Hey guys, sorry that it's taken me so long to update. School's starting to finally end now, so I'll be updating more often now. Well, hope you all have a mad Christmas and best wishes for the New Year. I love you all! Now read and enjoy while I listen to Kisschasy's United Paper People cd.
Disclaimer: Don't own Beyblade just my OC's and the bit-beasts you don't recognize from the show.
One Fateful Night
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Reunion With A Dark Past
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The Russian sunlight shone through the hotel window, warming (Aya's) face, causing her to wake. (Aya) blinked several times as she looked around the room. Where was she? Then (Aya) remembered where she was, and why she was there. (Aya) frowned when she found that she was the only one in bed.
'Where did Kai go?' (Aya) wondered.
Just then, the blue-haired boy stepped out of the bathroom. He smiled slightly at (Aya).
"At last, Sleeping Beauty awakes."
(Aya) giggled.
"Yeah, good morning to you too." She replied as Kai sat on the edge of the bed.
He kissed her forehead. "Good morning."
(Aya) smiled suddenly, a cheeky glint in her eye.
"I had fun last night Kai, that was some make out session, we'll have to do it again, huh?" (Aya) gave Kai a flirty wink.
Kai chuckled before leaning forward and cupping (Aya's) cheek. He placed a soft, warm kiss on her lips.
"Oh, don't worry, we'll be sure to do it again."
(Aya) smiled in reply, then noticed that Kai was completely dressed.
"Where are you going?"
"To do some research."
"Oh. Can I come with you?"
"It's best that you don't…just stay here and get some rest, ok?"
(Aya) managed to force a small smile and nodded. "Ok."
Kai kissed her forehead. "Don't wander too far off from the hotel…and please, be careful."
(Aya) sat up and pulled Kai into a comforting kiss. "Don't worry, I'll be fine, just promise me that you'll look after yourself."
Kai nodded. "I will."
Kai and (Aya) shared one last kiss, then Kai left.
(Aya) sighed as she lay back down on the bed. She rolled over to look out the window. (Aya) couldn't believe that she was here, in Russia. It was too unreal. It was so unlike her to just leave home in the middle of the night and go to a different country. It was so unlike anyone! But (Aya) had a good reason for it. She was going to get Holocaust back. (Aya) sighed one last time before getting out of bed.
After she showered and brushed her teeth, (Aya) changed into her jeans and long-sleeved red top. Over that she wore a black V-neck shirt and her dark blue zip-up hoodie. Then she slipped on two pairs of thick pale blue socks and her white and purple sneakers. It got cold in Russia, and (Aya) didn't want to lose any toes due to frostbite, or any other part of her body for that matter. (Aya) pocketed her hotel key and locked the door behind her before going down to breakfast.
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After breakfast, (Aya) stepped outside to do a little exploring. (Aya) gasped and shivered as a cold wind blew past. She yanked her hood over her head and shoved her hands into her jean pockets. She had forgotten just exactly how cold Russia could be.
(Aya) looked all around her as she walked along the streets, kicking snow up with her feet occasionally. She saw some signs and posters written in Russian. Some of the characters looked familiar, but (Aya) couldn't decipher any words. She had never been taught how to read or write the Russian language.
(Aya) sighed happily to herself. She hadn't been in Russia since she was five, it sure felt good to reconnect with the place, remembering things once forgotten.
'This sure beats having to go to school!'(Aya) thought.
Soon, (Aya) came across a park. There were a few kids on the playground, being carefully watched by their parents. There were also a few other kids standing around bey-dishes, having beybattles.
"Hmm…might be a good idea." (Aya) murmured to herself as she continued to walk through the park.
When (Aya) found a vacant bey-dish, she took out her blade and launcher. She gazed down at the blank bit-chip as she clutched her blade.
'It won't be long now, I'll get Holocaust back soon.' (Aya) thought as she launched her beyblade into the dish.
"Whoa! No wonder this dish was free! All the ice makes it really slippery!" (Aya) commented aloud to herself as she watched her blade wobble and slip across the icy surface.
"Either that or I've gotten really rusty." (Aya) sighed as she concentrated on her beyblade.
'I wonder what Dad's doing right now?'
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Location: (Aya's) House, Australia
(Aya's) dad sat in his office/bedroom at his desk, his head in his hands. The only source of light came from a desk lamp as he stared blankly at his laptop and the several papers scattered around him. He sighed tiredly as he took another swig of scotch from his glass.
(Tony) wasn't really a drinker, hardly touched alcohol at times, but he was worried to death over (Aya) and Kai. He had vowed to himself to never let his daughter out of his sight since he got her back from the horrid Abbey, and where was she now? Probably in the rebuilt version of the sadistic hell, being tortured to death.
(Tony) paled at the thought and poured himself some more scotch. He'd started on the tall bottle an hour ago, and already half of it was gone. That's a hell lot of scotch. And what was his daughter risking her life for? A bit-beast. Some spirit or other that had to do with that beyblading sport she was mad over.
