Author's note:
I know I promised a few people I would have the sequel to Runnin up today, but I lied. Terribly sorry for those expecting to see that up today and not this, whatever this is.
Anyway, I don't own Beyblade or it's characters, all OC's are mine and so is the plot of this, which will prolly change drastically as we go along since that always happens.
Also, a bit of warning, this is going to teeter on the darker side, like quite a bit. I will place warnings before each chapter if I see fit, but expect abuse, blood, violence, racism, excessive drinking and heartbreak, and of course lemons.
This story is Yaoi, but also not as there will be instances of hetero pairings. Not to mention this is an AU story line, so the characters you're used to are different.
Enjoy the show!
"Keep that thing quiet!" A harsh command, over the cries of a bloody newborn not yet cleaned, causing four other women to flinch back.
"Lin, Lin you must stay awake." Another command, this time softer and caring as one younger woman stroked the paling and sweating face of the woman on the bed of dirty hay who had just given birth. Her breathing slowing, and those around her knew it wouldn't be long before she fell asleep.
"If the Master hears that, we're all in trouble. Shut it up- now!" The same old woman's harsh command, the babies wails only getting louder as thunder roared outside the stone walls of the mansion.
"Here, give him to me." A small woman, of about twenty said, holding her arms out for the crying babe who had been quickly cleaned in the women's haste.
The harsh old woman turned on the younger woman, dull brown eyes ablaze with anger and fury. "And where exactly will you take him, Suzette?" She sneered, crossing her arms over her large chest.
"My sister, out in the country, she can care for the boy there." Suzette answered, cradling the quieting babe down as she held it close to her breast. "It will be less than a few hours journey, and I will be back before the Master even knows." Suzette said, finally looking up to meet the older woman's harsh gaze.
The old woman's face only hardened, till she looked down at the now still form of Lin laying and bleeding on the bed where the other women had gathered around, tears running down their faces.
"Fine, be gone with you, quickly." The old woman commanded, turning back to help her wards clean and dispose of Lin's body.
Suzette curtsied, rushing out of the cellar where they had brought Lin to give birth, clutching tightly to the now sleeping newborn wrapped in brittle and unclean cloths.
Outside, away from the light and warmth of the manor, Suzette rushed into the freezing rain. The babe in her arms wailed the second the cold water rushed against his soft and new skin, the crack of thunder shaking both where they stood on the stone porch of the manor.
"Johnathan!" She called out, her voice hardly audible over the sound of the rain downpouring around her. "Johnathan, I need your help!" She called out, her voice straining against the cold wind and rain.
An average sized man came rushing towards her on horseback, a small wooden flatbed carriage being pulled behind the horse. Water splashed from under the large wooden wheels, the thin tarp over the back of the carriage bed whipped with the gust of wind, shaking the water from the rain away from it's material only to become soaked once more.
Jumping from his horse, Jonathan helped Suzette into the carriage, eyes wide at the bundle in her arms. "Is that?" Jonathan asked as Suzette climbed under the tarp, pulling it down around the bed and securing it tightly to cover her and the baby.
"The Master's bastard?" She asked, almost harshly. "Yes…" She sighed, only for Jonathan to nod back before he scrambled to climb upon his horse.
Snapping the reins down against the horse's side, Jonathan commanded the beautiful beast away from the manor. The large wooden wheels of the carriage pulling over the paved drive and through the iron gates and off the manor's lands, another roar of thunder raging across the sky as it lit under the lightning strike, the ground shaking and the baby once again crying as the servants of the manor whisked him away into the night.
Suzette, soaked down to her bones, shivered and watched as her sister paced before her as she kept her eyes on the baby that had been laid upon her bed. Jonathan sat at the small round wooden table in the corner of the room, enjoying the warmth of the fire that sat nearby on the wall to his left. Suzette stayed by the door, eyes downcast as she awaited her sister's response.
Her sister halted in her pacing, turning to Suzette with a look of disdain upon her face. "You wish me to live through this pain again, and care for this bastard child? What have I ever done to make you hate me so?" She all but screamed out.
