Chapter five

Rei: Pent up energy?
Gatem: I had to think of something.
Kai: Have I died?
Gatem: Shut up, this next chapter is mostly you.
Rei: What did I tell you? Kai is attention starved and he doesn't even know it.
Kai: That's one way of putting it…
Rei: Describe it any other way.
Gatem: Please.
Kai:
Gatem: Oh, before I forget, clears throat I don't own Beyblade for the last, stinkin' time!
Kai:
Rei: I'm waiting…

'thought to bitbeast'
thought to self
NIGHTMARE
REALITY

When Kai had gotten back to the hotel room, his first priority was to drop the huge bag of clothes. He turned the bag upside down over Rei's bed. When Rei returned to normal, he could have the clothes Oliver bought. He went to his own room and laid down on the bed. He was alone, for the moment. Completely alone. Kai had spent most of his life like this but now he wanted someone's solidarity. Not just anyone.

He wanted Rei's solidarity all to himself.

No. Kai thought, You can't go soft for him now just because he's half his usual size. Snap out of it, Kai. he told himself. He took out his beyblade. He went out to the living room table and took his 'blade apart, checking for defects. When he was satisfied he reassembled his 'blade and went out to the balcony where a beystadium had been installed. He hooked his 'blade to his launcher and stood poised over the dish.

"Go Dranzer!" Kai shouted. Dranzer hit the opposite wall of the dish and sped down to the center. "Spiral Flame attack!" Dranzer began swirling around, faster and faster making a bigger circle each time around. When it stopped at the edge it was a flaming ring. All at once it moved in and the flames vanished. Dranzer shot back into Kai's hand. It's quieter without Rei's complaining, thought Kai, God, what am I thinking? 'You shouldn't be so hard on yourself Kai. Tell me everything Kai, while Rei is not here.' thought Dranzer. Kai went back inside and sat on the couch. He ignored Dranzer's pesky provoking to tell her how he felt. Finally, something new came to him.

'Tell me how you feel, Kai.'

'Driger?' thought Kai. 'How did you get into my mind?' 'Dranzer.' stated Driger. "Fine! I will tell you both. And if I get wind you told Rei, you'll be sitting in my 'blade."

"He's different from all the others, even by normal standards. He knows when to be quiet, he knows the right things to say, and he's got a sense of honor that not even I can match. He's always calm, never bitter, but he's not a bubblehead like Max. He's always willing to forgive, but never forget. If there's one fault to Rei it's his memory. And right now, it doesn't seem that bad that he's a chibi, he cant remember the cold Kai he knew. I can start over, and hopefully he'll remember that.

"And his charm is something few can turn down. He's so beautiful; his long hair his sharp fangs, his built from that blends with his light feminine curves…and his eyes… a golden orange. Rei is anything anyone could ever want. I want him. I wanted him when we first met, but then it was just a polite liking. When we went to China, it blossomed into respect. When we battled in America, it turned into a weird sort of devotion, like I had to protect him. Now it's destroying me from the inside to keep my feelings in. After all I'm Kai, the cold firebird with a mouth that opens once a week.

"I don't know how he does it, keeps his feeling in. He's suffered so many great losses in his life; his parents death when he was younger, his banishment form his first family, his accused betrayal of the White Tigers, and losing Driger once… No wonder he keeps pretty much to himself… Do you think I have gained his trust?"

'Certainly Kai.' thought Driger. 'You and Rei are alike and different in many ways, and it's your attitude that Rei respects.'

'Tell him how you feel, Kai. You said yourself that he would forgive you if I doesn't agree, but he'd never forget that you cared for him.' thought Dranzer.

"I can't." said Kai. "I can't."

'So you're going to bottle up your feeling forever?' thought Dranzer angrily. Kai shrugged as he lay down on the couch.

"I've done it before I can do it again. This is no different."

'But Rei is different.' Kai closed his eyes and thought of the words he just spoke of Rei.

"But Rei is different…" whispered Kai.

NIGHTMARE

#(&))&)&&#&#

"Kai, help me!"

"Hold on, I'm coming!" Kai shouted, running through eternal darkness.

"Kai!" As if to answer, Kai ran faster, eyes only for his quarry, a figure about his size and gait with sweeping black hair flowing about it. It was tied with its hands to its waist being carried through the gloom by an unseen captor, but Kai didn't care; he had to rescue him.

"I'm coming, Rei!" Kai shouted. Rei began slipping away into the darkness, but as Kai tried to run faster, a whip of the surrounding darkness latched onto his arm. Kai tried to pull free still keeping his eyes on Rei but another bit of the darkness caught his other arm.

"Kai!" called Rei faintly.

"Rei!" Kai shouted. "Rei! Hold on, I'm coming!" But he could barely go two steps and another part of the darkness grabbed him. Kai fell to his knees, his wide eyes only for Rei's disappearing form. The darkness started to drag him back, back into the cold realm where he was alone. "Rei!" he shouted vainly. The last thing he saw was the tainted glimmer of pain in Rei's eyes.

())&((

REALITY

(&)&&&((

Kai sat up wide-awake panting heavily as if he'd run the whole distance he dreamed. "A…a dream. It was just a dream." Kai said. He stared around, his eye catching outside. Night had fallen and the starlight could barley be seen through the curtains. Just as he put his legs down and stood up, there was a knock on the door. Kai yawned as he went over to open it.

"Who is it?" he asked, head on the door.

"It's Melissa and Kira."

"And me, too!" called Rei. Kai suppressed a smile. He opened the door and the mini neko-jin caught him in the chest for the fourth time that day. But this time, Kai didn't fall.

"Thanks a million." said Kai. "If you see Oliver or Enrique tell them thanks too."

"Oh it was our pleasure, Kai." said Kira. "By the way, what happened to your triangles?"

"It was hiding my face, so Rei made me take it off." The girls laughed as they waved goodbye and Kai closed the door. He returned with Rei to the couch.

"It was awesome, Kai!" said Rei. "We went down to the alleys after we stopped in some beyblade shops and I challenged the champ."

"Did you win?" asked Kai. Rei nodded.

"No alleys are tougher than Hong Kong. I told him that but he didn't believe me. So I took the battle and I split his 'blade in two!" Rei rubbed his eyes as he yawned widely, exposing his miniature fangs.

"Guess it's time for my chibi to go to bed." Rei didn't object as Kai picked him up and carried him to his room. He pushed away the pile of clothes and put Rei down.

"Kai," said Rei sleepily, "Am I your chibi?" Kai pulled the cover over Rei.

"I have to take care of you, so yes. You are my chibi." Rei smiled and nodded off, as Kai left, turning off the light and closing the door behind him.