The next three days passed with the gang relaxing, and Kai gaining his memory back little by little. It wasn't easy, since every drop of memory brought the Phoenix pain and made him try to withdraw from the others, but they were determined and managed to keep him on the track. Meanwhile, the link between the other team-mates seemed to be shuttering scarily. Hilary watched with envy and jealousy how Tyson and Kai's tested friendship grew stronger by each day, and Tyson couldn't even look at Hilary and Kai growing closer as well. Ray, unbeknownst to the others, suffered in silence, snapping at Mariah when she called and directing all his affection to Kia.
Standing on the doorway, Tyson felt tears sting his eyes as he looked at Kai's sleeping form. The Russian was – for once, in Tyson's opinion – sleeping alone, looking so peaceful and innocent that it tore Tyson's heart. Mr. Dickinson's words echoed through his mind.
" I can promise you a week, but then… I afraid he'll have to be relocated into somewhere more suitable".
Tyson sighed. It was day number six, and Tyson couldn't help wondering if he'd loose Kai once again the very next day.
Mr. D wouldn't be that cruel, he tried to assure himself, but to no avail. He can't take Kai away… He just can't…
Sighing again, he walked up to the bed and sat on the edge. He felt reluctant to wake up the angelic creature, but there was no choice.
They'd meet Mr. Dickinson in an hour, and if they wished to battle in the next Tournament, they'd all have to be there.
" Wake up", he whispered gently, brushing Kai's soft hair and cheek with his fingers. " It's time to get up".
Gradually Kai opened his eyes, revealing the auburn orbs that still managed to take Tyson's breath away. He found himself smiling.
" It's time to go", he whispered, loosing himself into Kai's eyes. " The others are waiting".
Kai nodded, looking at him softly, and then pulled himself up. Tyson followed the Russian with his gaze as the boy walked up to his bag, looking for clothes. Tyson blushed wildly as he realised that Kai was wearing only boxers, but as the embarrassment slightly shifted, he couldn't help staring at Kai's well-built upper body, having some thoughts he definitely wasn't proud of. His observation was interrupted much sooner than he'd hoped as Kai turned his gaze and looked at him. Had he not known his former lover better, he could've sworn the Phoenix was blushing.
" Um, Granger… You should probably…". Seeing Tyson's look of utter confusion, Kai decided to continue. " I know that you've… seen me do this before, but…".
Tyson frowned.
" See you do what before?". Just then he noticed the pile of clothes Kai was holding, and blushed madly. " Oh! OH! I'm… um… sorry…".
With a speed of a lightning, he was gone.
While Tyson was mentally banging his head into wall for embarrassment, Mr. Dickinson was meeting someone he'd preferred not to see ever again.
" They should be coming anytime soon", said the man who sat in his chair like it was his.
" Hmm". Mr. Dickinson's normally friendly face had a look of utter disgust as he turned his head to look at the man. " You're tearing them apart, Voltaire! How can you do this to your own grandson!".
Voltaire made a sound that resembled laughter, looking as calm as ever under Mr. D's glare.
" Life is about choices, Stanley. My grandson happened to make ones that lead to this". Voltaire looked into his eyes, making him shiver a little by their freezing gaze. " He'll be stronger without those weaklings around him". Voltaire shrugged and turned his gaze away, seeming to loose his interest in him. " Besides, they've had for almost a week to say goodbye. That should be enough".
Mr. D felt fury grow inside of him, and he had to work hard not to attack on the man.
" Do you have any idea of how hard it was to make them believe that I was going to take Kai away from them!". He couldn't stand looking at Voltaire anymore, so he turned his head to stare out the window. " How are you planning to make Tyson and Hilary let go of him? They'll fight for him, now harder than ever".
" That part has already been taken care of", Voltaire assured him in a silky, dangerous tone.
Mr. D frowned, wondering what the man was up. Suddenly he saw the familiar figures of the Bladebrakers on the yard below him, and felt a bang of guilt and sadness in his heart.
" You should go, they're coming", he announced, reluctantly turning his head to look at Voltaire. The man was already gone.
He forced himself to smile a little as the group entered his office. The sadness in his heart grew as he saw how content and innocent Kai looked, even tough he'd gone through a hell. It was thanks to Tyson and Hilary, he knew. And he had to watch those two being taken away from him…
" Nice to see you all again", he said, meaning it from the bottom of his heart. He'd really missed that group.
" Yeah, whatever", Tyson muttered, crossing his hands over his chest. The boy was obviously still furious with him, which he understood perfectly.
Sighing, he sat into his chair, shivering a little when remembering who'd last occupied it, and took up some papers before looking at the group that had also taken seats.
" As you all know, this meeting is about the next Tournament, held in Russia".
" Russia!" all except for Kai, who seemed slightly puzzled, exclaimed.
Mr. D nodded.
" Yes. But don't worry. Even though Voltaire is on the loose, your safety has been taken care of. He won't lay a finger on any of you – especially you, Kai". It wasn't until then he realised that Kai had been blissfully unaware of his hard past. He paled, looking at the confused Russian. " Kai, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that!".
Kai didn't even hear him for the pain that seemed to be tearing his head apart. He squinted his eyes, receiving memories that were much more painful than the ones he'd already had.
" Voltaire…", he whispered. " Grandfather…".
/ " You pathetic brat, stop that whining, NOW!" a voice yelled in Russian.
A whip slashed six-years old Kai's back, making him cry out quietly. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut to keep more tears from falling and grit his teeth in pain.
