Oh my god guys, I'm SO sorry. I completely blanked on needing to upload today, better late than never right? Anyways, thank you all for sticking out with us, we've got a good handle on where V-Force is going and we'll be sticking to our schedule (as long as I don't blank out again.)

This is the last in between chapter, so come the first we'll be diving right back into the show and bulk of the fic.

Thank you all, again, from the both of us and we'll see you the first!


By the time the casts had come off, lasting six and a half weeks, the letters had kept rolling in. Kept his spirits up through everything that seemed to be going on around him; the eyes that pierced at the back of his head when he started to get back outside, the others constantly jumping at every opportunity to spend time with him as if it would be their last, to the back breaking work in the hot sun when the fields needed to be tended to.

At one point the letters had seemed to slow, not just from Kai but from the others as well. Which was fine, they all had lives of their own and he understood that. Max had sent more film for his camera so he sent off more pictures than was probably necessary once he was up and walking again, though nobody had said to stop so he didn't and his wall beside his bed was lined with pictures they had all sent back to him.

As often as he kept up with them there still hadn't been news on another tournament yet, lately all he got from Tyson was letters about this girl in his class that wouldn't get off his back but with him all the way where he was he didn't really know how to help him with that. Max was staying in the States longer, Tyson was a bit upset about that as well and once more there wasn't anything Ray could do about that. Kenny, it wasn't often he got a letter from him over the course of his recovery.

One thing the three of them did have in common was the questions about Kai, it seemed as though he still hadn't gotten in touch with them yet. Every time Ray brought it up he'd get the same response that Kai was busy, and eventually he stopped trying after the sixth or seventh time of pushing.

He had lost track of how long he had been back home, somewhere between five or seven months now he assumed, either way it was too long and his feet kept itching for him to run again.

Trying to find some way to make him feel better, because God knows the others breathing down his back only irritated him, he took up trying to teach the younger generation how to blade more often. It beat having to work the fields or risk falling off leaky roofs and it helped him feel like he did before he came back, thought it still just wasn't the same.

A few times he had been able to make Kai's chilli, wasn't as good or even close to it but it helped and the others seemed to like it when they had come over to see him for their check-up. At first it felt like they were generally there to see and spend time with him, until it felt as though they were there to watch him instead. He got the same feeling when he was outside, if he wandered a little too far off a path and didn't come back at a certain time everyone would freak out and the next day they barely let him out of their sight.

It wasn't protocol, not the same system they had been working with since that first letter however many months ago, and having just sent a response letter the week before with some more pictures of the mountain sides, Ray stormed his way back to his own little hut after dinner. Once more it was the staring, the small quiet whispers and Lee asking a hundred and thirty questions on where he had run off to this time that forced him to grab his writing tools and plop down onto his bed with a huff.

Then he paused, chewing on his bottom lip with the tip of his brush barely touching the paper. What did he even say? He just wanted someone to listen yet had been reduced to this, and he hated it when before it was as easy as plopping down next to him and yapping his ear off. It would be another week at best before the phone lines were put in for their one singular phone, that had been talked about for months that they were finally getting but he wasn't even sure how well the signal would even be with how far out they were.

His eyes went to the line of pictures he had set up beside his bed, running over their smiling faces before landing on Kai's deadpanned expression staring back at him. He felt his heart clench and his stomach twist into knots, even after all this time it hadn't gone away like he had hoped it would. It was still there, that terrible nagging feeling he had in the back of his head, at least this time there weren't the tears that followed. Not like the day he had gotten that picture.

So far he had spared Kai the issues going on, maybe he was just overreacting about it all and it really wasn't that big of a deal so he didn't bother writing about it. They had missed him, he missed them too when he was gone, it was just mainly the adults that bothered him these days anyways.

Finally he put the tip of the brush to the paper and started to write, still unsure of what it was he wanted to say but figured he'd figure it out as he went and if he was unsatisfied with it he could just toss it away anyways without sending it.

I know I just sent you something last week, should be getting your response come tomorrow, but I just needed to say hi. I don't even know why really, just been one of those days I guess.

Anyways, I found this new path up the west side of the mountain this afternoon, caught the sun setting and it was really breath taking as you can see. Just wish I had someone to have actually been there with me to catch it.

Has Dickenson said anything about a new tournament yet, or something? I don't even care what it is this time or where it's at, I'd be happy to go back to Russia and kick Bryan's ass again if it meant getting out of here.

The moment I came back from watching the sunset Lee was jumping down my throat, the adults and Elders were watching my every move as if I was fixing to just up and runaway again. Where to, I have no clue because I have nowhere to go to start with. My uncle moved last month to Spain and I haven't gotten a letter back from him yet, so I don't even know if he made it there or not.

I'm almost tempted to just hand them Driger back and just walk off and not care. They act like I've committed murder or something, it's driving me insane.

Sorry for the rant, I just have no one else to really say this to here, didn't mean to unpack all of that on top of you. I really miss you.

Ray.

With a sigh and budding tears he set his brush down and read over his letter about ten times, the ink drying, before he folded it up and slipped the photo inside the envelope with it. He'd have to send it off first thing come morning, unless he changed his mind by then, but come morning he hadn't and it was sent off though he hadn't gotten Kai's response to his other letter back and those storm clouds came rolling back in over his head again.


