Chapter 10:
Yin: Crazy
It didn't take long for the news to spread around the village of the destroyed shrine and as the news swept, panic started to rise in its wake. People were looking over their shoulders as if they were waiting to be attacked in broad daylight. Talismans appeared around the necks of the villagers and prayer slips attached to the doorways of their homes. Villagers traveled in groups and huddled together, whispering to one another. The only ones who didn't seem to be on edge were Mei and Feng, who went about their business as if everything was normal.
"You're not worried at all about the shrine being broken? About evil spirits being released?" Crystal asked. She slid a glass back and forth between her palms, it rattled against the shiny wooden surface.
"Of course not," Mei said evenly. The steam from the hot water she poured into a white tea cup wafted past her face. "Feng and I have been praying every day. Not to mention…" she set the tea pot down and added tea leaves to the water before pushing it towards her friend. "…We have a dragon and a phoenix with us. We are protected in any way we can be. And, if anything were to happen, I have lived a nice life and I have found love. That is all I can ask for."
Crystal pursed her lips and accepted the cup of tea that Mei pushed her way. Not wanting to be rude, she blew on it and then took a sip of the green tea. She felt the muscles in her face pull at the onslaught on her tongue but she kept them in check and managed to remain stoic as she swallowed. "I think you're the only two who want to continue on at this point. The whole village is up in arms. I mean, just because something has been destroyed doesn't exactly mean that something bad will happen."
"And just because something has been destroyed doesn't exactly mean that something bad won't happen, either," Mei pointed out. "Kevin fell out of a tree"
"Coincidence."
"Tao walked off the edge of a cliff."
"Coincidence."
Mei held up her finger, and pulled a printed receipt out of machine. She then stuffed it into the to-go bag that Feng had placed on the counter and pushed it towards the man who had been waiting. Speaking quickly in Chinese, she offered the man a smile and bowed. Once he walked off Mei turned back to her friend. "I understand that this…may not mean much to you anymore, but it means a lot of the other villagers. Maybe, somewhere deep inside it does since you did come back—"
"For you," Crystal pointed out.
Mei smiled. "Of which I am pleased and touched to hear. I'm merely pointing out that you have a connection here still. Some of this must be troubling to you. Because your friends may be placed in danger. Tyson, Max, Hilary, Kenny, Kai…Ray."
Crystal's eyebrow twitched and she sat up straighter in her chair. She rubbed her palm across her face and blew out a breath. While giving her head a shake to remove invading thoughts that she didn't really want to think about, she said, "You know I only came here to ask for your help. Not get some lecture."
Mei held up her hands and shrugged her shoulders. "As for this…do you honestly not believe that Dricen is yours? No matter where he came from…he chose you. He's yours. This Kaoru kid is too far into your head."
Pressing the tips of her fingers against her thumb, she imitated someone talking. Mei playfully swatted at her hand with a small white towel and used it to wipe down the counter as Crystal leaned over to pull books out of her bag. She carefully handed over the old books, the covers hung on by a thread. "There is causing reasonable doubt and then there is having the conviction behind it that makes it different. Kaoru was different. He said it came from his family and mine stole it. If that's the case…I can't keep Dricen under these pretences."
"Crys—"
"Mei, I can't read these," Crystal said, folding her hands on the countertop. "I need you to read them for me and tell me what they say."
"Have you tried yet?" Mei asked, opening the front cover of the book and flipping through the pages. Her nose wrinkled and she recoiled. Crystal couldn't help but chuckle at the reaction. The same thing had happened to her when she opened the books. She hadn't expected all of the dust nestled within the pages. It burned and stung her nose.
"Yeah. The words kept wiggling around the page, I couldn't focus. That's why I need you to help me. It was passed down through my family."
"Where'd you find it? I thought everything that belonged to your parents was destroyed."
Crystal briefly pressed her lips together. Her previous banishment was still fresh in her mind. It hurt to have to be forced out at eight years old but what hurt worse was, before she left, they had to destroy everything that belonged to her parents so she had no reason to come back. She was just lucky that she didn't have much of her own possessions at the time so they wouldn't destroy it.
