Set 6 months after Beyblade G-Revolution, this one-shot takes place in the Hiwatari mansion in Russia. Kai is preparing to go to sleep when someone makes an unexpected late call. But that's not the only surprise awaiting Kai this night.
Disclaimer: 'Beyblade' and 'G-Revolution' and all associated characters and names are property of © Aoki Takao · BB3Project, TV Tokyo, licensed by d-rights Inc. I do not own Beyblade in any way and in writing this fiction I am not making a single cent/penny/any other form of currency. So don't sue. Please.
Rebirth
By AngeLhearteD
Kai lay on his bed with his arms behind his head, staring up at the ceiling of his bedroom, deep in thought.
I've finally finished all the paperwork I needed to do…the bank details have all been transferred, and this place is now my property. He closed his eyes briefly, as he thought about the former owner of the Hiwatari mansion.
Grandfather…things could have been so different…if only…if only you hadn't put your greed before your family…if only you hadn't raised me to be a weapon…instead of a grandson…it's been more than two years…you could have been here now…
A soft knock on the door pulled the slate-haired young man out of his reflections and Kai opened his eyes, blinking. He turned his head to his right and glanced at the small electronic clock that sat on top of his bedside table.
It was 11.25pm. Kai had no idea how long he had been in his room for. He'd come up after having a late supper and listened to some music while playing on his handheld games console, before flopping down on his bed to think about the days events and accomplishments.
In one swift and fluid motion, Kai got up and off his bed, walking across his spacious room to the door. Opening it, he found himself face to face with Markov, the head supervisor of the other servants who worked in the Hiwatari mansion. Markov had worked for Kai's grandfather for ten years and was a loyal, valuable and respected member of the household.
'Master Hiwatari…' The elderly man spoke in a heavy Russian accent. 'Forgive me for disturbing you…I hope I didn't wake you…?'
'No…why are you still here?' Kai asked.
'I came to ask whether you needed anything else.' Markov replied.
Kai shook his head. 'It's late…you can go…the others can too.'
'The kitchen staff have already been dismissed, as have the maids.' Markov bowed his head. 'Only Stefan and I remain.'
Kai nodded. 'You know you can leave at ten…before then if you're done…you don't need to do this…'
Markov smiled at Kai. 'We enjoy our jobs, Master Hiwatari, and I assure you, if I may be so bold as to add, it is not the pay cheques that offer us the greatest satisfaction.'
'It isn't…?' Kai raised an eyebrow, looking up at the taller man,
'No. It is seeing the young master growing up.' The old man smiled.
'…I see.' Kai said and then he nodded. 'Well, go and get some sleep…see you in the morning.'
Markov bowed his head politely. 'Good night, Master Hiwatari.'
'That's Kai.' Kai replied. The old man merely nodded and then excused himself, and walked back toward the stairs that led to the bottom floor.
Kai watched him go. How many more times did he have to tell Markov and the other servants that they could call him Kai? All this 'master' business was unnecessary. They were the ones doing him a favour by running the house and cleaning it and keeping everything in order. Just as he was about to turn back into his room, the front doorbell rang.
Kai frowned, his eyes darting to the clock. It was 11.30pm now, who on earth would call at such an hour? Kai was hardly dressed for visitors; he wore loose, comfortable dark blue pyjama bottoms and a black T-shirt. Slowly he made his way to the railings at the top of the luxuriously carpeted stairs and looked down at the door, curiously.
Who is it…? Kai thought.
The doorman, Stefan, who had been about to make his way home, turned back to the door and opened it, letting in a cold gust of air as he did so. It was pitch black outside, but a figure soon appeared at the doorway.
'Well, are you going to stare at me all day or will you let me in where it's warm?' A voice demanded. It was a familiar voice and Kai felt a pang of annoyance.
For God's sake…doesn't he know what time it is? Kai thought in exasperation, but moved to the stairs and started making his way down.
'I'm sorry, young man, but I must ask for your name…' Stefan said.
Markov stood behind him, looking at the visitor with an incredulous expression on his face.
