Beyblade Fan Fiction ❯ Sanctified ❯ A Sealed Fate ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 3: A Sealed Fate

The searing pain in his back had lessened somewhat, thanks to the cool rain, but he knew it was still there. He could sense it lingering, liking a crouching panther waiting to leap and bring down its prey.

Kai tried not to think about that as he finally reached the abandoned warehouse. Normally, he would've entered cautiously, trying to get a feel for what might await him. But this day had ceased to be normal from the moment he first laid eyes on the white van, and so he thought nothing of walking straight into the leopard's den.

The darkness within the building made him uneasy, reminding him all too much of the incredible force he had unleashed once again. At the same time, he found the ability to hide among the shadows comforting. The last thing he wanted was to be bathed in bright light, where the entire world could see his mark of betrayal.

Without warning, Ozuma's voice drifted out of the darkness. "So you decided to visit us, Kai. Have you come to pay your respects? Or would you dare challenge us on this day, of all days?"

"Don't you play Twenty Questions with me, Ozuma," Kai snapped. "You're the one that called me here. You and…and Mariam."

"Are you sure?" Ozuma asked as a light switched on, revealing him perched atop a tall shipping crate. "Are you so sure that it was we that called you…and not our Bit-Beasts?"

Kai frowned, but said nothing.

"You better than anyone else should know that the Bit-Beasts are independent entities. They don't have to do anything that we say…but they choose to, once they've deemed us worthy of listening to."

"Why are you wasting my time by telling me what I already know?" Kai growled.

Ozuma crossed his arms over his chest. "You wouldn't be here if you knew all the answers, Kai. But since you're short on patience as usual, I'll just say it: we didn't call you, Sharkrash and Flash Leopard did. They knew your help would be needed, and that you would need help in return. So here you are."

"You think you can help me?" Kai asked a smirk.

"We both know the Bladebreakers can't. That's why you're here, but it's only part of why. Mostly, you're here because Black Dranzer allowed it."

Kai's blood ran cold. "What?" he whispered angrily. "What did you say?!"

Ozuma grinned humorlessly at him. "Enough talk. You know why you're here as well as I do."

"Is that a challenge?"

"Of course not. You've proven yourself to us more than once." His eyes narrowed. "Now the one you have to prove yourself worthy of is Black Dranzer. And since you are, in a sense, battling yourself, there's no better way to do it than to defeat everything you used to be."

Kai glared at him. "So that's your price for your help? You want Dranzer?"

"Yes, but not for the reason you're thinking of," Ozuma replied. "There comes a time when a blader can no longer salvage his blade, and he gives up customizing it for an entirely new one. In essence, this is that time for you. The only way you can ever hope to have full control over Black Dranzer is if you defeat Dranzer with him. Until you do, Black Dranzer will never accept you."

"Then you want to use Dranzer," Kai muttered. "How do I know you won't just throw the battle?"

Ozuma glared at him. "I would never disrespect any Bit-Beast that way. Dranzer may represent everything I was raised to oppose, but even he is worthy of respect."

Kai grunted and pulled his Beyblade from his pocket. "Are you sure you can handle it?" he sneered.

"I have an affinity for fire types," Ozuma said truthfully, leaping to the ground and holding out his hand.

Kai pressed Dranzer into his hand and turned around, not the least bit surprised when another spotlight fell on a bright red Beystadium. He approached the dish nervously, knowing what he was about to do, but not really accepting it just yet.

Ozuma took his place opposite Kai, but made no move to prepare. He only stared at his opponent expectantly.

Kai slowly reached into his pocket and drew out an all-too familiar black Beyblade. His eyes passed over the yellow, green, and red, before finally moving to the dark phoenix in the center. Once gold, the tips of Black Dranzer's plumage were now dipped in dark red, the color of blood. "Dr. B's blood," he reminded himself, before pushing that thought away and raising his eyes to Ozuma's.

At once, Ozuma fell into a ready stance, positioning his launcher over the dish.

