I'm back! I've gotten ahead of myself and have the next couple chapters
ready. I might post another one within the next two weeks, so be on the
look out ~winks~
NightEyes: ~blushes~ Arigatou!
SoulSister: Your first Beyblade fic, eh? There are a lot of better ones out there, just check out some of my fav story/authors.
White Nyako: ~sweatdrops~ You sound like me when you update, lol. I don't think it's been a month yet, but I'm sure you won't complain if I update early, ne?
Killua kiken na: You don't realize how much you helped me with your last reveiw. After reading it, I got three chapters wrote! Thanks for the info, it really helped me get an idea on where to go with this. I know I can't use the exact storyline of the show, but it's still neat to add in little bits. ^^
I-kkasei: Hehe, don't you just love the music with that clip?
To everyone else, thanks for your reveiws!
If you want, check out my profile. I have some 'Christmas gifts' in there for y'all, and one of them is related to .hack//SIGN ~winks~
Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade or .hack//SIGN
Warnings: Shounen ai and anything else metioned before . . . -_-;
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rei took in a breath, closing his eyes as the night air washed over him. Embedded in his mind was the image of two deep crimson orbs. He reached out a hand, sighing as it made contact with nothing.
Revealing sad ambers, Rei dropped his arm. He glanced around, catching sight of a young boy. The boy waved at him, a grin playing across his face.
"Hey! It's Rei, isn't it?"
The Chinese youth nodded. "Yeah. Takao, right?"
"That's me!" Takao's grin faded, eyes narrowing. "Listen, have you seen a strange mage around lately?"
"Strange mage . . . ?"
"Yeah, he's this kid with two-tone blue hair. A bit of a loner, and he doesn't talk much."
Rei blinked. "Kai?"
Raising an eyebrow, Takao shrugged. "Dunno, he wouldn't talk to me. Do you know him?"
"Yes. I mean, kind of. I've talked with him before . . . " Rei's voice trailed off. He could see them so clearly. Those taunting eyes, hidden behind blue bangs which always fell in his face . . .
"Rei? Are you alright?" Takao waved a hand in front of the scribe's eyes, a worried frown on his face.
"Huh? Oh, I'm fine."
//Liar. You're worried about the phoenix.//
Rei gritted his teeth. It was still weird to have Drigger's input, even if he had possessed the spirit for a while. Two days to be exact. It had also been two days since he'd last seen Kai.
"If you're sure," Takao chuckled. "Anyway, there's this festival happening in the royal city, eh? You should check it out. Heard you can get some major points and sweet items there."
"Thanks for the tip."
"If you want, I'm heading that way. We could check it out together?"
"Sounds good."
"Great!"
And so the two players set off for the city. However, Rei's mind was elsewhere as Takao talked about his experiences in The World.
'Why do I worry about him so much? Kai can take care of himself, without my help. Yet, I can't help but think something bad has happened to him since we last talked . . . '
//The phoenix will be fine, but I too would feel better if we found him.//
'I know Drigger, I know . . . '
*****
Kai pressed his body against the stone wall, freezing as the guards ran past. He clutched Dranzer in his hand and his breath came in quick gasps. Why were the royal guards after him? The boy had done nothing wrong, to his knowledge at least.
'Dranzer will protect me against anything, if what those inscriptions said was true. Rei, however, could have made that all up. Every single word might have been a lie to throw me off track . . . '
Biting his lip, Kai slumped against the cool stone. He didn't believe that either. There was something about Rei that demanded trust. Something Kai couldn't deny the other boy of.
'Rei, where ever you are, please forget about me. I've always been alone, and that's how it's going to stay.'
*****
"Takao!" A blond youth ran up to said boy, glomping him around the neck.
"Hey, knock it off Max." Takao laughed, slipping his arms around the merchant. "I've brought a friend."
Eyes alight with curiosity, the boy called Max held out his hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm Max."
"Rei." The Chinese scribe forced a smile as he shook hands with the other player.
