OMG! I love you people! The reviews doubled! I have up to chapter 5 written (I'm working on six), but I'll try to write faster, for all you wonderful people. I'm so glad you all like it. Aeris' past will show up in pieces – you'll have to put them together yourself!
Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade. Sorry to those of you who are Hilary fans (I personally don't like her very much), but she's not going to be in my story.
Chapter 3
The next morning, Kai and Aeris woke up first. Then came Ray, then Max, and finally – after a nice, big, ice-filled bucket – Tyson. They all ate breakfast and went outside to train.
"Hey, where are you going, Aeris?" Max asked, noticing her heading for the woods.
"For a walk," she replied and continued walking. The three shrugged and went back to training. Kai watched her walk off.
Aeris breathed in the wonderful scent of the forest. The trees were covered in lush, green leaves and offered perfect shade, letting just the right amount of sunlight filter through the openings.
She didn't know how long she walked. She just lost herself in the sights, sounds and smells of nature. She finally stopped when she came to a patch of cherry trees. Pink cherry blossoms littered the branches and petals danced through the air.
Aeris smiled inwardly and climbed up to sit on a large, flowery limb. She was rather high up and surveyed the ground below her as she laid back against the tree trunk. Squirrels and other rodents ran around, completely unaware of the hawk circling high above.
The blue-haired girl sighed and closed her eyes. She wondered yet again what her friend had been through. The last time she saw Kai was on that night. The night when her life turned to hell. The night she found out the truth.
Aeris remembered the events of that night quite clearly.
Flashback
Eight-year-old Aeris giggled as her mother read to her from a big book of stories. They were sitting on the couch in their living room. Her mother read very well, giving a different voice to each character. Sometimes, she made Aeris laugh.
Suddenly, there was a loud banging on the door. They both looked at it.
"Now who do you think that is, Aeris?" her mother asked. She was a very pretty woman with long brown hair and violet eyes, like her daughter's. Aeris' father had left many years before. The only thing about him she could remember was blue hair, like hers, and piercing ice blue eyes.
"I don't know, Mommy, but I'm scared." Aeris had a weird feeling that these people were bad. She clung to the woman's skirt and squeezed her eyes shut as thunder rumbled in the distance.
Her mother glanced down at the little girl worriedly.
"Mommy, my head hurts," Aeris said as she started crying.
The knocks became louder and more urgent. The woman walked toward the door. Aeris ran and hid behind the couch, peering around it to watch as her mother opened the door.
Two cloaked people stood there impatiently.
"Where is she?" one asked in a gruff voice.
"I'm sorry, sir. Who?"
"The little girl…Aeris," the second replied.
"Wh-what do you want with my daughter?"
The thunder crashed and lightning flashed as the woman's eyes widened in shock and disbelief at what the men just told her. Aeris, of course, had heard, too. She turned around and leaned against the back of the couch, breathing hard. She peered around again as she heard her mother scream.
"I don't care! You will not take Aeris!" the woman spread out her arms, barring the way. "I won't let you!"
"It doesn't matter what you try to do. You're expendable," sneered a cloaked figure. As Aeris watched in horror, he took out a knife and stabbed her mother in the heart. Her shriek was bone-chilling. She fell to the ground in a pool of her own blood, dead.
"Search the house," the murderer said to the other. "Find the child."
Both people entered and headed toward the kitchen, which was to the right of the front door. After they were out of sight, Aeris sprinted toward the door, deliberately looking away from her mother's body, and continued to run toward her best friend's mansion, thunder rolling right behind her…
End Flashback
A rustle in the bushes brought Aeris out of her terrible memories. She looked down and met crimson eyes.
"Hey, Kai," she greeted. She hadn't realized she'd been up there that long. The sun was already setting.
"Hn, what are you doing?" he asked, looking up at her. Aeris jumped down and went to stand in front of him.
"Just thinking," she sighed, frowning. She looked down, unable to meet Kai's cold stare.
"Why did you leave?" the boy demanded.
Aeris still didn't look up. She knew he would ask that, knew he would want to know. She wanted to tell him, too…it was just, when he said it, Aeris' mind went blank. She couldn't talk, couldn't think. Yes, she wanted to tell him, but she didn't want him to get hurt because of it either.
"I can't tell you, Kai," she finally said.
"Why not?"
"I-I just can't," she mumbled, eyes stinging from held back tears. Tears collected over years of pain. Unshed tears.
"That's not good enough."
"I'm sorry, Kai. I want to tell you. I really do." That said, Aeris ran back to the dojo, leaving Kai alone.
'What's wrong, Aeris?' Kai thought, staring after her. 'Why can't you tell me what's wrong?'
-Back at the dojo-
Aeris entered just as the boys were getting ready to go to sleep.
"Hey, Aeris," Tyson said. "So what have you been doing all day?"
Aeris shrugged. "Enjoying nature."
"Well you missed out big time!" Max exclaimed. "Ray and I had this really great battle!"
"Yeah, it was awesome!" Tyson added.
"Who won?" Aeris asked.
"It was a tie," Max replied.
"Well, that's a good way for a great battle to end. At least that's what I think," Aeris said, smiling.
"Yeah, I think so, too," Ray said.
They set up their futons and went to sleep. A while later, Kai walked in. He glanced at Aeris once and then laid down and went to sleep.
End of Chapter 3
--Sorry about the wait. I've had to write tons of essays for school. Plus, I had my basketball playoffs and…my team won! Saturday's the championships. If we win, we'll get first place! I have my fingers crossed.
Sorry again, Hilary fans. I just couldn't figure out where she would fit in. Oh, and Kenny/Chief won't be in the story either. Please review! Thanks for reading! .