Kai slowly did the same, trying to ignore the dull throbbing in his head that was Black Dranzer's desire to be unleashed, to devour and destroy utterly.

Neither said the usual starting sequence, but both launched their blades at the same time. Kai's blade quickly drifted to the center of the dish, but Ozuma's blade circled around near the outer rim like a shark.

"Like Sharkrash," Kai thought, and grimaced as he was again reminded of Mariam. Why did he feel so guilty? Hadn't he avenged her death? Why did he still feel responsible for her death?

Ozuma said nothing about Kai's mind wandering; he was totally focused on the match. But Kai didn't realize that until he heard the familiar grinding of metal on metal, and suddenly noticed that Ozuma was forcing his blade toward the rim, attempting to push it out of the stadium.

Gritting his teeth, Kai ordered his blade to push back, and was relieved when it did so, moving the battle back to the center of the stadium. The throbbing pain in his head was slowly getting worse, and seemed to be feeding the ache in his back again. He tried to think of a way to end the match quickly.

Ozuma apparently was thinking the same thing as he shouted, "Dranzer! Flame Saber!"

Kai's eyes widened in shock as the blue blade streaked forward, surrounded in bright red energy. He had never seen this particular attack from the receiving end, but he knew exactly what it could do to a blade. Of course, his first instinct was to have Black Dranzer dodge the attack. But part of him almost wanted Black Dranzer to be destroyed. The nightmare would be over then…wouldn't it?

"No," Kai reminded himself. "I'd still have the mark on my back…and I'd still have Black Dranzer. Letting the blade be destroyed would only make him angry."

He ordered Black Dranzer to avoid the attack at the last possible moment, and the black blade easily slipped out of Dranzer's line of fire.

Ozuma smiled grimly, glad to see that Kai was finally beginning to take this seriously. But this was not the battle he'd been hoping for. No, this was not the Kai he'd been waiting for. To draw that Kai out, Ozuma had to force him out. There was only one thing left to do.

"Dranzer, come forth!" he cried, half-wondering if the phoenix would even do so. But when the blue blade's center began to glow, it became all too clear that Dranzer would indeed emerge. Ozuma suspected that Dranzer had come out to face Kai, and not because he had been summoned. Whatever the Bit-Beast's motive, he would follow Ozuma's orders for this match, and that was all that really mattered.

Kai was torn as his watched Dranzer-HIS Dranzer-take form above the stadium, his shriek of battle echoing throughout the warehouse. Only once had Dranzer ever been used against him, and, ironically enough, it was during the last time he'd used Black Dranzer. But this time was far different. Tyson had not attacked with the intent to destroy, and Ozuma… Well, Kai still didn't know why Ozuma had wanted this match. What did it matter who won? He had given up Dranzer to Ozuma, after all.

When it became clear that Kai had no intention of summoning Black Dranzer, Ozuma went on the attack. He had never expected to win the match, but he also wasn't going to make it easy…especially if Kai was just going to stand around half the time.

"Dranzer! Volcano Emission!"

Dranzer shrieked again and rose higher into the air, before going into a diving charge.

Kai, not knowing how else to react, panicked. Seeing Dranzer rushing at him sparked something in him, and without thinking, he screamed, "Black Dranzer! Shadow Storm!"

The dark phoenix exploded up from his blade, screaming in rage as he took flight beat his powerful wings again and again. The resulting winds swirled around Dranzer and kept him locked in place, effectively cutting off the attack.

Kai gasped for breath, even as the throbbing in his head and the ache in his back seemed to melt into one overwhelming, furious fog. He could no longer see Dranzer struggling to break free; all he could see was an enemy that needed to learn respect for his Bit-Beast.

"Black Dranzer! Don't let up! Teach him what it means to do battle with you!"

With a cry of pure malice, Black Dranzer flew closer and continued to strike the other phoenix with strong gusts of winds at point-blank range. Dranzer screamed in outrage and pain, but still could not free himself.

Ozuma gritted his teeth, wracking his brain for some way to escape the winds. Then, just like that, he had the answer.

