Hi everyone!! I know it's been an obtuse amount of time since I've posted, and I apologize. Many things have happened, but you're not here for excuses! Here's chapter 17.
The Journey
Chapter XVII: Loss
TRIGGER WARNING IN THIS CHAPTER
Egypt was uneventful. Fortunately for them, everyone was moving on to the next round, but during that next round, teams would start to get eliminated. Kira had all of the faith possible in herself and Johnny, but honestly she just wanted this tournament to be over. This rendezvous with everyone was great, and getting to travel the world with her friends; to free, mind you, was priceless. Aside from the obvious issues it had caused in the beginning.
Kira sighed, looking out her window at the pyramids in the distance along with all the lights of the city.
Friends explored Cairo and enjoyed the sights, but other than that, nothing exciting happened outside of the tournament. Next, they would be onto Australia.
"I'm so tired of being separated from you." She murmured as her love wrapped his arms around her from behind. His arms rested above her growing bump, that was growing much more quickly than she would have liked. She placed one of her hands on his arm and turned to look up at him. He kissed her nose and gave her a sad smile.
"I know. I don't like it either. This is the last time before the tournament ends, then we can do whatever we want." He gave her a small smile and couldn't help but silently chuckle at her pouting face. "I don't control the schedule you know that."
"I know... but why can't you just come with us and meet up with them once they get to Sydney? Not like you're going to miss much?"
"Unfortunately I do need to train with them.. I have this sinking feeling we're going to be going up against Kai and Tala and... well I'm not gonna lie. I'm nervous about it." Kira pouted some more and looked away.
"I get it. I'm nervous to go up against them myself."
"Wow, really? And here I thought you were unstoppable." Ray smirked and leaned down to softly kiss her.
"Kira, we really need to go." Robert knocked on the door.
"Oh come on, it's a private jet. You can't give me ten more minutes?"
"Unfortunately we still have to follow airport runway times and regulations, and we're slotted to leave within the hour. Therefore-"
"Fine..." Kira sighed, leaning her forehead on Ray's chest. She could feel his heart softly beating and felt his finger lift her face to meet his.
"It's just a few days, and I'll see you again." He smiled. His heart clenched in his chest. He really didn't want her to go. It pained him, just as much as her to watch her leave. He placed his lips on hers, and felt the icy cold run through his body to his toes. He never got tired of that feeling.
"Just a few days..." She whispered and nodded. "I love you."
"I love you too." She sighed and pulled away from him, leaning down to grab her purse. Kira walked out of the room she had shared with Ray and hurried to join her teammates in the car that would take them to the airport.
The teams who were in Australia were all gathered at the stadium. BBA Revolution, Majestics, and the All Starz were currently the only ones there. The White Tigers, Demolition Boys, and F-Dynasty were still back in Egypt.
(Lightning by Little Mix)
The lights went out in the arena and slowly Kira rose onto the stage from below with Hilary, Luna and Lucy behind her. Their eyes were all closed, their hands behind their backs.
The music started behind them, soft piano tunes with crashes of thunder in the background.
'I'd cross a desert and an ocean...
To get away from the pain of your storm
I'd chase the sunlight, been running from your shadow
So that I could heal and I didn't feel'
Behind her the others started to snap their fingers to the beat. The music picked up, and Kira stepped away from the girls.
'That zig-zag shooting through my heart
That zig-zag hit me like a dart
Electricity, electricity
Oh, this love's tearing me apart
I've been running like the light from the dark
Electricity keeps on hitting me
Oh, lightning strikes twice
And it burns like ice
I wish I didn't love you again
Lightning strikes twice
And it burns so nice
I wish I didn't love you
(But I do)'
"Hmm, I wonder who this song could be about." Kevin elbowed Ray in a joking manner. They were watching the announcements and opener at a lounge in Egypt. Ray had half a mind to just fly there on his own. He had tried to get the others to practice, but they just wanted to be tourists, which wasn't what he signed up for.
Ray chuckled and felt his face flush. Kira looked so good. Her hair was long, down and curled. Each of the girls were wearing flowy outfits, probably to make sure Kira and Luna didn't stand out. Kira's was black and dark blue, she had a hood on her head, which matched the vibe of the song. There was a silver trim down the side, as well as beaded decorations of lighting down the length of her body.
