There's a Place

Like a Rolling Stone - Chapter Six

2008-09-03T21:51:12Z

Okay, finally! It has been so long and to make up for it, I'll probably add a few scenes before I post the chapter on ff.net and edit or repost it here then too. However this is the short chapter that it was planned to be. Not much happening, but a bit calmer and they just fell asleep again. Lazy boys!
Hope you enjoy. I hope the next scenes will be added before too long, so that I can concentrate on the next chapter.

Summary: This is an AU. Beyblades exist, but the Bladebreakers never found each other and they didn't participate in the championships. This story is TyKa. Kai ran away from Voltaire, but now he hasn't any place tp go and starts to live on the street. Tyson is running the shelter for the homeless his family owns. You can imagine how it goes from there.
Rating/Warnings: Probably no warnings for this chapter. For story warnings, please see chapter one!

Previous Chapters can be found here: sihalema.livejournal.com/6025.html

Chapter Six

Once upon a time you dressed so fine
You threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you?

Tyson made his way back from the corridor that was reserved for the family to the main shelter. At first all seemed to be quiet and he felt already foolish for checking up on everything again. However then he heard quiet voices in the distance. What was strange, was that they didn't come from one of the sleeping rooms or even any of the bathrooms on that corridor, but from where the entry was.

He hurried through the kitchen to make a shortcut to the door. Without being able to see the scenery yet, he could already hear what was going on. And he didn't like it.

“You said Tyson was there.”

“Yes he is, but I won't get him.” Toby said resolutely. “We've got rules here. Check-in time is before 6pm. You can come in and wait. I'll call help. You obviously need more than a sleeping berth.”

Tyson was just making his way round the corner. He had recognized Kai by the first word he had spoken. From the bit he knew of him, he was sure that if he didn't intervene now the other teen would be gone before he got another chance.
“Woh, wait Toby. He's a friend. A personal friend”, he repeated while stumbling down the hallway towards the open door.

Tyson had reached the other two. To see that Kai was still standing there made him glad, even though the sight that greeted him was far from a positive one. However he decided to not think about why Kai might stand there shivering without jacket and more importantly why he had blood smeared on his face, until he had the other safe inside.
He positioned himself between his friend and the social-worker.

“Come in.” He directed at Kai over his shoulder. Kai didn't wait for another invitation, but stepped inside the warmth. Now next to him Tyson kicked the door shut.

“So he's not here for the shelter?” Toby asked sceptically, eying Kai's disheveled form.

“He asked for me, didn't he?” Tyson didn't wait any longer. He put his hand on Kai's shoulder and guided the other down the corridor. “We're going to my room. Good night Toby.”

Tyson waited for Toby to call them back, but when they had made it around the corner, he finally dared to give a sigh. He didn't stop however until they reached his room. They kept standing in the middle of the room quietly. Tyson still with his hand on Kai's shoulder, as if he wanted to guide him farther.

“God you're cold!”, he broke the silence while suddenly withdrawing his hand and clamping it to his body. “What happened? You're hurt?” Tyson reached out again. This time not aiming for the shoulder, but for the blood smeared cheek.

Kai felt the fingers touch his face. He shook he head and they were taken away. “It's nothing.” He honestly hadn't thought about the cut on his face. It didn't hurt, just felt frozen, like the rest of his body. The warmth of the house was only slowly reaching him.

“It's blood.”, Tyson pointed out.

Kai just shrugged in response. He didn't know what to say, perhaps his brain needed to warm up too. Everything was still so cold, shouldn't it be warm by now?
Tyson observed the distressed expression of the other teen guiltily. Kai really looked miserable and he kept him standing around here for no reason. He walked over to his closet and got a towel and some clothes out of it.

“Do you remember where the showers are?” At Kai's nod, Tyson pushed the clothes in his arms. “Take these. I'll get you something hot to drink meanwhile.”
Kai didn't move, so Tyson put his hand on the other's shoulder again and guided him back out of the room and down the hallway. Only when Kai started to lead the way on his own Tyson stopped. Still he stood in place and watched until the bedraggled teen disappeared into the shower room.

Tyson made his way to the shelter's kitchen nearly on tiptoes. He didn't want to come across Toby again tonight, however he hadn't any groceries in the family's kitchen at all.
Luckily he found the kitchen empty. Relieved he got a cartoon of milk out of the fridge and started to pour it into a pot on the stove.

“Hey. What are you doing?” The voice didn't sound as accusing as the words might have suggested. Still Tyson didn't turn around after hearing Toby speak and unmistakably stepping into the room. He closed his eyes for a moment. How he hated it to feel this cornered in his own home.

“Just getting something to drink.”, he finally replied.

Toby had already crossed the room and was leaning with his back onto the counter just a few steps away.
“I heard your friend in the bathroom and thought you might have a moment to talk.”

“I thought we'd talk tomorrow.” Tyson tried to sound disinterested, but probably a bit of his nervousness crept in his voice.

“Yes, you are right. That was the agreement. I just thought, that perhaps you and your friend needed help?”

“No, we are alright. Thank you.” Tyson watched the milk closely. Why couldn't it warm up faster?

“There is still some food left from dinner. Perhaps you want to take him something to eat too.” When the teen didn't answer, Toby finally decided to leave it be. “I'll be in the shelter's office the whole night. You can come any time if you need anything. I guess I'll see you two for breakfast tomorrow then?”

Tyson felt, that he could detect some of the same nervousness that he felt in Toby's voice. It made him feel a bit better.
“Yeah, we'll be there. Good night.”

“Night.”

Toby left the room, but only when Tyson couldn't hear the other's steps anymore he could feel the relieve again. The milk was finally steaming. He decided to heat up some food too.

xxxxxx

Kai sat on a bench on the opposite wall from the shower stalls. He knew he should get undressed. He kept sitting. What the hell was wrong with him? He surely wasn't acting like himself. Perhaps he just needed to get warm. He looked over to the shower, wishing he could just keeping sitting there and it would still spray him with warm water. Wasn't going to happen. Good, he wasn't that out of it yet. He finally started to peel the clothes of his body.

He turned the water on lukewarm. It still felt hot where it hit his body. His skin started to prickle. It kinda hurt, but it felt good nonetheless. His muscles started to spasm. He was shaking.

Kai turned the water warmer. He felt the numbness retreat, while his skin burned.

xxxxxx

Tyson balanced a tray packed with a dish and two cups back towards his room. The door was open and he saw Kai sitting on his bed. Washed and dressed in clean clothes he didn't look so worrying anymore.
“Wow, you're fast. Or I am just slow in the kitchen.”

No reply came, but Kai lifted his head and watched the approaching boy from the corner of his eye. Tyson sat the tray down on the table.
“Is that coffee?”

“No, it's hot chocolate actually,” Tyson smiled, “Did you know, that milk could burn? I had to try it twice. The first pot is all black on the bottom now. Hope we can clean it, it stinks. Here take this one.” The young blader carefully walked over to his bed, trying not to spill any of the hot liquid and handed the cup over.

“Thanks.” Kai looked at the drink for a while, enjoying the smell and the warmness emitting from it.

“No problem. I've got food here too.”
Tyson was nervously waiting through the next few minutes, watching Kai eat and drink. The other teen looked definitely better, now cleaned and tidy, but still kinda out of it. With the blood gone Tyson had a good look at the scratch on the others cheek. It didn't seem too deep, but the red gash stood out against the pale skin There had been more blood on the clothes and Tyson wondered, where that might have come from.

When Kai was done eating, they continued to sit in silence. Tyson found it a very uncomfortable one after the first few seconds, but as soon as a minute had passed it become unbearable.
“You could tell me what happened now, you know?”

“Who was that guy out there?”

Tyson was momentarily confused. “Toby? He's a social worker. The school send him here. To help with the shelter, but honestly it just feels weird to have him here.”
Weird. Did it really feel weird. Shouldn't there be a better word to describe it? Weird, strange, wrong, perhaps they all fitted.

Kai understood what Tyson meant. He probably hadn't arrived more than an hour ago and had only been here once before, but it was obvious that the atmosphere had changed.
“So that is what your meeting at school resulted in?”

“Yeah, that and that I have to go back, starting tomorrow.”

Kai observed Tyson staring ahead completely lost in thought. It didn't like that look on the other boy. It just didn't seem natural. His glance drifted off through the room before it settled on the clock hanging on the wall. It was already way past midnight. Perhaps that was one of the reasons why he felt so tired, and perhaps that in conclusion was the reason why he missed what the time meant for the other boy.

“I'm sorry for keeping you up.” Kai skidded forward until he sat on the corner of the bed, not sure what he had planned next. Get up and leave? But why had he come here in the first place then? Could he ask to stay? Not possible.

Tyson looked at the clock as well. “I'm not really tired yet, used to the late hours by now. What do you say, we lie down? You still got to tell me what happened to you.”
He did wait for an answer and instead got up, pulled an mattress out from under the bed and threw some pillows and cushions on it, he got from the closet.
“You can take the bed if you want.”

Kai blinked. “You want me to stay in your room?”

“Yes, it is like the sleepovers I used to have with my other friends. I like to have somebody else in the room. Drinking hot chocolate, talking until you fall asleep. Nice.” Tyson actually smiled. He felt a bit like he had the afternoon before, when he had momentarily forgotten about his problems over their beybattle.

“You shouldn't trust people like that. We've only met yesterday.” Kai said, trying to not fall into the enthusiasm Tyson's voice projected.

“Oh come on, you are wearing my clothes and are sitting on my bed! I certainly hope you are my friend and not 'people', but it's too late for that kind of thoughts anyway. Would you just lie down please? I'll switch the light off.” Tyson had been busy while talking setting his alarm clock and getting rid of his shirt and trousers, switching his bedside lamp on and the big one off, before climbing between the sheets.

Kai felt safe to say that he had never met anyone who was able to fuse talking and movement into such a perplexing combination. He wasn't sure how he felt about it, but at the moment he welcomed the opportunity to just accept this chance for a safe sleeping place.
Without undressing first, he moved under the covers. They felt warm over him. Had he still been that cold? It just felt good. Sort and warm and safe.

Tyson meanwhile struggled with his blanked being much to short to cover him and he hated getting cold feet. In the end he decided that turning it 90 degrees could help and was able to cover himself entirely at last.
“So now you can finally tell me what happened to you out there.”

However there was no reply. Tyson looked over towards the bed and found Kai snuggled deep into the blanket and fast asleep.
“Great, at least we had the hot chocolate,” he mumbled, but fell asleep soon afterwards.

Tbc.
Really soon with the following scenes. Look at this as something like a preview!

Status

2008-08-21T17:30:26Z

Yes I am horrible and I am not promising, but there might be another chapter of 'Like a Rolling Stone' very soon. I just wish my storyboard was better, all the main ideas are there, but with all those breaks between writing chapters even I got problems to remember what exactly was meant to happen next.

On another note: what happened to 4beatlelove? If you are reading this: Sad to see you gone!

Status

2008-02-29T23:10:52Z

I am trying to kick an update of 'Like a Rolling Stone' out the next few days before I have to go home to pay a visit to my family. I know I promised that a lot the last few weeks, but I have been really busy.

Beside Me - Chapter Six

2008-01-05T12:04:34Z

I've already posted the draft version to this chapter some time ago. Now here is the beta-ed and polished one. Enjoy!
Summary: Kai gets some news on his parents. Alongside with Tala and Tyson he sets out for an adventure, which gets more and more confusing. A Kai-Tala-Tyson friendship story
Setting: A few yearsafter G-Rev
Rating/Warnings: not sure, perhaps T for some violence, angst and innuendos to child abuse.
Spoilers: Small ones to the end of G-Rev and my other story Visiting Day, but it is unnecessary to read it. I’ll explain everything you need to know.
Disclaimer: I really am infringing on someone else copyright, but I mean it in the best possible way.

7. Chapter Six

“Ernest, this is madness!” Benjamin circled his chair for the fourth time now. “You said something about them being kids and putting some fear into them, but nothing about attacking them and definitely nothing about injuring them.”

Ernest didn't seem all that impressed by his friend's outburst; instead he was again flicking through the report he had gotten about the attack.

“Don't worry, they are already out of hospital.”

Benjamin was more than put off by the other man's emotionless behavior. “Well, that's not the point. The point is, that we're responsible for putting them in there in the first place.”

“Well, Benjamin, I know, that it may be difficult for you to proceed, but last year we'd made a decision, and from then on we've all been criminals. It's time that you accept that.”

The younger man looked stunned. “We are not criminals, Ernest. Joyce and I are not criminals. This whole thing was your's and Gillian's idea. You said, no, you promised it would work out alright, that nobody would be hurt, nobody would care.”

“Well, it was true at that moment. Voltaire was occupied with remembering his own name and Kai Hiwatari with taking care of the old man. If you regret everything now, then you can still go to the police. However, you should think about what that will do to you and Joyce. A few years in prison don't improve anyone's marriage.”

Ernest was finished with the file by now and laid it neatly down on a pile on his desk. He folded his arms over his chest, leaned back in the seat and looked expectantly at Benjamin.

Benjamin wanted to yell at the older man, but he already felt foolish enough standing there, shaking with anger while Ernest kept up his stoic front. He wouldn't throw a tantrum like a small child: That would only confirm why Ernest looked down on him.

“Listen, Ernest. This is not about me being unreasonable, but it is about Joyce. The doctor was there today and had to give her a sedative, because she was totally out of it. If I have to decide between prison and Joyce's health, I'll choose her every day. So you better find a way to get rid of this problem.”

“I see you finally got it, Benjamin. That's exactly the plan: we'll get rid of the problem.”

Benjamin looked disbelievingly at Ernest. He didn't need to ask what the other man meant. His conscience told him to stay and to try to talk Ernest out of it, but somehow the need to just get everything over with was bigger. He didn't want to be part of what Ernest had in mind; however he wouldn't try to stop him.

Benjamin left the room without saying anything.

xxxxxx

“This hotel is so much better,” said Tyson, while he let his heavy bag fall down on the bed.

“We got only one room.” Tala grumbled as he entered the room behind him.

“That fact only shows how much better it is.”

“They have cockroaches on the first and second floor. That's why they haven't got enough rooms. I can't see how that speaks of quality.”

Tala took a short look out of the window before he angrily closed the curtains. From their window they could overlook the street and also the other houses across the street. Problem was, that that also meant, that people in those houses could look right into their room.

“They said we could get another two rooms tomorrow.”

Kai said, still standing in the doorway. He hated this new role as a diplomat between his two friends. He felt like it was forced upon him and he could only decide between the current situation and sending them away and being all alone. He hoped the exterminators would make fast work on the other floors. Not only because then each of them could have their privacy, but also because being in the third floor meant, that jumping out of the window was out of question. And after just having been attacked out on the street a last minute way to escape would have been good.

He sat his pack down on one of the chairs standing around a small table which was set in the middle of room. Searching through his bag, he enjoyed the moment of silence that was enabled by everyone making their way around their temporary home.

Kai carefully removed his shirt. Inspecting the blood strain on the way, he decided to throw it in the bin right away. Not wanting to move his arm too much, he chose a dress short, which he he found on the bottom of his bag.

Tala sat heavily on one of the beds. His eyes were shut. Even the scarcely lit room somehow seemed to be too bright at the moment. He briefly wondered why he was so tired. He had drunk so much coffee that it should have kept him going for days. His headache was another problem. It didn't want to go away and he almost wished that he had let the nurses at the hospital take a look and prescribe him some painkillers. He was barely aware of Kai leaving the room.

Tyson had shut himself in the bathroom. He felt like sulking, but he wouldn't do that in front of Kai and especially not in front of Tala. They would just accuse him of acting like a child and even though he momentarily felt like one, he didn't want it to hear from them.

Tyson felt tired and it wasn't just the jet-lag, and even though running around with Kai always had the tendency to be exhausting this time it was different. The tense atmosphere had left him mentally exhausted. Here he was stuck in a small hotel roomwith two of the most grumpy persons he knew. Sighing, he realized that what he wanted most was someone to communicate with. He really wanted to talk about what had happened today. Normally he would have been able to do that with Kai, but ever since Voltaire had died the guy was under so much pressure that Tyson was happy when he talked at all. All the more he appreciated Kai's openness at the hospital. After he had brushed his teeth and used the toilet he decided, that he had no excuse to stay in the bathroom any longer.

Tyson let the door fall shut carelessly behind him. He looked around. Tala lay fully closed on the bed on the far side of the room. Even though his face wasn't showing, it was obvious that he was asleep by the steady rhythm of his breathing.

Tyson didn't really care. He was more interested in where his other companion had gone. He silently walked around the room, hoping against hope that Kai had left him a note, saying that he was out to get some food. Unsurprisingly he couldn't find one.

The room was plain. There wasn't anything to waste some time with, no TV, no radio. After finding nothing to do, Tyson decided to lie down. He was a bit nervous about Kai being out there alone, but if Tala was there not worrying but sleeping, he should be able to do the same thing.

He glanced at his watch. It was 9pm. Surely Kai would be back shortly with something to eat, waking him for dinner.

xxxxxx

Kai meanwhile wasn't thinking about food at all. He had walked out of the hotel room without a real thought about what he intended to do. Only when he had walked aimlessly around the city for a while he had realized what he was doing and set out to trail back to the hotel. What had he been thinking by just going out here searching his parents? Okay, this wasn't Tokyo but it was still very unlikely to just bounce against them in the street. “Especially when you don't even know what they look like.”, Kai added frustrated.

Back in the hotel he thought momentarily about going back to their room, but the vision of sitting in there with the two others fighting, convinced him of staying away for some longer.

Kai trailed over to the bar and ordered a Scotch-Cola to start with. The old barman attended to his order, blasé, and then hurriedly walked back to the female custumer he had been talking with before.

Kai enjoyed the cold drink, the sensation of the ice-cubes against his lips whenever he prepared to take a sip. He realized that he also enjoyed it to being alone. Well not really alone. The evening traffic in the hotel was still more heavy than one would have expected. He briefly glanced at the clock, which hang on the wall over the elevators. Nearly midnight. Kai must have wandered out there longer than even he had thought.

He ordered another drink, which was delivered with the same lethargy to him as the first one. This one already had more effect on him than the first one. He felt himself relax, the pain from his wound eased away even more.

Kai leaned with his back against the counter and looked around the grand room. The reception desk was on the far side; to his left was the entry, which was composed of big glass doors that opened automatically; a red carpet marked the way through it up to the elevators to his right hand. These were the things that everyone could notice with the first glance, but for the first time Kai was interested in the small facts about this hall: the stairs leading up next to the elevators, about the ugly table cloths on the little tables in the waiting area, and about the half hidden telephone booth in the corner. He looked at the last item the longest.

Kai took his glass with him and moved a bit nearer to the phone. The phone book lay on a small table next to the apparatus.

The young man smiled grimly. No, it never was that easy. Still he continued to walk towards it. When he reached the booth, his nervousness grew. He rubbed with one hand the thumb of his other while staring at the book. Finally he grabbed it and skimmed through the pages. The letter 'H' jumped at him and he slowly turned the pages now.

Kai couldn't breathe it was so easy, so surreal. It couldn't be happening, but there it was 'Hiwatari, Fjodor' full with phone number and address.

Kai lay the book down again and went back to the bar to get a refill. 'It's never, never going to be this easy!'

xxxxxx

He walked slowly towards the hotel room. No one was on the floor. Good. This way no one would remember him. Room 318. This was it. Remembering what his job was on this case wasn't difficult. He always did the dirty work. He would do it here. It didn't mean anything to him.

He moved the lock-pick into place. Make it look like an accident. It was always the same. If they aren't sleeping heavy enough, then kill them first, but don't forget to make it look like an accident. He wouldn't forget that. He was a professional. That was why he had been called.

He didn't know who the persons in the room where. He didn't want to know. Just take care of the people occupying room 318. That had been his job. That was what he was doing.

He stepped inside. Nothing was moving. He didn't hear himself moving even. But they'd soon wake up. However he would be gone by then.

He placed the ignitions. Prices had gone up for these, but they were the best. Quiet even during explosion and didn't leave enough evidence to verify arson. His client had the money; that made this job easy.

He made sure, that everything was settled and activated the timer. Then he just went out of the room and waited 30 seconds. He heard a crackling sound. It worked all right. He left.

xxxxxx

Kai had finally decided to make the call. It didn't matter to him anymore that it was in the middle of the night; it didn't matter that he didn't know what he was supposed to say. He could never drink enough to help him gather the guts to call in the morning, and if he would try this sober he'd fail for sure. He felt nervous enough as it was.

When he couldn't find his family name in the phone book again Kai felt already relieved, that he might have imagined things. But then there it was again. Fjodor Hiwatari. Kai quietly mumbled the name and listened to it's sound. Then he pronounced it differently and spoke it again. Kai wondered if in a minute he'd hear how the man belonging to the name emphasized it. He wondered what the other man's voice might sound like at all.

Taking another deep breath Kai put some coins in the slot and started typing in the given number. It took a lifetime to finally start ringing and even when it did nothing happened for a while.

'Please.' Kai pressed the earpiece harder against his ear as if to hear better.

It rang again. This time however a clicking sound could be heard afterwards. Kai held his breath.

“You're talking with the answering machine of Fjodor and Natalia Hiwatari. We are currently not at home, but you can leave us a message. If it is urgent to reach us, then you can ask our neighbors for our mobile number. Bye.”

Kai put some more coins in the slot and called the same number again, but he just got the same answer. Again he called it, but this time he didn't care about the message and just listened to the voice delivering it. Could this be his father's voice? It didn't sound familiar, but since he wouldn't recognize the man, if he met him on the street it was highly unlikely that he'd remember his voice.

Perhaps his parents weren't really out, but just sleeping and not caring about the phone. The clock told Kai, that it was already half past one. He wouldn't answer the phone himself at this time.

He wondered if the address given in the phone book would be far enough away for him to take until morning to walk there. He'd never be able to sleep now, not after being so near his aim. So he could just as well start to walk to his parents' house now.

Kai didn't move, however. Everything was going too fast, almost too easy. Perhaps it was just the alcohol wearing down or his tiredness playing with his mind, but he was hesitant to really move. What if they didn't want him, didn't let him in, or even didn't remember him? That was the most horrible scenario possible.

He had never pictured meeting his parents, because he had thought them to be dead all these years. It had been logical, that he had to live with his grandfather as long as he believed, that his parents were dead. But what reasons were there now?

'Just go there and find out.' It was more Kai's practical side than his confidence coming out here.

He ripped the page with the address out of the phone book and made his way towards the door. Suddenly a siren started its ear-splitting ringing. Kai looked around confused. Nothing happened for a while. Then he heard a woman's cry. “Fire!”

People came running down the stairs only wearing their pajamas, shouting, nearly falling over, making their way towards the door. Kai was pushed to the side.

“Fire,” he mouthed. His eyes opened wide. “Fire! Tyson! Tala!”

Kai pushed against the stream of people, sidestepping most of them and making his way to the stairs.

Tbc...

Fic: Christmas Stories

2007-12-11T21:08:11Z

A little something I wrote two years ago for an author cooperation Beyblade Advent Calender thingy. We only go three stories done back then, but perhaps someday we'll add to it.
Anyway here is my contribution. It is also posted on fanfiction.net under CyborgRockstars account.

