A/N: Usually I don't put author's notes in the beginning of the chapter but this is important. First, hello! I know it's been a while since my last update but now I'm on summer break so they should be coming sooner. Also, this story is coming to a close soon and then I'll start working on the official sequel, Crouching Tiger II. I also have an idea for a third installment that I'm working on at the moment.
Anyway, important note: to keep from Crystal being too much of a Mary-Sue I changed Dricer's name to Dricen, so it's not too close to Driger. Also, I went back to Crouching Tiger and edited it, adding in some scenes, changing the bitbeast name, and making a few explanations more clear so they're not too confusing.
Also, the stats that follow are based on the stats they showed in the show and what I think their stats should be. Some of them should be higher but you can't put half stars in stories. I wish you could, it'd be very helpful.
Anyway, without further ado here's the next chapter! Enjoy!
Chapter 7: Where the Wind Blows
"Put a sock in it, Hilary. It happened, get over it."
"But…doesn't it bother you?"
"No."
"They're leaving you out. You're a part of the team now. If that were me I'd—"
"Yeah, well, I'm not you."
"Crys—"
"Hilary! Let it go!" Crystal finally snapped, throwing her arms into the air. With a sigh she dropped her arms and pinched at the bridge of her nose. She had a stressful start to her day, she didn't need Hilary added atop of it.
Almost as soon as Kai left the café she had apologized to his father and left herself, not wanting to stay in the man's presence any longer and took a long walk before finding herself at the beach. Kai's reaction she expected but not to that magnitude. She was only doing what she felt was right; she thought he should have been more appreciative. She would've liked it if someone tried to get her family back together.
At the end of it all she didn't feel as if she was in the wrong. She just wanted to help him, that's what friends do. But apparently the three years he spent with the other guys on his team wasn't enough to get him to realize that they accepted him long ago.
After walking around aimlessly for a while she went to the beach where she had promised to meet the girls and give Hilary her first beyblading lesson. That is if Crystal didn't kill her first. "I'm over it. Stop holding a grudge, it probably wasn't even personal. Now, are we going to get to business or not?"
"Yes! Yes! I want to learn!" Suddenly Hilary perked up; clasping her hands together in her excitement one foot popped up off the ground. Mariah laughed a little and brushed her hair out of her face, pulling it back to fit into her high ponytail. "Where do we start?"
"Right here." Crystal reached down to their towel and lifted a notebook into the air, giving it a little shake to bring emphasis towards it.
"You…want me to take a test?" Hilary asked.
"No, silly," Mariah giggled as she took the notebook herself. "This is filled with stats, win-loss records, advantage and disadvantage charts, and strategies for each member of the G Revolutions team. Gathered over time from Kenny mainly and the rest from Crys's memory. But it's very accurate and shows the status of each member. Kenny helped us make one as well to record our progress."
"Wow," Hilary said while blinking a few times. "So, essentially, all of this is the key to winning a beybattle?" She questioned as her eyes flickered over to the notebook that Crystal still held in her hand. "All of this data and statistics?"
"And wit, strategy, and power, yes," Mariah said with a nod. "It's not all about data. You can have as much data as you can get and have the perfect beyblade but you'd still lose if you don't have the heart and the drive behind it."
"Exactly," Crystal said with a nod. "The important part of beyblading, contrary to what Tyson says, is not to win…but to have fun, make connections, maybe some friends, and learn," Crystal told Hilary. She shrugged and added, "At least, that's how I see it. It opens many doors for you, if you let it." A soft smile formed on her mouth as she looked down at her beyblade. "That's what I love about it. You can do a lot of things if you're a beyblader: travel, meet new people, learn new things…the world is at your fingertips and you're granted many opportunities." Her fingers tightened on her blade. "But to do that you have to understand that it's about finding yourself as well and accepting yourself.
"A beyblade team is only strong if you are well-rounded. If everyone on one team blades a certain way"—she snapped her fingers—"they'll be taken out like that. The Bladebreakers, or BBA Revolution, G Revolutions or whatever is a good example. They're a team full of different elements of beyblading styles. Tyson focuses on attack, fighting head on while using his instincts. Max uses defense, everyone knows that. Kai is a combination of attack and defense. And Ray is a combination of all three. But here, you'll see that it breaks down even further than that. There's more to one's strengths than attack, defense, and endurance. That is usually applied to the beyblade itself but, as you can see; they each specialize in other categories as well."
