Crystallis

Crystallis

Summary: Kai follows Rei back to China, but they are closer to Crystallis than they expect. They encounter an enigmatic villager who will change their relationship. Meanwhile, Volten returns closer to Kai than ever before, and the Bladebreakers will reunite in a final bid to save their lives and save Max. Kai/Rei lemon in 1st chapter!!! Sequel to "Angel and Devil".

Same protocol, I do not own Beyblade.

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Weird Guy: Yeah, I was afraid that the Chronicles would be too informative for people's liking... but it seems I feared wrongly. Thanks.

SoulSister: Wow, glad to have another good review for the Chronicles. Guess they weren't that bad an idea after all...

Rumi-Chan: Yaoi and yuri gone?! *gasp* Oh well, that isn't gonna stop me... I'll just migrate to another site, and post a link... if it comes to that. Yaoi and yuri 4 eva!!!

Kai-Hiwatari-7: Ok, I see you are kinda confused... never mind, read my prequel "Angel and Devil" (change the "1448680&chapter=7" above in the address bar to "1388393") and you'll understand.

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Kenny: Trueangel's back!!!

Trueangel: I'm back!!! *waves hand enthusiastically*

Kenny: Hey, I thought you would take up to late November...

Trueangel: Well, I do have one last exam this week, but I managed to find some time to start a bit earlier to satisfy my hungry fans. *continues waving hand*

Kenny: Those exams really messed up your mind...

Trueangel: To recap, when we last met, I left you with a Chronicle, and it turns out that it was well-received. Now, it's back to the story proper.

Kenny: Well, we were left with Max missing, Tyson coming to China, after Max's trail led here. So the four Bladebreakers are now all in China... is this too much of a coincidence?

Trueangel: Well, without further ado, let's quench the thirst of my dying fans! *waves hand again*

Kenny: Stupid exams...

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Chapter 6 The Return of the Dragon

Kai and Rei waited anxiously at the airport in Guangzhou. Tyson's flight was originally scheduled to have arrived 20 minutes ago, but was delayed due to weather problems... weather problems. It brought an ominous link to their own flight, and Kai's sighting of Volten. Right now, Rei was pacing up and down in the arrival hall, while Kai sat down to read the newspapers.

Kai was engrossed in the papers. Rei's village was pretty isolated from the rest of the world, and he had been cut off from the outside world for a few weeks now. Besides keeping himself updated with the latest news, he was also keeping an eye out for anything that might help them find Max or Volten.

"Bush's visit to Asia... China's first taikonaut... Serial murderer sentenced to death..." Kai mumbled to himself as he scanned through the papers. "Nope, nothing interesting. Rei, stop pacing, I'm sure Tyson will be okay."

"I know, but I can't wait to see him... Oh no, it's not what you think," Rei added hastily after noticing Kai's weird looks. "I miss him as a friend, after all we haven't met for about a month, after being together for more than a year. Just a few months ago we were wondering whether we would see each other again, and we are finally meeting now, but under these circumstances..."

"I know, Rei, I'm just as anxious. It's difficult without having someone you can keep shouting at... just joking. But pacing won't make Tyson get here any faster."

"Flight ZZ635 from Tokyo hast lat landed," the announcer's voice boomed over the speakers.

"That's Tyson's flight!"

Rei ran towards the gates that Tyson would be coming through, but Kai stopped him.

"Not yet, Rei. Tyson still has to get through the immigration checkpoint, then he has to collect his luggage. Come on, have a seat."

"Well... I guess you're right."

Rei sat down beside Kai and rested his head on Kai's shoulder, ignoring the stares they were getting from everyone else.

"Rei... don't you find it kinda strange that Max, of all places, would come to China?"

"Yeah, possibly... but Max might just be looking for us."

"I guess so... but I can't help but feel that there is something more sinister behind all this."

"Now you're the one worrying. Kai, Max might still be in shock over all that has happened, but he can take care of himself, so you don't have to worry."

"Yeah, probably... but I'm also worried about Tyson."

"Tyson?"

"Yeah. Tyson doesn't think straight whe ghe gets overly emotional. He's often done stupid things during out beyblade battles. And I know he's pretty worked up right now over Max, so who knows what trouble he might get into?"

"Kai, you really need to have more faith in Tyson. After all that has happened so far, I'm sure he has grown and matured."

"Well, I guess I might be able to trust him..."

A moment of silence passed between the two lovers at they both recounted the events of the past year, especially the past few months, and how the Bladebreakers had stood beside each other...

"I don't want to lose you, Rei."

"Me neither." Rei closed his eyes. "Promise you'll never leave me?"

"I won't."

"Hey, are you two lovebirds gonna leave out good old me?"

Rei's head snapped around.

"Tyson!"

Suddenly realising the embarassing position they were in, Rei and Kai blushed as they both stood up. Rei then ran forward to hug Tyson.

"Tyson... we've missed you so much."

"Yeah, me too."

Tyson and Rei broke their hug, as Tyson turned to face Kai.

