Chapter 4: Blast From the Past
"Kai?" I said, "Kai Hitawari, the owner of Dranzer?"
"Yeah." He said, "He's our teammate."
'Probable there's more than one' I said to myself again. 'It couldn't be the same Kai I knew. He hated teams.'
"Are you okay?" Max asked, waving his hand in front of my face.
"Yeah!" I said, "I'm fine!"
"We're here anyway." Max said as I looked up at a huge hotel. We walked inside and to the elevator. We both walked inside and he pressed the 10th floor button. The elevator lurched upward and I almost fell over. We reached the 10th floor and we walked out into the hallway and to a large room labeled Blade Breakers, training/ living rooms 225.
"We own one of the biggest rooms," Max said, "It takes up the whole floor."
He opened the door and we walked inside. I saw the first part of the room that was about the size of the main room in the Majestic's Training Base. It had a huge dish in the center, and a small weight set on the left side and a shower room on the other. The door behind it said Sleeping Room.
I saw two young boys lifting weights on one side of the room. One was wearing a black pair of trousers and a white top that reached down to his shins. He had black floppy hair, that was pushed back behind a red headband. He was wearing black gloves with the yin-yang sign on it. He looked to be sixteen. The other was moderately tall. He had dark blue hair that was sticking up under a baseball cap. He was wearing a crème yellow jumper with a blue body warmer on top. He had blue finger-less gloves and dark blue jeans. He looked to be around fifteen.
I also spotted a young boy sitting on a bench near them. He wore a white shirt, brown pants, and a red tie. He had puffy brown hair that covered his eyes and a pair of glasses on his head.
'One of these has to be their Kai,' I thought, reassuring myself, 'none of them are him, I thought so.'
Suddenly, the sleeping Room door opened as a young boy walked out. He had light blue floppy hair at the front and dark blue at the back. He had cold gray eyes that pierced anyone who looked at him for too long. He was quite powerfully built. He wore a purple and black body hugging top, gray blue baggy trousers and long dark blue sleeves.
'It's him.' I thought.
He suddenly saw that I was there.
"Hey Max," the young boy with dark blue hair said, "Who's with ya'?"
"This is Ariana." He said, "I bumped into her on the way home."
"Just call me Ayia." I said.
"You may want to introduce us." The black-haired boy hinted.
"Oh yeah!" Max said as he pointed from one to another as he said their names, "This is Tyson, Ray, Kenny, and Kai. Guys she's a blader and her Bit Beast looks pretty powerful! Ayia, you can put your bags anywhere."
I sat the boxes on a nearby bench,
"Have you seen her Bit Beast in battle yet?" Kai asked.
"Well…." Max said guiltily, "no."
"Then don't just presume things." He said, "Her Bit Beast probably couldn't handle any of us!"
My eyes narrowed, "If you think you're so hot," I said, holding out Orelin, "why don't you prove it?"
"I will then!" Kai said as he grabbed his launcher out of his pocket and a small red blade. We both stepped up to the dish.
"Ready," I said, "3,2,1, Let it rip!"
Our blades came out of their launchers and immediately clashed together, knocking each other back.
"I won't destroy your blade," I said, "but that doesn't mean I'm not the blader I used to be!"
"What?" Kai asked.
"You'll remember," I said, "Once I bring out my Bit Beast."
"Bring it on!" He yelled.
"Let's go Orelin!" I yelled as the two blades clashed together, driving each other around the dish.
"Dranzer!" Kai yelled as the giant Phoenix arose from his master's blade. I felt a heat wave tinge my skin vas the mighty bird arose. It was a huge red bird with orange wings and three tails that whipped behind it.
"Orelin!" I yelled as the giant wolf came out of the blade. I saw the Blade Breakers stare in awe at the giant wolf, Kai suddenly looked as though he had been hit in the stomach.
'He must finally realize who I am.' Both Bit beasts looked at each other and enjoyed being together in battle once more.
