My dear minions, you did a great job in reviewing for the life of your precious Kai! I'm so proud of you! Now be good and keep reviewing if you want to know what happens next. If we are working on pre-planned terms and conditions, bring me SEVEN reviews at the least to know the future. Have fun!
My heartiest gratitude from the bottom of my heart to all you reviewers! Replies to guest reviewers:
To Sky Walker: Welcome to the world of reviewing, my new friend! It is not necessary to have an account for reviewing, you know?! However, thanks a box of chocolate for reviewing and as a result, here's yo chapta!
To ehe: Wow? Yes, wow!
To my dearest friend, Guen Haoru: Awe...hey I can tell you countless names of peeps here who have accounts and haven't written a single thing! So my suggestion for you is to make an account and don't worry about writing and mistakes. I've seen many people here, some are even my friends who haven't written anything and yet, they have an account. And such mistakes can be corrected, that's why I don't mind them! Who doesn't makes mistakes?! Story just like me?! I'm nothing special, believe me. You should see me on a writer's block! I switch to comedy at that stage! And I'm just an ordinary person, like you and all the others. My life made me turn to writing, that's all I can say and it became my passion. Your review shows that you enjoyed the story! I try my best to keep the characters in their actual...well, character but I also try to mix in my own ways and style! And why did Kai collapsed?! Well, my friend, as I've mentioned earlier in that chapter, a sweet scent filled the arena so that's what happened! They maybe...chloroformed or used a sleeping gas or something! I'll leave it on your choice! But it wasn't shock. It was the gas. And once again, I understood your message so there's nothing wrong with your English! Keep enjoying and reviewing! :)
Fall in the Fires, Rise from the Ashes.
Chapter 17: Stolen Past.
Even though it was all dark...and black...he hadn't lost the sense of feeling. And using this sense to his advantage, he could feel something...cool on his forehead. And a strange numbness...more like stiffness in his whole body. What had happened? Where was he? As he tried to remember, he couldn't obtain much since it hurt his head. He tried to move his hand...and realized parts of dimmed whispers from around him.
"Forget...but he's...damn it...waking...gonna do...what's...don't know but...once he wakes...find out...Tala...Kai needs...think...you have to..."
Biting back a groan of pain, he tried to open his eyes. 'Tala'...why did the name sound familiar?!
As if on cue, a flood of memories crashed into his confused mind, making him gasp sharply as he remembered what had happened. There was...a beybattle...it was him...against Tala...they had talked in Russian...he had pleaded...then...then there was Boris...and his own team mates...and there was a strange smell...and then...there was nothing.
"Kai?"
This voice...was so familiar. As if he had heard it his whole life. Alright! He had to open his eyes and he had to do it now!
With a sharp breath, Kai Alexander Hiwatari was brought back to the world of harsh reality from the realm of nothingness. He didn't realize the relieved chanting of "Kai! You're awake!"...nor did he realize the cool hand on his forehead. All he could do was blink and stare...stare at the blurry orange and red form in front of him. Was it Dranzer?! No...Dranzer was more...well...elegant than this hazy thing!
"Kai..."
Kai blinked again and finally, his vision cleared. There were two faces, bent over him. Those faces...were awfully familiar.
"T-Tala?"
Kai tried to sit up properly and instantly found two pairs of arms helping him to sit up straight without straining his muscles too much.
"Thank goodness you're awake! I was..." Tala caught himself, "concerned!"
Kai remembered the whole conversation he had with the red head during the match and it was...painful.
"He meant worried!" Bryan snickered from the other side.
Kai blinked before shoving all the emotions back in the corner of his mind. He simply sat there, looking lost.
"You okay?" Bryan came closer.
Kai nodded stiffly before looking around. A bitter smile dared to show itself on his face as he took in the appearance of his surroundings. So he was back. And this time, there was no way he could escape this hell...at all.