Disclaimer: I really am infringing on someone else copyright, but I mean it in the best possible way.

Title: Christmas Stories
By: Lichtblick

Summary: It's advents-period in the abbey.

I was late with doing my round that night, but I was sure no one was going to care about it and no one knew about it anyway.

The abbey's corridors were always cold, even during summer. Now as it were already the last days of November it was literally frozen. The little traces of water, which always marked the walls, were glittering in the light of my flashlight. I let the spot glide from the left to the right along the wall and enjoyed the sparkling.

I always liked the night shifts more. The boys were sleeping, all was quiet, and now the winter let it seem almost peaceful, or as peaceful as it can get in the abbey.

I was finished with the first corridor and started with the next; this one was even longer than the first and housed the younger boys. I thought I heard voices coming from one of the rooms, so I softened my steps, by it the boys wouldn't hear me before I found them.

I stopped in front of every room and listened. Out of the first few rooms no noise came; from the fourth room I heard soft snoring and moved on. I nearly started to think that I'd been mistaken, when I heard the voices again from behind the door I was facing.

I could make out five different voices, so at least three boys were in the wrong room. The rules would have forced me to break up the party immediately and report about the occurrence, but there was also another rule and that got me to listen more carefully. We guards were handed extra payment for every conspiracy we revealed; it was almost our usual wages doubled. A day before there had been food stolen from the kitchen in such an amount, that Boris feared some of the boys were collecting provisions for an escape plan. Perhaps now I was about to learn more.

It was the seventh room on the right, which meant that it belonged to Bryan and Spencer. With that knowledge it wasn't difficult to guess who the other three could be, since especially Bryan didn't used to hang around with a lot of the guys. It could only be Tala, Ian, and Kai with them.

The boys were clever, had I not been listening so carefully, I might not have caught them. Normally the boys always betrayed themselves through the light. It shines through under the door and illuminates the corridor.

They must have stuffed something in the groove under the door and put something in front of the keyhole also, because no light showed outside.

The last words had all been muffled and I couldn't make out anything coherent, so I pressed my right ear harder against the door and after my hearing had gotten used to the sound I could make out their conversation.

And well, it surprised me a bit.

“Please tell me we are not all here only because you wanted to read Tala!”

“Read what?” Spencer sounded like he had just woken up.

“A Christmas story,” Ian answered cheerfully.

“Show me,” Bryan commanded, I don't know whom, but I guess it was Ian, because there was no further argument.

“This one is told from a donkey's perspective.” I heard the shocked exclamation moments afterwards and involuntary had to smile.

“Yeah well, after all it was the donkey's manger Jesus used as his bed after he was born. If you ask me it's about time, that the poor animal finally can speak his mind.”

After that I couldn't make out anything other than a few 'stupid' s and other similar words for some time, because all of them were speaking at the same time.

“And why are we doing this in our room?”

“We wanted to spare you the way,” Tala answered flippantly.

“There would have been no way, because I wouldn't have come.”

“But you're in definite need for some Christmas spirit,” someone grumbled.

I nearly flinched when I heard something smashing against the wall.

“It's a Christmas story from the perspective of a donkey for heaven's sake. Who wants to hear it anyway?” Bryan gave it one last try.

“I want,” Kai answered. And I had to admit the kid had some courage.

“Yeah sure.” Bryan grunted. “You only want to hear it to get on my nerves.”

“Right, you're always the center of my decisions Bryan,” Kai replied sarcastically. The boy had really gotten used to the tone around there fast.

“Where do you have that book from anyway?” Spencer injected quickly.

“Out of a bookstore of course.”

“When have you been allowed to go to a bookstore?” Kai asked disbelievingly.

“This morning.”

“No, I heard what Boris said and that was just that you were supposed to collect the reports from the city.”

“He gave me two hours. I took Ian with me, we parted the work and had still time to go to the bookstore.”

“Yep, I chose the book and we were back on time,” confirmed Ian.

“I should have known, that only you could choose a story like this.”

I heard feet hitting the ground. Ian must have jumped up with indignation.

“You would have found no better. Do you think they have Christmas stories about superheroes or sport teams? Because they don't”

“He's right. If there had been a better one, I would have taken it, but they were all about little boys or girls waiting for Santa Claus.” Tala calmed everyone down.

It got quiet after that.

“Why are we doing this at all?” Finally someone asked the question I wanted to have the answer to the whole time.

“The Christmas rules, remember? Every Advent you can either read a Christmas story or sing Christmas carols. If anyone wants to sing, then go ahead.”

I grimaced and could imagine that the boys inside imitated my mimic, since no one replied to the dare.

“So, who’s going to read it out?” I heard Kai ask after a while.

Little later Spencer started to recite the children Christmas story.

I stayed the whole time. It was a weird situation, standing there in the abbey, leaning against a door and listening to boys telling Christmas stories, who I actually should be handing over to Boris, because they acted against curfew rules.

But through all its weirdness it was still one of the most peaceful and most memorable nights at that place.

I came every Advent after that one and listened together with Ian, Tala, Kai, Bryan and Spencer to the stories, no matter if I was on duty or not.

After Christmas I quit my job at the abbey and left the town, the country and everything else behind. The only thing I kept from that time is the tradition the boys taught me back then. Even today I still read a Christmas story every Advent and I guess one or two of them even had a donkey in them.

The End!

Like a Rolling Stone - Chapter Five

2007-12-11T17:51:36Z

So here it is. A bit short I know, but I wanted to get it out finally after changing so much. Sorry! Hope you enjoy it anyway.

Chapter Five

Now you don't talk so loud
Now you don't seem so proud

Tyson looked out of the window. It was dark outside, he couldn't really see anything. Just the circle under the street lamp was lightened and there was no movement at all. In the background he could hear the sounds of people eating and talking.

It was dinnertime at the shelter and the first for weeks when he didn't have anything to do. He had finished his homework in the afternoon already and when he had come to help in the kitchen there had been nothing left to do. In the end he had just went around the tables and let the people sign themselves in.

Food had been served already. He would eat later like he was used to. There shouldn't be anything bothering him, but there was. More than one thing actually. For one he still didn't like this new situation. Tyson would have loved to be able to first talk it through with his grandfather before he took foreign people in to help. He had called the hospital, but his grandfather hadn't been in his room.

The other thing was, that Kai still wasn't here. He had been so sure, that the youth would be back tonight. He knew his grandfather would have been able to persuade him and that he hadn't was nagging on Tyson's feeling of competence. Still the more he thought about it, he realized, that this wasn't the only reason he was waiting for Kai to show up.

Tyson walked back to one of the tables. Talking with the people he had known for a long time would feel familiar and give him something to distract himself from his current problems. Perhaps he could help in the kitchen afterwards. Do something.

xxxxxx

Kai carefully stepped into the abandoned house. There were no lights inside, but he could hear voices talking. He wondered who was still here. Over the last few days persons visiting the house had become fewer and fewer and he had imagined, that after the last death and the beginning of the extreme cold everyone would try for a place in a shelter. The only people who would probably try to avoid that were youths like him, afraid of being send home, or drug addicts. He hoped he wouldn't have to deal with the last group.

As he walked through the building he thought whether to avoid the owner of the voice or not. The nearer he got towards it the less dangerous it sounded. It was definitely only one voice. He couldn't make out any words. It was one mumbled speech. Whoever was here hadn't made a light or Kai would have already seen it. Still the street lamps outside should make it possible to see the other early enough.

And Kai did. In the far corner of the second room a few shadows hang. They weren't moving, but he could still hear the one voice mumbling. None of them seemed to realize that he was there. There wasn't any movement at all.

Kai was unsure if he should stay away from them or go and investigate. He decided to take a look. Whoever it was seemed to be too drunk or too high to be aware he was there, so there was no risk. Hopefully.

He walked slowly towards them. Deciding he should make himself known, he called out to them.

“Hello. Can I come over?”

He got no reply however the mumbling stopped for a while, but then returned again. Kai crouched nearer. He could make out two people. Nearest to him was the mumbling man. He just stared ahead of him. Totally out of it. Drugs, Kai decided. The guy had a blanket draped over his shoulders. However it wasn't really covering him anymore, but the man hadn't noticed.

Kai looked further into the corner. A woman was lying on the floor. She didn't have a blanket, only a light jacket to cover her. She wasn't moving. In front of her lay a syringe. Kai stumbled forward, hurriedly kneeling down on the floor next to her.

Was she dead?

Kai leaned forward so that he could see her face better. Her eyes blinked from time to time. She was alive. However her lips looked blue and her breathing was more than irregularly.

“Hey there. Can you hear me?” Kai shook her shoulder. She didn't react. He took of his gloves and touched her face. Her skin was icy. “If you can hear me, then please talk to me.”

When she still didn't react he took of his cloak and scarf and covered her with the warm clothes. He turned towards the guy. The man had stopped mumbling and looked towards them with glassy eyes.

The stranger said something again. A bit clearer this time. “Away...her...alone.”

Kai scrambled over to the man. “How long has she been lying there? We need to call an ambulance.” He shook his shoulder trying to get the druggy to focus. “Come on, get up.”

The guy shook his head, then looked at Kai harder. “Leave...alone.” The teen watched as the man fumbled with something under his blanket, but didn't pay it anymore attention. He again was trying to get the guy to help. He opened his mouth to speak, however he didn't come to say anything.

Suddenly the side of his face burned. He fell backwards. The man on top of him. Moving. Kai was still shocked, when his left arm started to hurt too. Only then did he see the knife and realized what was happening. He kicked with up, catching the other in the mid-section. As the guy rolled of him, Kai turned with him, making a go for the knife. He easily grabbed it out of the nearly limp hand and used his right hand to throw it across the room.

Only then did he look back to what the man was doing. He again had returned to mumbling. This time curled up on his side. He didn't seem to notice anything of the world around him and if it wasn't for the hitched breathing you wouldn't have guessed that he had moved any in the last few hours.

Kai noticed the same hitched breathing coming from himself. He sat back on his heels for a while to collect himself. That had been close. He should have known that somebody on a trip could always turn out to be dangerous. Gladly they usually weren't the most coordinated and strong people. Kai touched the side of his face. It was only bleeding a little, just like the wound on his arm.

He turned back to the female. She hadn't moved at all. With one last glance towards his former attacker, Kai decided that she wasn't in any danger from him and ran out.

xxxxxx

Tyson was angry. He watched as Toby Anderson closed the door behind the two policemen, who had come to take two of the regular visitors of the shelter away.

“You can go to bed now Tyson. I've got everything under control.”

Tyson ignored the dismissal. “I've told you it would have been better, if I had made the room arrangements. The two hate each other. I've known that, therefore we never put them in one room.”

“Well I sorted them alphabetically. That way we've got a clearer view on were everyone is. It is a good method. It isn't our job to keep them apart, they have to behave themselves.”

“And if not we call the police?”, Tyson asked furiously. They only got the police involved in emergency situations, if the fights escalated or somebody smuggled drugs in to sell them.

“They were fighting. That's the rule.” Toby shrugged the question of.

“But I had them calmed down already!”

“Tyson listen, that was good of you, however you shouldn't step in. That could be dangerous. Somebody could attack you...”

“They wouldn't! I've known them all my life.”

Mr. Anderson sighed. He spared the books on the table a look. He had planned to make some calculations tonight, but then the fighting had interrupted his work and he had to call the police to get the situation sorted out. So everyone had already been a bit calmer, when the policemen had arrived, still even the officers had thought the situation to be too tense to leave it unattended. In the end they had taken the troublemakers with them to spend the night at the station.

“Why don't we talk about this tomorrow? We could go through the rules and discuss them all if you want, however that won't change their validity.”

Tyson felt brushed off like a kid, send to bed after being naughty. He had some comments to put Mr. Anderson in his place on the tip of his tongue, but swallowed them down in the end. They all seemed far too immature at the moment and he wouldn't give that guy that. However nothing mature or clever would cross his mind. The frustration of it nearly made him scream. But he bit down on his lip, breathing loudly.

For a moment Tyson moved his mouth like he wanted to say something after all, but then he just stamped his right food and stormed off.

xxxxxx

Kai sprinted back to the building. There had been no one around and the telephone booth he had found had been some minutes away. Nevertheless he wanted to make it back before the ambulance arrived. That way he could warn them of the guy.

He saw the ambulance pull around the corner, just as he made it to the entry. It was no use to go in there now, instead he stood there waiting for the medics. Kai leaned a bit against the wall for support. The stone wall felt cold against his otherwise sweaty back. His body was still pulsing from the just completed run. Through the car's headlights suddenly blinding him, Kai could make out his breath in the cold night air.

He heard the car doors opening and closing again. The lights weren't turned off and therefore he could only make out the three persons when they stood directly in front of him.

“Did you make the call kid?”

“Yeah”, Kai stood straight, “The girl in there isn't moving, probably took drugs. The man too, he could be aggressive though.”

Two medics immediately made their way inside. The third looked Kai over once more critically.

“You need help?”

Kai looked down on himself. He hadn't his cloak, scarf and gloves on, they were still where he had left them with the woman, his jumper was torn and bloody where the knife had cut in. He could only imagine what his face must look like with some of the blood smeared on it. On top of that he was still breathing hard and was wet with sweat but shaking from the cold at the same time.

“It's okay.”

Somebody inside shouted a name and the medic turned towards the entry. “Just wait here. We'll take you with us to the hospital.” He ran inside without waiting for an answer.

Kai only kept standing there for another moment. Going to the hospital was out of question. The guy might as well have suggested going to the police or even straight back to Voltaire. Kai turned around and sprinted back towards the road. He roared in frustration. There weren't many places he could go now and only one really seemed inviting to him. So the boy had won after all.

xxxxxx

Tyson thought that this must be what people called ironic. Well he called it that at least. Toby Anderson had been send here to help him, so that he could sleep at night again for example, but now the fury directed at the man was what kept him awake.

It was the first time, that it felt weird to have a stranger in the house. And he had those here every night! It was just that this stranger was here in a different position. He was changing things and that was what it was all coming down too.

Tyson knew well enough that Toby's procedure of things was the way that most shelters were run and he knew it was legitimate and not one he considered evil. But it didn't fit here. It wasn't his grandfather's way.

Toby would only be here for a short while. There was no need to change anything for that time. Perhaps Tyson should argue like that tomorrow when they'd have their discussion. Speaking of tomorrow he'd have his first day of school for weeks then.

Tyson looked at the clock. He really should go to bed now. He really should. Perhaps after one last round through the shelter he would.

Tbc...

Fiction Index

2007-11-26T21:20:07Z

Beyblade:

1. Visiting Day (Complete! Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three)
Summary: It's visiting day at the abbey. Who will come and who won't? A Kai – Tala friendship-story.
Setting: This story takes place in the early days of the abbey. I see Kai being around 8 years old, and Tala somewhere near ten.
Rating/Warnings: light T for some violence

Some Notes: This is my first completed multi-chaptered fanfic and I am surprisingly satisfied with it. It may be one of my best works, since it was completely planned out, well pictured and fastly written. Hope it may become as special to other people as it has become to me!

2. Beside Me (WIP)
Summary: Kai gets some news on his parents. Alongside with Tala and Tyson he sets out for an adventure, which gets more and more confusing. A Kai-Tala-Tyson friendship story
Setting: A few yearsafter G-Rev
Rating/Warnings: not sure, perhaps T for some violence, angst and innuendos to child abuse.
Spoilers: Small ones to the end of G-Rev and my other story Visiting Day, but it is unnecessary to read it. I’ll explain everything you need to know.

Some Notes: Still a WIP, but definitely one I will continue working on. It is all worked out in my head, I just have to put it on screen. Still finishing this of will have to wait until after I am through with LaRS, but one more chapter is already wrtitten and currently being beta-ed. We will see, when it will be continued.

3. When Morning Comes at Night (WIP)
Summary: Set after season one, this story starts with finding Kai a place to live, but when he finally has found one, will he be able to live the normal life he wants to have? It doesn’t look like it, he get’s into serious trouble with a teacher and then there is always the threat to send him back to Russia. And on top of all of this Kai finally wants to trust somebody, and when he starts to fall in love, everything get’s just too difficult. Will Kai be able to find a way through all this?
Rating: PG-13 (this was difficult, because the first few chapters are probably G, but later it’s deffinitly PG-13 and far, far in the future I even might have to change the rating into R)
Pairing: Kai/Tyson (but you have to wait, their love develops really slowly)
Warnings: There will be male/male touching and kissing and also noncon male/male touching and kissing (at least). Please don’t read if this offends you! This story will get looooong (the first five chapters are just the exposition!), and it probably will be slow paced.

Some Notes: One of my oldest stories and again a WIP, that definitely will be finished. However with this one I clearly have a plot problem. A lot of thought has to go into this before it will be continued or finished. So probably one of those fics that have to wait longer.

4. Like a Rolling Stone (WIP Prologue Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five)

Summary: This is an AU. Beyblades exist, but the Bladebreakers never found each other and they didn't participate in the championships. This story is TyKa. Kai ran away from Voltaire, but now he hasn't any place tp go and starts to live on the street. Tyson is running the shelter for the homeless his family owns. You can imagine how it goes from there.
Rating/Warnings: M for slash, violence, death and perhaps prostitution or some non-con stuff. I am not too sure what exactly will happen, but I will give individual warnings for each chapter. Please don't read if anything in the warnings might bother you!

Some Notes: This fic has priority at the moment, so expect semi-regular updates for it! I know there will be many missed oportunities with this fic, but I already plan a major rewrite for it in the far future. Let's see how it works out this first time around.

5. I'm Still Here (Complete! Chapter One)
Rating: PG
Warnings: It's pretty dark. So don't read, if you're not feeling like it.
Summary: Even if it is true, that opposites attract each other, the question remains, if they can live with each other. A dark/sad TyKa lovestory.

Some Notes: This is a one-shot and a song-fic, never posted anywhere alese, written a few years before and without the help of a beta. Frightened? You should be! It's definitely not gooood, but it is interesting to me at least viewed as a step I took in writing and since this is my journal and I warned you....

6. Christmas Stories (Complete! Chapter One)
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Summary: It's advents-period in the abbey.

Some Notes: Just what I wrote on top of that entry - A little something I wrote two years ago for an author cooperation Beyblade Advent Calender thingy. We only go three stories done back then, but perhaps someday we'll add to it.
Anyway here is my contribution. It is also posted on fanfiction.net under CyborgRockstars account.

Like a Rolling Stone - Chapter Four

2007-11-26T20:20:54Z

Chapter Four

You never understood that it ain't no good
You shouldn't let other people get your kicks for you

Tyson woke up first early in the morning. He felt bad for having fallen asleep at all. He knew he should have slept last afternoon and stayed awake the night in case of emergencies. Gladly nothing had happened as far as he could tell.

A look at the clock told Tyson that it was only 4.30am. So there was still some time left until everyone would get up. Including the boy who was currently sleeping on the other side of the table. Kai was breathing evenly. A small hair strain moved up and down regularly with his breath. He had his arms crossed on the table, his head resting upon it, with his face turned to the left.

Tyson thought about waking him, but there wasn't a bed left to make Kai more comfortable anyway, so he just let the other boy sleep. Instead he got up and went to the kitchen to start his first brew of coffee for the day. With his cup filled to the top, he made his way back.

His glance fell onto the counter he passed by, lying there he saw his still untouched homework. He knew, that in just a few hours he would sit in front of his teacher and headmaster, trying to explain to them just why they should let him pass, since he hasn't stepped into the school building for weeks and obviously wasn't bothering too much with catching up on the stuff he missed.

Tyson threw the papers on the table and sat heavily down back onto his chair.

The thing was, that he really wasn't bad at school. Sure he came late quite often and he forgot about his homework from time to time, but most of the stuff he did, did come easily to him. He would have passed this grade without a problem, but since he didn't visit the lessons anymore, the homework exercises seemed more and more foreign to him. And how could he do anything, if he didn't understand the tasks anymore?

He smacked his head down on the table. It was all so bloody unfair.

Kai felt the table vibrate beneath his head and carefully opened one eye. The way he lay all he saw was the window. On the other side of the glass it was still black, but inside the lights were turned on. From the other side of the table he heard some mumbling. With both eyes open now, Kai decided to look what was up.

There with the head on the table sat Tyson, the boy he had only met yesterday. Kai calmly watched as he repeatedly smacked his forehand onto the table. Left on the moving mob of black hair stood a filled coffee pot, brown liquid spilled out of it every time the table moved. On the right side some pieces of paper were piled into a stack. Kai looked at those a moment longer.

He should have thought of that. Tyson had been down about his school problems yesterday and all Kai did was keeping the other from this much needed to be done work. Like he had kept Tyson from cleaning the shelter yesterday and like he had... Oh stop it. It wasn't like that. Tyson had been the one eager to battle, hadn't he? And instead of sitting there doing nothing but bruising his forehead, he could simply... Okay, so it wasn't completely like that either.

After one last hard smack. Tyson let his head finally just rest on the table. The screeching of the chair on his right, made him look up. His eyes met Kai's staring back.

“Did I wake you?”

Kai ignored the question, instead he nodded towards the slips of paper in front of him. “You still got to do these?”

Tyson gulped. “I've got this meeting with my teacher today.”, he said, not really answering.

They stared at each other for a while longer after that, both not really comfortable with the situation.

Suddenly Kai stood up. “I get myself some coffee and you better get started with these.”

Tyson started to reach automatically for his pen and homework, but stopped in midway. He turned around. Did the other just order him to do his homework? Oh hell, he would think about that later. At the moment Kai was right, he should get started with his exercises.

He looked at the tasks in the different subjects. Start with the easiest or leave that for the last? And which one was the easiest anyway? If he could figure out what he was supposed to do on any of these tasks, he might be able to figure that one out.

“You know, it's still the same as the stuff you've already learned. They just add little pieces to make it look more difficult, but it is basically the same as before.”

Tyson looked around. Kai was making his way through the room, cup in hand.

“Are you finished with school?”

The question seemed to surprise both of them. Kai looked uneasy and Tyson mentally smacked himself. No questions like that! No matter how much he wanted to know.

Kai took a sip out of his cup. The coffee was still hot. It felt good. He reached out and took the piece of of paper on top to look at it.

“I can help you with this, if you want?”

xxxxxx

In the end much help wasn't needed. As soon as Tyson was sure what he was supposed to do, it really wasn't that hard. Still they weren't finished any time too soon, for the first people were already waking up and breakfast should soon be served.

Tyson and Kai worked together in the kitchen again and when everyone else was finished and got ready to move out for the day again, they sat together on the table again to eat something themselves.

A few minutes later Tyson watched Kai fumbling with the few remaining buttons on his jacket. He hadn't given Kai's homelessness much thought during their day together. Only now when he was about to leave with nothing to shelter him from the cold but that worn cloak, reality seemed to catch up with him again.

