I DO NOT OWN AIR GEAR.

Chapter 8:

Ringo stared in front of her, confused with her own feelings. She still felt his hand on her head, but he already had let go of her head 5 minutes ago, why would he do that? She thought confused. "5 minutes before the typhoon hits Tokyo." Said the TV as if they were counting the countdown of new year, Ringo froze. "Only 5 minutes?" she whispered scared, Ikki looked up out of the kitchen from the tea when he heard some whispering coming from Ringo. He saw her looking at the TV listening to the news, Ikki sighed walked towards the TV and put another program on. "Ikki, what are you doing?" asked Ringo nervous but suspicious, "Those kind of people only make me nervous." He answered nonchalant. "And it will make me nervous not to know when the storm hits Tokyo!" she said very angry, she felt the anger boiling up in her blood. "Now, Ringo please cool down." Tried Ikki gentle, "NO I WONT COOL DOWN!" screamed Ringo scared. "Ringo, stop it. The TV only makes you more nervous." Said Ikki as gentle as possible. Ringo stayed silent, knowing he was right. She felt angry and sat down in a demonstrative way, Ikki looked away knowing this was her own way of stubbornly giving in. I hate this. Thought Ringo stubbornly and angry, Ringo walked towards the window and looked out of the window looking for a typhoon but didn't saw one. She stared out of the window, hoping for a sign for safety or something. "Ringo get away from the windows." Said Ikki determined, she heard a little bit anger in his voice but also sounded a slight bit worried. She walked away from the windows and stood in front of him, looking down towards the ground. Ikki looked down on her "Why are you so scared it's just a storm." Said Ikki careful, "Well I'm sorry for being scared. Ok?" said Ringo a bit angry. Ringo felt some upcoming tears, Oh no! I don't want to cry! She thought hopeless. She wiped her tears away and looked away. Ikki walked away. "Ikki what are you doing?" asked Ringo scared when she heard weird noises from the kitchen. "I'm making dinner." He said from the kitchen. Ikki came walking into the living room with 2 cups of ramen and put a cup in front of her, he sat down next to her an happily broke his sticks to eat. "Itadakimasu*" he said hungry, you could almost see him drooling and then he dug in. "Ikki, eat normally." Said Ringo who started to get irritated by his manners, "Why?" Said Ikki with his mouth full of ramen. "Because it's disgusting." she said angry, "Sorry…" Said Ikki shy while he smiled idiotic and scratched the back of his head. Ringo looked with a weird look at him, Ikki stopped eating "What's wrong?" he asked thickheaded."I thought you changed a bit in the good way, but now I've seen this I changed my mind." She said stubborn, Ikki growled "Just eat your noodles." He said irritated when he looked away in a disappointed way. Why is he so disappointed? Thought Ringo surprised, Ringo moved her face a bit to see Ikki's face. "Did I say something wrong?" She asked when she was unable to see his face, Ikki finally looked her in the eye. "Not really… Why?" He asked shocked but obviosly felt busted, Ringo looked at him and doubted herself. Was I seeing things? She thought, "Well you looked kinda disappointed…" she mumbled and looked guilty at him. Ikki looked at her, Ringo saw his face changing from surprised to laughable. He was trying to hold himself in but couldn't and started to laugh his lungs out of his life. "BWHAHAHAHAHA WHAT DO YOU MEAN?" he said laughing, Ringo reacted offending by looking angry at him. She felt humiliated as hell but when Ikki saw her angry face he started to laugh hard and rolled around on the floor. Ringo looked down, a sad feeling was starting to come up. There she sat; the humiliated and sad Ringo, looking down to the ground. What is this feeling? She asked herself in her thoughts while she felt upcoming tears, Ikki was laughing more and more and Ringo started to feel more and more humiliated. Ringo stood up as fast as she could in a demonstrative way and walked towards him, when she stood in front of him she stopped. "SHUT UP!" she said angry and humiliated, a small tear rolled down on her cheek. Ikki looked shocked at her but she couldn't see his face because she was pinching her eyes to keep them closed from anger. Ringo stood there and saw nothing but suddenly she felt something shaking, What is this? She thought scared. when she opened her eyes she saw the whole ground shaking, Ikki was trying to reach her but due to the shaking it was really hard. Ringo's eyes became bigger and bigger, she was so scared that her whole mind was blank. She couldn't think until she felt that she was losing her balance, she waggled. Left, right, everywhere. I can't stay right. She thought, the tears that disappeared in her eyes were returning, I don't like this. She thought. At that moment a big flash was seen and after it immediately followed a thunderclap. Ringo's eyes became bigger and she started to breathe faster, her heart was pounding like crazy, it felt as if it was about to jump out of her chest, pumping the adrenaline trough her body. Breathing was getting harder and heavier to do, she felt that her legs were becoming numb. She knew that she was going to fall on the ground. Ikki… please… help me… she thought hopeless, she didn't know what was happening. She couldn't move properly and started to feel less in her legs tried to make eye contact with Ikki, at the same moment Ikki turned around. Then he saw her, crying, scared and she saw pale. Tears were flowing over her whole face and dropped on the ground eventually. Another flash showed up and after that another thunderclap was heard, Ikki looked at her, hopelessly, knowing he was unable to reach her. "Ikki… please… the thunder…" mumbled Ringo while hiccupping from crying, I'm scared. She thought. At that moment she felt a stabbing pain in her chest. She grabbed her chest and her whole mind became blank again, and she fell on her knees. Ringo made eye contact with Ikki again, Ikki knew this wasn't good. Ringo fell slowly on the ground, "RINGOOOO!" said Ikki hopeless. She could hear the fear in his voice, she smiled just before she hit the ground with her head. Ikki… she thought. The third thunder flash and thunderclap was heard, she lost control of her mind again. She grabbed her head, trying to get the control back but she couldn't. Her body started to wince slowly from fear more and more. Her ability to hear and see were getting worse everything went in slow motion for her, she softly closed her eyes, trying to stop her own confusion. In the distance she could hear Ikki calling out to her "RINGO!" he screamed he sounded as if he was panicking, "RINGO!" he screamed again with all his might, but the screaming did not reach Ringo. After a while it felt like the shaking stopped "Ikki, help." She mumbled softly without knowing it herself, she was still scared and in shock. Her mind became blank, the voice faded away. It was cold. But then suddenly she felt something warm around her body, holding her tight and not letting go. I like this warm feeling. She thought confused with her own thoughts.