"That's what I thought, but I was looking around the library—if you can really call it that—and I found them." She tucked her hair behind her ear. "I think because they're considered a part of the village's history they've been left untouched. They were written by my great-grandfather, at least that is if I'm reading the name right. I think it's his handwriting but…I can't tell what it says. Can you just…read it and get it back to me as soon as possible?"
"Of course," Mei replied. "Anything to set your mind free." She carefully set the books down on the counter and then reached out to grasp Crystal's hand. "I don't think I've said this but I truly appreciate you facing your own hardships to come back here for the day."
"And the festival too, don't get a big head," Crystal teased, sticking out her tongue. Mei playfully swatted her again and she laughed. "You're welcome, Mei. You're one of my best friends, I wouldn't miss it." She squeezed Mei's hand. "Two days! Are you two excited?"
"Mei certainly is," Feng commented, coming out of the back room. In his hands was a bowl of fired ice cream. "It's all she speaks about. Almost as if she forgets that we have a restaurant to take care of." He set the bowl down in front of Crystal and then kissed Mei's cheek. "She is lucky that I know how to run this place by myself."
"I'm lucky that I am going to marry someone that knows how to be self sufficient," Mei shot back. "Did you get the decorations?"
Feng blinked. "You were supposed to get them, Mei."
"No I wasn't. You were supposed to get the decorations and I was supposed to brief Kai and Tyson about their parts in the ceremony." She paused and then turned back to Crystal who had just taken a large scoop from the fried ice cream. "Speaking of which, they do know that they are participating, right?"
"You forgot to tell them?"
"I'm sure I did! There've been so many preparations to take care of and…wait!" She slapped Feng's chest. "I was right then! You were supposed to get the decorations!" She threw her arms into the air. "You always do this, Feng! You always try to put the blame on me." She grabbed the books off the counter and brushed past him, bumping her shoulder against his.
Feng pulled his lips in only to let them go with a pop. He picked up the towel that Mei had left behind and wrung it between his hands. A few water droplets fell out. "Don't get married," he sighed.
"That's the plan," Crystal replied, her words muddled due to the dessert in her mouth. She swallowed and scooped up more of it with her spoon. "How are you two still arguing?"
"The closer it gets the more we argue. May as well get it all out of the way now." He draped it over his shoulder. "Just remember, compromise is the key to every relationship. It's all about having equal parts come together to form one whole. Yin and yang work for a reason." He threw a wink her way and moved into the backroom.
Crystal twisted her mouth to the side and then ate the rest of her dessert. Once she was finished she set her spoon in the empty bowl and then left money on the counter. She hopped off the stool she had been sitting on, grabbed her bag, and left the restaurant.
She had to stay back towards the door to keep from being swept away by the thick crowds on the streets. She brought her bag up over her shoulder as she waited for a hole to open up. Seeing her chance, she ducked into a gap that had opened only to be swept up in the flow of people. Elbows poked at her from all sides and she was jostled to and fro. She tripped over her feet and one well-placed elbow sent her sprawling into the street before she could catch her balance.
"Shit," she groaned, feeling her knee throbbing from where she struck. She braced her palms against the ground and had started to push herself up when she paused. The ground beneath her hands trembled ever so slightly. Her ears twitched. Then her heart jumped up into her throat and she began screaming 'shit' a little bit louder in her head as a car came barreling towards her.
Her heart lurched once more, though this time it was due to feeling a hard tug on the hood of her shirt and the asphalt beneath her feet disappear. She was flung across the street and landed hard on the sidewalk. It took a moment for her breath to come back to her but as soon as it did she rolled onto her back and sat up only to see the car driving off.
"Urrgghh, no wonder they say we suck at driving," she groaned, rubbing at her knee. It was bright red and little bits of asphalt were embedded in her skin but it was nothing too serious to worry about.
