Last Time: Chapter 3
"Ray?" a hoarse voice mumbled as a blue-haired teen caught sight of the lifeless Bladebreaker and White Tiger.
Chapter 4: A Stranger's Gift
The blue-haired adolescent took glimpses of his surrounding, picturing everything in his mind. Not even for a single second must he let his guard down, or he might end up like Ray, unconscious. An apprehensive expression plagued his face just for one moment as he approached Ray's body, never taking his eyes off his helpless friend. Remembering his short lectures on first-aid he checked for Ray's pulse and breathing. 'Good. You're still fighting death, my friend. Your body is weak and cold, but you'll be fine, now that I'm here.'
"Dranzer!" summoned Kai as he launched his blade aggressively on the ground beside Ray's immobile body. On command, the red phoenix emerged from his tranquil confinement. "Warm his body up. Dry him of those icy waters," Kai specifically ordered, "but don't scorch him."
The red phoenix squawked as he hovered slightly over Ray. Bit by bit, the heat radiating from the flames of the great Dranzer dried Ray's soaking wet cold clothes and hair. Consequently, the fire granted warmth to his body. After fulfilling his master's order, he retreated back into the blade, and the blade returned into Kai's hand.
Moments later, the Bladebreaker's team captain, with Ray carefully resting against his back, he slowly started trekking.
Minutes into his walking, Kai encountered another human within the woods besides him and Ray. Once he halted, he looked at her intently while she told him to go away. The young girl's body sat on the grass beneath a tall tree. Her hands bind around her legs while her head rested against her legs. A white ribbon tied her long turquoise hair and a starry scarf peeked out. She was wearing a white buttoned shirt and pants with patterns of ocean blue bubbles of various sizes. Her feet were bare. For some odd reason, she was shoeless. 'Lauri,' Kai thought to himself when he easily recognized her. "Hmm. Whatever," Kai responded uncaringly before resuming walking.
Startled by the familiarity of the figure's voice her head lifted, and her eyes tracked down the team captain who was just walking away from her. "Kai? Ray?" she uttered questionably when she saw Ray on the back of the Bladebreakers' leader. Kai did not stop for her, so she ran to catch up with her team captain. 'What happened?!' she asked herself as she walked and glanced at Kai with Ray on his back continuously. She cleared her throat. "Um…. What happened?" Lauri waited for his answer. But no words left his mouth. 'Even the interview with him was more enlightening. Now, he's just dead silent.'
Several seconds later, she tried another question instead. "Need any help carrying him?" Fruitless it was. No answer came. "Fine, ignore me; for all I care, I don't care." Lauri stared at the body of the unconscious blader helplessly. So frozen in immobility; it reminded her of her beloved brother.
Sighing, she shook her head out of frustration. "Listen, Kai," she said, quickening her pace to be side by side with her captain. Not caring whether he was ignoring her or not, Lauri uttered sternly, "It would be faster if you use your phoenix to fly you two there."
Kai bore no expression of interest on his face. To have even the slightest contact with any part of the phoenix's body would be hazardous. According to Kai, Lauri was mad to suggest such an idea. But, the obstinate Lauri wouldn't surrender just yet. "Summon your Dranzer. Free him from his blade, and tell him to fly you and him wherever you want to go safely. If he cares for you enough, he will take you and Ray there without barbecuing you two. And if he is faithful, he'll return into his blade willingly when all of you arrive at your destination. That's all I wanted you to know," Lauri spoke simply before she halted, given up on following the silent leader and his teammate. "Do whatever you choose."
To her surprise Kai stopped also. He looked back at her before resting Ray on the grass cautiously. "Are you trying to help or trying to get both of us burnt?" Kai questioned plainly as his eyes glared at her with suspicion.
Her face had paled. She turned her body around so that he could not continue to see her grim facial expressions. "If you do not trust me, why did you stop and lay Ray on the grass?"
"I just needed a little break. It has nothing to do with me trusting you. Like everyone else, you will need to earn that," Kai answered composedly.
"Then you are denying me the chance," Lauri spoke calmly. Her tone of voice was untainted by the animosity she locked within her heart.
"Perhaps. But if I am, I have my reasons. I have a gut feeling that Ray had gone through more than the icy waters; my friend here doesn't need to be charred also."
