Author Note: DragonAce1999, Rangerapprentice, CorynofHoole and James Birdsong are the only ones who bothered to review. Let me point something out to the rest of you; Updates would come a lot faster if you motivated us with encouragement.
Beyblade (c) Takao Aoki
Between Two Realms
Chapter Thirteen
Max was over at Tyson's place along with Kenny and Daichi, waiting for the arrival of Kai, Ray, Hilary, Tala and Cassie. Ray had called them from the airport in Hong Kong to let them know they would be there in a few hours, and now that a few hours had passed it was clear they'd be there any minute. Tyson was still holding on to the picture that the stranger had asked him to pass on to Ray and had put it in a paper bag on the day to protect it. He was hoping Ray would clue him in to what it was all about, but he was almost positive that the lady in the photo was related to Ray. On top of this he was looking forward to blading with the whole team again and was as bad as Daichi when it came to failing to sit still.
Daichi was currently crouched on the wall by the main gate, shielding his eyes as he looked down the road. He jumped up when he saw the group approaching. "They're here!" he shouted excitedly.
"That's great!" Tyson responded, rushing out to meet the group.
Hilary smiled and waved as she saw Tyson and the others appear. "Hey guys," she greeted happily. "It's good to see you."
"It's good to see you too," Kenny responded with a smile. "Did you guys have a good time?"
Hilary smiled bravely, "Yeah. There were a few small glitches, but other than that it was good."
"What kind of glitches?" Daichi asked.
"It doesn't matter," Hilary told him, looking at the whole group. "Let's go inside and have a catch up. How about that?"
"Yeah, sounds great," Tyson agreed brightly. "We've been looking forward to you guys getting back."
"So what's the news on this tournament?" Kai asked once they were all in the house and sitting round the table by the TV.
"Well, it's back to the team format instead of the tag-teams," Tyson answered. "Although tag-teams are allowed if it's agreed upon by both sides. They feel that it will let more bladers get a chance to show off their skills."
"Hopefully that will mean less fighting within the team between certain members," Kenny put in teasingly.
"Give me a break, Chief," Tyson groaned causing Max and Ray to laugh.
"It's great that we can all be on the same team again," Max commented.
"Speak for yourselves," Tala told them all with a smirk. "I'm gonna have to phone up the Blitzkrieg Boys and see if they're interested in taking part."
"And you'll have to put up with Ian," Tyson teased him.
"They'll come," Kai told Tala. "There's no way they'd miss it, fighting these guys again in an official tournament."
"We'll be glad to whoop you guys again," Tyson boasted.
"Don't get overconfident, Tyson," Max told him.
"Are you kidding?" Daichi joined in, "We're gonna win this!"
"Save your breath, Max," Kenny commented, "They're not listening. Besides, they've been told more than once and it never helps."
"Aw, come on, I can take on anyone," Tyson replied.
"Hn, we'll see," Kai mused, locking eyes with Tyson.
"How about a practice match," Tyson suggested to him.
To everyone's surprise, Kai shook his head, turning down the offer. "Not right now, Tyson."
"Okay," Tyson shrugged, though he had to admit he was a little disappointed. He turned his head as Ray stood up. "How about you then, Ray?"
"Maybe later," Ray responded with smile. "I'm going to go out for a bit. I need to make a phone call. Long distance. I'll get this out the way and then I'll be free to knock you down a few pegs."
"Oh yeah? Well you better get in some practice first while you're out because I won't hold back," Tyson responded.
"Okay," Ray replied brightly as he headed out the door.
Tyson suddenly gasped, "Oh no, I forgot to give him that picture. Ray," he called only to hear Ray's response of 'later' and the front door closing. Tyson looked back at Kai, Hilary, Tala and Cassie, "Any of you know what that was all about?"
Kai grunted quietly and stood up. "It's none of our business," he stated simply, before leaving through another door and disappearing.
"Hey, we just got the gang back together and you guys are already ditching," Tyson commented before sighing dramatically and Max laughed at him.
"Hey, Tyson, I'll take you on," Daichi commented.
"Alright," Tyson agreed.
"Cool," Max commented, "Good call."
000
Ray's phone call to France didn't go as he had expected, but had actually worked out better. He had planned to go straight to France after his training, but changed his mind with the tournament and was going to arrange to head out at some point after. Instead, it turned out that his uncle was actually in Japan to watch the tournament. His colleagues had given Ray the number to the hotel and so Ray had placed a call to the man and arranged to go and meet him there.
Ray glanced around the lobby of the hotel and started to head for the reception but stopped when a man left the elevator and approached him. Ray smiled and headed over to him. "Hello Uncle," he greeted as he joined Stan and embraced the man, "I'm glad you're here, I have to speak to you. It's about Mama."
Stan nodded his head. "Alright, come on up to my room and we'll talk," he replied and led Ray to the elevator. "We probably should have done this a long time ago, but you seemed happier and I didn't want to undo that."
"I actually had forgotten a lot," Ray admitted as Stan opened the door to his room and let the teen in. Stan gestured to one of the chairs and Ray sat down while the man made two cups of tea and sat opposite Ray, handing him one of the cups. "Thanks. What brought this all up was that I had a dream about when she died. I remember they were mad at each other that night."
Stan had expected Ray to ask him about it all sooner or later and so he wasn't at all surprised. "As children, Hal and I were rather close," he began his tale and Ray stayed silent, paying attention. They both sipped their tea on occasion throughout it. "We had the odd brotherly spat, but nothing serious. When we reached the stage of being interested in girls that all changed. We both fell for the same woman, Meiling, your mother. She was a beautiful person, inside and out, kind and patient with everyone and doing her best to understand in any given situation. She loved Spring because it brought new life to a barren land, she preferred pork to ham and her favourite colour was lilac but she liked white lilies.
