MIAB

20: Tourniquet

The world is an empty, desolate land. No matter what there is in it, it shall always be hollow. My dear creator, the great Third Elder, would always ask of me, "My dear Hecate, holy beast of magic, do you understand what it means to be happy?"

I never had an answer for her. I was blessed with a mind that could understand emotion yet not feel it. A flaw in my design, perhaps. A flaw that my dear Third tried her hardest to fix. Alas, it was for naught. How could someone like me understand such a thing?

"Is it fun to do nothing but stare aimlessly up at the stars?"

I stared blankly up at the young male looming over me. With his beautiful face yet unbalanced aura, I was in awe over him. Still, I did not know what that felt like so I believed it to be awe.

"Stargazing is a sacred tradition among us holy beasts. It is not fun."

"And why should it not?"

"Stargazing is a serious matter. It can foresee our fate so it cannot be fun."

"Then that is a shame. Why can it not be fun to observe their beauty?"

"I already told you why, fool!"

He laughed, much to my shock and annoyance(?). He smiled before sitting down next to me, as if he enjoyed my company. That was odd. No one enjoyed my company except for Night, Hades and Nemesis.

"I knew Erebus was wrong about you. You can show emotion."

That insolent beast – Chaos – was the first to believe in my ability to have and display emotion. I did not understand why that meant so much to me but, at that moment, he was as important in my eyes as Third Elder. Much later, I understood that I had held him in such a high regard because he made me feel.

So, when the time came and he asked me to join him for his cause and fight, I could only comply. How could I resist not going to my darling Chaos's side, when I knew him to be true righteousness? After all, no one that was evil could smile as innocently as he did.

~~~MIAB~~~

Forsaken Fallen Headquarters, Chaotic Dimension, 17th Universe (Time Unknown)

"So that's what I missed while I was asleep." Kaori said. The group was walking up the stairs, Ann being carried by Gary as she was asleep. Kai briefly wondered if the damage to her eyes could ever be fixed, although he doubted it. Of course, that wasn't the only damage she had. Who knew whether or not she'd be okay mentally, after everything she had gone through.

"Anything you can fill us in on?" Tyson asked, steadying her as her legs wobbled, her breath labored. He could see her straining herself to continue walking. She was just too stubborn to accept help, "I think you need some rest, Kaori. You look terrible, as if you aged three years."

"Think so?" She asked before shaking her head, "I'm fine. And I never heard anything important. Not that I'd remember." She trembled, before she continued to climb, her breathing labored, "Man, my soul room was really cold. I don't want to be in there unless Arion is with me."

"Hecate is up next." Kenny asked, "Do you know anything about her?"

"Unlike Nemesis's offense blade, Hecate is a balance-type blade like Dranzer." Kaori replied, her voice no longer sounding tired, "Her bit-beast, or true form, is a black snake that's as huge as Dragoon. She's pretty fast, too, but not as fast Driger. I think you can beat her faster than Nemesis." She shrugged, "I could be wrong."

'Wow. You got all that from seeing her while you were trapped inside Nemesis?' Dizzi asked, 'That is one crazy talent you got there.'

Kaori shrugged, "Beyblade is just my thing." She stopped before turning around to look at everyone, "Tyson, Kai, Max and Ray can't face Hecate, Hades, Gaea, Tartarus or Ouranos." Just as they were going to question her, she answered, "You four are crucial for the defeat of your bit-beasts' dark counterparts. I am afraid that, without you guys, we won't defeat them."