Kai curled up on his bed as his sad and sympathetic eyes read the words on the paper. He could hear Ray's voice in his head telling him all this. His hand brought the picture out of the envelope to look at. That did look nice...

He'd have given anything to be the one there with him to catch it. He felt Ray's loneliness, and it hurt to feel his King's sadness like this. What was worse was he felt just the same. Different situation. Same shitty feeling.

He wanted to run away, too. He had nowhere else to go either. He was being treated like he was a criminal as well. But then, in a way he was...

And the biggest hit was, he really, really missed him too. He couldn't stand being here anymore. His own tears hung in the corners of his eyes as his lips pursed and moved around trying to hold his face together.

He was better than this...

Dear Ray,

Hi.

I really liked that sunset picture. Maybe someday I can come see you and you can take me up there. I know it won't be the same exact one, but better late than never, huh?

I haven't heard about the tournament no...

He paused. Did he tell him by letter?

I don't think Mr. Dickenson will tell me, because he has no reason to. I quit beyblading.

There. He said it. And now to gloss over it.

I thought it would help, that somehow it would make up a little for what happened if I gave it up, but it hasn't at all. I'm still hearing whispers, still getting roughed up and still an outcast in a very small space...

Or not after his eyes caught the sorry sight of his purposefully defiled textbooks again, he couldn't stop his pen.

I never thought it would bother me not talking to anyone. In fact, before our tour I'm sure I would have loved the prospect. But sometimes I go days without saying a word to anyone. If you don't count the teacher taking my name, no one says a word to me either...

Even if Wyatt was there, sometimes he was busy with his club or his other friends.

I'm sorry for the rant too. Been one of those days for me, too. I guess I'm not really much of a knight right now, am I?

Don't you dare give up your Driger, Ray. Don't make the same mistake as I did and leave him behind. He's too precious and you know it.

Stay strong. You're the toughest person I know. Don't let anyone grind you down or make you feel like that.

Write me as much as you want. And if you have enough film left, keep the pictures coming.

The dangling droplets finally fell, dragging more with them down his pale cheeks.

I really miss you too…

Kai.


A week after sending his spontaneous letter, Ray awoke only to close his eyes tightly again, wishing that he could just go back to sleep, go back to where he had been in his dream. And what a wonderful dream it had been, as well as horrifyingly devastating at the same time.

They had made it; the bank account hadn't been suspended and they had happily made their way to Paris without Mr. D or the White Tigers knowing and it was beautiful. They lived it up with his uncle, worked under the table for extra cash, and most importantly they had been with each other like they had promised. Until his body decided it was time to wake up the moment the sun rose over the mountains, reminding him that it was and had been nothing more than just a dream.

Rolling over onto his back he glanced at the picture again beside his head like he did almost every morning, as if Kai had been laying there beside him like before, the tears already spilling down his cheeks and debated whether or not he should take it down for a while. Just to get the heartache to go away, pretend that it wouldn't be there regardless. Instead he pushed himself up to get an early start on his odd jobs he had lined up, needing to stop at the mail shack to see if anything had come back since the past week he hadn't gotten anything, even from Max.

Before he had even made it down the dirt path far enough, Lee was walking towards him with several letters clutched in his hands. Meeting him halfway and gave him a questioning look, only to have the envelopes shoved into his hands.

"Thought I'd save you the trouble." He spat before turning on his heel and going the way he had come from.

Ray could only stare at the back of his head, watching him go without a word yet was left to wonder what had crawled up his ass during the night. Shuffling through the envelopes he had two from Kai, two from Max and one from Tyson. Thinking on it, that didn't seem right for when he had sent his out but they could have just been delayed or hadn't written back to him in time.

Not questioning it he walked back to his hut, sitting down on his bed and tearing into Kai's letters first like he always did. The first letter was the response he had been waiting an extra week for, setting it aside after reading it and going to his other that had been the response from his more recent one.

His lips twitched, fighting back a smile at the offer of Kai actually coming there to see the sunset with him. He would have loved it. Then his eyes widened as his heart dropped to his toes. He did WHAT?!

His sinking heart then broke at the rest of the letter, it seemed they both were being made to feel worse than mud on the bottom of a shoe. If only his dream hadn't been just that, a dream…

Sniffling he grabbed his things in order to write back, each stroke making his hand tremble slightly.

Kai.

I'm so sorry you quit blading; I understand why you did but you shouldn't be made to feel like you have to keep apologizing for what happened. You know this. What do you mean roughed up? If people are bothering you tell someone, or better yet, punch their lights out. After months of me trying to keep you from killing Tyson and now you want to hold back, I'm not there to stop you so don't stop yourself from standing your ground.

For some reason he felt guilty about the next part, like it was his fault Kai's walls came down and he was bothered by the silence.

Don't apologize for anything, you have nothing to be sorry for. I'm glad you told me, even if there's nothing I can really do for you. And remember, you're not my knight anymore since I made you king alongside me before we left. And you're the toughest person I know, don't let them break you down either.

