I hope I didn't take too long in writing this, I found it really difficult to write and it is an exceptionally long chapter so I hope no one's too mad with me. Anyway way this is the last major chapter of this story - with only an epilog left to go. So I hope everyone enjoys this and reviews!

Chapter Twenty Seven - The Final Battle.

It took at least a few minutes for his eyes to adjust, but when they did there was nothing much to look at. Max was already awake, knelt beside Tyson who was grumbling on the floor. Behind them Tala was awake aswell, standing over Ian who was pulled to his feet by Spencer. What fascinated Ray the most was the only source of light in the darkness, emanating from their Bitbeasts. If their mission was not urgent he would've admired them endlessly.

"We should get moving." Tala spoke up, "We haven't got long."

"Yeah but which way do we go?" Max piped up, staring around them, "There's no path. Only darkness."

"Can you sense Black Dranzer?" Ray said, turning to the fiery light belonging to Dranzer, who perched himself on Driggers back.

Twisting his head in Ray's direction, he squawked harshly before flying off of Driggers back. He soared above them for a few seconds before darting into the distance, becoming nothing more then a swaying ball of flaming light.

"I think that means he wants us to follow." Max said as he pulled a groggy Tyson to his feet.

Tala, Spencer and Ian nodded in agreement, and Tyson moaned about his splitting headache. Amber eyes glazed over them all, from Max, Tyson, Dragoon and Draciel, to Tala, Ian, Spencer, Wyborg, Seaborg and Wolborg. Then finally they rested by his side where his own Bitbeast Drigger stood loyally. Determination sparked in Ray's countenance, bringing forth a sense of control and leadership.

"Let's go!" Ray commanded, plowing through friends and Bitbeasts alike to follow the trail of Dranzer

Don't worry Kai, we're coming for you.

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Cold. Numb. Wet. It was all he could feel. The icy depths of lake Baikal swirled around him, through his fingertips, swishing his hair and clothes in a calm motion that contradicted his predicament. His body was like a dead weight, sinking further down with each second that ticked by. He would've moved his arms and kicked his legs, but the sudden temperature drop froze his limbs solid. There was only two things he could control; his eye movement and holding his breath.

He couldn't say for sure how long he'd been down there, it felt like an eternity had passed but that couldn't be right due to the fact he was still struggling to hold his breath.

...Tyson...

...I thought...

888Flash888

"...A loser with no guts..." The emotional words brushed passed his trembling lips, "...Just like me..."

Ice clung to his feet like brittle nails, slowly dragging him down like a dead weight. Despite his oncoming death, all he could think about was his defeat. There was only one image that plagued him; Black Dranzer, flying through the air. The black blade motionless as it came tumbling down, pushed back by the sheer force of his ex teammates...

"...Nothing but a loser..." It was his spoken definition of defeat.

The memory was vague, partially faded by confusion; but it was there. His words, the frozen lake, his ex teammates staring at him with unspoken pity in their eyes.

"...Just grab my digits dude...!"

888End Flashback888

...That voice... It was painful to hold onto, but Kai clung to the fading memory with what little strength he had left ... It was Tyson...Tyson wanted to save me that day...

...But it was Tyson who let me fall...

Closing his eyes against the painful, conflicting thoughts, Kai faced a flash of Mr Dickenson's image behind his eyelids; weary and sorrowful.

"...I have decided to let you go, Kai..." The misty words left his mouth, cold, unyielding, "...The only mistake I ever made was to make you their captain..."

...No... Kai could hardly think at all, the frozen water clamping down on his rationality, ...Ray...I want......Ray....

"...Why didn't you say so..." Mr Dickenson barked a mirthless laugh that didn't quite fit his jolly persona, but before Kai could analyse that thought, a hand suddenly clamped down on his throat.

In that second several things happened at once. Instinctively his own hands rose up, cracking agonizingly against the frozen bind the lake had on them to defend himself and the image of Mr Dickenson faded away as his own eyes snapped open to discover the identity of his attacker. The eyes that narrowed like poisonous arrows, accentuating the usual sunlight colour that now held a murderous glint. Raven strands swirled in the water, completely wild.

