Chapter 20: After all

A soothing breeze blew on a warm summer day, four years had passed since the night of the shooting. The Bladebreakers, along with their roommates, had graduated from the boarding school.

Kira was standing outside the school, looking at it, saying goodbye.

Memories of the six years in the school flowed in her mind. A smirk played on her lips as she remembered all the fun she had there. Then the memory of a conversation floated to her mind...

Flashback

"What is it, Billy? What did you want to ask me?" Kira questioned but she already had a hunch.

"Kira, we've gotten close during these years and I want to ask if..." the boy stuttered.

"I would marry you?" Kira finished.

A blush appeared on the boy's face. "Yes."

"Look, Billy. I would be lying if I said that I don't care about you and that you don't mean anything to me," Kira explained. "I could even say that I love you but..."

Kira considered carefully what to say.

"The answer is no," Kira said.

She could see the hurt on the boy's face. Kira tried hard to find the words to say what she wanted to say.

"The fact is that I've never been the kind of person that liked being tied down," Kira stated. "Too many of my younger years were wasted like that."

"I understand," Billy said quietly.

"I wish things were different – that my mind would change," Kira whispered. "But I don't want you wasting your life, waiting for that to happen."

With that she kissed him quickly and walked away.

End of flashback

A tear fell down her cheek.

"I'm sorry, Billy. I really wish things could have been different," she whispered to herself.

She sat down on the ground and for the first time in her life, she let herself cry freely as the painful memories of the life that once was filled her.

Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder and the flow of tears stopped immediately as she looked up to a pair of eyes, one lavender, the second purple.

The girl offered her hand and Kira took it and she pulled her up.

"Thinking about the old times again?" the girl asked.

"Yeah," Kira admitted.

The other girl shook her head. "You should let go. Stacy is gone."

"I know and I'm very grateful to you but I can't forget," Kira stated. "I can't forget him."

There was a silence.

"I can still see them carry his lifeless body away," Kira said with an icy voice. "I can't help but wonder. Is it really over?"

"I don't know," the other girl answered.

"I guess we'll just have to keep fighting," Kira said as a spark of hope flared inside her.

The girls started walking away.


Not too far away, in the school garden, Kai was leaning against a tree in his usual style. The wind moved his blue, two-toned hair, making it even more messy. With a swift move of his hand, he tossed the hair away from his eyes that had a cold stare in them. His ears twitched as he heard someone approach. He could guess who it was and as the person got close and was about to say something, he pulled her into a kiss. As he opened his eyes after the kiss, the cold stare was gone, replaced by a warm, lustful glow.

"Aren't we a little..." Anya started but didn't finish the sentence.

"What?" Kai asked.

"Restless," Anya answered and pressed her lips softly against Kai's.

"Why would you say that?" Kai asked with a smirk on his face.

"I got that impression for some odd reason," Anya replied as a playful smile entered her face.

Another kiss was exchanged.

"So, ya ready to go? Leave this place behind?" Anya asked.

"Yeah, what about you?" Kai responded.

"Everything ready," Anya stated. "Gathered all my stuff."

"You sure?" Kai asked.

"What do you mean?" Anya replied.

"You forgot this," Kai stated and showed an old, dry rose that used to be red.

"Here you are again, giving that to me," Anya said and sighed.

"I thought you might want to take it with you," Kai responded.

"Yeah," Anya answered and took the rose. "But I have the most important."

She showed the blade in her hand.

"How 'bout a match?" Kai asked suddenly, holding out his blade.

"Kai..." Anya started. "We both know how it will end."

"Come on," Kai said in a mock tone. "Or are you scared?"

"You know that is not what it's about," Anya retorted but grabbed her launcher and got ready.

"3...2...1 Let It Rip!" Anya yelled and both of them launched their blades.

"Dremix!" Anya called out. "Fading Lost!"

Anya's blade disappeared like before.

"Dranzer, evade!" Kai ordered.

The other blade became visible again as its attack missed.

Anya was about to tell Dremix to use Nightmare but something in her mind stopped her.

She couldn't get the words out.

Anya felt confused and as her concentration was distracted from the battle, Kai took the chance and attacked her.

Anya snapped back to reality just to see her blade fly out of the dish and land on the grass.

Tears came out as she picked up her blade.

'How did this happen? I have never lost a beybattle before.'

"I'm sorry Dremix," she whispered.

'I just couldn't do it. I didn't want to hurt him.'

She felt a pair of arms wrap around her and she closed her eyes as peace entered her mind with the warmth coming into her body. That was when she realized something.

By her actions she had shown that she cared more about Kai then winning which proved that she wasn't the same cold-hearted girl that left the abbey so many years ago. She also realized that even though she alone wasn't invincible anymore, she was twice as strong in other ways now that she had him.

'Love conquers all,' she mused to herself.


Closing:

Two weeks after the graduation, Anya and Kai had a double wedding with Rei and Veronica as the two couples got married. It wasn't long after that when Anya discovered she was pregnant. Kira of course was thrilled that the line of Hiwataris would continue, since she didn't plan on having kids.

And what came to the part of the best student of the school? During their six years in the boarding school, Kai managed to beat Kira to the prize in the first two years as Kira took over for the last four years.

Then there was the fact that Hilary and Tyson had gotten together. They were to get married too, which offered Kira a good subject to joke about as she said:

"Aren't they a perfect couple? They're already fighting like married people."

The beybattle between Kai and Anya stayed between the two, as only they knew about it and what had happened.

And as for Stacy's murder, it was never solved who killed her.