He had to stop to try and control his shaking, sniffing again before rubbing the tears so they wouldn't land on the paper but a few did anyways and stained right through around where he had been writing.

Had a dream last night. We made it to Paris, lived with my uncle. It was great, until I woke up and you weren't here again even if your picture is right beside my bed.

On a lighter note, send me one with a smile please. As much as I like your brooding stare, you have a nice smile. I'll see what I can take pictures of today that I haven't already sent you, come to think of it I'm sure I've taken one of everything around here, but should be able to find something for the next letter.

Take care of yourself, write to me as much as you want too as well. And give me your number, the phone should be in by the end of the month though I'm not sure how well the signal will be but it'll be worth a try.

Ray.

By the time he was done the carrier was already gone, having to wait till the next day to send it and had been able to slip a few photos into a new envelope with it like he had promised. Hopefully he liked the lake and the fish he was able to snap photos of.


Kai felt his stomach drop as he saw them walking in his direction. No one was around. Something was going to happen.

"Long time, no see..." The largest smirked as he and his two friends came close enough to circle him.

"Not long enough..." Kai replied in a bored tone as he went to his defensive 'close eyes and keep walking'.

The largest grabbed the shoulder of his jacket and yanked him back. "That's not very polite is it?" He growled before he blinked. He suddenly burst out laughing, "Hey guys, look! He wears a necklace to match that earring! He is a queer!"

He tried to pull out his hold, only to get shaken.

"Show us your pretty necklace..."

The two others took hold of his arms, leaving Big to come to the middle and slip his hands in to the collar of his shirt and pull out the black string. He felt his heart stop as he lifted it out.

Big raised a brow. A battered old beyblade ring thing...?

"Is this from that beyblade you abandoned your team for?"

Kai scoffed. "No."

"So what is this?"

Kai shrugged. "It is what it is."

Big didn't like that he wasn't bothered by him. He yanked the string it was tied to, snapping it from his neck, unknowingly causing a small burn as it pulled against his skin. That was better. He looked bothered in a split second.

"Give it back..." His husky voice growled.

"I thought you said it is what it is... All I see is a battered up piece of trash."

"Doesn't matter. It's mine. Now give it..."

Big ignored him. He looked over the scuffed up and cracked ring before dangling it in front of Kai's pissed face. He lazily dropped it to the floor, raising his foot and slamming it down. Kai's heart stopped when he heard the crunch.

Big lifted his foot, revealing the shattered pieces. "Not yours any more..." He stated matter of factly, smirking as he saw his victim staring open-mouthed at his handy work.

They smirked harder when the shocked expression changed, his eyes lifting to meet his.

Big saw it as a job well done.

Kai saw red.

By the time the teachers got to him, pulled him off and dragged him kicking and swearing it wasn't over, he'd drawn blood and done more than enough damage to show is displeasure.

The teachers were stunned themselves. The kid had been silent for months. But it seemed a fuse had blown. He was like wild animal. He hadn't come out unscathed either. His lip bloodied, a few scrapes and what looked like a slight shiner starting to glow around his eye, but he was refusing to let anyone patch him up, let alone talk to them.

They kept him in the medical room. Tried to give him some time to cool down. They'd called his guardian, and he said he'd be there right away. Hopefully they could figure this out quietly. This school wasn't used to such brutishness.

Close to an hour later the medical room's doors were flung open, Dickenson's beady eyes blazing and not lessening even at the sorry state Kai was in. The others were off worse than he was.

"What on Earth happened here Kai? Why would you just go and attack three of your fellow classmates?!" He asked in almost a high pitch squeal.

Kai folded his arms and turned his head, ignoring the throbbing pain in his hands. "Not my classmates..." He muttered.

Dickenson frowned, stepping up closer to him. Not liking the brush off. "Even if you had no classes with them, they are still members of this school as you are! What would possess you to go and do what you did to them?!"

He turned himself away from him more. Despite being relieved to see him. Angry or not.

"I'm not a member of this shithole..."

"Look at me when I am speaking to you!" Dickenson shouted, "You are a member of this school, and it would do you well to remember that. Now answer me Kai, why did you attack them?! You realize this is going to put a stain on your record, don't you?!"

Kai stayed stubborn and kept his eyes down. Why would he assume it had been him that had just walked up and attacked them. Like a maniac. Probably because he was as bad as everyone else. Voltaire was a psychopath. Only made sense he was as well.

"So what?"

A vein popped in Dickenson's forehead, his blood pressure rising. "There is no 'so what' to this, their parents are looking to press charges Kai. Now explain yourself!"

"Let them! I'd rather be in juvie than here anyway!" He yelled back, finally throwing his blazing eyes at his 'guardian'.

"So you can ruin more of your life?" Dickenson asked in almost a mock tone, "I am here to help you son, but you need to help me in understanding what happened."

Kai felt so riled up he couldn't stay sat anymore, standing himself and balling his scraped and bruised hands in to fists. "How can I ruin it anymore!? And how can my 'record' get any more stained than it is?! Huh?!" He yelled at him angrily, his face growing red. "You're not here to help me! If you were you never would have put me here in the first place!"

