IT LIVES!! Bwahahaha! ¬ ¬
Yes, I know. It's been a long long long time, but you must be used to that by now ne? DMA still lives, it grows slowly but it lives. So if you're still with us and you haven't completely given up on this fic stick around cause the next chapter will be out…eventually XDD.
Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed last time and again I'm so sorry this has taken so long but I've done my best and here it is so please enjoy!
Promise Me.
Kaoru was not on the balcony, which was an immediate set back to the plan. Well, plan A, anyway.
It had been a bit wishful though. Kai sighed, and then leaned back against his own balcony to work out the kinks in plan B. Plan A had comprised basically of Kaoru having sought fresh air and ventured out to her balcony - conveniently beside his own - and a brief apology across the airspace, significantly romantic enough (he'd thought Romeo and Juliet) for her to over look the need for any further argument on the previously discussed matter and…well it had been very wishful.
Plan B was a good deal more realistic, and as such quite a bit more difficult. It involved jumping over to her balcony, entering her room by force and apologising loudly and firmly while asserting that he did not plan to change his mind about her participation in the upcoming match but that he didn't like her being angry at him and could she please go back to liking him. And then if that failed reminding her of her promise the day previous to forgive him if he ever hurt her and her promise never to lie and then, basically, heaping on the guilt.
Plan C meant seeking Tyson's help and it was not a plan that Kai was going to consider if it were at all possible for plan B to succeed. And he fully intended to make it.
Only he hadn't quite realised the distance between his and Kaoru's balconies was so great. Nor had he counted on her balcony door being close and presumably locked. Thusly - 'kinks'.
"Kai?" The voice was worried and amused and Kai opened his eyes to find Ray staring at him with a mixture those same emotions.
"What?"
The black haired boy came to stand beside Kai on the balcony. "Worried." He admitted, "You've never really felt the need to say sorry before as far as I know, and yet all of a sudden-" he made a gesture with his hand toward Kaoru's room.
Kai grunted.
"Different?" asked the other and Kai looked at him in surprise. Then slowly he nodded.
"Yes. It's different."
Ray chuckled. "Thought so." And he smiled, "I get the feeling that she's not terribly inclined to admit her wrongs either, but that she too would apologise…if it were to you."
Kai looked at him for a long moment and then nodded again.
"I can't say I get it entirely…respect maybe?" Ray shrugged and smiled at his friend. Kai smiled a little back.
"Something like that." He affirmed.
"Then you'll apologise to her?" He asked.
"Yes. As soon as I work out how to get across to her balcony."
"Ah." The black haired boy saw the problem at once and nodded knowingly then disappeared.
Kai gave a low growl, hating to be left out of the loop.
Ray appeared again almost at once carrying with him what looked like a draw, only about twice as big as Kai's own and twice as deep.
"From Kenny's room!" Ray said with a grin, "Huge huh? He was saying he wanted to get some just as big for his workroom back in Japan." He stood the colossal thing up against the doorway and drew in a great breath. "Heavy but."
Kai gave the thing a horrified look, "You want me to climb across that?"
"Better ideas?"
Kai had none and so they set the draw, base side up between the two balconies. The wood was sturdy and the draw was more than long enough to balance safely but it still looked a little scary there, suspended above such a great fall.
Both boys were silent with thought for a long moment before Kai insisted they get along with it. But the draw towered too high above Kai for him to jump up onto it safely and so he had to degrade himself further by accepting a leg lift from Ray.
The result was a wavering, unsteady, and none to graceful crawl across the great expanse of draw. Kai felt silly and awkward and he knew Ray was looking at him with a smirk that barley concealed laughter. But then he was there and he managed by some miracle to retain a little grace as he jumped down and landed lightly on his feet.
Then Kai stood for a moment. He knew it was the right thing to do, but Ray was right. Apologising and admitting his wrongs was something Kai despised doing, no matter who it concerned. He looked back at Ray.
"Going?"
"Yep."
"I'm not keeping you Kai."
"What if her doors locked?" He was buying for time and he was angry at himself for it, but the thought of facing Kaoru's wrath kept him steadfast on the tile he had landed.
"What if it's not?"
The logic was annoying. Kai looked at his friend, and Ray stared back unflinchingly. "Go back to the lounge and get them some desert then." Kai sighed finally and Ray smiled.