'Can't really blame her, (Analeise) was the one that gave it to her.' (Tony) thought groggily.
The man groaned tiredly as he pushed himself away from the desk of work and rubbed his eyes. He was too drowsy and close to drunk to work, he'd do it later, he had a life to worry over. (Tony) kicked off his shoes and threw his tie onto the floor. He drained his glass of scotch and collapsed onto his bed.
'(Aya)! You are (hazel) eyes and (auburn) hair! You are 14 and young. You are beyblade-fanatic and scary punk-rocker clothes. You are risk-taker and crazy. (Aya), you are all I have left, my only daughter. Please, come home!'
These were (Tony's) last thoughts before his world blacked out and he fell into a scotch-influenced sleep.
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Location: On a flight headed for Russia
Zane's mouth was pressed into a firm line as he stared out the window. Neither (Aya) or Kai had been at school that day. A wide smirk came upon his face. All was going according to plan. He and Yuka would be free at last! They would finally be free of the Abbey, Boris and his grandfather for good!
Zane knew that once he started running, he wouldn't look back. Ever. Zane reached into his pocket and withdrew his Killi. The bit-chip glowed up at him. Zane smiled slightly at it.
'Soon. Very soon. Hold on Yuka, here I come.'
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Location: The Abbey, Russia
A small girl with long black hair shivered in her cell as she hugged herself tighter. She was scared, but she wouldn't cry, Zane had always told her to be brave. Yuka sighed sadly and closed her eyes. It had been so long since she had heard her brother's voice. That one phone call had seemed to have been years ago. And she didn't even get to finish talking to him. She didn't get to tell him that she loved him.
Yuka turned her head and looked down at the beyblade on the floor next to her. It was emerald green, and in its lime green bit-chip was a picture of a dark blue wolf that had green slits for eyes. Yuka picked up the blade and held it in front of her. Zane's old beyblade had become hers to own. Yuka's old candy pink one had been destroyed the day she and Zane had been taken to the Abbey. Yuka shivered and held the blade close to her heart, closing her eyes. She could still remember the nightmare-come-alive day.
Men suddenly bursting into the house, upturning furniture and all, fear and tears, her father shouting, angrier than he had ever been before. Then there was Zane, fighting off some of the men with his Vathek, being fiercer than ever with his attacks. And then there were those awful banging noises, her father fell to the ground, the wall behind him splattered with red, his shirt soaked with blood. Then there was Zane fighting to get away. Yuka managed to somehow bite one of the hands holding her back and ran over to her father.
Yuka's closed eyes scrunched up as she winced quietly at the memory. She remembered her father's eyes, blood red and serious, no nonsense whatsoever and unbelievably sharp, piercing as can be. Some times the strictness faded away and Yuka was able to see joy and laughter in her father's eyes. But not that day, not the day he was shot down.
As Yuka fell to her knees next to her father's lifeless body, those blood red eyes were blank, wide and staring at something unseen. She had cried so hard, shaking him, begging him to wake. But he never would, not anymore. Yuka remembered screaming and crying, her small hands covered in the crimson liquid of her father's blood. Then there was a harsh blow to the back of her head. After that, just black nothingness.
Yuka whimpered as she clutched the beyblade tighter.
'Zaney…I miss you. I love you. Where are you?'
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(Aya) was sitting on the bed in her hotel room, her hands clutched tightly in her lap. It was starting to get late, where on earth was Kai? Suddenly, the door swung open, and the blue-haired blader stepped into the room, shutting the door behind him. (Aya) let out a cry of relief as she jumped up and ran over to Kai, hugging him tightly. Kai sighed as he hugged (Aya) back. It seemed that she had been worried about him, just as much as he'd been worried about her, if not more.
"Don't do that ever again Kai! I was worried sick about you! Reckon you could give me a warning next time?"
"You want there to be a next time?"
"Hell no!"
They shared a quick kiss.
"So, my little super spy, did you find out anything interesting?"
"You think I would be gone all this time and not find anything?"
"Well…do you really want me to answer that?"
"No, but after hacking into a few Abbey files, I was able to print out a map of the place, which also outlines the hidden passage way from the abandoned mansion, I printed out two copies, so we could both have one."
(Aya) took her map from Kai and raised an eyebrow as she examined it.
"Very complicated. What are those?" (Aya) asked, pointing to a symbol on the map.
"Those are guards, they patrol certain areas."
"Oh, joy…what about those?"
"Cameras."
"Those?"
"Infra-red sensors."
"Uh-huh. And those?"
"Lasers."
"Damn! Bet there's booby-traps a plenty too! I despise technology!"
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That night, both Kai and (Aya) lay awake, feeling restless. Tomorrow was their big day. They could either succeed or fail. Consequences would be deadly. (Aya) sighed quietly to herself as she turned over to face Kai. She wrapped her arms around his waist, snuggling her head into his chest. Kai looked at (Aya) and smiled slightly. He wrapped his arms around her and placed a kiss on her forehead. Eventually, the both of them fell asleep.
