Author's Note: I would just like to thank everyone whose reviewed and I appreciate everything guys! I shall now continue with this story now.
Asuka looked up at her uncle as he stood over her. Silence wrapped around her, she was afraid to move, to speak, or even breathe. She was back amongst the shadows of her past. All because of one little boy and two girls she met over the past two years. No, she had no right to blame them for her being in this situation. The only person she had to blame for the pain this place brought her was the man standing over her, glaring down at her as if she were seven once more.
"Well, aren't you going to say anything, Asuka? It's been two years since I last saw you. You've grown quite a bit since you were fourteen," Boris smirked as he walked over to her. He watched her back up until she was pressed against a wall. Her eyes remained on him. "Do I still scare you?"
"Uncle..." Asuka could see the glint in his eyes, knowing that he was going to hurt her.
"What's wrong Asuka, are you afraid of your uncle? I still have that much of a hold on you? How many of your dreams are filled with me?" The male pulled the girl to her feet. Staring her directly in the eyes, watching the fear crawl to the surface. "How many times did you wake up screaming in terror?"
The girl only whimpered, unable to speak. It was always like this, never able to stand up to her uncle. All she could do was pray and hope things would be over quickly, rather than have him carry things out. He tended to find more pleasure in tormenting her slowly when he felt in the mood.
There was a time when she was nine that he wanted to teach her a lesson in disobeying his rules. So he tied her hands behind her back, taking pleasure whipping her until the whelps bled, then adding insult to the pain by having Hikaru apply alcohol to the wounds, only if the boy tried to go easy on his sister, he would also receive a lashing. The rest of the night she spent to herself, nursing her wounds and tears she refused to show the others.
"Asuka," Boris whispered into her ear, pushing her against the wall more. She squeezed her eyes closed, trying to become numb of her surroundings. That was probably the true reason Boris was more determined than any other reason to never let her go. Unlike the others in the abbey, her spirit yet to submit to his power. No matter how afraid she was of him, that did not mean that she was completely in his power, it only meant that she reacted to a natural stimulate, which was the fear induced actions inflicted on her. "Answer me girl."
"Yes...uncle..." she said eventually.
"Look at me," he demanded. Asuka continued to keep her eyes closed, refusing to stare at him. With a low growl, he smacked the girl across the face. "Don't make me have to teach you another lesson girl, look at me." Her eyes popped open, staring at him with wide eyes. "Did you really think you would be able to escape from me for long? Did you really think I couldn't have found you if I really wanted to?"
"Then why let get go this long?" Asuka said. "If you could find me in the beginning, why didn't you just come get me. I doubt you could." The remark cost her another slap, Boris glaring into her eyes with amusement.
"There's the little girl that I raised. Always the one that questions my word, but I don't blame you. You are curious to why you went so long without my guidance? It's simple enough. I knew you would come back to me. There was no way you could stay away so long without asking yourself about Tala and the others. You know, a while ago Kai came back to. He looked so disappointed and lost when he found you weren't here. I had to comfort him too. You should have seen the look on his face as I took him like when he was a child," Boris chuckled. "He cried out your name, you know that. He wouldn't stop crying it out until I was finished. And then he just laid there, sobbing in my arms until he fell asleep."
"Shut up!" Asuka said. "I don't want to hear anymore!"
"Oh, but that's not the whole story. Those few days that he was here, we spent many nights in each other's arms. He got to the point where he allowed me to do what I want. He would give himself to me completely. Just like Tala does."
"Stop it! Just shut up!" Asuka screamed. How could she leave those boys to suffer at her uncle's hands like this?
"Oh, touchy are we?" Boris smirked. "You know, you can still escape if you want it that bad. I would have given it to you, all you had to do was ask me, niece." Boris wrapped his hands around her neck, enclosing them slowly, cutting off her oxygen. Asuka gasped, her hands involuntarily reaching up to pry Boris's hands from around her neck. He lifted the girl up the wall more, reveling in the fear shining in her eyes.
The girl felt her lungs slowly burning from less and less oxygen she was receiving by the minute. Her feet continued to thrash, as she tried freeing herself from his grasp. Her vision soon became dotted with spots, dimming with each passing minute. "Hi...karu..." Her hands finally fell away from trying to free her neck from her uncle's grasp.
"I still have use for you, so I won't kill you just yet," Boris whispered in her ear as he let her fall to the floor. Asuka fell on her hands and knees, coughing from the assault. She felt nauseous, maybe ready to throw up. Raising her eyes to the male standing over her, she found he was still smirking. Enjoying what he was doing to her. "There are several individuals who would love to see you."