Tyson would have asked Kai to stay, if he had stayed himself. But like it was he had to leave himself in a few minutes. The question, if he trusted the other enough already to let him stay alone in his home steadily knocked against his forehead. Tyson pushed it back. He had grown up with the shelter and during that time, he always had had people he wanted to stay and to protect. His grandfather's voice still echoed in his head. 'You can't take care of everyone. Just do your job as good as possible.' “Yes”, Tyson thought, “do your job and make sure Kai comes back, so that you can continue doing it.”

“Wait a sec, okay?” Tyson didn't wait for an answer, but ran down the hallway. Only a few minutes later he came back. Kai had moved over to the window meanwhile, staring out at the winterly neighborhood. He turned around, when he heard Tyson's footsteps approaching. Something warm and soft was immediately pushed into his hands.

“Take these.”

Kai unfolded the bundle in his arms. It was a matching pair of hat, scarf and gloves. His fingers traced over the expensive fabric.

“Does everyone get stuff like these?” Even Kai wasn't sure, if he tried to sound angry. Perhaps it was just to keep his dignity.

“I borrowed them Kenny, another friend of mine, last year too. These belong to my brother.” Tyson pointed towards the winter clothes. “So you better bring them back later.”

Kai wasn't sure what to say. Had Tyson just called him his friend? But how would he himself define their relationship? He decided to just leave, before he could say something that he would call himself stupid for later. Putting the woolen accessories on, he made his way to the door, opened and closed it behind him without saying anything else.

Tyson stared after his new maybe-friend. “You're welcome.”, he murmured after the retreating figure. That guy definitely was some work. Now he could only hope, that he would really come back in the evening.

xxxxxx

“Tyson. Hello, I am glad that you could come by.”

“Sure, Mrs. West.” Tyson shook his teachers hand and then stumbled to the one unoccupied chair in the room. In front of him stood a plain but big desk. His headmaster and one strange guy sat on the other side of the piece of furniture, his teacher had taken the place to his left.

It was quiet for a second, which Tyson used to grab a map from his bag and pass it over to his teacher.

“That's my homework.” He commented when stared confused back at him.

A kind smile was the answer. “So you were able to do these? That's great Tyson.”

“Piece of cake”, he smiled back, “I've faced more difficult tasks. Once I got started it wasn't too hard.”

“Well, that's quite good Tyson,” the headmaster cut in, “I'm sure Mrs. West will give you some feedback in a couple of days. However beside you're academic results we've got the matter of your attendance to consider today. In your file it says, that you haven't been here much recently.”

“Yeah well...”, Tyson fidgeted on his seat, “You see, there were something like family emergencies.”

“You don't need to explain yourself, Tyson.” The headmaster cut in and Tyson was glad, that he needn't try to come up with coherent sentences that explained the situation. “We know about your grandfather's unfortunate accident and we welcome your social engagement, however this can't interfere with your education.”

Tyson nodded, not knowing what else to do. The man liked what he did. That was good. He didn't like his not being at school though. That was bad. So what the hell did the guy want to tell him exactly?

“This is Toby Anderson.” The headmaster introduced the man sitting next to him. Tyson nodded to the man. He had nearly forgotten he was there.

“You should thank Mrs. West, Tyson. She insisted that in your special situation it was our job to help you, so that you can continue your carrier at our facility.”

The young blader was really confused now. Was he expected to actually thank his teacher now? He wanted to know what all this was supposed to mean first. Who was the strange guy? And on a side note: Who on earth called attending a school a career on a facility? Okay, that question could wait, Tyson decided. But how this Mr. Anderson came into the picture he'd still like to know. In the end he just waited. He could thank Mrs. West later, if he then still thought he should.

The headmaster stared at the boy in front of him. “Mr. Anderson is a social worker. He has already been in contact with our school in the past, when we encountered problems like this. He has agreed that you need help and offered his aide.” He cleared his throat before continuing. “If you agree with this, then Mr. Anderson will take control of the shelter as long as your grandfather is absent and you could resume your normal routine at school.”

Tyson gaped at him. He completely hated the thought of anybody but family running the shelter. They handled things with a special philosophy. That was why the people trusted them and came there and didn't went to one of official big ones.

“What's the alternative?”

The headmaster's eyes narrowed. “Your case would be given over to the youth welfare office. They would probably put you in an orphanage until one of your relatives came back to act as your guardian. If you don't start attending school regularly again we would be forced to expel you.”

Tyson fumed. His father, brother and grandfather had all good reasons for not being here, but the man made it sound like like they were complete irresponsible. And it wasn't like he was a child anymore anyway. He was able to take care of himself, thank you. He didn't need a social worker, a headmaster or some office to stick their noses into his business.

“I wouldn't come in there and change everything, Tyson.” Mr. Anderson spoke for the first time. “I'd just be there to help you. Only so much, that you could sleep at night, go to school in the morning and had the time to do your homework and as soon as your grandfather comes back, I'll be out of there. It's the best offer you'll get at the moment Tyson, think about it.”

How on earth was he supposed to decide this now? It wasn't like he really had a choice. He had to admit though, that the thought of leading a normal life again, sleeping at night especially, sounded more than good to him. He heard Mrs. West's soft voice tell him to accept the offer, he felt three pairs of eyes on him all expecting the one decision, he felt tired, he felt under pressure and he felt totally over-burdened. Finally he nodded, still not sure if he had made the right decision.

xxxxxx

Kai had spent the day walking through shopping malls as long as possible. Since he had been able to shower and change clothes at the shelter, he was able to blend in with the crowd. It had been a nice day he decided. He hadn't frozen the whole time, he tried to remember when that last happened.

Now that shops were closing however, he had to step out on the street again. It was cold, but he still didn't freeze. He pulled the scarf up higher into his face. The material felt good, but at the same time reminded him of the question he had pushed away the whole day.

Would he go back tonight?

He mentally made a list of all the reasons he had for not wanting to go to the shelter the first time. The list wasn't long, but still impressive. No questions, don't get caught, it warned. Tyson probably knew already that he was underage. Could he really trust him? And what about everyone else around? He shouldn't mingle with people. Okay, there had only been other homeless, who really weren't interested in him and those two stupid students and Tyson's strange friend. All of those not very threatening. But he didn't trust the peace.

The pro-shelter-list was definitely longer and the longer he kept walking outside, the more reasonable those reasons sounded. He would be warm there, he would get food there, he would be able to sleep there. And Tyson would be there. Well that last one didn't sound that reasonable or did it.

Kai snuggled deeper into his clothes. He had to make a decision since he now literally stood at the crossroad. Turn left or turn right. Left to the abandoned house, right to Tyson and the shelter. He automatically turned right.

He pulled the had deeper into his face and pushed the scarf higher up again, so that only his eyes could be seen. He should have thanked Tyson for lending him this stuff. This was just another point to be on this route. He had to hand the winter clothing back. Tyson had said...

Kai stopped dead in his tracks. Sneaky little bastard. How could he have fallen for that! Tyson was manipulating him to come back. Why would he do that? Kai shook his head. He didn't know, but he knew, that he hated it to be toyed with.

Kai turned around and walked in the opposite direction again.

Tbc...

Time for me to start with writing chapter five!

Like a Rolling Stone - Chapter Three

2007-11-26T20:15:53Z

As always warnings and infos can be found in chapter one. You can get there easily through the tags, but I am going to post a fic index one day, which should make everything a bit more organized.

Chapter Three

You've gone to the finest school all right, Miss Lonely
But you know you only used to get juiced in it

Both Tyson and Kai woke simultaneously an hour later to the ringing of the door bell. Tyson obviously had problems with already getting up. He rolled out of bed and stumbled, still half on the floor, to the room's door and then out through both corridors and the main room between, towards the door. There he found the two students already waiting who had brought the meals as long as he could think back. He sometimes wondered if they shouldn't have finished university by now.

“Hey Tyson! We've got your...food.”, he pronounced the last word in a way that everyone knew, that he wouldn't eat it if his life depended on it.

“In the car.”, the other added.

“Man, you really don't look good man!”, the first one, a dark haired man, obviously was more talkative than his companion.

“Yeah, well, I've just fallen asleep. Let's get the boxes in already.”

“Whoa, somebody's moody today.” The dark haired student grinned. Tyson had never liked him much. He was an arrogant prick. They had once been early with the food and met some of the homeless on their way out. Tyson hadn't forgotten the disgusted and haughty look the student had casted onto them.

Behind him Kai stepped in the doorway.

“Well at least you got somebody to help today.”, the student looked interested over Tyson's shoulder.

Tyson turned around in surprise. “Hey you are up to.” He smiled. “They are bringing the food for the shelter. We have to get it to the kitchen. You're in for some training before blading?”

Kai shrugged, but started to make his way towards the car parked in the driveway, seemingly uninterested in the two students he by stepped on his way. Tyson was immediately on his heals. “That's the spirit!”

They reached the car and Tyson opened the trunk. He showed which of all the big boxes were theirs. “We can carry them together..”, Tyson broke his sentence of, when Kai was already lifting one of the containers alone. “Or, well we can carry one each.” He lifted one too, a competitive glint in his eyes.

The two students watched as the boys carried their weights inside, both taking heavy steps, their faces held in a stoic grimace, trying to act like it was nothing to them.

Kai was the first to reach the kitchen, pushing the door open with his shoulder, his steps were getting smaller and smaller and his breathing deeper and deeper as he made his way towards the counter. He wondered if Tyson behind him noticed that, but was nearly sure he didn't since the other teens breathing was just as loud, he would be too concentrated on himself.

Both stood breathing hard, fingers still clutching the handles for a minute after they had put the boxes down. Tyson smiled over to Kai, “That wasn't bad at all.”

They went to get the next box together.

xxxxxx

Tyson closed and locked the door behind the two students. He found Kai still standing in the kitchen.

“So are you up for a match now? I can finish cleaning after I defeated you.”

Kai nearly smiled. The arrogant blader-attitude was familiar to him, he had always enjoyed the banter between the other bladers at the tournaments he had attended even though he rarely joined in. However since no one else was here beside the two of them, he couldn't work his way out of either ignoring or answering the provocations. As usual he tended to do the first.

“Lead the way.”

Only minutes later they stood on the opposite sides of a beydish in the garden behind the building.

“You're ready?”

“Start counting.”

“3, 2, 1, let it rip!” The two blades collided in the middle of the dish. Dranzer flew back and came dangerously near towards the edge. Dragoon didn't flew as far, but started to wobble in place. As soon as both blades had recovered they started to circle each other, always nearly touching. Tyson managed to maneuver his blade out of the way in the last second, when Kai made a surprise move, the younger teen let an attack of his own follow immediately though. It collided with Kai's second attack though and the blades crashed together again. Sparks flying first, then the blades were thrown back to opposite sides of the dish again.

Kai didn't waste any time and commanded Dranzer forward again. Tyson prepared to make the same move...

“TYSON!”

...he stumbled. His concentration over. The blade wobbled. Dranzer was still moving the attack. Grey and purple metal met. Dragoon flew out of the ring.

Tyson turned angrily around, even before picking his blade up.

“What Hilary! That was an important match, you know?”, he screamed into the surprised face of the brown-haired girl, who had moments ago appeared behind him.

Hilary quickly collected herself again. “I've got your homework.”

“Geeze thank you. I just lost a battle because of you. Couldn't you have waited a moment?”

“You don't have any manners, do you? I've just spent standing in front of your door for hours, ringing and knocking. I almost felt sorry for you, cause I thought you were so tired that you fell asleep and didn't hear me. So I wanted to go through the back door, but where do I find you? In the garden, playing this stupid game.” Hilary pointed her finger accusingly at the beydish. “Have you forgotten your appointment tomorrow? Do you want them to throw you out of school? He?”

Tyson felt insecure by the mention of the meeting he had with his teacher and the headmaster tomorrow.

“No, no. I'll do the homework, okay. I would have opened you, I just didn't hear the bell. I'll show them tomorrow, that I can handle everything alright and it will be fine. You'll see.”

“Oh, you don't believe that yourself! How can you stand here and play with that turning thingy while you could be learning? You should start to take this serious Tyson! We can't help you more than we do, it's all up to you.” Hilary got some sheets of paper out of her bag and waved them above her head. “I'll put them on the terrace. When you decide you have enough played for today, you could actually work a bit.”

Tyson was left stunned. The situation catching up with him again, just when he had managed to run away from it for a few minutes. Hilary made grunting noise when she put the papers down, she made the noise again when she looked one last time at Tyson, before disappearing behind the corner on the side of the house.

Tyson couldn't be angry with her. She was right in a way. He should be learning right now, should be preparing what to say tomorrow, what arguments to use. He also should be cleaning the last bit of the house up. He should just take it all more serious. But he was already taking it seriously. That was why he hadn't slept through any night since Hiro had left again, that was why he was cleaning and working and doing his homework at all, that was why he hadn't bladed before today for weeks. This was already being out of proportion serious for him. How could he do more?

A hand appeared before his face. His Dragoon lay in the palm.

“Here.”

Tyson reached out and took his offered blade back.

“That was a friend of yours?”

Tyson blushed, only now realizing that the other had heard everything. “She means good. She's bringing me my homework every day and sometimes helps out a bit at weekends.”

Kai nodded. He didn't want to pry into the younger boy's problems. He started to make his way back to the house, intended to grab his things and be gone.

“Hey, where are you going?”

“You can have your rematch another time.”

Tyson quickly caught up. He grabbed the homework Hilary had left on the way. “Rematch? That battle wasn't over. It was canceled, when Hilary arrived.”

“Your blade flew out of the dish, that means you lost.”

Tyson moved around to block Kai's way. “Okay, I want a rematch now!”

Kai tried to step around him. “Shouldn't you be doing something else?” He nodded towards the slips of paper in Tyson's hand. The boy's face told him, that he had said something wrong. He cursed himself. It wasn't his business, he shouldn't have commented on it.

Tyson opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the doorbell. He looked at his watch in shock.

“Oh, hell! I have to open up again already and I didn't even finish cleaning.”

Kai observed the face in front of his own turning white. He felt guilty suddenly. He had known, that the other was busy, he had even noticed how tired the boy had looked earlier, still he kept him from work the whole afternoon. And why? Because he didn't want to go back out there, because he was lonely, because he had felt human again for the first time since this whole mess had started?

“Why don't you go and open the door, and I finish up the rooms?”

“What?”

The doorbell rang again.

“Don't you want to open?”

Tyson smiled widely. Kai didn't manage to step back before the other teen had his arms around him, giving him a short hug. “I'll never forget you that!”

Kai looked after Tyson, when he ran of to get the door and let the already waiting people in. The crisp air outside had turned his skin cold, the more he could now feel the warm spot on his cheek, where Tyson's breath had met it. Had the boy just hugged him? A strange feeling arose in him. Red lips moved a bit, the smile decorating a handsome face for a second. Kai still grinned, when he was on his knees cleaning the showers a few minutes later.

xxxxxx

The nights were turning colder still. Yesterday the news had told about the first victim of the cold. An old man had be found in front of an abundant industrial building, which was known to be used as a sleeping place by homeless. So it wasn't surprising, that a lot of homeless people were using the shelter that evening.

Kai wasn't really sure anymore which side he was on. Only this morning he had sneaked into this very shelter to get a bit warm over a cup of coffee, but as soon as he had stepped into the dining room again after having finished cleaning Tyson waved him over behind the counter. Since then he had stood there filling and refilling the dishes held out to him by dirty hands. Tyson was coming and going, bringing new boxes of food from the kitchen, as well as walking around the tables to make people sign the list and discuss sleeping arrangements. It seemed like today again some people would have to spent their night bedded on cushions the floor.

After about forty minutes the rush ebbed down. People started to just sit at the tables talking, some already went to take a shower and then to bed.

“There's still enough left. Let's get our share now!” Kai span around at Tyson's sudden appearance. The boy was already digging deep into the boxes loading food onto a dish in his left hand. Kai thought about eating. He hadn't had much food during the last few weeks. His stomach didn't even protest any more, when he went to sleep without getting anything to eat at all again. Still the smell of meat and vegetables that filled the air now, was a pleasant one. And the more he thought about it the hungrier he grew. Grabbing a plate, Kai decided to fill it before Tyson could stack everything left on his dish.

“Grab something to drink, the sauce is spicy.”, Tyson advised before he headed over to an already empty table. Kai followed him balancing the dish, knife and fork in one hand and a glass and bottle of water in the other. He sat down opposite on the opposite side of the table, fumbling with his fork for a while he soon started to eat.

“Can't believe my eyes, you're actually eating. There might be a chance left of you growing up after all.”, a female voice surprised the two teens. Kai tried hard to swallow a corn of rice, that was stuck in his throat. The words were clearly directed at him.

“Susanne?” Kai soon realized who was standing in front of him. He hadn't seen the woman for quite a while.

“I knew you wouldn't forget me little one.”, the woman smiled brightly. Her bad teeth showing.

“How could I?”, Kai actually smiled in return. The old woman had been the only company he had had so far on his time on the street. He had missed her when she hadn't come to find him daily anymore.

“Well you could have found yourself a new friend.” She looked pointedly at Tyson. “How's the gorgeous relative of yours, Tyson. I was hoping to find him back already.”

“I'm afraid you'll have to wait another few weeks until he returns. However I'm sure he'll be glad to find you here waiting, when he comes back.” Susanne had been on his grandfather's heels from the morning they first met years ago. His grandfather always acted like he was afraid of the crazy woman's attention, but Tyson was sure that it was all an act. When Susann Bell had started to write silly love songs about him, he had secretly been quite flattered.

“Well I sure hope, he'll come back soon. Else he might find my not so lively body on his doorstep, with this horrible cold going on.” She sneezed for effect. However even though she was speaking in a light tone, the boys could see that she indeed had to fight with the illness like so many others in the room, who had spent too many hours in the cold outside.

“I could make you some tea, if you want.”, Tyson offered.

“No sweetheart, it's okay really. I'll just get comfortable in one of those warm beds you have here and in the morning I'll be as good as new. You just stay with my little friend here, keep him some company. Good night boys!” Humming some tune, she left the room in the direction of the sleeping-rooms.

“You know her?” Tyson turned back to Kai. The dining room was almost completely empty by now. The last two man just beginning to make their way after Susanne as well.

“Hn.” Kai gulped down some of his water. The sauce was spicy indeed.

“I still have to thank you, you know. For helping with cleaning before and with the food and stuff.”

Kai shrugged.

“No really...oh, wait!” Tyson jumped up suddenly and headed over to the kitchen. Minutes later he came back with a bottle of wine two classes and what looked like some chocolate bars. He dropped everything on the table. “Tada! Let's have a nice evening. What do you say?”

Kai eyed the bottle of wine and the chocolate. He hadn't had any of those things forever. The cork was already pulled out. Kai filled the two glasses.

“It's really good to have some company here at this time. Normally everyone is gone to sleep already. It's really hard to stay up the whole night, when it's all quiet around you. But now we can talk.”

Kai didn't answer. He was enjoying the other boy talking alright. It seemed like both of them have been a bit too lonely in the past. Still there was no reason to talk, when Tyson was doing the job all alone alright.

“You wanna talk?” Tyson just seemed to realize, that the current situation hadn't been the plan at all. Hours ago the other had desperately wanted to leave, then he had just hung around for the beyblade match and then he had been stuck with the work. It had never been any talk about staying the night. Still this kinda felt natural, so why should they have had to plan it like this.

On the other side of the table, Kai just was realizing, that there wouldn't be a conversation for too long, if he didn't participate in some way.

“Sure.” Was the best he could manage.

“Okay, so tell me something, like... your name?”, Tyson offered with a grin.

Kai would have grinned too, but he just managed to move his lips a bit upwards around the wineglass. He quickly gulped the strangely dry-tasting liquid down.

“It's Kai.”

“Well, I'm Tyson.” The younger blader held his hand out.

“I know.” Still Kai took it in return. They moved their connected hands up and down a bit, it wasn't a visible shake though. “The girl was shouting it earlier.” Kai answered Tyson's questioning look. His hand was clamped tighter for a second, then it was released.

“Oh, I see.”

Kai studied the other teen for a second. He seemed distressed. Perhaps he shouldn't have reminded him of the scene that afternoon. He emptied the glass and leaned back in his chair, his head tilted backwards. He observed the small lights that decorated the ceiling, some more Christmas deco hang there too. It just didn't look finished. The lights for example only hang on one side of the room, on the other side there were some plain branches of a fir tree.

“Nice decoration.”

If possible Tyson looked even more knackered after the remark.

“Yeah well, it isn't finished. Gramps fell from the ladder before he was finished. He's in hospital now. Both legs are broken and his right arm. He has to stay there for rehab for some more weeks.”

“Oh.” Kai wasn't sure what to say. That somehow explained why he hadn't seen any adult working here. There wasn't. The boy was all alone here, working when he should be sleeping and going to school and blading. That wasn't right.

“I used to live with my grandfather, too.” The words were out before he knew why he said them.

“So how comes you are here now.” He didn't want to call him a bum directly. Tyson was momentarily distracted, when he saw the other fidget. There was something... “Did you run away?”

Kai winced. It was his own fault for bringing up the topic. He felt Tyson leaning closer over the table, the other's eyes roaming over his face.

“How old are you anyway? You know, that if you are under eighteen, I have to call the social assistant office?”

Okay, it had been a nice day. Kai felt the warmth and security he had just gathered away from him in mere seconds. Panic arose again, panic to be caught, panic to be send back.

“But we can just say I don't know. I mean it's not like I have to check your ID or something. 18, 17, 16 year olds, they look all the same anyway, don't you think?” Tyson had seen Kai distancing himself from him. He didn't want that. What did he care how old the other was? He had just found a bit company. He wouldn't destroy that by following some rule. The day had felt much better with Kai around. Since he had seen him sitting in that corner that morning, the day had made a turn for the better. He hadn't felt as awful as usual. He hadn't even been that tired. When he normally slept, he had bladed with the other and it had felt darn good!

“You need to show me that blade of yours again. It looks pretty cool. Not as cool as Dragoon of course, but still much better than most blades I've seen out there. What do you say to a rematch tomorrow?”

Kai poured himself another glass wine and drank it down eagerly, before looking up again. This day was one strange up and down ride. But it was a ride at least. Kai was fed up with just sitting around while for everyone else life moved on, he needed to get moving himself again. And this felt the most like it, he had felt for an eternity.

“You won't stand a chance kid.”, he said turning to face Tyson again.

“Oh yeah? I've got this really awesome attack-ring, I am gonna use tomorrow. You'll see. Your blade will be out of the dish before it can even fully turn.”

The following conversation didn't drift much. They mostly talked about beyblading, about moves and parts. Even when the talking grew more and more quiet they voiced strong promises and warnings concerning tomorrows match towards each other. In the end, the both simultaneous drifted of. Two heads rested on the table. In the middle black and blue hair mixed with the other.

Tbc...

Status

2007-11-21T00:16:37Z

I know I haven't posted the last chapter of 'Like a Rolling Stone' here yet. I'll do that when I post the fourth chapter tomorrow (if nothing comes in between again). Just spent some time writing on it and it looks good, that it actuall ywill be finished tomorrow. I just have to add one scene, which I'll probably shorten from the original idea.

