OKAY THEN! Whoever I'm talking to (if anyone anymore), let's all give a REALLY big thank you to Cold-Heritage for the updating of this chapter and the first of the sequel. And Cold-Heritage, I really appreciate it, and I'm not saying stop, but, I'd just like to draw your attention to the word, "overkill". Add "Gratitude" to your list of words to look up as well! Heh, heh...that's funny...I thought everyone would hate Sarah (female at least). Guess I was wrong... -_-'

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24. Reprise

"Exactly what was their position before you left the battlefield?"

"Voltaire had cornered Kai between himself, Tala, and Sarah. Kai told us to get Anya and Kieran back to Biovolt, and so we took his advice, fearing he knew something that we didn't," Rhea replied to Boris promptly.

Boris turned away from her and surveyed the street through his single eye. His head had been bandaged, along with one grazed eye and a broken arm. He was beginning to get restless, as the control room supervisors and Rhea stood just outside the Abbey gates awaiting the return of the last three fighters.

Boris looked down to Kenny at his side, who was analyzing data on his laptop. "Do we have anything from Tala?"

"No contacts whatsoever," Kenny explained, raising his head. "If indeed he has his soul back and is alive, something must be interfering with our transmission systems."

Lutka placed a hand on Boris' shoulder. "We'd better go inside and wait. We'll only catch our death of hypothermia out here, especially those who have just returned from battle."

"Right," Boris agreed, focusing on the end of the street a while longer before turning on his heel and following the throng back in the gates.

"Where are they?" Tyson questioned rhetorically, gazing aimlessly upward and becoming impatient.

"Hold still, Tyson!" Emily scolded, still trying to bandage a cut on his hand. "I'm sure they're coming back. They have to be."

"But what if they aren't?"

The teams looked to the pessimist-Philemon. "If they've been gone this long, we shouldn't get our hopes too high."

"You're such a spoilsport," Oliver countered. "You have to-"

"Have faith, I know," he interrupted.

"Oliver is right, guys," Michael concurred. "We've got to think positively at such times."

Robert stood up from his seat, and suddenly all attention was drawn to him. "Come on. We'll think about this later. Right now we've got a Russian welcoming party to entertain," he said, heading for the door and walking down the hallway.

They all looked back to each other, but then to the doorway a moment later when they heard a door loudly creak open and then gasps and yells. Eva was the first out of her seat and to dash over to where Robert stood at the junction in the corridor. Her face was surprised, but then brightened into a smile.

As the others rushed to the junction, they did the same, some running forward in their excitement.

"They're back!" Kevin exclaimed.

Tala was the first to raise his head of the two. His stern expression and hand that he quickly held out in front of him stopped Boris, the first to rush forward, a few feet away. "Keep away," Tala ordered. The glove on his right outstretched hand was missing, but Boris knew where it had gone when he followed Tala's gaze to what lay supported in his left arm.

Tala's arm curled around her back and held her firmly at the stomach while her arm encircled his shoulder and neck. She was barely supporting herself and looked ready to collapse to the floor should Tala so much as move a muscle. Her head lay resting against her chest, and she didn't seem to show any signs of life as blood dripped from a wound in her forehead. Though Tala's glove had been wrapped around her head to serve as something to staunch the bleeding, it had now soaked through, and both his hands were covered with her blood.

"What happened?" Boris demanded, reaching out shakily.

Tala gazed at her with sympathetic eyes. "She was shot by that evil man, Voltaire. She's practically bleeding to death and near passing out, if not death itself. I've been trying to stop the bleeding, but as you can see..." He held out his hands, Sarah swaying in his grasp as his moved his left arm.

Enrique, one of the people at the front lines, stared in horror at Tala's hands. He looked up to Tala's eyes, which were observing his red hands. "What's the wound like, exactly?"

Tala turned his head to meet his blue eyes. Tala held her to him steadily as he raised her head slowly with his right hand. Using his teeth and single hand, he untied the knot in his glove, and it fell to the reddened stones as another gasp rose from the onlooking crowd.

When everyone had half recovered from their shock, Bryan popped the question hesitantly. "Wh-...What about...Where's...Kai?"

