Chapter VIII
---Guilty---
"Im feeling guilty,
My words are empty.
No signs to give you,
I don't have the time for you.
You say I'm heartless,
You say I don't care.
I used to be there for you,
You said I seemed so dead,
Cause I have changed and so have you.
Guilty, guilty,
I feel so empty.
Empty, you know how to make me feel."
Guilty – The RasmusXander and her companion made there way out of the airport, pushing open the doors and standing in the car lot. Xander paused and let the cooling breeze against her skin. She gave a small sigh and turned her gaze to Urquhart, his mousy locks swept across his face, he caught her gaze and pointed to the car, "Come on, we need to get going." Xander followed him for a few paces, but hesitated and stopped, "I don't want to go back there. Not unless I have to." He turned to her, giving her a reassuring smile, "My orders are to take you to wherever you see fit until the day before the wedding. So don't worry." She nodded, "You promise you'll look after me right? I don't want to be stuck again, not like last time." He gave a short chuckle, "Pearse has really changed, you know. He's not like he used to be. It's like..." He paused sweeping his hair from his eyes, "...It's like he was really sad you know? He just spent days on end blading constantly, forever trying to improve." Xander furrowed her eyebrows, "Why? He's one of the best I've seen... Why is he punishing himself?" She asked. "He said that 'When she comes back, I want to show her. I want to show her I've changed'"
She looked up at the burning afternoon sun. "He doesn't need to change, maybe a little attitude tuning, but he's perfect the way she is," She nodded, "Yes, defiantly perfect the way he is," Urquhart smiled as he pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and gave her a small white piece of paper. When she opened it up she gasped slightly. A red and black haired boy and a young blue haired girl smiled at her. "Is that...?" He laughed at her reaction, "Yeah. Benji and Ellone." Her eyes widened, "But they've grow so much since I last saw them, it's only been, what? A year?" He laughed as he placed his keys in the lock of his Porsche, "Adolescents grow fast you know."
She placed the photo in her pocket, "You mind?" She asked. He waved his hand, "No, No. You keep it. Have something to remember us by yeah?" She smiled, "Thanks." He clambered into the drivers seat, "No probs," He patted the seat next to him, "Climb in, come on. Not got all day." She nodded and did so. "So where we headed?" Xander pulled down her sun visa from the roof. "Head for the headquarters. I gotta talk to my brother... does he know?" He frowned as he started the engine; "Know about what," Xander rolled her eyes, "About the baby?" She replied over the soft revs of the engine as it purred. "Oh yea, Voltaire keeps rubbing it in his face, I mean, he's gonna be his brother-in-law and he's old enough to be his grandfather." Alexander interrupted heatedly, "Yes okay, enough." He leant back in his seat as she rested her head against her window. "You sure you want to go back so soon, I mean Pearse is gonna be there with the others, it's gonna be a bit noisy."
He could see her roll her eyes in her wing mirror, "All the more reason to be there then isn't it?" She asked. He shrugged, "I guess so," He took hold of the steering wheel and effortlessly reversed out of the tight spot.
"I put a shield upon you,
Didn't mean to hurt you.
Could have only poisoned your mind,
Didn't mean to make you cry.
You've been so heartless,
I can see right though you.
I used to be there for you,
Don't you leave and say goodbye,
Cause you have changed,
But so have I.
Guilty, guilty,
I feel so empty.
Empty, you know how to make me feel."
The building looked familiar as the small midnight blue Porsche parked outside. A small black mini-bus with images of beyblade's airbrushed onto the side gleamed from the driveway. "Looks like Pearse got here first," Groaned Urquhart, "Ah well," He shrugged. Xander was slightly hesitant to approach the building at first. She was cursing to herself in her mind. "Take ya time, I know it's gonna be hard." She caught up with him, looking up at the building.