Crystal handed Hilary the notebook which she opened eagerly. In Crystal's small and slightly slanted handwriting Hilary noticed that she had written out the blading styles for each member in so much detail that it made her eyes widen:
Beyblader: Tyson Granger
Beyblade Model: HMS (Heavy Metal System)
Beyblade Name: Dragoon MS U.V. (Dragoon Metal Storm Ultimate Version)
*Strength: Attack, Balance
Weakness(es): Defense, Stealth
Bit Beast: Dragoon
Gender: Male
Species: Dragon
Element(s): Wind
Attacks:
- Average Level: Galaxy Storm
- Above Average Level: Galaxy Turbo Twister
- Defense: Twin Tornado
- Strongest Attack: Evolution Storm
Stats:
-Attack: ****
-Defense: **
-Endurance: **
Beyblader: Max Tate
Beyblade Model: HMS (Heavy Metal System)
Beyblade Name: Draciel MS (Draciel Metal Shield)
*Strength: Defense, Endurance, Balance
Weakness(es): Attack, Force
Bit Beast: Draciel
Gender: Male
Species: Black Turtle
Element(s): Water
Attacks:
- Average Level: Gravity Control
- Above Average Level: Ultra Gravity Control
- Defense: Tidal Wave
- Strongest Attack: Aqua Shield
Stats:
-Attack: *
-Defense: ***
-Endurance: * *
Beyblader: Ray Kon
Beyblade Model: HMS (Heavy Metal System)
Beyblade Name: Driger MS (Driger Metal Slash)
*Strength: Speed, Accuracy, Attack
Weakness(es): Stealth
Bit Beast: Driger
Gender: Male
Species: White Tiger
Element(s): Thunder/Lightning
Attacks:
- Average Level: Tiger Claw
- Above Average Level: Gatling Claw
- Defense: Gatling Claw Maximum
- Strongest Attack: Thunder Slash
Stats:
-Attack: ***
-Defense: **
-Endurance: * *
Beyblader: Kai Hiwatari
Beyblade Model: HMS (Heavy Metal System)
Beyblade Name: Dranzer MS (Dranzer Metal Spiral)
*Strength: Force, Strategy, Attack
Weakness(es): Adaptation
Bit Beast: Dranzer
Gender: Male
Species: Phoenix
Element(s): Fire
Attacks:
- Average Level: Flaming Gigs Turbo
- Above Average Level: Blazing Gig Reverse Attack
- Defense: Blazing Gig Tempest
- Strongest Attack: Spiral Fireball
Stats:
-Attack: ***
-Defense: *
-Endurance: ***
Beyblader: Crystal Manning
Beyblade Model: HMS (Heavy Metal System)
Beyblade Name: Dricen MS (Dricen Metal Strike)
*Strength: Evasiveness, Endurance, Attack
Weakness(es): Defense, Stealth
Bit Beast: Dricen
Gender: Male
Species: White Tiger
Element(s): Ice
Attacks:
- Average Level: Mecca Claw/Tiger Claw
- Above Average Level: Icicle Spear
- Defense: Frozen Tundra
- Strongest Attack: Arctic Strike
Stats:
-Attack: ***
-Defense:
-Endurance: ***
*Other strengths:
Balance
Speed
Maneuverability/Evasiveness
Stealth
Adaptation
Strategy
Force
Accuracy
"Wow," Hilary uttered as she continued to turn the page to see the different pages outlining their Win-Loss-Tie records. "This is really specific."
"It's the best way to see how a team stacks up," Mariah explained.
"Now, onto the first part of beyblading—" Crystal said as she turned to a bag that sat on the beach towel.
"I get to launch a beyblade? Oh my gosh, I can't wait! This is going to be so cool! What kind of launcher do I get? I still have my Star Dash launcher and—" Hilary rambled until she stopped from Crystal holding up her hand. "Er…I am going to launch a beyblade, right?"
