Sapphire Vixen
--By SunFireVixen--
Chapter 45: Nothing Is the Same Anymore…
Sapphire's small hiccups and sobs slowly ceased, and then, Emerald let out a deep sigh.
"We're leaving," she uttered. Aquamarine swiftly exited the room, and small muffled sounds emitted from the other side of the door.
After Emerald heard footsteps walking away, in swift and graceful catlike jumps, she pounced over the ledge, and after her, the wind carried her whisper, "I'm…sorry…"
---
"Fei…you can't be serious."
"I told you that there would be punishment."
Tears had formed at the corners of Sapphire's eyes. Emerald glared at him, though being on the ground without being able to move was not helping. She turned to Aquamarine, hoping that she would regain consciousness any minute now. She lay; limp, on the floor, small puddles of blood splattered on the floor around her.
"Don't you dare touch her," Emerald hissed, her eyes filling with hate for the silver-haired boy.
Sapphire backed into the corner, and Fei simply ignored Emerald. Her fox ears were pulled back in fear, her eyes refusing to believe what Fei was about to do.
"...Fei, no-!"
A scream scared the birds that happily fluttered by, breaking the moment of peace around the great Ciao home. It was not peaceful to start with, anyway.
---
A week passed by since Kai last saw them.
He paced around the room, his fists at his sides, fingernails jabbing into his palm.
"You think I don't fear what he's doing to Sapphire and Aquamarine? What pain they could be in right now? Everyday we run a risk of being hurt by Fei. And you don't have a clue why we support this…it's so sickening…"
What is so important to her?
Kai stopped midway across the room. …Can he be the one worth so much to her?
Was it possible for him to be worth putting yourself in danger for?
---
"Sapphire… Send someone to clean this up."
"Yes sir."
Fei ran his fingers through his hair. He pushed his silver bangs back, exposing his forehead.
The maid eventually arrived, holding various cleaning supplies. She removed the pieces of broken glass into a black plastic bag, and left and returned right after with a vacuum to dispose of the flowers.
Sapphire stood quietly at the entrance of the room, her hands clasped behind her back, looking down at the carpet with a blank expression. Fei smirked as he removed his hand away from his hair.
She never did anything but stand around, waiting for his orders. He sat back into his chair.
The maid finally finished, and waited for her permission to leave.
"Both of you can leave," he said in a dull tone. They both made their way out, and when Sapphire closed the door, the maid suddenly took her arm, and dragged her away, leaving the hallway quiet and lonely.
---
He stared down at her as she sobbed, clutching the parakeet in her small hands.
"...Eiko? I swear… w-with all my heart, that I didn't do it-"
"Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up!" she yelled at him, holding the parakeet closer to her chest.
"Eiko… I didn't-"
She screamed, blocking out his pleas. "You hated him, Ciao. You hated him so much that you couldn't support him!" She glared at him, and he shook his head frantically.
"I didn't hate-"
"Go away!" she screamed at him, as her hand gabbing one of his toy cars and hurling it across the room.
Blood splattered across the white wall and his small head collided with the door.
She let out a small gasp, and hugged the parakeet closer to her chest in fear.
"Ciao?"
She started to panic when he did not move, but slowly, his eyes opened revealing beautiful silver orbs. Blood covered his entire left cheek.
When she saw he was all right, she scowled at him. "Stupid Ciao- You're trying to make me forget what happened!"
He slowly stood up, and began to wipe the blood away with the back of his hand. She picked up another of his cars, and he covered his face with his arms.
She sobbed as she threw a truck at his back as he ran out of the room. It hit him squarely on his back, making him almost fall forwards. He kept running, until he reached the front door.
Her sobs echoed through the room empty except for herself. She clutched the dead parakeet in her hands close to her chest.
-
He only stopped when he reached his favorite place and stood at the edge of the silent lake. He panted heavily, staring at his own reflection as he rested his hands on his knees for support. Blood trickled down his face, and splashed into the peaceful and clear water he faced.
The dark red liquid mixed into the water, and faded in only seconds. He stared at the water, and a boy of ten with silver hair with piercing silver eyes stared back at him, the left side of his face covered in blood.