Kai quivered in denial, his eyes burning in his need for it. His world came crashing down at the sight before him. The owner of the hand that clung to his neck, trying to deny him life.

"Speechless, are we?" It was Ray's voice, almost purring in an affectionate way that betrayed his rage, "I thought you wanted to see me?"

His hand twisted tighter on Kai's throat, brittle nails digging into tender skin, making Kai loose his breath with a strangled gasp. Kai barely noticed as the precious life bubbles escaped his mouth and rose up, enveloped by the words that he never thought he would hear from his koi.

"I want you dead, Kai!" Ray demanded, "Now Die!"

The cackle that Ray released rattled in Kai's head like a gong, void of any mercy. It was long and piercing, emphasized by the hand that tightened harshly around his throat, cutting off his wind pipe. If Kai could contemplate any rational thinking at all, he probably would've found Ray breathing naturally underwater rather disturbing and then questioned the reality of the scene. However the lack of oxygen reaching his brain combined with the subzero temperature avalanched him. As his hands scrabbled uselessly against Ray's unbreakable grasp it was only the thought of survival that drove him. He could feel his blood pulsating furiously through his body, his heart pumping viciously as if wanting to break free. His hands slowing down as his vision began to blur...Exhaustion tearing at his sanity...

...The sneer on Ray's face being his last coherent image...

...Ray never loved me...

"...This world would be better off without you..." Ray's voice, deadpanned.

...without me...

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"How long have we been searching? It feels like forever!" Tyson urged, sitting upon Dragoon who was striding beside Draciel with Max riding on his shell.

"It's only been about two minutes Tyson." Max answered with a smile dimmed by the truth that paralleled that sentence, "We've got eighteen minutes to find them and save Kai's soul."

"And kick Black Dranzers arse!" Tyson quibbed. Darting his eyes down to his bitbeast, Tyson said, "Can you sense him yet?"

"...No..." Dragoons voice seemed misty and had a faraway quality to it, "...Dranzer is the most connected with Kai, so we have to trust his judgment..."

"...And hope we get there in time..." It was Wolborg, who bounded alongside them with Tala adorning him.

"More then one soul will be lost if we fail." Tala finished, glancing not at the ones he was talking to but at Ray who sat upon Drigger about five steps ahead of them.

Following Tala's eye Tyson nodded solemnly, watching with sadness Ray's stubborn solitude, astride his equally stubborn Bitbeast Drigger. Ever since they started searching Ray had isolated himself completely, refusing to talk to anyone, boldly following the distant fiery light of Dranzer.

888

The steady rocking as Drigger walked calmed Ray into a state of clarity. For the first time in days he could think clearly, his objective was standing just before him. All he had to do was grab it with everything he had, and he intended to; his koi depended on it. I won't fail him again.

'...You didn't fail him before...' Drigger said, sighing deeply, '...You did everything you could...'

"Yeah but it wasn't enough." Ray replied with conviction lining his words, "Look at what Kai's been through, what he's going through now!"

'...Kai had these problems before you came into his life...' Drigger tried to reason, '...Voltaire...Boris...They're mad men with twisted minds that you cannot comprehend...'

Ray sighed, focusing on Dranzers swaying light as his mind couldn't answer his Bitbeasts words of wisdom.

'...If Kai thought you couldn't help him, would he have told you...?' Drigger challenged, a knowing gleam in his green eyes.

...Maybe, but Kai was wrong to trust me...

'...Don't insult my intelligence with that self pitying thought...' Drigger abruptly sneered, '...Or you can get off my back and stay behind...'

"But--!"

'No Buts, Ray!' Drigger interrupted harshly, 'You have to be focused and on top of your game here, Black Dranzer is a formidable foe who will strike at any weaknesses shown by us!'

Ray nodded. He understood of course, where Drigger was coming from, but it wasn't that easy. Thinking back on everything that had happened, it was a wonder how he hadn't ended up in a mental institute.

'...Dranzers found something...' Drigger snapped suddenly, '...Hold on tight...'

