Release the Dragon! (Polo and Inkerz ((Dragon Booster RP))

((Sorry that It took so long, but I'm back in action again^^ I shall keep this one short!!!))

Sitting as baby frog would, with his legs folded neatly beneath him, Kyte listened keenly to Trent's tale. His attention didn't waver or drift as it usually did, and somehow he even managed to hold his friend's eye-contact while they spoke.
Kyte's ADHD usually would have interfered at this point, but thankfully Trent's voice seemed to have a strange, but calming affect on him

When man had finished his short tale, Kyte tilted his head thoughtfully in response. The way Trent met Luke... It's kinda like the way he met me. He reminds me of Superman or maybe batman, better yet Rayman! from that game!...either way he's pretty brave.
A warm cheeriness emanated from Kyte, and when he caught sight of the near-hidden smile on Trent's lips, he chuckled softly and pointed it out, "It looks like you and Luke had a lot of fun back then. I can tell. That smile says it all. "
Tucking his arms casually behind his head, Kyte leaned backwards and grinned, "Makes me kinda miss being at school. Y'know I used to love it there...well most of the time."
A twitch seemed to catch his eye, and shuddering for a mere moment, Kyte then flopped over onto his forearms, "Math ALWAYS Sucked though, Worse yet...still does!"

When Trent leaned forward to investigate the boy, Kyte peered up at him peevishly from behind brunette bangs. He paid little attention to Kyte's sulky display, but raised an eyebrow challengingly and politely informed, "Now it's my turn to ask you something."
Kyte smiled at those words, and with a lazy flick of his wrist, he teased, "Ask away, Captain Red"
Nodding briefly towards the boy's patched up eye, Trent questioned,"What happened there, anyway? Or are you just making some kind of dramatic fashion statement?"

Kyte stuck out his tongue at the 'fashion' remark, but sat up slowly from his sulky pose.
With a simple shake of his messy mopish hair, he grinned, "Nope it's the real deal. I hurt it about two years ago in an accident. Haven't been able to use it since."
Tentatively tracing his fingertips over the leather patch and white bandages, he mumbled, "It sounds kinda weird, but I don't remember a thing about that day..."
Slipping way momentarily into a shell of his own thoughts, Kyte soon returned with a casual shrug of his shoulders, "Oh well, It's not like the eye hurts or anything, so no point in worrying about it. My Mom always says that stress will give you wrinkles"
His carefree attitude had clearly bounced back into place, and after a moment or two he leaned forward towards Trent, "Oh! I have one more question, purely fashion related I promise..."
A smile threatened to stretched across right across his cheeks as he asked excitedly, "Is that your real hair colour?"

A few minutes later, the clattering of high heeled shoes came tottering down the tiles, followed by a woman bearing their order.
She quickly made her way towards them, and after a brief greeting, set down two trays of food, before slipping off towards the kitchen.
Kyte's mouth watered at the very sight of food, and taking hold of a large handful of chips, he shovelled it down hungrily and he dug into his meal.
He clearly enjoyed his food, and despite the rapid rate at which it was being consumed, his table manners weren’t nearly as bad one would think. The ways of the rich had after all been instilled into him, even if they failed to show on occasion.
With the food finally gone and his belly full to the brim, Kyte smiled and fiddled playfully with the happy meal toy he had stolen from Trent. ((Because by Laws of Flogic, Trent would get one and not Kyte))
His eye briefly traced over a clock in the background, and furrowing his eyebrows thoughtfully he questioned, "Um Trent?...When did you say your next class was supposed to be?"

((Now that all epic question that always pops up...Where shall we go from here XD))

((Whenever I open this RP, I shout "Release the Dragon!" in a really lame, dramatic voice in my head. And then it won't go away. I blame Canada.))

Trent frowned at Kyte's reply, considering his eyepatch with a different curiosity to before. He knew that he'd hurt his eye in an 'accident', but he didn't remember what had happened? Trent supposed that it made sense. After all, an injury that had done such damage to his eye would no doubt have done a number on his brain as well, and Trent knew all about amnesia. He'd suffered from it for a few days following his accident, and the Doctors had warned him that in some extreme cases, it never completely went away. Of course, his memory was clean as a whistle - not exactly to his delight - but for Kyte to have such an obvious gap was truly fascinating. How was it that nobody else had been able to tell him what had happened in the accident? He was a rich kid, wasn't he? Doctors, family - servants, even - and nobody knew what sort of accident had caused the loss of his sight? Now, Trent knew that he was no detective - and maybe he was just naturally suspicious from spending time in the underbelly of the world - but to him, that seemed fishier than undercooked eel. ((Eel nigiri... Still scarred for life, bro. XD ))

He watched as Kyte frowned, clearly lost in thought. "You don't remember at all?" He questioned, but the other boy clearly wasn't listening, for at that moment, he bounced back like a rubber ball - any trace of his frown slapped away by a beaming grin.
"Oh well, It's not like the eye hurts or anything, so no point in worrying about it." Kyte shrugged cheerfully, "My Mom always says that stress will give you wrinkles."
Trent raised an eyebrow, but seeing the carefree expression on Kyte's face, he began to chuckle despite himself. "I guess that makes sense." He admitted, smiling crookedly, "Why worry if it's gonna give you wrinkles?" He chuckled again, shaking his head. He wished that he could see it that simply. Honestly, he envied Kyte. He saw worry so often, he had begun to think of it as a part of his personality. If Kyte's Mom was right, he'd look like a crumpled tissue before he hit thirty. If he hit thirty. He pulled a face. Stressing again already? Typical.
"Oh! I have one more question," A bright voice piped up beside him, drawing Trent's attention back to the present, "Purely fashion related I promise..."
He shrugged. "Shoot."
"Is that your real hair colour?"
"My real hair colour...?" He repeated, staring at Kyte as if he'd sprouted a second head. Wasn't that obvious?
"Well, no." He answered, "It's dyed. But I've had it this colour since... Well, for ages, anyway."
He looked up to see that a waitress had brought their food, and nodded his thanks, accepting his meal. Pulling open the box, he dug in hungrily, taking a big bite of his burger. He paid no attention when Kyte snatched his happy meal toy. Clearly, his ADD friend had more need for it than he did.
Within minutes, his food was gone, and Trent took his time licking the last few grains of salt from his fingers.
"God, that was good." He murmured, scrunching up his burger wrapped, and lobbing it at the nearest bin. To his ill-concealed delight, it went straight in. He congratulated himself with a smirk, then stretched, and followed Kyte's gaze to the clock on the wall.
"Um Trent?...When did you say your next class was supposed to be?"
"Eh." He shrugged, "Who cares? We won't make it back in time." He rubbed his hands together, looking considerably happier now that his belly was full. He was so busy all the time that he often forgot to eat. Luke had once suggested that this might in fact be the source of his usual moodiness, and at that moment, Trent had to admit that perhaps his friend had a point.
Shrugging, he stood up and gathered his things, then cast Kyte a glance. "How about you show me around this place, huh? This city's so big, I don't think I'll ever figure it out myself. What do you say?" He smiled slightly awkwardly, and offered a friendly hand to help Kyte up. It wasn't much, but that was the closest Trent came to 'making friends'. In fact, by his standards, Kyte had won him over in record time.

***

For the rest of the day, Trent and Kyte drove around town, the latter pointing out a few major landmarks, when they weren't helplessly lost. Eventually, they found their way back to the college, and Trent bid Kyte fairwell, saying that he was still tired from the move, and needed to get some rest. After that, he seemed to return to his room - although when Luke emerged from there just a few short minutes after their return, Trent was nowhere to be found.
Tired from a hard day of classes and lectures, Luke trudged over to Kyte's room, and knocked on the door.
"Where did you disappear to?" He asked as soon as the boy opened the door, "You were supposed to be my science partner. Now I had to pair with Steve." He winkled his nose at the thought of the pimply, black-haired nerd. Who wore square-rimmed glasses, anyway?
He rolled his eyes, then added, "Also, do you know where Trent is? I haven't seen him since I yelled at him in the cafeteria. You'd swear I scarred him for life." Luke chuckled, and added jokingly, "For a violent sociopath, he really is just a big softie deep down."

((There. Trent is off doing his illegal stuff, and I figured I'd bring Luke in so Kyte can quickly get to know about 'Mister Mysterious' and get it out of the way. If you have other plans, feel free to ignore it and slot them in. :PAnd obviously go ahead and time skip or play with Luke as you please.))

(Mahahaha, I'm getting back into the RP zone again, so I'm going to try and reply quicker^^
Oh I've worked out my awesome conspiracy behind Kyte's accident, And was thinking of linking it up to Trent's. What would you think of that? Might make it more interesting when they investigate things later on.)


Rocking his chair back and forth like a bored school child, Kyte nearly toppled out of his seat when he heard Trent suggest that they go sight seeing in the city.
The boy quickly caught himself at the last minute, and chuckling with clear embarrassment, he took hold of his friend's hand, “Yeah! Sounds like fun. I'll show you every Place I know. Heck maybe even show you the one's I don't know”.
Getting to his feet with small spring, Kyte beamed eagerly up at his friend. He had hadn't realized it yet, but Trent was actually quite a bit taller than him.
Tugging eagerly at the man's sleeve, he smiled cutely and lead his new found friend back outside into the parking lot. “The first place I want to show is totally awesome. You’ll love Haven's Bridge, It looks like a giant spider web.”

Kyte's toddler like tactics had earned him a few glances, but oblivious as always, he just skipped out into the parking lot with Trent lagging close behind. At least his friend had some pride, Kyte probably wouldn't even know the definition of the word.


The remainder of the day was spend down in the city. Riding through Haven's streets
and along it's various roads, Kyte chatted happily to Trent while pointing out a few of the city landmarks as he saw them. He knew his history quite well, and surprised even himself when he a few urban legends and stories poured from his lips. Where had they come from? Had his sister told him that?
Unfortunately as grand as his stories were, his sense of direction proved to be just as ill on the road as it had been back in the school building.
Loosing their way at least several times in a row, Kyte eventually left the directions up to Trent, hopefully his friend would be able to decipher them a little better than he had done.

By the time they had reached the Academy, the sky had already began to darken.
Sliding down from his spot on the cruiser, Kyte returned Trent's helmet with a gleeful smile.
He had calmed down quite a bit from all the driving, but still made sure to thank Trent at least twenty times before they parted.
It was all to clear that Kyte didn't go out very much, and like a cooped up puppy it did him well to run outside and burn up all that spare energy.
When Trent slipped away for some much needed rest, Kyte was left alone to his own means. He had one more class left before the day way out, and decided to rush off towards the Home Economics room.

When a rather wild lesson of baking and icing had ended, Kyte returned to his room with a tray of tragically misshapen cupcakes in hand.
He glanced about the room hoping to find Trent there, but as he searched under the bed, in the closet and around the bathroom area, he saw no one. His mysterious friend had disappeared into thin air.
That's Strange, Where did he go to? Hadn't he been resting?
Shrugging off his Trent's absence with a small sigh, Kyte tottered off towards the window.
Maybe he's down at the stables? I could go check on him...maybe I will.
A knock on the door suddenly interrupted his thoughts, and feeling some excitement build up, Kyte bounced off quickly to greet his visitor. Maybe it was Trent.
Pulling open the door, Kyte felt his grin waver. It wasn't Trent, but at least he had Luke to share cupcakes with.
The Boy stood before him with his hands on his hips and a scolding look in his eyes.”Where did you disappear to? You were supposed to be my science partner. Now I had to pair with Steve."
Feeling a stifled laugh burst from his lips at that imagine, Kyte grinned and patted Luke sympathetically on the shoulder. “Aww Stevey's not that bad. Just smells a bit like cheese if you sit too close.”
With a roll of his eyes, Luke added, "Also, do you know where Trent is? I haven't seen him since I yelled at him in the cafeteria. You'd swear I scarred him for life.
With a finger placed thoughtfully upon his lips, Kyte smiled, “Yep, I definably remember him being scarred for life.”
Opening the door a touch wider for Luke, Kyte then led his friend inside the room.
Luke stilled looked rather worried about Trent, but smiled for the most part and added jokingly, ”For a violent sociopath, he really is just a big softie deep down."
Kyte felt a tiny smile curved his lips at those words, but for once he kept his words to himself.

Padding over towards the tray of cupcakes, he took a moment to search through them. Picking out a brilliantly coloured blue one , he then lobbed it over towards Luke with a playful wink.
“Don't look so worried Dude, Trent's okay. He was hanging out with me for most of the day.”
Scratching the back of his head with clear embarrassment, Kyte chuckled, “I kinda owed him after the whole cafeteria incident. It was totally my fault.”
Kyte hoped that that explanation would give Luke some peace of mind. The guy clearly needed it.
As for the ever allusive Trent, Poor Kyte had no idea about where the man had gone off to. He
hoped that he was still at least within the school grounds.

Flopping down onto the wooden floor with a small thump, Kyte then glanced towards his friend with raised his eyebrows.
”I was just wondering...does Trent has some kind of super power or something?”
A peevish grin struck the boy's features as he spoke, “Cause he's really good at disappearing. I don't think we'd win in a game of hide and seek again him.”
A idea seemed to spin the gears inside Kyte's head at the word 'Game'. And quick as a flash, he dove beneath his bed, rummaging through the horrified mess beneath it.
“Hey we should play a game while we wait for Trent. It'll make the time go faster...I'm thinking either Candyland or Uno? How about it Luke? You keen?”

((I think it'll be good for Kyte and Luke to bond a little.^^ I kinda want Kyte to learn more about Trent, so Luke shall be the key to that plan.
Haha Maybe after they chat abit, Luke and Kyte can fall asleep over their cards or game. That would be too cute XD I bet They'd pick out a special cupcake with skittles on it just for Trent^^))

Luke grunted in surprise when a bright blue cupcake suddenly flew towards him, and he reached up automatically to catch it, then pulled a face. His hands were covered in sticky blue icing. Wrinkling his nose in disgust, he pinched the cupcake delicately between thumb and forefinger, then started licking the icing from his opposite hand. It was soft and buttery, and actually didn't taste too bad at all. Shrugging, he moved the cupcake to his now-clean hand, and went on licking the other one. 
“Don't look so worried Dude, Trent's okay." Kyte piped up beside him, "He was hanging out with me for most of the day.”
"He should have been in class..." Luke grumbled, taking a bite of his cupcake. Kyte took a moment to look appropriately contrite, then explained, “I kinda owed him after the whole cafeteria incident. It was totally my fault.”
"I don't know about that." Luke sighed, setting down his half-eaten cupcake on the dresser as he glanced over at Kyte. "Trent has always been a hothead. There's no excuse for beating someone like that... Bloody idiot." He trailed off, frowning. Clearly, Luke was worried about his friend, despite what he said. He sighed heavily, closing his eyes a moment. When he opened them, Kyte was sitting cross-legged at his feet. 
”I was just wondering..." He said, raising an eyebrow, "Does Trent has some kind of super power or something?”
Luke stared blankly at him, trying to figure out if he was serious, then a bright grin split Kyte's face, “Cause he's really good at disappearing. I don't think we'd win in a game of hide and seek again him.”
At this, Luke couldn't help but laugh. Loosening up at last, he flopped down onto the floor opposite Kyte, crossing his legs neatly in front of him. "No," He agreed with a chuckle, "I don't think we would. Even I sometimes wonder if he's got a cloak of invisibility stashed away somewhere. When we were kids-"
“Hey!" Kyte exclaimed suddenly, his mind obviously already on a new track, "We should play a game while we wait for Trent. It'll make the time go faster... I'm thinking either Candyland or Uno? How about it Luke? You keen?”
He blinked in surprise a moment, startled by the sudden change of topic, then shrugged. "Why not?" He answered, "I always enjoy a game of Uno."