At this comment, Tala glanced away from the comatose Sarah and bore through Bryan's lavender eyes. If possible, that icy blue was icier than it ever was, but suddenly softened as he blinked and his gaze wavered. Tala felt tears burn his cheeks and moisten the blood already coated there.

Emily gulped as she stared at Tala. "No...Kai can't..."

"He couldn't have..." Lee tried to add, but he became choked up as well.

"Kai's...much stronger than that!" Mariah cried in disbelief.

"He's dead..."

As if the words awoke her, Sarah opened her eyes and straightened herself in Tala's arms. She gave a small groan as she surveyed her surroundings groggily. "Wh-...where am I?"

"Back at Biovolt," Tala said quietly to her. "It's all over."

He felt her jump and let go of her completely. She gazed around frantically. "Kai!"

"He's dead!" the same person as before repeated, with annoyance this time. All eyes turned to Tyson, who had his head down and fists clenched. He shook with anger. "Who killed him, Tala?"

Tala withdrew slightly at Tyson using his words so harshly at this time. "I didn't... see it happen, but he said... that...Voltaire..."

"His own grandfather! How cold-hearted can you get?!" Tyson exclaimed, finally raising his head. The fires of anger burned in his dark blue eyes.

"He served the justice by killing Voltaire," Sarah blurted out, but immediately threw her hands to her face and began crying full-force again. "Kai...Kai died in my arms... and he said that he held rancour for his grandfather until the very minute he died!"

There was silence among the crowd as Tyson fumed and Sarah sobbed. Then, Kenny glanced down at Tala's leg. "What happened to you, Tala?!"

Tala also looked down. He reached down and fingered one of the stray wires and then raised his head back to Kenny. "To tell the truth, I'm not entirely sure... I remember that I was shot by Ophelia there, but the wound wasn't that big, then. Maybe it happened when I blacked out..."

"If you're all done here, there are people waiting," Judy encouraged.

"People waiting?" Tala inquired, turning to the director.

Judy smiled sadly and looked to Boris. Boris nodded, and motioned for the group to follow him. Tala began to limp, but stopped when Sarah had lost her balance and fell against a wall, still crying. He changed direction and placed his hands on her quavering shoulders.

"Come on, we've got to be strong. Boris wants us to see something. You can't go on like this-"

Tala stopped in mid-sentence and gazed down the hall, where the crowd was parting to allow someone through. "Sarah! Sarah!" their exuberant yells echoed.

Samson, his head only half-bandaged, thrust himself past Johnny, Emily, and Ray, tripping on Ray's foot but managing to catch his balance before falling flat on his face. Still, Samson rushed forward, arms held wide out, and still calling her name frantically. Samson barely halted when he reached her, and therefore almost knocked her over as his arms peeled her away from the wall.

"You're okay! You're okay...Oh, thank goodness you're okay!" he wept, squeezing her in a vice grip, Tala eyeing the ordeal closely.

Sarah hugged her brother back. "Samson...You...You're still here..."

After a while longer of tears and embrace, Tala looked up at hearing more footsteps from down the hall, and this time another person pushed through the frozen crowd.

"Samson!" Irina scolded, but she froze when she saw Tala. She walked forward slowly and stood solemnly before him. "I'm sorry about Anya," she said calmly, her tone almost more sobering than Kai's.

Tala glared back up at her with tired eyes. "Don't be, Mrs. Langley. We must follow God's will."

Irina nodded slowly and looked ready to reach down and hug him when she noticed her two children to her right. She cut in, Samson backing away reluctantly. She glared down at her daughter sternly for a moment, and Sarah stared back up, fear in her eyes.

"First, you agree to take part in this whole 'Hilanov' business without either your father's or my consent," Irina began, irritation clear in her voice. "Then, you start going into battle with no concern for yourself or your brother whatsoever. After which, you have a small, but nonetheless 'current age inappropriate' affair with Tala. Then, even if I agreed to help you, it was your original idea to disobey your uncle's strict orders. You went to the battlefield and lost many lives through your recklessness, which then became weakness! I don't know about you, but I think these deeds seem deserving of a punishment."