"So, anything I can help you with Takao, Rei? I am a merchant after all!"
"Not really. Heard anything on loner-boy? 'Cuz it seems Rei here is a good friend of his."
"Really?"
"I don't know about that," Rei murmured. "But I have talked with him a couple times."
Just then two palace guards approached the trio. Max's eyes widened, and he stepped behind Takao.
"I didn't do anything." Rei heard him whisper.
"Excuse me boys, have you seen a youth your age around? He has blue-ish hair, dark colored eyes and is dressed as a mage."
It was like time froze. Rei's breath caught, eyes becoming round saucers. The royal guards were after Kai? But, he was suppose to protect him!
Sensing Rei's worry, Takao shook his head. "Nope, can't say we have. Should we keep an eye out for this boy?"
"Yes, be on guard. The princess thinks he's up to something . . . " Then the guards where gone, questioning other players.
"Rei, it's alright. They're gone." Takao shook the scribe's shoulders gently. "Rei?"
"I-I have to find Kai!"
//Don't panic, we'll find him.// Drigger roared angrily. //No one will mess with the phoenix.//
"You don't even know where to look." Takao reasoned. "I'm sure he's fine."
"No, you don't understand. I have to find him, *now*."
'Kai where are you? I should have never left you alone for this long.'
Rei took off down the cobblestone street, pushing past players. His chest tightened with each passing second, images flickering through his mind. Kai could get hurt, he could get killed! Normal rules didn't apply to the Japanese youth and the Tiger had no idea what could happen.
//Rei, over there. I sense the phoenix that way.//
'Thanks Drigger.'
Making a sharp corner, Rei collided into Kai. The Tiger's face relaxed with relief, and he threw his arms around the boy.
"Are you alright? I'm so sorry! I should have looked for you sooner!"
Crimson orbs just stared in surprise, arms hesitantly circling the Chinese youth.
"The royal guards are after you. What did you do? We have to hide you, I don't want anything bad to happen . . . " Rei's voice trailed off as he looked up into Kai's eyes. He gulped nervously, shrinking under the intense gaze. "What?"
"Why were you so worried? I told you, I can take care of myself."
"I know, but . . . "
"Rei!" Takao and Max rounded the corner, skidding to a stop. "Is everything alright?"
The raven-haired boy nodded, but made no move to free himself from Kai's arms. Takao raised an eyebrow, nudging Max.
"Maybe we should leave. It looks like these two want some alone time."
A growl erupted from Kai, eyes narrowing dangerously to glare at Takao. Rei just blushed, finally pulling back.
"Sorry." whispered Rei as he ducked his head in embarrassment.
/"Gomen nasai, Kai. This is for your own good."/
Kai blinked. That voice . . . it was so familiar. Where had he heard it before?
"I'm Takao, and this is Max."
The boy with blue hair was talking to Kai. The Japanese boy grunted, closing his mind to lingering thoughts.
"Hi." The blond said nervously, sending Kai a shy smile. He stood close to Takao, hands nearly intertwined.
"Hn."
"Kai?" Rei was speaking again. Crimson orbs landed on the Chinese boy, softening just a little. "Maybe they could help you -"
"No."
"Kai?!"
Rei's voice drifted after Kai as he took off down the street. Fingers circled his wrist, turning him to look into golden eyes.
"Kai, listen. They could help you. Don't you want to go home?"
" . . . "
"Let them help."
"What if I don't want to leave?"
The Chinese boy was silent. He released Kai's wrist, stepping backwards.
"Wouldn't your family miss you?"
A shrug from the Japanese youth.
"What about your friends?"
Another shrug.
"Kai, give me a real answer!"
"I don't know." Snapped Kai. "I don't even know if I have a family. I doubt I ever had friends. If I can't get any here, why would I have them in the real world?"
"Kai . . . "
"I'll be fine here, Rei. You don't have to worry." As he turned to leave, Rei's quiet words caught Kai's attention.
