Note: I had to study for my exams. Don't complain about me not updating, this is a stressing period.
MasterFranny: Oh, look, chapter 10. Hey, I don't understand you people. I though you would be happy that I wasn't speaking only about Kai and Brooklyn, since usually you bother me of writing too much of them, and now that I devote a chapter to Rei and Mystel, you complain Kai and Brooklyn need more space. Ok! Ok! Jeez.
Garland and Tala on one side, and a busy Brooklyn on the other. Kai? Let's see.
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Rating: T
Summary: Takes place after G-Rev. Kai still has some 'grudges' against Brooklyn, but the older teen is determined to erase them… Yaoi BrooklynKai and GarlandTala, ReiMystel.
Warning: this contains Yaoi so if you don't like stop reading right now. Any flame regarding yaoi use of pairings will be handed to Hiei and Kai to be disposed of.
Disclaimer: I don't own. Otherwise there wouldn't be a second season like the one we had and there would be a side season filled with yaoi...
"Talking"
'Thinking'
"(Talking into other languages)"
–Dreams sequences, flashbacks, memories–
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Alluring Darkness
Chapter 10: Complicity and Sparring
Tala was the only one in the house to be there to greet Garland and Brooklyn's arrival that morning.
Rei was presumably still in bed cuddling with Mystel, and Kai was in the library still busy reading –that had to be a damn great book if Kai couldn't get away from it.
So, as Garland looked impressed at the mansion, for the first time noticing that Kai was rich, and Brooklyn was lost in his thoughts, Tala stepped towards them, already excited for the match that was going to take place.
"Hey, welcome, it's good you found your way here," he said tentatively, shaking both teens out of their thoughts.
"When he told me the address I was kinda surprised, since this place is for the rich families, but when I found the house I was completely sure it had to be wrong –that he was just kidding," Garland shook his head to clear it from his reverie. "Seems like I was wrong," he added.
Tala nodded, and let them in.
"So, where is Kai?" the teal haired teen asked, looking around to have a good look at the place. Ok, he too was rich, but his house was less imposing and old than this one. He wondered how Kai could live in such a place without get bored and started smashing things.
"He's upstairs, in the library," Tala replied peering at Brooklyn, who'd come to life hearing Kai's name.
"Ah, then, can you tell me please where I have to go?" the orange haired teen valued this opportunity to be alone with the slate haired blader, but was stopped by a raised hand.
"Wait, please, both of you. I have to tell you something, and even if I promised Kai I wouldn't tell anyone about this, you both need to know, especially you, Brooklyn".
Brooklyn's green eyes turned to him, seriously staring at Tala as he replied with a soft, "if it's about his hands, I already know. But I didn't say anything because I didn't think it would be this serious".
Tala had hard time to hide his shock. He hadn't noticed, and he was living with Kai, and he was his best friend, and this guy noticed. What a comforting thought, that Brooklyn had been more attentive of Kai than him.
But there again, Brooklyn looked like he knew a lot of things he wasn't supposed to know.
"Hands?" Garland, not liking to be the one not to know, frowned. "They're hurt?"
"He's got a problem with his nerves, after his battle with Brooklyn, that's why he is still stiff around him," Tala pointed at the orange haired teen. "I invited Brooklyn here so he can finally clear things out, I don't like Kai to be this tense".
Garland nodded, "So you'd prefer leave the two of them alone to solve their problems, whilst we are finally resolving our?" Tala replied with a nod, and Garland let a little grin grace his face.
"Well then, we lost too much time here, let's go settle down our match".
Garland went back outside, waiting for Tala to show him where they would battle, but the red haired teen remained a moment near Brooklyn looking seriously at him, "please, try taking it easy with Kai. He… well, he had a previous experience with Boris that not even I can completely understand, and his current status is unstable, more so because of the battle against you. I can see it in his eyes, and even if I can't understand all that torments him, I know that something in you is making him hurt".
This was the longest speech Tala had in a while with someone that wasn't Kai, and after saying this he felt particularly empty. After having explained Brooklyn where the library was, he left and approached Garland, showing him the way to the gym, where the two were to fight.
Brooklyn blinked twice. What did he meant?
With a frown the orange haired teen rethought of the way Kai acted around Boris the few times they met in the facility, and noticed that really, Kai had been all but at ease around the man. As if, but that wasn't possible, he'd been afraid of him.