"ATTACK!" We both yelled at the same time. The two blades and bit beasts clashed together. The arena was filled with red and white. When it cleared, both blades were still at it. My blade kept pushing at Kai's, driving it against the side of the dish.
"Alright," I said, "Orelin, extreme speed!"
The blade went faster and faster, now instead of hitting the other blade from time to time, it was now an all out clash, it was so fast, Kai could hardly react.
"Dranzer!" Kai yelled as his blade began to glow. It pushed back my blade.
'He pushed it back!' I thought, 'He must have developed a bond with his Bit Beast.'
The blades left the dish and continued the fight against the walls of the hotel, still driving each other and clashing into each other. The spin on both blades was so precise they left a crack tracing across the room. The two blades returned to the dish and kept clashing together.
"Dranzer, Fire Arrow!" Kai yelled as Dranzer burned with fire and rammed into Orelin. Orelin burned and became engulfed in flame.
"Don't give up!" I yelled as Orelin pushed Dranzer back, "Cleansing Light!"
Light filled the whole dish. I saw all the Blade Breakers cover their eyes as they saw Orelin open its mouth and shot a beam at Dranzer.
"Final attack Dranzer!" Kai yelled as the two clashed.
The light cleared.
Kai's blade had come to a halt, but Orelin was still barley spinning, we had won the match. There was a large crack in the ground, destroying the whole dish and about ten feet from the dish.
"Unbelievable." I heard Kai mutter loudly. He bent down, grabbed Dranzer, and walked over to me.
"Who do you think you are?" He asked me with a hiss, he didn't believe me. "Messing with my memories, making me remember, how did you get Orelin from the real Ayia? Ayia is dead."
"Kai," I said pleadingly, "I am Ayia."
"No--" He started, "Not possible."
"Yes, Kai." I said, "I'm the Russian, Balkov Abbey, Ayia, I may not be the same person I used to be, but I may be called back to it, and it's pretty hard for me to be dead if I'm standing right here."
"Ayia." He said, finally understanding, "it is you!"
"Yes." I said, "and I need to talk to you, right away, about my past, I need to know."
"Fine." He said as I pushed him into the Sleeping Room.
"Tell me." I said.
"What if I don't want to?" Kai said. My hands clamped to his arms and pushed him against the wall. My face was inches from his.
"You think this is funny?" I asked angrily, "My past, your past? Kai, I need to find out about our former team, are they even alive?"
"Do you not even remember?" He asked.
"Black Dranzer." I said, "After it attacked me, I lost most of my memory."
"I don't care." He said.
"Don't care?" I said, "Kai, what about when you did care, when you taught me, what happened?"
"It doesn't matter." He said.
"Yes it does!" I yelled, "It matters to me, to you, and to the others!"
"The others?" He asked, "You mean the Demolition Boys, they're nothing."
"Nothing?" I yelled, "Kai, they were our team!"
"Were, Ayia, were!" He yelled, "From now on, they are our enemies!"
"Why Kai?" I asked, "What happened to them?"
"They're still in Russia," He said, "Still working for Biovolt, and still stealing Bit Beats."
"What?" I said in shock, "I thought they'd be--"
"No Ayia, no!" He yelled, "they're the same, and always will be! We have to move on with our lives!"
"No!" I yelled, "I won't leave Tala and the others behind, they need us, now more than ever!"
"They are and always will be the same!" He said.
"But they are depending on us--" I started.
"For what?" Kai yelled, "For our Bit Beasts? For the destruction of our past and the amount of pain we went through? For making me feel deserted when Tala took my place as your training partner? Or when you two started hanging out more?"
"What?" I asked.
"Don't you even get it?" He yelled.
"What?" I asked.
"I loved you Ayia!" He yelled as lightning clashed outside the window at the far side of the room, lighting it up and casting shadows on his face. "I loved you more than anything then when you started hanging out with Tala, I expected things. I wanted revenge, so I stole and used Black Dranzer to attack him, but it backfired, and I attacked you. I thought you were dead and felt so ashamed and ran away, because I loved you!"
