Rating: PG-13/T

Genre: Fantasy/Romance/Action Adventure.

Dedication: For you Mo, thanks for all your help.

Main Characters:

Tatibana Hiromi: The Priestess who now guards the crystal

The Divine Seraphim: Her guards - Mao, Julia, Emily, Matilda, and MingMing

The Valhalla Knights: The 'so called bandits' who attempt to help the girls, if the girls will let them that is: Kai, Rei, Takao, Max and Kyoujyu

Belial Rebellion (Shadow Watchers): The underground group that plan to steal the crystal: wait and see. (You know who is going to be in this group.)

Pairings: Yuriy x Mao (Tala x Mariah). Maybe others.

Note: All weapons used in this story are real; however, the attacks are made up XD. However, Mao's weapon was slightly made up. Many of the names are made up; it's a fantasy fic and all to my own imagination.

Summary: The crystal of Sataki, which hold The Black Dranzer, the power of destruction, has been passed to its new guardian, the Priestess Hiromi. Together with her guards, the Divine Seraphim, she must carry the crystal away from the shrine to a new haven for it never to be found. Of course, when such a power is foreseen by the demons themselves it is only a matter of time before they attempt to steal it. Moreover, there isn't ever just one party after such a sacred item.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bakuten Shoot Beyblade, and any other recognized characters they are all owned by Takao Aoki, Viz Media, Hasbro and all other respective owners. There may be some bit taken from the manga, just little tip bits.

The Divine Seraphim

By Kaz

Chapter 2

Darkness.

It was all around and everywhere she looked all she could see was the endless bleakness of the night. No stars shone within the cloudless sky and no sounds could be heard from animals of the night. Bitter winds roared causing the girl to shiver.

'Where is this?' She thought, as she rubbed her hands over her arms to try to create some warmth. She couldn't see anything, no matter where she looked, nothing was visible. No vegetation, no debris and no life.

Her mind seemed numb as sharp winds rose around her, blowing her sweaty strands into her face, her hands and feet felt the biter coldness, which seemed to be seeping into her very soul.

"What's happening?" she heard herself ask, as her hands valiantly tried to sort out something to hold to try to guide her, yet they only met darkness. Cruel darkness, blocking out her light, taunting her, not allowing her to see what was going on, not showing her what lay ahead to await her fate.

"Please somebody help me!" She cried. She felt the tears begin to prick at the corners of her eyes. There was a might wind now, roaring as ice daggers shot out and pierced her.

Tatibana Hiromi. Come closer child.

"Who – who is that?" She asked fearfully trying in vain to locate the origin of the voice.

Come closer child and see the future.

Walking slowly ahead, she carried on straight, her mind hurting from thoughts concerning what was going on. Gulping, she breathed in deeply and desperately tried to fill herself with courage as she carried on.

Tatibana Hiromi. See your destiny.

She carried on. A light was up ahead. Quickening her pace, she ran to the brightness and stopped. Ahead, a mass of destruction. A dark abyss full of obliteration. Beautiful cities now lay in ruins, while, once breathtaking landscapes and magnificent monuments were reduced to a few snapped twigs and dried up sand. Fire burning bright, swallowing anything that lay within its path. Incessant rain fell from the sky, yet it could not diminish the blaze of the fire. The atmosphere was thick and heavy with dark grey clouds, rising and covering the sky. The sight was truly horrendous.

"What is this?" She cried her eyes wide in terror and turned her head to cough. The smog was thick and deep and it felt as if it was drawing her energy away from her.

Come closer Tatibana Hiromi and see what you will unleash.

"No, I shall never allow this to happen!" Shaking her head violently, she looked over to the dreaded scene once more. Her eyes began to tear as other images came clearer. She could see people, people who she didn't know lying on the ground. Blood spilled heavily around them. They were dead. A closer look had her gasping and trying not to faint. Her guards, the Divine Seraphim were also fallen. Broken on the ground, their weapons lay casually beside them and their bodies were heavy with cuts and blood. And she saw herself. Destroying the crystal and setting the Black Dranzer free.

"No!" she cried, "What am I doing? What is this? This is all lies!"