"I know what happened to you . . ."
TBC . . .
NightEyes: ~blushes~ Arigatou!
SoulSister: Your first Beyblade fic, eh? There are a lot of better ones out there, just check out some of my fav story/authors.
White Nyako: ~sweatdrops~ You sound like me when you update, lol. I don't think it's been a month yet, but I'm sure you won't complain if I update early, ne?
Killua kiken na: You don't realize how much you helped me with your last reveiw. After reading it, I got three chapters wrote! Thanks for the info, it really helped me get an idea on where to go with this. I know I can't use the exact storyline of the show, but it's still neat to add in little bits. ^^
I-kkasei: Hehe, don't you just love the music with that clip?
To everyone else, thanks for your reveiws!
If you want, check out my profile. I have some 'Christmas gifts' in there for y'all, and one of them is related to .hack//SIGN ~winks~
Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade or .hack//SIGN
Warnings: Shounen ai and anything else metioned before . . . -_-;
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rei took in a breath, closing his eyes as the night air washed over him. Embedded in his mind was the image of two deep crimson orbs. He reached out a hand, sighing as it made contact with nothing.
Revealing sad ambers, Rei dropped his arm. He glanced around, catching sight of a young boy. The boy waved at him, a grin playing across his face.
"Hey! It's Rei, isn't it?"
The Chinese youth nodded. "Yeah. Takao, right?"
"That's me!" Takao's grin faded, eyes narrowing. "Listen, have you seen a strange mage around lately?"
"Strange mage . . . ?"
"Yeah, he's this kid with two-tone blue hair. A bit of a loner, and he doesn't talk much."
Rei blinked. "Kai?"
Raising an eyebrow, Takao shrugged. "Dunno, he wouldn't talk to me. Do you know him?"
"Yes. I mean, kind of. I've talked with him before . . . " Rei's voice trailed off. He could see them so clearly. Those taunting eyes, hidden behind blue bangs which always fell in his face . . .
"Rei? Are you alright?" Takao waved a hand in front of the scribe's eyes, a worried frown on his face.
"Huh? Oh, I'm fine."
//Liar. You're worried about the phoenix.//
Rei gritted his teeth. It was still weird to have Drigger's input, even if he had possessed the spirit for a while. Two days to be exact. It had also been two days since he'd last seen Kai.
"If you're sure," Takao chuckled. "Anyway, there's this festival happening in the royal city, eh? You should check it out. Heard you can get some major points and sweet items there."
"Thanks for the tip."
"If you want, I'm heading that way. We could check it out together?"
"Sounds good."
"Great!"
And so the two players set off for the city. However, Rei's mind was elsewhere as Takao talked about his experiences in The World.
'Why do I worry about him so much? Kai can take care of himself, without my help. Yet, I can't help but think something bad has happened to him since we last talked . . . '
//The phoenix will be fine, but I too would feel better if we found him.//
'I know Drigger, I know . . . '
*****
Kai pressed his body against the stone wall, freezing as the guards ran past. He clutched Dranzer in his hand and his breath came in quick gasps. Why were the royal guards after him? The boy had done nothing wrong, to his knowledge at least.
'Dranzer will protect me against anything, if what those inscriptions said was true. Rei, however, could have made that all up. Every single word might have been a lie to throw me off track . . . '
Biting his lip, Kai slumped against the cool stone. He didn't believe that either. There was something about Rei that demanded trust. Something Kai couldn't deny the other boy of.
'Rei, where ever you are, please forget about me. I've always been alone, and that's how it's going to stay.'
*****
"Takao!" A blond youth ran up to said boy, glomping him around the neck.
"Hey, knock it off Max." Takao laughed, slipping his arms around the merchant. "I've brought a friend."
Eyes alight with curiosity, the boy called Max held out his hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm Max."
"Rei." The Chinese scribe forced a smile as he shook hands with the other player.
"So, anything I can help you with Takao, Rei? I am a merchant after all!"
