Blue: Yes, yes I know…last chapter SUCKED! But you all needed to know Rei's current family life, how he started, and what's happened to the game, etc…now it gets good!

IMPORTANT NOTICE: (PLEASE READ B4 THE STORY! READ IT ALL!) This story and events are all based on a person's real life dealings. Everything that happens to Rei in his flashbacks and what he does is based on this person and how they delt with life and where they are now…

Who is this person?

Me.

Yeah, that's right…so if I hear one more person say "You don't sound like you know what your doing" I'll just have to point and laugh…and now all of you will be able to laugh with me. Because guess what? I know exactly what Rei's going through…

I lived it.

Everything his parents will do to him in later chapters, my parents did to me.

This story is for those of you who are going through rough family times and feel that you have nowhere to turn…that or you're a cutter. Because you're not alone and there are people out there who care for you…honestly…it'll just take some time.

This is to help me heal…I'm not the greatest writer in the world, so please bear with me throughout it…if you don't like my story, then don't read it. It's as simple as that. I LOVE critisism, but I don't like flames.

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How could this happen to me
I made my mistakes
I've got no where to run
The night goes on
As I'm fading away
I'm sick of this life
I just wanna scream
How could this happen to me

Untitled, by Simple Plan

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Debris was everywhere…the last of the fires that had erupted when the virus had taken over was just being put out. Most of the mass chaos seemed to be over, but Tala knew it was only just beginning. The scientists were scattered, trying to either get away from their flaming computers or trying to get them to work again. Lights were flickering or just dead…maybe even sparking. The only lights were the red strips around the top of the ceiling to light the way out of the building.

Tala, wincing from a deep gash in his cheek from where a consol had exploded beside him, frantically made his was to the pods. Reaching them, he held back a sigh of relief as the cords connecting them to each other and the matrix of the game itself weren't damaged…otherwise…

He shuddered at the thought of the consequences. "Somebody get that damn view screen back up and online!" He shouted over the fire and Red Alert alarms.

"I'm on it already, yeesh. Hold your horses." Kenny appeared at his side almost immediately and he had to admit he was impressed…the kid looked like he had a few pretty bad gashed himself, and quite a few bumps and bruises, but he was still pushing on. "I'm going to need a few minutes to analyze what has happened. Go do whatever it is you do…"

Tala twitched. He grew a backbone AND cheek. Turning, he hurried into the dwindling chaos again, this time for his own selfish needs…

Bryan.

Gods, where the hell was he?

Hastily, he broke out into a run as he weaved in and out of the charred consoles of the room, searching for…

"Down here you idiot." A voice called to Tala's right and he tried to stop…but only succeeded in skidding and running into a rather large mainframe. Shaking his head as a dog would after he'd just been bathed, Tala immidately got down on his knees beside Bryan who was on the ground looking up at him with a very unimpressed look on his face.

Worried, Tala checked him over. "Are you ok? Can you move? Can you feel your toes? How many fingers am I holding up?"

Bryan chuckled "Spasstic as ever…my arm is pinned. Don't think I'll be blading for a bit."

Tala's face blanched and he crawled over to Bryan's arm…indeed there was a rather heavy looking piece of machinery laying atop of his arm. And at the angle it was laying…

It was all the redhead could do not to throw up.

He looked away, ashamed of himself… "I'm sorry…I should have gotten you out of the way when I saw that consol explode…" No, he wasn't about to cry. He couldn't. What with the Abbey's teachings and all…but he could get mad at himself and feel guilty.

Bryan sighed and reached up with his good arm, offering his hand which Tala took immediately and nuzzled it tenderly. "You really are an idiot…it wasn't your fault. And anyways, I've been through worse. You know that."

"Yeah but…"

"No buts. I'm gonna be fine. Now that cut on your cheek…that'll turn into a nice scar, I think."

"Oh, I'd forgotten about that…."

"I thought you might've." Bryan replied rather coolly, but that was his nature. Tala knew this…and how they had gotten together he still didn't know.

Glaring at the hunk of metal on Bryan's arm, Tala's mouth set to a thin, straight line as he crawled over and behind it. Spitting on his hands, he reached under it and before Bryan could say or do anything, he grunted and practically threw it off of the boy. Sighing in relief, the grey haired Russian closed his eyes for a moment, relishing in the momentary relief of not having a heavy object crushing his arm.