"What about Hikaru? Is he alive?" Asuka inquired.
"Oh yes, your questions always come back to your brother. If you want an answer than come along." The male yanked her to her feet, pulling her deeper into the abbey. Was it really true? Was her brother really alive?
"Uncle, tell me, tell me if it's really true? Is he really alive? Is my brother really alive?" Asuka asked, as the male dragged her deeper into the abbey. The male looked down at her, with amusement. "Please, tell me if it's true!"
"You really want to know if he's alive?" A cruel smile curled the male's lips as he continued to pull the girl deeper into the abbey. She half stumbled, half walked down the dark, long corridors leading away from the rest of the abbey. She realized, after minutes, that he was leading her up the stairs away from the rest of the quarters the children in the abbey had. She remembered she, Tala, Kai, and Bryan hiding from their daily training in this area. It was off limits except to her uncle and a few others.
Asuka's heart pounded in her chest as her uncle led her down the hall to one of the rooms. Was it really true? Was he really alive? Boris took out a key from his pocket, putting it in the key hold and turning the key. It opened easily, as the male pushed the door open. The room was lit with low lamps that created a lazy air despite where she was. The room was finely furnished with many expensive things.
Asuka's eyes panned over the room, until it finally rested on the large, four post canopy bed near a wall by the curtained window. Her green eyes widened, tears streaking down her face as Boris released his grip on her. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. It was really true.
Sitting on the canopy bed, cushioned by many large silken blue, black, and crimson pillows, was a young man with long waist length plum colored hair braided into a loose ponytail reading a book quietly. Occasionally he would reach up and brush aside a wayward lock or bang.
"Hikaru!" Asuka broke from her uncle's side to run up to the male, wrapping her arms around him when she reached his side. "Hikaru, I thought you were dead! I've missed you so much!" Everything was going to be all right now. She had her brother, and nothing could dissuade her now.
"Who are you?" Hikaru said as he pushed the girl away from him. His brown eyes glared at the girl that had toppled to the floor from the hard shove. Sprawled on the floor, Asuka stared bewildered at her brother.
"Hikaru...don't you remember me? It's me," Asuka said.
"I don't know you girl," the boy sneered, before looking up and realizing Boris accompanied the girl in the room. His eyes lit up with excitement as he got off the bed, running over to the male. Asuka turned her head watching as Hikaru wrapped his arms around the male in an affectionate hug.
"Hikaru, you're lively today, how have you been?" Boris asked, stroking the boy's hair gently. Hikaru rubbed his head against the male's hand, seeming happy to be near the male. A man that cause him and Asuka so much pain, she wondered what happened? What changed his opinion of the male, and why did he look at her as if she was trash?
"I've been here all day, you know that! I thought you would never come back!" Hikaru chimed. For a second, he kept up with the affectionate act before turning cold, but curious eyes upon Asuka. "Whose this girl?"
"This...girl..." Asuka didn't know what to think about this. "Hikaru...it's me..."
"Hikaru, remember the girl that I told you about when you were recovering? This is the girl," Boris whispered, slipping his hand down the boy's body, gripping his waist lightly. "That is Asuka, your sister."
"My...sister..." Hikaru's eyes filled with hatred and disgust, a look that use to be directed towards their uncle. "She's the one that left me to die before you took me in."
"Hikaru! Whatever he told you isn't true! That day...that day we were going to escape and..." Asuka struggled to keep her voice from trembling, but without success. Why was this happening?
"Enough with your excuse!" Hikaru snapped. "I don't want to hear them. You left me to die in the cold. I was beat and raped without mercy. It wasn't you that was there when I cried and needed help, it was Boris."
"You see Asuka, when you left him here, the guards decided to take matters into their own hands. You were usually here to stop them, but since you fled like a coward, it was open season for them. When I finally discovered what was going on, seven of them had already had their turns on him. He almost died you know, while you were on way back to Japan without him. His mind was so gone I had to remind him of trickles of the past. He was so grateful to be under protection, he will do anything I ask of him. Isn't that right, Hikaru?" Boris lifted the young man's face up with his other hand, Hikaru not resisting the male's touch at all.
"Anything you wish of me, my master," Hikaru murmured as Boris kissed him on the lips.
"You lying bastard! How dare you!" Getting up from where she was seated on the floor, Asuka ran towards the male with anger. Hikaru broke out of the kiss, turning around to smack the girl away from him. Asuka stumbled back, hitting the floor again. Sitting up, she gaped at Hikaru, being that he had never raised his hand to her in their entire lives. This couldn't be her brother. But...it was...
