NOTE I am rewriting the chapters with a new version, new style and updated story. When you'll find out this chapter is up, the first two chapters of this fic will also be. Longer, and less messed up. Try look at them.

NOTE2 My BETA disappeared Woo-hoo! Phy! Where are you?. This happened me already with Dancing Wolf who was the one BETAing 'I Am Nothing', now currently discontinued. So, unless this one reappears -Phyrefly-, this fic will continue be updating sooner and without BETA check.

MasterFranny: I bet you all want to know what Tyson and the others are going to see down the corridor, ne? That will be quite bad, see you at the end of the chapter! -waves-

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THANKS TO ALL WHO REVIEWED.

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RATING: R?

DISCLAIMER: my plan failed, so I still no own.

"talking"

'thinking'

"(talking into other languages)"

((beatbeast language))

""""""dreams sequences, flashbacks, memories""""""

BREATH OF LIGHT

CHAPTER 13 Facing the Discoveries

There was someone who actually believe

there was someone who actually cared

but his memory failed my reasons,

his heart demanding to let go

and I had to release my hold on him,

afraid he would be hurt by my being;

I'm still waiting for him to come back,

faith leaving place to hurt,

it was him my last hope,

and the dream of his voice

shattered my last pride.

Nothing to pray but a ghost,

the ghost of his presence

lingering in my mind...

Present, Balkov Abbey, Russia

It was just a slight flicker of his eyelids, almost invisible, but Tala saw it and tensed up. Then Kai's fingers moved ever so slightly, and Tala was suddenly aware he was finally waking up.

Feeling their captain tense all the Demolition Boys looked sharply up at him, coming out of their memories, and waited.

Another flicker, then Kai's eyes opened slightly, revealing red pupils; Tala was so relieved he didn't thought about anything else right now: Kai finally opened his eyes. That meant he finally won the fight between his two fires.

Kai blinked tiredly twice, then he cleared his dry throat. His whole body felt heavy and weary, and it was because he had fought against the serum. But he knew that it would take no time for him to fully recover and be strong again.

"(T... Tala?)" he whispered, looking straight into the red head's eyes.

Tala couldn't help but smile slightly, as he lowered his hand to rest on Kai's cheek, happy to see he was conscious again.

Bryan, Spencer and Ian tensed up, since there was still the chance that Kai hadn't remembered anything yet, but their fears disappeared as Kai's hand raised and reached Tala's own, while Kai closed his eyes and sighed.

All his memories had came back to him, and were now where they belong, in the back of his mind, painfully obvious as the slate haired blader skid through them, all his past finally clear to him. Then he opened his eyes again, content in the position he was, with his head on Tala's lap, like when they were younger. On his face appeared a weary and hesitant smile as he locked his red eyes with Tala's blue ones.

"(I remember now)" he whispered, still weak.

Tala felt like he could cry again, and leaned down, his lips barely touching Kai's own in a warm kiss.

He didn't know how could he feel the love for the slate haired blader still strong after so many years, after all that had happened to them both, after their amnesia, but as his memories flew back to him, the love was there, as strong as before, like it never disappeared from his heart and soul, like they were destined to be together again, like his heart deep inside waited for his love to come back.

Tala couldn't believe he was now in his arms, their lips meeting in a fierce but sweet kiss, reunited after what seemed an entire life, and he smiled warmly, closing his eyes in content.

"(Never ever leave again)" he breathed, his forehead pressed against Kai's own.

Kai looked at the contented face of Tala with a grin, feeling secure inside his arms, and knew there was nothing better than find again where you belong. Here it was, the something he searched all along, the something he knew was missing, the longing he lacked during his life outside the Abbey: it was Love, love for Tala.

"(I won't)" Kai whispered back, snuggling more into the warm embrace of his long lost love, hiding his face in the Wolf's white shirt.

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Lee let his body relax as he felt the cold Russian air hit him straight in the face, and he breathed deeply, closing his eyes.

He couldn't believe they found their way out of that maze without being caught. It had been difficult, and they had been almost caught three times by some guards on the outside, but with his skills he prevented them to be seen, and at the end they were out.

But there was no time to loose now, Kai and the BladeBreakers were still inside the Abbey and they had to find either Mr. Dickinson or Tyson's father or Judy. It was all in their hands.

