I finally finished the chapter and yes I know this took a while. I promised a nice long chapter with the Bladebreakers and here it is. Though don't get your hopes up Tyson fans I don't like him but I tried my best to portray him in this. Well don't take my word for it read on and see for yourselves.
Chapter 9: Where's Kai
The next day the Bladebreakers were preparing to leave for the World Championships and as always Tyson was late again.
"If he doesn't get here soon we're going to miss the tournament," Kenny worried.
"Well that's Tyson for you," Max grinned, "Man where's Kai when you need him?"
"I wish I knew," Ray replied wistfully. I know Kai's never liked the team much but he said we were friends. And he may not like being a Bladebreaker but he's never been one to let the team down.
The tiger's contemplation of his captain's disappearance was interrupted as Tyson ran up to the rest of the team.
"Sorry I'm late guys, I overslept," the navy haired blader huffed.
"Well hurry up another minute and we'd have to forfeit and miss the bus," Kenny scolded.
As Tyson stepped onto the vehicle he looked around him, "Where's Kai?"
"We don't know but don't worry he'll show," Ray replied and silently wished, I hope so anyway. Don't let us down Kai.
Once they had arrived at the stadium Kai was still nowhere in sight. Ray desperately hoped that their captain would show up. They needed him to keep the team together as their leader and Ray wanted to be able to help the troubled blader.
They toured around the Russian stadium for a while and Max was surprised to meet up with his Mom and her team. The All Starz were competing in the first match of the tournament against the Demolition Boys and the Bladebreakers decided that they'd go support the American bladers.
In the stands there was a dead silence as the All Starz approached the dish. Max and the others cheered for and supported the team even though no one else seemed to. Though the tone of the fans soon changed as the first blader for the Demolition Boys stepped forth.
It was Ian, the boy who had beaten Tyson in their match at the abbey and the Russian managed to beat the American blader, Steve, as well. Even though the strong football player had loaded his Beyblade with attack rings it did little to save him at soaring from the dish.
In the second match Eddy challenged the red head who the Bladebreakers had also crossed paths with at the abbey. The battle didn't last long as Tala also sent his opponent from the dish.
To face Michael, the All Starz best blader, in what could be the final match the Demolition Boys revealed their surprise blader. Nobody could believe their eyes as they witnessed Kai beyblading for the Russian team.
Ray was shocked as he didn't know what to say. He would never have imagined that the cold phoenix would ever do something like this. As they watched Kai arrogantly challenge the All Starz all the hurt tiger could muster was, "I can't believe he'd do this."
Ray glanced over at Max and the usually happy blonde appeared as crushed as the rest of them as he wondered, "And why? Why would he do this to us?"
"I wish I knew, this is too weird," Kenny replied in as much shock and disbelief as the rest.
As the traitorous phoenix stepped up to the dish across from Michael the American mocked, "Well, well if it isn't the little traitor boy. Oh, the silent type huh? Well it doesn't matter who's side you're on you're still toast."
Kai shrugged off the insults as he challenged, "How about I take on your whole team, chump?"
"You'll what?"
"I said I'll take on your whole team or are you too chicken?"
"Whoa, Kai's not even using his Dranzer," Max observed as Kai launched a strange, new Beyblade into the dish.
Steve, Eddy and the All Starz technician, Emily simultaneously launched their Beyblades with their traitorous opponent and the battle was on.
"Losers," Kai smirked as his new Beyblade tore through the opposition one by one.
Steve was the first to go and next Eddy was also sent packing. In hopes to defend the team Emily called out her bitbeast, Trygator but her efforts were useless as she too bit the dust.
Ray didn't know what to make of the whole situation as Kai's bout of maniacal laughter reached the neko-jin's ears.
"Just you and me, but I'll take care of that," the phoenix gloated as Michael launched his Beyblade to try and claim the win for his team.
The bitbeast Trygle was released at Michael's call but Kai was unconcerned as he unleashed his Black Dranzer to put an end to the final All Star. A powerful black and red phoenix soared forth to deal with Michael's golden bird. In a flash of bright eerie light the captain of the All Starz had also been defeated.
"I don't see any more Beyblades. I guess that makes me the winner then," Kai laughed, his ex-teammates looking down on the scene in mute disbelief.
But that wasn't all for the match and with Black Dranzer returned to his grasp Kai committed an act far worse than his betrayal.
