Abduction
(Aki's Point of View)
Several high-level bladers had gone missing in the past few months, and I was working with a team from various branches of the WBBA to try to find them all. As it stood, I knew about four bladers who participated in the World Championship that had disappeared: Chao-Xin from Team Wang Hu Zhong, Gasur from Team Desert Blaze, Vridick from Team Chandora, and finally Tsubasa Otori from Team Gan-Gan Galaxy. Currently, I was pacing the length of my father's office, waiting for confirmation that one of the teams had located one of the missing bladers.
When this came to my father's attention, he just brushed it off saying that it was normal for bladers to go off on training journeys, but that was until I reminded my father about what happened when I was twelve. My father immediately set to work on gathering people to form a team under me. I was certain that the people behind all of this were the same ones from back then. It took four weeks before the team finally found one of the hideouts and Chao-Xin. I knew one thing: my next stop would be Beijing where Chao-Xin was hospitalized with some very bad injuries. When I arrived, Dashan and the rest of Team Wang Hu Zhong were talking to a doctor and I only heard the last part of their conversation.
"Chao-Xin will make a full recovery but it's going to be a long road ahead of him," the doctor said before leaving. That was when everyone turned to me. Mei-Mei was crying. And I could tell that Chi-Yun was trying to be strong for Mei-Mei but I could see the tears in the corners of his eyes. Dashan was in total shock. It was then that a nurse led us to where they had Chao-Xin. He had his left arm in a cast and he was hooked to several machines. From here I could tell that he was very pale and weak, his cheeks were sunken in from all the weight he had lost, and I could see the bandages around his chest and back.
"I'll stay here so he's not alone," I said, surprising the others. I had been the one who hadn't taken Chao-Xin's disappearance seriously, so it was now my job to help him get back on his feet.
"Aki, we can't ask you to do that. We from Beylin Temple will stay and help Chao-Xin get back on his feet." Dashan said bowing his head. I put my hand on Dashan's shoulder to stop him.
"Dashan, I didn't listen when you told me that Chao-Xin had just disappeared. As you know, it's not uncommon for bladers to go on training journeys, so I thought that Chao-Xin had done the same, especially after the world championships. I'm so sorry Dashan, Chi-Yun, Mei-Mei. I should have listened to you," I said crying nonstop. I was just so angry with myself that I hadn't listened to my friends telling me that something was wrong.
"You are correct that you should have listened; but it was with your help that we got Chao-Xin back, so everything is forgiven Aki. And if it makes you feel better for not listening then who am I to stop you. I will let the doctor know that you will be staying." Dashan said clearly understanding where I was coming from. The doctors were not happy with the fact that I was staying the night but when Chao-Xin woke up and freaked out, they had to sedate him because he had become very violent. Later that night while I was sewing a stuffed version of a Virgo, Chao-Xin woke up again, this time held down so he wouldn't cause more damage to his already weakened body.
Chao-Xin asked, "Where am I?" It was the first thing he said to anyone since waking up.
"You're alright Chao-Xin. You are in a hospital, and those people can't get to you anymore," I said touching his arm softly before pulling away when he flinched severely.
"Where's Virgo?" Chao-Xin asked, looking around the room. I could tell that he was starting to freak out when he couldn't find the Beyblade.
"Dashan has it right now because she was badly injured also. But look what I'm making for you." I said holding up the stuffed version that I was working on. I had already done the embroidery design so it looked just like Chao-Xin's Virgo. His eyes brightened up slightly when he saw the stuffy, before they darken again. Confused, I looked around the room only to see that a couple of doctors were standing outside the window. I quickly finished sewing the last few stitches before laying it next to his broken arm and getting up to talk with the doctors.
"Excuse me doctors but I must ask that you don't stand at the window. Because you are reminding Chao-Xin of what those people did to him," I said, closing the door behind me and standing with my back to the window. I had been in Chao-Xin's place and knew that the doctors' stares would easily upset Chao-Xin as it had been for me. I quietly returned to Chao-Xin's side only to see that he was sleeping again, or so I thought until Chao-Xin opened his tired eyes.
"Thank you, Aki," Chao-Xin said before falling asleep again. Chao-Xin would wake up several times throughout the night in a panic before calming down and falling asleep. The next morning when Team Wang Hu Zhong came into the room, they noticed how worn out I looked.
"Aki, are you okay?" Mei-Mei asked, coming to stand next to me. I looked up at the Chinese girl with a sloppy grin, as Chao-Xin had been asleep for four and a half hours on his own.
