Chapter 3:
Yang: Phoenix, Tiger, and Dragon

If he weren't holding such a delicate, smooth hand and inhaling the sweet flowery scent that danced around in his dreams Ray would thinking that he was, in fact, dreaming instead of sitting in a small wooden boat next to his mother. But there she was, smiling down at him and letting him know that his dream was his reality, making him feel as if he were the luckiest guy in the world. He had his old friends, he had his new friends, and now he had his family. As far as he was concerned his life became perfect at that moment.

"Tyson, get your foot off of my kidney!" Hilary snapped. She shifted her position in the small boat to try and get him to accommodate for the space but it didn't work so well. He innocently looked at her, his mouth wrapped around a steaming meat bun that he had purchased while they were at the airport. She huffed and crossed her arms, glaring at the surface of the river.

"Don't worry about him, he's just excited," Kenny said with a little laugh. "He obviously couldn't wait to try the food."

They are two different ways into the White Tiger Village. One is by foot. It's shorter but there are a lot of hills to go over. The other is by boat on the river. It's longer but it's a journey that is taken in a mostly straight line. The decision to arrive at the village by boat was almost unanimous. Especially from Tyson.

"Kai already makes us run hills, why would I want to have to walk them when I'm on vacation?" He had asked once they were presented with the choices. That made Kai grunt but otherwise he didn't break his stance: eyes closed and arms crossed as usual.

Tyson, Hilary, Kenny, Crystal, Lee, Ray, and Lilly sat in one boat. Sage, Kai, Max, Mariah, Gary, and Kevin were in the other. It wasn't until the city disappeared from view and they were surrounded by nature Did Tyson start to get restless. He rocked the boat from side to side in his boredom, earning a quick shutdown from Lee. The man standing at the end of the boat, pushing it down the river, flashed an appreciative smile in the White Tiger's direction.

The boats glided across the surface of the river, cutting a path into the water. The sound of the water lapping against the side of the boat was soothing. The gentle rocking motion made Ray's eyelids droop as it usually did. That combined with the smell of Lilly's perfume almost sent him to sleep but Mariah's sudden shout kept him from tumbling over the edge into the realm of sleep.

"Okay everyone, we're almost there," Mariah called out. Ray looked around and noticed that they had finally reached the docks. The man dug his stick into the water, easing the boat to a stop. Ray didn't let go of his mother's hand as he waited for his friends to get off the boat before him. He laughed when Hilary brushed past Tyson's outstretched hand, his attempt at making things better between them he guessed. One of his eyebrows lifted when, in contrast, Crystal allowed Lee to help her out of the boat but he didn't say anything, instead shifting his attention over to his mother. He held her hand a little tighter and helped her onto the wooden structure. Mariah jumped onto the dock behind him and addressed the group, "We just have to walk a little bit but it's not strenuous."

"Ugh!" Tyson groaned. "Can't we be there already? I'm starving!"

"Tyson, you're always hungry. And the walk'll be worth it, I promise," Crystal said.

"Alright everyone, let's move out," Sage said while leading the way. Lilly walked by his side, her braid bouncing with each step. The group walked in silence except for the random comments about the flowers by Hilary and Mariah.

Finally the path lined with trees and shrubs opened up and a large wooden wall loomed over them. On either side of the gate stood large tiger statues. Their backs were arched and their mouths were wide open, as if the tigers were in the middle of a silent yowl. Above the wall sat an arching sign with two Chinese flags flowing to and fro in the gentle wind. The painted words in simplified Chinese characters were faded against the bright wood but the written phonetics and the English translation beneath it stood out: 白虎山.Báihǔ shān. White Tiger Hills.

"Finally," Lilly whispered. She slipped her hand into Sage's and squeezed it. "We're home, Sage. We're finally home." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. He smiled at her, revealing his sharpened canines.

Ray approached his parents, a smile slitting his face. "Welcome home," he said and hugged them both.

"S'funny, I don't remember these statues being here the last time I was around," Crystal commented while rubbing her chin. She approached one of the statues and looked at it as if she were in a staring contest with it.