Ray only barely grabbed a fistful of Driggers fur before his Bitbeast bounded off. Looking up, Dranzer's once gently swaying light became a fiery comet, darting off into the darkness like a deadly lazer beam. Within seconds, a piercing squawk ricketed back onto them, and Drigger roared in response.

There's a wall of black fire blocking the way! Came Drigger 's harsh thought Duck in as close as you can to me. My magic will protect you!

What?!

Dranzers light clarified what Drigger referred to. Just ahead, a fiery wall towered above them; it seemed endless, and instead of radiating light, it seemed to feed off it, plunging everything into darkness. Horror gripped him, urging Ray to move. Responding instinctively, he pushed his body as close to Drigger as was humanely possible, fear emanating from him in waves as they bounded closer.

Suddenly Dranzers light vanished as he plunged into the dark fire. Within seconds, Drigger followed. Rearing onto his hind legs, Drigger jumped through the fire. Ray could feel the fire, however it was frozen, not hot like it should've been. Cold flames licked at his skin as they whipped through. Driggers magic was enough to stop it hurting, but he could feel it trying to penetrate his skin, trying to freeze his soul in the split second it took his Bitbeast to jump through the flames. Shuddering and clinging to Drigger for warmth, Ray didn't notice that Drigger had stopped.

...Spirits...

At first Ray thought it was his own thought, but then suddenly it clicked that the tone in his mind was deeper, stronger, and belonged to Drigger. As realisation dawned on him Ray propelled his body upright and gasped at what he saw.

About fifty feet away stood two figures; one, was unconscious and on closer inspection was only held up by black flames that pinned him to another fiery wall. The other leaned casually on the fiery wall, as if it did not affect him. One of his arms had somehow morphed into a black tendril that connected him to the back of the other figures limp head.

Slowly turning to face them, the latter smirked and laughed at them.

"You think you can save him?" He drawled, a wicked glint in his eye, "He's barely alive, clinging to a small dismal hope that you will come and help him. How pathetically optimistic."

Dranzer's squawk bounced off the fiery walls in her rage, however it only elicited a sadistic laugh that brought forth in Ray a fearful tremor of familiarity. The tone had that twist in it that reminded him of what happened at the abbey.

"...Kai...?" Ray breathed shakily, praying it not to be true.

"An emotional advantage, mimicking his body." Black Dranzer cackled, sounding like he was amused with the situation, "How's it working so far?"

Leaping off of his Bitbeasts body, Ray was just about ready to physically tackle Black Dranzer, despite the inevitable consequences that came with being mortal. However as soon as his feet touched the ground Drigger was off, accompanied by Dranzer. A lethal combination of green and red that could surely tackle anything. As they connected, energy seemed to gather between them, dangerously close to the unconscious figure. Kai!

Ray took off at a alarming speed, uncaring of the fight now ensuing between the three bitbeasts, unheeding of Tyson's sudden boisterous call and Max's cry. Almost stumbling in his haste, Ray rushed up towards Kai, inwardly grateful as Drigger and Dranzer managed to drag the fight away from his unprotected body.

"Kai!"

His lips were blue, his body unmoving; with no signs of breathing.

Desperate to deny what was before him, Ray reached up to shake Kai awake, however the second his fingertips brushed against Kai's skin, Ray felt a sudden lurch in the pit of his stomach, and suddenly everything changed around him.

888

One second he had his hands resting on Kai's shoulders to wake him; the next, they were wrapped around his throat. Exclaiming in fright, Ray instinctively released the merciless hold. Kai only seemed to sink further away from him, and Ray reached out, pulling him protectively to his chest. Glancing from side to side, it only then just occurred to him that they were submerged in water.

Panicking, Ray kicked out against the cold water, fighting the freezing temperature that tried to paralyse his body. Struggling to hold on to consciousness, Ray propelled himself sky high, legs and his right arm clawing at the water while his other arm kept his unconscious koi close. From above a faint light shimmered, slowly but surely swaying down to meet them. Realising what that meant, Ray put forth another desperate surge of energy, praying that it would last. His legs began to slow, his energy draining from him. In a final act of desperation, Ray stretched as far as he could, hoping beyond any miracle that someone would help them.

