Crystallis

Crystallis

Summary: Kai follows Rei back to China, but they are closer to Crystallis than they expect. They encounter an enigmatic villager who will change their relationship. Meanwhile, Volten returns closer to Kai than ever before, and the Bladebreakers will reunite in a final bid to save their lives and save Max. Sequel to "Angel and Devil".

Same protocol, I do not own Beyblade.

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Hello again to all my loyal reviewers!!! Boy, do I have a present for all of you today... a Deluxe Bedtime KaRe Playset complete with Kai and Rei figurines and 3 change of clothes! *hands out gifts* Heheh... enjoy!

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LoneWolfStar7: Well, Kai is the main protagonist in this fic, and what would an angsty fic be without all the mandatory trials and tribulations? Well, at least I'm not killing Rei...

PlatinumRei: Erm, actually it was your entry that nudged me in that direction. But no matter... enjoy this chapter!

SoulSister: Well, I'll try to explain the big Kai family in this chapter (don't forget Xan too), but if I don't... well, I promise I will sometime or another, before this story ends.

Rumi-chan: *sweatdrops* What's next, Teletubbies? *hands Rumi-chan a random Teletubby plushie* There... go torture Volten with it!

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Trueangel: Hi people! Welcome to the last Chronicles!

Xan: Does that mean I finally get to appear?

Trueangel: *anime vein* For the last time, Xan, get back into the story before I... I...

Xan: Before you what?

Trueangel: Alright, THAT'S IT! FACE THE WRATH OF MY MANIAC ANGEL! *grabs Xan's wrist, twirls him around in the air, slams him to the ground, jumps 10 feet into the air, comes crashing down on Xan, executes 50 consecutive kicks, lifts Xan's body and hurls him back into the story*

Leon: Here, here... calm down, A-chan...

Trueangel; That baka...

Leon: It's ok, cool down... oh yeah, where's Rei?

Trueangel: Rei? Oh, since I don't need him for this chapter, I thought the fangirls would want him for a little longer.

Leon: A-chan, you know how deadly-

Rei: ACK! GET OFF ME!!! KAI!!!

Fangirls: REI!!!

Kai: *from far away* Do I hear my Rei calling? Trueangel, you are so gonna pay for this once I get back...

Trueangel: Erm... were you referring to the fangirls, or Kai?

Leon: ... Both.

Trueangel: Oh well, since we still have some time before Kai is here... Leon, since we haven't heard you do the disclaimer before, why don't you try?

Leon: Ok. A-chan does not own Beyblade or any of the characters in this story except Dreamer, Dr. Ucharice, Drifter Titan, Light Dranzer, White Dranzer, Volten, Insidion, Xan, Titus/Hui, Uncle Lin, Mariah's mom, the Village Elder, Xiaohu, the two poachers, the airplane stewardess, the announcer on the plane, the receptionist at the hotel, the waiter at the hotel, and Dreamer's dad. All other characters not mentioned here belong to whoever they belong to, while I belong to Tri-ace. But gosh, if I belonged to A-chan, I-

Trueangel: *hastily covers Leon's mouth* Um, I think that's enough, Leon. Alright, enjoy the chapter!

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Chronicles 3 The Mind of a Villian

My name is Volten Hiwatari. I'm a devil from Hell. A real devil, not those imitators you see in your human movies or read about in your books. You've probably heard from Dreamer and Titus about how evil I am, betraying the one I love just to get my hands on the elusive Crystallis... it's not true! I... I had no choice. Have you ever felt the full wrath of the Council of Spies, and most of all, the wrath of Insidion? I haven't, and I don't want to try. All I've heard are rumors, but if the rumors are this bad, then the truth can't be good news. The bottom line is, I cannot fail this mission. The Council won't let me off. In fact, my story begins with a Council meeting...

It was the second Council meeting since I had performed the Tainting ceremony, but I could sense that Dreamer's mind wasn't about to give in soon. And the Council was getting impatient, especially since I had told them it would be over in weeks. Well, weeks had passed. Cycles had passed. (A cycle is a period of 49 days, and the change of cycles is marked by the convening of the High Council.) But stillwas was nowhere close.