He cupped his hands and lowered them into water, and slowly, he began to clean his face.
-
He did not return until night, and crawled into his room through the window.
A small thump was heard and then a groan.
"I forgot Nana moved my stuff around…" He muttered, rubbing his head. He stood up and quietly walked to the bathroom connected to his room. He applied cream to the scar on his cheek, and bandaged it.
His lower lip had swollen, and turned a violet color. He avoided seeing his reflection on the mirror.
He slowly walked across his room without turning the lights.
"Ciao is my child-"
"He is not yours legally OR by blood, Skye."
"I won't let them take him away-!"
"Please calm down, Skye-"
"NO, Nana. They're going to take Ciao away- how can I possibly be calm?"
-
Sobs were heard, and Ciao found himself glued to the door, trying to listen.
-
"Honey…look," Ciao heard Skye's husband say. "…what if they find his true mother and father?"
Nana responded this time. "Please, Ryo…you know very well that they won't do that. I am confident enough to bet my own life that they are not even part of the government. Plus, their loyalty has a price. All you need is to cough up-"
"Mama? What is happening? Why are you crying?"
-
Ciao stepped away from the door… It was Eiko's voice.
-
"Eiko…Eiko, I have something important to tell you."
"What is it?"
"The govern- umm… people are looking for someone."
She gasped. "The police?"
"No… It is not the police. It is more like the police's bosses. They are very important people. And… And they are looking for a child who got lost around here four years ago."
"Daddy, are you talking about Ciao?"
"They're going to come look for him somewhere in the night. And the people who are looking for him are bad people."
"But Ciao's wanted by police! Why should we hide him if he's bad!" she said angrily.
"Ciao isn't bad, Eiko. Why are you saying these things?"
"He killed my parakeet! Ciao is bad!"
"Ciao is afraid of your parakeet. He wouldn't even go into your room when we first bought him to you."
"But he was in the same room when I found him-"
"Honey… he only went in there because I told him to get me the yarn in your closet so I could finish making you birthday present for next week."
-
By now, Ciao had started packing his things, stuffing everything that he could see in the dark room into a backpack.
-
"But I saw him with those big stick things, Mama!"
"My knitting needles? I told him to bring those to me too."
"But…But Mama…"
"Ciao is afraid of your bird, Eiko. He knows that you love your bird, and we were both planning to make you a blanket with a design of him on it."
"You…were?"
"It was Ciao's idea."
-
He stared at the ground quietly, listening. He looked out at the dark, navy blue sky. Only one star sparkled in the sky. For only one moment, it shined bright.
"I won't come back…and only that star would know where I have gone."
He climbed over the window, and as he ran into the dark forest ahead, he never turned to look back once.
---
Fei uncovered his lips, and a small and barely noticeable scar ran vertically across the corner of his mouth.
"The scar has not faded." Eyelids closed over silver pools. "Do you still hate me?"
---
"I can't believe you…you…you have-"
"Hey- I did this so I could get to you!"
Giggles followed after. Sapphire stared at one of his male servants, dressed in a maid's navy blue and white uniform. He even wore a cute hat, stockings, and shoes to go with it.
"I'm sorry," she apologized, and smiled down at him. He was young, probably twelve years old. He had a very feminine face and, of course, Fei had fallen for his disguise; he was slim.
His dark green eyes formed a cute glare. A pout appeared on his face, and a rubicund blush appeared upon his cheeks. He took off his maid's hat, and stomped on it with his shoe.
"Alright… calm down- let's go to my room so you can change into something else."
---
"Computer Camp…?"
Takao stared up at Hiromi, as she patiently waited for Kenny's answer.
"Okay. Don't- don't worry. I will tell him. Bye." The phone went click as she hung up.
Takao waited for her response, and she sat across from him, on the wooden floor.
"Kenny left for computer camp-"
"Again-?"
"-and says he'll bring you one of those prototypes of new beyblades if you don't get riled up."
"I'm down with that."
She smiled at him. He had been sick for almost a week, and even if he obviously kept coughing at random times, he refused to believe he was sick. She convinced him to sit for the most of the day, instead of staying in bed.
