Hell House: Common Room
Meg-(stretched out on Zeroku's sofa working on a sketch of Kai and Tyson) Hey, Zero!
Zeroku-(pauses in her half-hearted attempt to break up a fight between Hitoshi and Tala) What? I'm kinda busy
Meg-You still need to decide on the couples for this fic
Alex-(falls out of her chair) NANI?! Nee-chan, are you feeling ok?!
Zeroku-(sweatdrops as Alex and Yuki both jump up to feel Meg's forehead, then turns to readers) Well, for those who don't know, that (points to Meg) is my cousin and fellow authoress, Meg, and is fairly notorious for avoiding romance in her stories, and mine, as much as possible, so her asking about the couples for Somewhere I Belong is pretty strange. Alex is her yami, and older sister, and Yuki-san is her best guy friend and a newbie author
Yuki-(is forecefully holding a thermometer in Meg's mouth while checking her pulse) Everything seems normal
Meg-(spits theremometer out and hits Alex between the eyes with it) Damnit, I'm fine! You of all people should know I start acting OOC when I'm under a lot of stress! And you know I'm right Zero, you need to get your couples straightened out before you end up with another fiasco like your other Beyblade fic
Zeroku-Ok, I'll figure something out
Kai-Dear God, we're all going to die
Naruto-Wow! It speaks!
Sasuke-Oh brother
Zeroku-Meg! Get Naruto away from Kai before someone gets hurt! Wait, what stress?
Alex-(slaps her forehead in disbelief)
Vega-Oh, I dunno, maybe her dad being IN THE HOSPITAL?!
Zeroku-Oh, oops, forgot about that. Anyway, (turns back to readers) I'm at a semi-loss four couples in this fic I'll do just about anything, within reason (shudders at horrible memories) Urg.... I think I'm gonna be sick...
Meg-Voltaire/Kai?
Zeroku-(nods, then runs off to the bathroom)
Meg-Picking up where Zero-chan left off (sets sketch down and sits up) Zero'll do just about anything non-painfully disturbing. At one point we could get her to write anything, and I mean anything. (glances warily at an old desk wrapped in chains and padlocks) Then, of course, we found that disturbing fic on AFF.
Alex-I was having nightmares for a week!
Kai-You? I got raped by my own grandfather and Boris and (twitch twitch) my mother, and .......I can't say it...
Meg-Getting to the point, Zero's now taking suggestions for couples for Somewhere I Belong, yaoi, non-yaoi, I think she's still capable of inter-species romance, though the Beyblade boys might go on strike of she tries it, but anyway, suggestions are welcome!
Sachio-(walks out of an old full length mirror in the corner) can we get to the story already?
Meg-Sure!
Somewhere I Belong
Chapter 2
Family Ties
"Man, this place is creepy,"Max muttered, looking up at the huge Hiwatari mansion.
Hilary shivered. "Did it just get colder?"
"C'mon,"Tyson hissed, putting on a painfully fake brave face. "Rei, you knock."
"Why me?"Rei asked.
"Cause you're the oldest!"Tyson yelled.
"Jesus, you guys could wake the dead!"
All eyes turned to the door. A small girl, no older than seven or eight, was standing in the half-open door. She was twisting a few strands of her short pale blonde hair around her finger and watching the boys, and girl, with interest. "You're Kai's team, right?"
The boys nodded, and Hilary gave a delighted squeal and jumped at the girl.
"KYAA!! You're so cute!"Hilary squealed, hugging the startled girl.
"Oh brother,"Tyson said, a large sweatdrop forming by his head.
"Ow, ow, I can't breathe!"
Hilary relented and the girl shook her head. "Please, follow me. Everyone's waiting in the library."
She led them deep into the mansion, through so many hallways Tyson was sure he'd never find his way out.
"By the way,"Rei asked. "What's your name?"
"Amane,"she replied quietly. "Amane Lyra Hiwatari."