"I loved Meiling, but she chose Hal," Stan rounded off, realising he was getting lost in the memory of the only woman he loved, and wanting to get back on track to give Ray the information he was looking for. "And I respected her choice because it was hers and I wanted her to be happy. When you came along, Meiling felt you were the greatest gift she could ever receive. She was proud and glad to have had you, but Hal wasn't ready for fatherhood and had left before you were even born. I never stopped loving your mother and the two of you were family so I stepped in to help her cope.
"Hal returned to the village and jumped to the conclusion that I had moved in on her. This wasn't the case at all, but he wouldn't accept that and then started thinking that something had been going on between us from the start. He figured that I was too accepting of her choosing him over me, that I should have fought her decision and he accused Meiling of stringing him along. He also thought that you and I were far too close for an uncle and nephew.
"Hal wasn't around and so you didn't know him and were, understandably, a bit shy with him. But he had his suspicions and wouldn't listen to anyone. Hal completely rejected you, believing I was your father and that you were the product of an act of betrayal. He left the village again and met someone else, only returning when word reached him that Meiling was sick and dying. I'm sorry, Ray."
Ray smiled a little but it was mostly forced, "It's okay, Uncle. I asked for the truth. I expected it to be something like this." Stan reached over and rested his hand on Ray's shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Was Mama faithful?" Ray asked after a moment.
"Entirely," Stan confirmed. Ray nodded and quietly thanked the man. Ray stayed with his uncle for a few hours before heading back to Tyson's, not wanting his friends to worry about him.
000
"Hey guys, I'm back," Ray called as he returned.
"Welcome back," Max greeted cheerfully, "Everything okay?"
"Mm," Ray responded, joining the group, "Yeah. It turns out my uncle's actually in town to watch the tournament, so when I found out I went to see him. I had some questions, got the answers and then we were chatting and I lost track of time."
"Well it's good you got the chance to catch up," Tyson commented as he cleaned his blade. "We've just been talking about the tournament. I thought it would be good to work on some cool new combination attacks, in case we end up having a Battle Royale. What d'you think?"
"Sounds good," Ray agreed with a nod before adding playfully "Wow, Tyson, thinking ahead?"
"Shut up, man," Tyson told him, before grinning. "Just because I thought of it before you did."
"Well, you're the one most likely to incite a Battle Royale, so I guess it makes sense that you'd think of it first," Ray replied.
"Well I for one hope that doesn't happen," Kenny spoke up from behind his laptop. "If it does, knowing you guys and your reputation, there won't be a stadium left."
"What have I told you about being a worrywart?" Tyson asked him pointedly.
"I'm just voicing my concern is all," Kenny retorted.
"Just so long as Tyson doesn't blame me when he sucks," Daichi commented.
"You're one to talk, Daichi," Tyson snorted.
"So where's Kai?" Ray asked suddenly. "Or rather, when did he leave?"
"Dunno," Max shrugged. "He just suddenly wasn't here anymore. But you know Kai. Tala left to walk Cassie home and Hilary went back to her house too."
"Ah, yeah, sounds like Kai," Ray agreed with a nod and Daichi poked Tyson in the ribs before pointing to a paper bag sitting to one side.
Tyson caught Daichi's finger and proceeded to bend it backwards while casually reaching for the bag. "Ray, this came for you," he said while holding it out.
"OW, quit it or I'll bite you!" Daichi shouted over Ray's response as the older boy accepted the bag curiously.
The paper bag had the Tate's Hobby Shop logo on it, but inside was a frame and Ray drew it out to find that it held a photograph. He gasped when he saw the picture was of a woman, one he'd known and had only been speaking about an hour ago. "Who...Where did this come from?" he asked Tyson, unable to believe what he was seeing.
"Some guy handed it to me outside Max's," Tyson explained. "I didn't get a proper look at him though. But he wanted to make sure you got it."
Ray looked at Tyson and then back at the picture. He turned the frame over in his hands and examined the back. The back was held on to the frame with small bits of metal which would bend easily. Ray moved to sit down as he carefully took the back out, making sure not to damage the picture or frame. Between the photograph and the back of the frame was another sheet of paper with some writing on it and Ray removed that before putting the frame back together again and then reading what was on the sheet. "Oh," Ray murmured, reading through the note again. "It's from my father... He wants me to go and meet him." Despite the revelation, Ray felt oddly calm about it. The hate and anger had faded and Ray wondered if that had been influenced by the change. "What should I do?"
The others didn't really know what to say, with it being such a delicate subject. Max sat down next to Ray and smiled encouragingly. "Whatever you feel comfortable with. We're here if you need us. You know that."
Ray turned the picture over, looking at it once again. "This was my mother. I didn't really remember her much. That's why I went to see my uncle," Ray explained glancing at Max. "I didn't know there were any pictures of her. It's something that I really wanted; I can't believe he did this. This doesn't make what he did okay. But I think it's a good start to bridge the gap. I'm sorta nervous though 'cause the last time I saw him I told him I never wanted to see him again."
"I'm sure he'll understand, Ray," Kenny said. "The fact that he's given you such an important picture at least shows that he's trying."
Ray nodded his agreement. "I don't want to go live with him though, I don't know him well enough for that and I won't for a long time. That's what first put me off him, wanting me to just start over and trying to force me to leave the village against my will. I'll talk with him, but I'm not going to give up what I have. He's too late for that; I just hope he accepts that." The others nodded in complete understanding. Ray was grateful for their support and acceptance, but with the circumstances he was feeling a little crowded. He figured a little walk would be a good way to clear his head and he was almost certain he could sense a demon arriving rather suddenly, not too far from the dojo, which had him curious anyway. "I know I only just got back, but I'm gonna go take a walk and think things through. Thanks, guys."
"Okay, see you later," Tyson waved him off, before challenging Max and Daichi to a practice match. They both said bye to Ray and then eagerly agreed.