'Young man, it's very late and the young master has retired for the day…' Markov began.
'He has?' The owner of the voice replied in fluent Russian. 'But it's not even twelve yet!'
'Young man, your name?' Stefan asked again.
'Oh come on, you don't recognise me? Just because I'm wearing a hood, that's no excuse to forget the sound of my voice!' The visitor replied indignantly.
'Please give us your name and we'll tell the master you called in the morning…' Markov said.
'Hmph! What a baby Kai is! He doesn't normally sleep at this time does he?'
'Please keep your voice down…' Stefan held up his hands. All three of them had not noticed that Kai was halfway down the stairs and was watching the exchange. He decided it was time for him to intervene.
'Don't you know what time it is?' Kai called down. Stefan and Markov looked up in surprise and bowed at the sight of their master.
'Master Hiwatari…' Stefan began. 'This young man is here to see you…shall I tell him to come back in the morning?'
'Finally, I was wondering when you'd show up.' The person at the door exclaimed at Kai. He then looked at Stefan in irritation. 'Come back in the morning? I've come all this way in the snow, now tell them you know me Kai, and let me come in!'
Kai rolled his eyes. 'What do you expect, Tala? It's after 11.30 in the night…normal people are asleep.'
'Are you implying that I am not normal?' Tala demanded.
Kai shook his head and looked at Stefan. 'Let him in.'
Stefan nodded and stepped aside. Tala stepped into the mansion, glaring at the old doorman as he did so.
'Well it's about time!' He kicked the door shut and then shrugged out of the jacket he was wearing and dumped it into Stefan's hands. Both elderly men stared at the flame-haired youth in shock at his apparent lack of manners.
Tala gave them a look, and then turned his attention back to Kai.
'You weren't really asleep…were you?' He asked, looking up at his former team-mate.
'It doesn't matter anyway does it.' Kai glared at Tala and then nodded to Stefan and Markov.
'Just hang his jacket up and then go.'
'But Master Hiwatari, what if the young man wants something to drink?'
Kai glanced at Tala, who gave the old men a look of disbelief.
'I can help myself…don't you want to sleep or something?'
The two men stared at him and Tala looked away and put his hands on his hips impatiently.
'Go.' Kai told his servants again. They nodded, then reluctantly turned and left the large parlour by the side door. Tala looked up at Kai again.
'If it's so late how come they're still here?'
'…' Kai glared down at Tala in response. Tala stared back.
'What? I was passing by and decided to drop in. Is that so wrong?'
Kai was used to getting visits from his former Russian team-mates. In fact, it was more or less a daily occurrence. Tala was the most frequent visitor, followed by Ian who only came because he liked the food and he loved playing on Kai's games console. Spencer and Bryan also came by occasionally, though much less than Ian and Tala did.
Ever since Kai had returned from Japan three months earlier, seeing his former Blitzkrieg Boys team-mates was the norm. Kai had visited them on a few occasions, where they were staying at a well run and looked after place for orphans between the ages of sixteen and eighteen. But they stopped by a lot more than Kai did, especially Tala, who usually always visited at about 7pm. Tonight however, he had really outdone his lateness and Kai was not really in the mood for company.
Tala didn't wait for an answer and turned and stalked toward the kitchens.
Hn…so he's come to eat…not to see me…Kai thought, standing for a few minutes as he listened to the sound of Tala trying to find something to eat.
Though Tala knew where the kitchens were, he was usually always served some food so he didn't need to know where everything was. After two minutes of looking around in vain, he walked out of the servant's kitchen and back into the main parlour, stopping and placing his hands on his hips and turning a glare up at Kai.
'Well are you just going to stand there or are you going to tell me where I can find some food? Don't tell me you've run out, Kai. What kind of host are you, standing there and making me find my own food? How many kitchens do you have anyway? There's nothing in that fridge, it's just clean and spotless…what do your servants do all day?'
'That's the servant's kitchen.' Kai said flatly.
'…Right…so…where's the food?' Tala asked, clearly not understanding.