Luna's was similar but was black and purple with different phases of the moon. Hilary's was green and white, and Lucy's was red and white.
Kira took a step forward from the group and sang directly into the camera before turning her attention back to the crowd.
'Those eyes, one look and I'm enchanted...' Ray felt his face flush again.
'Your voice a serenade
And it sings to my heart...
One kiss turned the skies to grey
I'll never get away
No shelter from the rain, oh...'
The song continued and the crowd went wild after it finished.
Kira and the others were in their respective spots waiting to hear who they would go up against. They would be traveling over in the next few days and then finally, the preliminary battles would begin.
"Welcome welcome everyone to the announcement for the preliminary battles! Once again, we are so close to the end of the tournament.. such an exciting time for us all!"
"Such a bittersweet moment AJ." Brad sniffled into the microphone.
"I totally agree Brad! Especially since Kira is retiring after the finals in Japan! We will be sad to see her go."
"Let's just hope we get to see her battle in Japan."
The two commenters were bantering back and forth as everyone got situated.
"ALLLLLLRIGHT!!! If everyone is ready! It is time to reveal who is facing who in the prelims!" DJ Jazz held his hand up to the board above him as the names started to change.
'F Dynasty versus BBA Revolution. All Starz versus the Majestics. The White Tigers versus Demolition Boys.' Kira let out a little sigh for Ray and looked over in the direction of the All Starz. Her and Max made eye contact. They had already fought once this season. But this time, it was for all the stakes.
"You okay?" Johnny grabbed her hand and she smiled, though feeling sort of dizzy.
"Yeah.. just ready to get this over with." Kira sighed.
"Today! We will be having one battle and the rest will resume at a later date when everyone else arrives. So give it up for... The Majestics versus the All Starz!!!"
"Guess you get your wish after all." Johnny helped her stand and they headed back to gear up for the fight. Kira held the wall next to her as the entered the hallway and closed her eyes taking in a deep breath. She let one out slowly and opened her eyes to see the boys staring at her.
"Kira... I can step in if you need me to." Robert spoke. "Max knows about your situation right? I'm sure he won't be offended if you don't battle him."
Kira shook her head, leaning against the wall. "I have to earn my right to fight in the finale. Whoever I'm going up against, Kai or Tyson... I want to earn it myself."
"And you have, this whole season." Johnny crossed his arms. "Don't be stubborn and push yourself. I told Ray I'd look after you and I meant it." Kira pushed herself to stand and glared at Johnny.
"You guys don't get a say in this. I'm battling whether you like it or not."
Johnny and Robert looked at each other and sighed, following after their stubborn friend.
Kira and Johnny reappeared on the stage after the commercial break. Her hair was still down and curled, but this time she was wearing an oversized "Majestics" shirt with some pleather leggings and combat boots.
Across from them stood Max and Rick.
"Looks like it's time for round two." Rick taunted her from across the arena.
"Oh, so you're ready for me to kick your ass a second time. Got it." Kira spoke with a smug grin.
"Tch, we'll see about that."
"Kira, I've been looking at his stats. His defense is triple what it was before. I'm not sure what Emily did to their blades, but this isn't going to be as easy as last time." Lucy typed on her computer.
"Good. I was getting a little bored last time." Kira looked at Johnny as he walked up, pulling out his launcher. "Are you good to go against Rick? We can swap if you want."
"I'm more worried about you than myself." Johnny looked at her and sighed shortly, lowering his voice. "I don't want you killing yourself for this game. The glory isn't worth it, Kira." She sighed and looked away from him, and she sat next to Lucy in the box. Johnny finished walking up on stage.
"Since when did he stop caring about bragging rights..." Kira sighed.
"We just want you to be safe Kira. He's right... it's not worth it." Johnny closed his eyes as DJ Jazz and the audience counted down for him. Rick wouldn't have the advantage this time, because Johnny knew about all of his little tricks.
"LET IT RIP!!!"
The first match went on for what felt like forever. Until finally, Johnny got the upper hand and Salamolyon found Rock Bison's weak spot, and Johnny came out the winner.
"Johnny that was amazing! Good job!!" Kira jumped up and went to hug him, but he walked past her.
"I'll be in the lounge... I can't watch this." He looked at her and shook his head. "Please be careful..."
