Chapter 6
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
After a few hours, Kenny was getting worried that Tyson and the others had gotten lost. "They're probably fine, Chief." Dizzi tried to comfort him, but Kenny didn't like being alone, especially when the sun was almost down, and the forest had more shadows than normal.
"Maybe I should go find them... On second thought, I could get Kai to go find them." He trembled as the sun nearly disappeared behind the mountain.
"They'll show up, chief, don't worry. Maybe Tyson found something to eat!" Dizzi laughed at her own joke.
Kenny ignored her laughter, and looked around him in a paranoid way. "Do you feel like someone or something's watching us?" He trembled again, and swallowed. "I don't like anyplace at night except for some place nice, warm and safe indoors." He nearly screamed when he saw shadows emerging from the trees, and felt his heart race.
"Hey, chief!" One of them called out to him, and Kenny was relieved, it was only Max, Tyson and Ray.
"Geeze guys, don't scare me like that." He looked down and noticed he was hugging his laptop to his chest. He let go of it, and closed it.
"Sorry, Kenny. We didn't meant to. We all fell asleep near another stream. Man, the water there tastes so good!" Ray licked his lips, and recalled the taste.
"Oh well. We should probably go get a fire started, the sun's almost completely gone!" Kenny jumped up, and held his laptop and his bag close to him.
"Yeah, and it's getting pretty cold, too." Tyson spoke as he shivered. He rubbed his arms in hopes of keeping warm.
They all found the cave where Kai was, and started a nice little fire. They left Kai alone at the very back of the cave. He looked sound asleep to them.
"That's better." Ray sighed, and stretched his arms out in front of the small fire.
"I agree." Tyson kneeled in front of the fire, and felt the heat warm him up. "Wow, Kai has been sleeping a lot lately, usually he sleeps at our matches!" Tyson didn't bother to look back at Kai.
"Yeah, he has. But I don't think he ever slept at out matches, Tyson. He was usually thinking, or in deep thought or something like that." Ray argued.
"What's there to think about during a match - except winning!" Tyson sat down with his legs crossed, and his hands behind his head. Everyone laughed, and the cave echoed with laughter. Only Kai didn't join in. he was trying to rest and get more of his strength back.
They fell asleep around the fire, and Kai ended up putting it out with water from the stream. He spent most of the night outside in the cold, it was refreshing to him. When he got too cold, he went back to the very back of the cave, and stretched himself out with his jacket over himself as a blanket. He couldn't sleep for a while, however, because the temperature dropped to nearly 20 below. He didn't imagine how the others managed to stay asleep through it all.
In the morning, he was the first one awake, right at sunrise. He filled his empty bottle full of water, and remembering the sandwich, he took it out and ate it. It didn't fill him up, but it would have to do. He went to the stream, and took off his shirt again. He pulled off his blood stained scarf, and soaked it in the stream. It took a while, but he washed it until it was as white as snow. Then he washed his side, with much difficulty. The wound still seemed fresh. It wasn't really healing itself. He shrugged, and replaced the wet scarf around his chest. He put back on his shirt, and went back to the cave. He could hear the others waking up, so he turned around and sat on a rock, and watched the clouds float around gracefully, taking different shapes.
Kenny shook Tyson's shoulders lightly, and called to him "Tyson, wake up!" He gave up after a few minutes, and let Ray and Max shake him awake to their hearts content. Kenny watched as Tyson finally woke up. He rubbed his eyes, and tried to roll over to sleep again when Ray pulled the bag from underneath his head. Tyson's head hid the ground with a thud. He sat up and rubbed his head where it hurt.
"All right, I'm up." He looked around. "Hey, where's Kai?" Everyone shrugged, and Tyson just shrugged his shoulders too.
They all got their stuff back in their bags, and had a light breakfast of a few pieces of fruit that Kenny still had. They got ready to leave, and found Kai sitting on a rock stuck in his thoughts.
"Can we go now, oh mighty captain?" Tyson joked, but Kai fixed his deathly glare on Tyson. Tyson shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.
"Hn..." Kai got up, and they followed him all the way to the foot of the mountain. It was so tall! They nearly fell over trying to see the top of it.
