I know it's been ages, so please forgive me. Thanks so much for all your support. I love you.

This one was rewritten many, many times. I'm really happy with how it finally turned out, and I hope you like it too.

TWISTED FATE

Chapter 26: Escape

Tyson woke up, gasping for breath. He'd made it. He found himself in a gloomy environment: dark and cold yet sterile. The walls were made of large rough stone bricks… dungeon-like. But this was no dungeon. Tyson knew it could only be the madman's hideout - he'd encountered enough bad guys to know a mad scientist's lair when he saw it. It was interesting how this had become a very normal part of his life. He was constantly fighting some villain or another. How many teenagers his age could say that?

Taking a few steps forward, he stepped out of his own small chamber, and turning around realized his friends were contained in their own cells, blockaded with a high-tech barrier, a glowing green in colour. His cell had been the only without one; the others must not have woken from their dreams. Instinctively running over to the nearest cell (Max's), he attempted to break the barrier, resulting only in a painful shock. He should have known, but Tyson was never one to think before acting, especially if his friends were in danger.

He looked behind him and saw a door and headed for it, but heard a noise. Rei's barrier turned from green to blue before vanishing altogether. Rei took a sharp breath, and his amber eyes fluttered open. "Rei!" Tyson shouted, running over.

"Hey! Tyson!" Rei grinned. He leapt to his feet and walked out of the cell, immediately engulfed in a great hug. "Am I ever glad to see you!"

"You have no idea," Tyson smiled back. "And you're looking great! Not all... y'know…"

"Sickly," Rei laughed amicably.

Tyson grinned. "Well…"

Rei's face turned more serious. "So that… thing. Scenario or trial or, well, nightmare. I take it you got past it?"

"Yeah… In mine I…" Tyson bit his lip slightly, looking downwards. "I went back home, only to find out that my grandfather had been murdered," he said gravely. "And… I found out that I had killed him."

"That's… terrifying."

"But you know? In the end, it was you guys that really made me pull through. Hope," he said, emphasizing that last word, knowing its impact.

"That's… exactly it. In my scenario or nightmare or whatever you want to call it, I had four different methods of torture… and I had to choose one for each of you. Freezing, poison, death, and standing witness."

Tyson frowned. "How did you choose?"

"I did based on who would be most tolerant for what torture… all of them were terrible, but…"

"Yeah."

"But like you said, Ty. It was you guys that actually helped me to survive."

"Yeah. I-- hey, are those supposed to be red?" Tyson asked suddenly. Looking over, Tyson saw Max's barrier was now a glowing red. Hilary's was a dull red, growing brighter, and Kai's was tinged with the colour, also starting to get brighter.

"They… they must have given up," Tyson realized, eyes widening.

"I… think you're right," Rei said uneasily. "Judging by our own experiences… I don't think they're getting out on their own."

"We need to help them," Tyson said anxiously. "But… how?"

"…The bit-beasts!" Rei exclaimed suddenly. "They'll give them strength!"

"Yeah! Let's go!" Tyson said, and they hurried out the door.

Tyson and Rei ran up and down the corridors of the underground base, searching each room.

"Hey… Rei?" Tyson said suddenly, as they searched.

"Yeah, Ty?"

"Have you… ever liked someone, but turns out they're in love with someone else?" he asked.

"Actually… yes," Rei replied, somewhat surprised at the sudden question but at the same time, not surprised at all. "Well I mean I don't know if I was in love with her but… uh… Salima," he admitted. "I liked her, for sure. And I thought she liked me too, but… guess I was wrong," he smiled sadly.

"Kane?"

Rei nodded. "I can't believe I waited for her on that bridge the entire night," he laughed.

"Wha- you can't be serious!" Tyson said, taken aback. "You honestly waited…"

"Until practice at 10 AM," he said with a slight smile. "Never showed. It was… a long night," he shrugged, smirking.

"Ugh," Tyson sympathized. "Hey… what about Mariah?"

"Hmm? What about her?"

