Disclaimer: Takao Akio
The group of bladers sat in the hospital wing in there casual clothing. Kai stood up and punched the wall and blood began dripping down his wrist.
"Kai stop it," Hilary demanded. "There is no reason for you to act like this."
"No reason to act like this?" He demanded making everyone cringe but Rei who continued to stare down at the floor. "This is the perfect time to act like this…Yajuu soldiers all over Japan were killed while fighting rouge bit beasts, Max is stuck in his own little world and won't talk to anyone and Tyson is in a freaking coma. So tell me Hilary how am I supposed to act?" He yelled. Tala put his arm around Hilary's shoulder as she looked down in shame and gave Kai a death glare.
"Guy's calm down. Now is not the time to be fighting," Kenny said. Suddenly the door down the hall was slammed opened and Judy sprinted down the hall her husband following closely behind her. She passed the group without even glancing at them and ran into Max's room at the other end of the hall. Rei stood up as Mr. Tate stopped in front of the group.
"What happened?" He asked worryingly.
"We're not really sure…He was captured by Serenity and she did something to him…now he won't even look at us."
"What about Tyson?" He asked. Kai glared to the side and began walking down the hall. Daichi was going to follow but Hilary held him back and shook her head no. Mr. Tate got the message and walked into the room with Judy to see his son.
"This totally sucks!" Daichi shouted and kicked a garbage can on the side and then bounced up and down in pain holding his foot.
_______
Kai walked into the hospital room where Tyson laid sleeping. He wasn't hooked up to anything but a single IV line for nutrition. The doctors said there was nothing wrong with him but a few bumps and bruises; he just seemed to not want to wake up. He took a seat next to the pale looking blunette and brushed his fingers over his loose hair.
"Quietest he's ever been," Kai heard from behind him and jumped in seat. He regained his composure as he turned around and found Tyson's father standing at the door with a cup of coffee in his hand. He only met the man a couple of times at the beginning of his adventure with the Bladebreakers but he remembered the man well. He had strains of grey hair now and he had more wrinkles and his eyes more tired but all in all he really didn't change much.
Kai stood up so the older man could take the seat but he shook his head and walked to the other side of the bed.
"He needs you more than me," he laughed. "Please take the seat," He gestured and Kai sat back down. The two men sat and stood in silence except for the sound of Mr. Grangers sipping on his coffee.
"I'm really sorry about all of this," Kai finally had the nerve to say. "If I had…"
"There's nothing you could have done. He's like his mother that way; stubborn and determined. I remember when she passed away the doctors said she only had a few weeks but she proved them wrong. She lasted a whole year before finally moving on," the man laughed but Kai could see the tears welling up in his eyes. Tyson's father took Tyson's limp hand and held it firmly his sons paleness contrasting with Mr. Grangers own worn and tan hand. The man's phone rang and he looked at the caller.
"Do you need me to leave?" Kai asked.
"No it's Hiro. He probably just landed in Japan and needs me to pick him up," Mr. Granger placed Tyson's hand down and began walking to the door. Kai stood up and in the traditional Japanese goodbye he bowed. Mr. Granger bowed back slightly and smiled. "Take care of him for me will ya?"
"I will," Kai answered and sat back down when the door closed.
_______
A few hours later Mr. Tate had finally gotten his wife to fall asleep and he lifted her up and brought her to a place to rest. Rei snuck into the quiet room and Max's back was to him. On the other side Max stared at wall with blank blue eyes.
"Max?" Rei whispered placing his hand on Max's arm. The water elementor didn't respond to Rei's voice or touch and the older man's eyes widen at Max's cold body. "What did she do to you…this is so messed up," He said out loud and took a seat throwing his face into his hands. He looked back up sharply when he heard something fall to the ground and he looked to the floor where he found the purple blade of Dracial on the floor next to the bed stand. He picked it up curiously remembering that he placed it in the middle of the stand and should not have been able to move. Looking at the black and purple serpent in the middle of the blade he remembered what he promised the sacred water goddess.
He could hear her whisper now. "Then find us before we can be found no longer. Once we have been changed long enough there will be no turning back."
And he had told her that he promised that he would save them both. Placing Dracial back on the stand he took out Drigger and held the blade tightly.
