Chapter Two: Back To Hell Again

They were laughing. Not the cold, mocking laughter that often haunted his thoughts, but a real laughter - one that left a bitter sweet sting in the air around him as the sound of smiles exploded within each burst of air.

He wasn't laughing though.

They were smiling and not the fake smiles he was accustomed to when they didn't want to face another training session. No, these smiles were genuine.

He wasn't smiling though.

The joy in the air chokes him, he sinks down into his seat - his lone seat of the bus in the shadows away from his team, his team seemed excited about going to Mexico for this tournament, he feels sick in the pit of his stomach as he gradually opens his hand and peers down at black with red ridged blade that was nestled into the palm of his hand, Black Dranzer. He feels a pang of guilt but ignores it, if this was the only way that the team could continue winning in these championships then he would do anything he could to keep it that way.

No one was aware of the traitor that was among them, the one that would betray them all. And that he, Kai Hiwatari would become their enemy when it came time for the tournament. As much as he wanted to keep the team as winners in the championships, he still felt that burning greed in his gut, the same greed that his hated grandfather had felt. Black Dranzer was doing this to him, but he had once had a bout with the bit beast before and the results were not pretty. He had almost lost his mind that time until Tyson and the others snapped him back to reality, but this time he knew that it may not happen.

He feels sick knowing what he's going to do, the churning nausea is settling into his stomach. He hears footsteps approaching and quickly closes his hand over the blade, not letting anyone see it. "Hey Kai," Tyson grinned as he held out some dango in his hand. "Mr. Dickenson packed this for us,"

Kai nodded slowly and took the dango from Tyson's hand who turned his back and walked away, Kai only bit into the japanese dumpling feeling the churning nausea again and this time accompanied by a sour taste, the nausea is becoming over whelming even for him, the japanese dumplings fall from his hand as he feels the food rising up in his throat again, cold glass reflects his distorted reflection, behind his reflection is a silhouette of a black bird with glowing red eyes, it's cruel and menacing voice echoes through his head. "Welcome to hell, Kai..."

Kai's body convulsed as his body bent over uncontrollably a few moments before throwing up.

--

Emerald green eyes watched the bus pull around the rocky corner of the mountain side, balancing on the tree branch as to not fall off, Joseph watches as the bus pulls on around and disappears from view. The youngest of the Saint Shields team remains intact on the narrow tree branch before hearing the bushes nearby rattle, Mariam stepped out pulling the leaves out of her blue hair, she scowled as her green eyes, once holding intense amusement had darkened. "Ozuma and his missions..." Mariam mumbled, just when they thought the captain had given up sealing away the sacred bit beasts, he had come back at it again.

"Well, we have to listen and plus why give up on something we live to do." Joseph inquired as he jumped down from the branch and landed on the rocky trail, Mariam shook her hair, blue hair swishing back and forth nonchalantly. "Whatever, are you hungry?" Mariam asked setting down a brown bag, Joseph groaned, "Why did you pick now to have a snack?" Mariam shrugs pulling an apple from the bag. "What? I was hungry." Joseph shook his head but both siblings' attention jolted up as the sound of screams were heard, Mariam and Joseph only flashed each other quick glances before running towards the edge of the mountain.

Upon arriving there, they saw a small child clinging to the side of the mountain, tears pouring down his face, the bus had stopped a few miles ahead next to something, Joseph scowled slightly "You go and see what's going on with the bus, I'll help the kid..." Mariam nodded and ran off towards the bus, the child uttered a short lived whimper as his fingernails were scraping against the stone surface, his body edging down only a little as small pebbles fell and clacked against the mountain, Joseph quickly hopped onto a tree branch that was low enough that he could possibly reach the child in time.

Mariam jogged up to the bright red bus, "Man... someone can see this thing from miles away..." she mused and cracked a small smirk as if she had stated the funniest joke known to man, she reached the doors just as the mechanical doors slid open, Tyson was coming down the steps and saw the female member of the Saint Shields team. "Mariam...?" he asked confused, Mariam furrowed her brows in frustration, it was the Blade Breakers, she should of known. "What's happening?" Mariam asked trying to look past the beyblader but to no luck. Tyson shrugged it off.

"Kai had a little bit of an er...accident..." feeling nausea from what had happened, however Kai was not even in the bus now, as soon as it halted to a stop he had run out of the bus and disappeared.

"Oh." Mariam shook her head, just before hearing another ear splitting scream, Mariam and Tyson ran back towards the edge of the mountain, the others must of heard it as they emerged from the bus and followed.

Joseph grabbed hold of the child and pulled him to safety, the rocks were crumbling faster and faster down the side of the mountain before Joseph pulled the child onto the top and over the ledge. "Are you okay?" Rei asked, out of breath from having to catch up with Tyson and Mariam, still not knowing what was going on himself. The child nodded, he was shaking and his skin was white as paper.

"What happened?" Joseph asked, the child was shaking violently as he managed to stutter out "H-H-He p-p-pushed m-m-me..." Joseph blinked slowly, a bit worried in his own way, "Who pushed you?"

The child's eyes rose to see a familiar figure in the distance and let out a shrill cry of "H-H-Him!"

The group whirled around to see Kai standing near the bus, his eyes held a weird reddish glow to them but his normal eye color and pupils were still present, Tyson's jaw fell agape with shock as the others stood there in a stunned silence.

