The exploding beyblade didn't make Anika Otori's day any better. The twenty-three year old woman (who, in fact, still considered herself a girl) had had a bad day. Madoka was out somewhere on a WBBA job and Tsubasa was busy with his petty little WBBA matters, so she had no one to talk to besides Benkei, who wasn't much of a comfort since he preferred hamburgers over beyblading with Anika.
To add to all that, she'd been walking along the street when a pair of beyblades had flown out in front of her, and one of them had detonated.
"What the-" She flew backward, launching her own bey as she did. Sailor Mare circled across the pavement and made contact with the two other beys, pushing them back. Anika propped herself up on one elbow and glanced at the tow whirring beys, now retreating away.
"Hey! Who was that?" A familiar voice called, and Anika gave a groan.
"Free, is that you?" She called as a figure ran out onto the street, followed by another. The smoke cleared to reveal a girl, about thirteen, with dark blue hair braided around her head and purple eyes. She was wearing a white shirt with a brown vest over top and neon green pants. A dark blue sash was tied around her middle. It was, in fact, Anika's unruly student, Freedom Miyako. Behind her chased Zero Kurogane, his black bair sticking out like a porcupine's.
"Free and Zyro. I should have known." Anika picked herself off the ground with a groan. "You two should know better than that." She stuck her hand out and caught her Mare, putting her bey back in her pocket.
"Oops! Hey, Master Anika." Free didn't seem embarrassed in the least. Zyro grinned in the back and muttered "oops."
"Oops is right, Kurogane." Anika grumbled. "You two need to learn better than to beyblade on the road.
Free opened her mouth, but Anika interrupted her. "Don't say you're sorry, because I know you're not. As a punishment-"
Both kids groaned.
"Yes, I'll punish you for this." Anika chuckled.
"Just don't tell Director Tsubasa." Zyro called.
"I have a better idea. Zyro and Free, you're going to train with more responsible bladers."
"Great. Who?" Free asked.
Anika pointed at herself. "Free, you're used to training with me, so you'll train with Sakyo Kuroyami and Zyro, you'll train with me."
Zyro snorted. "From when is Sakyo consodered a 'responsible blader'?"
"He's smart enough not to blade on the roads." Anika retorted. "Its settled. Free, you'll meet up with Sakyo at the beypark at 3:00. Don't be late. You could use some training with him."
Anika watched the back of her retreating apprentice with a grin. Yes, you might learn more fron Sakyo than just responsibilty. She thought.
Swell. Now I'm stuck training with that stupid Sakyo. This is all Zyro's fault. Free grumbled in her mind as she trudged to the beypark.
She could hear someone humming from the entrance, which was curious enough, because few bladers besides herself ever sung. Free liked to sing, so she entered quietly, her eyes skimming around the park for the source of the sound.
With a start, she realized that the one singing was Sakyo himself, leaning against a fence, his eyes half-closed as he hummed a classic tune. Free first considered interrupting him, but then thought better and began to sing softly to his melody.
Sakyo's eyes flew open and he immediately stopped humming as he caught sight of Free. "What do you want?" He hissed defensively, glaring at her.
Free smiled. "You have a nice voice." She complemented.
"You heard me, did you?" He asked, as if daring her to make fun of him.
Free shrugged. "It's fine, Kuroyami. Don't get all defensive. Master Anika sent me down here to train with you."
Sakyo grimaced. "Ah, so it's you."
"So, do you have any clue what we have to do?"
Sakyo shrugged and turned around, walking to one of the stadiums. Free preferred the zero-g stadiums to these holes in the ground, but she could battle well in both.
Free joined him on the other side. "All right then. Looks like we battle." She took Sailor Chimeara, her black and blue bey, out of the beyholder she wore around her neck and took her launcher out of it's holder on her belt. She attached Chimaera and stood the way anika had taught her, sideways to the stadium. Sakyo took up stance on the other side.
"Three. ..."
"Two."
"One..."
"Let it Rip!"
Ronin Dragoon and Sailor Chimaera circled each other around the stadium. Free felt the rush in her veins from the battle as the beys, both attack types, clashed together over and over as Chimaera drove away the left-rotating Dragoon. Neither blader spoke as their beys faced off in continuous struggles of power. Free wondered if Sakyo was always this depressing. She also wondered how on earth Takanosuke put up with the silence all the time.
"You're good, Free. I can give you that." He muttered morbidly after a while through clenched teeth."
"Thanks. You're good too, but I'll still beat you." Free panted with a grin. She cold slowly feel her power depleting to the left-rotating bey.
Sakyo grinned. "Music to my ears." He flung his hand out. "Ronin Dragoon!" He called out his special move as Dragoon began to glow and the huge dragon rose out of the bey, purple and red, looming over Chimaera and Free.
"Sailor Chimeara!" Desperate to beat him, Free's mind tore through different tactics Anika had taught her. She could remember her say: "attack vs attack is one of the funnest show downs possible. The best way to win is to exceed in power. Are they powerful? You need to use all the aspects of your bey to become more powerful than them."
Free nodded slowly as Chimaera burst into a starlight of glowing silver. Her beyspirit emerged, a lion with a snake tail and flaming mouth, his fangs gleaming ruthlessly. She immediately saw that Dragoon had more power.
