By: Lady Sapphire
AN: Finally got the chance to work on this!!! I did it Thursday night...stayed up until like four in the morning typing O_o... sorry if I took so long to update!
Chapter 12: Venomous Attraction
Morning arrived, and a glorious sun brought promises of a bright day. The rain had stopped sometime during the night, however the damp atmosphere that surrounded the woods was evidence enough of the heavy storm last night. Broad, dark green, canopy leaves of trees retained oceans of rainwater. Tiny droplets trickled down leaves and petals and onto the soggy ground. Puddles shrouded the forest floor, causing it to be moist and soft. Earthworms squirmed through the soft soil, basking in the moisture, while chirping birds awaited the glimpse of their morning breakfast. The air, moistened by the midnight rain, was cool, unlike the humid day before.
The cave was in amity. Mariah was still asleep, tired out from the running they did yesterday. Kai had been already awake and was conscientiously observing the sleeping creature on his lap. She seemed so peaceful when she slept; he did not want to disturb her.
A sigh escaped Mariah's lips. She felt warm, not remembering exactly why. Curling herself in a ball, she buried her head into the warmth. She had slept well last night, unlike the night before. Suddenly, she remembered that she needed to get up early today to start the climb up the cliff. Opening her eyes, she found herself staring into the pair of deep crimson eyes.
She quickly sat up and pulled herself from Kai, back facing towards him. Blushing while trying to cover up for the embarrassing situation, she demanded, "Why didn't you wake me?!"
"You needed sleep. Besides it's still early," he stated plainly. He stood up, with the intention of stretching, but he was forced back down when a sudden twinge of pain ran through his legs. His legs had become numb from lack of activity! And thinking about it, he realized he hadn't moved all night, and that he had lost all feeling until now. Clutching himself, he tried to shake off the numbness.
Mariah gasped as she noticed the problem. Drawing herself beside Kai, she glanced at him with a frantic expression. "Kai! I'm sorry; this is my fault! If only I hadn't…" she cried, not being able to finish her sentence for she was interrupted.
"I'm all right. Don't worry about it; it'll pass soon," was all Kai had to say. Then, changing the topic, he enquired, "How is your foot today?"
Mariah blinked. Her foot? She hadn't even thought about that! Mainly because she could not feel pain anymore! She stood up slowly, using the wall to support and steady herself. Taking a deep breath, she took a small step, and waited. When nothing happened, she took another step. It didn't hurt. More boldly now, she pranced around the cave, step by step, without aid. Surely, there was still a slight limp into her step, but at least the pain had subsided. The herb thing really works! Smiling to herself, she turned towards Kai, to see that he too had recovered and was rising up to brush himself off.
"Are you okay now?" she asked concernedly, moving to where he stood.
"Yes. You?"
She nodded, "Uh-huh. Much better," she replied cheerfully, relieved that there was nothing wrong.
"Good then, you're coming with me."
"What? Where? Aren't we supposed to start the climb?"
"Now that you're better, you don't still expect me to wait on you hand and foot, do you? You're going to go pick your own berries for breakfast. I'll show you how."
Mariah's stomach growled at the mention of food. The rain had prevented them from gathering dinner last night, so they had starved throughout the whole night. Laughing nervously, she smiled weakly at Kai. "Yeah, that's a good idea…"
Smirking, he motioned her to follow him outside the cave.
"Ah! Fresh air!" exclaimed Mariah, inhaling the air as she stepped outside. She threw her arms wide open and closed her eyes. It felt so good to just breathe.
Kai rolled his eyes at the sight of the over enthusiastic girl. Were people always happy and carefree? He never had an opportunity to be blithe. Not with the life he led.
His tongue felt dry so he decided to find some water to drink. The good thing that came out of all this rain, was that he needn't go all the way back to the river for a refreshment now. All he had to do, was tip a broad concave leaf of a plant and fresh rainwater would be at his dispense.
"Mariah," he called, and she moved to where he was. "Water," was all he said, and she understood. Eagerly, she rinsed her face with water to freshen up and then brought some pure and refreshing water to her lips.
"Wow, that was great!" she chimed, grinning.
Kai ignored her and went straight to the berry bushes that were near the cave. "Blue berries are the safe ones," he instructed, tossing her a berry to demonstrate his point.
Her quick instincts caught it, and she brought it close to her face to examine it with a frown. "Okay, but you don't have to throw them at me!" she grumbled, walking up to the bush herself.
"See these?" he asked, holding out a branch of bright red berries, "They may look nice and ripe, but they are actually poisonous…stay away from them."
She nodded and set forth to collect and eat her meal.
Kai did the same, gathering and eating, until he felt something pelting on his back. Irritated he turned, to see a sniggering Mariah, trying for dear life to keep herself from bursting out into a fit of giggles. She hid her smile with a hand and pretended to be preoccupied with berries.
Kai frowned and turned back around. He knew she was up to something. Well, two can play at that game. Snickering, he grabbed a fistful of berries from the bush and whipped around abruptly to pelt them at her, but he was not fast enough, for the moment he turned, he found a bunch of berries hurling towards his face.
Damn it!
