Chapter 5:
Tno: I'm back, now if any of you were visited in the night by three ghosts who called you the scrooges of reviews, take that to heart and review this chapter. Now chapter 5 is where we bring in a bit more of the love (no, no lemons yet, there is still quite a ways to go, I'm trying to make this story seem a little more realistic then "I like you", "I like you too", "O.K. let's have sex". NO, that is not how it works, these girls are NOT whores, they establish a RELATIOSHIP first, and if you can't handle that then you are immature and horny and you need to see a therapist. Capish). Now that I'm done ranting at you non reviewers…it's Clarence's turn. (And thank you very much to DK and Big W, who DID review).
Clarence: yes I am not a whore I repeat not a whore. Cough well any way on with the chapter.
Chapter 5:
"That's enough. What's going on?" Sid said sternly.
"It's nothing, just a bad dream O.K." Gwen answered. "I'm serious." She added before turning around. Everyone looked relived except Enni.
"What was this dream about exactly?" He pressed.
"Oh blood and guts and lots of scary shadows, you know, the usual bad dream." She shrugged.
"But we were in it Gwen." Enni continued.
"Enni, why is this such a big deal?" Ari asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"It could be a premonition." He said quietly.
"OH GOD I HOPE NOT." Gwen almost shrieked.
"Just tell us what happened in the dream." Sid said broadly.
"You aren't going to like it." She answered looking at her feet.
"Try us." Was Ray's obvious reply. Gwen took a deep breath, still looking intently at her socks.
"You guys tried to kill us, because of something that Mr. Dickenson told you. And you succeeded. In my dream they were all dead, and then you killed me." She looked at Ray
"You're right, I don't like it." Max said. "We wouldn't try to kill anyone."
"That's what I'm saying." Ari said. "It was just a dream Enni, leave it alone."
"It doesn't mean that no ones going to try and kill us. This has happened before if you remember Ari?" The hall went silent and everyone turned to look at Ari as tears began to spill from her eyes.
"Shut-up!" She said bitterly staring into Enni's eyes with mixed emotions. "I never meant it, Sid wasn't going to…She wouldn't have…And Gwen she…" Ari shook her head again and pushed past Ray into her room.
Ari closed her door, sinking to the floor listening to the conversation outside. 'Sid never mean to…you know that Enni, I know you know.' Ari thought.
"What was she talking about?" Tyson looked bewildered as usual.
"The day I lost Amphilion. Ari had her own premonition." The hall remained quiet, the boys silently urged Enni to continue. Gwen and Sid had moved closer to one another looking pained at the memory. "It had been a chain reaction started by Sid. This was quite a while after I'd started sticking with them, but we knew that the peace that had followed the last crisis wouldn't last. But that time was worse than the others. When Sid lost it I tried to get to her through the use of my blade but it was destroyed in the first five minutes. I was at a loss, in the past things hadn't been that bad but this time the world was literally going to be shattered. When she finally stopped so did her breathing, I couldn't do anything…then Ari lost it over that and the electrical storm she caused almost killed her. I managed to get her out of the way somehow and get Amphilion back but Ari seemed to be torn up from the inside. She was constantly coughing up blood, and then…Gwen went off and at this point I was powerless, and she was unintentionally killing me. When it was over, she was in a coma…" When Enni stopped talking Sid was kneeling on the floor trying unsuccessfully not to cry, and hugging Gwen who had been crying from the start of the story. She had to stop or Cliodina would make her let lose all her power. And in this confined space, not even she would survive. The blade breakers were silent. They had been processing so much unbelievable information lately that they were beginning to wonder if this wasn't just some elaborate joke, but the scar on Kai's chest made it damn clear that there was no joke and no lie. They were watching the unleashing of hell.
"I don't believe this. How could they hide THAT well?" Boris flinched; the warning that Voltaire had given him still pained his arm to no end. "I want you to spread everyone out through Italy, Germany, Scotland, and France. I swear I will have them found."
"Yes sir." The speakerphone answered. "Uh why those countries sir?"
"DON'T QUESTION ME, JUST DO AS I SAY!" Boris roared.
When Ari emerged from her room, she could see Enni sitting quietly at his desk through his open door and attempted to pass by without his noticing.