Sakyo had an evil grin on his face as Dragoon and Chimaera clashed. Chimaera was thrown back, but somehow teetered on the edge of the stadium.
"Go again, Dragoon!" He yelled.
Free clenched her teeth and rapidly ran a list of Chimaera's attributes through her mind. Chimaera is fast and stealthy, something that Dragoon isn't. If I use her speed, I can get behind Dragoon and shove him out of the stadium. It's risky, so first, I have to lure him to the edge of the stadium.
"Chimaera, run!"
Free prayed he'd take the bait. He did.
"Ha! Running? That's what they all do when they realise they'll lose!" Sakyo jeered. "I've already won!" His Dragoon neared Chimaera. Free had the impulse to use the detonation move she had used on Zyro earlier, but she stopped herself. He's too strong for that.
Dragoon neared closer.
Free counted in her mind. One….two…..as Dragoon was about to hit her, she yelped "Now!" And Chimaera dodged to the side and came up behind Dragoon. In a split second, Dragoon was out of the stadium.
"Oh, that was a dirty move." Sakyo grumbled as he ran to pick up his bey.
"Oh, and you're above those?"
"Master Ryuga wasn't, and neither am I." Sakyo said, tucking Dragoon away
"So, Ryuga huh? The legendary blader?" Free asked when he walked up to her.
"Yeah. He gave me Dragoon and taught me a lot."
"What was that like?" Free asked, catching Chimaera in her hand and putting her away too.
"Hard. And fun." Sakyo smirked. "What about Anika? You're pretty much her legacy."
"Heh, yeah. Great teacher." Free rolled her eyes.
Sakyo smiled at her and began to head for the beypark exit. "You want to go to Bull Burger for a snack?"
"Sure!" Free ran after him with an energetic laugh. "All that 'training' made me sooo hungry." She added sarcastically.
"Yeah, I learned sooo much!" Sakyo chimed in. "By the way, why did Mistress Anika want you to train with me? What did you do?"
"She prefers Master Anika. And it's a long story." Free answered.
"We have time."
As Free explained, she also began was to understand why Anika had wanted her to work with Sakyo. With Shinobu or Zyro, she was reckless and competitive and never gave thought to strategy. With weaker Bladers like Eight and Ren, she didn't need to think, she just won with sheer power. But with Sakyo, who she didn't know as well, she had to strategize and twist her way out of tight spots to win. She wondered what it would be like to battle him in a Zero-G stadium.
As they ate in Bull Burger, Sakyo explained to Free different ways he had honed his power working with Ryuga, who had refused to appear to anyone else after his L-Drago was destroyed. "He was harsh, but I suppose he mourned his beyspirit the most." Sakyo said. Free grinned and nodded as her continued to talk.
"Yeah." Finally, Sakyo broke off. "I don't think I've ever talked to much in my life!" He laughed, revealing his sharp, fang-like teeth.
Free grinned and nodded her approval. "You have a lot of interesting stories!" She encouraged. Her curiosity had heightened when she listened to him.
"Oh, whatever." Skayo proceeded into his usual silence, glaring at a wall. Free gave him his silence. As she waited, she couldn't help but admire his stance and fierceness. So this is why he scares most people. That and his rudeness. She smiled inwardly, and, in surprise, she realised her heart was fluttering uncontrollably. Her mind went back to an old conversation she had had with the Manager.
"So, Master Benkei. How come you're not married yet?" She had asked the Manager one time, sitting in the Bull Burger after practice.
Benkei grinned. "I haven't found my one!"
"Not even Kyoya?" Free had teased.
"Bu-bull! No way!" Benkei said, appalled. "I hate the stupid rumours you children create."
"Ah, okay. So you're not-"
"No!" Benkei had yelled, a bit too loud and a bit too defensively.
"Okay, how about Master Anika?"
Benkei rubbed his face in exasperation. "She's married, you nut-brain."
"How did she meet Director Tsubasa?"
Benkei grinned "It's an adorable story!" he said. "Sit down and I'll tell you.
"Wait-How will I know when I find my...one?" Free had asked.
"Oh, you will. How did Tsubasa put it? Oh, right. 'You get a flutter in your heart and a pain in your butt.'"
"Free?"
"Oh!" Free realised Sakyo had been saying something. "Sorry, I zoned out!"
"I was wondering if you'd want to battle again tommorow ar the bey park." he said, running a hand through his hair. "You need to listen more often."
Yep, a flutter in your heart and a pain in your butt. Free confirmed in her mind. "You need to speak more often." She countered to Sakyo.
To her surprise, Sakyo smiled sheepishly. "I know. I'm just used to silence."
Free laughed and began to walk towards the door. "Tommorow at the beypark. So it's a date?" She called.
"Don't be late!" Sakyo hollered after her as she exited the Bull Burger. As soon as she was sure Sakyo couldn't see her, Free began to skip down the sidewalk, humming loudly. Thank you, Anika. she thought. You were right, I did need to train with Sakyo.
She couldn't help but hear Sakyo's voice as he left the Bull Burger. He was humming too.