RTC: Can you all believe it?! This thing has only one or two more chapters until it is complete! I thought it would never end!

Kai: You mean we're free soon?

RTC: Yeah, go ahead, make me cry!

Ray: Well, we have been put through a lot, you know.

Tyson: Your torture being over sounds really good.

Kari: You guys did read the part where she said she wants to do a spin off and kill Kai, right?

Tyson: You just had to burst our bubble, didn't you?

RTC: See, there is a good side to me writing all this! Now do the disclaimer!

Hilary: I think you all get it, but in case you don't, Ray-Tiger-Cat does not own Beyblade.

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Looking Back

Lizzie's POV

Well, it has been three weeks since Kai woke up, and he was finally released from the hospital after a nine week stay. They would have kept him longer, if not for two things; Voltaire's trial, and the mere fact that Kai was annoying the hell out of those nurses with his death glare. It's nice to know some things never change.

Kai himself is considerably better than he was a few weeks ago; he got the cast off of his leg, many of the minor injuries have healed and he'd put some of the weight back on, thank goodness, he looked more like a skeleton than I did! However, it looks like there may be some lasting damage. Kai's left arm hadn't completely healed when he was kidnapped, and he got a shot in it, and it looks like he may never regain complete use of it again. Some of the other injuries are taking longer to heal than expected, but it looks like we'll have to wait and see. Meanwhile, Kai is hobbling around on crutches, and ordering the team to train, as the world championships would be in a matter of months and Kai had wanted to start training months ago. Mostly we force him to go back to bed, but the few times he has watched practice, he seemed satisfied. But he did give me quite a few odd looks.

Kari's POV

The trial. That's what's plaguing my mind right now. Well, that and Kai's health. The fever ran its course and fortunately the doctors got Kai on antibiotics in time, so that he didn't get too ill. Back to the topic at hand, the trial was scheduled for a week from now, and I was busying preparing and panicking. If Voltaire could get himself out of jail once, what makes everyone think he won't do it again? As the trial grew nearer, I was getting more nervous, and Kai started worrying too. That is really not reassuring. However, he soon realized that and decided that we needed to talk.

"So, Little Sis, what's on your mind this time?" There was a spark of humour for a minute, as he implied that I worried too much, but it was gone a second later, to be replaced with an expression of anger.

"Kai, if Voltaire got himself out of jail once, after everybody thought he was put away for good, what makes you think he'll stay there this time? What if he gets lose a few years from now and comes after us again? Or even our children, if it takes him long enough. It's a never ending cycle. What if he doesn't get convicted at all?"

"I know it seems hopeless sometimes, but he will be put away this time. I'll make sure of that. And don't worry, we've got a lot more evidence than Dad did, and Diana has worked for ages on this. She knows what she's doing. Besides, we have a lot of people testifing against him, you know; us, the team, Diana, Dad's friends and the Blitzkrieg Boys. Relax." My brother, though he is a very convincing liar when he has to be, had always had a hard time fooling me, and he hadn't been quite himself since waking up, so he couldn't trick me. Everyone thinks that he doesn't worry, but I know that he does, and that he was losing sleep too over this matter.

As everyone knows, you can't put off the inevitable, no matter how much you don't want it to happen and the trial date arrived. Everyone was dressed in conservative clothing and were almost silent that morning. Even Tyson and Daichi weren't babbling. The ride to the court house was one hundred percent silent. We walked in to see 'dear old granddad' in an ugly suit (which looked bad on him or at any rate worse than his normal clothes) and handcuffs, keeping him from bolting. He scowled when he saw us, and I could sense Kai's anger.

We were then told to stand as the judge entered. He sat down and rapped his gravel to get everyone's attention. I don't really know what happened next, my memory is a bit of a blur, but I do recall both lawyers making opening sentences, and some arguments. The next time I looked up, I saw Diana being interrogated.

"I'm must emphasize that this man should not be allowed a chance at parole. He has been arrested before, after abusing his son and other children and look what he did when he got out on parole. He sabotaged his son and daughter-in-law's car, causing them to have a fatal collision, and injuring his two grandchildren. He then took custody of the children and put them, along with many other innocent children, in a horrible training facility, where they were physically, mentally, and emotionally abused every single day! That place was funded by Mr. Voltaire Hiwtari as well. Children often died in that place! What kind of a man puts children in an environment like that?!

He intentionally separated his grandchildren, so that he could black mail them into doing as they were told. As if all of that weren't enough, once the children were released from his custody, he came after them, and attacked them and their friends. He had hit men storm a tournament! He also kidnapped his grandchildren and their friend and beat his grandson so badly that he ended up in a coma for six weeks! If that isn't enough to convince you to keep him locked up, consider this: he took away the innocence of many children. He stole their childhood. And he killed one of my best friends."

I could tell that the jury was moved by Diana's testimony, and I was grateful.

"I call Kai Alexander Hiwatari to the stand." Kai stood, and limped to the front of the room.

"Why do you think your grandfather should be locked up, with no chance of parole?" a lawyer asked.

"He may be related to me biologically, but he is not my grandfather. If he were, he would have cared about the well being me, my sister and my parents. That monster killed my parents, and then had the nerve to abuse me and my sister too. We were treated horribly, in that abbey, like we were in an army. In a sense, that's what it was, his own personal army to take over the world." Kai went on to say more, but once again, my mind wandered, until I heard my name being called. I realized that I was the next in the witness stand and slowly walked up there. My legs felt like they were made of lead, and the distance to the stand a mile long. If it weren't for the encouraging looks I got from the team, I might have given up right there.

"So, we have heard reasons why this man should remain in prison, is there anything you would like to add?"

"Yes, as well as constantly abusing us, he put us through mental anguish. Do you know what it is like to see your friends get seriously hurt? We've dealt with many, violent attacks. He even sabotaged a plane, which crashed in the middle of the ocean, with one of us on board. Do you know what it's like when you brother is missing? When he turning up without the ability to control his own body thanks to an invention that would use him like a puppet? What it's like when you see him laying on the ground, after being shot at? When the doctor tells you he's in a coma and might die any moment and the weeks of worry that follow? Or when you are forced to consider planning a funeral because you don't know if he'll make it? That is what he has caused us. He needs to be kept far, far, far away from society, before he hurts some other innocent person," I concluded. I hoped it would be enough.

The jury was deliberating for many days, and for many days, we were on edge. Finally, they seemed to have some to a decision. "The jury has decided, Your Honor, that the party is..."

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RTC: So, how was it? I hoped you guys enjoyed it all. Oh, just a note, Diana is not actually their lawyer, because she would have studied in China and most probably wouldn't be allowed to practice in Japan, and because she needs to testify herself.

Ray: That's it for now and enough torture for my family too.

RTC: Whatever. Bye you guys! Don't forget to review!