"You loved--" I started, trying to reflect on what he just said. Thunder rolled through the room, shaking me to the core. Kai was cold, an unsolved mystery, but he loved me, it really didn't seem to make sense, "Kai, I didn't mean to hurt--"
"You didn't." He said, "But, I just need to ask you a question."
"What?" I asked.
"Did you love Tala?" He asked.
"No." I answered firmly. Tala wasn't really in my interest, but he was like a brother to me. Maybe I did feel something for him, but now that I had heard of what he was doing, I wasn't so sure, and I didn't want to say anything that might hurt Kai anymore than I already had. "I cared about him like any teammate should, but nothing more."
"Okay." He said, seeming satisfied, "now I will tell you what you need to know; the Demolition Boys are alive, and they are still stealing Bit Beasts, but they are doing some kind of new experiment, I don't know what it is though."
"But why?" I asked myself. Tala was so wise, why did he need to live his life like that?
"I don't even know." Kai said.
I sighed a bit. I didn't want to pressure him into telling me anything more than he had, if I wanted to know any more, I'd have to wait until the finals, and then find out for myself.
"Okay Kai." I said, "Thank you; I think I have what I need."
Kai nodded his head.
"Seya at the finals." I said. I mentally slapped myself in the head.
"What?" He asked.
"I'm on a team." I said softly. I saw his eyes grow wide with a bit of anger and surprise.
"What?" He said, "Who?"
"The Majestics." I said, my voice even smaller.
"Why?" He asked, "It better not be because of that pretty-boy Enrique!"
"You don't even know them!" I yelled. I was standing up for them; something inside made me feel for them.
"Their heads are full of air, they're rich, and they're snobby!" He said, "And they won't change!"
"Kai," I said, trying to explain, "I made a promise, and if we have to battle each other on the finals, we have to. We will always be teammates and friends, but we have, as you said, moved on with our lives."
"You're right." He said. Suddenly, rain pelted onto the window.
More thunder and lightning. Wind whipped by the window and pushed the glass against the frame as it flooded between the cracks, making a high pitched whistling sound. Leaves blew by the window, some plastering themselves to it, trying to get shelter form the now howling wind outside.
"The weather's bad." He said, "you can stay with us tonight and then go back to your 'team'."
"Kai." I said, noticing his voice that was perked with lament and sarcasm, "I thought you were dead. I didn't know where to go. Someone's taken me in, and even if we have to face each other, we need to focus on the Demolition Boys, and snapping them out of this trance they're in."
"It's not a trance!" He said, "It's their life!"
"I know Tala's more than that!" I said, "He taught me how to blade, and taught me about being a team."
"What about me?" Kai asked.
"You taught me the most important lesson." I said, putting my hand on his shoulder, "You taught me who I was, and what I could be."
"I want you to know that if your past gets a hold of you again," He said, "I'm always here, and even when I'm not by you, or not even in the same country, I'll always be in your mind, and in your heart."
"That's good to know, Kai." I said, "and your teammates may think I committed a murder if we don't get out there."
"Right." He said as we walked out of the room.
"Uh," Tyson said, "Wanna clue us in?"
"I know her," Kai said, "From a long time ago."
"At least someone knows old sourpuss." Tyson said, "From how much he keeps to himself, people may think he's the Missing Link!"
I laughed a bit.
"You know," I said, "He's right Kai."
"Yeah, yeah." He said, "Just make sure you leave your sarcasm in the stands during the finals."
"She's in the finals?" Kenny asked.
"Yeah." I said, "I'm on the Majestics."
Tyson's eye twitched, then he laughed hard, "So has Enrique," He said, nudging me in the side, "made him self 'known' to you yet?"
"The only thing I did was whip him in a battle." I said with a smirk.
"Guys," Kai said, gesturing towards the window, "The weather's really bad, so, could she stay with us tonight?"
"Sure." Tyson said.
"I wouldn't mind." Ray said.
