9. WHAT A TWISTED BITCH LIFE IS

Rei met Kenny up in the corridor of his room.

"Look Rei i am sorry. Please can we talk about it?"

"What is there more to say i have totally messed it up..."he set disappointed.

Upon thinking that losing another friend would not be that good either he said resigned

"...but if have nothing better to do..."

Kai was wandering through the garden which was becoming darker by the hour matching his heart. To face all his past and present problems just after such a period of abandon to his feeling was devastating. He kept blaming himself for his foolishness, to confide his love to another reckless fool. He was loving Rei though and it felt good and warn and far more complete than what he had experienced with his closest friend, with Tala.

He dropped a last pebble into the lake. There it was! He felt ashamed to have been laughed at by Rei, even though Rei seemed to have understood his mistake right away and i his (Rei's) opinion Tala was a kind of freak. He decided to wait in Rei's room until he came started to go there. There was a need to reach out again and simply had to give in this time and be not himself. Be someone new, for Rei.

That night they slept entwined still dressed, as they had fallen into each others arms and said nothing more. Forgiveness and acceptance do not need words.

When Rei woke up, as groggy as one can be having slept in full clothing. Kai was sitting up in the bed stoking Rei's hair.

"Tell me, where will you go when the storm passes?"

No good mornings no kisses, ah this was merciless Rei thought. Curling into Kai's lap trying to shed sleep away he said without much thought:

"Home, i quess...where are you going?"

Silence...Rei sat up, he realized that no one knew where Kai lived or came from since he had left the Abbey. More mysteries more questions, great this day starts out just fine! He thought. Perhaps Kai waited to hear something specific. What if...

"You can come to the jungle with me, if you want."he said with anticipation, this could work out just fine after all!

Kai looked suprised but not displeased.

"Yes," he said with a smile "i have to take care of something in Moscow first and in time i might come"

-in time-? -might?- this was not clear at all

"Kenny told me about the trains working again and tonight at 12.30 am leaves the first, will you come with me if i go?"

"I will"

Rei had no chance to inquisite deeper into this as he was attacked by two pillows and a lot of sheets...

Just after lunch Kai sat up and told he had to take care of what he mentioned earlier and that he would see Rei the same night. Rei watched him go with a dread he tried to suppress. The snow had stopped falling and just the wind and grey sky remained to blacken his mood as he paced back and forward in his room. His dread and a feeling of wrongness filled him as the time was well past ten o'clock. Where can he be?

He chose to look for Kai even though is seemed absurd. Moscow was huge and cold and it was Kai's childhood home town, he could be anywhere.

Turning away from the deserted Abbey, whose gate was barred he resigned his search and made his way to the hotel. When he heard voices.

Kai had met Tala where they had appointed and was eager to take care of everything and tell his friend about his plans for the future and also to tell him good buy. Tala knew about Rei by now and was happy yet sad as he would always love Kai more that anyone he would ever find. Kai knew this as well as he knew that Tala was not evil. None of them was. Tala had found shelter and a meaning to go on in his team. They had resided to leave everything that connected them with Boris behind and make their own way from then on. Just one thing remained. Black Drancer.

"...just promise me Kai that you will take him with you. Hide him, destroy him, it is your choice he is part of you and cannot be left here in the wrong hands. I have hidden him in our place. You remember?" Tala said keeping himself in the shadow trying not to show what this farewell cost him.

"Of course i do." Kai's voice was warm.

"Where will you go now Kai?"

"I will follow Rei start over again..."

"Just know that you can always return to this team YOUR team."

"I know and i will someday, this i can foresee."

"Just promise you will never listen to Boris again" and stepped further back into shadow.

"On my word i would never follow him."

Kai went forward and embraced his friend in goodbye.

Rei walked toward the voices coming from the small park in frond of the Abbey. When he saw Kai's figure in the shadows he hid into the thicket and approached cautiously.

"Just promise. you will never..."said a voice from back in the shadow, but could not be mistaken for other than Tala's.

"On my word, i will never follow him." Kai said in a secret warm way.

Upon this Tala left. And Rei was lost, the world under his feet... a void, his heart... ready to break.

"Traitor..."he whispered"Traitor..."and then with a cry burst towards Kai "Traitor!"

Kai turned startled, lost for words.

"What are you doing here? Were you listening..."

"I heard enough! Snake! All of it was lies? About your -might- be coming -in time-?

In time alright, in time never! I trusted you!" he was almost screeching.

"What about you?" Kai defended himself "you were spying on ME. I trusted you to understand."and after a pause he left.

Just a couple of minutes after Kai reached his room and sat on his bed, he heard Rei arrive, and after apparently packing he slammed the door shut and left. He almost expected Rei to knock on the door or say something but nothing came. "Fine! Be that way!"he shouted.

The room felt too small for him and he left too. He reached the entrance and stood there watching the approaching rainclouds.