Hymn to the Fallen
Dru: Hi everybody! Wowee… my first fanfiction, it's sort of a songfic – I use the term in the loosest possible way. I have a vague plot currently, not ultimately sure what is gonna happen. If you would kindly review… be nice or 'constructive' (ha-ha)… I'm sensitive. Ray…
Ray: What?
Dru: -grins- Please do the disclaimer for me….
Ray: Oh-Kay… Abendruhe does not own any of Beyblade or its characters or any songs that she uses - Don't sue her.
Dru: -sob- It's true… but I do own Jazmin, Steffi, and Angelica. Oh, and the probably non-existent plot. Muwahaha… OxO
Tyson: -cough- Lazy slave-driver… -cough-
Dru: -glares- I heard that you little brat! Anywho, thank you Ray and on with the story!
Tyson: o.o;;
"Blah" Normal Speech
'Blah' Thoughts
#Blah# Song lyrics
Blah Dream or Flashback
'Blah' Letter/Note/Message
Chapter 1 Numb
The apartment room was in disarray, broken and smashed furniture lay everywhere. Two men were standing over three figures; an enraged man who was stood arguing with them, a woman and a girl clutching her mother's fingers, hiding behind her, who were both standing in the doorway. The mother screamed as a shot rang out through the room. The victim fell to the floor, blood pouring from the head wound. Manic laughter ensued as the two perpetrators grabbed the woman who was then beaten to death; the twelve year old was left to watch in horror as the remaining breath left her mother's lips. As the two men left, one stopped before the girl and gave her a twisted smile, "They had it comin', hun. We couldn't trust 'em, don't ever think you can run away. That there's a good piece of advice for life, too bad Mommy and Daddy didn't follow them." He gave her a cruel wink and left the apartment with the other man, both laughing zealously.
The door was left open and the girl stood there with shining eyes, staring at the two now dead parents, two people she had loved and admired. She picked up the phone with trembling hands, the dialling tone replacing the deafening silence… it took a few moments for her to find her voice, "H-h-hello, Mrs. Thomson… It's Jazmin…" "Hello sweetie, Angelica's on her way back with her father from my sister's, so she isn't in" "P-please will you come over? I-I-I'm so scared..." "Dear, what is it? Has something happened?" "Mom… Dad… they're – dead." She could only put it simply, the phone clicked as Mrs. Thomson hung up and Jazmin sank to the floor, tears staining her pallid face.
Minutes later sirens blared outside, and the trembling girl was scooped up by Mrs. Thomson as police searched the apartment. "It's ok sweetheart, it'll be ok…" "You can stay with Mrs. Thomson until a member of your family come and speak to us." Jazmin hoped no-one would come forward, because Mrs. Thomson was like a second mother to her and had been her own mother's best friend.
But it would be only a few days until the day came for her to be taken away from people who still truly cared for her. The knock at the door came early one morning and Jazmin knew straight away who it was, she and her two best friends Angelica and Steffi had talked about this and were about to smuggle themselves out the back door when Jazmin was called. "No…" she breathed, as her uncle approached her, "No. I won't come with you." She was hugged tightly by her friends who were muttering their apologies. Jazmin banged on the tinted car windows as it pulled out of the drive, screaming for her release back to her home. "But you are going to a new home my niece; I'm taking you to a special place where special children are taught." Her eyes widened at her uncle's remark; she knew the place, a place which chilled her so much she could not breathe. She felt her heart stop cold in her chest as they arrived after hours of travelling, the heavy snowfall nothing in comparison how she felt inwardly. She saw shadows in the windows and felt her every move being watched. "No… No!"
"No!"
"Jazmin? Hey, sweetie wake up."
Her eyes snapped open to see Angelica leaning over her, dressed in her blue uniform. Like her name, she looked like an angel, her pale blonde tresses falling over her shoulders, and her creamy brown eyes analyzing the girl below with concern. Angelica always called her by the pet names her mother had used for her. The only part that didn't match her angelic appearance were the clothes she normally wore when out of her uniform; black with white or bright pink trim, usually lace, frills and ribbons all over the place.
"W-what..?" Jazmin's throat felt hoarse.
"You were yelling again, sweetie. Are you feeling ok?"
Angelica stood up quickly and removed the cool flannel which was upon Jazmin's brow; she had been unaware of it and looked up at her friend with a confused gaze.
"You had a bit of afever this morning when I came to see why you weren't up and getting ready. It's lunch time now so I asked the school if I could come back and check on you."