Tala averted his gaze, looking at the now very interesting plain floor. He had to do what he did back there. Otherwise, the Blitzkrieg boys were going to be history...or so Boris told, more like threatened. But it still pained him to see the emotionless crimson eyes and the bitter smile. It seemed as if Kai was laughing at himself for his cruel fate. Which could be true.
Bryan nudged the red head, earning a glare, "You need to clear things out with him." The fair haired blader whispered.
Tala sighed, running a hand through his hair. He didn't know how to start it. And frankly, he had no idea how to gain Kai's trust back. He had obviously hurt his once best friend in more way than intended. He had to make up for it but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. How was he supposed to tell Kai what he had felt back then, when they learned from Boris that Kai had betrayed them in exchange for Black Dranzer?!
Bryan whistled before finally pushing the red head on the same bed as the dual haired teen, "Look Kai..."
Kai glanced at him coldly.
"Tala here...has something to tell you. And I'd appreciate it if you would kindly listen to him for a moment."
Kai raised a brow.
Bryan let out a dejected sigh, "Now if you two excuse me, I prefer to sleep instead of listening to your merry little chat! Just...try not to kill each other please!"
In order to give the two friends some privacy, Bryan pushed his bed to the farthest corner and soon, his light snoring filled the room.
However, on the other bed, the two teens were sitting in an awkward silence, way too uncomfortable, even if they didn't show it. They weren't looking at each other. Tala was staring at the floor while Kai had his gaze, fixed at the wall in front of him.
After what seemed like eternity, Tala finally cleared his throat, "Kai?"
Kai remained just the way he was.
"Look...I shouldn't have said all that back there match. I...I can explain..." Tala licked his dry lips.
"I forgive you." Kai's voice was cold and distant.
Tala felt a pang of guilt, "No! Don't! Just...don't forgive me. I don't deserve it Kai...after everything I said and thought about you. I have no right to even say that I'm sorry. I wont ask you for anything...but just...just listen to me for a sec. I know you're...hurt...because you think I left you...that I trapped you to come back here...but it's not true Kai...it's all your assumption..." Tala knew he was rambling now.
"I'm not assuming anything. Leave me alone." Kai closed his eyes.
Tala didn't let go of patience, "Look...we need to talk it out, Kai." He cooed, "There have been...misunderstandings between both of us. We have to tell each other our side of the story to get things right. None of us is at fault."
"I'm not interested!" Kai finally snapped, "I don't want to know what happened here, damn it! I just know...that I'm back where I belong! And believe me, I've learned a lot! I've learned that we should never trust those, who look worthy of it! I've learned, we should never listen to who we believe to be our friends! I've learned that we're all alone in this damn world! And I've learned that each and every person in this world is a selfish lier...I've learned emotions are nothing...I've learned that power respects power...and I've..."
Tala stopped him by placing a hand on Kai's chest, right where his heart was supposed to be. When he spoke up, his voice was soft, "And I've learned...that it hurts here when we keep things to ourselves and not let those we trust, know them. And I've learned that deep down in here, lies the true form of a person...and I've learned that the person in front of me has a heart made of crystal...pure...and strong...I've learned that it feels light here after we let it out..." Tala was looking at Kai directly in the eyes with a smile.
Kai tried to force his tears back, but one of them managed to escape, leaving a silvery trail on his painted cheek.
Tala gently wiped it, "And...I've learned that it feels really nice if someone wipes away your tears and hugs you...just like this..." He hugged Kai...just like he used to do in their lost past when Kai would cry.
Kai didn't try to get out of the grip. He just stayed like that, his head on the red head's shoulder. He couldn't stop his tears anymore. And he could feel Tala's shaking slightly too.
With every crystalline drop the two best friends shed, their bond came to life once more.
"I...I tried...what...Dranzer..." Kai's incoherent words made Tala smile a bit while crying.
"It's okay...I tried too...but there was nothing to do..." Tala trailed off, rubbing the boy's back soothingly, "I'm so sorry..."
After a long time of crying and whispering phrases, the two finally stopped and pulled back to look at each other.
"Okay...now let's see what had caused this misunderstanding." Tala sat comfortably as Kai settled down.