"You will," Crystal replied. "But first you have to start at the very beginning, and that is understanding the beyblade." She pulled out a small blade and pressed it into Hilary's palm. "That's the finished version. You're going to take it apart to understand all of the parts and then put it back together. And then we'll explain the difference between the materials used for the blade and its parts and why one has more advantage over the other."
At Hilary's groan Mariah laughed. "We all had to go through it and, in the long run, it is very beneficial," she said while rubbing Hilary's arm. "You can't run before you walk."
"That's the most cliché thing I've ever heard," Crystal commented with a small roll of her eyes. "And, actually, you can."
Mariah stuck her tongue out at the dark haired girl, turned her golden eyes back over to Hilary and smiled a wide smile, revealing her canines. "It works in this case, though. And before you know it, with our help and knowledge, you'll be an amateur blader in no time."
.::.
Mariah tried not to make a face as she watched the plastic beyblade fall out of the dish and toppled into the sand once more. She brushed the loose strands of her hot pink hair off of her sweaty neck and then pursed her lips as she tried to think of something to say to Hilary who walked around the dish, a bit dejectedly, to get the beyblade.
The child that stood across from her smiled smugly as he grabbed at his own blade and began tossing it up and down in his palm. The other group of children that stood nearby was whispering to each other as Crystal scribbled something in the notebook and sighed.
"Hil, try and keep your arm straight this time," she suggested.
Mariah let out a breath, thankful that she didn't have to say anything to their hot headed friend and laced her fingers beneath her neck, frowning slightly. She hadn't noticed that it was Hilary's arm that was the problem, if it indeed was the problem. The most obvious thing was that she wasn't as in shape as the rest of them, and being in shape was a large part of being a beyblader so she automatically assumed that was it.
She lightly kicked her foot into the sand, wiggling her toes between the warm grains. She looked up and out into the distance, watching the waves crash onto the sand with a small roar. Everything was peaceful for once and she hoped it would stay that way.
Especially for Ray's sake.
So far the beginning of his birthday week was filled with unknowns wanting to battle, as usual. Why was it so hard for them to be left alone for once? Not that she specifically had a problem with the bladers. Her lip curled slightly and she crossed her arms over her chest, turning her attention back to the dish.
Was it bad that she felt a little jealous over the White Tiger team not being seen as a threat that they were the ones attacked? It was always Tyson and his friends. The White Tigers were strong as well, so what if they didn't place that high up in the past tournament? They were champions in the Asian Tournament…almost. They were champs until Tyson and his group came around, anyway, and that counted for something didn't it? They weren't just kittens lying out in the sun, they were competitors too!
She made a face and shook her head, dislodging the envious thoughts. It was silly to be envious because of that, because of her own fiends. It was crazy and beneath her. Envy was an emotion that was trained to be squashed in the White Tiger Village, there was no room for it there and in her life.
"Okay, try one more time," Crystal said to Hilary.
Hilary nodded and pressed her lips together. Mariah's eyebrows lowered slightly when she noticed that her hand was clasped tight around a necklace that she hadn't noticed before. Hilary had a grip on it so tight it was almost as if she were afraid that, somehow, the latch would come undone.
"And you," Crystal added to the child who was still smiling smugly. "There's no need to act as if you're the best thing in the world, alright? We're all beginners here and there's nothing wrong with starting later on in life just as long as they enjoy the game. If you can't accept that you can go and blade with some others, understand?"
"Yes ma'am," the child muttered.
"Calling me 'ma'am' isn't necessary, just as long as you understand." She waved her hand and marked something else in her notebook. "Okay. Launch on three. Keep your arm straight but relax your shoulders. If you're too tense you won't get the full power that you'll need on your launch. All we're trying to do is get your blade into the dish. Ready?" She glanced back and forth between the child and Hilary. The child nodded and Hilary did as well after swallowing thickly. "Three. Two—"
The other children took over her chanting with zeal, "One! Let it rip!"
