Disclaimer:I do not own or have anything to do with beyblade. And since none of the show's characters are in this story, I wonder if this is truly necessary. Yet here it is, in all it's disclaimer-ishness.
Tournament on the Ocean
The Mystics thought they could relax on a cruise ship. They thought they were only going to compete in a beyblade tournament. In truth, they are sent on a voyage to discover who is silently eliminating the other beyblade teams. And as they get closer to the truth, they could be the next team attacked.
Chapter 1
Hotel
The Sea Side Shack was a fitting name for the rundown hotel. For starters, there was more wall than wallpaper in the rooms, it also housed about ten thousand, crawling nonpaying guests, and if you were lucky your bathroom had lukewarm water for taking a shower in. The hotel wasn't even on a sea. In other words, it was not a place for people who had more then five bucks in their wallets to stay at. And this is where we first meet our hero and heroines for this story.
The sun had risen a quarter of the way into the sky. It was a weak sun, it's warmth not able to reach down to the three kids waiting on the curb. Large clouds had started to build on the Western horizon. Two of the children would glance periodically at the approaching storm; one with furrowed brows glanced more often than the other who just wanted to keep tabs on the storm. A strong wind gusted down the nearly deserted street carrying with it loose pieces of paper and a discarded plastic bag. The blond girl who hadn't been paying attention to the storm ran into the street to collect the trash. After depositing it into a nearby trashcan she stood on the sidewalk with a hand on her hip. "That cabby is late," she said to no one in particular as she flicked a blond strand of hair over her shoulder. "We're gonna miss the boat."
"I'm sure he's just a bit lost, Tes," the slant eyed boy said reasonably from where he stood leaning against the wall of the hotel. This comment was followed by a sarcastic 'I'm sure' snort. The boy glanced at the blonde girl. "Why do you have to be so cynical, Tes? You know that's Lyra's job. She'll get depressed if she thinks she's not needed anymore."
"So true," replied the blond.
The one under attack just glanced at the storm clouds again. She knew her two teammates were excited about the upcoming beyblade tournament and impatient over the cab. She would let them blow their tension off by throwing sucker punches at her if it meant they kept their sanity. To occupy her time, she was trying to decide what they would do if the cab didn't arrive in time.
As she was contemplating the odds of finding an empty cab if they started walking, a car pulled around the corner and slowly advanced down the street. Relieved, Lyra stood up and gestured for the other two to gather up their luggage. A few minutes later and the cab was pulling away from the curb loaded down with the three teenagers in high spirits and their belongings.
"The meter's runnin' kidos," the cab driver announced over his shoulder. "Where ya three headin'?"
"Wendolen Wharf. Dock 8, please," instructed Lyra politely.
Tes leaned across Ty's lap and demanded of the cab driver, "And make it snappy! Thanks to your grandma driving you were late picking us up." Ty attempted to push Tes back into her seat as the startled cab driver glanced into the rear view mirror. "Do you know how long we had to wait out there for you?" she continued indignantly. "You're just lucky it didn't rain." At these words a fat raindrop landed in the center of the windshield. Tes and Ty shared a look of incredulity at the timing and stared at the wet splatter. Lyra sent Tes a you'd-better-behave-or-else look from the other side of the backseat that was mostly ignored.
"Please excuse our ill tempered companion," Ty said apologetically. "She usually restrains herself to eating small children, but I'm afraid the anxiety and excitement of our upcoming tournament has- Oomph!" He rubbed gingerly at his ribs as he shot a baleful scowl sideways at Tes.
"Tes, cut it out. Ty, leave her be," ordered Lyra firmly.
"But she-"
"Don't say it," he was warned sharply.
It seemed the weather brewing outside the cab was threatening to enter the dry confines of the car. In an attempt to clear the atmosphere (No pun intended, of course.) the cabby asked, "So, what type o' tourney you kidos talkin' 'bout?"