The ground had stopped shaking but Ringo still laid down on the ground, without making any movements or any sound. Winced from fear, unable to hear, feel or see anything. Shit! Thought Ikki, he immediately ran towards her. When he reached her he softly putted his hand on her back, she was shivering from fear and her body didn't react to it. Ikki panicked, "Ringo?" he whispered softly. "Ringo?" he said again but she didn't react, he looked at her. She was shivering from fear and was unable to stop, Ikki knew that this wasn't a good sign. I have to do something. He thought scared, he looked at her again and became a little red. What if I hugged her? He thought shy, he looked at her and without thinking he carefully kneeled down. Then he softly grabbed her and tried to lift her as gently as possible out of her winced position but Ringo's body didn't want to and tried to wince again, she was still shivering. He looked at her face, she had her eyes closed, those beautiful blue eyes, and pinched her eyelids together to keep them closed. Ikki couldn't bear it anymore, he still sat down and looked at her but was not sure of the moment or what he should do. "Ikki, help." Mumbled Ringo soft, it so soft you almost couldn't hear it but Ikki did. His eyes became big and you could see the panic in his eyes, "Ringo…" he said shocked, he bended forward and embraced her tightly. "I'm here Ringo." He said to calm her down, "Don't be scared." He whispered in her ear.

Ringo looked around, it was totally white. "Where am I?" she asked herself, her question echoed. She looked around, what is this place? She thought. She walked on and found herself in a really big hall, with photos all over the place. "a picture-gallery?" she asked herself. Everywhere where she looked there were pictures of her and Ikki, she looked closer and saw that every picture was moving. "movies?" she asked suspicious, she looked around again and started to recognize the 'movies'. "Memories?" she said. She kneeled down and touched a memory of a year ago of her and Ikki running away from Rika, because Ikki pulled out some trick and she tried to protect him. She smiled and then the 'movie' became bigger. When it was as big as Ringo, she felt not at ease. And her feeling was right because it immediately started to suck her in and started to play in her mind.

