Tainted Blood

Chapter 10

by. SilverWolf-Ryuki

A/N: Skiing is the best! And surprisingly, in all my life, this is the first time I've gone skiing...wow...

Special notes to: Shiorisama (thanks for your compliment and have fun on brat-always-day-and-night , KagomeHigurashi66, some person (Virtual Sacrifice...well, I've got writer's block for that. Max might come later, other saint shields...maybe), WindWitch (Right on!great guess...thanks for the review and compliments!), youkiaofdaunderworld, ShadedRogue (Yeah, Ren is really grr! lol... fizz buzz is a kiddie number game...its actually surprisingly hard. thanks for the reviews and compliments), native-kitten, Jennchow (yes they do. lol), catseye77, ERALDA, monarch (the 'part' was basically they agreeingso well they dont need to speak of what they're agreeing on. thanks for the review and compliment!), Blackdranzergurl, and everyone else that I have not mentioned. Sorry if I dont mention you... but love to you all!

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From Last Chapter...

"What is his name?" Rei turned to ask En.

"He is...Zeo."

"Zeo," The boy repeated. "I am Zeo."

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"Zeo..."

Mariah repeated slowly, carving it into her mind.

"Yes?" Zeo looked towards Mariah. "That is me."

"He's a fast register." Ren nodded with approval. "What is he equipped with?"

"One of the animal spirits, the three headed dog to be exact. Like the ones you have. Kakuoh and the dogs," En replied.

"The puppies you raised, you mean?" Jun smiled mischievously, poking fun at Ren.

Ren scowled. ("Now you know how I feel," Bason muttered.) "I wouldn't call them puppies. They have the ability to tear out your neck if you –"

"Ren, Jun, do try to get along once in a while." En said airily.

Zeo looked from Ren to Jun. His eyes stopped on Jun. He tipped his head slightly. "You are Jun," He turned slowly to Ren, "and you are Ren?"

Jun and Ren nodded silently. Jun was more enthusiastic than Ren, who looked ready to kill everyone, hop on his Harley, and ride off.

"I'm Mariam," Mariam smiled slightly.

"I'm Mariah," Mariah chirped. "This is my brother Lee, and this is Rei." She motioned to Rei and Lee, who both nodded in turn.

"Tala Ivanov," Tala said with an unblinkingly stare to Zeo.

"Hiwatariy Kai," Kai nodded.

"Mariam, Mariah, Lee, Rei, Tala, Kai..." Zeo turned to each of them, as if taking a mental picture, in which cases he might as well as be doing. After all, no one really knows what's inside the human robot, except En, who merely stood, judging his performance.

"Hello," Zeo said at last with a bright smile. "I am Zeo. Nice to meet you all,"

"I think you over did the 'good-natured-ness', Pa," Ren cocked an eyebrow at Zeo's smiling face.

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"Hold on, Ren,"

Ren turned as he was about to leave. En made his way towards him.

"What is it?"

"We agreed, you are responsible for training Zeo to the world," En reminded him.

"I remember," Ren muttered.

"Good, just in case, you know," En gave a small smile and waved his hand to dismiss his son.

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"Have you made up your mind about coming yet?"

Ren opened his eyes to find Rei, sitting right beside him. He scowled – he barely heard a sound, except the door once, which he thought was just Bason. This guy was stealthy.

"Have you heard of not creeping in silently and interrupting a person in meditation that can kill?"

Rei smiled. "No I haven't, thanks for the tip." His smile faded. "We're going to go tomorrow at noon, and we'd like it if you joined us. Especially Tala...He's felt really out of place until he got here." The smile lit back on. "Plus...it's nice to have another cold, I-don't-care killer in the group."

"I have not made a decision." Ren merely replied. "I have told Kai I would think about it.

"For all you know, we could be across the world by the time you decide." Rei pointed out.

"In which case you won't be," Ren nodded slowly.

"True..." Rei scratched his chin. "But come on, it'll be fun,"

At that moment, Tala, Mariam, Mariah, Lee and Kai all came in.

"What is this, a musical?" Ren said sarcastically after a moment of silence where everyone looked at each other and tried not to seem awkward. The timing was just too perfect.

"It is kind of weird we all showed up at the same time," Mariah laughed. "Just to confirm, this 'meet' wasn't planned." She assured the scowling Ren.

"So, are you going to come?" Lee asked.

"I shall tell you by then," Ren closed his eyes in attempt to return to his meditation state.

"Hey, I just thought of something," Lee piped up.

"Why don't Zeo and Ren both come along?" Mariah interrupted.

"Thanks for interrupting AND taking my glory," Lee scowled. Mariah smiled apologetically.

Ren opened one eye. He frowned in thought. I did promise Pa that I would 'train' Zeo to the real world...

"I will tell you later," Ren repeated. "I wish to be alone,"

Mariam rolled her eyes at his attitude. "I wish to be alone," She did an exaggerated mimic and shook her head as everyone made their way out.

As soon as the door closed, Bason popped up.

"What do you say, Bason?" Ren turned towards his ghost, who was frowning in thought. Ren sighed. "A trip across China and perhaps the world... We've not experienced such adventure since years ago, during the Shaman tournament." He watched as Bason weighed the choices.

"You can take your pet horse and pet dogs," Ren smirked – one of the first out of him.

Bason scowled at the mention of the animals as being his 'pets'.

"Zeo will come along as well, no?" Bason questioned. To that, Ren nodded.

"I would like to take this little trip," Bason concluded. "And see this new creation of your father's."

"Yes, I do too. I cannot believe that I am looking forward to being with those idiots." Ren lied down on the mat he was meditating on and gazed towards the ceiling.