They finally came to a huge set of oak doors. Amane stopped and turned to them. "I should probably warn you, grandpa's really mad and mom's just.... well, you'll see. Don't ask to many questions right now, nii-chan will explain as much as he can later, once grandpa's gone. He doesn't like outsiders getting involved in family business, but he had no choice this time."
She pushed the door open and led them inside. Voltaire was sitting in a huge armchair next to fireplace that took up most of one wall. A beautiful young woman with long golden hair was leaning over him, whispering something in his ear. Two boys sat on the floor, one, apparently close to the Bladebreakers' age, had sliver hair streaked with blueish-black that was held back in a loose bun, the other, a little odler than Amane, had long dirty blode hair that stuck out at odd angles and seemed constantly at war with his eyes for dominance of his face.
"Grandpa,"Amane said meekly. "They're here."
Voltaire and the woman both looked up and Amane bolted past them to hide behind the boys sitting on the floor.
"Sorry we're late,"Tyson muttered.
Voltaire waved off the apology. "Amane, Ryou, go get us some drinks." The two children jumped up, bowed, and ran out of the room. "Sachio." The older boy tilted his head in Voltaire's dirction, apparently to show he was listening, as his eyes were closed and he was facing the fire. "Look at me when I address you, Sachio." He didn't move. "I said look at me!"
"Don't waste your time,"the woman snarled. "That brat doesn't answer to anyone."
Voltaire's eye twitched. "Fine." He glared at the Bladebreakers. "Due to health problems, I am in no condition to help in the search for my grandson," Sachio snorted loudly, but quickly stiffened at a very Kai-esque death glare from Voltaire. "so Sachio is in charge of the search. He knows more about Yusuke than he lets on. So, whatever Sachio tells you to do, do it. You have my entire staff at your disposal. I don't care what you need to do, I want my grandson back."
Sachio stood up and turned, eyes closed, to Voltaire. "I don't know what you're playing at old man, but rest assured, Kai will be back here sooner than you think. Yusuke's not taking another one of my loved ones." He lowered his head in a half bow. "Grandfather, mother." then headed for the door, stopping only to tell the Bladebreakers to follow him.
Sachio led them deeper into the house than even Amane had, never once pausing. He kept one hand running along the wall, while the other toyed with a loose strand of blue-black hair. He finally stopped at the end of one hall and turned back to the Bladebreakers, eyes still closed.
"My grandfather's a bastard, dragging you into this,"he snarled coldly. Tyson suddenly recognized his as the one that had been yelling at Voltaire earlier on the phone. "He's been raising hell about keeping our problems in the family as long as anyone can remember, and now he's running to you for help. If Kai wasn't my brother, I wouldn't be doing this, though I doubt there is much any of us can do."
"The last time Yusuke captured one of us, he was completely insane by the time we got to him. Many of the men I brought with me on that mission died, and most others went completely insane as well. What they saw in there would drive almost anyone insane."
"Then why didn't you crack like the rest of 'em?"Tyson asked.
"Because I didn't see it,"Sachio replied, his eyes cracking open slightly. "I couldn't see the tortures and the hells Yusuke put his victims through, I couldn't smell the river of blood we had to wade through, I couldn't even see Kaoru when we reached him." He opened his eyes completely and the boys reeled back. "It's the only time my blindness has ever seemed like a blessing,"
His empty white eyes stared right through the Bladebreakers, seemingly into some unkown world only he could see. Tyson gave an involuntary shudder as Sachio turned around and put his hand on the wall behind him.
"Either way, that's the least of our worries right now." The wall suddenly slid away to reveal a large set of stairs. "Come on."
The stairs seemed to go on forever, and the only sound made was the beating of shoes against stone. They finally reached another wooden door. Sachio ran his hand over a strange pattern on the door and it opened.
"Make yourselves comfortable, we may be here a while."Sachio advised as he strided across the large room.
It was a large common room with several couches and chairs scattered around a large bonfire in the middle of the room. The walls were covered in mystical symbols and relics. There was a large full length mirror hanging on one wall, which is where Sachio was headed.