"IKIII!" screamed Rika angry, "WHERE ARE YOU?" she said as a devil. Ringo sat in her room taking her AT's off and heard some weird noises from the room next to her; Ikki's room. "What did you do this time?" she mumbled softly, she heard her sister pounding with her feet on the stairs. Ringo sighed and listened as her sister opened the door. "IKKI! WHERE IS MY BAG?" Ringo rode towards the hall on her AT's and saw that Ikki also came outside on his AT's. Ringo and Rika saw a small bag in the corner of his room. "Is that… my bag..?" she asked with a slight bit of anger in her voice, she was obviously trying to hold her horses. "No?" said Ikki without knowing anything, "Rika-nee, that bag was yours?" asked Ringo a bit scared. "Yes, that's my old bag." She said with anger. Ringo swallowed, "It's my fault." Started Ringo. "Don't try to help him Ringo!" said Rika who was getting angrier every minute. "But I thought it was in no one's property." Said Ikki scared, Rika grabbed his shirt. "And what made you think that.", Ikki was trying to say something but immediately stopped. He's protecting me! Thought Ringo with big eyes. "Rika-nee! Please! I said that!" she shouted at her sister, Rika let go of Ikki. "Don't protect him Ringo!" she said angry. "But it's the truth!" said Ringo hopeless . At that moment Ikki grabbed Ringo's hand and pulled her out of the hall into his room and jumped of his balcony with her.

"Ikki what are you doing?" she asked shocked, "Escaping." He said with happy eyes. "This way we'll be scolded even more." She said, "But she has to cool down or else she won't listen." Said Ikki. Ringo stayed silent, knowing he was right. "But why did you take me with you?" she asked angry, "Because she would also get angry at you if you would have stayed." He said calmly. Ringo stayed silent again and looked away, she couldn't say that it wasn't true because it was true. She created an annoying silence, but didn't know what to say. She smiled, there's nothing wrong with this right? She thought. The wind was gently blowing in their ears, Ikki got sick of the silence. "Do you think Rika-nee is in her period?" he asked thoughtful. Is he serious? Thought Ringo, "How could I ever know that?" said Ringo with her what-the-hell-are-you-asking glance. Ikki scratched the back of his head, "Hahahaha… sorry I asked that." He said troubled. "Ne, Ringo? Could you teach me the one wheel 360?" he asked, almost begged. Ringo looked away, she wasn't sure what to do. "I don't know Ikki… It's a dangerous trick." She said carefully. "If you're a bit more experienced I'll think about it seriously." She promised him. "Promise?" he said with a serious look in his eyes, Ringo took a deep breath. "Promised." She answered him.

At that same moment Ringo's image became blurry and weird and then she found herself in the weird gallery hall again. She stood up, "Wait! I want to see more!" she shouted around. She walked, ran, everything. "Please!" she shouted hopelessly, the movies became images and started to fly in all directions. "Wha?" was all she could say, after a few seconds it all gathered in one place and started to play a movie. Of Ikki holding her tightly, shaking her, tying to wake her up. While he did that he shouted "Ringo!" or "Ringo! Wake up!", "Ikki…" said Ringo while she was in the white hall way. There was no way Ikki could hear her. Ringo reached out with her hand towards the movie. Carefully but determined. Her hand was shaking, she was scared of the unknown. Not knowing what would happen she putted her hand into the movie and got sucked in. The next thing she knew is that she fell on the ground and woke up, she sat and looked around. She saw Ikki and immediately wanted to get up, she wanted to smile and say 'Ikki I'm back' but stopped her thoughts pronto when she saw his back making weird movements. Crying movements. Ringo stared at his back, "Ringo…" he said softly. "I'm right here!" she said happy and presented herself but Ikki didn't react. "Why?" he whispered sadly, "why?" he repeated himself. "Ikki I'm right here! Can't you see me?" said Ringo shocked, "Where's your pulse Ringo? I can't feel you breathing and your heartbeat…" he whispered, tears fell down from his cheeks on something he held in his arms. Ringo's eyes became big and ran towards Ikki to see what was wrong, but when she stood in front of him she stood there looking at the thing in his arms. Looking at the girl he was holding in his arms. There she stood silent, saying nothing. What is this? She thought as she stared at her own lifeless body in Ikki's arms. At her lifeless body with a big bloody wound on her head. "Am I dead?" she asked herself in trance, "Am I really dead?" she said as her eyes became bigger and bigger, tears appeared in her eyes and eventually she fell down on her knees and began to scream. With the thought 'I don't want to die yet!'.

to be continued

* Itadakimasu = thanks for the meal.