"Elder had then put in place after we returned," Kevin explained. He had a certain sparkle in his eye. "To represent the homecoming of two of our own, Sage and Lilly. Not only that but to also honor those two who have carried the White Tiger name to greater heights, bigger audiences, wielded the bit with fairness and respect, and made us all proud no matter the outcome of a be battle."

No one said a thing for a moment and then Max's eyes widened. If a light bulb had been stationed above his head it would have turned on. "Whoa," he uttered. "Those two statues are for Ray and Crys?" His eyebrows rose and Tyson scoffed.

"I'm the three-time World Champion! Where's my statue?" He demanded, crossing his arms. "I don't even have a bobble-head."

"Yeah, we can't deny those kids the chance to flick your head at their leisure," Kai muttered. Tyson stuck his tongue out at his captain. Kai's mouth lifted in the corner ever so slightly. It was gone as fast as anyone could blink.

Ray's heart pounded against his chest as he approached the tiger statue on the left. He reached out his hand and gently placed it on the nose of the tiger. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, feeling the energy in his pocket get stronger the longer he laid a hand on the statue. Apparently Driger approved of the statue being erected. He opened his eyes and glanced over at Crystal, to see that her hand was on the tiger's nose as well but her attention was on her beyblade that glowed in her palm. She curled her fingers around it and put it back into her pocket.

He looked the statue right in the eyes and swore, for a moment, that the eyes flashed back at him. He blinked in surprise and looked again but nothing changed. It was still a piece of granite. He swallowed the lump in his throat and gave his head a small shake. They were going above and beyond for him. This was his home; of course he would do anything he could to make his friends, his village members, and his family proud. This was all too much.

"Well this isn't a lot of pressure to live up to," Crystal commented dryly. Obviously she felt the same way. That was the most uncomfortable Ray had ever seen her.

"Don't worry. We're proud of you both either way," Mariah told them. She approached Ray and rubbed at his lower back. "We don't want to keep everyone waiting, do we? They're very eager to welcome you back and to welcome our friends in."

"You're right." Ray grasped her hand and brought her knuckles to his mouth. He then dropped his hands and took a deep breath, moving back to join his mother and father. He held out his elbow to Lilly. She chuckled and took his arm. The touch set fire to his skin, but it didn't burn like angry flames looking to destroy him. No, this was a good sort of flame, like the kind that burned deep within his belly.

He led the group towards the large, wooden doors. They opened before he reached them, as if being pulled on their own accord. Standing in front of them was the entire village, large smiles appearing on their faces at the site of their own and their guests. All at once they bowed and said, "Wǒmen báihǔ shān huānyíng ní." We of White Tiger Hills welcome you.

Lilly and Sage placed their hands together and said earnestly, "Xièxiè." Thank you.

The villagers stayed bent at the waist as the group passed them. Max and Tyson looked around in awe as they followed the group to the largest building in the center of the village. It towered above the rest, sitting high on stone risers. They climbed the stairs and entered the building, following the two girls wearing bright cheongsams (mandarin gowns) and who each had their hair up in cloth-covered buns. They stood back and watched as the group passed them, hanging back by the door of the temple. Sitting in a lone chair at the other end of the temple was a small man with long, graying eyebrows who peered at the group through the heavy wrinkles around his eyes. Behind him, on the wall, was a large poster with a Chinese proverb written on it: "Shuí shānchú shān nà rén yī kāishǐ jiù dài zǒu xiǎo shítou". The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.

The man's large, black, mouse-like nose twitched and then he smiled. Lee pressed his palms together and greeted the man with a deep bow. "Grandfather," he addressed the man as soon as he stood. "As you can see we've made it back safely and we are humbled by the welcoming reception."

The Elder smiled. "It's wonderful to have you back," he said. His quiet voice wobbled and shook. "Please, have a seat," he continued, nodding at the rows of pillows that lay on the floor.

"Shoes off," Mariah whispered. The sound of shuffling filled the air as they removed their shoes and settled down on the cushions.