"K-Kai!?"

--

"What has gotten into me?"

Kai wonders as he sinks into his seat, he still feels the burning and questioning stares of his teammates, they had wanted to know what was going on, what he had done... he wasn't himself earlier. It was almost as if the burning greed had grown stronger and forced him to push that child off the side of the mountain, his team didn't know what had gotten into him either nor did they know about his recent acquiring of the Black Dranzer either. And in truth he didn't understand it himself, he feels the headache coming back, rain is now pattering against the cold glass.

It had begun raining an hour earlier, though he felt it was because of his dark deed, he had nearly killed a child. He groaned and sunk back into his seat, not caring despite the sound of foot steps approaching was there in front of him. "What's wrong, Kai?"

Rei asked, the neko-jin stood before the Hiwatari, gold eyes reflecting concern rather than bitter rage for his teammate, sure what had happened had shocked them all, but there was something behind this, something that was bothering Kai. Kai's crimson eyes sunk shut for a few moments, the rain was like a lullaby to him, his eyes eased open and his gaze met that of Rei's.

"Nothing." was all Kai said and he turned over feeling his eyes sink shut once again, losing grasp on his on reality.

--

"Something isn't right here," Ozuma mumbled as he paced back and forth inside the shelter in the village of China, the rest of his team remained settled in their seats watching their captain pace, Joseph had explained everything to the captain. "What do you think it could of been?" Mariam asked quietly, Dunga was silent which seemed unusual for him but then again he didn't even seem to be paying much attention or concern to the whole deal. Ozuma shook his head, green eyes narrowed as he continued to pace, despite the chill outside from the falling rain he didn't even seem effected.

"I don't know, but we're going to find out." Ozuma muttered, Mariam blinked before muttering "How?", Joseph was intent on this as he was always up for some kind of spy-like mission, it was just his nature. "We're going to Mexico." was all Ozuma said before turning and leaving the main room, Dunga broke from his momentary daze for a few moments clicking his tongue against his teeth. "Why can't we just sleep?" Dunga asked, his hot temper hadn't set in yet as Mariam grinned, this was definitely a moment of jabbing that she couldn't pass up even if she wanted to.

"Well for one, you'd be asleep all year because your just like a bear." Mariam sniggered as Dunga's temper fired up, "HEY!" he shouted before grabbing a nearby basket off the floor and throwing it with all his might, Mariam ran out of the way cackling as Joseph sat there almost oblivious to the antics going on around him. The events of earlier were still fresh in his memory, the way that Kai was not the same and the way that something was just off.

"But what could it be?" Joseph thought numbly.

--

His body slipped towards the darkness, he tries to scream but it's like his throat collapsed, no sound emits as he's drawn deeper into the darkness, the black phoenix with glowing red eyes is before him, it's red eyes gleaming cruelly in the darkness. "Welcome to hell, Kai..." the phoenix repeated as it had earlier, it cackled insanely as Kai grabbed at what he could but the darkness was too strong.

He was being dragged under, he felt like he was drowning, his body convulses, shaking. "N-No... this has to be a dream..." Kai uttered out, shaking violently as the wave of darkness crashed over him, it was like a thick, cold black liquid that swallowed him, it was choking him, killing him. The phoenix cackled sadistically once more, black feathers fluttering around Kai, above him is dark, grey stormy and cloudy skies.

"This is not a dream, Kai, this is reality!" another sadistic cackle and Kai lets out a terrified scream as his body submerges under the darkness, the wind had picked up and became like that of a whirl wind, faster and stronger just like Brooklyn's bit beast, Zeus had unleashed during the battle. He felt his body submerging, and for a bleak moment, he thought he saw the firey phoenix in the sky.

Dranzer.

"Dranzer! Help me!" he screamed, with what strength he had he thrust his arm out of the cold, dark liquid reaching towards the firey phoenix, but before he can, Dranzer only fades away into the dark abyss.

"Dranzer...no... Don't leave me!" Kai's final screams erupt from his throat as his body fully submerges under the dark liquid.

"Dranzer...help me..." Kai whispered, his body shaking violently as he tossed and turned in the seat, he was trapped in a nightmare, one that seemed inescapable, the voices seemed so far away to him.

"Kai!" Tyson shouted jarring the Hiwatari awake, Kai's crimson eyes shot open as he sat up, he felt the air rushing into his lungs as beads of cold sweat clung to his now pale face. "What was going on?" Tyson asked, worry in his voice, Kai shoved away it for a moment and regained his posture, his hand still closed over the blade so his team mate wouldn't see it. "It was nothing, Tyson." Kai snapped, Tyson rolled his eyes lifting his hands in a small bit of defeat.

"Alright, I was just trying to help. Sheesh, don't be such a sourpuss, Kai." and with that Tyson turned and headed back to his seat. Kai blinked wearily and stared out the rain streaked windows, had that really been a dream or something else? His head is pounding and there is no advil to be found, he scowls lightly feeling the sour taste invade his mouth once again, the dead feeling in his gut was back.

"...All I can taste is the moment..."

He thinks darkly watching the stormy weather outside, he knew the nightmare had to mean something and he prayed it was just a hunch.

"...and it poisons me."