" I am sorry, grandfather", he sniffed, also speaking in Russian. " I… I shall become stronger. I am sorry for disobeying you".
Voltaire groaned, sounding deeply irritated and angry, and he heard steps growing further.
" Take care of the brat", his grandfather ordered someone, and after a while he heard a door slam shut.
Still doing his hardest to hold back the tears and keeping his eyes shut, he heard steps rushing towards him, and sensed someone kneel down beside him. A soft hand touched his shoulder, making him whimper in pain.
" Kai? Are you alright?" a quiet voice asked in Russian.
Slowly and reluctantly Kai forced his eyes open, and faced the look of deeply concerned blue eyes. Beside him had kneeled a small, red-haired boy , probably at the same age as he. The boy seemed worried about him, and he felt that he had to say something, anything, to calm him down.
" Yes, Tala", he whispered in a weak tone. " Just… Take me away from here…".
The red-head nodded and carefully helped him stand. Without saying a word the children made their way out of the room, knowing painfully clearly that there was no waking up from this nightmare. /
With the memory passing by, Kai drew few sharp breaths, squeezing the arms of his chair so tightly that it made his knuckles turn white. After recovering for a while, he noticed that the others were looking at him with deep worry in their eyes, and felt irritated by the attention.
" You okay?" Hilary, who sat next to him, asked quietly, obviously pondering whether to touch him to comfort him or not. In the end, the girl decided not to.
" I'm okay", Kai muttered, deep inside still shaken by the memory.
After about an hour, the meeting came to an end. As everyone else left, Mr. D felt that he should say something to Tyson, who was tying his shoelaces.
" I'm truly sorry, you know?" he whispered.
The boy got his job done and looked at him, midnight-blue eyes burning. Mr. D sighed inwardly as
he noticed that there was forgiveness or softness in the young boy's gaze.
" Whatever", Tyson commented. With that, the boy was gone.
Later that night, after everyone else had gone to bed, Kai sat by the fireplace, deep in thought. The fire had almost died and didn't give much heat, but he wasn't there to warm himself.
With the new memories mixed to the old ones, he started to have a pretty good idea of his life before his ending up into the hospital. Basically, all the way 'til he met the rest of the Bladebrakers, his life had been a nightmare, a hell actually. In the darkness of the Abbey, as he now knew the place, Tala had been the only one he'd been able to lean on to – aside Dranzer. For all those years the graceful Phoenix had been his only warmth. It was no wonder that after going through something like that, it had taken for ages for his team-mates to get through to him. But they had never given up. Not even when he'd betrayed them… The memories of the events on the ice of lake Baikal and before that were probably the hardest ones for him to handle. He'd abandoned everything that meant anything to him: his friends, Dranzer – even himself. Living again all those memories, along with all the others, was beginning to be more than he could handle.
" Kai?".
He slowly opened his eyes he never knew he'd closed, and surprised as he found that his cheeks were moist with tears.
" Kai, you alright?".
He turned his head and saw Tyson standing in a small, safe distance from him, looking worried and hesitant.
" Yeah". He turned his gaze again, looking at the dying flames of the fireplace again. " Just… thinking, I guess".
He heard steps growing nearer, and felt a jolt shoot through him as Tyson wrapped his hands gently around his shoulders from behind.
" It's okay, Kai. The memories… They're… they're past", the bluenette whispered to his ear. " No matter how much they hurt, they're not coming back, not ever again".
Inhaling deeply, he let his eyes slip shut and leaned in to Tyson's touch, feeling the boy's arms around him hold him tighter.
" And if Voltaire comes back again, I'll protect you", Tyson kept whispering, he felt the boy bury his face into his silvery hair.
He smirked, not opening his eyes.
" As if I needed protection – especially from you".
" Now that's the Kai for you", Tyson giggled into his hair, then paused. " Look, if… if we're going on with this… friendship-building-thing, there's something you'll have to believe".
" Hmm?". Kai felt sleepy and safe in Tyson's warm, secure arms. He wanted the boy to keep talking as the words gently guided him into the world of dreams.
" I'm never going to slip away from you again. I swear". Tyson's words were filled with urgency, anyone could tell that he was serious. Kai felt yet another jolt as he felt Tyson's hand land on the place where his heart was beating furiously. " I'll be here, whenever you need me".
Kai smiled sleepily, feeling the sleep slowly claim him.
" Good to know", he murmured. " I'll make sure you'll keep that promise".
Tyson felt more surprised than ever in his life as he felt Kai suddenly fall limp, the boy's head landed softly against his chest. Carefully checking, he smirked when discovering that Kai had actually fallen into a sleep. After thinking about it for a moment, he gently kissed Kai's hair.
" Good night, love", he whispered.
For a long while he admired Kai's sleeping, angelic form, then realising that they couldn't stay there for all night. Carefully, not willing to disturb Kai's sleep, he lifted the graceful Phoenix into his arms and carried his love into bed, all the while admiring the angel in his arms, amazed that he was allowed to hold this unearthly creature, tough it was only for a short while.
TBC.
A/N: Oh yeah, Voltaire's back. What is he up to this time? (Yeah, yeah, I know you should be asking me.)
After this, the story will turn slightly more dark - IF I should continue. (How could it not with that bastard Voltaire along!) Just thought I should warn you...
And once again: go and vote! It's the only way you'll be heard! (Oh my gosh, I sound like a politician!)