000
Kai stood on the edge of the far out pier of the harbour, arms folded and scarf blowing back from the cold wind. A low fog was clinging to the water's surface, which was choppy and getting worse by the minute. Winter was definitely on the way. Breathing out deeply, Kai watched as the cloud of his breath was pushed past him. The wind was coming from over the sea and the chill reminded him of Russia.
Russia... Home... Or at least, the closest he'd ever had to a home.
For the first time in a long while, Kai realised he missed it. He missed the cold, frozen tundra of Siberia, the isolation, the feeling that he was the only person for hundreds of miles and the simplicity of that belief.
When he was in Russia he was free to forget about his past and actually step out of the shadow that Boris and Voltaire had cast over him. But here in Japan he was constantly reminded of it.
He thought of the whole fiasco with BEGA which had ended in disaster for the city. The company that he had reluctantly inherited from the man whose blood he shared.
Kai clenched his fists as he remembered the man who'd done everything in his power to turn Kai into a mindless weapon, not caring who he had to cut down in order to achieve such a goal. Kai thought of all the lives that had been affected...and not just humans. A whole other world that until fairly recently he'd had no idea existed. They'd paid a hefty price because of Voltaire's twisted plans.
And then there was his mother...
Kai closed his eyes as he tried to block out the memories.
"Alone again," a voice commented, almost snidely.
The Russian sighed. "Do you really have nothing better to do than pester me?" he asked. "Get lost."
"Now that's not very friendly," the hooded demon responded as he approached Kai.
Kai shrugged. "We're not friends," he countered simply.
The demon laughed a little. "No, we're not," he agreed. "In fact, I'm surprised you even have any friends with how you close them all out."
"Stick and stones," Kai muttered. He would NOT stoop to this guy's level. He was better than that. The demon was nothing more than a nuisance to him.
"Kai," a voice called and the demon turned his head at a little as they were joined by Ray. "I told you to stay the hell away from us," Ray commented as he looked at the hooded figure.
"Ray," Kai addressed him in a warning tone. "Don't get involved."
"Don't get involved?" Ray asked, "I've met this creep before. He's the one who showed me that ward. How do you know him?" Kai looked away refusing to answer.
"Still pathetically trying?" the demon asked Ray mockingly. "I told you already, he's a loner and you're wasting your time. He doesn't trust anyone enough to let them in, but you already know that."
"Shut up," Ray snarled, his pupils turning to slits and the demon laughed.
"Ray, just go," Kai told him a bit more firmly. "This doesn't concern you."
"Well then tell me what exactly this is," Ray responded, "Because it seems to concern me enough for him to hover about me in the demon realm."
Kai looked back at him and frowned. "He's just some shit stirrer with a superiority complex."
"You should leave," the demon commented to Ray. "He won't tell you anything, he never does. He likes to keep secrets, like in Scotland."
"Scotland?" Ray asked, frowning in confusion then shaking his head. "You're trying to mess with my head again. What happened in Scotland was my doing. It had nothing to do with secrets."
The flame covered fist came flying without warning, catching the demon completely off guard as it collided with his jaw and sent him crashing back into the side of the lighthouse. "That's enough!" Kai shouted. "Just leave us alone."
"Kai," Ray gasped, shocked by the sudden outburst, while the demon took a few moments to try to gather himself again.
"I oughta fix that mouth of yours so it never speaks again!" Kai snarled; eyes dark and dangerous as he advanced on the demon. "What happened in Scotland has nothing to do with Ray, so leave him out of it. I'm warning you!"
Ray stared at Kai in utter confusion. "Kai, what do you mean? What happened in Scotland has nothing to do with me? It wasn't the fight?"
The demon picked himself up, laughing. "He has no idea and he'll still stubbornly defend your name," he commented to Kai in amusement. "I thought seeing some harsh reality might put a stop to that naivety, but I guess not."
The air suddenly turned heavy as Kai grabbed the demon's throat and forced him to the floor, cracking the concrete beneath them with the force. A wisp of black energy swirled around Kai's arm as he increased the pressure. The demon was caught between satisfaction and alarm. Satisfaction that he'd proven Kai was untrustworthy, but a sense of alarm came as a response to the strength he was faced with. He wasn't overly surprised though because playing with fire was sure to get you burned. Despite the danger he'd put himself in; he was finding it highly amusing.
"Kai, don't," Ray spoke up. "He wants you to lose it."
Kai growled through his clenched teeth. "Well maybe I want to as well," he replied. The black energy started to crackle and burn his own skin as well as the demon. Kai's heart was pounding so fast it was deafening in his head. He didn't want to stop. The rush of power was incredible, the urge to do harm and cause damage. His mind was black.
Ray approached Kai and cautiously touched his arm to get his full attention, "Kai, please."
Wild amethyst eyes flashed towards Ray and stared at him for a long moment. Kai was like an exposed nerve, ready to snap at any second. His breaths were fast and sharp as he tried to decide who to listen to. Ray? Or the dark voice in the back of his mind?
Finally, Ray's words broke through, forcing the crackling black sparks to recede. Kai's hand left the demon limply as his eyes clouded over and he tipped sideways right into Ray.
Ray quickly caught Kai and steadied him while the demon choked and gasped to get his breath back, gulping down the oxygen greedily. Ray watched the demon warily from where he knelt. "I don't know who you are, but I know you're the same race of demon as Fabian. I know your kind can sense people's emotions, identify their fears and even search through their memories. Despite this you don't know as much as you think you do and you certainly don't know Kai. You've also overstayed your welcome, and if that's not an understatement I don't what is."
"I never told you my name, did I," the demon responded with a mockery on manners, "It's Gavin."
"I don't care. You should go," Ray told him.