Sarah stared back up at her for a moment or two before trying to protest. "But, Mother, I-"

"I don't want to hear it."

"Mom, she's a Hilanov-these things are required of her!" Samson countered.

Irina whipped around to him. "It would explain almost everything except the relationship with Tala, and I want you to stay out of this."

Tala cringed on hearing the demeaning statement again.

Samson drew back out of hurt innocence as Irina returned her scowl to her daughter. Her brown eyes bore into Sarah's green ones as she slowly raised her hand. "You've ignored everything that your father and I have ever tried to teach you." Irina brought down her hand, and Sarah screwed her eyes shut. She opened them, however, when the smack and twinge didn't come.

Sarah opened one eye, and then the other hesitantly, and found her mother's hand hovering just beside her cheek. Sarah raised her head to see her moth beaming gratefully at her.

"And let me tell you, Sarah, I couldn't be more proud," she said, reaching out and embracing her daughter.

Sarah stared straight ahead in astonishment; meeting with Tala's confused eyes as she felt her mother quiver with sobs and wet her uniform with tears.

"When...your uncle first told me that you were one of the prophesied ones, I had to admit...I was scared of what might've happened to you. But as I began to watch you, Tala, and Kai fight alongside your teams and the other deploys, my feelings about the whole situation changed. When you went into the final battle against Boris' orders, I thought for sure, no matter how much optimism I had that you wouldn't return alive. But it seems that you've proved me wrong again...Celeste..."

"Mother..." Sarah trailed off, gazing sympathetically at Irina.

"But if Xenia and Kajirou were alive..." Irina continued, squeezing her tighter and sobbing harder. "How would they feel without their son, Kai? Kaji would have lost him to his own father!"

"Mother..." Sarah trailed off again, this time raising her gaze to Tala, who still had the same confused look.

"Irina, they're getting restless," Boris vociferated from halfway down the hall.

Irina pulled away from Sarah and stood up at full height. She sniffed before reaching her hands for Tala and Sarah's shoulders. Tala pulled away slightly, feeling paranoid that she would somehow hurt him because of what had happened the few weeks earlier.

The whole group moved down the hall, Boris in the lead, until they came to a bend in the hallway. Boris stepped out from the group and onto a small balcony that led to a view of the pond from the castle.

"We are gathered here today to commemorate a legacy in the making. For thousands of years, the spirits have helped to protect the human race from the evil that lurks within it!" he yelled out across the balcony. To Tala and Sarah at the edge of the throng, it looked as if he were only yelling out at the lake, as a stone wall obstructed their view.

"The Bit Beasts are juggernauts-unstoppable spirits that brought down the company of Goadbwa with the help of their masters. Without them, our souls would all be evil Bit Beast enhancements for Gilepse Galsky and Vitality Extortion."

"What's he talking about?" Tala questioned rhetorically.

"And who's he talking to?" added Sarah.

Irina looked down at the two and then raised her head to her brother, smiling. "You'll see."

"So, allow us to greatly thank our saviours for their devotion to the sweat, blood, and tears that they shed so that we may live as people and not slaves for the enemy! Let us honour the Hilanovs! Sarah Langley and Tala Romanov!" Boris exclaimed, throwing his hands wide.

Irina nudged Tala and Sarah forward. "Go on. That means you two."

They both moved forward rather hesitantly, both looking back to Irina and then meeting with all the eyes in the hallway that were on them. The group parted for them, and Boris' welcoming hands as he beamed at them beckoned Tala forward. Sarah took one last wary glance at her mother before scurrying to catch up with Tala.

Boris urged them to step out onto the balcony, and both of them gasped at the sight before their eyes.

Hundreds of people, maybe even thousands, began to bow before the remaining two. They were al crowded on the stone platform just before the pond, and those farther away made crowds around the edge of the pond. Some children had even been forced into the shallow waters, not that they minded.

Tala glanced tiredly around the worshippers. "This is...pointless. We don't deserve something like this."

"Yes, of course you do, my child," Boris consoled, bending over and placing his hands on both their shoulders. "Not all your age would have the courage to stand up to an entire company, let alone have the power to bring it down."

