However, I woke up to Tsubasa trying to remove my glasses for the second time today. At first, I was just lying there, slowly blinking my eyes as I tried to focus my mind on what was happening.
"What time is it?" I asked as I sat up under the covers of the bed. Tsubasa then wrapped his arms around me in a hug, clearly worried about me. At first, I was shocked that he would do this, until I felt his tears touch my shoulder, and I knew that Tsubasa was finally letting everything that had happened to him out, especially after hearing what I had gone through.
"It's okay Basa; everything is going to be alright," I said before I started singing our favorite song while running my fingers through his hair, so his tears had stopped and we were just rocking back and forth, while I was softly running my fingers through his hair.
"Please don't hide anymore, Ki," Tsubasa said, holding me tightly in his arms. I pushed him back slightly so that I could look him in the eye, but once I did, I could see how worried he really was. It didn't help that this wasn't the first time that Tsubasa had heard small bits of what I had been through during my time missing.
"Tsubasa, you know that I have a hard time talking about what I went through. I'm trying, but it's going to take time for me to fully open up." I said, touching his cheek, while pushing his hair out of his face. Tsubasa leaned into my touch and closed his eyes, clearly trying to calm down after he had gotten himself worked up with his worry.
"I don't care if you don't talk about it with others just, please let me in," Tsubasa said clearly panicked again, he was clutching my shoulders tight. I relaxed my shoulders so that Tsubasa would also calm down slightly. It worked until someone knocked on the door, which sent Tsubasa into a downward spiral. Clearly afraid that something might happen. I could see that he was about to have a panic attack from how fast his breathing was and how he was looking rapidly around the room. I grabbed his chin forcing him to look me in the eye.
"Tsubasa, it's alright, look at me, I'm right here. You need to calm down and breathe. Shh, Basa, take a deep breath..." I said, putting my hand on his cheek and softly starting to hum the melody of our favorite song, waiting for him to start his part. When the first few words spilled past his lips, I started to smile, knowing that he was trying to come back from his panic attack. I waited until Tsubasa crashed on his side on the bed, before I got up and answered the door. Turns out it was the second maid that Julian had sent to come check on the two of us.
"Master Julian sent me to see if you or Mr. Otori might need something." The maid said bowing her head. I sent her away with a message telling our friends that we were fine and would be joining them later tonight. I returned inside to find Tsubasa fast asleep laying on his side. I looked down at the wrinkled blouse and blazer that I was still wearing, before deciding to change into something a little more comfortable. Which was me in a pair of Tsubasa's pajamas bottoms and one of my father's old shirt and my light blue sweater. I was reading Yu's file when Tsubasa woke up.
"Aki, what time is it?" Tsubasa asked as he sat up and looked at me from his side of the bed.
"A little bit before 1 in the afternoon," I said, looking at my watch which I had taken off and set on the bedside table. I thought that he might get up and move around a bit, or that was until Tsubasa laid back down with his head on my lap. I let my hand wander to his hair, which I had pulled out of his braid, and started running my fingers through his hair. And we were like that for a couple of minutes before someone knocked on the door. It was then that Tsubasa got up from the bed and went to answer the door, only to find Yu and Dashan on the other side fighting.
"Yu, I told you to leave Aki and Tsubasa alone so they could rest," Dashan said, scolding the twelve-year-old boy, who held his notebook tightly to his chest.
"But I have to show Ki-Ki and Tsubasa what I drew for them. It's really important…" Yu said, not even noticing that Tsubasa had opened the door.
"You know when you had a bad day yesterday, Aki wouldn't let anyone bother you because she wanted you to rest. Right now, that's what Aki and Tsubasa need," Dashan said, putting a hand on the 12-year-old's shoulder. That was until he noticed that the door was open and they had been watching the whole time.
"Yu-chan come here." I said arms stretched out for a hug. I could see where Dashan was coming from but he didn't understand that the best trick to get me to feel better is to send in Yu and his notebook, it didn't take long before Yu ran into the room and up onto the bed, right into my arms. Right away Yu started showing me what he had been working on. Klaus had shown Yu and Chi-Yun the estate garden, along with some of Sophie's and Wales's favorite places. Turns out that Sophie likes the small pond at the center of the garden maze, while Wales liked the view of the back garden from one of the rooms on the third floor.
"These are really good Yu; I think Sophie and Wales are really going to like them. But what's this?" I said before turning to the third page that Yu had ripped out of his notebook. Turns out that he had drawn me and Tsubasa, the last time the three of us had gone to the beach, walking hand and hand on the shoreline. It had been right before Tsubasa had gone missing and we had been talking about rather we both should adopt Yu or just Tsubasa.