Kai glared, realising he had no choice but to get Tala something himself. Walking down the rest of the stairs, he passed his red-haired friend and led him through the servant's kitchen to the one he sat in to have breakfast each morning. It was a spacious kitchen with three fridges and a table in the middle with four chairs.
'Is this your personal kitchen?' Tala asked. 'It's even bigger than the other one!'
Kai didn't answer; he opened a fridge, and then looked inside, for something he could give Tala.
'What do you want?' Kai asked finally.
'…I don't know…' Tala frowned. 'Anything…I'll do it…just tell me where everything is…'
'I'm not sure I want you to get acquainted with my kitchen.' Kai replied.
'Huh?' Tala exclaimed. 'Why not?'
'Because then you'd make these late visits frequent occurrences.' Kai said, glancing back at the redhead.
'Look, it's only 11.45 I can't believe you're so grouchy over the time! You weren't even asleep!' Tala defended.
That's so not the point…Kai thought, and figured that Tala would want a hot meal. He noticed a packet of cold lasagne and took it out along with a can of coke. Placing the coke on the table, Kai turned to the microwave, reading the instructions on the back of the packet, before opening the microwave door and tossing the packet in. Closing the door, Kai set the timer and then turned back and looked at Tala who was staring at the microwave like it was the most amazing device he had ever seen.
Kai was about to make a sarcastic remark, when Tala spoke up first.
'You know…' He began in his usual, serious tone of voice. 'There're still so many things that are just…so new. I can't believe how much we didn't get to see in the Abbey.'
Kai decided to drop the sarcastic comment and pulled a chair back, sitting on it. Tala did the same for the chair opposite Kai and sat down, busying himself by looking at a pepper grinder.
'I guess we didn't see anything except…beyblades and whips and cells and dark, cold tunnels…' Tala's voice trailed off. He shook the grinder and Kai watched him, feeling slightly sorry for the red-haired young man.
I managed to get away…but Tala only got out two years back…I bet there're still so many everyday things I take for granted that are a mystery to him…something as simple as a microwave or a pepper-grinder…
The microwave's timer reached its end and Kai stood up and got a plate out of one of the kitchen compartments. Opening the microwave door again, he took out the meal and opened it, emptying its contents onto the plate. Tossing the packaging in the bin, he grabbed a knife and fork and then moved back to the table, setting the plate in front of Tala.
'…Thanks…' Tala glanced up at Kai nodded in response. Smirking, Tala picked up the fork, getting ready to enjoy his meal.
Kai went back to the fridge, opened it, and took a can of coke for himself. Then he moved back to the table and sat back down in his chair as Tala began to eat.
'Might need some salt.' Kai muttered as he opened his can of coke.
Tala finished a mouthful and shook his head. 'No, it's fine…better than what we eat back at the orphanage anyway.'
Kai wondered what they did eat, but decided not to open the subject. He watched Tala for a moment, and then raised an eyebrow.
'When did you last eat?' He asked.
'Uh…' Tala began, then put a hand over his mouth as he realised his mouth was full. He chewed it down and swallowed, and then replied 'Maybe three hours ago?'
Kai had also eaten three hours ago, and he wasn't hungry.
'…And you're hungry again?' He said.
'Yeah…I've got to keep my strength up don't I?' Tala replied, opening his can of coke and taking a big gulp.
Kai looked away. 'You sound like Tyson.' He mumbled.
Tala set his can down and stared at his slate-haired friend. 'How can you insinuate such a thing?' He demanded. 'Tyson's a fat pig! Well…he used to be fat, whereas I've always been like this.'
'Right…whatever…' Kai replied.
Tala shook his head and went back to his meal. 'They used to starve us in the Abbey, Kai…you may have forgotten that. This is the result of years of starvation…'
'Right…catching up to you at 11.55pm on a Friday night…' The corner of Kai's lips curved into a small half smile. Tala noticed and gulped, coughing and rubbing at his mouth with his hand.
'You may find it amusing, but it's true. They had us overworked and under nourished!'