"Just tired, it's been a long night. Also, close the blinds please. I've told those two since 11 last night to not stand by the window because it just reminds Chao-Xin of what those people did to him." I said leaning back in my chair, all the time letting Chao-Xin hold my hand.
Chi-Yun asked, "How long has Chao-Xin been asleep?" Closing my book with one hand and folding down the corner of the page so I could find my place again.
"He's been asleep for about four and a half hours, but with everything that happened, I don't expect him to sleep for much longer," I said, rolling my neck in a circle to make it pop a few times. It was then that Chao-Xin woke up; the stuffed animal I had made was the first thing he saw before turning to look at the rest of us. At first Chao-Xin looked a bit panicked until he realized who was around him."
"Chao-Xin, it's okay, no one here is going to hurt you," I said as I ran my other hand through his hair to keep him calm.
"Dashan, Chi-Yun, Mei-Mei…" Chao-Xin said before going back to sleep. It was then that he finally let go of my hand, and I could move my stiff arm. I also took this chance to stand up and close the blinds a little bit so that Chao-Xin wouldn't feel the doctors' stares. I was moving my arm to work out the tense muscles. It didn't help that it was the arm that I once broke while fighting off a bear which had been attacking both Gingka and Hyouma when they were little kids.
"Ouch!" I exclaimed as I rubbed my arm.
"Aki, what's wrong?" Dashan asked, looking at me from his spot next to Chao-Xin.
"Oh, it's just an old bear injury," I said, confusing them even more. The looks that Team Wang Hu Zhong gave me told me that they didn't understand what I was saying.
"When Gingka and his best friend Hyouma were seven, they were playing in the woods around our village when they were attacked by a bear. I was out picking up firewood when they ran past me with a bear on their tails. So, I used my Beyblade to scare it away. The downside was the bear broke my left arm by pushing a tree onto me." I said, moving my arm around as I explained the story behind my old injury to the members of Team Wang Hu Zhong.
"Okay, so can you still participate in Beyblade?" Mei-Mei asked, looking at me from the other side of the room.
"Yeah, but I can't straighten my elbow to hold a launcher like others. So, I have a special launcher that bends so I can change the angle of my launch," I said, pulling out my launcher to show them the special head. It was then that Chao-Xin started moaning in his sleep, while shaking his head back and forth. I rushed to his side, trying to calm him down. It would have been easier if I could sing for him, but with the other members of Team Wang Hu Zhong in the room, I felt uncomfortable. However, even with me trying to calm him down, Chao-Xin wouldn't settle down. That was until I started singing softly to him.
"Wow Aki, you're so good," Mei-Mei said after a few minutes of Chao-Xin sleeping calmly once again.
"No, I'm not. It's actually embarrassing when anyone hears me sing, but it seems to calm Chao-Xin down," I said, sitting back down in the chair from before. Since I couldn't move around with Chao-Xin still holding onto my hand.
"No, Aki, Mei-Mei is correct, you have a very beautiful and soothing voice. I can see why Chao-Xin calms down when you sing," Dashan said, moving to stand next to me. I looked down at the hand that Chao-Xin was currently holding and prayed that Tsubasa would never find out about this.
"If Tsubasa or Gingka ever asked, please never tell them that Chao-Xin was holding my hand. Gingka is pretty easy going but Tsubasa would be heartbroken if he ever found out about this. After all he hasn't even worked up the courage to hold my hand himself." I said smiling while pointing at our conjoined hands. Dashan and Chi-Yun seemed to understand but Mei-Mei looked confused.
"Mei-Mei, Aki, and Tsubasa are dating," Chao-Xin said as he came around again. He looked tired, like he hadn't just woken up, but I could understand that. The nurse had loosened the straps holding him to the bed so that he could move if he wanted, but the nurse had already told him not to push it until a doctor gave him the okay.
"Would you like me to get one of the doctors so they can let you sit up, or would you like me to lift the head of the bed?" I asked as Chao-Xin let go of my hand.
Chao-Xin looked up at me with pleading eyes and said, "Can you please get a doctor? My arm is hurting really bad." Fifteen minutes later, the doctors gave Chao-Xin something to help with the pain and also helped him sit up. The doctors had removed the straps on the condition that Chao-Xin didn't push himself too much. They had also put Chao-Xin's arm in a sling so it would stay immobile.
