UniGirl: Sorry for not updating. I've been busy with so many other things it's not even funny. Also I've gotten like two reviews for this chapter and I'm just so sad…
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter 5: The Friendship
The sky was dark. The moon shone bright above all else. In the shadows, a figure moved. Then it did again. He was a dark haired teen, more short than tall. He moved swiftly and silently. The only sounds one would hear were of the wind whistling.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Kai sat in a corner, neither tired nor awake. Dranzer was peacefully sleeping. He, he brooded on the day's loss. Ray had won. And still they took Driger. And that boy. That boy was very brutal. Sure, life wasn't fair. But if you were doing a sport, you had to play by the rules. He didn't. Silently, he smiled to himself. If Dranzer were here, she'd make a wisecrack about him not being exactly nice in the beystadium either.
He was sitting very still, his head on his arm that was resting on a bent knee. The other one was stretched out in front of him.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The teen padded onto the roof. He listened for any sounds. He heard snoring. Smiling, he started walking again. A board creaked. He stopped. Well, you can never be too sure, he thought as he took a spray can and put it directly above the chimney.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Kai heard a creak. He jolted upright and then relaxed. It was probably just a small mouse. His eyes swept the floor. Tyson was over on his back snoring. Ray in a corner, rolling over to get a cool spot on the pillow. Max faced the wall, and Kenny was curled up in a ball.
He looked at the clock. The hands told him it was midnight. He was to wake up at six. He could stay awake for another hour. Slowly, he started to rise from his place to get a drink from the jug in the kitchen.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The boy sprayed the chemicals out of the chimney. Then he jumped down. Pulling on a mask, he walked into the rooms, careful to spray the chemicals everywhere around him.
After walking for about thirty seconds, he arrived at the room the Bladebreakers were sleeping in. It looked like they were all sound, and he was about to enter as a tall figure in the back of the room started to rise. Aiming his can through the crack in the door, he shot three small squirts into the room.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
At first, Kai felt nothing. He walked past the sleeping bodies towards the door. Then he started to feel a bit woozy. It was such a new feeling to him, a person who had survived on three hours of sleep when he was only seven. He fought the urge.
Suddenly it felt like the room had heated up. The air around seemed so humid. He started walking again, but his legs felt so heavy. Kai tried to shake his head and think of other things. It didn't work. There was only one thought in his mind. I'm so sleepy, he thought. His eyelids drooped. His brain stopped working.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The teen smirked as he watched Kai slump to the ground. Then he walked in. First things first. He dragged Kai, who was in the middle of the room, back to the corner where he had been. He started on him first. He searched the other's clothes and sheets until he found what he had been looking for: A smooth blue blade. Grinning, he took the bit chip off of it, and rummaged in his pocked until he found one identical. Then he replaced it onto the blade.
He did the same procedure to the rest of the Bladebreakers minus Ray and Kenny. Then, he walked to the other room, where the White Tigers were staying.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Ray. Ray. RAY!" Ray opened his eyes. Mariah was shaking his shoulders. Hilary was watching nervously.
"Wazzamater?" he asked groggily.
"It's almost noon and you haven't waken up yet."
Ray sat up and rubbed his eyes. Then he looked around.
The first thing he was aware of was Tyson snoring.
He thought to wake Max and Kenny up first.
"Why are we still sleeping?"
"Yeah."
"I don't know. It's not like me to sleep in."
"Look at Tyson."
After trying different techniques, they dumped the jug of water on him.
Tyson spluttered. "What was that for?"
"It's almost noon."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"I wonder why Kai didn't wake us up at six."
"Really." All four of them looked toward the window, expecting to see him training.
"Wait. Isn't that Kai?" asked Hilary.
Beneath the window was the teen, his head on his knees, his breathing even and regular.
"Wow. For once I'll be able to wake him up." Said Tyson as he ran over to him and started tugging at his scarf.
Kai made no move to stop him, but suddenly, his foot reached out and tripped him.
"What was that for?" Tyson asked, rubbing his bottom.
"Pulling my scarf." He said before walking out the door.
"Breakfast?"
"No thanks."
"I can't believe it. That mental kid turns down food." Said Tyson in awe. Then. "Aw who cares. All the more for me. Race you to the kitchen."
Kai sat on the grass outside the house. He had slept in. Why? His mental alarm clock always woke him up at around six. Seven at the latest. He had done a pretty good job covering it up, but no matter how good a liar you would be, you would never be able to fool yourself. What's wrong with me? He asked. Last time he remembered, he was going to get some water. And then he sort of blanked out. Then he realized something was wrong.
Where was Dranzer?
She was always with him, in his pocket. And with all this thinking, she would have been sure to say something to make him feel better. He reached into his pocket and instantly felt something different. As he withdrew Dranzer, he noticed that the blade felt like a hunk of metal. Usually it as warm. He looked at it. The bit chip was still there.
/Dranzer?/
no response.
/Dranzer?/
Again no response.
/DRANZER!/
He paused, but no response.