"Ari?" She cursed herself for forgetting to jump the creaky floorboard and turned to look at him. "I'm sorry." He said still looking out his window.
"I-…I understand." She didn't really know what else to say. So she went downstairs looking into Gwen's room where she sat alone. Ari had expected Sid to be there…
"She doesn't want anyone around when she unleashes Clio." Gwen smiled. "We had to tell them some time." She said trying to accept the memory's return.
"Yeah, I can't forgive myself for anything I've done though."
"Taranis forgives you, I know he does." At Gwen's words Ari looked at the floor, she needed him, to talk to him to be held close to him, Taranis.
Gwen knew that especially in a spirit child's teenage years, things got crazy. Most people, even those who simply bladed had a bit beast of the same sex but those few who had ones of the opposite gender…well that was different. She knew that though Ari couldn't be with him, she was in love with Taranis. In his human form he could comfort her, love her back but they both knew it wouldn't last.
Gwen took Ceridwen as more of a guardian, a different kind of love. Ceridwen would never let anything happen to her and vise versa. Gwen considered herself small and scared, and Ceridwen was her strength. How could any normal person understand these feelings?
Sid stood out side in the field alone, she could see the house in the distance, but she refused to go back until she had proven her point to herself. She would learn control. But this time she would not try to stop it coming, she would try to make it come. She readied herself for the worst and in a surreal way, she felt calm and prepared, the field stretched out around her and she stood unseen, at least she thought she was unseen. The boys were watching her from Kai's window (they had barged into his room again).
"O.K. Clio, help me here." She said watching the breeze rustle the world around her. She felt like she was watching it from outside, as though she weren't actually a part of it.
It doesn't work like that. Cliodina responded from somewhere in her mind. You are too calm. Too calm…TOO CALM? Say what? FINE! She took a deep breath and forced herself to dredge up all the most painful memories from the bottom of her heart where she had left them, discarded, unwanted…hated. It took a while but they came. Her parent's, Tala, the people she had hurt or killed, Boris, the Balkov soldiers, Voltaire, the youth shelter, Enni…they soon began to hit her one after the other and she felt like every one of them was a stone in her soul. She hadn't noticed that she was on her knees now; she had forgotten where she was and what she was trying to do. She didn't feel the earth shake beneath her rising and falling as though the whole world were writing in her pain. She had no voice with which to scream and in agony she through her fists on the ground a shock wave erupting, she turned her palms to the shifting soil and her energy escaped her sinking deep into the ground and causing the whole town to pitch violently. She could feel the roots of the trees around the field and she called to them imagining she could feel them twine around her fingers and arms, slowly lashing her to the ground. All of a sudden she woke up from her absent state and felt her lungs being crushed. Her dream of the tree roots attaching themselves to her had not been imaginary after all. And even though she had stopped calling they continued to squeeze as though wanting to absorb her very life. The ground was already soaking in every bit of energy she had left and she couldn't pull free bound there. She wanted to scream but she had lost the power even to twitch. She was going to be killed by her own strength she though as her eyes closed, to spent to keep them open. She was already unconscious when someone cut her free from her prison and carried her back the house.
Kai was in his signature pose, arms crossed, bangs covering his eyes, it was his typical don't-touch-me-don't-talk-to-me-don't-even-breath-on-me, pose. He was actually bored out of his mind. How did he constantly get thrown into the job of watching the unconscious? The excuse was because he was quiet or something. He glanced at the bed as Sid began to stir. It had been a day and half since Enni had brought her back from the field, so far gone she had almost no blood flow. Now she slowly sat up groaning in pain.
"About time, I was getting tired of watching that spider cross your floor." He muttered and was surprised as Sid suddenly jumped up screaming.
"What spider where?" She shuddered and glanced at Kai, only now registering his presence in the room. (Hey she's been out for about two days here people, don't judge her disorientedness). Kai blinked a couple of times then smirked.
"Well now I know how to get you up and moving." He grinned and her cheeks went red.
"Hey what happened?" Max and Tyson rushed into the room to see Sid in one of Enni's tee shirts and underwear. (There had been blood all over her cloths when Enni had rescued her, and instead of having to throw out more of her cloths, he just gave her one of his. Cuz he's just so sweet). She jumped and pulled the covers up to her neck glaring at them. Knowing how much they'd humiliate her when they found out she was afraid of a bug.