"Chao-Xin, do you remember why they broke your arm?" I asked after the doctors had left. I knew from my own experience that the only way to heal is to talk about it. So, my plan was to pick one injury at a time and ask about it. And little by little help Chao-Xin back onto his feet. At first, all Chao-Xin would say was that he didn't want to talk about it, but as I kept asking, he slowly opened up to me. It wasn't until after Chao-Xin had been released from the hospital that I got a call from Madoka saying they had finally found Tsubasa and he was in a very bad state.
"Aki, are you all right?" Dashan asked as I rejoined Team Wang Hu Zhong at Beylin Temple, where they were welcoming Chao-Xin home from the hospital. While Chao-Xin had been in the hospital, I made it my goal to help him readjust before he left, since he would be living at Beylin Temple while recovering.
"They found Tsubasa, I'm going to pack and head back to Japan to help him. From what Madoka told me, he's in a really bad state," I explained to Dashan while wiping at my eyes. Everyone looked at me in shock until Chao-Xin spoke up.
"Go Aki, Tsubasa is going to need you. You taught everything to the others, and if needed, I can call you. Also, I remember something, so here, will you share this with the WBBA?" Chao-Xin said, standing up to shake my hand and hand me a note. That was before he pulled me towards him and kissed my forehead.
"Thank you, Aki Hagane," Chao-Xin whispered before letting go of my hand. Mei-Mei quickly helped me pack my duffel bag before Dashan walked with me to the airport.
"Thank you, Aki. I know it's not much, but this is for you. And don't worry; I'll make sure that Chao-Xin remembers to take his medication and goes to his doctor's appointments," Dashan said, handing me a bundle of fabric and stuffing, since I had used all of mine when making the stuffed animal for Chao-Xin.
I thanked Dashan, "If you need anything please call me night or day." I said leaning in to hug my friend. I saw his nod before I ran to catch my flight back to Japan. The minute I landed I rushed to the hospital so that I could be with my soaring eagle Tsubasa; the whole flight I had been sewing a Eagle stuff animal for Tsubasa. It was just like the Virgo I had made for Chao-Xin. I was coming down the hallway to where I had been told Tsubasa's room was when I noticed that everyone was standing outside. I was just coming up behind the others when I caught sight of the doctors giving Tsubasa CPR. I dropped my bag which led to my small sewing kit to scatter all over the floor. This brought the attention of everyone else; as I pushed through them to get to the door until Benkei blocked my way. Why couldn't my friends understand that the one person I loved more than my family needed me and they were just getting in my way. I wasn't thinking straight when I pulled my Earth Cygnus 145WD out of its case and launched it at Benkei who quickly launched his Dark Bull, when out of nowhere Kyoya launched Tsubasa's Earth Eagle, though it was falling apart.
"Is this how Tsubasa would want to see you acting, Aki?" Kyoya asked, making me look at him. Earth Eagle stopped spinning and crumbled even more on the floor. I bent down and picked up Tsubasa's best friend, before I ran off without picking up my Earth Cygnus 145WD. I sat on a bench in the courtyard, looking at Earth Eagle 145WD, and prayed that Tsubasa would make it.
"The Earth Eagle 145WD is a balanced type right, but it's badly broken," a young boy said as he came over to me. He was wearing hospital clothing and a sweater.
"Yeah, it's my...my boyfriend. He's in the ICU right now, and when I got here the doctors were giving him CPR," I cried into my hands while still holding onto Tsubasa's Beyblade.
The boy sitting down next to me on the bench asked, "Is he strong?"
"Normally I would say yes...but he was kidnapped about three months ago and right now he's in the same state as his Beyblade," I said, looking over at the boy. He was maybe 11 or 12 years old, and his right arm was in a cast.
"I'm sure that your boyfriend is going to be alright, as long as you believe in him then I'm sure he will make it through this. My older brother is a blader but I haven't seen him in a couple weeks, and mom is working so much that she doesn't have the time to visit me." The little boy said sounding sad.
"My dad works at the WBBA so if you give me your brother's name I can see if he entered any tournaments recently. And I'm sure that your mom is only working this hard so that you can get the best treatment possible." I said looking at him while wiping away his tears.
"His name is Tobio Oike, and his Beyblade is Storm Capricorn. My name is Dai Oike. What's your name, miss?" Dai said, looking up at me with bright brown eyes.
"My name is Aki Hagane, and I'm sure that your brother is just training somewhere," I said just as a blonde-haired woman came running over to where Dai and I were sitting. I could tell that she was worried about something.
