Okay, this update took longer than expected and I won't bore you to death with my excuses. Since you were all so patient, here's the next chapter!

Disclaimer: Haven't I said it enough? I don't own Beyblade. :p

Chapter 7

The next day, Aeris was more out-of-it than usual. All day she just stared into space, thoughts and memories running through her head.

"Aeris? Yoohoo!" Tyson said, trying to wake her up.

"What's wrong?" Ray asked.

A low mumble escaped the girl's lips.

"What? What did you say?" Tyson asked.

"Nothing's wrong," Aeris said, not looking at them, but still staring straight ahead. The tone she said it in, however, made the boys move quickly away and bother her no more.

After they left, Kai came over to her corner of the dojo and sat down near her. After a minute, he said, "Just spit it out already. What's wrong?"

Slowly, Aeris turned her head and stared at him with a blank expression. Kai blinked and narrowed his eyes. Aeris turned back to staring into the air in front of her.

I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts, dee-a-lee-dee. There they are-a standing in a row, dum dum dum.

After a few days, Aeris' melancholy demeanor (1) still hadn't lifted. She would sit, staring into space or muttering incoherent words. The boys were getting worried.

"Aeris," Max said pleadingly. "C'mon. Talk to us."

Aeris just turned that blank stare toward them and kept on mumbling.

"I don't understand it," Ray said as he walked outside with Max and Tyson. "What's gotten into her?"

"I don't know, Ray, but I'm starting to get annoyed!" Tyson said, clenching his fist.

Ray and Max looked at him and shook their heads.

"Well," Max said brightly, "we can still battle each other." The other two agreed.

"Kai, do you want to battle?" Ray asked to the boy leaning against a nearby tree.

Kai responded by opening his eyes and walking over to stand opposite of Ray in front of the Beydish.

"Ready?" Tyson shouted. The boys readied their blades. "3…2…1…LET IT RIP!"

(Insert your battle scene here)

Later…

-Kai walked through the forest. The bright orange sunset made it look as if the tops of the trees were on fire. Fire… He pulled out Dranzer and looked at the bit chip of his best friend. Dranzer never left. Dranzer was always there for him. Even with Kai betrayed him for Black Dranzer, Dranzer came back.

Unlike Aeris. She left when they were eight-years-old, before he had Dranzer. She left him alone. She left him to fend for himself, without anyone else, after his mother died and he was put in the Abbey.

Kai could hate Aeris. Could despise her. Blame everything that happened to him on her. He could, but he couldn't. Not her.

Every time he tried, her face came into his mind, as she was those seven years ago, eyes filled with kindness, hope…love. Those emotions were gone from her eyes now. Now they were filled with confusion, anger, pain. So much like his own…

Kai sighed and ran a hand through his hair. What was going on with him?

Then, a fearful smell hit his nose. He glanced up and his eyes widened.

The trees were on fire! It was spreading rapidly. Kai ran as fast as he could, tucking Dranzer into his pocket as he went. It was no use, though. The fire surrounded him, then engulfed him.

Kai gasped in the smoke-filled air. It seemed like the whole world was burning. That brought a memory back, but he pushed it away. This was no time to be reminiscing.

The fire closed in, devouring him completely. Kai didn't scream. He didn't have to. Someone else was screaming for him…-

Zip-a-dee-do-da

Kai sat up fast, a cold sweat covering him. He swallowed and took a deep breath. What was that? He looked at his arms, checking for burns, just to make sure.

His eyes froze on his left upper arm and shoulder (2). What the…

Kai got up and walked outside, sliding the door closed behind him. Wrapped around his upper arm and shoulder was a scar that looked like burn marks (3).

That couldn't be. It was only a dream. What the hell was going on!

Then Kai remembered Aeris' mark, like ice. She had to know what this was. He'd ask her, but for now…

He went inside and wrapped bandages around the scar. Then he laid back down, wide awake.

"If at first you don't succeed, sky diving is not for you."

"Hey, Kai, what happened to you?" Tyson asked the next day. (You know, the bandages weren't totally covered by his shirt.)

Kai just glared at him with one eye, then closed it.

"Aarrgghh! Why does everyone here have to be so infuriating!"

He went inside to find Max sitting on the floor in front of Aeris with his head cocked to one side.

Aeris looked no different. She was still mumbling, still staring into empty space.

"Aeris! Wake up!" Tyson shouted at her. He went straight up to her and slapped her across the face, causing her head to jerk to the side.

"Tyson!" Max said, standing up. "What did you do that for!"

Tyson didn't answer. He was looking at Aeris. Max turned and looked at her as well. He blinked in surprise when Aeris raised her hand to her face and touched her red cheek.

Slowly, she looked up at Tyson and Max and blinked. Ray ran in just as she was standing up.

"I heard yelling! What's wr…?" He stared. "Aeris is awake?" He looked around. "When did that happen?"

Nobody bothered to answer him, but Aeris began walking. She went out the open door and into the backyard where Kai was leaning against the wall. He opened his eyes as she came outside.

A storm brewed overhead. Lightning crashed in the distance followed by the rumble of thunder. Kai was having a seriously bad case of déjà vu.

Aeris looked at the sky. Her eyes filled with sadness.

"It's time for me to go."

End of Chapter 7

– Mwahaha. Fear my expanding vocabulary.

– Kai was wearing one of those tank top/muscle shirt things.

– Think Hiei from Yu Yu Hakusho.

--Dum dum dum! Until next time folks!

R & R! .