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Have You Ever	By : Kali Category: Beyblade > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 11978 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
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Warnings:
Yaoi, Lemon(s), language, angst, violence, etc. and that cavity warning
I mentioned before. Rated NC-17. Chapter 21 & Epilogue: Lemons! And chapters
23-24: Extreme angst!

************************************

Authoress� Notes:
Just so you know, I�m not going to go into detail for the battles in the
tournament. It�s just not that
important to anything in the story.
Sorry to disappoint!

*************************************

Pairs: Tyson/Kai, Rei/Max, others to be decided.

FYI:
{telepathy}, //bit-beast speech aloud//, thoughts, normal speech

*************************************

Chapter 21

*************************************

Tyson
slouched in his seat next to Kai, still pouting.

Kai glanced
at him. {You�re such a child
sometimes.}

Tyson glowered
and turned away, folding his arms over his chest, and not answering.

Kai
sighed. {Tyson�come on. What are you really mad about?}

{It�s bad
enough that you shut me down like a kid but you invited her to come with
us? What�s up with that?}

{I was
trying to be nice�or at least polite.
Besides, in case you haven�t noticed, I think Hilary and Kenny are
getting along really well.} Kai
gestured surreptitiously over his shoulder with a faint smile. {I think she�s good for him, Ty. And he can be very good for her. Look.}

Tyson
looked at him for a moment then reluctantly glanced back at the Chief. He was sitting in between Wyatt and Hilary
with Dizzi open on his lap. He was
pointing at the screen and explaining something quietly to the teens. The only difference was that Wyatt was not
leaning over Kenny to stare at the screen as Hilary was, nor was Wyatt asking
questions and listening with avid attention.

{That�s�weird.} Tyson blinked and turned back around. {They are kind of cute together,
though.} He paused. {But doesn�t Kenny have a thing for Emily?}

{Honestly? I don�t think it would go anywhere. I think Emily intimidates him a little. And I think if they did get together it
wouldn�t� last. They�re both too
intelligent and things would get boring for them.} Kai replied. {Kenny needs
some one who can benefit from his knowledge and learn what he has to teach and
someone who teach him about things you can�t learn from textbooks or a
computer.}

{What�s
that?}

{Life.
Love.} Kai shrugged. {He knows about those things � to a
point. Someone like Hilary can keep his
head out of the clouds and grounded on Earth.}

{I guess
you�ve got a point there.} Tyson
smiled. {So, how do you keep grounded
oh mighty captain, Kai?}

Kai snorted
and draped an arm around Tyson�s shoulders, drawing him against his side. The younger teen snuggled in and leaned his
head against his boyfriend�s shoulder.
{I�m firmly planted, thanks. But
you know what? I needed someone to make
me fly and get up off the ground once in a while. You do an excellent job of that, my love.}

{That
was�uncharacteristically sappy, love.}
Tyson slipped an arm around Kai�s waist and hung on to him with a
sniffle.

{Good
sappy?} Kai inquired, sliding off
Tyson�s hat and resting his cheek on the bluenette�s head.

{Mmm�} Tyson hummed, his hand moving over Kai�s
bare stomach. {Romantic, even�}

{Geez�don�t
you dare tell anyone.} Kai grumbled,
blushing a bit. {You�ll ruin my
reputation.}

Tyson
rolled his eyes.

In the seat
ahead of them, Max was still softly stroking Rei�s hair as the neko-jin lay
spread over the seat with his head pillowed on Max�s lap as he dozed. The blonde just continued to pet him,
watching over him as he slept. He was a
little bit worried about his lover, knowing how tired he himself had been after
his battle with Jael. But he knew Rei
would be fine, despite that.

The van
came to a halt out side the hotel at a side entrance, at Kai�s insistence, to
avoid the press and fans. Max gently
shook Rei awake.

�Rei? Love, we�re back at the hotel.�

Opening his
golden eyes and looking up at Max sleepily, Rei yawned and sat up. �Wow.
Talk about power-napping. I feel
quite well rested.� He glanced over his
shoulder as a hand came down on it.

�Take it
easy for a while yet, Rei. Don�t push
it.� Kai advised, then stepped out
ahead of Tyson. Kenny, Hilary, and
Wyatt piled out after Max and Rei and the group of teens headed indoors.

�You know,
I had no idea so much science and technology went into this game you all
play.� Hilary was saying to Kenny as
they stepped onto the elevator. �I
can�t believe how technical it really is!�

Tyson
sneered and Kai elbowed him none to gently in the ribs.

Rei gave
the brunette girl a small smile, his fangs flashing a little. �I�m glad to see you�re beginning to
understand it all, Hilary.�

Wyatt
sighed. �I wish we could stay for the
finals tomorrow, guys, but my father has to go back to Japan tonight so Hilary
and I have to go to.�

Tyson
patted him on the shoulder sympathetically.
�Sorry to hear that, Wyatt.�

�Why don�t
you and Hilary come visit us for a while before you go?� Max suggested, looking over at Kai for
permission. Kai shrugged indifferently.

�Really? Wow�sure!
Okay, Hilary?� Wyatt asked her.

�Yeah! I�d like to learn more. Um�you think you could explain some more to
me, Chief?�

Kenny
smiled at her. �Sure, Hil. My pleasure.�

Tyson
exchanged a knowing look with Kai and they stepped off the elevator, leading
the way to the Bladebreaker�s suite of rooms.

The rest of
the day passed quickly. Wyatt ended up
going home alone because Kenny invited Hilary to stay with the team and go home
with them after the finals. They�d
invited Wyatt, too, but his father wouldn�t allow him to stay and so he�d gone
home sadly.

Kenny even
did the gentlemanly thing and gave Hilary his room, saying he�d sleep out on
the couch � it was very comfortable, he�d insisted.

Tyson just
shook his head and grinned as he watched a budding romance between them take
place right before his eyes.

The White Tigers came over for a quick visit
that evening, though they didn�t stay long, not wanting to keep Rei awake, when
he needed to rest (although no one had told Rei�s old team the reason why
he wasn�t well).

Rei and Max
went to bed first, soon after Lee and his team had left. Kai and Tyson stayed up a little longer,
watching a movie on TV with Kenny and Hilary but the minute it was done they
got up and said good night before hurrying off to their room.

Hilary
watched them go, blinking a little.
�Gee�was it something I said?
They disappeared quite quickly.�

Kenny
smothered a laugh, having a pretty good idea why they�d run off. �No, Hil, it wasn�t you. They do that.� He closed Dizzi after hooking up her adapter for the night to
recharge. �I suppose we should get to
sleep, too. After all, the final round
is tomorrow.�

She smiled
and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before getting up and heading to Kenny�s
room. �Sure. �Night, Kenny! See you in
the morning!�

Kenny
blushed red from head to toe and flopped down on the couch in a daze. One hand came up to lightly touch the pads
of his fingers to the spot where she�d kissed him.

She
kissed me! Was the only thought,
for once, in his mind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kai was on
Tyson immediately when the door clicked shut behind them and he heard the lock
turn.

{Hmm�how will
I go about keeping that promise I made�?} He wondered teasingly, his mouth
devouring Tyson�s hotly. Kai drove his
fingers through Tyson�s hair, making the elastic band holding it back snap and
releasing the silken blue-black strands to flow over Tyson�s back and
shoulders. The Dragon shivered and ran
his hands up under Kai�s shirt to play with his nipples. Kai groaned into the younger blader�s mouth
and from there the clothes began to fly.

Once naked,
Kai lifted Tyson easily and dropped him down on their bed, grabbing some lube
and something else from his bag before going back to torturing his lover. Tyson was oblivious to anything but the heat
and pleasure of Kai�s hands and mouth on his body, purely enjoying every moment
and Kai�s dominance this time. �Oh my
God! Mmm�yeah, right there. Oh!�
He moaned loudly and Kai smiled against his inner thigh, nipping lightly
as his hand worked Tyson slowly.

�I see you
like that.� Kai murmured. �Just you wait, Ty-love. I�ve got something even better in store for
you�� Kai moved away briefly, then dangled a pair of purple, velvet-covered
handcuffs in front of Tyson. �Remember
those other �items� I picked up? Well,
here�s one of them.�

Tyson�s
eyes widened and he giggled. �Really,
lover! You seem to have a thing for
restraining me somehow. First our
scarves, now these?�

Kai�s smirk
was a touch evil. �You won�t hold still
when I want you to and I didn�t want to wreck our scarves so I grabbed these
instead.� He ran the velvet lightly
over Tyson�s arm, over his collarbone and down his chest to rub the material
across his hardened, sensitized nipple.
Tyson arched under him and gasped, reaching up to grab the headboard.

�Do
it. I�m all yours tonight, lover.� He said, eyes gone stormy grey-blue and
glinting in the moonlight that flooded the room. Kai nodded once and clasped the handcuffs around Tyson�s wrists,
securing them to the headboard.

{If at any
time you want me to stop, say so.} Kai
told him, sliding down until he covered Tyson from head to foot, staring his
lover in the eye and capturing his mouth for a languorous, heated kiss. {I�ll stop.}

{I�m
not�ah, Gods! I�m not real worried.} Tyson sent back, wriggling under Kai in an
effort to get closer�get more�

{Maybe
not. But I figured I�d offer
anyway.} Kai moved on to his Dragon�s
neck, trailing his mouth over the pulse that sped frantically under the skin. He sucked lightly and Tyson moaned, one leg
hooking around Kai�s waist. {Patience,
lover. I�m not going to rush this
time.} Kai slid further down Tyson�s
form, forcing his leg to fall away.

Tyson made
a noise of frustration and watched with heavy-lidded eyes as Kai continued to
play with him. Since he was pretty much
helpless (not that he particularly minded) he decided to just sit back and
enjoy it � which wasn�t really that hard to do.

Eventually
he became too immersed in sensation to keep his eyes open anymore and his whole
body felt like one massive, sensitive nerve.
Every touch, kiss, lick�everything was building the pressure up past the
explosion point.

And the
heat�Tyson arched up off the bed as he felt a sudden bolt of burning warmth
that pooled in his groin and spread outward slowly, making him unbearably,
almost painfully hard. He couldn�t stop
the cry that escaped and threw his head back on a moan of Kai�s name. �Kai!�

Kai smirked
in satisfaction, resting his cheek on Tyson�s stomach and running his hands
over the bluenette�s sides soothingly � and yet at the same time he was
shamelessly using his control of heat to keep Tyson on a heightened level of
sensation. He patiently waited for the
body under him to stop trembling and vibrating like a plucked string.

His gaze
was drawn up and he looked into dazed, hot blue flames that had swallowed up
Tyson�s eyes. Kai felt an answering tug
deep, deep within himself and he smiled.
Tyson smiled back but continued to glare at him.

{Having
fun?} He inquired archly. {That�s cheating you know. I can�t fight back and you know I
can�t resist the effect your power has on me.}

Kai�s smile
spread to a grin. {Want me to stop?}

{Don�t you dare!} Tyson wriggled in demand. {I just want�}

{Oh, I know
what you want�} Kai replied, turning up the heat just a little. Tyson whimpered, feeling the sweat build on
his skin as he strained against his bonds.
{But I won�t give it to you until you stop holding back.}

{I�I�ah! I�m not!} Tyson stuttered as Kai rubbed his thumb across his throbbing,
swollen tip. {Gods, that�s so good�}

{Yes, you
are. I can feel it, Tyson.} Kai increased the heat at his fingertips
just a little and Tyson gasped and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. {Let it go like you did this morning,
lover.} He encouraged the Dragon with
hot fingertips, leaving a path of tingling warmth as he moved his hand over
Tyson.

{Uhhhn�shit! Kai, please!} Tyson moaned raggedly, writing against his lover. {If I do that I might set off lightning
bolts in here or something!}

{No, you
won�t.} Kai purred, pressing his mouth
to Tyson�s pelvis and branding him with a hot, wet kiss. He let his own power go, the air shimmering
with the heat rising off of him, glowing a hazy reddish-orange. The Phoenix looked up to meet Tyson�s stormy
blue-grey gaze with burning, ruby red eyes.
{You have the control and I just want to find out how deep we can go...}

There was a
flash in those midnight blue pools and suddenly his power was competing with
Tyson�s � heat versus electricity, Fire verses Air. Their energies slammed into one another and both bladers
shuddered and cried out. Kai clambered
upward and desperately crushed his mouth to the Dragon�s.

�Ahh�yes.� He rasped.
�That�s what I was looking for.�
He drew circular patterns with his heated fingertips over Tyson�s chest
and nipped at his earlobe playfully.
Tyson mewled and burst into a steady rumbling purr, twisting against his
bonds with a needy growl and thrusting the length of his body against
Kai�s. Kai gave a shaky chuckle,
feeling just a bit swamped with sensation � just as he always did when he was
near Tyson�s power or at least, whenever he was near Tyson. �I told you so�see?�

�Sweet Gods
above!� Tyson whimpered. �Nothing that feels this fantastic can be
good for us.� He let out a sigh as he
felt Kai�s hardness nudge and slide against his own and he rubbed his leg over
his lover�s hip. �Mmm�Kai? I can�t take this much longer��

�Wow�� Kai
rested his forehead against Tyson�s shoulder, absently licking away a drop of
sweat as he tried to get his bearings back.
He could feel the static electricity dance along his skin and then waves
of heat that pulsed through his nerves.
�I think I just ran out of patience.�
He grabbed onto Tyson�s hips to hold him still against himself.

�Thank
God!� Tyson struggled to hold
still. {Fuck me, Kai. I want to feel you inside me.}

Kai
shuddered and reached up quickly to uncuff his lover. �Here. Your arms are
probably getting sore.� The second he
was free Tyson ran his hands over Kai feverishly in an unbearable need to touch
Kai and immerse himself in the other teen.
Kai groaned and nuzzled Tyson�s neck affectionately, breathing harshly.

Tyson
tangled his fingers in Kai�s hair and rocked his hips against the
Phoenix�s. {Kai�} He moaned, their
groins grinding into each other.

{Mmm�lover,
turn over.} Kai commanded, levering
himself away long enough for Tyson to do so before lying back down over the
bluenette, covering his back with his own body. He placed a soft kiss to the nape of his lover�s neck and brushed
his hair aside. The older teen slicked
his hands down Tyson�s sides and grasped his hips, drawing him up onto his
knees. Kai flipped open the lube and
squirted some out, letting it drip down over his lover�s entrance. He slicked up his aching erection and gently
sipped a finger into Tyson, stroking deep.

�Uhhhhhhhhn�aaaaah!� Tyson licked his suddenly dry lips, gripping
the sheets of the bed in his fists and unable to stop himself, moved against
Kai�s fingers as his lover continued preparing him. �Oh, fuck, more!
Kai, please�just take me now!�

�With
pleasure.� Kai removed his fingers and
guided himself to thrust forcefully into the bluenette in one hard movement.