His nose was red, and so were the brim of his eyes. His dark navy blue hair screamed for a comb, and his hat had rolled off somewhere. She placed her hand on his forehead, feeling for his temperature.
"You're getting better." She stood up, and his eyes filled with relief. "You still need to take your medicine, though," she added quickly, sensing his hope.
He glared at her as she happily walked into the kitchen. He looked around, and felt a small piece of him die- he was alone.
"…I wonder where Kai is."
In the corner, as always, sat quietly a bundle of blankets in a neat pile. And as always, he did not leave a note.
---
"Do you feel okay with that?"
The little boy, who introduced himself as Shinji, held up his shorts.
"I'll be okay." He tucked in his shirt.
She sat on her bed, and patted the place next to her, offering him to sit down. "Did you escape on your own?"
"Yes, Mistress. Everyone else is down there- and they are paralyzed. They can't move at all."
"How did you escape?"
"Well, not everyone put up a fight, so we didn't use up much energy. Anyway, there was this puddle of water in the corner, and I was sleeping. I rolled over, and the next I know, I felt like I was being zapped." He lifted a finger to point at his neck. "My collar had been fried. Everyone who was still conscious helped me take it off."
"Are the rest down there? Are they okay?" She asked, worried.
"Yeah. We're all right. This woman always feeds us good food. She takes care of us when we need to get food. She's the one who lent me a dress so I could come to find you." He took a sip of soda that one of the maids had brought in earlier. "Another girl got free too. Her collar fried because of mine. She was taking mine's off when hers went boom."
"Is she okay?" Sapphire asked, nervous. He took another sip, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
He nodded. "But some of them say…bad things about you. They say you're selfish or something."
"I…expected that-"
"But they shouldn't be saying that, especially not about you-"
"They have every right, Shinji. But they don't know that I told Emerald to free them somehow, right?"
He stood up. "Really? That's great! I'll be able to go back home!" He embraced her with his small arms. They both heard a small tingling sound.
"You…you have a collar." he said, letting go. She smiled sadly at him.
"Yes. I do."
"So then they're wrong. You're not doing this at will," he said, grabbing her collar with both his hands. He tried to separate the rings that united them, but his attempt proved fruitless.
She sighed, and kissed the center of his forehead before giving him a tight hug. "There's always some out there that is stronger than you. That… will probably hurt you." She stared down at the floor, tears threatening to come. "They…they will boss you around, and maybe tell you what to do with your life. You just keep climbing up that ladder. And then, when you are higher than them, they will notice what they did wrong." She let go, and patted his head.
He looked up at her with vivid hazel eyes. He nodded. "My friend is still out there looking."
"Okay. Let's go find her."
They headed out the room, closing the door behind them.
---
Blood dripped down his sleeve. "Stupid animal!" he shouted, cradling his wounded arm.
Some of he Firefoxes whimpered, and others growled menacingly, saliva dripping towards the ground.
He chuckled as he ripped cloth and wrapped his arm. "No matter. You are all mine now. I can do as I please with you."
"You can't keep us here forever," a Firefox shouted from the back.
One from the front spoke up. "He's right- Fei will eventually notice."
Their glowing eyes glared at him like cats in the dark. He scowled, and turned away. 'True. But how could he be led here?'
He walked into the next truck. He sat in one of its seats, waiting for the truck to move.
There were some clanging noises coming from the previous truck, and soon, they began to move.
The rough wind carried leaves at the sides of the road. The road ahead and behind was empty. His breath was visible with the cold air.
---
"Kimiko!" Shinji exclaimed, racing across the hall and holding his friend tightly.
"I'm so glad you found me, Shinji- I was getting a bit scared…" She giggled nervously. She wore the same maid's uniform. Her eyes were also hazel, and so was her hair. She returned his embrace.
"Oh…there's something important I wanted to tell…are you Mistress Sapphire?"
Sapphire blinked, and smiled nervously. "Yes."
Kimiko's eyes sparkled with amazement. "You look so much prettier up close…" She sighed.