"Are you okay?" Lee asked, coming into her view. He stood over her, his large golden eyes filled with concern. He grasped her elbow and pulled her to her feet. "That doesn't look too bad. You can just put some ointment on it once we get back, it'll be healed in no time."
"You have good timing." She brushed off her arms and legs, wincing slightly at the sting in her knee. Then she grasped her opposite shoulder and rolled her arm. She caught a glimpse of one of the finger-shaped bruises on her arm before her sleeve covered it up again. "What are you doing here? I thought you were back in the village with everyone else."
"I was, but I was getting some herbs and stuff that I couldn't get back there. See?" He reached down to grab the fallen brown paper bag on the street. It was crinkled and stepped on in a few places but that didn't seem to deter him. He picked it up, looked the plants over, and then held the bag out for her to see. She stepped forward and peered into the bag, just to check if he was telling the truth and not following her. She wouldn't put it past him if he were. "They're for the Elder."
Crystal's eyebrow twitched and her lip pulled down in the corner. Only a few days before he was spouting off about how the Elder was going to die and how he wanted to shoot to the top of the village and now…? Now he was acting as if he cared? As if he had completely forgotten what he had said and was innocent? She could still feel the slight ache in her side from where he had kicked her and yet he didn't seem at all bothered. Still, her concern for the older man won out so she cleared her throat and crossed her arms and asked, "How's he doing?"
"He's in higher spirits. A little bit stronger than before. We think he's turning around." Lee pulled out a fistful of what Crystal recognized were stalks of lavender. "This may do the trick. We're running out of options at this point."
But isn't that what you want? You're playing an awfully good game here, Wong. She waited a few moments to be sure that she wouldn't speak her offending thoughts aloud and instead said, "Mmm. Well, I hope he gets better soon." Anything to end the conversation and get away from him.
Lee grasped her arm, stopping her from fully turning around. She whipped around, her eyes hardened into a glare. He immediately let go of her arm, his widening eyes silently speaking the apology that died on his tongue. "I was just going to ask if you wanted to see him," he explained.
"No thank you," she replied, her words clipped. She lifted her bag higher on her shoulder and forced her legs to walk her away. "I have to find Tyson and Kai," she added over her shoulder.
"He's been asking for you," Lee continued, easily catching up to her due to his longer legs.
She scoffed. "Why would he be asking for me when he could be asking for Ray or Mariah or you?"
"He wants to be sure you're adjusting well," Lee replied. She squinted at him and blew a breath out of her nose. "He's not well enough to be talking long. Just…go in and let him know you're alright. That's all. Then you can go and find the others. Five minutes, tops."
Crystal ran her tongue across her teeth, brushing the tip against her canines. The steady sound of their shoes scuffing against the sidewalk beneath their feet filled the silence that stretched on between them. Her face began to hurt from holding her stern expression for so long but she didn't want to drop her guard for a second. Any inch of exposed vulnerability and he would jump on it faster than a cat on catnip. Besides, the Elder barely batted an eyelash when he first banished her, what could make him want to see her now…?
"Fine," she grunted. "Five minutes. But that's it."
Lee nodded. "Thank you. I'm sure he'll appreciate it."
News spread fast around the White Tiger Village. No one's business stayed their own; from something as small as getting a foot stuck in a bucket to something as large as receiving an intricate gift on White Day. So it was no surprised to Crystal to find the villagers still talking about Ray's heroics as they walked towards the Elder's hut. It had been a few days since the whole thing happened nut that didn't make it less annoying.
She had to fight the strong urge to roll her eyes every time it was brought up. Okay, so he saved a couple of people from death. Big deal. Anyone could do that. They were making Ray out to be the best person in the world since Buddha himself. A feast had been made up at the last minute for the occasion. She was surprised they hadn't constructed a statue of him to place at the center of the village, for how much they kissed his ass over the whole thing. But what else did she expect from a village that bestowed the almighty White Tiger to him?