"Wow, that was the last time that all three of us went to the beach," Tsubasa said as he came to sit next to the two of us on the bed. Dashan wasn't far behind him, and I could hear his gasp.
"Thank you, Yu. We really needed that," I said, hugging him close to my side before burying my face in his hair, while rocking from side to side.
"Are you going to be alright now Ki-Ki?" Yu asked looking up at me with worried eyes. I pulled Yu into my lap before cuddling up to him, and when he wasn't expecting it, I started tickling Yu again.
"Aki is feeling better," Dashan said, watching as she stood next to Tsubasa. Dashan didn't fully understand that even though I was tickling Yu to this extent, I wasn't feeling better; I was just trying to stop Yu and everyone else from worrying about me. I've had a habit since I was a little girl of hiding all my pain and emotions behind a mask.
"No Aki is hiding her emotions so that she doesn't worry everyone. It's one of the many reasons that I worry about, but at the same time, I forget what Aki tells all of her patients: there isn't just one way to deal with trauma, because everyone handles it differently." Tsubasa said leaning back on the pillows as he watched me tickle Yu, or that was until Yu threw himself at Tsubasa trying to get away from me.
"Okay that's enough Aki. Yu why don't you go do some more drawing with Chi-Yun, while me and Aki get some work done." Tsubasa said putting the orange haired boy on his feet and pushing him towards the door. Yu looked like he didn't want to until I reminded him that we would be having dinner in a couple of hours, and that once dinner was over with, he would have 30 minutes of play time before it was time to get ready for bed.
"Okay, I'll see you and Tsubasa later Ki-Ki. I'll have to show you more of my drawings before bed." Yu said before running out of the room, Dashan not too far behind him. I got up from the bed and closed the door before turning to Tsubasa who was quietly laughing at how quickly I could get Yu to do something. I laid back down on the bed, my head laying on Tsubasa's shoulder, arms wrapped around his stomach. While Tsubasa opened up Yu's file so he could read, I just used him as a pillow.
"There is one part that I am worried about so don't go past the blue paperclip," I said, playing with his hair, knowing that he had about three or four pages before we would be on the same page.
"…they did that to Yu, why?" Tsubasa asked, coming to the part of our conversation I wanted to discuss with him.
"That was the second time that his real parents abandoned him; they left him on Christmas Day in the middle of a city six hours away from their address. Immediately, Child Services were called and he was removed from their care. He went to a foster home that day, but they couldn't give him any presents because it was a last-minute placement. The foster family had three other foster children along with having two biological children of their own, and they all gave up a gift so that Yu, who at four years old wanted nothing more than his Mom and Dad, could have some Christmas gifts... One of those gifts was his Beyblade." I said, wiping away my tears, finally understanding why he didn't want to be left behind and why he was worried that he might be left again. Tsubasa wrapped his arms around my shoulders, knowing how important that time of year was for me. It was just before Christmas when me and Gingka lost our mother.
"This year we have to make Christmas the very best," I said looking up at him with a smile before touching my Cygnus Consolation necklace, seeing as that was the last present that I had given to my mother, as she lay on her deathbed. I was thinking about how to make this Christmas the very best for Yu, then it dawned on me. The one thing that Yu wanted more than anything was a family of his very own. I could also use my connections throughout the WBBA and try to find his real parents.
"I think we should go through with adopting Yu. And I'm going to also look for his real parents." I said looking at Tsubasa while letting my necklace go before reaching for the ring on my right hand. Tsubasa smiled at me before taking my left hand in his.
"I think that is a good idea. We won't give him up but it would still be good for him to have contact with his real parents," Tsubasa said before moving his paperclip next to mine and then getting up off of the bed. He was stretching out his arms and back when I heard the string of pops that was my boyfriend's skeleton and the sigh that followed.
"That must have felt good?" I asked looking up at him, before getting up from the bed and slowly making my way around the bed to stand in front of Tsubasa.
"You have no idea Aki, but we'll keep that from Dr. Sato for now," Tsubasa said, putting his finger to his lips, knowing full well that I wouldn't tell even if he hadn't asked me not to. I held up a finger to my lips, meaning that it was our little secret.
"Before we go check in on Yu and the others, let me check on your stitches," I said, grabbing Tsubasa's arm and pulling him over to the desk chair. Tsubasa slowly started pulling off his tank top before leaning forward so that I could take a better look. Most of his stitches had already fallen out, but I could see that he hadn't pulled out any. He would have scars for the rest of his life, but nothing that couldn't be hidden under something, and he wouldn't have any lasting damage.
