Summary: Kai, the last of the Hiwatari, desperately needs a dragon in order to fulfil an ancient prophecy that will bring peace to his kingdom.
Author Notes: AU fic, inspired by the wonderful 'The Vision ofEscaflowne'.
Warning: Cliché, cheesy plotline, corny prophecy…:)
PROPHECY
Once upon a time, there lived a king and a queen who ruled over the kingdom of Phoenicia. Under their wise and benevolent rule the kingdom prospered and the people led happy lives. They had a son, the young and handsome prince Kai, heir to the throne and beloved of the people…
Kai sighed. From where he sat atop the small hill, he had a panoramic view of the land around him, spread out in rolling vistas, stretching as far as the eye could see – and Kai's eye could see very far indeed. On one side the forests stretched endlessly, eerie, dark and forbidding; on the other side, the city sprawled, bursting with life and colour.
"Awesome, isn't it?" Max murmured beside him. Kai did not reply. Max continued, "This is one of my earliest memories. Mum and Dad used to bring me up here and tell me stories of Phoenicia and her kings. So much has changed, yet this still remains."
"For how long?" Kai asked in a harsh voice.
"What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean, Max. For how long will we be able to sit here and enjoy this? We're on the brink of yet another war. In a few days I will be crowned king and then the vultures will start gathering, ready to fight for a piece of this land."
"Kai…"
"It's true, isn't it? Our borders are not secure, our allies are already withdrawing their support and Balkov is waiting, just biding his time until he can strike. Our army has already been infiltrated. War is about to break out and I have no idea what to do. I don't even know whether it's worth fighting anymore."
"Kai! Don't say such things. This is your kingdom. The people here are your people. You have a responsibility…"
"Responsibility…more like a burden. My ancestors spent their entire lives fighting to keep this kingdom from being destroyed.…. I'm sick of this kingdom, this struggle to keep it…I'm tired."
Max said nothing. On the one hand he could empathize with Kai. They had been companions from childhood. No one knew Kai better than him. Yet, on the other hand he knew that this was Kai's destiny – to rule over this magnificent but troubled kingdom. It wouldn't do for him to think of alternatives.
"I need to find a dragon," Kai muttered.
"What?" Max asked, surprised.
Kai threw him a sideways glance. "You know, the prophecy. The only way to bring peace is to fulfil that damn prophecy. And I need a dragon for that."
Max gaped at him. Kai was truly clutching at straws here. Everyone knew the prophecy was just a load of rubbish. "Where are you going to find a dragon? Do they even exist anymore?"
Kai's shoulders slumped. "I don't know. I wish…"
Max placed a comforting hand over his shoulder. "Just relax. Remember what my mother used to say? There will always be a way out. The hour before dawn is always the darkest. You just need to be patient and wait for your time."
Easy for you to say, Kai thought somewhat uncharitably. Max was naturally optimistic, the most cheerful person to grace his life so far. He loved Max for his constant good humour and ready smile, but sometimes Kai wished Max understood...understood the fear and loneliness that gnawed inside him, the feeling of hopelessness that sometimes overwhelmed him. He took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. The brilliance hurt his eyes so he turned his head towards the forest.
The Hou Ou forest that edged the hill was as ancient as time, and as mysterious. Dark and brooding, it beckoned him, like it always had. He supposed it was the Hiwatari blood in him. Legend had it that long long ago, a red phoenix had saved the life of a blue dragon in this very forest and earned its eternal gratitude. The spirit of the phoenix was believed to reside in the forest as the guardian spirit of the Hiwatari clan, and consequently the kingdom of Phoenicia. As for the dragon, it had vanished into the mists of myth and lore.
Once, plagued by incessant wars, a Hiwatari ruler had approached the Oracle, and it was then that the prophecy had been made, the prophecy that had stirred hope for a while, only to dash it later. Kai didn't know whether to believe in it or not. He recalled the words of the Oracle, inscribed in countless scrolls, immortalized in tales, and memorized by each generation of the Hiwatari :
Hiwatari will find the Dragon. The tears of the Phoenix will heal the Dragon and peace will come to Phoenicia.
