It's been three days since arriving at the Yama-Yama hotel…
After the incident, Kenny had managed to find a working radio and contacted the head of the G-Revolution to bring in an emergency lift; Mr. Dickinson himself came on the helicopter he had sent. When he saw the two girls, he decided that it would be wiser to stay at a hotel rather than a hospital; it would have attracted too much attention. He personally paid for a large suite at a hotel just outside of Tokyo so to accommodate the whole group, then gave the manager a bribe to let them stay inconspicuously. Thankfully, not many customers were booked in, due to the time of year; the hot springs in the back of the hotel weren't very… hot.
Every late afternoon, Mr. Dickinson came by to check on the situation and to discuss about plans for the future…
"Has Kai woken up yet?" He asked as he took off his coat.
Ray, who had been meditating, sitting cross-legged on the couch, raised his head and glanced at him with one golden eye.
"No. Not yet…"
He sounded tired, as if he had barely gotten any sleep for the last few nights, but he always shrugged it off whenever someone asked if he was all right. Tyson, sitting beside him shook his head and passed a hand through his hair; he had dark circles under his eyes.
"But at least her fever dropped…" He added.
The old man nodded and sighed, taking a seat on the smaller couch to the right of the two.
"What about Max?"
"He…" Began Tyson, but stopped and corrected himself, "She's in her room…"
"Is she alright?"
"I guess… She hasn't talked to me much though…" He said sadly.
"I don't think I've ever seen Max so depressed…" Commented Ray.
The other two nodded in agreement, then fell silent.
"Oh, Mr. Dickinson." Suddenly said a third boy, "I didn't know you were here."
Kenny stepped in the room, carrying his laptop under one arm and holding an empty water bottle in his other hand; even he sounded tired. All of them knew he had passed sleepless nights trying to figure out what had happened to his friends, restlessly working on his trusty laptop. All in all, none of them had slept much these last three days…
"I just arrived." Replied the man, "Have you found anything?"
Taking a seat between Tyson and Ray, he flipped open his laptop and began typing quickly.
"Perhaps…" He said simply.
"Perhaps? What do you mean perhaps?" Exclaimed Tyson, "Chief! Perhaps won't solve our problem!"
"I know Tyson but…"
"And neither will but!"
"Tyson." The raven-haired boy growled, silencing the impatient blader.
Tyson's lack of sleep was making him more irritable than usual…
"As I was trying to say…" Kenny said patiently, "I may have found something."
"Let's hear it then." Nodded Mr. Dickinson.
"Well, from what Max has told me, Konton… or rather, the incarnation of Chaos, is an unknown bit beast-like creature, not an actual god."
"Goddess…" Corrected Ray absently.
"Whatever…" Continued the brown-haired boy, "Now, this theory is only based on what Max told me since I have no actual data on the beast. What data I do have is of Tyson's battle, but I don't think it's enough, nor even accurate."
"What I fought was nothing like the thing that attacked us…" Muttered the navy-haired youth bitterly.
"I know Tyson…" Sighed Kenny, "The… thing that attacked us was not a normal bit beast; to tell you the truth, I'm not even sure it was a bit beast at all…"
"Then what could it have been?" Asked the old man.
"That… I really don't know…" He sighed again, "My theory is that it was an ancient spirit, extracted and forced into a blade, turning it into something close to an actual bit beast."
"But what made it material? From what you've told me, that creature was solid enough to nearly tear down the building on you boys."
"Well, at first that reminded me of the cyber bit beasts that the Psykicks had…"
At that, Tyson and Ray both gave a low growl; just the name still brought back bad memories. Ignoring the two, Kenny went on with his explanations.
"But since I hadn't detected any interferences or power surges, or anything that could have been recorded as a digitally interactive hologram, I dismissed the idea."
"So… If it's not a bit beast, then…" Mr. Dickinson said slowly.
"It's an unknown entity." Replied Kenny, "An entity that is somehow related to bit beasts, but is not one itself."