Tes mulishly turned to watch the rain falling outside the window, pointedly refusing to speak. Lyra just leaned back and closed her eyes leaving the task of answering to Ty. "We're a beyblading team called the Mystics," he began his explanation.
Curious, the cabby interrupted, "Beybladin'? At a wharf?" The cab braked for a red light and a few soles strode hurriedly across the road bent into the rain and clutching to their umbrellas. "Wha'cha beybladin' with? Inflatable 'blades?"
"As interesting as the idea sounds, no." The cab pulled left and they passed between two solem apartment buildings. "The beyblade tournament is going to be held on a cruise ship. The ship won't dock until there is a winner. First of it's kind, so it's all a bit exciting."
"Cruise ship, eh?" The cabby mused. "Sounds more like a vacation to me. Heh, your parents might not agree, am I right?" he asked confidingly. "Can't be cheap for 'em."
Ty faltered, "A-ah. Right." There was a short pause as they drove by a bank before he steered the conversation back to beyblading and the highlights of battles they had fought.
Thirty minutes later, Tes's mood improved greatly when they pulled up next to the pier. "Ye-ha! The boat's still here!" She opened the door and clambered out into the drizzling rain. The scent of salt was heavy and rich in the air. She did a small twirl, her arms spread wide to capture the rain. "Super Summer Suntan, here I come!"
Ty was slower in exiting the cab. "Tes," he said painfully tolerant as he unbuckled his seatbelt, "How many times must I remind you that it is a ship. Not a boat."
"Ship, schmip. They both float."
Lyra slid out of the cab having paid the cab driver and thanked him for the safe trip.
"It's Titanic vs. a tugboat." Ty argued back as the cabby pulled away. "They are not the same thing." His eyebrows were drawn together in a scowl.
Lyra chose this moment to enter their discussion. "Is this a Godzilla vs. Mighty Mouse type argument?" She paused. "Cause neither one of them is real and it's pointless to argue which is the better. Now come along children." She swung her gym bag over her shoulder. "First one on the boat is the top beyblader!" she shouted over her shoulder as she suddenly started sprinting towards the ship.
Asian, Russian, and American.
None knows of the others' past.
They like it this way.
They want to keep it this way.
But people rarely get what they want.
These are the Mystics.
And they are about to have
the adventure of a life time.
Ship: Lower Deck
"Not- fair," heaved Tes, bracing herself on her knees to catch air. "I packed- the most- clothes!" The effect of her indignity was lost, however, as she was forced to wheeze the words out.
Their luggage had been taken from them as soon as they had set foot on the deck to be delivered to their room by two young men dressed in red jackets. The three of them now stood safe from the sprinkling rain on a canopied walkway by the railing of the ship. Together they watched as the ship pulled away from port on its way to the open ocean. Other beybladers were also milling around the railing to watch the same thing.
"Ha! Spoil sport! I see how you play."Tes stuck her tongue out in response.
"Ah! Oh, very mature, Tes. It just shows us your true personality." Ty was forced to dodge a wide flung punch. "And you swing like a girl," he taunted.
Lyra was leaning over the rail to watch the undulating water swirl far below. From the back of her awareness she was monitoring her teammates' running gag for signs of entering what she termed 'the red zone' . These two were worse than a six year olds high off sweets. When she decided they had gone far enough, she tapped both on the shoulder to get their attention and gestured for them to follow her lead.
The crowd that had begun to gather parted reluctantly to allow their entertainment to pass. Lyra muttered something along the lines of not being able to take the two of them anyplace without causing a disturbance.
"So, what's our agenda for the day?" asked Tes who was walking to Lyra's left. At this point, Lyra had lead them out from under the canopy and onto the unprotected lower deck near the stern. The wind was noticeably stronger on the exposed deck as it began to play with the kids' hair and tug gently at their clothes.
"That depends," she replied turning her back to the wind. "What do you two want to do first? We have a few hours for ourselves."
"What's this?" Ty asked in mock amazement. "Free choice?"