When he opened his eyes, he had to jump a bit…icy blue eyes were staring down at him with concern and Bryan frowned, but not for long. After all, the way the red light of the room hit Tala's face just now…how it only lit up parts of it…it was far too breathtaking for him to make a sarcastic comment for.

In fact, it was too perfect of a moment for him to ruin either, so he did not object to Tala leaning down and lovingly kissed him. Whenever they were together, he seemed to forget everything…the entire world, both image and sound, seemed to fade out and the only two people on Earth were him and Tala. It was bliss…perfect.

When they broke apart, however…

"So do we know how our little hero's are?" Bryan asked Tala quietly and Tala winced.

"Damnit…I knew I forgot something. Why do you always have to do that?"

"Do what?"

"Remind me that I have to actually do something other than sit here and snog the hell out of you."

"Because I'm afraid my arm is kinda beginning to sting."

"Hmm, you have a point."

"I knew you'd see it my way. Now go and make sure they aren't dead yet."

As if on cue, the room lit up with a cerulean light, casting shadows and light throughout the large room. Tala grinned and bent over, pecking Bryan on the lips once more before pushing himself to his feet…and picking the boy up with him. "If I go you go."

Bryan growled as protest, but that was all he did…no matter how much he hated to admit it (it was more pride than anything) he actually liked it when Tala held him. It was definitely one of the few things in life he could be certain were true.

When they got to the main area, Kenny had indeed gotten the viewscreen to work, but all they were able to see was the blue and purple portal. Leaving Bryan with the paramedics that had come up to help, Tala hurried over to the genius with no eyes.

"Well?"

Kenny nibbled his lower lip and thought about his answer carefully before replying "We have a big problem…and it's not just the virus."

It took Tala a moment to snap out of his disbelief about the 'Not just the virus' thing. What could be worse than the virus? "What the hell are you talking about? The virus just destroyed this lab and put G-Revolutions lives in danger!"

"Only Kai and Rei's…Tyson and Max are perfectly ok in the game."

"Explain. Now."

Kenny looked up at him solomly and turned his computer screen to face Tala…then pointed to a reading next to Rei's name.

Tala choked. "YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!" Immediately, he spun about and began shouting orders, trying his best to stay calm. "Get that damn microphone back online so I can contact them! DO IT NOW! That or get Rei outta there!"

A bad feeling pitted in Kenny's stomach as he watched Tala march off, knowing full well how worried he was…Heck, Kenny was probably more worried than he was. 'Why didn't he say anything?' he thought to himself as he looked up to the view screen that was just beginning to come online. "Keep strong, Rei…"

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Rei moaned in irritation as the heat of the day seemed to burn his eyelids, causing him much discomfort in the middle of his beauty sleep…so far he'd lost count of how many times he'd been forced to wake up after being knocked out because of this stupid game. And once again, he'd had nightmares.

"I hate this game. Beyblading really is the only way to go." He muttered to himself.

A feint 'Hmph' made Rei open his eyes immediately. "Oh no…I know that cruel, unfeeling tone of voice…is that you Kai?"

Rei looked up and grinned cheekily at the familiar face of his much hated team captain who was currently glaring down at him.

"Get up…honestly, I can't believe I expected you to wake up any sooner or easier than Tyson. You're both the same." Kai growled before he walked away abruptly and dumped a pile of wood beside a quaint little fire.

Yawning, Rei pushed himself into an upright sitting position…in a sleeping bag. He blinked in surprise but decided not to dwell on that as he would most likely begin to make a big deal out of nothing and Kai would call him a ditz…

Well, he would be right. But that's not the point.

Looking up to Kai, the golden eyed boy watched him intently as he moved with ease around what looked to be a campsite in the middle of the forest somewhere in the game. He was still in his knight costume, except it was a very Aragorn from Lord of the Rings style type of knight. Personally, Rei thought this look suited him better.

Rei then remembered his unfortunate luck in the choosing of his own character and looked down. 'Still a girl.' He cursed the universe for making him wear this…outfit…

Now, Rei would have been perfectly happy with not talking to Kai at all that morning, but his curiosity as to the events of the past few hours was getting to him. So finally, after about ten minutes of just lying in his sleeping bag, he asked "So where're the others?"

"Not here." Was the curt reply from somewhere around the campsite. It seemed that Kai was fiddling around with numerous different tasks, which was strange since camping really didn't require so much maintenance, and they didn't even have a tent!