"Hello Mr. Sourpuss."

"Don't push your luck, Tyson. Just because you're the world champ doesn't mean you're invincible."

"Excuse me, if I remember correctly, the last time we met in the dish, Dragoon and I clearly emerged victorious."

"But this time, you'll be too busy eating up the entire village to win."

"That is, if you haven't scared them all away yet."

"I don't need to scare them off; news of your appetite does a much better job."

Kai, Rei, and Tyson all laughed at their good old squabbling. But none of them could deny that there was a tense atmosphere, brought about by Max's absence. Normally, it was Max that would crack the jokes, and their laughter now made it even more clear that Max was missing.

"Well, we'd better get going. Uncle Lin and Mariah are waiting in the truck," said Rei.

"Mariah... sounds familiar," said Tyson as they started walking out of the airport. "She's the girl with the pink hair, right?"

"You mean you've forgotten her already?" Kai said in mock surprise.

"Well, I've got other things on my mind, like... like..."

Tyson trailed off as Max started to fill his mind. Rei and Kai understood too. Rei put his arm around Tyson.

"It's ok, Tyson. We're all worried about Max. We're all in this together, and both Kai and I won't give up until we find him."

"Yeah, I'm worried too," Kai added. "About both Max and you. So cheer up, ok?"

"I..." Tyson said in a choked voice. "Thanks, guys." Tyson lifted his head, and tears were clearly welling up in his eyes. "But... I feel so helpless, I can't help Max at all!"

"Max is fighting the demons in his heart," Rei said. "Ultimately, he is the one who decides his future."

"Yeah, but I should have been there... to comfort him, to help him get through all this..."

"You've already done all that you can, Tyson. We don't blame you," said Kai.

"But Kai, you trusted me to take care of Max... and now... I'm sorry, I'm really sorry..."

"There's no need to apologise. You've done nothing wrong. None of us expected this to happen. But now that it has, the only thing for us to do is look for Max. Brooding about the past won't get us anywhere," said Rei.

"I... thanks Rei, thanks Kai."

The three bladers had reached the exit of the airport, Outside, Tyson saw a parked truck, with a middle-aged man in the cab and a pink-haired teenage girl in the back. Mariah leapt off the truck and ran towards the three of them. Tyson quickly wiped the tears from his eyes.

"Tyson! World Champ, eh?"

"Hi Mariah. Long time no see."

"Not that long really. I did visit you people after the World Championships to, well, settle a few things..." Mariah glanced quickly at Kai and Rei.

"well, we'd better get moving," Rei quickly said. "It's still a few hours' drive to the village."

=At the back of the truck=

Kai, Rei, Tyson and Mariah sat in the back of the truck as Uncle Lin drove in the front. Rei and Kai could never get tired of the feeling of the wind in their hair, as they sped along the highway. Apparently Tyson was falling in love with the feeling too, as he lay in one corner silently, looking up at the countless stars as the wind caressed his face.

"Hey Tyson, are you feeling okay?" Rei asked concernedly.

"Hmm? Oh, I'm all right. The night sky is so beautiful..."

"I've heard that every person has a star in the sky that represents him or her," said Mariah.

*So many stars... I wonder which is Max?* Tyson thought.

"Yeah... they say that a star appears whenever a person is born, and another fades off whenever someone dies..." Rei added.

*I hope Max's star is shining bright right now... I'll never forgive myself if anything happens to him.*

"I didn't know you guys believed in this kind of stuff... but I guess it doesn't hurt to believe in something," Kai said.

*Kai believed in me... but now...*

"What are you thinking about?" Kai asked, sitting down beside Tyson. Tyson sat up.

"Er, nothing much."

"You're thinking about Max, aren't you?"

"Um..."

"The stars never stop shining, do they?"

"Well, yeah..."

"Even when the sun's light overpowers them, even when the moon disappears, even when the clouds cover them, they continue shining."

"What are you trying to say, Kai?"

"The stars don't stop shining because they know that somewhere, someone is watching them, and because of that it's worth it to keep shining. Even when it seems impossible, they know that somewhere in the vast universe there is someone watching. The stars don't stop shining because there's hope."

"I... I see."

"Oh look, a falling star!" Mariah exclaimed.

"Remember to hope, Tyson. No matter how impossible it seems."

Saying that, Kai walked over to Rei, and the two embraced each other in a hug as they made a wish together. Tyson watched and wished that he and Max could be like that...

And so, the navy-haired boy closed his eyes and wished.

=A few days later, in the mountains=

"Kai... how... much... further... are... we... gonna... walk?" Tyson asked breathlessly.

"Just because the World Championships are over d't m't mean you can slacken on your training," Kai replied.

"You can't make me do this! You're no longer my captain!"

"I'm still your ex-captain, so you either follow us up, stay here, or go back down on your own."

Rei laughed.

"Don't worry, Tyson, it's just a bit more."

"You'd better make sure it's so, Rei," Tyson grumbled.

"Come on, battling Hui will be a really great experience."