Help did not come, but something else happened. His hand reached beyond the surface of the water and landed on an icy surface. Grinning in spite of the current circumstances, Ray clung to the surface with everything he had left, using it as leverage to pull their bodies out of the water. A sudden surge of water cascaded off of his head as it pushed passed the waters surface and a chill swept over his head but Ray gasped in relief, gulping down the cool air gratefully as it gave his body another surge of life.

Ray turned to Kai, his heart suddenly sinking into the pit of his stomach at his limp form. Spurring himself into action, Ray unceremoniously pushed Kai onto the ice first, then pulled himself up. Unheeding of the numbing state of his own body, Ray crawled to Kai, turning his koi onto his back. Kai's soaked body rolled without a fight, his head lolled back lifelessly. Every inch of skin exposed was turning blue and fading fast.

"Thanks Ray now we get to watch his soul die!" a familiar voice hissed with glee.

"Tyson?" Ray questioned, disbelief marring his features as he turned to the voice only to find Tyson, Max and Kenny glaring down at him.

"How does it feel to know you killed him?" Tyson replied with a sardonic grin, "I must admit you were good, the simplicity of strangling someone to death is primitive but enticingly personal. How'd he take it? Did he cry? Did he beg you to stop?"

Turning back to Kai with heated tears pricking the corners of his eyes, Ray could only stare at Kai's bruised neck with horror gripping him. ...Kai no... Ray's fingers gently brushed against the ugly purple bruises, tears finally cascading to trail down his flushed cheeks.

...Ray you didn't do it...

...Drigger...?

...You've got to help him...

"You know I thought I was good, using my beyblade to plunge him into the depths of lake baikal, using his guilt of this place to paralyze him into submission. But you! You really did take it to a whole new level!" Tyson crowed.

"Shut up, Tyson would never want Kai dead!" Ray roared, "You're Black Dranzer trying to manipulate everything! It's not going to work!"

Ignoring Tyson's voice, Ray wiped his tears away, a new sense of determination stirring him on. Bearing down on Kai, Ray tilted his head back and parted his lips. Ray began emergency CPR, praying that it wasn't too late. Pulling away from Kai, Ray put one hand over the other, near the base of his lungs, and began to press down repeatedly, mentally counting. He was so involved with what he was doing, he didn't notice how Tyson's body suddenly jolted and how his expression became somewhat confused.

"It's too late, his soul is fading!" Max suddenly cackled, "There's nothing you can do but watch me take over!"

"What are you saying Max?" Tyson suddenly turned on Max with a horrified expression, "We're trying to save Kai, remember?"

...One, Two, Three, Four...

"...Please..." Ray gasped through trembling lips, desperation surging him on despite his own frozen form, "Wake up!"

Every compression hurt his hands, every slight movement hammered against his already battered form. His hands were tinged blue and burning from the cold but Ray plowed on, sheer determination his only strength left. Directing his lovers head at the proper angle as he breathed life into him, Ray was unaware of another presence rushing up to help him. Pulling up, Ray prepared to pump his chest again, only to find Tyson already there. Thinking it was Black Dranzer, Ray's first instinct was to protect Kai - but then Tyson spoke.

"Ray what's going on?" Tyson huffed as he worked, "One minute I rushed up to pull Kai away from the fiery wall and then I ended up here!"

Ray shook his head, staring down at Kai in misery, "All I know is that we've got to wake him up!"

"Ha!" Max jeered, "He'll never--!"

Simultaneously Max and Kenny gave a sudden lurch, Max groaning and clutching his head in pain while Kenny sneered in disgust.

"--Wake up!" He finished for Max.

Max stood up, turning to Kenny and scratching his head in confusion. "Who'll never wake up Kenny?"

Ray pulled away from breathing life into Kai again, eyes widening at Max's confusion, realising what it meant. "Max get away from him, it's Black Dranzer!"

"Ray don't be silly, it's just Kenny!" Max replied, glancing from one stricken face to the other, "Whoa, are we at lake Baikal?"