A soft glow appeared from inside Kai's jacket as Dranzer rose up out of his blade, spreading his wings wide above Kai and Ray. He was joined seconds later by Driger, growling and snarling as he swished his tail in agitation. Both bit beasts stared down threateningly at Gavin, ready to protect their partners.
Ray looked up at them before facing Gavin again. The older demon stood up straight, or as straight as he could with his stagger, and turned away and left. A portal ripped open right in front of him and closed just behind him. Clearly he didn't like the idea of taking on Dranzer and Driger. Ray turned his attention back to Kai.
Eyes opening slowly, Kai lifted his head and looked up. "Ray?" he asked quietly, clearly more than a little disorientated.
"Yeah," Ray responded, relieved that Kai had come round, "You okay?"
Kai's eyes lowered to his arm and the strange burns on it. He sighed. "I lost it, didn't I?" he asked, disappointed.
"A little," Ray admitted, "But you snapped out of it again."
Moving away from Ray's support, Kai carefully climbed to his feet. He gazed up at Dranzer and Driger. "Thanks guys," he said. Dranzer nodded once and then disappeared. Driger however remained, looking to Ray to see if he was still needed.
"Thanks, pal," Ray said as he stood up and scratched Driger's head before dismissing him. Once the white tiger was gone, Ray turned to Kai again. He considered asking Kai to explain what was meant about Scotland and about what had happened, but he didn't want to risk annoying Kai.
Kai clenched his fists, only stopping when his whole arm ached. It seemed there was more damage than simply a burn to his skin. "That guy," he growled. "I'll get him next time. Mark my words."
"He said his name's Gavin," Ray commented. "How did you meet him?"
"...He confronted me when we were still back in Scotland," Kai explained reluctantly, "And accused me of being like Voltaire. That everything that has happened is his fault and so I should take the blame."
"So that's what's been bothering you since then?" Ray asked. "I thought... Kai, you know it's not true. You're not like him. And why should you take the blame for something you were trying to stop? Gavin's just ignorant and pig-headed."
"...Because we share the same blood," Kai said in a low voice, recalling Voltaire's exact words from years ago at the world championships. "And it's blood that the surviving demons want in recompense."
Ray frowned, remembering the elders commenting on background against Kai. He still didn't know exactly what they had been referring to but it certainly held racist implications. So if it wasn't where he was born or who he was raised by, it was whose blood he shared. Kai could never catch a break from anyone and Ray felt awful for his friend about that. "There has to be something we can do to help," he commented.
"I'm the only one who can do anything. I'll stand before their judgement, and atone for the sins of my grandfather, until the last of their hate and thirst for revenge has been sated. My family owes it to them."
"Kai, if your grandfather's death didn't satisfy them then taking it out on you won't help either. It's not right and you shouldn't accept it," Ray responded.
"I don't have a choice!" Kai shouted.
Ray frowned and looked away, "Sorry."
Kai hung his head, shadowing his eyes with his bangs. "I don't have a choice," he repeated far more quietly, before taking off at a run into the thickening fog.
There has to be a choice, but how can I make him see that without aggravating him any further? Ray wondered as he moved to follow Kai.
000
Kai ran with no real destination in mind. His breath clouded in front of him as he darted in between buildings and several large parked trucks at the harbour. He had no idea what had caused him to snap like this, but he couldn't risk being too close to any of his friends now. They'd just end up hurt. That's what always happened.
Despite his best intentions and all his efforts, the people he cared about were always left to suffer. He really was Voltaire's grandson. He lived up to the Hiwatari name brilliantly. There was no escaping it.
Why couldn't he have just died that day at the abbey when he launched Black Dranzer? Or the day the building collapsed with Tala, Bryan and himself still inside it?
"Kai..."
He skidded to an abrupt halt at hearing the gentle voice that had floated through the air to his ears. Glancing around, he took note of his surroundings. He was in a small alleyway, not unlike the ones he and the Blade Sharks used to haunt years ago.
"Who's there?" he demanded, looking around anxiously. The fog clung to the ground and shadows swallowed half of the alley, making it difficult to see properly.
"I'm here," the voice came again.
Kai started and looked ahead. A sharp gasp escaped his lips as the figure of a woman stepped into view. Her long hair was braided loosely and hung over one shoulder, while her knee length dress swayed gently in the breeze.
Her smile was warm and understanding, her eyes caring. Kai found himself stumbling towards her as she opened her arms.
"I'm here," she repeated, closing her arms around him once he was within reach.
The warmth that wrapped itself around Kai caught him off guard, but he didn't pull free. In fact he welcomed it as he allowed himself to be lulled into a state of total relaxation. All his earlier thoughts left him, followed slowly by his consciousness as his eyes suddenly grew heavy and slipped closed. His body slumped to the ground as the woman knelt and placed a delicate hand on his head, smoothing his hair back.
"You're okay now," she said quietly.
Following Kai hadn't been too difficult for Ray despite the fog and the head-start. Ray's speed and heightened senses made up for it. Ray paused, looking around and listening carefully. He knew Kai was nearby, but he couldn't tell exactly where. Finally locating Kai, Ray was surprised to see Kai on the ground with woman standing over him. "Who..." Ray began uncertainly as he wondered what had happened to his friend.
The woman looked up at him for a moment and smiled, but said nothing. Instead of offering an explanation, she turned and disappeared around a corner further down the alley.
"Hey," Ray called, bewildered by this action and moved to follow her, glancing at Kai as he passed and making a mental note to return as soon as possible. He rounded the corner and jarred to a halt, looking around in confusion. It was a dead end and there was no sign of the woman. "Huh?" Ray looked around but saw nothing that would suggest where she'd gone or how she'd pulled the disappearing act. He sniffed the air to find out if there was any trace of scent left to give away the trick, but the only smell that stood out was that of approaching snow. Completely baffled, Ray walked back to Kai's side and checked on him. After a failed attempt to awaken his friend, Ray manoeuvred the Russian onto his back and made his way back to the dojo, still wondering about the strange woman who had simply vanished.
