eaglenation: The generic bladers were named by a…strange person who I know. Sort of. Yeah, no complains, I wrote this in Tech class. Oh, and all copyright of the name Shelby Flute goes to my brother -_-.
Anika: Beautiful names.
eaglenation: Thank you, I'm glad you like them.
Anika: Oh yeah, cause Clint Barton is totally a blader-
eaglenation: SHUT YER YAP YOU PITIFUL MORTAL!
Anika: Okay, okay. Are you sure you're not related to Ty?
eaglenation: NO! I'd like to shout out to all those who bothered reviewing and/or reading this, you guys are amazing.

"Let's get ready to rrrrrrrrumble!"

Cheers burst out around the stadium, the audiences eyes trailed on the center, where the action will soon happen. Blader DJ stands on a balcony, microphone in hand.

"And our final competitors have qualified! They will face off in these two stadiums until four remain, and then two!" Blader DJ calls. "The twenty competitors are, in order of points: Tsubasa Otori, Silvion Black, Anika Last, Robertus Storm, André Delamour, Maddie Irvine, Mitomosi Dekoshugu, Yu Tendo, Ty Temper, Clint Barton, Antoine LeBeaux, Nicolai Rubenstein, Shelby Flute-" He names all the competitors as they walk out onto the stadium. I follow Tsubasa and Robbie is behind me. I can see nervous written all over his face.

"And finally, the strange and mysterious Secret!" A final, shadowed figure follows us, cloaked in mist. He is wearing a orange and silver half-mask across half his face, so I can barely make out his features. He has golden hair streaked with blue, and a dark black jacket thrown overtop a blue shirt. People turn to stare, as do I. Could this be our legendary blader? Could this be Maddie's attacker? I just hope he's as good a blader as he looks. I look forward to battling him.

"Let the Ontario Grand Beyblade Competition open!" Sparks and streamers fly, cannons boom, and we walk off stage. I'm full of giddy energy and can't wait to get going, and I can see the same written on the faces of my companions.

"Who goes first?" I ask.

"Wait and see." Tsubasa answers. He's staring at the large jumbotron over the stadium apprehensively and excitedly.

"I want to battle Anika!" Robbie exclaims. "I haven't battled you yet."

"Hey, eagle-boy, is your friend here yet?" I ask Tsubasa.

"Who? Yu Tendo? Yes, he is. Didn't you hear his name?"

"Dude, I have the worst memory for names ever." I roll my eyes, then turn to Robbie, who is bouncing on his heels, fingering his beyblade.

"Hey, Robster, you excited?"

"Yeah!" Robbie exclaims. The enthusiasm radiates from him and seems almost infectious. Its slowly contributing to me.

"Now, the pairings for the first round!" Blader DJ yells. All eyes turn to the jumbotron. I hear Maddie whisper something under her breath. Robbie crosses his fingers.

Pictures begin to appear on screen, slamming into place. Robbie and a yellow haired kid, André and some dude with a bow and arrow, I hiss, Tsubasa and Maddie. More pictures. Bang, bang, bang. Then finally, I appear, and I'm surprised to find myself facing a small blue haired girl.

"And now for the stadiums!" Blader DJ calls.

Doors slide open and five stadiums come out across the whole arena. People cheer.

"The battles begin in five minutes! Be ready!"

The screen goes black.

"I'm battling you already?" Maddie asks, surprised, pointing at Tsubasa.

"Wow. That was unexpected." Tsubasa answers. "Anika, you can't watch us then!" He exclaims.

I grin. "I'll finish my battle quick. And anyway, I might not be battling at the same time as you. There's only five stadiums for ten battles." I assure him. "Speaking of battles, we'd better go find out which stadium were battling in." We leave the waiting room and proceed to the sign-up booth, where a sign is posted. We all check our order

"Maddie, you and I are battling first." Tsubasa points to a square. "Stadium one. Come on!" He grabs her hand and pulls her, and I throw him a don't-you-dare-cheat-on-me-you-dirty-man-whore look. He catches my glance and grins, then he's gone.

"I'm battling the Clint Barton dude first." André murmurs.

"I'm facing...some Cindy Herondale." I squint to read the board. "Yep. I'm battling second, so I'll go watch Maddie and Tsubasa's battle.

André nods and leaves. I head to the bleachers, where I join Robbie. "Not battling?" I ask.

He shakes his head. "No. I'm battling some Yu Tendo second."

"Oh!" I exclaim. "You're battling Yu?"

"You know him?" Robbie asks, taking a sip of the slushie he's got in his hand.

"Sort of. Let's watch." We move to the bleachers above stadium one, where Tsubasa and Maddie are in ready positions.

Blader DJ walks back on his balcony. "Everyone here? Hold on to your seats, folks, because the rides beginning!"

