One Last Time Chapter 3, a beyblade fanfic

One Last Time

Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade.

Summary: A death hits the team; they all have to deal with it in their own way.

So here's the next part of this, since people wanted it, and I realised I needed to write this in order to deal with it. This story is my therapy, hopefully it will help.

"Talking"

'Thinking'

POV: Point of view change

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Kai sat in silence, the table all but deserted, as he ate breakfast. Tyson had gone for a walk, not even looking at food, Kenny was trying to fix his laptop, Max was sitting playing games and kept losing, and Ray; Kai hadn't seen Ray since the night before. He had allowed the other to cry himself to sleep before putting him to bed. Now he was waiting for Tyson's grandfather to come, not much help would be had from him but it was more the moral support, and hopefully he would be smart enough to bring along Hiro. He would deal with the three youngest members whilst Kai saw to Ray, and Hiro would help him do it.

Kai closed his eyes as he took a big sip of coffee, almost smiling in bliss as the steaming liquid made a burning path down his throat to settle in his stomach. He needed the warmth, he hadn't bladed since they found out the news and needed some sort of warmth to be returned to his body, warmth he was lacking at the moment.

"Damnit!"

He looked up, opening one eye as Kenny's voice rang out. The boy was gripping his head, his laptop laying in a mess before him, as his anger took over him again. This time though Ray wasn't there to be his punching bag, and Kai would kill the little techi if he tried that kind of stunt with him; so Kenny was left with only one option.

Kai watched as the other savagely picked up his damaged laptop and made his way into the kitchen, a slender slate eyebrow rose as Kenny made a beeline to the bin; two crimson eyes widened slightly as the other boy wrenched the bin open and practically threw the laptop in. Kai watched silently as Kenny then turned and stormed out to sit on the chair on the veranda, anger and frustration etched in every part of his body. It looked to Kai that Ray needed to talk to Kenny again, before the rest of their more expensive stuff found its way into the rubbish bin. 'Speaking of Ray.' Kai got up from his seat and put the cup in the wash, he had given Ray enough time to come out, now he would be going in.

He made his way up to their room and knocked softly on the door, no one answered. Kai tried again, a little harder this time, as fear started to build in him. Still no one made a sound from within the room. Kai didn't wait any longer and gripped the handle, the door didn't budge, fear coursed through him, he hadn't thought Ray would be in danger, this kind of thing was something he thought only one of the others would try. He took two steps back, the hurled himself at the door; luckily for him, and his shoulder, the door held little resistance. He caught himself from falling and quickly scanned the room, fear still holding him with a fierce grip. The grip was lessened though as his eyes fell upon a lone figure sitting on the window sill, staring out into the rain as it fell on the earth. 'Like tears.' Kai's mind murmured softly, Kai glanced at Ray. 'Like Ray's tears.' Kai made his way slowly to the other, not sure anymore how he would be received. He was two metres from Ray before he decided to say something.

"Ray." No response, it was as if the other was deaf to the world. "Ray, do you want to talk?" Still no response; Ray had, in Kai's opinion, been around him far too long, he was acting just like him. Kai waited a few minutes, but he began to leave when it became obvious he would be getting no reaction.

"He said he would be there."

Kai stopped, his ears just barely picking up the strained whisper. He half turned, eyes taking in the others appearance. Usually immaculate clothes were rumpled and loose, he hadn't put his hair up and it lay limply around its owner, half shielding his face, usually tanned skin was pinched and pale, dark circles hung under dull amber eyes. All in all the other was a sad, broken sight. Kai needed to snap the other out of this, and quickly. The question was 'how'?

"Hey Ray, Kenny looks like he needs some…….help. I'm not really sure what to do with him."

Silence cut him off, engulfing the brief moment of sound and killing it swiftly, painfully. Raven hair moved slightly as the other slowly began to turn, body shifting a miniscule amount in order to make looking at the rooms latest occupant easier. Kai almost took a step back as the other looked at him, or rather, looked in his general direction.

"I'll be down in awhile." Then he turned back, eyes focusing once again on some unseen object, an object Kai thought he knew, but knew it wasn't there. He made his way to the window, standing next to the seated other. "Nice weather." A nod, he decided to try again, this time a more direct approach.

"Ray, you need to go out somewhere, anywhere, you just need to get out."

"No."

Kai winced at the abrupt answer, he should have expected that, but he would try again. "Ray you need to get out, it's not healthy here. The others are going out tomorrow; you will be going with..."

"NO!"

Kai spun, eyes blazing as he subconsciously embraced the anger at Ray's rudeness, he felt it rising, clouding his vision, but he couldn't stop it. He wouldn't, Ray needed this, whether he knew this or not, he needed it.

"No, you listen to me. Tomorrow you will be going with the other three, and you will not come back till they do."

"Kai I said…"

"Shut up. You will go, whether I have to put you in that car or not you will go, do you think he would be happy with you now. You think he would be proud of you if he saw you like this, depressed and over all anti-social. You're acting pretty pathetic Ray..."

SLAP

Warmth flooded to his cheek, smarting almost as much as his pride. He had slapped him, not punched or pushed, slapped. Rage clouded crimson met and locked with shimmering amber. Kai felt his own hand rising, his soul screaming 'no' whilst his body reacted to the blow. Wide crimson watched as amber slid shut and the smaller body flinched in anticipation of the blow. The hand froze, mid air, then lowered slowly; its owner's eyes wide in realisation of what he was about to do. Kai was in shock, he couldn't believe he had been ready to hit Ray.

SLAM

The harsh sound of a door connecting with its frame pulled him from his astonished thoughts. He looked around the room, he was alone, and Ray was gone. He spun and made his way to the door, hoping he could still stop it from being shut, he connected with it, his body slamming painfully as small pieces dug into his skin where it was pressed against the door.