"Sid just had a bad dream." Kai said. "Now get out before we both hurt you." He growled and the boys ran out.
"Uh…why…?" Sid looked at Kai confused.
"Some people aren't mature enough to accept the fears of others." He said all philosophically, turning away from her. "When they hide the fact that they have irrational fears of their own."
"So what you are basically saying is that you know what Tyson and Max are scared of." She smiled, dragging herself to the edge of the bed while still holding the blanket up (the shirt is slightly too big so it sorta falls really low on her chest).
"Maybe." He answered hiding his smirk. "But I know your now too, so why don't you clue me in on a few things…and then I won't have to say anything about your 'weakness'."
"That's blackmail you jerk she spat forgetting the blanket and trying to whack him over the head with a pillow. But she suddenly found herself feeling weak again and her arm dropped no where near his face. At that moment the door swung open and Gwen and Ari stood there smiling like crazy.
"You're awake they laughed and jumped on the bed with her and hugging her so tight she thought she was still being strangled by tree routs. Kai got up suddenly sullen again.
"See ya." He said and walked out.
"What's his problem?" Gwen tilted her head as he closed the door behind him.
"He's got a stick up his as." Ari replied before they heard the bone chilling 'I heard that.' from the hall.
"Nothing, he's just pissy again." Sid shook her head. "And could you two get off me. I can't really breath she gasped."
"Oops." Gwen laughed jumping up along with Ari.
"Sorry about that."
Eventually Enni came by and so did Ray, and by the time midnight rolled around Sid was strong enough to walk down to the living room where everyone was watching something on 'Movie Night in Canada'. Gwen wearily went to sit on Enni's lap and rested her head on his shoulder yawning.
"How are you Kitty?" He grinned at Sid patting Gwen's hair. Sid lay down on the rest of the couch with her head on Gwen's knees. Ari curled up on the end of the couch leaning on Sid's calves.
"Wow, you people look like a giant human pretzel." Tyson said diverting his attention from the screen where Indiana Jones was running through a bug infested tunnel.
"Tyson…never mind." Ari sighed, she was too tired even to think up and crude insult for the blue hared youth.
"Wow, you girls seem bushed." Enni smiled still running his fingers through Gwen's hair. (He likes to stoke girls hair and he's good at it too so they don't complain, and DON'T think dirty or I'll come after you with a starving cat in a sack).
"Well in the last week, all three of us exploded, we had a mini war with a gang of Balkov soldiers, we spent nearly a whole day on a plane, we have had to fix up a massive old creepy house, we almost got killed on several occasions, since we've had to live through an electrical storm with gale force winds INSIDE, a huge ass earthquake right outside, and a tidal wave the size of the empire figgen state building, courtesy of our insanity." Gwen gasped.
"No we're not tired." Ari and Sid laughed.
"Well then maybe you should get some sleep." Kai suggested, Ari rolled over and glared at him.
"I'm too tired to sleep." She retorted.
"Besides it's boring." Sid added.
"Maybe I could fix that." Ray was beginning to say when Max got up looking stunned.
"Uh did I just hear you right, after you lived through all that you can't stand a little sleep because it's BORING. I'd have thought you'd WANT boring by now." He cried.
"Easy Maxy, wow" Gwen grinned. "Didn't know you had it in you."
"Well even though you guys may not be tired, that doesn't mean we aren't so I'm going to bed." Tyson decided and the rest of his team nodded in agreement.
"Don't make to much noise or I might have to come down and tell you off." Ray added and then heard Kai make a noise in his throat as he left the room, his two scarf tails swishing behind him. "Or I could just send Kai." He winked.
"Is it just me, or do they seem a little TOO cherry?" Ari asked suspiciously.
"Well maybe your just a sourpuss." Enni retorted.
"Yeah, you and Kai would make the perfect couple honestly, you guys are too much alike." Gwen added.
"Well opposites attract." Ari said.
"So who is it then? Ray?" Sid poked her.
"Or me." Enni laughed as he got Gwen's elbow in his stomach.
"Watch it player." She hissed.
