The Fallen Angel of Life
. " Hey guys!" Riia said, walking into the clearing of the forest, " I brought a pal here with me today."
Tyson took one look at the teen-ager that strode into the clearing, and knew that she was no friend of Riia.
The girl was tall. Very tall. Her ears were rather pointed, as though she had some elf blood in her. She wore a cloak of a dark blue that complimented her eyes, which were almost the same shade. They were the kind of blue that makes you think of pools of deep, deep, pure cleansing water. Her features were sharp and defined, and she cut a stunningly beautiful figure that somehow retained fierceness about it. A tight fitting black shirt, a pendant pelt, and Khaki pants were the rest of her attire. Her hair was a deep Raven black that held traces of blue in it.
Kai's response to the presence of the girl was immediate, and unpredictable. He had been leaning nonchalantly against an oak tree, but was now rigid, face set, and he sputtered, " Kurai Doragon! What-Riia, what are you doing with-"
" Chill out man!" Riia said, tossing her pretty head, sending her sky blue hair flying " I ran into Kurai downtown Tokyo. I guess it really is a small world after all!"
Here she gave a small laugh. Kai, far from being comforted, looked even more disturbed at Kurai's presence.
Ray chose to ignore Kai's strange behavior. He smiled hesitantly at Kurai, who did not return the grin. Ray was ready to bet that her face would have cracked from even the effort, " So. Hey, Kurai. My name is Ray. Are you a blader?"
Max had an immediate attraction to the girl. He knew that even if he hinted his affections, he'd get shot out of the water faster that you could say, " Let it rip!" Max also expected that the girl would pick up the shell of the bullet, and chuck it at him for good measure. Yet he was shocked at Kurai's voice. He had almost been expecting the croak of a Raven, but the tone that issued from the young girls mouth had a sort of maturity that soared far beyond her years.
" Yes, I am." She said, her level gaze sweeping over everyone in the clearing, stopping to rest lastly on Kai. There was a dissecting feel to it, as though she were mentally examining everyone that it rested on.
" Cool!" Kenny said, showing a spark of interest, " Whats the name of your Bit Beast?"
Kurai looked as though this were an extremely personal question. She pondered obviously if she was going to lie, or even reply at all. The ice in her gaze intensified, and she said, " Yami Ryu"
Kenny seemed not to recognize that name, which took a lot, considering his abundant knowledge of any type of Bit Beast. He looked momentarily befuddled, then grinned and nodded.
Tyson's competitive spirit got the best of him. He flipped a cocky grin, and said without thinking, " You wanna fight?"
Two people in that clearing gave a sharp intake of breath. Kai and Riia.
Something that look suspiciously like concern flashed across Kai's face as he said,
" No! Don't!" Then he tried to cover it up by quickly muttering, " Not that I care or anything, but..."
Riia blurted, " Tyson, I really don't think that you should….I mean…"
Kurai spoke again, and Max felt an involuntary shudder being forced down his spine, " You want to blade? Me? You against me?"
" Uh-yeah." Tyson said, why she was confirming the obvious.
A grin slid over the girls face. The effect light up her face, turning her cool blue eyes alight with a dark fire, " Great. Everyone needs to lose in a lifetime. Yet this will be the most crushing loss you have ever experienced."
Tyson blinked. "Me, lose?" he said as he saw something behind the tree he spun around.
"Kitsune, use rose whip!" they saw a black Beyblade soared into the clearing at head height. Riia stared at the Black blade.
"Kurama, Hitomi" Riia called to a boy and a girl. The girl was in a Chinese style Gi and had long blond hair that was pulled back. The boy was dressed in all white and had long red hair.
"Hello, Riia" Kurama said quietly.
"Hi, Hitomi" Ray said as he looked at Kurama hatefully.
"Uh, hi, Ray" Hitomi said nervously.
"Hello, we were just about to battle" Tyson said, he did not like Kurama's attitude. Kurama looked over at Kurai, his little sister.
