ME: *puts up forcefield to avoid flames* Sheesh! I'm evil, but I'm not *that* evil. They're going to be fine!!!

CS: Thank the Lady.

ME: -__-;; Thank the Lady?

CS: Well, you're the one inventing the new gods and goddesses and stuff.

Kai: Are you sure I'm not dead?

ME: *ducks flying…somethings* Hey, I was tied up with a lot of stuff

CS: *holds up an umbrella* To the reviewers.

Yami FireKali: Me: o0 You could say that again. My, my you've certainly widened your horizons. Anyway, I'll check it out when I have the time (which I usually don't)

TLForever: Me: *plugs ears* Look, I know what I did was evil, but give me some credit! I'm not that evil. If I remember right, weren't you the one who killed off Tyson in 'Balance'? CS: ¬¬ But you did that also in 'Dark side of the Moon' ME: ^^* Guilty.

asa-chan: ME: ¬¬** You know I should blast you for discontinuing those stories, but…^^* I'm too fond of you to be so mean. Update your stories soon! O-negai!

I luv Yugi and Daisuke so :p: ME: ^___^ KAWAAII!!! Devil Kai plushies!! Arigatou!!!

Kalico: Me: Yup. Sad, depressing… CS: Isn't that great? ME: Anyway, I'm really sorry for doing that to them CS: ¬¬* Not.  ME: ^^* And I'll try updating faster now.

SilveryKitsune: ME: I guess…you liked the plushies? Anyway, sorry for not updating for so long. And update 'Casting out my love'! Please?

Angevar: ME: *stares at the pancake Joey* …. CS: o0 That's something you don't see everyday…

Skittles the Sugar Fairy: ME: Yes, I know. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! CS: …WE have to do something about that laugh. It's disturbing. Really.

Rumi-Chan:  ME: OO …Chocolate… CS: o0; HIDE!!!!!!! CT: Run for the hills!!! CK: How can we run for the hills if you live in a city? CS: *drags CK* SHUT UP AND RUN!!!!!!!! CK: -_-; Anyway, thanks for the support (as always) and she'll try update faster now.

Destiny DS: Yup. Gum for you *hands gum out*

rikasakuraduo-heerosyliaspike: Me: *grumbles* You guys have no faith in me whatsoever. Why would I do something as despicable and evil as that?

Ms Hobgoblin: ME: Well, most of the stuff in this story is original. I don't like borrowing stuff from other people. Update Dragoon's Flight!

ME: The people who get gum are—

Ms. Hobgoblin, rikasakuraduo-heerosyliaspike, Destiny DS, Rumi-Chan, Kalico.

Congratulations! *gives them their free gum* Enjoy!

ME: Right! Back to work!

Tyson: Are you sure Kai's not dead?

ME: Positive.

Tyson: *lets out a sigh of relief*

Max: More MaRa!!!
ME: Didn't I give you enough MaRa?! Now SCRAM!!!

Everyone: O___O Yes ma'am

DISCLAIMER:

ME: I hate this thing.

CS: Don't we all? Who's doing it?

Angevar: ^____^ I'll do it!!!

ME: *stares suspiciously at Angy* Have you been having sugar?

Angevar: ^_________^

ME: …

Angevar: ^_________^

CS: I take that as a yes.

ME: Angy, please do the disclaimer.

Angevar: Timmy doesn't own Beyblade or my characters. I think I'll steal Kai's plushies now. *hops away*

ME: …

CS: Have fun.

Chapter Eight

Beginning

Kaleb sighed. They had been traveling pointlessly for three days now. There were no changes in Alia's dead personality.

And he was really getting worried.

"We're almost there," Allison cautioned.

"And when we get there, what do we do?" Kaleb muttered.

Everyone shot the blue/black haired boy concerned looks. He was more and more pragmatic lately.

It was Alia who answered, "We find the Beacon and light it. And pray we don't encounter those 'Hikoris'" She unsheathed her katana, her eyes glowing an icy purple-blue, "I will not have Tala die in vain. This is what he wanted."

"Alia…He…" Kaleb started.

Alia whirled, her reddish black hair flying, "Don't you dare say anything about Tala, "she snarled, "He…wanted something he could not have. But I will give it to him."

"Having fun, cuz?"

"Go away Alia."

Alia frowned. She was getting fed up with his attitude. The party was ending now and everyone was heading to their quarters.

Except Tala. Who, so far has done nothing but mope.

"Give up, ok? He's Kai's."

"He was so scared."

"Huh?"

"He was so scared. Of this delegation. Of Kai. Of me. He was insecure and lost. Like Mother…" Tala trailed off, his eyes misting, "Mother hated this life. I hate this life. Why are we always treated as dirt? Half the people here are orphans. Every day, every month, we're forced to attack some helpless village while the Mythicals lean back and watch. I hate it!" Tala slammed his fist on the wall, not feeling the pain.

