?" Rei asked.
"He's in a coma, so he can't move physically. So maybe this place of ice exists in his head?" Kenny asked after a moment.
"You're a genius, you know that?" Garnet grinned, grabbing her bag with the book still in it (she carried it everywhere after the night she translated the phoenix's page.) "Tyson, we have to get to Kai, now!"
When they arrived at Kai's bedside, they paled. The nurse at the desk had said that he was literally minutes away from dying, but they hadn't quite believed it until now. He was hardly breathing, the sound thin and rattling in his chest. Garnet felt tears prick at her eyes when she saw his emaciated figure. She pulled the book from her bag, quickly finding the right page. The scarlet letters were glowing, knowing somehow that the warrior of the phoenix was near. She took Tyson's hand and placed it over the page, her own hand next to his. The symbols rearranged so that she could read it again. But the words were different this time. She recited them under her breath.
"Book of the guardian, hear my plea. The warrior of the phoenix calls, and I must go to him. By my side is the spirit of love and compassion, here to call him from the shadowy depths. Bring me to him."
The letters pulsed brighter and brighter as the words slipped off her tongue. When the final word was uttered, they grew to an unbearable intensity... and they were no longer in the hospital room.
They fell into a deep pit, landing in a place completely black and empty. Garnet landed gracefully on her feet until Tyson smacked into her back, sending them both to the floor.
"Jesus, Tyson! What are you wearing under that shirt of yours?" she asked, rubbing her back, that felt like he had whacked her with a frying pan.
"That's the thing, I'm wearing armour," he replied, looking down at himself.
He was indeed wearing armour. It was blue with dark blue and grey shoulder guards. A long tail curled on the floor behind him, scaly until the tip, where it flared out into a mass of fur that reached out like flames. And around his neck was a snapped piece of a pendant carved from a dull grey rock. On it was engraved a phoenix, its head bowed and a peaceful look on its face.
"Kai..." he whispered, holding the pendant to his eye-line.
"Come on, we have to go and get Kai," Garnet said, turning and tripping on her skirt.
Garnet had had a change of clothing as well, her normal red dress replaced with a long purple gown that fell to her ankles. Around her neck was a black crystal in the shape of a dew-drop. She got to her feet again, blushing.
"Like I said, let's go get Kai," she smiled weakly, lifting her skirts a little.
As she said that, a brilliant white doorway appeared in the black. Tyson stepped up to it and gripped the handle firmly.
"Right, time to look around Kai's head," he grinned.
Behind the door was a seemingly endless corridor, several doors punctuating evenly down the room. Tyson groaned.
"How are we supposed to find Kai now?" he yelled.
In answer, the little gem around Garnet's throat glowed slightly. She gripped it, smiling as an idea came to her.
"I think we have to follow the crystal," she answered.
"How's it going to do that? Say to you, "Oh, it's the second door on the left", huh?" Tyson asked sarcastically.
Garnet didn't answer, walking forward, the crystal still clutched tightly in her hand. They walked for what seemed like hours, then Garnet stopped between two doors. The door on the left said "Memories" and the door on the right said "Nightmares".
"Please don't let it be the Nightmares room," Tyson whispered, fingers crossed.
Garnet stood for a moment, then proceeded to open the right-hand door.
"Typical," Tyson muttered as he stepped across the threshold, and was plunged into complete darkness.
They had entered a long grey room, different landscapes shown through holes torn into the walls on either side.
"Not a lot of colour in Kai's mind is there?" Tyson asked, trying to lift the slightly eerie atmosphere.
"It's his nightmares; you expected bright sunny colours?" Garnet retorted, a feeling that they were getting closer resting in the pit of her stomach.
"Well, knowing Kai, his nightmares might include a lot of pink and/or yellow," Tyson muttered.
Garnet opened her mouth to say something in return, but quickly closed it. Because she knew that he was partially right. They continued walking, occasionally peering through the jagged edges of the gateways, shuddering at the images being played out inside. The room ended with a black door, labelled "Living Nightmare". Garnet breathed deeply. This was it. Kai was on the other side of the door. She grabbed the handle. It was freezing cold. Yep, definitely the right door. She opened it and stepped over into Kai's mental prison.
I'm going to end here. I hope you enjoy reading the scene where Tyson punches Voltaire as much as I enjoyed writing it. I really, really hate that guy. Please review!