Even more determined to find out what bugged Kai off, Brooklyn went upstairs, following the directions of Tala without failing, and was finally before the library's door.
A sensation of uneasiness and excitement was pooling in the pit of his stomach at the prospective to see Kai again, as if his heart was leaping in his chest, beating faster, and he tried to calm himself down. He didn't want to upset Kai even more.
Now, what was he going to tell Kai?
Well, he would need to figure out now. He knocked, and opened the door.
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"That is a pretty good gym," Garland looked around appreciatively.
They were in a big gym, the floor of a wood brown and the walls painted of a soothing light cream, with various training tools scattered around, as well as weights, climbing stairs and some machinery that Garland had expected to find only in a public Gym, not in a private one. But Kai was rich and obviously he could afford them.
"This is the main gym, but there is another one, smaller, where Kai told me he was used to train in, martial arts you know, after his return from the…" Tala cut out and stiffened, leaving a confused Garland staring at him. "Nothing, let's get over with it, ok? It's not good to linger on the past".
Now plainly confused but willingly not to dwell on the red head's strange mood, Garland nodded and walked to an empty space around the centre of the room, wondering if they would fight on the bare floor.
Tala walked towards a panel on the wall near the climbing stairs, scratching his chin, "Um, I think we can as well use Kai's dish for this, he won't expect nothing less from us, but there again, I hope we won't smash anything… God forbid us if we do".
Under the surprised gaze of Garland, he flickered a switch on and a hole opened before the teal haired teen's feet, revealing a raising dish of a dark brown colour, with various holes, spikes and lumps in it, around two meters of diameter, and high sides.
"That was the most unexpected thing," Garland said, raising one eyebrow. "But enough said, Tala, I challenge you!"
Tala smirked, brushing a red bang away from his eyes.
"Challenge accepted, me and Wolborg will turn you into a damn icicle!"
Garland smirked as well, "we'll see then!"
Both prepared their launchers in a second, then, "three, two, one, let it RIP!"
Apollon and Wolborg were thrown inside the dish, and the battle begun.
Not being the one to wait for the opponent to strike, Tala pointed towards the opponent's blade, knowing that using the trick of 'attack–me–so–I–can–charge–the–battery' would be ineffective on the teal haired teen; Wolborg attacked in a flash, clashing against Apollon, who resisted and counterattacked.
"Let's go straight to the point," Garland said amiably. "We're too strong to settle on playing and preliminaries before the actual fight".
Tala's smirk widened and the red haired blader let a silent chuckle wrack his body. The thrill of the fight was exciting him, and the difficulty of the entire battle was reminding him of how strong Garland was.
No point for foul games, let the real fight begin.
"Wolborg!" Tala called, raising both arms in the air.
The blade stilled for a moment, and then, in all its glory, a brilliant light erupted from the chip, taking the form of the Ice Wolf, who growled loudly towards Garland, recognizing in him his adversary.
"Come on, call your BitBeast," Tala prodded the other teen with a satisfied smirk.
Garland straightened and stared with amusement at the emotions swirling on Tala's face. The usually stoic and emotionless teen changed completely during battles, showing a side of him that would otherwise stay hidden in the depths of his soul, under his mask of indifference.
If this was the real Tala, one whose eyes shone with excitement and interest, Garland would battle him everyday if only to see this side of him.
"Apollon!"
Garland's own Beast exploded out of his chip, both Spirits looking at each other carefully but with respect, just like their masters, before attacking.
"Wolborg, let's show him the anger of the wolf!"
"Apollon, go!"
The clash of the two beasts caused a wave of sheer energy to expand through the gym, making the walls tremble, but the two bladers didn't seem to accuse it as they repeatedly commanded their beasts to attack, not caring of what was around them, too concentrated on their fierce battle.
It was easy to say they were both enjoying it greatly.
'Gods, it feels good to finally let go some tension,' Tala thought after receiving a strong hit that had him step backwards.
He attacked twice as strong, the smirk turning into a contented but determined smile as he fought, pulling all his energy in his bey to strengthen up Wolborg.
Garland evaded the attack and smirked, concentrated to see Tala's moves. He was better than before, maybe because now he wasn't blind by anger.
The anger had caused Tala's powers to lower, that's why Garland had no problems defeating him; but this Tala, the one he was fighting now, was different. There wasn't anger in his stance, nor in his eyes, he was fighting because he liked to, because he enjoyed the situation, the adrenaline in his body.
This was the fight Garland wanted.