"Volten, we had expected this mission to end soon after you announced that you had gained access to one of Crystallis' guards, but you haven't made much progress, have you?"

"My lord Insidion, I have tried everything possible to-"

"How difficult can it be to get one simple piece of information from an angel?"

"My lord, I have triedrythrything, even invoked the ancient power of the Taint, but-"

A murmur spread through the Council at the mention of the Taint.

'But," I continued, "This angel still remains resistant."

"Very well. If this angel is as powerful as you claim, then we shall give you one more cycle. At the next meeting, we will hear good news, Volten."

"I... I'll try my best."

"You have no choice in this, Volten. Either you succeed, or you suffer the consequences of your incompetence."

"... Yes, my lord."

are are dismissed."

Dragging my heavy feet out of the hall, I flapped my wings and began flying home. Now, there was only Dreamer and me in the mansion where I stayed. Titus had left after what I did. I didn't blame him. After all, i had betrayed my love... it had seemed so simple then. Just go in, get the information I needed, end of story.

But look at the power I'm getting now! If I spread my Taint, I might control everyone close to me... then from there, control Hell...

NO! I couldn't think that way! It wasn't like me to be so power-hungry... but power of the Taint was so tempting, so much more than the reward for the mission. I had gladly taken it on because they promised riches, fame, and a rise in status... but now all I wanted was to quickly get it over and done with, and then spend the rest of my life quietly with the one I loved.

But was I sure I would love Dreamer for the rest of my life? There were so many angels in Heaven. With the power of the Taint, I could love anyone I wanted...

NO!!! I loved only Dreamer! I wasn't like that at all... but I shuddered as I instinctively realised where these thoughts were coming from. Ancient lore told of how even the noblest devils turned into vicious beasts because of the Taint. I dismissed them at first sight, but now it seemed they might have held some truth...

I banished all my thoughts from my mind and concentrated on flying home. It hurt just to think.

+++

Walking through the door of my mansion, I saw Dreamer sitting in the hall, reading a book. As soon as he heard me, he turned around and gave me his trademark cheerful smile, not knowing the dilemma I was facing. Putting down his book, Dreamer walked over, bent down, and gave me a light feathery kiss.

"Welcome home. How was work?"

"Fine. Hey Dreamer, could we talk for a while? We haven't had a nice chat for some time."

Dreamer and I both walked back to the sofa Dreamer where Dreamer was reading, and sat down.

"Sure. What do you want to talk about?"

"Anything. Why don't you tell me more about Heaven?"

Dreamer started telling me everything about the place he lived in, which I believed, without Dreamer having to tell me, was a wonderful place. But I wasn't concentrating on what he said. Instead, I was trying to read his mind through the Taint again.

Slowly, I felt the familiar sensation of my mind wrapping around Dreamer's again. However, it was still a blank. I could feel the Taint in a corner of his mind, trying to gain control, but Dreamer's mind was still strong. I was ready to withdraw when I felt something strange...

I could feel the presence of two more tiny minds, so small that I had never noticed them before. But as I concentrated on them, I felt their unmistakable presence... and both were afficted with the same Taint as Dreamer.

"Dreamer... you're gonna be a father!"

"Wha-?!"

"I can feel their minds within you."
hy, hy, that's... wait, 'their'?"

"Yeah. You're having twins."

"That's great! I... I've gotta start preparing, thinking names..."

"Well, don't work too hard. Hey, I'm gonna go to the study for a while, you just stay here and rest, ok?"

"Alright. But you don't tire yourself out either. You're a father too!"

I nodded weakly, and climbed up the stairs to the study. Closing the door, I leaned against it and sighed. Why didn't I feel that elated about having children? Yeah, it was kinda exciting, but I couldn't feel the level of happiness Dreamer was feeling. I guess it was because of the Taint... the simple fact that it all happened just because of my ambition made it all somehow seem wrong. But yet... the two children now existed, living and breathiningsings. I couldn't possibly just get rid of them.

Or could I?

+++

The days passed. Dreamer's powers weakened at having to nurture the two children, and the Taint slowly ate away at his mind. At the same time, it slowly destroyed mine.