"Michael, what if we can't find neither Mr. Dickinson nor the others" Lee voiced aloud his greatest worry as the two captains ran from the Abbey towards the center of Moscow.

Michael couldn't answer, since he too didn't know how to reply: he was fearing the same, and he was also afraid that they wouldn't be able to help Kai not even with the support of Judy, Mr. Dickinson or Bruce.

But as they ran at top speed, they both wished they could save them all.

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Their footsteps echoed through the corridor as the group walked slowly down the stairs, just a small light of sporadic torches to lit their way.

There was an awkward silence and no words were shared between them, their breath hollow in the tick air. Each one of them tried his best not to shudder at the cold rushes of wind that hit them mercilessly.

Ray could feel something wasn't right, he could feel it deep inside, as his skin turned cold and a deep sense of anguish appeared in the back of his stomach. Whatever thing was hidden at the end of the stairs was something Boris wanted to hide, since he kept the door closed.

His feeling became worse as he stepped on the concrete at the end of the stairs, and he tried to look around, but there was almost complete darkness. He could hear water drop here and there, but couldn't tell where they were ended into. If it was a room or another corridor, it was too dark to tell.

Johnny came down the stairs with one of the torches, and lifting it up they all could see it was a smaller room, that lead to another corridor.

Fear itching in their minds they moved towards the other corridor, feeling like they were going into another cage but much worse that the one they were closed into. But they could not turn back now, Kai needed their help and they were determined to be there for him.

As they walked down the new corridor the air became colder and colder, and they could hear mice squeak in the dark corners, and under their feet they felt pools of water.

Each one was wishing Kai not to be down there.

And the smell. The horrible smell, like rotten meat -a stench so terrible it made their stomach clench in disgust.

Ray bowed his head slightly to the right, hearing something from before them: closing his eyes he willed himself to concentrate on the sound, and with a shudder he realized it was someone's voice.

The voice was talking continuously, like it was chanting something, its tone high pitched and raw, and the boys felt a cold sensation ran down their backs. The voice held a tone that was not entirely human, much like a squeak -vaguely like an animal cry.

Tyson's feet refused to take another step as he leaned on the wall for support, both the stench and the pressure dawning on his mood, but pulled away almost instantaneously because of the coldness of the stones. Robert swallowed and willed himself to continue walking down, followed by his scared friends.

There was something not right and they all had the sensation that if they continued, they would pay the price; but still they walked down, each footstep conducing them more into the Abbey's secrets, towards something unknown.

Now that they were coming to the end of the tunnel -because it was much more like a tunnel than a corridor- they could begin to understand the inhuman voice was saying something in Russian, over and over again. Luckily, only Robert could understand the meaning of the words, since he knew Russian and the others not.

"(Kill, kill and eat the freaks, kill them all because its their fault)" the voice kept singing. "(It was all a mistake, it didn't have to end like this, they were his favourite possession but they were nothing but horrible mistakes...)"

Robert swallowed again the big lump in his throat as he stepped nearer the end of the tunnel.

The voice continued its chanted speech.

"(It's all their fault, I wasn't supposed to be that their fault their fault it was all their fault... and they will pay for that, oh yes they will)"

The speech was interrupted by an ear piercing cry that was completely inhuman, and Ray's thought was that it rassembled a lot a bat's own. They froze in place, and suddenly the voice turned to them.

"(We have company my faithful friend...)" Robert narrowed his eyes and tensed. "(Human preys coming willingly down there... and there is no director with them... mmmh... the wonderful smell of human meat)".

Robert widened his eyes, but couldn't stop his friends to go near the end of the tunnel. He felt his legs were carrying him there too, and couldn't stop them neither.

The stench was way too powerful now, but they kinda grew accustomed to it as they were more curious about finding out what was before them, at the end of the tunnel.

Johnny lifted the torch up in the air, and they all could see before them there was a dead end, a dungeon closed with metal bars; the magenta haired blader stepped forwards and the light of the torch reached what was within the dungeon.

At the sight of what was inside the cage, all they boys screamed in horror and fright.

Six year before, Balkov Abbey, Russia

Kai stepped inside Kiya's room uneasy, and looked around: his older friend was holding a book in his hands, laying in his bed at the east corner of the room, and he was deep reading.