"Show me what you've got, strawberry head," he smirked as Tala spluttered, "what!"
But there was a twinkle of amusement in the red head's eyes as he attacked again, something Garland wanted to see again.
Not the void eyes.
Not the nothingness.
He wanted to see… emotions.
A good battle, being it with BeyBlades or by fighting with body or weapons, relied only on emotions. They had to be controlled, but not hidden or destroyed.
Because a real battle, one that was to be respected, had to be enjoyed. Cherished.
"Apollon! Attack!"
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Mystel blinked tiredly as he stretched, feeling rather stiff but contented.
For a moment, he tried to remember where he was and why was he this stiff, shaking away the sleep from his eyes to clear his mind.
Then, he felt a pair of strong arms around his hips, and a mass amount of black, silky air tangled all around his body, and he twitched.
"Good morning," as expected, the soft voice whispering near his ear sent trembles through the Egyptian's frame, as he was pulled against a strong and warm body that was lying behind him.
Mystel then remembered, and a bright, contented smile appeared on his face, as he snuggled more in the embrace, satisfied.
"Morning," he chirped looking up in the golden orbs of his lover.
Rei stared dumbfounded at the smile and at his eyes, and had hard, hard, hard time trying not to jump him again. He looked delectable, absolutely delicious, innocent and his when he looked at him like that.
"Mystel, stop doing that," he groaned, hiding his face in the blond mane.
"Wha?" Mystel blinked feeling Rei nuzzle his hair fondly.
"Don't smile at me like that… you only make me want to jump you again," he whined.
Mystel turned a delicious shade of crimson as he hid his face in Rei's long hair, 'aww, kawaii' he couldn't but think as Rei's mind registered that moment under the list of 'things I love to see Mystel doing'.
He pushed Mystel against the sheets, angrily assaulting his lips and mouth, effectively blocking the teen under his with his arms pinned above his head.
"Whaaa!" Mystel panted after the fierce kiss. "What was that for?"
"Because you are kawaii and you are my kawaii boy" Rei replied with a glint of satisfaction in his golden eyes.
He was about to jump on him again when the walls trembled and loud noises of beast fighting were heard. Mystel eeped and sneaked out of Rei's arms to look outside the window, "Garland is here! He's fighting Tala, perhaps?"
Rei groaned at the loss of warmth but let his eyes linger appreciatively on Mystel's naked body that was standing there to please his sight.
Rei's mind all the while chanting 'mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine' rather obsessively.
"How can you tell it's Garland?" he asked raising one eyebrow.
Mystel turned, causing Rei's mind to black out at the sight the clueless teen was allowing him, and when he was shaken out of his trance by the blond asking him if there was something wrong he coughed, "wha? Can you repeat please?"
"I said I can recognize the Beast' energy, it's familiar to me," Mystel giggled then noticed the feral stare he was receiving and blushed crimson again, "stop staring like this!" he whined.
Rei pouted, "what, it's nothing I haven't seen already," Mystel shook his head and pulled on some clothes, "I'm going to see the match," he cheerfully said. "Wanna come?" he turned and passed one hand in his hair, smiling at his lover with sparkling eyes.
Rei blinked.
And then blinked twice.
"Come back in," he ordered.
"Eh? No way, I want to–" he was cut out by Rei jumping on him, grabbing his struggling body and placing him back on the bed, "Rei!"
"We are not gonna leave this room, that's for sure," was the reply.
"REI!"
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Brooklyn stared.
Kai stared back.
"What are you doing here?" the latter hissed, his voice so low and filled with hatred that Brooklyn felt something twist painfully in his stomach.
"Garland is challenging Tala to a fight, I came along with him…" he answered quietly. "I think… I think we need to talk, Kai".
Crimson eyes were icy cold as they met green pools.
"I have nothing to say to you, Brooklyn," he spat back, shifting so he was now ready for the attack he was expecting to come from the orange haired blader.
Brooklyn knew Kai had all the rights to be angry at him, even if he did not know why, but he wanted to smooth things with him because… he cared... because… because. The last thing Brooklyn wanted was to be hated by Kai.
"I want to talk about the other day," Brooklyn looked pleadingly at Kai. "The last thing I want is to humiliate you…"
"Go away," Kai hissed.
"Kai, I wanted to say I am sorry!" Brooklyn was desperate now, but the fury in the crimson orbs made his fear resurface.