I am also in contact with my beta for 'Beside Me' again. She said she would finish it soon-ish. (Thank you girl!) I'm not sure how to continue with that story though, since I really want to finish LaRS now first. So it probably will again be a while before I can continue wit that. Like always I want to emphazise that I really plan on finishing all my WIPs no matter how long it takes. I hope I'll have some readers left in the end.

Status

2007-10-17T13:06:36Z

I wanted to post the next chapter of 'Like a Rolling Stone' yesterday, but it got longer and longer and I really had to go to bed. Today I sadly don't have the time to finish it. However it is sheduled for tomorrow, so hopefully it will be posted then. See you all!

Like a Rolling Stone - Chapter Two

2007-10-12T16:21:19Z

Ops, I forgot to post this here. Chapter Two of Like a Rolling Stone. Chapter three is in the works, I only managed about a page yesterday, but since I also got the storyboard done, ther's isn't any reason to worry really.

For warnings and disclaimer please visit chapter one. You can easily find it through the tags, or if you scroll down. ;)
Hope you enjoy!

Chapter Two

They're drinkin', thinkin' that they got it made
Exchanging all kinds of precious gifts and things
But you'd better lift your diamond ring, you'd better pawn it babe

Kai quietly closed the door behind him. His fingers started to tickle when the warmth began to work its way into the frozen digits. He found himself standing in a small corridor. Several voices coming from the right let him in a much bigger room.

The smell of fresh coffee greeted Kai there and he closed his eyes for a second to enjoy the aroma. People were walking around, getting their breakfast or bringing their used dishes back to the counter on the far side of the room. All together there were around 35 men and women in the room. None of them seemed to notice Kai.

Kai sat down on a table in the corner at which only an old man sat. The man didn't react to his appearance, but continued to mumble to himself. Kai thought he caught something about a war. He felt sorry for the old guy with the disheveled hair and obviously confused mind, but felt lucky at the same time since it increased the chances, that nobody would come to sit with them.

The others in the room seemed to have already grouped up anyway. At the most tables friendly conversations were going on. Mostly everyone seemed to know each other.

Kai observed for a while how things worked here. When he was sure, that everyone could just walk over to the counter and get coffee and bread, he started to make his way there too. It all worked better than he had expected. He sat down with his tray and eagerly started to gulp down the marmalade bread and some fruit. It tasted better than he could remember such simple food ever tasting. Kai moved the tray to the side and started to sip on the coffee. The spreading warmth helped him relax. The buzzing of the people in the room felt good too, after all that time spent alone.

With his head leaning onto the wall and his hands still clutching the warm cup, Kai slowly dozed off to the sound of the old man mumbling something about his daughter's third birthday.

xxxxxx

Tyson prepared himself another cup of coffee. Since it was getting colder the number of people using the shelter was increasing rapidly. Last night he even had to let some of them sleep on cushions on the floor. The homeless had assured him, that they didn't care much, but it bothered Tyson immensely.

Just another few minutes and he could close for the afternoon, hopefully without incident. Yesterday he had to call the police, because a woman went hysteric on him, accusing of sending her out to die. He had assured her, that she could come back in the evening, but she didn't hear, didn't believe or didn't understand him. The policemen who finally came to get her had told him, that they believed she was on drugs.

Tyson hated these scenes. It was so hard, that the people didn't believe him that he was on their side.

He made his way around the counter to say goodbye and see you later to some of the visitors he had known since he was a child. Most people were already gone and started cleaning around the remaining ones.

Tyson looked nervously at the clock. He wanted to get this finished as fast as possible, so that he could get some sleep before starting on his gruesome homework. He had an appointment with his teacher tomorrow and didn't want her to be able to accuse him of slacking of.

Old Hubert stumbled in the direction of the door still mumbling nonsense to no one particular. That was Tyson's sign to lock the door. Hubert was always the last to leave. He seemed to be crazy, but he still was able to read the watch. Hubert only left in the last second, he knew his rights. Problem was, that his clock was seven minutes behind, but that he wouldn't admit. Tyson's grandfather never had a problem with letting that old man stay those few minutes longer and so it had become a tradition to always close the door after Hubert.

Tyson sighed when he could finally lock the door after Hubert. A few hours to himself. He couldn't remember that he had needed those before, but these past few weeks they had become his sanctuary. His eyes almost fell shut while he was walking back into the main-room. He really needed a few hours of sleep now.

His gaze fell around the room. 'I really need to clean this place la...' Tyson's eyes fell upon a black bundle hunched in the far corner. How could he have overlooked that man before. Tyson walked towards the table the stranger sat on. It was weird Tyson couldn't remember signing that man in last night, to be honest he couldn't remember seeing the other ever before.

He leaned closer to get a good look at the man, but stepped back right away. Someone here certainly needed a bath. He breathed in deeply and held his breath while leaning in closer again. The sleeping guy was wrapped in a black cloak that once might have been chic and expensive, but now was shredded in places and ruined with dirt. The rest of the body sticking out of the cloak didn't look much better. The trousers could have been dress pants once, however Tyson couldn't tell with the amount of dirt adorning it. The shoes unexpected sportive to that outfit were clustered with the same brown, red and black stains as the rest of the clothes. The hands sticking out of the sleeves only centimeters were black like the once of a child that had just played in the dirt, the nail looked like they hadn't been cut in a while.

Tyson tried to concentrate on the face. It wasn't as marred as the rest of the man. Just a bit dust and some fading bruises decorated it. The lips were bright red and the eyelashes deep black. Just like the mans hair. A blueish black mostly and a batch of gray hair that hung deep down the others forehead. The hair could look quite nice Tyson supposed, only it was greasy and dirty at the moment.

Tyson thought about letting the man sleep since he looked really peaceful sitting there, but he needed to finally finish of here and catch some sleep himself. Still...

The decision was taken from him when he realized, that he needed to breath again and before he could turn around let out the air right into the strangers face.

Red eyes flew open and Tyson staggered back in surprise.

“Hey.” He finally pressed out. “You fell asleep.”

Kai looked around. The room was empty beside the boy in front of him and himself. He panicked a bit. How could he have fallen asleep in here and not even notice everyone else leave? Stupid! He had to leave now.

Tyson was taken aback by the horrified expression on the others face and even more when it was gone in an instant again and then the young man just stood up and made his way towards the door.

“He..hey!” Tyson was left stuttering. “Hey! Would you wait!” He started to make his way after that weird guy.

Kai pulled and pushed on the front door. It wouldn't open. Panic washed over him. He was trapped.

“I already locked.” Tyson had only been some steps behind. “You know it's already past closing hours, right?”

There was no answer.

“Say, I don't remember you. Did you sign in yesterday?”

No answer.

“No, right. I just get the list and you give me your name. It's like this, we have to give this information to the authorities, so that they know what's going on in their city. And also we get a bit more money the more people come, to pay the bills you know. For water and electricity and stuff.”

The other was still staring mutely at the door.

“So would you please come back to the other room and write your name in that book, he?”

Tyson waited for the other to react. He tried to be patient and balanced his weight from the balls to the tips of his feet.

Kai really looked at the teen for the first time. He was barely smaller than himself, dressed in ridiculous flashy clothes. In contrary to the outfit the boy looked tired. He had dark cycles under his eyes and his skin held an unfitting pale color. Only now Kai realized that he hadn't seen a working adult here the whole time. Was the boy doing all this alone?

'Don't think about the kid, think of how to get out here.'

Perhaps he could really just sign that thing. Make up a name like so many people out there did and walk out. As long as he wasn't called upon his age, there shouldn't be a problem. And the other didn't really seem to be in the mood to interrogate him.

Tyson was soon to reach his nerves ends. 'How can he stand so still for so long? Just do it already!' Just when he was already thinking about just letting the other go and safe himself the trouble and the time to deal with this the older walked back to the eating-room.

“Where do I sign?”

“Oh, so you can speak after all.” Kai didn't react, just stood waiting. “Okay, go all mute again. I'll get the book.”

Tyson rummaged behind the counter and came back with a red little book and an ink pen.

“Here. Just write your name under yesterday's date. However I have to tell you, that you can't come in the morning. You need to come in the evening, then sleep here and leave the next day. Okay?”

Kai had put down the notebook on a table and skimmed through it until he reached the last written page. He put the pen down on the paper, unsure what to write. He carefully moved his fingers, but no line followed his movement on the paper, he pushed harder, but still nothing happened.

“The pen doesn't work.”

Tyson was startled. “That wasn't what I asked really.” He took the pen and tried to mingle with it himself. “Strange, it should work, it worked yesterday.” He turned towards Kai. “You've got a pen on you?”

Automatically Kai started to rummage in his cloaks pocket even though he knew, he wouldn't find anything to write there.

Tyson followed the others moves with his eyes. The glimpse he got on something familiar metallic made him excited for a moment. “Hey what was that? You have a beyblade?”

Kai looked at Dranzer in his right pocket. He must have taken it out for a second when he had been searching for some stupid pencil. His thump stroked over the bit-ship. He hadn't used it for quiet a while. It wasn't like he could just ask some fellow tramp, if they wanted to have a match.

“That looks quite cool. Are you any good?” Tyson stared at the seemingly unused blade in the dirty fingers. The blade looked really good. It was dark blue, almost purple. The edges were mustered green and red. The coolest thing was the bit in the middle though. Tyson wished the other would move his finger a bit more. What was that inside? Perhaps a crab, or perhaps that weren't feet but feathers. A bird perhaps?

“You know, I'm the best blader in the area, I could probably show you some moves!”

Kai made a lot of noises at the same time. However all his grumping, growling and chuckling collided in his throat and out came a coughing fit.

“Hey, what's up? You need some water?”

“You teach me new moves? Not likely.” Kai quickly regained his composure and let as much arrogance as possible sip into his words.

“You think so? Let me get Dragoon, so that you can try to back up your words!” Tyson balled a fist and stepped challenging forward, his face held a look of pleasant anticipation though, eyes shining bright.

Kai was unsure. On the one hand he should leave as fast as possible, but on the other hand it wasn't like he was in any danger here. The kid didn't seem to be interested in handing him to the officials in the slightest. Also it would be better to spent some time blading, then walk aimlessly through the streets again.

He held Dranzer up higher and nodded.

“Great! I haven't bladed for an eternity, being busy....”, Tyson stopped in mid sentence, when reality kicked in. He looked around the room. There were still dishes and cups everywhere, the showers needed to be cleaned and all 30 beds needed to have fresh sheets, then he had to place the used ones in the washing and accept the dinner when it was brought.

And there were also things like homework and sleep. Tyson mustered his opponent. This could be really interesting and so much fun. His fingers tingled. 'Oh, screw the homework and the sleep. Let's beyblade!'

He mustered the room again, then looked at Kai. “I've got to make a quick cleaning of this place. Can you wait another hour or so? You could shower during that time and get some fresh clothes from the stock. Just come this way.”

Tyson was already walking towards a door, when Kai wasn't sure yet, if he wanted to follow.

“You're coming?”

Was he? He couldn't spent too much time here, but still... He looked down on himself. He had never been so dirty in his whole life and he hated it. He didn't smell his own stench anymore, but he knew it was there by the disgusted looks he got from people he came too close to on the street. Perhaps a shower would help him to feel more human again. Kai walked down another narrow corridor behind Tyson.

“There are the showers.” He pointed to the door right in front of them. “Towels should be in the closet still. I'll search some clothes for you and put them on the bed in that room.” He pointed to the door on their left.

“I'll try to not let you waiting!” Tyson turned full of verve around and run back to the main-room.

Kai wondered how someone looking so tired could still be so lively.

xxxxxx

Tyson really tried to hurry, he even accepted the loss of two cup, which had tumbled down from the tower of dishes he had created in order to have to make the way to the kitchen only once. Still the chores occupied him for quite some time, especially since his eyes would fall shut every now and then.

The hardest job was to change the sheets. He always looked longingly at the bed before turning to perform his task at the next.

The room he had placed clothes for his guest was the last he had to work through. The door was open and Tyson slowly walked in. He could make out the figure of the young man lying motionless on the bed in the corner.

His hair was still wet, but his face and hands were free of dirt now. The fresh clothes put on, he looked really cute even. The simple black jeans and the gray turtleneck he had pulled on made him look comfortable.

Tyson walked over to the bed to get a better look. The other was sleeping again.

Tyson yawned himself and moved over to the bed on the opposite side of the room. He just lay down not caring about the fact that he was lying on used sheets or thinking about who might have spent in this bed the night before. Instead he just gazed at his watch. Only an hour and he would be woken up anyway by the students bringing them dinner. He just closed his eyes and immediately fell asleep too.

Tbc...

When Morning Comes at Night - Chapter Five

2007-10-06T21:18:34Z

So finally one of my oldest stories reaches livejournal. You can find the first few chapters at fanfiction.net through the link on the left. Feel free to comment there or here!

Title: When morning comes at night

Disclaimer: The characters aren’t mine and I don’t make any profit out of this.
Rating: PG-13 (this was difficult, because the first few chapters are probably G, but later it’s deffinitly PG-13 and far, far in the future I even might have to change the rating into R)
Pairing: Kai/Tyson (but you have to wait, their love develops really slowly)
Summary: Set after season one, this story starts with finding Kai a place to live, but when he finally has found one, will he be able to live the normal life he wants to have? It doesn’t look like it, he get’s into serious trouble with a teacher and then there is always the threat to send him back to Russia. And on top of all of this Kai finally wants to trust somebody, and when he starts to fall in love, everything get’s just too difficult. Will Kai be able to find a way through all this?
Warnings: There will be male/male touching and kissing and also noncon male/male touching and kissing (at least). Please don’t read if this offends you!
This story will get looooong (the first five chapters are just the exposition!), and it probably will be slow paced.

Chapter warnings: None really for this chapter. That might begin in the next one.

5. Chapter
Kai was still at the airport, held in a holding-cell. He had been sitting in the cold room for the most part of the evening now. The tiles on the walls held an ugly yellow tinge in some places. It wasn't bright enough to look a happy color, it just looked dirty. Maybe it was, maybe the walls weren't meant to be yellow. Kai sniffed disgusted. That was why it smelled of piss in here.
He tried to think of something else, but he couldn't focus on anything, but his current situation. All he could see was the too small room he was stuck in, all he could smell was the urine previous occupants must have left and all he could hear was nothing. There hadn't been anybody talking to him since they had shoved him in here hours ago.
Kai briefly wondered what time it might be. If he could judge by the darkness slowly creeping in from the small window in the ceiling, then it was surely evening already. That meant he had been in this room for the whole afternoon already.
He had been asked to wait here after they had fired questions at him for over an hour. It had always been the same.
Who made this? Where did you get this passport? Why did you come to Russia? Is the Japanese pass real? So who are you and where are you from? Tell us who made this now, it will be better for you!
Kai had answered honestly.
Who made this? He did not know.
Where did you get this passport? It was his. His family had given it to him, when he was a child.
Why did you come to Russia? He wasn't here freely. He was sent here to live with a new family.
Is the Japanese pass real? They should know it was real. They had inspected it for an eternity.
Tell us who made this now, it will be better for you! He didn't know.
Well it was the truth. Of course he could have given them a bit more information, but that was a technicality. And after they had shoved him in this pit, he wasn't really in the mood to further help them with their investigations.
Kai just hoped they would get him out of this room soon. Even a prison cell would be better than this. It was cold, dark and bare. There was just a bunk bed, which was barely wide enough to sit on it and much to hard to even give the impression one could sleep on it comfortable. Besides this piece of metal there was only a metal bucket in the corner. He wasn't sure if they really expected him to use it as a toilet, but he was sure he wouldn't.
He'd just sit here and wait for someone to come.
They had to come. Had to bring him food and a blanket perhaps. They would want to ask him more questions. Sent him over to a real prison even.
At the moment Kai just wished for someone to open that metal door, to hear a voice, to be let out of here.
xxxxxx
Tyson felt miserable. After they had dropped Kai off at the airport no one really knew what to do. Not even the adults. Mr. Dickenson and his dad had gone to the youth welfare office again after lunch. What for, Tyson didn't know.
He had talked with his dad about Kenny's suggestion to get a lawyer involved, but his father hadn't been so sure for some reason. Tyson hoped it wasn't the money. However Bruce had promised to let it open as an alternative.
'Alternative to what?!' Tyson had felt uncharacteristically angry the whole day. He was used to the fact, that everything worked out in the end. However this case made him feel hopeless.
Max and Rei were in the kitchen, doing the dishes. The had also cooked before. It probably had been a brilliant dinner. Tyson didn't know. He had eaten some but tasted nothing. He felt bad about ignoring his friends, they must be just as worried as him. Still Tyson couldn't get himself to join them.
He sat in the living room. The TV was running. He didn't hear that either.
xxxxxx
Kai felt cold. It had to be night by now. No one had come for him yet. Kai shuddered by the thought, that they had forgotten him here. He had spent some time knocking against the steal door, but the corridor his prison was one wasn't much used, he hadn't heard footsteps outside the whole time he had been in this room, and nobody had come.
He wanted some food, he wanted to use the toilet, he wanted out of here. Out of the darkness (the light had been flicking for the last hour, soon it would be gone out), out the constriction, out of the silence.
If he at least knew that he wasn't forgotten or if somebody else was here, that would help. If the security guys would just come over for a minute, if one of those idealistic social workers would take a look at him now, if his friends would be here to keep him company. All that would help.
Kai could just see Tyson being here with him. It definitely wouldn't feel so dead in here, if the other boy was here. Tyson with all his optimism, with his smiles and liveliness, with his plans and constant talking, moaning, laughing, yes, that thought made this place more bearable.
Thinking about Tyson felt strange. Kai tried to place his finger on the minute he had grown so attached to the other boy. He couldn't. There had been something special about their connection from the very beginning, as rivals and as friends.
And he had promised something. He had to get back.
Kai had calmed down a bit. He walked up and down the room, even though there wasn't much space for walking, but it kept him at least a bit warm. 'What a lousy plan.'
He was tired, he wanted to lie down. He was cold, he continued to move to stay warm.
xxxxxx
The next morning the TV was still running. Some cartoons were playing with Bugs Bunny hopping over the screen. Bruce had come back late the previous evening. Around 11pm Mr. Hooley, the social worker, had threatened Bruce and Mr. Dickenson to call the police, if they wouldn't leave his room and let him retire for the day.
When Bruce had arrived home, three very tired and sad teens had greeted him from their place in front of the TV. He had just sat down with them. The boys had recognized that as the bad sign it was and not asked. No one had moved, non of them had felt like sleeping and it was only hours later that they had nodded of one after another.
Woken up they were all at the same time. At 7am the telephone began to ring. Bruce moved his aching limps. He definitely was too old to spent his nights in awkward positions on the couch. Still he was the first to pick up the phone.
Tyson felt like he had just nodded off. And that probably was the case really. He was dead tired, the world around him was a blur. Still something had woken him. Not the ringing of the telephone, that was only the second thing that reached his waking senses. More likely the movement on the couch. It was nodding up and down with people suddenly getting up.
Tyson tried to push his left ear further in the cushion to at least block the ringing out on one side of his head. He sighed when the noise stopped, only to be irritated by the voice that suddenly started to reach him.
This wasn't nice. Why wouldn't they let him sleep? He hadn't been able to sleep last night. They knew it. It was because they had to bring Kai to the airport yesterday. He had had to say goodbye. So why...?
“They put Kai in prison?!”
That caught Tyson's attention. He opened one eye and moved a bit away from the cushion.
“As if it is such a difference that he is held at the airport. Being held in a cell in an airport is still being held in a cell!” ... “Yeah, okay. So what now?” ... “But his Japanese passport is real, isn't it?” ... “Mr. Hooley is going there? Truly?” ... “We could be at the airport in an hour. If you could make the bookings, then I wake up the kids.” ... “Good. See you in an hour. Bye Stanley.”
Bruce turned to the kids he was supposed to wake, only to be greeted by three eager and very wide awake teens.
“Dad! What's up? Kai is in prison?” Tyson stumbled off the couch, his body not as awake as his mind suddenly was, when he tried to proceed the news.
Bruce and Rei helped Tyson up and steadied him on his feet, while Max had problems to untangle himself from the blanket he had slept in.
“The Russian officials think, that Kai's pass is fake, they are holding him at the airport. There is a chance we can take him back to Japan now. Mr. Hooley says he has a couple that would probably take Kai in. Since Kai can't enter Russia until they resolved the passport incident, that would be the fastest solution. I told Mr. Dickenson, that we would go to get Kai too, so it would be good, if you could wash up and get a few things you need for a flight fast, because we don't have much time left.”
The Bladebreakers were quiet for a moment, not sure if they were still dreaming. But since when would their dreams be this complicated?
“Yeah, Kai's coming back!” Max bounced up and down on the couch. Suddenly he stopped and a sneaky expression came onto his face. “Bathroom is mine first!”, he shouted while starting to race across the living room.
Rei counted loudly to three. “I'll get you anyway.” And ran after his teammate.
Tyson and Bruce remained standing. “You think this'll really work, dad?”
Mr. Granger didn't know when he had seen his son like this before. So hopeful, so desperate, so afraid. Probably never.
“We'll see Tyson, but everything is looking quite good at the moment. Why don't you go and pack up, so that we can find out?”
Tyson nodded and started to trail towards their sleeping room. The whole situation was so surreal. He didn't understand anything. Kai was coming and going in and out of his life like a bouncy ball. It had been like this from the beginning. Kai who had jumped into hi fight with Carlos and then disappeared until he was back there during the championships, only to leave the team and come back again. He had even stayed with the team here in the dojo until he was forced to leave to Russia and now Kai was supposed to come back again. No wonder that Tyson's feelings behaved crazy!
He reached their living quarters. Tyson remembered the last night Kai had spent here. He had just come back from his conversation with Kenny. May and Rei had already been asleep, only Kai had been sneaking around, when Tyson had stepped into the room.
Tyson went over to where Kai had knelled putting something into a bag. He knelled down on the same spot. Rei's backpack stood right in front of him. Without thinking about it Tyson opened it and felt around it. His fingers only touched fabric for a while until they glided across a piece of paper. Tyson pulled it out. They paper looked old and held an ugly color, that Tyson couldn't name. He opened it and saw the picture of a little boy. He immediately recognized the kid as his former team-captain. Especially the nose looked still the same and those eyes... Under the photograph stood the name Kai Hiwatari, the rest he couldn't read since everything else was written with Cyrillic letters. Only when he closed the paper again, there stood the word 'passport' written in both variations of letters.
Tyson jumped up, when he heard footsteps approach and hurriedly stuck his find into his jeans pocket. 'Oh Kai what have you done?'
Tbc...

Like a Rolling Stone - Chapter 1

2007-10-03T12:13:25Z

Title: Like a Rolling Stone

Summary: This is an AU. Beyblades exists, but the Bladebreakers never found each other and they didn't participate in the championships. This story is TyKa. Kai ran away from Voltaire, but now he hasn't any place tp go and starts to live on the street. Tyson is running the shelter for the homeless his family owns. You can imagine how it goes from there.
Rating/Warnings: M for slash, violence, death and perhaps prostitution or some non-con stuff. I am not too sure what exactly will happen, but I will give individual warnings for each chapter. Please don't read if anything in the warnings might bother you!
Disclaimer: Beyblade doesn't belong to me. It belongs to the great people who thought it up and gave it life. I am very greatful they did. The quotes at the beginning of the chapters and the title are from the Bob Dylan song 'Like a Rolling Stone'. The song is a masterpiece and a fantastic inspiration.