Lauri's eyes closed at the mention of 'icy waters'. Her heart sank; added to counter the hatred against bladers and bit-beasts, was guilt. "Truly, I am sorry. If he fell onto the ice rink, I am to blame. Earlier, Blitz and I had been practicing. Neither one of us desired for anyone to get so seriously hurt by it," Lauri confessed, her voice slowly breaking off.
'I won't argue with you on whose fault it was.'
Abruptly, she turned to face him. Kai's glare died down. He raised one of his eyebrows curiously. One of her hands dug into her shirt's pocket, and took out the sky-blue beyblade. Both set of eyes stared at the blade resting on her right palm. "Blitz, release yourself," she ordered impassively.
A brilliant beam of light streaked out, sending a howling crystal blue wolf bit-beast gently onto the grass beside his new holder. "It can work like that also?" She nodded absent-mindedly as she put her soulless blade back into her pocket. A weak smile formed on her face at the sight of her brother's devoted companion. Woe and hatred gleamed in her eyes. 'What is she hiding from her own teammates? It doesn't matter. She's only temporary,' Kai thought to himself as his eyes searched hers when she bent down to face the crystal blue wolf. 'Why am I still here?' he asked mentally before bending down and pulling Ray up onto his back again. The wolf growled at the sudden moments of the young teenage boy. Ignoring the bit-beast, Kai resumed his walk.
"Easy does it. He hasn't done anything wrong today," she said softly to the beast as her hands rubbed against the icy crystallized fur of the wolf. Gradually, Blitz relaxed and his attention was on her again. "How about a little race, Kai Hiwatari?" she shouted competitively to her captain, "I bet Blitz and I can out-fly you and your phoenix to the roof of the hotel!"
'Was that a challenge?' Kai mulled over. He had heard her words. The footsteps behind him rapidly got louder. Stopping, he looked back only to discover that Lauri was riding on Blitz's back. Stunned that she did not cried out painfully since her body pressed against the spiky body of the ice wolf, Kai commented, "Impressive."
When the wolf raced caught up with Kai, Lauri hopped off. "Don't be as stubborn as a mule! Getting out of these woods are easy. It's walking to the hotel that's time-consuming. If I recall correctly, the park and the hotel is at least an hour walking distance." Lauri grunted as she tried to get Ray's body off of Kai's back.
"What? What are you trying to do now?" Kai huffed just as Lauri successfully removed Ray from Kai's back. She was struggling to place him onto the back of the crystal wolf. "Ahhh—" she shrieked until Kai decided to help her surprisingly.
"Good," she said, breathing heavily. Turning to the bit-beast, she gave her instructions. "Now, Blitz. Don't harm Ray. Make sure you carry him back to the others in the hotel without any scratches… or anything horrible. Now, take flight, Ice Wolf!" 'Fly free for a while afterwards if you want. Wait for me in my room though.'
"I hope this is faster for your sake," Kai stated starkly, glaring at Lauri, as Blitz with Ray on his back began scampering away. He glanced around for the wolf as a strong breeze blew by. The branches swayed and the leaves rustled as the ice wolf soared swiftly into the sky, literally, and vanished out of the bladers' sights. "Your bit-beast can fly?"
"Sure, why not?" A self-righteous smirk formed across her face as she thrust her body against the trunk of a tree. Kai watched as she slid down gradually, her back colliding with the wooden surface. "All bit-beasts can fly. That's how they enter and exit our blades. As for transporting people, that will take practice and patience." A yawn broke out. Lauri was tired, for some peculiar reason. Gradually, her eyelids closed, and the smirk she wore was now replaced by a faint expression of contentment.
With nothing worth saying, Kai began walking away, heading in direction of the nearest exit of the woods. "When the black phoenix returns to you neither Blitz or I will show remorse in putting out his flames." Her tone of voice was callous and determined.
Kai stopped in his tracks only to laugh at the ignorance of the girl. 'Yeah, right.' His thought filled with sarcasm. According to him, the black phoenix genetically cloned from Dranzer and modified, known as Black Dranzer, was vaporized out of existence years ago. Why the granddaughter of the BBA's president craved revenge upon his former bit-beast was beyond his concerns.
"I have a warning before you go, Hiwatari." Solemnity was evident in her tone of voice and on her face.
"Oh? What is it?" Kai asked with no interest.
"Be on your guard for Black Dranzer at all times. You and I will attract danger to the others. This whole World Tournament is the least of my worries," Lauri spoke sharply.