/DRANZER IT'S NOT FUNNY./
He waited for his bit beast's voice of Haha Kai I tricked you.
It never came
There was one more thing he would do to test if it was Dranzer or his bit beast was really gone. He removed the bit chip from the blade. Then he held it between his thumb and index finger on both hands.
If the bit chip broke, then it would be a fake. An expert engraving. He had long since learned that bit chips were indestructible unless there was a bit beast inside.
He took a deep breath and bent the piece of metal.
It broke easily.
Kai stared in shock at the two halves of the broken bit chip. It had all fit together now. Why he had slept in. The gaps in his memory.
He stood up and started walking towards the house.
Tyson was stuffing his face with food as Kai walked in. Ray knew there was something wrong as Kai didn't even bother to glare at Tyson or announce they were to start training. After what had happened yesterday, it didn't seem very Kai like.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Oh. Nothing."
"Look. I know there's something wrong. Have something to eat."
"It's okay."
"Okay then at least tell us what's wrong."
Kai looked up and tried to glare. Then he walked past.
Ray had seen that failed glare. Kai's brown eyes, which usually showed no emotion, were, for the first time, looking…sad.
He ran after the blue haired teen. "Look. We're here for each other."
Kai stopped. "Leave me alone." He said.
Ray stepped back. Then he noticed his team mate's voice was shaking ever so slightly. "Kai. It's been years since we've gotten together. I trusted you guys with a task that means my life and everything I ever cared about. You made a good show of yourself this morning. But I know you were sleeping until Tyson came."
Kai made no reply.
"Kai. What I'm trying to say is that you can't…shouldn't shield yourself from us forever. That's what friends are for. You are supposed to be able to tell us everything."
Kai finally stopped, but did not make eye contact. "Ray. You might consider yourself my friend, but there's only one I tell everything to. And that's Dranzer." It was after that he realized his voice had broken and he started running. Along the path, he took something out of his pocket and dropped it on the floor.
Ray heard it too. He ran after Kai until he stepped on something and slipped. He got up to look at what he had slipped on. He picked it up and examined it. Then his heart broke for his friend. It was half a bit chip, with the head and one wing of a phoenix. Kai had his way of telling them things. He pocketed it, and, head low, walked back towards the kitchen.
"What's up with Kai?" asked Max.
So Max had noticed something.
"He seems so weird." Said Hilary
"Yeah." Added Kenny
Ray chose his words carefully. "He dropped this." He said, and took the half a bit chip out of his pocket.
"It's Dranzer." Gasped Kevin.
Ray only nodded.
"You know, it's suspicious that we all slept in on the same day." Said Hilary.
Tyson nodded. "Yeah." Then a thought occurred to his mind. "Wait. Dragoon hasn't talked to me all morning." He said.
"Draciel hasn't either." It was his turn to gasp.
All the White Tigers, Kenny and Hilary looked shocked.
"Sleeping gas." Said Kai.
All of them turned to look behind them.
"So you've been listening all along," said Lee.
"So what if I have?" he snapped back.
"Sorry, didn't realize you'd get offended so quickly."
"Cool down, you two." Said Ray.
"So you've all slept in?" asked Mariah
"Yeah." Said Ray.
"But wasn't Kai…" Tyson paused to look at the teen.
"Ray's right."
Max took out his blade. "Draciel's intact." He said.
"Yeah." Said Tyson when he took out Dragoon.
"I don't get it." Commented Kenny. "It seems that you're the only one with a cracked bit chip."
"I wonder who did this?" asked Ray
"I did." Kai said.
All of them looked at him. Kai sighed. He didn't even bother glaring at Kenny. He would never have tears, he told himself. "So, Kenny. You don't know the characteristics of a true bit chip? And you call yourself an expert on beyblades."
"What do you mean?" he asked
"A bit chip is indestructible as long as it has a bit beast inside it." He said.
"And where did you get this?" asked Tyson
"Take my word for it: I've been blading for much longer than you have." With that, he walked out of the room.
Max shook his head. "I tried calling Draciel. It didn't work."
"I'm not even going to bother asking for Dragoon. He might be playing a prank on me, and anyway, I bet he wouldn't be able to keep silent for the day."
Max contemplated it. "I have a plan. It might not be the brilliantest plan, but it might work."
"Oh you mean that guy from that show, "It's so outrageous it might just work.'" Said Dizzi
"Dizzi can you be quiet?"
"I've been quiet for the last twenty minutes."
"Oh yeah. About what Kai said about bit chips, is that true?"
"I'm not supposed to talk."
"Let's be quiet," said Lee, "I want to hear what Max has to say."
Max took a deep breath. The guys wouldn't like what he had in mind.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
So that's my chapter. *breathes* Please review.
BlackWingsFallenAngel: You took that fic off? Well…the world's better without it. No I'm just kidding it was great. Why?
The Tigris: What are you talking about? I don't understand. Alternative fic? What idea? AHH SO MANY QUESTIONS!