000
"I wonder where Kai and Ray are," Max commented as he, Tyson and Daichi set out the futons for the night. "I hope they're okay. It's getting cold out there."
"Yeah," Tyson agreed. "I'm sure they're both fine. They can handle themselves. Hey, is it just me or did they both seem... I dunno... a little off? I can't really explain what I mean, just they seemed different but I don't know why. Though Ray did seem like himself again when he got back from seeing his uncle, so I think that was something to do with his mother, but Kai... It must be Hilary getting hurt... She's okay now though. It must have really scared him for it to show that something's up. D'you think there's any way we can help?"
Max hummed thoughtfully. "It's a really delicate subject," he mused. "Don't get me wrong, I wanna help as much as you do. But I don't know if Kai would appreciate it. You know what he's like."
Tyson sighed, "Yeah. I know, but I wanna help him 'cause he's my friend but he won't let me and it's so frustrating!"
"Try starting a fight with him," Daichi suggested. "That's how you and I sort things out."
"I think Kai would probably ditch if I did that," Tyson mused aloud.
Daichi grinned devilishly, "Yeah right. You're just scared he'd beat you."
"I am not, I just know Kai a lot better than you do," Tyson retorted.
"Whatever you say," Daichi sniggered. Tyson smirked and picked up a pillow which he threw at Daichi in response, prompting an immediate pillow fight.
Outside, Ray had just returned through the gate and was wondering how best to open the door without disturbing Kai, though he wasn't sure Kai could be disturbed as he seemed pretty much out of it. Ray glanced over his shoulder to check on Kai briefly, still no closer to figuring out what had happened. Who had that woman been? What had happened to Kai to leave him unconscious? He didn't appear to be hurt... Maybe it was stress. But that still left the question of why that woman had been there. And Ray's thoughts were running in circles now.
Tala, who had been waiting outside for them to return, stepped out of the shadows immediately and approached Ray. "What happened?" he asked, looking over Kai himself with a critical eye.
"I'm not sure," Ray answered honestly. "There was this demon who was annoying him and Kai sorta lost it for a moment, but he snapped out of it again. Then he left after saying he didn't have a choice but to accept their hate towards him because of Voltaire. I followed and found him out cold and there was this woman but she went around a corner and just vanished into thin air."
Tala frowned and lifted his hand to carefully place over Kai's forehead. "Well he doesn't have a temperature, so that's something," he mused. "But I've never seen him like this before except after big battles." Tala removed his hand. "We'd better get him inside."
Ray agreed, grateful that someone was there and he wouldn't need to struggle with the doors. "The whole thing left me confused, but after hearing myself say it out loud like that it sounds crazy," he commented as he headed for the building. "She wasn't a demon, I would have sensed it if she was. And the portal didn't open. It was a dead end round the corner and there wasn't a single trace. As for that demon...Kai says he met him in Scotland and that he was blaming him for Voltaire. I met him in the demon realm and I'm pretty sure he was trying to turn me against Kai from the things he said and did. I'm not surprised he was annoyed at the guy. You know, I honestly thought Kai was still mad at me for that fight we had in Scotland."
"Kai's not the type to hold grudges unless it's about something really serious," Tala told Ray as they went inside. He frowned as he thought about what Ray had just told him, "So this woman. What did she look like?"
"Well, she had long, grey hair that was over one shoulder in a loose braid, but she wasn't elderly, and she wore a grey dress that came down to her knees," Ray answered.
Tala instantly looked back at Kai for a moment, seemingly shocked by something. "We need to talk," he said to Ray suddenly. "So let's get him seen to first."
Ray nodded his agreement and carried Kai through to the dojo. "Oh good, you guys started setting up the futons," he observed, using the word started because the three boys had been in the middle of a pillow fight. "You know what, second thoughts, I'm gonna put Kai in your room, Tyson. As you were," he commented as he turned away from the chaos.
The other stopped their game abruptly, all in shock at the sight of Kai unconscious on Ray's back. "Don't ask," Tala told them before they could say anything. "We'll tell you in the morning. But don't worry, he's just out cold." Moving to Kai's bag, Tala pulled some kind of small book out of it and then followed after Ray.
000
Ray set Kai on the bed in Tyson's room and did what he could to make sure Kai was comfortable. A glance out the window showed Ray that it had started to snow and he pulled the curtains closed to help keep the room that little bit warmer. He could hear some laughter from the others as they started their game again, reassured by Tala's words.
Tala stepped in and shut the door behind him. "Thanks for doing that, Ray," he said. "I had to grab something from the other room." He held up the small black book, before opening it and pulling a photo out. He held it out to the other teen. "Is that the woman you saw?" he asked.
The woman in the picture had long grey hair like Ray had described, but it was tied up in a neat bun on her head, with a decorative headdress wrapped carefully around it. She was sitting on a chair in an elegant purple dress with a gentle smile on her face.
Ray looked at the picture and nodded. The hair was in a different style, but that was something a person could easily change. It was her facial features that gave her away. "Yeah, that's her," he confirmed. "You know her?"
"...No," Tala replied quietly. "Are you one hundred per cent sure?"
"Yeah, I'm sure," Ray answered. "If it wasn't her then it was someone who looked exactly like her. Why?"
Tala sighed heavily, not sure how to react. It was impossible. There was just no way. "...I never met her," he began hesitantly. "But I know enough about her to explain a few things. Her name is Alexandra Zjukovski." He locked eyes with Ray. "Does that mean anything to you?"
"The surname sounds familiar..." Ray answered, frowning as he tried to remember where he'd heard it before. "I know I've heard it, I can't think where though..."
"You saw it in a passport," Tala supplied for him. "Zjukovski was her maiden name. But she was later known as Alexandra Hiwatari." He glanced briefly at the teen in the bed. "...And she's Kai's mother."