He ducked and avoided some of the berries, but a good number hit him square in the face with a splat. Fists clenched and teeth gritted, he turned to face Mariah, his now berry-covered complexion turning crimson.
Mariah's eyes lit up and she burst out laughing, "AHAHAHAHAHA! Oh my gosh, Kai! You should see the expression on your face! It's priceless!" She was laughing so hard that she had to grip her stomach to contain herself.
Kai was annoyed. How dare she make a mockery out of him? It was unheard of! He, the great Kai Hiwatari! But then, he found himself smirking. It felt good to be included in some fun and to be treated as an equal. It felt good to be treated as a human. With his free hand, he wiped the berry remains off his face. Raising his hand full of berries, he advanced her slowly, growling in a low monotone, "Big mistake, girl, I don't take lightly to sneak attacks." A mischievous smirk was plastered across his face.
She spotted him and tried to stop laughing to plead her case. Backing away, she said between chuckles, "Now, Kai, don't be too hasty! It was only a joke, you can take a joke right?" she chortled sheepishly.
Kai's smirk was a grin now, and that…was just plain scary. She let out a yelp before breaking out in a run, with Kai closely behind, hurling fruit at her. They ran around in circles in a childish game of tag, but neither of them cared. It had been a long time since either of them had had any amusement. She giggled as she fled, glancing backwards every few seconds to see if Kai was gaining. Kai had a smug look on his face and continued chasing and flinging berries at her. He didn't even mind that he was missing his target half the time.
Tripping, she fell, but didn't stop laughing. "Hehehe…Kai, I give up! Do what you want!" she declared holding up her arms in a surrendering notation.
Kai stopped just before he tripped over her. By now, he was laughing too. He had never known happiness until now; and now that he had a taste of it, he didn't want to let this moment end. Playing along, he readied to hurl what remaining ammunition he had at the helpless, tittering girl.
Mariah's eyes widened and started slowly shifting herself backwards. "Oh no, Kai, no…anything but the berries! Please, please have mercy!" she begged effortlessly. She covered herself with her hands and giggled, waiting for the strike.
Kai smiled, and was about to throw, when he froze in midair. He heard something. An odd sound seemed to be coming from nearby. "Shhh…" he whispered, as he perked his ears to listen more sharply to the sound. Whatever it was, he didn't like it. It sounded dangerous.
Detecting the change in him, Mariah immediately ceased her laughter. "What's wrong?" she murmured, in a worried tone. Rising, she dusted herself off and shot Kai a confused look.
He motioned her to stay alert. Stealthily, he lurked, trying to discern what he had heard. Slithering. Hissing. Something moved through the bushes. It was approaching closer and closer.
And then all of a sudden, it leapt out of the bushes: a long, green snake with markings in a disincentive pattern; no doubt it was poisonous. Its bared jaws were opened and it was aimed straight towards Mariah!
Mariah shrieked and shielded her face with her arms. She closed her eyes and felt herself being thrown to the ground. Frightened, she sobbed silently and waited for the snake's bite, but it never came. Slowly, she opened her eyes to see Kai kneeling one foot on the floor. One arm was clasped around his right arm, while the other held the body of a limp snake. It was dead, but not soon enough, for it had sunk its teeth into human flesh. Unfortunately, the human flesh belonged to Kai.
"KAI!" screamed Mariah in panic. She instantly knew what had happened. The snake was going for her, but instead, Kai took the fall. She crawled over to him, just in time, for he no longer possessed the strength to stay upright. He collapsed onto her lap, and she threw her arms around him. Two swollen punctured wounds were visible on his arm, while blood trickled down to his elbow.
"Oh my GOD, KAI! WHY? Why did you do that for?! It should have been me! It should have bitten me!!!" she cried over and over, tears streaming down her cheeks.
It was quite queer for Kai himself too. Right before the snake flung itself for Mariah, her words from last night scrolled through his head: "Love is when you care so deeply for another that you would risk anything for the person. When the mere thought of losing him or her is an insufferable reality." That was his driving force. He couldn't stand the thought of losing her, for he knew now…he cared for her. His eyelids drooped and he meekly raised his uninjured arm to wipe away a tear from eyes, "Mariah, I…I…" came his coarse whisper, but before he could finish his sentence, his eyes rolled over and he fell unconscious.
"Kai!" screamed Mariah, frantically shaking his motionless body to awake him, but to no avail. "Wake up, Kai! Please, wake up! Don't leave me…" she cried, embracing him in defeat. She lifted his arm to observe the severity of the wound. It looked fairly deep, and the poison was spreading fast. She had to do something before it was too late.
Rising to her feet with a determined expression, she suppressed her sobs, and proceeded to lift Kai over her shoulders. Struggling against his weight and her newly healed ankle, she prudently dragged him back towards the cave. Many a time, she felt as if she was going to collapse herself, but a strong will kept her moving onward. She refused to give up on him, refused to believe that there was nothing she could do. She would find a way to help him retain his consciousness and get rid of the poison.