The child pulled hard on his ripcord and the beyblade flew off of it, landing in the dish. It wobbled for a few seconds but regained its spin and spun around. Launching her blade at the same time, Hilary pulled hard on the ripcord. Mariah held her breath and watched as the beyblade fell towards the dish. It managed to land on the edge and bounce inside, spinning for a few seconds before falling over.
"I did it!" Hilary cheered while jumping up and down. "I launched a beyblade! I finally did it! Hooray!"
Mariah released her breath and grinned. "Congratulations!" Mariah cheered, while clapping her hands. She laughed when Hilary threw her arms around the pink haired girl's neck and the two started jumping up and down. "You'll be 'blading with the rest of us soon enough."
"Yeah, but for now I just want to do what I came here to do: relax," Hilary said with a small giggle.
"I hear you," Mariah agreed. "Hey Crys, we're going to go sit down," she called over to her friend who was now surrounded by the eagerly chatting children.
"Okay," she called back.
Mariah looped her arm with Hilary's and the two walked over to where their blankets lay on the beach. Hilary placed sunglasses over her eyes and laid down with her arms behind her head, a proud smile still sitting upon her face. After adjusting her bikini top Mariah laid down as well, taking in the sounds of the ocean waves, the chirping birds, and other beach goers.
"So I never got a chance to ask where you got that necklace from," Mariah started. She glanced at Hilary out of the corner of her eye and noticed her friend's cheeks turned red.
"Oh, um, Tyson gave it to me," Hilary started. Mariah sat up at those words and lifted her sunglasses, looking at Hilary in awe. Hilary sat up herself and quickly added, "It's not a big deal. It was just as a thank you for putting up with them, basically. That's all."
"Do you understand that this is Tyson you're talking about?" Mariah demanded. "Tyson doesn't do those kind of things on a normal occasion."
"I know, I know," Hilary said. She began drawing patterns in the sand with her finger. "It was sweet of him. Oddly sweet, but sweet." A small smile formed on her face. "But still, it doesn't mean too much. It's Tyson after all. He was probably prompted by Max and Kenny."
"You hit the nail on the head. It's Tyson," Mariah reiterated. "Prompted or not it was him who gave it to you, right?" She prodded Hilary's arm with her finger, her smile getting bigger by the second. "And he wasn't with the others, right?" She prodded Hilary's arm again. "And I'll be he didn't just throw it at you in some dismissive way, right?" She lightly knocked her shoulder against Hilary's. "And you two have gotten along so much better lately. All signs point to L-O-V-E."
Hilary rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. We've just found common ground and stopped arguing, that's all. It was getting a bit boring. And besides, that was before I understood why they cared about all this beyblading stuff. It's not so silly anymore, now that people tried to take it over and stop them from being able to play," she explained while brushing her hair behind her ears. "Have you had any progression on the Ray front?"
Mariah shook her head and sighed. "And even if I wanted to Lee would find a way to get in the way." She rolled her eyes. "He always somehow finds a way to get in the way whenever Ray tries to talk to me. He doesn't get it."
"Or he does and he's trying to stop a friendship from messing up," Hilary suggested. Mariah gave her a look. "I mean, you all are friends right? Grew up together? You two, Ray, Kevin, and Gary. Imagine what would happen to your group—your team—if you got together and then broke up. You see each other all the time, spend time with the same people. It would be really awkward."
"But it's something I'm willing to risk," Mariah stated with a small sigh, scratching at her head beneath her bangs. "Hilary, honestly, I've never felt for someone as strong as I'm feeling for Ray. Not even my arranged husband-to-be, which is making this whole thing a little harder. I thought it was just a very strong brotherly feeling at first, since he was always around Lee and he was really nice to me. But as we got older I realized that it was different, what I was feeling. I could and still can imagine marrying him and having children and living somewhere together for the rest of our lives. It's…it's just right. But…there are always obstacles and I can't be too open about it because I don't want to scare him away and…" she sighed again, "It's complicated."
"Sounds complicated," Hilary agreed while making a face. "So much so that that hurt my head." She paused and then added quietly, "But what are you going to do about the whole arranged marriage thing? Traditions are important to you."
"As you can see I'm taking baby steps to get away from it a little," Mariah said while motioning to her swim attire. "We're not allowed to wear revealing clothing back in the village so now's a good time to try out something new, right?"