"Max get away from him!" Tyson snapped, forgetting his pet name in his urgency.

Automatically Max took a step away from Kenny, ultimately shocked as he barely escaped a vicious swipe from the brunette.

"You Bladebreakers will all go to Hell!"

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...Now where are they...?

Tala and Wolborg were barely a few paces behind Tyson, Max, Dragoon and Draciel, but by the time they had jumped through the fiery wall Tyson and Max were nowhere to be seen.

As for Dragoon and Draciel? Well, it was a magnificent sight.

They were in the midst of a tremendous battle, fighting alongside Dranzer and Drigger against the plague known as Black Dranzer. Seaborg and Wyborg entered the fray as soon as they jumped through the fiery wall, but Wolborg stood loyally beside Tala, Ian and Spencer.

'...Someone needs to protect you...' Was Wolborg's explanation, not that Tala was complaining, especially when they rushed up to Kai to find not only that the Bladebreakers had mysteriously disappeared, but that Kai's imprisonment was beyond his mortal capabilities.

"Where did they go?" Ian gushed, eyes peering as far and wide as they could.

Spencer grunted and shrugged his shoulders, finding it easier to stare speculatively at their more prominent problem. Then without a word his hands rose up to tug at the bounds that held Kai in place. Tala, who on a gut feeling realised that the bounds could not be pulled away by sheer force alone, slapped Spencer's hands away before he could touch it. Spencer growled in protest, but Tala was quick to defend his actions.

"Hold on Spencer, I think that's what they did. I think that's why we can't find them."

Ian gasped in fright as Spencer slowly lowered his hands again, "You mean they're--!"

"No!" Tala cut in before Ian could finish his sentence, the mere thought of their deaths was overwhelming and something that the red head was not prepared to face unless absolutely necessary, "Let's just concentrate on what we know, Kai is unconscious--!"

"And Black Dranzer's behind it." Spencer growled, pointing at the black tendril leaking from the back of Kai's limp head.

"You already said that we couldn't physically remove it ourselves." Ian babbled, "And Wyborg can't help."

Spencer instantly mentioned that Seaborg was in the same predicament, but Tala only quirked a crimson brow towards his own Biteast.

'...Do you even have to ask...?' Came Wolborg's laughable tone of thought.

Tala shook his head with a smirk of his own. He knew that Wolborg wouldn't even find it a challenge. However, there was one problem. What would happen to Kai...?

...It's obvious the connection would break, but at what cost...? Tala thought darkly, ...Kai's been through so much, could he even survive it...?

'What other choice does he have?' Wolborg thought dismally, 'Kai's death is inevitable if we don't take action, but if we do, at least there's a chance.'

That's a great choice! Came Tala's sarcastic response.

'Sorry, but it's the only one you're getting.' Wolborg answered shrewdly, 'Do you want me to do it?'

Tala stared at the limp form of his friend for what felt like an eternity, but in reality could be no more than a few precious seconds. In the end there wasn't a choice, he knew what the bluenette would do if the roles were reversed. Tala knew, without a shadow of a doubt, what his oldest friend would want of him. Biting his lip, the wolf tamer knew what he had to do. He prayed however, that his friend would, in time, forgive him.

But before Tala could give the order, Kai's lips parted. Miraculously, words tumbled from them. Nothing more than a scratchy whisper.

"...I won't let you take him..."

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"I won't let you take him!" Ray screamed again.

Kneeling on the cracked icy surface with nothing left to defend Kai with other than his already abused body, Ray faced Black Dranzer's vengeful form. The Bitbeast, disguised as Kenny -ironically enough- towered above the pair with a sardonic grin plastered on the stolen features.

The ice tore into Ray's defenses as did the biting wind, whipping his wayward bangs before scorching amber eyes, but neither did nothing to sway him. He wouldn't move. He could never, ever, give up.

It wasn't even certain that the blunette's soul was still alive, but Ray refused to just stand aside.

Even though Black Dranzer had just knocked Max and Tyson across the ice as if they were insignificant flies. Even though Black Dranzer was a Bitbeast with powers. Despite the fact that the figure before him could crush him, and most probably would.

