Chapter 9:
Yang: Shattered Peace

Water sloshed over the rocks embedded in the edge of the lapping pool beneath the rushing waterfall. Droplets jumped off and landed on the soft dirt at the edge. The warm dirt gobbled up the water, shrinking the wet spot before it had a second to settle in. A few drops landed on the bit chip of Driger but Ray didn't brush them away. His gaze was fixed on his companion of sorts, an unwavering stare that held fast.

He just couldn't understand it. What happened to make Driger so vicious? Why was Dragoon attacking him with such ferocity? The strange part of it all…he wanted to see Dragoon slammed into the ground. He wanted to see the Dragon defeated once and for all, no matter the cost. He hadn't felt a surge of energy, of urgency like that in his life before and to say that it left him unsettled was an understatement. If the girls hadn't come and stopped the battle…he wasn't sure what could have happened. The destroyed beydish was probably a good example.

He rubbed his thumb against the edges of the attack ring and sighed. Winning was one thing but he wouldn't thrash another beyblade for the sake of victory. But still, he couldn't shake the dark hold and the desire of utter annihilation that gripped him. That wasn't what being a beyblader was about. Gaining knowledge, learning new tactics, and getting a better understanding of one 's self was the whole point. And it was fun. Once all that was gone what was left aside from a desire for power? That wasn't how one was supposed to live.

"I know, Driger, that's not me at all," Ray spoke aloud to the faint roaring he heard in the back of his head. "I'm not like that. I just got a little out of control. And who could blame me when it comes to facing Tyson?"

"No one can." Ray's lips pulled back into a smile once he caught sight of his pink-haired teammate. He held her gaze over her shoulder until she sat down next to him, dipping her feet into the cool water. She curled her fingers together and placed them on her lap, smiling up at him. "There's a reason beating Tyson is everyone's goal," she continued. "It gives us something to focus on, something that drives us to get better. No one can be blamed for wanting to get better."

"No, I suppose not." He pushed a sight out of his nose and sat in a comfortable silence. There were many of those when she was around, he noticed. They differed from the sort with Lee. There was just something comforting about the siblings that he couldn't put his finger on but he appreciated. Perhaps it was that they always had his back no matter what or that he knew he could let his guard down and not have it all thrown back in his face. Or that they simply understood him in ways that his other friends didn't quite get.

Mariah tucked a strand of hair beneath her ear and kicked her legs through the water. Her nose wrinkled briefly and she studied the side of his face. "Are you okay?" She finally asked.

"Someone could have gotten hurt because of us."

"Nothing happened, Ray."

"Because you and the others stepped in in time. I don't know how you knew something was wrong but…it all could have turned out differently if you hadn't been there." At the weight of Mariah's hand on his shoulder, he lifted his own and covered hers. He rubbed his thumb against her knuckles and stared at the churning surface of the water. "I know I don't say this often enough, but I appreciate you. All of you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be who I am today. Someone who I hope you all are proud of. No matter what happens or how many steps back I take, that's all I want, for you all to be proud of me."

"Silly!" Mariah leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek. A bright blush arched over the bridge of his nose and settled in his cheeks. "Of course we're proud of you! You're our fearless leader. Even in our toughest times you keep us together and keep us fighting. We couldn't ask for a better captain."

"Thank you for having so much faith."

"I'll always believe in you, Ray. Always. Nothing will ever change that."

Touched, Ray pressed a kiss to her forehead. She snuggled up against his side, resting her head on their hands. His heart should have been soaring but the wings attached to it were heavy. Here was someone he cared a lot about and enjoyed spending time with but he knew, deep down, he could never be with her. They were both arranged to be with someone else and tradition was deep rooted into their very being. It was what made them who they were. He couldn't imagine giving it all up. He'd be giving up himself in the process. And he couldn't help but wonder if Mariah was worth that.

"Are you okay?" he asked, looking out at the rushing waterfall once more.