The Elder turned his attention to Mr. and Mrs. Kon who smiled back at him. "Sage…Lilly…it is so good to have you two back in the village," he said.

"It's great to be back," Lilly replied.

"To our home and to our son," Sage added. Ray let a smile shine through. "We hope our transition back will be easy and like we never left."

The Elder nodded and then turned to the White Tiger team. "White Tigers," he boomed. "I hope your journeys have taught you well. Now's the time to put your village first and to work hard. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Elder," they replied at different times, their range of enthusiasm was speckled on different parts of the scale.

"Bladebreakers!" The Elder addressed the team so suddenly that it made Kenny jump and squeak. His face steadily turned red as she tried to shrink in on himself. Goes to show that newfound height does not bring along newfound confidence. "I'd like to extend my hand in welcome to you. Our home is now your home. I hope that you enjoy your stay and welcome you to try out our customs and immerse yourself in our ways. I hope you enjoy your stay here."

"Elder, I would like to take the time to present to you two very special guests," Crystal spoke up as she stood on her cushion. She motioned for both Tyson and Kai to stand. Tyson popped up like a Jack-in-the-Box, waving, whereas Kai took his time. He didn't drop his crossed arms but he did open his eyes and looked at the elderly man. "This is Tyson Granger and Kai Hiwatari. They're the owners of Dragoon and Dranzer, the dragon and phoenix bits."

"Wonderful!" He exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "It is a high honor to have your in our presence, within our village. Come, come." Kai's lip twitched as he regarded the older man. He even glanced at Tyson who looked right back at him, confusion settling into the younger blader's eyes. Uttering a sigh, he took long strides to reach the smaller man and stood in front of the stairs that his chair was settled on. Tyson joined his side in a second. "Please kneel," The Elder ordered. Kai dropped down to one knee and pulled on Tyson's arm to get him to kneel by him.

They watched as the elderly man walked shuffled over to a pot in the corner of the room where sticks poked out of the top. He moved a few of them around before deciding on one. He pulled it out and approached a nearby lit candle, lighting the tip. A few moments later the scent of the candle reached their noses: Himalayan cedar. He approached the two kneeling bladers and waved the stick above their heads, allowing the smoke to settle down on their heads and shoulders as he muttered something in Chinese.

He blew out the tip of the incense and waved his hand through the smoke. Everyone watched quietly as he, then, accepted a box that was presented to him by one of the women standing by and lifted the lid. "Please stand," he addressed Kai and Tyson. The two stood. "Please extend your dominant arm." They both held out their right arms. The Elder took two objects out of the box and handed the box back to the woman. He then held the objects above his head; they were bracelets with tassel at the one. One had a string of white beads with a blue tassel and the other had dark red beads with a light red tassel. "I present to you, Dragon and Phoenix, these prayer beads. May they purify the mind, clear away obstacles, and bring protecting to you and those you cherish."

The Elder placed the beads around Tyson's wrist, placed his palm on Tyson's partially covered forehead, and applied pressure and then backed away. He put the other bracelet on Kai's wrist and reached up to put his hand on Kai's forehead. Kai flinched and ducked his head away from The Elder's outstretched hand.

"Sorry," he grunted, looking down at the floor. The Elder didn't reply. Instead he stretched his hand out again, this time Kai didn't move but he did make a noise when The Elder's hand pressed down on Kai's forehead and he backed away.

He lifted his arms, the long sleeves on his shirt brushed against the armrest of the chair he sat in, and he clapped his hands twice. The sound echoed in the large temple.

With that, they were dismissed.

"Kai, I don't feel like I have to explain this to you, but regardless, I hope you know that you can't take those off now," Ray spoke up. "Well, you can, there's nothing to it that will physically stop you but—"

"Now that you've been blessed by Elder it'd be an insult if you removed them," Kevin jumped in, staring hard at Tyson.

"Why're you looking at me like that?" Tyson demanded, his cheeks flushing in anger. "Why not look at Kai?"

