Hi you guys! *waves a paw* I told you I would put this up before Thanksgiving! (I forgot that only Americans celebrate Thanksgiving. *sweatdrops* It occurs around November 24th or something, I forget.) Anyway, here's the prologue to Phoenix Tears! Yay! *happy dance*

NOTE: If you're new to my stories, I highly recommend that you read my story Flight of the Black Dragon before reading this, because it will make so much more sense. This story takes place two years after (although the prologue takes place only a year after) FOTBD.

Huge thanks goes to Spork Warrior Kore 'cause she rocks and she's been a huge help with the plot for this story. I really appreciate her help, as well as her friendship. (She's an awesome writer too, read her story, dammit! *threatens*) Thanks also goes to Galux Kitty, Anh D-ao, Demika, Fyne Inverse, (I can't remember your full penname. Sorry! ^^) nObOdY, (did I get that right?) Death-sama, and a gazillion other people. But these guys have been nagging me the most. XD I love you guys so much, your reviews and comments and advice are really appreciated. I have no idea what I'd do without you guys. *gives hugs and cookies to everyone*

To be honest, I absolutely love this chapter. *laughs* Which is weird, 'cause normally I hate my work. But Dranzer is just so much fun to write about and I think he's hilarious, and I hope you do too! XD Enjoy!

Dranzer: Purra still doesn't own Beyblade, or its characters, although she has argued with the real owner several times and is currently banned from the HQ. *snickers* Anyway, she does own her own characters and the plot.

¬.¬ Thanks a lot, Dranzer.

Dranzer: ^^

Enjoy! And please, please, please review!!!!! ^^

Phoenix Tears Prologue

He was running. It always began with him running. The darkness surrounded him like a thick cloak that refused to allow him to breathe, making him gasp for breath and stumble dumbly in the eerie silence. His heart thundered in his chest as he sprinted over ground that felt like cold stone but he was never sure. His senses were completely unaware of any boundaries that may or may not have surrounded him and the air seemed thick, the scent of flame strong, the stench of sickness and death even stronger.

An agonized scream echoed through the pitch black and a scene flashed nearby, a golden phoenix with its head thrown back and crimson blood flowing freely from its throat as black shadows viciously lashed out to claim its life and then it was gone. His breath caught in his throat and his shirt felt heavier, the sound of some sort of thick liquid dripping from his body to the ground barely audible through his pounding footsteps.

The image of a single rose falling to the ground seemed to last an eternity as the shadows appeared to sprout from the thorns and latch themselves onto the petals, ripping and tearing until nothing was left but a broken stem.

The air was thicker than ever and his breathing was ragged, every breath making him gag with the stench of rotting flesh that seemed to permeate from everywhere and nowhere at once.

A harsh bark of cruel laughter echoed sharply through his mind and he found himself stumbling again, only to have his eyes sting with unshed tears as a scream of sorrow, pain, and rage pierced the air and a single tear sparkled before him, dropping into nothingness.

The laughter was back, a mocking sound that grew louder instead of disappearing like everything else did. An invisible hand seemed to latch on his throat and he opened his mouth to scream but no sound came out. His steps faltered and his body felt like lead, the strength suddenly gone from his limbs.

But through it all was the whisper of a song he couldn't name and a tiny rose bud that lay in the melody's sight and nothing more.

*  *  *

Early morning light spilled through the window and onto the sleeping figure tangled in the sheets on the bed. Slate-colored hair covered his damp brow, darkening to a navy blue in the back. He took a deep breath, arching his back before he finally opened his eyes, staring at the wall and allowing his mahogany eyes to adjust to the light. Sleep still clouded his thoughts and his mouth felt sticky and hot, immediately putting him in an unpleasant mood. The sheets clung to his body from all of his tossing and turning and a sheen of sweat coated his marble skin.

You have been having that dream quite often, youngling, Dranzer remarked gently, sending a wave of comfort to his master.

