Hey people! Thanks for the great reviews last time!
I have something that needs to be said now...if any of you have read "Heaven's Light" recently, then you can skip down to the where the chapter starts...but if you DIDN'T read my note in that fic, then please read it now.
I've been EXTREMELY busy lately, so I won't be able to work much on these fics...so deal with it. I'm sick of getting reviews that only say that I need to update with in a certain amount of time because that person won't be able to read it or something.
It's not my fault if you can't get to a computer...the fic will be there whenever you get back.
Believe it or not, I do have a life, and a bunch of crap to put up with in my personal life, so yeah...sometimes I can't sit down and type something up. There are others authors out there that know what I'm talking about...(Phoenix-chan:) ) and frankly the impatient people that demand things of me usually never get it. I'm sick of it.
So...please respect the fact that I do have more important things to do that update stories that I'm not getting paid to do.
Oh! I have something else that needs to be addressed for this story...since someone brought it up...
This isn't like the series...Kai isn't human...and he doesn't beyblade (though he might later).
So yeah...I think that should wrap it all up...for now
Here's the next chapter...enjoy if possible
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Chapter 3 – Free Again
"Alright! Let's get out of here!" Tyson exclaimed, grabbing the rope and preparing to climb up and out of the cave.
"Oh this will be good…" Hilary smirked and crossed her arms.
"Oof!" Tyson fell on his rear again.
Kenny moaned in embarrassment for his friend.
"There has to be an easier way than that to get out of here…" Hilary started.
Suddenly, an arm wrapped around her waist tightly and soon she found herself flying up out of the cave and landing safely on the surface.
"What the…" She looked over to her side and saw Kai.
He had leapt up out of the cave!
"Well…that works…" Tyson blinked up at the two.
The phoenix stepped into the hole again and landed back in the cave to retrieve the two remaining teens.
Soon, everyone was back on the surface and walking back to find their ride.
"Wait a minute!" Kenny's sudden voice stopped everyone in their tracks. "What are we going to do about him!" He pointed at Kai. "He has wings! We can't just show up with him and expect Mr. Dickinson to ignore that fact!"
"Oh…that's not a problem…" Kai replied simply.
Suddenly, his crimson wings began to recede into his back, leaving only a few fiery feathers behind.
"Wow…" Hilary gasped.
"That was easy…now we just have to think up a story…" Tyson started, already thinking.
"There you are! I was getting worried about you three!"
Hilary, Tyson and Kenny all jumped at the sudden voice. They turned around and saw Mr. Dickinson, waiting by his black sedan.
"Sorry we're late!" Hilary bowed politely.
"Who's this?" The elder looked directly at Kai with a questioning look.
"Oh him? We found him…" Tyson started, but was quickly cut off by Hilary and Kenny.
"He lives up here by himself! We came across his house when we were hiking…and thought he would like to see the city!" Kenny exclaimed.
"Yeah! He said he wanted to…uh….move there! So he's going to stay with us for a while! Do you think you can drop us off downtown?" Hilary pulled at the old clothes on the phoenix. "We want to take him shopping!"
The elder could only blink at them. It was certainly as strange story, and the teens didn't think he was going to buy it either.
"Um…sure…that shouldn't be a problem…."
"Yes! Thank you Mr. D!" The three exclaimed.
Hilary and Tyson quickly pushed Kai into the back seat and got inside. Kenny closed the door quickly behind him.
Mr. Dickinson shook his head and got into the front passenger seat, signaling his driver to start the car.
The car slowed to a stop next to a department store, and Tyson, Hilary and Kenny all got out.
Kai stumbled slightly, before Hilary grabbed his arm and helped him out of the car.
"Thanks again Mr. Dickinson! We'll walk home from here!" Tyson waved as the car began to pull away.
"What are these…things!" Kai's eyes were darting all over the place. There were so many heat signatures that it was almost confusing him.
"Those are cars…they're how we get around now and days." Kenny started.
"They have no heart…are they…machines?"
"Yeah…and don't get too close to them while they're moving. They will run you over." Hilary replied.
"Is that a bad thing?" Kai looked at her, curiously.