"Dranzer! Show Kai your true power! Show him that you are the only Bit-Beast worthy of him!"

Eyes blazing, Dranzer's red feathers seemed to pulse as he finally tore free of the winds, smacking Black Dranzer away with his wings. Not missing a beat, he dove at the dark phoenix, his shriek promising an amazing attack.

At any other time, Kai would've been proud. Now, however, he only smiled. Not one of joy, but one of maniacal glee.

"Black Dranzer! Devour him!"

The dark phoenix froze in mid-air, clearly awaiting Dranzer's attack. And while Ozuma wasn't sure, he could almost swear that it was smiling…

Black Dranzer merely spread its wings wide, as if inviting Dranzer to attack him. But the lower half of his form was soon replaced by a swirling black vortex, and it was obvious what would happen next.

Already moving too fast to stop in time, Dranzer went headfirst into the inky blackness. But while the smaller phoenix had vanished into the larger, below them, it was Kai's blade that had sliced cleanly through Ozuma's, splitting the blue blade into two perfect halves.

Kai blinked and shook his head, as if just waking up. One look at the stadium confirmed that he had won the battle, but it had honestly been like watching someone else battle from afar.

Ozuma stepped forward and picked up the two halves of Dranzer Volcano reverently, as if the blade might take offense if he were careless.

"Are you surprised?" Kai asked.

"Yes…but not the way I expected to be," Ozuma replied vaguely. "Now you will see why I wanted Dranzer." He turned and walked off, with Kai following after a second's hesitation.

In a nearby corner sat a large, gray rock. There was, from what Kai could see, not a speck of dust or dirt on it.

Dunga and Joseph emerged from the shadows. With Ozuma, all three raised their launchers (Ozuma had loaded his Flash Leopard) and looked at Kai expectantly.

Slowly, Kai raised his launcher as well.

Ozuma and the other Saint Shields began to speak as one, turning the words into a chant.

"From this day forward, the sacred spirit of Dranzer is sealed in the name of the clan of the Saint Shields. Let it rip!"

Kai's hands seemed to know what to do, releasing Black Dranzer slightly before the others launched their blades. The black blade landed on the rock and was quickly surrounded by the other three, which began to spin around it in a tight circle.

"Stay close," Dunga warned, his grave. "He's stronger than before."

The words were barely out of his mouth when the black blade's center flashed, and Dranzer erupted from his prison, screeching in fury.

Kai swallowed hard. It was only by sheer force of will that he managed to keep himself from moving forward. They'd had their differences in the past, but Dranzer had been with him-had been his-for so long, it was difficult to stand there and not help him.

Then the mighty phoenix's gaze met Kai's, and his angry cries quickly fell to silence.

Ozuma suddenly raised his voice. "Now, Dranzer, take your place in the rock!"

The Saint Shields expected Dranzer to scream and thrash and fight the imprisonment. Instead, the phoenix continued to stare at Kai placidly as it slowly sank out of sight.

The rock flashed bright red briefly, and then returned to its cold, gray color.

"It is done. Dranzer is now sealed." Ozuma turned to Kai. "We didn't want your Bit-Beasts for ourselves. We wanted to seal them before they became too dangerous and grew beyond your control…not unlike Black Dranzer."

Kai frowned. "If it's Black Dranzer you're so worried about, why didn't you want to seal him?"

"For one thing, he isn't one of the Four Sacred Spirits we were sent to capture. Also, I believe with enough time and training, you can learn to control his power."

"You expect me to believe you don't intend to use him to capture the Bladebreaker's Bit-Beasts?" Kai asked.

Ozuma looked insulted. "You aren't ready for that level of competition. Not with Black Dranzer. Not yet."

"How DARE you?!" Kai spat, taking a step forward.

"I'm not doubting your skills," Ozuma explained. "But you clearly didn't have full control in that match. You are enthralled by Black Dranzer, and until you can control him, you're unreliable. I'm not saying you'll lose. I'm saying that you-or Black Dranzer-might go too far. You could hurt yourself and your opponent in a serious battle. Our goal is to capture the Sacred Spirits, not to injure their owners."