He'd seen this kind of blazing anger only once before, and that had been during their fight. The memory caused Brooklyn's calm to slip slightly.
"Kai, please, listen to–"
"Go. Away!"
Kai was trembling now, and was clenching his fists to tightly the nails cut the skin, a little trail of blood dripping down. Brooklyn watched transfixed the fury that was so clear on his face and stepped backwards, feeling afraid of Kai. This was a new side of him the orange haired teen never saw before, something that put Kai on a new different level… Kai was like an ignited explosive.
"Kai, I am sorry!"
"Go away! You know nothing! How can you even think about the humiliation you put me through? Why did you do that? Why do you keep on stalking me? Why do you want to destroy me? Are you so blind in your desire of revenge that you can't see anything else?"
Brooklyn shook his head forcibly, looking at the furious slate haired teen in front of him with widened eyes. Kai was really mad at him.
"Kai…" he tried, but the other did not let him finish.
"Don't give me shit, Brooklyn," hearing his name spoken with such a hatred made Brooklyn flinch. "And I don't remember having invited you there in the first place! Leave, I don't want to see your face around me ever again!"
He was trembling now, but not because of the hatred, like Brooklyn was thinking. Kai was deeply afraid. He was afraid Brooklyn would attack him again, and knowing he had no strength to push him away, he feared what he would do.
A sudden image flashed through Kai's mind, the darkness behind Brooklyn. Zeus. Similar to Black Dranzer. He didn't want to be dragged in by it, not again.
"Leave!" he yelled, his breath ragged.
Brooklyn jumped forwards, he did not want to go. He wanted to show Kai he was sorry, he wanted to show him he meant what he said. He grabbed Kai's wrist, causing the younger teen to gasp and try to pry him away, but Brooklyn tightened his hold.
Kai's mind panicked, he knew it, he knew it, Brooklyn was going to hurt him! All he said, lies, all lies, he was dark, like Black Dranzer, like Zeus…
"Go away! Go away! Go away! I don't want your darkness!" his voice came out strained but high pitched as he tried to wiggle himself out if the older teen's grasp. "I was deceived once and almost died! I don't want to go there again! I don't want to drown back down there! Leave me alone! You and Black Dranzer!"
Brooklyn froze, letting go of Kai's wrist, watching the slate haired teen scuffle away from him, panting for the outburst. Black Dranzer?
What was Black Dranzer? Why did Kai say that he didn't want Brooklyn's darkness? Was he referring to Zeus? No, at least not completely. There was something amiss here, something involving that Black Dranzer. But Dranzer was red, a Phoenix. She wasn't black!
That did not make sense at all!
"Kai, what do you mean? What's Black Dranzer!" Brooklyn demanded, stepping towards the distressed teen, but Kai didn't let him come near.
"You are like her! Zeus is like her! Alluring Darkness trying to deceive me again! I won't fall again in your plans, I already was used once… no, twice! I won't be used again! I won't let you take my sanity! I won't let you turn me into a brainless zombie again!"
Brooklyn was now even more confused than ever. What Kai said made no sense at all. Brainless zombie? Used again?
Kai grabbed his head in his trembling hands, closing his eyes, "go away! I know what you want from me! I won't be deceived again! Go away! Now!"
Brooklyn watched as tears pooled in the blood eyes of the teen in front him, but they did not fall. He was at loss.
The figure of Zeus' wielder disappeared before Kai's eyes. His own darkness, the one that was still residing in his mind, clouded his sight, blurring away Brooklyn until there was nothing but shadows in front of him, and a flicker of pitch black figure that took the form of the dreaded dark Phoenix. Black Dranzer was staring at him almost mockingly, hallucination so real in Kai's eyes that his mind believed it to be in fact real.
Drowning.
"Kai… you know you can't escape me…"
"No! I left you behind years ago! I won my battle against you Black Dranzer!" Kai stepped backwards. "GO AWAY!"
Brooklyn did not move towards the door, instead he stepped forwards and did the first thing that came into his mind at the moment. He felt a deep pain in his chest at the sight of Kai acting this way, and he knew he needed to know why Kai was saying such things, but he also knew Kai would not tell…
At the moment he did not care, he just wanted to do something to soothe Kai's clear pain, and the only thing he seemed to think would work was…
He grabbed Kai by his shoulder and pulled the trembling body against his own, hugging Kai and burying his face in the soft hair, the warmth of Kai's frame pressed against his own calming down the pain in his chest, but oddly doubling it in a different way.