It wasn't a large house, but could comfortably accommodate a few teams. It's exterior was modern, as Xander remembered, they had spent some of the warmer summer months about 2 years ago painting it a rustic white and painted the bricks which divided the upper part of the house from the bottom a black glossy colour. The wooden windows stood perfectly in there frames, and the plants in flowerbeds hanging outside the window above her where planted neatly and buzzed with busy honey collectors. Xander laughed, "Ellie and her flowers." Urquhart shook his head, "I know, wait until you see her room." Xander smiled, "It still feels like home," he laughed at her, "It always has been your home, and always will be." She blushed slightly, "Thanks, if anything, this is where I want them to grow up, here. Not in the abbey, no way are they being subjected to what we where." He nodded in agreement, "Defiantly, I promise you I will do everything in my power to make sure they stay here." He pulled her into a one-armed hug, "Everything will be okay. All you have to do is marry the poor bastard, Pearse and I will take care of the rest." He smiled and walked into the house. "Wait, what'd you mean." She called after him before running into the house.
"I never thought that the time and the distance between us,
Made you so much colder.
I'll carry the world on my shoulders.
Guilty, Empty.
Guilty, guilty,
I feel so empty.
Empty, you know how to make me feel."
Several warm faces greeted her, as Pearse and Urquhart slinked into the kitchen.
Pearse threw himself up onto one of the beech wood counters, whilst Urquhart leant against the door. "She said much?" He asked. Urquhart shook his head, "Nah, not really. Just glad to be home I guess." Pearse studied Urquhart. "Do you think she's changed much?" Kristin laughed, "Maybe she has, who can say. All I know is that you're not going to fuck this up, you hear me?" Pearse grunted slightly, "Wasn't like I was going too anyway." Kristin took a can out of the fridge and held it against his forehead before he opened it. "Yea, sure..." He retorted, "I'll believe that when I see it." Pearse glared at him as he slipped his beer, "Why'd you jump to conclusions about me?" Kristin eyed him over his can, "Because I've known you all your life, I can practically tell what all of your body language means, how you blade, your theory in life, your taste in girls, what your thinking, how you react to different situations, you know everything really. So I'm not jumping to conclusions... I just simply know you too well."
Pearse rolled his eyes, "I have a feeling something's gonna go completely wrong... and it's scaring me because I can't put my finger on it." Kristin rolled his eyes, "Let's not say anymore hey, lets keep it as a hunch till Boris gives us more orders." Pearse jumped down from the counter, "I'm not going to do anything to put her in danger. If it means defying the Biovolt then so be it." Urquhart laughed, "Yea, I know what you mean." He took another drink out of the fridge, "Here, go give that to Kai." Pearse snorted in disapproval. Kristin glared at him, making him hastily exit.
Pearse sighed after he threw the beer can at Kai, who caught it effortlessly. He slumped into his chair beside the fireplace. He half closed his eyes and watched the others, but his thoughts where somewhere else.
Damn this. I can't... I can't do anything. I just have to watch her, keep my eyes on her. Watch as she walks down that aisle; watch as she signs away her life. Kristin said she could take care of herself. But yet, somehow I don't believe him. I don't like it, but I guess I have no choice. He looked up at Kai. I have to trust Kai. I hardly find him trustworthy, but he was willing to die for her... he must... really care. Draken and I will take care of Dranzer, Arkenzere can take care of Kai cause if he won't Boris will...
He opened his eyes and looked around at the room and his companions. The room was a fair size. The wooden floor reflected the lights that hung from the ceiling, as the sunlight crept slowly, casting shadows. Above where Kai leant against the wall was a picture painted on a large canvas of the team, and there were a few photos from some of their battles scattered around and on the fireplace. Directly opposite Pearse there was a large screen TV, on which Kristin reclined in his reclining chair next to Pearse's, a beer in his lap, nachos to the left and watched the beyblade channel constantly, oh life was so hard for the Draken Guard Captain, whist the others trained their asses off, he sat and planned, and schemed, and shouted at the TV in annoyance when bladers make complete fools of themselves. Kristin also had a habit of making the team watch previous battles that he had recorded so they could learn from their mistakes. It was grueling making them watch themselves fall weak, but to be strong, you must overcome the weak. That was Kristin's theory anyway...
The Bladebreaker's occupied the large black leather sofa whilst Max and Tyson sat on the fur rug that Ellone had told Benji to, and who refused, to burn it. Beside the sofa underneath a window sheltered by half-open blinds was a coffee table made of mahogany with a silver desk light and a small sliver telephone. Above them hung more lights and further down the room were a pool table and a mini bar, and stairs leading upstairs. The walls, in which Xander had picked the colour of was a creamy white and wooden panels ran across the lower half.