The woman asked, "Are you okay, Dai?" as she bent down to look him in the eyes.
"Yeah mom, I was just talking to my new friend Aki Hagane. Her boyfriend is really sick and she was crying out here by herself so I came to talk with her. Plus she reminded me that you can't always be here because you are working so that I get the best treatment possible. I also talked to her about Tobio, and she said that she would check to see if he had been in any tournaments lately," Dai said smiling for the first time since he started talking to me. It was then that I noticed the blonde-haired boy walking closer to us. He stayed completely quiet.
"Dai, look over there," I said, pointing in the direction of his older brother. Dai's smiling face grew even bigger before he got off the bench and ran over to his older brother, who hugged him tightly to his chest. As I stood next to their mother, she turned to me and smiled.
"Thank you so much, Dai has been so worried about Tobio that he hasn't been his normal happy self. And also thank you for just sitting and talking with him," Mrs. Oike said, bowing to me.
"No, it was Dai who helped me first. I was so worried about my boyfriend that I had almost attacked my friends. If another friend hadn't opened my eyes, then I would have done more damage to those around me," I said, watching the two brothers as Dai showed Tobio a Beyblade. I looked down at the Earth Eagle in my hand, just as Madoka came running over to us. I waited until she caught her breath before holding out the Earth Eagle.
"Here Madoka; Tsubasa will need this when he recovers." I said before turning to leave, or at least that's what I thought I would do before I saw Gingka standing behind a tree watching me, and he held up my bag and the eagle plushie I had been working on the whole time during the fight back from China. I was frozen in place until Gingka walked over to me.
"The doctors don't think he will make it through the night, but I know he is going to make it. After all he beat the darkness against all the odds. Yu and Hikaru are currently sitting with him if you want to go take over." Gingka said before Dai ran over to me.
"Aki, you can use my Beyblade until your boyfriend's gets fixed," Dai said, handing me his Flame Eagle 100ES. I took it from him and closed my hand around it. Before shaking my head and putting it back in Dai's hand.
"Tsubasa wouldn't want that, because he's going to have me by his side the whole time. But when he's better why don't you come visit him and show him your Flame Eagle 100ES?" I said smiling down at the little guy, before heading inside to take over for Hikaru and Yu. I was surprised to find that Kyoya was waiting outside Tsubasa's hospital room for me, my Earth Cygnus in his hands.
"You should never lose control like that again because Tsubasa wouldn't like it," Kyoya said before leaving. I was about to knock on the door when Hikaru opened it and looked ready to tear into me until Yu stopped her.
"Ki-Ki and Tsubasa sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Yu sang while hugging my legs. I just paid him no mind until Hikaru scared him away.
"He has been driving me insane for the last hour. How are you not bothered by all that singing, Aki?" Hikaru said as she sat down on a chair in the corner of the room.
"I'm actually used to it. Before Tsubasa went missing Yu found out about us dating and every time he saw me he would start singing nonstop. And yeah, at first it was annoying but now I need that to keep my head level," I said taking Tsubasa's hand in mine and rubbing it against my cheek, tears falling again.
"I'll leave you alone with him, Aki; just don't attack anyone with your Beyblade," Hikaru said before leaving the room, leaving me alone with Tsubasa.
"Please Tsubasa, I can't lose you too. I love you my precious Eagle." I said holding his hand as if he was awake talking to me, like right before he went missing. I couldn't hold back any more and just started singing hoping to bring Tsubasa back to me. But by the time I finished the song Tsubasa didn't respond and stayed asleep, so I just broke down crying. I had my head laying on the bed next to Tsubasa's hand when I noticed that everyone else was waiting outside of the room watching us. I stood up before giving Tsubasa's forehead a kiss and made my way outside of the room, my arms wrapped around my waist.
"Hey guys, I wanted to apologize for the way I acted earlier when the doctors were trying to save Tsubasa." I said my voice cracking at the end as I started crying again. Both Madoka and Hikaru wrapped their arms around me in a hug; seeing how hard this was for me.
"It's okay Aki. But I didn't know that you and Tsubasa were dating, I mean with how close you were with Kyoya..." Madoka said trying to make me laugh which worked before I looked over my shoulder at the gentle soul that had stolen my heart.
"I thought that might happen too, but it was Tsubasa who came every week when I was recovering last year." I smiled at my friend before Gingka handed me back my bag and the eagle I had been working on. It was then that I noticed how late it was getting; visitation hours were about to end. But I didn't want to leave Tsubasa alone.