"How does it look?" Tsubasa asked, looking over his shoulder at me.
"You have about fifteen stitches left but other than that everything looks good," I said doing a quick count, before Tsubasa pulled his shirt back on and got ready to leave the room before throwing me a change of clothes.
"Change out of my pajama bottoms and your dad's old shirt," Tsubasa said, kissing my forehead and pushing me towards the bathroom. I rolled my eyes before doing as he had said and changing into a pair of jeans and my silver tunic and black hooded vest, my Cygnus necklace lying still around my neck. When I came back into the main room, I was surprised to see that Tsubasa and Julian were talking.
"Hello Mr. Konzern." I said, wrapping my arms around Tsubasa's waist, before turning to face the man.
"Ms. Hagane… no Aki, I just wanted to let you know that Wales has woken up, although he hasn't said anything. I am about to head over to the hospital to see him and Sophie and was wondering if you would like to join me?" Julian asked clearly trying to make me feel more comfortable.
"Yes Mr. Konzern I would," I said pulling off my vest before pulling on my blazer and tucking my tunic in so that I would look my professional, or at least that was before Tsubasa smacked my hands away and started fixing my tunic, he also made me take off my blazer and put back on my vest.
"There you go. Don't forget your bag and the drawings that Yu did," Tsubasa said before handing me the files I had on Wales and Sophie from the WBBA, along with the base line plans I had written the night before. Attached to the files were Yu's drawings. I was putting the files in my mailbag when I saw Julian looking at the drawing Yu had made for me and Tsubasa.
"That was done by Yu for the both of us and it was the last time the three of us went to the beach, before Tsubasa went missing," I said, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear, before taking the drawing into my hand and putting it in my sketchbook so that we wouldn't lose it.
"He is really good." Julian said watching as I handed my sketchbook to Tsubasa before looking a way as I lean forward to kiss Tsubasa on the cheek.
"I'll see you in a little while Basa," I said, watching as Tsubasa face-palmed as I called him by the nickname he hated with a passion. But the thought of having a match did bring a smile to his lips again.
"We'll have to do it the minute you get back, because even if I love the sound of my name on your lips; I hate that nickname with a passion. You can't keep your patients waiting." Tsubasa said wrapping his arms around my waist before kissing my forehead. I was about to say something when Julian cleared his throat behind me. I quickly stepped away from Tsubasa and joined Julian. We quickly headed downstairs and out the front door to the waiting limo. The whole ride to the hospital I was going over both Wales and Sophie's files from the WBBA, trying to get familiar them. I could tell from Wales papers that like me he often rushed through the application papers, so his handwriting was very messy.
"English, messy handwriting and eighteen years old. Born on… man his handwriting is worse than mine." I was mumbling to myself before Julian took the papers from me.
"January 18th 1992. Sophie is also born on January 18th 1992 but in France. Hence why I call them my twin jewels." Julian said before putting the files I had taken out back into my bag which was next to him. I had pulled out my notebook so that I could take some notes while Julian gave me details that only a friend would know.
"Thank you, Mr. Konzern. Just one more question, do you know if they have any family members that should know that they have been found and are in the hospital?" I asked, receiving the reply that they had already been informed and that they would leave their treatment up to Julian and the WBBA. Making sure to write this down before sliding my pen behind my ear, knowing that if I wasn't careful, it would be lost in my wild mane of curls, Julian gave me a weird look, but never got the chance to ask why I had put my pen behind my ear. We arrived at the hospital where Sophie and Wales were being treated. It seemed like a good idea that they had kept them in the same room so they could provide each other with support.
"Ah Herr Konzern and who is this lovely young lady with you?" the doctor asked as we entered the hospital trauma unit.
"This is the trauma expert that the WBBA sent to help with Wales and Sophie, Aki Hagane." Julian explained to the doctor, who looked me over from head to toe. I could see that yet another doctor wouldn't believe a word of what I said, thinking that just because I was a girl and younger than 18, I couldn't possibly be a trauma counselor. I pulled out my badge from the WBBA to prove who I really was. I held up the opened case with the copy of my credentials and the certificate stating that I was a trauma counselor. It was then that a different doctor hugged me.
"Odette, it's so good to see you again. How are you?" The second doctor said before kissing me on the cheek. I would have been freaked out if I hadn't recognized him.
"Ada Meyer, it's so nice to see you again." I said giving the woman a hug. She had only lasted a few months with Galaxy Nexus but she had been a very kind and knowledgeable woman even four years ago. Ada was a beautiful blonde haired woman in her late 20s or early 30s. She was tall with olive toned skin and amazing clear green eyes. She was wearing a pair of tan pants and a beautiful purple blouse.