If it was true why had no one been able to find the dragon? His ancestors had carried out numerous quests, yet none had been successful. Now, time was running out. He was the last of the Hiwatari and Phoenicia stood on the brink of extinction. Where in the world was he to find a dragon?
As he gazed at the forest, he thought wistfully of the relatively carefree days of his boyhood when he, along with Max, Tala and Ryan, had often ventured into its dark depths, despite being forbidden to do so. They hadn't found the dragon either but had formed friendship that he had thought would hold firm. How very wrong he had been…Well, he had Max, and in a way, Tala too. But Ryan…
A sudden thought occurred to him and he sat up straight. Could he call upon the dragon spirit to discharge the life debt that it owed the phoenix? Had any of his ancestors thought about it? He didn't know but it was worth a try. Especially as he had nothing, absolutely nothing to lose. He got up and started walking down the hill purposefully.
"Kai…! Where are you off to? Hey, wait for me!" Max scrambled to his feet and hurried after Kai who was now making a beeline for the forest.
Kai walked until he reached a clearing inside the forest and then stopped. The ancient trees formed a rough circle around him, their gnarled branches forming a canopy that cut off most of the light. To Max, who was watching Kai completely mystified, it felt cold after the warmth of the hillside, and the silence was somehow unnerving. But Kai felt right at home here. He didn't know why, but it seemed like a good spot to entertain a dragon. He hesitated, wondering how to go about his task and then sat down on the leaf-strewn ground. Assuming a meditative pose, he thought of what he wanted and called forth the ancient spirit.
Or tried to.
Nothing happened. It wasn't working. He couldn't give up however, he had to try once more. He cleared his mind and heart of all thought and emotion, except the one wish. With his entire focus on that wish, he concentrated with all his might. He could feel himself slipping away slowly, being drawn outside of himself, but he held on desperately. And then he felt it…a subtle shift in the air around him. A faint stirring of breeze caressed his hair and rustled the leaves of the trees. He opened his eyes slowly.
And there, in front of him, some distance away, he saw it – a shimmering of air and a blue shadow within it. Kai held his breath. The shadow took shape and form and he could clearly see what it was.
"A dragon…!" He got to his feet and started to run towards the apparition. Behind him he heard Max call out in alarm, but he took no heed. It was as if his wish had been granted. He would catch this dragon, he had to. As he closed the distance between them, he felt the breeze gather force, swirling all around him, whipping up speed. Kai tried to stop but everything blurred and the next moment he felt himself sucked into something that felt like a whirlwind.
Max could only stare in horror as Kai vanished into thin air.
---
On a clear blue day in Bay City, two beybladers were hard at practice as their friends watched and shouted encouragement.
"Come on, Tyson! Push him back! You can do it!"
"Don't let up, Ray! Focus! Come on!"
The beyblades spun and whirled, attacking each other with increasing ferocity, while Tyson and Ray watched with unwavering concentration. Kenny's eyes were glued to his computer screen, noting the increasing energy levels. Dragoon was gaining the upper hand. Both Tyson's and Dragoon's strength were practically going off the charts. Driger was struggling to stay in the game.
Tyson could feel the adrenaline surging in him. Dragoon was picking up speed, creating a small hurricane, inexorably pushing back Driger. Soon, very soon, this battle would be his.
"Now Dragoon! Ultimate Storm Attack!"
The storm was all around him. He could feel Dragoon's energy coursing through his veins and readied for the final thrust. And then he saw it. A faint golden shimmer of air… and the next moment, something fiery, like a blaze of red and gold, was bearing down on him. He tried to swerve to avoid imminent collision but it was too late.Something crashed into him. For a moment he felt as if he was on fire and then he lost consciousness.
Kenny, Mariah and Ray stared in stupefaction as Dragoon's Storm Attack sucked Tyson right into its depth and out of sight.
tbc