Ray stared at Tala. He felt cold and unsteady, and he wouldn't be surprised if the colour had drained from his face. Kai had told Ray she'd been murdered. Reason suggested that Ray had simply been mistaken when he looked at the picture, but Ray knew he hadn't. Ray had always been rather neutral on the whole ghost thing. He didn't believe they weren't real, but he'd never seen any evidence to show that they were real. At least not until now that was. But it explained so much. Like how she vanished and why he couldn't smell her. But it left some questions like why he was able to see her and why he'd seen something like that now. "She's dead..." Ray mumbled, unable to think of anything else to say.
Tala nodded gravely. "Yes, for many years now." He placed the photo back in Kai's book and closed it carefully. "Now you'll understand why I seemed so anxious about it when you described her to me."
Ray nodded, understanding completely. He was pretty shocked himself. "Um, I think I'm gonna go sit down..." he murmured. "Maybe grab a cup of tea...or something. You want anything?"
Tala nodded. "Sounds like a good idea," he replied, feeling shocked himself. "Let's leave him to sleep."
Ray agreed with the suggestion of letting Kai sleep and headed though to the kitchen. It was a wonder that Kai wasn't disturbed by the noise of the others, but at the moment even Ray was barely registering them. "Today's just been crazy," he muttered to himself.
"Is there ever any other kind of day?" Tala asked pointedly.
"Not since I joined these guys," Ray answered with a slight laugh.
Tala let his lips curve in a brief smile, before frowning thoughtfully as he put the kettle on to boil. "I can't help but wonder..." he murmured hesitantly, "...what Alexandra wants."
"Is she trapped, or simply watching over him? And why did I see her?" Ray put in, "Appearing to Kai is understandable, but I'd never met her and had nothing to do with her whatsoever. And why now?"
"I wish I had the answer," Tala told him. "I can't think of a reason either. The only thing that comes to mind is that it's coming up to the anniversary of her death."
"It is? Oh man, I feel really bad for Kai. Hilary got hurt really bad and he's scared that next time she won't be so lucky, that demon Gavin stirring up trouble and the anniversary?" Ray stared out the window at the snow falling for a few moments. It was already getting heavier, the flakes larger, and it was settling without any doubt at all. "There are demons who hate Kai for what Voltaire did. Kai was affected by it more than they were. By all rights they should be on the same side. But with Voltaire gone they want to take it out on Kai. He shouldn't have to accept that. You're probably aware of what some of the elders in my village were saying too."
"I heard a few things, yes," Tala confirmed. "It's bothering Kai a lot more than he's letting on. But he can handle it, I'm sure."
"Do you know if he found out anything about the elders?" Ray asked Tala. "I tried keeping it from him because he really doesn't need any more added on top of what he's already dealing with. It's a load of bullshit anyway. What the elders were saying about him. They're pretty pissed off at me too right now for the lack of respect but I don't feel they've earned it so I don't care. It's not the first time they've been pissed at me anyway. But Kai's pretty good at finding things out even if you try to keep it from him. I was hoping things would calm down again and they'd see reason before Kai found out."
"Knowing Kai, he probably caught on. He's always been sensitive that way." Tala finished making the tea and handed one mug to Ray. "His problem right now is he's feeling weak and stressed out. I think this tournament couldn't have come at a better time. He needs something to get his self-confidence back up."
"Thanks," Ray murmured as he accepted the mug. "Speaking of the tournament, did you get in touch with your team?"
"Yeah. They're coming over to prepare next week," Tala answered. "What about the White Tigers? Are they interested at all?"
"Probably. Tao thinks it's an idea for us to be away from the village for now. But I'm entering with Tyson. If they do enter; it'll be without me. Lee and I have a bit of a rivalry and it'll be good fun to compete against him in a tournament again," Ray answered. "I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of your team again. It's been a while."
"Yeah. We just need to decide on who's taking part."
"I'm glad it's back to a team format. It's much easier to rotate the players and give people more of a chance to take part," Ray commented. "When you're on a tag-team you can't really afford to put up anyone but your strongest, but everyone has their own strengths which might not show up in competitions like that. Having the option though this time around was a great idea."
Tala nodded. "So, do you know if Kenny will take part in the matches? He showed a lot of improvement in the last championships."
"I dunno, I've been out most the time since we arrived," Ray answered, "Haven't had a chance to ask him. I hope so though, it's good for his confidence."
Tala nodded. "So that's five possible members on your team then," he mused.
"Yeah," Ray agreed. "I wonder what the competition will be like."
Ray laughed. "D'you think we should hold some bets on the stadiums? How many will be destroyed, how long each will last and who will be most responsible for the damage?"
"You never know what will happen in a beyblade tournament, so it's impossible to guess."
Ray had to agree with Tala on that one. They were all bad for that particular incident. They continued to talk about the odd topic for a few hours, only disturbed a couple of times by Tyson, Max and Daichi when they came through for snacks.
000
The next morning Tala had left to go and visit Cassie, Tyson was still asleep and Max was building a snowman in the yard with Daichi. Ray sat at the kitchen table nursing a cup of tea and staring at two items in front of him; the photograph of his mother and the note from his father. After a couple of minutes Kai walked quietly into the room, pausing briefly to look at Ray before moving over to the sink for a glass of water. Ray blinked and turned his head. "Hey," he greeted the Russian.
"Hey," Kai returned quietly, seemingly lost in his thoughts.
"Sleep okay?" Ray asked.
Kai hesitated then nodded. "Y-yeah," he replied. "Was it you who brought me back?"
"Yeah, I followed after you," Ray answered.
"...Thanks."
"You're welcome," Ray replied.
The room lapsed into silence for several long moments and Kai found himself swirling the water in his glass. He took a breath and let it out slowly. "...I'm sorry."