"It's just, I, uh… I dunno, I always thought the two of you had something going on…" Tyson trailed off, once again regretting opening his big mouth, but Rei didn't seem to mind at all.

"Well… she liked me. And I told her that things just couldn't work between us," he said simply.

"Why not?" Tyson asked, unable to keep his mouth shut.

"I don't really know, to be honest. I just don't like her in that way; I think of her more as a sister." He paused, then continued. "At first I just avoided the whole thing. And when I couldn't anymore, I told her it was because of physical distance, as I'd left the village and the White Tigers. Eventually I told her straight out that I loved her platonically, and she'd always be a very close friend, but that I didn't think we could have a romantic relationship."

"…And? How'd she take it?"

Rei grimaced slightly. "…Not so well."

"Angry?"

"No, she just… refused to accept it, I guess. And I've told her over and over and she just never seems to get it," he said, frowning slightly. "I think it's just, you know, stuck in her mind that we were meant to be."

"What do you mean by that?" Tyson asked, asking yet another question.

"The whole, you know, childhood friend thing, where they grow up together and eventually realize that they love one another, they get married and live happily ever after," he said, somewhat distantly. "I guess it's what we've been told all our lives. By, well, everyone. The whole village. It's just sort of… expected that we'll end up together."

"Huh."

"I actually tried to force myself to love her. Just another thing I felt I had to do to be accepted in the village. And, well, eventually I realized it was just something I couldn't bring myself to do. And I left."

"You know," Tyson said, "Umm. This might be kind of a weird thing to say but… well, I've got to know. You've always been able to make sacrifices. Big ones. Like leaving your home and everyone you knew behind, physically pushing yourself past your limits, being able to swallow your pride… Rei, how do you do it?"

"Well, uh… I guess I just choose what's best for me," he shrugged.

Tyson looked confused. "But you aren't selfish…"

"Well… what's good for you does not mean what is least painful. And it doesn't mean you shouldn't take into consideration how your actions will affect others. Their reactions will affect you personally. I'm probably making this sound kind of cold and self-centred. But… well, think of it this way too. When I can make other people feel good, that also makes me feel good."

"Hm, I see," Tyson nodded.

"And, well, you especially, Tyson." Rei grinned, "even if you don't always come across as the most sensitive or considerate guy—"

"Hey!"

"--You really care about how other people feel. I know you well enough to be able to tell that you find true happiness by making other people happy."

"Hmm." Tyson nodded once. "Thank you, Rei."

Tyson had made up his mind.

"Uh… no problem," Rei smiled. "Wait…! What's in that room?"

A faint glow came from the entranceway. Rei and Tyson sprinted towards the room and found behind the glass the majestic beasts, part of their souls.

"Dragoon!" Tyson shouted. "And Driger, Dranzer and Draciel! How are we gonna get them out?"

Rei thought for a moment. "Let's try a strategy I'd like to call 'smash-until-it-breaks'," he smiled. Beside the glass prison he found their beyblades. Their toys; their weapons. He handed Tyson's to him and on the count of three they launched.

The initial impact wasn't enough to shatter the glass, but they kept at it. They hit the glass until it finally shattered.

With a magnificent cry, the beasts returned to their respective blades, free at last.

"Alright!" Rei exclaimed. "Now let's get back to the others!"

Rei and Tyson returned back to the room they'd initially found themselves held captive in. Their friends were still behind red flashing barriers. They held out Kai and Max's beyblades, and the bit-beasts returned to their masters with a brilliant light.

Now, all they could do was wait.

"Hey… Tyson?" Rei asked, suddenly.

"Yeah?"

"Something about this place bothers me… why haven't we been caught?"

"Hmm?" Tyson cocked his head.

"We escaped from our nightmare sequence. We left the room, went through the halls and checked all the rooms on the way, and we just shattered the glass and freed our bit-beasts. Why haven't we been stopped by anyone?"

"Mom… I- I didn't…" Max whispered, tears flowing freely as he gazed at Judy's beautiful but still face. "Please…"

A violet glow lit the area where the flames had died down just moments before. Max looked up momentarily. "Draciel…!" he gasped.