"That's huge!" Max said softly, and shrugged. He looked around, and saw a small road. He ran over to where it headed downhill. He gasped and looked down at the little village. It was so old, it was all made from rock, as far as he could tell, and some of it was crumbling. One huge building looked out of place right in the middle of it all. It looked too new, and he could see little people crowded around it from where he was standing. "Hey guys, take a look at this!"
They all crowded around behind Max, and the whole way down to the town that's all they would talk about. It annoyed Kai greatly.
"Yes! We're here!" Tyson punched the air, and smiled very happily at the entrance to the village. Kai on the other hand looked kind of - disappointed. The grim look on his face seemed to get even more grim. If that's possible. His eyes were ablaze with anger towards himself. He was now feeling the results of the blood loss. He ignored it. He should be used to pain by now, he had always been hurt as a child. He frowned down at the ground. "Can we look around for awhile?" Max looked over at Kai questioningly.
Kai simply nodded, that way he would be able to clean up his wound, and have time to practice more with Dranzer. "But hurry up, and try to practice as much as you can. The tournament is this afternoon." Kai walked in the opposite direction as they others, and found himself in the building itself that looked out of place. He found a washroom, and waited until no one was around. He cleaned his scarf again, and inspected his wound. It was deeper than he remembered. He nearly fell down, and grabbed the counter top saving him from falling. But it was the pain that had caused him to lose composure. He needed to gain it. At all costs. He wrapped his damp scarf around his chest. He made sure it was tight so that the bleeding would surely stop, then he left the washroom. He made his way around the village, slowly, and tried not to arouse suspicions. He was nearly scared as he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see Max, Tyson, Ray, and the White Tigers all behind him.
"Hey, Kai!" Lee smiled up at him. There was no trace of hate in his face or voice. That made Kai suspicious. He had beaten the whole team of White Tigers without remorse, and the whole team was angry at him, then. Now they were all smiling at him like it never happened.
"Hn..." He couldn't seem to say anything, he was so surprised.
"We're here for the new tournaments, too. We saw a few of the All Stars around here somewhere, too." Mariah smiled over at the others.
"Maybe we could all practice together?" Ray suggested, and tried to ignore Mariah's smiling face. "That is - if your practicing..."
"Sure!" Lee stopped smiling, and pointed to the odd looking building. "They have a practicing room for they bey battlers somewhere inside. We saw it earlier."
They all agreed, and made their way into the very, very large room. There were hundreds of people spread out with small dishes in front of them, battling each other.
Kai just stood and watched as they practiced against each other, and won and lost. He was too tired for some reason. So he didn't take anyone's challenge. He took out Dranzer was his pocket, and his launcher, too. He needed to be strong, for both himself and Dranzer. He had to win in the tournament, for his team. And for himself. He didn't notice as someone took a spot on the bench beside him. He was busy staring down at his beyblade and thinking.
"Kai?" A voice spoke from beside him, a familiar voice. Kai looked up from his blade, and wasn't surprised to see Steth. Steth placed a hand on Kai's shoulder. "Have you looked at the schedule for who's going against who?" He gestured over at a paper stuck on the wall.
"No, I haven't." Kai looked back down at his beyblade.
"Good. Then don't look." Steth seemed to be trying to warn him, but Kai didn't care. Kai kept looking down at his beyblade. "How about a friendly battle?"
"No. Not now." Kai ignored his past friend, and nearly dropped his beyblade when Steth clapped his shoulder. That's when he remembered the pain. But it only blinded him for a few seconds.
"All right, but you have to be strong when you're in the beybattle. Both you and Dranzer. Share the strength, Kai, do it or be defeated." Steth then smiled, and got up. He almost got away when someone half his size challenged him to a battle with his beyblade.
"I don't think you want to challenge me." He looked down at the youngster, and Kai looked over at him. He was talking to one of the all stars.
"You think I'll beat you? Well then you're right." The young boy pushed aside a piece of hair under his baseball cap.
"I just don't have time, maybe another time? And if you do think you can beat me, then keep thinking that. Because maybe it's not true." Steth smiled down at him, and glanced back at Kai. Then he left the practicing room.
"Dragoon!" Tyson yelled, and shared his anger with his bit beast. "Attack!" He commanded and watched happily as his bitbeast lunged towards Draciel.