"Mary, please… I had no choice but to bring him to you, if my Master had found him.- "I can care less about what would have happened to some bastard that has no meaning to me!" Mary interjected quickly, shrieking again in her anger.
"Please… Lin was our friend. I couldn't just let her son be killed." Suzette pleaded again, causing Mary's features to soften only ever so softly. "If Lin were still alive, would you tell her to her face right now that you can't care for her son?"
"Don't say such things to me!" Mary scorned, though looking more defeated with each passing second. "Of course I would not say such things to her, but it was her fault for bringing this upon herself." Mary spoke under her breath, taking one last look at the still screaming babe on her bed.
"She loved him." Suzette spoke just as quietly, only getting a nod in return from her sister.
"I will do it then." Mary sighed, stepping over and taking the babe up into her arms and cradling him tightly. "For you, and for our dear friend." She spoke as she looked back to her sister, who smiled a bright beaming smile of gratitude towards her sister.
"Will you write to me, let me know how he is?" Suzette asked, getting a nod in return. "Thank you, Mary. Thank you so much."
"No more talk of this now, you must go before your Master finds you both missing." Mary said sternly once more, making sure to eye both her sister and Johnathan, gently rocking the babe in her arms.
Suzette nodded to her sister, motioning for Jonathan to come away from the warmth of the fire. Tipping his hat to Mary, he followed Suzette back into the cold pouring rain for the trip back to the manor. As the wooden door closed behind them, Mary deeply sighed and sat on the edge of her bed with the babe still in her arms.
"Now, now. No more of this fussing, it won't do either of us any good if you keep this up." She cooed gently, rocking him a bit more to try and soothe him. "I bet you are hungry." She sighed and shook her head at herself. "Damn you Lin… Suzette." She huffed, pulling away the top button to her dress to bring out her breast for the babe to suckle on.
Upon immediate contact the babe latched, almost effortlessly, causing Mary to wince at the jolt of familiar pain but relaxed as the pain left. Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes, watching the babe suckle his fill until he fell asleep cradled and still latched onto her breast.
"I only ever did that once… Before my sweet Thomas went to sleep…. You're strong though, so I know you'll wake up." Mary sighed, shifting the babe in her arms to cover herself fully once more and place the now sleeping babe back on her bed and wrap him in clean, and practically new hand-made blankets, before placing him in the cradle that sat in the darkest corner of the room.
"As for a name now…" She mused to herself, standing over the cradle where she had placed the newborn, fighting back the tears of the memories of her own son sleeping in that same cradle, only to have not woken up the next morning only two weeks ago.
"Lin was always a Rei of sunshine when we were girls in our youth, she loved the sun, and her tan skin always seemed to glow from it…" She mused once more, closing her eyes as visions of her childhood friend came to her mind along with her sister as they played in large fields of flowers.
"Her eyes were like the sun, bright and full of life… Which I can tell you have that same spunk within you, yes you are going to give me trouble I can tell." She chuckled, trying to lift her own mood and away from terrible memories.
"You shall be called Rei, and you will keep your mother's maiden name. I do not wish to take her place…" Small tears escaped her blue eyes, not bothering to wipe them away she only took in a shuddering breath before brushing a gentle hand along the sleeping babe's face.
"You will be known as Rei Kon. A name your mother would be proud for you to have."
Five Years Later
"Momma Mary! Momma Mary!" The black-haired boy cried out, his shoulder length hair, that was held in a white cloth, followed after him in his rush.
Running up the hill his little home sat upon and stretching his free hand out towards the door, his golden eyes beaming brightly like the sun itself, as he clutched the rabbit's leg in his other hand as it dangled limply in his hold. He reached the door, a wide smile on his little tanned face.
"Momma Mary, look what I caught!" Bursting through the front door, the boy yelled and inhaled heavily for breath.
Only for his eyes to go wide and the rabbit in his hold to drop to the floor in his stunned silence, golden eyes dancing from the two men in the house standing over Mary as she hunched over in her chair sobbing, hiding her face in her hands as a piece of parchment laid across her lap.