"What for?" Ray asked.
Kai looked away to the side. "Yesterday," he answered, "The harbour."
"Kai, you don't need to apologise for that."
The Russian gave a weak half shrug. "I feel like I have to... I cause nothing but problems these days for everyone."
"That's not true, Kai. You're not causing problems."
The dark look that Kai sent him came without warning. "That's a lie, and you know it."
"Being involved in a problem doesn't make you the cause of it," Ray told Kai firmly.
"Hmph," Kai looked away completely. "What d'you know?" he muttered.
Ray sighed and turned back towards the table. "I know you," he answered quietly. "And I know you're not a bad person."
"...How can you know me when I don't even know myself anymore?" Kai asked after another moment of drawn out silence.
"The reason you've become blind to the good in yourself is because you're only listening to the bad things others say. You're my friend, Kai. You're the same person who helped me get Driger back after I lost him to the Saint Shields, the same person who's helped all of us become stronger. You've given up so much for our sake, even risking your own life. You've even comforted us despite how awkward you feel about it. You're still you; that fact hasn't changed."
"Maybe. But it's only a matter of time before more demons like Gavin come after me." He clenched a fist. "And without my power, I can't fight back."
"That's why I want you to accept my help. After everything you've done for me it's the least I can do. It doesn't make you weak to accept help, Kai. And it's not permanent."
"...Fine," the Russian grumbled. "I'll try."
Ray turned and offered Kai a genuine smile, "Thank you."
Kai looked back at him, and the stern expression on his face did ease slightly before he looked away again, "Hn."
"So, can I ask your advice on something?" Ray asked, changing the subject.
"If you want."
Ray gestured to the photo and note on the table, "My old man's trying to reach out again. He had Tyson hold on to this picture of Ma-my mother for me. He wants me to meet with him. Thing is; I do want to know him. I know he left her, didn't believe I was even his at first and even cheated on her, but he's still my father and he did come back to be with her in the end. I'm wary of him because of what happened back home when you played decoy, but I do believe in giving people a second chance. I'm a little nervous though because of the way I spoke to him when I last saw him. I was a little unbalanced at the time, I know, but that's no excuse." Ray sighed. "So what do you think I should do?"
Kai blinked, twice. "I, uh, don't know if I can help you with that. Susumu isn't exactly father of the year."
"Which is sorta the point in asking you," Ray replied. "I asked the others but they didn't know what to say. I don't think any of them have fallen out with theirs."
Kai grunted quietly. "Well, don't get your hopes up for a start. Then you're less likely to get hurt if he lets you down again. Other than that, just tell him how you feel. See if he listens."
Ray smiled a little. "Hope for the best and expect the worse?"
"Exactly," Kai nodded. "That's about all I can say."
"Thanks, Kai," Ray said sincerely. "I've made my decision. I'll go and see him, but I'll keep up my guard."
"...Good luck," Kai told him. "I hope you'll get on better with your father than I do with mine."
Ray smiled again. "Wanna hear something dumb?" he asked light-heartedly.
Sitting down at the table, Kai offered a weak half smile. "Alright then, go for it."
"I actually thought you were mad at me," Ray told him with a slight laugh. "I mentioned it to Lee and he thought I was overreacting. He was right. Stupid, right?"
Kai snorted quietly. "If I had the energy, I'd probably punch you in the head for being stupid." Ray grinned and laughed; both in amusement and the relief brought on with knowing things really were okay between them.
"Did I miss a joke?" Tyson asked as he stumbled into the kitchen and made his way to the cupboard.
"Not one you'd understand, Tyson," Kai told him. "Or appreciate."
Tyson shrugged, accepting it as apparently being a private joke between best friends. It was actually reassuring because it was something about Kai that seemed back in place. "How are you feeling, Kai?" he asked. "We were all pretty worried about you when you were brought in unconscious. What happened anyway? You weren't hurt or anything, were you?"
Kai shook his head, but his gaze fell to the table-top. "No, I'm alright. I just got myself a bit stressed out. Haven't slept too well the last few days. I'll be fine though."
"Okay," Tyson replied. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."
"I appreciate that," Kai told him with a nod.
"So where is everyone?" Tyson wondered.
"Tala's gone to see Cassie, Max and Daichi are building a snowman-" Ray began to tell Tyson, pausing when there was a thump at the window, "Having a snowball fight," Ray amended. "And we haven't seen Hils or the Chief yet." Kai stayed quiet as the two spoke, his mind wandering.
Tyson closed the cupboard without taking anything out and moved to check the fridge. "Anyone got any plans for the day?" he asked as he moved some things about before closing the fridge, without removing anything, and returned to the cupboard to search it again.
"You're not sick or anything, are you, Tyson?" Ray asked. "There's three boxes of cereal to your left in there, all with sugar in them, half a loaf of bread to your right and there's a bottle of pancake batter in the fridge. It's not like there's nothing to choose from. Or there's some fruit over here."
"I'm not sick, I'm just feeling lazy," Tyson responded. "Guess I'll have toast," he decided and pulled the bread out of the cupboard. "You know the contents of my cupboards better than I do," he commented.
"I ate earlier, so saw them then," Ray shrugged.
"So, plans?" Tyson asked.
"I'm going to go and meet my father," Ray answered.
"You sure?" Tyson asked, having Ray's reaction to the photograph in mind. "I mean, you know we're all behind you and you don't have to force yourself to go see him if you're not ready."
"I'm quite sure," Ray confirmed with a smile before facing the Russian, "Kai gave me some advice."
Kai raised a hand slightly from the table as if telling Ray he didn't need to mention it. "I just hope you can build bridges with him."
"Thanks, Kai. I hope so too," Ray responded.
"So how about you, Kai, any plans?" Tyson asked.
The Russian shrugged half-heartedly. "Don't know yet, might just go out for a walk or something."