"Mmph…" Kai groaned and squeezed his eyes shut before he pushed himself up and began untangling himself from the covers. When he had finally succeeded he swung his feet over the edge of the bed and stood up, wishing that for once he could awaken from a peaceful sleep and without a throbbing headache.

I believe the young woman at the pharmacy has taken a liking to you, youngling. She worries about your health, the great phoenix bitbeast teased, enjoying the fact that he could do so without severe repercussions because his master felt like shit.

"Shut up," the eighteen-year-old grumbled, his voice husky from just waking up.

Kai put his hand on the doorway to the bathroom before he went inside and shut the door behind him, turning the water on in the shower as cold as it would go to cool down his overheated body. Stripping off his wet clothes, he threw them onto the floor and stepped beneath the freezing spray, a welcome shiver running through his body. Gooseflesh formed on his arms and legs but he didn't care as water coursed over his face and plastered his hair to his head, washing away the sticky sweat that had caused his clothes to cling to him like a second skin.

After several minutes the cold became too much and he began to shiver and his headache became worse than ever. When a particularly violent shudder rippled through his torso he turned off the water and stepped out, wrapping a towel around his waist. Kai leaned against the sink and opened the medicine cabinet, not even bothering to look as he grabbed the small bottle of Aspirin and dumped a few tablets into his hand. Without a thought he threw back his head and took them dry, closing his eyes as he tried to fight back the migraine that threatened to overcome him.

It is worse than before, the phoenix observed, his tone threaded with concern.

"Everything is," the teen said under his breath as he threw the Aspirin back into the medicine cabinet with more force than was really necessary.

Do not say that, youngling. The Red Phoenix sounded genuinely saddened by his master's comment and he withdrew slightly from the young man's mind. You have Tasha now.

For a moment Kai Hiwatari was still, his breathing slow and heart calmly beating in his chest, mahogany eyes staring blankly at the wall. What the phoenix said was true. He did have Tasha now, and didn't that count for something?

It counts for a great deal, Dranzer said quietly, his tone indicating the slight smile that only a phoenix could have. Now go eat something. Aspirin does more harm than good on an empty stomach.

Instead of arguing, Kai threw on a pair of pants and a loose T-shirt before he padded into the small kitchen situated in the back of his apartment and grabbed the orange juice from the refrigerator, pouring a large glass of it, which he downed in a matter of seconds. The cold liquid seemed to freeze his throat and he coughed several times, setting down the glass so it wouldn't break when he dropped it.

Slowly, youngling, the phoenix advised, his tone taking on an almost mothering quality that his master missed entirely. The bitbeast was concerned enough about the boy's health that he materialized from the beyblade, settling down in the bedroom, craning his neck to look out the door and into the kitchen, his fiery eyes large and soft in the early morning light. Orange juice is not typically an object used for punishment.

The phoenix's comment got its desired effect when the slate-haired teen allowed a faint smile in response, his eyes still shut tight.

The cell phone on the bedside table began to ring and the fiery phoenix turned his elegant head to stare at it before he ambled over awkwardly and stretched out his neck, tapping it with his beak until it toppled over onto the floor. This failed to open the phone, which annoyed the bitbeast somewhat – who was now very annoyed that he didn't possess fingers – and he tapped his beak again on the cover until it flipped open and the little screen turned green. Unable to speak aloud, the phoenix made a sort of crooning sound in his throat, confident that the line was secure. After all, his master had only given the number out to two people.

"Dranzer?" The voice on the other end sounded surprised and a bit amused and the bitbeast immediately knew who it was. Dranzer crooned again in affirmation and opened his beak, gently taking the cell phone into his mouth before he began walking – albeit awkwardly because of his talons – through the hallway and toward the kitchen, wings tucked tightly against his back and even then they still scraped against the walls. The caller knew what was happening and patiently waited until the phoenix was able to reach the kitchen and stretch out his neck, a soft chirp emitting from his throat as he tilted his head and offered the cell phone to Kai.