"Aye Aye Capitan!" And he left at once.
Together with Ray Kai had put up a front of confidence and sureness, alone he felt silly and awkward and not just a little bit anxious.
What if Kaoru was really really angry? She could scream and yell at him and stamp out of her bedroom and he would look like the biggest fool. Or what if she had been really hurt and was crying? He wouldn't know how to handle that at all. Not if it was because of what he'd said. Or maybe she'd act like nothing had happened, just like Tala always had, the indifference that was so many times worst than the anger and the tears.
He groaned and it was at than moment, slouched and frustrated at himself, that he noticed that the catch in her door was very much open.
There was a moment of stillness and decision then he crossed the remaining three steps to her door and slid it open confidently.
Kaoru was neither angry nor crying as far as he could tell. She was lying on her bed facing upwards and staring rather intently at the ceiling. It was hot that evening so she'd put on a light nightgown instead of her normal Pj's. This one was a pretty clear blue, the sort of colour that lightning is and it settled gently on her skin, reflecting the light softly off its loose ruffles. Her hair was up and lay beneath and behind her. She turned slowly to look at him.
"Hi." He tried, and then wanted to smack himself.
"Hi." She returned and he blinked.
"Can I come in?" it was the next logical step after all.
She raised an eyebrow and it took a moment for him to realise that her eyes were on his feet where they already stood very much inside.
"Oh."
"You can come in." She assured him, so he took another step and then looked back at her.
Her eyes were calm blue and he was suddenly horrified that he'd been right and she really was going to pretend as if nothing had happened.
"So did you want something?" she asked coolly, and he was relieved to hear the slight edge in her voice that told him she was actually still very pissed.
"I wanted to apologise."
She seemed surprised at first, eyes wide and blinking. Then she composed herself and sat up and nodded.
"You said, 'If you hurt me I'll get angry and cry and make you feel really guilty until you apologise.' So I'm apologising. Will you stop being angry now?"
She thought about it, and finally said "On one condition."
"I thought the condition was our friendship." He replied smoothly.
She cracked a smile at that. "It was." She said, "But a friend would let a friend battle if they really wanted to and if they could promise to win and I can. Since you can't do that I've temporarily demoted you."
"If your condition is you being allowed to blade I won't do it." He said defiantly.
"It's not that." She assured him to his surprise.
"And if I do it then I'll be reinstated as 'friend'?"
She nodded. "That's how it works."
He gave her a cautious look but nodded all the same. "What's the condition then?"
"Tell me why you won't let me blade. Truthfully this time. None of this 'you're not good enough' bull."
He stood still for a minute weighing the possibilities. "What if that was the truth? What if I don't think your good enough?"
"You know I'm good enough and I know you do, I won't take that as an answer. Try again."
He frowned a little. "What if I was just very stupid?" She smiled again.
What was the real reason he'd forbidden her from blading? Even he wasn't sure. It had been this feeling - unshakable. But why the feeling?
He'd thought of her blading and losing and then the BladeBreakers losing the championship and her blaming herself and leaving and he found he couldn't stomach it. It would mean he was the reason she left. And then he'd thought of Tyson who had only just been reunited with his best friend. Tyson, who Kai had been getting on a little better with and who was blading better than ever because, as far as Kai could tell, he was happier. And Hilary who had learned to blade from Kaoru and Tyson and who clearly was benefiting from the other girls presence and he'd wondered what she'd do if Kaoru left, as Kai felt sure she would if she felt she'd lost the finals for them.
And then a worse thought had occurred. What if she was injured in the match? Blading was dangerous, as he well knew. His mind had brought back images of his many battles with Tyson, Tala, all the biovolt battles and so many more that had left him so much the worse for ware. And it would be his fault for putting her up there. Only his fault.
But he'd put her up to blade before, he told himself, why should it be different? It was because he was her friend and that meant certain protectiveness. More than that it meant a promise. 'I'll never let anyone hurt you.' The words he had said and meant fully and refused to break. What if he put her up there to blade, and what if, because of his decision, she was hurt, or badly injured. No. He couldn't do it. He'd known how much she wanted to battle but he found that no matter how much he told himself that he just couldn't put her in harms way.