" OH" He said, his enthusiasm fading at the sight, " You're here. What the flip are you doing here? I've been looking all over for you."
" I can take are of myself." Kurai snapped, her eyes flashing, "Incase you haven't noticed, I was about to blade this sucker here."
Tyson bristled. Max actually cracked a grin
"Sucker?" Tyson sputtered
Kurama almost gave a grin himself, " Yeah, well, everyone has to lose in a lifetime."
Tyson rolled his eyes, " Are you two related, or is there a serious Déjà vu viable coming through here?"
Kurama looked at Kurai with tenderness that she did not return in the slightest,
" She's my baby sister."
" By one year." Kurai snarled, looking more dangerous than anything that Kenny had ever seen.
" Do you have a Bit Beast?" Kenny asked the tall teen.
" OH yeah!" Riia said, " It's called Kitsune. An earth fox type, for all you curious peoples out there."
Here she actually turned a circle, as though watching for people to be peeping at them.
Kurai pulled a sleek, lethal looking blade of silver and black that said without words that she meant business. Slamming the blade into her launcher, she struck a ready stance. Tyson did the same.
"Good luck, Tyson" Kurama said smiling.
"Go, Dragoon"
"Go, Yami Ryu"
The Beyblades hit the ground at exactly the same time. Tyson gritted his teeth. Everyone present expected him to lose to this bold stranger who had practically stepped out of nowhere. Tyson, as always, was determined to prove them all wrong, and prevail against the sister of this 'Kurama.'
He chanced a look at Kurai. Her lips were curled in a feral snarl. Her blade glowed a dark hue, and she dried, " Yami Ryu, use Dark Force Beam on that cringing piece of filth!"
Tyson saw the attack, and knew that it would be devastating should it connect.
" Get out of there, Dragoon!" He yelled," Speed Counter, now!"
The two blades ground ferociously against each other, sending sparks in the air. Tyson struggled to see who was winning the tug of war.
" Focus." He thought to himself, " Don't let this self- satisfied little cretin win!"
With a tremendous burst of will, Tyson urged his Beyblade on to greater strength, pushing Kurai's back further, further, and still further.
" I'm doing it!" Tyson muttered, a thrill coming over him.
" He's doing it!" Hitomi said in amazement. Riia shrugged, almost compulsively rubbed the strange tattoo on her forehead, then said darkly " Think what you like, Hitomi. I don't think that this Bey Battle is over."
Tyson looked at Kurai again, and his momentary happiness at gaining the upper hand faded immediately. Kurai had a half of a grin flittering around her face. The look on her face was that of a Lion playing with a mouse before eating it for a light snack.
Even as the swooping feeling of dread flew down Tyson's spine, he could feel Kurai quickly regaining the upper hand with seemingly no effort. He knew what was happening; what Kurai was doing.
Everyone else must have noticed as well, because there were collective sighs. However, Kenny was the only one that voiced it.
" She's toying with him!" He said, " She isn't even trying!"
Kurai said in an even tone, " You really think that you can win, don't you, former World Champ. Hmm. Your optimism is quite Heartening. However-"
" Tyson look out!" Kai spoke up unexpectedly, as though steeling himself to say it, " That creep is trying to pull the same trick that she pulled on me when she tried to get me killed."
Tyson's jaw dropped. He had heard Kai say some pretty extraordinary things, but this one had them all beat. He thought of dismissing the comment, but then paid dearly for his lapse in concentration with a stunning blow to his Beyblade that left it still spinning, but wobbling. Then Kurai began a series of rapid, lethal attacks that were nearly impossible to avoid.
Tyson had to gasp. The precision. The power. This kid had to be the dream of every Bey-team in the World. WHO WAS SHE?
Kai closed his eyes, trying to forget the incident that still haunted him slightly. Them memory of nearly being killed by what he had thought to be a friend.