((I'm too lazy to play this out. Life's too short not to have my character on the scene. XD So I'm just going to skip, and anything we need Kyte to know in future, we can assume they discussed here. ))

Sitting like children on the floor, Luke and Kyte shuffled the Uno deck, then dealt a hand of cards each, and played long into the night. They lost track of time, laughing and talking - more often than not about Trent - until finally, Luke grew tired, and said goodnight to Kyte. Mere minutes after he'd left, Trent finally returned, trudging wearily through the door.
As he came through the doorway, he stumbled, blinking in surprise when he saw that not only was Kyte still up, but there were Uno cards scattered all over the floor, and over his bed. He hadn't even realized there were that many cards in a deck...
He was soaking wet - it had been raining out - and his jacket was ripped on the right sleeve, not quite showing the bloody gash where another racer had rammed him. As he stood, dripping, in the doorway, Kyte looked up from the cards, and their eyes met. The moment he felt the spotlight fall on him, Trent cleared his throat awkwardly and walked into the room, closing the door behind him.
"You're up late." He commented mildly, "Got any food?" He paused, noticing Luke's half eaten cupcake on the dresser, and picked it up. It was a poisonous shade of blue, and had a huge bite out of it, but it smelled of butter icing and coconut... Shrugging, he popped the whole thing into his mouth.
"Hm. This is good." He mumbled through a mouthful of cupcake, shrugging off his soaking jacket and dropping it unceremoniously onto the couch in the corner. He automatically clapped a hand over the cut on his arm, hiding it from sight, and walked off toward the bathroom to dry off and change. It had been a rough night, but he'd got a good haul, and he had actually been in a fairly good mood until he got back. He only hoped that Kyte wouldn't ask him any awkward questions... He had certainly not expected to find his roommate waiting up for him. If anybody found out what he was doing...
"So how come you're still up?" He called through the half-closed door, his voice slightly muffled as he pulled his shirt over his head. "It's after four AM, you know." Shaking out the shirt, he rinsed it under the tap and squeezed out the excess water, then used it to clean the blood from his arm. It was ruined anyway, so what did it matter if it got a little dirty? The gash was fairly deep, but the blood had clotted already, and when he cleaned away the messy red trails on his arm, the wound didn't look half bad any more. He was sure he could pass it for a scratch if he tried.
Rinsing the bloody shirt again, he left it hanging sloppily over the edge of the sink, then shouldered his way through the door to get a clean one from his bag. He was too tired to consider his manners, so he figured that if Kyte didn't like him walking around half nude, he could just shut his eyes.

(Wow! I've missed this Rp ALOT. Poor Kyte, he needs a Trent badly. Oh DUDE! and I finally came up with a good idea for Kyte's missing eye hehe, It's going to be blind and infected with black draconium. Just Picture it, a pretty white eye with fragments of purple crystal. Lolz I'm excited^^)
Laying on his stomach and stacking cards into a tiny tower, Kyte's attention suddenly drifted towards the front door as it slowly began to creak open.
A moment later, Trent stepped inside room. The crash of pouring rain screamed itself silent as he closed the door behind him.
Ignoring the tumbling cards beneath his fingertips, Kyte quickly bounced up onto his feet. He had stayed up half the night and morning waiting for Trent.
Stepping forward with a smile, he opened his mouth to speak.
Kyte managed to blurted the first part his greeting, but sadly the rest became slurred gibberish. His words faltered on poorly, as though they had suddenly become malformed inside his small mouth.
The boy's eyes suddenly seemed to dance wildly like orange flames. They took in the seer sight of Trent with shock. The guy was a mess, he looked as though he had been dragged through the rain and beaten half to death.
Shaking his head quickly, Kyte glanced up into those sapphire eyes and swallowed hard, “A-Are you okay?”
Clearing his throat awkwardly at Kyte's strange reaction, Trent brushed off the question with a simple comment, ”You're up late.”
Blushing at the sudden spotlight, Kyte chuckled and began to rub his sleepy eyes, “Guess so... but I couldn’t sleep. I got a little worried when it started to rain and you still hadn't come back.”
Silence dragged after Trent like an iron ball. He seemed to considered Kyte for a moment. The younger boy's eyes were innocent enough with curiosity, but also sharp as they traced over the damaged jacket and the bloody tear on his shoulder.
Clearly uncomfortable, Trent didn't stick around to answer questions. Instead he scoured the messy room in search of something else. ”Got any food?”
With an enthusiastic nod, Kyte gladly focused his attention elsewhere. Gesturing cheerfully towards the tray filled with misshapen rainbow cupcakes, he mumbled “Feel free to help yourself, We baked way too many anyway”
Testing out a half-eaten sample that Luke had clearly failed to finish, Trent responded with a grin, “Hmm. This is good”
Kyte beamed. He looked pleased to hear those praising words. But just as he was about to explain the whole cupcake creation process, He stopped. Trent had begun to leave the room. Where was he going now?, He quietly wondered.
Quirking an eyebrow uncertainly, Kyte tailed after him like a lost puppy, stopping abruptly when the bathroom door suddenly flew closed in front of him.
“Yikes, Nearly lost my nose there”, he squeaked, giving his sniffer a thoughtful rub.
Taking a few precautionary steps back, he then stared hard at the door for a moment. “Maybe I should just tell him when he's done...Yeah, I think I'll do that”
Minutes passed by slowly, and flopping down onto Trent's bed, Kyte waited patiently for his roommate to return. His eyes were transfixed on the bathroom door, and as he closed his sleepy eyes, he could hear the soft sound of the shower running in the background.
I wonder were Trent went tonight...He was roughed up pretty bad, Did he get into another fight? Maybe he ran into one of those Hydrags I keep hearing about...
Suddenly remembering the bloody tear in the jacket, Kyte's eyes shot open.
He sat up quickly, then bounced over towards the couch, his bare feet squeaking against the wooden floor.
He fumbled briefly through the wet leather mess in the corner, examining the jacket a little more closely.
A concerned frown crossed his features, his fingertips were red from what looked like...blood?
“So I wasn't imagining it...”

When the bathroom door creaked open once more, Kyte hastily abandoned his clue, tossing the jacket back were he had found it.
Jumping back onto Trent's bed, he then sat quietly amongst blankets and sheets. His own bed was in such a state he couldn't possibly sit on it even if he tried.

”So how come you're still up? It's after four AM, you know”
The voice that had spoken come had from Trent.
Casually glancing his way, Kyte felt his eyes widened with surprise. He took in the sight of Trent's nude chest with secret awe. Hard Muscle rippled beneath a near perfect skin, while a proud Jaggered scar stood out over the place where his heart was.
Feeling slightly self-conscious, Kyte pulled a blanket over his head. He didn't have nearly that much muscle, he was too skinny, too petit.
Poking his face out from beneath the hood of blankets, he yawned cutely, “Soooo, Where did you go tonight?...you didn't fall down a rabbit hole, did you?”
He grinned at his stupid joke, clearly keen to see what Trent would say.
“Cause if you did, well...next time I'm going with you. I can't have you coming back looking like that each time, Luke would scold me...He's scary when he does that, kinda like a demon cat”
With a wise nod and a decisive waggle of his finger, Kyte bounced up onto his feet.
Standing on the bed, he used the extra height to his advantage. Looming over Trent with his hands on his hips, Kyte smiled “Okay It's settled then, I'm going with you tomorrow night to keep you outta trouble.”
Whether it was an inconvenience to Trent or not, Kyte wasn't budging on the subject of tagging along. In truth he was getting pretty bored of just staying on campus. He wanted to see the city again, to be out in the world with a friend.
He kinda liked the edge of rebellion that clung to Trent too, It drew him in like a magnet.
He wished that he could be like that. To just do as he pleased, without worrying about having his mom and sister constantly on his case.

(Kyte is turning out to be such an odd thing O.o...I kinda like it. He's totally a Trent fangirl already. I can already see the worship there...impending new Trent religion in now progress XD)

As he rummaged about for a shirt, Trent felt Kyte's eyes on him, raising goosebumps on his skin as his muscles rippled down his spine. He made no attempt to cover himself up. Secretly, he was enjoying the awe-struck stare, making him feel as if he was in some kind of spotlight. There were many things that Trent was ashamed of, but his body was not one of them. And that was for one remarkably good reason.
At last, he found a shirt, and shook it out briefly before pulling it over his head, wincing when it brushed the cut on his arm. It was fairly deep, and it stung, but he did not regret it. With the money he had won, at least he knew he'd be able to eat that week.
“Soooo, Where did you go tonight?" Kyte piped up innocently from behind him, dragging Trent's eyes around to a most absurd sight. Kyte was bundled up in the blankets, peeking out from under a warm hood like a puppy in a kennel. When he yawned, his dainty lips forming a comical 'O', Trent had to look away again to hid his smile, and take another flustered moment to wipe it off his face. For a moment there, Kyte had looked truly adorable. Even in thinking it, this realization made him blush.
"You didn't fall down a rabbit hole, did you?” His sprightly little friend piped up, bizarre as ever.
"What?" Trent shot him a weary look, blinking at him in tired disbelief. "No..."
Kyte grinned back at him, far brighter than anybody should be at such an absurd hour, and continued enthusiastically, “Cause if you did, well... Next time I'm going with you. I can't have you coming back looking like that each time, Luke would scold me...He's scary when he does that, kinda like a demon cat.”
Trent stared at Kyte in disbelief a long moment, then suddenly uttered a bark of laughter, shaking his head, and wiping a tear from the crinkled corner of his eye. "Don't let him catch you saying that." He teased Kyte, clearly amused by what was a startlingly accurate comparison, "You may just get the claws." He curled his fingers threateningly, and chuckled to himself. "Don't worry, Kyte. It's just a little cut. Visibility was poor, and I snagged it on a branch, that's all."
Kyte nodded and, thinking he understood, Trent rewarded him with a small smile.
“Okay It's settled then," His roommate said brightly, "I'm going with you tomorrow night to keep you outta trouble.”
"What?" Trent's face fell. "But I just said... Oh, forget it." He sighed, slapping a palm to his forehead, and shook his head.
"Look, it's not like I went anywhere. I just..." He paused, inventing the first plausible excuse that came to mind, "I just had to give a friend a lift back from a club, that's all. Her date abandoned her there." He shrugged, "It was on the other side of town, so I struggled to find my way. There's nowhere for you to follow me tomorrow." He offered an innocent smile, trusting in Kyte's naivety to cement his lie.
"Right..." He sighed, pushing his dark red hair back out of his face, "It's late now. We should try catch at least a few minutes of sleep before tomorrow..."

***

The next day passed in a blur of wide yawns, black-ringed eyes, and sleeping through classes for Trent. He was exhausted, and after ending the day with a chemistry test that he knew he had flunked, he was in a rotten mood. Kyte had been following him around most of the day, but his presence to Trent was like that of a puppy constantly getting under one's feet. Even if he stepped on it at some point and made it yelp, the guilt of it only fueled his annoyance. When he wasn't being harsh and abrasive, he was ignoring Kyte completely. He didn't mean to do it... He just didn't have the energy to deal with Kyte's over-the-top personality after such a tiring night.
At long last, he headed back to his dorm room, yawning for what must have been the thousandth time, only to find Luke waiting there with a smile on his face. At the sight of him, Trent brightened instantly, and with Kyte in his shadow, he walked up to greet his friend.
"Nice face, T-Rex." Luke teased, being extra-nice after their fallout the day before, "Sleep much?"
"Not enough." Trent admitted with a little shrug, "Had to rescue some damsel in distress from a club."
"Sure, sure." Luke winked at him, ruffling his hair and making him blush as only Luke could, "What a hero. Well, I hope you're not too tired, 'cause I've got a surprise for you."
"A surprise?" Trent asked cautiously, quickly fixing his spiked hair as he watched Luke, eyes brighter than they'd been all day. His lips even managed a faint smile, seeing his friend at last. "Why do I get the feeling I won't like it?"
"You'll like it!" Luke grinned, then reached into his pocket, and produced two little pieces of paper with a great flourish of his hand. "Here!"
Curious, Trent reached out, and as he took them, his face brightened instantly. "You're f*cking kidding me!" He exclaimed, sounding
uncharacteristically excited as he looked up, a wide grin on his face, "Slipknot?!"
Luke nodded, "Golden Circle, Baby!"
With a gasp of laughter, Trent shook his head, staring down at the tickets in his hand in absolute disbelief. Slipknot was one of his all-time favourite bands, and he had spent most of his life longing to see them. When he'd heard they were coming, the thought of missing them had damn near done his head in, but since he knew he couldn't afford the tickets, he had tried not to think about it.
"My God," Trent laughed, "I could give you a hug right now."
"Now now, Don't embarrass yourself, T-Rex." Luke laughed, giving his hair another teasing ruffle, "As if you could hug with those stubby little arms."
"Oh, har har." Trent pulled a face, then laughed again despite himself. "Seriously, Luke, you're f*cking brilliant! How'd you manage this?"
"Just a gift from the old GF." He grinned, "Or from her brother, actually. He works for Big Concerts - got the tickets free, and she gave them to me, but..." He laughed, "Well, I figured it wasn't our scene. You, on the other hand..."
Trent smiled mechanically, turning suddenly robotic as the spark of light left his eyes. "I'd hoped you were coming along." He admitted with a forced chuckle, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.
"Me? Never!" Luke uttered another bark of laughter, oblivious to the sudden dampening of Trent's spirits, "Oh, and speaking of my girlfriend..."

From there, Luke continued to treat Trent and Kyte to the story of how they'd met, a number of inappropriate metaphors regarding the size of her breasts, and a VIP tour of all the photos of her on his phone. Through it all, Trent maintained his cheerful face as best he could, smiling and laughing where appropriate, but no matter how good his act was, it was still clear that his heart was not in it. He was disappointed, to say the least. And when Luke finally walked away, for a moment, he looked downright upset. He watched his friend until he vanished around the corner. Then, suddenly, he remembered Kyte.
"Hey," He turned to his roommate, sounding a little too bright, and asked with a forced smile, "You don't want to come along, do you? They're a little heavy, but it'd be a shame to waste a ticket. They're a great band." He offered a ticket to Kyte, holding onto his own like he was Charlie Bucket, and the ticket was made of gold. "It'll mean another late night, but it'll be a blast. Are you in?"

The morning started off with an odd screeching sound echoing out from Kyte's bug-themed alarm clock. It was the cry of cicada; a sound so annoying and repetitive it was  surprising that the dead didn't wake.
Thankfully before it could alert the whole building, Kyte bounced out of bed and silenced it with a rude thwack.
Picking up the now-sorry object, he grinned cheerfully at the early hours still churning on the clock's face. Today would be his second day at the academy and he was looking forward to it.
He had slept rather well considering his late night, and tossing the clock carelessly over his shoulder, he decided to creep over quietly to where Trent lay sleeping.
There was something rather mysterious about that tangled lump on the opposite end of the room. And feeling slightly more daring that usual, Kyte edged closer to steal a peek at his still slumbering roommate.
His intention had been initially to wake Trent, but that changed once he caught sight of the peaceful expression painted beautifully across those perfectly chiseled features. The sight was like something out a child-hood fantasy, it struck a cord of nostalgia within Kyte as he thought back on a story somebody had once told him. He couldn’t remember the face of that person now, but he remember the tale clearly enough. It  been about a sleeping princess, Hadn't it? Had she ever woken up?
Deciding to leave Trent to his peaceful dreams, Kyte then shrugged off his thoughts and quickly pulled on some clean clothes.