"Please Drigger I need you to take us back to Dracial and Max's meeting place," he begged the tiger. He shut his eyes tightly to concentrate and he felt the familiar feeling of warmth and then the cold rush of the ocean. Opening his eyes he was once again on the same beach with Drigger standing next to him.
"The waves are not as bad as they were the last time," he stated scanning the ocean.
"I guess that's a good thing," Rei said and the two Neko's made their way down the beach. After what felt like forever Rei spotted something further along the beach. Squinting he realized that it was Max.
"Maxie!" he shouted with a smile as he ran towards his lover. When he got close enough his smile faded when he found the boy sitting cross legged in his old outfit of the green and yellow top and orange pants. He looked out into the ocean with blank eyes and didn't seem to realize Rei was there at all.
"Dracial," he heard Drigger call out calmly and he looked up to the see the serpent of the sea walk up to them. One eye was still black but the other had turned back to her original purple and she smiled sadly at the two.
"I found out what that wench did to him. She exploited his darkest desires and played illusions for him. He can't have the things he desires and the despair in his heart grew until he was like putty in his hands," she said. Rei looked down at Max and with anger written on his face he lifted the blond by the scruff of shirt.
"What are you doing?!" Drigger demanded.
"Something I should have done when he attacked me during the fight…knock some sense into him," he said as he threw back his arm and punch Max in the face. The blond was knocked to the ground and Dracial and Drigger cringed. Max laid flat on his back looking at the sky blankly but tear drops began to fall from his face. Rei walked back up to him and pulled him back up again.
"Max I love you so much," Rei started. "Oh Kami do I love you…but you can't go back to the way things were no matter how hard you try," Rei released Max slightly allowing him to stand on the sand. "For years Tyson, I and the rest of the world had tried to bring you back…tried to make it so everything would go back the way they were. When I realized that even after you were brought back to me that things still wouldn't be the same I pretended….I pretended that you were still gone so that everything that I preserved in my mind would stay the same, that you would still be the same Maxie from 5 years ago. But a certain captain reminded me that I can't do that," Rei said recalling the talk he had with Kai and looked back at Drigger and Dracial.
The two of them were holding each other and crystal tears fell from the goddess's face. Looking back at Max the blond was looking down but his eyes seemed clearer. Taking the boys face into his hands he closed his eyes and kissed the serpent's avatar. When he released the kiss he kept his eyes closed wanting to keep the memory with him.
"Rei?" he heard and when he opened his eyes Max was back in his green shirt with an orange star in the center and green pants and was looking around with a lost expression on his face. "Rei what's going on? What are you doing here?"
Max opened his mouth once again but was silenced by Rei's lips pressed against his own.
"Max!" The heard Dracial shout and they were both thrown to the ground the woman landing on top of them. "Thank the Keeper that your back," As soon as she let go Drigger walked up to them and helped them up.
"Maybe you should continue this conversation where you can really be together," Drigger suggested and with a snap Rei found himself back in the hospital room Max sitting in his bed in his hospital garment.
"Max," Rei went over to hug the younger man but with met with a punch to the face. Rei looked back up at Max in confusion holding his cheek.
"I might not remember everything but I remember that," he stated and he and Rei laughed out loud.
The door opened with a crack and Hilary popped her head in. "Rei what's all the noise….MAX!" Hilary ran into the room and jumped onto Max's bed. Tala, Kenny and Daichi soon followed and surrounded the blond in his bed.
"Max I am so sorry," Daichi cried. "I didn't mean to stab you."
A sweat drop appeared on Max's head as snot dripped down Daichi's nose and sniffed it back up.
"It's alright Daichi. To be honest I can't really remember much anyway," Max said waving his hands in front of him.
"What do you remember," Kenny asked. Max placed his chin in his hand and looked up thoughtfully.
"I remember Serenity taking me to this cave on the beach that we use to all practice at. She placed her hand on my forehead and said some weird stuff in a language I didn't understand and then nothing…I remember bits and pieces but it was like I was there but wasn't."
Rei placed his hands over Max's and smiled warmly. A knock was heard and everyone turned to see Kai at the door.
"Hey Max," He said quietly. Max nodded once with a smile but his wide eyes and his smile turned into a frown.
"Tyson," He whispered and he groaned as he held his head in his hands.