It was like Tala. She was like Tala. Wanting foolishly to follow him into danger when she could so easily just sit and wait. Just like the boy had followed him to biovolt and had been so badly hurt. Kai couldn't bear to do that to another person. He was so horribly afraid.
"I…am worried." He admitted quietly. "If you get hurt it'll be my fault and I'll have broken my promise."
She was puzzled. "What promise?"
"I said I'd never let anyone hurt you."
"Why do you think I'll be hurt?" Now she was truly concerned, not for herself, but for him. Why would he be so worried about a beybattle? She had bladed for the team many times before.
"A finals match is different," he read her mind, "it's all or nothing and it's very dangerous."
She gave him a hard look, a sort of half glare. "I'm no wimp Kai, and I'm not a baby, I can handle myself."
"It's not about being brave, it's about being smart and…and being careful and not doing something stupid."
She grinned, "Confusing me with Tyson?"
He smiled too, "No. But I'm serious Kaoru, these kind of matches are hard. People do anything. I've never some unscathed out of a finals battle."
She sighed and looked away because he'd obviously gotten this notion of danger well established by then. After a moment she looked back at him seriously. "I know it's dangerous, and I know you don't want anyone to hurt me, I understand. I really do Kai, believe me. But it's because we're friends isn't it? You're letting the others blade just like normal."
He looked away, embarrassed, but nodded.
"Then please. Because we're friends do me a favour, and say I can blade." He opened his mouth to complain but she beat him to it, "I know it's scary, I get terrified every time Tyson comes home twenty minutes after he says he will, but you've got to realise Kai, you must, that someday someone will hurt me, somehow."
He looked at her and knew she was right.
"I'd really liked to battle Renna," she admitted to his horror, "but that's a bit much to ask isn't it?" She smiled as he nodded furiously, "So I'll only ask to battle Mariah. I know I can win Kai."
He was silent and unsure. It felt like he was being wedged between two slabs of very hard, very thick rock. One meant Kaoru's safety, but her unhappiness, and the other meant danger, but smiles. It was one of those situations where the pros and cons were balanced perfectly and the only solution was to jump haphazardly at one or the other and hope you'd done the right thing. "You know you'll win?"
"I promise."
He bit his lip, but nodded. And then he walked quickly to her door, which had indeed been locked, unlocked it and then opened it. The others where still sitting around the table, now eating desert. They looked up at him at once, only mildly surprised that he'd come from Kaoru's room.
"Hilary, can you promise you'll beat Mariah?"
The girl was quite, and then she shook her head. He nodded again. "Well then-"
Kaoru came sliding out of her bedroom, socks slipping on floorboards and she spun round the corner to face him. "I can blade?!" She was grinning.
"Promise me you'll win."
"I promise!" She exclaimed at once, smile still threatening to split the sides of her face.
Then he said in a much quieter voice, "Promise me you won't get hurt."
Her smile softened. "I promise."
"Fine then." He spat, suddenly angry for having been so undermined and pretty much conned into the decision. But then she was around his neck with another massive smile pressed into his cheek and the anger fizzled up and dried.
A second passed. A second of a warm soft body, a smile pressed against him, a wisp of black hair tickling his nose, a finger brushing accidentally upon an area of exposed flesh. Then she was gone, warmth, smile, touch.
The bounced over to the table making happy noises about how good desert looked and how hungry she still was, but Kai saw nothing of it. He stood outside her door still, fighting with himself to not call her back into another hug immediately.
Kaoru lay awake for a long time and talked to Aura in her mind. Even though she was very sure of herself and her ability to win against Mariah, Kaoru had never been quite so nervous before a battle.
The angle had adopted her true form, as she normally did within the sanctuary of Kaoru's head, and sat in a corner of it quietly listening.
"I think we should put on a bit of a show Aura. They've never really seen what we can do, I mean they have, but not our best moves. I don't think we'll really need them against Mariah, but I'd like them to see that they can depend on us. Wouldn't you?"
Aura shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me either way."
"But don't you want them to know how strong you are?"
"I suppose. I'll just fight and win. Is that ok?"
"What if we don't win?"
"We will." She seemed certain enough and Kaoru drew confidence from her, "You promised porcupine so we will."
"Thanks…" Kaoru whispered, a little surprised at her bit beasts' consideration for such a promise, and smiled. "We'll use Faith Spell first and increase our power, a little less magnificently than usual though I think. No need to scream it." The angel nodded. "Then go for the kill ok. No mucking around. Use the spirit bow."