"Because Kai's more conscious of social cues," Max replied. When Tyson turned his glare on Max he shrugged. "Sorry buddy, but it's true. But think of it this way, you must be pretty important around here to get one of those."

"Hey, yeah! I must be important, huh?" A large grin formed on his face and he walked towards the door. "They must know how awesome of a blader I am."

"Oh brother," Hilary and Kenny mumbled in unison.

"Your bags have already been moved to your living quarters," Lilly said once they all stood outside of the temple. The high sun cast beams down on them from between the ends of the slated roof. "We would be happy to escort you."

"After we show them The Tiger," Kevin said excitedly. He bounced on his toes in his excitement and his eyes sparkled.

"The what?" Tyson asked. "Didn't we just see them on the way in? Those two statues in the front that look like they're about to eat people?"

Kevin chuckled and smirked. "You'll have to come and see for yourself, Champ." He didn't wait to see if anyone was going to follow him. He jumped straight up into the air and landed on a towering tree branch. It bowed beneath the sudden weight added on but it held him up.

"And then we can eat?" Gary asked, his hands resting atop of his stomach. A loud, rumbling noise reached everyone's ears. He patted his stomach.

Ray laughed along with his friends. His cheeks began to ache from the force behind his laugh. He sighed and turned back to his parents. "I'm going to go with them," he told them. "We can catch up afterwards. Have lunch together. Is that alright?"

Sage smiled. "That's perfectly alright. There are many things we would like to catch up on ourselves. Go and have fun with your friends."

"Thanks." Ray turned, ran forward, and jumped into the air. He landed on the branch beside Kevin. The younger boy bent his knees to keep from falling off at the sudden weight added onto the branch. Ray rested his palm against the tree trunk and peered off into the distance. The tall, purple mountain peaks in the distance looked hazy against the bright blue sky. He took a deep breath of the cool, clean air and let it out slowly. It's been too long since he was able to sit back and enjoy the sight without having to worry about inevitable doom. It felt great. He turned to his green haired friend. "Race you?"

"Oh, you're on Tiger Boy," Kevin replied, grinning. The two crouched against the branch and then took off, bouncing from tree branch to tree branch, racing towards their destination. The wind whistled in his ears and the ground rushed past him so quickly that it looked like a big, brown blur.

He jumped down from the tall tree, the wind gripped at his clothes, and the ground rushed up to meet him. He landed lightly on his feet and stood, facing the large wall of rock that loomed in front of him. His heart beat against his chest and his breaths came out short but even then he hasn't felt more alive than in that moment, more normal.

"I win," he stated once Kevin jumped down behind him.

Kevin grinned and punched his friend on the arm. "Only because I let you win. The treetops are my home, remember?"

"Yeah, sure," Ray laughed, shaking his head. "You need to live up there a little longer if you ever hope to beat me."

"This is The Tiger," Mariah's voice cut through the otherwise still air. Ray glanced over his shoulder to see his friends approaching. He studied their faces and smiled at the shock and awe that spread across them. He tore his eyes away and looked up at the wall himself.

Carved into a rock wall was a large tiger. The stripes were prominent, much like the claws that extended from the paws of the creature. Beneath its large paws was a ledge where many flowers and papers in frames sat.

"We come here to pray sometimes," Lee explained. "If you touch The Tiger's feet it's really smooth. We like to rub his paws for luck. As you can see people like to leave flowers as a sort of offering. Give flowers and get protection, that sort of thing."

"A rock protects you?" Tyson asked.

"Not so much the rock, it's the idea of the tiger," Crystal spoke up. Everyone turned to look at her. Her eyes were glued to the tiger on the wall. "The tiger is a powerful guardian that protects these lands and everyone in it. It drives evil away and gives us courage. The same courage that burns inside of the majestic creature." She blinked, cleared her throat, and then rubbed her arm as she shuffled her head. "It's the principle, that's all."

"Rumor has it that The Tiger would come to us in the form of its physical counterpart, the White Tiger, every blue moon. It watches over us. If you find the tiger and manage to catch it you get a wish granted," Mariah added.