Her mouth twisted to the side at the weight of Dricen in her pocket. Sure, she got the other one but what did that matter when people seemed to forget that? There were two tiger statues on the outskirts of the village and two tigers depicted throughout. And yet all focus was placed on one. It was almost as if the idea of the Tiger of the Moon burned down with the village years ago…
If I have to hear of Ray being deserving of having the White Tiger one more time…! Crystal reached into her pocket and rubbed her thumb along the edge of Dricen's attack ring. She took in a breath, her chest swelling from the effort, and slowly let it go as she faintly heard his roar in the back of her head. I know, buddy. Its one thing to believe Ray was the favorite than seeing it with your own two eyes. Being back is tough, but it's tougher to know things haven't changed much over the years.
"How's Tao?" Lee spoke up, adjusting the bag in his arms. "The kid okay?"
"I mean, he's a bit jumpy around water now—who can blame him?—but otherwise I'd say he's fine. Still as adventurous as ever. Still likes running around with the other kids. Still trying to become the next beyblading champion."
Lee chuckled. "Isn't that what we're all aiming for? To knock Tyson out?"
"Tyson won't be the reigning champion for long. Someone's going to beat him one day. Or he'll retire—"
"That's highly unlikely," Lee noted.
Even she couldn't help but snort at the idea. Tyson probably wouldn't stop blading even if his life depended on it. "—But even then, that's if beat Tyson is someone's end goal."
"He's not yours?" Lee asked, his eyebrows lifting.
She shook her head. "You know he's not. Let's be honest, we have the same one. That certain captain of ours. A win against him is as elusive as reaching the end of a rainbow. Or spotting a unicorn. Or meeting Santa Clause." She breathed out a long breath and licked her bottom lip. "It's a far off dream that we'll never accomplish."
"Never say never," Lee replied. "You're good. It's just—"
"Ray's better," she filled in for him. "Like always. He's faster and stronger and more skilled and…smarter." Her eyebrows crinkled. "He'll always be smarter," she whispered, as if saying the words aloud would make them carry more weight than they already do. The ever present crushing sensation on her chest was bad enough; she didn't need the weight to increase. Drowning was bad enough without the extra help.
"Crys—"
"You said five minutes," she interrupted him, her words sharp. Her eyes flicked over to the Elder's home as it grew closer. The shadows that stretched from the base of the house cooled her warm skin. "I'm going to start counting once we get inside."
Lee pressed his lips together and nodded, entering the hut first. The overwhelming scent of mint brushed past their noses as they entered. It didn't seem to affect Lee but it made Crystal recoil, bringing her arm up to her nose to block it out. She blinked and tears lined the rim of her bottom eyelid and fell down her cheeks once she blinked and surveyed the room.
The Elder lay in the middle of the room on a thin mat, straw cushioning his back from the hard floor. Candles were lit all around the room and incense burned in some corners, just in case it was a malevolent spirit that was causing his illness, Crystal guessed. A bowl of water lay by him with a cloth soaking in it. Little bits of berries and nuts sat on a cloth next to the bowl, untouched. The Elder's steady breathing was interrupted every now and then by a body-wracking, phlegm filled cough.
"How is he?" Lee asked one of the two women who knelt by the Elder's side, patting the back of his hand.
"A little better than before," the first replied.
"He's keeping his food down as well," the second relayed. "I'm sure his spirits will soar with you visiting him."
Crystal almost laughed out loud at how surreal the whole setting was. Here Lee was, walking about and pretending to care about his grandfather and putting on airs of being such a loving grandchild. He was lying to everyone and they were buying it! Of course, he never gave them a reason not to; she was the lone winner of that revelation.
Lee knelt by his grandfather's side and took his hand as the first woman moved away. He rubbed the back of his grandfather's hand and waited for his eyes to open. The Elder's breathing paused for a second. He took in a deep breath and then let it out, blinking a few times until his eyes settled on Lee.
"Sūnzi. I'm alright," the Elder rasped. "Please don't worry about me. I'll be fine." His hand trembled as he tried to give Lee's a squeeze. Crystal couldn't tell if that was because he was weak or simply because he was old. "The village is in good hands."