Hikaru said, "The doctors said that someone could stay here tonight."
"If Tsubasa had a choice, he would pick you, Ki-Ki," Yu said, putting his arms behind his head as if to say he wished he could stay, but he was both too young and knew how much Tsubasa meant to me.
"Thank you, Yu, everyone. If anything happens, I'll call you," I said while hugging the younger boy from the side.
"That would be great, Aki. Also, here's your sewing kit; when you dropped your bag earlier, everything fell out of it," Kenta said, holding up the small travel kit I carried with me always.
"Thank you, Kenta. Goodnight, everyone see you in the morning hopefully." I said smiling before heading back into the room and getting back to work on the plush Eagle, I had been working so hard on. A nurse would come in every fifteen minutes or so to check on Tsubasa. By midnight she started to ask if I would like a blanket or a pillow. Every time I would just say no; all the while gently holding Tsubasa's hand and rubbing it with my thumbs. It was shortly after three in the morning when one of the nurses just started talking to me. I already could tell that Tsubasa was doing better than when I first got there; not only was his color improving but so was his heartbeat, it was getting stronger with each beat.
The nurse left the room saying, "Your boyfriend is doing so much better than before you showed up. But he isn't out of the woods yet." As if on cue, she returned and started telling me that Tsubasa was getting stronger. I was about to tell her to stop talking when I heard Tsubasa start to moan around the ventilation tube.
"Tsubasa, it's okay. Just relax, they can't take you off the ventilator seeing as your heart is still too weak. That's right, Tsubasa, everything is alright," I said, petting his loose hair out of his face, as he opened his eyes for the first time in, I don't know how many days. I had caught Tsubasa's eyes so he wouldn't freak out as the doctors and nurses all flooded the room trying to see the miracle that was my boyfriend.
"Okay, that's enough staring. Let's get back to work. Young lady, I need you to step outside of the room so we can take a look at Mr. Otori," a female doctor said quickly as she entered the room. She made everyone leave before kicking me out of the room, which unknowingly caused Tsubasa to have a panic attack. The force of the panic attack was worse than when he had been trying to fight against the dark powers. And that wasn't good for his weakened body, because even from where I stood, I could tell that if this continued, his heart would give out again. When the nurse who had been talking to me every fifteen minutes came and waved me inside, I literally rushed to Tsubasa's side.
"Shh, my dear Eagle, calm down, you're okay. No one is going to hurt you; not on my watch. It's alright, I'm right here, Tsubasa." I said as I held his hand to my cheek while I held his gaze. Slowly but surely, Tsubasa calmed down and relaxed once more. I could tell that everything was taking a toll on Tsubasa.
"It's okay to go back to sleep, Tsubasa," I whispered softly, "I won't leave your side. Just close your eyes and rest." I continued speaking to him as the doctor watched on in awe. I was about to sit down when she stopped me.
The doctor asked in confusion, "How did you accomplish that?"
"I'm his girlfriend, and also a trauma victim. I work with the WBBA on helping people who have been badly hurt during battles or tournaments deal with such. Until a few days ago, Tsubasa had been missing because someone had kidnapped him and forced him to battle others for simple things like food or medical treatment. It doesn't help that I was also forced to do the same thing," I explained to the woman. That is how our friends found us when they showed up later that morning.
"Hey Aki," Kenta said as he entered the room, earning himself a hissed "Shh."
"Ki-Ki and Tsubasa sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G…" Yu sang until I covered his mouth with my hand and held a finger to my lips, clearly indicating for him to be quiet. However, it was too late as Tsubasa had woken up and started to freak out again. I quickly caught his eye and worked on calming him down once more.
"Shh, Tsubasa, it's okay. Everything is alright, no one is going to hurt you. Just calm down. I'm right here and so are all of our friends. Just calm down," I said as I ran my fingers through his bangs slowly, calming him down and sending him back to sleep.
"That's why I was telling you to be quiet. Tsubasa pretty much freaks out every time he wakes up; because A) the ventilator and B) what those people did to him. Hikaru, can I use your tablet really quick?" I said before pulling the note from Chao-Xin out of my jean pocket. Chao-Xin had written down the word "star" with a question mark next to it. At first, I didn't understand until I pulled out my notebook with the doodles I did after I had been saved. I remembered drawing a logo over and over the whole time I was recovering; it was an eight-point star with a banner.
