8. DO NOT TAKE IS ALL AWAY, OH GODDESS OF ANGER !

Rei had promised himself that he would show Kai his romantic side, that it was not all about sex, when they stepped into the shower, together, the following morning. He would be cool and just kiss or fool around, but all in vain! How could one stay cool when the manifestation of the Goddess herself lather you up with foam and massaged your privates so gently you could but shout for more?

"Well if it can't be avoided, i will give into this..." he said with a fake sigh.

"Avoid what?" Came an inquisitive voice from behind the now gasping Rei.

"You, my All, you..."

They managed to leave their room in time for a late lunch which was hosted as usual down in the main dining Hall. Tyson his standard way of ravaging over the buffet. Max being Max if perhaps a bit more sparkle eyed than before. And Kenny minding his own business, till he sat closer to Rei .

"Rei do you have a minute?"the boy did not seem to be embarrassed or confiding and struck Rei with interest.

"Yeah, in a sec."and turned to Kai who sat being surprisingly cold and distant as if he did not want anyone to know of any changes in his life. Rei made a mental note to discuss this later and told Kai he would be back in a second.

A bit farther away the short boy stopped and looked up at Rei hesitantly.

"What's wrong Chief?"Rei asked.

"I do not know how to start, its...you know... we never talk about such things even though we all been through a lot together we do not really know each other's private life..."

"So? Where are you getting at?" this was getting too weird for Rei.

Kenny seemed as if he would run away being so shy and all, but stood his ground an continued.

"Umm, you see i know about you and Kai and..."

"KENNY!" Rei exclaimed " Get ON with it you are not making any sense and what if you know about me and Kai what's this to you?"he was tensing up and it wasn't making the other any more comfortable.

"And how did you find out"he continued slow and coldly.

"I...I figured out, but that is beside the point, i want to warn you."

Rei was really annoyed about this sudden intrusion as it seemed and that it came from no other than ickle Kenny was even more distressing. His luck was only a day old , it would be unthinkable to be destroyed by gossip. He proceeded cautiously but could not hide his anger.

"Yes, go ahead and warn me of Kai and his past and all he has done and how bad and mean and cold he is and all the shit you say about him. Go on! And don't forget to make fun of how clumsily he approached us in friendship before the final match and what a traitor he is. I dare you!"

"Rei please, Rei calm down and listen i didn't e..."

"Sure you didn't, yeah Kenny be the chicken you are and worm yourself out of this..." and turned to leave, he was disgusted.

"Its Tala!"the aghast boy shouted after him

Rei stopped, sighed, turned and looked at Kenny in mock inquisition.

"What about Tala, that freak must have lost it completely by now"

Kenny had turned and looked away from Rei while he said

"Its just about that, Kai has been seeing him lately"

"I warn you Kenny this is not funny, i am WITH Kai if you like it or not, the Goddess knows how long i loved him and i am ready so go at any length to defend the one i love !"

At this Kenny looked back at him. He did not expect this. He even considered telling nothing about how he had seen Kai talking to Tala a couple of days ago outside in the storm. Rei seemed all too concerned about this matter, too involved, too in love...

"Explain yourself"Rei demanded.

"I saw them talking.."

"You saw them TALKING?And for this you make a fuss?They were team-mates once. By the Gods Kenny i thought you had something in you, but i was fooled you are nothing better than that rooster Tyson over there. Out of my sight!"

And rushed back to the table where everybody had stopped and watched them in the distance, unable to hear but able to understand something went quite wrong. He stopped next to Kai and said quite harshly

"Kai lets go!"the latter followed but not without displeasure about how the rest of his former team would look at this scene.

The White Tiger hurried all so tiger like through the numerous corridors, Kai hurrying next to him, silent. He had stuff to think of himself. They ended up at the artificial garden which was lit equally artificially but set a fine afternoon mood against the greyish ever blazing storm outside.

They ended up walking on the terrace, the one where everything started.

"Kenny and i had a fight"Rei said

"So i saw"came a neutral response.

"He knows about us..."

"So what if he does?"

Rei opened his mouth but stopped to appreciate how Kai was handling this. He loved Kai he loved him dearly!

"He said he had to warn me about Tala..."

Kai did no show any sign motion or feeling.

"...and that he had seen you talking, but i told him that this was nothing as you have been team-mates in the past and friends and that he should mind his own business" said Rei in a hurry, to show Kai that he would not make as scene about something so trivial.

"So you said and such is the truth."

Came the ever neutral response devoid of any emotion.

Silence crept up on them as there was nothing to be said and the garden in its sunset splendour had nothing romantic to it any more. Its not all about sex and its not all about love either, Rei thought, its living through life's conflicts unscathed. And its hard...

Breaking the silence Kai's words indicated understanding of Rei's thoughts, relieving the latter of a weight in the heart.

"We haven't been intelligent, trained brutes all our life's in the Abbey..."

Rei could not understand whose life's Kai was talking about and felt again a pang of fright and uneasiness. This was sure not going to be easy for both of them. The breeze swept past carrying a few cherry blossoms as if to lure them to leave such matters and let go to their love, let go and be carefree...

"...the pain, the darkness, the knowledge, bonded us with our closest inmates. The best of us, the only ones to succeed and stay alive, bonded even stronger. I need not repeat what everyone of YOUR team thinks about me or the others. They might as well presume the same things. One of them was a friend and my first lover. What he gave me i will never forget."

"You mean Tala? Come on, he is a freak!" said Rei astonished and then also astonished at his own stupidity, he realized he said the one thing he should have kept to himself.

Kai suddenly stood still, ice cold.

"I am sor..." Rei tried to say.

Kai stood totally still, raised his head in a very stern and proud way. He was raising his barriers.

"Watch how you speak of him." in voice of stone.

"what?"Rei asked not believing the disgust in Kai's voice.

"I said whatch how you speak of him!"Kai was really annoyed now and it was as if he was talking to Tyson.

"What's gotten into you Kai?I was only...i was... come on Tala did not treat us very nice didn't he or am i wrong that he was a tool for world domination just a few days ago?"

"Have i ever been joking about YOUR family?"

"Family?" Rei was lost for words "what has family to do with this...wait a minute you are referring to that cy-thing as family?"

The punch came out of nowhere, sending Rei to the floor. He stood up rubbing his face, totally dismayed, "Are you crazy?"

Kai came nearer caught Rei's shirt and threatened "Do you know what it is like to grow up alone? Abandoned? See deception, lies,death all around you?Do you?"

Kai was shouting now, Rei could only stare" Or have you ever had only one friend you could trust, being lured into what HE had become? Do you think he had another choice? Did you and all you "buddies", with your happy-go-lally pace through life, think of how he feels about your gossiping and name-calling, how i feel about my friend? No! It never occurred to you. He was just another enemy your precious team defeated. Yes, Tala was defeated but at least leave him his pride!"

"Don't talk about my team this way!" Rei shouted back!

"I SPIT upon your Team!" replied Kai and left.