. Companion piece to Diary of the Dead. This is part 2 of 4.
Bryan: Diary of the Dead (Check)
Ian: Eulogy of the Dead (Check)
Spencer: Eyes of the Dead
Kai: Funeral of the Dead
Warning: Angst, suicide and mentioned child abuse.
"I have a bad feeling." Kai murmured, turning away from his team. "And I don't know why." He frowned as another unexplained shiver ran up his back, sending sudden chills of fear through his body.
"Kai?" Rei asked, leaning forward. "You ok?" Ever since the World Championship a month ago, Kai had been acting strangely.
"It just feels like something bad is going to happen." The red-eyed boy said tersely. "I have no idea why or what." Rei nodded.
"I know the feeling." He turned back to look at Tyson and Max, both grinning and talking to each other.
"They don't seem to have this feeling." Kai muttered. Rei smiled.
"Let them have their fun. They wouldn't get a premonition if it was dancing in front of them with a neon sign."
"I guess you're right." The Russian beyblader sighed. "They really are clueless." Still he watched them fondly as they argued.
"Kai!" A voice called frantically. All of the team turned to face the new arrival, the youngest blader from Russia's team, Ian.
"What are you doing here?" Tyson asked fiercely, readying Dragoon. Ian stared right past him as if he wasn't there.
"Kai," He repeated. "You've got to come back to Russia." All the team gasped.
"No way!" Tyson shouted, his grip on his beyblade tight. Max nodded, pulling out his Draciel for battle too.
"We're not letting you take Kai!" The blonde said firmly.
"Max is right." Tyson added. "Kai's one of us. We're not letting him go." He slid the ripcord into his launcher.
"I'm not here to fight." Ian said softly. "Bryan," Rei tensed, "sent me to get Kai. He feels, and I agree, that we should put our broken family back together." He frowned. "What's left of it." Rei shivered at the cryptic words but Tyson was unfazed.
"You don't look broken to me." He sneered. "I don't see a single crack." Kenny shook his head at Tyson's rudeness but nodded. He wasn't fond of the Demolition Boys either. Ian paid no attention to him, his red eyes locked on Kai's.
"Why isn't it Tala whose giving the orders?" Max asked. "Why is it Bryan instead who told you to get Kai?"
"He usually likes to boss people around." Tyson added. Ian swung round to face him, his eyes shone angrily with unshed tears.
"Tala's dead." A collective gasp came from the throats of all the group. Even though they had all witnessed Tala's defeat by Tyson, there was something that seemed unbeatable about the red-head.
"How?" Tyson demanded.
"When?" Max asked at nearly the same time. It was Kenny who asked the question everyone wanted to know.
"Why?" A tear rolled down Ian's cheek.
"Bryan found his body three days ago in his room. As soon as Boris had finished punishing Bryan, he went back to find Tala, who had already been released. He was dead. He died a day before that and no one knew." Another tear from Ian's eyes fell and splashed onto the dirt of the field.
"But how did he die?" Tyson asked again. "Do you even know?" Ian spoke quietly, addressing all of his words to Kai.
"Bryan found Tala's journal in his room. Tala committed suicide." A shocked breath emerged from everyone. Tala? Suicide? Tala Ivanov, Russia's top beyblader, the captain of the Demolition Boys? Heartless, icy Tala? There was no way that Tyson was willing to believe that happened.
"He killed himself?"
"Yes." Ian stated flatly. "Boris hurt him badly enough that he didn't want to keep living anymore."
"He is-was- Boris' top blader." Max pointed out. Ian's anger surged forward at the boy, leaving him stunned.
"Boris beat Tala. He beats all of us."
"He what?" Tyson said, stunned into silence. Ian snarled at him.
"You heard me." He turned back to Kai. "In Tala's journal, there was a part addressed to all of us." He glared at Tyson, who was looking interested. "Not you. Just Spencer, Bryan, Kai and myself." His glare deepened. "You drove Tala to it and I'll never forgive you." Tyson shivered at the menace in his tone.
"I didn't do anything." He protested.
"You did enough." Ian snapped. "Tell me the truth. What did you think of Tala Ivanov? Heartless? Monster? Freak? Robot?" Tyson was silent. "That's what you did. Tala couldn't take the hatred anymore." He turned back to Kai. "Here." He handed him the page from Tala's journal.
Kai. Don't keep coming back to us. The world opened it's doors for you, go through them. Escape. The shackles are loose on your wrists. Don't keep coming back. My shackles are a part of me now, I can't break them. You still can.
Kai let a tear run down his face.
"Kai!" Tyson cried, shocked.
"I'll go." Ian nodded.
"But, Kai!" Tyson protested. Ian rounded on him once again.
"Can't Kai go to the funeral of his old teammate? Can't he? Is he allowed to watch as they lower your enemy's body into the ground?" He burst into tears. "Tala was our brother and our best friend." Rei's eyes softened.
"I'm sorry." He murmured, trying to comfort the sobbing boy. Ian shied away quickly as if stung.
"I don't want your pity. All your pity can't bring Tala back." He snapped harshly, staring at the ground.
"I'll speak for the team," Rei said. "We want to come." Ian glared at him.
"You didn't even know Tala." Rei nodded.
"That's exactly why. I want to meet the real Tala Ivanov not just the Tala we all saw on the surface." Ian smiled suddenly.
"Alright. If Bryan says so." Rei nodded again.
"Thank you."
"Let's go." Kai said, turning on his heel.
Next is Spencer's: Eyes of the Dead. Please review.