"If you do not intend to whole-heartedly beybattle in your matches, you may ship yourself out of this team promptly," Kai snapped, glaring at her. "Black Dranzer is dead; you should not waste your time on non-existent enemies," he preached before sauntering off.
"Wait!" She was up on her feet again. 'If he's not careful….'
Kai didn't look back. To him, she was wasting his time telling him nonsense. She sprinted to come face to face with her captain once more. "Do not try to block my way, Girl."
"I knew you won't believe me. I… I… I—" Lauri stammered until Kai exasperatingly demanded her to finish her sentence. "I've got something to give you." Her hand reached into her pants' pocket. Whatever she took out was hidden in the palm of her hand.
"If it's a rematch, I don't have—" Kai stated grimly and was cut short of his words when she brought out her hand and unbend her fingers to reveal a chunk of bluish crystal attached to a black strand of material. It was a necklace.
"For you," Lauri whispered; her voice was a little shaky. Kai's face was beginning to redden, and he could feel it warming up, so he quickly turned his face away from her. A part of him was dumbfounded by her sudden offering of a gift. It was unusual for him to receive gifts, except for a holiday or other special occasions, such as when Mr. Dickenson and his team showered him with gifts for Christmas. The other part of him was suspicious of her motives for the offering. After all, it was clear that he didn't like her and that she felt the same way.
"The crystal pendant came directly from Blitz's body. Unless it's under extreme heat, it won't melt of course." She waited for his verbal reaction. But, after a few seconds more of his quietness, she clutched the pendant tightly before she confronted him. His eyes were shut. He looked like he was in deep thoughts.
She paced towards a large rock and placed the necklace on it. "It's on the rock. I'll leave it up to you. If the black phoenix is near, the ice crystal will illuminate. If you wish to test my truth, you may. Experiment with the crystal by placing it close to anything that is or was part of Black Dranzer. The real thing will show soon. I hope you'll be prepared. My brother and I sure weren't," she claimed before dashing off on her bare feet.
'Brother?' Kai pondered before opening his eyes to the sight of the necklace Lauri left for him. 'Strange girl. Where is her brother anyway? Why didn't Mr. Dickenson mention him? Hmm.' He sighed and picked up the pendant. 'Enough stalking around here. I'll get Dizzi to search online. In the meantime,' he contemplated as he placed the necklace into his pocket and dug out his blade and ripcord. "Dranzer, I summon you!" he shouted, launching his beyblade.
Upon collision with the ground, the large red phoenix soared out of the blade squawking. "Take me flying on your back, Dranzer," he commanded as they faced each other. The large bird gave out a shrill cry before nodding and lowering his back for Kai to climb onto him.
With great caution, Kai moved closer to his fire bird and his hands gingerly touched Dranzer's body. "There's no need to fear, Kai. My flames will not burn you or your friend," a voice called out in his mind. But it didn't belong to Kai. Instead, it was the same voice in his dream. It was his bit-beast talking to him telepathically.
"Lauri is still a stranger. She hasn't earned herself as my friend yet," Kai muttered. His hands stroked Dranzer's feathers. There was no burning sensation; only the feeling of serenity came over him.
Dranzer's head rubbed against Kai's neck. "Within her, the light clashes with the darkness. I can sense her loathing of us, bit-beasts, and bladers. Teach her forgiveness. Open her eyes. Prove her reasons for despising us wrong. If successful, she can be a most admirable ally when Black Dranzer strikes back."
"You trust her?"
"I trust my instincts, Kai," Dranzer answered telepathically.
Wrapping his arms around the fire bird's neck, Kai hugged the large bit-beast affectionately. 'I've always wanted to do this, Dranzer. Thank you for always being there.'
"I love you too, Bro," his bit-beast uttered in Kai's head. The blue-haired youngster smiled contently as he withdrew his hands and stared at his companion. The embrace between the two close souls ended. "Quickly hop on. Let's give your girlfriend a little ride."
"She's not my girlfriend! And since when did bit-beasts begin ordering their partners?"
Within Kai's head, he could hear his bit-beast laughing amusingly. "She's a girl and she's your friend. This makes her your girlfriend," Dranzer replied teasingly, and Kai scowled. "Besides, she's running around on her sore feet without shoes. I'm sure you won't argue that she needs a lift."