"We're not going to stay long, I just wanted to try something else to see if it would make you feel better," Lee replied. He let go of the Elder's hand and turned his attention back to the bag he had brought in. "Crystal's here, too. Like you asked." He then moved to the pot that hung above a fire in the corner of the room. The water in it was boiling due to the flames beneath the pot.
"Ah, yes. Please step forward, young one," the Elder said, lifting his arm to beckon her. The skin hung off like melting caramel and wobbled to and fro with the effort of holding his arm up. To keep herself from witnessing the sad sight any longer, she approached his side and knelt. "I hope your return has been seamless and that the past has been able to stay there. Old troubles need not be a worry."
Oh, it's not the old troubles that I need to worry about. She had to bite down on her lip to keep from speaking aloud, feeling one of her canines briefly pierce the soft flesh. The slight sting was punishment enough for even considering saying them to the ill man. For all she knew, one thing could send him off to an early grave and she didn't want to carry that sort of responsibility with her.
"I'll try to keep that in mind," she replied, rubbing the back of her neck. But that was hard, with her past running simultaneously with her present. Especially when she was currently thrown into it. As much as they all liked to believe that they were moving towards the future, the village was still stuck in time.
Technology wasn't something they spoke about, choosing to live without it. It was necessary, they said, to resist the temptations that it brought. Having the world at their fingertips would only pull those who gave into temptation further away from their teachings and their beliefs. Having electricity would only take away from their need to work hard to provide for themselves and sustain themselves. Anything they receive thereafter would just be given, not earned.
Living with these luxuries, Crystal had to disagree. Going from one extreme to the other made her appreciate it that much more and she longed to explain that to the village but it would be like speaking to a brick wall. It would make no sense and just be a waste of time. She had never felt so divided in her life and swore she could feel herself being pulled in two different directions. Something had to give.
The Elder held her hand between his—the skin was softer than she expected—and rasped, "My dear, if you need anything at all or run into any trouble, please come to me. I will ensure that everything I cleared up. Any sort of animosity does not belong here. We are all striving to work together and we can only do that if we are on the same page." His body seized up and his cheeks turned red at the force behind the new rounds of coughs that burst forward.
"I'll do just that," Crystal said, giving his hand a squeeze, much like he did to her before. She untangled her hand from his and rested them on her lap, twisting her fingers together. She unlaced her fingers when a mug was held in front of her face. Looking up, she noticed that Lee was holding something steaming in front of her.
"It's Kava," he said, tilting the mug a little further in an attempt to entice her to take it. "It'll calm you down. You look nervous." She took the drink but stopped and stared down at the murky water. Her eyebrows furrowed and her nose wrinkled at the smell of it. He said it was Kava but how was she to know that it actually was? She hadn't paid attention to what he was doing in that corner, focusing on their ill village leader instead. For all she knew he could try to poison her, which she wouldn't put past him at this point. "It's alright," he continued, as if having just read her mind. "See? Look." He knelt by the Elder's side and helped him move into a sitting position. He brought the other mug in his hand to the Elder's lips and carefully tilted it to allow the Elder to drink at his own pace.
With a quiet hum, Crystal took a sip of her own tea. The usual bitter taste was overpowered by the lavender and vanilla he added, creating a new welcoming taste that settled her flared nerves. If there was one thing he was good at—besides walking around with two faces—it was making tea. Though she half expected him to throw it in her face and scald her into submission for something else she did "wrong".
"Is it bad?" Lee asked.
Noticing that she hadn't swallowed, Crystal shook her head and swallowed the liquid. "No, its fine," she replied. "It's good. That's not the problem. You are."
Lee's face scrunched up. He set his mug aside and helped lean the Elder back down until he was lying on his back. "You can leave, I can handle this from here," he addressed the healers in the room. They bowed to him and shuffled out. "What in the world are you talking about?"