Holding the Beyblade aloft with a dark look in his crimson orbs Kai declared, "Cowards do not deserve to possess bitbeasts." An array of light sprung into life as the All Starz bitbeasts were swallowed up into Kai's dark blade, "It is my right to steal them away and I shall be the sole guardian of them, forever! Gaze upon the world's most powerful Beyblade!"
As Kai coolly retreated from the dish Ray and the others watched as Tyson confronted their old captain.
"Hey! It's time you explained yourself, Kai!"
"It's time you surrendered your bitbeast to me, Tyson," he replied as he swept past the stunned dragon.
Ray sat in the stands silently as his friends tried to come to some solution as to what had just transpired.
Kenny pondered, "Kai's new Beyblade is a complete mystery to me. It's like it feeds on sacred spirits. I have a theory on this but it may be too late to help us, Ray."
"Do you think anything can help us now?" Ray solemnly replied as with hurt in his amber eyes he wondered to himself, Oh Kai⦠What could possibly be going on through your head right now? Where did we go wrong to make you want to betray us?
The next match soon started and the White Tigers team had suffered the same fate. Kai made quick work of destroying the blades with his arsenal of stolen bitbeasts. With each match Kai claimed another sacred spirit and with each match the wicked might of his Black Dranzer grew stronger.
The Bladebreakers grew more upset as they could only sit there and watch their captain's cruelty and it devastated Ray to witness the destruction of his old team from his home town. Kai was cold and heartless and looked to be enjoying himself as he totaled the honourable team and Ray was crushed as he could barely watch the massacre of his friends.
He had half a mind to challenge Kai and give the cold phoenix a piece of his mind. But unlike Tyson the tiger knew better knowing that trying to reason with their changed captain was futile and would have no effect.
In anger the young dragon voiced Ray's thoughts, "How could he do this? Kai's always been a loner but he's never been ruthless. I'm going to find out what's going on."
Ray placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Tyson confronting him right now isn't going to work. You already discovered that he won't listen to reason."
"But we can't just sit here and do nothing," Tyson argued.
"True, but now's not the time. Come on we all feel the same way," the tiger replied, his amber orbs glancing down towards the floor.
"Tyson, Ray's right. Why don't we wait until tonight and then we can go search for him at the abbey again?" Kenny suggested as he used Dizzi to decipher what little data he could muster from Kai's performance.
"Yeah and if we have to the four of us can drag him out of there ourselves," Max added.
"Alright then guys. Tonight we'll go back to that bizarro place and get that sourpuss back," Tyson enthusiastically leapt up.
Ray was skeptical of his team's plan and though he had a feeling that their attempts would go in vain part of him desperately wished that Kai would rejoin their team and that everything could return to normal.
That night they had infiltrated the abbey as planned. Dashing around the silent grounds of the desolate place the team called out for their lost captain.
"Maybe he can't hear us. Maybe he's trapped," Kenny hypothesized as their futile cries went unanswered.
"Then we search," Tyson declared and after another bout of idiotic shouting they rendezveued at the entrance of the abbey's main building.
Tyson and Max tried to pry open the large doors but they just wouldn't budge. So the two boys used their beyblades to force their way inside. Crashing through the entrance they had set off the alarm and it wasn't long before students of the abbey had caught up to the group of intruders.
Kenny was grabbed hold of by one of the abbey kids and Max was soon before him in his friend's defense.
"Leave him alone, now," the blonde demanded blocking the way. "Guy's you go on ahead."
"We'll be back, hold the fort," approved Tyson as he and Ray continued on into the abbey.
As they darted through a few tunnels the two beybladers stole into the opening of a side passage. Their pursuers ran past their temporary hiding place as the boys stopped to catch their breath.
"I think we lost them," Tyson hopefully whispered.
But Ray wasn't so sure as he replied, "Not for long, pal. We'll split up. I'll draw their attention while you go find Kai."
The tiger's determined gaze was met by a grin as Tyson agreed, "Sounds like a plan."
Ray sprung forth from the passage gaining his pursuer's attention and darted off into the darkness. He hoped that he could keep their attention long enough for his friend to have the chance to talk to Kai.
We're counting on you Tyson. Don't let us down, Ray thought as his feet pounded against the desolate stones.
The raven haired boy was unsure how much longer he could avoid detection as the kids chasing him drew nearer. It was only a matter of minutes later when Ray was grabbed by one of the kids who had been after him.