"Hitoshi!"he shouted at the mirror.
A moment later the blue-haired boy appeared in the mirror. "Sachio? What is it? You look tired."
"Of course I'm tired you idiot, Yusuke's kidnapped my older brother!"
Hitoshi's eyes went wide, but he quickly regained his compsure. "I thought it was decided that Kai would have nothing to do with our family's history?"
"So did I, but apparently Demon Slayer Yusuke doesn't know that,"Sachio replied bluntly. "I need your help."
"Sorry, cuz, no can do,"Hitoshi replied. "Dad and I have our own mess to clean up. You're on your own, Na-chan."
"Stop calling me that, and you know perfectly well that I can't go after Yusuke without help! I can't exactly waltz back to Avalon and ask the others for help now can I?"
"Nothing's stopping you,"Hitoshi replied nochalantly.
"I refuse to go back there!"Sachio shouted.
"Are you really that scared?"Hitoshi asked. "Avalon's just as much in your blood as it is mine, if not more."
With that he disappeared from the mirror. "Damnit!" Sachio shouted, punching the wall next to the mirror.
All I can do is sit here and pray
It had been just over a week since Kai's initial disappearance and, for all their resources, the team was at a loss. They'd torn most of Japan apart in their search, and had turned up absolutely nothing. They all but lived in the Hiwatari mansion, leaving only to search for Kai.
Sachio was pacing. Again. Tyson was watching him through half-lidded eyes from the couch he'd claimed as his bed, trying futilely to stay awake. Max was sleeping on the floor, having fallen there after a very tiring search. Kenny and Rei were staying awake by examining some of the artifacts on Sachio's wall, while Hilary had gone home to get some sleep on Sachio's orders. Functioning on five hours of sleep in a week wasn't good for anyone.
"I'll murder him,"Sachio muttered. "He's supposed to be my partner, and he's off doing god knows what with his dad."
He stopped momentarily to stroke a large white fox that was laying on one of the chairs. It gave her a withering look.
"Not you too,"he grumbled. "No. I'm not going to do it."
"What else can we do?"Rei asked, glancing over his shoulder at the white-eyed boy. "We've checked all of Japan."
"They've probably left Japan,"Sachio hissed. "probably left before we even realized Kai was missing. This whole search was just a waste of time."
"Alright, wise guy,"Tyson snarled. "where are they then?"
"Avalon,"Sachio replied bluntly. "Yusuke's probably got him hidden somewhere in Avalon, which is why I went to Hitoshi for help in the first place."
"Avalon?"Kenny asked. "but Avalon's not real."
"Shows how much you know,"Sachio hissed. "It's a hidden continent, only reachable through mirrors like that one,"he pointed to the full length mirror that Hitoshi had appeared in a week earlier.
"Then why didn't we go there in the first place?!"Tyson shouted. "Kai could be dead by now, or worse!"
"Yusuke wouldn't kill him, not yet,"Sachio shook his head. "As long as Kai is the only one who can control Dranzer and Kyuubi is safe here, Yusuke will have to keep him alive."
"But nii-chan,"Ryou said, as he and Amane slipped into the room. "for all we know Yusuke could have already forced big brother to give him control of Dranzer. What if he's headed here, right now, to get Kyuubi?"
The white fox put his head up to look at Sachio.
"Kai's stronger than that,"Sachio replied bluntly.
The fox set his head down and covered it with his paws.
"Oh, shut up, you sorry excuse for a bit beast,"Sachio snarled.
Rei and Kenny gave him identical funny looks.
"If Kai's in Avalon, then why don't we go there?"Tyson asked.
Sachio closed his eyes and played with a black sweatband on his left wrist. "Normal humans can't reach Avalon, for one, and two, after what happened two years ago, I swore I'd never go back there."
Ryou and Amane were both giving their odler brother dark looks. The white fox growled quietly.
"So you're scared to go back there?"Tyson asked coldly. "Just because of something that happened when you were younger? You'll let your brother die because you're too much of a coward to go back?"