"And it doesn't hurt that you have good assets," Hilary added with a laugh.
Mariah began to laugh herself, but it faded quickly as she thought about Hilary's question and she sighed for the third time that day. Tradition was very important to her. She just couldn't stop cold turkey; it was part of her identity. She drew her knees up to her chest and looped he arms around them, twisting her mouth to the side.
Just then the sky darkened and the wind picked up, tossing sand all over the place and whipped their hair around. The edge of the beach blanket fluttered beneath them as they brought their arms up to shield them from the flying sand. Wind whistled in their ears, accompanied by the screams and the shrieks of the other beach goers.
"Guys, it looks like we have company. As usual." Mariah slowly lowered her arms and squinted as the wind continued to blow around them. She managed to open her eyes further and look around. The sky was covered with fast moving, dark gray clouds. High, rough waves slammed onto the beach and a few loose umbrellas went tumbling across the sand. Mariah lifted her head to see Crystal standing above them and staring hard at something in the distance. Mariah and Hilary turned their heads to see, further down the beach a few figures standing by a bigger object on the ground in the shape of a standard beydish. "And it looks like they belong to us."
"Of course," Hilary sighed, dropping her head. "They can never stay out of trouble."
"Hard to do that when trouble finds them. And in this case it's Tyson they have their sights set on."
.::.
"Come on Dragoon! Finish him off!" Tyson yelled angrily at his white beyblade. With the heavy hit it landed on the other beyblade the wind picked up, pulling at their clothes. Tyson had to keep one hand pressed firmly atop of his head to keep his hat on. Max, Lee, Ray, Kenny, Kevin, and Gary had their arms up to block their faces from the wind and the sand that whipped around them. "Dragoon, come on!"
The other blader laughed. "This is the world champion? This is the guy that everyone is striving to beat? He's more like a weak-ass chump," he taunted, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Who is this wise guy?" Tyson growled through gritted teeth.
"Who are any of these guys?" Kevin asked over the wind.
"Chief, do you have anything?" Max asked over the wail of the wind.
"Dizzi and I haven't got a clue," Kenny yelled. "And her screen has been scratched up from all of the sand that has built up on the camera from its previous use! I think he's working with Thunder and Alicia that we've battled before."
"Hey that Chief guy is pretty smart," the other blader said with a large smirk.
"Tyson, get rid of this guy!" Ray stated.
"Yeah. This sand is getting everywhere and in the wrong places," Lee agreed. "And that smirk is starting to get on my nerves. Wipe it off of his face before I do it for you!"
"Now, now, kiddo, there's nothing wrong with a little confidence in a beybattle," the other blader taunted with a wave of his hand. "Maybe if you grasped that fact that White Tigers would've actually gone far and not be seen as the soft little kitties that you are."
"Little kitties!?" Lee roared over the noise. "I'll show you!"
"No, Lee," Ray said while grabbing onto his best friend's arm. "This is Tyson's fight. Don't get so hot-headed."
"Tear him to pieces, Tyson," Lee growled through clenched teeth.
"Tyson! Guys!"
The group of boys looked up to see the girls running down the beach towards them, their hair whipping around from the strength of the wind that pushed them in the opposite direction. Once they got close enough Lee swung an arm around Mariah's shoulders and pulled her closer to him, shielding the wind with his body.
"What's going on?" She yelled.
"This goon challenged Tyson as soon as we left the gym and went looking for you," Lee replied. "He was just about to wipe the floor with him."
"Oh was that what Tyson was doing?" The other blader laughed. "We'll see about that."
"We will, won't we?" Tyson said with a grin. "Come on Dragoon!"
Just then the wind picked up again, but this time it was stronger than it was before. Lee held onto Mariah tighter to keep her from being pulled out of her grasp from the strong winds. It grabbed onto them, clawing and trying to pry them apart. Tyson had to dig his heels deep into the sand to keep from moving, holding onto his hat tighter.
"What's that?"
"Tyson, look!"
