oO; I update soon...? Five days isn't that long T.T

Thank you again: Devlinn Reiko-sama, Sarcasmcat, Platinum Rei, Reis#1gurl, Rabel-blah-blah-blah and random. On to chapter three!

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade.

Chapter III - Awakened Fears

Kai ran out of the bedroom and headed towards the bathroom, skidding to a stop when he saw Ray looking absolutely terrified. 'Oh great...'

Ray leaned over the sink and looked in the mirror, trying to get a better look at the long fangs. He ran a finger cautiously over one of the canine teeth, trying to convince himself that he was still half asleep and that his teeth were normally like that.

"How did these... What the hell happened?" Ray asked, noticing Kai stepped into the bathroom. "This is impossible!"

"Just don't freak out..." Kai said, already finding it a bit late trying to say that. "I'm sure there is an explanation for this..."

"What the hell is going on, already?" Ray asked, looking back at Kai.

"I don't know... Better yet, none of us know what's going on..." Kai replied coldly, taking a glance behind him as the others started gathering around. "Just don't panic as much until we figure out what to do..."

"Ray, what's wrong?" Tyson asked, looking past Kai's shoulder. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Go back to sleep." Kai ordered, blocking the doorway from the others as he looked coldly at them. "Everything's fine."

"But we heard him yell-"

"He's fine." Kai said, closing the door so he and Ray were the only ones in the room.

He exhaled slowly, moving his gaze back to Ray who was looking in the mirror again, trying to get a better look on the new fangs.

"Ray, for the best of things, don't start freaking out..." Kai said warily. "Right now, no one knows what the hell is going on... If you feel anything weird or strange that's bothering you more than it is right now, you tell me right away. No one else, alright?"

"But Kai-" Ray started then quickly shut his mouth from the look that he was given.

"No one else." Kai said calmly.

"Alright..." Ray nodded.

"It's still early so you may as well go back to sleep or take a shower and stay up while the rest of them go back to bed." Kai said, crossing his arms.

Ray thought for a moment, looking at his reflection in the mirror and seeing his longer fangs over his bottom lip. "I... think I'll take my chances staying up..."

Kai nodded and left Ray to take his shower. He leaned against the wall a few feet away from the door, staying quiet in case something was to happen. Even with his eyes closed, he could hear someone peeking out from around a corner.

"I thought I told you to go back to bed..." He said in a low tone.

Max watched him hesitantly. "I was just wondering if Ray is really okay..."

Kai sighed, turning his head away. "He's fine. Don't you guys get worried over it. I'm keeping an eye on him..."

Max nodded slightly, even though the other couldn't see it. "That's good, Kai..."

The blond-haired beyblader crept back away and left Kai in silence. A few moments later, Ray emerged from the bathroom, fully clothed but his hair remained down and wet, not tied up in its usual fashion.

"Come on, let's go." Kai said, starting to walk down the hallway towards the kitchen.

Ray blinked but followed the Russian, despite his doubts. Kai told him to go sit outside and he did so, still wondering what was going on with all the strange incidences. He sat on one of the benches and took a quiet glance around. It was a little after dawn but it was particularly quiet, with few birds chirping from time to time. He sighed slowly, actually enjoying the quiet solitude that he had been missing for so long, letting his problems slip away temporarily.

'What's happening to me...' Ray thought to himself as he looked at the slowly brightening sky. 'I really don't know what is going on... I wouldn't attack Tyson or anyone... But why did Kai tell me that I did... he's not one for lying either... Maybe...'

Ray's thoughts were interrupted from Kai standing in front of him, holding out a mug of tea. He had one for himself and looked like he always did; distant.

"Uhm, thanks..." Ray said as he took the mug, holding it with both hands in his lap.

Kai simply nodded and sat on the ground, placing the mug beside him then he crossed his arms and sat as he was usually seen.

"Kai... can I ask you something?" Ray said, looking at the mug in his hands. "Did I... really attack Tyson yesterday...?"

Kai sat silently, his eyes closed in thought then he finally decided to answer the other boy. "If you want the truth, then yes... you did. Rather viciously, I might add... Whether it was intentional or not, you didn't seem like yourself at all."

"So it's true..." Ray said quietly.

"Unfortunately... From this point on, Ray, if there's anything out of the ordinary that would somehow lead for you do to that again, you tell me right away. And I mean anything. We can't afford to take any chances." Kai stated firmly, taking a calm sip of his tea.

"Actually..." Ray started, getting Kai's attention almost immediately. "There is something..."