Sachio wheeled around and stared at Tyson with his empty white eyes. They stared at eachother for several minutes, neither blinking. Finally, after nearly ten minutes of complete silence, Sachio turned around and approached the mirror.
"Never, in a hundred years,"Sachio muttered. "you'd die for him, wouldn't you?"
"He's my friend, of course I'd die for him."
Sachio smiled sadly. "I said that once, too." He pulled a small kunai from his pocket and began cutting into the palm of his left hand. "Let's just hope your friendship doesn't suffer the same fate that mine and Kaoru's did." He finished carving the pentagram into his hand and gave an ironic grin. "I finally got it to heal, too." He placed his palm against the mirror and whispered. "Filiolus oc Avalonis , audite meus vox vocis. Patefacio ianua oc reflections, patefacio porta ut Avalonis. Infuse nostrum cruor per vestri veneficus, quod rector nos domus." (1)
The glass seemed to melt and become like a lake. Sachio's crimson blood flowed through the pale blue liquid and formed a pentagram over it.
"Kenny,"Sachio said, not moving from his position. "I want you to stay here and help, just in case Yusuke's smarter than I think he is. I'm also leaving Amane and Ryou with you. The rest of you will come to Avalon with me."
"How exactly are we supposed to get there?"Max asked.
"Just walk through the portal,"Sachio explained calmly. "It should take us right to my old hideout."
He grinned and walked directly into the swirling mass. In an instant, it had swallowed the blind boy. Rei, Max, and Tyson exchanged wary looks.
"Don't worry,"Amane said. "We've seen nii-chan do it a hundred times, its safe."
The boys nodded, then, waving one last goodbye to Kenny, stepped through the portal.
-----End Chapter 2-----
(1) Latin, translation: Gods of Avalon, hear my voice. Open the door of reflections, open the gate to Avalon. Infuse our blood with your magic, and guide us home.
Zeroku-(finally having remerged from the bathroom) Well, that was interesting. Looks like we won't get to Avalon till the next chapter, oh well. I'm gonna be using a lot of latin in this story, just to warn you. And the whole thing with Sachio carving a pentagram into his hand, it's from a book I read. The only way to reach this hidden world was through a sacrifice of blood, and I needed something else to make Sachio creepy
Meg-(jumps up from the couch) DONE! HAHA!!
Alex-For those who are wondering, Meg's been working on that stupid sketch of Kai and Tyson for just over a week, so now she's celebrating her victory over it. she does this a lot
Yuki-(grabs sketch book) Uh, Meg, isn't think your school sketch book?
Meg-Yeah
Yuki-And doesn't your art teacher watch Beyblade?
Meg-Yeah....
Yuki-And itsn't she painfully homophobic?
Meg-Yeah......(blink blink) So?
Yuki-Aren't you the least bit worried about what she'll do to you when she opens your sketch book and finds a picture of Kai and Tyson kissing?
Meg-(blink blink) Oh shit
Alex-I told you not to do request art in your school sketch book
Meg-yeah, well, what do you expect? I've been under a lot of stress lately
Zeroku-(looks at sketch) Obviously.....hmm, maybe you could tell your teacher it's for a gender-bender fic? It worked with that picture of Darren and Steve (For those who are curious, Darren and Steve are character's from Meg's second favorite book series Cirque du Freak aka The Saga of darren Shan)
Meg-(shrugs) oh well, let's just do the preview for the next chapter and get this over with
Next Time: The boys finally arrive on Avalon, and all hell breaks loose. Who knew Avalonians were so xenophobic? Thank God for Shikamaru' library, and his quick thinking. And while Shikamaru and Sachio try to figure out what their next move is, Tyson, Rei, and Max learn a little about Sachio's history from his former teammate, Chouji. Who knew a blind kid could beyblade? But what's Sachio Hiwatari's biggest secret? And why is the Hiwatari family so famous in Avalon?
Zeroku-And don't forget to send me your ideas for couples