"I did it to help you Kai, we've been through this! If it hadn't been for me you know where you would have ended up, a little more gratitude is all I ask for here. Maybe a night in juvenile detention might do you some good though."

"Then lead the fuckin' way, gramps!" He hollered at him, face turning scarlet.

Dickenson narrowed his eyes, having given him time to rethink his choice before nodding back to him. "Very well." He said in a serious tone, turning to the door to leave.

Kai watched him go and threw himself back on the plastic chair. Fuckin' asshole... Like hell he was interested in helping him. He just wanted him out the way and quiet.

A few moments later there came the sound of heavy footsteps, the door reopening as two men in uniform stepped inside the room with him.

"Kai Hiwatari, we have to ask that you come with us." The first one said in a low, commanding, tone.

Kai narrowed his eyes at them. As if...

"Why the hell should I?!"

"For aggravated assault of three of your classmates, you're under arrest." The man explained, reaching around his side for his cuffs.

Kai's face showed his immediate panic before he growled again. "And do you see these?!" He pointed at the injuries he'd received, "You gonna go arrest them too!?"

The officer shrugged, "They are being more compliant with our questioning, you on the other hand have refused to answer any questions pertaining to the incident and so far it's their words against yours."

"Fine! Want a few words from me?! They had it coming!"

The officer nodded, stepping up to where he was sat. "Hands behind your back son and let's go."

Kai shifted back in to his seat. "Where's Mr. Dickenson?"

The officer didn't bother answering, his partner stepping up before they both grabbed and tugged. Forcing Kai's hands behind his back and cuffing him as quickly as they could with the slight thrashing, holding him under his arms as they dragged him out into the halls.

Outside the second officer broke away and flung for the back door of the patrol car, jerking it open quickly as the other shoved Kai into the back. Holding the top of his head, to avoid it smacking against the frame, and under his arm as he forced him into the back seat with a slight smirk on his face before slamming the door.

Kai shifted, panicking internally as he tried to get himself in to a better position with his hands cuffed behind his back. "Hey! Let me out! I didn't fucking do anything wrong!" He screamed at the officers stood outside the car.

The first officer wiggled his index finger in his ear before cupping his hand behind it, leaning in as if he didn't hear him.

"Come again?" He asked, the other laughing before walking around to the driver's seat.

Kai didn't see anything funny. "I said let me out!" He hollered furiously as he swiveled himself and kicked the passenger door.

The officer laughed, full on belly like he was Santa Clause as he climbed into the front passenger seat.

"No can do son." He chuckled, "You have a reservation for a one night, all expenses paid vacation in juvie." He sang.

Kai quietened when he realized it was pointless, sinking his tense shoulders. Whatever... He survived the abbey. This place would be nothing compared to that. And hell, he'd rather suck it up and spend the night than have to admit he of all people had spent the past half year or more getting bullied like a runt.

As the one officer drove the other listed off his rights, enjoying the teen behind them gone quiet and a little more pale.

A few minutes down the road and they pulled up to a small mansion nestled behind a gate that had been left open, driving through and around the circular drive. At the top of the stairs that led into the mansion stood Dickenson, a hardened look on his face as the patrol car came to a stop at the bottom of the stairs.

Kai looked out the window and rolled his eyes and let out a groan as he threw his head back against the seat.

This god damn asshole...

He'd rather go to juvie...

"Thank you boys." Dickenson said as he made his way down the steps of his home, giving Kai a side glance through the back window and frowned.

"I'm sure I can take it from here."

The officers just nodded their heads, the one dragging Kai back out like he was a piece of luggage and hauled him up the stairs into the mansion before releasing him.

"If he gives you anymore trouble just give us a call Stanley."

"Thank you again boys." Dickenson smiled as they made their exit, the door closing behind them and leaving the two staring at one another for a moment before Dickenson strode past him.

"Coffee, Kai?"

Kai narrowed his eyes, rubbing his wrists where the cuffs chaffed. "Cocaine if you have any. Or anything more fitting for a delinquent..."

"Now, now let's not talk like that." Dickenson wagged a finger back at him over his shoulder, "Come have some coffee with me and discuss this like civilized beings."

He pouted, shoving his hands in his pockets and skulking after him. He guessed coffee would be good...

Dickenson made up the coffee he had promised without a word, letting a silence fall between the two as he worked until he had a cup filled and edged it towards Kai in offering.

"Now, what happened today Kai?" He asked in a much more calmly manner than when he had busted out onto the scene before.

Kai stared at the cup. "Had a problem. I handled it." He said quietly as he lifted it and took a sip.

"Yes, I saw. But what exactly was the problem?" Dickenson asked, trying hard not to roll his eyes at him.

"Me. They have a problem with me. I stood up for myself. That's all..."

"I see..." Dickenson went quiet, sipping at his own coffee for a minute before he sat it back down on the counter between them.

"Is this the first time this has happened?"

Kai shook his head. "I don't want to talk about it..."

Dickenson took that as a 'yes', letting out a sigh and shook his head some. This whole thing was a mess, and given what had happened it seemed like the best option he was left with for now.

"Very well, I'll put in some time for leave. It's nothing permanent, but until things settle down. I have already down talked them from expelling you, so this is the option we're being given at the moment."