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"Hey, (Aya), wake up." Kai whispered as he shook his girlfriend gently.
(Aya) groaned as she awoke and rubbed her eyes.
"Kai? What is it?"
"Come on, get up and get dressed, it's time to get going."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
(Aya) yawned and stretched before dragging herself out of bed.
After the both of them got dressed and made sure that they had everything they needed, they left the hotel.
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"Ok, now that we're here, how are we going to get in?" (Aya) asked.
She and Kai reached the abandoned mansion. It seemed to have gotten creepier over the years. The windows were covered up with planks of wood and the mansion was surrounded by an old, high cobweb covered gate, which was padlocked.
Kai walked up to the gate and pulled at the chain, but it was no use. The gate remained locked.
"No luck, huh?" (Aya) said as Kai walked away from the gate.
"No, so we'll just have to go in a different way."
"And what way would that be?"
Kai didn't reply. He took Dranzer from his pocket and launched it towards the gate.
"Dranzer! Fire Arrow!"
There was a flash of red, the cry of the phoenix, followed by an explosive bang. (Aya) cried out as she flung up her arms to shield herself from the flying debris of metal. When the smoke had been cleared away, (Aya) could see that Kai's attack had left a huge, gapping hole in the gate. Kai held out his hand to catch Dranzer.
"Let's go." Kai said as he stepped through the opening he had created.
All (Aya) could do was nod numbly as she followed. Together, she and Kai walked towards the abandoned house, each step bringing them closer to an unpredictable fate.
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Tyson frowned to himself as he stared out the airplane window.
"Man, how much longer?" Tyson asked impatiently.
"We're almost there, Tyson, it won't be long now." Chief assured the stormy-eyed boy.
Ray sighed quietly and Max continued to stare down at his hands.
'Hang in there, Kai, we're coming!' Tyson thought determinedly.
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(Aya) looked around the house curiously as she slowly walked through the place. Since all the windows had been boarded up, only a very little amount of light shone through the cracks, making the room dimly lit. Small clouds of dust puffed up from the thick, musty-smelling carpet with each footstep that was taken. Cloths decorated with cobwebs and grey dust covered what seemed to be furniture, maybe left by the people that had lived there all those years ago. And whenever the wind blew past, a faint howling was heard and the entire house seemed to creak. (Aya) shivered. The house seemed to be truly haunted!
"Where is this secret passage, Kai?" (Aya) asked, her voice softly echoing off the walls.
Kai withdrew his map from inside his pocket and frowned at it.
"Well, judging from what it shows here, somewhere at the back of the house. But being in here, it's hard to be sure…"
(Aya) sighed. "Guess we have a lot of exploring to do, then."
Suddenly, something in the doorway caught (Aya's) eye. When (Aya) took a better look at it, she nearly screamed.
"Kai!" (Aya) gasped as she pointed.
Kai's head snapped up to look in the direction of (Aya's) pointing. And his mouth nearly fell open at what he saw. For standing in the doorway was a boy.
He appeared to be about 8 years old and was wearing very old-fashioned clothes. But the most disturbing thing about the boy was that he was the colour of opaque white. From head to toe. He was a ghost.
"He must be the boy from the story, the son that wouldn't leave." (Aya) breathed, her voice barely audible.
'Guess the old man's story really was true.' Kai thought, bewildered.
The ghost boy slowly took a step forward, no dust puffing up from the carpet as he did. Slowly, a hint of a smile showed on his face. Suddenly, the boy turned into a ball of light and streaked towards (Aya's) pocket. (Aya) gasped, eyes wide.
Her beyblade tumbled out of her pocket, clattering onto the floor. Then, slowly, and steadily, (Aya's) beyblade began to spin out of the room.
"I think he wants us to follow…yeah, he wants us to follow. Come on Kai!" (Aya) called out as she walked after her possessed beyblade.
Kai, shocked by what was happening, did as (Aya) told. The beyblade seemed to know that it was being followed, as it started to spin faster. Soon, (Aya) and Kai were running after it, chasing it through dozens of large, dim, dusty rooms.
Suddenly, it slowed. Kai and (Aya) stopped running. They watched transfixed as the possessed blade slowly spun into the doorway in front of it. Hesitantly, the both of them followed.
This room was as dimly lit and dusty as the others, but there was one difference. None of the furniture was covered. The left wall had a large, grand-looking fireplace at its center and there was a comfy-looking lounge chair across from it. There were three paintings in the room.
There was one above the fireplace, which held a beautiful scenery of a summery country landscape. There was one on the right wall of a village at night, lit up by the lights of buildings and houses. The last picture was on the wall directly in front of Kai and (Aya).
It was a family portrait, painted with colours that were now faded. The man stood tall, proud and handsome. The woman, probably his wife, sat on a chair slightly to his right, she was beautiful and had a kind look about her. The man's hands were placed on the shoulders of the young boy standing in front of him. The boy had a cowlick in his dark hair with a charming smile and the adventurous sparkle in his eye to match.