"Three!" I begin with the crowd.

"Two!" Robbie joins in.

"One! Let it Rip!"

"And they're off, ladies and gentlemen!" Blader DJ calls. Maddie's Wing Apus and Tsubasa's Earth Eagle circle the stadium, Eagle chasing Apus. Maddie laughs and swings her hand out, shouting "Run Apus run!"

"No you don't!" And in a split second, the beys are clashing in a shower of sparks, metal against metal. I immediately see Tsubasa has the upper hand, though I can't decide who to root for. Maybe they'll tie, I think.

"Apus, let's go!" Apus spind away from Eagle, circling back around.

"Running? Is that your tactic?"

I grin. This is Maddie's favourite battle style. Tire out the opponent, the add the finishing touch with her powerful special move. It's working, as balance-type Eagle's spinning speed drops.

Tsubasa isn't done yet. "Go! Eagle, Smashing Claw!" Suddenly, Eagle catches Apus, landing on top of it like a meteorite. Maddie mutters a curse as Apus is sent flying, teetering on the edge of the stadium. Eagle comes around again, and this time catches Apus, and begins attacking it in a barrage, like it did when I battle Tsubasa.

"Ah!" Maddie exclaims as this time her Apus' spin weakens.

"Go get 'em tiger!" I don't know who I'm cheering to, but this battle is getting exciting. Both Robbie and I are on the edges of our seats. Robbie is slurping his slushie maniacally.

The beys circle and smash into each other again and again, sparks showering everywhere. Pink and purple, they have a majestic air to them as the bird of paradise and the eagle face off. Both beys are weakening and this can't continue much longer.

"I'm getting tired of this!" Maddie calls. "Let's go! Final showdown!"

"I've been waiting for that!" Tsubasa calls. Eagle leaps into the air, glowing purple. It's bald eagle beyspirit appears, and flaps its wings in an ark. I can understand now why they call Tsubasa the Beautiful Eagle. It truly is a sigh to behold.

I know what's coming next. I can feel it.
"Eagle, Shining Tornado Buster!" Eagle begins to dive, as if hunting, a tornado of purple heated energy surrounding it's core. Maddie's eyes widen, and her Apus only manages to spin slightly and begin to glow pink before Eagle send it out of the stadium.

"Dammit!" Maddie, though not overly angry, curses as she runs to pick her pink bey up. Tsubasa catches Eagle with satisfaction and puts it back in the beyholder on his arm, then walks over to Maddie, who is till kneeling, shocked. Tsubasa hold his hand out, and Maddie takes it with a smile.

************************************

That was too easy, I think as I catch Midnight Mare, leaving my opponent to run after her bey, which has flown across the stadium to the far side. Mare isn't even smoking. It hadn't taken any effort at all, just one special move.

"That was no fun." I grumble. I finished my battle quick because I want to go watch Robbie battle Yu in stadium three. I tuck Mare into the dark blue beyholder strapped to my belt and head away, leaving the stadium singed. I wish my battle may have been more remarkable, like Tsubasa and Maddie's.

Green and blue are erupting from stadium three, and I know immediately that something exciting is happening. I run up the bleachers and across to where I can get a better view of the battle.

I was right. The stadium has been turned to sand in an effort to stop Robbie's Grand Delphinus, but it hasn't worked. Another bey, a green one that must belong to Yu, clashes with Robbie's Delphinus over and over, producing more sparks.

"Why didn't my sand attack bust you?" The yellow kid I'd sort-of met over Tsubasa's laptop calls.

Robbie grins. "Delphinus is a dolphin from the sea! And what's on the bottom of the sea?"

"Sea shells?"

I facepalm.

"No, sand!" Robbie giggles. "My turn! Delphinus, Gale Promise! Let's wash that sand away!"

A deadly inferno of water swirls across the stadium, washing across Yu's bey.

"No! Flame Libra!" Yu gasps, then a demonic smile stretches his lips. "He-hey! You're good, I'll give you that! But not as good as my Libra! Go! Inferno Blast!"

With a horrendous screech, a pillar of green light separates the water. At this point, all the attention in the whole competition turns to stadium three. Tsubasa takes a seat beside me swiftly, putting an arms around my shoulder. I have a feeling he's seen this ear-splitting phenomenon before.

In the stadium, Delphinus is being drawn closer and closer to the pillar of flame. I have a feeling it's all over. I'm wrong.

"Blast it away! I was going to save this for the finals, but I can't. Oh well! Delphinus, ultimate Special Move, Final Tempest Maelstrom!"

I can't see anything as I'm hit by a wave of water. The green light disappears, and I close my eyes as I'm soaked to the bone. The spectators around me gasp and shield their faces to no avail. The water reaches us all.