It wrung
dual cries of passion and need from them both and their powers flared, then
merged as the two bladers had. Kai sat
back on his heels, forcing Tyson to move with him so that he was situated on
his lap, legs spread wide on either side of Kai�s. Kai wrapped both arms around Tyson, holding him against his chest
and leaving him able to explore Tyson�s naked, sweaty form with his free
hands. He buried his face in the crook
of Tyson�s neck and breathed in the Dragon�s scent, beginning to move inside of
him slowly.

{Ungh!} Tyson grunted, his hands twisting the sheets
into his fists at his sides at the increasing pressure in his groin and the
super-intense feeling of his mate filling him so completely he couldn�t tell
where he left off and Kai began. {Oh my
God�oh my God�sooooo good�KAI!} In this
position he could feel every single inch of Kai inside of him and it was one of
the most amazing things he�d ever experienced.

{Yes,
love�ugh, shit, you feel good�} Kai�s hands roamed over Tyson, slicking up and
down his upper legs, sliding upwards to grasp his hips and guide his movements
for a moment, kneading with his fingers as he thrust deeply. Tyson cried out sharply and dug his own
fingers into the mattress as Kai�s hand wrapped firmly around him and began to
stroke. �Come for me�� he whispered
darkly in Tyson�s ear.

Tyson
arched into Kais� hand, tossing his head back against Kai�s shoulder and laying
one hand over his lover�s as he continued to pump his erection and drive him
nearer and nearer to loosing it.
�Uhhnn�oh fuck! I�shit�Kai�can�t
take anymore!� He moaned
incoherently. He felt Kai�s mouth press
wetly against the frantic pulse in his neck and jerked as his thumb licked over
the head of his weeping sex. The Dragon
let loose a burst of pre-cum into Kai�s hand with a whimper, his hips rocking
in time with Kai�s thrusts and strokes.
Kai growled and raised his hand to lick away the whiteness, then scooped
up a little more on it and brought it to Tyson�s lips.

�Taste
yourself, Tyson.� He commanded,
nibbling on Tyson�s ear as the teen obediently opened his mouth and darted out
his tongue to lick Kai�s finger clean.
�I love how you taste.� Kai slid
his hand back down to Tyson�s erection and gave him a few more quick, rough
strokes and gave one final, hard thrust before Tyson yelled out his name and
orgasmed, his body jerking and trembling uncontrollably as his essence burst
from him to coat Kai�s hand and legs under him. Kai held him as he shook and went limp in his arms, letting
himself plunge after Tyson over the edge and filling the bluenette with his own
essence.

He clung to
Tyson for a moment, breathing in the scent of their passion and running his
hands over the Dragon. Their heartbeats
pounding in sync in their ears and minds, their breaths coming in gasps and
pants. The swirl of their blue and red
auras pulsed rhythmically along with their hearts.

�Uh�Kai? Are you okay?� Tyson wearily raised his arms and laid them over his lover�s,
hugging them around himself, leaning back against Kai�s chest and turning his
head to the side to brush his lips against the Phoenix�s cheek and jaw.

Kai
shivered and sighed, feeling immensely satisfied and complete. �Hmm�I�m just perfect, my love. You?�
He placed soft kisses over the Dragon�s shoulder, grazing a sensitive
spot with his teeth lightly.

Tyson
giggled and wriggled his hips, earning a gasp from Kai and whimpering a little
himself. �Oh yeah. I�m fabulous. Mmm�I don�t want to get up but if I don�t my legs are going to
cramp up.�

Kai chuckled
and grasped him by the hips, carefully lifting the bluenette off his lap and
withdrawing from him in the process.
They both let out low moans and Tyson moved back up to flop onto his
back and watch Kai lethargically as he crawled up and draped himself half over
his boyfriend and curl against him, burying his face in Tyson�s hair that was
spread over the pillow with a satiated sigh.

�You�re all
sweaty.� Tyson observed, finding a good
spot on Kai�s collarbone and sucking on the skin.

�And you�re
not?� Kai muttered, unconsciously
moving against Tyson. �Ah�shit. Tyson�what are you doing?�

�I can�t
get enough of you, that�s all.� Tyson
said against his skin. �You know, I
really like it when you get all dominant on me. It gets me all hot�� He grinned when he felt Kai�s hand travel
down his stomach and between his legs.
He retaliated by slicking a hand of his own down Kai�s back and cupping
one butt cheek, squeezing. Kai growled
and bit down on Tyson�s earlobe a little roughly.

�Aren�t you
tired? Gods! After that orgasm, I don�t know how you have the energy to�oh
yes�do that again!� Kai thrust back
against Tyson�s finger as it penetrated his entrance easily. �Holy crap!�

�Yeah,
lover, I know the feeling.� Tyson
shivered, his erection coming back to life with a vengeance. �Fuck me again, Kai. No powers this time�just you, inside
me. Take me, claim me, make me yours.� Tyson stared into Kai�s darkening russet
eyes. {And don�t go slow or be gentle
this time, Kai.}

He watched
those eyes narrow and gasped aloud when Kai grabbed his wrist and drew them up
above his head, pinning them with one large hand. {So you wanna be fucked, little Dragon?} He growled darkly, smiling as Tyson
struggled a bit instinctively against his hold. {Why are you so determined to drive me crazy like this, lover?}

Tyson
rolled his eyes. {I can�t force you to
fuck me, Kai. I�m still horny as hell,
that�s all.} He gave Kai a sultry look
and wrapped both his legs around Kai�s waist, hooking his ankles together at
the small of Kai�s back. {Oh! Well, from the feel of it, you need some
relief from that hard cock of yours, too.}

Kai made a
strangled noise and thrust deep with a snarl.
He crushed his mouth to the bluenette�s and kissed him roughly as he
plunged in and out of him. The Phoenix
swallowed Tyson�s mewls and cries, his tongue tangling with his lover�s and
mimicking the movements of their bodies.

{Ah! Ah�ah�ah�FUCK YES! KAI!} Tyson
moaned loudly in Kai�s mind, already close to coming again. {Oh, Gods, that�s�mmmaaaahhhh! I�m gonna come!}

{Then do
it!} Kai sucked on his bottom lip and
bit hard enough to draw blood. Tyson
whimpered in pain but it was lost under the waves of pleasure as Kai�s erection
slammed against a spot that had his vision turning white behind his
eyelids. He nearly screamed as he came
explosively this time, loosing pearly essence all over their abdomens and
chests. Kai cried out harshly and came
hard inside him, Tyson�s slick walls milking everything he had left.

�Ah, fuck! Two orgasms like that and I�m totally spent
now.� He panted, pulling out of his
lover and rolling to the side as Tyson�s legs slid bonelessly away and the
Dragon went totally limp in his arms.
They looked at each other with slightly goofy grins.

�Yeah.� Tyson agreed, breathing hard. �I could sleep now.� He yawned expansively and turned over onto
his stomach, stretching out comfortably.
Kai moved closer, stretching like a cat and snuggling against his side,
his cheek resting on one of Tyson�s shoulder blades. He slowly ran his hand up and down the Dragon�s back, tracing the
blue dragon tattoo idly.

�So sleep,
then, lover.� Kai pressed a kiss to his
shoulder. �I�ll wake you up early
enough to have a shower in the morning, okay?�

�Mmm hmm��
Tyson murmured sleepily.

{Ty-love?}

{Yo?}

Kai smiled
at the lazy, weary response. {Thank you
for tonight.}

{You don�t
have to thank me for sex, Kai. I love
you.} Tyson�s voice was heavily laced
with amusement. {Besides, it was my
pleasure.}

{And mine. I love you.}

{I
know. Now shut up and sleep.}

{Yes,
Master.}

{KAI!}

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Across the
short suite�s hall, Rei and Max were jolted awake by the sudden flare of Kai
and Tyson�s powers.

Rei scowled
when his own abilities confirmed that the two teens were�engaged in activities
that didn�t involve blading.

�Are they
okay?� Max asked, his voice a little
throaty with sleep. He blinked his blue
eyes owlishly at Rei.

�Yeah,
sweetheart.� Rei rolled back toward him
and snuggled him close. �They�re going
at it again. I swear those two are
worse than rabbits.� He muttered,
nuzzling Max�s blonde hair.

Max
sighed. �Oh well. They�ll do it, wear each other out, and drop
off soon enough. Let�s go back to
sleep, Rei.�

�Hmm��night,
my love.�

�Good
night.�

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next
morning they all gathered in the sitting room and wolfed down breakfast � well,
the four bladers did. Hilary just
watched with wide eyes, forgetting about her own plate and Kenny had Dizzi busy
while he was typing a mile a minute.

�Aren�t you
going to eat, Hilary?� Max asked her
when he noticed she�d barely touched her food, his fork hovering over his
plate.

�Oh! Uh�yeah.
I just�do you guys usually eat so much?� She was staring at Tyson and Kai, who were fighting over the last
few breakfast sausages.

Rei
sweatdropped and continued cutting up his pancakes. �Not normally, no. But
during tournaments we need the extra energy.�
He waved a fork at Tyson and Kai, who were still squabbling. �After last night, though, those two are
probably running on empty.�

The two
teens paused in their fight and looked up at him. �What are you talking about?�
Tyson asked, confused. Kai just
raised an eyebrow and nabbed the last sausage.
�Hey! Gimme!�

�Nuh
uh. Too slow.�

Tyson
scowled.

�Rei�s
right, guys. After waking us up playing
with your powers last night you two must be starved.� Max agreed.

Kai nearly
dropped the sausage, turning pink under his crimson shark fins. �Uh�sorry about that, guys.�

Tyson
affected a sigh and shrugged. �It�s all
his fault.� He stated, pointing at
Kai. �He can�t keep his hands off
me�Ow!� He yelped when Kai smacked him
upside the head. �Well, it�s true!�

�Like you
were any better. I didn�t hear you
complaining.� Kai muttered, eating the
sausage.

Tyson
flushed and grinned sheepishly. �Well,
no��

Kenny
looked up from his screen briefly.
�Guys, I really don�t think Hilary wants to hear all the sorted details
of your sex lives.�

�Actually,
this is getting interesting. What
powers are you guys talking about?�
Hilary was sitting on the edge of her seat, now, listening avidly.

�Max�� Kai
gave him a mild glare. �Way to go. How are we supposed to explain this?�

�Um�oops?�

Kenny
sighed and closed Dizzi with a �click,� adjusting his glasses because he had
yet to put in his contacts. �I�ll
explain it to her. Right now, though,
we need to get to the match. So finish
eating, you guys!�

The
remaining breakfast disappeared in a few minutes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hilary
stared around the stadium with awe and a little nervousness.

�Is it
always like this when you come out to a match?� She asked, unknowingly moving closer to Kenny.

�What? Noisy?�
Tyson shrugged. �We�re used to
it.�

�No! I mean, don�t all these people make you
nervous?�

�Maybe a
little.� Rei answered, Max�s hand
firmly held in his own. �It goes away
once we get into a battle though.�

�After
that, there�s nothing but you, your opponent, and the blades.� Kai agreed softly, a far away look in his
eyes. �Nothing but the spin, the power,
the adrenaline rush��

Tyson
shivered slightly and picked up where he left off. ��and the excitement, the challenge, and the test of your skills
and your bit-beast�s connection to you.�

�And the
screaming of the fangirls in the audience.�
Max grinned.

They all
groaned and laughed, taking their seats in the blader�s pit.

�Alright. Let�s decide who�ll blade today.� Kai studied Rei. �You think you�re up to it?
These Saint Shields aren�t going to be pushovers if they got past the
White Tigers.�

Rei took
out his blade and flashed his fangs in an eager, feline grin. �Let us at �em, Kai. Driger and I are up for some action!�

Tyson heard
Driger�s growl of agreement and got a mental picture of the Tiger Spirit
flexing his claws. He started laughing
and nodded at their captain.

�They�re
good to go, love.� He chuckled.

�Okay. Then you�re up first, Rei. Take the first round!�

�No
worries, Kai.�

Rei went up
against Dunga of the Saint Shields, a massive, mountain of a guy whose
bit-beast was an ape that wasn�t much smaller than Dunga was.

The match
was short, and Rei won. He waltzed back
to the blader�s pit and sat, smiling peacefully. He could hear Driger purring with satisfaction in his mind.

�Feel
better now, Rei?� Max inquired with a
laugh, sliding over on the bench seat so they were hip to hip and Rei could
drape an arm around his shoulders.

�Yep! Who�s up next?�

�Dizzi says
Kai should go.� Kenny gave his
bit-beast�s opinion. �I say Tyson
should have his turn next, though.�

His laptop
�humphed� in indignation.

They looked
at each other and Kai shrugged.
�Doesn�t matter to me who I fight.
I�ll win.�

Tyson
rolled his eyes and played with the end of Kai�s scarf thoughtfully. �Oh, just go win it for us so we can go back
to the hotel and lounge around the pool for a while before our flight home.�

�Sounds
like a plan to me.� Kai tugged away his
scarf and went up to the dish, where he faced off with the Saint Shields�
captain, Ozuma, and his bit-beast, Flash Leopard.

Surprisingly,
the battle actually took some time, and a bit more effort than Kai had believed
he�d have to exert.

He still
won though.

�Yeah! Alright!
Way to go Bladebreakers!� Max
cheered, bouncing up and down then glomping his teammates in excitement.

After a
short ceremony where they were presented with the trophy and their medals, the
group went back to the hotel and did as Tyson had suggested � they lazed around
the pool for the afternoon.

A BBA van
took them and their luggage to the airport and they hopped on a plane to fly
home in time for midterm exams.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A month
passed quietly for them and for the most part it made the Bladebreakers quite
grateful and relieved. On the other
hand, they grew anxious, wondering when and where the Void would show up next
and if it would stick to the rules it seemed to have to follow.

During that
month, they trained hard, kept up with their schoolwork, and watched the
romance continue to bloom between Kenny and Hilary. She became a part of the group quickly, sitting with them at
lunch, even joining them for their practice sessions after school when her own
duties as class president didn�t require her.
She and Tyson still continued to feud on occasion but it wasn�t the
malicious, hateful sparring it had once been.
Now it was almost�affectionate � much to everyone�s amusement.

Then came
the day that they got on another plane and flew to America once again for the
American Tournament � the next major competition on the Beyblade circuit �
Hilary included.

It also
just so happened that while they were in the States, Tyson would celebrate his
18^th birthday. His friends
came up with a few ideas on how to do this sneakily, conspiring when he wasn�t
around � a very difficult task since the bluenette could read their
thoughts without any effort. Keeping
anything a secret around Tyson was a huge challenge. Not to mention that he and Kai were practically Siamese twins and
hated to be apart from one another longer than absolutely necessary.

It was on
the plane ride over that Kenny suddenly flipped out, realizing he was probably
going to be seeing Emily at this competition.