Ray would not move, and Kenny growled menacingly.

"He's already dead!" Kenny cackled, finding the situation highly amusing.

Ray let a canine glint in the frosty light, "If you truly believed that you wouldn't be here!"

Kenny glowered at Ray, flexing his knuckles in a threatening way. Ray stared back, refusing to move aside. Then in a split second, everything happened at once. Kenny snapped forward, intending to crush Kai's skull with a single fist. In that instant, Ray simultaneously swooped up and intercepted.

And caught Kenny's fist.

But the drive behind the blow outmatched Ray's and forced his arm back. Crying out in pain, Ray fell back onto one knee again, but stubbornly refused to let go. Kenny laughed maniacally, grabbing Ray's arm with his other and using his leverage to gradually bare down on said arm with unforgivable force. Ray couldn't deny the cry that tore through his gritted teeth in desperation. There was nothing else he could do, but at least Black Dranzer's attention was no longer focused on Kai.

"Change back!" Ray snarled instead, "Or do you like cowering behind the image of my friend?"

Kenny smirked, knowing that Ray was just trying to goad a reaction from him, "Only when you step aside. I would like you to witness my triumph over him, after all."

"Kai would defeat you if he were awake." Ray bit back defiantly.

Kenny stared piercingly, and then drew in a deep breath and barked sadistically, "You actually believe that! What a joke!"

Kenny intensified the pressure and Ray cried out in agony, but it did not overshadow the next sound that was made.

A shallow intake of breath, from behind him.

Ray gasped and tears of relief flooded his eyes, knowing exactly what it meant. But Kenny raged before him. Suddenly Kenny shoved him aside, aiming for Kai once again. However before he could attack his target someone else jumped on Kenny's back, trying to stall the Bitbeast.

Ray collided harshly with the ice, but paid it no attention, instead morbidly fascinated with Tyson who clung to Kenny's back with everything he had, smashing fists against the smaller boys head. Despite the pain he himself was in, Ray forced himself once again to his feet and raced to the pair, knowing that his teammate wouldn't last long against the enraged Bitbeast.

"TYSON!"

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"...Tyson..."

It was absurd, Kai kept talking, but it was as if Kai was possessed by someone else. Or maybe he just liked talking about himself in the third person. Tala snorted at the notion, knowing full well that Kai could barely stomach other people talking about him let alone talking about himself. He also wouldn't respond to the three teens staring at his hanging form, or open his eyes.

"...Drigger, anybody, help us...!"

Well that solved who the voice belonged to.

Turning to Wolborg, Tala commanded him to break the bind. As Wolborg went to do just that, Tala's mind boggled at the thought of Ray being inside this Kai. And knowing the Bladebreakers as he did, if Ray was in there then so were Max and Tyson.

Well, Tala's mind tried to reason with itself, It was no different then seven teens and eight Bitbeasts being inside Kai's body all at once.

That thought alone gave him a tremendous headache.

A violent roar rumbled throughout the fiery room, then Wolborg bore down on the foul tendril with all his strength. The connection was sickening; a grinding, painful squeal piercing through the thick air - then everything broke free.

A catastrophic blast tore their way in a tidal wave of static air, almost knocking the three teens to the floor. Tala's arms rose to protect his eyes against the static cloud, but could do nothing against the body that suddenly collided with his own. With a strangled gasp, the red-head hit the floor, crushed by the weight of another. Similar grunts could be heard from either side of him, but the wolf tamer was far too preoccupied with the person on top of him. The person, who was there one second, and gone the next.

Opening bleary eyes in confusion, ice blue saw the tell-tale sign of long, bound, raven hair.

"...Ray...?"

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Ray didn't know what happened, one minute he was racing towards Tyson and Kenny, and then...Then...?

Something pushed him. That was the best way to describe it, the sudden force that drove him backwards - away from lake baikal and onto the floor. It didn't register that he had landed on top of someone else, nor did he notice Tyson and Max landing either side of him - all he noticed was the fiery wall that held Kai prisoner once more.