"Hm…. I'm losing control over my own bit-beast," Kai mumbled before climbing onto the fire bird's back.
Immediately once Kai was secure in his seat, Dranzer took flight.
Minutes later, both of them spotted Mr. Dickenson's granddaughter exiting the woods. All three of them were now entering a grassland area. Once passing this, they would have to travel pass a few streets to arrive at their destination—the hotel.
Instantly, Dranzer landed vigorously in front of Lauri, causing her eyes to shut instinctively and her hands to shield her face from strong winds and dust-like particles resulted from the fluttering of the bird's wings.
Opening her eyes, she took note of the bit-beast and his passenger. "So, I see it that you wanted to soar?" She smiled satisfyingly.
Kai inwardly growled while his eyes glared. "Just hop on, and we'll take you back to the hotel promptly," he said authoritatively.
She hesitated and took several steps backwards. Fear was evident in her turquoise eyes. "I… I… I," she stuttered in a nervous voice. "I'm not very fond of heights!" she blurted out irrationally to the eyeing blader and his ferocious-looking beast.
"Who cares? Jump on, and close your eyes. You won't even know that you're over an hundred feet over the ground. Hear I am, listening to my bit-beast, and offering you a ride, and you're declining? My patience is wearing thin, and I'm betting that your feet can't take more walking on the hot streets," Kai retorted. "It's now or never."
Lauri shot daggers at the teen before taking a glance at her aching feet. Kai's bit-beast called out to her in her head. "Don't worry, child. My flames will not harm you, and I won't let you fall."
She trudged closer to the large bird. "Land me on the roof. Blitz awaits me there," she emotionlessly expressed. 'If I am to defeat Black Dranzer, I must first learn not to fear death or heights.'
Dranzer nodded and lowered himself for Lauri to climb onto his back.
"Hang on."
"To what? Kai's white scarf?"
"Just grab onto my shirt or hold onto me. Whatever you do, don't pull on the scarf," Kai replied grouchily.
'Gee. I guess he thinks I was planning to strangle him with his own scarf.' Lauri reluctantly wrapped her arms around his waist loosely.
"Ready?" Dranzer asked both of them telepathically.
"Yeah," Lauri commented dully. Receiving her reply, Dranzer fluttered off the ground and soared high in the air. 'Just don't look down. Or don't look down if you're not ready,' she told herself as her eyes gazed downwards.
"Faster, Dranzer!" Kai commanded. His voice was full of sheer exhilaration.
Instantly, his bit-beast reacted and gained speed. Lauri closed her eyes forcefully, fearing that she may fall. Her grip on Kai's waist tightened. 'Not so tight,' Kai heeded in his mind when her head rested against his shoulder. His heart pounded louder while his cheeks glowed pinkish. He could feel her breathing against his skin. 'The race will have to wait.'
"Your friend is asleep, Kai."
"Or maybe she fainted." Regaining his composure and complexion, he sighed as he gazed down at the streets of China on the wings of his great eternal fire bird. Everything looked so small, so insignificant.
* * *
The eyelids of the raven-haired victim twitched open. The young blader was resting in his bed for over two hours. Standing in front of him were Kai and Kenny, while besides him on his right were Tyson and Max. A barely audible hello was muttered from under his weak breathing.
"RAY!" Tyson shouted excitingly. A faint smile of reassurance formed across the face of the Chinese blader.
"Oh, good, you're awake," the Chief expressed sympathetically when Ray tried to rise up from the hospital bed.
"Stay down and rest. You just lost one of your nine lives," Max ordered with a chuckle as he tried to push Ray gently back into bed.
"Guys… what… what happen? How did I get here?" Ray asked as his own mind tried to reprocess the last thing that happened to him.
"Kai found you soaked from head to toes this morning. Your body was terribly cold. He used Dranzer to bring your body temperature back up to normal," the Chief explained, glancing quickly at the captain of the Bladebreakers.
"Thanks, Kai," Ray expressed sincerely as he gazed at his team captain. For the first time, Kai's face showed the slightest bit of concern for a dear teammate and friend. An almost unnoticeable nod came from the team captain.
"Blitz flew you back to the hotel," Kenny continued to explain. "It seems that all bit-beasts have the ability to safely transport their keepers."
"I see." His eyes examined the room he shared with Kai.
"She's in her room," Kai stated, noting that he was scanning the room for Lauri.