"Yes Odette, oops sorry I keep forgetting your real name is Frau Aki Hagane. Did you get my last letter?" Ada asked while scratching the back of her head with her right hand. I looked away from her hand, knowing why she was missing her right forefinger, since it was my fault. I quickly dug around in my bag and pulled out the stack of letters I had received for the other survivors.
"Yes, I got it a few weeks ago. Also, congratulations on your engagement, I'm so happy for you Ada," I said as I pulled out the letter from my bag.
"Thank you, Odette… I mean Aki. By the way I got the picture that your foster child drew for me, they are so good. But enough about that, you must be the trauma expert that the WBBA sent to help Wales and Sophie, and the other found bladers. Although with how busy you are helping everyone it will be impossible for you… so tell me am I right Frau Hagane." Ada said watching as I pulled out the list of missing bladers and Wales and Sophie's files.
"I wish I could help everyone that survived the Galaxy Nexus, but as you said I am only one person, but don't worry I have written up a list of people depending on where they are from and their ages on who their therapist is going to be I checked with all of these people and made sure that I wasn't overloading their workloads. So, head doctor of the trauma unit Dr. Ada Meyer, can you show me to Wales and Sophie and anyone else you think I might need to help." I said going into professional mode just like my old friend.
"Yes, if you and Herr Konzern would follow me. Off the top of my head, I can't think of anyone that might need your help right now but if it seems that there is someone, I will send you the referral Frau Hagane. Right now, we have Wales and Sophie in the same room as the two seem very close, and we had to sedate Wales because he tried to pull out the ventilation tubing when he first woke up." Ada said leading us down the hallway towards the room where Sophie and Wales were staying. Sophie was sitting up in her bed while looking out the window, her hand holding her broken bey, and on the table next to Wales's hospital bed lay his bey which wasn't in much better shape than Sophie's. Julian was about to enter the room when Ada put her hand on his shoulder.
"Herr Konzern, please let Frau Hagane go in alone. We can watch from outside until Frau Hagane tells us otherwise." Ada said when Julian was about to speak. I nodded at Julian, indicating for him to listen to Ada. Slowly, I entered the room, making sure not to make any noise so as not to disturb Sophie.
"Hello Sophie, I'm not sure if you remember me but my name is Aki Hagane and I was sent by the WBBA to help you and Wales recover from everything that happened. I'll tell you a bit about myself before we begin. As I said my name is Aki Hagane and I am the older sister of Gingka Hagane. I am a world class blader better known as A Ki of the Mountain in Japan. I was kidnapped by the same group that took you and Wales when I was 12 and I was saved about two years ago right before Battle Bladers. Do you have any questions you wish to ask me?" I said before pulling out my notebook and her file.
"How did you survive for so long?" Sophie asked in a soft voice. I quickly wrote this down before pulling out my necklace and beyblade.
"I gave this necklace to my mother on Christmas Eve when I was eight, it was then that she gave me this Bey Earth Cygnus 145WD. She didn't make it through the night, after a long fight with cancer, but she taught me; no matter how hard the fight is, never give up. And as long as I had this bey, which she had passed down to me, I could do anything." I said, pushing a strand of my hair back behind my ear, at the same time knocking the pen that I had forgotten about onto the floor.
"She also taught me that you should always remember where you put your pens," I said, bending down and picking up my fallen pens. When I looked up, Sophie was softly laughing at my joke.
"Did she really teach you that?" Sophie asked looking at me. I started laughing while nodding my head. In my family it was a known fact that I got my hair from my mother and like her, I would often times put my pens behind my ear and totally forget about them.
"Oh yes, my mother was famous for losing her pens in her hair and I frankly take after her, including my habit of putting pens behind my ears and forgetting them. So now that we have gotten you to relax let's get started…" I said before starting with some easy questions and some simple problem solving before moving on to tougher questions about her injuries. If she couldn't answer a question, I wrote that down so that I could ask about it at a later date. By the time I was finished talking to Sophie, Wales was just waking up. This time strapped down so he wouldn't try to remove the ventilation tube. He was still a bit panicked until I came into his line of sight.
"Shh, you're alright. They can't remove the ventilation tube because of your lungs. Don't move your head too much and just take it easy. Blink once if you understand me, Wales." I said turning around on my stool so that I could look at Wales. I saw him blink once before closing his eyes for a few seconds, clearly still tired. Seeing how they were both awake I picked up the stuffed whales I had made for them and the drawing Yu had done for them.