Jumping up, he ran to his koi. Battered hands scrabbled against the binds, desperate to release him. It was the only thing he could focus on, the latest confrontation with Black Dranzer seemed a million miles away, the daunting realisation of swapping between realities was not something he could deal with at the moment...

Then someone called his name. He acknowledged that someone had called him, but Kai was more important, so he ignored them. The deathly pale complexion and blue tinged lips were all that greeted his valiant efforts.

"...Kai... Don't let them win..." Ray breathed, unable to give his voice any strength at all, "You've survived so much-!"

Ray could feel himself choke on his own words and hot tears prickling the corners of his eyes. But he refused point-blank to give up. Blood droplets stained his hands as he tore endlessly at the binds, but it was a fruitless gesture.

"Ray!" The voice behind him was more determined that time and was coupled with Tala stepping up beside him, "Let Wolborg cut the ties. Step back."

Hands grabbed his shoulders to urge him back. Not in a threatening way, but somewhat persistent. So after a few seconds more, Ray let Tala pull him away. It was then that Ray noticed Tyson and Max, along with Spencer and Ian - all standing back in silence. beyond them the fight still raged on between Black Dranzer and their own Bitbeasts, but it seemed so insignificant compared to the events unraveling before them. Wolborg, like he was on the prowl, sidling up to Kai's unconscious form and slicing away the binds with a mere flick of his claw. Kai, slipping ever so slowly to the ground.

Unable to keep away, Ray tore himself away from Tala's grasp to catch Kai's body before it hit the ground with a sickening thud. Everyone crowded around them, but Ray's sole focus was on Kai. The cold, unmoving body clasped to his own body in his final act of desperation.

"....Breathe...Wake up..." Drigger's master repeated like a dull mantra, "You were breathing when we were at Lake Baikal!"

Somewhere behind him he could hear Tala questioning his words, with Tyson saying that Black Dranzer used the imagery of Lake Baikal to destroy Kai's spirit; but it was a distant thing. Ray was so exhausted that he could no longer speak the thoughts whirling chaotically in his mind.

...You mean everything to me, did you know that?--pale skin--The confidence and strength--hidden behind blue tattoos--I can't lose you-- they couldn't destroy your spirit--that fiery spirit parallel only to that of your bitbeast--Dranzer--the Phoenix--Phoenix--Dranzer...

"...Spirits..." It was a mere whisper on the humid air, but the realisation behind it spoke volumes.

Lowering his koi to the ground, Ray held a bitter-sweet smile.

"I now know what has to be done." Ray chuckled softly, "Don't worry Kai, I'll get him."

So unheeding of the crowd hovering anxiously around them, Ray ran.

In the direction of the Bitbeasts.

After this event, when he would spend alot of time to reminisce on these next few moments, he would be reminded of the way his legs wanted to crumble beneath his weight. He would remember the erratically pounding of his heart and his own name ringing in his ears demanding he stop. He would remember the way he called out for Dranzer, hurrying stupidly into the midst of the fighting. But what he would remember, painfully so, was the way Black Dranzer aimed dark fire directly at him.

He could see his own demise in that taunting blast, swift and horrifyingly accurate.

"RAY GET DOWN!"

Then a weight would plow into him, forcing him to the ground and changing his fate. Later Ray would realise that it was Tala, who jokingly replied that he was only paying him back for knocking him to the ground just a few moments ago. Drigger, in that instance only just realising what had happened, stood protectively over the two teens and challenged Black Dranzer. But at that time Black Dranzer was torn by the fiery light that eagerly soared to its master.

He squealed in a blinding rage, trying to intercept the connection, but he was too late.

Fiery light, pure and blinding, trampled the dark flames. Ray thought he could hear Kai's voice, screaming some obscenity to Black Dranzer, followed by incomparable raw heat and a tremendous suffocating urge. He heard Tala screaming, alongside his own, mingling with the cries of their friends.

And then it was over.

888 End Chapter Twenty Seven 888

OMG How was that? That was the hardest chapter I've ever had to write so I hope you enjoyed it! And now there's only the epilog to go!

OMG!