...Minutes later, The boy was out the door and making his way down towards the cafeteria.
Ordering up a  quick bowl of cereal, and a less than necessary energy drink, he gobbled down the meal hastily before setting off to start his second day of 'School'.

Eagerly chasing down school bells and roster maps, Kyte somehow managed to attend most of his classes without being too late.
His sense of direction hadn't gotten better; probably never would, but at least once he joined up with Trent things seemed to go smoother. At least being with Trent around would make getting lost slightly more entertaining.
The rest of the day passed by quick enough, and by the time Kyte had finished jotting down the last of his math homework, the siren-like bell rang out, signaling the end of another day at the academy.
With a bright grin and a small yawn, Kyte slammed his books closed and scrabbling clumsily with a mess of  pens and papers.
A short while later he dashed down the hallway to catch up with Trent. He hadn't taken note of the abrasive attitude Trent bore, nor the general irritation in the man's tone. Kyte was always a little oblivious to things like that, as far as he knew Trent was just a little tired, he hadn't seen the guy eat at all that day either.
When they finally reached the dormitories, Trent was the first one to enter the room. Stepping inside after his roommate like a peevish little shadow, Kyte found his gaze automatically drift from Trent down to the familiar face grinning back at them out from the corner of the room.
With a mock salute and a cheerful yelp, Kyte exclaimed, “LUKE! Ah! Dude how you been?”
Dumping his backpack unceremoniously on the floor, he then skipped over to where Luke sat, deciding to take a spot neatly beside the boy as the began to chat.
He stole Luke's attention for a good few minutes, before settling down a notch and listening curiously to what his friend had to say to Trent.
Luke had brought a little gift for Trent today, surprising him with some pretty awesome slipknot concert tickets. With a cheeky grin in place, he then shared even bigger surprise, that He had managed to pick up a new girlfriend!
When Kyte heard about this, he was literally over the moon with excitement for Luke. He made sure to toss a seemingly endless barrage of curious questions his way. Thankfully Luke was only too happy to answer them.
Ecstatic about one friend's happiness, Kyte felt his concern spike slightly. He couldn’t help but notice the slight dejection in his other companion. The moment Trent had seen Luke, he had lit up like a candle. Yet now even as Luke bragged on, Kyte could see it clear as day; A tiny wrinkle of displeasure, maybe even hurt was hidden there in the corner of that handsome mouth. Trent was upset...but why?

When Luke finally decided to take his leave, Kyte felt his amber gaze silently linger over Trent's presence in the doorway.
For a while his  friend just seemed to stand there; lost in his own thoughts and world. Those ice-blue eyes still transfixed upon the corner Luke had rounded only minutes ago.
Furrowing his eyebrows uncertainty, Kyte sighed and stepped forward, “Trent?...hey,um what's up?”
Slowly padding closer to where his friend stood, Kyte then reached out and tugged softly on the man's sleeve. Trent instinctively turned his attention down turned towards Kyte.
A forced smile had been slapped into place, but before the younger teen could say anything about it, Trent opened his mouth to speak.
"Hey, You don't want to come along, do you? They're a little heavy, but it'd be a shame to waste a ticket. They're a great band....It'll mean another late night, but it'll be a blast. Are you in?""
Kyte was clearly gob-struck by what he was hearing, and shaking his head quickly , he blurted out a reply, “Of course I'm In!...I haven't really ever been to a concert before, but I defiantly want to go. I really REALLY want to.”  
Taking a hold of the offered ticket, he clung to it tightly like a small child would with a treasured toy. A jubilant  smile reached all the way up to his eyes as he softened his tone and spoke, “Thanks Trent”

**************************************************************************

The night of the concert came with much anticipation from both boys as they idled along the jammed up streets and roads. The traffic was terrible that night, but thankfully Trent had thought ahead and offered Kyte a lift on his cruiser.
A bike was far smaller than and a car and crossing over the occasional pavement was defiantly worth the risk if it meant shoring a good spot in front of the stage.

Once they had reached the concert venue, they showed their tickets and made their way through the stadium entrance into the 'golden circle.'
With Trent leading the way, Kyte was certain not to get lost this time. And as instructed by Luke, he just followed after his roommate like an obedient little puppy dog, taking shelter behind Trent as people cleared a path for them. ((I imagine that Trent still has a scary face, especially when he wants to go or have something XD))
Shuffling along through crowds of excited heavy-metal fans, Kyte began to pick up on their energetic vibes. It wasn't long before his own excitement began to show, and  with a cheeky grin, he suddenly took hold of Trent's hand and bounced forward towards the front of the stage. “Come on Trent, It's starting!”
The boy's clear height disadvantage showed painfully as he skipped along the crowd. Thankfully It also gave him the one perk of slipping in and around people arms and legs more easily.
By the time the two reached the stage, the band had already come out to greet the masses.
With their skin-tight clothing,  custom instruments, and masked faces, they had all the tools necessary to rile up this metal-hungry crowd.
A brilliantly grin painted the face of the lead Guitarist. And like a king to his people, he stepped forward to bless his worshipers with a taste of skillful  strumming.
Picking at the strings of his glossy black instrument, he stole the spotlight, opening up with a hit single straight off their latest album.
Like a single body of water, the crowd reacted to it. They began to dance, sing and head-bang to tunes of misfortune, pain and rebellion. The music was like the very life blood of the people, and despite finding it a little heavy, Kyte smiled and moved to rhythm of the beat.
He had always been able to dance, and wasted no shame in pouring out his heart to each tune. It was almost as though the music spoke to him, and If you looked closely enough, you could see it in his movements.
He stayed close to Trent through out most of the concert. Dancing beside him, laughing happily and sharing in the sheer excitement of the entire event.
But as the night darkened further, the concert began to draw closer to it's end.
In a moment the tune of the music changed. A hollow key suddenly echoed eerily off the piano on stage. Kyte furrowed his eyebrows uncertainly at the haunting sound. His heart-beat quickened with anticipation, while the saddened tune nearly brought him close to tears.
He wasn't sure why, but he instinctively stepped backwards, deeper into the crowd as though in driven to through some daze. His eyes briefly met Trent's before he lost sight of his friend completely.
In an instant the sorrowful plea of the piano vanished altogether. It was struck down with the killer bass bellowing off from the drum set on stage.
Kyte was quickly separated from Trent. And as the people around him grew rowdier, the poor boy found himself gradually ushered away from the stage. With all the shoving and chaos in the air, he stepped wrong, falling directly into line with a wilder than legal Mosh pit.
His world seemed to spin as the Pit caught him. Arms like tree-branches struck out at him, throwing him backwards and forwards into the sweaty palms of faceless people. Kyte felt shock bind him, he didn't know what was happening. Before he could even think about what to do, he lost his footing and fell roughly to his knees.
Time seemed to slow at this point, blurring and softening the deafening sounds of the world around him. He was barely aware of the blood damping his scarped hands, and clumsily he tried to stand up.
Much to his utter dismay, his legs refused to listen to him, They were shaking too much from fear. Frustrated, Kyte slipped back down to the floor. He found himself trapped dangerously between tangles of lashing legs and arms. He was frightened now to the point of tears, and gripping his shoulders tightly, he tried to protect his bruised body.
He could taste the blood on his lower lip, and as a flash of red caught his eye from above, he shut his eyes and called out the first name that came to mind, “TRENT!”

((Kyte is a certain lion cub trapped in a stampede of wildebeest XD. GO Trent GO! ))

The concert was literally a dream come true. Thanks to some less than stellar driving on Trent's part, including several traffic violations and an alley cat that had very nearly lost all nine of its lives, they had managed to arrive early enough to claim a spot right at the front of the stage, with a little glaring and shoving to get there. Luckily, even six foot four giants with dreadlocks and dirty beards tangled in lip piercings stepped out of Trent's way when his icy gaze fell upon them. They arrived in front of the stage just as the band stepped out, arms raised above their heads and instruments at the ready, and in an instant, the stadium erupted into a cacophony of sounds. Between the blasting music and the throat-tearing screams, Trent felt half-deaf before the first song had ended, but that didn't stop him from banging his head and screaming at the top of his lungs to every bone-shuddering sound issuing from the giant speakers overhead.
Kyte danced madly beside him, but Trent was so caught up in the concert that he paid the boy little mind. Until, that is, the final song began, and he glanced beside him to see that Kyte was no longer there.
Suddenly panicked, he spun around, deafened by the earsplitting bass roaring from the stage behind him, and in the nick of time, he caught a glimpse of an eyepatched face vanishing between two hulking, shirtless men with builds like gorillas. 

With an inaudible shout lost in the noise, Trent plunged forwards, shoving through dancing, headbanging fans in pursuit of Kyte. They were packed like sardines now, and forcing his way between them was considerably more difficult than it had been when they'd arrived. A second time he shouted after Kyte, jumping up to see over the sea of flying hair blocking his vision. He found himself on the outskirts of a mosh pit, and when one man was thrown back to break the ranks - knocking into a black-haired girl who spilled her drink onto her shirt, then spun around to slap him - Trent saw his hole, and took it. In an instant, he was thrown into the thick of the pit and then, during a split-second silence in the music, he heard a familiar voice scream his name. 
“TRENT!”
"Kyte-"
He plunged forward, reaching out a hand, only to be shoved roughly to the side. He stumbled, nearly lost his balance, then found himself jostled forcefully in another direction. All the while, he danced upon anxious feet, struggling to catch a glimpse of Kyte, and cursing under his breath. The people around him thrashed like furious beasts, and try as he might, Trent could not get through to the fallen figure being rapidly trampled in the middle of the pit. At last, his patience snapped.
"F*CK!" He roared, charging forwards and slamming his shoulder into the nearest person with the force of a battering ram. He sent the man flying, nearly knocking over another crazed metalhead, and before the victim could shove back, Trent dived through the gap he'd created, and reached down to seize Kyte's hand. In a flash, he had pulled the boy to his feet, clamping him firmly to his chest, and hunching his shoulders protectively. His heart raced, punching at his ribs as his hawklike eyes darted left and right, searching for an escape route. People rammed them from every side, but Trent did not try to counter the blows. Instead, he set his feet, standing his ground like an island in a stormy sea, and hugging Kyte close while sweating bodies battered and bruised him, and knocked him about. Then, at last, he saw a gap.
With his one arm like a seatbelt over Kyte, holding the boy safely against his strong chest, Trent used his free hand, to aim a violent punch right into the face of the last person standing between him and his way out. Without waiting to see the figure fall, blood spurting from both nostrils, Trent plunged out of the pit, slipping in a puddle of beer, and very nearly losing his balance. He skidded, fell into somebody who shoved him away, then quickly righted himself and stopped, breathing heavily, and stood dead still in the dancing, jumping crowd. He held Kyte tight enough to bruise, but even now that they'd escaped the pit, his grip did not slacken. His arm around his friend was shaking, and the only thing faster than his panting breath was the way his heart scrabbled wildly inside his chest. He tried to say something, but his voice was lost in the pounding music, and he shook his head in desperation. He had to get Kyte out!
Without a second thought, he ducked down, knocking Kyte's knees out from under him, and lifting him into his arms, cradling him like some kind of princess. A teenage boy beside him smirked, raising an eyebrow at him, but after receiving Trent's very best death stare, he quickly melted away into the crowd.

Determined and shameless, Trent held fast to Kyte as he kicked and shoved his way to the nearest fire exit. He was stopped by a burly security guard, telling him that the exit was for emergencies only, but after Trent retorted with several viciously creative suggestions about where he could shove his 'emergencies', and who his mother was likely to have shagged recently, the man raised two palms, told Trent to chill, then let them through - obviously recognizing the panic that Trent didn't even realize was showing in his own face. With a brief word of thanks - since he now felt pretty bad for being such a dick to a nice guy just trying to do his job - Trent stumbled out into the fresh air outside, and stopped. As the door slammed shut behind them, suddenly, everything was silent. For the first time, Trent heard himself hyperventilating, and then the lack of oxygen hit him like a punch.
His exhausted arms slackened without his permission, spilling Kyte onto his feet as he doubled over, hands braced on shaking knees, and struggled to catch his breath. He could taste salt on the air, and when he finally looked up, he realized that they were standing on top of a tall, grassy cliff overlooking the sea. The cool, fresh breeze helped to sober him up quickly, and once he'd caught his breath, Trent cast Kyte a concerned glance.
"Are you okay?" He whispered hoarsely, straightening up, and gently taking Kyte's narrow shoulders in his hands. "Hold still, let me look at you."
Frowning deeply, he let his eyes search Kyte carefully up and down, taking note of every patch of dust and dirt, every stain from spilled beer, and every cut and bruise.
"You're a mess..." He muttered - sounding deeply upset - and shrugged off his jacket. "Here." Frowning deeper still, he scrunched up his jacket, and used it to gently wipe away the dirt, grunge and blood from Kyte's face and hands. Last of all, he brushed a spot of dust tenderly from the boy's shoulder, then looked into his face again, searching the single, bright eye staring back at him. His throat contracted, and he had to clench his jaw to keep his lip from trembling.
"I'm sorry," He whispered, throwing an arm around Kyte's shoulders, and pulling him quickly into a half-hug so he couldn't see the way Trent's face scrunched with emotion. "I'm so sorry, Kyte..."
Despite his best efforts, the tremor in his voice was clear, and it was all he could do to keep the lump in his throat from dissolving into tears.
How could I let this happen? He could have died because of me! I nearly lost him...
Images of Luke, battered and bruised in his hospital bed, flashed quickly through Trent's mind, and he shook his head to shoo them away. He had nearly let Luke die that time. And now, Kyte too... It had been so close. Too close.
I should never have brought him here. I should never have taken my eyes off him! Kyte... I'm sorry...