�AH! Why me?!
How am I supposed to explain that I�m going out with Hilary, now?� He wailed.
Lucky for him, his girlfriend was at the front of the plane visiting the
pilots.

Tyson and
Kai turned in their seats, sitting on their knees and peered over them at
Kenny. Max and Rei did similar from
their places behind the Chief and Hilary�s seats.

�Man,
Chief, you�ve become quite the stud!�
Tyson teased, grinning at his friend.
Kai shushed him, trying not to smile with difficulty for once.

�What do I
do?!�

�Tell her
the truth, Chief. Emily will get over
it. If she gets mad at you, that�s her
problem. You can�t force yourself to
feel something for her that isn�t there.�
Rei pointed out.

�But�I do
care about her. I don�t want her to be
angry or hurt.�

�We know,
Kenny. And she will, too. Maybe not at first, but she�s smart and
she�ll come around.� Max added, patting
Kenny soothingly on the shoulder.

�Besides,�
Kai said, �It�s not like you two have dated at all or made promises or anything
to each other. There�s no commitment
between you.�

Kenny
thought about that for a moment then nodded slowly. �You�re right. Guess I�m
getting worked up over something that doesn�t really need it.� He looked around at them with a small
blush. �Thanks.�

That crisis
averted, the other four teens sat back in their seats just as Hilary returned
from the cockpit, and the plane�s captain came over the intercom.

�We are now
landing in Seattle, Washington. Welcome
to the United States of America��

*************************************

~ End Chapter 21 ~

*************************************

Authoress� Notes:
I�ll apologize right now if any sort of description of Seattle doesn�t
actually exist. I can�t say I�ve been
there (it�s on my list of places to go to someday), but the city was the
closest thing I could come up with for what I wanted for the next three
chapters. Sorry to all of you who are
picky about those kind of things!

*************************************

Chapter 22

*************************************

�Joy. Another hotel.� Kai sighed and sat heavily on the sofa.

�What�s
wrong, Kai?� Max asked, noting their
captain�s mood.

�Nothing. Just jet lagged, I guess.�

Tyson came
in from their room after dropping his and Kai�s bags off. {Tired, lover?} He sat down next to Kai and slipped an arm around his waist,
drawing him against his side.

{Yeah. I think this travelling around and living in
hotels is beginning to wear on me.} Kai
let himself lean against Tyson comfortably.

{Not
looking forward to the tournament?}
Tyson wondered, a hint of surprise in his voice.

{It�s not
that. I don�t know what�s wrong with
me.}

�You know
what? I say when we�re through with the
circuit and everything else, no matter what happens, we go on vacation. Doesn�t matter where, just that we go away
for a little while.� Tyson stated,
taking Kai�s hand and twining their fingers together.

Rei,
stretched out on the floor in front of Max�s sofa chair on his back,
agreed. �I think that�s a great idea
Tyson. I don�t think we�ve ever taken a
vacation.�

�After
graduation.� Kenny felt obliged to
point out.

�Yeah.� Kai brushed a light kiss over Tyson�s
knuckles. �Good thinking love.�

Tyson
smiled and snuggled Kai closer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day
was a series of exhibition matches and special BBA sponsored events. The Bladebreakers spent part of the day
sitting at a table outside the stadium, enjoying a rare day of Seattle sunshine
and signing autographs for a long line of excited fans.

�Here,
guys! Have a bottle of water.� Hilary came up to the table and set bottles
next to each of them. �You must be
getting parched out here under the sun.�

�Thanks
Hil!� They all chorused, grabbing the
bottles and guzzling.

�How are
you doing, sweetheart?� Rei asked his
boyfriend, gently brushing away a lock of his blonde hair from his eyes. �Not getting dehydrated are you?�

�No. I�m okay.
I sure needed this water though.�
He sipped again.

Kai glanced
at him before scribbling his name on a t-shirt for a fangirl. �If it starts getting too much, say so Max
and we�ll call it a day.�

�Okay. I�m alright though.�

Half an
hour later, they took a quick lunch break.
When they came back, they sat and started signing autographs again.

As Max was
signing his name to another team picture, an amused voice spoke up from in
front of their table and his head snapped up in surprise.

�As much as
I admire your skills, boys, I�m afraid I�m not as easily impressed as these
ridiculous fangirls are. No autographs,
thanks.�

�Emily!� They chorused again. Hilary looked up from her magazine and took
stock of the other female.

�Hey,
guys! Welcome back to the States.�

�How�s it
going, Emily?� Max asked, setting aside
his marker.

�Oh�you
know.� She shrugged casually. �The usual.
You all ready for the tournament?�

�Of
course.� Kai replied, shortly. �Nice try, Emily. We know you too well by now and we aren�t going to give out any
team strategies to the competition.�

Emily faked
a gasp. �Why, Kai! I�m hurt that you think I�d stoop so
low!� She mocked.

Kai growled
and Tyson laid a hand on his arm.
�Easy, lover.� He looked at
Kenny and said silently, {Hey, Chief.
Now would be a good time to take Emily off and talk to her, don�t you
think?}

Kenny
jumped slightly and whirled around to look at Tyson. {Geez! Don�t do that!}

{Sorry,
Chief.}

Emily and
Kai were still glaring at each other when Hilary spoke up. �Hey, guys?
Are one of you going to introduce me or have you all lost your manners?� She set aside her magazine and stood up,
stepping close to Kenny�s chair and laying a hand on his shoulder possessively.

Emily�s
eyes narrowed, noting the action, and she smiled a little, though they could
all see how false it was. �My name is
Emily, of the All-Stars team. And you
are?�

�I�m
Hilary.� She held out a hand and they
shook warily.

Kenny
coughed to clear his throat nervously when Max nudged him under the table. �Yes.
Emily, meet Hilary. She�s our
team�s, uh�nutritionist and medic.� He
paused and reached up to take Hilary�s hand in his own. �And my girlfriend.�

The
All-Stars� genius stared at him in shock.
�You�re�girlfriend?�

Tyson
winced inwardly at the sudden wave of sadness and hurt falling off the girl in
waves. Sensing trouble brewing, he attempted
to divert Hilary�s attention long enough for Kenny to take Emily aside and talk
to her. {Chief! I�ll distract Hilary. You get Emily out of here before a cat-scrap
starts.}

{Okay.}

�Hey,
Hil! Maybe we should start calling you
�mom� or something!� Tyson stuck out
his tongue at her and smirked, which immediately succeeded in gaining her
undivided attention and riling her temper.
She walked over to him and leaned in, poking him in the chest with one
finger.

�Don�t you dare,
Tyson! I�m not a babysitter and
I am definitely not your mother!�

Kenny got
up and led Emily away quickly.

�Ah�don�t
mind them. They argue a lot on
occasion.� Kenny sweatdropped at a loud
yelp and a crash. �They�ll stop soon �
or else Kai�ll get annoyed. Whichever comes
first.�

Emily
blinked, her already wide eyes going wider at another crash and Kai�s voice
snapping out orders.

�Damn it
all! Cut that out before you break
something!�

�But Kai,
she�s��

�Tyson!�

�Okay,
okay.�

�Thank you,
Kai.� Hilary�s voice sounded smug.

�You can
just sit over there and keep quiet, Hilary.�
Kai�s tone allowed no room for arguments or further words.

Kenny gave
a sigh of relief and turned back to Emily.
�Um�sorry about that. Listen,
Emily��

�You�that
girl and you are going out?� Her voice
was quiet and so lost. Kenny
felt his heart clench and he nodded slowly.

�Yes.� He honestly didn�t know what more he could
say.

�I�see.� She turned away from him so he couldn�t see
her expression anymore. �Do you love
her, Kenny?�

He blinked
in surprise. �I hadn�t really thought
about it, actually.� He finally
replied, quite honestly. �But�� he
turned and looked over at the group of his friends.

Emily faced
him again when he stopped speaking, watching him as he watched her. She saw a soft smile cross his face and
heard him sigh quietly. The female
genius, though she was sad, disappointed, and a little depressed now, slipped
her glasses off to wipe away the tears that had fallen then replaced them,
sniffling a little. When Kenny turned
back to her, she was composed again.

Blushing
slightly, the Chief gave her a tentative smile. �I guess I really do.
Huh�wonder when that happened?�
He mused, almost to himself.
Emily couldn�t help smiling back at that.

�Well,
then. I�ll wish you well, Kenny. But she�d better be good to you!�

Kenny
grinned. �Oh�I don�t think you need to
worry. I have some very protective
friends after all.�

As they
talked quietly for a while apart from the others, Tyson was sitting back with a
small, smug smile on his face, silently congratulating himself for helping
Kenny and happy that he and Emily had decided to remain friends.

{Ty, love,
pay attention! Quit
eavesdropping!} Kai nudged him.

�Huh? Oh, sorry!�
Tyson brought his attention back to the autograph signing. Kai gestured at the lady in front of them.

�This is
Mrs. Candler. She wants us to sign a
picture and a t-shirt for her daughter, Ginny.� He told his boyfriend.
�Ginny�s in the hospital, Ty.�

The
bluenette was instantly sympathetic.
�I�m sorry to hear that, ma�am.�
He said to the woman, signing the two items Kai pushed in front of
him. �I hope your daughter feels better
soon.�

The woman
smiled sadly and shook her head. �Thank
you for your well-wishes, boys, but I�m afraid she won�t be. You see, Ginny has leukemia and she�s
dying. The doctors wouldn�t let her
come down herself to meet you and get your autographs so I told her I would
come myself and wait in line all day if I had to.� Mrs. Candler took a tissue from her purse and sniffled. �Sorry�it�s just very emotional for me.�

�That�s
okay, Mrs. Candler.� Max was sniffling
too. �We�re all really sorry.�

�Thank
you. Ginny loves blading. The Bladebreakers are her favourite team and
she�s always dreamed of watching a championship match where you battled
someday.�

Kai thought
for a moment then looked over at the line of fans. Then he glanced at his watch.
�I think it�s time to wrap this all up, guys.�

Tyson
slowly smiled and nodded. {You really
are a big softy aren�t you? Beautiful
soul that you are�}

{Oh�shut
up.}

Rei stood
and went to speak to the BBA officials and the guards to let them know that the
Bladebreakers were done for the day.
Max went to get Kenny.

�Mrs.
Candler? Which hospital and what room can
we find your daughter in?� Kai
inquired, gently.

The woman�s
eyes watered and widened. �Oh! Oh�you boys don�t have to��

�We want
to!� Tyson handed her the picture and
T-shirt, which she hugged to her chest gratefully. �Besides, we enjoy meeting the fans and it�s hardly out of our
way to go see one who can�t come to us.�

Mrs.
Candler named the hospital and room number.
�Thank you, Tyson. This will
mean so much to my Ginny.�

Max came
back with Kenny and they headed for the hospital.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

�Ginny? Ginny, honey, I�m back.� Mrs. Candler went into her daughter�s
hospital room, gesturing for the team to hang back a moment.

�Mom!� They heard a girl�s voice, weary and excited
all at the same time, cry out. �Did you
see them? Did you get their
autographs?�

�Yes,
sweetie, I did. See?�

�OH! Awesome!
Thanks so much, Mom!�

�I�m glad
you like them, Ginny. Do you feel up to
having visitors? There�s someone here
to see you if you are.�

�To see
me? Is it Lara and Ben?�

Mrs.
Candler smiled and shook her head. �No,
dear. But I know you�ve always wanted
to meet them.� She waved the
Bladebreakers in.

They
trooped in and saw the young girl named Ginny, lying in her hospital bed
looking fragile and gaunt with her illness.
Tubes and wires were attached to her and her head was covered by a
purple turban-like covering. But her
eyes were still a bright, vivid violet and they widened in shock at the sight
of them.

�AH! Oh my gosh!
It�s�you�re��

Tyson, in
his usual personable way, stepped forward and presented the young girl with a
Dragoon plushie. �Hi, Ginny! When your mom came by to get that picture
and T-shirt for you she told us about your cancer. So we thought we would come down and visit you since you couldn�t
make it down to see us.�

�I�wow! Thanks, Tyson!� She looked at them with sparkling eyes, tears pouring down her
face as, one by one, the other three bladers of the team came up and handed her
a plushie of their bit-beasts. Her mom
handed her a tissue and kissed her on the forehead before heading for the door.

�I�ll go
get you some chocolate milk, Ginny and some coffee for myself while you
visit.� She smiled and left.

�Wow�I
never thought I�d ever get to meet you!�
Ginny looked around at them again, in awe. �Um�who is she? Did you
add a new member to the team?�

�This is
Hilary. I guess you could say she�s a
new team member.� Max flashed his 1000
Watt smile. �She�s Kenny�s girlfriend
and she makes sure we stay healthy and stuff.�

Kenny
blushed and Hilary rolled her eyes. �As
long as you don�t start calling me �mother� again.�

�But it
suits you so well!� Tyson drawled. �OW!�

Hilary
smacked him upside the head and Ginny giggled.
But because of her illness, and the treatments she�d undergone, her lungs
were weakened and she began to cough harshly.

Rei stepped
forward quickly and laid his hand on her forehead, murmuring under his
breath. A light green glow surrounded
his hand and seemed to be absorbed into Ginny and she stopped coughing, her
breathing eased and she took a deep breath, releasing it slowly on a sigh and
opened her eyes to stare at Rei. �I�I
feel better. What did you do?�

Rei smiled
sadly, a dull ache in his heart, and sat down heavily beside her on the bed,
taking her small hand between his own.
�I didn�t do much, I�m afraid.
I�m sorry Ginny. It seems I can
only take away your discomfort and pain.
I wish I could heal you fully��

�You have
magical powers?!� She stared at him
with that wide-eyed belief only a child could possess. �That�s so cool! Is it because you have bit-beasts?�

�We don�t
really know why, Ginny. We just
do.� Max pulled up a chair beside her
bed on Rei�s side. �I�m sure our
bit-beasts have something to do with it, though.�

�Hey! I�ve got an idea!� Tyson exclaimed. �Ginny,
you think you can keep a really special secret?�

Kai looked
at him. {And you call me a big
softy?}

{And your
point is?}

�I can keep
a secret, Tyson!� Ginny struggled to sit
up straighter and Rei helped her, fluffing up her pillows a bit more.

�You swear
not to tell anyone?�

�I swear!�

�Okay. How would you like to meet our bit-beasts,
Ginny?�

Her eyes
went round as saucers and she clapped her hands excitedly. �Really?
Can I?�

�Yep. Max, you first.�

{Draciel?}

{Yes, Max?}

{Come out
for a while, and meet Ginny, okay?}

{Certainly,
young Master.}

The ancient
tortoise appeared on Max�s lap and the blonde lifted him up and set him beside
Ginny on the bed.

�This is Draciel,
Ginny.�

�Oh
Wow! Nice to meet you, Draciel!� She looked at Max, hesitantly. �Can I pet him?�

Max
smiled. �If Draciel doesn�t mind.�

//I don�t
mind at all.// The Water Spirit inched
forward and nudged Ginny�s hand with his head.