"Come on Ari you haven't seemed even remotely interested in anyone since…" Sid added, she knew it wasn't good for her friend to be so reclusive and alone inside, regardless of Taranis because even with him there she WAS alone, like the rest of them.
"Yeah well I learned my lesson didn't I?" She said in a small voice. "Besides I can't say your experience with men has been anymore endearing than mine."
"We said we wouldn't talk about that anymore." Gwen muttered.
"Yeah well that was irrational, we have to talk about it some time." Sid closed her eyes
"How about we just forget Tala and Kane for tonight and just relax. We can find a better time to talk about our miserable pasts." Enni said wrapping an arm around Gwen's shoulders and patting Sid's head.
" I need to go clear my head." Sid decided wanting to stand but her energy was still so low she couldn't.
"Tala isn't just going to leave your head, and you know it." Gwen said sternly. "He doesn't deserve to have you always trying to figure out why…"
Upstairs, Kai had been laying on his bed, listening to them talking about them and other people. People he knew. How was Tala involved with them? He had to admit that his mind was often preoccupied with his former friend who Tyson had beaten in the Russian tournament a long time ago. That was when he'd decided to turn temporarily evil, and so had Tala it seemed. He sighed and got up taking off his scarf and shirt before actually getting into bed. Damn it I'm thinking about all this too much again. He thought to himself while at least trying to get some sleep. What does he have to do with Sid?
"Sharpening your claws I see." Ray mocked Ari as she sat at the breakfast table that morning, filing her nails.
She had been the first one up that morning. And the other three were still tangled up on the couch. She saw Kai glance into the living room at the group shaking his head.
"Cute aren't they?" She said blankly putting down the nail file.
"And why are you awake so early?" Ray asked.
"I couldn't sleep." She answered getting up. "Anyway, I'm going to go have a cold shower." She said.
"Well fine then queen of doom and gloom." Ray muttered and almost got his eyes 'clawed' out.
"My, a little vicious maybe?" Enni yawned coming in with Gwen. Ari didn't answer as she went by but they could guess what profanities she was restraining herself from screaming.
"Jeez, she's pissed off." Tyson sighed leaning back in his chair.
"Well after dredging up her past with Kane I don't blame her." Gwen answered sadly.
Sid was listening to all this from the living room where she was pretending to be asleep. Some how, she decided, Tala and Kane had to be related in their problem. There was something very wrong, she had been thinking about it all night even after the other three had fallen asleep. Now she got up and went to the kitchen, she didn't want to think about Tala anymore.
"So what did Kane do exactly?" Max asked lazily having known Kane for a while there was little harm he figure this guy could do.
"Put it this way." Sid said solemnly entering the room, her arms crossed. "If he ever shows his face again, Ari will kill him."
"What did he do ask her on a date?" Tyson grinned and exchanged knowing smirks with Max.
"No, we're serious. Kane will DIE if he's stupid enough to come near Ari again." Enni said.
"And I'd help her." Sid said under her breath.
"And Tala?" Kai asked, leaning against the wall, eyes closed and arms crossed. He opened his eyes and looked at her back for a minute.
"Who's Tala?" She answered after the brief pause. He huffed and fell back into his normal pose.
"Arg! Men!" Gwen leaned her head against her hand and sloshed a glass of water around. Enni and Ray were having a pointless argument about a player type subject, Tala was probably now constantly invading Sid's thoughts, Ari was being pissed off about her memories of Kane and Max and Tyson were fighting over a chocolate bar. She looked at Kai who had been staring at Dranzer for a while now. "Is that your bit beast?" She asked shuffling over to take a look. Normally he would have been a bit more standoffish but for some reason she had innocence that he trusted and he let her see his phoenix.
"Wow, she's beautiful." Gwen exclaimed in awe. "C-can you still talk to her?" She added not looking at him.
"In a way I guess. She's all I have left really."
"That's a lot like Ari. She's only had Taranis since her parents died." Gwen said quietly. He didn't say a word. "Well they were killed actually when she was fourteen."
"Does she know who…?"
"It was Kane." This time Kai tuned to face her in disbelief.
"You can't be serious." She nodded solemnly.
"And I suppose you can't tell me how Tala ties into all this?" Kai asked.