The rain had eased itself into a slow drizzle. Beybladers wandered around the deck at various levels of excitement. A girl in the nearest group let out a long squeal as two teams were joyfully reunited. "We're a democracy, aren't we?" Lyra asked shooting the pigtailed girl a look of askance. As her head was turned, she thought she heard one of her teammates mutter, 'I'd have said it was a tyranny.'
"Fine, fine," she said as she tied her unruly hair back into a ponytail. "If that's the way you see it, you two will just have to entertain yourselves. I'm leaving to scope out the training room." She paused. "And try not to cause any trouble you can't get out of." Another pause as she looked dubiously at each. "Please?"
Her teammates who were used to this type of request chose to overlook it. "There's a training room on the ship?" Ty asked taken aback.
"Of course there is!" Tes leaned in and said confidingly to Ty, "Gosh, Ty. You can be pretty clueless at times." This time she was the one having to spin away from a quick jab. Her hasty retreat, however, brought her straight into the path of the two reuniting teams.
Sensing imminent trouble on her radar, Lyra bid them a hasty farewell and said, "I'll meet the two of you back here at about lunchtime."
Tes hurriedly apologized to the pig tail girl. "Sorry, sorry!" She rose sprightly to her feet and offered a hand to the girl along with a friendly smile. "It's my first time on a boat," she explained trying to justify herself, "guess I just don't have my sea legs yet."
"Clutz!" the girl said dripping contempt.
"Eh?" Tes asked looking politely confused.
The girl stood without Tes's help and brazenly brushed off imagined dirt before striding away with her nose in the air.
Ty found the pigtailed girl infuriating and sympathized with Tes, but that couldn't keep the grin from his face as he rested a hand on the sputtering Tes's shoulder.
"Slow it down Tes. You just got on the ship and we still have a whole tournament for you to tick people off." Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, he steered her towards a door leading into the ship. "You need to learn how to pace yourself."
"Ho-how dare that she-devil!" she said enraged letting herself be led. "I am so going to get back at her for that."
"Forget her!" Ty said waving his hand airily. "Come on, let's explore some of this ship, map out the kitchens and all the other important areas."
"Fine," she replied still craning her head over her shoulder to watch the pigtail girl. "That girl really needs an attitude adjustment," she muttered to herself.
The door they entered led the two of them into a large, open room. They appeared to have used a side door rather than the main entrance; the room seemed no less impressive however. The floor tiled with a glossy cream colored marble, the gushing fountain surrounded by deeply cushioned furniture, and stylish arches and pillars artfully placed all added to the appearance of elegance.
"I'm sorry, Ty, you were right. This is most defiantly a ship." She gaped at the marble statues and the tapestries adorning the walls. "To think of the hotel we had to spend the night in."
"Why thank you, my lady. I accept your apology most graciously." He bowed and held out his arm for her to take as he had seen gentlemen do in movies. "May I have the honor of escorting my lady on this exploration?"
Smiling devilishly, Tes theatrically placed her hand on his offered arm. "My goodness, you are quite the charmer, are you not, kind sir?"
"I have been told so by many, but none were quite so convincing as your ladyship." He bowed over her hand and brushed a kiss faintly across her fingertips. "Shall we?"
"Certainly, we shall. Lead on fair knight, and this maiden shall follow."
As they walked through a pillared archway, Tes asked pensively, "Do you think we'll run into anyone we know?"
"I'm not sure," replied Ty, "everyone we know probably can't afford the entrance fee. I don't know how we were able to pay it. Lyra told us not to worry about it, that she had it all taken care of."
"Yes, and that, of course, makes us worry."
Alright, so that's a start if I ever saw one. Yes, I know. Not a very good ending place. I'll most likely be back to edit this; I think there's too much dialogue. But I guess the real question is: What did you think of it? Please, if you don't understand anything, please, please tell me. Also, if you can think of a better name for this story, I'd be ever so grateful! Thank you for taking the time to read this! It means a lot to me.