"Um…guys…let's hurry up and find something for him to wear…" Tyson said, feeling uneasy with all the stares the blue haired phoenix was getting with his ancient clothing.
Kai found himself being pulled into a large department store.
Hilary led him through isles of clothes, each filled with a few people that would stop and stare at the group as they made their way through.
"There are many humans here…are there more?"
Kai's question was ignored as he was pushed into a dressing room. Tyson slammed the door shut and guarded it as Hilary and Kenny rushed around trying to find some more civilized clothes.
"What's going on?" Kai asked from behind the door, but something else quickly caught his attention.
He stared at the full length mirror attached to the wall of the dressing room, his body heat reflecting back to him.
"It's…it's another phoenix!"
"What are you talking about?" Tyson asked quickly.
"There's someone else in here!"
Tyson dove under a rack of clothes as a group of people walked by, staring strangely at the talking dressing room.
"Ugh….this is going to be a looong day!" The navy haired teen rubbed his eyes. "That's a mirror! Have you never seen yourself before!"
"Oh….so this is what I look like?"
Suddenly, a pile of different clothes were thrown over his head.
"I sure hope you know how to dress yourself!" Tyson called from outside.
"Tyson you idiot! He's like…over a hundred years old!"
Kai ignored them as he shook off the clothes.
"All those shirts are the same color…so you don't have to worry about not matching." Hilary called through the door.
The phoenix had no idea what she was talking about, but quickly changed into the new clothes.
After a few minutes, he managed to find a pair of jeans and a black sleeveless shirt that fit, and walked out.
"Wow! What a difference!" Hilary smiled, her cheeks heating up slightly.
Tyson and Kenny snickered at her, but were silenced by a ruby death glare.
"Okay! Let's go pay for this stuff and go home!"
"Um…just one problem…we don't have any money…do we?" Tyson started.
"Relax! I have my dad's credit card!"
After paying for the clothes, they all walked out of the store, no longer bothered by strange looks from the crowds passing them by.
They proceeded to walk back to their homes, since it was now getting late. Hilary clutched to Kai's arm so he wouldn't get lost in the crowd of people. She had to admit to herself…she liked being this close to him.
Tyson heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank god that's over with!"
"So, now what are we going to do? We'll have to find out some place for him to stay….without giving away the fact that he's an ancient phoenix with special powers!" Kenny stated, throwing his arms out for emphasis.
"He can stay at my place…we'll just have to make sure that he doesn't run into grandpa…" Tyson started.
"Well…my dad's away on business for a couple of weeks, so he can stay at my house." Hilary said. "Plus…who knows what will happen if he gets caught with your grandfather…he might lose his patience and blow up the whole dojo!"
Kai stared down at her as if she was crazy.
"Alright then…" Kenny started. "I'll see you guys tomorrow!" With that, he disappeared down the opposite street, headed toward his parent's shop.
The remaining three continued to walk in silence until they came to Hilary's house.
"Hey, if you need any help…just call." Tyson said as Hilary led Kai up the stairs and onto the porch.
"Okay…thanks Tyson!" Hilary smiled as she waved her friend goodbye.
Once inside, Hilary led the blue haired phoenix up the stairs and down a short hallway.
"Okay Kai…let's get you cleaned up!" Hilary exclaimed, pushing the phoenix into a large bathroom. "Here…take off your clothes and wrap this around your waist…I'll be back with soap and stuff…" She tossed Kai a large, fluffy bath towel and rushed down the hall.
The phoenix seemed confused, but obeyed nevertheless.
When the brunette returned, she nearly dropped her supplies in astonishment. She found herself staring at the sculpted muscles in Kai's back, and as he turned around, the well developed muscles in his chest and abdomen.
Her ruby eyes trailed down to his hips, where the towel was knotted at the side.
"Hilary?" His voice broke her daydream, and she found herself blushing a brilliant shade of red.
Kai cocked his head to the side, staring in her direction.
"Oh!" She shook her head furiously and put the tub of shampoos and soaps on the counter. "There you go! I'll leave you to take a shower and wash up. When you're done…I'll give you a haircut and help you with those wings."