Kyte barely registered the hand that had latched tightly around his wrist, He was too disorientated and scared to even think.
The rank stench of alcohol, Vomit and cigarette smoke seemed to burn his nose and lungs. He felt as though he were choking, drowning all too quickly in a man-made sea of bodies and violence. He struggled once more against the pull on his wrist, before crying out fearfully and crumbling into a familiar pair of arms.
Kyte didn't need to look up to know who had caught him, he merely shut is eyes and clung feebly to Trent's shirt. The world around him had warped under the influence of his own fear, only he believed in his own hallucinations.
He saw human-bodies change and blacken. The rippling shimmer of draconium scales tosseled in the light, while eyes of the purest amethyst burned into his brain.
Kyte sobbed silently into Trent's shirt; desperately wishing away the familiar demons that had always haunted his fears. They seemed to come to him when he was alone, or when he was feeling most vulnerable. Those haunting images of blackened beasts and violet eyes.
When his friend finally scooped him up like a fallen damsel, Kyte left his fate entirely in Trent's hands. It was a strange act of trust, but Kyte's mind was far to gone to even function. All the poor boy knew, at that moment, was that the only person who could save him was Trent.
Once they were together, Trent battled his way through the crowds with Kyte still cradled silently in his arms. It was a quite a fight to procure a 'safe' path through the maddened fans, but after a few unregetted punches and foul-mouthed curses, Trent achieved his objective with full marks.
___________________________________________________________________________
The cold bite of fresh-sea air was the first thing to rouse Kyte back to reality, the second was the lack of support Kyte felt around his limbs once Trent had finally released him.
The boy squeaked with surprise, before stumbling clumsily onto his feet. For a moment or two he simply turned on his heel and blinked uncertainly at a seaside landscape now sprawled out before him. "Wha-? Wait, when did I get here?..."
A hoarse familiar voice caught his attention, and feeling the warmth of fingers pressing gently into his shoulders, Kyte stared up uncertainly into Trent's icy gaze.
"Are you okay?
Nodding silently, Kyte didn't respond with words. His only shown eye widened at what he saw instead. Despite Trent's fussing, the man was clearly in rough shape too. His handsome face bore lines of utter distress and panic to it. It was as though Trent had just stepped out of some kind of horrid fight, his clothes and body were torn and stained with marks of battle.
"Hold still let me look at you."
With this in mind, It was difficult for Kyte to actually stand still. He did as he was told, but still felt worry slip onto his own child-like features. He didn't want to meet Trent's honest eyes, he didn't feel as though he deserved the concern glimmering gently there. If anything he was simply more concerned over Trent's state than his own. Maybe if he had never left his side this wouldn't have all happened...
"You're a mess...", Trent added, clearly still upset.
"Huh? Oh I'm okay...really I'm fine", Kyte added with a weakened smile. He still hurt in places, but for the most part he felt better.  He had been afraid more than anything else, but now that he was calm he didn't feel it as much.
When Trent removed his jacket, Kyte quirked an eyebrow curiously. What is he up too? he wondered.
Pinching the end of the soft leather jacket, Trent frowned. With some concentration, he
began to wipe away the dirt and filth from Kyte's arms and face.
Kyte swallowed back the shyness he felt towards this action. It was almost too kind, and in turn he resolved simply to blushing and staring thoughtfully at his shoes.
When Trent had finished up with his task, he paused and mumbled breathlessly, I'm so sorry,Kyte..."
Shaking his head quickly at those words, Kyte took hold of Trent's hands and babbled quickly, "No...this is my fault, I shouldn't have wondered off. Trent! I'm the one who should be sorry! I-"
He didn't dare cry again, but his cheeks and eyes felt hot and heavy with shame.
"Trent...just look at you, you're hurt all over" Mumbling fretfully, Kyte bit his own lip and frowned. Standing up on the tips of his toes, the younger teen reached up a hand and tenderly wiped away a tiny smear of blood on his friend's cheek. He didn't know what to say, all that came to his lips were the words "I'm sorry" and "please don't hate me."
Despite both of the boy's insistence that the fault was their own, they were in much the same state both physically and mentally. Kyte's hands still trembled from mild shock, And after a moment or two, he sighed and flopped down unceremoniously onto the grass. Pulling his knees up to his chest, Kyte murmured thoughtfully, "I didn't mean to upset you...And I-I really hope that we can still be friends. I know that I’m a bit much to be around. Most people don’t like to deal with this kind of stuff"
Scratching his head cutely, Kyte sighed and forced a smile, “The concert was fun though…right? I had a great time. ”
 
 
((Wow Kyte's really messed up with this whole friendship thing. I think that he honestly thinks that Trent's going to never talk to him again. O.o...I sense impending phycological damage hehe))

Trent just stood, stunned, as Kyte apologized to him and wiped the blood from his face. The other boy looked very near to tears.
"Hate you?" Trent repeated incredulously, his lip curling up as he pulled away, stepping back with a disgruntled expression on his face. "Kyte..."
Before he could finish, Kyte humoured his trembling legs by sitting down on the ground, a sorry and defeated thing, hunched at the shoulders. To see the boy who had been the very essence of life and energy for in such a despondent state was deeply shocking, and the sight of it struck Trent at his core, rendering him statuesque, too stunned to move, too stunned to speak. 
The boy's knees lifted to his chest, and as he curled up into himself, he mumbled, "I didn't mean to upset you... And I-I really hope that we can still be friends. I know that I’m a bit much to be around. Most people don’t like to deal with this kind of stuff."
A moment's pause, then, “The concert was fun though…right? I had a great time.”
The look Kyte shot him - like an abandoned puppy tossed into the gutter - was enough to finally jerk him from his trance. 
Trent scoffed, then grabbed Kyte roughly by the collar, and shoved him to his feet. 
"Are you f*cking stupid?" He demanded sharply, grabbing the boy's narrow shoulders and giving them a rough shake, "How the hell can you talk like that, Kyte? Did you not see me a second ago?" He uttered a bark of laughter, "Generally if a guy's blubbering over you like a f*cking baby, it means he kinda cares."
His raw voice faded into the silence, leaving the emotions swirling tensely in the air between them. For a moment the tension grew, and then Trent felt it break him. A breath fell from his lips as his head slumped forward, and as he raised it to rake his fingers through his fringe, he couldn't help but chuckle. 
"Okay, Kyte." He sighed, ruffling the boy's hair reassuringly, "Yelling at you is probablynot the best way to show it, but I'm not upset. Aside from Luke, you're the only friend I have here, and since Luke doesn't exactly seem to have much time for me any more, I'm grateful that I've got you." With an awkward shrug of his shoulders, his lips lifted into a smile, though his eyes remained sad as he thought of Luke. Luke and his new girlfriend...
"Sorry I freaked out." He finished softly, stepping back from Kyte and turning to stare out over the sea. "It's just... Well, I nearly lost Luke to bullying once before. When I see that kind of thing happening now, I-" 
Trent shuddered, then broke off, his pale eyes dropping to the ground as the sea breeze tousled his red hair.

With a surprised squeak, Kyte felt the collar of his shirt tighten as Trent yanked him up from off the floor and shoved him back onto his feet.
For a moment the poor boy honestly thought that a good scolding was coming his way, and in response he felt himself flinch when Trent's hands latched tightly around his tiny shoulders.
He had already been roughed up quite badly at the concert, And still felt quite sick from the initial shock and fear of the entire ordeal.
Trent's upset with me..., Kyte thought fearfully. I don't know what to do to make him happy...He's my friend, I want him to smile. He can't look at me like that, It's just too sad...Did I make him sad? Oh my word, I wish I had a toaster Waffle. That would just fix everything. I could make him happy with one of those
Panicking inside a world all his own, Kyte felt the sharp edge of Trent's voice suddenly cut him from his thoughts. "How the hell can you talk like that, Kyte? Did you not see me a second ago?...Generally if a guy's blubbering over you like a f*cking baby, it means he kinda cares."
"....Oh? It does?"
Purely Dumbfounded, Kyte felt a moment of slow comprehension finally lead him to what seemed to be some kind of realistic conclusion. Trent wasn't angry then?...Did he mention the word care? So wait, He cares about me?
The very idea of this, left the tiniest hint of a smile upon the boy's lips. He couldn't help but chuckle as a sense of utter relief flooded through his tensed body.
It was so obvious now. He knew that Trent was protective by nature, that he was a good friend. It was only natural for him to be concerned. Kyte's inexperience with friendship was clearly still showing. He hadn't meant to be so naïve about all of this.

Feeling a hand run affectionately through his tosseled hair, Kyte laughed and beamed up at Trent with eager eyes. His friend had apologized again, and words of reassurance were all that was needed to return Kyte back to his energetic lively state.
Gentler now and ever thoughtful, one factor in Trent still kept Kyte on edge. He seemed to be smiling, but still the seriousness is his eyes had yet to disappear. Kyte raised his eyebrows curiously at Trent's slightly more disjointed sentences. In his head he could see the words all dancing around in cold colors of serious blues and grays. They had only done that once Luke's name had been mentioned.
Puzzled, Kyte tried to associate the tone with a feeling or emotion that he knew.
Was Trent sad about Luke? Surely he was happy that Luke was happy? That he had found a girl to share his feelings with...He doesn't seem happy though. Hmmm? Maybe he just misses him now that they don't see each other as often?...But what did he mean when when he said that he had nearly lost him before.
The suspicion that something dark had happened now gnawed at Kyte's brain like a earthworm inside an apple.
Feeling the urge to finally speak, Kyte felt a natural sense of understandingly come to him. Taking a tiny step closer towards Trent, The younger teen stood at his side and mimicked his action, staring out at the vast ocean scene before him.
"I'm glad that you're not upset with me.", Kyte began softly. Smiling he tucked his arms behind his head and added casually, "I shouldn't have been so dramatic back there either, but...y'know I just want you to know that I'm also grateful...Grateful to have you as a friend too."
Scratching his head awkwardly, he chuckled, "You're a really great person Trent ... I haven't had many friends out here either, but...I want you to know that despite being a complete Kid, yeah I know what I am XD. I am here for you if you ever need me."
A small pause left Kyte enough time to pluck up the courage he needed for the next question weighing on his mind. And sucking in a deep breath, he tugged on his friend's sleeve and asked "um, Trent?...If you don't mind me asking, What did you mean when you said that you had almost lost Luke to bullying before?"

As Trent watched the waves of the ocean crashing violently against the base of the cliff below, he felt Kyte step up beside him. At first he just kept watching the sea, but once Kyte mentioned how grateful he was to have him as a friend, Trent couldn't help but smile. "Thanks." He murmured, "I-" But Kyte wasn't done yet, and he stopped when the other boy went on, honestly surprising him with the depth of his thinking, and a sheer perceptiveness that Trent had not believed he could possess.
"You're a really great person Trent... I haven't had many friends out here either, but... I want you to know that despite being a complete Kid -- yeah I know what I am -- I am here for you if you ever need me."
His eyes widened a little, and he stared at Kyte, honestly stunned speechless by this level of friendship and caring. He had known already that Kyte was pretty fond of him -- obsessed with him, even -- but it had never occurred to him that this bouncy, sugar-sweet and shallow 'kid' that he confessed he had seen Kyte as, could actually offer support to him in such a way.
Who would have ever guessed that in the shadow of the darkest abyss in his mind, Kyte, of all people, could give him comfort?
A tentative hand tugged at his sleeve, dragging him out of his thoughts as a small voice asked, "Um, Trent...? If you don't mind me asking, What did you mean when you said that you had almost lost Luke to bullying before?"

He turned his head and looked at Kyte, considering him thoughtfully, and wondering how much it would be right to say. At last, he settled for telling the story. The story, yes, but not the prologue. He wasn't sure he was ready, yet, to confess out loud how he felt about Luke. He wasn't even sure if Kyte would understand, or if he'd condemn him for it. He didn't want to risk that.
"When we were kids," He began quietly, "Luke and I always walked home from school together. Our families lived next door, and we were best friends right from the start. He was a damn sad case as a kid; you know the type: glasses, braces, a tendency to overreact, and just a little bit of a lisp. It was like life had painted a target on his back, and so I took it upon myself, whenever a bully dared cross him, to put them in their place. Nobody really messed with me," He shrugged, "So Luke got by just fine, until one day, when we were nearing the start of our high school careers, I left him to walk alone. They came after him then, laughing and shouting, hitting him with sticks." His lips curled into loathing sneer, "The f*cking animals were having a damn ball. They beat him until he pissed himself, and by the time I showed up, they had a brick poised to crack over his head. They ran when they saw me," He sighed heavily, "But it was too late. I found him with his face all jacked up, and blood pouring from his head. I just freaked, I didn't know what to do. He was bleeding out there in my hands," He raised his hands, shaking his head miserably at them, as though he could still see it, "And I just did nothing. Eventually some old couple passed and they called an ambulance, took him in to hospital. The brick had fractured his skull, and he was in a coma for six weeks. It was touch and go." He closed his eyes, "By the end of it, I really thought he wasn't going to wake up. I was a mess, lost without him. I can't even begin to explain how thankful I am that he came through it. If he hadn't, I would never have forgiven myself..."

The memory of that day overwhelmed him, and as his knees slackened, he slid slowly down to sit back on his coccyx, staring out at the sparkling reflections of stars on water. He felt despair grow, tightening his throat, and Kyte's words from before trickled back through his mind, innocent and helpful. I'm here for you if you need me.
And God save him, he sure did need [I]somebody[I]. Before he knew what was happening, he had laid his trust down in Kyte's hands, and decided to set free the caged beast within him that had gnawed at his heart for so long.
"Luke was more than just a friend to me." He admitted with a weary sigh, dropping the bombshell right from the off, "That day, for the first time, I had found the courage to tell him. I thought, expected even, that he would feel the same, but," He shrugged, smiling sadly, "He just laughed it off. Thought it was a joke or something. That... It hurt, I guess. But I should never have left him to walk home on his own that day. I think about it all the time, how selfish I must have been... That was why I could never have let him come here alone. I vowed to follow him to the ends of the earth if I have to. Anything to make sure something like this never happens again... Even if that means that I have to watch him fall in love with someone else." His face took on a pained expression, and then suddenly he was doubling over, burying his face in his hands and groaning into faintly sweating palms, "Good God, I'm pathetic. You must think I'm such a mess," He groaned, dragging his fingers down his face and pulling the lower lids wearily away from his eyes, "I'm still f*cking stuck on a guy I've loved since I was twelve, who can never love me back as long as we live. My life's a bloody comedy skit!" He laughed, but whether or not the amusement in his voice was sincere was certainly questionable.
"So... Well, yeah." He rubbed the back of his head, and shot Kyte an awkward smile, "That's what I've got going on. What's your shit?"

Kyte listened wordlessly as Trent began to speak. The man's words were harbingers from the past, each carrying with it the pictures of a tragic tale turned gruesome and ugly.
It both frightened Kyte and amazed him all at the same time. He could see every emotion painstakingly etched into Trent's gorgeous features. He could see the pain, the regret, the gentle tremble or quiver in his sullen voice.
Kyte had always suspected of course that Luke had meant something more to Trent, but it was only now that he truly understood the dynamic of their relationship. They weren't just friends, Trent was dependent on Luke...just as Luke had been dependent on Trent.
Trent had nearly lost Luke, the person who had meant absolutely everything to him. He would have died through the common cruelly of other people, Through the boredom and sick antics of ravenous fools.
He shuddered at that thought, his naive brain falling in and out of a mean spiral of uncertainty. Are people really like that?...I don't understand this. Why were they so cruel? Why would anyone ever hurt another person like that?...How could Trent even begin to blame himself for what had happened. It wasn't his fault...
The smile he had worn before had long since worn away, and at this point he felt very near the brink of tears. He knew he had absolutely nothing to do with what had happened, but he still wished that he could have gone back in time and been there to help, to do something, anything.

Nibbling fretfully on his lip, Kyte mulled obsessively over all that he was hearing. A tiny part of him hated how lucky he had been. As far he knew, people had always told him how lucky he was to have life so easily handed to him. It was only now that he truly understood how right they were. He had always had it easy. He had never known such hardship in his entire life, he couldn't even conjure up a single thought of anything cruel or painful.
Fearing that he might fall victim to his emotions, Kyte swallowed back the hard lump gradually forming inside his throat.