No, this is the truth. You will be the one to set me free. Yes, you Tatibana Hiromi, you shall give in to me and I will take flight once more. Nothing will withstand my power and I shall be known as the greatest of all time. This is my time now and I will succeed.

"No you won't! I will never allow this happen. This is nothing more than a cunning trick of yours to try to make me frightened. I will never permit such evil to rule this earth! I stand for all those of good and pure! You listen to this Black Dranzer; I, Tatibana Hiromi, will keep you sealed within this crystal. I shall never allow your devastation to reign free. This is my oath. You shall never be allowed to take flight again." Hiromi said, her words bringing a glow of pure white aura around her. Her eyes firm, she did not let them waver as the ruler of sins came within her line of vision. She would not show him any weakness; this was her duty, her life and everything she knew. She was strong.

Foolish child. I shall be free and you will watch as I destroy everything you know. I am the ultimate power and nothing will stop me.

Hiromi said nothing as her eyes remained fixed on the holy creature. She would not back down from this.

Tatibana Hiromi! Remain true to your heart. He cannot destroy that. Follow your heart child and step free.

She knew this voice, it was the one she heard from birth.

Tatibana Hiromi you will fail.

Tatibana Hiromi you shall succeed.

"Priestess?"

Hiromi moaned as the voices all merged into one. She couldn't distinguish between them any of them. Her head hurt and she felt as if she was falling. The darkness was taking over.

"Priestess Hiromi, you must wake up! Now!"

Hiromi opened her eyes and gasped. Breaths coming out heavy, she gulped and tried to focus her blurred vision. Shaking her head, she calmed herself and noticed that all her guards were on the ground in front of where she slept. From the expression on their faces, she could understand that she must have been having a nightmare.

"Priestess Hiromi, are you well? What troubles you?" Mao asked, as she grabbed Hiromi's shoulders with her hands and looked directly into the girl's eyes.

"I apologise. I was having a bad dream and it caught me by surprise."

"There is no need to apologise Priestess. We were worried as you called out." Hiromi smiled at Matilda as the smaller girl spoke quietly.

"This vision you had? Was it a vision of the future?" Hiromi stared at MingMing, her eyes narrowing as they remembered the nightmare she had not too long ago. "No it was not a vision of the future but a scheming lie from the Black Dranzer himself," she said as she heard her guards gasp in shock. "He is trying to free himself. He knows that the crystal has changed hands and sees that this is his time to free himself. We shall not let that happen." She said as she looked at each of her guards as they kept their attention fixed on their Priestess in front of them. "It does not matter what he desires, it is our duty of those from the shrine to ensure that his wish does not come true. You and I must work together to stop such an occurrence from happening. We must work together as comrades, friends and sisters. I stand before you as Priestess but also as your sister. We must swear that our hearts are filled with hope and faith; any doubt must be blown away. Emily, Julia, Matilda, Mao and MingMing you are the chosen to help me however, you are my sisters in every form. I cannot do this without you. Say you will help me to stop whatever horror the Black Dranzer could unleash. Say we are sisters of the shrine." Hiromi finished her speech by rising to her feet, her hands stretched outwards as the first rays of the sun began to shine through the sky.

Her guards kneeled before her, their respect shown through the gesture. They would follow her to the end of the earth. She was their hope for the future, a future that they would help to achieve. Hiromi smiled and clasped her hands together. "Today we start a new day. I understand that this world is foreign to us but together we will survive it. As of today, you will address me as Hiromi." She said as the others gasped.

"No your Priestess, we could never show you such disrespect." Mao said as the others nodded behind her. Hiromi smiled, while placing her hands on top of Mao's head. "There is no disrespect between sisters."

"We shall obey your wish Priestess however; upon times where decorum must remain we shall obey the rules of the shrine. This you must understand." Emily said, already feeling faint as to breaking the rules of which the shrine dictates.