Author’s Notes: I had so many inspirations for this one, that it just had to be written. There was this guy in a train in Sweden. He was so poor. I've never seen anyone eating his food like he did and he smelled. I felt sorry for him, but at the same time I couldn't look at him. I thought a lot about that situation. Then there is a woman in my town like Susanne Bell, she sells roses and is completely nuts. Also my flatmate nearly invited some homeless people to sleep in our flat once, well he did invite them, but it never came to that. And then of course there's this song. It all made me write and here is the beginning of the resulting story.

Chapter One

And nobody has ever taught you how to live on the street
And now you find out you're gonna have to get used to it

Tyson was sweeping the floor of the shelter's dining room. The afternoon was almost over and around 6pm they always opened the doors again for the homeless to come in. Some regulars would already be waiting at that time. The would all get a warm meal, which the university's kitchen donated everyday, then they would be allowed to shower or to sit around a bit longer and talk or play cards before they spread out in the four-bed rooms to catch some sleep. In the morning they would get some coffee and something to eat and then leave to spent their day on the street.

Tyson's job was it to open the doors, check the people in. He only had to write down the names the people had given themselves on the street, only few gave him their real names. Then he helped giving the food out and bringing the dirty dishes to the shelters kitchen afterwards. He had to look around if anyone needed medical help, which was more often the case than he liked. Tyson talked with the people, a few he had known since he was a little kid and had become really close to him. He made sure, that the people all found a bed to sleep in and that the people who would start a fight if in the same room stayed in different ones. If there was a fight at night, he called the police. He had learned, that it was dangerous to interfere. In the morning he woke everyone up and helped to supply everyone with coffee and bread. When everyone had left, he locked the doors and started to clean up a bit.

Normally he didn't do this much. He usually just helped out in the evening after school, or in the holidays and on weekends. Well he didn't have holidays at the moment and every afternoon he therefore had to rework, what the others had done at school in the morning. He felt tired with the double burden.

Thing was that his grandfather, who normally cared for the shelter was in the hospital and there wasn't enough money to hire an additional worker. So that meant to either close the shelter for the time being or for Tyson to do all the work.

The teen had decided for the later. He just couldn't close this place. He had grown up with this work. When he had been only two years old, his grandfather and his father had decided to change the dojo into a shelter. They had never regretted their decision even if it meant, that there weren't any holidays anymore and more important that there was hardly any money left for themselves.

Tyson's grandfather still gave kendo lessons in the afternoon to support the family, but it was hardly the same as owning their own dojo.

Still Tyson knew how important this place was. There weren't hardly enough shelters for all the homeless people the town had to offer. He could never forgive himself if he had to reject them and had to watch them going back to sleep on the street, especially not since it was winter by now. The old people would hardly be able to make it through the frosty nights by themselves. No he could never forgive himself he let that happen. And what were a few months of doing both working and school anyway?

Okay, apparently too much for him. He hadn't been sure if he passed his courses this year anyway, but now he was almost sure, that he had to repeat this year. Hilary brought him his tasks for school everyday and Kenny sometimes came over trying to explain him this stuff. But the night shifts were taking its toll on Tyson by now. He really only slept a few hours at noon, in the afternoon he started to prepare for the evening.

The first weeks without his grandfather, his brother Hiro had been here to help him, but he had to go back to his job or else he would have lost it. So that had left Tyson alone to deal with this situation.

xxxxxx

Kai stumbled through the streets. He couldn't remember ever being so cold in his life. And that was much coming from someone, who had seen some of the hardest winters Russia had to offer. Difference was, that back then he had had a place to live in, a heater and enough closes to dress three people in them.

Right now he didn't have any of those. Well he slept in a house. On his third night out, he had found the place where most of the city's homeless slept. It looked like an industrial building. It had never been finished, since the company went bankrupt before. It was just one concrete figure in the landscape. It didn't have any windows. Kai wasn't so sure what the building made any better than sleeping on the street. It snowed in through the windows, it was just as cold as outside and the concrete always felt wet. Since he had started staying there, his clothes always held a damp feeling to them.

Also some of the people living there had become ruthless, stealing food and clothes from each other. Kai had lost his scarf, gloves, hat, his backpack and most importantly his blanket to some of those during his third night out there. He still had bruised ribs from where they had kicked him, waking him up from sleep, but he had nothing to keep him warm anymore.

Two days ago, he had seen a dead body for the first time. When everyone had started to move out in the morning, one man hadn't gotten up. No one was sure, if he had died from the cold or the alcohol.

Kai had tried not to look. He couldn't remember the mans name, what he had looked like or if they had every spoken, he just knew, that he didn't want to be the next corpse being taken out of the building after having his bags searched for anything eatable.

He knew about the shelters all around the city, but he had never went into one. He couldn't use any attention. He knew, they probably would call the police, if they realized or only thought, that he was still a minor. And that would mean back to Voltaire for him. He would sooner die than let that happen!

Kai knew that going in in the morning was forbidden, that they only took people in the evening in and that they took their names, but he thought, if he sneaked in, got a cup of coffee, perhaps something to eat and could sit in the warm for an hour or so, no one would pay him any attention.

He stopped on the street before the shelter. He had been here once before with an old woman called Susanne Bell. Well, at least that was what she called herself. She was crazy, she really was. She had been living on the street for nearly 30 years by now. She knew all the homeless people in town and their stories. She wrote songs about them. She sang all the time. Susanne made a bit of money by selling roses to young couples coming out of clubs.

She had pried Kai to tell her his story, but after he hadn't done that after five days, she must have given up and went on to the next person. Kai was a bit sad about that. It had been good to have some company for a change. He hadn't talked with anyone for over a week now, what was worse was that no one had talked with him for that time either.

However Susanne Bell had been the one to show him this shelter. It was her favorite one, she had said, because she liked the family running it. Kai thought it was more like she had a crush on the old guy, who owned it. She talked about him quite a lot.

She had tried to persuade him to come in with her back then, but he had refused. He hadn't been as desperate as he was now.

Kai made small steps towards the front door. His hand was shaking when he reached for the door handle. It hadn't stopped shaking for the last week now. At the beginning that had worried Kai, now he barely registered it anymore.

A welcoming warmth greeted him when he opened the door. He leaned towards it and finally stepped inside.

Tbc...

New Fic!

2007-10-01T22:27:26Z

I know, I know, I know, I'm horrible. But I just had to write this, well start it at least. It's an untitled draft and you will see that the language of it isn't even up to my niveau right now. However I'll rework the chapters and then post them on ff.net. I just had to get the story started at the moment. I don't really have a plan for the story yet, just a few ideas, that I'll try to weave in.
Of course I'll be working on my other fics too. Don't worry I know how those will end and I will see to it, that you all will know that as well some day.

Also I've been thinking about making my ics friends only, because that way I could even post NC-17 stories, if I should write them, and I wouldn't totally spoil my ff.net account.

However on with the fic.

Title: Like a Rolling Stone
Rating: Let's say PG-13, but it could go up, probably M
Warnings: Depends on what I'll put in it. I'll give individual warnings for each chapter. None fore the prologue.
Summary: AU TyKa Tyson is helping out in his grandfathers shelter for the homeless. One day a young man stumbles in...

Prologue

As much as he tried to control it, he couldn't help his hands from continuing to shake when he entered the bank. He brushed his hands over his jacket. It didn't help, the fabric looked still crumbled and dirty.
Kai couldn't change that, he just hoped, that he had straightened himself enough for the clerk not to call him on the three nights he had just spent sleeping on the ground in dirty parks and dirty alleys.

He entered the warm hall and stood there for a minute, trying to consume as much of the heat as possible. It was autumn outside. The days were still durable, but the nights were already frosty and Kai was frightened by the thought that the weather forecast might be proofed right and the real winter nights would start soon.
However he told himself not to worry. Just a few minutes and he would have his money and there would be no reason for him living on the street anymore.

“Can I do something for you mister?”
Kai stepped a bit back from the clerk that had approached him. He knew he smelled. He himself found it disgusting and he didn't want to see that look on her face.

“I wanted to withdraw some money from my account.”

“Yes, sure we can do that. If you would please come with me to the counter.” She was a masterpiece oh trained politeness.
Reaching the mahogany stand, Kai took out his card and handed it to the woman. She immediately started to type his account number into the computer. Without turning her head she asked him about the amount of money he wanted.

“All of it. That's why I couldn't use the cashpoint.”

“Ah, I see.” She paused a moment. “That's strange. Can I please ask you to show me your ID?”

Kai took a step backwards. “Why?”

“I need to make sure, that you authorized to access this account.”

Kai hastily stepped forward again. “That's my money on that account and I want to have it!” The woman wrinkled her nose in disgust. Kai wasn't sure what her feelings were about. His manners or his smell. However her glare made him feel insecure and he stepped as far as he could without breaking the conversation.
“'Kay, sorry. Here it is.” He handed his ID over reluctantly. She just gave it a short glance before giving it back.

“I am sorry, but the authorization has been changed to Voltaire Hiwatari only. I can't give you the money.”

Kai's voice felt stuck in his throat. 'How's that possible?”

The clerk suddenly looked disinterested, glancing at a waiting customer every now and then. “Guardians can freeze the accounts of their wards. The money isn't away though, you just can't reach it.” She shrugged. “You can take legal actions against it though.”

Kai's hands were balled into fists. The woman had been reluctant towards him from the very beginning, but now that she knew for sure, that he wasn't a wealthy costumer she completely lost her interest in him.
Kai remained standing frozen to his place even when the clerk was already taking to the next costumer.

“You have to step out of the way”, she finally told him when she wanted to use the same stand as before again.

Kai couldn't look at her. He just left the building as fast as he could, but once outside he didn't move again. His plan had failed. He had been able to run away from Voltaire, he had been able to stay invisible until he got far enough away from that mans reach, he had been able to transfer all his money to a foreign bank account abroad, but he had underestimated his grandfather.
And now he stood in front of one big nothing. He was in a foreign country, without money, without a place to go. He surely wouldn't contact the officials as long as he was underage, so what cards did he still have in his hands to play with. None. He had lost.

tbc...

Whaaa!!!

2007-09-07T12:25:52Z

I've totally fucked up my documents and now I probably have lost pages of the new chapters of both 'Beside Me' and 'WMCaN'. Well, I've got a copy of the first two pages of 'WMCaN' on my computer at home, but I am currently visiting my family and I'll probably stay another few weeks. So if I want to post that one sometime soon, I'll have to rewrite the already written part. I hate rewriting!
I's nearly the same with 'Beside Me'. Seems like my stick has eaten the first part of the new chapter. So a rewrite is in order for that one as well. :(

Right now I don't know with which one I should start. My beta for 'Beside Me' is really busy at the moment and not yet finished with the last one, so I should probably concentrate on the other one for the time being.

So please stay patient, I have to too.

Waiting for me and for you...

2007-08-18T00:41:39Z

I've been doing nearly-all-nighters now for a few days and probably will do so for the next week too. For everyone who doesn't knoe; I am currently writing my papers for university and it's slowly driving me nuts. I just can't concentrate and therefore ot's been going extremly slowly and I get more and more nervous.
So sorry to everyone who has been waiting for story updates here or on ff.net. Please bear with me and wait another week or two. The new chapters will come, but this is really important and eating my time. :)

Beatles Icons

2007-07-15T18:29:54Z

It's too hot to do something useful today, therefore I made some crappy Beatle Icons. They are just pictures cut and cropped since I don't know how to do all the fab stuff you people out there can do.
However if you still like any of these, then just take them! Comments and crediting would be nice, but isn't necassary.

01. 02. 03. 04.

05. 06. 07. 08.

09. 10. 11. 12.

13. 14. 15. 16.

17. 18. 19. 20.

21. 22. 23. 24.

25.

Status

2007-07-13T12:12:35Z

Just wanted to say that I have indeed started with writing the next chapter of 'When Morning Comes At Night' first. Who would have thought?! I've already finished the first scene. One and a half pages are written and since it is semester break at university now, I guess that it should be finished fairly soon. I kinda hope before my beta has finished with correcting the next chapter of 'Beside Me', because that would be a starting sign for me to sit down and continue with that story.

Also I remember asking in one of my stories why ff.net didn't have a friendship category. Now they finally have it! Great, but about time!

I'm also thinking about making a foredated post with the story links, so that they are easy to find. Good idea?

I'm Still Here

2007-07-07T15:03:35Z

While looking through some of my old stuff I've found this story. It's a song-fic and actually the first thing I ever finished. I never posted it. Looking back I don't really know why. I (hopefully) wouldn't write like that today. It seems a bit tried, but I think it's an okay fic. Okay, here it is now.

Title: "I'm still here"
Rating: PG
Warnings: It's pretty dark. So don't read, if you're not feeling like it.
Summary: Even if it is true, that opposites attract each other, the question remains, if they can live with each other. A dark/sad TyKa lovestory.
Words: 3646
Disclaimer: The song is 'I'm still here' by Vertical Horizon. The show beyblade and its characters doesn't belong to me.
A/N: I remember that this story was betaed, but sadly I have lost contact to that person and by now (probably 2-3 years afterwards) I am not sure who it was anymore. However I want to dedicate this story to the anonymous beta-reader.

“I’m still here“

Tyson stood on top of the cliffs, let the wind blow through his unbound hair while looking down in the dark sea. From time to time his glance wandered to a small dot on the horizon. The once majestic boat, now too small to even recognize.

Tyson knew who was onboard of the ship and it was a great relieve for him to be sure, that the person was now finally gone forever. But there was more, it gave him gratification to now have proof that he was stronger, his way of life was better, that he could take it, that he could still smile, that he was still here.

“Yes Kai, you are gone, but I’m still here.”

I found the pieces in my hand

They were always there

It just took some time for me to understand

You gave me words I just can’t say

So if nothing else

I’ll just hold on while you drift away

Cause everything you wanted me to hide

Is everything that makes me feel alive

One year ago:

Max observed his friend with worry. Tyson sat on his bed, head in his hands. The normally so lively teen hadn’t moved for at least an hour.

Max had known from the very beginning, that for Tyson loving Kai wasn’t a good thing. The two just didn’t fit together. They had nothing in common besides their love. A love which Kai never could admitt.

And that again was a fact, that hurt Tyson to no end. Despite all his acting, he was a sensitive guy, who needed to be told that he was loved, who needed to be kissed passionatly, not roughly, who sometimes just needed a nice word or a hug. But all this were things, that Kai couldn’t obtain.

Now it was open was everyone to see, that their relationship was slowly destroyed, and that though the two teens really loved each other, just each of them in their own way.

Tyson felt the mattress next to him sink, when Max sat down. He felt him standing in the doorway for the last few minutes, so it wasn’t a surprise to him, that he finally acknowledged his presence.

“Hey Tyson. What are you doing?” Max felt uneasy around his strange acting friend and he was sure, that a little of his awkwardness was noticable in his voice.

“Nothing. Is anything going on?”, Tyson didn’t really sound interested.

Max sighed. This wasn’t the Tyson he remembered, or the Tyson he wanted to have. The blond boy laid a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Everyone is worried about you, you know?”

Tyson looked up at this. Hope evident in his eyes. “Everyone?”

The smaller teen realized his mistake, and he also understood the meaning behind the question. “We don’t know where Kai is yet. But hey, we never know and he always comes back.” Max tried all he could to sound cheerful.

“I’ve tried everything to change him, perhaps it’s impossible.”

This was new. Though Tyson normally was an open guy, he rarely talked about his relationship with Kai.

“You tried to change him?”

“Yes, you know, make him open up a bit, show him, that he dosn’t always need to be the tough guy.” Then there was a small pause. “It isn’t working.”

It was all quiet, Max was thinking this over. He wanted nothing more, than make both of his friends happy, give them some advice. But perhaps the two weren’t meant to be together, perhaps there was no rescueing advice.

‘Just say what comes to your mind.’ The blond turned around to face Tyson completely. “You know what they say? If you love someone, you have to accept them like they are.”

“So it’s wrong to make him like me?”

Max just shrugged. “How should I know. This is propably the deepest conversation we’ve ever had. You expect me to have all the answers, but I don’t know more than you. I just know, that you can’t expect Kai to do all the work, to change completely. You two could make a compromise, meet somewhere in the middle. Noone should give more than he’s willing to.”

“You know what you’re saying right?” Tyson had stood up, and was now slowly walking over to the window.

Max was confused. ‘What have I said?’ When he didn’t answer Tyson spoke again.

“We would be hopeless. He can’t live with me the way I am, and I can’t live with him the way he is.” Max didn’t like the tone in Tyson’s voice. It was one of desperation and almost aggression, again a total unusual behaviour. But it was still going further.

“You say we both should be stubborn and break up!”, accused Tyson the smaller boy, “Are you against us?”

The now furious teen grabbed his jacket, ready to run out of the room. Then he stopped, deciding to add something more.

“You know what Max, I’ll show and all the others, that we fit perfectly together, that we are alike and a great pair. I’ve got a plan, you’ll wait and see.” Then he left.

Max stared dumbfounded after his friend. They had never argued before. Okay, they hadn’t really argued now. What had happened. He had just tried to help Tyson, and then, yeah then the other boy had started to scream. ‘Where did it go wrong? Why did everything happen so sudden?’

The blond boy sighed deeply, before letting himself fall down on the bed. ‘A plan? Please don’t do anything stupid Tyson.’

The cities grow

The rivers flow

Where you are, I never know

But I’m still here

If you were right and I was wrong

Why are you the one who’s gone

And I’m still here

Still here

Now:

What Max hadn’t known back then was, that the realization of the plan had already started and that what he had seen back then had only been the first step of it.

Feeling the wind hit him hard now Tyson realized, that Max had been right, they didn’t fit together. And he had been right too. It wasn’t working. But he had loved him so much, had hoped so much for them to be a happy couple, that he just couldn’t accept it.

That was why he made the plan. No, it was more like THE PLAN. A plan of self-sacrification, a plan that was an expression of his desperation, a plan with which he threw himself away.

Everything for love.

Taking a step back from the edge of the cliff, Tyson tried to remember the very moment he had decided to carry out his plan.

‘I’ve already known it before Max spoke the words. Perhaps I’ve known ever since I’ve loved Kai.’

Tyson rubbed his eyes. The cold wind making them watery. Through the moist he still could make out the nearly invisible silouette of the ship against the setting sun.

‘Perhaps it was a mistake Kai, but I’m still here.’

You’ve seen the ashes in my heart

You smile the widest

When I cry inside and my insides blow apart

I tried to wear another face

Just to make you proud

Just to make you put me in my place

But everything you wanted from me

Is everything that I could never be

11 months ago:

Max watched his friend critically.

“What are you trying to do Tyson.” Uncharacteristicly Max was angry. ‘This show has to end now.’

Tyson didn’t react, instead he continued to fumble at his beyblade.

“Are you ignoring me?” The not coming reply was answer enough. “Oh great you don’t want to talk to me, but I want to talk to you and you can’t do anything against it.” Max had moved as near to Tyson as he could without touching the other boy. Now he towered over sitting boy on the kitchen table.

Tyson seemed to be unimpressed, he observed coldly the work he was doing with his hands.

“Good Tyson, if you don’t want to talk, then just listen. What’s up with you? Everyone is outside, the sun is shining, we want to go swimming, but you’re sitting inside all morning upgrading your beyblade. This has been going on for days now, it is ridiculous Tyson and definitely not like you!”

Max took a deep breath, just wanting to start another flood of words, when he saw Tyson wince a little. ‘Oh, wow a reaction.’

The blond teen waited a moment, but when nothing came from the boy next to him, he decided to probe a little.

“You want to say something? Is this because of Kai?”

Max saw the black haired boy’s lips moving, as if mumbling some thing. He yet leaned in closer to catch something os the spoken.

“Max.” There followed a short break, “Shut up!”

The harshly whispered words shocked blue-eyed boy. It was like he didn’t know the voice which spoke them. ‘Tyson is that really you?’

Both teens didn’t move for a while. Then Tyson spoke again, louder this time.

“Max you’re bothering me, leave me alone.”

The smaller boy didn’t know how to react to this. The two friends never had a conversation like this before, so how should he know what to do in this completely new situation he was facing?

“What now?”

Tyson looked up, giving his friend a short glance, before returning to the task at hand. “Just go.”

“Perhaps you think, that this act will help your relationship, but it won’t function. Believe me Tyson it won’t.”

Max heard the others talking at the front door, obvious waiting for him. “I have to go now, if you want to join us Tyson, we would be really happy.”

He squeezed his friends shoulder shortly and then left the room reluctantly.

Tyson stared after him for a long time, his eyes only showing a small part of the regrett he was feeling. ‘Why am I doing this? How long can I do this?’

Max had seemed so convinced, that this would be senseless. How could he be so sure? Did he really know Tyson that good?

When Tyson heard a taxi drive away from the house, he couldn’t hold himself any longer. He just let his head fall on the table and stared at the wooden surface only millimeters in front of his eyes.

He could already feel it, that his newfound mask was slipping. ‘What if I really can’t live like this?’

The cities grow

The rivers flow

Where you are, I never know

But I’m still here

If you were right and I was wrong

Why are you the one who’s gone

And I’m still here

Now:

Tyson had been so good at acting this new character, that he himself could hardly believe it.

It had been so difficult at times, that he had almost given up. Especially since most of his friends, mostly Max and Kenny, had tried so hard to return him to his old self.

But then there was Kai, and though noone really seemed to believe it, they were in love, and it had been a great time. There were moments he still enjoyed to remember, but thinking back these moments particulary were the times, that had been followed by their biggest downs.

The time his plan had been put into action had been no different.

This was something Tyson still had difficulties to admitt. All his sacrifies hadn’t changed anything, they hadn’t been any happier.

Perhaps Kai hadn’t been so annoyed with him like he normally would have been, but then again, he hadn’t been relaxed either.

It had been something missing.

Usually Tyson had been the one, who would have put Kai at ease, help him relax and enjoy their time together, that had been an important role for him to fill out, but the problem had been, that Kai couldn’t cope with a Tyson in that role for too long. It would be too much at one point, and he would be gone, leaving his lover behind.

Tyson’s plan had helped there. The two were able to spend hours together just doing nothing.

It was something both teens seemed to enjoy at the beginning, but it soon all got too serious and from there it went downhill.

Tyson sat down on the rough surface of the cliffs, he couldn’t see the ship anymore, but he wouldn’t leave just now.

Listening to the sound of the waves, Tyson thought back to the decisive day a few months ago.

‘Kai, what was it, that put you somewhere on the ocean, but couldn’t keep me away from beeing still here?’

Maybe tonight

It’s gonna be alright

I will get better

Maybe today

It’s gonna be okay

I will remember

7 months ago:

Tyson had always loved kissing Kai. It were times like these in which everything seemed to be alright.

The pair lay on the soft grass in the garden of the dojo. Holding each other in a light embrace.

Both, Kai and Tyson, could feel the love and passion they chared when their lips met. It was the highest feeling they’ve ever had, and ever would experience.