"I was thinking we could do some training or something," Tyson commented, "But if you don't want to that's cool."
"Yeah, I don't see why not," Kai replied, "For a while anyway."
"Cool," Tyson responded brightly. "So are you looking forward to this tournament?"
Kai honestly had to think hard to answer that. Was he? Truth be told; he didn't really know. He still enjoyed beyblading; it was a huge part of his life after all. But at the same time, recently his enthusiasm for it had been somewhat lacking. In fact, his enthusiasm for most things had been. He wished he could shake himself out of this low mood, but there was just so much going on in his head that he couldn't. "...I guess," he answered at last.
"You okay?" Tyson asked him in concern.
"...Fine."
"Are you sure?" Tyson asked, frowning.
"He's just a little lethargic right now, don't worry about it," Ray told Tyson to stop him from pestering Kai.
"Huh?" Tyson asked.
"You know the feeling when you can't be bothered? That's lethargy," Ray explained before downing the last of his tea, pulling a face afterwards as it had gotten cold when he'd been lost in thought. He washed the cup and put it away. "Right, well, I'm heading out now. See you guys later."
"Okay, later. Have fun," Tyson responded.
"Bye, Ray," Kai added, before heaving himself up from the table. "I'm gonna go take a shower," he told Tyson. "Then we can maybe have a match or something."
"Okay, cool," Tyson responded and happily got on with having his breakfast.
000
"Kobe! Here boy," Hilary called as she walked her dog through the park. She'd decided to give going to Tyson's house a miss this morning. She needed time to think. Kai had been acting weird lately. Things just hadn't been the same between them since what had happened at Ray's hometown. When she'd been injured, Kai had stayed by her side constantly. He was always there when she woke up, holding her hand and comforting her when she got confused and scared.
But now, he was like a totally different person. Quiet and withdrawn, shutting himself away from the others like he had done when she first met him. What had happened to the Kai she knew? The Kai she'd come to love and care for so much... "Why have you shut me out?" she murmured, before looking up as Kobe suddenly shot past her and disappeared round a row of bushes. "H-hey!" Hilary shouted. "Kobe! Come here now." She followed the husky round the bushes in the hopes of catching him, but stopped when she saw him sitting before a familiar white clad figure at the fountain.
Brooklyn smiled at the white and chocolate brown husky in front of him. He'd been feeding the birds, but they'd taken flight when the dog came charging through the bushes. "Hello there," he greeted, holding out his hand for the young dog to smell. "And what's your name?"
"Kobe," Hilary called again, moving towards her dog as Kobe wagged his tail and decided that Brooklyn's hand was tasty enough to lick. "Um, hi, Brooklyn," Hilary greeted, a bit surprised to see him.
"Hello, Hilary," Brooklyn responded, "Is he yours?"
Hilary smiled as she got a hold of Kobe and clipped his lead to his collar. "Yeah, this big lump is mine. Sorry about that, Brooklyn. I only let him run loose because he usually comes back when he's called."
Brooklyn smiled at her, "It's fine. I don't mind," he said as he petted Kobe. "I didn't know you had a dog."
Hilary smiled and nodded, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Kai gave him to me. He has lots of dogs back home in Russia, and Kobe here was one of the puppies from the surprise litter."
"Joy? A good name. Something's troubling you," Brooklyn observed.
Hilary's smile faltered, but remained. "It's nothing," she told him, before moving to sit next to him on the wall of the fountain. Kobe rested his head on her knee and she scratched one of his ears.
"It's enough to bother you," Brooklyn pointed out gently. "It might help you to speak with your friends...unless it's a problem with them." Brooklyn smiled again. "Are they getting on your nerves?" he half-joked.
"No more than usual," Hilary sweat dropped, before sighing. "But you're right; something is bothering me. One of them is being a bit...weird lately. He's not acting like himself and I don't know what to do about it."
"Has something happened?" Brooklyn asked her. "I don't mean to pry, but it might help you to talk."
Hilary fiddled with Kobe's lead hesitantly. "I got hurt a while back..." she admitted quietly, "Trying to help out. And now I can't help but think he's mad at me."
"Why would he be mad at you?" Brooklyn asked her. "If you were trying to help then surely you didn't do anything wrong?"
"I'm pretty sure I scared him," Hilary explained, "Badly."
"Maybe he just needs time to come to terms with it and to realise that you're really okay now?" Brooklyn suggested.
Hilary sighed. "See, that's what I thought. But things still aren't getting any better. For the first time in a long time, I feel awkward around him, to the point where it's uncomfortable. There's just no end to it." She stopped and stroked Kobe gently, "Sorry, Brooklyn. I'm sure you have enough of your own problems, without having to listen to mine too."
"I really don't mind," Brooklyn assured her. "I wouldn't have asked if I did. If you're not comfortable around him, maybe some time away would help. It's nice to be around your friends, but sometimes you need some time and space to yourself. It doesn't mean you care any less for your friends."
Hilary considered this for a moment as Kobe turned his attention toward Brooklyn once again. "Yeah, hopefully you're right." She smiled bravely, "Anyway, enough about me. How have you been, Brooklyn? Last I heard, you were staying with Garland and training together."
"I'm still staying with Garland and we've been training. I just came out to feed the birds for a while," Brooklyn answered. "The training's going well, but you know, I just find his method far too energetic. I think he's still training."
Hilary laughed a little. "Garland always seemed like the kinda guy who never stops. I wish Tyson showed that much enthusiasm with training." She stood up when Kobe pulled on his lead. "Anyway, this guy still needs walked, so I'd better get going, unless you wanna join us? It's nice having someone to talk to."
"I think that would be nice," Brooklyn responded as he stood up to join her. Hilary smiled and let Kobe off his lead, letting the dog decide where they were going, and set a comfortable pace for herself and Brooklyn while talking happily.