Tyson's eyes bulged at the notion. "A wish!?" He repeated.

"Oh no," Max groaned. "I can already see the wheels turning in his head."

"Is that what that smell is?" Hilary joked, waving her hand in front of her face. The two cracked up but Tyson ignored them.

"I could be the best blader of all time if I can catch it!" He boasted.

Lee snorted. "Good luck. Even the best of our hunters haven't been able to find the elusive tiger. I doubt someone like you would be able to."

"Yeah? And what's that supposed to mean?" Tyson demanded. "You don't think I can handle it?"

Lee took the time to look Tyson up and down, scrutinizing his friend. He smiled, crossed his arms and said, "Absolutely not. You're not the hunting sort. You wouldn't survive out in these woods. You're too much of a city type."

"Oh yeah? Well—"

"Speaking of city!" Mariah jumped in, trying to diffuse the argument that was about to start. "It's early in the day. Why don't the girls and I prepare you all some lunch and then we can go into the city for the rest of the day and look around?"

"There's just one problem with that," Tyson said. "Hilary can't cook. So, unless you want to poison us all—ouch!" Tyson grabbed his head and rubbed the spot that Hilary had just punched. "What'd you do that for?" He roared at the fuming manager. "I'm just telling the truth!"

"Sometimes it's best to keep quiet!" She grumbled.

"That's okay. This is a recipe that even a beginner chef can't ruin," Mariah continued. She glanced at Hilary and added, "At any rate, she can help peel potatoes and Crys and I can take care of the rest."

Crystal looked up from the ground when her name was mentioned. "Yeah, help, sure. I have to go and do something first so I'll meet you back, okay?" She turned and ran off before anyone could say anything, her hair flying out behind her.

Mariah directed her smile at their guests. "Anyway, there are a lot of good shops to check out and there's a really great park we can sit in and rest and have some tea and relax. It's a great way to unwind after a flight."

"And they have really good food," Gary added.

"Is that all you ever think about, big guy?" Kevin asked, patting his friend on the arm.

Gary responded, "Only when I'm hungry" which made the green haired boy sigh and laugh at the same time.

"Besides, you boys still need to get fitted so it's perfect," Mariah added.

"Fitted?" Max repeated. "Fitted for what?"

Mariah winked playfully and stuck out her tongue. "That's for us to know and for you to find out."

Ray sighed and then inhaled the delicious scent of food cooking as it wafted under his nose. A second later the sound of rustling leafs from above him took him out of his light sleep. He opened his eyes a crack and looked straight up. The dark underside of the leaves above him shook and swayed, making the odd dotted pattern of sunlight that shot through the leaves shift up and across his face. He yawned and his amber eyes were hidden behind his eyelids for a moment as he stretched his arms out. He yanked back his hand when he felt pressure begin to press down on his fingers.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to disturb you, m'boy," Sage spoke from above him. Ray opened his eyes to see his father rocking in a chair, folding a brightly colored piece of paper.

"You didn't, the smell woke me up," Ray replied. "Whatever the girls are cooking smells really good." He flinched at the sharp tug on the back of his head and looked up as best as he could in his mother's lap.

Lilly was shaking her head, gently pulling a comb through his long hair which was spread out across her lap. "Raymond, I can't believe you let your hair get so matted," Lilly said. She made a tsk sound with her tongue and dragged the stone covered comb through again, stopping at one knot.

"My hair's not that much of a priority, Mom," Ray said, chuckling.

"Oh of course. You and that beyblade of yours," Lilly sighed. "I'll have you know, Sage and I were so happy to hear that you got Driger."

"Thanks Mom," Ray said softly. A second later he winced at another sharp tug in his hair.

"We made sure to be around a TV whenever you were battling. We didn't want to miss a minute."

Ray bit his lip. The question that had been locked inside his chest for years had started to worm its way through his body and up his throat until it sat in the back, waiting to launch itself out. Would now be a good time to ask? What if he didn't get an answer, then what? He swallowed. He knew he had to at least try. "What were you doing?" He finally asked.