Tyson looked up and let out a loud gasp that was swallowed up by the wind. Out in the distance, above the churning water, a funnel cloud started to drop down from the sky. Tyson rubbed at his eyes. Surely he couldn't be seeing what he thought he was seeing but he was. The only other time he's seen a funnel like that was from his own beyblade, when Dragoon made a tornado of wind that would knock out his opponent.
But never in his life has he seen a real one.
"Dragoon, pull back!" Tyson ordered, his fingers gripping his launcher so tightly that it started to emit a cracking sound. Rage pulsed through his veins but he held out his palm anyway to catch Dragoon. He hated having to give up a beybattle but then again even he knew his life and the life of his friends wasn't worth it.
"Ha, smart move, Tyson," the other blader said as he held out his hand. His blade smacked into his palm. "Looks like the tide's about to come in."
"Tyson!" He lurched forward slightly when he felt something slam into his side and then a grip tighten on his arm. He didn't have to look to know that it was Hilary that had grabbed onto his arm. His eyes shifted from the now-waterspout that was spinning atop of the water to the waves that were crashing on the beach and racing towards them.
"Everybody hold on!" Tyson managed to utter before an exceptionally large wave drowned out his words and slammed into them.
All at once everything was muted and he felt himself spinning around and around. Hilary's grip was ripped off of his arm. The dark depths swallowed him and moved around in a dizzying pace. He didn't know which way was up and which was down. His clothes began to drag him…somewhere. His cheeks puffed up and his stomach began to clench in his attempt to keep his breath.
Finally a small beam of light grabbed his attention and he turned his body around to swim for it. It's either The Light of the sun I'm going for. Either way I see it I'll be safe. Tyson kicked his legs and reached for the little ball of light above him, stretching his arm out.
His clothes still pulled him down.
Almost…there…
His lungs started to burn.
Finally his head broke the surface. He took in a deep breath and let it out, taking in another as he shifted his body position to start to tread water. Once he got his breathing under control he looked around to see where his friends were. Kevin seemed to be sitting atop of Gary's head as they bobbed nearby. Ray and Lee floated with Mariah in between them.
Just then Max's head popped out of the water, his usually big blonde hair was matted down to his head due to the water. Crystal was clinging to his back, her arms wrapped around his shoulders.
"I thought it was weird that cats liked water," Tyson managed to joke, earning a flash of her tongue. A second later his heart jumped as fear settled in and he looked around. "Where's Kenny? And Hilary? Where are they?" He turned this way and that to look out at the vast ocean that surrounded them, but nothing caught his eye.
"Here, hold onto her," Ray said to Lee before taking a deep breath and disappeared underneath the surface.
"I'm…I'm sure they're fine, Tyson," Max said, but Tyson noticed the little shake in the blonde's words. He pressed his lips together and forced himself to take a few deep breaths, trying not to panic but fear ha his heart in a vice grip.
A few moments later Ray's head broke the surface and Kenny popped up next to him, his wet hair hanging in his face. Tyson let out a breath of relief when Hilary came up beside him, coughing. He looped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to his side, her arms immediately encircling his neck.
"Are you alright?" He asked her.
"Uh…I think so," she responded with a small nod.
Tyson nodded in confirmation. "Who are these people?" Tyson asked the question that was on everyone's mind.
Thanks to...
Aldamonburst - Thanks for the welcome! I'm glad to be back. And thanks for the kind words.
ShinningHeart of ThunderClan - Yep, that's exactly her intention. Now the only question is if Kai will actually listen to her and reunite with his father for his own sake.
Rangerapprentice - Hey thanks for the kind words, man! Yeah, Zeo does deserve some attention. I'm trying to do my best to give all of them screen time, when they're important anyway. Gary and Kevin get a bit less because they're not too important yet, but they will be soon. (That and I'm not too sure how to portray them just yet). Now the only question is why he's avoiding his grandfather.
Sammycrusinix - Thanks so much for your kind words. I think I responded to your review before but I want to say, again, that this review made my day and really made me smile. I work hard to make sure the stories are conscience and that I'm piecing together a puzzle in a clear way and I'm glad you find it interesting. I hope your heart doesn't explode anymore!
and all of you silent readers. Thank you all for taking the time to read my story.