When Trent's tale reached it's end, Kyte finally tore his gaze away. Not once had he looked away before, not since the tale had begun, it was only now in his time of reflection, that he felt the simple need to close his mind and gather up his courage and thoughts.
I don't know what to say...I wish I had something to say. What can I do to pull you out of this rut. I'm no good with emotions, or even people...Trent

"Good God, I'm pathetic. You must think I'm such a mess"
Trent's muffled voice tore Kyte from his panicked thoughts. And oddly enough as he looked up into those despondent, hurt eyes. The words he had been searching for suddenly came to him.
With a thoughtful frown, Kyte quietly shook his head, "No...I know that you're strong. There's not a pathetic bone in you're body...I wouldn't believe that"
A bark of bitter laughter suddenly emanated from Trent's lips. "I'm still f*cking stuck on a guy I've loved since I was twelve, who can never love me back as long as we live. My life's a bloody comedy skit!"
Kyte looked sightly unnerved by Trent's bitter attitude, but determined as ever, he opened his mouth and uttered softly "You're unlucky...You're situation isn't fair."
A small sigh escaped his lips, and slumping down beside his friend, Kyte pulled his knees up to his chest,"Y'know...This is going to sound stupid, but...Sometimes I wish I knew every single thing about the universe and how it works."
He blushed awkwardly, before trying to explain, "Then I'd know how to give people the right answers to the questions they have... All the Why's and What if's...all the do's and dont's"
Scratching his head thoughtfully Kyte wrinkled his eyebrows, "I don't have any of the answers of course...but Trent-"
He paused and stared intensely at him; That single golden eye glossy with mystery and simple affection. "I just want you know, that even though Luke is with somebody else. He still loves you...you're his best friend after-all...he always will."
A tiny smile lit up the boy's peevish features. He knew that Trent had been through hell, but he still had Luke here in the present. He didn't need to be sad anymore.
I just want to see you happy Trent...

Unlucky, that was what Kyte said. That it wasn't fair. If it wasn't for the honesty in his voice, Trent might have just waved this off and disregarded it, but since it was Kyte, he simply couldn't. He couldn't, because he knew that the boy truly meant it, and when he really thought about it, he realised that he believed it too. It was unfair! It wasn't just 'the way things were' or, 'just life', or 'fate'. It wasn't fine, and it wasn't okay. It wasn't any of those things that he kept telling himself it was; these lies that got him by. It was unfair! And as he thought, he found himself indignantly wondering how dare life deal him such a sour hand. Did he not deserve to be happy?
Presently, Kyte slid down beside him, and Trent's eyes lifted from the ground, flitting softly over the boy's handsome face - for he was handsome - and considering the tenderness in those lovely features.
"Y'know..." Kyte said, blushing, "This is going to sound stupid, but... Sometimes I wish I knew every single thing about the universe and how it works."
"Mm?" Trent murmured, tilting his head curiously a little to one side.
"Then I'd know how to give people the right answers to the questions they have... All the Why's and What if's... All the do's and dont's."
Slowly, Trent nodded his head in understanding, and a strange, sad kind of fondness squeezed at his heart. It was just like Kyte, he thought, wishing only that he could help people, and take their sadness away. There was a kindness in him, a compassion that Trent's lonely heart craved in its entirety, and as the boy's gorgeous golden eye turned to lock intently on his face, Trent felt himself drawn to the sweetness in that gaze like a drowning man to water. In a life as unjust as his, where love was a prize impossible to win, this kindness was a solace that he found it suddenly impossible to live without. Kyte looked at him. He looked back. And with all the mysterious affection of a person who cared about him simply out of the pureness of his heart, Kyte smiled, and said reassuringly, "I just want you know, that even though Luke is with somebody else, he still loves you. You're his best friend, after all... He always will."
And this, the unkindest cut of all. It was undeniably true, and in its truth, Trent found his own undoing. Of course, Luke would always love him. Trent the friend, the buddy, the pal. How could he possibly look into that bright, enthusiastic face beside him and divulge his own morbid loneliness? How could he look upon an innocence so pure, and confess that all the friendship in the world could never heal the hurt of falling desperately into unrequited love, and sticking it out as a friend, an unwavering pillar of support through loves and break-ups, watching his Love hurt over and over again by one long parade of people who must always be wrong for him, since Trent knew that here, right here where he stood, was the only person in the world capable of loving Luke the way he should be loved. He was doomed to watch the one he cared about above all others enter into relationships time and again, knowing each time that either Luke would eventually end up tragically hurt, or else he would marry away and slowly fade from Trent's life altogether. Each prospect was as hopelessly alarming as the other, and in the face of kindness, Trent felt his despair well and overflow for the very first time. With Kyte's smiling strength beside him, he truly felt the own injustice of his situation, and it made him crumble inside.
"Why can't I just find someone like you?" He whispered miserably to the prickly blades of grass, digging in with the toe of his shoe. "If Luke did love me like he should, then he wouldn't put me through this. You wouldn't, if it was you." His shimmering eyes lifted, and found Kyte's searchingly, and he knew that it was true. Here was somebody who cared about him, who truly wished for his happiness. This, he thought, was what love was supposed to be. And man, did he want it! He wanted it so desperately, it was like his veins were afire with the craving!
"I..." He found himself reaching absently for Kyte's face, tracing a finger down his cheek in a way he knew he probably shouldn't, and feeling his heart start to race. "I just..." He swallowed, moved closer, and when his pained gaze lifted to Kyte's and saw the compassion lingering there, the cure to his sickness, something rose up inside him that he could not control, and he fell clumsily through the space between them, rushing his hand around the back of Kyte's head as their lips frantically bumped. Trent's own were parted, and it took the cherry sweet taste of Kyte's unshakeable smile to lurch him back to reality. The moment lingered for the space of a heartbeat; sweet, special, suspended in time. And, unbeknownst to him, some new beast deep in Trent's chest was born to the world, shifting in expectation of something new to come. Reality was not quite so sweet.
"Oh God..." Trent spluttered, quickly pulling away and covering his mouth in horror, "Kyte, God, I'm so sorry!" His sweating palms began to shake as he realised what he had done, and in his horror he reached out for Kyte, longing to hold and reassure him, to apologise and beg forgiveness, but in light of the nature of his sin, his hands were snatched immediately back, and run through his hair instead as he turned to the Heavens and groaned. "I'm sorry..." He repeated in a hopeless whisper, curling into himself now, with his arms wrapped around a single knee drawn up to his chest. "I just feel so lost, so lonely, I-" He shook his head, shuddered, and repeated desperately, "I'm so sorry, I slipped up, please..." His blue gaze flickered to Kyte's face, unrecognizable in its timid insecurity as he wordlessly begged for forgiveness, for understanding. He had messed up, just in the moment that he had found himself become wholly dependent on Kyte's pure kindness to ensure the continuation of his sorry existence. If his life was still a comedy, then somebody had one damn sick sense of humour, Trent thought. Because nothing could be less funny to him than the painful situation into which he'd just lodged himself.

((Fudging Kyte was being a complete brat in this post, I nearly couldn’t get him to sit still!!!!))
"Why can't I just find someone like you?...If Luke did love me like he should, then he wouldn't put me through this. You wouldn't, if it was you.."
Feeling more than a little touched by those words, Kyte chuckled shyly and scratched his head, "Well I um...I guess I just hate seeing people sad. Everyone deserves a little happiness, Right?"
Placing an arm supportively around his friend's shoulders, Kyte held Trent close. "It'll be okay, you'll see", he reassured softly. He was clearly shorter than his older friend, but still did his best in keeping him close. He didn't like to see Trent so utterly run down. He didn't even think it was possible for some as tough looking as him to have such an utterly soft side. In a strange way Kyte found it rather endearing. He felt incredibly honoured to be the one in who Trent confided in. He hadn't had somebody confide in him before; it made him feel needed, wanted even.
Searching Trent's features for any hint of a smile, Kyte felt his eyebrows knitted together with worry. He still couldn’t see one. The only thing he could see behind those deep red bangs were blue eyes filled to the brim with sorrow. It was enough to make Kyte's heart ache.
Feeling more than a little helpless, the boy stared distractedly at his feet. He was starting to lose hope.
 
Something cool traced along the side of his jaw, and gazing up quickly, he was surprised to find Trent a mere hair's breathe away from him.
The closeness was startling, but the boy dared not move. The intensity in those eyes held him like a moth to fire.
A tiny prickle of anxiety gradually began to creep through his veins, quickening his pulse and sending a faint blush along his cheeks.
Clearing away the shyness in his voice, he mumbled uncertainly, "Trent?..."
"I...I just..."
Kyte felt a tiny yelp suddenly spring from his lips. A hand had clasped him tightly around the back of his neck. Before he even knew what was happening, he could feel it. The warmth of a kiss...Trent's kiss.
What is this?...
It was a poisonous sensation, and for a moment Kyte felt his entire body go limp in Trent's hold. He knew than he should've resisted, but try as he did, his body wouldn’t obey his commands. He didn't felt like himself, not at all.
His heart felt as though it might have been replaced with a hive of battering bees. His head was in much the same state, it felt light, lighter than air, ready to pop off from his neck and float high above the clouds.
 
When the kiss did break, Kyte felt the hot daze gradually begin to subside. It took his senses a moment longer to return to him, but when they did, he found himself staring wide-eyed at Trent. Confusion clearly slapped across his features.
His friend looked utterly horrified by what he had just done, and hesitating to even touch Kyte, he spluttered desperately,"Oh God...Kyte, God I'm so sorry!"
Drawing into himself, Trent repeated his apologies like a tiny pray, over and over.
Wrapping his arms around a single knee, he took to a distant pose, his expression one of utter and complete defeat.
Despite being the victim in this situation, Kyte didn't react very much to the entire ordeal. His cheeks still donned a beet-coloured blush, but other than that he was taking his first kiss rather well. The shock had gone straight to his brain, forcing it to completely over looked what had just happened.
Shaking his head quickly, the boy tried to force a tentative smile Trent's way. "Hey...it's okay Dude. It's really fine. Look at me...See? I'm fine. Really couldn’t better."
When Trent's depressive state didn't lift, Kyte began to panic. Uncertain about what else to do, he resigned himself stubbornly to making Trent laugh.
Quickly jumped to his feet, Kyte tried to restore the vibe with a monkey-like dance... Less to say, it was a complete failure.
When his amateur skills as a comedian became definite, Kyte sighed unhappily and flopped back down beside Trent. His chin in his palms.
"I'm so sorry...", Trent repeated, his voice barely a whisper.
Awkwardly Kyte began to nod in silent acknowledgment, what else could he do. His own tone took on a pitch just as depressive, "I know. I'm not much of a comedian, am I?"
The boy wasn't all that sure if Trent had heard him. At this point the only thing that Trent seemed to hear at all, were the dying sounds of his own apologies. Maybe a part of him didn't even want to hear Kyte's forgiveness. Was he perhaps trying to punish himself?
"I slipped up... please..."
 
Deciding at last to take the intuitive, Kyte yawned loudly. He needed to try and lift the tension a little.
With a cat-like stretch, he leaned back and bumped playfully against Trent's shoulder, "Okay, I think I forgive you now...so no more sorrys. Got it? "
He gave the older man a warning finger, before finalizing his command with a reassured nod.
"Okay, now lets think about a way to fix you up a bit..."
With a cheerful chuckle, Kyte felt an idea suddenly pop into his brain. Taking his friend's hand in his own, he smiled "Come on Dude, I know exactly what kind of medicine you need"
Yanking Trent back onto his feet, the younger boy wasted no time at all as he lead him hastily back towards the parking lot.
He was the first one to hop onto Trent's bike, and probably would have driven them home had Trent not foreseen the utter disaster in that idea.
 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Once they returned to their dormitory room, Kyte flicked on the light switch and immediately went into a searching frenzy beneath his bed.
He scratched through all sort of odds and ends, tossing them carelessly over his head before finding exactly what he was looking for.
With a sharp pull, he recovered a huge plastic bag.
Whatever was inside the bag proved to be quite heavy. And with an unbalanced stagger, Kyte waddled here and there with the thing hoisted jubilantly over his head.
From plain black bedding, to an ocean of rainbow coloured candy, Kyte spilled out the contents of the bag all too eager over Trent's bed.
Chocolate bars, sours, cookies, gummies and chewies all lay littered in every direction.
With a proud grin, and a slightly shy smile, Kyte mumbled thoughtfully, "Luke told me once that you like Skittles...It was supposed to be part a huge prank, but I think you need them now more than later"
Once they were back inside their dorm room, Kyte recovered his secret to over coming any kind of unhappy feeling.
Taking a moment to scratch under his bed, Kyte then pulled out a huge plastic bag filled to the brim with candy. Colours of every shape glistened from the packet.
He smiled awkwardly, before mumbling, "Luke told me that you like Skittles."

Trent drove home in silence. Kyte’s arms around his waist formed an uncomfortable band of pressure; a strange, ill-placed noose reminding him of the crime for which he was condemning himself. He had kissed Kyte. He had taken his straight friend’s face in his hands, and kissed him with a longing that was never even aimed at him to begin with. He had used him, this sweet, kindhearted fool, as a substitute for the man who refused to love him. All Kyte had ever done was care. What kind of monster was he?

The thoughts repeated a vicious cycle all the way back to the dorm, and Trent turned off his bike and removed his helmet in a stupour, oblivious to the soft hum of cheerful banter that was Kyte’s voice beside him. His friend had reacted well to the kiss. He should have been grateful, he realized, casting the other boy a sideways glance. Kyte’s face was gloriously animated as he chattered to himself, diving into the room and beginning to rummage under the bed. Trent ducked a flying slipper, and perched on the foot of his bed with a sigh, dropping his head into his hands. Part of him wished that Kyte had just hit him instead, or screamed at him, or done something, anything to show him that what he had done was wrong. He groaned again, only to glance quickly up when he heard a loud thump issue from Kyte’s side of the room. He had learned to take these suspicious sounds very seriously since rooming with Kyte.
“What’s that?” He asked, eyes narrowing as he noted the huge black bag; its plastic stretching and straining between Kyte’s heaving and the weight of its contents. “Kyte, I swear, if that thing’s full of spiders-”
Before he could say another word, the bag had been upturned, and Trent watched wide-eyed as its gaping black mouth belched a rainbow of sugar and sweetness onto his bed. The rattle of sweets and rustle of plastic was overwhelming for a moment, but then the explosion ceased, and Trent was left staring at its colourful aftermath, blinking like a bat thrown straight into sunlight. His mouth opened and closed once, speechless. There were enough sweets here that, if he were to think in terms of cost, he was fairly certain they could have paid for a year of his board. He gawped at Kyte in disbelief. Just what was this kid?

"Luke told me once that you like Skittles...” Kyte piped up when the silence had gone on too long, finally explaining the candy apocalypse that was Trent’s bed. ”It was supposed to be part a huge prank, but I think you need them now more than later."
Still speechless, Trent looked at Kyte with a shake of his head, and reached out wordlessly for the bag of Skittles offered to him. He ripped off a corner, turned it upside down, and poured the whole thing into his mouth like a shot, leaving him with cheeks bulging like a chipmunks. With rainbows reflected on his glazed eyes, he chewed slowly, swallowed more than any human mouth should be able to hold, and turned back to Kyte. He opened his mouth to speak, then his serious expression suddenly cracked, and his lungs erupted into laughter instead. “Luke told you that I like Skittles?” He repeated breathlessly in between chuckles, mopping wetness from the corners of his eyes with his fists. “Fuckin’ hell, Kyte, if he’d told you I liked My Little Pony, would you have built me a bright pink stable?” Shaking his head in fond amusement, he grabbed a handful of Kyte’s wild, spiky hair, and tugged it playfully from side to side, wobbling his head on his slender neck. “You’re bloody brilliant.” He said, his smile crinkling the stress lines around his eyes, “Insane enough to be institutionalised, but... Brilliant.” With that he tugged Kyte into a rough, one-armed hug, the awkwardness between them all but forgotten, and gave his thick brown hair another fond mussing before he turned to the cavity breeding ground beside him. Sugar therapy! He could think of nothing better after a day like today.