The slate-haired teen looked mildly surprised but he took the phone and gave the phoenix a brief nod before he leaned against the counter and poured himself another glass of orange juice.

"Hey."

Immediately Kai's shoulders seemed to relax and he never noticed when the phoenix fluffed his feathers, looking exceptionally fuzzy and very content with the situation. "Tasha." He uncharacteristically didn't bother to hide the relief in his tone and this only seemed to please the enormous bird further.

"Having Dranzer answer your cell phone for you now?" Tasha asked, a light ripple of laughter beneath her words.

"He did it on his own." Kai drank some more orange juice, well aware of the fact that the phoenix was making sure that he didn't choke on it. "I think he likes it."

Warm laughter rang from the other end and he found himself forgetting all about his nightmare and his headache, something that always happened when Tasha was around. "How are you?" There was concern in her voice, something that immediately told him that his bitbeast had tattled on his nightmares. Kai cast a glare to the phoenix, which went ignored.

Kai stayed silent and closed his eyes as he finished off the glass of orange juice and set it back down on the counter, a soft sigh escaping his lips. I don't know. "All right."

You are not, the phoenix scolded before he directed his voice to both his master and Tasha. He looks terrible.

Tasha said nothing for a long while and a comfortable silence settled between them, something that could only be achieved between the two of them and no one else. Footsteps could be heard in the background although it was nearly impossible to tell if she was the one walking around or not and then there was a knock at the door.

Kai looked up, his gaze on the hallway that led to the door and watched as the phoenix perked up and turned his head as well before he awkwardly turned around and waddled over to the doorway, neck stretched out to peer around the corner. A good portion of his body – with the exception of his long, fiery tail feathers – disappeared behind the wall as somehow the phoenix managed to open the door and made a soft crooning noise. With a small frown, Kai followed the phoenix's path, knowing that Dranzer would only make that sort of sound if the person at the door was someone he approved of and although the phoenix annoyed the hell out of him sometimes, he trusted the bitbeast's intuition.

"Hi." Tasha Reeves stood in the doorway, cell phone still at her ear, her long black hair pulled back into a thick braid that fell to the small of her back, strands falling out to frame her beautiful face. Her large ocean blue eyes gazed at him with concern and her full lips were tilted into a small smile. She wore a simple gray shirt and a black skirt that just touched her knees, black boots adorning her feet, the silver ring shining on her thumb.

Kai only matched her gaze, seeming to forget that the phoenix – who looked very pleased with himself – was even there as she slowly closed her phone and slipped it back into her pocket. "Surprise," she said with a wry smile.

Surprised! Dranzer chimed in cheerfully, fluffing his feathers again. If Kai had been paying any attention to him, he would have wanted to wipe the smug look off of the phoenix's face.

Tasha tilted her head, taking a small step forward as a silent question as to whether she was allowed inside or not. Immediately Kai took a step back and snapped the cell phone closed. With no further invitation, she closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him tight and his cell phone was tossed onto a chair, forgotten. Kai buried his face in her neck as his hands encircled her waist, closing his eyes and breathing deeply, memorizing her scent. As always, she smelled of the rain and a hint of lavender, something that he unconsciously had grown to love more than any other scent in the world.

"Gods, you're cold." Her voice was muffled against his chest and he felt himself smile before he lifted his head and locked gazes with her. "And so pale." She reached up and touched her fingertips to his cheek, her brows furrowing with concern as she ran her thumb along his bottom lip.

He has always been pale; he is Russian, Dranzer supplied helpfully.

Kai shot a glare toward the phoenix, who had taken it upon himself to shut and bolt the door. "Dranzer, shut up."

Tasha tilted her head and looked over her shoulder at the bitbeast, her eyes sparkling with silent laughter. "You're quite the mother hen, Dranzer."