As he heard Kai enter, he placed the book near him and looked with a smile at the young boy who stood there, glancing at him.

"(What do you need, Suzaku?)" Kiya asked, waiting.

Kai cleared his throat and fidgeted with his fingers as he seated himself near the green haired blader.

"(I need to talk to you, Kiya-kun)" he mumbled. "(It's confusing thought, and I don't know what to do)".

Kiya looked at him in a reassuring way, waiting for him to talk.

"(It's that... uhm... it's Tala)" he looked away, a faint blush creeping on his pale cheeks.

Kiya felt a smile appear on his lips, but willed himself to look serious as he spoke to Kai.

"(Tala what?)"

"(I like him a lot, Kiya-kun, but I can't understand, since it's not the same way I like you or Bryan, Spencer and Ian)" Kai glanced up at his friend with shining red eyes, and touched his chest with his right hand. "(It feels different here)".

"(Kai, do you know what love is?)" Kiya asked, and grinned as the slate haired boy shook his head. "(Love is something you feel for someone, and for him -or her- only. You feel like you will do anything to protect that person, and you want to stay forever with him)".

Kai blinked confused.

"(But I do feel this for all of you! I care for you and I want to stay with you forever!)"

"(This is love too, there are different kind of love... brotherly love, parent love. But this love is different: it's a feeling you can share only with a person and it's like you and that person have one soul together; love it's the strongest emotion you can feel, and it's deeper than brothership or friendship)" Kiya hugged Kai "(You can feel it in your heart, brother, you can feel you love Tala more than you will ever love me, or Bryan, or even yourself)".

Kai was still looking at him confusedly, and Kiya added "(close your eyes Suzaku, and listen to me: can you see yourself old, older than your grandfather? Can you picture yourself as someone is hugging you, and you feel secure, warm, you feel like nothing could harm you, and you feel content with that person near you? And you feel all your life with him had been a happy one, that you will start again if you were given the opportunity?)"

Kai closed his eyes and a little smile appeared on his lips.

"(I can)" he replied softly.

"(And who is the person who's hugging you, Kai?)" Kiya asked.

"(It's Tala)" Kai mumbled. "(I can't image anyone else like this...)"

Kiya smiled his warm smile, and hugged Kai tightly.

"(Then Kai, this is Love)".

Kai opened his eyes, his face relaxed as he snuggled more into the older's embrace, then he smiled at him and jumped out the bed.

"(Thanks, Kiya-kun)" he laughed.

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Tala glared at the rooftop as he waited not too patiently his friend to arrive; Kai stated he needed to tell him something really important, and he was going to stay there as long as it would be needed, because it was Kai who had asked.

But deep inside there was a strange impatience he couldn't explain.

Finally Kai arrived, walking calmly to him from the traphole that connected the roof with the stairs, not at all bothered by the high, and Tala looked up at him from his sitting position.

"(About time)" Tala looked away faking anger. "(I could have waited until death up here)".

But Kai's face remained serious as he looked at the red haired boy near him, and placed himself at his right, still looking at him. He wanted to make sure about what he was going to tell him, but as his eyes met with the blue ones of the Wolf, Kai knew there were no doubts.

On his part Tala was starting to get nervous about the acting of his younger friend, since he was staring at him in a strange way.

"(What's the matter Suzaku?)" Tala blinked. "(Something's wrong?)"

Kai shook his head, feeling calm like never before, and breathing deeply he looked into his friend's eyes with his own.

"(I realized something, Tala)" Kai said, one of his hands finding its way towards one of Tala's own, the Phoenix's fingers intertwining with the Wolf's tightly.

He thought that would be difficult to say, but the words just came into his mind, and he was glad to say them aloud.

"(It's just that I feel for you more than I ever felt for anyone)" Kai smiled at him in his trustful way, and Tala felt his heart double leap inside his chest. "(I think I love you, Tala-kun)".

Then he leaned towards him; his intentions were to kiss him lightly on the cheek, to prove his words, but Tala in his astonishment turned sharply his head, and their lips collided.