The girls all smiled at the panicking girl. Shaking her head MingMing, addressed her Priestess, "We must leave now. We do not know what lingers here and we must continue on our path." As the girls began to roll up their sleeping rolls, MingMing carried on. "Girls, we must be on our guard. The Elders mentioned to me that rogues and bandits lay in wait for prey. Julia, I want you, Emily and Matilda to be near to Priestess Hiromi. You all will walk behind the Priestess" She carried on, while the Priestess Hiromi may expect the others to address her by name, MingMing would never follow that. She was the leader and she had a duty to uphold. It was her job to make sure that rules were kept and she knew that the Priestess would understand this. "Mao," she carried on, "you and I shall walk ahead. We must assess the roads and I believe that the Eternal Galux will help us chose the right one." The girls nodded and they positioned themselves as MingMings orders and began to take the path ahead of them.

Mao sighed as she walked on ahead. She was worried, this was a land unknown to her and everything was unfamiliar right now. They had to ensure that they were on their guard and anything that was deemed suspicious must be investigated right away. Sighing loudly this time, she looked over to MingMing, who was walking along side her, the latter girl's eyes narrowed in thought and asked. "MingMing, do you think that we will encounter any of these bandits? The sun has only just risen and surely at night would be the best time for them to launch an attack?"

"We cannot be sure Mao. As times are desperate, they may think to attack whenever they choose. We must ensure the Priestess and crystal's protection at all time. I feel something is coming. The morning star was not glowing as bright last night, I feel as if it was trying to tell me something. I believe that the shadows have foreseen our task."

MingMing glanced at the pink haired girl as she gasped. "Do you believe it so?"

"Yes I do. We already know they have located the shrine and this is why we must find a new home for the crystal. How long do you believe it will be before they realise we are no longer at the shrine? We must think logical and sensibly."

Mao nodded at MingMing before she realised something within MingMing's words. "Do you think those back at the shrine know? Will they be safe? If those we deem as the enemy have located the shrine then surely we must go back?"

"We cannot let our thoughts be clouded of that. As hard as it is, we must only focus on our task. The shrine will have to take care of itself."

"How can you think so cruelly?" Both girls turned back as Julia walked towards them. "The shrine is our family and our life. We cannot leave them to fall to the enemy! Surely you must agree with me." Julia said, her eyes tearing over, the thought of anything happening to the place she called home, well it was unthinkable.

"MingMing is right Julia," a soft voice said from behind the girls. They all looked over to Hiromi. "We have a duty that we must uphold. This is the oath we took, as did everyone within the shrine."

"But." The girl said, shaking her head at the words of Hiromi.

"Yes. We are the only hope for the future. What the enemy brings is nothing compared to what would happen if the Black Dranzer were to be freed. We are helping them by ensuring that this does not happen. You cannot let emotions cloud your heart. We must complete our task. So long as the Black Dranzer is sealed then the shrine is strong. Even without us, the Elders are strong and we must believe in them as they do to us."

The silence fell around the group as Hiromi's words weighted true to them. "You are right, I apologise." Julia said, "You are correct Priestess, I must believe in my home as it does in me. Sister MingMing, I am sorry for my defiance, please forgive me." MingMing smiled and shook her head indicating that there was nothing to forgive. The girls carried on their journey, unaware of what lay ahead.

Julia sighed as they passed more barren land. Any signs on vegetation had long since disappeared and now the roads were the same. Shifting her pack on the shoulder, she looked over to Emily, the girl consulting her maps and star signs. On her, other side was Matilda, the girl was quiet as usual, and her steps light as she kept up with the others. They were tired, she noted. After all, they had been walking for hours. She knew that MingMing wanted to continue walking as long as possible, which was fine with her; she just hoped that Matilda and Hiromi were fine with the pace. The Priestess was walking in front of them, Mao, MingMing in front of the whole group, and the three of them bringing up the rear. Though her pace was unbroken, Julia could tell that something was troubling the Priestess. Her brows were creased and her eyes were focused on the distance. However, she knew better than to interrupt. It was rumoured that sometimes the Priestess spoke to the holy creatures themselves. Sighing, she raised her hands to the back of her head and looked up at the sky. Her eyes focusing on a black object, perhaps a bird flying overheard. Narrowing her eyes, she realised it was not a bird. They were under attack.

"MingMing! Above! It's an enemy weapon!" Julia cried as she removed her whip from its hold.

The others turned sharply, each preparing themselves. "Emily, you and Matilda guard the Priestess. Make sure nothing happens to her."