The great purple beast gave off a comforting aura, defending and protecting its master from the harshness of the nightmare. It silently gave Max strength, its presence reminding Max of the good still in his heart.

"I… I didn't try to kill you, Mom," he said softly. "It was an accident… I would never hurt you."

His words aloud to her still frame served to reassure himself, borrowing Draciel's strength as his soul returned to him. The calm armoured reptile stood patiently by his side, exuding a comforting warmth. "You… you know that, Mom. You know I would never, ever wish to cause you harm…"

Max looked up at Draciel, then knelt down closer to his mother. "I love you, Mom," he whispered. And with that, his heart was mended and the glass and blood and ash of the scene faded away.

"Max!" Tyson shouted, having been keeping watch over the chambers. The red barrier was slowly turning back to green, then to blue as he started to stir. The barrier vanished altogether as Max opened his bright blue eyes to the world once again.

"Maxie!" Tyson grinned, running over to his friend. "Oh man, we were so worried about you!"

Max smiled slightly. "It… It wasn't real, was it," he confirmed, faintly.

"Nope, it was just a twisted nightmare," Tyson reassured him. "We've been through it too."

"Draciel… returned to me," he said, slightly bewildered but grateful. "…How?"

"Tyson and I managed to escape ours before you and the others, without our bit-beasts. When we did we were released from our chambers like you were, and so went out to find the bit-beasts! We brought 'em back, since we thought you might need a bit of help," Rei explained.

"Thank you," Max said. "I don't think I would have made it out without Draciel," he admitted. He smiled slightly, but his eyes looked worried. "…Am I weak?" he asked.

"What? Of course not!" Rei answered, cocking his head to the side. "Why on earth would you say that?"

"I gave up. If you guys hadn't saved me, I'd still be trapped. I'm weak…"

"Don't say that," Tyson said, almost harshly. "You're giving up again! Kai and Hilary are still both trapped; does that mean they're 'weak' too? You're wrong, Max. You're my best friend and I'm not going to let you give up ever again, do you hear me?"

"I… yes," Max nodded, giving a slight smile. "Thank you."

"That's what we're here for, right?" Rei smiled. "We help you out, and you help us out too. And that's why we're a team… maybe even more like a family. We've only been able to stick it out this long because we have so much trust in one another, and can rely one each other to help us out during difficult times. Besides, we only gave you a little encouragement – ultimately, you were the only one who could free yourself."

Max's smile grew, and his cerulean eyes seemed to twinkle a little once again. "You guys are the best."

"Oh, we know," Tyson grinned. "Welcome back."

Kai Hiwatari sat on the stone floor, legs drawn against his chest as he shivered relentlessly. The blood of his friends pooled at his feet. "I'm sorry…" he just barely whispered. "Pathetic, weak…" he echoed his grandfather's words. "I couldn't… I-I'm sorry…"

He faintly felt a warm presence, unfamiliar and directly in contrast with the numbing cold he felt in his body and in his soul. The source grew warmer, and the phoenix embraced her master once more.

"Dr-Dranzer…?" Kai whispered. "I… No, leave me. Get out of here!"

The beast seemed to ignore him, as her warmth continued to protect her master.

"You'll only get hurt… I don't deserve you. Please… leave," he pleaded. Still, the phoenix was unrelenting.

"Don't you understand? …I'm hurting you. You can't stay. Tyson and Rei and Hilary and Max and Kenny… and Wyatt… and… Mom and Dad… I was responsible," he choked. "Please… you're all I have left. Please, Dranzer… leave me before I hurt you too," he begged.

The phoenix only held him closer. Her eyes glittered as she shed a tear. "Dranzer…"

The sparkling tear fell to his skin, and he felt the healing powers of the phoenix tear spread through his body; sunshine surged through his veins. The angry red marks on his arms and hands disappeared. And the sadness vanished from his grey eyes, replaced with the faint glimmer of hope as he was reborn from the ashes of desolation.