The angel raised an eyebrow. "The spirit bow? Don't you think that's a little extreme for such an opponent?"
"Yes. But I want to prove myself, I want them to know we really are very strong."
The other girl inclined her head. "Ok then. Just give me the word."
"But…"
"But?"
"It's just…you can't always predict how a battle will play out. What happens if it's not enough? What happens if she dodges it or -"
"Impossible. Kaoru, you're thinking too much about this. The spirit bow will be more than enough."
"What if it isn't? You'll be worn out after using it."
"Worn out perhaps but not out of power. We'll never be out of power Kaoru, you never have to worry about that, there's always more and if it comes to that we can always use -"
"No." Her voice was louder than it needed to be, and echoed of the walls of her mind. "It won't come to that."
There was such stubbornness and conviction in her eyes. Her need to believe the lie was painfully obvious so Aura nodded.
"Of course not."
"Thank you."
"Whatever.
Kaoru frowned. "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine."
"You don't seem fine. You seem odd. You're willing to do your best to help me keep a promise but not at all concerned how we keep it. Are you happy to let me just order you around in tomorrows match? And then to brush off my thanks so casually. It's not like you."
Aura lifted her head and her red eyes focused on Kaoru's blue ones. "I'm fine."
"Don't lie to me. I worry about you you know, so you have to tell me if something's wrong."
The red eyes narrowed dangerously. "Why? Can't you tell anyway?"
Kaoru was quiet.
"We know each other too well Kaoru, always. Don't you lie to me. Don't you tell me you don't know exactly what's wrong, down to the tiniest detail!" Her tone was bitingly cold and the blue-eyed girl looked away, ashamed.
"Of course I know." She agreed, "Always. But I'd like for you to tell me sometimes."
The angel snorted.
"You're annoyed because Kai and I are becoming closer."
"Not annoyed. Worried, afraid."
Kaoru shook her head, "Silly. You really needn't be."
"Oh?"
"So Kai and I are friends now? Ray is my friend and Max and Kenny and Hilary and Tyson and so many others, Aura, honestly. What makes this one different? Is it because he's good looking? Maybe you're worried because you like him ne?"
The angel gave her a flat look and Kaoru laughed. "Or maybe it's because you hounded him with the fan group for 3 years." Spat Aura, disgusted. Kaoru quietened instantly.
"Don't talk about that ok."
"You think they'll hear me do you?" Scoffed the girl.
Kaoru didn't answer. Her mind was on Kai and his eagerness to adhere to her condition and be her friend again. Wanting to be her friend. Something she'd only dreamed of in those long three years with the fan girls. They had always talked about it in depth. Knowing him, talking with him, and ultimately being his friend.
And now that she was…the thought of telling him…what would he do? Would he still like her at all? She couldn't face such a question.
The mood in the crowds was excited, anxious and bright. The sun was shining; it was a great day for a beyblading finale!
The mood in the Bladebreakers preparations room was dark, oppressive and anxious.
Tyson and Max were speaking quietly with Kenny over the top of a toolbox, discussing the various ways to harness the power of their blades while he did a once over.
Hilary was packing and repacking her bag of sandwiches. She'd made them to be useful, she'd said, since she wasn't blading. But Kai had shaken his head and told her to be prepared for anything. They'd planed for what they could anticipate but plans might need changing if anticipations turned out to be wrong, and now she was horribly nervous.
Kai himself sat on the couch, frowning into space. Ray had said he had woken up a few times the previous night to find Kai also up and either at the window or staring at the ceiling. He obviously hadn't slept. He was worried and for the first time felt unprepared. And then there was the nervous thought of Kaoru battling.
Kaoru sat against a wall, blade in hand, and conversing, sometimes internally and sometimes mistakenly out loud, with her bitbeast. Her lips would purse in annoyance and then she would roll her eyes or her eyebrows would raise or scrunch together depending on how the conversation went. A few times she scoffed and once hissed potently "oh, for Christ sake." For almost a minute she spoke out loud with herself. "If that's really how you feel then I'll just tell you what I want you to do and nothing more. You'll be my servant." "Of course not but you're being difficult." "It makes no difference! It's just the same as before only now it's titled." "I'm not going to talk about this today Aura, we're about to go into a really important battle and it would be nice to talk about that." "Argh! I can't believe you sometimes!" Then she sat in sulky silence.