�Hey! You talk too!�

Before Rei
could even say anything, Driger appeared on his partner�s lap, his tail
wrapping firmly around Rei�s wrist. Rei
looked down at him and sighed. �Do you
ever announce yourself?�

//What
for?// Driger replied and purred
quietly. Rei stroked the tiger�s fur
and shook his head ruefully.

Tyson and
Kai called out their partners too (minus Drisana, for obvious reasons). The Dragon curled around Tyson sinuously as
the Phoenix settled on Kai�s shoulder with a ruffle of feathers.

Ginny�s
eyes shone in delight and she smiled widely at the sight of all the Spirits in
her room. �Oh gosh! I never thought I�d get to meet all these
bit-beasts like this!�

The Team
stayed for half an hour longer, then left a very happy young girl waving good-bye
and her mother smiling in gratitude.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rei held on
until he got to their hotel suite. Then
he curled up into a ball against Max�s side and wept silently on the sofa.

Tyson was
there immediately, taking Rei�s hand in his own. �Oh, Rei�don�t do this to yourself.�

�I
tried! I really tried to heal her, but
it just wouldn�t happen!� The neko-jin
sobbed into Max�s shirt, clinging to his mate.
Max held him close, murmuring consoling words in an effort to comfort.

Kai
unfolded himself from his chair and came over, sitting on the couch on Rei�s
other side and slipping an arm around his shoulders. �Listen to me, Rei. I
know this is hurting you deeply. It�s
never a happy thing to see someone so young ill and dying � and I can imagine
its worse when you have an ability that doesn�t work. But you need to realize that our powers have to be used wisely,
and that perhaps it didn�t work on Ginny because she wasn�t meant to be healed
� harsh as it sounds.�

�Kai is
right, Rei.� Kenny spoke up,
quietly. �Whatever is out there making
sure we do what we�re supposed to do�some things are meant to be and no matter
how much we dislike it, we have to accept it.�

�I may not
have powers like you all do,� Hilary said, quietly. �But I know one thing: today you gave a little girl something
just as important and special as another chance at life. You showed her that hopes and dreams can
come true and that people still care, even if they are complete strangers.�

Rei looked around
at them, sniffling and blinking his molten gold eyes tearfully. �You�re all right. I know it. But it still
hurts.�

�Yeah. We know, Rei.� Tyson patted his hand.

�Come on,
love.� Max drew the neko-jin up with
him. �Let�s go get you cleaned up and
take a cat-nap.� He led Rei to their
room.

�Cat-nap? Not funny, Max.�

�Sorry. No pun intended.�

Kenny and
Kai exchanged a glance and Kai gave a small nod.

�I think I
could use a walk. All that sitting
around today has me feeling restless.
Let�s go, Tyson!�

Tyson
blinked and got up, following his lover to the door. �What? I�m going with
you?�

�Well, you
don�t have to go.� Kai made sure he
sounded very disappointed.

�I didn�t
say that! I�m coming!� They disappeared out the door.

When they
were gone, Kenny turned to Hilary. �Go
remind Max and Rei of the plan and I�ll call the other teams and get this party
started, okay?�

�On it,
Chief!� Hilary gave him a salute then
kissed him on the cheek and dashed off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kai and
Tyson walked silently for a time, hand in hand.

�You felt
badly for Ginny, didn�t you?� Tyson
said after a while, more of a statement than a question.

�Yes. I can�t imagine what it must be like to be
so sick and to know you only have so much time left to live. I would rather be dead than to have to live
and suffer that way.� Kai gripped
Tyson�s hand.

�I know
what you mean, my love. But look at it
from the other side of things.� Tyson
squeezed back. �She knows she�s going
to die, and yet she clings to life � no matter what she has left of it. We all do.
After all, what would be the point of battling the Void if we didn�t
value life?�

Kai thought
about that for a moment. Then he
smiled. �Well that�ll teach me to
underestimate your intelligence. Leave
it to you to put everything into perspective, Ty-love.�

�I�m not as
dumb as I seem.� Tyson nodded, grinning
slyly and raising their joined hands to kiss the back of Kai�s. �Shouldn�t we be getting back to the hotel
soon?�

�In a
hurry?�

�No,
actually, I�m not. It�s nice to spend
some time alone with you for once.� A
thought struck him suddenly. �You know,
we�ve been together for a few months now�and we�ve never been out on a date.�

Kai glanced
at him with a frown. �Sure we
have. Haven�t we?�

�No! We haven�t!�

�Huh. Does it really matter so much?� Kai asked, taking a seat on a park
bench. They had walked quite a distance
from the hotel, and were currently up on one of the bluffs near the sea,
overlooking Puget Sound. �We are beyond
the whole dating thing, aren�t we?�

�Good
point.� Tyson sat beside him and looked
out over the water. �Sometime we should
go out, though�just for the hell of it.�

�Alright.�

The sun was
beginning to sink below the horizon by now, a huge molten red and gold disc
over brilliant blue-green water.
Neither blader felt the urge to leave.
There was no one around and it was wonderfully peaceful and quiet, and
they continued to sit and watch the sun set contentedly.

They had no
idea that things wouldn�t remain so peaceful for long, and that this sunset
could very well be the last.

**************************************

~ End Chapter 22 ~

*************************************

Chapter 23

*************************************

�Okay��
Hilary checked her list. �That can go
over there and those can stay right here.�
She directed Michael and Gary to set down their boxes.

Kenny
looked around. The living room are a of
their suite was definitely looking more festive with their decorations and
stuff. �Hey, Max! Call Kai on his cell and tell him we�re
nearly ready if he wants to bring Tyson back now.� He suggested.

�Sure!� Max bounced over to the phone and dialled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

�It�s times
like this I wish I had even a little bit of artistic talent.� Tyson sighed.

Kai
smiled. �Why?�

�So I could
paint that.� He gestured at the
sunset. �Or photograph it or something.� Tyson turned away from the beauty of nature
and crawled onto Kai�s lap, straddling his legs and draping his arms loosely
over Kai�s shoulders. He smiled into
Kai�s eyes as he felt the Phoenix�s hands slide up his thighs and around to
grip his hips. �Oh well. I�ll just admire your beauty instead.�

Kai rolled
his eyes. �Cut that out.� He said, raising a hand to rub a thumb over
his lover�s bottom lip. �I�m not
beautiful.� His eyes narrowed slightly
when Tyson pressed his lips to Kai�s thumb and his tongue darted out to flick
over the pad enticingly.

�Hmm�you
are to me. But if �beautiful� bothers
you�� Tyson leaned in closer to lightly press his lips to Kai�s briefly. �I can always use words like gorgeous.� Kiss.
�Sexy.� Kiss. �Hot.�
Tyson gave him a harder kiss.
�But I like one word most of all�� He purred as Kais fingers slid into
his hair and massaged the back of his head.

�And what
word is that?� Kai asked, their faces
so close that heir breaths mingled, their noses nudging each other and their
mouths brushing against each other as they spoke.

�Mine.�

Just as
Tyson was about to stop teasing and kiss Kai seriously, his captain�s cell
phone broke the little bubble of their world with its ring.

Kai growled
a curse and Tyson jumped slightly then glowered at the little silver and black
box as Kai took it from his pocket to answer it, his midnight eyes
flashing. �That better be
important.� The Dragon grumbled.

�It�s a
number I don�t recognize so it�s probably one of the guys back at the
hotel.� Kai pressed the �talk� button
and held it up to his ear with one hand, the other pulling Tyson closer. The bluenette snuggled in and rested his
head on Kai�s shoulder, a hand lying over his heart. �What? We were having a
moment here.�

There was a
meep from the other end of the line and Max spoke up. �Sorry, Kai! Kenny told
me to call you and let you know we�re ready.
So come on back!�

�Yeah,
okay. We�ll start heading back. Oh, hey Max, put Rei on for a moment.�

�Just a
second.�

Kai waited
impatiently and struggled to contain a moan when Tyson�s mouth found its way to
his neck under his scarf and started searching out spots that were guaranteed
to drive bolts of pleasure into Kai�s system, spots his lover knew all too
well. �Uhn�Ty�I�m on the phone here.�

�Mmm�I
know.� Tyson continued purring, his
whole body vibrating with the rumbling sound.
�Tell them to go away.� Kai
shivered and let his free hand slip under Tyson�s shirt and trace patterns on
bare skin as Rei�s voice came on the line.

�What�s up,
Kai?�

�Ah��
Slightly flustered and very distracted, Kai struggled to concentrate. �Did you get it?�

�Yep. No worries.
It�s in my pocket.�

�Good. We�ll be back in a while. I think we walked quite a bit.�

He swore he
could see the neko-jin smirk knowingly.

�We�ll be
waiting. Don�t make out too long!� Rei said, hanging up on Kai before he could
growl at him.

�Remind me
to make that boy run extra laps later.�
Kai tucked his phone into his pocket again.

�So what
was that all about?� Tyson asked, his
hand moving lower on Kai�s chest and over his abdomen, nuzzling and purring.

�Nothing
special. Just what we�re going to do
for supper tonight, that�s all. They
want us to come back so we can eat.�

�Food?� Tyson sat up. �Well, we�d better go then, huh?�

Kai sighed
at the loss of his Dragon�s attention, though he�d known perfectly well the
word �food� would distract his lover.
�I take it you�re hungry.�

�I could
eat.� Tyson kissed him quickly and
clambered off his lover�s lap, grabbing his hands and pulling him up off the
park bench. �Let�s go!�

Kai laughed
as his eager boyfriend yanked him along.
�You and your stomach, Ty. Slow
down, lover! They aren�t going to eat
without us.�

Tyson slowed
and they walked side by side again along the bluffs.

As they
rounded a corner, however, both teens stopped, sensing something was wrong.

�Kai, do
you feel what I do?�

�Yeah.� Kai looked around, but couldn�t see
anything. {I can�t pinpoint the source
though, Tyson. There�s no life for me
to follow.}

{I
know. I don�t think we have to wait
long to find out whom the Void�s sent this time.}

{Can you
call to the others?} Kai wondered. {We may need them.}

Tyson shook
his head slightly. {They�re just far
enough out of range.}

{That�s not
good.}

Before
Tyson could agree with him, a familiar, shadowy grey fog appeared in front of
them, formless.

{Dragoon? You ready?}

{I�m always
read, Tyson.} The fog began to take
shape.

{Dranzer? How about you?} Kai inquired of his partner.

{As ever.}

{If you
require assistance, my brother and Master, I am fully prepared also.} Drisana put in her support.

{Thanks,
Drisana. But we have yet to see which
of us will be challenged.}

They didn�t
have to wait long. Both bladers drew
out their blades and launchers, preparing for battle.

To their
shock, the fog became not one but two forms, identical except for their
gender. One had a female figure and the
other was male.

�Uh�okay.� Tyson exchanged glances with Kai. �I guess this means we�re both in for a
fight.�

�You are
correct, human. We are here to take the
Sacred Spirits of Air and Fire for our Master, the Void, so that this area of
the universe may be ours.� The female
spoke, her voice lifeless.

�Well, we
hate to spoil your plans,� Kai smiled at them, but it was the kind of smile he
bestowed on his opponents, the one that had little (if any) humour and meant he
was willing and able to fight. Couple
that smile with the burning, confident intensity that ignited his crimson eyes
and many an enemy had backed down in fear or a state of insecurity about their
own skill. �I�m afraid you�re going to
have to deal with us first.�

�And we
have no intention of letting you win.�
Tyson agreed.

The male
figure responded by drawing out a blade and launcher, taking up his launching
stance. The female echoed him. �You will not stop us.�

�We�ll see
about that. Do you two have names or do
we just call you �guy� and �girl?��
Tyson watched them carefully.

�We were
informed of your human obsession with names.�
The girl said. �It is a
curiosity.�

�Call it a
human quirk.� Kai shrugged. �So do you have names, or not?�

�Because of
this�quirk, we were given names to provide you with.� The male said. �You may
call me Saarik.�

�And I,
Sidra.�

�Well,
then, Saarik, Sidra�let it rip!�

The four
bladers launched and the battle began.

Kai and
Sidra split away from Tyson and Saarik, who had moved farther out on a bluff
for their battle.

{Be
careful, lover. Keep your temper in
check and focus.} Kai passed along the
warning as he dodged and circled Sidra�s blade.

{Yes, oh my
captain.} Tyson�s reply held a note of
sarcasm. {Don�t worry about me,
Kai. Take care of yourself!}

The battle
raged on, neither side gaining any ground � until the Void�s minions suddenly
changed tactics.

Sidra�s
blade went flying off up the steep incline of the bluff, kicking up dust � and
slammed into Tyson�s blade without warning.
Kai chased after her but wasn�t fast enough to stop her attack on Tyson.

�Hey! Not fair!�
The World Champion complained, quickly going on the defensive as the two
bladers continued to attack him relentlessly.
Kai did his best to help but Sidra and Saarik�s attention refused to
waver away from their victim � Tyson.

And then it
wasn�t only Tyson under attack�it was Dragoon as well.

�It is
time! Gorgon!�

�Go,
Balor!�

Tyson and
Kai stared as tow large � not to mention ugly � bit-beasts rose up from the
dull grey blades.

The one
from Saarik�s blade, the one he�d called Balor, was a giant with one eye and a
nasty looking horn sprouting out of its forehead. The other was just as horrific, a roundish sort of monster that
also had one huge ye but also had numerous tentacle-like arms that waved and
undulated madly.

�Gods. Where do they find these
things?� Kai managed to wonder aloud.

�I have no
clue.� Tyson shook his head.

�Concede,
foolish mortals.� Saarik advised. �You cannot survive against our beasts�
attacks.�

�Not
likely.� Kai snorted. �Dranzer and Dragoon are ours. No one and nothing will separate us. Let�s do this, Tyson. I want to get back for supper.�

�Me
too. Bring it, minions of the Void, if
you dare to challenge the elements.�
Tyson braced himself, planting his feet. �Dragoon!�

Dragoon
rose up from his blade in all his stormy glory and both the ancient dragon
spirit and Tyson were engulfed in a blazing, electric blue light.

The sky
overhead suddenly grew darker, and Kai looked up to see black storm clouds
forming rapidly overhead. Lightning
began to flash in an incredible light show, punctuated by claps of thunder loud
enough to shake the ground under their feet.

When Kai
looked back at his lover, he got the shock of his life. Tyson�s eyes had been swallowed up by his
power, seeming to spark with little jolts of electricity, something Kai had
never seen the bluenette do before.