Both girls nodded as they positioned themselves in front of the Priestess. Julia had already launched her whip in the air, both of the smalls circling each other as they knocked the object from the sky. "A curved blade?" She mumbled to the others as they all looked to where the weapon had been launched from.

"What is this?" A new voice cried from somewhere above. Glancing to the right, they saw a boy standing on the cliff edge. He was leaning back on the wall, arms folded and his blue hair covering his eyes. On his back the top of his weapon could just be seen, it seemed to be a staff of some sorts made up in three parts, with chains holding each part in place. Just behind him stood another boy, wearing some sort of robes, his black long hair wrapped in a cloth, a curved blade was attached to his waist, the outline visible in its sheathe.

Hiromi gasped, it was the boys from her vision. What could be the meaning of this? Was this another trick from the Black Dranzer or was destiny trying to tell them something? She mustn't reveal the dream to anyone just yet; she needed to consult with the wisdom of the Holy Creatures. Something had been set into motion and it must run its course. She turned her focus back to the boys and let the scene play out.

"Who are you?" MingMing demanded her eyes narrowing as she clutched her nunchakus on one hand tightly.

"Heh maybe you should introduce yourself. You're the one trespassing in our land." The girls turned again as another boy walked up to them; in his hands a blade, just like the one that had been launched in the sky. Behind him stood another boy, with spun golden hair. He was smiling as he retrieved the fallen blade of his comrade, the heavy Mace on his back not falling from its hold on his back.

"We have no reason to introduce ourselves; you are the ones that attacked us. Let us pass; we have no quarrel with you." Julia said, her heart pounding in her ears.

"I am afraid we cannot do that." They looked past the dark haired boy in front of them to the blond one who now spoke. "You are trespassing in our lands and any trespassers are immediately thought of being part of the Belial Rebellion." He finished almost apologetically.

"The Belial Rebellion? Who are they?" Mao asked, her eyes squinting in confusion.

"Like you don't know." The dark haired boy said.

"No we do not. Who is this Belial Rebellion you speak of?" She asked again, her temper flaring slightly. "If you refuse to tell us who you are then be prepared to feel our attack." Mao could not believe the behaviour of the insolent boys in front of her. Ignoring the scoff from the boys above, she prepared to attack and flexed her staff tightly in her hand, the cat on the top beginning to glow.

"Heh, is that little kitty meant to scare me?" The dark haired boy asked, annoying the girls as he grinned widely.

"I'll show you what it means to be scared." Julia fumed as she launched her whip at the boy, the two small metal balls at the end circling each other as they increased their speed the further it flew. Julia smiled as the move caught the boy unaware and managed to knock him to the ground as the blond boy jumped back.

"My turn." Mao hissed and twirled her staff in her hands. She was going to teach these two a lesson. How dare they mock her? She was about to jump and attack the boy when a voice from behind stopped her.

"That is enough." Everyone turned as Hiromi pushed past her guards and stood directly in front on the boys, the two who were above the cliff had now jumped down and joined the others. "I do not know of this group you speak off but we have not come to cause any trouble. We merely wish to pass and continue on our way. I apologise for any offence we might have caused but please allow us to pass."

"If you are not part of the Belial Rebellion then who are you? We have not seen you before this?" The boy with the long hair in a cloth spoke, his eyes fixed on the girls.

"We are from the Celestial Shrine."

"The Celestial Shrine?" the boy spoke again now intrigued. "Why are you here? Those who reside there rarely leave the shrine."

Hiromi looked at the boy before answering, "Yes, I am aware of that. However, we are on a quest and we must see it through. I cannot explain more than that."

The blue haired boy said nothing as he continued to stare the group. He was intrigued by them, it was clear to see. The girls saw him nod to the boys and walk up to them as the others began to surround the girls.

"What are you doing, let my guards go!" Hiromi said in panic as the blue haired boy grabbed her and flung her over his shoulder. "Let me go," she cried as she banged her fists against his back to no avail.

MingMing looked in dread as the boys grabbed the girls from behind with some kind of thread. Though invisible, it was as strong as gold itself. Trapped now, the girls glared as the boys walked them through a cave they had not seen.