"Does this jog your memory?" Crystal demanded, yanking up the side of her shirt. True, the bruise that had been nestled in her skin wasn't as bad as it had been days before but it would be hard to miss the baseball sized spot now. Thankfully it didn't hurt as much as it had before and she could hide it better than when he bruised her arms and their friends were none the wiser. "Or have do you have selective memory?"
Lee took his time to reply. Instead he made sure the Elder was comfortable on his bed. He placed a new cloth on the Elder's forehead and then blew out the flames beneath the pot. "It's unfortunate that that happened to you but I would never do that. Why would I hurt you?" He finally turned to look at her, his golden eyes filled with concern. She couldn't place if it was towards the Elder or her. "You can beat me up if you wanted to. What reason do I have to want to hurt you?"
"To take over!" Crystal cried out, throwing her arms into the air. "You told me that! You…you said you couldn't wait for the Elder to die so you could take over. And the only way for that to happen is if I marry you. And I said I won't and you did…this!" She waved her index fingers around her arms and midsection to point out the areas that had been injured.
"…I think you've been inhaling too many of Tyson's fumes," he commented. He crossed his arms and looked at her as if she had a second head. "Listen to yourself. You're accusing me of hurting you, wanting my grandfather dead, and wanting to take over the village? Really, you have to see how ridiculous you sound." He approached her and placed his hands on his shoulders, saying in a quiet tone, "You sound crazy. Do those things sound like something I would do? Something I would say? Think about it."
Crystal's shoulders and chest heaved with the suppressed rage that tumbled around inside her. How dare he talk to her like that? Like she was nothing but a child to him. Her bruises didn't lie. Her anger and disgust didn't hang around her for the hell of it.
Her stomach twisted in such a way that it made her sick. Would she have to deal with this same thing if she told Ray and the others what he was doing? Would they claim that she was crazy as well? Brush her off like she meant nothing? Get angry at her for coming to them with something that could damage his reputation? And would she even be believed, what with her own past still coming up every now and then? There were so many unpredictable outcomes…
"Forget it," she grumbled, pushing his hands off her shoulders. She spun on her heel and stomped off, imagining Lee's face beneath every footfall. Maybe then he'd feel a fraction of how he made her feel. She wasn't crazy! She knows it! No one can fake bruises like that. But deep down, she couldn't help but wonder if maybe, sort of, kind of…that Lee was right…
"Fuck!" she yelled. Birds took off through the trees, screeching along as they went. Gritting her teeth, Crystal brushed fallen leaves out of her hair and off her shoulders.
"Whoa, what's gotten you so upset?" Hilary commented as she, Tyson, Max, and Kenny walked in through the brush.
"Yeah, we could probably hear you all the way from Pluto," Tyson commented, his mouth splitting to a wide grin.
I wish Lee would go to Pluto. Instead of speaking the words aloud she took a deep breath and replied, "Just a little stressed out, that's all. With festival preparations. It's tomorrow, after all." Forcing a smile she added, "Are you guys excited?"
"Oh, I can't wait. I always love a good festival," Max commented.
"And the food! Think of all the food!" Tyson jumped in, rubbing his stomach. "Ahhh, I can already taste it. Man, it can't come soon enough!"
"Yes, I too am excited in taking part in the activities and chances for immersion this culture has to offer," Kenny spoke up. "Think of all that we can learn. Think of the different takes on mythology and stories that they have as compared to those of our own home. Think of the—"
"The costumes! The fashion! The entertainment!" Hilary gushed, clasping her hands together. Crystal swore she could see stars in her eyes. "And not to mention, the wedding!" She sighed. "I hardly think I'll be able to sleep tonight. They're already beginning to decorate around the village. It all looks so pretty!"
"Speaking of wedding," Crystal started, her mind jump starting, "I need to find Kai. Mei asked me to talk to him and Tyson about their part in the wedding ceremony."
"Do they really need us to be a part of it?" Tyson grumbled. "Weddings are so boring."
"You get to stand in front of everyone and be the center of attention for ten minutes," Crystal commented. She smirked when she noticed the way Tyson's eyes lit up at the idea. "Yeah, I thought you'd see things my way. Wait here, I'll go get Kai."