Kai lifted his eyes to him. "I'm not going back there."

Dickenson frowned as he narrowed his eyes, "We'll discuss that another time, for now your belongings have been brought over already and are in the fourth room to your left up the stairs. Make yourself comfortable while you can."

Kai bit the inside of his cheek and felt himself get upset. He didn't care about his 'belongings'. Not like he really had anything but school stuff. But he wanted his attack ring. There was nothing he could do about it now; it was shattered to pieces.

Dickenson checked his watch, "I have a meeting to attend in an hour, I trust you'll be able to take care of yourself while I'm gone?"

Kai's head lifted and couldn't hide his disappointment. Alone again...

"Yes sir..."

With a nod the old man took himself and his cup of coffee out of the mansion, leaving him behind without another word. The front doors slamming shut, the sound echoing along the tiled floors.

Kai looked around the spacious kitchen in the spacious mansion. He could swear the echo as he got up and walked was louder than it should have been.

He took himself up to the room, fourth to the left and figured he'd do what he did every night. Flop on the bed and just lay there.


A week went by, then another week, and another. The letters from the guys were coming in just fine, yet since his last letter to Kai he hadn't had another. Maybe it was something he had said, did something wrong and it caused Kai to push him away finally. It wasn't worth the strain, why would it be when they were worlds apart? He was a little grateful for it, and a whole lot heartbroken at the same time. He still battled with taking down the picture, unable to ever fully commit to keeping it down on the days he did pull it off the wall and would always have it back up in its rightful place before he went to bed.

Eventually the others caught on, they could either clearly see the dark cloud now that hung over him, or they just knew Kai had stopped writing to him and he hated the smug look Lee wore when he mentioned it. Hated that he had ever had feelings for him at all when now he wanted to dent his face in with his fist.

Instead he took Kai's advice and turned the other way, giving Lee the cold shoulder for the remainder of the month, no longer letting Lee get to him just because he could. Who cared if he was the Elder's grandson, he was the one who had their sacred protector!

The weekend after the phone had finally been put up and working he was still in the routine of training other kids, had gotten Max and Tyson's phone numbers but when he called Max was fixing to run out the door to catch a movie with his mom and Tyson was asleep even though Ray had made sure he had called when it was noon in Japan.

A few days later, back at the beydish with the kids, a strange cloaked boy had come and challenged him. The kid kind of looked like Kevin, but Kevin and Gary had gone off to the nearest town for the weekend so it wasn't him and when Ray surprisingly lost the match he knew it couldn't have been Kevin at all.

The moment he looked from his blade in the dirt and back up, the kid was gone. So he wrote to Kenny about it, talked to Max on the phone the day after, and by then he began to panic because Max had a run in with a hooded figure himself and had lost.

He still hadn't heard from Kai and now Tyson's letters weren't coming in and he could never get a hold of him on the phone, so instead he went to the long forgotten number Mr. D had given him when they first met for emergencies. He hadn't had a way to use it until now, but if anyone knew what was going on with either of the two it was Dickenson; he was after all Kai's guardian.

The next morning, bright and early, he rushed to make sure he was the first at the phone booth and quickly threw in some change into the slot and dialed up Dickenson's number. Hopefully he caught him before he was already out of the house, or was this the BBA's office number? He couldn't remember and even more so when the operator connected him over and the ringing in his ear was almost deafening.


Kai had forced down the toast the maid had insisted he eat reluctantly. It got her to leave him alone for the time being, her going out to run some errands.

He'd been in this house for a few weeks now, and he felt just as crappy as he had when he was at Whitney Prep. If not worse.

His feet dragged round and around the big mansion automatically, catching the reflection of the house clothes he hadn't changed out of in several days. What was the point? He was going back to bed soon anyways...

He was out of the school like he wanted to be, but nothing was better. He still felt low. Still felt lonely. Still felt a constant, niggling sad and still had a mind that was on constant repeat about the things making him sad.

He wondered how long he'd be out of school for. How long he could get away with wallowing days away. It wasn't like he enjoyed doing it. It was just all he felt he could do.

His tired eyes looked up when he heard the shrill ring of the phone. Urgh, what a horrible noise...

He dragged his feet again. He'd been asked to get the phone if no one was home. Urggghhhh, talking to people...

The shrill ringing assaulted his ears one more time before he lethargically picked it up and slapped it to his ear.

"'Ello?"

Ray's knees felt like buckling at the very familiar, cold, greeting. That certainly wasn't Dickenson's overly happy tone, and if it had been the house staff they would have been a bit more professional.

"K-Kai?" His voice cracked without him wanting it to, nor did he care for the damn tears that were suddenly accumulating in his eyes.

Was he that starved for him that he was imagining his voice now?!

Kai stared deadpan at the wall. "Yeh?"

"OH MY GOD WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN?!" Ray practically screamed into the phone as his heart burst.

Kai held the phone away from his ear. Loud...

"Who the fuck is this?!" He asked, annoyed.

"It's the pope..." Ray answered in a dull voice once he calmed himself down some, "Or, you can call me 'his majesty'. Whichever suits you."