"Hair…cut?" Kai had never heard that term before. His hand went up to pull at one of his bangs, feeling how long his hair was. It trailed down to his chin.
"Yeah…your hair is all uneven and scruffy looking…so I'll trim it up for you." Hilary smiled, turning around to leave the bathroom. "You do know how to wash yourself…don't you?"
Kai nodded silently, seemingly confused as to why she even asked the question.
He heard her sigh in relief. "Good…"
After a long while fumbling for the shampoo that Hilary had told him to use, Kai miraculously managed to wash his hair and body, a century of dust swirling down the drain with the water.
Once he was done, he did, in fact, feel refreshed and clean, something he hadn't been able to realize before.
Finding his towel, he wrapped it around his lower regions as Hilary requested just as a knock sounded at the door.
"Are you done?" It was Hilary.
"I think so…"
The door opened, and Hilary stepped in with some styling scissors and hair brushes and combs.
Trying desperately to ignore the fact that he was half naked, she pulled out a wooden stool and had him sit down on it.
She began to comb through his damp blue lock silently, having trouble with a few tangles. She managed to comb through most of them, but decided to give up on the tougher knots and just cut them off.
"Thank you…for doing this for me…" Kai started, wincing as the comb hit another tangle. "This is the first time I've been shown kindness from a human."
"I'm sorry to hear that…" Hilary said, her voice somewhat sad. "It's a shame that you were treated so badly in the past…but don't worry! My friends and I will never treat you like that!"
A small smirk crossed the phoenix's face. Even though his trust for humans had been broken many times, for some reason, this girl's words seemed sincere.
Hilary took out her scissors and began snipping away inches of blue hair, the noise surprising Kai slightly.
"You don't have to worry…my mom used to go to beauty school…and when I was little, she would let me cut the hair on the dummy heads she would bring home. I got pretty good too!" Hilary smiled proudly, cutting another inch off his bangs.
There was a long silence before Kai spoke up.
"Did something happen to her?"
"What?"
"You are full of sadness when you speak of her…what…happened?" Kai's voice became quiet.
"She died almost four years ago…"
"Oh….I'm sorry…"
"It's alright." Hilary smiled gently, patting his shoulder softly.
"I've…lost my mother as well…" He shifted uncomfortably as he stared off at the far wall, wishing he didn't bring up the subject.
"There! All done!" Hilary smiled and ruffled Kai's blue hair, now tangle free and short and even.
The phoenix reached up and ran his fingers through his hair, feeling the difference.
"Thank you."
"Now…let's start on those wings!"
"Are they dirty too?"
"Well…you obviously haven't been using them much. I'll just wash the dust off with the shower. Plus, I'm sure you'd like to stretch them out." Hilary patted his left shoulder playfully, causing a grimace from the phoenix. "Oh yeah! I'll have to find a way to brace that broken one…"
With that, the two giant crimson wings reappeared out of this back, showering the floor with blood red feathers.
"If you can hold the bones in place…I'll be able to heal them myself." Kai said as Hilary walked around to face him.
The brunette nodded, and gently grabbed the boney part of his wing.
It was indeed broken…the bone had snapped in three places, causing the wing to bend at disturbing angles.
Struggling slightly, she managed to line up two of the bones, and suddenly felt warmth beneath her fingers.
Kai closed his eyes in concentration as his body began to glow, emitting a strange but soothing heat.
Hilary heard a crackle, and then suddenly felt the two bones seal back in place.
She moved over to the remaining break, and the same process repeated itself. Within the next five minutes, Kai's wing was as good as new!
"That's awesome! Can you heal anything?" Hilary asked with fascination, grabbing the pull out shower head and began to spray down the fiery feathers with warm water.
"I have some limitations…but in most cases I can heal any type of injury." Kai replied, closing his eyes again as the warm water splashed against his wings.
He felt at peace for the first time in what seemed like forever…but that feeling was strange. He had experienced the bad side of the human nature for so long, and now that he had met this girl, all that hatred was disappearing.
"Hey Hiwary? Are you in here…" A sleepy voice came from down the hallway.