Ray was the only bladebreaker happy with the arrangements. He stood at the door practically bouncing, overly eager to have a good fight with his friends.
The intercom buzzed and Kai answered immediately. Through the speaker Mr. Dickenson told them to be ready at the stadium entrance in a matter of minutes, and indeed the noise from the crowds was becoming louder.
The intercom crackled and then hissed gently into silence. For a moment no one said anything, then Kaoru stood and took Kai's hand and pulled him up the wings after her.
His mouth moved to protest but the notion vanished almost as soon as it had come. His hand felt good in hers, he realised. Warm and protected.
When they'd made it to the entrance to the stadium Kaoru let him go. The others were a little ways behind and she turned to him and whispered, "I will win, no matter what. I promise."
It took him a moment to process her words as the warm feeling of her hand slowly seeped away from his, but finally he nodded and said, "I know. I trust you."
The others were beside them in a matter of moments and Kai turned to them. They were all looking at him expectantly and he felt as though he was meant to say something.
"The BladeBreakers have won the championship every year since the came into existence." He began quietly, because it was the truth. "And maybe they'll win again, and maybe they won't. We've done enough, and now we'll go and fight. And the outcome doesn't matter."
They gaped at him in an awed kind of fear, as if he had just begun to glow a holy light and revealed himself, with utter seriousness, to be an angel sent to save them.
The look disturbed him so he added quickly, "I don't think I should have left the bladebreakers all those years ago. I think it was a mistake." And before the effect of those words could be observed, DJ Jazzman announced the battle and Kai turned and walked on stage.
The crowds erupted but a second later Kai realised it was not just for the bladebreakers that they were screaming but also for the white tigers. And it was surprisingly even.
With his team in toe, Kai made his way up to the closed beydish where their opponents were assembling beside Jazzman.
"This match will comprise of three games. Two singles games and a special game, either battle royal or double! A preference as to the special game bladebreakers?"
"Battle Royal." Answered Kai and Lee sent him a smirk that said he'd known Kai would say this, and he certainly also knew why. Kai growled.
"Tigers?"
"Double." Said Lee certainly.
"A toss then!" Exclaimed Jazzman and produced an odd shaped coin that somewhat resembled a bit chip. "Head or tails camps?"
"Heads." Said Kai firmly and DJ Jazzman sent the thing spinning. It came down tails.
"And the first match will be a double! Captains! Pick you bladers!"
Lee was smirking and Kai felt like the one fishing lines worth of thread holding him up had broken. Lee took a step forward and opened his mouth.
"Mirra and I will blade."
The stadium was quiet for a moment, and then erupted into sound.
"What's this?" Asked Brad Best from the commentators box, "Has Lee lost his mind!"
"Renna is his trump card!" Agreed AJ Topper over the immense noise the crowd was making, "This could be a costly mistake for the White Tigers!"
Kai was in shock, desperately running and re-running everything he knew about Lee's team and trying to come up with a reason for the illogical decision but there seemed to be none.
He had to recalculating his tactics. Renna was no longer blading in the double, that meant she was blading elsewhere. It was Tyson or him that would have to face her, they were the only ones who could win! Maybe. But that meant…
He frowned deeply, hating that he had to so haphazardly redo his plans and hating that Lee was smirking as if to say - 'I know. Doesn't it suck?' - and hating how Jazzman was looking so impatient waiting for a decision.
"Tyson and Hilary will blade in this match." He said with what he hoped came out as confidence.
Hilary gave a squeak but Tyson nodded, in a serious way that made Kai think he might actually understand the logic behind the decision.
He turned then, with out so much as a word to his team mates, confidently, as if he'd planed it this way from the start, and walked to the sideline benches. He sat and crossed his arms. Max sat on his left side, Hilary's sandwiches in his hands and Kaoru sat on his other, confused and worried but hiding it well.
"Bladers step up!"
"All I can say is, I hope Lee has one heck of a plan! Tyson and Hilary are a powerful team Brad!"
"Right you are AJ! But lately the captains' judgment has been spot on hasn't it? I'm intrigued to see how they do!"
"Ready?"