"I made these for you two, and Yu drew these for you guys," I said, handing Sophie hers before putting the blue Cetus by Wales's arm and holding up the drawing. Both of their eyes widened when they saw the pictures since they were pictures of their favorite places at the Konzern estate here in Germany. It was also then that Sophie let go of her Beyblade, which would have fallen to the ground if I hadn't caught it. I took this time to also pick up Wales's Beyblade so that I could fix them later; Wales was watching me the whole time.
"I'm going to take your beys so that I can fix them. That's also why I made you these stuffed animals," I said, holding them up in my special carrying case, when Sophie started to look for it. It was then that a nurse came into the room and right away I knew who she was. Anja Schneider, a beautiful redhead woman in her mid-20s with crimson red eyes that shone even in dimmed light. She wasn't as tall as Ada, but she was maybe a few centimeters taller than me.
"Odette, is that really you?" Anja Schneider asked, dropping her clipboard as she looked at me in shock. I could hear Ada laughing out in the hallway from the look on our friend's face.
"Hi Anja, how are you?" I asked, waving at her. That was until she wrapped her arms around me and started crying. I could understand why she had been so shocked; she was the last person to see me before I was saved.
"You're alright, I was so worried that you wouldn't make it little Odette…" Anja said as she held me close to her chest while she cried.
"I almost didn't make it, from what I've been told it was touch and go there for a while. I actually had similar injuries to Wales, only his are about 1/3 the damage I went through," I said when she pulled away from me so that she could get a better look at me. I heard the gasp from Sophie and the hitch in the repetitive stream of air from the ventilator.
"While you did spend a lot more time than these two. Ada told me that the WBBA was sending a trauma expert but I never would have guessed that it would have been you little Odette…oh sorry I keep forgetting that your real name is Aki Hagane." Anja said reaching down to pick up her clipboard. I just nervously started laughing while scratching at the back of my neck knocking out the two colored pencils that I had subconsciously put behind my ears while drawing earlier.
Anja reached down to pick up the color pencils. "I see that you still put things behind your ears," she said. I was about to say something when I noticed Sophie getting out of her hospital bed and gathering my thick mane of hair in her hands. She quickly pulled out my hair tie and started to braid my hair softly running her fingers through my hair not once pulling or trying to tighten the hold of the braid. The whole time knocking out the rest of my color pencils from the folds of my hair.
"There," Sophie said, sitting back down on her hospital bed, clearly out of breath and tired. "That should stop you from losing any more pens or color pencils." I started to laugh at this, because she didn't know that no matter how I wore my hair, I always lost my pens and color pencils in it.
"That won't stop me, Sophie," I said while wiping my eyes from the tears of joy. "I somehow always manage to lose things in my hair." Anja and Ada were both shaking their heads, knowing for a while that I wasn't lying.
"That is actually the truth. From where you are sitting, do you think it would be alright to remove Wales from the ventilator?" Ada said as she came into the room, Julian right behind her.
"Toss me your stethoscope really quick Ada," I said, holding my hand out for the instrument. Ada handed me the instrument so that I could listen to how well Wales was able to breathe.
"Wales, this is going to hurt slightly, but just bear with me for a few minutes," I said as I put the stethoscope in my ears and held it over the left side of his chest, right above the bandages. I could hear the hiss of pain that Wales let out, before moving to the right side. The whole time, I kept two fingers on the carotid artery so that I could feel how strong his heartbeat was.
"He needs to be on oxygen but I think he will be just fine if you take him off the ventilator. His heart rate is slightly elevated but that was only after I had placed the stethoscope above the bandages," I said as I handed Ada back her stethoscope.
"Can you tell me his pulse, Aki?" Anja asked as she came to stand next to me.
"102 bpm," I said, watching as Anja wrote this down, before asking me a few more questions, before telling me to stand on his left side so that I could hold him down while they removed the ventilation tube. Julian was told to close the curtain separating the room so that Sophie didn't see anything, and then to hold down Wales legs. Once everyone was in place, they started the process of removing the ventilator. And yet again it was gross, but like when they took Tsubasa off of it, it was necessary, and the minute the tube was out of his mouth and the oxygen mask was placed over the lower half of his face.
"Now take it easy and don't talk too much Herr Wales." Ada said watching as I helped Wales take a drink of water to help his sore throat. Anja had already reopened the curtains so that Sophie could see her teammate and friend. I had pulled the straw away so that Wales could take a break and say something or that was before he started coughing. Julian was about to help Wales sit up when I stopped him. This was a time in which Wales needed to learn that right now his body couldn't handle doing more than lying still.
"And that is what I meant by taking it easy. If you had helped him to sit up, Herr Konzern, you would have caused more harm than good. Frau Hagane knows this better than most because of her own experience with a ripped lung." Ada said as Anja gave Wales something to help with the pain and the spasms.