"You got this Kira!" Oliver cheered from behind her as she stood and she heard Enrique cheering as well! She walked up feeling that pain coming back, she winced and then nodded to Max.
"I'm glad we get to do this one last time, one on one." Max smiled at Kira and she returned it. He was such a gem, and she was happy he and Lucy had each other.
"Me too, Max. No hard feelings?"
"Of course."
"Awww we love when old friends get sentimental." AJ spoke over the commenter's mic.
"Especially Max and Kira, you know those two are gonna be friends for the long run." Brad retorted.
The two bladers lifted their launchers with the blades attached.
Kira heard the countdown and her friends joining in the chant behind her. Johnny sat in their waiting room, bent over with his elbows on his knees as he sat.
"Please be safe Kira..."
"LET IT RIIIIIP!!"
Ray's breath hitched in his chest. The two blader's stats came across the screen. Max's defense was almost completely maxed out.
"How is that even possible?" Lee shook his head.
"That's the magic of Emily..." Ray murmured.
"Five bucks says Max crushes her." Mariah smirked and Ray rolled his eyes.
"I'm betting Max walks out of there without a beyblade." Ray retorted, crossing his arms over his chest.
Kira's blade flew into the arena with a trail of ice behind Draiga. Max's blade spun in the middle, moving to dodge Kira's blade as it seemed as though she was going for him.
"The hell is she doing?" Enrique asked and Oliver shrugged.
"Max's stats are off the charts. I think she's making it harder for him to defend himself against her when she decides to go destroyer mode." Lucy replied.
"That's our girl..." Robert murmured.
"Kira..."
"Oh don't worry. I'm coming for you." She smiled at him. "Draiga, ICE BLAST!" Kira's eyes lit up a light blue and Draiga's speed increased.
The entire arena froze including Max's blade that started to slow, but as soon as the crowd started to chant Kira's name, Draciel broke out of the ice. It was having trouble finding its grounding though. It slipped back and forth meanwhile, Kira's blade came speeding towards Draciel.
"Draciel, look out!!" Max yelled. "USE META SHIELD!"
"Sorry Max, but that's not gonna work. DRAIGA, UNLEASH HOLY HELL!"
This was it... Ray leaned forward as Kira's blade spun quickly, as it started to jump across the ice to Draciel. In a split second, the blade had slashed across Draciel, splitting the blade in half. Draiga sped up and started shooting around the arena at a high speed smashing Max's blade to pieces, knocking Draciel's chip to Max's feet.
"Holy... AND WITH THAT, THE MAJESTICS MOVE ON TO THE FINALS!!!"
!!TRIGGER WARNING!!
Kira and the Majestics were training, Lucy stood on the sidelines watching their stats fluctuate.
"You guys almost done? I've never seen your stats so high, the others don't even come close to you."
It was late in the evening, too late, for Kira's liking. She had grown so much more exhausted lately, being over eighteen weeks now.
"Just a few more drills." Kira chimed in sighing, rubbing her forehead. Her watch buzzed against her wrist, and she looked at the notification. High heart rate. She shook her head and ripped her blade again, feeling a sharp pain in her lower abdomen that shot down between her legs. She winced and resisted lunging forward, focusing on her blade.
"What was that?" Johnny looked at her, an eye of concern. She shook her head and continued to focus. "Kira, if something is wrong you need to tell us."
"Johnny I'm fine, jeez!" Another wave of pain, and then gush of fluid actually sent her to her knees and she barely held in a cry of pain.
"I felt that Kira, what the hell was that??" Johnny rushed over to her. The other Majestics hopped up and ran over to her.
"Oh you are so not okay!" Lucy ran over to her and placed her hands on her shoulders.
"Ki..." Johnny murmured and Kira winced looking up at him. He was staring down at her feet.
"Hey! What's going... Kira...?" Enrique and Robert ran into the room and also stopped in their tracks. Kira looked down at the ground beneath her and saw a pool of blood, with blood still dripping down. Enrique gulped.
"That's not normal... right..?"
"Enrique!!" Oliver glared and also hurried over to Kira.
"We need to get you to the hospital, now." He helped her stand and Johnny helped her on the other side.
"I'm calling my driver." Enrique pulled out his phone and Kira cried out as the pain was more intense, in the front of her pubic bone but also at her back.
"What the hell is going on?"