Underneath this picture was a small table with a candelabra on it. Strangely, the three candles in place were burning brightly. Chills ran down (Aya's) spine. She shivered and grasped Kai's hand. This was starting to creep her out a little. It was like being in a movie! Except it felt more real than fake.
What was also on the wall in front of them were delicate metal clasps, they vined their way over most of the wall, from ceiling to floor. It was in front of the wall with the decorative metal that the beyblade was spinning. Slowly, (Aya) let go of Kai's hand and walked over to the wall. She curled one of her hands into a fist and gently rapped the wall. It made an echoing, hollow, thudding sound.
"This must be where the passage is." (Aya) murmured.
Carefully, she ran her fingers over the metal clasps on the walls.
"There must be a hidden spring or something…come on Kai, help me find it."
Kai walked over and did so. After a few moments, Kai's and (Aya's) hands touched on the wall. A small but definite click was heard. Kai and (Aya) stepped back, as the hidden door in the wall swung forward, revealing the secret passage.
"Yikes!" (Aya) breathed.
The beyblade started to spin into the passage way. The two teens started after it. It was pitch black in there. The blade slowed, as if waiting for the other two. Kai walked over to the table and picked up the candelabra.
"We might as well be able to see where in the hell we're going." Kai said.
(Aya) only nodded in reply. They joined hands and followed (Aya's) possessed beyblade down the dark corridor.
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"Man, finally! It's about time we landed!" the cap-wearing boy exclaimed.
Ray sighed. "Once impatient, always impatient, huh Tyson?"
"Ah, gimme a break Ray! I don't take being cooped up in planes too well."
Chief smiled. "It looks like Tyson's the one that's most anxious to rescue Kai out of all of us."
Max chuckled. "I think we all are Chief."
Once the Bladebreakers got off the airplane and out of the airport, they hailed a cab to get them to their destination. Each of the four boys were restless. Every minute that passed was another minute longer that Kai's life was, or could be, in danger.
"How long will it take us to get there, Chief?"
"Well, according to this map, half an hour."
Tyson groaned in dismay. "Oh, half an hour?!"
"30 minutes, Tyson, it's not that long."
"I know that Chief, but I'm starving!"
The other three boys groaned. Chief sweat dropped.
"In that case, we may be a bit more than half an hour."
"Try half a century!" Ray groaned.
"Hey!" Tyson exclaimed defensively.
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(Aya) sighed quietly to herself. She and Kai had been following her ghost-possessed beyblade for what felt like hours now. They had passed a few other passages on their way, which probably led to other parts of the old, haunted house. Well, it really was haunted, the ghost of a small boy did occupy the place after all.
(Aya) sighed again and squeezed Kai's hand. He squeezed it back. Kai suddenly stopped as the candle flames flickered dangerously.
"A draft. We must be getting close now." Kai murmured.
Kai's words sent chills down (Aya's) spine and she interlaced her fingers with Kai's. There was really no turning back now.
"Don't worry, we'll be fine." Kai whispered in (Aya's) ear.
"I hope so." (Aya) breathed back.
Soon, very slowly, the passage grew brighter and brighter. Then at last, the beyblade stopped in front of a stone staircase, yet continued to spin. Kai blew out the candles, they were no longer in need of them. Then, the most peculiar thing happened. The beyblade stopped spinning and began to rise, hovering in mid-air.
(Aya's) mouth fell open in surprise at the strange sight. The hovering beyblade started to float up the steps. It then paused, as if waiting to be followed. Kai put the candelabra down on the ground, then he and (Aya) started to walk up the staircase, the floating beyblade as their lead.
As they reached the top of the staircase, the possessed beyblade went crazy. It shot out of the large, gaping hole in front of them and started to hack at various bushes and trees. Small explosions could be seen and heard. (Aya) peeked out from the hollow tree they were standing in, eyes wide.
"What on earth is it doing?" she breathed.
"Taking out all the cameras." Kai replied quietly as he looked over (Aya's) shoulder.
They let out a yelp of surprise and ducked back into the hollow space as the beyblade rebounded off the tree they were in. Soon, the sound of destruction stopped. Kai and (Aya) stepped out of the hollow tree.
(Aya's) beyblade spun on the icy ground at their feet. (Aya) held out her hand and her blade snapped up into it. She glanced down at the bit-chip. Instead of being blank, there was a small picture of the ghostly boy. (Aya) smiled.
"Thanks for helping us out."
The bit-chip glowed brightly, and then a white streak of light shot out from the bit-chip and back into the hollow tree. (Aya) pocketed her beyblade and she and Kai stared ahead at the rebuilt Abbey. It was large and ancient-looking. One look told you that it was dark and sinister, warning to keep away.
"Come on, we have to be quick, Boris will be sending out some guards soon to fix all the cameras."
"Right." (Aya) nodded.
The both of them ran towards the Abbey, wishing to run in the other direction. But since that couldn't be done, all they could do was wish to leave the dreaded hell as soon as possible.