Kai blushed hard, because he had never ever thought about kissing him there, and tried to pull away, shocked, but Tala's arms around his shoulders prevented him from backing away. Tala blocked him against his chest and continued the kiss, delighted by his sweet taste, and deepened it closing his eyes.

Kai moaned quietly and gave into the kiss, overwhelmed by the sensations he felt rushing inside his body.

At the end they finally parted, both blushing and panting slightly, and looked at each other not sure about what to say or to do.

"(I think I'm in love with you, too)" Tala cleared his throat, then he smiled nervously.

Kai let a huge warm smile appear on his face and was about to snuggle back into Tala's arms when he felt a slight giggle coming from the ajar trapdoor some meters away.

The two turned and saw Bryan, Ian, Spencer and, surprisingly enough, Kiya, looking at them sneering. As the two turned to them, Kiya resumed a normal uncaring expression.

Tala and Kai blushed crimson and stared wide mouth at the four intruders.

"(How cuuute...)" mocked Ian, a huge smirk on his lips.

"(Hush kids, it's no good to snoop so come on, let's go)" Kiya petted Ian on the head, looking a lot like a parent sushing his children.

Such a cute picture ruined by Bryan's sneer, "(Hey Kiya, you're not the one who can talk, it was yours the idea of coming up there to snoop at them!)"

"(You have no proof of that,)" Kiya glared at the Falcon with a false annoyed expression then he smiled at the two boys on the roof, and disappeared under the trapdoor, dragging the other three with him.

Tala blinked incredulously and shrugged, then he smiled at Kai and hugged him.

"(Promise me you'll never leave,)" he breathed into the younger's soft hair. "(Promise me you will let me protect you forever)".

"(What are you saying, Tala? I'm not going anywhere,)" Kai blinked, then sneezed.

"(You will catch another cold up there, come on, let's go down, we need to teach the others a lesson of manners)".

Kai giggled and jumped down in the trapdoor, while Tala waited for a moment, glancing up at the stars which were shining brightly, silent observers of what they shared. He felt a smile tug his lips as he finally jumped down, following his young love inside.

Present, Balkov Abbey, Russia

Max felt his legs collapse under him and he fell down, his eyes wide, couldn't look anywhere but in the cage.

Ray felt his insides clench and he knew he was going to throw up: this was worse than he had thought to be possible, nothing he could have thought was comparable to that sight.

Tyson realized he couldn't breath and squeaked, his whole frame trembling, his eyes filling with tears of fear, and he felt somewhere near him Ray threw up on the floor, but couldn't care less, since his eyes were glued to the thing before him.

Johnny wasn't any better, neither was Robert as the two European stared in clear disgust at the being inside the cage.

Now they all knew what was happening inside that hellish place, or at least they were starting to understand.

Its face was almost completely hidden in shadows, but they could still see it: the thing's eyes were yellow, gelatinous and wide, almost too big for the size of the face, and the pupils were mere slits fixed on them. The nose was mashed and rassembled a pig's one, of a clear pink that was mixed with grey; the mouth was almost as large as the head was, and it was slightly opened, revealing sharp fangs.

Saliva dripped down from the creature's teeth as the non-existent lips black edged turned upwards in a wicked smirk. On his head there were remainings of hair, of the colour of clear grey, but were dirty with blood and mud, and two wide and large ears.

The skin... if skin could be called what covered the thing's frame... was a dirty mix of brown, black and grey, and it was like fur. His torso was not hidden by any cloth so they could see it was covered with the same fur and they could count his ribs for how slim it was.

Its arms were so thin the boys were sure it couldn't lift a stick with them, in fact they could have been just bones with the fur around them, and its hands were not hands: the creature had three clawed nails, the one in the middle longer than the other two, and it was keeping them uplifted near its torso, the claws pointed towards them.

From its wrists and elbows there was a strange membrane that connected with the sides just under its armpits, of a dark greyish colour, looking like a bat's wings. The creature wore a pair of jeans ripped and ruined and dirty, that ended at its ankles, allowing the boys the sight of its talons, an exact copy of the claws in its 'hands'.

All the picture communicated a sensation of dirtiness, cause the mud the creature was in the middle of, and the mud covered his body as well, not to count the horrific stench coming from it.

Ray backed away gasping for air as he realized what they were looking at: he wasn't anymore human, not completely anyway. But once he had been a boy, and strangely enough, something in him looked like he still was... but they could not be too sure.

