JM: Hey guys! Sorry for taking so long with this chapter, I have been struggling with writer's block. Anyway I'm not so sure about this chapter; my Beta readers not sent me any feedback yet. Anyway any spelling mistakes is my grammar checker thingy's fault. I used two different ones and both disagreed with each other.
Note: I sometimes call Tyson's Grandfather, Mr. K. Sorry if it confuses you.
Disclaimer: Don't own Beyblade.
Thanks to all those who reviewed, your all tha best!
Shadows shifted as soft whispered voices flitted around. Words could not be distinguished, neither the gender of the voices. Tall crumbling buildings stood gray and forlorn in abandoned streets. The windows black and empty, gaping at the world outside. The sky was overcast and dark, threatening to pour large gray tears.
Golden eyes swept over the dismal picture presented from where it stood. An unseen grin spread over it's shadowed face, lips pulled back over sharp white fangs. At the passing of a light breeze, the owner of the golden eyes darted across the streets and around corners. It moved with great speed, a passing shadow, its footfalls unheard. Around it the streets did not change except for the blanketing silence that seemed to have fallen over the town. The day darkened and even the wind seemed to stay away from the area that the golden eyed figure found itself.
Time seemed not to pass in this gloomy place and what could possibly have been a few minutes passed when the shadows shifted slightly to the appearance of another figure. Gold met milky white as the two acknowledged each other. A girl stepped out into the middle of the street. She was terribly skinny, her skin pale and sunken. Her face was hollow, skin stretched tightly over high cheekbones, a sharp nose and small forehead. Her lips were thin and colorless; her eyes white and without sight and light silver blonde hair that were knotted and dirty. She wore a shapeless brown dress of course material. A dark gray cloak hung over her thin frame giving her a wraith like look.
Soft gasping breaths were taken through her lips though she did not look to be tired. A thin and slightly mad grin spread over her lips, pulling at the tight skin around her cheeks and mouth. The girl had few teeth left in her mouth, the few left yellow. "Yren, you wander far tonight, what is it that you bring for me?" The voice was raspy, flat and cold, but young all the same.
Yren grinned impishly as it crouched low to the ground and sidled forward. Golden eyes watched the pale face closely, watching the sightless eyes as they stared at something that could not be seen but by her. The girl was patient, ears following the non-existent sounds made by Yren. Shadows licked hungrily at her naked feet, she did not notice or chose to ignore them.
Yren chuckled softly, circling the albino like a predator. "I have news" he whispered, unseen grin heard in its voice, "News that might be considered good or bad, depending". The albino lowered her head, eyes resting on the floor. She lifted her arms and wrapped her cloak more tightly around her. In a soft voice she said, "Yren, you wander far tonight, what news do you bring?"
Again Yren chuckled, pausing in his circling of the albino. "He is changing." Albino looked up sharply at this, a frown settling on her pale brow. "They know, they are searching for the boy as we speak"
"Then you need to return to him soon, his actions need to be monitored carefully. Everything he does in the time of the cycle will affect the events to come and they must not find him" The albino lifted her face to the sky before turning back to the shadows she had stepped from. The shadows welcomed her with their cold embraces. Albino paused, her cold voice whispering through the air,
"Go; do not waste more time than is necessary. We shall speak again in a short while, till then golden-eyes, stand guard and watch"
With these last words the albino disappeared into the shadows. Yren stared after her, golden eyes betraying no emotion. With a soft chuckle, Yren darted down the silent streets and alleys, the forest his destination.
Ruby eyes blinked open sleepily as a high pitched screech filled the room. Reaching over to the bedside table, the crimson-eyed boy switched off the alarm clock before he stood up from the bed and walked to the bathroom. Running a hand through his hair, Kai turned on the shower and after shedding his clothes, stepped under the fall of warm water. He leaned his head against the cold tiles as the water cascaded down his back. His thoughts were, as with the others, on the missing dragon.
The four friends had turned the city over in search of Tyson to find no clue of what might have happened to him. Today, they had agreed to search the forest for him. Kai was deeply concerned for his friend, though he would not admit it to himself or the other Blade Breakers. Somehow Tyson had managed to break into his defenses and slowly brought back his humanity. It had scared Kai at first, having to face and admit his weaknesses, his mistakes. Almost everything that Kai had tried to bury in the past had been brought back to him, made him realize that he was just as human as his friends were, that he also had the ability to feel emotion.
The only defense that Tyson had let him keep was his mask of indifference.
Tyson often teased and taunted his cold manner, slowly breaking pieces of the mask, then leaving it to Kai to put it back together. At first Kai had resented this, but as time passed Kai had found that by Tyson's tactics, Kai had built defenses based on his own personality than to the defenses that Biovolt had installed on him. It had been around this time of realization that Kai began to see the real Tyson.
He had found that most of Tyson's teasing held an undercurrent of good purpose, his jokes and actions often breaking a tense situation, keeping depression and stress to a bearable level.