"I'm home. My friends are here. My family is here. I'm well fed. I have everything I could ask for. What else do I need?" she replied. If the hitch in her voice hadn't appeared he would have believed her. She cleared her throat and tightened her grip on his shoulder. "You know I like you," she stated after a few moments of silence.

"I know," he replied.

"I always have."

He sighed. "I know."

"I care for Ryu very much. But…he's just not you." She licked her lips. "I know you said before that you wanted time to sort things out but I just wanted you to know, you will always be a part of my life no matter what happens. You'll always be my close friend; I can't imagine my life without you in it. You taught me how to beyblade, you taught me that it was okay for girls to beyblade and be good at it. You taught me how to like myself the way I am. You're amazing. And…if I have to let you go, if it will make you happy, I'll do it. That's all I want, for you to be happy whether it's with me or…or with someone else."

"Thank you, Mariah. I appreciate hearing that, more than you'll ever know."

His heart clenched at her words. She was an angel. He didn't deserve to have her for a friend. How was it possible for someone to be as understanding like she was? Growing up in the same village with the same ideals and traditions helped but she easily could have gone against them. Even he had to admit some of their guidelines made him think long and hard about them but, at the end of the day, he wouldn't trade them for anything. It was his life, it was all he knew. It wasn't necessarily wrong…just different.

He had his opportunity to leave and learn more from the world. He got to make new friends and grow stronger with Driger and become a World Champion. He got to break free from the walls of the village and learn more about himself in the process. But while he was doing all that the feeling of being homesick ate him up alive. He was a village boy, a simple boy who was ready to settle down and stay in one place for a while. Though he knew thinking it and doing it were two completely different things. Telling Tyson would be a very delicate situation.

"Ray?"

"Yes?" Ray turned his head to look at Mariah. She lifted hers from his shoulder and held his gaze. He could feel her breath ghosting past his shoulder. He blinked and her face was closer to his than it had been before. He could see every thick eyelash that rimmed her lids, could see the curve in her cheek bones and the natural pout to her lips. Her eyelids fluttered shut and her nose brushed against his. Goosebumps erupted over his arms. He held onto her hand a little tighter, licked his lips, and—

"Ew! Are you guys gonna kiss?"

"Kevin!" Mariah roared. Ray shoved his fingers in his ears, blocking out Mariah's sudden shout. In a second she was on her feet, water splashing against the dirt on the shore as she stomped over to the tree he was sitting in. "What have I told you about spying?"

"I don't know, I wasn't listening," Kevin replied. He dropped out of the tree and stared up at Mariah as she towered over him. "You say a lot of things I don't pay attention to. They're not always important."

"Ha ha." She rolled her eyes. "Stop snooping. It's wrong."

"Blah, blah, blah," Kevin drawled, taping his fingers together to mimic a hand talking. "I wasn't snooping, anyway. The gang and I wanted to go for a swim and I got here before them. I didn't know you were here about to suck face."

Ray couldn't help but chuckle at the way Mariah's face puffed up as she pressed her lips together. She curled her hands into fists at her side and she tried to stutter out an indignant reply. He stood, stretched his arms over his head and then approached his green-haired teammate. "Mariah's right, Kevin. It's not nice to eavesdrop on matters that don't pertain to you," he pointed out.

"Okay, but what if I just so happen to be in the area and I can't turn my ears off?" Kevin asked. "Am I allowed to eavesdrop then? What if I hear something that I need to know? I'd have to listen in on every conversation just in case, wouldn't I?"

"Nice try," Ray replied. He ruffled Kevin's hair. "No more snooping, period. No loopholes, no work-arounds. You wouldn't want anyone to listen in on your conversations, would you?"

"My life's not nearly as interesting as yours, so I don't think so," he replied.

Ray sighed, his eyes rolling up to look at the sky. Kevin took the distraction of their approaching friends as a chance to jump back into the tree. Mariah yelled up at him, shaking her fist and threatening to cause him harm if he tried snooping on her again. Ray ignored it as his friends approached through the parted brush behind them.