"Yeah!" Max said, "My bed's a bunk bed, so we can be BUNKIES!"
"Bunkies?" I said, raising my eyebrow.
"BUNKIES!" He said, bouncing up and down.
"Oh boy." Ray said, "Max can be hyper."
"That's okay." I said with a laugh.
"Top, or bottom?" Max asked.
"Top." I said.
"Works for me," He said; he nudged me in the side, "Bunky."
We laughed.
"I should call their base." I said as I walked over to another section parted from the training room. It was a small kitchen that had a white tiled floor and brown cabinets. I walked to the counter and picked up a phone book. I flipped to the 'M' page and found, 'Base, Majestics.'
I picked up the phone next to the book. I dialed the number and heard the phone ring.
"Bonjour." I heard Oliver's voice on the other end of the line. "You reached the Majestic's training base."
"Oliver." I said, "It's me Ayia."
"Hi Ayia!" I heard him say, "thank goodness you're safe!"
"I'm fine, I'm fine." I said, "But, I'll be staying with the Blade Breakers, they're here for the finals. I'll be home in the morning."
"Okay," Oliver said, "just stay safe!"
"I'll be fine Oliver," I said, "just trust me."
"…" I heard a muffled sound on the other side of the line. I only caught snippets of, "Enrique---give it back---she's only staying with the Blade Breakers--- it's only a storm---she's fine---don't worry about it!"
I waited on the other end of the line.
"Ayia," I heard Enrique say, "Are you okay Ayia?"
"Enrique," I said with a laugh, "I'm fine."
"You're staying with the Blade Breakers?" He asked.
"Yes," I said, "they're taking care of me."
"Okay," He said, "just be careful."
"I will, I will." I said.
"Just come back without any of the Blade Breakers attached!" He said, "Oliver and I may drive them off!"
"Okay, Enrique," I said, "Bye."
"Bye." He said.
I hung up the phone and saw the Blade Breakers behind me.
"They said it's fine." I said.
"Okay." Ray said, "I should make dinner then."
"I will since I'm a guest." I said.
"But--" He started.
"I'll do it," I said. "Don't you worry."
I walked over to one of the cabinets and pulled out a packet of rice and some soup items. I mixed the items into a large bowl and put water on the small stove and left it to boil. I the grabbed some what looked like already cooked meat and cut it into small slivers. I then opened a cabinet above the stove and took out a small bottle of seasoning and put it on the meat. I walked back over to the water that had started to boil. I poured the mix of items into the bowl and took out another pot and boiled more water. I then poured the rice into the water. I took out six blue glass bowls and poured a portion of soup into each one. I added the meat and mixed them up a bit. I then saw that the rice was ready. I took out six smaller glass blue bowls and put rice in each one. I then put a small slice of butter on the top. I put all the bowls and silverware on one tray and carried them out into the main room where everyone sat on the floor. I set the tray in front of them.
"That looks really good!" Kenny said.
"Thanks." I said.
We all grabbed a bowl and started eating. It actually wasn't too bad for my own cooking, and the Blade Breakers liked it too.
"This is awesome!" Max said.
"Yeah!" Tyson said, his mouth full of food.
I laughed a bit, "thanks you guys," I said, "It was nothing, really."
"It's better than my cooking." Ray said.
"I seriously doubt that." I said.
"No," He said, "It tastes really good!"
"Thanks." I said.
"Welcome!" Tyson said with food still in his mouth.
I laughed.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Kai, who was on the far side of the room, get up and leave.
"I'll go find Max's room." I said as I got up, grabbed the bags I had set down earlier, and followed him. I saw him walk back into the sleeping room and I followed quietly. I saw him walk to the center of the beds and stop.
"Why are you following me?" He asked. I was surprised he knew I was there.
"How did you know?" I asked.
"I heard you breathing." He said.
"Kai," I said setting down the bags, "I didn't really hurt you, did I?"
"Ayia," He said, "I may have loved you, but you didn't know, and I couldn't control your actions."