"Draciel, defense! Now!" But it was too late, and Max's beyblade wavered, and fell.
"Aw, come on Max. You've almost got it! You've got to believe that you're a part of your bitbeast!" Tyson exclaimed as Max picked up his beyblade.
"I know, I'm almost there, but I don't know how to complete the connection. Something is missing somehow!" Max frowned at his beyblade, and attached it to his launcher again.
Kai watched them from a distance, and shook his head. He could make Max realise what was missing, but he wasn't convinced he had enough energy. He got up and walked over to their mini arena. Tyson looked at him surprised, like he would never go up to them.
"May I?" Kai looked at Tyson, and Tyson backed away with his beyblade in his hand.
"Sure!" Tyson stared at him for a while, then watched. Max looked curiously at Kai for a few moments, then nodded at Tyson.
"All right. 3 - 2 - 1" He paused, and yelled "Let it rip!!!" He watched Kai and Max as they launched their beyblades into the little stone arena. Kai's beyblade spun around Max's like it was waiting, or taunting him to attack.
"Draciel!" Max called out, not taking any chances. "Attack!" "Dranzer!" Kai yelled at his beyblade, and both bitbeasts appeared simultaneously, and lunged forward at each other. Kai then remembered how annoying the team had been today, and he felt the connection. His bitbeast was faster than Max's and hit it out of the arena with no difficulties. Max stared down at his beyblade. Dranzer let out a triumphant cry, and Kai almost smiled down at his beyblade as it launched itself into his hand, while the bitbeast disappeared. "You have to feel something. Feel exactly what your bitbeast is feeling. Then let go of your feelings and emotions. And give them all to your bitbeast. Become your bitbeast." Kai stared down at Dranzer, and said "Hn..." "Hmm..." Max looked at his beyblade and attached it to his launcher again. But Kai went back over to the bench. Tyson took his place, and what surprised them both was that Max completed the connection, and his Bitbeast emerged without a call, and threw Tyson's blade out of the ring.
"Now you got it! Good one, Max!" Tyson picked up Dragoon, and smiled happily at his friend. They both laughed a little, and practiced again.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
After a few hours, Kenny was getting worried that Tyson and the others had gotten lost. "They're probably fine, Chief." Dizzi tried to comfort him, but Kenny didn't like being alone, especially when the sun was almost down, and the forest had more shadows than normal.
"Maybe I should go find them... On second thought, I could get Kai to go find them." He trembled as the sun nearly disappeared behind the mountain.
"They'll show up, chief, don't worry. Maybe Tyson found something to eat!" Dizzi laughed at her own joke.
Kenny ignored her laughter, and looked around him in a paranoid way. "Do you feel like someone or something's watching us?" He trembled again, and swallowed. "I don't like anyplace at night except for some place nice, warm and safe indoors." He nearly screamed when he saw shadows emerging from the trees, and felt his heart race.
"Hey, chief!" One of them called out to him, and Kenny was relieved, it was only Max, Tyson and Ray.
"Geeze guys, don't scare me like that." He looked down and noticed he was hugging his laptop to his chest. He let go of it, and closed it.
"Sorry, Kenny. We didn't meant to. We all fell asleep near another stream. Man, the water there tastes so good!" Ray licked his lips, and recalled the taste.
"Oh well. We should probably go get a fire started, the sun's almost completely gone!" Kenny jumped up, and held his laptop and his bag close to him.
"Yeah, and it's getting pretty cold, too." Tyson spoke as he shivered. He rubbed his arms in hopes of keeping warm.
They all found the cave where Kai was, and started a nice little fire. They left Kai alone at the very back of the cave. He looked sound asleep to them.
"That's better." Ray sighed, and stretched his arms out in front of the small fire.
"I agree." Tyson kneeled in front of the fire, and felt the heat warm him up. "Wow, Kai has been sleeping a lot lately, usually he sleeps at our matches!" Tyson didn't bother to look back at Kai.
"Yeah, he has. But I don't think he ever slept at out matches, Tyson. He was usually thinking, or in deep thought or something like that." Ray argued.
"What's there to think about during a match - except winning!" Tyson sat down with his legs crossed, and his hands behind his head. Everyone laughed, and the cave echoed with laughter. Only Kai didn't join in. he was trying to rest and get more of his strength back.
