The Generation

Notes: This chapters kind of short, and there's some Kai/Rei at the end, it just sort of... explains some stuff. And since we haven't heard from Kai yet, I figured we could bring him in here for a bit... Here he is folks the one and only Kai...

Chapter 7- Kai

I expected Erek to be confronted that night when we made it home. He was not, or not the way that we thought he would be.

Judy calmly pulled us aside and said. "Max, promise me... promise me and mean it, that you will stay away from those Andilites. Whatever the other blade breakers will do, don't join them."

Erek rolled his eyes and said. "I promise mom." But I noticed that his fingers were crossed behind his back.

Tyson made a snorking sound as soon as we made it to the den. "Nice going Erek."

Rei locked the door behind us. "What's wrong with Judy? I mean, if she's not a controller, then why doesn't she want Max in on the fight. I mean, if it were Michael, or Lee, or any of the other captains in the same situation, they'd be begging to help, cheering us on."

"To answer your unspoken question Tyson, I don't want to make any promises to her that Max might not want to or be able to keep."

I nodded. "That's sensible, are you sure you can keep this up for three days?"

"I can, and if you like I can give Dizzy the records that Marco and I downloaded from the grotto this morning."

Kenny nodded. "Can you interface with Dizzy?"

Erek dropped the hologram. "Easily." He answered. Erek's hand opened. A cord snaked its way into Dizzy's internet output.

"Uploading..." Dizzy began, then. "Woah! These andilites don't kid around with their computers! I've found five firewalls in the first kilobyte of data alone! Processing... You guys, there's a visual record here..."

An andilite face appeared on the screen. Its thoughtspeak was converted to speech by Dizzy's processors. "My name is Judin Olarn Sorath, the first Andilite War Princess, and very likely the last. I will be leaving with my old friend Baron Voltaire Hiwatari for Moscow. This is very likely to be my last entry. I'll be keeping a journal at the new Balkov Abbey. It will probably end up covered in dust in Voltaire's Archives.

"I will return if I have need of a hiding place. With the large numbers of potential hosts and plentiful resources of Earth, it is very likely that the yeerks will eventually find their way to Earth. I will wait... when they come I will raise a force of humans, equipped with andilite technology, probably Morphing Powers... and I will be waiting for them.

"My only worry is time. I am already thirty in andilite years. Andilites usually live for about a hundred and ten. Each andilite year is seven human years. My friends Sierran, Dickinson, and Voltaire will probably be too old to fight them. I must wait for a new generation of humans, probably beybladers all, to train in the Way of the Warrior. When the time comes, I will search among the BBA's finest. I will probably start in the Abbey. I have listed possible recruits below from those on the Abby Roster."

"Wow!!" Dizzy scrolled through the Data. "Check this out... Robert was part of the original group at Balkov Abby... Lets see... Spencer... Tala of course... Kai was on the list... Bryan was there too... and... eeeewww!! Remember that ugly hulk Boris? Judin would have chosen HIM! And Gideon was at the Abby... now we know where he gets his evilness from!"

"This is an old record. Knowing their reputation, I don't think it would have been wise for Judin to include Boris and Gideon in her little scheme." I told Dizzi. "Do you recognize anybody else?"

"Not on the Abbey Roster. The list grows over time... almost all the older bladers from the main teams are here... Gary from the Tigers... Enrique was listed as maybe... Lee was a definite... Dunga was a maybe... Michael got a recommendation from Mr. Dickinson..."

Tyson giggled. "DUNGA??" He laughed. "Yeah right! Dunga's the last person the fate of the world should rest on!"

"This list may not be accurate." I interjected. "People change from age two to age eighteen... or to age twenty, which is about how old Boris and Gideon are now."

"Why do all the knottiest problems in the BBA have to come from Balkov Abbey?" Asked Rei. "And I'm surprised that Kevin and Mariah aren't on the list, I mean, why pick half a team?"

"They weren't born yet." Dizzy told him. "This list cuts off about the year you were born Rei. Mariah was an infant, and Kevin didn't exist yet."

Tyson made a face. "I don't like Kevin, he's an asshole."

"You just don't like him because he tried to throw me off a cliff." Rei pointed out. "And you hate anybody who interferes with our team."