The creaking of Sage's chair stopped altogether. Lilly paused, holding the comb half in his hair. Ray shifted the placement of his palms on his stomach and swallowed again. Lilly finally replied, "I wish I could tell you but I can't, Ray."

Despite her answer making his heart feel heavy he laughed."Why do you keep saying my name?"

"I couldn't say it for the past thirteen years. I want to say it as much as possible. So if you get tired of it…too bad." She leaned forward and kissed his forehead. He closed his eyes at her touch and etched the moment into his brain. He longed for moments like that for years and he didn't want to forget it. "Tell us about your friends."

Ray thought for a moment and bean to talk about each of them in turn, explaining the good and trying times he had with each of them and how they touched his life in different ways. How Tyson taught him that, sometimes, you had to keep going even when something seemed impossible to do; how Max taught him that, even with constant criticism being aimed at you that it's best to stay true to yourself; how Kai taught him that, no matter how strong they are independently, that they were much stronger together; how Crystal taught him that it was okay to take time and enjoy every experience they went through, good or bad; how Kenny taught him that there was always something new to learn in the world, even when he thought he knew it all; and how Hilary taught him that, even if you were out of your element and taking on something new, it didn't mean you are useless and you could, indeed, bring something new to the situation.

Then he fell silent as he thought about his friends and the experiences he went through with them by his side: almost losing Kai at Lake Baikal, fighting against the Cyber Bitbeasts, taking on Zeo and Cerberus, blading against each other in the tournament, and stopping BEGA from taking over the beyblade sport as a whole. They had always been there for him and now, soon, he would have to leave them behind to start his journey of self-discovery. He hadn't planned on doing it so soon but after seeing the tiger on the wall he knew what he had to do and he knew he had to do it soon.

As if he knew he was being thought about Tyson wandered over to Ray and his parents. Ray lifted his eyebrows as he watched the navy haired blader approach, Max close to his side. They both pressed their lips together even though muffled sounds of laughter came through.

"What're you doing, Ray?" Max asked.

"Getting my hair brushed," Ray replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Well, it was. To him anyway. How else could one describe the sight without saying the obvious? "It's a tradition. After we return we get the knots and kinks brushed and combed out of our hair. In a way it's kind of like making sure we're off the crooked path and we're straight and narrow." At the expression on his friends' faces he added, "It's sort of a metaphor. It's very therapeutic.

"Looks more like grooming at the zoo," Tyson said.

Max slapped him on the arm but Ray laughed good-naturedly. "Kind of the same. What're you up to?"

"Just looking around until lunch is ready," Max replied. He shoved his hands into his pockets and looked around. "I like it out here," he stated. "It's nice. It's quiet. I think I get why you come back. Everyone around here is so nice and welcoming."

"I'm glad to hear that, Max. I like it out here, too."

"Are you boys busy?" Sage spoke up. He folded the paper again and then pulled another section, grinning triumphantly at the crane that he had created. He held it out to Lilly who paused in her brushing and accepted the gift with a smile. She set the crane down and resumed her hair combing. Sage pushed his glasses up his nose and leaned forward so he rested his elbows on his knees. "Lunch is still a ways off, half hour is my guess. While we wait how about I teach you a game?"

"A game?" Tyson repeated. "Does it have anything to do with beyblades?"

Sage placed his hands on his knees and used the leverage to help him stand. "Nope, it's a tile game," he said, descending the short flight of stairs. He placed his hand on Max's and Tyson's shoulders and led them away. "A tile game called Mahjong."

A/N: And here's the next one! My last update for the year. I hope you all had a good 2013 and I hope that 2014 treats you all well. 2013 has treated me well so far and I bet that 2014 will be the same. There's good stuff coming along with this story and I'm thankful for you all being patient. It can only go up and get more intense from here! I think all of the chapters are going to be about this length. That is, I'll try to make them around this length. I have a lot I want to say.

If you have any questions or predictions for the story don't hesitate to say/ask it in a review or a PM! I love talking to you all. Thanks for reading and please review.

~C.M.