"Ming, what is going to happen?" She heard Matilda whisper quietly.

"Nothing will happen, just keep your eyes open and protect the priestess. They must not know our mission."

She felt the girls nod as they went quietly. Looking over she saw that the Priestess was still struggling against the blue haired boy but was unhurt. Breathing in relief, she quickly assessed her sisters and saw that they too were not hurt.

Sighing, she allowed herself to be dragged to where ever the destination was. This was not good; she had already failed as the leader. She would not allow this to happen again.

Rei glanced back the girls as they made their way home. He had no idea why shrine maidens were in this part of the forest but he intended to find out. He could tell they were hiding something and they had to find out what. Looking over at Kai, he saw that the boy was slowly becoming irritated with the girl on his back. He could understand and was thankful that he wasn't in Kai's position right now. Smiling, he carried on walking but not before glancing behind again. He was sure something was going to happen; fate had a nasty way of suddenly revealing itself.

Kai growled as the girl thumped his back once more. Entering their abode he prompt let the girl go, making no move to shield her from the hard ground.

"Priestess Hiromi," he heard the girls cry as the said girl glared up at him. "Are you alright Priestess," he heard the pink haired girl ask as they all struggled against their hold to try and break free.

"I'm fine," she growled as she continued to glare at him. So had had made an impression, he thought, good. He was pleased and therefore, annoyed her further by smirking at her. Chuckling inside as he saw her eyes cloud with annoyance, he asked them. "Now will you explain why you are in Bakuten? This is hardly the place for your kind."

"Our kind?" Julia cried out, seething in anger.

"Yes, your kind." He replied, his eyes settling on the group of girls. "Do you believe us to be stupid? Explain what you are doing here and we might see to it that you are no hurt." He heard the girls grumble and smirked at the looks they shot at him. Not wanting to converse anymore, he sat himself down on a rock and waited for them to begin.

MingMing groaned in annoyance, they had no way to get out of this. These stupid men had completely forced their hand. If they lied then they may be delayed further and if the spoke the truth, well how could they trust them?

"It seems we have no choice. If the Priestess allows it I will explain." MingMing said as she looked over to where the fallen girl sat. Seeing the defeated nod, she sighed and began the tale of long ago.

"It started centuries ago, before mankind existed on the earth. The gods had sent the powers of the world in the forms of the holy creatures. Each possessing a different power to help rule over the land. The world was quiet and peaceful. Each holy creature ruled over their part with no hatred and everyone was happy."

"However," Mao carried on, "in the deep dark underworld there were a group of shadow spirits unhappy. They had been banished from the heavens and sent into exile. Wishing for revenge, they began to create unnatural fire. This resulted in the creation of the ruler of sins."

"The Black Dranzer." Julia said loudly, ignoring the surprised looks from the boys, "The one created from the darkness of the night with unspoken hate. He was their leader as they prayed to him to help avenge them."

"Yet the Black Dranzer had its own motive. Born of hate and greed it wanted the power for itself and so it consumed the shadows and became the ultimate evil. It spread its wings and challenged the holy warriors." Emily spoke, her hand tightening around her sash.

"The holy creatures battled for centuries with the Black Dranzer." Matilda said her tone sad as she thought of the hurt they must have felt. "Each trying to overcome the power of hatred and set right to the world."

"In the end it was the chosen ten who succeeded." Hiromi carried on, her voice clear as she recited a tale, which she had heard from birth. "The Dranzer, Driger, Draciel and Dizzara. They were the ones to battle the Black Dranzer and weaken his strength. The Pegasus, Trygator, Hedgehog, and Galux created the crystal of imprisonment, where the black Dranzer is sealed. The Dragoon captured the Black Dranzer within his tail as the Angelfly scarified herself with a spell to seal the ruler of sins within the crystal forever. In the end, they could no longer maintain their forms, and so they chose a certain few such as us, who would inherit that power and guard the crystal. To ensure that it would never be broken and the evil inside would never be set free. This is our quest and our life."

The boys were silent, as they waited for the tale to end, not daring to breathe in case they missed something important. "Every since humans roamed the land, those of the Celestial shrine have protected the shrine and guarded the Black Dranzer from breaking free. However, such power has been foreseen by the enemy and therefore the crystal must leave the shrine to find a new sanctuary." MingMing explained to the boys.