Mirra smiled and pulled out her pink and yellow blade. Lee, beside her, nodded. Tyson sent Hilary a grin, which she returned shyly and then nodded to Jazzman as well.
"Then, 3, 2, 1, LET IT RIP!"
"Amazing AJ! Who'd have thought?"
"Never me Brad, never me. What an upset!"
"Lee sure went into the game with a plan didn't he? Grown up I'd say."
AJ gave a sob, "Does me proud!" He cooed.
"Let's recap the match as the bladers prepare for the next one, shall we?!"
"2-1 to the White Tigers, a huge upset! All bets were on the BladeBreakers for this one, currant world champions and with a team like Tyson and Hilary!"
"I hear ya AJ! My bets were on the BladeBreakers for sure but Lee just knew what he was doing. Really impressive."
In the preparation room the BladeBreakers also discussed the previous battle.
"It was so close," whined Max, a worry line creasing the skin between his eyebrows, "I really thought you guys had it."
"Lee's really matured," added Ray, eyes closed and nodding as if pondering it to himself, "Every move, everything, calculated."
Kai sighed, "He must have practiced a lot, Lee and his team. A lot more than us, they're determined. They'd studied our moves, they knew our weaknesses, they knew us. Our characters, Tyson easily provoked," the boy hung his head, "Hilary, nervous and overwhelmed. They were ready."
The group was silent.
"Ray. You will fight next, against Mariah, who I'm sure they'll send. They'll know your weaknesses too so be ready, don't let them take you for a ride." Ray nodded. "Mariah is you friend, I know, and you may wish to believe she'd never play you but it's more than likely that that trusting nature is number one on the list of your weaknesses." The boy frowned, "Do not let it be."
A moment passed and Ray nodded solemnly. "I won't."
Kai stood and left the room through a door that lead to a drink machine. "And also Ray," he called from out of site, "whatever your relationship is with Mariah, don't let it effect your blading. I know you're better than that."
"The BladeBreakers send Ray," announced Jazzman excitedly, "And from the White Tigers…" he waited for confirmation, "Mariah!" The crowds roared.
"It's the second time these two have battled against each other in the tournament isn't it AJ?"
"Sure is Brad. And who can forget that first time? Love was in the air."
"And the ratings! Through the roof!"
"No doubt we're in for a similar display of romantic, blading prowess, ay Brad?"
"Let's hope AJ. Let's hope."
Ray scowled as he stepped up to the blading dish. Love was in the air? He remembered that first battle, not so much for the splendour of it, but for the weeks upon weeks of speculation in gossip magazines about his relationship with Mariah. It didn't help either, that Kai had brought up the very same issue not minutes before.
Mariah stepped up across from him. She was frowning to, a light blush colouring her cheeks. He smiled.
"Ready to demonstrate your Romantic Blading Prowess Mariah?" He asked jokingly.
She smiled too. "Yeh, ratings through the roof huh. Wow." And then she laughed. "It's like we not even here isn't it?"
Ray chuckled, and because of the microphones attached to the collars of their shirts, the exchange was carried through the stadium.
There was a rather audible silence from the commentators box.
"Ready to begin?" Asked DJ Jazzman and the bladers smiled and nodded.
"RIGHT THEN! BLADERS READY! 3, 2, 1, LET IT RIP!"
The blades hit the sandy banks of the island replica bey dish, Mariah's swerving to avoid the dangerous water that lay to either side.
Because the previous doubles match had taken such a long time to decide, and because the next would probably take similarly as long, Mr Dickenson had suggested that this match last only one round. Both teams had accepted; somewhat unwillingly, but neither wanted to be out done by the other.
It meant that this match was now life or death for the bladebreakers. Ray had to win in order for them to even advance to the next round, let alone to the next tournament. However, despite this fact, Ray felt no pressure. He was having fun, just like the match with Mariah in their first tournament that had got the tabloids raving, just like when they were kids, blading together in the hills surrounding their village.
A great crumbling, static sound filled the stadium. Ray looked up with a start to where Mariah stood across from him smiling and holding her crushed microphone. There was silence now.
"Mariah…" He whispered, but the sound still carried and filled the enormous space, "what are you - "
"I want to speak with you Ray." There was a pouty smile on her lips and a determined look in her eyes. "In private." And her voice, unlike his, remained a secret between them.