Tyson was more than he made him self out to be. They really didn't know Tyson as much as they thought they had. Tyson presented himself like an open book; the people that he met ate the information that he gave them, never bothering to question what he did not say. This Kai found, was a defense, a mask so similar to his own, only the key to breaking that mask was unknown. Kai found that the group knew more of his past than they knew of Tyson's.
With a sigh Kai turned of the water and stepped out of the shower. Wrapping himself in a soft blue towel he entered his bedroom once again. It was still early, only know turning to 6:05am. The sky was still dark, a faraway paleness the only indication that the sun was on it's way to rising. Kai dressed and brushed and styled his hair. Presentable now, Kai left the safety of his room and walked to the kitchen.
As Kai was the first person up, he made himself some coffee and sat at the table warming his hands on he sides of the steaming mug. Staring down into the brown liquid his thoughts returned to Tyson. He was brought back to the present as another person entered the kitchen. Soft wisps of black hair framed a thin and seemingly feminine face. Ray nodded a greeting as he walked past Kai to pour himself some coffee. Neither talked as Ray joined Kai at the table. Both were absorbed in their thoughts, mainly of the missing dragon.
Not long after Kenny and Max joined them. Ray got up from the table without a word and began making breakfast. Max, not one to sit still or stay quiet for long, fidgeted while he looked at each of his teammates.
Kenny sat with Dizzy balanced on his lap, yet his fingers were still, the keys untouched. Ray was concentrating on making breakfast, a slight frown on his features. Kai was staring with a blank expression into the mug held between his hands. "When do we start?" Max asked looking down at the table.
"After breakfast is done" Ray answered placing eggs and toast, followed by bacon. Breakfast was quiet, the sounds of eating the only sound. The meal was interrupted by the sound of the door flying open.
Tyson's grandpa and Mr. D walked into the kitchen followed by Lee and Mariah and Hilary. Worry and concern were written over the face of Mr. D, where Tyson's grandfather only frowned, his eyes hooded and betraying nothing of what he thought. The three newcomers nodded a greeting to the Blade Breakers. "You boys ready?" Mr. D asked looking at each of the boys in turn. "The police have been alerted and other search parties will be sent out as well" The boys nodded and stood, Ray quickly cleared the table, leaving the dishes for later.
The group left the house, no one but Kai noticing that Tyson's Grandfather hung back, watching them with an unreadable expression. Noting to himself to keep watch of the old man, Kai got into the van with his friends. The ride was quiet; each lost in his own thoughts. They piled out of the van as they reached the forest, their eyes scanning through the trees. Kai tensed slightly as he felt eyes staring at him. Looking out of the corner of his eye, Kai found Tyson's Grandfather staring at him, a strange look in his eyes dark eyes. Kai frowned slightly at this before making his face blank again. There was something not quite right going on. Kai found his thoughts drifting back to the little black box that he had found in Tyson's room.
He had not yet opened it, there was something intriguing about the box yet he was repelled by it. Neither he nor Kenny, Max or Ray was willing to open it.
Kai shook his head; he was supposed to concentrate on finding Tyson, not some silly little box. The feeling of being watched never left him, not to appear suspicious of the old man; Kai did not spare him another glance. The group was split into three smaller groups. Ray, Mariah and Kenny were grouped together, Max, Mr. D and Hilary in another which left Kai with Lee and Mr. K. The groups parted and walked into the forest, each going in a different direction.
Kai and Lee walked ahead of Mr. K, their eyes scanning or some sign of Tyson. Both were silent, neither one comfortable with talking to the other. Finally Lee turned to Kai. "You notice the way the old man over there is staring at us?" he asked in a hushed town, his eyes picking out any sign of a body having moved through the dense vegetation. "Hn" was the only replay he received though it was followed by a side-glance from the crimson-eyed boy. "You thinking there is something strange going on with this whole situation?"
This time Kai looked at him, a frown on his face. He gave a small nod in answer before turning back to the surroundings. "What are you and Mariah doing here?" he asked. Lee smiled slightly at this. "We heard that Tyson had gone missing," Lee answered simply, "And Mariah wanted to see Ray" Kai noticed the hurt in Lee's voice as he spoke Mariah and Ray's names. Kai only lifted an eyebrow at this but did not question further. The two walked in silence again when Kai suddenly crouched down.
Someone had stumbled through one of the bushes that grew in the forest, broken leaves and twigs proof to that. As the three followed the trail taken by the unknown person, Mr K following slightly apart from the front two, they came to a spot where the vegetation were crushed and flattened to the ground. The person must have lay down and fallen asleep.
Kai looked at Lee who was examining the footprints that walked from the resting-place back into the bushes. He turned to speak to Mr K to find that Tyson's grandfather was nowhere in sight. A cold breeze swept past the two like a small whirlwind. The forest seemed to get darker and more silent, the sound of forest life fading away. Kai and Lee stood quickly, wary of the strange changes around them. Neither noticed the shadow that came up behind them, and both fell into darkness.
JM: Well there ya go. This chapter is actually longer than all the first 4. R&R!!