Kai bit his lip and looked down at his blade. Even now, he could feel Black Dranzer existing-sleeping-in the back of his mind. Ozuma was right; he hadn't had full control. Barely any, to be honest. He had lashed out at Dranzer instinctively, and that was when Black Dranzer had been at his strongest. Right now, they were too close. Or at least, they had the wrong kind of close. Kai didn't want to be Black Dranzer's host, he wanted to be his partner. The way he had been with Dranzer. At things stood now, the dark phoenix was nothing more than a glorified parasite, and he was feeding on Kai. Neither of them would last very long at this rate.

"You must be frustrated…and confused," Ozuma said. "Get some sleep. There's a room upstairs-assuming you don't mind it was Mariam's, that is."

Kai's eyes widened slightly, but he said nothing. After a long moment, he turned and went upstairs. There was a new image haunting him now: that of Dranzer's face while he was being sealed. The phoenix had not even seemed angry. Instead, the look he wore was one Kai had never expected to see in that type of situation.

Acceptance.

When Kai had gone, Dunga turned to Ozuma. "Why didn't you tell him about the other rooms?"

"In his current state, Kai will be very open to suggestion. If staying in Mariam's room doesn't ease Black Dranzer's grip on him, nothing will."

"I don't get it," Joseph said. "How is staying in there gonna help Kai? Won't it just freak him out?"

"Perhaps," Ozuma replied. "But maybe that's just what he needs."

* * * * *

"Kai's gone," Hilary said softly. "He's…not coming back."

Tyson, Max, Ray, and Kenny all stared at her expectantly.

"I tried to stop him, of course, but he wouldn't listen. He…gave me this." She held out a familiar Beyblade.

"Draciel!" Max cried happily as he took back his Bit-Beast. "You're safe!"

"Kai also said you were the new team captain, Tyson," Hilary added, sounding a little uncertain.

Tyson barely seemed to hear her. "You don't know where he went?"

"No, he ran off before I could ask. He said `everything happens for a reason,' but I'm not really sure what he meant." She lowered her head. "I'm sorry…"

"It's not your fault," Tyson said at once, squeezing her shoulder. "Kai was strong-willed, we all know that. He always did whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. You couldn't have stopped him."

"But…aren't you upset?" Hilary asked.

"Yeah…but it's not the first time Kai has pulled a stunt like this, either. We got him back before, we can do it again. Something tells me he hasn't gone too far. We'll just find him and bring him back where he belongs."

Max and Ray nodded in agreement, but Kenny was frowning. "Tyson…the last time that Kai left…you remember the cause, don't you?"

Tyson's face became grave as he nodded. "Black Dranzer."

"Do you think it could be involved this time, too? Or could something else have driven Kai away?"

"Maybe it's Mariam," Max said suddenly.

"What?" Ray asked, worry in his tone.

"Well, the last time we saw him was right before….you know. Kai's not the type to share his pain. Maybe he's having a hard time dealing with this. I know I am, but that's because she died to save me. I'm guessing that Kai feels like he lost an ally. We all do. The Saint Shields aren't exactly our friends, but they've helped us every time they've appeared, whether it was giving an assist or making us more determined to be better bladers."

"He did seem really upset," Hilary recalled. "He wouldn't say why, naturally, but…I got the feeling he was hiding something. And then there was this…" She drew out the shirt with the bloody Dranzer print on it. "I think it came from some sort of tattoo on his back. Did he have one?"

Tyson took the shirt as the others crowded around. "Any of you ever seen Kai from the back without a shirt on?"

No one had.

"Didn't think so." Tyson bit his lip. "I thought he got rid of Black Dranzer, but…looks like I was wrong."

* * * * *

Kai had never been in a girl's room, so he really had no idea what to expect. He wasn't expecting her room to be so much like his own, though.