They fell asleep around the fire, and Kai ended up putting it out with water from the stream. He spent most of the night outside in the cold, it was refreshing to him. When he got too cold, he went back to the very back of the cave, and stretched himself out with his jacket over himself as a blanket. He couldn't sleep for a while, however, because the temperature dropped to nearly 20 below. He didn't imagine how the others managed to stay asleep through it all.
In the morning, he was the first one awake, right at sunrise. He filled his empty bottle full of water, and remembering the sandwich, he took it out and ate it. It didn't fill him up, but it would have to do. He went to the stream, and took off his shirt again. He pulled off his blood stained scarf, and soaked it in the stream. It took a while, but he washed it until it was as white as snow. Then he washed his side, with much difficulty. The wound still seemed fresh. It wasn't really healing itself. He shrugged, and replaced the wet scarf around his chest. He put back on his shirt, and went back to the cave. He could hear the others waking up, so he turned around and sat on a rock, and watched the clouds float around gracefully, taking different shapes.
Kenny shook Tyson's shoulders lightly, and called to him "Tyson, wake up!" He gave up after a few minutes, and let Ray and Max shake him awake to their hearts content. Kenny watched as Tyson finally woke up. He rubbed his eyes, and tried to roll over to sleep again when Ray pulled the bag from underneath his head. Tyson's head hid the ground with a thud. He sat up and rubbed his head where it hurt.
"All right, I'm up." He looked around. "Hey, where's Kai?" Everyone shrugged, and Tyson just shrugged his shoulders too.
They all got their stuff back in their bags, and had a light breakfast of a few pieces of fruit that Kenny still had. They got ready to leave, and found Kai sitting on a rock stuck in his thoughts.
"Can we go now, oh mighty captain?" Tyson joked, but Kai fixed his deathly glare on Tyson. Tyson shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.
"Hn..." Kai got up, and they followed him all the way to the foot of the mountain. It was so tall! They nearly fell over trying to see the top of it.
"That's huge!" Max said softly, and shrugged. He looked around, and saw a small road. He ran over to where it headed downhill. He gasped and looked down at the little village. It was so old, it was all made from rock, as far as he could tell, and some of it was crumbling. One huge building looked out of place right in the middle of it all. It looked too new, and he could see little people crowded around it from where he was standing. "Hey guys, take a look at this!"
They all crowded around behind Max, and the whole way down to the town that's all they would talk about. It annoyed Kai greatly.
"Yes! We're here!" Tyson punched the air, and smiled very happily at the entrance to the village. Kai on the other hand looked kind of - disappointed. The grim look on his face seemed to get even more grim. If that's possible. His eyes were ablaze with anger towards himself. He was now feeling the results of the blood loss. He ignored it. He should be used to pain by now, he had always been hurt as a child. He frowned down at the ground. "Can we look around for awhile?" Max looked over at Kai questioningly.
Kai simply nodded, that way he would be able to clean up his wound, and have time to practice more with Dranzer. "But hurry up, and try to practice as much as you can. The tournament is this afternoon." Kai walked in the opposite direction as they others, and found himself in the building itself that looked out of place. He found a washroom, and waited until no one was around. He cleaned his scarf again, and inspected his wound. It was deeper than he remembered. He nearly fell down, and grabbed the counter top saving him from falling. But it was the pain that had caused him to lose composure. He needed to gain it. At all costs. He wrapped his damp scarf around his chest. He made sure it was tight so that the bleeding would surely stop, then he left the washroom. He made his way around the village, slowly, and tried not to arouse suspicions. He was nearly scared as he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see Max, Tyson, Ray, and the White Tigers all behind him.
"Hey, Kai!" Lee smiled up at him. There was no trace of hate in his face or voice. That made Kai suspicious. He had beaten the whole team of White Tigers without remorse, and the whole team was angry at him, then. Now they were all smiling at him like it never happened.
"Hn..." He couldn't seem to say anything, he was so surprised.
"We're here for the new tournaments, too. We saw a few of the All Stars around here somewhere, too." Mariah smiled over at the others.
"Maybe we could all practice together?" Ray suggested, and tried to ignore Mariah's smiling face. "That is - if your practicing..."
