Authors note: Beyblade and the Bladebreakers belong to Takao Aoki

Kohana and Hoshiko and Shinosuke belongs to me.

the plot and idea for this fic belongs to me as well but beyblade does not belong to me.

Please Read and Review

Kohana's days in the hospital came and went, but the tournament inched closer and closer. She looked in the mirror at her freshly cut hair. The back was shorter than the front, almost showing her neck. The front ended near her neck. Kohana studied herself in the bathroom mirror. She felt different on the inside and the outside. It wasn't the hair cut that did it, it was the battle with Kai. She felt stronger. She smiled as she thought it to herself. She was finally ready to confront Shinosuke.

"New haircut can really make a girl feel good" Hoshiko commented from the hallway. Kohana looked at her with a smile. "I like it! It feels so light and cooler then my long hair did." She said as she turned back to the mirror. Hoshiko laughed at Kohana's excitement. "Yeah that's the real reason I cut my hair. It was a real pain." she paused for a second. "So you ready for the tournament?" she asked now being serious.

Kohana walked out of the bathroom and looked at the floor for a while. "I think so" was the best she could think of to say. She honestly wasn't so sure if she was ready. It seemed like time had flown by too quickly.

Hoshiko looked at her then put a hand on her shoulder. "I think you're going to do fine." She said with a smile. Kohana nodded then looked down at her shoes. "It's just that I haven't seen Shinosuke since the day he battled my friends and I came running to you the day after." Kohana's checks were starting to turn red. "It's not the training I'm worried about. It's just I'm not sure if I have even got to his level." She admitted feeling rather stupid as the words slipped out of her mouth.

"I can help you out with that." Kenny's voice echoed through the hallway. Hoshiko and Kohana walked over to Kenny with his laptop. "I found his records with the information that Terrina gave me." He looked over to Kohana. "I have analyzed it against your own profile records, to put it bluntly, I would have to say you're going to be a force to mess with against him." Kenny finished and looked up from his laptop. Kohana nodded with a smile.

"Yeah, and from here on out all of us will help you with your training." Max exclaimed as he walked into the room. He was followed by Tyson and Hilary. Kohana looked at the three other bladebreakers in surpised but then she nodded with a smile.

"Hey guys have you seen Ray?" Hilary suddenly asked.

Hoshiko's eyes narrowed as Hilary spoke. "I am sure he is around here somewhere Hil." She replied to the brown haired girl. Trying to keep her suspensions' out of her voice

Hilary looked at her for a while then she nodded in agreement.

"Yeah he is probably out training or something." Max replied in his upbeat voice.

"He probably went out to get something to eat, Man I'm hungry! Can we go eat now that Kohana's hair is done?" Tyson complained as his stomach growled. This caused everyone to laugh at him. Hilary grabbed him by the arm. She was still smiling from laughing. "Come on then, but lunch in on you." she said as she pulled him to the front door. Max followed them. "Wait what! I never agreed to that!" Tyson exclaimed as he was pulled outside with Hilary and Max. Kenny, Hoshiko, and Kohana laughed as they followed after them.

Hoshiko sighed as she locked the door to her house. She put the key in her pocket as she walked to the others. She had a strong feeling she knew what Ray was and what he was doing.

"Hurry up! Hoshiko I'm staving over here!" Tyson yelled at her as she walked toward them. Hoshiko smiled as she hurried to join them.

Ray Kon looked at the blue haired boy as he stood next to him. "It is safe to say you messed up big time." He remarked without looking at his fellow teammate.

Kai didn't say anything. He just opened his eyes to look at the ground in front of him. Ray glanced over at Kai then smirked. "It's also safe to guess that you got what you needed to see that you were wrong." He said to Kai trying to get some kind of response.

"Ray, are you here to badger me or is there another reason you are here?" Kai asked finally looking over at Ray. He was clearly irked by his talking. Ray smiled again this time his cat-like fangs were showing. "The tournament is coming up in less than a few days now. I just thought you would be interested in that is all" he replied as he turned to face Kai holding his hands up to show he was innocent.

"I'm not interested in some rookie tournament." Kai said to Ray in his usual cold and emotionless tone.

" But you are interested in helping out, that whole battle with Kohana, you just wanted to be sure Hoshiko wasn't spending her time in vain" Ray remarked to Kai still smiling. "Since of course she isn't using it shadowing behind you."

Kai narrowed his eyes. His posture was the same as it always was, his arms crossed over his chest and his long white scarf hanging down behind him. Ray turned away, his back now facing Kai. "I am just saying that, it would not hurt you to go, since I am sure it will get you out of Hoshiko's list." Ray said.

"She told me, to stay away until the tournament was over "Kai said in a whisper not meaning for Ray to hear him. Ray turned around to look at him again. "She didn't mean it Kai, I am sure she will need you to be there." with that, Ray turned away and disappeared into the dark shadows he appeared from. Kai sighed. He was thankful that the conversation was over, but Ray's final words circled around in his head.

Hoshiko and the others sat at the fast food restaurant in town. Tyson was scuffing down his last two hamburgers. The rest of them were finished with their food, Kohana and Kenny were talking about the tournament and her strategies for the battles. Hilary and Max sat in the chairs next to Tyson and watched him eat. Hoshiko sighed to herself. It felt like any other day she had, hanging out with the Bladebreakers. It was nice to have that feeling after weeks of training Kohana. "You didn't even save me any? That wasn't very nice guys" came a voice from behind Hoshiko. She turned around to see Ray who was smiling playfully at them.

"It's your own fault for being late dude!" Tyson exclaimed as he took the last bite of his last hamburger.

"Where have you been?" Hilary asked. She was clearly worried and wanted to know where he had been. Ray looked at her and his smile didn't fade. "Oh nothing much, just doing some training. But I got hungry." He explained as he looked over to Tyson. Hilary and the other bladebreakers seemed happy with his answer. So Hoshiko did say or ask anything that would go against it.

They all finished eating, including Ray and started back towards Tyson's dojo to keep on with Kohana's training before the tournament. Hoshiko was glad that the bladebreakers were helping out. After the lecture she got from them, for not coming to them in the first place, she was glad to let them finish up the last few lessons.

Suddenly Kohana ran into an alleyway and peeked out from behind one of the buildings. Hoshiko and the bladebreakers looked at her in confusion. Then Hoshiko turned to where Kohana was looking, she saw a black haired boy with a bandana around his neck. It didn't take her long to figure out who it was. "So that is Shinosuke?" Hoshiko asked as she turned to Kohana. Kohana nodded and stepped out of the alleyway. "Not like he would remember me." she looked down at her shoes. Her freshly cut hair covered her face.

Tyson put his hand on her shoulder. "Don't you worry, when that tournament comes we will make sure he will never forget you again!" he said with his confident and loud tone. Hoshiko smiled and Kohana nodded at Tyson's statement. She knew Kohana was now in good hands when it came to training.

Ray copied Tyson and put a hand on Hoshiko's shoulder. "Let us take it from here Hoshiko." He said with a smile. Max stood on her adjacent side to Ray. "Yeah just chill and let us do the rest!" he said as he wrapped his left arm around Hoshiko's neck. Hoshiko nodded with a smile. They all laughed as Tyson exclaimed for them to get back to the dojo.

End of Chapter nine. the end is getting closer!