"Thank you, Dranzer," he said, a hint of a smile grazing his lips as the scene around him faded at long last, out of the darkness.

Kai heard his name being called as he regained consciousness. The barrier blocking him from Rei, Tyson and Max changed colour, then disappeared. "Kai!" they shouted again as they ran over to greet him.

He looked up. "Hey."

Tyson cocked his head to the side and gave him a funny look, then grinned.

"What?"

"Oh… it's just that you don't usually greet people like that… or at all, really," he laughed amicably. His words were playful, not harsh in the slightest. "Well, okay, usually you don't talk. Only when it's important, and then you don't bother with a greeting – you just sneak up behind them and start talking and startle them. And when it's really important, you sneak up behind them and say their name first before you start talking and scare the heck out of them," he laughed.

"…Hm," came the typical response, but he smirked, amused.

"It's true," Rei laughed. "Well… looks like you made it out alright."

Kai nodded. "Thanks to Dranzer. Were you responsible for that?" he asked the three of them.

"Tyson and Rei did," Max answered. "They got out of it first, then saved us by bringing our bit-beasts to us."

"Thank you," he said sincerely to Tyson and Rei. Kai then looked over to Hilary's cell where she was losing her mental battle. Maybe already had lost.

"…What about Hilary?" he asked.

Tyson could see it: Kai was good at masking concern in his voice through years of practice, but his steel grey eyes betrayed him. "Don't worry… we'll get through to her somehow," Tyson reassured. "I—"

"Self-destruct in ten minutes," a computerized voice sounded over speakers as red lights began to flash. On every single monitor, the countdown had appeared and was already starting to tick away rapidly.

Several of them breathed in sharply – Hilary was still trapped. "We need to get her out now!" Max said anxiously.

"The barriers hurt you if you touch them," Tyson warned them, as he'd learned from experience.

Rei clenched his fists in frustration. "Maybe there's some sort of control or switch... If we could override the computer's programming…"

"None of us are capable of figuring out how to do that in the limited amount of time we have," Kai interjected. He pulled out his beyblade.

"Kai… can your blade really withstand the damage from the barrier?" Tyson asked, realizing what he was about to do.

"I can't afford not to try," he replied. Tyson smiled.

Kai launched the beyblade, hitting it against the barrier. Smoke came from the blade as it rammed against the glowing red. It didn't seem to impact the barrier, but he tried again and again. Smoke continued to come from the blade as the barrier took its toll, but eventually they saw it begin to weaken.

Tyson had reached for his own beyblade, but thought better of it. The look on Kai's face told him that Hilary was in no danger – he would get her out in time. And Tyson wanted Kai to be the one to save her.

It had taken him a while to realize it, but it had come to him in time. And the more he thought about it, the more certain he was of his decision and the easier it felt. He personally would be much happier if Kai was the one who ended up with Hilary. His talk with Rei just before had confirmed it… had Rei known all along?

Sure, Tyson had liked her. And she'd hurt him, and he'd been angry with her. But when Kai had rejected her for his sake, though he'd initially felt gratitude, he now wished Kai had just accepted her decision. Now seeing them apart hurt him more than imagining them together.

"Just a little more…" Kai said through clenched teeth. His blade was wearing and looked as if it could break to pieces at any moment.

"You can do it, Kai," Tyson said encouragingly.

"Yeah!" Max cheered, and Rei followed suit. Soon, the barrier looked extremely weak and as if it could break with a good hit. The beyblade, however, looked even worse.

"Come on…" Tyson muttered under his breath, and Kai unleashed a final attack.

"Dranzer!" he called, and the flaming phoenix struck the barrier with all of its might.

The barrier shattered and faded as the beast returned to the motionless blade. It was in horrid condition, but Kai picked it up and returned it to his pocket nonetheless. "Thank you," he whispered, before running to Hilary's side.

"Hilary," he said softly, holding her limp body. Her skin still hurt when it made contact with his, but he paid no mind. "Hilary, wake up," he almost pleaded. "Hilary… please…"

Tyson saw the desperation in Kai's eyes. He was sure she would wake, but his own heart ached for her to wake up to see her saviour. "Kiss her," he said, suddenly.

