I have to admit this is partially inspired by The End of an Era and making Voltaire an OK person. It this story, however he is the main character. This is sadly only a one shot, as I could not think of much to write. Bold text in the story is from the series (as accurately as I can remember them- it's been a while since I've seen the last half of Grev).

The POV is always Voltaire's, but at some points he is talking to Kai and other times he is referring to Kai in the third person. The changes in writing are deliberate and are separated with the breaks.

A Child's Hope

"Go Dranzer!"

I watched you fight the monster of darkness. Fight for your friends and even strangers to save beyblading. I thought all you could do was hate and maybe that is all you are capable of, but you will save others in the end.

Will everything I have taught you be in vein? I guess a small part of me always knew I was wrong to do what I did to you. Would you ever forgive me? You should not, since I taught you to never forgive and that is one lesson, like many others I gave to you, that you shall never forget.

Blood falls from you body; yet you continue to stand. I force myself to watch, force myself to watch my perfect soldier; the young warrior I created the child I destroyed. Disgust fills my mind as I once again remind myself what I have done.

Darkness finally claims you as you collapse. Thoughts run through my mind telling me that I could have prevented this, that you would be happy without me if I had never tried to interfere. I do not say that to gain sympathy, for I will never deny that I was the one who destroyed your compassion and loyalty. I turn, disgusted with myself for what I had created. I am ashamed that for everything I put you through you have still fallen in the end.

A shout stops me from leaving the stadium area. I turn in shock to see that you are back up on your feet and Dranzer has shot out to attack the dark bitbeast. It seemed everyone was shocked at your defiance and I could not help but smile at the your 'never give up' attitude.

"You don't have the beyblading spirit!"

It hit me just like it hit your opponent Brooklyn. That is why you won all of your battles. It was never the power that you used or even the skills that you learned while growing up in harsh environments. That is why you failed with Black Dranzer in the end, because you were only fighting to gain power. Your spirit was what you won by in the end of every battle. Just like your father.

"That's why I have to defeat you… because beyblading means more to me than you could ever imagine. It's not just a game to me!"

I turned away in shame. If anything I had been the one to kill your spirit, yet somehow you had found a way to get it back. You have never given up, either through stubbornness or through friendship. I know you would never have admitted it openly, but you would do anything for your friends, whether that meant staying with them when it got tough or leaving them to open their eyes.

Of course I know also that you do not like to be tied down. I know that it is why you are never seen somewhere for a long time. You would never let your friends know the truth now that you have them, but you like to be alone and the only one to rely on. Life taught you that, but you have not leant when to trust others, a trait, which I now recognise as a fault.

I thought I could make you stronger, but I made you weaker. I thought no one would beat you and yet I have watched you fall. I will not be able to take back what I did to you, but maybe with your friends beside you I will never have to.

I cheered with everyone else as you stood tall and proud that you had done your part to keep the game alive against all the odds. I laughed for you as I looked at Boris' face and the smile that appeared on yours. I clapped along with everyone else as they cheered your name over and over. I was the first to be silent when you fell.

Your friends were all there and Tyson was the one to catch you. He had always caught you while I once again watched you fall. You balanced yourself again and you whispered something in the boy's ear as he looked at you with concern.

"Kai!"

A promise has been made between you two and I turn to try and be one of the people to congratulate you, for once. Somehow my legs are one my side as I half-run down the last stairs to where you are supposed to come out. A smile is on my face and I feel proud just to know you, even if you hate me.

Several minutes pass and the smile drops from my face. I push past the security paying little attention to their shouts of protest. I begin to walk quickly down the seemingly never-ending hallway to find out if you are alright.

I stop when I hear a crunch under my feet. I look down to see I have stepped on some of the remains of Dranzer, along with the broken bit-chip. I looked over to see you lying there, skin pale with a small smile on your face.

"Maybe I could not stop your fall, but I can try to pick up the pieces, my grandson."

I kneeled down and wrapped my arms around Kai's unconscious body. I held the young man as if he was a child again, something that I subconsciously remembered I had not done since Kai's father was around. I felt the cool touch as a single tear found its way down my cheek as I held Kai close to my body. I wanted him to know I was there for him as comfort, not as a punishment.

A young child looked out of his bedroom window, a beyblade was held tightly in one hand as he stared at, seemingly, nothing. A tall man, who looked quite old, walked up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"He will not come back."

"He might." The older man glared at the boy's hopeful eyes, but the child seemed to ignore it. Then as if the child looked into the future as he stared out the window, he smiled, "He will come back, Grandfather. They always come back in the stories."

"Life is not a story where good triumphs over evil. Those that want to get to the top any way they can, will. That is the only way you will ever be someone; by using others to get what you want."

"You're wrong."

I was taken aback by my grandson's voice and I wondered if I had not just heard the memory speak to me. That thought soon left me when I felt his tired hand grip the material of my jacket that was draped over my shoulders. Dull crimson eyes opened and I saw the smile that I thought I had obliterated forever.

"I won by working with them. You were wrong Grandfather."