The only pieces of furniture were a bed, a dust-covered desk, and a bookcase. Upon closer inspection, Kai found that the bookcase held only two things: various blades (earlier versions of Sharkrash, from the look of them) and more than a few trophies from Beyblade tournaments. While Kai had never heard of any of the tourneys on the trophies, none of them bore anything less than "Runner Up" (he imagined Ozuma had won those). For the first time, he began to wish he'd challenged Mariam while she was still alive. Now he'd never find out who the better blader between them had been.

It was only after he'd studied the trophies and blades for a while that Kai began to feel uncomfortable. He felt like he was spying on Mariam, or at least invading her privacy. He half-expected her to come charging in to kick him out at any moment. But Ozuma had invited him up here for some reason. Surely he wouldn't have done that if he didn't want Mariam's things being looked at.

The desk looked so abandoned when compared to the bookcase (which seemed to be dust-free) that Kai suspected there was nothing of interest in it. He would probably inspect it later, anyway. His attention moved to the bed, which was neatly made. There was an oversized dolphin plushie next to the pillow, but other than that, the bed was in fine condition.

It suddenly occurred to him that he would be sleeping there, and that only made him more uncomfortable. He would remove the dolphin, of course, but the bed would probably smell like Mariam. She had slept there, and even if there was no scent, he would still…feel her having been there. But what did he have to fear from Mariam? He had avenged her death, and practically joined the Saint Shields at (if Ozuma was to be believed) Sharkrash's request. If anything, she should've been very pleased with him. Though, Kai couldn't help wondering if she would be angry at being replaced so quickly.

"Just what I need," he muttered as he sat down on the bed. "Another spirit haunting me."

But Black Dranzer and Mariam were not the only spirits on his mind. Kai was still wondering about Dranzer…and how the Bladebreakers would react to his leaving. Would they be angry? Would they come after him again? Or would they just accept it and let him go? With Tyson in control, probably the first two, he reasoned. But being a Bladebreaker, for the first time in a long time, just didn't feel right at the moment. Nor did becoming a Saint Shield, but Ozuma had understood far more than Kai himself did about Black Dranzer.

Just then, something soft thumped him in the back. Kai looked around to see the dolphin plushie smiling up at him. With a grimace, he picked up and began to toss it on the floor. After a moment's thought, he turned to the desk before remembering how dusty it was. Finally, he went over to the bookcase and made room for the dolphin there, placing it between two first place trophies. It was probably just his imagination, but the dolphin seemed happier there.

Shaking his head, he removed his shoes and climbed into the bed, suddenly realizing how tired he was. Black Dranzer had used up much of his strength in both of the summons, and it was probably only through sheer force of will that he hadn't passed out at some point. But that was just proof that he did need to gain control, like Ozuma had said. Right now, he was nothing but the dark phoenix's puppet, and if there was one thing Kai never planned to be again, it was a puppet.

"Good for you," said a feminine voice just beyond his head.

Every instinct told him not to look, for he knew what he would see…at least, what his eyes would insist was there, but just couldn't have been.

There was a pleased gasp. "You made a place for Skippy," she said softly.

At that, Kai sat up and looked, thinking there might be some pet he hadn't seen (but definitely wanted to know about before he tried to sleep).

It turned out that she was referring to the dolphin plushie. Well, that was what he assumed, since she was petting it.

"But she's not really petting it," he told himself. "She's not even really there. This is all in your head, and it's normal when someone just died."

She glanced back at him with a teasing smile. "It doesn't matter if I'm here or not, does it? You can hear and see me, so that's enough."

"You make it sound like being insane is okay," he muttered dryly.

She shrugged. "I wouldn't say insane. Maybe extra perceptive…"

"Why are you here, Mariam?" Kai asked bluntly.

Mariam smirked. "It's MY room. Didn't Ozuma tell you that? Or did you just miss all the trophies?"

"Let me rephrase that. Why are you talking to me?"

"What? I can't be conversational just because I'm dead?"

Kai glared at her.