"If you would have just told me," I said, "thing might have been different."
"Yeah," He said, "Voltaire would have killed us!"
"Kai," I said, "I'm sorry if I did, you know it wasn't intentional, right?"
"Of course," He said, "But you know no matter how hard I may try, I can't stop loving you."
"Kai--" I started, suddenly, I saw a huge bolt of lightning strike next to the window. I saw the raw blaze of energy hit the fuse box on the outside of the house. The box exploded in a flash of sparks.
"Get
down!" Kai said, "If that hits the main fuse box, the
lights will blow!"
I felt him tackle me as I fell to the
ground. I hit the gray carpet and as my neck snapped backwards and my
head hit the carpet. I saw a sudden flash as the lights above us blew
out. The glass crackled and fell to the floor, some falling onto my
face and burning my skin in patches and some cutting into my
uncovered arms. Glowing pieces of bulb and glass sprinkled around us
as I started to try to get up. I came face to face with Kai.
"Are you alright?" He asked.
"Fine." I said, trying to raise my head. I felt a surge of pain go through me as I lied back down, squeezing my eyes together and wincing in pain.
"What's wrong?" He said as he got to his knees and looked over me. He placed his hand behind my head and rose it above the floor. His other hand traced my face. I winced as his finger slid over a scratch.
"Sorry." He said, "You're bleeding a bit, but nothing a little scar cream and peroxide can't take care of."
"I've got a splitting headache." I said, feeling my head pound as I spoke.
"You should take some aspirin," He said, "Let me help you to the bathroom."
He put his arm around my shoulder and helped me to the end of the Sleeping Room where another door was. Kai pushed it open, revealing a bathroom similar to the Majestic's.
We walked over to the sink. He reached above the sink and pulled a container out of the cabinet above the sink. He popped it open and took out a small white pill and handed it to me.
"Sit down for a minute," he said, "and I'll get you some water to swallow it with."
"Okay." I said as I sat on the small toilet in the corner of the bathroom. Kai filled a small cup with water and handed it to me.
I poured the water down my throat along with the pill. It worked pretty quickly, numbing out most of the pain in my head.
"Thanks," I said, "We should head back out into the main room."
"Can you walk?" He asked.
"Kai," I said, "You know as well as I do that you and I have been through much worse, this is nothing compared to those experiments."
"…" Silence filled the room as our memory went back again. I shook it out of my head; I needed to move on.
"Let's go." I said as I got up and we walked back out into the main room where everyone sat in a circle with flashlights. Kenny was hiding under a blanket and Tyson was yelling something, putting the flashlight under his face, casting dark shadows by his cheeks and under his eyes.
"What happened next?" I heard Max ask.
"What are you guys doing?" I asked.
"Don't ask." Ray said.
"Since the power's out, we're telling ghost stories." Max said.
"Is Tyson supposed to be the ghost?" I asked as we laughed, "he looks scary enough."
I took a seat next to Max, who was holding a bowl of popcorn, "Want some?" He asked as he handed me the bowl.
"Sure." I said as I pulled a few kernels out of the bowl and popped them into my mouth.
"Well, if you're going to tell a ghost story, tell one!" Ray said.
"Okay, okay," Tyson said. He crouched down, "Once, there was a ghost, who was very grumpy and lived all by himself in a cave on a big mountain. He was really mean and ugly and drove off everyone that came near him, and his name was…KAI!"
Everybody laughed.
"A REAL story." Ray said.
"Let Ariana try." Max said as he handed me his flashlight.
"Okay," I said, searching my mind. Ever since I had lived on the streets, I had heard quite a few tales, but I had told one of the best; "It's called the Curse of the Black Beyblade."
"Tell me, tell me!" Max said, gripping my shirt and bouncing up and down.
I laughed, "Okay, okay," I said, fluffing Max's hair like he was a young child listening to a mother's bedtime story. "There was once a young blader, who wanted very badly to be word champion--"
"What!" Tyson said, "There's no way he'd beat me!"
