Kurai moaned softly, shifting in Ryuuga's arms when the early morning sunlight. She peeled her eyes open, revealing her emerald green irises.

"Morning sleepyhead." A voice said in her ear.

"Really? That's the best you can come up with, Scaly?" Kurai teased.

Ryuuga flinched good naturedly. "No need to tie me with my Bey. So what if it's a dragon?"

"And dragons have scales."

"Go figure."

A silence enveloped the two. In the distance, Kurai saw birds fly up from the trees, startled. She tensed.

"Wake Kenta. Now." Kurai whispered, standing and grabbing her backpack and walking over Kyoya. Ryuuga did, not questioning her reasons.

"Kyoya. Kyoya get up."

"Five more minutes." Came the sleepy reply.

"NOW!" Kurai hissed, snatching her cousin's pack from under his head and beating it vicously on his head.

"I'm up!" Kyoya snarled, taking the pack back from Kurai and stumbling to his feet.

Kurai turned to Ryuuga, who had a still sleepy Kenta in arms. Kurai bit back a curse, knowing it'd only alert their enemy.

"C'mon." Kurai said, running for the trees, opposite of the approaching person.

As they ran, Kurai slowed slightly, looking behind her to see who it was.

Her heart stopped when she saw two familiar Black Tigers emerge from the woods.


"Great job Yuki! Let's take a break!" Gingka called, catching Pegasus, quickly.

"Thanks Mr. Gingka! It's an honor to train with you!" Came the response.

"No breaks!" A voice snapped, suddenly.

Everyone jumped. All heads snapped to the far concrete wall, seeing a projected form of Kurai. It looked like she was running.

"Listen. There's a couple of Tigers following us. Some old friends of mine. They're the most powerful- If Kyoya's dad is recruiting some of the more powerful ones... Well, please just don't let me down." Kurai explained, before ending the connection.


By the time Kurai caught up to the boys, Kenta was on his feet, going at a flat out sprint.

Suddenly, they came to the edge of a gully. The wall leading to the bottom was slanted.

"Ohhh, I knew my skateboarding lessons would come in handy one day!" Kurai smirked, jumping in the air and landing on the ground, her left leg stretched straight out, the other bent at an angle. She turned to three shocked boys.

"Well? You coming or what?"

The boys quickly followed, making Kurai turn back to the bottom of the gorge. She had to laugh slightly when she heard the screams of fear and horror. They really were wussies- Well, maybe not Ryuuga.

When she was about ten feet from the bottom, she jumped, landing precisely on the flats of her feet- strangely, like a cat.

The boys weren't so lucky. They tumbled to a stop, hitting their heads and becoming tangled in each other.

"Oh, ouch. That's gonna leave a mark." Kurai winced.

"Says Catwoman." Kenta snapped, kicking Kyoya's leg off of his. Kyoya let out a strangled yelp.

Ryuuga was more lucky. He jerked up as Kenta's small fist came towards his face, successfully dodging the blow. He scrambled to his feet, brushing himself off.

"You have got to teach us how you even do that stuff." Ryuuga muttered, sighing.

"All about balance and agility." Kurai smirked, looking up at the top of the cliff. Her good mood faded and her eyes widened when she saw the two Tigers standing at the top. One shouted down.

"What's the matter, Kurai? Scared?" A black haired boy shouted.

"In your dreams, Iwao! It seems you and Oniaku are the ones that are scared! Too scared to come after me? I thought you were Tigers! You two put new terms to the meaning 'scaredy cats!" Kurai yelled back.

Kurai whipped around and bolted off, the others right behind her as she listened to the curses of her two frie- former friends.

Kurai bit her tounge, remembering how those two boys that had betrayed her. She had been young and stupid. Immature and silly. She hadn't seen the signs that they would backstab her. That the scars would mark her for life.

After about thirty minutes of running, Kurai spotted a tunnel. Her heart soared. She sharply curved in, yanking in Kyoya and Ryuuga, Kenta having already ran in.

"Okay... No beating... around... the bush." Kyoya panted.

"Who... were those... guys?" Ryuuga finished, equally winded.

"Iwao and Oniaku. Some old friends turned enemies of mine." Kurai said bitterly. She would've added a few choice words, had Kenta not been there.

Kenta seemed to sense this and covered his ears suddenly. Almost immeadiatly, Kurai let it out.

"Those two sons- of- bitches out there goddamn fucking betrayed me when I was only seven! I made sure to give them a helluva run for their lives when I found out! When I finally caught up with them, one would've thought they were being damned to Tartarus!" Kurai snarled, her eyes going flat black- whites and all.

Kyoya and Ryuuga cringed away, instinctively.

"Sorry." Kurai sighed, eyes and attitude returning to normal.

"No problem."

"Totally understandable."

"Can I uncover my ears now? Not that it did any good; I still heard." Kenta said.

Kurai flinched. She should've known it wouldn't've worked. "Sorry kid."

"Oh, no problem. I've heard and been called worse." Kenta shrugged. Everyone turned to him, surprised looks on thier faces. "What'd I say?"

"You said you'd been called worse." Kyoya frowned.

"What'd you mean?" Ryuuga demanded.

"Oh. Um... I really don't wanna talk about it." Kenta shifted uncomfortably.

Kurai walked foward and knelt in front of the boy. When she had first arrived, she had noticed her wore jackets- no matter how hot. She had only been suspicious, but now... Could he really be suggesting what she hahd suspected.

"Kenta... Were you abused?" Kurai whispered, hardly daring to say the word.

Kenta stared at the girl, shocked and horrified. She had guessed spot on. He adverted his eyes, mumbling, "Sorta..."

Ryuuga went off like a bomb.