"Not really. Heard anything on loner-boy? 'Cuz it seems Rei here is a good friend of his."
"Really?"
"I don't know about that," Rei murmured. "But I have talked with him a couple times."
Just then two palace guards approached the trio. Max's eyes widened, and he stepped behind Takao.
"I didn't do anything." Rei heard him whisper.
"Excuse me boys, have you seen a youth your age around? He has blue-ish hair, dark colored eyes and is dressed as a mage."
It was like time froze. Rei's breath caught, eyes becoming round saucers. The royal guards were after Kai? But, he was suppose to protect him!
Sensing Rei's worry, Takao shook his head. "Nope, can't say we have. Should we keep an eye out for this boy?"
"Yes, be on guard. The princess thinks he's up to something . . . " Then the guards where gone, questioning other players.
"Rei, it's alright. They're gone." Takao shook the scribe's shoulders gently. "Rei?"
"I-I have to find Kai!"
//Don't panic, we'll find him.// Drigger roared angrily. //No one will mess with the phoenix.//
"You don't even know where to look." Takao reasoned. "I'm sure he's fine."
"No, you don't understand. I have to find him, *now*."
'Kai where are you? I should have never left you alone for this long.'
Rei took off down the cobblestone street, pushing past players. His chest tightened with each passing second, images flickering through his mind. Kai could get hurt, he could get killed! Normal rules didn't apply to the Japanese youth and the Tiger had no idea what could happen.
//Rei, over there. I sense the phoenix that way.//
'Thanks Drigger.'
Making a sharp corner, Rei collided into Kai. The Tiger's face relaxed with relief, and he threw his arms around the boy.
"Are you alright? I'm so sorry! I should have looked for you sooner!"
Crimson orbs just stared in surprise, arms hesitantly circling the Chinese youth.
"The royal guards are after you. What did you do? We have to hide you, I don't want anything bad to happen . . . " Rei's voice trailed off as he looked up into Kai's eyes. He gulped nervously, shrinking under the intense gaze. "What?"
"Why were you so worried? I told you, I can take care of myself."
"I know, but . . . "
"Rei!" Takao and Max rounded the corner, skidding to a stop. "Is everything alright?"
The raven-haired boy nodded, but made no move to free himself from Kai's arms. Takao raised an eyebrow, nudging Max.
"Maybe we should leave. It looks like these two want some alone time."
A growl erupted from Kai, eyes narrowing dangerously to glare at Takao. Rei just blushed, finally pulling back.
"Sorry." whispered Rei as he ducked his head in embarrassment.
/"Gomen nasai, Kai. This is for your own good."/
Kai blinked. That voice . . . it was so familiar. Where had he heard it before?
"I'm Takao, and this is Max."
The boy with blue hair was talking to Kai. The Japanese boy grunted, closing his mind to lingering thoughts.
"Hi." The blond said nervously, sending Kai a shy smile. He stood close to Takao, hands nearly intertwined.
"Hn."
"Kai?" Rei was speaking again. Crimson orbs landed on the Chinese boy, softening just a little. "Maybe they could help you -"
"No."
"Kai?!"
Rei's voice drifted after Kai as he took off down the street. Fingers circled his wrist, turning him to look into golden eyes.
"Kai, listen. They could help you. Don't you want to go home?"
" . . . "
"Let them help."
"What if I don't want to leave?"
The Chinese boy was silent. He released Kai's wrist, stepping backwards.
"Wouldn't your family miss you?"
A shrug from the Japanese youth.
"What about your friends?"
Another shrug.
"Kai, give me a real answer!"
"I don't know." Snapped Kai. "I don't even know if I have a family. I doubt I ever had friends. If I can't get any here, why would I have them in the real world?"
"Kai . . . "
"I'll be fine here, Rei. You don't have to worry." As he turned to leave, Rei's quiet words caught Kai's attention.
"I know what happened to you . . ."
TBC . . .