"Last we saw he was at the waterfall," Max said.
"Got it, thanks."
The wind whistled in her ears as she ran to find their quiet leader. The sounds of chirping birds and rustling leaves gave away to running water. She broke through the tree line and blinked to get her eyes to adjust from the shade of the tree branches to the bright sun above her. Once they adjusted to the bright light, they rested on the lone figure standing beneath the waterfall. Her head tilted to the side. For a moment she thought it was Ray but then she took in the taller frame, the shorter matted hair, and the distinct muscle tone in the arms, chest, and stomach. Not to mention his stance beneath the waterfall was different than Ray's. Her head tilted back to once again look at the height that Tao had fallen from. She shivered, the image of his fall replaying in her mind. Giving it a shake, she turned her attention back to their lone wolf of a captain.
"Hey Kai! Come in, I need to talk to you!" she called out.
His eyes cracked open and looked in her direction. He closed them again, stepped out from beneath the falls, and dove into the water in one graceful motion. She grabbed the towel that lay on the rocks and watched as Kai's distorted body-shape headed towards the rocks lining the edge. His hands were the first to pop out of the water, resting on the rock to help give him enough leverage to lift himself out of the water in one pull. Water fell off the tips of his hair in thick droplets and streams wound their way down past his shoulders and followed the path carved by his abs.
Ignoring the sudden loud rapid heartbeats in her ears—she figured her body was catching up to her running—she held the towel out to him. "I'm surprised. Most people who try standing beneath that don't last that long. They usually complain about it being too cold or just can't hack it," she commented. She didn't get a reply, not that she expected one. With Kai she found that it was better not to expect anything from him. He wordlessly took the towel from her and rubbed it over his hair and face. It was a bit weird seeing him without his face paint. Like Tyson without his hat or Ray without his rattail. It just didn't fit.
"If you can spare a few minutes, I wanted to talk to you and Tyson about being a part of Mei's wedding. And the wedding process in general, I think you all will find it interesting and…" her words slowly died out as her attention shifted from Kai to his back. Or, what was on his back rather. "Whoa," she whispered. She just couldn't help it. Like she couldn't help reaching out and touching the crisscrossing, spider web-like scars that marred his back. How had she not noticed it before? How had no one noticed it before? "Didn't that hurt? Well, I bet it did. Those look bad. I mean, I've seen scars before but damn! These take the cake! Boris did this, didn't he? At the Abbey? That bastard! If I ever see him again, he'll wish he hadn't fucked with us." Stopping her rambling due to the look Kai shot her way, she withdrew her hand with a sheepish smile. "You know, you can soften these. We have his aloe mixture that can help if you want it. They may not go away completely but they won't look as bad."
Kai put the towel down and picked up his discarded shirt. The muscles in his back rippled beneath the surface of his skin as he pulled his dark shirt down over his head. He didn't seem to mind that his jeans were still waterlogged as he stepped onto the dirt next to her. "Let's go," he said, starting forward. Crystal had to increase her pace to keep up with his longer legs. By the time they made it back to the group Tyson and Max were in the middle of a beybattle while Hilary and Kenny sat back and watched; his was laptop open to record any data.
"Really? I was gone for five minutes!" Crystal cried out, throwing her arms into the air.
"That was an eternity," Tyson replied.
"Well…hurry up and beat him, Max. The faster we can get past his bruised ego the faster we can—"
Her words cut off by a dark blue beyblade flying past her head. It sailed towards Draciel and Dragoon and, with one strong hit, smacked them out of the way. Tyson and Max reached out and grabbed onto their beyblades and stared at them in shock. They all then looked to the ground to see Dranzer spinning peacefully before shooting back into Kai's hand.
"Hmph. Typical Kai, ruining the fun," Tyson grunted.
"You must have been slacking if Kai was able to beat you that easily," Hilary noted.
"Wha? Slacking off! I haven't been slacking off!" Tyson argued, rounding on her.