“We could lie here forever.” Tyson said softly blinking against the sun.

Kai rolled back. “You’re just lazy.”

“No, not anymore. I proved you. This is the first day off since weeks now. You said, you’ve never seen me work this hard.”

Kai touched his lovers cheek. “You’re right, you’ve changed a lot.” There was no assessment in his voice, which made Tyson feel unsure.

“That’s good, isn’t it?”

The half-Russian teen shrugged. “Doesn’t matter.”

“Why doesn’t it matter?”

Kai leaned down kissing the slightly smaller teen again. “I love you, okay? Everything else is beside the point.”

Tyson pushed the other boy’s face a bit away, so he could look better in the crimson eyes above him.

“But you weren’t happy with me before, so it does matter.” Kai seemed to be a bit annoyed at the interruption. He sat up and looked a long time at his partner before answering.

“So I’m happy now?”

“Aren’t you?”

“Don’t be stupid Tyson. I’ve been sitting in this dumb city for weeks now. You know I hate it here. I’m just staying here because of you.”

Tyson was confused, he had always thought the reason why Kai left so many times, was him, but now it was the city, his beloved hometown.

“Do you really hate it this much here?”

“Do you really like it this much here? What is it that holds you here? The people? They are all stupid, looking at us, like we are some kind of aliens, they watch you constantly, making you feel like your in a cage or something. So what makes this city so special? I’ve been at more beautiful places, I’ve been at worse places, I’ve been at places exactly like this. Believe me Tyson there is nothing special here.”

Tyson thought a moment, unconsciously plucking at the grass.

“I’m here.”

Kai seemed to realize, that his outburst had hurt his friends feelings. “I know, but you could come with me.”

“Whoa, since when are we talking about leaving?”

“I’ve always been. I can’t stay here any longer.”

Tyson grabbed Kai’s hand holding it tightly in his. “Kai, we can’t just leave, our friends are here.”

“All you’ve done with them in the last few weeks is argue.”

“I haven’t argued with them, I just haven’t talked with them, because I thought it was what you wanted.” Now it was out, Tyson saw Kai tense.

“What I wanted?”

“You always said, that I shouldn’t goof around.” The words were accusing, but the voice only held a sad note.

Kai didn’t speak at first, instead he laid his other hand above Tyson’s hands, which were still holding his tightly.

“So that is why you haven’t laughed in days, because you thought I want it that way?”

“Because I thought we couldn’t be together otherwise.”

“You want to leave with me?”

Tyson snatched his hands back abruptly. “I…I…, Kai I just can’t. This is my home, my family lives here and …”

The Japanese teen was shaking, but stopped suddenly, when two hands holded his head close to another boys face again.

“Psst, Tyson it’s okay, really. Perhaps it’s somethin we have to accept. No matter how much you change, there’ll always be a point when it isn’t enough. You said we couldn’t be together otherwise, but looks like we can’t be together like this, too.”

“What are you trying to say, Kai? That we should break up? I won’t accept that!”

“You don’t have to. All I’m saying is, that I’m leaving.”

“You can’t!”

The two boys hadn’t moved untill now. Kai leaned for, moving his lips to Tyson’s forehead.

“Say goodbye, my love.”

“No, never.” Tears ran from his eyes.

“I’ll never forget you, bye Tyson.”

The Russian teen tried to wipe the other boys tears away, but the strains that ran from the eyes wouldn’t stop. After a while he stood up. He walked a few steps, before stopping a last time.

“Don’t be so sad Tyson. I never should have expected you to make so many sacrifices. Promise me to be happy again, and I’ll be too.”

He continued to walk back to the house.

Tyson on the other hand didn’t move one bit. He let Kai’s words sag in. ‘That’s stupid Kai! I just can’t let it end like this. We both sacrified to much.’

*****

Kai walked out of the dojo, duffel bag over his shoulder. He wanted to leave and fast. To hurt Tyson like that had been difficult but necessary. ‘I love him so much, but better to leave now, than getting his hopes up. It’s just not possible for us to be together.’

He had already reached the street, when someone shouted after him. Kai instandly recognized it as Tysons. ‘Please no!’

“Kai wait. Tell me, why don’t you love me?”

‘Shit, he won’t let me go, if I don’t answer.’ “Please Tyson, you should know by now, that I love you. I just can’t live like you do.”

Kai hadn’t moved further, so it was easy for Tyson to catch up to him. He built himself up infront of his partner, showing as much pride as possible. “But I can. You could be like me.”

“That’s impossible.”

“But I’ve changed for you.”

“Yes, and you couldn’t live like that. It wouldn’be any other way if it would be me. It’ll never be enough to make both of us happy. Understand it Tyson. We can’t be together.”

Tyson kept silent. Could it be, that there was no happy end.

“It’s best for you and me, if I leave now. Just never forget, that I love you.”

This time there were no tears when Kai continued his walk down the road, this time Kai didn’t stop when Tyson called out for him, and this time Tyson didn’t run after him.

I held the pieces of my soul

I was shattered and I wanted you to come and make me whole

Then I saw you yesterday

But you didn’t notice

And you just walked away

Cause everything you wanted me to hide

Is everything that makes me feel alive

The day before:

He had seen him yesterday, walking through a crowd of people. He hadn’t changed a bit.

‘That can’t be. Is he here to see me?’ No, he would have come to the dojo in that case. ‘So what is he doing then?’

Carefully not to be seen he followed Kai through the city. The older teen didn’t really seem to have a destiny, he didn’t even observed his surroundings.

Somehow he was sad, that Kai didn’t see him, cause he knew, that no matter how much he hide Kai would find him if he wanted. But at the same time he didn’t go over to him either. ‘It’s because I know what I’ll say, and I know what he’ll say. It wouldn’t do neither of us any good’

Finally they arrived at the harbour. Tyson looked as Kai walked over to ticketmachine, pushing some buttons until a small piece of paper came out of it.

‘So he’s going away again. He was right, he’ll never stay.’

To his left the Japanese teen saw the timeplan. Studying it shortly, he acknowledged, that there wasn’t a ship leaving until the next evening.

Kai stood looking across the sea. Oblivious to him Tyson still stood a few feet away. The slightly smaller teen was the first to turn around, finally deciding to leave. He stopped for second whispering the last words ever to his love.

“Good-bye Kai, I hope you’ll be happy out there.”

The cities grow

The rivers flow

Where you are, I never know

But I’m still here

If you were right and I was wrong

Why are you the one who’s gone

And I’m still here

The lights go out, the bridges burn

Once you’re gone, you can’t return

But I’m still here

Remember how you used to say I’d be the one to run away

But I’m still here

Now:

Tyson finally decided to walk away from the water. It was totally dark by now, but he hadn’t any difficulties to find his way. In the distance the city lights shined, showing him the way.

He still didn’t know, where Kai had been all the months, and he for sure hadn’t a clue were he was going to now.

But one thing he did know: This leave was final. It was over. And he was relieved. His biggest love, his only love was gone and he was happy. Cause he was himself again, he had learned to accept their fate and of course, he was still here.

I’m still here

Good to know...

2007-06-30T11:10:06Z

Oh, I'm him!! Cool. I didn't think I had given the right answers to be him. :)

What Beatle are you?

John Lennon

You enjoy poetry, painting & a fine wine. A lover not a fighter.

Click Here to Take This Quiz
Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests.

Beside Me - Chapter Six

2007-06-25T17:01:33Z

I decided to post draft versions of the new chapters as soon as they are finished. I send this chapter to my beta today and when it's finished, I will post it on fanfiction.net, where you can also find the rest of the story. You can find my profile there: http://www.fanfiction.net/u/683043/

Summary: Kai gets some news on his parents. Alongside with Tala and Tyson he sets out for an adventure, which gets more and more confusing. A Kai-Tala-Tyson friendship story
Setting: A few yearsafter G-Rev
Rating/Warnings: not sure, perhaps T for some violence, angst and innuendos to child abuse.
Spoilers: Small ones to the end of G-Rev and my other story Visiting Day, but it is unnecessary to read it. I’ll explain everything you need to know.
Disclaimer: I really am infringing on someone else copyright, but I mean it in the best possible way.

7. Chapter Six

“Ernest this is madness!” Benjamin circled his chair for the forth time now. “You said something about them being kids and putting some fear into them, but not about attacking them and definitely nothing about injuring them.”

Ernest didn't seem all that impressed by his friends outburst, instead he was again flicking through the report he had gotten about the attack.
“Don't worry, they are already out of hospital.”

Benjamin was more than put off by the other man's emotionless behavior. “Well, that's not the point, the point is, that we're responsible for putting them in there in the first place.”

“Well Benjamin I know, that it may be difficult for you to proceed, but last year we've made a decision and from then on we've all been criminals. It's time that you accept that.”

The younger man looked stunned. “We are not criminals, Ernest. Joyce and I are not criminals. This whole thing was your's and Gillian's idea. You said, no you promised it would work out alright, that nobody would be hurt, nobody would care.”

“Well it was true at that moment. Voltaire was occupied with remembering his own name and Kai Hiwatari with taking care of the old man. If you regret everything now, then you can still go to the police. However you should think about what that will do to you and Joyce. A few years in prison don't improve anyone's marriage.”
Ernest was finished with the file by now and laid it neatly down on a pile on his desk. He folded his hands over his chest, leaned back in the seat and looked expectedly at Benjamin.

Benjamin wanted to yell at the older man, but he felt already foolish enough standing there, shaking with anger while Ernest kept up his stoic front. He wouldn't throw a tantrum like a small child, that would only confirm Ernest in looking down on him.
“Listen Ernest. This is not about me being unreasonable, but it is about Joyce. The doctor was there today and had to give her a sedative, because she was totally out of it. If I have to decide between prison and Joyce's health, I'll choose her every day. So you better find a way to get rid of this problem.”

“I see you finally got it Benjamin. That's exactly the plan: we'll get rid of the problem.”

Benjamin looked disbelievingly at Ernest. He didn't need to ask what the other man meant. His conscience told him to stay to try to talk Ernest out of it, but somehow the need to just get everything over with was bigger. He didn't want to be part of what Ernest had in mind, however he wouldn't try to stop him.
Benjamin left the room without saying anything.

xxxxxx

“This hotel is so much better.” Said Tyson, while he let his heavy bag fall down on the bed.

“We got only one room.” Tala grumbled as he entered the room behind him.

“That fact only shows how much better it is.”

“They have cockroaches on the first and second floor. That's why they haven't got enough rooms. I can't see how that speaks of quality.”
Tala took a short look out of the window before he angrily closed the curtains. From their window they could overlook the street and also the other houses across the street. Problem was, that that also meant, that people in those houses could look right into their room.

“They said we could get another two rooms tomorrow.”
Kai said, still standing in the doorway. He hated this new role as a diplomat between his two friends. He felt like it was forced upon him and he could only decide between the current situation and sending them away and being all alone. He hoped the exterminators would make fast work on the other floors. Not only because then each of them could have their privacy, but also because being in the third floor meant, that jumping out of the window was out of question. And after just been attacked out on the street a last minute way to escape would have been good.

He sat his pack down on one of the chairs standing around a small table which was set in the middle of room. Searching through his bag, he enjoyed the moment of silence that was enabled by everyone making their way around their temporary home.
Kai carefully removed his shirt. Inspecting the blood strain on the way, he decided to throw it in the bin right away. Not wanting to move his arm too much, he chose a dress short, which he he found on the bottom of his bag.

Tala sat heavily on one of the beds. His eyes were shut. Even the scarcely lit room somehow seemed to be too bright at the moment. He briefly wondered why he was so tired. He had drunk so much coffee that it should have kept him going for days. His headache was another problem. It didn't want to go away and he almost wished that he had let the nurses at the hospital take a look and prescribe him some painkillers. He was barely aware of Kai leaving the room.

Tyson had shut himself in the bathroom. He felt like sulking, but he wouldn't do that in front of Kai and especially not in front of Tala. They would just accuse him of acting like a child and even though he momentary felt like one, he didn't want it to hear from them.
Tyson felt tired and it wasn't just the jet-lag, and even though running around with Kai always had the tendency to be exhausting this time it was different. The tense atmosphere had left him mentally exhausted. Here he was stuck in a small hotel room with two of the most grumpy persons he knew. Sighing, he realized that what he wanted most was someone to communicate with. He really wanted to talk about what had happened today. Normally he would have been able to do that with Kai, but ever since Voltaire had died the guy was under so much pressure that Tyson was happy when he talked at all. All the more he appreciated Kai's openes at the hospital. After he had brushed his teeth and used the toilet he decided, that he had no excuse to stay in the bathroom any longer.

Tyson let the door fall shut carelessly behind him. He looked around. Tala lay fully closed on the bed on the far side of the room. Even though his face wasn't showing, it was obvious that he was asleep by the steady rhythm of his breathing.
Tyson didn't really care. He was more interested in where his other companion had gone. He silently walked around the room, hoping against hope that Kai had left him a note, saying that he was out to get some food. Unsurprisingly he couldn't find one.
The room was plain. There wasn't anything to waste some time, no TV, no radio. After finding nothing to do, Tyson decided to lie down. He was a bit nervous about Kai being out there alone, but if Tala was there not worrying but sleeping, he should be able to do the same thing.
He glanced at his watch. It was 9pm. Surely Kai would be back shortly with something to eat, waking him for dinner.

xxxxxx

Kai meanwhile wasn't thinking about food at all. He had walked out of the hotel room without a real thought about what he intended to do. Only when he had walked aimlessly around the city for a while he had realized what he was doing and set out to trail back to the hotel. What had he been thinking by just going out here searching his parents? Okay, this wasn't Tokyo but it was still very unlikely to just bounce against them in the street. “Especially when you don't even know what they look like.”, Kai added frustrated.

Back in the hotel he thought momentarily about going back to their room, but the vision of sitting in there with the two others fighting, convinced him of staying away for some longer.
Kai trailed over to the bar and ordered a Scotch-Cola to start with. The old barman attended to his order blasé and then hurriedly walked back to the female costumer he had talked with before.
Kai enjoyed the cold drink, the sensation of the ice-cubes against his lips whenever he prepared to take a sip. He realizes that he also enjoyed it to be alone. Well not really alone. The evening traffic in the hotel was still more heavy than one would have expected. He briefly glanced at the clock, which hang on the wall over the elevators. Nearly midnight. Kai must have wandered out there longer than even he had thought.

He ordered another drink, which was delivered with the same lethargy to him as the first one. This one already had more effect on him than the first one. He felt himself relax, the pain from his wound eased even more away.
Kai leaned with his back against the counter and looked around the grand room. The reception desk on the far side, to his left was the entry which composed of big glass doors, which opened automatically, a red carpet marked the way through it up to the elevators to his right hand. These were the things that everyone could notice with the first glance, but for the first time Kai was interested in the small facts about this hall. About the stairs leading up next to the elevators, about the ugly table cloths on the little tables in the waiting area and about the half hidden telephone booth in the corner. He looked at the last item the longest.

Kai took his glass with him and moved a bit nearer to the phone. The phone book lay on a small table next to the apparat.
The young man smiled grimly. No, it never was that easy. Still he continued to walk towards it. When he reached the booth, his nervousness grew. He rubbed with one hand the thump of his other while staring at the book. Finally he grabbed it and skimmed through the pages. The letter 'H' jumped at him and he slowly turned the pages now.
Kai couldn't breath it was so easy, so surreal. It couldn't be happening, but there it was 'Hiwatari, Fjodor' full with phone number and address.

Kai lay the book down again and went back to the bar to get a refill. 'It's never, never going to be this easy!'

xxxxxx

He walked slowly towards the hotel room. No one was on the floor. Good. This way no one would remember him. Room 318. This was it. Remembering what his job was on this case wasn't difficult. He always did the dirty work. He would do it here. It didn't mean anything to him.

He moved the lock-pick into place. Make it look like an accident. It was always the same. If they aren't sleeping heavy enough, then kill them first, but don't forget to make it look like an accident. He wouldn't forget that. He was a professional. That was why he had been called.

He didn't know who the persons in the room where. He didn't want to know. Just take care of the people occupying room 318. That had been his job. That was what he was doing.

He stepped inside. Nothing was moving. No wonder, he didn't hear himself moving even. But they'd soon wake up. However he would already be gone by then.

He placed the ignitions. Prices had gone up for these, but they were the best. Quiet even during explosion and didn't leave enough evidence to verify arson. His client had the money, that made this job easy.

He made sure, that everything was settled and activated the timer. Then he just went out of the room and waited 30 seconds. He heard a crackling sound. It worked alright. He left.

xxxxxx

Kai had finally decided to make the call. It didn't matter to him anymore that it was in the middle of the night, it didn't matter that he didn't know what he was supposed to say. He would never drink enough to do this in the morning to help him gather the guts to call and if he would try this sober he'd fail for sure. He felt nervous enough as it was.

When he couldn't find his family name in the phone book again Kai felt already relieved, that he might have imagined things. However then there it was again. Fjodor Hiwatari. Kai quietly mumbled the name and listened to it's sound. Then he pronounced it differently and spoke it again. Kai wondered if in a minute he'd hear how the man belonging to the name emphasized it. He wondered what the other man's voice might sound like at all.

Taking another deep breath Kai put some coins in the slot and started typing in the given number. It took a lifetime to finally start ringing and even when it did nothing happened for a while.

'Please.' Kai pressed the earpiece harder again his ear as if to hear better.

It rang again. This time however a clicking sound could be heard afterwards. Kai held his breath.

“Your talking with the answering machine of Fjodor and Natalia Hiwatari. We are currently not at home, but you can leave us a message. If it is urgent to reach us, then you can ask our neighbors for our mobile number. Bye.”

Kai put some more coins in the slot and called the same number again, but he just got the same answer. Again he called it, however this time he didn't care about the message, but just listened to the voice delivering it. Could this be his father's voice? It didn't sound familiar, but since he wouldn't recognize the man, if he met him on the street it was highly unlikely that he'd remember his voice.

Perhaps his parents weren't really out, but just sleeping and not caring about the phone. The clock told Kai, that it was already half past one. He wouldn't answer the phone himself at this time.
He wondered if the address given in the phone book would be far enough away for him to take until morning to walk there. He'd never be able to sleep now, not after being so near his aim. So he could just as well start to walk to his parent's house now.

Kai didn't move however. Everything was going too fast, almost too easy. Perhaps it was just the alcohol wearing down or his tiredness playing with his mind, but he was hesitant to really move. What if they didn't want him, didn't let him in, or even didn't remember him? That was the most horrible scenario possible.
He had never pictured meeting his parents because he had thought them to be dead all these years. It had been logical, that he had to live with his grandfather as long as he believed, that his parents were dead. But what reasons were there now?

'Just go there and find out.' It was more Kai's practical side than his confidence coming out here.

He ripped the page with the address out of the phone book and made his way towards the door. Suddenly a siren started its ear-splitting ringing. Kai looked around confused. Nothing happened for a while. Then he heard a woman's cry. “Fire!”

People came running down the stairs only wearing their pajamas. Shouting, nearly falling over, making their way towards the door. Kai was pushed to the side.

“Fire.”, he mouthed. His eyes opened wide. “Fire! Tyson! Tala!”

Kai pushed against the stream of people, sidestepping most of them and making his way to the stairs.

Tbc...

Visiting Day

2007-06-16T09:05:43Z

And here's the final part three. Hope you enjoyed!

Infos, disclaimer, warnings can be found in the first two parts.
Here and here.

3. Chapter – The End of Visiting Day

At the knock on the door Boris looked up from the new report he had gotten from his scientists this morning at had now already been studying for quiet some time with interest.

“Come in!” He made sure that it didn't sound like admission to the request but like an order.

In came a guard. Obviously nervous, Boris realized with revulsion. Just like when one of the boys was standing in front of him, knowing he would receive punishment.
This thought caught his interest. Hopefully there wasn't another problem he needed to take care of this evening. His mood turned grim, somehow there seemed to always be problems.

“Anything to report?”

The guard fidgeted a bit more, as if he knew about his masters temper. “Yes I have sir. I forgot to inform you about something.” There he stopped, waiting for an angry remark about his stupidity, but none came, instead he received a nod to go on.
“There has been a messenger earlier this evening. He was send by Mister Voltaire.”

Voltaire! The old man made always complications. This was the fourth messenger this month now. Every single one of them reporting a new date of Voltaire's arrival. At first the abbey's owner had planned to make it for visiting day, then he send note that he wouldn't make it for two more weeks, three days ago had then come the message that he would come the day after visiting day. That would have been tomorrow, so what new changes had come now?

When Boris still didn't answer to that, the guard reluctantly continued his report, knowing that even when Boris had somehow managed it to stay quiet, now would come the part where he wouldn't being able to hold onto himself anymore.
“The messenger informed me, that Voltaire won't come tomorrow as planned, but will arrive earlier. Sometime this night, probably every minute now.”

As expected lilac haired man made no attempt at hiding his anger any longer. He literally jumped from his seat. The sudden movement caused several files to fall of the desk. That only seemed to make Boris even more angry. He furiously stamped on the fallen papers, shouting at the guard while doing so.

“You useless fool!” The guard winced slightly at the harsh voice. “We would have at least needed about two hours to prepare everything! You're lucky that I don't have any time now to decide your punishment. Leave now, get everything arranged!”

The guard sighed and hastily turned around to leave the room. “Wait!” The burly man tensed immediately. “Wake Kai up and bring him here. I want to talk to him, before Voltaire sees him.”

The guard nodded and fled from the room.

<><><><><>

Tala brushed away the tears from his mother's cheeks. “It's alright mom, I'm fine.”

“No you aren't.” The small woman shook her head vehemently, while looking shocked at her son's bruises. “You can't even open that eye.”

Tala had to mentally admit that she was right. He really didn't feel so good. Everything hurt, his vision was blurred and he was more than exhausted by now. But of course he wouldn't tell that his mother, it was just nice to know, that she cared so much she even cried.

He gently kissed her forehead. “I just got into a fight. You know how boys are.” He winked at her.

She turned her head to Kai. “The same fight he was in?”

Kai had stood silently in front of the window until now. He had found it quiet interesting to observe the reunion of mother and son.
The hugs, the kisses, the soft words, the eagerness with which Tala had ask about the rest of his family, all this was an unusual sight for Kai and that was not only like this since he lived in the abbey.
Mrs. Valkov's pointed glance caught his attention and Tala's embarrassed look encouraged him to help his friend.

“Actually we two had a fight.”

Tala stared open-mouthed at the younger boy. That was probably one of the most stupid things he had ever heard from Kai. Did he really believe that his mother would buy that her son would let himself be beaten up by a small kid?

“You did this?” The woman gaped at Kai, indicating to Tala's injuries. Kai suddenly realized that perhaps his explanation hadn't been such a smart move.
He blushed slightly, stuttering around a bit. “Yeah... well, he bruises really easily.” The half-Japanese boy blushed even more, really wanting to slap himself right now.

“Mom please don't listen to him! Kai just likes to show-off.”

The woman's face turned stern now. “Then why don't you tell me what really happened?”