He was so lost in breathing Kai's scent, and in holding him, that he failed to feel him stiff and freeze at the contact, crimson eyes widened in deep, utter fear. Kai felt his brain stop dead at the feeling of warmth and security he felt in these arms, but that feeling was drowned in fear, shock and despair.
She was trying to lure him down again…
Black Dranzer…
Enveloping him, faking warmth, faking calm, faking comfort… he knew it was all an act. There would be only pain now.
"No! Stay away! Don't touch me!" he freed himself from the arms and felt something in him whine at the loss of warmth, but he shook his head, knowing that feeling of weakness would only prove that he could be allured once again. He tried so hard to fight Black Dranzer's charm on him, and now he discovered that if he were to relax, she would take him again.
"Kai!"
Now, the voice was different from Black Dranzer's…
His sight shifted again. Brooklyn was standing there again, and in horror Kai realized it was Brooklyn who hugged him.
"You…"
Kai stared as Brooklyn stepped towards him again, he could not let him have his way, he would only get hurt. Brooklyn was like Black Dranzer, now he was sure of it.
The orange haired teen had looked in shock at Kai's display, more worried now that ever, and went to him, his only desire now to hug Kai again until he had calmed down, to feel again the warmth in his arms, the feeling of… fulfil he had.
But the moment he reached out again, Kai snapped.
He moved fast, so Brooklyn had no time to react or move away, and punched the older teen on the cheek, sending him backwards with the strength of the hit. Brooklyn fell back on the floor, shocked by being attacked, and felt a sharp pain flare from his cheek, where Kai hit him. He shakily stood up, evading at the last second another attack.
"Go away! Did you hear me! Go away! Now!" Kai was so shaken he could not say anything else, trembling, fear and anger mixing together so he couldn't distinguish between them anymore, but knowing he could not stand to see Brooklyn anymore.
Brooklyn stepped back again, knowing he would not calm down, not with him around at least, and he resigned to disappear before Kai ended up more furious than he already was. He would not believe him if he said he was sorry, because there was something more than just their fight or his hands… or the kiss they shared.
Kai looked like he was haunted by something, and Brooklyn wanted to find out. A way or another. So, maybe, he had to leave Kai until he knew what was happening to him.
But it hurt, to see him like this, to be rejected this way.
And still, Brooklyn was patient. He would never renounce, not even after this.
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Garland and Tala looked at each other again.
Their fight was still on, heated and strong, but none of them, even if tired, was up to being defeated. It had been a while since they had a fight like this, and both were satisfied, feeling alive as they continued, ignoring the strain.
BeyBlades clashing against each others, the two Beasts above their heads attacking and moving as if they were dancing instead of fighting, the adrenaline pumping in their veins. It was as if they didn't want the battle to end, because they were enjoying it too much, but they also knew it should finish.
And when both raised their eyes from the bey dish, preparing themselves, both knew this would be the last attack.
"Apollon, let's finish this!"
"Wolborg, come on!"
The clash was just as powerful at it was supposed to be. Garland and Tala were sent against the opposite walls from the wave of power that came out of the hit, and when they stood up again, they saw their beasts disappear back in their chips, and both beys stilled at the same time.
There was a moment of calm, then Tala and Garland stared at each other, and…
Both started to laugh.
"It's a tie, it seems," Garland managed to say in–between the fits of laughter, walking to the dish to pick up both their bey, handing one to the red haired teen, who took it and smirked, "seems like it, yeah".
Garland nodded, "that was a good battle, Tala," he admitted.
Tala nodded, placing Wolborg in his pocket, "so we settled it down," he felt no more animosity towards the teal haired teen, instead he felt contented, even if the result was a tie.
"Yeah, we did" Garland paused for a moment, and then he added, uncertainly, "So… what are we standing now?"
Tala frowned. He thought it over, "I don't really know," he commented.
"I guess we can be… friends…" Garland stared pointedly at him.
Tala was surprised, but quickly the shock disappeared and his trademark smirk was back. "Sure," he replied, and offered his hand to Garland, who smiled back and took it.
'At least that smirk is sincere,' the teal haired teen released the red head's hand and walked outside the gym with him. It's a start, I think…'
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MasterFranny: I hope you will review and tell me if you liked this. Have a nice day! I am sure I will… I have to write some chapter for my other fics… Sorry for the ugly battle description, I really suck at them.