"The most you will be able to do in the next few weeks is lay still, and possibly get a few tests done. And as your lungs get stronger, then we will add in physical and speech therapy." I said pulling out a copy of the plans I had written up so that Ada and Anja could read over them. I had gotten a look at Anja's chart and knew that they had already done some tests to see if Wales had a spinal cord injury which luckily, he did not.
"How you come up with such thorough recovery plans with only one meeting is beyond me," Anja said, shaking her head.
"Anja, this is Aki, meaning these were possible paths their recovery could take depending on how they did with something. Sophie, who Aki thought might be a level four, turns out she's only a level three, and Wales is going to also be a level three from his ability to respond to Aki's statement. They both have long roads ahead of them, Wales being the harder of the two seeing as he will have to undergo physical therapy." Ada said looking over the plans the whole time I was holding up my pen for her to sign off on the plans seeing as she was the head doctor over the trauma unit.
"Oh, little Odette..." Anja said, hugging me again.
"Odette, as in the angel from the training camps," Sophie said finally making the connection between my nickname and the training camps.
"Yes Sophie, I was called Odette, because I would always take care of the other bladers that were around me and my bey is named Cygnus." I said tapping Anja's arm twice to get her to back off a little bit. It wasn't a well known fact that Galaxy Nexus had tied me to the cage with a piece of rope wrapped with a piece of wire that had cut into my neck. I reached into my bag and pulled out the wipe I carried for just these moments, and as I was removing the make-up that I used to cover the mild scarring. Ada and Anja looked away from me knowing what I had done to get this punishment from those people, seeing as it was thanks to me that they had gotten away with the limited number of injuries and how 160 bladers had been saved shortly after they had gotten away from Galaxy Nexus.
"I actually survived a whole two and a half years before those people realized that the reason Anja and Ada got away was because of me. The punishment for breaking out of the camps is to destroy the bey and kill the blader. However, I have the record of the longest time in the camps. With a total of three years, six months, four weeks, one day, twenty-three hours, and fifty-nine minutes, they were going to wait and let nature take its course. They, however, were not expecting anyone to find me, tied to that cage with a piece of wire wrapped around a thing of rope cutting into my neck." I said before pulling out my silky blue and silver thread scarf to hide the scars. I was about to cover up my neck when Julian pulled the item out of my hand, before he fixed it around my neck.
"Tsubasa told me that you often show your patients the scars on your neck so they can open up to you," Julian said before placing his hand on my shoulder. I shook my head and adjusted my scarf a little bit so that it wasn't so tight around my neck. I quickly began picking up my color pencils off of the floor.
"They…might come…back for…us." Wales said wheezing the whole time, struggling to get the words out, but it was the first thing he had managed to get out, even though Ada had told him not to try talking. And he would have to face the consequences for his actions, as he started to cough. It was clear that his lung was struggling to get air in again. I waited until Wales was able to breathe again before answering his concern.
"No, once you are left that is the end of your time with Galaxy Nexus. There are only a select few people that they want back in the camps so they can be broken. Those people would be Anja, me and Ryuuga. We were the toughest people, and as it stands, I am the strongest." I said watching as Anja started scolding the injured man in front of us. I also saw the way that both Ada and Anja were reaching for where they used to keep their beys and launchers, and they knew that I was correct to say I was strongest because I was the only person besides Gingka to ever beat Ryuuga and I hadn't even been using my full power then.
"We once watched little Odette battle against Ryuuga, and it was clear to us that Odette wasn't using her full power," Anja said, putting her hand on my shoulder as I started rolling my neck to get it to pop. It was then that I heard someone running towards the room we were in, but I wasn't expecting a little boy about five or six years old to enter. He was a miniature version of Anja, from his red hair and eyes.
"Mama," the little boy said as he wrapped his arms around Anja's legs and looked up at her with a big smile on his face.
"Sakyo, you shouldn't be running in the hospital," Anja said as she laid her hand on his head.
"Anja, is he…?" I asked, not wanting to bring up what those people did to my friend. I saw her nod her head before picking her little boy up so she was cuddling him. I could see the hurt from the memories I had brought up, but nothing but love for her child, and the pride she had for him.
"Sakyo, do you remember the stories I told you about the angel?" Anja asked as the child hid his face in his mother's shoulder, embarrassed by all the attention he was getting from people staring at him while he cuddled up to his mother.
"Odette the angel with swan wings. What about her mama?" Sakyo said struggling in Anja's arms before she put him down on his feet. At his answer I tried to stifle my laughter but he was just too cute and I started laughing along with Ada, Anja doing a lot better to hide her amusement.