"Momma Mary?" The young boy's voice wavered, his golden eyes wide with an unknown fright.
"I'm so sorry Rei." Mary cried, shaking her head as she cried into her hands more. "I have no choice."
"I… I don't understand…" Rei's little voice shook, and he took a step back, standing in the open doorway of their little home.
"Don't think about running boy." The taller of the two men ordered, the smaller stout man took a step towards Rei, readying to lunge after him should he run.
"I'm so sorry…" Mary sobbed once more, and at those words Rei turned and fled back out of the house.
"Stop him!" The tall man ordered, the stout man chasing after the boy as quickly as he could.
"Don't hurt him… Please…" Mary sobbed.
"He's not your problem anymore." The tall man said roughly, pulling a small brown coin purse from his black jacket pocket and dropped it at the sobbing woman's feet before stalking out after the other man and boy.
Mary only sobbed more into her hands, shaking harder than before as the door to her home slammed shut behind the man. Falling into her own despair she wrapped her arms about herself, shaking violently as she prayed in her head for the safety of the boy she had raised as her own for the last five years.
"Forgive me Lin…"
The stout man that had ran after Rei had caught up quickly, despite his large build, knocking into the boy and tumbling down the end of the hill as he held the boy's small body in his large arms. Rei kicked and screamed, trying to pry himself away from the man's hold, only to slowly lose the fight within him and he fell limp in the man's arms.
"Did you kill him?" The taller of the two asked, having come down the hill after them.
"Nah, he just passed out." The stout man said as he got to his feet, shifting Rei over his shoulder, letting the boy's body hang off him. "Let's get back to the Mansion now, Voltaire will get upset if we don't get back soon."
The taller man only nodded, leading the way to the smooth black carriage that was being pulled by two beautiful and pristine white horses. The emblem of the letter H was carved in gold in the side of the carriage door, shining against the sun, as more golden intricate patterns adorned the carriage. The wheels were painted the same black, with golden hubcaps in the center.
The two men, with the unconscious boy still slung over the one's shoulder, climbed into the carriage, the taller one hitting the roof of the carriage as a signal to the driver. Before the door was even closed, the carriage took off down the graveled pathway. The ride away from the country side was silent, the two men cramped next to each other on the seats as they had laid the unconscious boy out on the other side.
"Pity…" The taller one began to speak, shaking his head slightly.
"That his mother was con-artist? She should have known better than to have tried to cross Lord Voltaire." The stouter man said in a short chuckle. "If she cared for this brat, she wouldn't have tried to cheat the Lord out of his money."
"She's not even his mother you idiot." The taller one said in almost a hiss, his eyes narrowing at his partner. "She is Russian, like you and I, this boy here isn't."
"What you suppose he is then?" The stouter asked, leaning over the space of the carriage to get a better look at Rei.
"Japanese… Chinese… Doesn't really matter to us."
"Ah, but the Chinese are more profitable." The stouter man said, an evil smile on his lips. "Think Lord Voltaire will be looking to sell this one, or keep him?"
The taller man shrugged, looking bored and slightly disgusted with the conversation as he turned away to look out the window of the carriage to watch the world roll by them. Night fall came when the carriage had finally made its way to its destination, rolling through a large white and golden gate and across the paved pathway only to stop before the front of the three-story mansion.
Shaking with fear Rei's eyes were wide, having woken up from his unconsciousness, he stared out the window at the brightly lit mansion that stood before him now. The stairs at the front of the mansion looked uninviting, but the two men urged him to follow, and with trembling legs he obeyed their command.
"I wouldn't think about running off now, there's dogs that roam the grounds day and night." The stout man, whom he learned was called Greg, said to him with a menacing chuckle as he pushed Rei towards the flight of stairs that seemed to tower above him.
"Go on boy!" Greg huffed, pushing Rei's back harder until he was moving again, having become frozen at the bottom of the black stoned stairs.
Slowly and carefully Rei started up the flight of stairs, the light from the lantern that hung from the overhang above their heads and front door gave off an eerie glow, even though the light itself was warm and welcoming. The main door was arched and framed by a light grey marble, the door itself was large and made of a dark wood with carved designs within it and the handle was a dull brass.