"Vitality Extortion did, and look where they wound up," Sarah protested, like Tala, keeping her gaze averted from the man.

"Kai is on the same path, is he not?"

The two finally turned their heads. "I still find it unfair, sir," Tala repeated. "We didn't really do anything of our own will. It was all forced fighting, and if we didn't have the powers of the Ancient Hilanovs reincarnated inside of us, we probably wouldn't have been able to have been so successful."

"That is exactly my point," Boris replied.

Sarah was the first to look away. "I believe Tala means that the power didn't originally come from us. We're just feeding of the power and strength of another person that just so happened to be transferred to us."

Boris took his hands away and stood at full height, puzzled at the statements coming from the two teens.

Sarah raised her hand and swiped at the tears welling up in her eyes. "Tala's right we don't deserve this. Not without Kai, at least." She took out her Beyblade and stared at her fox Bit Beast within the Bit Chip. "Both Fovular and I owe him. We both owe him our lives as well, Tala. He sacrificed himself so that we could live."

Tala looked to her, intending to say something but he didn't know what. When he finally found the words, he made to open his mouth, but was interrupted by a door slamming open and a familiar yell.

"Boris!"

A gasp ran through the crowd and there were hushed whispers as the throng turned their heads to the doorway. One by one, the voices stopped as they all began to recognize the battered figure.

He kept his head down as he panted and held one hand firmly against the large wooden door. "I...I won't give in...to Voltaire or Goadbwa!" He raised his head with a great effort.

"Kai!" Sarah and Tala both exclaimed in unison, having poked their heads around the corner at the reaction of the crowd.

As if with the fully regained energy, Sarah rushed forward, arms held out wide. The crowd parted in unison once more to allow her passage. Kai, seeing her hurtling towards him, drew back slightly out of hesitation. When she threw her arms around him, he was still rather uncomfortable about it. He looked up to the rest of the group, each of them keeping their distance.

Kai glanced down to Sarah again, who was weeping against his shoulder. "It's okay. I'm okay. You don't have to make such a big deal of it," Kai consoled, but he found himself becoming choked up as well.

"I didn't know! How was I supposed to react? You... I'm...just glad that you listened to my advice," she sobbed, not lifting her head.

"What advice?"

"You could make it back to Biovolt if you just tried. You're here now...Kai...I don't ever want to lose you."

Kai felt her grasp his body tighter, and stared blankly ahead at the crowd again. Tala still hadn't come to greet him. The expression on the boy's face as he stood in the balcony was unreadable, but he was sure it wasn't all happiness and joy. Kai looked to her quivering body and slowly outstretched his arms. Such a display of affection was rare between the two, let alone with him and anyone else—that was why it felt so awkward. Before Biovolt had infiltrated Goadbwa, they had hugged, but that didn't compare to what Tala and her had done when Goadbwa infiltrated.

Kai was confused. Which one counted or did neither? Was one strong act equal to two less significant ones? Whatever the reason, he felt the same bond that Tala did and curled his body around hers. "Stop. You'll cry your eyes out with all the tears you shed."

"You're not dead. With all the blood you've shed?"

"The same to you. We're both living miracles, I suppose."

"Not entirely. Don't you remember what Boris told us before we went out on this whole Hilanov venture?"

Kai looked up and Sarah turned around to see Tala sauntering up to them along with the rest of the group.

"What are you talking about?" questioned Kai.

Tala folded his arms. "You mean to tell me you don't remember a thing?"

"No, we don't," Sarah replied, becoming slightly annoyed.

Tala smirked. "We're immortal."

A look of realization crossed both Kai and Sarah's faces, the crowd sighed or rolled their eyes.

"So what you were trying to do is scare us half to death saying that Kai or Sarah might not survive when their existence was guaranteed all along?" Kenny cried, also annoyed.

Tala turned to him with an innocent look. "I only just remembered now."

"And he trained under Boris?" Philemon muttered to Max, who was standing beside him.

"Just what do you mean by 'immortal', though, Tala?" inquired Michael. "Nothing lasts forever."