"Voltaire and Boris told me that if I don't use Black Dranzer and turn cold to you, they'll destroy you guys." Kai recalled simply.
"And after you left, Boris told us you had betrayed us for Black Dranzer." Tala summarized his side of the story.
Kai grimaced, "He lied."
"Yeah." Tala nodded, "But all the circumstances were against you. We...I...didn't know what to do."
"But you said you knew me."
"Believe me, I asked myself again and again if I were wrong. And besides, you trusted me too, didn't you? Then how could you think I'd trap you?"
"I...you weren't the same in that match."
"So were you."
"I tried to apologize."
"And I had gone deaf!"
"WILL YOU TWO STOP IT?!" Bryan finally snapped as it seemed the banter would go on forever and ever.
"Oh, hello to you too Bryan!" Tala grinned wolfishly, "I'm fine, what about you?!"
Bryan rolled his eyes, "Whatever. Drop it!"
He came over to the two best friends again, "So...welcome back Kai."
Kai gave a small smile and nodded. In the past few years, he had developed different habits and less-to-no talking was main one of them. Bryan stepped forward and hugged Kai in a brotherly manner. Kai breathed deeply. He was feeling cold.
"It's pretty late. We should sleep now." Tala proposed.
"Have you..." Kai hesitated, "seen Spencer and Ian?"
"Yeah. Spencer is just as he was...well except he's grown taller more like a tree!" Tala laughed, "And Ian...you no longer have to give him lessons on speaking because he can talk just fine now!"
Bryan frowned, "But he still calls us the old nicknames he had made!"
"Oh..." Kai was amused at that, "Sounds interesting."
"You're telling me! We're still Byan, Tara, Pencer and Aye for him!" Tala chuckled.
"When you were...gone, he still asked for you. But we didn't tell him everything since it was too hard to explain at his mental level so we just told him that you had left and he concluded that you were hiding under his bed!" Bryan supplied.
"Yep. And he even asked us to check our pockets if we had placed you in there and had forgotten to take you out!"
Tala's phrase had them all laughing.
However, the moment of joy ended as sounds of heavy footsteps echoed in the hall.
Kai stiffened into a board behind Tala. The red head was glaring at the door while Bryan clenched his fists. The door opened to reveal the unfortunately familiar face of a certain purple haired man.
"Boris..." Tala spat the name with intense hatred as Kai glared at the man.
"Of course. Hello Tala." Boris smirked evilly, "Though I must say I'm not here for you right now. Your old friend over there...needs a little visit."
Kai took a step forward. Despite the mask of courage on his face, crimson eyes showed a fleck of anxiety. He bit his lip, drawing blood which caused a metallic taste to form in his mouth as Boris gestured him to follow.
Kai found himself led into the familiar cold interior of an office through the dark and gloomy hall. He shuddered inwardly but his face remained impassive and determined.
Just as he had expected, there was the same man in the chair whom he avoided calling his grandfather...or even a relative family member. The black leather chair was being rotated leisurely and as Kai approached the desk, it stopped.
"Hello grandson." There was a venomous sneer.
"Voltaire." Kai regarded coldly.
"You do realize that...you're in trouble...deep trouble for giving your grandfather a head ache." Voltaire leaned forward on the polished wood.
"I don't give a damn." Kai seethed. If the old man thought he could bend him, he was wrong.
"I can see that. But it's nothing I can't take care of." Voltaire's face was extremely calm, "You like to run away, don't you? You prefer to stay outside rather than staying put in the room we've granted you. Very well then..."
Kai's shoulders were tense as he glared at the man.
"Tie him to the post outside by our gates. My grandson likes to...play in the snow...a lot." Ordering in a monotone, Voltaire sat back comfortably, "And...allow your best bladers to...practice their aim."
Boris nodded and Kai found himself being dragged to the wilds outside. He had to stay strong...and yet, cold winds began to stab his pale skin like blunt daggers. Soon, he lost track of time.
TBC...
Rose out!