"Sakyo, do you remember what I told you her real name was?" Anja asked the child as he started to pick up the color pencils that I had missed on the floor.
"Aki Hagane," Sakyo said as he handed me the color pencils.
"While the lady you handed the color pencil to is her," Anja said, putting her hand on my shoulder as I had tried to run away, not really wanting to tell her little boy that not all the stories that his mom told him were true.
"You're the lady that saved my mama and aunt Ada. Thank you," Sakyo said bowing to me. I truly couldn't believe this was the son of the Dragon Emperor. I looked up at Anja with one eyebrow raised clearly asking the question on my mind. I was expecting Ada to start laughing not Anja, who this whole time was holding back.
"Sorry, yes Aki. This is 'his' son Sakyo Kurayami. Now if you don't mind watching him for a few minutes while I go find his babysitter," Anja said before leaving the room, Ada following closely behind her. Leaving me to explain to Team Excalibur what we were talking about, and to watch her son. It was then that I remembered that I had my music player and headphones to distract the little fellow long enough to explain everything.
"What was that about?" Julian asked, looking between me and the two who had just left. I held up one finger as I put the headphones over Sakyo's ears so he wouldn't hear what we were talking about. I might have also given him the coloring book I kept in my bag for Yu and all of my color pencils.
"The project of the Galaxy Nexus was to create the next generation of the strongest Blades, and Sakyo is the result of that. His mother is Anja, and his father is the Dragon Emperor himself, Ryuuga. They had attempted to use me..." I explained in the vaguest terms I could think while my hands traveled to my stomach, shaking with fear at what had nearly occurred. The looks on all three of their faces told me that they understood what I was saying. Sakyo remained oblivious, completely absorbed in his own little world, coloring and enjoying my choice in music.
"Aki how…" Sophie started to ask before I stopped her with a raised right hand. My finger pointed downward, indicating that what happened in those camps stays there.
"I think that is all for today. Wales, Sophie try to get some rest; if you guys need me have a nurse, call me at this number. And You little man let's go find your mama and aunt Ada." I said after a few minutes of silence. I had written my cell phone number down so that if needed they could get me. I had started to pick everything up when I noticed Sakyo was looking at me with the same eyes as his mother. It was clear that he would be a heart-throb later on when he was old enough, he had been polite the whole time that his mom had been in the room but I could tell that he had his father's personality.
"Why are you treating me like I am a little kid? I'm going to be five the day after tomorrow," Sakyo said, crossing his arms as I helped him to his feet. I just stifled the little bit of laughter I had before turning to pull out my notebook so that I could write down his birthday.
"So, Sakyo, when is your birthday?" I asked as I pulled one of the color pencils back out of my bag so that I could add it to my list of birthdays to remember.
September 23rd. "What about you, Ms. Odette?" Sakyo asked, looking at my notebook. I let my head fall in defeat at the fact that I had wanted to keep my nickname of Odette in those camps. That's when Julian started to rough up Sakyo's hair while laughing.
"While it's actually tomorrow and I'll be seventeen," I said, putting the color pencil behind my ear before scratching at the back of my neck. The pout he leveled at Julian was funny, or at least it would have been if he hadn't then turned to look at me with confusion.
"Why did you put your color pencil behind your ear? You're going to lose it that way," Sakyo said as he reached forward and pulled the pencil out from behind my ear. I was mentally cursing Anja for having such a cute little one, or at least that was until Anja entered the room with a young girl about my age who didn't look very happy to see Sakyo, but when she hid behind Julian it became clear what the girl was like.
"Sakyo, it's time to go now," the girl said as she reached out to pull the little boy toward her, but I slapped her hand away.
"It's clear to me that you don't really care for Sakyo." I said stepping in between the girl and Sakyo. He quickly clung onto my tunic and jeans, quietly crying and begging us not to let her take him. Anja ran to her son's side, seeing this while I kept the girls away.
"What is it to you; he's just some snot nosed kid." The girl said before I lost it and tackled her to the ground. In the few minutes that I had been watching Sakyo, I could tell that he was a well behaved child with a slight attitude but that was something that he got from his father, this girl on the other hand was spoiled to the point that I wanted to pull all of her hair out of her head. And I would have if Julian hadn't managed to pull me off of her, the whole time I was swearing in the multiple languages I knew.
"You are a horrible person to treat a child like they are a nuisance is just unforgivable. All children are treasures and should be treated as such. You make me sick." I said fighting Julian's hold on me until I felt a pair of small hands take mine.