"Max," Rei said placing his hands on Max's shoulders. "What's wrong?"
"Tyson…I remember he came…He came before you and he tried to help me…" Max grabbed the sheets and ripped them off. He jumped off the bed grabbed Dracial and in his bare feet he ran out of the room leaving everyone to follow in surprise.
"Maxie?" He heard his mother call him from down the hall with his father.
"Mom", he cried. She ran to him and hugged him tightly his father wrapping his arms around both of them. "Mom where's Tyson's room," he asked pushing his parents of him gently.
"He's down the hall in 319," She said in uncertainty and Max ran off. He opened the door quickly were Tyson laid.
"Tyson," he said shaking the blunette with tears in his eyes. Kai with everyone behind him walked into the room after Max.
"Max what are you doing?!" Kai shouted and tried to pry Max from his sleeping boyfriend.
"You don't understand…" He cried pulling himself from Kai's grasp. He got away and turned to everyone. "He was there in my meeting place and…and…and."
Rei walked up to Max and placed his hand on Max's shoulder.
"Max look at me," He said and the blond looked up into Rei's eyes. "Just take a breath and tell us what happened," Rei told Max. He nodded and looked back at the sleeping Tyson.
"He came up behind me…"
Flashback
Max looked out at the ocean with dull eyes and he felt a shadow behind him. He looked behind him lazily and he watched as a 16 year old Tyson in his yellow shirt and red jacket with the backwards red and blue cap sit next to.
"Hey Max," Tyson said tiredly and Max smiled and looked back at the ocean. "I just came to say good bye…I know that Rei will be here soon to save you so I know I don't have to worry but just remember to keep your heart open to what he has to say…I'm really going to miss you guys," Tyson said as tears began welling up in his eyes. He placed his hand on Max's head and ruffed it up a bit. Behind him a man with sky stormy blue hair and golden eyes in a white Chinese outfit walked up to them and Tyson looked up.
"It is time to go. The keeper won't wait for long," the man said in a booming voice.
"I'm coming, I'm coming. Sheesh Dragoon your more impatient with me sometimes," Tyson laughed and stood up. "Well good luck buddy," and in a flash of light Tyson disappeared.
End flashback
"The way he was talking…it's like he knew he wasn't coming back," Max finished and grabbed Tyson's arm and began shaking him again. "Please Tyson you need to wake up."
Kai looked at Max with wide eyes and then walked up to Tyson slowly. He placed his hand into Tyson's and as soon as he touched him Dranzer in his pocket, Dracial in Max's hand and Dragoon on the bed stand all lit up. He released Tyson's hand and the blades died down. Kai and Max stared at each other and looked at everyone else.
"What…was that?" Kenny asked. A cough was heard from Kenny's laptop and he opened it up to let Dizzy speak.
"There reacting to the seer part of Tyson. His bond with the Keeper," Dizzy stated.
"What the hell is this keeper thing I keep hearing about?" Max asked.
"The Keeper…" The group heard and turned around to see Mr. Granger with Hiro. "Is the Kami that guards the gate between our world and Pandora,"
"How do you know that?" Kai asked.
"He was put in charge of figuring out the legends of the bit beasts," Rei answered. "After Tyson, Kira, Lily and Serenity were sent to Pandora they described a woman who allowed them into the world of the bit beasts,"
"Legend has it that many people have gone into Pandora and never return; their bodies left here to sleep forever. The only way to save Tyson is to stop him from crossing into the world of Pandora" Mr. Granger said sternly.
"How do we know that he didn't already cross over," Tala asked.
"Because…when I said that the people who go to Pandora left their bodies to sleep forever, I meant they die," He whispered sadly.
"Why is he doing this?" Max cried. "Why would he want to leave us?"
"I don't know Max," Rei said.
"But we're going to rescue him aren't we?" Hilary asked tears streaming down her eyes.
"Of course we are," A voice said behind Mr. Granger. Moving aside Tyson's father gave room to Kira as he came into the room followed by a woman with long brown hair behind him.
"As much as I hate to say it we are going to have to work together to save him. Let's get started,"
Omg I have no idea why but that was like the hardest chapter ever and I have no idea why. I just couldn't figure out where to end it and so about one more chapter to go and that ends the second ark.
Review kindly onegai.