Finally, they returned to the cave. Gently, she leaned him against the wall and proceeded to check his arm. Kai's face was pale from having lost blood, but when Mariah saw the gash, she herself went pale too. 'How could this have happened? Why weren't we more careful? Why couldn't he have let it bite me instead?' she asked herself furiously. More tears brimmed her eyes.
Tenderly, she wiped away the blood that had trailed down his arm. Her hands were shaking as she frantically thought of a way to save him. They were in the middle of nowhere; there were no hospitals nearby. No doctors, no pharmacists… no medication whatsoever.
Unless…
Her eyes widened suddenly as she remembered something. The herb he had used on her ankle! She had carried some with her! Hurriedly, she produced it from her pockets and examined it with a sceptical look. She didn't know if it would do the trick, since it wasn't the same kind of injury…he was poisoned after all. But she remembered he said that it would heal injuries, not specifying what kind, meaning poison wasn't an exception. But what if…something went wrong? Nevertheless, she had to try. There was nothing else she could do besides sit there and let him die, and that was something she absolutely refused to do. The green plant was her only hope. The fate of Kai rested in her hands.
A fleeting look at his arm and she realized that it was not all that easy, for what good was the herb if the poison was still there? She doubted it would annul the deadly substance. She had one option, and that was to drain out it, using her own mouth to suck it out…
However, there was a catch. By exposing herself to the poison, there was a slight chance that she could be infected by it too. If, by any chance, she had swallowed some of the poison while sucking it out, it would be transmitted to her.
A firm look settled on her face. She had to do this. It was the only way she could save Kai, and there wasn't enough time to think of any other way. Besides, if it weren't for him, she would have been the one in his position…the poison was rightfully hers. 'I owe him this much. He has already saved my life more than once…' she thought, referring to her ankle, 'I wouldn't be here if it weren't for him. He never abandoned me when I was hurt, so now I won't abandon him. Even if it means risking my own life, I will save him!'
She stopped short. Random thoughts whirred through her mind like a speeding train, 'I would risk my life for Kai…I want to save him…I care about him...' She gasped as she finally realized what it all concluded to: she loved him, truly and earnestly. She had been denying it, but now in this time of distress, all became clear. There were no false feelings. Love for the stoic, blue-haired boy had grown in her all this time, and she had not known it. And now, she finally understood just how much he meant to her.
A tear dripped of her face and fell onto his arm. Leaning down, hovering above the wound, she pushed her hair that fell around her face out of the way and took a deep breath. "Kai…you will be all right…I promise you," she whispered confidently, and without another wasted moment, she brought her lips over the wound. Drawing the tainted blood into her mouth, and then spitting it out on the ground, she noticed that the blood was dark, closer to black than red. She repeated this process until the colour of his blood became natural again.
When she was finished, she felt slightly dizzy. Standing up clumsily on her feet, she effortlessly wiped at her mouth with her sleeve. For some reason, she felt tired, barely able to even support her own weight. Stumbling outside, she found some water from the leaves' reserves and rinsed her mouth of the blood.
Heading back for the cave, she picked up the herb leaves and forced herself to chew them up to a paste for Kai. It was true that she still hated the bitterness, but all she had to do, was think of Kai and it would be as sweet as candy. She could withstand anything now. A minute later, she spat it out on her hand and smeared it on his infected arm. With her free hand, she reached up and undid her pink bow that held her hair and fastened it firmly around the medicated wound. She smiled faintly, 'Now we are even,' she thought, referring to his scarf that he had tied around her foot.
For the rest of the day, she had a splitting headache. She felt woozy, exhausted even, but nonetheless, she stayed awake to tend to Kai. She would bring water and gently drip it to his mouth to keep his lips moist. Sometimes he would break out in a sweat, almost as if he was battling against something, and she would be there wiping at his forehead. All the while, she prayed that the herb was doing its job and that Kai would be all right again. It worried her to see him like this.
Finally, night fell. Mariah sombrely ate a few berries for dinner, but she hardly had the appetite. It was chilly, but she did not know how to operate Dranzer, so she didn't start a fire. Besides, by now, her head was officially not functioning properly; she was afraid she'd set fire to the whole cave. Tenderly, she covered him with his coat, giving him a warm smile. "You need it more than I do," she mumbled softly.
Gripping her head, she settled beside Kai, on the left side, where he wasn't injured. She yawned and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Kai…you shall live; I will not let you leave. I won't give up hope on you, and you better not either," she murmured into his ear. Taking one final look at his still body, her eyelids drooped, and she fell asleep, but not before whispering a barely audible "I love you".
Her dreams were all of silent prayers, hoping for Kai to awaken the following day and for him to be all right. Snuggling closer to him, she slept contently, regardless of the fact, that by dawn's first light, there was a possibility that she would be in an eternal slumber, a slumber to which she would never awaken.
It was all in the hands of fate now.
*~*~*
A/N: Whew! Done another chappie! This one was relatively long...I liked this chappie, it was fun writing it! Hope you found it plausible as well! Evil midterms are coming next week...hafta go study :( I despise schoolwork...Well, until I update again!
Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade. Just wondering... How come the characters don't have to study for exams? Even so, how come they don't have to go to school?! It's not fair that I should have to suffer while they go on world tours!