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"How much longer now, Chief?" Tyson puffed as they ran through the forest.
"We should be there soon." Chief replied as he tried to catch his breath.
"Scratch that, we're there now!" Ray exclaimed.
The four boys skidded to a stop in front of the abandoned mansion. Their eyes widened when they saw the gapping hole left in the tall metal fence.
"Looks like someone beat us here." Max commented.
"But who?" Chief wondered.
"Who cares! Saves us trying to find the way in!" Tyson said as he stepped through the opening.
The other three sighed and sweat dropped in unison before following.
Once they got inside, the boys split up and started to search. While they were in one of the rooms, Chief thought that he saw something out the corner of his eye, a boy dressed entirely in white.
"Huh?!" Chief exclaimed as he spun around.
But nothing was there.
"What is it, Chief?" Ray asked as he turned his head to look.
"Nothing, Ray." Chief replied as he spun back around.
Ray blinked his amber eyes once, then shrugged slightly to himself as he turned back around to walk into another room.
"Hey, Ray, Chief! I think we found it!" Tyson's voice echoed around the house.
Ray and Chief bolted through all the rooms in the house until they found the room Tyson and Max were in. They all stared at the black doorway in the wall with wide-eyed awe.
"How did you guys find it?" Ray asked.
"It was already open when we got here." Max replied.
"Looks like someone really did beat us here." Chief said.
"Come on guys! If Kai really is here, then we have to find him!" Tyson said as he started to walk down the passage.
"Well, you won't be able to find Kai if you can't see in that passage, Tyson!" Chief pointed out as he fished a small torch from his coat pocket and turned it on, shining it down the dark corridor.
"What? Oh, yeah. Well hurry up guys!"
All the others could do was sigh as they followed Tyson into the passage way.
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A cruel, twisted smile appeared on Boris' face as he looked at the several surveillance screens in the room.
"It looks like you friends are here, Zane."
Zane smirked and his eyes glinted as he saw an image of Kai and (Aya).
"What a nice surprise, how kind of them to drop by."
Boris chuckled sinisterly. "Well, you know how it goes, Zane. Why don't you give our guests a traditional Abbey greeting?"
Zane's smirk morphed into an evil grin. "With pleasure."
Zane then spun around and left the room, his cloak swishing out behind him.
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"Somehow, I don't think this was part of your plan." (Aya) puffed as she and Kai ran through various tunnels of the Abbey, trying to shake off the two boys that were chasing them.
"How ever did you guess?" Kai said sarcastically.
"Well, what do we do now?"
"Split up. I'll look for Zane, you find Holocaust. Make sure to be out of this place within 2 hours, because that's when I'm gonna blow the joint apart."
"With what?"
"Black Dranzer."
"Black Dranzer?! But Kai, you can't!"
"Why not?"
(Aya) grabbed Kai's arm and pulled him into a narrow corridor. They ducked down behind crates until the pursuing boys had run past.
"Kai, you can't use Black Dranzer! Don't you remember what happened last time?"
"Yes, but this time it's different."
"And how do you know that, Kai? How do you know that history won't repeat itself? Didn't you learn your lesson last time?"
"I…"
"Promise me that you won't use Black Dranzer."
"But-"
"Promise me!"
Kai studied (Aya's) face carefully. There were tears in her eyes. She was scared.
"Ok, I won't use Black Dranzer, satisfied?"
"For now."
Kai bit back his growl.
'Women…' Kai thought irritably.
Suddenly, (Aya) leaned over and placed a quick kiss on his lips.
"Meet you in 2, baby!" (Aya) whispered.
And then she was gone. Kai stared after her, a slight smile tugging up the corners of his mouth.
/Let me finish that sentence for you, master. Women…such beautiful creatures/
Kai growled lowly to himself.
/Shut up, Dranzer! /
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(Aya) breathed heavily as she pounded down the tunnel. She didn't know where on earth she was going, the entire place seemed to never differ. (Aya) skidded to a stop as she found a door. She pushed down the handle and the door swung forward. (Aya) peered into the room. What she saw nearly made her throw up.
The room was filled with weaponry, from whips to canes to other terrifying things (Aya) couldn't name. The objects were covered in blood which was both old, dried up and rusty and bright, crimson-looking and fresh. Blood pools stained the floor and some patches on the walls. Then there were the heavy chains. Some sprouted out from the walls and floor, others dangled down from the ceiling.
(Aya) gasped and raised a hand to her face, covering her mouth and nose. The stench of the room was too strong for her. The reek of blood, sweat and decay hung in the air. (Aya) could also pick up the scent of pain and fear. She had to get out of there! (Aya) bolted away as the door slammed shut behind her.
/Holocaust! Oh, Holocaust, where are you? /
/Here…I'm here, help me Mistress…/
(Aya) gritted her teeth as she sprinted on. Her bit-beast's voice had been very faint, she could barely hear it in her mind. But it was still there. And it made her all the more determined. (Aya's) ear twitched. What was that she could hear?