"So this is where you ran off to," Max noted, looking around.

"Yeah. I like to come here to think," Ray replied.

"Hey, man, sorry about earlier," Tyson said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't know what came over me and Dragoon. You know I wouldn't purposely try to hurt you."

Ray held up his hand, stopping the rest of Tyson's apology. "Water under the bridge, my friend. Driger and I weren't exactly blading like ourselves either. It was a bit bizarre."

"Try watching form our end," Max spoke up. "The intense focus, the way you were shouting out attacks..." he shivered. "it was like out of a horror movie."

Ray lifted a hand to his chin and rubbed it, his eyebrows furrowing it. "It was a bit odd," he muttered. "I didn't feel like myself while battling. I felt like…almost as if someone else had taken over. Like they wanted to see Tyson and Dragoon destroyed and I couldn't do anything about it."

"Hey, yeah! I felt the same way!" Tyson exclaimed. "Maybe we just got too into it?" Ray dropped his arm. Maybe that wasn't too bad. It had been a while since they both had a proper beybattle. They managed to stop in time, no one got hurt, so maybe they should just forget about it. It was one battle after all.

"Oh we all know that's true, especially for you Tyson," Hilary remarked, lifting her sunglasses off her nose. She ignored Tyson sticking his tongue out at her. "Is the water cold?"

"No, it's perfect. The sun warmed it up," Mariah replied, approaching the group. "Where's my brother?"

"He's checking on the Elder, he says he'll join us later," Crystal relayed.

"I'm sure he's fine," Ray jumped in at the concerned expression on Mariah's face. He placed a hand on her lower back and rubbed circles with his thumb. "He's a tough man, he'll make a full recovery soon enough. He wouldn't want you worrying too much about him. You still have your own duties to perform and life to live."

"Alright, alright," Tyson said, waving his hands. "Last one to jump off the rock is a scaredy cat!" He tore off his shirt, pants and shoes and hat. Once he was stripped down to his swim trucks he took off towards the path that led up to the rock. Max was hot on his heels.

"You're not going in, Chief?" Ray asked, approaching his computer toting teammate. Kenny had set Dizzi up beneath the shade of a tall tree. The girls moved to the edge of the pool beneath the waterfall and spread towels out on a large rock. Gary happily sat nearby, eating a riceball. Kai, the ever elusive captain, was nowhere to be found but Ray wasn't worried about him. He always popped up whenever the team needed him.

"Not yet. While I would like to research some of the flora that grows around here, there were some recordings from your battle that I want to take a look at," Kenny replied, opening the laptop.

Ray's eyebrows furrowed as he sat down. "Did you find anything out of the ordinary?" He asked, looking over Kenny's shoulder as he brought up the recordings.

"Not really. Your power has increased from the last time you battled. You and Tyson both which goes to show that you have a better grasp on the Heavy Metal System than you did a few months ago," Kenny said. He clicked a few times and brought up the report on Ray's beyblade statistics to show him. "This new system is really bringing out your untapped potential. Just think, it could be the basis of new beyblades everywhere! Becoming a champion won't just be a pipedream from beginners! We could change the face of the sport as we know it!"

"C'mon Chief, all of this is due to you. You can take more credit," Ray said, nudging him on the shoulder.

Beneath his long bangs Kenny's face burned red. "T-thanks, Ray," he stammered, "but you guys are the ones showing it off and showing what they can do. It's more due to your skills than mine."

"Take credit where credit is due. And you deserve a lot of it. We wouldn't be where we are without your help and dedication."

Kenny stuttered another 'thanks' and adjusted the glasses that sat atop of his head. In the distance Tyson let out a war cry as he fell from the height of the rock. He landed in the water with a splash as Kenny cleared his throat and minimized the window to bring up the recording of the battle instead. Ray watched as Driger and Dragoon spun around the dish, hitting each other here and there, jumping out of the way to dodge attacks.