�I�ve had
enough of this.� Tyson stated his voice
gone dark as the clouds overhead as the wind picked up and whipped their
clothes around furiously.
�Dragoon! Take out that
Cyclops!�

The battle
raged on. Lighting flashed brightly,
thunder crashed deafeningly, and Kai stood back to let his lover do what he did
best � Beyblade. With all the
commotion, he briefly wondered why no one came to see what was going on, then
decided it really didn�t matter as he recognized an expression that flashed
across Tyson�s face. It was the one he
wore when he�d had enough messing around.
Kai allowed himself a smirk. The
Void had once again miscalculated its opponent�s strength and would pay for it
dearly.

Dragoon�s
Phantom Hurricane attack devastated Saarik�s blade, destroying it. But just as with Jael�s blade, Balor didn�t
disappear.

Kai
frowned, neatly sidestepping a lightning bolt, and had a bad moment when the
monster dove at Tyson in a last ditch effort to destroy Air�s Guardian and win
the match.

Tyson,
weakened by the battle, sent what power and energy he had left to Dragoon and
swayed dangerously on his feet as his partner took out the Cyclops in a ferocious
attack. The monster seemed to explode �
or implode. It was difficult to tell.

Time seemed
to slow to a halt at that moment. No
matter what Kai tried to do, everything seemed to move in slow motion. He watched, helplessly, as Tyson suddenly
gasped, his beautiful blue eyes going wide in shock then glazing over in
unbearable pain as he clutched at his stomach.
Kai sucked in a breath and ran toward him when he saw the horn that had
previously been on Balor�s forehead impaled in his mate. He saw it then disappear as the creature
had.

The
bluenette collapsed to the ground with a whimper.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

While
everyone was stetting up in the living room, Dizzi was running through some
last minute data and simulations. Kenny
had left her plugged in and running on a table in his room.

Now, if it
hadn�t happened that her camera was facing the window, she might not have
noticed the sudden onslaught of weather.

But it did
happen, and she did notice. And finding
it suspicious, she took a few readings and quickly analyzed them.

Her
conclusions? The storm was abnormal and
screamed TYSON loudly.

Gods! Tyson�s battling the Void! Oh no�and he and Kai are alone! The others probably don�t know what�s
happening and I�m stuck here in this damned computer! I can�t warn them!

All her
data, her knowledge, was of no use if she couldn�t do the job she�d come into
existence to perform � to guide and help the four Guardians to protect the four
Sacred Spirits.

An amazing
thing occurred, then, just as Dizzi was heading into a full-blown panic attack.

A blast of
lightning from the storm hit the hotel, causing a momentary power outage. The sudden surge of electricity travelled
through the hotel and through the outlet that Kenny�s laptop was plugged into,
causing the trapped spirit to black-out�

Sometime
later�

�Ugh. My head.�
Dizzara moaned and shivered, prying her eyes open when she came to. She blinked and frowned, however, when she
realized she was staring at the ceiling�and that she apparently had a form that
most definitely was not a laptop computer.

Dizzara sat
up slowly, raising her arms awkwardly to stare at her hands.

HANDS!

�Holy�I�m
free! And�I�m human?!� She looked down at the rest of herself and
blushed slightly. �Uh�clothes would be
useful.�

After a
moment of gaining some sort of orientation with her new form, she stood up
shakily and concentrated, using her powers to create for herself a set of
clothes.

Once
dressed, Dizzara remembered her urgency and dashed for the door, leaving a
smoking heap of melted computer behind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

�Where the
hell are they?� Stephen demanded,
tapping his fingers impatiently on the coffee table.

�Gary is
hungry.� Gary agreed.

�I don�t
know what�s taking so long.� Kenny
sighed. �Kai wouldn�t let Tyson get too
distracted. He knows we�re all here
waiting for them.�

Hilary
glanced out the window worriedly. �I
don�t like this storm, you guys. It
just blew in from out of nowhere.�

�That�s not
uncommon here in Seattle, I hear.�
Mariah said. �They�re probably
just waiting out the worst of it somewhere.�

�No.� Rei shook his head. He�d been feeling restless for some reason
for a while now. He sensed Driger�s
agitation too. �Kai would have phoned. Something�s wrong.�

�Oh my
God.� Max suddenly sat up. �Rei�you don�t suppose�?�

Rei looked
grim.

Before any
of their confused friends could inquire what they were talking about, a new
voice spoke up. It was female and
familiar, but no one recognized the pretty young woman it belonged to.

�Max is
right. We have to find Kai and Tyson
right now! They�re battling while we�re
sitting here.�

Everyone
stared at her. She was only slightly
taller than Kenny, wearing a simple white sundress with gold lame trim in a
style similar to Rei�s Chinese shirts, a pair of sandals on her bare feet. She had a mass of wavy, rich mahogany
coloured hair that draped just past her shoulders and down her back, and she
regarded them all with a pair of bright, vibrant teal eyes.

�Who are
you?� Bryan asked, suspiciously.

Kenny said
nothing for a moment, staring at her as he stood up and walked toward her. �I know you. I�d recognize that voice anywhere.� He stopped just in front of her, taking in her appearance with stunned
awe. �Dizzi?�

�DIZZI?!� Everyone else chorused.

�Hi,
Chief! Yes, it�s me. Can we discuss this later? Our teammates need us.�

Kenny shook
himself and nodded. �Yeah, right. Rei, Max!
Get your blades. Who knows what
we�ll be up against?�

Max ran to
their rooms and came back in seconds.
�Go!�

�We�re
coming, too!� Oliver said, and everyone
else nodded in agreement. �If Kai and
Tyson are in trouble, then we want to help.�

Rei
shrugged. �We can�t stop you. But no matter what happens out there, you
all have to stay out of the way and don�t get involved.� With that warning, the rest of the
Bladebreakers were out the door at a dead run, letting Dizzi lead the way,
heading for the battle zone. The other
four teams followed close behind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

�TYSON!� Kai skidded to a halt and dropped down to
his knees, gently lifting his lover�s head and placing it in his lap
carefully. Tyson cried out in pain and
Kai winced, stroking his hair away from his face.

�Gods,
Tyson! Don�t you dare leave me! I don�t want to be alone again.�

�Uhn�I�I
don�t want to leave either.� Tyson said
raggedly. �Shit, that hurt!�

Dragoon
came over and flashed into solid form, landing beside his Guardian somewhat
ungracefully and anxiously hovered over him.
Kai palmed the bluenette�s blade and slipped it into Tyson�s
pocket. �There, love. Your blade�s safe.�

�Th�thanks,
Kai. Ah!� His body shuddered and he moaned. �Kai�I�m sorry��

�No,
Tyson. Don�t be sorry. None of this is your fault.� Kai shook his head, pulling off his scarf
and using it without hesitation to staunch the blood flowing from Tyson�s
wound. He felt hot tears slip down his
cheeks. �Just rest, love. Conserve your energy.� His voice became thick with sorrow.

Dragoon
straightened and looked off in one direction.
�The others! I sense them
coming��

Kai felt a
flicker of hope. �Hear that,
Tyson? You�re going to be okay!�

�It seems
you�ve forgotten about me, human.� Sidra said, her partner on his knees beside
her, his head hanging in defeat. �That
other human may have defeated Saarik, but you shall not get past my Gorgon.�

Kai
listened to her silently, his body stiff with sudden anger and hatred. He gripped one of Tyson�s hands tightly.

�Kai��
Tyson said, his voice little more than a whisper that Kai had to strain to
hear. �Take her out. Finish the battle.� He drew a shaky breath and concentrated past
the pain long enough to link his fingers with Kai�s. �You�re the last of us to battle, my Phoenix. Go now, and win.�

�Gods�I�m
not leaving you to battle her. I don�t
have to.� Kai stared at their linked
hands for a moment, then turned his attention to Sidra. �The Void has made many mistakes�too
many. It can�t win. I�ve had enough of this.� Kai released all restraints on his power and
the resulting explosion rocked the ground and lit up the sky, competing with
Tyson�s lightning. His aura swirled and
burned red, orange, and yellow flames, and his crimson eyes bled to crystalline
ruby. He spoke one word. �Dranzer.�

The ancient
Phoenix exploded from Kai�s blade and went for after Sidra�s Gorgon. The two blades and their bit-beasts clashed,
shocks and explosions sounding at every collision.

But it was
soon clear that Kai was far too powerful and pissed off for Sidra to
handle. His power was overwhelming and
fuelled by his rage.

By the time
the rest of his teammates and their friends arrived, Sidra was beginning to
panic, as much as any minion of the Void could do so. They were just in time to see Sidra�s blade and Gorgon take the
final blow.

�Volcano
Emission!� Kai called out the attack.

BOOM!

Sidra�s
blade and the monstrous Gorgon were consumed by Dranzer�s flaming attack.

�AH!� Everyone exclaimed, ducking away from the
blast that sent chunks of earth and cement flying like shrapnel. Kai curled himself over Tyson to protect his
fallen lover from further harm.

When the
smoke and dust cleared, Kai looked up and Dranzer joined his partner and their
mates, taking solid form also and settling on a coil of Dragoon�s tail.

�It�s
done.� Kai stated, still riding his
power. �We have each won our battles,
minions of the Void. You and your
�Master� are defeated. So go back to
wherever you came from and don�t come back.�

Sidra and
Saarik looked at each other and laughed.
�You believe it is over? It
shall never be over�� They said, one voice.
Then they flickered out of sight.

Kai put the
feeling of unease that crept over him at their words aside and turned his
attention back on Tyson.

*************************************

~ End Chapter 23 ~

*************************************

Chapter 24

*************************************

Kai took
note of Tyson�s laboured breathing and looked up, calling to his
teammates. �Get over here!�

�Holy
mother of God�oh no!� Max dropped down
on one side of Kai and Tyson, tears filling his eyes. �Tyson��

Kenny
sniffled and the others looked on in horror and sorrow. The Bladebreakers had given them all a brief
explanation as they ran towards the battle, but they hadn�t believed it was
truly so serious.

Rei knelt
down on the other side. �He�s lost a
lot of blood��

�Please,
Rei�tell me you can fix this.� Kai
begged, his heart breaking. He could
feel his mate slipping away.

�I�m�I
don�t know, Kai. I�ll try.�

DO
NOT BOTHER, MORTAL, FOR SOON NONE OF YOU SHALL BE ALIVE.

Everyone
froze and looked toward the edge of the bluffs. There was an inky, formless fog floating there again, only this
time it didn�t coalesce into any shape.

Dizzara,
Dragoon, and Dranzer flinched and moved closer to their human partners
protectively.

//The
Void.// Dranzer squawked, ruffling his
feathers in agitation.

//Creation
has won, Evil One. You have no reason
to be here.// Dragoon growled.

�In other
words, take a hike!� Dizzara folded her
arms over her chest and glared.

I
GROW TIRED OF LOOSING BATTLES TO THAT�BITCH.
I MAY HAVE LOST THE CHANCE TO OPEN MY PORTAL TO MY DIMENSION, BUT I CAN
STILL DESTROY THIS PLACE OF CREATIONS!

The sun had
long since disappeared on the horizon and night had fallen, so there was no
visual evidence of what happened next.
With a burst of laughter that chilled the group of bladers and Spirits
down to their very souls, the Void did the unthinkable.

It put out
the sun.

YOUR
STAR IS BURNING OUT! SOON YOU WILL ALL
WISH THAT YOU HAD YIELDED TO THE VOID.
ENJOY YOUR FINAL MOMENTS, MORTALS.

Dizzara
shook her head in denial and wrapped her arms around herself. It was already growing colder. �This can�t be allowed to happen! It�s against all the rules!�

�We have to
be able to do something!� Kenny
wracked his brain for a solution � any solution.

STOP
RIGHT THERE! Another voice
boomed, as a second foggy cloud appeared.
This one, however, was a shining bright white light and flickered in
annoyance with its dark counterpart. WHAT
DO YOU THINK YOU�RE DOING? BY OUR RULES
YOU HAVE LOST. YOU WOULD CHEAT?

THE
GAME IS OVER. I AM NOT CHEATING. I HAVE NOT OPENED A PORTAL! I MERELY DESTROY THAT WHICH YOU HAVE
CREATED. The Void sounded
vaguely insulted about the cheating comment.

WHY? ARE YOU SUCH A CHILD THAT YOU MUST THROW A
TANTRUM WHEN YOU LOSE?! The
white light, which the Bladebreakers figured had to be the voice of Creation,
sounded a bit like a mother scolding a child.
HOW DARE YOU? SPOILED
BRAT!

The
conversation degenerated from there.

While the
two Powers bickered, Kai stared down at Tyson�s pale face as Rei seemed to go
into a trance, working to heal his fallen teammate with all his power and
will. There must be something we
can�wait. A star is a ball of burning
gases. Burning�FIRE� Kai�s thoughts led him to an idea � one that
he knew could cost him everything.

But it
would be worth it if the planet � no, the solar system � could be saved.

{I love
you, my Dragon. Don�t mourn me if�well,
you know. I know you�ll
understand.} Kai pressed a kiss to two
of his fingers then laid them over Tyson�s lips. {Someday.} Then he looked
up at Hilary.

�Hil, come
here and take my place, please.�

She gave
him a strange look but carefully switched places with Kai, gently cradling
Tyson�s head in her lap.

�Kai? What are you going to do?� Max looked up at him as he stood up.

�Stay here,
Max, and protect everyone. You, too,
Dranzer.� He stroked his life-long
friend�s feathers one last time. Then
he walked over to where the two Powers were still arguing like children, out
over the edge of the bluffs. He walked
up to the edge himself, staring into the darkness of the night, and remembered
a conversation that he had once had with Tala, of all people. It had happened that evening they had all
been at the gala in Bay City at the beginning of the season.

~~~Flashback~~~

�Mind if I
ask you something, Hiwatari?�

Kai looked
up at Tala in question. �You can ask,
but I can�t promise I�ll answer.�

�Fair
enough.� Tala grabbed a chair and sat
next to him. He�d chosen this moment to
talk to Kai because no one else happened to be close enough to listen to the conversation. �What I want to know is�how do you know what
you feel for Tyson is love?�

Kai blinked
in surprise and tore his gaze away from his sexy lover�s movements on the dance
floor, turning slightly in his chair to look at the Russian blader. �I�m not sure I understand what you�re
asking, Tala.�

�I want to
know what it is between you and the Dragon that makes you so sure it�s love.�

�Why do you
want to know? Are you�in love with
someone?� Kai inquired, curious. He smirked when Tala blushed furiously.

�I don�t
know. That�s why I�m asking how you
know.�

Kai thought
about it. �Well, it�s not something
that can be explained. It just is. But let me ask you a couple of questions and
perhaps the answers you come up with will also answer your question to
me.�

�It can�t
hurt, I suppose. Sure. Hit me.�

�Have you
ever felt so alone, as if there was no one else in the entire world, and then
had someone reach out to you in the darkness and offer you everything?� Kai looked out across the room, his crimson
eyes searching out his beloved, remembering a moment in the past out on a
frozen lake in Russia. �Have you ever
been shown a different path � a better one � for your life to travel down by
someone who has never lived your life, yet totally understood it and you?� His eyes met Tyson�s across the room and he
felt a tug on his heart, as if there was a string between them and the
bluenette was pulling on it, pulling Kai insistently toward himself. �Have you ever wondered, Tala, what would
have happened if that person had never become part of your life? Or what life would be like now if that
person suddenly wasn�t in it?�

Tala stared
at him with surprised blue eyes. Kai
glanced back at him with a slight smile.

�I can tell
by your expression that you�ve got some answers to work with. That�s good.�

They sat in
silence for a while, watching the throng of party-goers as Tala mulled over
Kai�s questions.

Eventually,
Kai stretched and decided it was time to go over to Tyson and make sure he
still had his lover worked up for their little game of seduction. �I think I�ll wander over and heat things up
a little.� He stood and looked down at
his fellow team captain. �I hope
whoever it is can accept what you�re willing to give, Tala.�

�So do I,
Kai.�

�One last
thing�� Kai smiled. �Now that you�ve
thought about things. Tala, have you
ever loved someone enough to give them your all? All your power, strength, and control, I
mean. And still find enjoyment in
life? Because when you know that, then you�ll
know it�s really love you feel for that person.�

With that
Kai walked off, threading his way through the crowd toward Tyson, missing the
thoughtful, wondrous expression on Tala�s face.