Grabbing another bag of Skittles, Trent tore it open and began scoffing them down, then tossed one at Kyte with a cheeky little grin on his face. “Thanks for this.” He said, flicking another sweet to bounce off Kyte’s nose. It landed on the floor, but Trent just picked it up and popped it shamelessly into his mouth. “It looks like you’ve discovered my weakness. Just don’t go using your powers for evil, okay?” He shook the bag of Skittles, grinned and added, “You could probably prostitute me for these things. I’m not even kidding.”
((Trent drunk as fudge, thinking he’s Seth and shit.))

The words may have appeared to go right over Kyte's head, but secretly the boy's heart had heard them. I'm brilliant?..., he thought. The very idea bewildered him for a minute or two, and quirking an eyebrow curiously he mused over it like a new taste in his mouth. Not many could tell, but Kyte was a complete stranger to praise, he didn't really know what to do with it once he had it.
When the boy's attention began to waver, it fell back onto Trent. Those handsome features that had once been so utterly defeated, now radiated with warmth and joy. Kyte had done that, he had somehow manged to put that precious smile back where it belonged.
Feeling an arm close loosely around his shoulders, the boy flopped over happily as Trent yanked him into an awkward hug.
“Thanks for this.”, he added simply, his arm slipping away as he eyed another packet of Skittles; his soon to be victim.

On unspoken consent, the kiss was not brought up again in the weeks that followed, and since it seemed that Trent had overcome whatever misery had overwhelmed him on that night, there was clearly no use dredging it up again. And, without the awkwardness that Trent had expected, he found himself and Kyte growing ever closer day by day - heading to class together in the mornings, and staying up late at night to chat. Kyte was a source of much-needed energy in his weary days, and Trent let the boy's energetic presence fuel him after long nights on the streets. Somehow, he found himself able to balance his outside life with his academy life, and things were going well... Until now.

"She broke up with you?" Trent asked, frowning in concern as he rubbed Luke's back. The pair were sitting on Luke's bed, with soiled tissues lying scattered all around them. Trent squeezed a comforting arm around Luke's shoulders as the boy dabbed his eyes on his current tissue, and sniffed miserably. "She wouldn't even tell me why. Just 'it's not working out'. That's all. Who does that?"
"Nobody worth your time." Trent answered firmly, frowning on Luke's behalf. "You deserve better anyway. F*ck her!"
"Ha!" Luke scoffed, "But that's just the thing. I can't now, can I?" He uttered a sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob, and took a great big gulp from the bottle of whiskey in his hand. He wrinkled his nose as he swallowed it, pulling a face. Trent really didn't know why he drank the stuff if it tasted that foul.
"Get your head out of your pants, Luke."  He teased lightly, swatting his friend on the back of the head, "You'll find somebody else. Somebody better - just wait!"
"Yeah, right." Luke sniffed miserably, leaning into Trent's chest and resting his head on his shoulder. Trent shifted uncomfortably, but wrapped an obliging arm around his drunk friend nevertheless. Luke started fiddling with his shirt, and Trent swallowed thickly, crossing his legs with an awkward little squirm. Luke, oblivious to his discomfort, leaned heavily on him as he mumbled into the lip of his near-empty bottle, "Trent, why doesn't anybody love me? What did I ever do?" He hiccuped, "I spent all my time and money on her, I didn't cheat, what more does a girl want? Am I just ugly or something?" He looked pitifully up at Trent, "Just what is so unlovable about me?"
"Not a damn thing." Trent answered confidently, smiling brightly at him and ruffling his hair. "I happen to think you're the most lovable thing out there. Look at this mug, huh?" He pinched Luke's chin teasingly, "Any girl would just be daft to resist that, don'cha think?"
"Hmph."
"Hey," Seeing that Luke was still not convinced, Trent leaned over to force his friend to look at him, and offered a playful grin. "You wanna know a secret?"
"What?" Luke asked grumpily.
"I love you more than Skittles."
Luke snorted, shoving Trent's face away, but not quite managing to hide his smile. "Shut up, Trent. You're drunk."
"Nah-uh. You're the one who's drunk, Stupid! Look at you, you can't keep upright."
Luke stuck out his tongue, and Trent laughed at him.
"There he is. See, it's not the end of the world." He slapped his friend reassuringly on the back, "You okay now?"
"She was... She was my everything, man."
Trent sighed heavily. Evidently not.
"I mean, what am I supposed to do now? I'm starting to feel like maybe there's nobody out there for me after all."
When Trent did not respond, Luke nudged him in the side and pressed, "Trent?"
Pressing his lips together, Trent bit back an irritable sigh. He was tired of this. Tired of sitting here listening to Luke whine about how there was nobody to love him, when he was sitting right there! His fist curled slowly around a handful of the bedsheets. Why couldn't Luke see what was right in front of him...? Nobody could love you like I do, moron.
"Trent!"
"She's out there, Luke." He said with a weary sigh, "You'll find her."
Luke's eyes narrowed, "What, that's it? That's supposed to make me feel better? What the hell, man! You're supposed to be my friend; at least pretend to care!"
"Luke," Trent groaned, "Of course I care, it's just-"
"No. No, f*ck you!" Luke shoved him away, jabbing an accusing finger at his face. "You know what? You're always like this! You get all sulky just because I can at least get a girlfriend in the first place. That's not cool, man. Don't you bring your jealous crap in here!"
"What? Luke, what the hell? I'm right here to comfort you, aren't I? I'm just sick of you getting down on yourself, that's-"
"Oh, yeah, sure. 'Right here', aren't you? Like that's got anything to do with comforting me."
"Huh? What's that even supposed to mean?"
"Oh, don't play dumb!" Luke snapped, "You think I don't know, but I see right through you, Trent! I know you've got a big old gay boner for me. Any excuse to cup a feel, right?"
The snarl on his face was so cruel that Trent actually felt a little gasp of air leave his lungs, and he pulled away, physically stung by the words. Luke scowled into his hurt expression as he pulled back into himself, and no matter how he tried, he could not keep his cheeks from burning with shame.
"W-what," He stammered, "what the hell are you-"
"DON'T PLAY F*CKING DUMB!" Luke raged, throwing the bottle of alcohol at him. Trent ducked, but it shattered against the wall behind him, and he had to throw up his arms to shield his head from the showering pieces of broken glass. One caught him across the wrist, and he clutched his bleeding hand to him as he stared at Luke with the stunned look of a deer in headlights. He was too shocked to even defend himself.
"Get the f*ck out!" Luke shouted, pointing angrily at the door, "What are you waiting around for, huh? You gonna wait for me to pass out so you can have a little fun?"
That was it. That one went too far. Without even realizing it, Trent was on his feet. "What the f*ck, Luke?" He demanded angrily, "I honestly can't believe you just said that! Who are you? You begged me to come here, do you not remember that? We're best friends! I left my whole life behind just to come here and support you, and now you're saying I'd-" He couldn't even bring himself to say it. He just shuddered, then muttered with cheeks the colour of an overripe tomato, "Re-regardless of how I... Feel... You know I'd never-" He rubbed his arm awkwardly, "I'd never do anything to make you un- uncomfortable... I do know about 'boundaries', you know."
He felt about ready to die from shame, but Luke didn't even bother to look at him. He just snorted, and answered cruelly, "Well, if I'm such an inconvenience to you, then just go home. I don't need you."
Trent stared at him, stunned. "You don't mean that..."
"No, really, I do. Go home, Trent! You piss me off. You're always around me, always in my space, man, it's gross! How do you think that makes me feel, with you rubbing up against me? And besides that, I'm sick of you beating up anyone who f*cking talks to me! I don't need to be protected, you know. I can look after myself. You treat me like I'm bloody useless, but if we're honest, it's the other way around, isn't it? I don't need you! I'm doing just fine here. I have friends, my marks are great... You're the one who needs me. And I'm sick of being your little teenage fantasy, Trent. Grow up, and get the f*ck out of here."
The words were daggers. Trent just gaped at Luke, stunned, without a single word on his tongue to speak. He had always known that Luke could be a mean drunk, but that had gone too far! A lump rose in his throat, and as he felt his eyes grow hot, he shook his head angrily and wheeled around, storming out of the room. He slammed the door so hard that it damn near came off its hinges.

The luminous dials on Trent's watch read 11:09 as he ripped open the drawers in his room, grabbing his things and throwing them untidily into his suitcase. Socks, shirts, shoes and textbooks were all tangled together in a mountainous heap in the bag by the time Trent had gathered everything, and then he wheeled on his suitcase and began angrily stamping on  his belongings, cursing furiously at them as he willed them to fit. He would not stay where he wasn't wanted, and f*ck it all, Luke would miss him when he was gone!
"SCREW THIS!" He shouted at last, shoving the lid of the suitcase down and forcing it shut with his knee. He tugged sharply on the zip, attempting to force it closed. It didn't budge. With a roar of frustration, he gave another almighty tug, only to have the frayed old zip rip right off in his hand. He staed down at it, and heard a little choking sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob forming in his throat. Seriously? Was his luck seriously that bad? He could not believe that this was happening!
Giving up at last, he sat down heavily on his broken suitcase, and buried his head in his hands, Luke's words replaying over and over in his head.
How had it come to this...?

(Go Princess Tutu, Go to your Trent!)

"1 2 3 4...1 2 3 4...1 2 3 4...Turn and Finish"
The classical chime of Tchaikovsky's "Waltz of Flowers" sang soothingly through the halls of the ballet studio, its dancers perfectly in sync with its melody.
Obediently Kyte obeyed his instructor’s commands, his steps finding rhythm in that monotonous counting as he flicked his toes and bend gracefully to the passionate arches of the music.
As the steps quickened, so did Kyte, and with a sharp turn of his arm, he caught his dance partner's little hand. A charming smile lingered upon his lips, and lifting her up by the waist, he then helped her glide elegantly across the dance floor. Her toes barely touched the floor at all, and leaning backwards with a simple kind of dancer's trust, she left Kyte to catch her last-minute in an elegant hold; the finishing pose to their spectacular sequence.

With a smirk of Satisfaction, Kyte’s instructor tapped his cane in approval, “Well done, you two are ready for the Auditions. I’ll see you next week”

******************************************************
Once Kyte had finished up at his dance Class, he made his way back to the academy with his gym bag slung loosely over his shoulder. As he smiled thoughtfully as he walked, "I wonder what Trent will say if i invited him to come watch the auditions...I'd like him to be there. I just know he'd love it."

Entering the building and racing quickly to the top of the staircase, Kyte found himself bursting with sudden excitement, he couldn’t wait to talk to Trent. He padded down the hallway towards their room; his footsteps gradually began to slow.
Wait, what is that sound? Is it coming from our room?
He tilted his head in confusion. He defiantly heard a noise; An odd thumping sound that seemed to carry through the hallway. He frowned. That’s kinda weird..
A million creepy ghost tales suddenly filled his brain, all of which his classmates had come up in an attempt to scare him. Instinctively Kyte began to tiptoe down the hallway, He stopped a breath's inch from his bedroom door.
Inside the noise subsided. And taking in a brave gulp of breath, he softly knocked on the door, "Hey, I hope there isn't any ghosts inside here..."
Growing slightly more worried as the silence trailed on, he tried again, "Um Trent? You in there buddy?..."
When nobody replied, Kyte took his cue and opened the door with a click. A frightened expression had struck his features, and he searched the room cautiously for any supernatural activity. To his utter relief however, he found none.

Absentmindedly, he dropped his bag to the floor. He felt his features wrinkled with concern when his gaze fell on Trent.
The man sat with his head in his hands, his entire pose a stature of traumatic defeat. His suitcase sat packed fat at his side. Was he going somewhere?
As softly as he could, Kyte crept over to Trent's side. His friend didn't stir, he didn't even look up.
"...Trent? What's wrong?"
Kyte placed a hand softy over his friend's arm; it was ice-cold to the touch. "You're freezing", he gasped.
Moving to fetch the older man a blanket, Kyte suddenly stopped himself. His single eye transfixed onto the empty expression plastered across those handsome features. His heartbeat quicken at that, he had never seen Trent like this before, never.
For a few minutes he simply sat there, biting his own lip with child-like helplessness. He felt utterly distressed by what he was seeing. Was there nothing he could do?

I can't leave him like this… God, I’m worried.
Wrapping his small arms around Trent's shoulders, Kyte held the man close. A protective instinct had seemed to spark up within him, he could feel it burning with warmth. It was a strange sensation, like revisiting an old memory of sorts. He felt stronger in some way, older, braver even.
Why was that?
"If you want to speak about it, I'll be your ear...", he whispered softly. His brunette bangs falling handsomely over his eyes.
He wanted his friend to trust him, if there was anything he could do to take the edge off of that pain, he would do it in a heartbeat. All Trent had to do was ask, and it would be given.

Trent heard the door open and close, but he didn’t look up. He felt like a puppet with cut strings... If Luke didn’t want him any more, just who was there to lift his head up for? His chin was heavy. His eyelids, too. He had tried so hard for so long... Now, he was just tired. Now, he just wanted it all to end.
"...Trent? What's wrong?" A soft voice asked beside him, and a dainty little hand brought a shiver to his skin, "You're freezing.”
Trent swallowed, not trusting himself to speak, and waited for Kyte to go. He didn’t. Instead, a pair of warm arms wrapped slowly around his shoulders, and as Kyte’s shining auburn hair pressed to his, Trent couldn’t help but look up in surprise. He had never expected that Kyte could be so... So real. So comforting. A lump rose in his throat.
"If you want to speak about it,” His friend’s voice purred gently, somehow deeper than he remembered it, ”I'll be your ear..."
Trent felt filthy for the little spark of pleasure that lightened his chest as Kyte’s warm body pressed against his.
“It’s... It’s nothing.” He mumbled in a strained voice, rounding his shoulders tensely so Kyte couldn’t get too close. It wasn’t that he didn’t like the boy’s comfort. Rather, well... It was quite the opposite. He sometimes hated how adorable Kyte’s handsome face was, with that unruly fringe that always fluffed out at the sides, and that gorgeous yellow eye, no less expressive for the absence of its partner.

“I just had a fight with Luke, that’s all.” He sighed heavily, “It’s stupid, really. I should have seen it coming. He’s basically an adult now.” Trent shrugged. “He doesn’t need me any more. I shouldn’t have come.” He looked down at the bag beneath him, then at the pair of socks curled in his hand. He was not going to try unzipping the suitcase again, that was for sure.
“There’s just no reason for me to stay here any more.” He confessed quietly, “So I’m going to go. If you ever need me, though,” He turned to Kyte, pulling free from his embrace and taking one of the boy’s dainty little hands between his own, “You just call, okay? We’re friends now. Here,” He rummaged around quickly, and found a pen protruding from his pants pocket. He took Kyte’s hand, and scribbed a series of digits onto his pale skin. “That’s my number. Just call.”

He stood then, sighed and stretched. He couldn’t look at Kyte. It felt wrong to be leaving the poor boy, just when they had become friends. He got the feeling sometimes that Kyte didn’t have many other friends. That Kyte needed Trent as much as he needed Kyte. He couldn’t help it, though. This life was killing him; the long hours, the late nights, then constant mental and physical strain; not to mention the emotional exhaustion of watching Luke f*ck his way through every girl on campus. He needed some time, some space...

Feeling lonelier than ever, Kyte sat quietly before the closed door. His head resting heavily against the hard grain of the wood.
It had been nearly an hour since Trent had left the academy, and from the moment that door had been closed, Kyte had taken to waiting before it like an abandoned puppy.
In his mind's eye he replayed the scenes. He could still see himself begging Trent to stay, taking his hand in his own and trying with all his heart to convince him that things would come right, That Luke would come right.
The boy trembled despairingly, he had failed, he had been utterly useless again.