Kai plucked a tissue out the tissue box and threw it at Tala. Tala took it and wiped his mouth and then drank more of his coke. Kai sipped on his, knowing he wouldn't finish it. Still, for the sake of politeness, he needed to have something while Tala was eating.
'…' Kai placed the can on the table in front of him, wrapping his hands around the cold metal. 'I know they did.' He said at last.
Tala looked up at him, while chewing on another mouthful. Then he swallowed it and smiled slightly.
'We got him back though, didn't we? There's no way Boris will escape this time.'
Not directly, or in the way I would have wanted…Kai thought back to the Justice 5 tournament that had taken place six months earlier. But yes…he's back behind bars and this time…he won't get out.
Kai's thoughts wandered to what had happened to him just before Tyson had battled against Garland and Brooklyn. He had…almost died…he knew he had…he had felt himself slipping away, but something had saved him…something had wrapped his cold form in warmth and sent him back to the living world.
Dranzer…Kai thought sadly, staring at the can in his hands. Ever since he had lost his bitbeast, Kai had always felt a sort of emptiness deep inside him. When he had had Dranzer that space had been warm and comforting. Now there was nothing…Kai didn't regret battling Brooklyn again; he had done it for the right reasons.
I did it for my friends…I did it for you, Tala, for revenge…Kai looked up at the red-head who was occupied with his meal.
But Kai did regret losing his bit-beast. If there had been any way to save Dranzer, Kai would have given anything. But in the end it was Dranzer who had given everything and saved her master from certain death.
You gave me life again…I won't ever beyblade again…not now that you're gone…Dranzer…I wish it hadn't ended that way…I wanted to hold onto you…but I was so weak…I had to let my beyblade go…and then…it cracked and shattered, and you went with it…Kai blinked as he heard Tala's voice addressing him.
'Hey…Kai? Kai? Are you listening?'
Kai looked at Tala again, and frowned slightly. 'Uh…what did you say?'
'Nothing…it's not important…are you okay?' Tala had finished his meal and was now staring at Kai.
'Yeah…I'm fine…' Kai nodded.
'You sure? You just looked kind of…upset.'
'No…I'm fine.' Kai replied again.
Tala stared at him and then shrugged. 'If you say so…uh, thanks for the meal…it was good.'
Kai nodded and reached out to pick up the empty plate, but Tala stopped him, pushing his chair back and carrying his plate to the sink.
'I'll do it…' He said, opening the tap. Kai watched him for a moment, surprised. Tala doing the washing up? That was something he never thought he'd see.
'So…' Kai began, after a few moments of silence. 'What are you doing tomorrow?'
'Oh yeah…' Tala frowned, glancing over his shoulder at his friend. 'I wanted to talk to you about that…'
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Kai closed the front door and sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly. It was 1.30 in the morning and Tala had just left.
I thought he'd never leave…Kai thought, relieved thathe was alone at last. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy Tala's company. In the last six months, Kai had gotten to know Tala again much better, and he found that he could call Tala a friend again now, which is something he would have been reluctant to do a year back.
Walking back up the stairs and to his room, Kai opened the door, and went to his bed, sitting down and rubbing his eyes again. He glanced at the clock and then his eyes stopped on something else. The remade Dranzer Gigs Turbo beyblade rested in the small compartment beneath the top of the table. Kai stared at it. He hadn't added the beyblade to his collection. It just felt so empty without Dranzer…and it wasn't the original version anyway. After the tournament had ended and Tyson had won, Kenny had reconstructed Dranzer Gigs Turbo, using the exact same rare pieces to rebuild a new version of the original shattered blade. Kai was grateful; he could keep it for memory, but he still missed his bitbeast so much.
Dranzer…Kai reached out and picked up the beyblade, staring at the empty circle where the bit chip would usually be. It looked so strange without the familiar red phoenix's image.
There's no point…thinking about it…Kai thought, throwing the beyblade to the floor. Dranzer's gone…
With these last lingering thoughts, Kai Hiwatari climbed into bed and soon fell into a deep sleep.