~~~Flashback Ends~~~

I hope
my advice helped you out, Tala. Kai
glanced back over his shoulder at the other Russian blader. It�s not always easy to ask yourself
questions like the ones I asked you.
Sometimes it�s just as hard to answer them, too. But in the end, it�s worth it.

Kai sighed
and looked up at the two entities that were supposed to be the heart of
everything. Love is always worth it.

�HEY!� He yelled, interrupting
their banter.

Both
stopped and there was startled silence for a moment.

YOU
DARE SPEAK THAT WAY TO ME?! The
Void cried, indignantly. Creation
shushed it.

OH,
BE STILL, BRAT. WHAT IS IT, YOUNG
WARRIOR?

Kai
sweatdropped heavily, and cleared his throat before speaking. �You said that the sun is burning out? Well, I want to stop it. Will you allow me to, or am I just going to
have to push you both out of my way first?�
He said it in his typical, Hiwatari Kai voice � cold, commanding,
confident, powerful�but inside he was quaking, knowing that he was risking
instant obliteration from either or both entities. He heard Dranzer in his mind, silently agreeing.

{I wish you
wouldn�t, Kai.}

{I�m the
only one who can. Thank you
for�everything, old friend. I hope you
and Dragoon will live long and happy lives together.}

{I will
miss you, Kai. I�m proud of you.}

{Same
here. Thanks, Dranzer.}

He could
have sworn the two entities looked at each other as if trying to decide whether
he was insane or just really, really brave.

YOUNG
WARRIOR, I REALIZE YOU�RE UPSET, BUT DO YOU REALLY THINK�

I WILL
NEVER UNDERSTAND YOUR CREATIONS, WENCH.
HONESTLY, WHO DO THEY THINK THEY ARE?

Creation
ignored it.

Kai
bristled, but said nothing, feeling a Power that was huge and unfathomable poke
around in his mind and heart without invitation.

There was a
long, unbearable moment of silence until finally Creation spoke up.

VERY
WELL. IT SEEMS YOU HAVE REALIZED
SOMETHING FUNDAMENTAL ABOUT ALL MY DESIGNS. There was a hint of pride in its voice. I HAVE ONLY LIMITED RESOURCES TO WORK WITH. ALL IS ENERGY, WHICH CAN NOT BE DESTROYED �
ONLY ALTERED. YOU WOULD GIVE YOUR
ENERGY TO FUEL THE STAR THAT THIS JEWEL OF MINE ORBITS?

�I
would.� Kai stood before them, straight
and sure. �You made us so that we had
power�and if it takes all my power, I�m willing to give it all to further Your
design.�

AH. YET ANOTHER REALIZATION.

�Yes. It�s my choice. This is my choice.�

CREATIONS. The Void huffed. DO WHATEVER YOU WISH THEN.
I�M GOING TO GO FIND SOMEWHERE ELSE TO OPEN MY PORTAL. AND YOU HAD BETTER BE READY FOR ANOTHER
BATTLE, CREATION. The inky
black fog disappeared.

Kai just
stared at the spot where it had been, feeling like he was in the Twilight Zone
or something.

HMM�YOU
HAVE DONE VERY WELL, MY WARRIORS.
Creation twinkled happily. AND
I THANK YOU. I HAVE A PARTICULAR
FONDNESS FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT OF MINE AND I WOULD HAVE HATED TO SEE IT
GET SUCKED INTO ONE OF MY COUNTERPART�S PORTALS. It seemed to look down at Kai in
question. YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS YOU
MUST DO?

�Yes.�

THEN
PROCEED. MY COUNTERPART WILL NOT
INTERFERE. The blinding white
light flickered once more and then was just�gone.

Kai closed
his eyes and let his power go once again, an image of Tyson ingrained in his
mind giving him a boost of strength and courage.

He could
hear the startled and concerned cries of his team and their friends behind him,
but he ignored them.

Love is always
worth it.

The
dual-haired captain of the World Champion Bladebreakers put everything else but
his task out of his mind, concentrating his full attention on the dying star at
the centre of the solar system.

What he did
would live in the minds of those present for the rest of their lives. Kai gave it his everything, all his power
and all his energy, leaving him completely drained.

His last
thought as his body gave out was the first thing Tyson heard as he regained
consciousness, fully healed but still weak from his injury and battle.

I will
always love you, Tyson. You will never
be alone because I am always with you.

Tyson sat
up in panic, getting to his knees and watching in horror and despair as Kai
collapsed to the ground and a huge fireball of pure energy rose up into the sky
and vanished. Tyson�s wail of
desolation pierced the evening silence as he felt the connection between
himself and his mate snap.

�KAI!!!!�

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Authoress
takes this opportunity to weep and blow nose before continuing�

Dryad: You�re
absolutely NOT stopping here.

Kai & Tyson:
X_X Damn right! clinging to one another.

Authoress
nods and gives a watery laugh.

Kali: I�m not! Besides, you don�t REALLY think I�d just kill
you, Kai? Come on�give me a little
credit!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

No one knew
how long they stood there, silent and mourning, witnessing Tyson�s broken heart
shattering further with every passing minute.
Tears flowed freely in a river of grief. No one moved or said anything.

After all,
what could any of them possibly say?

Dizzara
sniffled, staring at the bluff where Kai�s empty body remained. �How noble and brave of him.� She looked at Dranzer sorrowfully. �You should be incredibly proud of your
Guardian, Dranzer.�

//Indeed, I
am, Dizzara. But it still hurts.//

Dragoon
wrapped his coils around both Dranzer and Tyson, torn between trying to comfort
his mate and his Guardian.

And then
Draciel and Driger appeared in their Guardians� arms. Rei buried his face in the Tiger Spirit�s white fur and cried
silently, one arm holding Max against his side as the blonde sobbed into his
shirt.

Suddenly
there was a bright flash of light and one final bit-beast appeared.

The other
teams gasped and backed away in fear.

�Black
Dranzer!� Tala stared in shock. �Impossible!�

Kenny
sniffed and said in a watery voice, �No, Tala.
Kai had her all along. She�s not
as she once was, either.� He looked up
at the black Phoenix. �I�m so sorry,
Drisana.�

//Be at
ease, little wise one.// She inclined
her feathered head. //I am fine. But that is not why I have emerged. Despite what my Master has done, what he has
sacrificed, I�m afraid it wasn�t quite enough.
Perhaps if he hadn�t been weakened from the battle, it might have
worked. The sun is still dying.//

Everyone
but Tyson looked at her in fearful astonishment.

�NO! You mean all he managed to do was buy
time?� Dizzara stomped her foot to vent
her frustration. �So now
what?! And why can�t I think of
something?!�

�Oh Dizzi��
Kenny laid a hand on her shoulder.

//There is
a way. But it is not for any of you to
do. This is my task, my
purpose.// Drisana flew over to Kai�s
body, circling a few times in a sort of homage to him.

//Sister?! You�you aren�t going to�?// Dranzer broke away from Dragoon. //You would leave me, too? After such a short time together?//

//Long have
I contemplated my purpose in life, Revered Brother. Now I see�now I know what that purpose is.// She settled down on Kai�s chest and seemed
to smile gently at the group of teens and the four Sacred Spirits.

And then
she burst into flames, flames that started out an inky, glossy black but changed
as she spoke her next words.

//Hear me,
Creation, Mother of all! I am
ready! I will fulfill Your design! My power and life for this brave soul and
for this piece of Your creation!// As
she spoke, Drisana�s feathers turned from black, to red, to blinding white, as
did the flames around her. Those white
flames surrounded Kai as well and consumed them both while everyone looked on
and Creation�s voice spoke one last time.

SO BE
IT. WELCOME HOME, DRISANA, DAUGHTER OF
THE SUN.

That voice
sounded rather triumphant.

When the
flames died out, all that was left was a pile of ashes.

All watched
in awe, amazement, a little confusion, and sorrow. All but Tyson, that is.
He had retreated so far into himself at Kai�s loss that he had no idea
what was going on around him � though, in his mind and heart and soul, without
his Phoenix, he really didn�t care anymore.
Dranzer turned away and into Dragoon�s comforting coils once more.

Drisana�s
offering had worked. The sun rose up
behind them in the East, blazing forth its morning rays as if nothing had
happened. The group watched it rise
with a certain amount of relief.

A quick
glance at his watch told Kenny it really was morning. Hilary closed her eyes and let the warmth of the sun wash over her. Rei and Max just sat next to Tyson, holding
onto one another and hovering protectively and worriedly over their friend.

�Guys? What�s going on? Why am I alive? And
where�s Tyson?�

Since
everyone had been looking either East at the newborn sun, or down at Tyson, no
one had noticed when the pile of ashes suddenly moved and a figure sat up
shakily, brushing himself off and looking around in confusion. But when Kai�s voice broke the hushed
silence, they all whirled and looked up at him.

Gasps and
cries were his answer and his team (minus Tyson and Hilary, who�d stayed with
him) ran to Kai, launching themselves at their captain in a moment of undiluted
joy.

�Kai! Oh my God!
You�re alive!� Max glomped him,
tears pouring freely again.

�Ooph! Max��

Rei hugged
them both from behind, Kenny wrapped an arm around Kai�s waist and the other
clutched at Max�s sleeve.

�Damn you,
Hiwatari! Don�t you ever do that to us
again!� Rei scolded, his golden eyes
gone molten with tears.

Kai
shivered and sighed, allowing himself to immerse in the people that mattered
most in his life for one brief instant before shoving them all away. �I certainly don�t plan on it, Rei. Is it over?
Did it work?� He looked up to
see the sun burning brightly and steadily rising in the distance, and heaved a
sigh of relief.

Hilary
gently stroked Tyson�s hair, very happy to see their stoic captain alive and
back to normal, but at the same time worried about the teen in her arms. She�d tried to get him to look up and see
Kai for himself, but there was just no response at all.

�We�ll
explain it all, Kai, but right now I really think you should come here and help
Tyson.� She said, quietly.

Kai looked
over and sucked in a breath at the blankness he saw in his beloved�s eyes. He came over quickly and pulled the
bluenette into his own arms, cradling his face in his hands so that he could
look directly into the empty orbs.

�Tyson? Tyson!�
Kai searched those dull, midnight blue pools for any sign of recognition
or response. He was still shaky and
feeling pretty damned weak at the moment, but that didn�t stop him from putting
power behind his voice. {Tyson! Love, I�m alive�I�m right here�}

When he got
no response, he looked up desperately and begged Dragoon for help. �I can�t reach him! I need help�please, Dragoon!�

Dragoon
slid over and curled himself completely around both of them, resting his head
on Kai�s shoulder and staring as Kai was into Tyson�s eyes. //I will try. If I do get through to him, Kai, when I give you a nudge, start
talking again.//

�Alright.�

Dragoon
entered his Guardian�s mind and began his search, all three of them glowing a
soft blue. He had to swim through the
absolute despair and grief he found in there, but he managed to find the little
Dragon.

{Tyson? Oh, Tyson�} Dragoon wanted to weep. His friend was curled up on the �floor� and
rocking himself, mumbling incoherently to himself. When Tyson noticed his presence, he looked up and Dragoon fought
back a gasp at the pain he saw there.

{He�s gone,
Dragoon. There�s nothing left for me
anymore. Just let me die�}

{Don�t be
ridiculous. There�s plenty of reasons
to keep going, Tyson. What about your
friends? Your teammates? Gramps?
And what about me and Dranzer?
We all need you, Tyson.}

{You�ll all
do fine without me.} Tyson curled into
himself further, his voice as lifeless and empty as the minions of the Void had
been.

{No,
actually, we won�t. Luckily, it isn�t
even going to be an issue�}

{What are
you talking about?} Tyson asked, not
really sure why he was asking.
Something in Dragoon�s voice had gotten his attention.

Dragoon
smiled and purred. {While you were in
here feeling sorry for yourself, a miracle was happening out in reality. Kai�s alive, Tyson.}

{That�s
impossible! Damn it, Dragoon! Don�t do this to me!!} Tyson stood, pure fury over-riding all his
emotions.

Back out in
the rest of reality, another storm was brewing furiously, reacting to Tyson�s
emotions. Kai ignored the sudden wind
and driving rain, waiting with infinite patience and hope. Dragoon took Tyson�s emotions as a good sign
and nudged Kai a little bit hard while he tried to placate his partner.

{I�m not
playing with you, Tyson! I swear to you
it�s true!}

Tyson
opened his mouth to yell something rather nasty at his bit-beast when he heard
another voice, one he loved dearly, cutting him off.

{TYSON! Please answer me! I�m okay, lover! Come
back to me�I need you to come back! Oh
please�}

The Air
Guardian�s eyes went wide and suddenly all that was Tyson flooded back into
those gems, going from dull and empty to shining and full of life. �Kai�� Tyson whispered, his throat
constricting and making his voice raspy and low. Kai grasped Tyson�s shoulders and shook him slightly.

�Tyson! Come back to me! I love you��

�Quit
shaking me!� Tyson complained, throwing
himself into the Phoenix�s arms, feeling not only his arms wrap around him
tightly but also the comforting, powerful presence of Kai�s very soul. �I love you�I love you�� He chanted the
three little words over and over, immersing himself in the heat pouring off his
mate and the sheer love Kai was radiating.
Their auras flared, the storm died away and their connection snapped
back into place.

{Tyson�my
love�I�m so sorry. I didn�t want to
hurt you but I had to try and save everyone � no, everything. Please don�t be angry with me.}

Tyson
sniffled and buried his face in Kai�s neck, tears pouring out and dampening
Kai�s shirt. {Forget it. Let�s just forget it for now. Please?
Just hold me and don�t let go.}
He shivered, chilled, since Rei had removed his shirt to work on healing
him earlier.