"Who's Tala?" Gwen turned away.
Ray had retreated into the backyard when he and Enni had finished there little spat. While Sid had been out they had managed to finish trimming the greenery but the grass was still pretty long. Ah well, he liked it better that way anyway. He chose a lilac tree and balanced himself in a meditation pose closing his eyes. When he was sure he was stable he began to regulate his breathing. In…1,2,3,4,5,6,7…hold…1,2,3,4,5,6,7…out …1,2,3,4,5,6,7…in…" Eventually he began to fall into his mind turning it into a rose and going deeper and deeper one petal at a time. He could no longer feel, or hear anything around him. He lost all sense of where he was and yet at the same time he had an even BETTER sense of EVERYTHING in the world around him.
"Hey man!" He could sense Tyson talking somewhere but wasn't entirely sure if it was real or not. "Hey Ray, wake up dude." O.K. it was definitely Tyson and he was getting annoying.
"What?" Ray asked opening his eyes and dropping his pose.
"Wanna go blading buddy?" The blue hared boy grinned. Ray sighed and sank into and Indian seat leaning his back against the lilac tree.
"With what blades Tyson?"
"We can go get some parts and Kenny can help us build new ones over the phone. Come on, you know you miss it." Tyson persisted. It was true, Ray did miss blading but right now things were getting more serious and it had grown yet again into more than just a sport. Only this time, it wasn't blade parts or bit beasts getting stolen, it was lives being lost and people getting hurt. He remembered watching Sid go off in the field and force herself to let go. He and his friends had watched her almost die in agony and blades could have done NOTHING to help. No he didn't need to blade, he needed to learn. He needed to figure out how to call up Driger at will and unleash him on his enemies. He needed to know how he could help the girls get over this.
"Tyson, we can't blade anymore, we have to learn new skills now, blading won't help us survive this, learning to fight will. We ALL have to learn." Ray sighed standing up. "Come on, it's time for lunch now anyway." Tyson nodded, he'd figured Ray was going to say something like that, he hated that they were all forgetting about the sport because Boris decided to show up and destroy their lives again.
Upon walking inside Ray and Tyson almost ran into Max and Gwen who were talking animatedly as the headed upstairs.
"Oh hi Ray!" She grinned and waved. Sid smiled quickly and walked into the kitchen, and Ari came down the stairs not acting like the world was going to end but seeming…happy? Ray and Tyson looked and each other shrugging. Kai was being his usual sullen self when they walked into the kitchen where Sid and Ari were making themselves sandwiches.
"We're going to need to go buy more food soon." Sid shook her head.
"Then we better go job hunting hadn't we?" Ari said grabbing a bag of chips and heading upstairs. "I'll be in Gwen's room." She added.
"Why are guys happy again all of a sudden?" Tyson asked suspiciously.
"Look he thing is that even we can't stay upset for ever, we're only seventeen, so we act like it. Life sucks, we know, get over it and it might not suck so much anymore." Sid shrugged as Enni came in picking up the car keys.
"I'm going out for a bit O.K.?" he said kissing the top of her head.
"Just so long as you're not going out to talk with any assholes." She called after him and went upstairs.
The eighteen-year-old sat calmly in the lavish restaurant a glass of white wine on the pristine white tablecloth. He smoothed back his purple hair and checked his watch. At that point a blond boy ran in, he was far underdressed for this place but his smile and swagger clearly stated that he didn't really care.
"Enrique, always late." He said standing up as Enni walked over.
"Stop being so uptight he said waving his friend to sit down. We don't have time for any stupid formalities." Enni said flopping lopsidedly into a chair. 'I'll have a coke please." He added to the tuxedo-clad waiter he sweapt over to their table almost instantly. "So how are things Robert." He grinned.
Tno: So now that I have added yet another chapter I am hoping to get some reviews from my precious reviewers. Now I'm not sure if you made the connection there so I'll tell it to you. The word 'reviewer' has the word 'review' in there, which means that since you are a 'reviewer' you must 'review'. And in fanfiction there is no such thing as just being a reader, so don't even try to get by with such a cheep excuse, I'm on too you, you evil kangaroos.
Clarence: Yes...what she said...now be gone and review!