"Galaxy Nexus," I said before my body went numb and I started gasping for air, it was getting harder and harder to breathe again until I felt a hand on my cheek softly pushing a piece of fallen hair behind my ear. I looked over at Tsubasa who was awake, his hand outstretched towards me. I quickly grabbed his hand and held it to my cheek, before closing my eyes and focusing on my breathing again. Once I was sure that my breathing was back under control, I opened my eyes and looked at Tsubasa.
"Thank you, Tsubasa. And I'm sorry for waking you up, but I'm okay now," I said as I moved my chair closer to him. I could tell that he wanted to tell me something, but his eyes kept closing on him. Gently petting his hair out of his face, knowing that it had a calming effect on Tsubasa, I watched as he fell back into a peaceful slumber.
"What was that Aki?" Gingka asked confused until I held up one finger trying to get him to stop for one minute while I added the group's name to the logo before holding it up to the others.
"This is the name and logo of the company that has been kidnapping bladers for the last five years. That includes both me and Tsubasa," I said, looking down at Tsubasa and smiling as he slept soundly.
"Aki, what do you mean by both you and Tsubasa?" Kenta asked confused. I didn't want to tell them what I had been put through but I knew that my friends had the right to know the truth.
"A year ago, I was rescued from a warehouse after being missing for over three and a half years. The exact amount of time that I was missing was three years, six months, four weeks and a day, 23 hours and 59 minutes. It was the face hunters that found me locked up in a cage; both of my legs crushed along with my left arm and four ribs on my right side. I hadn't eaten anything in weeks, and weighed less than 18 kilograms. I...I can't talk about this anymore sorry." I said before taking a deep breath and calming myself down again. I was about to get up when I noticed Dai and his older brother watching outside of the room. I got up to let them in when someone grabbed my hand and wouldn't let go. When I looked back, I notice that Tsubasa was wide awake watching me.
"Tsubasa, it's alright. But there is someone who wants to meet you. I met him yesterday when I was worried about losing you. He reminded me of you," I said, brushing his hair away from his face once more.
"We're going to go now, Aki. We'll let them in," Kenta said after noticing that Tsubasa was awake and coherent, for the most part. I could tell that not everyone wanted to leave, but they had been outvoted since Tsubasa had already freaked out once today from the sheer number of people that had come into the room earlier. It was quiet for a few minutes before Dai and Tobio entered the room. Right away, Dai went over to Tsubasa and held out his Beyblade.
"Aki said that you wouldn't want to have someone else's Beyblade by your side, but seeing as your Earth Eagle is going to take some time to repair, I thought that you might like to borrow my Flame Eagle 100ES." Dai said smiling at Tsubasa, who was looking at him with wide eyes, not in fear but surprise. It was just too much and I started laughing at them, which seemed to snap Tsubasa out of his surprise and give him the energy to close Dai's hand around his bey and shake his head before moaning in pain.
"Shh, you're okay, just don't move your head too much. Dai, Tsubasa is trying to tell you; that he can't borrow a Bey that doesn't fit his own personality. You see Tsubasa is strong as the earth under our feet and as graceful as the soaring eagle in the sky…" I explained before I heard Tsubasa start gagging on the ventilation tube. I turned back around to Tsubasa when a nurse rushed into the room with a team of doctors behind her.
The female doctor rushed into the room and said, "I need you two to leave; Aki, can you try to get Tsubasa to calm down?" However, I was already trying to do that and didn't pay her any mind.
"Shh Tsubasa it's okay, don't fight it. Just calm down." I said but no matter what I seemed to say he wouldn't stop fighting the ventilator. Finally, I just started singing softly at first before getting louder. By the end of the song Tsubasa had stopped fighting but he was still gagging none the less. So, the doctors started the process of removing the ventilation tube from Tsubasa's mouth, seeing as he had been trying to breathe on his own the whole time, he had been fighting the ventilator. It was gross to watch but I knew that Tsubasa didn't want to be left alone. And I was happy that when it was out of his mouth, he turned towards me.
"Aki…" Tsubasa croaked out, his voice hoarse from having the ventilation tube in his throat.
"Hey Tsubasa," I said as I brushed his sweaty hair away from his forehead. It was evident that everything was taking a toll on Tsubasa's body. He was about to speak when he suddenly began coughing, having pushed himself too far. Swiftly, I assisted him in sitting upright, providing him with some water to drink.