The older man nodded to himself as he brushed his moustache but the others remained quiet. Tyson passed a hand through his hair for the hundredth time, Kenny typed something on his laptop and Ray was gazing absent-mindedly at the window behind them; the sky was completely grey and it was raining hard.
"There's still one thing that I don't understand…" Suddenly said Kenny, his tone somewhat hesitant.
"What is it?" Asked Mr. Dickinson.
"The entity's power…" His tone became more hesitant, "My question is… how did it acquire so much power? I mean, that was not modern technology, or black for that matter…"
"Maybe…" Ray said, though more to himself than anyone, "Ozuma had said that bit beasts were created, no… born thousands of years ago…" He glanced at Kenny, then narrowed his eyes on no point in particular, two golden orbs deep in thought, "I know this thing is not a real bit beast, but what if… they really do have powers beyond human fantasy? What if bit beasts are gods?"
The room fell silent again, the only sounds coming from the rain beating against the windows; the three, outside of Ray, exchanged wondering looks. Slowly, Kenny shifted uncomfortably before speaking again.
"Well…"
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Slowly, ever so slowly, Kai became conscious of where he was; he was lying on his side on a bed and a cover had been pulled up to his ear. He could hear rain pounding against windows, and see a faint light through his eyelids. His head still ached and remembering came hard to him, so he tried not to think about things too much. Finally, after much mental effort, he managed to open his eyes…
"So you're finally awake."
A girl with blond hair was sitting against the head of her bed, her knees tucked under her chin and a blanket around her shoulders. Kai seemed to know her…
"You…" He muttered, then tried his luck, "Max?"
The girl nodded, making his eyes widen in shock; like an explosion, memories flowed back, as well as the stinging pain in his chest, and he felt nauseous again. He quickly sat up and immediately wished he hadn't; he held his throbbing head in both hands then rested his forehead on his knees to balance his senses.
"Damn…" He groaned.
His splitting headache made the word echo in his mind, momentarily making him oblivious to his friend, sitting just across of him, until he felt her hand on his shoulder.
"Are you ok?"
He glanced at her through his dark bangs; that's when he realized that he too was…
"Of course I'm not!" He exclaimed angrily, but regretted it as soon as his headache echoed his words again.
"Kai… I… I know how you feel…" She said weakly.
The blonde sounded exhausted… Defeated too, as if she had given up on her situation and just learned to accept it; that was what Kai will be doing soon, if nothing was done to reverse the damage. He spoke as soon as his head stopped booming.
"How long was I out?" He asked quietly, lightly fingering his temples.
"You were asleep for some time…" She replied, "Three days to be exact…"
The two-toned hair lowered his eyes as thoughts about his companions floated to him; he somehow felt… guilty about it.
"Oh…" He said simply.
"Dickinson said that if you didn't wake up by tomorrow morning, he was going to bring you to the hospital… Ray and Tyson were really worried…" Muttered Max softly, "And Kenny's been pulling all-nighters to figure out what happened to us." She sighed, "I was worried too. I… I thought you…" She shook her head, "Never mind… it was a foolish thought…"
Kai glanced at her questioningly.
"What? What did you think?"
"Well, I…" She muttered, "I… thought you might have lost your soul or something…" Then quickly added, "I know it sounds stupid, but because you… because Draciel wasn't… I wasn't strong enough to protect us both, you may have had to pay the price and…"
"Calm down Max, I'm fine." He stopped her, "A little numb and queasy, but fine…"
Yeah… Like being a girl is fine… Said a mocking little voice in his head, but he dismissed it.
"That's… good."
She seemed a little relieved, but her blue eyes were still dull and she still lowered her head, resting her chin on her knees.
"What about you Max?" Asked Kai, "You look really miserable… I don't think I've ever seen you like that."
She gave him a sideways glance, then gave a bitter chuckle, brushing a blond bang back with an almost automatic gesture.
"Yeah well… Being turned into a girl all of a sudden ain't no joy ride…"
He gave a slow nod before brushing back his own hair; his head felt a little better.
"Hey Max…"
The blonde looked up and was surprised to see her friend up on his feet. He still wore his turtleneck sweater, which stretched across his chest, and his jeans, which were now too large for him and stopped well under his navel; his jacket was on the armchair in a corner of the room, along with Max's own jacket.