Rei snorted indignantly. "I can see that. Will they be back soon."

"Nope."

"No? Ok, I'm confused…"

Kai rolled his eyes and tossed Rei a large piece of folded fabric. "We're stuck together. Tala contacted me this morning…Tyson and Max are on the opposite end of this world. We're going to meet them at the final level."

"…You?"

"I said the very same thing about you."

"…Why you?"

"I seem to be experiencing déjà vu."

"Why did I have to be stuck with you? Of all the people on Earth, it just had to be YOU!"

Rei was now on his feet, his face red, and he was panting and staring at Kai with an unreadable, yet (in Kai's opinion) rather humorous expression.

Rolling his eyes, Kai glared. "Are you quite finished?"

"No. I happen to like spazzing. If it was a job, I think I could be a professional spazzer."

"You are finished now. Don't make me pull rank on you."

"You're so dull."

"So I've been told." Kai waved off Rei's remarks and Rei had to sneak a bit of a smile as he toyed with the cloak in his hands, the one he'd accidentally unfolded it during his spazz attack.

And by now, somehow, his eyes snuck over into Kai's direction and wouldn't leave.

Kai sighed and kicked dirt on his already pitiful fire and picked up his sword, tying it around his waist expertly…and this was when Rei stopped staring and inwardly kicked himself. 'Bad Rei! You gotta stop doing that…he's a jerk.'

Rei busied himself with putting on a rather beautiful dark blue cloak that seemed to float around him, but ended a little short…just below his butt. He groaned. There would be no way to hide his girlish figure now…especially now that it came with the added bonus of breasts!

(Blue: muwahahah…authoress intervention! I know some of you want Rei to go back to a guy…and I swear he will! But this is major for the plot. I swear he will eventually change back! I PROMISE! And it will be Yaoi! Ok! Now back to the story, I thank you for your time.)

To Rei's surprise, it was Kai who broke the silence after it seemed he'd finished taking down the campsite. "I talked to Tala this morning before you woke up, and there are a few things you need to know." When Rei didn't say anything, Kai assumed he was listening and began to walk away as he talked. "There is a virus in the game, as you know. The original plot of the game is changed completely so there is no Ursula or Notmerlin this time. Just us. But Kenny has figured out that even though those characters aren't here anymore, there are still a few obstacles that will be standing in our way, though Tyson and Max have been given most of the physical obstacles. There is still a final level and a final battle we have to face.

As for our powers, they've been boosted to twenty-five already so that we can summon Driger or Dranzer if we need them."

"Isn't that cheating?"

"Do you want to die in this game?" Kai snapped and Rei hid a wince, deciding against replying as he followed Kai through the forest. "I thought so. There's a village we need to get to just down the main road. We'll restock and get some supplies there before continuing on. Any questions?"

The black haired boy didn't reply, but merely continued to stare at the ground as they walked.

Kai took this as he had none and turned to watch the world in front of him, his concentration set on finding the main road through the forest.

They walked for a long while in silence, and though both preferred it that way they still had to admit they missed the other two boys on their team. The ones who always broke the tension in the group. The ones who were always able to keep their minds off of other matters.

Rei's golden eyes darted up to catch sight of a hawk as it soared through the canopy, letting out a mournful screech. It was now that his breath hitched as he noticed the beauty of the forest. Though the canopy was thick with strong, thick tree branches that intertwined every which way, there were still breaks in it that allowed a few streams of sunlight to pour through. The morning mist of the forest was still heavy in the air, and as it mixed with the light cascaded into the beautiful colors of the rainbow. It also succeeded in making the forest look all the more mysterious as when there were no rainbows, there was merely an eerie blanket of mist hanging in the air.

And when Kai passed through one such spot, Rei couldn't help but stare in awe…he really was quite handsome, but with the sunlight hitting his face at just the perfect angle, and the mist floating about him to distort his image ever so slightly, the Chinese blader had to remember his feelings from a few years ago, because this was only one of the few reasons he had fallen for the stoic, cold, and sometimes cruel captain.

He stopped just before a patch of light…the image of Kai walking through it had been heavenly. But then there was him. He was anything but worthy of setting a foot in such a beautiful place. There was no way he, a boy who had been broken time and again by life itself, was worthy of anything that involved beauty.