I privately agreed with Rei. Tyson tends to see things black and white.

Just then Dizzy let out a horrified... "Oh ohoh!"

"What is it Dizzy?" Kenny whirled.

"Have a look at this!" Dizzy brought up another visual file.

Judy's face stared back at us from the screen. The expression in her eyes tore a hole through my heart.

"There has been a fire at Balkov Abby. Judin Olarn Sorath perished in the blaze attempting to save Tala and Spencer. Boris lost his eyesight. The doctor is working on a cybernetic eye mask to replace his eyes. Robert got a broken arm, but other than that he was fine, his was the least of the injuries sustained. Spencer is in the hospital with third degree burns. And Tala! Poor Tala almost died of smoke inhalation. He lapsed into a coma shortly after arriving at the hospital, but the doctor says that he'll recover. However, the Terra Morphing project has been suspended indefinitely. Without Judin's guidance in galactic technology and affairs, I don't think there will be much we can do. All we can do is hope that the Yeerks won't attack us, and hope, as Judin said, for a new generation.

"Garibah have been planted and dedicated for Tyson, Kai, and my newborn son Max. As soon as I am sure that they will be alright, I will seal off Judin's sanctuary from outside eyes, so that Judin's soul may rest in peace."

The other blade breakers bowed their heads. I shook mine. "This record means nothing." I said aloud.

"BUT KAI!" Tyson protested.

"I mean, she did die after all!" Rei agreed.

Kenny was busy correlating dates. He turned around. "What's wrong Kai, I mean, its consistent with what Mr. Dickinson told us, and with what Max's Garibah told him."

Hillary's eyebrows went up. "You think Judy forged the record?" She asked.

"That's exactly what I think. Look at how she's been acting towards our involvement."

"He does have a point Tyson. Dead or alive, Judin is obviously somewhere that we can't reach her, at least for the moment. Either she's someplace where she doesn't want to be found..."

"Or she's somewhere where she can't be found..." Tyson stood up from the chair that he'd straddled backwards.

"Right then." I told them. "Tomorrow we'll bring this record to Jake, and depending on what he makes of it, we go to the Gardens and get some power morphs, agreed?"

"Agreed!" They chorused.

With that, Rei and I went upstairs to work on Homework.

Rei is the person that I trust most on the team. I mean, yeah Hillary's okay, if a bit temperamental. Hillary goes from point A to point B much faster than Tyson does. So I don't mind having her hang out, but there are times when she really annoys me.

And then there's that something more that I feel towards Rei. More than friendship... its like our souls connect somehow, and that connection is stronger than with any other member of the group. "Rei." I said when I shut the door. "What do you think of all this?"

"I think that Max is going to freak. He really cares about his mom. He trusts her. If what you say is true, and Judy's trying to keep us from learning about the Yeerks, from learning to Morph..." Rei broke off. "You know how Max is. He's too trusting for his own good sometimes..."

"You think Max might betray us?" I asked.

"Not that. He knows what would happen if he were to mess up. I just think that if it comes down to him versus his mother. He'd probably rather let himself be killed than have to kill his mother, if Judy's a controller that is. If she's not, then I don't think that their relationship will be the same after this." Rei explained.

I understood what Rei was trying to say. If anybody cares about their family at all, its Max. I have no family left, so I wouldn't know. Rei always has his village to go back to, his is more of a pack type connection with those close to him. Tyson, Tyson is Tyson. Hillary's still a huge unknown in terms of family. Kenny's parents don't really have much time for him. They're usually busy running a restaurant, but if he were in the same position as Max, he'd be the one freaking out.

I looked Rei in the eyes. Rei smirked, put down his pen, and leaned in to kiss me. "Is this what you're looking for?" He asked, voice heavy with lust as he pulled away about an inch from my face.

"Hmm... comfort me..." I murmured.

Suffice to say that very little homework got done that afternoon.

~Next Morning~

At the Barn the next morning I told Jake everything that Kenny and Erek had found out. I also told him my suspicion.

//And Judin had no time to compile her Hirac Delest.// Ax said, sounding disappointed.

"What's that?" Hillary asked.

