MIAB

6: Reminded

"Shut up." Kai replied, shaking his head. That wasn't true. He didn't have anything to do with Rin's attempted suicide. He didn't . . . right? Rin never blamed him about it like he usually would so that couldn't be the case. He wished that was the case. He didn't want to have another reason to hate himself, to feel as if he was evil.

Chaos chuckled, revealing his sharp fangs again, "Don't be a fool by trying to blind yourself from the truth, Kai. You're the reason that he suffered more than he had to when he was in our care. His loyalty to you is what caused him to suffer as he did. His devotion to you is the reason why he bears so many scars."

"That's not true."

"During his torture sessions – I will admit that we tortured him and the others – he would cry out for you to help him. That you'd promise to keep the monsters away," Chaos seemed to enjoy the tormented look on Kai's face as he continued, "But we both know that you failed. You failed to keep the monsters away ten years ago and you'll fail again now. It wouldn't be the first time you failed someone, after all. You should grow used to it."

Kai shook his head, briefly registering that several kids were hiding behind the trees, staring at them with detached expressions. He thought he saw Aya among the children, standing next to the twins and Nami, but he wasn't sure. Not to mention he saw the trio – Tyson, the little girl and Riku – hiding next to an eleven year old that looked a lot like Hiro.

"No good comes from believing in you. Rin and Wyatt learned that the hard way and Tyson will come to realize that as well."

"Stay away from Tyson!" Kai yelled. He wasn't going to let this person get into his head and mess with him. He couldn't let Chaos's words get into his head.

Chaos laughed, his eyes glinting with madness and something that looked like pain, "You can't do anything about it, Kai Hiwatari. Tyson will succumb to the darkness. When that happens, you and the other tamers will feel the same anguish we felt for centuries when your beasts betrayed us. When they're the ones trapped alone in their prisons, they will remember us and what they made us suffer."

"All of this is for some petty revenge?" Kai sneered, "How pathetic."

Chaos glared at him and Kai became quiet quickly, "Pathetic? Petty revenge? Oh, dear, Kai . . . you have no idea how far you are from the mark. You'll suffer what I did when the time comes."

Chaos laughed and vanished, the forest doing the same. Kai was now alone in a dark place, several mirrors littering the area where he was at. The floor was filled with water but it barely made it up to Kai's ankles.

"Where . . .?"

"You abandoned me when I needed you the most." Kai turned to see a six year old Rin – dressed in a hospital gown – glaring up at him, "You promised to keep the monsters away. You failed to do that. You broke your promise."

"You let me die." Wyatt's voice came from behind Kai, "I was so dedicated to you but you brushed me off as if I was nothing. Was I not good enough for your attention? Why was I worth your attention after I was dead?"

"You're nothing." Brooklyn said as he appeared next to Wyatt, smiling that gentle smile that Kai hated so much, "You know that you'll always be inferior. You're not good enough, Kai. You being number one? Give me a break. You'll always be second best."

"Are you used to playing the traitor?" Tyson asked, materializing next to Rin, "We all get sick and tired of it. Where do Kai's loyalties lie? Will he betray us? Is he leaving the team? I hate wondering that, you know. Why do you enjoy hurting us by betraying us?"

Kai covered his ears, trying to ignore the slight tremble that shook his body, "Stop it. Stop it, Chaos." Why was he doing this? What was the point of messing with his mind this way? There was no use. What was Chaos gaining by tormenting him?