Alia was silent. Tala looked at her, "Damnit! Don't give me your pity!"

"Then I won't. Give up Tyson."

"I won't."

"Tala."
"I won't."

"He doesn't…"

"HE WILL!"

"Tala no baka," She whispered, "Why did you have to go get yourself killed? I'm all alone now…"

Then she felt herself being enveloped in warm arms.

"Don't say that," Kaleb said growling, his arms tightening around her waist, "Don't you say that. We're here," On a quieter note he said, "I'm here."

Alia said nothing, sinking into the warmth of his arms.

I'm all alone…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kai felt an aching sensation on his shoulder. He groaned aloud.

"Kai…?"

Every fiber in his body was begging to move, to get up.

"Wake up Kai."

Kai's blood colored eyes snapped open partially. Everything was blurred. He felt something poke him on the back. He stretched his right hand from behind him and removed…a straw?

He was on a straw bed.

"I can't believe he's still alive."

"I thought he was dead for sure!"

"He's a Fire-Born! The chosen of the Phoenix Dranzer!"

"The Dranzer?! The one who defended Blazeron? [1]"

"The same."

Kai groaned aloud and closed his eyes. A soft but smooth voice that ran like water in a stream entered the conversation.

"Quiet. He needs to rest. Please leave."

A few muttered disagreements and protests went unnoticed as the door was shut quietly. Kai felt someone sit on his bed and grip his hand tightly.

"Kai? You awake?"

Kai opened his eyes slowly. He made out a tiny blue haired figure sitting on the edge of his bed, "Tyson?"

He saw the blue figure relax, "Thank the Lady, you're okay!"

"I could have been better," Kai said trying to prop himself up.

A gentle hand pushed him onto the bed.

"Stay down. You lost a lot of blood and the last thing you need to do is strain yourself," Tyson said firmly.

Kai glared at him, but complied.

"…What happened? Everything seems like a haze…" Kai murmured drowsily.

"You took on a full grown wolf Kai! Do you know how dangerous those things are!" Tyson yelled, clenching his fists, "You could have been killed!!"

"Well, I'm still here," Kai said caustically. Tyson blinked and calmed down.

"True. But that's only because I managed to summon enough power to transport us here."

"You could do that?" Kai said in disbelief. Tyson gave him a wan smile.

"I could always do it, but it exhausts me. This was as far as I could get," Tyson replied.

"Oh. Where is here anyway?"

"This is the village of Faggelan which is on the borders of Arros."

Arros.

"We're almost there Kai," Tyson said, an undercurrent of happiness in his voice, "We're almost at Gailen."

"Yeah," Kai said, swallowing the lump in his throat. It felt so hard to breathe all of the sudden, "We're almost there."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Myros stood at the gateway. In front of him was thousands of soldiers, both human and Mythical alike.

And they didn't have the child. He was the only one who could end this.

But he's not here.

"We are the Storm!"

"YES!" cried the soldiers. Myros saw many things in their eyes. Many of those things he wished he never saw in the first place.

"We ride the wind!"

"YES!"

Myros raised his hands, "THE LAST BATTLE IS HERE! There is no more need for compassion! We will fight or we will die!"

"YES!" They roared.

"WE WILL FIGHT!"

"YES!!!"

"And they will die," whispered Dragoon. He stood behind Myros, shaking his head.

"Yes," Myros said quietly as he watched the troops filter out, "They will die."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*

Tyson and Kai placed their hoods over their faces. They had managed to get extra clothes and food from Faggelan. Kai's shoulder had completely healed and it only tended to throb from time and time.

Tyson ran up to the gates and gently pushed them open.

"Strange," He whispered, "they're not locked."

Kai brushed this fact away, "That doesn't matter. We have to get to the palace."

Tyson shook his head, "Something's wrong." His eyes widened, "There's nobody to defend the gates."

Kai caught on, "That means…"

"Gailen is defenseless. The war has started."

ME: Yes, I know it's short, but the some of the best parts are coming! Honestly!
CS: We've been getting major inspiration from Apolcalyptica's "Hope" *sighes* What a song!

ME: It's instrumental, but it touches you in a way.

CS: Anyway, we're having a poll.

Characters:

Alia

Allison

Jason

Chris

Kaleb

Calyph

ME: Do vote! Those who vote get a free version of the song 'Hope'

CS: Oh, and reviewer gifts are—

ME: Cloaks!! Like the ones in LoTR and they have lightning broaches!

CS: *fastens her cloak* Update!

[1] Blazeron = Capital of