Driger and Dragoon going against one another was always a fight that Ray liked to see. With brute force attacks being Tyson's advantage and quick hard-hits being Ray's, it was almost like watching the old Dragon vs Tiger stories he heard about as a kid unfolding before his very eyes. It excited him and pushed him to fight even harder to see who could come out on top. The dragon and the tiger always came out in a draw in his childhood stories and, for once, he wanted to see that end and take back the power and control that he craved.

"Wait, what was that?" Kevin asked from above them.

"What was what?" Ray looked up to see Kevin leaning over the branch he was sitting on, peering at the screen.

"I thought I saw something," Kevin replied. "Rewind it. No, not that far! Okay, that's good. Now watch. I thought I saw something in the corner."

Ray and Kenny leaned forward, peering at the screen. Ray's eyes followed the two beyblades as they clashed against one another. Sparks flew as they connected against one another. Dargoon pushed hard, bringing Driger close to the edge of the dish and Driger pushed back. Ray's eyes narrowed. There was nothing out of the ordinary as far as he could see.

"There!" Kevin exclaimed, pointing. "There!"

"What? I don't see anything." Kenny squinted and leaned even closer to the screen. At least Ray thought he squinted. It was hard to tell with his hair in his face.

"Right there! C'mon guys, I can't be the only one who sees it. Right ther—uah! Aaaah!"

"Look out!" Ray's shout was pierced by the loud crack of the branch above them. He grabbed Kenny and dove the two out of the way. The branch came crashing down on the ground, right where they just sat. The smaller, much thinner branches on the end of the one that fell had bent and those that had broken off completely scattered against the ground. "Kevin!" Ray cried out, sitting up.

"I'm okay," he groaned from Gary's head. "Didn't know this big guy could move so fast."

"You should be more careful next time," Gary admonished, setting the smaller boy down on the ground. "You're not a bird."

"I don't get it, the branch was sturdy," Kevin muttered, looking up at the height from which he fell. He rubbed the back of his neck. "At least…at least I thought it was sturdy."

"Either way, you should check better next time," Ray told him. "Wouldn't want you to break your neck."

"Ah, a fall like that wouldn't be enough to kill me," Kevin said, waving Ray's words away. "Tyson's farts on the other hand…"

Ray turned away from him and went to check on Kenny. "Are you okay, dude?" He grabbed onto Kenny's elbow and helped pull him up. "Sorry if I hurt you. I needed to get you out of the way."

"Y-you saved my life!" Kenny said, shaking his head. "Thanks, Ray! Thanks a lot!"

"Is Dizzi okay?"

Kenny lifted the lid on his computer. Ray could see right away that the screen was in good condition. A little bit of dirt sat on the keys but that could be cleared. Kenny clicked around on a couple of programs to make sure they ran and then checked the footage that they had been looking at.

"Everything seems to be in order," Kenny replied. "I'll run diagnostics later just to be sure. What was it that Kevin wanted us to see?"

Ray shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe the sun made him see a glare or a spot that he could only see from up there."

"Maybe." Closing the laptop again, he tucked it under his arm and approached the branch on the ground. "Hmm, no dry rot. The tree was healthy, I don't understand—"

"Hey kid, what are you doing?" Max's call made Ray wheel around. A shiver of dread rolled down his spine. Max and Tyson were floating in the pool down at the bottom but their heads were tilted backwards. Ray mimicked their gesture and his eyes widened at the sight.

A little boy was walking the length of the top of the rock Max and Tyson had jumped off of. His walk was straight and sure, each step the same length as the last one. He moved as if he was on a mission. But something about his gait was off. His posture was too rigid. His arms didn't move in a natural position, they swayed from side to side like a marionette dangling on strings.

"Tao!" Crystal gasped, sitting up on the rock with a jolt. "Tao! Get off that rock!" Her screams at the child didn't stop him from still walking towards the lip of the cliff.

"Why isn't he stopping?" Hilary asked.