"Ray, open this door now. Open it!"

Nothing, silence.

"Ray, open this door now! Do it!"

He heard sobbing, the sound of something being thrown and then quiet. His heart stopped as fear ran through his veins, this wasn't happening. He slumped against the door, tears pricking his eyes; much like the splinters now digging into clenched fists. Physical pain to express emotional.

POV

Numbness, that was all I felt. People say when you are depressed you feel cold, I don't; I'm numb. Maybe that's a good thing, its better not to feel the turmoil that is going on inside, I'm sure it's there, its silent, stealthy. It catches me when I am asleep, invading my haven within. Slowly suffocating my already dying soul. Is that possible? Is it possible to suffocate something already close to dying?

The rain is so pretty, soothing, like the calming touch of a parent after a night of fearful dreams; or the reassuring glance of an elder before taking the plunge. It's like listening to music, a symphony of miniscule pitters that combine into a continuous flow of a monotonous sound. Much like life. My heart clenches painfully in my chest. Oh Gods, I feel so alone.

A dull thud floats to my ears moments before the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, alerting me to an unwelcome visitor. They speak before I turn to see who.

"Ray."

Kai, my leader and friend. If only he knew what was going on in my head. Would he still think me so level headed?

"Ray, do you want to talk?"

Talk! Talk! What is there to talk about! He's gone, nothing I saw or do can change there, I want to cry, but I can't. Is that wrong? Millions of things speed through my mind, things to be said, screamed, whispered, whatever. I wanted to shout at him, all of them, but I couldn't. Instead my lips move before I can halt them, words that had weighed upon my heart ever since the moment we were told.

"He said he would be there."

There, I said it. I can feel the tears pricking my eyes, but they refuse to fall. They mock me, jeer and taunt me. He said he would be back, he promised to help me, guide me through all of this. He lied, he lied to me!

"Hey Ray, Kenny looks like he needs some…..help. I'm not really sure what to do with him."

Kenny? Kenny needs help! I need help. Doesn't anyone see that I am hurting? Am I just a comfort doll or something, to be abused when needed and forgotten when not! I wanted to repeat my thoughts to him, scream at him that I don't care, but once again old habits cut through my angers and the words spill.

"I'll be down in awhile."

He seems to process this, I turn back to my observations, I need a distraction, anything to remove my mind from this…this place. I feel him move closer to me, now standing at the window sill.

"Nice weather."

I nod, hoping he will go then, he doesn't. Rather a familiar light shines in his eyes, he's up to something.

"Ray, you need to go out somewhere, anywhere, you just need to get out."

Get out! NO! I can't, mustn't leave! What if someone calls? Maybe the hospital will phone back and say they were wrong, the patients were mixed up. What if someone desperately needs…..something. I can't leave, I just can't!

"No."

Finally my mouth and mind are in sync.

"Ray, you need to get out, it's not healthy here…."

He carries on, but I don't hear him. Who does he think he is? I'm not going anywhere. NO!

"NO!"

My mouth moves with my mind, shouting out my answer into the atmosphere, drowning his more subdued and soothing voice. I hazard a look at him, he's angry; I can see it in his eyes. Crimson shines with rage, I knew it would happen, a part of me wanted it, I don't know why, but it did.

"No, you listen to me. Tomorrow you will be going with the other three, and you will not come back till they do."

He doesn't know when to quit and is beginning to tick me off.

"Kai I said…"

He cuts me off again.

The moment the words pathetic and such leave his mouth my anger takes over, before I can think or even react, my hand lifts and connects solidly with his cheek. Pain flares up, I welcome it, it reminds me I'm still alive, I can still feel. He freezes for a few seconds, and then his own hand lifts, a fist forming. I can't stop myself as I flinch. He stops, stunned at my actions and possibly his own. I don't wait, I run. The first door I see is our bathroom. I run and slam the door. Moments later the sound of a body connecting with the door fills the bathroom, and the door rattles slightly.

My breath quickens as I see my reflection in the mirror, is this me? Is this who I am?

"Ray, open this door now. Open it!"

I can hear him screaming at me, but it does nothing, the numbness takes over again. I find my body working without my permission.

"Ray, open this door now! Do it!"

I sob, his last words compelling my body to do whatever it had planned.

CRASH

White hot pain shoots through my hand, up my arm and straight to my brain. The glass shattered under my clenched, and now bloody, fist. I fell to the ground, glass shards all around me. I peer into them, my hand gripping the largest. I look at my reflection, eyes beginning to fill with tears. Crystal tears fall down my face and mix with their crimson brethren on my hands and the floor. I can't hear Kai's voice; I hear it as he seems to fall against the door. Was that a sob?

I look back at my hands, the glass still clenched in one, then I shake my head. I feel my hand lowering, sliding the glass onto the ground. My grip loosens and finally I release it. I feel myself withdraw from it, and then the door flies open. Someone is kneeling in front of me. Curiosity gets the better of me, I look up. Maybe he came back? My hope plummets as quickly as it had risen. It's Kai, only Kai.

He hugs me, whispering that it will be okay, he will help me. Can he? I look down at my hands, cut and bloodied. Does my soul look like that? I feel my head lifted, my eyes meet his. He smiles at me, once again saying he will help me through. I can't help the small smile that breaks out, I'm not alone.

I'm not alone.

There you go. The second instalment to this piece, it has taken awhile and for that I apologise, but just like this chapter it's taking time for me to work myself out…..so if we do carry on this little journey it's going to take time, hopefully the end will be good since I have no idea where this is leading me, this story is writing itself, so be prepared for anything.