Kai dropped the receiver. As it clacked on the floor and sprung up again from the curled wire, he scrambled to pick it up again, flinging himself on the floor, when it swung out his fumbling hands too many times.

"Ray?!"

"Yes, who else would it be wondering where the hell you've been the past few weeks?" Ray said back, his voice cracking again as the damn tears refused to go away.

Kai couldn't answer him, the realization that it was Ray's voice finally hitting. His chest hurting while his eyes dampened instantly.

"...Hi."

Ray smiled and frowned, then smiled again as his lips quivered. "Hi..." He breathed back. God he had missed the sound of his voice.

Kai sat with his back to the wall and waited. He had no idea what to say. "Um... Mr. D isn't here..."

Ray shook his head, "That's fine, I was calling him to see where you were anyways. Are you okay?"

Kai stayed quiet for a second and felt his own lip start to tremble. "Yeh..." He lied.

"Then why haven't you written to me?!" Ray cried back, "You know how scared I've been, how worried you made me? What happened, why are you at Mr. D's place so early in the morning anyways?"

He let himself slide down like goo on to the floor completely. "Sorry... Been busy."

Ray bit his lower lip, that stupid word coming back up. He was so sick of reading it in Kai's letters, and he was already sick of hearing it.

"Don't tell me the same thing you've been telling me this whole time. What happened Kai... What did they do to you?" He asked in a softer tone, remembering Kai's last letter and what he had told him about the people there.

"Oh... Nothing I can't handle." His voice wobbled, "Every day a different rumor... If it isn't about me blading, it's about Voltaire..." He brushed off with a forced laugh.

Ray pressed his back against the sides of the phone booth, shifting on his feet a minute. "So what happened this time?" He asked, something about it still didn't add up. That wasn't new, but Kai being at Dickenson's wasn't something he had been expecting.

Kai's chest started to tremble along with his lip. "Well... You know me. After a while things start to grate... People were starting to take things too far. Wasn't just words being thrown any more. Uh... They did write some colorful ones though... All over my locker and all my books and stuff... But it was getting a bit more rough... Some guys cornered me..." He rambled, feeling himself get upset, "They called me queer and took something of mine and broke it... And it wasn't something I can replace..."

"My god..." Ray breathed back, clutching the front of his shirt with his free hand as if he could stop the pain in his chest. "I'm so sorry... Kai..."

Kai wiped his eyes. "'S fine. I'm fine..." He rolled himself on to his side. He probably shouldn't use this to redeem himself. But he hated feeling this pathetic.

"...They're not, though..."

"Good." Ray said before he really thought about it, the hurt he felt for him turning into anger for them having done all they had to him. "Hope they were carried out on a stretcher." He seemed to growl.

"Well... That's why I'm here. Kicked out of school for the foreseeable future. They were going to press charges..."

"Well that's not good, but the assholes had it coming. They shouldn't have done or said anything to you, sure Dickenson understands that."

Kai shrugged, forgetting he couldn't see him. "Don't think he's that bothered either way."

Ray rolled his eyes, after his last encounter with the old man he wasn't that fond of him.

"Hn, probably not if he's acting like he was when we all left Russia."

Kai shook his head. "Anyway. What about you?"

Ray took in a breath, leaning his head back as the worst of just everything washed through him.

"I'm better now." He smiled a little.

Kai rolled himself over again, changing ears. "You sure?"

"Mhmm..." Ray hummed back, fearing his voice would crack again. "Been great, just worried about Tyson because he hasn't written in a while, and he's never home to answer my calls. Worried about Max because some random kid beat him in a battle, had my own a few days ago and lost. Wasn't sure if you had the same pleasantries or not because you stopped writing, so was worried about you too."

Kai sat himself up. "You did?!" He asked with some fire in his voice.

Ray cocked a brow, "Yeah, though I have no clue how he even found the village but he knew my name and was like he knew all my moves. Wiped the floor with me before I could even blink, then he was just gone."

Kai got on his knees. "You don't say..."

"Since you don't blade anymore I'm guessing you didn't have your own battle then?" Ray asked.

Kai maneuvered to sit cross legged. "Oh. No. I blade again." He informed him briefly, "This asshole kept showing up and breaking all the damn windows and stuff in the school! I went after him, h-he was after Dranzer! Insisted on fighting me! I told him I was out, but he wouldn't let up!" He went on at lightning speed, "We fought and I tell ya, Ray! It was something!" He stopped and felt the smug arrogance he hadn't felt in a while, "I didn't lose though... Mine was a tie."

Ray's knees felt weak again, while the pit of his stomach bubble a little with jealousy. Of course he wouldn't have lost, he had only lost twice last year when they were on a team.

Then he smirked, "Glad to hear you're back to blading." He paused for a minute, feeling mother mode kick in. "You need to find Tyson then, if they found Max and me and one came after you then Tyson is next."

Kai rolled his eyes. "Urgh, do I have to? It'll be good for him. Build character."

"Kai!" Ray wanted to smack him, "Yes you have to, they're clearly after something and if the one was that determined to come here then they're out for something important."

Kai frowned. "Did yours say he was after Driger?"

"He didn't say anything, just walked up and challenged me while I was busy training some kids." Ray answered, a slight cold chill running down his spine. "Could they... Could they be working for Voltaire or Boris?"