Kai watched Ray's uncertain face, waiting for him to continue. "Well...?"

"I heard..." Ray stopped again, not wanting to actually say he heard voices in his head. He would probably be labeled as crazy and be avoided more than he felt he was. He could feel Kai's steely gaze on him and it was starting to make him more uncomfortable. "I heard... voices..."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "Voices?"

Ray nodded, then took a drink of the tea. "Yeah... That's what I said... It was weird..."

"When did it start..." Kai pressed on, not taking his eyes off of the Chinese beyblader.

"During our practice, I think... Yeah, it did..." Ray thought hard, trying to sort out all the details. "I got side-tracked during our practice beybattle and then I went against Tyson..."

"That's when you were starting to act a little strange, Ray..." Kai said. "You started to space out..."

Ray nodded, his eyes narrowing slightly. "I remember that now... I couldn't move... It was like I wasn't allowed to... As much as I wanted to say something or at least move a muscle, I couldn't actually get myself to do anything. And the voices... the voices got worse..."

"Don't work yourself up over it..." Kai warned.

"I know but..." Ray shook his head. "It was just really, really weird..."

"It was strange for all of us... For now, we'll see how today goes... We're still practicing no matter what, though... Just remember what I told you." Kai said then he finished his tea in silence.

"Yeah, alright..." Ray went back to thinking quietly, not bothering to finish his drink as he just looked at it.

The two sat in silence for a while, listening to the quiet of daybreak and didn't say much of anything else. Ray sighed quietly and closed his eyes, then regretting that he did. They were back...

Do not disappoint us...

Ray dropped the half-full mug of tea and lurched off of the bench, falling on his knees and elbows as he covered his head. Kai immediately sat up on his knees, watching Ray warily.

"What's wrong now?" He asked cautiously, watching Ray jerk away when he was about to put his hand on his shoulder.

The White Tiger... The beast is the master...

"No... No it's not! Stop it!" Ray growled, shaking his head as some of his hair fell over his face.

"Ray, answer me, damn it!" Kai barked, getting up immediately to avoid any possible attack.

The dragon... the dragon must be destroyed...

"It doesn't! Stop it!" Ray snarled, feeling himself starting to lose control of his own actions again.

Even though Ray wore the same shirt with the rips in it, Kai could see the claw marks on his back darken considerably and seemed to be glowing with a darkened aura. His attention was turned back to Ray's face.

"What the hell?!" Kai's eyes widened a bit when he noticed Ray's nails... or what they originally were.

Kai found this a definite problem. First of all, Ray had started to freak out and go absolutely ballistic at Tyson and there were the extended fangs... Next were the odd claw markings through the back of his shirts and his back... and now...

"Claws..." Kai said quietly, furrowing his eyebrows as Ray started to get up unsteadily, still covering his head and most of his face.

"I don't want to do it!" Ray hadn't noticed the newly ingrown claws but he had a very strong unexplainable feeling.

Follow thy instincts...

"Stop it..." Ray seemed to beg.

Thy White Tiger's instincts are to kill... The dragon is thy enemy... It is the will of the White Tiger...

Kai slid a few steps back, keeping his arms up defensively as Ray's animalistic snarling resurfaced from the other day. 'He's transforming into something...'

"Ray, don't go anywhere..." Kai said loudly to the Chinese beyblader, watching him stand.

Ray looked at Kai, his teeth clenched tightly as he snarled in a very wild cat sort of way and his eye twitched violently with his fangs gleaming for the thirst of blood.

"The dragon..." Ray snarled, his voice definitely changed as it sounded more inhuman.

'The dragon must be Tyson...' Kai watched the other warily, keeping his guard up. 'Tyson has Dragoon and that's what he must be after...'

Ray let out a snarl and ran straight for Kai, his claws extended and his hands pulled back. Kai did not want to let Ray back in the Dojo so he waited until the moment that Ray was going to slash down at him then caught his hands, trying to push him back a bit but found that he had more strength than he anticipated. Burning amber tiger-eyes met a steely crimson gaze as the two were locked in a mercy fight, a battle of strength.

"The dragon!" Ray snarled again, digging his claws into the back of Kai's hands.

"Shit!" Kai winced, not backing down. "TYSON! Wake the hell up RIGHT NOW!"

I hope that was worth the wait. Sorry I have a lot of other fan fictions to work on and I'm not always in a writing mood. I apologize for the wait. If there are any spelling errors, I've most likely missed them. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.