"Someone needs to call Ray!" Lucy called out and was helping Kira stand with Johnny, who looked over at her worriedly.
"Ki, it's gonna be okay. I promise. We're gonna get you help."
"A-aah just g-... get me to the hospital, please!!" Kira basically fell to the ground again.
"Fuck..." Robert saw Kira's phone laying on the bench behind where she had been training and dialed Ray's number.
"Hey Kira! We just finished up here, should be-" Robert coughed and cut him off.
"Ray, it's Robert." Robert's brows furrowed and he could hear the confused silence from Ray's end. Ray felt his stomach drop.
"Oh... hi Robert. Is.. is everything okay? Where's Kira?" Robert was silent for a moment.
"No... she's not. I'm going to make some calls around Cairo and get you a private plane. Whatever plans you have with the White Tigers needs to be put on hold.. Kira started bleeding and was in a lot of pain. She's on her way to the hospital right now."
"W-what? What happened?!"
"I'm as clueless as you. I'm so sorry you had to find out this way. We were just at practice and.. I'm not exactly sure. I'll send you the details as soon as I get them, but head to the private airport in Cairo. Now." Robert waited for Ray to say bye and grabbed Kira's things before heading to the hospital to join them.
It only took about thirty minutes for Robert to find him a plane that was ready to go, but it was thirty minutes too long. Ray was anxious the entire ride. He left without saying anything to the White Tigers. Hell, they didn't even know Kira was pregnant.
He tapped his phone on his chin and knew he had to make one more call before he got on the flight.
"Ray? What the hell? It's late as fuck. You woke up Luna and-"
"Kira's in the hospital." Ray wanted to throw up. He was shaking, he had tears coming to his eyes. How was she doing? He was a fucking god damned fool for not going with her like she asked. Did she have a feeling this was going to happen? And he wasn't there to support her. He punched the headrest of the chair in front of him out of frustration.
"What??? What do you mean she's in the hospital??" Kai's voice changed from harsh and annoyed to concern. "We're in Australia, do you know which one?"
Ray sighed. "I... I think she may be losing the baby. I don't know if you should take Luna there.." Kai was silent, staring off in shock. Ray could feel his heart breaking, and saw the airport coming into view. "Robert called and said she started bleeding profusely, bad enough to where they rushed her to the ER."
"That doesn't mean... God damnit. What hospital Ray? Luna will never forgive me if we don't go support her. I wouldn't forgive myself."
Ray gave him what little details he had and then they hung up as the car approached the airport. He hurried out of the car and into the plane which took off almost immediately as he boarded.
The flight was a bit shorter than if he had traveled commercial but it still took half a day and no one was answering their damn phones. By the time he had arrived in Australia, it was night again and all he could hope was that Kira and their baby was okay. There was a car waiting for him that took him straight to the hospital. Ray felt as though his stomach was in his throat, and wanted to throw up as the hospital came into view. "Come on..." As soon as the car stopped, he ran out the door and into the lobby. Tyson, Hilary, Kenny, Max, Kai, and Luna were all sitting near each other, and they all looked in his direction as the doors opened for him. The Majestics were all sprawled around the waiting room. Robert and Enrique hurried over to him as he walked through the automatic doors. Oliver was wiping his eyes and Luna was laying against Kai.
"Hey man.."
"What the hell happened?" Ray asked. They couldn't tell if he was angry but he sure looked it.
The two started talking at the same time so it was hard for him to understand what was going on.
"-just collapsed to the ground."
"-told her to take it easy but she didn't listen, as usual."
"We were just about to finish up training and... well none of us are really sure." Oliver walked up to him and gave him a hug.
"Ray..." He heard from behind him, and there stood Lucy in the hall leading to the ICU unit.
'I.C.U... intensive care unit.. no...' Ray felt all the blood rush from his body.
"Kira's been asking for you, come with me. The doctor should be coming back around soon to explain more.
"So she's okay? They're okay?" Ray followed after Lucy, but she was silent. After walking for about a minute or so they got to the room, just as the doctor was heading that direction.
"Hey doc, this is Kira's boyfriend and father to..." Lucy shook her head. "This is Ray."
"Hi Ray," The man held out his hand and gave him a firm handshake. "So tell me what you know, I'd like to update you before we go in."
"I just wanna see Kira, is she fine? The baby?" The doctor sighed.