"Yeah yeah, I've heard so much about him, but he probably isn't that good."

"Well, Hui is-"

"Don't waste your breath, Rei. Someone's just afraid of losing his title of 'World Champion'."

"I'm not afraid! I'll... I'll show you!"

Saying that, Tyson ran ahead. Kai smiled.

"He hasn't changed a bit," Kai commented.

"Yeah... now we'd better hurry up before he takes a wrong turn and ends up lost."

Kai and Rei ran, and soon reached the clearing where Tyson already was. Right now, Lee and Hui were battling.

"Galeon, come out! Black Lightning attack!"

The black lion burst out of Lee's blade, and sent a black thunderbolt at Hui's blade.

"Drifter, Repulse!"

A bubble shield appeared around Hui's blade, reflecting Galeon's attack and sending the lightning bolt back at Galeon. Galeon barely managed to evade his own attack. A black gorilla then emerged from Hui's blade.

"Galeon, Cat Scratch!"

Galeon flew towards Drifter at an incredible speed, claws exposed and ready to rip it into pieces.

"Drifter, Survival Anchor!"

The gorilla dug his fist into the ground, mantaining its position. Galeon's attack hit,l but it barely affected Hui.

"Now, Titan Fist!"

"Wha-?! Galeon, evade quickly!"

But Galeon was too slow. Drifter smashed a giant fist into Galeon, sending Lee's blade flying.

"I see... Hui's really good," Tyson said to himself.

"That was a great battle, Hui," said Lee.

"Well, you put up a pretty good fight too."

"Hey look, Tyson's here," shouted Kevin.

Lee walked over to Tyson, and the both of them shook hands.

"How have you been, Tyson?"

"Great. How about you?"

"Fine. This is Hui... I believe you've seen him in action."

Tyson shook Hui's hand.

"You're Tyson? Beyblading world champion?"

"Well, yeah, but it's not that big an honour..."

"Nice too meet you."

"Um, Hui, I was hoping to have a battle with you. I've seen you fight just now, and I believe you're quite good. I was hoping to learn a thing or two."

"Sure, I might learn something as well."

Tyson and Hui stepped up to the dish.

"I won't hold back, Tyson."

"Neither will I."

"Good."

"3, 2, 1," Kevin shouted. "LET IT RIP!"

Tyson's white Dragoon and Hui's black Drifter flew into the dish. Drifter remained in the center while Dragoon circled it.

Dragoon, come out and attack!"

A blue dragon emerged from Tyson's blade. It charged towards Drifter.

"Tyson's attack is too weak! He'd never defeat Hui this way," Rei said.

"No... Tyson's holding back," Kai replied. "He's merely testing the power of Drifter's shields."

"Drifter, Repulse!"

A shield appeared around Drifter like before, and Dragoon crashed into it. Tyson's bit beast then flew backwards, circling the black gorilla that had emerged from Drifter's blade.

"If that is all you've got, Hui, then you're in trouble. Dragoon, attack!"

Dragoon flew towards Drifter again, this time with much more force.

"Repulse!"

A shield appearead again, reflecting Tyson's attack and sending Dragoon crashing into the walls of the dish.

"Since you didn't attack with your full power, why should I defend with my full strength as well? Now, Drifter, Titan Fist!"

"I... see. Dragoon, evade!"

Tyson's blade moved towards Hui's blade, and they were ready to crash into each other.

"You call that evading? You're doomed!"

However, at the last moment, Dragoon disappeared and reappeared behind Drifter.

"Wha-?!"

Drifter started spinning out of control.

"Dragoon, Phantom Hurricane!"

Dragoon circled the dish at a high speed, creating a giant hurricane.

"What's Tyson doing?" Rei said. "Drifter's too heavy to be sucked in."

"Tyson's using his head, for once," said Kai. "Watch."

The hurricane, as Rei predicted, failed to suck Drifter in, but managed to lift it off the ground a little.

"Now you're dead! Drifter's defence works by channeling the force of the attack to the ground. But now that there's no more contact with the ground, Drifter's defence is severely weakened. Dragoon, attack now!"

Tyson's blade reappeared right beside Drifter, and slammed into it with full force. Soon, Drifter was flying out of the dish.

"Tyson... won!" Rei said, astonished.

"Yeah, he was using his head for once," said Kai.

Tyson stepped into the dish to pick up his own Dragoon, then walked over to Hui.

"Hui, that was a really great battle. Thanks."

"No, I'm the one who should thank you. You helped me find the weaknesses of my defence. The next time we battle, it'll be much tougher."

"I hope so."

The two bladers smiled.

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Kenny: Haven't lost your touch, I see.

Trueangel: Well, I hope my reviewers see the same thing. Meanwhile, I feel I should get you people ready for the next chapter... there will be a character death. And it's a person whom many of us have grown fond of. It'll be what you can call the emotional climax of the story... and this isn't a false alarm like with Rei in "Angel and Devil".

Kenny: Well, I have only one thing to say... review!!!