{Never. Not ever.}
Kai let his hands roam, one rubbing Tyson�s back and the other burying
itself in the blue-black strands of Tyson�s hair, pulling him closer until
their mouths met and locked onto each other in a soul-filled, passionate kiss.

While they
continued reassuring themselves and each other that they were both okay and
really there, their teammates and friends looked on with a profound amount of
relief and joy � and a little embarrassment to be witnessing such a reunion.

Everything
was going to be all right after all.

*************************************

~ End Chapter 24 ~

*************************************

Epilogue

*************************************

�Well,
everyone, I think we should get back to the hotel, don�t you?� Robert declared. �For one thing, we�re all really tired. And I�m sure some of us have duties to perform this last day of
exhibition matches before the tournament.�

There was a
murmur of agreement and a few groans and grumbles.

Rei and Max
helped Tyson and Kai to stand up but the two refused to let go of each other,
their hands remaining clasped together firmly and fingers linked tightly. Max shrugged out of his jacket and handed it
to Tyson, who huddled into it gratefully.

�Thanks,
Max.�

�Sure. Don�t want you to catch a cold after all.�

Kai glanced
to the side when he felt Dranzer settle on his shoulder. �I guess you�re stuck with me for a while
longer, huh, old friend?�

//I
wouldn�t have it any other way.//
Dranzer replied, ruffling his feathers softly against Kai�s cheek and
ear.

�Hey,
guys?� Kai looked around, frowning, as
he noticed something. �Where�s
Drisana?�

Tyson
blinked and frowned also when the others shuffled their feet nervously and
exchanged sad, worried glances.
�Yeah?� His tone was suspicious.

�Kai�you
wanted to know why you�re alive?�
Dizzara, seeing that no one else wanted to break the news to the reborn
captain, stepped forward and took his free hand in hers. �Drisana offered herself for you. She said that what you had done hadn�t quite
been enough and so she sacrificed herself for the sun and for your life.� She sniffled and released his hand when his
eyes went wide and filled with tears.
�She�s gone. I�m sorry, Kai.�

Dranzer
nudged his partner with his beak in sympathy and equal grief.

Tyson
squeezed Kai�s hand and let go to wrap his arm around Kai�s waist, supporting
him silently. �I�m sorry, Kai, for your
loss. I wish I could thank her for
giving you back to me.�

//She
wasn�t evil. Not at all.// Dragoon added, rising up to curl his long,
sinuous body around Tyson and rest his head on his partner�s other
shoulder. //Do not mourn her, for she
has proven to be of great heart.//

Kai nodded
and wiped at his eyes, not saying anything.

Tala came
up behind them, and tapped Kai on his other shoulder. Turning, Kai looked at him and raised an eyebrow in question.

�Was that
really Black Dranzer, Kai? You�ve had
her all along, and you didn�t tell anyone?�

�Yeah. Really, though, Tala, can you think of any
place where she�d have been safer than with me?� Kai shook his head.
�There�s a lot we thought about her that was a mistake. She was no more a bad bit-beast than I am a
bad person. Her name was really
Drisana, and she was actually Dranzer�s little sister.�

Tala�s
ice-blue eyes widened and he smiled faintly.
�Well, after today, I won�t assume anything is impossible. I�m sorry, Kai, that you had to lose
her. She would have made a powerful
addition to your team, I imagine.�

Kai
shrugged. �She already was.� He looked down at his feet for a moment, and
as his eyes travelled down, noticed that Tala�s hand was firmly held in someone
else�s. The Phoenix blinked, thinking
he was seeing things, but he wasn�t.
Tala�s fingers were twined with Bryan�s and neither seemed to be aware
of it � or else they were and they didn�t care who noticed. He looked up again and smiled a little at
Tala. �So you did take my advice.�

Kai had to
grin when a faint blush spread over his fellow Russian captain�s cheeks. �Shut up, Hiwatari.�

Tyson
smiled serenely, having read both Kai�s and Tala�s minds to find out what the
heck they were talking about.

Then
suddenly there was a sound like the ringing of a church bell echoing and
catching everyone�s attention. They all
glanced back towards the edge of the bluffs�

To see a
bright, white stream of light pierce the lingering clouds and punch the ground,
casting a luminous glow on everything it touched. And then a figure appeared, at first looking like a burning white
Phoenix, but then its form shifted into a petite young girl, swathed in flowing
white robes, her golden skin glowing with an unseen source of light. The sea�s breeze came up, ruffling her
clothes and blowing her long, jet-black hair up and away from her to fan out
around her like wings. He r face
remained in shadow as Kai and Tyson moved toward her slowly.

Kai stopped
when she raised her head and her gaze met his.
Piercing, shiny gold eyes met flaming, weary crimson.

�Greetings,
my Master.� She smiled and curtsied
deeply. �You look surprised to see me.�

The captain
of the Bladebreakers stood there gaping at her, his mouth hanging open in shock
� not that the rest of the group was much better.

Dranzer
squawked in Kai�s ear and he winced.
//Drisana?!//

She had the
grace to look abashed. �Yes. I�m sorry, Revered Older Brother. I didn�t mean to upset either of you.� She stepped down off of the large rock she
was balanced on in her bare feet and swayed toward them. �I wish I could stay long, but this form
will not last.�

Kai sensed
his teammates come up beside himself and Tyson, still gripping his hand, spoke
first.

�So why
have you come back?�

The white
Phoenix Spirit smiled gently. �I am
merely an avatar, young Dragon, for the sun.
I came to thank you on our behalf, Master Kai, for what you tried to
do.� She glanced over at Dizzara. �And you, Dizzara, we wish to thank you for
the guidance and wisdom you provided our warriors.�

Dizzara
blinked at her, a little confused, but nodded.
�It�s what I do, after all.�

Kenny
tilted his head at Drisana in question.
�I think I get it. I just have
one question: what was all that about portals?�

�Oh! Yes�I realize that must have been a little
confusing. You see, the Void�s plan was
to capture the four Sacred Spirits and use them to open a doorway to Its realm
� a place of absolute nothingness. No
light, no time, no love, no Creation.
It is the anti-Universe, I suppose you could call it. These portals are all over the place. In fact, there�s a rather large on at the centre
of this galaxy.�

Kenny
snapped his fingers. �Of course! Black holes!�

�I believe
that�s what you call them, here, yes.�
Drisana nodded. �Don�t ask how
it would have been done, though. I�m
not sure that I could explain it satisfactorily.�

Kenny
chuckled. �It�s okay. I don�t need to know everything.�

Kai�s hand
absently went to his stomach and he brushed his fingers over the tattoos that
were circling his navel under his shirt.
�So what happens next?� He asked
her softly. �You�re as much a part of
me as Dranzer is.�

�That I
am. You will go on with your life, Kai,
with your mate. I will always be with
you.� She stepped up close, laying her
hand over his on his abdomen. �I marked
you once and it was permanent. We are
all energy that cannot be destroyed, only altered.�

He felt a
little bit tingly and then felt a flash of heat that disappeared so quickly he
almost didn�t know if he�d felt it at all.
�Drisana�� he began.

�No. Don�t say anything more.� She cut him off gently, laying two fingers
over his lips. �I have done what I was
supposed to, now. It is time for me to
leave you.� She stepped back and looked
at Tyson. �You will take care of them,
won�t you?� She asked, indicating Kai
and Dranzer.

�Always.� Tyson�s arm around Kai�s waist tightened,
and Dragoon nodded.

�Then I
will go now, and be with you every day and night. When you look up at the sun, I will warm you. When you see the moon, I am protecting you
in dreams, as I have always done.� They
watched as the air began to shimmer around her and she regained her Phoenix
form briefly before fazing out as her last words were whispered on the wind.

Goodbye! Live and love well, Bladebreakers.

And then
she was gone.

�Goodbye,
Drisana.� Kai whispered back. He hung his head as their bit-beasts
flickered out of sight, returning to their blades, and let his lover lead him
away, their team right behind them and the other four teams of their friends
following silently.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once they
reached the hotel, the group split up and went to their own suites to rest
after notifying Mr. Dickenson of the night�s events (though in no great detail)
and cancelling any of the duties and events that were supposed to happen later
that morning and afternoon.

Kai and
Tyson walked into the Team�s suite behind the others and Tyson had to stop and
look around the room when he saw the decorations.

�What�s up
with the festive decorations, guys?�

�Oh man��
Max groaned and smacked his forehead.
�We forgot about all this!�

�Um��
Hilary shuffled her feet. �We had this
surprise party planned for you, Tyson.�

�Yeah, but
then things kind of got derailed�� Rei sighed.

�A surprise
party? For me?� Tyson looked around at them all in
confusion. �Why?�

Kai smiled then
began to laugh, remembering a time when something very similar had happened not
to long after he had first met Tyson, in fact.
�Tyson, lover, I�m glad you haven�t changed.�

�Huh?�

Kenny�s
eyes got wide as he caught on and remembered the same thing Kai did, walking
over to a wall and banging his head on, muttering under his breath, �Baka! Baka!
Baka!�

Max began
to laugh his head off. �Gods,
Tyson! I can�t believe you forgot your
own birthday, again! Once was bad
enough!�

Tyson
blinked then blushed sheepishly and grinned.
�Heh�oops!�

Everyone
but Kai fell over with laughter.

�We might
as well eat the food, at least.� Kai
mused. �It can�t just sit here all
day.�

Tyson lit
up like a neon sign and went for the buffet table they had set up eagerly. �Great!
I�m starved.�

The Team
joined him in filling their plates.
After they had all eaten their fill and had some of the three-layered
triple chocolate birthday cake, they cleaned up everything and went to bed
yawning out �goodnight�s� to each other.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kai and
Tyson walked into their room and locked the door behind them. Before Kai could even open his mouth, Tyson
was wrapped around him, clinging almost desperately to his lover and shaking
with emotion. Kai buried his face in
Tyson�s hair and curled his arms around the Dragon in return, just holding onto
him for now.

{I lost
you�Gods, I lost you! I nearly
died without you�} Tyson whispered brokenly in his mind. Kai shivered and sniffed back tears.

{I know�I�m
sorry, love�}

{I woke up
expecting to see you and hear you and instead I watched you die! Kai, I love you so much! Don�t ever do that to me again!} Tyson let loose his own tears, sobbing his
heart out into Kai�s chest as his mate walked backwards and sat on the bed,
dragging Tyson down with him to straddle his waist and sit on his lap.

{I�m so
sorry�} The Phoenix chanted that phrase over and over. Kai felt the tears spill over from his own
eyes and they sat there, clinging and crying together for what seemed like an
eternity.

Eventually
the weeping stopped and they just held one another, exhausted beyond
belief. Tyson pulled away and got up
long enough to strip off his dirty, tattered clothes and to crawl into bed
wearily. Kai piled all their wrecked clothing
in a bag, intending to just throw everything out later, and joined his mate in
bed. He lay on his side facing Tyson,
and trembled slightly as the bluenette cuddled up closer, one of Tyson�s legs
slipping between Kai�s and forcing Kai�s leg up over Tyson�s hip. Tyson pulled him close until they were
practically sandwiched together, their faces close enough that their noses
brushed against each other and their foreheads were pressed together as they
stared into one another�s eyes, arms wrapped firmly around each other.

In this
position, the two lovers closed their eyes and let sleep finally claim them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Every night
from that fateful day on until they got home to Japan, Tyson woke up gasping
and crying Kai�s name in despair.
Nightmares of what he�d seen when he�d regained consciousness that night
plagued his sleep and each time Kai had to spend a good hour or so calming his
mate down and reassuring him that everything was all right. Kai himself had a few bad nights, too, reliving
the moment when he�d watched helplessly as the horn from the Cyclops impaled
the Dragon as it was destroyed. And
when that happened it was Tyson having to calm Kai down and reassure him.

The rest
of the tournament went by quickly. The
Bladebreakers, after much deliberation, decided not to participate after all,
since, as Kenny pointed out, they didn�t have to in order to earn a spot
at the Worlds. Instead, they sat in the
audience for once and cheered on their friends enthusiastically. The Demolition Boys ended up winning �
barely � against the All-Stars in the final round.

Everyone
except Kai and Tyson had been pleasantly shocked and startled when Tala walked
up to Bryan and kissed him quite passionately in front of the thousands of
people in the stadium and the millions watching on TV at home around the world.

Since
Tyson�s party had been interrupted before it had even gotten started, Kai
arranged for their friends to come to Bay City on the next weekend where they
would have another party � minus the decorations and party favours this time,
though.

The plane
trip back was long and quiet, which was perfectly acceptable to them all. They�d had enough excitement in their lives
to last them for a long, long time.

As soon as
Kai and Tyson had walked into the dojo, they were assaulted by a stressed out
and worried Gramps.

�Little
Dudes! Are you both alright?! Stan called and gave me the skinny on what
went down in Seattle.� The spry old man
announced, gruffly hugging both boys tightly.

�Ack! Gramps�need�to breathe!� Tyson gasped out, gingerly hugging back.

�Sorry,
T-man!� Gramps let go and led them into
the kitchen where he started brewing a pot of tea. �So spill it, dudes! Tell
me what happened.�

And they
did, leaving nothing out. At the point
where Kai had died, Tyson had to stop and collect himself again. Kai stood behind him and drew him back
against his chest in an embrace, rocking the younger blader slightly and
murmuring softly in his mind to soothe.
Eventually, Tyson was able to continue, and when he�d finished, Gramps
shook his head in amazement and relief.

�I�m glad
things turned out well, dudes. I�d have
hated to bury both my grandsons so early.�

Kai raised his
head from Tyson�s hair and stared at the wily Gramps in shock. �Wha�what?�

Tyson
grinned at his grandfather. �Gee,
Gramps. You really know how to drop
bombshells don�t you?�

Gramps
blinked at them � or more specifically, Kai.
�Little dude, you didn�t think I considered you my own family? After all this time? You need to wake up and smell the coffee,
K-man!� He winked at Tyson and
sauntered off to the garden to take care of his bonsai trees.

Kai watched
him leave in stunned silence, his heart filling with an indescribable feeling.

{Welcome to
the family, Kai.} Tyson smiled and
turned in his arms, leaning up a bit to press his lips to Kai�s in a soft
kiss. {Wanna go make sure our bed still
works?} He inquired mischievously,
letting his hands trail down Kai�s back to slip under the waistband of his
jeans and underwear to cup his butt and squeeze suggestively. Kai shivered and moaned a little against his
mouth then pulled back slowly.

{Yeah�}

Tyson
removed his hands and took one of Kai�s, leading him back to their room,
closing and locking the door behind them.
He turned to face Kai and reached for the hem of his shirt, ripping it
off over his head and dropping it to the floor.