"Kira is... as well as she can be. She suffered a miscarriage, which isn't common at this stage but can happen. We're trying to figure out what exactly caused it, but testing will give us answers shortly."
"Kira had to give birth... Ray." Lucy wiped her eyes and blinked back tears looking away.
"You said baby... I'm assuming you weren't aware she was pregnant with twins." Ray sighed as his stomach dropped for the hundredth time.
"Can I please go in and see her now?" Ray was anxiously looking at the door.
"Of course." The doctor nodded to Lucy who opened the door. Johnny was sitting on a chair next to the hospital bed, where Kira was lying, curled up in a ball. She didn't budge to the sound of the door opening, but Johnny looked over and stood.
"Hey man, I'm... I'm so sorry." Ray looked from him to Kira and walked over to the bed. Her eyes were open and she stared at the wall in front of her. Her face was tear stained but no tears currently fell from her eyes. He placed his hand on her lower back, but still, she didn't stir. His heart was broken, but he just couldn't imagine what she was feeling.
"Where... can I see..." Ray turned to look at the doctor.
"Well, we can always bring them to allow you to say goodbye or-"
Ray's brows furrowed. Bring the babies back in here? To cause her more pain? Absolutely not. Kira slowly turned to look at him.
"It's okay Ray... I can handle it." Ray stared down at her before looking at the doctor and nodded. The doctor nodded as well before leaving the room. "Twin girls. We were right."
"We're... gonna give you guys some time alone." Lucy grabbed Johnny by the shirt and pulled him back towards the door.
"We'll be back." He reiterated.
"Ki... this is all my fault I'm so sorry." Ray leaned over the bed and Kira looked up at him.
"Don't..." She shook her head. "Don't you dare act like there was anything you could do to have stopped this." She leaned up staring him in the face. "This was because of me and my body." Tears threatened to fall from her eyes. Ray shook his head and hugged her close.
"It's no one's fault. Not yours... not mine. But it is my fault for not being here for you. I don't care that Johnny and the Majestics were here for you, I should have been. You asked me to go and..." Ray sighed, shaking his head. "You had to give birth without me..."
Kira looked away, tears falling down her cheeks again. Ray pulled up a chair and sat next to her bed, much like Johnny had been before he arrived.
"Ray. I'm not mad at you. I don't hate you. I'm just glad you're here now."
She hadn't been alone for the whole ordeal, thankfully Johnny, Lucy and whoever else had been in here were able to support her. There was a swift knock at the door and a nurse wheeled in their babies. They were so small, smaller than Ray's hand. They didn't really resemble either of them at that point except minute features. Ray recognized Kira's lips on them. They were covered up in a small blanket, and didn't even look real. The nurse also handed the two a few memorabilia, such as teeny footprints and a hand print for each.
The doctor came in shortly after. "So, we have determined the cause. Kira, you have a condition called antiphospholipid syndrome. This syndrome can cause issues with blood clotting and... unfortunately can cause miscarriages."
"So... it was my body." Kira cleared her throat and sighed, looking up. "In the future... if we were to try again..."
"APS can cause concurrent miscarriages. But.. there is treatment out there that can help ensure you have a successful pregnancy, but you will need treatment before and during, so it is important to ensure that you plan the next pregnancy if you were to do so." Kira nodded.
"Thank you. Good to know for down the road..." The doctor nodded and cleared his throat before pulling up a chair.
"Now... I really hate this part. Kira you said you wanted to wait for Ray to get here. What do you two want to do about the remains? We can set them up to travel home with you for a burial, there's cremation..."
Ray looked over at Kira. "Anything in mind?"
"...At first... I wanted to do a burial... but we both travel so much..." Kira shook her head. "With cremation we can keep them close to us." Ray closed his eyes and sighed. It would be hard to decide where to even bury them. At his home in China? In Japan? What if they wanted to settle away from the burial site? He had to agree with Kira's idea.
"I agree... I think cremation will be best as well."
The doctor nodded and stood. "I will... let the appropriate parties know. Again, I am so incredibly sorry for your loss. We need to keep Kira over night, and I'll check-in in the morning to see how you're doing. Ray, I'll need you to follow me for some paperwork."
Ray looked to Kira and she looked up at him, nodding.
