Out of the Gloom - Rei


Define dedication…

I'm spending Christmas flying over the north pole with a bunch of snobby businessmen for company, en-route to an exhibition blading tournament in New York.

Rei slumped into a pretentious first class leather armchair. Despite it's ultra-comfortable charms, it failed to relax him. The young blader was restless. His mind was moving faster then the 747 he had boarded. It wasn't a good sign. Rei Kon was meant to be sound asleep, catching up on some precious rest before the next leg of his travels as a BBA ambassador. He was not meant to be wide awake and feeling uncertain about the whole business of sport promotion, or the rather lonely couple of months he'd gotten himself into.

Sighing for the hundredth time, Rei shifted uncomfortably in his chair. It didn't help. He fiddled with the entertainment console on his seat's armrest. It didn't help much either.

Nothing seemed right.

Not least the fact that he was going to be on the other side of the world for Christmas and all by himself...

The past few days had been hectic. Routine meet, greet and demonstrate in Taipei. A technology exhibition in Hong Kong. The Magna- stadium grand opening in Singapore… and now a festive New York beckoned. He had briefly been reunited with the original bladebreakers in Singapore, but otherwise-

There'll be no contact with friends or family this Christmas.

You're on your own.

And you're in a foreign land- a different nation for each day of the week...

Rei had had enough. If he didn't clear his head and get some sleep he'd be in no shape to show his skills in the monumental New York Battle Dome. Perhaps a walk around the aisles might sooth him and give him a chance to stretch his legs and clear his head. Vacating his seat, the raven haired blader stepped gingerly out into the aisle, ready to take his chances with the unpredictable turbulence if need be. The seatbelt sign was off, a rather rare state of affairs considering the malicious storm that writhed beyond the cabin's portholes.

A few steps took him to the rear of the first-class cabin. A smitten attendant beamed at him. He wasn't really in the mood to return the favor, but courteously smiled and bowed his head slightly in reply (after all, Rei was an ambassador).

His entry into the business class cabin went unnoticed.

At least I'm not alone...

There was no talking, no communication. Just indifferent, introspective silence and an unrelenting aura of loneliness. Sure, these people had families. They had friends too. But where were they? Seated alone, or beside a complete stranger, the zombie like passengers stared blankly into flickering, uninspiring video screens imbedded into the seat before them. They slept, dreaming of better times long past. Of loved ones they would not see. They slept, dreaming of things they did or did not do, for better or worse.

Probably worse thought Rei.

It was a sobering, and cold place, there in the dimly lit steel tube. The ill growl of the over-driven jet engines struggling against an arctic headwind resonated through the dry and stale air. It was surreal, in the darkest sense.

You could almost reach out and touch the broken dreams.

Rei was overcome by sadness.

He had to get out there.

I don't belong here

Rei felt like he was drowning. Panic gripped him, momentarily- He had to get out of there-

It was the captain's obligatory greetings over the plane's intercom ushered the tormented youngster back to a more sobering reality.

This is your captain speaking. On behalf of all the crew aboard Cathay Pacific flight 122, I'd like to wish you all a merry Christmas and happy holidays. I regret to inform you that our arrival at JFK international will be delayed by approximately one hour due to the rough weather and a prevailing headwind. The seatbelt sign has been turned off, but I would advise that anybody seated should keep their seatbelt fastened for reasons of personal safety. Thank you, and Merry Christmas.

A tired, golden eye caught one of the aircraft's numerous self adjusting digital clocks. It read 0001:02 / 12 / 25 / 05.

Christmas Day.

"Some Christmas this'll be" Rei thought, utterly depressed ... And this place gives me the creeps

There was nothing left to do but leave the business class cabin and it's loveless occupants to their fate. His exit couldn't have been quicker.

The stark emptiness of the sparsely lit economy class cabins were eerie, but strangely comforting. Here, distractions were minimized; There were no sad faces to contemplate, no air hostesses prowling the aisles with tea or coffee, and no rude staring from fellow passengers (or smelly people to sit near). Rei's mood lightened ever so slightly as a realization dawned upon him.

Solitude.