"Oh, ok," Ray mumbled when Tyson went hysterical.
"Man, what happened out there?" Tyson asked vociferously and Ray suddenly remembered what happened to him before he blacked out.
"After a few beybattles, I decided to do some training alone in the woods of the park. During my visit there, I saw an angel—"
"An angel?!" Tyson, Max and Kenny questioned unbelievingly.
"Yes, a girl with black wings. She was flying overhead. I followed her until I tripped. Then I decided to head back here. On my way back, a strange noise broke—"
"And you decided to follow it?" Tyson quickly finished off Ray's sentence. Ray nodded.
"Don't you know that curiosity kills the cat?" a voice coming by the door uttered. Kai, Tyson, Max and Kenny turned around to find Lauri right behind them. "How are you feeling?" Lauri walked closer to his bedside.
"Better. Thanks to you and Kai," Ray answered, flashing a bright smile of recovery.
"Don't thank me yet. The ice you fell into was my doing. Sorry about that."
"Oh?" all of them, except Kai, responded, wanting more of an explanation.
"I found myself in the woods this morning. So, since I was there, I decided to do some training with Blitz."
"So, basically, it's all Lauri's fault," Kai stated bitterly. "Trust a girl to mess things up." He smirked.
"HEY!" she growled. 'The ice was going to melt away eventually.'
Worriedly, the raven-haired boy dug into his pockets.
"What are you looking for?" Tyson inquired.
Nothing felt like a beyblade. "Driger?! I don't have my blade. I remembered launching it. Did you find—" Ray blurted out inquiringly.
Kai shook his head. "It might still be in the woods," Kenny said as the worried expression on Ray's face intensified. "Don't—" he began to say when Ray rose up from his bed.
"I'll be fine. I'll pop by the woods and look for Driger before nightfall. I'll have more chances of finding my blade when it's still bright," Ray reasoned.
"I'll come with—" Tyson was interrupted by some rumbles. Everyone's attention was upon the usual hungry and growing boy. Swiftly, Tyson placed his one hand over his stomach. Surprisingly, it wasn't him. "It wasn't me!"
"Sure, whatever."
"Actually, I'm famished," Ray admitted, slightly embarrassed. "I guess my stomach couldn't wait any longer for lunch," he joked.
Max chuckled cheerfully while a dumbfounded look was upon Kenny. 'This is most bizarre. Usually, it is Tyson.'
"Hm…."
"There are some leftovers Max saved for you, Ray," Lauri spoke monotonously.
"Come to think of it, I still hungry," Tyson blurted out before darting out of the room.
"Tyson!" Max and Kenny shouted in unison, chasing after him. "The food is for Ray!"
"If not, you should call for take-out, or cook," Lauri suggested before exiting.
Now, only two of the Bladebreakers remained in the room. "Tell me, Kai. Was it you who pulled me out of the water also?"
"No. Whoever it was had probably left before I got there. We'll scour the woods for your blade after each of us refuel," Kai replied. "And return by nightfall."
Ray nodded in agreement.
* * *
While the five boys searched the woods for Driger futilely, among the darkness within the large Egyptian structure elsewhere, the brother of Dranzer glowered luminously.
"Forget about that pesky black-winged angel for now. Retrieve as many beyblades with bit-beasts," the black fire bird declared.
"Why do you want bit-beasts?" Sangunex questioned carelessly.
"Do not question my orders! Your team's failure has forced me to change my plans. Nevertheless, one of you will keep a watch on the Bladebreakers while the rest of you will bring me as many bit-beasts. In all cases, keep a low profile."
"We did not bargain for this," Zomb reminded his teammates.
"No, we didn't. But, if we want our humanity back, we must follow through with following his orders," Cenotaph mentioned quietly.
Lupinex moaned silently, hating the situation.
"I will follow the kids. You three will gather beyblades," Sangunex declared. "We'll meet back here every two nights. Got it?"
Sangunex's team nodded reluctantly.
"Be gone!" Black Dranzer impatiently exclaimed, and all four of the Dark Bladers flickered out of sight.
'Once I acquire enough spirits, I will be able to walk among the humans without causing suspicion….' The black phoenix squawked gleefully at his ingeniously wicked notions.
* * *
To be continued….
Disclaimer: Beyblade doesn't belong to me…. *How many times do I need to mention this?*