"It seems that I was." I whispered, and could not help but smile and in response his own smile grew.

"So you admit that I was right and you were wrong?"

"Just this once." I felt his head rest on my shoulder and when I looked down he had closed his eyes. "On one condition…"

"Yeah Grandpa?"

I started to shake in realisation of his condition. He had never called me that. The image of his destroyed beyblade came into my mind. No matter what he had done to defy me I would never forgive myself if I lost him.

"Do not give up."

My partially deaf ears barely heard his almost silent protest, "Why?"

"Because your friends need your support and…" All the speeches I had practised, what I had planned to say to him seemed to wash out of my brain as I quickly tried to persuade him to hold on.

"…because I love you. I am not ready for you to leave."

I mentally hoped to die of a heart attack then and there after saying that. It was so corny and so pathetic that I began to wonder if I was still the same owner of Hiwatari Enterprises.

I heard Kai chuckle at what I just said. A short, painful breath before he would blow through his nose in short bursts, almost like Morse code. Not only have my words not had their desired effect, but I have also caused him more pain. I was so wrapped up in my self-loathing that I barely heard his comment.

"I never thought I'd hear you say that. Thank you."

His breathing slowed down and I watched as he fell asleep on my shoulder. I was shocked that he would even let the man that had destroyed his life within a metre of him, let alone be so relaxed around me. A small part of me hoped that he felt safe, even when I was holding him.

"Kai!"

I looked up to see Tyson and a girl running down the hallway. The girl looked at Kai before tears started to fall down her face and she buried her head below Tyson's chin.

I watched Tyson squeeze her shoulder before asking, "Hilary, why don't you get the others. I'll take Kai to the hospital."

The girl stopped sobbing for a bit, "You won't make it back in time for your match."

"I don't care!"

"Do you want everything Kai sacrificed to be in vein?" The two looked at me as if I was some sort of ghost. I looked down at Kai, asleep in my arms. "I will take him to the hospital, personally. I doubt Kai would have wanted you to sacrifice this tournament for him."

"We'll visit him, Tyson. After you thrash Garland." The girl, Hilary had fire in her eyes as she spoke.

I had to admit that girl certainly had a way of dealing with Tyson. I mentally noted to ask Kai whether he was wrapped around her finger like that… when he woke up. I looked down one more time before pulling out a mobile phone and calling my chauffeur to come and help me.

I watched the two turn to leave, the girl already several paces ahead of Tyson, before he stopped and turned around. "If you do anything to hurt him I swear to…"

"If anything bad occurs you can join the list of people that will destroy me." I stop and look at him carefully, "You are a great friend to him." I smiled at the young man, no longer the immature child I had first met. "He deserves that and more. I will not let anything bad happen to him until you see him yourself."

Tyson, seemingly satisfied for the time being, forced himself to smile at me despite the mood he was in (and his mistrust for me) and walked away. He seemed to be giving me permission to help his friend, my grandson. I was truly glad someone cared so much for Kai.

Sitting in the hospital room I watched every breath my grandson took hoping it was not his last. A knock on the door sounded and I wondered whether it was Mr. Dickinson or one of the nurses. As it turned out it was neither. A man with blond hair, the back tied up in a small ponytail, stepped in.

"I'm sorry for the intrusion, but I didn't know anyone else was here." The man's accent was strong. He certainly was not English, although he looked European.

There was a moment of silence before he spoke again. "So, how is young Kai fairing?"

I looked at him in suspicion. Did Kai know this man from a tournament or was he an enemy in disguise? Before I could think of anything else, though, he seemed to answer my silent question.

"My name is Romero. I am the coach of the team F Dynasty. Kai and I met in the last World Championships, although I admit we did not speak to each other until recently."

My answer was automatic, whether I trusted this man or not, "Kai is recovering. The doctors said that despite the look of his wounds he would be better by the end of the day. They just wanted him to sleep for a short time in order to restore some of his energy."

Romero smiled at Kai. "I have to ask, what made him the way he was? He is very different from the other former Bladebreakers, yet he is not completely like the Blitzkrieg Boys either."

"I did." It was like a confession and I had just admitted it to this stranger.

"I see. Well, I guess you have a bit of work ahead of you."

I looked up, he just walked out as if nothing of great importance had been said between us. I watched him flirting with one of the nurses. It was like he was suddenly a different person.

"He was like that to me as well." I turn back into the room to see Kai's eyes open, looking straight at me.

He sat up slowly, leaning against the pillows and staring at the door that had just closed, "He gets you to admit what you've been denying and then shrugs it off as if nothing's changed. He's a bit strange that way."

"How long have you been awake?"

"Since Romero walked in. Are you mad?"

I looked at my grandson carefully and smiled, "I am not angry with you, Kai. I am relieved that you are alright. Your friends were quite worried about you."

Kai nodded, showing he had hear and understood the information, "Are you staying?"

"If you want me to." Silently I hoped he would not mind. The two of us needed to talk over a few things still.

He continued to look out the door that the strange man had left through. A small smile appeared on my grandson's face as he gave a nod, "I'd like that."

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