Noticing the lack of footsteps crunching the underbrush of the forest behind him, Kai stopped and turned. "Rei?"

Rei didn't any anything at first, but he didn't move either. Just stared at the patch of sunlight inches in front of him. Kai raised an eyebrow in slight confusion and called Rei's name again, as if trying to snap him out of a trance.

"Hey Kai…do you remember why we started fighting?"

This was definitely not the response Kai was expecting. Taken aback, he narrowed his eyes at Rei, as if trying to read him, to figure out why he would ask such a taboo question around him. "Yes…"

Golden eyes looked up at him, the pain in them hidden by the shadowy mist hanging in the air. "I'm sorry."

Kai was, to say the least, shocked by the boy's actions. He'd been waiting for Rei to say those words for the last year or so, and he'd been waiting to throw them right back into his face, but he couldn't this time. Though he couldn't see Rei's eyes fully, the boy's body language was enough to gauge how he was feeling.

"We were both in the wrong, Rei." He replied, slowly, and was greeted with Rei looking away from him in shame. "We both said things I'm sure we didn't mean. I…" he trailed off and looked away from the boy.

"I know."

Silence settled itself in the forest again before Rei continued "I'm sorry if I make you regret ever meeting me, but…"

Kai cut him off immediately. "It's better to have something to remember, than have nothing to forget." Rei blinked in surprise, and Kai smirked. But it wasn't his usual cold smirk, it was definitely much softer than the ones he usually sent Rei's way. "An old friend told me that, once."

It took Rei a moment to remember that it was indeed him to had said that to Kai at one time. Just after he'd come back from the Abbey the first time with the Demo boys. Rei smiled and said quietly "We were good friends at one time, weren't we?"

"We were."

Rei nibbled his lower lip as he continued to stare at the light with hesitation. "I know I've been selfish, we both have been," he continued quickly, stumbling over his words slightly as he did so, afraid that Kai would be mad at him again "but that doesn't mean we can't start over, can we? I mean, we're obviously going to be stuck together for a while, so why not make the best out of it, right?"

Kai chuckled and looked up to the nearest rainbow. Even he appreciated beauty when he saw it. "Very true."

He then noticed Rei staring at him, his mouth agape. "What?"

"The Kai I knew from before never would have agreed to that! Who are you and what have you done with my captain?"

Kai rolled his eyes. This always happened. When Rei was nervous and a subject became too much for him, he'd joke about, trying to lighten the mood. "People change, Rei. We both have changed. And you can thank Tyson for putting me in anger management class, otherwise I would probably have to pummel you right about now."

"You wouldn't hit a girl would you? Waitaminute…does anger management really help?"

"No, it only made me more angry. So angry, in fact, that I taught myself how to control said anger before I had to be sent back there."

Rei laughed and side-stepped around the light in front of him. A rainbow had just formed and, though he'd just fixed something he'd thought was impossible to do so, even with duct tape, he still didn't feel worthy enough to step through said beauty.

Though he had to grin as a little bit of his foot stepped in it as he ran around it, running to catch up with Kai who had turned and was beginning to walk away again.

They'd both hated the fighting. They didn't want to fight, but they did it anyway because one had hurt the other. It was a strange cycle that friendships seemed to go through, to Rei, but he supposed that as the old saying goes – once friends, always friends. And heck, even in friendships do end…

'It's better to have something to remember, than have nothing to forget.' He glanced down to his arms covered by the long, blue fabric… 'I'll have to remember that one.'

And so, Kai's and Rei's adventures in the Cyber world were about to begin…and if Tyson and Max are going to get the physical challenges, what do you suppose Kai and Rei are going to get?

Will Rei be able to handle it?

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Blue: Aha! Two chapters in a week…I suppose this could be because I have so much spare time on my hands and absolutely LOVE you reviewers! As well I kinda owed you guys…last update sucked. I cry…

This chapter goes out to all of you who are reading. If any of you are going through tough family times, just know that your never alone and that it's best to talk about it, kk? There will ALWAYS be somebody who will just sit and listen…even if it's your stuffed animals, your cat, or your dog.

"It's better to have something to remember, than have nothing to forget."

RnR…I thrive on your awesome reviews and critiques! You guys are amazing!

P.S I will be answering reviews next chapter…so if you have any questions, please feel free to ask away. I'm sorry for being unable to do so before…I suppose I'm really just quite lazy. But I'll do it next time!