Tala opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Boris stepping forward. "When these three were young, they were baptised under an incantation that would basically allow them immortality because of the pattern."

"What pattern?" voiced Lee.

Boris gestured to the three. "Each Hilanov has a soul support. I know you immediately think of Bryan, Tyson, and Eva, but that's not who I'm talking about. They're the auxiliary soul supports. Each Hilanov's primary soul support is actually another one of the Hilanovs."

Steve cocked his head in puzzlement. "This whole soul support/soul realm thing is confusing..."

"Not really," Boris continued. "Take Sarah for example. Her soul support is Kai, Kai's soul support is Tala's, and Sarah is Tala's support."

"But what makes us different from the primary soul supports?" implored Eva.

"And how does having a soul support tie in with their immortality?" added Johnny.

"As soon as we at Biovolt first laid eyes on them, we knew they had potential. So, right after Sarah's cryogenation was complete, we held a baptismal ceremony for the three at which they were blessed with an incantation. This incantation allowed them, basically, immortality, because of the pattern on which we based it."

"Which was...?" Max inquired.

"The deciding factor between primary and auxiliary supports, to answer Eva's question. Sarah can't die unless Kai is dead, but Kai can't die without Tala's death first, but in order for Tala to die, Sarah would need to be dead. A auxiliary soul support merely supplies energy."

"That would mean that they would all have to be killed at exactly the same time, then, right?" implied Robert. "Right down to the very last second?"

"Exactly. As you can imagine, it would be an extremely difficult task, so they're virtually-"

"Immortal, we know," Lutka interrupted Boris. "The only way for them to die would be if one were to break the spell. Thing is, only two people know the incantation, and Gone of them had taken that secret to his grave."

Kevin glanced to the balcony and then back to the Hilanovs. "So then, what were to happen if the incantation were broken?"

"And more importantly, who were these two that knew it?" added Ian.

Boris, Irina and Lutka looked to each other, Irina answering. "To tell you the truth, Kevin, we don't know what would happen if the spell were to all of a sudden to be broken. I imagine that wounds healed by the spell would return rather unpleasantly, unfortunately... And who knew the counter-incantation, you ask, Ian? That's confidential information."

There was silence except for the continuous cheering of the crowd from outside. Everyone had become quite sullen again. Lutka raised her head to Boris slowly. "Has Groups B returned yet?"

Boris shook his head.

"I wonder what happened to them...They were skilled enough not to allow an easy defeat..." Lutka replied, looking to the ground again.

Mr. Dickenson tried to perk them all up by suddenly entering a jovial mood. "We must put our pasts behind us and start anew! Come along, that crowd isn't getting any younger."

"Yeah, and Mr. D's no spring chicken!" Tyson added, adopting the second smile.

Once again, they moved back to the balcony, Kai being supported by Sarah and Tala. This time, when they met the crowds, the gatherers cheered on seeing all three. Kai stared out at the crowds in astonishment.

"Like it? Boris said that he and the rest of the Biovolt staff planned this just for us," Sarah explained.

"Although it seems pointless to me," added Tala, glancing away apathetically.

Kai turned his gaze towards his two partners. Sarah beamed back at him and Tala had his head turned. Noticing Tala made Kai remember something.

Sarah noticed the slight jump of realization and inquired about it. "What is it, Kai?"

Kai reached into his belt pouch and brought out a grey Beyblade. "I've something for you, Tala," he said, extending his hand.

Tala turned back around, meeting with Kai's eyes. "What?" He lowered his gaze, following Kai's arm downward until he saw the familiar Bey. "That's Poltost! But...how?"

"I think you'll be needing it more than Telesto."

Tala took it shakily from his hand and stared at it in wonderment.

Kai smiled. "I had to search Vitality Extortion's uniforms for their blades. But, I did manage to recover all three."

"I assume this was because you wanted your parents' souls to rest in peace with their sons?" Sarah asked. "That's so noble of you."

Kai nodded and blushed slightly, smiling again. The two turned to Tala as he muttered something. "Hear me, Father—I won't allow your soul to fall into evil hands again. I shall protect it."

"Sadness. That's what we all know at the moment. We've all lost something dear to us," Sarah voiced quietly.