+++

5 weeks later, I woke up to find Dreamer missing. I panicked. Where was Dreamer? So much was at stake - Dreamer's life, the children's lives... my own life... but just then, all my fears disappeared as Dreamer walked through the door. I heaved a sigh of relief. But where did Dreamer go? I had to find out.

"Hey Dreamer, where did you go? I was worried when I found you missing."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I just went out for a walk."

I could sense that he was lying.

"Well, do get some rest. You've been looking rather tired lately."

"I will, but I've got something important to tell you."

"Hmm? What is it?"

"It's the Taint... I can feel my mind getting weaker. The Taint is startingtaketake over completely."

Inwardly, I was ecstatic. Finally, the Taint was starting to work...

No! I would be betraying Dreamer's love, and my love as well... it wasn't right!

I banished the shadow of my old self from my mind. This wasn't the time to hesitate. For my own sake, morality wasn't an option.

"Don't worry. I'll take good care of you."

"I trust you, Volten."

I was taken aback slightly.

"I... I know."

An uneasy silence passed before Dreamer spoke again.

"Oh yeah, I've thought of names for the children. We'll call the one born first Kai, and the second one Xan. It's that ok?"

"Yeah, it's fine."

Another period of silence.

"Volten... I'm tired."

"Go to sleep. You'll feel better when you wake up."

I curled up in Dreamer's lap, and he fell asleep stroking my fur. Immediately I set to work tapping into the taint again. I went through the familiar sensation of entering Dreamer's consciousness through the Taint. But as soon as I touched Dreamer's mind, I was overwhelmed by the power the Taint was channeling into me.

At that instant, I was Dreamer and myself. I saw through Dreamer's eyes as well as mine. I felt what he felt, as well as what I felt. I could hear, smell, taste and touch through Dreamer, but at the same time I mantained my senses. It was too much for my brain to handle at one go. For what could have been anything from a second to a million cycles or more, I was lost.

Then slowly, my mind began to work through this ocean of information that was before me. Separate my senses from Dreamer's. Separate our memories. Give me back my individuality. As soon as that was done, I started looking at Dreamer's mind. It was a giant network. Bit of information floated about, each linked to other bits in a web that stretched on indefinitely. But these links weren't like lines or chains you could visualise in space. You know how on a world map, the points on the extreme left and right are, in actuality, right next to each other? This was something like that, but on a much larger scale. I could jump from one point to another not because of a line that attached them both, but because they were right next to each other within the infinite dimensions that the mind existed in.

It was a sensation I cannot begin to describe.

But I didn't have time to deal with that right now. I needed to find out how to get Crystallis. But more importantly, I had a burning desire to find out what exactly happened that morning. With the rudimentary understanding I had of the mind's functions, I searched for that piece of information. As I gravitated towards it, I saw that it was linked to information about Crystallis, about Titus, and about me, amongst other links. The mystery grew, and so did my desire. I accessed it, and it played out before my eyes as though I was experiencing it right there, right then.

=Dreamer's POV=

(A/N: Volten's thoughts as he sees this will be in italics.)

I walked through the gates of HEART, into the building I had worked in months ago before I quit to be with Volten. The receptionist smiled, but I ignored her. I had something important to do. I needed to find Dr. Ucharice. Without thinking, me feet brought me to her office, and before I knew it I was standing in front of her door. I knocked.

"Come in."

I gripped the door handle. Taking in a deep breath, I turned it and walked in.

"It's you, Dreamer."

I could sense her sharp tone. She was one of the few who knew about me relationship with Volten, and she hadn't been too happy about it.

"Ucharice... I need your help."

"Devils cannot be trusted, and you-"

"I realised that. That is why I need your help. The fate of the entire angel race is at stake... it's about Crystallis."

So, Dreamer somehow found out about my plans...

"WHAT? You haven't told that devil about it, have you?"

"The devils already know about it's existence, but I haven't told him anything yet. However... I've been Tainted."

"No!"

"Yes. And I can sense my mind weakening... anytime now he will find out how to get to Crystallis."

"Fine. What do you want me to do?"