"Mr. Otori, don't try to talk right away because your body can't handle the strain right now. Aki, can I speak with you for a few minutes out in the hallway?" The female doctor, overseeing Tsubasa's case, said looking between the two of us.
"Yes ma'am. Tsubasa I'm going to send Dai and Tobio in so that you are not alone. Maybe you and Dai can talk about your beys, just don't over do it." I said before kissing Tsubasa's forehead and leaving the room but making sure that I sent Dai and Tobio in to keep an eye on Tsubasa. We had just stepped past the window so that I could keep an eye on Tsubasa but he couldn't see us, he was just laying there listening to Dai talking about his bey.
The doctor said, "This isn't what I meant by him taking it easy. But I can understand why you did it."
"So, what did you want to discuss?" I asked, shifting my weight off of my left leg, which was beginning to hurt again.
"When they brought Tsubasa in, he was close to death and his heart gave out more than once. He was on the ventilator for three days, and we told your friends to call everyone and tell them to come say their goodbyes. Then you show up and sit with him for a few hours, now he is on his way to recovery. But he isn't out of the woods just yet, and the road ahead of him is a long and bumpy one, and I'm not sure if he will make it through the recovery process…" the doctor said before I lifted my pant leg and showed her the metal leg braces, I had to wear on both of my legs.
"I've made it this far through the recovery with Tsubasa by my side, so I know that he will make it. Yes, he is going to have his ups and downs and want to give up. But he doesn't have to learn how to walk again. Tsubasa knows this because he never left my side the whole time, while I was going through it." I said letting my pant leg fall back over the brace and standing up straight.
The Doctor asked, "How long have you been missing?" as she looked at me in awe once again.
"Three years, six months, four weeks, and a day, 23 hours and 59 minutes. The people who found me, saved my life because if not for them I would have died in three days. Both of my legs were smashed, my left arm and four ribs on my right side. I hadn't eaten in weeks and weighed less than 18 kilograms." I said leaning against the wall to take some weight off of my left leg. The doctor was in shock about this information to the point that she didn't say anymore; annoyed I picked up and walked away to rejoin Tsubasa in the hospital room, where he was listening to Dai and Tobio talk about beyblading.
"Dai, I'm not sure if you know this, but Tsubasa was a member of Team Gan-Gan Galaxy during the World Championship, along with my younger brother Gingka Hagane," I said as I leaned against the door frame to see all three of them.
"Wow, no way. I watched every match of the World Championship with my older brother. Tobio said that he knew most of the members of Team Gan-Gan Galaxy," Dai said, finally acting his age.
"No, I said I knew of them. I had faced off with Tsubasa and Yu before, but no one could beat Gingka," Tobio corrected his little brother who was currently sitting next to Tsubasa on the bed. Tsubasa looked over at me pleading for help. I walked over to Dai and lifted him off the bed and placed him on the chair.
"Sorry Dai, but Tsubasa is still recovering and right now can't stand anyone but me touching him for a long period of time," I said before ruffling his hair. At first, he looked upset, but then he quickly smiled again.
"I understand, while we better go. I hope you feel better Tsubasa, I'll come visit again later." Dai said before getting up and leaving the room, Tobio not far behind him. I was waving goodbye to the energetic little boy when Tsubasa pulled lightly on the tail of my silver tunic under my black hooded vest. I turned towards him before leaning down and kissing his forehead.
"Sorry about that. I wasn't sure if he would like me or like you. Turns out he's more like me." I sat in the chair next to his bed and took his hand in mine.
"No…just…tired," Tsubasa said his voice weak from just having the ventilation tubes removed. I reached forward and started to pet Tsubasa's hair out of his face until he fell asleep. But even after he had fallen asleep, I kept petting his hair because I was too scared that if I stopped, he would disappear again.
"Thank you for not leaving me my precious Eagle. I don't know what I would have done without you here," I said crying softly as I watched Tsubasa sleeping peacefully. It was then that I noticed a flash of silver from under Tsubasa's pillow. I slowly reached forward and pulled out Dai's Flame Eagle 100ES.
"He's just like you. Leaving his Bey even after being told not to." I laughed softly before moving the bey so everyone could see it, then pulled out my own bey and finally felt that it was time for me to get it fixed.
"I'll talk to Madoka if she stops by later and see if she can also fix Cygnus," I said mostly to myself, thinking that I was alone with a sleeping Tsubasa. That was before someone cleared their throat behind me. I dropped my bey just as I turned around to see Madoka and Kenta. I bent down to pick up my bey, only to realize that the tape had finally come undone and my Earth Cygnus 145WD was falling apart once again.