"Tyson!" Kenny said, "this is all just fiction!"
"I wouldn't say that if I were you," I said, "Because it could very well be true."
I saw Kenny pull the dark blue blanket over his head again and shiver.
"Anyway," I said, "He wanted so badly to be World Champion. He lived in a secluded town in Russia, and one day, he lost a battle, destroying his blade from the other blade's overwhelming power, and he lost all courage."
"Wow." Max said, his face looking serious, "I can't imagine what it would feel like."
"Yeah." I said, softly "It's always terrible to lose a partner."
"Huh?" Max asked.
"Nothing!" I said, plastering a smile "Anyway, the boy he lost to ran off and he chased him through the streets of Russia when he came upon a strange building. He walked inside and saw that it was a laboratory. The lab had glowing tanks full of animals and Bit Beasts. In the center of the room was a small glass case. He walked over to it and looked closer, and saw that it was a black Beyblade. He reached out to touch it when suddenly--!"
"What happened, what happened!" Max asked. All the other Blade Breaker's eyes were as big as saucers, except Kenny's who were behind the blanket.
"A hand grabbed his back and turned him around to face a young man who was none other than Boris!"
"Ahhh!" All the Blade Breakers gasped.
"Boris told him that he was in the Balkov Abbey and talked to him like he had read his mind. He poked at him about losing the match and said that the person who beat him was one of their recruits, and they could train him to be one of their recruits. The boy still stared at the Blade. Boris told him that the blade was a blade with the spirit of Motoki, the wolf of darkness. The boy reached out to touch it, and as soon as his hand touched it, he was possessed! He was flung backwards by the blade's power and he slowly got up. Boris told him he could be a recruit. So the boy trained and went through grueling tests to control the blade. But, he couldn't handle it; he was still thrown back by the blade's power, so Boris told him not to use it anymore, and he would recruit another. The boy became enraged by the new recruit and stole the blade, and was taken over by the power of the blade, and the blade killed him. It is said that his soul was so angry and cold, his spirit was transferred into Motoki, and he haunts the Balkov Abbey so no one can use the blade he was destined for. No one has ever touched or been near the blade since. Even to this day, some bladers near there have been reported missing from the area. Some believe they were taken into the Balkov Abbey and brainwashed, but some say that you can almost hear the screams of those gone missing coming from the room where Motoki is held. One person who was found said that the only thing they remembered was a black color and a big black wolf attacking them. The wolf was standing next to a young boy, who matched the description of the boy who had tried to control the blade, so many years ago…. Guys…guys?"
I looked around to see that they had all taken shelter under Kenny's blanket.
I laughed a bit, "Guys, you can come out now, I'm done."
"Wow, that was scary!" Max said.
"Was it true?" Ray asked.
"Yes." I said. "You know how Kai said we knew each other from a long time ago?"
"Yeah." Tyson said.
"Well," I said, "we both lived in Balkov Abbey, and late at night, I heard howls and sometimes, I'd look out my cell window to see a wolf and a young boy running down the hallways, looking for any bladers out late at night that would be easy prey. That's why I got Orelin, he protected me from darkness, light always penetrates darkness, and I was pretty young, so that's why I'm a little afraid of the dark."
"Wow!" Max said.
"Yeah." I said, "I was the recruit for Motoki."
"What!" They all asked.
"I was attacked by my blade-to-be." I said, recalling the incident, "I feel like I caused his death, Matt."
"Huh?" Tyson asked.
"I had no choice." I said, "I had to fight his blade. I grabbed my blade and used all my strength. Motoki turned on him, and killed him, and I watched it before my eyes."
The Blade Breaker's faces reflected concern.
"After that," I said, "Boris said I was too valuable to lose, so he stowed the blade away. I felt anger inside of me for Matt. It was as though he wasn't as important and was a 'test subject.'"
"Wow." Ray said, contemplating the subject.
I started to remember again. The darkness, it almost took a hold of me. I shook it off, not easily, but I still tried to let go of it.