"And so for the first time in 50 years the crystal has changed hands to Priestess Hiromi. And we the Divine Seraphim have sworn oaths to help the Priestess Hiromi with her quest." Emily finished the tale with a sigh. For what seemed like hours, the room remained silent as everyone processed the information. No one spoke as the girls tensed. Had they said too much? Had they placed their trust in the wrong people?

After an eternity Kai finally spoke. "This enemy you speak of, who are they?"

"They are known to us as the shadow watchers. They watch from the shadows, descendants from those exiled and creators of the Black Dranzer." Julia replied, her eyes full of anger as recalled those who had created this weapon.

"But you have no idea who they are?" Rei asked, frowning as he processed the information. "This means you are carrying this quest out blind."

"That maybe but we are certain we will be successful in this task." MingMing said as she pulled at the threads holding her tight. Kai said nothing as he nodded his head once more to indicate to the boys to release the girls. He heard them sigh as they were freed from their bounds. "You mention Dranzer, which is my power. But what is the Black Dranzer you speak of?"

"No way, YOU have the power of Dranzer? That is impossible."

Kai glared at Julia who held her ground. "Yes, I have the power of Dranzer plus those holy creatures you mention, they are all known to us." He heard the girls as they gasped and looked around the room.

"Kai is right. I am Takao and my power comes from Dragoon." Takao said as he smiled at the group. The girls instantly feeling less tense as they took in the boy. 'He seemed genuine,' thought Julia as she smiled back at him.

"I am Max and Draciel with his might strength of water is my power." Max winked at the group as they laughed back. 'He has the same element as me.' Emily thought her mind already thinking of the possibilities she could study from him.

"I am Rei and Driger is my friend." They boy with the long hair spoke, his mouth winding to reveal his fangs. 'He has the same characteristics as me. I wonder if he comes from the same tribe, if he does then perhaps he knows Rai.' Mao thought, her mind saddening at the thought of a brother she had never seen.

"There is one more who isn't present here." Takao added, "His name is Kyoujyu and his power is from Dizzara. His element is lightening."

"Please to meet you all, I am the Priestess Hiromi. May I inquire as to what you are known as?" Takao smiled that the Priestess before rubbing a finger underneath his nose and exclaiming, "We, oh Holy Priestess, are known as The Valhalla Knights! At your service."

The girls smiled at the boy's enthusiasm. However, inside they were all slightly dazed at the turn of events that had just taken place. They had met the same chosen who had the power to help stop the Black Dranzer. What a twist of fate this was.

The figure paid no attention as he made his way through the castle. Unaffected by the endless smoke and heavy smog, he quickly went up the steps and kneeled before the figure sat upon the throne.

"We have received word from our spies, my lord. The Priestess and her guards have left the shrine along with the crystal. They were last seen making their way towards the east to the village of Bakuten." The figure bowed his head as his ruler spoke.

"Hmm, so they decided to try and move the crystal. Foolish shrine maidens, did they think that we would not foresee this? They had made an unwise decision but this is to our advantage. Well done Ivan, I am very pleased with this information."

The boy Ivan smirked as he moved over to allow his team and leader to kneel alongside him.

"Yuriy, you along with Boris, Sergei and Ivan, go to the village of Bakuten. Locate these guards. I will send others to the Celestial Shrine. When you find the Priestess and her guards bring them to me alive."

"Alive my lord?" Yuriy asked his turquoise eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Yes alive, those chosen are the only ones who can break the spell on the crystal. They must be brought to me alive, however, I do not care what state they are in. That should please you, hmm."

The one called Yuriy smirked as he acknowledged the task given to him. Looking up he bowed to his ruler as they made their way down the staircase.

"Go my Belial Rebellion, my shadow watchers. Find them and crush those who stand in your path. The power of the Black Dranzer will soon be mine and all shall feel its might." The robed ruler lifted his head as his laughter sounded through the night. It was time, time for the power to awaken and he would possess it. Everyone would bow down to him; he would be the ultimate ruler of them all.

TBC

Chapter 3 is in the works.

Please read and review.