"Hey Madoka, I'm not sure if you can fix her since I was holding her together with tape," I said, holding out all the pieces of my Beyblade.
"You should have told me sooner, Aki," Madoka said as she took my broken Beyblade into her hands. "It's going to take some time to fix it, but why didn't you say anything before now?"
"I can't stand being apart from my Earth Cygnus," I said, looking down at my broken Beyblade. "It's really hard for me right now, but I want to battle again."
"There's more to it than just that, right?" Kenta asked, noticing the fear in my eyes. I shook my head, still not ready to talk about everything that had happened while I was missing.
"I know you have the right to the truth Kenta and Madoka but I…I can't…talk about it. You see…it's really hard for me to relive that. I…I still have…I'm sorry." I said struggling to get the words out even at a time like this.
Madoka smiled and said, "That's alright, Aki, you don't have to push yourself."
Kenta said, "Hey, I noticed that Tsubasa isn't on a ventilator anymore. Is that good or bad?"
"It's a good thing because he was fighting to breathe on his own. But he can't talk much because it can put a strain on his already weakened body. So, what brings you guys here?" I said sitting down in the chair next to Tsubasa's hospital bed while looking at them.
"Oh, we wanted to drop by and get you some food. Knowing you, Aki, you have probably forgotten to eat again," Madoka said, holding up a greasy bag from Gingka's favorite burger joint. I smiled at their thoughtfulness while silently cursing my brother for never telling his friends that I was a vegetarian.
"It's a tofu burger and fries," Kenta said clearly, surprising me.
"Gingka told you that I was a vegetarian?" I asked, confused because in all the time since becoming a vegetarian, Gingka had never once mentioned it.
"Oh no, Hikaru actually told us that when your dad would visit while you were recovering, he would bring you tofu burgers because you wouldn't touch anything that the hospital made because they kept trying to give you meat." Kenta said, scratching the back of his head. In truth, I had forgotten all about that, until Kenta brought it up again.
"I had totally forgotten about those days," I said laughing as I pulled out the tofu burger from the bag. "My dad used to bring me these horrible tofu burgers because the hospital would call him and tell him that I wasn't eating again." I continued, before pausing as I caught the scent of the food.
"I'm sorry guys, but that's not a tofu burger, it's a regular hamburger," I said, shaking my head as the smell brought back bad memories.
"Oh no Aki, I asked him to get you a tofu burger, but at least eat the fries so you have something in your stomach," Madoka said clearly upset with my little brother. I was about to take a bite when the smell of the burger made me sick to my stomach all over again.
"I'm sorry, but I can't," I said, taking everything back into the bag. "The smell alone is making me sick to my stomach all over again." I could see the questions in my friend's eyes, but I was already at my limit. Kenta nodded his head before leaving the room with the bag of greasy food. Even after he had taken the bag out of the room, I still felt sick to my stomach. I was fighting the urge to throw up when I felt Madoka touch my shoulder.
"Aki, are you okay?" Madoka asked as I curled up around my stomach, while breathing heavily in an attempt to stop myself from throwing up. However, I didn't win that fight and had to run out of the room to throw up. I pretty much surprised everyone who was around the nurse's station.
The female doctor rushed to my side and asked, "What happened here?" I staggered backwards as I stood up and wiped my mouth on my sleeve.
"I'm fine, this happens most times when I smell meat," I said wiping my mouth on the back of my tunic sleeve, as I tried to regain my balance. I hadn't noticed a nurse pick up the trash can that I had just gotten sick in. I was about to head back into Tsubasa's hospital room when the doctor over his case grabbed my arm and forced me to sit down in a wheelchair. At first, I was confused until they took me off the ward and straight to get tests done. Turns out a person should not be throwing up blood, also they shouldn't weigh 22 kilograms. So, I was once again put back in the danger zone for my weight. It didn't help that my regular doctor was not happy with me when he found out that while I had been in China, I was so busy helping Chao-Xin that I had forgotten to eat again.
My doctor had wanted to admit me, but I vetoed that idea right away, considering everything that was going on. Between new reports of missing Bladers and Tsubasa still recovering from his own ordeal, I couldn't afford to take any time off. Two days after Tsubasa was taken off the ventilator, he was moved out of the ICU, no longer in critical condition. I returned to my search for the other missing Bladers, only to faint two weeks later while tracking down Galaxy Nexus.