On either side of the door were two plotted plants, standing tall and trimmed into perfectly circular balls, the pots they were planted in a white marble. If it wasn't for the circumstances of Rei being there to begin with, he would have gawked at the majesty of what he could see just outside the mansion's doors. Able to hear the sound of falling water somewhere behind him, like rain water falling into a puddle, yet it was too dark aside from under the porch's lanterns to see the front of the grounds.
The tall man, whom Rei had learned was named Micah, simply pushed open the front door, letting the warmth from inside to come and greet them in a wave as light pooled out. Micah stepped inside first, Rei on his heel, with the fear of Greg pushing him again, as said stout man followed behind and closed the door behind them.
Micah came to stop in the center of the room, where two large stair cases sat on either end, facing them, an archway to their left and right and a tall light brown china hutch sat between the space of the stairs. Above their heads hung a large chandelier, with twenty candle sticks all lit and casting off that same warm and welcoming glow as the lanterns outside did.
Able to see the second-floor landing, and a space between the top of the stairs, Rei let his eyes wander a bit more at the size of the mansion he had somehow found himself in and he huddled in on himself as it seemed all too big for him. Sniffling, he tried to bite back the tears to no avail as they rolled down his sun-kissed cheeks.
"Oh, you're back." A woman called from the second floor, standing in the space between the top of the stairs.
Rei's head snapped upwards at the woman's voice, it having sounded heavenly and motherly, and already missing the sound of his Momma Mary's voice, it was nothing but an initial reaction. The woman smiled down at him, light brown eyes, almost looking as if they had hints of red within them, met his golden ones and her face softened upon seeing the tears running down his tan cheeks. At her side, clutching to her powder blue gown, was a boy who looked to be the same age as Rei. Dressed in a fitting pair of light brown slacks, with a white long sleeve shirt with a dark brown vest over the top, looking freshly pressed and clean and nothing like Ray's dirt stained shirt and ripped pants and bare feet.
His eyes, as they met Rei's, locked on almost harshly and they were red, bright blood red. The little boy's thin mouth turned down into a forced frown, his hold on his mother's gown tightening and even more so when the butt of a cane hitting across the polished wooden floors snapped everyone's attention to the right archway of the first floor.
Micah and Greg both bowed towards the older man who had stepped into the foyer, leaning his weight to the right as he gripped the cane in his hold tighter. Piercing grey eyes scanned over Rei quickly, a permanent frown seemed to have been placed on the old man's lips and once again Rei felt like he was shrinking in size as he looked up at the older man before him, eyes darting to the cane in his hold as if it was going to lift and strike him at any moment.
"Lord Voltaire, we have the payment you requested." Micah began, and the steely grey eyes shifted to him and he trembled ever so slightly under their weight. "This was all she had to offer, my Lord." Micah said quickly, his voice wavering.
Voltaire glanced back down at the now visibly shaking boy, tears freely flowing down his tan cheeks. Rei flinched back as Voltaire lifted the end of his cane, bringing it up under Rei's small chin and using it to force Rei's head upward and to the right and left, inspecting him with a narrowed gaze.
"This boy is Chinese." He said matter-of-factly, lowering his cane back to the ground where he used it to lean against once more. "I could sell him for millions, but for now he will serve the Hiwatari household. Natasha can make good use of him." With that, as if that was all that needed to be said, Voltaire turned and walked back under the archway he had previously came through.
Shaking even harder now, Rei had to stop himself from collapsing on the floor, not understanding what was going on around him completely and he almost jumped out of his skin when a hand came down on his shoulder.
"C'mon boy, this way." Micah said, gently pushing on Rei's back towards the same archway Voltaire had disappeared through.
"Wait a moment Micah." The same heavenly voice called from above them, Micah halting his movements and looking up at the woman who called for him to stop. "I'll take him for now, he looks like he needs a proper feeding and bath."
"As you wish madam." Micah said, bowing to her as she came down the stairs, the red-eyed boy still clutched to her gown.