I saw Max get up, yawn, and rub his eyes. "We better get some sleep." He said,
"Good idea Max." I said as we all got up and walked into the Seeping Room. All the beds were separated by white walls one the front and one side of the bed. I sat on the bed. The belt came a little loose and the belt buckle poked me in the back.
"Ayia, if you don't want to wear that to bed, you can wear something of mine, my clothes are probably baggy enough." Max said, noticing my belt buckle.
"Okay." I said. I saw Max dig into a duffel bag and pull out a long blue shirt with gray edges and two big yellow stars on it.
"I'll go change in the bathroom." I said as I took the shirt and walked to the bathroom. I pulled off the old out fit and pulled on Max's shirt. I could understand why he wore it; it was really baggy and stretched about to my thighs, it fit me baggy, but a bit like a poncho and tightened around my stomach a bit. I walked out and into the Sleeping Room and into Max's bunk bed half-room. Max was now wearing a light blue bathrobe with turquoise edges. Under the robe were a light blue T-shirt and a pair of blue and white striped boxer shorts.
"Looks good!" Max said, giving me a thumbs-up.
"Thanks." I said.
"Goodnight Ayia." Max said as he put his arms around me and hugged me tightly.
"Max, I need to breathe." I said as he let go.
"Sorry." He said, scratching the back of his head.
"It's alright," I said, fluffing his hair again, "goodnight Max."
"Wait." Max said as I started to go up the small ladder to the top bunk.
"What?" I asked as I sat on the bottom bunk next to him.
"Was that story really true?" He asked.
"Yeah it was." I said.
"You were attacked by Motoki?" He asked.
"Yes." I said.
"But I don't get it." He said.
"What?" I asked.
"Motoki was your Bit Beast right?" He said.
"Yeah," I said, "I was the only one who could totally control it."
"Then why did it obey Matt?" He said, "you should be the only one who could control it."
"Motoki isn't the same as normal Bit Beats." I said, "It doesn't form an actual relationship with the Blader, it feeds off of the darkness in their heart."
"Huh?" Max said, "Why were you able to control it then, you don't seem like that."
"I was back then Max." I said, "I was trained to be emotionless and full of nothing but anger. Insults and beatings every day just bottled up my anger, and it was used to control Motoki. But when Matt stole the blade, his heart was filled with Darkness, and Motoki was pleased with it all, and obeyed only to exploit the darkness in his heart. During that battle, Orelin was released into my blade because I noticed I needed to help him and left all the darkness in my heart behind and Orelin was absorbed into my blade. I had the upper hand in the blade battle, but soon, he couldn't control his own darkness and then--"
I stopped. I felt it was my fault. Matt's death, I caused the darkness in his heart. Tears slid from my eyes and rolled down my cheek.
"Sorry Max." I said.
"Hey now." He said, putting his arm around my shoulder, "Don't beat yourself up about something you couldn't control."
"Thanks Max." I said.
"Anytime." He said.
Suddenly, I heard crackling from the side of the room. We peeked out to see Ray fumbling around with the dial of a radio. Suddenly, an announcer's voice was heard.
"Hey guys," Ray said, "I've got a signal!"
"The temperature is rapidly dropping, and the rain falling may be snow by tomorrow, which would be around ten or twelve inches." We heard the announcer say.
"Oh boy!" I said. Snow! It might have hampered my traveling before, but now it could be used as fun. This could only mean one thing---
"Snowball fights!" Max said.
"Yeah!" I agreed. I could see myself nailing, Robert, Johnny, Oliver, or Enrique in the back of the head.
"That's all good and wonderful," Kai said, "But we need some sleep."
"Ok." Tyson said, "Sourpuss."
I laughed.
"He's right, Tyson," I said, "Besides, everyone could use a good rest."
"Let's hit the sack." Max said as we all went to our beds. I lied down and closed my eyes. My breath started to slow down, and I drifted off into a deep slumber.