"Wh-what?" Kai asked, flushing slightly. He seemed to have forgotten the others were there.

"I said kiss her," he said, surprising himself even. "It'll work. Don't ask me how… I just know it will. I think… I think Dragoon is telling me."

"But…"

"Listen to me, Kai. I love her too much for you to let her slip away. I want you to be happy together. And I'm not even trying to be selfless here – I want this more than anything," he said, his chestnut eyes full of conviction.

"Tyson," Kai said immediately, but Tyson cut him off.

"Can't accept that? Then how about this: Hilary and I would make a terrible couple. I'd hurt her feelings and we'd fight all the time. We're both far too stubborn and hot-headed for our own good, and would clash horribly. And I don't think I'm ready for a steady relationship; I don't think I'm mature enough. I'd be just as happy being friends. Is that what you want to hear, Kai?"

Kai shook his head, but before he could speak, Tyson interrupted again.

"But that's not the reason at all. Those are just facts. The truth is that I care about both of you, and want you both to be happy. That's it, plain and simple. I've seen the way you look at her… and I've seen the way she looks at you. And believe me… she is in love with you."

"Tyson…" Kai started, his voice laced with refusal.

"Goddammit, Kai," Tyson said shortly. "If it's so hard to stop punishing yourself, then do this for my sake. Don't you understand how hard this is for me? Stop being a stubborn jackass and kiss her already!"

Kai looked up at him… then smiled. "Alright," he said, giving in. He held her in his arms again and pressed his lips to hers. "Wake up," he whispered gently into her ear.

And with that, as Tyson had predicted, her long eyelashes fluttered open to reveal her bright ruby eyes. "K-Kai…" she whispered. He smiled slightly.

"Let's get out of here," he said, helping her to her feet. The others nodded.

"I'm pretty sure the exit's this way," Rei said, and the five took off, leaving the room and their self-doubt behind with it.

An explosion could be heard in the distance as the madman's laboratory was blown to pieces.

"We made it," Max said, relieved. "…We made it!"

They were overcome with joy as they realized their ordeal had come to a conclusion at last, and they'd survived. Tyson, Rei and Max laughed and hugged one another.

Hilary flung her arms around Kai. He looked surprised, but the shock faded to a smile. "Hey, it… doesn't burn anymore," he observed.

"No? Well… how about this?" she asked, and playfully kissed Kai on the lips. Tyson had talked to Hilary, and she was more than glad that they could remain close friends after all she'd done. And that Kai would accept her after her mistakes was more than she could ever have dreamed of.

"Hey, how about that!" Rei grinned.

"Maybe it's 'cause the place was blown up," Max suggested.

"Or maybe it's because Kai's accepted Hilary," Tyson guessed.

"Maybe! Either way, it looks like it'll be about a few hours of walking to the nearest city," Rei observed. "It's starting to get dark, so let's get going!"

"I'm hungry!" Tyson complained. The others all turned to look at him, and he grinned. They all started laughing – Tyson was back to normal.

"Some things never change," Hilary shook her head. "Unfortunately."

"Good," Kai said, unexpectedly. "Without Tyson's habitual complaining, there was nobody to unleash my cynicism on," he explained with a smirk.

"What? Umm… thanks!" Tyson grinned.

"That wasn't really a compliment, Tyson… did you not understand what he said?" Max laughed.

"Hey! Of course I did…!"

"No you didn't," Rei grinned.

"Guys, stop being so mean to me! …Okay, I'm bored. Let's play a game!"

"No."

"Kai…!" Tyson whined.

Hilary, Max and Rei all glanced at each other and grinned. Everything was back to the way it should be.

END OF CHAPTER

Thank you to all of my reviewers and fans. I love you all. You've helped me so much to become a better writer and to keep going through the hard parts where I had my doubts. I would never have gotten this far without you.

The next chapter should be on its way – I've got it somewhat planned out in my head. And it will not take a year to update this time, I promise!