Me: Alright! Two chapters in one day!

Hyoma, Hikaru and Tsubasa: ... (Ignore her)

Me: Okay, what's bugging you three?

Hikaru: Oh I don't know. How about the fact you didn't let us actually have a say in the matter of the last chapter?

Me: Yes, because a say in the matter with you three means a paragraph-long arguement.

Hyoma, Hikaru and Tsubasa: ...

Hyoma: Question, why did Kenta, Sora and Yu blow up Kenta's room?

Me: Used my imagination. Think about it. Those three are obsessed with bey battles, so do you think they'd travel all the way to Bey Park to have one?

Tsubasa and Hyoma: Probably not.

Hikaru: Anyway, what's the surprise Tsubasa and Yu are planning for me?

Tsubasa: I dunno, the author wrote that in.

Me: You'll find out sooner or later. For this chapter, we're going back to Hyoma.

Hyoma: Oh joy of joys.

Me: (Sigh). Hikaru, disclaimer.

Hikaru: Sharkey52 doesn't own Metal Fight Beyblade, although she does own Shouta.

Me: Okay! On with the story!

The Light and Darkness Chronicles

Chapter three - Brothers

Shouta yawned as he sat up on the mattress. Rubbing his eyes, he tried to get them to adjust to the light. He frowned. Hang on; this wasn't a bed, just a mattress on the floor with a blanket on top. In fact, this wasn't even his house. How'd he get there? Where was 'there'? He surveyed the surroundings and noticed Hokuto was eating…something. Hokuto, that must mean this was Ginga's house, or Hyoma's depending on which way you think about it. Hyoma…

"Hyoma!" Shouta stood up and rushed to the side of the bed. Hyoma wasn't in it. It wasn't even messy, it was made and everything. Even Aries was gone. Hyoma must have gotten up ages ago.

"He left with the sunrise" Hokuto answered his thoughts "He said there was some bacon in the fridge though." Shouta sighed. He wished Hyoma wasn't so intent on solving his problems by himself. Shouta just wanted to help, but Hyoma seemed to be avoiding him as much as possible. He knew Hyoma had spent three years of his life with little to no human company, but must he try and sit himself apart?

"It's fine" Shouta sighed "I'm not really hungry. If Hyoma comes back tell him I've got a job to do and I'll be back soon." Hokuto nodded as Shouta got dressed into his change of clothes and left the house. As he headed towards the mountain, he turned back and looked at a ridge above the house. For a second he thought he saw something lilac move. Anyone else could have missed that, but Shouta knew what it was. He removed Pavo from his pocket and clutched her tightly as he sighed.

"Hyoma."

Hyoma stood and watched the sun slowly rise over the mountain. Shouta was still in bed, but Hokuto had agreed to tell him he'd gone. Don't get him wrong, he appreciated the blue-haired boy trying to help out, but this wasn't the simple matter of confiding in a friend after getting bullied at school or asking for help revising for a test next week. These abnormal nightmares were something Shouta couldn't help him with; he didn't want his friend being hurt by them.

Hyoma sighed as he sat down cross-legged on the grass and watched the sun rise. Calm and quiet, a nature kid, that was Hyoma. At least, at the moment. There were times when he felt like he wasn't Hyoma anymore, like another part of him was controlling him through emotions. And other personality. Ginga had thought of the whole thing as sort of a joke and through e-mails he had given these personalities names. Hyoma was the second oldest, the boy who sat on top of this cliff. His little brother was Sato, wise and good with calculations and numbers, the excelling blader of the siblings. The youngest was Shin, small and scared, doing what his brothers told him, so good with words he could talk or lie his way in or out of everything. Finally there was Kenichi, the eldest, the protector of his younger siblings. Tortured by memories, Kenichi had lost his parents and closest friend which had drove him to the brink of insanity. He was emotionally unstable, sometimes filled with hate, other times with sorrow. Sometimes he would fall to his knees and burst into tears, other times he would throw back his head and laugh psychotically to the sky. Kenichi was the one Hyoma feared the most, the one he couldn't control. The one that would grab a hold of him, pin his soul down and take control of him. And with these nightmares, he felt even more vulnerable if Kenichi tried to control him again. Even if they were just another part of him, to Hyoma these three were his brothers. Two fought beside him, another fought against him.

Hyoma sighed and looked down at Aries in the palm of his hand. He watched as the crimson ram materialised in front of him. He hadn't been sure when he had started to see and hear bey spirits like this, but he was glad for company.

"You'll help me, won't you Aries?" he asked "The two of us, we'll get through this together." Aries bleated it's response. It bleated again, this time with worry, as Hyoma yawned.

"No, I'm not tried" Hyoma responded "Well maybe a little... I did get some sleep last night! Oh fine! I'll just shut my eyes for a few minutes, but be sure to wake me up after half-an-hour, okay?" Aries bleated and nodded. Admitting defeat, Hyoma sighed and lay down in the grass, resting the back of his head on his crossed arms. His arms and legs went dead, alright, maybe he was tired. Honestly, and he thought Aries was better than Hokuto and Shouta! He sighed once more before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep...

He can't see, everything is dark. Now and again he sees a flashing shape zip out of the darkness and strike him. He fights back, he fights back with all he has. The pain keeps striking his stomach over and over again, like he's being continuously stabbed, all he can do is grit his teeth and pray His promise that he shall get used to this will come true. But that is the reason he accepts this pain. It's all for Him. He's the only one he wants to protect. Voluntary or not, he knows it's duty. If this pain means that he protect Him, then he will gladly make that sacrifice.

"Hyoma! Hyoma wake up!" A voice came followed by a bleat. Hyoma startled awake, sitting up in such a panic he almost knocked Hokuto over, again. He looked at the white dog and the ram spirit looking at him with genuine concern.

"Another nightmare?" Hokuto asked. Hyoma nodded "Which one?"

"A number three" Hyoma drew up his legs and wrapped his arms around them, placing his chin on top of his knees "It was different. There was pain still, but I couldn't see. Something was attacking me that I couldn't see, but...it was like...I didn't mind. I had a desire to protect someone, so strong I didn't mind the pain so long as I can protect them." Hokuto looked bewildered, but Aries bleated an idea.

"Ginga?" Hyoma asked "No, I don't think it was Ginga I was protecting. Someone else. Someone I knew but also...didn't know..." Both dog and bey spirit looked confused, so Hyoma changed the subject "Was I screaming again?"

"Yes" Hokuto nodded "We'll find a solution to this Hyoma, we will." Hyoma nodded and lowered himself down again.

"I hope so Hokuto" he breathed "I hope so."