(Aya) halted her run abruptly as she cocked her head to one side. It was a girl, she could be sure of that. (Aya) started to run again, going in the direction of the voice. Soon, the girl's voice became clearer, (Aya) could hear her whimpers of despair. (Aya) suddenly stopped in front of an open doorway. What she saw made her eyes grow wide and her mouth drop open in horror.
In the centre of the room, there was a huge pit filled with large snakes. And dangling above them, clinging onto a thin pole for dear life, was a small girl. She whimpered and squeezed her eyes shut as the snakes hissed and snapped their jaws.
Impulsively, (Aya) ran into the room and slapped her hand down on the large red button protruding from the wall. Slowly, a thick, steel platform slid over the pit of snakes. Crying out with relief, the small girl let go of the bar, landing safely on the platform. She ran over to (Aya), hugging her around the legs, her face buried into her stomach.
"Oh, thank you! Thank you so much! I was about to slip up and fall in!"
"It's alright, you're safe now." (Aya) said soothingly to the little girl as she patted the silky black hair on top of her head.
The girl pulled her face away and looked up at (Aya). (Aya) felt her breath catch in her throat. The little girl looked like someone she knew. There was no mistaking the pale skin, black hair and the colouring of the girl's eyes. Pale lavender and blood red. The little girl looked like Zane.
"Is there something wrong?"
(Aya) shook her head. "No. Nothing."
The girl beamed and stepped back from (Aya). "My name's Yuka, what's yours?"
"(Aya)."
"What are you doing here?"
"My bit-beast was stolen from me. I've come to get it back."
"Oh, that makes sense. You're a bit old to be a new kid around here."
"I was here once, in the old Abbey. I was 8 back then."
Yuka's eyes lit up. "I'm 8."
"Yeah?"
"And I've got a bit-beast too."
Yuka took an emerald green beyblade out of her pocket and held it up for (Aya) to see.
"His name is Vathek."
"Cool. Nice beyblade."
"It used to be my brother's, I miss him."
"What happened to him?"
"He was sent on a mission to steal someone's bit-beast. Its mean, I know, but he was doing it for our freedom. And Boris threatened that Zane would never see me again if he didn't do it."
(Aya's) eyes widened at the name. Clarification. It was mind blowing. (Aya's) knees were going to give out on her.
"I had no idea." (Aya) breathed.
Yuka shrugged. Of course she wouldn't be as shocked, she didn't know that (Aya) was the one her brother stole from.
"It's ok. He should be back sometime today, which means I'll see him again and we can finally leave this place!"
(Aya) nodded, it was all she could manage. Yuka's eyes suddenly turned serious.
"Hey, you've helped me, so now I wanna help you."
(Aya) blinked. "H-how?"
"You said that you were looking for your bit-beast?"
(Aya) nodded.
Yuka pointed to the doorway. "Run down straight ahead to the right. You'll pass by crossroads that lead to 8 different tunnels. Keep going straight through 10 of 'em. When you get to the 11th one, take the north west tunnel."
Yuka's face scrunched up in frustration. "That's all I can tell you."
(Aya) grinned. "Thanks. That's plenty."
The girls ran out the door.
"There she is! Get her!" a voice yelled.
The girls jumped at the sound and spun around. It was one of the boys that were chasing Kai and (Aya) before. And he'd brought back up.
"Go!" Yuka cried out.
She pulled out her blade and launcher. "I'll keep them away, go!"
(Aya) nodded her thanks and bolted down the corridor. With each tunnel, (Aya) felt a warmth in her toes. It grew warmer and spread up her limbs. It was Holocaust. (Aya) knew she was getting closer to her.
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Kai could feel the beads of sweat trickle down the back of his neck. He dare not make a sound, as he was so close to shaking off his "followers". As Kai slowly and silently stepped backwards, and started to turn and break off into a run, he bumped into somebody.
His eyes widened, his breath caught in his throat and a jolt ran through his heart. Kai shook his head to clear it and blinked his eyes several times. When he saw the person in front of him, Kai's mouth fell open. Because the person was the one and only Tyson. The stormy blue eyes were the size of dinner plates as the owner of them stared back at Kai.
"Kai?!"
"Tyson?"
"What are you doing here? We've all been worried about you, we found out that you were missing and-"
"Tyson, there's no time to explain right now, just get all the Abbey kids out, and make sure that none of the others are left behind." Kai glanced down at his watch.
"You've got 1 hour and 50 minutes."
"But-"
Before Tyson could finish his sentence, Kai was gone. Tyson sighed and rolled his eyes.
"Typical Kai…"
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(Aya's) breathing came out in aggravated puffs as she continued to run. She could feel a fiery burn in her chest, she knew that she was getting closer to Holocaust. Suddenly, a loud, ferocious yowl quaked in (Aya's) mind. (Aya) let out a determined growl as she sped up. Holocaust knew that her mistress was near, why else would she make such a roar? (Aya's) eyes widened as she skidded to a stop.
"The 11th crossroad! North west…this way!" (Aya) started to run.