Confused but, perhaps foolishly, trusting, he nodded, took his microphone between two fingers, and deftly crushed it.
In the back of his mind he heard the announcers comment loudly about his actions, but Mariah was also speaking and her words were of greater value to him.
"It's always happening Ray."
He blinked. "What is?"
"People think we're together." She blushed. "Or that we like each other. Reporters always ask me about it, even in press conferences people ask me how you're going."
"Oh." He mumbled and nodded a little pink himself now.
"So I wanna know Ray. What's the deal? Do you like me?"
"What! No!..That is…do you like me?" He was very red now, and aware that all the cameras were catching this fact with ease, and posting it up around the arena for the spectators, his teams', and his old friends' viewing pleasure.
Mariah smiled. "As a friend Ray, you know I love you. But romantically?" She looked away then, as if ashamed. "No. I don't think I ever could." Then suddenly, with a flash of bright pink hair, her head snapped back to face him. "Not that I don't find you attractive Ray!" She was not the tomato red that he was, but her cheeks had certainly taken a health pink glow, "I do! You…you're gorgeous, of course. One of the most handsome boys I've met."
By this stage both had achieved similar facial colouring and sported similarly embarrassed expressions. Excited announcements could be heard all the time in the background, forever speculating exactly what was being said among the pair, and the wild ideas only served to further embarrass them.
"It's just…we've always been friends. Almost like siblings don't you thing?" She looked to him hopefully. "I just don't know…that I could be together with my older brother in a romantic way. Right?"
When a long moment had passed and he was sure she was finished, Ray smiled. And then laughed, happily.
"Thank goodness Mariah! I was so afraid I was gonna have to turn you down and then fight an angry rejected girl in a bey match that I couldn't afford to lose and I just…really wasn't looking forward to that!" He laughed again.
"So…" She blinked. "You don't like me then?"
"Oh! As a friend of course! But it's just like you said, we're siblings! I want to be the one that give your boyfriend a hard time, not the one who's your boyfriend!"
She was quiet for a moment and then smiled. "I'm going to take that as a compliment Ray. I'll just have to try extra hard now to get a boy friend so you can harass him."
They smiled at each other companionable for a minute and then Mariah gasped. Ray smirked.
"Come on Mariah. Think a little better of me than that won't you?"
Her blade was stopped in its tracks, pressed against the miniature palm tree of the island replica dish, from where it had been trying to launch a sneak attack.
"Whoa AJ! Sneak attack from Mariah!"
"But not sneaky enough Brad. Ray's got her pinned!"
Rays eyes were dark as he looked at her. "Kai told me you would try to exploit my trust. I didn't want to believe him, but he told me to be careful, and because he is my captain I have to obey him."
Mariah's eyes swelled sadly, as she looked from her useless blade back up to Ray's face. "I'm sorry."
"I don't blame you. I know these battles are hard; you have to do everything you can to win. Strategy, knowledge, they're criteria, I understand that but I wish…you'd chosen a different distraction." He looked away from her.
"N…No Ray! I meant what I said! Every word! I love you, you're my family, my brother…I meant it. I really did."
He looked at her, holding her eyes with his own for a long moment. Then he nodded.
"Drigger. Tiger Claw."
With one swipe her blade was whisked from sand and into the water where it floundered for a moment before sinking and coming to a soggy holt.
"Knowledge." He said quietly as the pink haired girl fell slowly to the ground, "Of your opponent Mariah, but also of yourself." She looked up at him. "You must know yourself too, your weaknesses certainly, so that you can avoid them being targeted but also, more importantly, you must know your strengths. I know you're not the type of person who plays these types of tricks Mariah, so I'll forgive you, but you should have known that enough to not have done it at all."
She nodded slowly, eyes glistening with stubborn tears.
"And Strategy." He continued. "A sneak attack is not a bad idea, but it leaves you open. The better strategy was mine today, to simply wait, and take the moment to give you a push towards the water."
He smiled then. "The next time we fight, I hope the circumstances will be different."
And with that he turned and walked back to his team.
Amidst the cheers of spectators and the excited, speculation of the announcers, stood the BladeBreakers. They were waiting for him, smiling.
When he reached them he stoped, removed the second, hidden microphone that Kenny had clipped to his bandana and stowed it in his hip pocket.