"Please auntie Odette no more," Sakyo said pulling on my left hand. I was surprised until I looked down at him and saw the tears running down his cheeks. I quickly gathered the crying child into my arms and started rocking him, as I would do Yu if he had been crying. But when the rocking motion didn't work, I started to sing one of the lullabies that Anja and Ada had taught me. By the time I had finished everyone was looking at me like I had grown a second head again. I quickly cleared my throat to snap them out of their surprise before turning to the girl who had caused my wrath.
"A child should always be treated with care and kindness, not with anger and violence. You never know what might happen, and maybe one day this little guy might just save your life," I said before handing Anja her son again. Anja quickly wrapped her arms around my shoulders in a back-breaking hug, crying the whole time into my shoulder while constantly apologizing for not stopping Odile from rearing her ugly head again. Fed up with Anja's constant stream of apologies, I pushed her away and looked away from her.
"You can stop apologizing Anja," I said before turning to the others and Ada who had been watching from the door. "You know that I have always had a soft spot for young children and believe that all children should be treated as treasures."
"So, Odile finally makes her appearance. Anja, you lose the bet. Aki, let me take a look at the bandages around your right forearm," Ada said coming over to me with a thing of bandages in her hand. It was then that I noticed that I had ripped open the gashes from this morning. Laughing softly, I let Ada lead me out of the room and over to the nurse's station.
"How long ago did you do this?" Ada asked, making me sit down in one of the desk chairs before grabbing my arm and moving it around under the stronger light so that she could get a better look at the damage I had done.
"This morning," I said, tilting my head to the left as a nurse led the girl who I had pretty much beat up out of my friend's hospital room. I heard Ada 'tsk' me before cleaning away the blood.
"While you are going to need stitches again," Ada said knowingly, aware of how bad I could get when I started scratching. I gave her one of my sloppy grins while rubbing my left cheek with the tip of my finger, until she pulled out the needle to numb my arm so that I wouldn't feel it when she began the stitches.
"Nope." I said trying to get out of the chair and away from the needle, but Ada was waiting for this and quickly pulled me back into the chair before grabbing the needle in my arm.
"Nice try Aki Hagane, like I didn't forget the fact that you are afraid of needles." Ada said just as Anja and Julian stuck their heads out of the hospital room. Julian looked confused while Anja looked ready to just start laughing. I was about to snap at Anja when Sakyo squeezed past them and walked up to me, arms held out to me.
"Auntie Odette can you sing for me please?" Sakyo asked climbing into my lap his arms wrapped around my shoulders. Wrapping my left arm around him, I brought him closer to my chest and just started singing Silent Night. The other patients on the ward stuck their heads out of their rooms all trying to see what was going on. By the time I had finished singing Sakyo was fast asleep and everyone was quiet to the point that you could hear a pin drop. I was about to stand up when Anja started clapping her hands which caused a round of applause from all of the nurses and patients. I could hear the patients' saying things like "that was just beautiful.", "she has an amazing voice.", and "her voice is like an angel.". I actually ended up holding Sakyo out to his mother, before taking my bag from Julian before sticking my head into the hospital room where Sophie and Wales were. I had seen the note that Wales had sent with Sakyo for me.
"Thank you, Wales. I'll see you two tomorrow." I said before dragging Julian off of the ward and down the hallway. I was embarrassed from having all those people listening to me sing that I didn't stop until Julian grabbed my shoulders and pinned me to the wall as we rounded the corner.
"Aki, what was that about?" Julian asked, confused by my behavior.
"I don't like it when a lot of people hear me sing. And then when I hear people say things like 'that was just beautiful,' or 'she has an amazing voice.' I normally just run out of the room…" I said playing with my Cygnus Consolation necklace between my left thumb and forefinger. I saw Julian sigh before he put his hand on my head.
"You should sing more often," Julian said before walking toward the parked limo, his cellphone already out to text the driver that it was time for us to leave. I was maybe four or five steps behind Julian when someone grabbed me from behind, their hand over my mouth, trying to muffle my screams. First things first, getting the hand off of my mouth, so I stomped on their foot as hard as I could before sending my elbow into their abdomen, causing them to double over in pain. Then, I ran over to Julian, who was still on his cellphone. Julian immediately stopped talking on the phone to scold me for interrupting him until he noticed how panicked I looked. My heart was racing, and it was getting harder and harder to breathe. I felt lightheaded and dizzy; black spots were dancing around my vision. Everything sounded faint, yet at the same time, even the smallest sound seemed to be happening right next to me.
"Aki, what happened?" Julian asked, dropping his phone so that he could put his hands on my shoulders.
"They… j-just tried to…" I started to say before everything went sideways and I fainted.