A strangled cry escaped Johnny's lips, as he too backed away, finding back his legs' strength, and he was soon followed by the others.

"(A lot since someone came to see me)" the creature hissed, in his high pitched voice. "(Fresh meat yes it is... don't you think my faithful friend?)"

That's when the group realized that most of the mud he was sitting into was dried blood. Around him, now that the torch was lightening the cage up, they could see there were little corpses of dead mice, their heads cut away, and half eaten. Though no one except of Robert understood what the thing was saying, they all felt a chill run down their spines.

"(I can sense the smell of blood... can you too my friend?)" the creature never blinked since they saw him, but his eyes were still gelatinous. "(Food for me that's it, food for the freak...)"

It was merely a flash, but one second the group was looking with disgust and astonishment at him, the next one the creature bumped against the bars that kept him blocked, his fangs snapping the air in vain try to reach them and their blood. An arm slid between them trying to reach Tyson's arm, but he yelled in fear and pulled away, as the creature cried his piercing cry with anger and hatred.

"NO!" howled Max, and they found back their sanity, running back towards the stairs and back up there, leaving the cold cage and the thing that lived down there. "NO!"

Johnny was the last as he jumped out of the dark tunnel, closing his eyes for the pain of the sudden light, and slammed the door shut behind his shoulders; in the room there was deep silence, broken only by their harsh breaths and gasps of fear, all of them shuddering madly, their eyes wide with fear and disgust.

Max swallowed the bile that was rising in his throat and sobbed hard, tightening his fists.

"What was that!" he screeched, his voice breaking twice. "That was not human! He was NOT!"

Tyson groaned and shook his head, trying to forget what he saw down the tunnel. That was far beyond his comprehension, and he could not accept that someone could be like this.

This was absolutely wrong.

But the image was stuck inside his brain, and as much as he tried to peer it off, that wouldn't vanish. The look in the thing's eyes, the complete madness, the anger, the hunger... it was like a bad horror movie, only that this time it was all real.

That had happened.

"So that's what they are trying to do..." whispered Robert, gritting his teeth in anger, as the fear retreated leaving place to guilt; he was feeling bad for that boy, the German was sure he had been fully human once, but now he wasn't anymore, and Robert felt pity for him as he tried to clear his mind.

Boris used that poor boy for his experiments, and he had gone insane living in that cage, alone, knowing he could and would never be able to be himself again.

Max broke down and started to cry, and Tyson hugged his shoulders trying to comfort him the best he could, while Ray sat there with tears in his eyes. The time seemed to froze as they tried to collect themselves, completely forgetting where they were and what they were supposed to do at the moment.

Then a thought crossed Ray's mind and the Chinese widened his eyes in fear and regret.

"They aren't trying to do... that... to Kai, aren't they!"

The thought of Kai being turned into a monster similar to the one they saw inside the cage made their blood freeze in their veins.

They couldn't let Boris and Voltaire work on Kai like for that poor boy inside that cage: they were already too late for him, but maybe for Kai they weren't... and they had to save him.

No matter what.

"Guys, we need to find Kai" Tyson wiped away his own tears. "We can't let that happen to our friend..."

They all nodded wearily, Robert and Johnny noticing the tears running down their own eyes in disbelief. They had never noticed how much the whole sight affected them.

But there was no time to lose now, Kai was more important than anything else, and he was in need of them.

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MasterFranny: I know this chapter is smaller than my other ones, but I thought to end it here.

I created the character you met here... in one of my classes in high school. I was half snoozing during my history lesson (my professor could never interest us no matter what he tried, we would constantly fall asleep during his lessons) and something appeared in my mind. I picked up a piece of paper and started to draw what I had thought, and here it was, the creature looking at me. My class mate near me looked at the drawing and screeched loudly (fuck him) and the prof. scowled at us. I didn't draw it pretty well but it was quite scary and his eyes were really freaky. I am proud of my work, and it was a bat if you have not understood.

Who's he?

Well... you don't need to know that now, but he's bound to reappear somewhere soon, and you'll find out.

But I think I already gave away his identity by describing him.

The one of you who guess it first will be special mentioned in next chapter.

Bye!