Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade.

Author Notes: Chapter 31 is half of a multipart. You guys are going to probably love it. And I will try to get 32 out ASAP. Promise!

Chapter #31: Full Moon Fever [Part 1]

It was two nights later that the group decided to make an early camp. The weather wasn’t favorable to travel. It was rather cold, and dreary fog rolled over the countryside. The air was moist with rain and thick clouds swirled above. They were just entering the lands of the Duke of York. Tyson was bundled in his blanket; the stone at the hilt of his sword was glowing. It had begun to do so an hour before the fog rolled in. Dragoon was warning them of bad weather to come, and the group decided not to ignore the warning of the dragon, so they found a rather sheltered clearing with powerful trees who’s canopy will protect them should a downpour occur.

“This storm will be powerful, I can just feel it,” Hikaru spoke. Horus was sitting on her shoulder, puffing out; looking like a little fluff-ball with a beak and talons.

“I hate storms,” Tyson grumbled, bundling up in his blanket. “Makes traveling all that much harder, the roads become soggy and muddy.”

“Storms are something we can’t control, we just have to live with them,” Rei voiced. Everyone glanced at him oddly, wondering how the Samurai always remained so positive.

The night wore on lazily. Soon practically everyone was asleep, except Vega. It was one of the only nights of the month when she couldn’t sleep. It was a night of the full moon. Kaosu’s power surged trough her veins, begging for release, begging to shed blood. She couldn’t relax her hold on Kaosu enough to sleep, weary of leaving him unattended, should he commit an atrocity while she was asleep, he was quite capable of rising from his sword on the night of a full moon. The only other night when she was this restless was a night of no moon, when she was weak as a kitten, and could not sleep due to some irrational fear and where previously Jeremiah alleviated that fear by remaining awake all night to make sure no one did anything to the weakened dragoness. She didn’t like to broadcast her weakness, even Charlene didn’t know about it. Only Jeremiah did, and he only found out by accident. This time there would be no Jeremiah; she would have to, come the time, face her irrational fear alone. Suddenly she heard a faint growl behind her and Wolborg appeared, putting his muzzle on her thigh, twitching his furry ears.

“Hey fuzzy,” she spoke, stroking his ear with her gloved fingers. ‘How odd this is,’ she thought. ‘He’s such a contrast to his master.’ Across from the camp Tala glanced at her, he wasn’t asleep either for some reason. His eyes narrowed as he spotted the woman was once again spoiling his lupine companion rotten with her petting. Getting up the red-haired loner walked over to where she was and sat down on the other side of the tree against which she was leaning.

“You’re spoiling the damned mutt rotten,” he spoke.

“And you’re not giving him enough attention, a little petting wont spoil him,” Vega argued back.

“You should go to sleep,” Tala spoke after a second. Vega sighed. Above them the clouds shifted, thinning out a little a single beam of moonlight penetrated the clouds hitting the ground, a single shaft of iridescent light. At that moment Vega grabbed her stomach, and doubled over, containing a gasp of pain. The power surge Kaosu emitted took her by a total surprise with its sheer intensity. The Zenith has begun. Wolborg whined and moved away. Glancing at his master on the other side of the tree, Tala had his eyes closed firmly, one knee raised, his fists clasped at his sides.

‘Bloody hell! It hurts!’ Vega thought. Tala’s eyes flew open.

“Vega are you alright? Did you hurt yourself?” he asked.

“What?” Vega asked, freezing. ‘What is he mumbling about?’ she thought.

“What I’m mumbling about? I’m not the one talking to myself here!” Tala replied harshly. He didn’t see Vega’s eyes grow wide like saucers. Tala moved to her side, finding no evident sign of any wound.

“Tala… I-“ she paused, how does. “What you heard… I didn’t say it. I thought it,” she finally spoke.

“What?” His voice sounded like he didn’t believe a word she just said, and probably had a reason not, too, it sounded ludicrous, but it made sense. It was the only way he could’ve heard what she thought. It was if somehow, he could hear her thoughts.

‘Tala,’ she thought, ‘I know you can hear this, and look, I’m not speaking, am I, you can hear my thoughts somehow. I don’t know why or how… but somehow,’ she thought. Realization dawned on him and his crystal blue eyes widened.