"Destroy Crystallis. Then run away and never let Volten find you."

NO! You idiot, do you know how powerful Crystallis can be?

"No, I can't destroy something I've worked so hard on... but I'll hide it."

My dear doctor... there is no place you can hide Crystallis such that I cannot get my hands on it.

"Well, I guess that's fine, as long as you're the only one who knows where it is."

"Yeah. Just close your eyes and rest, and it'll be done."

Wait a second... where exactly is she hiding Crystallis?

"Ucharice... you do know that once Volten gets to me, you'll be hunted down to the very ends of this world."

"Yes, and I'm worriedugh ugh without you reminding me. Now, close your eyes."

I closed my eyes.

=Volten's POV=

So, Dr. Ucharice had hidden Crystallis... well, I would find it soon enough. But now, what I really wanted to find out was how Dreamer found me out. I focused his mind on the events earlier that morning...

=Dreamer's POV=

I opened my eyes to see the darkness of Volten's room. Volten lay down beside me, deep in his sleep. I smiled. He looked so perfect, with his soft fur and beautiful face...

I looked at the clock that hung on the opposite wall. It was only 4 a.m. I lied back down, hoping to get back to sleep, but something tugged at the back of my mind, something I couldn't place my finger on. After tossing and turning for a while, I got out of bed and walked out to the balcony. From there, I looked out at the park that was in front of Volten's mansion. Heaven and Hell were two different worlds, home to races that were constantly at war, but yet the two places looked remarkably similar. If not for the countless devils that occupied this place, I would probably mistake it for my own home. I looked up into the night sky, thinking of my parents at home, and all my friends... I decided to go for a walk in the park, hoping it would make me feel better.

+++

At the park, I made my way to the small pond in the middle, walked around it for a while, then sat down on one of the benches. Volten and I had spent many nights here, with him in my lap, looking at the stars together. I smiled as I realised that just within a few months, I had fallen head-0over-heels in love with this devil.

Just then, I heard the sound of water splashing. Looking around, I saw a devil kicking stones into the water. As I walked closer, I realised it was Titus.

"Titus?"

"Oh, it's you, Dreamer."

"What are you doing here?"

"Probably for the same reason as you."

"Can't get to sleep, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Hey Titus, could I ask you a question?"

"What is it?"

"Why did you leave Volten?"

"Are you sure you want to know?"

"Yeah."

"I think it would be better if you didn't know... it'll torment you if you knew the truth."

"Well, we do have a few hours to spend..."

"Very well then. You do have a right to know. I'll start from the beginning..."

=Volten's POV=

I shook my head as I closed that part of Dreamer's mind. So, it was that damned Titus who betrayed me... well, I'd deal with him later. Right now, I needed to find Ucharice and Crystallis. I detached myself from Dreamer's mind and found myself in the real world again. Leaping off his lap, I climbed up to my room to prepare for the trip ahead...

+++

Dreamer wasn't the only one who 'died' that morning. So did Volten...

"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

-~+{= END OF CHRONICLES =}+~-

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Anonymous interviewer (A.I.): Now, I shall ask Trueangel a few questions on what the afterlife really holds.

Trueangel: Ah, I see, you want to know what's left after I take away Heaven and Hell and angels and devils.

A.I.: Alright, first question: If Hell is just a separate realm where devils reside, where do evil people go to when they die?

Trueangel: Um... purgatory.

A.I.: Uh huh. And who is there to torture evil souls, if not devils?

Trueangel: Demons.

A.I.: And in place of Heaven, we now have?

Trueangel: Paradise. Or Utopia, or whatever else you call it.

A.I.: How about angels?

Trueangel: Er... um... saints! No, wait, archangels! Oh yeah, they're just higher-ranking angels...

Leon: All right, that's enough for now.

A.I.: Who are you?

Leon: A-chan's agent. Now, leave us alone. *shoves A.I. off screen*

Trueangel: Gosh, I was stuck there...

Leon: That's why I came.

Trueangel: Yeah, thanks a lot. Now we all see just how iconic and irreplaceable these races and places are...

Leon: *nods in agreement*

Trueangel: Well, do review! The last chapter is coming soon!