Disclaimer: Roses are red,

Violets are blue,

I don't own Beyblade,

Boo hoo hoo. (I suck at writing poetry. --;)

Chapter 8

Kai's eyes opened wide at those words. He would not let her leave again. Not without at least finding out why she left the first time.

He walked over and stood in front of her.

"Where are you going?"

"I don't know."

"Why are you going?"

"Because I have to."

"That's not an answer!"

"I can't tell you!"

"…why not?"

"Because…because, I don't want you to get hurt."

"Hurt? Hurt!" Kai snorted. "Well, fine. At least tell me what this is." He tore off the bandages and showed her his scar.

Aeris gasped, eyes wide. "Quick!" she said urgently. "Cover it back up!"

Kai complied, but then looked at her, awaiting an answer. She stared back at him, trembling slightly. The wind picked up around them, howling like a wild beast.

"Well?" Kai asked.

Aeris sighed in defeat and, it appeared, pain. "That mark is why I wanted to leave. That one…and this one." She pointed to the pale mark on her throat. She opened her mouth to go on, but stopped.

Kai scowled at her. "Since I have one of the scars that you fear so much, you could at least tell me what makes you afraid of them."

Aeris hesitated. "It's not so much that I fear the marks," she said slowly. "What scares me are the things that come with them."

The wind had by now blown itself into a swirling pattern like a giant cyclone surrounding the two and blocking them from the sight of those outside. However, this was a factor that the two teens failed to notice, so wrapped up in their conversation they were.

"What do you mean 'the things that come with them'?" Kai asked, eyes narrowed suspiciously.

Aeris took a deep breath and let it out. "The warring spirits of fire and ice," she explained. "The marks allow them to inhabit the bodies of those mortals and fight here on Earth."

She glanced up at Kai. "I don't want to have to fight you, Kai. You're my best friend. You always have been."

Kai stared at her, still taking in what he had heard. Spirits of fire and ice? Inhabiting human bodies?

He shook his head to focus his thoughts.

"Why didn't you just tell me when we were little?"

"There was no time. I could sense the spirits coming just as I worked up the courage to explain things."

She looked up, finally glancing at the tornado howling around them. Kai saw the look in the depths of her eyes.

"It's too late now, isn't it?" he said. "The spirits have come."

Aeris nodded distractedly, her eyes fixed on the winds.

"Aeris!" Kai reached out and shook her by the shoulders, snapping her back into reality. "Don't give up on us yet. We still have control of our bodies and minds."

His voice lowered, but still held its reassuring confidence. "You don't have to be afraid anymore. I'm right here."

He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. She didn't respond, her limbs limp like those of a doll.

Suddenly, Aeris' eyes snapped open. She pushed out of Kai's embrace and stumbled away to the other side of the wall of wind.

"No!" she cried. "You don't understand how powerful they are! Because of the spirit of Ice, I once killed someone. The terrible look on his face…" She moaned, hugging herself and rocking back and forth.

Kai stared at his friend. "Aeris, pull yourself together. It wasn't your fault." Aeris continued to moan and shake her head.

Slowly, she sank to her knees. "They can't be defeated. They're spirits, we're just humans." She looked at Kai with eyes full of exhaustion from pain, fear and, finally, defeat.

Kai narrowed his eyes and glared coldly at her.

"You have changed, Aeris. Maybe more than I have. You've become a coward, too scared to fight for your own life."

She glared back at him. "There's a difference between being a coward and knowing when to give up."

"Never give up. I learned that from Tyson. He's never given up, not even when the odds were against him, and he's never lost a match."

"This isn't a beybattle, Kai. This is real."

"Whenever I beyblade, it's real to me. Even practice. Beyblade is my life. It's as real as anything else in this world."

Aeris continued to gaze at him. "I wish I could have hope, but I've been running from the spirits for over seven years. I've seen what they can do and-"

"I don't care what they can do!" Kai shouted. "Get it into your damn skull! They can be beaten, but you have to believe it."

Aeris opened her mouth to reply, but then a look of confusion came over her face. She reached into her pocket and pulled something shiny out. Kai moved closer to get a better view. His eyes widened when he saw the silver and ice blue blade in her hand.

"A beyblade? I thought you said you didn't blade!"

Aeris glanced up at him. "I don't. I've had this blade for years. While I was on the run, Sudri was my only friend."

"Sudri?"

"My bitbeast." She held the beyblade out so the bitchip was facing Kai. On it was the image of a large wolf. Unlike other bitbeast, the wolf didn't have any ostentatious (1) armor or elaborate decorations on it. However, its pure, snow-white fur and calm, golden eyes commanded just as much respect as any of the others.

"Where did you get a bitbeast?" Kai asked, astonished.

"She found me when I was at my lowest of lows and helped give me hope."

The very edges of Kai's lips turned up in the suggestions of a smile. "I know what you mean. Dranzer did the same for me."

"Dranzer?"

"Yeah. My bitbeast." Kai took his blade out of his pocket and showed her the fiery-red phoenix on the bitchip.

"He's beautiful," she said, smiling. Then she paused. "Don't you think it's funny that I was marked by Ice and my bitbeast is one whose powers are derived from ice? The same goes for you. Weird, huh?"

Kai blinked. "Coincidence? I think not," he replied.

The sky flashed. They both looked up. In the top of the cyclone, red and blue forces were viciously battling against each other. Then, suddenly, the blue beam shot down toward Aeris.

The girl stood up. "It's time," she mumbled. "Goodbye, Kai," she whispered to her friend. "I'm so sorry."

End of Chapter 8

– I just got this word's definition into this thick skull of mine. I'm glad I could finally use it.

--Soooo. Tell me what'cha think.

(BTW, I forgot to add that the Spirits are more like really powerful bitbeasts than anything else.)