‘How?’ he thought.

‘I don’t know, the only thing I know. There must be some link… a bond for this to happen,’ Vega replied in her mind.

‘Why tonight?’ he asked. Vega mulled all over this and Tala sat down closer to her, he was confused, baffled even. Now that he sat close to her, he could feel dark energy radiating off her in cascades, energy she was trying to suppress. The fog began to thin somewhat, but the clouds still remained. But as he looked up, a parting between the clouds allowed the full moon to shine down fully. He heard a hiss and a gasp of pain. ‘What’s wrong?’ he asked, instantly alarmed.

‘Nothing… it’s nothing. Tonight… is Kaosu’s zenith; he’s at his full power. And it actually hurts trying to suppress his energies,’ she explained. Tala nodded, tenderly wrapping an arm around her waist, pulling her closer, it was uncharacteristic of him. But after the kiss they shared, he couldn’t honestly deny it to himself that he cared for this woman. ‘You know… I think I know why this is happening –‘ Vega was cut off when he placed one finger over her lips, a useless gesture, but the message was clear.

‘It doesn’t matter’ Tala replied. ‘Just rest, you can tell me tomorrow,’ his words soothingly echoed in her mind and Vega felt herself relaxing against his strong frame. His warmth pooled around her, and soon enough the woman was asleep. It was the first time she slept on the night of a full moon, the first time in over a year. Tala stroked her hair with his hand. Wolborg was once again curled up next to the woman, his muzzle resting in her lap. As the clouds thickened and moon hid away, he felt her body relax more and more. Both were blissfully unaware of the danger lurking in the night.

Some distance away was a group of knights. Each donned in chain mail tunics. On top of non-descript steeds. At their feet was a bloodhound. “Look, intruders,” One spoke. The bloodhound at their feet growled and moved back as the knights saw a white wolf emerge from behind a tree and snuggle up to one of the people in the group.

“So what are we going to do?” another of the men asked.

“We have been ordered to escort all guests to the lord’s fief. That is what we will do.” The first man replied.

“Why is the lord so paranoid about visitors all of the sudden?” another man wondered.

“It would seem he received a letter from the lord of Ellensburg, warning him of a group of traveling warlocks, the lord doesn’t wish to have warlocks hiding on his land,” the first man explained. The guards moved foreword.

Wolborg was the first to hear something approach, almost instantly he was on his paws, head lowered, jowls raised, fangs bared, growling. The men paused. Tala was second to awake since Wolborg was growling a foot away from him.

“Call off your wolf,” one man spoke. Tala’s eyes narrowed as he nudged Vega awake.

“Who are you?” Tala asked, now that Vega was sitting up fully he rose to his feet and put one hand on the hilt of his sword. Vega was next on her feet. ‘Wake up the others,’ Tala thought. Hoping that the mental link they seemed to have, odd as it was, was still there. Vega moved to wake up the guys, the guards watched her oddly. The others were awake in an instant. And suddenly the men did not look as confident as they did a moment before.

“We’re the soldiers of the duke of York. And you are uninvited guests of his land. The lord wishes to see all such uninvited guests,” One man spoke. The bloodhound at the man’s feet moved closer to Wolborg, sniffing. The white wolf growled warningly and the bloodhound growled back.

“There is something wrong about that wolf, Hunter doesn’t like him.” One soldier remarked to the leader of the group. It was at that moment that Hunter the bloodhound attacked. Wolborg leapt back as if on springs, his fur began to bristle and glow whiter.

“Down mutt!” Tala ordered his Wolf. The lupine glanced at him, but a moment later leapt back, Hunter went on the attack again.

“What is the meaning of this? Call off your bloodhound!” Charlene spoke. The soldiers were about to call off their bloodhound when the canine lunged at Wolborg again, the white lupine took none of it, leaping into the air his fur bristles as his crystalline wings exploded from his sides. The white wolf landed and bared his fangs, spreading his paws; his eyes shone ice blue for an instant.

“Demon dog!” One soldier called. Wolborg turned his glowing eyes on the men and growled.