"Well said." Commented Kai, breaking the comfortable silence as Kenny saved the audio file of the fight onto Dizzy, "It was the better strategy." He stepped forward and, almost companionably, put a hand on his team mates' shoulder. "And it was the better blader." Kai smiled.
For a moment Ray was shocked by the show of friendship from the usually stoic blader, but then he grinned.
Though he'd never had the experience he imagined that this must be what it felt like to come home from a war. Suddenly, instead of being surrounded by the people who were doing their best to bring him down, he was instead with the people who protected him, cared for him, and wanted him to do well. It was like the weight of the world being lifted.
With a laugh he flashed them a thumbs up and that was all the encouragement the others needed to jump on him in a barrage of hugs, noogies, back pats and, from the girls, cheek kisses.
It took Ray only a moment to notice, through the blanket of team mates he was wearing, that his feelings for the BladeBreakers were not all together different from his feelings for the White Tigers. The BladeBreakers were his family too, but a different kind of family.
The White Tigers he had grown up together with, they were his brothers, sisters and cousins. The BladeBreakers were his family because he had made the decision that they were. Because he loved them and trusted them and for no other reason.
Did that mean, he wondered, as the others began to untangle themselves, that he was married to the BladeBreakers?
The thought brought forth such uncontrollable laughter that, though confused, the others couldn't help but join in, and the happy sound echoed of the walls of the walkway as they made their way back to the preparations room.
Five minutes later and the topic of Ray's battle had been exhausted. Teasing and laughing his team mates had poked good-natured fun at him while they sat around on the beige leather sofas and drank coke but now the issue turned to the upcoming match.
"I can't…believe it's come down to this…" Chuckled Tyson, but the sound was humourless. "If we don't win the next match…"
"We've been in situations like this before." Kai reminded them. "We always come out on top somehow. One of our strengths is being able to get ourselves out of tight situations."
"We've done it before," agreed Max, "but never against someone like Renna." He shook his head. "She's too much, I couldn't even fathom beating her."
"At least she's without her team-mate."
"That could be worse. Some bladers battle even better in singles."
There was a slow and heavy silence.
"Let me fight her."
All eyes turned to Kaoru as her usually quiet voice disturbed the stillness.
"I know I only asked to fight Mariah, but Ray fought her, and I understand that he had to do that so you'd be able to take on Renna, and I know you think she's gonna be impossible to beat as it is but I stand by what I said before. I promised you I'd win and I won't take it back now either. Against Mariah or against Renna, I'll fight and win for the bladebreakers."
Kai looked at her for a long moment, and frowned. "Kaoru, it's not as simple as a promise -"
"I know that." She cut him off, "And I know it's selfish but I want to fight her. I feel like you guys can't rely on me at all and I want to show you that you can! I'm stronger than you think I am. There are things you don't know about me, and that's why you just have to trust me. Trust me when I say I can do it! I will do it! Let me prove I'm worthy of being a bladebreaker!"
Silence was their first response, broken only by the announcement "five minutes til round three".
"I will beat her." Said Kaoru again, standing up and facing them, determined. "Beyond a shadow of a doubt, no matter what it takes, I promise you Kai…I will beat her."
And le done.
Zomg. Will Kaoru get to blade? Will she be able to beat Renna if she does? And just what makes her so sure of her ability to win anyway?
-sigh- We're finally getting to the end of the first round of the tournament. Next chapter will be the deciding match, which I've been looking forward to writing forEVER! Squee! Can't wait! And then there'll be some KaiKaoru for those of us who've been waiting on that
I'm really excited that this part of the story is coming to a close cause the next one will be all fresh and shiny and, I happen to know, fluffy. There's going to be a lot more serious KaoruxKai development, some new characters, old loves, jealously, fangirls so on and so forth XDDD
IMPORTANT! There were no A/ns for this chapter so please let me know if there was anything you didn't understand and i'll do my best to clear it up. ALSO with the next part of the story more devoted to KaixKaoruness I just wanted to know if anyone has any fluffy moments they'd like ot see between the two. There's heaps of space for romance in the next part so let me know and I'm sure I can stuff it in there somewhere. The more the merrier!
SO please send a review, even if just to say, "cool, I liked it" or whatever. Reviews make me inspired to write so….more reviews - more inspiration - more writing! Lol. And I'll give you a Ray plushie if you do! WOOT!
Soi