"There's just no reason for me to stay here anymore...So I'm going to go."
Those haunting words sent a chill of guilt down Kyte's spine. He still heard them, echoing repetitively off the blank walls where Trent's posters had once hung.
Curling up into himself, Kyte suddenly found the inaudible noise unbearable. It was a cruel reminder of his loss. It frightened him, and covering his ears, he desperately pressed his face into his knees, willing the ghostly sound to stop.
Trent needed a reason to stay, Luke had been that reason. He had needed him before...but not anymore.
Kyte's imagination seemed to quell it's madness at that realization. The noises in his head gradually dying down a notch into a rationalizing silence.
Wait, If i want him to come back, maybe I need to give him a better reason... I'll find him one, I know I can do it if I try.
He gazed up curiously at the door, a new but mad idea bubbling beneath the surface of those innocent features. The boy struggled at times to understand it, but there were certain things that made him act rashly, violently, wildly unlike himself. He had told the school counsellor about it once. What had she called it again? Emotional Triggers? Triggers caused by...something.
It didn't matter now. He already knew what he was going to do, what he had to do.

Getting to his feet hastily, the boy yelped and nearly stumbled over his legs. They had gone completely numb from sitting. "Whaa? How much time have I already lost then?"
Shaking his head in slight panic, he quickly snatched at the door handle. And with a savage thrust of his arm, he flung it open, leaving it to groan painfully on it's hinges as it smacked against the opposite side of the wall.

Quick on his feet, Kyte sprinted down the hallway. He wasted no time with stairs, choosing instead to slide down the balustrades, just to save time.
Darting out into the empty School grounds, his next objective danced before him like an imaginary arrow, It pointed towards the stables, and obediently he followed.

**********************************************************

It was no surprise to see Vesuvius missing, Trent would have never left his dragon behind. Frowning thoughtfully at the sight of the empty cell, Kyte tightened his hand into a small fist. He could still feel the digits of Trent's cell phone number inked into his skin.
Determined to bring his friend back, Kyte made his way down to where his own dragon resided. He greeted the beast warmly, stroking it's pearlescent scales through the iron bars.
"Ready to bring them back Speck?"
The Dragon inside purred contently in response, its reptilian voice rough with streaks of pitched anticipation. It seemed keen in aiding its rider and stretching it legs.

Swiping his Student Card into the rift of the cell door, Kyte waited. When he heard it unlocked at last with that familiar mechanical click, he slipped inside and began the tedious task of gearing up his dragon.
It only took him a few minutes to finish gearing up, but it was time bitterly used. He wasn't sure how far Trent had gotten, he only hoped that he would be able find him.
Lifting himself up into his saddle, he gave Speck a small reassuring pat on the neck, "Come, Let’s get going boy."

The pair took to the streets from there on out, weaving in and out of traffic as they scoured the City in search of Trent and Vesuvius.
They rode through each and every avenue they could find, but still no sight of the red-haired man and his reptile. When the day began to slip into the late hours of the night, Kyte began to panic.
He gazed around uncertainly at his surroundings; he had absolutely no idea where he was. Had he gotten lost in trying to find his friend?
Biting his lip, the boy breathed in deeply, He needed to calm down. "It's okay; I'll just try and phone him again."
Reaching for his pants pocket, Kyte retrieved his cell phone.
He glanced briefly at the now smudged ink on his wrist, then punched in the numbers on the pad. He practically knew the number by heart at this point; he wasn't even sure why he bothered to look anymore.
Maybe this time it'll go through. Maybe this time he'll pick up.
With his hopes gradually dwindling away, Kyte finally heard the line on the other side crackle to life.
His features lit up like a candle, and unable to contain his utter relief, he babbled frantically, "Hey Trent?...Ah thank goodness, It's Kyte here...um I was out on the streets looking for you, but I got kinda lost. I have no idea where i am. Do you think that you could-"

The phone call ended abruptly, the reception going fuzzing with interference.
Frowning with dismay, Kyte shook his cell phone, smacking it roughly against his palm as he tried to get it to work. “What the heck?!", he wined, "I'm not out of battery power am I?"
An ominous scraping sound shuddered through the distance, catching his attention, and putting his fight with his cell phone on hold. Wearily Kyte glanced towards the shadows of the alleyway.
He could hear Spectrum's voice vibrating into a steady growl. Something was there, something was watching them.
A glimmer of violet coloured eyes flickered back at them.
It was at that moment that Kyte suddenly realized where he was. He was in down City Crew area; A placed filled with rogue riders, dragons, street Racing, and one thing worse...Wraiths.

Trent sat on a midnight blue Vesuvius at the starting line (he had magged some special colour-change gear to the dragon, in fear someone would recognise him), watching a busty blonde in two tiny slips of clothing swagger out into the road, swinging her hips. She was perched on heels so high she could barely stand straight, but it wasn't her that had him so peeved. He was used to these bimbos starting the street races. What annoyed him was that he had not intended to race tonight. He'd thought he had enough saved to fly Vesuvius and himself home, but as it turned out, the costs on transporting dragons had increased radically in the last week. Just his luck. Sighing heavily, he tightened his grip on the handles protruding from Vee's headgear, and stood slightly in his stirrups, hovering above the saddle in preparation for the start. The bimbo lifted a filthy white rag and waved it above her head, and he felt Vee tense, powerful muscles bunching. Then she dropped it, and the dragons were away.

The race was quick and dirty. Powerful Vesuives shoved his way through the vicious crowd to take an early lead, and a glace back showed Trent that they'd knocked one of the other dragons down. He cursed under his breath - he'd meant to stop them from boxing him in, not to hurt them - then quickly refocused on the race. He needed this win. He needn't have worried, though. Vee was on top form, and once he shook free of the others at the start, they had no hope of catching him. After Trent had cooled off the dragon and accepted his prizemoney, he heaved a weary sigh and remounted Vesuvius. "Well boy," He muttered as he took his phone out of his pocket (He had turned it off while he was racing), "We can go home now. It'll be good to see Uncle again." Vee gave a soft growl in response, and Trent rubbed the reptile's neck absently, frowning at his phone as it flickered back to life. Twelve missed calls? His heart leaped for a second, thinking that Luke had been trying to call and apologise, but a look at the call register showed him Kyte's number, and the excitement faded to guilt. He felt terrible for leaving Kyte behind... But he couldn't stay any more. Just this once, he had to do what was right for him. Nodding to himself, he made to switch the phone off again, but as he was about to press the button it rang, and he answered without thinking. Kyte's panicked voice issued quickly from the other end of the line.
"Hey, Trent...? Ah thank goodness, It's Kyte here... Um I was out on the streets looking for you, but I got kinda lost. I have no idea where I am. Do you think that you could-"
"What?" Trent's eyes narrowed, "You're on the streets? Bloody hell, Kyte! Where are you?" There was no reply. The phone crackled feebly in his ear. "Kyte? What the hell...?" He lowered the phone, frowning concernedly, and found that they'd been disconnected. "Shit!" He spat, clutching the device tighter in his hand. Reception was great in this city. There was only one place he knew where it could be lost, and that was not a place that he hoped to find a lost, frightened Kyte. "Shit, shit!!" He repeated, cursing repeatedly under his breath as he slammed his helmet back on, spun Vee around, and urged him on. The dragon growled, gathered himself, and leaped into his great, loping stride.

The pair blazed through the night, searching everywhere for Kyte as Trent made his way to where he thought - but by no means hoped - that he would find him. He felt a sizzle of static pass through the air as they entered the Down City Crew area, and he paid no mind to the blazing purple glares that he imagined in the alleyways he passed. If Kyte was here, he was dead! What was he thinking, getting lost somewhere so dangerous?!
If he hadn't been looking for me, he wouldn't be out here.
Trent cursed again, and redoubled Vee's speed. When he finally caught sight of a figure in the distance, he only just managed to stop his dragon in time to stop it from crashing into Kyte. Vesuvius snarled, lashing his tail aggressively as his claws gripped into the ground and he ground to a halt. Trent felt the dragon bunch, and quickly laid a hand on his neck to reassure him. Vee always got unsettled when he gave any commands in too much of a hurry, and Trent could not afford to have the dragon lose his head now. "Ssh, Vee." He whispered, "It's okay, boy." Vesuvius did not settle, but Trent had no more attention to spare for the dragon, who was hissing and snapping into the darkness, obviously seeing things. Instead he turned to Kyte, looking hunched and frightened on Spectrum beside him, and staring at him like he was some monster that had just burst forth from the underworld. "Kyte, what were you thinking?!" He snapped angrily, "Do you know how dan-" He broke off when Kyte just continued staring confusedly at him, then remembered that his helmet was still on, and ripped it off with an angry growl. "It's me. God!" He rubbed his hair wearily, then had to launch forward to grab onto Vee's headgear again when the dragon tried to pounce into the shadows. "What is your damage today? Stay still, Vee." The disguised dragon shook its head with an irritable hiss, and started to paw the ground, raking up a shower of sparks. "Just come on." He snapped to Kyte, "Let's get you back home before-"
Suddenly, a series of unearthly roars split the air, and Trent dropped his helmet as he slammed his hands over his ears. On all sides, the shadows began to move. Trent felt a sickening drop in the pit of his stomach as Vee's actions finally began to make sense. The wraiths hissed as they stepped forward into the yellow circle of the street lamp, surrounding the pair on all sides. Trent felt a low rumble between his legs as Vee puffed up, growling threateningly and gnashing his teeth at each dark, deadly reptile that inched toward them. How many were there? He could count five right off, another two coming out of the shadows, two more pairs of eyes glinting behind them - nine at least.
Shit!

"Kyte, he murmured quietly as the dragons began to circle them, "Don't move." His eyes scanned the scene. The wraiths looked thin, nearly starved. That meant they'd be aggressive, but they'd be weak. Looking back the way he had come, a few flickering streetlamps lit the road. "When I say 'now'," He whispered, "You take Spec, and dash down there as fast as you can. We'll make a gap." The circling dragons were coming closer, and Trent could see the saliva dripping from one's scaly jaw. His eyes narrowed, and when he saw a gap between two stalking reptiles, he kicked Vee forward, and shouted, "Now!" His snarling dragon leaped into the air as he released it, and Trent just barely managed to hang on as his blue-tinted partner crashed into the nearest wraith, tackling it to the ground and snapping straight for its throat. With one powerful pound, Vee's massive foreclaws crushed the creature's ribcage, and for a single heartbeat the air was shredded by the dragon's awful dying cry as Vesuivus made a predatory lunge at its throat, piercing its jugular instantly with blazing fangs, and snapping its neck like a chicken bone between his jaws. The dragon made signs of wanting to further desolate his prey, but Trent shouted to him to go, and Vee lunged forward just as the rest of the group pounced. Wraiths flew at them from all sides. Trent felt a set of pin-like teeth stab into his arm, but a punch of the creature's scaly nose forced it to let go and fall behind as Vesuvius bolted through the fray. Another wraith slammed into him from the side, and Trent cursed when his dragon's scales flickered back to their normal black-and-red colouring. The wraiths must have damaged his colour-change gear. But there was no time to think about that. "Go, Vee!" He shouted, and droplets of blood showered the ground as his dragon bunched its torn flanks and bolted after Kyte and Spec, who were darting down the road just ahead of them. The wraiths gave chase, but Trent could not count how many.
"Come on," He said as he reached Kyte's side, pointing down a sidestreet, "This way!" He had to shout to be heard above Vee's ragged breathing. His dragon was exhausted, and tiring fast. "Just hang in there, Buddy..." He whispered, clenching his jaw. The brave reptile coughed, mouth foaming bloodily, but plunged onwards on shaking legs. They thundered on down the street, only to screech to a stop again when a pair of wraiths appeared at the end, snapping and snarling. "Turn back!" He shouted to Kyte, and as he was about to spin his dragon around, he heard a familiar voice shout, "Trent? Was that you?" His heart leaped into his throat, and he quickly spun back to see the two wraiths changing direction, heading toward the sound. His blood ran cold, and for a second, time seemed to stop. The voice called out again, this time high in panic, "Trent, help me!"
"Luke, run! Goddammit, run!" He yelled, urging Vee after the wraiths. With a bold growl, the bleeding animal took pursuit, bounding around the corner to see Luke sitting on his big, blue dragon, surrounded by wraiths. Three of the pack had blocked off his escape, and the other two were bearing down on him even as Vee chased after them. "Look back here, you lizards!" Trent yelled, clawing a handful of coins after his pockets and hurling them at the wraiths. "HEY!"
But they were too far ahead. His throws fell short and the starving animals were deaf to his voice. He urged Vee faster, his voice turning hoarse and sticking in his throat as he watched the wraiths launch themselves at Luke. His dragon reared up, throwing its great bulk against its attackers, but there were too many. One grabbed it by the ankle and pulled its hind leg out from under it, and the reptile produced a screaming wail as they descended upon it. "GO, VEE!" Trent sobbed, but his dragon suddenly dug in its heels, throwing up its head. All Trent heard was the sound of screams and snarls and tearing flesh, and he found himself blinded by tears as he scrambled off Vee and sprinted toward the bloodbath, screaming Luke's name over and over even though he knew already that there would be no reply. The nearest wraith looked at him, eyes flashing and eyes bloody, and Trent hurled a rock at it, screaming curses. He felt like he was sprinting with all his might, but he couldn't get any closer. It was like a nightmare. It took him several moments to realise that the ground was no longer under his feet. Vee had magged him up. "Put me down!" He screamed, "Let me go! F*ck, f*ck, f*ck! Luke! LUKE!"
His words became choked by sobs, but despite his thrashing, Vesuvius pulled him back, snatching him away from the snapping jaws of the wraiths, then the injured dragon magged Trent to its back and lumbered off, wheezing from exhaustion, with Spec at its side. The greedy crunching of bones and tearing of meat filled the air behind them as the pack of wraiths dug into their feast. There were none left to pursue them now. Trent felt the world start to swirl around him, and before he could make sense of anything he found himself passed out on Vesuvius's neck, hanging there limply while the wounded dragon staggered boldly back toward home.

”When I say 'now', You take Spec, and dash down there as fast as you can. We'll make a gap."

With Wraith dragons flanking dangerously at their sides, Kyte reluctantly shook his head and bit down nervously on his lip,“Wait! I can’t just leave you behind?! Trent!-”
A sickening crunch suddenly silenced the boy. The mangled cry of death followed.
The sound sent goosebumps prickling over his skin, and turning his head slowly, hesitantly towards the source of the noise, Kyte suddenly slapped a hand over his mouth. His guts threatening to heave into his throat.

Between Versuvius’s jaws, hung the flimsy corpse of a wraith Dragon; Its mutilated jugular dangling outside the gored skin of its throat.
Enraged by the sight of their fallen brethren, more creatures began to flock in from the sides, hissing and hungrily gnashing their teeth.
Before Kyte could even register a response, his own dragon took one for him. With a urgent bark, Spectrum tensed his hind-quarters and broke into an all mighty sprint; leaping over the corpse and bumping passed the Wraiths.