"Stay away from me! I don't want you trying to save me! I'm happier without you in my life. I think this world is better without your presence in it," Hikaru spat, wrapping his arms around Boris, looking up at the older male. "Isn't that right master Boris?"
"Now, now Hikaru. I...still have a use for her," Boris replied, leaning down to kiss the boy's neck. His eyes burned into Asuka's for a long second. Seeing the slow crumble of foundation that her strength and will were built on. It would not take long for her to break down under the pressure and submit to him finally.
"Hi...karu..." Asuka looked down, her eyes wide with tears. What could she do now? He was alive...her brother was alive but he didn't remember the real truth. He hated her because Boris lied and manipulated his feelings while her brother was still vulnerable. Now he hated her, the very foundation of her power was the brother she had always looked to for guidance. While in Japan, he had always been her real reason for continuing when the darkness wanted to consume her.
But now...she did not know what she could do. She needed to have him tell her they would all escape. That he would be there for her and nothing would come between them. How was she supposed to go on now? Her uncle just turned her one true source of power against her. If she couldn't find a way to bring him back, she would surely crumble in no time.
Maseo walked down the street lit by lampposts, his eyes occasionally looking behind him to see if Asuka would run up behind him with a huge grin on her face. Even a frown would be a welcomed sight, as long as she came back. For some reason, Maseo was getting the feeling that the teen would not be returning. It was just a feeling in his stomach, but it felt real. That she would stay at that place forever.
"Maybe I should have stayed with her. Maybe I'll go get Kira and Rika and we can go back and get her," Maseo said to himself.
Her uncle wouldn't really tell her she couldn't come back to her team, would he? He didn't seem like as bad a person as Asuka made him seem. Her uncle had been nothing but polite and respectful to Maseo on the way to the abbey. His smile put Maseo at ease. He even told Maseo about that incident at the stadium with smacking the captain of the Demolition Boys. How he was just upset that the boys lost and lashed out unexpectedly. That later once he calmed down, he apologized to the young man for the blow.
"It doesn't make sense why she would be afraid of him then?" Maseo frowned, kicking a clump of snow out of his way. What scared her so much? There was a huge piece of the puzzle he was missing. "I don't understand what I'm not seeing."
"Hey kid."
"Huh?" Maseo looked up to find a young man with light blue bangs and dark blue hair looking at him. The male had two blue triangles on each cheek, his auburn eyes studying Maseo for a long minute.
"Is your name Maseo?" the dual haired male asked him.
"Who are you? And how do you know my name?" Maseo asked cautiously.
"My name is Kai Hiwatari," the young man stated.
"From the Bladebreakers team?" Maseo blinked.
"Asuka told me to take you somewhere safe," Kai said.
"Where's she now? Is she still at that place with her uncle? Is that guy really her uncle! And what about her brother? How do you know her?" Questions blurted from Maseo's lips. He had to know the answers. What was going on? Why was this occurring? "Tell me, why is this happening? What is it about this place that scares her?"
Kai looked down at the boy, realizing why Asuka wanted to protect this boy so much. If he was exactly like Hikaru, maybe not in appearance, but in spirit. When Hikaru and Asuka first came to the abbey when they were six and seven, everything was fine for them...well...for Asuka. Kai knew that on one or two occasions Boris lusted after his nephew. One time Kai caught Boris groping the young boy who was made to sit in his uncle's lap.
When Asuka finally discovered what was going on, she found that it wasn't happening to just Kai and the others, but her own brother, she made the decision to watch over everyone. Which included her brother. Despite the fact he was older than her by two years, she was always the one to protect him, instead of the other way around. After the death of their parents, Hikaru was very sensitive about most things. Submitting easily to the commands and orders of others.
"I grew at that abbey with her and her brother, Hikaru," Kai said.
"So, she did take up her brother's name."
"But it was for a good reason."
"But why is she so afraid of that place?" Maseo questioned.
"We should get going?" Kai changed the subject. There was no reason he should know that secret he, Asuka, and the others carried. "Come on."
"What about Asuka? We can't just leave her there! We should go meet up with her," Maseo declared.
"That's absolutely out of the question," Kai said, not bothering to explain. "She told me to get you to safety, I'm going to do it."
"So we're just going to let her stay there? What if she doesn't come back?" Maseo exclaimed. Kai didn't say anything, which made Maseo even more upset than he already was. "I'm not going to leave her there, if she doesn't plan to come back! I'll go back myself and get her." Maseo was about to turn and head back to the abbey when Kai grabbed his shoulder. Auburn eyes stared directly into blue eyes.