Visibly offended, the phoenix ruffled his feathers and gave a theatrical sniff as he began to dissolve and disappear back into the beyblade in the bedroom. A hen?! How insulting! I am most certainly not a chicken!

"Why are you here?" Kai tilted his head slightly into her hand and she ran her fingers over his skin before she brushed back his still-damp hair from his brow.

For a long time Tasha said nothing, she simply gazed pensively up into his eyes and absently ran her fingers through his hair, something that she secretly enjoyed. "Do I need a reason?" she asked finally, taking a small step closer to him so their faces were mere inches apart.

"No." Kai's lips found hers and his eyes drifted closed as he tightened his grasp on her waist and pulled her to him, allowing her body to warm his. Fingers entwined in his hair, she gave a light pull on his bottom lip and then the room seemed to disappear around them until there was nothing there except for the two of them, for that was all that mattered.

*  *  *

Ice and snow crunched beneath her thick black ankle boots as she stepped out of the iron gates that guarded the dark mansion behind her. Her long blonde hair whipped out of the neat bun she had pulled it into and slashed savagely at her cheeks, stinging her eyes and lips as the harsh wind drove straight through her long black coat. Brows furrowed and full lips set in a grim line, she crossed her arms over her generous chest and strode toward the walkway, inwardly cursing Russian winters. She had been well aware of the conditions beforehand, but never in her life had she been so goddamned cold and it annoyed her more than anything.

As she picked her way through the empty streets near the city, she avoided looking up to see the bleary gray sky and the small spots of pure white snow falling from the heavens. The colors fit her mood, but the snow did not and she wanted to get rid of it, just like so many other things. Stop it at the root before it had a good chance to grow.

A smirk touched her lips as she drove her heel into the ground, crushing a small plant that had managed to break through the ice and snow in an enormous effort to gain sunlight to live. Satisfied that it would shrivel up and die, she continued walking, a bit more bounce in her step now that at least some of her good mood had returned.

The meeting within the mansion had not gone quite as she had planned to say the least. The old man was a stubborn bastard and refused to share what she wanted most, but she would be patient. He was close to his time, anyway, and when he was gone… Well.

Small snowflakes drifted onto her shoulders, one in particular landing on her perfect nose, which was now red anyway from the cold and her self-satisfied smile disappeared. God, she hated snow. But when this is all over, I'll never have to see it again.

The young woman lifted a delicate gloved hand, waving over her ride. A nondescript black car came to a stop just so that the passenger door stood before her and she opened it without a word, slamming it shut behind her. "The hotel," she said without even bothering to look at the man behind the wheel.

"Of course, Miss Summers," the driver murmured before he pulled away from the curb and sped off into the city.

Paige Summers turned her head to look out the window, her chin resting on her hand as a scowl formed on her beautiful face. You refused me then, but things change. The scowl melted into a smirk of pure malice, her icy blue eyes flashing dangerously as she drummed her fingers on the dashboard. Because I always get what I want.

~*~ To Be Continued ~*~

Mwahahahaha! *is proud of herself* I did it! The Kai/Tasha part in the beginning was originally going to be in the epilogue of Flight of the Black Dragon, but I changed my mind and got rid of it. However, I thought it would suit here. ^^ I like it!

Next chapter: It's the happiest day of Mariah's life and everything's perfect. So ehh… *sweatdrops* why is she acting like it's anything but? ^^

Kitty, you had better update, 'cause I did! *shakes a fist* ^^ *hugs* You too, Anh D-ao! Everybuggy update! *lifts paws and dances around*

Kai: *sweatdrops*

XD Keehee.

See that little purple – ahem, excuse me, periwinkle – button down there? *points* Push it… Push it… REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!! Or I won't update. ^^ Any and all comments are appreciated, and I do listen to suggestions (but whether I use them or not is another story XD), so feel free to give them (in other words, GIVE ME SUGGESTIONS, DAMMIT!).

=^.^= Please review! *hugs everyone* And I hope you liked this chapter!