"Are you sure you're well enough to get up?"
"Yeah, I told you I'm feeling much better…" He looked around, then stopped on the two doors in the room, "Which one is the bathroom?"
"The left one." Max got up as well, "Should I go tell them you're finally awake? They'll be happy to hear."
"No… I want to tell them myself…" He answered then went in the bathroom.
Half of him was reluctant to check on his… new body, while the other half was ferociously curious. A glance at the mirror made him shiver.
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"I see…" Muttered the older man, unconsciously tugging at his white moustache.
Kenny flipped closed his laptop and sighed heavily; the other two had listened closely, but now seemed to be lost in their own thoughts.
"What do you think about my theory Mr. Dickinson?"
"It seems rational, but this matter will require much more than a theory." With his own sigh, he leaned back against the chair, "I will dispatch my research team right away, but it will take time." He massaged his eyes before going on, "For now, we can only hope for the best."
The brown-haired boy nodded understandingly, then took his glasses and cleaned them, even though they were plainly clean; an unconscious habit, sign he was worried or stressed. All of a sudden, Tyson got up and passed a hand through his hair.
"I'm making myself some tea, anyone want some?" He asked as he was already heading for the kitchen.
"I'd love some Tyson, thank you." Replied Mr. Dickinson.
"Me too please." Added Kenny.
When he only heard two voices, the navy-haired boy turned around and looked at his raven-haired teammate.
"Ray?"
He looked up, as if suddenly aware of the people around him, breaking away from his deep study.
"Tea?" Repeated Tyson.
"No thanks." Answered the other.
Ray glanced at the door leading to the girl's room with a flicker of hope; he wished it would suddenly open and reveal his two friends, feeling better and back in their own bodies. It didn't happen and he realized how foolish that wish had been.
Wishful thinking indeed… He thought bitterly.
"Are you feeling alright my boy?"
He turned his attention back in the living room and noticed he was alone with the older man; Kenny had probably gone in the kitchen to help Tyson.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"You look exhausted, you all do." He said gently but anxiously, "Have you gotten any sleep at all these last three days?"
"Some…" He replied nonchalantly.
"Apparently not enough, if any at all." The other went on in a disapproving tone, "Staying awake all night won't help anyone, especially not yourselves."
The raven-hair let his head drop back against the couch and pressed his palms on his closed eyes, a deep breath raising and lowering his chest.
"Please Ray, I'm only trying to help."
He didn't reply, just kept his hands on his eyes, ending the conversation; it felt good, the warmth and the dark on his eyelids. With his eyes closed, he could hear better, or was more alert of the sounds around him; in the kitchen, Tyson and Kenny were pouring water in cups, the tea, though he could also tell by the gentle smell of fresh mint slowly wafting in the living room, and Mr. Dickinson shifting in his chair. He thought he could also hear water running, coming from the bathroom in the girls' room; the hope that Kai might finally be awake came back, stronger than ever. Then again, he could be imagining it; he felt too tired.
"Here you go Mr. Dickinson." Said Kenny, coming back in the room with two cups in his hands, "We only had Mint though."
"That's quite alright Kenny." Smiled tiredly the man, taking the cup the brunette offered him, "Thank you."
"Hey Ray, you okay?" Asked the navy-haired boy, setting his cup down on the coffee table and sitting beside him.
"I'm fine." He insisted in an exasperated and weary tone.
Taking his hands away, Ray stretched his arms over his head then brushed back his hair; with a sigh he placed his elbows on his knees and rested his chin on his joint hands. He went on watching the door from the corner of his laden eyes, golden orbs dulled by his self-inflicted fatigue; it was slowly catching up to him.
"I hear water running." Suddenly said Tyson, his wide eyes exchanging looks with him, "From their room."
Ray's own eyes widened in surprise and expectation; he hadn't imagined it then.
"Do you think…?" Began Kenny, but was cut off.