"You're going back where you came from," the boy smirked as he began to drag off the captured neko-jin.
"Hey you, hold it! What do you think you're doing?"
"Dealing with a trespasser," Ray's captor replied to a stern looking boy.
"You should be training. Now leave the boy, I'll deal with him myself."
"Yes sir," Ray's captors cowered unceremoniously dropping their prisoner to the cold stone floor.
It wasn't until he had risen to his feet and brushed himself off that Ray was able to survey the newcomer. He appeared to be about Kai's height with dark obsidian hair and stunning crystal like orbs. And Ray recognized him as the guy who had tried to reason with their captain on their first visit to the abbey.
"Come with me I want to talk with you. And these halls aren't a safe place for discussion," the boy ordered and Ray hesitantly followed his saviour.
I'm not sure if I can trust him but if he knows Kai this may be my only lead in finding him.
The neko-jin was led into a small room off the beaten path that seemed to his comrade a safe place for a conversation.
"You would do best to leave now while you have the chance."
"We're not leaving until we've found Kai. So where is he?"
The boy sighed, "He's training with that monstrosity Black Dranzer most likely. Until he's separated from that thing he is lost to us all."
"And why's that?"
"That bitbeast feeds off the one who wields it and manipulates that person's power," the blue eyed boy explained.
"You mean that it's found a way to use his fire?"
"That's the gist of it, yes. But I'm surprised you know about that. Kai doesn't tell most people about himself so it's surprising that one of his old teammates would know that much."
"He trusted me or at least I thought he did before all this happened. You seem to know Kai pretty well yourself. How do you know so much?"
The tiger's eyes narrowed as the other boy grinned, "You seem to be a smart kid. I think you can figure it out. Though there's another reason why I wanted to speak with you. You remind me of someone."
Ray still wasn't sure what to make of the guy as he wondered, "And who might that be?"
"A friend of mine, name's Naoko. You look a lot like her," he replied.
"She's here? It's so good to know she's been safe after all the time we've been apart," he rejoiced as his amber eyes lit up.
"Well not safe exactly, but how do you know her?"
"I'm her brother, Ray. And judging by the fact that you could be the double of Kai's father I'd guess you're his brother," the tiger replied.
"And we didn't even have to tell you. Yes, I'm his brother. We're twins actually, and I'm not even going to ask how you'd know what our father looks like. You should return to your friends. Kai is lost, even to his own family and it's time that you left this place," stated Kai's brother as he ushered the tiger from the abbey's darkness into the cold night air.
When Ray had been thrown out of the dark abbey he had met up with his friends. Even though he had met up with Kai's brother and knew Naoko was alive he was disappointed that there was still no sign of Kai. The rest of the team was down as well but they remained waiting. Each of the Bladebreakers were standing in anticipation for Tyson to return in hopes that he would find their once fearless leader.
From his conversation deep down the tiger knew that Kai was gone and that this was pointless. He remained with the others anyway as he wanted the blue eyed boy to be wrong about his friend. It seemed like an eternity had passed when Tyson finally emerged with his head down and his fist clenched around something.
"There he is! Tyson, are you alright? What happened?" Kenny inquired being the first to notice the navy haired blader.
Ray was the next to speak as he needed to know the answers to his inner turmoil, "Did you make it? Where's Kai? Did you find him?"
Without a word the boy walked past his team.
"If you didn't make it, that's okay," Max optimistically reassured, "Don't give up. We'll try again. We'll go in together! Tyson?"
"No, it's over," Tyson replied cutting off the determined blonde.
Kenny was shocked, "What did you say? It can't be over. Tyson!"
"Please don't give up," Ray added not sure if he wanted to know the response.
"I said, it's over!" Tyson's voice quivered as he turned to face the team, "We're leaving."
"What? We can't go!" Max was stunned.
Ray was in disbelief as well, Tyson never gave up, "What about Kai?"
"Kai's gone for good. He's gone for good," Tyson was crying as he unclenched his fist.
And in his palm rested Dranzer, Kai's Beyblade.
Man I really enjoyed writing this one and I hope you guys enjoyed it too. And Aasta for giving me my 20th review you get to have a cookie. I'm still working on the next chapter and even though I'm almost done it may take me a while. Keep reading and I'll get working on it and if you have the time don't forget to drop me a review please.
