"Stop it Kaaa…" Tala broke into a fit of laughter when Kai fingers made another attempt to tickle his stomach. Kai smiled and grabbed the pillow that was defending his belly, out of his hands and throw it away, near the door of the room.

"Seriously, STOP!" Tala tried to make his voice sound angry but the fact that Kai was wiggling his fingers in front of his face with a small smile marking his lips, made it hard for Tala to do so. He grabbed hold of Kai's hands and said, "That's enough Kai!"

"You sure?" Kai asked with a raised eyebrow, making no attempt to free his hands from Tala's hold, "`cause I've just started." With that Kai tugged free his hands and reached again to tickle his little friend. Poor four years old Tala started laughing again, this time so hard that he fell on the floor, making the other laugh too. He stood up from the floor, dusted his pajamas and looked firmly at his crimson eyed friend. He was pointing at him with one hand while the other was clutching his side; there were tears in his eyes from laughing too much. After sometime when Kai's laugh died down Tala said, "I think that's enough for one day."

Kai inhaled deeply and ran a hand through his blue hair; "Are you allergic to fun?" he lifted the only pillow lying on the bed and landed on the floor with it in his hands. He gave Tala a two fingered salute and said in and heroic voice, "Beware evil doers `cause Kai Hiwatari's here!" with that he ran towards Tala and started hitting him with the pillow.

"Stop it Kai." Tala was half laughing, half shouting. He made his way towards the pillow that was lying next to the door and shouted, "Pillow fight!" completely forgetting the fact that they were in the abbey with guard patrolling the corridors and that Voltire was against late night sleeping. They both had also forgotten the result of the noise and trouble if he ever found out.

After sometime, both the boys were lying on the floor laughing.

"That was so much fun!" Tala exclaimed.

"I know." Kai smiled and looked at the ceiling. After a few moments of silence, Kai looked at Tala and asked, his expressions serious, "So, how exactly did your parents…" Kai was broke off in the middle of the sentence when the door opened, reviling Boris with a devilish grin. Seeing their frightened expressions, he rubbed his hands together and whispered; "Now now boys… we were just a little too loud."

He signaled the soldiers, who were standing behind him, to capture the boys. Kai protested but the man's grip upon his arm was too strong.

"Take them to the torture room." Boris said to the men than added to the two boys, "There is no need to be afraid; Voltire will be there to greet you."

Kai narrowed his eyes at him, angrily.

"Now now Kai, grandfather just wants to have a word with his lovely grandson and his friend." Boris smirked.

"I'll get back on you." Kai threatened as the men dragged him and Tala through the room.

"Temper temper." He heard Boris's voice before they took a turn, towards the torture room. Kai turned his head to look at Tala who had tears in his eyes, It's all my fault, I should have listened to him. Kai was regretting the past few happy moments he had spent with his one and only friend. As if reading his thoughts, Tala gave him a reassuring smile, telling him that he was fine. Kai looked away, it was so much pain watching Tala walk towards his punishment.

One of the solider opened the metallic door, while the others dragged Tala and Kai into the room. In the room was standing a figure with grey hair, his hands tied behind his back, his back facing them.

"Good," He spoke in his cold voice, "of you to drop by, grandson."

He turned around and walked towards Kai, taking his face in his hands he said, "Don't ever forget that I always know what you are doing." He whispered.

The blunette, even though afraid out of his wits, kept his posture and said just as coldly as the man, "It's none of your business what I do."

Voltire gestured the men to leave him alone with the two boys. After they left he looked in those crimson eyes and said, "Watch that tongue of yours boy."

He pulled out his phone from his coat`s pocket and clicked a button, "Bring me a whip," he looked at the two boys, both were expressionless, Voltire smiled and continued, "and a thin one." With that he clicked off the phone and placed it in his pocket again.

"It's going to be interesting." He said to himself, loud enough for the boys to hear. After a few minutes the door opened, reveling Boris holding a leather whip with a small smile. He gave them a thoughtful look before giving Voltire the lash. He smiled at their uninterested expressions and muttered something to Voltire who nodded.

Voltire looked at Tala and gestured him to move towards him. Tala did as he was told but Kai grabbed his arm and stopped him, "I'll go first."

The old man looked at him interestingly with a raised eyebrow and nodded, "If you say so." Kai made his way towards his grandfather and stopped in front of him. Voltire did nothing and kept staring at him for a few seconds trying to find and symptoms of fear but found none so he said, "Turn around boy," Kai did just as he was told, "With your shirt off."

Kai's eyes narrowed as the rope made contact with his bare skin; it felt like it was piercing through his skin but the four year boy didn't say anything nor made a sound. Another one pierced through his skin and he felt his skin open, felling his blood ooze out of the newly born wound and all the way down towards his lower back tears formed in his eyes but he quickly blinked them away. He stood there with his nose in the air, not moving an inch as another one made contact with his skin, opening it. Kai heard Voltire laugh; he closed his eyes as if swallowing the pain when the whip made contact with the skin of his back which was already open, making more blood leak from the wound. Another one made contact with his skin, just a few centimeters below his neck. After another few hits, Kai's whole back was bleeding. His knees felt shaky due to the loss of so much blood, but he stood still ignoring his dizzy head.

"You have become strong." Voltire complimented. Kai just laughed coldly as if mocking the other.

A few more hits left Kai breathing heavily, knees literally shaking. Kai's back felt numb, his trouser was also wet due to the blood but he didn't care. His hand moved inside his pocket and he grabbed his bey-blade as if asking Dranzer to give him the strength. When Kai didn't give up, Voltire grabbed his shoulders and turned him around to look at the boys face. It held a small self satisfied smile. Voltire growled and pushed him roughly to the floor, making his wounded back rub against the cold surface, making him clench his teeth in pain. Voltire smirked and looked at Tala, "Your turn boy, off with the shirt and hurry, I don't have all night."

Just as Kai, Tala moved towards Voltire, he walked up to where Kai was standing a few seconds before, took off his shirt and tightly closed his eyes.

Kai stood up from the floor with great difficulty. Watching Tala's painful expressions was just too much. The whip, full of Kai's blood made contact with Tala's bare back. It`s all my fault, all mine, Kai's mind was shouting. A tear escaped Tala's eyes and touched the floor.

The ground started shaking as red light escaped Kai's trouser pocket, making dranzer escape into the air. Voltire and Boris just stood there, open mouthed. Kai's scream made its ways towards the creature's ears and it started screaming along with its master, making the walls of the room shake as a few pieces tumbled down. "Blaze conflagration, Dranzer." Kai commanded and the creature faith fully attacked the two men.

"Destroy the whole building!" Kai ordered and after a few moments the entire building started to shake, they heard some screams from the outside. Kai grabbed Tala, hugging him close as the whole building came crashing down. Kai closed his eyes, waiting for any pain that would come their way. After a few moments, when Kai was sure that the whole building had been destroyed, he opened his eyes and let go of Tala. He saw Dranzer above them, protecting the two from any harm. When the dust cleared away, the bit beast disappeared.

"What was that?" Tala asked happily.

Kai just shrugged his shoulders in a 'I don't know' manner. Tala, without thinking, patted Kai's back, making him cry out in pain.

Tala smiled sheepishly and said, "You, Kai Hiwatari, are a true hero." Tala hugged him tightly, ignoring the other flinch.

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A/N: Well... what do you guys think?? I hope you enjoyed it... DO REVIEW