"Asuka just risked her life for you, don't throw that away. She promised to come back. She told me that she would do everything in her power to."
"So, she's abandoned me, is that what you're saying?" Maseo said, clenching his fists at his side. His blue eyes smoldered with anger. Kai didn't blame him. If he was in the boy's predicament, he would probably be just as pissed he found out that someone he trusted up and left, with the prospect that she would never come back, without him knowing the full truth.
"She's always keeps her promises, you don't have to worry about her," Kai said more to himself than Maseo. Just like when she promised to help him after that incident with Black Dranzer. The pain from that incident put him at unrest for weeks on end, tormenting him with the memory of what happened.
{Flashback}
"Kai, I want you to listen to me, okay?" Twelve-year-old Asuka sat in front of Kai, brushing the damp locks of blue from out of his teary eyes. He was just waking up from another nightmare, induced by the memory of trying to control Black Dranzer's power. Black Dranzer, the ultimate beyblade that her uncle's team of scientist made. The blade that was suppose to be unrivalled by any other blade out there. She should have kept a better eye on him when he snuck off to give the blade a test run.
The experience left him not only shaken, but he was slowly tearing apart from the psychological trauma dealt. Asuka sighed, knowing that if she didn't do something soon, he would stop responding to her completely. Asuka wiped the tears from his eyes, turning his face upwards so he could stare into her eyes.
"Kai...you can forget it all, you know that, don't you? You don't have to remember any of it. Not even me if you must," she whispered. "I could take that, as long as you returned to normal." The boy continued not to respond to her, he just stared into her eyes. "It's okay Kai, no one will blame you for forgetting."
"Asuka..." he whimpered.
"I know Kai, you don't have to remain here in Russia. I haven't told Hikaru or the others yet, but I have enough money to make it for a while in Japan. I plan on going back there one day. I know uncle won't allow me to go freely, so I made a plan," Asuka said. "But...I want you to take the money. I can get you as far as the boat that I know is heading to Japan in two weeks. If you really want to be free, I will give you everything I have to go."
"Asuka..."
"I know that you're uncertain about what you'll do when you get there. But I believe you will be able to make it. You're special Kai, you may not think it, but I know you can survive on your own. I promise, if you go, I know you can make it without Tala, Hikaru, or I. So, you want to see Japan in the fall and summer? I'm sure that the weather is beautiful this time around," Asuka grinned at the boy who continued to cry. "Hey, everything will be all right, I promise you that."
{Flashback ends}
As always, she was right. She helped me leave, and all I could do was forget the past. She made sure that I got on that boat, while who knew what Boris did to her. Kai thought. But, what was he suppose to do now. She would never allow him to go back and help her. He was helpless to help the girl that was like a sister to him.
"Tell me something," Maseo whispered, his voice thick with unshed tears.
"What?" Kai said, looking up from his thoughts.
"Is she...ever coming back to me? She promised me after my parents abandoned me, that she would always be there for me. Tell me, will she come back?" Maseo's eyes shimmered with hope.
"Do you believe in her?" Kai inquired.
"Of course I do!" Maseo stated. "I believe in her with my entire heart, but this...it's made me so unsure of her...of what she's told me. She lied about her name, she's hid her past from her closest friends, how can I believe her now?"
"She had her reasons."
"Which were?" Maseo demanded. "I have a right to know. I mean Hikaru...no...Asuka kept it from me, from everyone that cares about her. Is Asuka really her name? She's told me a lie already, is her name really..."
"Her full name is Asuka Balcov," Kai remarked.
"Then where did Uesugi come from? Is it just something she made up?"
"Why do you insist to ask so many questions? Why is it so important to you?" Kai stated.
"She's my best friend, she's like the sister I never had. Of course I want to know everything about her! So does Kira and Rika too! We hardly know anything about her past or family. All we know now is that she has an uncle and a brother."
"That's more than enough then."
"No it isn't! I want to know her! Everything about her! Tell me!"
"Come on," Kai said, pulling the boy along with him, not bothering to answer that last demand made of him.
For a second, the boy resisted, then gave in, tired of asking questions he wasn't getting answers to. This was for the best Maseo just didn't know it right at the moment. Nor did he realize that this did not mean she cared any less for him. If anything, it showed she loved him almost as much as she did him, Tala, and the others at the abbey.
Asuka...I know you promised to come back, but... but do you really think that Boris will let you go now that he has you in his hands once more? How are you going to escape this time? He looked up at the sky, praying that everything would turn out right this time around.