That was what he needed. Surrounded by innumerable strangers for days on end had taken it's toll on the usually energetic blader's spirit. Perhaps it was time to take a leaf out of Kai's book?

Rei's mind was quickly made up. If he wasn't going to spend this Christmas in the company of family and friends, he'd rather spend it in peace and quiet, on his own, and not in the company of downtrodden suits and outcast wayfarers. Rei's slow shuffle down the shadowy aisles of misery express became more purposeful. Rows of abandoned seats were left in his wake as he made his way to the rear of the aircraft, his cat like reflexes keeping him well balanced in the face of the shakes and shudders that teased the jet.

It was cool and safe at the aft most section of the plane. The darkness was a comforting blanket. And the lack of Christmas decorations (bar a hastily mounted laurel wreath above the cordoning curtains) was a welcome relief. Rei was about to claim a row of seats for himself when he became aware of someone's presence.

His powerful senses instinctively focused upon the source of this person- a rouge, barely visible light blue light that occasionally wavered contrary to the static corridor. Concentrating hard, the highly attuned teen followed the light blue luminescence. It was coming from the very last row of seats on the airplane. It moved lazily for about ten seconds, then came to rest, pointing directly to the ceiling.

Rei was hypnotized. Something inside him was telling him to follow that light, to never look away...

The plane shook violently. His balance momentarily offset, Rei was sent hurtling to the floor. His cat like instincts saved him, just- with a violent but masterfully precise grab, the seasoned blader grabbing hold of an arm-rest, and thus saving himself from a very nasty fall...

...Salima had been scanning through her ipod, deciding upon what tracks would best oppose Christmas carols when the plane lunged downwards and shook violently. Sitting bolt upright in surprise, her headphones slipped from her ears, and slid down her long, smooth red hair. The cold air that assaulted her beat numbed ears was excruciating. The shock of the turbulence knocked the wind out of her. But what happened next terrified her.

Without warning, a shadowy figure materialized an arms-reach in front of her.

Salima let out a rare scream of pure terror... which morphed into one of complete surprise... which finished on a simultaneously angry, confused, elated and disorganized,

"R-Rei? Is that you? What are you doing here? Are you ok? Christ!"

The corridor guide lights flickered. It was Rei's turn to react to shock and amazement.

"Salima Wh-What on earth?"

"Damn!"

The turbulence intensified. In danger of being thrown on his back, Rei staggered forwards, grabbing hold of a head rest for support. The seatbelt light came on with a resounding ding! Still in a daze, ambassador Kon swung himself about the headrest, and came to land gracefully on one of the seats that Salima had claimed. Seconds of silent bewilderment followed. Settling nervously into his newly assigned seat, Rei turned to face the last person he'd thought he'd ever see on his travels. Salima was sitting on her knees, her hands firmly gripping an armrest to counter the violent shaking of the besieged jet. Her mouth was slightly agape, frozen for words. As the unwelcome vibrations subsided, and the defiant roar of the engines kicked back in, the two long separated friends were reunited.

Two faces erupted into smiles of genuine happiness, tinged with surprise and bewilderment.

Rei. Said Salima. Cordially and very matter of fact-ly.

Salima. Rei's reply was curt and to the point.

Neither teen could hold it in any longer. Their smiles broke into unrestrained grins.

Laughter shook the rear cabin, breaking the darkness with sonic light that exploded into a bone crushing embrace, which a certain overjoyed red-head initiated by nearly ripping the armrest from it's mountings and throwing herself at the responding nekojin, who caught her arms and guided her into his chest; Destination, a new kind of warmth that re-spirited the two youngsters in a way they'd never experienced before.

For a few seconds, nothing else mattered.

Loneliness melted away to be replaced by a re-fired friendship that burned hotter then the solar core.

So. Rei. How've you been? Asked Salima, reluctantly disengaging from their revitalizing embrace.


Can't complain... He grinned.

Christmas was looking up.

Ha! Chapter done! I apologize for any discrepancies in time zones, let's assume they don't exist for now while I do a little research. Chapter three will be put it up when I'm good and ready- and any encouragement would be appreciated:)