The two boys bolted up and walked over to the locked door; up close, they could definitively hear water running. With a nod from Tyson, Ray took a deep breath to slow his racing heart and knocked twice. From inside, there was movement, someone discarding covers, then footsteps of whoever was coming to open. In those few seconds before the lock clicked and the handle turned, everyone held their breath, anxious and frantic.
Who will it be? Exclaimed Ray in his mind, God, just open this door!
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The cold water running down his face gave him slight shivers, but Kai continued washing it over and over again to try and wake himself, his war marks now completely smudged and blue drops falling in the sink. The water ran everywhere but he didn't care; he knew it was useless because the reflection in the mirror never changed, yet still he persevered, wishing it were only a dream. A nightmare. Finally, he stopped and closed the tap, then looked up at the mirror; his visage had been rendered incredibly feminine, with smooth soft skin, long dark eyelashes and gentle composition. He passed a hand through his hair to clear the dripping blue bangs that were sticking to his wet forehead; the rest of his hair, of a darker blue, almost navy, was streaming down his shoulders and on the bathroom counter, the ends of it dipping in the sink.
When he first looked at himself in the glass above the sink, he thought he was gazing at a whole other person that liked to mimic his every gesture and expression perfectly. He found this person very attractive, a young and fierce woman, but seeing his eyes in hers reminded him that the woman looking back at him was his new self, his new image.
At least I'm hot… He thought ironically.
He had not had the courage to take off his clothes; pushing up his sleeves alone had made him feel awkward, especially when he felt how smooth his skin was. He felt even more ashamed to pass his hand across his chest, just to make sure that he really had breasts and not… something else. He was afraid of the time he would really need to use the bathroom…
"Fucking hell…" He muttered to himself.
Sitting down on the edge of the bathtub, he grabbed one of the white towels from the neatly stacked pile and buried his face in it with a long and miserable sigh. Suddenly, he heard Max getting up and opening the door, and then Ray.
"He… She's awake?" He exclaimed.
"Yeah…" Replied weakly Max.
"Max, has it been long?" Asked fiercely Tyson, who seemed to have barged in the room right after Ray, "Has it been… God! Why didn't you tell us?"
"Well… She asked me not to tell you right away because…" She began, but was cut off clean.
"You should have told us, no matter what Kai said!" Burst the blue-haired boy, "We've been worried sick!"
"Tyson, calm down…" Begged a third boy, probably Kenny.
"He does have a point…" Ray said slowly.
"I… I'm sorry…" Apologized the blonde, "I was really happy too, and I wanted to tell you, but Kai…"
"Where is he?" Snapped Tyson.
"She…" Corrected weakly Max.
"Where is Kai?"
"Tyson, don't…" Hushed Kenny.
"Please Max, we need to talk to hi… her." Said Ray, in a gentler voice than Tyson, but just as urgent nonetheless.
"She's in the bathroom."
From his thick and soft towel, Kai overheard everything and felt a pang of guilt; he hadn't meant to make them worry, but it wasn't his fault either, he had needed to come to terms with himself before seeing anyone. He buried his face in deeper just as a light knock on the door came, followed by a gentle and soothing voice.
"Hey Kai, are you feeling better?"
The others all remained quiet while the raven-haired boy leaned his ear against the door, one hand on the doorknob and the other also on the door. There was a light crack of springs from one of the beds as Max sat down. Beyond that was silence.
"Kai?" He tried again, "Are you okay?"
He heard some shifting through the door, but no answer came; the navy-haired youth kept his figure well hidden in the towel, arms and face alike resting down on his knees.
"Kai, are you even…" Said Tyson irritably, but the other cut him off.
"Could I come in?"
Finally, he heard a muffled something, then Kai getting up and resting against the door, his hand also on the knob.
"Only you…" He said faintly, only loud enough for him to understand.
He felt the door unlock and the knob turn slightly so he stepped back, giving everyone else the sign to leave the bedroom and wait for him, then opened a little so that he could slide in; he locked the door behind him again. When he turned around and rested against the door with his back, he found his old friend sitting on the edge of the bathtub, a towel around her slender shoulders; a few water drops still ran down her forehead and chin and her hair was wet in places. A despondent expression touched her features and her dull grey eyes avoided his gaze.