Bason was in silent agreement as he unconsciously petted one of the ghost dogs that floated in.

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"Who thinks he's going to come?" Lee announced to everyone as they repacked some of the stuff they took out for the night.

"I think he's going to," Kai replied.

"Really?" Mariah asked with surprise. "He doesn't seem like it."

"Tala wouldn't seem like one to come, but he did," Rei pointed out, oblivious to Tala's glare.

"That's true." Mariam agreed.

"We'll know when he tells us." Tala said.

"I guess," Mariam shrugged.

"So how many bit beasts left, including Ren's?" Rei asked, avoiding the awkwardness.

"11, only," Kai replied. "I've been thinking about the situation..."

"As you always are," Lee nodded.

"I think we should split up and try to cover more area." Kai said.

Rei looked surprised. "How are the groups going to work?"

"Well," Kai ran a hand through his hair. "You've mentioned a few bit beasts across the world, right?"

"Yes," Rei replied.

"I was thinking that we can use one of Ren's planes to fly across the Atlantic, and to Europe, where you guessed it was." Kai explained.

Mariah looked at Rei. "It's actually quite an idea. Like how we found the dragon... well, across China, the bit beasts are obviously in different villages and shrines. The second group could stay and find those."

Lee frowned. "How would the others know where in Europe to find them?"

"I've got a few contacts, and quite a few guesses." Kai closed his eyes.

"Same," Tala agreed. "The ones with the family treasures, right?

Kai nodded.

"I don't want to go back to Russia though," Tala frowned.

"Why not?" Mariam asked.

"Personal issues," Tala mumbled.

"Let's go now, I think that's Jun calling." Lee said, and they all rose to leave.

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"I like the idea."

Now they were 2 companions more than they were before, along with a horse that snorted loudly, a ghost that you could actually talk to, several ghost dogs that followed them around, and occasionally, a three headed dog freaked everyone out.

Ren said as he heard Kai's plan. "It would me you, Tala, Zeo and I to Europe, however. Surely, the European leaders' children would not allow these friends of yours in. They're too stuck up."

"Sounds like it," Mariam mumbled.

"But we know the phoenix is out of China," Rei said.

"We do?" Mariah, Mariam, Lee, Kai, Ren and Bason asked.

"You do now." Rei smiled guiltily. "That's really why we started this trip, right?"

"Yeah," Kai nodded. "To help me get rid of my problem,"

"Which will be tonight," Zeo said, out of the blues.

Kai turned slowly to look at Zeo. "How do you know?"

"Lunar calendar..." He said quietly with a small smile.

"When is he going to get over the initial stage?" Ren said in gritted teeth to Bason.

"Soon," Bason sighed.

Lee froze. "Wait, I just remembered something..."

Everyone raised their eyebrows.

"The Chinese festival is coming soon," Lee snapped his fingers. "I can't believe I forgot!"

"Oh!" Mariah and Rei shook their head with disappointment at themselves. "I cannot believe I forgot either! Elder will be angry..." Rei laughed.

"What's the festival?" Kai asked.

"Do the honours, Ren," Rei smiled at Ren's look of revolt.

"I must warn I'm a horrible storyteller." Ren mumbled. "In the past, there was this poet who lived. However, he somehow fell into a pond and the people were afraid that the big fishes in the pond would eat him, so they dropped these packages of sticky-rice with either meat or red-bean-paste in it. They wanted the fish to eat the packages instead of the person. Though I'm not sure why they didn't worry about him drowning."

"I guess that's close enough," Rei shrugged. "But the important thing is the holiday symbolizes reunited people. Meaning, the most powerful villages of China will be gathering. Meaning, the bit beasts of China will almost definitely be there."

Kai nodded with a small frown. "Which means Rei can come with us, while we trust Mariah and Lee to persuade the other villages. Or at least do a little spying for when we get back."

"Doesn't your father force you to join the festivities?" Ren asked Rei.

"No," Rei shook his head. "I'm not the son of the Elder. Though I'm surprised you are not going."

"Does my father seem festival-happy?" Ren sneered.

"So I guess that is it." Mariam nodded. "Does Zeo want to stay or come with us?"

Zeo blinked. "I would...like to stay to see this festival, if you do not mind, and if it is not too much trouble." He said politely. Mariah shrugged at Lee.

"I don't see why not." Lee smiled.

"OK, so Lee, Zeo and I will stay in China to do a little investigating, while Ren, Rei, Kai, Mariam, Tala, and the ghosts go to Europe and North America." Mariah ticked off on her fingers.

"I need to seal your dogs into a beyblade." Mariam said loudly and spontaneously.

"Why?" Ren looked at Mariam and surprisingly, he smiled.

"They don't seem to want to let go of my pants," Mariam snarled. The dogs were chewing on her pant leg, while she tried to prevent her pants from falling down and walk at the same time.

"Gladly," Ren replied. "You can seal Kakuoh too, if Bason doesn't mind. But you cannot seal Bason."

"No, I don't intend to. He doesn't chew on me." Mariam glared at the horse, who was trying to chew on her hair.

Mariah giggled and dragged the horse away from Mariam's hair.

"I guess we have our plans set out for us." Ren sighed. "Back to the mansion we go."

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Ryuki: Well, another chapter. Sorry everyone who likes Zeo, Mariah and Lee. I like those three...but I have to let them go for a while. And the holiday, it's real, as is the story, although not much accurate. Any fellow Chinese people want to correct me? I think I read it somewhere in a book, years ago... The holiday is ... er, mid-autumn day? Zuen Chiu Jie, I think...meh, well, I guess now they're in autumn.

Review!