"Sure!" Lee stopped smiling, and pointed to the odd looking building. "They have a practicing room for they bey battlers somewhere inside. We saw it earlier."
They all agreed, and made their way into the very, very large room. There were hundreds of people spread out with small dishes in front of them, battling each other.
Kai just stood and watched as they practiced against each other, and won and lost. He was too tired for some reason. So he didn't take anyone's challenge. He took out Dranzer was his pocket, and his launcher, too. He needed to be strong, for both himself and Dranzer. He had to win in the tournament, for his team. And for himself. He didn't notice as someone took a spot on the bench beside him. He was busy staring down at his beyblade and thinking.
"Kai?" A voice spoke from beside him, a familiar voice. Kai looked up from his blade, and wasn't surprised to see Steth. Steth placed a hand on Kai's shoulder. "Have you looked at the schedule for who's going against who?" He gestured over at a paper stuck on the wall.
"No, I haven't." Kai looked back down at his beyblade.
"Good. Then don't look." Steth seemed to be trying to warn him, but Kai didn't care. Kai kept looking down at his beyblade. "How about a friendly battle?"
"No. Not now." Kai ignored his past friend, and nearly dropped his beyblade when Steth clapped his shoulder. That's when he remembered the pain. But it only blinded him for a few seconds.
"All right, but you have to be strong when you're in the beybattle. Both you and Dranzer. Share the strength, Kai, do it or be defeated." Steth then smiled, and got up. He almost got away when someone half his size challenged him to a battle with his beyblade.
"I don't think you want to challenge me." He looked down at the youngster, and Kai looked over at him. He was talking to one of the all stars.
"You think I'll beat you? Well then you're right." The young boy pushed aside a piece of hair under his baseball cap.
"I just don't have time, maybe another time? And if you do think you can beat me, then keep thinking that. Because maybe it's not true." Steth smiled down at him, and glanced back at Kai. Then he left the practicing room.
"Dragoon!" Tyson yelled, and shared his anger with his bit beast. "Attack!" He commanded and watched happily as his bitbeast lunged towards Draciel.
"Draciel, defense! Now!" But it was too late, and Max's beyblade wavered, and fell.
"Aw, come on Max. You've almost got it! You've got to believe that you're a part of your bitbeast!" Tyson exclaimed as Max picked up his beyblade.
"I know, I'm almost there, but I don't know how to complete the connection. Something is missing somehow!" Max frowned at his beyblade, and attached it to his launcher again.
Kai watched them from a distance, and shook his head. He could make Max realise what was missing, but he wasn't convinced he had enough energy. He got up and walked over to their mini arena. Tyson looked at him surprised, like he would never go up to them.
"May I?" Kai looked at Tyson, and Tyson backed away with his beyblade in his hand.
"Sure!" Tyson stared at him for a while, then watched. Max looked curiously at Kai for a few moments, then nodded at Tyson.
"All right. 3 - 2 - 1" He paused, and yelled "Let it rip!!!" He watched Kai and Max as they launched their beyblades into the little stone arena. Kai's beyblade spun around Max's like it was waiting, or taunting him to attack.
"Draciel!" Max called out, not taking any chances. "Attack!" "Dranzer!" Kai yelled at his beyblade, and both bitbeasts appeared simultaneously, and lunged forward at each other. Kai then remembered how annoying the team had been today, and he felt the connection. His bitbeast was faster than Max's and hit it out of the arena with no difficulties. Max stared down at his beyblade. Dranzer let out a triumphant cry, and Kai almost smiled down at his beyblade as it launched itself into his hand, while the bitbeast disappeared. "You have to feel something. Feel exactly what your bitbeast is feeling. Then let go of your feelings and emotions. And give them all to your bitbeast. Become your bitbeast." Kai stared down at Dranzer, and said "Hn..." "Hmm..." Max looked at his beyblade and attached it to his launcher again. But Kai went back over to the bench. Tyson took his place, and what surprised them both was that Max completed the connection, and his Bitbeast emerged without a call, and threw Tyson's blade out of the ring.
"Now you got it! Good one, Max!" Tyson picked up Dragoon, and smiled happily at his friend. They both laughed a little, and practiced again.