Kai
watched with russet eyes beginning to heat up, pulling off his own shirt and
his scarf. He would have started on his
jeans, but Tyson prevented that by closing the distance between them and gently
pushing him back onto the bed, covering Kai�s lean, muscular form with his own
body. His mouth swooped in to capture
Kai�s and the older teen�s hands came up to remove the hair band in Tyson�s
hair and run his fingers through the blue-black strands as they kissed
passionately, tongues delving into one another�s mouths and tasting each other,
tangling, thrusting, duelling for dominance.
One of Tyson�s hands cupped Kai�s face as he continued to kiss him, the
other stroking bare skin and tracing circular patterns over Kai�s chest until
he found a nipple, teasing it into a taut nub and making Kai wriggle under him
and moan his name softly in need.

�Tyson�uhn�more! I want you�� His voice was dark and
husky. �Please��

�Shh�you�ll
get more, lover. Patience.� Tyson reassured him, moving his mouth away
from Kai�s and pressing light, butterfly-soft kisses along his jaw and down
over his neck, sucking on the skin there while his hands slipped between them
to go to work on Kai�s belt. When he
got that undone, he undid the button and unzipped Kai�s jeans slowly, letting
the heat of his hands seep through the barrier of the denim and tease the
sensitive area of Kai�s body under them.
Kai made a needy little mewling noise and bucked his hips against
Tyson�s touch in urgent demand. �Shit,
Kai�you�re so hard already��

�Ah! Gods�� Kai moaned again and helped Tyson
peel the tight jeans off his hips and legs impatiently, sighing in relief as
the pressure on his groin decreased with the loss of the confining denim
material. �Much better��

Tyson
chuckled and got up off the bed and Kai to strip off his shorts and boxers quickly,
tugging off his socks while hopping around on one foot as he did so. Kai propped himself up on his forearms and
watched with a burning gaze, snickering when Tyson lost his balance and hit the
floor with a THUD.

�Ow! Damn it!�
Tyson rubbed at his rear as he got up and clambered back up the bed
toward Kai. �Quit laughing at me,
lover. That hurt.�

�Aw�poor
Ty.� Kai smiled up into his stormy blue
eyes and rolled them over so he hovered over Tyson seductively. �I know just how to make it feel better�� He
bent and kissed his lover briefly but thoroughly then proceeded to kiss
downwards, leaving a wet trail on heated skin exposed to the cool air as he
did. Tyson moaned and let out a
shuddering sigh as Kai took one nipple into his mouth and teased it
mercilessly, drawing out exciting little noises from his mate that turned him
on even more, moving on to the other taut nub as Tyson�s fingers tangled in his
hair and kneaded his head in time with the sucking motion of Kai�s mouth on
him. The blunette shifted restlessly
under him as Kai descended further, dipping his tongue in and out of his navel
and letting his fingertips glide up and down his sides lightly.

�Hmmm�Kai,
don�t stop!� Tyson groaned and spread
his legs farther apart to let his mate settle in more comfortably between them,
feeling Kai take his throbbing erection in hand and stroke excruciatingly
slowly, his thumb flicking over the swollen tip occasionally and generally
driving Tyson crazy. Kai smiled
wickedly and watched his hand give untold amounts of pleasure to his lover for
a moment longer, then dipped his head and took Tyson into his mouth as far as
he could, fighting back his gag reflex to deep-throat him. He made a sound of satisfaction as Tyson
yelled and tried to buck his hips upwards and thrust more of himself into Kai�s
hot, wet mouth.
�Uhhnnnggghhh�fuck! Kai!�

{Mmm�you
taste so good, lover.} Kai rasped,
sucking harder as he slowly moved up and down Tyson�s length, nipping at the
ultra-sensitive skin and licking away the pre-cum forming at the tip then
licking his lips and looking up at Tyson with heavy-lidded eyes gone bloody
burgundy red with lust. {I can never
get enough of you.}

{Kai�you�ll
never have to.} Tyson replied, purring
quietly. He gestured to Kai to get up
and take off his underwear, which the Phoenix quickly did before laying back on
the mattress. Tyson slid his hand down
between Kai�s legs and took him into his hand, pumping him slowly with an
irregular rhythm, enjoying Kai�s quiet moans and sighs of pleasure. {You turn me on so much that I won�t ever
stop wanting you.} He let go of Kai,
who made a sound of disappointment and took up that task himself, grasping his
erection firmly and stroking as Tyson reached over to grab a tube of lube from
their bedside table. Tyson watched him
for a moment, pushing Kai�s legs farther apart and settling between them as he
used the lube on his fingers and rubbed some on Kai�s entrance before slipping
one finger into him, thrusting as deep as he could. Kai grunted and his hand moved a little faster on his weeping
sex, unconsciously in time with Tyson�s fingers as he slid in another and
another. Feeling close to the point of
no return, Kai forced himself to take his hand away and let it grip at the
sheets underneath him instead, his hips moving now to meet the motion of
Tyson�s fingers. His eyes slid closed
and his breathing quickened to soft pants as Tyson found his sweet spot and
continuously brushed it just enough to send shock waves of pleasure shooting
through Kai�s system.

Tyson
removed his fingers and hastily slicked up his swollen, dripping length,
getting impatient himself. He
positioned himself and Kai, moving his legs so that they were up over his
shoulders and bracing himself on his palms on either side of Kai as he stared
down at his lover�s face from inches away, droplets of sweat that had formed on
his skin trickling down his spine.
�Kai�my love, look at me. Open
your eyes and look at me.�

Kai pried
open his eyelids and stared up at him, drowning in the emotion-filled midnight
blue pools. �Now, Tyson�don�t wait any
longer and fuck me.� He growled,
raising his arms to wrap them around his mate�s back and waist, one hand burying
itself in Tyson�s hair. The Dragon
shuddered and thrust deep, bumping his prostate on the first stroke and making
the Phoenix cry out and toss his head back in pure need. �Oooooooohhhhhhh shit! TYSON!�

Tyson let
out a slightly euphoric giggle and withdrew partway before slamming back in
again, this time kissing Kai hard and swallowing up his cries that sounded with
every thrust. Their tongues duelled and
parried each other, mimicking the movements of their straining, sweaty bodies
as they rocked together in an age-old tradition of passionate mating. Kai clutched at Tyson�s shoulders, feeling
the pressure build up and pool in his groin and throbbing sex until he just
couldn�t take any more.

�Gods�fuck,
I�m going to�Ty! Can�t�� he moaned
incoherently, running his hands desperately up and down Tyson�s sweat slicked
back. He shuddered once more when he
heard Tyson whisper darkly in his ear, �Come, my Phoenix. Come for me.� and cried out as he fell over
the edge into oblivion and flew high, vision going white and body trembling and
shaking with the force of his orgasm as his essence burst from him in jet after
jet of pearly release all over their stomachs.

Tyson felt
him let go and moaned long and loud in Kai�s ear, his whole body shuddering
with the feeling of Kai�s internal muscles clamping down on him and squeezing
tightly as he followed the Phoenix into and ecstatic release, milking him of
his own essence insistently. He
collapsed on top of Kai, his face burrowing into the pillow under Kai�s head as
he gasped and panted for breath, his heart pounding in his ears. �I love you.� He breathed raggedly, purring happily as Kai�s arms banded around
him.

�I love
you.� was the quiet response.

Eventually
Tyson felt a light slap on his ass and groggily raised his head to look down
into Kai�s amused crimson eyes. �What?�

�You�re heavy,
lover. Get off.�

Tyson
rolled off him with a grunt and sprawled next to him with a lazy yawn and sigh
of contentment. �Happy?�

�Yes. Now I can breathe.� Kai stretched lethargically and turned onto
his side to study Tyson. �So what
should we do after graduation, Ty-love?�

Tyson, who
had closed his eyes intending to doze for a while, cracked one open and looked
at Kai. �What? After graduation? I don�t know�it�s still a fairly long time away, love. I hadn�t really thought about it.� He yawned again and sat up, propping himself
up with the pillows and leaning against the headboard. �Where�d that question come from?�

Kai
shrugged and absently stroked Tyson�s leg since it was right there and he always
felt the need to be touching his mate in some way. �Seemed like a good time to talk about it, I guess. It�s not that far off, really. Only a few months. And I don�t think we want to live here with Gramps for the rest
of our lives, either.�

Tyson
grinned. �Well, no. When you put it like that�� He ran a hand
through his hair. �So�what? You want to get an apartment or something?�

�Hmm�or
something. I had this idea�but it�ll
take some inquiries and planning before I can tell you about it.� Kai got a distant look in his eyes and Tyson
slowly shook his head, recognizing it as the one his lover wore when he was
dreaming big.

�Well,
whatever it might be, I�m sure it�ll be perfect.� Tyson told him, reaching out to play with a lock of Kai�s hair that
was spread over his pillow. �What about
university? We are going to go
through that, aren�t we?�

Kai
smiled. �Damn right. You still planning to run this place
someday?�

�Of
course. If I don�t, no one else
will.� Tyson chuckled. �My dad�s too busy with his archaeology,
Gramps will be too old � someday at least � and my brother�well, he�s never
been all that interested in owning a dojo.�
Tyson shrugged slightly. �Someone
in the family has to keep the place in good shape.�

Kai�s hand
stilled on Tyson�s leg. �Wait�did you
say �brother?� Since when did you have
a brother? And how come I�ve never met
him?� He looked up at Tyson with not a
little bit of panic in his eyes. �What
if he doesn�t like me? Or accept us
being together? Or��

Tyson stared
at him wide-eyed. �KAI! Easy, love.
You worry way too much. Geez��
He looked faintly puzzled for a moment.
�I thought I told you about Hitoshi��

Kai just
glared at him, a little annoyed. �No,
Tyson. You haven�t mentioned him at
all. EVER.�

�Huh. I�m sorry, Kai. You have nothing to worry about, though. My big brother is a pretty cool guy and I
don�t think he�d have a problem with us.
Besides, I haven�t seen him in years.
Last I heard he was at some fancy college in the States on a scholarship. Dad said he�s doing really well there.� He blinked in amusement when Kai actually
pouted.

�Yeah,
well, forgive me if I�m worried about how your older brother might react to
someone like me getting involved with his baby brother.� Kai grumbled, allowing Tyson to pull him
into his arms until they were cuddled up together comfortably. The Dragon just chuckled and kissed him on
the forehead.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

June came
quickly and with it graduation. The
Bladebreakers plus Hilary gathered at the dojo after the ceremonies were all
done to get ready for the prom. Kai
left Tyson in their room agonizing over his wardrobe because he couldn�t decide
what to wear, snickering to himself as he walked down the hallway to the spare
bedroom where Rei, Max, and Kenny were getting changed. Hilary was in the bathroom with Dizzi who
had adamantly refused to be left behind.
In fact, she didn�t go back into Kenny�s laptop again at all. She�d decided she liked her human form and
that she wanted to remain that way from then on � much to Kenny�s
consternation. He�d had a great deal of
fun trying to explain to his parents why he was bringing a strange girl home to
live with them. They hadn�t believed
she was really Dizzi until she shape-shifted just for a moment into her Sphinx
form.

Kai knocked
on the door and heard a �Come in!� before pushing it open and walking in. The three teens were in various states of
dress (or undress � depending on how one looked at it). Max grinned at their captain, taking in his
appearance.

�Looking
spiffy, Kai!�

�Hn.� Kai shrugged indifferently, though he was
smiling inwardly remembering how hard it had been to keep Tyson�s hands off him
when he�d finished dressing. �Rei? Did you get them?�

Rei
finished buttoning his shirt and nodded.
�Yep. You want them now?�

�Please. I think I�ll do it before we leave. He�ll want to show it off.�

Max and
Kenny looked back and forth between them curiously. �Okay, you two. What are
you up to now?�

Rei just
grinned a feline grin of knowing and Kai couldn�t help smiling just a
little. �You�ll see.� Was all he would say.

The
neko-jin walked over to his bag and dug around, pulling out a small box and
handing it to Kai. �Here. I think that�s pretty much what you wanted.�

�Thanks,
Rei. I owe you.�

�Nah. I had fun using your credit card.� Rei�s grin widened, if that was
possible. Kai rolled his eyes.

�Whatever. As long as you didn�t go too
overboard.�

�Would I do
that?�

�Hn.�

Kai
pocketed the mysterious box and waved at them all before leaving. �Hurry up, guys. We�ve got to get going.�

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They
gathered out in the training room of the dojo.
It was quite a sight to see them all once again dressed up in their
leather outfits, with a few little variations this time, and all wearing their
scarves. Hilary, who hadn�t seen them
in the clothes before, had to stop and shamelessly drool for a moment, then
went shutter-happy with her camera. Kai
ignored it, for the most part, Tyson and Max hammed it up, and Rei was just
naturally camera-friendly. Kenny, who
hated having his picture taken, kept trying to avoid his girlfriend�s aim and
succeeded most of the time.

Kai
fingered the box nervously in his pocket, watching Hilary chase her boyfriend around
the dojo with her camera trying to catch him, before clearing his throat and
saying in his captain�s voice, �Can I have your attention, people?�

Everyone
immediately shut up and looked at him.

�Ah�Tyson,
there�s something I want to give you.�
He pulled out the box and walked up to his lover, who was looking at him
strangely, and he could feel Tyson trying to read his mind and figure out what
he was doing. Lucky for Kai, he�d
figured out a long time ago how to keep Tyson out of his head when he didn�t
want him there � though that was a very, very rare thing. He smirked when Tyson made a frustrated
noise and tilted his head at him instead.

�What�s
that?�

�This.� Kai dropped to his knees and opened the box,
taking out the two items inside and tossing the box over his shoulder. He held up the two little round objects,
watching them glint in the light, and looked up into Tyson�s wide, blue eyes.

�We share something that no ceremony or prescribed speeches
can possibly capture or explain. And
even though most of society would shun us, despise us, hate us, I could care
less. I want to give you this, and I�d
be more than proud if you would wear it for the rest of your life, spend the
rest of your life with me, be the wind beneath my wings�I love you, Tyson.�

Tyson
blinked the tears that were blurring his vision out of his eyes and held out
his left hand, sniffling noisily and blushing as Kai slipped the simple
platinum band onto his ring finger.
�You know I will. On one
condition�� He plucked the other ring from Kai�s hand and went down on his
knees, too, grasping Kai�s left hand firmly and sniffling again. �That you�ll wear yours the rest of your
life, spend the rest of your life with me and all my faults, be the fire in my
soul�I love you, Kai.�

�I don�t
think that�ll be a problem, love.�

Tyson
grinned a slightly watery grin and threw his arms around his mate�s neck,
burying his face in the crook of Kai�s neck and hanging on as Kai wrapped his
arms around the Dragon and held him close, oblivious to the clapping and
cheering and happy well-wishes of their friends and teammates around them. Tyson began to laugh, for no real reason
other than his joyful emotions at the moment, and found himself being thoroughly
kissed by the Phoenix.

************************************

FIN OWARI ENDE
- 4
- 5
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