KAI'S FLASHBACK
It was at least 4 years ago. Kai and Riia had just been engaged, and they were celebrating with some of closest friends. Well, 'celebrating' is the wrong word for ones so controlled at Riia and Kai, and, Riia had not even really liked Kai at the time. So the party consisted mostly of Riia pouting off in the corner, yet still looking very pretty, with a few of her pals to comfort her, and Kai leaning nonchalantly against the wall with his two friends. A young girl named Kurai Doragon, and Tala Valcov.
" It aint a bad deal, man!" Tala said, giving Riia a greedy look, " I mean, she aint exactly an eyesore…." It was commonplace knowledge that Tala had a great love for Riia.
Kai sighed, " It's not that and you know it. It's the fact that a kid my age has to get-Hey Kurai, you alright?"
His young friend was staring avidly off into space. Her eyes snapped back to reality, and she shrieked, " NO I WON'T DO IT! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!"
Whatever spirit there was at this gathering quickly evaporated.
Kurai walked away and Kai ran after her.
"Hey, Kai!" Tala called to his friend.
"I'll be back later" Kai called to Tala. Tala sighed.
"Sometimes you make no sence" Tala said looking at Riia talking with Arissa Hiwatari and Ichi, his little sister and began to lean against the wall, doing a good imitation of Kai.
Kurai walked over to Riia.
" Hey." Riia sniffled, " You come over here to-AHH"
With a grip like iron, Kurai seized Riia's delicate wrist, and twisted it. Her eyes had a glazed look to them.
" What are you doing?" hissed Kai in exactly one syllable. Kurai was known to be…rather…extreme, but nothing that would render an unprovoked attack.
The knife came out of the folds of Kurai's cloak. Powerless to Kurai's impending grip, Riia screamed in pain as the keen blade cut a design on her forehead, causing blood to run down her face.
" WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" repeated Kai, a horror he had never known rising up within him.
Kurai spoke.
" When I am mightier than the sun
Then will my enemies burn?
Death is a game, killing is fun
To cause pain is what I yearn.
The Dragon born of Dragons fire
My destiny fulfill
Chaos and pain are my desire
Along with blood to spill."
Kai felt the blood pounding in his ears. Something was very wrong with the words that his former friend had spoken; there was a distinct aura of evil about them. Before he could stop himself, he had Dranzer slammed into his launcher, the ripcord fed through the hole, and he let his blind fury out through his Bit Beast by summoning his strength, and yelling,
" Dranzer! Blazing Gigs Maximum Turbo!"
" Speed Counter!"
The two blades were grinding horribly against each other. Kai tried not to look at Riia, to see her pretty face scarred for life. It was at this moment that Kai Hiwatari learned to love, and it burned through him like fire.
He pushed his will to what he believed to be his limits, then skated past them. Though he could not see for the light, he knew that he was pushing…winning…or, so he believed.
"You really think that you can win, don't you, former friend." Spat the new Kurai, " Love is a foolish emotion. The end is here. Now, Yami Ryu…use your ultimate attack…BLADE OF THE FALLEN ANGEL OF LIFEEEEE!"
It was over. It was all over. The Battle. However…
Riia had not been slain. Kai's life had been spared by inched. Tala had managed to run from the house for held, leading the girls. The only thing that was worse than knowing he had lost was the fact that Kai had lost to one that he had faithfully called friend.
Kai was actually shaking with grief as he wrapped up him memory. Riia touched him lightly on the shoulder, and said, " Kai-" Kai shook his head. Kai opened his eyes. They traveled first over the Dragon shaped scar on her forehead that she had so far been able to disguise as a tattoo. Kai wondered why Riia had even allowed Kurai within 47 feet of her when they had met in the city. Then he looked at the battle that was still waging.
Tyson was still going at it, still with the thought that he might win in his mind. Kurai was seconds from dealing the final blow. Already he could see her licking her lips in anticipation.
"Having no hope to begin with isn't as bad as having hope, and then having it crushed." He thought bitterly as Kurai closed in for the final Attack.
History was destiny bound to repeat itself.