"He's gonna fall! Tao! Somebody stop him!"

The absolute desperation in Crystal's screams kick started Ray's legs. He ran full speed at the pool as Max and Tyson swam for the shore. He yanked his shirt over his head and managed to kick off his shoes in his sprint to the water. He bounced took one bounding leap off a rock lining the pool's edge and jumped into the water.

All noise in his ears muffled as soon as the water enveloped his head. He easily sunk down to the bottom of the pool and pushed off with one foot to propel himself forward. He broke the surface of the water, using his hand to push his wet bangs out of his face. The water in his ears slid out with a pop and his friends' screams hit him all at once.

"He's gonna fall!"

"Hey kid, stop!"

"He's going to hit the rocks!"

"Don't jump!"

"Ray, get him!"

Ray looked up in time to see Tao's small body tumble over the edge of the cliff and drop straight down. He let out a brief sigh of relief to see the plummeting boy miss the rock that stuck out of the waterfall but he knew Tao wasn't in the clear. Once he hit the base of the waterfall he would be tumbling around due to the current. Even he sometimes had trouble get out of it when it was running particularly strong.

Sucking in a large breath, Ray ducked beneath the water and kicked hard to get to the boy. He could see Tao sink beneath the surface, bubbles floating upwards as he sunk. Then he started tumbling and turning as if caught in a spin cycle. Ray pushed up to the surface once more to grab a breath of air and dove back down again.

The water current pulled at his trousers, tugging him this way and that but he kicked hard. His muscles started to hurt but he didn't let it stop him. He kicked harder, using the aid of his arms to propel him through the water. Finally he reached Tao. His cheeks puffed up as he struggled to hold onto his breath and his arms and legs thrashed through the water. His eyes were wide and darted around in an attempt to find a way out.

Tao's eyes turned to Ray as he approached a brief look of hope passed through them until his eyelids began to lower and his movements slowed. With one more strong kick, Ray was at his side. He wrapped his arm around Tao's waist and powered against the current. His chest started to burn but still he held his breath. Shafts of sunlight broke the top of the water and he swum for the beacons of light. Tao's limp limbs dragged in the water behind him and slowed him down but he kept going.

His stomach clenched tighter and tighter. Pressure built up in his chest. It rose up his neck and settled in the bottom half of his face. His lungs were on fire. A steam of bubbles shot out of his mouth. He squeezed his eyes shut and—

"There they are!"

"Ray got him!"

Ray yanked Tao's head above the surface as he turned to float on his back, gasping for air. Max and Tyson waded into the water. Once they reached Ray they helped him and Tao to their feet, walking them back over to the shallow end. Mariah raced to Ray with a towel as Crystal grabbed Tao and scooped him up into her arms.

"Tao, what were you thinking!?" she cried out, brushing his hair out of his face as he settled against her hip. "You know you're not allowed near the cliffs!"

"Way to go, dude," Tyson said with a grin, patting Ray on the back.

"You're all kinds of a hero today," Max added as Ray rubbed the towel against his face. His chest still heaved as he tried to get his breath back. He brought his rattail over his shoulder and squeezed the water out of it starting from the top to the bottom. Ray held up his hand as he listened in on Tao's explanation to Crystal as she rubbed a towel over his head. He was now sitting on one of the rocks and Hilary rubbed circles on his back.

"—I tried to stop, I really did," Tao said, his voice muffled due to the heavy fabric. "I…I couldn't control myself. It was like I was trapped in my body. I was playing the other kids and then I started walking here. I couldn't stop, really I couldn't. Don't be mad."

"I'm not mad," Crystal replied, "I'm relieved." Tao threw his arms around her neck and she hugged him tight. "You're okay, that's all that matters now."

Ray looked at Tyson over Mariah's head as she hugged him. He was sure that he held the same expression on his face as the dragon blader had on his. Tyson's eyebrows were furrowed and his mouth was pulled down in a frown. Surely he had heard what Tao had said about being controlled. That was the same how they had felt during their battle. Ray tightened his grip on Mariah.