"Come with me child." The woman said gently, holding her hand out towards Rei who hesitated before taking it. "Please call for Anna to come to the kitchen, will you?"
"Yes ma'am." Micah said as he bowed deeply to the woman, whom Rei noticed now that she was closer had light-blue hair that cascaded down to her lower back, almost blending in with the color of her dress and the boy that clung to her leg had the same light-blue color for bangs, but a darker-blue at the back of his head.
"Come along now sweetie, we'll get you something to eat." She coaxed, gently pulling Rei along with her as she turned to the archway opposite the one Micah was about to lead him through.
Rei wasn't exactly sure which direction he had been taken, there were too many doors and archways he had passed, and everything seemed too tall and too wide that when he entered a room with the woman he knew he was lost.
It was a large square shaped room, pristine white tiled floors laid out under his bare dirty feet, and dark wooden counters lined the walls around him that made up the room, where another set of counters sat in the center, almost dividing the room in half where stools stood at the ends of the counters in the middle. Two black stoves sat in the middle of the counters on the farthest wall on his right, where an icebox sat across from the door, and two sinks sat side by side on the wall the door was placed. It was a much bigger kitchen than he had ever seen, and he would have stared at it all night if he was permitted.
"Sit." The woman said calmly, motioning to the stools at the end of the center counters. "Both of you." She commanded a bit more sternly, prying her son's fingers from her dress.
Rei had already climbed himself upon the stool closest to the woman, where her son took the one farthest away from him, leaving three empty stools between them. It didn't take long for another woman, much younger looking than the boys mother, to appear in the kitchen and Rei watched her intently as she went about and prepared him something to eat. The entire time the kitchen was silent, the boy three stools away from him not bothering to start up a conversation and Rei's heart dropped at the prospect of not having a friend while in this new place.
The woman who had come in and prepared his meal paused, bowl in hand and giving a wary glance at the woman in the powder-blue gown, as if silently asking her if this was what she needed to do. The woman only nodded, and the younger woman slid the bowl across the counter at Rei, a grunt escaping her throat as if she was disgusted by doing such a thing and it didn't go unheard by the others in the kitchen.
"That's all Anna, thank you." The woman said, smiling, though Rei could tell it was a fake smile that she wore.
Ana curtsied to the woman before leaving quickly and quietly, and as Rei was about to relax and enjoy the steaming bowl of what looked to be some sort of soup a man walked into the kitchen next. Barely sparing Rei a glance he turned and narrowed his eyes at the woman, then a deep sigh broke past his lips.
"Misaki… If father catches you doing this, it will be the boy who pays." The man said warily, looking over at Rei who now placed the spoon back into the bowl, leaving the soup untouched.
"Susumu, please. He's had a long day I'm sure and must be starving." Misaki sighed back, looking to Rei and offering him a gentle smile. "Eat." She commanded quickly, and Rei just sat there unsure of what to do now but very aware of the other boy watching his moves intently.
Susumu only shook his head slightly, placing his hands on his hips. "He may eat, but that is it. Once he is done he is to go under Natasha's care, not yours. I will go and call her down. Kai, you can come with me now." Susumu called over his shoulder, the little red-eyed boy jumped from his stool and followed the man, whom Rei figured was his father as they shared the same dark-blue hair, out of the kitchen.
Once the door closed behind them, Misaki gave a soft chuckle as she leaned into the counter across from Rei who stiffened in his seat and looked down at his lap.
"It's alright dear, you can eat, I won't let anything happen to you." She said gently, smiling as she leaned her cheek into the palm of her left hand. "Do you have a name?" She asked, watching with a satisfactory smile as Rei brought a spoonful of soup to his lips and gulped it down quickly.
Rei nodded, enjoying the way the soup filled his stomach and lifted his mood slightly. "I'm Rei…" He whispered out, bringing another spoonful of soup to his lips.
"That's a wonderful name. I'm Misaki, my husband is Susumu and that little boy was Kai, our son. I think you two might be the same age, do you know how old you are?" At this Rei shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't know when I was born…" He whispered out again, still not meeting Misaki's gentle gaze.