The pair quickly gained some ground, running blindly through the unknown streets. Reptilian cries echoed ominously behind them, and Gripping tightly at the handle-bars of his saddle, Kyte swallowed back his fear and stole a quick glance over his shoulder. He could see Trent and Vee close behind.
“Trent! The Wraiths! LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU!!”
A hunting pair had pursued Trent from behind, snapping at Vee’s flanks as they tired to tear him down. Panicked, Kyte quickly thought of an idea.
Tugging hard on his dragon’s headgear, he forced Spectrum into a slow gallop.
“God, this better work...”
Fumbling clumsily through the contents of his backpack, Kyte’s fingers soon wrapped around the item he had been searching for. “Al right, now we’re talking business”
Flicking a switch, he felt the metal rob extend in his hand.
“TRENT! FLASHSTICK! FLASHSTICK!”
Recklessly, Kyte swung himself over the side of his saddle. With on hand on Spec, he used the other to slam the rod into the ground.
Success.
The moment Vee passed, the sensor triggered, releasing a brilliant beam of blinding light.
It caught their two attackers by surprise, causing enough confusion for Trent and Kyte to slip away.

”Come on, This way!”
They made their way down the road, and on Trent’s command, Kyte obediently followed after his friend.
The two travelled through the down city streets in hasty silence. Vee’s haggard breathing seemed to be the only other sound heard.
Taking note of the bloody wounds on both the rider and the dragon, Kyte felt his feature’s crease with concern. He opened his mouth to say something, but the words never came.

Turn Back!, Trent suddenly shouted.
Forcing Spectrum into a halt, Kyte stared out at what lay before them. He could hear his heartbeat pounding through his chest and into his ears.
Wraiths stood before them, Waiting there with hungry anticipation, all nine of them lined up in a row.

“No...I thought we lost them”
Gritting his teeth, Kyte felt himself tense atop his dragon. They were greatly outnumbered, this time with no where to run to.

Waiting for the beasts to make their first move, Kyte felt his eye narrow with slight confusion.
The seconds were ticking by into minutes, yet not one dragon had so much as moved a muscle from their formation.
Why hadn't they attacked yet?

Kyte watched the dragons anxiously. They seemed to be distracted; their attention drawing towards a figure now approaching them from a distance.
Squinting, Kyte made out the silhouette of blue dragon; its gorgeous scales shimmering beneath the lamplight like polished sapphire.

”Trent? Was that you?”
A lump of raw fear began to swell inside Kyte’s throat. He knew that voice, he recognized the academy crest embroidered onto the jacket.
“Luke...”, he murmured hoarsely. The wraiths began to stir.
Beady eyes rolled back with hunger as the creatures turned turned their attention, one by one, towards Luke. They could smell the alcohol still coursing through the boy’s veins, they could sense the wariness of his dragon. This would be easy meat; Disorientated, weak and alone.
The dragons began to swarm in towards Luke, changing direction as they replaced their target.

Everything from then on out, happened in the mere blink of an eye. Kyte could remember himself crying out to Luke, Trent and him both; they had tried to get to him, tried to warn him of the danger.
Their attempts however, were all in vein, Luke’s terrified cries had already begun to fill the air.
“Trent! Help me!”
Luke never stood a chance against those beasts. The wraiths had gone for his dragon first, tearing savagely at its neck and belly. The blue reptile collapsed soon enough, a victim beneath a veil of dagger-like fangs and claws.

Blinded by grief and tears, Kyte quickly dismounted his dragon and chased rashly after Trent. He sprinted as quickly as his legs could carry him, forcing the muscles on till they burned with strain.
When he reached the circle of chaos, he followed Trent inside, shoved passed the snapping jaws and heaving bodies. The wraiths at this point ,were far too busy gorging themselves to pay any real attention to them.

Kyte eventually lost track of Trent, and loosing his footing in all the confusion, he tripped and fell directly into the very heart of the bloodbath.
Trembling, the boy gulped back his fear, something lay squelching beneath his fingertips. He stared down at his hands, they were stained crimson. A cry of hysteria escaped his lips.
Blood, bone, hair and pulp.
Kyte didn't need to look twice to know who it was, he merely clung to the shredded flesh and sobbed his heart out.

By the time the wraiths had noticed him, the police had already begun to chase off the last of the pack.


It took the cops fifteen whole minutes to close off the road. But once they had, they then focused their attention on the victims.
An ambulance pulled up minutes later, followed by a Vet, and a carrier-truck for the dragons.
Paramedics rushed through the streets to attend to Trent and Kyte.
Trent, who had been found unconscious at the time, had been placed on a stretcher. A doctor quickly trying to rouse him as they fussed over his wounds and tried to checked his vitals.

Kyte on the other hand, was in such a state, not one word seemed to slip from his tongue. He merely sat were he was in guts and gore. His clothes still caked in blood as his arms wrapped around the minced form of his former friend.
It took two officers to pry the corpse out of Kyte’s hands. But once they had, the boy went from silence to hysterics. He broke almost entirely.

He sobbed like mad-man, his eye swollen and bruised from the hot tears pouring down his cheeks.
His body trembled, and unable to hold it back any-more, he began to to scream. The sounds were those of utter agony and grief.
Clutching his skull tightly, the boy dug his nails deep into the of skin of his face, moaning through tormented and strangled screams. His head pained, a hot knife-like sensation shot all the way through his brain down into the nerves into his patched eye.
He was beyond himself, his mind and sanity in tatters.

One officer eventually grew tired of Kyte’s display, and took it upon himself to rectify the problem.
With a rough grab, he latched a hand around the boy’s arm, shaking him till he sicked himself.
Dazed, but still in much the same state Kyte went into a temper. Instinctively, he lashed out at his captor, eventually earning his freedom with a hard bite to the man’s arm.
The paramedics were on on him next, tearing him down and pinning him cruelly to the floor. He seemed to be completely inconsolable.

It was Kyte's voice that eventually roused Trent from his comatose state, and his tight facial muscles twitched as the ear splitting shouts and yells jabbed harshly at his foggy senses. He groaned, feeling dizzy and confused, and sat up slowly with the heel of his palm pressed to his forehead. His arm sent a savage pang through him as he raised it, and he hissed in discomfort, shooting it a glare. Bandaged? What- Kyte's heartwrenching wails met a new level, and suddenly, Trent felt all the blood drain from his face as the events of the last few minutes returned to him. Luke...
With his heart beating somewhere in his throat, he turned his sheet-white face in a daze to stare at the bloody ground, where paramedics had tossed a white sheet over some lumpy form. It looked so natural, so peaceful, with his face covered like that. It was as if Luke was just hiding under the blankets on his bed, like he'd pop his head up at any moment with that slightly crooked grin and the ever-present laughter in his eyes, just like he used to when they were younger. Trent could almost have believed the fantasy, if it weren't for a single bloodstained shoe lying several meters away. For some reason, it was this that held his gaze, and he stared at it for several long minutes as a fuzzy sense of denial clouded his mind. The corners were busy removing Luke's corpse, while the police flitted around asking questions, and the paramedics buzzed vaguely in the background. They might have been speaking, but Trent didn't know. He was deaf to all but the rapid thumping of his heart.

Slowly, he got to his feet and took a step toward the lonely shoe. He couldn't leave it there. Shoes existed in pairs; what was the point of one without the other? Luke would need it when he woke up. Yes, best pick up the shoe.
Decisiveness quickened his pace, and he was halfway to it when a familiar voice screamed through his daze again, and he spun on his heel to see paramedics tackling a wildly thrashing, inconsolable Kyte to the ground. For a moment he just stared, his thoughts foggy and his actions sluggish. Then reality flowed back into him in a rush, and time sped up all over again as the sounds of shouting and sirens became clear, and his eyes flickered with the flashing of emergency lights. It was cold, and the air tasted of blood. And Luke was dead. The realization hit him like a punch to the heart, and a grim sense of shock flushed freezing lead right through his veins, leaving him trapped in a body too heavy to budge, shivering from an iciness that had nothing to do with the cooling night. Without any realization of how it had happened, he felt his own fingers clawing at his jacket, right over his heart. Each beat felt laboured and forced, and try as he might, he could not believe that this was truly happening.
Then Kyte screamed again.

"Get the f*ck off him!" Trent growled savagely, his body suddenly unfreezing as he ran to Kyte's side, and grabbed the nearest paramedic by his collar, throwing him away with more force than he'd intended. "What's wrong with you?!" He raged, voice shaking with emotion, "Can't you see you're making things worse! Hasn't he been through enough?"
"But he's-"
"F*CK OFF!" Trent roared, "I'll take care of him, okay?"
The paramedic who had spoken raised his hands in surrender and backed away, leaving Trent to deal with the thrashing, screaming mess that Kyte had become. A wayward fist lashed past his cheek, and Trent tilted his head to the side, then gently grabbed the fist in passing, and pulled the other boy's arm swiftly around his own back, catching it in his other hand to wrap himself in Kyte's embrace. Then he locked his own arms around those shaking shoulders, and pulled the sobbing boy so close to him that he could feel thier hearts beating in time, Kyte's flickering like a hummingbird's wings against his chest. "It'll be okay, Kyte." He whispered shakily, hugging him tighter. His hand stroked reassuringly down Kyte's back, then gripped the back of his head. He pressed his friend's face to his shoulder, and his eyes squeezed tightly shut, jaw clenching from grief. "It'll be okay." His trembling lips managed. "I'm here. I'm here...." His fingers shook as he stroked that soft hair, damp now from sweat, and he felt the lump in his own throat grow as Kyte's tears soaked through his clothes, and the sobs wracked his own still body. It took all the will he had to keep standing there, but he did it, knowing even as he hugged the poor broken boy that he was the solitary pillar in Kyte's crumbling world. He didn't dare think of his own.
"We'll get through this." He whispered hoarsely, squeezing his eyes even tighter shut, even though no tears were falling. "We can get through this together, I promise. I promise. I'll always be here. Always."
Needling sorrow sewed his throat shut, and Trent knew that it was not for Kyte's sake that he clung to him. Beyond the boundaries of Kyte's embrace, he knew, lay the real world. There law the sorrow, the tragedy, the one most horrific thing that he should never have to endure. And he did not dare venture there. "We'll... Get through... Somehow..." Trent felt his chest start to shudder with silent sobs, so powerful he could have sworn his ribs would cave in. His face was scrunched, contorted by grief, but no matter how he clung to Kyte, feeling like his heart was breaking, not a single tear fell from his eyes. Luke is gone. He told himself harshly, over and over again. I couldn't protect him, now he's dead. Luke is gone. But Kyte is here, and he needs me... And goddammit, I'll protect him if it's the last thing I do. He clutched Kyte protectively closer, his fingers forming a little barrier around the back of his friend's head, as though somehow he could shut out the pain, and shield his dear friend from the cruelty of the world. God help me, I'll be brave for you, Kyte. I'll get you through this, even if it kills me.
"I'm here for you." He repeated, his voice gaining strength as he whispered into Kyte's ear, squaring his strong shoulders. "Just close your eyes, and give me your hand." He shifted back just a little, fingers sliding down Kyte's arm to fasten firmly around his hand as he began leading him back towards the ambulance. Kyte was covered in blood, and Trent didn't know how much of it might have been the boy's own. "One step at a time, okay? Let's get you seen to." With another gentle tug, he reached the back of the ambulance, and offered to help Kyte inside. "I won't leave your side." He murmured, "That's a promise."

Like ivy creeping over stone, Trent’s arms enclosed protectively around Kyte, Shielding the boy’s cracked heart from all the cruelty of the world. It took him a while to realized who had been holding him that night, but slowly, Gradually, tiny fragments of sanity began to return to him. Kyte started to recognize the gentle sensation of touch. He understood the sounds of the world, varying from the deafening blare of sirens, all the way down to the complexity of actual human words.
A voice he knew finally roused him from his daze, forcing him to open his eyes and pull back from the darkness. It chanted softly in his ear, the familiarity of it sending shivers down his spine."We'll get through this...We'll... Get through... Somehow...I'm here for you."
Kyte blinked, he found himself staring blankly into an unfamiliar face before him. His eye felt heavy and useless inside his skull,. His blurred vision taking a moment long before he could focus. Darkened shadows gradually began to file down into refined features, handsome and familiar. Relief filled his chest, It was Trent who held him, Trent who supported him. A small degree of tension seemed to lift from Kyte’s shoulders, and clutching tightly onto Trent’s shirt, the boy tried to steady himself. He was still far from okay, but at least he wasn't alone. Burying his face into his friend’s shoulder, Kyte mumbled the only words he could.
“I...I’m sorry...I’m so sorry....Luke...LUKE!!!”
Grief constricted his throat, and groaning painfully beneath his sobbing voice, the boy felt a warm hand slip firmly around his own. "Just close your eyes, and give me your hand."
Biting his lip, Kyte stubbornly obliged. His head ached as he lifted it, and with a little help from Trent, he was soo off from the floor and back onto his trembling legs..
"One step at a time, okay? Let's get you seen to."
The reassurance seemed to be enough to keep him calm, and together the two boys made their way back towards the ambulance. By the time they reached the vehicle, Kyte had caught sight of the paramedics. A frightened whimper escaped his lips, and hiding behind Trent like a frightened child, he dared not take another step forward.A Gentle tug from Trent urged him forward, but shaking his head distrustfully, Kyte refused.
"I won't leave your side." Trent murmured, his eyes glinting with trust, "That's a promise."
Gritting his teeth, Kyte shut his eyes and gave in to his friend’s lead. He took a final step forward, before utter exhaustion and stress got the better of him. The world around him suddenly disappeared, growing dark as the drumming sound of his heartbeat filled his ears. He was out cold within seconds.

***********************

Two weeks had passed since Luke’s death, and still the veil of mourning hung heavily over the academy. Students who had once known him, grieved over their loss. Poems where written in cheap cards, posters were hung, teddy bears bought. It was all part of the process, mankind's way of coping...

A small backpack with dirt crackling against its wheels, now rolled on tediously behind Kyte. The boy made his way quietly down the hallway. It had once been familiar to him, but now he barely recognized it behind all the memorabilia and plastic. It had two weeks since he had come home, two awful weeks since had had been allowed back into contact with the outside world. He shuddered, the image of needles still made his skin crawl.
His mental state after the accident had sent him straight into an institute, and on both his doctor and his mother’s command, that was where he had been forced to stay till he had been stabilized. Everything relating to his friends and dragon, had been locked away from him.
He stopped.
A door stood before him, closed but unlocked. He was home at last. A tiny flicker of anxiety knocking against the inside of his chest, It felt like a butterfly trapped inside a jar.
Kyte didn't know what to expect behind this door, he hadn't heard a thing of Trent since that night. He had tried so hard to contact him, but every attempt had been squashed at the institute, Hell, he was still waiting to get back his cell phone.(It got confiscated)
Gulping back the tension, Kyte breathed and slowly turned the metal handle. The door opened with a click, creaking open to reveal the comforting sight of their room, his room.

The scribbling sound of pen against paper was the first thing to alert him of Trent’s presence. The second being that familiar mop of spiked red hair. Dropping his bag, Kyte quietly stepped closer. He could see the tension etched across Trent’s features as he concentrated on the piece of paper before him. He clearly hadn't heard Kyte enter the room.

Curious, The younger boy stared over Trent’s shoulder, watching attentively as his pen hovered from question to question. It was clear that he was stressing over his homework, his eyes narrowed with frustration as his pen scratched a line disapprovingly his answer. He looked just about ready to give up.

Concerned Kyte focused on the question too, his brain picking through Trent’s equations to find the fluke in his answer. Once it had been identified, the boy nodded and placed a hand gently over Trent’s shoulder. He smiled, “You've turned your 5 into a 2...Just over here”Pointing towards the tiny mistake, Kyte circled it with a pencil and nodded, “There we go, It should work out now”