"Kai… we've been really worried." He said gently, "You've been asleep for almost…"
"Three days…" Interrupted Kai bitterly, "I know…"
The raven-hair studied the girl in front of him, barely recognizing her as Kai. For one, he wouldn't look at him straight; he kept his eyes, dulled by strain and misery, down on the ground, letting his long wet hair fall all around him, framing his pale face. He also seemed small and frail, his back slumped, shoulders drooping, elbows on his knees, his face in her hands; he was defeated.
"Kai…" He called softly, but he turned his head away.
He was truly upset about the whole incident, but seeing him like this…
He knelt down in front of him, more than enough to be eye-level with him, but the other flinched when he put his hand on his shoulder, as if startled, making him met his eyes.
"I'm not going to try to kill myself…" He said resentfully, "No matter how much I want to…"
"That's good."
Ray was surprised at how much the navy-haired boy's voice had changed, not just his appearance, but he kept that to himself.
"But that's because you still have my knife…" He went on, morbid now, "I'd be bleeding away happily by now…"
"Kai."
He gave him a disapproving frown and he laughed quietly; he was even more surprised to hear him laugh, but apparently so was he. Kai raised his head and stared at his hands before grabbing his towel, taking it away from around himself, and hiding his face in it. At this, Ray squeezed his shoulder more, but didn't say anything.
"Why does shit like this have to happen to me?" He mumbled heatedly in his towel.
"It could have happened to anyone of us." Reassured him the other, "Tyson for example, or even me."
The navy-haired girl looked up at him, a small smile tugging the corner of her lips; the raven-hair found her very beautiful like that, and smiled back at her.
"You as a girl would be bad enough, but Tyson?"
"Why's that?"
"Well… Tyson is…" Sighed Kai, then went on with a sad smile, "Tyson is Tyson. There's just no getting around that…"
"And what about me?" Asked the second, his hand still holding on tightly.
"You're… well…" The girl hesitated, "I don't know…" Kai looked up at him, "How would you feel?"
"Shocked for certain…" He smiled comfortingly, "Definitively confused and even scared…" He saw him lower his head and quickly added, "But I would rely on my friends for support, with faith that everything will go back to normal."
The other's smile turned distressed and his shoulders hunched some more, his hair sliding down and brushing Ray's arm, making him shiver; it was really soft and he wasn't used to it, but he ignored it nonetheless. Neither spoke; a thick silence settled between the two, both motionless and absorbed in their own thoughts. The raven-haired boy was observing the young woman before him, still unable to grasp the fact that it was Kai and not just some pretty girl, a very attractive girl; he was surprised and ashamed of himself for thinking what he was…
"I really appreciate what you're doing…" Finally said Kai, his tone hushed and tired, "But nothing's going to go back to normal… ever."
"That's not true!" He exclaimed, "You can't think like that!"
"Can't I?"
He pushed away his hand, got up and flicked his hair back, dropping the towel in the bathtub, then walked towards the door before Ray bolted up; he stopped him as his hand was on the doorknob. The raven-hair took him by the shoulders and turned him to make him face him; eye to eye, he confronted him.
"Kai, you have to promise me that you won't do anything stupid."
The other didn't answer, but avoided to meet with his gaze.
"You have to promise!" Insisted Ray.
"I can't…" Said Kai weakly.
"You have to!"
Suddenly, the bathroom door opened, a little at first, but Kai pushed it all the way out. Max still sat on the bed but didn't look the slightest bit surprised at finding them like that; perhaps she heard their whole conversation and that's why she hid a little smile behind the covers she had wrapped around herself again.
"I'm sorry Ray…" Whispered the navy-haired youth.
He pushed him back and walked towards the door leading to the living room; he was about to open it, but stopped, hesitating. He shot him a quick glance, then one at Max before taking a deep breath and stepping out.
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OMG AN UPDATE! readers foam at mouth
Ahaha, this is actually kind of old by now. At least it's long, right? ENJOY!