//A Hirac Delest is what you humans call an autobiography. It is a final statement, compiled shortly before the Andilite in question's death by the computer. Elfangor's Hirac Delest was sent to the homeworld already. It was given to me by Andilite High Command at the Radio Telescope about a year ago. I didn't have the heart to open it yet. Perhaps I should, it may offer some clue as to the whereabouts of my sister. However, if Judin was killed in a fire, she would not have had the chance, or the technology, to record her memories.//

"Too bad." Kenny sighed. "Her records would have been an important clue."

"Their absence may be an important clue too." Marco told us. "She could morph right? She might have morphed a bird and escaped. In which case, either the yeerks have her, or she's someplace where she doesn't want to be found."

//Prince Jake, I believe that it is time the new animorphs acquire combat morphs.// Ax suggested.

"And later I want to try out that horse morph that I acquired before all of you showed up!" Hillary grinned. "I always wanted a horse. I just never thought I'd be one."

"Mommy! I want a poooony!" Tyson teased.

Hillary whacked him over the head with a newspaper. Max rolled his eyes. Rei chuckled. I couldn't help laughing. "Its going to end up like that isn't it?" I asked Jake. "We'll all get to morph that one animal that we always wanted as a pet."

Jake nodded. "Something like that." He told us.

Max sighed. "What's wrong Max?" Tyson asked. "Is it your mother?"

"That's only half the problem." He turned to Ax. "Ax, can you tell me what it means to torf somebody?"

Ax jumped startled. //Where did you hear that term?/ He asked.

"Answer and I'll tell you." Max told him.

Ax shifted uncomfortably. //A torf is when you hit somebody with the flat of the tail blade, it is how an andilite knocks out an opponent that they do not wish to kill.//

"I've been having weird dreams lately." Max explained. "The day I learned to morph I had a dream where the All Starz were controllers. Mom morphed into an andilite and saved me. She said that she'd torfed them, and to run for it. But then I heard somebody laughing at me, and the five of them dissolved into butterflies made out of energy."

Tyson laughed. "Its just the stress Max."

Rachel jumped. "Butterflies?" She and Cassie exchanged a look.

"You think that there's something more to this?" I asked.

"No way. Why would he interfere?" Jake asked. "What's so significant about Max?"

"I really, REALLY hope that its not who I think you mean." Marco told Rachel. "Because every time we run into that guy we end up screaming and running for our lives."

"Hey, the same thing happens with Crayak." Rachel shrugged. "I'd rather it be somebody who's at least reasonably pleasant about it."

"Who are what are you talking about?" Hillary demanded.

//What is more accurate.// Ax explained. //He's called the Elemist, a seemingly omnipotent being from Andilite Mythology. He claims not to interfere in the lives of other species, but he's done it before now. If he's singled you out Max, it means that you form an important juncture in time and space, or are an important catalyst in this fight.//

Max flushed. Tyson's jaw dropped. "Well then." Marco said sardonically. "Just for the record, so that EVERYBODY knows, this is insane! Insane!"

Ax ignored him. I got the feeling that this was a common complaint of Marco's. //Have you had any other dreams?// He asked.

"Um... Last night I dreamed that I was Judin, teaching Elfangor some kind of ritual. Then when I looked in the water, I saw my reflection morph into an andilite." Max told us. "I screamed, and that was when I woke up."

//What time of day was it?// Ax asked, making a notation in the sketchbook.

"Dawn." Max answered.

//The morning ritual.// Ax nodded, making another note. //I'll show it to you later.//

"Alright, if this Elemist guy is so tough then why doesn't he just snuff out the yeerks like a candle?" Tyson asked.

"Don't ask me!" Marco rolled his eyes. "If I knew I wouldn't be going on insane missions like teaching the top Beyblading team in the world how to change into animals for two hours at a time."

"So we go?" Hillary asked. "Like, now?"

"I suppose." Cassie shrugged. "Its still early yet, the park is still close. Nobody would see a few seagulls slipping into the enclosures. Unfortunately, we don't have any seagulls." She waved her hand in a direction indicating the bird cages at the far end of the barn.

"That's okay Cassie, we'll morph seagulls and they'll morph birds of prey." Jake shrugged.

I closed my eyes, focusing on the peregrine falcon. Five minutes later I had black and white feathers, ripping talons, and the fastest wings on the planet.