Chapter 22: Epilogue

Kai didn't open his eyes, even though he was awake. To open his eyes would mean to face reality. And if he had learned anything these past years, it would be that: reality sucks! He felt warm, and good. He could feel that he was lying in a soft bed, and everything around him was quiet and peaceful. But then, he couldn't stand it anymore. He opened his eyes.

He understood where he was. Since everything in the room was white, he guessed he was in a hospital. Gryff, Tala, Max, Tyson and Ray were sitting beside him, sleeping. He smiled and tried to move his hand, but he was too tired. He just looked at them. How long had they been sitting there?

Suddenly, Tyson moved a bit, and he sat up. He looked around with tired eyes. Kai guessed it took nearly ten secounds before he noticed him. Tyson smiled.

"Dreamed something?"

Kai laughed quietly. "Yeah, just...kittens and ice cream." Tyson snorted. In the meantime, Ray and Tala woke up too.

"I think its the first time Tyson has ever been awake before us," Kai said, grinning. Tala chuckled. "Welcome back buddy." Gryff grunted, and opened his green eyes. "Did I miss something?...Kai!" He smiled brightly.

"How long have I been sleeping?" He yawned, and stretched. "Three days." Max said, as he sat up too. Kai looked at them. "Three days? You kidding?"

He shook his head. "But now," Gryff said. "I think we need some explanations!" They looked excited at him. He told them about what happened after he was shot, about the meeting with his father and Dranzer and, that he had become the new count.

When he was finished, they sat wide eyes and just sared at him like he was mad. "You? You are a...a...phoenix?"

"Well, thats what Dranzer said."

"And thats why all those flames appeared?"

"Yeah! Arent you listening?"

"Sorry," Tyson grinned. "Well, I guess that from now on, we can call you Pyro!"

"What?" Max shrieked. "You cant call him Pyro! Pyro was evil!"

And then, Tyson and Max started to arguing about 'Pyro'. "You know, that can go on for a while..." Tala whispered. They nodded. "Hey, what about Helena?" Gryff looked up at him with a sad smile. "We dont know. When Mr Dickenson arrived she was gone, and no one saw where she went. I am really sorry about all this Kai. I know this must have been a huge shock..."

"Yeah, it was..."

He though about the things that had happened before he fainted. "That woman. Did you see her?"

Tyson and Max looked confused up at him. "You mean that woman, who's been here to wisit you?"

"She has?"

"Yeah..."

"Where is she now?"

"Mmm...I think she's outside, talking to the doctors...you wanna talk to her?"

"Yeah, I do!"

Tyson rose from the chair, and ran out of the room. "Ehm, Kai?" Ray swallowed. "Can I ask you a question?"

"You already did, but you can ask another one." Kai smiled, he loved that line.

"Well, its that book. I was looking at it, and well...it shimmered, and it was like it wanted to show me something.-" Kai held up a hand. "I know. That book is wery special. There is one picture of every family member in it, and when one of them enters the castle, it shows the picture of that person."

"Oh, but what about the shimmering? It looked like water to me, but-"

"Yeah, it also showes the element that person posess. Gryff got a bitbeast that posess water." When he had said that, he noticed that Gryff turned his head away from them.

The door opened, and Tyson entered. "She's here. I just wondered, do you want us to leave?" Kai hesitated, but nodded. "I think that would be the best."

Ray smiled. "We'll come back tomorrow! Oh, and Kenny is back! He really looks forward to see you again." They walked out. Gryff looked at him one last time. "Kai, I know that you have taken a huge decission. Know that, I will always help you, when you need it."

Kai nodded. "I know." Gryff smiled, and walked out. A woman entered. She had short, brown hair, and green eyes. She sat down at one of the chairs. "Kai, I'm so proud of you." She started to cry, and stroke a soft hand over her sons hair. "You look so mutch like you father." Kai hugged her tightly. "I am so sorry I didn't tell you I was alive! But I knew that if I did, Voltaire would be after us again!"

"Its okay," he whispered. "Everything is fine..." Tori smiled. "I have seen you many times though. You've got your fathers talent."

"But my mother's intelligens!" She laughed. "Dont say that! Maybe he can hear you!"

"Oh, he can! I think he's laughing very mutch right now." He hesitated, and looked down at his hands. "But I know what I have to do."

Tori looked at him. "I'm going to take the Abbey down for good, and get Anya out of that place."

"I knew you would say that..." He looked out of the window. The sun was on its way down behind the mountains, and the sky had a orange glow. Now, he understood the things he hadn't before. Voltaire had done it all. The painting had just been a trick. The five year old Kai, had been Black Dranzer. Why hadn't he seen that before?! But it wasn't over yet... The Abbey remained.

Outside he could see the others, on their way home. Tala and Gryff walked a bit alone, while Max and Tyson tried to make each other trip. Ray walked behind them, ready to cath them if they fell. And that tells a lot, Kai thought. He had never really though about the others like that. Tyson, who could be wery irritating, was after all a wery special person! Just the way he comunicated to Dragoon was impressive! And Max was the only one who was able to beat him while he had Black Dranzer. He had always had some respect for Ray, and Gryff and Tala...well.

But it would take a long time for him to tell them this. Maybe one day... He lifted his eyes and watched the sunset. The sun had nearly disappeared, and made the sky look like melting gold. And he wasn't shure if he imagined it or not, but in a couple of secounds, he was shure head seen something. A huge, red bird, that spred her wings and flew towards the setting sun, in all her glory...

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