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The window was open. He always left it open. She knew this, because she had watched over him ever since he was a small child. He had grown now. He had become a fine example of an adult human male. He had become a warrior. But he had also finally learned to accept the true value of friendship and love. He had fought his last battle with noble and honest intention, and it had been a glorious victory. She had shared his pain. Every cut, every bruise she had felt, she had felt his anger and she had felt his triumph.
He missed her now, she knew. Though she was not inside his mind or the bit chip of his beyblade, she knew he missed her. She could sense it. She could always sense his true emotions. When others only saw a cold, expressionless exterior, she always felt his true emotions.
He was her friend. He was the child she felt so protective of. He was her master. She had given her last strength to save him, because she herself knew she would come back.
She was back now, reborn in all her glory, stronger and fiercer than ever, and she had come to find her master. To be reunited with him, to be reunited with the only one worthy enough and fiery enough to be her counterpart.
Silently, the blazing red streak of light entered the window and floated over to the still form that lay on the bed.
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He felt cold…so cold. Everything was black…he was afraid. He had never felt this way before. Darkness surrounded him and the warmth was gone. The warmth he was so used to feeling had disappeared.
Where am I…? Kai thought, opening his eyes to nothing. He suddenly remembered everything that had happened to him and panic struck at him.
He couldn't even feel pain anymore. He felt like he was floating.
What's happening? What's…Dranzer? Where's Dranzer? Did I make it…? Am I asleep?
He tried to look around but everywhere he looked, he saw darkness. Then he suddenly felt very weak and numb as the cold began to block his senses.
No…what's happening…? I won…I…I have to make it…He thought, but he could feel his body being drained of what energy it had left.
So cold…so numb…so weak…he'd given too much to win…he'd given…everything…
Kai closed his eyes, unable to fight the pull of the darkness. It was then he sensed light and his eyes opened to see a ball of fire shooting toward him.
What…? Dranzer? He thought, and without warning the fire slammed into him and consumed him. Kai gasped, expecting to feel pain as he was set alight. But he felt nothing, only warmth and…gentleness. Something soft wrapped around him and he saw red feathers falling everywhere, surrounding him. He looked up and into fiery golden eyes.
It was Dranzer. The phoenix cradled him in one of her mighty wings, and lowered her beak to his face.
Kai reached up and hesitantly touched her beak with his cold hands. They were instantly warmed by the contact with the fire-bird and for the first time in a long time, Kai felt safe...he felt…loved.
'Dranzer…' He whispered his voice hoarse and hurting. 'What's…happening?'
The phoenix didn't respond with words. Instead she lowered her great head and Kai leaned forward and rested his forehead against her beak, closing his eyes. For a moment both master and bit beast remained in a fiery embrace.
'…Dranzer…' Kai said at last, opening his eyes, understanding what was happening without any words telling him. '…Don't…don't go…'
The golden eyes looked down at him, eyes that had watched over him his entire life, eyes that belonged to an entity that had protected him and been through everything he had been through with him. Dranzer's wing momentarily tightened around Kai and Kai snuggled against her warm body, his fingers moving and clutching onto the soft feathers of her chest, close to where her heart was pulsating. No sooner had Kai's fingers closed around the feathers fire blazed at his fingertips and consumed him all over again. This time it was painful and Kai's head snapped up, his purple eyes widening in shock, fear and confusion.
Dranzer was on fire, but that wasn't all…she was dematerialising…she was pouring the last of her flames into his body and it hurt. With the warmth came the pain of the injuries he had received and Kai met his bitbeast's fiery gaze and saw the pain in her eyes.
No…Kai thought, panic overtaking his mind as he clung onto Dranzer more tightly. No…what's she doing? Why is she disappearing?! What's happening?!
The darkness had long gone and Kai was now hurtling toward light, surrounding by raging flames of fire. He was confused and frightened; two emotions he rarely felt and hated to feel.
'Dranzer!' Kai ignored the soreness of his throat and yelled to his bitbeast. 'Dranzer, no, what are you doing?! Why are you disappearing…Dranzer!'