"Not so fast!"
(Aya's) feet hit the brakes. She looked around wildly. Where had the voice come from? (Aya) then heard footsteps. She squinted at the north tunnel. A dark figure was coming forward. The person stepped out into the light and withdrew their hood. (Aya) gasped.
"Zane!"
The boy closed his eyes for a moment and smirked.
"Nice to see that you haven't forgotten me."
Zane opened his eyes, revealing the malice in them.
"If you wanna get your bit-beast back, you're gonna have to go through me first!" Zane informed as he readied his beyblade in his launcher.
"Fine, have it your way!" (Aya) spat as she readied her blade.
Zane laughed harshly. "You think you have a chance of winning without your trusty bit-beast?" Zane sneered.
(Aya) scowled as she returned Zane's glare. "I was beating kids before I got Holocaust, defeating you will be no different."
"Ha! In your dreams!"
"Let it rip!" (Aya) shouted.
Zane snarled as he yanked his ripcord. "Killi! Attack!"
The beyblades slammed each other head on, then continued to grind into one another, starting off tiny sparks.
"Come on, hang in there!" (Aya) said softly.
Killi roughly smacked against (Aya's) beyblade, sending it into a retreat.
"Oh no." (Aya) whispered as she saw her blade start to wobble.
"Ha! You're mine! Killi, take her out!"
As Killi zoomed in for the final attack, something surprising happened. (Aya's) blade back flipped, dodging Killi's attack.
"What?!" Zane exclaimed in disbelief.
"How can this be?! I was supposed to have won by now!"
"Ha! My dreams are my reality, Zane." (Aya) smirked.
(Aya) then focused on her beyblade.
"Now! Kick him to the curb!"
(Aya's) beyblade pushed Zane's beyblade back, then slammed into it. Killi clattered to a stop at Zane's feet, while (Aya's) beyblade continued to spin in triumph in front of her.
"No…I lost. How could I?" Zane said to himself, his eyes wide as if in a trance.
(Aya) pocketed her blade and launcher. "You don't need a bit-beast to be a skilled blader, or in your case, someone with a big head."
Zane growled lowly to himself.
"See you around." (Aya) said as she made her way towards the north west tunnel.
"Not if I can help it!" Zane snarled as he launched his blade towards (Aya).
Before (Aya) could react, a royal blue blade smacked into Killi, protecting (Aya). Kai entered from the east tunnel, glaring daggers at Zane.
"You wanna fight, then deal with me!"
"Hn, fine then! Killi!"
"Dranzer!"
The beyblades clashed together in a furious battle. Kai looked up at (Aya).
"Go now, while you've got the chance!"
(Aya) nodded and ran towards her chosen tunnel. Before she disappeared, (Aya) blew Kai a quick kiss. It was all the encouragement Kai needed. He faced the battle with a new determination.
"You're going down, Zane! Dranzer!"
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'Oh, Holocaust! Where are you?' (Aya) thought desperately as she ran down the tunnel.
/Here…/
/Where? /
/So close…/
/Where? Tell me, where are you? /
/STOP! /
(Aya) nearly fell flat on her face as she did. She turned and looked up at the large steel door. (Aya) grabbed the handles and tugged. No movement.
'Alright, that's it! No damn door is gonna keep me away from my bit-beast!'
(Aya) yelled furiously as she launched her blade. It smashed right through the door, leaving huge cracks in the steel. (Aya) kicked the door open and entered the room. It was dark, and filled with guards. The only sources of light came from the computer monitors, a few keypad buttons and the large cylinder in the middle of the room. It was filled with a glowing red light, (Aya's) bit-beast.
"What are you doing here?" demanded one of the guards.
"Students are not allowed in this area."
(Aya) picked up her blade. When she stood up, her eyes were shadowed.
"I'm no student." She stepped out into the light.
"I'm your worst nightmare!"
(Aya) launched her blade angrily. The black beyblade went haywire, smashing into monitors and anything else in its path. The guards panicked and shot out the emergency exits. No sooner than that, the alarms started ringing. (Aya) heard a mechanical voice speaking in Russian on the speakers. Dread poured over her. She knew that she didn't have much time.
(Aya's) blade smacked against the cylinder. And rebounded back into her hand. (Aya) growled. Her blade hadn't even left a scratch, it wasn't strong enough. But that wasn't going to stop her.
"(Aya)! Come on, we've got to go!" Kai's voice shouted behind her.
"No! Not without Holocaust!" (Aya) shouted back.
She launched her blade at the glass cylinder again, and Kai did the same. This time, the glass cracked and fell to pieces. Kai and (Aya) caught their beyblades perfectly. Chunks of ceiling and wall started to crumble down. The red glowing mass hovered in mid-air, as if unsure where to go. (Aya) held out her beyblade.
"Holocaust! In here!"
The red light shot forward and into the bit-chip. (Aya) looked at her bit-chip. A small image of Holocaust gleamed back at her.
"Alright! Holocaust is back! Safe and sound!"
