A/N: Want it or not, here comes another chappy! BUAHHAHHAAAAAA!

Okay, seriously, thanks to all who've read and reviewd. It means a lot, you know that?

Okay, okay, on with the story.


Two days had passed since Tyson's father forced him away from his friends, away from Kai. Since then he hadn't eaten a thing (a/n: believe it or not!), or had any sleep without those disturbing nightmares of Kai turning into dust before his eyes. So preferably, he chose not to sleep at all. Tyson couldn't understand the dreams. Were they sings? Was Kai in danger?

Sitting on his bed in his father's house, Tyson let out a desperate sigh and landed his forehead against his knees, which were pressed against his chest. He had no idea of what time it was. Boards were nailed to hide the only small window of the room, and since he refused to leave the room, he had no chance to see the outside world. He wanted desperately to call his friends, to tell them where he was and to ask what was going on, but his father had the only phone in the house, so he had no chance. Tyson sighed again, feeling annoyed and helpless.

" Tyson?". The door opened softly, and he refused to look at his father as the man stepped in. " The dinner is ready. Would you like to eat?".

He didn't react in any way, and after waiting for few seconds his father sighed in defeat and left, closing the door behind him. With the door closed, Tyson allowed a single tear escape to his cheek.

Oh Kai, I'm so sorry… I'm sorry… More tears fell. I betrayed my promise… I failed you again…

He buried his face into his knees and cried, setting free all the pain in his heart.

Meanwhile, very close to Tyson's father's house, Ray sat in a small café, sipping a cup of tea.

After two fruitless days of searching, he found himself being deeply irritated. Now matter how many times he asked, no-one in this town seemed to know where Ian Granger lived, and it would've been all too easy if the address would've been in the phonebook. So, basically all he could do was to go from door to door. And all the while time was slowly running out…

He let out a sigh as he looked out of the window. It was snowing, and he felt a jolt run through him as it reminded him of the day his safe and secure world turned upside down. The day the Tiger became enchanted by the Phoenix…

/ Ray opened his eyes slowly, not exactly sure of why he was awake. Suddenly the sound came to his cat's senses. He frowned. He'd never heard anything like it before. What was it? Where did it come from? Frowning, he slowly got up, wrapping his hands tightly around him as the coldness of the room embraced him. He briefly noted that Kai wasn't in his bed as he soundlessly tossed across the room, heading out of the door. As he stepped outside into the freezing winter-air, he noticed that the sound he'd heard became louder. Shivering from the cold, he begun to follow it, as if under some sort of a spell. He vaguely noted that snow was falling on him. He rounded the house, but stopped as soon he saw the figure sitting on the bench under the window.

Kai!

Kai had his eyes closed, legs pressed against his chest and arms wrapped around them. For the first time ever, Ray saw a look of calmness and tenderness upon his captain's face. The mighty, untouchable Phoenix seemed almost fragile, and…perfect. Like a king. But the look wasn't what took him by surprise. It was the fact that the sound he'd followed came from Kai. The Phoenix… Ray could hardly believe his eyes. Kai was singing. And the voice… Ray became breathless, completely enchanted. It was the most beautiful thing he'd ever heard. Kai was singing in Russian, so he couldn't understand the words, but it didn't matter. He closed his eyes as he listened to the soft, beautiful voice, completely forgetting how cold it was. /

Ray sighed again. It had taken him for a long time admit himself that in that winter-morning, he'd fallen for the mysterious Phoenix. Kai never saw him, and he kept the secret of the Russian's moment of softness tightly inside of him – along with his feelings.

He snapped out of his thoughts as he heard his cell-phone ring. It was Mariah.

" Hi".

" Hi to you too". She sighed. " Look, I just heard about Kai, and… I wanted you to know, that even tough there's all this mess going on between us, you can talk to me anytime you want".

Ray smiled. In the middle of his storm of emotions, he'd almost forgotten that Mariah wasn't just his girlfriend. She was also a close friend, had been for pretty much all their lives. They had a bond, far stronger than something a lovers' fight could damage. Of course she'd be there for him. She always would.

" Thanks". His smile widened slightly. " That means a lot to me, you know?".

Mariah laughed.

" Funny little cat-boy". A loud shout was heard from the background, and she sighed. " Look, I've gotta go now. Lee just informed in that oh-so-gentle way of his that it's time to practise".

Ray grinned. He remembered perfectly what Lee could be like if he wanted to.

" 'K. I'll call you".

" Whatever". She threw him a kiss through the phone. " Hang in there, Ray. Everything's gonna work out. Bye!".

He smiled. For some reason it was easy to believe her.

" Thanks. I needed that. Bye".

With that, he hung up the phone, sinking into his thoughts again. This was his first conversation in God knows for how long with Mariah that didn't end up into a fight. Despite all, it gave him hope.

Everything's possible, he mused, sipping his tea which had already gone cold.

Suddenly his phone rang again, and he answered hurriedly as he discovered it was Max.

" Anything new?" he asked in a tense voice, filled with hope from the last phone-call.

Max's deep sigh, however, soon dropped him back to ground.