The firebird responding by opening her beak and letting out a great screech which resonated into Kai's mind and shook his very core. She was in pain…Kai could feel it and he closed his eyes tightly, trying to hold back tears that were already falling. Where they fell, they turned into flame.
He suddenly understood what she was doing, and why she was disappearing. She was dying…she had the power to save either herself or him, and Kai knew who she was choosing. Selfless as ever, his bitbeast was hurting because of him. Kai realised he had been on the brink of losing his life when Dranzer had come to him and was now using the last of her strength to revive him.
The thought of losing her, of really losing her, terrified Kai beyond his understanding. To lose the only thing that had stuck by him throughout everything, to lose his best friend was Kai's worst nightmare.
Her light was fading…it was pouring into him and giving warmth and life to his cold blood and Kai could do nothing to stop it.
'Dranzer!' He cried. 'Dranzer, stop, please, I order you to stop!'
The fire was eating him up inside and he knew he was experiencing the pain of returning to the living world. His heart was racing…he hadn't felt it before she had come, but now it pounding with the vigour of youth once again.
I cannot…obey…this final command…A voice whispered into his mind and Kai knew it was Dranzer's voice, though it sounded faint and far away.
'Dranzer!' Her wing fell away from him and Kai reached out to what remained of her form in desperation, clawing at nothing but air. She was fading, her fire extinguishing; Kai couldn't make out her form any longer, he only saw blood red feathers as they fell around him, brushing against his cheeks and his hands.
Breathe again…young master…Came the whisper. The fire was getting further and further away but the light was getting closer and closer. Kai tried to fight it, he tried to grab onto the remaining tendrils of flame but they escaped his grasp and all that he grabbed were soft red feathers.
His chest was aching and the desire to take a gulp of air was overwhelming. Kai could no longer fight his instincts and gasped in a breath of oxygen. As he did so the light surrounded him and he felt like he was falling and very fast.
'Dranzer, no, don't leave me!' Kai screamed as the last remnants of fire disappeared. 'DRANZER!'
Kai's eyes opened and a single tear rolled down his cheek as he gasped for air. His eyes met with darkness and the young man sat up quickly, blinking as he remembered where he was.
He had just had a nightmare…of exactly what had happened when Dranzer had come to revive him.
His heart was still racing and Kai swallowed, feeling like his skin was on fire. Then he blinked again and looked around, his eyes stopping at the open window from which a cold draught was flowing into the room. It was still dark and only 3.30 in the morning. Shivering, Kai got out of bed and moved to the window, and closed it. Then he moved back to his bed but stopped when he saw his beyblade on the floor, right where he had thrown it before he had gone to sleep. Kneeling down, Kai picked up the beyblade and looked at it, sadly.
Suddenly he noticed something and he blinked and raised his hand closer to his face in order to examine the beyblade more carefully.
No…it can't be…Kai moved to the window and held the beyblade into the moonlight and realised that no, he wasn't dreaming or imagining.
Dranzer's bit chip was indeed back on the blade. For a moment Kai stared in shock, his mind completely blank as he wondered how this could be. He opened the table-lamp next to his bed and looked at the chip again: it was still there. Kai shook his head, pinched himself, still in a state of disbelief. The bit chip never disappeared every time he opened his eyes.
'Dranzer…?' Kai whispered, daring to hope she would reply and confirm to him that he wasn't seeing things. 'Are you…really back?'
He listened in silence as he waited for a response. For an entire minute nothing happened and Kai was about to conclude that he was going crazy, when a whisper stirred in his mind, familiar and welcome.
Of course master…do not doubt your sanity …
Kai couldn't help it. He laughed in disbelief and relief and then he brought the bit chip to his lips and kissed it in his happiness.
'Dranzer! I thought you were gone…I thought I lost you!'
Silence. And then again, the quiet reply:
A phoenix never dies…
Author's Note:
I hope you all enjoyed this, because I did typing it. I just decided to throw Tala in there to make it longer and also because I thought it'd be interesting to show how the two would get along after the events of G Revolution. And as for the Dranzer leaving Kai bit, I hope it was emotional enough. Please review and tell me what you think. Thanks for reading and happy holidays!