"So, err, what's gonna happen now guys?" A small blue haired boy asked. "Well, Tyson. I think we should stay here for a few days, at least until we get more orders." Answered Kristin. "What about the tournament." Glared Kai. "Tala's taking care of that for us, lucky you, it looks like we're entering too." Kai laughed slightly, "And is there any point to that?" Ray nodded in agreement, "Yea, cause I only know of 3 bladers that defiantly blade on your team, the tournaments 3 tag teams for each isn't it?" Kristin smiled at him, "We have a new blader flown in from England." Max scratched his head, "Yea but that's still 4..." Kristin sipped his beer. "My younger sister Ellone is a blader, Xander makes it 6." Tyson stood to his feet, "Hey, hey, hey. What makes you think she'll join you? And who says she's fit enough to blade anyway." Pearse glared at Tyson, "Alexander has always bladed for us. And you should know her well enough by now; she will not pass up the chance to blade, no matter if she's hovering over death. She would still blade." Ray smiled, "Yea, but what makes you so sure?" Pearse rolled his eyes, "Because she never breaks her promise," Hilary who had been biting her lip to stop herself shouting at him, furrowed her eye brows, "What do you mean promise?"
Kristen looked at Pearse, and jerked his head to one side, "The Draken Guard promise. It's a promise we make to each other, and if we don't keep it, lets just say there are dire consequences," Hilary glared at him, none too impressed, "Well I think that is stupid." Pearse smiled slightly, "Let me tell you about something that is stupid, you see him right there," Hilary nodded, "Yea, it's Kai what about him?" Pearse threw his hand back though his hair, "Tell her what you made Xander do Kai. Tell her what happened. Then she'll know whats stupid." Kai threw him a disgusted look, "Why don't you tell her yourself Mc Cann? You seem to know everything," He spat. "Oh yes, certainly Master Hiwatari..."
"Cut with the sarcasm, it doesn't suit you," He bitterly spoke as he slammed the door leading to the staircase. "I'm gonna go see if he's okay, you coming Max?" Asked Ray. Max nodded, "Yea, okay bud."
"So what happened?" Kenny asked. "Well Kenny," Sighed Urquhart, "It had been a long day for the children of the abbey, we had been training for the finals. Of course I didn't train with the others because I'm a few years older," Pearse nodded, "yeah, he was in the final year. Xander had been moved into the final year too although she was, what... 3 years younger then you?" He crushed the can in his grip, "Yeah, her birthdays just after mine, anyway. The training was long and grueling, Xander had done well to get near the end, but that all went to waste." Hilary sighed, "Why?" Pearse growled slightly, "Kai had been possessed by Black Dranzer and he was hurting Rayne." Kenny looked up at Pearse though his glasses, "Wasn't Rayne his soul guardian though?" Pearse nodded, "Yes she was but Alexander was very bitter towards Kai at the time. They where rivals once, a long time ago."
"What happened?" She asked. "She fought against Kai, in a proper fight, no beybattles or anything, he punched her in the side of the head and knocked her out. After that they took her into the labs and began experimenting on her." Sighed Kristin, "The experiments, where not too pretty. They placed what was called a 'Magnacore' chip inside her." Kenny's face dropped, "But I thought they where used in Beyblades!" He nodded, "Yes, they are now, but they weren't then. It made her effectively like Tala I guess."
"So what then?" Hilary asked, now interested in the subject. "Xander was very bitter afterwards. She would find silly little reasons to hurt Kai. Like pushing him outside class when they lined up and stuff. But then Voltaire grew sick of her and Rayne so he invented a virus that was deadly to humans and injected it into them both." Hilary gasped, "Oh, my god. Is that what you meant Kenny when you said she was gonna die and Voltaire was the only one to save her?" Kenny lowered his gaze, "Yea, but Pearse, if it was injected into them both... how did Xander fight it?"
Urquhart looked up at the ceiling, "She is everything Voltaire ever wanted. She is the only experiment of his that worked. We must all pay the price. We are all to blame. Just over a week. I wonder if she'll survive..."
"Guilty. You know how you make me feel."