"Okay, fine," she sighed, moving over to sit on the desk (which she dusted with her hand absently, even though not a bit of dust moved). "I should've known I couldn't beat around the bush with you. I'm here to say thank you."

"For?" Kai prompted.

"You know! Killing my killer, giving us Dranzer, respecting my personal stuff."

He began to respond by saying that Dranzer had been won, not given. But it didn't seem like she would care about the distinction, so he let it drop.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you almost CARED about me or something." Mariam paused there, perhaps giving him a chance to protest. When he didn't, she barreled ahead. "I mean, I knew you were all about honor, but I didn't think it applied to your opponents."

"I owed you. You saved Max's life when no one else could. And no matter what kind of opponent you had been, Dr. B forced your sacrifice and stole the honor of it. You didn't deserve to die in the street like a dog. So I…repaid the debt."

"Wow. That was almost sweet…except for the dog part." Mariam sighed. "But that just means it's my fault that Black Dranzer is controlling you now."

"Not RIGHT now," Kai said at once. "Only during matches, so far. That's an improvement over the last time."

"So you wanted to leave the Bladebreakers?"

"…I had to. I can't explain it."

"Yes, you can," she replied. "You just don't want to say it out loud. But I already know why. The Bit-Beasts weren't the only ones that called you here."

"Ozuma already told me-"

Mariam shook her head. "Not him. I meant you, Kai. Yes, Black Dranzer made you come here…but you would've come, anyway, if only to pay your respects. The end result would still be the same. You've carried Black Dranzer with you ever since the world championships, haven't you?"

Kai did not reply, but from the way he gripped his pocket, the answer was obvious.

"Get it through your head, Kai. Black Dranzer controls you only when you allow it to happen. You're stronger than that, and the only will you serve is your own."

He eyed her carefully. "Then you didn't come to give me your spot on the Saint Shields?"

She smiled. "What does it matter what I want? I'm dead, remember?" With that, she was gone.

Kai laid back down, thinking over the things she'd said about his leaving the Bladebreakers. He did not regret that decision, nor did he regret coming to the Saint Shields. Perhaps the only thing he did regret was allowing Black Dranzer to feed off of him. That was how they'd gotten too close for comfort. He would have to wean the dark phoenix off him-and blood-as soon as possible. The best way to do that was to give it a challenge. What was the quickest way to satiate Black Dranzer's desire?

He'd said it himself to Mariam: repaying old debts. The dark phoenix still carried a grudge against Draciel for defeating it the last time. A win against Max might help the separation. But Kai knew a win would not be enough. Black Dranzer would want to take Draciel.

But then, it wasn't as if the Saint Shields weren't planning to do that, anyway. Ozuma could say he wasn't ready all he wanted. Kai had been a champion long before he was a Bladebreaker, and he certainly knew what it took to beat his former teammates.

He dug the black blade out of his pocket and held it before his face. "Tomorrow, we train for the fall of Draciel."

Kai was relieved when the icon on the blade-and not on his back-pulsed, briefly but brightly, in agreement.

Next Time: Kai returns to the Bladebreakers…but why is he dressed like Saint Shield? And as if you couldn't guess: Kai vs. Max!

Getting to the TWO reviews I have so far:

Alpha Centauri

I like Mariam, too, and I meant for her death to be sad (and meaningful). Don't worry, she'll be around (as you know by now). Remember the "promise" she made Ozuma.

Alan Wilkinson

Blackbird? You an X-Men fan??? (incidentally, I've got fics on them @ FF.net...)

I'd say yes, Bit-Beasts can be fused. If they can be copied (Cyber Bit-Beasts), absorbed (Demolition Boys' Beasts and Black Dranzer), and destroyed (virtually all the Rock Beasts so far), I see no reason why they can't be fused. Tala and Kai have essentially already done it. Both have used the attacks of absorbed Bit-Beasts in battle. Dr. B's would take it to another level, where instead of say, Seaborg absorbing Draciel and then using Fortress Defense, you'd have SeaDraciel (which is reduntant, but anyway).