Tala fidgeted a bit. He was used to the Boris' demanding commands, but his mother's look got somehow even more under his skin. “It wasn't just we two fighting. Actually we got beat up by some of the older boys.”
He stared nervously at the dirt on his shoes, unsure of what was to come now.

Kai nearly chocked. This situation confused him. Hadn't Tala made him promise not to tell anything bad about the abbey? And from his point of view Jakov and his goons were something very bad.

Tala looked up, when he felt his mother's hands stroking his hair back. He searched her face with his eyes, not sure about what he might find there.
What he saw made him visibly relax. His mother's eyes only spoke of concern and compassion for her son.
“Have you told one of the teachers about what happened?”

“Boris knows, he's the boss of the abbey. He took care of everything. Don't worry.”
Tala felt ashamed. He hadn't been flat-out lying. Boris had taken care of everything, probably not as his mother expected, but still he hadn't lied. So why did he feel bad about it?

Mrs. Valkov didn't speak for some time, then she nodded and relaxed back against the thin wooden wall of the shed.
“So you got better in beyblading?”, she asked and the conversation immediately turned back to lighter topics.

Kai sat down a bit apart from mother and son, so he wouldn't interrupt this private moment anyhow. He found a wooden box in front of the window through which they had come, and sat down on it.
The black-haired head leaned against the wall and crimson eyes fell shut shortly afterwards.
Kai was reminded of how tired he was, when he realized the soft Russian conversation becoming more and more distant, until sleep finally caught him completely.

<><><><><>

Boris was furious. Voltaire had arrived even earlier than expected. The guard hadn't even returned with Kai yet, and he hadn't found the time for a shower and to change his clothes.

Now the imposing old man stood in front of him. The arrogant look on Voltaire's face made Boris even more angry. If he wouldn't need the old man's money, he would have kicked the insolent pensioner out already.

But as it was, he greeted the man, who held the most power over him, with a small bow and an unnatural smile on his face.
“Voltaire, what an honor. We were already expecting you.”

The man at question didn't even reply, but looked sceptically around the room, obviously turning up his nose at every single corn of dust he could find.
Boris had to ball his fists in order to hold himself away from shouting out loud. In the middle of his furiousness Voltaire finally decided to acknowledge him.
“Is my room ready?”

“It should be. I send someone to prepare everything for you.” He really hated the submissiveness in his own voice.

“I wish to see my grandson before I depart for my quarters.”
Voltaire wandered through the overloaded office until he stood on the other side of the desk, where he let his eyes glide over the still open files.
The figures and words he caught glimpses of were promising, and his mood lightened in consequence. So he didn't even made a comment when Boris bluntly closed the files in front of him and hindered a closer look.

“The boy should be brought here soon. I already arranged so.”

The two man stood face to face opposite each other, saying nothing more. Luckily a curt knock on the door broke the silence.
After he answered it, Boris watched the door being opened and the guard he had send away earlier coming in. His employer's obvious nervousness disturbed Boris. The man looked even more frightened than before when he had confessed that he had missed to deliver the message of Voltaire's coming. But what could possibly be worse?
Just at that moment he realized, that Kai hadn't come along as ordered.
“What are you doing here alone? Where is the boy? Didn't I order you to bring him here?”

“Yes Sir, you did order to bring him here.” Stuttered the guard, who was now not only the center of Boris' attention but Voltaire's as well.

“So where is he then?” Demanded the lilac haired man impatiently.

At first it didn't seem like the totally devastated guard was about to answer, but then suddenly he started to babble like a small child confessing his parents that he had thrown a ball through a window.
“I didn't know. And it's absolutely not my fault. I mean I am sorry, but I am not responsible for the corridors in that sector. So it's not my fault, when something happens there. And it happened before I came there, so it wasn't me, who didn't take care. When I arrived in the room, they were already gone. I was the one, who told the others. It's not always the messenger that is responsible for the bad news he brings! I...”

Voltaire stopped the flood of words with just a raising of his hand. “Shut up! Boris! Did I hear the man just say 'they were already gone'? Is one of 'they' possibly my grandson? Tell me Boris, has Kai run away?”

Boris was so angry he couldn't even answer the accusation or he would have chocked on his words. Instead he pushed the helpless guard out of the door and into the main corridor in front of his room. “Show me! I want to see for myself.”

The guard stumbled through the abbey, followed by a highly angry Voltaire and an unnerving quiet Boris, who hadn't said a word after the had left his office and just concentrating on non-too-gently pushing him every few steps.
In front of Tala's and Kai's room stood some more guards nervously whispering between them, but they too fell silent when the saw the three men approach, of which they feared two more than anything else.

Boris immediately grabbed for the door handle, but was hindered by an impressive tall guard. “Sir wait. We've locked the door.”
The abbey's manager didn't respond, but Voltaire snorted from behind. “What good is it now. The trick is to lock the door before the boys escape.”

When the door was opened, both Voltaire and Boris walked in. Inside Boris moved in a circle, not only observed closely by his employers but by the old man as well.

“So they are really gone.” The voice was quiet and tense, and send shivers down the guard's backs. Voltaire on the other hand watched with sick interest.
“They really escaped. You fools let two kids escape of whom I told you they were high-security! And now all you do is standing in front of an empty, locked room, doing nothing but talk.”
There was a pause in which none of the guards dared to look up. “Start to think, start to finally use your brain, prove to me that there is a reason that I employed you! Why the hell aren't you out there searching for them? If I were you, I would run out immediately and hope to find Tala and Kai or it will get really uncomfortable for you.”
He again made a small pause, and again nobody moved, that changed quickly when he started from new. “Why are you still here, haven't you listened to what I said? Leave!”

When it again was only the two of them. Voltaire decided that is was time to show once more that he was the higher-ranking.
“So tell me Boris is it coincidence that just at the day on which I decide to visit, two boys, of which one happens to be my grandson, run away?”

“I know that you might not believe it, but this never happened before. Worry not sir, we'll find them in the next hours. When you wake up tomorrow, the boys will be back and regretting they ever tried to leave at all.”

Voltaire knew when he was being dismissed, and he hated it, but at the same time it somehow amused him. “So it was coincidence indeed.”, he smiled. “If I depart for bed now, then promise me that you won't harm the boys in any way if you find them tonight. I want it to be my privilege to judge over them in the morning.”
He started to walk out of the room, not waiting for Boris to actually promise for it was more of an order than a request anyway.
“Oh and Boris, make sure they don't escape again.” He gave a small chuckle, that still echoed in the corridor after the man himself was already out of sight.

Boris was left behind balling his fists in anger.

<><><><><>

Tala crouched nearer to Kai, his mother stood behind him, smiling affectionately at the picture of the small, sleeping boy.

“Kai, hey Kai wake up. It's time to go back.” The black-haired boy slowly opened his eyes at the shake of his shoulder, and is was even longer until he seemed to realize where he was and what was happening.

“Are we going back?” He asked, still a little dazed.

“I just said so.” Tala wanted to add a comment about Kai not only being stupid but deaf too, but a stern look from his mother helped him to hold his tongue. “Get up, we can't climb through the window with you sitting in front of it.”

All three climbed out without any trouble. Kai enjoyed the fresh night air outside, and stood a little apart when mother and son said goodbye to each other.
Jealousy grabbed his heart again at the sight of pure love between two people.

Mrs. Valkov kissed her son on the head one last time. “I promise we'll see us again. Just keep your faith and behave. Don't annoy Kai too much. It doesn't seem like he has enough siblings, who showed him how prevail against others.” She turned to Kai and smiled. “Or how to lie.”

Kai felt heat rising up into his cheeks at the reference to his earlier actions. It was true, he really couldn't lie. But he couldn't dwell on his thoughts for long, because a heartily laugh and a wide smirk from his two companions made him smile too.
Mrs. Valkov laid a hand gently on his left shoulder. “I hope, I'll see you again too.”

“I'd really like that.”

“Good, than that's settled you two. My train is coming in forty minutes. If I want to catch it, I need to go now.”

Tala nodded bravely, hardly betraying any emotions, but Kai thought he saw his friend's shoulders shake softly.

“Bye.”

Both boys watched the kind woman leave with regret. They stood next to each other even after Tala's mother was out of sight.
Finally nodding to each other the turned around to make their way back to the abbey, though they were totally unmotivated to do so.

<><><><><>

The door opened and two boys were roughly pushed inside. Tala stumbled and fell to the floor, groaning as his already bruised body hit the floor.

“We caught them just outside. They tried to climb back in over one of the balconies.”

Boris leaned pleased back in his chair. “Good. You can leave now, wait outside the door, this won't take long.”

The guards left, leaving Boris, Kai and Tala alone in the office. Both boys were now standing once again, though Tala discreetly favored his right leg for his left knee hurt where it had hit the floor only moments ago. The kids were breathing hard, and Boris was enjoying their anxiousness.

“I knew you two would try to run away someday, but I hadn't expected it happen quiet so early. I hadn't expected to make it so easy for us to catch you again either. To be honest, I'm kind of disappointed of you two. I thought you had learned better in here.” The words were taunting, and Tala had to bit his lip to keep himself from shouting something he surely would regret.

“We weren't running away. We just climbed back in, when they caught us.” Kai's words were true, but childlike and innocent. Not of the right kind to make an impression on Boris.

“Oh really? You know what I think?” The man taunted further. “I think you two are cowards. You ran away, but got frightened and came back. There is only one thing that I hate more than disobeying little boys and that are cowardly little boys!” Boris had raised his voice at the end, and Kai had flinched at the hatred that was directed at him.

“We are here now, aren't we? It would have been more cowardly to run away when we had the chance, wouldn't it?” Tala got more and more angry the longer he talked. “And anyway Boris, you don't know us one bit. We are not here, because of your force or power. We aren't afraid of you!”

“So why are you here?” Boris voice was deadly calm.

Tala realized that his temperament had perhaps gotten them in even more trouble. But now there was no going back. “The money Boris. And you know it, it was the money. You were there, you've seen the conditions in which I lived, and you knew that you'd only get me here if you promised money. And you know what? You were right! But now don't act like we are here for anything else, cause we both know that that's not true.”

Kai was impressed. He had seen many new sides of his friend today, and to talk this much was a highly uncharacteristic side of him. Boris on the other hand, saw for perhaps the first time the need for something to be done. When the children stood with less fright in front of him than the guards, then something was terribly wrong.
He needed new staff and he needed to put more fright into the boys.

“You two think you're so clever. You think you're so good beybladers, that you're irreplaceable. Now let me tell you something, you are not! I could find others just as good as you each day. You are replaceable and if you not start to act differently, you'll feel it first hand. So if I were you, then I promptly start to behave.”

Kai wasn't sure if he had understood it right. Was Boris threatening to kill them? He looked over to Tala, who had suddenly become deadly-pale. Yes, it seemed like he had indeed understood right.
Boris came out from behind his desk and circled the two boys like a lion did with it's prey.

“But you got lucky again. I won't punish you right now, cause Voltaire doesn't want you harmed, when he decides what will happen with you in the morning.”
He gave an amused chuckle, when he saw Kai flinch at the mention of his grandfathers name. He sneered the next words directly in the small boy's face.
“Isn't it always touching, when a grandfather comes to visit his grandson. Oh, don't worry. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you again. Perhaps he'll even forget about your punishment.” Boris made sure that the sarcasm was visible in his voice.

He walked two steps to his right, so that he stood in front of Tala now. “And if he'll be too lenient with you two, I'll be sure to correct that mistake after he left. For now I wish you a good night.”

The door opened and three guards walked back. “Bring them downstairs and make that they stay there.”

The abbey's manager sat back in his chair and observed the two most problematic boys he had to care for being let out.

<><><><><>

Tala and Kai were more pushed than let down the stairs. They both scraped their knuckles on the stone wall by desperate attempts to hold themselves on their feet.
Kai let out a sigh of relief, when they finally reached the bottom in one piece. With angry guards there were no joking around and these guards were very angry, for had they searched for the two run-aways the last few hours, they normally spent with sleep.

'Yeah, angry, tired guards!' Kai thought, when his head connected with the wall after an unexpected push from behind.

“Get moving. You two made enough trouble for a night.”

The boys obeyed since they were tired, frightened and hurt too, and wanted nothing more than to be alone so they could get some hours to collect themselves.

Shortly afterwards Tala found himself in a claustrophobic small cellar room. It obviously hadn't been used for some time. There stood boxes all over. Everything was covered in dust and spiderwebs. There was no window. So when the door closed behind them, all they could see was black.

Tala hated the dark. Through the slit under the door he could make out some light, and he tried to sit down as near to this as possible. He waited for Kai to sit down next to him. Surely the younger needed to be just as exhausted as he was, but still there was no movement and no one was on the ground beside him.
“Kai? What's up. Lie down, now you can sleep some.”

“You don't think they are gonna let us out soon?” The younger boy sounded nearly desperate. Tala realized that he must dislike their sleeping arrangements just as much as he did.

“No, you heard what Boris said. Voltaire will come in the morning.” When there was still no reaction, that told him that Kai was going to lie down, he tried a different technique. “Look if you lie down here, you can see the light coming through under the door.” There was a body on the ground next to him immediately.

Kai lay on his side, so that he could face the door. He couldn't decide what to do, sleep was nearly impossible to fight now, but at the same time the bruises on his ribs protested to lie like this. It was all more than frustrating.
“This must have been the most terrible day, I can remember. First I run the whole morning through the abbey searching for you, then we get beaten up and punished for it, after that we climb over balconies in the middle of the night, get caught and locked up, and of course on top of all that Voltaire is here!”

“It's not all so bad. We met my mother today.”

“And she will surely rescue us tomorrow morning, when Voltaire is up on us.” Both boys were taken aback by the sarcasm in Kai's words, because he normally spoke innocently straight-forward.

Tala wondered if this was the moment his friend began to change. All boys in the abbey started to change, to grow cold, sooner or later here. But somehow Tala hoped, that Kai would stay like he was a little longer, for his naivety had always had a soothing effect on him.
“I want to thank you for everything you did today, you know helping me meet mom and all.”

Tala was very disappointed, when he got no answer. It wasn't every day that he thanked someone and this was important to him. He at least wanted an acknowledgment.
Kai felt his hand being grasped, and tried to pull away out of reflex, but found it impossible, when Tala held onto it only stronger.
“Kai listen to me. I don't know what they will do with us, but no matter what will happen, I want you to know, that I think it was worth it. I'm sorry that you are together with me in this mess, but still thank you.”

Kai felt the need in his friend's words to get an answer, so he put his other hand on top of Tala's and spoke in his normal soft voice to him. “It's okay. You know, your mother is really nice?”

Even though they sat locked up in a dark, cold cellar, both boys smiled softly. Somehow their friendship seemed natural to them, and everything was okay. They had survived visiting day, and together they could survive what lay ahead of them in the morning.

The End!

July 2005 by Lichtblick

Visiting Day

2007-06-16T08:58:53Z

Disclaimer: The characters you are familiar with, obviously don’t belong to me. The story is only intended to produce fun not money.

Story infos and warnings can be found on top of the first chapter: http://sihalema.livejournal.com/1181.html#cutid1

2. Chapter – New Hopes on Visiting Day

Kai walked along the thick walls surrounding the abbey, letting his index finger running along the stone's pattern.

He was alone now. After they had finished dinner Boris had picked him and Tala out. Of course he had seen the visible marks of their fight earlier this evening.
It wasn't a question with whom they had fought, the only thing that counted was that they had obviously lost. And losing was one thing not acceptable for Boris.
And their was another fact, that left Boris irritated with his two students. Fighting normally was a misbehavior he tolerated, but this morning he had told the boys explicit how to act. And brawls were forbidden today. How should he explain the bruised up boys to their parents?
It was only his luck, that the incident happened when the gates were already to be closed and that neither boy's parents had come to bother him with annoying questions.

Kai sighed, remembering that nonetheless Boris had felt the need to punish Tala and him. Tala had immediately been brought away for extra training, while he was spared for the day, because of his badly battered wrist.

So at the moment Kai was happy breathing fresh air instead of being inside training, though he knew that he would be in for extra work-out in the morning. But that was only another reason to enjoy this bit of free-time.

Kai had nearly finished his first round around the building now, so that the gate slowly came back into sight.
Feeling that something wasn't right, Kai stopped and observed the gate from a safe distance.

As he realized what it was, that was different his eyes flashed in amazement. The imposing metal gate was open!
Of course it had been open for the visiting parents in the afternoon, but after they had left it had been locked immediately. It was more of a precaution for no one to come in than for any of the children to run away, for that Boris had other methods to make sure. 'Put some fright into them and they won't run away.', was one of abbey manager's guiding principles. And to give him some credit, it had worked so far!

Kai wondered. Surely none of the guards would have forgotten to lock it, else it would mean to lose more than his job.
So the only possibility was that the gate was indeed meant to be open, and that was only the case when someone was coming or leaving.

Curious the half-Russian boy crouched closer. Yes, he could hear voices. And after nearing some more he could even make out the silhouettes of two men and then he understood some words, which led him freeze at the spot.

“... Voltaire...should...tomorrow...earlier...”

No, that couldn't be! Kai had been so relieved, when Boris had informed him that his grandfather couldn't make it for visiting day, because of some urgent business matters, and would probably arrive sometime late the week.

It wasn't that he didn't like the stern man. How could he possibly dislike his grandfather after he had taken the boy in after the tragic loss of his parents?
But still Kai didn't feel at ease around Voltaire. They hadn't a love-based relationship, it was more a constant fight for the boy to get some affection.

Kai knew that it surely wouldn't make his relative proud to hear that he had misbehaved with the risk to be in public, and had just been punished for fighting. So it was only natural that he feared to disappoint his supporter.

The men in front of the gate said good bye to each other, and Kai could hear the steps of one draw closer. He could just duck behind a bush when the guard stepped in, locked again behind him and disappeared in the walls of the abbey.

<><><><><>

Tala stumbled into the small room and eased his aching body down on the bed. If he would forget this day he wouldn't be sorry.

He had just had an exhausting extra-training and on top of the injuries he had received earlier it had almost been too much for him to take.
But what bothered him more than his hurt body was that his mother hadn't been here today.

Tala hadn't seen her or any other member of his family for nearly one year, since he had come to the abbey.
When his mother's letter had arrived it had been the most joyful day in months. In the loneliness of the abbey a mother's loving embrace was the thing he longed for the most.

He missed his whole family more than he wanted admit. When he had left they had been living in poverty. Their living conditions had been one of the reasons why he had been send away.
With one person less, the remaining members of Tala's family gad more to eat and his parents had one child less to worry about.

Though Tala had acted towards his parents (especially his mother) like he was excited about the offer the abbey's talent scout had made them about him learning more about beyblading at the abbey in Moscow for free, he would have preferred to stay at home. Only the thought of helping his family in the financial matters brought him to convince his mother to let him leave.
And she could only part with her young son, because she thought it was for his best.

While knowing all that, Tala somehow still felt angry at his mother for not seeing through his act and allowing it, that he had to endure these conditions. And then again he felt guilty for thinking that way, when he knew that all that wasn't anyone's fault. No one could have known that behind all the fabulous things the scout told a place like the abbey stood.

As much as he wanted to suppress the anger it now connected with the disappointment Tala felt over his mother failed visit.

The red-haired boy shock his head. He couldn't allow himself to think that way. This wasn't like his normal self. 'The pain and exhaustion must be playing with my mind.'

Groaning in frustration he moved further up his bed until his head rested against the hard headboard. Lying still he tried not to think, just to rest. 'Perhaps I'll make more sense after I got some sleep.'

<><><><><>

After waiting another minute Kai moved out behind his cover. Letting his shoulders sag against the wall he sighed heavily. 'Not good, not good at all! Voltaire! Shit, why does he have to come already tomorrow.'

The church bells he absently registered ringing in the background, reminded him that it would be nearly the time of their curfew. If he, on top of everything else, would now be caught outside when he was supposed to be in bed, Voltaire sure wouldn't be impressed tomorrow.

He turned around and chose the main path to make is way back into the building.

“Wait!”

Kai looked frantically around. It was a woman's voice calling out to him, but that couldn't be, women weren't allowed in the abbey. 'Too emotional', Boris had said.
So where did that call come from?

“Please wait. I just want to ask you a question.”

Kai turned his gaze towards the gate. Through the bars he could make out the silhouette of a small woman.
The boy felt uncertain. On the one hand he should make his way in the abbey immediately, before he was found here outside, talking to a stranger. But on the other hand he was more than curious. No one came here by sheer chance. Everyone in town was put off by the rumors about this place.
So perhaps this woman wasn't from here.

At the end his curiosity took the upper hand. After making sure again that no one else was around, he walked slowly back towards the gate.

Kai eyed the woman suspiciously. She was small, only barely taller than he was, her hair was bound tightly in her neck, what gave her a strict look and let the wrinkles on her forehead stand out even more. Kai guessed that her disheveled appearance and her poor clothes let her appear older then she really was.
Her eyes were still young (perhaps around 35 Kai thought), and now sizing him up in return.

Again she spoke in her soft voice. “What happened to your face boy?” She reached with her right hand through the bars, touching Kai's bruised cheek softly, but drew it back quickly, when she felt him flinch at the touch.

Kai was confused. The sensation of the soft hand against his cheeks, had been weird but not bad at all. So why had he shied away from it? Was he so unused to gently touches by now, that he couldn't stand them anymore?

“It's nothing.” He pressed out, but at her skeptical look, he reluctantly added: “I had a fight.”

She still didn't seem satisfied, but seemed to move on to a different subject. “My son lives in there. I wanted to visit him today, but I was too late. A man just told me I wasn't allowed to come in any more and that they couldn't bring my boy out to me.”

Kai thought she looked really sad. He nearly took pity in her, but what could he do for her? Yeah perhaps that was the question.

“What do you want from me?”

She was fidgeting and almost seemed desperate now. “I don't really know... Perhaps you could tell him that I'm here and that I love him, or you could him a letter of me.... I ... perhaps you don't even know him...” Tears were forming in her eyes as her voice died down.

Kai was shocked at her sudden breakdown. The boy was unsure of what to do, he didn't know how to deal with downcast adults.

“Please madam, I have to leave now, and you should too. I'll inform your son that you're here, but you need to tell me who he is, so that I can find him.”

She tried to get a hold of herself. “I'm sorry, if I get you into trouble by keeping you out here…”

“No, no, no!”, he interrupted her. Kai was starting to get nervous, he really needed to get to his room now. “Just tell me his name now and I promise I'll find him.”

“Okay, please give him this.” She took a chain of her neck, which until now had been hidden under her dirty scarf, and pushed through the bars, where Kai accepted it with his good hand. “My son's name is Tala, he's around your age, perhaps he's a bit older. He needs to know that I've been here. Please tell him I love him.”

Kai nearly let the chain slid out of his grip, when he heard his roommate's name. This couldn't be a mistake, there was only one boy named Tala in the abbey. But still, this woman didn't resemble her supposed son one bit.
Tala was tall and could easily be mistaken to be two years older, his hair was fiery red and his eyes intimidated even some adults. All in all his appearance was just unmistakable and the petite woman in front of him was the total contrary.

“You are Tala's mother?”, Kai asked, the disbelieving evident in his voice.