"Oh…" said Jazmin, "Thanks Angel…"
She sighed and Angelica smiled warmly at her.
"Don't mention it. The fever seems to be going down, so if you drink lots of water and rest you will be able to come to school tomorrow."
Jazmin grinned,
"Yeah, can't wait to get stuck in with that Maths again."
The two girls laughed, it was well known that Jazmin disliked many of her subjects at school. The only lessons she involved herself willingly were Art, Drama, Athletics, and Music. Music and Drama being her best as she always took part in school productions and played the lead guitar in a band.
"Steffi is skipping her guitar lesson to get home earlier." She checked her watch, "Alright, I gotta go now, so you get better while I'm gone." Angelica pushed the strands of black hair from Jazmin's face, her fingers resting on her cheek briefly before leaving the house.
As the door clicked shut Jazmin heaved herself up and out of bed and walked over to the window, she saw Angelica's hair blowing in the wind and thanked whatever gods had blessed her life with such good friends.
The fever was subsiding but she still felt the lingering headache, so she went downstairs to the kitchen and poured herself some orange juice and took out two aspirin tablets. As the tablets took effect Jazmin went back upstairs and changed from the camisole top and shorts she used as pyjamas into ragged jeans, a red slogan t-shirt saying: 'Vacancy: Part-time common sense required, apply upstairs', and battered sneakers. She cleaned her teeth and brushed her long black hair, plaiting it and tying it with a white hair-tie.
"Oh-Kay… time for some fresh air and training."
She grabbed her maroon coloured Beyblade from her desk and walked down the hall to the stairs again. She wondered why her 'team' (her, Angelica, and Steffi) had a house, bought by Steffi's father for them a few months ago ((A/N: He owns part of a large company)), with so many spare rooms. No-one ever used them but they habitually opened the windows to air them out.
She went slowly down the stairs and made her way to the backyard. It was large and spacious with a couple of trees, a shallow pond to one side and small covered area nearby. They had a medium sized Beydish to practice in and around near the back, which Jazmin headed for.
It was a warm summer's day with a light breeze blowing against the plants and making strands of Jazmin's hair fall into her face. But she was too focused to notice as she launched her Beyblade into the Beydish over and over again as she practiced a new technique she had been working on.
She sent her blade to the edge of the Beydish before pulling it back sharply to the centre.
#Tired of being what you want me to be
Feeling so faithless, lost under the surface
Don't know what you're expecting of me
Put under the pressure, of walking on your shoes#
The blade curved around in perfect circles before coming to a sudden halt and then zigzagging around. Jazmin couldn't help feeling she was in that same hall again, being tested for her abilities to the extreme.
#Every step that I take is another mistake to you#
"Black Wing Deception!" cried Jazmin as her blade shot across the Beydish, black smoke trailing behind. She had done as she was informed, she didn't want to draw attention to herself there. She could still feel their gazes upon her, boring in, intent on searching the depths of her soul.
#I've become so numb, I can't feel you there
I've become so tired, so much more aware
I'm becoming this, all I want to do
Is be more like me, and be less like you#
"Black Thorn Attack!" The blade hammered after the invisible foe then fell back sharply, if another blade had been in the Beydish it would have been confronted by Jazmin's blade which was charging at full speed the other way. She had tried as hard as she could to resist the physical torture she was put through almost daily.
#Can't you see that you're smothering me?
Holding too tightly, afraid to lose control
Cuz everything you thought I would be
Is falling apart, right in front of you#
"Black Ice Defence!" As the blade went into the defence manoeuvre small, black crystals were glittering around it in floating rings. But the beatings she received that gave her bruises and broken bones were simply external, they would heal, the real damage was caused inside. Mentally. The suppression was too great for her, but she hid the turmoil that she was in with a mask of blank faces and smiles for her friends.
#Every step that I take is another mistake to you
And every second I waste is more than I can take#
The blade slowed as Jazmin sank to the ground, but continued to spin steadily as she defied the tears that were threatening to spill over her cheeks.
#I've become so numb, I can't feel you there
I've become so tired, so much more aware
I'm becoming this, all I want to do
Is be more like me, and be less like you#
End Chapter 1
Dru: What do you think, huh? Good, bad… stroke of genius or plain stupidity? Review!
Max: Go Dru!
Dru: Awww, thank you Maxie. –hugs-
Tyson: But I wasn't in it!
Ray: None of us were Tyson… She hasn't found the 'opportune moment' as they say.
Tyson: -cries-
Kai: -shrugs- …