" I'm sorry to say, but no". There was a long pause. " Any sings of Ty and his dad?".

He sighed as well, shaking his head tough Max couldn't see it.

" No. It seems that that man doesn't even exist!" he replied, in a voice that gave out all his anger and frustration.

" Don't worry, you'll find him".

" How can you be so sure?" he muttered, taking another a sip of his now icy tea.

" Because I know you. You just wont come home without Tyson". Max gave a stifled yawn, it was obviously that he'd been awake all night. " I've gotta go now, Dr. Nichols just went into Kai's room. Good luck, not that you would need any".

Ray smiled slightly.

" Thanks. Bye!".

" Bye".

Sighing, Ray dropped the cell-phone into his jacket-pocket and with yet another sip, he decided that it was time to abandon the tea that by the time tasted rotten. Slowly, not completely thrusting his legs to do their work, he got up and headed towards the door. When he got down to the street, he realised that he had no idea of where to go. He'd looked from every single direction. There was nowhere left to go to. Suddenly he let out a surprised yelp as someone bumped into him with a force caused by high speed, and Ray found himself fallen to the street as his normally good reflexes failed him.

" Oh my gosh, I'm sorry!" a man's voice exclaimed, and a hand reached out to help him up. " I wasn't looking".

" It's alright", he assured, gratefully taking the offered hand. A strong pull lifted him up, and as soon as he was up, he gasped as he looked at the familiar face before him. " No way…".

Ian Granger, on the other hand, seemed shocked as he recognised the Chinese boy before him.

" Once again, I'm sorry. I should look more carefully", the man said in a stiff, toneless voice, trying to leave. Ray's irony grip prevented him from doing so.

" I came here for Tyson", he informed in a harsh voice that gave no chance for objections. " Look, Mr. Granger… Someone your son holds very dear is dying, and Tyson is the only one who can help". Little by little he loosened his grip on the man's hand. " Please. Tyson is his only hope".

" 'His'?". Mr. Granger turned to face him, and Ray felt cold shivers as he saw the look in the man's eyes. " Is it that… Kai who's dying?".

" Yes", he confirmed quietly, knowing perfectly well what the man thought about Kai. " Please. You can't… You can't let someone die just because…". His eyes were filled with tears as he looked into Mr. Granger's own. " Please".

" I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do to help your friend". With that, the man turned and began to walk away. " I suggest you to go back to your friend before it's too late. You wont find what you're looking for from here".

And so the man was gone, leaving Ray frozen by horror and disbelief.

As world begun to rush back into Hilary's mind, she immediately felt a slash of excruciating pain wash over her head and moaned quietly.

" Hilary? Are you awake?".

Someone rushed over to her, but she didn't want to open up her eyes just yet to see who it was. Instead she rubbed her face roughly with both hands. Everything was so fuzzy, it was hard to think clearly.

What happened?

Just then it struck her. The bathroom, all the blood on the floor… Tears rolled to her cheeks.

" Kai…".

" Hilary, sweetie, open up your eyes". A cool hand brushed her teary cheek.

" I don't want to", she whispered in a voice full of tears. " If… If I just keep my eyes closed and believe, he'll still be here".

" Oh honey…". Her mother picked her up held her close. " Sh… It'll be alright… Sh…".

She finally opened her tear-filled eyes, and desperately looked into her mother's own. She shook her head violently.

" No it won't".

As Hilary buried her head into her mother's shoulder, shaking and sobbing uncontrollably, she had no idea that the one she so deeply missed was only two floors away.

Kai let out a quiet breath as he felt the cold wind caress his face once again. Gradually, almost unwillingly, he opened his eyes to witness the view before him.

He stood on an edge of a cliff. Far, so far that the fall seemed endless, greedy, stonewall-like waves roughly collided with the ancient stone of the cliff, letting out a enraged roar as the stones held their ground against the vicious attacks. Slowly, as if taking carefully in all he saw, the Phoenix allowed his gaze to wonder further across the ocean, wiping its pitch-black, endless depths. He could almost hear the waves call out his name, but for some reason he couldn't understand, he wasn't willing to surrender, not yet at least. It wasn't until then the Russian noticed how very cold it was, but didn't let it disturb him. He'd gotten used to coldness during his short life. Slowly he allowed another breath brake free from his lips, it was visible in the freezing air as he lifted his gaze to the sky. It was black, if possible even darker than the ocean, and midnight-blue clouds lazily drifted through the sky. Moon was nowhere to be seen, he strongly doubted there wasn't one, and it was so dark that he could hardly see ahead of him. Kai didn't mind the darkness. He'd spent pretty much all his life in dark, why should his last days be different?

Yes, Kai knew he was dying. Every single moment he could feel everything he'd been grasping on

to for so long, so hard, slip away: his loved ones, his friends, Dranzer, the very life itself. For a

longest time he'd tried to hold on to those things in this darkness, but he no longer had the strength.

" I'm sorry", he whispered, letting his eyes slip shut again. " I tried, I really did. But the battle's through. This is the furthest I can go".

And so he remained, standing still on the cliff, feeling more alone than ever in his life, little by little letting go of everything he had.

TBC.