The brunette froze, and Kai opened his eyes at the sense of another human close by.
There was a loud gasp from the open door as Hilary's little sister dropped her teddy bear.
"Hana! Wha…what are you doing up!" The brunette asked, trying to block her view of Kai, but it was useless.
"Is he…an angel!" The four year old girl stared at the phoenix with wide, bright eyes. A smile appeared on her face as she stared at the beautiful crimson wings, now shimmering with fresh drops of water in the artificial light.
A questioning sound rumbled in Kai's throat as he stared back at this new human, curious as to why she was in Hilary's home.
"Hana no!" Hilary exclaimed as her sister rushed through her legs and over to the phoenix.
Kai jumped up from the stool and retreated a few steps, not sure of this girl's intentions.
"You have pretty wings mister angel." She smiled cutely up at Kai, who only stared back at her with confusion.
It was only when Hana reached out and stroked the soft feathers that Kai began to relax, now knowing that this girl was no enemy.
Hilary was about to intervene when suddenly, Kai bent down to Hana's height, staring blindly in her eyes. The older brunette decided to sit back and watch what would happen.
"What's it like in heaven?" The little girl asked cutely.
"I'm no angel…" Kai replied simply, his voice seemed sad.
"Oh…" The girl's voice showed her disappointment. "But you can fly there…right?"
The blue haired phoenix remained silent for a moment, not sure how to answer.
"If you can, could you take me there? I want to say 'hi' to mommy!"
"Hana…" Hilary started.
"I never knew her…but I know she was a really good mommy! Hiwary told me all about her….and how she died so I could live!" Hana smiled sadly. "I just want her to know what I look like now….and to thank her."
Kai placed his pale hand on her head. "What a wonderful person she was, to do that for you. I'm sorry…but I can not take you to heaven, but I know for a fact that she is watching you from there. She will always be with you…in your heart…and no matter what, she know what you want to say, and I'm sure she's happy…happy to see that her daughters still love her this much."
Hana stared at her feet for a few moments, and then looked back up at Kai with a bright smile.
"Thank you…" Hilary voice was just above a whisper, tears threatening to fall. She bent down and picked her little sister up in her arms.
After tucking her sister back in bed, she returned to the bathroom with a pair of her father's pajamas.
"I'm sorry….to make you sad." Kai's voice immediately started as she entered.
"Oh don't worry!" Hilary replied, smiling at the blind phoenix. "You made us both happy. I don't think she's truly smiled for a while now…even though our mother died when she was so little…"
She suddenly felt a warm hand on her cheek, wiping away a single tear that had escaped her ruby eye.
"Kai…" She gasped.
The phoenix withdrew his hand and stared at it, squeezing the wet droplet between his fingers. He blinked, unable to figure out what it was exactly.
"Come on…" Hilary smiled, grabbing his hand gently. "You'll have to stay in the guest room. It's right next to mine." She led the blue haired teen down to the remaining room on the top floor.
Opening the door, the brunette allowed Kai inside. He seemed loost, wandering straight in with hands outward until his legs contacted with the bed.
He patted the firm mattress. "A bed?"
Hilary nodded. "Of course!"
"…are you sure? It isn't allowed…"
The brunette blinked, not believing her ears. Suddenly, she remembered about his horrible past. He must have been treated extremely badly to be refused a bed!
"Kai…forget everything that's happened before. You are allowed to do whatever you want, when you want."
The phoenix started at her, and then suddenly a smirk crawled across his face. "Thank you."
Hilary nodded in reply, and handed over the pajamas. With that, the room was then closed, and Kai was allowed to sleep in a peace that he hadn't felt in a hundred years. He finally felt free, just as he had been long ago.
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Phew! 10 pages oh my gosh!
My computer's been screwed up for a while, and I haven't been able to transfer my stories so I had to write this up again…but at least the next few chapters of this story are written and done with.
Before you say it, I know Kai is OOC…but I have my reasons.
As this story goes on, he will gradually become more in character.
So…please review! I'm sorry for the long chapter…and I know that it had a bunch of random sappy things in it…but there will be a point to it later…I promise!