"Hey…you were telling me something? Hello…?" Shinji waved his hand in front of her face.
"Oh yeah." Her face became serious. "When I tried going back to the others, they…were gone."
"Sapphire!"
Sapphire cursed quietly under her breath. "Shinji, show Kimiko to my room. Lock yourselves in and don't open the door for anyone," she said, without even looking at him. She faced the end of the hallway, and quickly turned to him with stern eyes.
He nodded quickly; grabbed Kimiko's hand and they ran.
She made her walk towards Fei's voice. Finally, she heard his deep breathing coming from the room were they kept the Firefoxes.
"Yes sir-?"
Before she could react, he pulled her by the hair and slammed against the wall, pressing against her so she would be able to escape.
"Did you by any chance know where my Firefoxes went?"
"…n-no…no, sir…" she hissed in pain. He pushed her away.
"I want guards to position themselves around the gates of the mansion. Then track down where they all went. Take 'Marine and Emerald with you," he murmured, his back to her.
"As you wish," she said, and bowed, even though he could not see. She made her way upstairs, her shadow growing smaller and smaller as she walked away.
---
Kai made no noise at all, as he moved. His shoes made a small tap, and his scarf hovered just centimeters from the ground.
In the week that passed, he had figured out most of the problem. He knew he was the target. He knew the cause of Sapphire's new behavior. And as an added bonus, he found a loophole.
All he needed is for her to find her- Sniffing a tree?
She touched the tree gently, and when she stopped, she jumped to another.
He jumped behind a tree, and examined. He had hid just in time to miss Aquamarine.
Sapphire turned to talk to her, and she nodded after Aquamarine had said something. She left, and Kai moved closer.
She stopped halfway down the street. He was quiet as he could possibly be. One of her ears twitched, but before she could turn, he encircled his arm around her waist, covered her mouth, and picked her up effortlessly.
He backed back into the small tree filled area. Sapphire struggled and clawed at his hands. Kai bit back a yelp when Sapphire sunk her teeth into his middle finger.
Kai sat down, pulling her into his lap. She squirmed in his hold, but he pressed her body against his.
"Stop it. It's me."
She froze, and slowly, he uncovered her mouth.
After a few seconds, she murmured, "Kai?" Tears glistened at the corners of both her eyes. He took her small hand in his, holding tightly.
"Just close your eyes when you ever want to look at me," he said, and leaned closer.
He removed her scarf, exposing her neck and the collar. It shined bright for a moment, and Kai placed his chin on her shoulder. She shivered when she felt his warm breath caressing her neck.
He stroked her hand with his thumb. "I-"
"I missed you." Tears finally broke free and ran freely down her blushing face. He smiled, and tenderly caressed her cheek. He placed his hand over her eyes, and pulled her backwards. He leaned down, pressing his lips against hers.
After contact, they shared a long passionate kiss. They came up for breath, but lack of air did not stop him. Kai lowered his head again, kissing her hard and long.
He had longed to touch her lips again, to see her, to be with her.
Sapphire whimpered in pain, but did not tell him to stop. She finally felt blood, and that is when they stopped, chests rising and lowering with breaths.
"I didn't want to hurt-"
"It's okay…I did it to you first-"
She stared down at the ground, her back to him. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
"You didn't…"
"You finger…I'm-I'm sorry."
He had completely forgotten about his bleeding finger. He smiled at the small bite marks. "It didn't hurt," he lied.
Sapphire smiled; she knew he was lying. Kai stroked her fox ear. He suddenly stopped.
She knew what he had noticed.
"He knew. And he cut part of my ear as punishment," she said, lifting her hand and gently removing his hand. They uncovered her scarlet fox ear, shaped like an isosceles triangle sticking out of her scarlet hair at the side of her head. The point of her ear had been shortened by an inch.
...And it was not looking like a triangle anymore.
Vixen: -tear- Poor Sapphie. That won't grow back ever.
Anywho... -drops to knees- I'm so sorry! I was supposed to update about two weeks ago! But I was in Peru the whole time and there was no way I could put up this chapter!
I'll try to update sooner this time- but please review... we're in our last chapters!
Thank you!