"I could use a few moments alone. Go ahead." Ray bent down and kissed her forehead and squeezed her hand before sighing and following the doctor. They made their way to the coroner's office and morgue.
Ray was signing some papers and noticed one that caught his eye. "Ash jewelry?"
"Ah yeah, that's become a lot more popular these days. Especially of parents who have lost their kids. Makes it easier than carrying an urn around with you."
Two days passed, and Kira was allowed to leave the hospital. With how much blood she lost she needed to have a transfusion, plus Kira and Ray got some much needed grief counseling. Separate and together.
They got to the door of the hospital and Kira stopped.
"You... okay?" Ray looked at her and Kira stared down at the ground.
"I walked in here.. with our babies... and I'm leaving without them."
"Do you want to sit down and take a second? I'm not in any hurry."
Kira hadn't cried since that first day, despite how heart broken she was. Her brows furred together and she nodded slowly.
"Y-yeah... I think I just need a moment." He helped her to a seat, where she stared straight ahead. They sat with her head leaning on his shoulder.
The automatic door opened again and Ray looked over to see Kai and Luna walking in. He was happy to see them, yet a bit frustrated because he didn't know how Kira would handle seeing a very pregnant Luna.
"Oh Kira!" Luna hobbled over to her and Kira stood, hugging her cousin tightly. "Thank God you're okay. I was so scared."
Kira pulled back and smiled, holding the side of Luna's face. "I am..." Kira couldn't help but feel emotional at the state of Luna's pregnancy, but she knew it wasn't Luna's fault.
"We came to escort you guys to your place if that's okay." Kai commented, his hands in his pockets.
"Y-yeah... of course." Kira looked back towards Ray and held out her hand. "I'm ready."
Ray had gone out to pick up his gift for Kira. It wasn't so much a ...gift per se. But something they both needed. He had found a place nearby that made more tasteful cremation jewelry. One of Kira's favorite stones was an opal, and there was a necklace stone that resembled an opal. He had also found a bracelet for himself that was all black, and had a piece that was basically a very tiny urn in the shape of a small rectangle.
He really hoped that she liked it.
"Thank you, I appreciate it." After inspecting the jewelry he headed back to the Air BNB that they were sharing. They had gotten a small house to themselves.
"Kira?" He opened the door, and found her laying on the couch. He sighed silently. He knew she needed time. He had no idea of her pain, only that it was likely triple whatever he was feeling. "Ki..." She slowly sat up to look at him.
"Oh.. hey. What's that?" He cleared his throat and walked over, sitting on the couch next to her.
"I... picked up the cremation remains today." He pulled out the bag, and pulled out what she recognized as a necklace holder? He opened the box and her eyes widened.
"Ray?"
"I.. figured this was easier than carrying an urn around with us." Kira touched the stone and looked up at him. "The ashes are in the stone." He held out his wrist and showed her his new bracelet. "I got one for myself too. He reached in the bag and pulled out a very small urn. "However... the rest of the ashes are in here. If we ever want to get more jewelry made or.. whatever you want to do with the ashes-" as soon as he finished speaking, Kira wrapped her arms around him and leaned forward, squeezing him tightly.
"Thank you..." She whispered. He sighed and hugged her back.
"So you approve? I know I didn't ask you but-" She held a finger up to his lips.
"I love it... them. They're perfect. They represent the girls, Caiji and Nayao perfectly." She smiled and he returned the gesture. They had settled on the names, only speaking them between each other. "I love you, Ray. You're more than I deserve. I'm so happy I have you." She tucked her face back in the space between his neck and shoulder. After she was content, she pulled back. "Do you mind helping me put the necklace on?"
"Of course not." Kira pulled her long, thick hair to the side and Ray clasped the necklace around her neck. The chain was silver with small silver beads, as well as a medium sized stone that resembled an opal except it was mostly white in color.
"Oh a card." Kira picked it up and covered her mouth. Ray hadn't noticed it before and peeked at it with her.
'Though we may have been with you for a short time, we will stay with you forever. -Caiji and Nayao'
Hi everyone, I'm so sorry about the long delay on this chapter. I actually had a majority of it written for a while, it was just small pieces missing that I couldn't bring myself to write. I have chapter 18 almost finished, and am hoping to finish writing this story before 2023 ends!
Review if you'd like, thank you for reading!