She looked up at him, an eyebrow quirking as she crossed one leg over the other and leaned back on her palms. "What else do you call it when you do nothing but stuff your face? Besides, you've lasted against Kai longer than that in normal practices."
"He caught me off guard! Had I had more warning I would have been fine. I would have won!"
"Yeah, sure Tyson."
"I would have! I've beaten him before!" Tyson held Dragoon out to Kai. "Come on, Kai. One on one! I've beaten you before and I'll beat you now!"
"I'll pass," Kai dismissed, resting against a nearby tree.
"Come on! You're not scared, are ya Kai? Scared I'll beat ya."
"Fat chance."
"Then prove it! Right here, right now."
Crystal heaved a sigh, her eyes turning up to the sky. How did she think this was going to be easy? If Tyson's mind wasn't on beyblading it couldn't stay on one subject for too long, save for the subject of food. She rubbed her palms against her face and dragged her fingers down her skin, ready to stop Tyson's goading, but then…
Her heart leapt into her chest. Her body began to tremble. Her breath came out in short rasps and a cold sweat flooded her palms. It couldn't be…and yet no matter how many times she blinked the image wouldn't leave.
"…Mom?" she uttered, her voice coming out as a strangled whisper.
In the nearby bushes her mother stood. Her royal blue hair flowed down her shoulder in a long braid and her golden eyes were brimming with tears. Her hands were clasped together and her mouth was pulled back into a watery smile.
"Mom." Crystal's legs carried her forward; she didn't even notice she had started walking. She almost fell due to the sudden movement but her body stayed upright. She pushed Tyson's arm out of her way and walked right past Hilary and Kenny, towards the bushes opposite her. "Mommy!"
Now she ran. Her mother's still smiling form got closer the further she ran. Sharp leaves tugged on her shirt and scratched her legs as she fought her way through the brush. She had to get to her mom, she just had to. She was almost there.
And there her mother was, standing right in front of her. Smiling at her. Smiling at her. Crystal's face broke into a large smile. She could smell her mother's scent—aloe and lavender—and could already feel the way her mother wrapped her arms around here. She just needed to get closer… "Mommy!"
"Uh…Crys? Who are you talking to?"
Crystal whirled around. Tyson, Hilary, Max, and Kenny all wore identical expressions of confusion on their faces. Kai's eyebrows were furrowed but his normal stoic expression never left his face. Her eyes jumped from one face to the other, her head tilting. Were they blind? "My mom," she replied.
Hilary was the first one of them to crack. She cleared her throat and said slowly, "Crys…your mom's dead."
"No…I mean…she's right here. Look!" Crystal turned back around to point only for her arm to slowly drop back down to her side. She had pointed at an empty space. The scent was gone. There was no indentation in the dirt to signify anyone standing there. She stood alone. "No, no. I saw her. She was right here. She was right here, guys, I swear."
"That's highly improbable," Kenny spoke up. "Even with the chance of light refractions coming into play, there is no chance that your mother could be standing there, in any form."
"Maybe she's going crazy," Tyson commented offhandedly. The grunt that followed let Crystal know that someone (Hilary?) had elbowed him hard in the side. But even that didn't make her take her eyes off the spot.
Her mother was there, she was sure of it.
But maybe…
Maybe Tyson and Lee were right. Maybe she was going crazy.
a/n - Well, what did you think? Lee doesn't seem to remember saying or doing anything towards Crystal yet she does. And she's seeing her mother. Is she crazy? We shall see! And, coming up next is the Dragon Boat Festival! I'm happy to finally get to this point in the story, I can't wait for you guys to see what I have planned. I know we've seen more of Ray and Crystal and the White Tigers than our favorite Bladebreakers/BBA Revolution but don't worry! They'll have key parts in the next couple of chapters. The festival will last for more than one chapter, I don't know how many yet but it won't be over in just one. Things will surely heat up in the next one. Thanks for those who are so patient with me between updates. I hope the wait is worth it! Please read and review!