“Leave,” Tala spoke coolly. But the soldiers didn’t heed his warning; all ten drew their swords.

“Only a demon can have a demon dog for a pet,” one soldier remarked. Steel screeched as metal met metal, one soldier attacked Tala who unsheathed his sword in a flash and blocked his attack. In a matter of moments everyone was fighting. The twin blades Rei wielded blocked the two soldiers that advanced at Hikaru and Lilly.

Vega hung back, she could feel Kaosu, he was lusting to spill the blood of these soldiers, but she couldn’t give into that feeling of blood thirst. Tonight was the one night of the month where, should she unleash Kaosu; she had little to no control over him. He could potentially go berserk and hurt everyone within sight.

“Vega! Look out!” Charlene called as one soldier moved at her, sword raised to strike. Before the countess could intercept the sword Vega stepped out of the way causing the soldier to miss, her hand paused at drawing her bastard sword. But before she could make up her mind, Wolborg leapt up into the air and growled, his fur stood on end as suddenly dagger-like ice shards flew, the offending guard was hit five times, and went down, dead.

“Why wont you defend yourself?” Charlene wondered.

“I can’t… I refuse to fight tonight!” Vega replied.

“Well you have no choice,” Tala barked, glanced at her. Vega glared at him and then took another step back. Turning her head she ran. Kaosu’s thirst for blood was intensifying, with the first bloodshed; he was lusting to shed more.

“Get her!” One soldier commanded. Two pulled away and ran after Vega, she was unbelievably fast.

“Vega!” Hikaru called after her, but the black-haired woman didn’t listen. The remaining seven guards stood no match, even without donning their armors; the group took care of them. Not killing them, just wounding.

“Damn it, someone has to go and make sure Vega is alright,” Max spoke sheathing his sword. The soldiers around them were lying on their backs, with multitudes of non-fatal wounds. One had an arrow puncture in his sword arm and looked to be in serious pain.

“I’ll go,” Tala volunteered, without any second thoughts he vaulted after the woman. Wolborg followed obediently.

Vega found herself on the shore of a rushing river. Looking back she saw two soldiers emerge from the forest, swords raised. Vega cursed.

“We got you!” One soldier spoke.

“Leave me be,” Vega warned, “Don’t provoke me to defend myself.”

“Right, as if a cowardly wench like you can do anything to us,” the other soldier replied. Vega’s expression became colder.

“Leave,” She spoke, voice iced over, one hand rose to the hilt of her sword. She took a step back closer to the river.

“There is no where for you to run wench, I doubt you can swim across that river without getting carried away by the current,” the soldiers jeered. Vega pulled out her sword, taking another step back. The fools didn’t realize that she was now next to the one thing that would seal their fates, the very river they thought had her trapped, would be their demise, should she wish to.

“Last warning,” Vega began, taking another step back, her foot came in contact with the river’s waters. But instead of going through, she stood on top of it, as black vapor began to rise off her sword. “Leave me be,” she added, another step back, she was now standing fully on the water as black vapor continued to rise around her, intensifying with each second. The stone at the hilt of Vega’s sword began to glow. The soldiers saw her taken three more steps back until she was fully standing on top of the water, her sword lowered until the tip touched the water. It was then the two realized their fatal error.

“She’s… she’s a monster! Look at her! Walking on water like it’s nothing! She must be a water sprite,” one stuttered.

“You didn’t heed my warning foolish mortals…” Vega hissed, her voice was now cold and deep. Black vapor exploded upwards around her as the waters surged around her feet. The hilt of her sword began to glow as yellow energy encased the blade, focusing on the very tip. Tala ran into the clearing just in time to see Vega flick the blade so that it was parallel with the water, “Now you die!” was the only thing she said as she slashed at the air in a half-circle form, releasing a crescent blade of yellow energy at the two soldiers. The waters of the river surged upwards, wrapping around the crescent, forming a tidal wave of water. It rose high and crashed right on top of the two paralyzed with fear soldiers.

Author Notes: This is it for chapter 31. I had a lot of fun with this one. A little bit more on why Vega is so terrified about fighting on full moons is in the next chapter.