“Yes I am.” The shocked expression in the small boy's eyes worries her. “What's wrong? He is in there, isn't he?”

“Yes he is in here, he is my roommate actually.” Kai's thoughts went to Tala, who was just being punished after he had already felt so down the whole day. Knowing he couldn't tell the woman that her son had been disappointed, because he thought she wouldn't come, then had been beaten up by some older boys and nearly immediately after that been send to extra-training, Kai suddenly had an idea. Perhaps he still could make this a good visiting day for mother and son.

“Mrs. Valkov please listen. If you go along the wall to the other side of the abbey, you'll come to a small shed. The door is locked, but if you push hard against one window, it'll open. Climb in, shut the window behind you and wait. I'll bring Tala to you in a few hours.”

The woman looked flabbergasted at the unexpected excitement the until now shy seeming boy showed. Did he just propose, that he and her son broke out? As a mother she naturally couldn't allow her son to get into trouble.

“No boy wait! You can't just break out...”

“It wouldn't be like breaking out!” Kai tried to eliminate her doubts. “We would just be away for an hour or so and return immediately. Don't worry, no one will notice, but I really need to leave now. And you should too, before anyone notices you still lingering around. Just go where I told you to and wait!”

With that he turned around and sprinted to the abbey doors, through which he disappeared into the building, leaving the totally perplexed woman behind.

<><><><><>

Tala crawled down of the mattress as slow as possible, careful to avoid the pain any fast movement caused him. The painkillers, he had made Kai and himself swallow a few hours ago, were wearing of. And Tala could already feel the headache build up behind his temples.

He knew, he should get ready for bed, before a guard decided to control their room early, but something was wrong. Looking around Tala registered that he was alone. And that indeed was very wrong!

Kai should be here by now, moreover he shouldn't have left in the first place. Boris had been angry enough as he was. His smaller roommate had only barely been resigned for punishment today, and been send away immediately.

'Away' meant for Boris, to go to your room, or at least some other place were he wouldn't see you again for the day.

The problem was, that Tala suddenly wasn't so sure, if this perhaps could be a fact, that he had forgotten to tell the younger boy.

Tala groaned. This day couldn't get any worse! Of course the guards would make him responsible, if they found out about Kai's abstinence.

Deciding that this negative thinking wasn't going to get him anywhere, Tala slowly changed into his nightclothes and carefully laid back down on his bed. He observed the alarm clock. Three minutes left until curfew, perhaps Kai still was going to make it on time.

In the last months Tala had had to realize that the boy wasn't as stupid and helpless as he had originally thought.
When it had been announced that Voltaire's grandson would come to be a new inhabitant in the abbey, everyone was sure, that the boy had only made it here through the connection with his relative, and hadn't been scouted like the others, who all were here because of their talent as they thought.
This realization had left the boys angry and jealous. The majority didn't like it here, but still they were proud of their skill. So it had come, that they had felt contempt for the new boy, before he had even arrived.

Tala on the other hand had it long time ago made his job to not feel anything for the other boys. Early he had realized that he was alone in here. He was here only for himself and his family. So why should the other boys matter?

So when the new boy came it didn't mean anything to him, only the fact, that he was assigned to his room was slightly annoying.
But after the first few days it had been evident that everybody had been wrong with their assumptions. Everyone had to admit that Kai was quiet a remarkable blader, and Tala had soon learned to like the kid.
The boy was smart and more bearable to be around than most persons Tala had ever met.

So if Tala hadn't misjudged Kai that months back, he should be able to still make it before curfew.

<><><><><>

Kai had to sprint the entire way through the corridors to make it on time, and still when he reached the door to his room he wasn't sure, if he had succeed.

He was breathing hard when he pushed the door open. Though he was anxious to yell the news out at Tala he first needed to calm down. The sight of his friends angry glare helped him to do so immediately.

“What's up? I'm not too late, am I?”

Tala didn't answer at first. Instead he pulled Kai fully into the room and closed the door. He seized his young friend up. “Where have you been?”

Kai was confused, he wasn't sure what he did wrong. Tala's hard glare made him nervous. “I was just outside. Why? What's wrong?”

“You're just lucky that no one saw you. If Boris is angry with you, then hide in your room and don't run around in the abbey. Remember that!” Tala spat out.

The smaller boy nodded. He knew he needed to be extremely cautious here. All this rules were sometimes difficult to follow and life here was just so damn hard!
Kai couldn't dwell on his problems long, because Tala moved him again towards his bed.

“No time to brush your teeth. Just change and lie down. They'll control every minute now, hurry up!”

Kai did as he was told. When both boys were placed in their beds, Tala switched off the light. For a while the room was quiet.

“Tala don't sleep!”

The redhead, who had just dosed off, after a totally exhausting day, groaned in response. “What do you want Kai?”

The half-Japanese boy whispered, his voice so low, that Tala had to strain his ears to understand him. “After the guard leaves, we have to get out to meet your mother.”

Tala shot up immediately. He turned the light back on and was across the room in the blink of an eye. “What is with my mother?” He demanded, nearly shouting, because of his excitement.

Kai clapped his hand over his friend's mouth. “Be quiet, will you! Or we can forget meeting her at once.” When he didn't feel Tala resist any, he removed his hand again. “I met her at the gate. She was too late and wasn't allowed to come in anymore. So she asked me to tell you, that she has been here and that she loves you. Tala?”

He stopped his tale, noticing Tala's sad and absolutely devastated look. But the boy at question urged him to continue. “Anything else?”

Kai nodded. “She gave me this.” He rummaged through the pockets of the jacket he had on him earlier, until he found the golden chain with the little medallion. Tala took it eagerly. He inspected it some seconds as is he wasn't believing that this could really be his mother's, but then brought it to his lips, kissing it softly.

“I told her to wait for us in the shed behind the abbey. She should be there by now. You're gonna see her!” Kai tried to sheer his roommate up.

But Tala didn't seem too impressed. “She's alone out there?! You've send my mother through this part of the town alone by night? How do you think, we're getting out of here? She'll be waiting there and we won't come!”

Kai was immediately at his defenses. “Oh come on! She came here all on her own from who knows where, so she should be able to make the few hundred meters to the shed. And when she's in there no one will find her. And what that we won't make it out of here? Didn't you tell me, that you escaped once and were only found the second day? All we need are a few hours. We'll make it!”

Tala wanted to voice his concerns, but had to sprint back to his bed, when the footsteps on the corridor grew regularly louder. Just as the Light inside the room was switched off once again the door opened.

“You're complete?” A gruff, uninterested voice sounded from the doorway.

“We're both here. Now leave us alone, we want to sleep.” Snarled Tala back.

“You better shut up boy, or you won't sleep at all tonight!” The guard tried to glare through the darkness. When he got no response besides a soft snort, he was satisfied and turned to the other bed. “Hiwatari, you're here too?”

“Were else should I be?” Kai asked, his voice sounding extremely innocent.

“Nosy brats!” Muttered the guard, while leaving the room, obviously fed up with his job and the kid's arrogance.

When no noises on the corridor could be heard anymore, Tala turned the light on again. Kai needed a moment to let his eyes adjust to the sudden light. He blinked in surprise, when he found his friend fumbling with his boots.

“So we're going?” He asked softly, not wanting another confrontation.

“We're going!”

<><><><><>

Kai looked down. This was too high! They weren't going to make it!

The two friends had been able to sneak out of their room and down their corridor, their they had faced the first problem when they nearly ran into the patrol guarding their wing of the abbey. They had barely been able to hide in an adjacent room.
But right after they had deeply breathed as a sign of relief, the two boys had to realize, that they had stumbled into a guards quarter. Through an open door Tala and Kai were able to look into an adjoining room where another guard sat in front of a laptop. Luckily for them he had been so engaged in the pornographic material he was studying with sick interest, that he didn't hear the kids running through his kitchen.

After all those shocking experiences the two had finally found a window facing the backyard. Just what they had been looking for, because the couldn't leave through the front gate, were two guards stood the whole night, and they were too afraid to sneak through the back door downstairs, because that would mean to pass right through the corridor on which Boris' quarters lay.

So now they stood in front of the window looking down, and Kai not for the first time asked himself if the trouble was really worth it.

“So how are we getting down there?”

Tala looked at him a small smile on his lips. “Why, jump of course!” And before Kai could hold him back or respond in any way, he had to stare wide eyed as his roommate jumped out of the window. Kai leaned forward immediately, trying to make out the body of his friend on the ground, but he couldn't look that far down through the darkness. To be honest he couldn't really look much farther than one or two meters.

He wanted to yell Tala's name, hearing that his friend was okay, but knew he couldn't. So with no possibility left, Kai climbed shakily up on the windowsill and jumped after the older boy.

Kai braced himself for a long fall and was totally caught off guard as he landed much earlier than expected on a hard stony ground. The force of the impact was heavy nonetheless and Kai thought he felt his legs being rammed up in his stomach by it.

When he had finally overcome the explosive adrenalin rush his jump caused, Kai realized, that he wasn't in the garden as expected, but stood on a balcony he hadn't known existed. Next to him stood Tala, a broad grin on his face.

“There you are finally! Only once more and we'll be down.” Tala whispered.

Kai suddenly felt the urge to hit him. Of course Tala had known of the balcony after all he had been longer in the abbey than Kai. But surely he hadn't felt the need to tell him! No, Tala let him think that he would jump in his death!

“Not funny!” Muttered Kai, but this time jumped simultaneously with Tala of the balcony rail.

On the ground both boys sprinted in the cover of the dark shadows of the outer wall surrounding the building. There they stood catching their breaths for a minute, before urging their exhausted bodies to further work by climbing over the wall.

Only when they had reached the other side, they allowed themselves to relax.

Tala leaned against the stony surface, while studying his friend. “Kai, you need to promise me something.”

Kai glanced sidewards, interest evident in his eyes. ”What?”

The read-heads voice was thin in the brisk night air. “When we meet with my mother, then please don't tell her about what goes on in the abbey. Just help me to convince her that we are fine.”

Kai looked skeptical. “Why should I do that? Doesn't she know? She was the one who send you there after all, wasn't she?”

“Yes she was, but that's the point. She'd feel guilty, if she knew how we are treated in here. And I don't want that. She loves me and to know that I feel bad and she can't help me will break her heart. Do you understand that Kai?” At the other boy's nod he continued. “Then please promise me Kai.”

“I promise.” The words were said with an undertone that Tala wasn't able to interpret, so he just nodded in acceptance and started to walk forward to their destination. Kai trailed behind him, deep in thought.
He envied Tala and the others all seemed to have someone on the outside to love and to trust, and who was willing to help them. Everybody beside himself, he just had Voltaire and the old man surely didn't feel guilty about anything that happened to his grandson in the abbey.

He was alone, that was just another hard lesson he learned in the abbey.

Tbc in the final part three.

Visiting Day

2007-06-16T08:40:10Z

Thought I should post my old Beyblade fanfics here, as well as my current ones. I am going to start with Visiting Day since it is my one finished story that I really like myself.
Hope you enjoy!

Title: Visiting Day
Summary: It's visiting day at the abbey. Who will come and who won't? A Kai – Tala friendship-story. (Part 1 of 3)
Setting: This story takes place in the early days of the abbey. I see Kai being around 8 years old, and Tala somewhere near ten.
Rating/Warnings: light T for some violence
Disclaimer: I really am infringing on someone else copyright, but I mean it in the best possible way.

1. Chapter - The Downs of Visiting Day

“There you are! What are you doing here?”

Kai was breathing hard. He had searched Tala for a good thirty minutes now. And searching for someone in the big building of the abbey wasn't an easy task.
Kai brushed away a strand of hair, which seemed to always hang in front of his eyes when he wanted to look around like he did now. He couldn't remember being in this part of the abbey before, which wasn't really surprising, because early in the two months he had stayed here he had learned that wandering around was forbidden and would be consequently punished. Kai never forget that rule!

He turned his eyes back to Tala, who still hadn't moved away from his place on the big stony windowsill. The red-haired boy had been missing since morning. Normally missing only a few minutes was already reason enough for Boris to send out a search-party, but luckily for the boys today was visiting day. The day where all parents came to examine how well their children were doing, and also the day where Boris always tried to make a good impression. And he knew having guards running around everywhere didn't make a good impression.

“Hey Tala, what are you looking at?” Kai went over to the slightly taller boy and carefully prodded his leg.

“Just come up here and look for yourself if you want to know.” Came the monotonous reply. Sometimes Kai didn't know why he liked the other boy. Perhaps it was, because he adored how the older teen got along here. Tala never seemed to get into any trouble, yet he lived by his own rules. And of course no one else had tried to befriend since he was sent here two months ago.

Kai reached his hands out to push himself up on the sill, only then realizing how high it was. Putting a bit pressure on his left wrist, he happily acknowledged, that his wrist didn't hurt anymore, after he had sprained it three weeks ago at training. Next he jumped a bit, pushing himself up, while moving his feet underneath his body on the windowsill.

Tala pressed his index-finger against the dirty window. “See?”

The half-Japanese boy looked out. From where they sat, they had a good view on the front gate. In the front yard people disported. Most of them were parents saying goodbye to their children, but there were also some men. The kids living here knew this male mostly as guards, but today they acted as the abbey's educationalists, confirming the worried mothers that their sons were in good care.

“What's so special about it? It's almost seven, the adults have to leave.”

Tala shoved over a folded piece of paper. “Read this.” He instructed.

Kai carefully smoothed the crumpled paper. It obviously was a letter. Tala felt the smaller boy's nervous eyes on him.

“What's up?”

Kai looked down at his hands, muttering something barely audible. “I can't read this.”

That got Tala's attention. He gasped. “You can't read?”
“No, no, no! I can read, but I don't know this letters.”

“They're kyrillic. How comes you can speak russian without accent, but not read it?” Tala was curious now, much to Kai's dismay. He felt embarassed and even more inferior than usual towards the older boy.

“I went to school in Japan, so that's how I write and I learned Romance writing in English class. My grandfather taught me how to speak Russian, but not how to write.”

“Stupid! You live in a country, where you can't even read a menu.”

“Yeah, well it's not like they have menus in here.” Kai countered.

Instead of giving another remark Tala started laughing. Kai smiled slightly, he had rarely anyone in the abbey heard or seen who laughed and especially his older roommate seemed to be somewhat stoic.

“Okay, I'll tell you what stands in it.” Tala grabbed the letter back and folded it carefully. “It's from my mother. She promises me, that she'll come. She even saved money for it.”

“So?” That got Kai interested. In the last eight weeks, the two boys had shared a room, Tala had never mentioned his family at all.

Tala shrugged sadly. “She isn't here yet and they will close the gates soon.”

“Perhaps she forgot, that it was today?” That earned Kai a death glare.

“She's not stupid like you are.”

“Hey, I'm not....” The black haired boy was just about to argue, when the red-haired one stopped him.

Tala put his hands up. “It's okay, don't start. Didn't you say something like, that we need to return?” Kai nodded eagerly, he wanted to get back, before Boris found out, that they had been gone the whole afternoon.

The two boys wandered in the endless corridors of the abbey, apart of their worry not too excited to return in a rush to their room.

Kai quietly observed his friend. Tala hadn't said anything at all since they had left the windowsill. The red-haired boy had never before talked about his mother, and Kai had always imagined, that the family didn't seem to be of much importance to his mate, but now he started to wonder.
It seemed to really drag Tala down, that his mother apparently hadn't held her promise. It almost was like he wanted her to visit.

“What if she comes to late?”

Tala had been deep in thought. When he heard the smaller boy talking, he looked up in confusion. “Who?”

“Now who is the stupid one?” Kai ducked a firm swat from his companion. “Your mother of course. What if she comes too late?”

“Simple, they won't let her in.”

“Oh.” Kai understood what it must feel like to wait for your mother and she doesn't come. “Perhaps she'll be here next time.”

Tala was about to respond, when he heard a door open. The two friends had returned to the main corridors. Right now, they were walking through the floors on which the rooms of the older boys were located.
Normally the younger boys made a detour, just to avoid meeting them.

It was a principle in the abbey, that everyone showed their power. The guards and Boris did it everyday by keeping the boys in line, and the older boys transferred their methods by suppressing the younger boys.
Tala was well-known in the abbey, he got the younger boys to shut up by just glaring at them, he was able to order most boys of the same age around and even some of the older ones respected him.

Kai on the other hand was in a more difficult position. Just here was a few months he had already been able to put some fear in the few boys younger than him by following Tala's instructions (sometimes it was good having the red-head as a roommate).
But Kai immediately caught the eye of the older boys. The guards knew, that he was Voltaires grandson, and as the powerful man had much influence in the abbey's politics, the left Kai alone most of the time.
Of course as soon as the others realized this, the jealousy got the better of them and they had found themselves a new favorite victim.

So the creaking of the door and the voices, that were becoming louder and clearer were a bad sign. Tala pushed Kai urgently forward.
“We better hurry up.”

Kai didn't really react, but kept his pace. Sometimes Tala couldn't understand his younger friend. Didn't Kai understand, that this situation could get dangerous if they were found?
Of course the red-haired boy somehow liked to look out for his younger roommate. It gave him a good feeling to sometimes do something, that normal people would consider good.
On the other hand in the abbey, there weren't normal people and forming an alliance with the enemy had made him the new enemy to the older boys too.

“They are coming Kai! Now come on and hurry up!” Kai finally seemed to react and started to speed up. Tala gave a sigh of relieve, he really wasn't in the mood for a brawl, he was far more interested in where his mother was right now.

Kai nearly ran now. He hated it to run away, it made him feel like a coward, but these boys never left him a chance. So better to run away now unhurt, than to have to answer Boris later what happened when he and Tala would return bruised and battered.

Just as the two friends wanted to turn around the corner, they heard the doors open behind them. The roommates slowed again, they wouldn't give their tormentors give the satisfaction of seeing them running away.

“Well look whose got lost. Kai, the guards best buddy and our former lackey Tala. If you are searching for the kids playroom, then you're wrong here.” Snickers followed this statement.

Tala took a heavy breath and then turned around slowly, signaling Kai to do the same. Around seven meters away stood three boys. Jakov and two of his goons.

“Are you here for trouble?” Jakov asked bluntly while advancing slowly towards them, followed on every step by his two shadows.

“No, we don't want to fight. We were just passing through.”, Kai answered politely, not noticing Tala's groan.

“Oh, you don't want to fight.”, Jakov mocked them, “Then perhaps you should start running.”

He hadn't even finished the sentence, before starting to launch in Kai's direction, the other two decided to go for Tala.

Tala braced himself, balling his fists he aimed for the first thing, that dared to come into his reach, which happened to be one gorilla's nose. The satisfaction he felt over seeing blood starting to run from his target was only short-lived, because the fist, that connected with his eye immediately brought him to the ground. And with that he was unprotected to the older boy's merciless kicks and fists.

Kai wasn't doing any better. He stood passively as Jakov jumped onto him, bringing them both on the floor.

With both of them on the ground there was nothing more they could do besides hoping for it to be over soon.

*****

Tala pushed Kai in the small bathroom, which was attached to their tiny bedchamber. The smaller boy stumbled in and was barely able to get a hold on sink, preventing to fall flat on the hard floor. Kai leaned heavily on the porcelain utensil. He gathered all his power left and risked a look in the mirror.

He immediately wished he hadn't done so. Groaning Kai acknowledged all his visible injuries. His face was smeared with blood. Some of it had already started to dry and was slowly changing it's color from bright red to a dark brown nearly black hue. At the same time his lip, nose and eyebrow were still bleeding, pattering his face with different long and thick traces of liquid.
His face's not bleeding areas weren't looking much better. Both cheeks and his forehead were bruised and slowly swelling, and Kai could have sworn, that his chin was already twice it's normal size. Sighing Kai decided that it would be better to close his eyes again.

At hearing his friend's sigh Tala popped his one good eye open, the other were already swollen shut, and observed his roommate's battered form. Realizing that Kai had to be okay as long as he was still able to stand, Tala leaned against the closed door.
Nearly choking on the blood he swallowed Tala coughed two times, bringing some of the despised fluid back in his mouth.
The red-haired boy brought a finger up to his mouth, softly tracing along his upper jaw. Tala winced as he came along two loose teeth, one of them nearly falling out.

Deciding, that he wasn't too bad off, Tala finally found the motivation to move forward into the room. Finding some towels in a sporadic shelf behind the door, he went to the sink.
Tala pushed Kai gently a bit aside, so that he could reach the tap. He waited for the water to get warm and then held one of the towels under the spray.

Kai was aware of someone moving him to the side, but put it off to his dizziness. Only the feeling of the wet towel in his hand brought his mind back to reality.

“Wash your face.”, came a grumbled command from beside him.

Kai glanced to his left. His friend was washing the blood of his own face. It didn't come off all at once, so that the red fluid smeared around even more. Kai hadn't realized how hurt Tala had been himself until now.
He started to bring the damp towel up to his face, but stopped midway at feeling a sharp pain in his left wrist. 'So it is now injured once again.', Kai thought ironicly.

Out of the corner of his eye Tala noticed his friend's wince while attempting to clean his face. Slapping himself mentally he remembered Jakov stamping on Kai's newly healed left wrist.
Tala looked in the mirror once more. Being satisfied, that the face he saw in his reflection was as clean as he could get it without rubbing on the wounds too much, he threw the towel on the floor and used another to carefully dry him off.

Kai was about rise the towel again to his face, this time with his other hand, when it was grabbed away from him. “Let me help you.”

“I can clean myself.”, Kai said embarrassed, moving away from Tala's approaching hand.

“No, you take this and try to bandage your wrist.” Tala pushed a role of gauze in Kai's right hand and immediately started working on the smaller boy's face.
Seeing that it would be futile to oppose Kai obeyed and concentrated on his hand.

The bathroom was silent for some time, only the sound of cloth rubbing on skin and Tala's rapid breathing could be heard. Only before he was nearly finished Tala let his concentration move away a bit and studied the younger boy with a curious look.

“Why haven't you defended yourself properly?” Tala asked while gently rubbing some dried blood from Kai's temple.

The smaller boy looked up in astonishment. “What do you mean? I told them I didn't want to fight.”

Tala put the towel down. “And why should that stop them?”

Kai looked a bit lost. For him it was just common sense that you listened to what the others wanted and tried to act according to that knowledge.
At home he always only had to say what he wanted or what not and everyone listened to that. Of course 99 percent of the time he was alone with the staff and his private tutors. On the other hand he had to admit, that when his grandfather came home he didn't dare to say anything.
But Voltaire, like Boris, was an adult. And didn't have the right to tell adults what to do (unless they were your employees).
But Jakov and the others were boys, just like him. They should all have the same status and work together like a team and that not only while beyblading.
“I don't know, it should just be enough.”

Tala put his hands on Kai's slender shoulders and then spoke in a quiet but firm tone to him. “Listen Kai. Don't be that naive! You tell them what you don't like and they'll do it. Never tell anyone what you don't like or what you fear, they'll only abuse their knowledge. Do you understand?”

Kai looked down, his heart suddenly felt heavy in his chest. This was one of the first lessons he learned in the abbey. He nodded. He had understood.

tbc...