Kai's blood turned colder than the water in Lake Baikal. "...Why would you say that?!" His voice cracked in fear.

"You asked if he was after Driger, and you said your creep wanted Dranzer. The pieces line up." Ray defended quickly, "It's only been a year but we're all separated, it's easier to pick us off one by one."

Kai dropped the phone, bolting to lock the front door a few feet away from him and coming back, feeling terrified.

"It isn't them..." He hissed down the phone.

"Okay." Ray sighed, "You still need to find Tyson, see if he's had the same challenge or not."

Kai sighed at him back. "Fine... I'll go."

"Thank you." Ray smirked, "I'll see what I can do about getting out of here and back to you guys, if they're after our bit-beasts then we need to be together."

Kai sat up like a meerkat. "REALLY?!"

Ray had to pull the phone away from his ear for a minute, letting the ringing die down some before placing it back.

"It's not good for us to be separated like this, we've always worked better as a team and with Max and I both losing to these people the way we did, I don't think we should stay apart like this. Sure, you had a tie but he kept coming back. Who knows what they've tried with Tyson, but I just don't have a good feeling about this."

Kai nodded furiously. "EXACTLY!" He shifted, unable to sit still. "I'll call Mr. D, have him come air-lift you out, OK?! Pack your stuff!"

"It's not going to work like that Kai." Ray huffed, "Dickenson needs to be the one that contacts the Elders for me, I can tell them what's happened and everything but it's still a slim chance that they'll let me go."

Kai rolled his eyes. "What? They're gonna shoot down a helicopter?"

Ray snorted, "More like hiss at it, should have seen some of them with the phone when it was put in." He chuckled before he shook himself out of it, "This is why you need to find Tyson, if all four of us have had these people challenging us then it makes my case to get back to you that much better."

Kai opened his mouth, only to snap his head when the door handle on the front door clacked. He knew that silhouette...

"HANG ON!" He yelled at them both, running on his knees to open the front door.

Dickenson smiled... At the empty space that greeted him as the door swung open, his eyes blinking some before they went down a little and saw Kai down on the floor on his knees in front of him.

"Kai! Why are you on the floor?" He asked, part appalled and part in curiosity.

Kai looked up at him. "I was laying on it!"

Dickenson blinked again, "Yes... But why are you laying on the floor? We have several good beds and a couch."

Kai looked at him like he was an idiot. "Because I was on the phone?"

At the reminder, he grabbed Mr. Dickenson's wrist pulling him with him as he shuffled his way back to the phone on his knees. "You'll never guess who I'm on the phone with! Never mind, it's Ray! You need to talk to the shriveled up ugly ones and airlift him out like, right now!" He fired at him.

"Wait... What? Ray?" Dickenson blinked with each word, looking between Kai and the phone a few times before he settled on looking back at Kai.

"Why, what's the matter?"

Kai grabbed the receiver and shoved it up at him about to burst. "We're all in danger and he can't be separated from us!" He shrieked, "You need to bring him back right now! OHHHH! He can stay in with me!"

Dickenson put a hand out to stop the shrieking, putting the phone up to his ear with a deep sigh.

"Ray my boy, how are you?" He asked in his cheery tone.

Ray bit back the growl that wanted to come out of him at the cheery voice. He had no right to sound like nothing bad had happened between them the last time they saw one another. It was his damn fault they were like this, why Kai had been bullied at school in the first place. Though, he painted on a fake smile and used a fake pleasant voice. This man, after all, held the possible key to his freedom.

"Kai's right, we're all in danger. Someone came to my village and challenged me to a battle, Kai had someone challenge him for Dranzer and the same with Max. I need to come back there Mr. Dickenson."

The old man blinked, taking in the information before looking down at the boy... Still on his knees for some unknown reason.

"You never told me that, Kai!"

Kai made a face at him. "That's my thing! FOCUS!"

Mr. Dickenson didn't like his tone, but it was better than the gloomy zombie he'd been the past weeks.

"Now, hold on a moment Ray! Aren't we jumping to conclusions a little too quickly?"

"I don't think so, not after what we just went through a few months back. We've already had to stop people from taking out bit-beasts once, you made sure we were together for it, we should be together again for this." Ray answered, trying hard not to roll his eyes and hoping Dickenson hadn't put him on speaker where Kai could hear his theory again.

Sadly, he was shuffled close enough to listen in. "SEE! MIGHT BE BORIS!" He yelled, "So go airlift him!"

Mr. D took a breath to keep his temper in check. "I'm speaking to Ray..."

"Look Mr. D, I know it sounds crazy but this kid I fought had a weird crazy power come from his blade. He knocked me out before I had time to blink, Max's battle ended the same way and we're not sure if Tyson has been challenged by these people or not."

Kai tapped his arm as well. "Me too! ...Mine was a tie, though."

Mr. Dickenson sighed, taking in both of them at once. "Well... That is unnerving... Perhaps..."

He stopped, unnerved not only by the story, but by the close proximity Kai had put himself in and the face he had.

Was he having a stroke?

"Perhaps..." He continued, "I should speak with your Elders."