"I see… Well you look to be no older than five, Kai is about to turn six himself." Misaki said, and just as she was about to come around the counter the door to the kitchen opened.
A woman, in her late 30's with dark-red hair clipped into a bun at the back of her head, stepped into the room. Her eyes a bright icy blue, and her skin pale as the snow. She was dressed in almost the same attire as Ana, though her black and white pinstriped dress was not hidden behind a stained apron. The look she gave Rei sent a cold chill down his spine, and he shivered and looked away quickly, scorning himself inwardly for having bothered to look at the woman in the first place.
"Master Susumu called for me to collect the boy." The woman said, her eyes meeting Misaki's.
"Will you let him finish his meal first Natasha?" Misaki sighed, going around the counter and placed a hand down on Rei's back as she took the stool beside him. "And his name is Rei."
"Madam, if I may be so bold, I do not care for the boy's name." Natasha said harshly, not looking in Rei's direction now. "I am also to inform you that Lord Voltaire wishes to see you in the parlor."
"Very well." Misaki sighed, pushing herself away from the counter but not before gently patting Rei upon his head as she walked away from him.
As the kitchen door closed, Natasha stomped over to the edge of the counter and snatched the bowl from under Rei, tossing it and the rest of the soup into the sink behind her, some of its contents flying about the kitchen. Rei did everything he could to stop the flow of tears, but they came anyway, and his body shook as he sobbed into his hands.
"Now I will have none of that!" Natasha barked, forcing Rei's hands away from his face and taking his chin into her hold to force him to meet her harsh icy blue stare. "You can cry all you like child, but it will do you no good now. You are here, so you must get over it and man up. If Lord Voltaire finds a fault in you, it will be off to the selling block, is that what you want?" At the question Rei quickly shook his head, best he could with his chin still pinched in Natasha's hold.
"I didn't think so." She released him and stepped back. "You'll learn that it's better here than it is elsewhere, especially the selling block, so chin up now boy and follow me." She commanded, and even though she had told him to man up, he couldn't stop the flow of tears as he followed her around, still unsure of where it was he was going.
He climbed a set of stairs after her, not able to pay attention to how he got to them or where they would go, and next thing he knew at the top of the stairs he was standing in a large open space. The air here smelt different than the other parts of the Mansion he had been in, like mold and dirt, yet the fire in the two brick fireplaces to his right drowned out the musty smell a little bit.
In the space, right at the top of the stairs and to his left was what looked to be a small kitchen space with another ice box, iron stove, and sink but fewer counters than in the kitchen he was just in. A wooden, shabby looking, table sat at the other end of the space of the kitchen where several equally wooden and shabby looking chairs sat around it, one of them occupied by Micah while Anna sat across from him and scowled at Rei.
Across from the two brick fireplaces were a row of four beds lined against the wall opposite of where the stairs sat, four armchairs sitting between the beds and fireplaces in the center of the room, one bed was occupied by Greg and one chair occupied by a woman Rei had not seen before. There was a door between the fireplaces, dividing them, and then a hall around the wall where that door sat on.
"Your bed is back this way, that door leads to the bathroom." Natasha said, walking towards the hall and pointing to the door on their right as they walked past it.
There, in the darkest corner of the room, was a small bed that looked just like the others out in the open space. Even though the room wasn't very large, this far away from the fireplaces the air was cold, and Rei couldn't help but shiver and hold onto himself tighter. There was another door to his left now, which Natasha walked towards and paused as she placed her hand upon the handle.
"You may bathe in the morning, if you get up early enough. Micah will make breakfast for us, and you will follow him tomorrow. Do not disturb the others with your sniveling, they all have important work to do tomorrow. For now, just lay down and go to sleep." Natasha commanded, her nose upturning at him.
Rei only nodded, slipping under the scratchy covers of his bed, pulling the fabric around his shoulders and as close to his chin as he could to keep his warmth around him, but the sheets were cold, and the bed was hard and uncomfortable. As the lights down the hall went out, and the sounds of the others falling asleep reached his hearing, Rei laid there, crying throughout the entire night softly to himself.