Title: Dreams Die...
Author: noelle, angelpalcayahoo.ca
Summary: "Dreams are part of fairy tales, destinys are meant for heroes and faith are for fools. I was all once, now ..."
Pairing: TyKa (goes w/o saying) don't know about the rest of them yet
Rating: PG-13 for now, don't know if it'll go up unless someone volunteers to assist w/ the lemon sheepish grin
Disclaimer: Not mine, if they were I would have had Kai jump Taka eons ago.
Author's Note: RainyDay, Punk AA, you two totally rock! Thank you SO very much for the very generous feedback. this chappy is for you guys. Huge Bear Hug. Freedom of Darkness, you so do totally rock, no lie:o) I loved your review, I had the hugest smile plastered all over my face for the longest time, thank you! This chap is for you, chum.

Feeback: Yes please. Good, bad, ugly, please do share.

Well on with the show ...

Chapter One

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are gray
You'll never know dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away"

"That's a silly song" Commented a three year old Takao.

"Oh?" The Dojo was soon a burst with peels of laughter, as the woman tickled the precious bundle in her arms with no mercy.

The laughter soon dwindled down to hiccups and spurts of giggles, both had ended up on the ground, baby on top of mother, looking up at the sky.

"You are very right, my little star. It is a silly song." Takao looked up as Miya moved the strands of hair flopping all over Takao's head. When he was this calm, this centered she could almost see the hints of blue peeking out from behind his chocolate brown eyes.

Oh my beautiful, beautiful baby, while I live and breathe no one will take your sunshine away.

Kissing his forehead she went to get up when Takao spoke up, "I love you mum, that's why the song is silly."

She understood what her son meant and his choice words made her wonder if he had heard more than what she had verbalized, despite the mental barriers she had up.

"I love you too, baby. Together we'll be each others sunshine, always."

"Ojiisan too, he's afraid of the dark" Takao quietly said, his Ojiisan had big ears and could hear things he wasn't supposed to, better to be safe than sorry like Hiro-chan always says.

Giggling the two went into the Dojo intending to call it an early night, when the child pulled away from his mother to scold her. "I'm not a baby, you can't call me that when school starts, kay."

"Of course not! Perish the thought. I'll call you my sunshine instead" Takao scrunched his eyes in thought, not really knowing if this was an improvement or not when his body jolted as though electrocuted. He'd seen enough cartoons to have an idea of how one would feel and look. But it wasn't painful; he just knew a storm was coming.

The special boy would never know how right he was. Miya had felt it too and she knew it for what it was.

Dropping down to her knees she let go of Takao only to grab his face gently but firmly in between her hands. "Listen to me carefully, you must go to our special place that I showed you not too long ago. The one I had you promise not to tell anyone about, you remember where right?" At Takao's nod she continued, "Go there now, close the door behind you and no matter what you hear, here" she tugged at his ears, "or here," tapping his head, "or here" she ended by placing a palm right above his heart. "Do not come out."

Though Takao was a handful he was an agreeable, well mannered and quite intelligent child. He knew that if he left his mother now he may never see her again, no matter how strong she was. He wanted to argue, to fight with her to allow him to stay, but seeing the tears lingering in his mother's eyes he could not. This was hurting her as much as it was hurting him, that much he could feel where her hand was still clutching his chest.

Nodding again, he leaned forward to give her a tight hug and as he pulled away he placed a kiss on her cheek.

Turning around to run and hide as instructed, he paused only for a moment, "Remember you promised, you will be my sunshine, always."

Then he was off like a shot.

Had he delayed even a minute more he would have seen the dark clouds gather round, the spark of immense light and then where his mother stood emptiness.

All that would greet the boy when his grandfather eventually found him was charred earth all around the Dojo.

There were tears in his eyes when he opened them to the familiar high ceilings of the dragon lord's castle. No time was needed to orient himself in a place he could navigate bereft of all his senses.

"Dranzer?"

"Gone," one word but it conveyed a depth of anguish that few but Takao could relate with.

Not turning his head he spoke to the dragon that was no longer much of a king without his queen.

"You took my sunshine away…"

Dragoon had not been expecting that, so much so that it briefly startled him out of his grief. Before he could say anything in return, Takao continued.

"…but I will help get yours back. After that, I never want to see or hear from you or any of the others ever again."

Staring right into Dragoons distraught eyes now he declared, "You will be dead to me after this. Like everything else in my life, but this time it'll be my choice."

Then he was gone.

Tbc ...
P.S. Beta's are welcome