Ray tried not to squeal into the phone back at him, his heart racing in his chest. "I can grab Lee's grandfather, you talked to him before he remembers you!"

Kai snatched the receiver off him. "GO! GO! GO!"

Ray dropped the phone, rushing out of the booth and almost tripping over his feet as he ran as fast as he could towards the temple.

Lee watched him go, wondering what he was in such a hurry for but was busy with his own chores for the time being to even bother.

Out of breath Ray bowed as he entered, going off at lightning speed about why he needed Lee's grandfather, thankful they hadn't been in a meeting, and finally after some back and forth had the old man coming after him and back to the phone.

There was some more yapping and yammering between the two before Lee's grandfather picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

Ray danced on the balls of his feet, unsure what to feel at the moment as he waited.

Mr. Dickenson opened his mouth just as silver hair appeared in his face.

He growled under his breath. "Kai, my boy, would you mind giving me a little privacy?"

Kai nodded. "M'kay." He said as he took a few paces away and stopped.

"...Please go to the living room."

He scowled. This was so unfair!

He did as he was told, muttering under his breath. As soon as he was in the living room, he couldn't keep still. Ray might be coming back...

After months! He thought he might not see him again! This had to happen... It would erase everything the past year had thrown at him if it did.

After a few minutes of the two old people yapping away, Lee's grandfather settled the phone back down on top of the box and turned to Ray.

"I must hold a council for this matter, before sundown tomorrow we shall have your answer." He informed and walked away.

The moment he was gone Ray was glued back to the phone, able to hear over the other end.

"Kai, you can come back in here now." Dickenson called for him, Ray stifling a laugh. Uh oh, the bad puppy got sent out of the room.

Kai scampered back, once again in his face. "WELL!?"

"They will inform us of their decision before the end of tomorrow, so for now you two can talk." Dickenson answered as he held out the receiver for him to take.

Kai's face fell. That... That wasn't a yes.

"But Mr. Dickenson..." He whined. Trust him to fuck it up!

"I've done all I can do Kai, believe me. It's up to them." Dickenson said, plopping the phone into Kai's hands and walked away.

Kai sadly lifted the phone back to his ear. "Ray?"

"Yeah, I'm here." Ray's insides squirmed at hearing his name.

Kai sat back down on the floor, feeling upset again. Maybe it would be good news. But what if it wasn't? He didn't know what he'd do.

Ray took in a breath, if Kai had been banished from the room he didn't know what had been said. "They're going to hold a council, said he'll let me know before sundown tomorrow. I barely heard what Dickenson said, but it sounded like he put up a decent fight this time in getting me back to you." He explained.

"Hn... Bout time he did something for me..." He grumbled.

"Yeah... Either way, regardless of their decision you still need to find Tyson." Ray reminded.

"Yeh..." He sighed, "Yeh... I will..." He didn't want to talk about anything like that anymore. "Hey Ray?"

Ray swallowed the lump in his throat, his insides squirming again. "Y-yeah?"

"Can... Can you see the sun right now?" He asked bashfully.

Ray cocked a brow, though turned and looked to where it was sitting above his little mountain village.

"Yeah, why?" What an odd question.

Kai leaned forward to get a look out the window. "Me too..."

The squirming in his stomach got more intense, his heart skipping a beat or two as he found it hard to look away from the sun all of a sudden.

"I can call you, when it starts to go down tonight. Watch it together?" He asked hopefully, a terrible heat racing across his cheeks.

Kai squirmed. Sounded like the greatest thing that had happened in months. "I can call you! What time?!"

"Six my time, you should be an hour ahead of me so call five your time."

Kai burst in to a grin that would terrify his teacher. "Okay! Be at the phone a little before, OK?!"

"Okay..." Ray choked, this sounded like a goodbye and it felt like they barely talked at all. It wasn't like they could sit on the line until sundown, even if he desperately wanted nothing more.

"I'll be here, I promise."

"Me too! Promise!" Kai said before he hesitated. "Do you... Do you have to go?"

He did, he had jobs to do, a class to teach, but instead he shook his head and made himself comfortable against the booth again. Wasn't like the other people around here had family outside the village to start with, why they wanted a phone was beyond him at first but he was glad to have it. If the Elder's said he couldn't leave then he wanted to have this, for as long as he possibly could.

"Not yet, got a little bit of time to kill before I have to go."

"...Like how much time?"

Ray chuckled a little, "I'll let you know when I have to go, so just tell me what's on your mind."

"Nothin'..." He lied, "I just... Well before you called I was actually about to pick my book up again..." He lied again.

"Oh... Well if you have to go..." Ray's heart stopped for a different reason now, maybe he had read this all wrong.

"No... I wondered if maybe you..."

The cogs worked a little over time, was harder to tell what he meant without looking into those gorgeous eyes of his. Then again, the last few times he did that the cogs stopped working altogether.

It finally clicked, a bubble of excitement spewing out of him, "YES, yes go get it!"

Kai lit up. "O-OK! Hang on! Don't go anywhere!"

"I won't." He wouldn't dare move an inch, a spider could crawl on him and he wouldn't move.

Kai thundered up the stairs to get it, feeling something he hadn't felt in over seven months, Happy.