Kai grabbed (Aya's) shoulder. "(Aya), we have to go!"
"Right!" (Aya) pocketed her blade.
Then she and Kai made a run for the exit, dodging falling debris on the way.
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Meanwhile, Zane and Yuka had found each other and were now looking for an escape.
"Aah!" Yuka screamed as a large chunk of plaster crashed down in front of her.
Zane growled lowly as he looked around. "Come on, this way!" he commanded as he grabbed Yuka's arm and pulled her in a different direction.
The siblings immediately halted when they saw Boris blocking their path. At that moment, Zane froze. He didn't know what to do. His mind and body were immobilized. Then, quick as lightning, Boris pulled out a gun and shot. Yuka dropped onto the ground before Zane could blink.
"NO! Yuka!" Zane cried as he dropped to his knees and cradled his little sister in his arms.
Zane had never felt so many emotions at once. Anger, fear, hatred, sadness, despair, the need for revenge. All those emotions were tearing up his heart, eating him away inside. Yuka took a ragged gasp as she gripped Zane's cloak.
"Don't…go…a-after him. T-they won't…leave…h-here…again."
"Yuka!" Zane's voice came out in a choked sob as tears ran down his face.
"I'm so sorry! It's my fault this happened, I was supposed to look after you…"
"N-no…Zane…not y-your…fault." Yuka's voice could barely be heard as the Abbey continued to fall apart all around them.
"Yuka…"
"Vathek! Take…take Vathek!"
"I can't-"
"Vathek was…yours. Now… I'm g-giving…him back."
More tears ran down Zane's face as he looked at his dying sister.
"Zane…tell…tell Mama…I love her."
"I will." Zane promised as he choked back a sob.
"You're…the best…brother ever Zane…thank you."
Zane cried out in despair as he hugged Yuka close.
"Don't…let…go. I'm…scared." Yuka's voice was barely a whisper.
Zane hugged his sister tighter and stroked her hair. "It's ok Yuka, it's ok." Zane cried.
"You'll be with Dad now…" Zane continued to comfort his sister until she shuddered and stopped breathing.
Her body was limp and lifeless in his arms. Shakily, Zane transferred Vathek from Yuka's pocket to his own. He then gently placed Yuka's body on the ground. Zane unclasped his cloak and placed it over his sister's body, the black cloth covering her completely. Zane slowly walked out of the Abbey. He appeared to be in a trance of some sort, one that made him forget that there was a building collapsing around him.
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Kai and (Aya) stood far out of harm's way as they watched the Abbey slowly being engulfed in flames.
"We made it out." (Aya) whispered in amazement.
"Yeah." Kai said quietly.
Suddenly, (Aya) glomped Kai, a huge grin on her face.
"We're alive, we're alive, we're alive! And I got Holocaust back! Yay!"
Kai sweat dropped. "Uh, (Aya), I get the point. You're ecstatic."
"Very!"
(Aya) then let go, much to Kai's relief.
"But really, Kai. Thank you. If it wasn't for you, I never would've gotten Holocaust back."
Kai smiled at (Aya). "I'd do anything for you, (Aya). You know that."
(Aya) smiled in return, too happy to speak.
Kai and (Aya) leaned in towards each other. Their lips met in a warm, gentle kiss. Suddenly, a cough was heard. Kai and (Aya) quickly stepped back from each other. Their interruption had been four very amused-looking Bladebreakers.
"Kai, old buddy, I think you got some explaining to do." Tyson stated.
Both (Aya) and Kai were thanking god it was dark, the red blush on their cheeks would've put a rose to shame.
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Zane stared at the burning ruins of the Abbey, his face a blank, expressionless void. Slowly, he withdrew Killi from his pocket and stared down at it. It was all because of this. All because of that stupid experiment he was holding. All because of the stupid test to try it out. It was all because of this that his sister was dead.
Zane clutched Killi tightly in his fist, shaking furiously. Then with all of his force, he threw it at the burning Abbey. After a while, there was a small explosion. Zane jumped back to avoid the sparks. Killi had been destroyed. After one last glance, Zane turned away and disappeared into the dark forest.
Unknown to Zane, from a distance, there had been someone watching him. A girl that appeared to be 8 years old and was opaque white from head to toe had been watching him. Her long hair used to be black, her eyes used to be pale lavender, flecked with blood red. The ghostly girl watched her brother go, her face looking as if she was about to cry. Behind her, a ghostly boy of the same age in old-fashioned clothes touched her shoulder sympathetically. She turned to look at him. He offered his hand. After a moment, she took it. They turned and started to walk in the opposite direction. As they did, they slowly faded out, then vanished completely.
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Finally! Done! Did you know that took up 27 pages?! Such a coincidence, seeing as this is the 27th chapter. Well, hope you guys enjoyed that. A bit of a sad ending, Yuka dying. You didn't expect that, did you? Well, Merry Christmas and a mad New Year to all of you once again! Love you all! Kisschasy rocks!
You/Kai fic fan