Something weird was definitely going on.

"We heard you were quite the hero today," Sage remarked, his eyes twinkling beneath his glasses. He reached out and ruffled Ray's hair. "That's my boy!" He swung his arm around Ray's shoulders and hugged him to his side. "Only back for a few days and you're already making this old man proud!"

"Dad," Ray mumbled, his words muffled by his father's shirt.

"Sage is right. You've become quite the young man," Lily gushed, clasping her hands together. She brought a finger up to her eye to brush away the tear that had gathered on the bottom lid.

The setting in the sun in the distance painted the sky a steady shifting bright orange and purple. Word of Ray's heroism spread throughout the village and while he responded to the pats on the back and the praise in kind he needed time away from it. He suggested taking a walk with his parents; he wanted to spend as much time with them as possible now that they were back and he liked the comfortable space he found himself in when around them. There was no pressure with them and he knew that they would see through his reputation and just see him.

"It was the right thing to do, that's all," Ray said with a shrug of his shoulders. "But what concerned me was that little Tao said that he couldn't control himself. He felt as if someone had taken over and walked him to the edge of that cliff. He couldn't stop it."

"How peculiar." Sage rubbed his chin. "Sleepwalking, perhaps? You know what they say about them, you shouldn't wake them up."

"But surely someone sleepwalking would wake up before being put in danger," Lily said. "And Ray did say that little Tao stated that he couldn't control himself."

"That's the weird part. I felt it, too." Ray kicked at the ground, brushing away some of the dirt on the path. "When I was battling Tyson. He said the same thing happened to him. One minute I was battling and the next…I felt as if I were trapped in my body. That…that something dark had taken over and wanted to just-just thrash Dragoon and come out as the victor, no matter the stakes and…what? What's wrong?"

Sage and Lily wore identical concerned looks on their faces. Lily's hands then flew up to cover her mouth and Sage's jaw set, the muscle in it jumping the harder he clenched. "Come. Quickly," Sage ordered, deviating from the path they had been walking on to rush through the brush that lined it. Lily grasped his hand and followed her husband close behind. Ray followed a few paces behind them, his heart jumping into his throat.

The bushes and shrubs snagged and pulled on his clothes but he powered through, making sure to keep his mother and father in sight. He rounded a tree and nearly crashed into Sage in his hate. He dug his heels into the ground to skid to a stop, dodging out of the way. Once he regained his balance he looked up to see his parents' gaze were transfixed on something.

"I knew it," Sage muttered.

"Qīn'ài de lǎohǔ, qǐng bǎozhèng wǒmen de ānquán," Lily whispered, a hand covering her mouth. Ray's eyes slowly shifted over to what they were looking at. His body jolted and he took a step back.

"No," he whispered.

Ahead of them, the small constructed shrine for the White Tiger lay in ruins. Candles were knocked over, incense sticks lay strewn about the ground, miniature glass tiger sculptures were shattered, tea cup fragments were strewn about, and the food offerings were smashed and caked in dirt.

"The evil spirits have been released," Sage whispered. "Our protection has been destroyed."

a/n - I hope the wait was worth it with this chapter! Things are going to pick up from here, I can't wait for you all to see what I have in store for this story. I was partially inspired by Spirited Away for the major plot, it's such a fantastic movie. I can never get tired of watching it. The Chinese that Lily spoke roughly translates to "Dear Tiger, please save us all". At least I hope it does, I know Google Translate isn't entirely reliable. If anyone knows a better translating site please let me know.

What did you think of Ray's internal struggled over his tradition? He really cares for Mariah, do you think that he'd let tradition get in the way of his potential true love? Especially when both Ray's and Mariah's arranged wife/husband come into play? (Oh yes, they are coming! Things will be shaken up soon!) THanks for everyone for being patient with me. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks to those have have fav'd and alerted as well. I really appreciate the support.

Please read and review!

~C.M.