Kai gave her a quizzical look. "What have you lost?"

Sarah scowled, her eyes focussed straight ahead. "You should know."

"Spica..." Kai whispered. "You were right. I was blind—I couldn't see the unnecessary bloodshed. She had changed, but I didn't listen to her explanation."

Sarah continued to glare at the lake.

"Sorry for hitting you, as well. I was frustrated about it all, I guess."

When she didn't reply, he tried to read the expression on her face. "Are you angry at me?"

She was silent for a moment. "I couldn't be angry with you, Kai." She finally looked to him. "And that's a good thing. You wouldn't want to experience my wrath."

Kai began to smile again.

"Well, boys, this is it—our fifteen minutes of fame. I say we live it up for all it's worth!" Sarah exclaimed happily, throwing her arms around the shoulders of the two.

"It was a long, gruelling war, but we won it," Tala said with a smile. "Long live the Hilanovs!"

"Our ancestors and Sacred Spirits protected us in ways we can only begin to comprehend. Now all that matters is the path ahead," Kai affixed.

Both Kai and Tala reached their arms out behind them to place them around Sarah's waist, but their arms collided in the middle. They looked at each other, Tala scowling and Kai innocent, but then they both smiled.

Sarah took no notice of the two arms holding her firmly between the two and continued with her declaration over the cheers of Biovolt. "Tala Romanov, Kai Hiwatari? I do believe we've fulfilled the Hilanov Prophecy!"

Down in the darkened Hilanov tomb, unseen hands chiselled away at the ancient sandstone. In the wall under the names of previous Hilanovs, the new inscription in the extinct language read, "Kai, Tala, Sarah."

~~~~~~~~~~

AND THE END! Whoo, you can breathe now. We're done, but more importantly, I'M DONE!!! But now, about that sequel... Here are some of the things you can expect to see...

GOADBWA'S DOWN, BUT THEY'RE NOT OUT—As well as rebuilding itself, the company has found a new president, and they're none other than a relative of the dead Gilepse. This new president will stop at nothing to avenge their father's death. They'll use the new Goadbwa mascot team to aide them—but this team and president you already know quite well...

ALL IS NOT RIGHT WITH SARAH—She's got some new problems now that another Beyblader has entered her life. Make that two. Though she has finally become loyal to one blader in particular, this blader doesn't want to return the affection. Nor will her team leave her alone about the false accusations, and Tala's jealousy might just make things worse...

RESTLESS SOULS—The Hilanovs will regret the deaths of Vitality Extortion. Spica, Telesto, and Kuiper aren't about to roll over and allow the Hilanovs to wallow in recuperation. They'll incorporate anything that might cause traumatizations and psychological dependence on someone weaker than the Hilanovs. These attempts at an unnatural downfall are, of course, all in addition to what the living of Goadbwa have in store...

ESSENTIAL BETRAYAL—The BBA has finally figured out a connection between the Hilanov tomb and another coveted object. This is the very information that could allow for a certain victory. Only thing is, the team with the most information about it all has gone to Goadbwa's side...

TALA HAS CHILD TROUBLES—You read it correctly. Having a daughter just complicates your life a whole lot more. Kai can vouch for that, but with the exception of a son, who is now working for the other side...

THE MISSING ROMANOV—That's correct, too. Only Tala and his daughter know where they are. Meanwhile, the BBA must find a replacement. They find two Tala look-alikes, two alike in personality, one android, and one that has the same attraction to Sarah...

THE THIRD BIOVOLT/GOADBWA BRANCH—The second segment of the on-going war is centred in Japan, the home of the Bladebreakers as well as the third international branches of both companies. Haku Shinzo of Biovolt's Ikoru Underground Base and Satoshi Anzen of Goadbwa's Miyato Dojo will be taking over for their Russian employers, as one's dead and the other serving's a fully-deserved yet belated jail sentence...

And so that's what you can expect from The Hilanov Prophecy 2: V Force. But take heed; not all the events caused by the restless souls are fictional. Some are based on real events. Don't worry if you don't understand just yet—you'll know when we get to it.